Bishop (PL 7) - Bishop

[Bishop]

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Player Name: Bishop

Character Name: Bishop

Power Level: 7 (105/111PP)

Trade-Offs: -2 Attack, +2 DC

Unspent Power Points: 6

Progress To Bronze Status: 6/30

In Brief: A teleporting tactical genius.

Alternate Identity: Donovan Kross

Identity: Public

Birthplace: Philadelphia, PA

Occupation: Freelance Consultant

Affiliations: None

Family: None

Description:

Age: 44 (DoB: 1967)

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 148 lbs

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Brown

Donovan Kross is a slender, middle aged man. His hair is a dark brown and graying at the temples. It's of a medium length and usually a bit unkempt. He is missing his right eye, and the right side of his face is disfigured from burns. Where his right eye was is a cybernetic socket that interfaces with his optic nerve.

Because he doesn't try to maintain a secret identity, he nearly always wears his mask, which covers the scars on his face. The only time he normally takes it off is to sleep, shower, and play chess. He feels it interferes with his concentration during play and gives the appearance of an unfair advantage.

Bishop's costume is in a "chess motif" large black-and-white checkered pattern. He carries what looks to be a medieval king's scepter, about a foot and a half long, which clips to his belt. The rest of his belt is much more utilitarian in appearance. (He thinks the whole "chess-theme" thing is a bit overdone, but he didn't have a lot of input into the design...) Most of the right side of his face is covered with a metallic mask / headset which also completely covers his right eye.

Power Descriptions:

Bishop's primary power is his mutant ability to teleport. When he uses his power, whatever is teleporting shimmers briefly before disappearing. The teleport makes a soft "zzzut" sound.

History:

Donovan Kross was a professional chess master -- an international grandmaster who was running a small chess school in downtown Philadelphia. He lived in a modest home in the suburbs with his wife Melinda and daughter Julia.

That was until the night of the house fire that destroyed his life.

It happened late at night. There was an explosion, and the first thing Donovan remembers is waking up in terrible pain, pinned by a burning support beam. The right side of his body was pressed into drapery and carpet that had caught on fire and was scorching his face and upper torso.

He panicked. In the terror of the moment, he could think of nothing but wanting to get out, escaping to the safety of the front yard. In his mind, it was like he could understand the space between him and the yard in the same way he would visualize a chess board. All it took, he intuitively realized, was a diagonal move across the space in between like the move of a bishop. With that thought, he instantly teleported himself to the front yard and collapsed on the grass.

Later, Donovan awoke in the hospital, groggy and in pain. He was in the burn unit being treated for third degree burns over half his face and upper torso. He was attached to IV fluids, pain killers, and monitors. His first guests were police detectives sent to investigate the fire. They told him that his wife and daughter had died in the blaze. They also told him that the fire appeared to be intentional but that he was not currently a suspect.

The next few days Donovan spent in a medicated haze, but he was vaguely aware of being transferred to a wheeled stretcher and transported somewhere. When he fully came to his senses, he found himself in an ultra-high-tech medical facility; and his newest visitors weren’t police or medical staff, but costumed superheroes!

He learned that he was in the infirmary of Freedom Hall, the Freedom City headquarters of the Freedom League! Donovan’s accident had drawn the attention of the Freedom League for a few reasons – not the least of which was the shocking revelation that Donovan’s daughter Julia was secretly an associate member of the League! His own daughter had been living a double life as a superhero.

Julia had been the superhero code named “Empress†and had possessed impressive telekinetic powers. The League believed that Empress – Julia – didn’t die in the fire. The burnt corpse left behind was not hers. But they had no idea what had happened to her, where she was, or why nobody had heard from her since the fire.

Donovan also learned that his daughter’s powers were genetic and that she had inherited her genetic mutation from him! Its power wouldn't reveal itself until there was a life-threatening event which, in the panic of the moment, triggered the latent abilities. He remembered the car accident his wife and daughter had been in a few years back. It seemed a miracle they had survived without a scratch considering the extensive damage to the car and the semi-truck it had collided with. He had chalked it up to a fluke of chance.

Julia had acted differently ever since that accident. She was secretive, distracted, and seemed to go on a lot of sudden overnight trips. He had worried about her but didn’t want to pry. Now, the grief of her loss was even greater than when he thought she had died. He blamed himself: if only he had known the truth; if only he had used his “great intellect†and “supremely analytical mind†to figure out what was happening in his own family. Maybe then, none of this would have happened.

The League helped Donovan control his abilities. Donovan trained hard and devoted his talent for tactical chess to tactics of a different sort. While not an official member, Donovan now assists the League and various agencies as a master tactician. He also invests much of his free time in investigating what happened to his daughter and who killed his wife.

Personality & Motivation:

What happened to Bishop's family drives him to fight for justice and freedom. Though the surgery was offered to him to completely repair his scarring and replace his eye, he turned it down. He doesn't want to erase the reminder of what had happened, possibly out of a feeling of guilt over the incident.

He is especially driven to unravel the mystery behind what happened to his daughter. But, more than anything else, what motivates him is a desire to be someone his daughter would be proud of.

He loves intellectual challenges. That is what he loves most about chess, and sometimes he sees what he does now as the greatest chess game in the world. He particularly seeks to defeat "mastermind" villans who pride themselves in their intellect.

He no longer plays or teaches chess professionally, but still loves the game and is usually playing several correspondence games online at any given time.

Bishop tends to be "cool, calm, and collected." He has tremendous patience. He prefers to collect as much relevant information as possible before acting, but can act quickly and decisively when the situation calls for it. While polite, he tends to be a tad formal with others. He seems warm and friendly, but also reserved and a bit aloof.

Powers & Tactics:

Bishop can teleport himself with a remarkable degree of skill. He is also capable of “micro†teleports which lets him dodge attacks and avoid damage more effectively.

His mask plugs into the optical nerve where his right eye once was. It delivers tactical information, input from video cameras in the area, and interfaces with computer systems, including the one built into a small backpack on his costume.

He prefers to dart in and out of a battle using hit and run tactics to confuse and disrupt his enemies. He can teleport behind full cover, keeping tabs on his targets with cameras in the area or ones he might deploy on site, then strike and withdraw again quickly.

His primary weapon is a specially designed "scepter" which works with and enhances muntant teleportation abilities and has some additional useful features. He can use it to channel his teleportation power to teleport someone it touches, or to "rend" them by teleporting away parts of them or teleporting slightly into them. Lastly, the sceptre can enhance his natural teleporting ability, greatly extending his range and carrying capacity. The scepter is frequently tinkered with and might also include experimental "one off" features he can access by power stunting.

His costume is lightly armored and also includes a miniaturized, folding paraglider. His favorite strategy is to teleport high into the sky where he can slowly drift as he analyzes and prepares his battle plans. During downtime, he does this to monitor reports and keep an eye out for trouble spots he can teleport to instantly.

Complications:

A Mystery to Solve: He is willing to go to great lengths to find out what happened to his family and to avenge the death of his wife.

Owes One to the Big Guys: Bishop is not an official member of The Freedom League, but they have helped him a lot and he has an obligation to them. Also, since he makes frequent use of his Connected feat, bartering favors as he does so; he almost always owes favors to various powerful individuals.

"The Game is Afoot!": Bishop prefers to match wits with “mastermind†supervillians and he won't back down from an intellectual challenge.

Two-Face's Twin Brother: Bishop is scarred over half his face and upper torso from burns. This sometimes gets a negative reaction, though the scars are usually covered by his mask and costume. His looks are distinctive. He is not concerned with his appearance, but the scars do remind him of what he has lost.

Guinea Pig for Technology: Part of the deal he's getting in using his high-tech gear is that it is experimental and still subject to modification. Though this means he is sometimes given useful and unusual one-off "upgrades" he can power stunt, it also means things sometimes don't work as intended or can have unpleasant side-effects.

Abilities: 0 + 0 + 4 + 12 + 4 + 2 = 22PP

Strength: 10 (+0)

Dexterity: 10 (+0)

Constitution: 14 (+2)

Intelligence: 22 (+6)

Wisdom: 14 (+2)

Charisma: 12 (+1)

Combat: 6 + 6 = 12PP

Initiative: +6 (Speed of Thought)

Attack: +3 (+5 Scepter, -1 Ranged)

Grapple: +3

Defense: +7 (+3 Base, +4 Shield), +2 Flat-Footed

Knockback: -0

Saving Throws: 2 + 3 + 4 = 9PP

Toughness: +2/+5/+7 (+2 Con, +3 Protection (Costume), +2 Defensive Roll)

Fortitude: +4 (+2 Con)

Reflex: +3 (+0 Dex)

Will: +6 (+2 Wis)

Skills: 32R = 8PP

Computers 4 (+10)^{Skill Mastery}

Diplomacy 6 (+7)^{Skill Mastery}

Investigate 2 (+8)

Knowledge: Streetwise 2 (+8)

Knowledge: Tactics 9 (+15)^{Skill Mastery}

Knowledge: Technology 2 (+8)

Knowledge: Others (+6)

Search 2 (+8)

Sense Motive 5 (+7)^{Skill Mastery}

Feats: 10PP

Attack Specialization (Scepter)

Benefit 3: Knowledge (Tactics) in place of

• 
  Stealth to set up a surprise attack
  Notice or Sense Motive to detect an ambush or avoid a feint in combat
  Intelligence check for the Master Plan feat

Eidetic Memory

Equipment 1 [5EP]

Master Plan

Online Research

Speed of Thought

Skill Mastery (Tactics, Diplomacy, Computers, Sense Motive)

Equipment 1PP = 5EP

Computer (Masterwork) [2EP]

IR Video Camera (to drop in place and access with ESP)[2EP]

Mini Tracer [1EP]

Commlink [0EP]

Powers: 13 + 8 + 4 + 5 + 17 = 47PP

Device 4 (20PP Container, Flaws: Easy to Lose, Feats: Restricted (Mutant Teleporters))[13PP] ("Scepter")

Scepter 9 (18PP Array, Feats: Alternative Power 2) [20PP]

Base Power: Damage 9 (Extras: Penetrating)[18PP] (Rend / Teleporting tip into a target)

Alternate Power: Nauseate 9[18PP] (A disorienting teleport-in-place)

Alternate Power: Teleport 4 (Extras:Linked to Teleport Power (Increases power to rank 8: 800' / 2,000 miles), Accurate, Feats: Progression 2 (Increases capacity to 500 lbs)) [18PP] (Teleport Booster)

Device 2 (10PP Container, Flaws: Hard to Lose)[8PP] ("Mask")

Computer Interface and Video Camera 4.5 (9PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power) [10PP]

Base Power: ESP 3 (Vision, 1,000' range) (Extras: Simultaneous, No conduit, Flaws: Medium (Video Cameras)) [9PP] (Remote Video Feed Tap)

Alternate Power: Super Senses 3 (Range increment 100' (all vision), Infrared)

and Datalink 6 (20 mile range) [9PP] (Remote Computer Interface and IR Video Camera with 10x Zoom)

Device 1 (5PP Container, Flaws: Hard to Lose) [4PP] ("Costume")

Protection 3 [3PP] (lightly armored)

Flight 2 (250'/25MPH Flaws: Gliding) [2PP] (miniaturized folding parawing)

Shield 4 (Feats: Defensive Roll) [5PP] (Defensive Teleport) (Mutation)

Teleportation 4 (400'/1 Mile)(Extras: Accurate, Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Turnabout, Moving Feint)[17pp] (Mutation)

Drawbacks: (-3) = -3PP

Disability (One Eye, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate) [-3PP]

DC Block

ATTACK      RANGE     SAVE                 EFFECT

Rend        Touch     DC24 Toughness       Damage

Teleport    Touch     DC19 Fort (Staged)   Sickened, Nauseated, Helpless

Totals: Abilities (22) + Combat (12) + Saving Throws (9) + Skills (8) + Feats (10) + Powers (47) - Drawbacks (-3) = 105/111 Power Points

[Bishop]

I've revised Bishop as a PL 7. I think his concept "fits" this power level a lot better. The revisions don't change anything of what's been established (which isn't much) that he can / should be able to do.

The only thing I changed rather than pruning or paring down is his mask. I think it works better now. I felt the "look-through-TV-cameras" power should be No Conduit, and now it is. It also makes sense that his visual display can only show one major feed at a time.

I'd like this version to replace the current PL 10 version.

[Bishop]

I just edited to add a complication that came to me in thinking of "Kickers" for him: his equipment is still experimental and being fiddled with by its designers.

[Avenger Assembled]

Go ahead and fix up his formatting so it matches that of our template.

Write in his Flight speed, would you?

[Bishop]

Done and done. Wow, I had no idea how far I had strayed from the standard format! It IS much clearer what's going on this way.

[Supercape]

The only thing I can see on this is what the mini tracer "Teleport anchor" is about?

Mini Tracer on its own is 1 EP

What is the teleport anchor thing?

[Bishop]

The only thing I can see on this is what the mini tracer "Teleport anchor" is about?

Mini Tracer on its own is 1 EP

What is the teleport anchor thing?

It's only a "tracer" in the sense that he can "trace" something by teleporting to it. I'll clarify that. I don't remember where I saw a teleport anchor as a benefit for 1 EP, but it was in someone's build for something, and it seemed like a cool idea. Basically, it gives something to lock on to and teleport to wherever it is, like in the "anchor" flaw for teleport.

[Dr Archeville]

The "Teleport Beacon" was first used in Shaen's revision of Scarab's Lair. It's not a 1 EP thing, it's a 1 PP Feature.

[Bishop]

The "Teleport Beacon" was first used in Shaen's revision of Scarab's Lair. It's not a 1 EP thing, it's a 1 PP Feature.

Oh, drat. Ok, no problemo. Back to it just being a regular tracer.

(Actually, on reflection, a regular tracer is much better anyways. He can still teleport directly to it if he wants to with accurate teleport, and can get a heads up about what's happening with it before he does. I don't know what I was thinking!)

[Supercape]

Fixed one or two minor formatting issues.

One last query, Supersenses - and I confess this is something that I (and I suspect others) often get confused about.

You seem to have built it as Extended 2 (Normal Vision x100), Infravision - for Supersenses 3

This would mean that the extended (x100) would not apply to Infravision, as that is a different mode of vision.

You could, alternatively buy it as Extended 1 (All Visual Senses x10), Infravision - for Supersenses 3.

[Bishop]

Fixed one or two minor formatting issues.

One last query, Supersenses - and I confess this is something that I (and I suspect others) often get confused about.

You seem to have built it as Extended 2 (Normal Vision x100), Infravision - for Supersenses 3

This would mean that the extended (x100) would not apply to Infravision, as that is a different mode of vision.

You could, alternatively buy it as Extended 1 (All Visual Senses x10), Infravision - for Supersenses 3.

Huh. I guess you're right. That did confuse me, and I thought the extended applied to both. I think it makes sense, though, to make it x10 to both senses. I've got that changed.

[Supercape]

In which case, as far as I can see...

:approved:

[Avenger Assembled]

APPROVED

[Dr Archeville]

Archived due to inactivity.