Numen (PL 10) - Dragonsong

[Dragonsong]

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Player Name: Dragonsong

Character Name: Numen

Power Level: 10 (150/150PP)

Trade-Offs: -5 Attack / +5 Damage

Unspent Power Points: 0

Progress To Bronze Status: 0/30

In Brief: Demon-hunting sorcerer cursed with a tenuous hold on his soul.

Alternate Identity: Ulysses “Yule†Eriksson

Identity: Secret

Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, USA

Occupation: Unemployed

Affiliations: Presently None

Family: Joseph Eriksson (Father, Doctor), Patience Hall Eriksson (Mother, Doctor), Annabeth Ericksson Tremain (Sister, Businesswoman), Thomas Tremain (Brother-in-Law, Lawyer), Andy Tremain (Nephew, Toddler)

Description:

Age: 28 (DoB: December 1, 1983)

Apparent Age: 28

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Height: 5’10â€

Weight: 155 lbs

Eyes: Sea Blue

Hair: Chestnut Brown

Of roughly average height, with smooth features and a lanky build, Yule is relatively handsome. His deep blue eyes are distant, as though seeing something beyond his immediate surroundings. Short chestnut-colored hair casually parted to the right frames his well-proportioned face, to which stubble that refuses to move beyond scraggly and actually become a beard clings unevenly. There are long bags beneath those faraway eyes and a slump to his posture that speak of perpetual exhaustion.

Even so, he radiates calm collectedness and perfect focus.

Power Descriptions:

Yule’s magic is not particularly flashy, but it's still obvious that he's the one casting it thanks to the teal glow that surrounds him and his target while he's using it. He doesn’t have to move or speak to invoke it, though he sometimes does in order to help himself focus; he simply wills results to happen, pitting the power of his soul focused by the lens of his mind against the defenses of whatever foe he is battling. This can take the form of lifting and throwing cars, turning metal to ash, or opening yawning black gates that move him instantly across great distances, all without moving a muscle.

History:

The Alabaster Cabal was ancient when Atlantis fell; by the turn of the second millennium CE few remembered its existence, let alone its origins, and yet it endured. While the Supreme Sorcerers of Earth busied themselves protecting the dimension from the many and varied threats that assailed it, always on the defensive, the Cabal was striking back. They invaded the Netherworlds of the multiverse, doing battle with their Supreme Sorcerers and burning away shadows with searing light. Even more commonly, they battled the forces of the Infernal Dimensions.

The Cabal was ever a thorn in the side of demons, for they cared nothing for rightful punishment; all was fair in war. They snatched tortured souls from the depths of hell to stop them from empowering their foes. They bound devils in mystic containers buried in Antarctic ice or even burning in the hearts of stars, for to destroy them was merely to give them the chance to form their bodies anew. And they used their power to break infernal contracts, cutting off the supply of souls at one of the most common sources wherever they could. When Tartarus lay empty, they vowed, and not before, they would be content.

Members of the Cabal were expected to dedicate their entire lives to the pursuit of this goal, with no distractions, no outside commitments, and no hesitation. To find candidates with the focus, drive, and single-mindedness necessary to meet these criteria was never easy, but in the modern age of self-indulgence and skepticism fewer and fewer such men and women ever knew of or cared about the secret war. So when a bright young man like Ulysses “Yule†Eriksson went looking for something to dedicate his life to, the Cabal was glad indeed to be found.

Yule grew up to be a thoughtful, outgoing youth with a love of mythology and an attitude that put people at ease. Smart and hardworking, with a full ride to American University and competitive offers from half a dozen other prestigious colleges, he nonetheless found that he was not content with his life. He wanted a cause, something he could believe in and work toward unconditionally, and he couldn’t find it in politics or even community service. There were always shades of grey; he was always forced to ask if what he was doing was unambiguously right, and he always had to answer “noâ€.

At the age of seventeen, the summer before he was to attend college, he left home to look for such a cause. Though a homebody at heart, and very close to his family, he felt that leaving was necessary no matter how painful it was. Since he was not yet an adult he could only go so far; he was, for all intents and purposes, a runaway, and that limited his travel options. He would probably have been found in short order if not for a combination of his own determination and sheer chance; in the little town of Purgatory, in southern Utah, he happened to encounter a member of the Cabal.

The sorcerer, whose name was Trent Drake, sensed something unusual about the youth, and the two of them ended up talking over cups of coffee. When Yule expressed his desire to dedicate himself to something unconditionally good, without moral complexity, Drake knew that he had found a promising candidate. Revealing who he was, he made Yule the offer the young man had been waiting all his life to hear. It would not be easy, Drake warned, and there was no guarantee that Yule would ever be able to channel magic; some people simply never could, and most people lacked the focus. But the choice was still clear.

The next five years of Yule’s life were spent under Drake’s tutelage, isolated in the secret dimensional fortress of the Alabaster Cabal. Months passed in meditation, pausing for little save a few hours’ sleep and a simple meal every so often. It was three years of this search for perfect focus before Yule manifested his first spell: moving a pebble the size of his knuckle an inch without touching it. Yet concentration and experience built upon one another, and his pace of learning shot upward over the following two years. He became a potent telekinetic, able to crush a car by looking at it.

To force his student to continue learning at the same voracious pace, and perhaps even faster, Drake put him in the field: by his twenty-fourth birthday Yule had literally been to hell and back, an experience that shook him but reaffirmed his sense of purpose so powerfully that he finally felt certain he had chosen the right path. Nearly four years later he was a rising star amongst the ranks of the Cabal, propelled by a soul burning bright with purpose. This soul drew notice from the highest ranks of the organization: it could not match them, and likely never would, but it was wasted as a footsoldier.

On Yule’s twenty-eighth birthday, Drake came to him flushed with pride. He explained that the young sorcerer had been granted a great honor, and imparted a secret: the original founder of the Cabal was still alive, countless millennia after the crusade against hell had begun. This being, mighty and righteous, was sustained by the souls of powerful young mages like Yule so that its crusade could continue forever, and it had just deemed him worthy to lend his own soul to this preservation. A piece of him would live on forever, granting power to the greatest among them.

Yule knew the consequences of surrendering his soul: he would lose not only his magic but also his empathy, becoming a sociopathic, murderous husk that would be cast into utter oblivion when death finally took it. Drake explained that it was indeed so, and that Yule would be “euthanized†after the removal of his soul to prevent him from hurting anyone; this was the ultimate sacrifice, one that would guarantee him a place of honor in the histories of the Cabal’s unending battle. In all the millennia this custom had been practiced, not one mage had refused to do this greatest of duties.

Yet Yule did what no other had done: full of fear, he hesitated. His devotion was not to the Cabal; it never had been. He had dedicated himself to the battle, to a worthy struggle against certain evil, not to any institution. Perhaps more importantly, he was afraid of dying a lonely, forsaken death, stripped of everything that mattered and denied any chance at an afterlife. So he did what no other had done: he said no. Drake, in shock, took this message to his superiors. After long deliberation, they decided that refusal was never really an option; it was for the good of the order. The mages of the Cabal came in force to ensure that the command was obeyed.

In a second betrayal, Yule broke the sanctity of a hall that had never seen bloodshed in eons of existence. He fought back tooth and nail, his back to the wall and his tremendous determination turned toward survival. Yet he was but one mage; he could not stand against the Cabal’s greatest. In disgust they struck him with a powerful curse designed to strip away the soul he had sought to retain, then cast him out, banishing him to the world from which he had come. Yule hardly felt the loss of the purpose he had worked so long and so hard to gain: he was in survival mode, his soul the only thing on his mind.

Throwing all of his power into the working of a great spell, Yule found that he could only delay the inevitable: he could slow the weakening of his soul but not stop it, like clamping his hands over a spurting fountain. One day, perhaps one day very soon, he would become that vile shell unless he could find some way to stop the bleed or restore what had been lost. This became his purpose: to become whole again before he became a monster consigned to utter destruction of both others and, ultimately, himself. And so he journeyed to the place he had always heard was the home of powerful beings who might be able to help him: Freedom City.

To hide who he had been, he took the name of Numen.

Personality & Motivation:

Yule is greatly changed from when he was a youth. Where once he was vibrant and outgoing he became calm and reserved, listening more than he spoke and able to focus to a degree unmatched by most mortals. Now the second great change in his life has occurred: the young man who has braved hell itself more than once is afraid. His own mortality is crashing down on him; everything he ever worked for, let alone took for granted, is ticking away. He could become a maniac devoid of the only things he values, morality and his power to do good, in six months or six minutes. There is no way to know when his defense will be undone.

Beneath the all-consuming need to find a way to survive his impending destruction, Yule knows that he has been cut off from his real purpose. He secretly wonders if the Cabal was right and he was selfish to refuse to make the ultimate sacrifice; his only defense is to assure himself that he is still devoted to the cause of good, and that leaving the Cabal hasn’t changed that. This need to believe that the Cabal’s demand was unreasonable drives him to ever-greater acts of heroism, partly because he knows that such is the right use of his powers and partly to salvage the joyous purpose he once felt.

Quiet and courteous, Yule is more readily convinced by actions than words. He trusts when a reason to trust is demonstrated and mistrusts when given a reason for such, doing his best to avoid making assumptions based on appearances. He is out of touch with the world because he has spent the past decade away from it in places where its happenings are irrelevant, but is simultaneously patient and eager to understand. He does not often confide in others, especially after his sudden falling-out (to put it mildly) with his longtime friends in the Cabal, but is loyal and supportive to those who earn his respect.

Powers & Tactics:

Yule is a mobile combatant, teleporting across the battlefield before assailing his targets with powerful magic. His power, drawn from his soul and focused through his mind, does not require speech or gesture and often visually consists of only a soft teal glow, making him considerably less flashy to watch than many wizards but no less effective. Though accustomed to fighting demons, with whom he did not have to pull any punches, Yule is a believer in the value of life (especially with his own in such jeopardy), and his control over his magic is easily capable of reducing his attacks to nonlethal levels of strength.

Complications:

Cabal’s Disdain: Though once a promising member of the Alabaster Cabal, Yule is now a living stain on honor otherwise unblemished for millennia. This does not sit well with his former allies.

Fading Soul: Bit by bit, Yule is suffering a fate worse than death, likely followed by utter death. The very first effect of this process is nightmares that terrify someone who has been to hell and back without fear.

Identity: Yule keeps his identity secret by using the name of Numen both to protect his family from demonic enemies made during his time with the Alabaster Cabal and to avoid the shame he feels at leaving them a decade ago.

Out of Touch: It’s been ten years since Yule spent any significant amount of time on Earth. He has no property save what he carries, is legally dead, and is utterly unfamiliar with the events of the past decade.

Powerful Enemies: Yule was, until recently, an active part of an organization that was a thorn in the side of the rulers of the Infernal Dimensions for millennia. Now he has no allies among them and no fewer grudges against him.

Abilities: 0 + 4 + 0 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 20PP

Strength: 10 (+0)

Dexterity: 14 (+2)

Constitution: 10 (+0)

Intelligence: 16 (+3)

Wisdom: 16 (+3)

Charisma: 14 (+2)

Combat: 0 + 10 = 10PP

Initiative: +10

Attack: +0 Melee, +0 Ranged

Grapple: +0

Defense: +10 (+5 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Knockback: -0

Saving Throws: 10 + 8 + 7 = 25PP

Toughness: +10 (+0 Con, +10 Force Field)

Fortitude: +10 (+0 Con, +10)

Reflex: +10 (+2 Dex, +8)

Will: +10 (+3 Wis, +7)

Skills: 48R = 12PP

Concentration 12 (+15)

Diplomacy 6 (+8)

Knowledge: Arcane Lore 12 (+15)

Knowledge: History 10 (+13)

Language 2 (Latin and Arabic, two mystical languages)

Notice 6 (+9)

Feats: 11PP

Dodge Focus 5

Fearless

Improved Initiative 2

Trance

Uncanny Dodge 2

Powers: 65 + 12 + 0 = 77PP

Magic 30 (Feats: Alternate Power 5) [65PP] (Spellcasting (Magic))

Base Power: Mental Blast 15 (Mind Needles (Magic, Mental)) {60/60 Magic PP}

Alternate Power: Disintegrate 12 (Ashen Laughter (Magic); Extras: Range (+1)) {60/60 Magic PP}

Alternate Power: Telekinesis 15 (Mage Hand (Magic); Extras: Damaging (+1), Perception (+1)) {60/60 Magic PP}

Alternate Power: Nullify 15 (Counterspell (Magic) Extras: Counters All Magic Descriptor Powers (2PP per rank), Duration (+1), Power Resistance (+1)) {60/60 Magic PP}

Alternate Power: Teleport 9 (Arcane Gate (Magic); Extras: Accurate (+1), Portal (+2); Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Turnabout, Progression (Portal Size) 2) {60/60 Magic PP}

Alternate Power: Astral Form 11 (Path of Silver (Magic, Dimensional); Feats: Subtle 2, Dimensional 3) {60/60 Magic PP}

Device 4 (Sun Droplet Brooch (Magic); Flaws: Easy to Lose (3PP per rank)) [12PP]

Force Field 10 (Luminous Armor (Magic); Extras: Impervious (+1)) {20/20 Device PP}

Drawbacks: (-4) + (-1) = -5PP

Impoverished (General; Frequency: Uncommon; Intensity: Minor) [-1PP]

Recurring Nightmares (General; Frequency: Very Common; Intensity: Moderate) [-4PP]

DC Block

   ATTACK         RANGE             SAVE                 EFFECT

 Mind Needles  Perception        Will DC 30              Damage

Ashen Laughter Perception  Fort DC 22/Tough DC 27   Tough Drain/Damage

 Mage Hand     Perception       Tough DC 30              Damage

 

Totals: Abilities (20) + Combat (10) + Saving Throws (25) + Skills (12) + Feats (11) + Powers (77) - Drawbacks (5) = 150/150 Power Points

[Gizmo]

Couple of immediate things just looking at the crunch. Perception-range effects can't be affected by trade-offs, so that Perception-range, Damaging Telekinesis can be Rank 10, tops. Your Disintegration is also priced incorrectly; that Range Extra would have to be purchased on both the Drain and Damage effects that make up the power (at Perception-range it also couldn't go over Rank 10). To whit:

Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects (+1), Linked, Range [Perception] (+2)) (40PP)

+ Damage 10 (Extras: Ranged [Perception] (+2)) (30PP)

On a related note, he currently has +0 attack for both melee and ranged attacks. While you don't strictly speaking need to hit caps, superheroes are expected to have a certain level of basic competency. Especially if he's going to be Damage-shifted, he should at least have +5 for his ranged attacks, and a little melee bonus to his name. Basically, he could be out-grappled by a raccoon or other small, woodland creature right now.

If he only has +5 Base Defense, then his flat-footed Defense is +2; you round down, which is why Base Defense is typically bought in even values by the points-conscious. I've got some concerns about his entire Toughness bonus being contained in an easy-to-lose Device, while we're talking about survivability. Remember how easy he is to grapple? That means it's really easy to take away that brooch.

Moving on to little things:

• I'm willing to make the genre-nod to Latin as a default mystic language, but... Arabic? It's fine that he speaks it, but denoting it a 'mystic language' raises a cautious eyebrow since, obviously, not a dead language.
  
  It's worth noting that one of the site's most prominent practitioners share's the surname 'Drake' with your evil sorcerer; that's not actually a problem, but you may want to take it into consideration one way or another.
  
  That Recurring Nightmares Drawback is really not worth it. You're looking at being fatigued more often than not before your character has even done anything. That sort of thing is much better as a Complication; the HP will be more useful than the extra PP anyway.
  
  Once again, there's nothing wrong with having +10 in all of his 'exotic' saves, but it is kinda boring. For example, a lower Fort save and a higher Will save would make a lot of sense for someone who relies on artifacts for protection but faces a daily battle for what's left of his soul.
  
  Be aware that, as per our House Rules regarding Subtle 2, anyone with Magical Awareness would still be able to see his astral form with no problem.

[Supercape]

Just to add to Giz: all your perception ranged attacks (Mind Blast, Disintegrate, etc) are limited to your PL, i.e. 10.

[Dragonsong]

Hm. I did not think this through as well as I should have. Could I request that this thread be deleted, please? I balanced my points to the Nth degree, but I misread the rules in a number of unfortunate places; the combination has made this a bit of a trainwreck. Take two will be better.

That said, thanks for the prompt response and the helpful advice! Next time, no more min-maxing; being torn apart by squirrels would be an ignominious end.