Trollthumper's Cave

[trollthumper]

Kinetic Controller

You ever read up on Newton? No? Real shame.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 4 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 24 PP

Strength 14 (+2)

Dexterity 12 (+1)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Momentum)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +5

Grapple: +8

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 6 + 5 = 16 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +7 (+1 DEX, +6)

Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)

Skills: 56r = 14 PP

Concentration 8 (+10)

Diplomacy 6 (+8)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Intimidate 8 (+10)

Knowledge (current events) 4 (+6)

Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 (+10)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 16 PP

All-Out Attack

Challenge (Fast Startle)

Dodge Focus 4

Evasion

Fast Overrun

Improved Initiative

Improved Overrun

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Second Chance (knockback)

Startle

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Well-Informed

Powers: 8 + 4 + 36 + 2 + 6 = 56 PP

Force Field 8 [8 PP]

Leaping 4 (Running Long Jump 300 ft., Standing Long Jump 150 ft., High Jump 60 ft.) [4 PP]

Momentum, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [36 PP]

• Base: Adds Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] and Reflective (all physical) [20 PP] to Force Field “what first law?â€
  Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Backlash) [30 PP] “remain at restâ€
  Alternate Power: Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Speed 4 (100 MPH, 1000 ft./round) [4 PP] + Strike 8 (Extras: Penetrating 2; Power Feats: Knockback 3, Mighty, Improved Critical 2) [16 PP] “unyielding assaultâ€
  Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Penetrating 4, Power Feats: Knockback 6) “irresistible forceâ€
  Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Extras: Range [Perception], Area Burst; Flaws: Limited to Repulsion) [30 PP] “unless acted uponâ€

Super-Movement 1 (Slow Fall) [2 PP]

Super-Senses 6 (Accurate Ranged [10 ft.] Radius Tactile, Danger Sense) [6 PP]

Abilities (24) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (14) + Feats (16) + Powers (56) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Our little "gay shame" mini-theme for Pride Month continues with this build, based on Inertia from J. Michael Straczynski's Supreme Power. Now, you may be wondering why, given the recent boon of gay and lesbian characters, I've decided to make a build based on someone who was only introduced in the second volume of JMS's "It's like Squadron Supreme, only even more grimdark!" opus. Well, there are two reasons. The first is that control over kinetic energy is one of those "comic books meets actual physics" superpowers that has always fascinated me (as may be indicated by some of my builds). The idea of robbing something of its innate motion, then hitting someone else in the face with it, is a fun superpower, and could see a lot of good uses in creative hands.

The second reason is that Inertia's backstory is a sterling example of how you don't write a lesbian character's history. Let's see, she was (of course) the daughter of a fundamentalist preacher, who was (of course) convinced in the inferior and wanton ways of women. As a result, when her powers manifested and he couldn't beat her, he (of course) took it out on her mother. During her school days, she was (of f***ing course) raped by three of her classmates, which her father (of course) viewed as evidence of her own wanton nature, which (of course) instilled a deep distrust of men within her. Her father (OF. COURSE.) turned out to be an adulterous hypocrite, and when her mother tried to leave, he (of course) accidentally caused her death, which caused Inertia's powers to fully exert themselves when she (of course) killed him. There is nothing of value in there, trust me.

So, onto the build. Most of the kinetic control is bound up in the Momentum Array, which makes full use of it. The character can repel projectiles and turn them back towards the source, reversing their kinetic motion on the stop. She can drain kinetic energy from a target, while instilling a principle that ensures any attempts to barge out of the barrier are visited back. The energy that's drained can then be bestowed upon an object, which is hurled at great force. Or it can be fashioned into a blast of pure energy that's destined to knock someone on their rear. And when all else fails, there's always channeling that mighty energy into yourself and making like a steam train. Then there are some of the fringe benefits that come with kinetic control - being able to focus it through your feet so you can push against the bonds of gravity, draining it from yourself so that you can soften up a fall, and sensing the motion in the air around you. This character is otherwise something of a stock bruiser with an eye towards knockdown tactics and intimidation, but certainly knows the principles behind their powers - which might make them all the more dangerous.

So, where does she come from? Well, as long as it's anywhere but the aforementioned backstory, you're already starting on a good foot. Most likely solution is "mutant," with the powers first triggering during something like a potential hit-and-run, a car crash, an ill-timed step on a land mine, or even a pitched game of lacrosse. Of course, there's then the issue of how much energy is exerted in return, so if you still want to go for some aspect of tragedy, there's still the accidental death caused when that energy has to go somewhere. If you want to go for some real Fringe-type material, you could convert the Momentum Array into a device, slap on a few ranks of Intelligence, and have it so the character gets her powers by understanding perfectly how the laws of potential and kinetic work and applying them through super-science.

[trollthumper]

Prismatic Heroine

I never have to walk in darkness.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 2 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 = 26 PP

Strength 12 (+1)

Dexterity 16 (+3)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 12 =24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Spectral Mastery)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +3

Grapple: +7

Knockback: -5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +8 (+3 DEX, +5)

Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5)

Skills: 60r = 15 PP

Acrobatics 6 (+9)

Bluff 10 (+13)

Diplomacy 8 (+11)

Gather Information 8 (+11)

Knowledge (art) 6 (+8)

Knowledge (current events) 6 (+8)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Feats: 13 PP

All-Out Attack

Challenge (Fast Feint)

Dodge Focus 4

Distract (Bluff)

Evasion

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Redirect

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Well-Informed

Powers: 8 + 8 + 36 + 5 = 57 PP

Flight 4 (100 MPH/1000 ft. per round) [8 PP]

Protection 8 [8 PP]

Spectral Mastery, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [36 PP]

• Base: Blast 10 (Extras: Autofire 1) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Area Cone, Selective Attack; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Concealment (visual) 2 [4 PP] + Illusion (visual) 10 (Power Feats: Precise, Progression 5 [250 ft.]) [26 PP]
  Alternate Power: Create Object 10 (Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Precise, Progression 2 [10 25 ft. cubes], Selective, Stationary, Subtle 2, Tether) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Dazzle (visual) 10 (Extras: Area Shapeable) [30 PP]

Super-Senses 5 (Vision Counters Illusion, Ladar) [5 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (15) + Feats (13) + Powers (57) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Pride Month continues, this time with a lesbian character who's not horrible. Karolina Dean, a.k.a. Lucy in the Sky, is one of the Runaways, a group of teens who learned that their parents were supervillains and eventually discovered powers of their own. Karolina's own powers were blocked by a medical bracelet that she thought was for a penicillin allergy; turns out she was actually a Majesdanian, an alien species with full-on light control powers. Once the matter of her evil parents was put to rest, she finally was able to come to terms with some of her baggage - like the fact that she was gay. While the teammate she had a crush on didn't reciprocate, she did end up betrothed to a Super-Skrull, part of her parents' deal with another alien species known for world conquest. And one of the wonders of being in an arranged marriage with a shapeshifter from a gender-neutral species is none of that awkward confusion. I'd stat up Xavin, her fiancee, but AA already beat me to a Super-Skrull build, so I decided that Karolina would make an interesting build.

Now, I've already built one character with light powers as part of this push, so how to differentiate Karolina from Northstar? Well, the Northstar build is about drawing on the power of light, but only as part of calling upon the source of the character's super-speed. With this character, however, light is the core of their power, not a fringe benefit of its main manifestation. As a result, they know all the tricks they can pull with it. They know how to strafe somewhere with lasers and shoot out a devastating beam, how to blind someone without blinding everyone, how to create compelling images while cloaking one's self from sight, and how to tighten the light to the point of making tangible holograms. Likewise, the character's handled light so much that they know most of its tricks - they can see through the most complex of illusions, and make their way through the darkest night as if it's mid-day. On top of that, she's a flyer who knows how to put on quite the show using her powers.

Where does she come from? Perhaps she's from an alien species that's divided up into castes based on color, and ends up the rare Kwisatz Haderach-type figure who can channel all the colors of the rainbow. If you want to go mythological, there are a whole lot of options - daughter of Iris, daughter of Heimdall who's internalized the power of Bifrost, an archaeologist who found one of Indra's lost bowstrings, or so forth. There are as many possibilities as there are colors of the... well, you know.

[trollthumper]

Shapeshifting Powerhouse

Brute force isn't always the answer. Good thing I've got a lot of backup answers.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: -2 DEF/+2 TOU

Abilities: 8 + 4 + 8 + 2 + 4 + 6 = 32 PP

Strength 18 (+4)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 18 (+4)

Intelligence 12 (+1)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 8 = 20 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Melee, +10 Shapeshifting)

Defense: +8 (+4 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +2

Grapple: +26/+21/+14

Knockback: -10/-5/-2

Saving Throws: 0 + 4 + 5 = 9 PP

Toughness: +10/+4 (+4 CON, +6 Enhanced CON)

Fortitude: +10/+4 (+4 CON, +6 Enhanced CON)

Reflex: +6 (+2 DEX, +4)

Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5)

Skills: 52r = 13 PP

Diplomacy 8 (+11)

Gather Information 6 (+9)

Intimidate 10 (+13)

Knowledge (current events) 4 (+5)

Knowledge (life sciences) 8 (+9)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Feats: 20 PP

All-Out Attack

Attack Focus (Melee) 4

Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2

Dodge Focus 4

Improved Grab

Improved Pin

Improved Throw

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Second Chance (transformation)

Startle

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Well-Informed

Powers: 12 + 12 + 10 + 18 + 4 = 56 PP

Enhanced Constitution 12 [12 PP]

Enhanced Strength 12 [12 PP]

Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP]

Shapeshifting 2 (Power Feats: Accurate 2) [18 PP]

Sample Constructs:

Additional Limbs 5 [5 PP] + Elongation 5 (100 ft.) [5 PP]

Blast 10 (Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [10 PP]

Enhanced Super-Strength 5 (Effective Lifting Strength 55) [10 PP]

Flight 5 (250 MPH/2500 ft. per round) [10 PP]

Healing 5 (Extras: Total, Flaws: Personal) [10 PP]

Super-Movement 5 (Slow Fall, Sure-Footed, Wall Crawling 2, Water Walk) [10 PP]

Super-Senses 10 (Darkvision, Sonar, Accurate Acute Tracking Olfactory) [10 PP]

Super-Strength 1 (Effective Lifting Strength 35, Power Feats: Groundstrike, Shockwave) [4 PP]

Abilities (32) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (9) + Skills (13) + Feats (20) + Powers (56) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

As Pride Month winds on, we start getting into some of the more prominent gay couples in comics. Hulkling, like a number of members of the Young Avengers, doesn't necessarily have direct ties to the hero he emulates. Like his boyfriend Wiccan (who originally went by Asgardian, and yes, there were jokes about how he really needed to change that name if he was going to come out of the closet), Hulkling merely uses his innate shapeshifting powers to get big, green, and strong. In actuality, he's the child of a politically-challenging relationship between the deceased Captain Marvel (a Kree) and a Skrull princess, meaning a whole lot of aliens wanted possession of him for a whole lot of reasons at one point. Thanks to the comic book tradition of "send a shapeshifter in as a sacrifice," he gets to stay on Earth with his friends and his boyfriend.

This was one of those builds where I was surprised with how much I was able to get out of the points. Then again, Shapeshifting will do that to you. In addition to the usual Powerhouse suite of strength, fortitude, and invulnerability, you've also got a handful of extras, likely picked up through anatomy lessons/studies of all the earth's creatures/knowledge of galactic fauna. Regeneration is a fixture for Hulking, but isn't the kind of thing that should sit in an Array or as part of a Variable Power - Personal Healing will do in a pinch, though (and you really don't need that many ranks when the target already has CON +10). Then there are all the special animalistic traits he can copy - the arms of the octopus (with added extension), the wings of the eagle, the eyes/ears/nose of the snake/bat/bloodhound, and the watery stride of the Jesus lizard. And the venom spitting of the cobra, or some other, weird thing - who says he can't take on the traits of dragons, after all?

There are a whole lot of ways you can take a build like this. Maybe the character is a very talented biokinetic, who's ramped up his body beyond the normal human limits and learned how to adopt the trait of other species. Perhaps he's from a species of galaxy-travelling shapeshifters who's fallen for the native fauna - sapient or otherwise - of Earth. Maybe they're a child of Proteus who wandered onto the land and has decided it will be his domain to protect as his father watches over the sea. There's also another interesting way to take a shapeshifter build like this. See, Hulkling was originally going to be a girl assuming the form of a boy, until writer Allan Heinberg decided to just make him a full-on gay male. But... what if the shapeshifter is transgendered? The awakening of their shapeshifting powers gives them the ability to assume the body they should have been born in. Of course, if you're aiming for this origin, be respectful; we've already got one easily mockable online superhero universe that goes the route of, "Oh my God, I have tits now! Has everyone seen these tits I now have?" Make it less about the rude shock, and the joy that the character no longer has to lie about who they are on some deep level.

[trollthumper]

Magical Fanboy

By the crook of Osiris!

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 26 PP

Strength 12 (+1)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 16 (+3)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 30/14 (+10/+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Might of the Pesedjet)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +2

Grapple: +7

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)

Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)

Skills: 64r = 16 PP

Bluff 8 (+10)

Concentration 8 (+10)

Diplomacy 6 (+8)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+11)

Knowledge (history) 4 (+7)

Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 8 (+11)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 15 PP

All-Out Attack

Challenge (Fast Feint)

Distract (Bluff)

Dodge Focus 4

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Quick Change

Ritualist

Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge [arcane lore], Notice)

Taunt

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Well-Informed

Powers: 8 + 41 + 5 = 54 PP

Force Field 8 [8 PP]

Might of the Pesedjet, 32 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 7) [41 PP]

• Base: Strike 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Autofire 1, Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2) [32 PP] “flail of Anubisâ€
  Alternate Power: Applies Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] and Reflective (all magic) [20 PP] to Force Field “vigil of Horusâ€
  Alternate Power: Healing 10 (Extras: Total, Power Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) [32 PP] “mercy of Isisâ€
  Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Targeted Area Cylinder, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2) [32 PP] “ire of Raâ€
  Alternate Power: Mind Control 10 (Extras: Effortless, Power Feats: Mind Blank, Subtle) [32 PP] “sanction of Ma’atâ€
  Alternate Power: Nullify Magic 10 (Power Feats: Selective) [31 PP] “unweaving of Thothâ€
  Alternate Power: Enhanced Charisma 16 [16 PP] + Immunity 10 (mental effects, Extras: Duration [sustained]) [10 PP] + Comprehend 3 (Languages 2, Spirits 1) [6 PP] “mantle of Osirisâ€
  Alternate Power: Astral Form 6 (20 miles, Power Feats: Dimensional 1 [Heliopolis], Subtle) [32 PP] “going forth by dayâ€

Super-Senses 5 (Detect Magic Acute Analytical) [5 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (16) + Feats (15) + Powers (54) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Well, we covered Hulkling last time, so now, we're taking on Wiccan. As mentioned last time, Wiccan's initial Asgardian theme was adopted more out of fanboying for Thor than out of any actual root to the Aesir. Turns out his actual origin is a whole lot more confusing. Once upon a time, the Scarlet Witch - who just happened to be Billy's favorite Avenger - wanted babies so much with her android hubby the Vision that she made some. Out of whole cloth. However, she'd apparently used some pieces of the soul of Mephisto - who knows a thing or two about wrecking marital bliss - and he reclaimed them. That backfired, as Mephisto went boom due to the power the Scarlet Witch had invested in the shards, which reincarnated into Billy and his brother Speed. So, he's the son - by way of a lot of woogy - of one of the most powerful reality warpers in the Marvel Universe.

Now, I could have gone that route, but I already built one reality warper as part of Pride Month, and I wanted to try something different. So, maybe go with Wiccan's earlier angle of fanboying for the champion of a pantheon. But the Freedomverse version of Thor was bound into being the Nazis' wrecking ball and, even in fairer circumstances, is still a rampaging bag of dicks. In fact, the closest thing Freedom has to Thor... is Horus the Avenger. So, here we have a kid who's a huge fan of the lineage of Ra, and gets magical power from it as a result. He's not that different from the other mystic builds I've put together in my time in this thread, but I did want to try and throw in something for most of the decent members of the pantheon (you won't see Set or Apophis in this lot, for obvious reasons). Anubis and Ra deal in damage, as they're the ones known for their roles in justice and wrath. Ma'at deals in mind control, as she's the goddess of truth and order. Horus's powers take after the wedjat, whereas Isis takes after her ability to bring Osiris back from the dead (though she didn't really have the option of Regrowth...). Thoth controls all magic, whereas Osiris is lord of the dead. And for bonus stuff, there's the ability to actually visit any of these guys up in Heliopolis.

It's pretty clear where this guy gets his power from. But how does he get it? Maybe he finds a copy of the Book of the Dead amongst the collection of his Egyptologist grandfather, and actually manages to travel down to Duat in order to earn the favor of Osiris. Maybe a vacation to Egypt and fooling around in one of the Great Pyramids leads to the unearthing of the Book of Thoth and all the magical promise within. Or maybe he's a child of Thoth, blessed with the magical aptitude of his divine father. If you want to go for something like Wiccan's origin, it may be that he is the Book of Thoth, a compendium of magical knowledge written into flesh and soul by the workings of the gods. A living testament from a dead age.

[trollthumper]

Cosmic Avatar

It is an infinite universe, filled with infinite horrors... and infinite souls who will stand firm against them.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 4 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 24 PP

Strength 30/14 (+10/+2)

Dexterity 12 (+1)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Apotheosis)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +1

Grapple: +22/+8

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Toughness)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +6 (+1 DEX, +5)

Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)

Skills: 52r = 13 PP

Diplomacy 8 (+10)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Intimidate 8 (+10)

Knowledge (galactic lore) 10 (+12)

Knowledge (physical sciences) 4 (+7)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 11 PP

All-Out Attack

Challenge (Fast Startle)

Dodge Focus 4

Environmental Adaptation (vacuum)

Power Attack

Startle

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Well-Informed

Powers: 38 + 9 + 8 + 2 + 1 + 4 = 62 PP

Apotheosis, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 6) [38 PP]

• Base: Enhanced Strength 16 [16 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Super-Strength 2 (Effective Lifting Strength 40) [4 PP]
  Alternate Power: Applies Impervious Toughness 10 and Reflective (all energy) to Protection [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Damage 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Autofire 1) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Healing 10 (Extras: Total) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Corrosion 10 [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Enhanced Flight 15 (250,000 MPH/2,500,000 feet per round) [14 PP] + Enhanced Space Travel 15 (250,000c) [15 PP]

Immunity 9 (life support) [9 PP]

Protection 8 [8 PP]

Flight 1 (10 MPH/100 ft. per round) [2 PP]

Space Travel 1 (1c) [1 PP]

Super-Senses 4 (Cosmic Awareness Extended 2 [100 ft.]) [4 PP]

Abilities (24) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (13) + Feats (11) + Powers (63) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

From one of Marvel's more prominent gay couples, we move on to one of their more prominent lesbian ones. Phyla-Vell is a spacefaring girl of many hats. Starting off as the sister of the new Captain Marvel, Genis-Vell, she ended up falling for Moondragon, a psychic martial artist from the depths of space (and our next build). The two ended up getting dragged into the events of Marvel's cosmic push, facing off against foes such as Annihilus, Thanos, the Phalanx, and the Cancerverse (you might remember the latter as the inspiration for these guys). During this time, Phyla-Vell started trading off powers - and sadly, also getting involved in one big Bury Your Gays duet. First she started as an energy absorber with cosmic awareness. Then she became the new Quasar, gaining access to the energy-bending Quantum Bands. Then Moondragon turned into a dragon and died, but not before creating one of the most metal images in all of Marvel (seriously, Exalted players, this is how Solar-Lunar pairs should work). Then Phyla made a deal with Oblivion to bring Moondragon back... only to end up dying in the fight against the Cancerverse.

Given the power juggling, I'll admit I was tempted to build her as a "rebellious Abyssal" type, to go back to the Exalted note. But instead, I decided to go with her constant as some force of the cosmos. In every one of her roles, she's tapping into some force that represents a primal aspect of reality, be it contemplating all creation, shaping pure energy, or drawing strength from the end of all things. Her main Array represents some of Phyla's power set - energy blasts, energy absorption, super-strength and super-resilience - but also taps into the idea of her as a cornerstore of creation. Marvel's come to admit that the vaguely defined "Power Cosmic" wielded by guys like the Silver Surfer means control over the four fundamental interactions. So, I gave this build something to represent strong interaction (healing) as well as weak interaction (Corrosion). The Blast and Damage will probably work for electromagnetism, but if you want to get them all, I'd recommend throwing in Move Object for gravitation. As a woman who does most of her fighting in space, she needs some way of getting about both in and out of an atmosphere; while she can get about on her own and survive in vacuum just fine, she does still need the power cosmic to give her a boost. She's got Phyla's Cosmic Awareness, as well as a fairly solid knowledge of the workings of the galaxy.

So, where did she come from? Perhaps she was made by the universe itself, an avatar of pure potential meant to stand against the existential threat that is the Terminus. Maybe she's a space explorer who found some sleeping god on a long-abandoned planet, or an ancient artifact that opened her to the flow of the cosmos. She may even stem from Earth, a researcher who got fundamentally changed by an accident in a particle accelerator and decided to use her near-divine power to get a better grip on the galaxy. Now that she's seen the light of every star - and perhaps enjoyed her share of green-skinned space babes - she knows exactly what she's fighting for, and what sort of horrors need to be driven back into the darkest parts of the sky.

[trollthumper]

Psychic Martial Artist

The body breaks first. But the will soon follows.

Abilities: 8 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 34 PP

Strength 18 (+4)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 18 (+4)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Melee)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +6

Grapple: +23/+10

Knockback: -10/-5/-2

Saving Throws: 2 + 5 + 5 = 12 PP

Toughness: +10/+4 (+4 CON, +6)

Fortitude: +6 (+4 CON, +2)

Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)

Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)

Skills: 48r = 12 PP

Acrobatics 8 (+10)

Diplomacy 6 (+8)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Intimidate 8 (+10)

Knowledge (current events) 4 (+6)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 21 PP

All-Out Attack

Attack Focus (Melee) 4

Challenge (Fast Startle)

Distract (Intimidate)

Dodge Focus 4

Elusive Target

Evasion 2

Improved Initiative

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Second Chance (mind control)

Startle

Takedown Attack

Uncanny Dodge (mental)

Powers: 21 + 6 + 14 + 6 = 47 PP

Barbed Whisper Style, 18 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 3) [21 PP]

• Base: Strike 6 (Extras: Penetrating 3, Power Feats: Dazzling Attack, Improved Critical 2, Improved Disarm, Incurable, Mighty, Split Attack, Stunning Attack, Weapon Break) [18 PP] "hundred needles form"
  Alternate Power: Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Strike 6 (Power Feats: Improved Critical, Mighty) [18 PP] "rock and chisel technique"
  Alternate Power: Strike 6 (Extras: Alternate Save [Will, 10], Power Feats: Improved Critical, Mighty) [18 PP] "thought-ripping strike"
  Alternate Power: Enhanced Grapple 10 (Power Feats: Improved Grab, Improved Pin, Improved Throw) [13 PP] + Immunity 5 (entrapment, Extras: Duration [sustained]) [5 PP] "dancing lacuna stance"

Protection 6 [6 PP]

Mental Wiring, 10 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 4) [14 PP]

• Base: Mind Reading 10 [10 PP]
  Alternate Power: Communication 6 (20 miles, Power Feats: Rapid 2 [x100], Selective, Subtle) [10 PP]
  Alternate Power: Immunity 10 (mental effects, Extras: Duration [sustained]) [10 PP]
  Alternate Power: Mind Control 10 (Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [10 PP]
  Alternate Power: Mental Transform 10 (memories; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [10 PP]

Super-Senses 6 (Mental Sense Accurate Acute Radius Ranged) [6 PP]

Abilities (34) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (12) + Feats (21) + Powers (47) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Well, we did Phyla-Vell last time, so to complete the cosmic-level sapphic pairing, let's tackle Moondragon. Moondragon's history is tied very closely to Thanos, Marvel's version of Omega; her parents were killed by him, and she was taken in by Thanos's father, who sought to make up for his son's horrid act. She was raised by space monks in arts both martial and mental, and ended up besting a malevolent entity known as the Dragon of the Moon in psychic combat - though not without it driving a few mental hooks into her. As a result, Moondragon ended up as both a hero and villain to the regular Marvel stable, some days aiding them in their fights against Thanos, other days trying to make brainwash Thor into being her boyfriend. Eventually, she drifted towards the side of good, and fell in love with Phyla-Vell. The success of that little relationship was alluded to above, but Moondragon currently remains in the land of the living while her girlfriend's in the grave.

Moondragon's martial arts skills have already been painted as separate from her mental abilities, so I decided to go that route while still showing how this character's mind set might affect their martial viewpoint. Yes, I'm fully aware I've already made a mental martial artist. Yes, I'm aware AA has made one, too. But I needed to complete the duo, so I had to tackle this one. It was either this or a psychic dragon. Now, this girl's martial arts are based around the inherent contradiction of thoughts - normally free-flowing, they can be directed like an attack or built up like a fortress. Likewise, this style allows the user to discern every possible weakness, make their own body a bastion, strike at the very will, or entrap another while remaining free as the wind. Acting in coupling with it are her own psychic powers - low-level stuff, but useful in doing what the body can't.

Seeing as this woman's story is so closely tied in to Thanos, it would be easy to say she's got ties to Omega. Maybe she's one of Madrigal's Hounds who escaped from the training fields and found shelter with the Furions. Perhaps she was made as a booby trap, an Alpha-Centurion who would worm her way into superhero society rather than try to reclaim a lost mantle. Instead of serving that purpose, however, she managed to short circuit her own mental programming and become a hero in earnest. If you want to go for something based around this dimension, that's also a possibility. She might hail from a galactic order of kung-fu Jedis, have ties to a temple that's learned how to use the state of no mind as a weapon in and of itself, or be a normal psychic who, with training and practice, devised a martial arts style from the pattern of her own chaotic thoughts, the way others have built styles around the movements of tigers and cranes.

[trollthumper]

Solar Paragon

The sun burns away all darkness. Would you like to find out how fiercely it burns?

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: -2 DEF/+2 TOU

Abilities: 8 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 4 + 6 = 34 PP

Strength 30/18 (+10/+4)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 18 (+4)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 8 = 20 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Melee, +10 Solar Fury)

Defense: +8 (+4 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +2

Grapple: +24/+20/+10

Knockback: -10/-5/-2

Saving Throws: 4 + 4 + 5 = 13 PP

Toughness: +12/+4 (+4 CON, +8 Protection)

Fortitude: +8 (+4 CON, +4)

Reflex: +6 (+2 DEX, +4)

Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5)

Skills: 52r = 13 PP

Diplomacy 8 (+11)

Gather Information 6 (+9)

Intimidate 10 (+13)

Knowledge (physical sciences) 4 (+6)

Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Feats: 17 PP

All-Out Attack

Attack Focus (Melee) 4

Benefit (use Knowledge [tactics] for Initiative)

Challenge (Fast Startle)

Dodge Focus 4

Master Plan 2

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Startle

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Powers: 12 + 6 + 2 + 8 + 1 + 24 = 53 PP

Enhanced Strength 12 [12 PP]

Flight 3 (50 MPH/500 ft. per round) [6 PP]

Immunity 2 (sunlight-based attacks) [2 PP]

Protection 8 [8 PP]

Solar Fury, 20 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 3, Drawbacks: Power Loss [Denied Sunlight, -2]) [23 PP]

• Base: Blast 10 [20 PP]
  Alternate Power: Dazzle (visual) 10 [20 PP]
  Alternate Power: Healing 5 (Extras: Total, Action [standard], Flaws: Personal) [20 PP]
  Alternate Power: Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Super-Strength 4 (Effective Lifting Strength 50, Power Feats: Groundstrike, Shockwave) [10 PP]
  Alternate Power: Enhanced Flight 4 (1000 MPH/10000 ft. per round) [8 PP] + Enhanced Space Flight 3 (10c) [3 PP] + Immunity 9 (life support, Extras: Duration [sustained]) [9 PP]

Space Flight 1 (1c) [1 PP]

Abilities (34) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (13) + Feats (17) + Powers (53) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

And now we move from Marvel couples to (what are now) DC couples. A long, long time ago, I built Midnighter, one of the more violent bastards in The Authority (which is saying something) and one of comics' more prominent gay characters. So now I'm building his husband (now lover, thanks to the vagaries of reboots), Apollo. Where Midnighter is all grimdark, Apollo is all sunshine-y, to the point of being powered directly by the sun (and yes, he should remind you of another solar-powered Paragon the same way Midnighter's supposed to remind you of another grim avenger of the night). Now, certain writers have used the difference as an excuse, to put it in terms of yaoi, to paint Apollo as the uke to Midnighter's seme. And it's true that in most portrayals, Apollo is restrained and sensitive where Midnighter wants to just kill anyone who gets in the way. But in their original origin, Apollo comes from the same special ops background as Midnighter (they were part of a black ops group that totally wasn't a take-off on the JLA, no sir, and were the only survivors when everything went tits up), and his introduction to the new DCU has him breaking the "Thou Shalt Not Kill" rule pretty strongly when he encounters a child slavery ring. As this board holds to that rule pretty strong, we'd advise you don't follow in his footsteps there, but it's just proof that being Mr. Sunshine doesn't mean you can't be a real hard-ass.

Apollo seems to take the whole "solar battery" thing a lot more seriously than Superman, so I decided to play on that aspect. He's a pretty solid Paragon most times, able to fly, strike with superhuman strength, and resist the mightiest of blows. When he's got the sun shining on him, however, he can do a hell of a lot more. He can bolster his own flesh to the point of invulnerability, he can channel the light into a burning strike or a blinding burst, he can turn his own body into a healing crucible, and he can soar through the cold depths of space. He's even got a small Immunity that will no doubt give people a nasty surprise when they try to hit him with a beam of concentrated sunlight - because that's exactly what he likes. To reflect the original Apollo's special ops background, I gave this guy some good tactical mastery to boot. Because what couldn't be solved by giving Superman tactical mastery?

As to the source of this guy's powers, odds are he could've had it come about as a result of extensive experimentation - given that the original Apollo was meant as a spoiler designed by the extremely morally ambiguous Henry Bendix, this guy might have been created as the leader of a Labyrinth-designed super team, the Thunderbolts of the Freedomverse. Or maybe he was an astronaut who got exposed to a strange particle in the solar winds and became a lot more reliant on sunlight. Then again, there are so many sun gods that mythology's not a bad bet. For a twist that might help redeem a definitively shady pantheon, perhaps he's an heir to the mantle of Tonatiuh. As the Aztec empire fell, the high priests realized that without an offering of blood and hearts, the celestial machinery would grind to a halt. Tonatiuh, answering their prayers, took a mortal host to ensure that the sun would stay moving as long as the wicked were offered up. But over the years, taking a human host made him much more humane, and he's found a way to keep the sun shining without any death at all.

[trollthumper]

Lizard Boy

No, it's not easy being green. And no, I've never heard that one before.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 10 + 6 + 8 + 2 + 4 + 6 = 36 PP

Strength 20 (+5)

Dexterity 16 (+3)

Constitution 18 (+4)

Intelligence 12 (+1)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Melee)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +3

Grapple: +15

Knockback: -5/-2

Saving Throws: 3 + 5 + 5 = 13 PP

Toughness: +10 (+4 CON, +6 Protection)

Fortitude: +7 (+4 CON, +3)

Reflex: +8 (+3 DEX, +5)

Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5)

Skills: 60r = 15 PP

Acrobatics 8 (+11)

Bluff 12 (+15)

Diplomacy 6 (+9)

Gather Information 6 (+9)

Knowledge (life sciences) 4 (+5)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Stealth 8 (+11)

Feats: 17 PP

All-Out Attack

Attack Focus (Melee) 4

Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2

Dodge Focus 4

Evasion

Power Attack

Redirect

Set-Up

Taunt

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Powers: 5 + 6 + 14 + 11 + 4 + 5 = 45 PP

Concealment 3 (visual, olfactory, Flaws: Blending; Power Feats: Close Range, Selective) [5 PP]

Protection 6 [6 PP]

Regeneration 14 (Recovery Bonus 3 [+7], Bruised 3 [No Action], Injured/Staggered 6 [No Action], Power Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) [14 PP]

Strike 5 (Extras: Penetrating 2, Power Feats: Improved Critical, Incurable, Mighty, Sedation) [11 PP]

Super-Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4 PP]

Super-Senses 5 (Accurate Acute Analytical Tracking Olfactory) [5 PP]

Abilities (36) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (15) + Feats (17) + Powers (45) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Pride Month continues with Anole, one of the third (or is it fourth, damn sliding time scale) generation X-Men. Anole is one of the more visually-distinctive X-kids, being part-lizard and all. Ironically enough, being openly gay and visibly mutant were not as huge issues for him as you might imagine, as he was fairly well-accepted in his hometown. This wasn't originally supposed to be, as Anole almost ended up another cautionary tale. See, the original plan was for him to be a victim of homophobic taunting at the hands of his classmates at the Xavier School and commit suicide in a very PSA fashion. But then the writers realized something very important - while these stories may teach Very Important Lessons to straight people, sometimes they tell gay people that they just don't get happy endings. So Anole was spared, and has ended up one of the more fun and lively members of the various X-teams.

This build was my attempt at something straight-forward and stripped down, as compared to my five hundred other builds with Arrays, Variable Powers, and whatnot. This character has many of the powers you'd associate with various types of lizards, which is exactly what Anole has. Like the chameleon, he can blend into his surroundings and go easily undetected. Like the gecko, he can regrow his limbs (hence the asymmetry - he had that arm ripped off by a demon, it grew back all spiky and strong, and he's not exactly keen to lop off his other limbs to see how much they mutate). Like the komodo dragon, he has a mighty, piercing strike that comes packed with some nasty cultures (unlike the komodo, these are less sepsis and death and more soporific toxins). And like nearly all lizards, he has the ability to smell with his tongue. Some superpowers just sound less impressive once you say them out loud. Without points tied up in world-wrecking arrays, I decided to focus on Anole's trickster-type character (mostly manifest in his bromance with Rockslide). He's good at tricking, tripping, and demoralizing, all on the fly - which means when he's not hidden and striking from stealth, he's likely setting them up for others to knock them down.

Odds are this kid has some deep-seated reason for being all green and scaly. Perhaps he's the kid of someone who kept experimenting in human regeneration and never really got results - at least until his kid starting turning cold-blooded in puberty. Maybe he needed an experimental transfusion of a wonder drug after being bitten by a komodo dragon (like another noted green animalistic hero). There's always the weird chance of an evolutionary throwback, or someone who has a naga or two in the family tree - or perhaps he's been affected by a ritual by the Serpent People to create "surface walkers." Once he sheds his skin, who knows what'll come out.

[trollthumper]

Tyrant's Daughter

My father was a despot. Me? Well, you'll just have to find out.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 6 + 6 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 6 = 36 PP

Strength 16 (+3)

Dexterity 16 (+3)

Constitution 18 (+4)

Intelligence 16 (+3)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Melee)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus)

Initiative: +3

Grapple: +13

Knockback: -5/-2

Saving Throws: 4 + 4 + 5 = 13 PP

Toughness: +10/+4 (+4 CON, +6 Protection)

Fortitude: +8 (+4 CON, +4)

Reflex: +7 (+3 DEX, +4)

Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5)

Skills: 80r = 20 PP

Acrobatics 8 (+11)

Bluff 6 (+9)

Diplomacy 6 (+9)

Gather Information 8 (+11)

Intimidate 8 (+11)

Knowledge (current events) 8 (+11)

Knowledge (history) 6 (+9)

Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+11)

Language (English [base], Arabic, Cantonese, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Feats: 23 PP

All-Out Attack

Attack Focus (Melee) 4

Benefit (Wealth 1)

Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2

Connected

Contacts

Dodge Focus 4

Elusive Target

Evasion 2

Master Plan 2

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Startle

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Powers: 1 + 6 + 13 + 14 = 34 PP

Immunity 1 (aging) [1 PP]

Protection 6 [6 PP]

Reckoning’s Fang, 15 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose, Power Feats: Restricted 1 [bloodline Only]) [13 PP]

Strike 7 (Extras: Penetrating 3, Power Feats: Mighty, Improved Critical 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder) [15 PP]

Regeneration 14 (Recovery Bonus 2 [+6], Bruised 3 [No Action], Injured/Staggered 6 [No Action], Resurrection 1 [1/week], Power Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) [14 PP]

Abilities (36) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (20) + Feats (23) + Powers (34) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Pride Month moves from a good guy at Marvel to a bad girl at DC. Scandal Savage was an heir to DC's reigning immortal megalomaniac, Vandal Savage. She first showed up as part of Gail Simone's take on the Secret Six, a band of DC villains and anti-heroes bound together by blackmail, a need for mutual protection, and eventually something like the most dysfunctional familial bonds ever. Scandal's fallen out of her father's empire because he keeps demanding that she produce an heir. There are... obvious issues there. Scandal's had a few loves over her villainous career, first falling for Knockout, one of the Female Furies. Then she died along with the rest of the New Gods, and Scandal was, as you'd imagine, distraught. She eventually found love with Liana, a stripper who the rest of the Six hired in the hopes it'd help her get over Knockout's death. And then Knockout came back because, hey, comics, and torn between two lovers, Scandal eventually decided to propose... to both of them. Before the moral scolds who flipped their lids about Alan Scott being gay found out a lesbian polygamous marriage was about to go down, though, the universe got rebooted, and we have yet to see what happened to Scandal. But until then, she lives on as one of the kickass lesbian anti-heroes of the old DCU.

The "supervillain's daughter" archetype is a potent one in fiction, especially in superhero material. Sometimes she's daddy's little assassin, other times she's rebelled against her twisted lineage. Odds are she's a woman of the world, trained in current affairs, languages, and the seven forms that are instantly fatal to any person. Scandal hasn't quite shown off Vandal's level of immortality, but she has regenerated from some plenty grievous stuff, hence why I went ahead and gave this build a more than healthy degree of Regen. She also has something based off of one of Scandal's more distinctive visual elements, the Lamentation Blades, two bladed gauntlets that serve as nasty weapons for both punching and slashing. In this case, the weapon's probably more than a bit mystical and restricted mainly to her bloodline - perhaps representing some dark deal her clan made to secure immortality.

Where does she come from? Well, when it comes to villainous immortals with criminal empires, the closest thing Freedom City has is Dr. Sin. So perhaps this was his attempt to produce another heir who wouldn't make the mistakes of his first daughter... only to see her decide to break from the family business as well. There's always the possibility she comes from some line that sold its souls to infernal forces for material power, and she's decided to strike out on her own in order to get hers back. Then again, these assumptions rest on the idea that she's still young and broke recently - what if she's a bit more well-traveled? What if she's been around for a few centuries, but has only seen the light now? What might have driven her to do so?

[trollthumper]

Sonic Master

I want you to listen very carefully...

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 6 = 26 PP

Strength 12 (+1)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 16 (+3)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Resonance)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +2

Grapple: +7

Knockback: -5/-1

Saving Throws: 6 + 5 + 5 = 16 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field)

Fortitude: +8 (+2 CON, +6)

Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)

Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5)

Skills: 72r = 18 PP

Bluff 8 (+11)

Concentration 8 (+11)

Diplomacy 8 (+11)

Gather Information 8 (+11)

Knowledge (current events) 6 (+9)

Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+13)

Notice 8 (+10)

Perform (oratory) 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Feats: 15 PP

All-Out Attack

Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2

Dodge Focus 4

Distract (Bluff)

Evasion

Fascinate (Perform)

Power Attack

Second Chance (sonic attacks)

Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform [oratory], Sense Motive)

Uncanny Dodge (auditory)

Well-Informed

Powers: 8 + 38 + 5 = 51 PP

Force Field 8 [8 PP]

Resonance, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 6) [38 PP]

• Base: Animal Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Area Cone, Selective Attack; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Blast 10 [20 PP] + Dazzle (auditory) 10 [10 PP]
  Alternate Power: Illusion (auditory) 10 (Power Feats: Progression 6 [500 ft.]) [16 PP] + Obscure (auditory) 7 (500 ft., Extras: Selective Attack) [14 PP]
  Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack; Flaws: Limited to Fear) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Mind Control 10 (Extras: Effortless) [30 PP]
  Alternate Power: Nauseate 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [30 PP]

Super-Senses 5 (Accurate Analytical Ultrasonic Hearing, Danger Sense [auditory]) [5 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (18) + Feats (15) + Powers (51) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Sorry for the brief lull, there. Pride Month is back on track, this time diving into the Pied Piper. Born deaf, Harley Rathaway was exposed to the world of sound when he underwent surgery for experimental implants, and he fell in love with the possibilities of his new sense. So much so that he became a master of sonic technology, to the point of creating weapons that could hypnotize or focus sound into a weapon. Naturally, he used this for a life of crime, and become part of the Flash's Rogues' Gallery. He eventually retired from a life of crime following the death of Barry Allen, turning over a new leaf as a socialist crusader. It was around this time he came out of the closet, saying that he hadn't done so as a Rogue because some of the others were a bit homophobic (despite the fact that they included this guy among their number). Piper sometimes got the rough-end of the stick - during Geoff Johns' run, he was brainwashed into killing his parents, and during Countdown, he got forced into a Defiant Ones-type situation with the original Trickster, who used the whole experience to launch a multitude of gay jokes. At least he got to blow up Apokolips with the power of Queen (and no, I'm not providing context for that).

FCPbP already has its share of sonic heroes, so you can imagine they provided some degree of inspiration for this build. This guy's not a super-bard like Gabriel or a brick like Wail, though; he's focused mainly on the potential of sound. Animal Control is, of course, his base, in a direct reference to the guy who inspired this build. Aside from that, you've got focused attacks with nice side-effects, intense blasts that hit everyone, focused attacks on the inner ear and the emotions that hit only who they need to, and a chance to cover up a stealthy assault while throwing off anyone who might be listening for clues. He's also very good at using his words, and just as good as listening for an ambush. If you want to make him more like the Piper, you can likely divorce all the powers and turn them into Devices - Easy-to-Lose for Resonance, Hard-to-Lose for Super-Senses and Force Field.

There are a whole bunch of origins for this guy, depending on the source you're going for. If it's technological, he could be a weapons designer working in ultrasonic weaponry for DARPA, stuff meant to disable the enemy without killing them. For a mutant origin, maybe they're a professional musician whose powers trigger during a concert, leading to a sudden "retirement" and a new career as a superhero. For a mystic origin, maybe they're the heir to the bloodline of Nightingale the Robber, or a reincarnation of that strange brigand. Of course, he could also be a banshee - but remember, banshee cries don't cause death. They can be nasty things, but they're tied into the banshee's inherent Precognition and woe that they can see how another poor sucker is going to die. Mythological inaccuracy is no one's friend.

[trollthumper]

Shadow Controller

There's no need to be afraid of the dark. What you should be afraid of... is me.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 = 28 PP

Strength 14 (+2)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Tenebrous Depths)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +2

Grapple: +23/+8

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)

Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)

Skills: 52r = 13 PP

Diplomacy 6 (+8)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Intimidate 10 (+12)

Knowledge (arcane lore) 6 (+8)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Stealth 8 (+11)

Feats: 19 PP

All-Out Attack

Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2

Dodge Focus 4

Evasion 2

Fascinate (Intimidate)

Hide in Plain Sight

Improved Grab

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Skill Mastery (Intimidate, Knowledge [arcane lore], Notice, Stealth)

Startle

Takedown Attack

Uncanny Dodge (auditory)

Well-Informed

Powers: 8 + 2 + 41 = 51 PP

Protection 8 [8 PP]

Super-Senses 2 (Darkvision) [2 PP]

Tenebrous Depths, 32 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 7) [41 PP]

• Base: Enhanced Strength 16 [16 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Super-Strength 3 (Effective Lifting Strength 45) [6 PP]
  Alternate Power: Insubstantial 4 [20 PP] + Concealment (all senses) 10 (Flaws: Blending, Power Feats: Close Range, Selective) [12 PP]
  Alternate Power: Illusion (visual) 10 (Flaws: Limited to Shadows, Power Feats: Progression 4 [100 ft.]) [14 PP] + Obscure (visual) 6 (100 ft, Extras: Selective Attack) [18 PP]
  Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Extras: Damaging, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2) [32 PP]
  Alternate Power: Dazzle (visual) 10 (Extras: Targeted Area Cone, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2) [32 PP]
  Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Targeted Area Shapeable, Constricting, Flaws: Action [Full-Round], Power Feats: Homing, Reversible) [32 PP]
  Alternate Power: ESP (audio, visual) 7 (200 miles, Flaws: Medium [shadows], Power Feats: Dimensional 1 [shattenwelt], Subtle) [16 PP] + Communication (mental) 7 (200 miles, Extras: Area, Power Feats: Selective, Subtle) [16 PP]
  Alternate Power: Teleport 8 (800 ft./2000 miles, Extras: Accurate, Affects Others, Flaws: Medium [shadows], Power Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression 4 [2500 lbs.], Turnabout) [32 PP]

Abilities (28) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (13) + Feats (19) + Powers (51) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Pride Month carries on with Obsidian, who seems to have receded into the darkness by now. Obsidian was part of Roy Thomas's attempt to revitalize the Justice Society of America, partially by showing the next generation of Earth-2's greatest superheroes. His dad, Alan Scott (the original Green Lantern), had two kids with the split-personality supervillain Thorn, whose dark side came into dominance one day and resulted in her taking off. He and his sister Jennie-Lynn (the superheroine Jade) were raised in foster homes, and his wasn't too pleasant. Now, being the son of someone who's got one of the most magical artifacts in existence stapled to his soul tends to have side-effects, and young Todd ended up directly tied into the Shadowlands. He ran with Infinity Inc. for a while - at least, until the Crisis resulted in the worlds being collapsed, at which point he ended up on the Justice League. It was during this time that his "feelings" towards teammate Nuklon were first hinted at, but as it was the Nineties, the subtext never really became text. After a period of mental instability and being used for evil (because apparently a mother with DID leads to a kid with schizophrenia - comic book psychiatry, everyone), Todd finally got his act together and found love with Damon Matthews, the assistant to Kate Spencer. He ended up fighting with the JSA (though, as this was during Johns's "Everyone is a member" phase, he got FA in the way of screentime) and later on, the JLA. Then came yet another reboot, where he has seemingly vanished - and with his dad being younger, in another universe, and gay, he's probably not going to be showing up for some time, if at all.

But let's focus on the brighter days! Or darker ones, given his power set. Of course, I drew on some bits from the comic book Obsidian - he traditionally suffuses his body with the energies of the Shadowlands in order to become stronger and tougher, effectively becoming an inky black Powerhouse. After that, I'm not ashamed to admit I stole a few tricks from the Lasombra. This guy is able to craft tendrils out of shadow and use them to either directly strike at somewhere or tie them up. He can call up shadows to drown out the sight of everyone around him, then craft them into simulacra in order to make them afraid of what's in the dark. He can meld with the shadows themselves in order to walk unseen and untouchable. The ability to see through, speak through, and travel through shadows a bit more of my own creation, but take after another prominent DC shadow manipulator. There are other powers, ones I didn't get to here - Dimensional Pocket's always a good one, as is Emotion Control (Area Burst, Limited to Despair) to represent inky tendrils that work their way into the soul.

Now, the Freedomverse has a prominent source of shadow power - the Shattenwelt. So how did this guy come to channel it? Perhaps he was targeted by SHADOW in an attempt to recreate the powers of Nacht-Krieger, underwent the ritual, and broke free, swearing to use his powers for good. Maybe he was born with an innate tie to the dimension as a result of having a sorcerer for a dad, much like Obsidian. Or perhaps they're a shadow person who's managed to take on flesh and is trying to figure out what humanity is like. Now, one of the interesting features of playing a Shattenwelt channeler is that it might give you a chance to explore what goes on in there. Most of what we know is that it's cold, dark, lifeless, and hungering. But what sort of things might live in that stygian abyss? And do we really want to meet them?

[trollthumper]

Enlightened Martial Artist

I hear the heartbeat of the universe. It is telling me you need to pay your damn half of the rent already.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 10 + 6 + 10 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 38 PP

Strength 20 (+5)

Dexterity 16 (+3)

Constitution 20 (+5)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Melee)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus)

Initiative: +3

Grapple: +15

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 3 + 4 + 5 = 12 PP

Toughness: +10/+5 (+5 CON, +5 Protection)

Fortitude: +8 (+5 CON, +3)

Reflex: +12/+7 (+3 DEX, +5 Enhanced Reflex, +4)

Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5)

Skills: 64r = 16 PP

Acrobatics 8 (+11)

Bluff 8 (+10)

Diplomacy 6 (+8)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Knowledge (current events) 4 (+6)

Knowledge (history) 6 (+8)

Language (Mandarin [base], English, French)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Stealth 8 (+11)

Feats: 26 PP

All-Out Attack

Attack Focus (Melee) 4

Blind-Fighting

Challenge (Fast Feint)

Dazzling Attack

Dodge Focus 4

Elusive Target

Evasion 2

Improved Disarm

Improved Grab

Improved Trip

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Redirect

Stunning Attack

Takedown Attack 2

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Up the Wall

Powers: 5 + 25 + 4 = 34 PP

Protection 5 [5 PP]

Rising Phoenix Style, 20 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 5) [25 PP]

• Base: Strike 5 (Extras: Autofire 1 [10], Penetrating 2, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [20 PP] “glowing talons strikeâ€
  Alternate Power: Paralyze 10 [20 PP] “scarlet raptor’s gazeâ€
  Alternate Power: Enhanced Reflex 5 [5 PP] + Speed 3 (50 MPH/500 ft. per round) [3 PP] + Leaping 5 (Running Long Jump 750 ft., Standing Long Jump 375 ft., High Jump 150 ft.) [5 PP] + Immunity 5 (entrapment, Extras: Duration [sustained]) [5 PP] “radiant thermal kataâ€
  Alternate Power: Applies Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Reflective (fire) [10 PP] to Protection “nestled in embers stanceâ€
  Alternate Power: Healing 5 (Extras: Action [standard], Total, Flaws: Personal) [20 PP] “burning genesis formâ€
  Alternate Power: Strike 5 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack, Penetrating 2; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]; Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Mighty) [20 PP] “all-consuming pyre exhalationâ€

Super-Senses 4 (Detect Weakness) [4 PP]

Abilities (38) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (16) + Feats (26) + Powers (34) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Now we're going to quickly duck out of the world of superhero comics into slice-on-life comics - well, "slice-of-life on crack" comics. The Scott Pilgrim series (about a man who falls for the girl of his dreams and has to battle her seven evil exes) isn't set in a superhero universe, but it is set in a superpowered one. At least, as far as you consider Amazon.ca delivery girls who find subroutes through people's dreams, telekinesis gained through veganism, and the ability to summon Bollywood demon girls superpowers. Wallace Wells is Scott's long-suffering roommate, the cool, sedate gay guy who decides not to get involved in the weirdness when celebrities come around wanting to fight Scott to the death. But he does have some powers, mainly the ability to harness his chi... to dry off after being in a rainstorm. But I've been wanting to make an enlightened martial artist build for a while, so let's have at it.

The "enlightened martial artist" archetype, for the uninitiated, is a martial artist who's managed to transcend the standard schools of combat, unlock some mystical form of power, and adopt feats beyond the ken of mortal men through focused chi and secret forms. Iron Fist, the various bending styles from Avatar: the Last Airbender, and nearly any style of martial arts in Exalted all draw from this archetype. As such, I decided to go for the Exalted-style supernatural martial art. The character is an accomplish warrior all their own, with great strength, good defense, and a buttload of ways to negate his opponents' advantages in combat while keeping his own. Through the Rising Phoenix Style, however, he's capable of suffusing his own form with radiant, burning chi and capably messing with one's day. Each AP is a different "form" of the style, working its way up from a "simple" flurry of piercing blows to superhuman grace to creating a healing inner crucible to unleashing a fiery torrent upon everyone who's clustered around the guy. I also threw in a simple Paralyze because, hey, what's a supernatural martial art without the ability to punch someone so hard they freeze up?

Now, as with the Modern Animist build, we need to talk some cultural notes here. Making an Asian hero whose superpower is "martial arts" is a bit like making an Australian character whose superpower is "boomerangs," or an Irish character whose superpower is "luck" (yes, I know comics have made both of those, but we're better than that). At the same time, the easy route of an outsider mastering the art better than anyone else once more leads to the Mighty Whitey problem. There's already one mass-market paperback series about a white Australian nanny in Hong Kong who finds out she's the Kwisatz Haderach of supernatural martial arts, and Christ, just reciting that premise makes me want to punch a baby. So, what's a good solution? Perhaps have the character be an outsider... and of an appropriate ethnic background. Perhaps they were a student in Hong Kong who stumbled into a hidden war between ancient schools and ended up recruited onto the side that harnesses the positive aspect of chi. Maybe they were a Chinese security agent sent to corral this "superstitious" movement on the edges of the consciousness (hints of Falun Gong), only to discover that it had true power and turn on the corrupted apparatus of the state. Or perhaps they're just a third generation immigrant to Freedom City who found an ancient scroll hidden away that unlocks a long forgotten style, and now has to deal with the yaoguai who wanted it forgotten in the first place. Or... you could just avoid the whole Asian thing all together. Who's to say the style doesn't rely on an alchemical balancing of the four humors to create a fifth aligned with quintessence, and draws its roots from savate?

[trollthumper]

Engineer with a Power Ring

Give me the right tools, and I can move the earth.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)
Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 26 PP
Strength 12 (+1)
Dexterity 14 (+2)
Constitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 16 (+3)
Wisdom 16 (+3)
Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP
Attack: +6 (+10 Forge of Creation)
Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed
Initiative: +2
Grapple: +7
Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP
Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field)
Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)
Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)
Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)

Skills: 76r = 19 PP
Concentration 8 (+11)
Craft (mechanical) 8 (+11)
Craft (structural) 8 (+11)
Diplomacy 6 (+8)
Gather Information 6 (+8)
Intimidate 10 (+12)
Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+11)
Knowledge (physical sciences) 6 (+9)
Notice 8 (+11)
Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 17 PP
All-Out Attack
Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2
Contacts
Dodge Focus 4
Inventor
Move-By Action
Power Attack
Precise Shot
Ritualist
Skill Mastery (Craft [mechanical], Intimidate, Knowledge [arcane lore], Notice)
Startle
Uncanny Dodge (audio)
Well-Informed

Powers: 49 PP

Forge of Creation, 60 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose, Power Feats: Indestructible) [49 PP]

Enhanced Feats 1 (Quick Change) [1 PP]
Forge of Creation, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [36 PP]
Base: Blast 10 (Extras: Autofire 1) [30 PP]
Alternate Power: Create Object 10 (Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Precise, Progression 4 [10 100 ft. cubes], Selective, Stationary, Tether) [30 PP]
Alternate Power: Corrosion 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged], Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [30 PP]
Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Extras: Range [Perception]) [30 PP]
Alternate Power: Nullify Magic 10 [30 PP]
Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Backlash) [30 PP]
Alternate Power: Applies Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Reflective (all magic) [20 PP] to Force FieldFlight 3 (50 MPH/500 ft. per round) [6 PP]
Force Field 8 [8 PP]
Super-Senses 7 (Detect Magic Extended 2 [100 ft.] Acute Analytical) [7 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (19) + Feats (17) + Powers (49) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

And Pride Month draws to a close with the guy who sort of helped kick it off. Alan Scott was the first Green Lantern, all the way back in the Golden Age. His origin had more to do with magic and less the "space police" that would come to define the Lanterns from the Silver Age on. He was a railroad engineer whose first test of a new bridge was sabotaged by mobsters, who blew the bridge up. However, Alan was saved by a green railroad lantern that had been carved from a meteor that fell to Earth. The meteor - which was sentient - said it came with a prophesy, that it would bring death, then life, then power. The first two parts of its prophecy achieved, the lantern disgorged a ring that Scott could use to harness its flame. When the Golden Age became Earth-2, he remained that Earth's only Green Lantern, and when the worlds were collapsed during the Crisis, it was revealed why Scott's lantern was so magical - the Guardians had tried to tamp down on magic in the early days of the universe by gathering it into an artifact called the Starheart, then shunting it into another universe, where it became the meteor that made Scott's lantern. When the universe was rebooted again, it was announced that this Alan Scott of Earth-2 would be younger and gayer. This led to... a few reactions. First, the usual giggling that the Green Lantern whose powers were vulnerable to wood would come out of the closet. Second, DC's announcement that an "iconic" male hero - in a statement directed towards comics fans - led to mainstream media buzz, as they wondered if a hero who's prominent in the pop culture consciousness would come out (needless to say, that went off like a damp squib). Third, this Alan Scott seems to have been the victim of land-speed record fridging, as his fiance was killed off just after he proposed to him in a train crash that replicated his original origin (with this version of the Starheart, the Green, saying, "YES, YOUR FIANCE IS DEAD, BUT WE'VE GOT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DEAL WITH," because the Green is a dick).

I decided to come at this build from two angles. One, this character is an engineer, so he's likely got some knowledge of the art of creation and can make neat gadgets that don't rely on magic. Two, seeing as he has in his possession an artifact that represents the sum total of all magic, he really should know his way around the arcane. Hence why you've got the dual Inventor/Ritualist thing (though no Artificer; I'm saving that one for tomorrow). The ring has many of the functions of a power ring you'd expect - it can form a tommy gun to blast away at people, walls to protect you and your colleagues, hands to lift up a collapsed building, chains to bind a fleeing bad guy, and so on. It's also capable of forming a ward that blocks and repels magic on par with its own, churning out bright green balefire that can burn away anything, and cutting magic off at the root. It also grants its bearer the ability to read whatever magic's active in the area and figure out what's going down.

I already came up with a number of origins for a ringbearer, so we won't be discussing that. Instead - at AA's suggestion - we'll be discussing what it would be like if a Golden Age character was gay during that period. For one thing, they would have to stay very, very quiet about it. While the laws at the time held that being homosexual was something you did, not something you were, penalties for sodomy were hefty in many states, up to and including life in prison (even in New Jersey, the laws against sodomy stayed on the books until 1979). If the character lived in Britain, there might be a chance they could live without hiding, if they stayed quiet about it - but if they got caught, the punishment could be hefty (Alan Turing was forced to undergo chemical castration via estrogen supplements). Then there's the matter of the character trying to "find themselves." They'd probably do better somewhere like New York City or San Francisco - but even in cities like that, they might have to deal with the fact the gay bars they patronize to find others like them are more often than not run by criminal outfits that wouldn't want anything to do with the "freaks" otherwise. Service in the military, which kept happening with Golden Age heroes around WWII, would be an impossibility - if his homosexuality were ever found out (not disclosed, like in Don't Ask Don't Tell, but just discovered), he'd get a dishonorable discharge. Then again, maybe the magical accident that brought the ring to him sealed him in time, and he's surprised to find a period where he can actually be open about who he is.

And that's Pride Month wrapped! But there are still a number of gay heroes in comics. Perhaps we will come back to them when Gay History Month rolls around in October...

[trollthumper]

Technoshaman

The steel has a heart. The spirit has a pulse. And I know how to put them both together.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 26 PP

Strength 12 (+1)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 16 (+3)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Harnessed Storm)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +2

Grapple: +8

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 4 = 14 PP

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)

Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4)

Skills: 80r = 20 PP

Craft (electronic) 8 (+11)

Craft (mechanical) 8 (+11)

Diplomacy 6 (+8)

Disable Device 8 (+11)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Intimidate 8 (+10)

Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+11)

Knowledge (technology) 8 (+11)

Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 8 (+11)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 15 PP

All-Out Attack

Artificer

Challenge (Fast Demoralize)

Contacts

Dodge Focus 4

Inventor

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Precise Shot

Ritualist

Skill Mastery (Craft [mechanical], Intimidate, Knowledge [arcane lore], Notice)

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Powers: 16 + 21 + 9 + 2 + 2 = 50 PP

Ghost Kevlar, 20 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose) [16 PP]

Protection 8 [8 PP]

Phantom Will, 10 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 2)

• Base: Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP]
  Alternate Power: Concealment 4 (normal visual, normal hearing, normal olfactory; Power Feats: Close Range, Selective) [10 PP]
  Alternate Power: Immunity 10 (mental effects, Extras: Duration [sustained]) [10 PP]

Harnessed Storm, 35 PP Device (Easy-to-Lose) [21 PP]

Sky’s Fury, 31 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 2) [35 PP]

• Base: Blast 10 (Extras: Autofire 1, Power Feats: Variable Descriptor 1 [magic/technology]) [31 PP] “lightning’s kissâ€
  Alternate Power: Stun 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged], Power Feats: Variable Descriptor 1 [magic/technology]) [31 PP] “thunder’s blowâ€
  Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Regenerating, Power Feats: Variable Descriptor 1 [magic/ technology]) [31 PP] “frost’s embraceâ€

Medicine PDA, 15 PP Device (Easy-to-Lose) [9 PP]

Super-Senses 5 (Detect Magic Extended [10 ft.] Analytical) [5 PP]

Datalink 9 (anywhere on Earth, Power Feats: Machine Control) [10 PP]

Quickness 6 (x250, Flaws: One Task [Designing Magical Inventions]) [2 PP]

Quickness 6 (x250, Flaws: One Task [Designing Inventions]) [2 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (20) + Feats (15) + Powers (50) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Now back to normal, as it exists around here. Forge is one of those little-used yet rather interesting X-Men, and both those reasons are connected. His mutant power is the ability to basically make anything he puts his mind to. He's invented everything ranging from lasers to time machines simply because he thought really hard about it. Of course, he's also a Cheyenne character written under the pen of Chris Claremont (who knows a thing or two about national stereotypes), so he's also a shaman. Now, as opposed to his tech skills, Forge's shamanic powers get touched on rarely - he used them when deployed in Vietnam to take out enemy troops (though that went badly) and again to banish the demonic Adversary, but they just sit by the wayside. Likely because no one wants to dwell on the native character who's a shaman mainly because he's a native, and because he's already overpowered enough with his "invent anything" skills. But what if someone were to put them both together? What if you had someone who was able to meld magical principles with advanced technology and put together magitech? Because here at FCPbP, we like to take it to 11.

This is a character whose magical ability is tied up mainly in his devices. Mind you, he's plenty skilled in both the arts of magic and science, so he can put together a plain old mundane invention, a standard ritual, or a device that combines the two. That's what most of his arsenal is; even his main weapon finds a way to alter between straight technology and straight magic, finding ways for frost spirits and lightning motes to take over for taser darts and Bose-Einstein condensates. The ghost Kevlar does the job of protection, while the PDA serves as an all-purpose "thaumometer" and a way to crack any device. I'd be lying if I said Charles Stross's The Laundry Series wasn't just as much an inspiration as Forge; I was originally going to put a Nullify Magic power into the PDA, before realizing I didn't have the points, and was going to instead put in an Exorcism "app" when I realized I wanted something more technological. But if you can find a way to make it fit, go ahead.

Now, as the character's built, he's a shaman who's found a way to merge "the old ways" and the new technology. Maybe he was a Navajo military contractor who believed in the faith but never really practiced it... and when he went off on a Blessing Way ceremony, he met Spider Woman (no, not that one), who had first taught mankind the ways of weaving and so admired his skill at "the new weaving" that she taught him how to bring spirits into the art, sending him out on the just cause to slay the monsters who survived the end of the Fourth World. Then again, there are any number of forge gods he can draw inspiration from - Hephaestus, Seker, and Ogoun, among others. Then again, Forge eventually went mad when Warren Ellis did the minimal possible research - I mean, "because of the things he saw" - so maybe the origin is more in line with the Laundry. Maybe he's been touched by some more sinister entity, some dark entity that makes things that shouldn't work, but do.

[trollthumper]

Humanoid Abomination

I am more than this mortal flesh. Much, much more than this feeble spark.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 4 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 = 26 PP

Strength 30/14 (+10/+2)

Dexterity 12 (+1)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Pseudonatural Might)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +5

Grapple: +20/+8

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 6 + 5 + 5 = 16 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection)

Fortitude: +8 (+2 CON, +6)

Reflex: +6 (+1 DEX, +5)

Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)

Skills: 56r = 14 PP

Bluff 4 (+7)

Diplomacy 6 (+9)

Gather Information 6 (+9)

Intimidate 10 (+13)

Knowledge (arcane lore) 10 (+12)

Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 4 (+6)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 15 PP

All-Out Attack

Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2

Dodge Focus 4

Improved Initiative

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Ritualist

Second Chance (mind control)

Startle

Uncanny Dodge (mental)

Well-Informed

Powers: 8 + 36 + 11 = 55 PP

Protection 8 [8 PP]

Pseudonatural Might, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [36 PP]

• Base: Enhanced Strength 16 [16 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Flight 2 (25 MPH/250 ft. per round) [4 PP] “that hideous strengthâ€
  Alternate Power: Damage 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Alternate Save [Will]) [30 PP] “thoughts like daggersâ€
  Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst) [30 PP] “screaming in silenceâ€
  Alternate Power: Drain Will 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack) [30 PP] “walls like ashâ€
  Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Vampiric) [30 PP] “the void hungersâ€

Super-Senses 11 (Accurate Acute Radius Ranged [10 ft.] Mental Sense, Detect Pseudonatural Extended 2 [100 ft.] Acute Analytical) [11 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (14) + Feats (15) + Powers (55) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Proving that inspiration can strike anywhere, this one came from a comment surrounding another build. Back when I posted the Inertia build, I noted there really wasn't much a chance of happiness in Supreme Power - after all, their Wonder Woman equivalent, Zarda, was effectively a fashion-conscious Great Old One, complete with worship by an ancient cult, lying dormant until the stars were right, and just bulldozing through the mortal masses with nary a care for life or limb. This, of course, drifted around my mind until it bumped into another source that links a distinctive woman and the eldritch beyond - The Great God Pan, the novel that effectively inspired Lovecraft to write "The Dunwich Horror." Imagine what it would be like for something from the outer realms of reason to get called down into a mortal host. How would they respond to being so limited? How would they adjust to this place of fixed physical laws and reasonable sanity? And might they actually come to prefer it, and fight to defend it against their eldritch brethren?

So here we have a woman who was touched by the abyss, either by just tripping on the threshold of madness or being shoved over it. The force that suffuses her body lends her unnatural gravity and strength, giving her the ability to shrug off mortal arms and rip through basic defenses. But that's what happens when they keep their power tightly wound. When they get a chance to let loose, insanity leaks in. Wills get torn away in a sirocco of maddened screams, emotions shift and turn like the dancers at Carcosa, the mind tears itself apart in an attempt to get away from the unbearable truths. The Vampiric Blast is a little throw-in from Zarda, who seemed to reduce someone to dust whenever she got a wrinkle (yeah, JMS really ladled on the grimdark there), but makes sense if you interpret it as her "sharing" her power with a host in a tug-of-war that results in their body ravaged and hers bolstered.

So it's pretty clear where she came from, but how did she get here? Maybe she was some organization's attempt to master occult warfare by getting one of the things that go bump in the night of their side - only they wound the control geas so tight, that she actually decided to play by the rules and be the perfect soldier instead of a rampaging engine of destruction. Perhaps they're the daughter of some unholy union, raised with full knowledge of the horrors of cult life and seeking to break up cults to the Unspeakable One's children wherever she finds them. Maybe she's a mad god who once walked the world a colossus, only to be banished and return to find her empire and cult have crumbled to dust. Or maybe they just came here willingly, travelling on the winds of madness and plunging into the dark heart of the global consciousness.

[trollthumper]

Spirit of Liberty

i believe in us. All of us.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 2 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 = 26 PP

Strength 12 (+1)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Freedom’s Promise)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +10

Grapple: +20/+7

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)

Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)

Skills: 56r = 14 PP

Diplomacy 12 (+15)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Knowledge (current events) 6 (+8)

Knowledge (history) 8 (+10)

Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 15 PP

All-Out Attack

Benefit (use Knowledge [tactics] for Initiative)

Dodge Focus 4

Fascinate (Diplomacy)

Luck 2

Leadership

Master Plan 2

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Powers: 38 + 8 = 46 PP

Freedom’s Promise, 32 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [38 PP]

• Base: Enhanced Strength 18 [18 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Flight 2 (25 MPH/250 ft. per round) [4 PP]
  Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Targeted Area Cone, Selective Attack; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]; Power Feats: Improved Critical 2) [32 PP]
  Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack; Flaws: Limited to Hope, Power Feats: Subtle) [31 PP]
  Alternate Power: Healing 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged], Power Feats: Regrowth, Persistent) [32 PP]
  Alternate Power: Nullify Mind Control 10 (Extras: Nullifying Field, Duration [sustained]) [30 PP]

Protection 8 [8 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (14) + Feats (15) + Powers (46) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! I knew I was going to build something special for the holiday, but until last night, I had no idea what to build. I know I've put military builds up and down this thread, but it's not like I consider service the be-all and end-all of patriotism. In fact, this build was inspired by what I consider America to be at its best. I believe in this country, or at least its potential. Have we been perfect all the time? Hell no; if there wasn't the strong suggestion that we avoid politics on this board, I could point out over a dozen things in this past decade that I thought were betrayals of American ideals. But I believe that we can, at our best, be a place of prosperity. Of kindness. Of freedom. And in thinking on these ideals, honestly, the best thing the build seemed to be... another take on Lady Liberty. So, I did. Sometimes the best answers are the simplest ones.

Usually my builds have some sort of interaction skill Challenge to allow for ease of misdirection or demoralization. Not in this case. Instead, she's got a good deal of diplomacy (for helping to smooth out situations that haven't turned to utter violence), as well as Leadership to help bolster her allies' spirits. The seat of her powers, likewise, is more about being helpful than being offensive. Sure, she's got some ability to put the hurt on people - nearly all superheroes have to have that - but she's also got the ability to heal anyone's wounds. break someone out of a state of mind control, and bring people out of the deepest depression or most harrowing fear. On top of that, she has the ability to lead her allies into combat with a fool-proof plan that can turn the tide of battle easily.

Freedom already has the Spirit of Liberty as the source of Miss Liberty's powers - so how can this character share them without divesting Miss Liberty of hers? Perhaps the Spirit has been able to split its powers into another host (like it has in the past, only willingly and without the trauma of the Civil War as an excuse) - or, if you want to go all "Rainbow Lanterns," have it so that there are spirits of the Great American Virtues, so this character's the host to the Spirit of Freedom or Independence or something like that. Who was she before she got her powers, however? Perhaps she was an Army sergeant who pulled her entire unit out from an assault, then returned home to advocate for veterans' rights. Maybe she was a firefighter who braved the wreckage of a terrorist attack and wouldn't leave until everyone got out. Or... maybe she's just an average citizen, a teacher or shop clerk or banker who did something great in the face of danger and was visited by the Spirit to serve as a new host. She could be anyone. Any one of us.

[trollthumper]

Magnetic EOD Tech

I think these are yours.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 24 PP

Strength 14 (+2)

Dexterity 16 (+3)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 12 (+1)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Monopole)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +11

Grapple: +20/+8

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +8 (+3 DEX, +5)

Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5)

Skills: 72r = 18 PP

Concentration 8 (+10)

Craft (chemical) 6 (+8)

Disable Device 10 (+12)

Diplomacy 6 (+7)

Intimidate 8 (+9)

Knowledge (current events) 4 (+6)

Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10)

Knowledge (technology) 6 (+8)

Language (English [base], Arabic, Farsi)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 6 (+8)

Feats: 13 PP

All-Out Attack

Benefit (use Knowledge [tactics] for Initiative)

Challenge (Fast Startle)

Dodge Focus 4

Evasion

Master Plan 2

Power Attack

Skill Mastery (Craft [chemical], Disable Device, Intimidate, Notice)

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Powers: 13 + 37 + 6 = 56 PP

Force Field 8 (Extras: Impervious 10 [Limited to Metals/Electromagnetic Energy]) [13 PP]

Monopole, 31 PP Array (Extras: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [37 PP]

• Base: Move Object 10 (Extras: Damaging, Range [Perception], Flaws: Limited to Metals, Power Feats: Precise) [31 PP]
  Alternate Power: Shape Matter 10 (Extras: Duration [Continuous], Flaws: Action [Full-Round], Limited to Metals, Power Feats: Precise) [31 PP]
  Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Autofire 1, Power Feats: Improved Critical) [31 PP]
  Alternate Power: Nullify Technology 10 (Power Feats: Selective) [31 PP]
  Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Constricting, Power Feats: Reversible) [31 PP]

Super-Senses 6 (Detect Metal Radius Extended 2 [100 ft.]) [6 PP]

Abilities (24) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (18) + Feats (13) + Powers (56) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

And back to the military builds. This one is a slightly more somber idea than the others, as EOD is not work that's easy to glorify. It's hard, risky, and requires a good combination of steady nerves and fast feet. IEDs are one of the greatest risks in Iraq and Afghanistan, ready to go off at the slightest indicator. The use of IEDs in Afghanistan has gone up 400% since 2007, and the number of troops killed by them has increased similarly. In Iraq, they've killed more soldiers than "normal" firefights (41% vs. 34%). It's the kind of thing that can cause a complex in a person who's spent a long time in the field. But what happens when they have powers that allow them to take some of the risk out of bomb disposal, along with powers that allow them to suss out bombs quickly? It's the kind of thing that can change the battlefield.

Originally I was going to try and make this build a bit more complex - give the guy an Easy-to-Lose Device representing a bag of retrieved IEDs, denatured to allow for a nasty, non-lethal punch. Mechanically, it would work by adding Extras such as "Area" or "Linked Dazzle" to Blast. But there are only so many points one can spend when they want mastery in the character's chosen field, an Array, and Impervious Toughness, so the explosives had to go. But still, what he's got is a nice mini-Magneto build. The Force Field is strong enough on its own, and given an extra push against things that the guy's powers could reasonably affect (I'm not going for the silliness of Magneto being so powerful he can deflect wood). Aside from that, he can hurl about metal like nobody's business, break off a few slivers and shoot them at a target at high velocity, wrap a crowbar around someone's legs and keep it going, and either unleash a targeted EMP or seize up something's gears to shut down tech. With the right concentration, he can even use focused magnetic fields to reshape metal. And even without the flash, he is still very good at his job as a bomb defuser.

So when did his powers and his profession start to cross over? Perhaps a nasty experience in the field caused him to flash, allowing him to use his powers in a split second to keep him and the rest of his squad from getting run through by shrapnel. Maybe he found a lab working in something a bit more complex than the usual improvised weapons (maybe a Foundry outpost trying to field test superscience through deniable assets), and got exposed to a weapon that permanently affected his electromagnetic field. The question after that is, how long is he going to stay on the field? IEDs do have a nasty tendency to stick around, just like landmines did in wars past. He may come back to Freedom City, using his powers from the field to turn the tables against people who feel like busting out killer robots at the drop of a hat. Or he could stay on the battlefield until the last minute, then stay in the region as a civilian to make sure it stays clear. Then again, there's nothing keeping him from doing that in his downtime while he spends most of his time fighting crime. There are a lot of ways to be a hero, and I'm sure you can juggle two at the same time.

[trollthumper]

Combat Telepath

You've built a nice little fortress in there. Watch as I tear it down, brick by brick.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 26 PP

Strength 12 (+1)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 16 (+3)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 10 + 12 = 22 PP

Attack: +5

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +11

Grapple: +6

Knockback: -5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)

Skills: 60r = 15 PP

Bluff 8 (+10)

Concentration 8 (+11)

Diplomacy 8 (+10)

Gather Information 8 (+10)

Knowledge (current events) 4 (+7)

Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+11)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 13 PP

Benefit (use Knowledge [tactics] for Initiative)

Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2

Dodge Focus 4

Evasion

Master Plan 2

Taunt

Uncanny Dodge (mental)

Well-Informed

Powers: 8 + 45 + 6 = 59 PP

Bodysuit, 10 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose) [8 PP]

Protection 8 [8 PP]

Features 2 (Quick Change 2) [2 PP]

Mental Mastery, 40 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 5) [45 PP]

• Base: Mental Blast 10 [40 PP]
  Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack) [40 PP]
  Alternate Power: Mind Control 10 (Extras: Conscious, Effortless) [40 PP]
  Alternate Power: Paralyze 10 (Extras: Range [Perception]) [40 PP]
  Alternate Power: Mental Transform (memories) 10 (Extras: Area Shapeable, Duration [Continuous]) [40 PP]
  Alternate Power: Telepathy 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Sensory Link) [40 PP]

Super-Senses 6 (Accurate Acute Ranged Radius Mental) [6 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (22) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (15) + Feats (13) + Powers (59) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

So one of the things that happens in comics is that psychics often have combat powers rooted in telekinesis. Maybe it's the whole Jean Gray thing, but it seems psychics often have telekinesis to go along with telepathy, and maybe some third wild card psychic power like pyrokinesis. Even characters like Emma Frost, built as a straight-up telepath, unlock powers where they can turn into diamond and trade blows with the Hulk. Telepathy has a lot of potential as an offensive power all its own - did we learn nothing from Scanners? It can alter perceptions, cause the body to betray itself, suborn a combatant's will, and even cause the brain to rip itself apart. Who needs the ability to throw tanker trucks about with your brain when you can do all that?

This character is built entirely around the Array. As most telepathy-oriented powers are Perception or Will-based when it comes to determining Range, there's really no need for an Attack Bonus at all - but I kept it at a reasonable level in case they need to trade blows. Likewise, most of the attack/damage/defense shifting Feats were not necessary, which saved a few points. I built this character as an expert combatant - she knows her way around a battlefield, and as she doesn't have telekinesis to rely on for a Force Field, she instead relies on a super-strong bodysuit. As you might imagine, building an Array around a high-cost power like Mental Blast means you've got quite a few points to push around. I imagined this telepath would be around the Professor X range of psychic aptitude, being able to do absolutely hideous things with their psychic abilities. This character can read the minds of an entire city, rip the brain into brutalized meat, play with the emotions of everyone around her, freeze a person with a glance, and make anyone her puppet. Good thing she's using all that potential for good, right? Right?

How did this character unlock their powers, and how are they using them on the battlefield? Could be they were on the battlefield before they were a psychic, activating their powers either through some kind of traumatic experience or by volunteering for an experiment to reactivate research into remote viewing-based intelligence and unlocking results nobody ever expected. Maybe she's the descendent of a program that's just now bearing fruit, some experiment planted by Professor Psion just as he came to the States. Or maybe, like Emma Frost, they're a villain who saw what happened to the minds they toyed with after they'd had their fun and decided to go over to the side of the angels. That angle leads to some great conflict - how can anyone know if you're fully redeemed when they're afraid you could just change their mind to make them think so?

[trollthumper]

Transgenic Child

My parents had a lot of plans for me. I just want to see those types of "plans" strangled in their crib.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: ATT +2/DMG -2

Abilities: 8 + 4 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 34 PP

Strength 18 (+4)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 18 (+4)

Intelligence 16 (+3)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+12 Melee)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus)

Initiative: +6

Grapple: +16

Knockback: -5/-2

Saving Throws: 4 + 5 + 5 = 14 PP

Toughness: +10/+4 (+4 CON, +6 Protection)

Fortitude: +8 (+4 CON, +4)

Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)

Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5)

Skills: 68r = 17 PP

Diplomacy 4 (+6)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Intimidate 10 (+12)

Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 (+11)

Knowledge (life sciences) 8 (+11)

Medicine 8 (+10)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Stealth 8 (+10)

Feats: 21 PP

All-Out Attack

Attack Focus (Melee) 6

Challenge (Fast Startle)

Contacts

Dodge Focus 4

Evasion

Hide in Plain Sight

Improved Initiative

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Startle

Uncanny Dodge (olfactory)

Powers: 2 + 6 + 8 + 2 + 8 + 4 + 11 = 41 PP

Flight 2 (25 MPH/250 ft. per round, Flaws: Gliding) [2 PP]

Protection 6 [6 PP]

Strike 4 (Power Feats: Extended Reach 3 [15 feet], Mighty) [8 PP]

Speed 2 (25 MPH/250 ft. per round) [2 PP]

Super-Senses 8 (Accurate Acute Analytical Tracking Olfactory, Danger Sense [olfactory], Darkvision) [8 PP]

Super-Movement 2 (Wall Crawling 2) [4 PP]

Venom Gland, 8 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 3) [11 PP]

• Base: Applies Improved Critical 2, Incurable, Insidious, Penetrating 3, and Sedation to Strike [8 PP]
  Alternate Power: Links Drain Toughness 8 to Strike [8 PP]
  Alternate Power: Links Stun 8 to Strike (Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [8 PP]
  Alternate Power: Applies Vampiric [8] to Strike [8 PP]

Abilities (34) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (17) + Feats (21) + Powers (41) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

So I was watching an online review of Splice (specifically, That SciFi Guy's review) and it quickly became clear that the lead scientists involved are not just mad, they are hideously unprofessional. It's understandable that they might treat Dren, their latest attempt at playing God (and the strangely alluring woman pictured above), as more of a child and less of a pet once they realize she has sapience. It's the fact that they keep ping-ponging back and forth on how to treat her after that which outlines them as class-A dumbasses. The woman of the pair wants to treat her like a beloved daughter, as her own mother treated her horribly. But when Dren gets close to a cat, she takes it away, saying, "You can't always get what you want." When Dren lashes out and accidentally kills the cat, the woman scientist straps her down and tries to amputate her barbed tail, going into full mad scientist mode complete with references to Dren as "the subject." Then again, that's nothing compared to her lab partner/boyfriend, who tries to bang Dren at one point. Given this abortion of both good science and good parenting, it's not unreasonable that Dren swiftly grows up to try and kill them both. But what if she managed to make a healthy break from her idiot makers, and get out into the wide world? Could she pass as human? And what would she think about people who play in the same fallow fields as her "parents"?

This build falls into one of the old standards of comics - lab project who escapes from their cruel makers and tries to become a real boy/girl (see: Superboy, X-23). Like Dren, she's a motley blend of human DNA and whatever her creators thought they could throw into the mix without reducing the whole thing to protoplasm. The patagia of a flying squirrel, the speed-enhancing musculature of a cheetah, the tracking skills of a bloodhound, and something like a scorpion tail. I didn't buy Noticeable on any of them, as these should be things that can conceivably be hidden with a bulky coat - the tail is retractable, the wings foldable, etc. The "venom gland" dispenses a number of different poisons from different species - some necrotizing, some paralytic, and some that just make the sting deadlier on its own. Likewise, there's a "suction" system inherent in the bite that allows her to incorporate bio-mass from the target back into her own, repairing her wounds. She's also immensely skilled in the scientific arts, reflecting on how she learned at the feet of her "parents" - especially from their mistakes.

Now, if you're using this character, odds are they're going to go the route of all lab escapees - trying to flee their pursuers, get used to the outside world, keep their secret from everyone out of fear of being found out and sent back, etc. But what if the break from her makers is all in the past? What if the character is the child of some earlier wave of biological research - depending on how old she is, it could be anything from Dolly the sheep to the first test tube baby - and managed to not just get away from her folks, but turn them (and their operation, if they had a larger provider) into the proper authorities? Now she's a part of those authorities, investigating incidents of mad science and trying to make sure no one else has to suffer like she did. Imagine Olivia Dunham, if she had a scorpion tail instead of psychokinesis.

[trollthumper]

Earth D-Gaia-1

The Green Revolution

She is awake, and She is willing to aid us. She is willing to shower us with gifts, and bring us back to the garden. All that She asks is that we forsake the ways of steel and smoke, and eat freely of her bounty. Is that truly too much to ask?

On June 17th, 1995, the city of San Francisco experienced an 8.2 earthquake. Thanks to the efforts of the city’s super team, the Champions, damage was limited – most was sustained by the Transamerica Building, which became structurally unsound, and the Golden Gate Bridge, which had broken its foundations at the Marin edge of the Bay. While devastating, it was not entirely unexpected – seismologists had been predicting a potential “big one†for some time. What caught the city off guard was when vines began to crawl out of the rents formed by the quake, enveloping the city in the span of six hours.

At first, the city was in panic, thinking it was under attack by a supervillain. It took the intervention of the Champions, San Francisco’s super team, to explain everything – and much to the surprise of the citizens, they said they weren’t going to do anything. According to the group’s mystic, Haruspex, the overgrowth of the city was part of the awakening of Gaia, the spirit of the earth. Having been in slumber since the K-T Event, she had come to share the fruits of knowledge with her children. But to do so required an equal relationship. The people of San Francisco had to give up the ways of modern technology, in order to receive the new gifts of the mother.

The city quickly split into factions, though the people who were willing to give this thing a chance were a slight minority. But that minority grew when the gifts of Gaia began to appear. Vines crept between buildings that could transmit sound and information better than any telephone line. Trees appeared in the courtyards of mental hospitals with fruits that simulated the effects of SSRIs, dopamine, and other antipsychotics. In time, many in the city were won over by the influence of the living earth, and by the end of the year, San Francisco was rechristened “Eden.â€

AEGIS was, of course, suspicious from the start. They had feared co-option, but all attempts to confirm it ran aground – though the fact that a number of agents defected to Eden certainly didn’t soothe anyone’s suspicions. Due to the lack of active hostilities, however, activities were kept on the level of observation alone, with direct military action seen as a risk to the civilian populace.

That changed in February of 1997, when it became clear that the Gaia consciousness was reaching into Marin, Berkeley, and Oakland, trying to overtake the various neighborhoods and crowd out the infrastructure. Operation Daisy Cutter began, with AEGIS lending support to a joint-force operation meant to liberate San Francisco from the Gaia consciousness. As the city had abandoned steelworking and several agents had reported the destruction of firearms, it was assumed that mundane resistance would be limited, with the Champions and the Gaia consciousness being the only true risks. The military went in backed by a dozen heroes, armed with state-of-the-art equipment from AEGIS, and loaded with defoliant. Eden, by comparison, had the eight members of the Champions, Gaia itself, and a civilian militia trained in tactics with close-combat weapons.

And the military lost. Hideously. The civilians managed to overpower trained soldiers in close combat. The Champions managed to repel the powered support staff. And if that weren’t enough, it was estimated a tenth of the invasion force defected to Eden over the course of the short occupation. By the end of the year, it became clear that Gaia could speak for itself, as the last US forces withdrew from the surrounding area.

Several follow-up attempts were made in the years since – all of them unsuccessful. While Gaia was driven out of southern Oregon in a successful push back attempt in 2005, it has quickly overtaken most of Northern California, and is working its way down past Fresno and fully infiltrated Yosemite. The northern half of the state is a writhing mass of green with humans living amongst it in tribes, and it shows no signs of shrinking back. And as the rest of the world sees humanity living at harmony with nature, they begin to think there might not be anything wrong with that.

But AEGIS was right to be concerned, for this world shares a few differences from ours. For one, the researcher Nathan Grovemont chose not to settle in Freedom City, but in a lab in the SoMa area. For another, the experiment that brought him closer to nature began a few years earlier than on Earth-Prime and proceeded much faster, skipping past the phase of plant animation and proceeding directly to converting him into a plant-based being. Finally, its results were much more explosive, seemingly killing Grovemont while driving his consciousness deep into the root structure under the building. With years to explore the nature of plant life under the city and work it into one grand superstructure, he awakened not as a man, but as a god.

The peace the Green God maintains is one of reward and one of force. The Champions, his first avatars, were converted through an altered form of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. While it has completely ruined their neural function, it makes them effective puppets – though due to the crude nature, the Green God is reluctant to use it as a conversion aid. The rebuff of the military was achieved through subtler means – overwhelming clouds of pollen, quick-growing moss in gun barrels, and the subtle creation of nerve-disrupting aromas. Those who are not directly won to his side are kept sedated through chemicals in the fruit that inhibit lateral thinking and stimulate the brain’s pleasure centers. His children are fruitful, and live free and uncaring.

This is the city he has created. And in time, this may be the world he creates…

---

So a few months back, both AA and I discovered the book Ecotopia by way of author James Nicoll. Our reaction was pretty much the same: "Well, it's good to know the eco-liberals had their own equivalent of Atlas Shrugged." The book isn't actively repellent (mind you, that's to my politics), but is an example of the drift of leftist politics of the era taken way, way too far - black power becomes "the minorities are fine on their own," free love becomes "please partake of my bosom, guy I've barely met." This review takes pleasure in poking some holes in the feel-good utopian good time of the novel, and I can't say its critiques aren't unfounded. Needless to say, gazing upon this... thing caused quite a few plot hooks to take root.

The other idea that went into this was taking the Green Man from pre-Alan Moore Swamp Thing levels to post-Alan Moore Swamp Thing levels. This guy is not the walking tree that Earth-Prime knows him as, but a god walking. Well, a god lying miles under the cracked and broken concrete, but still. One of the reasons you get plant-based villains like Poison Ivy is that plants, when you do some digging into the breadth and variety of them, can be horrifying. They produce poisons, allergens, psychotropics, paralytic agents, lures for unsuspecting creatures, and - in the nightmare fuel-inducing link featured above - ways of hijacking the body and using it as a means of propagation. Sometimes the deadliest thing in the jungle can be the plants themselves, and the "Green God" has managed to turn the ruins of NorCal into quite the poison jungle.

So how do the heroes get involved in this? Perhaps they get thrust into Earth D-Gaia-1 by means of some terrible accident. Maybe that dimension's version of AEGIS reaches out for assistance, as many of the science heroes of that dimension have been neutralized or co-opted by the Green God. Or maybe it's not AEGIS who sends someone through. Maybe the Green God sends a "chosen one" through loaded with his own seeds, meaning to reproduce on another, potentially more fruitful Earth. And once the plant zombie is defeated, it's up to the heroes to follow the seeds back on the multidimensional winds.

[trollthumper]

Archetypal Hero

All right, let's see who it is this time...

Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 26 PP

Strength 14 (+2)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 16 (+3)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Persona Engine)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +10/+2

Grapple: +27/+20/+8

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Toughness)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +11/+7 (+2 DEX, +4 Enhanced Reflex, +5)

Will: +11/+7 (+2 WIS, +4 Enhanced Will, +5)

Skills: 64r = 16 PP

Bluff 8 (+10)

Computers 8 (+11)

Disguise 0/15 (+2/+17)

Diplomacy 8 (+10)

Gather Information 8 (+10)

Intimidate 0/12 (+2/+14)

Investigate 0/8 (+11)

Knowledge (current events) 8 (+11)

Knowledge (pop culture) 8 (+11)

Knowledge (streetwise) 0/12 (+3/+15)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Stealth 0/12 (+2/+14)

Feats: 20 PP

All-Out Attack

Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2

Dodge Focus 4

Evasion 2

Interpose

Leadership

Luck 2

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Set-Up

Skill Mastery (Bluff, Gather Information, Knowledge [current events], Notice)

Taunt

Uncanny Dodge (auditory)

Well-Informed

Powers: 49 PP

Persona Engine, 60 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose, Power Feats: Indestructible) [49 PP]

Enhanced Feats 2 (Quick Change 2) [2 PP]

Monomyth Protocols, 44 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [50 PP]

Base: Enhanced Strength 16 [16 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Super-Strength 8 (Effective Lifting Strength 70, Power Feats: Groundstrike, Shockwave) [18 PP] “Powerhouseâ€

Alternate Power:

Move Object 10 (Extras: Range [Perception]) [30 PP]

Mind Reading 10 [10 PP]

Enhanced Will 4 [4 PP] “Mentalistâ€

Alternate Power: Strike 8 (Extras: Autofire 1 [10], Area Shapeable, Power Feats: Mighty) [29 PP]

+ Speed 5 (250 MPH, 2500 ft/round) [5 PP]

+ Quickness 4 (x25) [4 PP]

+ Enhanced Feats 2 (Improved Initiative 2) [2 PP]

+ Enhanced Reflex 4 [4 PP] “Speedsterâ€

Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Area Cone, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2, Variable Descriptor 2 [any energy]) [34 PP] + Flight 5 (250 MPH, 2500 ft./round) [10 PP] “Energy Controllerâ€

Alternate Power: Strike 8 (Extras: Penetrating 4, Power Feats: Mighty, Improved Critical 2, Split Attack) [16 PP]

+Enhanced Skills 12 (Knowledge [streetwise] 12, Intimidate 12, Investigate 12, Stealth 12) [12 PP]

+ Enhanced Feats 12 (Challenge [Fast Startle], Dazzling Attack, Distract [intimidate], Elusive Target, Improved Disarm 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Prone Fighting, Startle, Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break) [14 PP]

+ Super-Movement 1 (Swinging) [2 PP] “Cowlâ€

Alternate Power: Morph (any shape) 3 [9 PP]

+ Insubstantial 1 [5 PP]

+ Immunity 4 (critical hits, suffocation, Extras: Duration [sustained]) [4 PP]

+ Strike 9 (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Penetrating 4, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [26 PP] “Shapeshifterâ€

Protection 8 [8 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (16) + Feats (20) + Powers (49) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

One of those little artifacts that's always drifted around the background of the DC Universe is the H-Dial. Passing through a series of hosts, the H-Dial allows someone to become a superhero whenever there's danger and distress. The user doesn't really get a choice of who they turn into - powers, form, even gender can be at random. The hosts have included a child with an overactive imagination, two teenagers who shared it between them, one of Superboy's friends (I would've statted this guy up for Pride Month until I realized I knew nothing about him and he seemed like a non-entity), and a whooole lot of people who've experienced its foibles. There's currently a series set in the DCnU where it's in the hands of a Londoner; as it's written by China Mieville, he's used it to turn into some really weird heroes.

You can't put a container into an Array; however, you can put a number of Linked powers into an Array, assuming they're all being used fairly close together. That's the principle on which this H-Dial build exists. There's no good way mechanically to represent a Device that vanishes once you've started it, and having someone whose trinket of power can just be knocked out of their hand seemed weird, so I built it along the lines of the Omnitrix from Ben 10 (which likely took a few cues from Dial H for Hero). We may decry the builds of Steve Kenson here, but the ones at the start of the book are at least pretty good baselines for heroes - the Powerhouse, the Costumed Detective, the Mentalist, the Energy Controller, and so forth. These are the ones I used for the various "modes" of the Persona Engine, which range from "closely linked powers" to "distantly linked powers" to "buttload of Feats." No act of cheese could make a true Shapeshifter possible - you can't stick a VP in an Array, no matter what - but I figured I managed to get a nice mix between Mystique and Inque. Without the Device, the guy is exactly the kind of guy you'd expect to wield it - a powers fanboy who knows his way around the game and is fully willing to assume the role of booster to the veterans, complete with stepping in the line of fire to protect others and giving the veterans the pep talk they desperately need.

Where did this thing come from, however? FCPbP likes to stay away from concepts that draw on the "meta" nature of comic book superheroes, but once you've started dabbling in the idea of archetype channeling, there's really no way around it. Perhaps it's a bracelet made up on the skeins of the Moirai, which allows one to draw on the destiny of a hero that might one day exist. Maybe it ties directly into some "source zero" for powers - like the cosmic energy field that Centurion flew through - and manages to use it to suffuse and transform the body in different ways. Or maybe it is based around the Jungian idea of archetypes, tying into the Dream Dimension or some other realm of imagination and drawing down what humanity believes heroes to be and making it incarnate. You're channeling the power of humanity itself. Hope you know how to handle it.

[trollthumper]

Black Madonna

Come to me, my children. The world doesn't understand you. The world might fear you. But I don't. I love you.

Earth-Prime isn't the only world that drew the attention of the Terminus. Many worlds have been "graced" by the black hand of Omega, and many of them have fallen. But there remain those that have stood firm. On one Earth, Omega and his soldiers intervened far before recorded civilization, when an Annihilist army laid siege to a world claimed mainly by the children of Atlantis. The sorcerer-kings and science heroes made war against the invaders from the screaming darkness, and drove them off. Their great nation lay sunken beneath the waves and their knowledge was scattered to the four winds, but Earth still stood firm.

The touch of the Terminus likewise affected this world. Whereas Earth-Prime has experienced the phenomenon of "Terminus babies," it has been within the past two decades, and been primarily localized. But when Omega struck at Atlantis, he introduced Terminus energies to the earth that had millennia to steep - and, thanks to the Atlantean diaspora, worldwide populations to seep into. Throughout history lay stories of people touched by shadow, attuned to the ways of entropy and capable of inhuman feats. Heroes. Shamans. Warlocks. Demons. For most of history, they remained figures of rumor and mystery, always whispered of but never truly known.

All that changed with the discovery of Terminus energy in 1936. The research into controlled weak interaction in a laboratory setting soon led to the revelation that there were people who could channel such energy through a quirk of genetics. The first "dynamos" took the field in World War II on the side of the Allies, capturing the wonder and fascination of the Western world. But when the T-bomb was dropped on Japan and the first photographs of the horrors birthed by its light made its way back to the States, suddenly fear and suspicion were the order of the day.

It certainly didn't help matters that the fallout of the T-bomb seemed to trigger a rise in the number of dynamos - now called "T-babies" or, in less civilized circles, "Terrors" - worldwide. The response to the "entropic menace" varied worldwide, but in the States, the fear of "Terminus infiltration" that had defined much of the Fifties began to break and recede in the Sixties, with the decade producing its share of civil rights leaders and radicals. Marcus Sarin was one of the more radical voices of his era, a gravity controller who claimed that Terminus energy was the future, both as a power source and as a means of enlightenment. Those who didn't have the power of entropy running through their bodies were "spiritual dead ends" who should be regarded with pity - and if they decided to strike against the enlightened, then they were taking their lives into their own hands. Sarin was rebutted at every turn by several other "T-men" civil rights leaders, and considered little better than a terrorist by the American public.

Sarin began to walk back from his radical ways in the Seventies, after finding religion and starting a family. One of his followers, fearing he'd gone soft, arranged for Sarin's assassination in 1981. Canonized as a martyr of the T-man movement, Sarin's past sins were slowly washed away by the tide of history - and in time, his daughter, Maria, rose to a position of prominence. Many advances had been made amongst the "entropics rights" movement, and while she never denied the sins of her father, she was able to cash in on his capital - and her position on the Freedom League as Conjure, the occult expert who married her Terminus powers to hoodoo practices - to lay the way for a more moderate movement.

But all her best efforts collapsed the day Pyramid Plaza burned in a surprise attack by a newly radicalized splinter group. As the government began to debate new and harsher measures for T-babies - ones that barged right through human rights laws - Maria began undergoing a crisis of faith, realizing that her "hoodoo spells" were wholly an extension of her Terminus powers, not a manifestation of divine power. She began to retreat from the world, trying to figure out who she was and divise a plan for a resurgent entropics rights movement. But as she heard the tales of hate crimes in the street against people whose only crime was having a T-energy count slightly higher than normal, she realized that there was no way the movement could push back against a worst case scenario if the energy wasn't distributed evenly. Those with weak T-counts couldn't defend themselves, and those with moderate to strong T-counts could still be overwhelmed by superior firepower. She spent a week in meditation, attuning herself to the flow of Terminus energy throughout the earth until it was as familiar as her own heartbeat. And after three days without food, drink, or sleep, she opened her mouth and spoke those dreadful words:

"No weak entropics."

Maria thought she'd saved her people. But that changed when she felt the flow of Terminus energy kick at her like a bucking horse. Quickly, she returned from isolation to the world at large to find she'd wreaked hideous devastation. The amount of low T-count individuals in the world was greater than anyone had imagined, with the energy worming its way into the human anatomy and assuming a place akin to a redundant organ. But even a redundant organ can cause system shock when it's rudely ripped out of the body. Tens of thousands had died as a result of her power shift - and it hadn't even had much profit. Those who'd been the beneficiaries of such power were unable to control the sudden rush of Terminus energy; many had died, their powers raging out of control, while others had gone mad exposed to the howl of entropy. She had meant to be her people's savior, and she'd become their destroyer instead.

A voice whispered in her head, friendly and comforting. Try again, dear. Try again. She retreated from the world, and undertook a greater working. This one required a month's study, but by the time it was done, Maria knew she had done the right thing. She spoke the words in a language no man was meant to articulate, and tore the beating heart out of her universe. A black sun rose over the earth that morning as invisible fires raged across the sky, cutting down people like a Biblical plague. And as the armies of the Terminus came to Earth once more, the Black Madonna was there to lead the way.

The Black Madonna is one of the prime researchers and archivists amongst the Annihilists. Whereas Friendly treated his subjects as playthings and Taarvon would sell out his own mother - or someone's mother, anyone's mother - for the barest hint of lost knowledge, she clutches her "research" close to her bosom. For her research is T-babies, those who've known the touch of the Terminus and mastered it without ever seeing the glory of the Doom Coil. She looks out over the multiverse, desperately trying to find those lost in a world of prejudice and hatred, and hoping to bring them to a world where they can master the promise woven into their souls.

She can still save them. She can still save all of them.

---

So one of the running themes of the Annihilists is "comic book heroes making really, really bad choices." Mardigal Martient is Wonder Woman going to the way of Medea. Shadivan Steelgrave is Iron Man going even more overboard in a Civil War scenario than the actual Iron Man did. We here at FCPbP have also extrapolated that to mean "comic book clusterf**ks explored for all their horror" - for instance, Harrier's mom and dad were basically Ben Urich and Sally Floyd selling their journalistic souls to Iron Man (no doubt after asking Lieutenant Liberty if he knew what MyTube was). And when I was thinking on editorial/authorial disasters that could use the touch of the Terminus, one idea sprang right to the front of my mind.

There's a reason I don't like the end of House of M. Mutants have always been Marvel's "hot minority of the moment" stand-in, the group that's supposed to represent struggle in the face of prejudice, discrimination, and genocide. But up until Grant Morrison's run, one thing mutants were rarely presented as was an actual minority group, instead of a marginalized group that gets lynched and shoved in camps every so often. Morrison's run - which, don't get me wrong, was far from perfect and had a good share of headdesk moments - at least showed mutants with their own neighborhoods, fashion, culture, and music. This led to spin-offs that explored mutant neighborhoods and the kinds of guys who didn't have glamorous enough powers to qualify for the X-Men. And that's when Joe Quesada looked on all of this and declared that making mutants, y'know, an actual minority made them "boring" because now they were a known quantity. Which is why they got reduced to 0.000000033% of the population. So that they'd be interesting.

So, yeah, this is basically the Scarlet Witch growing even more unhinged and screwing up even worse. See, the Decimation event had its backwash, as Wanda didn't quite time it for when all the world's mutants were resting at home. Flying mutants fell from the sky. Bulky mutants lost the psychokinetic infrastructure that supported their weight and died of crush injuries. Wanda was already on shaky enough mental ground when she decided to take her people from a minority to an endangered species; imagine what would happen if she found out she'd achieved genocide that not even Bolivar Trask had been capable of. If the Black Madonna shows up in your game, odds are she's somewhere between a softer version of Granny Goodness, Rebecca de Mornay in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, and The Child Catcher. This is a bit of a reflection of the same maternal drama that led to Wanda's first psychotic break, but don't mistake twisted maternal affection for either softness or hysteria. She knows how to fit in amongst a multiversal populace, how to track down Terminus babies, and how to lure them back to her "nursery." And if they won't come willingly, well... they'll have to see reason.

I haven't exactly included a build for the Black Madonna at this point in time. I was aiming for something along the lines of AA's plot hook villains, with a story to build something around. I may give her stats down the line - she'll likely be around PL14 - but imagine a mixture of my Hexcrafter and my Fate-Crafting Sharpshooter. Most likely the Array from the former mixed in with the Array and Super-Senses from the latter.

[trollthumper]

Weaponized Teleporter

Don't you think you should get out of town?

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: +2 DEF/-2 TOU

Abilities: 2 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 26 PP

Strength 12 (+1)

Dexterity 16 (+3)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 16 = 28 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Javelin Quiver)

Defense: +12 (+8 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +3

Grapple: +7

Knockback: -4/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 4 = 14 PP

Toughness: +8/+2 (+2 CON, +6 Protection)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +8 (+3 DEX, +5)

Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4)

Skills: 56r = 14 PP

Acrobatics 10 (+13)

Bluff 6 (+8)

Diplomacy 6 (+8)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Knowledge (current events) 4 (+6)

Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 8 (+11)

Feats: 16 PP

Acrobatic Bluff

All-Out Attack

Challenge (Fast Acrobatic Bluff)

Dodge Focus 4

Evasion 2

Master Plan 2

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Ranged Pin

Uncanny Dodge (audio)

Well-Informed

Powers: 12 + 6 + 14 + 20 = 52 PP

Javelin Quiver, 15 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose) [12 PP]

Strike 8 (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Improved Critical 2, Mighty 2, Thrown) [15 PP]

Protection 6 [6 PP]

Strike Anywhere, 10 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 4) [14 PP]

Base: Applies Alternate Save [Fortitude] to Strike [10 PP]

Alternate Power: Applies Autofire 1 [10] to Strike [10 PP]

Alternate Power: Links Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) to Strike [10 PP]

Alternate Power: Applies Range [Perception] to Strike [10 PP]

Alternate Power: Links Stun 10 (Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) to Strike [10 PP]

Teleport 6 (20 miles, Extras: Accurate, Power Feats: Easy, Turnabout) [20 PP]

Abilities (26) + Combat (28) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (14) + Feats (16) + Powers (52) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

This will be the first of two "Teleporting Weapons Masters" builds drawing from the Marvel stable. Here, I'm focusing on Range over Melee. Blink was one of those weird cases of "instant hit" - if among a cult audience - when it came to Marvel heroes. She was meant to show up, demonstrate her powers, and die to save the other heroes. But the fact that she was a teleporter who used her powers offensively - since she couldn't teleport anything without risking it getting shredded, she used it as a weapon instead - caught the imagination, and the writers ended up using her in the somewhat more grimdark Age of Apocalypse timeline, where she could really cut loose. After that, she ended up as one of the team members on the Exiles, and eventually became team leader. In time, she actually came back from the dead in the main universe (because, to quote Warren Ellis, "X-Men come back from the dead more often than Jesus"). Not bad for someone who was supposed to die in a heroic sacrifice less than a month after their first appearance.

This build is centered around the ways Exiles-Blink uses her powers; she's mastered her portal abilities to the point where she can wrap them around her javelins and deliver an attack that's capable of sending whoever it hits far, far away. Now, a Teleport Attack is one of those things Refs will never allow on this board, as unless you're fighting someone with really high ranks of Flight or Super-Speed, it's effectively one Will or Reflex save away from a one-hit KO. But Blink can use her powers for a whole lot of other advantages, so those are the ones we'll be using today. There's being able to teleport the javelin right into somebody, altering the molecular structure so that it disrupts the form of whoever it strikes (either for a knockout blow or for actual harm), delivering a storm of javelins all in one burst, or just teleporting certain parts of the target away (armor for organic targets, but probably more substantial parts for robots or zombies). Even without the weirder uses of her portal ability, she's still got the javelins themselves and can jump around on her own. I wanted to make her a bit more long-range than, say, Nightcrawler but still based on localized tactics - that, and I couldn't afford to make her a globe-trotter.

Where did the teleporter come from? Maybe, like Blink, they're a visitor from the dystopia next door whose teleporting powers got taxed to the limit and ended up pushing her beyond the dimensional barrier. While she - sort of - misses her home, she's a a bit happier in a world where food and infrastructure are guarantees rather than scant luxuries. Perhaps they're a former athlete whose powers activated on the field, and while she's disqualified for formal competitions, she's decided to combine her talents into a career for justice. Or maybe the power lay in the spears originally - like, say, the spear Gungnir - and traveled into her body, giving her the ability to see anything by going there in person.

[trollthumper]

Short Range Telekinetic

Don't make me come over there.

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 24 PP

Strength 12 (+1)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 14 (+2)

Intelligence 16 (+3)

Wisdom 14 (+2)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 10 + 12 = 22 PP

Attack: +5

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +2

Grapple: +20/+7

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 6 = 16 PP

Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field)

Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5)

Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)

Will: +8 (+2 WIS, +6)

Skills: 60r = 15 PP

Bluff 8 (+10)

Concentration 8 (+10)

Diplomacy 6 (+8)

Gather Information 8 (+10)

Knowledge (current events) 4 (+7)

Knowledge (pop culture) 4 (+7)

Knowledge (streetwise) 6 (+9)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Feats: 14 PP

Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2

Contacts

Dodge Focus 4

Distract (Bluff)

Evasion

Improved Pin

Redirect

Skill Mastery (Bluff, Gather Information, Knowledge [streetwise], Notice)

Taunt

Uncanny Dodge (mental)

Powers: 18 + 34 + 2 + 5 = 59 PP

Force Field 8 (Extras: Impervious 10) [18 PP]

Sphere of Influence, 31 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 3) [34 PP]

Base: Damage 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack, Power Feats: Reverse Progression 1 [25 foot radius]) [31 PP]

Alternate Power: Applies Reflective (all physical) and Affects Others to Force Field [30 PP]

Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack; Flaws: Range [Touch], Power Feats: Reverse Progression 1 [25 ft. radius]) [31 PP]

Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Area Shapeable, Constricting; Flaws: Range [Touch], Power Feats: Reversible) [31 PP]

Super-Movement 1 (Air Walking 1) [2 PP]

Super-Senses 5 (Accurate Radius Ranged 2 [100 ft.] Mental Sense) [5 PP]

Abilities (24) + Combat (22) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (15) + Feats (14) + Powers (59) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP

---

So, it's time to dig into Trollthumper's superhero history. Back when I was in high school and just entering the creative phase of my life, I remember reading a statistic (which is still pretty true, sadly) that 40% of homeless youth identify as queer. This took root in my brain, and I decided that if I got a chance to write a comic book, I'd write a teen-based series that took a look at "serious, real life" issues for teens. Stories like Tranquility Bay by way of HYDRA, the urban legends of homeless youth coming true, likely appearances by villains along the lines of Mister Motley and Peacekeeper... basically, stuff like that Outsiders plotline about child slavery, only more realistic and with no appearances by John Walsh right the hell out of nowhere. Temperance was one of the characters who emerged out of that little burst of teen creativity -- and here's another one, one I was considering using for my Bronze slot before she popped back up. Dominion was the son of two prominent psychics who took to the streets out of a sense of social justice; his power set was a telekinetic "sphere of influence" centered on him that could "flex" to be completely impenetrable but couldn't travel far beyond him.

And now here he is, for anyone to use. The character's built like an angry street punk, very good at confusing people and pissing them off but really needing to work on his manners (though he can talk politely to those who need help). Once again, we've got a character with no Attack Focus, as most of his powers are Area-based. I did this to reflect a cocky teenager who's all power, little finesse; as time goes on, he may develop the fine control that allows him to make more targeted attacks, but for now he's just a walking maelstrom. Anyone standing in his sphere is at risk of being beaten up, tossed around, and tied up; anyone standing outside is going to have to make some effort to crack in, given his Impervious Force Field. He's also capable of flexing the sphere to protect anyone caught in the crossfire and turn the attack towards the unfortunate bastard opening up. On top of that, he can shape his field to create "ladders" that don't allow for flight, but which can allow him to navigate the urban jungle. And there's enough of a "fringe" to the field to allow him to perceive anyone who gets close to him, even if he can't necessarily lash out at them.

Why's the boy a time bomb? Perhaps, like in the original idea, he's the son of two prominent psychic heroes who decided to reject the limelight of superteams and turn his attention to the street - only to realize the street, and its peoples, needed a hero, too. Maybe it was a less than amicable parting for our hero, and he was tossed out on the street for some reason. Or maybe he was on the street in the first place, a street punk and malcontent who unlocked deep-seated psychic powers after coming face-to-face with a government project - or who was unknowingly the second generation of said project. He's decided to turn his life around now that he's got the abilities, but he's not going to forget those the world already neglects.

(And for those wondering where the image comes from, it's from Thirteen, a story Mike Carey did for 2000AD that is similarly about a street punk with hideous telekinesis.)

[trollthumper]

SAS Werewolf

Right, lads! Mujahideen often take to the caves in this region, think they know 'em better than anyone ever will. But scent trails are quite the bugger, aren't they?

Power Level: 10 (150 PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Abilities: 8 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 34 PP

Strength 18 (+4)

Dexterity 14 (+2)

Constitution 18 (+4)

Intelligence 14 (+2)

Wisdom 16 (+3)

Charisma 14 (+2)

Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP

Attack: +6 (+10 Melee)

Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Initiative: +2

Grapple: +19/+14

Knockback: -10/-5/-1

Saving Throws: 4 + 5 + 4 = 13 PP

Toughness: +10/+4 (+4 CON, +6 Protection)

Fortitude: +8 (+4 CON, +4)

Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5)

Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4)

Skills: 72r = 18 PP

Diplomacy 4 (+6)

Gather Information 6 (+8)

Intimidate 8 (+10)

Knowledge (arcane lore) 4 (+6)

Knowledge (current events) 4 (+6)

Knowledge (life sciences) 6 (+8)

Knowledge (tactics) 6 (+8)

Language (English [base], Russian, Chechen, Farsi, Arabic)

Medicine 8 (+11)

Notice 8 (+11)

Sense Motive 6 (+9)

Survival 8 (+11)

Feats: 16 PP

All-Out Attack

Attack Focus (Melee) 4

Challenge (Fast Startle)

Dodge Focus 4

Master Plan 2

Move-By Action

Power Attack

Startle

Uncanny Dodge (auditory)

Powers: 36 + 12 = 48 PP

Lycanthropy, 39 PP Container (Drawbacks: Involuntary Transformation [-3, full moon, DC15 Will to overcome]) [36 PP]

Protection 6 [6 PP]

Rage Unleashed, 10 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 4) [14 PP]

Base: Links Drain Toughness 10 to Strike (Extras: Affects Objects, Flaws: Affects Objects Only) [10 PP]

Alternate Power: Enhanced Feats 10 (Fearsome Presence 10) [10 PP]

Alternate Power: Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP]

Alternate Power: Super-Strength 5 (Effective Lifting Strength 43) [10 PP]

Alternate Power: Leaping 3 (140 ft. Long Jump, 70 ft. Standing Jump, 35 ft. High Jump) [3 PP] + Speed 3 (50 MPH, 500 ft./round) [3 PP] + Super-Movement 2 (Sure-Footed 2) [4 PP]

Strike 6 (Extras: Penetrating 3, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [12 PP]

Super-Senses 7 (Accurate Acute Analytical Extended [10x] Tracking 2 Olfactory) [7 PP]

Regeneration 12 (Recovery Bonus 2 [+6], Bruised 3 [No Action], Injured/Staggered 6 [No Action], Power Feats: Regrowth) [12 PP]

Drawbacks: -3 PP

Vulnerability (silver, moderate [x1.5 DC]) [-3 PP]

Abilities (34) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (18) + Feats (16) + Powers (48) - Disadvantages (3) = 150 PP

---

And now the military builds go international. The Special Air Service are, in the traditional parlance of their country and profession, hard bastards. The special operations group of the British Army, they have a reputation for doing some balls out things ("balls out brave" or "balls out stupid" is entirely at your discretion). But sometimes, the intel they have on a situation isn't the best prepared. Maybe the operation was a training exercise in the Highlands; maybe it was a joint-force operation in an isolated part of the Balkans. Either way, the squad encountered something they weren't prepared for, and many didn't walk away from it. And the ones who did walk away ended up... changed.

This is what happens when a SAS man contracts the "curse" of lycanthropy - which, given his line of duty, may make it more of an asset. Without the package, the guy's pretty much PL7 with a +3 ATT/-3 DMG and +3 DEF/-3 TOU trade-off. Given typical SAS declination, this guy is the patrol medic of a mountain troop - he's the guy you count on to get you back on your feet when you're getting riddled with bullets in the middle of the Khyber Pass. With the lycanthropy, he's a wrecking machine unlike any other. It's not even that much of a curse - sure, he has to deal with "urges" every full moon, but he can wrestle them down and, if not, it's not like he's going to kill anyone he doesn't have to. As a werewolf, his skin toughens, his claws grow long, and his nose becomes a better surveillance instrument than any remote drone. He's also got the ability to knit himself together even when he's not all furry, a little bonus of the whole condition.

Now, there's a small array in there of little other "talents" he can pop as he wishes. That's because I'm considering making this a running thing. As I've already made a number of builds for vampires and mages, I may just complete the trifecta and go for werewolves. Now, you may think that since I built vampires along the lines of the clans and mages along the lines of the Traditions, I might build werewolves along the lines of their tribes. To which I say - ha ha ha ha no. I may like Werewolf, despite its flaws, but those "worst tendencies of Nineties multiculturalism" qualities I noted in the vampire builds went into overdrive for Apocalypse. Would you like to play a man-hating feminist werewolf? How about one of the Irish bardic werewolves with a penchant for song, fight, and low self-control? Maybe the angry Nordic warriors with uncomfortable ties to the Nazis, or the extremely shifty Russian aristocrats? If you want to play a Native American werewolf, we've got two flavors for you - mystical explorer, or the braves who are still angry at the white man. The tribes got a lot less stereotypical with later editions, but they did not start well. I could build the tribes for the reboot game, which have most definitely had the annoying ethnic notes stripped out of them, but I thought I'd go for the other axis instead - auspice.

See, a werewolf's talents are determined by moon phase (which one they were born under in the first game, which one they changed under in the second). This roughly determines their role in society, as well as what spiritual Gifts they have an easier time of learning. This guy is patterned after an Ahroun/Rahu, who was marked by the full moon as a warrior. Which makes sense, given his time amongst some of the hardest bastards in the British Army. As such, the Array represents the kinds of Gifts a werewolf of that variety might employ. They can rip through steel like it's paper, keep up with any target, cloak themselves in horrifying menace, bolster their muscles with supernatural might, or repel attacks that might fell lesser men (or wolves).

Given the fact that this whole thing started as an homage to Dog Soldiers, "lone survivor of a botched operation against werewolves" could be a good origin. Either he gets dragged into a secret division that deals with things that go bump in the night, or retires from the service and decides to conduct his hunt as a lone wolf (boooo). Or perhaps he entered the service after undergoing his first change, drawing on a familial history of lycanthropy to try and make a better world. Then again, maybe it's not a straight-up inheritance; the earliest myths had werewolves as magicians who learned a rite (usually of Satanic origin, because everything magic was Satan back then) to transform into hairy beasts. If you buy up the Arcane Lore and add Ritualist, it might be fair that this guy is an occultist who decided to forego the complexities of thaumaturgy in favor of turning into a big furry killing machine.