trollthumper Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Gorilla Druid Once, I was part of the highlands. Then... the highlands became a part of me. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Attributes: 4 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 24 PP Strength: 22/14 (+6/+2) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 18/14 (+4/+2) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 10 + 12 = 22 PP Attack: +5 (+11 Greenspeaker) [+4/+10 Growth] Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed [+9 Growth] Initiative: +2 Grapple: +12 Knockback: -10/-5/-2/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP Toughness: +11/+4/+2 (+2 CON, +2 Growth, +7 Protection) Fortitude: +9/+7 (+2 CON, +2 Growth, +5) Reflex: +6 (+1 DEX, +5) Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5) Skills: 68r = 17 PP Climb 4 (+6) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 6 (+8) Intimidate 8 (+10) Knowledge (arcane lore) 6 (+8) Knowledge (life sciences) 8 (+10) Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 8 (+10) Notice 6 (+9) Sense Motive 6 (+9) Survival 8 (+11) Feats: 13 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Startle) Contacts Dodge Focus 4 Environmental Adaptation (heavy forest) Move-By Action Power Attack Ritualist Startle Uncanny Dodge (olfactory) Powers: 3 + 28 + 13 + 7 + 2 + 5 + 1 = 59 PP Additional Limbs 2 (Power Feats: Innate) [3 PP] Greenspeaker, 20 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 3, Alternate Power 5) [28 PP] Base: Comprehend 4 (Animals 2, Plants 2) [8 PP] + ESP (audio, visual) 6 (20 miles, Flaws: Medium [plants]) [12 PP] “word of natureâ€Alternate Power: Strike 4 (Extras: Penetrating 3, Power Feats: Mighty, Improved Critical 2) [10 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] “aspect of the beast-kingâ€Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Constricting, Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [20 PP] “prince of vinesâ€Alternate Power: Animal Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [20 PP] “swarm whisper†Alternate Power: Healing 10 [20 PP] “life renewed†Alternate Power: Teleport 9 (anywhere on Earth; Extras: Accurate, Flaws: Medium [plants], Power Feats: Easy, Turnabout) [20 PP] “walker of the woods†Growth 4 (Extra: Duration (Permanent) [+0]; Power Feat: Innate) [13 PP] Protection 7 [7 PP] Super-Movement (Swinging) 1 [2 PP] Super-Senses (Accurate Acute Tracking Scent, Low-Light Vision) 5 [5 PP] Speed 1 (10 MPH, 100 ft/round) [1 PP] Abilities (24) + Combat (22) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (17) + Feats (13) + Powers (59) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP In chat, I was throwing out ideas, and AA challenged me to make a gorilla mage. I could've had it so that the gorilla just found a copy of the Lesser Key of Solomon left by an unfortunate 19th century expedition of colonial infernalists, but I had to go for something thematic. And then I thought, "What if, instead of a man, the Green/the Red/whatever anthropomorphic incarnation of nature you choose selected a gorilla to be its champion?" And thus came the Gorilla Druid, with a side order of Swamp Thing. The gorilla portion owes itself heavily to AA's innumerable ape builds. Man has a motif, and it's a strong motif because he knows how to pull it off. On top of this, I folded in a good deal of knowledge of both nature and the mystical as well as command over nature, like a slightly toned-down version of my Verbena build. Unlike that build, however, I folded in a few powers, such as Comprehend + ESP and Teleport, to emphasize that this gorilla is not someone who commands life - he is life. If you're looking for extra powers, there's always Transform (animal to other animal) if you want to get your B'wana Beast on, or Nauseate/Paralyze if you want to do some nasty things with plant spores. Odds are this gorilla was "uplifted" to true sapience by their natural patron (be it the incarnation of plant life, the incarnation of life in general, or some more specific god), and they were given the task of navigating the worlds of man and beast alike. Or maybe they weren't uplifted at all, the old Archdruid died, and nature decided to choose one of the inhabitants of Gorilla Island for variety's sake ("I haven't gone back down the taxonomy chart since that T. rex back during the Cretaceous!"). Perhaps they're actually a druid who took advantage of the ability to call on the power of nature by assuming a more powerful shape while he worked his magic - only to find he got stuck in gorilla form somehow. And once he does, he can buy Morph (any animal), perhaps with some ranks of Shapeshifting on the side. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Biotic Commando It's all about mind over matter. Or is it matter over mind? Eh. Semantics. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 24 PP Strength 14 (+2) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 14 (+2) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Biotics, +12 Blaster) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +10 Grapple: +8 Knockback: -10/-5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 6 + 5 = 16 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +8 (+2 DEX, +6) Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5) Skills: 64r = 16 PP Concentration 8 (+11) Diplomacy 10 (+11) Gather Information 8 (+9) Intimidate 8 (+9) Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 (+10) Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 6 (+8) Feats: 14 PP All-Out Attack Benefit (use Knowledge [tactics] for Initiative) Dodge Focus 4 Evasion Master Plan 2 Power Attack Precise Shot Startle Uncanny Dodge (visual) Well-Informed Powers: 36 + 12 + 8 = 56 PP Biotics, 30 PP Array (Extras: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [36 PP] Base: Move Object 10 (Extras: Damaging) [30 PP] “throwâ€Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Range [Perception], Flaws: Limited to Up and Down) [30 PP] “liftâ€Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Area Explosion) [30 PP] "shockwave"Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Transparent) [30 PP] “stasis†Alternate Power: Impervious Toughness 8 [8 PP] + Speed 3 (50 MPH, 500 ft./round) [3 PP] + Strike 8 (Extras: Penetrating 2, Power Feats: Fast Overrun, Improved Overrun, Improved Critical, Mighty, Knockback 5) [19 PP] "charge" Blaster, 20 PP Device (Easy-to-Lose) [12 PP] Blast 8 (Power Feats: Accurate 3, Improved Critical) [20 PP] Force Field 8 [8 PP] Abilities (24) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (16) + Feats (14) + Powers (56) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Yes, I know, I've been on something of a Mass Effect kick lately. Any more builds that take inspiration from it, and we may need to mark it down on my list of go-to inspirations next to "schools of magic" and "the military." In the meantime, let's talk about biotics. It seems most space opera settings have their own little equivalent of psychic powers - Star Wars has the Force, Babylon 5 has telepathy as a latent quality in mankind, Warhammer 40K has the Warp and the merry hash it makes of the heads of psykers, and so forth. Mass Effect, however, does a good job justifying them in respect to the setting. The titular "mass effect" comes from a substance known as "element zero" that can increase or decrease an object's mass when you run a current through it, hence justifying FTL travel because an object can be made to have less than zero mass, which means it can tell relativity to get bent. Exposure to element zero affects living beings, however, allowing some to replicate its qualities all on their own. Biotics is, for the most part, gravity-based telekinesis; some biotically-talented species, like the asari, do have telepathy, but it's a biological function unique to the species rather than something directly linked to the powers. This character is built along the lines of an Adept or Vanguard class from the game, capable of tossing about and ripping apart bad guys with little but a stray thought. I originally built the guy as a straight biotic, without any arms, but I eventually decided to give him at least a blaster. The layout copies many of the major powers afforded to biotics in-game - an attack that hurls the bad guys with great velocity, a explosive ball of force, an attack that makes gravity ignore them entirely, an attack that freezes them in place, and an attack that propels the user forward at great speed to trample anyone in their path. If you want to build something from later in the game, you may want to aim for ammo that's made superdense in flight and expands on impact (applying Alternate Save [Fortitude] and Autofire to a blaster, if you have one). What's your in-game justification? Maybe they're just a gravity-controlling mutant who decided to go into the service to get proper training for his powers before entering the vigilante game. Maybe they're a scientist with a military past who got exposed to the Higgs-boson particle and found themselves changed on a fundamental level. Or maybe they're a Lor mentat with gravitokinetic powers who's come to Earth to follow a lead on a mystery from the stars. I'd suggest he comes after investigating the Communion, but that would barge right through the fine line between "homage" and "rip-off." Link to comment
trollthumper Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 The Dagda What good's a king without wisdom? And what good's a man if he can't toss said wisdom aside every now and then? Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 8 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 34 PP Strength 30/18 (+4) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 18 (+4) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Uaithne) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +9 Knockback: -10/-5/-2 Saving Throws: 4 + 5 + 6 = 15 PP Toughness: +10 (+4 CON, +6 Protection) Fortitude: +8 (+4 CON. +4) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +9 (+3 WIS, +6) Skills: 56r = 14 PP Bluff 8 (+10) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 6 (+8) Knowledge (arcane lore) 4 (+6) Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 8 (+10) Notice 6 (+9) Perform (strings) 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Feats: 11 PP All-Out Attack Attack Specialization (Unarmed) 2 Challenge (Fast Feint) Dodge Focus 4 Fascinate (Perform) Power Attack Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 12 + 1 + 10 + 6 + 23 = 52 PP Enhanced Strength 12 [12 PP] Immunity (aging) 1 [1 PP] Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] Protection 6 [6 PP] Uaithne, 35 PP Device (Easy to Lose, Power Feats: Accurate 2) [23 PP] Snare 10 (Extras: Regenerating, Power Feats: Alternate Power 5) [30 PP] “spring growth†Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Range [Perception]) [30 PP] “summer storm†Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Extras: Area Cylinder) [30 PP] “autumn winds†Alternate Power: Trip 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Duration [sustained]) [30 PP] “winter frosts†Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [30 PP] “the beat of the world†Alternate Power: Healing 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged]) [30 PP] “mend the torn heart†Abilities (34) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (14) + Feats (11) + Powers (52) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Happy (belated) St. Patrick's Day! In some sort of reverse honor of the holiday, I decided to build an idea that's been lurking in the back of my head since I came to the board - The Dagda as a Thor-type hero. The Dagda is often considered a figure equivalent to Odin or Zeus - the "Allfather" renowned for his wisdom, might, and fair rule. And with divinity comes all number of gewgaws, such as a staff that can heal as well as it can kill, a harp that can chart the course of seasons and arraign the order of battle, a cauldron that never empties, and pork that's always crackling. Some of these are more useful in a superhero game than others. It's interesting to note that in the myths, The Dagda died of a wound inflicted by the wife of Balor - and, seeing as the Fomorians are a steady presence in Freedom City, that would give a good reason for why he's only just showing up now. I originally planned to build The Dagda with both his staff and Uaithne, but then realized the points wouldn't exactly work out. It was either scrap the staff or the Enhanced Strength, and I went with the staff. Why? Because The Dagda's a god known for his prowess in battle, and I wanted to show how that prowess was rooted in his being. The Healing function for the staff went into Uaithne, which, as you can tell by the power set, has the ability to hit people in the face with any of the seasons. It's also got the power to soothe both the mind and the body, as well as create utter discord in those who hear its song. If you want to bring in other items from myth, The Dagda's cauldron might also work - it's often ascribed powers of resurrection - but it's not something you can easily carry around, so it might do better as a plot hook (what happened to it while The Dagda was sleeping?). Now, an important note on using The Dagda - on the Marvel scale of warrior deities, it's highly recommended you play him closer to Thor rather than Hercules. Make him a statesman and wise ruler first, fighter and party animal second. Why? Because between the drinking, the singing, and the fighting, The Dagda already runs the risk of being the god of tired Irish stereotypes. The man's an Allfather, for God's sake. While he knows how to have a good time, he also knows when to have a good time. Maybe have him focus his attention on trying to reunite the Tuatha de Danaan, which may have become splintered in his absence, and get them to focus on dealing with the Fomorians once and for all. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 Combat Medic "Primum non nocere"? You know, I keep trying, but it's just so hard... 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: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Unguents) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +7 Knockback: -9/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Armor) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5) Skills: 68r = 17 PP Craft (chemical) 8 (+11) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+10) Knowledge (life sciences) 12 (+15) Medicine 8 (+10) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 13 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Inventor Power Attack Skill Mastery (Intimidate, Knowledge [life sciences], Medicine, Notice) Startle Uncanny Dodge (visual) Well-Informed Powers: 20 + 37 = 57 PP Armor, 25 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose) [20 PP] Immunity (life support) 9 [9 PP] Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious) [16 PP] Unguents, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 5) [37 PP] Base: Healing 10 (Extras: Total) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Paralyze 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged]) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Stun 10 (Extras: Area Cloud) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude]) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Area Cloud) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Nullify Drain Effects 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged]) [30 PP] Abilities (24) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (17) + Feats (13) + Powers (57) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Ah, the noble Combat Medic (WARNING: TVTropes). The man who will brave danger to pull his allies out of the line of fire, patch up their wounds, and give them the encouragement to go out and kick more ass. And if there's no one else to go out and kick ass, well, they can throw down as well. Given that they're dealing with field medicine on people who are quite often invulnerable, possessing healing factors, or of just inhuman physiology, that means they're going to have to come up with some unique cures - or, if need be, some unique banes. Despite using the photo of Doctor Mid-Nite, this isn't a Cowl with a First Aid Kit. Rather, this is an inventor who's come up with some interesting ways to aerosolize, liquidize, and just plain weaponize his treatments. In addition to panaceas that do the trick fast, there's throwing darts coated with sedative, gas bombs loaded with anesthesia, and some nonlethal nerve gas, just in case things get rough. As the character is mostly an Inventor and not a magician or psychic, they've made their own armor, and likely keep it filled with a rebreather and a glucose drip just in case things get rough. They've also got Craft (chemical) and Inventor, in case they need to find the rare and terrible cure for an even more rare and terrible disorder on the fly. I built this guy as a straight-up superscientist whose talents take him more towards the healing arts, but with a few brief diversions into chemical weapons. But it'd be pretty easy to turn this guy into a combat alchemist, throwing out bottles of sleeping potions and healing salves. In that case, the sky's the limit - you can create a Corrosion attack based on the universal solvent, a number of Transform effects for turning earth to mud, and so on. If you want to free up some points, you could make the Unguents into an Easy-to-Lose Device, like a field bag - I made it so that my guy always has a vial of something up his sleeve, but your guy might need a little more space for his precious cargo. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Hexcrafter May the earth turn against you and the heavens rain down on you with fury. May your bones turn to clay and your will to wind. May all those who love you spurn you, and may all those who hate you find you. And then, when your pride and worth are naught but shadow and dust, perhaps you will know the cost of suffering. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 0 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 = 24 PP Strength 10 (+0) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 16 (+3) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Curses) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +7 Knockback: -10/-5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 6 = 16 PP Toughness: +10 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +9 (+3 WIS, +6) Skills: 56r = 14 PP Concentration 8 (+11) Diplomacy 6 (+9) Gather Information 8 (+11) Intimidate 10 (+13) Knowledge (arcane lore) 10 (+12) Notice 6 (+9) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Feats: 16 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Power Attack Luck 2 Ritualist Second Chance (curses) Skill Mastery (Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge [arcane lore], Sense Motive) Startle Uncanny Dodge (visual) Well-Informed Powers: 39 + 8 + 6 + 3 = 56 PP Curses, 32 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 5) [39 PP] Base: Blast 10 (Extras: Targeted Area Cylinder, Power Feats: Indirect 2) [32 PP] “the sky is fallingâ€Alternate Power: Applies Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] and Reflective (all physical) [20 PP] to Force Field "rebellious arms"Alternate Power: Drain Any One Ability 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Independent, Range [Ranged], Power Feats: Slow Fade 2 [one minute]) [32 PP] “feet of clayâ€Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Independent, Area Cone, Power Feats: Mind Blank, Subtle) [32 PP] “Lyssa’s whispersâ€Alternate Power: Nullify Technology 10 (Extras: Duration [Concentration], Flaws: Action [Full-Round], Power Feats: Subtle) [31 PP] "disloyal tool"Alternate Power: Transform (man into any beast) 10 (Extras: Independent; Flaws: Action [Full-Round], Power Feats: Slow Fade 2 [one minute]) [32 PP] “Circe’s justice†Force Field 8 [8 PP] Luck Control 2 (force reroll, cancel GM fiat) [6 PP] Super-Senses (Detect Magic) 3 [3 PP] Abilities (24) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (14) + Feats (16) + Powers (56) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Curses are an area of magic not meant for the faint of will. In modern occultism/neopaganism, you've got standing ideas like the threefold law, which says any boon or bane levied comes back to you three times over, meaning you're setting yourself for a real bite in the ass if you curse anyone. In the old myths, they're the province of the gods alone, and in fairy tales, they're something for fairies and the occasional witch - though it's not like said witch, squirreled away in the woods, bent over from age, queen of their own hidden world, is much different from a fairy in half the tales. Even tales of Gypsy curses and Indian burial grounds put the curses in the hands of an "other," those who are considered distant and removed from the world. In short, curses aren't meant for the hands of the average joe... but they still have power. The want to take justice into one's own hands is a strong one, to see crimes redressed upon the spot. To call out a punishment upon someone and have fate back it up instantly. When used in the right hands (e.g., not just hitting everyone who cut you off in traffic with instant death), there's potential in the idea of someone hurling about curses for justice. Hence, this build. I could have done some more stuff involving luck, but this isn't one of those magic users that knows how to craft spells because they're really good with fate and probability (that's another build, for when we get back into the Traditions). No, this is just someone who's really good at building curses. There's some Luck Control, to represent quick, simple hexes, but the Array covers most of the theatrical stuff. Some of it is kind of Luck-based, like the Impervious/Reflective combo based on turning weapons back on their users, but there are also a lot of the old standards - curses for destruction (Blast, which can call any number of falling objects out of the sky), curses of ruin (Drain), curses of madness (Emotion Control), and curses of degraded form (Transform). All this, while designed to have some sort of lasting effect (hence the Independent), is built for the rapid pace of combat - if you want to do the kind of thing that turns a selfish lord into a beast until he finds love, you'll need to use Ritualist for that custom touch. Another possibility is a Blast/Drain/Transform with Triggered 2, which would allow you to effectively levy a geas on someone (e.g., "The next time you turn away someone seeking aid, your ass is toast"). But as Triggered 2 is pretty damn close to "bathroom psychic," I decided to just leave it out and suggest it as a possibility. So why is this person so good at curses, and why are they using them so? Perhaps they learned about the ways of magic from a fairy godmother who was more Maleficent than Tinkerbell, and decided to use the dark arts for a righteous path. Maybe they're the distant descendant of someone like Athena, Artemis, or Circe - only instead of picking up a divine mantle, they picked up their ancestor's ability to inflict wrack and ruin upon those who displeased them. Or maybe the reason they know so much about curses is because they're under a curse themselves - the child of a family under a long-standing hex (something like, "All the males die by the age of 25" or "Every woman dies in childbirth"), who's trying to find a way to beat the curse by learning about how that system of magic works. And as long as they have all this knowledge, they might as well use it for a (somewhat) just end... Link to comment
trollthumper Posted April 2, 2012 Author Share Posted April 2, 2012 Fate-Crafting Sharpshooter To everything, a purpose. To all things, an end. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: +2 ATT/-2 DMG Abilities: 0 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 2 = 22 PP Strength 10 (+0) Dexterity 16 (+3) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 12 (+1) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+12 Rifle, +12 Sphere of Entropy) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +3 Grapple: +7 Knockback: -10/-5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 4 = 14 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +14/+8 (+6 Enhanced Reflex, +3 DEX, +5) Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4) Skills: 68r = 17 PP Bluff 8 (+9) Concentration 8 (+10) Diplomacy 6 (+7) Gather Information 8 (+9) Intimidate 6 (+7) Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+10) Notice 8 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Stealth 8 (+11) Feats: 14 PP All-Out Attack Beginner’s Luck Challenge (Fast Feint) Dodge Focus 4 Evasion Luck 3 Power Attack Ritualist Uncanny Dodge (audio) Powers: 8 + 12 + 12 + 23 + 2 = 57 PP Force Field 8 [8 PP] Luck Control 4 (cancel GM Fiat, force reroll, lend HP, spend HP for others) [12 PP] Rifle, 20 PP Device (Easy to Lose) [12 PP] Blast 8 (Power Feats: Accurate 3, Improved Range [200 ft. increments, max. range 1600 ft.]) [20 PP] Sphere of Entropy, 16 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 3, Alternate Power 4) [23 PP] Base: Drain Toughness 8 (Extras: Range [Ranged]) [16 PP] “weak spotâ€Alternate Power: Applies Penetrating 4, Improved Critical 2, Ricochet 2, and Autofire 1 [8] to Rifle [16 PP] “lucky shotâ€Alternate Power: Corrosion 8 (Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [16 PP] “sudden collapseâ€Alternate Power: Confuse 8 (Extras: Targeted Area Cone) [16 PP] “sudden discord†Alternate Power: Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Enhanced Reflex 6 [6 PP] “near miss†Super-Senses (Detect Entropy, Postcognition [Flaws]) 6 [4 PP] Abilities (22) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (17) + Feats (14) + Powers (59) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP And we're right back into the Traditions builds, this time focusing on the Euthanatoi. Like the Cult of Ecstasy, the Euthanatoi are another syncretistic Tradition based around various faiths and practices, but one general idea - that of fate, destiny, and the purpose of all things. In the views of the Euthanatoi, there is a great construct of Fate - "the Wheel" - and every human is a spoke in the wheel, with an anchor of the self around which the winds of destiny dance. However, the Wheel can be "unbalanced" by suffering and things insisting on sticking around long after their destiny has run out. In the effort to maintain the peace of the world, the Euthanatoi have spawned a number of assassins dedicated to taking out those who'd cause it to suffer through atrocity (think the film adaptation of Wanted, which had a hell of a lot more to do with the Euthanatoi than it did with the comic it was supposedly based on). And yes, I'm aware that I just got done making a magic user who deals in cementing fate in the name of justice. But this is a study in how the same concept can go two ways. The Hexcrafter is about curses, plain and simple - magic that is used entirely to wreck somebody's day, or year, or lifetime. The Fate-Crafting Sharpshooter, on the other hand, is less about raw curses and more about the potential of fate and entropy. Luck Control is one easy way to demonstrate this, as the character is capable of lending support to allies or tripping up foes. But the Sphere of Entropy also reflects it - it allows for a random shot to be perfect, for a person's weak spot to be exposed at the worst possible moment, for an object to fall to pieces after one blow, for a person's mind to fall apart into random cognitive processes, and for the Sharpshooter to walk through a hail of bullets and not get hit once. The Postcognition was built to represent one of the more Mage-style renditions of fate - a newbie mage can sense the connections between objects and see how they're related. As the power's built, a person won't be able to touch a gun and see the crime it was involved in, but they might see an invisible thread leading them to the person who last used it. Freedom City PbP objects to the idea of assassins, no matter how well-motivated, as PCs (for obvious reasons), so if you're eyeing this as a PC, you may want to say the gun's a blaster rifle or a magical relic built to strike people with the fear of death, non-lethally taking them out and allowing them to meditate on their own mortality in hopes of a karmic readjustment. For back stories, the character may be a djinn who's come to Earth from her native realm to untangle the knots of fortune and punish the children of Iblis; a former sniper whose narrowly averted death on the battlefield resulted in them losing their fate, requiring the Moirae/the Norns/Insert Agent of Destiny Here to craft them a new one as their personal agent; or a Terminus baby who's decided to use the entropy in their heart as the basis for a magical style that allows them to play the strings of fate. In fact, that brings up an important point - in Freedom City, entropy isn't just a potential facet of magic, it's a solid facet of the thing that wants to eat all existence. So if your character's playing around with it and is going to be a hero, odds are they may have gotten their powers as a means to stop it. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Multiversal LonerI've seen pretty much everything at this point. Nothing's lost, and nobody's alone. Well... almost nothing and nobody.Power Level: 10 (150 PP)Trade-Offs: NoneAbilities: 2 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 24 PP Strength 12 (+1) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 14 (+2)Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Bondcutter, +10 Lightning Gun) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +7 Knockback: -5/-1Saving Throws: 5 + 6 + 5 = 16 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +8 (+2 DEX, +6) Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5)Skills: 60r = 15 PP Bluff 10 (+12) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 10 (+12) Knowledge (cosmology) 8 (+10) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Survival 8 (+10)Feats: 14 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Evasion 2 Power Attack Skill Mastery (Bluff, Gather Information, Knowledge [cosmology], Notice) Taunt Uncanny Dodge (mental) Well-InformedPowers: 12 + 12 + 1 + 15 + 8 + 5 + 4 = 57 PPBondcutter, 20 PP Device (Easy-to-Lose) [12 PP]Strike 9 (Extras: Penetrating 2, Power Feats: Accurate 2, Mighty, Improved Critical) [15 PP]Immunity (entrapment) 5 [5 PP]Encounter Suit, 15 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose) [12 PP]Features (Quick Change) 1 [1 PP]Immunity (suffocation, heat, cold, disease, radiation) 6 [6 PP]Protection 8 [8 PP]Features (Multiversal Anomaly) 1 [1 PP]Lightning Gun, 25 PP Device (Easy-to-Lose) [15 PP]Blast 10 (Power Feats: Alternate Power 1, Accurate 2, Improved Critical 2) [25 PP]Alternate Power: Stun 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged], Flaws: Action [Full-Round], Power Feats: Accurate 2, Improved Critical 1) [24 PP]Super-Movement (Dimensional Movement 3 [any dimension], Extras: Affects Others, Flaws: Action [Full-Round], Power Feats: Progression 3 [1000 lbs. carrying capacity]) 3 [6 PP]Super-Senses (Accurate Radius Ranged Mental Sense) 4 [4 PP]Abilities (24) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (15) + Feats (14) + Powers (57) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Lately, it's been brought up that there isn't quite a skill set that reflects complete knowledge of the Freedomverse's cosmology. Sure, Knowledge (arcane lore) and Knowledge (theology and philosophy) will cover many of the mystical dimensions of the Cosmic Coil, but they don't exactly cover the many alternative universes - or, for that matter, the Terminus. So, this build came together in my head - partially as a showcase for Knowledge (cosmology), and partially as a multiversal counterpart to the Living Continuity Error. It's understandable that there might be a universe where you don't come into being, because your parents never got together or you died young or something like that. But for you to be the only one of you among the entire multiverse... well, that's something entirely different. Something unique. One might think of that Jet Li film from a while back, but my mind veered towards The Talisman. In that book, Earth is "twinned" to a more magical dimension known as the Territories, and everyone has a counterpart that shares basic qualities, appearance, and fate - except for Jack Sawyer, the book's young hero, who is one of the few people without a twinner. This gives him the ability to cross between the two worlds relatively easily. And if that's just if you don't have a better half in one world, well... Originally I'd planned on building this guy with an Array based around folding space offensively, but then I decided it'd be more interesting if he had relics he picked up from his jaunts across the multiverse instead. A magical sword from one of those fantasy-based dimensions, a lightning gun from Earth-Steampunk, a protective environment suit from one of those dimensions where the bomb dropped during the Cold War... you get the idea. The brunt of his innate powers would be the ability to cross dimensions - to any dimension, with passengers along for the ride, as long as he has the time to prepare. And all that crossing has given him a good idea of what the world around him feels like, so he's got the ability to detect whoever's in his sphere and better guard against attacks that way. The Feature (Multiversal Anomaly) is just to back up his strange situation in the Multiverse, and it's both an asset and a detriment. While it means you can't step into another person's life when you find yourself in a strange universe, it also means you won't end up on the universe where your other self was the local Hitler equivalent. Now, the Freedomverse being what it is, odds are this character didn't build his powers just by being the most special of snowflakes. Odds are the fact that they were alone in the multiverse was just the foundation for power. So, where did the rest of it come from? Maybe the Clockworkers realized that he had a special asset, and gave him the ability to traverse worlds and act as their agent in cases that require direct intervention. Maybe they've been groomed by some cosmic embodiment of the multiverse (much like DC's Kismet) to correct the places where events spiral out of control and life becomes unbearable. Or maybe they did just fall into the slot through an accident of fate, and have decided to make the multiverse a better place. Anything's possible. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Psionic Powerhouse Brains can beat brawn. Brawn can beat brains. Put them together, though... Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: -2 DEF/+2 TOU Abilities: 8 + 2 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 32 PP Strength 30/18 (+10/+4) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 18 (+4) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 8 = 20 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Overpower) Defense: +8 (+4 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Initiative: +5 Grapple: +20/+10 Knockback: -11/-6/-2 Saving Throws: 4 + 4 + 5 = 13 PP Toughness: +12/+4 (+4 CON, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +8 (+4 CON, +4) Reflex: +5 (+1 DEX, +4) Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5) Skills: 52r = 13 PP Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 6 (+8) Intimidate 8 (+10) Knowledge (behavioral science) 6 (+8) Knowledge (current events) 6 (+8) Notice 6 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Feats: 11 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Startle) Dodge Focus 4 Improved Initiative Power Attack Startle Uncanny Dodge (mental) Well-Informed Powers: 38 + 8 + 6 = 51 PP Overpower, 32 PP Array (Extras: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 3) [37 PP] Base: Enhanced Strength 12 [12 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Super-Strength 2 (Lifting Strength 40, Power Feats: Countering Punch, Thunderclap) [6 PP] + Enhanced Feats (Improved Grab, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin, Improved Throw) 4 [4 PP]Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Extras: Range [Perception], Power Feats: Indirect, Subtle) [32 PP]Alternate Power: Telepathy 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Power Feats: Rapid, Selective) [32 PP]Alternate Power: Flight 5 (250 MPH, 2500 ft./round) [10 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Strike 6 (Extras: Penetrating 3, Power Feats: Mighty, Improved Critical 2) [12 PP] Protection 8 [8 PP] Super Senses (Mental Sense Accurate Acute Radius Ranged) 6 [6 PP] Abilities (32) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (13) + Feats (11) + Powers (51) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Now it's time for Fun With Physics. It's been noted many times by many smarter people than I that your standard comic book depiction of super-strength doesn't work. Let's say someone like Luke Cage lifts an armored truck up off the ground by pressing his hands against its undercarriage. Given the sheer force involved, and the relative surface area of the item applying said force (i.e., his hands), odds are those hands are more likely to punch through the metal than get the car off the ground. Hell, at some point in the future, I might actually build a Powerhouse based around what would happen if a character "only" had straight-up super-strength and invulnerability. So how do comics get away with it? Well, if "it's just comics" isn't offered as an excuse, then odds are the super-strength is going to instead be applied telekinesis. Superboy, for instance, not only went with this idea, but ran with it - Kon-El's powers are often described as "tactile telekinesis" (to the point of satire in Peter David's Young Justice), and future versions of himself are shown using full-blown telekinesis in addition to the standard suite of Paragon powers. Like my Living Continuity Error and Patriotic Medium, this is another example where a lot of power is bound up in the standard Powerhouse set - Enhanced Strength, Impervious Toughness, and some fringe benefits. But it's possible to let that power loose as well, for spectacular results. I decided to go with the simplest ones, though - a Telekinesis package that can easily subdue someone, and wide-spread Telepathy for if you need to suss out the area. I also decided to include a rejiggered "flight form," where the power goes from right inside the psychic to right outside, forming a tight envelope around the body that allows for flight at high speeds and penetrating blows. It's a simple list, I know, but there are other options - perhaps a Will-based Strike coupled with a Mind Shield, or Ignite to represent the old Paragon standard of heat vision (or the old psychic standard of pyrokinesis). Psychics are typically mutants in superhero fiction (just look at the X-Men), but there's always a number of other options - getting uplifted by godlike aliens, coming into contact with an ancient artifact that unlocks human potential, being the son of one of the few successful test cases in MK-ULTRA. Then again, perhaps it's not so much how they got the powers as it is how they apply the powers. The character could be a natural Powerhouse who's finally decided to figure out why the physics behind his powers make no sense, and is starting to unleash the true psychic potential. Or, maybe they're a natural psychic who wants to create an intimidating image, so they train up their body and work on using their telekinesis as applied super-strength. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Aquatic Battlesuit You really have no idea what's down there. Fortunately, I know enough for the both of us. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 6 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 28 PP Strength 30/16 (+10/+3) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 16 (+3) Wisdom 14 (+2) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Leviathan Battlesuit) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +11 Grapple: +20/+9 Knockback: -10/-1 Saving Throws: 6 + 5 + 5 = 16 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +8 (+2 CON, +6) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +7 (+2 WIS, +5) Skills: 84r = 21 PP Computers 4 (+6) Craft (mechanical) 10 (+13) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+10) Knowledge (current events) 6 (+9) Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+11) Knowledge (technology) 8 (+11) Notice 8 (+10) Search 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Swim 8 (+11) Feats: 13 PP All-Out Attack Benefit (use Knowledge [tactics] for Initiative) Challenge (Fast Startle) Distract Inventor Interpose Master Plan 2 Move-By Action Power Attack Skill Mastery (Craft [Mechanical], Intimidate, Notice, Search) Startle Uncanny Dodge (visual) Powers: 48 PP Leviathan Battlesuit, 60 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose) [48 PP] Enhanced Feats (Dodge Focus 4) 4 [4 PP] Hydraulics Array (20 PP Array, Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 2) [24 PP] Base: Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Range [Ranged]; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [20 PP] “water cutter†Alternate Power: Blast 10 [20 PP] “high pressure blast†Alternate Power: Enhanced Strength 14 [14 PP] + Super-Strength 3 (Effective Lifting Strength 45) [6 PP] “hydraulic system†Immunity (suffocation from drowning, cold, pressure) 3 [3 PP] Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] Protection 8 [8 PP] Swimming 6 (100 MPH/1000 ft. per round, Power Feats: Alternate Power 1) [7 PP] Alternate Power: Flight 3 (50 MPH/500 ft. per round) [6 PP] Super-Senses (Radar) 4 [4 PP] Abilities (28) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (21) + Feats (13) + Powers (48) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP And because it's been a while since we've had one, here's another military build. Let's see, we've covered the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, so of course, it's time we work our way around to... the Coast Guard. And in doing so, I've decided to wander into territory that I've not yet before - the battlesuit build. Now, the Coast Guard is not the most combat-oriented of the various branches of the US Armed Forces. Their role involves marine safety, maritime law enforcement, and search and rescue, and some would say that even with drug runners, human trafficking, and capsized ships, the coastline's a bit tranquil compared to the battlefield. But keep in mind this is the Freedomverse, where we know there's not just a foreign power under the sea, but it's got a fringe dissident terrorist group that worships Cthulhu. And that's just one of the potential horrors of the ocean. So, when something like this happens, odds are the Coast Guard has reasons beyond, "Holy crap, we actually get to fire the big guns?" Working with the idea that the Coast Guard often sees action for reasons of maritime rescue, I decided to build the suit along the lines of when Pepper Potts got her own Iron Man suit - it's not designed for combat so much as it is for saving people. It just so happens that many of its rescue-based powers have secondary use as combat powers. That water cutter? Helps with cutting through bulkheads on sinking ships and through enemy armor! The water blast? Aids in propulsion and in knocking armed drug dealers off deck! The super-strength? Aids in lifting sunken naval craft and beating people into the ground! Swimming is of course an essential feature for the build, though Flight allows for added mobility when there's no ocean, and the Radar-sense aids for tracking down targets in the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean. Of course, while there might be reason for the Coast Guard to have a hyperadvanced battlesuit, the question might be, why does the Coast Guard have such hardware when none of the other branches do? Maybe the PC is the Rhodey to a suitmaker's Iron Man, who incorporated principles of his buddy's research into something that would aid in marine protection. Perhaps it was a recovery from a raid on some mad scientist's aquatic base or that strange Objectivist experiment under the sea. Or maybe there's a more personal reason. How many times have the Deep Ones made their way to the shore to attack human settlements? Maybe the builder wants to take the fight to them... Link to comment
trollthumper Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 Steelworker You're going to use a sword on me? Oh, that's cute. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade Offs: None Abilities: 6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 26 PP Strength 16 (+3) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 14 (+2) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Metallurgy) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +13/+9 Knockback: -10/-5/-1 Saving Throws: 6 + 5 + 6 = 17 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +8 (+2 CON, +6) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +8 (+2 WIS, +6) Skills: 72r = 18 PP Craft (mechanical) 10 (+12) Craft (structural) 8 (+10) Diplomacy 6 (+8) Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+10) Knowledge (physical sciences) 4 (+6) Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+6) Knowledge (technology) 8 (+10) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 14 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Startle) Dodge Focus 4 Improved Overrun Inventor Move-By Action Power Attack Quick Change Skill Mastery (Craft [Mechanical], Intimidate, Notice, Sense Motive) Startle Uncanny Dodge (visual) Powers: 37 + 8 + 6 = 51 PP Metallurgy, 31 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [37 PP] Base: Shape Matter 10 (1000 pounds, Extras: Duration [Continuous], Flaws: Limited to Metals, Range [Touch], Power Feats: Precise) [31 PP] “solve et coagula†Alternate Power: Strike 7 (Extras: Penetrating 3, Power Feats: Extended Reach 4 [20 feet], Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [16 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Super-Movement (Slow Fall, Swinging) 2 [4 PP] “armor up/a taste of the lashâ€Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Autofire 1, Power Feats: Improved Critical) [31 PP] “pincushion†Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Area Shapeable, Power Feats: Tether) [31 PP] “hungry chainsâ€Alternate Power: Dazzle (visual) 10 (Extras: Area Cone; Power Feats: Reversible) [31 PP] “shower of sparks†Protection 8 [8 PP] Super-Senses (Detect Metal Accurate Acute Extended [10 feet]) 6 [6 PP] Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (17) + Skills (18) + Feats (14) + Powers (51) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP So after the first battlesuit build, I thought I'd do another one... of a sort. In most cases in comics, the power behind a battlesuit comes from the fact that it's loaded with top-of-the-line hardware. But what if a battlesuit was just one big tin can? What if the power came from what the wearer could do? Imagine, someone with the mutant ability to control metal evolves their powers to the point that they're able to make a suit of armor move with just a thought. Once they get used to wearing the thing, they're able to shift the construct about so that it has new capabilities on demand. Suddenly, you're toting an Arthurian-era battlesuit (or you're Toph Beifong). The character is capable of inventions, but unlike your standard battlesuit wielder, these don't necessarily derive from the same genius that led to the suit. Rather, they stem from the fact that the hero knows her way around metal and came make it bend, bow and break like no one else. The Shape Matter abilities are the core of the "battlesuit," because without it, she'd just be walking about awkwardly in plate mail. The Strike + Impervious Toughness + Super-Movement bit is the closest you'll get to a traditional battlesuit - imagine the metal sluicing up the character's body into rigid plating and trailing off in two whip-like cables, which can both cut through armor and allow our hero to swing from rooftop to rooftop. The Blast and Snare powers are fairly traditional applications of shaping metal - sharp pointy things and long, snaking chains - but the Dazzle stems from the fact that she can likely agitate metal at an accelerated rate, to the point of producing a cloud of stinging irritants. She can also detect and analyze metal at range, so even if her suit's taken away from her, she can likely get a new one up and running in no time. How did the character put this all together? Maybe she played around in junkyards a lot as a kid and got a grip on their powers while realizing how protective a car's chassis could really be, like The Great and Powerful Turtle from the Wild Cards books. Maybe she was working on a construction site when the structure collapsed, and her powers sprang to life and saved her. Maybe, like Toph, she's a powerful master of the Wu Xing who learned how to gain complete control over metal, and has to deal with crime while caught in feuds with martial arts masters who have a similar grip on the other elements. Or there's always my personal favorite, alchemical experiment gone both right and wrong at the same time, granting her control over iron, the metal of Mars. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 Decay Controller I'll show you fear in a handful of dust. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 2 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 24 PP Strength 12 (+1) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Blackening) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +6 Grapple: +7 Knockback: -10/-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: +8 (+3 WIS, +5) Skills: 64r = 16 PP Concentration 8 (+11) Diplomacy 4 (+6) Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 10 (+12) Knowledge (life sciences) 10 (+12) Medicine 8 (+11) Notice 8 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Feats: 15 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Distract Evasion 2 Improved Initiative Power Attack Startle Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Well-Informed Powers: 38 + 8 + 9 = 55 PP Blackening, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 6) [38 PP] Base: Drain Toughness Aura 7 (Power Feats: Incurable, Reversible) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Drain All Ability Scores 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged], Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Corrosion 10 [30 PP]Alternate Power: Fatigue 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged]) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Vampiric) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Confuse 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Impervious Toughness 10 (Flaws: Limited to Physical) [5 PP] + Damage Aura 6 (Power Feats: Incurable) [25 PP] Force Field 8 [8 PP] Immunity (life support) 9 [9 PP] Abilities (24) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (16) + Feats (15) + Powers (55) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP There are some powers that just don't seem cut out for heroics. The ability to control rot and decay is one of them. When we think about heroics, we don't usually think about causing death, whether it's sudden and final or slow and agonizing. Plus, rot and decay are just... icky, as anyone who's seen enough CSI will tell you. Even if such control over life, death and decay shows up on a character, odds are it's uncontrollable so that we can truly understand the bastion of suck that is the character's life. Scuzz from DP7 produced corrosive acid constantly, meaning that anything he wore had to replaced pretty quickly. Wither killed his dad - who was only trying to comfort him - when his powers first manifested, and eventually gave up on being good entirely because of how much of a burden it was. And then there's Rogue, whose powers have been played up for maximum angst potential since she went over to the side of the angels. But, in the right hands, a person with the power of rot can be a hero just as much as a villain, using his abilities to destroy weapons and turn robots to rust. Though if they are a villain... well, they're going to be one hell of a fight. This was mainly my excuse to experiment with Aura powers, as that's often the form most decay powers come in. As you can imagine, they're fairly undercapped compared to the other options, but they can be one hell of a thing in action. If waiting to be struck at touch range isn't quite your thing, though, there are a number of options centered around drawing the power out. There's the obvious Corrosion, but also powers focused on the many forms and manipulations of decay. There's Confuse, for a blast that rattles the neurons; Nauseate, for something that turns the food in your stomach to putrefied mush; and a Blast that allows the user to draw the liberated health back into himself for a Vampiric boost. In addition to the usual stuff, there's a minor entropic field for protection against attacks (that can be flexed to actively decay projectiles launched at the target), as well as a set of Immunities to reflect that the character's body has become hardened to petty annoyances by the rot that runs through it. Now, with a power set like this, the obvious option is "Terminus baby," and there's nothing wrong with that route. There's also the possibility that the character might have gotten caught in a particle accelerator accident, resulting in control over weak interaction (gee, causes decay and radiation, someone got a heaping plate at the suck buffet). Or that they were inflicted with a curse that would turn them into a shambling, undead wreck if they don't constantly exercise it outwards. There's also the possibility they could be like Balor (who I had in mind when I designed this), "blessed" with the power of chaos magic by the Fomorians and trying to use it for a just end. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 Force Field Expert You're not getting in here unless I drag you in. 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 Aegis) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Bonus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +7 Knockback: -10/-5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 7 = 17 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +9 (+2 WIS, +7) [b[Skills: 56r = 14 PP Bluff 8 (+11) Concentration 10 (+12) Diplomacy 6 (+9) Gather Information 8 (+11) Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 (+11) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 13 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Feint) Dodge Focus 4 Distract Elusive Target Evasion 2 Interpose Move-By Action Power Attack Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Well-Informed Powers: 37 + 4 + 8 + 3 + 4 = 56 PP Aegis, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 5) [37 PP] Base: Applies Impervious Toughness and Reflective (all physical) to Force Field [30 PP] “impenetrable shieldâ€Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Penetrating 3, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2, Knockback 4, Split Attack) [30 PP] “battering ramâ€Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude]) [30 PP] “breathing obstructionâ€Alternate Power: Create Object 10 (Extras: Impervious) [30 PP] “invisible forge†Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Extras: Constricting) [30 PP] “hidden chainsâ€Alternate Power: Trip 10 (Extras: Area Cone, Selective Attack) [30 PP] “unseen wave†Flight 2 (25 MPH/250 ft. per round, Extras: Affects Others, Flaws: Platform) [4 PP] Force Field 8 [8 PP] Immunity (critical hits, pressure) 3 [3 PP] Super-Senses (Accurate Ranged [10 ft.] Radius Tactile) 4 [4 PP] Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (17) + Skills (14) + Feats (13) + Powers (56) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Being a geek, I've long considered what sort of power I'd like to get if superpowers exist. That would be a healing touch, because I'm fully aware that I'm a bleeding heart. However, being a geek with some deal of free time, I've also considered what power I'd like to get if I had to be a superhero. And that would be the force field. Why? Well, at the basic level, you're able to protect yourself. And while you can do that with simple Protection, imagine what it'd be like if you went into combat wrapped head-to-toe in an invisible field of such strength that it could repel bullets. Even if you're involved in melee combat, it's still going to feel like you're wearing plate mail with every blow. And then you start getting creative with the force fields. Sue Storm's a good example of how it works - if you can make a construct that protects you, then once you master that, odds are you can make any construct you want out of the same material. Just because you start off covering your own ass doesn't mean you can't kick any. In this case, the character's Force Field can be assumed to have "layers." There's the initial one, which provides a standard level of protection from attacks, and a second one, that can be "flexed" into any shape. In its default form, it's used to not just repel attacks, but drive them back towards the attacker. Then there are the various other things it can be "flexed" into. It can be launched forth as a battering ram to pierce armor and knock targets down. It can be crafted into an airtight bowl to wrap around a target's head, in one of Sue Storm's favorite "I'm officially ticked off" tricks. It can be turned into an ever-tightening bond that takes targets out of combat, or if can be crafted into a sweeping wave that sends an army to the ground. Or, it can be flexed into whatever's necessary, like cover for all your colleagues. If your character has powers like this, then odds are they're going to be telekinetic in nature. There are other, stranger possibilities, though. Could be they're a wizard who's only good at calling up protective spells, but is very, very good at calling them up. Could be they're a gravity controller (or potential master of one of other four fundamental forces) who hasn't pulled themselves up beyond the first step yet, but knows that step like the back of their hand. Or they could be a tech expert privy to some a very advanced nanosolution that floats through the air around them and can be hardened at will. And remember that these are just a few of the tricks you can pull off with force fields - nothing that keeps you from making a suit of armor w/ Impervious Toughness, Strike, and Immovable, or a Ranged Dazzle as you create an opaque force field that blocks out a target's senses. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 Berserker Trust me. You really wouldn't like me when I'm angry. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: -2 DEF/+2 TOU Abilities: 14 + 4 + 10 + 2 + 4 + 4 = 38 PP Strength 30/24 (+10/+7) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 26/20 (+8/+5) Intelligence 12 (+1) Wisdom 14 (+2) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 14 + 10 = 24 PP Attack: +7 (+10 Melee w/ Alternate Form) Defense: +8/+5 (+5 Base, +3 Dodge Focus w/ Alternate Form), +2 Flat-Footed Initiative: +6 Grapple: +20/+14 Knockback: -6/-2 Saving Throws: 3 + 5 + 5 = 13 PP Toughness: +12/+8/+4 (+5 CON, +3 Enhanced CON, +4 Protection) Fortitude: +11/+8 (+5 CON, +3 Enhanced CON, +3) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +11/+7 (+2 WIS, +4 Enhanced Will, +5) Skills: 44r = 11 PP Diplomacy 6 (+8) Gather Information 6 (+8) Intimidate 8 (+10) Knowledge (current events) 6 (+7) Knowledge (streetwise) 6 (+7) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 11 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Startle) Fearless Improved Grab Improved Initiative Improved Overrun Improved Throw Power Attack Startle Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Well-Informed Powers: 49 + 4 = 53 PP Alternate Form 10 (Extras: Total Fade, Flaws: Fades, Power Feats: Slow Fade 1 [5 minutes], Drawback: Temporary Disability [Exhausted When Effect Drops, -2]) [49 PP] Enhanced Attack Focus (Melee) 3 [3 PP] Enhanced Dodge Focus 3 [3 PP] Enhanced Strength 6 [6 PP] Enhanced Constitution 6 [6 PP] Enhanced Will 4 [4 PP] Enhanced Feats (Fearsome Presence 5, Improved Critical [unarmed] 2) 7 [7 PP] Immunity (emotion effects, interaction skills) 10 [10 PP] Penetrating Unarmed Strike 2 [2 PP] Regeneration 9 (Bruised/Unconscious 3 [No Action], Injured/Staggered 6 [No Action]) [9 PP] Protection 4 [4 PP] Abilities (38) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (11) + Feats (11) + Powers (53) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP The berserker is not exactly what we'd call a heroic archetype. Like a Claymore, they're meant to be pointed towards the enemy, with everyone else keeping a fair distance. Even if someone of the side of good manages to tap into berserker fury on a regular basis, odds are they're already in the camp of the anti-hero, with the rage representing when all bastions of restraint and humanity are torn down. Either that, or the rage is more of a burden than a benefit, something with a life of its own. But, there's been a strong tradition of heroes drawing power from rage, and if they're able to control their fury and not attack their allies, they can be one hell of an asset. Originally I was planning to build this as a Badass Normal with a heavy load of Rage to bring him up to PL10. That ran into a roadblock the second I opened the book, though. You see... Rage sucks. It's an amazing feat of engineering as a 1 PP Feat, but it completely destroys Attack and Defense caps whenever it factors into play. You have to undercap for Attack so that the +4 STR doesn't wreck Damage caps, and you have to bite the bullet on Defense without any appropriate compensation in the way of Toughness. I probably could've jury rigged the Rage Feat into something that actually worked, but instead I made my own hideously complex Container. Because that's how I roll. In addition to the usual benefits of Rage (greater strength, heartier body, ironclad will), this version boosts his Defense (think of it as adrenaline bullet time) as well as his Attack. It also makes the sight of a rampaging super-strong man just as scary as it should be (with Fearsome Presence), allows the man to fight off attempts to soothe the savage beast because he's just that mad (Immunity), and makes it so his very body refuses to yield before something as stupid as bullets (Regeneration). The character is PL7 as a base - and with his Strength at the human maximum, that means he's one tough customer without his fits of mania. Given the powerset, an easy sample origin would be to have this guy be the descendant of one of the original berserkers, the legacy of his bloodline reactivated after a divine visitation/a high-intensity firefight/exposure to a psychoactive substance. If Norse myth isn't your thing, there are lots of heroes of lore known for their rage - maybe he stems from one of Heracles' kids from after that unfortunate incident with Megara. There's always the shamanic angle of willingly calling a bear spirit into yourself, or having enough werewolf heritage to get some fringe benefits but not enough to turn into a full-on fuzzy killing machine. If you want to go for something more scientific, perhaps the fury stems from a mutant awakening triggered by an adrenal surge. Or some sort of super-soldier serum with potential side effects the hero took as a last resort, the kind of side effects he needs therapy to control. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 Mental Martial Artist The will is often the greatest weapon of them all. But the fall backs are nice, too. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8 + 4 = 28 PP Strength 14 (+2) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 18 (+4) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Sword, +10 Sphere of Mind) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +6 Grapple: +8 Knockback: -5/-1 Saving Throws: 4 + 5 + 4 = 13 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field) Fortitude: +6 (+2 CON, +4) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +15/+8 (+4 WIS, +7 Mind Shield, +4) Skills: 64r = 16 PP Acrobatics 8 (+10) Concentration 8 (+12) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 6 (+8) Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+10) Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 6 (+8) Notice 8 (+12) Sense Motive 8 (+12) Feats: 13 PP Acrobatic Bluff All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Acrobatic Bluff) Dodge Focus 4 Evasion Improved Initiative Move-By Action Ritualist Uncanny Dodge (mental) Well-Informed Powers: 9 + 8 + 28 + 6 + 6 = 57 PP Diamondcutter, 15 PP Device (Easy-to-Lose) [9 PP] Strike 8 (Extras: Penetrating 2, Power Feats: Accurate 2, Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [15 PP] Force Field 8 [8 PP] Sphere of Mind, 22 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [28 PP] Base: Illusion (all senses) 10 (Flaws: Phantasm, Action [Full-Round]; Power Feats: Progression 2 [25 ft. radius]) [22 PP] “ghosts of the willâ€Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Power Feats: Mind Blank, Subtle) [22 PP] “heart as a toyâ€Alternate Power: Mind Control 10 (Extras: Conscious, Flaws: Action [Full-Round], Power Feats: Mind Blank, Subtle) [22 PP] “the diamond must crumbleâ€Alternate Power: Telepathy 10 (Power Feats: Rapid, Subtle) [22 PP] “unlocking the inner vaultâ€Alternate Power: Applies Alternate Save [Will, 10] to Diamondcutter [10 PP] + Mind Shield 7 [7 PP] + Immunity (emotion effects) 5 [Extras] [5 PP] “the way of the implacable blade†Super-Senses (Acute Accurate Radius Ranged Mental Sense) 6 [6 PP] Variable Skills 1 [6 PP] Abilities (28) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (16) + Feats (13) + Powers (57) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP And now we bring the Tradition builds to a close, with the Akashic Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is a Tradition centered around Eastern philosophies, with a particular tack towards Daoism. In their mind, there was a time when all was harmonious and connected by the knowledge of all things. This knowledge of the All splintered as the world moved forward, bringing disharmony to the world. Like the Chorus, the Brotherhood believes in trying to reconnect the world through its broken strands - but instead of focusing on the external emanations of the universe, they turn inwards, focusing on the perfection and balance of thought. Like the Euthanatoi (who, ironically enough, they fought in their early days), the Brotherhood has a reputation as a martial Tradition, mainly because it uses martial arts as a way to find a balance between inner harmony and the need for external violence. Unsurprisingly, the Brotherhood has an affinity with the Sphere of Mind, focused on manipulating thoughts, improving cognition, and launching psychic attacks. I didn't want to make the Sphere the main source of offensive power on this build, for the reason listed above. This is a mind mage who believes in using the mind for purposes of harmony, and only using it offensively if absolutely necessary. Even then, most of her offensive tricks are based around misdirection (Illusion), influencing one away from violence (Emotion Control) or exerting control if all else fails (Mind Control). The sword does most of the damage on the battlefield... though if she needs to, she's perfectly capable of augmenting the weapon with her mind, launching a psychic attack while her own mind remains a bastion. The Variable Skill pool returns on this build, and for good reason - when your entire Tradition derives its name from the Akashic Records, it's only fair you get the ability to borrow knowledge from the collective unconscious. If you want to include a Mental Blast, that's cool - you may need to make it Range [Ranged] and Action [Full-Round] to fit the Array, though. The good news about a character whose magic is primarily mental is they work equally well as a psychic and a wizard. This character might be an aikido master whose mutant powers awakened during a match, giving her new focus that she decided to use to make a greater difference in the world. Or maybe it's the other way around - maybe the character's psychic powers awakened in a traumatic fashion that led to a loss of control, and she uses martial arts as a way to maintain control over the roiling storm that is her mind. If you want to break from the Eastern origins, perhaps they're an heir to a line of witchcraft who decided to use their powers in hunting down warlocks, taking up a sword to craft the image of a witch hunter. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 Army Symbiote Warfare's always been about making a lot of folks think like one. Really helps out in a situation like this. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 26 PP Strength 30/14 (+10/+2) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Symbiosis) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +10 Grapple: +22/+8 Knockback: -10/-5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 4 = 14 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4) Skills: 72r = 18 PP Acrobatics 4 (+6) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+10) Knowledge (current events) 6 (+8) Knowledge (history) 6 (+8) Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10) Language (English [Native], Arabic, Farsi) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Stealth 6 (+8) Feats: 18 PP All-Out Attack Benefit (use Knowledge [Tactics] for Initiative, Security Clearance) 2 Contacts Challenge (Fast Startle) Dodge Focus 4 Master Plan 2 Move-By Action Power Attack Quick Change Set-Up Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Notice) Startle Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 36 + 8 + 6 = 50 PP Symbiosis, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [36 PP] Base: Enhanced Strength 16 [16 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Super-Strength 2 (Lifting Strength 40) [4 PP]Alternate Power: Strike 8 (Extras: Area Burst [10], Selective Attack [10]; Power Feats: Mighty, Improved Critical) [30 PP] Alternate Power: Insubstantial 1 [5 PP] + Strike 8 (Extras: Autofire 1 [10], Penetrating 4, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [25 PP] Alternate Power: Strike 8 (Extras: Penetrating 3, Vampiric [10], Power Feats: Extended Reach 4 [20 feet], Incurable, Improved Critical, Mighty) [28 PP]Alternate Power: Concealment (all senses) 10 [20 PP] + Super-Movement (Slithering, Swinging, Tracking, Wall-Crawling 2) 5 [10 PP] Protection 8 [8 PP] Super-Senses (Accurate Acute Extended Auditory, Danger Sense) 6 [6 PP] Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (18) + Feats (18) + Powers (50) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP And with one fallback source of inspiration exhausted, time to go for another - military builds. Venom has both been a long-standing thorn in the side of Spider-Man and one of those fruits of the Nineties that just refuses to fall off the branch. Starting off as Spider-Man's replacement suit from an alien dimension, it turned out to be both evil and sentient, eventually leaving behind the wall-crawler in favor of a bunch of people with a grudge against him. Around the same time it decided to divorce Mac Gargan, however, there was a fit of synchronicity - Flash Thompson, who'd gone overseas to serve in Iraq, came under heavy fire while saving the rest of his unit, and his legs were so badly damaged they needed to be amputated below the knee (showing that anyone who knows Peter Parker is in line for getting a wedgie from Fate). After the government got their hands on the symbiote, they offered it to Flash... on the conditions that it wouldn't remain connected for more than 24 hours (in order to prevent him going from "I" to "we," like many of the other hosts) and he'd have to use it in the line of black ops work. So, here we have it - a veteran Army man who's carrying more than the usual weight on his back. Like the actual Venom, I wanted to reflect that a lot of this soldier's strength would be limited to the body - but what a body it is. Capable of total stealth, accelerated movement, assuming a fluid-like form, and a whole lot of martial carnage based on reshaping itself into blades, whips, spikes, and whatever else is needed to fold/spindle/mutilate. As you might imagine, Prototype was just as much of an inspiration for this build as Venom. As such, there are a number of attacks that rely on manipulating biomass, like the Vampiric Strike that draws mass out of the target and uses it to heal or the Area Burst Strike that shoots a mass of tendrils out in all directions. As for the purely mundane stuff, I decided to build this guy along the lines of an Assistant Operations and Intelligence Sergeant, the Special Forces field officer in charge of organizing intel and arranging strategies. They're the guy who maintains the local contacts, arranges deals with potentially friendly interests, and knows both when and how to bug out with the rest of his unit. Hence the focus on Gather Information, knowledge of local events both past and present, and maintaining an information network. The most obvious origin for someone like this is encountering an alien creature, merging with it, and reaching a rather sympathetic arrangement. Perhaps the symbiote is like a Yeerk from the Animorphs series, senseless and grasping if it doesn't have a host. If you want to go for a more arcane origin, perhaps it's one of the rare inhabitants of the Shattenwelt, brought into this world through a mysterious ritual performed by some very bad men and seeking a merger with the soldier sent to raid their compound. Or maybe the soldier was infested by a strange parasite that allows him to control his own flesh, meaning the symbiote is less some external coating and more control over his own biomass, like Alex Mercer. Then there's the matter of how unified the host and symbiote are. It could be they're best buddies who understand each other well, like Jaime Reyes and Khaji Da (pre-grimdarking, that is). Or it could be a Complication that the symbiote will every so often try to override its host's control in times of distress... or, in worst case scenarios, the host may have a Drawback meaning they have to succeed on a straight WIS check each day if they want to retain control. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Goetic Infernalist Right, then. Just let me crack open my little black book... 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 Bindings) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +7 Knockback: -5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 6 = 16 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +9 (+3 WIS, +6) Skills: 72r = 18 PP Bluff 8 (+10) Diplomacy 7 (+9) Gather Information 7 (+9) Intimidate 10 (+12) Knowledge (arcane lore) 12 (+15) Knowledge (theology) 10 (+13) Language (English [base], Enochian, Aramaic) Notice 8 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Feats: 16 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2 Contacts Distract Dodge Focus 4 Evasion Fascinate (Intimidate) Power Attack Ritualist Skill Mastery (Bluff, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge [arcane lore]) Startle Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 40 + 8 + 2 = 50 PP Bindings, 32 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 6) [40 PP] Base: Blast 10 (Extras: Range [Perception], Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2) [32 PP] “will of Hauresâ€Alternate Power: Damage 10 (Extras: Area Burst) [20 PP] + Trip 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Flaws: Range [Touch]) [10 PP] “wrath of Agaresâ€Alternate Power: Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged], Targeted Area Cone, Power Feats: Homing, Incurable) [32 PP] “arrows of Lerajeâ€Alternate Power: Concealment (all senses) 10 (Power Feats: Close Range, Selective) [22 PP] + Mind Reading 10 [10 PP] “confidence of Forasâ€Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Power Feats: Mind Blank, Subtle) [32 PP] “whims of Sitriâ€Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Area Shapeable, Power Feats: Indirect 2) [32 PP] “arms of Furfur†Alternate Power: Enhanced Charisma 16 [16 PP] + Comprehend 8 (Animals 2, Languages 3, Objects 2, Spirits) [16 PP] “tongues of Caim†Protection 8 [8 PP] Super-Senses (Detect Infernal Ranged) 2 [2 PP] Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (18) + Feats (16) + Powers (50) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP So, AvengerAssembled asked me to build an infernalist. Let's all be honest - Hell is not a nice place. How can anyone who traffics with it be thought a hero? Well, there's always the hero who makes a deal with the devil only to learn the mistake at the last minute and swears to correct it (like Ghost Rider), or the man unwittingly bound to a demon (like Jason Blood/Etrigan). But if you go back into the roots of Western occultism, you can find a way to gain the power of Hell without becoming its thrall. The Lesser Key of Solomon is a well-known grimoire, mainly because it supposedly gives away the phone numbers of 72 of Hell's authorities. Summoning them isn't a matter of swearing your will to the infernal, like portrayed in pop culture, but calling them up and forcing them to do your bidding. Using the devil's officers for good works, if you're being charitable about the whole business. So here we have an infernalist who has some of the most powerful demons in Hell forced to do his bidding, all the while resisting the temptations of the infernal. So, what can demons do for you? A hell of a lot, apparently, ranging from finding lost stores of gold to calling up earthquakes to making people fall in love with you to teaching the sciences (Hell is weird like that). I decided to pull a few demons and their afforded abilities from the list for a nice grab bag. Haures sets your enemies on fire, Agares can create earthquakes, Leraje makes wounds turn sickly, Foras makes men invisible and confers secrets, Sitri loves to ruin people through instilling depravity, Furfur summons storms, and Caim grants men the tongues of beasts and oceans (and, in some versions, has a voice of burning coals). That's just a small sample, of course - you can do Transform (man to animal) for Ose, Animal Control for Volac (snakes) or Decarabia (birds), Mental Transform for Dantalion, or Water Control for Focalor. If you want to add some flavor and free up some points, you could always apply a Flaw such as Unreliable or Side-Effect to the Array, then make an Easy-to-Lose Device "ritual tool" that buys off said Flaw. This will demonstrate that while this guy has enough experience to call up demons at will for swift tasks, it's still a risky proposition to do it without the right preparations. Odds are this character is someone who got into the infernal arts with an eye towards screwing over Hell. Maybe a friend or loved one died as a result of demonic activity, or they made the wrong deal with the wrong devil before learning about how to exercise control over the damned. They might even be a church-aligned exorcist who believes they've found a way to turn Hell's soldiers against its own works. If you want to break away from the Goetia, however, you could always say this guy was an infernal equivalent of Captain Marvel - afforded with powers by the greatest of station in Hell, created to wreak havoc upon mankind, until he realized that God's creation had a lot more to offer than the sulfurous pits below. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Serpentine Vampire Nothing you should beware more than snakes that walk like men. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: +4 ATT/-4 DMG (Melee, Serpentis) Abilities: 8 + 6 + (-10) + 2 + 6 + 6 = 18 PP Strength 18 (+4) Dexterity 16 (+3) Constitution – Intelligence 12 (+1) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 16 (+3) Combat: 12 + 14 = 26 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Melee) Defense: +10 (+7 Base, +3 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +7 Grapple: +20/+14 Knockback: -10/-5/-1 Saving Throws: 0 + 5 + 4 = 9 PP Toughness: +10/+7/-- (+10 Protection total) Fortitude: -- Reflex: +8 (+3 DEX, +5) Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4) Skills: 68r = 17 PP Bluff 8 (+11) Diplomacy 6 (+9) Gather Information 8 (+11) Intimidate 10 (+13) Knowledge (arcane lore) 4 (+5) Knowledge (history) 4 (+5) Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 6 (+7) Language (Greek [Native], English) Notice 7 (+10) Sense Motive 7 (+10) Stealth 7 (+10) Feats: 14 PP All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Challenge (Fast Demoralize) Distract (Intimidate) Evasion Fascinate (Bluff) Improved Initiative Move-By Action Power Attack Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Well-Informed Powers: 1 + 30 + 7 + 4 + 34 = 76 PP Drain CON 2 (Flaws: Requires Grapple) [1 PP] Immunity (Fortitude Effects) 30 [30 PP] Protection 7 [7 PP] Regeneration 6 (Recovery Bonus 5 [+0], Resurrection 1/week, Flaw: Source [blood], Power Feats: Regrowth) [4 PP] Serpentis, 45 PP Container (Flaws: Limited to Night, Drawbacks: Temporary Disability [No Legs, -2]) [34 PP] Enhanced Feats 6 (Attack Specialization [Grapple] 3, Dodge Focus 3) [6 PP] Impervious Toughness 10 (Flaws: Not Applicable to Flame/Sunlight) [5 PP] Protection 3 [3 PP] Serpent’s Tooth, 20 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 4) [26 PP] Base: Strike 2 (Extras: Autofire 1 [6], Poison, Penetrating 2, Power Feats: Incurable, Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [20 PP]Alternate Power: Blast 10 [20 PP]Alternate Power: Dazzle (visual) 10 [20 PP]Alternate Power: Corrosion 6 (Power Feats: Improved Critical, Incurable) [20 PP]Alternate Power: Paralyze 10 (Extras: Range [Perception], Flaws: Action [Full-Round], Sense-Dependent [visual]) [20 PP] Super-Movement (Slithering) 1 [2 PP] Super-Senses (Tremorsense) 3 [3 PP] Disadvantages: 10 PP Weakness (exposure to sunlight, destroyed in 10 rounds; uncommon, moderate) (-7) Vulnerable (fire) (common, moderate) (-3) Abilities (18) + Combat (26) + Saving Throws (9) + Skills (17) + Feats (14) + Powers (76) - Disadvantages (10) = 150 PP Some time ago, I made a build based on the Followers of Set from Vampire: the Masquerade. However, the build was only based around two of their Disciplines - Obfuscate and Presence - and their general theme of sin and vice. I didn't touch on their other Discipline, Serpentis, nor their other theme, giant freaking snakes, because I felt like the Setites were, at their core, what happened if you tried to link the Set of Egyptian myth and the Set of the Conan stories together without really giving a crap. However, there's another option when it comes to giant snake monsters, one the Setites themselves often invoke - Typhon. Typhon, along with his baby mama Echidna, is known for being the progenitor of all the great monsters of Greek myth - the Sphinx, the Nemean Lion, the Hydra, Cerberus, the Chimera, and so forth. Who's to say he didn't spit out the first vrykolakas somewhere in there? And maybe, down the line, one of its childer inherited a little throwback from the Father of All Monsters? This vampire is built to be around PL7 in his normal state, with a +3 ATT/-3 DMG trade-off. He reaches his full power by embracing his serpent heritage, turning into the gigantic freaking snake embodied by Serpentis. This Container embodies a lot of the same traits as the Serpentis Discipline from V:tM - hypnotizing gaze, dreadful bite, extremely tough skin, and of course, turning into a giant snake. I had Immunity (critical hits) in there to represent the whole "remove the heart and store it someplace safe" bit, but it fell on the altar of mechanical fiddling. If you want to buy it in later, go ahead. In snake form, the guy's still PL10 in Melee, with a +4 ATT/-4 DMG trade-off, but at range, he's pretty much the same. Much of the Serpent's Tooth Array (save the Paralyze) is based on snake-like attacks - blinding in some cases, necrotizing in others, and extremely deadly more often than not. The real flavor and crunch is in the melee attacks, but the range is there if you need distance. Tremorsense is a noted quality in many snakes, and the Drawback (no legs) is brought down in value due to the fact that the guy can move about perfectly due to his Slithering (just don't ask him to work the brakes). I used "Limited to Night" as a full-on Flaw because this isn't some power you can use if you're in a shady enough area; it needs to be nocturnal to work (I thought it fit with how the Setites are so weak against sunlight that they feel uncomfortable whenever there's a full moon). Given the powers, a good solid origin for this guy would be to make him a child of Typhon. If you want to make it a little more Judeo-Christian, you could say this guy's line was the result of Lilith getting freaky with the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Or maybe the line is a more recent invention. Maybe there's a lineage of vampires that has control over animals the way Dracula had control over wolves. Seeking to branch out, they try to bring a herpetologist into their line, only he decided to use his new serpentine powers for the cause of justice. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Density Controller One way or another, no wall stands against me. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 26 PP Strength 30/14 (+10/+2) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 16 (+3) Wisdom 14 (+2) 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: +25/+8 Knockback: -12/-6/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 6 + 5 = 16 PP Toughness: +10/+6/+2 (+2 CON, +4 Protection, +4 Density) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +8 (+2 DEX, +6) Will: +7 (+2 WIS. +5) Skills: 68r = 17 PP Computers 6 (+9) Diplomacy 6 (+8) Disable Device 10 (+13) Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+10) Knowledge (physical sciences) 6 (+9) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Stealth 8 (+10) Feats: 16 PP All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Challenge (Fast Startle) Dodge Focus 4 Evasion 2 Power Attack Startle Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Well-Informed Powers: 41 + 10 = 51 PP Diffusion, 40 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 1) [41 PP] Base: Density 8 (STR +16, Toughness +4 [impervious 4], Immovable 2, Super-Strength 2) [24 PP] + Super-Strength 3 (Lifting Strength 55, Power Feats: Countering Punch, Groundstrike) [8 PP] + Penetrating Unarmed Strike 4 [4 PP] + Enhanced Feats 4 (Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break) [4 PP]Alternate Power: Insubstantial 4 [20 PP] + Strike 8 (Extras: Affects Corporeal [10], Power Feats: Improved Critical, Mighty) [20 PP] Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 6) [10 PP] Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (17) + Feats (16) + Powers (51) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Density! One of those fun physical properties that gets flogged for all it's worth in comics. We've got characters who are able to diffuse their molecules to the point where they can reenanct Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, and characters who can become powerhouses by tightening their molecular lattices all the way. Then you've got The Vision, who gives you the best of both worlds (and laser eyes to boot). I ended up going for a Density Controller build for two reasons. One, it involved powers that I really haven't dealt with yet in my builds - Density and the full-on 4 ranks version of Insubstantial. Two, after a bunch of builds relying on complex, multi-part Arrays, it'd be interesting to do a build where the Array is an "on-off" switch. As such, this build gives you the most bang for your buck. The high-density option gives you enough ranks of Density to dig up its fringe benefits, as well as some bonuses to help augment said benefits in the form of Super-Strength, penetrating blows, and Feats that take advantage of the increased strength. The low-density option is somewhat no-frills by comparison - if you could call complete intangibility and a strike that screws with another person's molecular structure "no-frills." I was considering giving the Strike an Alternate Save [Fortitude] Extra, to reflect the "through the rib cage, right to the heart" attack a lot of phasers use, but there were only so many points I could throw into this thing. The guy doesn't meet Defense caps in his low-density form... but then again, does he need to? As Insubstantial 4 works, the only risks will be mental attacks (which usually target Will) and his one weakness (which is up to you to determine). So where does someone get powers like this? Maybe it's a Doctor Manhattan case where they get ripped apart by a particle accelerator, but enough of their consciousness remains that they're able to put themselves back together, molecule by molecule. If you're willing to buy Immunity (Fortitude effects), they could be a cloud of nanotech that walks like a man... or, for a more arcane twist, a ghost who's able to coalesce their ectoplasmic body into a superdense form. And keep in mind, this could be the jumping-off point, the mere seed of the character's powers. If they have complete molecular control, they could end up buying Regeneration or Morph. If they have the ability to assume a solid and a gaseous state, maybe they can assume forms such as liquid or plasma and become States-of-Matter-Man (or Woman). Link to comment
trollthumper Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 Shapeshifting Spy Do you ever really know who's on your side? Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: ATT +5/DMG -5 Abilities: 10 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 34 PP Strength 20 (+5) Dexterity 16 (+3) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 18 + 12 = 30 PP Attack: +9 (+15 Unarmed) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +3 Grapple: +14 Knockback: -5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 4 = 14 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +8 (+3 DEX, +5) Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4) Skills: 104r = 26 PP Acrobatics 8 (+11) Bluff 10 (+12) Diplomacy 6 (+8) Disable Device 10 (+12) Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+10) Knowledge (current events) 6 (+8) Knowledge (history) 6 (+8) Knowledge (streetwise) 6 (+8) Language (English [base], French, Russian, Arabic, Cantonese) Notice 8 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Sleight of Hand 8 (+11) Stealth 8 (+11) Feats: 22 PP Attack Specialization (Unarmed) 3 Benefit (Security Clearance) Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2 Contacts Dodge Focus 4 Evasion 2 Fascinate (Bluff) Hide in Plain Sight Improved Disarm Power Attack Quick Change 2 Redirect Taunt Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 16 + 8 = 24 PP Shapeshifting 2 [16 PP] Applies Autofire 1 [5], Penetrating 3, and Improved Critical 2 to Unarmed [10 PP] Additional Limbs 5 [5 PP] + Elongation 5 (100 ft.) [5 PP] Enhanced Feats 10 (Fearsome Presence 10) [10 PP] Healing 10 (Flaws: Personal) [10 PP] Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] Insubstantial 1 [5 PP] + Applies Alternate Save [Fortitude] to Unarmed [5 PP] Protection 8 [8 PP] Abilities (34) + Combat (30) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (26) + Feats (22) + Powers (24) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Spies are one of those long-running features of superhero comics. Marvel got in the game with SHIELD, and DC eventually followed up with Checkmate (and if you get a chance to read the ones written by Greg Rucka, do so). A lot of this was riding the wave of James Bond and the associated spy products of the Sixties, but there's also the interesting contrast of the secret heroes, the ones who hide behind anonymity and solve unknown crises while the boys and girls in spandex deal with the more public threats. Mystique has always danced towards the more malevolent tropes about spies, assassins, and femme fatales, but there was an interesting short-lived series where Professor Xavier got her over a barrel and forced her into black ops work, solving the crimes against mutants that were too politically sensitive for the X-Men to get involved in. Give the character a more benevolent origin, and you've got something like this girl. Originally I was going to make Morph separate from Shapeshifting, and create a 10 PP Array with some Alternate Powers that would show just how much you can get out of a low PP Array. But then I realized that it was going to cost more than 2 ranks of Shapeshifting, for the same effective PP use, so... I just did Shapeshifting instead. Given the ATT/DMG trade-off, the character's most likely a martial artist, a la Emma Peel, who gets the most mileage out of her close contact attacks by manipulating her form for whatever she needs. She needs to do lasting damage? Autofire. She needs to restrain a foe? Additional Limbs + Elongation. She needs to choke out someone? Alternate Save [Fortitude] (leave that one up to the imagination). Most of the other stuff is the usual Skills and Feats you'd ascribe a Badass Normal, with a focus on evasion, infiltration, and larceny. Who's she with? The most obvious answer would be AEGIS, which would give her a good plug-and-play excuse to interact with the rest of the superhero world. If you want to go for something a little more ambiguous, though (or at least try to put a heroic face on something ambiguous), she could be a member of the CIA's Special Activities Division - or at least have a history with them. Give her a firearm and some ranks in Knowledge (tactics), and she could've been in the Special Operations Group. Or maybe she's a defector from the Labyrinth, using her shapeshifting skills to try and evade their all-observing agents and working to bring the whole thing down from the outside - or, with the right disguise, from within. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 Dhampir Why am I in the game? Guess you could call it the family business. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: +2 ATT/-2 DMG, +2 DEF/-2 TOU Abilities: 8 + 6 + 8 + 2 + 4 + 4 = 32 PP Strength 26/18 (+8/+4) Dexterity 16 (+3) Constitution 26/18 (+8/+4) Intelligence 12 (+1) Wisdom 14 (+2) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 16 + 16 = 32 PP Attack: +8 (+12 Melee) Defense: +12 (+8 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed Initiative: +3 Grapple: +20/+12 Knockback: -4/-2 Saving Throws: 2 + 4 + 5 = 11 PP Toughness: +8/+4 (+4 CON, +4 Enhanced CON) Fortitude: +10/+6 (+4 CON, +4 Enhanced CON, +2) Reflex: +12/+7 (+3 DEX, +5 Enhanced Reflex, +4) Will: +12/+7 (+2 WIS, +5 Enhanced Will, +5) Skills: 64r = 16 PP Acrobatics 12/4 (+15/+7) Bluff 6 (+8) Diplomacy 6 (+8) Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+10) Investigate 6 (+7) Knowledge (arcane lore) 10 (+11) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 17 PP Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Challenge (Fast Startle) Dodge Focus 4 Evasion 2 Move-By Action Power Attack Skill Mastery (Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge [arcane lore], Notice) Startle Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Well-Informed Powers: 20 + 8 + 8 + 6 = 42 PP Dead Inheritance, 16 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 4) [20 PP] Base: Applies Autofire 1 [8] and Alternate Save [Will] to Unarmed (Flaws: Limited to Undead) [8 PP] + Applies Penetrating 4, Improved Critical 2, Incurable and Sedation to Unarmed [8 PP] “living baneâ€Alternate Power: Insubstantial 1 [5 PP] + Immunity (all nonlethal physical damage) 20 (Extras: Duration [sustained], Flaws: Limited to Half) [10 PP] “too, too solid fleshâ€Alternate Power: Mind Reading 10 (Power Feats: Subtle) [11 PP] + Enhanced Will 5 [5 PP] “undead clarity†Alternate Power: Speed 2 [25 MPH/250 ft. per round] [2 PP] + Leaping 4 (x25) [4 PP] + Enhanced Reflex 5 [5 PP] + Enhanced Feats 3 (Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge (Fast Acrobatic Bluff), Up the Wall) [3 PP] + Enhanced Skills 2 (Acrobatics 8) [2 PP] “faster than deathâ€Alternate Power: Applies Vampiric and Alternate Save [Fortitude] to Unarmed [16 PP] “burden of hunger†Enhanced CON 8 [8 PP] Enhanced STR 8 [8 PP] Super-Senses (Detect Undead 2 Analytical Tracking) 6 [6 PP] Abilities (32) + Combat (32) + Saving Throws (11) + Skills (16) + Feats (17) + Powers (42) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Going back to the folkloric vampire builds, here we have the dhampir. Most visible to comic readers and movie goers through characters such as Blade, a dhampir is what happens when a vampire and a mortal have a kid. Usually this is a vampire dad and a mortal woman, but there's nothing to say some undead mistress couldn't find a way to get up the stick. The powers ascribed to dhampir vary from telling to telling; in some versions, like Blade, they have all the benefits of being a vampire (strength, speed, durability, healing factor aided by blood) without the weaknesses of constant blood thirst or nasty sunburn. In some stories, they just have a talent for detecting and beating down vampires... and in some tellings, like the Bulgarian ones, they're completely soft-bodied, with no bones or nails. Folklore can be weird like that. For this build, I decided to go for a mix of "full vampiric power," "half-inherited traits" and "wacky folklore stuff." The gelatinous body thing had to stay, with some mechanical benefits - it can be seen as a weird twist on a vampire's undead resilience, with a body like steel traded out for a body like rubber that resists solid body blows. Other traits, like a vampire's mental abilities or unnatural speed, got brought down to a level that's somewhat human but still capable of interesting things. Strength and fortitude stayed as core traits, the reputed vampire slaying abilities were made part of the Array (with some traits that are still bad news for everyone else), and the guy's capable of regenerating from blood like any other vampire. He just has to work for it. Likewise, the guy has a type of undead radar, though he also has some basic detective skills to tell what kind of undead he's dealing with. If you're going for a dhampir with a dark backstory, odds are the basic Blade formula will work for you - mother was attacked by a vampire during childbirth, gave birth before the change was complete, and the baby inherited half of his mother's curse (the Cursed with Awesome bits). Then again, this board has already given us Jack Jr., so it might be possible your dhampir came from a loving family, undead or mixed. Perhaps the undead mother was on the run from her own kind after they found out she was pregnant with an "abomination." Or maybe the dhampir thing didn't come about through birth. Maybe someone tried making him into another vampire, only for some mysterious force to intervene and lessen the curse. So while the guy investigates supernatural matters, he also tries to find out what saved his bacon. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 La Llorona You have brought enough sorrow to these people. It's time you know its taste. 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 Lamentation) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +7 Knockback: -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: 72r = 18 PP Bluff 6 (+9) Concentration 8 (+11) Diplomacy 6 (+9) Gather Information 8 (+11) Intimidate 10 (+13) Knowledge (arcane lore) 4 (+6) Knowledge (current events) 4 (+6) Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10) Language (Spanish [base], English, Nahuatl) Notice 8 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Feats: 13 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Demoralize, Fast Startle) 2 Contacts Dodge Focus 4 Fearless Power Attack Skill Mastery (Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge [streetwise], Sense Motive) Startle Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 2 + 8 + 37 + 7 = 54 PP Comprehend (Spirits) 1 [2 PP] Force Field 8 [8 PP] Lamentations, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 5) [37 PP] Base: Concealment (all senses) 10 (Flaws: Limited to Night) [10 PP] + Insubstantial 4 [20 PP] Alternate Power: Move Object 10 (Extras: Range [Perception], Damaging; Flaws: Limited to Water) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude]) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Paralyze 10 (Extras: Range [Ranged]) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Obscure (visual, mental) 7 (500 ft. radius, Extras: Independent, Selective Attack; Power Feats: Reversible, Slow Fade [5 rounds]) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack; Flaws: Limited to Despair) [30 PP] Super-Senses (Detect Ghost Extended 2 [100 ft.], Postcognition) 7 [7 PP] Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (18) + Feats (13) + Powers (54) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP So I'm down Mexico way, and, me being me, my thoughts have turned to local folklore. If there's any bit of Mexican folklore us gringos are likely to know about, it would be La Llorona. Known to wander the rivers and oceans of Latin America, Puerto Rico, and the Southwestern United States, the ghostly tale of La Llorona has many takes, but all share the same common element - she did something she wasn't supposed to, usually involving betrayal and abandonment, and was cursed to wander the earth, weeping for their loss. Sometimes she's damned for losing her children due to a slight error, and sometimes she murders them with her own hands. But looking over the legend, one could say La Llorona shares many elements with a similarly folkloric superhero - Ghost Rider. Both receive infernal/divine retribution for doing something verboten, both have emotional associations (wrath and sin for Ghost Rider, grief and despair for La Llorona) and elemental associations as well (fire vs. water). How hard would it be to turn the weeping woman into a hero who brings sorrow to those who've meted plenty of it out? Instead of making this La Llorona as a ghost - which would require Immunity (fortitude effects) - I decided to build her on the assumption that La Llorona is a mantle, with the original ghost merging with the new woman to take on the title. With Immunity (aging) and a few other bonuses you'd associate with immortality, you could make her the original La Llorona, cursed to wander between life and death for her crimes until she's worked off her debt. Much of her power is tied around the associations of water and despair. For water, you've got control over the fluid itself, the ability to make people drown on dry land (Blast w/ Fortitude), mist that frays the eyes and the nerves (Obscure). For grief, you've got sorrow that freezes the soul (Paralyze) and a crippling wave of despair (Emotion Control). As the character's touched by death, she can assume a ghost's form and move through the world unseen and unobstructed, as well as commune with the dead and see their last visions. As said above, there are many takes on La Llorona. So which original is this one? If you're going for the least morally ambiguous version, the best bet would be the tale where she goes off to a party and her children are abducted while she's out. When she kills herself out of grief, the angel of death offers her the chance to retrieve her children's ghosts. Once she finds them and they go off to their reward, she chooses to stay behind, lending her power to women who will do everything to make sure no one suffers like La Llorona did. For a more ambiguous version, La Llorona is often associated with La Malinche, the Nahua woman who served as Cortes' guide and consort while he conquered Mexico, her role in the national consciousness somewhere between Uncle Sam and Benedict Arnold. As such, she might have enemies amongst the Aztec pantheon, which would lead to a nice bit of moral ambiguity. Yes, Cortes was no saint and her actions led to the conquest and enslavement of their worshippers... but then, look at some of the stuff those gods got up to. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted May 29, 2012 Author Share Posted May 29, 2012 White Rabbit That's right, dear, go out there, aid your comrade. Shame he's not there... Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 4 + 6 + 4 + 2 + 6 + 4 = 26 PP Strength 14 (+2) Dexterity 16 (+3) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 12 (+1) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Rifle) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus) Initiative: +3 Grapple: +8 Knockback: -5/-1 Saving Throws: 4 + 5 + 4 = 13 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +6 (+2 CON, +4) Reflex: +8 (+3 DEX, +5) Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4) Skills: 72r = 18 PP Acrobatics 9 (+12) Bluff 8 (+10) Diplomacy 6 (+8) Gather Information 6 (+8) Intimidate 6 (+8) Knowledge (current events) 5 (+6) Knowledge (history) 5 (+6) Language (Russian [base], English, Chechen) Notice 7 (+10) Sense Motive 6 (+9) Stealth 8 (+11) Survival 4 (+7) Feats: 12 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Feint) Dodge Focus 4 Endurance Evasion Hide in Plain Sight Improved Ranged Disarm Power Attack Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 8 + 15 + 33 + 1 = 57 PP Protection 8 [8 PP] Rifle, 25 PP Device (Easy-to-Lose) [15 PP] Blast 8 (Extras: Penetrating 2; Power Feats: Accurate 3, Improved Range 2 [500 ft. increments], Improved Critical, Ricochet) [25 PP] Secrecy, 30 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 3) [33 PP] Base: Illusion (visual, audio) 10 [30 PP]Alternate Power: Concealment (all senses) 10 (Extras: Affects Others) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Damage 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Area Burst, Selective Attack; Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [30 PP]Alternate Power: Telepathy 10 (Extras: Area Shapeable) [30 PP] Super-Senses (Extended Vision) 1 [1 PP] Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (18) + Feats (12) + Powers (57) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP And now, a very different take on the "sexy Slavic spy" archetype. In my trawlings of various special ops groups for that damn novel I'm working on, I stumbled on the urban legend of the White Tights, female biathletes from the Baltic states who are recruited for anti-Russian mercenary work based on the fact that their sport gives them plenty of experience in wintry forest environments and sharpshooting. As KnightDisciple pointed out when I brought up the concept in Chat, it's not hard to see how this may have emerged as a Rule 63 take on a somewhat famous anti-Russian sniper known for wearing white and blending into the forest. But as I thought on the concept - and this goes to show how weird a place my brain is - I thought on how, when it comes to superpowers for a sniper, being an illusionist would be one hell of a boon. Hence, this build. Like one of the fabled White Tights, she's skilled at athletics and movement in a forest environment, with training that means she can move fast through thick environments without tiring. She's fully capable of assuming a protected position even without her powers. And as for those powers... well, imagine what a sniper can do with illusions. Fooling the target by creating the noise of phantom gunfire in the opposite direction, creating the perfect cover that will keep others from spotting your position, and throwing out the occasional distraction in case someone accidentally stumbles upon your post. Then there are the less heroic uses of such a talent, such as creating a wounded soldier crying for help to aid in luring your target out. In addition to that, I threw in a few other psychic powers to aid on the battlefield - telepathy to help gather enemy intelligence, and a burst of mental damage for if all else fails and the enemy stumbles upon your position. Now, the White Tights, as portrayed in urban folklore, are not so much heroes as vengeance-crazed mercenaries, targeting Russians everywhere from Afghanistan to Chechnya to Georgia (the country, not the state). Given that the Cold War is long over, portraying such an entity as a hero is probably too much to ask. Then again, Black Widow got a start as a villain before she defected; maybe this woman got her bloody satisfaction for one of the Russian massacres during the Second Chechen War, and decided to join with AEGIS for the sake of amnesty and to use her talents for good. Or perhaps her goal is less vengeance and more protection - once she was a victim of Russian war crimes, and after bringing the perpetrators to justice, she travelled the globe as a guardian angel, exposing war crimes by all parties and bringing the organizers to justice in the World Court. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Light-Based Speedster I'd say "try and keep up," but we both know that's impossible. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: +2 ATT/-2 DMG, +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 (+12 Lightspeed) Defense: +12 (+8 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed Initiative: +15 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: +13/+8 (+3 DEX, +5 Enhanced Reflex, +5) Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4) Skills: 64r = 16 PP Acrobatics 12 (+15) Bluff 8 (+10) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 8 (+10) Knowledge (current events) 6 (+8) Knowledge (physical sciences) 6 (+8) Language (English [base], French) Notice 8 (+11) Sense Motive 7 (+10) Feats: 20 PP Acrobatic Bluff All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Acrobatic Bluff) Dodge Focus 4 Elusive Target Evasion 2 Improved Initiative 3 Instant Up Move-By Action Power Attack Quick Change Redirect Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Well-Informed Powers: 32 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 46 PP Lightspeed, 25 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 3, Alternate Power 4) [32 PP] Base: Blast 8 (Extras: Autofire 1, Power Feats: Improved Critical) [25 PP]Alternate Power: Dazzle (visual) 8 (Extras: Area Cone, Power Feats: Reversible) [25 PP]Alternate Power: Strike 7 (Extras: Targeted Area Burst, Selective Attack; Power Feats: Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [24 PP]Alternate Power: Enhanced Speed 10 (brings Speed to 250,000 MPH/250000 ft. per round) [10 PP] + Enhanced Quickness 10 (brings Quickness to x25,000) [10 PP] + Enhanced Reflex 5 [5 PP]Alternate Power: Insubstantial 3 (light-based body) [15 PP] + Flight 5 (250 MPH/2500 ft. per round) [10 PP] Protection 6 [6 PP] Quickness 4 (x25) [4 PP] Speed 4 (100 MPH/1000 ft. per round) [4 PP] Abilities (26) + Combat (28) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (16) + Feats (20) + Powers (46) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Happy Pride Month, everybody! June is the month that really kicks the gay pride season into high gear (though locally, it started a few weeks ago with Long Beach Pride, so it looks like I've been falling behind). As a result, I will be celebrating June with builds based around famous GLBT individuals from comic books (and perhaps from other media). And where better to start than with the first hero to come out of the closet at the Big Two, Northstar? Okay, there was Extrano before him, but we don't talk about that. Northstar was long hinted at as gay, from the first days of Alpha Flight on, but was kept in the closet due to editorial fiat. When the Nineties rolled around, Marvel decided it'd get them publicity if Northstar just stopped denying it and came out of the closet. This was done haphazardly, to say the least, as it seemed all the elements that had defined Northstar before - veteran athlete, politically active to the point of radicalism, devoted to his sister - receded in favor of "gay, arrogant, and Canadian." Fortunately, later writers have brought Northstar back around closer to his earlier portrayals, meaning you've got a character who is gay but whose sexuality does not entirely define him (giving you the stinkeye, Chuck Austen). This was my first real attempt at building a speedster. Oh, sure, I've built guys who fly really, really fast and people who dance in the moments between seconds, but this is the first time I built a speedster on principles of "moves real fast" alone. Then again, it wouldn't be Northstar if I didn't include shiny lights somewhere, so I gave him a solid control over light. It's not refined enough to create illusions, but strong enough to create lasers or blinding lights. He's also able to draw on the speed of light for an extra burst of power (for the inevitable race with another speedster), use a quick burst to engage in melee against everyone in the room, and transmute his body into light entirely to escape the constraints of gravity. He's gotten very used to going at fast speeds - perhaps he was a downhill skier, like Northstar, or some other athlete used to fast-paced action, like a Formula 1 racer. How did the character get their powers? Maybe an experiment with relativistic speeds resulted in the discovery of a strange particle that allows something to travel faster-than-light without falling prey to relativity's foibles - a particle that had really strange effects on the scientist involved. Maybe an alien artifact discovered in the wilds of Canada interacted strangely with the Aurora Borealis, transforming the person who found it into a strange amalgam of matter and energy. Or, if you want to go mythological, perhaps the character bears a lineage with Helios, who decided to internalize the power and speed of light in his later brood after that whole incident where Phaeton got the keys to his chariot. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Military Cowl I found another way to serve. Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: +5 ATT/-5 DMG, +2 DEF/-2 TOU 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: 14 + 12 = 26 PP Attack: +7 (+15 Strike, +15 Gadgets) Defense: +12 (+6 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +10 Grapple: +11 Knockback: -8/-2 Saving Throws: 3 + 5 + 4 = 12 PP Toughness: +8/+4 (+4 CON, +4 Protection) Fortitude: +7 (+4 CON, +3) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +7 (+3 WIS, +4) Skills: 108r = 27 PP Acrobatics 8 (+10) Bluff 6 (+8) Diplomacy 6 (+8) Disable Device 10 (+12) Escape Artist 6 (+8) Gather Information 6 (+8) Intimidate 10 (+12) Knowledge (current events) 6 (+8) Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10) Knowledge (streetwise) 6 (+8) Language (English [base], Arabic, Urdu, Russian, Farsi) Notice 8 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Stealth 8 (+10) Survival 8 (+11) Feats: 21 PP Attack Specialization (Strike) 4 Benefit (use Knowledge [tactics] for Initiative) Challenge (Fast Startle) Contacts Defensive Attack Dodge Focus 6 Evasion Hide in Plain Sight Master Plan 2 Power Attack Startle Uncanny Dodge (audio) Powers: 12 + 18 = 30 PP Costume, 15 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose) [12 PP] Protection 4 (Extras: Impervious 8) [12 PP] Strike 1 (Power Feats: Improved Critical, Mighty) [3 PP] Gadgets 2 (Hard-to-Lose, Power Feats: Accurate 4) [18 PP] Sample Makes: Stun 5 (Extras: Range [Ranged], Flaws: Action [Full-Round]) [10 PP] “baton rounds†Enhanced Grapple 7 [7 PP] + Enhanced Feats 3 (Improved Grab, Improved Pin, Improved Throw) [3 PP] “hand grips†Super-Movement 4 (Slow Fall, Swinging, Wall Crawling 2) [8 PP] + Flight 2 (25 MPH, Flaws: Gliding) [2 PP] “urban maneuvering kit†Corrosion 5 (Flaws: Affects Objects Only) [10 PP] “breaching explosives†Snare 5 [10 PP] “net grenade†Super-Senses 10 (Darkvision, Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Infravision Track, Extended Vision 2 [100x], Radio, Ultra-Hearing) [10 PP] “night operations package†Abilities (34) + Combat (26) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (27) + Feats (21) + Powers (30) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Pride Month continues, and given that one of my running themes in this thread has been military builds, it was only a matter of time until we got to Batwoman. Kate Kane was the daughter of a colonel who wanted nothing more than to go into the military. Sadly, her time at West Point was cut short when she was suspected of lesbian activities and, valuing her honor, refused to tell a lie. As this was when Don't Ask, Don't Tell was still in effect (and man, it's gonna be interesting to see what they do if the sliding time scale sticks around in the DCnU), she was kicked out of the military. Drifting aimlessly and trying to make a living as a socialite, she found new purpose when Batman swept in to stop her from being mugged... only to see that she was handling the mugger pretty well. With the aid of her dad and some smuggled military equipment, she took to the streets of Gotham when Batman was absent. I guess you could say there are never enough points for Cowls, but when you've got a bag full of Gadgets, you can certainly make up for some of those points. Even without the Gadgets, the character is fully able of kicking ass normally, throwing opponents off their guard, and sneaking about like any other Cowl. With the Gadgets, she has even more tricks. One of the things about having an Attack-shifted Cowl means that you don't really need all that many points in Gadgets - after all, you can Power Attack to make up for the loss - which means you can get utilitarian "down time" stuff just as easily as stuff that might see use in the heat of battle. As such, I decided a lot of her utilitarian stuff would be a mix of comic book super-science and the kind of standard issue stuff you might get in the military. Breaching charges, baton rounds, night vision/thermals, the whole special ops grab bag. Now, the main question is, is she still in the service or operating as a private citizen? If still in the military, then odds are she's got special forces training - though if you're playing her as an American, that's going to need some explanation, as women can't qualify for those positions (though the Special Boat Service of the British Royal Navy and nearly everything in the Canadian military are more egalitarian). If they're out of the field, then what's the reason for discharge? Maybe they left because they wanted to make a difference at home. Maybe they saw something really, really weird in the field and were given an honorable discharge to keep them from digging too deep. Or... well, there's always the good old fashioned reason of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. You may need a reason why they don't go back into the service these days, though. Link to comment
trollthumper Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Localized Reality Warper Why don't you come over here and say that? Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-Offs: None Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 26 PP Strength 30/14 (+10/+2) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 16 (+3) Wisdom 14 (+2) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 PP Attack: +6 (+10 Weaving Ring) Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +20/+8 Knockback: -10/-5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 6 = 16 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +7 (+2 DEX, +5) Will: +8 (+2 WIS, +6) Skills: 72r = 18 PP Bluff 8 (+10) Concentration 8 (+10) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 8 (+10) Knowledge (art) 6 (+9) Knowledge (current events) 6 (+9) Knowledge (history) 6 (+9) Knowledge (pop culture) 6 (+9) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 17 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Evasion Improved Initiative Move-By Action Power Attack Redirect Taunt Uncanny Dodge (mental) Well-Informed Powers: 49 PP Weaving Ring, 60 PP Device (Hard-to-Lose, Power Feats: Indestructible) [49 PP] Enhanced Feats 2 (Quick Change 2) [2 PP] Infinite Potential, 32 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 5) [39 PP] Base: Enhanced Strength 16 [16 PP] + Impervious Toughness 10 [10 PP] + Flight 3 (50 MPH/500 ft. per round) [6 PP]Alternate Power: Damage 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack; Power Feats: Reverse Progression 2 [15 foot radius]) [32 PP]Alternate Power: Create Object 10 (Extras: Duration [Continuous], Power Feats: Precise, Subtle) [32 PP]Alternate Power: Healing 10 (Extras: Total, Power Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) [32 PP]Alternate Power: Shape Matter 10 (1000 pounds, Extras: Area Burst, Flaws: Action [Full-Round], Range [Touch], Power Feats: Reverse Progression 2 [15 foot radius]) [32 PP] Immunity (critical hits, disease, poison) 4 [4 PP] Protection 8 [8 PP] Super-Senses (Accurate Acute Analytical Ranged Radius Mental Sense, Danger Sense) 7 [7 PP] Abilities (26) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (18) + Feats (17) + Powers (49) - Disadvantages (0) = 150 PP Here's where we start getting into some of the cautionary tales of Pride Month. Freedom Ring honestly had a very interesting set of powers - after finding a ring-shaped chunk of the Marvel Universe's local reality warping MacGuffin, the Cosmic Cube, he gained the power to completely alter reality... but only within an immediate 15 foot radius. It took him a while to learn the ins and outs of the ring, but eventually gave himself a Paragon's power set while using the ring to make up for other things. As the character was debuting at an iffy time for gay representation in the Marvel Universe (editorial was just walking back from a policy that gay characters could only solo headline in mature titles - after a mature title where the character's gay nature was represented entirely by gay jokes - and they couldn't seem to stop killing Northstar), Joe Quesada was quick to tout the character's nature as Marvel's up and coming gay hero. And then, not one month later, he died. Horribly. Robert Kirkman later admitted he'd wanted to write a storyline about a gay male superhero, but also wanted to write a story about a newbie hero who keeps making newbie mistakes and ends up getting killed in their first major fight, and decided to combine the two. Whoops. To be fair, he later apologized for killing (what was at the time) 20% of Marvel's gay male hero population, and if you take a charitable view, the whole fiasco could be seen as the kick-off point for much more careful gay representation in Marvel Comics. But let's stay away from the unpleasant stuff, and focus on the sheer potential of the character. As the character doesn't exactly have the range option, some of the other feats of strength available to reality warpers (such as teleportation, mind control, and ranged telekinesis) aren't really an option. But there are a number of Touch range powers that fit in with the "walking god" aspect, such as Healing and Create Object. For when you need to show strength, you can always raise castles and fortresses around you, or cause fortresses to crumble to dust, with Shape Matter, or set the very air around you on fire with Damage. Then there's always the good old fashioned Paragon powerset, for when you want to internalize all that god-like power. Without the ring, the guy's a plucky kid with a smart tongue and a healthy knowledge of the world (I threw in the ranks of Knowledge [art] as a shout out to another ring bearer with unlimited power), but with it, he's a god in miniature. So where did the Ring come from? The Freedomverse doesn't necessarily have an equivalent to the Cosmic Cube (though I might try building something like it down the line). There is one place that does have infinite potential, however - the Zero Zone, which easily crafts to match the thoughts of its inhabitants. Perhaps the ring is a portal to the Zero Zone, used to localize its physical properties and unlock unlimited power. Or perhaps it's a version of the Seal of Solomon that has one of the prime wish-crafters of the djinn bound into it - either willingly, as a bargain to a line of powerful sorcerers, or as its prison for a crime best not mentioned. Maybe it's the Ring of Gyges, and the guy who found it in the first place only used it for really petty stuff. There's a whole lot of possibility in myth, after all. Link to comment
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