Shadowblade (PL 10) - Corsecjedi

[Corsecjedi]

Player Name: Corsecjedi
Character Name: Shadowblade
Power Level: 10 (150/161 PP)
Trade-Offs: +2 Attack / -2 Damage
Unspent Power Points: 11
Progress To Bronze Status: 11/30

In Brief: Shadowblade is a mutant with some basic abilities for teleportation and stealth.  By day, she is an assistant professor and research fellow in history, but by night, she fights to protect the weak and bring the corrupt and powerful to justice.

Alternate Identity: Elanor Churchill
Identity: Secret
Birthplace: Oxfordshire, England
Occupation: Assistant Professor and Research Fellow
Affiliations: Pending!
Family: Hamilton Churchill (Father), Adele Churchill (Mother), Jonathan Churchill (eldest brother), Julius Churchill (older brother), 2 sisters-in-law, a few nieces and nephews, and many cousins and assorted relations.

Description:
Age: 29 (DOB: July 15, 1984)
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 140
Eyes: Amber
Hair: Black

As Elanor, she is fairly tall for a woman with a lean, attractive build.  She has more strength and toughness than her relatively slight frame might suggest, thanks to her mutation.  Her eyes are the most visible sign of that mutation: they are amber and feline in shape, which she hides as much as she can with specially made contact lenses, though nothing can make them look truly human.  She has a taste for fine things and favors fashionable dresses and business suits.  She wears her black hair long and normally lets it flow freely or in a loose ponytail.
 
As Shadowblade, she favors dark, practical clothing based on a professional fencer’s garb: long-sleeved and close-fitting, though still loose enough to allow her full range of movement.  Underneath, she wears a armored vest which she can also wear under her daily clothes if she is expecting trouble.  She wears a mask to hide her features, though she leaves her eyes visible to heighten her unusual appearance.  She wears her hair pulled back in a tight braid and completes her ensemble with a pair of fingerless leather gloves which protect her hands and still let her use her fingers. To complete her persona as Shadowblade, she usually speaks in classic Elizabethan English, though she's willing to drop that affectation when clarity is vital.
 
Power Descriptions:
Shadowblade’s powers are, by and large, subtle and discreet.  Her eyes, her sleek black hair, and her extraordinarily graceful carriage are the most readily apparent aspects of her mutation.  Her teleportation produces a soft sound, like a cork popping out of a bottle and a small amount of smoky shadow which dissipates almost immediately.  The rest of her powers help her avoid notice, not attract it, helping her excel at infiltration and stealth.
 
Her rapier is a family heirloom which her father entrusted to her several years ago.  It has no magical powers but is extraordinarily well-made and has served her well.  She has been training as a fencer for over a decade and has experience with multiple styles.  Her brother taught her the basics, and other masters and teachers have greatly expanded her talents.  She’s proven her skill in competitions and battles and continues to practice and train regularly.

 
History:
(Full story posted in News Thread)
 
Shadowblade was born as Elanor Churchill, an offshoot from the line of the Dukes of Marlborough in England.  She had a very privileged childhood, though her father especially tried to instill a sense of duty in her; she had been given much, and she should use them for the good of all people.  She, however, paid little attention to his ideals until her time at university, when her best friend was murdered.  The killer used his power and station to escape justice, and Elanor became consumed with the unfairness of the world, how people suffered at the hands of those with power, wealth, or a family name.  During this time, she also began to discover and develop her superpowers and, when she learned the identity of the man who killed her friend, she acted - she sent him to face the justice of the next life.
 
Instead of elation or satisfaction, though, she felt nothing but guilt and grief.  She confessed what she’d done and what she was to her father, who challenged her to live her life according to the ideals in which he believed.  From then on, Elanor devoted herself to justice - partly to find atonement for her sins, but mostly because it was right.  After the furor surrounding the death of her victim subsided somewhat, she very quietly approached the Ministry of Powers in her Shadowblade persona.  She worked with the Ministry occasionally since then and assisted them with various investigations, but she always kept at least a little distance, preferring to remain an ally rather than a fully co-opted member of the Ministry.
 
As Elanor, she continued her studies and eventually earned a Ph.D. and a research appointment at her alma mater.  Recently, she’s arranged to take an exchange position with Freedom City University.  Half the year, she does her research in England, and half the year she teaches classes in America.  Officially, she took this position to teach (which she has always wanted to do), but she also wanted to meet the legendary heroes of Freedom City and perhaps find others who shared her passion to fight injustice.

 

Personality & Motivation:
Elanor is an intense young woman.  She can be open and friendly, though it’s a little bit of an effort for her.  Normally, she focuses completely on the project, research, or thought at hand.  She believes passionately in doing what she can to make the world a better place and treating all people as equals.  She loves teaching and interacting with young minds, inspiring them and shaping them to be the best of the future.  During her semesters in Freedom City, she also volunteers to teach a class at Freedom College because she believes good education is a right for all, not just for those who can afford the best.
 
As Shadowblade, she keeps that same intensity and passion for justice, and, if anything, they become even more pronounced.  She is haunted by what she did that fateful night in England and feels compelled to work ceaselessly to overcome that mistake, to make her life a just and good one.  Her father taught her to use the gifts of wealth and position for good, and as Shadowblade, her gifts must be used for that cause as well.

She still struggles with temptation.  Her gifts would easily allow her to subvert the rule of law, to take justice into her own hands, and it is a constant struggle to resist that lure.  She is a practical person and, as such, often feels tempted by the expediency of simply removing the corrupt or the evil.  But in the end, she falls back on her father’s example and wisdom and strives to do her best to use her gifts, to live a just life, and to make the world better for her having been in it.

Powers & Tactics:
Shadowblade’s tactics aim to use her stealth and skill with a blade to her best advantage.  She knows she doesn’t have the strength or toughness to match many opponents blow for blow or with the main strength, so she rarely engages in a fair fight.  She tries to avoid combat whenever possible through stealth and chicanery, but, if it becomes necessary, she strikes hard and quick, going for the fast knockout and then vanishing back into the shadows.

She is well-suited to spywork, to infiltration, and to surprise attacks.  She puts these strengths to good use to ferret out the secrets or incriminating evidence of the corrupt, or to protect people from those who might try to do them harm.

 

 

Complications:
Secret (Identity): Only Elanor's father, Hamilton, knows about her powers and work, and she wants to keep it that way.  Her appearance can make this somewhat difficult for her - as Elanor, she has to wear special contact lenses to try to hide the shape of her eyes.  Beyond that, she goes out of her way to keep her friends and family isolated from her hero work and identity as Shadowblade.
Responsibility: Elanor has commitments, being a professor and researcher, as well as a few volunteer activities.  These obligations have to be met and require her to balance her work as Shadowblade around her life as Elanor.

Never Again: Shadowblade's first real use of her powers resulted in a man's death.  Since then, she has been committed, almost fanatically so, to avoiding causing any possible lethal harm to those she might fight.  If an enemy looks to be hurt or in danger of suffering potential permanent harm, she will hesitate and halt her attacks.  A clever enemy may use a bluff check (or other appropriate skill or power, as the GM sees fit) to fool Shadowblade and catch her off-guard.
Shadow Step: Shadowblade's teleportation connects her briefly to the Shadow-World, though she is relatively unaware of the significance of this.  When she teleports, especially in dangerous situations when she is frightened or anxious, there is a possibility that unfriendly denizens of that plane might follow her back to our world.

 

Abilities: 2 + 8 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 28 PP
Strength: 14/12 (+2/+1)
Dexterity: 24/18 (+7/+4)
Constitution: 16/14 (+3/+2)
Intelligence: 16 (+3)
Wisdom: 14 (+2)
Charisma: 14 (+2)
 
Combat: 8 + 8 = 16 PP
Initiative: +11
Attack: +4, +12 Melee
Grapple: +14
Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed
Knockback: -5/-3

Saving Throws: 5 + 3 + 5 = 13 PP
Toughness: +10 (+3 Con, +4 Defensive Roll, +3 Undercover Vest), +6 Flat-Footed
Fortitude: +8 (+3 Con, +5)
Reflex: +10 (+7 Dex, +3)
Will: +7 (+2 Wis, +5)
 
Skills: 88 Ranks = 22 PP
Acrobatics 8 (+15)
Bluff 6 (+8)
Computers 2 (+5)
Concentration 6 (+8)
Diplomacy 4 (+6)
Escape Artist 5 (+12)
Gather Information 7 (+9)
Knowledge (Current Events) 4 (+7)
Knowledge (History) 9 (+12)
Knowledge (Theology/Philosophy) 5 (+8)
Language 3 (English [base], French, German, Latin)
Notice 10 (+12)
Sense Motive 6 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 5 (+12)
Stealth 8 (+15)
 
Feats: 41 PP
Accurate Attack
Acrobatic Bluff
All-Out Attack
Assessment
Attack Focus (Melee) 8
Attractive 1
Benefit (Wealthy) 1
Challenge (Acrobatic Feint)
Critical Strike
Defensive Roll 2
Dodge Focus 6

Elusive Target

Equipment 4
Evasion
Hide in Plain Sight
Improved Block
Improved Critical (Rapier) 2
Improved Disarm
Improved Initiative
Improved Trip
Power Attack
Sneak Attack 1
Uncanny Dodge 2 (Hearing, Visual)
 
Equipment: (19 EP)
Binoculars 1
Commlink 1
Concealable Microphone 1
Digital Audio Recorder 0
Flash Goggles 1
Handcuffs 0
Mini-Tracer 1
Multi-Tool 1
Rebreather 1
Dagger (Strike 1 (Feats Mighty, Improved Critical, Thrown) 4
Smoke Grenade (Obscure [Visual] 2) 4
Undercover Vest (Protection 3, Subtle) 4

 

Powers: 10 + 11 + 4 + 5 + 3 = 33 PP
 
Feline Power 2 (10 PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [10 PP] (Mutation)

Enhanced Dexterity 6 [6 PP]

Enhanced Strength 2 [2 PP]

Enhanced Constitution 2 [2 PP]

 
Teleport 4 (9 PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 2) [11 PP] (Mutation) ("Shadowjump")

Base Power: Teleport 4 (Flaws: Short-Ranged, Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Progression 2 [Additional Mass, 500  lbs.], Turnabout) [9 PP]
Alternate Power 1: (Bonus to Existing) Strike 8 (Extras: Autofire) [8 PP]

Alternate Power 2: (Bonus to Existing) Strike 6 (Extras: Area [burst, Targeted]], Selective Attack, Flaws: Action 1 [Full Round]) [6 PP]

 

Super-Senses 4 (Darkvision, Accurate normal human hearing) [4 PP] (Mutation) ("Feline Senses")

Concealment 5 (Complete Visual Senses, Normal Hearing, Flaws: Limited [shadows]) [5 PP] (Mutation) ("Shadowmeld")

Device 1 (5 PP Container, Flaws: Easy-to-Lose) [3 PP] ("Rapier")

Strike 4 (Feats: Mighty) [5 PP] (Piercing, Slashing, Physical)

 

Drawbacks: -2 + -1 = -3

Vulnerability to Sonic (Minor [+1 to DC], Common) [-2 PP]

Vulnerability to Dazzle (Visual) (Minor [+1 to DC], Uncommon) [-1 PP]

 

Abilities (28) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (22) + Feats (41) + Powers (33) - Drawbacks (3) = 150/161 Power Points

 

DC Block

ATTACK      RANGE       SAVE                          EFFECT

Unarmed     Touch       DC 17/19 Toughness (Staged)   Damage (Physical)

Rapier      Touch       DC 21/23 Toughness (Staged)   Damage (Physical)

Edited February 8, 2014 by Thevshi
3 pp for Janaury 2014

[Thevshi]

Okay Corsec, a couple of minor things.

 

Knockback, should be -5, -3 Flat-Footed.

 

You can remove the line about the equipment assumed from your wealth bonus, as that is correct.

 

For the Teleport, what is the Progression 2 for?  (I assume amount of weight she can carry while teleporting, but need that indicated, as well as how much additional weight that is).

 

Otherwise, we have worked on the character in your building thread already.

[Corsecjedi]

Changes made.  Sorry about the lack of clarity on the progression.  It's given specific rules when used as a power feat for teleport, so I didn't include it originally.

[Thevshi]

Thanks.

 

APPROVED

[Supercape]

Looking good!

 

A few minor points I think...mainly niggles but also I think I have freed up one EP for you!

 

Equipment:

 

The Dagger, according to M&M core rules is 4 EP. In addition, we usually annotate what the power is (in this case, Strike 1, Feats Might, Improved Crit 1, Thrown) although as its in the core rule book not vital - just handy! The same goes for Undercover Vest (Protection 3, Subtle) and Smoke Grenade (Visual Obcure 2). Again, not vital but helpful. 

 

Whilst you need 1 more EP for Dagger (or knife or whatever you want to call it), the good news is we dont make people pay for over the counter equipment that does not mimic powers. in other words, Digital audio Recorder and Handcuffs cost 0 EP (by all means keep them in to say you carry them around). This frees up a spare EP!

 

Complications:

 

I dig the Shadow Step complication in principle. Complications work best as dichotomous "On/off" things, whereas things like working at half power and so on are best mechanically as limitations. The reason is that its a bit difficult to judge exactly when teleporting at half distance rather than full distance really becomes a complication. One to ponder for you - I would suggest (and its only a suggestion) either changing that to a limitation of the power (2 ranks of it are limited to only in shadows) or going full on with the complication - it fails in full darkness or bright light. 

 

Supersenses 4:

 

THis is actually Supersenses 4 and seems to be have added up as 4 in your power totals, but you have annotated it as 3 PP?. Also, technically, accurate is not an extra. Best annotates just as Supersenses 4 (Darkvision, Accurate normal hearing) [4PP]

 

 

Everything else looks spiffy!

[Corsecjedi]

Hey, Supercape, sorry it took so long for me to get it back to you.  Yeah, the Supersenses thing was just a typo; fixed!  Also updated the equipment stuff; apparently, my copy of the Core Rulebook has a typo or something on the knife cost.  Anyway, updated.

 

As far as the complications go...  I went ahead and changed them around a bit.  I've tried to provide them with some specific handles or ideas for GMs to use potentially.  I think they're thematic, definitely would complicate her life if/when they're used, and such.  Let me know what you think!

[Supercape]

Thanks. I did a few minor format edits. Complications look good. 

 

APPROVED!

 

And enjoy!