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Shinken - PL 11 - Toptomcat


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Posted

Players Name: Toptomcat

Power Level: 10 (158/160 PPs)

Unspent PPs: 2

Characters Name: Benjiro Fujisama

Alternate Identity: Shinken

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 152 lb

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Description: Out of his armor, Benjiro is a fairly typical Japanese young adult, with a somewhat emaciated body, an unusual trembling about the hands, and an awkward way of walking- all due to nerve damage. He is soft-spoken and subtle, strangely so for someone of his age.

Inside it, he's another story. Confident, flamboyant and mobile, Benjiro takes joy in moving as easily and as smoothly as the armor lets him. The actual armor is, as powered armors go, extremely subtle: it's no more than an inch and a half thick in its largest dimension, easily capable of being concealed under heavy clothes if the helmet is removed. Its most outstanding features are the traditional-style somen (full face mask) with glowing green eyes, and the striking red-and-gold paint job it sports.

History: Benjiro Fujisama is an unusual figure, a twenty-five-year-old Japanese billionare arms dealer with a Stateside secret identity as a superhero. Born to upper-middle class parents in Okinawa, Japan, he was a champion in his collegiate kendo team, leading it to national dominance while maintaining good grades in his chosen major of mechanical engineering. He lived the high life, riding on a crest of fame: kendo is one of the biggest collegiate sports played in Japan, and his success in it made him a fairly huge celebrity there.

One day, it all came crashing down. In an attempt to avoid the super-groups that plagued him in the States, the American supercriminal Devil-Ray attempted to rob a bank in Naha. While he was stopped by the local hero Bushido, his suit was ruptured in the fight, and a set of nerve gas canisters Devil-Ray had recently added flooded the bank. Bushido rescued most of the bystanders, but it was too late for Benji's parents, and he himself suffered permanent nerve damage that left him barely able to walk, let alone win kendo championships.

That night, Devil-Ray's armor vanished from the Naha precinct house.

Over the next few months, Benjiro threw himself into his studies, studying traditional mechanical engineering by day and the subsystems of Devil-ray's stolen powered suit by night. While he was nowhere near as intelligent as he would've needed to be to create a battlesuit on his own, with Devil-Ray's excellent designs on hand he was able to reverse-engineer and improve on it, creating a much less bulky suit that complimented his swordsmanship talents and compensated for his nerve damage by designing a spinal chord jack that he got implanted, bypassing the nervous system entirely. Between the surgery and his battlesuit, however, he was reaching the limits of his inheritance money, and ran the risk of being stopped by poverty before he could finish the armor that would let him move again. So Benji took a path that few super-inventors have: he went commercial. Using the last of his parents' money as well as a substantial loan, he started Ares Macrotechnology, Inc., a company commercially selling battlesuits and powered walkers that, while not outperforming typical others like AEGIS' Ajax Units, were more readily available and customizable, as well as significantly cheaper.

However, the company foundered. A lack of the necessary capital to advertise, combined with a widespread perception that the armored suits were gimmicky toys rather than effective battle armor, slowed sales to the point of being imperceptible. In the summer of 1998, his creditors were pounding at his door, his staff had been reduced to a skeleton, and the battlesuit that gave him his mobility was still prototypical and required more time and money to perfect. Things seemed bleak.

Then, Benjiro saw an American news broadcast on the exploits of Daedalus, and suddenly there was hope. Painting the suit with the Ares colors of red, yellow and gold, as well as boosting its combat capabilities in a fairly unique way, he set up a temporary residence in the States and proceeded to join the high-profile superhero scene there as the sword-wielding Shinken, using it as a publicity stunt to promote Ares' battlesuits. In a twist that amused him and endeared him to the papers, the first problem he had the opportunity to tackle was a samurai robot built by the Japanese genius Doc Otaku. In a spectacular twenty-minute duel in a Freedom City construction site, Shinken disarmed and defeated the agile android without ever once being touched by the robot's deadly energized sword. He masterfully took advantage of the ensuing media circus to promote Ares Macrotech's products, destroying the company's negative image overnight and establishing it as a force to be reckoned with. In the next nine months, the company went nova: they won a U.S. contract to refit aging AEGIS Ajax Units, contracts with the Australian and Dakanan militaries to supply a platoon's worth of the company's Chigatana-class armed walkers, and an order from the British SAS for ten Shinsengumi-class antiterrorist battlesuits. He issued an American stock IPO just as the stock market there went through the roof with the Internet boom, and Ares' futuristic-seeming products rode that wave into a market capitalization in the billions of dollars. Cannily using his company's inflated value to purchase real manufacturing assets, Benjiro transformed Ares into a titanic multi-faceted military contractor, selling its advanced products to elite military units all over the world. Ares has become a byword, not only for advanced battlesuits, but for super-premium military equipment of all types- from match-grade .50 BMG ammunition to daka-crystal silencers. Benjiro continues to adventure publicly as Shinken, both to gain publicity for Ares- and to prevent tragedies like his parents' from ever happening again.

Stats: [-6pp]

Str: 4 / 22 (-3 / +6 )

Dex: 6 / 26 (-2 / +8)

Con: 4 / 18 (-3 / +4)

Int: 18 (+4)

Wis: 10 (+0)

Cha: 12 (+1)

Combat [0pp]

Attack: +4, +6 Melee, +10 w/ Own Swords; +0 out of armor

Grapple: +8; +0 out of armor

Defense: +10 (+5 flat-footed); +0 out of armor

Knockback: -5; +1 out of armor

Initiative: +10; -3 out of armor

Saves: [6pp]

Toughness: +10; -3 out of suit

Fortitude: +4; -3 out of suit (+4/-3 Con, +0)

Reflex: +8; -2 out of suit (+8/-2 Dex, +0)

Will: +6 (+0 Wis, +6)

Skills: 80r = 20pp

See Powers: also

Computers 8 (+12)

Craft (electronic) 12 (+16)

Craft (mechanical) 12 (+16)

Diplomacy 8 (+9)

Gather Information 8 (+9)

Knowledge (Business) 14 (+18)

Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+8)

Knowledge (technology) 8 (+12)

Language 2 (English, Mandarin Chinese; Japanese is native)

Sense Motive 4 (+4)

Feats: [16pp]

See Powers: also

Benefit 8 (security clearance, wealth 6x, wide-ranging Headquarters Personnel in dire emergency)

Connected (Wide-ranging and powerful connections; many in the governments and militaries of the Western world and a great deal of influence in the Japanese and American business worlds.)

Contacts

Equipment 4 (Headquarters)

Inventor

Well-Informed

Headquarters: refitted abandoned auto factory on the outskirts of Freedom City.

Toughness: 15

Size: Large

Features: Defense System 3x (external 20mm cannon (Blast 8 Autofire Explosion), internal .50-caliber autoturrets (Blast 7 Autofire), facility-wide Neuro-Paralyzer Field (Ranged Selective Area Paralyze 10), Communications, Computer, Concealed, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Hangar, Holding Cells (nullify), infirmary, living space, power system, security system, workshop, personnel

Armed guards from the Ares company security force are stationed there full time, serving as guards for the contingency of a supervillian attack. (100 are on the payroll, but at any given time only 5 will be active & available in any given scene.) Use the Soldier archetype, increasing Notice and Stealth by four, adding the Improved Initiative and Improved Aim feats, adding 4 to 5 pp worth of abilities related to a specialty (such as command, piloting, or demolitions) as appropriate, and adding the following power:

Shinsengumi-class commercial battlesuit- Device (4-point) 5

[Enhanced Strength 3 (to 16/+3)

Enhanced Dexterity 3 (to 15/+2)

Protection 4 (to Toughness +5)

Integrated assault rifle: Blast 5 with Autofire extra]

Also on-site for the use of the security force are two APCs and a military helicopter.

(4 of the guards have 5 pp worth of specialist abilities, 1 has 4.)

Powers: [118+10 = 128pp]

Device 29 ("Shinken" Battlesuit, 145pp, Hard to Lose; PF: Restricted 2/Only Benjiro) [118pp]

Device 3 (Daisho, 15 points, Easy to Lose) (PF: Benefit: Disarm Resistance) [10pp]

Devices

Shinken Battlesuit (145 points)

Enhanced Attack 4

Enhanced Attack 2 (Flaw: apply only to katanas)

Enhanced Constitution 14

Enhanced Defense 10

Enhanced Dexterity 20

Enhanced Feats 32 (Acrobatic Bluff, Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Ambidexterity, Attack Focus [melee] 2, Attack Specialization [shinken's Daisho] 1, Blind-Fight, Defensive Attack, Elusive Target, Evasion 2, Grappling Finesse, Improved Aim, Improved Block, Improved Critical [shinken's Daisho] 2, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Move-By Action, Set-Up, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge [sight], Weapon Bind)

Enhanced Skills 12 (Acrobatics +8, Climb +4)

Enhanced Strength 18

Immunity 9 (life support)

Protection 6

Variable Power 3 (any combination of traits) (modular systems; Flaws: Action [takes full round to reconfigure]), Limited (cannot reconfigure without returning to Headquarters); Drawbacks: Action (5 hours to reconfigure) (5)

Typical patrol configuration:

Datalink 6 (Flaw: Headquarters computer only)

Enhanced Fortitude Save 2

Leaping 3 (x10)

Speed 3 (50 mph)

Super-Strength 2 (effective Str 32)

The Shinken battlesuit is a work of genius. It has all of the features of a typical battlesuit, providing impressive protection and augmenting the wearer's strength to impressive levels: it is also a walking medical aid, constantly monitoring and stabilizing Benjiro's weakened body. However, its real 'killer app' is far more innovative. The suit is controlled by a direct neural interface, tapping into Benjiro's spinal chord to control it and entirely bypassing the clumsiness produced by his heavily damaged motor nerves. This basic technology is augmented by an extremely well-written and inspired program running on an onboard computer that extends the wearer's perception of 'self' to include the weapon they hold. This allows the user to wield their weapon exactly as if it were an extension of their own body, allowing perfect stance, balance and form without even having to think about it. While inherent limitations on onboard processing power make the program less and less effective the further the held weapon is from what the program is designed for- thirty-two inch shinshintÃ…Â-pattern katana- it remains an impressively innovative way to turn Benjiro's weakness into a strength.

Daisho (15 points)

Strike 4 (Extra: Penetrating 7; PFs: Mighty, Alternate Power 2, Variable Descriptor (Physical, Slashing descriptors if lethal, Physical, Bludgeoning if nonlethal)

AP: Strike 4 ("lightsaber"; Extra: Penetrating 5; PFs: Mighty, Extended Reach 2, Incurable, Affects Insubstantial 1; Drawbacks: Lethal Only (Energy, Heat, Plasma descriptors)

AP: Stun 6 (taser-baton; PF: Accurate) (Electricity descriptor)

Carried in a pair of sheaths on Benjiro's left hip, these two swords provide Benjiro with a surprisingly versatile offense. The first is a conventionally sharp katana; the blade is a single, flawless iron crystal grown in a vat in Shanghai, and contained in the hilt is a plasma emitter for unusual situations in which an energy attack will be more advantageous than a physical one. The second is a blunt sword made of an advanced plastic, and studded with electrodes to offer a non-lethal option.

The Disarm Resistance benefit means that the device has to be disarmed twice to be fully negated. Disarming the sharp blade gives the Nonlethal Only drawback to the main Strike and eliminates the Stun AP: disarming the blunt one gives the Lethal Only drawback to the main Strike and eliminates the Strike/"lightsaber" AP.

Drawbacks:

Vulnerable (neurotoxins: Common, Major, ad hoc ad +1 pt because gases and anything breaching the suit bypasses normal Immunity) - 5 pts.

-Even a few molecules of neurotoxin will have a devastating impact on Benjiro's already weakened system.

-Minor Vulnerability to Software-based attacks - 1 pt.

Recent upgrades to the operating code of the battlesuit have introduced a number of security flaws.

DC Block

Unarmed, without Suit -- DC 12 Toughness -- Bruise

Unarmed, w/ Suit -- DC 21 Toughness -- Bruise

Daisho, Katana or Bokken -- DC 25 Toughness (Pen 7) -- Injury or Bruise

Daisho, Lightsaber -- DC 25 Toughness (Pen 5) -- Injury; 15 ft. reach

Daisho, Taser-Baton -- DC 16 Fort -- Stun

Costs: Abilities (-6) + Combat (0) + Saves (6) + Skills (20) + Feats (16) + Powers (128) - Drawbacks (06) = 158 / 160 pp

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Posted

Players Name: Toptomcat

Power Level: 10 (158/160 PPs)

Unspent PPs: 2

Characters Name: Benjiro Fujisama

Alternate Identity: Shinken

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 152 lb

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Description: Out of his armor, Benjiro is a fairly typical Japanese young adult, with a somewhat emaciated body, an unusual trembling about the hands, and an awkward way of walking- all due to nerve damage. He is soft-spoken and subtle, strangely so for someone of his age.

Inside it, he's another story. Confident, flamboyant and mobile, Benjiro takes joy in moving as easily and as smoothly as the armor lets him. The actual armor is, as powered armors go, extremely subtle: it's no more than an inch and a half thick in its largest dimension, easily capable of being concealed under heavy clothes if the helmet is removed. Its most outstanding features are the traditional-style somen (full face mask) with glowing green eyes, and the striking red-and-gold paint job it sports.

History: Benjiro Fujisama is an unusual figure, a twenty-five-year-old Japanese billionare arms dealer with a Stateside secret identity as a superhero. Born to upper-middle class parents in Okinawa, Japan, he was a champion in his collegiate kendo team, leading it to national dominance while maintaining good grades in his chosen major of mechanical engineering. He lived the high life, riding on a crest of fame: kendo is one of the biggest collegiate sports played in Japan, and his success in it made him a fairly huge celebrity there.

One day, it all came crashing down. In an attempt to avoid the super-groups that plagued him in the States, the American supercriminal Devil-Ray attempted to rob a bank in Naha. While he was stopped by the local hero Bushido, his suit was ruptured in the fight, and a set of nerve gas canisters Devil-Ray had recently added flooded the bank. Bushido rescued most of the bystanders, but it was too late for Benji's parents, and he himself suffered permanent nerve damage that left him barely able to walk, let alone win kendo championships.

That night, Devil-Ray's armor vanished from the Naha precinct house.

Over the next few months, Benjiro threw himself into his studies, studying traditional mechanical engineering by day and the subsystems of Devil-ray's stolen powered suit by night. While he was nowhere near as intelligent as he would've needed to be to create a battlesuit on his own, with Devil-Ray's excellent designs on hand he was able to reverse-engineer and improve on it, creating a much less bulky suit that complimented his swordsmanship talents and compensated for his nerve damage by designing a spinal chord jack that he got implanted, bypassing the nervous system entirely. Between the surgery and his battlesuit, however, he was reaching the limits of his inheritance money, and ran the risk of being stopped by poverty before he could finish the armor that would let him move again. So Benji took a path that few super-inventors have: he went commercial. Using the last of his parents' money as well as a substantial loan, he started Ares Macrotechnology, Inc., a company commercially selling battlesuits and powered walkers that, while not outperforming typical others like AEGIS' Ajax Units, were more readily available and customizable, as well as significantly cheaper.

However, the company foundered. A lack of the necessary capital to advertise, combined with a widespread perception that the armored suits were gimmicky toys rather than effective battle armor, slowed sales to the point of being imperceptible. In the summer of 1998, his creditors were pounding at his door, his staff had been reduced to a skeleton, and the battlesuit that gave him his mobility was still prototypical and required more time and money to perfect. Things seemed bleak.

Then, Benjiro saw an American news broadcast on the exploits of Daedalus, and suddenly there was hope. Painting the suit with the Ares colors of red, yellow and gold, as well as boosting its combat capabilities in a fairly unique way, he set up a temporary residence in the States and proceeded to join the high-profile superhero scene there as the sword-wielding Shinken, using it as a publicity stunt to promote Ares' battlesuits. In a twist that amused him and endeared him to the papers, the first problem he had the opportunity to tackle was a samurai robot built by the Japanese genius Doc Otaku. In a spectacular twenty-minute duel in a Freedom City construction site, Shinken disarmed and defeated the agile android without ever once being touched by the robot's deadly energized sword. He masterfully took advantage of the ensuing media circus to promote Ares Macrotech's products, destroying the company's negative image overnight and establishing it as a force to be reckoned with. In the next nine months, the company went nova: they won a U.S. contract to refit aging AEGIS Ajax Units, contracts with the Australian and Dakanan militaries to supply a platoon's worth of the company's Chigatana-class armed walkers, and an order from the British SAS for ten Shinsengumi-class antiterrorist battlesuits. He issued an American stock IPO just as the stock market there went through the roof with the Internet boom, and Ares' futuristic-seeming products rode that wave into a market capitalization in the billions of dollars. Cannily using his company's inflated value to purchase real manufacturing assets, Benjiro transformed Ares into a titanic multi-faceted military contractor, selling its advanced products to elite military units all over the world. Ares has become a byword, not only for advanced battlesuits, but for super-premium military equipment of all types- from match-grade .50 BMG ammunition to daka-crystal silencers. Benjiro continues to adventure publicly as Shinken, both to gain publicity for Ares- and to prevent tragedies like his parents' from ever happening again.

Stats: [-6pp]

Str: 4 / 22 (-3 / +6 )

Dex: 6 / 26 (-2 / +8)

Con: 4 / 18 (-3 / +4)

Int: 18 (+4)

Wis: 10 (+0)

Cha: 12 (+1)

Combat [0pp]

Attack: +4, +6 Melee, +10 w/ Own Swords; +0 out of armor

Grapple: +8; +0 out of armor

Defense: +10 (+5 flat-footed); +0 out of armor

Knockback: -5; +1 out of armor

Initiative: +10; -3 out of armor

Saves: [6pp]

Toughness: +10; -3 out of suit

Fortitude: +4; -3 out of suit (+4/-3 Con, +0)

Reflex: +8; -2 out of suit (+8/-2 Dex, +0)

Will: +6 (+0 Wis, +6)

Skills: 80r = 20pp

See Powers: also

Computers 8 (+12)

Craft (electronic) 12 (+16)

Craft (mechanical) 12 (+16)

Diplomacy 8 (+9)

Gather Information 8 (+9)

Knowledge (Business) 14 (+18)

Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+8)

Knowledge (technology) 8 (+12)

Language 2 (English, Mandarin Chinese; Japanese is native)

Sense Motive 4 (+4)

Feats: [16pp]

See Powers: also

Benefit 8 (security clearance, wealth 6x, wide-ranging Headquarters Personnel in dire emergency)

Connected (Wide-ranging and powerful connections; many in the governments and militaries of the Western world and a great deal of influence in the Japanese and American business worlds.)

Contacts

Equipment 4 (Headquarters)

Inventor

Well-Informed

Headquarters: refitted abandoned auto factory on the outskirts of Freedom City.

Toughness: 15

Size: Large

Features: Defense System 3x (external 20mm cannon (Blast 8 Autofire Explosion), internal .50-caliber autoturrets (Blast 7 Autofire), facility-wide Neuro-Paralyzer Field (Ranged Selective Area Paralyze 10), Communications, Computer, Concealed, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Hangar, Holding Cells (nullify), infirmary, living space, power system, security system, workshop, personnel

Armed guards from the Ares company security force are stationed there full time, serving as guards for the contingency of a supervillian attack. (100 are on the payroll, but at any given time only 5 will be active & available in any given scene.) Use the Soldier archetype, increasing Notice and Stealth by four, adding the Improved Initiative and Improved Aim feats, adding 4 to 5 pp worth of abilities related to a specialty (such as command, piloting, or demolitions) as appropriate, and adding the following power:

Shinsengumi-class commercial battlesuit- Device (4-point) 5

[Enhanced Strength 3 (to 16/+3)

Enhanced Dexterity 3 (to 15/+2)

Protection 4 (to Toughness +5)

Integrated assault rifle: Blast 5 with Autofire extra]

Also on-site for the use of the security force are two APCs and a military helicopter.

(4 of the guards have 5 pp worth of specialist abilities, 1 has 4.)

Powers: [118+10 = 128pp]

Device 29 ("Shinken" Battlesuit, 145pp, Hard to Lose; PF: Restricted 2/Only Benjiro) [118pp]

Device 3 (Daisho, 15 points, Easy to Lose) (PF: Benefit: Disarm Resistance) [10pp]

Devices

Shinken Battlesuit (145 points)

Enhanced Attack 4

Enhanced Attack 2 (Flaw: apply only to katanas)

Enhanced Constitution 14

Enhanced Defense 10

Enhanced Dexterity 20

Enhanced Feats 32 (Acrobatic Bluff, Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Ambidexterity, Attack Focus [melee] 2, Attack Specialization [shinken's Daisho] 1, Blind-Fight, Defensive Attack, Elusive Target, Evasion 2, Grappling Finesse, Improved Aim, Improved Block, Improved Critical [shinken's Daisho] 2, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Move-By Action, Set-Up, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge [sight], Weapon Bind)

Enhanced Skills 12 (Acrobatics +8, Climb +4)

Enhanced Strength 18

Immunity 9 (life support)

Protection 6

Variable Power 3 (any combination of traits) (modular systems; Flaws: Action [takes full round to reconfigure]), Limited (cannot reconfigure without returning to Headquarters); Drawbacks: Action (5 hours to reconfigure) (5)

Typical patrol configuration:

Datalink 6 (Flaw: Headquarters computer only)

Enhanced Fortitude Save 2

Leaping 3 (x10)

Speed 3 (50 mph)

Super-Strength 2 (effective Str 32)

The Shinken battlesuit is a work of genius. It has all of the features of a typical battlesuit, providing impressive protection and augmenting the wearer's strength to impressive levels: it is also a walking medical aid, constantly monitoring and stabilizing Benjiro's weakened body. However, its real 'killer app' is far more innovative. The suit is controlled by a direct neural interface, tapping into Benjiro's spinal chord to control it and entirely bypassing the clumsiness produced by his heavily damaged motor nerves. This basic technology is augmented by an extremely well-written and inspired program running on an onboard computer that extends the wearer's perception of 'self' to include the weapon they hold. This allows the user to wield their weapon exactly as if it were an extension of their own body, allowing perfect stance, balance and form without even having to think about it. While inherent limitations on onboard processing power make the program less and less effective the further the held weapon is from what the program is designed for- thirty-two inch shinshintÃ…Â-pattern katana- it remains an impressively innovative way to turn Benjiro's weakness into a strength.

Daisho (15 points)

Strike 4 (Extra: Penetrating 7; PFs: Mighty, Alternate Power 2, Variable Descriptor (Physical, Slashing descriptors if lethal, Physical, Bludgeoning if nonlethal)

AP: Strike 4 ("lightsaber"; Extra: Penetrating 5; PFs: Mighty, Extended Reach 2, Incurable, Affects Insubstantial 1; Drawbacks: Lethal Only (Energy, Heat, Plasma descriptors)

AP: Stun 6 (taser-baton; PF: Accurate) (Electricity descriptor)

Carried in a pair of sheaths on Benjiro's left hip, these two swords provide Benjiro with a surprisingly versatile offense. The first is a conventionally sharp katana; the blade is a single, flawless iron crystal grown in a vat in Shanghai, and contained in the hilt is a plasma emitter for unusual situations in which an energy attack will be more advantageous than a physical one. The second is a blunt sword made of an advanced plastic, and studded with electrodes to offer a non-lethal option.

The Disarm Resistance benefit means that the device has to be disarmed twice to be fully negated. Disarming the sharp blade gives the Nonlethal Only drawback to the main Strike and eliminates the Stun AP: disarming the blunt one gives the Lethal Only drawback to the main Strike and eliminates the Strike/"lightsaber" AP.

Drawbacks:

Vulnerable (neurotoxins: Common, Major, ad hoc ad +1 pt because gases and anything breaching the suit bypasses normal Immunity) - 5 pts.

-Even a few molecules of neurotoxin will have a devastating impact on Benjiro's already weakened system.

-Minor Vulnerability to Software-based attacks - 1 pt.

Recent upgrades to the operating code of the battlesuit have introduced a number of security flaws.

DC Block

Unarmed, without Suit -- DC 12 Toughness -- Bruise

Unarmed, w/ Suit -- DC 21 Toughness -- Bruise

Daisho, Katana or Bokken -- DC 25 Toughness (Pen 7) -- Injury or Bruise

Daisho, Lightsaber -- DC 25 Toughness (Pen 5) -- Injury; 15 ft. reach

Daisho, Taser-Baton -- DC 16 Fort -- Stun

Costs: Abilities (-6) + Combat (0) + Saves (6) + Skills (20) + Feats (16) + Powers (128) - Drawbacks (06) = 158 / 160 pp

Posted

Players Name: Toptomcat

Power Level: 10 (158/160 PPs)

Unspent PPs: 2

Characters Name: Benjiro Fujisama

Alternate Identity: Shinken

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 152 lb

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Description: Out of his armor, Benjiro is a fairly typical Japanese young adult, with a somewhat emaciated body, an unusual trembling about the hands, and an awkward way of walking- all due to nerve damage. He is soft-spoken and subtle, strangely so for someone of his age.

Inside it, he's another story. Confident, flamboyant and mobile, Benjiro takes joy in moving as easily and as smoothly as the armor lets him. The actual armor is, as powered armors go, extremely subtle: it's no more than an inch and a half thick in its largest dimension, easily capable of being concealed under heavy clothes if the helmet is removed. Its most outstanding features are the traditional-style somen (full face mask) with glowing green eyes, and the striking red-and-gold paint job it sports.

History: Benjiro Fujisama is an unusual figure, a twenty-five-year-old Japanese billionare arms dealer with a Stateside secret identity as a superhero. Born to upper-middle class parents in Okinawa, Japan, he was a champion in his collegiate kendo team, leading it to national dominance while maintaining good grades in his chosen major of mechanical engineering. He lived the high life, riding on a crest of fame: kendo is one of the biggest collegiate sports played in Japan, and his success in it made him a fairly huge celebrity there.

One day, it all came crashing down. In an attempt to avoid the super-groups that plagued him in the States, the American supercriminal Devil-Ray attempted to rob a bank in Naha. While he was stopped by the local hero Bushido, his suit was ruptured in the fight, and a set of nerve gas canisters Devil-Ray had recently added flooded the bank. Bushido rescued most of the bystanders, but it was too late for Benji's parents, and he himself suffered permanent nerve damage that left him barely able to walk, let alone win kendo championships.

That night, Devil-Ray's armor vanished from the Naha precinct house.

Over the next few months, Benjiro threw himself into his studies, studying traditional mechanical engineering by day and the subsystems of Devil-ray's stolen powered suit by night. While he was nowhere near as intelligent as he would've needed to be to create a battlesuit on his own, with Devil-Ray's excellent designs on hand he was able to reverse-engineer and improve on it, creating a much less bulky suit that complimented his swordsmanship talents and compensated for his nerve damage by designing a spinal chord jack that he got implanted, bypassing the nervous system entirely. Between the surgery and his battlesuit, however, he was reaching the limits of his inheritance money, and ran the risk of being stopped by poverty before he could finish the armor that would let him move again. So Benji took a path that few super-inventors have: he went commercial. Using the last of his parents' money as well as a substantial loan, he started Ares Macrotechnology, Inc., a company commercially selling battlesuits and powered walkers that, while not outperforming typical others like AEGIS' Ajax Units, were more readily available and customizable, as well as significantly cheaper.

However, the company foundered. A lack of the necessary capital to advertise, combined with a widespread perception that the armored suits were gimmicky toys rather than effective battle armor, slowed sales to the point of being imperceptible. In the summer of 1998, his creditors were pounding at his door, his staff had been reduced to a skeleton, and the battlesuit that gave him his mobility was still prototypical and required more time and money to perfect. Things seemed bleak.

Then, Benjiro saw an American news broadcast on the exploits of Daedalus, and suddenly there was hope. Painting the suit with the Ares colors of red, yellow and gold, as well as boosting its combat capabilities in a fairly unique way, he set up a temporary residence in the States and proceeded to join the high-profile superhero scene there as the sword-wielding Shinken, using it as a publicity stunt to promote Ares' battlesuits. In a twist that amused him and endeared him to the papers, the first problem he had the opportunity to tackle was a samurai robot built by the Japanese genius Doc Otaku. In a spectacular twenty-minute duel in a Freedom City construction site, Shinken disarmed and defeated the agile android without ever once being touched by the robot's deadly energized sword. He masterfully took advantage of the ensuing media circus to promote Ares Macrotech's products, destroying the company's negative image overnight and establishing it as a force to be reckoned with. In the next nine months, the company went nova: they won a U.S. contract to refit aging AEGIS Ajax Units, contracts with the Australian and Dakanan militaries to supply a platoon's worth of the company's Chigatana-class armed walkers, and an order from the British SAS for ten Shinsengumi-class antiterrorist battlesuits. He issued an American stock IPO just as the stock market there went through the roof with the Internet boom, and Ares' futuristic-seeming products rode that wave into a market capitalization in the billions of dollars. Cannily using his company's inflated value to purchase real manufacturing assets, Benjiro transformed Ares into a titanic multi-faceted military contractor, selling its advanced products to elite military units all over the world. Ares has become a byword, not only for advanced battlesuits, but for super-premium military equipment of all types- from match-grade .50 BMG ammunition to daka-crystal silencers. Benjiro continues to adventure publicly as Shinken, both to gain publicity for Ares- and to prevent tragedies like his parents' from ever happening again.

Stats: [-6pp]

Str: 4 / 22 (-3 / +6 )

Dex: 6 / 26 (-2 / +8)

Con: 4 / 18 (-3 / +4)

Int: 18 (+4)

Wis: 10 (+0)

Cha: 12 (+1)

Combat [0pp]

Attack: +4, +6 Melee, +10 w/ Own Swords; +0 out of armor

Grapple: +8; +0 out of armor

Defense: +10 (+5 flat-footed); +0 out of armor

Knockback: -5; +1 out of armor

Initiative: +10; -3 out of armor

Saves: [6pp]

Toughness: +10; -3 out of suit

Fortitude: +4; -3 out of suit (+4/-3 Con, +0)

Reflex: +8; -2 out of suit (+8/-2 Dex, +0)

Will: +6 (+0 Wis, +6)

Skills: 80r = 20pp

See Powers: also

Computers 8 (+12)

Craft (electronic) 12 (+16)

Craft (mechanical) 12 (+16)

Diplomacy 8 (+9)

Gather Information 8 (+9)

Knowledge (Business) 14 (+18)

Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+8)

Knowledge (technology) 8 (+12)

Language 2 (English, Mandarin Chinese; Japanese is native)

Sense Motive 4 (+4)

Feats: [16pp]

See Powers: also

Benefit 8 (security clearance, wealth 6x, wide-ranging Headquarters Personnel in dire emergency)

Connected (Wide-ranging and powerful connections; many in the governments and militaries of the Western world and a great deal of influence in the Japanese and American business worlds.)

Contacts

Equipment 4 (Headquarters)

Inventor

Well-Informed

Headquarters: refitted abandoned auto factory on the outskirts of Freedom City.

Toughness: 15

Size: Large

Features: Defense System 3x (external 20mm cannon (Blast 8 Autofire Explosion), internal .50-caliber autoturrets (Blast 7 Autofire), facility-wide Neuro-Paralyzer Field (Ranged Selective Area Paralyze 10), Communications, Computer, Concealed, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Hangar, Holding Cells (nullify), infirmary, living space, power system, security system, workshop, personnel

Armed guards from the Ares company security force are stationed there full time, serving as guards for the contingency of a supervillian attack. (100 are on the payroll, but at any given time only 5 will be active & available in any given scene.) Use the Soldier archetype, increasing Notice and Stealth by four, adding the Improved Initiative and Improved Aim feats, adding 4 to 5 pp worth of abilities related to a specialty (such as command, piloting, or demolitions) as appropriate, and adding the following power:

Shinsengumi-class commercial battlesuit- Device (4-point) 5

[Enhanced Strength 3 (to 16/+3)

Enhanced Dexterity 3 (to 15/+2)

Protection 4 (to Toughness +5)

Integrated assault rifle: Blast 5 with Autofire extra]

Also on-site for the use of the security force are two APCs and a military helicopter.

(4 of the guards have 5 pp worth of specialist abilities, 1 has 4.)

Powers: [118+10 = 128pp]

Device 29 ("Shinken" Battlesuit, 145pp, Hard to Lose; PF: Restricted 2/Only Benjiro) [118pp]

Device 3 (Daisho, 15 points, Easy to Lose) (PF: Benefit: Disarm Resistance) [10pp]

Devices

Shinken Battlesuit (145 points)

Enhanced Attack 4

Enhanced Attack 2 (Flaw: apply only to katanas)

Enhanced Constitution 14

Enhanced Defense 10

Enhanced Dexterity 20

Enhanced Feats 32 (Acrobatic Bluff, Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Ambidexterity, Attack Focus [melee] 2, Attack Specialization [shinken's Daisho] 1, Blind-Fight, Defensive Attack, Elusive Target, Evasion 2, Grappling Finesse, Improved Aim, Improved Block, Improved Critical [shinken's Daisho] 2, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Move-By Action, Set-Up, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge [sight], Weapon Bind)

Enhanced Skills 12 (Acrobatics +8, Climb +4)

Enhanced Strength 18

Immunity 9 (life support)

Protection 6

Variable Power 3 (any combination of traits) (modular systems; Flaws: Action [takes full round to reconfigure]), Limited (cannot reconfigure without returning to Headquarters); Drawbacks: Action (5 hours to reconfigure) (5)

Typical patrol configuration:

Datalink 6 (Flaw: Headquarters computer only)

Enhanced Fortitude Save 2

Leaping 3 (x10)

Speed 3 (50 mph)

Super-Strength 2 (effective Str 32)

The Shinken battlesuit is a work of genius. It has all of the features of a typical battlesuit, providing impressive protection and augmenting the wearer's strength to impressive levels: it is also a walking medical aid, constantly monitoring and stabilizing Benjiro's weakened body. However, its real 'killer app' is far more innovative. The suit is controlled by a direct neural interface, tapping into Benjiro's spinal chord to control it and entirely bypassing the clumsiness produced by his heavily damaged motor nerves. This basic technology is augmented by an extremely well-written and inspired program running on an onboard computer that extends the wearer's perception of 'self' to include the weapon they hold. This allows the user to wield their weapon exactly as if it were an extension of their own body, allowing perfect stance, balance and form without even having to think about it. While inherent limitations on onboard processing power make the program less and less effective the further the held weapon is from what the program is designed for- thirty-two inch shinshintÃ…Â-pattern katana- it remains an impressively innovative way to turn Benjiro's weakness into a strength.

Daisho (15 points)

Strike 4 (Extra: Penetrating 7; PFs: Mighty, Alternate Power 2, Variable Descriptor (Physical, Slashing descriptors if lethal, Physical, Bludgeoning if nonlethal)

AP: Strike 4 ("lightsaber"; Extra: Penetrating 5; PFs: Mighty, Extended Reach 2, Incurable, Affects Insubstantial 1; Drawbacks: Lethal Only (Energy, Heat, Plasma descriptors)

AP: Stun 6 (taser-baton; PF: Accurate) (Electricity descriptor)

Carried in a pair of sheaths on Benjiro's left hip, these two swords provide Benjiro with a surprisingly versatile offense. The first is a conventionally sharp katana; the blade is a single, flawless iron crystal grown in a vat in Shanghai, and contained in the hilt is a plasma emitter for unusual situations in which an energy attack will be more advantageous than a physical one. The second is a blunt sword made of an advanced plastic, and studded with electrodes to offer a non-lethal option.

The Disarm Resistance benefit means that the device has to be disarmed twice to be fully negated. Disarming the sharp blade gives the Nonlethal Only drawback to the main Strike and eliminates the Stun AP: disarming the blunt one gives the Lethal Only drawback to the main Strike and eliminates the Strike/"lightsaber" AP.

Drawbacks:

Vulnerable (neurotoxins: Common, Major, ad hoc ad +1 pt because gases and anything breaching the suit bypasses normal Immunity) - 5 pts.

-Even a few molecules of neurotoxin will have a devastating impact on Benjiro's already weakened system.

-Minor Vulnerability to Software-based attacks - 1 pt.

Recent upgrades to the operating code of the battlesuit have introduced a number of security flaws.

DC Block

Unarmed, without Suit -- DC 12 Toughness -- Bruise

Unarmed, w/ Suit -- DC 21 Toughness -- Bruise

Daisho, Katana or Bokken -- DC 25 Toughness (Pen 7) -- Injury or Bruise

Daisho, Lightsaber -- DC 25 Toughness (Pen 5) -- Injury; 15 ft. reach

Daisho, Taser-Baton -- DC 16 Fort -- Stun

Costs: Abilities (-6) + Combat (0) + Saves (6) + Skills (20) + Feats (16) + Powers (128) - Drawbacks (06) = 158 / 160 pp

Posted

Minions 13 (100 75-point minions: company security force)

I'm going to have to say a resounding "no" to the minions. The last thing this game needs is you (or a GM) trying to run 100 minions in a PbP game. *shudders*

Once you reallocate those points, I'll finish the character audit.

Posted

Minions 13 (100 75-point minions: company security force)

I'm going to have to say a resounding "no" to the minions. The last thing this game needs is you (or a GM) trying to run 100 minions in a PbP game. *shudders*

Once you reallocate those points, I'll finish the character audit.

Posted

Minions 13 (100 75-point minions: company security force)

I'm going to have to say a resounding "no" to the minions. The last thing this game needs is you (or a GM) trying to run 100 minions in a PbP game. *shudders*

Once you reallocate those points, I'll finish the character audit.

Posted

You misunderstand. The minions are there primarily to be the Security Force from Hell for the headquarters, and maybe to deploy as emergency backup in apocalypse events or full-scale alien invasions and the like. The idea is not to have a hundred jackbooted soldiers dogging every step the character takes and providing support fire in massive quantinties against every supervillian. The idea is to provide support, in general terms, when deploying a small army would actually be an appropriate action.

Posted

You misunderstand. The minions are there primarily to be the Security Force from Hell for the headquarters, and maybe to deploy as emergency backup in apocalypse events or full-scale alien invasions and the like. The idea is not to have a hundred jackbooted soldiers dogging every step the character takes and providing support fire in massive quantinties against every supervillian. The idea is to provide support, in general terms, when deploying a small army would actually be an appropriate action.

Posted

You misunderstand. The minions are there primarily to be the Security Force from Hell for the headquarters, and maybe to deploy as emergency backup in apocalypse events or full-scale alien invasions and the like. The idea is not to have a hundred jackbooted soldiers dogging every step the character takes and providing support fire in massive quantinties against every supervillian. The idea is to provide support, in general terms, when deploying a small army would actually be an appropriate action.

Posted

Well, depending on how I answer that question, the answer could be 'years.' The original concept for the character is pre-M&M, being a concept I came up with for an old-school TSR Marvel Super Heroes game. The game never saw the light of day, so I filed it away on my hard drive, and at some point converted the character to first edition Mutants and Masterminds in a fit of boredom. When I saw this game, I thought this would be a perfect time to dust off the old character and try it again. The conversion only took me a few hours, because I have a good feel for the system and knew what I wanted.

Posted

Well, depending on how I answer that question, the answer could be 'years.' The original concept for the character is pre-M&M, being a concept I came up with for an old-school TSR Marvel Super Heroes game. The game never saw the light of day, so I filed it away on my hard drive, and at some point converted the character to first edition Mutants and Masterminds in a fit of boredom. When I saw this game, I thought this would be a perfect time to dust off the old character and try it again. The conversion only took me a few hours, because I have a good feel for the system and knew what I wanted.

Posted

Well, depending on how I answer that question, the answer could be 'years.' The original concept for the character is pre-M&M, being a concept I came up with for an old-school TSR Marvel Super Heroes game. The game never saw the light of day, so I filed it away on my hard drive, and at some point converted the character to first edition Mutants and Masterminds in a fit of boredom. When I saw this game, I thought this would be a perfect time to dust off the old character and try it again. The conversion only took me a few hours, because I have a good feel for the system and knew what I wanted.

Posted

C'mon...is this so much of a monster that nobody will touch it? It's not that complex- no gargantuan arrays, no umpteen-characters-in-one Alternate Form nonsense...the only complex bit is the parts bought in the Gadget that aren't normally bought there, such as the attack and defense bonii, the feats, and the skills.

And the minions, but as said before, unless Ragnarok comes or someone tries to attack his Headquarters, they won't really come into play.

Posted

C'mon...is this so much of a monster that nobody will touch it? It's not that complex- no gargantuan arrays, no umpteen-characters-in-one Alternate Form nonsense...the only complex bit is the parts bought in the Gadget that aren't normally bought there, such as the attack and defense bonii, the feats, and the skills.

And the minions, but as said before, unless Ragnarok comes or someone tries to attack his Headquarters, they won't really come into play.

Posted

C'mon...is this so much of a monster that nobody will touch it? It's not that complex- no gargantuan arrays, no umpteen-characters-in-one Alternate Form nonsense...the only complex bit is the parts bought in the Gadget that aren't normally bought there, such as the attack and defense bonii, the feats, and the skills.

And the minions, but as said before, unless Ragnarok comes or someone tries to attack his Headquarters, they won't really come into play.

Posted

okay, bear in mind this is a very brief look over for me because I have to get ready to go to work in like 10 minutes but....

the stats, if you're wearing a power suit or have an alternate form that alters your stats post them up as unaugmented/augmented so for example Str: 8/18. That aside the character looks alright I haven't run the numbers yet and won't until I come home from work tonight but as an idea I think it works out. I don't know that we're allowing headquarters yet for players or not as well as minions. Those are both topics of discussion at the moment. I'm also not so sure I like the modular systems thing also by book rules shapeshift 3 would mean you couldn't add any powers or bonuses on your character higher than 3...which seems like sort of a waste to me. I think you might be better suited working out something else to use those points on.

anyway, just my two cents. Off to work now.

Posted

okay, bear in mind this is a very brief look over for me because I have to get ready to go to work in like 10 minutes but....

the stats, if you're wearing a power suit or have an alternate form that alters your stats post them up as unaugmented/augmented so for example Str: 8/18. That aside the character looks alright I haven't run the numbers yet and won't until I come home from work tonight but as an idea I think it works out. I don't know that we're allowing headquarters yet for players or not as well as minions. Those are both topics of discussion at the moment. I'm also not so sure I like the modular systems thing also by book rules shapeshift 3 would mean you couldn't add any powers or bonuses on your character higher than 3...which seems like sort of a waste to me. I think you might be better suited working out something else to use those points on.

anyway, just my two cents. Off to work now.

Posted

okay, bear in mind this is a very brief look over for me because I have to get ready to go to work in like 10 minutes but....

the stats, if you're wearing a power suit or have an alternate form that alters your stats post them up as unaugmented/augmented so for example Str: 8/18. That aside the character looks alright I haven't run the numbers yet and won't until I come home from work tonight but as an idea I think it works out. I don't know that we're allowing headquarters yet for players or not as well as minions. Those are both topics of discussion at the moment. I'm also not so sure I like the modular systems thing also by book rules shapeshift 3 would mean you couldn't add any powers or bonuses on your character higher than 3...which seems like sort of a waste to me. I think you might be better suited working out something else to use those points on.

anyway, just my two cents. Off to work now.

Posted

Thanks for getting to me, first of all.

The Shapeshift is for little things, not big things- stuff like communications and sense powers, minor enhancements, mobility boosts, and other widgety powers. I'm aware of its limitations.

And what's wrong with stats being listed as augmented/unaugmented, like I've got here?

As for the Minions and Headquarters, I will await ruling on that.

Posted

Thanks for getting to me, first of all.

The Shapeshift is for little things, not big things- stuff like communications and sense powers, minor enhancements, mobility boosts, and other widgety powers. I'm aware of its limitations.

And what's wrong with stats being listed as augmented/unaugmented, like I've got here?

As for the Minions and Headquarters, I will await ruling on that.

Posted

Thanks for getting to me, first of all.

The Shapeshift is for little things, not big things- stuff like communications and sense powers, minor enhancements, mobility boosts, and other widgety powers. I'm aware of its limitations.

And what's wrong with stats being listed as augmented/unaugmented, like I've got here?

As for the Minions and Headquarters, I will await ruling on that.

Posted

I have not read the backstory yet. [but I will] :D Here is what I found.....

1] I would say that the minions they way you are describing them should be the connected feat instead. You can say that you have this task force that owes you a favour when your HQ is attacked or the big bad guy hits. [which would save points]

2] That is a lot of wealth. That is a 40 wealth! Why so much?

3] Ok after reading what others have posted and taking another look at your stats, Am I to understand that the 18 str is in the suit and the 4 is just the man? I started at the top and work my way down so I thought you spent 30 points on abilities. We ask players to submit characters in a uniformed way so that the ones of us that review PC’s can glide over the submission with easy. It saves us time so that we can get to other players submission in a timely manor.

4] If I added everything correctly you still have 13 points to spend on the suit. [i counted only 115]

5] It looks like the sword is using only 16 out of 20 points.

6] “Vulnerable (nerve gas: Uncommon, Major, ad hoc ad +1 pt because it bypasses normal Immunity)†What is hoc? I add the drawback at +3

I am not going to look at the minions yet until there is a decision made.

Even if the drawback is a -4, I still add things up at 151. [152 if drawback is -3]


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