Vendetta - PL10 space adventurer

[souffle_girl]

OK, I'm a compulsive characters creator so here comes the concept for another character. I'm not going to build her crunch for now, nor play her, but I want to get the fluff down for the day the mysterious something beyond known space comes knocking at the game universe's do or

Once again it's a rework of a character I already had in mind, but her first draft was very dark and gritty, kind of a Punisher. This version is an adapted, "space opera" one.

Character Name: Melody Maxwell / Princess Tasha Roewaal II
Codename: Vendetta
Power Level: 10

In Brief: Galactic soldier of fortune with a huge score to settle.
Quote: "I've spent years and traveled for parsecs looking for my lost home, only to find out I'm the queen of a mass graveyard. Someone is going to pay for that."

Identity: Public
Birthplace: Radiant City, Rabia
Occupation: Space adventurer
Affiliations: Memorial, Critical

Description:
Age: 25 - DoB unknown due to a long time spent in suspended animation as a baby
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: An exotic human variation from space (Rabian)
Height:
Weight:
Eyes: Purple
Hair: Purple



Looks inspired by Kaelyssa from the game Warmachine

Power Descriptions:
 

-Infiltrator Suit: Batteries allow for short term invisibility, it also features a compact forearm mounted shield.

-Skarr Carbine MkV "Retribution": A compact, reliable and powerful weapon favored by scoundrels and gunslingers, the Retribution is a 5-rounds, large caliber revolver with a long barrel for increased range.

-Specialized Ammo: an array of specialized magic ammunition for her carbine

 

History:

The planet of Rabia was a place of wonder. When the first human mages from Earth found their way through space and time to this jewel of the cosmos, they marveled at how bountiful the planet looked: lush forests, fertile lands and plenty of space to practice their magic.
Over time, their descendants grew wealthy and refined. Yes, there were wars and calamities of course, but in the end the greatest sages of the various nations decided it would have been best to unite under a single government.
So the Unified Rabian Kingdom was born.
It was an age of prosperity, and technology and arcane arts both flourished, and the kingdom's techno-mages blended the two in a single, powerful art. The power and wealth of Rabia grew even more when they made contact with their Belran neighbours, joining them into a single growing empire.

When the aliens struck, they hit Rabia hard and fast. Their first assault was brutal and vicious, and hit all the critical weaknesses in Rabian military, leaving the kingdom's armies in total disarray. Rabians sent a distress call for their Belran allies, but nobody answered.

Rabians fough a long, bitter war of attrition and guerrilla, but the Communion was relentless in their assault and the kingdom quickly realized they had no way to win - they could only slow their inevitable defeat.

But the precious time bought by the military was well spent. Weapons were mothballed and hidden away under the planet's surface, together with the most treasured works of Rabian art and culture, and at the heart of a fortified bunker a techno-magical construct was built to house the history of their people and coordinate the army that laid dormant in their caves, awaiting for an avenger to rise and bring justice to the Rabians.

 

The last city to fall was Radiant City itself, the kingdom's capital city and home to the royal throne. The war for the capital was bitter, and the Communion resorted to weapons of immense destructive power to raze entire blocks to the ground. As the invaders were closing in on the Royal Palace the king was taking another crucial step to ensure his people's survival. His own daughter, baby Princess Tasha, was placed in suspended animation in a stasis pod and launched into deep space, in the hope that some day she would be rescued. As long as she lived on, so would the Rabians.

-----------------------

1989, terran calendar, the Lor spaceship Farstrider, on an exploration mission at the edge of known space, intercepted an escape pod of unknown origin and manufacture. In it was found a baby girl in suspended animation, and the pod's guidance system was too badly damaged to trace its route. The event was documented and noted and, lacking the means to identify the orphan, the girl was adopted by the crew member Terence Maxwell, who named her Melody, like his dead wife.

Better known as "Stormrider", Maxwell was a mutant of questionable reputation that had fled Earth and went adventuring around the galaxy as the Farstrider's crew bodyguard.
Melody grew up as a bright girl and a true heir to her father's ways, and at little more than twelve she was already helping out around the spaceship, learning to pilot and to fight. Naturally curious, she never stopped looking for her lost homeworld, and clue after clue she was finally contacted by a woman calling herself Memorial, who claimed to have information on her past...

Personality & Motivation:

Melody used to love adventure for adventure's sake. She's cheerful and friendly; free-minded and at odd with authority. However, faced with the huge responsibility of avenging a genocide and the death of her parents, she turned much more bitter and determined.

Powers & Tactics:

Mel is a jack-of-all-trades; you don't grow up to become a space explorer without picking up a little of this and a little of that. She's also a good shot, and managed to get hold of a few interesting devices of alien origin.
If she can't talk her way out of a situation, she can usually fight or sneak away; when in a fight she prefers stealth and subtlety, usually sneaking into a good sniping position and shooting at her enemies from an unexpected angle. The array of ammunition her Skarr Carbine can chamber allows her much tactical flexibility.

Complications:

Big Mouth Melody has the habit to always try looking confident, powerful and in control, even if this isn't always true. At times, particularly big exaggerations came back to bite her.

Sins of the Fathers Melody's adoptive father made dangerous enemies, and was forced to run away from Earth with a bounty on his head. Some of these enemies would love to have a chance to get their hands on Mel, for one reason or another.

Limited Stealth Vendetta's Infiltrator Suit has a stealth system that, when online, makes her invisible to sight. However, the system can stay active only for roughly a minute before needing to recharge over the course of four more minutes. If less time is used, recharge time is reduced accordingly.

Edited October 9, 2014 by souffle_girl

[Raveled]

... Jax?

[souffle_girl]

... Jax?

Who's Jax?

[Ari]

I think 'Jax' here is referring to Jak of Jak and Daxter, the Playstation 2 video game hero who has a vaguely similar look and general concept(long-eared inhabitant of a techno-magical world who uses various kinds of weapons to avenge the devastation of their home). 

 

The idea certainly isn't a bad one, though of course what the techno-magery is about(what does it draw on and why was it a better choice than one or the other) should get some further thought. And of course the identity of the aliens(the Stellar Khanate? The Grue Unity? RobRX's Andromedans?) who did the devastating should at least be decided on, even if the character doesn't know the Mods will need to. And some expansion to what she's like will be necessary, since free spirits should have depth too! Just look at Geckoman or Edge or Jack of all Blades, Kit or Thoughtspeed for some examples

[souffle_girl]

It's just a general outline now. The techno-magic thing, I liked because it gives the character an exotic touch that makes her alien even for "alien" standards. Were she psychic, people from Lor would say "oh look, another psi", this however makes her truly unique and marks her culture apart. The identity of the attacking aliens would be, to quote Gizmo's announcement:

 

In the furthest reaches of space, past the sectors patrolled by the Star Knights, past the expansionist avarice of the Stellar Khanite, something has been lurking. Gathering a force of unthinkable numbers, studying the secrets of horrific power and waiting for its perfect moment. Now, that moment has come and this enemy of all life will stop at nothing to grind the galaxy into rubble and reshape the dust in its own image. No one is safe, not the Lor Republic, not the Grue Hivemind, not even the backwater mudball known as Earth. Every space-faring smuggler with a heart of gold, every inexperienced wielder of a cosmically powered artifact, every grim gladiatorial champion of an alien world and every solitary battle-suit wearing bounty hunter will have to make a decision and quickly... the tide is coming in.

 

 

Oh, and I never played Jak and Daxter, I never had a PS2. I'm a computer player...

Edited September 22, 2014 by souffle_girl

[Thevshi]

SG, I can understand the desire to try to tie into a coming site Event, but it may be that some elements of the backstory you have developed might not work in light of trying to tie to that event.  I for one am more than willing to have the identity of whatever enemy destroyed Rabia remain unknown, to be developed at some future time. 

[souffle_girl]

SG, I can understand the desire to try to tie into a coming site Event, but it may be that some elements of the backstory you have developed might not work in light of trying to tie to that event.  I for one am more than willing to have the identity of whatever enemy destroyed Rabia remain unknown, to be developed at some future time. 

 

Perfectly fine too. I just wanted it to be something mysterious. My main inspiration for ndetta was Javiik from Mass Effect, and an unidentified alien menace fits the theme well.

Edited September 23, 2014 by souffle_girl

[souffle_girl]

Now that Em's done, crunch-wise, I'll start working on Mel's stats.

 

However I'm wondering if there's someone willing to play another member of Mel's spacecraft crew - a Chewbacca to my Han, or Mal to my Zoe, or whatever. The feeling if of course space scoundrels, Firefly style!

Edited September 25, 2014 by souffle_girl

[Raveled]

I could throw >Critical in here. He doesn't have the temperament to run a ship on his own, but being the levity half to a pair? He can do that.

[souffle_girl]

Niiiiice. Problem is affording their own spaceship now. Mel was meant to be a PL7, but... maybe if we pool equipment points we can get one.

[Raveled]

You could always intentionally undercap her, build her to PL 8 caps but use a PL 10 budget. Or, I di have some free Equipment points, yeah.

[souffle_girl]

I have to undercap her for no other reason that the fact she's going to get a power bump, and I need the spare points for it.

How are we going to call our ship then?

[souffle_girl]

the crunch (WIP):

Tradeoffs: +2 Def /-2 Tou

Abilities: 2 + 10 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 6 = 34PP
Strength: 12 (+1)
Dexterity: 20 (+5)
Constitution: 14 (+2)
Intelligence: 18 (+4)
Wisdom: 14 (+2)
Charisma: 16 (+3)

Combat: 12 + 8 = 30PP
Initiative: +5 (+5 Dex)
Attack: +6 Base; +6 Melee, +10 Ranged (+6 Base, +4 Attack Focus)
Grapple: +7
Defense: +12 (+4 Base, +8 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed
Knockback: -1

Saving Throws: 8 + 5 + 8 = 21PP
Toughness: +8 (+2 Con, +6 Defensive Roll)
Fortitude: +10 (+2 Con, +8)
Reflex: +10 (+5 Dex, +5)
Will: +10 (+2 Wis, +8)

Skills: 64R = 16PP

Galactic Lore 11 (+15)
Bluff 12 (+15)
Diplomacy 12 (+15)
Stealth 10 (+15)
Pilot 10 (+15)

Gather Information 9 (+12)

Feats: 26PP
Attack Focus (Ranged) 4
Dodge Focus 8
Defensive Roll 3

Fast Draw 1
Luck 2
Jack of All Trades
Environmental Adaptation (Zero Gravity)
Favorite Environment (Zero Gravity)
Improved Critical (Skarr Carbine) 2

Equipment 3

Equipment: 3PP = 15XEP
 

Binoculars 1 EP

Mini-Tracer 1 EP

PDA 1 EP

Video Camera 2 EP

Multi-Tool 1 EP

Night Vision Goggles 1 EP

Laptop 1 EP

Combat Knife 3 EP

Holdout Pistol 4 EP

 

Powers: 15+8 = 23PP

Device 5 (Skarr Carbine; easy to lose; gives 25 PP) [15PP]

Targeting Scope (Enhanced Feats: Improved Aim, Precise Shot; Technological, Alien) [2PP]

Array: Variable Ammunition [23PP]
Blast 10 (Standard Shot: Ballistic, Alien) [20/20PP]
Alt: Blast 10 (Plasma Shot: Heat, Fire, Alien) [20/20PP]
Alt: Nullify (magic) 6 (Antimagic Round: Ballistic, Magic, Alien. Extra: Effortless) [18/20PP]
Alt: Snare 10 (Glue Round: Ballistic, Alien) [20/20PP]

Device 2 (Infiltrator Suit, hard to lose, 10 PP) [8PP]

Concealment 4 (all visual senses: stealth systems, Alien, Technological) [8PP]
Super movement 1 (Wall crawling, Alien, Technological) [2PP]

Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP

Drawback (Description; Frequency: [uncommon, Common, or Very Common]; Intensity: [Minor, Moderate, or Major]) [-XPP]
DC Block

ATTACK                                     RANGE   SAVE                                     EFFECT
Unarmed                                    Touch      DC16 Toughness (Staged)   Damage (Physical)

Combat Knife                             Touch      DC 17 Toughness (Staged)  Damage (Physical)

Skarr Carbine (Standard Shot)  Ranged   DC 25 Toughness (Staged)  Damage (Physical)

Skarr Carbine (Plasma Shot)     Ranged   DC 25 Toughness (Staged)  Damage (Fire)

Skarr Carbine (Glue Shot)          Ranged   DC 25 Reflex (Staged)          Snare

Totals: Abilities (34) + Combat (30) + Saving Throws (21) + Skills (16) + Feats (26) + Powers (23) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/150 Power Points

Edited October 9, 2014 by souffle_girl

[Thevshi]

There is a problem with the Infiltrator Suit SG.  There is no invisibility power, what you want is Concealment.  However, Concealment from visual senses costs double, that is it takes two ranks (4 pp) to be invisible to ONE visual sense (ie you could be invisible to normal vision, but someone with Infravision or Ultravision could still see you). 

 

If you want to be invisible to all vision senses, it takes four ranks of Concealment (8 pp).

[souffle_girl]

Corrected... and four more points go :/