Liquify

[gankun]

Hi guys, this is my first post to FC. Always thought Mutants and Masterminds looked interested and found this site to finally give it a go.

I guess this is my WIP for the character I'm developing. Any tips and suggestions are well appreciated! Pretty sure I don't have a good feel yet for a balanced character.

 

Going for a guy who might not be the main damage dealer, but definitely sturdy with supportive utility.

 

Having trouble getting images into the album so for now reference the profile pic.

Player Name: Gankun
Character Name: Liquify
Power Level: 7 ( 105 /105PP)

Alternate Identity: Matt Sol
Identity: Hidden - not known by anyone.
Birthplace: California, USA
Residence:  1 Room Studio in a quiet part of Parkside, Freedom City.
Base of Operations: Freedom City, New Jersey, USA
Occupation: College Student. Superhero-part time
Affiliations: Freedom City University
Family: Tomo Sol (Adoptive Mother), Jack Sol (Adoptive Father), Lily Sol (Adoptive Younger Sister)
Catchphrase: “Gotta go with the flow!†"Who wants a piece of me!?"

 

Description:
Age: 20 (DoB: 1994)
Apparent Age: N/A
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Asian
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 155 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

 

When on the way to class or just hanging out around campus, Matt wears T-shirts and Jeans with a hoodie for those chilly days. His normal appearance is a not so tall man with a lean build and slight muscle. He generally carries with him a backpack with his school work if heading to class or the library. When he transforms into his liquid form however he "slips" though his clothes and takes the shape of a man made of a light blue gelatin. His face has sharp features and bright yellow eyes. He stands at a height of 6'3 with well-defined muscles. By default his slime holds this form though he will go into a puddle if unconscious while transformed.

 

Power Descriptions:

 

Liquify can stench any part of his body with it flowing like a liquid. With the liquid body, he is able to throw his fists long distances to hit enemies farther away. He sometimes leaves behind a gel after attacks, but he usually does a good job of absorbing back any chunks that fly off. Alternatively he can throw this glob of gel to snare and trap a villain. Due to his form he shrugs off weak edged attacks as his body can quickly reconnect the two halves. His body can regenerate from physical damage usually by putting himself back together. For utility he can form into a puddle for escapes, stealth, or dodging attacks.

 

His normal form lacks most of these abilities except for the regeneration. For example, if Matt were to take a stab to the arm, he would feel the pain, but his body would be able to recover after some rest by internally converting the wound to slime and repairing the damage. Despite this case, Matt is far more limited in his human form. He is weaker, slower, and less resilient. Furthermore his transformation isn't a reflex. Matt has to focus for a bit to consciously convert all of his body cells into a liquid form.

 

Transforming back also has some issues, Matt requires at least 60% of the slime form to convert back into human body cells, with any lost slime resulting in lost body weight and a very hungry, or potentially lightheaded feeling. Any less would require Matt to regenerate more slime through consuming sugars and proteins.

 

History:

 

    Matt Sol was adopted by Jack and Tomo Sol as a baby and was raised in California far away from Freedom City. Though California still had its fair share of heroes and villains, their presence was much weaker than the hero central FC. Thus as much as Matt admired them, they were considered freaks in the town he lived in. As the adoptive son of two chemists, Matt developed a love for science and was always toying with the chemistry kit he got when he was 7. He was most interested by the slimes he could make by mixing some of the solutions and how the green goo would bounce off the walls and stretch across the table.

His powers awakened one day during seventh grade. After going home from school he was confronted by two bullies who wanted to teach Matt a lesson after refusing to allow them to copy homework. Matt, not having a particularly tough build, ran down the alley hoping to lose them behind a turn. Arriving at the turn Matt was faced with a dead end. He cowered and wished he could turn invisible or fly away like the heroes on TV. After a weird tingling feeling he heard a weird response from the kids. “Where’d Sol go? Quick check back the other way!†Matt lifted his head after they left. Confused he looked down at his feet only to notice a blue puddle of goop. Looking around he realized he was no longer crouching on the ground but was a slimy figure emerging from the puddle. Though not long after freaking out he reverted back and decided to bolt home. He figured he couldn’t tell anyone. Would his parents not want him if they found out they adopted a mutant. Would the kids come back after him if they found out he was different.  Matt decided to try and forget whatever happened, it could have been easily a dream for all he knew.

 

    By the time he got into high school he noticed he was different. He didn’t get tired in PE as often as before. He felt more flexible, faster, and agile. Nothing extreme like a super human, but definitely now above average despite his lean build. He even began to experiment with his own powers. Now he could concentrate to turn his entire body into a gelatinous form and that’s where his powered emerged. He could throw a fist across the room, slither under his door, or lift things with a strength and speed he didn’t normally possess. Furthermore, having studied chemistry, he noticed that his goop held strange properties. It was made from his body mass and knew how to return to a “normal†body cell. Even stranger after twisting an ankle during a run, it healed itself from the inside after a day.

 

     Matt decided that even though these powers were neat, he felt uncomfortable being in a town that had tons of negative publicity thrown towards hero. He yearned for a normal life, but now that it was impossible, he figured he should go to college in a town more accepting of heroes. After graduating he enrolled in the university at Freedom City to study chemistry. He entered the school with a sizeable scholarship allowing him to focus less on money issues. Not long after begining the school year he fell in love with the city. The heroes of FC inspired him to do something with his powers. However that idea conflicted with the growing workload. He thought he would change the world through research in chemistry, but for the mean time he might be able to affect people's lives as a hero. Plus deep down, every kid wanted to be a super hero when they grew up.

 

    Now in his second year of college, Matt juggles the demands of the lab he's volunteering in with his night hobby, his alter-ego Liquify,

 

Personality and Motivation:

 

            Matt is a studious young adult still struggling to find his place in the world. He is kind, but pretty aloof at time as he always seems to be thinking about chemistry or classes. With his intelligence he wants to go into academia as a chemist, but his heart still wants to help people like the heroes he used to admire. Even though he is young, he still takes a mature approach to situations, thinking things through rather than acting on impulse. Despite his kindness, people think of him as condescending due to his intelligence. Sometimes he lacks common sense and says things to offend people, though his heart is in the right place. Seeing how important heroes are in Freedom City, Matt aspires to learn what it means to be a hero so that one day he can make a difference and perhaps find a place he belongs.

 

Complications:

 

Lost Articles: Matt is always ready to spring into action, but sometimes has issues transforming back to a human form. He usually leaves behind his clothes and belongings on the ground when transforming. If the fight carries him across the city, afterwards Matt may have trouble finding his schoolbag or wallet. (Which would be unfortunate if someone got their hands on it and connected the dots.) Even worse, since he would transform back nude, he needs to find a source of clothes to willingly transform back. Even if it means "borrowing" some from a nearby retail store (which has problems of its own since he doesn't have any cash going back.)

 

Scared of Water: Matt is generally uncomfortable around large bodies of water. He's fine with pools, (though he prefers to not stand by the edge) but begins to panic and get anxious at anything the size of a river or lake, twice as much if the water has a current. A strong gush of water could potentially split his body into two, and if the other half were to flow away, Matt could potentially get stuck as slime forever, unable to fight the current. Matt will never willingly step into a boat, and prefers to avoid the rain, (at least in a transformed state. He doesn't want a detached arm to flow into the sewers.) If forced into a setting with a large body of water nearby, let's say a cliff, Matt will do whatever it takes to position himself away from the edge, even if it means compromising the mission.

 

Abilities: 4 + 5 + 8 + 8 + 0 + 0 = 25 PP

 

Human Form / Liquid Form

 

Strength: 14 (+2)   /   20 (+5)

Dexterity: 15 (+2)   /   22 (+6)

Constitution: 18 (+4)   /   24 (+7)
Intelligence: 18 (+4)

Wisdom: 10 (+0)

Charisma: 10 (+0)

 

Combat: 6 PP

Initiative: +2   /   +6

Attack Bonus: +2 , +6 melee, + 2 range  /  Base +3 , +7 melee, + 3 ranged

Grapple: +8  /   +12, +17 with Elongation

Defense: +1  /   +7 (Base 4, Dodge Focus 3)

Knockback Resist: -2   /  -5 

 

Saving Throws: 4 PP

Toughness: +4  (+4 Con) /   + 7 (+7 Con)

Fortitude: +4  (+4 Con) /   + 7 (+7 Con)

Reflex: +2  (+2 Dex) /   +7 (+6 Dex, +1 Enhanced)

Will: +4 (+4 Base)

 

Skills: 44 Ranks = 10 PP

Acrobatics 2 (+4) / 7 (+13)

Computers 4 (+8)

Concentration 4 (+4)

Craft (chemical) 8 (+12)

Escape Artist 0 / 7 (+13, +18 with Elongation, Automatic with Insubstantial 1)

Intimidate 0 / 4 (+4)

Investigate 2 (+6)

Knowledge (Physical Science) 12 (+16)

Medicine 2 (+2)

Notice 4 (+4)

Sleight of Hand 2 (+4) / (+8)

 

Feats: 6PP

 

Attack Focus (Melee) 4

Eidetic Memory

Grappling Finesse

 

(With Liquify)

 

Attack Specialization 2 (Snare)

Dodge Focus 3

Evasion 1

Improved Grab

Improved Grapple

Interpose

 

Powers: 63 PP

 

Liquify (Alternate Form 12, 60 PP spent, Action 2 (Standard) -1 PP) [58PP]

Liquid Form:

Concealment 2, Sense - Sight, Partial [1PP]

Elongation 4, 50ft, range incr 40ft[4PP]

Impervious Toughness 6, Limited(Physical Damage) [3PP]

Insubstantial 1, [5PP]

Snare 7, (range 70ft, DC17), Entangle [7PP]

Strike 2, DC 22, Mighty, (Slam) [3PP]

 

Enhanced Feats (See all above) [9PP]

Enhanced Strength 6 [6PP]

Enhanced Constitution 6 [6PP]

Enhanced Dexterity 7 [7PP]

Enhanced Attack Bonus 1 [2PP]

Enhanced Defense Bonus 3 [6PP]

Enhanced Relflex 1 [1PP]

 

Regeneration 4, Regrowth, Recovery Rate Bruised 2, Injured 2 [5PP]

 

Drawbacks: -3 + -3 + -3 = -9

 

Vulnerability(Cold, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate[+50%]) [-3PP]

 

Vulnerability(Electricity, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate[+50%]) [-3PP]

 

Vulnerability(Water, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate[+50%]) [-3PP]

 

DC Block

 

Unarmed: +6 (DC 17) Physical

 

Liquid Form

 

Unarmed: +7 (DC 20) Physical

 

Slam: +7 (DC 22) Physical

 

Snare 7: +7 (DC Ref 17) Range 70 ft

 

Totals: Abilities(25) + Combat(6) + Saving Throws(4) + Skills(10) + Feats(6) + Powers(63) + Drawbacks(-9) = 105

 

Feel free to double check the math, the system was kinda overwhelming at first to figure out the cost of powers, and alternate form seemed tricky. Furthermore I'm up for suggestions to balance out his powers, I wasn't quite sure what values would be good for a Hero in training.

Edited October 20, 2014 by gankun

[Thevshi]

Hello gankun, welcome to the site!

 

Not a bad attempt at a first character here, but there are a few things to talk about (and don’t worry, everyone has this, especially with a first character!)

 

So, one little thing in the fluff section, for Residence, we are more looking for where in Freedom City (or any other city) your character might live.  As he is at FCU, does he live in a dorm by campus (ie in the North End?)  Or over in a apartment in Parkside?

 

So, about the crunch.

Stats look fine, although it is a little odd to see 15’s in Dex and Con and then having odd numbers for the enhanced versions, but it works out and certainly nothing saying you can’t do that.  I would however suggest dropping the 1 point you spend on Wis to make it 11.  If you want to eventually improve Wis, probably best to just save up 2 pp through play and improve it in one swoop.  That 1 point could be better used elsewhere in the meantime.

 

Combat…hmm, well, I guess you can tie all the characters combat ability to his alternate form, but it is a somewhat unusual move.  Though, I have to wonder, why does just changing into water suddenly make him better at combat?

 

Saving throws are sort of the same thing, nothing says you can’t have all the improvements to them be in the alt form, BUT, that 0 for Will save can really hamper you.  We really do not like to see PCs with saves that low.

 

Skills are fine, but on Feats, sort of have the same question I did in combat, why does he pick up all these feats when he turns into water?  I can certainly understand some of them, but others are not as easy to reconcile.  Also, we have a house rule for Defensive Roll, it gives +2 toughness (and no benefit to reflex save), so you need to account for that.

 

For your powers, I have already commented some above how you might be better served taking some of the things outside of the array.  Something to think about.  I would say that you probably should not have it take a Full Turn (ie 10 rounds) to change into liquid form.  (could use the point from Wisdom to drop that down to a Full Round).

[gankun]

Made some changes and updates. Made the mistake on the Full turn change meant for full round. Yeah I decided to move more of the feats and abilities to his human form. After thinking about it more feats could apply in general, not just his liquid form.

 

After looking for more examples of my idea from exisitng heroes I found something with a similar to what I was going for. Liquify should act similar to the DC villian from Batman Beyond Inque. Someone who turns into a liquid form where they throw punches from across the room and use the liquid aspect of their body for dodge attacks and defense. Though Liquify is a much more mild version of Inque who goes to extremes like creating blades with her arms or multiple arms or flowing across the room like she's flying. But that is the general feel I'm going for, the dexterity and fighting bonuses come from the fact that as a slime he can weave more easily through attacks and bounce through baddies.

 

The ability bonus could be explained "scientifically" such that his normal body mass turns into special slime cells that can work better in unison for more strength and flexibility. Additionally the slime body still has a semi-solid membrane to allow it to hold a shape to make the body tough. Being a liquid I guess doesn't make him better at combat per say, but as a liquid grapple and finese related skills should be easier to pull off as well as dodging. Thus I shifted more attack bonuses to the human form, but left reflex or dodge bonuses with liquid form as the ability to dodge would come from the fact he's a liquid.

 

To make the powers more useful combat wise, because stretching a human arm feels weird, I lowered the time to turn into a liquid form. That way he can switch into his powers more quickly and adapt to the situation.

[Thevshi]

gankun, I certainly understand changing into the liquid form can improve his combat ability, it was more all his combat ability was coming from the liquid form. 

 

It looks like you are not hitting you PL caps with either attack/damage or defense/toughness.  We really encourage characters to hit those PL caps starting out.  Right now it looks like you are only at PL 5.5 with both.

 

Also, something I had spotted before and then forgot about when I set about writing up my last comments, per our house rules, all characters have the Diehard feat for free (no need to even list it), so that frees up a PP.

[gankun]

After reading the book again yeah I know see how maximizing those caps are important. Combat is starting to make a little more sense now with how toughness/ defense works.

 

Made some changes to focus on meeting those caps and providing offensive attacks. Also tweaked some powers and enhancements to make better use of his PP, range is only

useful for snare so I figured attack specialization was the way to go.

 

Whew Mutants and Masterminds is a bit more math heavy than I expected for a D20 system.

[horngeek]

M&M frontloads most of the maths into character creation. Makes things easier once you get to actual play, though.

[gankun]

Yeah, I definitely spent way more time making this guy than characters in other rpg games. Though I must say, developing this guy bit by bit feels way more rewarding that I've ever felt making a lvl 1 Fighter or lvl 5 Jedi.

[Thevshi]

Glad to hear your enjoying the process gankun.  Hopefully you will find playing the character even more fun!

 

Things look pretty good for Liquify right now, though his Snare is not at caps (only +3 attack and +7 effect), but your strike meets caps, so likely not an issue there. 

 

Also, not sure how ricochet would work on your strike, you already have elongation that lets you bend your arm around an obstacle and the like.

[gankun]

I see, shifted the ricochet to impervious toughness.

 

Also the attack specialization should bring the snare to +7 right?

 

So would the next step be writing the character up on the hero bank using the template?

 

Thanks for all the help so far!

[Thevshi]

Ah, yes, missed that attack specialization.  You did not have it up on your attack line, so should probably note that there.

 

Yes, looks like you are ready to submit.  The next step will be to post in the Character Bank, two refs have to approve the character (which should go a bit smoother given the work you have done thus far) and then one of the refs will move it over to the hero bank after the second approval and you will be good to start.