Heritage Posted May 11, 2008 Posted May 11, 2008 Character Name: Gossamer Power Level: 13 (189/200PP) Unspent PP: 11 Alternate Identity: Dr. Estelle de Havilland Height: 5' 9" Weight: 141 lbs. Hair: Blond (reaches down to her ankles) Eyes: Blue Appearance: Estelle is a beautiful blond with refined features and an elegant bearing who always dresses to impress. Though her face and figure are both extremely attractive, the first thing anyone notices about Estelle is her amazing hair, which floats about her like a cloud of luminous gold. In its natural state, it cascades over her shoulders and down to her ankles, but she often wears it up or in a thick braid to keep it out of the way. Normally she dresses quite well, as her mother taught her, eschewing jeans and T-shirts for simple dresses with classic lines and open-toed shoes; she likes diamonds and vintage jewelry, but keeps the pieces small and tasteful. However, if she's not planning on going out, she will revert to collegiate sweats and gym shoes for comfort and convenience. As Gossamer, she wears an experimental protective suit (in blue and white), designed by ASTRO Labs; though the material appears to be rather thin, it is actually well-insulated and includes a combination communicator/wireless uplink on the left wrist. History: Estelle de Havilland grew up wealthy - she is neither proud nor ashamed of this fact, as it has always been part of her environment. It's been said that the de Havilland family owns a third of the Eastern Seaboard, and while this statement is obviously an exaggeration, it is true than Estelle need not have worked a day of her life, if she so chose. The family estate on Long Island was like a magic castle for the de Havilland children, who were essentially raised by its staff; however, young Estelle manifested a questing intelligence at an early age, more interested in science and reading than charity balls and fashion shows like her brother and three sisters. Her very traditional parents were somewhat flummoxed - a bright daughter is nothing to be ashamed of, but one who displayed no interest in either the family's investments or impressing the sons of other wealthy dynasties did present a bit of a problem. It was decided that she would attend the best schools and university (the de Havillands have been linked with Harvard for nearly a century) while still being raised as a proper lady. Estelle dutifully worked on her calligraphy and proper manners, took dance and tennis lessons, and went to all the right parties in all the right dresses. She never resented these family obligations, and always managed to enjoy herself, fully aware of both the importance and silliness of this rarefied world. In time, Estelle grew to be a beautiful young woman of grace and poise, and her parents breathed a sigh of relief - at least she wasn't a tomboy, like her cousin Arlene. Once at Harvard, Estelle felt truly alive for the first time in her young life. No one cared how much money she had; all that mattered was hard work, dedication, and the occasional raucous party to blow off steam. She made many friends and earned high marks, and was glad to find that she'd more or less dropped off the cultural radar, no longer interesting enough to regularly show up in gossip magazines along with her younger sisters Selene and Celeste. She went on to pursue her doctorate in organic chemistry, and took a position in one of her family's research labs in Freedom City, and it was here that her life would change forever. Her older brother Jason had been effectively running De Havilland after their father had stepped down to an advisory position to spend more time with his wife, who has been fighting cancer for several years. Jason, eager to bring the company into the 21st Century, authorized research involving synthetic compounds based on samples of Grue DNA, especially for use in the medical and beauty aid divisions; at first Estelle was leery of working with the compounds, but Jason showed her data that convinced her, and told her everything had been run by the FDA. He told her to keep her findings secret for now, but due to issues of industrial competition she didn't really question it at the time. One late Friday night in the lab while she was trying to isolate certain protein strands, a tired and overworked Estelle spilled some particularly caustic reagents on herself and one of the compounds, so she rushed into a nearby emergency hazmat shower to save herself from serious burns; as she stood in the tiny stall ripping off her contaminated clothing, the fumes rose up, making her dizzy, and she passed out right then and there. When she awoke the next day, half-naked and damp, she discovered that she'd somehow inadvertently triggered a strange mutation - her hair had grown super-long, and was animated by her very thoughts! After some time experimenting, she wrapped herself in a fire blanket and took a taxi to the Albright Institute, as she had clearly been somehow altered. However as she described the circumstances that lead to her transformation, she was shocked to find out that not only had the FDA not approved the research, but in fact the samples she'd been using were mostly likely from actual Grue, and had recently been stolen from that very lab! The subsequent investigation cost the de Havillands millions, and put Jason in jail, as well as making public his drinking and gambling problems. The first thing Estelle's father did when he took over the reins of power once more was to fire her and shut down her lab; a truly loyal daughter would have kept it in the family, within the company, not bring ruin down upon them all. Cut off from her inheritance, she decided to seek out Dr. Clarence Macleod's help, and he was able to find her a position at ASTRO for the time being. Her older sister Sunny is still on speaking terms with her, as is her ailing mother when she gets the chance, but otherwise things are quite chilly between her and her family; the de Havillands are too rich to be wiped out by such a disaster, though it will take years to undo the damage to their reputation. For her part, Estelle sees her bizarre new circumstance as a sort of ironic message from the cosmos to get over herself and think about others more often. Personality: Estelle is no 'frosty blond' - despite her breeding and refined upbringing, she's both friendly and approachable, and has a wicked sense of humor. Her laugh is surprisingly loud and contagious, and she tends to laugh a lot - how else should she respond to her bizarre new condition? No one, not even Estelle herself, would deny that she can be a bit vain, but as true as this is, it does her an injustice; she is very passionate about both her chosen field of study and to helping those who are less fortunate. Though she may seem shallow and image-obsessed at times, all concerns about her appearance go out the window if someone is in genuine need; of course, she will most likely bemoan her bedraggled state at length after the fact. She collects first editions of Russian literature, and loves to go out dancing with friends whenever she can 'slip away'. She also owns several vintage Gibson electric guitars, and plays along with her favorite albums when she needs to unwind; now increasingly confidant in her musical talents, she is finding more and more opportunities to perform in public. As far as dating goes, Estelle has been seen on the arms of some of Freedom's most glamorous superheroes, including Dr. Archeville and Divine. She is currently in a relationshop with Gregory 'Mad Dog' Matthews, who's heroic identity is a closely-guarded secret. Powers: Estelle has full control of her hair, which she can form into up to twenty-five tendrils that lengthen at will up to 100 feet; her hair limbs are just as dexterous as her own two hands, capable of such complicated tasks as typing a letter or shuffling cards. Despite its rather lightweight appearance, her hair is surprisingly strong, allowing her to lift up to six tons with ease. She can also automatically style her hair at will, and often does so to playful or sensual effect. She is constantly finding new ways to use her powers through experimentation. Abilities: [0+6+4+8+4+6 = 28pp] Strength: 10/30 (+0/+10) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 18 (+4) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: [20+16 = 36pp] Attack: +10 Grapple: +10, +23 w/ Hair, up to +33 if using all her Hair for nothing but a Grapple Defense: +8 (+4 flat-footed) Knockback: -10, -9 flat-footed; -2 w/out Suit, -1 w/out Suit and flat-footed Initiative: +7 Saves: [6+7+8 = 27pp] Toughness: +12 ( Impervious 8 ), +10 ( Imp 8 ) flat-footed; +4 w/out Suit, +2 w/out Suit and flat-footed Fortitude: +12 (+2 Con, +10) Reflex: +10 (+3 Dex, +7) Will: +12 (+2 Wis, +10) Skills: [92r = 23pp] Acrobatics 5 (+8) Bluff 4 (+7, +11 w/ Attractive) Computers 1 (+5) Craft (Chemical) 6 (+10) Craft (Mechanical) 1 (+5) Diplomacy 4 (+7, +11 w/ Attractive) Disable Device 6 (+10) Drive 1 (+4) Gather Information 5 (+10) Knowledge (Arts) 2 (+6) Knowledge (Current Events) 1 (+5) Knowledge (History) 1 (+5) Knowledge (Life Sciences) 4 (+8) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 10 (+14) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 1 (+5) Knowledge (Streetwise) 1 (+5) Language 2 (French, Russian; English is native) Medicine 1 (+3) Notice 8 (+10) Perform (Dance) 1 (+4) Perform (Stringed Instruments) 7 (+10) Profession (Teacher) 4 (+6) Ride 1 (+4) Search 6 (+10) Stealth 7 (+10) Feats: [23pp] Accurate Attack All-Out Attack Ambidexterity Attractive Benefit 2 (ASTRO Labs access, Wealth 1) Chokehold Connected Contacts Defensive Roll 1 (+2 Toughness) Equipment 2 (1pp donated to The Lab) Grappling Finesse Improved Grab Improved Grapple Improved Initiative Improved Pin Improvised Tools Luck Power Attack Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy. Knowledge [Physical Sciences], Perform [stringed Instruments]) Takedown Attack Well Informed Quote Gossamer's Loft Size: Small +0 (0EP) Toughness: +5 (0EP) Features:Gym, Library, Living Space, Pool, Security System (5EP) Powers: [22+30 = 52pp] Device 5 (Bodysuit, 25 points, hard to lose) [22pp] Communication 4 (1 mile, radio; Flaw: Limited [One-Way]) [2pp] Datalink 4 (1 mile, radio) [4pp] Immunity 1 (cold) [1pp] Protection 8 (Extra: Impervious 8 ) [16pp] Feat: Quick Change 2 [2pp] Prehensile Hair 6 (Container) [30pp] Prehensile Hair 10 (10PP; PF: Alternate Power x2) [12pp] BE: Additional Limbs 5 (25 'tendrils'; Sustained Duration) + Elongation 5 (100 feet) [10/10pp]AP: Deflect 8 (slow projectiles) [8/10pp]AP: Snare 5 (Extra: Engulf) [10/10pp] Enhanced Strength 20 (to 30/+10; Limit: Only with Prehensile Hair) [10pp] Super-Movement 2 (Slow Fall, Swinging) [4pp] Super-Senses 1 (Analytic Touch, Limit: Only with Prehensile Hair) [0.5pp] Super-Strength 3 (effective Str 45, Hvy Load 6 tons; Limit: Only with Prehensile Hair) [3pp] Drawbacks: None DC Block Unarmed -- DC 15/Toughness -- Damage Hair -- DC 25/Toughness -- Damage Totals: Abilities 28 + Combat 36 + Saves 27 + Skills 23 + Feats 23 + Powers 52 = 189/200 Power Points
Heritage Posted May 11, 2008 Author Posted May 11, 2008 Sure, he approves it, but then he tells me about this new 'DC Block' thing I need to add to be fully 'FC:PBP compliant'! Rasm-frasm... I'll figure it out and add it later tonight ;)
Barnum Posted May 11, 2008 Posted May 11, 2008 1. AP 1: Deflect 10 (slow projectiles) Your Deflect Rank is capped by your Defense Bonus, so in your case 8. Other than that . . . Approved
Heritage Posted May 11, 2008 Author Posted May 11, 2008 Your Deflect Rank is capped by your Defense Bonus, so in your case 8. Other than that . . . Approved Wow, that was surprisingly easy! I made the two changes you asked for, so now I guess she's ready to be mothballed until Red Queen's ready for retirement - thanks! :D
Barnum Posted May 11, 2008 Posted May 11, 2008 We'll mark her as "On Hold" and keep her in the Bank until you are ready.
Heritage Posted June 3, 2008 Author Posted June 3, 2008 Changed her costume color to blue and white, after seeing how hard it was to design an attractive costume in lavender :(
Dr Archeville Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 Reverted to PC status at player request.
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