Wizard Character (and New Player)--Advice Appreciated!

[Blarghy]

Hi, everybody.  A friend and I have been looking at this place for a while, and I finally thought I'd sign up and give it a try.  However, my experience is rather limited; I've only played in one short-lived M&M game before, and my Bug Swarm Scientist got knocked out in the first round of our first fight, leading me to believe that perhaps I could use some help.  As such, I wanted to ask some questions before I moved to officially submit for the judges (I'll list them in the next post).  General advice on the build, and fluff, is also appreciated. 

 

In general, with this character I want a long arc of self-improvement (I also thought it'd be fun and unusual to not only not boost his starting ability scores, but to actually lower them) as he recovers and rebuilds himself, coming out the other side as a better person than his old, greedy, vain self, and the occasional treasure hunt/tomb raid to break up the various city adventures.  Not all the time, as that rather defeats the point of the setting, but I gather that there's already a few treasure hunters around? 

 

Anyway, here's what I have:

 

Player Name: Blarghy
Character Name: Relic (unless something better comes along)
Power Level: 10 (150/150PP)
Trade-Offs: +2 Attack / -2 Damage (Strike), -2 Attack / +2 Damage (Shotgun), -1 Defense / +1 Toughness
Unspent Power Points: 0
Progress To Bronze Status: 0/30

In Brief: Half Constantine, half Indiana Jones.

Residence: Currently homeless
Base of Operations: See above
Catchphrase: “Hmm…now that’s interesting.”

Alternate Identity: Landon Hadley (A name I mostly picked at random after numerous searches to find something that no one has already used here.  Christ, you people have accumulated a lot of characters over the years.)
Identity: Public
Birthplace: Alternate Dimension Freedom City (probably)
Occupation: Globetrotting treasure hunter (formerly) and professional hobo (currently)
Affiliations: None yet.
Family: None, at least in this universe (and perhaps not in any other)

Description:
Age: Somewhere between thirty and eighty (interdimensional time travel can be terribly confusing) (DoB: June 28, 1985)
Apparent Age: A very unhealthy thirty
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Height: 5’ 10”
Weight: 92 lbs.
Eyes: Amber
Hair: Honey Brown

On first inspection, and probably still afterward, Landon has got to be a heavy drug addict.  His build is best described as “wasting,” his eyes are sunken and dark-rimmed, his cheeks gaunt, his skin uncomfortably pale.  His clothes—jeans, worn sneakers, a faded T-shirt, and sometimes a hoodie that fondly remembers its days as an industrial grease rag—can only guess at when they were last washed.  The outfit’s still an upgrade from his previous tattered rags, which he burned upon arrival in Freedom City. 

Of note, when he chooses to display them, are his tattoos.  They tend to attract attention, which he enjoyed in the old days, but now finds inconvenient, so a simple use of Morph keeps them hidden.  Some of them move; others change color.  In no particular order:

Around his right forearm between elbow and wrist coils a black mamba.  Most of the time it sleeps, lightly rustling at most, but in combat or other moments of agitation, it stretches out across his whole arm, tail on his shoulder and head on the back of his hand, teeth flashing with every punch.

Both his palms have a series of stacked rings crossed by straight lines, in the manner of scope crosshairs.  The lines travel up each of his fingers and thumbs and, the thickest, down his wrists.  Use of his Magical Array turns these black marks to an orange-gold color, similar to his eyes.

Upon both his ankles, he has flurries of black feathers.  When he Air Walks, they come to life and flutter across his skin.

His right pectoral is decorated with a jeweler’s diamond.  Any harm Landon suffers causes it to shudder and crack, until he recovers.

His face has two sets of tattoos: in the center of his forehead, a single decorative letter in whatever language he’s currently reading (an English A by default, Scarlet Letter style).  Beside and encircling his right eye, a crescent moon flanked by three dots.  Landon's Magical Awareness is usually active, and thus a shiny blue; the black dots change to follow its example when in use.

Finally, at the back of his neck, between the base and his hairline, is a bizarre, constantly-mutating, dark blob that resembles the child of an octopus and a lava lamp, with a furry spider somewhere up the family tree.  Like the snake on his arm, it normally sleeps stationary, but occasionally this token from his unfortunate travels makes its way around the side of his head and looks at him from his peripheral vision, right in the corner of his eye socket.  Landon hates that.

Power Descriptions:
Spell-casting is a relatively minor part of his daily life at the moment, but when he does so, Landon requires time-consuming hand signals that demand most of his concentration.  His other magical abilities are more continuous.  The snake on his arm powers his Strike/Improved Critical, the diamond his Protection, the feathers his Air Walking, the letter on his forehead his Comprehension, his eye decoration his Super-Senses, and lastly, the creature on his neck, his impressive Will Save and its Ultimate Effort.  

Once upon a time, Landon used a number of magical artifacts, but the only Device he still owns is his decorative Ottoman firearm.  It isn’t technically a shotgun, but when this silver-laden weapon, studded with sapphires, roars to life in a torrent of blue fire, most people call it what it seems.  Simply having the weapon in his hands (instead of the Dimensional Pocket in which he usually stores it) gives him the supernatural power to inspire fear.

Said Dimensional Pocket opens like a zipper in the air.  In years past, it was much larger (Landon once used it to store an entire ancient Chinese junk and all its treasure), but like the wizard himself, it has dwindled to pitiful proportions. 

History:
Landon was (probably) born in a Freedom City much different from the one he now finds himself in.  He always found it rather dull as a child; any superheroes of note were only passing through, and even that was sufficiently rare to dominate the news.  His childhood was pleasant, but again, dull.  His parents—Albert and Beatrice, working class—loved him.  He had a younger sister and brother, Pearl and Thomas, who grew up to become an electrician and truck driver, respectively.  Landon’s claim to fame was an above-average intelligence sufficient to carry him onto college, where he took a Bachelor’s in History, planning to become a professor someday.  That was that, until by chance, he and a group of friends attended a stage magician’s show one weekend.  In a world where real sorcerers exist, however rare and distant, the tricks were rather quaint.  Hours later and after several drinks, they turned to laughable.  Landon amused himself and his friends with some mocking finger-wiggling at the bar…and tossed a nearby table through the window. 

A decade later, now Mister (sometimes honorary Doctor) Hadley to all but his family and closest friends, Landon plundered ancient tombs, studied grimoires in languages either dead or unspoken by any human before him, and occasionally even fended off villainous threats of all stripes.  He had more wealth than he could spend, and he was very free with his money.  He had more fame than he wanted, and he very much liked fame.  He was even briefly considered as a candidate for Earth’s next Master Mage, until the title’s current owner deemed him a bit too selfish and preoccupied for such a responsibility.  Landon didn’t mind; he far preferred exploring and treasure hunting. 

Life was good.  Life was better than good.  Life was better than better than good.  He sailed through it, year after year, deliriously happy with his fortune (he had to admit he was a little greedy), basking in the adoration of his family and fans (he had to admit he was more than a little vain), almost ready to settle down with a woman he loved and who loved him in return, until everything went horribly wrong. 

She told him not to go, his love, Claire Ashelmoore.  But she always had her bad feelings right before his trips to distant lands.  True, this was noteworthy even by Landon’s standards—a journey not just across continents, or even planets, but entire dimensions, to search for the fabled Library of Nitos, cast adrift between Space-That-Was-Not-Space—but he wanted to end his career, or at least begin to wind it down, on a brilliant note.  He was approaching fifty, and though still in excellent shape, retirement and perhaps a few apprentices to carry on his legacy were both beginning to sound very appealing. 

He gathered his best artifacts.  He triple-checked his calculations as he wove the portal, painstakingly studied. 

Leaving was easy.  Coming back, not so much.

Landon remembers decades of plane-hopping, from one terrible, inhospitable, alien realm to the next.  In some, there was no air to breathe, not in the sense of oxygen, but because the matter itself took no form that he could describe as gaseous, liquid, or solid.  In others, he could not see, not even with his magical vision, nor hear, nor feel, nor touch, nor taste, but fumbled and floated in desperation to find or create the next doorway out.  He only survived starvation and other necessities at all thanks to his prudent Dimensional Pocket stockpiles, and when they ran out, very unpleasant foraging.  But worst of all, his prison for the last several years—how many, he cannot say—was a place of utter darkness, home to monsters that found him amusing or tasty, or some other emotion without any human equivalent.  They kept him captive, a source of magic and simple living energy that they had never experienced before. 

At last, he found a way to half-communicate with one of the smallest, a creature denied its place at the Table of Landon.  During their next moment of solitude, he grafted it to himself, let it feed from him, and in return, it guided him to freedom.  He also received an unexpected perk when it acted as a kind of mental firewall from attacks on his psyche, but the wizard would still prefer to pull the creature from his skin if they were not bound so tightly. 

And so, he returned through the final portal, to a world he thought he knew.  His body and mind both had degraded drastically thanks to his torments, yet somehow, he was younger than before he left, let alone accounting for the time he spent “abroad.”  The years had wound back.  But also, the world he knew was different, sometimes in small ways, and sometimes in very painful ones.  He and his family, far as he can tell, never existed here.  Neither does his Claire. 

On a very minor bright note, the tiniest of consolation prizes, Freedom City is a lot more interesting than he remembered.  And he must wonder, is that all this is: a trick of memory?  Did he lose pieces of his sanity during his travels?  Did his captors deliberately muddle his mind, change his history, for their own, unknowable reasons?  He’s certain they tampered with him to a degree; many of his old spells are now absent from his brain, holes he can feel like cavities in a tooth.  He watched them torn from him and devoured.  Has he returned to his old home after all, and the differences are all in his head?  Landon isn’t sure which possibility is worse.  Either way, he’s here to stay, because he knows the road behind him, and he won’t be taking it a second time.

Personality & Motivation:
At the moment, Landon is a tragic, bewildered man searching for a handle on his life.  He isn’t sure what to do or where to go; Freedom City suffices as a small anchor of familiarity, even if the differences he finds are inevitably painful.  He might not realize it himself, but he’s in dire need of purpose and direction. 

Assuming he can find both, he might, luck willing, regain some of his old self.  Once, he was a happy, optimistic man, ready to help others not just for the praise it earned him—something he certainly enjoyed—but for the goodness of a deed itself.  Hopefully he can make this city, this world, his new home, as his previous one is almost certainly lost to him.

Powers & Tactics:
While he may be a wizard, Landon hardly ever casts magic during battle.  He’s a skilled hand-to-hand fighter, and at range, he has his trusty shotgun.  His martial arts mostly boils down to very precise aim, as even a light jab from his augmented fist can roll most people across the floor (and a good thing too, considering his poor physical condition these days).  He’s practiced at bobbing and weaving, less so at avoiding attacks he can’t see to dodge, and yet surprisingly durable for a malnourished twig-man (again, thanks to the magic engraved on his skin).  If he can’t reach an enemy, or won’t risk a melee with them, he relies on his more powerful but less accurate firearm.

Combat, though, is just a secondary strength.  What Landon really enjoys is exploration and study.  He was easily one of his world’s most accomplished magical scholars (maybe one of this world’s too), and although his other areas of Knowledge have degraded thanks to the differences between this dimension and his (or perhaps his tampered memories), he claims a wealth of many skills gathered during a lifetime of adventure. 

Complications:

Greedy: Some things never change, and Landon may be a traumatized shell of his former self, but he still loves to find and collect precious things.  In particular he’s fond of magical artifacts, but anything of value—historical or monetary—might pique his interest.  He’s more likely to fall for a trap baited with such things, and while he wouldn’t, say, ignore a clearly endangered civilian to go scoop up some ancient relic, he could easily get distracted and be delayed arriving to where he’s needed.  Furthermore, mind control or social skills attempting to convince him to do something are more likely to succeed if they take his tendencies into account (penalties to his counter-rolls varying, to be decided upon by the GM). 

Functional Alcoholic: Landon isn’t addicted per se, but when he drinks, it’s to excess and for all the wrong reasons.  He feels  justified in wanting to drown his sorrows after what he’s been through, especially if something reminds him of what he’s lost.  He won’t show up drunk to a mission, but enemies, deliberately or not, could catch him vulnerable if they found him at the right time.

No Documentation: From his investigations thus far, Landon never existed in this world, and he certainly doesn’t have his wallet or passport.  Combined with his ragged appearance, most authorities will probably make some quick assumptions about him.  He avoids police for this reason.  A whole host of other problems are also possible; it’s very inconvenient to live in the modern world without a paper trail.

Phobia: Things that remind Landon of his trip through the alien dimensions will, as expected, trigger years of pent-up fears.  Possibilities are endless (though hopefully not constant during all his adventures).  A small, normal spider shouldn’t bother him, but a big, furry, dark one might provoke a Will save, and a giant mutated creature that should not be could do so at penalty.  Actually encountering monsters from beyond the veil of humanity once more should negate his Will bonus entirely, and specifically meeting one of his old captors would be an automatic fail as he flees screaming into the night. 

 

Abilities: -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2: -12PP

Strength: 8 (-1)

Dexterity: 8 (-1)

Constitution: 8 (-1)

Intelligence: 8 (-1)

Wisdom: 8 (-1)

Charisma: 8 (-1)

 

Combat: 16 + 8 = 24PP

Initiative: -1

Attack: +8 Melee, +8 Ranged, +12 Strike

Grapple: +7

Defense: +9 (+4 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed

Knockback: -5

 

Saving Throws: 6 + 6 + 16 = 28PP

Toughness: +11

Fortitude: +5

Reflex: +5

Will: +15

 

Skills: 148R = 37PP

Bluff 10 (+9)

Concentration 15 (+14)

Diplomacy 10 (+9)

Drive 10 (+9)

Gather Information 10 (+9)

Intimidate 10 (+9)

Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 15 (+14)

Knowledge (Art) 6 +5

Knowledge (History) 6 +5

Notice 10 (+9)

Pilot 10 (+9)

Search 10 (+9)

Sense Motive 10 (+9)

Stealth 10 (+9)

Survival 6 (+5)

 

Feats: 15PP

Assessment

Attack Specialization (Strike) 2

Dodge Focus 5

Evasion 2

Improved Critical (Strike) 2

Ritualist

Ultimate Effort 2 (Knowledge (Arcane Lore), Will Save)
 

Powers (All Magical): 62PP

Comprehend 1 (Read All Languages) [2]

Device 5 (Ancient Ottoman Shotgun) (Flaws: Easy-To-Lose) [15]

• Blast 12 [24]
• Fearsome Presence [1]

Dimensional Pocket 1 (100lb Capacity) (Flaws: Storage Only) [1]

Magical Array 16 (32PP, Flaws: Action (Full Round), Distracting, Feats: Alternate Power 6) [14]

• BP: Animate Objects 7 (Extras: Horde, Feats: Progression 4 (25 Constructs)) [32]
• AP: Astral Form 6 (20 Miles) (Feats: Selective, Subtle) [32]
• AP: Create Object 10 (Energy Bubbles/Domes) (Extras: Impervious, Flaws: Duration (Concentrate), Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Progression 7 (1,000' Cubed), Selective, Stationary, Tether) [32]
• AP: Healing 10 (Extras: Total, Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) [32]
• AP: Illusion 9 (All Senses, Flaws: Phantasms, Feats: Progression 5 (250' Radius)) [32]
• AP: Teleport 10 (Earth to Moon) (Extras: Portal, Flaws: Long-Range, Feats: Progression 2 (25’ Portals)) [32]
• AP: Telekinesis 15 (Feats: Improved Range, Precise) [32]

Morph 1 (Hide Tattoos) [1]

Protection 12 [12]

Strike 8 [8]

Super-Movement 2 (Air Walking 2) [4]

Super-Senses 5 (Awareness (Magical), Darkvision 2, Infravision, Ultravision) [5]

 

Drawbacks: +4PP

Impoverished (1PP)

Nightmares (2PP)

Power Loss (Magical Array): Must have free use of hand movement to cast (Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Minor) (1PP)

DC Block

ATTACK                  RANGE     SAVE                            EFFECT
Unarmed                 Touch       DC 14 Toughness          Damage -1 (Physical)

Strike                     Touch       DC 23 Toughness          Damage 8 (Physical)
Shotgun (Blast)       Ranged     DC 27 Toughness          Damage 12 (Energy)

 

Totals: Abilities (-12) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (28) + Skills (37) + Feats (15) + Powers (62) - Drawbacks (4) = 150/150 Power Points

Edited December 22, 2015 by Blarghy

[Blarghy]

Questions and notes:

1)      First of all, I’m not sure what to call the guy.  I’m leaning toward “Solomon,” another magician who let pride get the better of him, but that’s mostly for lack of any better ideas (I’m also worried that the religious angle could be mildly offensive to some people, since that won’t be a feature of the character).  Any suggestions?  Anything magic-y could work, so long as it isn’t overdone (and already in circulation on this site).

2)      Speaking of already in circulation, I was looking around, excited about my idea, and found…another moving-tattoo-magician, recently submitted.  But the similarities end there, and Renegade would actually be a cool ally to have (he could apply new tattoos to anchor new Powers if I think of any during the game), so perhaps this is an example of good overlap?

3)      The Magical Array is super cheap thanks to the Flaws I took.  Think that’s a problem?  I want it to be powerful and impressive, but only for non-combat, utility stuff, so maybe that makes it more balanced?  I think he’d get stomped pretty fast if he tried casting while people were coming after him.  And inside that array…

4)      Is the Animate Objects power likely to be too strong?  Again, I see it as more a utility ability than a combat option, and mostly I think it’d be cool to be able to recreate the Fantasia scene, bringing a whole room to life.  I could drop the overall Rank (making them individually weaker) if anybody can think of other appropriate Extras to tack on.

5)      My idea for the Force Field AP is that he could “bubble” large groups of endangered civilians and move them to safety.  Does my writing of it looks feasible?  I looked around a bit online and found some other builds that suggested handling it in this fashion. 

6)      With Super-Senses, I’d like him to be able to see ghosts and other such creatures.  Would the Affects Insubstantial feat do that, or could I probably get by with Awareness (Insubstantial) and save a point?

7)      I don’t actually have the book that includes the Nightmares drawback, but from what I can see online, it’s a DC15 Fortitude save, yeah?  I don’t particularly need it (I can shave the points pretty easily if I have to), but it’s just perfectly in-character. 

8)      A general question: is each character limited to one thread/adventure at a time, or can they spread out, within reason (it’d be weird if the same person was just everywhere)?

9)      And related to the above, do Hero Points reset for each new thread, meaning that you don’t have to track them over time (and your Complications don’t carry over)?

Edited December 20, 2015 by Blarghy

[angrydurf]

1) Solomon isn't probably a problem though going for something more descriptive might be better since he really isn't tied to the legendary solomon at all.  Certainly room to go the direction of a first last name kinda deal like Solomon Magus or John Solomon or something but that usually more of a no secret ID kinda deal.

 

2)  Reading it Renegade came to mind and the two actually could complement one another well really not a bad overlap at all.

 

3) Well to start with the current flaws make every power in the array full round and distracting not just switching the array, if you want it to be just for switching the array those are drawbacks not flaws.  Other than that as written you'll be hard pressed to make it far in combat, you'd have low mobility and be a sitting duck with no dodge bonus I recommend against it as you'll likely repeat your last experience of not lasting too long in a fight.

 

4) Animate objects is pretty much fine as written, they would all be minions so easy to take out with AOE or takedown attacks keeping it form being OP'd while still useful.

 

5) You're looking for create object her that's how you make the green lantern style force constructs, as written you grant a toughness bonus to everyone in the burst area but no actual bubble is created really.  A Create object effect with selective (so people can fire out) and limited flaw for a limited shapes (like only half sphere or something) is what does the effect your trying to describe (with affects insub 2 if you want to block insubstantial)

 

6)  That would be a detect ghosts(visual) effect possibly with counters concealment for super senses.  You could amp it up with a mental detect that is more of a ghost sense rather than seeing them or just buy a counters concealment limited to magic or ghostly or demonic concealment maybe.  Ghosts are only invisible if they buy the visual concealment power (even insubstantial ones are visible without it)  so you just need a way to counter that to be able to see them.  A specific detect would allow you to tell they are ghosts just at a glance even if they look living to normal senses.  The house rules have a pretty good write up of how we handle super senses as it is a refinement of hte books.

 

7) I think the save varies on intensity but it looks like that covers it for you.

 

8) You can be in multiple threads at once you just try to watch that you're character isn't in two places at once, so if there are two fourth of july threads you can only be in one in general.

 

9) You start each thread with your base Hero point plus any gained for Luck.

[angrydurf]

Alright couple things to take note of outside your questions.

 

you have too much dodge focus listed in your defense and half of base defense (rounded up) is dodge bonus so your flat footed defense would be +1 right now.

 

Since your strike isn't not mighty that isn't an unarmed strike technically, though you can just shift the attack specialty to apply to that strike.

 

Affects insubstantial does not apply to sensory effects like super senses.  Insubstantial is not invisible just able to pass through things to one degree or another.

 

You should apply descriptors to the stuff out of the array so it's clear how they work and what counters/nullifies them.

[Blarghy]

3)  Yup, that's exactly what I want!  I'd like the Magical Array to be primarily for non-combat situations.  In battle, he'll be a punch-and-shoot kinda guy.  If he has to "bubble" people, I want it to be risky for him.

 

5)  Ahh, ok.  I'll look into that.  Now, is the mechanic of offering cover noticeably superior to just a Toughness bonus?  Especially since I can currently offer Impervious Toughness, at a sufficiently high rank that little should get through to anybody cowering inside.  From what I gather, choosing one Power over another determines the mechanics, more than the fluff.  I didn't think it would be a problem to have the Force Field be visible (I think it is in a few of the pictures of sample characters who have them in the books) as some kind of bubble.  So it's really a choice between offering Toughness directly to anyone inside, versus an object that grants Cover and has its own Toughness, yes?

 

6) Seems like a lot of work for a niche ability, so I'll probably just drop it (it was a whim, really--the kind of thing a treasure hunter might find useful--but even seeing ghosts wouldn't let me question them, so I think it'd end up being a lot of points invested for relatively little gain). 

Edit: used those two points for Infravision and Ultravision.  Still perhaps niche abilities, but now he can see a lot of things hidden to most people (again, useful for a tomb raider looking for clues). 

 

Your other suggestions: 

 

For Defense, 3 points (for 6PP) are regular, base Defense, and the other 6 are from Dodge Focus.  I'm reading in the core rulebook, and it says that being flat-footed means you don't get your Dodge bonus.  So wouldn't it be +3?

 

All of the Powers have the Magical description, and are countered and nullified as such (it's listed at the top, right after Powers; I thought I read in The Newbie's Guide that you could do that if they were all the same).

 

I'll fix the rest, though; you're right about the Strike.  I had it labeled as Unarmed because it's a punch, but that's a fluff thing; I'll take it out so it's not confusing. 

Edited December 20, 2015 by Blarghy

[angrydurf]

Half of your base defense (at 2PP a rank) are dodge bonus as is any dodge focus feats so your three ranks of base defense offer 1 rank of defense and 2 ranks of dodge bonus (half rounded up).  Due to this most people try to keep base defense even so you are not paying for a Dodge bonus you could get cheaper with Dodge focus feats.  You also need to keep your base defense to 1/4 your total defense though I can't remember off the top of my head if that rounds up or down.

 

For the forcefield effect they really achieve pretty different effects (also as written any enemies inside the area of the bubble also get the toughness bonus)  You could fluff it to be a big force field covering the area but people could walk through unimpeded (Friend or foe) and the effect counts for everyone in the area so two people within the bubble firing at each other still gain the bonus toughness.  For utility in defending civilians and such create object is probably more useful, for combat it might be a bit of a wash dependant on who you are fighting but at that rank you're covering an area that for most threads is larger than the fight takes place in very few fights are with all people fighting at max range.   Mostly I was just saying if you want a defensive bubble effect to keep baddies away and prevent rubble form hitting civilians and other such utility you're probably looking for create object.  If you want people near you to be better at taking a hit from this that or the other go with what you have.

[Blarghy]

Hmmm, I didn't know that about Defense.  I'll adjust that, then (I wanted the Distracting flaw on the Magical Array to actually hurt, more than to just save points, or else I wouldn't have bothered with Dodge Focus at all).  Thanks!

 

As for the Force Field, I hadn't considered that people could cross over at will.  I thought the Selective feat let me choose that.  If it doesn't, then yeah, that more than anything else will make Create Object a better choice.  I wanted to be able to prevent, say, falling rocks from killing people inside, but if I'm leading a crowd of civilians through a street full of alien soldiers trying to kill them or whatever, it's pointless if I can't keep the bad guys out. 

 

Edit: Ok, I messed with Defense a bit, following your advice (cut some skill ranks in the process, ended up with some extra points, and decided to get some Regeneration instead of putting them back where they were), and you also convinced me on Create Object (well, you and Jill O'Cure's example).  The result follows my previous wish of being tough to do (it's got a Concentrate duration) yet impressive in scope.  Too impressive, perhaps; I can make 10,000' cubes at the moment, because I have nothing else to spend those extra points on except for ranks of Progression.  So...I'm open to suggestions in that regard.  I guess I don't have to use it at its full extent, and it's nice to have the option of covering almost two mile-sections of the city if we get bombarded from orbit or something.  I do worry it's too strong, though.

 

And in other news, the friend who'll be joining me suggests "Relic" as Landon's hero name.  He hunts them, and now he currently is one.  I'll go with it if nothing better comes along, though I'm still open to suggestions.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Blarghy

[angrydurf]

You may want to drop some progression for Selective and Affects Insubstantial 2 on the create object.  That allows you to both stop Insubstantial foes from crossing the barrier you make and allows you to choose to let some people and attacks through.  Also create object is soft capped so instead of progression you can buy some additional ranks, the save DC to trap or attack with the power will be capped at 10 but the toughness of the effect will increase so long as it's not used to abuse defensive caps (which with concentration duration isn't going to be an issue)  I believe impervious is capped at PL still though so if you get selective and Affects insubstantial 2 you have 7PP to split between additional ranks and progression to fine tune size vs. strength.

 

Relic is pretty solid as a name.

Edited December 20, 2015 by angrydurf

[Blarghy]

I like your ideas on feats.  Drops the size down to something a little more reasonable, yet still very impressive (I think I'll keep the rank as is, given the Impervious cap).  That's the theme I want for the Magical Array: slow and dangerous to use, but grand in scope.

 

Also added the Storage Only flaw to the Dimensional Pocket, making it a little bigger in the process (mostly for lack of anywhere else to put that extra point), on the model of a cool pixie character I saw on the forums. 

 

I think that might be it.  I'll let it sit for a day or two, think things over, see if I come up with any new ideas, and then move it forward for judging.  In the mean time, I'm open to any other suggestions anybody might have.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Edit: oh cool, there's a height and weight chart on this subforum, for references.  Reflecting that, I've dropped his weight by a good 15 pounds or so, to show that he's skinny to the point of real danger (it's telling that there was no actual picture for the 90 pound range at his height).  Of course, that'll gradually change as I slowly boost his ability scores back up.  I plan to eventually get them all to 16, across the board (I figure that's about where he was in the past, at the top of his game), and if I want anything higher, I can always hook him up with a magical Device that boosts them even further. 

Edited December 20, 2015 by Blarghy

[Blarghy]

Alright, I think I've got it.  I moved some points back into skills (I decided that Regeneration was out of character, though I'll probably buy it eventually via a Device) and double-checked my math.  I believe that Knockback is right; previously, I didn't understand how it worked, so I left it at +0 and waited to see if anybody said anything about it, but it's half your Toughness (rounded down), to be subtracted from damage that might send you flying, right?  Neat mechanic.  From what I can gather from the books, it's not that uncommon for a hard-hitting character to toss people literally hundreds of feet, just like you'd expect from comics and films. 

 

Onward to the other subforum for judging!

 

One last question, though: since I plan to have Relic undergo extreme changes during the course of play, as he heals and grows and gains power points, I thought it'd be cool to show his progress by keeping copies of his sheet at each new PL.  Where would be a good place to put them?  I'll start a thread in the Guidebook eventually, but no one else has clogged theirs up with stats and such, from what I can see.  It certainly wouldn't go in his News thread.  Perhaps just new posts in his character thread, when (if) he's approved? 

[angrydurf]

Probably a thread here in character building (even this one) would be best.  News thread is mostly for IC information and the Character thread in the character bank is for the most recent version only to avoid confusion.

[Blarghy]

I like it.  Keeps my early ideas readable too, if anyone happens to care for some reason.  I think I can change thread titles, so I'll do that when it becomes more appropriate, and then add updated sheets periodically.  Link to it from the Guidebook, and so on.

[trollthumper]

While I like the idea and the build, we do not generally recommend characters having negatives in all their ability scores. While it certainly balances out with skills and saves, it creates the image of a frail, clumsy twig with slow wits, clouded intellect, and passive surliness. 

 

That said, your backstory does explain why he got there - he got all sorts of messed up by planeswalking - but it might help if some of those scores were positive, or at least neutral. 

[Blarghy]

That's what I was going for, though--a frail, clumsy twig with slow wits, clouded intellect, and passive surliness.  I'll raise them all back up, of course (getting everything back to 10 is probably going to be my first priority, then eventually up to the 16 range), but my idea was to show his slow transition as he heals back into a real hero.  But until then, I wanted him to get by with his old skills and abilities, and have the character arc of a broken man at his lowest point who must rebuild, and comes out the other side better for it.

 

In his old life, when everything was handed to him by excellent fortune, he was greedy and vain, even if he wasn't necessarily bad.  This time, he'll have to work for it, and that effort will mold him into a better person.  By the time he gets back to positive modifiers, I want him to be much more appreciative of what he has, and when I get him back to the rough level I pictured him being in his backstory (around 16 in all stats--I'll probably keep them dead even across the board to show him being well-rounded), I want him to have Superman-level ethics. 

 

Essentially, prideful man falls hard, drags himself back up, and is forged by fire into someone better.

[N/A]

When you have a bunch of skills with high bonuses, but the Abilities they're based upon are all below average, then the sheet reeks of minmaxing and powergaming, whether or not that was your intent.

 

He's clumsier than the average person, yet he could drive a car well enough to keep up with a NASCAR racer or a NYC cab driver, and he could fly a plane professionally.

He's measurably stupid, but he's got world-class knowledge in arcane lore, and professional-level knowledge in art and history.

He's oblivious and weak-willed, yet he's great at telling when someone is lying, and noticing things that most people miss, and his ability to concentrate rivals the Buddha.

He's even less engaging, smooth, or handsome than the average person, yet he's great at lying, bluffing, and ferreting out information.

 

This isn't a sheet that makes sense in terms of anything except maximizing the efficiency of power-point expenditure.

 

Edited December 23, 2015 by ShaenTheBrain

[Blarghy]

My idea was to show the dichotomy in a character who was once naturally talented, but now only has a lifetime of skills to rely on, and is rubbish outside of his expertise. He would know how to make himself likable but not be able to properly express himself (and struggle with the frustration of it in every significant conversation).  He'd have a wealth of magical experience but wouldn't know how to teach it to other people--or be innovative with his lists of facts.  He'd be able to operate most vehicles but only from a technical, muscle-memory standpoint, without the flair or confidence of a proper career driver/pilot.

 

It also never occurred to me that several medium and two high skills would be considered powergaming in a system where other characters can jog past the sound barrier and juggle cars, perhaps at the same time.

 

However, multiple people have now expressed concern over this aspect of the build (one of them a moderator), so I'll scrap it and go with one of my other ideas.  I'm not particularly interested in redesigning it with higher ability scores, as that rather defeats the core concept that attracted me to it in the first place.

 

But no worries.  I didn't plan to start playing until probably after the New Year anyway, and I have another character I weighed against this one.  I'll start working on it and try to get something up within the next few days.