Return to A World Too Far

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Davies
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Return to A World Too Far

Post by Davies »

Introduction: A (Very) Brief History of Superhuman Activity

The Thirties

As far as most people are aware, supers first became active in the 1930s. For the most part, they were initially regarded as urban legends and tall tales, but by the end of the decade it was pretty clear to most people that they were real. The first large-scale battle involving multiple supers was fought in 1938, during that year's attempted invasion from Mars.

The Forties

While the supers of America and Britain assisted in morale-boosting efforts and fought spy rings (which were generally usually composed of "wannabes" rather than actual agents of the enemy powers) they never became involved in the fighting. (As far as most people are aware, at least.) Matters were different in occupied territories and in Nazi Germany, where every super who could be found was immediately either executed or used as a weapon in the army. It didn't help matters any -- no matter how powerful they were, the Reich's super-soldiers were neither immortal nor invincible, and were either captured or killed by enemy firepower. Russia, which had no supers of its own, began trying to replicate a number of German "super-soldier" experiments during and after the war, with predictably disturbing results.

The Fifties

The Atom Age saw many of the first generation of supers start to retire, less due to outside pressure than due to simple aging and the fact that there weren't really a lot of threats to face. (Aside from spy rings now composed of "wannabe" Communists.) Threats to have the aging heroes called before the HUAC never panned out, mostly because it was impossible to issue a subpoena for someone whose real name was unknown. This actually had some interesting consequences, and resulted in the current legal status of a costumed identities as a separate person who can be sued and held accountable for his or her actions. Also during this decade, some took note of the increasing extraterrestrial interest in the planet's activities, as well as the increasing frequency of mutation in the populace, and the increasing frequency of horrific magical phenomena...

The Sixties

A burst of new heroes arrived on the scene at the start of the decade, and many of the older ones came back as well, revitalized by contact with their younger counterparts in a parallel universe. But the initial optimism the newer heroes would be sorely tested by the events of the decade to follow. In particular, mutated heroes would discover exceptionally sinister activities undertaken by various factions of the United States government involving them.

The Seventies

Horrific events in both their personal lives and professional ones drove many of the newer heroes into retirement at the start of the decade. The older heroes, however, having been revitalized by various events, kept active, and were joined by some of the first of a new generation. Even they would be rocked, however, when they suffered their first major losses.

The Eighties

In the early years of the decade, more of the children of the first supers became involved in their activities, but that came to a screeching halt in the middle of the decade, after a horrific catastrophe on the parallel world. The greatest hero, the Ultimate, was missing and presumed dead, and most of his companions decided to call it quits. The younger generation continued for a while, but most gradually found other things to do with their lives.

The Nineties

After eight years, the Ultimate returned, but after saving Detroit from being totally destroyed (leaving it only mostly destroyed, to be rebuilt over the next decade) he declared that it was time for him to retire as well. The United Nations granted him the sovereign power status he sought, and he settled on an island he raised in international waters. Many people concluded that the day of the supers had passed ... but the first of yet another generation began to make their presence known towards the end of the decade.

The New Millennium

In the first, trying decade of the new century, new heroes have begun to emerge, no longer content to maintain a status quo. "We cannot allow the world to be this way," was their rallying cry after the destruction of the Twin Towers, and since then the Alliance and other teams have sought to make a difference to the world, not just fight supervillains and other criminals. How well they have done is open to question ...

The New Teens

The world has been changed in many ways by the activities of the Alliance, Eternity Enterprises, the Fright Knights, the Mutant Underground, the Primal Pattern, and the Utopian Academy, among many others. Yet human nature remains what it has always been, and there is increasing unrest against the notion that mundane humanity can only prosper under the allegedly benevolent guidance of a superhuman oligarchy, with many turning to leaders who promise opposition to these forces. And so the adventure continues ...
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Re: Return to A World Too Far

Post by Davies »

Reserved for Index

House Rules Observed By All Characters
  • Some Expertise skills are based on Presence or Dexterity. In addition, any skill check for a Team Check skill is modified by Presence rather than the normal ability.
  • Defensive Roll 1 gives a +2 bonus to Toughness checks, and +1 per rank thereafter.
  • Immunity to Mental Effects is treated as a very common descriptor and costs 20 points.
  • Impervious Toughness works as the Hero's Handbook states; the character doesn't have to make a Toughness save against effects with a damage modifier less than half of its rank. This is to keep its value consistent with Immunity (Toughness) which costs 80 points. But Immunity (Fortitude) and (Will) cost only 30 points. So Impervious Fortitude and Impervious Will work like this: the character doesn't have to make a Fortitude or Will save against effects with a resistance modifer equal to its rank.
  • Comprehend costs 3 points per rank.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Miracle

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Miracle

Image

It was 1998 when they found her. At first, the team of scientists believed that the only mystery would be how the poor girl had ended up a perfectly preserved corpse frozen inside a block of ice within a glacial rift. Then they thawed her out -- and she started breathing. While alive, she was comatose for nearly a week, and the physician who cared for her didn't hold out much hope that she'd ever awaken. She surprised him. She does that a lot.

She awakened with no memories of any previous existence. Indeed, she awakened without language skills -- though she learned conversational English in record time. (Some of the idioms still trip her up from time to time, and she has a unique accent that she has learned to suppress while in her secret identity.) During her retraining, it became fairly obvious that she possessed super-powers, though an understanding of their origins would elude every researcher who examined her.

She was, first of all, biologically human in every respect -- not an extraterrestrial, not any of the known extradimensional humanoid species. She had no cybernetic implants, nor any biological modifications that a fairly exhaustive set of x-rays and MRIs could detect. She did not register on psi sensors while using her powers, which also did not detect as magical. All attempts to neutralize potential illusions which could have been given producing incorrect data failed. How she does what she does may remain a mystery forever.

All of these failures -- and the occasional irritation that the researchers expressed at her for her "failure" to reveal anything to them -- gave her something of a complex. Her search for her own origins continued long after all the scientists and scholars had given up. She sought out anyone who could possibly shed some light on them, in the process saving a few other lives and solving a few minor problems. (Minor to her, at least -- to those whose lives would have been ruined by the problems, they were rather more major.) No one could ever help her, not even the Ultimate, whom she very bravely sought out in hopes that he might reveal that she was somehow related to him. He disabused of her of the notion, but fairly gently.

Eventually, she entered therapy to deal with what even she realized was an unhealthy obsession. As part of her therapy, she adopted a civilian identity. In this she was helped by a generous bequest from one of the researchers who'd discovered her; having died a wealthy bachelor, he decided to settle a large portion of his assets on her. She became Karin Adams, a moderately wealthy entrepreneur who soon became a very wealthy entrepreneur thanks to her keen head for business. But this didn't help her to come to terms with her obsession, and eventually the therapist admitted that he'd never thought it would, but that her having a regular address made his business run more smoothly.

That did it. She had finally had enough, and she soared up into the air, flew to the edge of space, and started shouting. Okay, so she didn't know who she was or where she'd come from. Did anyone? Really? She didn't know why she could do the things that she did. So what? What mattered more was why she did them! "Who am I?" she concluded. "I am who I want to be!"

And there was a long silent moment. In a novel, this would have been when she got the answers she'd been looking for, after she'd finally stopped looking for them. This being real life, none of that happened. Instead, she found the inner peace that she'd thought would only come from knowing her origin. And it felt really good.

She returned to Earth a much calmer woman. Soon after, she joined with other heroes in forming the Alliance, and has found herself -- somewhat to her surprise -- in a position of leadership. While her new-found self-confidence can easily be mistaken for arrogance, she's learned how to pass that self-confidence on to others, convincing them that the situations they get into aren't actually that bad. (Even though they generally are that bad, if not worse.)

As the only member of the Alliance who's actually met the Ultimate, she naturally views him as the worst threat to the team. She's never had any close encounters with the Cabal, the Loi, or any of the other conspiracies, villains or hidden peoples that the other members of the team have described to her. It's not that she doubts her teammates, it's just that she wonders whether those they describe have ever faced anything like the Alliance -- and she knows for a fact that the Ultimate has, and that he was always more powerful than any collection of heroes assembled, no matter how powerful.

Miracle can hold her breath effectively indefinitely, as long as she retains consciousness. (Just how she does this is another one of those mysteries.) She is highly resistant to the effects of temperature variations and radiation levels, as well as the majority of diseases and poisons, and can endure exposure to vacuum for lengthy periods. She doesn't possess any particular resistance to high atmospheric pressure, but has endured it from time to time. Her most remarkable advantage is the fact that no nullification or power draining effects, regardless of their origin, have ever been able to affect her in any way. This does have its down side, as attempts to enhance her abilities, regardless of the enhancement's origin, have also constantly failed.

While Karin believes that she has completely moved on from her earlier obsession with learning the truth of her origins, in at least some ways, she's kidding herself. She has a prescription to deal with the obsessive tendencies, and is diligent about taking it. Should she ever stop taking her meds, however, and be confronted with the possibility of learning "the truth", she might suffer a relapse and abandon everything to pursue it. This would be a complication; if she's an NPC, it could also be a reason that she's not present for the adventure, or a plot seed.

Karin is not presently in a relationship with anyone. When dating someone who doesn't know about her secret identity, she will be forthright and upfront about the fact that she may have to make quick exits and have unexplained absences that she can't talk about because of her work. If anyone were to deduce that she is Miracle, and ask her, she would confirm it, hoping that anyone able to work it out for themselves and direct enough to ask will have enough integrity not to do anything with the knowledge.

If, on the other hand, someone were to guess her secret identity and then engage in gambits intended to prove it, a playful, almost flirtatious side of her personality would come forward. She'd match them trick for trick to keep her identity a secret, only breaking from the game if lives are in danger. And she can be very creative when she wants to be.

Miracle -- PL 10

Real name: Karin Adams (legal name; actual name is unknown even to herself.)
Date of birth: Unknown (apparent age 29.)
Identity: Secret (Gather Information DC 30.)
Occupation: Entrepreneur.
Base of operations: Mobile.
Affiliation: The Alliance.
Height: 5'11''.
Weight: 135 lbs.
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Reddish-blonde.

Abilities: Str 12/3, Sta 12/3, Agl 1, Dex 1, Fgt 3, Int 0, Awe 1, Pre 2

Powers:
Flight: Flight 9 (1000 MPH), Aquatic, Innate * 16 points
Holding Her Breath: Immunity 2 (suffocation effects), Sustained, Quirk (cannot speak while active), Innate * 2 point
Resistance: Immunity 8 (cold, disease, heat, poison, radiation, vacuum, Limited to Half Effect; energy drain effects), Innate * 6 points
Super-Strength: Array (19 points)
* Basics: Enhanced Strength 9, Innate * 19 points
* Super-Breath I: Move Objects 9, Close Range, Cone Area, Selective, Limited Direction (Attraction/Repulsion), Innate * 1 point
* Super-Breath II: Nullify Fire Effects 6, Cone Area, Simultaneous, Innate * 1 point
Super-Toughness: Enhanced Stamina 9, Impervious Toughness 10, Innate * 29 points

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit 3 (millionaire), Extraordinary Effort, Leadership.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 5 (+8), Deception 3 (+5), Expertise: Business 8 (+8), Insight 5 (+6), Investigation 4 (+4) Perception 6 (+7), Persuasion 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Throwing 5 (+6).

Offense:
Init +1.
Unarmed +8 (Damage 12).
Throwing +6 (Damage varies).

Defense:
Dodge 6, Fortitude 12, Parry 8, Toughness 12, Will 8

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Famous. Mysterious Origins. Secret Identity.

Abilities 28+Powers 78+Advantages 6+Skills 21+Defenses 17=150

High Power Version: Increase FGT to 4; Increase Enhanced Stamina to 12 ranks, Enhanced Strength to 12 ranks, Flight to 13 ranks, Impervious Toughness to 12; add Swiftness: Enhanced Feats 3 (Improved Initiative 3), Innate; increase Dodge to 7, Will to 9.

Low Power Version: Reduce Enhanced Stamina to 5 ranks, Enhanced Strength to 5 ranks, Impervious Toughness to 8 ranks; drop Flight, drop both Super-Strength alternate powers; add Mobility: Leaping 9 (Innate), Swimming 9 (Innate); drop Leadership; reduce Dodge to 4, Will to 6.
Miracle's Big Secret: Miracle is not simply from another dimension, but from another set of dimensions. In analogical terms, she came from a reality composed mostly of images with some text, and arrived in the World Too Far, which is composed mostly of text with some images. The method by which this happened involved the powers of the Canadian psychic warrior known as Cutter, to be discussed later. Miracle's obsession actually has very little to do with her 'childhood' trauma and everything to do with the fact that she's unconsciously aware that she is different in kind as well as degree from those around her.

It would be possible for her to return to her original multiverse, but not to her actual point of origin, which was destroyed by the contact between it and the World Too Far.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Shadowstar

Post by Davies »

Shadowstar

Image

Truth be told, he doesn't think his old life much. Neither of them. And every memory just blurs together. A few moments stand out. Being sent off to the same military academy five generations of his family had attended, to be molded into one of the future leaders his country so desperately needed. The phone call that told him that his parents had been in a plane crash. The day he stopped being a cadet, and started being an operator.

And then there's the day his life started to go off the rails. He was a specialist in stealth insertions, which often required that he enter the target area with very little in the way of gear, acquiring what he needed while dealing with the sentries. And one day, having just dealt with one such sentry and picked up his sophisticated rifle, a strange realization crossed his mind. This weapon hadn't saved its owner. Really, it hadn't been of any use to him whatsoever. So why should the guy who'd taken it away bother with it?

He began to make a game of it, seeing how far he could get on his missions without needing to use any of the weapons that he "acquired". He actually managed to complete a few without needing to fire a shot. It required some extra training, but he had lots of downtime between mission, both to find the training he needed and keep his skills honed to a razor's edge. His superiors weren't exactly happy about this, particularly after one or two of his associates tried to do the same thing and got themselves killed, but they weren't inclined to punish him for being a success.

It's been said that if you do something long enough, you'll inevitably become philosophical about it. He managed to avoid this. He did what he did because he was ordered to do it. Some of his associates had other reasons. They thought that they were protecting the people from threats that they didn't know about and would never understand, finding a nobility in paternalistic deception. Others acted out of sadistic pleasure in inflicting pain on those they were told were the enemy, seeking to avenge old injuries against people who'd had nothing to do with them. And some had ambitions of one day being the ones who gave the orders, or of being the ones who told those who gave the orders what orders they had to give.

None of that interested him. He just followed orders. And yet ... he knew for a fact that many of the men who gave those orders did not act out of concern for anyone's interests but their own. Many of the missions he undertook were not intended to protect anyone, but rather to cover someone's ass. Or clean up messes that someone else had made, so that they wouldn't look incompetent. Or, more disturbingly, ensure that a mess was made of a perfectly reasonable operation, so that someone would look incompetent. Was it right to simply abrogate any responsibility for one's actions, if one knew that those to whom it was abrogated would abuse it?

Okay, so maybe he didn't avoid philosophizing completely ...

In any event, time passed, and then the towers fell. His team was prepping for an insertion into Afghanistan when the news came that a bunch of supers, operating solely on righteous indignation, had gotten there first and actually managed to capture the likely mastermind behind the attacks. Quite a few of the guys were really annoyed that a group of undisciplined freaks had managed this, but he just shrugged. There'd be other jobs.

Probably, he shouldn't have been surprised when the bosses decided to send someone to infiltrate and if necessary sabotage this so-called Alliance before it started to really mess things up for them. That they tapped him for the job was, again, not too much of a shock. Given his "eccentricity", it'd be easy to pose as an urban vigilante-type. He was even able to draw on his own background for the cover, claiming that he'd become a crime-fighter, called Shadowstar, in vengeance for his parents' murder.

It was after he joined the Alliance that things went completely haywire. He'd been undercover before, and he knew that it was tempting to start identifying with the target of the operation. But infiltrating terrorist cells, filled with damaged zealots manipulated by cynical fanatics, hadn't prepared him for dealing with people who honestly wanted to make the world a better place, and were prepared to do hard and dangerous work to accomplish it. These people were good ... not just capable, but good. Not perfect, annoying from time to time ... but good.

These were people who deserved to be left to do their work. So he prepared to be extracted, only to be told, when he made the call, that the decision had been made to liquidate the Alliance. Its activities had already ruffled too many feathers. And that's when he snapped. He said five names. He knew where they were buried, and he knew who'd buried them. If any of the bosses tried anything against the alliance, that would be his first move.

And if that didn't work, he'd come after them. And he knew where they lived.

The interesting thing is, that was the hard part. He expected the hard part to be telling the members of the Alliance the truth about himself. He expected that they'd be furious, and that the best that he could expect was to have to spend a long time regaining their trust. So when he revealed all and Miracle replied, "Yeah, guessed that. Kind of a cliched origin, don't you think?" ... little annoying. But he's coping.

Shadowstar -- yes, he's keeping the name, lame though it is -- is slowly learning that it's a myth that the most dangerous man is one with nothing to lose. The truth is, someone who had nothing to lose and who's just found something worth protecting -- his team-mates in the Alliance -- is much more dangerous. He'll use every one of his hard-earned skills to protect them from whatever menaces threaten their mission. While tactically brilliant, he's actually better at figuring out other people's plans than he is at coming up with his own. But he's learning that, too.

Shadowstar -- PL 10 (150 points)

Real name: Alan Tolliver. (Rarely used.)
Date of birth: October 21, 1967.
Identity: Secret (Gather Information DC 25.)
Occupation: Ex-black op, currently unemployed.
Base of operations: Mobile.
Affiliation: The Alliance.
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 180 lbs.
Eyes: Blue-green.
Hair: Black.

Abilities: STR 4, STA 4, DEX 6, AGL 6, FGT 10, INT 4, AWE 4, PRE 4

Advantages:
Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Critical (unarmed) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Uncanny Dodge, Well-Informed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+10), Athletics 8 (+12), Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+16), Deception 6 (+10), Expertise: Military 8 (+12), Expertise: Survival 4 (+8), Insight 4 (+8), Intimidation 6 (+10), Investigation 4 (+8), Perception 8 (+12), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+10), Sleight of Hand 4 (+10), Stealth 6 (+10), Technology 6 (+10), Treatment 4 (+8).

Offense:
Init +10
Unarmed +16 (Damage 4, Crit 18-20)

Defenses:
Dodge 9, Fortitude 9, Parry 14, Toughness 6/4*, Will 8
*Without Defensive Roll bonus.

Complications:
Justice-Motivation. Lethal Instincts. Secret Identity.

Abilities 84+Advantages 9+Skills 41+Defenses 16=150

High Powered Version: Increase STR to 5, DEX to 7, AGL to 7, FGT to 12; add Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+8); increase Acrobatics to 8 ranks, Intimidation to 10 ranks, Perception to 12 ranks, Stealth to 10 ranks; increase Improved Critical (unarmed) to 3 ranks; add Equipment 5 (Body Armor [Protection 2, Subtle], Slap Gloves [Close Damage 1], and 21 points of equipment as needed), Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Stealth); increase Dodge to 12.

Low Powered Version: Reduce STR to 3, DEX to 4, AGL to 4, FGT to 8, INT to 3, AWE to 3, PRE to 3; drop Defensive Roll, Improved Critical; reduce Athletics to 7, Close Combat: Unarmed to 5; drop Investigation, Technology, Treatment.
Shadowstar's Big Secret: Several years ago, Shadowstar discovered that his parents' plane crash was not an accident. No, they weren't murdered -- they faked their deaths to go undercover as covert operatives for one last mission, from which they never returned. Or at least, in his father's case, hadn't returned until 2013, when he was "rescued" from "captivity", and resumed his old life ... without, it should be noted, making any attempt to contact his only son. Three years later, Warren Tolliver was appointed as Secretary of Defense by the new administration, and has since then been pursuing a set of complicated agendas that often put him at odds with the League, and Shadowstar in particular, but which also threaten a number of Shadowstar's enemies. His exact goals remain unknown, as does the fate of his wife.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Sir Perceval

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Sir Perceval

Image

Even among the most illuminated members of the Cabal cannot say for certain whether or not there truly was a King Arthur. Many theories have been proposed to explain the references in the various chronicles, but it is entirely possible that there never was such an individual. Nevertheless, people have been telling stories about him and his knights for more than a thousand years, and in the world of magic, what is imagined often becomes real.

So it was that the being who calls himself King Arthur came into existence in the Iconic Realm, and formed his Kingdom of Logres there. (He may have been an obscure, minor god of the Celtic people of Britain who sought to preserve his existence by identifying himself with stories that were beginning to be told as those about him were fading. Again, no one knows for sure.) Over the millennia, he would draw many people from the British isles and parts of Europe into his realm, to become his subjects and in some cases the peers of his realm.

There, the myths of the Arthurian cycle repeated endlessly, with every possible variation. Sometimes King Arthur was a wise and generous monarch; sometimes he was a brutal tyrant. In every generation, knights would rise up to fill the other roles in his stories, and though they passed as all men must, they had become part of the legend, and so were content. And so, for a long while, was King Arthur.

In 1962, however, his contentment was disturbed by a conflict between Cabalists and extraterrestrials near Glastonbury Tor on Earth, the primary point of connection between his realm and the Material world. Intrigued by what the Merlin showed him about this struggle, King Arthur departed from his realm to explore the world of men. He became known as a hero, making an entirely new legend for himself, and enjoyed the spice of not knowing how the story would end. But within a decade, he returned to his realm to find that his absence had nearly resulted in its collapse back into chaos.

Shamed by what he had almost caused to occur, King Arthur vowed that he would never abandon his duties again, and has remained in his realm ever since. But some years past, his dreams were troubled by images from Earth. Consulting with the current Merlin, King Arthur determined that the time had come for one of his knights to ride forth against the evils of the modern world. His champions eagerly anticipated a round of tournaments to determine which among them would be the chosen one.

They were surprised (in some cases flabbergasted) when King Arthur pre-empted all such affairs in favor of simply choosing one of them, the current Sir Perceval, for the job. None were more surprised by this than he -- there were much more puissant knights of the realm, more faithful and surely more deserving. Yet King Arthur's decision was final, and so after receiving a handful of magical gifts from the Merlin and other enchanters friendly to the throne, Sir Perceval set out and rode to Earth.

He found himself baffled by nearly every aspect of the modern world, from technology to democracy, but has gradually learned to cope with the confusion. He's been helped by an alliance formed early on with police detective sergeant Stephanie Morgan. He views their relationship as something between "knight and faithful squire" and "brothers in arms". She, on the other hand, occasionally laments that she's fallen into a weird cop buddy movie and can't get out. But she does recognize that he's a genuine hero, and tries to protect him (and the world around him) from his occasional moments of confusion.

Sir Perceval was one of the original members of the Alliance who went on the mission to Afghanistan. While most of the others viewed him as comic relief, initially, they soon appreciated his inspiring courage and determination -- as when he, mounted on his horse Traveler, charged a Soviet tank that the terrorists had somehow acquired, using his enchanted lance. Both the tank and the lance were shattered by the encounter, and Sir Perceval didn't come away unscathed, but he kept right on going. The consensus of opinion about him among the Alliance is that "Percy's a nutcase ... but he's our nutcase."

He is at best dimly aware of the activities of the Cabal, though he is aware of their existence and the potential that they could be a threat to the Alliance. While superstitious, he doesn't have any particular fear of magic, particularly since the superstitions he follows are specifically intended to counteract magic. (Their effectiveness varies; he'll attribute any successful saving throw against magic to their influence, particularly one involving a Hero Point.) He's somewhat more familiar with the activities of the creatures of Faerie, and on one occasion made a comment that gave Miracle fresh insight into how to overcome one of Titania's schemes.

Perhaps his greatest ambition is to follow in the footsteps of his legendary forebear and quest for the Holy Grail. He would of course try to persuade his fellows in the Alliance to join him in this quest, in hopes of elevating their spirits -- and because he realizes that he doesn't even begin to measure up to the original Sir Perceval, and even he needed help. Still, he doesn't know what form the Grail has taken in this place and time, and so he is content to wait for it to make itself known to him, until then seeking to foil the schemes of bandits and brigands (criminals) and monsters and evil wizards (super-criminals).

Sir Perceval -- PL 10

Real name: Sir Perceval of Norwich.
Date of birth: Unknown (apparent age 28).
Identity: Publicly known but not widely believed. (Gather Information DC 10, Knowledge [arcana] DC 25).
Occupation: Knight errant.
Base of operations: Campaign city.
Affiliation: The Alliance, Knights of the Table Round.
Height: 6'
Weight: 225 lbs.
Eyes: Grey.
Hair: Light brown.

Abilities: STR 4, STA 4, AGL 4, DEX 4, FGT 8, INT 2, AWE 3, PRE 3

Powers:
Gift of Tongues: Comprehend Animals 2 * 6 points
Mighty Steed: Heroic Summon 5, Mental Link * 21 points
Mystical Sword: Close Damage 4, Improved Critical 2, Easily Removable (-2 points) * 3 points
Mystical Shield: Enhanced Dodge 2, Enhanced Parry 2, Easily Removable (-2 points) * 2 points
Enchanted Armor: Impervious Protection 6, Immunity 3 (critical hits, disease), Removable (-3 points) * 12 points
Power Lifting: Enhanced Strength 2, Limited to lifting * 2 points.
Running: Speed 1 (4 MPH) * 1 point

Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Inspire, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Takedown Attack 2, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break.

Skills:
Close Combat: Sword 2 (+12), Expertise: Horseman 8 (+12)*, Expertise: Medieval 4 (+6), Performance: Song 4 (+7), Perception 8 (+11), Persuasion 4 (+7).
* Based on DEX.

Offense:
Init +8
Unarmed +10 (Damage 4)
Sword +12 (Damage 8, Crit 18-20)

Defense:
Dodge 8/6*, Fortitude 8, Parry 10/8*, Toughness 10/4**, Will 7
* Without Shield
** Without Armor

Abilities 64+Powers 47+Advantages 11+Skills 18+Defenses 10=150

Complications
Chivalry-Motivation. Friend (Stephanie Morgan). Overconfidence. Unfamiliar with Technology.

Mighty Steed

Abilities: STR 9, STA 7, DEX 2, AGL 2, FGT 4, INT 0, AWE 2, PRE 0

Powers:
Size: Growth 4 (Permanent, Innate), Protection 3 * 12 points
Swiftness: Flight 6 (120 MPH) * 12 points

Advantages:
None

Skills:
Intimidation 2 (+2), Perception 4 (+6)

Offense:
Init +2
Unarmed +4 (Damage 9)

Defenses:
Dodge 5, Fortitude 9, Parry 4, Toughness 10, Will 5

Abilities 36+Powers 24+Advantages 0+Skills 2+Defenses 8=70

Complications:
Loyalty-Motivation. Cannot Speak. No Manipulators.

High Powered Version: Increase Close Damage to 6 ranks, Improved Critical to 3 ranks, Immunity to 4 ranks (add poison), Impervious Protection to 8 ranks, Enhanced Parry to 4 ranks, Enhanced Dodge to 4 ranks, Enhanced Strength to 4 ranks, Speed to 3 ranks; add Magic Resistance: Immunity 20 (magic), Limited to Half Effect; increase Close Attack to 4 ranks; add Expertise: Magic 4 (+6), Intimidation 6 (+9).

Low Powered Version: Reduce STR to 3, STA to 3, FGT to 6; drop all powers except Mighty Steed and Running; add Equipment 4 (sword, shield, plate mail, plus 7 other points as needed).
Sir Perceval's Big Secret: Perceval is King Arthur's only begotten son in the current generation of Logres. It's possible that if he ever discovers this, he will be forced by the narrative to become Mordred and act accordingly.
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The Warrior

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The Warrior

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Somewhere in the vastness of the cosmos, there is another galaxy much like our own, and yet also very unlike it -- for that other is a galaxy where the forces men call magic are much more potent than they are here, and the majority of worlds are inhabited by human-like beings. It is a galaxy where vessels move between the stars through a method of magical teleportation, the starcaster. It is a galaxy largely ruled by a empire of dragons, which, with the ascension of an emperor of the darkest of the dragon clans, has taken a turn for the tyrannical, inevitably provoking a desperate rebellion.

It is a galaxy far, far away ... but not so far that its story has never touched our own. Starcasters sometimes malfunction in interesting ways, throwing spacecraft far across the universe. So it was that a ship carrying both a noted lawman of that galaxy and a dangerous prisoner was catapulted across space, ending up in Earth's atmosphere before crashing to the ground of Northern California. Given the nature of both the lawman and the prisoner, who were each one of the chosen agents of their respective deities, it seems likely that this was not an accident.

Be that as it may, the ship was found by fourteen-year old Marie Miyazaki, the only person nearby. She made a vain attempt to assist the lawman, who had been mortally injured in the crash. He cared little for this fact, however, more concerned with the escape of the prisoner. It would be impossible, he knew, for him to bring her to justice ... but perhaps another could. And he saw potential in this child.

He called on the syncretic god he served, fashioned from the warrior archetypes of a thousand worlds, and asked him to bless Marie with powers like his own. The prayer was answered, and with his dying breath, he instructed her to take up his panoply and use it in a just struggle. This she did ... and at once, she set out on the beginning of her long quest to capture her rival. She called herself by the name of her new god -- the Warrior.

Along the way, she has fought many other menaces, of course. Most notably, she was one of the first to answer the Field Captain's call for heroes to respond to the horrific terrorist attacks on New York City, joining the heroes who would form the Alliance. They were unaware that she was then just sixteen years old; the mild transformation she undergoes when invoking her powers also makes her appear somewhat older. Those of them who've learned the truth since then have come to respect her despite her youth.

However, the same keen judgement and grasp of realities that has served her so well in the past is causing her trouble as she grows up and starts to question some of the things she took for granted as a child. A deeply moral person, Marie is coming to understand that the Warrior is a fundamentally amoral being, one that cares more for a strict set of laws than for anything that might be called justice. She wonders whether it's really right for her to use such a power, even for ends that seem to be unquestionably good.

And even those ends are starting to come into question. Marie's first duty is to apprehend Rebelle, one who serves the Warrior's opposite number, the Trickster ... but she's coming to understand that Rebelle isn't evil, or even really deliberately destructive. It's true that the chaos she brings with her causes harm more often than not. But they've fought and tried to hurt each other more times than she can readily recall, and Marie wonders whether the whole thing doesn't cause more chaos than it prevents.

Nor is Rebelle her only real problem. She practices a form of magic that is utterly alien to Earth, which naturally attracts interest from some factions of the Cabal, who either want to learn it or kill her to prevent it from being learned by their enemies. (Or both.) That would be bad enough, but the fact that she has a direct channel to a god from another galaxy has aroused the interest of a number of Earth's deities, who are apparently unable to grant power to their mortal servants in such a manner.

So far, all that Marie has endured as a result of the latter was a not-unpleasant encounter with someone who claimed to be the son of Sun Wukong, and a rather more frightening battle against someone who claimed to be the ancient deified Empress Himiko of Japan. She suspects that she only survived that fight with help from her friends in the Alliance, and isn't eager to repeat it. (She's also not sure how much she should credit any of this -- given that she's the direct agent of a deity, she is remarkably skeptical.)

Marie has also become uncomfortably aware of several brief periods of missing time in her life in recent weeks. They don't amount to more than a few minutes on any given day, but the fact that she can't remember where she was or what she was doing no matter how hard she tries is very frightening. And this is one case where none of her friends have been able to help her.(Ironically, an enemy might be able to do so -- Rebelle is having the same problem.)

The Warrior -- PL 10

Real name: Marie Miyazaki.
Date of Birth: February 17, 1985.
Identity: Secret (Gather Information 30, Knowledge (arcane lore) DC 25)
Occupation: Full-time superhero.
Base of Operations: San Francisco.
Affiliation: The Alliance.
Height: 5'4''.
Weight: 120 lbs.
Eyes: Brown (gold when performing magic)
Hair: Black (silver when performing magic)

Abilities: STR 0, STA 2, AGL 1, DEX 2, FGT 6, INT 1, AWE 4, PRE 4

Powers:
Enchanted Ring: Comprehend Languages 2; Feature (Illumination); Flight 8 (500 MPH); Linked Sustained Protection 6 and Enhanced Defenses 12 (Dodge 6, Parry 6); Removable (-8 points) * 33 points
Enchanted Sword: Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical; Easily Removable (-2 points) * 2 points
Instant Change: Morph 1 (magical identity) * 5 points
Invocations of the Warrior's Might: Array (14 points)
*The Warrior's Gauntlet Cast: Ranged Damage 14, Tiring * 14 points
*The Warrior's Allies Shielded: Moveable Create 7, Tiring * 1 point
*The Warrior's Healing Hand: Healing 14, Tiring * 1 point
*The Warrior's Ten Thousand League Step: Extended Accurate Teleport 7 (120 miles), Extended Only, Tiring * 1 point
*The Warrior's Protection From Magic: Nullify Magic 14, Broad, Tiring * 1 point
Second Sight: Senses 4 (danger sense, magical awareness, visual senses counters illusions) * 4 points

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Fearless, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Startle

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+6), Close Combat: Sword 2 (+8), Expertise: Magic 6 (+7), Insight 8 (+12), Intimidation 4 (+8), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 8 (+12), Persuasion 8 (+12), Ranged Combat: Magic 4 (+6), Treatment 5 (+6).

Offense:
Init +5
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 0)
Enchanted Sword +8 (Close Damage 3, Crit 19-20)
Warrior's Gauntlet Cast +6 (Ranged Damage 14)

Defense:
Dodge 12/6, Fortitude 5, Parry 12/6, Toughness 8/2, Will 11

Abilities 40 + Powers 62 + Advantages 5 + Skills 28 + Defenses 15 = 150

Complications:
Doing Good-Motivation. Enemy (Rebelle). Power Loss (Failure to uphold the Warrior's Law.)

High Powered Version: Increase STR to 1, STA to 3, AGL to 2, FGT to 9, INT to 2; increase Expertise: Magic to 8 ranks, Investigation to 8 ranks, Ranged Combat: Magic to 8 ranks; add Close Attack 2, Power Attack, Ritualist; increase Senses to 5 ranks (add acute to magical awareness); increase Dodge to 9, Will to 14.

Low Powered Version: Reduce STA to 0, FGT to 4, AWE to 2, PRE to 2; drop Expertise: Magic and Investigation; reduce Persuasion to 6 ranks; drop Improved Initiative, Startle; reduce Array to 12 points; drop Moveable Create and Extended Accurate Teleport; reduce Dodge to 4.
The Warrior's Big Secret: The blackouts Marie and Rebelle have been having are from times when they are contacted by the Nucleonic Think Tank, a group of super-beings that protects the Union of Allied Worlds in the twenty-eighth century. In order to preserve the timeline, their memories of these journeys to the future, and even their recruitment by the Think Tank, have been erased, as has the fact that the two of them have actually already become teammates and friends. Very very good friends, in fact.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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The Field Captain

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The Field Captain

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William O'Hara's father Michael ran a sporting goods store who acted as a sponsor for a number of children's teams in Chicago. Needless to say, young William was always guaranteed membership on any of these teams, regardless of how good he was at it, and was also guaranteed to see play, again regardless. To his credit, William made a sincere effort to become good at these sports, but was always just average.

Until high school, when he discovered archery. Not only was he really good at it, but his father had no interest in sponsoring the high school archery team. So archery both became something he could be passionate about and a way of escaping from his father's shadow. Encouraged by the team's coach, William eventually became the team's captain and led them to several victories in tournaments.

He continued to compete in the senior division while in college, as he also studied to get an education degree. In 1981, however, he discovered something rather frightening -- he could somehow imbue the arrows he fired with some form of psychic energy, causing them to explode when they hit! Fortunately, he discovered this while practicing in private, as the revelation of his abilities would probably have resulted in him being barred from competition. William carefully trained himself to never use this power while competing, even as he developed it further.

After graduating, he decided that the time had come for him to use this power for society's benefit. Developing a mask and costume, he declared himself the Arrow and attempted to join the Super-Men of America at one of the team's regular meetings. Unfortunately, he made a poor showing; the fact that he could be rendered completely helpless by taking his bow away made the other heroes reluctant to accept him, and even with them, he didn't do anything that some of the others could do.

In retrospect, it might have been fortunate that he wasn't accepted -- only a few years after he tried to join, the Super-Men would suffer devastating losses in a conflict on a parallel world, and it's entirely possible that the Arrow would have been one of them. Instead, he fought crime on his own until 1989, when he finally decided to hang up his bow and devote himself to teaching full time.

However, he wasn't exactly out of the game in the decade that followed, as he had made the acquaintance of people in the formative Mutant Underground. Whenever he discovered a student of his was a mutant, he would always make sure that the student in question knew about the Underground and how to get in touch with it. He sincerely hopes that he saved lives by doing so ... but suspects that not a few of the ones who disappeared fell into very unfriendly hands.

At the end of the 2000-2001 school year, he was offered the job of principal of the school where he worked when his predecessor retired and the vice-principal declined the opportunity. He accepted with pleasure, never knowing what fate would have in store for him. He'd barely had time to settle into the job when the horrific attack on New York City took place.

William found that he could not just sit back and do nothing, and so took up his bow once more. For reasons that he couldn't quite explain, he abandoned his old nomme de guerre and called himself 'the Field Captain' when he marched into WGN and called in a favor from some television people he'd helped in his earlier career. Broadcasting across the nation, he called for other superheroes to join him in a response to the attacks. The team that was formed from this incident became the Alliance.

The Field Captain was the Alliance's initial leader, as one of its most experienced members. He didn't exactly seek this out, but was pleased when it happened ... and uncomfortably watched the authority he was given gradually slip out of his hands. Miracle was regarded as a better leader and "face" for the team, and Shadowstar more respected as a fighter. The Field Captain wasn't jealous, exactly, but he was starting to wonder if he was in the same situation he was in with the Super-Men of America, where he really didn't bring anything to the table that the others don't, with the added problem of being too old for these games.

It might help if he was able to use his powers to imbue energy in other kinds of weapons, but after nearly thirty years, he found himself kind of set in his ways. It is a psychological block, though, and he could get over it. He's also not limited to any specific bow. While he employs a carefully designed compound bow and finely machined arrows, he could get the same effect with a children's toy bow and arrows, or with one that he built out of improvised materials. (Hero Point to gain Improvised Tools, then a Craft [mechanical] check at DC 19 to pull one together.)

Ultimately, neither of these factors was what led to the Field Captain's unfortunate death, in 2013, when he found himself fighting alone against the mutant supremacist Lord Firebrand during what became known as the Second Great Fire of Chicago. He fought valiantly, but was ultimately reduced to ashes protecting his enemies in the Circus of Catastrophe from Firebrand's wrath. The Alliance was able to defeat and imprison Lord Firebrand afterwards, and were left to mourn their fallen leader.

Five years later, owing to a series of cosmic events that no one has been able to fully explain, the Field Captain found himself restored to life, and also to youth. He's still dealing with the emotional impact of this resurrection, to say nothing of the social difficulties that confront someone coming back from the dead. William has been unable to reclaim his former job, and left uncertain about much of his future. But whatever comes next, he will face it as he always has -- with bow and arrow in hand.

The Field Captain -- PL 10

Real name: William O'Hara
Date of birth: April 8, 1960. (Physical age c. 30)
Identity: Secret (Gather Information DC 20)
Occupation: Former high school principal, currently unemployed.
Base of operations: Chicago.
Affiliation: The Alliance.
Height: 6'4''.
Weight: 210 lbs.
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Red.

Abilities: STR 2, STA 3, AGL 4, DEX 5, FGT 8, INT 2, AWE 2, PRE 1

Powers:
Imbued Arrows: Array (12 points)
* Basic Arrow: Ranged Damage 6 * 12 points
* Exploding Arrow: Ranged Burst Area Damage 4 * 1 point
* Homing Arrow: Ranged Damage 4, Homing 4 * 1 point
* Multi-Arrow: Ranged Multiattack Damage 4 * 1 point
* Snare Arrow: Ranged Affliction 6 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage or Sleight of Hand; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobile), Extra Condition, Limited Degree * 1 point

Equipment:
Armored Costume (Protection 2), Bow (Ranged Damage 3), Motorcycle and 2 points of equipment as needed.

Advantages:
Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 3, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Leadership, Power Attack, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged, Cover and Concealment), Ranged Attack 3, Teamwork.

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+10), Athletics 8 (+10), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+12), Deception 4 (+5), Expertise: History 6 (+8), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+6), Expertise: Survival 6 (+8), Insight 8 (+10), Intimidation 5 (+6), Investigation 4 (+6), Perception 8 (+10), Persuasion 6 (+7), Ranged Attack: Bow 6 (+11), Sleight of Hand 5 (+10), Stealth 6 (+10), Technology 4 (+6), Vehicles 6 (+11).

Offense:
Init +8
Unarmed +12 (Close Damage 2)
Bow +14 (Ranged Damage 3)
Basic Arrow +14 (Ranged Damage 6)
Exploding Arrow -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 4)
Homing Arrow +14 (Ranged Damage 4)
Multi Arrow +14 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 4)
Snare Arrow +14 (Ranged Affliction 6, Resisted by Dodge)

Defense:
Dodge 12, Fortitude 6, Parry 12, Toughness 8/5/3, Will 5

Abilities 54 + Powers 16 + Advantages 16 + Skills 46 + Defenses 18 = 150

Complications:
Justice-Motivation. Legally Dead. Power Loss (cannot imbue without a bow). Secret Identity.

High Power Version: Increase STR to 4, AGL to 6, DEX to 7, FGT to 10; add Improved Critical (Imbued Arrow) 4, Ultimate Effort (Aim); increase Defensive Roll to 4 ranks, Ranged Attack to 5 ranks; increase Investigation to 8 ranks, Deception to 6 ranks, Expertise: Streetwise to 6 ranks, Technology to 6 ranks.

Low Power Version: Reduce STR to 1, AGL 3, DEX to 4, FGT to 6; drop Defensive Roll, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack; drop Acrobatics to 4 ranks, Athletics to 6 ranks, Deception to 2 ranks, Insight to 4 ranks, Intimidation to 3 ranks, Perception to 6 ranks, Stealth to 4 ranks, Technology to 2 ranks, Vehicles to 4 ranks; drop Technology.
The Field Captain's Big Secret: Aside from the mysteries of his resurrection -- which will be elaborated on in the entry for the individual responsible -- the Field Captain doesn't really have any major secrets.
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Hoshino

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Hoshino

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To this day, it's not clear how Osari Heavy Industries managed it. The best efforts of the best programmers the world over failed repeatedly to create an artificial intelligence system that possessed even the slightest amount of self-awareness. Slowly but surely, the tide of scientific opinion began to turn in the direction that suggested that consciousness cannot be artificially created. And then, in 2003, on a rather auspicious date, Osari Heavy Industries announced that they'd done just that ... and that the AI system was compact enough to fit in the humanoid frame they'd also developed.

Most people thought it was a joke ... and then they saw the footage of the robot. CGI, they thought ... and then it was shown racing a car to save the life of a schoolgirl who had slipped and fallen in the street. Even then, there were a cynical few who insisted that the whole thing had been set up as some sort of deliberate hoax, that it was all just cheap advertising for a new special effects show. But most just stared in amazement, realizing that a myth had just come to life.

A few months later, some of the members of the Alliance came to Japan as part of a fact-finding mission, and encountered the robot -- or Hoshino, as it had come to be called. Hoshino was a great help to them on this mission, and by the time it was over, they no longer thought of him as an it. So it fell to Miracle to approach Osari Heavy Industries and inquire whether it would be possible for Hoshino to continue working with the Alliance in other countries.

With great apologies, the board of Osari Heavy Industries explained that it would not be possible for their property, the Advanced Human Emulation Android Prototype, to do so.

Reportedly, Miracle looked at them for a whole minute, before smiling and thanking them for their honesty ... and then heading out to reveal to the world, specifically to the press, that Osari Heavy Industries had created an artificial intelligence and was treating it as a slave. The board had seriously miscalculated how the public would take that news; perhaps in another country, where the dominant "theme" of artificial intelligence was one of rebellion and destruction, it wouldn't have had such an impact. But in a land where that notion was replaced by the idea that robots were meant to be humanity's friends?

("You play really dirty, sometimes," commented Shadowstar.

"Thank you.")

Osari's stock value plummeted. Miracle waited a full day before announcing that she was regretfully certain that she had misinterpreted what the board had said ... and, offered a face saving opportunity, they quickly agreed and claimed that they had simply needed time to think over the idea first. Having done so, they saw the wisdom of allowing Hoshino to accompany the Alliance on its missions.

Hoshino has since been an exemplary member of the Alliance, unhesitatingly risking his existence to protect that of others. Much like Miracle, whom he regards as his primary role model, he has no fixed residence. When he needs to recharge, he normally makes use of the facilities in one of the Alliance's safehouses, but he has developed means of adapting almost any electrical outlet to his use. (Of course, doing so in a public place leaves him vulnerable, and it's also likely to attract the attention of anyone monitoring electrical power usage.)

He does not want to be human, and doesn't make use of the fleshweave disguise that his close friend, the Red Phantom, employs and has offered to him. He finds humanity fascinating, but in the same way that humanity finds certain exotic species of animal fascinating -- the interest lies in the observation. Even the more disturbing things that some humans do don't bother him, as he has no viscera to have reactions against them.

One thing that did sometimes confuse him is why his manufacturers didn't start rolling out production models of his design. It was perplexing that they took eight years to work out all the bugs, but in 2011 they introduced the first dozen Advanced Human Emulation Android, Production Models ... only to see one of them destroy all the others and then go on a rampage. Hoshino attempted to prevent this, but "Kageno", as his brother has been dubbed, was able to escape him thanks to his undocumented feature of flight. Since then, the two robots have clashed many times, never productively.

In pursuit of a better understanding of his own nature (and perhaps the reasons that Kageno became rampant) Hoshino has allowed both Golem and Professor Eternity to study his workings as closely as they can without damaging him. So far, neither of these brilliant researchers have been able to figure out the trade secrets of his creation. Proteus has noted that his "brain" (which fills his "head" and much of his "torso") is lubricated by an unknown liquid substance that defies all attempts at identification, and cannot be examined without doing potentially critical damage to him.

It seems fairly likely that this substance must be the key to it all, but until it can be more closely examined, it will have to be a mystery.

Hoshino -- PL 10

Real name: Advanced Human Emulation Android, Prototype.
Date of Activation: April 7, 2003.
Identity: Publicly known (Gather Information DC 25, Knowledge (technology) DC 20)
Occupation: Full-time superhero.
Base of operations: Mobile.
Affiliation: The Alliance.
Height: 5'2''
Weight: 300 lbs.
Eyes: Inapplicable.
Hair: Inapplicable.

Abilities: STR 9, STA -, AGL 7, DEX 4, FGT 8, INT 2, AWE 2, PRE 0

Powers:
Robot: Immunity 30 (Fortitude); Impervious Protection 8 * 46 points
Speedster: Enhanced Advantages 5 (Improved Initiative 4, Seize Initiative); Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Quickness 5; Speed 7 (250 MPH) * 25 points

Advantages:
Eidetic Memory, Fearless, Improved Initiative 4, Interpose, Language 2, Seize Initiative.

Skills:
Acrobatics 1 (+8), Stealth 1 (+8), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+11), Perception 4 (+6), Technology 3 (+5).

Offense:
Initiative +23
Unarmed +11 (Close Damage 9)

Defense:
Dodge 12/8, Fortitude Immune, Parry 12/8, Toughness 8, Will 5.

Abilities 64 + Powers 71 + Advantages 5 + Skills 6 + Defenses 4 = 150

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Heavy. No Sense of Smell or Taste. Requires Maintenance.

High Power Version: Increase STR to 11, AGL to 9, FGT to 10; increase Enhanced Defenses to 12 (Dodge 6, Parry 6), Quickness to 9, Speed to 11; add All-Out Attack, Power Attack; increase Will to 9.

Low Power Version: Reduce STR to 6, AGL to 4, DEX to 2, FGT to 6, PRE to -1; reduce Impervious Toughness to 6, Enhanced Advantages to 2 (Improved Initiative 2); reduce Will to 4.
Hoshino's Secret: The mysterious substance in Hoshino's "brain" is divine ichor, donated by Amaterasu-ōmikami as part of the Amatsukami's efforts to create an artificial divine scion. Hoshino is therefore a hero in the sense that he might be able to become a demigod, and then possibly even a god, of robots ...

... or a robot devil, as Kageno is demonstrating.
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Captain Nemo

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Captain Nemo

Image

Once upon a time, in the tiny archipelago called the Kingdom of Nautillia in the South Pacific, there lived a little prince and a little princess, twin brother and sister. They were the grandchildren of the King of the islands, who was in his turn descended from the great captain who had brought the ancestors of the islands' population there from Poland, from Ireland, from India, from Africa, and from many other lands conquered by greater powers. Theirs was an odd sort of figurehead monarchy where they exerted no power over the citizens, but knew that they would be protected to the death by them.

The little prince was always more fascinated than his sister in the tales of their ancestors, who had sailed the oceans blue (and the skies, too, according to some of the stories) fighting for the freedoms on which their kingdom had been founded. The particulars fascinated him, for he wanted to know everything about the ships they'd used in their never-ending battles. His sister, who lived fully in the present, often accused him of a wish to have been born in an earlier century, so that he could join in on those crusades. It was a fair accusation, he had to admit.

But as time passed, and the prince grew older, he came to realize that those battles still continued to the present day, that slavery of many kinds still existed. There was a need for someone to resume the fight so that the freedoms their kingdom enjoyed would come to other lands ... and that someone could not be a king, bound to a throne and restricted from action by custom.

So it was that when their grandfather finally came to his end, all the palace staff were united in claiming that the princess, not the prince, was the older of the twins, and she was crowned the queen of the islands, while the prince slipped into the shadows to begin the preparations for his great crusade. Building the weapons and armor he would require consumed a few years, but in the end, a newly christened Captain Nemo arose from the seas to engage in what he termed "crime-fighting" against those who would enslave others, whether directly or through drugs, and what others were more prone to call "piracy".

He chanced to be in Vancouver on other business when the attacks on New York took place, and flew to Chicago to offer his assistance to the superheroes gathering there. While many of them were skeptical of his motives, his resources allowed them to take the fight to their enemies immediately, and he has since served as one of the Alliance's key members, providing transportation and the use of his own headquarters for various purposes. He also helped Miracle to finance the safe houses that the organization uses in various cities across the world.

His sister is officially unaware of his activities, and would prefer to remain that way, rather than having to declare her brother a wanted felon in the country of his birth ...

Captain Nemo -- PL 8

Real name: Nemo Villeneuve.
Date of birth: January 29, 1973.
Identity: Secret.
Occupation: Vigilante.
Base of Operations: New Warsaw, Kingdom of Nautillia.
Affiliation: The Alliance.
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 195 lbs
Eyes: Violet.
Hair: Black.

Abilities: STR 1, STA 1, AGL 3, DEX 3, FGT 4, INT 2, AWE 2, PRE 1

Powers:
Rapid Fire: Ranged Multiattack Damage 5, Easily Removable (-6 points) * 9 points

Equipment:
Orla Bialo (see below), Pontus (see below) and 8 points of equipment as needed.

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Assessment, Benefit 6 (Status, Wealth 5), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 20, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative, Language 4, Power Attack, Precise Shot (Ranged, Concealment), Skill Mastery (Insight), Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Acrobatics 10 (+13), Athletics 8 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+10), Deception 10 (+11), Insight 8 (+10), Intimidation 4 (+5), Investigation 6 (+8), Perception 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Guns 8 (+11), Stealth 6 (+9), Vehicles 10 (+13).

Offense:
Init +7
Unarmed +10 (Close Damge 1)
Rapid Fire +11 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5)

Defense:
Dodge 10, Fortitude 6, Parry 10, Toughness 6/3, Will 8.

Abilities 34 + Powers 9 + Advantages 43 + Skills 41 + Defenses 23 = 150

Complications:
Justice--Motivation. Family (Queen Zenobia). Reputation (pirate). Secret Identity.

High Power Version [PL 10]: Increase STR to 3, STA to 3, AGL to 5, DEX to 5, FGT to 6, AWE to 4, PRE to 3; add Ranged Attack 2.

Low Power Version [PL 6]: Reduce Defensive Roll to 1 ranks; reduce Acrobatics to 6 ranks, Athletics to 4 ranks, Close Combat: Unarmed to 2 ranks, Deception to 6 ranks, Insight to 4 ranks, Intimidation to 2 ranks, Investigation to 4 ranks, Ranged Combat: Guns to 4 ranks, Stealth to 4 ranks, Vehicles to 6 ranks; reduce Dodge to 7, Fort to 3, Parry to 7, Will to 5.

Orla Bialo - 70 EP
Size Gargantuan; Strength 12; Speed 10 (air/water); Defense 6; Toughness 12; Powers Cannon (Ranged Multiattack Damage 6), Cloaking System (Visual Concealment 4), Sensors (Senses 7 [accurate extended radio, accurate ultra-hearing]), Stealth Hull (Permanent Concealment 1 [radio]); Features Navigation System.

Pontus - 22 EP
Size Gargantuan; Toughness 14; Features Communications, Combat Simulator, Computer, Concealed, Dock, Fire Prevention System, Gym, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Living Space, Personnel, Power System, Security System.
Captain Nemo's Big Secret: In addition to helping to fund the Alliance, he helped to fund the Fright Knights' recent reorganization, and is one of the backers of the Utopian Academy. Removing him, or denying him access to his funds, would be a serious blow to several superheroic groups.

He's also married with a child on the way.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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The Red Phantom

Post by Davies »

The Red Phantom

ImageDisguise form.

ImageUnmasked form.

For a very long time, he convinced himself that he dwelt in a universe of facts. And so, when he reflects on his past, he reflects on facts, not the alternate possibilities, not the missed opportunities of his life.

The facts are these -- in the year the Earthmen call 1982, the Science Lords of Mars determined that they had at last developed a method to immunize their soldiers against the effects of the micro-organisms which had doomed their invasion forces of thirty, forty-five, and ninety solar cycles past. Further, they had developed methods to facilitate a covert invasion, and so one would be sent in advance of the full invasion fleet to ruin humanity's defenses. One of the Science Lords' most adept pupils was at the age of independence, and so was given the task of commanding this mission.

The secret invasion's insertion went off without a hitch, and a shadowy campaign began. Though not unopposed, the Martian forces were able to score many tactical victories against Earth, particularly after the mightiest of its superhuman defenders vanished or retired from activity. But in 1987, a coup on Mars overthrew the Science Lords who had sponsored the mission, and the new rulers of the world sent instructions to the invasion force to prepare to be recovered. Fully expecting to receive the same fate as his patrons, the mission commander abandoned his post and went into hiding on Earth.

Time passed, and the commander realized that constant exposure to the Earthlings, and/or consumption of their food and water, and/or exposure to the microorganisms that the treatment had not fully protected against, had changed him, allowing him to use his mental powers on the humans where they had once only been useful against his fellow Martians. He chose to use these powers for his own enrichment. Lacking any personal animus against the Earthlings, however, he chose to enrich himself through socially acceptable means, and became an investigator, gaining a reputation as a diligent caseworker and one who could and would continue to investigate long after official interest had flagged.

So it was that he was asked to continue surveillance on a group of suspicious individuals, and came to a realization of their intentions only a few seconds before they boarded a certain plane. By which point, of course, it was impossible for him to do anything to stop them ...

And so the world of facts came to an end, as he watched the pictures of planes flying into buildings, and what might have beens began to dominate his mind. Hearing the reports of a group of superhumans gathering in Chicago, he chose to join them, reveal his nature and in the process reveal what he'd learned about the perpetrators of the deed which brought them together. He gave them a target, and even found them joining in their pursuit. He had gone native, he realized ... and he was okay with that.

The Red Phantom -- so called because of the red suit he wears, complete with a vibrant red scarf to hide the lower portion of his face -- loves humanity, though he'd never admit that aloud. Here is a species that might just possibly make something of itself without the horrific atomic wars which determined the path of Martian culture, placing it under the reign of arbitrary Science Lords. While he would never reveal his true nature to anyone he didn't trust absolutely -- or if he had no other option -- he will and has unhesitatingly chosen Earth over Mars, particularly during the 2005 invasion that the Alliance and other heroes defended Earth against. He is still Martian enough to avoid other emotional entanglements, however, though he and Hoshino have become friends of a sort.

While the current Science Lord junta, established in 2014, has actually established diplomatic relations with several Earth nations, most notably China, and claims to desire only peace between the planets, the Red Phantom is extremely skeptical of their actual goals. The fact that he has fought against numerous Martian agents on Earth -- officially disavowed by Mars -- gives his suspicions credence, at least in the eyes of his allies.

The Red Phantom -- PL 10

Real name: Unpronounceable by human mouths.
Date of birth: Circa July, 1962, exact date uncalculated.
Identity: Secret.
Occupation: Private investigator.
Base of operations: Boston.
Height: 6'3''.
Weight: 115 lbs.
Eyes: No pupils in natural form, brown in disguise.
Hair: No hair in natural form, brown in disguise.

Abilities: STR 0, STA 2, AGL 2, DEX 2, FGT 4, INT 2, AWE 4, PRE 0

Powers:
Flesh Form Disguise: Morph 1, Standard Action, Easily Removable (-1 point) * 2 points
Flight Rig: Flight 4 (30 MPH), Removable (-2 points) * 6 points
Martian: Strength-based Damage 1; Immunity 1 (cold); Protection 4; Impervious Will 9; Senses 1 (low-light vision) * 16 points
Martian Mentalism: Array (25 points)
* Basic Telepathy: Selective Area Communication 1; Mind-Reading 9, Subtle * 25 points
* Mental Blast: Perception Range Damage 6, Resisted by Will * 1 point
* Mental Illusions: Illusion 8 (all senses), Feedback, Limited to One Subject, Resisted by Will * 1 point
* Mind Control: Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 6 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled) * 1 point
* Sensory Link: Remote Sensing 8 (Normal Visual, Normal Auditory, Mental), Medium (Living Mind) * 1 point
Telepathic Defenses: Enhanced Defenses 12 (Dodge 6, Parry 6), Limited to attackers with minds and Will below 9 * 6 points

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Eidetic Memory, Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-All-Trades, Skill Mastery (Investigation), Teamwork, Tracking.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+8), Deception 6 (+6), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+8), Insight 9 (+13), Investigation 12 (+14), Perception 9 (+13), Sleight of Hand 6 (+8), Stealth 8 (+10).

Offense:
Init +6
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 0)
Bite +8 (Close Damage 1)
Mental Blast -- (Perception Range Damage 6, Resisted by Will)
Mind Control -- (Perception Range Will 6)

Defense:
Dodge 12/6, Fortitude 8, Parry 12/6, Toughness 8/6, Will 12.

Abilities 32 + Powers 59 + Advantages 11 + Skills 30 + Defenses 18 = 150

Complications:
Acceptance--Motivation. Phobia (disease). Prejudice (alien). Secret Identity.

High Power Version: Increase INT to 5, AWE to 6, PRE to 2; add Acrobatics 4 (+6); increase Array to 33 points, Mind Reading to 12 ranks, Perception Range Damage to 8 ranks, Illusion to 11 ranks, Perception Range Cumulative Affliction to 8 ranks, Remote Sensing to 11 ranks, Enhanced Defenses to 16 ranks (Dodge 8, Parry 8), Limited to attackers with minds and Will below 12; increase Defensive Roll to 3 ranks; increase Will to 15.

Low Power Version: Drop STA to 0 [4]; reduce Insight to 7 ranks, Investigation to 8 ranks, Perception to 7 ranks [4]; drop Impervious Will [9]; reduce Array to 18 points [7], Mind Reading to 6 ranks, Illusion to 6 ranks, Remote Sensing to 6 ranks, drop remaining slots [2], and reduce Enhanced Defenses to 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4), Limited to attackers with minds and Will below 6 [2]; reduce Will to 10 [2].
The Red Phantom's Big Secret: He's been contacted by a faction of Martians who want to completely overthrow the Science Lords and put him in charge of a new, Earth-friendly government. He's still deciding what to do about this, as he suspects that it's a trap.
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Vaniel

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Vaniel

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During the events that led to the Field Captain's recent resurrection, officially logged as the 'Touch of Heaven' episode in the Alliance's files, the team found itself assisted by an apparent angel named Vaniel. In the aftermath, Vaniel indicated that he would be continuing to assist the Alliance, in a way that suggested he was not taking no for an answer. This led to the Hexenritter leaving the team, and has made many of the remaining members more than a bit uncomfortable. (Sir Perceval is noted exception, believing that this is proof like none other that the Alliance is doing the right thing.)

On the one hand, they may have cause for concern. Vaniel, an angel of the choir dubbed Mercurian, originally in the service of the vanished archangel Eli but seconded to Michael, is very definitely under orders to monitor the Alliance for the sake of Heaven. The team was involved in the second major Transcendent Anomaly in less than a century, in which a mortal gained access to the Font of Creation and thus essentially became the Source of All Being, however briefly. The prospect of this happening yet again is utterly horrific, from the perspective of the archangels. Mortals are meant to achieve their Destiny and then Ascend, not become the Infinite. Preventing that is worth a bit of blatancy.

On the other hand, Vaniel received the Word of 'Superheroes' a few decades ago, and is effectively the guardian angel of this subculture of humanity. Whatever his superior might order him to do, he must do everything in his power to ensure that the concept of superheroes thrives, and that superheroes themselves do as well. That would include protecting them from angels who have different ideas concerning what should be part of the mortal world. So he is very much on the Alliance's side, in theory.

Vaniel would be faintly bewildered if anyone suggested that he might someday be divided between his loyalty to his superiors and his loyalty to his Word. It's possible that he's a bit young, as angels go, to have been given such a significant Word. On the other hand, it's possible that only an angel so young could accept and embrace a concept that's somewhat at odds with what Heaven has ever preached. Superheroes are empowered by a variety of natural and supernatural phenomena, rather than relying only on angelic gifts, and often behave in a very demonic manner by imposing their will on the world. All of this is very at odds with an angel's nature, which could result in a very dangerous fall for the angel involved.

So far, that hasn't happened. It's possible that it never will, thanks to the example Vaniel receives every time he clashes with his opposite number, Sacabeth, the Impudite Demon of Supervillains ...

Vaniel -- PL 10

Real name: Vaniel.
Date of birth: Unknown, possibly unknowable.
Identity: The general public does not believe he is actually an angel.
Occupation: Angel of Superheroes.
Base of operations: New Orleans.
Height: 6'1''
Weight: Whatever he wants.
Eyes: Green.
Hair: Blond. (Current vessel; has no hair in his celestial form.)

Abilities: STR 6, STA 6, AGL 2, DEX 2, FGT 10, INT 1, AWE 2, PRE 2

Powers:
Blessings of Heaven: Array (20 points)
* Gaze of Judgement: Perception Ranged Affliction 10 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Visual Sense-Dependent * 20 points
* Roar of Thunders: Cone Area Damage 10 * 1 point
* Voice of Authority: Perception Range Affliction 10 (Resisted by Will; Entranced, Compelled, Controlled), Auditory Dependent * 1 point
Eternal: Immortality 3, Regeneration 6 * 12 points
Hears the Symphony: Senses 3 (cosmic awareness, divine awareness, magical awareness)
Relic Mace: Strength-based Damage 2; Movement 1 (Dimensional [Heaven]); Easily Removable (-2 points) * 2 points
Supernatural Might: Enhanced Strength 3, Limited to Lifting; Protection 3 * 6 points
Wings: Flight 5 (60 MPH), Wings * 5 points

Advantages:
Attractive, Close Attack 2, Daze, Fascinate (Persuasion), Inspire

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+6), Insight 4 (+6), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 12 (+14), Stealth 4 (+6).

Offense:
Init +2
Unarmed +12 (Close Damage 6)
Relic Mace +12 (Close Damage 8)
Gaze of Judgement -- (Perception Range Will 10)
Roar of Thunder -- (Cone Area Damage 10)
Voice of Authority -- (Perception Range Will 10)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Fortitude 13, Parry 10, Toughness 9, Will 6

Abilities 62 + Powers 50 + Advantages 6 + Skills 15 + Defense 17 = 150

Complications:
Faith--Motivation. Duty (Heaven). Enemy (Sacabeth). Reputation (blasphemous superhuman).

High Power Version: Increase STR to 7, STA to 8, AGL to 4, FGT to 12; increase Array to 24 points, all slots to 12 ranks, and Flight to 9 ranks; increase Acrobatics to 6 ranks, Insight to 6 ranks, Persuasion to 16 ranks; increase Close Attack to 3 ranks; increase Will to 9.

Low Power Version: Reduce STR to 4, STA to 4, FGT to 8, INT to 0, AWE to 1, PRE to 1; reduce Array to 16 points, all slots to 8 ranks, Immortality to 1 rank; reduce Persuasion to 8 ranks; reduce Fortitude to 9.
Vaniel's Secret: He knows everyone else's secrets, and it's very important that no one else find out about Heaven's knowledge of certain matters.
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Professor Eternity

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Professor Eternity

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In early 2001, Eric Stevens was employed as a senior supervisor at Knight Enterprises, overseeing a number of projects. Admittedly, it wasn't as exciting a job as his earlier career investigating anomalous reports for the Department of Defense, but it paid the bills, and had resulted in his meeting Giselle Andrews, the plant's manager, with whom he'd begun a relationship. So he was basically content with his life right before the Accident.

He's tried to recreate it several times since, both in simulations and in real life. It just doesn't make sense. What could Hutchins possibly have been working on that would produce these results, even unintentionally? It defies his understanding now, much less what he could have understood then.

Regardless, he reported Hutchins' increasingly bizarre behavior to Giselle, and she accompanied him to the other researcher's lab, along with the building's head of security and Giselle's younger sister, who basically tagged along out of curiosity. All four of them were caught up in the wave front of a strange explosion which transformed them, making them into super-powered beings. Alone of them, Eric was the only one not to receive overt powers; instead, his ability to process and retain information was enhanced to inhuman levels.

For a brief while, Eric and the others tried to keep their abilities a secret, while he used his intellect to try and determine exactly what had happened to them and whether the process that bestowed them could be reversed -- for those of them who wanted it to be reversed, at least. But he kept getting distracted by other ideas that needed to be examined, along with occasional threats to public safety that the others dragooned him into helping to solve. Finally the whole group decided that it was pointless. None of them had any loved ones -- aside from each other -- to be protected from retaliation, so why bother to hide the truth?

The answer came when the three of them who were employed were all immediately fired from their jobs as a "safety risk". It was probably worst for Eric, since everything that he'd invented during those weeks was the property of Knight Enterprises. That wouldn't have been a problem, had they not promptly turned around and sold the patents to various corporations whose sole interest was in making sure that no one could ever manufacture, for example, a perfect fuel cell.

Eventually, the group came to the reluctant understanding that the world was never going to allow them to be "normal" while at the same time being super. So they embraced the lifestyle of the super -- costumes, code-names, the works. Eric devised some more inventions that didn't rely on his earlier discoveries, and so weren't covered by the patents. With the money he was able to make from them, and rewards offered for a number of minor menaces that the team brought to justice, he built Tesla Park, giving Eternity Enterprises its new home.

Since then, the team has been actively exploring the world of the strange, rarely having a chance to catch their breath. They were all offered membership in the Alliance when it formed, but politely declined, since they weren't sure that they'd ever have time to take part in the group's activities in addition to their own. They've been to Atlantis, Mars, Venus and the Hollow World, not to mention some even stranger places. More importantly, they've carefully documented their explorations of these lost worlds, periodically uploading the videos that they take to the Internet for general download. While the majority of people consider these "documentaries" to be hoaxes at best, they are increasing public awareness of the mysterious world.

It was during one such voyage that the team discovered something that is causing Professor Eternity a great deal of confusion and horror. While exploring something that seemed to be a "pocket universe", they stumbled on an old computer system of obvious human design. Despite the considerable opposition they faced from a group of degenerate Alphans who worshipped the computer as a god, they were able to bring it back to Earth with them. So far, however, the Professor hasn't had any luck breaking the codes that conceal its data.

Actually, that's a lie -- the first big lie that he's ever told his teammates. It didn't take him any time at all. All he had to do was type in the password he'd have given the system if it was one of his, which he did on a lark. And it was the right one. Which is to be expected, because he apparently built the thing ... in 1966. Or at least, an earlier iteration of him built it.

According to the computer, one Eric Stevens and his three associates underwent an accidental transformation into super-beings in 1961. They lived lives exactly like the "present" Eternity Enterprises team, right up until 1973, when Stevens, frustrated with the way that things were going for the team and the world, employed certain sciences and technologies (the records are oblique) to essentially uproot him and his team from their chronal origin points and transplant them all forty years into the future -- and make it seem as though they had always been from that point in time. Only the computer in the pocket reality had been left unchanged by the altered timeline.

Quite apart from Eric's shock at this practical aspects of this discovery, he's been horribly shaken by some of its moral and ethical implications. His earlier self apparently had acquired the power to completely transform reality ... and used it solely to make his life, and that of his colleagues, a little easier. They didn't use it to benefit anyone else -- in fact, ducking out on the other heroes of that time, as they did, may have made it even harder for them. What kind of people do something like that?

And what does that mean about the people that they've become?

Professor Eternity -- PL 10

Real name: Eric Stevens.
Date of birth: September 12, 1956*. (Apparent age 45)
Identity: Publicly known. (Gather Information DC 15, Knowledge (physical sciences or technology) DC 20)
Occupation: Scientist, explorer.
Base of operations: Tesla Park (private estate)
Affiliation: Eternity Enterprises.
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 165 lbs.
Eyes: Brown.
Hair: Blue.

* Actually, 1916. Aren't altered timelines fun?

Abilities: STR 1, STA 2, AGL 2, DEX 2, FGT 4, INT 10/4, AWE 4, PRE 0

Powers:
Augmented Mind: Enhanced Intellect 6; Quickness 4, Limited to mental tasks * 14 points
Blaster Rifle: Array (24 points), Easily Removable (-10 points)
* Destructive Setting: Ranged Damage 12 * 24 points
* Stun Setting: Ranged Affliction 12 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) * 1 point
Force Field: Linked Sustained Immunity 10 (life support) and Sustained Protection 10, Impervious 6; Removable (-5 points) * 21 points
Goggles: Senses 8 (analytical visual senses, microscopic vision 2, vision penetrates concealment) * 8 points
Unaging: Immunity 1 (aging) * 1 point

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 3, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Skill Mastery (Technology), Speed of Thought.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+8), Expertise: Science 10 (+20), Insight 4 (+8), Investigation 7 (+17), Perception 5 (+9), Ranged Combat: Gadgets 6 (+8), Stealth 4 (+6), Technology 10 (+20), Vehicles 4 (+6).

Offense:
Init +10
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 1)
Destructive Setting +8 (Ranged Damage 12)
Stun Setting +8 (Ranged Fortitude 12)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Fortitude 6, Parry 8, Toughness 12/2, Will 6

Abilities 39 + Powers 58 + Advantages 10 + Skills 27 + Defenses 16 = 150

Complications:
Discovery--Motivation. Fame. Family (team). Secret.

High Power Version: Increase STA to 4, AGL to 3, DEX to 3, FGT to 5, INT to 6, AWE to 6; increase Array to 30 points, Ranged Damage to 15 ranks, Ranged Affliction to 15 ranks, Impervious to 10 ranks; increase Insight to 6 ranks, Investigation to 9 ranks, Perception to 7 ranks.

Low Power Version: Drop Quickness, Sustained Immunity, Impervious; reduce Enhanced Intellect to 4 ranks, Array to 16 points, Ranged Damage to 8 ranks, Ranged Affliction to 8 ranks, Sustained Protection to 6; drop Evasion, Speed of Thought.

Tesla Park - 15 EP
Size Large; Toughness 10; Features Communications, Computer, Fire Prevention System, Hangar, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Power System, Security System, Workshop.
Professor Eternity's Big Secret: See above ... with the twist that he believes himself responsible for something he isn't. The group's displacement in time was the result of a scientific accident. This was discovered by the temporal conqueror known as Olympias, who then created the counterfeit computer in the expectation that Professor Eternity would discover it and have his confidence, and the bonds between the members of the group, undermined. How well that's worked out is open to question.
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Ms. Mentality

Post by Davies »

Ms. Mentality

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Giselle Andrews grew up knowing that one day she was going to take over for her father, and run the branch of Knight Enterprises he'd helped to build. Soon after she got her MBA, she got the opportunity to do so, effectively dropped into the deep end of the pool when the old man suffered a heart attack that all but incapacitated him. While he began to enjoy the vacation that would turn out to last the rest of his life, so far, she kept the business going and even made it slightly more profitable than it had been.

That made what happened to her in the wake of the accident, and the group's ultimate decision to reveal what had happened to them, all the more damaging to her. Just like the others, she lost her job, and for nothing. She would no more have used her newly developed powers to read minds to spy on the board of directors or the plant's employees than she would have gone through their mail or bugged their phones. But their fear of what she could do outweighed any other consideration, and she found herself out on the street with a severance package that didn't even come close to being a golden parachute.

It took a long time for her to get over the anger and hurt that she felt because of that. She credits Eric with essentially saving her soul, and giving her a new purpose in life. Ironically, he doesn't realize that she'd actually been considering ending their personal relationship before the accident, having realized that she'd become involved with a man who was even more of a workaholic than she was. But the world of wonders that she's found with him have firmly welded them together.

Giselle essentially runs every aspect of Eternity Enterprises other than research and development, and has turned it into a genuinely profitable business as well as a "super-team". As she sees it, the most precious thing in the world is information, and the company deals in information that other corporations would give their eyeteeth to possess. The documentaries are essentially cheap advertising about what they've found out about the new frontiers of the human experience, and they have routinely paid off.

Giselle is an enormously powerful "omni-psychic". She has demonstrated on at least one occasion the ability to communicate with every sapient, unshielded mind on Earth, "speaking" to all of them at once. Her telekinetic abilities are almost as strong as Brian's body, and she keeps testing them in impromptu wrestling matches with him in hopes that they'll grow even stronger. Furthermore, she has used her powers to produce "stunts" of incredible versatility. If she can imagine it, she can do it, on at least some scale ... and she has a very good imagination.

Given their relationship and her powers, it shouldn't really come as a surprise that she's well aware of Eric's discovery. (While she respects her team-mates' mental privacy, to her that means not using what she's finds out during her regular mind scans of them, conducted to make sure that none of them are being mind controlled.) She's still sorting out how she feels about the idea that the personal history that she remembers is basically a construct, but is somewhat fascinated by the ways in which the lives of her earlier and present iterations are different, rather than the same.

In the original version of events, "Giselle Andrews" wasn't the manager of the plant when the accident took place, but just the boss' older daughter, who was dating the handsome chief scientist. In the original version of events, by eight years after the accident, she and Eric had been married for some time now. Things were much simpler in that original version of events ... and since Giselle distrusts simplicity, she wonders if the history that Eric has discovered might be every bit as much of a fiction as the one that they've lived til now.

Regardless of such concerns, Giselle's goals are very simple. She'll protect her loved ones, no matter what happens, and she'll keep them together, exploring strange new worlds and dealing with what they find there, for thrills and profit. She is particularly worried about Cherise and her obvious emotional problems, but hasn't yet gone so far as to use her powers on her younger sister in hopes of "fixing" them.

She also deals with periodic challenges from the Program for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (PSICOP), and occasional assassination attempts from the group's increasingly deranged lunatic fringe. (Apparently, they have reached the conclusion that if they discredit or kill the most visible "psychic" in the world, all the other weird stuff will disappear. Interestingly magical thinking, that.) The irony of this is that she's absolutely ruthless when dealing with people who pretend to have psychic powers like hers to bilk people, and also those who have them and only use them for that purpose. Of course, the difference between them is that Giselle actually cares about people being scammed, while the leaders of PSICOP only care about controlling what people are allowed to believe.

Recently, Giselle has also spent a fair amount of time helping the students of the Utopian Academy in learning to use their powers. By and large, they regard her largely effortless mastery of the psychic 'modes' they're trying to learn with awe bordering on worship, and she's happy to help guide a new generation towards her on level of aptitude. In the process, she either learned the Headmaster's secret or had it revealed to her, and is doing her part to keep an eye on an entity she likes but isn't sure that she trusts ...

Ms. Mentality -- PL 10

Real name: Giselle Andrews.
Date of birth: April 3, 1972*. (Apparent age 29)
Identity: Publicly known (Gather Information DC 15, Knowledge [business] or Knowledge [current events] DC 20).
Occupation: Explorer, adventurer.
Base of operations: Tesla Park.
Affiliation: Eternity Enterprises.
Height: 5'6''.
Weight: 125 lbs.
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Blonde.

* Actually 1932.

Abilities: STR 0, STA 0, AGL 1, DEX 2, FGT 2, INT 2, AWE 5, PRE 1

Powers:
Force Field: Sustained Impervious Protection 12 * 24 points
Mind Screen: Sustained Impervious Will 10 * 10 points
Omnipsychic Powers: Array (36 points)
* Clairvoyance: Remote Sensing 18 (visual) * 36 points
* Psychokinesis: Perception Range Damaging Move Object 8, Precise, Subtle 2 * 1 points
* Telecontrol: Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 8 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled); Senses 1 (communication link with target) * 1 point
* Telekinesis: Damaging Move Object 12 * 1 points
* Telereceive: Cumulative Effortless Mind Reading 9 * 1 points
*Telesend: Selective Area Mental Communication 4; Comprehend Languages 3 * 1 point
Psychic Awareness: Senses 2 (danger sense, psychic awareness) * 2 points
Unaging: Immunity 1 (aging) * 1 point

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Well-off), Connected, Ultimate Save (Will), Uncanny Dodge

Skills:
Expertise: Business 8 (+10), Insight 7 (+12), Perception 7 (+12), Persuasion 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Telekinesis 6 (+8).

Offense:
Init +1
Unarmed +2 (Close Damage 0)
Telekinesis +8 (Ranged Damage 12)
Psychokinesis -- (Perception Range Damage 8)
Telecontrol -- (Perception Range Will 8)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Fortitude 3, Parry 6, Toughness 12/0, Will 15/5

Abilities 26 + Powers 78 + Advantages 4 + Skills 18 + Defenses 24 = 150

Complications:
Profit--Motivation. Enemy (PSICOP). Family. Workaholic.

High Power Version: Increase STA to 1, AWE to 7, PRE to 3; increase Expertise: Business to 9 ranks, Insight to 10 ranks, Perception to 10 ranks, and Ranged Combat: Telekinesis to 7 ranks, increase Sustained Impervious Protection to 15, Sustained Impervious Will to 12, Array to 45 points, Remote Sensing to 22 ranks, Perception Range Damaging Move Object to 10 ranks, Perception Range Cumulative Affliction to 10 ranks, Damaging Move Object to 15 ranks, and Cumulative Effortless Mind Reading to 11 ranks.

Low Power Version: Reduce FGT to 0, INT to 1, PRE to 0; drop Ultimate Save; reduce Sustained Impervious Protection to 10 ranks, Sustained Impervious Will to 8 ranks, Array to 24 points, Remote Sensing to 12 ranks, Perception Range Damaging Move Object to 5 ranks, Perception Range Cumulative Affliction to 5 ranks, Damaging Move Object to 8 ranks, Cumulative Effortless Mind Reading to 6 ranks, and Selective Area Mental Communication to 2 ranks; reduce Fortitude to 2, Will to 13.
Ms. Mentality's Big Secret: She's still not sure what she was thinking. Cheating on Eric was bad enough, but cheating on him with someone half her age? Admittedly, Vidal is undeniably charming, but she's met dozens of undeniably charming men in the last two decades. She'd almost be tempted to think that she'd been mind controlled, but who could do that to her?
Last edited by Davies on Thu Aug 22, 2019 9:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mr. Universal

Post by Davies »

Mr. Universal

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Gulf War veteran Brian Kurtz is fairly sure that Eric Stevens doesn't remember the fact that they'd actually met once before the latter came to work for Knight Enterprises. It's not all that surprising, from what he's been told since -- while that episode was the most remarkable thing that had happened in Kurtz's life to that point, it was just one of many strange things that Stevens dealt with that week.. He'd like to talk about it with the other guy, but it's still classified.

After he came back from the Sand Box, Kurtz decided that he didn't want to deal with the politics that would go along with being a police officer, and so became a security guard instead. Employed at Knight Enterprises, he gradually rose to the position of head of security for one of their major buildings. It was fairly simple work, and he thinks he may have let himself go a little when it came to keeping in good shape.

But he was in good enough shape to be able to get involved in the events that gave him and the others their super-powers. The accident transformed him so that he possessed incredible strength, endurance and resistance to injury. (It also made all his hair fall out, but that's no big deal. He usually kept his head shaved anyway.) Furthermore, he could now eat anything without putting on any fat -- according to the Prof, any calories he absorbs turn right into muscle. He just has to work out to keep them toned.

Brian couldn't be happier about his transformation. It's great -- he's stronger and tougher than practically anyone, and after the others wised up and realized they couldn't hope to keep it a secret, he's famous, too! While his efforts to expand on this fame by seeking parts in movies and TV shows have generally not worked out that well -- two direct-to-video releases and a failed pilot -- his is probably the most easily recognizable "face" of Eternity Enterprises. He appears on talk shows, and has an agent working overtime to get him other appearances. His one regret about all of this is the fact that he had to change is original name after NABBA got wind of it.

He really enjoys being a hero, and can't imagine giving it up. The fact that Cherry wants to do so completely baffles him, but he figures she'll grow out of it. He respects the Prof immensely, and has no problems following his lead. And he enjoys his mild rivalry with Giselle, viewing their occasional mind-vs-muscle matches as nice ways for him to work out without a lot of expensive equipment -- and without risking damaging the equipment, which tends to annoy the Prof.

Brian's one real flaw is his competitive nature. He honestly thinks he's the strongest and toughest guy on the block, and doesn't mind showing off these qualities whenever he gets the chance. This includes trying to show up other super-strong types, including Miracle on one occasion. He does know his limitations, though, and didn't try to challenge the Ultimate when that one paid his famous visit to Tesla Park. Half the reason that he accompanies the others on their voyages is that they almost always run into something bigger than him that he can fight. (Sure, Giselle deals out almost as much hurt as he can, but she doesn't enjoy it nearly as much.) He particularly loved it when they ran into Uruk down whatever rabbit-hole the guy supposedly ran into, back in the day. That was a fight and a half!

It should be understood that Brian likes fighting -- the visceral feeling of being in a life or death situation and dependent solely on himself to get out of it -- not hurting people. Unless dealing with someone who's shown that they're incredibly resistant to injury, he pulls his punches to do limited damage. He'd never hit someone who couldn't hit back, and he'll always ask someone who's teetering whether they've had enough. While not a particularly inventive or tactical fighter, he admires and respects those who are, even when they use such abilities against him. When tricked, he's more likely to chuckle in amusement than get angry ... at least the first time.

Mr. Universal -- PL 10

Real name: Brian Kurtz.
Date of birth: June 30, 1969*. (Apparent age 32)
Identity: Publicly known. (Gather Information DC 10, Knowledge (popular culture) DC 15)
Occupation: Explorer, adventurer.
Base of operations: Tesla Park.
Affiliation: Eternity Enterprises.
Height: 6'4''
Weight: 275 lbs.
Eyes: Green.
Hair: Bald.

* Actually 1929.

Abilities: STR 12/4, STA 14/4, AGL 0, DEX 2, FGT 6, INT 0, AWE 1, PRE 3

Powers:
Super-Movement: Leaping 10 (1 mile); Speed 5 (60 MPH) * 15 points
Super-Strength: Array (20 points)
* Basics: Enhanced Strength 8; Enhanced Strength 4, Limited to Lifting * 20 points
* Shockwave: Burst Area Damage 10 * 1 point
* Thunderclap: Cone Area Affliction 10 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) * 1 point
Super-Toughness: Enhanced Stamina 10; Immunity 4 (cold, heat, need for sleep, pressure); Regeneration 5; Impervious Toughness 10 * 39 points
Unaging: Immunity 1 (aging) * 1 point

Advantages:
Diehard, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Startle

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+16), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+8), Expertise: Military 4 (+4), Expertise: Performance 6 (+9), Intimidation 6 (+9), Perception 8 (+9), Ranged Combat: Throwing 6 (+6).

Offense:
Init +0
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 12)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Fortitude 14, Parry 6, Toughness 14, Will 6

Abilities 40 + Powers 76 + Advantages 5 + Skills 18 + Defenses 11=150

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Competitive. Fame. Family.

High Power Version: Increase FGT to 8; increase Array to 24 points, Enhanced Strength to 10 ranks, Burst Area Damage to 12 ranks, Cone Area Affliction to 12 ranks, Enhanced Stamina to 12 ranks, Immunity to 11 ranks (life support, need for sleep), Regeneration to 10 ranks, Impervious Toughness to 12 ranks; increase Intimidation to 10 ranks; increase Will to 8.

Low Power Version: Reduce FGT to 4, PRE to 1; drop Regeneration; reduce Leaping to 7, Speed to 4, Array to 16 points, Enhanced Strength to 6 ranks, Burst Area Damage to 8 ranks, Cone Area Affliction to 8 ranks, Enhanced Stamina to 8 ranks, Impervious Toughness to 8 ranks; drop Expertise: Performance.
Mr. Universal's Big Secret: Secrets? This guy? Please.
Last edited by Davies on Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Mademoiselle Velocity

Post by Davies »

Mademoiselle Velocity

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As far as Cherry Andrews is concerned, her life ended in the accident.

You probably wouldn't think that being bestowed phenomenally enhanced speed was so terrible. At worst, you'd think it'd make someone seem moderately hyperactive, or have to eat a lot to replenish their energy. You'd think that it'd be harder on the people around the speedster than it would be on her.

All of that is true. She does seem hyperactive quite a bit of the time. And she does have to eat more than normal amounts to keep her system going -- and even though she turns calories into energy far more efficiently than an ordinary human does, she endures the same constant body image concerns that nearly every other American teenager does. But none of those are the real problems.

Cherry seems to be the only one of the Eternity Enterprises group to have noticed that they aren't seem to be aging anywhere nearly as fast as they should be. She'd just turned fifteen when the accident happened, and eighteen years later, as a thirty-three year old, she can pass for sixteen. Correction -- she has no choice but to pass for a sixteen year old.

What does this mean for the future? Is she going to be like this forever, poised between adulthood and childhood for the rest of her life, however long that might be? Is she still going to be carded when she's old enough to be the carder's mother? Or grandmother?

That alone would be bad enough, but the same malicious fate that gave her these powers and slowed down her aging played one more horrific trick on her. Before the accident, she had a normal, healthy curiousity about boys, and what it would be like to be kissed and held by one. Afterwards ... nothing. She isn't physically attracted to men or to women. She can't appreciate human beauty in anything but an aesthetic sense. But she remembers what it was like to be normal.

These two great pressures -- her fear that she's going to be effectively regarded as a child forever, and her sense of loss about her sexual identity -- are causing her a great deal of confusion and heartache. She is desperate for a "cure" for her condition, and doesn't care that it would mean the end of her days with the team. Truthfully, she doesn't think that would be such a great loss for them, and generally views herself as a tag-along on their expeditions. She's not smart like the Prof, or brave like her sister, or tough like Brian. She's just fast.

The fact that she's actually the best fighter on the team is largely lost on her. Through simple dint of experience, she's become incredibly adept at hand-to-hand combat. You can't punch people hundreds of times without learning how to do so fairly effectively. In addition, she's the only member of the team who has picked up the ability to pilot the gravity-effect vehicles that the Prof builds -- indeed, he designs the controls of these vehicles to her specifications.

Professor Eternity has made attempts to develop a way to neutralize her powers, but none have lasted long enough to determine whether they were altering whatever aspect of her neurochemistry has been altered by them. From time to time, some of the team's more sophisticated enemies, such as Fra Diavolo, have attempted to seduce her with promises of such a permanent cure. While she's always realized that such suggestions are simply attempts to manipulate her, and -- eventually -- resisted them, it remains a temptation that she might not always be able to resist.

She wishes that there was someone she could talk to about all of this. She can't share it with her sister, who's always been so strong and confident. What could she understand about someone as vulnerable as Cherry? No, Giselle is just like their father. Maybe it'd be easier if their mother was still alive, but she died when her little Cherise was only twelve. Cherry kept up her French lessons in her mother's memory, but that's really all that she has left of her.

Ultimately, Cherry is on her own -- the loneliness of the long-distance sprinter.

Mademoiselle Velocity -- PL 10

Real name: Cherise "Cherry" Andrews.
Date of birth: April 3, 1986*. (Apparent age 16)
Identity: Publicly known (Gather Information DC 15, Knowledge [popular culture] DC 20)
Occupation: Explorer, adventurer.
Base of operations: Tesla Park.
Affiliation: Eternity Enterprises.
Height: 5'9''.
Weight: 120 lbs.
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Naturally blonde, frequently dyed various colors.

* Actually 1946.

Abilities: STR 1, STA 2, AGL 2, DEX 2, FGT 10, INT 0, AWE 1, PRE 2

Powers:
Super-Speed: Enhanced Advantages 9 (Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Initiative 6); Enhanced Defenses 12 (Dodge 6, Parry 6); Movement 3 (wall-crawling 2, water walking), Limited to while moving; Quickness 11; Speed 11 (4000 MPH) - 46 points
Speed Tricks: Array (18 points)
* Buzzsaw Fists: Multiattack Damage 9 * 18 points
* Sonic Boom: Burst Area Damage 9 * 1 point
* Whirlwind: Cone Area Move Object 9, Close Range * 1 point
Unaging: Immunity 1 (aging) * 1 point

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Initiative 6, Instant Up, Language (French), Move-by Action, Set Up, Taunt, Teamwork.

Skills:
Deception 8 (+10), Expertise: Current Events 8 (+8), Investigation 7 (+7), Perception 6 (+7), Vehicles 10 (+12), Technology 7 (+7).

Offense:
Init +26
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 1)
Buzzsaw Fists +10 (Close Multiattack Damage 9)
Sonic Boom -- (Burst Area Damage 9)

Defense:
Dodge 15/9, Fortitude 5, Parry 16/10, Toughness 4/2, Will 4

Abilities 40 + Powers 71 + Advantages 7 + Skills 19 + Defenses 13 = 150 points

Complications:
Acceptance--Motivation. Arrested Development. Loneliness.

High Power Version: Increase STA to 4, AGL to 4, DEX to 4, FGT to 12, AWE to 3; increase Quickness to 13 ranks, Speed to 13 ranks, Array to 24 points, Multattack Damage to 12 ranks, Burst Area Damage to 12 ranks, Cone Area Move Object to 12 ranks.

Low Power Version: Reduce FGT to 8; drop Movement; reduce Enhanced Advantages to 6 ranks (Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Initiative 4), Enhanced Defenses to 8 ranks (Dodge 4, Parry 4), Quickness to 8 ranks, Speed to 8 ranks, Array to 16 points; reduce Deception to 4 ranks, Expertise: Current Events to 4 ranks, Investigation to 5 ranks, Perception to 4 ranks, Vehicles to 8 ranks, Technology to 5 ranks; reduce Dodge to 7.
Mademoiselle Velocity's Big Secret: As asexuality has become more visible, Cherise has started seeking out the company of people who are (as she puts it) "naturally" asexual. Through these interactions, which have helped her a lot in accepting her situation, she's starting to suspect that she might not be an aromantic asexual, as she initially assumed, though she's still trying to figure out where in the romantic spectrum she fits.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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