BSDQ's OCverse Builds

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bsdigitalq
Posts: 543
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2016 8:46 am
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BSDQ's OCverse Builds

Post by bsdigitalq »

Hey all!

So you all probably know me for my (currently neglected) gallery of character designs in the art board. Well, thanks to a little feedback and discussion with our very own Jabroniville, I'm moving on to doing builds of my characters! Since I generally don't focus too heavily on their powers or skills in the bios I write for them (as unless it ties into a character's personality and backstory, I find going into great detail about such things to be a bit superfluous and power geeky), these builds should provide a little more insight into these guys. I'll be mainly focusing on my stuff for my main character Thunder Woman, my main team of heroes the Vigil Alliance, and the numerous inhabitants of the setting they inhabit, the Extraordinary Mythos.

I'll add updates later, but I hope everyone who visits enjoys what they see and read. :)


Thunder Woman

ALLIES


Newport Defenders
August Star II
David Jacobs
Herakles
Interceptor
Thunder Girl

Solo Allies
Adam Asklepiades
Captain Meteor
Kelkemet
Mazdak
Megaton
Nerig
Night Stalker
Sandstorm
White Wraith
Zharova

Dodekatheon

Ares
Athena
Hades
Hermes
Poseidon
Zeus

The Allegiance

Afterburner
Blacksmith
Doc Quantum
Harmonika
Megabeast
Silver Centurion

Super-Heroines of Earth (SHE)
Ellen Wrench
The High Priestess
Jetstream
Justrix
Lady Winter
Lunazon
Massive


ROGUES GALLERY

Archenemies
Apotheos
Dominus
Helregin
Hera
The Infernal Empress
Miranda Iryn
Nemo Oudeis

Major Enemies
Alexsei Mikhailov
Deathgrip
Derek Duvall
The Enforcer
The Harbinger
Jessica Sinclair
Khagan Tsan
Legion
Lycaon
Mandragora
Marek al-Dajjal
Martin Clay
Monster Woman
Neohydra
Nosophoros
Ranke
Talleba and Serbek
Thunder Slayer
Tiamat
Vastatrix

Minor Enemies
Atomik Tsar
Bill Birch
Black Taffy
Crazy Cream
Cutthroat
Discmaster
Ice King & Ice Queen
Interdictor
Medusa
Miasma
Raxmis
Shebah al-Qatal
The Stringer
Technomaster

Battle Beauties
Mikeala Finegold
Big Sister
Lady Slab
Dragonness
Silver Belle
The Psisters

Children of Ares
Deimos
Keris
Phobos

Dominus' Forces
Apextra
General Dulak
Kigant

The Grozny Gang
The Block
Cassandra Olga
Metalsmith
Scorch

Heratheon
Arion
Cerberus
Enyo
Eris
Eurynome
Helios
Hephaestus
Kephalos
Ophion

Herathenes
Amycus
Gorgos
Pyroptes

Nemo Oudeis' Lieutenants

Charos
Polemos
Khloros
Limos

Overthrow
Biohazard
The Demoniac
Lady Oudine
Tyrannosaur
Quagmire
Xerxes

Powers Inc.

Polymath
Diamond
Shadow Mistress

The Storm Riders

Downpour
Hurricane
Stormbolt
Thunderfist
Last edited by bsdigitalq on Sat Aug 26, 2017 8:06 am, edited 10 times in total.
bsdigitalq
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Thunder Woman

Post by bsdigitalq »

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THUNDER WOMAN (Samantha West)
PL 11 (304)
STRENGTH
14 STAMINA 13 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Archeology) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Mythology/Folklore) 10 (+14)
Expertise (History) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Theology) 6 (+10)
Expertise (International/Global Affairs) 6 (+10)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat: Weather/Electrical Control 2 (+4)

Advantages: 
Attractive, Connected, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Inspire, Interpose, Languages 4 (Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin), Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Teamwork, Withstand Damage

Powers: 
“Divinely-Empowered Body”
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]
Impervious Toughness 13 [13]
Morph 1 (Single Form- Samantha West; Metamorph) [6]
Movement 1 (Dimensional: Olympus) [2]
Power-Lifting 3 (3,200 tons) [3]
Regeneration 2 [2]

“Weather Control and Electrical Powers”
Flight 9 (1000 mph) [18]
Immunity 10 (Weather Effects) [10]
Immunity 10 (Electricity, Limited- Half Effect) [5]
Senses 3 (Detect Weather- Ranged, Acute) [3]
Senses 4 (Precognition, Limited to Weather) [2]

"Electrostatic Aura" Damage 10 (Dynamic)(Extras: Reaction 3, Selective) (50) -- [67]
Dynamic AE: "Blinding Fog" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Attack, Area- 240ft. Burst +4, Selective) (17)
Dynamic AE: “Electrical Disruption” Weaken Electronics/Electrical Devices 12 (Extras: Affects Objects Only, Broad, Ranged) (36)
Dynamic AE: "Icy Trap" Snare 12 (36)
Dynamic AE: “Lightning Strike” Blast 12 (Extras: Indirect 3) (27)
Dynamic AE: “Climate Control” Affliction 12 (Fatigued, Exhausted, Incapacitated; Resisted by Fortitude) (Extras: Ranged, Subtle) (25)
Dynamic AE: “Thunderblast” Affliction 11 (Vision/Hearing Impaired, Disabled, Unaware; Resisted by Dodge) (Extras: Cumulative, Perception Area) (33)
Dynamic AE: “Weather Control” Environment 8 (1/2 mile) (Cold, Impede Movement 2, Light, Visibility) (40)
Dynamic AE: “Wind Control” Move Object 10 (Extras: Area- 60 cft. Shapeable, Damaging, Ranged, Concentration) (50)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+14 Damage, DC 28)
Aura +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Afflictions +10 (+12 Ranged, DC Fort 22)
Lightning +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +13, Fortitude +13, Will +8

Complications:
Enemies (Thunder Slayer, Lycaon, Nemo Oudeis, Miranda Iryn, Apotheos, The Infernal Empress, Dominus, Legion, the Children of Ares)- Thunder Woman has accrued a massive rogues gallery of villains, several of whom like the ones listed above pursue some sort of vendetta against her or seek to use her in some way.

Enemy (Councilman Kelly)- Thunder Woman’s most dogged non-villainous enemy, who continuously bad mouths the heroine and finds some way to turn whatever she does into a negative, and is seeking to implement ordinances banning heroic activities in Newport.

Enemy (Zoe Sarkin)- Samantha’s primary nemesis at Newport University, a gender studies professor who uses her ideology as an excuse to hate on Samantha for what are entirely personal reasons.

Nemesis (Helregin)- One of Thunder Woman’s greatest enemies. He believes she holds the key to advancing his research, and ever since he turned one of her best friends into the villainous Ranke, their rivalry has taken a particularly personal and bitter turn.

Nemesis (Hera)- The goddess is responsible for the events that ended up creating Thunder Woman, and has been the heroine’s most singularly persistent and active enemy. This almost continuous harassment has resulted in the creation of a number of Thunder Woman’s other villainous rogues, due in part to Hera’s inability to move directly against Thunder Woman because of potential reprisal from Zeus and Athena.

Power Loss- When Thunder Woman reverts to Samantha West, she loses all of her powers.

Relationship (Athena)- The goddess is a patron of Thunder Woman, and was a mentor to her in the early days of her heroic career.

Relationship (David Jacobs)- One of the few people in her life to know her secret, David has unwittingly been caught up in the myriad shenanigans that surround Samantha and Thunder Woman. In spite of this and a couple nasty breakups, they still maintain a close romantic relationship.

Relationship (Herakles)- A paragon of masculinity summoned to be Thunder Woman’s ally, he has a healthy respect for the heroine and what she has accomplished, which makes him attracted to her. As a paragon of masculinity, Samantha can’t help but be attracted to him in turn, in spite of the way it complicates her feelings and romantic life.

Relationship (Robert Werner and Gail Gordon)- Thunder Woman’s main allies in the Newport city government, the police commissioner and deputy mayor have done a lot to assist the heroine and stall councilman Kelly’s antics, though Thunder Woman has had to earn that trust. Commissioner Werner in particular still maintains a somewhat neutral attitude to Thunder Woman, so as not to become blinded to any of her faults or become accused of bias towards her.

Relationship (Thunder Girl and August Star II)- Thunder Woman has been a heroine long enough to acquire a couple of proteges. Being a mentor to these aspiring heroes has been as much of a learning experience as becoming a heroine herself!

Relationship (Zeus)- The source of all her powers, Thunder Woman maintains an...interesting long distance relationship with the king of the gods. With Hera increasingly becoming distant to him and the possibility becoming distinct that her days as the queen of the gods are nearing an end, Zeus is looking for a potential replacement. Samantha could very possibly become the new queen of the gods.

Responsibility (Protection)- Samantha’s entire reason for permanently accepting the Dodekatheon’s offer and becoming Thunder Woman is to protect everything around her. With it becoming clear that Hera would not relent in her vendetta against her, Samantha had to embrace the powers given to her in order to protect herself, her livelihood, and her family, friends, coworkers, students, and city.

Responsibility (Weather Control)- Thunder Woman is very sensitive about the way in which her weather control powers affect the environment, both in terms of local destruction and in terms of the long term effect her powers might have upon the global climate that she can’t even remotely predict.

Rivalry (Lunazon)- Thunder Woman has a friendly rivalry with the exiled extraterrestrial warrior woman, and they have come to respect each other for their individual skills.

Secret Identity (Samantha West)- As Samantha West, she loses all of her powers and combat advantages, and her abilities reduce down to Str 1, Sta 2, Agl 2, Dex 0, and Pre 1, with corresponding adjustments to skills and defenses.

Total: Abilities: 100 / Skills: 61--31 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 142 / Defenses: 12 (304)


OVERVIEW
Thunder Woman is Samantha West. She lives in the city of Newport, Connecticut, an old English port city that has become a major shipping and immigration hub, and is famously a melting pot of numerous cultures, particularly Mediterranean immigrants (her mother’s family being an example). She is a research associate at Newport University specializing in ancient history, and is an archeologist employed by NPU’s history department.

As Thunder Woman, she is becoming one of the most famous superheroes in the world. She has recently joined the Allegiance, one of the most prestigious teams of superheroes in the world, and even runs her own team of local heroes in Newport. She has fought a variety of supervillains around the world, and has even been pivotal in stopping invasions by alien conquerors and mad gods during her solo career. Thunder Woman is recognized as the premiere superhero of Newport, and despite some missteps she is widely popular.


ORIGIN
Thunder Woman was born Samantha Elysia West, the daughter of building manager Philip West and second generation immigrant Diana Nikolopoulou. She is the middle child of five, with an older brother and sister, and younger brother and sister. When she was born, her father got to give her first name, while her mother chose her middle name.

From an early age, Diana narrated to Samantha oral tales of Greek mythology. As a result, Samantha grew up with a deep love of history, folk tales, and mythology; when she became too old for her mother’s bedtime stories, she ravenously devoured books and websites for myths and historical accounts.

Diana had married Philip West so as to be able to provide her children the kind of life she never knew as a child herself, including having a proper education. Samantha herself attended Newport University, where she majored in foreign studies and history, and then entered a graduate program. It was while in this program that she went on a field trip with a class to a dig site, and demonstrated herself quite capable in the necessary tasks. This was enough for her to become employed as an assistant to NPU’s history department chair, and she later graduated to research associate, where she teaches classes at NPU full time and participates in archeological digs and research projects sponsored by the University.

During one of these research projects, Samantha uncovered previously undiscovered documents pointing to new, unknown locations in Greece. This prompted the launch of a new expedition by NPU to locate these sites and uncover their secrets.

Traveling to Greece and uncovering the new sites, they discovered previously unknown temples and tombs. Translating reliefs and records at the locations, Samantha uncovered references to evidence that far from being mythological, the ancient Greek Gods and heroes had in fact actually existed, and with each new dig she discovered a series of clues that pointed to one, final location.

As the expedition progressed though, the group was constantly hounded by a mysterious group of thieves and robbers, to the point where they actually had to hire some security to protect the group, and Samantha fought to protect the valuable clues the team had accumulated.

The group discovered the final site, revealing a vast underground chamber resembling a temple. But instead of statues and reliefs, they discovered a strange pair of golden doors at the rear of the chamber. Investigating them, Samantha translated the writing, unaware that she was working through a very ancient puzzle. As she did this, the expedition came under attack from the mysterious robbers again, now clad in bizarre robes and sigils. This time, they were not here to rob, but instead intent on slaying the whole group. Frantically working the system of the gates, Samantha accidentally activated them, and they opened up. With no other choice, they fled into the gates, where they found themselves…

…in Greece. Or at least, it seemed that way. But as the group explored, they could find no existence of modern infrastructure, or of civilization. That they were in a totally different world was cemented when they came under attack by a pack of bow-wielding centaurs. They tried to flee, but were cornered by the hunters. But before they could be killed, the group was rescued by a massive figure in green and silver armor, who drove off the centaurs. Their rescuer revealed himself to be none other than Herakles himself.

After introducing the group and explaining the situation, Samantha was told by Herakles that they were in fact in the Olympian realms. To help them return, Herakles brings the group to Olympus, where they meet Zeus and the other members of the Dodekatheon, an extremely rare privilege for any mortal. There, Samantha and her fellow archeologists are told what has happened: thousands of years ago, the barriers between the Olympian dimensions and Earth was so thing they almost physically overlapped, with beings in both realms easily crossing between them. But for the past few millennia the dimensions have drifted apart, to the point where only a few places were left where one could cross from one to the other, even for a god. Samantha and crew had found one such gateway, which worked because the dimensions are once again beginning to cross into each other.

As Zeus and the gods worked with Samantha and her friends to help them return, she grew close to both Zeus and Herakles, much to the annoyance of Hera. But one night, as she explored Olympus, Samantha happened upon Hera, speaking in secret with a group of other gods and beings, about a plot to overthrow the Dodekatheon, replacing them with a new pantheon of gods, and Hera on top of them all.

Samantha raced to inform the other gods about this, but instead was taken by force to them. One of her fellow researchers had been discovered stealing ambrosia and golden apples, infuriating Zeus. Unable to argue against the presented evidence, Samantha and crew were cast out of Olympus, spared any worse punishment simply because Zeus liked Samantha.

As they tried to figure out what to do next, they came under attack by mysterious robed robbers again. Captured, the group is taken to Hera, who knew that Samantha had spied on her through a cult of worshippers. Hera explains that Samantha’s entire expedition was by her design, an elaborate scheme to learn how to open the barriers between the dimensions once more. With this knowledge, Hera intended to open Tartarus, having made a bargain with the Titans to assist her in overthrowing the Dodekatheon and support her new pantheon in exchange for their freedom. All she needed was the knowledge to open the dimensional gate to Tartarus; by opening the gate between Earth and Olympus, Samantha had helped give Hera to key to overcoming this final barrier. Hera also revealed that, once she achieved rulership of Olympus she would send the Titans to Earth, only to then defeat them once more, as way to ingratiate Earth to the new pantheon and return things to the way they should be: an Earth under the dominion of gods once again.

Opening up Tartarus, Hera leaves Samantha and her friends trapped in it, with matching punishments, and sets the Titans loose. As a new Titanomachy rages above, Samantha attempts to apply her knowledge of the gates to help set them free, managing to free the team from their punishments. But they remain trapped in Tartarus, pursued by mythological horrors in a huge maze. As it seems like they are about to die, Hades and Herakles appear, the latter having discovered their captivity. Freeing Samantha and gang from Tartarus, they return to continue the battle against the Titans.

But the battle does not go well. When she sees Zeus, alone and on the precipice of defeat by the Titans, Samantha races to Olympus, consuming a flask of ambrosia and taking armor and thunderbolts from Hephaestus’ forge, despite Hera’s best efforts to stop her. Now empowered like a god herself, Samantha fought the Titans, but this still wasn’t enough. However, her bravery in front of Zeus helps him to recover, and with Hades, Poseidon, and Herakles, they rally, and the five of them are able to defeat the Titans and reimprison them.

In the aftermath, Samantha attempts to reveal Hera’s plan. But the Queen of the Gods is able to deflect the blame onto one of her fellow conspirators, turning him into a scapegoat. But though the gods no longer believe Hera responsible for the second Titanomachy, suspicion remains, and her standing among them is diminished.

Meanwhile, Samantha’s actions and bravery earn her commendation. As a reward, the Dodekatheon allow her to retain her immortality and the use of the Thunderbolt, and Zeus even grants her the option to resume her mortal form, should she choose to. However, in exchange she must never reveal the actual existence of Olympus to the world, what happened, or how to reach it. But she is allowed to keep her memories, while the other expedition members are made to forget the whole thing. They are returned to Earth, and thanks to what they’ve found, return to NPU to much praise due to what has been found.

Samantha did not become Thunder Woman by choice, initially. But Hera forced her hand with her revenge schemes, sending increasingly powerful enemies to try and kill or ruin Samantha. But each time she was able to stop the monsters, earning more notoriety with each appearance. Thus, she was dubbed “Thunder Woman” by the press. With her life and friends constantly threatened by Hera, and a campaign by mayoral candidate Derek Duvall attempting to sanction superheroes like her, she begins to understand that maybe she should be more proactive about the power she has than simply using it to protect just herself.

So it is that Samantha embraces the divine power within her, and truly becomes Thunder Woman.

ALLIES
Samantha has a wide network of friends and family she can rely upon. There is of course her parents: Philip and Diana West, and her four siblings, though her relations with them are mixed. She also has fellow faculty members at the University she is friends with, and some friends from the graduate program she attended in her youth.

As Thunder Woman, Samantha has made a number of allies. Closest of these are the members of the Newport Defenders, a group of individuals she has worked with to defend Newport with. These include:

· Herakles, the demigod and mythological hero himself.

· Interceptor, cyborg supercop of the NPPD.

· David Jacobs, her current boyfriend, empowered by Hermes.

· Thunder Girl, a student similarly powered.

· August Star, redemption seeking son of an infamous hero-turned-villain.

Other heroes she has worked with include:

· Zharova, one of Russia’s premiere heroes.

· Nightstalker, a Newport vigilante.

· Sandstorm, elemental Arab heroine.

· Mazdak, Iranian mystic and guru.

· White Ghost, Slavic supersoldier.

· Kelkamet, rogue alien powerhouse.

· Megaton, gravimetric strongman and activist.

· Lunazon, alien amazonian warrior in exile.

· Captain Meteor, elder statesman of the superheroic community.

· Adam Asklepiades, enigmatic artificial man.

Besides these individuals, Thunder Woman can count on her allies in the Allegiance and anyone else affiliated with them. Similarly, she is also an associate of the all-female superteam SHE, the Super-Heroines of Earth.

And lastly, she is friends and allies with most of the Dodekatheon, the Twelve Olympians. In particular she has the favor of Zeus, Athena, and Hermes, and has adversarial but at the same time friendly relationships with Ares and Hades. With Zeus especially she is close, though there is no commitment on that front.

ENEMIES
As a superheroine, Thunder Woman naturally has a vast array of enemies. Even as Samantha West she has certain individuals she has upset at NPU, and as an archeologist has faced adversity from terrorists, international criminals, and xenophobic locals.

While she has dozens of villains, Thunder Woman’s primary archenemies are:

· Hera, Queen of the Twelve Olympians.

· Helregin, self-proclaimed “God of Science.”

· The Infernal Empress, demonic ruler of universes.

· Dominus, alien racial supremacist seeking to restore his race.

· Miranda Iyrn, ruthless corporate matriarch.

· Nemo Oudeis, mercenary and trafficker possessed by a primal force.

· Apotheos, immortal aristocrat bent on ascension to godhood.

Other notable enemies include:

· Ranke, her former best friend transformed by Helregin.

· Thunder Slayer, jealous woman turned doppelganger.

· The Harbinger, enigmatic alien menace.

· The Children of Ares, progeny of the God of War.

· Tiamat, primordial mother of monsters.

· Derek Duvall, corrupt corporate mastermind and would be politician.

· Andrei Mikhailov, godfather of Newport crime.

As a member of the Allegiance, naturally Thunder Woman can count their enemies as her own, such as the supervillain team Overthrow and other major supervillains and threats. She is also not in good standing with the Federal Guard, the Russian government’s official team of superheroes, despite being friends with their most famous member, Zharova.

POWERS
Thunder Woman possesses vast superhuman powers. While transformed she has a godly body immune to conventional poison, disease, and the normal requirements of the human body. She is extremely durable against harm, able to withstand rocket and tank fire, bullets, temperature extremes, high-speed impacts, and falls from great heights.

Thunder Woman is superhumanly strong. She can throw locomotives, lift 747's, and if she exerts herself she can drag or push large yachts or destroyers. Her most impressive feat of strength was when she was able to keep a Russian Typhoon-class submarine from sinking long enough to allow its crew to be evacuated. Naturally, her vast strength translates into devastating hits, and she can crush just about almost any non-exotic substance with her grasp.

Thunder Woman is imbued with the power of Zeus' thunderbolt. Besides allowing her access to Mt. Olympus whenever she needs to, she can project millions of volts of electrical energy, allowing her to project blasts of it, shock opponents that touch her or she touches, and short out machinery around her. She is not invulnerable to electricity, though in order to harm her she must be hit with far greater energy than her body can properly store.

The thunderbolt also grants her the ability to control the weather. She can form tornadoes, summon lightning, rain, snow, and hail, manipulate heat energy, and create enormously powerful winds in excess of hurricane strength. However, she rarely employs these powers on a large scale, as they can be very disruptive to the environment and weather patterns around the world, and can cause massive amounts of property damage without proper control.

Lastly, Samantha can use her powers to propel herself through the air, allowing her to reach speeds of up to Mach 2.

Thunder Woman, however, is not invulnerable or all-powerful. Her ability to resist damage has its upper limits, and she can still be harmed by diseases and poisons of exotic origin, and magical curses or transformations. Her electrical energies can be drained, leaving her weakened, and there are plenty of beings that can deal out enough damage to hurt even her.
Last edited by bsdigitalq on Sat Aug 26, 2017 8:00 am, edited 9 times in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by Jabroniville »

AWESOME!! Great to see you actually posting builds, too. I find the builds should help "center" who your characters are, and their place in your world. The bios are great, but looking at the PL & Powers helps you immediately go "ah. THAT's what they're around for". It lets you know who are the manipulators, the Paragons, the powerhouses, the elite fighters, etc.

I like how she's this combination of tremendous power but comparative inexperience (not a lot of Class 3000 PL 11s out there), but she's also smart and versatile, like a solo hero is expected to be. Naturally, being skillful AND powerful creates a monstrous XP cost, pushing the levels of the biggest Marvel & DC heroes. Her gigantic array of stuff, based around a pricey Aura (Selective? That's one you don't see on Auras very often), helps dogpile that points cost. So she's basically Storm + Superman.

I see you went with the "Morph" aspect of "Changing To Human Form". The books are never really clear on how we should all be handling that.

Ah, that list of Complications. You can always tell when a character is someone's favorite, because their Complications list is freaking enormous :). Like my Homer Simpson, Spider-Man & Elphaba Thropp builds.

I like how some of the baddies are regular humans, while others are powerful sorts. Menaces of both types, but the human ones are usually more insidious, beacuse you can't just run up and punch them out.

I don't recall seeing David Jacobs mentioned in your other bios, but I might have missed him. Seems like there's some interest there.
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by Psistrike »

Interesting character and very detailed history. Got the Storm+Superman vibe from her powers like Jab did, though her history and especially that second image make me think of a combo of Wonder Woman+Captain Marvel.
bsdigitalq
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by bsdigitalq »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu May 04, 2017 7:06 am AWESOME!! Great to see you actually posting builds, too. I find the builds should help "center" who your characters are, and their place in your world. The bios are great, but looking at the PL & Powers helps you immediately go "ah. THAT's what they're around for". It lets you know who are the manipulators, the Paragons, the powerhouses, the elite fighters, etc.
Yeah, especially as I only have a vague sense of where a lot of characters stand in terms of comparative power. Partly a result of my attempt to downplay powers as a definitive aspect of the characters. Too many seem be just an overblown powerset wrapped in a character design, so I've been avoiding that by almost completely omitting powers in my mini-bios and just talking about "here's the character's deal."
I like how she's this combination of tremendous power but comparative inexperience (not a lot of Class 3000 PL 11s out there), but she's also smart and versatile, like a solo hero is expected to be. Naturally, being skillful AND powerful creates a monstrous XP cost, pushing the levels of the biggest Marvel & DC heroes. Her gigantic array of stuff, based around a pricey Aura (Selective? That's one you don't see on Auras very often), helps dogpile that points cost. So she's basically Storm + Superman.
Pretty much what I was going for. I initially felt like I was making her too weak, but this feels like a nice balance. Powerful, but not overwhelmingly so, with an emphasis on relying on skill and expertise to solve problems that can't be punched.
I see you went with the "Morph" aspect of "Changing To Human Form". The books are never really clear on how we should all be handling that.
Yeah, so I covered my bases on this with two different options: Morph, and then the Complications. Always best to play it safe. ;)
Ah, that list of Complications. You can always tell when a character is someone's favorite, because their Complications list is freaking enormous :). Like my Homer Simpson, Spider-Man & Elphaba Thropp builds.
Yup, pretty much. If your star character doesn't have an enormous list of complications and character relationships, you might be doing it wrong. It's part of what helps show you've really thought about them as a character and not a walking powerset.
I like how some of the baddies are regular humans, while others are powerful sorts. Menaces of both types, but the human ones are usually more insidious, beacuse you can't just run up and punch them out.
Any good hero needs a variety of different threats to deal with. It helps develop your protagonist and show them in a variety of different lights.
I don't recall seeing David Jacobs mentioned in your other bios, but I might have missed him. Seems like there's some interest there.
I think I posted him early on, well before you started watching me, so unless you went aaaaaaaaaall the way back to the beginning and read everything thoroughly and exhaustively, you would probably miss him. Don't worry, he'll be one of the next posts here. :)
Psistrike wrote: Thu May 04, 2017 7:34 am Interesting character and very detailed history. Got the Storm+Superman vibe from her powers like Jab did, though her history and especially that second image make me think of a combo of Wonder Woman+Captain Marvel.
Thanks! Yeah, Thunder Woman is a synthesis of all my favorite individual comic book heroes- Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel (the REAL one), Thor, Storm, Invincible, and Spider-Man, as well as a variety of other disparate influences, as can be seen here:
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Skaramine
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by Skaramine »

Its was BSDQ who pointed me here from Deviant Art where I'm a big fan of his, and his buddies in the Empyrian Alliance.

Great seeing Thunder Woman all statted up too.
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by bsdigitalq »

Skaramine wrote: Thu May 04, 2017 8:04 pm Its was BSDQ who pointed me here from Deviant Art where I'm a big fan of his, and his buddies in the Empyrian Alliance.

Great seeing Thunder Woman all statted up too.
Actually, Thunder Woman is no longer involved with the Empyrean Command. She is, however, potentially in the running to appear in "The Remarkables" alongside other indie heroes like Mega-Woman (not Jab's Mega-Woman though).
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Skaramine
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by Skaramine »

bsdigitalq wrote: Thu May 04, 2017 8:25 pm Actually, Thunder Woman is no longer involved with the Empyrean Command. She is, however, potentially in the running to appear in "The Remarkables" alongside other indie heroes like Mega-Woman (not Jab's Mega-Woman though).
Oh, right. She had been missing from the, sorry about that. :(
The ATT member formerly known as both MorningKnight and Power-Glove.
Just call me Doug.
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by bsdigitalq »

Skaramine wrote: Thu May 04, 2017 8:50 pmOh, right. She had been missing from the, sorry about that. :(
It's ok. Thankfully, more opportunities have opened up elsewhere, so it's all good. :)
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David Jacobs

Post by bsdigitalq »

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DAVID JACOBS
PL 9 (148)
STRENGTH
2/0 STAMINA 2/0 AGILITY 4/0
FIGHTING 6/1 DEXTERITY 2/0
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Art) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+4)
Expertise (History) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 8 (+10)
Expertise (Writer) 6 (+8)
Insight 6 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Technology 2 (+4)

Advantages: 
Connected

Powers: 
“Blade of Hermes” (Flaws: Removable) [104]
“Divine Empowerment”
Enhanced Agility 4 [8]
Enhanced Dexterity 2 [4]
Enhanced Fighting 5 [10]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Enhanced Strength 2 [4]
Enhanced Traits 27 (Acrobatics 4 (+8), Athletics 8 (+10), Dodge +8, Parry +6, Fortitude +7) [27]
Enhanced Advantages 9 (Defensive Roll 4, Improved Initiative, Instant Up, Move-by Action, Takedown 2) [9]

“Super-Speed”
Flight 15 (64,000 mph) (30) – [31]
AE: Speed 15 (64,000 mph) linked to Quickness 5 (20)

“Speed Attacks”
“Blade Strike” Strength-based Damage 10 (Extras: Multiattack, Penetrating 10)(Feats: Improved Critical 2) (32) – [33]
AE: “Hit Everything” Strength-based Damage 4 (Extras: Area- 900ft. Burst +6, Selective) (32)

Offense:
Unarmed +1 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Unarmed w/Blade +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Blade Strike +6 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Hit Everything (+6 Area Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +8/0

Defenses:
Dodge +12/0 (DC 22/10), Parry +12/0 (DC 22/10), Toughness +6/0, Fortitude +10/0, Will +6

Complications:
Enemy (Hera)- Being one of the romantic partners of Thunder Woman, as well as wielding the Blade of Hermes, has made David a target of Hera’s wrath too.

Enemies (Jessica Sinclair/Miranda Iryn)- Jessica Sinclair’s manipulation of David as part of Miranda’s greater plan to tear down Thunder Woman has made him exceedingly bitter toward the both of them.

Enemies (Zoe Sarkin/Jon Cheapman)- David is no fan of Zoe Sarkin’s shrill persecution of Samantha and generally misandrist persona, or of her lackey Jon Cheapman’s brown-nosing and self-apologetics.

Fame (Thunder Woman)- Ever since he gained the Blade of Hermes and became an unofficial member of the “Newport Defenders,” David has suddenly been thrust into the spotlight and scrutiny of the public and media, especially in regards his association with Thunder Woman. It’s really not the kind of attention he desires.

Motivation (Expression)- David is extremely creative and imaginative, and his goal to be a published author is intended as a means of expressing it.

Relationship (Family)- Neither of David’s parents have been supportive of his goals, and though they have never abused or actively worked against them, their disapproval has soured his relationship with them, and their vicious attack on his relationship with Samantha has all but alienated them from him.

Relationship (Hermes)- The messenger of the gods has taken a liking to David for reasons he can’t comprehend, and has become a patron to David in much the same way as Athena has for Samantha.

Relationship (Samantha West/Thunder Woman)- David has always maintained a friendly relationship with Samantha (outside of a couple incidents), and after discovering her secret they have grown closer. This is not without its fair share of trials and tribulations, and David occasionally wonders if he’s really up for any more of the insane affairs that seem to constantly follow Samantha and Thunder Woman.

Rivalry (Other Romantic Partners of Samantha/Thunder Woman)- As a romantic interest for Samantha and Thunder Woman David is naturally in competition with other individuals she either maintains a romantic relationship with, like Herakles or Martin Clay, or who pursue her and thus perceive him as a rival, like the extraterrestrial Kelkemet.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 105 / Defenses: 5 (148)

OVERVIEW

David Jacobs is a young aspiring writer and artist who moved to Newport in an attempt to pursue opportunities to ply his trade. He lives in an apartment adjacent to Samantha's own residence, and through a variety of interactions, they have become a couple. Naturally, being in a relationship with Thunder Woman has really put David through the ringer.


ORIGINS

David is a young man who is largely trying to leave his past behind. While he had loving parents, their religious and conservative values were at odds with his natural artistic interests, which crossed into areas forbidden by them. Because he deeply loved them, he did his best to hide these interests and talents, but this constant concealment of his true self also created an innate resentment of the whole situation that David often directed at them. The self-censorship of his life also created problems for him in achieving some form of career, as he was unable to commit to a particular career path because he was unable to focus upon anything except the things he was passionate for, things that he had had to keep hidden his whole life. So when he moved out of his home to attend Newport University, he felt a sense of relief. And yet, the problems still persisted.

Despite his creative talents and writing ability, he became artistically challenged. Bad habits formed, and he became indecisive over what to do with his life, a result of being misguided due to his now learned tendency to hide his true feelings and passions. In spite of his ability to memorized vast quantities of knowledge (earning him the nickname "Human Encyclopedia"), he was not able to put it into practice in a way that could benefit him, and thus remained largely unemployed, living off of some leftover scholarship money from college. His talent with memorizing facts and a moderate gift with math had him considering a job in the financial sector, but the shear dearth of number crunching, which he has no patience for, plus the unscrupulous, dog-eat-dog nature of business, which he considers disgusting, kept him from pursuing a career in that field.

Then he met Samantha West. He moved into an apartment across from her own, sharing with her the same struggle to afford decent living on a limited budget. They first got to know each other while at a party hosted by the landlord. With his various gifts and talents, he was able to keep up with her in conversation about numerous varied subjects, and even offered to help proofread an article she was writing for the Newport University newspaper. This associated resulted in them spending more time together, and soon became a strong friendship. Thanks to Samantha's input, David was able to secure a job at the university working as an assistant for the professors in the liberal arts department.

David always suspected a connection between Samantha and Thunder Woman, noting that in spite of Thunder Woman's far more impressive physique and godly complexion, that she bore a resemblance to the history teacher he knew. It also helped that Samantha was never around when Thunder Woman was, and that often Thunder Woman would show up on the university campus dealing with some freak creature, eldritch abomination, or mad sorcerer trying to steal a book or artifact. However, without any hard evidence, he could not know for certain if that was the case, and David felt that any attempt on his part to find out or ask would only jeopardize his relationship with Samantha, who he was beginning to develop feelings for.

That would soon change when David abruptly walked in on Samantha as she changed back from Thunder Woman to her normal self one day. When Samantha revealed the truth, she expected David to feel hurt or stop talking to her, but to her surprise she found that he accepted this, vindicated that he had figured the truth out. He also felt a kinship with her need to keep Thunder Woman a secret, relating it to his own struggle growing up to hide his passions from disapproving parents. Their relationship blossomed after that, with David sometimes going out on secret dates with Thunder Woman, even occasionally lending a helping hand as best as any ordinary human can.

Naturally, being this close to Thunder Woman has given David his share of problems. He has been kidnapped multiple times by Thunder Woman's enemies, either as bait for trap, or to turn him into a kind of Trojan horse against her. Thankfully for David, Thunder Woman has been able to resolve these situations, though he wonders if its only a matter of time before something really bad happens to him.

In spite their hardships, David and Samantha remain together as a couple, David accepting the peril of being in a relationship with one of the most powerful women in the world, even as they encounter other bumps in the road. This includes a college student vying for his attention, being accused of being "hipster," his own bi-curiosity, and Thunder Woman's intimate relationships with Herakles and Zeus, the latter of whom she retreats to for comfort sometimes, much to David's chagrin. But probably the biggest rift of all was formed by Jessica Sinclair, right hand woman to the incredibly powerful Miranda Iryn. As part of Iryn's scheme to completely rip apart Samantha's life, Jessica began to seduce David, both with her body and with promises of a successful career in the things he loved to do. Despite resisting her temptations, he didnt do enough to try and avoid Sinclair, and when Samantha caught them together, she broke up with David. In fact, this breakup, the latest in a long line of failures and tragedies Samantha had suffered at the hands of Miranda, Nemo Oudeis, and the Children of Ares, was the straw that broke the camel's back and resulted in Samantha retreating to Olympus to accept an offer from Zeus to replace Hera as the Queen of the Gods. In the end, after Miranda Iryn attempted an invasion of Olympus at the behest of one Amelia Rostek, David was able to repair the relationship. In a rare display of him opening up, he acknowledged his own fault in the situation that had caused their breakup. Though Samantha had been happy living in Olympus, she realized her true love was to be back on Earth as a teacher, with David in her life.

Another of the low points in his life was when his parents found out about his relationship with Samantha, and personally came to confront the both of them. His mother even accused Samantha of being a whore, demanding she leave his life. Thankfully, she was patient enough to deal with the persecution, and after they left David completely estranged himself from his family, something which still bothers him since deep down, he really does love and care for his parents.

What the future holds for David and Samantha remains to be seen. For now, they're happy with things as is.


ALLIES

Obviously, Thunder Woman. By extension, this also means he is on good relations with the other allies of Samantha, in particular the other "Newport Defenders."

His other most notable benefactor is Hermes, the messenger of the gods. They met during the Neohydra affair, and after that event Hermes bequeathed David with the dagger that allows him to move at superhuman speeds via magical wing constructs. Hermes sees, or at least believes that David has enormous potential for greatness, potential that he has buried his whole life for fear of offending those who would disapprove. He has encouraged David to come out of his shell, and embrace his true calling as an artist. A slow process so far, but it's hard working against a lifetime of self-conditioning.


ENEMIES

Obviously, any enemy of Thunder Woman or Samantha is an enemy of David's.

As Samantha's boyfriend David has been embroiled in rivalries with other individuals with romantic interest in her. This has included Zeus, Herakles, Kelkemet, and Martin Clay. In all of these situations, he has basically been the underdog, but yet somehow Samantha always comes back to him as her number one choice.

As noted above, David's parents have been a major antagonistic force in life, albeit mostly through the beliefs they espouse and enforced during his childhood. They actually never really abused him physically or emotionally, but his having to conceal his true passions for fear of discipline and disapproval has made a lasting impression on him.

David holds special enmity for Jessica Sinclair over her seduction of him and the resulting breakup with Samantha. These feelings mean he often reacts irrationally in any situation involving Sinclair or her boss.

He has also grown to loathe two of Samantha's workplace colleagues, Professors Zoe Sarkin and Jon Cheapman, both due to their antagonism toward Samantha, and for their shrill and obnoxious foisting of their beliefs and agendas upon him, their students, and the Newport University campus.


POWERS

By himself, David has no superhuman powers. He does, however, posses remarkable skills as both a writer and artist; what holds him back is his own lack of confidence in his abilities and inability to commit to finishing anything. He also has a remarkable talent for absorbing enormous amounts of information and trivia, and on a few occasions this habit of knowing otherwise "worthless" bits of information has allowed him to help Thunder Woman.

Currently, David is in possession of a magical dagger given to him by Hermes. Whenever he needs it, the dagger creates a set of four magical constructs in the form of glowing golden wings. These wings allow David to react and move at superhuman speeds in direct violation of the laws of physics and render him completely immune to the negative effects of moving at such speeds. He can fly at speeds beyond escape velocity, and at one point he accidentally crossed the Earth's circumference in less than a minute. This actually makes him one of the fastest beings on Earth period, though as he is not a natural or particularly gifted fighter, other, more experienced speedsters like Revere, Afterburner, Swiftsure, and Jetstream would run circles around him.

Besides the superhuman speed powers, the dagger is also a rather potent weapon, capable of slicing through almost any mundane substance on Earth.
Last edited by bsdigitalq on Sun Jul 09, 2017 7:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by Jabroniville »

Oh neat- cool stuff with David. I saw a few things I wasn't expecting, like Godly Powers, Samantha leaving him to be with Zeus, and a one-off mention of his bi-curiosity. Now THAT is unexpected in a male love interest in these stories!
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by bsdigitalq »

Jabroniville wrote: Sat May 06, 2017 10:15 pm Oh neat- cool stuff with David. I saw a few things I wasn't expecting, like Godly Powers, Samantha leaving him to be with Zeus, and a one-off mention of his bi-curiosity. Now THAT is unexpected in a male love interest in these stories!
Thanks. A lot of that was me realizing that if he doesn't have something to make him stand out, he'd just be another "designated love interest." Plus, I find that bi-characters are woefully underepresented even by the more liberal books and writers, so I've been wanting to explore that a little further.
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Herakles

Post by bsdigitalq »

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HERAKLES
PL 11 (205)
STRENGTH
13 STAMINA 11 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Deception 2 (+5/+7)
Expertise (Arcane Lore) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Greek History) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Greek Mythology) 8 (+8)
Expertise (Olympian) 12 (+12)
Expertise (Tactics) 6 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+11)
Perception 4 (+4)
Persuasion 4 (+7/+9)
Ranged Combat: Arrows 1 (+3)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+6)

Advantages: 
Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Attractive, Benefit (Status- Olympian), Chokehold, Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Improvised Weapon, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Takedown, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break

Powers: 
“Olympian Demi-God”
Comprehend 2 (Languages- Understand All, You’re Understood) [4]
Immunity 10 (Aging, Disease, Environmental Heat & Cold, Fatigue Effects, Starvation & Thirst) [10]
“Strong Breathed” Immunity 4 (Environmental Pressure, Poison, Drowning & Suffocation) (Flaw: Half-effect) [2]
Impervious Toughness 8 [8]
Leaping 4 (120 feet) [4]
Power-Lifting 4 (3,200 tons) [4]
Regeneration 2 [2]
Speed 4 (30 mph) [4]

“Weapons of Herakles”
“Adamantine Bow & Arrows” Device (Flaw: Easily Removable) [17]
Blast 10 (Feat: Split) (Extra: Penetrating 8) (29)
  • Alternate Device: “Giant Adamantine Club” Device (Flaw: Easily Removable) (12)
    “Groundstrike” Affliction 10 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extra: Area- 60ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) linked to Damage 8 (Extra: Area- 60ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (13) – (17)
    • AE: “Shockwave” Damage 10 (Extra: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaw: Both Grounded) (10)
    • AE: “Club Swing” Strength-based Damage +0 (Extra: Area- 15 ft Burst on 11 ranks only) (8)
    • AE: “Club Smash” Strength-based Damage 2 (Extra: Penetrating 7) (Flaw: Inaccurate) (8)
    • AE: “Club Throw” Strength-based Ranged Damage 2 (Extras: Increased Range, Penetrating 7) (Flaw: Inaccurate) (10)
Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Club +7 (+15 Damage, DC 30)
Arrows +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +11, Fortitude +11, Will +8

Complications:
Enemy (Thunder Woman’s Rogues Gallery)- As a close friend and ally of Thunder Woman, any enemy of her is an enemy of Herakles.

Enemy (Hera)- Hera has always been a vindictive witch toward the hero, and her hatred has only grown, especially now that he is working to assist her latest would-be victim.

Enemy (Nemo Oudeis)- Herakles nurtures a bruised ego after the smack-down he received from the villain in their first encounter.

Motivation (Thrills)- Herakles is a bit of a hedonist, and enjoys a good fight.

Relationship (Thunder Woman)- Herakles has had a fondness for Samantha ever since they first met on Olympus. Upon being sent to Earth and working alongside Thunder Woman, that fondness has turned romantic. Even without that, he has done his part to help train the heroine to be a better fighter.

Relationship (David Jacobs)- Herakles has a friendly rivalry with his main competition in Samantha’s love life. But being bisexual himself, he has begun considering David in a whole new light, especially after deducing David’s bi-curiosity.

Relationship (Newport Defenders)- Herakles has a generally friendly and supportive relationship with the rest of Thunder Woman’s motley crew of local allies and proteges.

Relationship (Zeus)- Herakles is certainly on better terms with his father than Hera, although Zeus’ own personal interest in Thunder Woman makes things a tad awkward.

Reputation (Boisterous Bruiser)- Herakles is well known for his loudness and larger-than-myth persona.

Reputation (Jobber/Worf Effect)- While a powerful and skilled fighter, Herakles has become seriously annoyed with how many opponents he encounters who are able to easily best him. It’s one thing when the gigantic Neohydra flattens him- that’s to be expected. It’s another when he repeatedly comes up against some random foe that seems to be able to thrash him- Nemo Oudeis, Kelkemet, Monster Woman, Lycaon, Ranke, the list goes on. Herakles is getting pretty tired of this trend.

Reputation (Mega Flirt)- Despite his romantic interest in Thunder Woman, Herakles will pretty much hit on almost any woman or guy that measures up to his standards of attractiveness, including even his opponents in combat. It’s generally a sign that he doesn’t like you if he’s not trying to hit on you.

Reputation (Physical God)- Despite the rise of superheroes and extraordinaries, many people are still incredulous that Herakles is what he says he is, and many believe he’s just an extraordinary powerhouse roleplaying as the mythological hero.

Responsibility (Those Close to Him Die)- Despite his rather cheery persona, Herakles harbors dark memories of all the friends and loved ones who have perished, sometimes by his hand. He does not want this to happen to his new crop of friends and loved ones, and seeing them in mortal danger will trigger extraordinary rage in him.

Rivalry (Romantic Partners of Samantha)- As one of quite a few suitors for Samantha and/or Thunder Woman, Herakles is almost in constant competition with at least one other romantic rival, which usually leads to embarrassing shenanigans.

Secret (Pact of Resurrection)- Ever since his first death Herakles has remained in the Underworld, barring occasional visits to Olympus allowed to him by the Infernal Empress. In order for him to be brought to Earth to assist Thunder Woman, Zeus had to make a deal with the Infernal Empress. The particulars of that bargain are known only to Zeus, Herakles, Hades, and the Empress, and Herakles does not want Thunder Woman to ever find out what was sacrificed in order to resurrect him (other than a massive reduction in his divine power).

Secret (Murdered His Original Family)- Herakles has a rather dark and violent past that been obscured by the various pop culture interpretations of his myth.

Temper- Herakles is rather easy to bait and stir into a frenzy, especially if you know your mythology.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 63--32 / Advantages: 27 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 13 (205)


OVERVIEW
Herakles is, well, exactly what his name suggests: the legendary mythic hero of Greco-Roman Mythology, in the flesh. Brought back to life in the present to assist Thunder Woman against the Neohydra and Hera’s schemes in general, Herakles has quickly established himself as one of the most notable superheroes in Newport and a staunch ally of Samantha. Even so, though changed by the passage of time he still retains aspects of his personality, further complicating Samantha’s personal life. On his own he struggles to fit into a modern society whose cultural norms are at odds with what he is familiar with.
 
ORIGIN
According to the demi-god himself, the myths are generally accurate to his tale. Herakles was born to the woman Alcmene after Zeus slept with her disguised as her husband. As another bastard child of Zeus he naturally drew the wrath of Hera, who attempted to prevent his birth altogether, but was foiled by Alcmene’s servant. However, what would truly cause Hera to become his eternal enemy is when Athena delivered the baby to Hera after Alcmene left him exposed in an attempt to appease the Queen of the Gods. Not recognizing him, Hera nursed the baby, whose suckling actually caused her pain. The combination of his partially divine heritage and feeding from Hera is what granted Herakles both his vast physical prowess and his name. In revenge, Hera attempted to kill him with two gigantic snakes, but the baby Herakles strangled them both, rescuing his twin brother Iphicles in the process.

Hera would continue to hound Herakles throughout his life. Ironically, her attempts to destroy him, both mentally and physically, would serve to bring about his legend. If not for Hera driving Herakles mad and forcing him to consult the Oracle at Delphi (under Hera’s control as well), he would not have found himself in the servitude of King Eurystheus, the man who would force Herakles to perform his legendary Twelve Labors. Part of the meaning of his name “Herakles” is a reflection on this irony. After he completed the trials of Eurystheus, Herakles would go on to have many great adventures. He would continue to be hounded by Hera, but it was the trickery of the centaur Nessus that ultimately doomed the hero, and he perished in self-inflicted fire.

This is where the tale diverges from the myths, according to Herakles. Though his heritage ensured him a place in Olympus with the gods, the hero’s spirit was instead taken into the Underworld under orders from the Infernal Empress. This very nearly brought the Olympians into conflict with her, but Hades was able to forestall such a war, mostly because he knew the gods would stand no chance against the Empress and her chthonic legions. But Zeus did not give up on the possibility of finding a way to bring Herakles back, even as the gap between the Aetherc and Infernal Realms began to widen to the point of inaccessibility.

So it was that Herakles spent the next couple millennia in the court of the Infernal Empress. Here he was treated rather well, and spent a great deal of time interacting with all of the new people who entered the Underworld, including many notable thinkers, scholars, and warriors. Combined with the passage of time and freedom from Hera’s meddling, the hero changed. Though he remained a boisterous and proud paragon of masculinity and might, he no longer was as recklessly violent or vindictive as he once was. Where the old Herakles would more or less take whatever he wanted and dish out whatever violence he saw fit, the older, wiser Herakles reflected a more modern heroic standard.

As time progressed the dimensions began to come into proximity once again, allowing Zeus an opportunity to try and regain his son once more. This time there was more to the god’s quest than simply procuring Herakles; Hera had a new victim, and for all the divine power she possessed, Thunder Woman would not be able to hold off Hera’s schemes and forces by herself forever. Zeus would need to help her, but could not do so without causing a rift in the pantheon. His aid would have to be indirect, and what better aid to provide than through someone well acquainted with being a target of Hera’s wrath?

Thus, Zeus approached the Infernal Empress, and struck a bargain with her. The details of this pact are known only to the two of them, though Herakles believes part of the deals involves him having to more or less relive a semi-mortal life on Earth, with no opportunity to return to Olympus until his death. However, there is another aspect to the deal, one that appears to be a very dear sacrifice on Zeus’ part. The nature of this sacrifice remains to be seen.

As a result of the bargain, Herakles was resurrected as a demi-god once more, and given new armor and armaments. He was given the task of assisting Thunder Woman against Hera’s schemes, and made a big splash in his debut, even if said debut involved so much property damage that he very nearly came to blows with Samantha. Even after this their initial working relationship was a bit rough. Herakles' partying habits struck Samantha as apathetic, and his rather careless, brawling, destructive fighting style as that of glory-hound with no true sense of heroism. But Herakles was a more complex, cunning man than she realized. He demonstrated this when he rescued a family from a fire, the mother and children reminding him of past losses. As a victim of Hera, he was all too aware of the goddesses and her vindictive nature. Additionally, after having spent thousands of years as a ghost, Herakles was reveling in returning to a physical form able to enjoy the comforts of the real world. Ultimately, the duo would put any differences aside when Hera unleashed the Neohydra, Herakles taking a nigh-fatal attack for Samantha and then using his own blood to forestall the effects of the Neohydra’s poison on her until Hermes was able to deliver a divine antidote.

Because of their mutual personal troubles Samantha and Herakles have grown close, enough that it sometimes affects her relationship with David Jacobs. While she will always choose David first, Samantha has a place for Herakles in her heart.

Herakles has remained a stalwart ally of Thunder Woman, and through his assistance to her and new exploits become a notable superhero in his own right, traveling the globe in a “world tour” in order to better understand the changes since his death. He is a prominent proponent of gay and bisexual rights, speaking at LGBT rallies across the western world and even flirting with many heroes of both genders. He’s been in numerous “Sexiest Superhero” lists, and is unabashed in his open display of his sexuality, down to the clothing he wears.

ALLIES
Naturally, Thunder Woman, and generally anyone who considers themselves an ally or friend to her. This especially goes for fellow members of the Newport Defenders.

He also has a good working relationship with Athena, Zeus, and Hermes, who often provide him as much help as their reasonably can.

During his world tour, Herakles also struck up a friendship with the superheroic duo of Marduk and Ishtar, the most famous Middle-Eastern superheroes. According to Herakles, they are indeed the Mesopotamian gods incarnate, and not merely extraordinaries appropriating their names like the members of the superteam called the Olympians.

ENEMIES
Hera remains Herakles’ principle enemy, almost as much as she is an enemy of Thunder Woman. When he appeared as Thunder Woman’s ally, she became exceedingly enraged, and takes him into account as much as she does Samantha when forming her schemes.

By extension, Herakles is an enemy of any of Thunder Woman’s numerous rogues gallery. His most notable clashes with foes outside the circle of Greek divinity have been with Helreginn and Nemo Oudeis, the latter of whom effortlessly humiliated the demi-god in their first encounter.

And while they are not strictly enemies, Herakles has found himself in a rivalry with the alien powerhouse Kelkemet over Samantha’s affections, and also with the European superhero Hercules, of the superteam known as the Olympians. The latter is a bit one-sided, as Herakles feels more of an amused flattery than jealous rivalry with the young powerhouse named after his Roman equivalent.

POWERS
Herakles retains a degree of his legendary super-strength, comparable to Thunder Woman’s. Thanks to his strength, Herakles is able to run far faster than a normal human and he can leap over a hundred feet into the air.

Similarly, he is superhumanly tough, able to withstand explosive ordinance, gunfire, environmental extremes, falls from great heights, and high-speed impacts; however, he is not as tough as Thunder Woman.

Complimenting his superhuman prowess, Herakles is equipped with an assortment of weapons forged by Hephaestus. These include an adamantine club similar to the one he was famous for wielding, armor as tough as his skin, and a bow and quiver of arrows that he can use to devastating effect with his strength.

Besides his powers and armament, Herakles is a far more skilled and clever fighter than he would appear to be.

However, Herakles possesses many of the same limitations as Thunder Woman, perhaps as part of the pact Zeus made to resurrect him. His ability to resist damage is not absolute, and he can still be harmed by diseases and poisons of exotic origin, and magical curses or transformations. Also, his lack of true flight means he lacks some of the mobility options Thunder Woman has. 
Last edited by bsdigitalq on Sun Jul 09, 2017 7:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Skaramine
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by Skaramine »

I like your take on Heracles.

You combined the reason for the old bluster while adding the depth of the more current version.
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Jabroniville
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Re: BSDQ's Builds

Post by Jabroniville »

Very nice! Contains some stuff even I didn't remember about the mythology, too- I had no idea Herakles had a twin brother (Iphicles was apparently the father of Iolas, who got used as Herc's Totally Not Boyfriend in The Legendary Journeys).
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