Small Town Heroes: Inactive

For all of your Play-By-Post games.
MrTweedy
Posts: 281
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:56 pm
Location: England

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by MrTweedy »

Plan b, thanks for your interest! Initially I had heard back from three out of the six players, however with jmucchiello and Flynnarrel saying they're interested in returning as well, there is only one player that I haven't heard back from. This does however leave a slot open for someone else to join the party.

pathfinderqi, thankyou for adding the additional game details! While I think on, it is important to note at this time as well that I am still fairly new to this system, so players will have to bear with me at times with some of the rules. Post rate will also be relatively slow, I expect to be posting one or twice a week on average. I may be able to do more depending on work, but I can't guarantee it.

Glyth, thanks for your interest as well!

Spectrum, as far as I am aware your character is still ready to go from the previous game, so that shouldn't be a problem.

pathfinderq1, honestly all of those sound like great options and would fit in well at Green Creek (or as well as anyone does).

CaptainChaos, there is no specific deadline currently for submissions, if that changes I will let people know on here.
Hawk
Posts: 360
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 2:50 pm

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by Hawk »

I am returning. I'll enjoy pulling John WhiteEagle out of the mothballs so to speak. :)
CaptainChaos
Posts: 601
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 3:36 am
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by CaptainChaos »

Here is my submission for consideration if you are still looking for players.

Audrey Yates - PL 8
Age: 15; Hair: Brown; Eyes: Brown

Abilities:
Strength -1, Stamina 2, Agility 2, Dexterity 2, Fighting 1, Intellect 1, Awareness 0, Presence 1

Advantages:
Benefit, Athletics Based on Agility, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Grabbing Finesse, Languages 1, Ranged Attack, Uncanny Dodge

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+4), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+3), Deception 4 (+5), Expertise (PRE): Singing 6 (+7), Expertise: Music 4 (+5), Expertise: Popular Culture 4 (+5), Insight 4 (+4), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 6 (+6), Persuasion 4 (+5), Ranged Combat: Throw 2 (+4)

Powers:
Do you hear what I hear?: Senses 7 (Acute (Type): Hearing, Analytical (Type): Hearing, Extended: Hearing 2: x100, Ultra-hearing)
Field Generator (Removable)
Force Field: Protection 5 (+5 Toughness; Sustained)
Protected Hearing: Immunity 5 (Sensory Affliction Effects; Limited: Hearing only)
Sonic Scream: Cone Area Damage 8 (DC 23; Cone Area: 60 feet cone, DC 18)
AE: Blast: Perception Area Damage 8 (Alternate; DC 23; Perception Area: DC 18 - Hearing)
AE: Deafening Cry: Perception Area Affliction 8 (Alternate; 1st degree: Impaired, 2nd degree: Disabled, 3rd degree: Unaware, Resisted by: Fortitude, DC 18; Perception Area: DC 18 - Hearing)
AE: Mimic Sounds & Voices: Feature 8
You can't hear me: Concealment 2 (All Aural Senses)

Offense:
Initiative +2
Blast: Perception Area Damage 8 (DC 23)
Deafening Cry: Perception Area Affliction 8 (DC Fort 18)
Grab, +1 (DC Spec 12)
Sonic Scream: Cone Area Damage 8 (DC 23)
Throw, +5 (DC 14)
Unarmed, +3 (DC 14)

Complications:
Motivation: Acceptance: Audrey just wants to be accepted for who she is and not what everyone expects her to be. She has no desire to be a hero like her parents Dynamo and Zephyr. Even her older sister Allison, a senior at her school, wants to be a hero after graduation or no later than after college.

Power Loss: Audrey loses her powers except for hearing if unable to speak.

Reputation: Audrey has been compared to her older sister her entire life. Everyone from her parents, teachers, family members, and others are constantly comparing her to her sister Allison. Allison was always the golden child who could do nothing wrong, did well in school, played sports, volunteered in the community, and was essentially a goody two shoes. Audrey was always a bit rebellious and often was in trouble in school, shoplifting, smoking, drinking, and doing just well enough in school to pass. She has a reputation as a troublemaker and has spent time in juvenile detention.

Languages:
English, Spanish

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 7, Fortitude 8, Toughness 8/2, Will 7

Power Points:
Abilities 16 + Powers 37 + Advantages 7 + Skills 21 (42 ranks) + Defenses 25 = 106

Story:

Audrey is the youngest child of Thomas and Melinda Yates otherwise known as the heroes Dynamo and Zephyr. For her entire life she has been compared to her older sister. Her sister Allison is a gifted athlete and student, is very attractive, blonde, popular, and never gets in trouble. From a young age, Audrey felt the need to be different from her sister. She just wanted to be liked for who she was and not be constantly compared to her more gifted sister. Even in school her teachers constantly asked Audrey why she couldn’t be more like Allison. This constant comparison just made Audrey rebel more. Her parents bailed her out all the time and smoothed things over with shop owners, police, and others as needed. Eventually, they gave up and knew they had to do something so they allowed Audrey to be arrested after yet another shoplifting attempt. This time, she had to appear in court and spent a year in juvenile detention. When she turned 13 she started hearing things. She noticed she could hear conversations from a distance, high frequency sounds, and could determine exactly where the sound was coming from. She tried to hide these new abilities, having no desire to become a hero like her parents. Eventually she slipped up and her abilities were discovered. Her parents knew that a regular school was out of the question, for now, so Audrey spent a couple of years with a private tutor learning traditional subjects and how to better understand and utilize her new abilities. Audrey had always enjoyed music and singing along with the songs on the radio or her Walkman. Her tutor helped her become a better singer while utilizing her new enhanced hearing to better understand tones and melodies. Finally when she turned 15, it was decided she was ready to attend a more traditional school she her parents sent Audrey to the same school her older sister attends, Green Creek Public School of Paragons and Anti-Heroes.

Audrey has made a few friends at her new school but still has to deal with teachers, coaches, and other students comparing her to her better and more popular sister Allison. Even her sister has cooler powers than she does. Allison has command over solar energy, being able to use it for blasting, creating heat and light, flying, absorbing heat and light, and more annoyingly, is able to create a halo of light around her.
User avatar
Tony Jones
Posts: 3170
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:54 pm

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by Tony Jones »

If you're still looking for players I'd like to put this one before the court:

Khemis
Power Level 8, 120 points

Hero Points: 1
Current Condition: Fine

Background
Karima Ech-Chergui is a daughter of Muslim refugees from violence in Algeria who fled to the USA, Karima grew up in the New Jersey city of Edison, the youngest of four children (with an oldest brother Zinedine and two older sisters, Assia and Yasmina).

Their parents, Djamila and Mohammed, were relatively successful couriers and taxi drivers, a business they had built up from nothing after immigrating. They were proud of their place in the world. As they grew up their children were expected to – and did – join the family business or find some profession better than it.

This was up to the point where they became involved with the Bouteflika family. Also originally from Algeria, the Bouteflikas are a family of djinn-summoning crime lords based in South Paterson in Hew Jersey, hiding behind a façade of recycling and waste disposal. They expand partly by forcibly recruiting others they see as having the potential for magical power, first with offers of money and work, then if that does not work with threats of and actual violence again the people they want to recruit and their families.

The Bouteflikas brought a stake in the family business, as part of their expansion into the area, and began using it as a way of smuggling things from place to place. By this point the Ech-Chergui’s were in too deep to escape.

Then the Bouteflika matriarch, Farida, saw power in fifteen year old Karima. They threatened her parents until they agreed to let Farida ‘adopt’ her.

But despite the cruel best efforts of Frida Bouteflika, she showed no signs of exhibiting powers. Karima held on to the hope she might get out, and resisted when she could. Her faith in Allah become more devout as this trial went on; He was obviously testing her.

Until, finally, she had had enough. She vowed to escape. Pretending to be more cooperative despite what they made her suffer, until finally they relaxed their guard, just for a moment, and she made a break for freedom.

It seemed to be going well until the djinn appeared. Like a cat, it played with her. She begged it to let her go, but it refused. But she kept trying to run until, as the Bouteflikas approached, she tripped and tumbled into a vat of toxic chemicals. As she fell she was sure the djinn winked.

She felt the stuff burn, and lost consciousness...

To wake up underwater, but not cold or drowning. She swam for the surface and discovered she was far out at sea in Raritan Bay off the shore of New Jersey. She swam for the shore, faster than she had ever swum before, and arrived at the city docks neither drowned nor cold nor tired.

She crept through Bass City and discovered her new, monstrous appearance. But also that she was strong, tough, ignored hostile environments of all kinds, no longer slept, could see in total darkness, stretch, leap and fit through the smallest gaps. Also, it was several weeks later than she last remembered.

The Bouteflikas thought she was dead.

She knew she could not go home. Her parents had sold her to the Bouteflikas once, and would probably not hesitate to do so again now she actually had powers. And even if they did not, the Bouteflikas would threaten her family to achieve the same end.

But the injustice of it all burned. She prayed for guidance, and decided that Allah was testing her further, A test she was determined to pass by remaining faithful and true to her beliefs.

So she decided to work to make life better, to fight the Bouteflikas. Destroy their criminal empire. Living homeless on the street, but thanks to her powers, able to do so easily. She took the superhero name of Khemis, the Arabic for Thursday, from the day she was reborn into her new form. She kept an eye on her family from a distance; they also think she is dead, but despite their actions she still loves her parents and would not see them come to harm. She also helped the emergency services on a number of occasions.

It was a while before she ran across another superhero, ???, who saw her youth and suggested she join a super-school to learn how best to figh crime, within the law.

She thought long and hard and decided that this was the best way forward. To become better. A better hero. Better able to destroy the Bouteflikas. And perhaps gain some friends and allies in the process. Learn.

And so she was moved to Bass City for her own safety and that of her family, and enrolled in the Green Creek Public School of Paragons and Anti-Heroes.

And she has has just joined the school...

Description
Before her transformation she was of Middle Eastern appearance, pretty and slender, with long hair and of average height. She dressed modestly, including a headscarf (which she had to do even more in the Bouteflika household). She was quite short sighted and wore glasses for most things.

Now her body is still slender and of average height, but slightly angular looking, and her skin is matt midnight black, across which gloss black patches in symmetrical tiger stripe-type patterns move, the faster the more emotional she is. Her eyes are also solid glossy black, as is the inside of her mouth, her teeth and so on. Her hair is a mass of shoulder length finger-thick black tentacles that move in response to her emotions; she cannot consciously control them. She has no finger or toe prints, or other such identifying features.

For school (given that looking out of the ordinary is commonplace at Green Creek school) she wears a green headscarf and green jacket over a modest white shirt and black trousers, with flip flops on her feet.

If out as a hero she normally goes barefoot, with loose trousers, and a loose long sleeved top, and a bandanna over her lower face as a disguise. Over it she wears a long hooded duster type coat. Everything is in a green colour (as green is a good Muslim colour).

Image

If she wants to avoid attracting attention in her civilian guise she wears an all-concealing burqa to conceal her non-human appearance.

As a Sunni Muslim she prays five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and full dark).

Karima speaks entirely fluent English with a very slight French accent, French with a slight Algerian accent, and Arabic with a Franco-Algerian accent. She is quite serious in demeanor.

Her powers are based entirely in magic. Her life force has become replaced by some sort of self-sustaining magical power source that drives all of her other abilities.

--

Points Expenditure: PL8, 120 PP

ABILITIES
Strength 8, Stamina -, Agility -1, Dexterity -1,
Fighting 0, Intellect 0, Awareness 0, Presence -1
Total: 14 points

SKILLS
Close Combat: Unarmed 8 (+8), Deception 6 (+5),
Expertise: Islam 4 (+4), Expertise: Streetwise 2 (+2),
Investigation 8 (+8), Perception 8 (+8)
Total: 18 points

ADVANTAGES
Diehard*, Fast Grab*, Improved Grab*, Improved Hold*,
Languages - 2 (Arabic, French)
Total: 2 points
* All from her inhuman form; cost counted with Powers

POWERS
Body of Liquid Darkness
Immunity - 32 (Fortitude Effects, Criticals) (32 points)
Feature: No Fingerprints etc. (1 point)
Enhanced Trait: Diehard (1 point)
[Inhuman form]

Protection - 12 (12 points)
[Damage slips through her liquid body]

Regeneration – 2 (2 points)
[Wounds flow together]

Elongation - 2 (2 points)
Enhanced Traits: Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold (3 points)
[Liquid limbs]

Leaping - 2 (2 points)
[Super-strong legs]

Movement - 2 (Slithering, Wall Crawling - 1) (4 points)
[Surface tension of her liquid form]

Insubstantial - 1 (5 points)
[Letting go of her human form]

Darkvision (2 points)
Concealment - 4 (All Vision), Blending, Limited: In Darkness Only (2 points)
[One with darkness]

Total: 68 points

DEFENCES
Dodge +4, Parry +4, Fortitude N/A, Toughness +12, Will +8
Total: 16 points

OFFENCE
Initiative -1
Unarmed +8, Close, Damage 8, Critical 20

Throwing Distances
1600kg: 40m; 800kg: 80m; 100kg: 500m; 50kg: 1000m

COMPLICATIONS
Motivation: Doing the Right Thing; she has had enough examples, good and bad, to know that she wants to do right, no matter the cost.
Prejudice: Strange appearance; she is slightly angular looking, and her skin is matte midnight black, across which gloss black patches in symmetrical tiger stripe-type patterns move, the faster the more emotional she is. Her eyes are also solid matte black. Her hair is a mass of shoulder length finger-thick black tentacles that move in response to her emotions; she cannot consciously control them.
Enemy: The Bouteflika crime family.
Power Loss: If she does not bathe in total darkness for at least an hour a day her powers start to fade and she begins to turn into a helpless blob of black liquid.

POWER POINT TOTALS
Abilities 14 + Skills 18 + Advantages 2 + Powers 68 + Defences 18 = 120
Last edited by Tony Jones on Thu Jun 25, 2020 6:26 pm, edited 4 times in total.
MrTweedy
Posts: 281
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:56 pm
Location: England

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by MrTweedy »

CaptainChaos, very interesting character concept! I'm going to give Plan b and Glyph a chance to put for their characters before I make a decision, but it's a great start!

Currently my intention is to choose the character based on how well they mesh with the rest of the party and setting. However if you aren't selected, I will be adding the other two to a waiting list so if anyone drops out in the future you will get first crack at joining.

Also if anyone has any questions on the setting, please let me know!

Tony Jones, welcome! Your character looks very cool and I will add in for consideration to join. As a quick note, a portion of this game is semi 'slice of life', so I will also need to know what their conditions in terms of places to stay etc are.
Glyph
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2016 11:58 am

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by Glyph »

My application to Green Creek

Tobias Hart
Image
Age 15
PL 8/120pp

Strength -1
Agility 2
Fighting 2
Awareness 1
Stamina 2
Dexterity 2
Intellect 1
Presence 1
[34]

Skills:
Investigation 4(5), Perception 4(5), Stealth 4(6), Sleight of hand 4(6), Ranged Combat: Darkness 4(6), Expertise: Pop Culture 4(5), Expertise: Art 4(5)
[14]

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Power Attack
[2]

Powers:
Darkness Control:
Shadow Blast: Damage 10 (Ranged)
-Shadow Constructs: Create 9 (Precise,
-Shadow Tendrils: Move Object 10
-Shadow Snare: Affliction 5 (Ranged, Cumulative; Resisted by Dodge, overcome by Damage; Hindering and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile, Extra Condition, Limited to 2 degrees)
-Miasma: Visual Concealment 4 (All Visual senses, Attack, Area Burst)
[24]

Warding Darkness: Enhanced Defenses 8(Dodge 5, Parry 5); Impervious Protection 6, Sustained
[22]

Shadow Form: Insubstantial 3 (Darkness; Activation-Move action)
[14]

Darkvision: Senses - Counters Darkness concealment
[2]

Saves:
Dodge +2/8, Parry +2/8, Toughness +2/8 (Impervious 6), Fortitude +4, Will +6
[8]

[34]+[14]+[2]+[62]+[8]=[120]

Complications:
Motivation: Redemption. Tobias feels that he needs to make amends for his father’s evil deeds.

Dark Impulses: Since Toby’s powers manifested, he has become prone to periods of mood swings which causes the normally meek, reserved boy to become aggressive, quick-tempered and darker.

Uncontrolled Powers: Toby’s powers can lash out seeming at their own accord, usually triggered by subconscious reactions, emotions or impulses.

Supervillian’s Legacy: Tobias’ father is a supervillain known as The Nightmare. This can cause people to regard him and his family in a negative light, especially as he has inherited his father’s powers.

Fear: Tobias’ greatest fear is that he will become just like his father.

Relationships:
Rachel Hart: Mother - Bookstore owner
Graham Hart: Father - supervillain aka The Nightmare, currently in maximum security prison.
Brianna Hart: Little sister, aged 13, best friend.


Tobias moved to Bass City with his mother Rachel and little sister Brianna 6 years ago. His mother, Rachel had relocated her family in an attempt to distance them from Toby’s father Graham Hart, a supervillain by the moniker The Nightmare, who was known to use his power over shadows and darkness to commit horrifying crimes. A cruel and abusive man, Graham had only just been apprehended by the heroes in their home town days before, giving Rachel a chance to take her children and leave.

Since that day, the Harts have tried to move on and forget. That was until Tobias turned 15. Some kids were picking in his sister and he tried to intercede. The normally quiet and reserved Toby lost his temper. His skin turned black, and black tendrils erupted from his body and lashed out at the bullies. The outburst ended with one of the boys being thrown through a window.

Tobias was horrified when it was all over. The knowledge that he’d hurt people it him hard, as did the fact that it appeared he had inherited his father’s dark powers.

Things began to change after that day. A lot more fear and suspension began to flow Toby’s way and his friends began to keep their distance. Perhaps the worst change was in his mother, seemed torn between her love as a mother and her own fear, largely brought on by the memories of what she had suffered under The Nightmare. It wasn’t helped by Toby’s lack of control over his abilities, which were prone to lashing out seemingly of they’re own accord in response of subconscious stimulus, urges or desires.

Tobias also began to notice bouts of aberration in his own behaviour. Normally a polite, introverted, artistic boy, he would become quick-tempered, aggressive and full of unfamiliar impulses. These mood swings did little to improve the feels of those around him.

Tobias was just as scared of himself as everyone else.

It seemed to Tobias the one person who didn’t fear him was his sister Bri, 2 years his younger, who treated her the way she always had. It was a great comfort to Toby, though he had his own fears for his sister. What if she too possessed their father’s curse, what if he hurt her because he couldn’t control his power? Toby feared that his powers are including him down a dark path, and may have been the reason his father turned into a psychopath. The thought of turning into another Nightmare has been the cause for many a sleepless night.

It wasn’t long before his was enrolled at Green Creek. It is Tobias’ hope to learn to fully control his abilities so he doesn’t hurt innocent people and to use his abilities to do good in the world instead of Ill.
Last edited by Glyph on Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:45 pm, edited 4 times in total.
User avatar
Tony Jones
Posts: 3170
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:54 pm

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by Tony Jones »

MrTweedy wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:22 am Tony Jones, welcome! Your character looks very cool and I will add in for consideration to join. As a quick note, a portion of this game is semi 'slice of life', so I will also need to know what their conditions in terms of places to stay etc are.
Thanks!

Good question! Does the school have boarding pupils? In which case do they provide help for needy kids? I can imagine Khemis would not be the first runaway super kid to turn up in need of somewhere to stay? And given her powers it's not like she needs food or warmth or light or somewhere to sleep...

Also could you suggest a suitable local super who might have pointed her to the school?
jmucchiello
Posts: 3815
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2019 7:59 pm

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by jmucchiello »

So far in the game, the school is treated like a regional high school with a super's flavor. Like there's schools like this all over the country. As a runaway, if they go to school, they are most likely in the foster care system.
User avatar
Tony Jones
Posts: 3170
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:54 pm

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by Tony Jones »

Fair enough. Presumably then public attitudes to supers aren't such that people fostering super kids are in danger from torch and pitchfork wielding mobs? Just thinking of the Marvel universe where people fostering mutant kids would definitely be in danger of such things...
User avatar
Tony Jones
Posts: 3170
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:54 pm

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by Tony Jones »

Rejigging her background so she is being fostered in the city, but having come from elsewhere would be easy enough...
MrTweedy
Posts: 281
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:56 pm
Location: England

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by MrTweedy »

Sorry for the delay all

Glyph, another great addition, thanks!

Tony Jones, to answer your question, the school doesn't currently take boarding pupils, however they could well help to connect your character with someone able to take the, in. There would most likely be a super who could give them a place to stay if they are chosen for the game, perhaps the one who helped them initially?

As for public views on supers, it's a bit of a mixed bag really. Most people are ok with powered and non-human beings, as most have very minor powers (able to read super fast, colour changes etc). The vast majority of powered beings are very similar to standard humans.

However the more powerful beings face a harder time depending on many factors including their native country. In america any being with a strength class of C or above is expected to register their identity and will be closely monitored by the government agency D.P.A.C. Some members of the public are actively against powered beings (such as JD's father), with some going as far as to form groups focused specifically against powered beings. Some have been known to take this to violent levels. Currently the government has done little to stop this.

Bit of an info dump, but hopefully that explains the situation a bit more.
User avatar
Tony Jones
Posts: 3170
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:54 pm

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by Tony Jones »

Thanks! Useful info!

I was thinking that if it's OK she could come from elsewhere in New Jersey (the city of Edison) and have been moved to and fostered in Bass City so there is less chance of running across her family or the Bouteflikas. Maybe with a normal foster family, but with a super would work too. Maybe the super who found her as you say, or they pulled some strings to set it up in Bass City? I was thinking there might be some mechanism by which young supers in a bad situation can be fostered away from their home to avoid trouble, if that's OK? I imagine it must happen from time to time...

All of this has only just been set up, which is why she has missed the first bit of school...
jmucchiello
Posts: 3815
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2019 7:59 pm

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by jmucchiello »

Edison is a township according to the New Jersey constitution. (I live in Metuchen.) Even though it has a population over 100,000 and would be called a city anywhere else in the world.
MrTweedy
Posts: 281
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:56 pm
Location: England

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by MrTweedy »

Tony Jones, that's fine yeah. Bass Cities school is certainly less than prestigious, so it's a lot easier to get people in without too many questions, which could work with that backstory. Some kind of child protection service for supers would certainly be a probability in this world, so that works nicely.

I intend to choose who will be joining the game in the next couple of days, but as I say, anyone not chosen can be added to the waiting list if you still want to play after.
User avatar
Tony Jones
Posts: 3170
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:54 pm

Re: Small Town Heroes (OOC/Recruitment Open)

Post by Tony Jones »

Cool, thanks!

Are you OK if I come up with the supers in Edison and Bass City?

One other thought that occurs is that the world seems to have quite a high fraction of supers in the population. Bass City has one school with 200 or so supers and there's the other school with more. So if Bass City is a million people that's maybe one person in 3000 being a super. Obviously that goes up or down depending on the actual size of the city. And could add up to millions of supers worldwide...
Post Reply