Gateway.
Jimmy Greston can't tell you how many living people are on this planet. He can tell you that it doesn't hold a candle to the number of dead ones though.
Jimmy was born a twin but his identical brother, Timothy, never drew his first breath. (A less kind soul would say that Timothy died to escape the torment of twins being called Jimmy and Timmy their whole lives). Jimmy's parents didn't tell him that he'd had a stillborn sibling however. Not even when young Jimmy asked why the boy in the mirror looked so sad or complained about the crying that kept him up at night. But he always felt out-of-sorts - never quite able to concentrate on his studies or apply himself whole-heartedly to a task. It didn't help that he was physically unimpressive - weak and not terribly coordinated. Despite a good head on his shoulders. Luckily, not much was expected of a child of the servants in a well-to-do estate outside of South Wales. Jimmy's father tried to teach him of landscaping but the boy had no knack or interest and mostly mucked out the estate's stables.
It was at the age of 19 that the truth came to light. He went to a traveling faire and a gypsy woman read his fortune and told him of Timothy. The crone even offered to let Jimmy see his erstwhile brother. He accepted. From the very first connection it was an epiphany of all that he had been missing his whole life. Timmy, who had grown and learned alongside Jimmy, unseen but felt and missed, hinted at there being so much more in 'his world'. Jimmy was hooked. With the establishing of he initial connection, Timothy could communicate freely with Jimmy. Together they found even more resources on the occult - books and teachers (though never staying with one for too long) finding that Jimmy had an affinity in that area and left the Estate of Jimmy's youth.
They were in Asia, trying to find some place called the Sanctorum when the city was beset upon. A building exploded and debris pierced Jimmy's heart. His soul clung to Timmy's as he died. Then time stopped. It reversed. Kept going. Stopped again. Over and over Jimmy died. And with each death he could feel more of them - the ghosts, the spirits of people and things long passed. They called to him could draw upon him, hungered for him, even. He could infuse them with a Substance where they could feel again, touch again, matter again. When the crisis resolved itself Jimmy found that, for him, the Veil between the living and the dead were torn asunder. And he found a wellspring inside himself of the critical vitae, the 'Substance' that souls craved.
That's how they found him, twitching and muttering (seemingly) to himself. To his newly Awakened sight he was watching Timothy fend off a score of ghosts and spirits who could sense that Jimmy could provide Substance and wanted to beg, bargain, or take what they craved by force if need be. Wong was leading a small 'clean-up crew' when they came upon Jimmy a half-block away. Recognizing that something was not right with the young man they brought him into the Sanctorum. The spell-worked walls gave Jimmy some respite from all ghosts except Timothy (who was too closely soul-bound to Jimmy to be kept out by the wards). (An oddity that did not go unnoticed by the perceptive lore keeper, Wong).
Jimmy was brought back to Kamar-taj and in the weeks to follow as the entire infrastructure of the remaining/rebuilt Sanctorums was overhauled Wong made the decision to bring Jimmy into training. The young man already had a solid aptitude for the mystic arts and a piece-meal foundation. It helped endear Wong to Jimmy that Jimmy could put Wong in contact with the recently departed Mage-protectors who fell to the Servants of Dormammu in order to get their affairs in order (It was also good practice). Wong, for his part, found that coming up with a training regime for this interesting manifestation of natural magic was diverting in a time where his world was being rocked to the core.
When Jimmy learned that they were an order that fought off outer-planar entities he had to admit he didn't have the constitution for that sort of thing (and he just wasn't getting the knack of those swirling, sparkling ring thingies anyway or any of that kung-fu stuff). He'd had enough dying for one lifetime. Wong was disappointed but Jimmy was hardly the first to grace the Training Halls and go on to live their lives.
He'll just be a month or so out of the monastery when the adventure catches up to him.
Relatives & Contacts:
living - Charlie Greston, Father, live-in landscaper on the estate of Edward Brighton, South Wales
living - Patricia Greston, Mother, live-in maid on aforementioned estates.
non-living - Timothy Greston, Ghost in Jimmy's head
Samantha Brighton - daughter of Edward Brighton, she grew up along side Jimmy. She was never put off by Jimmy's 'oddness' while they were kids. He still sends her letters on his 'adventures'. Jimmy has a crush.
Complications
Obligations (Dead brother) - There's something Timothy needs in order to pass on to the other side. Jimmy is helping him find what that is.
Low on Substance - Jimmy's powers work by him giving 'Substance' to ghosts, this can deplete HIM of substance if he uses his powers too much (GM determined). He may find himself fading, unable to affect the world in ways he wants.
Somewhat cowardly - Jimmy remembers dying, the pain of it, the terribleness. He doesn't want to experience that again. He will try to stay on the sidelines of combat as much as possible.
Medium - Jimmy can't stop seeing ghosts and ghostly manifestations. It can be distracting, even frightening, at the worst possible moments.
pl8 120
Str -1
Sta 4
Dex -1
Agi 0
Fgt 0
Awe 4
Int 3
Pre 2
[22pp]
Tough: 4+6 = 10
Dodge: +6= 6
Parry: +6= 6
Will: 4+4 = 8 [4pp]
Fort: 4+4 = 8 [4pp]
Advantages [6pp]: Luck(Rerolls) 2, Ritualist, Skill Mastery - Occult, Favored Foes(Spirits) 2 {+4 to Deception, Intimidation, Insight, Perception vs. Spirits}
from powers: Beginner's luck [Dedicated Pool 4], Uncanny Dodge, Evasion 2, Second Chance (Will vs. Mental Afflictions)
Skills [15pp]: Expertise-Occlult 8 (+11), Investigate 3(+6), Technology 1(+4), Perception 4(+8), Insight 4(+8), Persuasion 2[+2 free from PRE](+6), Deception 4(+6), Intimidation 4(+6)
Powers:
Ghostly armor; Protection 6 [6pp]
{Sometimes it appears as an actual suit of ghostly armor that shimmers into existence at the moment of impact, sometimes it's a ghostly arm raising a shield, sometimes it's just a beefy muscled chest that takes the blow meant for him.}
Ghostly defense; Enhanced Dodge 6, Enhanced Parry 6 [12pp]
Enhanced Advantages: Uncanny Dodge, Evasion 2 [3pp]
{Hands will buffet him out of the way of incoming blows or voices in his head will tell him to duck at just the right moment.}
All the Speech of the dead; Comprehend Languages (Understand, Speak(one at a time), Read) pr 3 [6pp]
{Jimmy can get realtime translations of just about anything. Even exotic or alien languages can be pieced together by dead linguistics masters}
Skills of the Dead; Beginner's Luck, Lucky skills 4 {Luck/HP only useful for powering Beginner's Luck} [5pp]
{Jimmy allows himself to be possessed by a craftsman or tradesman or other person best suited for the task at hand, lending their knowledge to his.}
Medium; Comprehend Spirits (Understand, Speak) pr 2 [4pp]
Senses of the Dead; Spirit Awareness, [1pp]
Vision Gains Dimensional (Spirit Realm) [1pp]
{Jimmy sees and interacts with ghosts and spirits.}
Twin mind; Second Chance (Will vs. Mental Afflictions) [1pp]
{Jimmy's twin inhabits his mind and can snap him back to his senses if he's afflicted by external influences.}
Spirit lifted; Flight, Limited - Up and Down[1pp]
{Ghostly hands can carry Jimmy up or lower him down or keep him hovered in one place.}
Spirits Aid Me Array; [25pp+5AE]
Base: Spirit Rush; Affliction, Range - Perception, (Resist by Dodge, Overcome by Strength, Impair & Vuln, Disable & Defenseless) Limited Scope, Extra Condition, Subtle (Spirit Senses) pr 8
{Spirits barrage an individual clinging everso slightly with ghostly hands, the sheer volume of them can affect a person's coordination.}
AE: Spirit Combattant;
* Damage 4, Multiattack 4, Affects Insubstantial 2, Penetrating 2, Improved Critical 2, Variable damage type (Slashing/Piercing/Bludgeoning)
* Enhanced Skill Close Combat (spirit weapon) 12
* Enhanced Advantage Power Attack, Precise (Close, Cover/Concealment), Fearless
{Jimmy allows himself to be possessed by a spirit warrior who manifests a weapon to strike at foes, +12 to hit, DC19 Toughness [18-20, penetrating 2]. This is a last resort if he cannot avoid combat.}
AE: Possession; Affliction, Range - Perception, (Resist by Will, Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Cumulative, Insidious pr 6
{Jimmy asks Timmy to take over a person. The target doesn't realize it and doesn't remember it afterwards}
AE: Spirit Minions; Move Object 5, Perception Range, Damaging, Feat: Precise, Subtle, Split attack 3,
{Jimmy mentally asks a spirit (or several) to accomplish some physical task and feeds it(them) enough Substance to accomplish this.}
AE: Grant Substance; Healing, Others Only, Restorative, Affects Objects Also, PR 7, Stabilize, Persistent, Extended Reach 2
{Jimmy discovered that the same ephemeral energy that he grants to spirits to let them manifest can be channelled into living beings and even broken objects to let them heal or repair. Jimmy shimmers with insolidity when he uses this ability.}
Ae: Aeronaut (Ghost Horse);
*Flight 4, Affects Other, linked
*Permeate 3, Affects Other, Linked
*Immunity Suffocation, Affects Other
(Complication - The two must be adjacent, front and back, as they would riding a horse)
{Jimmy had made fast friends with an old horse of the estates where he grew up. The horse, Aeronaut, was a thoroughbred and used to race professionally. The estate's master seemed to neglect the horse but young Jimmy would bring him soft apples and lumps of sugar. But as is the way of things the horse passed on. Young Jimmy was crestfallen but life went on and Aeronaut, special as he was, passed out of thought, at least until the floodgates From Beyond opened. The horse spirit, Aeronaut, seems to respond to Jimmy's mental call, it Gallops through the air and even takes Jimmy and one other passenger, partly into the spirit world to pass through otherwise solid objects. Aeronaut maintains a Galloping speed of 30MPH (500f/move).}
Combat:
Spirit Rush, Perception, DC 18 Dodge , Affliction, Subtle
Spirit Combatant, +12 to hit, DC19 Toughness [18-20, penetrating 2, Multiattack]
Possession, Perception-Range DC 16 Will or Affliction, Cumulative, Insidious
Spirit Minions, Perception-Range DC20 Toughness, or DC (d20+5) Trip, Disarm, Grapple, Split 3, Precise, Subtle
Attribute 22 + saves 8 +Advantages 5 + Skills 15 + Powers 70 = 120
