Jab’s Builds! (Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef! Sweetums! Gonzo!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
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Ken
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Sasquatch! Northstar & Aurora! Shaman! Wild Child! Box!)

Post by Ken »

BriarThrone wrote:
Batgirl III wrote:The indigenous people of the Americas were no more peaceful and no more warlike than the indigenous peoples of Europe, Africa, Asia, or Oceania....
Visigoth, Nez Perce, Israelite, Mongol, Maori, Celt, Hun, Goth, Lakota, Mayan, Hittite, Babylonian, Assyrian, Inca... The people of the past were pretty much just people.
Pretty much this, yeah. I'm not saying that my ancestors were evil. Our standards were not their standards. Wasn't even what I was going for. The whole "Noble Savage" idea that so many people in the modern era have, that the Natives were peaceful and wise and benevolent and beautifully spiritual, purely innocent victims of the Evil White Colonial Oppressor, represented in popular media by characters like Shaman, is disgustingly revisionist history that denies other cultures their own legacy.
It's a side effect of the oikophobia that is pervasive in modern western culture. The proginy of the Evil White Colonial Oppresors are the ones who most rant about the EWCO. And in order for the EWCO to appear appropiratly evil, the victims have to be idealised, truth be damned.
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Snowbird

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

SNOWBIRD (Narya, aka "Anne McKenzie Thompson")
Created By:
John Byrne
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #120 (April 1979)
Role: Shapeshifter, Inhuman Godly Character
Group Affiliations: Alpha Flight, The Flight, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, The God Squad
PL 10 (212)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Northern Demigoddess) 8 (+8)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 8 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Treatment 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Teamwork

Powers:
"Arctic Demigoddess"
Immunity 3 (Aging, Cold, Teleportation) [3]
Immortality 1 [1]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Arctic) [2]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]
"Magic-Sensitive" Senses 2 (Detect Magic- Radius) [2]
Senses 4 (Postcognition) (Flaws: Limited to Situations Directly Involving Her -2) [1]

"Healing Glow" Regeneration 8 (Flaws: Limited to Human Form, Uncontrolled) [2]
Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]

"Shapeshift"
Morph (Animals) 3 (Flaws: Limited to Canadian Animals, Limited to White Colors) [9]
Shapeshift (Animal Forms) 10 [80]
"Animal Prowess" Enhanced Advantages 14: All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons) 2, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Last Stand, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Seize Initiative, Startle, Tracking [14]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Natural Weapons +8-12 (+8-11 Damage, DC 23-26)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +8, Will +7

Complications:
Involuntary Transformation (Animal Personae)- If Snowbird remains in an animal's form for too long, it will begin to subsume her personality. Eventually, she may be unable to return to her normal state at all.
Responsibility (The Northern Gods)- A Demigoddess and daughter of Nelvanna, Narya must often do her duty, and the bidding of her superior deities.
Enemy (The Great Beasts)- The ancient enemies of both mankind and the Arctic Gods, the Great Beasts must be stopped at all costs.
Relationship (Son & Child)- Snowbird married and had a child for a period of time, but both were killed (Men in Refridgerators! MEN IN REFRIDGERATORS!!). She still honors their memory.
Weakness (Leaving Canada)- Snowbird will occasionally grow weak and ill if she leaves Canada's borders. This may even kill her.
Drawback (Changing Forms Rapidly)- Snowbird may become pained greatly by switching between forms without first shifting to her "human" one. This is rather inconsistent, and appears to have been written out by now.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 125 / Defenses: 15 (212)

Snowbird- The Costume's The Thing:
-Snowbird is one of those characters better known for looking really freaking awesome as much as anything else- regardless of any part of her character (or lack of a run in the comics), Snowbird looks AMAZING. Mixing white & light blue is one of those color combinations that just always works- put in light hair and you've got it made. Disney learned the power of this kind of combination (almost accidentally) a couple of years ago for their OWN winter-themed character.

-Snowbird (possibly named for the famed Canadian aerobatic flight squadron, though it was usually CLAREMONT who was forcing aero-names onto everything- Vindicator, Lockheed, Sikorsky, etc.) is the daughter of a human male and Nelvanna, the Goddess of the North. Nelvanna (named for Canada's first super-heroine, a Golden Age woman whose appearances are now collected in Trade Form- Nelvanna of the North) was trapped in another dimension, but allowed herself to be stripped of all power to bypass the barrier (put up by the Great Beasts). Snowbird was a Demigoddess born with... well, pretty weak Godlike powers, actually. She was able to transform into any animal native to Canada, thankfully without the time limits imposed on similar characters like Changeling/Beast Boy. But still... she's a far cry from the upper-tiers of MOST Pantheons.

-Snowbird took the name "Anne McKenzie" and became a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer (tragically, she doesn't wear the official "Mountie" outfit often- that red serge is surprisingly fetishistic on a pretty girl), as well as taking on the destiny of facing down the Great Beasts on a future occasion. Sadly, she was killed in an early Alpha Flight arc- the culmination of all this "Great Destiny" stuff, as she slew Sasquatch when he was taken over by the Great Beast, Tanaraq, but herself was killed by Vindicator to prevent her own takeover by Pestilence. The spirit of Sasquatch then entered her body, reanimating it and calling himself "Wanda".

Snowbird's Return:
-Some time later, Snowbird was resurrected, but didn't get a lot of action with Alpha Flight- she was missing from both rosters during the team's reboots. Her next important appearance was as one of Hercules's "Girls of the Week" in the fantastic Incredible Hercules series. She is one of the few Godly beings who agrees to go with Herc & Amadeus Cho on their mission to kill the Skrull Gods Klyb'n and Sl'g'urt (she impaled Klyb'n on the spine of the slain Demogorge, killing the last Skrullian Eternal). She also spends some time with Herc, if you know what I mean. She appeared on the most recent Alpha Flight update, but sadly got the least amount of play on her team, as all the others got the characterization. She DID transform into some odd animal types, though- the Prairie Skink (Canada's only native reptile), a huge Carnosaur (Canada is home to several), mosquitoes, and more.

-It IS a bit unfair that she could also transform into a Sasquatch, though, so it's for the best that it was a rare accomplishment for her. I mean, being the big Strongman on his team was Walter's BIG THING, in addition to being the smart guy, and all of a sudden Snowbird gets all of his powers, PLUS MORE?

Adventures With Shapeshift:
-Snowbird's Shapeshift allows for 50 points maximum added to the rest of her build (along with 14 Advantages she will nearly always possess). So far, she gets 50 points' worth of powers to put wherever she likes, usually being super-powered versions of regular animals- It's implied they're usually only the regular animals, but that doesn't account for her turning into a REGULAR wolverine, which then tore the hell out of a Wendigo after it had beaten Wolverine and Nightcrawler with ease. Plus, her Snowy Owl form has a wingspan of about twenty feet. She's typically turning into the Bear or Owl forms, but more clever artists can make use of a huge variety of animals- crazier tales even have her mimic the form of the Great Beasts themselves- her Sasquatch form is basically that of Tanaraq, she's been seen mimicking at least the visuals of a mountain-sized one, and transformed into an elongated monstrosity with multiple mouths in the Hercules arc, if only for a brief bit. Some of these are clearly "Hero Point"-based things.

-The Morph portion of her "Shapeshift" has two Flaws: Always White (kinda ruins the "Morph" aspect) and Limited to Canadian Animals (it's still varied enough to allow for Mosquitos, Sasquatches, Whales, Fish & Birds, but it's KIND of a limitation). She's also got a handful of Immunities, Uncontrolled Healing powers and the like for being an Arctic-based demi-goddess, all of which adds up to a pretty cool all-around character.

Alternate Use of Shapeshift:
-There is some debate over Snowbird's Shapeshifting being treated as a single Morph with multiple Alt-Effects below it, allowing only a small variety of animal forms, since she generally goes to the Giant Owl/Sasquatch/Whale thing. However, that's not really how her power works, and later creators are a bit more versatile with it (allowing for insects, dinosaurs, Great Beasts, etc.). So I just went with Shapeshift. Allowing for a single Alternate Form would cost about 46-odd points at the base, and then spread to allow for however many Alt-Forms you needed, probably saving about... 27 points. I guess if you're on a budget, you could do it that way. Me, I like 'em good, complicated and blood expensive :).

It would probably look like:
"Shapeshift"
"White Sasquatch" (46) -- [53]
  • AE: "Giant Snowy Owl"
  • AE: "Polar Bear"
  • AE: "Mammoth"
  • AE: "Carnosaur"
  • AE: "Whale"
  • AE: "Elk"
  • AE: "Wolverine"
Sample List of Canadian Animals:
Birds: Snowy Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl, Burrowing Owl, Crow, Whooping Crane, Robin, Oriole
Mustelids: Black-Footed Ferret, Wolverine, Badger, Skunk
Canines: Red Fox, Arctic Fox, Wolf, Coyote
Cats: Canadian Lynx, Cougar/Mountain Lion, Cave Lion (prehistoric)
Bears & Relatives: Polar Bear, Black Bear, Grizzly Bear, Raccoon
Ungulates: Deer, Caribou, Elk/Wapiti, Moose, Horse (prehistoric), Bison, Mammoth (prehistoric)
Pinnipeds: Seal, Walrus
Insects: Mosquitos, Flies
Mythological: Wendigo, Sasquatch (Class 100!!), The Great Beasts (!!!!)
Whales: Beluga, Sperm Whale, Right Whale, Killer Whale
Rodents: Mouse, Rat (everywhere except Alberta- the world's only large area that is entirely rat-free), Grey Squirrel, Chipmunk
Fish: Basking Shark, Blue Shark, Greenland Shark, Hammerhead Shark, Mako Shark, Great White Shark
Reptiles: Prairie Skink, Snapping Turtle, Garter Snake
Dinosaurs: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Styracosaurus, Every Lesser Ceratopsian (except Protoceratops), Ankylosaurus, Corythosaurus, Albertosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Lambeosaurus, Edmontonia, Ornithomimus, Pachycephalosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Plateosaurus
Other Extinct Reptiles: Ichthyosaurus, Elasmosaurus

* Generally, most of the large carnivores of North America, and pretty much all of the cool dinosaurs outside of the Sauropods- the Provinces of Alberta & British Columbia (including the Red Deer River, Drumheller Dinosaur Provincial Park and Burgess Shale) is one of the largest fossil hotbeds in the world, and certainly the world's largest supplier of dinosaur bones- pretty much every dinosaur skeleton in the Natural History Museum in New York comes from an area close to my hometown.

Image

GREAT SNOWY OWL
PL 10 (212)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Northern Demigoddess) 8 (+8)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 8 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Treatment 2 (+2)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons) 2, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Last Stand, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Prone Fighting, Seize Initiative, Startle, Teamwork, Tracking

Powers:
"Arctic Demigoddess Powers" plus:

"Animal Boosts" (26 points' worth)

"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Extended, & Ultra-Vision) [3]
"Owl Ear Tufts" Senses 2 (Accurate Hearing) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Talons & Beak" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (Extras: Penetrating 5) [8]

Flight 1 (120 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [1]

Protection 1 [1]
Enhanced Skills 12: Intimidation 4 (+10), Perception 2 (+12), Stealth 6 (+10) [6]
"Arctic Whiteness" Stealth 4 (+14) -- (Flaws: Limited to White Areas) [1]
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 2 [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Natural Weapons +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +7, Fortitude +11, Will +7

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: xx / Defenses: 18 (178)

Image

GREAT WHITE BEAR
PL 10 (212)
STRENGTH
10 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Northern Demigoddess) 8 (+8)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 8 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Treatment 2 (+2)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons) 2, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Last Stand, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Prone Fighting, Seize Initiative, Startle, Teamwork, Tracking

Powers:
"Arctic Demigoddess Powers" plus:

"Animal Boosts" (24 points' worth)

"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute & Extended Scent) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Claws & Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]

Enhanced Skills 8: Intimidation 6 (+13), Stealth 2 (+9) [4]
"Arctic Whiteness" Stealth 4 (+13) -- (Flaws: Limited to White Areas) [1]

Enhanced Strength 4 [8]
Enhanced Stamina 2 [4]
Reduced Fighting -1 [-2]
Enhanced Parry & Dodge 2 [4]
Protection 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Natural Weapons +9 (+11 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude +11, Will +7

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: xx / Defenses: 18 (178)

Image

WHITE SASQUATCH
PL 10 (212)
STRENGTH
14 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Northern Demigoddess) 8 (+8)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 3 (+5)
Perception 8 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Treatment 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Teamwork

Powers:
"Arctic Demigoddess Powers" plus:

"Sasquatch Boosts" (62 points' worth)

"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Extended Hearing) [3]
Enhanced Advantages 4: Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Grab, Power Attack [4]

Enhanced Skills 4: Intimidation 4 (+11) [2]
"Arctic Whiteness" Stealth 4 (+7) -- (Flaws: Limited to White Areas) [1]
"Natural Size" Growth 4 (Str & Sta +4, +4 Mass, +2 Intimidation, -2 Dodge/Parry, -4 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
Enhanced Strength 4 [8]
Protection 3 (Extras: Impervious 11) [14]
Leaping 7 (1,000 feet) [7]
Loses Flight [-10]
Power-Lifting 1 (800 tons) [1]

"Super-Strength Feats"
"Thunderclap" Affliction 10 (Dodge; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (20) -- [23]
  • AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 10 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (16)
  • AE: "Groundstrike Line" Affliction 10 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Line +2) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Line) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (16)
  • AE: Penetrating Strength Damage 10 (10)

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Natural Weapons +9 (+11 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude +11, Will +7

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: xx / Defenses: 18 (178)
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Jan 30, 2022 3:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Batgirl III
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Sasquatch! Northstar & Aurora! Shaman! Wild Child! Box!)

Post by Batgirl III »

The "Noble Savage" myth goes way back, I blame Claude Rousseau for popularizing this meme that will not die. The Whig History movement didn't help either.

But, then again, I have a reflexive tendency to blame Rousseau for a lot of things. He's the reason the lightbulb in my bathroom just burnt out, isn't he? ISN'T HE!? J'accuse!
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Sasquatch! Northstar & Aurora! Shaman! Wild Child! Box!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Goldar wrote:Are you going to do a build for Shaman's daughter Elizabeth, who took on the mantle of Talisman? (Shaman also took on the role for a while).
Yup- she'll be the last of the group. Then I move on to... Alpha Flight's enemies!!

I think you'll be pleased with one of the characters I'll be posting :).
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Aurora! Shaman! Wild Child! Box! Snowbird!)

Post by Batgirl III »

Alpha Flight's greatest enemy seems to be Marvel's editorial and marketing departments.
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Aurora! Shaman! Wild Child! Box! Snowbird!)

Post by Jabroniville »

The team is interesting in some ways, because this lack of editorial oversight means that writers can do whatever they want with them!

The downside to that... is that writers do whatever the want with them.

Editors "not caring" is what leads to things like Guardian dying however many times, Puck having a demon inside his body, almost the entirety of the team dying at one point or another (including the deaths of several charter members), Sasquatch inhabiting the dead body of Snowbird for months, Snowbird's husband & son dying and being forgotten forever, countless forgettable newbies being added over the years, and more. They managed to go through more garbage than the X-Men in only a quarter of the time!

That said, the team might be interesting to play. They're more "level" with each other than say, the Avengers or Justice League, who have a lot of power disparity. Though some Alphans cost a pretty penny/point to buy (Box IV & Snowbird are the worst for this), almost the entire team is PL 10 except for the rookies. It would keep them from overshadowing each other too badly. There's some power variety as well, though a few too many of them are Super-Strong (especially once Puck got the "Black Raazer" thing).
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Re: Snowbird

Post by badpenny »

Jabroniville wrote:SNOWBIRD (Narya, aka "Anne McKenzie Thompson")

-The Morph portion of her "Shapeshift" has two Flaws: Always White (kinda ruins the "Morph" aspect) and Limited to Canadian Animals (it's still varied enough to allow for Mosquitos, Sasquatches, Whales, Fish & Birds, but it's KIND of a limitation).


I'd argue "Always White" would be a Quirk given it doesn't mess mechanically with Morph.

Limited to Canadian Animals would be a Flaw + Quirk, i.e. F: Limited to Animals (-1; Quirk: Limited to Canadian Animals -1pp).
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Ken
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Re: Snowbird

Post by Ken »

badpenny wrote:I'd argue "Always White" would be a Quirk given it doesn't mess mechanically with Morph.

Limited to Canadian Animals would be a Flaw + Quirk, i.e. F: Limited to Animals (-1; Quirk: Limited to Canadian Animals -1pp).
"Always White Canadians" is a reflection of their Native Problem.
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Re: Snowbird

Post by Jabroniville »

badpenny wrote:
Jabroniville wrote:SNOWBIRD (Narya, aka "Anne McKenzie Thompson")

-The Morph portion of her "Shapeshift" has two Flaws: Always White (kinda ruins the "Morph" aspect) and Limited to Canadian Animals (it's still varied enough to allow for Mosquitos, Sasquatches, Whales, Fish & Birds, but it's KIND of a limitation).


I'd argue "Always White" would be a Quirk given it doesn't mess mechanically with Morph.

Limited to Canadian Animals would be a Flaw + Quirk, i.e. F: Limited to Animals (-1; Quirk: Limited to Canadian Animals -1pp).

"Animals" is one of the broad terms outlined in the third rank of Morph, so that wouldn't be a proper Flaw by itself. And since Morph itself is defined entirely be giving you bonuses to disguise, I think Limits to color and types of animals is appropriate (Snowbird is typically not going to be able to disguise herself, given that anyone familiar with her will immediately recognize a white squirrel or whatever)- the bulk of the cost is offset by Shapeshift.
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Talisman

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

Man, that outfit is some Legion of Super-Heroes shit right there.

TALISMAN (ElizabethTwoyoungmen)
Created By:
John Byrne
First Appearance: Alpha Flight #5 (Dec. 1983)
Role: Team Mage, Team Bitch
Group Affiliations: Alpha Flight, Beta Flight, Omega Flight
PL 10 (135), PL 15 (135) to Spirits
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+7)
Deception 4 (+5)
Expertise (Arcane Lore) 6 (+7)
Insight 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+5)
Ranged Attack (Magic) 4 (+8)
Stealth 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Power Attack, Ritualist

Powers:
"Talisman- Mortal Channel Through Which Gods May Fight"
Senses 2 (Magical Awareness, Radius) [2]
"Magical Blasts" Blast 11 [22]
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

"Non-Removable Magical Coronet"
Enhanced Skills 4: Expertise (Arcane Lore) 4 (+11) [2]
"Light Shield" Force Field 4 [4]

"Spirit Summoning" Summon 5 (Extras: Horde, Multiple Minions +2, Variable Type +2) (35) -- [48]
  • AE: "Amber Casting" Snare 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (32)
  • AE: "Astral Form" Remote Sensing 8 (Visuals & Hearing) (Feats: Dimensional) (25)
  • AE: "Ice Beam" Snare 10 (30)
  • AE: "Daylight Enhantment Stone" Affliction 15 (Will; Entranced/Compelled/Controlled) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Limited to Spirits of the Land) (30)
  • AE: "Dimensional Portal" Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel 3) (Extras: Portal +2) (15)
  • AE: "Glass Oracle" Senses 4 (Precognition) (4)
  • AE: Blast +0 (total +10) (Feats: Variable Descriptor 2- Any Energy) (2)
  • AE: Nullify (Magical Effects) 10 (Extras: Broad, Simultaneous) (30)
  • AE: "Magnetic Spirits" Move Object 10 (20)
  • AE: "Mystic Cloak" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Affects Others) (6)
  • AE: "Telepathy" Mind-Reading 6 (12) Linked to Communication (Mental) 2 (10)
  • AE: "Mass Teleport" Teleport 8 (Extras: Extended, Portal +2) (Flaws: Distracting) (32)
  • AE: "Enhanced Force Field" Force Field 6 (Extras: Impervious 15) (21)
Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Magical Bolts +8 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Afflictions +8 (+7-10 Ranged Affliction, DC 17-20)
Afflictions +9 (+10 Affliction, DC 20)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +1 (+5 Force Field, +11 Full Field, +8 Impervious), Fortitude +5, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Power)- Elizabeth is potentially more powerful than even Doctor Strange, but this both makes her a great target (her Device is vastly powerful), as well as forcing her to take responsibility as master of the Spirits.
Reputation (Team Bitch)- All the time.
Relationship (Michael Twoyoungmen)- Elizabeth ran from her father when he failed to save her mother from a disease, and he pretty much abandoned her. Time did not heal these wounds.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 79 / Defenses: 18 (135)

-Talisman was, as best as I can tell, an attempt to make a younger, hotter, more interesting Shaman. She's a classic "introduced child" character (but at least makes sense- Shaman was ALREADY at least middle-aged, and she was introduced in basically his sixth or seventh appearance- so it's not like Black Lightning and his thirty-years-later introduction of a pair of daughters), coming in as the adult daughter of Shaman, gaining some super-powered Talisman-gem on her forehead, giving her magical powers. Talisman was stuck fighting the Great Beasts, and had a messed-up relationship with her father- she was furious that he never told her about the mystical coronet (which was non-removable), or her responsibility... and was still angry that he failed to save her mother's life, all those years ago.

-Talisman was also corrupted by the power of the Talisman, and according to Woodclaw on the old forum, she was ALWAYS being used for Deus Ex Machina type stuff, gaining insta-wins and explaining questions away with "I am the Talisman"- very clumsy writer's tricks. She was used for more "one true deus ex machina saves the universe" stories than even Shaman was, and swiftly outlived her usefulness to the team, leaving the series long ago.

-She would reappear in the Omega Flight book in the 2000s, as the team's resident mage. She was disgusted at having to team up with the man who involuntarily killed off her father and former teammates, but eventually got over it when he showed how regretful he felt over the whole thing.

-Talisman has most of the same powers Shaman does, but specializes in fighting Demons and the like, being PL 15 with her Affliction if she fights them (notably, she can control the GREAT BEASTS). She's PL 10 because of her Nullify Magic and a few other powers (including Defense with her Force Field), but is otherwise a weak PL 9 offensively, and tends to be a Glass Cannon. That's about right for a girl with tons of raw power (said to be one of the greatest mystics alive, eventually to be the equal of Stephen Strange), but an unskilled combatant with them.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Jan 30, 2022 3:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Aurora! Shaman! Wild Child! Box! Snowbird!)

Post by Jabroniville »

And that does 'er for Alpha Flight! They're a fun group to stat up, but provide a SHOCKING amount of stupid jobbers for any super-team- seriously, there's upwards of thirty-something characters on this squad over the years, and about FIVE of them qualify as good, well-rounded, interesting characters. The rest are made up of one-note big names (Mac), silly jobbers (Auric & Silver, Murmur), failed newbie heroes (Radius & Flex), unique but background characters (Manikin, Feedback), and bad attempts at comedy (Centennial, Major Mapleleaf). Some fun powers in there (Box, Feedback, Manikin) though, which makes them worth it.

All in all, I'd say I rank the Alphans as follows:
Top Tier:
1) Box IV (cool, inventive powers- the top Transmuter in Marvel)
2) Snowbird (cool powers and visuals)
3) Sasquatch I (big, strong and fairly well-rounded, if a bit silly)
4) Vindicator/Heather (a fairly good character that came into her own)
5) Windshear (I just like the powers and concept)

Secondary Tier:
Sasquatch II (always liked big guys), Aurora & Northstar (kind of tiresome, but decent designs), Guardian, Diamond Lil, Manikin

Third Tier (decent characters, but not enough work done on them):
Talisman, Wild Child, Persuasion, Flex, Radius

Fourth Tier (getting pretty one-note and bad):
Yukon Jack, Box I, Marrina, Puck I, Flashback, Shaman

Fifth Tier (crappy):
Nemesis (too confusing and weird), Puck II (unnecessary), Goblyn & Pathway, Manbot, Murmur

Sixth Tier (almost impossibly bad):
Earthmover, Groundhog, St. Elmo, Major Mapleleaf, Smart Alec, Witchfire (shame on you writers!)
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Goldar
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Re: Jab's Builds! (Aurora! Shaman! Wild Child! Box! Snowbird!)

Post by Goldar »

Yay, Talisman!

Despite being similar to other mystics, she was also different in that she had innate magical powers, but was unaware until her father told her about them. Also requiring the Coronet. The Coronet of Enchantment allows her to focus and channel those abilities, while augmenting them and granting her still more powers and abilities. So yes, she is very powerful.

One AF Villain, Llan the Sorcerer, was so extremely powerful, that he could and did easily rip the Coronet of Enchantment from her brow!!

Nice pic choices! They are similar to her first appearance look, except that pic had little tiny shoes with yellow wings on them (Cover of AF #2, if I remember correctly). The ones you chose do remind me of the Legion ladies, especially Dawnstar.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Aurora! Shaman! Wild Child! Box! Snowbird!)

Post by Jabroniville »

And now... Alpha Flight's enemies!! Or, "Why nobody cares about their book". Featured will be such luminaries as Forgettable Dr. Doom Wannabe, Mrs. Goldar, Forgettable Mentally-Ill Jobbers, The Worst Version of Omega Flight, Outsourced Chinese Jobbers, The Best Hands of Stone Since Ronnie Garvin, The Worst Chess-Themed Characters of All-Time, and more!
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

China Force

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

CHINA FORCE:
-China Force debuted in an Alpha Flight comic as animal-powered metahumans, fighting against some members of their team (they're based off of the twelve signs on the Chinese Zodiac, which is the second time a comic book team has built a bunch of lame jobbers from astrological signs) who had defected and sought sanctuary in Canada. They showed up again in an X-Force Annual, fighting with the Mutant Liberation Front and 3-Peace (though it turned out Reignfire leveraged the first battle- in which he killed Rabbit- against the Chinese so that they would make his team a BETTER offer). They did pretty much nothing, almost dying several times, and are pretty minor. But they're still Chinese "Heroes" (well, to the Communist Party, sure).

-The members of the team we saw the most of (ie. two issues) are Rabbit, Snake, Rat & Ox, three being Scrappers and the latter a Powerhouse. Monkey, Horse & Dog were depicted as traitors, but apparently didn't do anything worth getting a write-up on ComicVine (Wikipedia doesn't have ANYTHING on China Force whatsoever). There's no word on where Dragon, Ram, Rooster, Tiger or Pig ended up, but it's implied most either defected or died. The sad thing is, Zodiacs are a really cool "Mass Concept" type of team idea, similar to Playing Cards (The Royal Flush Gang) or Chess Boards (The Hellfire Club, The Chessmen, Checkmate)- it gives you a large group of readily-recognizable names, a unified concept (that in this case even gives you ANIMALS upon which to base easy power-sets), and even maybe some personality types to base stuff off of. I mean personally, I think Zodiacs & Horoscopes are junk and are broad enough to justify about ANY personality trait, but still, it's an idea. Unfortunately, for all the half-decent names you can create off of this (Dragon, Ox, Tiger), you have ones that couldn't possibly be used by serious characters (Rooster- or worse- Cock, and Pig). Just kind of a half-assed filler team created as a one-off thing.

SNAKE (Real Name Unknown)
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Jim Lee
First Appearance: Alpha Flight #64 (Nov. 1988)
Role: Villainous Mooks
Country of Origin: China
Group Affiliations: China Force
PL 7 (88)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills: 
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Government Operative of China) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Perception 3 (+4)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages: 
Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative 2, Startle

Powers:
"Snake-Like Physiology"
Movement 1 (Slithering) [2]
Senses 3 (Acute Infravision, Scent) [3]
Elongation 2 [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"Claws" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Claws +10 (+4 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +3

Complications: 
Responsibility (The People's Republic of China)

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 9 (88)

-Snake is a low-level Elongation-type, with some natural weapons, Elongation (only 30 feet) and some Senses (no evidence of them, but why not?). He's PL 7 overall, which is REALLY low for a metahuman, but it fits- the team were enough to challenge the Mutant Liberation Front members, but not really pose a severe threat. They've appeared so rarely that there's simply not much to them, and they have no major wins to their name.

RAT (Real Name Unknown)
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Jim Lee
First Appearance: Alpha Flight #64 (Nov. 1988)
Role: Villainous Mooks
Country of Origin: China
Group Affiliations: China Force
PL 8 (109)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills: 
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Government Operative of China) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Perception 5 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+3)
Stealth 4 (+9)

Advantages: 
Accurate Attack, Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Improved Initiative, Teamwork

Powers:
"Rat-Like Physiology"
Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
Leaping 1 [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Drugged Gloves & Tail" (Flaws: Removable) [26]
Extra Limb 1 (1)
"Inhibitor Drugs" Affliction 6 (Fort; Powers Impaired & Fatigued/Disabled & Exhausted/Transformed to Powerless & Incapacitated) (Extras: Extra Condition, Cumulative, Continuous +3) (30)
Linked to 
Strength-Damage +1 (1)
-- (32 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Gloves +10 (+4 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 19 & 16)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications: 
Responsibility (The People's Republic of China)
Power Loss (Drugged Gloves)- Rat's gloves will inhibit powers, but will wear off naturally after one hour, if they have not already.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 31 / Defenses: 9 (109)

-Rat is more of a Claw-wielding Scrapper type, but has nasty Power-Inhibitors in her gloves (that didn't see use against Feral, because the writer likely forgot them) that make her PL 8 in just that one attack. Scarily, they ALSO create a nasty plague as well. The rest of her's still PL 7, though.

OX III (Real Name Unknown)
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Jim Lee
First Appearance: Alpha Flight #64 (Nov. 1988)
Role: Villainous Mooks
Country of Origin: China
Group Affiliations: China Force
PL 8 (72)
STRENGTH
9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills: 
Expertise (Government Operative of China) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+3)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Ox-Like Physiology"
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +9, Fortitude +9, Will +3

Complications: 
Responsibility (The People's Republic of China)

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 8 (72)

-Ox is far more limited than his comrades, but is much stronger, making him a PL 8 overall. He's cheaper thanks to his Strongman nature, but is still the hardest member of his team to bring down by a considerable ways.

RABBIT (Real Name Unknown)
Created By:
Bill Mantlo & Jim Lee
First Appearance: Alpha Flight #64 (Nov. 1988)
Role: Villainous Mooks
Country of Origin: China
Group Affiliations: China Force
PL 8 (99)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 1

Skills: 
Acrobatics 4 (+9)
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Government Operative of China) 4 (+4)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+8)

Advantages: 
Improved Defense, Power Attack, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Rabbit-Like Physiology"
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
"Power Kick" Strength-Damage +7 [7]
Leaping 3 (60 feet) [3]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +3

Complications: 
Responsibility (The People's Republic of China)

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 13 (99)

-Rabbit is small, but packs a mean wallop- her "Power Kick" attack has dropped SASQUATCH of all people (though notably he came right back and beat both her and her partner, Snake), so she's a PL 8 like Ox is. This didn't save her, though, as Reignfire flew in and Blasted her to death with a single shot. She's decently high-defense (barring that one notable instance, but he DID freeze her with a good Intimidation Check), but can't take a punch.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Jan 30, 2022 3:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Horsenhero
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:01 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (Aurora! Shaman! Wild Child! Box! Snowbird!)

Post by Horsenhero »

Didn't the "Dragon" member of China Force end up being Jade Dragon? I can't properly remember since despite the fact he turned into a gigantic dragon, he was a gigantic nobody in the long run.
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