Set's Sideways Supers (was Freedomverse South and West)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 3:13 am Yeah, Firedrake is rad! He's a "Budget Supes" but alternates the gimmick into all sorts of interesting stuff, making a "kitchen sink" setting work with Wizards & Dragons elements, a more amoral past, and an increasing amount of morality coming into his life. I can see this guy actually being a real-live superhero people would read about. Impressive work on him!
Thanks!

Now I guess I'll focus a little and get back to the mines, since there are five more members of the Lone Stars to stat up! :)
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

Name Man in Black PL 10
Tagline “Can I have your attention? That was a rhetorical question…” “I was never here.”
Real Name John Patrick Harrison Age 32? Hair Reddish-blonde
Occupation Agent Place of Origin Dallas, Texas
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 16/32 [26]
Saves: Toughness: +2, Fortitude: +5, Reflex: +5, Will: +15 [7]
Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+4), Bluff 6 (+9/17), Climb 1 (+3), Computers 2 (+4), Concentration 2 (+4), Diplomacy 6 (+9/+17), Disable Device 2 (+4), Drive 2 (+4), Gather Information 6 (+9/+7), Intimidation 6 (+13/+21), Investigate 4 (+6), Knowledge (civics) 2 (+4), Language 2 (Spanish, Comanche), Notice 6 (+8), Pilot 2 (+4), Perform (oratory) 6 (+9+/+17), Profession (law enforcement) 6 (+8), Ride 2 (+4), Search 2 (+4), Sense Motive 6 (+8), Stealth 4 (+6), Survival 2 (+4), Swim 1 (+3) [20]
Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Attack Specialization (pistol) 1, Benefit (law enforcement), Contacts, Connected, Defensive Roll 3, Distract (bluff), Dodge Focus 2, Equipment 4, Fascinate (perform), Fearsome Presence 6, Improved Initiative, Setup, Startle, Taunt, Well-Informed [28]
Powers:
Enhanced Charisma +16 (AP: Concealment 10 (all senses, Power Feats: Selective, Subtle, Flaw: Phantasm)), AP: Paralyze 15 (Extra: Ranged), AP: Stun 15 (Extra: Alternate Save (will), Ranged, Power Feat: Sedation)), [35]
Immunity 6 (Aging, Interaction Effects), [6]
Feature: always knows when someone is watching him (Notice check to tell from which direction, modified by range) [1]
Mind Shield 12 [12]
Super-Senses 4 (mental Awareness, Danger Sense (mental), Tracking 2 (mental, full normal speed)) [4]
Combat: Attack: +3 (+5 ranged), Damage: +2, Defense: +5 (+3 flat-footed), Initiative: +6 [12]
Normal Atk +3 melee, +5 ranged (+7 pistol), Dam +2 (+15 stun, +4 pistol), Def +5 (+2 flat-footed), Tough +7 (+4 flat-footed)
[26 +7 +20 +28 +57 +12 = 150 pp]
Equipment – Undercover shirt (+2 Tgh, Subtle) [3], Lt. Pistol (+4 dmg, 30 ft range) [8],
Cell phone, Handcuffs
Arsenal – Pepper Spray [15], Stun Gun [14/1], Heavy Pistol [8/1]

Man in Black wears the boring black suit that every other FBI agent seems to wear, but ‘Texans it up’ with boots, a string tie and a Texas Longhorns belt buckle. Other than that, and a lazy Texas drawl, he’s all business, and would be otherwise indistinguishable from any of a hundred other ‘Men in Black.’ He’s white, tall and well-built, with thick shoulders, and thinning reddish-blonde hair. He has a craggy face, a bit too blocky to be called 'ruggedly handsome,' thanks to an oft-broken nose and a decidedly caveman-like brow and jawline. It’s when he pulls down his ubiquitous shades that things get serious. Few people can even tell you the color of his eyes, because when he focuses his psychic gifts on you, you either are giving him your complete attention (and fearful obedience), or utterly ignoring that he was ever there. He grabs the attention of others effortlessly, able to subtly influence large groups, or focus his will entirely on one person, forcing then to hesitate to the point of total paralysis, although he has developed that focused ability further and can now cause people to faint dead away, unable to reconcile the conflicting demands of their own psyche and his overwhelming presence. He can also shed the attention of others, causing them to lose all sense of his presence, and allowing him to move unnoticed, when he wishes.

He has gone by several names, over the last decades, and would be higher ranking in the Bureau, if not for nervousness about the nature of his powers. He has never given cause for these concerns, and passed every test of loyalty and ethics with flying colors, but his superiors in the Bureau, all younger than him at this point, can never be sure of how much they can trust that he wasn’t ‘handling’ his interviewers, no matter his assurances to the contrary. And so he remains frozen at this rank, and every now and then ruefully mentions the ‘glass ceiling for supers.’ All part of the act. He likes it in the field, and would hate to be promoted to a desk job, and so he plays the game with consummate skill, allowing his superiors to feel exactly enough uncertainty to keep him from being promoted, and never enough unease to threaten his current standing. It’s a delicate dance he’s had decades to perfect, as John Law. The Lawman. Marshall Law. And now, the Man in Black. (An homage to Johnny Cash, one of his favorite performers, now sadly no longer using the name, which he has taken up.)

As a ‘special agent’ of the FBI, John (he asks all his teammates to just call him John), is in charge of the team, and it’s official government liaison, although there are others from other departments and local authorities to be coordinated with (some more or less fond of ‘supers’ or non-local law enforcement meddling in their affairs, most of which he handles fairly smoothly, even the sometimes prickly tribal authorities, having a particularly strong relationship with the local Comanche, having apparently spent some time living among them, in a previous decade?).

He gets quiet when asked about the old wedding ring on his hand and allows speculation about being widowed, but it's not clear from his past records if he's ever been married. Or dated. Really, it's kind of shocking about how little is known about his personal life, or history, given that he's held such high rank in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, apparently since 1935? (It is unclear whether or not he was a member of the preceding Bureau of Investigation, as records from that time have gone missing.)

[Boxes ticked. Another government agent hero, like Black Widow, but also a psychic, which is a common comic book hero archetype, but not one as common on the Freedom League or Sentinels, mish-mashed together. He does not have the silly gadgets of the ‘Men in Black’ movies, and doesn’t even meet PL 6, in melee or a gunfight, only reaching PL 10 with his psychic attacks (or mind shield) defenses. Like many mysterious agent characters (Nick Fury, Black Widow), he’s got mysterious backstory that just sort of shows up (why yes, I did live for years on this native reservation!), has contacts and connections everywhere, and is longer-lived than seems natural.]
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

Sundog PL 6/10
Tagline "Yee Haw!"
Real James Paul Dugan Age 25 Hair Brown
Occupation cowboy with a UFO Place of Origin El Paso
Str 12, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 12 [14]
Saves: Toughness: +2, Fortitude: +5, Reflex: +4, Will: +4 [9]
Skills: Bluff 4 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 6 (+7), (structural) 2 (+3), Drive 2 (+3), Handle Animal 2 (+3), Knowledge (current events) 6 (+7), technology) 4 (+5), Notice 2 (+3), Perform (guitar) 4 (+5), Pilot 6 (+7), Profession (), Ride 2 (+3), Search 2 (+3), Sense Motive 4 (+5), Survival 2 (+3) [12]
Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus 2, Equipment 15 (Sundog, Vehicle) [22]

* Sundog (Strength 50 [+4], Flight Speed 8 (2500 mph, AP: Swimming 8) [17], Defense 6, Toughness 14 [+3], Size Gargantuan [2], Features: Remote Control / Security System / Loudspeakers [3], Powers: Concealment (radar) [2], Immunity (life support) [9], Super-Senses 9 (Communication Link, Extended 2 (vision), Direction Sense, Low-Light Vision, Radio, Radius 2 (all visual), Ultravision) [9], Telekinesis 10 (tractor beam, AP: Dazzle 10 (auditory, Extra: Area (burst), Flaw: Range (touch)), AP: Trip 10 (Extras: Area (burst), Knockback, Flaw: Range (touch), AP: Environmental Control 10 (light 2, 250 ft. radius), AP: Dazzle (visual) 10 (Extra: Area (burst), Flaw: Range (touch), AP: Nullify 10 (Extra: Nullifying Field, Power Feats: Progression x7 (10,000 ft. radius), Selective, Flaw: Limit (only mechanical forms of communication/radio) [25], Regeneration 4 (self-repair function, Flaw: Limit (only when powered down)) [2]) [75 ep] [15 pp]

Powers:
Device 1 (hard to remove) Jump-Pack (Flight 1, AP: Leaping 2, Regeneration 2 (Flaw: Limit (itself only)), [4]
Device 3 (hard to remove) Environmental Skinsuit (Immunity 10 (life support, Sundog’s Dazzle & Trip), Protection 4, Regeneration 2 (Flaw: Limit (itself only))), [12]
Device 3 (easy to lose) Glop Gun (Snare 6, Regeneration 2 (Flaw: Limit (itself only)) [9]
Combat: Attack: +3 (), Damage: +1, Defense: +3 (), Initiative: +1 [12]
Normal Atk +3 (+6 ranged), Dam +1 (+6 Snare), Def +4 (+2 flat-footed), Tough +8 (+6 flat-footed)
[14 +9 +22 +12 +25 +12 = 94 pp]

Jimmy was working at the ‘dig site,’ hauling out of the way of various bigwigs, when he was mysteriously ‘recognized’ by the alien saucer as its long-awaited-for proper master, due to a genetic quirk. (There is actually a tiny smidge of alien DNA in his system, for reasons that are unclear.) Things got a bit out of hand, and a bunch of people damaged or came to harm (or gained new powers!) as a result of an unwise attempt to remove the space-warping drive, but Jimmy had passed out and missed the whole event, his mind flooded with alien data.

When he woke, the ship only responded to his spoken commands, and the government had sealed off the site, due to ‘the incident.’ He was able to confirm that the ship seemed to have nothing like a real computer. Theories included; A) the aliens feared the possibility of rogue AI so much that they avoided computer technology entirely, and engineered themselves to handle computer-like brain functions, B) the computer vanished with the singularity drive, C) the computer self-erased to prevent it’s information from falling into the hands of ‘aliens’ who could threaten its creators, or D) the aliens never developed this technology, and were just naturally super-smart and didn’t need them. In any case, Jimmy now has a mental link to the ship, which he calls the Sundog, due to the fact that, in flight, the gravitational engines produce a light-warping signature to the sides of the ship that look like ‘sundogs.’ The ship also has no apparent weapon systems, although he has found a plethora of ways to use the ships loudspeakers, external floodlights, or gravitational engines offensively to create blinding or deafening or disorienting gravitational pulses, or to use the ship’s powerful tractor beam to cause mayhem on the field of battle.

Various forces, shadowy and otherwise, have attempted to find out the exact reason why Jimmy and Jimmy alone is the only person that can command the ‘Sundog,’ and nobody, anywhere, is entirely comfortable with this wannabe-cowboy being in command of such a powerful piece of alien technology, but, it is what it is, and he’s been assigned to the Lone Stars, as much to keep an eye on him, as to satisfy his own stated desire to ‘be a lawman.’

The alien technology appears to be thousands of years old, at least, and at least partially organic, somehow regenerating itself slowly, if damaged, explaining how it survived so long and in such pristine condition. In addition to the Sundog itself, Jimmy has received a special organic membrane ‘skinsuit’ that has to be peeled off of him when he wants to shower, and provides Protection (hardening upon impact) and basic life support (as well as immunity to the Dazzle and Trip effects of the saucer itself), and managed to get working a weak sort of jetpack, and a bulky weapon he calls his ‘Glop Gun,’ that shoots as sort of mucus that hardens into a crystalline state, and ensnares anyone ‘glopped.’ He’s well aware, having packed up crates of them himself, that there were other alien items on the ship, with unknown functions, and that they’re location is currently unknown…

Jimmy is a tall lanky sort, with an indifferently shaven face, scraggly brown hair and a crooked smile, who covers up his creepy-looking alien skinsuit with jeans, boots, a work shirt and a big stetson (which blows off at the first sign of anything like activity, as the skinsuit goes under his clothes). The jump-pack has a green-organic look to it, as does the 'glop gun,' which is bulky, almost rocket-launcher-sized.

[Boxes ticked. Certainly none of the traditional Avengers or Justice Leaguers, although 'Bob' the Uranian from Agents of Atlas, maybe. I wanted someone other than Big Sky to function as 'team transport,' since Big Sky was rapidly writing himself off the team. And I was looking to include various archetypes from Instant Superheroes that hadn't already been covered, and there was the Alien Star Captain. The idea of a wannabe cowboy with his own UFO tickled me. And so, here he is, all of PL 6, with a PL 10 capable 'flying saucer' that has no real weapons, and no real space flight capabilities.]
Last edited by Ian Turner on Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Davies
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Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Davies »

Also sort of a heroic version of Superman's enemy, Terra-Man.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

Davies wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:28 pm Also sort of a heroic version of Superman's enemy, Terra-Man.
I was unaware of that character, neat!

Yeah, thanks to Star Trek the original 'wagon train to the stars' and Firefly and golden age silliness like the Starburst Bandits (Legion foes who rode horses in space!) there's hardly a shortage of weird connective tissue between cowboys and spaceships. :)

Jimmy's probably going to have a few more feats, but I don't have my rulebook handy and am too lazy to look them up online. A downside of doing most of these builds at work and leaving my books in my locker there. :)
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

Ghost Crow PL 10
Tagline "Oh, you're gonna wish you hadn't done that..."
Real Name Dina ‘Jane’ Na’leeli Hasta Age 29 Hair Black
Occupation Private Investigator Place of Origin Pecos, Texas
Str 14, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 14 [28]
Saves: Toughness: +3, Fortitude: +8, Reflex: +8, Will: +7 [15]
Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Computers 2 (+4), Diplomacy 4 (+6), Drive 2 (+5), Gather Information 4 (+6), Intimidation 4/8 (+6/+10), Investigate 4 (+6), Knowledge (arcane lore) 4 (+6), Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+6), Language 1 (Comanche), Medicine 2 (+4), Notice 4 (+6), Profession (), Search 4 (+6), Sense Motive 4 (+6), Stealth 4 (+8) [13]
Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Attack Specialization 3 (martial arts strikes), Benefit (legal enforcement powers, tribal police), Defensive Roll 5, Dodge Focus 4, Endurance, Equipment 2, Evasion, Improved Block, Improved Critical (martial arts strikes), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack [29]
(Equipment: Quarterstaff (AP: breaks down into 2 fighting batons (swap out +5 ft. reach for Split Attack 1)), undercover vest (+2 Tgh, Subtle), Handcuffs, Cellphone) [10 ep/2 pp]
Powers:
Her Face Black, Her Eyes Red (Enhanced Feats (Fearless, Fearsome Presence 6), Enhanced Skill 1 (+4 Intimidate)), [8]

Rattler’s Revenge Strike 2 (Extra: Action 3 (reaction to being attacked), PF: Mighty, AP: Circling Flock Strike 2 (Extra: Area (burst), Selective Attack, PF: Mighty, Flaw: Limit (only with staff or a reach weapon), AP: Strike the Soul Strike 2 (Extra: Penetrating 4, PF: Affects Insubstantial 2, Mighty)), [11],

the Ghost Crow’s Shadow Summon 6 (Extra: Action 3 (reaction), Flaw: Limit (only manifests when you are incapable of taking an action), Unreliable (only 5/day), PF: Triggered (only when unconscious, compelled or helpless), [19]
AP: Ghost Fog Obscure (visual, fog) 3 (Extra: Action 2 (free), Duration (continuous), PF: Selective, Flaw: Range (touch)), [1]

Combat: Attack: +6 (), Damage: +2, Defense: +6 (), Initiative: +7 [24]
Normal Atk +6 (+10 melee, +16 w/strikes, +18 to block), Dam +2 (+4 w/strikes), Def +10 (+3 flat-footed), Tough +10 (+5 flat-footed)
Ghost Crow Atk +6, Dam +0/+10 Mind Control or Possession, Def +6, Tgh +6
[28 +15 +13 +31 +39 +24 = 150 pp]

Ghost Crow
Str -, Dex 12, Con -, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 6 [-24], Saves: Tough +6, Fort -, Ref +4, Will +7 [15], Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 3, Dodge Focus 3, Evasion 2 [8], Notice 4 (+5) [1] [0]
Alternate Form 10 (bird-like form of darkness, Extra: Continuous, Flaw: Permanent, PF: Innate, Insubstantial 4 (affected by light), Immunity 30 (Fort saves)) [51], Flight 2 [4], Super-Senses 2 (Darkvision) [2], Possession 10 (Flaw: Range 2 (touch), AP: Mind Control 10 (Extra: Aura, PF Extra Reach 1 (+ 5ft.), Flaws: One Command (run in terror), Range 2 (touch)) [21]
[78]
Atk +3 (+6 melee), Dam +6, Def +6 (+2 flat-footed), Tgh +6 [12]
[90]

Dina (dee-NAH) grew up off the reservation, her father and mother having married ‘out of tribe’ against their respective parents’ wishes (dad was Comanche, mother Apache), and didn’t have much of a traditional upbringing, choosing the name ‘Jane’ to ‘better fit in’ among her non-native peers. She had almost finished a stint in the police academy when her parents were killed in an accident on the highway (a trucker dozed off and crossed lanes, demolishing their pickup in an instant). She ended up meeting her grandparents for the first time at the funeral, and an uncle offered her a place to stay at the rez. That uncle turned out to be the Comanche shaman called Silversmith, who has seen a dark shadow on the girl’s soul, and sought to free her from the anger consuming her before it took her whole.

Silversmith warned her that while true crows feed on the dead, the Ghost Crow is greedy and feeds on the living. Unable to pluck their eyes or tease out their livers, he instead feasts on their pain. She spent years running from his teachings, cage-fighting in filthy clubs for beer and notoriety, surrendering to her anger and despair, and, as he said, ‘letting the Ghost Crow eat away at her soul and make a nest for himself in her bones,’ before she finally clawed her way out of the despair, took the Ghost Crow by the throat and made her anger into a weapon.

After a life in the white man’s world, avoiding her parent’s parents, she now works for the tribal police, and is on assignment to the Lone Stars, doing her best to politely ignore tribal politics when they come up, and smooth the inevitable ruffled feathers that result, as often with an icy glare as well-chosen words, as she had always found intimidation to come easy to her, even back in the academy, when the occasional white boy would ask why she felt the need to be ‘taking one of their jobs’ instead of staying on the rez. (Oh, the irony.)

She fights like a demon, yet with no trace of anger, having sacrificed every bit of her own anger (and fear) to the Ghost Crow within her. When she finally falls, and her skills fail her, only then does the Ghost Crow burst forth in a flurry of shadowy feathers, striking terror into all who surround her, and only dimly recognizing her allies from her enemies… She’s on much better terms with her uncle (who is not actually related to her by blood, although this is the relationship they have chosen), and he offers cryptic advice and even magical trinkets, from time to time, always chiding her for learning exactly nothing from his teachings, merely what she needed to master the rage within her, and none of the lore and ritual and faith that should accompany these sorts of things. After all, he mutters, she’s bound a *god* into her flesh, how can she not believe? (She has mastered a magical trick or two, drawing upon the ‘shadow upon her soul’ for occult strength, to allow her to strike at spirits, or conjure up a ‘ghost fog’ that seems to impede the vision of only those she wants it to…)

Upon joining the Lone Stars, there was a bit of awkwardness at first, as she and Golden Gunslinger had met before as solo heroes, and dated, and broken up, but they’ve both agreed to be mature about it, and even sometimes deliberately make snarky comments to each other alluding to it. Firedrake attempted to set up a betting pool for how long it would take before they were back together, but Man in Black put a stop to that (they have both dated others since, and there’s no real interest in revisiting that on eithers part). She’s second in command to Man in Black, at least in part because she’s the most graceful under pressure, and also has some legal authority to back up her stance.

[Boxes ticked off. Black Canary. Martial artsy type with a big super-power she rarely busts out. Na’leeli and Hasta may or may not be Apache and Comanche words for ‘duck’ (Drake) and ‘spear’ (Lance), respectively, unless the internet is lying to me.
Also Raven, obviously, with the Ghost Crow having similarities to Raven’s soul-self.

I have *no idea* how her martial arts Strike stacks with a quarterstaff or fighting baton, so I’m assuming that they don’t stack (and so have raised her Atk/Dam to her PL 10, without the +2 from the staff, all the staff does is give her Extra Reach 1 (and allow her to use her Circling Flock Area (burst) Strike), and all that happens when she breaks them down into a pair of fighting batons is the Extra Reach is swapped for Split Attack 1. I am assuming that her combat feats apply when she’s holding either in hand, if not, I’ll ditch them in a cold second, I just like the visual (and wanted something tougher than her hands for Improved Block-ing with).]
Ian Turner
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

Golden Gunslinger PL 10
Tagline “It was a lucky shot.”
Real Name Carlos Ibanez Age 27 Hair Black
Occupation superhero Place of Origin Alamo?
Str 14, Dex]/b] 16, [b[Con 16, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14 [16]
Saves: Toughness: +3, Fortitude: +8, Reflex: +10, Will: +7 [1]
Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff 8 (+10), Climb, Computers, Concentration, Craft (), Diplomacy 4 (+6), Disable Device, Disguise, Drive 2 (+5), Escape Artist, Gather Information 4 (+6), Handle Animal, Intimidation, Investigate, Knowledge () 4 (+9), Language 1 (Spanish), Medicine, Notice 8 (+10), Perform, Pilot, Profession (), Ride 1 (+4), Search 4 (+5), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Sleight of Hand 4 (+7), Stealth 4 (+7), Survival, Swim [12]
Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged), Attack Specialization (firearms) 4, Attractive, Beginner’s Luck, Blind Fight, Diehard, Defensive Roll 3, Dodge Focus 5, Elusive Target, Equipment 3, Evasion 2, Improved Critical (firearms), Improved Defense 2, Improved Initiative, Luck 5, Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Redirect, Stunning Attack, Uncanny Dodge (hearing) [42]
Equipment: hvy pistol (8], spare hvy pistol [1], undercover vest [3],
Powers:
Immunity 2 (critical hits), [2]
Feature (never runs out of bullets), [1]
Way of the Gun 4 (add Extra: Autofire 2 to gun attacks (must use both guns), [8] or AP: Penetrating, or AP: Area (cone) Selective Attack (must use both pistols), or AP: Area (burst), Selective Attack (must use both pistols), Range (touch), plus Power Feats: Precise, Ricochet or Split Attack (must use both pistols)), [14]
Luck Control 2 (force reroll, spend on another’s behalf, Extras: Area (burst), Selective Attack, PF: Progression 2 (50 ft. radius)), [11]
Super-Senses 1 (Danger Sense) [1]
Combat: Attack: +7 (), Damage: +2, Defense: +7 (), Initiative: +7 [28]
Normal Atk +7 (+8 ranged, +16 guns), Dam +2 (+4 hvy pistol), Def +12, Tough +8 (+5 flat-footed)
[16 +17 +12 +42 +30 +28 = 150 pp]

The Ibanez family are at least sixth-generation Texans, and have lived in the area since before Texas joined the United States. As a result, 'Carlo' tends to react with amusement to anyone suggesting that *he* is an immigrant. A skilled marksman even before his luck powers come into play, he's almost supernaturally accurate (and yet his shots remarkably nonlethal, if he so chooses).

He used to wear a mask, but after being ‘outed’ no longer bothers and makes it sound like a choice he made to go maskless. He's much more media-savvy/public opinion-aware than some of his teammates (particularly the hapless Big Sky), and has a bit of a fan club, and even more of a bit of a reputation as an 'eligible bachelor' and a 'player,' being seen around town with various local high-profile ladies, such as news announcers and assistant district attorneys. His luck seems to carry to none of these casual relationships ending on a sour note, so far...

He carries a pair of gold-plated custom pistols that resemble old style six-shooters, but are in fact fully automatic weapons (and that, in his hands, never seem to run out of bullets), along with black jeans, a (usually pastel or bold colored) long-sleeve shirt, bandana around neck, stetson, work boots (he doesn’t like pointy-toed cowboy boots) and an off-yellow leather duster (that some call his 'Century 21 coat,' to his feigned annoyance, since it's viral marketing and he's *paid* to wear it) that flares out dramatically when he spins and fires all around him in his signature 'spray of bullets' (that almost never seem to cause indiscriminate collateral damage). The coat gets replaced frequently, since bullets aimed at him seem to end up stuck in it's folds with unusual frequency.

[Boxes ticked off. I wanted Weapon Master, to fill the Green Arrow/Hawkeye role, but with guns, instead of a bow. And I wanted someone who leaned into the probability manipulation / 'Fortunate Hero' aspect of the Scarlet Witch (who, traditionally, was more of a bad luck bolt-caster than a 'spellcaster,' despite her Witch-y name). And so 'Golden Gunslinger,' instead of Scarlet Witch. A lucky gunman. I wanted to give him a luck-based defense of some sort, but the gold standard would be something using the miss chance mechanic of Concealment *which I already used* on Cutter, and, even though it's a great defense, and way better than forking out the points for Deflect, I just didn't want to go back there again for this guy.

I even considered a whacky 11 pp Regeneration (Resurrection, Subtle) notion where he *just can't die* because the killing blow always seems to fail to kill him (thanks to instantly, and *totally unnoticeably* 'not dying' thanks to the Regen/Resurrection trick), but that was 11 pp I didn't feel like blowing on a character that already had PL appropriate defenses, and can use Total Defense to raise his Defense to +20, if he really feels the heat, which could perhaps synergize interestingly with the Redirect feat, in a perfect scenario.

Thanks to the Precise power feat on his 'Way of the Gun,' he can even do whacky things like shoot a button with just enough force to call the elevator and not destroy the keypad, or similar stunts. He's also got the ability to add various Extras to his gun attacks, and, having bought them as a separate power, he should be able to apply them to other guns he picks up (although only up to +4, since he only paid for 4 ranks of the appropriate Extras.]

And one left for the Lone Stars!
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

Elektronique PL 10
Tagline “Big things come in small packages!”
Real Name Tamara Baldwin Age 22 Hair Auburn
Occupation girl genius Place of Origin Austin (university town)
Str 12, Dex]/b] 14, [b[Con 14, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 12 [22]
Saves: Toughness: +2, Fortitude: +7, Reflex: +7, Will: +12 [20]
Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+4), Bluff, Climb, Computers 4 (+9) , Concentration, Craft (mechanical) 4 (+9), Diplomacy, Disable Device 4 (+9), Disguise, Drive 2 (+2), Escape Artist, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidation, Investigate 4 (+9), Knowledge (life science) 4 (+9), (physical science) 9 (+14), (technology) 4 (+9), Language 1 (German), Medicine 2 (+4), Notice 6 (+8), Perform, Pilot, Profession (), Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth 6 (+8/+20), Survival, Swim [13]
Feats: Attractive, Dodge Focus 1, Elusive Target, Improved Aim, Inventor, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Stunning Attack [9]
Powers
Shrinking 12 (PF: Growth Strike), [13]
Flight 4 (Flaw: Limit (rank 1 at Shrinking 4, rank 2 at Shrinking 8, rank 4 at Shrinking 12)), [4]
Strike 8 (lethal electricity, Extra: Aura, AP: Blast 8 (lethal electricity), [17]
Absorbtion 10 (energy, healing, Flaw: Limited (only electricity)), [20]
Protection 8 (Extra: Impervious) [16]
Combat: Attack: +8 (), Damage: +1, Defense: +5 (), Initiative: +2 [26]
Med Atk +8, Dam +1/+8 Strike/+8 Blast, Def +6, Tgh +10
Small Atk +9, Dam -1/+8 Strike/+8 Blast, Def +7, Tgh +10, -4 Str
Fine Atk +10, Dam -2/+8 Strike/+8 Blast, Def +9, Tgh +10, -8Str
Diminutive Atk -4/+12, Dam +8 Strike/+8 Blast, Def +10, Tgh +10, -12 Str
[22 +20 +13 +9 +60 +26] = 150 pp

‘Tam’ is the newest member of the Lone Stars, and has a bit of imposter syndrome going on, since the rest seem more like ‘real superheroes’ to her, and she feels like a kid playing dress up. She was on a previous independent team, briefly, a vehicle to earn notoriety for their leader, the bounty hunter Hellhound, who was pimping his own reality series at the time, but managed to extricate herself from that with some legal advice from the Lone Stars’ go-to legal counsel. Technically, she’s violating a ‘no-compete’ clause by now working with the Lone Stars, but Hellhound is already dealing with enough legal issues from his own misdeeds, and has no time or bandwidth to follow up on this.

Growing up with two hyper-competitive brothers (Tim and Tom, explaining her preferred nickname, Tom later died in Afghanistan, and Tim sells pot for a living, and boasts that he did it before it was legal, so he's a trendsetter, which explains why they never speak anymore...), Tamara competed just as hard, excelling in the sciences, particularly, which neither of her brothers could keep up with. It was in college that she first charted a process by which matter could be converted to energy, although the effect was transitory, and the energy soon coalesced back into matter! The odd substance she was experimenting on had been improperly labeled, and was supposed to be going to a much different (and much more secure, military-run) lab, having been secured from an alien craft in East Texas…

Shenanigans ensued, and now the alien ‘fuel’ has merged with her body, and *she* is the one who can turn a percentage of her mass into stable energy, physically shrinking in the process, and reconvert it, returning to full size. Initially, she released the energy indiscriminately at touch range, and had to absorb large quantities of electricity from other sources to recreate her converted mass and return to full size, but she has had two years to refine her control, and can now usually contain her energy and avoid such a necessity. She carries a pair of battery-packs from tasers at her belt just in case she needs to ‘refuel’ In a hurry.

Tamara is originally from so far east in Texas that she was in spitting distance of the Louisiana state line, and has family there as well, and some Cajun French heritage. (Although she speaks not a word of French, instead learning German solely so that she could read some German physics texts in their original language...) It would be overstating it to call her ‘biracial’ but she does have the dark frizzy hair and generous freckles of a grandmother she never met (and is utterly unconscious of her natural beauty, finding it inconvenient, when she acknowledges it at all, she’s utterly hopeless at using it to her advantage, with all the guile of the totally guile-less person she is). In combat, she rarely speaks, being embarrassed by how her voice sounds at that size, but afterwards, coming down from the adrenaline high, she can be quite the chatterbox, and sometimes get a bit exhausting.

Despite being more experienced as a solo hero (and more powerful) than Stormchaser, she's newer to the team, and still looks up to 'the team rookie,' and is thrilled that the team has another science sort, since the others, well, not so much. Even Sundog, who has a flying saucer! has a weirdly utilitarian 'black box' sort of viewpoint on his tech, and doesn't seem to much care how it works, only that it makes his life easier.

[Boxes ticked off. The Wasp, or the Atom. A little bit of both, in that she can fly and throw zaps, like Jan, and is a shrinking scientist like Ray. Originally she had some complicated mish-mash of powers only usable when Shrunk (blasts) and only usable when at full size (Protection), and required an electricity source to regrow from her shrunken state, and lots of fiddly bits with different levels of Blast and Protection depending on how much Shrinking she was using, but they were a pain in the butt and totally not needed, pointwise, so I said screw it, she’s learned to do it all at any size, and yay for not making things more complicated than they need to be!

I wanted a science-y shrinker, like Ray Palmer, and not an animal-themed shrinker like Wasp, or a Hummingbird or Bat-Girl (although a tiny bird winged hero with super-speed and vibratory blasts, or a tiny bat-winged hero with a sonic chirrup or vampire powers could be a fun sideways 'Wasp' expy!), and so matter-energy conversion seemed like the way to go, and it tying into the alien saucer incident just made it more fun, playing into the regional unifying ‘origin source.’ I went through three different characters in this slot, including a different girl genius science hero (who ended up too complicated), and a ‘Sentient Plant’ named Desert Rose whom I decided I liked less than Magnolia Rose over in the southern territories. Elektronique also checks off the ‘girl genius’ niche that has been popular lately with characters like Valeria or Nadia or Moon Girl or Teen Lantern.]
Last edited by Ian Turner on Thu Aug 06, 2020 12:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

And so that’s it for the Lone Stars and Southern Cross.

Tweaks on Hank Pym, the Wasp, the Atom, the Hawks, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Swordsman, the Scarlet Witch, Hulk, Tigra, etc. Even Firestorm and Elongated Man and Phantom Stranger got shout-outs, if only on ancillary teams (Alchemissy, of the Belles), or as bad-guys (Rubberbandman), or solo mysterious wisemen (Silversmith). And I got to use some of the other optional archetypes from Instant Superheroes like the Agent, Duplicator, Fortunate Hero, Psychic, Mystic, Totem, Weather Controller, Swashbuckler and Alien Space Captain, which aren’t always as common in the current Freedom League or Sentinels ineups. Not so many Paragons, Costumed Detectives, Alien Shapeshifter and Battlesuits, by design.

The other highest publicity team recently imploded on itself when fame-seeker Hellhound (bounty hunter able to summon two pony-sized supernaturally potent PL 6 ‘hellhounds’) attempted a reality show of his team’s exploits. His team included his regular partner in bounty-hunting, Bowie (weapon master: knives, a tough as nails woman with the smallest possible amount of super-speed, who is most definitely not his partner in any other sense of the word), Rubberbandman (on work release from prison, and… it didn’t take), Brass (metal-feathered bird-person, perhaps a mutant avian, perhaps just a transformed human), Electronique and Stampede (able to rustle up ‘spirit longhorns’ to trample foes, or to ride across the sky). Stampede has returned to solo hero-ing. Brass has disappeared completely. Rubberbandman’s back in jail. Bowie is, for the moment, sticking with Hellhound, while he wallows in the collapse of his big plans for fame and fortune, and liquors himself up for the courage for his next harebrained scheme…

Since both regional teams cover a much larger beat than just one city, I wanted to give each team a way of getting around, but not just go with ‘creates portals’ or mass teleport stuff, which is one of the reasons why Big Sky got axed. Not interesting enough! Freeways big-rig-based highway teleportation seemed far more interesting to me, and Sundog using a captured UFO as his team’s transportation means seemed equally exotic and fun. (Mississippi Queen being able to teleport through the medium of the Mississippi watershed was also a fun idea, as was the notion that Stampede could summon a herd of spirit cattle that he and allies could ride through the sky, but I ended up throwing those two on other teams instead.)

Anywho, this has been rattling around in my head for a couple of years now, and I'm happy to finally get it nailed down with mechanics and more developed backstories and stuff. Hopefully it hasn't been *too* terribly chockfull of regional stereotypes! ('Cause I noticed Steve avoided making the Bostonian Freedom League all about Lobstah's or Nor'Easters or other cliched local stereotypes, but I wanted to at least take advantage of some local flavor...) :)
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

A random other popular hero in Florida;

And I have no ideas how to do spoilers here. :)

Conquistadora PL 10

Real Name Unknown Age 240 Hair Black
Occupation explorer and adventurer Place of Origin Miami, Florida
Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12 [18]
Saves: Toughness: +2, Fortitude: +7, Reflex: +7, Will: +15 [15]
Skills: Bluff 8 (+10), Concentration 4 (+5), Craft (chemical) 4 (+6), Disguise 8 (+10/+20), Escape Artist 4 (+6), Investigate 4 (+6), Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+10), (earth science) 4 (+6), (history) 6 (+8), Language 2 (English, Spanish), Notice 4 (+5), Search 4 (+6), Sense Motive 8 (+9), Stealth 4 (+6), Survival 2 (+3), Swim 2 (+3) [19]
Feats: Artificer, Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Eidetic Memory, Environmental Adaptation (underwater), Improved Critical (cutlass) 1, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Quick Change, Quick-Draw, Ritualist, [12]
Powers:
Device 2 (Cutlass, hard to lose, Strike 3 (Extra: Penetrating 4, PF: Accuracy, Dual Damage (bashing or lethal), Mighty)), [8]
Device 2 (Breastplate, hard to lose, Protection 4 (Extra: Impervious), Shield 2), [8]
Device 2 (Musket, hard to lose, Blast 5 (Extra: Affects Insubstantial)), [8]
Protection 1, [1]
Subtle Wards Protection 6 (PF: Subtle), [7]
Super-Senses 3 (Awareness (magic), Infravision, Scent), [3]
Swimming 1 [1]
[spoiler]
Magic 11 (Spell of Coiling Health (Immunity 6 (aging, disease, hunger/thirst, suffocation 2, need to sleep) +
Regeneration 8 + Mind Shield 8), AP: Vril Blast (Blast 11, green electricity, lethal, usable underwater), Serpent’s Stare (Paralyze 11 (Extra: Range (ranged), Flaw: Side-Effect (user suffers same effects as target)), Mists of Memory (Mental Transform 11 (modify memories, Extra: Area (burst)), Enfolding Coils (Snare 11), Unseen Serpent (Concealment 10, PF: Close, Selective)), [27]
Morph 2 (humanoids, Extra: Duration (continuous), Flaw: Action 3 (full round action)), [1]
[/spoiler]
Combat: Attack: +6 (), Damage: +1, Defense: +5 (+2 flat-footed), Initiative: +2 [22]
Normal Atk +6 (+8 w/cutlass, +9 w/musket or ranged spells), Dam +1 (+4 w/cutlass, +5 w/musket, +11 w/Blast, Paralyze or Snare), Def +7 (+3 flat-footed), Tough +13 (4 Impervious)
[18 +15 +19 +12 +36 (+28) +22 = 150 pp

The youngest looking, but oldest of the Belles is the woman known as Conquistadora. Dressed in a conquistator’s breastplate, with cutlass and musket, this dark haired spanish woman has a certain no-nonsense brusqueness with adults (although she warms to the presence of children, who remark that she looks like Dora the Explorer, and tells them in turn that the cartoon character was inspired by her exploits!). She admits to being possibly centuries old (‘a lady never tells, and shame on you for asking!’), having discovered the legendary Fountain of Youth many years ago, and having lived several lifetimes worth of exploration and adventure since then, backed up with hints of fantastic tales that she never quite goes into detail about.

A side-effect of her ageless state, her wounds close with unnatural speed, sometimes at the very moment they were inflicted (a property of her ‘subtle wards,’ causing wounds to be blocked, but appear to have struck home, only to fade away moments later). She has, rarely, displayed the ability to call upon the ‘fires of the fountain that still burn within her breast’ to fuel other arcane stunts, the result, she says, of mystical insights gained over a long life.

The power the fountain also lent magical power to her equipment, and the breastplate, musket and cutlass she bore all those years ago remain at her side, with greater power, and the ability to be equipped in a moment with but a thought. (Her Quick Change feat in action.) She has become a competent swordswoman, and musketeer, over the years, with a solid but uncreative style, lacking many of the more exotic feats of a true master of the blade or gun, something she makes up for with her sheer toughness.

[spoil]
It’s all lies. Well, mostly lies. The breastplate, cutlass and musket are indeed enchanted, because he enchanted them himself. ‘Conquistadora’s’ birth name is Seshtekk, a Valossan, what humans call a ‘serpentfolk,’ and has come to infiltrate the superhero community, in the guise of this immortal Spaniard. He’s got the notion that humans will more readily buy his façade if he pretends to be a female of the species, as he feels that they are more inclined to be forgiving of any inconsistencies in the story a female presents, due to their ‘feminine mystique’ or whatever. (He didn’t know much about humans beforehand, learning mostly from Valossan propaganda on the subject, and has found much, if not most, woefully out of date, if indeed it was ever correct at all…) For now, his mission is to become the best ‘superhero’ to these mammals that he can be, and so he is doing that with gusto, trying to conceal his inherent dislike of the species (except, oddly, for their children, whom he finds delightful, nothing at all like the cold, angry, treacherous young of his own species).

Seshtekk isn't as old as his assumed guise, who purportedly predates Florida being a US state, but has great magical potential, and has been groomed to be an infiltrator all his life, having adapted his racial ability to Morph into a human guise to a longer lasting (but slower-acting) form, allowing him to 'shed his skin' slower, but remain in the new guise even when sleeping. His people used to dominate the region, before humankind crossed the land-bridge from Asia, but have always been slow breeders, with long lives and slow to react to threats or innovate new techniques, being a fundamentally selfish and inward-looking people. The coming of humanity to the region was a shock to them, as they initially dismissed them as backwards and no threat at all, only to find themselves surrounded and outnumbered in short centuries. While the Valossans had in quality, it seemed, the humans vastly outbred them with quantity, and these newcomers adapted to the superior arcane skills of individual Valossan mages with vast rituals involving cooperative magic, in the guise of religious rituals, and even sacrifice of their own blood, or *lives,* an act beyond the utterly selfish Valossan mages to consider. The Valossan empire was beaten back while their most powerful mages were still stubbornly denying that it was even possible to fuel magic with bloodletting, and they sank into irrelevance, retreating to cities deep beneath the land and sea, far from the reach of the 'newcomers' (who, by this point, had been here for many generations).

So, after a few centuries of slumbering self-reflection, they rose to find that the newcomers themselves had been beaten down by yet different newcomers, and yet this latest batch used technology, instead of magic, something better suited to their freakish fecundity, as any malformed spawn could pull a trigger or chuck a grenade, while casting an equivalent spell could take longer to learn than one of these short-lived mammals had on this earth. Still, the mass rituals that proved so troublesome, and the vast human empires that empowered them, were gone, and the new newcomers had no reply to Valossan magic and a new age was upon them. Truly Yig favors the just!
[/spoil]
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

Not necessarily related to Southern or Western heroes, but just something that amused me;

DETECTIVE PL 3
Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 12 [12]
Skills: Bluff 2 (+3), Computers 2 (+3), Diplomacy 2 (+3), Drive 2 (+3), Gather Information 4 (+5), Intimidation 4 (+5), Investigate 6 (+7), Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+5), Notice 4 (+5), Profession (private investigator) 4 (+5), Search 4 (+5), Sense Motive 4 (+5), Stealth 2 (+3) [11]
Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 2, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 2, Power Attack, Well-Informed [8]
Equipment: Light Pistol (6), cell phone (1), flashlight (1), handcuffs (1), mini-tracer (1)
Combat: Attack: +3 (+5 melee), Damage: +1 (+3 w/ light pistol), Defense: +3 (+2 flat-footed), Initiative: +1 [6]
Saving Throws: Toughness: +3 (+1 flat-footed), Fortitude: +4, Reflex: +3, Will: +4 [8]
Abilities 12 + Skills 11 + Feats 8 + Combat 6 + Saves 8 = 45

Literal Bag of Dicks – Device 2 (leather satchel, hard to lose, Summon 3 (detectives, Extra: Duration (continuous), Flaw: Action (full round), Power Feats: Progression 3 (10), Reversible)) [8]

Yes, for just 8 measly pp, you to can have this battered brown leather satchel, which it turns out is *just* big enough that, with some squirming and colorful language, a single 'dick' (detective, pervert, get your mind out of the gutter!) can emerge over the course of a full round. He's got a long leather coat, a noir-esque suit and hat that have seen better days, an old (out of) service revolver and some other tricks of the trade, that are kind of anachronistic to his otherwise noir theme (but hey, maybe they are fancy-schmancy leftover military gear from his time in the service, yeah? What's it to you?). It's a great boon to any fledgling hero who isn't so great at the investigative leg-work part of the job, as a minutes work and ten of these schmoes can be on the case, investigating your crime scene, questioning your perps and following up on all that pesky crime-solving stuff you probably should have taken the skills to do for yourself!

Thanks to the Reversible power feat, you can even snap your fingers and dismiss one of them if he gets lippy.

All of them look identical, right down to the same soup stain on their shirt, and answer to Clive (and, most annoyingly, have the same cell phone number, so if you call one of them, you're calling all of them!). The chaos sorcerer who claims to have invented this item promises to work that out in the next revision... He was said to have created this item on a lark after a genie offered him a wish after winning a drinking contest and he woke up the proud owner of a tiny detective (stats as above, but with permanent Shrinking 12). He was... not thrilled, although Ten Inch Dick has been a useful crime-solving assistant.

This item was his sarcastic return gift to the genie.
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

And more randoms. The character in green from Power Profiles, who was shown under the Kinetic entry animating some katanas. I decided to go with that, and ignore the big green glowing gem, 'cause I wanted the floaty katanas (even if they were obviously situational, because she was fighting a bunch of ninja) and none of that.



Animus PL 6
Tagline (pointing to her floating swords) "There's only two of you. I have you outnumbered."
Real Name Ayse 'Kay' Dirshan Age 24 Hair Black
Occupation personal security Place of Origin Ankara, Turkey
Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 12 [18]
Saves: Toughness: +2, Fortitude: +5, Reflex: +5, Will: +5 [9]
Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Computers, Concentration, Craft (), Diplomacy 2 (+3), Disable Device 2 (+3), Disguise, Drive 2 (+4), Escape Artist, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidation 6 (+7), Investigate, Knowledge (current events) 2 (+3), Knowledge (streetwise) 2 (+3), Language 2 (English, Arabic, Turkish*), Medicine 2 (+3), Notice 8 (+10), Perform, Pilot, Profession (), Ride, Search, Sense Motive 4 (+6), Sleight of Hand, Stealth 2 (+4), Survival 2 (+4), Swim [9]
Feats: Attack Focus 1 (ranged), Attack Specialization 1 (machine pistol), Attack Specialization 1 (katana), Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 6, Improved Initiative, Improved Throw, Quick-Draw, Power Attack, Startle [19]
Equipment: Katana (5 ep), undercover vest (3 ep), large composite shield (11 ep), machine pistol (8 ep), cellphone, spare katana, lock release gun
Powers:
Animate Objects 4 (PF: Progression 1 (2), Flaw: Limited (only weapons and shields), AP: Super-Strength 3, AP: Telekinesis 3 (AP: Trip 6 (Extra: Knockback, Flaw: Range (touch)) [12]
Super-Senses 5 (blindsight, motion/mass awareness, acute, can detect approximate speeds & weights of items detected) [5]
Combat: Attack: +6 (), Damage: +1, Defense: +3 (+2 flat-footed), Initiative: +6 [18]
Normal Atk +6 (+7 ranged, +9 w/machine pistol, +8 w/katana), Dam +1 (+4 w/katana, +3 w/machine pistol), Def +6 (+2 flat-footed), Tough +6 (+4 flat-footed)
[18 +9 +9 +19 +17 +18 = 90 pp]

Animated Katana PL 6
Str 16, Dex 16, Con -, Int -, Wis 12, Cha -,
Skills: Notice 4 (+5)
Feats: Improved Critical (katana), Improved Initiative, Instant Up
Powers: Immunity 40 (Fortitude effects, mental effects), Flight 1, Strike 3 (PF: Accuracy, Mighty)
Combat: Attack +4/+6, Damage +6, Defense +6, Initiative +7
Saving Throws: Tough +6, Fort - , Ref +6, Will +1
Drawbacks: No Hands (-4), Mute (-4)
Abilities -16 + Skills 1 (4 ranks) + Feats 3 + Powers 47 + Combat 20 + Saves 9 – Drawbacks -8 = 57

Animated Uzi PL 6
Str 12, Dex 16, Con -, Int -, Wis 12, Cha -,
Skills: Notice 4 (+5)
Feats: Attack Specialization 1 (machine gun), Improved Initiative, Instant Up
Powers: Blast 3 (Extra: Autofire, PF: Accuracy), Flight 1, Immunity 40 (Fortitude effects, mental effects)
Combat: Attack +5/+9, Damage +3, Defense +6, Initiative +7
Saving Throws: Tough +6, Fort - , Ref +6, Will +1
Drawbacks: No Hands (-4), Mute (-4)
Abilities -22 + Skills 1 (4 ranks) + Feats 3 + Powers 52 + Combat 22 + Saves 9 – Drawbacks -8 = 57
Bigger Uzi (Blast 4) +2 pp, reduce Atk by 1 (-2 pp), same cost and PL

Animated Shield PL 6
Str 16, Dex 14, Con -, Int -, Wis 12, Cha -,
Skills: Notice 4 (+5)
Feats: Attack Focus (melee), Attack Specialization (shield), Improved Initiative, Instant Up
Powers: Immunity 40 (Fortitude effects, mental effects), Flight 1, Shield 3 (PF: Improved Block 2)
Combat: Attack +6/+9 (+13 to block), Damage +3, Defense +6, Initiative +6
Saving Throws: Tough +6, Fort - , Ref +6, Will +4
Drawbacks: No Hands (-4), Mute (-4)
Abilities -18 + Skills 1 (4 ranks) + Feats 4 + Powers 47 + Combat 24 + Saves 9 – Drawbacks -8 = 59

Ayse works as a private security and personal driver, available for hire by rich visitors who love the idea of a tough and reasonably attractive woman *with super-powers* tagging along with them. She has worked for a number of men who either underestimate her for being a woman, or think that their enemies would do so, and in either case, is happy to part them from their money. The source of her powers appears to be a glowing green gemstone that she wears on her brow, but the gem itself is powerless now, having indeed granted her the power to share her life-force with unliving objects and bring them to life, but no longer having any real significance.

As her powers grow, she may develop the ability to animate larger things, like a motorcycle, or even a car or boat, and possibly even to share her life-force with others, to heal!

On the job, her priorities differ, and she often will animate a shield she carries in the front seat of the armored limo she drives (a company car, she could never afford such a thing, yet), and set it to provide cover for her client, while sending a single sword on offense, and retaining the uzi for her own use. (Other times the uzi will be sent forth, while she keeps the swords.) She's capable with either gun or sword, and how an antiquarian's daughter got so good with either is a bit of a mystery.

(She's totally 'Mace,' from the movie Strange Days. Just with super-powers, and not Angela Bassett, regrettably.)
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Freedomverse South and West

Post by Ian Turner »

Aand, a completely different katana-chick. Inspired by one of my City of Heroes Scrappers, a Katana/Super-Reflexes build, who was basically 'what if Catwoman had a katana, and was supernaturally good with it? Or, what if Katana was a cat-burglar, who stole the magic sword and got possessed by the spirits of honorable ancestral samurai and became a crime-fighter, instead of a thief?'



Masakado PL 6
Tagline
Real Name Miyo Saito Age 21 Hair Black
Occupation art-thief / cat-burglar Place of Origin Tokyo
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12 [22]
Saves: Toughness: +2, Fortitude: +5, Reflex: +6, Will: +5 [9]
Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+7), Bluff 8 (+9), Climb 4 (+5), Computers 4 (+6), Concentration, Craft (), Diplomacy, Disable Device 4 (+6), Disguise 4 (+5), Drive, Escape Artist 4 (+7), Gather Information 4 (+5), Handle Animal, Intimidation, Investigate, Knowledge (arts) 4 (+6), Language 2 (English, Arabic, Japanese), Medicine, Notice 4 (+6), Perform, Pilot, Profession (), Ride, Search 4 (+6), Sense Motive 4 (+6), Sleight of Hand 4 (+7), Stealth 8 (+11), Survival, Swim 2 (+3) [17]
Feats: Attractive, Distract (bluff), Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 2, Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative, Quick-Draw [11]
Equipment: Katana (5 ep), undercover vest (3 ep), cellphone, lockpicks
Powers:
Ancestral Memory Enhanced Feats (Attack Focus 1, Attack Specialization 1 (katana), Dodge Focus 2, Improved Critical (katana), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Power Attack, Flaw: Limit (must hold katana)) [4]
Strength of my Ancestors Boost (Strength) 8 (Extra: Total Fade, Flaw: Personal, PF: Slow Fade 3 (20 minutes)) [11]
Super-Senses 4 (Psychometry) [4]
Combat: Attack: +3 (), Damage: +1, Defense: +3 (+2 flat-footed), Initiative: +5 [12]
Normal Atk +3 (+4 melee, +6 w/katana), Dam +1 (+4 w/katana, +6 w/Boost & katana (capped), +5 w/boost), Def +6 (+2 flat-footed, +8 w/katana), Tough +4
[22 +9 +17 +11 +19 +12 = 90 pp]

Miyo is a thrill-seeking masked cat-burglar possessed by honorable spirits within the ancient katana she stole and forced to operate as a super-hero!

A bit of a wild child, Miyo learned the ways of the art thief and cat-burglar from her father, who may have dabbled a bit in that as a youth (and, somewhat ironically, now ran one of Tokyo's many art museums...). She bit off more than she could chew when she stole the ancestral blade of a prominent family, with those employing her intending to ransom it back to the family in return for other concessions. The sword had other plans.

At first dismissing her as an honorless thief, they intended to simply march her back into the compound and turn her over to their rightful owners, but came to internal conflict as to whether or not the current generation of their family were 'rightful' anything, and if they could not instead find honor in the outside world...

Now she uses the sword with the skill and strength of the dozen samurai whose spirits remain in contact with the blade that carried their family’s honor. The samurai-spirit-fragments are almost all staunchly traditionalist men of their era (and therefore misogynistic pigs by her standards), but it turns out one spirit sleeping within the blade is that of a woman who avenged the death of her father by picking up his sword and killing his betrayer, to the shock of all present (who had not considered her a threat). She died moments later, but was, by birth, a samurai, and considered such at the time of her death by those who approved her actions against the man who killed her father, the lord of their estate.

Masakado will learn much later that the sword isn’t magical at all, but that the power to tap into the spiritual resonances left behind in objects is inherent to her (which will at first manifest as psychometry). The 'honorable spirits' are a reflection of her own psyche reacting to the memories and powerful personalities of those long dead. By the time she figures this out and regains full control of herself, she will be less crook-forced-into-heroism, and more ready to embrace that path on her own, despite a few false starts, bad decisions and ‘misunderstandings,’ and plenty of leftover skills and contacts related to larceny from her ‘old life.’
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Set's Sideways Supers (was Freedomverse South and West)

Post by Ian Turner »

In the Marvel universe, where figures like the Hulk have been alternately seen as hero or menace, depending on which way the proverbial wind is blowing, there's a group in an Albuquerque high school called 'the Gamma Squad.' They started as a mix of superhero fanboys, and some science enthusiasts, forming a club at their school to 'study topics like high-energy physics, human mutation and the evolution of our culture in the face of the rise of superhumanity' or some such breathtaking hogwash to get approval from on high for such a club.

They've been around for over a decade, long enough that the original founders have all long since graduated, and it was only this year that they got approval to go on a field trip to the Almagordo Proving Grounds, birthplace of the Hulk, their 'club mascot.'

And then it all went pear-shaped. It turns out that one of the students, a rabid superhero fanboy who desperately wanted to become a mutant, get some alien nega-bands, be bitten by a radioactive *anything* had been in contact with a mysterious penpal on the internet, and had been used the blood tests the students had taken as part of their studies into genetics to figure out which six of the seventeen teens in the club had the best potential for mutation. Once they arrived at the site, their unknown benefactor had rigged up a little surprise from machinery long ago decomissioned and thought to be harmless, so that when those six teens entered the wrong room, they were bathed in a dose of gamma radiation that *should* have ended their short lives...

And so a new teen team was made, not born. Code Green.
Ian Turner
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:54 pm

Re: Set's Sideways Supers (was Freedomverse South and West)

Post by Ian Turner »

Lani Descheeni is full blood Navajo, but does not have the traditional Native American chip on her shoulder that characters like James Proudstar sometimes have. She did not grow up on a reservation (her parents left it by choice, and her mother is a realtor and her father runs a landscaping company), and she avoids buckskin, beads, feathers, other stereotypical elements, although she does have a Mr. T-worthy collection of silver and turquoise pendants on macramé cords around her neck (her mothers parents on the reservation craft jewelry for a living, she does macramé and hair braids as a hobby). She joined 'Gamma Squad' on a lark (her mother was researching land where gamma testing happened that came up for lease from the government, and wanted to know more). She never expected anything like this, never wanted to be a superhero, never felt alienated or dispossessed, and yet is absolutely loving it.

She's always been a bit of a tomboy, liking to hike and 'rough it,' and even serving as a wilderness guide and scout, but has now shot up to over six feet in height, with a build like a lady bodybuilder, and two-toned skin counter-shaded like that of a killer whale, alternating green and pale grey in color (instead of an orca's traditional black and white countershading). Her head is shaved on one side, and is now dark green. She appears to be slightly better at swimming, and is able to breath underwater, but is not otherwise adapted for underwater existence, at least, not yet... She's unable to change form back to a human form, and she's kind of okay with that.

Teen Hulk PL 6
Real Name Lani Descheeni Age 16 Hair Greenish-Black
Occupation superhero Place of Origin Albuqurque, New Mexico
Str 26, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 12 [38]
Saves: Toughness: +5, Fortitude: +8, Reflex: +5, Will: +5 [9]
Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+4), Bluff 2 (+3), Climb 4 (+12), Computers, Concentration, Craft (artistic) 8 (+9), Craft (structural) 2 (+3), Diplomacy 1 (+2), Disable Device, Disguise, Drive, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidation 4 (+5), Investigate, Knowledge (earth sciences) 4 (+5), Language 1 (Navajo), Medicine 2 (+4), Notice 2 (+4), Perform, Pilot, Profession (), Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth 2 (+4), Survival 2 (+4), Swim 4 (+12) [10]
Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 1, Diehard, Dodge Focus 1, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Leadership. Stunning Attack [8]
Powers:
Immunity 2 (breathe underwater, radiation), [2]
Protection 3 (Extra: Impervious), [6]
+5 Impervious to Toughness, (5)
Combat: Attack: +3 (), Damage: +3, Defense: +3 (), Initiative: +5 [12]
Normal Atk +3 (+4 melee), Dam +8, Def +4 (+2 flat-footed), Tough +8 (Impervious)
[38 +9 +10 +8 +13 +12 = 90 pp]
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