The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Red Ronin! Netsuko Nishimura! Rinako Saeki! Fujiko Yoshihara! Masaru Kido!)

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EternalPhoenix
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Kiske, Of The Thousand

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Kiske, Of The Thousand

Power Level: 13; Power Points Spent: 300/300

STR: +5 (20), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +5 (20), INT: +7 (25), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +10, Fort: +10, Ref: +16, Will: +10

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Gather Information 12 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 13 (+20), Knowledge (tactics) 13 (+20), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 13 (+20), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10)

Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 2, Attack Specialization 2 (Blossom Strike (Strike 5)), Benefit (Devil Hunter Supreme Commander), Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 6, Eidetic Memory, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Blossom Strike (Strike 5)), Improved Critical 2 (Mystic Blast (Blast 16)), Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Master Plan, Master Plan 2 (tactics), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Skill Mastery (Bluff, KN (tactics), Notice, Sense Motive), Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Enchanted Durability (Protection 5) (+5 Toughness)

Immortality (Ageless) (Immunity 1) (aging)

Immortality (Regenerative) (Regeneration 11) (recovery bonus 4 (+4 to recover), recovery rate (disabled) 2 (recover 1 / hour), recovery rate (injured) 2 (recover 1 / 5 mins), recovery rate (staggered) 2 (recover 1 / 5 mins), resurrection 1 (1 week); Persistent, Regrowth)

Last Second Parry (Luck Control 1) (force a re-roll; Limited 2 (Attacks against self))

Mirror Moon, Ocean Blossom (Device 16) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Blossom Strike (Strike 5) (DC 25, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Blossom Strike (Strike 5)); Affects Insubstantial 2 (full power), Mighty)
. . Lunar Hypnosis (Illusion 13) (affects: all sense types, DC 23; Duration (sustained); Progression, Area 5 (250 ft. radius))

Omnilingual (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

One Thousand Spells (Array 18) (default power: blast)
. . Enchanted Leaping (Leaping 6) (Alternate; Jumping distance: x100)
. . Enchanted Might (Super-Strength 6) (Alternate; +30 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 12.8 tons; +6 STR to some checks)
. . Enchanted Movement (Super-Movement 3) (Alternate; air walking 2 (full speed), slow fall)
. . Enchanted Quickness (Quickness 6) (Alternate; Perform routine tasks at 100x speed)
. . Enchanted Speed (Speed 6) (Alternate; Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd)
. . Mystic Bindings (Snare 10) (Array; DC 20; Regenerating; Accurate 3 (+6), Precise, Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Magic))
. . Mystic Blast (Blast 16) (Array; DC 31, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Mystic Blast (Blast 16)); Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Magic))
. . Mystic Bolts (Blast 10) (Default; DC 25; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 3 (+6), Precise, Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Magic))
. . Mystic Burst (Blast 10) (Array; DC 25; Burst Area (50-1250 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25), Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Magic))
. . Mystic Dazzle (Dazzle 10) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual - auditory, DC 20; Accurate 3 (+6), Precise, Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Magic))
. . Mystic Passage (Teleport 9) (Array; 20000 miles as full action; Accurate, Portal; Long-Range)
. . Mystic Telekinesis (Move Object 16) (Array; Strength: 80, Carry: 272.4 tons / 544.8 tons / 819.2 tons / 1.6k tons; Indirect 3 (any point, any direction), Precise)

Sword Supremacy (Probability Control 1) (Minimum Result: 1; Limited 2 (Swords))

Attack Bonus: +10 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +12, Grapple: +17/+23)

Attacks: Blossom Strike (Strike 5), +16 (DC 25), Mystic Bindings (Snare 10), +16 (DC Ref/Staged 20), Mystic Blast (Blast 16), +10 (DC 31), Mystic Bolts (Blast 10), +16 (DC 25), Mystic Burst (Blast 10) (DC 25), Mystic Dazzle (Dazzle 10), +16 (DC Fort/Ref 20), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 20)

Defense: +16 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -5

Initiative: +7

Languages: Okinawan Native

Totals: Abilities 53 + Skills 30 (118 ranks) + Feats 31 + Powers 121 + Combat 40 + Saves 25 + Drawbacks 0 = 300

Age (as of Jan 2019): Unknown (known to be at least 300 years)
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 180 lbs
Ethnicity: Okinawan
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Theme Songs: A Thousand Reasons, by Fabvl & Hear Me, by Divide Music

Background: Kiske of the Thousand was a good man once. A hero, the greatest of his society of demon hunters. As was traditional, he was trained in a group of four. They were closer than siblings. The whole quartet were prodigies, and quickly became known as great heroes of the society. The war against the local demon sect had been raging forever. And it was clear that the demonl hunters could win. Advantages went unpressed. Opportunities were abandoned. In fairness, almost all would have required them to behave as monstrously as demons. To abandon their honor, morals, and principles just for mere victory. And so, the war went on. Demon hunters died or were corrupted by evil and executed. Kiske’s quartet was no exception. One sacrificed himself to contain a massive threat. Another was corrupted, but as Kiske attacked the third (ignorant of the corruption) stepped in the way to stop the fight and died. Kiske finally killed the last after that. And the war went on. Theirs was just another story of it. But Kiske’s eyes were opened. He’d always heeded the wisdom of the elders. But he saw it now. These…morals. These…ethics. These…principles. They were prolonging the war for their own honor. What use was being good, noble, and just if it only led to a pile of corpses? To suffering, misery, and despair? No. Enough. Kiske didn’t care about any of that anymore. He just wanted the dying to stop. He took steps, and others followed him. Some ignorant, and some with eyes open. In one brilliant tactical move, he let a demon hit platoon in to kill the elders. The elders died, and the hit platoon was slaughtered. Without leadership, Kiske himself took command and channeled the rage of his compatriots into a full scale massacre of the demon sect. Warriors, noncombatants, children, all were cut down. The war was ended. But the world still held demons. There were other sects, and they all needed to go. But this time it would be done without any unnecessary clinging to morality, nobility, or honor. As time passed, Kiske crossed line after line until he no longer could be considered a good man. And he dragged his society down with him. He never understood that the entire point of their existence wasn’t about winning fights, but souls. There will always be demons. Life will always contain suffering, misery, and despair. People will always die. What matters is how people live, not just that they do. This is why Kiske has fallen so low and has no idea. It is a concept he has not and will likely never grasp. And he has just enough justifiable pride in his own abilities to discount anyone speaking to him. He cannot see that his society has shrunken over the centuries, and that they are little more than a band of rogue killers. Powerful? Able to slaughter ordinary demons in droves? Yes. Hero? Able to protect from temptation and evil? No.

. . Normally, Kiske would spurn an offer like the one to join the League of Seven. He doesn’t see himself and his group as villains, after all, and to hell with what the Grand Wizard Methion thinks. He’ll remove him from the equation if he makes a move. Hubris defined, that Kiske. Naturally, Methion knew this and sweetened the pot with various tidbits of magical knowledge and knowledge of the membership. The only “he’s hopelessly evil” dealbreaker was Yori Newgate, and the chance to study his Umbral Gem was simply too good to pass up. So Kiske joined up. He, understandably, doesn’t see it as a villainous group. As heroic as him and his? No. But do they do what’s necessary to survive, regardless of moral grandstanding? It’s a start.

Powers & Tactics: Kiske is both a master swordsman and a master magician. He has a potent enchanted sword, the symbol of his group, and his body is also well enchanted. Mirror Moon, Ocean Blossom can only be properly used by him. For anyone else it is an ordinary Damage 3 (Mighty, Improved Crit) Sword. This is because it was originally drawn from his soul in a rather intense magical ceremony and corporealized into a nigh unbreakable blade with a special magical ability. It is much more effective than normal swords in his hands, having more power, more sharpness, and the ability to cut incorporeal foes without any reduction in effectiveness. The special powers of his society’s swords traditionally fall into the realms of Flame, Frost, or Shock. But every so often, someone different emerges. Like Kiske, and his Lunar Hypnosis illusions. They affect every sense perfectly. The only caveat is that the blade of the sword needs to be visible, meaning it is unsheathed. While he can’t conceal things directly, he can make anything look, sound, smell, feel, or even taste like something else.

. . As a master magician, well…he is Kiske, of The Thousand Spells. This is, arguably, understating things. He is not merely a master but a genius magical prodigy. He has had centuries to find new spells and master them. And there is his specific talent of his, which is why he’s so good. His nickname in training was Mirror Mimic, because any spell he only has to see once and then he can perform it. It isn’t mimicry as a superhuman power. He’s replicating the effects with his own magical abilities. He’s just that good, and even from early days had that much of an encyclopedic knowledge of magic and spells. As such these days he has a dazzling variety of spells as his disposal. He can do damage in big, rapid fire, and area varieties. He can bind limbs, dazzle senses, teleport, and lift vast weights at range. But his favorite thing to do is enhance his body. This enhanced his mobility considerably with enhanced speed, leaping, and the ability to walk on air itself. His carrying capacity is also increased.

. . The enchantments to his body are relatively subtle by comparison. His physical durability is significantly higher, he can speak, read, and understand all languages, and he is effectively immortal. That last one is something of a big deal in the Phoenixverse. Agelessness is difficult enough to acquire, but the ability to return from death (even if it’s after a week) is vanishingly rare. The list of (former) mortals who can do that is short indeed.

. . Tactically, he is Kiske, of the Thousand Plans. It is an exercise in overcoming great odds just to get to fight him at all. He is beyond mastery in tactical matters, so expect extreme difficulty in responding to his activities in time to do anything about them. If you do, expect to wade through his lieutenants (who are no pushovers) first. Once you do that, you are faced with a man who can effortlessly deceive all of your senses with Lunar Hypnosis. So you may fight an illusory copy of him and not know. Or feel a gentle caress instead of his blade cutting through your flesh. Or suddenly be faced with an empty room, as he’s departed while you were wrapped in illusions. If you somehow make yourself an obstacle to his plans, he’ll simply kill you while you have no clue where he is. Unless you can consistently sense through his illusions, you have no way to legitimately fight him. If you can do this, then you have to deal with a master swordsman who can slice to you ribbons in melee and a master magician who do just about whatever he wants to do to you from range. It will be a very stiff and difficult fight. Because he is Kiske, of the Thousand Plans and he can engage a Master Plan at any time for full bonus. He can move his caps around to his heart’s content. Improved Feint and Improved Taunt can ruin your day. Good luck. You’l need it. Personally I would not count any power stunts off his array as such and grant Hero Points, but that’s just me. Feel free to do so. Said power stunts can be basically anything you can think of that fits into 36 PP and meets caps if an attack power. While he can cast a variety of utility spells, his own mindset leads to using combat spells. So keep that in mind.

Personality: Kiske, of the Thousand. Thousand what? Plans, reasons, spells, agonies. Take your pick. It’s probably accurate. At first, he seems like a hero. A good man. He says all the right things. But he has allowed ruthless pragmatism to utterly consume him. Because he believes he’s right, and so far to his eyes events have born that out. The sin of pride, writ large. He’s a master manipulator, with plans within plans and always in control. He can come off as cold and emotionless once the hero mask is off, but this isn’t the case at all. Inside, deep inside, is a storm of pain and rage that has never abated. He controls it, and well, but is completely ignorant to how much it drives him. For no matter what he has to do, no one will suffer as he has suffered. This is, of course, why Methion picked him. Because the same things drive the Grand Wizard, only he is well aware of them.

. . Of the League of Seven, Kiske is the one they all basically hate. He’s a villain. A bad guy. A thief and remorseless killer. It’s obvious to anyone with a set of functioning eyes and brain. How open they are about it varies, however, and of course Daisuke is the exception as he shows no feelings of any kind. And in fairness he hates them all right back. They’re villains. Terrible, horrible, awful people. He’s a hero. Saving lives from demons every day. Honestly. Yori is the worst, but the Umbral Gen is his study project. Ruslan is a meathead with more muscles than brains. Daisuke is a sad puppet who can’t see his strings. He should probably kill Lakis (the man is exceedingly delusional), but pissing off the entire Greek pantheon is a bad idea. Even if they don’t like Thanatos, he’s family and his revenge attempt could snowball into a war with them. Shazza is absolutely pitiful. Rage and spite hiding a wounded child. And Valia? The Baroness is a relic with delusions of both grandeur and relevance.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Tue Aug 15, 2023 12:23 pm, edited 4 times in total.
The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse!)
The Archetype Blendarama!
You, Dear Reader, may comment on any build at any time. I will be happy regardless.
User avatar
EternalPhoenix
Posts: 1858
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:42 am
Location: The Land of Mary

Ruslan Turgenev

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Ruslan Turgenev

Power Level: 14; Power Points Spent: 250/250

STR: +17 (20/45), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +17 (20/45), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +17, Fort: +17, Ref: +10, Will: +10

Skills: Acrobatics 10 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Concentration 17 (+20), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (current events) 7 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 17 (+20), Knowledge (tactics) 12 (+15), Language 5 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 10 (+15)

Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Startle, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 4, Evasion, Grappling Finesse, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed Attack), Improved Defense 2, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Skill Mastery 2 (Acro, Bluff, Intim, Notice, Sen Mot), Startle, Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Demonic Power Levels (Alternate Form 12)
. . True 100 Percent (Alternate Form) (Powers: Impervious Toughness 12, Super-Strength 7, Strength +25 (45, +17), Constitution +25 (45, +17), Attack Bonus -4 (+7/+11 Melee), Defense Bonus -4 (+11))
. . . . Impervious Toughness 12
. . . . Super-Strength 7 (+35 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 819.2 tons; +7 STR to some checks)

Martial Arts Training (Container, Passive 2)
. . Leaping 2 (Jumping distance: x5)
. . Quickness 2 (Perform routine tasks at 5x speed)
. . Speed 2 (Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd)
. . Super-Movement 1 (slow fall)

Power Settings:
25 Percent (Alternate Form) (Powers: Impervious Toughness 4, Super-Strength 3, Strength +5 (25, +7), Constitution +5 (25, +7))
50 Percent (Alternate Form) (Powers: Impervious Toughness 6, Super-Strength 4, Strength +10 (30, +10), Constitution +10 (30, +10), Attack Bonus -1 (+10/+14 Melee), Defense Bonus -1 (+14))
75 Percent (Alternate Form) (Powers: Impervious Toughness 8, Super-Strength 5, Strength +15 (35, +12), Constitution +15 (35, +12), Attack Bonus -1 (+10/+14 Melee), Defense Bonus -1 (+14))
100 Percent (Alternate Form) (Powers: Impervious Toughness 10, Super-Strength 6, Strength +20 (40, +15), Constitution +20 (40, +15), Attack Bonus -4 (+7/+11 Melee), Defense Bonus -4 (+11))
True 100 Percent (Alternate Form) (Powers: Impervious Toughness 12, Super-Strength 7, Strength +25 (45, +17), Constitution +25 (45, +17), Attack Bonus -4 (+7/+11 Melee), Defense Bonus -4 (+11))

Attack Bonus: +11/+7 (Ranged: +11/+7, Melee: +15/+11, Grapple: +32/+35)

Attacks: Unarmed Attack, +11 (DC 32)

Defense: +15/+11 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -14

Initiative: +9

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Japanese, Russian Native, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 48 + Skills 35 (140 ranks) + Feats 37 + Powers 74 + Combat 44 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 250

Age (as of Jan 2019): 114
Height: 7’ (Normal & 25 Percent); 7’ 5” (50 Percent & 75 Percent); 7’ 10” (100 Percent & True 100 Percent)
Weight: 350 lbs (Normal & 25 Percent); 425 lbs (50 Percent & 75 Percent); 500 lbs (100 Percent & True 100 Percent)
Ethnicity: Russian
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Background: Ruslan Turgenev started as a hero. A skilled martial artist who fought demons in his native Russia. But time and the sheer limitation of being only human wore on him. Still, he built a dojo, gathered students, and even married a fellow demon fighting martial artist. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good. It was enough. And then, while he and his wife were away on a trip, a powerful demon destroyed his dojo and massacred his students. The only chance for vengeance was at a certain martial arts tournament deep in Siberia. He needed a team of five. With his wife, they recruited three more. At the tournament, they fought their way through to the end. There, Ruslan beat the demon to death with his bare hands. The tournament had a reward for winning, however. Whatever the surviving winners desired. As only he and his wife were left, that meant two wishes. Frustrated beyond endurance with his human weakness, Ruslan chose to shed it forever and assume the power of the demon he had just killed. His wife pleaded with him not to, but he did it anyway. He was an immensely powerful demon now, and standing next to someone who couldn’t let such a thing escape to kill humans. He did not want to fight her, but he didn’t want to die even more. And so he beat his wife to death with his bare hands, too. But only his body had been changed, not his mind. He had what he wanted. But oh gods, was the price ever dear. Age would not weaken him. He had strength and toughness beyond steel’s ability to match. As time passed, he learned how to generate more and more power. But now he was the target of demon hunters. Allies, friends, and acquaintances fell to his fists. He learned his wife had survived, due to her wish, and that she wanted nothing to do with him. The demon outside was a remorseless monster, but the man inside? Not so much. Still, years of mercenary work built up something resembling an organization and contacts. So when the Grand Wizard Methion came calling, Ruslan had no objections to joining this League of Seven.

Powers & Tactics: Ruslan is essentially a demon now, albeit one with no esoteric powers or external command over Hellfire. He can channel it, but only internally. Specifically, for incredible strength and durability. He was a master martial artist to begin with, so this is an absolutely deadly combination. He can control the percentage of his power channeled, as the more he channels, the bulkier he becomes. This reduces his accuracy, and so is only worth it against foes that can take that kind of punishment and keep going. The names of the levels are lies he tells his opponents. 25 Percent (which is actually 20 percent) isn’t outside of human ability, and doesn’t inhibit his movements at all, but 50 Percent (actually 40) and 75 Percent (actually 60) certainly are and do inhibit his movements slightly. 100 Percent (actually 80) and True 100 Percent (not a lie) are otherworldly in physical power and durability, but his bulk now significantly inhibits his movements.

. . He has kept up his training from his martial arts days, as well, and so is surprisingly mobile for such a huge powerhouse. He runs fast, moves quick, and leaps higher than unpowered humans do, even without channeling Hellfire.

. . Tactically, well…he’s an unarmed melee fighter. The only thing he does is unarmed strikes. With that said, he has the Improved versions of Acrobatic Bluff, Feint, Demoralize, Startle, and Taunt. So he’s got the full list of options to get an opponent flat footed and punched out. In addition, he has all of the cap shifting feats and Stunning Attack to keep things interesting. Basically still fights like he doesn’t have any powers. Just like the PL 10 Martial Artist he once was. Being careful not to get hit too much. Smashing weapons out of hands. Grappling when necessary. He has no power stunts available.

Personality: Ruslan hates himself. His self loathing is without limit, and includes an active desire to die. However, suicide is not enough of a punishment for his sins. And honestly…he’s afraid to die. Isn’t that strange? A man with a death wish who is afraid of dying? Therefore, he seeks someone capable of killing him in a fight. On the outside, he shows little emotion aside from indulging slightly in the demonic penchant for sadism. To all outward appearances he is the remorseless killing machine he pretends to be. However, he is also a man of his word, and will only do what he is being paid to do. If they’re paying for protection and not killing then his enemies will remain alive. He avoids collateral damage whenever possible. He calls it professionalism, but in truth? There is still just enough of the hero he was in him for that.

. . Ruslan is an old pro. The League of Seven is not his first rodeo. Yes, fuck Kiske with the fury of a thousand exploding suns. A less justifiably arrogant son of a bitch, he has never met. But the rest are fine. He just…doesn’t really care about them. If they want to do business that’s fine. If not, he doesn’t really think about them. They’re all much more dangerous than they pretend to be. Yes, even Valia, unsubtle with it as she is. He’s old enough to remember. Her ego (bigger than even Kiske’s, astonishingly) is almost justified, considering. The 70s were a wild time. And that includes some bleed over from the late 60s and early 80s. 
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:15 am, edited 3 times in total.
The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse!)
The Archetype Blendarama!
You, Dear Reader, may comment on any build at any time. I will be happy regardless.
User avatar
EternalPhoenix
Posts: 1858
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:42 am
Location: The Land of Mary

Daisuke Uehara

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Daisuke Uehara

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 250/250

STR: +1 (12), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +1 (12), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +0 (10)

Tough: +1/+5, Fort: +7, Ref: +16, Will: +10

Skills: Acrobatics 10 (+15), Diplomacy 12 (+12), Disable Device 12 (+15), Gather Information 10 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 2 (+5), Knowledge (life sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 12 (+15), Knowledge (tactics) 7 (+10), Medicine 5 (+10), Notice 15 (+20), Search 7 (+10), Sense Motive 5 (+10), Stealth 15 (+20), Survival 5 (+10)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 2, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus, Equipment 1, Evasion 2, Grappling Finesse, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical 2 (Ninja Sword (Strike 3)), Improved Critical 2 (Poison Needle (Strike 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Wrist Crossbow (Blast 4)), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Disable Device, Notice, Stealth), Sneak Attack (+2), Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Elite Ninja Training (Container, Passive 2)
. . Leaping 1 (Jumping distance: x2)
. . Speed 1 (Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)
. . Super-Movement 4 (perfect balance, slow fall, sure-footed 1 (25% penalty reduction), trackless)

Ninja Arsenal (Device 3) (Easy to lose; Custom 3 (Multiple Weapons 3))
. . Ninja Arsenal (Array 6) (default power: strike)
. . . . Customized Shuriken (Blast 3) (Array; DC 19; Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [1 extra rank]; Accurate (+2), Mighty (+1 to damage))
. . . . Ninja Sword (Strike 3) (Default; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Ninja Sword (Strike 3)); Penetrating [1 extra rank]; Mighty, Precise, Subtle (subtle))
. . . . Poison Needle (Strike 4) (Array; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Poison Needle (Strike 4)); Alternate Save (Fortitude); Custom (Insidious), Subtle (subtle))
. . . . Wrist Crossbow (Blast 4) (Array; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Wrist Crossbow (Blast 4)); Accurate (+2), Subtle (subtle))

Polyglot (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all; Limited (Languages with more than a million speakers))

Shinobi Armor (Device 3) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle))
. . Body Armor (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness)
. . Herbal Drug Infusion (Healing 4) (Action (standard), Restoration; Personal)

The Auburn Crown (Array 24) (default power: illusion)
. . Crown Of Desecration (Damage 9) (Array; DC 24; Alternate Save (Will), Range 2 (perception), Secondary Effect; Sense-Dependent (Visual); Subtle 2 (unnoticable))
. . Crown Of Mind (Linked)
. . . . Mind Control 11 (Linked; DC 21; Conscious, Duration (sustained); Sense-Dependent (Visual); Custom (Insidious), Subtle (subtle))
. . . . Mind Reading 11 (Linked; DC 21; Duration (sustained); Sense-Dependent (Visual); Custom (Insidious), Subtle (subtle))
. . Crown Of The Unreal (Illusion 11) (Default; affects: all sense types, DC 21; Duration (sustained); Phantasms; Progression, Area 4 (100 ft. radius))

Equipment: Mission Specific Equipment 5

Attack Bonus: +14 (Ranged: +14, Melee: +16, Grapple: +21)

Attacks: Crown Of Desecration (Damage 9) (DC Staged/Will 24), Customized Shuriken (Blast 3), +16 (DC 19), Mind Control 11 (DC Will 21), Mind Reading 11 (DC Will 21), Ninja Sword (Strike 3), +16 (DC 19), Poison Needle (Strike 4), +16 (DC Fort 19), Unarmed Attack, +16 (DC 16), Wrist Crossbow (Blast 4), +16 (DC 19)

Defense: +16 (Flat-footed: +8), Knockback: -2

Initiative: +9

Languages: Japanese Native

Totals: Abilities 30 + Skills 31 (124 ranks) + Feats 21 + Powers 88 + Combat 58 + Saves 22 + Drawbacks 0 = 250

Age (as of Jan 2019): 21
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 150 lbs
Ethnicity: Japanese
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Theme Song: Auburn Crown, by Fabvl

Background: Daisuke Uehara is the perfect ninja. The flawless ideal of what a true shinobi should be. And it has cost him everything that ever mattered to him. He was born to the Uehara ninja clan, and from the time he could walk was trained in their ways. Those ways are a bit different from pop cultural interpretations. The ninja don’t have uniforms. They aren’t all peerless masters of stealth and assassination. What they are is simple. Freelance spies. Real spies. Their job is to be inconspicuous while learning information their employer desires to know. Assassination (in most cases) is a tool of last resort. For it exposes the ninja to potential capture and/or death. This does not mean that they aren’t trained fighters. Quite the opposite. However, it does mean that their skill sets can and do vary. The primary ninja skill trees are: the classic Assassin (source of the pop cultural image), Voice (disguise and deception), and Chi Wizard (which is a thing all it’s own). Assassin’s very name is a misnomer. They do far less killing than the name suggests. What they are is unseen and unknown. They are eyes and ears. When people think they are alone, they give up their secrets quite easily. Voices range from the classic con artist/seducer to the master of disguise and impersonation. Some targets must be convinced to give up their secrets. They will not surrender them to an unseen observer. Or security is simply too tight for a unauthorized human to penetrate it. Thus, someone authorized must get in. This is the job of the Voice. Chi Wizard is a more…esoteric…skill set. There are a variety of abilities that can be fueled by the body’s natural chi energies. Ninja typically use these powers to augment their abilities from the other two skill trees, but there are those who pursue mastery of chi as an end to inself. They are to be feared, as they can mimic most of what the other two skill trees can do, and much more power besides. However, the path of chi is longer and more difficult, so true Chi Wizards are rare.

. . He was a prodigy, excelling as his Assassin training. Chi Wizard was proving more challenging, but as Voice was completely beyond him he kept working diligently. Until, at age 15 he was summoned before the leader of all the ninja clans. This aging man (due one day to be killed and replaced by Penny Nihara [see NPC Investigations]) gave young Daisuke a mission. Kill his clan. Every single one. Their grudge from Japan’s loss in WWII and the resulting humiliation of the Emperor (in their eyes) was about to threaten the ninja clans and Japan itself. Daisuke’s heart protested, vigorously. Even his reason told him that he would be branded traitor forever, his memory reviled. However, he was the flawless ideal. Nothing more than a tool to be used as his superiors saw fit. His heart protested from the locked, soundproof box he kept it in inside his mind. He would complete the task given to him by his superior, or die trying. However…the emotional stress was suppressed, not erased. The clan’s trademark Chi Wizard technique, the telepathic (but not psionic) Auburn Crown. Named such for how the user’s eyes appeared. The primary illusion casting power proved most useful as he killed his cousins. The retired. The old. Those still in training. The young. His aunts. His uncles. His father. His mother. He killed absolutely everyone, from over a century to under a year old. With a sword, shuriken, and whatever else he could get his hands on. Everyone…except his little brother. Clan Uehara’s sleepy town had over a thousand living people in it when the sun set. When it rose again, there was one. His beloved little brother, Shou. He stood there, with his mother’s literal blood on his literal hands. He looked at his brother. His brother looked back. The box cracked, just a little. He couldn’t do it. He. Couldn’t. Do. It. And gods help him, he was still trying. He used the Auburn Crown instead, and sealed all of Shou’s memories away.

. . The rest of the Uehara ninja were scattered across the globe, waiting for the signal to strike. A signal that would never come, but provided an opportunity for Daisuke to hunt down and kill them. It was not so difficult. And then…there was nothing left to do. A kinslayer and traitor would never receive new orders. His 16th birthday had not yet arrived. Well. He could seek out his own orders. There were clients going unserved. He settled into his new life as a freelance spy and assassin. He lives simply, with the majority of the proceeds of his activities held in a trust for his brother. The seal on Shou’s memories will break someday, and he will need resources with which to find Daisuke and kill him. In the meantime, the Grand Wizard Methion has invited him to a group of fellow professional criminals. It’s another source of orders. He has nothing else. The Auburn Crown drains copious amounts of Chi, compared to other forms of Chi Wizardry, just by being available for use. He was still mastering the basics of that school. He had not yet learned to how generate enough Chi to sustain such a thing. Chi is one’s life force and vital essence. Basically, his greatest power is slowly killing him. He does not have the knowledge to stop it. Nor does he have any way of gaining such knowledge or any real desire to do so. Therefore, as he declines, he has gathered a few like minded individuals to aid him.

Powers & Tactics: Daisuke, technically, does not have any superhuman powers. Even the Auburn Crown can technically be achieved by anyone through diligent training of their chi and undergoing significant emotional strain. All the Uehara clan did was figure out the shortcuts to avoid decades of effort. And even that was a generational process. He carries four weapons, wears a suit of light armor, and maintains, despite his growing infirmity, greater than normal movement abilities from his training.

. . The Auburn Crown techniques were devised to replicate actual magic and metahuman powers. Telepathic ones, specifically. Magic left traces. Vengeful mages in pursuit of offending ninja turned out…less than optimal. And metahumans were specifically genetic. Or carried imperfectly through bloodlines, as was understood at the time. And so, the Auburn Crown was developed. The ninja focuses their Chi through their own eyes (creating the jagged auburn irises) directly impacting the target’s mind. Understandably, line of sight to the target is required. The base effect that every Uehara clan ninja trained in Chi Wizardry learned (whether or not they could use it is another matter) was the Crown of the Unreal. It’s an illusion effect that can deceive all of the senses of an unlimited number of targets. The only limitation being that the ninja-Daisuke, in this case-has to be able to see all of their targets. There is also the Crown of Mind, which is a combination of reading a target’s mind and controlling it. It makes both infiltration and information gathering effortless. Everything the target knows and everything they can do is at the ninja’s disposal. With a little outside of the box thinking, no one will ever know the ninja was ever anywhere, as neither the target nor anyone watching them would be aware of anything wrong. The only problem is that the target has to see the ninja (specifically the ninja’s eyes) for this Crown to activate. Afterward this is unnecessary. The last of Daisuke’s Crown abilities is the Crown of Desecration. This too requires the ninja to be seen by the target. What it does is cause the target to suffer an horrific illusionary attack and then another shortly afterward. While the attacks themselves are an illusion, the damage they can inflict on the target’s mind is very real. Daisuke has killed with this Crown in the past.

. . As he has with each of his weapons. They’re basically what they say they are. Easily hidden, effective weaponry. A Ninja Sword. A Customized Shuriken. A Poison Needle. And a Wrist Crossbow. His accuracy when using them puts him among the best combatants, pure skill wise, on the planet. His Shinobi Armor is, well, armor. But it also can infuse him with Herbal Drugs whenever the Chi drain from the Auburn Crown threatens to take more of his vitality or he’s suffered significant injury. It doesn’t always work, mind, but it’s there. His Elite Ninja Training enhances his overall mobility slightly, and makes him impressively difficult to track.

. . Tactically, Daisuke is a nightmare. Elite ninja are bad enough, but one who can deceive all of your senses just by looking at you? If he doesn’t want to fight (and he usually doesn’t), between the Crown of Unreality and Hide In Plain Sight he’s simply gone. Stopping him from performing an assassination, corporate espionage, or sabotage is an impressively difficult task if you don’t have the Super Senses to penetrate his illusions and mundane Stealth. If you do, he’s still one of the finest combatants, skillwise, on the planet. And can tear apart your defenses with Improved Acrobatic Bluff. All Out and Power Attack are for aggressively disabling enemies while Defensive Attack is for escape and evasion if overwhelmed and/or outnumbered. And the Crown of Desecration is a hell of a trump card. He does not power stunt under any circumstances. What is on the sheet is what he has, as far as powers go.

Personality: Daisuke is the flawless ideal of shinobi. His emotions and desires are completely suppressed, so far as they’d affect his actions and decision making. He is utterly obedient to the task laid before him. And he hates himself more than anyone else could comprehend. His grief and despair at his actions are boundless. He is not insane or suffering from any mental illnesses or disorders. It would be easier if he was. Instead he simply has a passive death wish that his ninja training can’t entirely suppress. He seeks out orders, executes them, and performs bodily maintenance (eating, sleeping, exercising, etc) mechanically and without apparent feeling. It’s both very creepy and kind of sad at the same time. Only someone with empathic abilities would notice (and likely flee the room because of) his true feelings. A ninja, after all, is only a tool to be used. And a tool does not have feelings or desires of its own.

. . Of the League of Seven, he is the only one who is actually redeemable. It wasn’t Daisuke who decided to be a thief, spy, and assassin for hire. This is not the life he wished to live. It never was. But he took to the ninja training like a duck to water, and so his wants and feelings have become irrelevant. If that highly potent brainwashing can be broken, a very remorseful young man who is desperate to make amends will be found underneath. Of course, he will need to be convinced that making amends doesn’t require his death, and to be taught enough about Chi Wizardry so he can stop the Auburn Crown slowly killing him, but it is entirely possible to turn him into a hero. Probable? Likely? No. Possible? Yes.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Thu Jun 15, 2023 12:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Daisuke Uehara

Post by Gilliam »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:58 am Daisuke Uehara

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 250/250


. . Of the League of Seven, he is the only one who is actually redeemable. It wasn’t Daisuke who decided to be a thief, spy, and assassin for hire. This is not the life he wished to live. It never was. But he took to the ninja training like a duck to water, and so his wants and feelings have become irrelevant. If that highly potent brainwashing can be broken, a very remorseful young man who is desperate to make amends will be found underneath. Of course, he will need to be convinced that making amends doesn’t require his death, and to be taught enough about Chi Wizardry so he can stop the Auburn Crown slowly killing him, but it is entirely possible to turn him into a hero. Probable? Likely? No. Possible? Yes.
A nasty piece of work but you also feel sorry for him at the same time.
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Lakis Hasapis

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Lakis Hasapis

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 250/250

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +2 (14), INT: +7 (25), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +5 (20)

Tough: +2/+7, Fort: +7, Ref: +7, Will: +10

Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Bluff 15 (+20), Computers 13 (+20), Craft (electronic) 8 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 8 (+15), Diplomacy 15 (+20), Disguise 15 (+20), Drive 3 (+5), Gather Information 15 (+20), Investigate 8 (+15), Knowledge (business) 8 (+15), Knowledge (civics) 8 (+15), Knowledge (current events) 3 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+15), Knowledge (tactics) 13 (+20), Knowledge (technology) 8 (+15), Notice 5 (+10), Search 8 (+15), Sense Motive 15 (+20), Stealth 13 (+15)

Feats: Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Security Clearance (International Law Enforcement)), Benefit 3 (Wealth), Benefit 4 (Alternate Identity 4 (Leland Lawlett & 3 others)), Defensive Roll, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 2, Improved Defense, Jack-of-All-Trades, Master Plan, Master Plan 2 (tactics), Precise Shot, Quick Change 2, Quick Draw, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Comp, Diplo, Disg, Gather Info, Sen Mot, Stea), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Absolute Genius (Container, Passive 8)
. . Offensive and Defensive Analytics (Enhanced Trait 28) (Traits: Attack Bonus +7 (+12), Defense Bonus +7 (+12))
. . Omnilinguist (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)
. . Refined Senses (Super-Senses 3) (acute: Normal Olfactory, acute: Normal Taste, analytical: Normal Auditory)
. . Superior Mental Speed (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed; One Type (Mental))

Adaptable Sunglasses (Device 3) (Hard to lose, Only you can use; Subtle (subtle))
. . Datalink 3 (sense type: radio; Subtle 2 (unnoticable))
. . Sensory Shield 4 (sense: one sense - visual, +8 to saves vs. Dazzle attacks)
. . Super-Senses 6 (analytical (type): Visual, extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision, ultravision)

Synthskin Suit (Device 1) (Hard to lose, Only you can use; Subtle 2 (unnoticable))
. . Protection 4 (+4 Toughness; Subtle (subtle))

ThanaNote (Device 10) (Easy to lose; Subtle 2 (unnoticable))
. . Note Taking (Array 21) (default power: drain; Custom (Insidious), Incurable, Indirect 2 (any point, directed away), Subtle 2 (unnoticable), Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Divine); Custom (Array 20.5))
. . . . Sudden Death (Drain 10) (Default; drains: single trait - con, DC 20; Duration 2 (sustained), Range 2 (perception), Secondary Effect; Action (full), Limited (Must know targets real name); Slow Fade (1 minute))
. . . . Irrational Actions (Mind Control 10) (Array; DC 20; Duration (sustained), Effortless, Instant Command, Secondary Effect; Action (full), Limited (Must know targets real name); Mental Link)

Equipment: Heavy Pistol, 2 EP in miscellaneous gear

Attack Bonus: +5/+12 (Ranged: +5/+12, Melee: +5/+12, Grapple: +7/+14)

Attacks: Heavy Pistol, +12 (DC 19), Sudden Death (Drain 10) (DC Fort/Staged 20), Irrational Actions (Mind Control 10) (DC Will 20), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

Defense: +5/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +2

Languages: Greek Native

Totals: Abilities 47 + Skills 50 (200 ranks) + Feats 23 + Powers 95 + Combat 20 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 250

Age (as of Jan 2019): 25
Height: 5’ 10”
Weight: 165 lbs.
Ethnicity: Greek
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Brown

Theme Song: Light, by Divide Music

Background: Lakis Hasapis was a normal Greek teenager in Athens. Admittedly, he was a genius and a prodigy. But he had no superhuman powers or aspirations. His father was the equivalent of Chief of Detectives in Athens’s police force and he thought that maybe he’d be a detective or a prosecutor. He was graduating that year, after all. University was a no brainer. It was simply the choice between a Criminal Justice major and pursing a Law degree. And then the Greek god of Death (not the afterlife, dying itself), appeared before him. Thanatos granted Lakis power, in the form of the ThanaNote. Any name written or typed into it would die. They could also be given any command that would lead to their deaths. This was the birth of the serial killer known only as The Light. They say power doesn’t corrupt, it just reveals who you really were. For you see, Lakis harbored a desire to end crime itself. He was a very big fan of Vincent Mortelini (see BLACK and The Phantom Network) but also knew his hero would vehemently reject his adulation. There was little an ordinary person could do to pursue real justice, so he had resolved to settle somewhat for the regular variety. Except now he didn’t have to. Oh, it would make an excellent cover, but he could kill with impunity. A few experiments to test the ThanaNote’s limits, and he was set.

. . The emergence of a certain amoral detective provided Lakis with his first clue that it wouldn’t be quite so easy. His The Light persona became an absolute requirement to avoid scrutiny. The two geniuses fenced back and forth for over a year. The detective absolutely knew Lakis was The Light. It was a matter of proving it, and how he was killing in the first place. Lakis took every available safe opportunity to prevent this, including joining the task force hunting The Light (only possible for a mere high school graduate because his father was the leader). But at last, Lakis’s abilities proved superior. Because he convinced Thanatos, who had given him the ThanaNote for his own amusement, to kill the detective. After all, if Lakis lost and went to prison, Thanatos would be deprived of his amusement. And that wouldn’t do, now would it? Not that Lakis thought he was in any trouble, of course, but even being hunted like this was inhibiting him providing Thanatos with said amusment. Goodness, the detective was interfering in the affairs of gods. Thanatos, being an arrogant bastard like most of the Greek pantheon (and none too bright in the bargain), agreed. And so the detective died of a heretofore unnoticed heart defect. That hadn’t been there the day before.

. . Lakis went on with his life, attending university. His bachelor’s and master’s in the criminal justice field wouldn’t earn themselves, after all. He did not, however, take the kind of accelerated program someone with his intellect and GPA might be expected to. He needed the free time a normal schedule would bring. He was, after all, a vital cog in the task force investigating the The Light. Well. At least until Interpol took over. Too many deaths in too many countries. The Light had been busy (aka the other reason Lakis needed the free time). Athens would keep investigating, technically, but Interpol would now do the heavy lifting. It took earning his Bachelor’s degree to get onto that task force as a member of Interpol. He has recently graduated with his Master’s degree and is with Interpol full time now. He is a genuinely brilliant investigator and detective. One of the best in the world, in fact. He has earned a well deserved reputation for solving cases once thought impossible and bringing seemingly Teflon-coated criminals to justice. But alas, The Light remains one step ahead of him at all times. The serial killer remains every mocking of the efforts of law enforcement. It is always a race against time before The Light kills their most prominent suspects. Thanks to Lakis, they win more often now, but it’s still a bitter pill to be stymied by the law or a government only for The Light to strike. Still, Lakis has gotten the closest of anyone to unmasking The Light. A cult devoted to the serial killer has sprung up in recent years, and he has been instrumental in keeping them largely harmless as they struggle and fail to grow into a major terrorist group. There are rumblings and rumors that he is to be made Lead Investigator on The Light’s task force.

. . Part of the secret to Lakis’s success is his alternate identities. 4 very different men provide a wealth of connections and business wealth. The internet is such a useful tool. 1 for the business world (plenty of scum here, but one must be certain of their guilt before killing them), another for the criminal underworld (to learn who the big names are, the better to kill them), and 2 more with excellent excuses to travel (so he can kill). Effectively disguising oneself in the age of facial recognition is challenging, but Lakis is up to it. The Cult grows, but not too fast. He has no problem sacrificing those who would threaten him. This is the extent of the control he has over them. It’s grown up quite organically, with no input from him at all really. His life is a busy one. Cases to investigate. Money to make. Scum to kill. Busy, busy, busy.

. . Normally, Lakis would have ignored Methion’s offer to join the League of Seven. Honestly, he doesn’t know how he attracted the Grand Wizard’s attention. He’s neither hero nor villain, in his mind. However, his work for Interpol has revealed a startling level of evil that Methion is personally but not directly responsible for. And what better chance to rid the world of the Grand Wizard and those he’d consider allies? Except for Daisuke, the poor man. His life is more of a punishment than death could ever be, and it’s his clients who need to go. All Lakis has to do is learn their names and wait for the appropriate opportunity. How hard could it be? He is, after all, a God of Justice. Still. He may have the mind and power of a god, but he lacks the body of one. The few meetings he has attended have been via phone or hacked Skype account.

. . Meanwhile, Methion knows what Lakis does not. Hidden away in a secret school, that amoral detective’s successors have almost finished their training…

Powers & Tactics: Lakis is has no superhuman powers. He is, however, a genius with a long list of skills including technological mastery. He keeps a pair of devices (Synthskin Suit and Adaptable Sunglasses) for low key work, and carries a regular Heavy Pistol. He has effectively weaponized his genius to make him a truly superior human. And, of course, the reason he’s bothered with all of this. The showstopper of his devices. The ThanaNote.

. . The ThanaNote is a divine artifact. Its appearance is variable. Sometimes it’s an ordinary notebook. Sometimes it’s a tablet. But mostly, it’s his PDA. It’s not strange at all to see a modern young detective with a PDA to take notes with. Though most people assume it’s a phone. What it actually does is kill people. Input their name into the ThanaNote, and they die. That is its main function and indeed what Thanatos used it for. More precisely, it drains their vitality away without them or anyone watching being able to notice anything is wrong. A secondary function is able to control minds so that the target undertakes extremely risky or outright irrational actions. Generally, this is either committing murder themselves or getting themselves into a situation where escaping death would be extremely difficult if not impossible.

. . The Synthskin Suit is basically body armor. However, it doesn’t look like anything special in anyway. The durability boost of a Tactical Vest in what is essentially a leotard. The Adaptable Sunglasses, however, have a bit more to them. They help protect his sight from being dazzled, enhance his vision considerably, and allow him to quietly hack into any computer system within a thousand feet. The latter of which has been instrumental in law enforcement not connecting him with The Light.

. . How he has weaponized his mind is also a feat of brilliance. He isn’t a particularly well trained combatant. However, there are but so many angles a person can attack and be attacked from, if they can see their opponent(s). Additionally, there are but so many angles a person can dodge from and to. It’s also a matter of probability and playing the odds correctly. Offensive and Defensive Analytics, if you would. He’s quite good at this by now. He has also mastered every languages on earth, making him and Ommilinguist. He has refined his senses, enhancing scent, taste, and hearing. And he has accelerated his thought process through constant practice, discovering shortcuts that effective speed up his entire mind approximately one hundred times faster than a ordinary person.

. . Tactically, if Lakis is involved in open combat with superheroes, he’s already lost everything. Therefore the real battle with him is the mental battle. Because those who make themselves his enemy are enemies of Justice itself. And those must be killed. What must be pierced are the layers of protection he has given himself. His disguises. His alternate identities. His wealth. And his reputation. All the while protecting your real name from a man who can hack any database undetected, talk anyone into revealing your secrets, and who most of the law enforcement community will line up to defend. But say you do get him into open combat and he doesn’t know your real name. The best case scenario. He’s PL 10 defensively and PL 8 offensively. He’s keenly aware of this. He’s running the hell away unless it’s like a PL7 or two he can just shoot to death. If he does know your real name at any point, you’re going to have a tragic demise via Sudden Death unless you’ve got a ridiculous Fort save that can hit DC 20 significantly more often than it can’t. And those, very consciously, aren’t the circles he runs in. Again, while he may have the mind and power of a god, his flesh is all too mortal. He does actually have one power stunt available from the ThanaNote. Swap Damage for Drain on Sudden Death, keeping all Extras and Flaws. It doesn’t have a name, as he’s never actually used it. But if he gets desperate enough…

Personality: Lakis was always a bit of an arrogant narcissist, but having power over life and death ballooned this into a full blown god complex He does, however, understand his limitations. Once more, while he may have the mind and power of a god, his flesh is all too mortal. As long as he doesn’t get overconfident and start making stupid mistakes, he quite literally doesn’t believe he can ever lose. He has been chosen, in his mind, to be the modern world’s God of Justice. It is a tremendous responsibility that he must live up to at all costs. However, this is all internal. Externally he is a charming and brilliant detective. A man devoted to pursing justice by all legal means available. A paragon of unshakable integrity. The kind of man some superheroes like to point to as “the real heroes”. The irony is not lost on him.

. . Because he doesn’t see himself as a villain but instead as a God of Justice, understandably he is Not A Fan of the other members of the League. Yes, even Daisuke. But this is well camouflaged. With them, he can simply be The Light, not Lakis Hasapis, star Interpol detective. Let his freak flag fly, so to speak. For they know him only as The Light (this is actually true, Methion made sure of it as a condition he set for joining) and so he can let his narcissism free. The only one of them he doesn’t plan to murder is Daisuke, who is merely a puppet in constant search for a puppeteer. He’s a little too savvy for Lakis himself to permanently assume that role, but he does make an excellent distraction if anyone super comes hunting for The Light. And an exquisite lure/stalking horse for the kind of person who is capable of both contacting and hiring a literal rogue ninja assassin.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Sat Jan 27, 2024 1:05 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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EternalPhoenix
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Re: Daisuke Uehara

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Gilliam wrote: Tue Feb 08, 2022 8:51 am
EternalPhoenix wrote: Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:58 am Daisuke Uehara

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 250/250


. . Of the League of Seven, he is the only one who is actually redeemable. It wasn’t Daisuke who decided to be a thief, spy, and assassin for hire. This is not the life he wished to live. It never was. But he took to the ninja training like a duck to water, and so his wants and feelings have become irrelevant. If that highly potent brainwashing can be broken, a very remorseful young man who is desperate to make amends will be found underneath. Of course, he will need to be convinced that making amends doesn’t require his death, and to be taught enough about Chi Wizardry so he can stop the Auburn Crown slowly killing him, but it is entirely possible to turn him into a hero. Probable? Likely? No. Possible? Yes.
A nasty piece of work but you also feel sorry for him at the same time.
Ah, Daisuke. There are many tragic stories among the League and their subordinates (as I refer to them, it's not 100% accurate), but his is very likely the saddest. Though I'd argue one or three of the others tie him in sympathy points. It's gonna be a few days before we even get to the first of those, though. One build a day.
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Shazza Ferreira

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Shazza Ferreira

Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 250/250

STR: +5 (14/20), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +9, Ref: +9/+15, Will: +9

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Plasma Saber Burn (Drain 9)), Improved Critical 2 (Plasma Saber Slash (Strike 4)), Improved Initiative 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth), Takedown Attack, Ultimate Effort (Aim), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
ARMS System (Container, Passive 18)
. . Accelerated Movement (Super-Movement 6) (slow fall, sure-footed 2 (50% penalty reduction), wall-crawling 2 (full speed), water walking)
. . Accelerated Physiology (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed)
. . Accelerated Physiology (Speed 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd)
. . Accelerator Sub Systems (Enhanced Trait 33) (Traits: Attack Bonus +6 (+15), Defense Bonus +6 (+15), Reflex +6 (+15), Feats: Improved Initiative 3)
. . ARMS Sensors (Super-Senses 6) (direction sense, distance sense, extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision, ultravision)
. . Nanomachine Armor (Protection 6) (+6 Toughness; Impervious [3 extra ranks])
. . Nanomachine Might (Super-Strength 3) (+15 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 3.2k lbs; +3 STR to some checks)
. . Nanomachine Strength (Enhanced Strength 6) (+6 STR)

ARMS.EXE (Array 15) (default power: blast)
. . Assault Rifle Mode (Blast 9) (Default; DC 24; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Improved Range (225 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 2250 feet))
. . Flash Pellet Mode (Dazzle 9) (Array; affects: visual senses, DC 19; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General); Improved Range (225 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 2250 feet))
. . Maser Mode (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Alternate Save (Fortitude); Improved Range (225 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 2250 feet))
. . Micro Missile Mode (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45-90 ft. radius - Targeted); Improved Range (225 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Area (area x2), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 2250 feet))
. . Plasma Saber Mode (Linked)
. . . . Plasma Saber Burn (Drain 9) (Linked; drains: single trait - toughness, DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Plasma Saber Burn (Drain 9)); Affects Objects)
. . . . Plasma Saber Slash (Strike 4) (Linked; DC 24, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Plasma Saber Slash (Strike 4)); Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Mighty)

Attack Bonus: +9/+15 (Ranged: +9/+15, Melee: +9/+15, Grapple: +14/+23)

Attacks: Assault Rifle Mode (Blast 9), +15 (DC 24), Flash Pellet Mode (Dazzle 9) (DC Fort/Ref 19), Maser Mode (Blast 9), +15 (DC Fort 24), Micro Missile Mode (Blast 9), +15 (DC 24), Plasma Saber Burn (Drain 9), +15 (DC Fort/Staged 19), Plasma Saber Slash (Strike 4), +15 (DC 24), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 20)

Defense: +9/+15 (Flat-footed: +8), Knockback: -9

Initiative: +15

Languages: English, German, Portuguese Native

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 28 (112 ranks) + Feats 12 + Powers 124 + Combat 36 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 250

Age (as of Jan 2019): 19
Height: 5’ 6”
Weight: 150 lbs. (30 lbs of nanomachines)
Ethnicity: Brazilian (Mixed Race, Pardo in Brazil)
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown

Theme Song: Cross My Heart, by Fabvl

Background: Shazza Ferreira is a brutal, violent young woman with no regard for anyone who isn’t a part of her gang. She is a damaged ball of rage and spite with a body count that spans the entire socioeconomic range of Brazil. She was born in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Even by favela standards, her little family was desperately poor. Her childhood was…educational, in a variety of ways. It was a hopeless life, filled with violence and often enough shocking brutality. She was more witness than victim, but she was a victim. Then she got older, and puberty hit. The options list for a teenager in her position was quite short. Join the drug trafficking gang that ran her favela. Cycle through boyfriends like her mother and other local girls. Leave for the city proper and pray you could get a job before your meager savings ran out. And, of course, becoming addicted to drugs would complicate any option one would choose. Even if it made a miserable life more bearable. Shazza said fuck precisely all of that. She gathered a few like minded local girls and formed her own gang instead, with the plan being to take over her favela. Considering her opposition was made up of heavily armed professional criminals, this was a monumentally stupid idea in theory. In practice, her savage brutality and complete indifference to her own mortality helped inspire something resembling a small scale revolution. The casualty rate in her burgeoning gang was often hideous, but the reason she fought brought plenty of followers to her to replace them. And the ones who survived got better. And better. She didn’t fight for freedom, justice, or anything noble like that. She fought because fuck them. Fuck their money. Fuck their guns. Fuck their power. Fuck their rules. Fuck the entire system they perpetuated. She started with nothing, wanted more, and resolutely did not fucking care how she got it.

. . The world according to Shazza is made up of two kinds of people. The ones who get fucked, and the ones who do the fucking. She was going to be in the latter group, by any means necessary. Or she was going to be dead, and beyond caring. Her childhood, after all, was quite educational on how the former group was treated. The scars it left were physical, mental, and spiritual. What was done to her was bad enough. What she witnessed was worse. It was in the midst of this war for her favela that she discovered the secret Agency lab. Luckily, they were into all sorts of superpowered research. Including the ARMS System prototype. Unluckily, the Agency’s usual security measures were more than a match for mundane gang members. She and some of her gang were captured. Never one to turn down free test subjects, the Agency’s scientists got to work. The gang members with her died screaming as the nanomachines turned their bodies to so much crushed pulp. Shazza, however, survived through sheer spite and determination. Or so she tells herself. The truth is the scientists finally got the settings right when they got to her, and leaving the gang’s leader for last was just a little light hearted sadism. The Agency is not exactly full of nice people. They did, in fact, have countermeasures in place to prevent her from turning on them, but they dramatically underestimated her pain tolerance. Shazza hadn’t given a fuck about anything short of intense agony for years at this point. Rage is a helluva anesthetic, or so the saying goes. So she killed everyone in the building wearing a security outfit or a labcoat, recruited every functional prisoner for her gang, and left the rest to survive or not until her gang could rescue them properly. Empowered in this way, her gang tore the drug traffickers apart in days and took over many of Rio’s favelas in weeks.

. . Today, she runs most of Rio’s favelas, and arguably better than anyone else but the government ever did. She battles the Brazilian military and police, the drug cartels, and various organized crime groups, all of whom can afford serious firepower. But her gang grows in strength, skill, and arms with every passing month. None of her foes can properly concentrate their forces against hers without her showing up and blowing things apart. She is classified as a literal terrorist…which isn’t exactly wrong, per se, considering the attacks she’s both performed and authorized (including personally assassinating the body double of the Brazilian president; she thought it was him). But it feels weird, as she still doesn’t give a fuck about religion or nationalism. Her motivation is the same it’s ever been. But even she isn’t stupid enough to offer the Grand Wizard Methion open defiance. Especially after he disabled the ARMS System with a wave of his hand. So if he wants her to join this League of Seven, she’ll go along with it. For now.

Powers & Tactics: Shazza’s powers come from the ARMS System. Designed by the infamous Agency, it is a collection of nanomachines that turn an ordinary person into a superhuman soldier without any need for equipment or resupply beyond food and shelter. The original concept was significantly weaker, but Shazza’s neurology has somehow hacked the nanomachines and made them more effective. Maybe it’s the rage? At any rate, the primary components of the ARMS System are the Accelerator and ARMS.EXE.

. . The Accelerator “accelerates” all of her physical abilities. She’s a pocket speedster, capable of moving and reacting at speeds just below the speed of sound. This enhances her offensive and defensive abilities to “shoot the wings off flies” and “bullet dodging” levels, respectively. Her durability has been ratcheted up heavy machine gun tanking territory. She has low level superhuman strength, enough to bend steel and smash stone. Even her vision is enhanced, extending it both in distance and light spectrum.

. . ARMS.EXE is the weapon element. Nanomachines shape into a firearm in the user’s hand. The user’s bodily waste (from the large intestine, kidneys, and lung exhalation) is mined and transformed at the subatomic level into ammunition. If there is none to be found (which is unlikely, it’s a highly efficient conversion process) it will rip molecules out of the air or from the ground beneath her feet and convert them. She typically forms a rifle, but it can look like any firearm. It has several modes. Assault Rifle Mode is an extremely high powered machine gun, outperforming even vehicle mounted weaponry. Flash Pellet Mode launches a small but extremely bright explosive that can dazzle the vision of anyone caught in its radius. Maser Mode is slightly different. The bodily waste is used as fuel to generate a powerful microwave beam, cooking targets alive. Micro Missile Mode, however, is more of the same. The firearm launches a barrage of powerful explosives. Plasma Saber Mode is entirely different, to the point where it doesn’t even look like a firearm anymore. The bodily waste is used as fuel to magnetically contain and ignite air into plasma so hot it can cut through just about anything. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, her most lethal weapon.

. . Tactically, Shazza is effectively a one woman army. Incredible mobility, can hit targets from further away than the average person can even see, with an excellent balance of power and pinpoint accuracy. Assault Rifle Mode is her most used setting, followed by Micro Missile Mode. She doesn’t give a fuck about collateral damage, either. Except for her gang. The rest share third place and depend on circumstance. Against opponents who can’t hit worth a damn (whether their bonus sucks or the dice aren’t favoring them is irrelevant, as long as they can’t surpass an 18 today apparently) or have managed to piss her off (typically via usage of interaction skills to feint or demoralize, whether successful or not), she’ll All Out Power Attack. If this causes her to get hurt in the former case she’ll stop. In the latter she uh, won’t. She has Improved Acrobatic Bluff for stripping the Dodge Bonus off before attacking, and Improved Aim So she doesn’t need to do the All Out part. She makes very, very liberal use of Move By Action. When she uses Ultimate Aim, her target is typically at least a thousand feet away and thus she’s suffering a pretty hefty penalty to accuracy. She has a variety of power stunts available, but she never uses any of them. Because why use a sleeping dart or a taser shot when you can just shoot the bastards? Or blow them up? Not a creative problem solver, that Shazza.

Personality: Shazza is a very angry and spiteful person. This hides an inner core of pain and trauma. Her scars run deep. The scared little girl who both experienced and witnessed things little girls absolutely shouldn’t is still very much present. She’s just buried under a fuckton of rage, spite, and “fuck you” attitude. She usually comes off as a raging, psychopathic killing machine who doesn’t care about anyone but herself. And yet. The favelas under her rule are considerably better treated than they were under the drug traffickers or police militias (illegal paramilitary organizations, not actual law enforcement). They were actually better off the actual government and their Pacifying Protection Units, however. Because she is exploiting the residents just like the other criminals do, even if there’s a sliding scale in place. She’s not acting out of greed, sadism, or malice. She remembers what it was like to have nothing, and be robbed of even that. And those willing to stand up to her, even in the face of a gruesome horrible death earn her respect. No, her rage and hate is reserved for those who have everything. World’s got one rule, after all. Just one. Fuck, or be fucked. She’s going to be the one doing the fucking. Everyone else can bend over, or be dead. She doesn’t particularly care which. For the record, Shazza herself has not been sexually abused or assaulted. However, her childhood taught her that she’s extremely lucky in that regard. Hence her attitude.

. . Regarding the League of Seven, Shazza is easily the most disconnected from them. She’s busy fighting and running her own private war on multiple fronts. She simply doesn’t care about anything else. If there’s a meeting, she’ll show up. Hell, she’ll host if she needs to. Kiske can go fuck himself, though. Sanctimonious bastard. But she has nothing to do with any of their criminal endeavours, for the most part. They’re not a part of her gang, so she doesn’t care whether they succeed or fail at them. For their part, they stay out of her way. Ruslan and Daisuke don’t take Brazilian contracts. Yori ignores Brazilian shipping, to or from. Lakis hasn’t killed any of her gang he knows the names of. Valia doesn’t sell her tech (weapons, medical, or otherwise) to the Latin American underworld (Southeast Asia’s more lucrative right now anyway). Even Kiske doesn’t cross Brazilian borders without a courtesy call, and even then it’s mainly to kill demons who might give her gang trouble they don’t know how to handle. And if he should find a magical artifact or knowledge, he shares with her. She does have some magic in her gang. In return, on the rare occasions where any of them need her brand of support(ing fire), she shows up. That’s it.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Thu Jun 15, 2023 12:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Baroness Valia

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Baroness Valia

Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 300/300

STR: +15 (10/40), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +5 (10/20), INT: +10 (20/30), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +5/+15, Fort: +5/+15, Ref: +3/+9, Will: +12/+15

Skills: Bluff 12 (+15), Computers 10 (+20), Craft (chemical) 10 (+20), Craft (electronic) 10 (+20), Craft (mechanical) 10 (+20), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Disable Device 10 (+20), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (art) 5 (+15), Knowledge (business) 10 (+20), Knowledge (earth sciences) 10 (+20), Knowledge (life sciences) 10 (+20), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+20), Knowledge (streetwise) 10 (+20), Knowledge (technology) 10 (+20), Language 8 (+8), Notice 7 (+10), Perform (keyboards) 7 (+10), Perform (stringed instruments) 7 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15)

Feats: Accurate Attack, Attack Specialization 3 (Unarmed Attack), Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Status (Baroness of Karelia)), Benefit 3 (Wealth (Near Limitless)), Connected, Contacts, Dodge Focus 6, Eidetic Memory, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Skill Mastery (Computers, Craft (chem, elec, & mech)), Speed of Thought (use INT for Init, not DEX), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Ultimate Effort (Will saves), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed

Powers:
Battlesuit Valiant (Device 27) (Hard to lose, Only you can use)
. . Armor Plating (Protection 10) (+10 Toughness; Impervious)
. . Enhanced Defenses (Enhanced Trait 25) (Traits: Fortitude +10 (+15), Reflex +6 (+9), Will +3 (+15), Feats: Dodge Focus 6)
. . Life Support Systems (Immunity 9) (life support)
. . Sensor Suite (Super-Senses 11) (accurate: Radio, accurate (type): Auditory, darkvision, radio, ultra-hearing)
. . Valiant Arms (Array 24) (default power: - linked powers -)
. . . . Valiant Beam (Strike 15) (Array; DC 30; Line Area (5x375-3750 ft. line - General), Selective Attack; Progression, Increase Area 3 (area x10))
. . . . Valiant Cannon (Blast 15) (Array; DC 30; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 3 (+6))
. . . . Valiant Might (Linked)
. . . . . . Enhanced Strength 20 (Linked; +20 STR, Feats: Attack Specialization 3 (Unarmed Attack))
. . . . . . Super-Strength 12 (Linked; +60 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 13.1k tons; +12 STR to some checks)
. . Valiant Boot Jets (Flight 10) (Speed: 10000 mph, 88000 ft./rnd)

Cybernetics (Container, Passive 9)
. . Comprehend 3 (codes & ciphers, machines / electronics - speak to, machines / electronics - understand)
. . Datalink 1 (sense type: radio)
. . Enhanced Constitution 10 (+10 CON)
. . Enhanced Intelligence 10 (+10 INT)
. . Enhanced Strength 10 (+10 STR)
. . Impervious Toughness 5
. . Quickness 6 (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed; One Type (Mental))

Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +9, Grapple: +24/+36)

Attacks: Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 30), Valiant Beam (Strike 15) (DC 30), Valiant Cannon (Blast 15), +15 (DC 30)

Defense: +15 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -15

Initiative: +10

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Finnish, French, German, Karelian Native, Russian, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 24 + Skills 51 (204 ranks) + Feats 23 + Powers 155 + Combat 36 + Saves 11 + Drawbacks 0 = 300

Age (as of Jan 2019): 77
Height: 5’ 4” (5’ 5” in prime, 6’ 6” in Battlesuit Valiant)
Weight: 115 lbs. (750 lbs in Battlesuit Valiant)
Ethnicity: Karelian (similar to Finnish)
Hair: Brown (dyed, she’s just about snow white otherwise)
Eyes: Brown

Theme Song: Empress, by HalaCG

Background: Baroness Valia is a terrible person, but this was not always so. Her parents taught her well, whether or not she wished to learn. She is the sovereign ruler of Karelia, a small barony between Finland and Russia. The barony itself has grown in wealth under her reign, but her parents were always wealthy. She lacked for nothing. Except parents who were not amoral sociopaths (in the pop culture definition, not the literal). They drilled her in the “real” ways of the world. Still, the lessons did not take, not right away. Mainly become she hated them. There was kindness and compassion in her, even if she did believe her wealth and status meant she could do as she pleased. It started with Megagirl’s debut in 1963. The tiny paragon San Francisco so adored for her “heroics”. What had she done to deserve such love? Her “heroics” cost her little. It was Valia who had sunk much money into the city’s infrastructure. It was her companies that were kickstarting the computer revolution and pioneering new avenues of disease research. It was her genius that made the city great. But did they throw her parades? No. Catch one plane. Foil a few bank robberies. Please. She was immune to bullets. Even rockets did negligible damage. She was faster than fighter jets. Strong enough to crack titanium. Titanium! And the only things she did with all that power were things someone with a third of that power wouldn’t struggle with. There was no heroism in that, only self aggrandizement. Valia vowed to reveal Megagirl as the utter fraud she was.

. . This did not happen. Scheme after scheme failed. It was very…Superman and Lex Luthor. Only somehow pettier. It evolved to the point where everything Valia did, in business or in her personal life, was to upstage Megagirl. Her vanity, ego, and pride demanded nothing less. But she had not yet crossed the line into outright criminality. Plenty of shady business, and things that people without her good name and money for excellent lawyers would do prison time for. The thing is, Valia was wrong. Megagirl was the real deal. A true blue superhero, in grand Silver Age fashion. And perhaps the Valia that had started all this could have, in time, accepted it. But it was not to be. Her purse, large as it was, had strings. Her parents lived and worked in London. Her companies were, ever so technically, subsidiaries of theirs. They recalled her daughter for a talk. Her father, being out of the country, was flying back for this talk, but her mother was still in London. Her father did not arrive, dying in a plane crash that was largely attributed to the KGB. The Soviets had long been tired of him keeping them from exploiting Karelia’s resources. How they knew about his travel plans was an intriguing mystery, but most bought this official story. The funeral was held, and both Valia and her mother retreated to her penthouse office, They were alone. Not 30 minutes later, Valia’s mother went through the window of her penthouse office. Valia will claim until the end of her days that her mother committed suicide in front of her. And indeed, that is the official story which few question. Valia’s parents were publically known to be very close. It was completely believable that she would kill herself. But the truth was that Valia finally crossed the line. Her obsession was about to be curtailed by two of the three people she hated most in the world. So she got rid of them. The KGB had been after her father since Stalin first seized power. All it took were a few false promises and a tipoff, and her father ceased to be. Her mother was growing frail as she aged, and the sudden death of her husband took her off guard. It was remarkably easy, all things considered.

. . The 70s saw an escalation from Valia merely trying to discredit Megagirl to trying to murder her in the bargain. Her companies quietly abandoned San Francisco as a headquarters. The collateral damage of her schemes rose, as did the difficulty in proving she had anything to do with them. If it was questionable whether or not she was a supervillain before, she certainly was one now. The ever improving battlesuit (that she could get out of surprisingly quickly to avoid becoming known as the pilot, and then self destruct to varying degrees of collateral damage) was just the icing on the cake. And as the reigning Baroness of Karelia, she enjoyed diplomatic immunity. As for Karelia itself, it underwent a sudden technological revolution. The prior regime had barely cared about their nation, but Valia saw the value in its natural resources and people. And, of course, the value of having enough military might to…discourage…attempts to remove her diplomatic immunity via force. The benefits of her genius would go to Karelia first, and then the rest of the world. The battles between the Baroness and Megagirl grew ever more dramatic and intense. She drew in other supervillains, and unleashed a full scale war on Megagirl and her allies, the Champions of Justice. Twice. They failed both times because supervillains are an inherently fractious and unprofessional bunch. She was, arguably, the world’s most dangerous person for several years except…she took good care of Karelia. The standard of living there grew higher than anyone else in the world. And unlike several of her peers, she wasn’t motivated by bloodlust, rage, or greed. It was always about pride with her. Superheroes were bullshit, and before God she’d prove it. Either by killing them or destroying their credibility. There were civilian casualties in battles, to be sure, but mysteriously they always seemed to have generous life insurance policies. And any medical bills were paid in full before anyone could be properly charged. It was true that crossing her unprepared could have horrific consequences, but she was never a part of the common scum and villainy. She had honor, and outside of her schemes she could prove to be a surprising ally. She teamed up with the Champions against two alien invasions, and slapped down personally any attempts by the Soviet People’s Guard to intervene in Vietnam. The slow collapse of the Warsaw Pact, as its nations turned to democracy, could in some part be traced to her network of operatives. And then, in the mid 80s, the Champions (except for Starman and Starwoman) disappeared in space.

. . Valia no longer had a nemesis to battle. She adopted a new one for a time in Nick Phoenix, but in the end his power was too great and his presence on Earth too inconsistent for it to last. And so the prideful Baroness seemingly retired. It has been nearly thirty years. She was no longer young. The Battlesuit Valiant only appeared for official functions. The most dangerous person in the world had seemingly defanged herself. Publicially, this was absolutely the case. Privately was an entirely different matter. Over twenty five years of borderline criminal and criminal behavior had built up a vast network of contacts and operatives. The business world had long been conquered. Her nemesis was gone. Neither world domination nor actual retirement held any appeal. So she set out to conquer the criminal underworld instead. As stronger laws and more stringent enforcement toppled the old families and syndicates, Valia’s organization quietly took over. Those who were not suffering under such were brought to heel by a firm application of Battlesuit Valiant. She didn’t overthrow everyone, only doing just enough to have a finger in every pie. Annoying Methion was not worth the trouble. Between her web of businesses both licit and illicit she is very likely the wealthiest person on the planet. The only other reasonable contender for this title is Methion himself. And he is not a public figure by any means. Karelia is a paradise. She has augmented her aging body with cybernetics. She looks perhaps two thirds of her over seventy years. It took much persuading to get her to join the League. Most of them are children in her eyes. She has fought gods, demons, and beings with powers like both. She is Valia. They are nothing. But humoring the Grand Wizard costs her little. What she does not know that Methion does is that Megagirl will be returning to Earth very soon. What happened to her and the Champions is a topic best discussed elsewhere, but regardless Valia’s sworn nemesis is returning. The Baroness is old. She has no successors. Karelia’s military advantage is less than it once was. She is well known now to the international community, as more and more documents have become available to historians. Her vast financial resources are drawing sharks. To engage in such battles as she did in the old days could prove disastrous. She requires allies, Methion knows, and so he has provided.

Powers & Tactics: Valia is a absolute master of science and technology. She has augmented her aging body with advanced cybernetics. But the absolute main event is her armored Battlesuit Valiant. Veteran of a thousand battles and upgraded within an inch of its life. It makes her one of the most overall powerful people (hero or villain) on the planet.

. . Her Cybernetics augment her strength, stamina, durability, and intellect. She cannot be harmed by small arms fire. Her mind operates at 100 times unaugmented human speed. She can both speak to and understand all technology, and encryption of any kind unravels before her eyes in moments. Additionally, she has a short range connection with which to hack technological devices and equipment.

. . Battlesuit Valiant is, in many ways, the Phoenixverse’s prototypical battlesuit. Often imitated, never duplicated. It’s got heavy armor plating that’s endured shots that would have leveled a building. It enhances all of her defensive capabilities. It’s a closed system, protecting her from harmful environments and comes with its own oxygen supply. It’s got a sensor suite that includes both radar and sonar. It’s even got boot jets than supply hypersonic flight. It’s standard weaponry included incredible strength, a oscillating blaster in each palm, and a chest beam that can extend almost three quarters of a mile. The striking power of these three is capable of punching through titanium, and her carrying capacity regards naval battleships as light.

. . Tactically, Valia is pretty straightforward, actually. She has both Accurate Attack and Power Attack, but they only come out as adjustments if she’s either not hitting or hitting easily, respectively. For non flying or melee only opponents she’ll abuse Move by Action, blasting away. Though she has no problem enforcing her will with her fists, she spent decades battling a pure paragon. She’s understandably a little gun shy about melee. Unless, of course, her opponent is ranged only like your stereotypically energy controller and mystics. With that said, the single most important thing to remember is that she has the Inventor feat. She always, always, comes to the battle with her average result of 20PP spent on enhancing Battlesuit Valiant. Alternate Powers for her Valiant Arms array, to take advantage of weaknesses. Buffing Sensor Suite or Valiant Boot Jets. Immunity to her opponent’s primary effect descriptor. She has the experience and the connections, and the Contacts to find out the strengths and weaknesses of whoever’s opposing her, so feel free to exploit them with her. As such, she doesn’t have any power stunts. She brings her extra stuff to the dance with her. Treat that 20PP of Invention as a Gadgets power that requires off screen time to change how it’s points are allocated.

Personality: Valia is pride personified. Hers burns hotter than the sun, and if it were a physical object it would probably be bigger. She is supremely arrogant and bows to absolutely no one under any circumstances. She is not, however, immune to persuasion. And she has a strong sense of honor. As stated above, her motivation was always pride. She takes care to avoid creating casualties among civilians and law enforcement, and subtly grants reparations when they do occur. Her intent has always been to prove her point, not be a common murderer or thief. She can see the bigger picture, beyond her own desires. If she has no quarrel with a given person, she can be quite helpful. Even almost heroic. She can be ridiculously petty at times, too. But in the end, it is all self aggrandizement. Because her self cannot be aggrandized enough.

. . Valia is the odd one out among the League of Seven, in many ways. She’s the one with easily visible ethical standards, and the lowest personal body count (her indirect one, however, is the highest by a country mile; corrupt corporate activities+drug trafficking+underworld wars+pushing 60 years active jacks her numbers past the sky and into space). If anyone can be convinced to abandon if not outright turn on the group, it is Valia. This would take a very deft hand, as she is an old pro at mind games and deception. Still, she’s often visibly uncomfortable during meetings. She openly despises Yori Newgate and Shazza Pereira for being “vulgar savages”. Such classism, much wow. The arrogance of Kiske (who thinks himself above this villainous crowd) and the narcissism of Lakis (He has the power of a god? So what? Valia has beaten them before) rub her the wrong way, too.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Thu Jun 15, 2023 12:18 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

And that, folks, is the League themselves. They're a potent group, if more than a little disunified. Fortunately, they all have quite capable subordinates/allies/loyalists, as you'll begin to see tomorrow.
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Blackgate Pirates

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Blackgate Pirates

Overview

Theme Song: Believe It, by Divide Music featuring Zach Boucher

. . The Blackgate Pirates are, without a doubt, the biggest menace to global shipping. Thanks to their Captain, Yori Newgate, they can show up practically anywhere and be gone just as quickly. For modern navies, Yori’s teleport portals are an absolute nightmare. He doesn’t seem to operate a fleet of ships, either. He’s a thoroughly modern pirate, using speedboats from an ever changing home base. Sometimes said base is a bigger ship. Sometimes it’s on land in a coastal area. And under Yori’s command they’re bold as hell, sometimes raiding multiple ships while they’re docked in a port city or feeding on a canal like the Suez or Panama off and on for a day or two before a naval response inevitably shoos them away. Hostage taking, kidnapping, murder more or less for hire, robbing the safes, stealing cargo, sinking ships. They’ve done it all. They’ve stolen whole ships, sold the cargo on the black market, and then sold off the ship itself.

. . Superheroic response has been piecemeal and ineffective. Since Yori moves their base of operations around so much, tracking them down is difficult at best. The primary members of the crew (Yori, Nayan, Zuberi, and Layla) either match or outclass the average superhero (which is a PL 8 in the Phoenixverse) so an entire team must be assembled. Yori purposefully operates more often on seas close to economically disadvantaged countries with poor navies. Giving the world’s top navies (such as the US, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, or UK Royal) extra motivation to hunt him is not on his to do list. There’s bold, and then there’s foolish. This and the global span on his activities makes forming such a team a daunting challenge. There’s never enough heroes to go around, and a given country being economically weak exacerbates this. And even if a team of heroes is assembled and manages to track the Pirates down, Yori is likely to kill them all by himself as the vast, vast majority of professional superheroes in the Phoenixverse are decidedly not equipped to deal with a heavily damage and toughness shifted PL 14. And so the Blackgate Pirates continue to do as they please in pursuit of their boundless ambitions.

Tactics

. . For rank and file crew the Thug and Soldier archetypes will do fine. A duplicate of Nayan tends to command individual squads, with the real deal in overall command of raids. Yori is usually busy keeping the portal open, but will step in if things start going poorly. Zuberi typically has a squad of his own, hunting for supplies equipment useful to the Pirates as a whole. He’s also the assessor for unknown tech. Layla provides overwatch, sniping anyone who looks like they’re either in or taking a leadership position, calling for backup, holding a position that’s blocking a squad’s advance, etc. She’s not the only one doing that, a few rank and file crew do it too, but she’s incredibly effective by comparison. Yori’s loyalty to rank of file crew and Nayan duplicates doesn’t exist. They’re easily abandoned and easily replaced. Layla will cover Zuberi’s return (and he moves his ass like it’s on fire, not stopping for anything). Nayan covers for everyone as best he can, and is usually the last one out, swapping with a duplicate back at the current base. Rank and file crew left behind will likely surrender, but Nayan duplicates will fight to the last as they know they’re not “real”.

. . Additionally, in the Phoenixverse those who have reached PL 12 have earned a special free Benefit feat that slightly alters the rules on Extra and/or Extraordinary Effort for them. They are detailed below. Nayan is a special case due to the astra inside him. If it wasn’t there, he’d have hit PL 12 by now as a magician. So he has access.

Unstoppable Ambition (Yori Newgate)-May use Extra Effort to apply his Will save in place of any other bonus.

Believe It (Nayan)-Normally, a PC or NPC can only add one power feat with Extra Effort. Even if they’re increasing the rank of a power feat they already have. Nayan is different. His Duplication Summon power, should he choose to increase the ranks of Progression (# Minions), he will increase it by 2 ranks, becoming able to summon 25 duplicates. This also applies to Extraordinary Effort, and so if he uses this he will be able to summon up to 100 duplicates.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Thu Jun 15, 2023 12:26 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Nayan

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Nayan

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 225/225

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +6, Fort: +7, Ref: +12, Will: +8

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Concentration 12 (+15), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Drive 12 (+15), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 2 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 12 (+15), Language 8 (+8), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 3, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Startle, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Connected, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 3, Elusive Target, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Duplicate Swarm (Strike 3)), Improved Critical 2 (Martial Arts (Strike 3)), Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Redirect, Set-Up, Skill Mastery 2 (Acro, Bluff, Diplo, Drive, Gather Info, Intim, Notice, Sen Mot, Stealth), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Teamwork 3, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed

Powers:
Duplicate Dodge (Concealment 10) (all senses; Limited (to Miss Chance))

Duplication (Array 20) (default power: summon)
. . Duplica-port (Teleport 8) (Array; 800 ft. as move action, 2000 miles as full action; Accurate; Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Turnabout)
. . Duplicate Grappling (Snare 6) (Array; DC 16; Burst Area (30-150 ft. radius - Targeted), Constricting, Duration (concentration), Regenerating, Selective Attack; Range (touch); Indirect 2 (any point, directed away), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))
. . Duplicate Sense Borrowing (ESP 8) (Array; affects: all types; No Conduit)
. . Duplicate Swarm (Strike 3) (Array; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Duplicate Swarm (Strike 3)); Burst Area (30-150 ft. radius - Targeted) [3 extra ranks], Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [3 extra ranks], Penetrating [3 extra ranks], Secondary Effect [3 extra ranks], Selective Attack [3 extra ranks]; Indirect 2 (any point, directed away), Mighty, Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))
. . Duplication (Summon 12) (Default; Horde; Mental Link, Progression, # Minions 2 (5 minions), Sacrifice)
. . Reabsorb Duplicates (Healing 12) (Array; Restoration, Total; Personal; Persistent, Regrowth)

Martial Arts (Strike 3) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Martial Arts (Strike 3)); Mighty)

Toughened (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness)

Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +12, Grapple: +15)

Attacks: Duplicate Grappling (Snare 6), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 16), Duplicate Swarm (Strike 3), +12 (DC 21), Martial Arts (Strike 3), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 18)

Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +7

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Hindi Native, Japanese, Russian, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 36 + Skills 36 (144 ranks) + Feats 35 + Powers 64 + Combat 36 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 225

Age (as of Jan 2019): 25
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 200 lbs.
Ethnicity: Indian (Northern)
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Background: Nayan was born in the Indian state of Uttarakhand (its casual name for a long time and official name since 2006; it was officially renamed Uttaranchal when it became a state in 1998 and prior was a part of the state of Utter Pradesh). It’s a beautiful place. Mostly mountainous and heavily forested. Filled with Hindu temples and pilgrimage centers. 10 million people spread over 20.5 thousand square miles. The north is actually part of the Himalayas, and as such is much less habitable than the southern regions, which encompass everything from grassland to swamps. Nayan’s childhood should have been idyllic. Unfortunately, he started his life with two immense burdens. The first was that his parents were legendary superheroes (they were martial artists and magicians, from a village full of same) who protected Garhwal and Kumaon (Uttarakhand’s two divisions and old names for those regions regardless) from many threats. The second was the events of the day of his birth. A terrible asura (Christianity would call them demons, but that’s only accurate as far as their alignment on the good/evil axis) escaped to Earth, and his entire village turned out to defend against it. All except his mother, who was giving birth to Nayan. The battle was bloody, and many skilled villagers fell. Desperate, his father burned his life force for one last spell. For the asura had escaped by stealing an astra, a potent divine weapon. With this last spell, his father ripped the astra from the asura and sealed it in his own son. But it wasn’t quite enough, and the astra threatened to break free. With the last of her strength (being exhausted from literally giving birth minutes before), his mother completed the seal and died. Without its weapon, the rest of the villagers were able to banish the asura and save Uttarakhand once again. A hell of a birthday. And one nobody wanted to burden the poor boy with by telling him about it.

. . The son of two legendary figures, with an incredibly dangerous weapon sealed inside him. And then Nayan turned out to have much less aptitude for both magic and the martial arts. And and nobody knew when a divine servant or a actual deity would come to reclaim the astra. And and and there was the underlying question of exactly how human Nayan was. Had or would the astra’s potent divine energies and martial nature change him physically, mentally, or spiritually? It was impossible to know. Hell, would the seal hold up over time? Would Nayan just…explode one day, his body unable to contain the energies? There was an infinite number of questions, and only one undersized orphan to pile them on. Not that anyone actually asked him. Obviously, he wouldn’t know. The net effect was to make him the outcast child of the village. With everyone too afraid of who he might be to be concerned with who he actually was. And as the runt of both the martial arts and magician training, he wasn’t exactly going to change minds any time soon. Neither was his acting out as the village rascal and clown.

. . Time passed, and he improved (from hopeless to merely mediocre) through sheer hard work. In martial arts, anyway. As far as magic went, he might as well have no ability at all. Then there was an incident where he was given a chance to look at advanced magic texts. Most of it was incomprehensible to him. One spell, however, was not. It was actually really easy. And suddenly there was two Nayans. He has duplicated himself for the first time. This came in handy when the criminal who’d tricked him into stealing the text tried to kill him for it. He may have been a mediocre at best martial artist who couldn’t beat u anyone worth a darn, but a few dozen of him? Totally different story. He beat the stuffing out of the criminal and returned both them and the text to the village. Unfortunately, even with the real criminal in custody, the village had been and still was all too willing to believe the worst of Nayan. He owed them no loyalty, after a lifetime of rejection. He was just about grown up, so he left quietly in the middle of the night.

. . It was a journey to study the martial arts in order to become the greatest martial artist in the world…that quickly turned into a life of crime, because like hell did he have any life skills. Great at mischief and okay at punching aren’t really what legal employers are looking for. Well. He got better at fighting, anyway. Plenty of opportunities. He honed his duplication and martial arts abilities crossing all of India battling criminals, vagabonds, law enforcement, and some lesser superheroes. But at last he had a fateful encounter with a future Pirate Lord in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). Yori Newgate was on a talent search for new crewmen. He paid well, by all rumors, and by the gods did Nayan have a desperate need to get out of India. A certain nameless duplicating martial artist was appearing higher and higher on Most Wanted lists across the nation and had just made his first appearance on the national one. Ah, a match made in heaven. No, seriously. The most common Blackgate Pirate member is, by a country mile, Nayan. Well, his duplicates. The real deal functions basically as Yori’s first mate and second in command. It wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, but his journey to be trained by the greatest has gone really well thanks to his position. He’s been kind of…everywhere, almost? Nayan is still not entirely sure how his life turned out this way, but he’s having a good time. At least when they’re not fighting people and/or other ships to the death. That’s terrifying.

. . Meanwhile, there’s still a very powerful divine weapon sealed inside his body. That somebody is eventually going to want back. And because the villagers neglected to ever tell him about it, he has absolutely no idea it’s there. And and the seal his parents put there was never intended to last literally his entire lifespan. It is slowly starting to fail. Again, he has no idea that it is there. And and and it is those potent divine energies have been overwhelming and restraining his magical abilities. When the seal does fail or is removed, a lifetime of suppressed magical power will be free to emerge. The gods only know what this will do to him and his immediate environment. A third time, he has no idea about any of this. It should go without saying that his village has been looking for him for a while. It should also go without saying that the Indian magical community has gained a low level of panic at how he’s gone missing for so long along with a moderate level of irritation at his village for driving him away.

Powers & Tactics: Nayan is a expert martial artist and a pretty terrible spellcaster. So terrible, that he can only use one spell. It makes duplicates of him so identical not even his own dead parents could tell the difference. He’s mastered it to such a degree that he can summon a legion of allies for an attack or grapple and dismiss them in seconds, look through their senses (and they’re in lots of places now), switch places with any of them, and even reabsorb some of the older ones so he can heal himself. He’s even ridiculously difficult to hit because he can pass the hit to a duplicate as he steps out of the way. The thing about his duplicates and why he dismisses them so rapidly under normal circumstances, is that they kind of…can’t be dismissed anymore, after a while. Well, short of punching them out and making them collapse into residual mana. After about 4 hours of existence, they separate from the spell and become their own existence. Until they take that fateful bit of damage, anyway.

. . Nayan’s extensive martial arts training has made him able to strike much harder than his strength would indicate, and provided a level of extra durability/pain tolerance. It’s like he’s swinging a warhammer while wearing some kind of armored jumpsuit, except he’s completely unarmed and armored.

. . Tactically, he’s an unarmed fighter. He uses punches and kicks. Sometimes elbow or knee strikes. Normally in the form of Duplicate Swarm. He’s effectively a literal one man army doing this. Duplicate Grapple can also serve this purpose. He’s basically got every possible way, skill and feat wise, to get the drop on an opponent. Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Improved Feint, Improved Taunt, Improved Demoralize, and Improved Startle. Fighting him without Counters or Penetrates Concealment on your Accurate sense means he can use Improved Trick and Redirect to make fighting him an exercise in sheer frustration. And even if you do harm him, Reabsorb Duplicates is going to most likely wipe his worst two damage conditions away. If it doesn’t wipe more with a really good roll. Duplica-port is good for quick escapes and unexpected appearances. Duplicate Sense Borrowing is excellent for scouting areas. But sometimes a man’s got to be in more than one place at once, and that’s where Duplication comes in handy. Duplicates don’t have access to his Duplication array, but are otherwise mechanically and physically identical. So he and the duplicates, between Power Attack, Aid actions and Teamwork 3, can inflict serious damage. This tactic works just as well with his fellow crewmates. He can technically power stunt, but only bothers under special circumstances. The thing he’ll most commonly do is jack up the number of duplicates he can make with his Duplication power.

Personality: Ignore Nayan’s ability scores for a moment. He’s an idiot. There’s nothing wrong with his ability to think and reason (hence the good scores), but his desperate need for validation leaves him easily manipulated. And when things inevitably go wrong because of this he does what he’s been doing since he was a child. Run away if he can, fight if he can’t. He may look like a grown adult, but inside he’s still the village rascal and clown making mischief for attention. But theft, assault, piracy, and accessory to murder (as he hasn’t actually killed anyone himself) are far more serious than watercolor graffiti’ing staturary or switching the mild sauce with the hot one for school lunch curry. On some level, he knows this. But he also doesn’t see a way out short of basically going to prison for the rest of his life. And by the gods he doesn’t want to do that. So he continues to hang out with and help terrible people do terrible things, while trying to convince himself he’s not as bad as them. His life, in his eyes, has been a long series of accidents, misunderstandings, and picking the least awful choice available.

. . And yet…

. . Something in this young man fights against just giving up and/or taking the easy way out for any situation/reason. Yeah, he’s scared of going to prison for basically forever. But before that happened he’d have to surrender himself to the authorities. Who still don’t know who he is. It’d be giving up and admitting he can’t get out of what he’s gotten himself into somehow. He still has a heart, and a conscience. He’s how heroes might finally break the Blackgate Pirates. Because it does bother him, what they do. And it especially bothers him that the rest are just…okay with it. If the heroes can solve the somewhat intractable problem of him being a notorious pirate and criminal by a method other than jail or execution, he’ll happily switch sides. Because ultimately, there’s nothing evil or villainous about him. He’s just made a lot of naïve mistakes, been manipulated, and is now kind of trapped. The reason he works so well in his role as first mate is because he really is a good dude and people like and trust him.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Wed Jun 14, 2023 10:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Zuberi Wafula

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Zuberi Wafula

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

STR: +12 (11/35), DEX: +0 (10), CON: +3 (16), INT: +6 (22), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +9, Ref: +3, Will: +12

Skills: Bluff 9 (+12), Computers 9 (+15), Craft (chemical) 9 (+15), Craft (electronic) 9 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 9 (+15), Disable Device 3 (+9), Gather Information 6 (+9), Intimidate 9 (+12), Knowledge (life sciences) 9 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 9 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 9 (+15), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 7 (+10)

Feats: Accurate Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 3, Dodge Focus 3, Eidetic Memory, Grappling Finesse, Improved Grab, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Pin, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Speed of Thought (use INT for Init, not DEX), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Visual)

Powers:
Heavy Coat and Goggles (Device 2) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle))
. . Protection 3 (+3 Toughness; Subtle (subtle))
. . Sensory Shield 3 (sense: all senses, +6 to saves vs. Dazzle attacks)

Polyglot (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all; Limited (to languages with more than a million speakers))

Tentacle Harness (Device 12) (Hard to lose)
. . Additional Limbs 3 (5 extra limbs; +3 to Grapple when not using Imp. Grapple, Feats: Improved Grapple)
. . Elongation 3 (Elongation: 25 ft., range incr 30 ft., +3 Escape & Grapple; Permanent)
. . Enhanced Strength 24 (+24 STR)
. . Quickness 2 (Perform routine tasks at 5x speed; One Type (Physical))
. . Speed 3 (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)
. . Super-Movement 6 (slow fall, sure-footed 1 (25% penalty reduction), swinging, wall-crawling 2 (full speed), water walking)
. . Super-Senses 3 (infravision, radius (type): Visual)
. . Super-Strength 6 (+30 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 102.4 tons; +6 STR to some checks)

Attack Bonus: +3 (Ranged: +3, Melee: +6, Grapple: +18/+27)

Attacks: Unarmed Attack, +6 (DC 27)

Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +10

Languages: Swahili Native

Totals: Abilities 31 + Skills 26 (104 ranks) + Feats 21 + Powers 60 + Combat 24 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

Age (as of Jan 2019): 53
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 240
Ethnicity: West African (Kikuyu, specifically)
Hair: Shaved
Eyes: Dark Brown

Background: Zuberi Wafula is a proud graduate of the University of Nairobi with a double doctorate in electronic and mechanical engineering The university itself is not so proud. It’s a classic story. He was a research professor, experimenting with a new breed of cybernetics he called psionetics. The goal was to minimize actual implantation in favor of psionic connectors that could operate via a limited form of telepathy. Cybernetics themselves are cutting edge technology in the Phoenixverse, so Zuberi’s research was absolutely on the bleeding edge of science. His sole research assistant was a young man named Paul. The two, despite their age differences, formed quite a fond friendship. Everything was going well, and it became time to show off their prototype.

. . Paul had his reservations, but Zuberi overruled him. He’d take the risk upon himself. This was a mistake. The processors in his Tentacle Harness, put there to aid his brain in controlling said tentacles, ended up overriding his brain instead. The Harness went out of control. It could have been a massacre, but fortunately Paul happened to be the secret identity of a spider themed superhero. He managed to disable the Harness before anyone was seriously injured. It was a hell of a setback, but Zuberi was confident he could iron out the problem. And the idea did work. Between him and Paul, they convinced the University to give the project another chance. Unfortunately, they had more and more trouble producing tangible results. They were making real progress, but without another demonstration it was growing more and more difficult to convince the university to continue funding the project. Finally, the axe fell. Zuberi was forced to take his work elsewhere. He scraped together a small company with his savings and hired Paul. He was so close.

. . Then he found out the unscrupulous department head had arranged behind the scenes to have his funding cut off and stolen his research to be used for an even less scrupulous weapons manufacturer. He found out via a cease and desist letter from said corporation. It would be tempted to say Zuberi snapped, and that’s the official line. But he could have never harmed anyone without putting on the Harness. The processors overriding brain function problem had been solved, along with many others. The problem remaining (which really wasn’t a problem for the weapons company) was that they still negated the wearer’s inhibitions. The official story is that Zuberi snapped, put the Harness on, and proceeded to murder his department head and every primary executive of the weapons corp. Specifically by throwing them out of the skyscraper they were meeting in at the time. The real story is that he snapped in that room, as they were laughing at the fat idiot who thought his genius and dream mattered more than money and power. He’d been a puppet from the start. Even with the Harness on, he was clearly in control of himself. The fat idiot couldn’t possibly harm a fly. Dance, puppet, dance. Well. He showed them, didn’t he? Then he uploaded a virus that either corrupted or erased all the data in their systems. The fight with Paul (in his superheroic guise) back at Zuberi’s small offices was a violent and emotional affair. Zuberi had known Paul was a superhero for a long time, as he was terrible at hiding it and Zuberi was not an idiot.

. . But Paul won, and Zuberi went to prison. For about five minutes. He staged a mass breakout that threatened all of Nairobi. Paul and a few other local heroes were run ragged collecting everyone. Zuberi was better prepared this time, and Paul lost their second fight. The last thing the hero saw before blacking out was Zuberi striding into a portal made of shadows. The last thing he heard was a belly laugh that sounded nothing like his now former mentor. The breakout had been staged with the aid of Yori Newgate. Zuberi had joined the Blackgate Pirates.

Powers & Tactics: Zuberi has no superhuman powers, only a pair of devices. In fact he’s kind of in terrible shape despite his CON score. His Heavy Coat and Goggles help protect his body from damage and his senses from being dazzled. The Tentacle Harness, however, is the main event. It has four tentacles attached to a thick belt at his waist. They’re attached behind him, at the base of his spine. The tentacles are fantastically strong, able to lift busses and train cars without effort. Even locomotives and tanks aren’t beyond them, though they take real effort. Walking with the lower set instead of his legs gives him speed comparable to city-bound automobiles. They can climb walls and swing from anywhere, granting him greater mobility than said automobiles. They have cameras that see into the infrared feeding into his sensory cortex. Their positioning means he can basically see all around himself. And they grant him five times the physical reach of any unpowered human.

. . Tactically, he’s not that complicated. He’s a pure melee fighter who can strike, grapple, or both with Improved Grab. He’s actually a fearsome grappler for his Power Level, and so that’s more or less his go to move. He’ll usually use a +5 Accurate Attack, after which most foes find it impressively difficult to escape and he can crush them with that +12 STR bonus. He’s capable of both Feint and Startle as a professional level, so those get mixed in as needed. He relies pretty hard on that 25 ft. reach, whether no matter the opponent. If he has time to prepare for the battle, he is absolutely bringing his average Inventor result of 15PP’s worth of something to the fight. Most common is Immunity 5 (entrapment), but that leaves 10PP with which to negate or minimize an enemy’s strengths. He is not capable of power stunting whatsoever. Inventor is the best he can do.

Personality: Zuberi was always somewhat arrogant and self-centered, like many geniuses. But he knew enough to keep it under control. He had to function in society as someone with no real power, after all. However, in the skyscraper when he snapped, he started to change. There is no coming back from committing multiple murders, no matter how worthy your justification. As such, and with the Harness negating his inhibitions, he has fully embraced being a super villain. Arrogant, selfish, and bombastic, he plays the role to the hilt. It’s fun. These days, even with his work on the Harness complete (meaning the inhibition negation is gone), he has not noticeably changed. Because like the rest of the crew, he has an ambition. A dream. Not for one moment has he ever given up on his technology being used to benefit mankind. Naturally, he would receive the accolades and praise for such genius work that he believes he deserves. Why, he could even sit in prison for the rest of his days knowing that he had succeeded at last. And that everyone who ever doubted him knew how deeply wrong they were to do so. But alas. He is a well known international criminal. A pirate and a murderer many times over. It cannot happen. Unless, of course, Captain Newgate achieves his ambition. Such a lofty perch would have many benefits to those who brought him to such heights.

. . Zuberi is not a man you save. There is no redeeming him. He has grown too used to doing as he pleases without regard to the law or morality. He has shed too much blood and caused too much pain without caring for the consequences of his actions. Up above is not a lie. He was always a man who wanted his name etched into history forever. Specifically for his scientific work. Being a pirate and a murderer was never the plan, not that he minds. So if your heroes could find a way to get the international scientific community to accept his completed research (because it works without problem now) and shower him with all those accolades and validation of his genius, he would quietly surrender and go to prison for the rest of his life. Whether Yori and the crew would let him is another matter.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse)

Post by Jabroniville »

Okay I finally read the "Guide to the Phoenixverse" bit and there's some good stuff there. This thread posted out so much stuff so quickly that I never had time to settle down and actually read through it yet. I like how one, very generous (and maybe a little foresight-lacking) ultra-hero is responsible for a good segment of super-powers, and how magic is open enough to allow "All Schools" and concepts of it, giving some versatility to spellcasters while also sorta limiting individual ones, but in different wants. I'm curious what the weaknesses of some "schools" are.
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Jabroniville wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 7:54 am Okay I finally read the "Guide to the Phoenixverse" bit and there's some good stuff there. This thread posted out so much stuff so quickly that I never had time to settle down and actually read through it yet. I like how one, very generous (and maybe a little foresight-lacking) ultra-hero is responsible for a good segment of super-powers, and how magic is open enough to allow "All Schools" and concepts of it, giving some versatility to spellcasters while also sorta limiting individual ones, but in different wants. I'm curious what the weaknesses of some "schools" are.
I can do some examples, sure. Blackrose uses Black Magic, which as her entry says is nasty stuff. It does kind of lack direct damage powers in universe. Out of universe it's difficult as balls to design a life draining to heal self power that works without using regular damage. Meh. It also can't do any movement powers other than Teleport, and can't do anything defensive. Purely offensive magical tradition, though Blackrose has it Sorcerer style. Edit because I totally forgot. All of it's effects are perception range. Not even a Sorc can get around that limitation. Second edit because bleh. I meant Perception range or Area. I'm forever blending them in my head.

Yasmine Sakaguchi has White Magic, which isn''t a direct antithesis exactly. It's basically Life Control+Summoning various spirits, as she's an expy of FFX and X-2's Yuna. It can't do direct damage under normal circumstances, but Yas (as a Master White Magician) can use a master spell that's actually a Divine and not a Magic effect as a power stunt. It's a magical tradition that's more supportive than offensive, though Life Control can be a nasty powerset if you piss off the user enough or they're evil somehow.

Then there's someone like Kiske, of the Thousand. Who's ever so technically using Moon (or Lunar, depending on who you ask) Magic. it does illusions and spell copying. Kiske's incredible at the latter (hence the Variable Descriptor on all his array settings but the physical boosting one), and his sword handles the former. A normal user would probably have the Mimic power limited to Magic, but again Kiske's incredible at it and so has a vast repertoire of spells copied. Being from a society of spellcasters doesn't hurt, either. :D

Out of universe it's an excuse to give people whatever themed powerset I feel like without having them be a mutant or looking up a deity that fits.
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EternalPhoenix
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Layla Khan

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Layla Khan

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 180/180

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +0 (10)

Tough: +3/+5, Fort: +7, Ref: +15, Will: +8

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 2 (+5), Diplomacy 10 (+10), Disguise 10 (+10), Gather Information 10 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 2 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 7 (+10), Language 5 (+5), Notice 15 (+20), Sense Motive 5 (+10), Stealth 12 (+15)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Attack Specialization (Sniper Rifle (Device 6)), Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus 6, Equipment 4, Evasion 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 7)), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Disguise, Notice, Stealth), Ultimate Effort (Aim), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Firearm Supremacy (Probability Control 1) (Minimum Result: 1; Limited 2 (Firearms))

Smoke Grenade (Obscure 4) (affects: visual senses, Radius: 50 ft.; Independent)

Sniper Rifle (Device 6) (Easy to lose)
. . Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 7) (DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 7)); Penetrating; Improved Range 3 (700 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range 3 (max range x10, 7000 feet), Subtle (subtle))

Sniper's Harness (Device 5) (Hard to lose)
. . Cloaking Field (Concealment 10) (all senses; Passive)
. . Goggles (Super-Senses 8) (direction sense, distance sense, extended (type): Vision 2 (-1 per 1k ft), infravision, ultravision)
. . Wrist Grapple (Linked)
. . . . Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)
. . . . Super-Movement 3 (Linked; slow fall, wall-crawling 2 (full speed))

Equipment: Secondary Arsenal (Assault Rifle, Knife, Machete, Masterwork Heavy Pistol, Smoke Grenade [Smoke Grenade (Obscure 4), affects: visual senses, Radius: 50 ft.; Independent])

Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +13, Melee: +9, Grapple: +11)

Attacks: Assault Rifle, +13 (DC 20), Knife, +9 (DC 18), Machete, +9 (DC 20), Masterwork Heavy Pistol, +14 (DC 19), Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 7), +15 (DC 22), Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 17)

Defense: +15 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -2

Initiative: +7

Languages: Arabic Native, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Kurdish, Spanish, Turkish

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 23 (92 ranks) + Feats 30 + Powers 40 + Combat 36 + Saves 19 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

Age (as of Jan 2019): 23
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 145 lbs.
Ethnicity: Saudi
Hair: Blonde (dyed, naturally Black)
Eyes: Dark Brown

Background: Layla Khan is a unpowered young woman from Saudi Arabia. This should already tell you much about how her life has gone. Saudia Arabia is…near the bottom, as far as equality between the genders is concerned. Cishet males stand at the top. Everyone else is…significantly lower. They have their reasons for this, and whether they’re good, bad, or something else I will leave as an exercise for the reader. Layla was a prodigy, as far as shooting went. She seemed to be born to fire guns at a high level of proficiency. Unfortunately, she was born with the wrong set of genitals for this to be considered especially important. Aside from one permissive shooting fan of an uncle, her conservative family had no use for her talents. Perhaps the government would have, but it never came to that. She stole one of her uncle’s rifles and one of his handguns, disguised herself, and slipped out of the country. She was 15 at the time. It would be nice to say that she fell in with some friendly terrorists and everything worked out great. But no. Layla shot a lot of men who would have taken away her obvious birthright. For faith. For honor. Out of jealousy. The reasons were varied and many, but ultimately ceased to matter once those voicing them were dead on the ground.

. . As more and more of their blood drained into sand and soil, more and more of Layla’s humanity drained with it. She had wanted to fight for a cause. For something that mattered. But in the end she became nothing more than an assassin for hire. She spent her earnings on better weapons and gear. And she kept her prices relatively low. It was never about the money. She didn’t care about getting rich. Recognition was what she craved. She chased the most difficult jobs, not the ones that paid more. Her notoriety built until she was dodging assassins after her. Some were from or paid by the Israeli Mossad, which has never been shy about removing potential threats to Israel. Some were from or paid by Islamic extremists, who found such a young woman extremely offensive. And, of course, there was the usual hodgepodge of has beens, never weres, and green newbies who were looking to make a name for themselves. There were days when it seemed like half the Middle East wanted to kill her. She didn’t mind the target practice, but it was getting tiresome. She should get out. She was in Khor Fakkan (a port city in the United Arab Emirates belonging specifically to the Emirate of Sharjah), looking to bribe a freighter captain into giving her passage, when the Blackgate Pirates made a ridiculously bold nighttime raid. In the dockside chaos, she sought out the infamous Yori Newgate, who was only too pleased to have one of the Middle East and Asia’s finest sharpshooters join his crew.

Powers & Tactics: Layla has no superhuman powers and even her two devices aren’t particularly special. She has a high powered Sniper Rifle and a Sniper’s Harness that does a few useful things. She is, however, one of the best ranged combatants on the planet, especially with her Sniper Rifle. The range it has is ridiculous. Mundane firearms are hitting their limits while she’s still effortlessly clipping the wings off flies. She’s hit targets over a mile away, though that taxes the limits of the gun and her abilities. It is a hell of a gun with armor piercing ammunition and sporting an integral silencer besides. Her Sniper Harness is a perfect complement to it. It has three parts. A Cloaking Field to render her unnoticed until her fateful shot. Goggles that dramatically increase her visual senses, so she can actually see to hit the targets her Sniper Rifle can reach along with the distance to said targets. And a Wrist Grapple to get to those elevated perches that are so perfect for sniping. She also has but does not always carry a variety of secondary weapons. An assault rifle, a masterwork heavy pistol, a machete, a knife, and some smoke grenades.

. . Tactically, she’s a sniper. And one with a hell of a lot of range to work with. If she’s the one starting the engagement, between her Cloaking Field and Hide In Plain Sight, you’ll never know she’s there until your brains are splattering the pavement. Those same two items make you starting the engagement a difficult proposition at best. She knows very well that melee or normal ranged combat against superhuman level foes is a suicidal endeavor. The melee fighters either outclass her in skill by a wide margin or have the physical strength to casually break her bones. The ranged fighters are worse, with a completely unpredictable assortment of abilities that can effortlessly outclass one unpowered human woman with a gun. PL 11 does not equal stupid or overconfident. To beat her, you have to bring the Super Senses to overcome Concealment, Obscure (remember the smoke grenades?), and Stealth, then endure a heavily attack and defense shifted PL11 with Acrobatic Bluff and Power Attack who is willing to shoot you as many time as it takes. Some movement speed ranks are also a good idea, because she likes to run away, too. Straight fights are for those with death wishes, and she doesn’t have one. She cannot power stunt. What she has is on the sheet.

Personality: Layla was once an idealistic young girl, until reality and killing a few dozen people caught up to her. She’s the stereotypical cold and stoic professional sniper now. Everyone is kept at arm’s length, because she may one day have to provide their brain matter with additional ventilation. She’s killed so many times and from so many ranges that human life just isn’t special to her anymore. She can kill as easily as breathing, and with about as much thought and feeling behind it. The other Blackgate Pirates (except Nayan, naturally) are killers, sure, but it also means something to them. For good or ill (mostly for ill), they feel something about killing and it’s something they actually decide to do. With Layla it’s basically reflex. There’s no thoughts about sparing enemies or showing mercy. Race doesn’t matter. Gender doesn’t matter. Age doesn’t matter. There are only targets and not targets. Targets are shot to death. Not targets are constantly assessed to determine if they have become targets. There is very little humanity left in her, and that is almost entirely contained in her deep seated craving for recognition. She is absolutely one of the top 100 sharpshooters on the planet, and she’s still improving. She wants that talent and hard won skill acknowledged. Specifically by the King of Saudia Arabia, at least to start. Despite all the ways she kind of isn’t one, she still considers herself a good Muslim woman.

. . Layla is not redeemable. She can’t be saved no matter how persuasive or compassionate the heroes are. There is no cheat route to dealing with her. Her craving for recognition is not something that can ever be truly satisfied. She has to be outwitted, overpowered, and beaten into the ground. And even then the heroes must be cautious, for she will not be taken alive if she can manage it. She won’t suicide directly, but she will do everything she can to force the issue and leave the heroes no choice. Assuming, of course, she can’t possibly escape to fight another day. This includes after she’s technically captured so escort her to that cell personally, heroes. Or you might find out she beat the shit out of the cops doing that, stole a gun, killed some or all of them, and escaped.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Wed Apr 13, 2022 3:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse!)
The Archetype Blendarama!
You, Dear Reader, may comment on any build at any time. I will be happy regardless.
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