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

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
User avatar
EternalPhoenix
Posts: 1858
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:42 am
Location: The Land of Mary

Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest:StrRev STG Squad C! Digital Shadow! Dusk Widow! Eclipse! Wisecracker! Tsuru

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Commander Titan wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:55 pm Fair enough. Actually that begs the question - how much do the Seven's support/extended groups interact with one another? You said Ruslan wouldn't take any contracts against the Blackgate pirates, for example. Is it publicly known they're in alignment? Do the Cult of Light know their "god" pals around with some of the villainous groups listed?
It depends on the various leadership styles. Lakis doesn't actually have much of anything to do with the organization named after him, so no they have no idea. By contrast Shazza has a pretty close relationship with her gang, and keeps no secrets from them. Yori, Kiske or Valia, their subordinates go where they're sent, so orders are cut based on the mission location with any actual communication to prevent any unfortunate meetings kept between League members. Naturally how they do this is based on their personalities. Ruslan and Daisuke may not keep the tightest of reins on their people, but they visit DEATH on anyone stupid enough to try to get their people to cross other League members. The risk of a sudden deeply unpleasant demise has a profound chilling effect on such efforts. It's also a big, big world and even the largest organization (the Devil Hunters) has only but so many people to spread across said big, big world.
Commander Titan wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:55 pmThey're all well-written and well-constructed builds (as far as I can tell, I'm real rusty on actual mechanics, and mostly follow sites like this for settings, since it's been ages since I've played a supers game and likely to be ages more until my group agrees to one). But, to be honest? I think most of their paradigm is just not for me. I appreciate the pieces you've laid out, about how heroes could redeem/revolt the society as a whole. The group is quite "swords and magic" and feels a little silo'd off from the more central superhero stuff that tends to draw my attention. Again, not bad or poorly done, just not quite my cup of tea. They also feel the closest to what I presume are their anime inspirations, and I have a very narrow and fleeting knowledge of anime these days. I caught the scattered references/inspiration from Death Note, Attack on Titan and Black Lagoon in other League of Seven/adjacent characters, for example, but I've never watched any of those and mostly just know them by osmosis in geek-spaces.
That is fair enough. The supernatural side of the supers scene is not your cup of tea.
Commander Titan wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:55 pmOh sure, sure. I can definitely see the dedicated message boards, fan wikis, stat tracking or Twitter updates, just like any real-world fandom. I'm sure there are some (especially Assassins and Thieves) who, given that they try to do their work in secret, would be a bit exasperated by civilian fans trying to track down all their moves.
I mean...Assassins are known killers hired by criminals. So only crazy people chase them too closely. And many Thieves aren't peaceful people, either. It's one thing to track their professional activity, but searching for who's behind the masks and codenames may get a person killed. It's just, as you said, a kind of double edged sword. Their reputations can't call down more heat from law enforcement and superheroes than they can handle, but they also rely on those same reputations to get good work. It's a delicate balance. Those who can't handle it either die, go to prison forever, or struggle fruitlessly at the bottom of the rankings until they quit.
Commander Titan wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:55 pmIn case it wasn't clear, I am aware of that (I've seen quite a bit about it in some news corners, given Russia's current aims and the possibility of NATO expanding). But I thought it was a novel choice!
Just making sure!
Commander Titan wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:55 pmIf nothing else, I'm a little intrigued given how much more like a conventional superhero she sounds, whereas much of the material you've presented so far sort of plays into different angles of costumed characters.
I do have conventional superheroes in the Phoenixverse, and I will get to them! You know, eventually. Next is the Academy, a tweener group. Then I'll hold a vote as to which I do after them.
Commander Titan wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:55 pmNo, I can see that. Its like Leverage, where part of what keeps them honest is reminding themselves they're the "bad guys" doing good. The members of BLACK might be "necessary evil," but by acknowledging their flaws they keep themselves in line (to a degree), whereas the Cult of Light (actually, a whole bunch of League of Seven members/associates) think they are heroes and thus can keep justifying worse and worse actions. Is that sort of the distinction you're aiming for?

Sure sure sure. And a good degree of restraint being exercised then. And also a plot hook, then, if someone less concerned with geopolitics tried to get their hands on the technology in order to achieve some meteorological goal. The heroes might have to team up with the Knights, since Valia is trying to prove "Not me this time!"

True true true. But hey, that makes them an excellent reason for all sorts of parties to call even temporary truces when they sniff out Agency involvement. Presumably a lot of rank-and-file supervillains go "hey, I'm a crook, but I'm not an Agency crook!" much like when Marvel villains decide they don't want to hang out with HYDRA Nazis.
You. You get it.
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

Squad D (The Outsiders)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Squad D (The Outsiders)

Overview

. . Putting together Squad D was not a smooth process. Squad A was already together was the original STG team. Squad B started with 4 and only needed to add a fifth. Even Squad C started from having three and just had to find two more. Who, we shall note, came packaged together. And, of course, Valine had quality assistance putting B and C together. Photophobia helped a lot with B, and Aeon did the same with C. If one was following the pattern, one would expect Primrose and/or Nimbus to be of assistance with Squad D. But uh…not exactly. Nimbus is an intensely private person off the clock. Very low chance she'd know anyone. Which leaves Primrose, who could not possibly have given any less of a shit. Still, it was his half assed suggestions that led to most of the current Outsiders. “You want to fight demons, you get Devil Hunters.” said the kitsune who’d spent multiple lifetimes being hunted by them. This led Valine and Methion to Tana, of the Waves and Nika, the Heartfire. “Asteroth’s old as shit. I know well the longer you live, the most damnable loose ends you leave behind you.” Said a very drunk and perhaps a little melancholy ninetailed fox man. This led Methion and the aforementioned vampire wizard to finding Rudolphus "Rudy" Evander.

. . However. Calamity Jane and Thespian were, in fact, Nimbus’s contributions. Or rather, her Uncle Rico’s. Calamity Jane (both of them) had a pressing need to get out of Germany (Europe, really) for a little while. The identical twin sisters shared a codename (the better to make the law think they were one person instead of two) and they had more or less made an archenemy of one of the finest costumed detectives in Europe. The downside of sharing a codename is that you both get pursued equally hard. Awkward. Running to Spain led to talking to Rico lead to talking to Nimbus lead to talking to Valine. Meanwhile Thespian is a diehard Nimbus fangirl, who figured out Squad A’s sniper had a connection to Rico. This lead to a little involuntary sidekicking (involuntary on Nimbus’s part) and ultimately Thespian joining The Outsiders so that poor harassed Nimbus wouldn’t have to deal with her anymore.

. . It’s a strange team, but it works. The Outsiders are the supernatural strike force. They’re basically monster hunters. The trouble with that is there’s always wicked humans collaborating, said supernatural creature fully infiltrating society, or people who get their hands on dangerous artifacts they absolutely should not have. So they break the law just as much as the other Squads do. Espionage, theft, property damage, and assassination (generally of like, vampires or some other supernatural creature, but occasionally not).

Tactics

. . The Outsiders are a little…eclectic…in their missions. Calamity Jane does a lot of the heavy lifting in the finesse department. They’re the spy and thief. Thespian is the assassin for human targets, though with supernatural targets calling it “assassination” is kind of an insult to the profession. It’s more like a gang beating. But anyway the Outsiders break the law in all the listed ways to remove harmful supernatural creatures from the world. That’s their whole schtick. Sometimes collaborating humans get in the way. Tana is the only one who goes out of his way not to kill them. Nika’s not by nature a killer and so far nothing’s happened, but it’s not like she’d notice if it bothered her anyway. Rudy’s both had the ability to care beaten out of him and is from the very old school where collaborators get it just as hard. Calamity Jane isn’t anyone’s executioner, but fights are fights. And Thespian is an outright sociopath so yanno.
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

Tana, of the Waves

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Tana, of the Waves

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 195/195

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

Tough: +7, Fort: +8, Ref: +11, Will: +8

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 13 (+15), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Gather Information 8 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 8 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 8 (+10), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10)

Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 4, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Increase Gravity (Paralyze 7)), Improved Critical 2 (Oceanic Strike (Strike 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Water Blast (Blast 11)), Improved Critical 2 (Water Bolts (Blast 7)), Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Gather Info, Notice, Sense Motive), Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Enchanted Durability (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness)

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

Shadow Sea, Briny Tide (Device 9) (Easy to lose)
. . Ocean Proof (Immunity 5) (environmental condition: Cold, environmental condition: Pressure, environmental condition: Vacuum, suffocation (all))
. . Oceanic Senses (Super-Senses 7) (accurate (type): Auditory, darkvision, ultra-hearing)
. . Oceanic Strike (Strike 4) (DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Oceanic Strike (Strike 4)); Mighty)
. . Pocket Ocean (Linked)
. . . . Ocean Control (Move Object 9) (Linked; Strength: 45, Carry: 4.3k / 4.3 tons / 6.4 tons / 12.8 tons; Limited Material (Water))
. . . . Ocean Generation (Features 9) (Linked; Notes: Generates enough water to fill a 250' radius area.)
. . Swimming 7 (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd; Environmental Adaptation)

Star Ocean Magic (Array 14) (default power: blast)
. . Blinding Shadow Blast (Dazzle 11) (Array; affects: visual senses, DC 21; Alternate Save (Will))
. . Increase Gravity (Paralyze 7) (Array; DC 17, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Increase Gravity (Paralyze 7)); Range (ranged); Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))
. . Null-G Field (Move Object 9) (Array; Strength: 45, Carry: 4.3k / 4.3 tons / 6.4 tons / 12.8 tons; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Secondary Effect; Limited Direction)
. . Shadow Field (Obscure 9) (Array; affects: visual senses, Radius: 2500 ft.; Selective Attack)
. . Shadow Walk (Teleport 7) (Array; 700 ft. as move action, 200 miles as full action, DC 17; Accurate, Affects Others; Medium; Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression, Mass 3 (carry 1000 lbs), Turnabout)
. . Water Blast (Blast 11) (Default; DC 26, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Water Blast (Blast 11)))
. . Water Bolts (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Water Bolts (Blast 7)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))
. . Water Burst (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General))
. . Whirlpool (Move Object 9) (Array; Strength: 45, Carry: 4.3k / 4.3 tons / 6.4 tons / 12.8 tons, DC 24; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Damaging; Limited Direction (towards center of area))

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +7, Melee: +11, Grapple: +14)

Attacks: Blinding Shadow Blast (Dazzle 11), +7 (DC Will 21), Increase Gravity (Paralyze 7), +11 (DC Staged/Will 17), Oceanic Strike (Strike 4), +11 (DC 22), Unarmed Attack, +11 (DC 18), Water Blast (Blast 11), +7 (DC 26), Water Bolts (Blast 7), +11 (DC 22), Water Burst (Blast 9) (DC 24), Whirlpool (Move Object 9) (DC 24)

Defense: +11 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +7

Languages: Japanese Native

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 22 (88 ranks) + Feats 22 + Powers 73 + Combat 28 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 195

Age (as of Jan 2019): Unkown (known to be at least 200 years, chronologically), early 20s (biological)
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 165 lbs
Ethnicity: Japanese
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Dark Brown

Theme Song: Hinokami Kagura, by DizzyEight Featuring Sama Savage and Expectation, by DizzyEight

Background: Tana, of the Waves never wanted any of this. He was a peasant, born to a woodcutter/charcoal burner family in Kubota Domain, Dewa Province (now Senboku District, Akita Prefecture). The eldest of five with a father who was ailing before Tana reached the age of ten, Tana had to grow up faster than most children. They didn’t have a lot, but they ate well. They had each other for company, even after his father’s passing. They even went to Kakunodate (now part of the small city of Semboku) every September for the Kakunodate-matsuri, a semi-religious festival with a grand parade and dancing. Their daimyo was Sataka Yoshihiro, the 10th in the domain’s history. For obvious reasons, Tana and his family had nothing to do with him. It was the last century of the Edo Period, not than anyone actually knew that. Kubota knew peace, as most deeply rural and underpopulated areas do. Mostly. Because as most deeply rural and underpopulated areas do (even in the modern era), they had monster problems.

. . Demons, as modern Christianity might call them, though that’s only accurate so far as yokai, mazoku, and akuma are supernatural beings who are generally hostile to humanity. Many of them do not have infernal origins at all. And, of course, some of them were never supernatural to begin with. Japan has had its fair share of evil and/or mad wizards and sorcerers. Onmyodo was the term for their tradition, and onmyoji was the term for an actual practitioner. Like all mages, there were heroes, mercenaries, scam artists, and genuine villains in their ranks. And the endless battles between heroic samurai and onmyoji against the villainous versions of same, especially in the Sengoku period, left a nasty legacy. Monsters. Bakemono. It was goddamn dangerous to be outside after dark before the advent of electricity and modern lighting. Sometimes, it still is. In the United States alone, over 600K people go missing every year (though it has been trending downward since the 90s), though approximately 90K are missing at any given time. Most are found. Only about 2200 remain missing each year. More disturbingly, 4400 unidentified bodies are found every year. Many of these have died of natural causes, to be sure. But not all. This is in the modern United States of America. Where help, at least in urban areas, is seldom far away and just about everyone carries a mobile communication device capable of summoning such aid. In such an advanced nation, people can still disappear forever. And even if their bodies are found, they may never been identified. Rural Japan two centuries ago (without smartphones, electricity, or even handguns) was much worse. Only fools and the desperate travelled at night. Everyone knew yokai, mazoku, akuma, and bakemono prowled then.

. . This is why Tana stayed at the edge of Kakunodate that night. Even though he thought he could make it home before it was fully dark, it was the smart thing to do. He had brought firewood and charcoal to be sold. Everything was gone, as usual. He was 14 years old. His father had been dead for two years, but their family was surviving. He was going to bring food supplies home. They couldn’t grow their own rice, alone deep in the mountain forests as they were. Charcoal burners were always kept far away from settlements. The risk of fire and the occupation’s oddly unsavory reputation ensured this. There was a small inn for such travelers, and Tana used it. In the morning, he returned home to horror. The front door, the edge of their threshold that should have kept anything supernatural out, smashed down. Inside, a massacre. It was not bandits. They had nothing worth stealing, and those wounds were far too savage to be from a sword. He did the only thing he could do. Scream in horror. Until his younger sister Nika stirred, moaning softly. His mother and siblings were very dead, but if Nika was only wounded she could be saved if he hurried with her back to Kakunodate. So he did the only thing he could do right now. He strapped her to his back and started walking as fast he could. She woke up on his back, and fidgeted enough that he fell off the path and into the forest. Obviously, he let go to stop his own fall, and they faced each other. Nika’s eyes had changed. She’d grown fangs. She was snarling. What in the world…and then she tried to bite him. He held her back with the shaft of his woodcutting axe, begging and pleading with her to stop. This was the worst day of his life, and looking to be the last if he couldn’t convince his last remaining family member not to kill and eat him. For an instant it seemed like he was making headway, then a violent wind gust tore them apart, sending Nika flying into a tree and knocking her out. The source of the wind was a swordsman, tall and too tanned to be from this part of Japan. Those sigils on his clothes…a Devil Hunter! His eyes were cold and unfeeling.

. . This was Kiske, of the Thousand. Tana begged, and then went rebuked for his mental weakness, fought. This went exactly as well as one would expect. Untrained child versus warrior with century of experience and training. Yet Tana’s outside the box thinking (he’d planned for Kiske being better than him, not that it worked) impressed the veteran Devil Hunter. Nika waking up and protecting her unconscious brother instead of eating him was equally impressive. He decided to keep them, and said as much when Akiko, the Phoenix and the rest of their squad caught up to him. Thus Tana and Nika became Tana, of the Waves and Nika, the Heartfire.

. . The rookie Devil Hunters were teamed up with Zuki, the Thunderer and Isora, of Beast Blood. The team was well constructed, for the most part. Tana was the steady leader. Isora’s initial fearless aggression covered for Zuki’s initial terrified reticence. Nika was brilliant in a support role, even if her injuries had forever silenced her. They were all great friends, growing together from green rookies to seasoned veterans. It wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but they survived. Plenty of other rookie squads got decimated. Returning from a mission short a member, or with someone maimed/crippled was common. Tana supposed it was the guidance of Kiske that helped them where others faltered. Tana was explicitly his protégé, and nevermind that Isora didn’t care and Zuki was too wrapped up in his own head to notice. It mattered to Tana, as Kiske was a great hero. A good man. Or so Tana thought. Then Kiske took over the Devil Hunter Society, and things started to change.

. . The Devil Hunter Society that Tana and Nika came to was a lively place, full of light, love, and hope. There were always losses, and a undertone of pain, but there was also a sense of community. Family. Their lives were often hard and painful both physically and emotionally, but those who came home had their wounds lovingly bound, and those who did not were truly mourned. They were good and noble heroes, expected to behave with dignity, compassion, and honor. Until Kiske decided that they had suffered enough. Tana did not and to this day does not know what Kiske did to become Supreme Commander. He does know that Kiske’s changes were not what he was initially taught, and that they ran counter to everything he believed in. Still, Tana was grateful to him for saving Nika, and his sister did not communicate any displeasure with the new way of things. So Tana grit his teeth and put up with it. Even if he slowly distanced himself from Kiske and their prior close relationship. He simply couldn’t be the man’s protégé anymore.

. . The straw that broke the camel’s back was Zuki agreeing with Kiske’s philosophy. What the hell, Zuki? Seriously, what the hell? The conversation turned into a debate which turned into an argument which turned into their team breaking. Tana practically exploded into Kiske’s office. They had an absolutely blazing argument which practically half the Society heard it was so loud. Kiske’s arrogance and trauma wouldn’t allow him to budge on this issue. The suffering and death of their own had to end. That was the priority. Tana’s conscience and sense of justice wouldn’t allow him to budge, either. Some things were more important than even one’s life or the lives of one’s friends and allies, dammit. It was the kind of argument that only two people who know and at least used to care about each other very much can have. They couldn’t have wounded each other more deeply that day if they’d used their swords. Tana left the Devil Hunter Society that day, never to return. Nika, for all she loved Zuki and Isora, loved her brother more and thus went with him. Isora was furious, as he didn’t give a single solitary shit about anything but his squad and killing as many demons as humanly possible. And now his squad was breaking apart because of stupid bullshit that (in his mind) didn’t matter. It was, however, Zuki’s broken and hopeless “Where would I go?” that Tana found most haunting.

. . And thus Tana and Nika quietly vanished into history. Or rather, they would have if not for a certain ninetailed fox man and his halfassed suggestions. Methion and Valine were not about to piss off Kiske by poaching any of his people. That’d be awful rude. Kiske’s takeover, however, left some renegades in its wake. While most of them were either eventually killed by Kiske loyalists or changed their minds and rejoined, there was one duo who had seemed to just…vanish. Well, well, well. Time for some subtle chronomancy, and a long talk between the two and Valine. With several key details sorted, Squad D’s first two members were recruited. Because yes, Methion pulled the siblings through time to the present after they agreed to join Valine. But why would they agree to such a thing? Specifically, why would Tana agree to such a thing? Methion is no better than Kiske, after all. It starts with the STG being autonomous under Valine. And even Valine leaves his squads to do their work. It was a second chance to do a Devil Hunter’s work. There was nothing wrong with a trail period to see how it would work. And while Tana has to occasionally keep Calamity Jane and Thespian from being excessively criminal, the Outsiders are hell on wheels against supernatural menaces. It’s been an acceptable three years, in Tana’s view.

Powers & Tactics: Tana is both a skilled swordsman and magician. He has a potent enchanted sword and his body is also well enchanted. Shadow Sea, Briny Tide can only be properly used by him. For anyone else it is an ordinary Damage 3 (Might, 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 and sharpness than other blades. The special powers of Devil Hunter swords traditionally fall into the realms of Flame, Frost, or Shock. He is a small exception to this, falling into the Water Subclan of Frost Clan. His special powers basically make him near peerless underwater and let him create an underwater environment on demand.

. . As a magician, he uses Star Ocean Magic. This allows him to create water, shadow, and gravitic effects. His water effects are basically for damage. Water Blast is regular damage. Water Bolts is a barrage of more accurate but less damaging fire. Water Burst does damage over an area. Whirlpool is a little special in that it draws targets caught in the area of effect back into it, but otherwise it’s another damaging spell. His use of shadow, however, is more esoteric. Blinding Shadow Blast crams shadows into the target’s eyes, rending them unable to see unless their willpower is up to resisting the spell. Shadow Field can cloak up to half a mile in absolute darkness. And Shadow Walk is literally teleportation, with the requirement that the start and end points be in darkness or shadow. His gravitic spells continue the esoterica. Increase Gravity can freeze a target in place, unable to move under their new weight. Unless, of course, their willpower is up to resisting the spell. And Null G Field can send targets and objects in an area soaring into the air to either hang helplessly or get tossed away.

. . The enchantments to his body are relatively subtle by comparison. His physical durability is significantly higher and he can speak, read, and understand all languages. This includes all sign languages, so he can still communicate with his silent sister.

. . Tactically, Tana tends to be straightforward. His favorite thing to do is use Pocket Ocean and then attack using his sword and greater maneuverability underwater. Plan B is Whirlpool or Shadow Field. If these aren’t viable, he’ll start digging into his combat spells in no particular order. Shadow Walk is extremely useful to stay mobile if Pocket Ocean isn’t good enough. He has Improved Acrobatic Bluff and Feint to aid in hitting, and all four cap moving feats to keep things interesting. Like most Devil Hunters, he has a plethora of possible power stunts. Most of these are just descriptor swapping on his existing spells, however. Shadow Blast, Gravitic Bolts, Blinding Water Splash (a Fort save instead of Will, but still), Singularity (Whirlpool with Gravity instead of Water), etc. However, he can do anything a water or shadow controller can do if he puts his mind to it. Not so much with gravity. He’s still learning there.

Personality: Tana is a good man, if not a law abiding one. He’s almost a proper superhero. Almost. The problem with him is that he’s not as different from Kiske as he thinks he is. He wants to protect lives from monsters and demons, regardless of what he has to do to see it done. He’s not willing to genuinely harm even evil people…but he is willing to sanction others doing it. Or at the very least look the other way and pretend he saw and heard nothing of consequence. He is an extremely compassionate and empathetic soul, but he is also a well trained and well seasoned Devil Hunter. They used to and still do often do good work, but they’ve been isolated from the world from centuries. Mortal rules only get in the way of his job. His job is to track down and kill the supernatural monsters of the world. It is not his job to clean up after the fight or protect livelihoods during it.

. . Honestly, he has a kind, loving heart, but he’s been through a hell of a lot. He’s the type of young man who will keep trying even when he’s exhausted. Even when it’s literally killing him. It’s his way of trying to make up for not having been there that night. He doesn’t talk about it, but he saw his mother and young siblings clawed apart and partially eaten. His humble home covered in their blood. He’s not the type to hate whatever did it. He’s not angry. He just hurts. If it is in his power to do anything about it, no one will ever feel this pain ever again. No one will ever have to see what he saw ever again. Nobody, as long as he has breath in his body, will have their hearts broken and worlds shattered that way.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:23 pm, 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.
User avatar
EternalPhoenix
Posts: 1858
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:42 am
Location: The Land of Mary

Nika, the Heartfire

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Nika, the Heartfire

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

STR: +7 (14/25), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +7 (14/25), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +11, Fort: +7, Ref: +7, Will: +10

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 7 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 7 (+10), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15), Swim 3 (+10)

Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed Attack), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Improved Critical 2 (Fire Blast (Blast 11)), Improved Critical 2 (Fire Bolts (Blast 7)), Improved Critical 2 (Heartfelt Strike (Strike 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Heartfire Blast (Blast 7)), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Redirect, Ritualist, Set-Up, Startle, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Enchanted Durability (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness)

Heartfire Magic (Array 14) (default power: blast)
. . Fire Blast (Blast 11) (Default; DC 26, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Fire Blast (Blast 11)))
. . Fire Bolts (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Fire Bolts (Blast 7)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))
. . Fire Burst (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45-90 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area (area x2))
. . Heartfelt Illusions (Illusion 4) (Array; affects: all sense types, DC 14; Duration (sustained), Selective Attack; Progression, Area 4 (100 ft. radius))
. . Heartfire Blast (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Heartfire Blast (Blast 7)); Alternate Save (Will); Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))
. . Heartfire Regeneration (Healing 7) (Array; Action (standard), Total; Personal; Persistent, Regrowth)
. . Infernal Shapeshifting (Morph 7) (Array; morph: any form, +35 Disguise; Affects Others)
. . Mana Burn (Nullify 9) (Array; counters: all powers of (type) - magic, DC 19; Range (perception); Reversible)
. . Passionate Hypnosis (Mind Control 9) (Array; DC 19; Conscious, Instant Command; Sense-Dependent (Visual); Mental Link)

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

Passion's Heart, Hell's Fire (Device 9) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Heartfelt Strike (Strike 4) (DC 26, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Heartfelt Strike (Strike 4)); Mighty, Precise)
. . Infernal Leaping (Leaping 4) (Jumping distance: x25)
. . Infernal Resilience (Impervious Toughness 7)
. . Infernal Speed (Speed 4) (Speed: 100 mph, 880 ft./rnd)
. . Infernal Stamina (Enhanced Constitution 11) (+11 CON)
. . Infernal Strength (Enhanced Strength 11) (+11 STR)

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

Attacks: Fire Blast (Blast 11), +7 (DC 26), Fire Bolts (Blast 7), +11 (DC 22), Fire Burst (Blast 9) (DC 24), Heartfelt Strike (Strike 4), +7 (DC 26), Heartfire Blast (Blast 7), +11 (DC Will 22), Mana Burn (Nullify 9) (DC Will 19), Passionate Hypnosis (Mind Control 9) (DC Will 19), Unarmed Attack, +11 (DC 22)

Defense: +7 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -9

Initiative: +3

Drawbacks: Disability, very common, moderate, Mute

Languages: Japanese Native

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 21 (84 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 75 + Combat 28 + Saves 11 - Drawbacks 4 = 180

Age (as of Jan 2019): Unknown (known to be at least 200 years, chronologically), late teens (biological)
Height: 5’ 2”
Weight: 110 lbs
Ethnicity: Japanese
Hair: Black
Eyes: Magenta

Theme Songs: Hinokami Kagura, by DizzyEight Featuring Sama Savage and Lost My Soul, by DizzyEight

Background: Nika, the Heartfire never expected her life to turn out this way. She was a peasant, born to a woodcutter/charcoal burner family in Kubota Domain, Dewa Province (now Senboku District, Akita Prefecture). The second of five with a father who was ailing before the eldest reached the age of ten, Nika had to grow up faster than most children. They didn’t have a lot, but they ate well. They had each other for company, even after her father’s passing. They even went to Kakunodate (now part of the small city of Semboku) every September for the Kakunodate-matsuri, a semi-religious festival with a grand parade and dancing. Their daimyo was Sataka Yoshihiro, the 10th in the domain’s history. For obvious reasons, Nika and her family had nothing to do with him. It was the last century of the Edo Period, not than anyone actually knew that. Kubota knew peace, as most deeply rural and underpopulated areas do. Mostly. Because as most deeply rural and underpopulated areas do (even in the modern era), they had monster problems.

. . Demons, as modern Christianity might call them, though that’s only accurate so far as yokai, mazoku, and akuma are supernatural beings who are generally hostile to humanity. Many of them do not have infernal origins at all. And, of course, some of them were never supernatural to begin with. Japan has had its fair share of evil and/or mad wizards and sorcerers. Onmyodo was the term for their tradition, and onmyoji was the term for an actual practitioner. Like all mages, there were heroes, mercenaries, scam artists, and genuine villains in their ranks. And the endless battles between heroic samurai and onmyoji against the villainous versions of same, especially in the Sengoku period, left a nasty legacy. Monsters. Bakemono. It was goddamn dangerous to be outside after dark before the advent of electricity and modern lighting. Sometimes, it still is. In the United States alone, over 600K people go missing every year (though it has been trending downward since the 90s), though approximately 90K are missing at any given time. Most are found. Only about 2200 remain missing each year. More disturbingly, 4400 unidentified bodies are found every year. Many of these have died of natural causes, to be sure. But not all. This is in the modern United States of America. Where help, at least in urban areas, is seldom far away and just about everyone carries a mobile communication device capable of summoning such aid. In such an advanced nation, people can still disappear forever. And even if their bodies are found, they may never been identified. Rural Japan two centuries ago (without smartphones, electricity, or even handguns) was much worse. Only fools and the desperate travelled at night. Everyone knew yokai, mazoku, akuma, and bakemono prowled then.

. . Nika doesn’t quite remember what happened that night. Her elder brother Tana was away in Kakunodate, selling firewood and charcoal. He would be back the following day. He’d have little gifts for everyone. Last time he got her this lovely comb. The family had dinner without him, and went to bed. The door was shut. Their threshold was secure. No yokai, mazoku, or akuma could enter without being invited in. She fell asleep as normal, but she had a very strange dream. Something dark and terrible came into their home. (How did the door get knocked down?) Something impossibly hungry. It gave her a little bite on the neck and her thoughts went all funny. (Was it eating her baby brother’s heart?) Everything was so funny she had to sit down and laugh. Only no sound came out, which was funnier still. (Oh, was that what her mother’s intestines looked like?) Giggling madly but silently, she crawled to her front doorway in search of a reprieve from the sheer hilarity of seeing her walls redecorated with flung red dye. (Shouldn’t it be cold by the door? Why did she feel so hot?) She was, however, finally able to stop laughing. The dream subsided into disordered and nonsensical thoughts as she fell deeper into sleep.

. . The next thing she knew, Tana was trying to wake her. That was silly. She should have been awake long before Tana got back. Then she listened to what he was actually saying. Begging her not to turn into a demon? Why would she be doing that? She tried to open her eyes, only to realize that they were already open. A terrible hunger gnawed at her belly. Incredible rage sang through her veins. And her brother was struggling to keep her teeth away from his neck. Then she went flying through the air and everything went dark again. The next thing she knew, Tana was being knocked out by some samurai looking guy. Rational thought wasn’t involved. Her brother was in trouble. She moved. She put her body between Tana and the Devil Hunter. If he wanted to kill her brother, he’d have to get past her. And her fangs. And her claws. And that weird fire she could now summon. Kiske, of the Thousand, flattened her with the same ease he’d flattened her brother. He was impressed with the siblings, however, and so did not kill either of them. He decided to keep them, and said as much when Akiko, the Phoenix and the rest of their squad caught up to him. Thus Tana and Nika became Tana, of the Waves and Nika, the Heartfire.

. . The rookie Devil Hunters were teamed up with Zuki, the Thunderer and Isora, of Beast Blood. The team was well constructed, for the most part. Tana was the steady leader. Isora’s initial fearless aggression covered for Zuki’s initial terrified reticence. Nika was brilliant in a support role, even if her injuries had forever silenced her. They were all great friends, growing together from green rookies to seasoned veterans. It wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but they survived. Plenty of other rookie squads got decimated. Returning from a mission short a member, or with someone maimed/crippled was common. Nika was the heart of the team, despite her inability to speak. She healed their wounds and softened their hearts. Zuki fell hopelessly in love with her. Even Isora loved her like a younger brother would. Nika really wished she could return their feelings properly, but there was an numb place where her emotions used to be. She knew they were still there by various physiological reactions associated with them, but she herself couldn’t feel them. Which was why Kiske’s takeover didn’t have any effect on her, really.

. . The Devil Hunter Society that Tana and Nika came to was a lively place, full of light, love, and hope. There were always losses, and a undertone of pain, but there was also a sense of community. Family. Their lives were often hard and painful both physically and emotionally, but those who came home had their wounds lovingly bound, and those who did not were truly mourned. They were good and noble heroes, expected to behave with dignity, compassion, and honor. Until Kiske decided that they had suffered enough. Tana, however, was her shining light. She noticed he was basically Kiske’s protégé even if Isora and Zuki did not. She also noticed that their relationship started falling apart after the takeover.

. . The straw that broke the camel’s back was Zuki agreeing with Kiske’s philosophy. The conversation turned into a debate which turned into an argument which turned into their team breaking. Nika was close enough to hear it. Close enough that Tana stormed past her on his way to practically explode into Kiske’s office. Tana and Kiske had an absolutely blazing argument which practically half the Society heard it was so loud. Kiske’s arrogance and trauma wouldn’t allow him to budge on this issue. The suffering and death of their own had to end. That was the priority. Tana’s conscience and sense of justice wouldn’t allow him to budge, either. Some things were more important than even one’s life or the lives of one’s friends and allies, dammit. Nika knew her brother. She knew which way the wind was blowing. So she gathered her teammates by the doors to the Clan offices. Tana stormed out, and Nika waved to the others to follow. Tana was leaving the Devil Hunter Society, never to return. Nika, for all she was loyal to Zuki and Isora, clung to the only emotion she could still feel. Her love for her brother. So of course she went with him. Isora was furious, as he didn’t give a single solitary shit about anything but his squad and killing as many demons as humanly possible. And now his squad was breaking apart because of stupid bullshit that (in his mind) didn’t matter. The only thing Zuki could say was a broken and hopeless “Where would I go?”. Nika only knew she was sad because tears started rolling down her face as they were walking away.

. . And thus Tana and Nika quietly vanished into history. Or rather, they would have if not for a certain ninetailed fox man and his halfassed suggestions. Methion and Valine were not about to piss off Kiske by poaching any of his people. That’d be awful rude. Kiske’s takeover, however, left some renegades in its wake. While most of them were either eventually killed by Kiske loyalists or changed their minds and rejoined, there was one duo who had seemed to just…vanish. Well, well, well. Time for some subtle chronomancy, and a long talk between the two and Valine. With several key details sorted, Squad D’s first two members were recruited. Because yes, Methion pulled the siblings through time to the present after they agreed to join Valine. But why would they agree to such a thing? Specifically, why would Nika agree to such a thing? There is a spell on her, naturally. Not to change something about her, but to preserve it. Her love and devotion for her brother are the only emotions she can still feel. She’ll follow him to the ends of the earth.

Powers & Tactics: Nika is both a decent swordswoman and expert magician. She has a potent enchanted sword and her body is also well enchanted. Passion's Heart, Hell's Fire can only be properly used by her. For anyone else it is an ordinary Damage 3 (Might, Improved Crit) Sword. This is because it was originally drawn from her damaged 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 her hands, having more power and sharpness than other blades. The special powers of Devil Hunter swords traditionally fall into the realms of Flame, Frost, or Shock. Officially, Nika fell into Fire Clan. Perfectly normal. Except she was not one of them at all. What happened to her on the night her family died is…puzzling. It bore a resemblance to, of all things, a vampiric transformation minus the death requirement and plus the ability to use Hellfire. What the in the literal Hell attacked them that night? The demonic infection was contained in Passion’s Heart, Hell’s Fire. Her powers from it, aside from the Hellfire, are all in the sword. Enhanced physical strength, durability, and speed.

. . As a magician, she uses Heartfire Magic. This allows the rechanneled Hellfire powers to manifest safely in various mind affecting ways instead of the originally demonstrated destructive force. Heartfelt Illusions (Illusions that affect all senses over a 100 foot area), Infernal Shapeshifting (she and any one person she touches can turn into literally anything without changing their other abilities), and Passionate Hypnosis (basically mind control, but limited to making one command of the target) are this. She can also use regular fire magic for both damage and more exotic warmth based effects. Fire Blast is regular damage. Fire Bolts is a barrage of more accurate but less damaging fire. Fire Burst does damage over an area. Heartfire Blast attacks the mind and soul with flames. Heartfire Regeneration allows her to heal herself or others of even the most grievous of injuries. And Mana Burn burns away magical effects

. . The enchantments to her body are relatively subtle by comparison. Her physical durability is significantly higher and she can speak, read, and understand all languages, Her inability to speak means she gets less use out of this than some, but all languages does include all sign languages, so she and Tana can communicate if nothing else.

. . Tactically, Nika no longer purely plays a supporting role. While she is good at it with Heartfelt Illusions and Heartfire Regeneration aiding allies at avoiding and recovering from damage, the Devil Hunters had her under close observation for any signs of infernal aggression. She was encouraged to behave as supportively and mild tempered as possible while a member of the Society. She isn’t one anymore. She uses all of her spells in combat aside from Infernal Shapeshifting, which has better out of combat uses. Fire Blast provides raw damage, Fire Bolts is more accurate, and Fire Burst can hit multiple targets. Heartfire Blast target Will saves, which is useful against foes with high Toughness. Her old ally aiding ways can still be seen with Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Demoralize, and Startle available for use with Set Up. She’s even willing to use her sword to slash foes apart. She has both Accurate and All Out Attack to improve attack accuracy, and Power Attack to improve raw damage. Nika can be extremely effective out of combat as well, with Heartfelt Illusions, Infernal Shapeshifting, and Passionate Hypnosis making detecting the Outsiders during a non combat mission virtually impossible. Unlike most Devil Hunters, she doesn’t ever power stunt.

Personality: Since that night, Nika has been missing a piece of herself. She’s growing ever more desperate to get it back. Her emotions are completely numb. She was a warm, loving, and compassionate girl before. She still tries to be. But she can’t feel anything but cold. It’s like when one of a person’s limbs falls asleep. They can detect that it’s there with their senses. They can maybe even move it a little. But they can’t feel the limb itself. Now imagine that it’s every limb, and one would have an inkling of what it’s like for her. She’s been this way for several years. It is not getting better. It is not getting worse. She is simply numb.

. . This is why she’s changed her approach in combat. Because the impact of her sword against a target is something she can still feel. So is the mana she weaves into her spells. So is physical pain from being injured. So is fatigue from a long fight. The one emotion she can still feel is love for her brother Tana. So she stays with him, fights for what he believes in, and protects him with her life. Maybe, one day, they’ll find how to get that piece of herself back.
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

Rudolphus "Rudy" Evander

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Rudolphus "Rudy" Evander

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 180/180

STR: +5 (20), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +10 (30), INT: +0 (10), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +0 (10)

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

Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+10), Craft (artistic) 5 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 5 (+5), Diplomacy 5 (+5), Gather Information 5 (+5), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 5 (+5), Knowledge (earth sciences) 5 (+5), Knowledge (history) 10 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 5 (+5), Language 7 (+7), Notice 12 (+15), Search 10 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 8 (+10), Survival 7 (+10)

Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Artificer, Attack Focus (melee) 5, Attack Specialization (Unarmed Attack), Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Mini Rocket (Blast 12)), Improved Critical 2 (Normal Shot (Blast 8)), Power Attack, Precise Shot, Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Exorcism Gun (Device 6) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Cartridges (Array 13) (default power: blast)
. . . . Explosive (Blast 8) (Array; DC 23; Burst Area (35-80 ft. radius - General); Progression, Decrease Area (-1 ranks), Progression, Increase Area (area x2))
. . . . Full Gatling (Blast 8) (Array; DC 23; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4))
. . . . Laser Beam (Blast 8) (Array; DC 23; Penetrating, Range (perception); Unreliable (5 uses))
. . . . Mini Rocket (Blast 12) (Array; DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Mini Rocket (Blast 12)))
. . . . Normal Shot (Blast 8) (Default; DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Normal Shot (Blast 8)); Penetrating [6 ranks only]; Accurate 2 (+4))

Infernal Synthetic Physiology (Container, Passive 5)
. . Immunity 8 (aging, disease, enviromental conditions (all), poison)
. . Impervious Toughness 10
. . Super-Senses 3 (acute: Olfactory, infravision, ultravision)
. . Super-Strength 2 (+10 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 1.6k lbs; +2 STR to some checks)

Locking On (Features 2) (Notes: Extra Effort/Hero Point to Aim as Move Action)

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +13, Grapple: +18/+20)

Attacks: Explosive (Blast 8) (DC 23), Full Gatling (Blast 8), +12 (DC 23), Laser Beam (Blast 8) (DC 23), Mini Rocket (Blast 12), +8 (DC 27), Normal Shot (Blast 8), +12 (DC 23), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 20)

Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -10

Initiative: +2

Languages: Arabic, Aramaic Native, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Greek, Hebrew, Persian, Syriac

Totals: Abilities 40 + Skills 28 (109 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 47 + Combat 34 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

Age (as of Jan 2019): Over 1900 years (chronological) , early 20s (appearance)
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 165 lbs (looks 130 lbs)
Ethnicity: Assyrian (visually similar to Turkish, Kurdish, and/or Arabic; appearance), Synthetic Metal Lifeform (underneath)
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Dark Brown

Theme Songs: Battle vs. Lord Blazer, from Wild Arms 2, I Know, by Zach Boucher featuring ChewieCatt, and Breathing In, by Zach Boucher

Background: Asteroth, the vampire wizard, has a lengthy history. He has outlived, so to speak, most of his enemies and massively outpowers the rest. And after the LA Hellgate Event (long story short, he ripped the power out of several demon armies to punish them, rescue an ally’s soul, and resurrect her), even the forces of Hell avoid instigating encounters with him. That, however, is the situation in 2019. It was not in 115. No, a digit is not missing from that year. Not quite a full century after his encounter with the Nazarene carpenter who some call the Messiah and Son of God (people at the time through history to now disagree on who He actually was), he was already causing trouble. The earthquake, however, was not his fault. He was actually clumsily trying to stop it. Which leads us to Rudolphus “Rudy” Evander.

. . Rudy was not born. He was created by a man he knew only as Grandfather (in Aramaic, but still). He created him for a specific purpose. To kill demons, devils, and monsters. There were a lot of those in 2nd Century Syria. Grandfather gave him his Exorcism Gun, taught him how to make new Cartridges for when he ran short, and sent him off to work. He was Antioch’s protector from the shadows. This was one of the reasons the Roman Emperor Trajan was in town that fateful day. Rumors had gotten all the way to Rome, and well two birds with one stone, right? Well, no, because that saying hadn’t been coined yet, but still. For some reason, Grandfather insisted on hiding. It was okay. Rudy had something to do anyway. At the time, Antioch had a relatively extensive cave system outside the city. It is long gone in 2019, mind. He had a evil plot to destroy the city to foil. December 13, that was. Classic thing. Evil sorcerer mad at the Empire. Emperor was in town, let’s kill him dramatically blah blah blah. Rudy did not actually care. He was a bad person who was trying to kill basically everbody Rudy knew, so he had to die. Asteroth had similar ideas. Antioch was his town. He lived there. It’d be mighty inconvenient for some asshole with a grudge to level the place. Unfortunately, since the vampire had begun his training as a wizard at this point, Rudy mistook him and the evil sorcerer for allies and attacked both. It was a shitshow. The earthquake happened more or less on schedule, if stripped of some of its power. And Antioch was devastated. Ironically, Trajan and his successor in two years, Hadrian, were totally unharmed. Grandfather was not. His house fell on him. This was the first (but not the last) time Rudy would know the pain of loss.

. . Rudy continued being Antioch’s protector in the shadows until 526. May of that year, to be specific. It was a vampiric plot, this time. A more skilled Asteroth had returned to town specifically to thwart the schemes of his “brother” Amon. The two did not fight this time, casually teaming up in the same cavern where they’d first met. And their actions arguably saved the Byzantine Empire from being shattered by a chain of earthquakes that would theoretically have left the vampires of the area to feast without consequence. Rudy had even brought a swordsman friend to help fight. But while their overall actions were a success, this meant little to Antioch, which was again devastated. Rudy helped with the search and rescue, his centuries of experience with the city pinpointing where buildings had fallen on people. However, the fires were simply too much for one set of hands to deal with. The destruction broke his heart. The swordsman’s entire family had been killed, and he fell on his sword before Rudy could do more than twitch. 250k people had been killed, according to records. Rudy’s entire social circle was a pile of corpses. When the fires were out at last, he left the city. He would never return.

. . Rudy pursued the surviving Amons relentlessly, all the way to Persia, thwarting their schemes on many occasions. Alone, however, he could not stop their plans from partially succeeding one last time. December 22, 856. Near modern day Damghan, Iran. Persia itself wasn’t shattered, but the province of Qumis certainly was. He did, however, finally finish exterminating that particular sect of vampires. The over three centuries saw him pick up many allies in his valiant quest against evil. But humans are fragile, mortal creatures. They break so easily. They age. He buried many friends killed too young, and held too many aged hands at too many deathbeds. With a heart full of grief, he returned (slowly) to Syria. Slowly because he couldn’t stop being a hero and monster hunter any more than he could stop being alive. He settled in Aleppo just in time for the First Crusade to come sweeping into what they called the Holy Land.

. . Ironically, Aleppo itself was not taken over as part of the Crusader states. Rudy was honestly a little befuddled. When he left Syria in the 5th Century, it had still been Roman Christian. When he finally returned in the 11th, it was very Arabic Muslim. Religious faith in general baffled him. So the Byzantines being kicked out (he heard rumors after it happened) was shocking. Killing in the name of God. Well. Maybe it was just the Muslims that were like that. Except no. The First Crusaders weren’t any better. Once again, he was befuddled. Still, they were new to the region. They didn’t understand it like he did. So he helped. Not with the actual warfare, but there are things that haunt battlefields looking to pick the wounded or merely unaware. Yes, even in 2019, though modern electrical lighting makes that much more difficult. As a lovely reward, the Crusaders generally tried to kill him. Religious fervor+his advanced weapon they couldn’t possibly understand+looking like a native=gotta be evil, so we gotta chop and bash. Whatever, said Rudy. They couldn’t, as a rule, actually hurt him. So he’d just beat them up and deal with the actual supernatural monster. Which brings up to Asteroth. Or rather, Kasi’n, since the Romani had decided to restore his soul which unbeknownst to them, was that of a sadistic psychopath. Oops. Kasi’n spent most of that period in Europe, but he got a little bored with torturing and murdering Crusader families and decided to get some Crusaders himself. Or rather, steal an old plan made by someone else. A little practice on the Jazira plain (in 1137), and he was ready to go. What Kasi’n was not ready for was for Rudy to catch wind of his plot and show up with a full team of warriors and mages. Like basically all of his plots, it fell to pieces and he had to fling around the hard earned power of Asteroth’s wizardry to carry the day. Or in this case, not get his ass kicked. He may have been a shitty planner, but he was one hell of a killer. He was also an idiot who almost got buried unalive as his busted plan triggered a massive earthquake that devastated Aleppo and many places in the surrounding countryside. October 11, 1138 was a hell of a day in Syria. Two beings crawled out of the broken and shattered earth. Kasi’n. And Rudy. While the villain escaped, Rudy pulled out who he could. This was not everyone. Those too badly injured to recover in a day or two were left behind. This was hot pursuit.

. . Hot pursuit, in fact, all that way to the city of Ganja in modern day Azerbaijan. At the time it was part of the Great Seljuk Empire. There was a little ally recruitment, and several dramatic clashes in the area grabbed imperial attention. This was uh, really bad, as it garned the attention of the White Court of Wizards who were and are notoriously vehement about destroying magic users who don’t adhere to their rules. A three front battle ensued on September 30, 1139…which triggered yet another earthquake that severely damaged Ganja and the surrounding countryside. To the degree that the neighboring Kingdom of Georgia was able to casually steal the city and many of its valuables from the Seljuks. It…broke something in Rudy. The poor guy felt cursed. 1000 years, and earthquakes still destroyed cities he fought to save. He did not return with his surviving allies to Syria. He went east. And then north, because the friggin’ Caspian Sea was in the way. He went north specifically because Persia was to the south and he didn’t want to go back there.

. . There are many stories from many places in what is now Kazakhstan and northwestern China. The foreigner with the strange weapon. The monster killer. A demigod. But aside from such legends, from Sept 30 1139 to Sept 25 1303 his location is not even vaguely known. It is on that second date that he once again appears in recorded history. The reason he wasn’t recorded in Kazakhstan was because of the Mongols invading after he’d passed through. By the time he’d entered China, he was actively avoiding their armies. War. Again. No, thank you. There was a severe (entirely natural) earthquake in what is now Shanxi Province on that September day. 100k people were killed outright, the primary cause of death being their loess cave homes collapsing on them. Over a century and a half of relative solitude had healed some of Rudy’s heart, and he pulled many people out of the broken wreckage of their homes. He also blasted holes in the strange (to him) creatures that came to feed on the carnage and chaos. Unsurprisingly, the Yuan Dynasty had trouble finding him afterward, but he didn’t leave China. He only returned to the neighboring province of Shaanxi. No, that’s not a typo. Extra a=different province. He returned specifically to Xiyue Temple, where he’d apparently been living for a little while. Xiyue was and is a temple dedicated to the practice of Taoism. In the modern People’s Republic of China Taoism is permitted if not accepted as a religious, cultural, and philosophical practice. Anything further is frowned on to persecuted as “silly superstitions”. Unless, of course, it is under the government’s direct control. But during the Yuan and following Ming Dynasties? Alchemy. Chi. Magic. Martial Arts. The age of what is now called Wuxia after the media genre that dramatizes it.

. . Rudy was directly involved in the Ch'ing-yang event of 1490. History doesn’t have that one quite right, either. It wasn’t a meteor shower or an air burst. It was the fragments of a 1000 foot asteroid Rudy blew up with one potent shot from his Exorcism Gun. There was a divination from the priests at Xiyue, so he was in the right place at the right time to pull the trigger and basically save all of China. And no, 10k people weren’t killed. That many were injured, some severely, but there were few fatalities. The straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, was 1556. February 2, to be precise. The 12th day of the 12 month of the year Jiajing 34, locally. Rudy couldn’t help but make new friends and allies in his monster hunting ways, with two legitimate True Companions in Zhang Wei the master swordsman and Wu Yuying the Taoist wizardess. On that day struck what was probably the strongest earthquake in Chinese history, killing over 100k people and displacing or starving over 700k more. Rudy knew nothing about it, because he was indirectly one of the casualties. Rumor had it that the infamous Asteroth had blown into Shaanxi province with his current traveling companion Dhana. Rudy recruited his two friends and several other allies, and set out to rid the world of the vampire wizard once and for all.

. . They engaged in battle in an underground cave. Asteroth, more or less as capable then as he is now, wiped the floor with them effortlessly. Dhana had to work harder, being only a young vampire and no spellcaster. Asteroth overwhelmed even Rudy’s best shot; the same one that shattered that asteroid. That spell slammed him into a cave wall with enough force to kill anyone human. For Rudy, it broke his Exorcism Gun and severed his arm at the elbow. The vampires could have killed everyone there, but Asteroth showed uncharacteristic (in those days) mercy. He just…walked away, with Dhana following behind. And then the earthquake hit. It was all Zhang Wei and Wu Yuying could do to get Rudy out of the caves. They brought his broken weapon, and for reasons they couldn’t adequately explain even to themselves, his arm. He was unconscious for several days, and when he finally woke, more about him was broken than his arm and weapon. His monster hunting days were over. Another failure and another devastating earthquake had broken his will to continue. The damage to his weapon and loss of his arm just piled more onto the despair. It was a loss of his very identity.

. . In the end, he married Wu Yuying, had a family, and stayed out of things. She and Wei proved themselves true friends in pulling him out of his funk. However. They were mortals. They aged. He did not. It is a unique kind of agony, to outlive one’s own grandchildren, let alone one’s beloved wife and best friend. There were heroes in his lineage, to be sure, but he was out. With each successive generation, he became more and more removed from society. Haunted by a thousand thousand ghosts he lived at Xiyue in a small room. He helped the priests with menial tasks in return for sharing their food supply. And he spoke to no one. This is how it stayed until 2016, when the Strength Revolution’s Special Tactics Group was being expanded. A very drunk and perhaps a little melancholy fox man mentioned Asteroth and his loose ends to Valine. Valine spoke to Methion, and the Grand Wizard visited a certain former hotel in Los Angeles. Asteroth showed Methion the caves under Shaanxi, and let him figure out how to trace a being gone from that spot for over 450 years. A little chronomantic postcognition lead the two to Xiyue and one emotionally and physically broken monster hunter. Asteroth took one look at the pathetic figure, and departed. Methion, however, remained. He offered Rudy a chance to be healed and resuming his monster hunting activities. Rudy could no more refuse that spontaneously drop dead. So he’s a member is good standing on STG Squad D, The Outsiders. It has just as much meaning to him as living at Xiyue.

Powers & Tactics: Rudy is not a human being. He’s not even organic. He’s that rarest kind of synthetic being, an infernal android. He’s probably the only one left. The knowledge of how to make them was lost centuries ago. His body is made of steel shaped by blacksmithing and alchemy. Normally a demon is installed to run it with Hellfire. Hence them being called “infernal” However, any kind of animating spirit can do it. And somehow, the man Rudy called Grandfather got his hands on a brand new, unused human soul. It does beg the question of exactly who Grandfather was. And how he knew how to smelt and work steel to modern quality levels in the middle of the Iron Age, let alone how he had the alchemy skills to reshape it into Rudy’s body and internal structures.

. . At any rate, for the time he was made, Rudy was virtually indestructible. It took potent magic or a really burly man with a really big weapon to actually harm him. Immune to the ravages of age, disease, poison, and the environment, he still has to eat, drink, and breathe. He can see into the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums. His sense of smell is quite keen. He’s even a bit stronger than even the mightiest unpowered human ever could be. His existence does, however, have downsides. His physical abilities are fixed, and have been since his creation. Improving himself mentally is challenging at best. And unlike humans, he cannot decide who and what he is. He is a monster hunter. An implacable foe of any creatures that would harm humans. The end. It literally cannot occur to him to be anything else.

. . His Exorcism Gun is a work of art. It, like Rudy, was constructed of steel and alchemy. It is magically keyed to him with the equivalent of a biometric lock. If it is not his finger on the trigger and his hand on the stock, the Gun will not fire. The Cartridges also feature the use of steel and alchemy. They, without exception, do damage. It’s how they do it that sets them apart from one another. The standard use is, obviously, Normal Shot. It’s basically an oversized armor piercing gunshot. Full Gatling exchanges the armor piercing for a barrage of shots. Explosive, obviously, spreads the damage over an area. It is the final two that are a little different. Laser Beam is a literal laser beam. Completely undodgable and goes right through armor. They’re difficult to make, however, and so he only has about five of them with him at a given time. Mini Rocket does not have this problem. It is, as the name says, a miniature rocket that hits with the force of a cruise missile.

. . He has one last special ability that is rather unusual. Aiming is something that takes time to do properly. The kind of aiming where one takes their time and makes doubly sure they’re on target. The kind of thing sharpshooters who have the time invariably do well. Rudy, naturally, can do this. However, in a pinch he’s shown the ability to do it faster. The whole principle behind taking time to aim is that it takes time. But Rudy, when he genuinely needs to, can carefully aim and then fire in less than half the time it takes virtually everyone else in the world to do it. It is not clear if this is part of his design or something he learned to do along the way. If it is the latter, then his physical abilities may not be as fixed as once believed…

. . Tactically, Rudy is extremely straightforward. He does not feint. He does not demoralize. He fires a suitable Cartridge from his Exorcism Gun at the enemy target, preferably from cover. Normal Shot is, obviously, the standard attack. Explosive can decimate groups. Full Gatling is an acceptable substitute for Normal Shot, especially for enemies that can’t dodge well. However, if they have very high Toughness, Mini Rocket is probably better. Laser Beam is reserved specifically for enemies he’s having or knows he would have serious trouble hitting. With Accurate and All Out Attack to help him hit, that means something. There’s also Power Attack for when high damage is needed. Don’t forget he meets offensive caps with his fists, too. The Gun is for monsters and demons, not people. Normally. There’s always exceptions. He never power stunts.

Personality: Rudy is, in a very real sense, nothing more than a robot. This does not mean that he does not have feelings, and it does not mean that he cannot make his own decisions. What it means is that he is not free to be anything other than what he is. A monster hunter. An implacable foe of any creatures that would harm humans. And a warm and caring heart so that he would never in the normal course of events question this drive. It should go without saying that the normal course of events did not occur. Whatever Grandfather’s plans for Rudy were died with the man. It has been left to Rudy to make his own way, and it has left him deeply melancholic. 19 centuries of loss, failure, and grief have frozen that warm heart and stripped him of his ability to genuinely care about anyone. He’s just kind of going through the motions.

. . A thousand thousand ghosts. He doesn’t remember all their names. He should remember all their names. In Antioch. In Qumis. In Aleppo. In Ganja. Faces flit through his memory. Grandfather. The swordsman in 526. The team in Aleppo and Ganja. Zhang Wei. Wu Yuying. By the gods, Yuying. She lived to 105. It was not nearly long enough. The world should stop when people die. It certainly feels that way. Why doesn’t it stop? How many holes can be punched into a world before it isn’t one anymore? How many pieces of one’s heart can one lose before there’s nothing left of it? Rudy has no answers. He’s not even sure he cares anymore. One thing in the world remains, however. There are monsters. He hunts them. Whether that’s enough or not doesn’t matter. He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t quite remember how, after centuries of silence. And he doesn’t, as a rule, emote. He has his normal everyday face, and his serious face. That’s it.
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.
greycrusader
Posts: 1179
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 11:25 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: StrRev! STG! Squad D! Tana, of the Waves! Nika, the Heartfire! Rudy Evande

Post by greycrusader »

Absolutely outstanding work on this character! In some ways, Rudy is a classic Byronic hero, aware of his intrinsic shortcomings and the forlorn, almost certainly ultimately hopeless nature of his mission, but compelled to go forward with it nonetheless. I'm left intrigued by many elements in his backstory, such as the true nature of "Grandfather", whether Rudy is actually cursed as a harbinger of natural disasters (particularly earthquakes ,obviously) or simply the victim of horrific coincidences, and if the human soul inhabiting the shell might ever assert its own purpose, aside from Grandfather's assigned role? And I was surprised with the bit about him having certain bodily functions (let alone having children), given I initially thought of him as a flesh golem of sorts (if he's not even organic, why/how does he eat/breathe/breed?).

In you head canon, does the restored Rudy ever seek out fellow benevolent immortals (or at least close enough) for companions? Obviously these are extraordinarily rare, but in a world where superhuman individuals are more common knowledge, it seems the thought might cross his mind.

All my best!
User avatar
EternalPhoenix
Posts: 1858
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:42 am
Location: The Land of Mary

Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: StrRev! STG! Squad D! Tana, of the Waves! Nika, the Heartfire! Rudy Evande

Post by EternalPhoenix »

greycrusader wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:55 am Absolutely outstanding work on this character! In some ways, Rudy is a classic Byronic hero, aware of his intrinsic shortcomings and the forlorn, almost certainly ultimately hopeless nature of his mission, but compelled to go forward with it nonetheless. I'm left intrigued by many elements in his backstory, such as the true nature of "Grandfather", whether Rudy is actually cursed as a harbinger of natural disasters (particularly earthquakes ,obviously) or simply the victim of horrific coincidences, and if the human soul inhabiting the shell might ever assert its own purpose, aside from Grandfather's assigned role? And I was surprised with the bit about him having certain bodily functions (let alone having children), given I initially thought of him as a flesh golem of sorts (if he's not even organic, why/how does he eat/breathe/breed?).

In you head canon, does the restored Rudy ever seek out fellow benevolent immortals (or at least close enough) for companions? Obviously these are extraordinarily rare, but in a world where superhuman individuals are more common knowledge, it seems the thought might cross his mind.

All my best!
Thank you! Rudy is my favorite of the Outsiders, the poor guy. Grandfather I'm purposefully leaving as a mystery for PCs to solve or not as they prefer. At my table, Rudy's just been horribly unlucky, but if you want him to be cursed at yours I wouldn't object. And that's the fun bit about him having a human soul. I have to correct you. He's not aware of being compelled to be a monster hunter. It's simply been the only thing he's ever wanted to do with his life. This does not seem odd, as most people have their dream career or whatever. His devotion to it would seem a bit odd, except that it's being all heroic and protecting people. Heroics have always drawn rather...driven...people. It would take someone aware of what he was to shove the human soul into action, and they'd have to be emotionally connected with him. Which would be incredibly challenging, as his heart is completely broken. His ability to connect or even attempt to connect to other people is badly atrophied. And even if it wasn't, he doesn't want to. He's had enough of people he cares about dying.

As for bodily functions, he eats and breathes for the same reasons humans do. To keep up his internal resources. He's not an inanimate object being moved by a spirit. He's truly alive, if not an organic being. Steel degrades over time, especially if it keeps moving and twisting like a person does. Metal fatigue, savvy? But no worries, just shovel in some chow and the alchemical furnace inside will turn it into stuff his body can use to replace it. The weakened and/or damaged material can be processed out. Now, as for breeding, well...let's just say it's a good thing his wife was a wizard. Without magic, he was and is effectively sterile. But a little alchemy, a little magic, and miracles can happen.

Why he hasn't sought out anyone immortal to pal around with? Well, I refer you to the first paragraph. He spent about 450 years hiding from everything and everyone. He went so long without speaking that he's forgotten how. These are not the actions of someone who wants new friends, no matter how immortal they are. After 2019, though? I don't know. He's very old and very sad, our Rudy. A new friend would have to pry their way into his badly broken heart through the shrine walls he's put up around it. Shrines to all the genuine friends he's had, to be specific. We'll have to see.
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

A Side Note

Post by EternalPhoenix »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Mon Jun 20, 2022 11:06 pm She lived to 105. It was not nearly long enough. The world should stop when people die. It certainly feels that way. Why doesn’t it stop?
This was me, from late October (late on the 23rd, to be precise) until...I'm not sure, maybe it was late April? Early May? Only the "she" in this case was my mother instead of my wife (as I'm single), and her age was 62. It was indeed not nearly long enough. She doesn't have to be paralyzed in a bed anymore. She doesn't have to hurt all the time. Her suffering is at an end. She is, indeed, in a better place. While that is a positive, it doesn't exactly make me feel better. My best friend is still gone. So if Rudy feels a little, I dunno, truer than some of my other characters, now you know why. Oh, and please don't misunderstand. I'm okay now, mostly. I just mine myself for character beats like any normal writer. :mrgreen:
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

Calamity Jane (Judith & Amalia Richter)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Calamity Jane (Judith & Amalia Richter)

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 165/165

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +6 (22)

Tough: +2/+3, Fort: +5, Ref: +14, Will: +5

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 14 (+20), Diplomacy 9 (+15), Disable Device 13 (+15), Escape Artist 12 (+15), Gather Information 9 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 3 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 3 (+5), Knowledge (history) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 3 (+5), Language 6 (+6), Notice 13 (+15), Search 8 (+10), Sense Motive 13 (+15), Sleight of Hand 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Distract (Bluff), Dodge Focus 7, Equipment 2, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Cattle Whip (Strike 2)), Improved Critical 2 (Custom Heavy Revolver (Blast 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Custom Stun Gun (Stun 6)), Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Redirect, Set-Up, Skill Mastery 2 (Acro, Bluff, Dis Dev, Gather Info, Notice, Sen Mot, SoH, Stealth), Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Calamitous Arsenal (Device 4) (Easy to lose)
. . Calamitous Arsenal (Array 8) (default power: blast)
. . . . Cattle Whip (Strike 2) (Array; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Cattle Whip (Strike 2)); Penetrating; Accurate 3 (+6), Extended Reach 3 (15 ft.), Mighty, Precise, Ricochet (1 bounce), Variable Descriptor (Narrow group - Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing))
. . . . Custom Heavy Revolver (Blast 4) (Default; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Custom Heavy Revolver (Blast 4)); Penetrating [2 ranks only]; Accurate (+2), Precise, Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Ballistic/Any Magic))
. . . . Custom Stun Gun (Stun 6) (Array; DC 16, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Custom Stun Gun (Stun 6)); Accurate 2 (+4))
. . . . Flash Bomb (Dazzle 5) (Array; affects: visual senses, DC 15; Burst Area (25-50 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area (area x2))
. . . . Rope Lasso (Snare 6) (Array; DC 16; Range (touch); Accurate 2 (+4), Custom (Binds Mouth (target can't speak)), Extended Reach 3 (15 ft.), Obscure Sense (Visual), Precise, Reversible, Subtle (subtle))

Living Calamity (Luck Control 1) (force a re-roll; Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

Equipment: Mission Specific Equipment 10

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +12, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10)

Attacks: Cattle Whip (Strike 2), +14 (DC 19), Custom Heavy Revolver (Blast 4), +14 (DC 19), Custom Stun Gun (Stun 6), +12 (DC Fort/Staged 16), Flash Bomb (Dazzle 5) (DC Fort/Ref 15), Rope Lasso (Snare 6), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 16), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17)

Defense: +14 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -1

Initiative: +7

Languages: Arabic, English, German Native, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 37 (148 ranks) + Feats 30 + Powers 17 + Combat 30 + Saves 17 + Drawbacks 0 = 165

Ages (as of Jan 2019): 21 years old
Heights: 5’ 2”
Weights: 100 lbs
Ethnicities: German
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Light Brown

Theme Song: Gotham’s Got A Problem, by HalaCG

Background: Judith and Amalia Richter are identical twins. Born into a wealthy aristocratic family with a strong patriarch in their stern grandfather, they’ve chafed against authority from an early age. Their grandfather put aside substantial funds for all of his children and grandchildren, but they would only receive it if they fulfilled two conditions. They must reach their 25th birthday and have a college degree. Not so complicated or especially difficult, right? Well. Judith and Amalia respectfully disagree. Money now, please. The idea was to teach the twins responsibility. Instead they learned to steal what they wanted. This sounds like they didn’t think it through. But they did. They abused the inherent advantage of being identical twins by dressing and accessorizing identically. They even practiced each other’s mannerisms so that each could pretend to be the other. The then 15 year olds then searched up “how to do X”, officially because they were taking up stage magic as a hobby. But in reality, stage magicians need to know how to distract attention, pick locks, escape bonds, and move around without attracting attention. These skills are also quite useful for thieves.

. . They were attending an elite privately owned school. Their school uniforms made for wonderful disguises. They were two of over a thousand students, with no way of confirming they actually attended. The key was to never steal from anyone who knew them, and for only one to do it while the other was somewhere else with a lot of witnesses. One person can’t be in two places at once, right? And, of course, her school friends were the beneficiaries of her crime spree. Truthfully, though? It wasn’t enough. It felt so…bush league, you know? Amateur hour. They could do better than shoplifting, pickpocketing, and the occasional burglary. The real money was in banks. Jewelry. Fine art. They’d need some specialized gear, and a gimmick. A 4th of July celebration (Germany’s weird, okay?) gave the twins an idea. They took their name from the America’s Wild West days. Calamity Jane. That got the gear theme sorted out, too. And so the twins became one (1) supervillain.

. . You know what? Thievery is a good line of work, but contract thievery? That’ll make you rich. So two teenagers, preparing for the Abitur exam by day, by night supplemented their income by pulling off some genuinely brazen thefts in different parts of a city or even different cities. After all, how can anyone be in two places at once? Did you know that if you’re good at picking locks and really quick, the average price of a new car at any dealership is 0 Euros? Of course, your shopping should be done long after they have closed. The same principle applies to jewelry, accessories, and electronics. However, all good things must come to an end. Seriously, the twins went on a relentless two year plus some months spree. With the open borders of the EU, this spanned virtually all of Europe. It was a fantastic way to get on Interpol’s shit list. Germany also has a veteran costumed detective. So by 2016, 18 year old Calamity Jane (both of them) were in a lot of trouble. One last high profile theft, and they couldn’t so much as pop a lock without having half a dozen guns pointed at them thanks to a hot tip from that costumed detective (assuming he didn’t just show up in person instead). This was clearly unacceptable. It got worse when he deduced who they were, and showed up to their university (as they were attending one at this point). Fortunately, INTERPOL kind of laughed at him when he suggested that Calamity Jane was just a set of twins. As far as law enforcement was concerned, there was no way it was that simple. It had to be superpowers or advanced tech. What kind of idiot would think that simply being identical twins was any kind of legal protection?

. . So, Judith and Amalia holed up in the Spanish city of Alicante to lie low for a while, attending classes online. Since they were very tired of that costumed detective punching, kicking, and flinging boomerangs into them with near impunity, they decided to get some professional combat training. And Alicante just so happened to be the city where one Ricardo “Rico” Castillo (uncle to STG Squad A’s Nimbus) was running a boxing gym. One thing led to another, and then another. Both Calamity Janes met Nimbus and then Valine. And then joined Squad D. The twins run circles around INTERPOL now, but they’re also well paid so there’s no need to steal what they want when they can just…buy it.

Powers & Tactics: Contrary to that costumed detective’s files, the twin Janes do have a superhuman power. They are mutants able to unpredictably alter probability, turning success at a given task into a crapshoot on demand. Though, naturally, that depends on the odds of success in the first place. Suffice it to say that s her enemies don’t succeed at many difficult things. This is impressively difficult to detect unless one’s senses are attuned to mutant powers. She does have to be careful not to overuse it, however, or she’ll be the one suffering a calamity. Probability doesn’t like to be toyed with, and when it snaps back it tends to be a little nasty. (In game terms this means she’s given out too many Hero Points and so the heroes just kind of roll over her.)

. . She also carries some Western themed weaponry. Any cowgirl worth the name ought to have a proper revolver. Janes’ are high powered and specially made to use a wide variety of enchanted ammunition to take advantage of supernatural weaknesses. It also fires regular bullets, to the infinite surprise of that one guy who thought his being immune to magic made him immune to the revolver. He was incorrect. They also carry a customized stun gun (like a cattle prod, but for people!) for shocking enemies into submission, a length of rope that can lasso and hogtie even the orneriest of cowpokes, and a customized whip with a small knife on the end. It can strike around one (1) corner…if used right. The last item is a Flash Bomb. While admittedly not on theme, blinding everyone within a 25 to 50 foot radius is absurdly useful.

. . Tactically, it’s uh, complicated. The twins are still maintaining the plausible deniability twin thing, so only one is in the field at a time. And each twin has their own preferred tactics to a degree. Judith prefers the Cattle Whip and Rope Lasso, then the Custom Revolver and Flash Bomb, then if she must the Custom Stun Gun. Amalia prefers the Custom Stun Gun and Flash Bomb, then the Custom Revolver and Rope Lasso, then if she must the Cattle Whip. Judith prefers Improved Acrobatic Bluff and using that Bluff score to Trick and Redirect missed attacks against her. Amalia is a fan of using Feint plus Improved Taunt plus Set Up so somebody with heavy damage like Rudy can destroy the enemy. This does not mean they won’t use what the other does if needed. It’s a preference, nothing more. They both use Move By Action liberally, and have access to Defensive and Power Attack. The first thing they have in common is a preference for running away at the first opportunity while solo and sticking around with the Outsiders. The second thing is neither of them actively tries to inflict lethal damage on humans. Supernatural creatures get killed, period. Though Judith noticeably doesn’t care if any collaborating people bite it, and Amalia does. The third and final thing is using Living Calamity to screw over any attacking enemies. Attack rolls, skill checks, and saves are all equal opportunity calamity triggers. Their only power stunt is turning Living Calamity into Living Boon. It’s still Luck Control, but with the Force Reroll option swapped out for the Spend Hero Point For Another option. So for a while they’re benefitting their allies instead of screwing their enemies. If, by some miracle, both Calamities Jane were on the battlefield at the same time, one of them would absolutely do this.

Personality: This is, once again, separated by twin. They’re different people, really. The caveat is that they’ve been practicing to pretend to be the other for several years so this isn’t actually a good way of telling them apart unless one has the Sense Motive to reliably pierce their average Bluff check of 30. With that said. Judith is the classic femme fatale. Sexy, dangerous, and she knows it. Flirtatious and ever teasing. Charismatic and uses her body as weapon as often as she uses her literal weapons. You know the character archetype. Amalia, however, is a spoiled brat. Smug, arrogant, and annoying. She keeps up a running commentary of how much the enemies suck, even when she’s induced it via Living Calamity. A sharp tongue used as a weapon as often as she uses her actual weapons.

. . Both twins, however, are deeply selfish, self centered, and entitled. At a fundamental level, what they want overrides everything else. This does not mean they can’t be diligent and hardworking. It also does not mean that they lack a conscience, or empathy. It means that everything they do is targeted at benefitting them first and foremost. The definition of benefit here includes financial considerations, to be sure, but also making sure that friends and allies don’t suffer from calamities if they can avoid it without too much discomfort or danger. If the benefit to them (in money, peace of mind, or similar) outweighs the cost (what she has to do to get said benefit) then they’ll do it.
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

Thespian (Claudia Baker)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Thespian (Claudia Baker)

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 165/165

STR: +1 (12), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +2 (14), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +2/+12, Fort: +6, Ref: +6, Will: +9

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 7 (+10), Craft (electronic) 10 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 10 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 2 (+5), Knowledge (art) 5 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 10 (+15), Language 8 (+8), Notice 12 (+15), Perform (acting) 7 (+10), Sense Motive 2 (+5), Stealth 14 (+15)

Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged), Attack Specialization 3 (Silenced Shot (Blast 6)), Beginner's Luck, Dodge Focus, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 1, Improved Aim, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Skill Mastery (Craft (elec & mech), Notice, Stealth)

Powers:
Concealed Heavy Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle))
. . Liqui-Flex Plating (Protection 10) (+10 Toughness; Impervious [7 ranks only]; Subtle (subtle))
. . Protected Vitals (Immunity 2) (critical hits)

Power Emulator (Device 6) (Hard to lose)
. . Power Emulator (Mimic 10) (mimic: any one of (type) - powers; Duration (continuous), Perception; Check Required (KN (physical sciences)))
. . . . Nimbus's Flying Cloud (Power Setting) (Powers: Flying Cloud (Flight 10))
. . . . . . Flying Cloud (Flight 10) (Speed: 10000 mph, 88000 ft./rnd; Affects Others, Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General); Platform; Selective)

Silenced Sniper Rifle (Device 5) (Easy to lose)
. . Scope (Super-Senses 4) (extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision, ultravision)
. . Silenced Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21; Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Improved Range 2 (300 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 3000 feet), Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

Emulator Settings:
Nimbus's Flying Cloud (Power Setting) (Powers: Flying Cloud (Flight 10))

Equipment: Mission Specific Equipment 5

Attack Bonus: +5 (Ranged: +6, Melee: +5, Grapple: +6)

Attacks: Silenced Shot (Blast 6), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +5 (DC 16)

Defense: +6 (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -9

Initiative: +1

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

Totals: Abilities 30 + Skills 27 (108 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 56 + Combat 20 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 165

Theme Songs: Final Boss, by HalaCG & Tyler Clark and Messing With The Best, by Miracle of Sound

Age (as of Jan 2019): 30
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 135 lbs.
Ethnicity: English
Hair: Green
Eyes: Blue

Background: Claudia Baker is fabulous. Amazing. Spectacular. Ask her, she’ll tell you. Born beautiful, wealthy, and intelligent, she has lacked for nothing for her entire life. She graduated from Oxford (years early due to a soon to be familiar obsessive dedication) with a double Master’s in Drama and Electrical Engineering, and looked to have an extremely boring life. Her marriage had been arranged for her. Her employment had been arranged for her. Her life had been arranged for her. And then the pre-expansion STG had a mission in London. Claudia was also in London, wrapping up a few last wedding details with the caterer. Or rather, her assistant was doing it and she was there to lend the force of authority to the proceedings. She was dying of boredom, despite the sudden commotion outside. And then Nimbus came crashing through the front window of the catering shop. To be clear, she’d been thrown through it by a superhero outside. Who she then dropped with a bullet to the chest after shrugging off the bad landing. Nimbus’s costume hides her identity, not her figure. And it had been damaged from the fighting outside, revealing a strip of her face featuring her eye. Nimbus stepped on her flying cloud (!!!, thought Claudia) and flew back out the window to continue the fight. But the damage had been done. She was beautiful, her power was cool as hell, and she was such a badass. Oh, yes. Claudia had fallen in love.

. . Simply finding out who it was that crashed into the catering shop took significant time and effort, as law enforcement doesn’t simply tell civilians (even wealthy white women) case relevant information. Journalists who might cover it were strangers and thus not inclined to share information, either. She had to search half the internet before discovering the codename of her beloved. Nimbus. Known for working with members of the Strength Revolution’s Special Tactics Group. Suspected of being the newest member. Ahhh. Nimbus. How appropriate. Claudia was maintaining the pretense of nothing having changed, still. So she went through with the wedding and the honeymoon and started her new job. All the while going steadily more obsessed with someone she’d barely met. She eagerly gobbled up every scrap on information she could find on the internet. Every picture, every article, every piece of fan fiction (and she wrote a fair bit, herself). Everything she could find. But it was not enough. She needed the real thing. So all she had to do was what all of global law enforcement could not. Find Nimbus. She was a genius, after all. How hard could it be?

. . Very hard. Very, very hard. Her pretense had frayed noticeably by this stage. After all, when your phone background and work desktop are different pictures of the same international masked criminal, it’s difficult for others not to notice. But it hit her. She was struggling to find Nimbus because she was unworthy of meeting her. Nimbus had powers, a costume, and a weapon. Claudia had, uh, none of that. Doing something technological was possible, but she needed a gimmick. A proper supervillain had a gimmick. It had to be worthy of Nimbus’s attention. More importantly, it had to be worthy of Claudia. Doing a gmmick a dozen other wannabes and losers had done simply wouldn’t do. It was then that the idea struck her coming from her studies for her Master’s in Drama. Mimicry. Power mimicry. She started work immediately on her Power Emulator. This was also very, very hard. She gave up trying to make defensive abilities work and committed a little light corporate espionage to gain access to Morgan Knight’s Liqui-Flex material formula.

. . With the armor situation worked out, creating the Power Emulator was significantly easier. At the same time, she also made a breakthrough on finding Nimbus, tracing her probable civilian identity of Riley Chong to Ricardo Castillo, currently living in Alicante, Spain. Law enforcement had already done this much, but without proof Riley was Nimbus they couldn’t do a lot about it. Claudia was not law enforcement. But first, she needed to be someone. She took the name and mask of Thespian, and both her new armor, Power Emulator, and a rifle. She set out to make a bit of a name for herself. It was uh, a memorable occasion in the history of Chelsea. She partnered with another fledgling supervillain she had met on the internet. He was a metahuman with mild superhuman strength. They did the classic loud, flashy bank robbery. The cops showed up and he thrashed them. Claudia, having trained her sharpshooting skills, picked off any cops drawing a bead on him with rubber bullets. Then the superheroes showed up and thrashed that young man in return. The police thought she was just a riflewoman in bulletproof armor, so they tackled and cuffed her. She uh, was not just that. She copied the now unconscious young man’s strength, and one of the superheroes’ ability to fly. She effortlessly escaped.

. . Thespian began popping up around several cities in England and Wales. She wasn’t even attempting to keep up the pretense anyway. She quit her job. Her husband was naturally quite concerned about the changes in her, but then he had an unfortunate accident on their country estate. He fell, broke his neck and died in the woods. And no one found him for several days, long after any possible evidence had been washed away by rain or destroyed by decomposition. Quite terrible. Very sad. Claudia was suitably distraught at the funeral, and publically vowed never to remarry. She was free to do as she pleased. And as Thespian had made a name for herself, Claudia took a vacation to Alicante, Spain. She began frequenting the boxing gym of one Ricardo “Rico” Castillo. She trained a little, since her hand to hand was pathetic at the time. But mostly she was marking time, waiting for Riley Chong to show up. How long could it possibly take?

. . Not long, as it turned out. Riley had to sleep somewhere, and with a top speed of about Mach 13 and willingness to fly 15-20 minutes for a safe bed, well…basically if she was in Europe, the Western quarter of Asia, or the Northern third of Africa she’d go sleep with at her Uncle Rico’s house. So it was only a few days before she was there when Claudia came to train early in the morning. Claudia introduced herself, and the whirlwind romance began…at least according to her, anyway. In what felt like no time they were good friends and then literal partners in crime. Because Nimbus/Riley can miss the little red flags that indicate a more dangerous obsession like anyone else. Thespian really learned a lot from Nimbus, but the red flags began to grow in size. First to small. Then to moderate. Next to major, and hoo boy. Nimbus is not crazy, and she can recognize when somebody is. But her attempt to discuss it with Thespian (with help from Uncle Rico, as oh god she’s not a people person) jacked those red flags up to massive size. Please help, Valine. Before I have to kill her or she kills me for rejecting her for being batshit fucking crazy. By sheer coincidence, this was when the STG was being expanded, and the Outsiders were still a couple short. Said please help me conversation was the same one in which Calamity Jane was discussed and recommended. And so, to keep Nimbus and Thespian separate without the latter turning into A Big Fucking Problem, she became the final member of the Outsiders.

. . Three years down the road, and everyone involved (Methion, Valine, Nimbus, and Squad Captain Tana, of the Waves) except Thespian is keenly aware she’s being strung along to prevent having to permanently deal with her. They all know that day will come sooner or later, but in the meantime she does good work for her beloved. The longer they can stretch that out, the happier they will be. Especially Tana, who isn’t a fan of solving problems with murder.

Powers & Tactics: Thespian, unfortunately (from her point of view), has no superhuman powers. She is a tech specialist who relies on three devices, only one of which was her own design. Her Silenced Sniper Rifle she merely purchased the parts and assembled. It has the expected range, and a scope that lets her see further and into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. Her Concealed Heavy Armor is outright a stolen design. Liqui-Flex Plating is a reactive armor plating meant for armored vehicles and tanks, not people. She did manage to adapt the design for a person and make it herself, however. It is, obviously, quite protective armor. It also eliminates any vulnerable spots a lucky hit might strike. It doesn’t even look like armor to the untrained eye.

. . It is her Power Emulator that is her shining achievement. The superhuman power analysis suite in it alone is worth virtually uncountable billions. But the Emulator, which takes that information and can mimic virtually any superhuman power, is practically priceless. The only ones it can’t mimic are powers that would considerably alter her physiology such as actual shapeshifting/being undead and truly esoteric abilities like Phoenix Fire that are explicitly unable to be copied without severe punishment. Naturally, the one power she keeps in the Emulator’s database is her beloved Nimbus’s Flying Cloud. Everything else she periodically deletes, as there’s only but so much data storage available. The only downside of this is that it takes a hell of a lot of physics expertise to understand how powers work. She has the expertise to do this, most of the time, but if she fails to grasp what the analysis suite is telling her she can’t program the Emulator to mimic it. For the record, the Emulator can’t technically use magic or supernatural forces. It does all of its mimicry with the four fundamental forces (weak force, strong force, electromagnetism, and gravity) and hard light projections for anything physical like elongation or weapons. So she’s not any help against a foe that can only be damage by magic or other supernatural descriptors. And it can only emulate actual powers. Natural parts of a being’s physiology or abilities resulting from extensive training (such as Chi powers) are overlooked by the analysis suite. Devices restricted to a select group she is not in or only the user she likewise cannot copy powers from.

. . Tactically, normally Thespian fights like Nimbus. A sniper riding a flying cloud. Minor and even moderate enemies the squad as a whole is fully capable of handling, and thus are unworthy of her full powers. She All Out Power Attacks with near impunity at this stage, as she simply doesn’t care if she kills anyone and her armor will protect her from reprisals. Significant challenges, however, are another story. Here she relies quite heavily on her Power Emulator to keep up with superhuman adversaries. Naturally, how this would work depends on who she’s up against and what powers they have. The key point to remember is that she doesn’t try to outperform a given enemy with their own powers, but to use several in concert to disorient and overwhelm. Also keep in mind that both her Captain Tana and squadmate Nika have nice big arrays for her to mimic powers from, if nothing else. And she has Inventor, just to make life more difficult for any opposition. Naturally, she doesn’t power stunt at all.

Personality: Thespian is a complete sociopath. She’s deceitful, arrogant, impulsive, manipulative and controlling, with a blithe disregard for her personal safety and a startling lack of empathy. It is the arrogance that takes center stage, however. It does not manifest entirely in the usual boasting, rather its primary focus is her obsessive drive to prove that she’s better than anyone else. To prove to her love Nimbus that she’s worthy of her. This brings us to the other dominant part of her personality, her deeply obsessive nature. Once she has fixated on a particular goal, she Will. Not. Stop. Until it is achieved. When it was merely succeeding at her studies, this wasn’t a problem for society. When it became winning the affections of an international criminal, however, it became everyone’s problem.

. . This makes her seem relatively one dimensional as a person, and…yes? Mostly? She’s a sociopath with an Awesome Ego who is in love and lust with Nimbus and will do whatever it takes for her feelings to be returned in kind. She considers working with the Outsiders as a stepping stone to that goal, and will cooperate however necessary to support the squad. She’s also a vain, rich, aristocratic bitch with negative tolerance for supernatural schemes/bullshit and a truly impressive amount of self control. Don’t get her expensive clothes and especially shoes dirty, though. She’ll kill you. She’ll kill you dead. Just like if you get in the way of any of her other obsessions. Like yes, impressing Nimbus, but also being the smartest person in the room. She worked very hard to get a very good education, thank you very much. Sleeping in on the weekend. She needs her beauty sleep to stay gorgeous. Making her bleed her own blood and feel pain. You’ve attempted to scar Thespian’s flawless skin? How dare you. Among others. She’s crazy, okay? Straight out fuckin’ nuts. Just, you know, it only comes out sometimes. It’s self control, not self restraint. Control as in aiming the inevitable murder at the correct target, and selecting an appropriate time when they’re not longer of any use to her. Restraint would not be murdering at all. So normally she’s calm, cool, and collected.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Sat Jun 25, 2022 12:31 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.
User avatar
Davies
Posts: 5080
Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:37 pm
Location: Edmonton, AB

Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: StrRev! STG! Squad D! Tana! Nika! Rudy Evander! Calamity Jane! Thespian!)

Post by Davies »

<takes notes>
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
User avatar
EternalPhoenix
Posts: 1858
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:42 am
Location: The Land of Mary

Thespian is above this post ^

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Thespian marks somewhat of a milestone. The Special Tactics Group has, at last, come to an end. So, I thought I'd take a small survey.

1. Which of the four STG Squads is your favorite? If you have one, anyway. I don't. Not really.

2. Do you have any favorite STG members? If you do, please name them.

3. What I do after the Revolution. Four options.
. . The Icons, which are more or less traditional superheroes. Nick Phoenix is included as a reservist, as the OP shows. Firmly in the Heroes category, obviously.

. . Roth Investigations, which is Asteroth's crew so obviously he'll be in it. This is the supernatural side of the street, so very untraditional here. Asteroth by himself makes them Tweeners.

. . The Academy, which is were all the Phoenix Mutates are so you can see how they work. I'm not quite sure what to do with them. Traditional setup, go cosmic, or Krakoa them. But if you chose them I'll figure it out. They're Tweeners for a variety of reasons that I'd get to in their Overview, as there isn't space here.

. . The infamous Agency itself. They've been mentioned a lot through various bios. Do you want to see what they're all about? Firmly in the Villain category, obviously.

Thank you for participating in my survey, if you do. Have a lovely morning/afternoon/evening/whatever time of day it is.
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
Davies
Posts: 5080
Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:37 pm
Location: Edmonton, AB

Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: StrRev! STG! Squad D! Tana! Nika! Rudy Evander! Calamity Jane! Thespian!)

Post by Davies »

1. Can't pick.
2. Thespian, natch.
3. Icons.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
User avatar
EternalPhoenix
Posts: 1858
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2022 6:42 am
Location: The Land of Mary

Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: StrRev! STG! Squad D! Tana! Nika! Rudy Evander! Calamity Jane! Thespian!)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Davies wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:15 pm 1. Can't pick.
2. Thespian, natch.
3. Icons.
19 characters and it's the last one who does it for you the most. What a weird and interesting world we live in. :o

Anyway, schedule update. The survey is taking the place of hte next character post. I'll remind you all about the survey in the day after tomorrow, and then after that I'll start the Military Action Group. So get in here and answer my questions, punks. :mrgreen:
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

Survey Reminder

Post by EternalPhoenix »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:01 pm Thespian marks somewhat of a milestone. The Special Tactics Group has, at last, come to an end. So, I thought I'd take a small survey.

1. Which of the four STG Squads is your favorite? If you have one, anyway. I don't. Not really.

2. Do you have any favorite STG members? If you do, please name them.

3. What I do after the Revolution. Four options.
. . The Icons, which are more or less traditional superheroes. Nick Phoenix is included as a reservist, as the OP shows. Firmly in the Heroes category, obviously.

. . Roth Investigations, which is Asteroth's crew so obviously he'll be in it. This is the supernatural side of the street, so very untraditional here. Asteroth by himself makes them Tweeners.

. . The Academy, which is were all the Phoenix Mutates are so you can see how they work. I'm not quite sure what to do with them. Traditional setup, go cosmic, or Krakoa them. But if you chose them I'll figure it out. They're Tweeners for a variety of reasons that I'd get to in their Overview, as there isn't space here.

. . The infamous Agency itself. They've been mentioned a lot through various bios. Do you want to see what they're all about? Firmly in the Villain category, obviously.

Thank you for participating in my survey, if you do. Have a lovely morning/afternoon/evening/whatever time of day it is.
Here is your survey reminder. Though it looks like I've vastly overestimated my readers' engagement. How embarrassing. :sweat_smile:
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.
Post Reply