The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

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Yamaguchi Kotaro
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For Yamaguchi Kotaro, the Warhound of the Shēngxiào -- he prefers that self-appointed title to "occupant of the house of the Dog" -- it is an article of faith that he has seniority over all other members of its innermost council. He sincerely believes that Diorite recruited the members of the group in the reverse of the order of the progression of the cycle, so that only the first occupant of the house of the Pig (who died two years ago) would have been recruited before him. He thus possesses a primacy that other members of the group ought to respect ... they do not, but they should. Well, that will come in time.

Yamaguchi got his start as a member of a gang affiliated with the Sanno-kai yakuza, doing rather well for himself and rising in their ranks. By 2009, however, he had become dissatisfied with his lot in life. The increasing violence and treachery within the syndicate was not the problem -- honestly, that was fun -- but he was bored with how rarely such opportunities for amusement came his way, and how repetitive his daily tasks were. Yamaguchi wanted something new, and Diorite gave him what he wanted and then some. He was granted superhuman strength and toughness, and the ability to call up shadowy creatures that resembled dogs that could tear people apart without those people ever knowing what was happening to them.

His primary task within the Shēngxiào is to manage and supervise its illegal sales of weaponry, usually manufactured by factories in Vietnam and illicitly shipped to customers throughout the Pacific and parts of Central and Southern Asia, particularly criminals and terrorists. Matters being what they are, some of those "criminals and terrorists" are rebelling against unjust authority, and the Shēngxiào is notably supplying the resistance in both Hong Kong and the Korean Empire. This is done solely in the interest of escalating these conflicts to involve more death and destruction, rather than any benevolent motives.

For his own part, Yamaguchi does not care about the goals of his master, nor even about the money involved. (He makes a pretense of caring about the latter so that the customers do not come to think that they can take advantage; losing money is only fun if it is also exciting.) His sole interest in these activities is coming up with and implementing clever schemes to avoid (or subvert) the authorities so that the deliveries can be made. Well, maybe not his sole interest, as he also enjoys watching the weapons in use. Because of this, he is often absent from Japan while engaged in such adventures.

In the course of his exploits in Hong Kong, Yamaguchi has frequently found himself in conflict with its vigilante protector, Dú Láng. The fights between these two are some of the greatest thrills that Yamaguchi has ever experienced, even though he has usually either come out the loser (though never fatally) or had to flee to avoid capture, only rarely knocking out his opponent and never being able to finish him off. Truthfully, he is not sure he would want to do that even if he had the opportunity. Fighting him is just so much fun ... and the Lone Wolf of Hong Kong is rather attractive, if Yamaguchi was being really honest.

As a consequence of this, he finds it somewhat hard to listen to the complaints of his fellows about the problems that they face in fighting the Ghost Sweepers or that frog, who are (he thinks) just a bunch of children. And that is without getting into the annoyance that he feels about the lack of respect shown to him, especially by Shēng Lóng and that ape Akamatsu. Yamaguchi usually tries to keep a handle on his temper, but has not always succeeded when it comes to those two. One day, they are going to go just one step too far and he will take the pair of them down. Then they will all know who the top dog is.

Yamaguchi Kotaro - PL 10

Abilities:
STR
7/2 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 1 | FGT 10/5 | INT 3 | AWE 2 | PRE 4

Powers:
Aspect of the Dog: Array (31 points)
  • "Let Slip the Dogs of War": Cone Area Damage 10, Concentration, Subtle - 31 points
  • Strength of the Hound: Enhanced Defenses 5 (Dodge 5); Enhanced Fighting 5; Enhanced Strength 5; Protection 5 - 1 point
Shielded Mind: Impervious Will 8, Limited to mental effects - 4 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Benefit 3 (millionaire), Connected, Defensive Roll, Great Endurance, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 8, Startle, Well-informed.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+13/+8), Deception 8 (+12), Expertise: Criminal 8 (+11), Expertise: Streetwise 9 (+12), Insight 8 (+10), Intimidation 9 (+13), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 7 (+11), Technology 6 (+9), Vehicles 6 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +13/+8 (Close Damage 7/2)
"Dogs of War" -- (Cone Area Damage 10)

Defense:
Dodge 10/5, Parry 12/7, Fortitude 4, Toughness 8/6/3/1, Will 10

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Powers 36 + Advantages 18 + Skills 35 + Defenses 17 = 144 points

Offensive PL: 10
Defensive PL: 10
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 8

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Rivalry (Shēng Lóng, Akamatsu Gori.) Subject to Orders. Temper. Veneer of Professionalism.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

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Twilight
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Darren Baldwin, grandchild of the founder of a major coffeeshop franchise, grew up in fairly luxurious circumstances that ultimately left him feeling rather hollow inside. Unlike his father or grandfather, he had no real interest in business (and no interest at all in coffee or wine-making) and struggled to find something that did interest him. Even when he did find that interest -- mechanized armor -- he found that he was exploring the road not less traveled by. Nevertheless, his family avoided cliché by supporting his studies, in the hopes that this would keep them within safe boundaries, rather than leading to him becoming a supervillain or something.

And they got their wish, but possibly not in the way that they wanted. When Darren was twenty-four, something happened that no one could have predicted. The famous Seattle-based hero Trouble appeared to have gone rogue, fighting the police and a number of her colleagues in the Powerhouse, escaping all attempts to capture her. Darren found the entire situation sufficiently disturbing that he decided that he had to do something, hoping that his latest attempts at constructing an armored suit, and the fact that he was an entirely unknown quantity to Trouble, might allow him to carry the day.

This worked out pretty much like you would expect, and Darren found himself defeated quite easily. However, Trouble -- who had been framed and was attempting to prove her innocence while cut off from her allies -- recognized that she needed all the help that she could get, and explained the situation to him. While unsure if she was telling the truth, Darren recognized that Trouble could have easily destroyed him if that was her goal, and so agreed to give her what assistance he could. As it happened, that was quite a bit, and within a few days they had unraveled the Saturn-directed conspiracy against her, saving the Space Needle in the process.

In gratitude, and recognizing that her occasional absences from Seattle left the city undefended often enough that they had probably contributed to this situation, Trouble offered to help train Darren as a superhero. Immensely flattered, Darren accepted, and debuted under the name Twilight shortly afterwards, using a shortened version of the nickname he had given his armor, "the Urban Twilight suit." He has not exactly covered himself in glory during his career, but has bounced back from every embarrassing defeat that he suffered. Twilight is a bit more popular with the average Seattlite than Trouble, in part because he observes a greater transparency about himself and his activities.

Unfortunately, while produced under better circumstances than a typical garage-built exoskeleton, his equipment is still not nearly as "ruggedized" as the armor employed by heroes like Cadmus or villains like Devilray. Virtually every outing results in at least one of his systems -- and often more than one -- suffering a breakdown due to damage that he suffers. Repairing these takes both time and money, eating up most of his funds, and so he can only afford to be a part-time superhero. Nevertheless, whenever danger threatens Seattle, he will go into action with his suit in whatever state of readiness it might be. He also engages in more quiet heroics by being someone Trouble can always rely on to examine her own technology when something goes wrong with it.

His work alongside Exile and others during the recent Konan assault also brought him to the attention of Marc Bolton, who has expressed an interest in licensing the Urban Twilight suit for mass production. This is a mixed blessing, for while it would help with his money issues, Darren is morally uncertain about the idea of his work being used by the military. Bolton has assured him that he would only market the mass production Urban Twilight to emergency services, but the way that the President is claiming that he intends to have every serving member of the United States Army in a suit of powered armor by the end of his term makes Darren unsure whether Bolton will be able to keep that promise ...

Twilight -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR
0 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 4 | INT 8 | AWE 2 | PRE 2

Powers:
Urban Twilight Armor: Removable (-11 points)
* Armored Shell: Protection 8, Impervious 6 - 14 points
* Cybernetic Controls: Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4) - 8 points
* Life Support: Immunity 2 (suffocation) - 2 points
* Locomotors: Leaping 5 (250 feet); Movement 1 (slow-fall); Speed 6 (120 MPH) - 13 points
* Sensors: Senses 2 (low-light vision, radio) - 2 points
* Weapon Systems: Array (16 points)
  • Goo Gun: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 5 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered & Vunerable, Defenseless & Immobile), Extra Condition, Limited Degree, Accurate - 1 point
  • Light Railgun: Ranged Damage 8 - 16 points
  • Meta-Taser: Ranged Affliction 8 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) - 1 point
  • Muscle Augment: Enhanced Advantage 6 (Close Attack 4, Improved Initiative 2); Enhanced Strength 5 - 1 point
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Attractive, Benefit 2 (independently wealthy), Improved Initiative, Interpose, Move-by Action.

Skills:
Expertise: Business 3 (+11), Expertise: Science 4 (+12), Expertise: Streetwise 2 (+10), Insight 7 (+9), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 8 (+10), Ranged Combat: Weapon Systems 6 (+8), Technology 5 (+13), Treatment 3 (+11).

Offense:
Initiative +13/+5
Unarmed +8/4 (Close Damage 5/0)
Goo Gun +10 (Ranged Affliction 5, Resisted by Dodge)
Light Railgun +8 (Ranged Damage 8)
Meta Taser +8 (Ranged Fortitude 8)

Defense:
Dodge 9/5, Parry 8/4, Fortitude 3, Toughness 9/1, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 40 + Powers 47 + Advantages 8 + Skills 22 + Defenses 11 = 128 points

Offensive PL: 8
Defensive PL: 9
Resistance PL: 5
Skill PL: 8

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Friendship (Trouble.) Power Loss (fragile equipment, mechanical breakdown.) Public Identity.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

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At the suggestion of one of my other correspondents, this is Darren Baldwin out of armor:

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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

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Barovaci
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It is said that if you offer a human sociopath five dollars now or ten dollars later, they will always choose the former. Of course, if the sociopath realizes what you are testing for, the already limited usefulness of this particular diagnostic tool becomes nonexistent. If you were to offer a member of the Barovaci species of the Crimson Imperium a small value now or a slightly larger one later, they will inevitably choose the slightly larger one. But you would be a fool to imagine that this tells you anything about the limitations of Barovaci empathy, because they will have already read your mind and know whether you have that money available to you. And if you should not have it, then the Barovaci will demonstrate that they are also patient when it comes to violence against those who would try to cheat them.

The swampy home world of the Barovacies was one of the last major discoveries of the pre-Imperium era. It was discovered simultaneously by a group of Augrah explorers seeking more resources for their Manguai patrons, and by a multi-species group of mystics following the Nightmare Path whose dark visions had led them here. Both sides fully expected to fight the other in order to claim this world; neither could possibly have expected what would happen instead.

The native sapient species of the planet was pre-technological, but highly intelligent, organized and psychic. Able to use their powers to dominate all other life on their planet, they had never needed to develop a tool-using culture. However, the mystics were unable to intimidate the Barovacies into teaching them the secrets of their telepathy, and the Augrah were unable to "persuade" them to turn over the rights to the resources of their planet in exchange for anything. They patiently explained to their visitors that everything on their planet, and they themselves, were the property of the Deep Master ... and that, as things that were on their planet, their visitors had also become the property of the Deep Master.

Inevitably, the Deep Master arose from the depths where it dwelled and attempted to assert its ownership. Augrah and mystics fought together as allies -- the only occasion in all of galactic history where this happened -- against this immensely powerful entity, and somehow triumphed over it, though both groups suffered terrible losses. In the aftermath, the mystics recognized their foe as one of the Xothi, and now wanted nothing to do with the planet where the creature had first rested and then fallen. That left the Augrah in possession of the planet and its residents, with the Barovacies shattered by the death of their owner. The Augrah generously offered to take its place.

Centuries later, that is still the relationship that exists between the Augrah and their most successful client species. Barovaci work within Augrah-run organizations, with some of the most famous of them working in the entertainment/propaganda industry as producers and directors. Others take middle-management positions within less legitimate businesses. While there have been examples of Barovaci betraying or supplanting individual Augrah, they have only ever done so at the behest of other Augrah. As such, while the Augrah do not trust them, they are considered the most reliable of their clients. The Augrah believe that they have fully instilled their own desire for profit above all else within the Barovacies, and thus think that they fully understand them.

They are wrong. All of their apparent dedication to that goal would change in an instant if the Barovacies were ever to somehow learn of the existence of a certain pale blue dot and what can be found in the depths of one of its oceans. Because the Augrah do not understand that every Barovaci telepathically imbues their spawn with the wish to find a new Deep Master to replace that which they lost, so long ago ...

Barovaci Overseer - PL9

Abilities:
STR
3 | STA 4 | AGL -2 | DEX 0 | FGT -2 | INT 6 | AWE 3 | PRE 2

Powers:
Claws: Strength-based Damage 2, Improved Critical - 3 points
Massive: Strength-based Damage 4, Limited to Slam Attacks; Protection 5 - 7 points
Shielded Mind: Immunity 20 (mental powers), Limited to half effect - 10 points
Sluggish Movement: Movement 1 (slithering) - 2 points
Species-Specific Telepathy: Mental Communication 3 (regional), Limited to Barovaci - 12 points
Telepathic Abilities: Array (28 points)
  • Blast Mind: Perception Range Damage 6, Alternate Resistance (Will), Subtle - 1 point
  • Implant Imagery: Illusion 9 (all senses), Limited to One Subject, Resistable by Will - 1 point
  • Invade Thought: Cumulative Mind-Reading 9 - 28 points
Advantages:
Assessment, Eidetic Memory, Speed of Thought, Well-informed.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 9 (+7), Deception 5 (+7), Expertise: Business 6 (+12) or Expertise: Criminal 6 (+12) or both at 3 (+9), Expertise: Galactic 4 (+10), Insight 8 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+8), Persuasion 6 (+8).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 3)
Slam +7 (Close Damage 7)
Blast Mind -- (Perception Range Damage 6)

Defense:
Dodge 2, Parry 4, Fortitude 9, Toughness 9, Will 7.

Totals:
Abilities 28 + Powers 64 + Advantages 4 + Skills 22 + Defenses 19 = 137 points

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 8
Skill PL: 7 or 6

Complications:
Profit--Motivation. Dark Secret. Miserly. Slow-Moving (permanently hindered, becomes immobile when hindered.) Others As Needed.

Note: While many Barovacies have large amounts of money, they hoard it rather than spending it. As such, the Benefit (wealth) advantage is not really appropriate.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

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The Rascal Crow
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A handful of decades ago, in the land of Ginleng on the World More Sorcerous, the peace of a certain mountain abbey was disturbed by the arrival of a pair of fugitives. The male member of the couple expired of his wounds shortly after their arrival, while the woman lasted long enough to be delivered of the child she was carrying. The injuries they had suffered in their flight convinced the abbot that they had been bold rebels against the corrupt governor of the region, and so he swore to raise their daughter in a way that would honor their noble memories. And so he named her ... never mind, she has not used that name in years, not since she learned her parents were a pair of petty crooks who had inflicted those mortal wounds on each other. She goes by the name Shen Che-yu, often called the Enigmatic Sirocco, or her most common alias, the Rascal Crow.

Raised within the confines of the abbey, she was taught their most sacred arts, both sorcerous and martial. She demonstrated quite a talent for swordplay, which was encouraged by her mentors, as they believed that the way of the blade opened a path to deep and profound truths. She came to agree with this perspective. Unfortunately, she also came to believe that her soul was a fundamentally deceptive one, which made for an uneasy combination. When she reached adulthood, she stole out of the abbey and went off to pursue a career of larceny, and soon became notorious.

Shen Che-yu, or whatever she was calling herself at that point, soon found herself bored with scheming against the virtuous. There was no real excitement in it. So she began to instead practice her deceptions against other criminals, particularly those who demonstrated great ego. Her goal was less their destruction and more their abject humiliation, and for a while she found herself quite satisfied with her life. And then one of her schemes was interrupted by the actions of one Sao Pai Long, and everything changed.

He fascinated her. Most of the so-called heroes she had run across were just vainglorious, power-seeking boors, more concerned with their reputation for do-gooding than actually doing good. Here was someone who cared nothing for fame, glory, or power, just with helping people as much as he could and with completing a thankless task. And in his honesty, he was her literal antithesis; knowing who he was, she now knew herself, truly. And that felt wonderful. She followed him for a time, knowing that his path would inevitably intersect with villains seeking to claim his treasures for themselves, villains on whom she could prey. And because she wanted to follow.

The Rascal Crow was startled when he disappeared, and consulted oracles to determine his fate. According to those she consulted, he had been sent to another world by one of the Ascendants for a purpose that the oracles could not determine. Deciding that Pai Long would be in need of her help (and attract villains she could devastate) even in such a world, and curious about what other worlds might be like, she improvised a spell to allow her to follow in his footsteps, and sent herself to still another world, one with a shattered moon.

Finding no sign of Pai Long in this place, she was preparing to move on to yet another world when she caught wind of the activities of a villain. Old habits reasserting themselves, she inveigled herself into the associates of this person and worked to sabotage their scheme in a humiliating manner. But something went wrong. While she was sure that she had succeeded, when Che-yu faced off with this Jessica Drummond character, the latter seemed only amused by her activities instead of frustrated and angry. In fact, she offered critiques of those activities, ways that they could have had more impact if the Rascal Crow had just been more ruthless or callous.

The killing blow was her claim that, once Drummond had realized that Che-yu existed, she had adjusted her schemes so that her interference had actually resulted in their success rather than their failure. Horrified, the Rascal Crow decided that she must be confronting some sort of otherworldy Ascendant, a being far more cunning and powerful than she could hope to be. The only way that she could avoid destruction was to offer Drummond her allegiance until she found some way out of this. Amused by this misunderstanding of her nature, Drummond agreed and revealed more of her long term goals to the Rascal Crow ... which further horrified her.

Since then, the Enigmatic Sirocco has been dispatched to a place called Taiwan on yet another world, apparently known as the World More Grim, to keep an eye on events there. She has crossed paths with a number of its heroes and villains, such as Snow White and Mephistopheles, seeking to manipulate them so that their focus remains on their own world rather than those that lie beyond it, so that when the "dimensional crisis" that Drummond seeks to create comes about, the people of the place called Tanelorn will find no allies here. She sometimes wonders whether that means that she might find allies here, who could help her escape from this servitude and prevent the horror that is to come.

But what if all that she has been told by Drummond were lies? Or worse, if she was told the truth, but was expected to believe it to be lies and act in a way that is utterly contrary to her interests because of that? All her life she has manipulated others, and now she is herself the manipulated party. It is a miserable experience, and she almost feels sorry for all those she put in this position. (But only almost.) For the first time in forever, the Rascal Crow yearns for the truth that will set her free, but fears that it might only chain her further.

What a twisted web ...

The Rascal Crow -- PL 11

Abilities:
STR
1 | STA 3 | AGL 6 | DEX 2 | FGT 11 | INT 4 | AWE 3 | PRE 6

Powers:
"Deception is My Very Soul": Array (28 points)
  • "Few Would Not Choose A Pleasant Illusion Over Banal Truth": Illusion 7 (all senses), Resistable by Will - 28 points
  • Flight of the Rascal Crow: Accurate Extended Only Teleport 9 (500 miles) - 1 point
  • "I See Into The Heart and Soul": Cumulative Mind Reading 9 - 1 point
  • "Who Shall I Be Today?": Linked Morph 3 (humanoids); Linked Variable 1 (traits associated with shape) - 1 point
Enchanted Blade: Strength-based Damage 3, Accurate, Affects Insubstantial 2, Improved Critical 2; Enhanced Defenses 4 (Dodge 2, Parry 2); Feature (can be disguised as a pipe); Easily Removable (-4 points) - 9 points

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Defensive Attack, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Fascinate (Deception), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ritualist, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+10), Close Combat: Sword 3 (+14), Deception 8 (+14), Expertise: Criminal 8 (+12), Expertise: Magic 7 (+13), Insight 6 (+9), Perception 7 (+10), Persuasion 6 (+12), Sleight of Hand 9 (+11), Stealth 6 (+12).

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 1)
Enchanted Blade +16 (Close Damage 4)

Defense:
Dodge 12/10, Parry 14/12, Fortitude 6, Toughness 8/3, Will 9

Totals:
Abilities 70 + Powers 40 + Advantages 22 + Skills 32 + Defenses 14 = 178 points

Offensive PL: 10
Defensive PL: 11
Resistance PL: 8
Skill PL: 9

Complications:
Thrills--Normal Motivation. Terrified Obedience--Current Motivation. Secret Identity. Subject To Orders.

Note: If the Trickster Crow travels to the World Less Magical, or somewhere similar, she becomes PL 9, as her STA, AGL, FGT and PRE all decrease by 2 ranks each, while her Array decreases to 25 points (reducing her Illusion, Mind Reading and Teleport effects by 1 rank each.) She also becomes Disabled on Expertise: Magic checks until she adapts to her new circumstances. (As she has already adapted to a lower level of magic on the World of the Broken Moon, she may do this slightly more quickly than expected.)

The Italian word for "sirocco" is "ghibli", by the way.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Worldwrecker-class Ultra-Dreadnaught
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The second-most powerful starships in the known universe (with Vulcan, if considered a starship, being the only more powerful example), the Worldwrecker ships of the Dark Side are exactly what their name would indicate. They are used sparingly, as the objectives of the armies of Daath generally run more towards conquest rather than the ruination of valuable worlds, but they are used as object lessons against rebellious worlds or those who have put up too much of a fight, at which point a squadron of two or three of these ships will be dispatched to deliver it.

Their operational strategy is to descend into a planet's exosphere, ignoring attempts at defense, and then fire their "grand cannons" at surface targets. Typically, these utterly annihilate anything not protected by heavy shielding within a mile of their impact points. Their major limitation is that they cannot fire repeated shots, but must recharge for roughly six seconds after each detonation. On rare occasions, when faced with enemies possessing firepower that pose an actual threat to them, the ships employ either their less-devastating secondary beams, or dispatch vast flights of android-piloted space fighters to intercept attackers. It would take a long time for even a large group of the ships to completely devastate the surface of a planet in this way, but the survivors invariably capitulate long before they need to do that.

The exact number of these vessels possessed by the Dark Side is not definitely known, but believe to number in the hundreds if not greater. A grand total of two have been lost in action. One was destroyed by a large army of prism-wielders when the Dark Side launched an attack on a world near the border of the Protectorate of Aperion; the other vessel in its squadron elected to withdraw, despite the heavy losses that the prism-wielders had sustained. The other vessel, out of a squadron of three, was sabotaged by a Laster boarding party led by Aun Taxad and Vittara. They arranged for the grand cannon to explode when it was next charged, then escaped the vessel. The self-destruct damaged the other two Worldwreckers to the point where they fled into hyperspace. Neither strategy is likely to work a second time.

Aun Taxad was essential to the mission to sabotage the Worldwrecker because he had studied the blueprints for the vessel while a student of Yacobus the Arch-Imaginist, whom he believes to be their designer. Ironically. he is mistaken in this. Those plans were reverse engineered from vessels used in an attempted attack on Daath centuries ago, by the Destrons. The original Worldwreckers are the ultimate, starship-scale Destrons, who are much less sparing in their use on those occasions when they are able to construct them. Fortunately, building such frames is probably not within the means of those Destrons active in the current era.

At least, not yet.

Worldwrecker - 385 points

Size Awesome; Strength 25; Speed 12 (space only); Toughness 25; Defense -2.
Features:
Communications, Defense Systems, Hangar, Holding Cells, Living Space, Personnel.
Powers:
Heavily Armored: Impervious Toughness 24 - 24 points
Hyperdrive: Movement 2 (space travel 2) - 4 points
Weapon Systems: Array (319 points)
  • Grand Cannon: Ranged Cone Area 8 Damage 30, Activation (Standard Action, -2), Extended Range 19 - 315 points
  • Secondary Beams: Ranged Multiattack Damage 15, Extended Range 19 - 1 point
  • Tractor Beams: Move Object 25, Extended Range 19 - 1 point
Note: The space fighter accompaniment of some Worldwreckers are exactly as described in the Hero's Handbook.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Andy Mickiewicz
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Considering that he has only been in Argus for a short time, Andrezj "Andy" Mickiewicz has gotten into more trouble than any one person should ever experience. He would tell you, if you asked and possibly even if you did not, that he has been through more trouble in the last two years than he had managed to get into over the previous twenty. (Which might not mean much, but you have never met his family.) And things are just getting started.

After graduating from technical school in his native Poland, Andrezj found himself considering enlisting in the army. Instead, he decided to investigate the prospect of working for Argus, which seemed like a more exciting job. He was right, but would also come to regret that choice. Had he known then what he knew now ... well, matters being what they are, he would probably have gotten himself killed during the invasion. Regardless, soon after finishing his training, he found himself assigned to guard duty on some moldy old castle in Romania. It seemed a pretty boring task and not anything that he had ever expected to do, but it would probably be easy, right? After all, there were no such things as vampires, right?

Right?

So then the vampires showed up -- just three of them, mind -- and Andy has still never gotten a straight answer about what they were trying to do. All that he knows is that they killed just about all of guards on duty, and Andy himself only lived because he had the good fortune to be working alongside Beretta Staunton, who seemed to have a genius for killing vampires. Once they and the few other survivors were airlifted to Vienna and treated for their injuries, they were informed about the disaster that had enveloped Argus HQ in New York at the same time, and about the extent to which Dracula had seized control of the United Kingdom. Andy was soon transferred to North America to give a report on the raid on Poenari Castle; Beretta, as the senior surviving agent, should have done this, but he was already on his way back to London to start his personal war. For his part, Andy knew that he owed Beretta his life and was willing to do anything he could to help.

As a consequence, though, he ended up tapped to work for the Combination Taskforce, where situations almost as terrifying were a weekly event. That assignment finally wound down after the invasion and after the boss turned into a superpower. (Technically, that is the second time one of his direct superiors went that route. Spooky, right?) At least he managed to avoid serious injury in that little episode, but he had a feeling that the reward for his hard work was going to be more hard work. And he was right, for now Andy had been tapped to work as a handler for a newbie superhero. What in his background made them think that he was qualified to do something like this? Who knows? He read up all that he could on this Jewel person, starting with the interviews that she had given soon after she arrived on Earth, and then set off into the Yellowstone valley where she was posing as a simple hiker. He greeted her with a friendly smile, and the next thing he knew they were about a mile up in the air with her holding his shirt collar and shouting, "Who are you?!"

Quickly deciding that he had been made, Andy went for full disclosure and confessed everything. To his further confusion, Karsa seemed bewildered by this, but she brought him safely back to Earth, apologized and agreed to work with him in the future. He is glad to be making progress on this assignment, but still has no idea what tipped her off. (The answer is nothing -- she was simply startled to be confronted by someone who could have been a twin of the sergeant in the Dhakimite army unit she wound up commanding, who wound up saving her life at the cost of his own. She has not yet told Andy about this.)

While Andy is utterly terrified of vampires, this should not be understood as inspiring flight or inaction in him. Rather, he will fight in incredibly risky ways against such creatures, risking everything on the understanding that he will lose everything in any event if he is defeated. Unfortunately, he has developed some dangerously false beliefs about the limitations and weaknesses of the undead, potentially putting him in even further danger. Fortunately, he is also slightly misinformed about how likely he is to encounter a vampire.

Andy Mickiewicz -- PL6

Abilities:
STR
3 | STA 4 | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 3 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 2

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Defensive Roll, Diehard, Equipment 4, Fast Grab, Fearless 2, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Teamwork.

Equipment:
Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5), stake (Strength-based Damage 1), garlic and 9 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+6), Deception 3 (+5), Expertise: Magic* 2 (+3), Expertise: Military 5 (+6), Expertise: Streetwise 2 (+3), Expertise: Survival 4 (+5), Insight 2 (+4), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 4 (+6), Ranged Combat: Blaster 2 (+4), Stealth 6 (+7), Technology 3 (+4), Treatment 3 (+4), Vehicles 4 (+6).
* INT-based.

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 3)
Stake +3 (Close Damage 4)
Blaster Pistol +7 (Ranged Damage 5)

Defense:
Dodge 4, Parry 6, Fortitude 5, Toughness 6/4, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 36 + Advantages 19 + Skills 26 + Defenses 10 = 91 points

Offensive PL: 6
Defensive PL: 6
Resistance PL: 5
Skill PL: 3

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Delusion (a stake through the heart permanently kills vampires.) Secret (Argus agent.) Terrified Rage (vampires.)
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EternalPhoenix
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Oh, congratulations on the two year anniversary of your thread, Davies. Little belated, but I only just noticed it anyway.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

That's fine, I failed to observe it myself! :oops:
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

The Maniac
Image

He only has vague memories of his prior existence, mostly focused on how it ended, and even those are not terribly clear. He was holding up a great mass of rock, as other men ... were they helping him, or just trying to escape? Perhaps it matters little. His last thought was the realization that the weight was too much for him, despite everything, and then darkness. And then light, but not the light that he had hoped for, despite everything. A different, darker light, seen through the distortion of a fluid and then a glass barrier beyond that. There were people, or at least things that looked like people, in the light, and he could hear though not understand their speech. Until he did, and one of them said to him -- or perhaps just of him -- "We will make you stronger yet." Then darkness fell.

When it lifted again, he was as he is now, and standing before the young woman whom he would come to know as his first master. She had a grudge against the hero known as Pallas, and some other enemies of the hero had decided to assist her to resolve that grudge by bestowing on her the ankh-shaped talisman that allowed her to command him. While the situation was quite strange, he felt no confusion. There was work to be done and he was the one to do it. Neither was he bothered by the fact that the sight of him made most people scream and run in terror. He would only hurt them if he must in order to obey the commands of his master, but if so, all bets were off. To them, he seemed like a maniac, and that was what they called him.

However, there then occurred some events which his creators, if that was what they were, could not have anticipated. During his third fight with Pallas, the life of his master was put in danger, with her slipping off the edge of the rooftop where he and Pallas were contending. Pallas was the one to save her life, not him, which led to her opinions about the hero shifting slightly. Subsequent events would make her abandon it altogether, and also lead to her deciding that it was a cruel and contemptible act to use the Maniac as a weapon -- no, be honest, as a slave. So she gave him the talisman and told him to be his own master, now.

Unfortunately, that did not work. Perhaps the creators had anticipated that the talisman might come into his hands somehow, and installed a countermeasure in his neural programming to prevent just this circumstance. When he has the talisman in his possession, he enters a state of dormancy that only ends when someone takes it from him. Before you ask, no, he cannot prevent this by holding tightly to the talisman, as it will slip out of his fingers as soon as someone else touches it. Whoever takes up the talisman gains the Maniac as a protector, and if they want to be protected through pre-emptive attack, they will be. When it is not in the possession of anyone, he will invariably head to where it is, take it up, and go dormant.

The talisman has passed through a number of hands in the five years since it and the Maniac first appeared on the World More Grim -- good people, bad people, and a whole swath of people who were in over their head. Once, when the Superhuman Crew were in desperate straits, they recruited his help by having Snow White "persuade" his current master to give her the talisman, and then gave it back to the Maniac in the aftermath while putting him in a situation where he should have been difficult to find. "Should have" is the word for it, though, as he was in the control of a new master within a week. Pallas has stated that she thinks her extended family is using the Maniac as a catspaw, though she can perceive no pattern to his masters.

While the Maniac will do whatever his master commands without objection, it has been noted that he never hurts anyone that his master did not specifically command him to hurt, and that he works to prevent harm to those who are uninvolved in his current conflict -- unless commanded otherwise. He fights smartly, using only what force he needs to accomplish his task -- unless commanded otherwise. He has exactly one limit: nothing, no matter what, will ever compel him to harm April Danza, his first master. While he has not seen her since she tried to give him his freedom, the Maniac has never forgotten her. The memory of her is the one tiny light in the darkness of his existence.

The Maniac -- PL 13

Abilities:
STR
16/13 | STA 15 | AGL 0 | DEX 2 | FGT 8 | INT 3 | AWE 5 | PRE 5

Powers:
"And His Anger Grows": Enhanced Strength 3, Builds* - 4 points
Helm: Immortality 10 (one hour); Protection 3; Removable (-4 points) - 19 points
Impervious Body: Impervious Toughness 15 - 15 points
Resistant Mind: Immunity 20 (mental effects), Limited to half effect - 10 points
Strange Bond: Senses 10 (detect talisman [accurate, extended 3, penetrates concealment]) - 10 points
Strength Beyond Imagination: Enhanced Strength 14 (3200 ktons/25000 ktons), Limited to lifting - 14 points
Swift Movement: Leaping 12 (4 miles); Speed 4 (30 MPH) - 16 points
Tricks: Array (26 points)
  • Foot Stomp: Line Area Damage 13 - 26 points
  • Shockwave: Burst Area Affliction 13 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) - 1 point
  • Thrown Object: Ranged Damage 16; Removable (-6 points) - 1 point
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Assessment, Close Attack 2, Defensive Attack, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Interpose, Jack-of-all-trades, Power Attack, Startle, Tracking, Weapon Break.

Skills:
Insight 6 (+10), Intimidation 6 (+11), Perception 4 (+9), Ranged Combat: Throwing 6 (+8).

Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 16/13)
Thrown Object +8 (Ranged Damage 16)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 8, Fortitude 15, Toughness 18, Will 9

Totals:
Abilities 102 + Powers 116 + Advantages 15 + Skills 11 + Defenses 10 = 254 points

Offensive PL: 13
Defensive PL: 13
Resistance PL: 12
Skill PL: 6

Complications:
Obedience--Motivation. Does Not Talk. Love (April Danza.) Reputation (horrible monster.)

* This flaw is the opposite of the Fades flaw. The first turn that this effect is activated, only 1 rank of it is available, with 1 rank becoming available at the start of each turn that the effect is used. When the character stops using the effect, it drops back to no ranks active and must build up again. It can only be applied to effects that have more than one rank, and never applies to the first rank of an effect (which is always available and thus not flawed.)

Note: The talisman possesses no powers in and of itself. If held in hand, it can be disarmed in combat, but the owner does not have to do so in order to command the Maniac, which they can do as a free action.
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RainOnTheSun
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by RainOnTheSun »

I really like bricks, mechanically. They're so simple and so cheap that it's easy to flavor them to make them distinct. This is a good one.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Thank you!
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Tlaloc
Image

In 2013, a platform supply vehicle transporting replacement crew and supplies to an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico came upon the wreckage of a still-unidentified vessel. One of the crew spotted a human form in the debris, and this survivor, an unconscious young man, was brought aboard. After making its delivery, the ship quickly returned to Houston and turned their unexpected passenger over to a hospital, where he was brought back to consciousness. However, that was only the beginning of their difficulties, as he seemed to recognize neither English nor Spanish as languages and was generally confused.

Fortunately, one of the doctors there happened to have some familiarity with Nahuatl, and was able to recognize some of the phrases that the patient was using as an old-fashioned version of that language. With that, communication was sped up considerably, though still limited by the fact that the patient claimed total amnesia about himself and a lack of familiarity with any modern technology. Further, it had already become apparent that he possessed superpower levels of strength and resilience, increasing the difficulty of treating him.

After reports of his discovery were circulated in the media, in the hopes of finding someone who could identify him, the hospital was contacted by members of the Echeverria family of Arizona, claiming that pictures of the patient were similar to their missing son Humberto. Unfortunately, when they actually met him, their hopes were dashed, as he only resembled the missing young man, and was a bit younger than he would have been. Despite this, the wealthy Echeverrias offered to pay for his hospitalization, out of charity, they claimed.

Soon afterwards, representatives of the Futurian Academy contacted the hospital and offered to take custody of their patient, who was now as fully recovered as he was likely to be. The full extent of his superpowers, including the ability to influence the weather and to fly, had been discovered in the interim, and the young man, now using the name Jose Hechavarria, agreed to study at the Academy in order to learn how to safely use these powers. (He did not say so, but he suspected -- and suspects -- that careless use of these abilities might have been responsible for the situation that led to him being adrift in the Gulf of Mexico.)

Five years later, Jose graduated from the Academy with honors, having raised a few eyebrows by taking the name of the Aztec rain god Tlaloc as his own. He explained his choice by claiming that Tlaloc had represented the life-giving and destructive powers of the weather, both of which Jose also possessed. He returned to the United States and has acted as a hero in the American southwest, particularly Arizona and New Mexico. He has never achieved national fame, though that may be coming after he worked with Exile and other heroes in defending California during the recent invasion. However, he is somewhat unpopular in Texas, due to weather problems that those working on a certain wall have encountered. Tlaloc politely disclaims any responsibility for what are surely acts of God.

He still yearns to know the truth of his origins, but focuses on the immediate present for the most part. With the help of one of his occasional allies, the Chiricahua mystic who currently uses the name Goyaałé, he has managed to recover a single image of his past, but it has only confused matters further. He now remembers flying in the air above what looked like the pyramids of Teotihuacan, only decidedly unruined, and answering prayers for rain. But how is that even remotely possible, when he was no more than fifteen years old when rescued from the sea?

Tlaloc - PL 10

Abilities:
STR
7 | STA 8 | AGL 2 | DEX 4 | FGT 8 | INT 1 | AWE 3 | PRE 4

Powers:
Aquatic: Immunity 3 (cold, drowning, pressure); Impervious Toughness 8; Movement 1 (environmental adaptation [underwater]); Senses 1 (low-light vision) - 14 points
Flies Through Wind and Water: Flight 8 (500 MPH), Aquatic - 17 points
Weather Control: Array (29 points)
  • Dazzling Strike: Ranged Burst Area Cumulative Affliction 7 (Resisted by Fortitude; Vision and Auditory Impaired, Vision and Auditory Disabled, Vision and Auditory Unaware) - 1 point
  • Dense Fog: Visual (All) Concealment 4 Attack, Burst Area 3, Selective - 1 point
  • Hail Storm: Ranged Cloud Area Damage 9, Indirect 2 - 29 points
  • Lightning Bolts: Ranged Multiattack Damage 8, Indirect 3 (any point downwards) - 1 point
  • Stormy Weather: Environment 9 (1 miles; Cold, Impede Movement, Visibility) -1 point
Advantages:
Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack.

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+9), Expertise: History 8 (+9), Insight 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Lightning 6 (+10).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 7)
Lightning Bolts +10 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8)
Dazzling Strike -- (Ranged Burst Area Fortitude 7)
Hail Storm -- (Ranged Cloud Area Damage 9)

Defense:
Dodge 10, Parry 8, Fortitude 11, Toughness 10/8, Will 9

Totals:
Abilities 74 + Powers 64 + Advantages 6 + Skills 14 + Defenses 17 = 175 points

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 10
Resistance PL: 10
Skill PL: 4

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Mysterious Origins. Public Identity. Reputation.
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Commander Titan
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Commander Titan »

Davies wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:06 am ...the Echeverria family of Arizona...
One of the powerful Mutant families you've mentioned, perhaps? Or am I reaching?
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Commander Titan wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:36 am
Davies wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:06 am ...the Echeverria family of Arizona...
One of the powerful Mutant families you've mentioned, perhaps? Or am I reaching?
You're not reaching. They are a very old money family, but whether their members have powers is still an open question. A lot of the ancients have lost theirs over time.

Mostly, though, they're just there to explain where his surname comes from -- Hechavarria is a variation on their name.

Welcome to Echoes, by the way.
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