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

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Davies
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Kestreks (Extratemporal/Hero ... Sort-of)

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Kestreks
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Art by Sandra Duchiewicz

Out of the Bandit Kingdom rode Kestreks the Killer, astride his warlizard Mahalana, seeking what employment he could find as a mercenary soldier. He chose, for the most part, to take the distrust that most prospective employers had for him as appropriate fear for a gargun warrior, and only retaliated when that distrust led to actual attacks. Eventually, he found an employer desperate enough to accept him, and proved worthy of his hire, advising the caravan leader of secret tricks that the bandits would and did use, and killing those who did without scruple. He has done so repeatedly these past three years, all through the northwest. No one fully trusts him, but they have grown accustomed to his presence.

Kestreks largely speaks through his actions, seldom employing words. Some fools imagine that he cannot manage the common tongue, or speaks with some wretched accent and misused pronouns. In fact, he speaks Troatian better than many of his colleagues, and is both fully literate and well-read on the subject of military tactics. He has little if any curiosity about "softer" subjects, though, but recognizes that anything -- object or idea -- can become a weapon if used correctly.

He never speaks about what led him to leave the Bandit Kingdom, where (according to rumors) he was once a lieutenant to the current king and might well have led many of the raids that he has helped to throw back had things gone differently. If he finds anything amusing, it is the stories that others have made up about why he chose to ride away from that enviable situation. The ones where he fell in love with someone and decided that there had to be more to life than unending battle have even made him laugh, though the sound of that is easily mistaken for a sigh.

The truth is that he discovered the secret of the "current" king -- that he is, like every king before him, a hollow shell employed by Farran, the vampyre who has secretly ruled the Bandit Kingdom for centuries, surviving every purge and stealing the soul of each new ambitious would-be leader. As Kestreks was himself an ambitious would-be leader, he found himself not best pleased at the idea that he could only ever become a mask for someone else. But opposing the king, and his army, was a ticket to swift death and he knew that he could trust no one to stand with him against the vampyre.

So with the one thing he could trust -- his axe -- and a mostly reliable companion -- his warlizard -- he rode away to begin building an army and finding allies who would not be tainted by the touch of Farran. With only a few decades left before old age begins to steal away his might, Kestreks wants to get this done soon ... but he wants to get it done well.

Kestreks -- PL 7

STR
5 | STA 6 | AGL 0 | DEX 3 | FGT 5 | INT 0 | AWE 2 | PRE 2

Powers:
Healing Factor: Immunity 2 (disease, poison); Regeneration 2 - 4 points

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Asssessment, Chokehold, Defensive Roll, Equipment, Fearless 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Inspire, Power Attack, Sidekick 12, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Break.

Equipment:
Axe (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical).

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+4), Athletics 2 (+7), Close Combat: Axe 1 (+6), Expertise: Warfare 8 (+8), Insight 4 (+6), Intimidation 5 (+7), Perception 4 (+6), Stealth 6 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 5)
Axe +6 (Close Damage 8, Crit 19-20)

Defense:
Dodge 4, Parry 6, Fortitude 7, Toughness 8/6, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 4 + Advantages 27 + Skills 17 + Defenses 13 = 107 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 3

Complications:
Survival--Motivation. Hunted (followers of Farran.) Keeps All Promises. Prejudice (gargun.)

Mahalana -- PL 7
Image

Abilities:
STR
7 | STA 7 | AGL 1 | DEX 0 | FGT 3 | INT -4 | AWE 1 | PRE -4

Powers:
Keen Nose: Senses 2 (acute extended scent) - 2 points
Large Size: Permanent Growth 3, Innate, Protection 1; Speed 1 - 12 points
Natural Weapons: Strength-based Damage 2, Reach 1 - 3 points
Toxic Bite: Weaken Stamina 7 (Resisted by Fortitude; Grab-based, Secondary Effect) - 7 points

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Startle.

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+8), Cloe Combat: Unarmed 2 (+5), Intimidation 10 (+7), Perception 5 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 9)
Toxic Bite +5 (Close Damage 9 and Fortitude 7)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 7, Toughness 8, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 10 + Powers 24 + Advantages 5 + Skills 9 + Defenses 12 = 60 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 3

Complications:
Hunger--Motivation. No Fine Manipulators or Speech. Tamed But Not Domestic.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Rartigan (Extratemporal/Hero)

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Rartigan
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There are enough stories about the various deeds of the wizard called Rartigan -- no adjective, thank you, he just goes by his name -- that even those who believe many of them suspect that they cannot all be true. Less credulous commentators claim that the wizard blithely accepts the credit for countless acts actually performed by diverse hands, then change the subject when someone points out that there are few if any who have tried to claim credit for anything he is supposed to have done. More enlightened observers suspect that the wizard must be an identity employed by one of the Ascendants, or possibly even more than one.

Wrong in every particular. While blessed with long years thanks to regular doses of certain herbs, the wizard is entirely mortal. He is a favored agent of one particular Ascendant, but his deeds are his own. He is, to be frank, overworked and under-rewarded, and yet keeps any complaints about any of this to himself. He expects to be offered Ascendance one of these days, either by his patron or her own, and looks forward to the look on their faces when he turns them down flat. The thought of finally being able to refuse the offer of more hard work presented as a boon is all that keeps him going at times.

Rartigan was born a bit less than two centuries ago in the Holy Islands of Harnedi, but shows this only when he allows himself to speak freely in his native accent. This is rare, for he will more often choose to use language and a manner of speech that matches his current company, the better to advise and guide them. He is aided in this by the hooded cloak that he wears; its primary enchantment allows him to change his features, but he has learned to change his voice, as well.

Such is the nature of wizardry in a World More Sorcerous -- learning how best to use the magic that exists in all things and in all creatures, including oneself. Most of his most famous spells are actually carved into his oaken staff; his own capabilities seem to be just being more aware of magic than most. That knowledge also extends to knowing who to seek out for assistance in the various weighty matters with which he is entrusted, and how to convince them to lend their aid.

As he grows older without aging, he finds himself reflecting more and more on those he has employed in these schemes, and wondering if the world that they often died to defend is truly worthy of that enormous sacrifice. But Rartigan reminds himself, again and again, that the only real choice that anyone has is what to do with the time that is given them. That was true for all of them, and it is true of himself, as well.

Rartigan -- PL 9

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

Powers:
Disguise Cloak: Continuous Morph 2 (humanoids), Precise; Removable (-2 points) - 11 points
Mystical Awareness: Senses 4 (acute analytical radius mystic awareness) - 4 points
Shield Spell: Linked Enhanced Advantage 1 (Defensive Roll); Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Subtle - 10 points
Staff of Power: Easily Removable (-10 points)
* Call Light: Environment 1 (light) - 1 point
* Imbued Spells: Array (21 points)
  • Fireball: Ranged Burst Area Damage 7 - 21 points
  • Ice Binding: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 7 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobile) - 1 point
  • Lightning Bolt: Ranged Multiattack Damage 7 - 1 point
  • Mage Hand: Perception Range Move Object 7 - 1 point
  • "Plus, I Can Also HIT You With This Stick, You Know?": Strength-based Damage 2, Accurate - 1 point
Unaging: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison) - 3 points

Advantages:
Fascinate (Persuasion), Multilingual, Ritualist, Trance, Well-informed.

Skills:
Deception 6 (+11), Expertise: Magic 8 (+13), Insight 8 (+12), Investigation 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+10), Persuasion 6 (+11), Ranged Combat: Magic 8 (+11)

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 1)
Staff +5 (Close Damage 3)
Lightning Bolt +11 (Ranged Damage 7)
Ice Binding +11 (Ranged Affliction 7, Resisted by Dodge)
Fireball -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 7)

Defense:
Dodge 11/7, Parry 9/5, Fortitude 6, Toughness 4/2, Will 12

Totals:
Abilities 44 + Powers 44 + Advantages 5 + Skills 24 + Defenses 20 = 137 points

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

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Fame. Power Loss (Unaging, without regular herbal treatment.) Secrets (many.)

Walk doddering into the last days
Weave the air into flowers or light
Try to remember more, fading spells
To make children laugh in delight

Hear them gasp, see them smile
Look into their dazzled eyes
Which will grow to wizardly might?
Smile, and never tell them it’s all lies.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Starfinder (Hero)

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Starfinder
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In 1969, shortly before humans from Earth took one small step that was also a giant leap, the superhero Meteor found himself investigating a series of heists committed in the Orlando area. Because he kept his extraterrestrial origins a secret, he was unable to reveal to anyone that the items that had been stolen had ingredients that could be combined to produce an extremely powerful explosive, as this was a discovery that had yet to be made by terrestrial mad scientists, or so he had believed. He feared that this might be the return of Vaskhane, and so pursued his leads forcefully.

That eventually allowed him to identify the perpetrators, whom he pursued into the Everglades. When Meteor caught up to them, however, they were quick to surrender and offer apologies for the deception. They had engaged in these acts not for any terroristic purpose, but to attract the attention of someone on Earth who was familiar with the greater galaxy, such as Meteor. Having done so, they proceeded to beg for his help, and Meteor listened to what was, even for him, an amazing story.

Forty-three* years earlier, a pair of young royals from Paraza, a single planet stellar government on the trailing border of the Technate, had escaped from a revolution on their home world and went into exile. Their journey had led them to Earth, where they had chosen to go into hiding, according to the last report that their supporters back home had received. Decades* later, sanity had finally returned to their home and the young royals were being called back to take up their rule once more. But when the ship that was supposed to carry them back had arrived, the signals that were supposed to alert their passengers had gone unanswered.

The aliens needed help to find out what had happened, and while Meteor had some problems with the narrative, he agreed to assist so as to answer his own questions. As it turned out, the two young royals had passed away in an accident four years earlier, leaving their sixteen-year-old daughter, named Stella, in the care of some family friends. Meteor arranged for her to meet with the people who were looking for her family. Against his advice, Stella eagerly agreed to return with the aliens to the world where her parents had been born, but promised Meteor that she would never forget where she had come from. Meteor watched their ship depart with mixed feelings, uncertain whether he had done the right thing, but suspecting that he would never really know.

On Paraza, Stella was subjected to certain rituals designed to awaken the hereditary powers of her family, the so-called Starfinders. These proved successful, turning her into a superpower who became the primary defender of her home world against alien invasion -- specifically by the Konan Armada, who made several attempts to conquer them. Recognizing that she could not (and should not) do everything, she built up a conventional military, and also occasionally made attempts to introduce democratic reforms to the planetary government, but most were not successful as she made a better general than a politician.

Quite recently, news reached her about the planned Konan invasion of Earth. Aghast at the thought of the world she had never ... completely forgotten (though she rarely thought about it all that much), Starfinder commanded one of her fleets to follow her to Earth and then flew as high into hyperspace as she could manage, hoping to arrive in time to assist in the liberation of the planet. She arrived last week to learn that the invasion had been repelled, and that her fleet should arrive in a few months.

That she did all this for no good reason is somewhat embarrassing, and Stella has not had to cope with serious embarrassment in some time. She has not been told 'no' in even longer, being used to having her wishes immediately answered. That said, she recognizes that this is not her world to rule, and wants to make allies of its people and heroes if at all possible. Argus, which likewise desires friendly relations with her planet, has asked the alien heroes known as the Vagabonds to accompany her in her journeys on Earth. So far, no disasters have happened, though the one called Wissen is quite testing her patience ... even if he does understand about how great the Beatles were.

Starfinder -- PL 12

Abilities:
STR
6 | STA 6 | AGL 4 | DEX 5 | FGT 6 | INT 2 | AWE 5 | PRE 4

Powers:
"And A Star to Steer Her By": Feature 1 (+2 circumstance bonus for Expertise: Galactic checks for hyperspace navigation) - 1 point
Starborn: Immunity 31 (aging, energy damage, life support); Protection 4, Impervious 8 - 43 points
Starflare: Array (24 points)
  • Basic Blast: Ranged Damage 12 - 24 points
  • Burst Fire: Ranged Multiattack Damage 8 - 1 point
  • Flashy Display: Burst Area Cumulative Affliction 12 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Visually Impaired, Visually Disabled, Visually Unaware), Limited to Visual Senses - 1 point
  • Focused Fire: Ranged Damage 9, Penetrating 6 - 1 point
Starflght: Flight 15 (64000 MPH); Movement 2 (splace flight 2) - 34 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Attractive, Benefit (Queen of Paraza), Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Leadership, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Seize Initiative.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+10), Expertise: Galactic 9 (+11), Expertise: Military 8 (+10), Insight 4 (+9), Intimidation 8 (+12), Perception 6 (+11), Persuasion 4 (+8), Ranged Combat: Starflare 7 (+12)

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 6)
Basic Blast +12 (Ranged Damage 12)
Burst Fire +12 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8)
Focused Fire +12 (Ranged Damage 9)
Flashy Display -- (Burst Area Affliction 12, Resisted by Dodge)

Defense:
Dodge 12, Parry 10, Fortitude 8, Toughness 12/10, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 76 + Powers 104 + Advantages 12 + Skills 25 + Defenses 18 = 235 points

Offensive PL: 12
Defensive PL: 12
Resistance PL: 9
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Allergies (many Earth foods, unpredictable effects.) Imperious. Unfamiliar With Earth Culture (more accurately, the changes since 1969.)
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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EternalPhoenix
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

I guess this week's theme is Space. Cool beans.
The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse!)
The Archetype Blendarama!
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Davies
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Davies »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Tue Jan 31, 2023 1:13 am I guess this week's theme is Space. Cool beans.
Well, no, there's no theme this week. Although there's one more alien, a certain being who spent most of her history on another planet, and an explorer of a different sort of space, and I think the luchadora I'm going to talk about on Friday has made people see stars a few times. But that would be pushing it. :mrgreen:
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Kuklafron (Villain)

Post by Davies »

Kuklafron
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Vaskhane, like most major criminal organizations, makes a great show of complete indifference to the origins of its agents, as long as they display the cardinal virtues of competence, loyalty, and ruthlessness. This is largely a façade, as plenty of high-ranking Vaskhane care a great deal about where their agents come from, if only because they want to have blackmail material on them to keep them in line. The biography that follows is derived from the private databases of a number of these Vaskhane leaders -- all dead and gone -- as well as the thick file of information collected by the Technate Bureau of Law Enforcement.

The alien known as Kuklafron -- a somewhat blasphemous deformation of the name of an obscure god of laughter -- first came to the attention of Vaskhane a bit more than sixty years* ago on the planet Reldon, a factory world in the heart of the Technate. At that point, he was operating an unlicensed medical clinic in the lower residential areas, and Vaskhane operatives quickly became some of his most frequent clients, as well as supplying him with illicit pharmaceuticals. It soon became apparent that his medical practice was only a cover for his interests in conducting highly illegal and dangerous experimentation, and the head of Vaskhane on that particular planet chose to become his patron.

He was allegedly from a planet in the Unclaimed Regions that he referred to as Akuar, giving several different sets of coordinates for it when questioned. After assisting his current boss in developing countermeasures against attacks by a group of Isakari, the superficial similarities between him and the hunters led to speculation, in certain quarters, that he was an odd example of their species who lacked their physical strength but had greater intelligence to compensate. Kuklafron is known to have found this insinuation amusing, to a point, and sometimes played up the idea that he consumed sapient brains. There is no proof that he did not do so.

After roughly a decade, having outlasted a number of employers, he convinced the leaders of the Seven Strains that he should be given the task of rebuilding Vaskhane operations on the backwater planet of Earth. It seems likely that they viewed this as a good way to get rid of an ambitious and perhaps overly competent underling, and expected him to suffer the same fate as Aunat and Taddely in an even shorter amount of time. By a coincidence that neither they nor Kuklafron himself could have predicted, however, the Super-Wizard had departed from Earth before he arrived, and many of the other superpowers had fallen.

Kuklafron pursued countless schemes over the next decade, allying with the Pythonians not long after they formed. He was a constant, behind-the-scenes nemesis to virtually every superpower agency active in the seventies and eighties, often only failing to triumph because he grew bored with a given scheme and abandoned it for something more immediately interesting. Despite this somewhat dilletante attitude, attempts by Vaskhane to bring him to heel universally failed, and often ended up with those sent to control him becoming assets to his plans, as was the case with Atara.

However, no luck lasts forever, and Kuklafron was apparently killed in the destruction of his base beneath Lake Michigan in 1991. In fact, he survived, but has remained in suspended animation right up until the present, awaiting release from his watery grave. Whether that will ever happen remains to be seen, but it is possible ... especially if a certain regularly transmitted code sequence, designed to be intelligible only to members of his own species, if ever detected and answered.

Kuklafron -- PL 10

Abilities:
STR
3 | STA 4 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 5 | INT 9 | AWE 3 | PRE 1

Powers:
Field Generator Belt: Removable (-15 points)
* Camouflage Field: Concealment 5 (normal hearing, normal sight, radio), Blending - 5 points
* Deflector Field: Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4) - 8 points
* Disguise Field: Morph 2 (humanoids) - 10 points
* Life Support Field: Immunity 10 (life support) - 10 points
* Psychic Amplification Field: Impervious Will 12, Limited to Mental effects - 6 points
* Tractor/Pressor Field: Perception Range Damaging Move Object 9, Precise - 37 points

Advantages:
Connected, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 20, Inventor, Skill Mastery (Technology), Well-informed.

Skills:
Deception 10 (+11), Expertise: Crime 4 (+13), Expertise: Science 5 (+14), Insight 9 (+12), Intimidation 11 (+12), Perception 8 (+11), Persuasion 10 (+11), Technology 5 (+14), Treatment 2 (+11).

Defense:
Dodge 9/5, Parry 11/7, Fortitude 6, Toughness 9/4, Will 12

Totals:
Abilities 62 + Powers 61 + Advantages 26 + Skills 32 + Defenses 15 = 196 points

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

Complications:
Sadism--Motivation. Easily Distracted. Obvious Alien.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Teleute (Neutral)

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Teleute
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If there is one thing that any entity who finds themself in a confrontation with Teleute, Hierarch of the Sphere of Entropy, should never forget, it is this: she is not Ananke, the ruler of Daath for uncounted eons. Ananke is no more, having ceased to exist during the Anachronic Calamity. It would not be inaccurate to claim that Teleute is to Ananke as a child might be to a parent. It would also not be inaccurate to claim that Teleute is to Ananke as a wrapper is to a candy bar -- something discarded. Neither of these would be prudent analogies to make in her hearing.

The point is, though, that she is not the ancient being that Ananke was. She has existed for only a bit longer than a month, by most chronologies, and she knows it. Her knowledge of the universe is incomplete -- in large part because that universe itself has changed -- and her ability to gain more knowledge is somewhat more limited. Most of all, she is much more vulnerable than Ananke, who could ignore reality as she saw fit. Being reminded of this latter diminishment tends to anger her, as she is unused to pain. It may be that she will become more used to it as time passes ... but likely not.

There are compensations, of course. If her ability to resist the intrusion of reality on her person has lessened, her ability to intrude on that reality herself, through her Nine Words of Mastery, has grown. And she can recover from fatal injuries, now, though this is not an ability that she plans to test anytime soon, given how she regards injury as a horror. (If she cannot immediately destroy whatever caused her injury, she is likely to retreat promptly.)

Her most potent ability is one that she never expected to receive. One of the demands that Mephistopheles made while negotiating his temporary alliance -- and thus that of the Sphere of Entropy -- with the other Ascendants was that the Hierarch of Entropy would have the right to refuse to allow ascendance to be bestowed without their permission. It seems likely, to her mind, that the False Friend intended for himself to rise into that seat and enjoy that privelige, but he has refused to discuss it in favor of loudly proclaiming himself her most loyal servant. Nevertheless, she quickly decided that reality needed no more ascendants, and planned to refuse all such petitions.

And then the Mnajimu came before her with his tale of a future that would bring about her fall, after only a brief reign, and then great and terrible disasters to follow. (The former part was all that concerned her.) All of this could only be prevented if another ascendant of the sphere of Time arose. Despite her suspicion, she was convinced of his sincerity, but set a high price for her agreement. He agreed, and so became the first ascendant in this new cosmological framework to die at her words, replaced by his red-robed colleague.

This illustrates the ultimate difference between herself and Ananke. The former was content to do nothing for eons, waiting for the time of her own ending. Teleute has an agenda of her own, and will take action to advance it. Ultimately, she seeks the triumph of entropy, the dissolution of everything into its most primal state ... and yet one from which there can be a rebirth. Something old becoming something new.

Teleute -- PL 16

Abilities:
STR
4 | STA 12 | AGL 4 | DEX 3 | FGT 6 | INT 10 | AWE 7 | PRE 7

Powers:
Ascendant: Ascendant: Immortality 5 (one day), Only When On Home Plane; Immunity 1 (aging); Movement 1 (dimensional travel to home plane), Reaction (death); Movement 2 (dimensional travel to mystical dimensions), Standard Action - 10 points
Divine Body: Immunity 10 (life support); Insubstantial 4, Standard Action; Protection 4, Impervious 16 - 46 points
Divine Mind: Impervious Will 16, Limited to mental effects; Senses 7 (visual senses counter all concealment and illusions) - 23 points
Divine Veto: Feature 1 (no being can become an ascendant without her agreement) - 1 point
Nine Words of Mastery: Array (49 points)
  • Word of Banishment: Perception Range Movement 1 Attack (dimensional travel to prison dimension), Resisted by Will, Increased Resistance 14, Reversible - 1 points
  • Word of Death: Perception Range Damage 16, Resisted by Will, Hearing-Dependent, Reversible - 49 point
  • Word of Life: Perception Range Healing 12, Others Only, Resurrection, Reversible - 1 point
  • Word of Motion: Accurate Easy Extended Teleport 12, Extended Only - 1 point
  • Word of Pain: Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 16 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Hearing-Dependent, Reversible - 1 point
  • Word of Rule: Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 16 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Hearing-Dependent, Reversible - 1 point
  • Word of Sight: Remove Sensing 15 (visual), No Conduit, Dimensional 2 (mystical) - 1 point
  • Word of Stillness: Perception Range Nullify Magic 16, Broad - 1 point
  • Word of Terror: Perception Range Affliction 16 (Resisted by Will; Impaired and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Disabled, Incapacitated and Paralyzed), Extra Condition, Hearing-Dependent, Reversible - 1 point
Advantages:
Assessment, Equipment 5, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Persuasion), Jack-of-all-trades, Seize Initiative, Speed of Thought, Warp, Well-informed.

Equipment:
Home Plane: Size Gargantuan; Toughness 20; Features Communications, Concealed, Defense System, Grounds, Isolated, Library, Living Space, Power System, Personnel, Security System (DC 30) - 22 points.

Skills:
Expertise: Dimensional 10 (+20), Expertise: Galactic 11 (+21), Insight 12 (+19), Intimidation 12 (+19), Perception 13 (+20), Persuasion 12 (+19).

Offense:
Initiative +10
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 4)
Word of Mastery -- (Perception Range Will 15)

Defense:
Dodge 14, Parry 12, Fortitude 12, Toughness 16, Will 16.

Totals:
Abilities 106 + Powers 137 + Advantages 13 + Skills 35 + Defenses 25 = 316 points

Offensive PL: 16
Defensive PL: 15
Resistance PL: 14
Skill PL: 16

Complications:
Entropy--Motivation. Callous and Indifferent. Temper (when suffers injury.)

"You are losing my interest," the rustling voice interrupted him again, "and that is very dangerous. In a moment I will have forgotten you quite entirely, and will never be able to remember just what I did with you. What I forget not only ceases to exist, but never really existed in the first place."
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Fijiag (Neutral)

Post by Davies »

Fijiag
Image

On the one hand, the Sprawl changes so fast that the events of even ten years ago might as well have happened to a previous generation. Even the terms used by Patois vary immensely depending on when you learned it. So someone who navigates cyberspace might be called a vagero, a pirato, or several other generally uncomplimentary names. On the other hand, most of those changes are entirely superficial, and once the new terminology is known, one finds that the job remains the same after actual generations.

The man who goes by the name Fijiag ("fee-JYAG") has been active as a cyberspace navigator -- he prefers the term "cortarado" -- for roughly fifty years, longer than anyone else in the same line of work. Remarks he has made suggest that he has undergone at least one rejuvenation treatment in that time, but most of his longevity is owed to being the best there is at what he does. He has flown black and white flags at various points in his career, working as an independent mercenary and hired on a long term basis by the corps. Where most people who get hired by the corps are bound to lifetime contracts, he has always negotiated his terms of his employment to his own advantage, frequently escaping from conditions he finds intolerable.

Little is known about the man behind the legend. He was probably no older than a teenager when he began his career, and did not (despite what flattened histories would suggest) immediately become notorious. But over the course of his life, he has either contributed to advances in both computer security and computer intrusion techniques, or been solely responsible for some. While most of his work has been imitated or even improved upon by other hands, some of his best work remains proprietary.

The most notorious of the latter would probably be what he refers to as his Catspawn system. Generally, people who engage in cyberspace activities must expose themselves to the risk that their nervous system might be overloaded by programs designed to cause damage to computer systems, which is generally fatal. As some have put it, when you die in cyberspace, your meat body will die too. But the Catspawn system is able to shield his brain from such injuries, allowing him to respawn his avatar up to eight times in quick succession and giving him the nine lives of a cat. (It is actually only four times, but Fijiag will go to some lengths to keep that a secret.)

As one who has switched sides many times in his life, Fijiag is a bit -- no, a lot -- cynical about causes. He has seen villains face death with bravery and dignity and so-called heroes break under the strain. So he has declined to formally ally himself with those forces working to improve life in the Sprawl now that it is part of a world again, working with them solely on a case by case basis. But he has become aware that there is someone active in cyberspace with intentions that are hostile to the Sprawl as a whole.

And it might be a hellhole run by awful people. But it is his home, and he will defend it.

Fijiag -- PL 10

Abilities:
STR
2/0 | STA 1 | AGL 4/2 | DEX 2 | FGT 5/3 | INT 6 | AWE 5 | PRE 3

Powers:
Cyberspace Dive: Movement 1 (dimensional [cyberspace]), Side Effect (body is incapacitated) - 1 point
Implanted Communicator: Radio Communication 3 (regional), Subtle; Comprehend Machines 2; Senses 3 (acute tracking radio) - 22 points
Overclocked Avatar: Concealment 10, Partial; Enhanced Advantages 5 (Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 2, Move-by Action); Linked Enhanced Defenses 12 (Dodge 6, Parry 6); Enhanced Skill 3 (Close Combat: Unarmed 6); Linked Enhanced Strength 2; Linked Enhanced Fighting 2; Linked Enhanced Agility 2; Linked Impervious Will 10; Linked Sustained Protection 6; Limited, Only in Cyberspace - 26 points
Respawn: Linked Immortality 20; Linked Teleport 1, Reaction (dying); Limited, Only in Cyberspace, Unreliable (5 uses) - 13 points

Advantages:
Benefit 6 (cipher 2, millionaire, makes gather information checks with Technology), Equipment 8, Evasion 2, Improed Initiative 2, Improvised Tools, Move-by Action, Ranged Attack 4, Skill Mastery (Technology), Speed of Thought, Ultimate Effort (Technology).

Equipment:
40 points of gear needed for any given assignment, usually offensive programs (various effects, Limited, Only in Cyberspace.)

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+11), Deception 8 (+11), Expertise: Criminal 6 (+12), Expertise: History 4 (+10), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+12), Insight 7 (+12), Intimidation 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+11), Techology 7 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +14/+6
Unarmed +11/+5 (Close Damage 2)

Defense:
Dodge 13/7, Parry 11/5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/1, Will 11.

Totals:
Abilities 44 + Powers 62 + Advantages 25 + Skills 25 + Defenses 17 = 173 points

Offensive PL: 7/4*
Defensive PL: 10/4
Resistance PL: 8
Skill PL: 8

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Fame. Secret Identity. Weakness (becomes Dazed/Stunned if subject to Nullify Technology.)
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Davies
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La Bomba (Neutral)

Post by Davies »

La Bomba
Image

Maria Carpintero likes to think of herself as an easy-going person. In the ring, she might fight with ferocity if she is appearing as a heel -- pretty often, given how often she works in Japan these days -- and with determination if she has drawn the face. But wrestling is entertainment, not battle. Out of the ring, she tries her best to avoid fights and calm everyone down, only answering violence with violence if innocent bystanders would otherwise be put at risk, and minimizing the damage that she does. Unless someone brings up one of the subjects that set her off, she can maintain her pose.

And when they do, she snaps, loses it and tries to discover new ways that the human form can be twisted until she feels calm again.

So, in the interest of preventing that, let us explore those subjects in this safe space. First and foremost, one should never suggest that her abilities, while unquestionably superpower -- she can lift a ton and has greatly enhanced reaction speed -- are hereditary. She got this way through incredibly hard work, not because of who her parents were. And definitely not because of any completely unfounded allegations that her abuela ran around with El Sabio back in the Seventies! Suggesting that is a great way to arouse her curiosity about the color of your internal organs.

Secondly, yes, she did get tricked into fighting Tlaloc that one time. Talking about this will not anger her, and she will be frank about how embarrassed she was to realize that she had been manipulated into fighting someone who deliberately held back and didn't drop lightning bolts on her. Asking about how it would have gone if she had not reached that realization, however, will anger her with the implication that she would not have eventually won before he decided that he had no choice but to use the weather as a weapon.

Thirdly, she is not dating Rakni. She has known him since he joined UWF, and thinks he is a great contender and a wonderful person. Suggesting that their relationship has ever gone further will only make her laugh, as he is much too young for her. Suggesting that she would enjoy having herself webbed will seriously annoy her. (Suggesting that eight years is not really all that much younger utterly annoys her.)

Finally, yes, she has undergone therapy for this little problem of hers, and believed she was making progress towards overcoming it. Then the lousy headshrinker started to talk about how she had to come to terms with -- no, that topic is probably not safe to be discussed even here. Hopefully, it will never come up again. That poor man. He might walk again some day.

La Bomba -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR
4 | STA 4 | AGL 6 | DEX 4 | FGT 8 | INT 1 | AWE 4 | PRE 3

Powers:
Power Lifting: Enhanced Strength 2, Limited to lifting (1 ton) - 2 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Takedown, Weapon Bind.

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12), Athletics 8 (+12), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+12), Expertise: Performance 6 (+9), Expertise: Streetwise 8 (+9), Insight 7 (+11), Intimidation 7 (+10), Perception 6 (+10), Stealth 4 (+10), Vehicles 4 (+8).

Offense:
Initiative +10
Unarmed +12 (Close Damage 4)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 10, Fortitude 7, Toughness 6/4, Will 7.

Totals:
Abilities 68 + Powers 2 + Advantages 17 + Skills 30 + Defenses 10 = 127 points

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

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Hair-Trigger Temper (only about certain subjects.)
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Davies »

Next week -- a trip to the Big Rock, to meet some of the people who have to live in Mount Graham Correctional Facility, America's foremost super-prison.
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Ah, another theme week. Nice. I appreciate a good theme.
The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse!)
The Archetype Blendarama!
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Davies
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Mount Graham Correctional Facility (Location)

Post by Davies »

Mount Graham Correctional Facility
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The difficulties involved in imprisoning superpower criminals were demonstrated early in the Golden Age, after the capture (and subsequent escape) of the Russian agent known as the Untouchable. Not all "supervillains" were as difficult to imprison as a man who could become intangible, but enough were able to strain the abilities of the authorities to cause numerous sleepless nights. There were many attempts to create methods of incarceration which could handle these challenges, but for every success, such as those used to hold De Damp, there were many more of which the best could be said that they only failed without creating more menaces to society.

But the successes accumulated, and in 1981, the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons announced that they would be constructing a special prison in New Mexico which was intended to hold both federal and state prisoners who had demonstrated that they could not be held by more mundane facilities. Various events too well-known to be discussed here delayed the opening of this facility, nicknamed Tartarus, until 1986. While Tartarus suffered many escapes during its twenty years of operations, they were far enough between to keep the Department of Justice and the executive reasonably satisfied ... until 2006, when the entire facility was destroyed during the coup attempt that year.

Plans for a replacement facility were begun almost immediately, using the same theories as the original but incorporating advances in technology that had been discovered in the interim. However, the decision was made not to base the installation in New Mexico, but rather Arizona, within the Pinaleño Mountains, specifically their High Peak, or Mount Graham. Exactly why this decision was made is the subject of a two hundred page proposal too complicated to be summarized here. Conspiracy theories hold that the area was chosen to take advantage of certain properties of the mountain, considered sacred by the Western Apache Nation.

Since its establishment in 2008, the Big Rock (as it is known, taking inspiration from the famous nickname of Alcatraz) has not seen any successful escapes*, and the number of attempted escapes has dwindled since the installation of Korean power suppression technology in 2012. That said, the prison staff are not complacent, and 2022 saw a further advance in their resources, with the introduction of a new set of powered armor employed by the guards, manufactured by Cadmus Enterprises.

Unfortunately, a disturbingly high number of those guards work for Saturn, as do many of the prison staff. Warden Daniel Collins is notably not one of these, but he is aware of them and believes that the only reason that he has not been assassinated by his supposed colleagues is that they are uncertain that one of them would be chosen as his replacement. Therefore, he does little to impede the activities of this conspiracy, which are at least not threatening law-abiding citizens. Besides, he also has frequent nightmares about the Emperor of Korea deciding to whimsically shut down the power suppression gear, and about the other Pythonian inspired group among the prisoners, and -- he is not a happy man.

Mount Graham Correctional Facility
Size Colossal; Toughness 16; Features Communications, Concealed 3, Fire Prevention System, Hangar, Holding Cells 3, Infirmary, Isolated, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power System, Security System 3 - 27 points

Prison Guards -- PL 9/MR 8
Image
Abilities:
STR
8/1 | STA 1 | AGL 3/1 | DEX 2 | FGT 5/3 | INT 0 | AWE 1 | PRE 0

Powers:
Spartoi "Fylakas" Powered Armor: Removable (-19 points)
* Armored Shell: Impervious Protection 8 - 16 points
* Chest Lamp: Environment 1 (light) - 1 point
* Comm System: Radio Communication 3 (regional), Subtle - 10 points
* Cybernetic Controls: Enhanced Agility 2; Enhanced Defenses 6 (Dodge 3, Parry 3); Enhanced Fighting 2 - 14 points
* Rocket Boosters: Flight 8 (500 MPH) - 16 points
* Sealed Systems: Immunity 10 (life support) - 10 points
* Sensors: Senses 10 (accurate extended 2 radio, direction sense, distance sense, infravision, ultravision, time sense) - 10 points
* Weapons Systems: Array (16 points)
  • Chest Lamp Flare: Cone Area Cumulative Affliction 8 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Visually Impaired, Visually Disabled, Visually Unaware), Limited to One Sense - 16 points
  • Cybernetic Muscles: Enhanced Advantage 2 (Close Attack); Enhanced Strength 7 - 1 point
  • Mounted Blaster: Ranged Damage 8 - 1 point
Advantages:
Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork.

Skills:
Close Combat: Grab 2 (+7/+5), Expertise: Current Events 2 (+2), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+4), Intimidation 6 (+6), Investigation 2 (+2), Perception 2 (+3), Technology 4 (+4).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +7/+3 (Close Damage 8/1)
Grab +9/+5 (Close Grab 8/1)
Mounted Blaster +4 (Ranged Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 9/3, Parry 9/3, Fortitude 3, Toughness 9/1, Will 3.

Totals:
Abilities 18 + Powers 76 + Advantages 4 + Skills 11 + Defenses 6 = 115 points

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 9
Resistance PL: 3
Skill PL: 1

Complications:
Professional--Motivation. Alternatively, Power--Motivation. Maintenance. Others as Needed.

* This is only accurate as far as the staff are aware. In fact, the vampire Carmilla found herself imprisoned here for several weeks in 2011, during a time when she had been temporarily rendered a living vampire, but was able to fake her death once she once again became undead, facilitating her escape.
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Count Deimos (Villain)

Post by Davies »

Count Deimos
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There are two major prison gangs operating among the prisoners within the Big Rock, one which had been established in the prison system prior to its establishment (a so-called "import") and another which organized itself soon after the prison began operations. The former is a branch of the Pythonian organization, notably practicing the syncretic religion created by the Flamen, and has a singular leader in the person of Raymond Bentley, aka Friar Dark. The latter is more typical of prison gangs in that it is led by a group of "shot-callers", generally chosen from among members by their seniority. Of these, Count Deimos enjoys the dubious status of having double seniority, both in the sense that he has been imprisoned within the Big Rock since it opened, and in the sense that he is nearly one hundred years old.

Born in 1923, Charles Malfoy is believed to have begun his criminal career while a student at Harvard during the Second World War, helping to run a black market and allegedly funding certain mad science experiments with the proceeds. While he has claimed that his powers were the results of such experiments, much more evidence exists to suggest that they are innate psychic abilities that activated due to stressors he encountered in his mid-thirties, such as his first arrest.

Regardless, he began styling himself Count Deimos in 1957, enjoying limited success as a supervillain on the east coast. While frequently captured, there was initially no way to prevent him from using his fear-generating powers to arrange his escape from imprisonment. In the aftermath of the Anselmo case, however, he received a long-term sentence under conditions which would have prevented him from making such an escapade. Yet within a year of his 1971 imprisonment, he had successfully vanished and proved impossible to find. It was thought that he had somehow fled the country and was lying low overseas.

In fact, matters were more complicated. Drawn into the events now known as the Anachronic Calamity, Count Deimos managed to arrange matters so that he returned to neither his temporal point of origin nor the time when the affair had "begun", instead emerging in 2006 where he planned on resuming his criminal career. However, he was startled to arrive during the events of the coup in that year, and found himself horrified by the events that he witnessed. Further, he gradually came to realize that he was quite behind the times, thinking it likely his criminal activities would be childishly easy for the authorities to detect and prevent.

Therefore, he chose to surrender to the authorities, claiming to have spent the previous three decades in hiding and developed a personalized rejuvenation treatment at some point. (The truth would have been harder for everyone to swallow.) Because of his notoriety for escapes, he was one of the first convicts to be sent to the Big Rock once it opened, and has been there ever since. The world outside the prison has continued to become one that he neither understands nor cares to learn about, and so he finds the world within those walls to be strangely comforting.

Or at least, he did, but having recently become aware of Saturn and its presence within the prison administration, he is finally beginning o develop plans for a great escape. Where he will go if and when he manages this is not something he has yet given much thought.

Count Deimos -- PL 11

Abilities:
STR
-1 | STA 0 | AGL 0 | DEX 0 | FGT 0 | INT 7 | AWE 6 | PRE 4

Powers:
Master of Fear: Array (34 points)
  • Fear Generation: Perception Range Affliction 11 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Subtle - 34 points
  • Images of Fear: Illusions 11 (all senses), Resisted by Will, Limited to a Single Target, Uncontrolled (illusions will always be what a target fears most) - 1 point
Mastered Fear: Immunity 1 (own powers); Impervious Will 8, Limited to mental effects - 5 points

Occasional Power Stunt:
"Do As I Say, Or Else": Perception Range Affliction 11 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, compelled, Controlled), Subtle

Advantages:
Assessment, Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Fascinate (Intimidation), Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-trades, Set-up, Startle, Well-informed.

Skills:
Deception 6 (+10), Expertise: Crime 4 (+11), Expertise: Science 2 (+9), Insight 6 (+12), Intimidation 8 (+12), Investigation 4 (+11), Perception 4 (+10).

Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +0 (Close Damage -1)
Fear Generation -- (Perception Range Will 11)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 7, Fortitude 3, Toughness 5/0, Will 11.

Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 40 + Advantages 10 + Skills 17 + Defenses 24 = 124 points

Offensive PL: 11
Defensive PL: 7
Skill PL: 7
Resistance PL: 7

Complications:
Dominance--Motivation. Notoriety. Secret (time traveler.)
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Commander Titan »

I really like the twist with Deimos - I've seen plenty of stories (fictional and not) of prisoners apparently not feeling comfortable with a world outside prison anymore, but he still has a valid reason to try and get back out. And he's not the best guy, but maybe better than Saturn.

It's a very difficult subject to get right, but a prison(break) campaign can be very interesting - I liked the Lockdown book, and I suspect the Big Rock will have a similarly complex and plot-rich environment
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Harnos »

Davies wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 6:20 am Mekkanel
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Constructed roughly a century ago in a factory on Muraddin, Mekkanel became a citizen of the Technate when robots were emancipated in response to their outlawing in the Crimson Imperium. In contrast to the views of some entities on the subject, he does not consider being granted freedom to make up for the decades of slavery that he personally endured, much less the millennium of slavery that robots had suffered before that. It all left an extraordinarily bad taste in his gustatory sensor and little if any trust in the benevolence of the Technate government, so when his former best friend suggested that they sign up for the Space Agency, Mekkanel decided to find a new best friend.

It wasn't easy to do, and so he made his way through the Technate's underworld, frequently working for organics but only on a temporary basis and always making sure to get paid upfront before he did anything for anybody. Many of these jobs were on the far side of ethical -- to say of nothing of their gross amorality -- but as long as they involved organics preying on organics, he couldn't be bothered to care. Or at least that's what he told himself whenever he had trouble motivating himself to leave the recharging nook when the cycle was over.

Around twenty-seven years* ago, Mekkanel was hired to do some security upgrades for the computers of some new mercenary outfit with a frankly dumb name. He was a bit bewildered that these so-called Last Men Standing wanted so much redundant security for their gear. Okay, having your computers hacked while you were engaged in a space battle would suck, but who were they expecting to have to fight off, Cerebron? He mentioned these suspicions to the tall bald Albadine who was paying him, and was further bewildered when the organic laughed.

Hallandar proceeded to tell him about the Dark Side. It was pretty horrific stuff, even if Mekkanel was inclined to think only half of what he was being told could possibly be true. However, it wasn't any of his business what one group of organics chose to do to a different group, and he said as much to Hallandar. Hallandar proceeded to tell him about how many of the armies who'd shattered his world had been composed of androids ... likely enslaved androids, like those in the Imperium. That stung, but it still wasn't any of his business. He had enough trouble looking out for himself!

"I imagine that's what anyone who was asked about the notion of freeing robots thought, for quite some time," Hallandar replied.

So it was that Mekkanel wound up in the first full-time job of his existence, as the effective chief engineer of the Parodigue. The worst part was the fact that Otodevol somehow found out about this development, and sent him a wonderfully smarmy message congratulating him on overcoming his grudge. The DELETE he had! He was just going along to determine whether there really were robots and/or androids enslaved by these people, then figure out how to free them, and then he would cash out faster than he could slice pi.

Eventually, though, he came to the realization that his current position wasn't really facilitating that goal. Thus, when Feena came to him seeking his recommendation of a good engineer to join her action team, Mekkanel responded by volunteering his own services. Their greater mobility has allowed him to see more of the Laster's conflict, and even to rescue a few of the androids in Daath's service, while also thoroughly debriefing them for anything they know about the opposition.

Mekkanel is a robot with many hidden technological tricks; he's also scarily smart and perfectly willing to make modifications to his shell in order to enhance its functionality. This is also one of his biggest weaknesses, as he cannot perform full maintenance on himself, and has to allow someone else to do so -- and his systems are both old and unique, increasing the operation's difficulty. Other major problems are the fact that he is not at all buoyant, nor can he climb effectively, as his manipulator arms are too weak to support his own weight. (He can use stairs, as he's capable of short hops.) This also means that if knocked prone, someone else is going to have to pick him up again ... and yet the rest of his team keeps doing so, despite his expectations to the contrary.

Maybe he's finally found that new best friend he was looking for.

Mekkanel -- PL 10

Abilities:
STR
2 | STA -- | AGL 0 | DEX 4 | FGT 6 | INT 8 | AWE 1 | PRE 1

Powers:
Machine Interface: Radio Communication 1; Comprehend Machines 2 - 11 points
Reconstruction: Immortality 5 (minimum of 1 day), Check Required (Technology, DC 20), Quirk (loss of all memories)- 1 point
Robotic Body: Immunity 50 (Fortitude effects, mental effects); Impervious Protection 6 - 62 points
Sensory Package: Senses 5 (darkvision, extended radio, ultra-hearing) - 5 points
Small Size: Permanent Shrinking 4 (Strength -1, Dodge +2, Parry +2, Stealth +4, Intimidation -1) - 4 points
Translator Circuits: Comprehend Languages 2 (understand and read all languages) - 6 points
Treads: Speed 4 (30 MPH) - 4 points
Undocumented Features: Array (11 points)
  • Cutting Torch: Linked Damage 5; Linked Weaken Toughness 5, Affects Objects Only; Accurate - 11 points
  • Empbeam: Ranged Affliction 6 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Accurate, Limited to Robots, Reduced Range 2 - 1 point
  • Smoke Screen: Cloud Area Sight Concealment Attack 4 - 1 point
  • Stunbeam: Ranged Affliction 6 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Accurate, Reduced Range 2 - 1 point
Advantages:
Equipment 3, Eidetic Memory, Fearless, Improvised Tools, Jack-of-all-Trades, Skill Mastery (Technology), Speed of Thought, Well-informed.

Equipment:
15 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Deception 8 (+9), Expertise: Galactic 3 (+11), Expertise: Science 1 (+9), Investigation 3 (+11), Perception 9 (+10), Persuasion 6 (+7), Ranged Combat: Features 8 (+12), Stealth 6 (+10), Technology 4 (+12), Vehicles 4 (+8).

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 2)
Cutting Torch +8 (Ranged Damage 5 and Weaken Toughness 5)
Empbeam +14 (Ranged Will 6)
Stunbeam +14 (Ranged Fortitude 6)

Defense:
Dodge 10, Parry 8, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 6, Will 6

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Powers 107 + Advantages 10 + Skills 26 + Defenses 13 = 194 points

Complications:
Justice--Motivation. Physical (cannot climb or swim.) Requires Frequent Maintenance. Weak Manipulator Arms (STR 0 for picking up objects.)

Note: The additional equipment points of this team are usually reserved to purchase a Space Cruiser (M&M Hero's Handbook Deluxe, p 224) for their operations. As they go through these vessels fairly quickly, any picture provided would be outdated just as quickly.
I liked the grim take on him. A race oriented mercenary turned rebel makes a good contrast with R2-D2. His relatively high dodge and parry reflects his extraordinary luck too.
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