JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Black Lantern! -Lightning! -Manta! -Fire!

Post by catsi563 »

RainOnTheSun wrote: Wed Dec 01, 2021 5:40 am FWIW, in DC Heroes Starfire and Blackfire have a strength of 6, which is about a 5 or a 6 in Mutants and Masterminds. 5 and a half?
its closer to 6-7 in M&M shes been shown in most DC games table top to be low spidery level strength same with Black Fire give or take
Dr. Silverback has wryly observed that this is like trying to teach lolcats about Shakespeare

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JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blackhawk Squadron

Post by JDRook »

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"Hawkaaa! We are the Blackhawks!
Hawkaaa! We're on the wing!
Over land and over sea,
We will fight to make men free
And to ev'ry nation liberty we'll bring!

Hawkaaa! Follow the Blackhawks!
Hawkaaa! Shatter your chains!
Seven fearless men are we,
Give us death or liberty,
We are the Blackhawks,
Remember our name...."

- The Song of the Blackhawks


Formed early in WWII, the Blackhawk Squadron was an elite military group of airmen dedicated to fighting for freedom wherever there's trouble. During the war they fought at the behest of Winston Churchill and post-war continued to fight against commies, dictators and assorted liberty-hating ne'er-do-wells, occasionally working with others like the All Star Squadron and briefly even acting as a superhero team themselves (which the DCA book describes as "an embarrassing stint" at one point).

Blackhawk Squadron is treated a little different from the other characters. In the DCA book there are 7 of them spread over 3 pages, with small statblocks and short descriptions, since it's actually a team of "normals" from military comics, so they come out kinda same-y. So partly for efficiency, I thought I'd try making a BH Template similar to how I did with the Batgirls, give overall commentary on the template and then list off the differences between each squad member.


Blackhawk Squadron Template - PL 8

Strength 4, Stamina 4, Agility 3, Dexterity 3, Fighting 5, Intellect 2, Awareness 3, Presence 2

Advantages
All-out Attack, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 16, Improved Defense, Languages 1, Power Attack, Takedown, Teamwork

Skills
Athletics 5 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+9), Perception 4 (+7), Ranged Combat: Firearms 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Heavy Weapons 5 (+8), Vehicles 7 (+10)

Equipment
Grumman XF5F-1 “Skyrocket”, Heavy Pistol, +2EP of extra gear
Grumman XF5F-1 “Skyrocket” - PL 8

STR 10, Def -2, Tou 9, Size Huge
Powers: Flight 7 (Speed: 250 miles/hour, 0.5 miles/round), Heavy Weapons 1, Bombload 8 (DC 23; Burst Area 5: 500 feet radius sphere, DC 18, Increased Range: ranged; Limited: One Use Per Flight), Machineguns 7 (DC 22; Increased Range: ranged, Multiattack), Radar 3 (Accurate: :, Radio). Offense: Bombload: Burst Area Damage 8 (DC 23), Machineguns: Damage 7 +3 (DC 22). Totals: Abilities 4 + Powers 66 + Advantages 0 + Features 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Defenses 2 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 72.
Offense
Initiative +3
Grab, +5 (DC Spec 14)
Heavy Pistol, +9 (DC 19)
Skyrocket Mounted Machinegun, +8 (DC22, Multiattack)
Throw, +3 (DC 19)
Unarmed, +9 (DC 19)

Complications
Enemy: Beginning with the Axis powers in World War II, the Blackhawk Squadron battled enemies of human freedom on every continent, facing scores of despots, mad scientists, and subversives. Their single greatest arch-foe was an infamous Nazi agent, the original Killer Shark.
Motivation: Justice: Blackhawk Squadron is committed to avenging the wrongs of tyranny and oppression worldwide
Motivation: Responsibility: Blackhawk Squadron regards fighting for human freedom as the highest duty.

Languages
Choose any 1 languages, Native Language

Defense
Dodge 9, Parry 9, Fortitude 7, Toughness 6/4, Will 8

Power Points
Abilities 52 + Powers 0 + Advantages 25 + Skills 16 (31 ranks) + Defenses 18 = 111


The above template gives mostly minimum traits for each squaddie, so it could be used as a "basic blackhawk", although there were only ever seven* of them (not counting Lady Blackhawk since she's a dame). All of them are hardy, chiseled airmen from various countries and with various specialties, but still on the high end of capability which is the norm for pulp heroes.

Abilities are all well above average, with anything below a 2 being rare. While this does work well for pulp heroes, I'm still drawn to dropping that STR 4 that EVERYONE has down to 3 and adding a rank of Str-base Damage and Athletics to compensate. Ultimately it's not a big deal, but I'm pretty sure none of them (or at least not ALL of them) could lift 800lb and throw a man 120', even their "strongman".

Advantages were also surprisingly consistent, so I cross-referenced and realized most of them correlate to the martial set of Boxing Advantages in the GM Guide, which explained why almost everyone had Takedown** except the martial artist. It would make sense as a standard fighting style for WWII military trained characters; OTOH, very few have Deception for a boxing feint. Almost everyone speaks English plus one language which is expected for an international team, although in the DCA book it's usually just written as "Languages" with no rank or specified tongue so you have to infer it from their background. The Skyrocket aircraft is off-pointed as per usual, but there was an interesting theory in one of the online wikis that foes would be struck with fear when hearing the above theme song of the approach of the Blackhawks, meaning they'd have to have a sound system on their planes loud enough to be heard over the engines even though there's no direct reference to this. (Or possibly they all have really loud singing voices.)

Skills are probably the most customized and personal, but there is a consistent minimum 9 Athletics, 7 Perception and 10 Vehicles, which makes sense for a collection of the best pilots in post-war Europe. The combat skills are kept consistent mostly for PL purposes, with a +9 for both Close Unarmed and Firearms, and +8 for Heavy Weapons.

The Complications are slightly weird. The Enemy one is easy, listing who BHS has fought against, so every squaddie has that one, but they also have either the Justice or Responsibility Complications. It's not clear to me how different they are, and if it would be possible for any members to get into an argument over the nuances between the two, so it may be two different concepts that aren't all that different.

Overall, the BHS has an offensive PL of 6.5 outside of a plane both melee or with a pistol, and a 7.5 or 8 while piloting; defensive PL is usually bought up to 8 across the boards with maybe 1 or 2 combos at 7.5.

*Ken points out in following posts there are a few other Blackhawks that show up. They are not around for very long so they are not as fleshed out as these ones, so the Blackhawk Template could be used for them.
**which is really it's own problem. I get why you might want to give boxing Takedown, but in practice, has there ever been a boxer that knocks out several opponents in a row?


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ANDRÉ BLANC-DUMONT
Int 3, Pre 4
Advantages: Attractive, Languages 4
Skills: Perception 7 (+10), Sleight of Hand 7 (+10), Stealth 7 (+10), Technology 4 (+7)
Defenses: Parry 10, Will 9
Complications: Justice

Andre was a soldier of fortune (which sounds better than mercenary) and part of the French Resistance before joining BHS. He has a bit of spycraft under his belt and that stereotypical French charm (although no specific PRE skills) as well as much-touted tactics and planning that are not called out in his skills. Also not shown: Falconry, as Andre took care of and trained the team's hawk mascot, Blackie.

Embarrassing Codename: M'sieu Machine - becoming a gadgeteer when the Blackhawks went spandex, Andre had not shown any particular technical skill previously, even though you'd expect the whole team to have at least a little aircraft repair in their respective back pockets.

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BLACKHAWK
Sta 5 Agl 4 Dex 4 Fgt 7 Int 4 Awe 4 Pre 4
Advantages: Fearless, Improved Initiative, Inspire 2, Leadership
Skills: Athletics 6 (+10), Deception 7 (+11), Expertise: Aircraft Design 9 (+13), Insight 7 (+11), Intimidation 7 (+11), Perception 8 (+12), Persuasion 7 (+11), Technology 8 (+12), Vehicles 10 (+14)
Offense: Initiative +8, Grab +7 (DC Spec 14)
Defense: Fortitude 8, Toughness 7/5, Will 8
Complications: Justice

The founder and titular head of the Blackhawks, Janos Prohaska was a Polish pilot in the Spanish Civil War who formed BHS in response to the Nazi invasion of Poland. As leader, he is the "pulp-hero"-est of the bunch: the best pilot, best tech skill, all the interaction skills at +11. Point-wise, he's 20-30p ahead of everyone else, so just head and shoulders over everyone while still being PL8.

Embarrassing Codename: Big Eye - Prohaska becomes the eye in the sky for the super-Blackhawks in the 70s, and later running an aviation company as "Mr. Cunningham."


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CHUCK
Int 3
Improvised Tools
Expertise: Cowboy 6 (+9), Expertise: Electronics 7 (+10), Technology 5 (+8), Vehicles 8 (+11)
Defenses: Parry 10, Will 9
Complications: Responsibility

The photo above is actually for Carlo "Chuck" Sirianni of Brooklyn while the DCA Chuck is Charles "Chuck" Wilson of Texas, but both have similar enough backgrounds: American pilot flying with the British RAF (making him the only Blackhawk with no second language but likely two different broad stereotypical accents), electrial engineering skills and a real cowboy (presumably Sirianni is just an equivalent street-fighter).

Embarrassing Codename: The Listener - Chuck uses his tech skills to give himself advanced hearing, and honestly as simple powers and simple names go, this isn't too bad in an eavesdropping-spy kind of way, if it weren't for his outfit which looks like a normal dark shirt and pants COVERED IN HUMAN EARS!

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OLAF
Sta 5 Agl 4 Fgt 6
Advantages Agile Feint
Skills: Acrobatics 5 (+9), Athletics 6 (+10), Vehicles 8 (+11)
Offense: Initiative +4, Grab +6 (DC Spec 14)
Defense: Fortitude 8, Toughness 7/5
Complications: Responsibility

Olaf Bjornson, famed Swedish circus acrobat, felt compelled to leave his neutral countries and face down some Nazis. He brings an unexpected skillset that saves the Blackhawks several times, so I imagine they were fun to draw.

Embarrassing Codename: The Leaper - with a rubberized suit and helmet to top it off.

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HENDRICKSON
Int 4 Awe 4 Pre 1
Fearless, Ranged Attack 6
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+8), Insight 7 (+11), Perception 6 (+10), Ranged Combat: Heavy Weapons 5 (+8), Vehicles 8 (+11)
Unarmed +8 (Damage 4)
Defense: Parry 10, Will 11
Complications: Responsibility

Hans Hendrickson (in DCA, first name is occasionally Ritter elsewhere) is an older Netherlander widower who found new purpose with the Nazi invasion of his country. Considered too old for active duty, the Blackhawks still took him on for his weapons skills and wisdom. His Ranged Attack 6 plus Dex 3 gives him +9 with all ranged weapons, so he doesn't actually need the Heavy Weapons skill, although his close combat is slightly lower than the others at PL6.

Embarrassing Codename: Weapon Master - obvious, and probably the least embarassing of the bunch.


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STANISLAUS
Abilities: Str 5 Sta 6 Agl 2 Fgt 6 Int 3
Defensive Roll
Skills: Athletics 6 (+11), Perception 6 (+9)
Offense: Initiative +2, Grab +6 (DC Spec 15)
Defense: Dodge 8, Fortitude 8, Toughness 7/6
Complications: Justice

Stanislaus Drozdowski, also of Poland (like Blackhawk), was the first recruit into the BHS. Another circus type (like Olaf), he was a circus strongman who lost his loved ones (like Hendrickson) when Poland was invaded and now seeks revenge (a perfectly good Motivation that's never mentioned on the build).

Embarrassing Codename: The Golden Centurion - this full tech gold battlesuit was apparently looted from a fallen enemy and shoots "gold blasts".

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WENG CHAN
Agl 4 Dex 4 Fgt 6
4 EP’s of additional gear - no clear reason
Advantages: Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 4, Equipment 18, Improved Critical: Unarmed, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Languages, Power Attack, Teamwork
Skills: Athletics 6 (+10), Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+12), Perception 5 (+8)
Offense: Initiative +8, Unarmed +12 (Damage 4)
Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 8, Toughness 8/4, Will 9
Complications: Justice

That is the least cringey picture I found of Weng “Chop Chop” Chan, a Chinese refugee forced out of Manchuria with his family. In early stories, Chan is taken on as their cook (and comic relief character) and is drawn cartoonishly short, coming up to the other squaddies' waists, but eventually he's made a member of the squad and the art gets much better. Chan's Advantages indicate a Kung Fu focus rather than Boxing like all the other squaddies, and while he's the only one without Takedown, he's also the only one who hits his PL8 cap in melee, so without weapons he is their best fighter.

Embarrassing Codename: Doctor Hands - Chan wears metal gloves (titanium in DCA, beryllium in Wikipedia) presumably to do more damage with his Kung Fu. Another not-too-bad concept but the name kinda kills it.

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Overall, Blackhawk Squadron is an interesting model for a team of generally similar agents (pilots, cops, spies, thieves, etc) with just a little bit of variation between them to give some character flavour.
Last edited by JDRook on Tue Feb 22, 2022 10:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by JDRook »

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Blaze - PL 14

Strength 9, Stamina 9, Agility 7, Dexterity 7, Fighting 7, Intellect 9, Awareness 9, Presence 5

Advantages
Benefit 6: Queen of Hell, Fascinate (Deception), Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 3, Ritualist, Seize Initiative, Skill Mastery: Deception, Taunt

Skills
Deception 19 (+24), Expertise: Hell 9 (+18), Expertise: Magic 6 (+15), Insight 9 (+18), Intimidation 8 (+13), Perception 6 (+15), Persuasion 9 (+14)

Powers
Demonic Heritage
. . Comprehend 3 (Languages - Speak All, Languages - Understand All, Languages - You're Understood)
. . Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects)
. . Magic Awareness: Senses 5 (Acute: Magic, Analytical: Magic, Awareness: Magic (Mental), Extended: Magic 2: x100)
. . Movement 2 (Dimensional: Hell and Occult Dimensions 2: group, 50 lbs.)
. . Protection 7 (+7 Toughness)
. . Regeneration 5 (Every 2 rounds)
Demonic Magic
. . Call Servants: Summon 10 (Heroic, Type (Broad): Demons and Infernal Creatures)
. . Demonic Deception: Illusion 12 (Affects: All Sense Types, Area: 4000 cft., DC 22)
. . Punishing Flames: Damage 14 (DC 29; Alternate Resistance: Fortitude, Increased Range 2: perception; Distracting)
. . Transmogrification: Transform 12 (Affects: Anything, Transforms: 3200 lbs., DC 22)
. . “Granting Wishes” 1: Create 14 (Volume: 15000 cft., DC 24; Increased Duration: continuous, Innate, Precise, Subtle: look natural)
. . “Granting Wishes” 2: Affliction 18 (1st degree: Dazed, 2nd degree: Stunned, 3rd degree: Transformed, Resisted by: Will, DC 28; Increased Range: ranged)
Demonic Mask: Morph 3 (+20 Deception checks to disguise; Broad group, Notes: humanoids and animals)

Offense
Initiative +11
Grab, +7 (DC Spec 19)
Punishing Flames: Damage 14 (DC Fort 29)
Throw, +10 (DC 24)
Transmogrification: Transform 12, +7 (DC Dog 22)
Unarmed, +7 (DC 24)
“Granting Wishes” 2: Affliction 18, +10 (DC Will 28)

Complications
Demonic Nature: Blaze is one of the spawn of Hell and is recognizable as such with the proper mystic senses.
Uneasy Sits the Crown: Blaze’s position in Hell is always threatened. The only things that change are whether the threat is open or hidden and who happens to be behind it at any given time.

Defense
Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 16, Will 16

Power Points
Abilities 124 + Powers 137 + Advantages 15 + Skills 33 (66 ranks) + Defenses 20 = 329


In the DCA setting Blaze is a half-demon, the product of successful seduction by an unnamed demoness and the Wizard Shazam back in his Champion days. She and Satanus* are brother and sister. In modern times she's a nightclub owner under the name Angelica Blaze and most often clashes with Superman in her schemes to gather more souls. At time of publishing she had completed a plan to take the throne of Hell.

In terms of Power Levels, she's built to be a Superman-level threat, although not necessarily physically. If she ever ended up in melee she's PL8 offensively, but all of her demonic powers hit her PL14 cap, and she's also PL14 defensively. She even hits Skills cap with her Deception, which is central to her concept and supported by other traits, so she'll rarely ever need to enter a fight she doesn't want to.

I've gotta say, while I will probably never NOT like a hot girl with demon horns and a plunging neckline, I think I prefer the lanky helmeted demon with some-to-none feminine characteristics design-wise. Ironically, I think the smile is the selling point; it's hard to draw "Disinterested Supermodel" lips AND "Manical Power Grin" on the same face.


*why she's listed in the DCA book under Blaze and not "Lady Blaze" while Satanus is "Lord Satanus" is unclear

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Mechanically, her build is pretty solid; for what is likely meant to be a high-powered NPC, there are no notes or issues worth mentioning, not even math problems. However . . . if one wanted to take a few of the build concepts and trying applying them to a PC with a budget, then we start hitting some walls.

- STA score & Fort Immunity: Since Immunity to Fortitude removes the need for a Fort trait, you can buy it back to Absent and save a ton of points. You also don't need an STA score and can just buy all your Toughness as Protection. There's also a purely technical problem that the F/W Defense Power Level becomes equal to the Will trait rank if Fortitude is Immune (and logically vice versa, but I've never seen that come up) and in Blaze's case, that bumps her up to PL16. For an NPC it doesn't really matter, but a player should at least check with their GM.

- All Deception Advantages and maxed out Decep skill rank: with this combo, Blaze can Feint (using Deception) or Demoralize (Taunt) as a Move Action (-5 penalty) routinely (Skill Mastery) at DC29, not to mention she could monologue (using Fascinate) to keep almost anyone entranced for as long as she likes. You could definitely make a rules-legal equivalent for whatever PL your game is, but it might be worth reviewing these capabilities.

- The other Advantages: Benefit 6: Queen of Hell should probably be discussed to figure out what kinds of benefits those might be and how useful or reliable they are for 6p. And purely for min-maxing, Ranged Attack 3 only really affects Blaze's "Wish" Affliction and Throwing and could be more efficient as either Accurate ranks or Range Combat skill.

- Demonic Heritage: generally pretty safe. A GM might want to limit the Magic Sense or Dimensional Travel somehow for game purposes, but otherwise no notes.

- Call Servants: the books actually recommends using the Archetypes and just switching their descriptors to Demonic for quick & dirty PL10 Demon summons, which isn't a bad idea if you don't want to take the time to prebuild. Obvious choices are the Powerhouse or a Paragon with wings, but pulling out a Speedster Demon or Weapons Master would be a neat surprise. The caveat on this one is that you can only have one Summon active at a time; as an NPC, a GM could probably wave that and make custom demons for each party member, but for a PC build, one is a necessary maximum IMHO. It could be changed or power stunted to allow 2 PL10 Demons as Minions, or possibly a larger group of smaller, weaker demons.

- Punishing Flames: a Perception-Ranged Fortitide-based Damage attack. meaning it hits without an attack check and ignores armor and Impervious. Rules legal as long as it's not over PL. This build is Distracting, presumably for concept reasons since it doesn't need to save points, so you could drop it, but having some kind of Flaw on it might make it less desirable to continuously spam it.

- Transmogrification: Turning anything into anything else is always challenging, and at rank 10 this would be 800lbs of anything, but keep it mind the target has to be an object, has to be touched to change, and the change is Sustained. This is really good for getting rid of Removable powers like weapons or battlesuits or even vehicles if they're small enough. Doing something clever like turning a gun into knockout gas or a battlesuit into a solid piece of steel can be done, but should be limited to the Transform rank, so the knockout gas should be rank 10, as would the Snare effect of the transformed battlesuit.

- "Granting Wishes" 1 - this is actually similar to Transmogrification except that you're effectively making something out of nothing, and at rank 14 it's potentially 400 tons of something. The Continous/Subtle/Innate Extras is the "Real Objects" combo for Create (Permanent is common, but Continuous lets you unmake it as a Free Action). As an inherent -0 Flaw on this use of Create I like to limit the functionality of whatever is created to the equivalent of 1p per Create rank and a few other logical limits. So with Create 14, you could easily make most equipment or weapons or even some vehicle, but you couldn't make a jet or a fully-armed tank or a sword that does 14 damage.

- "Granting Wishes" 2 - The Affliction is what you'd use to Transform people. Again, this is fine for NPCs: Blaze apparently helped "create" the Silver Banshee, and turning people into Demons is a good in-game workaround for her 1 "Servant" maximum, but you might want to be careful with a PC that can alter people, especially the other PCs. This could be useful for small campaign-based changes like giving everyone on the team gills for an underwater adventure, or even applying earned power points for new traits, but the potential for abuse with players switching around their entire characters because they can and they're bored would be catastrophic. Possible stopgap measures could be weird side effects from too many "wishes" like taking on demon attributes like horns, claws and pointed teeth, or diminshing returns where the PC loses a power point each time and finally ends up with an Immunity to Alteration so they can't change anymore.

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- EDIT: I just noticed she also doesn't have any movement powers beyond her dimensional travel. Of course, she can always summon a mount like a winged horse demon or "wish" herself up some sexy sports car if she wanted to, but otherwise she's hailin' cabs and hoofin' it at human speeds.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by Ken »

Except for Blackhawk himself (who debuted in Blackhawk #1), the Blackhawks weren't identified by individual names and faces until their 2nd issue. Chuck was the exception.

Charles "Chuck" Wilson was the Blackhawk's Chuck from his introduction in Military Comics #11 until, essentially, the Crisis on Infinite Earths. When Howard Chaykin reimagined the Blackhawks in 1988, he replaced Wilson with Carlo "Chuck" Siranni. This is also when Hans Hendrickson, a flying Dutchman, became Ritter Hendicksen.

Also at this time, Olaf Bjorgson, who had been Norwegian early on but was then retconned to be a Swede (Norway was an occupied country; Sweden neutral), was replaced with the danish Olaf Friedricksen. And this is when Andre and Stanislaus finally got their surnames.

I should also point out that this was when Blackhawk became Janos Prohaska. In the earliest stories, he was clearly a Pole, but his name was not given. In the 1960s, he was Bart Hawk.

Chop-Chop started out as their cook and mascot and was an unfortunate, stereotypical caricature. He became less of one over time, starting to be drawn more heroically in the 1950s. The version of Chop-Chop who became "Doctor Hands" was actually named Liu Huang. In the Blackhawk stories in the 1980s, his real name was Wu Cheng. Weng Chan, who got his own Blackhawk uniform, and was a full squadron member was a 1988 creation.

In the earliest Blackhawk stories, there were three onther named Blackhawks: Baker, Boris, and Zeg. Zeg actually stuck around long enough that he was still there when Chuck joined. Chaykin gave them the full names of Ian Holcomb-Baker, Boris Zinoviev, and Kazimierc Zegota-Januszajtis.

The name Boris was used as the name of Stan's evil twin in the Blackhawk serial.

Grover Baines, a big bald black man, and Paco Herrera were also Chaykin additions.

In the early 1980s series (set in WW2), Ted Gaynor was added briefly to the team, but he didn't work out, and was rejected.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Ares! Arsenal! So! Many! Atoms!!!

Post by That Sullivan Guy »

So, if I may be so bold, something more like this?

Atom Smasher (TSG edit) - PL 10

Strength 12/6, Stamina 12/6, Agility 2, Dexterity 2, Fighting 8, Intellect 1, Awareness 1, Presence 2

Advantages
All-out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Interpose, Languages 1, Power Attack, Startle

Skills
Athletics 5 (+17/11), Deception 2 (+4), Expertise: Vehicle Repair 10 (+11), Insight 4 (+5), Intimidation 6 (+11/+8), Perception 5 (+6), Persuasion 4 (+6), Ranged Combat: Throw 5 (+7), Technology 4 (+5), Vehicles 7 (+9)

Powers
Bigger & Tougher
. . Atomic Expansion: Growth 6 (Linked; +6 STR, +6 STA, +3 Intimidate, -6 Stealth, -3 active defenses, +1 size rank, +6 mass ranks)
. . Tougher: Impervious Toughness 6
Growth Overdrive: Growth 6 (+3 Intimidate, -6 Stealth, -3 active defenses, +1 size rank; Limited to Increasing Size Only)
Tough: Impervious Toughness 6

Offense
Initiative +2
Grab, +8 (DC Spec 22)
Throw, +7 (DC 27)
Unarmed, +8 (DC 27)

Complications
Checkered Past: Atom Smasher has skirted a number of gray areas during his relatively short career.
Responsibility: Albert tries to honor his godfather’s memory and reputation.

Languages
Kahndaqi, Native English

Defense
Dodge 7, Parry 8, Fortitude 12, Toughness 12, Will 6

Power Points
Abilities 56 + Powers 27 + Advantages 8 + Skills 26 (52 ranks) + Defenses 16 = 133

This bumps up Rothstein's natural STR and STA to 6 and changing his Growth to 6 full ranks and 6 Limited ranks. It can be GM/player decision whether STR & STA top out at 12 once grown to 6 ranks (roughly 20') and the rest is mainly additional reach and Intimidation, or if the two Growths are Linked and essentially alternate with bonuses coming every 2nd rank (I favour the former for simplicity). It should be noted the top size of Growth 12 (Size rank 1/60') also allows for Area Attacks of Size -2 rank (6'/human size) against Size -2 rank targets or smaller at PL rank, so Rothstein could slap or stomp a human size target with a Damage 10 Area Attack at full size.

My apologies. I somehow missed this post on my previous read-throughs. Yeah, I like this version of Al quite a bit. Good job.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by Jabroniville »

I was looking through Page Two and found this thread! I hope to see more of it soon!

Dang, I thought I'd commented on the Blackhawk builds, but instead I'd just looked through them (probably while at work, which is why I didn't comment). An interesting look at the kind of book that simply isn't published anymore. I get the impression their goofy nicknames were a last-ditch effort to make the book more like the popular superhero books of the time?
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by Ken »

Jabroniville wrote: Mon Jan 31, 2022 2:58 am I get the impression their goofy nicknames were a last-ditch effort to make the book more like the popular superhero books of the time?
JDRook wrote: Fri Dec 03, 2021 7:34 am Image
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It was the late 1960s. Bat-Mania was in full swing. And yes, they were trying to turn "Blackhawk" into a hip, camp, super hero book.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by JDRook »

Blockbuster I - Mark Desmond
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Blockbuster (Mark) - PL 11

Strength 12, Stamina 10, Agility 1, Dexterity -1, Fighting 5, Intellect -2, Awareness -1, Presence 1

Advantages
Close Attack 5, Fast Grab, Power Attack, Startle

Skills
Intimidation 8 (+9), Perception 4 (+3)

Powers
Thick Hide: Protection 4 (+4 Toughness; Impervious [4 extra ranks])

Offense
Initiative +1
Grab, +10 (DC Spec 22)
Throw, -1 (DC 27)
Unarmed, +10 (DC 27)

Complications
Disability: Mark is rathers stupid and easily tricked.
Temper: It doesn’t take much to set Mark off into a viiolent rage.

Defense
Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude 12, Toughness 14, Will 3

Power Points
Abilities 50 + Powers 12 + Advantages 8 + Skills 6 (12 ranks) + Defenses 16 = 92

There are actually 4 different Blockbusters in the DC universe, but DCA sticks to the original two, the Desmond Brothers.

Mark* Desmond was a young weakling tired of getting metaphorical sand kicked in his face, but rather than go the Charles Atlas route, he turned his considerable genius towards better living through chemistry. He devised a serum that sort of worked, boosting his brawn while sapping his brain, becoming a Hulk-lite rage monster. His athletic older brother Roland took responsibility for Mark, but while he wasn't as brainy as pre-serum Mark, Roland was becoming a streetwise petty crook. It wasn't hard for Roland to convince his supersized sibling to help him commit various crimes and even climb the ladder of the Gotham City underworld.

Eventually the Desmond brothers cross paths with Batman, but strangely this isn't the first time for Mark. Years ago he'd fallen in a river and none other than a young Bruce Wayne had saved him from drowning, which somehow allowed Batman to calm down Blockbuster-Mark by taking off his mask.

Once captured, attempts are made to cure/reform Mark, but eventually he gets out and goes back to blockbusting, eventually joining the Suicide Squad and getting killed by Brimstone.

*spelled "Marc" in a few points in the DCA books, but apparently just a typo as I couldn't find that version anywhere else in wikis or the original comics.

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This is a very straightforward, wildly underpointed PL11 powerhouse build. He hits his offensive caps with his Close Offense (both Unarmed and Grabbing) and all his non-exotic Defenses, so he's absolutely a viable physical threat for even a small team of PL10 PCs, let alone a couple of street-level Batfam. He can throw for ranged attacks, but has such a low Throw Attack that he's more likely to hit with larger objects that do Area Damage (and lots of collateral damage). He's mostly bulletproof, can use a little strategy with Startle and Demoralizing with Intimidation, but is otherwise a pretty simple fighter.

On the other hand, he's not very smart, perceptive or strong-willed, so if you can't compete with him head-on it's likely you can subdue him with sneak attacks, mental attacks, or even decent interaction skills. He'd make a good "rage monster trainer" for new players and teams.

The Who's Who above mentions increased speed which isn't reflected in this build (save tangentially through high Athletics) but a rank or two of Speed and maybe some Leaping would probably be a good use of all that point-space, as well as a signature Strength Stunt or two. Converting him to a starting PL10 would be simple enough: drop his Close Attack and active defense a bit and you'd have enough points to make a "cured" Mark Desmond with a super-strong body and a genius chemical mind with a personal connection to Batman. In fact, what if I . . .

Blockbuster (Mark) as Heroic PC - PL 10

Strength 12/3, Stamina 10/3, Agility 3, Dexterity 1, Fighting 6, Intellect 6, Awareness 3, Presence 1

Advantages
Benefit: STAR Labs Access, Close Attack 2, Eidetic Memory, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Favored Foe: Roland Desmond (brother), Great Endurance, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Interpose, Inventor, Power Attack, Startle, Teamwork

Skills
Athletics 2 (+14), Expertise: Chemistry 8 (+14), Insight 4 (+7), Intimidation 8 (+10), Investigation 6 (+12), Perception 5 (+8), Treatment 6 (+12), Vehicles 2 (+3)

Powers
Blockbuster Form (Activation: Free Action)
. . Big: Growth 2 (+2 STR, +2 STA, +1 Intimidate, -2 Stealth, -1 active defenses, +2 mass ranks; Increased Duration: continuous)
. . Leaping 3 (Leap 60 feet at 16 miles/hour)
. . Speed 3 (Speed: 16 miles/hour, 250 feet/round)
. . Strength & Durabillity: Enhanced Trait 25 (Traits: Strength +7 (+12), Stamina +5 (+10), Advantages: Extraordinary Effort)
. . Tough Hide: Protection 4 (+4 Toughness; Impervious [4 extra ranks])

Offense
Initiative +3
Grab, +8 (DC Spec 22)
Throw, +1 (DC 27)
Unarmed, +8 (DC 27)

Complications
Disability: While Mark has been cured of most of the negative effects of his original Blockbuster serum, he's still 7' 4" and 650lbs, so he tends to stick out and can potential break things just with his weight, as well as other issues with size.**
Motivation: Doing Good: Although exonerated for the damage he did "under influences beyond his control", Mark still feels guilty about his past and does what he can to make amends.
Relationship: Roland: Mark was manipulated by Roland, but like himself, he feels his brother was just under bad outside influences and is really a good person at heart, so he wants to try to cure hin and give him a second chance to redeem himself.
Temper: He's much better now, but it's still possible to goad Mark into a violent rage.

Defense
Dodge 6, Parry 6, Fortitude 12, Toughness 14, Will 7

Power Points
Abilities 52 + Powers 49 + Advantages 15 + Skills 21 (41 ranks) + Defenses 11 = 148

This is (AFAIK) an original take on Mark Desmond, although there are a lot of variants of his lifepath, including being mistaken for dead, ending up in a mining town in West Virginia and basically leaving out his days in peace (short one Bat-adventure saving a bunch of miners). For this Mark, STAR Labs actually succeeded in curing him without making him worse, and being a chemistry genius he is taken on as an intern and eventually staff. He still remembers Batman's secret, as well as all the harm he did, so the Batfam takes him into the fold and he occasionally helps them when they need a little more muscle or a little more science. He also wants to save his brother Roland, which could be difficult because . . .

Oh wait, I haven't done that one yet. Next time: Blockbuster II !!!

**I'm honestly unsure whether I should make Mark be stuck in Big form or allow him to change back and forth Banner/Hulk style. I made the Blockbuster powers in an Alternate Form just in case, but that can lift right out. I also made the small Mark potentially strong for a human at STR 3, reflecting possible success at finding a balanced serum that gives him that Charles Atlas body with his particular chemistry.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by JDRook »

Blockbuster II - Roland Desmond
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Blockbuster (Roland) - PL 11

Strength 10, Stamina 8, Agility 3, Dexterity 0, Fighting 6, Intellect 6, Awareness 3, Presence 4

Advantages
All-out Attack, Assessment, Benefit, Status 2: Crimelord, Benefit, Wealth 3 (millionare), Chokehold, Close Attack 6, Connected, Contacts, Daze (Intimidation), Fast Grab, Improved Critical 4: Unarmed (!), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Seize Initiative, Startle

Skills
Athletics 2 (+12), Deception 6 (+10), Expertise: Crime Lord 8 (+14), Insight 6 (+9), Intimidation 10 (+14), Investigation 2 (+8), Perception 6 (+9), Persuasion 6 (+10), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+4), Stealth 2 (+5)

Powers
Superhuman Durability: Protection 4 (+4 Toughness; Limited: Blunt Force Trauma) - 2p

Offense
Initiative +3
Grab, +12 (DC Spec 20)
Throw, +0 (DC 25)
Unarmed, +12 (DC 25)

Complications

Rage: Roland still suffers from serious anger management issues even though he no longer possesses an impaired intellect. He can be goaded into a near-berserker rage under the right circumstances.
Too Big for His Own Good: Roland’s mass is a constant strain on his internal physiology, threatening his heart and other overworked organs. He must also consume a disturbingly large amount of food daily to fuel his ogre-ish physique.

Defense
Dodge 10, Parry 10, Fortitude 11, Toughness 12/8 vs non-Blunt attacks, Will 11

Power Points
Abilities 80 + Powers 2 + Advantages 27 + Skills 26 (52 ranks) + Defenses 22 = 157

Mark's brother Roland seems to be the more interesting Blockbuster; as written in the DCA he's actually the first statblock even though he's the second Blockbuster, making Mark feel like a footnote.

As mentioned in Mark's bio, Roland was a criminal-in-the-making using his Blockbrother to commit crimes. However, after Mark was jailed and eventually killed as part of Suicide Squad, Roland was on his own. Comics being comics, though, Roland is soon exposed to an "alien gene-bomb" that turns him into a very similar beastie to his brother, the explanation being that Mark's serum tapped into some genetic anomaly shared by both Desmond boys. Roland as BBII attempts to cause havoc on his own, but is stopped by both Batman and Starman.

Wanting to get back on track with his career plans (and not end up like Mark), Roland strikes a deal with Neron and trades his soul for a powerful brain to go with his powerful body. Now a hulking genius, Roland goes back to squeezing out the other crimelords, basically becomes Bludhaven's Kingpin, with Nightwing as his Daredevil.

Things don't go easy for Roland, as his condition also gives him heart issues that require him to get a transplant from one of DC's Giant Gorillas. And if that weren't enough, amidst his crimelording and cross-species surgeries he gets assassinated by the new Tarantula.

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Roland's Blockbuster is also a PL11 powerhouse, but he fills out his points much better and is a far more nuanced opponent. He's actually not quite as strong as Mark was, but makes up for it being that much more accurate and nimble. He hits ALL of his caps, including his Fort/Will, so he has all of the threat potential of Mark plus being resistant to tricks and manipulation. Still throws for shite. (Oh those Desmond boys!) He's also capable of being an indirect threat, a power behind the scenes, which makes him even more an improved sequel.

Two more things:

1) Is it just me or does that Superhuman Durability seem lame? 4 ranks of Protection limited to Blunt Attacks feels reminiscent of the Bulletproof Vest that only works against Ballistics, which I guess is okay for standardized equipment, but a supepower? I really think they should have gone with this:

Superhuman Durability: Immunity 20 (Very Common Descriptor: Bludgeoning; Limited - Half Effect) - 10p

Not only does this give Roland the kind of "blunt force" durability that would give some Kryptonians pause, but it would bring his point total up to a perfect PL11/165p.*

2) There are exactly 3 official build with Improved Critical 4 in DCA** - Katana (whose magical sword takes souls), Ares (the literal God of War), and this guy. Normally, anytime I see someone make a character with this I try not to roll my eyes too hard; maxing out critical range seems so tacky. However, in Blockbuster's defense, there is a sidebar called "Savage Combatant" that specifically calls out using Roland's Crits for Added Effects like eye-gouging and limb-breaking and his fondness for lethality. He fights to the death AND to the pain! It doesn't make me less wary of IC4 builds, but at least there's some flavour there and not just munchkining.

Overall I like Roland as a possible ongoing nemesis for street-level hero teams, with an option to get seriously gritty.

*I just realized this still leaves Roland at Toughness 8 versus non-Bludgeoning attacks and Tou 8 minus half-rank for bludgies, so technically way under capped for non-B defenses, but I guess he was before, too. You could keep that as his Achilles heel or spend 4p more to 169 (nice) and really cap his defenses.
**plus a couple of the Furies in the DC Universe book
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by catsi563 »

1) Is it just me or does that Superhuman Durability seem lame? 4 ranks of Protection limited to Blunt Attacks feels reminiscent of the Bulletproof Vest that only works against Ballistics, which I guess is okay for standardized equipment, but a supepower? I really think they should have gone with this:
Nah not really imo the power as used was basically representing a guy whose just really beefy and no sells punches and kicks unless theyre really high impact. But isnt bullet proof or fireproof this means basically point economy. Immunity is much more expensive and can confuse the issue on occasion though its not unworkable as an option.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by Jabroniville »

Agreed about Blockbuster's durability- but the early books were full of kinda strange immunities like that, I think.

That's interesting about Improved Critical 4- I'd never noticed it lacking on so many builds, especially as DCA wasn't afraid to shoot for the fences in terms of power.

Blockbuster was an interesting foe for Nightwing's chief villain- he was effectively a "Kingpin" stand-in, but as Bat-types typically didn't face superhuman opposition of such a high tier especially, he was unique and devastating. The strength advantage just couldn't be blown off.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by JDRook »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 7:55 pmThat's interesting about Improved Critical 4- I'd never noticed it lacking on so many builds, especially as DCA wasn't afraid to shoot for the fences in terms of power.
There aren't that many rank 3 ImpCrits either: Lady Shiva and a few League of Assassins, Murmur (Flash's Jack the Ripper Rogue), Tracer from Earth 8's Extremists, Grace the bouncer from Chaney's, Rocky from Challengers of the Unknown, and Copperhead's Tail Strike!

There are a few dozen rank 2s, although fewer than I would have guessed.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by JDRook »

Lady Vic
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Lady Vic - PL 9

Strength 2, Stamina 3, Agility 5, Dexterity 4, Fighting 8, Intellect 1, Awareness 3, Presence 2

Advantages
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Assessment, Benefit, Status: British Aristocrat, Chokehold, Close Attack 5, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 3, Evasion, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Critical 2: Katana, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Minion 2, Move-by Action, Quick Draw, Taunt, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge

Skills
Acrobatics 8 (+13), Athletics 10 (+12), Deception 8 (+10), Expertise: Assassin 11 (+12), Insight 9 (+12), Intimidation 8 (+10), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 8 (+11), Persuasion 4 (+6), Ranged Combat: Guns 8 (+12), Sleight of Hand 6 (+10), Stealth 6 (+11), Vehicles 6 (+10)

Equipment

Katana [Katana: Strength-based Damage 3, DC 20, Advantages: Improved Critical 2]
Matched Katars [Matched Katars: Strength-based Damage 2, DC 19; Parrying Blade (Katar): Enhanced Trait 1, Traits: Parry +1 (+13)]
Thuggee Strangling Cord [Strangling Cord: Enhanced Trait 2, Advantages: Chokehold, Improved Hold]
Webley Revolver (Hold-out Pistol)

Offense
Initiative +9
Grab, +13 (DC Spec 14)
Katana: Strength-based Damage 3, +13 (DC 20)
Matched Katars: Strength-based Damage 2, +13 (DC 19)
Throw, +4 (DC 17)
Unarmed, +13 (DC 17)
Webley Revolver, +12 (DC 17)

Complications

Motivation: Greed: Lady Vic needs money to save her family estate.
Quirk: Sense of superiority to those of lower station.
Rivalry: Must prove herself the better of other martial artists.

Defense
Dodge 13, Parry 13/12 without Katars, Fortitude 6, Toughness 5/3 without Defensive Roll, Will 10

Power Points
Abilities 56 + Powers 0 + Advantages 29 + Skills 48 (96 ranks) + Defenses 22 = 155

After comparing Blockbuster to Kingpin and Nigthwing to Daredevil, it would be tempting to put Lady Vic in the Elektra role, but in the same way that Fisk isn't superpowered and Nightwing isn't blind, Vic actually has very little in common with Elektra beyond "hot lady assassin." For starters, she's not an orphan with a mysterious past, she's English aristocracy and can likely recite her family tree back at least two centuries.*

Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton is the latest generation in a long line of mercenaries, so long that some were paid in fancy titles and tracts of land. But while her family has peerage, they don't actually have a lot of money, so she uses contract assassinations to keep solvent, essentially the Western version of "fighting for family honour." She had taken a job with a crime boss in Bludhaven who was removed by Blockbuster before she could be paid, leading to her confronting BB directly and eventually becoming one of his most skilled killers for hire.**

*this is so extremely opposite of Elektra it's comical, which makes me think it could also have been intentional since she was created after Elektra was very well established
**which I assume is why she gets squeezed into a half-page after Blockbuster in the DCA book and not have her own page in the L's

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Lady Vic comes out as an overpointed PL9 and has all the hallmarks of a martial artist: lots of skills and advantages, Attack- and Defense-shifted. Although she's really more of a Weapon Master, hitting her PL9 offensive cap with the Katana and her close defensive cap with the unusual Parrying bonus from her Paired Katars. The interesting narrative flavour comes from these weapons all being family heirlooms "acquired" during various historical wars and actions from around the world. This, combined with her British background, makes her feel less Elektra and more Lara Croft to me. The paired Webley revolvers don't help that image, either.

The DCA build is serviceable, but just gives a small sample of her weapons collection. A player could easily use a Hero Point to stunt her a Maasai Javelin if they wanted, although they really short-changed her on her ranged attacks. To really represent her arsenal, I figure she should be built more like . . . well, Arsenal, with a "utility belt" Array of weapons that are most cost-effective and easier to stunt, freeing up points to jack up her Ranged Attack.


Lady Vic (Rook Edit - Arsenal version) - PL 9

Strength 2, Stamina 3, Agility 5, Dexterity 5, Fighting 10, Intellect 1, Awareness 3, Presence 2

Advantages
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Assessment, Benefit, Status: British Aristocrat, Chokehold, Close Attack 3, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 3, Evasion, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Critical 2: Katana, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Minion 2, Move-by Action, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Taunt, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge

Skills
Acrobatics 8 (+13), Athletics 7 (+9), Deception 8 (+10), Expertise: Assassin 11 (+12), Insight 9 (+12), Intimidation 8 (+10), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 8 (+11), Persuasion 4 (+6), Ranged Combat: Guns 1 (+6), Sleight of Hand 4 (+9), Stealth 4 (+9), Vehicles 4 (+9)

Equipment

Dual Revolvers: Damage 4 (DC 19; Increased Range: ranged, Split: 2 targets)
Katana: Strength-based Damage 3 (DC 20, Advantages: Improved Critical 2)
Paired Katars: Strength-based Damage 2 (DC 19; Split: 2 targets) - Parrying Katar: Enhanced Trait 1 (Traits: Parry +1 (+13))
Throwing Knives: Strength-based Damage 1 (DC 18; Increased Range: ranged [2 extra ranks], Multiattack [2 extra ranks])
Strangle Cord: Enhanced Trait 2 (Advantages: Chokehold, Improved Hold)

Offense
Initiative +9
Dual Revolvers: Damage 4, +12 (DC 19)
Grab, +13 (DC Spec 15)
Katana: Strength-based Damage 3, +13 (DC 20)
Paired Katars: Strength-based Damage 2, +13 (DC 19)
Throw, +11 (DC 17)
Throwing Knives: Strength-based Damage 1, +11 (DC 18)
Unarmed, +13 (DC 17)

Complications
Motivation: Greed: Lady Vic needs money to save her family estate.
Quirk: Sense of superiority to those of lower station.
Rivalry: Must prove herself the better of other martial artists.

Defense
Dodge 13, Parry 13/12, Fortitude 6, Toughness 5/3, Will 10

Power Points
Abilities 62 + Powers 0 + Advantages 33 + Skills 40 (80 ranks) + Defenses 20 = 155

This build is identically costed to the DCA build, but has a little more DEX and FGT and better ranged combat capabilities. I made a 9p-pool Weapons Arsenal as equipment, making the Webley a more powerful Split attack to emulate her common use of them in pairs, as well as adding a Throwing Knife Multiattack (I mean, her outfit is covered in them). There's space for two more ready weapons if a player wanted to give her a hand dagger or a standard bow or an African club or something, and still with the option of pulling out a thematically appropriate weapon as a Hero Pointed equipment stunt.

Lady Vic apparently did beat Arsenal (or rather Red Arrow) at one point, and I think this build could probably pull that off.

One last thing: Bivens. Lady Vic has a "hulking manservant" who is represented in both these builds as Minion 2, which is easily enough for the 26p Goon minion Archetype plus 8 ranks of Expertise:Butler. Of course, digging in the corners of the internet you hear descriptions of how Bivens has a military background and is quite intelligent and other useful skills and . . . basically everything they added on to Alfred over the years. If a player wanted to fully emulate Lady Vic as a PC including Bivens, they could opt for the Goon version or beef him up to a 5p Alfred-level minion.
Last edited by JDRook on Tue Sep 20, 2022 11:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by Jabroniville »

For some reason I thought you got to Lady Vic already- maybe others posted her recently. I'm probably thinking of Thorp's, haha. Though it's interesting how she has turned up rather recently compared to a lot of Nightwing characters, most of whom got discarded.
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Re: JDRook's Revised DCA Builds - Blaze! Blockbuster(s)! Lady Vic!

Post by JDRook »

Jabroniville wrote: Fri Apr 15, 2022 1:19 amFor some reason I thought you got to Lady Vic already- maybe others posted her recently. I'm probably thinking of Thorp's, haha. Though it's interesting how she has turned up rather recently compared to a lot of Nightwing characters, most of whom got discarded.
Thorp posted his Lady Vic back in late 2020. It's a nicer build than mine, actually getting near starter PL9, but still no love for Bivens.

I'm guessing she wasn't that popular in 2010, but they made her a nemesis for Batwing (some of the art I used was from his series) so she seems to be making a comback.
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