Showing posts with label M&M. Show all posts
Showing posts with label M&M. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Black Bird

Black Bird 
M&M Stats
PL: 10 (150 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 30 (+10) DEX: 16 (+3) CON: 30 (+10) INT: 7 (-2) WIS: 12 (+1) CHA: 10 (0)

SKILLS: Climb (+10), Concentration (+1), Escape Artist (+3), Intimidate 8 (+8 ), Notice 4 (+5), Search (-2), Sense Motive (+1), Stealth (+3), Survival (+1), Swim (+10)

FEATS: Power Attack, Teamwork (2)

POWERS: *Super-Strength [4], *Flight [6], *Protection [2], *Immunity (Life Support) [9], *Regeneration (Diehard, Persistent, Regrowth feats) [7]

COMBAT: Attack 10 [Unarmed +10 (Bruise)] Defense 18 (14 flat-footed) Init 3

SAVES: Toughness 12 (12 flat-footed) Fortitude 15 Reflex 12 Will 9

Abilities 45 + Skills 3 (12 ranks) + Feats 3 + Powers 41 + Combat 36 + Saves 22 – Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150

Real Name: Craig Lang
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 350 lbs.
Hair: Strawberry Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Identity: Public
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: Caucasian

Craig Lang has always been different. He was born with several learning disabilities that left him behind both educationally and socially to other kids his age. What Craig lacked in smarts, he made up for in toughness. He didn't have to suffer too many insults because he always stood at least 6 inches taller than everyone else and was built like a tank. Craig also had a heart of gold. He was tough, he could take the insults, but he hated to see weaker kids get picked on. Craig was always getting into fights standing up for other kids getting picked on, which quickly became a constant problem.

By the time that Craig was in the third grade, he had to be sent to the alternative school for kids with social issues. While Craig was never the instigator, he was always the one that ended whatever came up…usually with the result of the other kid getting black eye, fat lip, or the occasional broken bone. At the alternative school, Craig was surrounded by kids that had no qualms with starting fights with him.

To his credit, Craig didn't get into any fights for the first three weeks at the alternative school. He took the insults and jabs in stride and just tried to get through the day so he could make his parents happy. (His folks fought the school board for weeks after they decided to send Craig to the alternative school.) There was a group of older kids that decided they were going to finally get to Craig. They ambushed him after school, hitting and kicking him mercilessly. Craig didn't really fight back since he promised his parents that he would do his best not to fight. One of the thugs picked up a rock and hit Craig in the head. As blood poured down the side of his head, fear kicked in and unlocked his latent mutant abilities. The wound on his head healed, and Craig got up. The kid with the rock took another swing, but Craig was quicker shoving the kid back 50 feet with barely any effort. The other kids stopped their attack and ran off. As they fled, Craig leapt at the kid that hit him in the head and surprised himself as he flew at his attacker! Craig was so astonished that he ignored the kid as he ran off to catch up with his buddies.

Craig flew home, totally unaware of the scene he was causing by flying over heavily populated Chicago. It was long after he got home that the police arrived and swarmed his family’s townhouse. The cops had called in backup from the National Guard (since it was an obvious report of unknown super-human activity) who relayed the call to Air Force who scrambled three Argonauts to apprehend Craig. At the sight of all the attention, Craig got scared and flew straight up through the roof of the building. After a brief chase, and the intervention of Hero Prime, Craig was returned to his worried and frightened family.

A few days went by with Craig’s family wondering what they were going to do with their super-powered son. They were visited by Professor Charles Xavier and two of his students: Jean Grey and Jubilee. They convinced Craig’s parents that he needs to learn how to use his powers responsibly and to enroll him at Xavier’s School for Gifted Children. While Craig was scared to leave home, he was happy that he would be in a better school with kids that are a lot like him.

Thanks to Prof. X’s guidance Craig discovered that he has super-strength, regenerative powers, and can fly at great speed. Over the years, Craig has developed into the very vision of a gentle giant. He has learned how to judge when and how much force he should use against various foes. He became a member of the New Mutants and adopted the name of Black Bird. He still doesn't like to fight, but will quickly step in to protect innocent people or his teammates. Once he graduated, he left the New Mutants and became a member of the X-Men.

Craig is an imposing figure. He is tall and heavily muscled. He tends to wear a backwards Chicago White Sox cap even when suited up in his X-Men uniform. His hair is kept long and usually tied into a ponytail, and his facial hair is kept in a goatee and mustache.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Crackdown

Crackdown 
M&M Stats
PL: 10 (150 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 22 (+6) DEX: 20 (+5) CON: 20 (+5) INT: 14 (+2) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 14 (+2)

SKILLS: Acrobatics 8 (+13), Bluff (+2), Climb 12 (+18 ), Concentration (+2), Diplomacy (+2), Disguise (+2), Drive 12 (+17), Escape Artist (+5), Gather Info (+2), Handle Animal (+2), Intimidate 12 (+14), Civics 12 (+14), Streetwise 12 (+14), Notice 12 (+14), Search 12 (+14), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth (+5), Survival (+2), Swim (+6)

FEATS: Attack Focus (Ranged) (1), Improved Aim, Equipment (1), Evasion (1), Improved Initiative (1), Power Attack, Precise Shot (1), Quick Draw (1), Startle, Uncanny Dodge

POWERS: *Leaping [4], *Immunity (Disease, Poison, Heat) [1], *Device {(Enforcer Handgun, easy to lose) [4], Restricted (DNA scan, only to you) [2]}, Blast [7] (Accurate (auto-targeting), Ricochet); Alternate Powers: Blast [5] (Accurate, Penetrating) Blast [5] {Accurate, Area (explosion)} Blast [7] (Accurate, Subtle) Stun [5] {Accurate, Ranged (ranged)}

EQUIPMENT: Tactical Vest (Protection 4 [4])

COMBAT: Attack +10, +11 Ranged [Unarmed +6 (Bruise), Ranged +5 to +7] Defense 20 (15 flat-footed) Init 9

SAVES: Toughness 9 (9 flat-footed) Fortitude 10 Reflex 8 Will 6

Abilities 44 + Skills 25 (100 ranks) + Feats 10 + Powers 19 + Combat 40 + Saves 12 – Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150

Real Name: John “Jack” Morgan
Age: 30, but since he is a clone of the original John Henry Morgan, his actual age is only 2 years old in his current body.
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 250 lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Nationality: American citizen from the future, no legal records in today’s time.
Ethnicity: African

Jack Morgan comes from a future where American is governed by a fascist police state where personal freedoms are few and retribution for even minor crimes is swift and harsh. It is a future he unwittingly helped create.

Jack Morgan comes from the year 2020. During the 5 years leading up to the time that he escaped to our time, the world was gripped in strife. Terrorism, gang violence, and drug use was rampant. Small international conflicts kept the world in a constant state of war. The level of crime in the United States had gotten to such a fevered pitch that the government had little choice than to pull all military forces out of other nations to try and quell the violence at home. The resulting military actions only served to anger the law-abiding citizens further. In a last ditch effort to help fight crime and restore the populace’s faith in the government, the Department of Homeland Defense was tasked with creating a new police force, thus, The Agency was born.

The Agency was made up of primarily regular law enforcement and military police personnel. It unified all of the nation’s law enforcement under a single banner and set of laws devised by going with laws that were primarily used by most states. The Agency also started and Agent program that used gene therapies and experimental armor to augment the best and brightest of The Agency’s ranks to create a sort of “Special Forces” to deal with more difficult and dangerous assignments.

Jack was one of the first to sign up for the Agent program. He went through a rigorous gauntlet of tests, surgeries, and training exercises. By the end of the initiation program, Jack was quicker, stronger, and more agile than any normal man. He was pretty much super-human. He was also given a suit of experimental armor that was self-repairing and linked to his brain to give him information and HUD’s piped directly to him from Agency HQ.

After a time, Jack grew to distrust The Agency. More and more of his assignments seemed to have the affect of destabilizing the government while at the same time strengthening The Agency’s power base. Through a turncoat technician in The Agency, he discovered The Agency was planning a systematic takeover of the government that would essentially turn the nation into a fascist state. Knowing that The Agency was already too powerful and well armed for any one-man to take down and that they already had enough of the public’s trust to eliminate any chance of using the press to take them down, Jack had to find a different way to take them down.

He started small, by letting targets get away with scraps of information he hoped would lead them on the path to discover what The Agency was really up to. More times than not, while the target (typically Senators and Representatives with concocted warrants for their arrests created by The Agency) would get away from him, some other Agent would end up taking them out before they could do anything about The Agency.

After a while, The Agency caught onto Jack’s traitorous actions. They set him up by sending him to a research facility that was supposedly turning their backs on the government and were going to start selling their experimental weapons to other nations. Jack went in, only to be ambushed by a squad of loyal Agents. One of the experiments in the facility was a Space Time Disruptor. The machine was activated and during the chaos of battle, Jack was sucked into a warp and sent to the current time.

When Jack came to, he was disoriented. He didn't know where he was, but it looked like old photos he’d seen of New York City. After helping the hero, Protector, foil a kidnapping, he learned that he had been transported back in time 13 years to 2007. However, Jack had never heard of real super-humans other than the Agents. There were comic books in his time, but no real superheroes and villains, so he surmised that he had somehow been planted on a variant past timeline, or he is in a coma and this is all some elaborate dream.

Since Jack’s appearance in the here and now he has taken on the name, Crackdown, and has joined up with the Guardians. He is only a junior member, but has shown that he has what it takes to be a hero, even if he is at odds with some other heroes, such as Protector, over his use of firearms. He has also adopted another mission: trying to find a way back to his timeline and find a way to shut down The Agency.

Not long ago, Crackdown was attacked by a villain that appeared to be another Agent and knew a lot about him. This left doubt in Crackdown’s mind that he may actually be in the past of his timeline, but it only strengthened his resolve to get back home and put an end to The Agency.

Crackdown is a solidly built African-American. His armor is blueish-gray in color and leaves only his head and arms uncovered. His hair is cut into the pattern of a lightning bolt on the top of his head (he says it’s a common style in his time). His powers include being able to lift over 2 tons, leap over 80 feet, as well as being highly resistant to diseases, toxins, and extreme temperatures. He commonly carries a 9mm Glock in a hip holster as well as at least one other large caliber automatic weapon into battle.

Just in case someone doesn't recognize the character, this idea is directly ripped off from the very fun Xbox 360 game, Crackdown. I enjoyed the game enough that I wanted to add him to my setting.

Post 200 is up next. I'm thinking of stepping away from superheroes and getting back to my sci-fi roots...

Monday, June 09, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Crix Cylocron

Crix Cylocron 
M&M Stats
PL: 15 (225 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 38 (+14/0) DEX: 20 (+5) CON: 26 (+8/+4) INT: 20 (+5) WIS: 20 (+5) CHA: 16 (+3)

SKILLS: Bluff (+3), Concentration (+5), Diplomacy (+3), Disguise 20 (+23), Escape Artist (+5), Gather Info (+3), Handle Animal (+3), Intimidate 16 (+19), Arcane Lore 12 (+17), Notice (+5), Search (+5), Sense Motive 12 (+17), Stealth 20 (+25), Survival (+5)

FEATS: Dodge Focus (3), Evasion (2), Improved Grab, Defensive Roll (4), Sneak Attack (2), Uncanny Dodge, Fearless, Fearsome Presence (5), Minions (10)

POWERS: *Elasticity (Chokehold feat) [15], *Morph (Any Humanoid Form) [2], *Growth (Innate feat) [8], *Flight [5], *Density [6], *Immunity (Disease, Poison, Ciritcal Hits, and Entrapment) [9]

COMBAT: Attack 13 [Unarmed +14 (Bruise)] Defense 21 (13 flat-footed) Init 5

SAVES: Toughness 15 (11 flat-footed) Fortitude 8 Reflex 5 Will 5

Abilities 44 + Skills 20 (80 ranks) + Feats 29 + Powers 82 + Combat 50 + Saves 0 – Drawbacks 0 = 225 / 225

MSH Stats
F
A
S
E
R
I
P
AM
IN
IN
AM
IN
IN
GD
Health: 180        Karma: 90
Resources: AM   Popularity: -100

Powers
Plasticity: AM
Shapeshifting: AM
Growth: RM
Flight: GD
Immunities: Crix is immune to diseases and poisons.
Telekinesis: IN
Telepathy: IN
Mental Probe: RM
Mind Blast: RM
Plasma Generation: AM
Stealth: UN

Talents: Intimidation, Psychology, Detective/Espionage, Disguise, Occult Lore

Contacts: Lords of Change, connected to nearly every mutant terrorist organization.  

Real Name: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Height: Variable, but is commonly around 6’8”
Weight: Variable, but appears to commonly be around 195 lbs.
Hair: Variable, but commonly none.
Eyes: Variable, but commonly blue or stark black.
Nationality: Unknown
Ethnicity: Unknown, but he commonly appears as an albino of Eastern European descent.

Evil comes in many forms, and the Chaos Master can assume all of them.

The “man” called Crix Cylocron is the leader of the mutant terror cell known as The Lords of Change. He is wanted the world over for various acts of terrorism from detonating mutagenic bombs in Moscow’s Red Square to the theft of ancient antiquities. He is known to have ties with various anarchist, mutant, and terrorist groups all over the world. The CIA, MI6, and the UN Security Council all consider him to be the greatest threat to global stability.

Crix Cylocron has only been seen by those outside of The Lords of Change’s inner circle by a handful of people, at least in his commonly assumed form and very little is known about him. What is known is that he is a metamorph and a shape-shifter. It is assumed that his powers stem from mutation due to his group’s membership is made up of primarily mutants that fight for the cause of global mutant domination, but there are theories that he may derive his powers from practicing various forms of dark magic. Crix is also known to be extremely powerful as was displayed in the only battle he has taken part in against the super-group The Guardians where he trounced much of the team single-handedly.

Among terror groups and criminals in general, Crix Cylocron is viewed with a mixture of fear and admiration. There a many tales that make up the legend of Crix. Some say that he is a demon, others say that he is an alien. Some groups despise him for his goals since it cuts into their own nefarious ends. The only constant across each of the tales is that he is cold, calculating, and more often than not murderous to those that cross his path.

Crix’s typical form is that of a tall, gaunt, almost ghoulish looking albino standing nearly 7 feet tall. His white skin appears to undulate under the surface as if there are other things living inside his flesh. His eyes are either steely blue or totally black, and there is no trace of body hair over the whole of his body. He wears, or appears to wear, a skin-tight leather jacket adorned with buckles, straps, studs, and spikes that flows directly into a flowing leather cloak that is buckled down the front to the ground. His gait is such that it almost appears that he is floating rather than walking. Even to his Inner Circle his appearance and body motions can easily disturb them. When away from his Inner Circle, he will take on a form that will be pleasing to whoever he is meeting with, but will revert to his typical form if he feels that it will give him the upper hand. Crix’s voice is dry and wispy as if it were uncomfortable for him to talk.

Saturday, June 07, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Bio

Bio 
M&M Stats
PL: 11 (165 pp)

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

SKILLS: Climb 8 (+11), Computers 4 (+9), Concentration (+1), Disguise 4 (+4), Escape Artist 4 (+4), Intimidate 12 (+12), Life Sciences 16 (+21), Physical Sciences 16 (+21), Medicine 12 (+13), Notice (+1), Search (+5), Sense Motive (+1), Stealth 16 (+16), Survival (+1), Swim (+3)

FEATS: Dodge Focus (4), Fearsome Presence (1)

POWERS: *Enhanced Strength [6], *Enhanced Constitution [6], *Elasticity (Chokehold feat, right arm only) [4], *Strike (Mighty, Tentacle arm and Claws) [10], *Super-Movement (Slithering) [1], *Protection (Impervious) [10], *Electrical Control [13], Mutation (Incurable feat, Ranged [inflicts mutation instead of damage with an electrical blast]) [3]

COMBAT: Attack 9 [Unarmed +3 (Bruise)] Defense 19 (13 flat-footed) Init 0

SAVES: Toughness 13 (13 flat-footed) Fortitude 13 Reflex 5 Will 6

Abilities 12 + Skills 23 (92 ranks) + Feats 5 + Powers 77 + Combat 28 + Saves 20 – Drawbacks 0 = 165 / 165

MSH Stats
F
A
S
E
R
I
P
RM
PR
GD
EX
IN
TY
EX
Health: 64         Karma: 66
Resources: RM   Popularity: -50

Powers
Body Armor: AM protection from Physical and Energy damage.
Elongation: GD (right arm only)
Claws: IN edge damage (left arm only)
Electrical Generation: This AM rank power allows Bio to generate blasts of bio-electricity.  Bio can use this power in a number of ways other than just blasting foes with electricity.  When he is wrapped around a foe or is otherwise able to get in close, he can use the following power stunts:
·          Biophysical Control: TY; Bio can use this power to heal, age, disrupt, or decay his target. 
·          Induce Mutation: This EX rank power allows Bio to induce mutations in others.  The mutation is randomly determined by the Judge, and typically changes the victim’s appearance in some ghastly way.  However, if Bio is trying to induce a specific mutation, if requires a Red FEAT result with this power.  This power only works on warm-blooded lifeforms.
·          Shapechange-Others: This EX rank power allows Bio to morph others so that their grotesque appearance is removed, or it is used to make victims grotesque (typically the case). This power is often used in conjunction with his ability to induce mutations. 
Serpent Body: Bio’s legs have fused together and lengthened into that of a serpent.  This grants him the following powers:
·          Hyper-Speed: Gd
·          Wall-crawling: TY (the surface cannot be sheer)
·          Bio can wrap around a foe and hold them tight, granting him a +2 CS bonus when Grappling. 
Life Detection: GD
Darkvision: GD

Weaknesses
Grotesque Appearance: Bio is a mutated monster.  His body is covered in fine scales and hard plates.  His face has a melted look, with the right side drooping terribly, and his right eye bulged out of the socket.  His legs have transformed into that of a serpent.  His right arm is a rubbery tentacle, and his left arm is covered in bulging veins and is clawed. 
Mutation: Whenever Bio uses his Electrical Generation power, he must make an Endurance FEAT roll.  On a white result, his body morphs further away from human.  No additional powers are added (unless the Judge decides his Endurance FEAT failed miserably enough or deems it appropriate to the story). 

Talents: Biochemistry, Chemistry, Genetics, Biology

Contacts: Lords of Change

Real Name: Arthur Medville
Age: 47
Height: 6’ 8” from head to tip of tail, but usually “stands” around 5' 10”
Weight: 450 lbs.
Hair: None
Eyes: One red, one blue
Nationality: British
Ethnicity: Caucasian mutant

Arthur Medville was once a brilliant biologist who was once one of the foremost experts on mutations. He became involved in the subject around the age of 13, when his own mutant abilities manifested. From the first time that he realized that his body could produce bio-electric energy utilizable in a variety of ways, he wanted to know more about the causes and limitations of mutations.

Arthur holds doctorates in Biological Science, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Physiology. Most of his life has been spent doing research and his dissertations are widely regarded to being some of the most amazing papers ever produced. When he wasn’t in the lab, he was often speaking before various government on the issue of mutant rights. Universities the world over offered him professorships, but he finally took a position teaching Biochemistry at John Hopkins, which allowed him a chance to continue his research with only a few distractions.

Arthur was in dire need to be in the lab as long as he could. The more that he used his powers in his research over the years, the more his body changed. By age 21, his left arm had become covered in scales and veins bulged. He was also losing his hair at an alarming rate. By the time that he took the position with John Hopkins, much of his body was covered in scales and it was difficult to cover up.

Arthur had long ago discovered that he could use his abilities to induce mutations in other warm-blooded creatures. The more he worked on the talent, the more he began to understand about how mutations form and he became able to able to direct the changes exactly how he saw fit in willing or unconscious subjects. Those that tried to fight off the process were either left unchanged or were horribly disfigured. The side effect being that use of his ability was slowly mutating him as well. There was nothing that could be done to combat the side effect except to induce a mutation in a person so that they could change the appearance of others permanently. Since much of his research was very secret as the scientific community would frown upon his methods that bordered on the torture of countless lab animals, Arthur began kidnapping homeless people and experimenting on them. It was abhorrent to him, but Arthur saw no other way to further his research and eliminate the side mutations in his own body.

Arthur was certain that he was on the verge of a breakthrough. He thought he knew the precise way to induce the much needed mutation in his current subject, a teenage boy he found passed out high in an alleyway. Little did Arthur know the boy was a mutant with a faint, but in this case extremely potent power. As Arthur lowered his hand over the boy’s face and let his bioelectricity flow into his captive. Immediately, the flow backed into Arthur. For what seemed like an eternity, Arthur tried to shut off his power to no avail; his powers only shut down when he passed out.

When Arthur came to the boy was awake and banging on the reinforced and locked basement door of his house, with no physical change. Arthur rose up to go after the child and that’s when he noticed that something truly horrible had happened. His legs had fused together and were covered in gray scales. His left arm was now clawed and covered in rough scales. His right arm now ended in grotesque tentacle. Horrified, he lashed out at the boy. His right arm extended out and wrapped around the boy’s neck. With a quick jerk his neck snapped easily. Arthur slithered over to a mirror and looked up on the melted flesh of his face and knew that all that he worked for was over.

Arthur set fire to his house and fled the sound of police sirens getting closer. He was now what he feared he would become, a monster.

Arthur discovered that his skin was extremely tough. Hard enough to stop bullets (He learned this the hard way). His eyes could see further distances and in the dark with his right eye and his left eye, which had dropped lower than the right and bulged out of the socket terribly, could see into the infrared spectrum of light. His strength had great increased as well. Plus, he still had control of his original bioelectrical abilities. However, all that he wanted was to be human again.

Over the following years, Arthur, who now calls himself Bio, has become a very dangerous villain. He tried in vain over the years to create a mutant with the ability to change his form back to what it was before. Always certain that he was at the cusp of the breakthrough that he sought, his plans always seemed to be hindered by some hero or group of heroes. He turned his attention to ridding these nuisances to his research, but other than disfiguring an occasional hero or two he was never able to rid himself of unwanted “heroic” interruptions.

A couple years ago, he was approached by a man that said he could help in exchange for use of his talents. The man, who Bio now calls Master, is Crix Cylocron, the leader of the mutant terror organization, the Lords of Change. He twisted Bio’s desire to be human again to turning the world into a place where chaos reigns supreme; a place where the only people alive are those with abilities or disfigurements; a place where the “monsters” rule over the terrified and huddling masses.

Bio is now the second in command to Master Cylocron. He sees to recruitment and is allowed to perform his perverted research to his heart’s desire. While there is still a little bit of the good man that Arthur claimed to be long ago, he has given himself over to the corrupting influence of his master and his goals.

Bio is a horrible conglomeration of a “man.” The only parts of him that have the appearance of being humanoid are his left arm, torso, and head. Blue and red veins bulge across his arms and scalp. He is serpent from the waist down. Much of his body is covered in thick, rough, gray scales except for his head and right arm. His right arm is a sickly gray, rubbery tentacle that can stretch up to 50 feet. The skin on Bio’s face has a look as if it were made of wax and held to close to a flame. The skin sags in spots, more on the left side where his eye hangs down and bulges from the socket.

Friday, June 06, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Backslash

The first of three villains from The Lords of Change!

Backslash 
M&M Stats
PL: 10 (150 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 30 (+10/+5) DEX: 16 (+3) CON: 23 (+6/+4) INT: 12 (+1) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 10 (0)

SKILLS: Climb 12 (+17), Concentration (+2), Escape Artist (+3), Intimidate 12 (+12), Notice 12 (+14), Search (+1), Sense Motive (+2), Stealth 8 (+11), Survival 12 (+14), Swim (+5)

FEATS: Defensive Roll (4), Dodge Focus (2), Improved Critical: Claws (1), Power Attack, Sneak Attack (2), Diehard, Takedown Attack (2), Startle, Fearsome Presence (2), Improved Initiative (2)

POWERS: *Growth [5], *Strike (Mighty) [2], *Super-Senses (Danger Sense, Darkvision, Scent, Ultra-Hearing) [5], *Leaping [3], *Regeneration [8]

COMBAT: Attack 8 [Claws (Mighty Strike) 12 (Lethal)] Defense 20 (14 flat-footed) Init 11

SAVES: Toughness 10 (6 flat-footed) Fortitude 10 Reflex 10 Will 8

Abilities 30 + Skills 15 (60 ranks) + Feats 18 + Powers 34 + Combat 36 + Saves 17 – Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150

MSH Stats

F
A
S
E
R
I
P
RM
EX
RM
IN
TY
GD
RM
Health: 120        Karma: 46
Resources: TY    Popularity: -30

Powers
Claws: Backslash’s claws do EX edged damage. 
Heightened Senses: Backslah’s hearing, sight, and sense of smell are all at GD levels. 
Darkvision: GD intensity
Danger Sense: GD
Regeneration: RM
Growth: FB (permanent)
Resistance to Cold: EX
Stealth: RM

Talents: Martial Arts B and E, Intimidation

Contacts: Lords of Change

Real Name: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Height: 9’ 7”
Weight: 675 lbs.
Hair: White
Eyes: Black
Nationality: None, but was likely born in Romania
Ethnicity: Unknown, but is thought to be a mutant of Slavic descent

The being that now goes by the name Backslash was discovered as a babe covered in a thin layer of white fur left for dead in the mountains of Romania. The gypsies that found him took him in and raised him; however, they were anything but kind. They sought to make the young monster into a sideshow act for their traveling performances. When Backslash refused to perform properly or misbehaved, he was savagely beaten. His was a very sad and painful childhood.

As Backslash grew, it soon became clear to the gypsies that they were going to have to be rid of their monster. At 9 years of age, he was already as big as most men and was as strong as five. His near-human features were growing into a more wolf-like visage with protruding canines and tough claws for fingernails. The gypsies constantly had to acquire more chains and reinforcements for his cage, due to him constantly bending the bars in hopes of breaking out of his cage. On night after Backslash attacked a careless handler and broke three of his ribs with a single punch, the gypsies decided to rid themselves of their monster.

Under the light of a full moon, the gypsies took Backslash’s wagon to the top of a curvy, steep, winding mountain path and unhooked it from the horses. The gypsies watched as wagon careened over the side of cliff to fall into the treetops below. Their task done, they left to rejoin the rest of their clan.

Backslash didn’t die however. He lay battered and bloodied amid the wreckage of his cage on the ground. Pain wracked his body. Just when he thought that he was about to die a stranger slithered out of the shadows. The man, if he could be called that, offered Backslash a chance for vengeance, all he had to do was swear his life, his very soul, to the service of the Lord, the Lord of Chaos. Backslash agreed and passed out.

Once Backslash awoke, he was amazed that his pain was nearly gone. He looked down at a gash in his arm, a gash that nearly severed the arm, healing before his eyes! He turned to the man with the serpentine body and asked what he did to him? The serpent man told Backslash that he had improved him, and that he wouldn't have to worry about such wounds anymore. Backslash stood up, one of the few times in his life he could stand at his full height and sniffed at the air, noting that he could still smell his former masters. The serpent man told him to go and take his revenge, and that he would find him after.

Backslash tracked the gypsies to their camp, which had hurriedly packed up and moved on after disposing of Backslash. Silently he kept up on the troupe and then attacked. The slaughter was obscene. All the rage and fury that had built up in the young mutant was released on the closest thing that he ever knew as a family.

Romanian authorities investigating the scene of the murders didn't know what to think of the crime scene. While none of them really believed the report, the investigators decided to blame the attack on a pack of wolves. None of them could shake the fear inside themselves at the sight of the clawed footprints that said otherwise.

Since that night, Backslash has worked as a loyal member of the Lords of Change, a group of mutant terrorists bent on ushering in a new era for mutant-kind. There are times when he thinks that all the violence and death are wrong, but then he thinks of his life before. He is now educated. He receives praise and support from his peers and master. Most importantly, he has never been caged again. A little bloodletting is nothing compared to freedom.

Backslash is a mountain of a man. He stands nearly 10 feet tall and is extremely muscular. His body is covered in thick white fur, like that of a dog or wolf. His eyes are black and allow him to see in the dark. Long claws line Backslash’s fingers and toes and his teeth are much like those of a wolf. His face is the only characteristic that keeps Backslash from looking like a very large overt Canine Moreau. His face is still very human-like. His ears are small, but slightly pointed. His nose is somewhat upturned, but otherwise like any other person. No fur grows on his forehead, nose and upper cheeks. Typically, all that Backslash wears is a pair of tough combat pants, but when a mission calls for more of an ability to hide easily in the shadows, he wears and full combat suit to cover his white fur.

Thursday, June 05, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Anubis

Anubis 
M&M Stats
PL: 15 (225 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 26 (+8/+4) DEX: 14 (+2) CON: 22 (+6/+4) INT: 20 (+5) WIS: 24 (+7) CHA: 16 (+3)

SKILLS: Bluff (+3), Climb (+4), Concentration 20 (+27), Diplomacy (+3), Disguise 16 (+19), Escape Artist (+2), Gather Info (+3), Handle Animal (+3), Intimidate 8 (+11), Arcane Lore 20 (+25), History 16 (+21), Theology and Philosophy 20 (+25), Notice (+7), Search (+5), Sense Motive (+7), Sleight of Hand 8 (+10), Stealth (+2), Survival (+7), Swim (+4)

FEATS: Fearless, Fearsome Presence (2), Ritualist

POWERS: *Immortality [1], *Immunity (Life Support) [9], *Super-Senses (Danger Sense, Mystic Awareness) [2], *Protection (Impervious extra) [13], *Growth [4], *Magic [19], Mystic Blast [19], Summon Minion (Zombies) [19], Mind Control (Area, Effortless) [9], Morph (any humanoid shape) [1], Nullify (All effects) [6], Teleport (Accurate) [6], Petrification (Continuous) [4], Death Touch [19], Insubstantial [3]

COMBAT: Attack 11 [Unarmed +8 (Bruise), Mystic Blast 19 ()] Defense 17 (13 flat-footed) Init 2

SAVES: Toughness 19 (19 flat-footed) Fortitude 6 Reflex 2 Will 10

Abilities 50 + Skills 27 (108 ranks) + Feats 4 + Powers 101 + Combat 40 + Saves 3 – Drawbacks 0 = 225 / 225

Real Name: Anubis
Age: Unknown
Height: Variable (usually around 6’)
Weight: Variable (usually around 190 lbs)
Hair: Variable (usually brown)
Eyes: Variable (usually black)
Nationality: Egyptian Pantheon
Ethnicity: Egyptian God

The stories behind Anubis are wide, varied, and commonly contradictory. The former lord of the Underworld prefers things this way. Too often have mortals attempted to best him only to have their false knowledge lead to their downfall. What is known is that Anubis is one of the few ancient Egyptian gods still active in the mortal world today, and he is one of the greatest threats to mankind.

No one truly knows when it was that Anubis turned on mankind. There was a time when he graciously ushered in those that died into the Underworld after being judged worthy of the honor. At least it appeared so at least. When the god, Seth, slew his brother, Osiris, the “dead” god took over the rule of the Underworld and Anubis became the watcher of the gate alongside the voracious Ammit. This is where many guess that Anubis first started to walk the path of darkness, for it seems that he was not content to be the gatekeeper for mighty Osiris.

Anubis hatched a plan that would sow discord in the land of the living and keep souls from every reaching Osiris’ kingdom. He tempted and lured in worshipers strong in the magical arts to him. He taught them forbidden rituals and spells that would bind souls to the mortal plane, keeping them from the Underworld. To the greatest of his worshipers, a necromancer of great power named, Amon, he gave even greater power and promised more if he could topple the kingdom of the Pharaohs and plunge all of Egypt into darkness.

Amon’s campaign against the Pharaoh, Djoser nearly succeeded. The armies of the dead were perched upon the very edge of victory, but were defeated in the 11th hour by Djoser’s high priest, Imhotep. Amon was hunted and buried alive, and the gods banished Anubis from their realms to wander among mortals forever.

For many years, Anubis wandered the Earth, bereft of power save for his godborn immortality. In time, however, he regained some of his former power by learning various mystic arts from humans, vowing to gain enough power to topple the other gods and make himself the one true God. However, by the time that he had gained enough power to make him feel confident enough to take on the other gods, they had withdrawn from the mortal world to their places beyond the reach of any who they did not wish to be among them. Angered by his inability to strike back at his brethren, Anubis turned his malice on mankind.

Anubis has worked with some of the most terrible villains and organizations on Earth. He gave knowledge to Rasputin in his quest for power and immortality, a quest that nearly doomed Russia. He was instrumental to the Nazi plans to discover ancient artifacts of power during WWII. He has also instructed Zelashin, the Dark Druid, in his horrific practices. He has become the dark shadow behind many of the most infamous and evil beings in human history, and he will not rest until he has plunged the world into darkness.

Anubis has met defeat many times however. Heroes have foiled and thwarted every scheme he has put into motion. He sees the various super-heroes of the world as the only true threat to his goals of domination. Although, his old puppet, Amon is now active in the world again, and carries hatred for Anubis as well for letting him rot in a tomb for thousands of years. Although the two share common goals, Anubis knows that Amon’s hatred for him is too great to make him an ally once again. Plus, Amon’s own power rivals that of the dark god’s. It seems that the reemergence of his former pupil has changed some of Anubis’ plans. Even though he thinks that he’ll have to deal with the undead mage soon enough, there may yet be a way to twist him into to furthering his own plans…

Anubis’ natural form is that of a jackal-headed human. However, he commonly transforms himself to blend in with whatever society he happens to be traveling through. He has established numerous aliases and various businesses, making him one of the most-wealthy beings on the planet. His magical prowess is considerable. In battle, he’ll revert to his natural form and grow in size to intimidate and induce fear.

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Arkangel

Arkangel 
M&M Stats
PL: 10 (150 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 30 (+10/+3) DEX: 14 (+2) CON: 16 (+3) INT: 13 (+1) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 12 (+1)

SKILLS: Bluff (+1), Climb (+10), Concentration 8 (+10), Diplomacy (+1), Disguise (+1), Escape Artist (+2), Gather Info (+1), Handle Animal (+1), Intimidate 8 (+9), Current Event 8 (+9), Theology and Philosophy 12 (+13), Notice 8 (+10), Search (+1), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 4 (+6), Survival (+2), Swim (+10)

FEATS: Accurate Attack, Power Attack

POWERS: *Device (Archangel Armor, hard to lose) [19], Restricted (Only Michael can use), , *Blast [12], (Alternate Power: Enhanced Strength [14]), *Super-Senses (Blindsight, Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Radio, Time Sense, Tracking (Infrared), Infrared) [10], *Flight [5], *Immunity (life support) [9], *Protection [9], Impervious [1], *Super-Strength [5]

COMBAT: Attack 8 [Unarmed +10 (Bruise), Blast 12 (Lethal)] Defense 18 (14 flat-footed) Init 2

SAVES: Toughness 12 (12 flat-footed) Fortitude 3 Reflex 2 Will 2

Abilities 25 + Skills 14 (56 ranks) + Feats 2 + Powers 77 + Combat 32 + Saves 0 – Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150

Real Name: Michael Weathers
Age: 28
Height: 5’9” (without armor), 6’5” (in armor)
Weight: 195 lbs
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: Caucasian

Michael Weathers grew up in a strict Catholic home. To say that his parents were devout would be a massive understatement. That's not to say that they weren't good parents, they were, it’s just that Michael didn't have nearly as many freedoms other kids in the neighborhood had. His days were spent as Catholic school, working in his father’s butcher shop, and then home to do homework and a mandatory half-hour studying the Bible with his parents before he had time to himself. There were times that he resented his parents, but overall he understood that they were doing what they felt was best.

Michael’s father was killed by a mugger a week before Michael’s 14th birthday. Michael wondered why God allowed this to happen to one of his most devout followers? Wasn't his father's sacrifice day after day good enough to offer him some measure of protection from the forces of evil? These thoughts tore Michael apart. He went to his priest and asked him these questions. The priest told Michael that God doesn't offer protection that way. What happens on Earth is up to us, it’s the promise of life everlasting that is God's true protection. It is up to us to see that our neighborhoods and loved ones are safe.

The priest’s words made a profound impact on young Michael. He left the church no longer angry at God for allowing his father to die, but angry at mankind for allowing the wicked to prey on the good. Michael swore then and there that he wouldn't be just another good man that turns a blind eye on evil all around him.

Michael quickly got the reputation for being a goody-goody. It got him into a lot of trouble as well. He routinely got sent home for fighting with bullies, so much so that the school was considering expulsion. His mother was at her wit’s end. She sent him to live with her brother, a devout Catholic as well; hoping that all Michael needed was a firm hand to set him back on the right path.

Michael’s uncle, Sam, was a very rigid and stern man. However, when he learned of why Michael was getting into trouble, he was proud that his nephew was showing the moral fortitude to do what was right and not allow evil to flourish uncontested. He introduced the boy to the Order of Angels-Arch, a secret order of men and women devoted to fighting evil head-on. Their goal is not to kill, but to force repentance upon their foes. Lethal force is only allowed against the vilest of sinners. Michael found his true calling that night.

During his time with his uncle, Michael learned not only how to fight, but when to fight. After all, no member of the order would last long just blindly fighting any evil they came across. He received training in weapons and stealth as well. Michael would go out at night and stalk the schoolyard bullies, under the watchful eye of his uncle, and put the fear of God into them. Before long, he graduated to small-time hoods and minor drug dealers. When it was time for him to go home, Michael was tougher than most people twice his age.

The Order kept in contact with Michael. He would go out on assignments for the Order late a night, when his mother assumed that his was up in his room asleep. It was during one assignment when Michael was 18 that he came face to face with true, inhuman evil.

What was supposed to be an assignment to take retribution on a group of local punks that defaced a local church put Michael in the midst of a cult devoted to the worship of some ancient demon. Michael called in for backup from the Order, but was discovered and was offered up to the demon himself. The demon, who called himself Malzinzaz, tossed young Michael about and beat him savagely. Just before the demon was about to finish Michael off, a blinding light appeared. Michael passed out shortly after seeing the light. When he came to he was back in the Order’s headquarters, looking up at a man whose head was surrounded in a halo of light. The man introduced himself as the archangel, Michael. For his bravery, he would become his instrument on Earth. Michael was given a suit of golden, winged armor. Michael was told that a war is looming that that he would have to stay vigilant, for Malzinzaz was only the beginning. That said, the angel told Michael that the Order would no longer know him as a member, but would be able to contact him when needed. This was necessary to keep him and his family safe. With another flash of light Michael was back home in his room and the angel was gone.

Since that night, Michael has fought the forces of evil as the hero, Arkangel. During the day, he works as an editor for a small, conservative newspaper with a religious slant to the news. At night, he battles evil alongside the Guardians.

Michael outside of his armor is a handsome, athletic man with wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. He dresses conservatively in a buttoned-up shirt and slacks commonly. He wears and pair of round, light-weight glasses and a gold wristwatch that activates his armor with a touch. The Arkangel armor is golden in color, except for black under-armor. His faceplate is that of a haloed angel (a stylized image of the Archangel Michael). The wings fold neatly into the back of the armor and unfurl quickly when needed. The wristguards and shoulderplates of the armor mold into whatever style of weapon mentally called upon by Michael, from swords to laser cannons. The faceplate allows Michael a wide array of super-senses.

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Amon the Mummy

Amon the Mummy 
M&M Stats
PL: 14 (210 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 16 (+3) DEX: 10 (0) CON: 10 (0) INT: 18 (+4) WIS: 24 (+7) CHA: 14 (+2)

SKILLS: Bluff (+2), Climb (+3), Concentration 8 (+15), Diplomacy (+2), Disguise 4 (+6), Gather Info (+2), Handle Animal (+2), Intimidate 9 (+11), Arcane Lore 17 (+21), History 12 (+16), Theology and Philosophy 12 (+16), Notice (+7), Search (+4), Sense Motive (+7), Sleight of Hand 2 (+2), Survival (+7), Swim (+3)

FEATS: Quick Change (2), Ritualist

POWERS: *Force Field [18] (Impervious [8]), *Flight [2], *Super-Senses (Danger Sense, Mystic Awareness) [2], *Immunity (Life Support) [9], *Magic [18], (Alternate Power) Mystic Blast [18], (Alternate Power) Mystic (Alternate Power) Binding [18], (Alternate Power) Death Touch (Disease Extra) [9], (Alternate Power) Invisibility (Total Concealment) [2], (Alternate Power) Pain [3], (Alternate Power) Possession [6], (Alternate Power) Paralyze [9], (Alternate Power) Summon Minion (Zombies) [9], (Alternate Power) Teleport (Accurate Extra) [9], (Alternate Power) Nullify (All effects at once) [6], *Immortality [1], *Immutable [1]

COMBAT: Attack 10 [Mystic Blast 18] Defense 20 (15 flat-footed) Init 0

SAVES: Toughness 18 (18 flat-footed) Fortitude 8 Reflex 8 Will 15

Abilities 32 + Skills 16 (64 ranks) + Feats 3 + Powers 95 + Combat 40 + Saves 24 – Drawbacks 0 = 210 / 210

Real Name: Amon
Age: Approximately 4600 years old
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 110 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Red
Nationality: None, he died during the rule of Djoser during the 3rd Egyptian Dynasty.
Ethnicity: Egyptian

Amon was a necromancer that threatened to plunge all of Egypt into darkness during the rule of the Pharaoh, Djoser. His fearsome army of fanatic cultists and undead were repelled by Djoser’s army as well as the magic of Imhotep in the 11th hour. After his defeat, Amon was hunted down and sealed alive in a sarcophagus and buried deep within a cave the mouth of which was then covered to keep Amon's followers from ever finding him. Imhotep cast wards on the sarcophagus expecting them to hold Amon for eternity. For as brilliant as Imhotep was, he was terribly wrong in this case.

Amon was a follower of Anubis. It was Anubis that gave Amon the spells needed to raise his army of the dead. It would be Anubis that would allow Amon to “live” past his death. As Amon took in his last, stale, breath Anubis granted him everlasting life as one of the undead. Amon lie in wait for thousands of years to be freed, allowing his hatred to seethe until his already black heart became even more vile and putrid.

It wasn't until the fall of 2003 that Amon would once again walk the Earth. An archaeological team stumbled upon the cave and Amon's resting place. As the poor souls opened the sarcophagus, they broke the mystic wards that had held for over 4600 years. Amon burst forth from his prison and slew everyone save one man, who he coerced into telling him all that he knew of the world.

Amon immediately went in search of his spellbooks, which he discovered were being held in the Luxor Museum. Many innocent people died that day, but Amon was repelled by a young White Mage.

Over the years Amon has fought many of the Earth’s mightiest super-heroes and has narrowly escaped total destruction too many times than he cares to admit. He has regained much of his former magical might, and is now content to bide his time and gather his forces until he can properly strike. Oh yes, the world will know the wrath of Amon, especially Imhotep’s little whelp of a mage…

Amon's natural form is that of a desiccated corpse wrapped in funerary bandages. He wears black robes trimmed with red symbols of dark import. His magic allows him to change his appearance to that of a handsome, well-dressed Egyptian man of about 35 – 40, however, which is how he travels among the living most times. His magic may change his appearance, but it cannot mask the feeling of cold and fear that most people fear when being around him.

Monday, June 02, 2014

Homebrew Supers: The White Mage

The White Mage 
M&M Stats
PL: 10 (150 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 10 (0) DEX: 14 (+2) CON: 10 (0) INT: 20 (+5) WIS: 20 (+5) CHA: 18 (+4)

SKILLS: Bluff 4 (+8 ), Concentration 12 (+17), Diplomacy (+4), Disguise (+4), Escape Artist (+2), Gather Info (+4), Handle Animal (+4), Intimidate (+4), Arcane Lore 12 (+17), History 8 (+13), Notice 4 (+9), Search 4 (+9), Sense Motive (+5), Sleight of Hand 4 (+6), Stealth (+2), Survival (+5)

FEATS: Leadership, Ritualist, Teamwork (1)

POWERS: *Magic [12], (Alternate Power) Blast (Eldritch) [12], (Alternate Power) Teleport [6], Portal, (Alternate Power) Telepathy [6], (Alternate Power) Telekinesis [8], Damaging, (Alternate Power) Super-Movement (Dimensional) [3], (Alternate Power) Snare [12], *Device (Icarian Ring, hard to lose) [1], Flight [5], *Device (Crook of Life, easy to lose, +2 damage when used as a Quarterstaff) [5], Healing [5], Resurrection, , Total, , *Device (Imhotep's Band, hard to lose) [2], Force Field [10], Impervious, , Ablative,

COMBAT: Attack 8 [Unarmed +0 (Bruise)] Defense 18 (14 flat-footed) Init 2

SAVES: Toughness 10 (10 flat-footed) Fortitude 5 Reflex 6 Will 9

Abilities 32 + Skills 12 (56 ranks) + Feats 3 + Powers 58 + Combat 32 + Saves 13 – Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150

Real Name: Ahmal Abin Farouk
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 110 lbs.
Eyes: Dark Brown
Hair: Black
Ethnicity: Arabic
Nationality: Egyptian

Ahmal Abin Farouk is one of the greatest wizards in the world, but you would never know by looking at him. The slight man is among one of Egypt’s finest archaeologists, and is highly regarded the world over, but he is also known for being extremely bookish and quiet. Unlike other Egyptologists, Ahmal doesn’t like the limelight. He doesn’t do many interviews for documentaries and certainly would never dream of taking a film crew into a newly discovered tomb. No, by looking at him, or being around him, you’d never think that timid, yet brilliant, Ahmal Abin Farouk was one of Earth’s greatest defenders.

Many years ago, while Ahmal was studying in Luxor, he stumbled upon a scroll case of ancient papyrus scrolls long lost in the dusty archives of the Luxor Museum. The scrolls were discovered in a tomb over a hundred years ago, but were filed away and forgotten. As Ahmal began to translate the ancient scrolls, he inadvertently cast an ancient spell. The room grew cold and Ahmal was gripped in fear as spectral image of a man dressed in the ancient Egyptian finery of a high priest appeared before him. The ghost introduced himself as Imhotep, the high priest of Seti I. He told Ahmal that by discovering the scrolls and being able to read them that he was chosen to be the next great defender of Egypt. Ahmal sheepishly told the ghost that he was no warrior and surely he had the wrong man (or that he was hallucinating due to lack of sleep he thought to himself). Imhotep told the scared historian that strength of arms were only one way to battle the darkness, and that while he lacks the physical prowess of a great warrior he by far surpassed the greatest swordsman with his intelligence and willpower. The ghost told Ahmal that he was to be a great sorcerer, and that the only way he was able to decipher the scrolls was that only those with the power within themselves to be able to wield awesome magical forces could discern the texts. Like it or not, Ahmal was selected. Imhotep instructed Ahmal to seek out the wizard, Arcano, in the United States to further his training.

Over the years, Ahmal learned much from the wizard-hero, Arcano, and even came to surpass him in ability. His wisdom and ability earned him a spot among The Magi, a secret order of the most powerful sorcerers on Earth. He has traversed the cosmos, visited other realities totally alien to our own, battled some of the most terrible forces on Earth and beyond, and has become a mentor to many young wizards and to other heroes as well.

Along with being a member of The Magi, Ahmal, who goes by Abin to protect his identity from villains, is a member of the superhero team, The Guardians, on which he is on the governing board. When he isn’t battling the forces of evil, he is back in Cairo or in his tower in the Astral researching the past. His professional pursuits have turned from merely discovering and cataloging ancient history to uncovering magical artifacts and keeping them safe from those that would abuse their power.

Ahmal is a relatively short man who is slight of build. He typically wears a polo shirt and jeans while in the museum or out in the field, but when among The Guardians or The Magi he is dressed in white robes with the common head wear found throughout Muslim men in Egypt. He wears a white mask that covers his face, save for his eyes. Abin carries several magic items as well. Imhotep’s Band is a simple gold ring that creates a shimmering force field to protect Abin from damage. The Crook of Life is a shepherd’s staff that allows him to heal even the terrible of wounds and even to bring back the dead. Finally, Abin wears the Icarian Ring that allows him to fly.

Sunday, June 01, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Zerker Dan

This guy is a write-up of another character I played in City of Heroes (the other being Agent K-9).

Zerker Dan 
PL: 10 (150 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 20 (+5) DEX: 18 (+4) CON: 24 (+7) INT: 10 (0) WIS: 12 (+1) CHA: 16 (+3)

SKILLS: Acrobatics 4 (+8 ), Bluff (+3), Climb 8 (+13), Concentration (+1), Diplomacy (+3), Disguise (+3), Drive 8 (+12), Escape Artist (+4), Gather Info (+3), Handle Animal 4 (+7), Intimidate 12 (+15), Streetwise 12 (+12), Notice (+1), Perform 12 (+12), Ride 8 (+12), Search 12 (+12), Sense Motive 4 (+5), Stealth 8 (+12), Survival 12 (+13), Swim 8 (+13)

FEATS: Attack Focus (Melee) (2), Improved Critical (1), Defensive Roll (3), Dodge Focus (4), Improved Throw, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Takedown Attack (1), Startle, Diehard, Fearless

POWERS: *Strike: Claws (Mighty) [5], *Super-Senses (Scent, Tracking) [2], *Regeneration [6], *Leaping [2]

COMBAT: Attack 10 [Mighty Strike 10 (Lethal)] Defense 20 (13 flat-footed) Init 4

SAVES: Toughness 10 (7 flat-footed) Fortitude 10 Reflex 10 Will 9

Abilities 40 + Skills 28 (112 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 16 + Combat 32 + Saves 17 – Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150

Real Name: Daniel Jenkins
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 180 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Green
Nationality: Australian
Ethnicity: Caucasian

Zerker Dan is a fighter. He’s always fought from the time he could walk until today he’s been fighting everything from stray dogs to bank robbers. It’s what he does best and it’s what he loves the most. He’s come to America to fight crime, since even though Australia has its fair share of super-villains, the “big dogs” are found in America.

Zerker Dan is also a mutant. His powers manifested when he was 15 when he got attacked by a rabid dingo. That’s when he first discovered the super-strong claws that his fingernails can become as well as his increased strength, agility, leaping ability, and the ability to heal rather quickly. His folks were horrified when they saw the mess of gore which was all that was left of the dingo. Zerker Dan ran off shortly after, since his parents kept looking at him over their shoulders, as if they had anything to worry about, and he lived a rough life traveling from small Outback town to small Outback town doing odd jobs to get by.

Zerker Dan has been everything from a cop (he got kicked off the force and barely avoided jail time after he used his claws on a suspect in a domestic abuse case) to a champion boxer (very few gaming authorities will allow him to box now that it’s know that he’s a “dangerous” mutant). He got into the super-hero racket after he happened on a bank robbery in progress. He stopped the robbery, and basked in the adoration of the people who he saved as well as the bank officials whose money he kept from being stolen. After all, Dan figured that he could let loose on bad guys in ways he really couldn't in the ring. Plus, it felt good to do the right thing and help people out. However, small-time hoods weren't really satisfying enough. Dan wanted a challenge, so he went to America, where the bad guys were heavily armed and tough as hell.

Since he arrived in the US, Dan has taken a job promoting a chain of car dealerships in Freedom City to make a little money. He lives in a run-down apartment in a rough part of town by the docks, what better place to find guys that need a beating? During the night, he patrols the neighborhood. At first, the people of Freedom City thought that he was just another fallen celebrity out for a quick buck, but now that he’s shown that he’s a hero and that he’s got a knack for putting the fear of the Almighty into crooks, he’s quickly been embraced by the populace. His celebrity and aggressive tactics has put him at odds with the Freedom League upon occasion, but so far they've stayed out of each other’s way.

Zerker Dan is getting restless. Since he’s been in Freedom City, he’s primarily taken down thugs and C-list super villains. He wants a taste of the big time. He’s thinking of taking a walk up to New York with hopes of running into the tougher villains that he hears make the Big Apple home. Unlike what some other heroes think, he’s not in it for fame or the adoration of the masses (though he does enjoy time with some of his Sheila fans now and again); he wants to fight someone that will really make him work to beat them. He doesn't understand why he feels he needs to prove himself tougher than the worst of the worst, but as long as he’s doing some good Dan doesn't really care.

Zerker Dan is always in costume. He never really saw the point in hiding his identity, since he wishes that the bad guys would come seeking him out. He wears a black leather duster with a Texas longhorn skull pin on the left lapel (he just liked the look of the pin and added it to his wardrobe), rugged black jeans, a dark blue shirt (with a black tie when he’s filming commercial spots), dark sunglasses, worn out cowboy boots, and a tan cowboy hat. He styles himself a lot after the westerns he used to watch as a kid. He can also be found with a cigar sticking out of the side of his mouth (a point which has drawn the ire of anti-smoking groups that say he’s trying to make smoking look cool). He’s gruff and everything about him makes people think of some stereotypical wandering cowboy. 

Friday, May 30, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Agent Jason & the Argonauts

Agent Jason 
PL: 10 (150 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 25 (+7/+2) DEX: 12 (+1) CON: 14 (+2) INT: 16 (+3) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 14 (+2)

SKILLS: Bluff (+2), Climb (+7), Concentration (+2), Diplomacy (+2), Disguise (+2), Escape Artist (+1), Gather Info (+2), Handle Animal (+2), Intimidate (+2), Tactics 12 (+15), Notice (+2), Pilot 12 (+13), Military 12 (+14), Search (+3), Sense Motive (+2), Stealth (+1), Survival (+2), Swim (+7)

FEATS: Attack Focus (Ranged) (2), Power Attack, Minions (12), Leadership

POWERS: *Device (Hard to Lose) Argonaut Prima Armor [18], Blast [12], Enhanced Strength [11], Super-Strength [5], Immunity (Life Support) [9], Protection (Impervious) [10], Flight [5], Super-Senses (Radio, Infravision, Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Time Sense, Comm Link, Ultravision) [6]

COMBAT: Attack 8 [Unarmed +7 (Bruise)] Defense 15 (13 flat-footed) Init 1

SAVES: Toughness 12 (12 flat-footed) Fortitude 5 Reflex 1 Will 2

Abilities 24 + Skills 9 (36 ranks) + Feats 16 + Powers 72 + Combat 26 + Saves 3 – Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150

Real Name: Classified
Height: approximately 6’3” while not in armor, 7’ in armor.
Weight: approximately 195 lbs while not in power armor, 700 lbs in armor
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: Caucasian, possibly of Greek descent.

Little is known of the man that became Agent Jason, leader of the US government’s Argonaut Powered Armor Battalion (APAB). It is theorized that he was a test pilot that held certain anti-mutant beliefs that volunteered for the Argonaut program. His past is so classified that only a handful of people in the world knows anything about him.

Agent Jason is tasked with bringing in mutants and various other rogue meta-humans and aliens that the US government deems a threat. Due to the highly publicized failure of the Sentinels who did more damage to the nation’s handling of the mutant issue, a more covert and human approach was deemed necessary. Agent Jason is the public “face” of the Argonauts. He’s the one that the media talks to whenever the Argonauts take down a fugitive in public, but that’s rare as most Argonaut missions are covert and public rarely hears about them.

By all accounts, Agent Jason is fanatical about his work. He has gone off on rants about the “mutant menace” and has even directed his ire at more publicly accepted heroes like Captain Thunder, Superman, and even Captain America. This has put him on shaky ground with the current administration who is trying to recover from very public flubs and allegations of human rights abuses thanks to the Sentinel attack in Times Square in 2000 that not only killed 3 mutants, but 50 bystanders as well. Agent Jason has been getting the feeling for a while that the President isn’t really on board with the mission of the Argonauts anymore; that’s something that Agent Jason just can’t allow.

Agent Jason fights in an upgraded form of the Argonaut armor, the design of which was taken from a design created by Daedalus, something the Freedom League member is distraught over. Agent Jason stands almost a foot taller than the rest of the Argonauts in his command. While his mission is to bring in mutant fugitives alive, his tactics are extremely aggressive, overly so, which has lead to more than a few deaths. He is loyal to his men, but will gladly sacrifice every one of them if it means that the mutant threat would with totally dealt with.

The Argonauts 
PL: 8 Minion (120 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 20 (+5/+1) DEX: 10 (0) CON: 12 (+1) INT: 14 (+2) WIS: 12 (+1) CHA: 10 (0)

SKILLS: Climb (+5), Concentration (+1), Notice 8 (+9), Pilot 10 (+10), Military 10 (+11), Search 8 (+10), Sense Motive (+1), Survival (+1), Swim (+5)

FEATS: Improved Aim, Power Attack, Improved Sunder

POWERS: Device: Argonaut Armor (Hard-to-lose) [12], Enhanced Strength [8], Blast [10], Super-Strength [1], Immunity (Life Support) [9], Protection (Impervious) [9], Flight [4], Super-Senses (Radio, Distance Sense, Direction Sense, Comm Link [4]

COMBAT: Attack 6 [Unarmed +5 (Bruise)] Defense 16 (13 flat-footed) Init 0

SAVES: Toughness 10 (10 flat-footed) Fortitude 11 Reflex 10 Will 7

Abilities 10 + Skills 9 (36 ranks) + Feats 3 + Powers 48 + Combat 24 + Saves 26 – Drawbacks 0 = 120 / 120

The Argonaut Powered Armor Battallion (APBA) is a special military force dealing primarily with superhuman threats and answers only to the Secretary of Defense and the President. Unlike the Guardsmen units that handle both domestic and federal affairs, primarily serving as prison guards in the few prison facilities for superhumans in the United States, the Argonauts are detailed to strike in matters of “national security”.

The Argonaut Program was initiated after the Sentinel Massacre in Times Square. The Department of Defense determined that the handling of the mutant issue was better left to live persons than AI constructs. The Argonaut armor was devised initially in mind for combat operations such as the Iraq War from plans gathered from the Freedom Leaguer, Daedalus (both from the hero directly, unwittingly that is, and through more…shady sources).

Members of the APBA are drawn from the best of not only the Air Force, but from the Guardsmen and other Power Armor pilot veterans. At first, there was no screening for how a pilot felt about superhumans, and mutants in particular, but when Agent Jason was put in command of the battalion he made sure that his men had their “hearts in the right place.” Now, some 90% of the APBA are considered hostile to the mutant population, with the other 10% being on the fence. They are fiercely loyal to Agent Jason, some in the Department of Defense feel they are too loyal.

The Argonaut armor is a form-fitting, super strong polymer that allows for flight, blasters, net deployers, targeting systems, communications, and physical adjustors that essentially make the pilot a superhuman himself while wearing the suit. The design is Greco-Roman in look.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Toren, the Temporal Knight

Toren, the Temporal Knight 
PL: X

ABILITIES: STR: 12 (+1) DEX: 10 (0) CON: 12 (+1) INT: 14 (+2) WIS: 16 (+3) CHA: 12 (+1)

SKILLS: Bluff 8 (+9), Climb (+1), Computers (+2), Concentration (+3), Diplomacy (+1), Disable Device (+2), Disguise 12 (+13), Gather Info (+1), Handle Animal (+1), Intimidate (+1), Investigate (+2), Cosmos 12 (+14), Medicine (+3), Notice (+3), Profession (+3), Search (+2), Sense Motive 4 (+7), Stealth 4 (+4), Survival (+3), Swim (+1)

FEATS: Dodge Focus (2), Defensive Roll (3), Power Attack, Well-Informed, Jack-of-All-Trades, Improved Critical (1)

POWERS: *Flight [10], Subtle, , *Space Travel [10], *Immunity (Life Support) [9], *Immortality [1], *Device: Time Shard (hard-to-lose) [3], Strike [9], Mighty, , Protection [6], *Teleport [X], , Change Direction, , Change Velocity, , Easy, , Progression, , Turnabout, , Accurate, , Attack, , Area, , Portal, , Selective Attack, , Nullify Teleport, , *Time Control [X], , *Time Stop[X], , No Save, *Morph [X]

COMBAT: Attack 10 [Time Shard 10 (Lethal)] Defense 20 (14 flat-footed) Init 0

SAVES: Toughness 10 (7 flat-footed) Fortitude 10 Reflex 6 Will 10

DRAWBACKS:

Abilities 16 + Skills 10 (40 ranks) + Feats 9 + Powers 57 [X] + Combat 36 + Saves 22 – Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150

Real Name: Toren McAllister
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 185 lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Nationality: None. Toren never officially existed in this reality
Ethnicity: Caucasian

Throughout history great men have had to make decisions to sacrifice some lives in order to save far more, however, Toren McAllister never considered himself a great man; he was merely a young mutant in over his head. The worst part is that no one knows about the decision that he had to make and the overwhelming sacrifice he made to save reality.

Toren was once a mutant with the ability to control time. He was part of the New X-Men, a young group of mutants that were being groomed to be the next generation of X-Men. He believed in the cause of mutant equality and used his powers to fight those that would hinder that process. He was content, even amidst great tragedy, to fight this fight and if need be, give his life for the promise of a better tomorrow. If he knew then what he knows now, he wonders if he could make the same choice again.

The malevolent ruler of Hell, Mephisto, had begun taking over realities. He found that the walls that shield the various timelines, a near infinite amount of realities branching off from every choice ever made, from the dimension of Hell were weakening. Mephisto took the opportunity to flood the weakest of timelines with his own, making him stronger and stronger with each timeline that folded into Hell. If left unchecked, Hell would be the only reality. The world’s greatest heroes from various timelines converged through the machinations of Mephisto on the point where all realities originate: The Citadel of Time, to stop Grandfather Time, an enigmatic being who was tasked by The First to protect the time, from collapsing all reality. The only problem was that Grandfather Time wasn't trying to destroy reality, he was trying to make it stronger. He made the choice to make time a singular reality, a reality that would be strong enough to keep Mephisto out. The downside being that many beings across the multiverse would simply cease to exist. Mephisto, under a guise as a weary time traveler, had tipped the heroes off to the plan and hoped not only would the heroes defeat Grandfather Time, but it would also put the largest hurdle to his dominion over all that is in one place; all the more easier to get rid of them all at one time.

During the battle that ensued, the heroes finally saw the truth. While none liked the idea of countless numbers of beings simply being snuffed out, it was better than all those beings suffering under the thumb of Mephisto. Sadly, Grandfather Time used too much of his waning power to complete the task, however, Toren could finish the work that needed to be done. Toren didn't want the responsibility, but he finally did that he was tasked to do. The blood of all those beings is on his hands, but Mephisto was defeated and reality now stands strong. He tells himself that it had to be done, but it doesn't make the pain go away.

When the one reality was created, Toren's parents never met, he was never born. He is a man that should not be; saved only because he was the conduit of salvation. The pain he feels for all the lives lost is only compounded by the loss of the family that he once had and will never have again. Plus, he is the only being in this reality (that he knows of) that knows what happened. The other heroes don’t know anything, mostly because none of them in their form at the battle exist anymore; their various forms were merged in some cases while other no longer are.

Toren found after the crisis that his powers have expanded. He is a cosmic being. He can step through space and time to appear at any place anywhere in the universe. He can sense when events are in motion that could harm the fabric of space and time. It is his duty to stop those events from happening, and has been granted the ability to fight in way he never could before thanks so the sword he wields (The Time Shard). It is a task that fuels his being now.

Depression sets in during the times when all is quiet throughout the universe, so Toren stalks evil across the universe wherever it occurs. He has only come back to Earth a few times to help heroes similar to the ones that he fought alongside battle great threats, but he doesn't come back unless he is absolutely needed. It hurts too much to be among people that knew him in another time and place no longer know him except as a mysterious cosmic being. He was once in love with Jubilation Lee and she with him. Before the crisis they were well on their way to being married, but now she doesn't know him; that loss, along with the loss of his family, keeps Toren away more than any guilt or loneliness.

Toren is an attractive man that appears to be in his early twenties, but his face constantly bears the look of a man that has seen far too much sadness and pain in his young life. His black hair is usually disheveled and he wears glasses to cover the pain so evident in his eyes. His goatee is long and usually braided, but other than long sideburns he stays clean shaven. When in combat, a mish-mash of armor covers much of his body, but he doesn't wear a helmet. He uses his cosmic powers to form clothes to fit in with whatever society he is moving amongst whenever he is not in combat. The Time Shard is an oddly shaped sword that looks to be made of crystal and is worn in a scabbard strapped across his back, but is made invisible whenever Toren doesn't want to display the sword.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Homebrew Supers: Adolph

Adolph 
PL: 10 (150 pp)

ABILITIES: STR: 26 (+8/+1) DEX: 18 (+4/0) CON: 23 (+6/+1) INT: 14 (+2) WIS: 12 (+1) CHA: 16 (+3)

SKILLS: Bluff (+3), Climb (+7), Concentration (+1), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Disguise (+3), Escape Artist (+4), Gather Info 12 (+15), Handle Animal (+3), Intimidate 12 (+15), Investigate 12 (+14), History 12 (+14), Notice 8 (+9), Oratory 12 (+15), Search (+2), Sense Motive 8 (+9), Stealth (+4), Survival (+1), Swim (+7)

FEATS: Defensive Roll (4), Chokehold, Improved Critical (1), Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Leadership, Diehard, Minions (11), Connected, Contacts, Well-Informed

POWERS: *Enhanced Strength [12], *Enhanced Dexterity [8], *Enhanced Constitution [10], *Super-Strength [2], *Immunity (Disease, poison, cold, heat) [4], *Leaping [2], *Strike (Fists) [3], Mighty, , *Growth [1], Permanent,

COMBAT: Attack 10 [Unarmed +8 (Bruise)] Defense 16 (13 flat-footed) Init 4

SAVES: Toughness 10 (6 flat-footed) Fortitude 10 Reflex 4 Will 6

Abilities 16 + Skills 22 (88 ranks) + Feats 24 + Powers 47 + Combat 32 + Saves 9 – Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150

Real Name: Frederick Goebel
Height: 8’5”
Weight: 1300 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Hazel
Nationality: American, with a criminal record
Ethnicity: German

Frederick Goebel, or Adolph as he prefers to be called now, is the leader of Fourth Reich, a Neo-Nazi group that has been gaining power over the last few years. He is a massive man, a by product of taking an untested vial of the second generation Super Soldier serum stolen from the US government, who wants to lead the world under the Nazi flag like his namesake tried to do in WWII.

Adolph’s grandfather was a high-ranking SS operative that fled from Germany after the Axis failed to turn back the Allies during the D-Day Invasion in Normandy. He kept his family on the move; first hiding in Brazil, then moving to Mexico, and finally coming to rest in the US, right under the nose of the US Government in Washington DC. While he was never active in the burgeoning Neo-Nazi movement that sprang up in the 40’s, he instilled his twisted Nazi values on his children and grandchildren. None of Adolph’s cousins showed the determination that he did, and he quickly became his grandfather’s favorite when he joined an underground Nazi group based in Virginia. Over the years, Adolph would rise to power over not only that cell, but nearly other Neo-Nazi group in the US. With his dying breath, Adolph’s grandfather told him how proud he was that he was carrying on the glorious tradition of the Reich, and Adolph had never felt more proud.

Fourth Reich is still primarily a clandestine organization, even after some high profile thefts of weaponry and other technology. Much of the organization is based in a grass-roots approach to spread pride in German heritage and sow discord among the “lesser” races. Their movement is popular in areas with high poverty and little education. The upper echelons of the organization are for those that have not only proven their devotion to the cause (usually through acts of terrorism), but also genetic purity and intelligence.

Until the theft of the Super Soldier serum, Adolph was primarily a tactician that let underlings take all the action. Now, he leads at the forefront as a sterling example of the might destined to be had by all members of the Fourth Reich. Even though he has been defeated several times, even once by Jewish duo Psword and Pshield, he still commands the respect of all members of the Fourth Reich.

The Fourth Reich has a loose alliance with other Nazi groups and villains from Ultima Thule to the Iron Cross, but Adolph makes it no secret that he feels he is one true successor of Der Fuhrer and that all others should bow to him, even though deep down he knows that he doesn't yet have the raw power or the resources needed to take on the other major players in the worldwide Nazi network.

Adolph is a huge man. He stands over 8 feet tall. His dark hair began thinning after taking the Super Soldier serum, and he can no longer grow any facial hair as well. He wears a modernized version of a Nazi SS Commandant’s uniform of grey fatigues and a black leather overcoat. He’s usually cool-headed, but finds that his temper has also become as thin as his hair after ingesting the serum. One of his scientists attributes much of change in his body to a latent mutation in his genetic code that reacted violently to the serum. Since mutation is a mark of an impure bloodline, Adolph killed the man to keep his secret hidden.