Help with Villian [Archive] - HERO Games Discussion Boards

JohnOSpencer

Mar 2nd, '04, 03:03 PM

One of my PCs is a Demon who is redeemng himself. In the process, he has started his own church. I wanted to make a villian who would be a good nemesis for him, so I came up with the (age-old) idea of a religious fanatic who stirs the local populance into a frenzy.
The problem is working out his powers. I have exhausted ideas and am looking for help with additional powers and the power level of current ones.

Thanks,
John Spencer

Redeemer

Player: NPC Villian

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Val  </td><td>Char   </td><td>Cost</td></tr><tr><td align="right">20  </td><td>STR</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td align="right">20  </td><td>DEX</td><td>30</td></tr><tr><td align="right">20  </td><td>CON</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td align="right">18  </td><td>BODY</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td align="right">18  </td><td>INT</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td align="right">23  </td><td>EGO</td><td>26</td></tr><tr><td align="right">35  </td><td>PRE</td><td>25</td></tr><tr><td align="right">12  </td><td>COM</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr><tr><td align="right">15/20  </td><td>PD</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td align="right">15/20  </td><td>ED</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td align="right">5  </td><td>SPD</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td align="right">8  </td><td>REC</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">40  </td><td>END</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">50  </td><td>STUN</td><td>12</td></tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr><tr><td align="right">11"  </td><td>RUN</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">2"  </td><td>SWIM</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">4"  </td><td>LEAP</td><td>0</td></tr></table>Characteristics Cost: 190

<table border="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Power</td><td align="right">END</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">70  </td><td>Armor of Faith: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% plus Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% plus Damage Resistance (10 PD/10 ED) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">26  </td><td>Convert the Unfaithfull: Mind Control 2d6 ( Human and Alien classes of minds), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Cumulative (96 points; +1 1/4), Area Of Effect (24" Radius; +1 1/2); Incantations (Requires Incantations throughout; Complex; Must vocalize commands.; -1), No Range (-1/2), Targets must be able to hear him and understand his language. (-1/2), Does Not Provide Mental Awareness (-1/4) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">65  </td><td>Empower the Faithful: Aid All physical stats 5d6, Area Of Effect (15" Radius; +1), Selective (+1/4), all physical attributes simultaneously (+2); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Incantations (Complex; Must make an inspiring speech.; -1/2), Others Only (-1/2), Targets must be able to hear him and understand his language. (-1/2), Only on the "Faithful" (-1/4) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">19  </td><td>Gun: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6+1, +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4); OAF (-1), 12 Charges (-1/4) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">10  </td><td>Pursue the Unredeemable: Running +5" (11" total) </td><td valign="top" align="right">1</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">35  </td><td>Sword of Redemption: Multipower, 52-point reserve, all slots OIF (-1/2) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">3u  </td><td>1) Beam of Punishment: Energy Blast 3d6+1, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Attack Versus Limited Defense (Power Defense; +1 1/2); OIF (-1/2) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">3u  </td><td>2) Blade: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (3d6 w/STR), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OIF (-1/2) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">3u  </td><td>3) Mercy Strike: Hand-To-Hand Attack +7d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">3u  </td><td>4) Shield of Faith: Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack); OIF (-1/2) plus +6 with Missile Deflection; OIF (-1/2) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">8  </td><td>Vestiments of the Redeemer: Armor (5 PD/5 ED); Activation Roll 14- (Does not protect locations 4, 6, 17-18.; -1/2), IIF (-1/4) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">10  </td><td>Zealots Will: Mental Defense (15 points total) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr></table>Powers Cost: 255

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Skill</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">16  </td><td>+2 with All Combat </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">9  </td><td>+3 with Sword of Redemption </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Breakfall 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Conversation 16- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Deduction 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">8  </td><td>Defense Maneuver I-III  </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Interrogation 16- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>KS: Angels and Demons 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>KS: Religion 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>KS: Supernatural Creatures 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">7  </td><td>Oratory 18- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>PS: Preacher 16- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Persuasion 16- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">5  </td><td>Rapid Attack (HTH)  </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Shadowing 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Stealth 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Tactics 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Teamwork 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">5  </td><td>WF: Common Melee Weapons, Small Arms, Flamethrowers </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">4  </td><td>Weaponsmith (Firearms, Incendiary Weapons, Muscle-Powered HTH) 13- </td></tr></table>Skills Cost: 93

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Perk</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">15  </td><td>Follower </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">30  </td><td>Followers </td></tr></table>Perks Cost: 45

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Talent</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">5  </td><td>Resistance (5 points) </td></tr></table>Talents Cost: 5

Total Character Cost: 588

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Val  </td><td>Disadvantages</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Enraged: When insulted (Common), go 11-, recover 11- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">15  </td><td>Hunted: Black Paladin 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Hunted: FBI 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">15  </td><td>Hunted: Relatives of Various "Faithful" 11- (As Pow, NCI, Limited Geographical Area, Harshly Punish) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">15  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Belives he is in the Right. (Common, Strong) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Casual Killer of the unredeemable (Common, Moderate) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Religious Zealot (Common, Total) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Reputation: Religious Zealot, 11- (Extreme; Known Only To A Small Group) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Rivalry: Professional (Father Marty; Rival is As Powerful; Rival is a Player Character; Seek to Harm or Kill Rival; Rival Unaware of Rivalry) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">15  </td><td>Social Limitation: Secret Identity (Frequently, Major) </td></tr></table>
Disadvantage Points: 150

Base Points: 200
Experience Required: 238
Total Experience Available: 238
Experience Unspent: 0

Mike W

Mar 2nd, '04, 03:17 PM

Offhand, I'd make the Empower selective so that the Demon and his allies cannot benefit, add some languages(both scholarly like Latin and common modern tonuges like Spanish), and add a dispel or suppress vs. magic.

Mike W

Mar 2nd, '04, 03:18 PM

Oops, missed that "only on the faithful" because it isn't limit - it's a selective advantage and power needs to be changed to reflect that.

JohnOSpencer

Mar 2nd, '04, 03:24 PM

Originally posted by Mike W
Oops, missed that "only on the faithful" because it isn't limit - it's a selective advantage and power needs to be changed to reflect that.

The AOE is selective.

John

Lord Liaden

Mar 2nd, '04, 03:55 PM

Some sort of Detect would probably be appropriate, e.g. Detect Demons, Detect Sin, Detect Souls, perhaps with Discriminatory. Making it a Tracking Sense would be useful, too.

JohnOSpencer

Mar 2nd, '04, 04:03 PM

I've also decided to make the "Empower the Faithful" 6d6 and use Standard Effect for a total of 18 points.

This would make an average person "Faithful": 26 STR, 14 DEX, 17 CON, 11 PD, 11 ED, 3 SPD, and 34 Stun. With a club they'd do 7 to 8d6 with a 5 OCV. That should be enough to threaten PCs with numbers.

John

devlin1

Mar 2nd, '04, 04:25 PM

I know this isn't the answer to the question you've asked, but instead of what you've done here, I'd make his nemesis one of two things:

1) A Normal high-profile religious fanatic (e.g., a televangelist type with lots of PRE and Followers who turns public opinion against the PC and/or stoops to hiring lower-powered supervillains of questionable character to destroy the PC in the name of all that is holy and good.

2) Another demon, like what the PC used to be, who hates to see a fellow demon "go straight." Even better: the demon is under the guise of the Normal religious fanatic, above, and leads a highly-secretive double life as an agent of Hell.

Anyway! Carry on.

Ghost who Walks

Mar 2nd, '04, 10:22 PM

Interesting Idea, the reformed Demon...
Couple of ideas, off the top of my head:

1) Back when the Demon was evil, he helped a mortal sell his soul for eternal life. Now the mortal regrets the deal, and seeks revenge.

2) IMC, I do a lot with the Catholic Church. Giving them their own secret order of secret commandoes armed with saint's relics is a lot of fun. It also can help explain why magic/demons are low profile/secret in most comics. Start it off gradually, with the Demon confronting the local priest, who calls in help...the situation escelates from there.

3) The government agent. Might be more of a rival (or watched?), he is convinced the Demon is no good. A Mulder clone, he wants to get the Demon's tax-exempt status revoked. Useful if the player sometimes "relapses" and does bad things, the agent will have the photos.