[experimental build] What do you guys think?

[pointyman2000]

Hi guys,

I've been trying my hand at building a Mentalist NPC for the Teen HERO game I'm running and I sort of came up with this. I'm pretty sure it's legal (except for maybe the detect sense in the VPP) and I wanted to see what you guys thought of it.

Pardon the code name, I couldn't think of anything else that would fit her. :D



Shirley Temple
A Star in her own Mind

0 STR 10 11- HTH Damage 2d6 END1
30 DEX 20 13- OCV 7; DCV 7
10 CON 15 12-
0 BOD 10 11-
5 INT 15 12- PER Roll 12-
30 EGO 25 14- ECV: 8
15 PRE 25 14- PRE Attack: 5d6
8 COM 25 14-

0 PD 2 2/14PD (0/12rPD)
0 ED 2 2/14ED (0/12rED)
10 SPD 4 Phases: 3,6,9,12
0 REC 5
0 END 30
0 STUN 23

0 Running 6"
0 Swimming 2"
0 Leaping 2" Forward / 1" Upward

Total Characteristics Cost: 108

Skills:

5 Acting 15-
3 Breakfall 13-
15 +3 with DCV
3 Conversation 14-
3 Disguise 12-
3 High Society 14-
3 KS: Theatre 12-
3 Mimicry 12-
3 Persuasion 12-
3 PS: Actress 14-
3 PS: Volleyball 13-
3 Ventriloquism 12-

Total Skills Cost 50

Powers:

20 Costume: Armor (12 PD/12 ED) (36 Active Points); OIF (-1/2),
Real Armor (-1/4)

10 Mental Conditioning: Mental Defense (15 points total)

20 Psi Training: Elemental Control, 40-point powers

16 I'm Every Woman: Shape Shift (Sight , Mental , Hearing , Smell/Taste
and Touch Groups, Human), Costs END Only To Change Shape (+1/4) (40
Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to Activate, -1/4) END 3

13 Mindscape: Mental Illusions 4d6 ( Human class of minds), Invisible to
Mental Group, Source Only (+1/4), Cumulative (48 points; +3/4) (40 Active
Points); Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Stops Working If Mentalist Is
Knocked Out (-1/4) END 4

13 What's your Motivation?: Detect Psychological Limitations 20- (Unusual
Group), Concealed (-10 with Detect PER Rolls), Discriminatory, Range,
Telescopic (+9 versus Range Modifier) (40 Active Points); Concentration (1/2
DCV; -1/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) END 4

Total Powers Cost: 111

Disadvantages:

20 Psychological Limitation: Too Curious for her own Good (Common, Total)

15 Psychological Limitation: Gossip (Common, Strong)

20 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing (Common, Total)

15 Psychological Limitation: Meddler (Common, Strong)

15 Hunted: Elite School Headmaster (Father) 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)

15 Social Limitation: Subject to Orders (Team Leader) (Frequently, Major)

Total Disadvantages: 100


Her backstory is that she's actually the daughter of the headmaster of an elite school exclusively for Metahuman teenagers. She's got a passion for theatre, and she occasionally plays volleyball as a hobby.

She's not a traditional superhero in the sense that she comes in with a bang and a speech. Instead, she prefers to morph into an attractive woman and put her acting skills to use to lure Villains to grabbing her as a hostage. Once the villain is holding on to her, she can then take her time in gathering cumulative effect points in mental illusions, keying into her target's psychological limitations to form an "acceptable" illusionary scenario.

While the villain is trapped in his own dreamworld, she'll call the authorities (or her team mates) to subdue or arrest the guy, ending the illusion when he's safely in his cell.

:)

[Eosin]

She seems a little too one-trick-pony for my tastes. Other than her mental illusions (which are nullifed with 10 points of EGO Def) she can sense limitations and disguise herself. That is about it. I think she would make a great Dark Champions character if you gave her a gun :nonp:

She is also gonna get one-punched everytime. True she has a 10 DCV but anybody connecting with 10d6 or greater has just rang her bell.

I am not up to date on teen champions, these may be facets of the game?

Possible suggestions.....???

[caris]

I think the one trick pony aspect has as much to do with her being an NPC as anything.

[pointyman2000]

yeah, admittedly she is a one trick pony. :p

I built her as an NPC to occasionally help the PCs now and then without upstaging them.

I figure she'd take precautions, not really getting into direct confrontation because she pretty much knows that a solid hit will leave her unconscious.

Teen Champions is usually about characters who are "growing into" their powers so to speak, and while she's just pretty much a teen-Mystique, I think she's shaping up rather well.

Maybe give her a few more years. :D

[Eosin]

I think the one trick pony aspect has as much to do with her being an NPC as anything.

That i'll teach me to note the difference in NPC and PC...... :idjit:

How bout you disregard everything I said. She is a great NPC!

[pointyman2000]

I don't think I should disregard everything you said. If I ever end up in a Dark Champions campaign, I could give her a gun, boost her abilities and defenses a bit and give her a spin as a PC :D

[Sean Waters]

A nice enough character but:

1. Real armour has weight and mass and won't (despite the fact that it is technically not visible) work well with shapeshifting. I'd get rid of the 'real' unless there is an excellent reason to have it.

2.The powers seem disjointed to me: shapeshift and mental illusions? Is the shapeshift a really cunning illusion that no one can see through?

3. I know she needs it but why +3 DCV?

4. As you point out you have a detect in an EC: very dodgy IMO especially as it will substantially boost the effectiveness of the mental illusions power, I would not let you take a discount on it. It certainly is NOT a 'flavour' power.

5. Those psychological limitations: apart from the enormous points total for PSYCH LIMS she would have to be a hell of a meddling gossip to justify 30 points, and total curiosity; she'd be utterly useless.

Like I say though I don't mind the one trickness of her: to be honest I'd rather see a one trick poiny properly role played that a character with a whole range of different powers and abilities suited to every situation who is played as the ultimate utility belt, and whose powers overshadow the role playing aspects.

[pointyman2000]

A nice enough character

Thanks!


but:

Ah, here we go. :) *takes out a notebook and pencil*


1. Real armour has weight and mass and won't (despite the fact that it is technically not visible) work well with shapeshifting. I'd get rid of the 'real' unless there is an excellent reason to have it.

Point taken, Now that you mentioned it, I can't really justify it. I suppose I could take "real" off of it, and maybe risk toning it down to fit cost and represent some sort of flexi-armor that costumes are usually made of.


2.The powers seem disjointed to me: shapeshift and mental illusions? Is the shapeshift a really cunning illusion that no one can see through?

Yes, the shapeshift is an unusually convincing illusion. As good as the real thing, so to speak.


3. I know she needs it but why +3 DCV?

Defensive training? She's part of a superhero team in training. Dunno if that rationale will pass under most GM scrutiny though :o


4. As you point out you have a detect in an EC: very dodgy IMO especially as it will substantially boost the effectiveness of the mental illusions power, I would not let you take a discount on it. It certainly is NOT a 'flavour' power.

Agreed, I have to admit that I got away with this only because I'm the one GMing. :D But if I was disallowed, I'd tone it down big time to have no telescoping, a lot less penalties to notice she was using it, and a much lower roll.


5. Those psychological limitations: apart from the enormous points total for PSYCH LIMS she would have to be a hell of a meddling gossip to justify 30 points, and total curiosity; she'd be utterly useless.

Ah, no excuse there. I was running out of ideas for limitations to give her, to be honest. :o


Like I say though I don't mind the one trickness of her: to be honest I'd rather see a one trick poiny properly role played that a character with a whole range of different powers and abilities suited to every situation who is played as the ultimate utility belt, and whose powers overshadow the role playing aspects.

True enough. Besides, it's an interesting challenge to play a one trick pony sometimes. If you're lucky, you'll realize that that one trick can go a long way. :D

[Dust Raven]

I would agree with Sean on many points. Something else though. Should the Armor be obvious? That alone right there is likely to kill any effect Shapeshift would have.

"Hey look! It's Sarah Michelle Geller! But why is she wearing Teen Triumph* costume?" *or whatever the team is called

I see several problems with the Psych Limits. These aren't that much of a big deal since she's an NPC, but it might be worth the trouble to just tone them down and add some free XP.

With a Total curious, she will never be able to resist any mystery, no matter how small or trivial. She will push the button, open all the doors in the dungeon, flip all the levers and go through everyone's drawers and medicine cabinets, and will probaby attempt discover the answer to any question every posed to her, including the idle pondering of what color the Boy Blunder's underwear is. Since she's an NPC, it's all in your hands as GM anyway, but I'd never allow a PC to take this.

Strong on gossip and meddler is also a red flag. Might be appropriate for a character who really can't keep her mouth shut, but these two tend to overlap to the point of almost double dipping.

A suggestion, if you'd just like to pin some points down for Disads, drop Meddler and add in Melodramatic (at the same cost). Seem like it would fit the character's personality.