[Character] Phaeton [Archive] - HERO Games Discussion Boards

Enforcer84

Jun 5th, '03, 08:43 PM

Here is a character I have made for a game that, alas never came to be. If I get a chance I want to play him.

Phaeton

Player: S Chad Riley

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Val  </td><td>Char   </td><td>Cost</td></tr><tr><td align="right">60  </td><td>STR</td><td>50</td></tr><tr><td align="right">18  </td><td>DEX</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td align="right">30  </td><td>CON</td><td>40</td></tr><tr><td align="right">15  </td><td>BODY</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td align="right">13  </td><td>INT</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td align="right">11  </td><td>EGO</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td align="right">20  </td><td>PRE</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td align="right">20  </td><td>COM</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr><tr><td align="right">25  </td><td>PD</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td align="right">20  </td><td>ED</td><td>14</td></tr><tr><td align="right">5  </td><td>SPD</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td align="right">18  </td><td>REC</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">60  </td><td>END</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">60  </td><td>STUN</td><td>0</td></tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr><tr><td align="right">6"  </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">12"  </td><td>LEAP</td><td>0</td></tr></table>Characteristics Cost: 193

<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">50  </td><td>Flame Vision: Energy Blast 10d6 (vs. ED) </td><td valign="top" align="right">5</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">20  </td><td>Fire Resistant: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Only Works Against Fire/Heat Limited Type of Attack (-1/2) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">15  </td><td>Efficient Musculature: +0 STR, Reduced Endurance 1/2 END (+1/4) (15 Active Points) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">5  </td><td>Impenetrable defense: Lack Of Weakness (-5) for Mental Defense </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">23  </td><td>Invulnerability: Damage Resistance (25 PD/20 ED) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">28  </td><td>Durable Physiology: Life Support , Eating: Character only has to eat once per week, Extended Breathing, Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents, Longevity: Immortal, Safe in High Pressure, Safe in High Radiation, Safe in Intense Cold, Safe in Intense Heat, Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum, Sleeping: Character only has to sleep 8 hours per week </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">4  </td><td>Stubborn and strong: Knockback Resistance -2" </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">5  </td><td>Iron Will: +5 Mental Defense (7 points total) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">15  </td><td>Heightened Senses: Enhanced Perception (+5 to PER Rolls for All Sense Groups) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">6  </td><td>Telescopic Vision: Telescopic +4 to PER Rolls (only to offset the Range Modifier) (Sight Group) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">5  </td><td>Thermal Imaging: Infrared Perception </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">35  </td><td>True Flight: Flight 15", x4 Noncombat </td><td valign="top" align="right">3</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">7  </td><td>Instant Change: Transform 2d6: into and out of Superhero costume (Cosmetic) (10 Active Points); Limited Target (Clothes) Limited (-1/2) </td><td valign="top" align="right">1</td></tr></table>Powers Cost: 218

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Skill</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">9  </td><td>+3 with Punch, Grab, Haymaker </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">  </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Computer Programming 12- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>Language: Greek (fluent conversation) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Paramedics 12- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Persuasion 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Scholar </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>1) KS: Programming languages (INT-based) (4 Active Points) 13- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>2) KS: Greek Mythology (INT-based) (3 Active Points) 12- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">1  </td><td>3) KS: Greek Literature (2 Active Points) 11- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">1  </td><td>4) KS: Superhero World (2 Active Points) 11- </td></tr></table>Skills Cost: 30

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Talent</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">9  </td><td>Lightning Reflexes: +6 DEX to act first with All Actions </td></tr></table>Talents Cost: 9

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Val  </td><td>Disadvantages</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">5  </td><td>Distinctive Features: "Perfect" Physical Specimen (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Hunted: Lucifer the Fallen 8- (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish; Extensive Non-Combat Influence) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Hunted: UNTIL 11- (Mo Pow; Watching; Extensive Non-Combat Influence; PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Hunted: Telios 8- (Mo Pow; Watching; Extensive Non-Combat Influence) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Code vs Killing (Common; Total) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">15  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Loves Victoria (Common; Strong) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">15  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Guilt over criminal past (Common; Strong) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">15  </td><td>Reputation: "Reformed" Criminal 11- (Extreme) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">5  </td><td>Rivalry: Professional (Wildfire; Rival is As Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">15  </td><td>Social Limitation: Public Identity (Frequently; Major) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Social Limitation: Ward of the Defenders (Occasionally; Major) </td></tr></table>
Disadvantage Points: 150
 
Base Points: 300
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0
Total Character Cost: 450
 
<table width="100%" valign="top"><tr valign="top"><td>Height: 6' 6"</td><td>Hair: Red</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Weight: 250 lbs</td><td>Eyes: Black</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Appearance: Think Ido (Id in America) from Xenogears. Long wild red hair, black eyes and a stylized flight suit with a black cape. (As Omega). As Phaeton, its the same save for changing the black to white. He also has a golden sun rather than the greek letter omega over his heart. He wears no mask. Erik is taller than he used to be by about 4 inches, he weighs about 250 and has a lean, muscular build. He often wears his hair back in a pony tail when not "on duty" and dresses in jeans and tee shirts.</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Personality: Erik Blaque, the name given to him by the courts when they sealed his other identity to protect his family, is not sure what to make of life. He seeks to atone for the damage he caused as Omega, and despite everything, secretly revels in his superhuman abilities. At the same time, he has a strained relationship with Aria and now has to work with her every day. He feels uncomfortable with the press and publicity. To the public he is a reformed villain. The details of his mental domination have been kept secret for some reason, and he is unsure why. Some heroes that he encountered as a villain have trouble warming up to him. Despite his difficulties, Phaeton has performed admirably but has yet to face his former Master. </td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Quote:You play the hand you are dealt, my friend. Put down the gun and maybe we can set you on the right track before you end up wasting your life. </td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Background: Eric White was a senior at Syracuse when he met Aria Tanner, a sociology major from Greece. Tall, athletic, graceful, and easily the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, Eric worshipped her from afar. He watched all the university "alpha males", the jocks, rich kids, braniacs, and even the professors pressing her for her time and knew he had no chance. It wasn't until they were partnered together in a Greek Mythology class (one of his favorite pastimes), that he even got a chance to speak to her. To his tremendous surprise; they hit it off. They had been dating almost six months when he discovered, quite by accident, that Aria was the superheroine Shield Maiden. At first things went very smoothly; she was glad to not have to keep secrets from him, he was glad to finally know where she kept disappearing to. Things grew more difficult as the relationship deepened, however. He worried about her safety; she worried about his. She worried that dating a superstrong amazon might affect his feelings of self worth. He worried about the possible advances of other heroes, feeling he had less to offer. Things would get tense. Then came the day that he would regret for the rest of his life. One afternoon he met a man named Lance Gabriel. Gabriel was sympathetic to Eric's plight. The man revealed himself to be an being of great power. He offered to help Eric join the ranks of superhumanity and be their for the love of his life. The offer was too good to be true, but the temptation was overwhelming. Later Eric would find out why, but for now he shook hands with Gabriel and agreed to whatever demands the man had made. Eric didn't remember falling asleep, or losing consciousness, but he awoke in a great four poster bed with silver silken sheets in an ornately decorated room. Brushing his hair out of his face, Eric realized that it had changed color! Leaping from the bed he found a mirror and saw that his entire body had been transformed. He barely recognized himself. Looking around the room he saw a pile of clothing, and seeing as he was naked, he went to put it on. He touched it and it suddenly formed to his body, a red and black body suit with a black cape. The greek letter omega adorned his heart. The door openned and a beautiful, pale skinned woman with a decidedly gothic look entered. She looked Eric up and down and smiled seductively, "The Master will see you now." Eric discovered, to his horror that he had not been dealing with a mortal man by any means. He had made a deal with the Devil himself. Or at least a minion of Satan. Lance Gabriel had stolen Eric's soul and Eric now was a minion of his, he couldn't resist the commands of his new master and accompanied Gabriel, or as he was called in the "business" the Fallen, and his other agents on crime sprees, battling the heroes that he looked up to all his life. With a rather perverse pleasure, The Fallen used his new pawn to attack the New Guardians, the superhero team that Shield Maiden was a member of, on a rather regular basis. Eric had managed to avoid her as a combatant, and tried his utmost to not let her recognize him, but eventually she encountered him one on one. It was all Eric could do to keep from taking his own life. He tried to escape, and got increasingly desparate. When Aria recognized her missing boyfriend in the villain she was fighting, her hesitation gave him the break he needed. Striking fast and running, Eric got halfway back to his master's New York mansion when he was attacked by the Cloud Walker, a former member of China's Tiger Squadron, and formidible psychic. Omega was defeated and stood trial. All in all he had managed to avoid major crimes, and recieved a rather light sentence. When the Fallen and his minions appeared to break Omega free, the Guardians attacked. The Fallen, as he was leaving, commanded Omega to "Armaggedon" and he used his minor command of fire to cause himself to explode. Eric awoke in the Stronghold infirmary. Standing next to him was Cloud Walker, Dr. Silverback, Dr Helen Amory, and Aria, as Shield Maiden. Eric tried to rise, but he was too weak. "You have been through a great deal Eric White." Cloud Walker said, the older man's voice was soothing. "I know you believe that you made a deal with dark powers, that you sold your soul, but you are mistaken. The compulsion you felt to obey the Fallen was placed upon you by a powerful Telepathic command, not by the possession of your soul." Eric couldn't speak, he just stared at the man. "Furthermore, your abilities were granted to you not by blasphemous magic, or foul sorcery, but by science no less misguided." "Yes, I agree," Dr Silverback said, "I have studied mutation very closely, and believe your benefactor was more likely the madman known as Telios, rather than any otherworldly power." "What am I then?" Eric spoke at last. "A man who was used as a pawn in a game between good and evil." Shield Maiden spoke finally. She did not, however, look Eric in the eye. Eventually, the four left him to rest. He did not sleep well, fevered night mares of demons and the tortures of his soul kept him awake. The nightmares worsened for a few days, then he encounterd Cloud Walker. The man chased his nightmares away and stood sentinal in his dreams. One night the hero told Eric that the psychic responsible was still trying to harm him, but he was now under the protection of the Guardians. After six weeks, Eric was summoned to a hearing regarding the reduction of his conviction. The courts; using prof garnered by the Guardians, Dr Silverback, and a man named Mr. Gray, were convinced that Eric had not acted under he own free will during his actions with the Fallen. And since Eric had not commited any dire harm to anyone during his three month supervillain carreer he would be remanded to the Guardians for "rehabilitation" and to work off his probation. Although many of the facts of his case were kept classified, Eric made all the papers. Now, calling himelf Phaeton, Eric battles alongside his former girlfriend and tries to undo the damage he caused. </td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Powers/Tactics: Phaeton is a brick with some minor pyrokinetic abilities, mostly his his "Flame Vision" and his resistance to fire. He is difficult to harm and can survive in almost any environment. His senses are particularly accute, especially his sight. Lastly, he can fly man; how cool is that? </td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan=2>Campaign Use: Another brick. He also is a reformed criminal, has a ready made rogues gallery, and some angst for you tragedians. Shield Maiden feels responsible for Eric's actions, if she hadn't been seeing him he would never have been used against her like he was. She feels very uncomfortable around him. Erik is trying to be </td></tr></table>

Any critiques, criticisms, suggestions?

Enforcer84

Jun 5th, '03, 08:46 PM

First off, I forgot to change Lucifer the Fallen to simply, the Fallen. Secondly, I'm not wild about the hackneyed novella I used as an origin but that's that.
Now, someone else critique me...

Hermit

Jun 5th, '03, 08:52 PM

Well, first things first...
I LIKE Your hackneyed novella :)

As was pointed out to me on a thread a long time ago, some of the best heroes have a redemption theme going on. Besides, he may have been fooled, but he was a fool for love... can't top that much can we ? :)

Enforcer84

Jun 5th, '03, 09:34 PM

Yeah, but even that was "pushed"

The real story is this:

The Fallen is not what he appears, he is a very wealthy man who payed Telios huge sums of money to make him in the fallen angel image he is obsessed with. His minions are all "side projects" of Telios that Fallen has funded. Including the goth chick Lilith, who is actually the powerful Psychic in question. When Eric was a little too close to combat once, Lillith picked up on his concern for his girlfriend.
Aria has two unwanted suiters; Wildfire, and Fallen! Fallen is upset that his advances were rebuffed so he decided to ruin her love life by turning her lover into a supervillain.

The thing is, all of Lilith's psychic conditioning wasn't really working to the extent that Fallen wanted, he couldn't get Omega to kill innocents, nore could he get him to attempt to brutalize Shield Maiden. When Cloud Walker finally took him down it was because Lilith had become less subtle in her puppetry and Cloud Walker was able to sense it.

Aria feels she's to blame for all of Eric's suffering and she is turning away from him in shame. Wildfire (who is a member of the Guardians) is trying to use this to his advantage and make his move. He and Eric never got along (duh) and he is really hard on Phaeton when he thinks he can get away with it. He's a hero, but I modled him after Starburst, he's pretty much a Me First kind of guy.

Whew.

Actually, Phaeton is the first clue to the Guardians that Fallen isn't what he seems.