"...And if you are worthy, you can possess the power of the Blacksmith..."

[Enforcer84]

Before the fall of the original Olympians, Hephaestus descended from Olympus and in the guise of a lame old man visited some of those who created and crafted in his name. 

 

The experience was upsetting. The smiths he visited treated the old man coldly at beset, one or two attempting to physically remove the pest from their forges. Already prone to fits of self-pity, Hephaestus sulked rather than smote. 

 

It was while he wandered, lost in his thoughts that he encountered a group of thieves who saw an old man hobbling alone. The descended on the god and accosted him. Before Hephaestus could even raise a hand to his own defense, the shout of a man drew his attention, and that of the thieves. 

 

Standing before them, clad in a leather apron and brandishing a heavy hammer, stood an apprentice to one of the smiths he'd visited. The thieves rushed the youth but he made a fair account of himself, downing three before being swarmed. But Hephaestus had now recovered his wits and lashed out with fire and fury scattering the remaining thugs before he limped to his would-be protector. 

 

"You have shown me kindness, Mortal; where your masters did not." The God of the Forge smiled at the young man, he touched the hammer with his own and it transformed into solid gold. 

 

"I have passed along my knowledge to you, Blacksmith, and you shall pass that on with your own lessons of compassion and heroism."

 

The young apprentice went on to become a great smith and in times of trouble, a tireless protector of his homeland. He passed the hammer onto his oldest son who took over the forges and he passed on to his son and he to his own.

 

Hephaestus watched from Olympia, pleased at what he saw. For several generations his protegee's descendants did his name proud. Until one day, tragedy struck. A jealous brother murdered the bearer of the hammer and tried to steal its secrets for himself. 

 

Hephaestus returned in a fiery fury and destroyed the murderer himself. Then he grabbed the Golden Hammer and gave forth the command the only the worthy would be able to make use of his gifts, then he set the hammer on an anvil and departed. 

 

All those present scrambled to retrieve the artifact in the God's wake but none found that he could budge it from its resting place. So it lay forgotten until a worthy bearer found it. After the Gods of Olympus were removed by their Jupitarian counterparts, the hammer continued to pop up now and again, in the hands of one champion or another, someone who protected the weak and crafted great wonders. 

 

 

Powers: The Golden Hammer (though it is not always depicted as gold) grants a number of esoteric abilities to it's wielder. As a cheap Thor knockoff idea, it provides them with prodigious strength and durability - superhuman class fit for the campaign in question, a hight resistance to fire/heat, the ability to travel (usually flight) as well as the knowledge of those who came before. Access to their skills and memories. 

 

Additionally, the wielder can craft beautiful, even enchanted items - enough reason to give a mystical "gadget pool" to the character.

 

Finally, the Hammer provides the ability to summon and project heat and fire. 

 

The Hammer of Hephaestus has, over the eons developed a rudimentary intelligence of it's own. As it sees into the hearts of those who try to possess it, it transforms itself when it accepts a host. (ie their supper hero costume reflects their tastes, not necessarily a greek theme)

 

Challenge:

Now, I tend to craft high powered/points builds but I'm kind of vanilla with them. So I guess I'll open this up to my fellow Heroes to see what their Blacksmiths might look like. 

 

 

I'll post a build here soon. 

 

[TheQuestionMan]

Rifts Mystic Russia - Kuznya, a Arms & Armor Enchanter and Warrior.

 

 

Might be useful

 

 

QM

[Hyper-Man]

And he shall henceforth be known as Maxwell.

[Haerandir]

And he shall henceforth be known as Maxwell.

 

Don't be ridiculous.  Maxwell had a silver hammer.  This one is golden.  Gold > Silver.  Therefore, he shall be known as MaxBEST!

[Enforcer84]

Max Weller, the Blacksmith 

[Mr. R]

Very cool.  I looked at that Mystic Russia stuff.  I will say this, Rift books ooze flavour.  I would NEVER run it, but as an adaptation, it could work!

[Christopher R Taylor]

The more I think about this idea, the more I like it.  I see him as having a sort of "repair" power with the hammer like Wreck-It Ralph's buddy/antagonist Fix-It Felix.  Its not just a weapon but a tool!  Maybe in time the character with experience could learn to make things with it as well.

[steriaca]

Transform (broken to fixed object).

Transform (changed object to the object's original state) (shades of Sailor Moon).

Transform (air to object, requires a roll [skill: Carpentry], limited power [wooden objects only]).

[Christopher R Taylor]

I was thinking more Transform: raw materials into finished product, so he doesn't create things, he makes them from what he has in hand.

[Christopher R Taylor]

OK here's what I came up with, if I get into a Champions game any time soon this will be what I'd want to play.  I built him at 300 points with 100 in complications.  He's a bit wierd, with a focus and heroic ID, but the focus only is powerful if he's in his heroic ID.  Sort of like Dr Blake using his walking stick to become Thor, but in this case, he doesn't stop being slightly crippled when he becomes Vulcan (the slower run speed).

 

Vulcan

 

 Val  Char Cost

18/30 STR    8         Lift: 300 kg; Damage 3 1/2d6 - as Vulcan - Lift 1600kg; Damage 6d6

 15    DEX   10

18/23 CON   8

 10    BOD   0

 13    INT     3         Perception Roll: 12-

 13    EGO  3

 15    PRE   5        Presence Attack: 3d6 (6d6 as Vulcan); Presence 30 vs presence attacks as Vulcan

  6     PD     4         As Vulcan: 25 PD, 10 rPD (+10 with block maneuver)

  8     ED     6         As Vulcan: 25 ED, 10 rED; 35/20 vs fire and heat (+10 with block maneuver)

  4     SPD  20

 8/18  REC   4

30/50 END    2

25/40 STN    3

 

OCV:   5/7

DCV:    5

OMCV: 3

DMCV: 4

 

10m RUN -2

  4m SWIM 0

  3m LEAP 0

Characteristics Cost: 96

 

Cost Power

  9     Immortal: Life Support  (Eating: Character only has to eat once per week; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in Intense Heat; Sleeping: Character only has to sleep 8 hours per week)

  1     Summon Hammer: Teleportation 1m, Ranged (+1/2), No Range Modifier (+1/2), Usable As Attack (+1 1/4), MegaScale (1m = 10,000 km; Range; +2) (5 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), -1 1/4), Only for teleporting hammer to self (-1), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4)

  13   Immortal: Regeneration (1 BODY per Hour), Can Heal Limbs

  6     Immortal: Power Defense (6 points)

 

         Only in Heroic Identity:

 24    Tough: Resistant Protection (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  8     Fire Resistant: Resistant Protection (10 ED) (15 Active Points); Only vs fire (-1/2), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 55    Physical Enhancement: (Total: 75 Active Cost, 55 Real Cost) +12 STR (12 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4) (Real Cost: 10) plus +5 CON (5 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4) (Real Cost: 4) plus +15 PRE (15 Active Points); Defensive Only (-1), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4) (Real Cost: 7) plus +9 PD (9 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4) (Real Cost: 7) plus +12 ED (12 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4) (Real Cost: 10) plus +10 REC (10 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4) (Real Cost: 8) plus +20 END (4 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4) (Real Cost: 3) plus +15 STUN (8 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4) (Real Cost: 6)

 

           Hammer, all slots OAF Unbreakable (-1), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 11     1)  Block: Resistant Protection (10 PD/10 ED) (Protect Carried Items) (40 Active Points); OAF Unbreakable (-1), Lockout (Other Hammer Powers; -1/2), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), No effect vs AE (-1/4), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 27     2)  Forge Fires: Blast 8d6, Indirect (From any fire source to target; +1/2) (60 Active Points); OAF Unbreakable (-1), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 

 20    Hammer: Multipower, 45-point reserve,  (45 Active Points); all slots OAF Unbreakable (-1), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 1f     1)  Hammer: Hand-To-Hand Attack +6d6 (30 Active Points); OAF Unbreakable (-1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/4), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 1f     2)  Repair: Minor Transform 7d6 (Broken into fixed), Improved Results Group (Fixed version of original item; +1/4) (44 Active Points); OAF Unbreakable (-1), No Range (-1/2), Limited Target Mechanical and craftsmanship (-1/4), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4), Requires an Inventor Skill Roll each use/phase (-1)

 1f     3)  Build: Major Transform 3d6 (Raw Materials into simple shapes), Any simple shapes and structures (+1/2) (45 Active Points); OAF Unbreakable (-1), No Range (-1/2), Limited Target natural materials only (-1/4), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4), Requires a Blacksmithing Skill Roll each use/phase (-1)

 2f     4)  Break: Dispel Body 15d6 (45 Active Points); OAF Unbreakable (-1), Inanimate objects only (-1/2), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

Powers Cost: 179

 

Cost Skill

  6     +2 OCV With Hammer

  3     Weaponsmith (Muscle-Powered HTH, Muscle-Powered Ranged) 12-

  4     PS: Blacksmith 13-

  5    Inventor 13-

Skills Cost: 18

 

Cost Talent

  7     +3/+3d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters); In Hero Form Only (-1/4)

Talents Cost: 9

 

Total Character Cost: 300

 

Pts. Complication

  5    Distinctive Features:  Bright red hair and beard, unusually warm body heat (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

 20   Hunted:  Hades and minions Frequently (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish)

  5    Hunted:  Religious zealots wanting to worship him Frequently (Less Pow; Mildly Punish)

 15   Psychological Complication:  Overconfident (Common; Strong)

 15   Psychological Complication:  Low opinion of mortals (Common; Strong)

 15   Psychological Complication:  Protective of women (Common; Strong)

 10   Physical Complication:  Strange physiology, requires specialized care (Infrequently; Slightly Impairing)

 15   Social Complication:  Secret Identity Frequently, Major

 10   Vulnerability:  1 1/2 x STUN from Cold attacks (Common)

Complication Points: 110

 

Bertram Gunsel was a successful blacksmith and designer of collectible weapons for specialty catalogs.  His online business was doing well but one day when a collector brought him a very old but corroded and largely ruined ancient hammer for partial payment of a new broadsword, everything changed.  Striving to repair and clean up the hammer, Bertram found that the thing cleaned up a lot better than he'd hoped.  And when it was completely repaired, it glowed with an unearthly light in the forge, blazing with strange writing on the side.  Writing that echoed in his mind, even though it was words he could not understand 

 

QVISQVIS DIGNVS MALLEO LVCRETVR OPES FERRARIVM

 

Raising the hammer high, he felt power surge through his body, transforming him into the mighty god Vulcan!  Now able to transform into the god, he uses his powers to fight evil, protect women, and too often for Bertram's comfort, to bring glory and satisfaction to the god's ego.

 

Unfortunately, too much glory, as a cult has risen around Vulcan filled with outcasts and mentally unstable who wish to worship the god on earth, against his wishes.  They dote on him and follow him around causing him annoyance and even getting themselves into trouble in his name.  And Pluto who long has despised Vulcan for the chains that imprison him after a nasty attempt to depose the king of the gods knows he's around and is trying to capture, torture, and kill him.  Pluto knows only Vulcan or Jupiter can break his chains, and Jupiter hasn't been heard from for nearly 2000 years.

 

Vulcan can smack things with his hammer - quite hard, in fact - and cause fire to gush from any source to any target, but his primary power is the forge.  He can fix nearly any mechanical or crafted device, destroy almost anything, and even make new things from raw materials.  Vulcan can only work natural materials such as metal, leather, and cloth, not plastic, gasses, or other materials.  The GM may even rule that some metals are too advanced for him to work (such as steel or special alloys).  He cannot make anything very complex, only simple, basic mechanical devices or shapes.  For example, he can make a ladder of aluminum, but not a watch. 

 

Vulcan is immortal, and he passed this on to his host body as well.  He heals very rapidly and is very difficult to harm.  In a pinch, he can even block attacks with his hammer. Vulcan isn't attractive and he's sort, hairy, and lumpy but there's something incredibly compelling and charismatic about him, an aura of godhood that makes him very attractive and impressive.  Naturally, as a god, he's not very impressed by much.

 

Vulcan or Bertram, he is able to, with time and concentration, bring his hammer to him from tremendous distances, but he has to know where the hammer is in order to do so.

 

In game terms he can hit very hard and take a decent hit, but is slow and has no special movement abilities.

[Lucius]

Sort of like Dr Blake using his walking stick to become Thor, but in this case, he doesn't stop being slightly crippled when he becomes Vulcan (the slower run speed).

 

  4     SPD  20

 

10m RUN -2

 

  but is slow and has no special movement abilities.

A normal Human with SPD 2 and Run 12m moves 24 meters in a Turn, 2m/sec.

 

Vulcan at SPD 4 and Run 10m moves 40 meters in a Turn, just over 3m/sec.

 

If this is "crippled" and "slow" how is he covering ground at half again the rate of a normal healthy adult?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary expects the response might be "normals are just lame"

[Christopher R Taylor]

That's a feature of the speed system: him and a normal person moving at the same time in the same segment would mean the normal human left him behind.  He's just got better reflexes.

[Enforcer84]

I like it CT!

[SteelCold]

As long as no one calls him Handy Manny.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Or Fix-it Felix

 

[SteelCold]

At least Felix's hammer does not walk or talk. Although with that reddish nose, it looks like Felix had been drinking on the job.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

You would too if you had to keep fixing the same building for all eternity.

[Lucius]

That's a feature of the speed system: him and a normal person moving at the same time in the same segment would mean the normal human left him behind.  He's just got better reflexes.

Left him behind for all of three seconds, before being overtaken and passed.

 

Yes, he has better reflexes. He also will outrun a normal person in a footrace.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary notes that there's nothing wrong with outrunning a normal person in a footrace.

[Zephrosyne]

Isn't the OAF a bit generous as a Limitation when he can just summon the hammer, or am I missing something?  Granted, it takes a Turn but still that's quite a cost break.  The Limitation has been largely negated for just a single point.   Then again, I guess needing to know where the hammer is somewhat makes up for it.  Still, it seems generous.

[Christopher R Taylor]

He can't summon it in combat and only if he's aware of it, plus its the only hammer in the world that works this way, and if someone takes it away, he can't use any of those powers.  So I figured it wasn't really an OIF (since he can't just pick up any old hammer, and he can't get it back easily in combat).  Maybe a -3/4 level focus limit might make sense, but he did pay points to be able to get the hammer back, its not like Thor who can make a half move to pick it up from a distance and clobber someone.