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WWYCD: Running Into Byron Swain At A Party (Warning: potentially NSFW)


Marcus Impudite

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For the PDF with Byron's stats, click here.

(Warning: NSFW forum thread in above link. If you're at the office right now, It's best to wait until you get home.)

 

Your character and some friends/associetes are at a party (in Secret Id, if applicable) when none other than the infamous Byron Swain shows up. Predictably, he he goes right to working his charms on the first woman to catch his eye (I'll leave it up to you whether she's an NPC or one of the PCs). Not too long after that, he's heard asking her if she wants to "go someplace more private," and then the two of them are on their way out the door, with Byron's Limo waiting out front...

 

WWYCD?

 

(Edit: the link shound work properly now.)

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Creepier things have been written up as villains  -- and sometimes as heroes -- in Champions terms.

 

This particular creepy thing wouldn't last very long, given his write up and powers, as pheremones can be detected hours, days or weeks later by special tracking senses common to all sorts of other creepy things that like a nice spicy snack and hunt by scent, generally creepy things that hunt in packs and have regeneration, berserk and claws, so mind control, transformation, Glocks and armor aren't particularly a obstacle to them.

 

(Btw, as the transformation attack is equivalent to another power, as a GM I'd disallow it and require Mind Control; also, the condition for reversing the transformation is incompatible with the speed of action in most campaigns, so I'd disallow that and impose a more plausible mechanism for breaking it, if allowed at all, such as "He transformed my nemesis/stalker/sister/mother/daughter/best friend/?! I'll murder him!" along with "all pheremone and PRE-based abilities rendered powerless against the formerly transformed", to more accurately reflect the power.)

 

Now, if you're asking about the moral dimensions of the character?

 

How is he different from any other DNPC, really, when you get right down to it?

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If the woman in question is a fellow PC or any NPC that the PCs are aquainted with, this is a definate "Oh Crap" situation. The priority from my perpective (and that of my characters) would be to try to "snap her out of it" before the two of them reached his limo. Judging by his write-up from the link provided, letting him take her "somewhere more private" isn't an option.

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Partly, my earlier response is because I recognize this situation. Mastermind vs. Dark Phoenix had a similar circumstance, although Mastermind would have had to be far more powerful than Swain to overcome the defenses Charles Xavier supposedly trains all his students with.

 
My own Champions characters are Family rated, so Swain simply wouldn't exist in their world.

 

For reference, what would various mutants do?

 

Charles Xavier? I foresee Byron Swain taking a vow of celibacy and donating all his vast wealth to shelters for victims of abuse when he takes vows at a distant monastery.

 

Wolverine? *sniff* *sniff* *SNIKT!*

 

Rogue? Sugah, remembah what happened tuh Carol Danvers?

 

Ororo? Pheremones against the Wind Rider? Doubtful.

 

..

 

How about the Fantastic Four?

 

Seems like the plot of the Malice storyline, a bit. Even if not, I don't see Swain ending well.

 

Avengers?

 

I'm not sure how the details would play out, but after Hank Pym's abuses.. uh, let's suggest the storyline would be very short.

 

The Inhumans? Compared to Teragin Mist, mere pheremones?

 

The DCU?

 

Suggestions? Who would hurt Swain more, She Hulk or Wonder Woman? ;)

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Power Girl would detect the pheromones before they took their full effect. Shortly afterwards, Mr Swain would be clambering out of a sewer. His background would be investigated, his captives given treatment, and he would go away for multiple counts of rape.

 

Big Barda has already been victimised by Sleez, which would suggest she was vulnerable. On the other hand, she was brought up by Granny Goodness, and might be fairly resistant to being mind controlled by non-Apokoliptans. Either way, Mr Swain would quickly run into Mr Miracle, and if necessary Barda would be treated by his Mother Box.

 

Catwoman would succumb, but be liberated by Batman. Her vengeance would be... interesting.

 

Wonder Woman - oh dear. At some point her lasso would come into play, and the situation would be revealed to her. Mr Swain would eventually learn the true meaning of loving submission.

 

Black Canary. Regardless of what happens, Swain would end up with an arrow through him.

 

(Current) Huntress. Swain wouldn't get her out of the room without Power Girl or New Batman intervening. See my comments on Power Girl.

 

Zatanna. Dunno.

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I'll try it again this weekened when I got time to figure out.   Though from what I can glean from other post (pheromone based mind control?) I'll try to answer.

 

Badger- No chance he would attend officially. (possible as surveillance outside maybe?). He is probably a little old-fashioned on notions of women's "honor".  And would see this as circumventing such.  he could react extremely violently towards what he would most certainly consider nothing but a vile rapist.  (Note: And if Badger were to possibly consider the PC/NPC-provided he knows them-any bit like his long dead little sister, who he was very protective of.  Then take what I just said and ramp if up to 11.  In other words, Mr Swain=charred goo)

 

Frosty Bob- well ,he was probably going to make a pass at the lady in question (though he most certainly wouldnt force himself against her will, like this pile of trash-he does have standards after all) so he cluelessly might just be jealous.....and we gots us a brawl  (with the possibility that Bob will introduce this b**t**d to another fine lady he knows, Matilda- AKA the big bleeping gun-especially if he does finally figure out this guy isnt getting women on the up and up)

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Partly, my earlier response is because I recognize this situation. Mastermind vs. Dark Phoenix had a similar circumstance, although Mastermind would have had to be far more powerful than Swain to overcome the defenses Charles Xavier supposedly trains all his students with.

 
My own Champions characters are Family rated, so Swain simply wouldn't exist in their world.

 

For reference, what would various mutants do?

 

Charles Xavier? I foresee Byron Swain taking a vow of celibacy and donating all his vast wealth to shelters for victims of abuse when he takes vows at a distant monastery.

 

Wolverine? *sniff* *sniff* *SNIKT!*

 

Rogue? Sugah, remembah what happened tuh Carol Danvers?

 

Ororo? Pheremones against the Wind Rider? Doubtful.

 

..

 

How about the Fantastic Four?

 

Seems like the plot of the Malice storyline, a bit. Even if not, I don't see Swain ending well.

 

Avengers?

 

I'm not sure how the details would play out, but after Hank Pym's abuses.. uh, let's suggest the storyline would be very short.

 

The Inhumans? Compared to Teragin Mist, mere pheremones?

 

The DCU?

 

Suggestions? Who would hurt Swain more, She Hulk or Wonder Woman? ;)

 

What would be interesting would be if we put this guy up against certain anime women.

 

Fullmetal Alchemist?  Olivia Armstrong?  Oh, dear Lord, she has that sword.

 

Dragonball Z?  Chichi?  This is gonna hurt.

 

Bleach? Soifon?  Game over, man, game over

 

ooh, ooh, What about Black Lagoon?  Revy? Best not to think about it, it'll deliver you nightmares.

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Well, he basically has the power to "manufacture" consent, and because he is superficially handsome and charming, it might be very difficult, depending upon the status of superhuman legal precedent in the campaign, to even get him arrested, let alone indicted or convicted. Although sexual assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment are all potential charges for consideration. So it's quite possible that the only justice he might face in some settings is vigilante justice.

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Yeah. Uhm. Wonder Woman wouldn't actually be affected by his pheromones. It's part of the "mortal clay" effect.

 

That would probably result in "KAPOW"

 

Plus, you guys are all forgetting that Marvel already has this guy beat.

 

Mandrill.

 

I'll say it again just so you guys don't forget.

 

Mandrill.

 

Let's see.

 

1) Same power.

2) Has enslaved most of the powerful women in the Marvel universe at some point or another.

3) Character is literally a rapemonkey.

4) That name. Oh, god...

 

Yeah. This guy has nothing on actual published material.

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Iron Maiden has nothing against casual sex with lots of different partners. It's one of her favorite pastimes, in fact. But not with wanted supercriminals--and especially supercriminals who can turn you into lust-addled slaves. She's a classic flying brick and he's absolutely no threat to her physically, but she doesn't know the details of how his power works, so she's not going to take any chances--she's going to stay away from him and call someone else (the Black Knight, most likely) to come take Byron into custody.

 

Legion will recognize him immediately, being the superspy that she is and having (or having read) files on everyone. Being a shapeshifter at the cellular level turns out to be a great help is situations like this. She'll change into one of her male forms and then see what she can do about taking him down.

 

Rose Hancock, Iron Maiden's half-sister with the same power set, grew up rich and entitled instead of poor and neglected/abused, so isn't nearly as hypervigilant. She is, in fact, rather naive. She'd probably have no idea who Byron is, or that he's a superpowered womanizer, and would probably fall prey to his charms. Until/unless someone intervened.

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Well, he basically has the power to "manufacture" consent, and because he is superficially handsome and charming, it might be very difficult, depending upon the status of superhuman legal precedent in the campaign, to even get him arrested, let alone indicted or convicted. Although sexual assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment are all potential charges for consideration. So it's quite possible that the only justice he might face in some settings is vigilante justice.

 

 

Well, I will say my namesake is a reformed villain of sorts.  If vigilantism is considered bad (actually vigilantism was what led him onto the "wrong side" in the first place) this would be a case where he would feel such protecting would be worth throwing his reformation out the window, forsaking his hero life, and becoming wanted again.

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I do seem to keep coming back to this topic. I believe it's because I didn't answer the original question.

 

What would Strand do?

 

Strand's a minor inventor, scientist and detective with enough skills to notice what's going on, and do something about it.

 

Professor Lymer would whip up a batch of pheremone detecting drink coasters, and discretely circulate them around the room for people to find and use to alert themselves to Swain's attack. Something like, "Airborn Ruffie Alert" in color-changing letters that pop up on the face of the coaster. While half the attendees might be susceptible to the mind control, being aware of the effect and its probable intention ought increase the Ego roll of the defenders.. and then there's the other half of the attendees.

 

Oh. And he'd post the ensuing hilarity to Twitter.

 

Should Swain escape, well, Strand's protective of innocents, and Swain is never going to be able to go far enough or hide behind enough hostages to escape Strand's reach. Especially not with his rear axle cracked, and gorgonzola in the limo's manifold.

 

While Lymer's only a two-bit inventor, and not the world's leading biologist, even he knows insects are attracted to human pheremones. And where to look for hornets, wasps, mosquitos, fleas and ticks.

 

Given Swain's confidence in appearing openly to perpetrate his obvious fiendish and cowardly attack, he's likely done it before, so Strand would investigate that. Professor Polymer is almost certain to be able to brew up a nanobiology cure for Swain's Transformation, given enough samples and time.

 

The rest is certainly up to the police and the courts. And, y'know, whatever treatment center Swain can find to cure chronic infestation by random creepy crawly things attracted to pheremones.

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