150-pt game villain for review

[Fireg0lem]

Okay, I'm looking for opinions on this guy. I'm running a 150-pt superheroes game, set in present-day Chicago. Superpowers are fairly common but with a few exceptions not very strong. Realism is not overly enforced with the exception of statistics; IMC characters are "strongly discouraged" from having huge dexterity scores just for the game benefits without justifying it in concept.

With no further delay:

Name: Rotor

Real Identity: Billy Jameson

Age: 22

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 260 lbs

Appearance, in costume: Bulky-looking black armor, constantly emitting a whirring noise (low pitch and tone, about as noisy as an electric toothbrush). On the back of each hand is a four-pronged blender-like projection. A larger version, similar to a helicopter's blades, is on his back and others are on the back of his shins. Wears a weapon belt containing a half-dozen oddly shaped metal sticks.

Appearance, normal: Billy is a huge, imposing man, clearly very strong. He is African-american, wears his hair close cut, and has no facial hair. He has a square face and a broad nose, and speaks with a very rich, strong voice.

 

Cost Name Value/Statistics

8 Strength 18(13-) Lift 300 kg, jump 3.5", damage 3.5d6

12 Dexterity 14(12-) OCV/DCV 5

6 Constitution 13(12-)

2 Body 11

3 Intelligence 13(12-)

8 Ego 14(12-) ECV 5

8 Presence 18(13-) Presence Attack base 3.5d6

1 Comeliness 13(12-)

0 PD 4 (Total 19/14r/6rh)

0 ED 3 (Total 19/15r/6rh)

0 Rec 7

0 End 26

0 Stun 27

6 Spd 3 Phases 4, 8, and 12

 

Powers

Cost Name Value and Description

40 Spin Induction Multipower, 50-point reserve, -1/4 powers need room to function properly.

2u Spin Kick 3.5d6 Hand-to-hand attack, +3/4 double knockback, +3/4 Area of effect (one hex with doubled size), +1/4 hole in the middle (the hex in the center of the effect), -1/2 hand to hand attack, -1/2 restrainable (overlaps with the limit on the whole multipower for a total limit on this power of -1)

3u Merry-go-round 2d6/2 Defense entangle, +1/2 can only be affected by things that move the affected character, -1/2 linked (greater to lesser, full power only), PLUS 1d6 Energy Blast, +1 NND versus LS: no need to eat, +1/2 0 END, +1 Continuous, +1/2 Uncontrolled (broken by getting out of the entangle), -3/4 linked (lesser to greater, full power only).

2u Spin Control 33 STR Telekinesis, -3/4 can only be used to spin targets.

2u Helicopter Flight 14", +1/2 0 END, +1/4 useable underwater, -1/2 OIF (blades on back and feet).

2u Rotor Blades HKA, 1.5d6 (2.5d6 with STR), +1/2 O END, +1/2 Armor Piercing, -1/4 Reduced Penetration, -1/2 OIF (blades on backs of hands).

2u Spinarang EB 10d6, OIF (Spinarang belt), 6 recoverable charges (-1/4).

 

19 Gear Suit 9 PD/10 ED Armor, OIVID, Visible.

12 Deflecting Spin 2 levels combat luck

 

Skills

Cost Name Roll

0 PS Mechanic 11-

3 Streetwise 13-

3 Use Power (Spin Induction) 13- (STR)

12 4 CSLs with Spin Induction -

3 Mechanics 12-

3 Area Knowledge (Chicago) 12-

Martial Arts (Spin-Fu)

5 Defensive Strike -

3 Legsweep -

1 Weapon Element (Rotor Blades) -

1 Weapon Element (Spin Kick) -

 

Disadvantages

10 Proud and Arrogant (Common, Moderate)

10 No Concern For Life (Common, Moderate)

5 Bully (Uncommon, Moderate)

20 Hunted by the Police 11- (As Powerful, Capture/Kill, NCI)

5 Reputation: Dangerous Criminal 11-, Chicago Only

24 Villain Bonus

 

Billy grew up in a working-class family in inner city Chicago youngest of three children. He was naturally very large and strong, and enjoyed developing his physical abilities. He was bad-natured in school, picking fights and getting into trouble often, and only working when it suited him. He learned, when he was in high school, that he had an instinctive understanding of machinery, and he worked hard at learning more, just as with his physical abilities. Once he applied himself, things came naturally to Billy and he became good enough to get a decent job after he graduated from high school.

However, Billy eventually grew unhappy with his life, and decided to try his hand in crime. He got away with a few small-time robberies before the police showed up at a robbery and caught him red handed. Unwilling to give up, Billy instinctively lashed out with the latent energy inside of himself, causing the police car to flip over. Billy realized that he had discovered his greatest gift, and set to learning how to use it to his best advantage.

Using his knowledge of mechanics, Billy constructed special equipment for himself that utilizes his unique telekinetic abilities. He can use his mind to cause things to spin and flip, although he cannot lift or push unless he does so indirectly (such as with a lever). He was thus able to build a suit of powered armor that uses himself as the power source to run it, making it far more effective than conventional gear. He built himself twisted metal batons that he can throw and then spin in midair to give them enough rotational kinetic energy to cause serious damage. Finally, he has attached blades to his suit that he can spin to fly like a helicopter or to attack.

Billy has also developed his superhuman abilities to complement his natural strength and speed, developing a unique martial arts style, Spin-fu, that utilizes his ability to spin at high speed to enhance his attacks. His other abilities include the ability to spin targets in place, causing them to feel sick, and to partially deflect attacks against him by spinning them in odd directions.

[William Bushway]

Cool idea, my favorite powers are those with limited scope but clever applications.

 

Your description makes me think of the old Marvel villain Whirlwind, though his power was to spin himself, not others.

 

As for the writeup:

 

Merry-Go-Round: This is the disorentation power listed in the writeup, yes? What do you mean by "move the character?" Can a spinning PC breakout by doing 1d6 damage to the entangle for every 5 pionts of movement they have? Can they exert their strength to break out, if they have a suitable anchor? I'm curious as to the mechanics you have in mind.

 

I can't recall off the top of my head if it was carried over to 5th edition, but 4th ed. had the Talent Defense Manuver, basically the ability to change your facing as a free action - seems to fit with the character concept. Also, you may want to add a +STR vs. Grabs and Entangles element to the multi ("spinning self to slip bonds") - maybe with the side effect listed under "Merry Go Round."

 

If you wanted to make the character really nasty, you could give him the ability to "twist" targets by setting two counter-rotational fields on them at once: AP RKA, Continuous, Concentration throughout.

 

Another idea to make him crazy powerful would be the ability to counteract the target's roation in relation to something else... say the rotation of the earth, ala the Nazi Talent "Inertia" from the game Godlike. Flight, UAO, Uncontrolled, Only to move straight up.

[Kevin Scrivner]

I like him. An effective, humorous villain with powers worthy of The Tick or Mystery Men. I always wanted to run a low-powered supers game!

[Fireg0lem]

William: Thanks for the suggestions. The idea with the Merry-go-round power is that the target spins in place at high enough speed to keep them aloft. Thus, PCs need to free themselves with something that would either counteract the spinning or allow them to leave the immediate area; doing something like a teleport would automatically free the PC, and as for movement I'd let it add to strength if it was appropriate (turn on your rocket boots while spinning at high speed? you might break loose, but...). In other words, firing a gun at the entangle (or the character for that matter) would have no effect, but if they grabbed something they could use thier STR as an attack vs. the entangle, with a bonus if it was easy to hold on to, and a penalty if it was slick or oddly-shaped. Likewise, someone could help them out by grabbing them and pulling; or a attack that deals knockback could be fired at them and the entangle, and the KB dice would count against the entangle first then the character. I'm figuring the +1/2 is OK fair, given that it is about on par with "takes no damage from attacks"; instead of all attacks having a penalty and enemies being able to target with anything the character, some attacks can't work but others work fine, including some of the villain's attacks.

The other suggestions are all really good ideas (especially the inertia one ) . I know what this guy will be spending his next XP on!

 

Kevin: Thanks! I enjoy running a low-point game too. Its not that hard so long as you focus on doing one thing competently instead of being a jack-of-all-trades, and remember that you are supposed to be an ordinary human with a few exceptional powers. As a GM, its not hard either, I have found the trick is to make the villains seem "ordinary" like the PCs in many ways, but at the same time make what they can do seem special.

[Fireg0lem]

I've also been considering a new supervillain whose power is that he can slam his body into others with supernatural force. For a name, how about Mr. BUMP