The Professionals

[Marcus]

Ive recently been retooling an old, old supervillian team from an old game for use in a new one... 'The Professionals'... mercenary supervillians of outcast origins. The name says it all.. they are cold, cool, slick, efficient, and well-organized. Not an iota more flashy than called for by the contract, not a bit more violent than necessary, but willing to do almost anything for the money.

 

Of course, theres more to it than that, as should show in the description of the leader type. If anyone likes him, or the concept, Ill post the rest of them. For now, heres Loar, himself.

 

Loar

 

Player: NPC

 

Val	Char	Cost
80	STR	70
21	DEX	33
40	CON	60
30	BODY	40
35	INT	25
25	EGO	30
30	PRE	20
2	COM	-4
16/51	PD	0
8/43	ED	0
4	SPD	9
24	REC	0
80	END	0
90	STUN	0

18" RUN246" SWIM416" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 311

 

Cost	Power	END
25	General among Demons: Elemental Control, 50-point powers
80	1) Demonic Hide: Armor (35 PD/35 ED) (105 Active Points)
88	2) Fireball: Energy Blast 14d6 (vs. ED), Explosion (+1/2), Double Knockback (2x KB; +3/4) (157 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2)	16
17	3) Eagles Wings: Flight 25" (50 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2)	5
40	4) Resilience of the Fallen: (Total: 65 Active Cost, 65 Real Cost) +15 Mental Defense (20 points total) (Real Cost: 15) plus Lack Of Weakness (-5) for Resistant Defenses (Real Cost: 5) plus Power Defense (15 points) (Real Cost: 15) plus Knockback Resistance -15" (Real Cost: 30)
6	Hexapedal, Tailed, Winged: Extra Limbs , Inherent (+1/4) (6 Active Points)
60	Demonic Power: Variable Power Pool (Demonic Sorcery), 40 base + 20 control cost (60 Active Points)

Powers Cost: 316

 

 

Cost	Skill
3	Analyze: Magic 16-
3	Analyze: Combat 16-
7	Analyze: Leadership 18-
3	Bureaucratics 15-
3	Deduction 16-
21	Generalship 25-
9	Sorcery 19-
9	Tactics 19-
3	Teamwork 13-

Skills Cost: 61

 

Cost	Perk
5	Money: Well Off
2	Highly competent professional mercenary: Reputation (A medium-sized group; 11-) +2/+2d6
8	Exiled General of Hell: Reputation (A small to medium sized group; 8-) +8/+8d6
120	Shard of the Realm: Base (600 Base, 0 Disad)

Perks Cost: 135

 

Cost	Talent
3	Absolute Range Sense
3	Absolute Time Sense
25	Combat Sense (Analyze, Discriminatory) 16-
37	Danger Sense (Analyze, Discriminatory, Function as a Sense, Sensitivity: Any Danger) 16-
5	Eidetic Memory
4	Environmental Movement (no penalties on/in Fire, Brimstone, and Broken Lands)
20	Universal Translator 16-

Talents Cost: 97

 

 

Total Character Cost: 920

 

Val	Disadvantages
25	Distinctive Features: Furred, Winged, Awful Demon (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
20	Hunted: Mephistophiles 8- (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish; Extensive Non-Combat Influence)
15	Physical Limitation: Cannot Enter Holy Sites/Places (Infrequently; Fully Impairing)
15	Psychological Limitation: Code of Honor (Common; Strong)
15	Psychological Limitation: Megalomanicial (Common; Strong)
15	Psychological Limitation: Drive to Return/Revenge (Uncommon; Total)
10	Psychological Limitation: Melancholia (Common; Moderate)
10	Unluck: 2d6
10	Vulnerability: 2 x BODY Holy Powers (Uncommon)
10	Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Holy Powers (Uncommon)
10	Vulnerability: 2 x Effect Holy Powers (Uncommon)
265	Villian Bonus

Disadvantage Points: 420

 

Base Points: 500

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

 

APPEARANCE

Hair Color: Tiger-Striped

Eye Color: Red

Height: 14' 1"

Weight: 980 lbs

Description:

Approximately 14 feet of Centauroid Tiger-Demon, with the middle limbs serving double duty as either hands or feet. The body is covered with heavy orange and black striped fur, not unlike a tiger but more vivid in color. The face is slightly more anthropomorphic than the feline origin, with a higher forehead. Massive eagles wings sprout from behind the shoulders, with smooth flight muscles flowing around the forelimbs and to a massive chest. Not fast, but smoothly and dangerously graceful.

BACKGROUND

One of the first to answer the Call, you lead the vast armies of might that gathered to oppose the One, before time began.

Despite all your skill, you lost.

Finding a place for yourself amongst the fallen, you served long, well, and honourably to the Lord of your Plane. You trained and drilled the Fallen into the mightiest assemblage of martial prowess ever to shake the pillars of Hell, and when your Lord cast you and your army like a die at a gaming table you lead them into battle against the One whom all had followed into the Fall.

All the might was for naught, all the training meant nothing. You were not meant to win, not even by your lord... simply a pawn on the chessboard of Hell.

You were defeated once again.

Cast out from your realm, your own pocket dimension shattered, the most vast majority of your power stripped, you were forced to flee before the very Hounds and Warriors that you had once called, finally finding yourself gasping, turning at bay on a small, blue-green ball in the night, one of those so-pitiful worlds that those above you seemed to think so important.

There are worse places to turn and fight and die... or, if they let you breath long enough... there are worse places, it appears, to gather strength, to gather followers, to become strong once more, and to lead an army back to where you came. To reclaim what is yours.

PERSONALITY

Revenge. Power. Revenge. These are the single, total, all consuming goals that are all that fills the mind of what was once among the brightest lights beside the Throne.

Nonetheless, some shreds of what you were remain. You are the connsumate general, one of the greatest military minds in history, mortal or immortal. You show the troops what they need to see, tell them what they need to hear. You value them for their skills, honour them for their efforts, reward them for their successes, and amazingly enough have been known to weep for your Angels when they fall.

Something about these Earthlings, these so-pathetic lumps of mortal clay that you find yourself forced to call soilders, is nonetheless entrancing. They are simply so much freer, so more full of possiblitiy than anything you knew in either of your previous existances. Sometimes in the blackest parts of your soul, you wonder perhaps if a triumphant victory over those who drove you out is worth the lives of those you have worked so hard to nurture.

Sometimes... but not that often.

QUOTE

~deep, catlike growl, almost infrasonic~ Leave, or Die.

~thoughtful~ Ahh. Impressive. I've not seen that tactic attempted since... it matters not. It failed then, too.

POWERS/TACTICS

Loar's sorcery adds the lethal bit of flexibility to what would otherwise simply be a terribly resilient, terribly dangerous opponent. He is physically slow, but brilliant, efficient, and careful. Tending to lead from in front and serving to concentrate the enemies assault upon himself.. he knows he can repel most assaults, at least for a time, and this allows his faster and in some ways more-dangerous teammates to mop up about and behind him. A few carefully pre-selected spells can add whatever capabilities he needs and lacks for a given conflict, and his own phenomenal strength, when coupled with his extra limbs, allow him to grapple and crush multiple opponents at the same time, or else set them up for truely devestating Haymaker style attacks.

CAMPAIGN_USE

The deadly cold, horrifyingly efficient leader of the most dangerously professional Supervillian team to come down the pike in a long, long, long time. Loar and his Professionals can serve as benchmarks for the PCs, as well as long running semi-respected opponents. Their simply here to do a job, and do it very well. Amoral as they may be, that professional ethos can be attractive, at least to players used to dealing with cackling, world-destroying megalomaniacs. For the introspective, an interesting long-term relationship could bring about some redemption issues either with individuals on the team (which Loar would most likely allow to go with suprising good grace, and then replace with others of similar competence) or for the truely morally ambitious, for Loar himself. Outcast or not, Lord of Darkness or not, Loar was once at the side of Good, and his time on the mortal plain has set the first stirrings of things long forgotten in him. If he could be turned (and his people would follow him to Good at least as quickly as they would to the gates of Hell) then the Characters could congratulate themselves on a deed far more heroic than simply knocking out and locking up the Supervillian of the Week.

 

[Killer Shrike]

 

Keep em coming please; also, please attach the Hero Designer files/packages.

 

Thanx!

[WilyQuixote]

Very interesting Marcus. Loar is kind of a mystically powered Grond. I only see two things that I think need to be asked here. Why no "claw" attacks? If this guy is a "tiger-demon" I wouldv'e thought he'd have a claw attack of some sort. Not that he really needs to worry about doing damage with claws when he hits with 80 STR but I'd have thrown them in there for schtick if nothing else. The other thing that I noticed missing which I thought was odd is that this demon has been around for a few thousand years right? How come he doesn't have LS:immortality or atleast slowed aging? Other then that he looks great, I'd love to see the team he leads.

[Marcus]

First, Mr. Coyote-

Your right, he should have all kinds of LS. Holy oversight, batman!

 

As for the claws... I coudn't tell you, in my head he just doesnt have them. Whats on the end of his fingers are blunt and spade-like, not claw like. The 'tiger' effect is more in terms of physical build than the claws or, for that matter, teeth (which once again, he probably SHOULD have... but has never used in combat. Hmm. Conundrum)

Ill attach here a Full LS version of Loar, and the next post will have.. probably Krista, though shes still polishing.

[Marcus]

Krista

 

Okay, here is Krista. Some initial notes..

1.) Shes probably the most straight foward and simplest soul in the team. Not quite as much depth as the rest of the squad, though that may grow as my PCs interact with her. Besides, everyone doesnt HAVE to be a hideously-complicated backstory coupled with a hideously complicated set of powers and frameworks. Right? Right??

 

2.) Yes, no 'Motorcycle' Vehicle. She doesnt own a Supertech bike, and doesnt ride her Harley in combat (though its a thought!). Its a part of her personality and her back story, not a combat ability.

 

3.) 'Babe' (as in Babe Ruth) is called 'Mud' (all respect to Primus 'My Name is Mud') in my campaign, but I figure that reference may be a WEE bit too out there for most readers. If its Mud sometimes and Babe others in the writeup, blame the hour. The hour is late, and I am tired.

 

Thus, without further adeiu...

Krista

 

Player: NPC

 

Val	Char	Cost
65	STR	55
27	DEX	51
35	CON	50
20	BODY	20
18	INT	8
21	EGO	22
30	PRE	20
18	COM	4
30	PD	17
30	ED	23
6	SPD	23
20	REC	0
70	END	0
73	STUN	2

20" RUN282" SWIM013" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 323

 

Cost	Power	END
15	Damage Resistance (15 PD/15 ED)
83	Alien Regeneration: Healing 2d6 (max. Healed Points: 12) (Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection), Inherent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2) (124 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2)
5	Lack Of Weakness (-5) for Resistant Defenses
5	Flash Defense (5 points) (Sight Group)
11	+11 Mental Defense (15 points total)
20	Knockback Resistance -10"
10	Power Defense (10 points)
22	Alien Origin: Life Support (Eating: Character only has to eat once per week, Longevity: 200 Years, Safe in High Pressure, Safe in High Radiation, Safe in Intense Cold, Safe in Intense Heat, Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum, Self-Contained Breathing, Sleeping: Character only has to sleep 8 hours per week)
12	Babe: Hand-To-Hand Attack +4d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); OAF (-1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2)
36	Calling the Bleachers...: Multipower, 90-point reserve, all slots: (90 Active Points); OAF (-1), Linked to Babe (-1/2)
4u	1) Pop Fly: Flight 10", x8 Noncombat, Noncombat Acceleration/Deceleration (+1), Usable As Attack (+1) (90 Active Points)	9
1u	2) Line Drive: Naked Modifier, x4 Knockback (+1 1/2) (30 Active Points)

Powers Cost: 224

 

 

Cost	Skill
5	Combat Driving 15-
3	Low Society 15-
3	Streetwise 15-
3	Trading 15-
3	Teamwork 14-
3	Singing 15-

Skills Cost: 20

 

 

Cost	Talent
3	Perfect Pitch

Talents Cost: 3

 

 

Total Character Cost: 570

 

Val	Disadvantages
285	Villian Bonus
10	Enraged: Damage to Bike (Uncommon), go 11-, recover 14-
10	Hunted: Hell's Angels 11- (Less Pow; Harshly Punish)
5	Psychological Limitation: Dreams of Broadway (Uncommon; Moderate)
10	Psychological Limitation: Sadistic (Common; Moderate)
15	Psychological Limitation: Reckless (Common; Strong)
15	Psychological Limitation: Childlike (Uncommon; Total)
20	Psychological Limitation: Impulsive (Very Common; Strong)

Disadvantage Points: 370

 

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

 

APPEARANCE

Hair Color: Blue

Eye Color: Blond

Height: 6' 6"

Weight: 260 lbs

Description:

Massively tall, massively muscular female, complete with leather jacket and well-maintained Harley Davidson.

If it werent for her sheer size, dress, and the slightly demented gleam in her eye, Krista would be the ideal 'girl next door' type... clean and wholesome until she opens her mouth.

BACKGROUND

Dont know who Daddy was, but Mommy was a biker. Ever since you were a kid, thats all you wanted to do... ride, and ride, and ride away from the two-bit town Mommy settled down in after she had you. Ride away from the dead-end jobs, the dead-end life in a mined-out shell of a company town.

 

The Hells Angels were a godsend. Your size and strength got you a place off the pillion and a bike of your own pretty quick. Dealing drugs was easy. Strong-arming the other gangs was easy... too easy.

Then one night the cops cornered you and yours in one of the drug labs. Easy as cake to handle them... even you didnt realize how strong you were until, in a sudden fit of temper, you threw one of the heavy tables through a local cop car.

And then the good times ended. The 'Angels chapter you were with, your only home for the last eight years, had no use for a 'Damn Mutie' around. They ran you off, and the local police didnt sound like a better option. You cut a broad and bloody swath of destruction from the back of your bike through everything that stood in your way, but before too long there was no point in it... until this guy met you in a bar, beat you at arm-wrestling, and showed you a family that would accept you.

PERSONALITY

Krista is, at heart, a simple soul. She wants to break things. She wants to go fast. She wants to satisfy every fleeting urge and impulse, without thought, remorse, or penalty. She's not stupid, she just doesnt bother to think. Under it all, however, is the little girl who never grew up, and never had to. And like any little girl lost, all she wants is a parent figure, and a family. Loar has given her both.

QUOTE

~beats Babe on the ground a few times, and spits~ Lets Play Ball.

POWERS/TACTICS

Hit things. Hit them very hard. Krista is unusually quick for a brick, and uses this advantage to set up fellow brick opponents. Babe can be used to remove opponents from the fight, inflict massive damage in knock-back, or at its worst, to set up the former for the latter by knocking non-flying opponents straight up in the air, setting them up for a haymaker of over-the-bleachers proportions.

CAMPAIGN_USE

The Professionals Dedicated 'Brick' and Brickkiller, Krista is via her personality and psych lims, one of the routes crafty players might use to 'get at' the group. She is neither completely dedicated to Loar, nor irredemable in her own right.. the small child part of her would in some ways really like to stop hurting people, and perhaps even pursue a career in opera (the secret passion that she will admit to noone)

[Marcus]

Oh, heck, while im here, how about...

 

Mikhal Vandaleur, also known as Fallen..

Mikhail Vandaleur

 

Player: NPC

 

Val	Char	Cost
25	STR	15
24	DEX	42
20	CON	20
14	BODY	8
28	INT	18
21	EGO	22
30	PRE	20
40	COM	15
5/25	PD	0
4/24	ED	0
6	SPD	26
9	REC	0
40	END	0
37	STUN	0

6" RUN02" SWIM05" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 186

 

Cost	Power	END
30	Dark Angelic: Elemental Control, 60-point powers
49	1) Wings: (Total: 90 Active Cost, 73 Real Cost) Flight 20" (Real Cost: 40) plus Hand-To-Hand Attack +4d6, Ranged (+1/2), Armor Piercing x1 (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (50 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) (Real Cost: 33)	4
30	2) Dark Communion: Mind Link (Any Willing Target; Number of Minds (x8)), Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1) (60 Active Points)
30	3) Mental Reach: Mind Scan 12d6 (60 Active Points)	6
81	4) Angelic Raiment: (Total: 111 Active Cost, 111 Real Cost) Armor (20 PD/20 ED) (Real Cost: 60) plus +16 Mental Defense (20 points total) (Real Cost: 16) plus Power Defense (20 points) (Real Cost: 20) plus Lack Of Weakness (-5) for Mental Defense (Real Cost: 5) plus Flash Defense (10 points) (Mental Group) (Real Cost: 10)
30	5) Total Life Support: Life Support (Eating: Character does not eat, Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents, Immunity: All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents, Safe in High Pressure, Safe in High Radiation, Safe in Intense Cold, Safe in Intense Heat, Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum, Self-Contained Breathing, Sleeping: Character does not sleep) (45 Active Points)
30	6) Total Life Support: Life Support (Eating: Character does not eat, Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents, Immunity: All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents, Safe in High Pressure, Safe in High Radiation, Safe in Intense Cold, Safe in Intense Heat, Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum, Self-Contained Breathing, Sleeping: Character does not sleep) (45 Active Points)
81	Sorcery and Mentalism: Multipower, 81-point reserve
8u	1) Mind Blast: Ego Attack 8d6 (80 Active Points)	8
7u	2) Mind Death: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6 -1 (vs. ED), Based On EGO Combat Value (Mental Defense; +1), Does BODY (+1) (75 Active Points)	7
7u	3) Mental Manipulation: Mind Control 12d6, Telepathic (+1/4) (75 Active Points)	7
8u	4) Sensory Alteration: Mental Illusions 16d6 (80 Active Points)	8
8u	5) Psychic Paralysis: Entangle 3 1/2d6, 3 DEF, Works Against EGO, Not STR (+1/4), Based On EGO Combat Value (Mental Defense; +1) (79 Active Points)	8
8u	6) Psychic Bonds: Entangle 7d6, 7 DEF (Stops A Given Sense Group: Mental Group) (80 Active Points)	8
7u	7) Darkness of True Night: Darkness to Sight Group 5" radius (Additional Sense Group: Hearing Group, Additional Sense Group: Mental Group), 4 Recoverable Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (+0), Personal Immunity (+1/4) (75 Active Points)
4u	8) Mental Static: Suppress 3 1/2d6, Variable Effect (One Power At A Time; +1/4), Personal Immunity (+1/4), Can Apply (Remove) Adders (+1), Area Of Effect (72" Radius; +2) (81 Active Points); Mentalism Powers Only (Uncommon SFX; -1)	8
4u	9) Magic Death: Drain 1d6, Penetrating (x2; +1), Variable Effect (All Powers Simultaneously; +2), Delayed Return Rate (5 Points per Century; +3 1/4) (72 Active Points); Magic SFX Only (Uncommon SFX; -1)	7

Powers Cost: 422

 

Cost	Martial Arts Maneuver
16	+4 HTH Damage Class(es)
4	Wing Slice: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +0 DCV, STR +6d6 Strike
5	Flying Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +4 DCV, Dodge All Attacks, Abort; FMove
4	Martial Block: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort
5	Wing Jab: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, STR +4d6 Strike
5	Passing Slice: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, STR +4d6 +v/5; FMove
5	Double-Wing Strike: 1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +1 DCV, STR +8d6 Strike

Martial Arts Cost: 44

 

Cost	Skill
3	Breakfall 14-
11	Sorcery (INT-based) 19-
3	Stealth 14-
3	Teamwork 14-

Skills Cost: 20

 

 

 

 

Total Character Cost: 672

 

Val	Disadvantages
342	Villian Bonus
25	Distinctive Features: Fallen Angel (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
25	Enraged: Loar Badly Hurt (Uncommon), go 14-, recover 8-
20	Hunted: Forces of Good 8- (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish; Extensive Non-Combat Influence)
20	Physical Limitation: No Understanding of Human Culture (All the Time; Greatly Impairing)
15	Psychological Limitation: Childlike Innocence (Common; Strong)
15	Psychological Limitation: Casual Killer (Common; Strong)
5	Susceptibility: Entering Blessed/Holy Areas 1d6 damage, Instant (Uncommon)
5	Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Holy Powers/Attacks (Uncommon)

Disadvantage Points: 472

 

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

 

APPEARANCE

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Black

Height: 6' 4"

Weight: 210 lbs

Description:

A perfect angel in appearance, with glossy black eyes and hair, and huge, lustrous glowing wings of sheeting black energy. In public he wears a simple black loincloth at Loar's insistance, but no matter what his sartorial state he never appears 'unclothed'.

BACKGROUND

Child of Anais Vandaleur, father unknown. Raised to be Mothers special weapon in her war against her clan founder, you had magic and power drilled into you from the day you were born. It wasnt a childhood, and you werent a child. You were simply a will-less, soul-less delivery system for a magical assault on Adrian, Patriarch of the Clan. There was no time to be human.

And even less so after the attack failed. Mighty magics that could have shattered steel skittered across the mans skin, grounding out into nothingness. With a contemptous sneer and a wave of his hand, he stripped you of even the barest rudiments of sorcerous power and sent you back to your mother, crying as only a lost fifteen year old can.

Mother was furious. The punishment was unspeakable, and the final, mighty ritual designed to break down the barriers Adrian had set and turn you back into her tool was heart-rippingly painful. You felt the magic try to pour into you, burning your skin and killing you, even as her sorcery held you together. Something had to give, and finally it was the dimensional skein under you.

 

Your eyes opened in a horrible blackend wasteland of acid and lava, spitting and sputtering. You had changed as well, been ironically enough transformed into what your mother had wanted most... a magekilling monster. And a strange, tigerish-faced creature was leaning over you, saying the mystic words that started to pull you back together.

Youve followed him ever since.

PERSONALITY

Not very much, just yet. Mikhail never really had a chance to develop humanity, though by all means Loar is trying. The parental role is alien to the Demon, but under his guidance some shred of natural, innocent curiosity is starting to show through. There is no conflict as-yet between that innocence and the predator that your mother's last spell made you... like Blake's Tygre, you were ultimately crafted by the same hand that made the lamb, and are as blameless.

QUOTE

~curious, childlike voice~ I dont think Ive met anyone as interesting as you before. I hope I dont have to kill you.

POWERS/TACTICS

The ability to summon darkness, coupled with his innated martial prowess and the ability to extend his 'wings' leading edge to strike targets as he flys freely about the battlefield, makes Mikhail deadly to any 'grounded' characters. The entagle and Ego-entagles are perfect setups for teammates or his own haymakered fly-bys, though he will most often 'set up' his opponents with minor mind controls or illusions. He himself does not as-yet make full useage of his powers, but Loar has been encouraging him in that, as well.

CAMPAIGN_USE

Mikhail's wings should be the beat of doom for any sorceror or mentalist in the party. Against everyone else hes merely dangerous, against them he is utterly lethal. In the long run he will likely break away from, or be set free by, Loar to seek his own destiny... but only when Loar truely belives the man-child is ready. In the meantime he is absolutely and utterly devoted to the only father figure he has every known, and would gladly sacrifice his life to protect the demon's.

 

-Edit... GEH... how did Life Support get on there TWICE! Bleah.

-Edit... Life Support fixed on attached file.

[Marcus]

And for the last (at least of the four ive got so far..)

Note.... all comments, criticisms, and concerns are very welcome. Im recreating, and half creating-from-whole-cloth... the old team. This only gets us up through four members. Im knocking around concepts for the remaining two... thinking about 'Wraith'... a young french girl who died about three centuries ago... possibly 'One-Shot'... Sniper Rifle, Skill Levels, Find Weakness... weve all been there... Im giving some thoughts to what this villian team needs, and any input from the audience is GREATLY appreciated on that topic.

 

Anyway, last-but-not-least

Lan Ho, aka Haiku (Yes, the creator realizes that a Chinese village girl taking the name of a Japanese Poetry Form for her super hero name seems a bit odd. The Ninja Clan that trained her was Japanese. ~G~)

Lan Ho

 

Player: NPC

 

Val	Char	Cost
25	STR	15
33	DEX	69
20	CON	20
16	BODY	12
18	INT	8
20	EGO	20
20	PRE	10
14	COM	2
14/21	PD	0
13/20	ED	0
8	SPD	37
9	REC	0
40	END	0
39	STUN	0

16" RUN206" SWIM415" LEAP10Characteristics Cost: 227

 

Cost	Power	END
64	Shapeshift (Sight Group; Additional Sense Group: Hearing Group, Additional Sense Group: Touch Group, Cellular, Imitation, Instant Change, Variety of Shapes: Limited Group of Shapes), Costs END Only To Change Shape (+1/4)	5
21	Armor (7 PD/7 ED)
50	Find Weakness 17- (Martial Arts)

Powers Cost: 135

 

Cost	Martial Arts Maneuver
32	+8 HTH Damage Class(es)
5	Chop: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, STR +8d6 Strike
4	Palm Strike: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, STR +10d6 Strike
5	Roundhouse Kick: 1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +1 DCV, STR +12d6 Strike
4	Knife-Hand-Strike: 1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +0 DCV, HKA 2d6
5	Joint Break: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -2 DCV, Grab One Limb; HKA 2d6, Disable
4	Joint Lock/Throw: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab One Limb; 5d6 NND; Target Falls
3	Sianagi: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, STR +8d6 +v/5, Target Falls
3	Kick-Throw: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +1 DCV, STR +8d6 Strike; You Fall, Target Falls

Martial Arts Cost: 65

 

Cost	Skill
32	+4 with all non-combat Skills
12	+4 Martial Arts
20	+4 with DCV
3	Acrobatics 16-
3	Acting 13-
3	Analyze: Martial Arts 13-
10	Defense Maneuver: I-IV
3	Demolitions 13-
3	Disguise 13-
3	High Society 13-
3	Interrogation 13-
5	Poetry 14-
3	Security Systems 13-
3	Seduction 13-
3	Shadowing 13-
3	Stealth 16-
3	Tactics 13-
3	Teamwork 16-
3	Tracking 13-
10	Two-Weapon Fighting (HTH)

Skills Cost: 131

 

Cost	Perk
2	Lori Albertson, Reporter: Deep Cover
9	Hard-Hitting Incisive Reporting: Reputation (A large group; 14-) +3/+3d6

Perks Cost: 11

 

Cost	Talent
9	Ambidexterity (Eliminate Off Hand Penalty entirely)
18	Combat Luck (9 PD/9 ED)
4	Double Jointed
5	Eidetic Memory
4	Speed Reading (x10)

Talents Cost: 40

 

 

Total Character Cost: 609

 

Val	Disadvantages
294	Villian Bonus
20	Dependent NPC: Grandma Wu 8- (Incompetent; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID)
20	Hunted: UN Terrorist Task Force 8- (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish; Extensive Non-Combat Influence)
20	Hunted: Lahan-Kueil Ninja Clan 11- (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish; Extensive Non-Combat Influence; Limited Geographical Area)
20	Psychological Limitation: Code of Honor (Common; Total)
20	Lan Ho: Secret Identity (Former Ninja) Frequently (11-), Severe
15	Lori Albertson: Public Identity Frequently (11-), Major

Disadvantage Points: 409

 

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

 

APPEARANCE

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Brown

Height: 5' 4"

Weight: 109 lbs

Description:

As Lan Ho... a small, somewhat attractive woman of chinese origin. Nothing about her screams great beauty, or even something out of the ordinary... but for the gentle smile and dancing light in her eyes, a light that has been present less and less, of late.

BACKGROUND

Born in a small fishing villiage in Northern China, you were only a child when the Clan saw your potential and took you away to train. So many interesting things to learn. The taskmasters and mistresses were harsh, but fair, and their praise and approbation was the only thing you lived for for the longest time... until, not long after you became a woman, you realized you could do more than just be a ninja. Your skin could bend and flow under your will, changing your shape into the perfect imitation of any man, woman, or child ever born. They would be so proud....

However, the clan had no place for Mutants. Despite being the long-term home of the cast out, of the lowest of the low, even the Ninja would not accept that one of their own was, in fact, a monster. So they cast you out, threatening to kill you if you ever came back.

It was a year before you found your way back to Grandmothers. The nearly-blind, feeble old woman did not recognize the child you had been, and you took the opportunity to avoid telling her what became of yourself, and of your disgrace. Shaping yourself into a new woman, you took on a rented room with Grandmother, surreptitiously overpaying her and helping her mend nets, as well as your own work about the house.

 

They were a few very good years, until the next Government Project came along... a mine was to go in upriver of the little village, and you were educated enough to know what THAT would mean. Even as you considered trying out the talents the assassins had taught you, and shuddered at the futility of your efforts against an entire government, a darkly handsome, well-dressed gentleman came to town and made you the most perfect offer.

PERSONALITY

Haiku doesnt, at the end of it all, enjoy being what she is. She chose her 'operational' name for a reason, and a lifetime spent tending the nets, composing gentle poetry, and watching the water go by would be ideal. However, Loar has not only offered you a chance to practice and excel at those same talents that the Clan disgraced you for, and at the end of it all an Honourable deal is an Honourable deal. He somehow turned the eyes of the government away from your grandmothers villiage, and for so long as he wants you, you are his.

QUOTE

Water for snowflakes

vanishing now forever-

what ripples from you?

POWERS/TACTICS

Other than her ability to shift form, and some innate resistance, Hai-ku is more an exuisitely trained normal than a superpowered death machine. As such, her primary usage is in point-strikes, or infiltration. A 'Superhuman Interest' story by Lori Anderson, coupled with a romantic conquest on some superhero's part, would very effectively give Loar a walking tour of the superteam's base, as well as a quick working knowledge of their capabilities. For long-term purposes, an enemy in their camp is also devestating. That said, she is more than talented enough to tie up or take out most opposing martial artists, and with the vulnerability of any team that has taken her into their midst, she could easily serve to take out a key party member at just the right time...

[MrWolf]

These guys seem tres nasty... what kinda PCs do you run them against?

[Enforcer84]

Most likely? Dead ones...

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

I agree. Very powerful individually, 100% trouble as a group...

[Velocity]

Ouch!!!!

 

Yes. I am a PC who will be facing off against these guys.....most of our group is around 300 to 360 points, some more efficently built than others. Marcus didn't put up the speedster b/c he knows I check these boards now. I can only guess it's got a 38-40 DEX, more combat inches and has around a 10 or 12 SPD.

 

I do think it will be neat when Loar or Krista hits our resident Captain Marvel clone. Much like Loar's holy vunerability (which Marvel quailfies for since he was given the power of the magic lightning of good from the wizard Shazam) he takes extra damage from unholy foes. He's got HEAVY defenses, and if hit gets stunned by shot, or funnier, hit with Krista's bat, it should make for an interesting "splash page" full of gratuitous superhero property damage.

 

I just worry about Fallen. On a decent roll with his powers and preferred tactics he can pretty much drop a PC a phase.