12 Days of Christmas Project

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

There is a very' date=' very, very, [i']very[/i] good chance I won't be posting a sidekick today. I have been hit very hard emotionally, and find myself unable to think of much of anything, let alone writing up a character. I keep finding myself staring blankly at the keyboard.

 

I apologize in advance for not keeping up with the obligation I agreed to, but I really just don't see myself being able to create a character tonight.

 

I'm sorry.

Then it's the Hot Room for you!

 

Kidding!

 

I do hope it wasn't anything too bad. Take some time. It's the holidays, fer pete's sake! We'll still be here

[Super Squirrel]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

When you do get back, I had a potential idea for a bad sidekick.

 

Blogger Boy.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Voice Analyzer Cellphone

7 Voice Analyzer Cellphone: Multipower, 15-point reserve; OAF (Cellphone; -1)

1u 1) Detect Voice Pattern (INT Roll + 4; 13-) (Hearing Group) (9 Active Points); OAF (-1), Must be within 5" of Target for accurate recording (-1/4), INT Roll based on Phone, not User (-1/4)

1u 2) 15- Mimcry (15 Active Points); OAF (-1), Only to Replay last analyzed voice (-1/2)

 

Sometimes an agent needs to get past a tricky voice locked system. Fortunately for these agents all they need to do is get near the target to let the phone get an impression of their voice.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Thanks for the well-wishes. It's a bad jolt, and it's not going to "go away" or "get better" any time soon. But, surprisingly, I found myself able to create a character after all; it's a bit darker than I usually do, but considering what I'm feeling, perhaps that's understandable.

 

Sidekick: Existential Angstrom

 

Name suggested by OddHat

 

[size=6][b]Existential Angstrom[/b][/size]
(Aaron Smith)

[i]Inspired by OddHat on the HERO forums[/i]

Val	Char	Cost
10	STR	 0
14	DEX	12
10	CON	 0
10	BODY	 0
13	INT	 3
15	EGO	10
19	PRE	 9
20	COM	 5

2/15	PD	0
2/15	ED	0
2	SPD	0
4	REC	0
20	END	0
20	STUN	0

6"	RUN	0
2"	SWIM	0
2"	LEAP	0
Characteristics Cost: 39

Cost	Power
5	[b]What Can You Do To Me Life Hasn't Already?:[/b] Mental Defense (8 points total)

5	[b]Deadened To Pain By Despair:[/b] +13 PD; Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4)

5	[b]Deadened To Pain By Despair:[/b] +13 ED; Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4)

15	[b]Deep Reserves of Despair and Self-Loathing:[/b] Endurance Reserve  (100 END, 5 REC)

27	[b]All The Colors Of Angst:[/b] Multipower, 62-point reserve, all slots Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4)
3u	1)  [b]7000 angstroms (Red) Crushing Fatigue:[/b] Drain END 3d6, Ranged (+1/2), Area Of Effect Accurate (One Hex; +1/2); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4)
3u	2)  [b]6000 angstroms (Orange) I Can't Take It Anymore:[/b] Drain PRE 3d6, Ranged (+1/2), Area Of Effect Accurate (One Hex; +1/2); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4)
3u	3)  [b]5500 angstroms (Yellow) It's Coming At Me From All Sides:[/b] Negative Combat Skill Levels (-5 to opponent's DCV), Ranged (+1/2), Area Of Effect Accurate (One Hex; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4)
3u	4)  [b]5000 angstroms (Green) I Don't Know What To Do:[/b] Negative Combat Skill Levels (-5 to opponent's OCV), Ranged (+1/2), Area Of Effect Accurate (One Hex; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4)
2u	5)  [b]4400 angstroms (Blue) Overwhelming Fear:[/b] Entangle 3d6, 3 DEF (Stops A Given Sense Mental Awareness), Works against EGO, not STR (+1/4), Takes No Damage From Attacks All Attacks (+1/2); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)
2u	6)  [b]4000 angstroms (Violet) Nameless Dread:[/b] Ego Attack 6d6; Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Does Not Provide Mental Awareness (-1/4), Visible (-1/4), Normal Range (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)
3u	7)  [b]3000 Angstroms (White [ultraviolet]) Why Go On Living?:[/b] RKA 1d6, Area Of Effect Accurate (One Hex; +1/2), Does BODY (+1), AVLD (Mental Defense; +1 1/2); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4)
2u	8)  [b]8000 angstroms (Black [infrared]) Pit of Despair:[/b] Ego Attack 2d6, Damage Shield (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Does Not Provide Mental Awareness (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4)
Powers Cost: 78


Cost	Skill
0	AK: Campaign City 8-
0	Acting 8-
0	Climbing 8-
0	Concealment 8-
2	Conversation 13-
0	Deduction 8-
7	KS: Psychology 16-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic)
1	PS: Radio Talk Show Host 12-
5	Oratory 14-
0	Paramedics 8-
0	Persuasion 8-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
0	TF: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 
Skills Cost: 15


Cost	Talent
18	Combat Luck (9 PD/9 ED)
Talents Cost: 18

Total Character Cost: 150

Pts.	Disadvantage
15	Enraged:  When a mental power is used against him (Uncommon), go 14-, recover 14-
15	Psychological Limitation:  Depressed and angst-ridden (Very Common, Moderate)
10	Psychological Limitation:  Wants to believe there are people worth saving (Uncommon, Strong)
10	Reputation:  Emotional black hole, 11-
15	Social Limitation:  Secret ID (Frequently, Major)
5	Unluck: 1d6
5	Vulnerability:  Mental Powers (Uncommon)

Disadvantage Points: 75
Base Points: 75
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0

[b]Height:[/b]	5'10"	[b]Hair:[/b]	Honey blond

[b]Weight:[/b]	158 lbs.	[b]Eyes:[/b]	Blue


[b]Background:[/b] Aaron Smith (not his real name, but the one he uses now) was one 
of the youngest and most popular radio talk show hosts ever; he put his 
knowledge of psychology to work to give answers to those who called in for 
help...answers that were more geared to entertain the audience than help the 
callers. Aaron didn't care; he was popular, it was easy 'work' and he enjoyed 
excercising his wit making flip, off-the-cuff pithy comments to the callers. 
Everything was golden, and the future looked assured.

Until the day a distraught woman in her early twenties, eyes red from 
weeping, burst into the studio and tried to shoot him, screaming that he 
would pay for her brother's death! The incident stunned Aaron, but since he 
knew he hadn't done anything to kill anyone, he managed to brush off his 
concerns after the police had taken the hysterical woman away.

It wasn't long after that, though, that he learned the whole story: the 
woman's brother had been one of his callers a few weeks ago, and had been 
looking for a reason to keep living, to not commit suicide. Aaron had given 
one of his usual snappy, throwaway answers, and forgotten about it. In his 
suicide note, the woman's brother mentioned that the thing that pushed him 
over the edge was that the last person he spoke to -- that radio talk show 
host -- had thought he and his problem were so unimportant they didn't 
deserve a serious answer...and that only confirmed his feelings that he was a 
worthless individual. So he shot himself.

While there was the usual flurry in the press for a few days, no one 
seriously blamed Aaron for what happened; after all, if the man was that far 
gone, chances are he would have committed suicide anyway, even if he had 
received a serious, considered answer.

No on, that is, except Aaron himself.

Aaron had his cozy little world-view shattered, and he withdrew from public 
life. It absolutely appalled him that people were so shallow, so hopeless, so 
weak as to kill themselves just because a person they didn't even know except 
as a voice on the airwaves didn't treat them seriously. It also filled him 
with loathing that not only had he been a contributor, in whatever fashion, 
to that man's death, but that he had been catering to an audience composed 
of such shallow, uncaring people. Aaron came to the conclusion that people 
weren't worth saving, and didn't really deserve to live. And that included 
Aaron himself.

The next day, Aaron committed suicide.

Or rather, he attempted it. In a classic fashion, he filled his elegant 
bathtub with hot water (and lots of mineral salts, since he'd read that salt 
water conducted electricity better), climbed in, and then -- in a grand 
gesture of irony -- dropped a plugged-in radio into the bathwater. The 
electricity was shorted into the water and into Aaron; the circuit breakers 
blew, and Aaron experienced a moment of agonizing pain and violent muscle 
spasms before sinking into darkness.

Aaron never expected to wake up, but he did...still in the tub, the lights 
off because the circuit breakers had blown. Emotionally numb and still 
tingling a bit, Aaron climbed out of the tub, almost like an automaton. 
He didn't know why he wasn't dead, and the fact that he was still alive 
frightened him terribly. He decided he'd better do something else to finish 
the job before his nerve failed. He retrieved his gun and put a bullet into 
his head.

Perversely, he woke up with a pounding headache; somehow the bullet had 
managed to just graze his skull, knocking him out, but not giving him a 
serious injury. Aaron dressed, almost frantically, and tried several other 
things to kill himself or get killed: stepping into traffic (but he got 
bumped by another pedestrian and stumbled so the car only clipped him); 
walking through the 'bad' part of town, calling out to anyone that would hear 
him that he was carrying cash (only to have the scum avoid him, as they 
thought it had to be some kind of police trap); going to his health club late 
that night, when it was all but deserted, wrapping the cable of a freeweight 
stack around his neck, and dropping all 500 lbs down -- only to have the 
restraining pin shear under the sudden stress and leave him with a neck that 
was only sore, not broken.

As the sun was rising, Aaron was more despondant than ever. Somehow, fate had 
kept conspiring to keep him alive. Even those things that had gone off 
perfectly and should have done him grave injury only scratched him. He came 
to the conclusion that perhaps he [i]couldn't[/i] die...or maybe something was 
[i]keeping[/i] him alive for a reason. More than a bit mentally unstable at this 
point, Aaron decided that fate, karma, or whatever was keeping him alive so 
that he could find a worthy human that deserved to be alive, and thus proving 
mankind was worth saving if it could produce an individual like that.

Aaron dropped out of sight, simply abandoning his old life and walking away 
from it; fortunately, since he was a famous [i]radio[/i] talk show host, his face 
was virtually unknown. He managed to secure a legal ID under a new, assumed 
name, and set out to find that deserving human being. Also, not long after 
abandoning his old life, Aaron discovered he'd acquired some unusual 
abilities; he didn't know if maybe they were due to one or more of his failed 
suicde attempts (like the bathtub electrocution) or if the same 'force' that 
had conspired to keep him alive had granted them to him. In any case, he 
didn't care where or why they'd come, but he saw immediately how to put them 
to use in his quest. Some of the most-publicized do-gooders on the planet 
today were superheroes, selflessly putting their lives on the line for the 
sake of others. Surely, somewhere among them, would be the worthy human he 
sought. Aaron decided that he could observe them best by becoming one of 
them -- or better yet, an apprentice or partner to one of them -- and his 
new-found powers were his ticket to that rather exclusive 'club.'


[b]Motivation:[/b] Aaron is despondant and filled with agnst and self-doubt, though 
he has given up on trying to kill himself. Now he searches for a 'deserving' 
human who will prove to him that humanity is worth saving. In some respects 
his actions as a costumed hero are merely going through the motions -- after 
all, why bother saving those who aren't worthy? -- but in other respects 
they're genuine...because, on some deep level of which Aaron isn't conciously 
aware, he's never truly given up on humanity or himself.


[b]Quote:[/b] "What have you done today to justify the air you're breathing?"


[b]Tactics:[/b] Aaron can project a strange type of energy that seems to work on 
people's emotions and sense of self, causing reactions via fear, dread, 
self-doubt, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Different colors of energy 
seem to produce different effects, and Aaron isn't convinced that he's 
discovered all of which he's capable. The energy doesn't seem to really 
impact someone, though, unless Aaron uses his knowledge of psychology to 
tell people what's wrong with them and their lives, why it's hopeless and 
they should just give up and stop trying, etc.


[b]Campaign Use:[/b] Existential Angstrom is a moderate power sidekick intended 
for a darker but not hopeless campaign. His resistant defenses aren't great, 
and neither is his dexterity, so he's probably not a good choice for a [i]real[/i] 
Dark Champions-type campaign where gunfire is deadly if you don't have good 
protective clothing.


[b]Appearance:[/b] Aaron is a stunningly good-looking man, standing 5'10" tall with 
flowing, slightly curly hair the color of sun-ripened wheat. His features are 
beautifully chiseled, with a somewhat Teutonic look. As Existential Angstrom 
he dresses in a black bodysuit, black knee-high boots, black gloves, and a 
black domino mask that does nothing to keep people from noticing just how 
good looking he is (though it does obscure his features enough to conceal his 
identity). The only bit of color on his costume is a series of colored 
concentric circles on his left breast and on each shoulder. The colors are 
those of the rainbow, though what looks like drips of black ink have run over 
the colors, leaving irregular tracks that break the perfection of the circles.

 

 

Previous Sidekick (Citizen Cane) --- Return to the List of Sidekicks --- Next Sidekick (Auntie Ante / Auntie Anti)

[OddHat]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Sidekick: Existential Angstrom

 

He's a good, playable character, though as always I'd probably tweak the build slightly. Most importantly I think I'd change the RKA AVLD into an RKA BOECV Does Body.

 

And I'd re-do him to be funnier, for the obvious reasons.

 

Thanks for posting him.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

He's a good, playable character, though as always I'd probably tweak the build slightly. Most importantly I think I'd change the RKA AVLD into an RKA BOECV Does Body.

 

And I'd re-do him to be funnier, for the obvious reasons.

 

Thanks for posting him.

*kick*

 

 

I like the write-up.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

He's a good, playable character, though as always I'd probably tweak the build slightly. Most importantly I think I'd change the RKA AVLD into an RKA BOECV Does Body.

 

And I'd re-do him to be funnier, for the obvious reasons.

 

Thanks for posting him.

You're welcome.

 

I kicked around a number of ways to do the "slit your wrists" slot (the RKA) and it was "six of one, half a dozen of another" so I just settled for using the last one I'd tinkered with.

 

And don't let SS make you feel bad for saying you'd want to tweak him; I don't think I've ever used a published character "straight" (without any mods) because there's always something I'd have done different, or thought the creator left out, or I thought didn't fit, or whatever.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

I like the write-up.

Thanks, SS.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Today's two-for-one day; Basil originally suggested "Auntie Ante", but also "Auntie Anti", so I wrote them both up.

 

Sidekick: Auntie Ante

 

Name suggested by Basil

 

[size=6][b]Auntie Ante[/b][/size]
(Betty Goldstone)

[i]Inspired by Basil on the HERO forums[/i]

Val	Char	Cost
10	STR	 0
17	DEX	21
10	CON	 0
10	BODY	 0
15	INT	 5
13	EGO	 6
18	PRE	 8
20	COM	 5

2/31	PD	 0
2/31	ED	 0
3	SPD	 3
4	REC	 0
20	END	 0
20	STUN	 0

5"	RUN	-2
2"	SWIM	 0
2"	LEAP	 0
Characteristics Cost: 46

Cost	Power
9	[b]Probability Control:[/b] Elemental Control, 56-point powers, all slots Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Restrainable (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4)
8	1) [b]Luck Be A Lady:[/b] Luck 5d6, Usable By Other (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2), Persistent (+1/2); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Restrainable (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4)
8	2) [b]Lucky Break:[/b] Combat Luck (12 PD/12 ED), Usable By Other (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2), Persistent (+1/2); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Restrainable (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4)
8	3) [b]Lucky Shot:[/b] +5 with Ranged Combat, Usable By Other (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2), Persistent (+1/2); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Restrainable (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4)
9	4) [b]Zigged When You Should Have Zagged:[/b] Negative Combat Skill Levels (-5 to opponent's DCV), Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2), Area Of Effect Accurate (One Hex; +1/2); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Restrainable (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4)
9	5) [b]Did I Spoil Your Aim?:[/b] Negative Combat Skill Levels (-5 to opponent's OCV), Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2), Area Of Effect Accurate (One Hex; +1/2); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Restrainable (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4)
8	6) [b]Fortuitous Ricochet:[/b] Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack), Increased Maximum Range (1,250"; +1/4), No Range Modifier (+1/2), Full Range (+1); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Restrainable (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4)
7	7) [b]Just Missed Me!:[/b]	+20 PD; Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Restrainable (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4) 
		[i]plus[/i]	+20 ED; Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Restrainable (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4), Linked (PD; -1/2)

8	[b]Seven Come Eleven:[/b] Telekinesis (2 STR), Fine Manipulation, Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4), Invisible Power Effects, Hide effects of Power (Fully Invisible; +2); Only to affect the outcome of games of 'chance' (-2), Restrainable (-1/2), Affects Whole Object (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/4)

20	[b]My Luck Won't Run Out:[/b] Endurance Reserve  (150 END, 5 REC)

Powers Cost: 94


Cost	Skill
1	AK: Las Vegas 11-
0	Acting 8-
3	Analyze:  Gambling Style 12-
3	Bribery 13-
3	Bureaucratics 13-
0	Climbing 8-
2	Concealment 12-
2	Conversation 13-
2	Deduction 12-
6	Gambling (Card Games, Dice Games, Roulette) 12-
3	High Society 13-
3	KS: Vegas Casinos 12-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic)
1	PS: Vegas Dealer 12-
0	Paramedics 8-
2	Persuasion 13-
3	Seduction 13-
0	Shadowing 8-
3	Sleight Of Hand 12-
0	Stealth 8-
3	Streetwise 13-
0	TF: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 
Skills Cost: 40

Cost	Perk
2	Money:  Well Off
Perks Cost: 2

Cost	Talent
18	Combat Luck (9 PD/9 ED)
Talents Cost: 18

Total Character Cost: 200

Pts.	Disadvantage
20	Normal Characteristic Maxima
5	Age:  40+
5	Distinctive Features:  Amber eyes; nearly 60 and still 'hot' (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable)
10	Social Limitation:  Public ID (Frequently, Minor)
15	Psychological Limitation:  Can't resist a wager (Common, Strong)
15	Enraged:  When called a 'cheat' (Uncommon), go 14-, recover 14-
10	Psychological Limitation:  Thrillseeker (Common, Moderate)
20	DNPC:  'Boy toy' of the week 11- (Incompetent)

Disadvantage Points: 100
Base Points: 100
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0

[b]Height:[/b]	5'2"		[b]Hair:[/b]	Silver

[b]Weight:[/b]	103 lbs.	[b]Eyes:[/b]	Amber


[b]Background:[/b] Betty Goldstone grew up lucky; all her life, for as long as she 
can remember, things broke her way. She was very popular, especially in her 
teen years when it seemed that in some cases her luck really could 'rub off' 
on those with her. As soon as she became of legal age to do so, Betty went to 
Las Vegas and discovered the thrill of gambling and the bigger thrill of 
winning. She was a bright girl, though, and after a couple of 'talks' with 
representatives of a couple of the casinos, she learned not to win too much 
or too often. She branched out into other forms of 'gambling' (like the stock 
market) and did as well there as she did in other risky endeavors. She 
continued to play the casinos in Vegas, but mainly for the thrill. She even 
went so far as to get a job as a dealer, just to see what it was like from 
'the other side of the table' -- but when she was dealing, the house [i]always[/i]
won, and patrons began to murmer about cheating and 'fixed games', so the 
casino let her go. Betty didn't mind too much...doing it from the 'other 
side' hadn't proved as thrilling as she'd hoped.

Betty lived the good life for many years, make and spending money hand over 
fist, never wanting, and never settling down, either -- she had a nearly 
continual stream of boyfriends, lovers, and the occasional fiance, though 
that never came to fruition.

Betty never could say just when she became conciously aware that she was able 
to manipulate probability to suit her, but by the time she was in her early 
40s she had learned how to do it at will. She couldn't usually control the 
outcome, just see to it that the odds were in her favor (or the favor of a 
friend) and against someone she disliked. Knowing this made the gambling at 
the casinos less fun; Betty still loved to gamble, but knowing she was 
influencing the odds at the casinos took some of the savor away from it. 
She began pursuing more dangerous pastimes...like BASE jumping and anything 
else physically dangerous that could give her a thrill.

As she grew older, Betty kept her good looks and her health and made it a 
point to date men younger than herself -- often much younger -- because she 
felt it made her look more regal with an obvious age difference between 
herself and her latest 'conquest'. As she entered middle age, people began 
calling her 'Auntie Ante' because of her love of gambling and how when she 
spoke, she put everything into gambling metaphors. Betty liked and encouraged 
this practice, feeling that it emphasized the difference in age between 
herself and her boyfriend-of-the-moment...though she did NOT permit any man 
she was dating to call her "auntie"; she insisted they call her Betty or 
Beatrice.

When Betty decided to take the next step in her thrillseeking -- becoming a 
costumed adventurer -- adopting the name "Auntie Ante" officially just seemed 
the obvious thing to do.


[b]Motivation:[/b] Betty's lived a long, good life and isn't ready to stop any time 
soon! She likes parties, dating much younger men, and taking risks. A couple 
of years ago she hit on the notion of putting her life on the line as a 
superhero (or, better yet, a sidekick to some stunningly handsome superhero 
less than half her age) as the ultimate thrill; she hasn't tired of it yet.


[b]Quote:[/b] "Don't blame me...you're the one who took the risk, and now you've 
	got to play the cards you've been dealt. It's time to roll 
	the dice and let the chips fall where they may!"


[b]Tactics:[/b] Auntie Ante has no directly damaging offensive powers whatsoever; 
she is strictly a 'support'-type character. She'll use her ability to 
manipulate probability intelligently, helping allies and hindering foes as is 
most useful moment-to-moment. It's relatively rare that she would use more 
than one ability on a given foe at a time, unless there is only one foe, or 
one very powerful foe and a bunch of minions.


[b]Appearance:[/b] Betty Goldstone is a petite woman, only 5'2" tall, but she's 
'curved' very nicely and despite being nearly sixty years old, is still fit, 
trim, healthy, and quite the looker; she could easily pass for a vigorous 
woman in her early 40s if not for the silver (grey) hair. She doesn't dye her 
hair because she thinks it looks distinguished and likes getting compliments 
on it. As Auntie Ante, her costume is a black bodysuit, with a plunging 
neckline and cut-out panels on the side from armpit to waist. She also wears 
polished black high-heeled knee boots and a metallic silver belt. On the left 
breast of her costume is a symbol of a spread royal flush; on the right breast 
a picture of a pair of dice. A roulette wheel patch can be found on each 
shoulder.

 

 

 

Sidekick: Auntie Anti

 

Inspired by Basil's "Auntie Ante" suggestion

 

[size=6][b]Auntie Anti[/b][/size]
(Betty Goldstone)

[i]Inspired by Basil on the HERO forums[/i]

Val	Char	Cost
6	STR	-4
10	DEX	 0
9	CON	-2
8	BODY	-4
13	INT	 3
13	EGO	 6
18	PRE	 8
18	COM	 4

2/42	PD	 1
2/42	ED	 0
2	SPD	 0
3	REC	 0
18	END	 0
16	STUN	 0

3"	RUN	-6
2"	SWIM	 0
1"	LEAP	 0
Characteristics Cost: 6

Cost	Power
1	[b]I Look Good For My Age:[/b] LS  (Longevity: 200 Years)

33	[b]I Can Do This All Day:[/b] Endurance Reserve  (320 END, 1 REC)

46	[b]I Said "No!":[/b] Multipower, 162-point reserve, all slots Restrainable (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Lockout (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations ("I don't think so, young man!") (-1/4)
4u	1)  [b]If You Can't Play Nice, I'm Taking It Away:[/b] Suppress 7d6, Area Of Effect Accurate (One Hex; +1/2), Any/All Special Effects At Once, Up To 4 Powers Simultaneously (+3); Restrainable (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Lockout (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations ("I don't think so, young man!") (-1/4)
5u	2)  [b]Stop That This Instant!:[/b] Dispel 12d6, Area Of Effect Accurate (One Hex; +1/2), Any/All Special Effects At Once, Up To 4 Powers Simultaneously (+3); Restrainable (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Lockout (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations ("I don't think so, young man!") (-1/4)
4u	3)  [b]I Don't Think So:[/b]	Knockback Resistance -15"; Restrainable (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Lockout (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations ("I don't think so, young man!") (-1/4) 
			[i]plus[/i]	Power Defense (20 points); Restrainable (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Lockout (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations ("I don't think so, young man!") (-1/4) 
			[i]plus[/i]	Lack Of Weakness (-15) for Resistant Defenses; Restrainable (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Lockout (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations ("I don't think so, young man!") (-1/4) 
			[i]plus[/i]	+17 Mental Defense (20 points total); Restrainable (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Lockout (-1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations ("I don't think so, young man!") (-1/4) 
			[i]plus[/i]	FF (40 PD/40 ED); Restrainable (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Lockout (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations ("I don't think so, young man!") (-1/4)

Powers Cost: 93


Cost	Skill
15	+3 with all PRE-Based Skills
0	AK: Campaign City 8-
2	Acting 13-
0	Climbing 8-
0	Concealment 8-
0	Conversation 8-
0	Deduction 8-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic)
0	PS: Actress 11-
0	Paramedics 8-
2	Persuasion 13-
3	Seduction 13-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
0	TF: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 
Skills Cost: 22

Cost	Perk
1	Reputation:  Aging glamor girl (A large group) 8-, +1/+1d6
Perks Cost: 1

Cost	Talent
3	Perfect Pitch
Talents Cost: 3

Total Character Cost: 125

Pts.	Disadvantage
5	Distinctive Features:  Amber eyes; nearly 60 and still 'hot' (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable)
25	DNPC:  Numerous nieces and nephews 11- (Incompetent; Group DNPC: x2 DNPCs)
20	Normal Characteristic Maxima
5	Age:  40+
10	Social Limitation:  Public ID (Frequently, Minor)
15	Psychological Limitation:  Still wants people to notice her and acknowledge her as beautiful (Common, Strong)
10	Psychological Limitation:  Dotes on her nieces and nephews (Common, Moderate)
10	Reputation:  "Aunt Betty's a pushover", 14- (Known Only To A Small Group: Nieces and Nephews)

Disadvantage Points: 100
Base Points: 25
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0

[b]Height:[/b]	5'2"		[b]Hair:[/b]	Silver

[b]Weight:[/b]	103 lbs.	[b]Eyes:[/b]	Amber


[b]Background:[/b] Betty Goldstone got her start in Hollywood as a child actor in 
the years immediately following World War II, and though she was never a 
major star, carried on with her career into the 1960s (when she was 
considered quite the beauty queen) and into the early 70s (where she had a 
few critically-acclaimed roles in some independent films that went virtually 
unnoticed by the general public). Unfortunately, pursuing those independent 
film roles caused her to drop from view in Hollywood, and she was never able 
to get a role in a major film again. Saddened by this, Betty spent several 
years as an agent for struggling actors, but her heart was never in it.

As she grew older, Betty began to worry about her looks, and started spending 
more and more time, money, and attention finding ways to halt the aging 
process, or at least spare herself the ravages of time in regards to her 
beauty. The last one she tried was a spa called "New You" that was all the 
rage among the Hollywood elite, as they seemed to be able to work virtual 
miracles. The day after Betty had taken their treatments (including some 
unnamed injections) the spa was shut down by the authorities because 
several of their clients had died a few months after their treatments from 
massive organ failure. Betty herself became very ill and was hospitalized 
for several months, but she was luckier than most -- she lived.

That was something of an eye-opening experience for her; though she still 
wanted to be regarded as beautiful and desirable, she realized such a goal 
was not worth her life or her health, and it also made her realize that she'd 
almost missed getting to see her nieces and nephews growing up (something 
she really treasured, as Betty herself had never married or had any children). 
Though the desire to be beautiful didn't leave her, Betty settled down to a 
quieter life and began spending most of her free time with her numerous 
nieces and nephews, and "Aunt Betty" quickly became their favorite.

About two years after her lengthy illness, Betty was to have another eye-
opening experience. She was taking a small herd of nieces and nephews to the 
opening night of a new children's movie, and the kids were very excited 
because Lisa Hill, one of the movie's stars, was making a personal appearance 
at the premire. During the autograph session outside the theatre before the 
movie, with Betty looking on indulgently as her nieces and nephews swarmed 
around the star like a flock of hyperactive birds, the minor supervillain who 
called himself Mass Driver showed up, lifted a car overhead with streamers of 
magnetic force, and prepared to hurl the car at Lisa, shouting that she never 
should have dumped him for her fancy-pants Hollywood prettyboy fiance...and 
he didn't seem to care there were dozens of children surrounding her. 
Horrified, Betty jumped in front of him, pointed at him and yelled "Don't you 
dare hurt those children! Stop this at once!" in the most commanding tone she 
could manage while being scared to death. Mass Driver sneered...then his 
expression turned to shock as his magnetic powers flickered, then faded out...
and then the car fell on him with a resounding crash. No one was more 
surprised than Mass Driver except for Betty herself; later she decided that 
whatever had been in the spa treatment that had nearly cost her life was 
probably responsible for her manifesting superpowers. At the moment though, 
she was just as mystified and shaken up as everyone else.

Mass Driver survived, albeit needing hospitalization, and Betty became a 
minor celebrity again...and she lapped it up. It made her realize, though, 
that as long as there are supervillains around, who could strike anywhere at 
any time, her nieces and nephews (and other children and people, of course) 
would never be safe. Further, since it seemed she had the power to stop 
supervillains in their tracks, there was something she could do about it. 
Her nieces and nephews had almost immediately dubbed her "Aunti Anti" for the 
way she could turn off people's powers, so Betty adopted that name as her 
superheroine ID, had a costume made, and set about finding someone who could 
show her the ropes as she did her part to keep the community safe. After all, 
an actor just starting out is wise to get an agent and an acting coach; 
shouldn't a just-starting-out superheroine get the suphero equivalent?

[b]Motivation:[/b] While Betty still enjoys the fame and limelight, her main 
motivation is to protect her nieces and nephews (and by extension other 
innocents) from supervillains. It's a pretty simple goal, but then Betty 
never was one for over-complicating things.

[b]Quote:[/b] "'No' [i]means[/i] 'No'!"

[b]Tactics:[/b] Auntie Anti has the ability to shutdown superpowers well-nigh 
instantly (Dispel), slowly but surely sap them of their strength (Suppress) 
and to prevent them from affecting her (the various defensive powers). She 
will usually size up the situation, then zap whomever she judges to the the 
biggest, strongest, or most immediate threat...and then will switch to her 
defensive stance as quickly as possible. She keeps the defenses up as long as 
possible, dropping them only momentarily to zap another evildoer. She's aware 
she's a very fragile woman nearing sixty, and that without her glowing 
Negation Field, she'd be easily hurt or killed.

[b]Campaign Use:[/b] Auntie Anti would make a good support character, though any 
hero who takes her on as a sidekick should be prepared to spend at least part 
of his time and attention during a battle defending her from the attacks of 
irate supervillains who don't appreciate getting told "No" in Auntie's fashion.

[b]Appearance:[/b] Though she's nearing sixty years old, Betty is still a very 
beautiful woman and could easily pass for a mature woman in her early 
forties. The main giveaway as to her age is her head of beautiful, almost 
metallic silvery hair, which she refuses to dye. "I came by these grey hairs 
honestly," she says with some pride, "and I'm not about to cover them up." 
As Aunti Anti, Betty dresses in a costume that's a rather revealing 
skin-tight black bodysuit, with bright red gloves, high-heeled knee boots, 
and belt. Fortunately, even at her age, Betty has the looks and figure to 
more than pull it off! The only symbol on her costume is on the chest...
a large, red circle with a red slash mark through it.

She does not, of course, wear a mask...after all, if she did, how would her 
fans recognize her?

 

 

Previous Sidekick (Existential Angstrom) --- Return to the List of Sidekicks --- Next Sidekick (Megafauna Lad)

[Super Squirrel]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

groan

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

groan

Hey, Basil suggested 'em; I only wrote 'em.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Not saying they aren't good. I'm just expressing a heavy groan.

[Super Squirrel]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Illusionary Projection Device

Sight and Hearing Group Images, -4 to PER Rolls (32 Active Points); IIF (-1/4), 1 Fuel Charge Lasting 5 Minutes (-1/2), Image is an exact audio, visual duplication of the user of the device that mimics all movements of the user (-1/2), Image appears within 5" from the user, choosen at the time the device is activated (-1/2) (total cost: 11 points) plus Absolute Time Sense (3 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (total cost: 2 points). Total Cost: 13 points.

 

Sometimes an agent needs a device to act as a distraction or to at least attract half of the bullets being fired at them. The watch offers additional options to have the image mirror reflected or facing a direction different than the wearer. It also provides the time.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

I've come to the conclusion there are more sidekicks I want to write up than will fit in a one-per-day run (even counting yesterday's two-for-one as 'one'). Obviously, there's only one thing to do:

 

If I make my EGO check, I'll be Pushing my Theme and should get an extra 10 points, or 2 more DCs, out of it!

 

And if I'm really inspired, maybe I'll Haymaker it instead for a total of 16 DCs!

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Sidekick: Megafauna Lad

 

Name and power suggested by Haven Walkur

 

[size=6][b]Megafauna Lad[/b][/size]
(Ricky Landis)

Inspired by Haven Walkur on the HERO forums

Val	Char	Cost
5	STR	-5
12	DEX	 6
7	CON	-6
7	BODY	-6
12	INT	 2
10	EGO	 0
6	PRE	-4
12	COM	 1

2/22	PD	 1
2/22	ED	 1
2	SPD	 0
2	REC	 0
14	END	 0
14	STUN	 0

7"	RUN	 2
2"	SWIM	 0
1"	LEAP	 0
Characteristics Cost: -8

Cost	Power
47	[b]Say Hello To My Little Friend:[/b] Growth (+75 STR, +15 BODY, +15 STUN, -15" KB, 1.245E6 kg, -10 DCV, +10 PER Rolls to perceive character, 47 m tall, 23.5 m wide), Uncontrolled (+1/2), 8 Continuing Fuel Charges lasting 1 Minute each (+1/2), Usable As Attack (+1); Not usable on self (-1), Only Usable On Animals (-1), Restrainable (-1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Incantations ("Say hello to my little friend!") (-1/4)

18	[b]Electro-Shield Belt:[/b] FF (10 PD/10 ED); OIF Belt (-1/2), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 5 Minutes (-1/2) plus +10 PD; OIF Belt (-1/2), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 5 Minutes (-1/2), Linked (FF; -1/2) plus +10 ED; OIF Belt (-1/2), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 5 Minutes (-1/2), Linked (FF; -1/2)
Powers Cost: 65


Cost	Skill
0	AK: Campaign City 8-
1	Acrobatics 8-
0	Acting 8-
1	Breakfall 8-
0	Climbing 8-
0	Concealment 8-
0	Conversation 8-
0	Deduction 8-
2	KS: Animals 11-
2	KS: Megafauna of the last ice age 11-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic)
0	PS: Junior High Student 11-
0	Paramedics 8-
0	Persuasion 8-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
1	Streetwise 8-
1	Teamwork 8-
0	TF:  Equines
Skills Cost: 8


Cost	Talent
20	Animal Friendship
15	Beast Speech
Talents Cost: 35

Total Character Cost: 100

Pts.	Disadvantage
15	Social Limitation:  Secret ID (Frequently, Major)
15	Social Limitation:  Minor (Very Frequently, Minor)
15	Physical Limitation:  Short (he's a kid) (All the Time, Slightly Impairing)
15	Psychological Limitation:  Thrilled with the adventure of being a sidekick (Common, Strong)
15	Psychological Limitation:  Superhero Code (Common, Strong)

Disadvantage Points: 75
Base Points: 25
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0

[b]Height:[/b]	4'10"	[b]Hair:[/b] Red

[b]Weight:[/b]	83 lbs.	[b]Eyes:[/b] Green


[b]Background:[/b] Like most kids his age, Ricky Landis has gone from one enthusiasm 
to another with about as much rhyme or reason as a ping pong ball bouncing 
around inside a washing machine; for the last year and a half, though, while 
other entusiasms have come and gone, one has stuck with him: a fascination 
with animals and megafauna -- the giant mammals of the last ice age -- in 
particular. His love of animals naturally translated into him wanting a pet, 
and one he could interact with -- not something like a fish, as his parents 
tried suggesting. After much begging and pleading (and maintaining a straight 
A average in school) his parents finally gave in and got him a dog: a 
chihuahua. Since they lived in the city and didn't have a yard, they 
reasoned, this would be the best compromise since the dog would have to live 
indoors.

Ricky was both thrilled (he had a dog!) and disappointed (he wanted what he 
called a "real" dog and not something the size of a wind-up toy) but he 
didn't let that interfere with his love for his new pet, whom he named 
'Monstro' after the whale in [i]Pinocchio[/i]. When his bemused parents asked him 
why he chose that name he replied "I can at least give him a big [i]name[/i]."

Several months later, Ricky lay on his bed half-heartedly flipping through 
one of his beloved books about giant sloths and staring at Monstro as he lay 
curled up contentedly on the pillow. Ricky found himself wishing, with all 
his heart, that he could simply [i]make[/i] Monstro into a full-sized "real" dog...
and then sat bolt upright as Monstro began to swell, growing larger and 
larger... Monstro awakened from his nap with a start as he felt the pillow 
shift under him due to his expansion. Ricky watched with fascination as 
Monstro continued to grow...

Realizing that his parents would notice something very wrong when they got 
home and found a pony-sized chihuahua in his room, Ricky decided he'd better 
get Monstro outside and hide him -- somewhere. It turns out, though, that a 
pony-sized chihuahua, excited by the goings-on and eager to play, makes quite 
a mess of furnishings (broken vases, knocked-down pictures, etc.) on his way 
outside. Just has Ricky had succeeded in getting Monstro to the kitchen door, 
though, his parents returned home...and stopped in shock. Ricky began to 
stammer an explaination -- not that he had one, really -- when Monstro 
abruptly dwindled back down to his normal size. Indeed, were it not for the 
damage to their home, Ricky's parents may have been prepared to believe 
they'd imagined it.

This incident troubled them greatly, of course, and when it was repeated a 
few days later (when Ricky "just wanted to find out" if he could do it 
again), they decided something [i]must[/i] be done. Being good little trendy 
yuppies, they came to the conclusion is whole thing was [i]obviously[/i] some kind 
of personality or character flaw of Ricky's, and that he could probably be 
"trained out of it." To that end, they took Ricky to the best, 
my-views-are-currently-all-the-rage trendy child psychologist their money 
could buy. After hearing all about it (and never once bothering to talk to 
Ricky) the psychologist declared that simply getting Ricky to suppress his 
ability wouldn't be good enough; he had to [i]want[/i] to stop using it. The best 
way to do that, he said, is to show Ricky just what hard work it is to have a 
superpower, and reccomended they apprentice him to a superhero as a sidekick. 
"When he sees how much work it is, it'll stop being fun," the psychologist 
said. "Plus, as a sidekick, he'll see someone else getting all the attention 
and it will make him feel ignored and unimportant; it's sure to give him a 
real distaste for using his power -- problem solved!"

Being the good little yuppies they were, Ricky's parents took the child 
psychologist's words as gospel truth and set about finding a superhero to 
whom to apprentice him; this took some doing, in part because they wanted to 
keep this secret from the rest of the world, so they had to go through some 
roundabout channels. Finally, though, they found a hero who, after talking to 
Ricky, agreed to take him on...with some conditions. First, due to the nature 
of the 'work' and the amount of time Ricky was going to have to spend away 
from home, Captain Incredible insisted on having legal paperwork drawn up 
that in essence gave him joint custody of Ricky, made him responsible for 
Ricky's health, well-being, and education during the times Ricky was under 
his supervision, and so on. Ricky's parents were a bit leery, but since this 
was what the child psychologist said would be best, they went along with it. 
Second, Captain Incredible insisted that he be the one to set Ricky's 
schedule, curfew, and so on and so forth. Once more, Ricky's parents agreed.

Things didn't exactly work out as planned, however.

Captain Incredible has been a very involved and caring if firm mentor, 
treating him like a real person, and making sure Ricky -- as Megafauna Lad -- 
got his proper share of the credit with the press. In short, he's turning out 
to be a better parent than Ricky's flesh-and-blood parents. Ricky is 
beginning to bloom under the tutelage of Captain Incredible, and he 
absolutely loves the superhero lifestyle. Ricky's parents are not at all 
happy about how this has backfired, but they're not sure what they can do 
about it, thanks to the legal documents they signed.


[b]Motivation:[/b] Ricky is very much a bright, enthusiastic twelve-year-old boy who 
is currently having the time of his life, living the dream of being a comic 
book superhero. At this point it seems likely he'll continue with this 
calling as he grows up, but only time will tell for sure.


[b]Quote:[/b] "Yaaaa-hoooo! You're gonna get it now, bad guys!!"


[b]Tactics:[/b] Ricky's ability to cause animals to grow to huge size has gotten 
considerably stronger since he's been practicing with it every day; 
currently, he can turn a Great Dane into a giant almost 75' tall at the 
shoulder...it doesn't really bear thinking about what would happen if a fight 
with a supervillain were to take place in a zoo or at a circus, and Ricky 
decided to zap something already really large -- like an elephant -- with his 
power.

Ricky's usual tactic is to find an animal ready-to-hand (usually a dog or a 
cat), enlarge them to giant size, then ask them to help out against the "bad 
guys" he points out. Since Ricky discovered he also has the ability to talk 
with animals, and that they respond to him in a friendly, helpful manner, 
this generally isn't a problem. Collateral damage, though, is something he's 
still working on.


[b]Appearance:[/b] Ricky's of average height for a twelve-year-old boy, and already 
there are indications he's going to be a very good looking man when he grows 
up. He tends to dress the way most kids his age do...sneakers, jeans, and 
t-shirt. As Megafauna Lad, he dresses in a dark brown costume with black 
boots and gloves, a black force-field projector belt (given to him by Captain 
Incredible so he won't get hurt), and a black mask. On the chest of his 
costume, also in black, is a bear's paw-print. Ricky REALLY wanted a cape 
("They're sooooo cool!!") but Captain Incredible talked him out of it.

 

Previous Sidekick (Auntie Ante / Auntie Anti) --- Return to the List of Sidekicks --- Next Sidekick (Kid Supernova)

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Very nice, Dr. A!

 

Just one very minor correction - not 'leary,' (that's a foul-mouthed comic), but 'leery.'

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Very nice, Dr. A!

 

Just one very minor correction - not 'leary,' (that's a foul-mouthed comic), but 'leery.'

Thanks.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Welcome. ^ v ^

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Ok, I didn't get to post one yesterday while on the road. (Dad forgot to bring the power supply for his laptop .) So, I owe two today. They may be a bit short, but I should get em in.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

The Crystal Egg

(Inspired by an idea from HG Wells)

Setting: Any

Type: Item

Consequence: Imprisonment

 

The egg is a beautifully carved piece of crystal about seven inches long at its largest dimension and weighing six pounds. The crystal is remarkably clear, though if a strong light is shown through the egg there appears to be something moving deep inside, something strange…

 

A flash of light and the person closest to the egg has vanished from sight. In truth, they have been transported into the egg itself. The victim will find himself in an egg shaped cell with walls of crystal. There are no doors, no windows, no way in or out. Large distorted images dance around the walls with no possible way to discern them. There is no food or water, nor any need for any. The cell prolongs the victim’s life indefinitely.

 

The Crystal Egg goes dull and cloudy after the trap is triggered. It stays this way for 24 hours, then turns beautifully clear again. Anyone else that gets trapped will end up in their own cell. There are a lot of things to do with this little trinket. Answering the question ‘how do we get them out?’ is only the beginning. The real question is who made this? And why?

 

 

The Crystal Egg: Extra Dimensional Movement, UAA (One dimension: the cell); Trigger: Strong light source; Act 11-; Resets after 24 hours; only affects those looking into the Crystal Egg; Chooses Closest Target

The Cell: Life Support: Total, UAO

 

Options:

Too insidious? Drop activation to 8- and give a one phase warning sound that something isn’t right.

Not insidious enough? The cell isn’t empty when the trap is triggered, and the victim releases the previous victim…which isn’t friendly at all. Or, perhaps it never resets at all.

Too inescapable? The victims could trade places, as above. Or the real owner of the Egg will come looking for it, now that it has collected a specimen…

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Breaking The Chains

Setting: Champions (but possible for any)

Type: Deathtrap

Consequence: Multiple deaths

 

Imagine that there are three rooms (more rooms for more victims). The first room is in the center, and it is larger than the other rooms, which are adjacent to this room but on opposite sides from each other. In the center room is a pedestal, six feet high, of shoddy wooden construction. Standing on top of this pedestal is the team brick. The brick has heavy chains attached to his outstretched hands, which extend through holes in opposite walls. On the other side of those walls are his teammates. They stand up against the wall with the chains attached to razor lined collars wrapped around their necks. If the brick pulls his arms together, which he could easily do, they will likely be decapitated. At best, they will take massive damage.

 

The teammates also have chains attached to their outstretched arms. These chains lead through holes back into the center room, where they attach to the base of the pedestal. If they flex, they will pull the pedestal out from under the brick, who will fall and pull his chains down choking his teammates. But that pedestal is very rickety, and could go all on it’s own. To make matters worse, there is a diamond tipped drill aimed at the brick’s chest. If he doesn’t move, the drill will fire piercing even him. Once fired, the drill will hold him suspended so that even if the pedestal moves he won’t fall.

 

So the teammates will be safe as long as nobody moves and the drill goes off. The brick will be safe if he falls and chokes or decapitates his teammates. Of course, the deathtrapper will make them aware of the situation, not that they’ll be able to confirm it really. And he’s a notorious liar. Decisions, decisions…

 

The Chains: DEF 7, BODY 8

The Collars: Adds Armor Piercing to brick’s STR

The Drill: 4d6 KA double penetrating; no knockback; extra time: one minute plus Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF; takes no damage, only if Drill does BODY, just to hold victim in place

The Pedestal: DEF 1, BODY 1

 

Options:

Too fiendish? Replace the collars with normal chains so that when the brick flexes there is less chance of instant decapitation. Drop drill damage to 2d6, so even after impalement he still lives. (Of course, that’s pretty fiendish in it’s own way, too.)

Not fiendish enough? Simple: Don’t tell the brick what the situation is. Or don’t tell any of them. Or worse, tell them, but give the drill knockback and take the entangle effect away so that they all die anyway.

Too inevitable? Increase the time on the drill to five minutes. Reduce Chains to DEF 5, BODY 6

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

It's after midnight my time, so it's technically Friday; since there's a very good chance I'm going to be away from home most all day tomorrow, and won't have time to write up and post a character, I'm going to go ahead and post Friday's character now.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Sidekick: Kid Supernova - Earth's Most Powerful Sidekick!

 

Name suggested by OddHat

 

And yes...I managed to create a character for 100 points who can make a star go supernova!

 

(Oh...and for you picky 'science types', yes, I know there's a lot of wrong stuff in this write-up. I'm creating a comic book character here, not writing a textbook! See my notes at the end of the write-up.)

 

 

[size=6][b]Kid Supernova 
  - Earth's Most Powerful Sidekick[/b][/size]

[i]Inspired by OddHat on the HERO forums[/i]


Val	Char	Cost
10	STR	 0
10	DEX	 0
10	CON	 0
10	BODY	 0
10	INT	 0
10	EGO	 0
20	PRE	10
16	COM	 3

2/17	PD	 0
2/17	ED	 0
2	SPD	 0
4	REC	 0
20	END	 0
20	STUN	 0

6"	RUN	 0
2"	SWIM	 0
2"	LEAP	 0
Characteristics Cost: 13

Cost	Power

36	[b]Best Bang Since The Big One:[/b] Summon Star At The End Of Its Life, About To Undergo Gravitational Collapse 227-point object, Ranged (+1/2), No Range Modifier (+1/2), MegaRange (1" = 100 lightyears; +4); OAF Star Immobile Expendable (Easy to obtain new Focus; -2), 1 Charge (-2), Restrainable (-1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Conditional Power Power Only Works At Night (-1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Incantations ("Let there be light!") (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4)

13	[b]Protected By The Stars Above:[/b] FF (15 PD/15 ED); 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 1 Minute (-3/4), OIF Pendant made of a piece of neutron star material (Focus [personal]; -1/2)

Powers Cost: 49


Cost	Skill
0	AK: Campaign City 8-
2	Acting 13-
0	Climbing 8-
0	Concealment 8-
0	Conversation 8-
0	Deduction 8-
2	KS: Stars 11-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic)
0	PS: Sidekick 11-
0	Paramedics 8-
2	Persuasion 13-
2	SS:  Astronomy 11-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
0	TF: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 
Skills Cost: 8

Cost	Perk
30	Reputation:  Earth's Most Powerful Sidekick (large group) 14-, +10/+10d6
Perks Cost: 30


Total Character Cost: 100

Pts.	Disadvantage
15	Social Limitation:  Secret ID (Frequently, Major)
15	Social Limitation:  Minor (Very Frequently, Minor)
15	Reputation:  He just might do it..., 11- (Extreme)
10	Psychological Limitation:  Superhero Code (Common, Moderate)
5	Psychological Limitation:  Enjoys seeing the fear in their eyes when he threatens to blow up a star (Uncommon, Moderate)
15	Psychological Limitation:  Acts aggressive and trigger-happy to cover his fear (Common, Strong)

Disadvantage Points: 75
Base Points: 25
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0

[b]Height:[/b]	5'8"		[b]Hair:[/b] Brown

[b]Weight:[/b]	132 lbs.	[b]Eyes:[/b] Blue


[b]Background:[/b] Philip Douglas had an early interest in astronomy and the stars, 
but he didn't pursue it seriously; he prefered to lay in the grass, look up 
at the stars, and think of strange and wondrous possibilities rather than 
read up and study on the subject. He began to take it a little more 
seriously, though, a few weeks before his sixteenth birthday. He was laying 
out in his back yard when he saw a shooting star, very bright, but it looked 
a bit odd: instead of being a streak of light, it was very nearly spherical. 
Philip realized what that had to mean just before the meteor blew a small, 
two-foot crater in the ground a few feet from where he lay.

When Philip got over his shock and fright, he went to investigate. At the 
bottom of the crater, glowing with a soft, silvery light, was a small 
irregular lump of what looked like metal. Knowing it would be hot, Philip 
extended his hand toward it slowly, and was very surprised to find it 
radiated almost no heat. Encouraged by this, he picked it up...or tried to 
pick it up. It was heavy...[i]really[/i] heavy! Even though it was only about an 
inch across, it took a huge effort to pull it up out of the ground. Philip 
realized, of course, that this was no ordinary metal...it must be something 
very dense indeed! Knowing a bit about astronomy, Philip decided this must be 
a fragment of a neutron star, the ultra-dense stellar corpse left by a 
supernova. (He [i]didn't[/i] know enough to realize why this couldn't possibly be 
correct.) He gazed back up into the sky in awe, imagining what it would be 
like to be able to see the awe-inspiring spectacle of a supernova in person, 
or better yet -- to have godlike power, to be able to stretch out your hand, 
point at the star of your choice, intone "Let There Be Light!" and watch it 
explode! Philip did this, pointing at a random star in the sky, and let his 
imagination run wild, picturing what the resulting blast would look like.

The next day, the newspaper carried a minor story about a puzzle in the 
astronomical community...observatories around the world had detected a new 
supernova last night, and what was causing a stir was the star had been too 
small to undergo the type of collapse necessary to trigger a supernova. 
Theories and counter-theories were being tossed back and forth, but no one 
had a real answer yet.

Philip was horrified...the picture in the newspaper of the night sky had an 
arrow pointing out the pinpoint of light that was the star that had 
exploded...and he recognized it as the one he'd playfully imagined blowing 
up! Almost in a panic, Philip dialed the emergancy hotline number of the 
local superhero team and left a rather incoherant message on their voicemail 
system. Though they were used to crank calls, and the voice in the message 
was obviously a young one, it also sounded genuinely terrified, so they 
investigated anyway. Philip told his story, and they found it hard to 
believe, to say the least. Finally the team leader proposed a test to prove 
to Philip he hadn't been responsible and thus calm his fears. He obtained 
from an alien explorer he knew the location of a star with no planets and 
far enough away from any life-bearing systems to not pose a threat to them. 
That night, he showed Philip which star in the sky it was and Philip, more 
than a bit frightened, stretched out his hand to point at the star, intoned 
"Let there be light!" and imagined it blowing up. The team leader thanked 
Philip for his cooperation, and said he would come by the next morning with 
a newspaper to show Philip no unexpected supernova had been reported.

The next day, the newspaper carried the story of yet [i]another[/i] unexpected and 
so far unexplainable supernova...the star the team leader had pointed out to 
Philip.

Needless to say, the superheroes were taken aback by these results, and held 
a hurried conference about it. They came to the conclusion that a sixteen 
year old boy, with that kind of power, was likely to use it if he wasn't 
monitored & taught how to control himself. They offered to make Philip a team 
sidekick and teach him how NOT to blow up stars anymore; Philip accepted in a 
heartbeat. A few weeks later, the team held a press conference announcing 
their new member to the world, and arranging a demonstration of 
Kid Supernova's power. The press laughed, taking it for a joke...until the 
next morning...

(Note: no actual team name, or names of team members, was specified because as
with the other sidekicks I've written up, Kid Supernova is intended to be used
in someone else's campaign, and they will doubtless have an already-existant
team that's appropriate for this purpose.)

[b]Motivation:[/b] Philip is actually rather afraid of the power he wields, and 
tends to act aggressive and a bit trigger-happy to cover up that fear. He 
hopes that his time with the team can teach him how to better use and 
control his power; until then, he'll settle for helping to get villains to 
surrender by intimidation. Also...and Philip wouldn't admit this to anyone, 
and barely admits it to himself...he really gets a charge out of seeing the 
expression on a crook's face when they recognize him, and the fear that 
immediately shows in their eyes...


[b]Quote:[/b] "Back off, man! I'll do it! I'll really do it!"


[b]Tactics:[/b] Since his only known innate power has no direct application to any 
Earthly situation or predicament, Kid Supernova relies on his reputation and 
his acting ability to bluff people into giving up. In case the bluff doesn't 
work, though, he's not entirely vulnerable...the pendant he wears (containing 
the piece of "neutron star material") can prevent most harm from reaching him 
due to intense gravitational distortions that deflect attacks or rob them of 
most of their force. It doesn't last for very long, though, and then must 
spend the next twelve hours or so soaking up ambient gravitational radiation 
before it can function again.

(So far, the pendant only works when Philip wills it -- no one else can 
activate it -- and no one but Philip seems able to lift it; for anyone else, 
even those superhumanly strong, it's too heavy to budge.)


[b]Appearance:[/b] Philip is a handsome young man, and it's a good bet that he'll be 
considered quite a dashing figure by the time he's in his early twenties. As 
Kid Supernova, his costume is a deep blue flecked all over with bits of 
silver, and a large silver "sunburst" symbol on his chest. His belt, gloves, 
and boots are as black as the night sky, as is his cape. The pendant 
containing the fragment of "neutron star" hangs around his neck.

 

 

 

[size=4][b]Star At The End Of Its Life, About To Undergo Gravitational Collapse[/b][/size]

227	[b]Spontaneous Gravitational Collapse:[/b] Summon Collapsing Star That Will Supernova 9100-point creatures, Trigger (When Summoned) (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger requires a Turn or more to reset; +1/4); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), OAF Star Immobile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3), No Conscious Control (-2)

 

[size=4][b]Collapsing Star That Will Supernova[/b][/size]

9100	[b]Let There Be Light:[/b] RKA 975d6, Trigger (when Summoned) (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger requires a Turn or more to reset; +1/4), MegaArea (1" = 10 million km; +2), Explosion (-1 DC/10"; +2 3/4), Armor Piercing (x8; +4), Penetrating (x8; +4); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), OAF Star Immobile Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; -3), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-2), No Conscious Control (-2), No Range (-1/2)

[i]Side Effect (Hard Radiation):[/i] RKA 840d6, Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), NND (+1), Does BODY (+1), Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1), Difficult To Dispel (x16 Active Points; +1), MegaArea (1" = 10 million km; +2), Explosion (-1 DC/10"; +2 3/4), +24 Increased STUN Multiplier (+6); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), No Range (-1/2)

[i]Side Effect (EMP):[/i] RKA 505d6, Double Knockback (+3/4), Does BODY (+1), Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1), Difficult To Dispel (x16 Active Points; +1), AVLD (Power Defense; +1 1/2), MegaArea (1" = 10 million km; +2), Explosion (-1 DC/10"; +2 3/4), Armor Piercing (x16; +8), Penetrating (x16; +8); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), No Range (-1/2)

[i]Side Effect (Light Pulse):[/i] Sight and Radio Groups and Spatial Awareness Flash 1948d6, Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), Double Knockback (+3/4), Difficult To Dispel (x16 Active Points; +1), Does BODY (+1), MegaArea (1" = 10 million km; +2), Explosion (-1 DC/10"; +2 3/4), Armor Piercing (x8; +4), Penetrating (x16; +8); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), No Range (-1/2)

[i]Side Effect (Neutrino Pulse):[/i] Detect/Sense Neutrinos Group Flash 2416d6, Does Knockback (+1/4), Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), Double Knockback (+3/4), Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1), MegaArea (1" = 10 million km; +2), Explosion (-1 DC/10"; +2 3/4), Difficult To Dispel (x65536 Active Points; +4), Armor Piercing (x16; +8), Penetrating (x16; +8); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), No Range (-1/2)

[i]Side Effect (Nucleosynthesis):[/i] Major Transform 467d6 (Element Into Element With Higher Atomic Number), Does Knockback (+1/4), Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), Double Knockback (+3/4), Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1), Improved Results Group (+1), MegaArea (1" = 10 million km; +2), Explosion (-1 DC/10"; +2 3/4), Difficult To Dispel (x65536 Active Points; +4), Armor Piercing (x16; +8), Penetrating (x16; +8); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), All Or Nothing (-1/2), No Range (-1/2)

[i]Side Effect (Nebula Creation):[/i] Change Environment 2,048" radius (2,048" Any Area; +0), -10 to Sight Group PER Rolls, -10 to Radio Group PER Rolls, +20 Temperature Level Adjustment, -25 levels of FTL travel, Long-Lasting Permanent, Multiple Combat Effects, Hole In The Middle (+1/4), Varying Effect Very Limited Group (+1/4), Variable Special Effects (Limited Group of SFX; +1/4), Does Knockback (+1/4), Conforming (+1/2), Double Knockback (+3/4), MegaArea (1" = 10 billion km; +2 3/4), Difficult To Dispel (x65536 Active Points; +4); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), No Range (-1/2)

 

General note about the 'nested' Summons: according to Steve Long himself, there's nothing to prevent a Summoned creature or object from itself having a Summon, so this is book legal. Whether you could get GM permission to declare an entire star an expendable focus or not, though, is another matter entirely.

 

Previous Sidekick (Megafauna Lad) --- Return to the List of Sidekicks --- Next Sidekick (Coming Soon)

 

Notes

[Super Squirrel]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Dork.

 

But good.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: 12 Days of Christmas Project

 

Dork.

 

But good.

When OddHat suggested the name, I immediately wondered if there was any way in heck to write up a character on a reasonable number of points -- let alone a sidekick -- that could actually make a star go supernova. Turns out the answer's yes, though it takes a bit of GM permission in regards to what's an Expendable Focus.