Queer heroes

[SteveBerman]

Well, I'm thinking about attending Gaylaxicon in June and running a Champion event or two. In my regular campaign, there are no LGBT-heroes except for an occasional NOC (probably because the other players are straight). So I would need to create a lot of new stuff.

 

I was thinking that the adventure would involve a hero who's DNPC was the victim of a hate crime and he has gone over the edge and is threatening people. Not just for vengeance but actually is endangering a large populace. Because of the sensitive issue, a bunch of queer heroes has banded together for the first time to try and reason with him (if possible) or stop him (if there is no other way).

 

Any thoughts?

 

Steve

http://www.steveberman.com

[Guest lucky]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Interesting idea and potentially a great way to broach homophobia and heteronormativity in an accessible way. I'd suggest placing the DNPC's actions in a broader context: people don't usually just "snap" after one lone incident. Building a certain amount of sympathy for the antagonist's situation (not their violent actions) would imbue the scenario with a great deal more pathos.

 

Add in an aggressive response from the public and a potential backlash against local LGBTQ groups and you've got a powder keg for the PCs to handle.

[SteveBerman]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Good ideas.

 

I also want to avoid making the supplied player characters be silly with names that announce their sexuality. Rather, they should be heroes who happen to be queer.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: Queer heroes

 

And as for one thing that should go without saying: make sure you have a mature gaming group. This is actually hard to do at a Con, and most gamers I know are actually far from mature. Maybe this would be a better idea with a group that you know can handle that kind of content in your game.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Good ideas.

 

I also want to avoid making the supplied player characters be silly with names that announce their sexuality. Rather, they should be heroes who happen to be queer.

 

Good call that.

I think that a character or two who draw elements from gay culture would be quite appropriate, myself, but only approached from a position of strength. Superheros are iconic anyway, and often draw elements of their costumes and heroic ID's from cultural sources, so drawing on some LGBT cultural elements would be completely appropriate.

 

A sonic using drag queen diva is probably a bit TOO subcultural... it could be seen as insulting (tho the right crowd would probably have a ball with such a character)

 

A Iron age-y street avenger Flagsuit based off the Leather Pride flag, OTOH, could be very cool. Its not like leather BDSM gear hasn't made NUMEROUS appearances in straight hero's costumes for the last 2 decades.

Probably want to avoid the sterotypical bondage utility belt, the gimp hood and some of the other possible travesties you could inflict.

 

Heck.. the Pride flag itself would make a pretty good color scheme for a suit...

An energy projector or sport model brick, probably. Someone who flys.

 

I recently was approached to make a hero costume for a member of the LGBT community around here that will be a basic black spandex catsuit & mask with metallic colored leather starbursts over each of his chakra points, in rainbow order down the centerline of his body.

[SteveBerman]

Re: Queer heroes

 

And as for one thing that should go without saying: make sure you have a mature gaming group. This is actually hard to do at a Con' date=' and most gamers I know are actually far from mature. Maybe this would be a better idea with a group that you know can handle that kind of content in your game.[/quote']

 

 

Well, hopefully since this would be a gay science fiction con, this problem would be solved. I know my local group razzes me when I play a transgendered D&D character.

[SteveBerman]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Good call that.

I think that a character or two who draw elements from gay culture would be quite appropriate, myself, but only approached from a position of strength. Superheros are iconic anyway, and often draw elements of their costumes and heroic ID's from cultural sources, so drawing on some LGBT cultural elements would be completely appropriate.

 

A sonic using drag queen diva is probably a bit TOO subcultural... it could be seen as insulting (tho the right crowd would probably have a ball with such a character)

 

A Iron age-y street avenger Flagsuit based off the Leather Pride flag, OTOH, could be very cool. Its not like leather BDSM gear hasn't made NUMEROUS appearances in straight hero's costumes for the last 2 decades.

Probably want to avoid the sterotypical bondage utility belt, the gimp hood and some of the other possible travesties you could inflict.

 

Okay, you have sold me on the above two. I especially love the 2nd. Hmm, have to get Storn to draw them. I think I need to provide maybe 10 characters and have the 5 or 6 players choose what they want.

[SteveBerman]

Re: Queer heroes

 

A sonic using drag queen diva is probably a bit TOO subcultural... it could be seen as insulting (tho the right crowd would probably have a ball with such a character)

 

Perhaps named Melody Fierce?

 

A Iron age-y street avenger Flagsuit based off the Leather Pride flag' date=' OTOH, could be very cool. Its not like leather BDSM gear hasn't made NUMEROUS appearances in straight hero's costumes for the last 2 decades. Probably want to avoid the sterotypical bondage utility belt...[/quote']

 

This one begs to be named Discipline.

 

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Well' date=' hopefully since this would be a gay science fiction con, this problem would be solved. I know my local group razzes me when I play a transgendered D&D character.[/quote']

 

Okay. I didn't know that would be a gay convention. At which point, forget what I said.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Perhaps named Melody Fierce?

 

*Chuckles*

 

This one begs to be named Discipline.

 

Good call. Go for a suite of BAtman/Shadow/Deathstroke style superskills, based around psychology, anatomy and perception. Most of the good lifestytle Dom's I've known and respected have scary amounts of understanding about the way folk work, body and mind. Mastery of a martial art like Aiki-jitsu that exploits lots of nerve strikes, holds, chokes and takedowns. Analyze skill through the roof. That sorta thing.

As tempted as I'd be to give him a singletail, a police style tonfa is probably a better idea.

Of course he'll have cuffs, but any self respecting Dark Avenger carries cuffs. Ones lined with pink bunny fur might be over the top. Except as a kinda mean joke to pull on a particularily homophobic thug you've trussed up for the cops to arrest

[McManus]

Re: Queer heroes

 

You are describing the fellow from the Authority...who happens to be gay ...Midnighter I think is the name. Paired with Apollo

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Queer heroes

 

You are describing the fellow from the Authority...who happens to be gay ...Midnighter I think is the name. Paired with Apollo

Right.

Except I've never read the Authority, but I have heard of the character.

 

So think of it like Midnighter without his Mary sue writing, his over the top attitude or his Deux Ex Headcomputer.

And with his suit stylised out of the Leather Pride Flag.

 

If I get a wild hair I might do a sketch of whats floating around in my head

[wcw43921]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Here's a few ideas--I tried to identify them as being gay without making them flamboyantly stereotypical. I hope you can find a use for them.

 

White Knight--Henry Torrance was an Army officer serving in Desert Storm when he was severely injured in a Scud missile attack. The doctors decided to use an experimental regeneration machine to heal him; it worked perfectly, and he was able to return to duty.

 

Shortly after his return to the States, Torrance's relationship with Ethan Morton was uncovered by Army investigators. Faced with a court-martial, he chose to resign his commission and settled down to life with Ethan. Two years later he dashed in front of a speeding car to rescue a child--and that's when his powers emerged. The Army, along with the other services, tried to re-recruit him, but he turned them down. "I was prepared to give my life to defend my country," said Torrance, "only to find out my country would not defend my rights. From now on I will defend my own rights, and the rights of my partner and friends."

 

As the White Knight, Torrance holds himself up as the "defender of the gay community." Any time there's a crime committed against gay persons or gay-owned businesses, or gay-on-gay crime or violence, he's there to bring the guilty parties to justice. He's also been there when the city's come under attack by the latest mad science or sorcery threat, or whenever else a hero is needed. He has a very high public profile, and he and Ethan are recognized wherever they go. This has led Ethan, who otherwise enjoys the attention, to begin wearing a Kevlar shirt underneath his regular clothes, and to take up training in weapons and martial arts. He has half-seriously suggested to Henry that he could become his sidekick--"Squire Guy." Despite the precautions for his safety, Ethan is the biggest supporter of the White Knight's crimefighting career.

 

(I leave the White Knight's powers to you--I think he could either be an enhanced human like Captain America, or a speedster, or a Luke Cage-style brick.)

 

Gargoyle--Lewis Morrison's parents did not take it well when he revealed to them the truth of his homosexuality. They swore that no matter what it took, they would find a way to make their son "normal." Their search led them to a mysterious man who guaranteed the desired results. Convinced there was no other way, they gave their son over to him.

 

Lewis' sexual orientation was the least of the man's concerns. He was actually a sorceror who saw in Lewis an ideal specimen for his experiments in melding humans with otherworldly monsters. He chained him to a stone altar and cast his spells--and Lewis became a grotesque figure of living stone. But the binding spells that were supposed to give the sorceror control over the monster failed, and Lewis broke free and destroyed the sorceror's chambers in a fit of rage and agony. The sorceror managed to escape, and Lewis managed to calm down--only to be overcome with anguish as he realized he was trapped in the monstrous body, quite possibly for the rest of his life.

 

He made his way back to his parents' house to confront them with what they had done. "Is this really what you wanted?" he screeched in a voice of stone. "Did you really believe that living my life like--THIS--is better than living my life as a gay?" Renouncing his parents altogether, Gargoyle went away into the night to find the one man who could possibly restore him to human.

 

Gargoyle resembles a stone statue of an emaciated demonic figure, with horns and fangs in its head, oversized claws on its hands and feet, and demonic-looking wings. He possesses super-strength, his stone skin can resist most, if not all forms of damage, and his stone claws and fangs can gouge and bite through almost anything. While possessing wings, it tires Lewis quickly to fly, and he prefers to run after criminals, or leap from rooftop to rooftop if he needs altitude.

 

Spotlight is Darrell Moreno, a runway fashion model with light-based powers. Like White Knight he is out in a very public way, and uses his powers and his celebrity to support gay and lesbian charities.

 

Whirlwind is the opposite of White Knight and Spotlight. Not only does he keep his true identity--Clifford Jackson--a secret, he is also an African-American living on the down-low, concealing his sexuality from his wife and three kids. His gay partner also provides a voice of conscience, and exhorts him to "always use his powers for the best."

 

As Whirlwind, Jackson has extensive control over the air. He can generate high-velocity winds for attack and defense, and merge with the air to fly at incredible speeds, or become intangible to let attacks pass through him or enter a closed room through holes in the wall or cracks in the window sash. (Not to mention the ventilation system.)

 

 

Again, I hope you can find a use for these. Next time I'll see if I can come up with some lesbian characters.

[transmetahuman]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Thanks for the Gaylaxians reference, I'd never heard of them before. Might try to make it to the Atlanta con in '07.

 

I don't know how serious you want the game to be; if I was doing it, I'd probably steer clear of Village People-esque stereotypes, and just have your normal variety of supers who happen to be gay. That doesn't help you much here, though, so I'll throw out some cheesy Village Superpeople types, too.

 

I don't know any tribal self-classifications for lesbians besides riot grrrrls, so can't help much there.

 

For the guys:

 

leatherman, of course (batman/midnighter)

drag queen, equally of course (sonic sounds good, why not?)

bear (shapeshifter or bestial maybe?)... cub sidekick would be very appropriate here

cowboy (laconic sharpshooter, maybe with blaster pistols)

gay 'skinhead' (wolverine/juggernaut-type brawler?)

twink (maybe tweeker-like speedster?)

steroidal circuit party bodybuilder (brick, of course)

radical faerie (mystic?)

maybe an extreme body-mod enthusiast who got the opportunity to take it to cyborg levels.

 

More serious advice would be to first make sure the normal super archetypes/team roles (brick, blaster, psi, etc) are filled, then pick themes and personalities after that.

 

edit: whoops, just caught your second post. oh, well, i'll leave these up for entertainment value (maybe they'll spark ideas, too), and try to bring some more serious characters next time.

[st barbara]

Re: Queer heroes

 

So a character called "The Pink Fruitfly" is right out ?

[SteveBerman]

Re: Queer heroes

 

So a character called "The Pink Fruitfly" is right out ?

 

Utterly.

[SteveBerman]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Here's a few ideas--I tried to identify them as being gay without making them flamboyantly stereotypical. I hope you can find a use for them.

 

White Knight--Henry Torrance was an Army officer serving in Desert Storm when he was severely injured in a Scud missile attack. The doctors decided to use an experimental regeneration machine to heal him; it worked perfectly, and he was able to return to duty.

 

Shortly after his return to the States, Torrance's relationship with Ethan Morton was uncovered by Army investigators. Faced with a court-martial, he chose to resign his commission and settled down to life with Ethan. Two years later he dashed in front of a speeding car to rescue a child--and that's when his powers emerged. The Army, along with the other services, tried to re-recruit him, but he turned them down. "I was prepared to give my life to defend my country," said Torrance, "only to find out my country would not defend my rights. From now on I will defend my own rights, and the rights of my partner and friends."

 

As the White Knight, Torrance holds himself up as the "defender of the gay community." Any time there's a crime committed against gay persons or gay-owned businesses, or gay-on-gay crime or violence, he's there to bring the guilty parties to justice. He's also been there when the city's come under attack by the latest mad science or sorcery threat, or whenever else a hero is needed. He has a very high public profile, and he and Ethan are recognized wherever they go. This has led Ethan, who otherwise enjoys the attention, to begin wearing a Kevlar shirt underneath his regular clothes, and to take up training in weapons and martial arts. He has half-seriously suggested to Henry that he could become his sidekick--"Squire Guy." Despite the precautions for his safety, Ethan is the biggest supporter of the White Knight's crimefighting career.

 

(I leave the White Knight's powers to you--I think he could either be an enhanced human like Captain America, or a speedster, or a Luke Cage-style brick.)

 

Gargoyle--Lewis Morrison's parents did not take it well when he revealed to them the truth of his homosexuality. They swore that no matter what it took, they would find a way to make their son "normal." Their search led them to a mysterious man who guaranteed the desired results. Convinced there was no other way, they gave their son over to him.

 

Lewis' sexual orientation was the least of the man's concerns. He was actually a sorceror who saw in Lewis an ideal specimen for his experiments in melding humans with otherworldly monsters. He chained him to a stone altar and cast his spells--and Lewis became a grotesque figure of living stone. But the binding spells that were supposed to give the sorceror control over the monster failed, and Lewis broke free and destroyed the sorceror's chambers in a fit of rage and agony. The sorceror managed to escape, and Lewis managed to calm down--only to be overcome with anguish as he realized he was trapped in the monstrous body, quite possibly for the rest of his life.

 

He made his way back to his parents' house to confront them with what they had done. "Is this really what you wanted?" he screeched in a voice of stone. "Did you really believe that living my life like--THIS--is better than living my life as a gay?" Renouncing his parents altogether, Gargoyle went away into the night to find the one man who could possibly restore him to human.

 

Gargoyle resembles a stone statue of an emaciated demonic figure, with horns and fangs in its head, oversized claws on its hands and feet, and demonic-looking wings. He possesses super-strength, his stone skin can resist most, if not all forms of damage, and his stone claws and fangs can gouge and bite through almost anything. While possessing wings, it tires Lewis quickly to fly, and he prefers to run after criminals, or leap from rooftop to rooftop if he needs altitude.

 

Spotlight is Darrell Moreno, a runway fashion model with light-based powers. Like White Knight he is out in a very public way, and uses his powers and his celebrity to support gay and lesbian charities.

 

Whirlwind is the opposite of White Knight and Spotlight. Not only does he keep his true identity--Clifford Jackson--a secret, he is also an African-American living on the down-low, concealing his sexuality from his wife and three kids. His gay partner also provides a voice of conscience, and exhorts him to "always use his powers for the best."

 

As Whirlwind, Jackson has extensive control over the air. He can generate high-velocity winds for attack and defense, and merge with the air to fly at incredible speeds, or become intangible to let attacks pass through him or enter a closed room through holes in the wall or cracks in the window sash. (Not to mention the ventilation system.)

 

 

Again, I hope you can find a use for these. Next time I'll see if I can come up with some lesbian characters.

 

Some nifty ideas here. I especially like the background for Gargoyle (but that name seems to have been done to death). I think it would be cool to roleplay someone like that with a very bitter attitude who has to come to terms with his appearance.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Here's a few ideas--I tried to identify them as being gay without making them flamboyantly stereotypical. I hope you can find a use for them.

 

Repp'ed - excellent ideas all round that build the character's sexuality into their backgrounds without hitting anyone over the head.

 

As for fictional lesbian Super-characters...

 

Kara Zor-El and Rachel? [ducks]

[SKJAM!]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Here's the character I played in the GGU Baltimore campaign (sadly defunct.) File off some of the serial numbers, and he might do.

 

 

ROCK BOTTOM

 

Real Name: Muhammed Ali Brown

Player Name: Scott K. Jamison skjam@yahoo.com

Affiliation: Former student of Venture Institute

Hair: Gray, worn in an afro

Eyes: Gray

Height: 174 cm

Weight: 182 kg

Nationality: United States of America

Place of Birth: Baltimore, Maryland

Age: 18

 

 

Background Story: "I have no son!"

 

Muhammed Brown's father slammed the door, and the teenager could hear it being locked from the inside. Muhammed pounded on it for a few minutes, but there was no answer. That had not gone at all well.

 

Muhammed had known for some years that he was different from the other boys, and he'd finally admitted it. First to himself, then to a friend at school (who'd become something rather more), and to the school counselor. The last had encouraged him to come out to his father, but that had proved a disastrous mistake. The elder Brown turned out to be adamantly homophobic, and the argument that resulted had resulted in Muhammed being kicked out of the house.

 

Upon calming down, Muhammed realized that his own loss of temper hadn't helped matters, but he knew his father wasn't going to open that door any time soon. It was time to pursue other lifestyle options.

 

Life on the streets is hard, especially for a kid who didn't want to run with a gang or sell himself to a pimp. Muhammed was able to crash at classmates' houses once or twice a week, but he was missing a lot of school. That wasn't good, he knew, because eventually someone would ask questions and his father might get in trouble. And since Mr. Brown was the sole support of Muhammed's two little brothers, the teenager didn't want that to happen.

 

After a few weeks, Muhammed hooked up with some other homeless kids who'd found a decent squat. The Cockrum Chemicals warehouse had been severely damaged in the Blood Red King's attack a few years before, and the company had gone bankrupt. Redevelopment had stalled on the property because it was a hazardous materials site, and no one wanted to pay the extra costs. The kids had found a weakness in the fence, and an underground section of the warehouse that was dry and warmable. It even had a shower room! (No water, though.)

 

Unfortunately, teenagers, even homeless ones, seldom leave well enough alone, and a seemingly useless hunk of metal was actually holding the roof up. In the ensuing collapse, chemicals from several vats poured into the basement. Muhammed made sure that the other squatters got out safely, but ended up nearly drowning in a noxious, viscous flood.

 

When Muhammed woke up, he felt heavy and there were two men in dark suits looking down at him.

 

"Damndest thing I ever saw," said one. "But at least he's alive."

 

"Sure you don't mean *it*?" sniped the other.

 

"Nope, definitely a 'he.' Hey, kid, can you hear me?"

 

Muhammed soon learned that his body had somehow been transformed into a stone-like substance, despite which he could still move. He was very strong now, and his skin was nearly impenetrable. Sadly, his heart was much more vulnerable. When Muhammed's father showed up and turned away immediately, the boy was plunged into despair.

 

The men in the dark suits, who had turned out to be government agents, entered the hospital room a short while later. The taller one pulled some papers from his briefcase.

 

"Well, Mr. Brown, it looks like your father isn't going to be a whole lot of help. Something about disowning you. Fortunately for you, your little skin condition qualifies you for some educational assistance." When Muhammed indicated his lack of understanding, the agent continued. "There's a new school opening up for metahuman teenagers. It's called the Venture Institute. I have to tell you, it's a pig in a poke and you might hate it there, but from where I'm sitting, you don't have a lot of other choices."

 

"I have kind of reached rock bottom, haven't I?" joked Muhammed, laughing for the first time in weeks.

 

At the Venture Institute, Muhammed (now going by Rock Bottom) met his fellow students, and discovered that he was neither the worst off nor the most useless. Indeed, Rock Bottom bloomed and became a capable leader. He also managed to regain all the ground he'd lost at school, and graduate with sufficiently good grades to get a scholarship to Johns Hopkins University, with his expenses further defrayed by agreeing to be studied by the JHU School of Medicine.

 

Now Rock Bottom has heard about the formation of the New Guard, and wants to sign up.

 

 

Quote: "At this point, it is incumbent on me to make reference to the phrase 'Rock and roll.'"

 

Quote about him: "This is one fellow you *really* don't wanna kick in the balls."--Buck Naked.

 

 

Personality: Muhammed is a personable young man who likes tennis and pizza. He has a knack for making friends, and has shown leadership potential. He is, however, increasingly frustrated by a limited (at best) selection of romantic partners, and still stung by his father's refusal to accept him. He is determined to prove a better man than his father would believe through using his powers for good.

 

Despite his name, Muhammed Ali Brown is neither a Muslim nor a big boxing fan. Presently, he's an agnostic, but is open to discussing other beliefs. He has, however, decided that he must never use his powers to kill. Rock Bottom hasn't made a firm decision on a major yet, but is strongly considering Physics or Chemistry. He is a quick study.

 

 

Appearance: Rock Bottom is about 5'8" tall, not including his afro, and weighs a little over four hundred pounds (if he were normal flesh he'd weigh about 160). His hair, skin and eyes are a uniform shade of dark gray, with the texture of granite. Because RB's hair and nails still grow, he must visit a sculptor periodically to get them trimmed. His features are clean and well-defined, with a chiseled chin.

 

When not being a superhero, Muhammed wears sturdy clothing suitable for a college student over his costume. The costume itself is forest green biker shorts and muscle shirt with a red belt.

 

 

Powers: As a result of Muhammed's genetic material interacting with an unique cocktail of chemicals, his flesh has been transformed into a stone-like substance. He is now endowed with superhuman strength and nigh-indestructability. Despite his weight, Rock Bottom is quite agile and capable of running at an impressive speed. His best maneuver is "the Wabash Cannonball", a trick where RB runs straight at an opponent, rolling himself into a ball at the last moment to focus the impact.

 

Rock Bottom's new biochemistry is a double-edged sword. While it makes him difficult to affect with poisons or toxins, it also means that most conventional medical techniques don't work well either. The slightly rigid nature of his skin makes Muhammed vulnerable to attacks that vibrate it, such as sonic frequencies. Also, his high relative density causes Rock Bottom to have negative buoyancy in water (he sinks like a stone.)

 

Rock Bottom believes in teamwork, and will try to coordinate with his colleagues whenever possible. His "role" is as damage sponge, and he likes to tie down an opponent while his teammates move in for the finish.

 

 

 

Characteristics

 

50 Strength 60

18 Dexterity 16

30 Constitution 25

20 Body 20

4 Intelligence 14

2 Ego 11

5 Presence 15

1 Comeliness 12

28 Physical Defense 40

15 Energy Defense 20

14 Speed 4

0 Recovery 11

0 Endurance 50

2 Stun 65

 

Combat and Rolls

 

OCV 5 DCV 5 ECV 4 Phases: 3,6,9,12

Strength Roll 21-, Dexterity Roll 12-, Constitution Roll 14-, Intelligence Roll 12-, Perception Roll 12-, and Ego Rolls 11-

rPD 40 rED 20 Running Speed 12"

 

 

Powers

 

13 "Efficient Muscles" Reduced Endurance on 60 Strength +1/4, Endurance Cost 3

30 "Stone Body" Damage Resistance for 40 PD/20 ED

10 "Heavy" Knockback Resistance, -5" KB

12 "Faster than you'd think" +6" Running (12" total), Endurance Cost 2

7 "Weird biochemistry" 10 points Power Defense, only vs. biochemistry-affecting attacks -1/2

13 "Weird biochemistry" Life Support: Immune to all terrestrial diseases, biowarfare agents, poisons and chemical warfare agents, Activation 14- -1/2

 

 

Skills

 

3 Area Knowledge: Baltimore 12-

2 Area Knowledge: Minneapolis 11-

2 Athletic Skill: Tennis 11-

2 Athletic Skill: Track 11-

3 Breakfall 12-

3 Climbing 12-

15 Combat Skill Levels: +3 levels w/hand-to-hand combat

10 "Wabash Cannonball" Combat Skill Levels: +5 OCV w/Move-Through

5 Cramming N/A

2 Knowledge Skill: American History 11-

2 Knowledge Skill: Famous Metahumans 11-

2 Knowledge Skill: GLBT History 11-

2 Knowledge Skill: Science History 11-

1 Languages: Basic Spanish (English native)

3 Oratory 12-

1 Science: Biology 8-

1 Science: Chemistry 8-

1 Science: Geology 8-

1 Science: Mathematics 8-

1 Science: Physics 8-

3 Streetwise 12-

5 Teamwork 13-

 

 

Perks

4 Contact: FBI Agent (useful skills, has contacts) 11-

2 Contact: Principal Hillman of Venture Institute (good relationship) 8-

 

 

Disadvantages

 

200 Base Points

20 Distinctive Features: Obvious Superhuman (looks like a moving statue!)

10 Hunted (Mystery Hunted, as powerful, 8-, mild punishment)

10 Physical Limitation: Unusually heavy (about 400 lbs.)

15 Physical Limitation: Weird Biochemistry requires specialized medical care (like a rock)

10 Physical Limitation: Sinks like a stone (Incapable of swimming or floating; uncommon, greatly limiting)

20 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing

10 Psychological Limitation: Must prove himself worthy of his father's respect (uncommon, strong)

10 Psychological Limitation: Panics in deep water (uncommon, strong)

15 Social Limitation: Permanent ID (looks like a moving statue)

20 Vulnerablity: 2x STUN from Sonics and Vibratory attacks (rigid body structure)

10 Watched by FBI 8- (as powerful, NCI, character easy to find)

 

 

Point Total

 

189 Characteristics

161 Powers, Skills & Perks

350 Overall

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Actually, when it comes to gay and lesbian superheroes, here's really all that needs to be considerred, in my veiw:

 

(keep in mind that I am heterosexual and that I might not have all the facts straight (no pun intended). This is pretty much all stuff I learned from friends who are gay/lesbian/bisexual. (And I have quite a few online))

 

What makes a homosexual person different from a heterosexual person?

 

Not much. The only real difference is that they are attracted to the same sex, instead of the opposite.

 

So, you can really just create normal characters and make their romantic-intrest DNPCs the same gender as they are.

 

That's all there is to it.

 

Of course, that's just what I think.

[Robyn]

Re: Queer heroes

 

I saw the thread title and just knew that, if it was anything but a "Which canon characters do you think were queer?" thread, I would have to reply with;

 

A bisexual PC is in love with a hermaphromorphic PC. The former could be any PC (look for player compatibility, too, though), the latter could be a shapechanger of some kind with poor control: they can't affect their own gender, which gradually swings between utterly male and utterly female every 24 hours, being asexual (no gender characteristics, like a robot) every dusk and dawn.

 

I originally had the cycle as one month, but for the genre you'd probably want a shorter timeframe. I'm also unsure how well the roleplaying appeal of such a relationship would translate to the often action-based Champions genre.

[Dominique]

Re: Queer heroes

 

I say run with it. Just create your characters, and have them happen to be gay. Don't try to create stereotypes, just work out the various characters powers, and let their homosexuality be an aspect of their personality, as you would with any other character.

[Vondy]

Re: Queer heroes

 

Unless the point is an internal self-parody I would avoid specifically queer themed characters. I would have them be queer, but not riff on their 'queerness' in their concepts. This doesn't mean society as a whole might not know the hero was queer - he or she may well have openly said they are to the press - just that their theme isn't centered on it. On the other hand, in a subculture based con, a subculture within a subculture basically, some players might find it liberating to have a pointedly queer theme for their character, so I could be wrong.

[transmetahuman]

Re: Queer heroes

 

On the other hand' date=' in a subculture based con, a subculture within a subculture basically, some players might find it liberating to have a pointedly queer theme for their character, so I could be wrong.[/quote']

Yeah, I'd pictured a more deliberately campy thing for a con, since there won't be time to get serious with sub-plots and characterizations (and since you seemed to like the leatherman and drag queen ideas early in the thread). I'm retracting my earlier post; I don't think there'd be anything wrong with some fun-focussed (self-)parody of the gay scene at a con game like that. A serious all-gay team could be fun for a campaign, but I don't know how it'd work out with a one-off, where people aren't making their own characters. If I'm going to play a Serious Issues game, I want to make those issues myself, and have time to explore them.

 

Just something to think about, Steve. I'll still try to come up with some characters more to your specs when I get a chance.

 

I've always thought Winged Victory from Astro City (who I always thought of as an avatar of Nike - just legally restrained from using that name ) would be a great serious lesbian character, with her overtly feminist agenda.

[assault]

Re: Queer heroes

 

The thing is that if the *players* are gay (queer, whatever), you could allow them to provide the "gayness" of the character's personalities.

 

All you would really need to do is provide the characters, say they are gay, and let the players would run with it.

 

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Incidentally, Shrinking Violet and Lightning Lass supposedly had a relationship in the Legion of Superheroes. It was really only hinted at, but it was rather specifically not denied. This was probably the best way for the male (hetero?) writer to deal with it, IMHO.

 

I won't bother to explain my theories about Cosmic Boy and Night Girl, except to suggest that Night Girl may only be a Girl at Night, and briefly mention the black bustier Cosmic Boy used to wear in the 70s...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Boy