How would you use Takofanes?

[Lord Liaden]

For one of the Champions Universe's supposed master villains, Takofanes doesn't seem to get a lot of respect. Oh sure, everyone is afraid of him; when he shows up he causes incredible devastation. But none of the published sourcebooks actually describe him doing much else, or provide any major plots for him to be involved in. Dr. Destroyer has gotten a fair bit of action in adventures and CU updates; Teleios's activities and experiments have been worked into several books; Menton has his whole hidden manipulator schtick going; by the year 3000 Mechanon turns into the Death Star! But Takofanes doesn't seem to be much involved in the major events of the Champions Universe to this point, certainly not to the degree that a villain of his power and motivation would be expected.

 

Yes, there have been plot seeds mentioned for him, but nothing that's really major. Several of us fans have contributed more plots for him, but what's really lacking IMHO is a grand overall scheme for Takofanes: organization, long term goals, world-shaking plans. The kind of things that would inspire someone to make Tak a major recurring villain in their campaign. After all, the guy has been a fixture in the 5E CU for almost twenty years - he must have been doing something besides decimating Oklahoma.

 

That's the sort of idea I'd like to solicit from you creative folks. How would you use Takofanes in your campaign? Have you used him already, and what did you do? Plot seeds are great and I would welcome them, but I think that "big picture" suggestions would be helpful to other folks who are thinking of running the Archlich. Ideally they should fit without too much stretching with Takofanes' established history and concept, but some folks may prefer a radical reinterpretation of the character, so let's have any and all ideas.

 

For starters, I would say that Takofanes should stay in the background for the early stages of a campaign. He's very powerful and works best as a climactic confrontation, but he has enough of a reputation that beginning heroes should dread the thought of meeting him. If necessary to engender the proper fear, they can hear about the aftermath of one of his rampages, perhaps that powerful NPCs they know have been slaughtered by him.

 

The real stickler for Takofanes is what he's been doing all these years other than killing people and raising them again as undead. If we go by the precedents of his previous career during the Turakian Age, Takofanes should have been patiently building his power base in the modern world. Perhaps his bouts of destruction have been to "recruit" undead minions. High-profile attacks would draw the attention of superheroes, which may have been the Ravager's reason for staging them; once "zombified," supers would make powerful servants. Takofanes may be building an army of undead superbeings to support him when he eventually makes his play for conquest. Running into some of those would definitely be a disturbing discovery for heroes who were once friends or teammates of the deceased.

 

OTOH some supervillains might willingly serve the Archlich, especially if they were formerly deceased. These could be opponents for the PC heroes earlier in the campaign, ultimately leading them to confrontation with their master. Perhaps a former foe of the heroes could return, now with even more supernatural power.

 

Takofanes should have a base of operations. The most logical location would be where his original fortress once stood, which would probably be far to the north of North America. Perhaps the foundations of his fortress, and some of his artifacts of power, are still there buried far beneath the earth. Naturally neither Canada nor the United States would accept a major supervillain openly setting up shop on North American soil, but the Archlich should have spells to conceal his base from prying eyes, especially in such a sparsely inhabited region. Even if his fortress was discovered, Dr. Yin Wu has successfully defended his home castle for decades against the military and superheroes of China.

 

OTOH there could be lesser sites of his former power that the Ravager has discovered, and sent minions of his to uncover or occupy, that the PCs could stumble across earlier in the campaign.

 

It would make sense for the Ravager of Men to establish some measure of temporal influence in the contemporary world. He's been out of touch for a very long time, and needs minions with an understanding of modern practices and power structures. If I were Takofanes, as soon as I discovered the existence of the Circle of the Scarlet Moon I would attempt to subvert it to my purposes, either covertly or overtly. The members of the Circle have the necessary knowledge, and vast influence in world affairs, but the magic they command would be no match for Takofanes. It would be even more horrifying for PCs to discover that the labyrinthine conspiracies of the Scarlet Moon would ultimately lead them straight to the Undying King!

 

Once those foundations have been laid, you could launch one or more major plans by the Archlich. Some that I think would be appropriate: leading his army of undead supers in a march of conquest south across the continent; assassinating the world's leaders, then reanimating them under Takofanes' control; staging epic rituals to turn the world back to the Turakian Age, with Takofanes as ruler; using a terrible spell or weapon to slay everyone on Earth, so that Takofanes can bring them back as unliving subjects (he doesn't really care whether those who serve him are alive or dead).

 

Well, those are things that come to my mind. What's in yours?

[TheTemplar]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

What do you need us for again?

 

No, seriously, those are some great Tak ideas. Some that I've batted around but not used (nor have any intention of using at this time...)

 

Tak has discovered DEMON's true End Game (I won't go into any details on this, so as to prevent spoilage, but if you have the DEMON book, you know what I'm talking about.) If they are allowed to succeed, Takofanes would be reduced to a mere pawn (if not destroyed outright,) hardly a fitting end for the greatest Archlich in history. He begins building an army to combat DEMON - an army of undead servitors loyal only to him. He starts slowly at first, so as not to attract the attention of those pesky heroes - a few dozen homeless people start disappearing each week... appearances of graverobbing on the rise... etc. But, as the hour grows later and Tak grows desperate, he may broaden his scope, hiring various supervillain mercs to steal WMD's (particularly of the chemical or biological kind that wouldn't affect him or his army - or if he wanted to be more subtle, a powerful explosive near an active fault line to create a horrible - but seemingly natural - earthquake) to create a major catastrophe in a heavily populated area, resulting in thousands upon thousands of new minions to lead into battle. Could the PCs discover what is happening in time to stop it? If not, how do they deal with the DEMON/ Takofanes War? If THEY somehow learn of DEMON's endgame.... do THEY join forces with Takofanes?

[OddHat]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Isn't he

officialy too senile to meaningfully plan

?

 

Anyway, I don't use him in my current campaign. If I did, I'd re-write him and just use (maybe) the name and general style.

 

In previous campaigns, I had him trapped in an extradimensional prison, his deranged cultist followers struggling to free him. Basically, he took the Dragon's 5thED role. It worked well.

 

I also played up his links to Dark Seraph and the Crowns. They're a much more accessible group for most heroes to fight, and the idea that something even worse could one day grab hold of them adds texture.

 

Merging him with Archimago (sp) also works well, giving him more of a presence in world affairs and a more interesting agenda.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Templar, if DEMON were a significant fixture in one's campaign, that would be a great tack to take. Repped.

 

 

Isn't he

officialy too senile to meaningfully plan

?

 

Actually, I don't think that's officially in any book now. Something along those lines was included in the playtest manuscript for The Mystic World, but it was apparently cut before the book went to print. I can understand why; while it makes for one explanation for Takofanes' erratic behavior since his return, it greatly limits what one can do with him. That's why I was trying to develop him in ways that would also explain his official history.

 

 

In previous campaigns, I had him trapped in an extradimensional prison, his deranged cultist followers struggling to free him. Basically, he took the Dragon's 5thED role. It worked well.

 

I also played up his links to Dark Seraph and the Crowns. They're a much more accessible group for most heroes to fight, and the idea that something even worse could one day grab hold of them adds texture.

 

Very reasonable and justifiable courses.

 

 

Merging him with Archimago (sp) also works well' date=' giving him more of a presence in world affairs and a more interesting agenda.[/quote']

 

If I had it to do over again in my campaign, I'd do the same thing. Archimago is a more interesting and stylish character to me; but the fact that for all his power and knowledge, he's essentially a pawn, might not sit well with some people. At least Takofanes is his own, um, corpse.

[Lethosos]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Personally, I haven't read up on Ol' 'Fane at all, but... a good way to use him is to consider just how freakin' old he is. Perhaps he's spent enough time to realize that being an arch-lich just doesn't cut it anymore. Perhaps he's realizing how tired he is, but he's too stubborn to truly lie down.

 

Perhaps his slumber was an early attempt to destroy himself, without resorting to more devastating methods. But now he's forced to.

 

Take it from there, and think about he could find a way to undo his own lich-dom. Make it big and nasty.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Also keep in mind the scale of his "life"span. In the context of his existence, it's still like he just woke up. It would be sort of like a mob boss finally being released from prison after 30 years, and then having people wonder what's "wrong" with him because he hasn't completely re-taken the mob five minutes later.

 

So I'd probably assume Tak is still getting his feet wet, so to speak. He woke up and immediately went on a rampage, and that didn't work out so well. So now he's thinking about how to proceed. Given his lifespan, the planning phase of a new operation might be decades, or even centuries, long.

 

If he seems to be randomly deploying lesser plots here and there, it may not be a sign that he's senile or uninspired... maybe they're fact-finding missions designed for no purpose other than to gather more information about the new world he finds himself in.

 

When he's ready to make his move, I'm sure it'll be something significantly nasty.

[tgrandjean]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

... I have Takofanes as the CEO of Yum!BrandsInc.

 

What?

[SirViss]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Having read Hidden Lands, Takofanes rising must have sent the Empyrean into a panic, as they once attacked him "en mass" and were trounced. They did weakne his defenses enough for the "good guys" of the Turakian Age to take down, though.

 

It could be possible that Takofanes might hold a grudge, and start making plans on taking out an enemy that he might still recognise as being dangerous enough to have challenged him, and know him more intimitaly than anyone else in this day and age.

 

Also, on the "he just woke up" idea, what if he hasn't woken up yet, and right now is simply animated by the rage he might still feel at having been defeated. The force that is animating his body might start a quest to bring him to full consciousness, and then he might start to be a bit more subtle.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Also' date=' on the "he just woke up" idea, what if he [b']hasn't[/b] woken up yet, and right now is simply animated by the rage he might still feel at having been defeated. The force that is animating his body might start a quest to bring him to full consciousness, and then he might start to be a bit more subtle.

Oh, man... I LOVE this idea. You are SO repped!

 

 

What if Takofanes' enemies not only imprisoned him when he was defeated? What if they also divided him... locking his body in one trap, and his mind in another? Everything he's done so far has been with only the -- relatively -- primitive residual mind that was left behind in his body. If/when his REAL mind is found and freed, things will start to get serious...

[Cold Steel]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

1. He could get fed up with the modern world's dependacy on techology and creates a massive spell that drains all sources of energy (electrical, nuclear etc.) except magic and the non-technoloical powers of some heroes and villains (power-suits like Dr. Destroyer and Defender are going to be so ticked off.) across the earth.

 

2. He can create a portal that will merge the modern world with the turakian age.("An age undreamed of")

 

3. He can get in touch with his past self and help him by giving the past Takofanes warning about how he will be entombed or send the Crowns of Krim to the Turakian Age and crush the resistence. (Talk about "When Worlds Collide")

 

4. He could go to the local comic book store and find an old copy of Crossgen's Sojourn and get pointers from Mordath.

 

5. To deal with the superheroes, he casts a spell on unholy hunger upon them (Marvel Zombies style)

 

6. He can see the Lord of the Rings triology and laugh at the antics of Gandalf and Saruman.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Oh' date=' man... I [b']LOVE[/b] this idea. You are SO repped!

 

 

What if Takofanes' enemies not only imprisoned him when he was defeated? What if they also divided him... locking his body in one trap, and his mind in another? Everything he's done so far has been with only the -- relatively -- primitive residual mind that was left behind in his body. If/when his REAL mind is found and freed, things will start to get serious...

 

A sleepwalking lich - that is cool.

 

Then it becomes a matter of where Tak's "mind" is. Another buried chamber like the one he was imprisoned in? Some mystic artifact, maybe in the possession of a supervillain, or hero? Maybe someone is unknowingly the reincarnation of Takofanes, merely awaiting the arrival of his true physical form to restore all his memories. Perhaps the lich form of Takofanes would merge with this person, restoring his living body.

 

(Oooh... I just got visions of Tak's mind in the body of a small child, like Damien from The Omen. In fact IIRC someone on the boards once suggested that he'd be like Stewie Griffin from The Family Guy.)

[OddHat]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

He wakes up one morning, and destroys the world. All the PCs die. New campaign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What?

[Lord Liaden]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

2. He can create a portal that will merge the modern world with the turakian age.("An age undreamed of")

 

The last time I used Takofanes, this is what I did. I rationalized his murderous rampages as sacrifices, part of a ritual to restore the past. My PCs were close to him when the spell took effect, so they were the only ones who remembered the world the way it was; although they themselves were transformed into their TA analogues.

 

 

3. He can get in touch with his past self and help him by giving the past Takofanes warning about how he will be entombed or send the Crowns of Krim to the Turakian Age and crush the resistence. (Talk about "When Worlds Collide")

 

That's actually a plot seed for the Devil's Advocates from Arcane Adversaries - a plot by them which Takofanes twists to his own use.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

I've only used him once thus far, and it was the start of a plot that died ignomiously. He'd raised the bodies of supers buried in Millenium City's Memorial Park, with powers intact (for those with innate powers), intending to use them to battle the Crowns of Krim somewhat indirectly.

 

I might revive this plot, ironically enough.

[red_eagle123]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

I too have only used him once. He was the catalyst for a new supervillain team I'm forming. In order to better understand the mind of a superhero, he partially resurrected Professor Muerte, Told Muerte how to return fully to life by using the blood of the betrayer and pointed Muerte towards Scorpia and Fuermacher.

 

Then he let the heroes know exactly what Muerte was doing. Would the heroes rescue known criminals from dying, or would they let Muerte finish his spell to return him fully to life.

 

Muerte was foiled, and now has a severe mad on for the PC's. He's going to group up with two body-possessing god artifacts (Who can be easily be molded into the roles of War and Famine) then form the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

I've noticed that several other people seem to be taken with the notion of Prof. Muerte being reanimated by Takofanes. I guess it's the irony of the name that really sells the concept.

 

There have been a few attempts to write up some of those top-of-the-line, 800-pt. undead that the Archlich is able to Summon. Probably the easiest method within a supers campaign would be to base them on superbeings that Tak has raised from death, who retain their previous powers and maybe gain a few undead abilities, paid for with Disads like "Must Obey Takofanes." That would allow for great variety among the Ravager's minions, while also setting a practical limit on the number of 800-pointers he could have access to at one time; there simply aren't a lot of Cosmically Powerful supers running around most campaign worlds.

[Twilight]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

A sleepwalking lich - that is cool.

 

Then it becomes a matter of where Tak's "mind" is. Another buried chamber like the one he was imprisoned in? Some mystic artifact, maybe in the possession of a supervillain, or hero? Maybe someone is unknowingly the reincarnation of Takofanes, merely awaiting the arrival of his true physical form to restore all his memories. Perhaps the lich form of Takofanes would merge with this person, restoring his living body.

 

(Oooh... I just got visions of Tak's mind in the body of a small child, like Damien from The Omen. In fact IIRC someone on the boards once suggested that he'd be like Stewie Griffin from The Family Guy.)

 

Oh now THIS is an idea that I like. Takofanes' mind is trying to reunite with his body so that he can become all powerful again, with hardly anybody truly realising the danger that they are in due to that creepy little kid that always seems to be following Takofanes' rampages.

 

Of course the ones who do realise it are trying to off the kid post haste and overlooking little details, like informing the heroes of the dangers the kid poses and providing proof.

 

The scarier part perhaps are the people who don't want him dead. I could easily see Archimago, trapped on the Hellrock in another dimension [as he is in my campaign] manipulating the kid for his own ends. Of course instead of reuniting the mind of Takofanes with it's body, Archimago plans to steal the Mind for himself in the hopes of stealing Takofanes' mighty magical knowledge for himself!

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

I'd bring him in to be Dr. Destroyer's b!!tch.

 

 

 

 

 

[Lord Liaden]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

I'd bring him in to be Dr. Destroyer's b!!tch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh Lord, please let's not start that one again! The other thread has barely gone back into hibernation.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Oh Lord' date=' [b']please[/b] let's not start that one again! The other thread has barely gone back into hibernation.

Sorry... couldn't resist.

 

 

 

 

I made Lord Liaden Cry!

[death tribble]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

At the risk of repeating myself from Superskrull's thread earlier in the year I say this:-

 

As a Paperweight

 

 

But seriously folks. Takofanes is in the background of a couple of holy characters. In a rampage towards New York he is suddenly confronted by the Cardinel who blast him down with holy power. This shows that the Catholic church itself has some resources that no-one knew of.

The second character is first destroyed by Takofanes during the start of a rampage but then comes back and impales the Lich a while later during a pitched battle with other heroes. This is the Battle Angel.

[red_eagle123]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

I've noticed that several other people seem to be taken with the notion of Prof. Muerte being reanimated by Takofanes. I guess it's the irony of the name that really sells the concept.

 

Well in my defense, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Not long before I ran that adventure I realized my little party was slowly meeting all the major power players in the Champs Universe, but never actually fighting them. This was just another way to continue the theme...

 

They saved Dr. Destroyer's life in 1930's Germany (Before he was Dr. Destroyer)

They saved members of Eurostar from Muerte's hands

They fought Zodiac, only to have reality re-ordered and that fight no longer took place in the new reality

They got sucked into Takofanes' plot to examine the psyche of those superhero things....

[garou]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Use his VPP to build a RKA with an ungodly radius (say, enough to cover the entire earth) with 0 END, Continuous, and No range. Within a minute, everyone on earth without resistent defences is dead. (It's a "low-powered" RKA, 1d6, I think - I can take No Range, and, since it can't get through his defences anyway, can ignore Personal Immunity.)

 

Actually. . . . it's similar to Oddhat's use, but I kill off all the earth first, before offing the PCs.

 

Edit - oooh! Maybe instead use a Major Transform to change all of the oxygen in the air to helium - much easier, and far fewer heroes have the LS needed to survive.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

Make for an awfully short campaign.

 

Logically, though, apart from a GM deciding that no, Takofanes simply can't do that... if the character had such a capacity, wouldn't he have used it back in the Turakian Age?

[garou]

Re: How would you use Takofanes?

 

It's the problem of uber-villains - if you actually play them to their capacity (ie, a super-genius, malevolent, incredibly powerful sorceror), then they should win.

 

It just makes for a lousy game - so we have stupid vampires, easy-to-kill dragons, and archliches who don't use their full power against the huddled masses of humans.