Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

[SirWilliam]

A friend of mine asked me a couple of weeks ago to play Champs. I was all set to play because I haven't done any for months.

 

Now fast forward a week and a half and I've been totally unable to come up with a hero I want to play. My first thought was the crippled mentalist, till I realized it was Professor X. Then I thought I'd remake an old favorite (combat monster extraordinaire) but I've been there, done that, so what's the point.

 

So I'm calling out for ideas! I have until Friday evening to have a working character.

 

Points: 200 base, 150 in disads. No VPP's, no shape shifters.

 

Go crazy, my creativity has been sapped by my job, and I need help.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

May I suggest going to this webpage from the "Free Stuff" section of the website, and dowloading the "Champions Random Hero Generator"? It's a conversion of the Quick Superhuman Generator from the Champions genre book to an application for a PC, which will randomly generate characters of all archetypes, to exactly the point standards for Starting Superheroes that you specified, using only standard HERO System rules. While random characters can sometimes come out a bit wonky, this will let you churn out a large number of samples in a very short time, giving you lots to choose from. And of course you can tweak any of the results to suit yourself.

 

Even if you don't run them as generated, I believe you'll find them helpful to spark your own ideas.

[Maccabe]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

How about a NON-crippled Mentalist but with only 1 mental power,

say Mental Illusions, but back it up with maybe a No-Normal defence attack or such. Example; He drains your soul then puts you through Hell (literally)

Combat monster-itis? How about a Thinker? Example: Take alot of skills

related to spying on someone- Private Eye, Laywer, Police Detective- then

give the Thinker something to make spying easier but a little on the gray side morally. Example: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance (illegal search & seizure)

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

Courtesy of our board colleague Oddhat, here are a fine set of 350 heroes with a mystic background, based on the classic Champs org "The Circle," but usable without that background info: The New Circle.

 

The webpage has links to both HTML character sheets and Hero Designer files.

[Tech]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

A friend of mine asked me a couple of weeks ago to play Champs. I was all set to play because I haven't done any for months.

 

Now fast forward a week and a half and I've been totally unable to come up with a hero I want to play. My first thought was the crippled mentalist, till I realized it was Professor X. Then I thought I'd remake an old favorite (combat monster extraordinaire) but I've been there, done that, so what's the point.

 

So I'm calling out for ideas! I have until Friday evening to have a working character.

 

Points: 200 base, 150 in disads. No VPP's, no shape shifters.

 

Go crazy, my creativity has been sapped by my job, and I need help.

 

I understand what you mean about your job sapping creativity.

 

What about a powered suit which actually has a level or two of Growth. It works the same as a powered suit but gives the illusion of a mecha.

 

An ordinary detective in a superhero world. Statistics exceed 20 because of intensive training. I'm not suggesting Batman but a detective who has gadgets to help him survive. Ex. Forcefield Belt, Mega-glove (Hand Attack), etc.

 

Someone who uses sound as an attack. Can create Images of sound (or whatever is used to make sound)

 

A midget who has Growth powers.

 

A midget who has superspeed. Name suggested: Racing Mini

 

Someone who gained superpowers while a normal teen, while rooting around an abandoned building which happened to be an abandoned supervillain base. Permanently changed to water and has water powers.

 

These are ideas off the top of my head. I personally think the last idea is the best of the batch so far.

[David Johnston]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

I had a character named Templar, who had the power to teleport between different times and places and to summon objects (weapons mostly) from his past. He was in fact a Templar knight who used his power to escape execution (but who had firm religious convictions about the wisdom of trying to defy God's will by changing history.)

[PoorWandering 1]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

Idea: Grab the big book. Open to powers fing the lamest power you can think of. Something you have never played or even seen done well. Base a hero on it. I did that with force wall and stretching and ended up with "Stonewall" a force field based brick shaping his forcefield into walls and tenticles.

[assault]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

My first thought was the crippled mentalist' date=' till I realized it was Professor X. [/quote']

 

Clue: it isn't, necessarily.

 

This category could be called "the brain in a jar". There are plenty of different versions of this.

 

One of my favourites is "the Mermaid on land". She can't walk, but she's telepathic, and she can kick serious a** in the sea.

 

There are also more literal "brains in jars". Basically they trundle around inside little robot thingies.

 

And so on... A little bit of abstract and lateral thought should come up with some other variations.

 

Incidentally, even DC had their own mentalist in a wheelchair for a while: Mento, formally (and, I gather, once again) of the Doom Patrol. He wasn't actually crippled though, just insane, so he probably doesn't really count...

[garou]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

Crippled mentalist - blind, but can "see" through the eyes of others. (If they are ethical, they keep a companion animal, and see through their eyes instead)

 

The character is technically crippled, but has enough TK to move around and act fairly normal.

 

Start coming up with power concepts - fire, water, sonic, mud/dirt, rock, turtles, snow/ice, electricity, pure force, air/wind, animal crackers - go with something a little silly, a little offbeat, and make it work.

 

Or just say, to heck with it, and play Wom-BOT. (IIRC, he was 350 points - and definitely a bit high on the unique concept spectrum.)

[proditor]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

The Random generator can be the good base for a cool character. I used it to make: Omni-Man!

 

Background here: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13565

[BoneDaddy]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

Make a summoner. All powers based on summon. Flight? Summoned giant eagle to carry you. Energy Blast? Summoned really mean attack pigeon. Clairsentience? Summoned rat to spy for you. etc.

 

I once made a psionic intelligent rat. It could be done much better on 350 points. "Psych Lim: Wants to take over the world" might be a bit much, but Plato was no Brain.

 

I once made a living bronze statue of Ho-Tai, who believed he was a living incarnation of that diety, when in reality he was just a statue from in front of a Chinese restaurant, enchanted by mistake. A brick with Tai Chi Chuan, and a passion to restore an Earthly Paradise for his people.

 

Kid Gillette - low powered Autofire penetrating EB is his what he does best, and nickel and diming you to death isn't pretty. A variety of trick shots can be used to effect a ranged martial art and a few other powers.

 

Go for a technoshaman - Mental powers for machines. Plays hell with everything, and quickly.

[crayadder]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

One of my favourite ways to create a character is to start with a Limitation and let it determine powerset, backstory, etc...

 

For example, I am currently playing a guy who is so hypersensitive to sound he has to constantly wear protective headgear to keep from being injured. I went really extreme and anything over 10 decibels will actually harm him. The catch is he has become a master of sound in order to understand better the very thing that is dangerous to him, much like someone developing expert knowledge about diabetes after being diagnosed with the disease.

 

Not only is he an expert in all knowledge about sound, but he works as a master sound editor and producer for a major Recording Studio. He is a master Ventriloquist and mimicker.

 

His powerset is a vast array of sound effects and his personality is bombastic, over-the-top; imagine the Tick as a Disc Jockey and with a hi IQ. Also, most of his powers are highly destructive to the environment, which adds another element he has to consider.

 

Essentially, the idea came to me that what if you had a person who's very power was his weakness. Been done before, but I thought this was a cool rendition. I hope this helps spark the imagination. If not then how about a Speedster with Autophobia!

 

Crayadder

[garou]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

I once made a living bronze statue of Ho-Tai, who believed he was a living incarnation of that diety, when in reality he was just a statue from in front of a Chinese restaurant, enchanted by mistake. A brick with Tai Chi Chuan, and a passion to restore an Earthly Paradise for his people.

I did an animated stone statue, who believed that he was an avatar of Ptah. When he teleported, he left behind statue versions of himself, and simply animated a him-shaped pile of rocks elsewhere.

 

Repped for the neat ideas.

[Narratio]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

I once tried the mutated animal shtick. It's one that seldom gets seen except in source books. For me it was (yes, you guessed it) a Hyena who'd been uplifted.

The powers are really the same sort as if you came at it from the 'human with animal powers' side of the coin. But you get slapped a lot more for eating pidgeons in parks, stray pets etc. Challenging passing dogs over sidewalk territory and peeing in the streets was also a problem.

[gojira]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

One idea: Jungle Jane (or Jim). Character is a person born in the hinterlands of Africa, white settler or educated native. Learned a lot about animals and the natural world. Experiments (aliens? Dr. MeanGuy?) gave her more power: lots of levels of growth that the character can turn on. Character has animal friend type powers, very athletic, is very tough and strong, can grow in various levels (and is VERY tough with all growth on). A couple of levels of growth is useful while in cramped quarters. Should have running, leaping, swinging, etc. I got the basic idea from Elasti-Girl of the Doom Patrol.

 

Another idea is to check out the Billy Deighton thread in the Pulp forum:

http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36045

There's a detective who is also psychic, which is a cool idea. With more points, he'd be a dark kinight with psychic powers instead of gadgets. The Wraith I like too, an inventor with cool pulp crime fighting gadgets.

 

And last but not least, here's a power suit guy. You'll have to do your own disadvantages. Note he still has his DEX, Skills, and Gadgeteering if he looses the suit:

 

Character Name:			Rocket Man						
Player Name:									

Total Points:		CHA	127					
		PWR	154					
		SKILL	68					
		DISA	0					
GRAND TOTAL			349					

Stat		Pts	A	L	Base	END		Skill Roll	
30	STR	13		0.5	20	3		15	
23	DEX	39			39			14	
29	CON	25		0.5	38			15	
13	BOD	6			6			12	
18	INT	8			8			13	
11	EGO	2			2			11	
15	PRE	5			5			12	
10	COM	0			0			11	

6	PD	0			0				
6	ED	0			0				
5	SPD	17			17				
15	REC	6			6				
58	END	0			0				
49	STUN	6			6				

OCV	8							
DCV	8							
ECV	4							



Pts	Power Desc				A.P.A.	L	n.a.P.A	Base Pts.	END
40	Multipower 60 point reserve					0.5		60	6
4	(u) Ultra-Sonic Stunner – Energy Blast 12d6, Stun Only (-0)					0.5		6	0.6
4	(u) Phase Modulated Sonics – NND 6d6 (def is ED FF, LS high pressure or vacuum, or anti-sonic device)					0.5		6	0.6
0									0
20	Rocket Jets – Flight 15”					0.5		30	3
42	Laminate Armour – Armour 15 PD / 15 ED , Hardened (+1/4)				0.25	0.5		50	6.25
3	Shielded Visor – Flash Defense 5pts					0.5		5	0.5
9	Sealed Suit – Life Support (Self Contained Breathing, Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum, Safe in High Pressure)					0.5		13	1.3
3	EMP Hardening – Power Defense 5 pts					0.5		5	0.5
3	Skilled Construction – Lack of Weakness 5 pts					0.5		5	0.5
0									0
16	I Invented This! – Gadget Pool 20 pts (OIF utility belt (-1/2))					0.5		24	2.4
0									0
10	Wealth $5M								0


Pts	Skill Description						Skill Roll		
7	Inventor						15		
7	Gadgeteering						15		
3	Scientist								
2	Biology						12		
3	* Mechanical Engineering						12		
2	Physics						12		
2	Electrical Engineering						12		
2	Metallurgy						12		

3	Electronics						13		
3	Mechanics						13		
3	Paramedic						13		
3	Deduction						13		
3	Bureaucratics						12		
3	KS: Primus (or Contact)						12		
3	Persuasion						12		
3	Security Systems						13		
3	Computer Programming						13		
3	PS: Battlesuit Systems						12		

10	+1 Overall								

[Guest Feelitmon]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

How about an alien explorer from a planet of powerful psionicists? This alien's people have managed to keep themselves and their planet unnoticed thanks to their amazingly powerful minds, but some time ago they decided that their isolation could prove to be dangerous to their long-term survival.

 

Knowing that the galaxy is a physically dangerous place, and also aware that the psionic sensitivity that's normal for their kind would be crippling in the presence of too many noisy minds, they decide use their advanced technology to "create" an explorer rather than send natural born folks. This explorer will be a giant, with monstrous physical strength and toughness, and agility beyond the capabilities of their best athletes. Unfortunately, while he will be as intelligent as is necessary for his task he will also have deliberately weakened psionic powers--barely enough to communicate with others of his kind. All of these characteristics will protect him in his travels, but they are also rather frightening to his own people.

 

Of course, when he inevitably crash lands on Earth he finds that he's not such a giant here. Instead, he's a 4' 10", 65 lb. weakling, but his "practically nonexistent" psionic powers are enough to make him one of Earth's most powerful psis. Is joining the superhero racket "exploring," or is he just having a good time, looking for allies, had a change of heart...?

[Haven Walkur]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

What about playing a child of one of the classic changeling creatures of folklore?

 

The Japanese in particular have a belief that some real-world animals naturally have shapeshifting abilities and magical powers. Foxes (kitsune) -- just mundane foxes -- are believed to become wise and sorcerously powerful as they get older, and often have the ability to disguise themselves as humans.

 

Cats (neko) are seen much the same way, gaining power (and additional tails, as do the foxes) as they age, though they tend to be more often malicious towards humans than are the foxes. Cats are seen as proud and ferocious creatures, jealous and quick to take offense. More likely to be swordsmen, they're also sorcerously powerful and can often take on human form.

 

The Japanese racoon-dog or badger (tanuki) is a shapeshifting trickster, and generally playful or at worst annoying in its dealings with humans. The tanuki can not only take on human form, it can take the shape of any number of inanimate objects, with the teapot being one of its favorites.

 

All of these creatures have been known to pose as human long enough to enter into a marriage with an actual human and produce children. And while such children are sometimes born with tell-tale physical traits from their non-human parent (most commonly a tail, or perhaps pointed ears or whiskers), most often they are human-appearing, but blessed with uncommon beauty, charisma, grace or wisdom.

 

Think of the things the child of a magical cat (for example) might have going for him or her! Cat qualities of keen hearing and smell, sharp eyes (especially in low light), incredible balance, sensitivity to vibrations, natural acrobatics....

You could play an o-neko speedster, spy, martial artist, were-cat warrior or even a mage or demon-hunter -- with some pronounced catlike traits (and maybe even a few catlike DFs).

 

A cat child might be physically beautiful and beguiling, uncannily graceful, quick and alert. They might be an incredible jumper and climber with amazing reflexes. They might share the cat-parent's long life, which extends into centuries, with powers increasing with age.

 

A tanuki child might be a natural acrobat and actor with a gift for disguise and breakfall and the ability to convince others of whatever outrageous thing he or she wanted...an inborn "gift of the gab" and a high PRE. They might have a gift for conjuring "tricks" that are really minor magics.

 

A fox child might share the fox-parent's wisdom (or cunning) and keen sense of self-preservation (high EGO), speed, sharp eyes, incredible sense of smell. Like the cat child, they might share the parent's extremely long lifespan.

 

All of these children of magical animals may well have a natural talent for magic and shapeshifting, and the innate physical attacks of their parent animal (bite and claws).

 

And even though one of the character's parents would need to be Japanese (or Chinese, Taiwanese or Korean) to use this idea, the character certainly doesn't have to be Asian!

[Patriot]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

A Japanese Patriot/Water elemental named Tsunami

A Lava form named Vesuvious

An Energy casting brick named Rocket Gibraltar

 

 

 

 

 

Ok Im spent...

[Blue]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

Go with the crippled mentalist. Comparison's be damned.

 

The trick is to put your own stamp on it.

 

Instead of being born with his mental powers, they're the product of going to Tibetan monks and trying to master his mind to compensate for his physical frailty.

 

No Wheelchair: He levitates himself around, either in the lotus position or in the vertical "ghost" position.

 

No Mind reading: Though perhaps he imposes emotions on his enemies (Empathic Mind Control).

 

Just take something familiar and twist it.

[SirWilliam]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

Great list of ideas guys. I went with something basic. His definining characteristic is he's got almost unlimited strength, but the more he pushes his limits the more it costs. I like the idea of tossing cars around like marbles and I've never played anyone this strong before. Should be interesting.

[Arkham]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

I know I'm late to the show, but I'd suggest playing a Luchadore.

 

Nothing stirs up the creative juices like playing a Masked Mexican Wrestler.

 

And, mi amigo, I bet you've never played one yet, have you? ;-)

[freakboy6117]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

how about a precogantive martial artist i posted blood rose a while back she might be appropriate

 

BloodRose

 

Val** Char*** Cost

16** STR 6

23** DEX 39

17** CON 14

15** BODY 10

16** INT 6

20** EGO 20

18** PRE 8

18** COM 4

*

4** PD 1

3** ED 0

5** SPD 17

6** REC 0

34** END 0

32** STUN 0

* 0

6"** RUN 0

2"** SWIM 0

3â€** LEAP 0

 

125

Cost Power END

20 Precognitive dodging: +4 with DCV

20 Precognitive awareness: +4 with HTH Combat

15 Precognitive reactions: Lightning Reflexes: +10 DEX to act first with All Actions

10 Second sight: Retrocognitive, Precognitive Clairsentience (Sight Group And Normal Hearing) (65 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Minute, Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 3/4), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (0 DCV; Character is totally unaware of nearby events; -1 1/2), Precognition/Retrocognition Only (-1), OAF (tarot deck; -1) 6

20 Danger Sense (self only, in combat, Function as a Sense, Intuitional) 20-

20 Luck 4d6

 

11 Weapon belt: Multipower, 30-point reserve, (30 Active Points); OIF (-1/2); all slots OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4)

1u 1.Throwing blades: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6+1, Autofire (3 shots; +1/4), 12 Recoverable Charges (+1/4) (30 Active Points); OAF (-1), Costs Endurance (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4), Range Based On Strength (-1/4) 3

1u 2.Collapsible baton: Hand-To-Hand Attack +6d6 (30 Active Points); OAF (-1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4) 3

1u 3. Combat knife: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (3d6 w/STR) (30 Active Points); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4) 3

14 Armor (8 PD/8 ED) (24 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)

133

 

 

Cost** Skill

Acting 13-

3 Analyze: Combat 12-

3 Break fall 14-

3 CuK: neo nazi groups 12-

10 Defense Maneuver I-IV

3 Fast Draw 14-

3 KS: knife fighting 12-

3 Lock picking 14-

3 Paramedics 12-

3 PS: fortune teller 13-

3 Security Systems 12-

3 Sleight Of Hand 14-

3 Stealth 14-

3 Tactics 12-

3 Streetwise 13-

4 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Small Arms

56

 

Cost** Martial arts

4 Counterstrike: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, 7d6 Strike, Must Follow Block

4 Nerve Strike: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, 3d6 NND

4 Martial Block: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort

4 Martial Disarm: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, Disarm; 36 STR to Disarm

4 Martial Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +5 DCV, Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort

4 Martial Strike: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 7d6 Strike

8 +2 HTH Damage Class(es)

4 Weapon Element: Blades, Clubs, Empty Hand, Off Hand

36

 

Val** Disadvantages

10 Distinctive Features: extensive scars and tattoos (Easily Concealed; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

20 Enraged: NAZIs (Uncommon), go 14-, recover 11-

25 Hunted: extreme rightwing groups 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish)

20 Hunted: interpol 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Mildly Punish)

20 Psychological Limitation: protect innocents (Very Common, Strong)

15 Psychological Limitation: can't stand bigotry (Very Common, Moderate)

10 Reputation: scourge of neonazis, 11- (Extreme; Known Only To A Small Group)

10 Susceptibility: temporal distortion, 2d6 damage Instant (Uncommon)

 

Disadvantage Points: 150

[freakboy6117]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

oops forgot the bio

Blood Rose.

 

A Romany (gypsy) girl blessed with precognition her whole family was killed by a neo-nazi firebomb.

She escaped but was seriously injured by the flames while she was recovering in hospital she vowed revenge.

When she had recovered she began traveling the world and learning a range of martial arts especially knife based arts. She has a short-range precognitive ability that allows her to perceive and react to her opponent's moves even before they make them.

 

Still a beautiful woman despite the extensive scaring down her left side in combat she tends to wear black leather that shows off the damage and the intricate tattoo across her right side a twisting mass of black thorn covered branches ending in blood red roses each of the blood red roses that form it is a member of the neo-nazi gang that she has hunted down and maimed. There are eleven roses and space for 2 more the final one will go right over her heart.

[PoorWandering 1]

Re: Total lack of ideas, clock is ticking down

 

Great idea.

Nothing like throwing cars around to releive that job stress.