Archetype Twists

[Cold Steel]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

ShadowHawk was my character set in Hudson City that had many Marvel Universe Superheroes in it instead of New York City. (Don't ask.)

 

He was a combo martial artist (using Escrima sticks)/teleporter/energy projector( Darkforce).

 

I did not make him overwhelming in martial arts ( only trained in one fighting style, Escrima) or teleporting (only to the DarkForce Dimension and back).

 

Of course he spent more time dealing with his mutant werewolf girlfriend, Rahne Sinclair (Marvel's Wolfsbane) than fighting crime. But i digress....

[Corven_Ren]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Here's my twist on your typical archer type. He's a low level brick who uses magic to make boomerangs have different effects.

 

Outback

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

30 STR 20 15- Lift 1600.0kg; 6d6 [3]

26 DEX 48 14- OCV: 9/DCV: 9

20 CON 20 13-

20 BODY 20 13-

15 INT 5 12- PER Roll 12-

15 EGO 10 12- ECV: 5

20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6

18 COM 4 13-

 

20 PD 14 Total: 20 PD (20 rPD)

20 ED 16 Total: 20 ED (20 rED)

5 SPD 14 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

16 REC 12

50 END 5

50 STUN 5 Total Characteristic Cost: 203

 

Movement: Running: 12"/24"

Leaping: 6"/12"

Swimming: 2"/4"

 

Cost Powers END

34 Enhanted Boomerangs: Multipower, 60-point reserve, (60 Active Points); all slots OIF (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4)

3u 1) Stun-arang: Drain STUN 4 1/2d6, Range Based On STR (+1/4) (56 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4) 6

3u 2) Rocket-arang: EB 12d6 (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 6

3u 3) Shock-arang: EB 6d6, NND (Force Field or Electric Powers; +1) (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 6

3u 4) Bind-arang: Entangle 6d6, 6 DEF (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 6

3u 5) Scream-arang: Hearing Group Flash 10d6, Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1) (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 6

3u 6) Smoke-arang: Sight and Smell/Taste Groups Flash 5d6, Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1) (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 6

3u 7) Bang-arang: Hearing and Touch Groups Flash 8d6, Does Knockback (+1/4), Double Knockback (+3/4) (58 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 6

1u 8) Club-arang: HA +5d6 (25 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), OIF (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4) 2

3u 9) Razor-rang: RKA 4d6 (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 6

3u 10) Extinguish-arang: Suppress Fire 6d6, Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1) (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 6

2u 11) BOOM-arang: RKA 2 1/2d6, Explosion (+1/4) (50 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Range Based On STR (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) 5

 

 

3 Domino Mask I: Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

4 Domino Mask II: +4 versus Range Modifier for Sight Group (6 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

20 Dense Flesh: Damage Resistance (20 PD/20 ED)

12 Increased Running: Running +6" (12" total) 1

 

Perks

1 Fringe Benefit: Passport

1 Fringe Benefit: Dual Citizenship Australia & New Zealand

11 Money: Filthy Rich

 

Skills

3 +1 with Boomerangs

5 +1 with DCV

3 Combat Driving 14-

3 Conversation 13-

3 Electronics 12-

Everyman Skills (Cost: 0 Points)

0 1) Native: Language: English (idiomatic) (4 Active Points)

0 2) AK: Home Area 11-

0 3) Acting 8-

0 4) Climbing 8-

0 5) Computer Programming 8-

0 6) Concealment 8-

0 7) Conversation 8-

0 8) Deduction 8-

0 9) PS: Profession 11-

0 10) Paramedics 8-

0 11) Persuasion 8-

0 12) Shadowing 8-

0 13) Stealth 8-

0 14) TF: Custom Adder, Small Motorized Ground Vehicles, Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground Vehicles

3 Fast Draw 14-

3 High Society 13-

3 Inventor 12-

2 Language: Maori (fluent conversation)

3 Mechanics 12-

3 Streetwise 13-

4 Weaponsmith (Boomerangs) 13-

 

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 154

Total Cost: 357

 

200+ Disadvantages

10 Distinctive Features: Australian Accent (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

15 DNPC: Female Companion of the Week 8- (Normal; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID)

15 Hunted: Mystery Hunted 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish)

10 Physical Limitation: Allergy: Cats (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)

10 Physical Limitation: Horrible Hangovers (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)

15 Physical Limitation: Weird Bio Chemistry Requires Special Medical Attention (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)

10 Psychological Limitation: Charitable (Common, Moderate)

20 Psychological Limitation: Will Not Kill (Common, Total)

20 Psychological Limitation: Won't Allow Bystaders to Come to Harm (Common, Total)

15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity (Frequently, Major)

5 Social Limitation: Smoker (Occasionally, Minor)

5 Unluck: 1d6

7 Experience Points

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 150

 

Background/History: Peter McAllister was born under unique circumstances. His father, Jason, was an Australian business man who's company often sent him on business trips to other countries. He was sent to New Zealand on a regular basis and it was on of these trips that he met Lana. Lana was half Maori and strangely beautiful. After courting her over the course of many buisiness trips, they were married. Jason was eventually promoted and spent half of the year in Australia and half in New Zealand. After several months of this Peter was granted New Zealand citizenship and Lana, Australian. When Peter was born three months later he had dual citizenship. Peter grew up loving both of his countries. He began reading at an early age, everything from comic books to novels. His parents taught his to help those less fortutunate than yourself and when he was thirteen he began volunteering his time to helping the elderly, homeless and sick children. At sixteen he discovered, what he consider's to this day, Australia's finest export AC/DC. When he turned eighteen he asked his father if he could attend college in America and his father reluctantly agreed to let him attend the American college of his choice. Peter chose to attend Florida State University, which has a very strong football history. While there he decide to give Americanfootball a try, it was then his latent meta-gene kicked in. While trying out for quarteback, he underthrew a pass to a reciever, the ball struck the young man in the ribs, cracking two and breaking one. He was banned from playing, but was allowed to continue his studies. Several months later he got a call from his father's business partner, saying his parents had been killed in a car bombing. Peter returned home to Wellington. His parents were given a large funeral, after which Peter discovered that his father had set up enough investments and insurance pay off's for him that he would never have to work. However in his depression Peter took up smoking. One day he was going through some of the documents in his father's study, he discovered several documents, he realized his father had been blackmailed and was probably killed because he refused to pay. Peter was infuriated, quickly using his money he had a custom costume made. Then grabbing up a boomerang that his father had brought from Australia, and calling himself Outback, he began taking his frustration out on the local gangs. The media labeled him a vigilante and it wasn't until he sent an innocent bystander to the hospital that he was doing this for all the wrong reasons. Over the next several months he worked to improve his image with the media. He began voulunteering in his heroic identity and went out of his way to make sure bystanders were not hurt. Slowly the media and the people of Wellington began to embrace him. Time passed and the people began to love Outback. It was then that he was contacted by Tane and recruited to join the Defenders of New Zealand. During his training for the group, Tane taught him magic. He learned various ways to enhcant his boomerang so they would have various effects. The magic also kept the boomerang from being destroyed by the magic and returned it to Outback's hand after delivering the effect. Training completed , he now represented both of his countries. *Now* Peter thought *I can truly honor my parents.* Outback only seved as a member of the Defenders of New Zealand for only a short time before, for reasons not explained to him the team was disbanded. Peter decided to travel the world for a while, helping those who needed him.

 

Personality/Motivation: Peter is a very outgoing individual who enjoys helping people. He spends at least one day a week helping less fortunate individuals. He especially enjoys appearing at children's hospitals. When appearing at children's hospitals he will give the children wooden boomerangs he has carved himself. He is motivated by his inner desire to help others.

 

Quote: "Come on mate turn yourself in. Don't make me stick this boomer where it will really hurt."

 

Powers/Tactics: Powers: Outback possess slight superhuman strength, agility and resistance to harm. Through Tane's magical training he has learned various ways to enchant his boomerang to perform various special effect. For example, his bind-arang magically binds a person, the boom-arang acts like a grenade, and his Bang-arang both deafens and knocks opponenets for a loop. He also possess a specially designed domino mask that both protects his eyes and aids his boomerang throws.

 

Appearance: Outback has long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He keeps in good physical shape and always has a goatee. His costume has the New Zealand coat of arms on the back and a domino mask covers his face. His boomerang has the Australian flag painted on it and he carries it in a special holster at his waist.

[Cold Steel]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Consider yourself Repped for the Outback bio.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

I once had a player who created a mystic powered armor character' date=' wearing an enchanted suit of plate armor. He had all the typical occult insights and "you're not ready to know the truth" attitude, and lots of small but useful spells; but he could and would also take to the front lines and start knocking heads.[/quote']

 

Ah Thread Necro.

 

I have a character like this. He started life as a classic Powered Armor. After playing him for a few years I got a little bored, then Ultimate Supermage came out, and I wanted to play a supermage. But I liked Ballistic, so I had a talk with the wife (GM) and we had him have a radiation accident. While flying out in space, he ran into someone mystical that tried so sacrifice him. Burned out some systems in his suit, and he had mystical energy flowing around. When he got back to Earth one of the major supermages trained him.

So he is a full on Powered Armor (Defenses, Life Support, Senses, increased STR ect) and a full on supermage (Major magical multipower (later turned pool)) and skills.

 

Mechanically I spent some experience on some magical skills, and took the points in his "weapons array" multipower and turned it into a "spells" multipower.

 

He's been great fun ever since.

 

Like to a writeup in my sigline.

[transmetahuman]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Here's my twist on your typical archer type. He's a low level brick who uses magic to make boomerangs have different effects.

I was going to do a similar thing: an NPC wrist-rocket* sharpshooter with an alchemist girlfriend and potion**-filled hollow glass shot.

 

*basically a heavy slingshot

**not the kind that must be drunk to work, obviously

[Shaft]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Shaft is a mix between espionage agent and archer. He was a "Splinter Cell" operative that liked using bows since they are silent and have better range than most silenced guns. I pitch him as Jack Bauer with Green Arrow's weapons (no boxing glove arrow though). Plus a utility belt that includes a 9mm sidearm that came in very handy when he was caught scaling up the side of a building.

[Shaft]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Also, jystdave plays a werewolf in my Dark Champions game who has "wolfed out" about 6 times in game over 4 years of play. He can use his wolf senses & reflexes in human form. Since he also has the skillset of a commando and is a crack shot with a pistol, staying in human form works well for him.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

One that I never played, but wanted to, was an alien scientist / geek. Weak as any five year old kid, no social skills, unhandsome...

 

 

On his home planet... On Earth, he had a 60 Strength...

 

I did something like that once but with a real twist. The guy was tall, handsome. perfect teeth, etc.. PRE 24, COM 24. On he's home world he was considered very ugly. He comes to Earth and the first time he takes off he's helment most of the attractive woman swoon. He had AE: Mind Control, cluminative, only one command: like me, only effect Earth women, Zero end, peresistant, always on, fully invisiable, (3d6 effect built upto 42, with normal human women they'd have been eventually +30)

 

Poor guy had no idea why these ugly women liked him so much, eventually he did figure out that here on Earth he was one extremely handsome man.

[Pariah]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

I've got three characters that might fit:

 

Chill: Firefighter who got caught in a chemical fire and developed ice powers--but all of them were non-ranged. So basically, an energy projector with no ranged attacks.

 

Scarlet: 250-point character with a 60 STR and a 26 DEX. Speed brick.

 

Fang: World renowned immunologist who accidentally infected himself while trying to treat someone with a case of lycanthropy. Brainy werewolf.

 

 

Never played any of them for very long, though. Too bad.

[Pariah]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Gibralter the major brick was a detective and good with intrusion skills' date=' while the martial artist (Blackcat) had no stealth or sneaky skills, and was the upfront in your face fighter.[/quote']

 

Still my favorite example of archetype twisting, and a heck of a lot of fun to GM. Repped.

[Tim]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Never got around to playing him but an interesting twist I had, was a Mage who had inadvertantly transfered his soul into a golem he was trying to create. So here you have a rock brick, with mystic skills.

 

Oh, and his comatose body as a dependant.

[JmOz]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Not really a twist, but sort of

 

He was a hulk clone, right down to being a scientist in his normal form

 

Int 29, lots of sciences, etc...

 

When he hulked out he looked like a caveman.

 

So we rush in, beat Dr Destroyer, only to have him laugh at us because the missile will launch in 30 seconds and "there is no one among you who can stop it"

 

I pass a note to the gm, he tells me to roll 3d6, I roll a 6.

 

GM tells us that I walk over and smash a machine

 

The countdown has stoped

 

The players are amazed, how did the dumb brick know what machine to destroy.

 

"Well it was quite elemetary, that had to be the launch system, and who said I was dumb, I'm smarter than all of you"

 

The look on the other players face when they realised I had conned them for three months of gaming into thinking I was an idiot in hulk form...

[SKJAM!]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

For a short period of time, I played Major Patriot, a flag-suited character whose powers were...illusions and mind control. Naturally he spent a lot of time trying to make it look like he was a top-level martial artist rather than admit that it was all in people's minds.

[Mulgar]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Ever take a look at Omlevex' date=' from Z-Man Games? An overall fun and creative book, but your example reminded me of the setting's premier hero, "American Gargoyle." [/quote']

 

My wife orderd me Teen Champions, Galactic Champions and Villiany Amok for Christmas during the order $50 and get a book thrown in for free. I got the Omlevex book and your right American Gargoyle was the best of the book.

[Powerhouse]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

I need to think about this but my characters tend to be pretty archetypal to be honest. Closest thing I can think of is Shadowfire who is an energy blaster with darkness and fire powers who gets her abilities from a rather unique mystic origin. Yeah, not very original compared to some of the cool characters here but oh well.

[Grimble]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Mysterious,masked,mystic singing cowboy! The Rhinestone Stranger. He had a Mystic VPP for his spells with incantation defined as country/western style songs. His guitar was a powerful magic weapon and his horse was his familiar. The horse sang harmony.

 

He wore a rhinestone cowboy outfit with sparkley mystic runes on it. He wore a rhinestone encrusted domino mask and his 10 gallon hats brim always shadowed his face in dramatic fashion. His skills included many occult oriented KSs and Disarm with his enchanted 6-shooters. And, yes. He had a Magic Lasso.

 

 

Grimble

[Alverant]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

I played a smart, compassionate brick. Using the OIHID limitation I had enough points to buy up his INT and EGO scores and a lot of languages and science skills. Originally he was an archaeologist who also did translation work for the US Military (he had family in the service). Think Danial Jackson from Stargate SG-1. Anyway he became "infected" with a technorganic lifeform that recruited him into an interstellar police force (he can't fly yet though). So he's a brick who's smart and working his way up the ladder to achieve full privileges in an organization of star cops.

[death tribble]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

All of the main characters I played were by the numbers archetypes:-

The Flame was an energy projector;

The Magician was a mage (no VPP this was early Champs) with lots of different abilities;

The Demoness had a VPP;

Darklight/Electralite was a low powered energy projector;

The British Bulldog was a mid level brick;

The Angel was a flying martial artist;

The ADC (Anti Drugs Crusader)/Drugbuster was a Punisher clone;

 

The only break in the archetypes was in backgrounds for some of them

The Bulldog actually was a human sized bipedal, had to pant and could only see in black and white;

The Angel had back problems because her wings had not emerged until a teenager and her bones were fragile enabling her to fly.

 

The only time I break the archetype or cause a moment of stunned silence is with the art from Storn like the Purple Worm and Dragon martial artist of late.

[Grimble]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Wheels: He was a Powersuited Gadgeteer but he was parapelegic and his "Suit" was a tracked and armored wheelchair with weapons systems and the usual powersuit LS and + to STR. No flight, but the chair was very fast with lots of running and NC multipliers. It did have manipulator arms he used for straight forward melee combat. He also had wireless internet conection for the computer inside. The "Chair" looked like a 6' tall tracked robot. This sometimes fooled mentalists into not targeting him.

 

 

Grimble

[Karmakaze]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Dragonfly was a flying brick by powerset, except for Healing. She was a college student who'd been genetically modified with various insect characteristics (without being asked first!), and had to "cocoon" herself periodically to stabilize herself. My first major XP expenditure was to buy healing off that SFX. Her ability to heal injuries came in handy almost as often as her ability to break stuff. She also had a really laid-back California style, and was on her way to getting a degree in Biology, as opposed to the traditional dumb brick stereotype.

[Matt the Bruins]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

talking dog master villains...

Man, I so want to play in a superhero game that has one of these!

 

I've tended to play pretty standard secondary archetype characters in comics-themed games (ninja, magnetic hero, absent-minded gadgeteer), but I did have one fairly original rookie hero for a game from another company (which shall remain nameless) that played on the prodigy athlete stereotype:

 

Cossack, a character based on those Russian gymnasts that were collecting medals at the Olympics back in the early 90s. He thought he'd just been lucky enough to avoid training injuries and didn't realize he had super powers at all until his passenger flight crashed and he survived both an exploding jetliner and a 20,000 foot fall without a scratch. (Instant fear of falling and PTSD flashbacks to go with the origin!)

 

Character design involved making a talented athlete with loads of acrobatic and athletic skills but no combat training or crimefighting experience, and then tacking on physical invulnerability that would stand up to anything short of a multi-megaton H-bomb.

 

It was fun playing a character that could be shot with antitank weaponry and be unhurt, but get knocked out by gas or judicious application of an ether-soaked handkerchief. I wish that campaign had lasted long enough to acquire some big enemies that employed assassin-type henchmen—think of the frustration of a hired killer who can't find the knife or gun that will take down his intended target, but is unaware that he could do the trick with a pillow if he knew good holds to immobilize someone for a few minutes.

[Whitewings]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

One of the more archetype-bending characters I've created is Champion Wind. She's a teenage mutant... who thinks she's a magical girl. She's dead wrong, but she genuinely believes it, and she's got all the classic trappings: Themed attacks and defences, intelligent animal partner and advisor (a winged horse, how much more magical girl can you get?), even her own signature enemy. All them are actually manifestations of her real power, but she doesn't realize that yet, and her mentor has decided that for now at least it's best she not do so.

[freakboy6117]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

hmm i had some good archetype switches on my UK hero project teams

 

first of was SOPWITH the the shinning aegis powered armoured hero nominally a flying energy projector but much more of a speedster than a straight blaster.

 

then there is the ROYAL PHYSICIAN mystical defender of England though shes much more likely to use a sawn -off shot gun than the crimson band of cytorak (admittedly she does have spell filled shells) so gun toting machete wielding sorceress who dresses in rather refined tweed outdoors wear.

 

oh and THE NEW ENGLANDER a partial flag suit with super soldier style powers peak human stats and senses plus mid level defences(provided by a mystical artifact) and healing but hyper intuition powers making him the(part time) detective of the team.

 

also not currently a member of the aegis but getting there ROADRAGE punky biker chick daughter of legendary speedster can choose to harness her speed to create defensive energy fields and weapons as well as enhancing others movement.

[Squall]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

I tend to combine archetypes, more than I go against them. I've got The Warden, who combined Daredevil senses with Green Arrow's archery (and trick arrows). I've also got Squall (who turned into my namesake for comic-related internet stuff), who was a gadget-belt and escrima-stick using martial artist/detective type...with moderate telekinetic powers he was trying to get a handle on, as well. My most recent's a fairly straightforward "AquaBrick" type (strong and tough, but stronger and tougher underwater), though. Nothing too fancy there. I'm currently trying to find a game for Striker, a powered armor guy (whose armor happens to be powered by him being a mutant energy projector, and provides him control over his otherwise sporadic electric powers).

[nexus]

Re: Archetype Twists

 

Valkeyrie would probably be one of more more against archtype characters. She's shy, passive and very non aggressive in combat and she's a nearly indestructible brick, pretty much the opposite of the typical "Strongman SMASH!" type.