The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

[SSgt Baloo]

I've always enjoyed populating my Champions worlds with low-powered supers that the PCs can feel superior to, if so inclined. One day I even hope to run a "ground level" heroes campaign, where the PCs aren't the Cosmic heroes who save the world, but low-powered not-so-supers who can take on muggers and gangsters and maybe a lowpowered supervillain -- the sort of criminals the big guns are too busy to deal with.

 

A few of the more memorable characters (and their descriptions) follow:

 

1. Mouse-Man: A normal human who transforms into an anthropomorphic mouse. Think Stuart Little with human (10) Strength.
    
   
2. The Human Ladder: An otherwise normal human with 6" stretching. Great for getting cats out of trees.
    
   
3. Mr. Adamant: Modeled after a LSH character whose name I can't remember, this guy can become almost completely impervious to harm (Armor, EGO DEF & full life support). Unfortunately, while he's invulnerable, he's effectively paralyzed (powers only work while he's simulating death).
    
   
4. The Mechanic: Actually, this character was a barely competant DNPC who believed he was another character's sidekick. He was worth his weight in comic relief. He had a 15-point VPP (OIF: contents of his toolbox) and a +2d6 HA (OIF: toolbox).

 

Has anyone else got barely super heroes they'd like to share?

[assault]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

I've always enjoyed populating my Champions worlds with low-powered supers that the PCs can feel superior to' date=' if so inclined. One day I even hope to run a "gound level" heroes campaign, where the PCs aren't the Cosmic heroes who save the world, but low-powered not-so-supers who can take on muggers and gangsters and [i']maybe[/i] a lowpowered supervillain -- the sort of criminals the big guns are too busy to deal with.

 

I've always had a soft spot for characters of this type. In fact, I would consider playing one. The trick is that since characters with no powers can be superheroes, so can characters with lame powers.

 

They can even be members of the big league teams!

 

1. [*] Mouse-Man: A normal human who transforms into an anthropomorphic mouse. Think

Stuart Little with human (10) Strength.

 

I've got a similar character: a teenage girl who turns into a possum.

 

[*] Mr. Adamant: Modeled after a LSH character whose name I can't remember,

 

Stone Boy.

[Grimble]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Here are some of the Semi-Super heroes I've used as NPCs in various Champions games:

 

1. Blood-Eye: He could shoot blood from his tear ducts up to 3". This was a PRE ATT and very minor flash if he could hit the targets face. The PC supergroup actually hired him...He was also a great accountant.

 

2. The Amazing Burn: This guy was disturbed and disturbing! He had a really nice ED EB. He could shoot fire from the palms of his hands. The problem was that he was only partially immune to his own power. Whenever he used this power his hands burned and he was in EXTREME pain. Another problem. He was addicted to pain! He had Regen bought at 1 Body/min only for Fire Dam. He disturbed Heroes and Villians alike.

 

3. Bobby Snake-Eyes: This guy was average in everything. His Power: 10d6 Luck. Disad: 10d6 Unluck.

 

4. Meter-Man: Very minor, but most beloved hero in Madison,WI. He was a guy who drove around town on a suped-up moped. He wore a cape and mask and change belt. He had 10 CSL only to throw coins. Anytime he saw a car parked in a spot with an expired meter he would fling quarters into the meter as he drove past. Hunted by the city's Meter Maids!

 

Feel free to use any and all of these. I'll add more later.

Grimble

[Pariah]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Nickname: Deke

Build: Like a young Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bulging with muscles. Most people who see him will naturally assume he could bench press a Buick.

Defensive Powers: Ridiculously high PD and ED, full Damage Resistance, full Life Support, Mental Defense, Power Defense, Flash Defense, Knockback Resistance...you get the picture.

Offensive Powers: He had a 15 STR. Other than that, none whatsoever. 3d6 punch, 4.5d6 haymaker (under 4th Ed.).

Movement Powers: None whatsoever. Movement is limited to normal running, swimming, and leaping.

Sensory / Unusual Powers: None whatsoever.

Costume: Green bodysuit with a big red, white, and blue target on the chest.

 

Real Code Name: Decoy.

[OddHat]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

I've used characters like this for almost twenty years. Always got a kick out of them. A few that show up regularly:

 

Big Red- 8 foot tall, 600 pound minor brick with a DEX 11 and SPD 2. Reduced need to Eat and Sleep. Owns a trucking company and saves money by doing all the loading and unloading by hand.

 

Taxi Man- Got a re-write after a similar character showed up in Top Ten and convinced me he could be better, he's the Blind God of Taxi Driver. Shows up and takes you where and when you need to be, anywhere and anywhen. Never leaves his cab except to eat in cheap restaurants. Taxi changes shape to match era, and has changed into a horse drawn cab.

Geo-Dan - Can detect anything under the Earth's surface. That's it; otherwise normal. Works for Exxon finding oil.

[Arkham]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

I've used a good few of these as contestants in the West Coast Supers reality TV show.

Wetboy: Has the power to perspire on command, and then reabsorb the water.

The Bright One: He glows. Very brightly. Blindingly, even. But, he glows all the time. And, well, that's about it.

Lemur-man! Has the power to climb anything, as long as he has a rope and handholds.

Captain Calcium: While drinking a gallon of milk, can make his hair and nails grow to extraordinary length. ( But normal, hair/finger nail strength )

Dr. Time: A theoretical physics professor who, by explaining his theories on time travel, can make 5 minutes seem like 5 hours...

The Vette: Can turn into a Corvette. Can't drive himself though. Or turn back on his own.

Roadrage: The angrier he gets, the faster he drives. Can take a normal econobox up to mach II if he gets really pissed off.

[transmetahuman]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

You can make a benchwarmer with any power in the book, if that's the only superhuman ability he has. Sometimes I develop a campaign idea with a "power premise" that ensures that all superhumans are more or less combat-capable (the chi-dynamo bloodline campaign, or an esoteric martial arts campaign, or the "sports bodies" campaign premise I recently came up with). But if the campaign premise(s) allow for more random abilities, I always figure there are a lot more non-hero, non-villain, non-combatant metahumans around than show up in Marvel or DC. I'm willing to play in someone else's game where the "You've got powers? You have to pick a side!" convention is unquestioned, and like I said some of my campaign ideas were specifically developed to make that convention more reasonable, but when I'm running a random powers campaign I just can't see most of the characters in this thread deciding to Fight Crime - that's a little more silly than I like things. Maybe a one-off loon or over-optimistic/naive hopeful for comic relief, but not one in every third small town.

 

Now, if we're just talking fun, not-very-combat-useful metas who don't put on costumes and are just trying to make a living, I've got a bunch.

[Grimble]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Out of the 4 Supers I've shared, so far, the only one who "fought crime" is The Amazing Burn. Meter Man was a "Do-Gooder", but the powers-that-be thought of him as a blow to their parking ticket revenue. He'd run from any cops that saw him plugging other peoples meters.

 

I believe this is just for fun. Populating campaigns with people with not-so-uper powers. Jump in and have fun, transmetahuman!

 

 

Grimble

[Grimble]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Here's another one, from my current game:

 

Benson: The Bulter of the PC supergroup. Tall, thin older english gentlelman. His only powers are Absolute Time Sense and a minor form of Clairsentience and Teleportation (Only to be behind super just as they are calling for him). He's great as a NPC. The players believe he is more powerful than he is!

 

Grimble

[Pariah]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Dr. Time: A theoretical physics professor who, by explaining his theories on time travel, can make 5 minutes seem like 5 hours...

 

I'm pretty sure I had a class from this guy in college. Quantum Mechanics, I believe. I enjoyed that class so much, I took it twice....

[Arkham]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Certainly not all of the bench-warmers that have appeared in that game fought crime, at least not before they went on the show. After the show was over, the character who organized it made deals with them in his heroic ID to gadget them up, train them, or team them up with people whos powers would work synchronously.

 

The Bright One got a suit of fiber-optics to channel his intense light into actual effective lasers, the suit providing him defenses as well.

The Vette and Road Rage got teamed up into a special crime-fighting duo, each with a standard issue utility belt and training.

I have a player who wants to retcon Wetboy into someone who was just discovering their powers of water control, including the ability to turn living creatures to dust, if he had to.

 

Almost any set of actual powers can be tweaked to be useful with the addition of gadgets or training.

Dr. Time is himself looking for someone to fund his time machine.

[Kevin Schultz]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Castle: 1" teleport, with 8 movable locations (teammates) and Autofire (2x) . As per the name, he can use it to swap people (or things and people) around. Actually a really useful power, if potentially unbalancing.

[Shaft]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

I have a squad of 150-200 pt "Red Shirts" that back up my PCs in a Danger International/Street Level Supers game. Most of them have no powers, but a few of them have low level powers to back up their commando skills (some of them were named after Joes):

• Agent Prime DEX 26, all other attributes "normal" for a commando
  
• Lowlight- sniper with natural nightvision.
  
• Deep Six- ex-SEAL w/ Life support: extended breathing, only needs to spend 1 end/minute
  
• Panzer- ex-GSG9, STR 25, all other attributes "normal" for a commando
  
• RunDown- ex-Foreign Legion, w/running 15"
  
• Bad Vibe- ex-SWAT w/danger sense

I also had a team of MI-6 agents who were low-profile and had more points in skills than powers:

• Broadcast: transmit/receive radio and A/V signals (didn't need a radio to send receive signals
  
• Decipher: Universal Translator, Computer hacker
  
• Mongoose: SPD 8

Mind you with their commando/espionage traininig, they were pretty kickbutt, so I wouldn't call them benchwarmers. But they definitely add flavour to the game.

[transmetahuman]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

The Golden Goose: A cross between Element Lad and Matter-Eater Lad, this guy has the power of elemental transmutation - but only inside his digestive system. Normal teeth and mouth, and no real internal protection if he creates something toxic. High levels of the Money Perk, painfully wrought... which is useful for hiring bodyguards against kidnap attempts by wannabe nuclear terrorists.

 

Ma Bell, aka Switchboard: Actually has a very potent and useful powerset, but her personality makes people utilize it less than they might. She can initiate a telepathic conversation with anyone she's ever met, anywhere, and even keep multiple links active at once. She can only "receive" thoughts deliberately directed at her - but she can (sometimes) do that even if an active link isn't set up. A graying, middle-aged, nosy chatterbox who adores celebrity gossip, she is notorious for not paying attention to time-zone differences (or time of night, for that matter), and for considering anyone who has ever asked her for help or been the least bit friendly to be a lifelong friend that she is justified in calling any time, "just to catch up, dear". Once made a villain in a hostage situation give up, just to get her yammering voice out of his head. If you can give her a little attention, though, she's a genuinely nice woman who is relatively easy to make happy.

[Grimble]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

The Wanderer: He has all the Safe Evironments and Self Contained Breathing and a bunch of useful Survival skills. Also, No Need to Sleep. He wanders the earth. Makes his living taking pictures of some pretty exotic places and sells them to National Geographic. He also writes travel books.

 

 

Grimble

[Killer Shrike]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Lets keep it clean please; supposedly children peruse these forums.

[transmetahuman]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Lets keep it clean please; supposedly children peruse these forums.

My apologies. I don't think anything that was in there would jeopardize the Adult Conspiracy for even a six year old (and so far the mods seemed to agree), but I've edited it anyway. This thread was meant to be light-hearted fun, and I didn't mean to kill it.

 

Edit: I've deleted both suggestive posts.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

We had a C that one of our GM's made once. George, the maintance man. Power was that he had max Damage Reduction to everything, invisiable Force Field that was well beyond the range of any hero or villian, all the immunities and safe enviroments, plus didn't have to eat or sleep. He's one offensive ability wasn't even under the C's control, he either absorbed the damage to heal himself or deflected it; both where GM controled.

 

Most dangerous janitor in the world, he became the teams ace in the hole, saved them once by just walking into the fight.

[Badger]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Castle: 1" teleport' date=' with 8 movable locations (teammates) and Autofire (2x) . As per the name, he can use it to swap people (or things and people) around. Actually a really useful power, if potentially unbalancing.[/quote']

 

 

I've been thinking of an idea for a villain with a chess-motif going on. Have to benchmark this in the event I ever get around to it.

 

Note: Gah!! I meant bookmark not benchmark. Oy!!!

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Having thought it over, I suppose my "escaped laboratory animal" character was a semi-super. His main offensive power was a fully invisible ego attack. The SFX were that he could psionically stimulate the sleep centers of an opponent's brain. He had a 1 pip HKA that, with STR, could be boosted to 1/2 D6 (he had 10 STR). His primary defense was that he was, y'know, a cat! He was small and furry and cute and if a villain were fighting the hero group the cat was part of, some stray cat would not have been the first thing he'd start shooting at.

 

The other PCs knew by his behavior that there was something "odd" about the cat, but they really had no clue (even if their players knew the cat's entire story). They (the characters) thought that maybe the cat was a harbinger of good luck (or something). In any case, the other characters would've ganged up on any character who threatened to harm their cat (lucky for me!)

 

Of course, if a villain had caught on, the cat would have to rely on his small size, quick movement, and high DEX to save his life. Most villains could've reduced him to a small explosion of blood, violin strings, and orange fur with a well-placed shot.

[transmetahuman]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

How about a paraplegic speedster, in a wheelchair?

[transmetahuman]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Someone mentioned Flatman recently, and I remember a similar old Atom foe - the 2-D Man or something like that. Which makes me think of the guy who is midway between the Atom (shrinks in 3 dimensions) and that guy (shrinks in one dimension):

 

The Stick: With the miraculous power to shrink in two spatial dimensions, The Stick decided to fight crime... but basically just fell down a lot.

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

The Stick: With the miraculous power to shrink in two spatial dimensions' date=' The Stick decided to fight crime... but basically just fell down a lot.[/quote']

 

You beat me to it! I was just going to post an idea for "Stick Figure Man" and solicit write-ups. Rep to you!

[BC001]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

How about a paraplegic speedster' date=' in a wheelchair?[/quote']

 

That was already done in one of Aaron Alston's scenario modules "Bad Trip for Dr. Drugs" or something like that. It was a teen hero style setting from way back in first or second edition days with stats for Champions and Superworld. One of the prefab heroes was a speedster in a wheelchair.

[Whitewings]

Re: The Benchwarmers: Semi-super heroes

 

Someone mentioned Flatman recently' date=' and I remember a similar old Atom foe - the 2-D Man or something like that.[/quote']

 

I not only remember him, I have the issue where he first appears. He was an early "sympathetic villain," in that he committed his crimes to save "Not only my life, but the lives of others! For in the debris I also found the radiation source, transmuted into a new form of cobalt! With it, I was sure I could find a cure for leukemia!" But without equipment he doesn't have and can't legally obtain in time, he'll be... gone. He's shrinking just like Ray Palmer, though very slowly, "dwindling away to nothingness." At the end of that issue, the scientists at S.T.A.R. Labs manage to halt his shrinking, and the courts have agreed that the best recompense he can make to society is to continue his leukemia research with the new metal.