What would your inner geek pick?

[Roth]

You’re at one of the big cons, hanging with a group of people in one of the movie rooms, when a young, very attractive, woman comes in and sits down. As you watch whatever happens to be playing you notice that the young woman watches the door, nervously starting at whom ever opens the door. She has been sitting there for about 1 minutes when the door opens and in walks some one who doesn’t belong. He may be dressed correctly but something about him is off. The woman erupts from her chair and rushes the man, grabbing him by the head. He starts to jerk as electricity flows from her to him or him to her and then he drops. Someone checks him and finds out that he is unconscious, not dead.

The woman explains that she is the result of a experiment the regional (her words) government was doing in alternate energy sources. They had pulled her from her home dimension, where her people existed in a mostly energy state amongst the star fields. Being pulled into this dimension had forced her into a human form, with very little power available to her. She begs for your help. All she has to do is avoid the government’s agents for another 24 hours or so and then she will shed her human form and be shunted back into her home dimension.

So being the geeks you are some you decide to help. Some of course don’t because playing this kind of thing is one thing. Living it is another. Those that decide to help take the woman and for the next day or so run around the con and surrounding area being chased by MIBbies, cops, security and any one else whose wrath they attract. At the end of that time they have learned something about themselves and their place in the world.

Then comes the time of truth. The woman begins to glow and a rift opens in the air. You watch as the woman dissolves into a shifting pattern of light, sound and energy. Then you hear her voice in your head.

“Thank you for your help friends, I now leave you with more than I arrived with and I leave you with more than you came with.”

 

Then she is gone, leaving you the being you always wanted to be and leaving the world, so that that being could exist in it.

 

 

So the obvious question is what character/ being have you always wanted to be. I’m going to have my players invent geeks/ fanboys, if they don’t want to play themselves of course, and they will have to figure out what these characters have always wanted to be.

 

It’s going to be superheroic campaign set in a world that has been radically altered to fit the various backgrounds of the various characters, and the characters are all going to be 375 points (250 base, 125 Disads).

 

No characters or character types from any sort of fiction will be disallowed, and the only real limit is the total amount of points.

 

Any questions?

[Grimble]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

I would end up with my body in its perfect form and the powers of Superman. I know that a 375 pt Superman is weak, but when he first donned the cape he was much lower powered then he is now. My powers would grow as I soak up solar radiation from our yellow sun!

 

Of course, I would still be "Me", right? Just, me with Superman's powers. Do I now retroactively create a bunch of Kryponite floating around in the universe? Is there now a super-genius out to get me?

 

Great question! Now matter the answers to my questions, Superman is my pick.

 

Grimble

[transmetahuman]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

Wow. Haha! Uhm, one question - are the group of geeks the only people with powers, or will the "radically altered" world now be likely to have other supers, Atlanteans, infiltrating aliens, etc.?

[Grimble]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

As for the 24 hrs before the transformation...

 

The first stop would be the costume vendors. Disguising the Energy Being as a Goth Chick,Vulcan or elf. Something VERY different from her normal human body. Nothing with an obvious mask. I want her to look like she belongs at the Con.

 

Grimble

[OddHat]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

Groovy! I'm Doctor Strange!

[McCoy]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

Millinnium or Dolphin?

 

Dolphin. Immortal, invulnerable, infinitely adaptable.

 

First after transformation task, round up and organize a couple dozen Jedi.

[Kelcyron]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

If we're talking purely about translating the real world me into a Champions character and I get to pick everything about it, I'd actually go with 250 + 30ish points in disads. I wouldn't choose to have the burdens that high-powered heros have (evil geniuses wanting to kill me, parents murdered in a dark alley, girlfriend murdered and stuffed in a refrigerator, etc), or to have the huge resposibilities that they have. I'd still want to live my life, just live it a bit better.

 

I'd idealize myself somewhat (correcting the obvious physical issues), pump my stats to a high yet reasonable level, and pick up a bit of wealth to live comfortably.

 

Kelcyron

[SatinKitty]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

I'd like my body weight to normalize. Then I'd like to be better in my Karate classes, and simply not care about the past anymore. If I had to pick only one or two powers, probably Telepathy as I want to understand people better, and Mind Control including on myself.

[Psylint]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

I'm with Kelcryon, 250 + 30ish and then make all of my stuff really subtle. Given that opportunity, I think I could achieve a level of munchkin the likes of which [insert appropriate term] has never seen. Though I'd also probably pay for the perqs of immortality and not needed to eat or sleep again. Then again sleeping is the second funnest thing in the world, so maybe not.

[Pariah]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

....I'd actually go with 250 + 30ish points in disads. I wouldn't choose to have the burdens that high-powered heros have...

 

 

Even 30-ish ponts in Disads can be a real burden if your GM is sadistic. With most of the GMs I've had, though, I think 125 would work just fine. By the time you add up beliefs and disbeliefs, phobias, likes and dislikes, core values, minor neuroses, and the like, I think you could squeeze 50 points in Psych Lims out of just about anybody. Throw in 15 points for a Secret ID, and you're already halfway home.

 

The idea of having 250--or even 200--points in Powers and Skills with minimal Disads is sure appealing, though.

[Pariah]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

Now, to actually answer the question. Here's some of what I'd spend my points on:

 

10 points to buy off that annoying Phys Lim I've got (Bad ankle, Frequently, Slightly Impairing)

 

3 points for Bump of Direction - Everyone in my family seems to have it except me. Must have missed out on that gene.

 

5-10 points to buy up some of my existing Science Skills (Chemistry, Astronomy, Physics, Mathematics & Logic, etc.)

 

4 points in Perks: License to practice a profession (Teacher Certification), Passport, Concealed Carry Permit

 

5 points to buy off that Money Disad (Low income/high debt). Substitute teachers in grad school don't make jack.

 

I'd also like better stats - higher than average, but still in the "Normal" range. Then I'd blow the rest on a Telekinesis EC. TK has such potential to be useful, both in daily life and in abnormal situations. I'd probably end up being rather low-powered, but I'd by all the TK powers with Invisible Effects.

 

Of course, then I'd have to blow a few points on a new skill roll - KS: Subtlety.

[Grimble]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

I agree with Pariah. 30 pts of Disads leaves me with just 10 after my Overconfidence. That wouldn't even cover my Curiosity!

 

Grimble

[Roth]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

Hmmm.... Grimble "Of course, I would still be "Me", right? Just, me with Superman's powers. Do I now retroactively create a bunch of Kryponite floating around in the universe? Is there now a super-genius out to get me?"

 

If you Picked "I'm Superman" Then Krypton would have exploded and you'd now be Clark Kent with these weird memories of being the person you were before. If you Picked "I'd like to have the powers of Superman", then you'd still be you, except you'd have actually come from Krypton and you'd have been adopted by your parents.

 

transmetahuman "Wow. Haha! Uhm, one question - are the group of geeks the only people with powers, or will the "radically altered" world now be likely to have other supers, Atlanteans, infiltrating aliens, etc.? "

 

The way the world was would depend on the players and their picks of characters or archtypes or what have you. If Gimble picks Superman and some one else picks jedi and some one else picks Starship captain ala Star Trek, I as a GM would have to blend all these elements together.

 

Oddhat: Cool .

 

AS for the rest. I'm not too sadistic, but I do use disads to their utmost. I would have no problem with people doing the wish fufillment thing as themselves instead of making themselves over as a character or archtype or what have you.

[Manic Typist]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

Considering the situation, I would feel obligated to take the powers of The Killer.

[Basil]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

Multiform in a VPP! Absolutely!

 

Heck, I wouldn't need any Disadvantages at all to do that.

[GrooveD70]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

I'll concur with Supes. Umm Thor. Luvs me some Thor. Much less powerful, but I always wanted to be Bruce Lee. And just to annoy you I would say Jimi Hendrix. Write that up! Foxy Lady! I'm comin ta getcha!

[Haven Walkur]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

Shapeshifters 'R' Me.

 

I'm a mini-Mystique! I'd want the powers of a shapeshifter and the skills and sophistication to use them properly...or at least, as much of that as my points will get me.

 

And since Mystique herself is a borderline psychopath with the mentality of an IRA bus-bomber, her skills and powers are ALL I'd want; I wouldn't want to BE her.

 

Oh, and I don't mind looking like an auburn-haired Dark Elf in my base form.

 

Howeeeever...

 

I don't know if Mystique can even "do" animal forms or fusions (wings on a human form, for instance, or porcupine quills on a big cat).

 

If she can't -- well, since I'm more interested in having critter-abilities and other beastlinesses than masquerading as different human beings -- then I'd have to go with Changeling* of the Teen Titans...even with that inaesthetic pea-green colour scheme.

 

Garth can "do" animals, monsters (including fusion beasties like Pegasus or the chimera) and animal-like aliens, and that's what I'd want.

 

Hmm...you know, Garth was also once known as "Menagerie", when a change in his powers limited him to only imaginary creatures. Now that's a limitation I could live with! "Only" changing into wyverns, ki-rin, gryphons, kitsune....

 

So I'd want Changeling's shapeshifting powers, but if I couldn't afford them points-wise, then I'd happily settle for Menagerie's "only into imaginary creatures" power. (And perhaps I could buy off the "Always Green" limitation with the points left over...?)

 

Why be a shapeshifter if you're limited to just people? People are the least of it. I'd want to be able to fly!

 

 

 

 

 

*Now called "Beast Boy" in the animated Teen Titans.

[Roth]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

I'll concur with Supes. Umm Thor. Luvs me some Thor. Much less powerful' date=' but I always wanted to be Bruce Lee. And just to annoy you I would say Jimi Hendrix. Write that up! Foxy Lady! I'm comin ta getcha![/quote']

 

So deep down your inner geek has always wanted to be Jimi?

 

And who is The Killer anyways? Are we talking about Joe/Jeffery, Chow Yun Fat's character in the movie of the same name?

 

And Haven, that would be a funky Character. "I can become any animal, as long as it's not real!"

[GrooveD70]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

So deep down your inner geek has always wanted to be Jimi?

 

Yeah, though it probably would have been Eddie VanHalen first. I'm a guitar geek as well. But back in the day, that kind of geekyness used to get you girls, RPG's... not so much!

[Grimble]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

To make it clear. "I want the powers of Superman"!

[McCoy]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

I don't know if Mystique can even "do" animal forms or fusions (wings on a human form, for instance, or porcupine quills on a big cat).

 

[snip]

 

Why be a shapeshifter if you're limited to just people? People are the least of it. I'd want to be able to fly!

She has before, copying Warren's wings and only the wings. What I don't understand is why she doesn't have regen. Morph into an "unwounded" form.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

It would have to be this C's power set but not him or he's background.

 

Gidieon

 

Val Char Cost

45 STR 10

23 DEX 24

25 CON 20

15 BODY 10

18 INT 8

18 EGO 16

18 PRE 8

18 COM 4

 

25 PD 6

25 ED 10

6 SPD 7

20 REC 12

60 END 5

60 STUN 0

 

6" RUN 0

20" SWIM 5

10" LEAP 1

Characteristics Cost: 146

 

Cost Power END

Amarain Gifts

1 1) Heritage of the Ocean: Life Support (Safe in Intense Heat) (2 Active Points); Conditional Power, Power Only Works In Water/or wet (-1 1/2) 0

9 2) Heritage of the Ocean: Life Support (Expanded Breathing: Water; Longevity: 200 Years; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in Intense Cold) 0

5 3) Body of the Deep: Power Defense (5 points) 0

4 4) Mind of the Deep: Mental Defense (8 points total) [Notes: alien mind] 0

15 5) Hide of the Deep: Damage Resistance (15 PD/15 ED) 0

 

Gifts of the Ocean, all slots Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2)

11 1) I can fly: Flight 6", Position Shift, x4 Noncombat, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (27 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) 1

12 2) Fastest thing in the Sea: Swimming +13" (25" total) (x8 Noncombat), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (29 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) 1

6 3) To sence within the deep: Ultrasonic Perception (Hearing Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, Transmit (15 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) 0

12 4) To sence within the deep: Active Sonar (Hearing Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) (30 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) 0

10 5) Gifts of the Ocean: +25 STR (25 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) [Notes: (25x2)/3 = 17, 25 - 17 = 8, Base Str: 20 + 8 = 28] 2

6 6) Gifts of the Ocean: +5 DEX (15 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) [Notes: (8x2)/3 = 5, 8 - 5 = 3, 18 + 3 = 21]

4 7) Gifts of the Ocean: +5 CON (10 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) [Notes: (5x2)/3 = 3, 5 - 3 = 2, 20 + 2 = 22]

4 8) Gifts of the Ocean: +10 PD (10 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) [Notes: (10x2)/3 = 7, 10 - 7 = 3, 15 + 3 = 18]

4 9) Gifts of the Ocean: +10 ED (10 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) [Notes: (10x2)/3 = 7, 10 - 7 = 3, 15 + 3 = 18]

8 10) Gifts of the Ocean: +2 SPD (20 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) [Notes: (2x2)/3 = 1, 2 -1 = 1, 4 + 1 = 5]

4 11) Gifts of the Ocean: +9 STUN (9 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2) [Notes: (9x2)/3 = 6, 9 - 6 = 3, 51 + 3 = 54]

 

24 Powers of the Sea: Multipower, 60-point reserve, (60 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness in extreme heat, out of water/or not wet (-1 1/2)

6u 1) Water Blast: Energy Blast 12d6 (60 Active Points) [Notes: 4d6] 6

6u 2) Enhanced Water Blast: Killing Attack - Ranged 4d6 (60 Active Points) [Notes: 1d6+1] 6

5u 3) Can you breath water: Energy Blast 4d6+1 (standard effect: 13 STUN), Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), No Normal Defense (LS: extended breathing--water; +1) (55 Active Points) [Notes: 1 1/2 d6] 5

4u 4) Water to Hold You: Entangle 3d6, 4 DEF (Custom Adder, Larger Wall (+3")), Takes No Damage From Attacks All Attacks (+1/2) (60 Active Points); Vulnerable fire (Common; -1/2) [Notes: 1 d6, 2 DEF, 2" wall] 6

Powers Cost: 160

 

Cost Martial Arts Maneuver

3 Basic Strike: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, 12d6 Strike

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

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

4 +1 HTH Damage Class(es)

Martial Arts Cost: 15

 

Cost Skill

Amarain

3 1) Acrobatics 14-

3 2) Animal Handler (Aquatic Animals, Reptiles & Amphibians) 13-

3 3) Breakfall 14-

3 4) PS: Marine Scientist 13-

0 5) Language: English (completely fluent; literate)

5 6) Systems Operation (Environmental Systems, Cellular and Digital, Radio, Sonar, Telephone Communications) 13-

5 7) TF: Large Military Ships, Large Motorized Boats, Small Military Ships, Small Motorized Boats, Submarines

3 Scientist

2 1) SS: Marine Biology 13- (3 Active Points)

2 2) SS: Marine Ecology 13- (3 Active Points)

2 3) SS: Oceanography 13- (3 Active Points)

Skills Cost: 38

 

Cost Talent

10 Animal Friendship (20 Active Points); Limited Power Power Only Works On Aquatic Animals (-1)

7 Beast Speech (15 Active Points); Limited Power Power Only Works On Aquatic Animals (-1)

3 Bump Of Direction

2 Environmental Movement (no penalties in Water)

Talents Cost: 22

 

Total Character Cost: 381

 

Val Disadvantages

20 Distinctive Features: Elven-like features (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Virtually Everyone)

20 Distinctive Features: Webbed fingers and toes (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

20 Distinctive Features: Mutant (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

15 Psychological Limitation: protect innocents (Common, Strong)

10 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Minor)

 

Disadvantage Points: 85

Base Points: 125

Experience Required: 131

Total Experience Available: 133

Experience Unspent: 2

 

Now the build as is is over the point limit but I would be under that due to the 'power' that allowed me to become this C.

 

Note: Aquaman/Namor homage C

Note 2: If you add in my IRL skills would be another 20 or so points, none over an 11-

[Manic Typist]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

And who is The Killer anyways? Are we talking about Joe/Jeffery, Chow Yun Fat's character in the movie of the same name?

 

The Killer... I guess you would call him a supervillain. Read here...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanted_%28comics%29

 

This character has a great quote in there, were he utterly convinced me of how scary his "powers" are. It went something to the akin of: "I don't have superspeed, or flight, or strength, and I can't shoot energy out of strange places... my power is simply to make things stop breathing, and sometimes, that scares me more than anything else."

 

Basically, my logic is that if I am dealing with a room filled with people who I don't know... I would set myself up so that I could stop them if I thought they were going to become a threat. And the entire concept of The Killer is perfect for that. It doesn't matter who he goes up against, he can kill them. Because his entire powerset is "find the best way of taking advantage of someone's weakness."

 

I would do it with a heavy heart, because I've always wanted to fly. But, I'd feel obligated to ensure that I could stop anyone who went rampant....

[Watchdog]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

First stop: Life support. Funny how so many have hoped for immortality, and now you can get it for the cost of 1d6 of an EB.

 

For 50 points, I don't need to breathe, eat, or sleep if I don't want to. I have all the safe envrionments, will never age, and am immune to all terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents, poisons and chemical warfare agents. Hey, I might even buy another 20 points worth to counteract any extraterrestrial diseases, poisons, etc., just in case.

 

Multibillionaire for 15 points? Check.

 

Lots of PD, ED, and mental defenses, hardened.

 

Put the rest into a VPP.

[Brandi]

Re: What would your inner geek pick?

 

These days, I say "Don't tempt me."

 

Two words: Kid. Miracleman.