Cannoneer, generic super-mercenary

[braincraft]

Because I like sharing, I'm gonna start posting some of my character files. It's a little work, because even though I usually build them first in HD, I rarely take the time to write out their backgrounds.

 

Here's the first one I happened to finish: Cannoneer, the hard luck antiheroine!

 

CANNONEER

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

13 STR 3 12- Lift 151.6kg; 2 1/2d6 [1]

18 DEX 24 13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6

18 CON 16 13-

11 BODY 2 11-

15 INT 5 12- PER Roll 13-

11 EGO 2 11- ECV: 4

15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6

14 COM 2 12-

 

6/20 PD 3 Total: 6/20 PD (0/14 rPD)

6/20 ED 2 Total: 6/20 ED (0/14 rED)

4 SPD 12 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12

7 REC 0

34 END -1

32 STUN 5 Total Characteristic Cost: 80

 

Movement: Running: 6"/12"

Leaping: 2"/4"

Swimming: 2"/4"

Swinging: 6"/12"

 

Cost Powers END

 

23 Ballistic Screen: Missile Deflection (Bullets & Shrapnel), 6 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Minute each (+0), Persistent (+1/2), Trigger (Activating the Trigger requires a Zero Phase Action, Trigger resets automatically, immediately after it activates; Attacked by deflectable attack; +3/4) (34 Active Points); OIF (Belt and Harness; -1/2) [6 cc]

 

4 Commlink: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group) (10 Active Points); OAF (Commlink; -1), Sense Affected As Another Sense (-1/4)

 

5 Deadpan: +10 PRE (10 Active Points); Only vs. PRE attacks, Power loses about half of its effectiveness (-1)

 

2 Filter Mask: Life Support (Expanded Breathing) (5 Active Points); OAF (Mask; -1)

 

15 Grapple Launchers: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6, +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (26 Active Points); OIF (Belt and Harness; -1/2), Limited Range (-1/4)

 

20 Heat Sink: Endurance Reserve (100 END, 20 REC) (30 Active Points); OIF (Blaster Pack; -1/2)

 

32 Mega Beam Cannon: Energy Blast + 11d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2), Area Of Effect (32" Line; +1) (137 Active Points); Must be moored to surface or suffer recoil, 0 DCV when moored and no movement, Power loses about half of its effectiveness (-1), OIF (Blaster Pack; -1/2), Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Extra Time (Extra Phase, Only to Activate, Delayed Phase, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Activation Roll 14-, Burnout (-1/4) 14

 

60 Modular Blaster Pack: Multipower, 90-point reserve, (90 Active Points); all slots OIF (Blaster Pack; -1/2)

5u 1) Cycled Beam Cannon: Energy Blast 10d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (75 Active Points); OIF (Blaster Pack; -1/2)

6u 2) Double Beam Cannon: Energy Blast 10d6, Autofire (2 shots; +1/4), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/2) (87 Active Points); OIF (Blaster Pack; -1/2) 3

6u 3) Focused Beam Cannon: Energy Blast 10d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Armor Piercing (+1/2) (87 Active Points); OIF (Blaster Pack; -1/2) 3

2u 4) Mega Beam Cannon: Energy Blast 7d6, Armor Piercing (+1/2), Area Of Effect (20" Line; +1) (87 Active Points); Must be moored to surface or suffer recoil, 0 DCV when moored and no movement, Power loses about half of its effectiveness (-1), Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to Activate, Delayed Phase, -1/2), Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), OIF (Blaster Pack; -1/2) 9

6u 5) Rapid Fire Beam Cannon: Energy Blast 9d6, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/2) (90 Active Points); OIF (Blaster Pack; -1/2) 3

4u 6) Wide Angle Beam Cannon: Energy Blast 9d6, Area Of Effect (10" Cone; +1) (90 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), OIF (Blaster Pack; -1/2) 9

 

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

8 Optics: Penalty Skill Levels: +4 vs. Range Modifier with All Attacks (12 Active Points); OIF (Visor; -1/2)

 

3 Paranoid: +1 PER with all Sense Groups

 

16 Polymer Armor: Armor (8 PD/8 ED) (24 Active Points); OIF (Armor; -1/2)

 

9 Survivor: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Only when below 0 BODY, Power loses almost all of its effectiveness (-2), BODY Only (-1/2)

9 Survivor: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Only when below 0 BODY Power loses almost all of its effectiveness (-2), BODY Only (-1/2)

 

2 Visor Camera: Eidetic Memory (5 Active Points); OIF (Visor; -1/2), Only to take digital stills of vision sense group, limited capacity, Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (-1/2)

 

3 Visor: Multipower, 5-point reserve, (5 Active Points); all slots OIF (Visor; -1/2)

1u 1) Flare Correction: Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF (Visor; -1/2)

1u 2) Nightvision: Ultraviolet Perception (Sight Group) (5 Active Points); OIF (Visor; -1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (x2 effect from sight group flashes; -1/2)

1u 3) Thermographic Scan: Infrared Perception (Sight Group) (5 Active Points); OIF (Visor; -1/2)

 

3 Zipline: Swinging 6" (6 Active Points); OAF (Zipline; -1) 1

 

Martial Arts: Basic CQB Training

4 Martial Dodge -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort

4 Martial Strike +0 +2 4 1/2d6 Strike

3 Martial Throw +0 +1 2 1/2d6 +v/5, Target Falls

 

Perks

1 Industry Cred: Reputation (Mercenaries) 8-, +1/+1d6

 

Talents

3 Chronic Insomnia: Lightsleep

12 I've already got a Purple Heart, thanks: Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED)

8 Twitchy: Lightning Reflexes: +5 DEX to act first with All Actions

 

Skills

8 Expert Infantry Badge: +1 with All Combat

5 Expert Marksmanship Badge: +1 with Ranged Combat

6 I've practiced with this thing: +2 with Blaster Pack

5 Keep your head down: +1 with DCV

 

3 Combat Driving 13-

3 Concealment 12-

3 Electronics 12-

2 KS: Experimental Miltech 11-

3 KS: Military Tracked Vehicles 12-

2 KS: US Military 11-

1 Language: Spanish (basic conversation)

3 Mechanics 12-

3 Paramedics 12-

3 PS: Mercenary 12-

3 PS: Soldier 12-

2 SS: Blaster Engineering 11-

3 Security Systems 12-

3 Shadowing 12-

3 Stealth 13-

3 Streetwise 12-

3 Tactics 12-

3 Teamwork 13-

3 TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, Tracked Military Vehicles, Wheeled Military Vehicles

9 WF: Beam Weapons, Energy Weapons, Small Arms, General Purpose/Heavy Machine Guns, Grenade Launchers, Shoulder-Fired Weapons

 

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 370

Total Cost: 450

 

200+ Disadvantages

5 Distinctive Features: Distinctive Gear/Costume (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

15 Hunted: Law Enforcement 8- (As Pow, NCI, Capture)

10 Hunted: US Military 8- (As Pow, Capture)

10 Physical Limitation: Blaster Pack has a tendency to overheat (Frequently, Slightly Impairing)

10 Psychological Limitation: Drinks like a fish (Common, Moderate)

10 Psychological Limitation: Healthy (mostly) Paranoia (Common, Moderate)

10 Psychological Limitation: Smokes like a chimney (Common, Moderate)

15 Social Limitation: On the no-fly list, at least (Frequently, Major)

15 Susceptibility: Blaster Pack END Reserve gets low (increases starting at 20 END) 2d6 damage per Turn (Uncommon)

15 Unluck: 3d6

135 Down on her luck bonus

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 450

 

Background/History: Marissa grew up just south of The Middle of Nowhere, Indiana, and wasn't interested in sticking around. She joined the Army when she was seventeen and never looked back. She had the misfortune of spending a lot of time deployed during both Gulf Wars, and it always seemed to be her convoy that got hit by ambushes and IEDs. She saw more combat than any mechanic had a right to, and after ten years of thankless service, she decided that it was time to call it quits.

 

Marissa figured that somebody owed her something, though, and hatched a plan to get herself a little nest egg before taking some unannounced leave south of the border. The base she was stationed at was holding trials for a new type of personal battle armor, and by chance she heard that certain unsavory elements wouldn't mind having the prototype. She snuck into the proving grounds, stole the test model, and escaped. However, in the time it took her to plan the heist, a newer, shinier model had been developed by Irons Heavy Industries, and Marissa was left with a million-dollar blaster harness without any prospective buyers and charges of theft and espionage waiting for her back home.

 

Marissa did what any ex-soldier with an experimental weapons system would have done. She started hiring herself out as a super-powered mercenary, hoping to raise enough cash to retire in some warm country and hang up her guns for good.

 

Things never seem to work out well for her, though...

 

Personality/Motivation: Years of combat have left her paranoid and twitchy, and years without recognition and military drudgery have made her bitter and cynical. Her PTSD keeps her from getting a good night's sleep, and her long abuse of cigarettes and alcohol have taken a toll on her health. At this point, all she really wants is to get out of the game, work on her tan, sip some drinks with little umbrellas in them.

 

The sad thing is, Marissa's actually a pretty good person, underneath all the disillusionment and disappointment. She tries not to kill anybody on jobs, and doesn't go for the wetwork and meaner stuff that some mercenaries don't mind doing. Hell, if her life had gone a little differently, she could have been a hero...

 

Quote: "Speak softly... and carry a really big gun."

 

"It'll all end in tears, I just know it."

 

Powers/Tactics: Her defenses and CV are mediocre, at best. She has lukewarm DCs, unless she's using her Mega Beam Cannon, which has its own problems. She's a second-rate supervillain, and she knows it, hanging back and supporting more effective teammates with her flexible attacks.

 

Her Cannoneer armor has a number of notable systems:

 

The beam emitters on her bracers can be adjusted for a number of different firing modes. She can limit her rate of fire, keeping the generator from overheating, or fire more quickly, or with both emitters. She can focus the beam to penetrate most armors, or make the beam diffuse to cover an area.

 

Her most impressive attack is her Mega Beam Cannon (a misnomer, since the weapon is actually an accellerated particle cannon), which is a powerful but energy-intensive attack that can dig trenches the length of football fields in concrete, or take out tanks and buildings. However, to do this, she has to take a few moments to deploy the extended shoulder-mounted barrel, and to use her hip-mounted grapnels to moor herself to the ground or nearby objects. If she does not make sure to brace and secure herself against something stable, the recoil of the weapon will send her flying back on her ass. The system is not perfect, so overuse of the cannon can cause the barrel to melt, requiring a replacement (which doesn't come cheap, since it's a prototype and a new barrel has to be custom-cast, with the costs coming painfully out of Marissa's own pockets.)

 

The armor also has a ballistic screen, a magnetic point defense system that can deflect most small arms and shrapnel. It's not perfect, and a direct hit can sometimes come at the right angle to slip through the deflection field, but it dramatically reduces the effectiveness of most conventional weapons against the wearer. The screen is powered by seperate battery packs, which prevents it from contributing to the strain on the generator caused by combat.

 

The armor's belt has pneumatic grapnel guns on each hip, used to anchor the firer before using its heavy particle weapons, but also useful for climbing and rappeling. They can even be fired with enough force to be useful as short-range weapons, in a pinch.

 

As the Cannoneer was intended to be a long-range support system, the optics suite in its visor is top-of-the-line. It has telescopic, infrared, and low-light modes, though the latter makes the wearer vulnerable to bright lights. It can also take digital images, like a camera, for surveilance and recon purposes.

 

If the armor has a weakness, it is that extended use of the weapons systems can overheat the generator pack very quickly. In fact, at high levels of use, it can even burn the user's back quite painfully. Even at more moderate rates of fire, the armor can get uncomfortably warm, and raise the unit's infrared signature dramatically.

 

Aside from her prototype armor, Marissa carries around a more mundane commlink, and a gas mask, just in case.

 

Although not the most effective combatant, Marissa is generally a useful and competent soldier, and her military experience and skills make her a cut above most mooks even without her gadgets. She also has a tendency to survive a lot of hardship, and her general toughness and ability to see trouble coming has kept her from capture more than once. Tinkering with her armor has given her a rudimentary understanding of the technology that went into it, though she hasn't the skill nor the resources to make more than basic repairs.

 

Campaign Use: Good for when you need an extra body to even out the sides. She's just potentially dangerous enough to force players into dealing with her, and just tough enough to be slightly more of a speedbump than agent-level threats.

 

Appearance: Shortish brown hair, brown eyes, freckles, kinda pale, kinda skinny. Kinda cute if you go for that sort of thing. Has the sort of unassuming slouch that lets her blend into crowds. She doesn't wear makeup or jewelry, and when not on the job tends to dress in t-shirts and jeans or sweatpants.

 

Her Cannoneer armor consists of a helmet with visor, shoulderpads and breastplate, bulky bracers and greaves with big knee and elbow pads, a somewhat bulky backpack connected by tubes to beam emitters on both bracers, and a belt and harness setup with big gear packs attatched for her grapnel launchers and force field emitters. She usually wears her old boots and camouflage fatigues underneath the armor, though sometimes she just wears a hoodie and track pants instead. The backpack has a thick tube that swings over her right shoulder and telescopes out when she sets up for her Mega Beam Cannon.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Cannoneer, generic super-mercenary

 

Nice work. Good Concept.

[braincraft]

Re: Cannoneer, generic super-mercenary

 

Some of the constructs still feel a little awkward, and I'm not sure if they do what I intended them to. To wit: the Ballistic Screen and Mega Beam Cannon.

 

I wanted the Ballistic Screen to activate automatically when attacked, but only for minute-long periods after its charges get expended. Does Trigger do that in the way I'm thinking? I originally had it as a limited PD Force Field.

 

I wanted the Mega Beam Cannon to require a complicated setup and bracing as described; was it appropriate to use Extra Time (only to activate)? I gave the other miscellaneous disadvantages the same value as Concentration (constant 0 DCV). I don't know if there's a better way to do that.