(Character) Black Hand

[SKJAM!]

Continuing the run of Showcase-related characters...

 

Black Hand

 

Player: NPC

 

Val Char Cost

10 STR 0

13 DEX 9

10 CON 0

10 BODY 0

17 INT 7

13 EGO 6

10 PRE 0

10 COM 0

 

4 PD 2

4 ED 2

3 SPD 7

4 REC 0

20 END 0

20 STUN 0

 

6" RUN 0

2" SWIM 0

2" LEAP 0

Characteristics Cost: 33

 

Cost Power

22 Power-Light: Energy Blast 10d6 (50 Active Points); OAF (power tube; -1), Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Not vs. yellow objects; -1/4)

18 Another Worldly Dimension Device: Extra-Dimensional Movement (Single Dimension), Ranged (+1/2), Usable As Attack (+1) (50 Active Points); OAF (Dimensional Movement device; -1), Requires A Skill Roll (Systems Operation; -1/2), Gradual Effect (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12); -1/4)

2 Signal Hijacking Device: High Range Radio Perception (Radio Group) (12 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses almost all of its effectiveness (Only to speak to Green Lantern through his ring; -2), OAF (Hijacking device; -1), Costs Endurance (-1/2), Requires A Systems Operations Roll (-1/2)

7 Power Battery: Endurance Reserve (100 END, 5 REC) Reserve: (15 Active Points); OAF (Power Tube; -1); REC: (5 Active Points); Limited Recovery (Only when in presence of residual Green Lantern energy; -2)

15 "Just such a situation is covered on page 83": Luck 3d6

Powers Cost: 64

 

 

Cost Skill

4 CK: Coast City 13-

5 CK: Coastville 14-

3 Climbing 12-

3 Electronics 12-

3 High Society 11-

3 Inventor 12-

3 Scholar

4 1) KS: Cliches and Trite Sayings (5 Active Points) 14-

1 2) KS: Green Lantern (2 Active Points) 11-

1 3) KS: Lucrative Targets (2 Active Points) 11-

1 4) KS: Rodent Care (2 Active Points) 11-

3 Lockpicking 12-

5 PS: Criminal 14-

3 Scientist

1 1) SS: Dimensional Engineering 11- (2 Active Points)

1 2) SS: Electric Engineering 11- (2 Active Points)

1 3) SS: General Physics 11- (2 Active Points)

1 4) SS: High-Energy Physics 11- (2 Active Points)

1 5) SS: Radio Engineering 11- (2 Active Points)

1 6) SS: Zoology 11- (2 Active Points)

3 Security Systems 12-

3 Shadowing 12-

15 +3 with any crime-related skill

3 Sleight Of Hand 12-

3 Streetwise 11-

9 Systems Operation 15-

2 Weaponsmith (Energy Weapons) 12-

Skills Cost: 86

 

Cost Perk

5 Money: Well Off

2 Reputation: Effective criminal, to the underworld (A medium-sized group) 11-, +2/+2d6

1 Base

4 Contact: Fence (Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 11-

Perks Cost: 12

 

 

Total Character Cost: 195

 

Pts. Disadvantage

20 Normal Characteristic Maxima

20 Hunted: Police 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)

10 Psychological Limitation: Hates his family, especially their respectability (Uncommon, Strong)

15 Psychological Limitation: Overconfident (Common, Strong)

Disadvantage Points: 65

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

 

APPEARANCE

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Brown

Height: 1.70 m

Weight: 76.00 kg

 

Description:

William Hand is a Caucasian male in his late thirties. He has thick eyebrows and a receding hairline. In civilian guise he wears expensive business suits, with a trenchcoat and fedora for outdoor activities. Black Hand's costume is black save for gray triangles on his chest and forehead. It includes a body stocking, elbow gloves, hip boots, trunks, an elbow-length cape, and a cowl that leaves his lower face and ears uncovered.

 

BACKGROUND

(This history only includes information from Black Hand's first appearance, ""Half a Green Lantern Is Better than None!", in Green Lantern #29. Black Hand was created by John Broome and Gil Kane.)

 

William Hand was born the second son of the wealthy and famed Hand family of Coastville (an affluent suburb of Coast City.) He quickly grew to despise his law-abiding brothers and the adulation they got for their achievements. William turned to crime to make his own mark. While he started with petty crimes such as pickpocketing, William was thorough and methodical, writing everything he learned about how to commit crimes and get away with it in a special book which he then memorized. Thus, each time he would get into trouble, William would simply remember a relevant page from his book and be able to escape using this tested wisdom.

 

Eventually, William Hand felt ready to take the next step up the criminal ladder by donning a costume and committing crimes as Black Hand, "the criminal who cannot fail!" He realized, however, that doing so would cause him to eventually run into Coast City's resident superhero, the Green Lantern. Recognizing that Green Lantern's power ring was one of the most powerful weapons imaginable, Black Hand decided that he would have to "fight fire with fire" by using the emerald energy to his own ends.

 

Black Hand promptly invented a device that collected residual green energy from sites where GL had used his ring, and devised a number of gadgets that would run off that energy. One of these was a device that would hurl its victims into "another worldly dimension" from which there was no return--and would allow Black Hand to use GL's ring and willpower as a battery indefinitely. Once he'd done this and acquired enough residual energy for his initial plans, Black Hand challenged Green Lantern to battle.

 

Black Hand's attack was partially successful, sending GL halfway into the other dimension. Fortunately, Hal was able to jam the device, preventing it from completing the task. Each man now was able to tap fifty percent of the power ring's energy, and they soon stalemated, neither able to gain the upper hand.

 

Black Hand then repaired to his ancestral mansion, revealing his identity to his startled brothers. He planned to lock them in the house, then appear at a banquet in their honor. He would then get either the town's adulation or its wallets. At this point, Green Lantern appeared, apparently whole again. Caught off guard, Black Hand was easily overcome and relieved of his devices. Green Lantern unstuck the dial and brought his other half back.

 

Black Hand vowed vengeance, but Green Lantern scoffed.

 

PERSONALITY

Black Hand commits crimes both for the feeling of accomplishment and to rub it in the faces of his respectable family. He considers himself a cut above the ordinary crook due to his superior methods and intelligence. In point of fact, Black Hand's just a glorified thief.

 

William Hand has a fascination with cliches and trite sayings, and uses them as much as possible in his planning and speeches.

 

QUOTE

"Something like this would have stymied an ordinary criminal! But not me! Being prepared in advance--that's what makes all the difference!"

 

POWERS/TACTICS

Black Hand is an experienced and professional criminal, and is also a fair scientist and inventor (by comic book standards, that is.) He has created a number of devices that tap into Green Lantern's power ring energy.

 

Black Hand believes in having the upper hand whenever possible, and will make plans well in advance for any known obstacles. If possible, he'll choose the battleground and other conditions of a fight. He's fully willing to use ambushes to increase odds in his favor.

 

CAMPAIGN USE

Black Hand makes a good foe for an energy projector. Simply change the energy his devices work on to whatever it is that the player character uses. To make him more powerful, pump Black Hand's Dex and Speed up a bit, and adjust his gadgets to campaign standard Active Points. In his second appearance, Black Hand added devices that allowed him to create sophisticated light illusions, use the Images power.

 

Black Hand will hunt anyone who has previously defeated him, or who is too close to his relatives.