[Char] Shadowolf

[Lord Mhoram]

Pariah came up with the idea of a floating game - rotating GMs, no overplot, very epispdic, to play when we are missing players (and with summer coming up, there are lots of stuff going on that way).

 

Here is my entry in that game - Shadowolf.

 

 

Background: Eric Anders was born in 1953. Graduated HS in '70. Served a tour of duty as a pilot in Vietnam. Came home, got a job running heavy machinery on the docks, found the love of his live and settled down. After 15 years on the docks, he decided he needed to have a little less physically strenous job. He went to school, got a degree, an internship, and became a stockbroker. He made enough off of his savings from the docks, his commision with the brokerage house, that he retired at 50. He and his wife Jenny run a small little import/curio/crafts/bookstore in the city. They live modestly but have a good deal of money in the bank. A nice retired life.

 

Then Eric died at 54. Suddenly.

 

When he was moving towards the light, memories of past lives came to him. Lives of him as a powerful person, manipulating the energy of his soul, down thorugh millenia, living life after life, building on this training. Training he never recived in this life. Until now. And in most of these lives, he was still with Jenny, his wife (He always said he had known her forever the first time he saw her, now he knew it was true). Jenny was another of these special people with the ability to learn to manipulate millenia old Ch'i. So he refused to die, and came back to his body.

 

When he did he noticed some differences, the ch'i training had made his body healthy and strong again, and very very quick. He spent the next few months with his wife, the two of them spending virtually every spare moment learning control of what they had, and remembering past lives together. Jenny progressed in direct Ch'i manipulation much faster then he did; she explained it had always beent hat way - her ch'i being outward focused and his inward. In trying to understand the inward focus of his abilities, he discovered something interesting - he could turn his body into a ghostly form, that coudl move through walls, and become invisible. He had the ability to become a ghost.

 

With the two of as healthy as (or even more so) than twenty year olds, they put on costumes and went to become superheroes by night, and the eccentric old couple that ran the shop down the streen by day.

 

Personality: Shadowolf is someone who has learned something recently, and has been given a second chance at life. With his new knowledge and abilities he is driven to help those in need.

 

Quote:"It's always at it's worst when you never see it coming"

 

Powers/Tactics: Shadowolf uses his desolid and teleportation to get to places he normally couldn't go, and his invisiblity to keep from being detected. In combat, he stays invisible, and teleports behind people and kicks them in the head. Not a lot of subtlety in his approach.

 

Campaign Use: PC

 

Appearance: Shadowolf's costume is a full body suit, along with a full facial mask, in greys and black trim. The suit hides his age from people, most of whom assume a standard superhero age of mid-twenties to mid thirties. No one expects a 55 year old man under the costume.

 

Val  	Char  	Points  	Total  	Roll  	Notes
15 	STR 	5 	15 	12- 	HTH Damage 3d6 END [1]
26 	DEX 	48 	26 	14- 	OCV 9 DCV 9
18 	CON 	16 	18 	13- 	
13 	BODY 	6 	13 	12- 	
13 	INT 	3 	13 	12- 	PER Roll 12-
18 	EGO 	16 	18 	13- 	ECV: 6
15 	PRE 	5 	15 	12- 	PRE Attack: 3d6
14 	COM 	2 	14 	12- 	


18 	PD 	15 	18 		18 PD (8 rPD)
18 	ED 	14 	18 		18 ED (8 rED)
5 	SPD 	14 	5 		Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
10 	REC 	6 	10 		
36 	END 	0 	36 		
30 	STUN 	0 	30 		
7" 	Running 	2 	7" 		
2" 	Swimming 	0 	2" 		
3" 	Leaping 	0 	3" 		Total Characteristics Cost: 152

Cost 	Powers 	END
24 	Ghosty: Elemental Control, 60-point powers, (30 Active Points); all slots Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4)	
17 	1) Ghosts Walk Through Things: Desolidification , Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (60 Active Points); Lockout (with Damage Reduction) (-1/2)
24 	2) You can't see a ghost: Invisibility to Sight, Hearing and Mental Groups , No Fringe, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (60 Active Points)
24 	3) Ghostly Apparation: Teleportation 13", Safe Blind Teleport (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Invisible Power Effects, SFX Only (Fully Invisible; +1/2) (58 Active Points)
16      4) Semi ghostly all the time: (Total: 60 Active Cost, 34 Real Cost) Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Lockout (desolid) (-1/2) (Real Cost: 17) plus Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Lockout (desolid) (-1/2) (Real Cost: 17)

6 	Ghosts Don't Breathe: Life Support (Self-Contained Breathing); Linked to Desolid (-1/2), Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4)	
8 	Ch'i enhancement: Damage Resistance (8 PD/8 ED)	
14 	Knows the way back: Healing 1 BODY, Resurrection, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (60 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Day (-2 3/4), Self Only (-1/2)	

20 	+5 HTH Damage Class(es) (Ch'i)
5 	Sacrifice Strike: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, -2 DCV, 12d6 Strike
5 	Defensive Strike: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, 8d6 Strike
4 	Martial Strike: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 10d6 Strike

Skills
3 	Jack of All Trades
1 	1) PS: Ballroom Dancing 11-
1 	2) PS: Heavy Maching Operator 11-
1 	3) PS: Painter 11-
3 	4) PS: Stockbroker (INT-based) 13-
3 	Scholar
1 	1) KS: Books and Literature 11-
1 	2) KS: Ch'i 11-
1 	3) KS: Miliatary/MOS 11-
4 	4) KS: New York City (INT-based) 14-
2 	5) KS: Stock Market (INT-based) 12-
3 	Deduction 12-
3 	High Society 12-
2 	Navigation (Air) 12-
2 	TF: Combat Aircraft, Helicopters
Total Powers & Skills Cost: 198

Total Cost: 350

200+ 	Disadvantages
20 	Hunted: Red Banner 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish)
20 	Hunted: Local Villian Group 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish)
15 	Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major)
5 	Social Limitation: Old (55 years old) (Occasionally, Minor)
5 	Distinctive Features: Reads as Ghost when in Hero ID (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses)
20 	Accidental Change: To Hero ID when at Negative Body Always (Uncommon)
15 	Psychological Limitation: Loves Jenny (Common, Strong)
15 	Psychological Limitation: Code Vs Killing (Common, Strong)
15 	Psychological Limitation: Protective Of Innocents (Common, Strong)
5 	Reputation: Urban Legend "Ghost", 8-
15 	Dependent NPC: Kids/Grandkids 8- (Normal; Group DNPC: x2 DNPCs)
Total Disadvantages Points: 150

 

Note this is an unusual build for me - simple, basic, and not a lot of bells and whistles.

[Jared Rann]

Re: [Char] Shadowolf

 

I like this character, it's a much different concept than a regular superhero. Are you planning to write up Jenny also? I like the quote also.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: [Char] Shadowolf

 

I like this character' date=' it's a much different concept than a regular superhero. Are you planning to write up Jenny also? I like the quote also.[/quote']

 

Jenny will be posted later. She is my wife's character in the campaign.

 

The history of these two characters is interesting.

 

I was running a character with the whole "remember past lives / all of the people in this special order have past lives" and part of the rules of the order is to find and teach others that have belonged to this order for ages.

 

The Wife, in GMing me, played Jenny as an NPC, my character's first student. Eric was a secondary NPC in the game, and part of the color is that they loved each other, but in this incarnation they were on opposite sides.

 

Next time I GMed, the wife played Jenny as a PC. I ran Eric as a NPC. The previous game was one of their past lives.

 

The next game the wife ran (a short one) I played Eric as a PC, and the previous two games were their past lives.

 

We both decided that in the next campaign we were both players in, we were going to play both of them as PCs together for the first time.

 

 

The core bits of the character (Ch'i stuff, and some martial arts - Jenny being outwards in ch'i, Eric being turned inward) has stayed the same.

 

Trouble with trying to play the same character, or variations, is they tend to get samey. We decided on a retired old couple for this iteration. Glad you liked the different feel, it was one of the things we were going for.

[Checkmate]

Re: [Char] Shadowolf

 

I'm never sure when people post characters if they want a if-I-were-GM type critique, or if they're just saying "Hey look at my cool idea". Since I'm not sure, I'll do just a little of both, in reverse order (that way if you didn't want the critique don't read past the next paragraph )

 

I really like the story behind the characters. I love the "role-reversal" of the woman having the more direct power set while the man's are more subtle. Something else you may want to think about (maybe the next time you and your wife are players together) is maybe making your character a Defensive Master, not just self, but defends anyone. Things like Force Wall, Missile Deflection, Healing, Aid, things like that, while your wife's character is more Offensive based. Just a thought.

 

Now if you wanted a critique, I'll go into that briefly, talking as if I were going to be your GM:

Your DEX seems a bit high. I would suggest a 23 might be more appropriate, but simply a suggestion.

Your EGO seems very high, even for such an Internal Martial Artist. I wouldn't require you to lower it, but would suggest it.

If your character is able to resurrect themselves, how do they have any past lives at all? Wouldn't he always be able to do that? Couldn't it just be a one time deal? As a GM I don't particularly care for Resurrection, it removes the great fear of losing your character.

His martial arts seems very External and Direct (consisting of only 3 Strikes). I think it would make more sense if the character had more of a redirecting martial art like Tai Chi or Aikido.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: [Char] Shadowolf

 

I'm never sure when people post characters if they want a if-I-were-GM type critique' date=' or if they're just saying "Hey look at my cool idea". [/quote']

 

I post for critque, attention, and sharing the character to let others use it, if they can.

 

I really like the story behind the characters.

That was one of the really fun bits.

 

Now if you wanted a critique, I'll go into that briefly, talking as if I were going to be your GM:

Sure.

Your DEX seems a bit high. I would suggest a 23 might be more appropriate, but simply a suggestion.

In previous incarnations Eric has always been blinding fast when it came to Dex, just carrying over a theme.

Your EGO seems very high, even for such an Internal Martial Artist. I wouldn't require you to lower it, but would suggest it.

Similar to above. Also, by SFX he brought himself back from the dead by sheer force of willpower, which to me seems to indicate a very high EGO.

If your character is able to resurrect themselves, how do they have any past lives at all? Wouldn't he always be able to do that? Couldn't it just be a one time deal? As a GM I don't particularly care for Resurrection, it removes the great fear of losing your character.

I like Res, because in playing superhero game, I never want to fear losing my character. That's why I don't play D&D. The characters have never had Resurrection before, but as he brought himself back from the dead, it seem appropriate - also note he has no life support dealing with age - the Res will bring him back from injury, disease, whatnot - but by SFX when dies of old age (likely at 110 or something) it won't trigger. As that is very likely never going to come up in play, it isn't noted on the character sheet.

His martial arts seems very External and Direct (consisting of only 3 Strikes). I think it would make more sense if the character had more of a redirecting martial art like Tai Chi or Aikido.

His ch'i is mostly inwardly directed in that it enhances his personal abilities, rather than being a "inner" style martial art. Jenny will likely have FF, and HA and all sorts of other things that look like "The Last Dragon".

Good catch on the Manuevers though - I originally had a few more, and dropped them for point trimming. I think I will adjust them a bit for more versatility.

 

Thanks for the interest.

[Diamond Spear]

Re: [Char] Shadowolf

 

If I may ask: What is the limitation that makes his powers usable only in Heroic ID? I realize he wouldn't want to use his powers out of costume but is there is something preventing him from doing it?

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: [Char] Shadowolf

 

If I may ask: What is the limitation that makes his powers usable only in Heroic ID? I realize he wouldn't want to use his powers out of costume but is there is something preventing him from doing it?

 

It's a concentration thing - he has to spent about a turn at 0 DCV and concentration. If he is captured, he could easily be kept from switching.