[Character] Card Shark

[OctoberRaven]

200+45 character, a tribute to one of my favorite comic book characters, Gambit.

 

Michael Ace spent most of his younger days with playing cards, and expert at both card games and card tricks as well. He also took an interest in engineering and chemistry. After some time he managed to mix his passions into specially-designed playing cards. A stylish old-school magician costume and mask laster, and voila, he became The Card Shark.

 

His first attempt at stopping a crime went very badly at first, but it turned out that Shift happened to be on patrol and gave the kid a much needed helping hand. Since he figured the kid could learn a thing or three from him, the teleporter took Card Shark under his wing.

 

This lasted about a week, when Card Shark used one of his razor-sharp "Ace of Spades" cards to kill a purse snatcher. Shift, who understood the occassional need to take a life but still realized casual killing was wrong, lectured the kid, but Card Shark would hear none of it, and use his 'Aces Up My Sleeve" grapping hook-cards to get away from the hero. Shift still keeps an eye out for Card Shark whenever possible, hoping he can stop the rookie hero from killing again.

 

His invented cards are:

"Pip" Cards, Regular cards reinforced as blunt throwing objects.

"Face" Cards, Regular cards with razor-sharp blades on the side

"Joker" Cards, Chemically treated cards that produce a variety of effects: As small grenage-like explosives, as entanglement weapons, as flashbangs, and can even divert projectiles in midair.

And he also has special grappling hook playing cards that he can use to swing from building to building.

 

Card Shark can be used as a hero who does the villanish act of casual killing, or as a straight-up bad guy. In the case of the latter, his Hunted: Shift will go from Watching to Harshly Punish, and he'll also gain disadvantage Reputation: Murderous "Vigilante" 11-, Extreme.

 

STR 10

DEX 15

CON 13

BODY 11

INT 18

EGO 13

PRE 10

COM 15

PD 8 (17/9r with Combat Luck)

PD 8 (17/9r with Combat Luck)

SPD 3

REC 9

END 30

STUN 28

Running 6

Swimming 2

Leaping 2

 

Skills

13 Inventor 18-

15 Sleight Of Hand 18-

12 Gambling (Card Games) 18-

 

Perks

5 Money: Well Off

 

Talents

18 Combat Luck (9ED/9PD)

 

Powers

45-Point Multipower: Card Attacks, 90 Point Reserve, All Slots OAF (Playing Cards)

4u 1) High Card: EB 18d8, OAF, 4 Clips 6 Charges, No KB

3u 2) Doubling Down: EB 14d6, 2 Shot Autofire, OAF, 8 Charges

2u 3) Dead Man's Hands: RKA 3d6, 5 Shot Autofire, Penetrating, OAF, 1 Charge

3u 4) Ace of Spades: RKA 4d6, Penetrating, OAF, 4 Charges

2u 5) 52 Pick Up: 5'' AoE EB 7d6, Armor Piercing, OAF, 1 Charge

1u 6) Joker Card (I): Missile Deflection (Any Ranged), Missile Reflection, Reflect At Any Target, 4 Charges, OAF, Will Not Work Against Heavy Missiles

3u 7) Joker Card (II): Sight/Hearing Flash 17d6, 4 Charges, OAF

3u 8) Joker Card (III): 6d6 6 DEF Entange, No Damage From All Attacks, 4 Charges, OAF

3u 9) Joker Card (IV): RKA 4d6, Explosion, 4 Charges, OAF

 

8 The Aces Up My Sleeve: Swinging 10'', Turn Mode. END=1

25 Dealing From The Bottom Of The Deck: Luck 5d6

10 The Hand Is Quicker Than The Bullets: +4 to DCV, Costs END, x2 END. END = 4

 

Disads:

10 Hunted: Shift 11- (Mo Pow, Watching)

10 Reputation: Cheats at card games, 11-

10 Psychological Limitation: Casual Killer (Common, Moderate)

15 Pyshological Limitation: Overconfident (Common, Strong)

[MitchellS]

Re: [Character] Card Shark

 

Interesting. I have a very similar villain called High Card in my M&M game. His combat deck is randomly distributed though, so he never knows which attack is going to fly out of the card shufflers under his jacket [or so it's believed anyway ].