Enforcer84 Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 I have a lot of bricks to build my world with. A lot of martial artists too... I'm pretty clever but I gotta admit, I usually make teams of 6+ Supers with the same Brick, Martial Artist, Blaster, Mentalist, Mage, Speedster, Gadgeteer, Powered Armor, and Animal Hybrid. USPD I & II, Gadgets & Gear, and the Ultimate books have helped quite a bit, but occasionally I need new toys to play with. I'll bet some of you do too. So, let's use this as an Idea Kernel Depository Thread. The IKDT, if you will. I'm not looking for fleshed out characters, or even names, but I won't turn down either. So, any wonderful ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Deadeye was originally Frank Caine, a private investigator with a personality reminiscent of those classic film noir P.I.s like Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade: tough, jaded, cynical, but with a rough code of honor and desire to do the right thing. He investigated a series of ritual killings, which culminated in him stumbling onto a fancy-dressed guy using weird lightshow powers to apparently attack three helpless women. Frank shot the man from behind, killing him instantly. The women showed their gratitude by transforming into demonic monsters and ripping Frank to shreds. Awakening in Limbo, Frank heard voices that claimed to be Higher Powers informing him that the man he shot was a powerful white sorceror and that the "helpless women" were three succubi responsible for the ritual killings, whom the sorceror was trying to banish. They told Frank that his murder of the sorceror had incurred a great karmic debt which he would have to repay through benevolent acts on Earth. They sent Frank back; thing is, they didn't send him back alive. He looks and sounds normal, but to any close examination he is in effect a walking corpse. Deadeye (as he calls himself) has classic detective and brawling skills, the power to detect supernatural forces, to strike blows at the souls of his opponents rather than their physical bodies, and the toughness and resilience to physical damage that comes from being, well, dead. He also has the power to drain the life force from living beings, which can be lethal if Deadeye doesn't control its use carefully. However, he sometimes has no choice but to use this power, as his body can no longer heal itself naturally; this is the only way he can repair injuries to it. Deadeye's normally dark sense of humor has gotten even blacker as a result of his new status, which sometimes makes people around him uncomfortable. He's never been much of a joiner before, but he feels very lonely and isolated from the rest of mankind since his return. He's starting to think that he might find acceptance among other paranormals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spidey88 Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Well, I'm going to be on vacation for a week starting tomorrow, but I'm sure I could provide you with any number of unusual "animal hybrid" concepts after that... We've got some interesting banter going on in another thread along those lines: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60063 Behold the might of the astounding Odontomachus-Man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Ellen Hart was raised in the circus. Her father Conner was the circus owner as well as the headlining "lion tamer" act - Conner Hart was born with a powerful empathic rapport with big cats which enabled him to control them with ease. Unknown to almost everyone, Conner shared many other traits with them: superhuman speed, agility and athletic prowess, inhumanly keen senses, as well as a strong streak of cruelty and a fondness for luxuries. Conner indulged the last of those traits through theft, using his exceptional abilities to commit robberies in the cities the circus passed through. Ellen inherited her father's physical abilities, although her personality was almost the opposite of his. Conner trained her to be both a superb high-wire and trapeze artist and a star of his circus, and his assistant on his robberies. Ellen felt guilty over committing crimes, but her father browbeat her into submission. When she was in her late 'teens Ellen became romantically involved with her partner on the trapeze, David Main. David accidentally discovered Ellen's and her father's criminal activities, and urged her to confess to the authorities; but Conner overheard them and decided that both of them were too great a risk to him to let live. Conner sabotaged the trapeze before Ellen and David were to perform one night, intending them to die in what looked like an accident. Ellen's superhuman agility allowed her to just save herself, but she was unable to reach David before he fell to his death. Filled with grief and guilt Ellen called in the police and confronted her father as he tried to escape, but Conner eluded her after a vicious battle. Fearing that her father would seek revenge against her, as well as what the authorities might do to her, Ellen Hart dropped out of sight. Seeking ways to ease her guilt over her criminal past and her failure to save David, she found a job in an inner-city community center and shelter. Some local gang toughs were demanding "protection" money and threatening to trash the shelter. Ellen wanted to go to the police but didn't want to risk being identified, and her co-workers were too afraid. Putting on a disguise Ellen trailed the gang. When they attacked other innocent victims Ellen used her extraordinary abilities to thrash them thoroughly, leaving them trussed up for the police to find. Ellen felt very good about her actions; it seemed a positive step toward making up for her past. She also felt a thrill from crimefighting, like the exhilaration she had enjoyed performing on the trapeze. Ellen Hart devised a new costumed identity as Airborn, acrobatic crimefighter. Airborn developed a special weapon, a staff which she could use like a fighting quarterstaff or thrown javelin, and which could telescope into a pole for vaulting or for balancing on narrow surfaces. In addition to her superhuman athleticism and heightened senses, Airborn possesses a variant of her father's empathetic ability, enabling her to detect and "read" the emotions of people around her. Conner Hart, his facade of legitimacy destroyed, went into crime full time. He became Tigereye, freelance super-thief and enforcer. Now that he no longer has to hide what he can do, he enjoys exercising his power in openly violent ways. His past as a lion-tamer inspired him to create a whip which can extend to great length, which he uses as a weapon or to swing from point to point. He carries knives which he is very adept at throwing. He also has several big cats trained to obey his every command. Tigereye has aspirations of becoming a crimelord in his own right, and seeks to build a power base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... The Ketogenic Five: Lipid Lucy! Doctor Amino! The Fibernaught! Omizugaru! (Water Girl) Mega Vitaman! Their arch enemies, the Legion of Gloom: Trans Fatomas! The Vegan Menace! Sugar Daddy! Cola Ken! White Fower! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Trans Fatomas! I'm not usually a fan of satirical supers, but you deserve rep just for knowing Fantomas and being able to bring him into this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Samson Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... An old thread of your recently got my creative juices flowing, maybe I can return the favor http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47652&highlight=thinktank. Here are some quick links to the character being discussed. This character's design is outside the box in multiple ways. For example, he's a Brick, but not the standard STR/ Armor type. I believe he is based on Force Fields and Telekinesis. This makes me think about what other archetypes can be duplicated using non-conventional builds. Perhaps a Tunneling Speedster (Mogura the Ninja Mole!), or how about an Energy Projector that leaves traps in an area (foci, charges, triggered powers) instead of the typical blast (Deathtrap)? Even his appearance is out of the norm. Many Bricks have stone, metal, or huge muscle type textures. Thinktank looks like a giant lump of brain tissue! What other textures or body types are rare and unusual in comics? How about a Metamorph made out of blood (Beware of Hemorrhage!) or bronze age clockwork Powered Armor (Deus Ex Machina)? I hope this leads to a few ideas. Lemme know if you like em, I can throw out more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatus Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... I'm not usually a fan of satirical supers' date=' but you deserve rep just for knowing Fantomas and being able to bring him into this. [/quote'] I need to know, are we talking 'bout those french movies with the masked supervillain? They are ...don't know the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... I need to know, are we talking 'bout those french movies with the masked supervillain? They are ...don't know the word. Yes we are, movies, television serials, comics, and of course the novel series that started the career of one of the great fictional villains of the early twentieth century. Check out the history of Fantomas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Stormwatch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormwatch_%28comic%29 The Authority http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Authority The Red Star http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Star More later... QM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychonaut_raz Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... I never got around to actually designing her in any system, but I have a character named China I always wanted to play....she's a Chinese woman with skin that looks like porcelain but is actually extremely resistant to injury. Her strength is equal to anyone else within ten feet of her....so she's a brick if you throw her against another brick (or a semi-brick against a mob of goons), but has to use her brains if she's fighting someone whose primary attribute isn't physical strength. Someone else I did design and used once or twice was Fetish, literally a sentient animated gimp suit. Fetish attacks the strongest opponent in the group, forces them to wear him with a successful hold, and then controls their body while they wear him and attacks the victim's teammates. Heroes have to be careful how they fight him because he's only made of PVC so any damage will pass straight on to the person wearing him....meanwhile, the wearer is completely conscious and aware of what's going on, but unless they can beat a STR of 60 to break out of the suit, has no choice but to watch their own body attack their teammates... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Samson Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Here's a few more aimed for outside the box. Alternate Elements - The classic elements are a common theme for a few characters and teams (such as the FF). They are earth, fire, air, water, (and sometimes aether) but this isn't so for some other cultures. In some Asian cultures the classic elements are Metal, Wood, Earth, Water, a Fire. Sloth - (Not this one http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/slothgatherers.htm.) The anti-speedster. Instead of high speed, he has an area effect SPD Suppress to slow everyone down to his level. Crazy Man! - Though it would be a chore to model, I always thought a character like Legion (Marvel) or Crazy Jane (DC) would be fun to play. Each night just roll randomly to see what personality and powers you have (maybe using a multiform mulitpower). Alternate Patriots - Not every patriot type has to serve the Federal Government (or even the US for that matter). In one of the rare campaigns where we actually designed our group around a theme, we chose Texas as our home base. The Lone Stars (at various points) included Ranger, Armadillo, Wildfire, Twister, Matador, Longhorn, Chief Thunderhawk, La Chupacabra, and Pumpjack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Character Background(s)/History(s) <<>> http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59705 Try and finish a few of these ideas off. QM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Here's some names.... Professor Pestilence Phobia Saberclaw The Tyrant Rock Candy The Destroyer The Ascendant Hood THe Righteous Kali the Destroyer Black Tiger Gray Snake Kingmaker The Red Queen Hardbody The Minotaur Dominion Wisp Crimson Cloud Havok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Here's some names.... I don't know Chad. let's see... Professor Pestilence...Insect controller springs to mind. (just finished a story with a villian with giant bees like a reverse ant man) Insect man wouldn't be too cliche I guess. Phobia...The titans villainess springs to mind but reversing that would be a emotion drain that got stronger the more they ate. Saberclaw...Cat Man? Dino Man? robotic devil? The Tyrant...business man that owns countries. Rock Candy...got me there. The Destroyer...Remo Williams obviously, but a comedic take would be someone with luck and environmental hazard on all the time. The Ascendant...super genuis? I think this was a term for aliens that reached a higher plane of existence in Stargate. I dont know how usuable that is. Hood...Thug hero from Mickey Spillane, several heroes like the black hood, villain from European Enemies, sometimes used for Robin Hood. Mobster turned Hitman turned Green Arrow? THe Righteous...Jack Chick? Kali the Destroyer...goddess of death and murder. Shiva's other wife. Amazon with extra limbs? Black Tiger...Another cat man/ninja/mysterious figure unless this is a guy who turns into a tiger like Jaguar and Werewolf by Night. Gray Snake...Stretching is the only thing I could think of besides the obvious serpent stuff. Maybe stretching like Flatman? Kingmaker...I'll pass. The Red Queen...Queen of hearts, Queen of Dinosaurs, Queen of rubies. Maybe Queen of the ruby heart dinosaur. hardbody...cliches are the fitness guru/body builder/mech of some kind. Maybe a Stone Boy, or Ferro lad. The Minotaur...Pass Dominion...Duplicator Wisp...I had a drawing once of a wisp. It was a ball of fire with a jack o'lantern face with tiny arms. Main powers were flight and desolid. Crimson Cloud...Pulp style fighter pilot? Havok...Eber except with an arsenal of weapons. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Nice work Cyphrett. A few do have concepts; The Destroyer - This is my "Iron Age Hulk" or Abomination concept. He's a brick who simply enjoys destruction. Lots of Killing attack "Brick Abilities" The Ascendant: A man who used mystic rituals to increase his Intellect and power. Something of a Mystic Gadgeteer. Has odd magical devices (like a magic PDA, Cell Phone, Penlight, etc...) Rock Candy is a female Brick. Kali the Destroyer is an indian strongwoman with four arms. I know. It wasn't original. Kingmaker is a mastervillain's assistant (power behind the throne kind of guy) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Schultz Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Some neat ideas I've had in the past, but haven't written up: Flagg - (metamorph) a totemic metamorph: he has the power of any symbol or icon he wields. His suit has a chameleon effect that, rather than lets him blend into his surroundings, lets him manifest different powers based on flag designs. For example, if he programmed his suit to display the US flag, his powers would have something to do with multiplicity ("e pluribus unim") and supernatural power ("In God we Trust"). As he is Canadian, he tends to use the regional flags from that country. Sabbath - (mage) Quabbalistic sorcerer whose power is limited to abilities displayed in 80's Saturday morning cartoons. Summoner - (mage/summoner) psychic who can create psychic constructs to emulate the powers of various collectable card games. However, he actually as to have the cards laid out in a game, which makes his powers somewhat disruptable. So, he tends to set up various games beforehand (in his bedroom), cover them in plexiglass, and then leave them there while he goes out to fight crime. The Unbeliever - (energy projector) militant athiest whose power was manifested when she was accidentally caught in the crossfire between a couple of metaphysical metahumans. Now, her ability is to actively disbelieve in something, thus causing it to cease to exist. However, it's only temporary, because she is aware that it really DOES exist, and it's only her power that is temporarily cancelling it out. Herr Docktor - (gadgeteer) aging supervillian who really does have a master plan to conquer the world, but it'll take a couple of decades to culminate. So, his daughter Becky (created via cloning in a moment of alcohol-induced weakness) convinced him to do the superhero gig for a while to pass the time. Is assisted by his monkey minons (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Dave) and his lovely assistant Miss Zee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Schultz Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Gunn - (weaponmaster) gun-toting badass who just happens to be a nerd. Works as a high school janitor, and can't figure out why people think it's wierd for him to do so: doesn't have a secret identity, as no one can concieve of him going out to fight crime with paired .45 semi-automatics. Actual powers are gun-fu: ranged martial arts plus gun tricks. Mister Trick - (metamorph) there is only one Trickster god; he just convinced every pantheon that he was THEIR trickster god. Unfortunately, he was so successful that no one believes him when he tells them about what he's doen. Powers of each form are the powers of the trickster god of the pantheon he is emulating: Raven, Coyote, Loki, Puck, etc. Note that even if he changes right in front of someone, they won't believe that he's the same deity: he's just that darned good. Variable X (any - likely brick/weaponmaster) - has a polymorphic aura that always returns "yes" to any metaphysical query. As a consequence, he can use any piece of magical equipment he comes across, as it always considers him to be its rightful owner. Also has a large number of magical animal mascots, each convinced that he's their One True Hero or Destined Reincarnated Prince(ess) or whatever. Occasionally is approached by additional magical animal mascots who know the truth, but who would rather work with a professional like himself, instead of the self-centered teenagers they usually have to deal with. Jean-Reneau du Baptiste - (Energy manipulator/weaponmaster) New Orleans-born military chaplin with the metaphysical power of Water; he can basically do everything BUT summon water blasts: purification, fluidity of movement, fortune telling, ressurrection/rebirth, etc. Also has a great deal of incidental power over women. Uses a shotgun for actual offensive power. Citadel - (paragon brick) - member of a galalctic-wandering Dragonball-Z type species whose power comes from their powerful psychic flight-or-fight response. Turns out this power is killing them, but they can't turn it off because it's an environmental trigger. So, they fly around the galaxy in spaceships, in suspended animation 99.99% of the time, looking for someplace they can relax. Earth is the only planet that that matches up with their (destroyed) homeworld's ecosystem, and thus is the only place they can live. Citadel was the first to discover this, and is thus the most relaxed member of her species. Her main duty is to subdue any of her people that shows up, and then take them to Florida, where they can chill out. The Killer Frogbot - (brick battlesuit/mentalist) - Synthetic genius clone-child inherited her creator's wealth and technology after he went missing and presumed dead. Wanted to do something for society, so she put together a military-grade battlesuit. However, her psychic abilities are the powersource for the suit. The suit itself is more of a small mecha than a suit of armor, and it's somewhat bulbous; hence the name. Anansi Goodfellow - (holy mage) daughter of Mr. Trick and Citadel; when the Trickster boasted that he could get the most powerful mortal to fall in love, he didn't realize that the aforementioned mortal was 1) and alien, and 2) female. After a series of encounters found only in a Shakespearean comedy, he ended up marrying her. Anansi (named after her paternal grandmother) is the result. She's technically a diety and high priestess in her mother's species' pantheon, as they had killed off all of their previous gods with the destruction of their planet. (Which, as it turned out, was a bad idea; without gods, they became much more vunerable to magical attacks.) At the moment, she's really just a half-alien goddess trying to live a normal teenaged life as the daughter of two of the world's most powerful beings. Who, unfortunately, are more than delighted that their daughter is taking up a life of crime-fighting. They consider it their job to be the 'normal parents' of a teen metahuman, and think it delightful to be kidnapped and held hostage by c-rank villians. Needless to say, Anansi is terminally embarassed by them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Samson Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... The Tyrant - A Geneticist turned great white hunter. Uses the DNA of animal predators to give himself super abilities. His ultimate power is the ability to transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Kali the Destroyer - Cool pic here. Black Tiger - A street level martial artist bounty hunter (we actually have a Black Tiger in our game world). The Minotaur - Our Minotaur is the warden of a superhuman prison (called the Labyrinth), typical totem brick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredrik_nilsson Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Animal Hybrid It might several steps off topic, but have you seen Animalympics? Hopefully, there are plenty of inspiration there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Schultz Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... The Red Queen - variation of the King in Yellow: a psychic with the ability to infect the very idea of her with madness and death. The name comes from the way in which her victims ultimately die: blood vessels burst under the skin. The Minotaur - Minos, king of Crete, built the Labyrinth for his stepson (sired to his wife by Zeus, I believe). After he died became one of the Greek Judges of the Dead. This character is a direct decendent of Minos, and is thus empowered by Pluto to hunt down those who have escaped the judgement that god, in kind of a greek Ghost Rider sort of way. Takes the name of the Minotuar both as a backhanded compliment to his ancestor, as well as a play on the whole idea of "spawned by a greek god" thing. Dominion - pulling from Ars Magica - spiritual uber who pulls strength from the sancity of a region. Most powerful in places like Vatican City or Ayer's Rock. Note that this power isn't actually magical; it's simply a mental limitaiton on the part of the individual. Wisp - Alien energy being that bears a superficial resembalnce to a will-o-wisp; kind of like Kheldians in City of Heroes. Crimson Cloud Sentient nano-cloud; is capable of performing a variation of the "grey goop" ability (ie, transforming anything it touches into itself, thus building up its own mass.) Havok - mentalist whose powers center around creating or surpressing rage. Works as a grief councilor in his off-time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... It might several steps off topic' date=' but have you seen Animalympics? Hopefully, there are plenty of inspiration there. I have! Long ago when I was young. Saw it three times. Loved it. That's the one with the Eagle Fencer isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Concepts in need of fleshing out/names... A Gadgeteer that is NOT a social misfit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comic Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... As teams go, concept teams are rare and hard to arrange. Who can find a half dozen players who all want to be derived from the same silly pun? For instance, the Sideshow, a team of amusement-park themed heroes, including Cotton Candy, Funhouse, Guess-My-Weight, Ring-The-Bell, Roller Coaster and Fire Eater.. or whatever combination turns your crank. Calendar, the team with not so much Zodiacal as holiday-themed powers, from Independence Day (who's pretty impressive) thru Samhain, Janus, Cherub, Leprechaun, etc. Angelorum, who are all thematically ascribed seraphic powers fitting their names. Ludites, whose game-themed powers range from Backgammon to Yahtzee. Marbles would be my favorite. Sports - a play on words related to genetic anomalies - who would all be sport-themed. You know, either a baseball bat has a wide variety of uses, or when all you have is bats, everything looks like balls. And then there's the really shallow Shampoo Squadron, where everyone's power is related to their hair color. Sure, Blonde has more fun -- being a bit of an airhead (and air elemental control-based) -- but Red is hot. Yes, it's hard to take them serious, but add up all those extra points not spent on INT, and you can see they've got the spare AP's for destructive powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredrik_nilsson Posted November 4, 2007 Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 Re: Need to get the Creativity Flowing... Long ago when I was young. You're still young. According to my boss you reach you the peak of life by the mid-40s (which by pure coincidence is where he is.) Saw it three times. Loved it. I watched it a lot to. That's the one with the Eagle Fencer isn't it? It sounds familiar, but I haven't seen the movie in like 15 years. I'll come back when I've seen it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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