Klansman (villain help needed)

[Syberdwarf2]

(may contain some campaign spoilers)

I'm putting together a campaign with a main villain named Klansman. As the name suggests, Klansman is a racially motivated villain. He leads/runs/works closely with a local group known as the White Front. Klansman is a main factor in the origin of one of the pre-generated characters that I made up,... a name I pulled out of the proverbial hat, really.

I figured that it sounded neat, and was something that could be expounded on later. This is a tactic I use frequently use this technique in my writng and almost exclusively in gaming. Seems to work well usually, but this time I'm stuck.

 

To reiterate, this is what I have so far;

Klansman, racially motivated villain.

Leader, cohort of White Front.

 

This is what I don't have so far;

Origin

Powers (this is the big thing, as I can always make a plausible origin that fits).

 

Any help, suggestions or advice would be appreciated. If anyone from the campaign is reading this, remember the honor code.....

 

Thanx in advance.

[death tribble]

Slightly sacriligious I know but the Freedom City book for Mutants and Masterminds has a Klansman type of character, so that might help.

[Dr Lucky]

What type of character are you looking for exactly? What year does the game take place in? What genre is it? I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure what you are looking for. The only concrete thing I'm thinking is that he wouldn't be a mutant, just because the idea of a racist mutant villian seems silly after years of X-Men comics talking about mutant persecution. Some sort of tech based guy might be cool though, or a mystic. I could see a gadgeteer building robots that look like robed klansmen, or even a powersuit that looks like a klansman. Alternately, a mystic with a multiform to turn into the 'Grand Dragon.' (Or is it the High Dragon? I know one of the high up KKK ranks is some sort of dragon...)

[Crimson Arrow]

Maybe you need to decide his MO. Is he outwardly a political figure, or is he overtly a super?

 

Does he do a lot of fighting himself, or does he leave it to his minions?

 

Is he necessarily even capable of holding his own in a one-on-one super fight, or is he just used to bullying normal people?

 

Would he be able to have innate powers, or would he have to be highly trained and/or rely on equipment (would his group object if he were a mutant)?

[Crimson Arrow]

One more thing. Is he subtle or stereotyped/extremely obvious?

[altamaros]

i made a team of white supremacists a couple of years ago. i never used them but i recall some of the names. with the years, the names seem so stupid to me now.

 

The common origin of the team was that the leader was part of the klan (i'm short of names, let's call it the klan X) and created the villains after the killing of his kin :

 

One night, during an Klan's "operation"; things turn bad and the klan lynched a complete family of afro-american. A afro-american vigilante (a paranormal, with powers) then came shortly after and killed all the members of the klan except the Klansman.

IIRC, i was planning to use a plot a la Mad Max I:

the Klansman handcuffed to a bomb, wa given a saw by the vigilante

- "you can either try to cut your hand off, either try to saw the handcuff off"

unlike in MMI, the Klansman choosed the hand and managed to escape. He lost an eye though.

The Klansman then turns to magic to seek vengeance and created the team :

 

White Fang : a werewolf (arctic wolf to be precise).

former biker thug. The Klansman used a classical ritual to transform him.

 

White Lightning : an official character, from Dark Champions (Murderer's row IIRC or maybe Underworld Ennemies)

Skinhead thug; mutant; energy projector; has the ability to disintegrate things with a "white" energy (ERKA)

 

White Out

a girl, raped by a minority gang. has the ability to project a freezing beam of light (ice powers and darkness vs sight). modified Dongji Bing from anothe DarkCh sourcebook.

 

The klansman himself has a "symbiotic" hand (actually a demonic parasite), the Hand can suck life energy out of people; reshape itself into bladed/blunt weapons, stretch itself and call supernatural help (summon, it can summon some slave zombis, actually people killed by its touch).

He also have a symbiotic eye he can use to see in other dimensions, through walls or at range (clairsentience of course).

the inspiration is Moorcock's Corum and his six-fingered hand.

 

 

More generally; some considerations about the origins.

The extra-terrestrial : unless the origin implies an accident, forget. i hardly how racial considerations would come out of it.

the Occult : possible but it needs conscious and voluntary work from the klansman. it's not something that occured to be; it's something the klansman has worked hard for. So, there must be a very good reason from the start to do it. But as it comes from personal work; it's my favorite origin here.

 

the Scientific :

the biological aspect seems to generate some incoherencies IMHO. If the klansman is a biologist and if he's racially motivated then he 's probably working of aspects of genetic purity thus the gift of superpowers ("deviation") is probably not something positive unless they embody the idea of aryan perfection.

(I think i remember a villain from Stromwatch who tried to develop a deadly virus sparing only caucasian white humans.)

If the Klansman is a tech scientist he will probably favor powered armors over robots (the very idea of racial superiority suppose that the -white- human being is superior so : let mere machines doing the job and stay behind seems contradictory IMO.

 

My sum up is a bit drafty but i hope this will help.

[MilkmanDan]

I actually had a villain named Klansman myself once (probably a reasonably common schtick). OIF armored robes (hooded), and OAF HA (defined as "lumber", seemed redneck-ish), and a mystical amulet that allowed him to project flaming crosses. A bit cheesy, but certainly fit the archetype.

 

He was basically a low brick/MA with some energy projection abilities.

[Syberdwarf2]

Originally posted by Dr Lucky

What type of character are you looking for exactly? What year does the game take place in? What genre is it? I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure what you are looking for. The only concrete thing I'm thinking is that he wouldn't be a mutant, just because the idea of a racist mutant villian seems silly after years of X-Men comics talking about mutant persecution. Some sort of tech based guy might be cool though, or a mystic. I could see a gadgeteer building robots that look like robed klansmen, or even a powersuit that looks like a klansman. Alternately, a mystic with a multiform to turn into the 'Grand Dragon.' (Or is it the High Dragon? I know one of the high up KKK ranks is some sort of dragon...)

 

The game takes place in the present day. Supers have only arrived (in great numbers) only recently, around 1960's or later. The really big jump in the mutant population occurred after 9-11, when a terrorist plot to release a genetic virus over a major metropolitan area was thwarted. Unfortunately, this thwarted attack resulted in the planes crashing (as in RL). And releasing a second dose of the virus.

 

Anyway, things are still very much in turmoil, and now what with the war and all, now mutants are showing up, as if right from a comic book. (Prior to this, they were a closely guarded government secret. a la Area 51). The virus proliferates worldwide like ebola at an airport.

 

I was figuring that Klansman could actually work as a racist mutant. His line of reasoning would be that the (expletive deleted)s were being punished by God Almighty for their crimes against the white man, god's chosen..... you get the idea. He then goes and deals his twisted retribution out upon the (E.D.)

[OddHat]

Body odor NND DS, 60% physical and energy DamRed. defined as "too dumb to die", Armor, Life Support: Extreme Cold and KB resistance defined as "Layers of Protective Blubber," bonus to pre attacks with an OAF: Banjo, Gestures: Must play banjo, and incantations "You have a pretty mouth, boy."

[Syberdwarf2]

Originally posted by OddHat

Body odor NND DS, 60% physical and energy DamRed. defined as "too dumb to die", Armor, Life Support: Extreme Cold and KB resistance defined as "Layers of Protective Blubber," bonus to pre attacks with an OAF: Banjo, Gestures: Must play banjo, and incantations "You have a pretty mouth, boy."

 

Social Limitation: Inbred

 

 

Seriously, I think I can hash out a pretty good origin and backstory, but the problem is with the powers (all jokes aside). Well, okay ... maybe not ALL jokes aside.

 

I'm thinking he is definately outwardly racist, as in dressing like a racist, acting like a racist, and proclaiming his views to whoever is nearby whether they want to hear them or not.

[OddHat]

Originally posted by Syberdwarf2

Seriously, I think I can hash out a pretty good origin and backstory, but the problem is with the powers (all jokes aside). Well, okay ... maybe not ALL jokes aside.

 

I'm thinking he is definately outwardly racist, as in dressing like a racist, acting like a racist, and proclaiming his views to whoever is nearby whether they want to hear them or not.

 

The powers shouldn't be that much of a problem. A high PRE minor brick (Bulldozer +10 PRE, +15 Mental Def and a skill or two) would be appropri ate, or a Nazi-ideology spouting occultist (use Witchcraft's sheet with a few stat alterations and maybe a power boost). How powerful he needs to be depends on what you actually plan to do with him. Imo, too powerful would be a mistake, but again that's a judgement call on th GM's part.

[Crimson Arrow]

I was thinking along the lines of a demi-brick, but the one that really formed a powerful image for me was a fire projecting character. I didn't see this as a Human Torch style character, more like a pyrokinetic. He projects bolts of fire to "cleanse the impure and those who would defend them", sets fire to ethnic minority homes and business, holds ceremonial burnings at the stake and could even make a cross catch fire in his hands (how much of a bonus to PRE attacks and related skills?).

 

It's powerful imagery and the heroes could find themselves fighting fires and trying to save people as much as fighting him in a straight combat.

 

Obviously, using crosses and the like has religious overtones, so I assume your players are OK with that.

[Syberdwarf2]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow

I was thinking along the lines of a demi-brick, but the one that really formed a powerful image for me was a fire projecting character. I didn't see this as a Human Torch style character, more like a pyrokinetic. He projects bolts of fire to "cleanse the impure and those who would defend them", sets fire to ethnic minority homes and business, holds ceremonial burnings at the stake and could even make a cross catch fire in his hands (how much of a bonus to PRE attacks and related skills?).

 

It's powerful imagery and the heroes could find themselves fighting fires and trying to save people as much as fighting him in a straight combat.

 

Obviously, using crosses and the like has religious overtones, so I assume your players are OK with that.

 

As of this posting, I have only two players, both about my age group (29-30ish). Although our fledgling group is open to younger players. If really younger players come into the fold, I can downplay Klansmans activities, or have him leave town and use Card Shark / Viper as a default.

 

We try to maintain a certain maturity level in our group. While joking is encouraged, seriousness and an open-mindedness to subjects like racism is expected / required. After all, we're old enough to have seen and dealt with these subjects or witnessed them at the very least. In short, we've all been around the block, so within reason, no subject should be too taboo. It is, after all, just a game.

[Crimson Arrow]

Originally posted by Syberdwarf2

As of this posting, I have only two players, both about my age group (29-30ish). Although our fledgling group is open to younger players. If really younger players come into the fold, I can downplay Klansmans activities, or have him leave town and use Card Shark / Viper as a default.

 

We try to maintain a certain maturity level in our group. While joking is encouraged, seriousness and an open-mindedness to subjects like racism is expected / required. After all, we're old enough to have seen and dealt with these subjects or witnessed them at the very least. In short, we've all been around the block, so within reason, no subject should be too taboo. It is, after all, just a game.

 

In that case, I'd go with fire powers, as it's very nasty if treated remotely realistically. I'd give him a few different varieties, including a Continuous Uncontrolled one, for setting people and things on fire.

 

If he needs to be tough enough to fight more than one hero at a time, give him heightened physical attributes as well. He might even be strong enough to wield a large cross in combat (maybe a unique Martial Art). If you want him really vicious, make him like Bulldozer with extra PRE (pretty much as OddHat suggested). He might have a higher INT than Bulldozer (I am not suggesting one is intelligent if one is racist, of course, just that he might be perceptive and cunning). On the other hand he might be a dumb as a bag of rocks.

 

You could also give him a sword. That sort of fits with the idea that he'd consider himself righteous. Maybe he coats the sword in some kind of flammable liquid, so he can make that burst into flame at appropriate moments too.

 

Of course, you might hate the idea of him being pyrokinetic.

[Syberdwarf2]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow

In that case, I'd go with fire powers, as it's very nasty if treated remotely realistically. I'd give him a few different varieties, including a Continuous Uncontrolled one, for setting people and things on fire.

 

If he needs to be tough enough to fight more than one hero at a time, give him heightened physical attributes as well. He might even be strong enough to wield a large cross in combat (maybe a unique Martial Art). If you want him really vicious, make him like Bulldozer with extra PRE (pretty much as OddHat suggested). He might have a higher INT than Bulldozer (I am not suggesting one is intelligent if one is racist, of course, just that he might be perceptive and cunning). On the other hand he might be a dumb as a bag of rocks.

 

You could also give him a sword. That sort of fits with the idea that he'd consider himself righteous. Maybe he coats the sword in some kind of flammable liquid, so he can make that burst into flame at appropriate moments too.

 

Of course, you might hate the idea of him being pyrokinetic.

 

Me like....

Thanks for the input everyone. I think I'll be going with the fire powers as CrimsonArrow and OddHat have suggested. I can just picture a guy in white body armor or costume spandex, carrying a burning cross and a flaming sword... ("I am the lord's messenger, I shall smite the unpure from the world").... heh heh heh. Now that I think of it, I was considering part of psych makeup would include the (obviously racist) beleif that the war of apocalypse is here, and that God has given himself and other of the 'chosen' powers to do his bidding..... Kinda fits with the whole Klan-psuedo-religious-babble that you hear from so-called "Christian Identity" groups.

[pinecone]

I have done some stuff in this subject and I went with Cyborg racists (The whole losing their humanity thing going) as an example of them using the "superior white mans brain to overcome the demonicly empowered mutants of the lesser races" Of course I use gencide and these guys are usually just cats paws for them...what is the tone? Serious threat and philosophic solilique bait or "Racist jackass" I'd also love to see that They are the ones with powers granted by the underworld (cats paws for Demon) if so Klnsman could be an inner circle Morbane....

[Syberdwarf2]

Originally posted by pinecone

I have done some stuff in this subject and I went with Cyborg racists (The whole losing their humanity thing going) as an example of them using the "superior white mans brain to overcome the demonicly empowered mutants of the lesser races" Of course I use gencide and these guys are usually just cats paws for them...what is the tone? Serious threat and philosophic solilique bait or "Racist jackass" I'd also love to see that They are the ones with powers granted by the underworld (cats paws for Demon) if so Klnsman could be an inner circle Morbane....

 

demonically empowered anything doesnt exist in my setting, unfortunately. Ditto for magic. But in this setting as in RL, many people have strong philisophic and religious beliefs.

 

Klansman, for example, not an ignorant redneck of a racist (i.e. not stupid) by any means, beleives that this is a gift from God himself meant to do His work. He also understands that it was brought on by a virus.

 

He ALSO understands that AIDS / HIV is a virus. That doesnt mean he doesnt believe that it's not a punishment from God on the "race-mixers" (HWNM), gays, et cetera ad naseum........

 

He basically sees himself as the messenger / angel of death / angel of war, complete with flaming sword.....

[pinecone]

Cool I've done the no freaking Magic route and I liked it...so I suggest the Cyborg racist ploy...