Boll Weevil Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Hello friends. Wombat is a character from my 20+ year old Abnormals campaign. He is 9.5' tall and one of the strongest characters in the world (100 STR. It was pretty much Wombat, Grond and Ripper). Of course he moves down a notch every time Enforcer84 posts a character The Abnormals campaign began way before the first published Champions Universe. It has since been assimilated as have later updates. Wombat was always described as having come from a race of giants from some hidden land on earth. It is not known if his strength is unusual for his race. Probably not. The campaign story never made his exact origin important enough to explore. His character sheet suggests he is from a very cold, snowy place. I don't have Hidden Lands so there may be an obvious origin connection I have missed. Now, a couple decades later, the rest of the Champions Universe is pretty well defined with most races (alien or indigenous) explained. Now seems like a good time to either retrofit Wombat with a CU race (Empyrean?) or define as a separate race and find a fit within. His appearance has changed over the last 23 years (from when character sheets had line art figures on them ). His current HD sheet has a picture of an orc from LOTR, the closest image I can think of to how I pictured him. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. I'd make him either an Empyrean or an Empyrean crossbreed, if you're not interested in saying he's a Frost Giant who wandered in from the Land of Legends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boll Weevil Posted February 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. All I know of the Empyreans is from CU and CU:NOTW. Not much. Do other books go into much detail? Hmm, the Land of Legends is something I hadn't thought of. Interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. All I know of the Empyreans is from CU and CU:NOTW. Not much. Do other books go into much detail? Hmm, the Land of Legends is something I hadn't thought of. Interesting. Hidden Lands gives them the full write-up. If you're familiar with Marvel's Eternals, it's a fair comparison, I think. They even have a character (Davos, I think his name was) who's a speedfreak like Makkari. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. All I know of the Empyreans is from CU and CU:NOTW. Not much. Do other books go into much detail? Hmm, the Land of Legends is something I hadn't thought of. Interesting. Hidden Lands (iirc) has an extended write up. If you know the Eternals, you already know the flavor of the Empyreans story well enough to go in your own directions with it. Short form: Immortals with a basic flying brick package, with individuals specializing in various aspects of their racial power set to stand out as really exceptional Bricks, Speedsters, Energy Projectors, or whatever else you'd like. Lost a war with Takofanes in ancient pre-history and have been pretty much non-interventionist ever since, low fertility, under subtle and devastating attack from an enemy they're not even aware of. Great potential plot hooks. Land of Legends would actually be closer to my choice for many characters with a mythic feel; you can go into as much detail as you like without stepping on other aspects of the campaign setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Monster Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. You could always pull a Futurama on him, and have him actually be a mutant rather than an alien - he's just been misinformed all his life. Or he could be an experiment - accidental like the Hulk, or deliberate like Captain America. Throws any "established" background into the dump, but could make for some interesting plot hooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Actually, the Empyrean section of Hidden Lands has an origin possibility that I think would work well for Wombat. One of the Empyreans described (but not statted) in the book is "Counselor Brax," the only Empyrean known to have a non-human parent. Brax was born during the Turakian Age, and his mother "was apparently an orcish woman of remarkable intelligence for her species" (HL p. 64). Brax is described as standing "nearly eight feet tall and has mottled green skin, a flat, porcine nose, pointed ears, and jagged teeth that don't entirely fit inside his mouth." He can use his mental powers to disguise himself, though. Despite his appearance he's a gentle and thoughtful person, specializing in handling legal matters among Human societies for his fellow Empyreans. I think you can see why Wombat would make a fine son of Brax. His strength of 100 would be extraordinary even for an Empyrean, but given his exceptional size it's not unreasonable IMO. All Empyreans can withstand great extremes of temperature, but if you want to stress Wombat's resistance to cold he'd have plenty of opportunities to develop that, given that the Empyreans' hidden city of Arcadia is in Antarctica. All published Empyreans can fly, are Immortal and have broad Life Support, and are physically superhuman to varying degrees; but their other possible powers - psionic abilities, energy projection - can vary from potent to practically nonexistant, depending both on random genetics and on the activities individual Empyreans pursue. Since Empyreans tend to specialize in particular pastimes, they often develop distinctive abilities that enhance those activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Where is Land of Legends detailed? (Or is it?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Where is Land of Legends detailed? (Or is it?) The most material about it for Fifth Edition is in The Mystic World sourcebook. It has a substantial amount of descriptive detail, although little in the way of game stats. That dimension is also referred to by the common European name for the realm of the enchanted races: Faerie. Essentially, it's the extra-dimensional abode of all the creatures, races, gods, and magical lands from all of Earth's pagan mythologies and folklore - at least the ones that are still remembered, since these beings were created out of human imagination, and need at least some connection to the psyches of humanity to sustain them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. An interesting note about the Land of Legends: The Mystic World mentions that the various pantheons of gods used to be pretty insular, but since belief in them on Earth has waned, weakening their power, the pagan gods have begun to interact and cooperate more with each other to help sustain themselves, even to the point of interbreeding. TMW explicitly states it's possible new gods and other unique individuals have been born who are unknown to Earthly legend. Given that, Wombat could very well be the offspring of, for example, an Olympian and a Frost Giant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. OK right. CU:News of the World has Bravo, Tomahawk II, Baykok, and the Shadow Queen, all of whom have a connection to Faerie. I didn't know if Lands of Legend was the same place. Looks like it is. Thanks for the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boll Weevil Posted February 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Thanks all for your input. Why is it every time I ask a question on these boards I end up buying another book?! Thanks again and feel free to type up your ideas in the Background field of a Hero Designer file named Wombat.hdc. You know, just as a creative exercise. For the children, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boll Weevil Posted August 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Thanks all for your input. Why is it every time I ask a question on these boards I end up buying another book?! Thanks again and feel free to type up your ideas in the Background field of a Hero Designer file named Wombat.hdc. You know' date=' just as a creative exercise. For the children, really. [/quote']Children haters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weldun Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Children haters! Hey! You tittled the thread "Help me retrofit an origin" not, "Help. Retrofit an origin for me.":tsk: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Children haters! Despite having already given you detailed suggestions, I'd be happy to help your children further, if you'll just buy me a copy Hero Designer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. I like the Half-Joten idea (because I was going to recomend the same) I remember a Giantess who demanded a husband fron the Aestir, who the gods tricked into choosing someone other than Balder (Balder despite being the most handsome, did not have the best legs..) so a 1/2 god 1/2 Giant seems a natural... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Skade and Njord. A very . . . Sweet story? Thor kills her father, and as weregild she demands one of the Aesir for husband. So it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. leave it as it ws Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Actually' date=' the Empyrean section of [i']Hidden Lands[/i] has an origin possibility that I think would work well for Wombat. One of the Empyreans described (but not statted) in the book is "Counselor Brax," the only Empyrean known to have a non-human parent. Brax was born during the Turakian Age, and his mother "was apparently an orcish woman of remarkable intelligence for her species" http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0555.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. Skade and Njord. A very . . . Sweet story? Thor kills her father' date=' and as weregild she demands one of the Aesir for husband. So it goes.[/quote'] Hey a man for a man, many women consider men more or less disposable....I thought that based on the times, that she was looking for a provider, to replace the one she lost.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. I doubt she needed a provider -- Skade was apparently a skilled huntress and a patron of skiing. Her beat in the pantheon became the mountains and snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Re: Help me retrofit an origin...please. I doubt she needed a provider -- Skade was apparently a skilled huntress and a patron of skiing. Her beat in the pantheon became the mountains and snow. But based on the era...No female should be without a Man. Why she might get into deviltry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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