American Sentinel

[Certified]

Before I get started I want to give credit to the threads for giving me the idea for this character. Name that Flag Suited Hero and several recent posts about shields Rules Questions section. As I work on the Metahuman's Rising setting I realized although I had several patriotic characters I didn't have an iconic patriot. Also, I've liked the concept and maybe some amusing visuals of using a cape to fight with. When I designed American Sentinel I wanted to try and convey something both flamboyant and serious at the same time. Also, I didn't want her "powers" to take away from this personality but somehow add to it. One last design note, her armor goes a bit above what I would like for most characters however as all of her purchased PD and ED are conditional in some way I thought it would work out. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy:

 

 

American Sentinel

 

 

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

28 STR 18 15- Lift 1212.6kg; 5 ½d6 [3]

20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7

20 CON 20 13-

20 BODY 20 13-

18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 13-

20 EGO 20 13- ECV: 7

18 PRE 8 13- PRE Attack: 3 ½d6

14 COM 2 12-

 

6+35 PD 0 Total: 6/41 PD (0/35 rPD)

4+35 ED 0 Total: 4/39 ED (0/35 rED)

5 SPD 20 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

11 REC 2

40 END 0

44 STUN 0

Total Characteristic Cost: 165

 

Movement: Running: 10"/20"

Leaping: 10"/20"

Swimming: 6"/12"

 

Cost Powers END

31 Father's Flag: Armor (23 PD/23 ED) (69 Active Points); OIF (Cape; -½), Restrainable (-½), Activation Roll 15- (-¼) 0

Notes: Father’s Flag is a long cape styled as two American Flags stars over the shoulders with a gold wings running between them to an eagle’s head clasp at the neckline. The cape itself is designed from a dense micro-fiber weighing roughly sixty kilograms in total. The cape is flame retardant and strong enough to withstand direct gunshots.

 

2 Iron Will: Mental Defense (6 points total) 0

 

30 Father's Flag: Multipower, 60-point reserve, (60 Active Points); all slots OIF (Cape; -½), Restrainable (-½)

Notes: American Sentinel has trained for years to use the Father’s Flag to defend herself. Using the super dense material as almost a second skin and extension of her body American Sentinel is quite capable and deadly with the cape.

 

2u 1) Wrapped: Entangle 6d6, 6 DEF (60 Active Points); Lockout (-½), OIF (Cape; -½), Restrainable (-½), Range Based On Strength (3"; -¼) 6

 

3u 2) Eye Snap: Sight Group Flash 12d6 (60 Active Points); OIF (Cape; -½), Restrainable (-½), Range Based On Strength (3"; -¼) 6

 

2u 3) Snap the Cape: Hand-To-Hand Attack +12d6 (60 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-½), OIF (Cape; -½), Restrainable (-½), No Knockback (-¼) 6

 

2u 4) Twisting Cape: Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack), Missile Reflection, Reflect At Any Target (50 Active Points); OIF (Cape; -½), Restrainable (-½) 0

 

8 Like a second pair of hands: Stretching 3" (15 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-¼), Limited Body Parts (Arms only; -¼), Always Direct (-¼) 1

 

4 Martial Strike +0 +2 7 ½d6 Strike

 

4 Fast Strike +2 +0 7 ½d6 Strike

 

3 Martial Grab -1 -1 Grab Two Limbs, 38 STR for holding on

 

4 Martial Dodge -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort

 

Perks

10 Fringe Benefit: Captain, Federal/National Police Powers, Security Clearance

 

Talents

24 Combat Luck (12 PD/12 ED)

 

Skills

12 Battle Cape Training: +4 with any three maneuvers or a tight group of attacks

10 Evasion: +2 with DCV

3 Acrobatics 13-

3 Breakfall 13-

3 Climbing 13-

3 Deduction 13-

3 Oratory 13-

3 Scholar

2 1) KS: Law (3 Active Points) 13-

2 2) KS: Military History (3 Active Points) 13-

2 3) KS: Military organizations (3 Active Points) 13-

2 4) KS: Police Proceedure (3 Active Points) 13-

2 5) KS: Strategic Planning (3 Active Points) 13-

3 Tactics 13-

3 Teamwork 13-

 

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 185

Total Cost: 350

 

200+ Disadvantages

10 Dependent NPC: Father Corporal Benjamin Wright 14- (Slightly Less Powerful than the PC; Useful Noncombat Position or Skills)

10 Watching: GEO 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)

10 Watching: US Army 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)

25 Hunted: Übermensch Wall 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Harshly Punish)

15 Hunted: The Patriot 8- (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish)

Notes: An extremist anti-metahuman advocate the Patriot is believed to be former military officer Cedric McCabe. Wounded in Vietnam from a large blast caused by a US metahuman he has since spent his time in forced retirement plotting ways to discredit metahumans acting in the public interest. He is not above taking direct action often with other extremists armed with military grade hardware. The Patriot sees American Pride as both a threat as a metahuman and insult to the US as his armored cloack bears the US Flag.

15 Psychological Limitation: Bound By Duty (Common, Strong)

15 Psychological Limitation: Hero's Code (Common, Strong)

10 Reputation: Yes man, 11-

20 Social Limitation: Subject to Orders Very Frequently (14-), Major

20 Social Limitation: Secret Identity (Many Enemies) Frequently (11-), Severe

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 350

 

Background/History: A government agent American Sentinel is one of several metahumans working for the MCPD. Unlike most others she has kept a relatively high profile. Clad in a red white and blue body suit her theatrics are both flashy and effective. Serving as one of the few females ever to be allowed into a combat MOS she has earned her name fighting in South America during the eighties.

 

Unlike her appearance her powers are not nearly as flashily in fact it wasn’t until she was out of college even Jessica noticed how drastically different her physical abilities were compared to most people. Following in her father’s footsteps she joined the army and her metahuman status was confirmed. Rising through the ranks quickly Jessica, now American Sentinel proved repeatedly that skill often made up for raw power.

 

After a four year tour American Sentinel was recruited by the MCPD. Since that time she has served as a kind of public face and has been given quite a bit of liberty to follow her crime fighting pursuits. This is not to say she does not escape the scrutiny of other MCPD agents only that she has a more proactive role in choosing which assignments she may be attached too.

 

 

Personality/Motivation: American Sentinel is driven to uphold the ideals her father imbued her with as a child. Although she does not see the US government through rose tinted glasses she tries to work within the system to accomplish the most she can. To that effect the American Sentinel has become increasingly flashier as she tries to prove herself and the values she holds close.

 

Quote: "Truth, Justice and the spirit of our fathers will protect us."

 

Powers/Tactics: Father’s Flag is a long cape styled as two American Flags stars over the shoulders with a gold wings running between them to an eagle’s head clasp at the neckline. The cape itself is designed from a dense micro-fiber weighing roughly sixty kilograms in total. The cape is flame retardant and strong enough to withstand direct gunshots.

 

American Sentinel has trained for years to use the Father’s Flag to defend herself. Using the super dense material as almost a second skin and extension of her body American Sentinel is quite capable and deadly with the cape.

 

Appearance: American Sentinel is most well known for her cape known as Father’s Flag. Father’s Flag is a long mantle styled as two American Flags stars over the shoulders with a gold wings running between them to an eagle’s head clasp at the neckline. Below this American Sentinel a tight white body suit with a red and white and blue stripe down the arms. Her face is obscured by the body suits cowl and mask; wavy black hair drifts out from underneath.

 

 

 

 

[pinecone]

Re: American Sentinel

 

Cool, but yeah the mega def and the moderate dam make her seem a little odd.

 

But very cool....

[Certified]

Re: American Sentinel

 

Glad you liked her. American Sentinel's PD came out about 6 higher than I normally like for a starting character in the Metahumans Rising campaign.

[JmOz]

Re: American Sentinel

 

Cool, but yeah the mega def and the moderate dam make her seem a little odd.

 

But very cool....

 

19.5 d6 damage is moderate in your games? (7.5 +12d6 HA)

[Certified]

Re: American Sentinel

 

19.5 d6 damage is moderate in your games? (7.5 +12d6 HA)

 

I think I made the same mistake thinking the attack was only 12d6. I'm going to look at a way to bring tat down some, to bring it around 15d6 total. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this yet but I'll post an update. I looked at adding half endurance that brought it to 17d6 still higher than I want. I may end up dropping the power down some and adding in a second slot she can use at the same time. I just don't know what yet. Any suggestions?

[JmOz]

Re: American Sentinel

 

The easiest way to lower it to around there would be to reduce the dice of the power to 8d6, then add a +1/2 advantage, I would recomend 0 END. Note you would still need to spend 3 END for your str, this is the "normal" way to build melee weapons btw

 

Also on a second review of the character right now you can't use the cape with the MA package, or you can't use the MA without the cape. For 1 point you could do both, I would highly recomend it

[Certified]

Re: American Sentinel

 

You're right I knew I forgot the Weapon Element, I remember saying to myself I needed to add it even. I'm not sure if I want to put the 0 End adder just because it seems mean for 15d6 for 3 end.

[Bloodstone]

Re: American Sentinel

 

The cape is approx 15-20 feet long and weighs 132lbs?

 

I think she might need more STR... And possibly Hunted: Edna Mode

[Enforcer84]

Re: American Sentinel

 

The cape is approx 15-20 feet long and weighs 132lbs?

 

I think she might need more STR... And possibly Hunted: Edna Mode

That's who the cape is made from.

[Bloodstone]

Re: American Sentinel

 

"Virtually indestructible, yet it breathes like Egyptian cotton."

[Certified]

Re: American Sentinel

 

The cape is approx 15-20 feet long and weighs 132lbs?

 

I think she might need more STR... And possibly Hunted: Edna Mode

 

I may need to drop the reach down to 2" I pictured it being a full mantle at roughly two meters long, 1" but thought that flair and dramatics would allow for the extra reach. As for the weight I didn't think it was an issue since it's less than 5% of her normal lift.

 

As for Edna, I put the clasp in there in case there's a need of quick release.

[Bloodstone]

Re: American Sentinel

 

As for the weight I didn't think it was an issue since it's less than 5% of her normal lift.

 

Comic book physics, so it's really not an issue

 

But even a massive 6' German zweihander, isn't going to be more than .025% of my bench press (which is lower than max lift of course), is about a third of the length, inflexible and something I personally consider very unwieldy.

[braincraft]

Re: American Sentinel

 

I'd bring the damage dice down by making the HA 0 END and lowering the active points until it can be combined with the Stretching slot.

 

I also think the Entangle might be better served by a bonus to Grab STR; possibly with another AoE slot for grabbing crowds. In fact, you could just combine this slot and the HA one (+STR only for martial maneuvers), which lets her combine it with Stretching. This also has the advantage that most of what you'd want her to do with the cape can be done with additional MA maneuvers instead of multipower slots.

 

Something like:

 

40 Cape: Multipower, 60-point reserve, (60 Active Points); all slots OIF (Cape; -1/2)

2u 1) Powerful Cape: +30 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (45 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only for martial maneuvers (-1/2), OIF (Cape; -1/2)

1u 2) Long Cape: Stretching 3" (15 Active Points); OIF (Cape; -1/2), Always Direct (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4), no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), Limited Body Parts (-1/4) 1

2u 3) Huge Cape: +30 STR, Area Of Effect (2" radius; +3/4), Selective (+1/4) (60 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only for martial maneuvers (-1/2), OIF (Cape; -1/2) 6

 

 

That gives you a pretty respectable and flexible array of attack powers, I think, with plenty of room to grow.

[braincraft]

Re: American Sentinel

 

Oh, never mind, she does have combat luck. I still think shifting some defense from her cape to an armored costume would help.

[Certified]

Re: American Sentinel

 

Comic book physics, so it's really not an issue

 

But even a massive 6' German zweihander, isn't going to be more than .025% of my bench press (which is lower than max lift of course), is about a third of the length, inflexible and something I personally consider very unwieldy.

 

Please understand I leave a degree of realism at the door when talking about using a cloak as a primary fighting weapon. Granted not quite as much as say when talking about the boxing glove arrow but I digress. When you mentioned weight I was thinking more like the weight of armor not that of a weapon.

 

How I had pictured her using the cloak in battle was very fluid, she moves, twists, wrapping the cloak around her or sending it in the wrong direction before quickly shifting altering her position to send it flying guided by her arm, the mantle unfurling as she extends. Not just relying on raw strength but speed and coordination to turn the armor into a weapon and again we're talking with a added dose of suspension of disbelief for the nature of the weapon. Okay, maybe we are running close to ye olde boxing glove arrow but again I digress.

 

 

I'd bring the damage dice down by making the HA 0 END and lowering the active points until it can be combined with the Stretching slot.

 

Are you saying that the Hand to Hand attack power can't be combined with Stretching normally or that they should both be slots in the same multipower?

[JmOz]

Re: American Sentinel

 

Please understand I leave a degree of realism at the door when talking about using a cloak as a primary fighting weapon. Granted not quite as much as say when talking about the boxing glove arrow but I digress. When you mentioned weight I was thinking more like the weight of armor not that of a weapon.

 

How I had pictured her using the cloak in battle was very fluid, she moves, twists, wrapping the cloak around her or sending it in the wrong direction before quickly shifting altering her position to send it flying guided by her arm, the mantle unfurling as she extends. Not just relying on raw strength but speed and coordination to turn the armor into a weapon and again we're talking with a added dose of suspension of disbelief for the nature of the weapon. Okay, maybe we are running close to ye olde boxing glove arrow but again I digress.

 

 

 

 

Are you saying that the Hand to Hand attack power can't be combined with Stretching normally or that they should both be slots in the same multipower?

 

I suspect he thought the Stretching power was in the MP, not sitting outside of it. Normaly yes you can use the HtH with stretching just fine.

[nexus]

Re: American Sentinel

 

I love the cape maneuvers! They remind of the Cloak Fighters I read about in a fantasy novel quite a long time ago. I always thought they were cool. And yeah, it's a comic book. Visually, unless the weight of the cape is printed on the side, no one knows anyway. Cool trump realism, IMO. Very nice character with a neat twist o the "Flag suit".

[Certified]

Re: American Sentinel

 

I love the cape maneuvers! They remind of the Cloak Fighters I read about in a fantasy novel quite a long time ago. I always thought they were cool. And yeah' date=' it's a comic book. Visually, unless the weight of the cape is printed on the side, no one knows anyway. Cool trump realism, IMO. Very nice character with a neat twist o the "Flag suit". [/quote']

 

I'm glad you like American Sentinel. The only combatant I can think of that uses a cloak is Cloak but I think he the envelops the target. Then there's Spawn who seems to have stolen the iconic badass cape title from Doctor Strange. Although I'm sure some may debate that. As far as using a cloak or cape in a fight I think realism ends somewhere around using it as padding while trying to disarm a target and even that might be a stretch.

 

Looking over some of the comments I may swap out the Martial Strike with Takedown as it just seems like something she should have. That should also free up the point for a Weapon Element. I'm still not sure what to add to the multi-power so I think the 0 End 8d6 attack is going to win. If American Sentinel gets some XP I think PSLs for Sweep might be handy too.