Character: Shade

[Revenant]

Thought I'd put a character I applied to a game with up for comments, to get some ideas how the community at large would react to him.

 

1)

A) Shade/Stephen Adams

Shade essentially becomes a living solidified shadow creature which is for the most part human like. He's taller than a normal and has whisps of shadow constantly streaming from him. He's also completely black, looking for the world every much the shadow he becomes. While in this form, he also has control over the very shadows, able to manipulate and soldify them. As he can do with external shadows, so in some effect can he do to himself. He can elongate his limbs, he can cause his hand to morph into a non-solid shadowy substance that indirectly interferes with the mental energies of living creatures, and project the whisps in a directed blast. Along these lines also, as he can solidify shadows, he can also convert his form to an actual shadow, making him impervious to most harm other than those that directly assault his mind or are comprised of flame or heat (both of which can eliminate shadows.

 

His biggest weakness is that if he's in an area devoid of any shadows, it becomes very likely that his shadowy nature will again repress into his normal human physicality. This is because it causes a disconnect between him and the entities that saved him in return for him becoming in essense an agent for them in our physical universe. He also has little defense against attacks comprised of light because of his shadowy nature.

 

C) Steve started out a very alturistic person. He did pro bono psychiatry for those that couldn't afford his fees as well as purposly keeping his fees the lowest he could and still make enough to keep his business intact. This pro bono work was in fact what caused his current state of affairs. He consoled a woman to leave her abusive husband without bothering to find out who said husband was. Therefore, he wasn't ready when a local hitman, one he still has no clue the identity of, took offense to his wife leaving him. The same man had always had his wife followed by those under him in the hierarchy. It was a simple deduction from that point to figure who had convinced her to leave. It was then another simple step to find out where Steve lived. Finally, it was a simple decision for this man of death to decide to end the man who had ended his marriage.

 

Everything went according to the killer's plan, the psychiatrist never knew what hit him as the bullet slammed into his back. The wound would kill slowly, which was much to the killer's liking. He walked to Steve and laughed explaining that he was dieing and he was doing so because he'd taken from the killer what was the killer's. The man then turned and walked away.

 

If he hadn't left, he would have been in part privy to what happened next. Steve heard a voice, not as he always had, of that he was certain, but nevertheless, he'd heard it. It asked him simply if he wished to live, to which of course he answered affirmative. It then went on to tell him that in order for him to do so, he must promise to eventually do something for it just as it was now doing something for him. Steve was hesitant to this, better to serve in heaven after all. The creature still not identifying itself laughed and explained that it was as mortal as him, if one discounted the life span difference, it had in times past even been human. It had progressed past that point, much as Steve would do eventually if he continued loyalty to the creature. The problem had been that some heroes of his day, empowered with control over light had banded together and forced the creature fully into the shadows. It now needed an agent to do its work outside the shadows, someone with a level of its power but without the limitation the creature currently lived under in order to eventually overcome its punishment.

 

This explained to him, Steve was breathing what would have been his last when he agreed to help the creature. He then passed out, and came to in the shadowy form. He heard and felt the creature leave his mind, telling him to hold on to his sense of self, that as fleeting as it would prove to be, the creature would enjoy watching Steve try to remain instead of fulling succumbing to its control.

 

D) Steve's personality shifts from form to form. In human form, the dark nature is much quieter. He's no longer alturistic, instead preferring to pursue the nicer things in life, money, belongings, etc. He is however still every bit as friendly, in fact maybe more so, but it's more inspired by wanting to manipulate to get his way than concern. This said though, when he gives his word, and it doesn't contradict a current plan, he won't break it. For example, if he agrees to work with someone, he won't betray that confidence, at least not until the person proves that not doing so is just setting up for being betrayed himself, and he lives with the fear that someday the creature's prediction will come true, that everything that made Steve Steve will disappear.

 

When in shadow form, the personality gets darker, more fear orientated. In fact, if you draw his attention in a hostile manner, he will do what he can to inspire fear. In fact, his tactics tend to revolve around that goal, he may for example take a moment to raise his arm high, the whisps dropping as would blood from his enlarged shadow claw, the shadows around reaching for a hero at the same time, and he would then make a comment about the fraility of the living condition. His other traits take a darker turn as well, his humor becomes more directed at deriving from the expense of others, loyalty being more of a feral pack mentality sizing others against himself mentally, he derives a more possessive nature towards items he's interested or entrusted with, and he is very reluctant to revert to Steve again at least until he does so out of some sort of internal drive more likely comming from Steve than anything the shadow creature desires.

 

E) The one thing Steve and the shadow within agree on is that he deserves the good things. Therefore, a portion of his crimes orbit money, cars, and the other trappings of the high life. The other part of his crimes occur when the shadow is fully in control, more likely from the accidental change, wherein he's been known to steal from monasteries, museums, and the like, usually texts or relics related to shadows or ancient China. Once caught and asked why he took the items, he seems to have no recollection of the crime or the items in question. This situation however isn't even consistant as other times that he changes outside of his control, the shadow basically takes up where Steve left off and eventually turns back given time.

 

F) The inspiration for the character comes from a similiar place as other characters such as the Hulk or Mr Hyde the parts of a man that he isn't completely in control of. He differs from them in which part that is though, the Hulk and Hyde both derive from man's anger. Shade however derives from fear and the loss of control fear can bring. One thing to keep in mind, is that Shade has no skills or knowledge in fields related to his relic and text thefts. He basically gets an overwhelming desire to have the item, and then goes about doing it. When he says he has no clue why he wanted the item, he means it. I wish to leave to the GM the exact nature of the creature and its desires, other than I would ask that what little the creature told Steve about itself be kept as fact. The inspiration I had for the creature was actually Kung Fu Panda's villian of all places. A villian that pushes him/herself to throw away what's good in them in the pursuit of a goal.

 

2) I've had over six years experiance with the HERO system. In fact, 90% of my gaming is still HERO, and truthfully I don't see that changing soon.

 

3) I'll more than likely be able to post at least once, quite possibly twice a day.

 

4) I've been reading comics for over 20 years now, and feel that I have at least a decent grasp of the genre even if my tastes tend to run Silver for the most part.

 

Shade's gimmick isn't one specific ability, rather it is the overall feel of the character. He shouldn't be the strongest at either range or melee, he definatly isn't the fastest, but hopefully he'd be the only one with control over shadows. Think Cloak from Cloak and Dagger in a sense, but then take it in the way that he manifests it, remembering that he's not controlling a "dark force" but rather controlling the shadows.

 

Human Stat Shadow Human Cost

15 STR 30 5

20 DEX 20 30

15 CON 20 10

12 Body 12 4

15 Int 15 5

10 Ego 10 0

15 Pre 20 5

10 Com 6 -2 Only way I could figure to make this work right was to buy the shadow's looks and then buy a power for the human's

6 PD 20 3

5 ED 19 2

3 SPD 6 0

7 REC 7 0

30 END 42 0

30 Stun 53 2

 

Powers

16 Shadowy Substance EC: 40 point powers Only in Heroic ID (-1/4)

16 1) A shadow stretches to the point of origin Stretching 8" (40 active points) Only in Heroic ID

20 2) Black on Black Invisiblity to Sight Group, No Fringe, Reduced END 0 END, Persistant, Always On, Only in dark areas (-1/4), Only in Heroic ID

17 3) Intensify Shadows Change Environment 8" radius -4 to Normal Sight PER rolls, -3 OCV, Must have ambient shadows (-1/4) Only in Heroic ID

15 4) Shadow Step Teleportation 14" Position Shift, No Relative Velocity, Must have ambient shadows (-1/4) Only in Heroic ID

 

45 Shadow Manipulations 56 point reserve all slots Only in Heroic ID

2u 1) Shadow's Grip Entangle 5d6 Body 0 DEF Stops Normal Sight Takes no damage from attacks (all attacks) (+1/2), No Defense (-1 1/2), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4), Must have ambient shadows (-1/4) Only in Heroic ID

3u 2) Shadow Claw 4d6 EB Attack vs Limited Defense (Mental Defense) (+1 1/2) No Range (-1/2) Only in Heroic ID

3u 3) Shadow Strike 6d6 EB Stun Only Indirect (any origin, any direction +3/4) Must have ambient shadows (-1/4) Only in Heroic ID

Note: Essentially an ambient shadow solidifies and strikes at the target

4u 4) Darkness Blast 10d6 EB Only in Heroic ID Note: Solidifies the whisps coming off him and strikes the target with them

2u 5) Full Shadow Desolidification affected by light and fire Cannot pass through solid objects (-1/2) Only in Heroic ID

2u 6) Shadow Wall Force Wall (10PD 0ED 3" Long 3" tall) Must have ambient shadows (-1/4) Only in Heroic ID

 

List note: The following are the stat modifications for becoming a shadow with the express exception of Normal Human Looks.

8 Shadow's Strength +15 STR No figured characteristics (-1/2) Only in Heroic ID (-1/4)

6 Shadow's Vitality +5 CON No figured characteristics (-1/2) Only in Heroic ID (-1/4)

4 Shadow's Will +5 PRE Only in Heroic ID (-1/4)

1 Normal Human Looks +4 COM Only outside Heroic ID (-1/2) (since he doesn't have any of the other powers at this point)

11 Shadow's Resistance I +14PD Only in Heroic ID (-1/4)

11 Shadow's Resistance II +14 ED Only in Heroic ID (-1/4)

16 Shadow's Resistance III +20 Stun Only in Heroic ID(-1/4)

24 Shadow's Speed +3 SPD Only in Heroic ID (-1/4)

5 Shadow's Endurance +12 END Only in Heroic ID (-1/4)

End List

 

 

8 Shadow's Resiliance Damage Resistance (10rPD/10rED) Only in Heroic ID (-1/4)

10 Mostly Shadow I Physical Damage Reduction Resistant 25% Only in Heroic ID (-1/4) Not vs Light attacks (-1/4)

8 Mostly Shadow II Energy Damage Reduction Resistant 25% Only in Heroic ID (-1/4) Not vs Light attacks (-1/4)

4 Shadow's Sight Nightvision Only vs Heroic ID (-1/4)

 

Skills

3 Conversation 13-

3 Persuasion 13-

3 SS: Psychology INT based 12-

3 Deduction 12-

3 KS: Famous Historical Psychiatrists 12-

3 KS: 1950's and 60's movies 12-

3 PS: Psychologoist 12-

3 Interrogation 13-

 

Disads

10 Accidental Change from human to shadow in very dark areas 11-

5 Accidental Change when changed into shadow through the accidental change to become under the control of the entity that empowered him to

do crimes to get objects it wants 8-

10 Accidental Change From shadow to human in lit areas with no shadows 11-

10 Loves to attempt to demoralize foes through fear (Common, Moderate)

10 Reluctant to kill (Common, Moderate)

10 Fears he may be losing control (Uncommon, Strong)

0 Somewhat protective of innocents (Common, Moderate) counts as a 0 because it puts him over 150 disad points

10 Vulnerability 2x Effect light based attacks (uncommon)

10 Enraged when hit with attacks that trigger his Vulnerability 8- go 11- recover

10 Social Limit Public ID Stephen Adams

5 Distinctive Features Whispy seven foot tall shadow creature in villian form (Easily concealed, noticed and recognized)

25 Hunted Hero Group 8- (More Powerful, NCI, PC has a public ID, Harshly Punish)

10 Watched creature that empowered him 8- More powerful PC easy to find

25 Hunted Police 8- More powerful (contacts of heroes) NCI PC has Public ID Harshly punish

 

Notes: Character can double as a backup brick or blaster as well as being an area manipulator in his own right.