So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

[The Arc]

By Hook or by Crook somehow you've been Chosen/Sentenced/Lucked Into/etc...(take your pick), into the posistion of protecting the Earth Dimension from infinite threats.

 

So....What do your powers look like, and what sets you apart from Joe Blow the Mystic down the street. Is it the fancy amulet? The spiffy cloak? Or is it that neatly trimmed mustache, thank you very much Wong.

 

Needless to say, I suck at writing mystics. Any thoughts on the job? And what qualifications does a Sorcerer Supreme need? Doctorate in something, obviously, but if you were guarding my Earth Dimension from the Nameless Whore, err, Horror from the Plane of Nameless things what job skill would one need. And lastly does it pay well. And lastly why is your girlfriend from another dimension more powerful than you? And....Sorry got sucked into an alternate timeline. By the way the answer is 42.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

Obviously Dr. Strange is the prototype for this kind of character, so he's worth examining for precedents.

 

First off, the Sorceror Supreme is by definition the most skilled and knowledgeable sorceror in the world. He may not have the most raw power, but his savvy in all areas of magic is unrivalled. Power-wise a large VPP is just about essential -- Dr. Strange can come up with spells for virtually any occasion, often made up on the fly.

 

In some of his incarnations Strange also received greater powers after ascending to SS status. I might run that as a big Aid to all magic powers, and maybe to Endurance to fuel them. You might consider limiting those benefits to Earth's dimension, reflecting that he's primarily Earth's defender. Note that in the Champions Universe, the office of Archmage allows and requires that its holder be capable of casting the Quarternion Banishment, a mighty spell which causes Earth's entire dimension to become toxic to extra-dimensional entities against whom the spell is cast.

 

Skill-wise, a Sorceror Supreme could justifiably have every occult-related KS imaginable, mostly with a high roll. Alternatively he could just have a general KS: Occult with a very high roll, and penalties to the roll depending on how specific the answers he needs at a given time are. KS: Other Dimensions, and probably Navigation: Dimensional would have to fit in there somewhere, since this type of character often has to travel dimensionally.

 

One of Strange's signature abilities is his Astral Projection. Various ways have been presented to run this in HERO, including Desolification, Clairsentience, the 4E Spirit Rules, and its own unique Power.

 

The office of Sorceror Supreme seems to come with unique magic artifacts. Dr. Strange's cloak, amulet, the Orb of Agamotto, the Book of Vishanti, and other mighty items add greatly to his capabilities. His Sanctum Sanctorum is a common feature of the genre -- a magically-warded safe house where he can relax. Dr. Fate's tower is another example of this sort of retreat.

[bubba smith]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

he/she'd need a snse of humor for a release valve the things man wasn't intended to know right

[Yansuf]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

A sorcerer Supreme would have Scholar and Scientist, with quite a few skills and "sciences".

 

He (or she) might well have a VERY high roll for one or more general skills and count on using it with minuses for details, but he would still have at least half a dozen knowledge skills, for example:

Magic (VERY high roll), Mystic/Occult world (high roll) plus Myths & Legends, Ancient Societies, Demon Lore, Other planes/dimensions, Magical Societies, Mystic Supervillains, Para-psychology, Ancient Languages, History, etc.

 

For science skills: Magic (either very high roll, or numerous types of magic), Para-psychology, and probably several others, either modern sciences or medical/psychological ones or social sciences.

 

They would also have a variety of other skills, possibly with other skill enhancers such as linguist, traveller, jack of all trades. The skills would definitely include Magic Skill, Spell Research, Analyze Magic, and probably Cryptography(Only to read ancient/obscure languages); and probably a variety of AKS.

 

They would also have a method of understanding other people/beings such as telepathy, universal translator or knowledge of MANY languages.

 

For characteristics, they would have high INT, very high Ego, and probably very high PRE.

[The Arc]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

Okay now for a little more detail (because we know that is where the Devil is).

 

My sorcerer supreme goes by the non de gruerre of Ankh. He lives in an extra-dimensional space (or is that inter-dimensional space, I'd have to ask my Quantom Mechinic-Those guys know everything), in a place called the Pyramid of Light (yes it's a pyramid made out of blocks of light; actually it's kind of hard to get a good nights sleep in the Pyramid of Light). Inside the PoL he's served by a staff of animal headed servents (remember all those great drawings of the Egyptian Dieties by Jeff Dee, well you get the picture). Ankh was trained in magic by Djehuty, which is another name for Thoth.

[Phil]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

Noooo, you've got it all wrong! The Sorceror Supreme should be a lucked-in junkie hedonist coward!! The Authority SO got this one right. When he's functional, he can shift entire continents with his power. When he's non-functional, catatonic with fear or stoned out of his head, his powers are more incontintental

[GoldenAge]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

In the world of Epic City (my campaign) the Sorcerer Supreme is a fellow that goes by the name of SPELLBINDER...

 

Robert Phoenix began as a the lowly yet sole apprentice to the legendary Sorcerer Supreme known only as "The Ancient,” a being rumored to have held the revered status of this dimension’s chief mystic defender for over a millennia. While still adjusting to his lonely role as caretaker of The Ancient’s worldly concerns, whist his master focused his considerable might on the innumerable extradimensional threats to our realm, young Robert became acutely aware of his master’s mounting absences.

 

After months alone in the large mystical mansion referred to the Manor of the 30 Gables, the young apprentice feared his apathetic thaumaturgic tutor had abandoned him. Would that the reality was so simple. In fact, Robert’s fears were benign compared to the truth; The Ancient had been destroyed defending the sanctity of this universe, leaving the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme to fall upon the wavering shoulders of an untrained and unwilling boy.

 

Panic consumed young Robert for the better part of a month. He spent those days scouring his master’s mystical mansion for any form of supernatural protection and his nights wide-eyed and palsied with the fear of dark and devious things rising up from the myriad caverns that weaved beneath the mansion. But The Ancient hadn’t chosen Robert Phoenix without purpose. He was made of sterner stuff and eventually concoured his fears and embraced his destiny.

 

Slowly, after tireless hours of intense scrutiny, the truths of the Manor of the 30 Gables revealed themselves. Robert learned that The Ancient’s true gift to his apprentice was the manor itself. Days, weeks and months spent attending the strange estate had attuned Robert to its mystical aura. Though he had not learned any practical magic from his master he had gained an ally that would shepherd him as he embarked on his journey to power. For the Manor of the 30 Gables was alive and sat like a cork upon the Nexus of All Worlds, forever resisting malevolent incursions from the innumerable catacombs that dwell below its foundation and lead to unimaginable times and lands.

 

In subsequent explorations of the Manor of the 30 Gables a small array of items revealed themselves to Robert. First found was a large belt buckle cast in silver upon which was mounted a natural quartz cats-eye gemstone the size of a fist that imbued Robert with an innate sense of his environment and intense pangs when in the presence of danger. With the buckle he discovered the second item, a ring of platinum carved in the likeness of a sun that flashed with unparalleled brilliance when called upon. Next, he found neatly tucked beneath the foot of his four poster, ornately carved, solid mahogany bed a lightly used pair of mid-calf high black leather boots of a contemporary style complete with four buckle straps and steel toes. Upon donning the newfound boots Robert found he could walk on air. With them he eventually learned to fly. Lastly revealed to Robert was a small worn leather-clad tome of only two pages. Its magical essence was immediately revealed when Robert absently leafed through its tan and stained pages, which seemingly continued eternally, yet when perused in reverse revealed still only two blank pages. It was with this small unassuming yet infinitely magical book that Robert began to learn the craft of magic.

 

Exalted with an array of new spells and his collection of rare artifacts Robert Phoenix shed his former life and name and embarked on a journey through the catacombs beneath the Manor of the 30 Gables, deep into the Nexus of All Worlds. There he spent immeasurable time traversing unknown realities finally reemerging into our realm as…

 

SPELLBINDER: Sorcerer Supreme

[Lord Liaden]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

Okay now for a little more detail (because we know that is where the Devil is).

 

My sorcerer supreme goes by the non de gruerre of Ankh. He lives in an extra-dimensional space (or is that inter-dimensional space, I'd have to ask my Quantom Mechinic-Those guys know everything), in a place called the Pyramid of Light (yes it's a pyramid made out of blocks of light; actually it's kind of hard to get a good nights sleep in the Pyramid of Light). Inside the PoL he's served by a staff of animal headed servents (remember all those great drawings of the Egyptian Dieties by Jeff Dee, well you get the picture). Ankh was trained in magic by Djehuty, which is another name for Thoth.

 

So, we're talking Coptic Egyptian motifs, then. In that case I suggest creating a list of standard spells named after and based on aspects of the Egyptian gods: the All-Seeing Eye of Amon-Ra, the Wings of Horus, the Stony Skin of Geb, the Winds of Tefnut, the Scorpion Sting of Selket, and so on. Your sorceror could use paraphernalia common to Egyptian practices and iconography: staff, talismans, cartouches, crown, crook and flail, papyrus scrolls, animal or animal-headed statues. He could cast spells by tracing hieroglyphics in the air, particularly notable Egyptian symbols such as the ankh, the uraeus, and the scarab.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

A practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or dimension. Thus, there can be only one sorcerer supreme per world at a time.

 

 

Marvel Comics Database

 

 

QM

[GoldenAge]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

Okay now for a little more detail (because we know that is where the Devil is).

 

My sorcerer supreme goes by the non de gruerre of Ankh. He lives in an extra-dimensional space (or is that inter-dimensional space, I'd have to ask my Quantom Mechinic-Those guys know everything), in a place called the Pyramid of Light (yes it's a pyramid made out of blocks of light; actually it's kind of hard to get a good nights sleep in the Pyramid of Light). Inside the PoL he's served by a staff of animal headed servents (remember all those great drawings of the Egyptian Dieties by Jeff Dee, well you get the picture). Ankh was trained in magic by Djehuty, which is another name for Thoth.

 

I'm assuming you know who Doctor Fate is, right?

Doctor Fate

[DusterBoy]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

I'm assuming you know who Doctor Fate is, right?

Doctor Fate

 

And given that one of the characters in the foreground is clearly the Star-Spangled Kid, I assume the others are members one of the various incarnations of the JSA?

 

(I'll post my ideas for a Sorcerer Supreme when I've cudgeled them into something resembling coherence. )

[Lord Liaden]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

And given that one of the characters in the foreground is clearly the Star-Spangled Kid' date=' I assume the others are members one of the various incarnations of the JSA?[/quote']

 

Well, one of those characters is clearly major supervillain Eclipso, and they all look like they're running away from Fate... so I'm thinking, nah.

 

Dr. Fate's magic castings do sometimes incorporate the image of an ankh, and he does wear the Amulet of Anubis; but IMO those are superficial details. There's little in his history, abilities, or appearance that's particularly related to Egypt. (And who the heck is Dr. Fate these days, anyway? The identity's been a revolving door the last couple of decades.)

[megaplayboy]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

Danger sense is probably a good idea for a sorceror supreme.

 

The title in my Victory City Universe setting doesn't belong to a good guy.

 

Prof. Vinson Preiss of Arkham University is technically the most adept human magician on the planet, and he's as evil as the day is long. But he is superficially charming and exceedingly polite. And he has tenure, so of course it's impossible to get rid of him.

 

[megaplayboy]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

As to what other things a good S.Sup. should have:

1) A decent VPP, as mentioned before

2) lots of obscure KS related to magic and the supernatural

3) some "dead" languages

4) various contacts, including supernatural entitities

5) a really nice library including both mundane and magical texts

6) a nice lair or Sanctum Sanctorum, with some strong protective wards on it

7) a polite apprentice or assistant

8) some fallback abilities, in case they lose their spells--martial arts, a handgun, a sword cane, just something they can use in a pinch

[The Arc]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

I guess at this time, does it beg the question. As a GM, should the Sorcerer Supreme be a player character, or a NPC. Personally I lean towards the NPC.

[The Arc]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

I'm assuming you know who Doctor Fate is, right?

 

Doctor Fate

 

Nope. I was raised on Marvel, and Doctor Strange. I know a little about DC, but not to a level as some. Plus, how does this Spectre fellow fit in the scheme of things?

[megaplayboy]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

Nope. I was raised on Marvel' date=' and Doctor Strange. I know a little about DC, but not to a level as some. Plus, how does this Spectre fellow fit in the scheme of things?[/quote']

 

Uh, DC has been trying to figure that one out for years. Technically, he's the Wrath of God personified, and nigh-omnipotent. In practice, they seem to find a way to Nerf him much of the time.

 

Dr. Fate is a servant of the Lords of Order in the DCU. His helmet is the primary source of his power, IIRC.

[GoldenAge]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

In the world of Epic City (my campaign) the Sorcerer Supreme is a fellow that goes by the name of SPELLBINDER...

 

Robert Phoenix began as a the lowly yet sole apprentice to the legendary Sorcerer Supreme known only as "The Ancient,” a being rumored to have held the revered status of this dimension’s chief mystic defender for over a millennia.... There he spent immeasurable time traversing unknown realities finally reemerging into our realm as…

 

SPELLBINDER: Sorcerer Supreme

Y'know, I wrote all that and didn't really relate it to Hero...

 

I started Spellbinder out with a simple array of focuses:

 

• Buckle of Danger Sense

• Ring of Flashes

• Boots of Flying

• Then he found the mystical 2-page book. It began as a focus for a Magical Multipower and later grew into a rather large Mystic VPP. (300 point pool - Giant for my game)

 

Interestingly, though he doesn't need them anymore, Spellbinder still clings to his original magic devices (above).

 

As for Skills... Originally Spellbinder had many small 3-Point skills in a wide variety of fields. Over time as he has solidified his position as Sorcerer Supreme they have evolved into very distilled set consisting of the known Spheres of Reality, bought at his standard INT Roll (which is pretty high):

 

KS: Magic

 

KS: GEOSPHERE – consists of all inanimate physical phenomena, such as the raw elements and all inorganic combinations thereof.

 

KS: ETHERSPHERE – the entire continuum of energy flowing throughout the universe, taking many different forms such as heat, light, motion, sound and spirit.

 

KS: BIOSPHERE – consists of all living things on a planet – plants, animals, people, bacteria, etc. The biosphere came into existence through the interaction between the geosphere and ethersphere.

 

KS: IDEOSPHERE – the collective manifestation of all memes in the world – past, present, and future, first coming into existence at the dawn of sentient thought. Culture, religion, and language are all components of the Ideosphere. Technology, infrastructure, and all artifice arise from the Ideosphere’s influence on the geosphere, ethersphere, and biosphere.

 

KS: CHRONOSPHERE – consists of the various events that have happened, are happening, and will happen, ingraining themselves into the fabric of space-time. It includes the rises and falls of civilizations, the growth and decline of populations, and the many relationships between living and non-living things throughout the world.

 

KS: NOOSPHERE – the collective unconscious of all living things on the planet and their relationship with the environment as a whole. It is the “consciousness” of the universe itself, or the divine nothingness from which all subsidiary consciousnesses emerged. It differs from the ideosphere in that most beings do not have any any ability to engage it knowingly. It also known as the “sphere of dreams”, as it is possible that people access it when they are asleep. It is also theoretically the state of transcendence to which sentient life unconsciously strives to “return”. It corresponds to the Tao of Chinese philosophy, the Hindu Brahman, the Gnostic Pleroma, and the Aboriginal Dreamtime.

 

 

Spellbinder then possesses a host of Overall Skill Levels (10, I believe), which can be applied to offset penalties (and assist in combat). He's not all knowing as I have been known to apply penalties as high as minus 15 - 20 to some Skill Rolls. In addition, Spellbinder is functionally ignorant when it comes to Quantum Reality.

 

But... when you have a 300 pt. VPP, It's not hard to assist your INT, or scry something, or do whatever it takes to find out what Spellbinder needs to know.

[pinecone]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

A practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or dimension. Thus, there can be only one sorcerer supreme per world at a time.

 

 

Marvel Comics Database

 

 

QM

 

So do you need to chop the heads off all the others to claim "the prize"...?

[Arkham]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

I guess at this time' date=' does it beg the question. As a GM, should the Sorcerer Supreme be a player character, or a NPC. Personally I lean towards the NPC.[/quote']

 

Depends on the campaign...

If the other PCs include the strongest creature on the planet, a wielder of the Power Cosmic/herald of the devourer of worlds, and an undying spirit of vengeance, then having a PC be the Sorcerer Supreme is a perfectly dandy idea.

 

If the campaign starts anywhere less than 500 or more points, then it probably isn't workable.

[pinecone]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

Depends on the campaign...

If the other PCs include the strongest creature on the planet, a wielder of the Power Cosmic/herald of the devourer of worlds, and an undying spirit of vengeance, then having a PC be the Sorcerer Supreme is a perfectly dandy idea.

 

If the campaign starts anywhere less than 500 or more points, then it probably isn't workable.

 

Heck, I have no problem giving all extra dimentional critters Vuln: Sorcerer Supreme...that way the player can rawk like a hurra-kane! as SS but still be just annother character the rest of the time.

 

Perq. Sorcerer Supreme! 10 points (same as being a head of state, just of the supernateral world...)

[GoldenAge]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

I guess at this time' date=' does it beg the question. As a GM, should the Sorcerer Supreme be a player character, or a NPC. Personally I lean towards the NPC.[/quote']

 

Well, it'd have to be a pretty rockin' group of heroes to have a Sorcerer Supreme as an equal member. Or you'd have to limit the SS's abilities to fit into the campaign, which would certainly bring up questions about the SS's true power levels and why he's considered the dimension's best mystic guardian.

 

I like the NPC approach.

 

I play Spellbinder as something of an absentminded professor. So much of his preternatural perceptions are busy on other things that he hardly recognizes those of "lesser" power (like the PC's). His communication skills are greatly hampered by his split attention. Likewise, Spellbinder often needs the PC's help to handle the little stuff... y'know, like the Hoards of Hoggoth, Dormammu's Dark Dimensional Mindless Ones, the Undead of Erlik Kahn, or various world devouring entities as he focusses his incredible power on the "real" threats. Such ancillary adversaries left unattended could easily tip the scales towards Evil, so the PC's involvement is paramount, despite their seemingly "second fiddle" status.

[SKJAM!]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

The current Doctor Fate is the (great)-nephew of the Golden Age version, a psychiatrist and recovering alcoholic. Infinite Crisis finally burned out the last of the helmet's old personality (supposedly), so while it grants great power and a certain amount of knowledge, it doesn't have any guidance for the new wearer. Dr. Nelson is still getting the hang of being a mage, let alone an archmage and forget sorceror supreme.

 

Marvel's new Sorceror Supreme is Dr. Jericho Drumm, aka Doctor Voodoo. He comes to the job with the advantage of already having been Hougan Supreme for several years; he just needed to upgrade to cosmic sorcery for the job. Which isn't to say he isn't having struggles--other candidates for the job are still holding grudges about his ascension.

[DusterBoy]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

So do you need to chop the heads off all the others to claim "the prize"...?

 

"I can feel it! The Quickening!"

[palaskar]

Re: So Now Your the Sorcerer Supreme

 

SKJAM! wrote:

Marvel's new Sorceror Supreme is Dr. Jericho Drumm, aka Doctor Voodoo. He comes to the job with the advantage of already having been Hougan Supreme for several years; he just needed to upgrade to cosmic sorcery for the job. Which isn't to say he isn't having struggles--other candidates for the job are still holding grudges about his ascension.

 

Hougan Supreme? What was that like, and how many analogs (Supremes) are there?

 

Makes me wish I picked up that issue. I thought it was another "What If...?" or one-shot. Same thing with Marvel's "next-generation" comic. (I only saw Spider-Girl, IIRC.)