The October Eight competition

[DrDestiny]

Last year I ran a little competition for folks to get a character painting, and now a year has passed, I thought I'd do it once again, if there's the interest.

 

For last year's November Nine, all that was required was for people to reply to this thread with character write ups and description and or screenshot. Nine of those were then chosen and painted up. The only difference this year is that as I'll be doing the drawings in October, there will be fewer drawings, hence The October Eight!

 

Last year's bunch were a varied lot and so, if you're interested, please reply to this thread with as many character details as you can, and good luck!

 

ps; If anyone has a link to the very first incarnation of Bulldozer, could you let me know

[The Arc]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

WOW!!! I can't believe no one has jumped on board yet. So let me be the first. Doc Destiny is a great artist and it would be too cool for him to do a drawing. 'Nuf Said.

 

Makabee Lwange, whose code names is Giraffe is a teen super-hero with stretching powers. He's the only son of the Witch Doctor, whose Uberworld's version of Doctor Doom and rules the country of Azambia as President for Life.

 

Background

The limo pulled out of the Presidential Palace and started to head towards the Azambian International Airport. Makabee sat pensive in the back seat with his father, who was known to the world as Witch Doctor. He really didn’t understand why his father was sending him to stay with Doctor Numan in America. As usual, the Witch Doctor wasn’t one to explain his motives. Naturally Makabee blamed himself for his exile.

 

As the limo sped through Azambia City, Makabee couldn’t help but looking at the windows at his home. He wondered wistfully when he’d see it again. The Witch Doctor resplendent in his armor sat straight in his seat and studying some documents.

 

“Makabee,” the Witch Doctor said. “Stop fidgeting. It’s unseemly.”

 

Makabee ducked his head at the rebuke.

 

“Yes Father,” Makabee said. “However, I just don’t understand. Why are you sending me to America? I didn’t think you liked America, or Doctor Numan for that matter.”

 

The Witch Doctor put down the paper to turn to look at Makabee.

 

“I have done my best to instruct you in the use of your abilities my son. However, there are limits that cannot be achieved here. You’ve trained with the members of the Hunt, and Savage Lion gives you high marks. However, he notes that what you need is more interaction with others of your age. Doctor Numan has a son about your age. Jeremy I think his name is. The good doctor and I have come to an agreement, and that is that.”

 

Makabee was going to argue further, but the limo pulled up to the airport. His father returned his frightful helmet to his head before his door was opened by one of his soldiers. Stepping out Makabee was greeted by the Azambian national anthem. A troop of soldiers led by Gazelle snapped to attention. As Makabee walked by Gazelle gave him a wink, and Makabee blushed.

 

A large jumbo jet awaited Makabee on the runway. It was the only jet on the runway. Standing around the ramp leading up to the plane were the rest of the Hunt: Savage Lion, Hippo, and Zebra. Even they seemed to straighten a little when the Witch Doctor approached. Makabee paused to say good-bye to each.

 

At the head of the ramp were three people. He only recognized one, and that was Doctor Numan, who was known as the famous New Man. The others were his children Makabee thought. One was a girl a few years older than him; she didn’t look happy, and was arguing with Doctor Numan. The other was a boy who was looking like he was bored. All conversation ceased when the Witch Doctor leading Makabee came to the top of the ramp.

 

“Ah, Doctor Numan,” the Witch Doctor said. “Please allow me to introduce my son Makabee. He shall be traveling to America per our agreement. I have even given him a code-name for your training. See that he’s known as Giraffe.”

 

Turning to the others Witch Doctor peered at the young woman, “And this must be Samantha Numan.” His father bowed a little at her. Samantha merely scowled at her father. Makabee never would consider making such a face at his father.

 

Jeremy was another matter. His boredom quickly forgotten he stepped in front of his father and sister and stuck his hand out to Makabee.

 

“And I’m Jeremy,” he said with a sly smile. “But you can call me Double Dare.”

 

The flight to America was a long one, but Jeremy kept Makabee entertained by regaling the Azambian with tales of his adventures as one of the New Men. Makabee was quite impressed.

 

“And, can you believe it Makabee,” he said. “Dad has arranged it so that so that we’ll both be going to the same school. Isn’t that cool. Maybe we’ll find others like us. Argus High is going to be totally gonzo. Stick with me Makabee, we’re going have the times of our lives.”

 

Makabee couldn’t help but agree. However, he still wondered about home, and why Samantha Numan stayed behind.

 

Personality

Makabee is an only child, and as such he still has trouble dealing with others. He has always tried to win the approval of friends and of his father; which is not an easy thing seeing that his father is the Witch Doctor. However, this doesn’t get Makabee down, he always has a quick smile and an easy laugh. Makabee is a good kid at heart. If he has one weakness it is that Makabee really looks up to his father. Makabee doesn’t see his father as a dictator or a super-villain bent on world domination. Well, maybe a little, but he’s still Makabee’s father, and that means a lot to him.

 

Quote

“I bet you I can hit the basket from the other end of the court. What, you don’t believe me? Come on! Well, best sit back because you are in for a treat.”

 

Powers

Makabee is an Uber who is able to stretch all of his body, or just parts of it. One of his favorite attacks is to wrap his body around a foe holding them like a boa constrictor. Makabee is so flexible that he can move parts of his body so that attacks pass right by him. Two of the more unusual skills he has learned include compacting his body down so that he can pass through very small openings; as well as being able to stretch his head around a corner while the rest of his body is left behind. Of course being young Makabee still has a lot to learn.

 

Appearance

Makabee is a lanky African boy of sixteen, and probably still too young to be out in the world. He has light mocha colored skin, and dark soulful eyes. He likes to wear his hair in dreadlocks. Makabee wears a long orange and brown basket ball jersey along with black shorts and high tops. When not in class Makabee will usually be found with his basketball.

 

Here's a drawing I adapted from a Mister Fantastic drawing of Giraffe.

 

[Haven Walkur]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Metanormal Amalthea “Amy” Best is a cat-girl, a real one. When she invokes her power, she can meld with her beloved pet cat Grimaulkin to become the Madcat, part human, part feline.

 

And the Madcat is not a pretty sight.

 

(Full background to follow -- and it's wonderful to see your work again, Dr. D. I'm always delighted by your concepts and your squiggly lines.)

 

Amy is Canadian, born and raised in (Old) South Ottowa, Ontario. She’s fair-skinned, brown-haired , short and burly, something she used to good effect as a fullback on her high school – and later, university – field hockey team. Her boisterous, rough-and-tumble good humour made Amy popular with her teammates, who nicknamed her ‘the Rolling Stone’. However, her classmates were often put off by what they saw as Amy’s bull-in-a-china-shop demeanor...and these social patterns continued on into her time at the University of Ottowa.

 

When Amy was 12, her parents divorced, and her father, petroleum engineer Philip Best, moved to Alaska. Amy remained in Ottowa with her mother, well-known Canadian writer Jillian Carterhaugh-Best, whose apocalyptic Living Stone novels have been widely acclaimed for their depiction of life following a global ecological collapse. Home life with her creative, moody and distractable mother was, for Amy, a study in isolation. She became very independent and self-sufficient – traits which only serve to reinforce people’s perception of Amy as a single-minded, socially-awkward tomboy – learning to rely on herself since her mother was so frequently unavailable, either physically or emotionally.

 

But Amy found there was a lot of comfort in the purr of a cat...even when said cat is a lop-eared tangle of muscle and sinew sewn together with scars, with an absurdly long tail and eyes the colour of rotten tangerines, the whole covered in cloudy-gray fur with white patches. He (an un-neutred tomcat) appeared at the house on Alta Vista and Smyth the year Amy’s parents divorced – which would make him currently at least 18 years old -- and quickly became a faithful friend, if an occasionally loud and demanding one.

 

Her mother, in a rare fit of humour, described him as ‘Amy’s familiar’, and Amy promptly named the cat Grimaulkin, one of the traditional “witchy” names.

[csyphrett]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

My son helped create a hero called Hero X. He is shapechanger that assumes various different bodies for different jobs. His base form is a wrestler archtype in blue, blue boots, pants, shortsleeved t-shirt, and mask. He wears blue wristbands. He has a white circle with a red x inside of it as his symbol on his chest.

CES

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

I'm still trying to think of some good ones to put here...

[death tribble]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

I have disqualified myself as I pay formy commissions and many of you have seen what I have asked and paid for.

[Susano]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

GRENADIER

(Albert Place)

 

[b]Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
40	STR	30	17-	Lift 6400 kg; 8d6 HTH Damage [4]
21	DEX	22	13-
22	CON	12	13-
18	INT	8	13-	PER Roll 13-
13	EGO	3	12-
18	PRE	8	13-	PRE Attack:  3 ½d6

7	OCV	20	
7	DCV	20	
3	OMCV	0	
4	DMCV	3	
5	SPD	30		Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12

12	PD	2		Total:  12 PD (8 rPD)
12	ED	2		Total:  12 ED (8 rED)
12	REC	8	
46	END	6
12	BODY	2
44	STUN	12		[b]Total Characteristics Cost:  188

Movement: [/b]  Running:	14m/28m 
	Leaping:	24m/48m
	Swimming:	4m/8m


[b]Cost	Powers & Skills[/b]
15	[b]Heave Ho!:[/b]  +20 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); Only For Throwing (-1)
42	[b]He's His Own Field Artillery:[/b]  RKA 4d6, Indirect (Source Point is the same for every use, path is 
from Source Point to target; can be arced over some obstacles; +¼), No Range Modifier (+½); Extra 
Time (Full Phase, -½), OIF (any hurled object; -½), Range Based On Strength (-¼), Damage Depends 
On Object Hurled (-¼), END 10
10	[b]Webley No. 1 Revolver:[/b]  RKA 1d6+1, +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+¼); OAF (-1), 4 clips of 
6 Charges (-¼), Real Weapon (-¼), [6]
10	[b]Sword Bayonet:[/b]  HKA 1d6 (3 ½d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-¼)
24	[b]Hard To Hurt:[/b]  +8 PD, Resistant (+½) plus +8 ED, Resistant (+½)
5	Life Support  (Immunity:  Black Dust)
10	[b]Battlefield Mobility:[/b]  Leaping +20m (24m forward, 12m upward), END 1
2	[b]Move Soldier!:[/b]  Running +2m (14m total), END 1

[b]Perks[/b]
3	Fringe Benefit:  Lieutenant

[b]Talents[/b]
3	[b]Fire On Red!:[/b]  Absolute Range Sense
3	[b]Can Instantly Adjust For Wind Speed:[/b]  Lightning Calculator
3	[b]Handsome In Uniform:[/b]  +1/+1d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters)

[b]Skills[/b]
10	[b]Experienced Soldier:[/b]  +1 with All Attacks
4	[b]Missileer:[/b]  +2 OCV with He's His Own Field Artillery
8	[b]Missileer:[/b]  +8 vs. OCV Modifiers with Throwing Unbalanced And/Or Non-Aerodynamic Objects

3	Climbing 13-
3	Concealment 13-
2	Gambling (Card Games) 13-
2	KS: Ballistics 11-
2	KS: English Military History And Customs 11-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic; literate)
3	Paramedics 13-
2	PS: Soldier/Artilleryman 11-
2	SS:  Mathematics 11-
1	TF:  Carts & Carriages, Equines
5	WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Small Arms, Early Emplaced Weapons

[b]Total Powers & Skill Cost:  178
Total Cost:  365

300+	Matching Complications (60)[/b]
15	Hunted:  The British Army 8- (Mo Pow; NCI; PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find; 
Watching)
0	Hunted:  Martians 8- (Mo Pow; PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find; Harshly Punish)
15	Psychological Limitation:  Stereotypical British Overconfidence (Common; Strong)
15	Psychological Limitation:  Strong Sense Of Duty To The British Empire And Her People (Common; Strong)
5	Rivalry:  Professional (female "super-men," must show this is Still A Man's World; Rival is As 
Powerful; Rival is a Player Character; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware 
of Rivalry)
0	Social Limitation:  Subject to Orders (Very Frequently; Major)
10	Vulnerability:  1 ½ x STUN from Ego Attacks (Common)
65	Experience Points

[b]Total Complications Points:  365[/b]

 

Background/History: When the Martians invaded London, Albert Place, an artilleryman in the Royal Army, stood by his gun. Directing the firing of the cannon, he kept his men at their posts as the Heat Ray sought out other emplaced weapons, destroying men and machines alike. Then the Fighting Machines unleashed the now-dreaded Black Dust, and Albert's men fell, choking and gasping for air. He fell as well, coughing and hacking, but still alive. Crumpled next his howitzer, Albert watched the Fighting Machines advance, wading through the smoke and Dust effortlessly, their Heat Rays cutting down anything that moved. Albert, driven to the edge of despair at the sight of the forces of the great and noble British Empire falling like chaff to the Martians, with London sure to follow, went a little mad.

 

Unable to load and fire the howitzer fast enough, Albert settled for simply throwing anything at hand at the oncoming fighting machine -- be it rocks, a length of splintered log, a broken carriage wheel, or even a 12 pound shell. While he didn't seem to realize just what he was doing at the time -- hurling howitzer shells with equal force and greater accuracy as the gun at this side, the War Machine did. It paused, pivoted, and unleashed its Heat Ray, reducing the cannon and its carriage to fragments and sending Albert flying into a copse of trees, where he spent the rest of the night, finally coming to his senses the following morning. Finding himself alive in a field of the dead, Albert did the only thing he could do -- fled south to London, hoping to find some trace of human resistance and continue the fight.

 

Albert Place, now dubbed "Grenadier" in recognition of his superhuman throwing ability, has joined forces with Britannic, Donnybrook, Nike, Stella Steampipe, and the rest of the England's newfound "super-men" in fighting the Martian invasion. While strong enough in hand-to-hand combat, his throwing ability makes him for more suitable in a fire support role, and he can claim the destruction of a Martian Scout Machine, brought down with the well-aimed throw of a 12-Pound Cannon shell.

 

Personality/Motivation: Albert Place is a soldier through-and-through. In a world turned upside down, in which horrid jellyfish-like creatures drink human blood while striding across the green fields of England, in which a woman has proven to be smarter than the entire Royal Academy of Science, in which another woman scandalously wears an indecently tight costume, in which men can fly as birds... his best hope of maintaining some sense of the proper order of things is to follow his training, to obey his superiors, and be a good soldier. Thus, Albert fights to defend the Empire and its people, in that order. He realizes that failure is not an option and if England falls the rest of the world will follow. However, Albert also feels that England will prevail, just as it has for centuries, no matter how strange this new foe may be. This may prove to be his doing, however, as the times are changing, and he'd best change with them, or find that a "stiff upper lip" will mean nothing in the face of new technologies being fielded by men and Martians alike.

 

Quote: "Cry God for Victoria, England and Saint George!"

 

Powers/Tactics: Like many of the people changed by the Black Dust, Grenadier possesses superhuman levels of strength, agility, and endurance. He is somewhat invulnerable, as well, surviving a number of close-range explosions with minor wounds at best. His most important ability, at least as far as the Army is concerned, is an almost supernatural skill a throwing. Anything Grenadier gets his hands on can be hurled at lethal velocities, even something as simple as a small rock. The Army has experimented with simple solid cannon shells as a weapon for Grenadier. They are light enough to get the desired range, and heavy enough to have the proper impact. However, in a pinch, Grenadier will hurl anything solid enough and heavy enough to do damage, from the barrel of a wrecked artillery piece to a solid chunk of paving stone.

 

Appearance: Grenadier is 5'10" in height -- tall for his time -- with a muscular, but trim build. He keeps his hair and mustache trimmed smartly, and tries to dress as befitting a officer in the British Army. His costume is a modified military uniform, complete with sidearm and short sword. The coat is scarlet with black cuffs and collar, a white belt, and dark blue pants with a red stripe up the side tucked into knee-high boots. Borrowing an idea from Britannic, Grenadier has had the Union Jack sewn on the breast of his jacket.

 

Designer's Notes: This character was created for John R. Ivicek's War of the Worlds: Champions campaign setting. The idea being the Martian's Black Dust creates super humans out of a very small percentage of its victims (somewhat akin to the concept behind Wild Cards). Several people have said Grenadier has a very strong Godlike feel, which I'm pleased to hear, as Godlike had a strong influence on his design.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Yeah, I just don't really have a Champs character I'm attached to enough to submit here. I've only ever gotten to play two Champs characters - Hardcase, the Cyborg clone, and Acid Boy, who was just silly. And then a few one-shots with known characters or whatever.

 

I guess I could work up some more details on some of the NPC's for the game I'm currently running... we'll see.

[Susano]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

I posted Grenadier because he has one of the more interesting "costumes" of my various (mostly never used) PCs. If picked, I think I can even send you the art of the uniform. The other contender is a Furry Pirates I created for HERO. He's an anthropomorphic fox (oh, and a sorcerer.)

[Kraven Kor]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Furry Pirates

 

 

I can't talk, I played Amtgard. LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT!

[BobGreenwade]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

I've been debating whether to put this guy on here, considering I also submitted him for a Storn commission. But, well... nothing ventured, nothing gained. I may post someone else later on.

 

I only have a relatively brief description, and an illo I did some while ago using Fabrica de Herois.

 

 

General Bones

 

Once upon a time, Richard Bones was an actual brigadier general in the United States Army. A scandal just before the Civil War kept him out of action.

 

This scandal centered around his alleged involvement in a satanic cult. Though he denied the charges, they were quite true.

 

Besides being a military leader, General Bones was a master necromancer, taking the phrase "army of the undead" quite literally. His magic was so powerful that, in the end, he was able to animate his own corpse and become what has since been termed a lich.

 

On the whole, he looks like an animated skeleton, still with a few bits of flesh hanging on, with glowing red eyes, wearing a military uniform with four general's stars and copious decorations (he always was prone to hubris). He periodically updates his outfit to match the military style of the day; he last did this in the mid-1980s.

 

Nor does he rely entirely on magic; part of his operation is through gun-running, and he keeps a sizeable share of the hardware he moves, including the Desert Eagle he keeps by his side.

[Susano]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

 

I can't talk, I played Amtgard. LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT!

 

Well, here he is -- Jonathan Roberts, esq.

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/original/fantasy/jonroberts.html

[Spidey88]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Well, considering the title of this thread - specifically the fact that I faced my gaming kobayashi maru with this very character last October 8th (Cephalopod awareness day, coincidentally enough) - I'll fire off what I've got on my current Champions character,

 

KRAKEN, part one

 

Warning: this is super long, as far as stuff to be posted on a forum is concerned. I'll post it in several parts, as long as no one minds. (On that note, tell me politely if I'm being an irritating threadjacker, and I'll pare some of this down!)

 

Background:

 

Duncan Hall has always been what other men would call "driven". The youngest of the three children of Eileen and William Hall, a lawyer and an artist living in Victoria, Duncan's brilliance emerged very early in his life. He hungered for knowledge on any subject he could get his hands on - the more mysterious, the better. It's not surprising, then, that he decided very early on that he wanted to be either a marine biologist (we know more about the surface of the moon than the deepest oceans, after all) or a stage magician (so he could find out how they did all those cool tricks). For most of his life, he idolized two men: Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and Harry Houdini. Sure, there'd never been anyone he'd heard of who was a world-renowned oceanographer and escapologist before, but hey - someone had to be first!

 

Despite his inherently eccentric nature, he was never osctracized too badly in school - his natural enthusiasm and good nature were too infectious to be overshadowed by the intensity with which he pursued his interests. He was a nerd, to be sure - but he was a surprisingly athletic one whose wit was as well-honed as the rest of his mental faculties. He had few close friends, though - he never felt as though he could relate too well to his peers. Under the surface, he was rather lonely - which only drove him further into his books.

 

He never managed to break into the magic biz professionally, but he learned a lot on his own nonetheless. By the time he was in his teens, he was a competent lockpick and escape artist, and had developed a surprisingly limber physique (his double-jointed talent was earned through long practice). The marine biology was a different story, though - he threw himself into his studies with such single-minded intensity that he'd graduated high school (as valedictorian) by 14, got his bachelor's degree by 17 (with a perfect GPA), and earned his Doctorate in Oceanography at Dalhousie before his 24th birthday.

 

He took a position as a research biologist through the Scripps Institution of Oceanography soon after graduating, and found a comfortable niche. His job afforded him a considerable amount of autonomy - go out on his boat, collect specimens, conduct experiments, collect data, and record results. In the two years he'd been working through Scripps, he'd yet to find the breakthrough that would ensure "Duncan Hall" would be a household name, but he was making some pretty big waves in the field of teuthology - already he was seen as the wunderkind who'd taken his place beside such experts as O'Shea, Hanlon, and Roper; and that was more than enough for now. He was respected, he was doing what he'd always wanted to do, and able to make a reasonably comfortable living doing it. It was a niche he would have been happy with for quite some time, had fate not intervened...

 

One night, he was out collecting specimens for his latest series of cephalopod behavior experiments, when he spied a boat traveling without navigation lights of any kind - rather suspicious for a boat of that size, since any boat bigger than his zodiac had them by law and the rules of common sense. With his spotting scope, he was able to see the crew was dumping full oil-drum-sized containers directly into the ocean. Whatever was in those, it was obviously bad news! Anchored offshore in the shallows, he'd avoided their notice. Already wearing SCUBA gear and armed with a waterproof infrared camera, he opted to move in closer - if he couldn't stop them, he'd at least get some pictures of the dumpers and their craft, and log the location of the garbage for cleanup later.

 

At first, he was confident - there was no way they'd see him, and their noisy splashing would conceal his exhalation. As soon as he got close to the boat, he saw "biohazard" and "radioactive" symbols on a falling barrel, and it sent a chill down his spine. What kind of monsters...? Pictures wouldn't be enough. Galvanized, he clambered aboard and attempted a citizen's arrest. Unfortunately for Duncan, his temper had gotten the better of him - he realized it as soon as the mob goons, paid to dump biomedical waste by a local supervillain/mad scientist, produced pistols and shot him four times in the chest.

 

As Duncan fell, cold water flushed through his wounds, and he felt strangely calm. Why am I sinking? Oh - BCD was shot too. Everything seemed like a dream as he drifted downwards - almost like that time he had nitrogen narcosis. Oh, look, a school of opalescent squid - so graceful... Death wasn't so bad - peaceful, really - but he couldn't go yet. The barrels were still there, and that one was leaking a strange yellowish-green fluid from a bullet hole... No - not yet... Had to stop them...

 

As everything began to go dark, his last thoughts rested on an Octopus bimaculoides that was curiously extending an arm to touch his hand. No - get away... Chemicals leaking... Then? Blackness.

 

Blacker than he thought possible. Blacker than that deep-sea trench he'd seen through the sub's window... Almost tangible, smoky... like being dropped in an inkwell...

 

"Hear me, Duncan Hall."

 

A deep, rumbling voice implored; surrounding him, infusing him - intense, but quiet and serene at the same time.

 

"Throughout time, I have watched and guided all the creatures of the oceans. I have no name, but you might call me by my station - 'The Keeper of the Depths'. You are not of my realm, human - yet your life ebbs because of actions on behalf of my charges."

 

Am I dead? What's going on?

 

"Rarely do I make contact with those of your species - but I sense potential within your spirit. If you would commit to the defense of my realms, I will give you a second chance, and power to do my bidding."

 

Defense of your realms? You mean protect the oceans?

 

"Yes. You live amongst your kind away from my waters, yet part of your soul resides here. You understand the connection between the lands and seas. You are already a creature of two worlds, Duncan Hall - if you pledge yourself to my cause, I will make you so in body as well as in spirit."

 

What if I say no?

 

"It is not in your nature."

 

What's the catch?

 

"You must do as I ask. I cannot act directly - you would be as one of my hands. If nothing else moves you in your current state, let me remind you that death awaits you should you decline."

 

It seems I have little choice.

 

"Very well, Duncan Hall. Serve me loyally, and you shall be rewarded..."

 

 

 

The blackness began to subside. Duncan felt warmth on his back, and opened his eyes. Squinting, he groggily assessed the situation. It was early morning, and he had apparently washed ashore amidst the rocks. His boat lay off in the distance, still anchored where he left it. Snapping alert, he rolled over in a rush to inspect his wounds, his SCUBA tank clanging on the rocks. Amazed, his fingers explored the holes in his BCD and wetsuit, but could find no wounds of any kind. Come to think of it, he felt great - all the more amazing, considering he'd evidently spent the night unconscious amongst the waves in fairly cold water - he should have drowned, or at least been darn chilly... Then, the unthinkable happened. He exhaled, and water came roiling from his mouth.

 

He almost didn't notice it - there was no discomfort to speak of. He couldn't believe it. Inhaling, he felt normal - but there was a strange weight there, in his chest, that he couldn't place. Exhaling again, a little more water exited - not much - but enough that he should have been choking and sputtering. Almost on the verge of panic, he thrust his head underwater, hoping the cool blast to his face would shake him out of his torpor (am I hypothermic and in shock? Lips aren't blue...), and inhaled again without even thinking. The reflex that nearly all mammals have that says "Hold your breath when you go underwater" wasn't there anymore, and he got a full breath of water - and moreover, it felt strangely refreshing.

 

He nearly passed out right there.

 

Duncan soon discovered that he could breathe the water as easily as he could the air above, and he realized what it meant - either the toxic waste had changed him somehow (how? his mind was already racing), or that wasn't just an unusually vivid dream he'd just had... It wasn't long before he'd shed his gear, even his flippers, and discovered that he was perfectly at home - comfortable, even - without need of any air, weights, or mask. Words could not express the exhultation of joy Duncan felt inside. For most people, discovering you could fly would have come close to producing the same emotion, but still fallen short.

 

As he hauled himself into his boat a few hours later (no sense leaving it here, after all - there's still expensive equipment in it), his wet hands scrambled for purchase - and he found they stuck quite securely to the surface of the polished bench seat. Pulling his hand back, it briefly resisted with tremendous force - then popped loose easily. Duncan soon found he could control the reflex, and that this ability extended along both his arms and legs. What was next?

 

A few days later when he dove into the sea to save a drowning surfer, he got his answer - as soon as he hit the water, he could feel his body began to warp and shift, and his perceptions heighted. His butterfly stroke quickly shifted to the blast-off of a ballistic missile; and as he reached the for the surfer scant seconds later, several strange arms reached along with the ones he was used to. The surfer quickly came to his senses after being brought to shore, stammered a shaky "thank you", and left quickly with wide eyes and a half-heard comment about feeling "like he was in a scene from that Pirates of the Caribbean movie"...

 

Soon after, as the danger passed, Duncan began to worry that he would be stuck looking like an entree in a Japanese restaurant, and found his features shifting back to normal, the tentacles receding. Over the next few weeks, he practiced the transformation and the use of his new abilities, and found that he could become like unto a living cephalopod...

 

At first, he could only change forms when sufficiently wet - but he soon figured out how to do it at will. The whole process took about 15 seconds, and even Duncan himself couldn't figure out where all the extra mass from the tentacles went. Always the crusader for the environment as a mere man, he decided he'd use his newfound powers to take the fight to those who caused the Earth pain, and those who saw fit to despoil man's world as well. After all - to deny that either existed in a vacuum was just plain shortsighted and stupid. As for a name? Well, that surfer had given him a mighty appropriate one already...

 

In fairly short order, he became the scourge of pirates, gangs, amoral corporations, and entire whaling fleets throughout the Pacific - and using his growing status as a superhero, spoke up for environmental causes and tried to educate the public (and misguided protestors) whenever possible. Regularly patrolling the west coast of North America, he was able to use his tremendous speed to reach sinking ships, disaster sites, and crimes in action faster than anyone else usually could. Still, despite his tireless efforts, there were still plenty of things he missed; and there were plenty of other oceans that needed a protector, too - even with his matchless speed in the sea, he couldn't be everywhere or see the future. So, when The Global Guardians announced they were conducting tryouts, he knew without any hesitation that he had to be there...

[Spidey88]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Kraken, part two:

 

Powers/Tactics: Kraken's nature as an avatar of Earthly cephalopods affords him a variety of abilities, many of which even he would admit are beyond what any-real life octopus, cuttlefish, or squid can do. It seems that the Keeper of the Depths has endowed him with more of a symbolic, idealized template of what cephalopods can do - almost as an octo-demigod.

 

The most obvious elements of Kraken's powers are his eight powerful tentacles, emerging from a fleshy hump on his upper back. Each one is about as thick as his bicep at the base, gradually tapering to about finger width near the tip, and has a double row of suction cups that extends its entire length along the underside. Each tentacle can stretch to over 20 feet in length with little loss of strength; though for lifting the heaviest loads, Kraken keeps them at minimal extension (usually around 6 feet). Each tentacle is fully prehensile, and capable of approximately the same degree of fine manipulation as a human hand. Kraken's brain in avatar form is modified to be able to coordinate multiple sources of sensory input and output - consequently, he's fully ambidextrous (decadextrous), and can perform several tasks at once with no loss in performance. His original four limbs are capable of the same feats of elongation and strength should he require them to, but he rarely feels the need.

 

Perhaps the greatest utility of his tentacles is for propulsion - with their titanic power, speed, suction cups, and flexibility, Kraken is truly an all-terrain superhero. While he's not as fast as most speedsters over long distances, his combat movement is stellar: He can travel on land at speeds exceeding 200 kph; when he's got room to properly brachiate or leap, he can reach nearly 300 kph (even across smooth vertical surfaces); and by stretching out the web of skin between his tentacles (so that it expands close to their tips), he can even glide long distances with ease. Perhaps most astonishing is his performance in the water - by using his tentacles in conjunction with a burst of jet propulsion from his siphon, he can accelerate to speeds no boat could match in an instant; and in under five seconds, reach speeds nearing 800 kph! (Supercavitation is your friend.)

 

Kraken's overall strength has been enhanced to vastly superhuman levels (he can benchpress a fire engine without significant strain) and his physiology is uniquely adapted for crushing, constricting, and grappling - combined with his combat training, only the truly strongest of the strong can escape his grasp.

 

Kraken's agility and reflexes are perhaps even more spectacular - a fantastically sophisticated nervous system (with nerves as thick as veins) controls a total of 12 boneless, superstrong limbs - his athletic and acrobatic performance is practially without peer, and he's capable of truly stunning feats of derring-do that no human could hope to duplicate. His reflexes are faster than a normal human's by a factor of 50 or so - coupled with his keen vision and awesome speed, he's able to dodge bullets and even energy weapons with contemptuous ease. Watching Kraken in combat is like watching the definition of fluidity in action - despite the frenetic pace and number of limbs in play, this sinuous mass of brain and muscle makes a fight seems more like a carefully choreographed art than mere violence.

 

Kraken's vision has been enhanced dramatically - not only is his vision tremendously acute, but he's able to see in the dimmest light. In addition, his huge, bulging eyes (the size of mandarin oranges) are on short stalks that are as flexible as the rest of him - meaning that he can literally look behind and above him without turning his head. This comes at a price, however - having orange-sized, super-sensitive eyes means he's rather vulnerable to bright flashes of light.

 

Kraken is fully amphibious - he can breathe water (both fresh and salt), survive the crushing pressure of the deepest oceans, and get along quite comfortably in the chilliest polar waters. His resistance to cold drops off rather sharply in sub-zero temperatures, however - he'll need a parka if he goes on land in an Arctic winter.

 

Kraken's overall metabolic processes have been considerably enhanced. He's got the stamina and toughness of an elite athlete, and he regenerates damage incredibly quickly - such that if he's able to survive an attack, even barely, he'll be fit as a fiddle within minutes. As well, he can regenerate lost appendages with similar speed.

 

Kraken's invertebrate physiology and slippery skin means that few physical constraints or barriers mean anything to him. He's able to flatten and squish his entire body through spaces a man could barely even get a hand into - handcuffs, rope, even most entangles won't even slow him down - and even the strongest grappler will find he flows through their grasp like water! Gross crushing forces, like those produced by a magnetically sealed trash compactor, are also essentially meaningless to him. When he needs to be, though, he can tense up into a solid mass of rock-hard muscle (so his punches aren't like getting slapped with a wet noodle), or do it selectively so he remains as slippery as ever, but still hits hard.

 

His skin is equally amazing - packed with layers of chromatophores and muscles, he's able to change his color and texture in the blink of an eye. Coupled with his protean body structure, he can blend into his surroundings so well that he's virtually invisible (as long as he stays still or sticks to the shadows). Like his vision, his skin comes with downsides as well - it's thin and moist, and Kraken needs to submerse or fully douse himself with clean water (or change back to human form) every few hours or he'll start to dry out. Fire and dry heat tend to affect him far worse than any human, though if given the opportunity, his natural regenerative abilities will allow him to recover from burns quickly.

 

One quirk of Kraken's physiology that he tries to keep as secret is possible is his sensitivity to copper solutions - while merely touching something made of copper causes him no significant discomfort, inhaling any sort of copper solution (whether suspended in water or air) could kill him if he were exposed to it for just a few minutes. Thankfully, this doesn't come up all that often, but anyone with sufficient zoological knowledge could conceivably postulate it.

 

Last, but not least, Kraken is able to project a thick cloud of ink when he needs to create some cover for an escape. Able to do its job both above and below the surface of the waves, it's also an effective barrier against those tracking by scent as well as vision. Kraken typically only has enough ink to use a full-sized cloud about six times over a 24-hour period, so he uses it sparingly.

 

 

In combat, Kraken will rely on his speed and agility to keep himself safe from attack - he folds rather fast under direct assault. He's an absolute terror in close combat - using his reach and multiple limbs to assail multiple foes at once if possible, utilizing grabs and throws as much as direct strikes. He rarely stops moving, unless he's got cause to be cautious. He particularly enjoys taking on legions of henchmen (typically wading through scores of them without slowing down) and uppity bricks who underestimate his prowess in closeup fights and grappling. During a fight, he's likely to toss out a stream of insults and jokes to try and throw his opponent off his game - everything seems to be happening in slow motion for him most of the time anyway, might as well use the time!

 

He tends to get more irritated than he should if he does manage to get hit, as he's rather proud of his superb reflexes and awareness. If things get bad, he'll put the lives of innocents or his teammates before his own, brazenly risking his life in their defense (again, trusting in his regeneration to survive a mistake) and will always offer to cover his friend's escapes; once he's the last one left, he's a master at the art of the strategic withdrawl - he's always got an eye on the way out, and he can take advantage of a lot more exits than most. A quick burst of ink to obscure view, then slurping out of sight through an air vent or the plumbing system!

 

On his own against large numbers or overwhelming opposition, he'll fight from the shadows using his reach and stealth - hit-and-fade faster than the enemy can keep up. Also, if he's anywhere near water, he'll try and lure the fight closer to heighten his advantage - often going as far as picking up his opponent and tossing him in the drink!

 

When he's not in Kraken form, Duncan is still extraordinarily quick - not superhuman, but with near-olympic level agility. He's got a keen, analytical mind and a wide array of skills in keeping with his scientific training and interest in escape artistry and magic. He still maintains a few superhuman abilities in human form: he's able to breathe and maneuver underwater effortlessly, climb walls (even without visible suction cups), and he's still an incredibly hard target to pin down - as slippery as a squid, it's saved his life on a couple of occasions where he's been unable to change into Kraken without risking his secret I.D. He'll use these abilities to catch the bad guys off guard or evade detection by them, if he figures he can use them without being seen. While he is able to change between his normal human form and that of Kraken painlessly and at will, the transformation does take a few seconds to complete fully.

[Spidey88]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Kraken, part three:

 

Description: Kraken's got the overall body structure of a lean, muscular humanoid, with a few additions:

 

His skin in moist and soft, variable in texture and sometimes iridescent in the right light; changing colors like most people change expressions. His eyes are extremely large (about three inches across), protrude from his face slightly on a short stalk/mound, and have a horizontal, bar-shaped pupil. He has no nose, hair, or external ears, and his jaws are beaklike. On the underside of his arms, hands, legs, and toeless feet, there's a double row of suction cups. The rows widen on his palms and soles; such that his feet and palms are covered completely underneath, and his fingers each have a row of suction cups that go to the tips.

 

His upper back has a muscular, fleshy hump about 4 inches thick - just above his shoulder blades, there's a horizontal slit that looks much like a ramscoop; and at the small of his back, there's another horizontal slit from which a pale siphon normally protrudes slightly. On the sides of this hump, in a symmetrical, radiating pattern, are eight tentacles about as thick as a man's bicep, and ranging from 6 to 20 feet long at any given moment. Each tentacle is also studded with a double row of suction cups along its underside (that is, facing forward when Kraken is standing, down when swimming).

 

Despite his alien appearance, he's really quite pleasant to look at - once the initial shock wears off, at least. Objectively, he's attractive - but he's a lot to take in, and quite freaky if you don't expect him. His large, expressive eyes and open, friendly demeanor counteract this somewhat, but he's still prone to causing extreme reactions from the uninitiated - when it comes to the criminal element, he rather enjoys the effect.

 

As Duncan Hall, he's a sharp-featured man of 26 years (who looks even slightly younger than that), with short, dark hair and green eyes. He's about 5'10", and a lean 165 lbs - he's not a big man, but it's obvious that he's in excellent shape, with nary an ounce of fat on his toned frame. Even if he isn't aware of such things, the ladies notice...

 

There's usually either a look of quiet intensity on his face, or an irreverent grin.

 

 

 

Attached is a picture I drew of him.

[Spidey88]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Kraken, part four:

 

Here's an attempt at posting his stats (in 5E format, as that's what our group uses - though we did take to the Unified Power limitation):

 

Hopefully this isn't too painful - I don't have Kraken in HDC format handy.

 

 

(Split values indicate normal/transformed state)

 

10/45 STR

20/38 DEX

15/20 CON

10/15 BODY

23 INT

15 EGO

13/18 PRE

16 COM

4/15 PD (+3 for combat luck)

3/10 ED (+3 for combat luck)

4/8 SPD

5/13 REC

30/40 END

23/45 STUN

 

OCV: 13

DCV: 17

ECV: 5

 

Move: 30" Leaping, Swimming (4X NCM), Swinging, and Gliding; 21" Running.

 

INT Roll: 14-

PER Roll: 14- (17- w. vision)

PRE Roll: 13-

STR Roll: 18-

EGO Roll: 12-

DEX Roll: 17-

 

Maneuvers purchased:

 

Flying Dodge, Legsweep, Offensive Strike, Passing Strike, Flying Grab

 

Combat Skill levels:

 

+4 DCV, +2 HTH, +6 OCV with Sweep (cannot result in positive modifier, only cancels penalties), +2 DCV (only to counter Sweep penalties), +3 w. Offensive Strike, Flying Grab, Passing Strike

 

Powers:

 

36 +18 DEX; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4)

23 +35 STR; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4)

7 +5 CON; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4)

7 +5 BODY; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4)

3 +5 PRE; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4)

3 +4 PD; OIHID (-1/4)

5 +6 ED; OIHID (-1/4)

15 +3 SPD; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4)

 

(basically, if someone can cut him off from the mystical source of his powers, Kraken is screwed.)

 

9 Nightvision; Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), plus +3 PER with Sight Group; OIHID (-1/4)

8 Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Sight Group; OIHID (-1/4)

 

10 Clinging (normal STR) (includes extra grappling STR in Kraken form)

 

4 Extra Limbs (8); OIHID (-1/4)

 

6 Life Support (Expanded Breathing - Underwater; Safe in High Pressure)

 

1 Life Support (Safe in Intense Cold) (only above-zero cold, -1)

(Cold water has no effect on him, and he won't get hypothermia.)

 

 

10 Octopus Powers: Elemental Control, 24-point powers, all slots OIHID (-1/4)

 

4) +25 STR; Limited Power (Only for grabs and escapes) (-1 1/2), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) (2 END)

 

9) Desolidification ; only protects vs. gross crushing + impact (-3/4), Needs at least a 3"hole to squeeze through (-3/4), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) (4 END)

 

5) Regeneration 2 BODY, Can Heal Limbs, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Turn (Post-Segment 12) (-1 1/4), Self Only (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4)

 

8) Invisibility to Sight Group , Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Requires A Stealth Roll (-1/2), Only when in shadows or not moving (-1/4), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; eg. throwing paint, spaghetti sauce, etc. or by damaging skin sufficiently -1/4), OIHID (-1/4)

 

4) Darkness to Sight and Smell/Taste Groups 3" radius; 6 Charges (-3/4), No Range (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4)

 

6) Stretching 3", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4), OIHID (-1/4)

 

 

 

 

26 Trading a Shell for Mobility: Multipower, 33-point reserve, (33 Active Points); all slots OIHID (-1/4)

 

3u Running +16" (22" total); OIHID (-1/4)

3u Swimming +28" (30" total) (x4 Noncombat); OIHID (-1/4)

2u Swinging 30"; Reduced reach (6m) (-1/4), OIHID (-1/4)

2u Leaping +21", Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4); OIHID (-1/4)

2u Gliding 30"; Restrainable (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4)

 

 

 

 

Perks:

 

Double Jointed

Supreme Balance, OIHID (-1/4)

Environmental Movement (Aquatic)

Combat Luck (3 rPD/3 rED)

 

Skills:

 

Acrobatics 17-

Acting 8-

AK: Pacific North America 14-

Animal Handler (aquatic animals) 13-

Breakfall 17-

Computer Programming 14-

Contortionist 17-

Electronics 14-

Lockpicking 17-

Mechanics 14-

Scientist skill enhancer

SS: Biochemistry 14-

SS: Chemistry 14-

SS: Genetics 14-

SS: Marine Biology 15-

SS: Physics 14-

SS: Physiology 14-

Security Systems 14-

Shadowing 14-

Stealth 17-

KS: Stage Magic 11-

KS: Environmental Law 14-

PS: Scientist 11-

TF: common ground vehicles, small motorboats

+3 with Stealth, Shadowing, Acrobatics (all those stretchy arms and no bones help out big time)

 

Defense Maneuvers I-IV

Rapid Attack (HTH)

Two-Weapon Combat (HTH)

 

 

 

Disadvantages:

 

-30 Vulnerability: Heat/Fire (1.5X Body, 2X STUN)

-10 Vulnerability: Visual flash attacks

-20 Secret ID

-15 Hunted (other avatars. esp. Moray, avatar of eels): more powerful, 8-

-15 Hunted (Keeper of the Depths): more powerful, Extensive NCI, easy to find, only watching, 8-

-10 Distinctive Features: Easily concealed, major reaction

-20 Code Vs. Killing (common, total)

-5 Phys. Lim.: must submerge in water every 6 hours or take 2d6 STUN that can't be recovered until submerged during recovery

-10 Compulsive wisecracker (common, moderate)

-5 Chivalric (uncommon, moderate)

-5 Susceptibility: airborne/waterborne copper solutions (1d6/min)

-10 Ardent environmentalist (uncommon, strong)

 

 

 

Forgive me if I may have missed a thing or two, or buggered up the transcription.

 

And yes, he is an unbalanced, holy terror in close combat; but he folds extremely quickly if he gets hit or doesn't manage his END and SPD very carefully, and my GM gave him the OK. So there!

[Kraven Kor]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

I'm going to post my current main NPC Good Guy, "Miss E", as soon as she is updated to 6E, which I am doing now. She is kind of the Charles Xavier of my setting right now, runs the School for People With Super Powers , etc. I'd like to think she is an interesting character and build... and on that note, off to find out how to build something I'd been hand-waving up to this point.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Ok, I've had a sudden inspiration which I think would be cool. I created a character for the "Create a Villain Theme Team," and the more I think about it the more I like it.

 

The Printer's Devil entry is here. He's basically a classic, goofy, silver age theme villain obsessed with typewriters. Then he gets Iron Aged into a death dealing psychopath. In fact, some sort of before & after shot could work well.

 

His basic outfit is nice clothes, white shirt and tie. Over this he wears a heavy leather smock, and dark sleeve protectors over his forearms to keep his shirt clean. Something like this:

 

Add in a visor and a classic domino mask. He's heavily ink stained, especially the iron age version.

 

I'll have to work on a write-up now

[Susano]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Ink, or blood? (for the Iron Age version.)

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Ooh, good question. Still ink, as he uses it as a weapon now, but i bet there would be some blood, too.

[Susano]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Ooh' date=' good question. Still ink, as he uses it as a weapon now, but i bet there would be some blood, too.[/quote']

 

Does he strangle people with typewriter ribbon? And use Wolverine-like claws made to resemble old-school type-writer keys? (err... the impact arms with the letters on them.)

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Yes to the first part. In fact I was going to say they found a body hanging from the rafters suspended by typewriter ribbon. (The old ribbons were cloth and could have some decent strength.) No to the claws, though. I'm still trying to come up with the personal weapon. My first impression is a long pole with a letter on the end so that when he jabs at you it leaves the letter as an imprint. Razor sharp and it could leave some very interesting scars.

[Susano]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Yes to the first part. In fact I was going to say they found a body hanging from the rafters suspended by typewriter ribbon. (The old ribbons were cloth and could have some decent strength.) No to the claws' date=' though. I'm still trying to come up with the personal weapon. My first impression is a long pole with a letter on the end so that when he jabs at you it leaves the letter as an imprint. Razor sharp and it could leave some very interesting scars.[/quote']

 

I wasn't sure how corny you wanted him to be. (I mean, he's an iron age typewriter-themed villain.) Will he be all Leifield? With lots of pouches and stuff?

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

I wasn't sure how corny you wanted him to be. (I mean' date=' he's an iron age typewriter-themed villain.) Will he be all Leifield? With lots of pouches and stuff?[/quote']

Heh, not to Liefeldian levels of absurdity I'm thinking more like when they tried to make Calendar Man dark.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: The October Eight competition

 

Well, if we want to go all silly, then I could post a write up of "The Scotch Tape Avenger" if you want. He has incredibly powerful telekinetic abilities... that only affect Scotch Magic Brand tape.