Pizza Man Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 I’m putting together a Rogues Gallery of villains to toss against the players. I’ve see only a little of this Legion villain, and she acts like an energy projector. I want far more than an energy projector. I want to put real fear in the players hearts. The Wiki entry says in one incarnation the eye was a prototype of the lantern ring, and that she defeated Superman once…And at one point Matter Eater Lad took a few bites out of the eye… In another incarnation, the eye possessed the various girls who took the name, Emerald Empress. I don’t like that. I do like another incarnation where the eye was part of a much larger artifact, a gigantic jade head…and it was a combo of magic and technology… I don’t intend on making her a clone of the Fatal Five character. But I love the image and the name. So since it’s my game, I will steal what I want. Impressions: The eye never strays far from the villain. I’m thinking of just making it a manifestation of her power. Since it is so close, it won’t have an indirect advantage, or even a focus. ---is that fair to the players? I) want more than just an energy projector. I want her to have some serious scary powers. I’m thinking of adding a pair of transformation attacks a) Transform into a loyal minion..usable against heroes, defined by a green costume scheme. It’s cured by beating said hero unconscious, or any magical Dispel power. Transform civilian into a loyal minion. (cured the same way) Civilians get green glowing eyes, a green protective aura, and an eyebeam energy attack. 2) An entangle called, “Bow before your Empress.” Its based on Ego combat value, and forces the victim to kneel before her. It has the "open to attack" advantage. So what else would you add to put the fear of GM’s into the campaign? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizza Man Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizza Man Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress And while I'm at it...motivation. Whats a 21st century gal with a magic bloating eye want in life? I really want to avoid the world conquest thing, but I do plan to play her as an elitist. The origin will be magic whether or not the eye is solid and target-able. She's going to have stolen the eye from an immense idol of a dormant, possibly dead deity (and she's hunted by the cult members). The empress will control the eye, not the other way around. OK, I take that back. Maybe waking the dead deity IS her motivation. and the cult members obey her slavishly... what do ya think? Open cults in the western world? Until at least they start assassinating leaders they don't like? some countries might give her diplomatic immunity? Maybe take away the green glow of her loyal minions? No telling who they might be. make her a global fad, a celebrity, the toast of the town? and the heroes have to fight all of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress If you have any Legion fans amongst your players and this person shows up they are going to expect the rest of the Fatal 5. I mean seriously the Empress on her own is bad news, think Cosmic or Variable Power Pool, via the Eye, but if they expect the rest of the 5 like Validus, The Persuader, Mano and Tharok and Universal Domination/Subjugation is what they will expect. Let them expect that. I once made a player really buy into the fact that he was up against Lord Foul the Despiser. His girlfriend didn't buy it but that's ok. Use their own fears against them. Their own imagination is a better weapon than you think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress And while I'm at it...motivation. Whats a 21st century gal with a magic bloating eye want in life? I really want to avoid the world conquest thing, but I do plan to play her as an elitist. The origin will be magic whether or not the eye is solid and target-able. She's going to have stolen the eye from an immense idol of a dormant, possibly dead deity (and she's hunted by the cult members). The empress will control the eye, not the other way around. OK, I take that back. Maybe waking the dead deity IS her motivation. and the cult members obey her slavishly... what do ya think? Open cults in the western world? Until at least they start assassinating leaders they don't like? some countries might give her diplomatic immunity? Maybe take away the green glow of her loyal minions? No telling who they might be. make her a global fad, a celebrity, the toast of the town? and the heroes have to fight all of that? Perhaps the Cultis believe she is going to bring the deity back but she has no intentions of giving up her power. She subtly turns the worship from the old god to the new "Host". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress Impressions: The eye never strays far from the villain. I’m thinking of just making it a manifestation of her power. Since it is so close, it won’t have an indirect advantage, or even a focus. ---is that fair to the players? Sure, it's a special effect. If you want...you could make it like 4e Solitaire's widget, she takes damage from attacks on it via feedback.But if it's just an invincible effect of her awesome might, then let them take a few pot shots at it initially and then tell them it's not a good plan. Or leak that the eye doesn't seem to be affected by attacks prior to their first meeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizza Man Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress Perhaps the Cultis believe she is going to bring the deity back but she has no intentions of giving up her power. She subtly turns the worship from the old god to the new "Host". Hey yeah! I like that its very elitist, narcissistic...and you don't have to conquer the world... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress SFX for the Eye is just fine. Lota potential there, but if you want, you can run with some rather narcessistic avenues as well. Mirror Mirror and all that jazz with the Eye serving as like her own personal Paparazzi at time. I like the tranference issues with the host worship bit as well. Looking good. ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress Make the Eye an Obvious Accessible Fragile Focus! Lucius Alexander The palindromedary, who has grown accustomed to Lucius by now, patiently explains that the thread is "PIMP My Villain" not "WIMP My Villain." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizza Man Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress Make the Eye an Obvious Accessible Fragile Focus! Lucius Alexander The palindromedary, who has grown accustomed to Lucius by now, patiently explains that the thread is "PIMP My Villain" not "WIMP My Villain." Mock the empress will you? Time to gaze into her emerald eye... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress Near as I can tell, Emerald Empress in DC is a gender-switched, differently motivated Green Lantern. The Eye is a Cosmic VPP, so any EB or Mentalist power is good. I like the powers you've suggested, especially mind controlling civilians to use against the PC's. Think you've got a good start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKJAM! Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress One version of the Empress (from the post-Zero Hour reboot) was a martial arts assassin before she got the Eye; that version mostly used it to cover all the weaknesses an unarmed h-t-h combatant has. (She also had Psych Complication: Unnecessarily Cruel to prevent her from just killing the heroes.) I'd make the Eye a Restrainable power at -1/4; you can shatter it, cover it, blind it...but only for a second or two before it recovers, and you'd best knock the Empress the heck out during that tiny window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizza Man Posted April 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress One version of the Empress (from the post-Zero Hour reboot) was a martial arts assassin before she got the Eye; that version mostly used it to cover all the weaknesses an unarmed h-t-h combatant has. (She also had Psych Complication: Unnecessarily Cruel to prevent her from just killing the heroes.) I'd make the Eye a Restrainable power at -1/4; you can shatter it, cover it, blind it...but only for a second or two before it recovers, and you'd best knock the Empress the heck out during that tiny window. Hmmm. Then it would need BODY, defenses, all sorts of math and stuff right? Or can I just give it the same defense it gives the Empress and add say 10 BODY and be done with it... This rewrite is getting to be fun. Now I want to research the rest of the Fatal Five...That big guy with the brain looks like he's a brick with an Mind Blast or something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKJAM! Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress Eye has the same DCV as the Empress herself (controlled by thought, after all), enough Hardened Defense that only someone like Karate Kid with multiple levels of Armor-Piercing can actually get through; it's much more vulnerable to Flash or Darkness than anything else. Oh, obvious when you think about it power, though EE in the comics didn't use it much--she can see through the Eye, so 360 degree vision when it's near her, Clairsentience (normal sight) when it's further away. After the original Empress learned about the effect Kryptonite has on Superboy, she taught the Eye how to simulate that kind of radiation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress I'd never heard about the link to the Green Lanterns before (besides the obvious color similarity). If I was trying to model the character to mesh with my JLA GL (and Ring) I'd definitely make the Eye more powerful (based on this) and make it be a follower with mindlink (I would even consider treating it as an altered duplicate with many of the normally duplicatation-only limitations). I'll also second the idea that it can be hurt and/or scared by light/darkness like others suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKJAM! Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Re: Pimp My Villain. Emerald Empress The GL connection was in the L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S. series, along with the Second Eye of Ekron. Validus: Yep, he's a brick/energy projector with the special effect "mental lightning". That is, his brain has so much extra bio-electricity that he can shoot it off as destructive blasts. The bad news is that all that extra energy seems to interfere with Validus' actual thinking, so he's never been able to progress beyond a childlike mentality prone to fits of temper (Enraged/Berserk in Hero Games terms.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.