Champions BYOB - Character Review

[Fedifensor]

So, not surprisingly, I've waited till the last minute to finish up my two characters for the 6E Champions BYOB (Bring Your Own Brick) game at GenCon. I've played and run a lot of 5E, but my 6E experience is limited to pregens at conventions. Because of this, I could really use some help to make sure the characters I'm bringing are going to be suitable.

 

The first character is Inertia, a character that got minimal play on Hero Central before the game was shut down. He's a new superhero with control over kinetic energy, whose powers happen to be very similar to a vigilante that was very active about a decade earlier...

 

The second character is Miracle - my wife's character that has been run in two different 5E campaigns (yes, I ran out of time to come up with my own backup character). She's a police officer who was crippled in the line of duty, who gained the classic FISS powerset (Flight, Invulnerability, Super-Strength) when she was hit by a stray radiation blast from the supervillain Hiroshima. She's different from the standard flying brick in that she has a pool of energy she can use to augment her abilities - a bit like Ultra Boy, except her baseline is already superheroic.

 

Pictures of each character are below, and the writeups will be in the following posts.

 

Inertia

 

Miracle

[Fedifensor]

Re: Champions BYOB - Character Review

 

Inertia

Roger Barrett, Defense Lawyer

 

VAL CHA Cost Roll Notes

15 STR 5 12- HTH Damage 3d6 END [1]

18 DEX 16 13-

18 CON 8 13-

13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12-

10 EGO 0 11-

20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6

8 OCV 25

8 DCV 25

3 OMCV 0

3 DMCV 0

5 SPD 30 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

9 PD 7 9/23 PD (0/14 rPD)

9 ED 7 9/21 ED (0/12 rED)

12 REC 8

50 END 6

12 BODY 2

42 STUN 11

 

Movement Cost Meters Notes

RUNNING 0 12m/24m END [1]

SWIMMING 0 4m/8m END [1]

LEAPING 0 4m 4m forward, 2m upward

FLIGHT 27m/1728m

 

Characteristics Total: 163

 

Cost Powers

65 Velocity Alteration: Multipower, 65-point reserve

4f 1) Rock Toss: Blast 8 1/2d6, Armor Piercing (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (64 Active Points); OIF - Objects of Opportunity (-1/2) - END=2

4f 2) Penny Toss: Killing Attack - Ranged 3d6-1, Armor Piercing (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (60 Active Points); OIF - Objects of Opportunity (-1/2) - END=2

4f 3) Ball Toss: Blast 10d6+1, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (65 Active Points); OIF - Objects of Opportunity (-1/2) - END=2

4f 4) Object Accelleration: Telekinesis (42 STR) (63 Active Points); Instant (-1/2) - END=6

5f 5) Momentum Shift: Teleportation 1m, No Relative Velocity, Position Shift, Ranged (+1/2), Usable As Attack (x32 maximum weight per inanimate target; Not versus Kinetic Energy powers, Clinging, or Teleport with No Relative Velocity; +2 1/2) (64 Active Points); Must Pass Through Intervening Space (-1/4) - END=6

4f 6) Escape Velocity: Flight 7m, x64 Noncombat, Noncombat Acceleration/Deceleration (+1) (64 Active Points); OIF - Objects of Opportunity (-1/2) - END=6

46 Velocity Absorption: Resistant Protection (14 PD/12 ED), Hardened (+1/4), Impenetrable (+1/4) (58 Active Points); Nonpersistent (-1/4) - END=0

4 Kinetic Negation: Hardened (+1/4), Impenetrable (+1/4) (4 Active Points) applied to PD

4 Energy Negation: Hardened (+1/4), Impenetrable (+1/4) (4 Active Points) applied to ED

6 Velocity Negation: Knockback Resistance -8m (8 Active Points); Nonpersistent (-1/4) - END=0

25 Object Riding: Flight 20m, Position Shift, Usable as Running (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (37 Active Points); OIF - Objects of Opportunity (-1/2) - END=1

 

Powers Total: 175

 

 

Cost Skills

12 +1 Overall

6 +2 to offset Range modifiers with all attacks

3 Power: Velocity Control 13-

3 Acting 13-

3 Breakfall 13-

3 Bureaucratics 13-

3 Charm 13-

1 Criminology 8-

3 Conversation 13-

3 Deduction 12-

3 Interrogation 13-

3 Oratory 13-

3 Persuasion 13-

3 Streetwise 13-

3 KS: Superhero/Supervillain Law 12-

3 PS: Lawyer 13-

1 TF: Skateboarding

 

Skills Total: 59

 

Cost Perks

1 Fringe Benefit: License to practice law

2 Money: Well Off

 

Perks Total: 3

 

 

Value Complications

10 Psychological Complication: Bends the rules, but doesn't break them (Common; Moderate)

10 Psychological Complication: Never throws a case (due to professional ethics) (Common; Moderate)

10 Psychological Complication: Wants to be the hero his father could have been (Common; Moderate)

15 Social Complication: Secret Identity Frequently, Major

5 Social Complication: Keeping his dad's secret Infrequently, Minor

5 Negative Reputation: "Say, isn't that hero's powers just like...?", Infrequently

5 Dependent NPC: Client Infrequently (As powerful as the PC; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID)

15 Hunted: The Dealer Infrequently (As Pow; NCI; Harshly Punish)

 

Complications Points: 75

 

Base Points: 400

Experience: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

Total Character Cost: 400

 

Background:

Simon said, "So, you're a public defender specializing in Prime cases, even though your father is a serial killer who was killing guys just like the ones you're going to defend. Oh, and you have the same powers, and you're thinking about becoming a superhero."

 

"Well, sure. If you put it that way, it sounds bad."

 

"Bad? You have no idea of how bad this is, Roger. Do you realize the huge conflict of interest if you're assigned a client who you put in jail? I know you'd never tank a case, but it's an instant get out of jail free card for them if you're found out."

 

Roger frowned. "Look, I've thought about this. I can cite a conflict of interest without having to state my reasons, and I can count on a sympathetic court clerk to juggle the cases so it shouldn't be an issue. As long as I wasn't directly involved in capturing them, even if I was at the scene, there's no conflict. Besides, even if something goes wrong and I have to defend someone I helped put in jail, they'll get the best possible defense I can give them. As for being found out...if that happens, I have much bigger problems. Dad will get arrested for murder, and I'll be arrested as an accessory after the fact. It doesn't matter that I was underage when I found out about his past...I'm still helping him evade the law."

 

Simon sighed. "You forgot one other person who gets arrested - me. I'm in this up to my neck. If they audit the records of your 'sympathetic court clerk', they're going to be suspicious."

 

Roger shook his head. "No. If I take the fall, I'm doing it alone. There's no reason for the court to know you're involved. At best, they'll think I convinced you to change my assignments because we're friends. Heck, if we hadn't nearly gone over that cliff..."

 

"...which was my fault, for drinking and driving. Yeah, I know. You negated the car's kinetic energy just in time, and the truth came out. I owe you, especially since I talked you into letting me drive. If you want to do this, I'm not going to blow the whistle, and I'll cover for you as best as I can. But sooner or later, you're going to have to make a choice. Your law career, or your superhero career. I can tell you this - the Thebes justice system pays a lot more than superheroing. Tell me again why you're doing this?"

 

Roger took a deep breath, "My dad wanted to make the world a better place. After mom was crippled by Killzone's wayward blast, he wanted that bastard dead. Less than a month later, the case was dropped on a technicality, and Killzone was back on the streets. Dad got his vengeance...but in the process sacrificed everything he used to believe in. It took him over a decade to realize that what he was doing was wrong, and by then he was on the FBI most wanted list. If they had known his real identity, he could never have settled down...never had a chance to be a father and a husband."

 

Roger paused, then turned towards Simon with an intensity his friend had never seen before. "The system works when there are people who make it work. I believe that - it's why I took the job when everyone else believed it was a death sentence to work in Center City. I have the skills to defend the innocent, and even the guilty deserve proper representation so their punishment fits. 100 years ago, it was the black man who got sentenced out of proportion to his crime. Now, it's the superpowered being...if their wasn't a prohibition against killing Primes, it would be even worse. At the same time, I'm one of the few people that has the power to stop a rampaging villain. My dad believed the system failed him, and he turned around and failed the system. I'm going to make things better, by putting criminals away, and by making sure there's someone willing to defend them. Any Prime who gets me as their lawyer isn't rolling in the dough - they're more likely to be someone who just took a wrong path...like my dad did. If he could find his way back, so can my clients."

 

"You're insane. You know that, right?"

 

Roger smiled. "Actually, you're not insane for putting on a costume. I can cite the relevant case law, if you want."

 

Simon chuckled. "Nah, just pass me a beer. Non-alcoholic - if I drink and drive again, who knows what else I'll find out about you...?"

 

"Well, there is one last thing. I've decided to use the name 'Inertia'."

 

"What happened to the other names?"

 

"I can't use anything with Velocity in it...it's too close to the name Dad got saddled with by the media. Anything that sounds remotely like 'Terminal Velocity' will get me mobbed by reporters. It's bad enough that my powers are identical to his, but I think it's been long enough that people won't guess I'm related to him. As for the rest...I didn't like Slowdown, Tosser, or Fastball. So, I'm going with Inertia."

 

"Your choice. I just hope that you get to tell people your name before the media picks one for you."

 

Personality:

Roger's primary motivation is atoning for the sins of his father. He feels his powers are a gift, and a responsibility. However, he also believes that his pursuit of justice in the courts is just as important. The law is necessary to punish the guilty...and to protect the innocent. It's not perfect...but that's why there are heroes.

 

Quote:

"Objects in motion tend to stay in motion...unless I'm around."

 

Powers/Tactics:

Inertia has an extensive ability to control velocity, and his powers have some basis in Einstein's equation. The smaller the mass, the greater the velocity he can impart or remove. His powers even apply versus energy - though the velocity of a laser is the speed of light, the lack of mass allows him to slow and disperse even concentrated laser beams. While he has yet to learn how to control his own velocity directly, he compensates by using objects to carry him around. He currently has a combat disk with tiny wheels on the bottom which was designed by his father, allowing him to either skate along the ground or fly in the air.

 

In combat, Inertia relies on a variety of small objects to throw at opponents. His favorite is rocks, which can apply a large amount of force to a small area without slicing through a foe. He also carries several rubber balls (acquired from toy dispensers) to subdue foes, and in emergencies uses pennies or dimes propelled at tremendous speeds to slice through nearly anything. Inertia can also adjust a foe's velocity directly, by negating their speed or redirecting it in a different direction. His powers instinctively slow incoming attacks, offering a large measure of protection.

[Fedifensor]

Re: Champions BYOB - Character Review

 

Miracle

 

VAL CHA Cost Roll Notes

45 STR 35 18- / 22- HTH Damage 9d6/13d6 END [4]

18 DEX 16 13-

25 CON 15 14-

13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12-

13 EGO 3 12-

15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6

7 OCV 20

6 DCV 15

3 OMCV 0

3 DMCV 0

5 SPD 30 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

26 PD 12 26/30 PD (12/16 rPD)

26 ED 12 26/30 ED (12/16 rED)

16 REC 12

60 END 8

13 BODY 3

54 STUN 17

 

Movement Cost Meters Notes

RUNNING 0 12m/24m END [1]

SWIMMING 0 4m/8m END [1]

LEAPING 0 4m 4m forward, 2m upward

FLIGHT 0m/30m/0m/60m

 

 

 

 

Characteristics Total: 206

 

Cost Powers

45 Multipower, 45-point reserve

6v 1) Heroic Strength: +20 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points) - END=0

1f 2) Heroic Resilience: Resistant Protection (4 PD/4 ED), Hardened (+1/4) (15 Active Points)

1f 3) Heroic Accuracy: +3 OCV (15 Active Points)

1f 4) Heroic Evasion: +3 DCV (15 Active Points)

6v 5) Beyond the Bounds of Earth: Flight 30m (30 Active Points) - END=3

3f 6) Hypersonic Flight: Flight 15m, MegaScale (1m = 1 km; +1) (30 Active Points) - END=3

 

45 Invulnerability 1: Resistant Protection (12 PD/12 ED), Hardened (+1/4) (45 Active Points)

3 Invulnerability 2: Hardened (+1/4) (3 Active Points) applied to PD

7 Enduring: Life Support (Extended Breathing: 1 END per Minute; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum)

3 Invulnerability 3: Hardened (+1/4) (3 Active Points) applied to ED

8 Steadfast: Knockback Resistance -8m

5 Boundless Power: Power Defense (5 points)

5 Strong-willed: Mental Defense (5 points total)

5 Lucky: Luck 1d6 - END=0

 

Powers Total: 144

 

 

Cost Skills

12 +1 Overall

3 Conversation 12-

3 Criminology 12-

3 High Society 12-

3 Oratory 12-

3 Persuasion 12-

2 CK: Silverstone 11-

2 KS: Criminal Law 11-

1 KS: Organized Religion 8-

2 PS: Policewoman 11-

2 WF: Small Arms

 

Skills Total: 36

 

Cost Perks

5 Money: Well Off

2 Fringe Benefit: Local Police Powers

5 Contact: Police Chief (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 11-

2 Positive Reputation: Celebrity Superhero (A large group) 11-, +1/+1d6

 

Perks Total: 14

 

 

Value Complications

15 Social Complication: Public Identity Frequently, Major

10 Social Complication: Celebrity Frequently, Minor

5 Hunted: Local Law Enforcement Very Frequently (Less Pow; NCI; Limited Geographical Area; Watching)

5 Unluck: 1d6

15 Psychological Complication: Fearless (Common; Strong)

10 Psychological Complication: Reluctance to Kill (Common; Moderate)

10 Psychological Complication: Cynical (Common; Moderate)

5 Psychological Complication: Distrusts Organized Religion (Uncommon; Moderate)

 

Complications Points: 75

 

Base Points: 400

Experience: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

Total Character Cost: 400

 

Background:

Eve Carpenter comes from a third generation Irish family. She is the oldest of five children. Her grandparents came to America fleeing the ongoing conflict in Ireland between Catholic and Prostestant religious sects. Her mother married into a Baptist family and became deeply involved in the church,as her husband was the pastor. Eve's parents divorced due to the husband's infidelity; after this, Eve and her mother left the church and Eve's mother reverted to Catholicism. Eve threw herself into education and would eventually became a police officer. Eve Carpenter was a decorated veteran of the Silverstone police force when she was shot in the line of duty, paralyzing her from the waist down. She was on disability for a year and, afterward, returned to the police force as a dispatcher. While receiving a medal for her valor at a 'Hometown Heroes' event, a supervillain named Hiroshima attempted to kill the person next to her, and she pushed herself out of her wheelchair and into the way at the last moment. It is unclear if her superpowers were given to her as a result of the radioactive blast, or if some hidden potential inside her awakened at the last second. However, she survived the blast with nothing more than a few scratches, and went on to drive off Hiroshima with the help of other superheroes.

 

Personality:

Eve developed a strong sense of responsibility as the oldest child in a large family. She has become accustomed to taking care of her brothers and sisters, as their mother became distant after she threw herself back into Catholicism. Eve's experiences in life have conspired with her time as a police officer to make her a cynic. She is more likely than not to look for alternative motives in people who approach her and to look for evidence to back up statements that are made to her. Eve believes in the law but is experienced enough to know that there are many loopholes in it. She also has a very dry (some people say demented) sense of humor.

 

Quote:

"I'm no saint, but I can put the fear of God into you..."

Powers/Tactics:

Miracle's powers come from an unknown source, but the effects can be measured by both technology and magic. Her cells radiate energy that shares many properties with cosmic microwave background radiation. Cosmic microwave background radiation, or CMB, is a form of electromagnetic radiation that fills the entire universe and is associated with the Big Bang theory. This cosmic energy is utilized by her body to give her incredible toughness, strength, and the ability to fly. In addition to these base abilities, she can harness the excess energy in her cells to amplify her existing abilities in a specific area, becoming stronger, more coordinated, or tougher. By focusing on flight, she can even fly at supersonic speeds.

 

By default, Miracle keeps her strength, armor, and flight slots active in the Multipower (15 active points in each), adjusting slots as the situation requires. Her Overall Level normally goes to OCV, as she has the defenses to withstand several hits.

 

Appearance:

Blue bodysuit with short sleeves and fingerless gloves. Belt vaguely reminiscent of a policeman's belt, without the gun or baton. Boots. Long red hair is usually pulled back in a simple low pony tail. Blue eyes. Eve can often be seen with a smirk or a lopsided smile on her face.

[RexMundi]

Re: Champions BYOB - Character Review

 

Hmm....Now what I need are players in my gams that come up with builds like these. Nice Work.

 

~Rex

[mattingly]

Re: Champions BYOB - Character Review

 

Looking good, Fedifensor.

[Ranxerox]

Re: Champions BYOB - Character Review

 

Yeah, very nice looking write-up, guy. Not sure if I would classify Inertia as a brick, but I'm sure that you know what you are doing.

[Fedifensor]

Re: Champions BYOB - Character Review

 

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Dave, I'll see you at GenCon!

 

 

Yeah' date=' very nice looking write-up, guy. Not sure if I would classify Inertia as a brick, but I'm sure that you know what you are doing.[/quote']

It's actually more than just bricks - BYOB is just a catchy name...

 

Not necessarily just bricks' date=' but whatever character you've been dying to play. A team of superheroes (provided by you, the players) work together to investigate mysterious events. Use the Standard Superhero (400 point level) guidelines in HERO 6th, and bring two completed characters for the GM to choose between. Expect a mix of roleplaying, deduction, and combat. Direct questions to herogames.com Convention forum.[/quote']

[mattingly]

Re: Champions BYOB - Character Review

 

It's actually more than just bricks - BYOB is just a catchy name...

Quite right. All characters are welcome to this gaming table.