Crimson -- Submitted for Review and Assistance

[Kristopher]

Crimson is intended for use as an NPC in a "teen champions" campaign I've been constructing. She needs a few more Disads, technically, but being an NPC doesn't absolutely have to have them. The powers in her VPP are listed in "chunks" that allow her to mix and match -- they don't represent any kind of limit. I would appreciate any feedback you would be so kind as to give me.CrimsonPlayer: NPC

Val	Char	Cost
15	STR	5
20	DEX	30
20	CON	20
12	BODY	4
18	INT	8
18	EGO	16
18	PRE	8
14	COM	2
5	PD	2
5	ED	1
5	SPD	20
10	REC	6
40	END	0
30	STUN	0

6" RUN02" SWIM03" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 122

Cost	Power	END
112	Gene Pool: Variable Power Pool, 80 base + 32 control cost, No Skill Roll Required (+1) (160 Active Points); Only to Duplicate Genetic Powers, Must Have Taken "Sample" in the Past (-1 1/2)
0	1) Cerebellum's Brain Drain: Drain EGO 1d6, Ranged (+1/2), Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1) (25 Active Points) Real Cost: 25	2
0	2) Cerebellum's Mind Field: Ego Attack 1d6 ( Human class of minds), Penetrating (+1/2), Damage Shield (+1/2), Continuous (+1) (30 Active Points) Real Cost: 30	3
0	3) Cerebellum's Walls: Mental Defense +5 (5 Active Points) Real Cost: 5
0	4) Kinetic's Duracell: +20 END (10 Active Points) Real Cost: 10
0	5) Kinetic's High-Speed Eyes: Flash Defense - Sight Group (5 points) (5 Active Points) Real Cost: 5
0	6) Kinetic's Quickness: +1 SPD (10 Active Points) Real Cost: 10
0	7) Kinetic's Quickness: +3 DEX (9 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) Real Cost: 6
0	8) Kinetic's ReCharge: Absorption 1d6 (energy, END) (5 Active Points) Real Cost: 5
0	9) Kinetic's ReCharge: Absorption 1d6 (physical, STUN) (5 Active Points) Real Cost: 5
0	10) Kinetic's Rocksolid System: PowerDef (5 points) (5 Active Points) Real Cost: 5
0	11) Kinetic's Velocity: 5" Running (10 Active Points) Real Cost: 10	1
0	12) Megadyne's Barrier: FW (5 PD/5 ED) (25 Active Points) Real Cost: 25	2
0	13) Megadyne's Forcebolt: EB 2d6 (10 Active Points) Real Cost: 10	1
0	14) Megadyne's Mind over Matter: TK (10 STR) (15 Active Points) Real Cost: 15	1
0	15) Megadyne's Mind over Matter: TK: add Fine Manipulation (10 Active Points) Real Cost: 10	1
0	16) Megadyne's Shield: FF (5 PD/5 ED) (10 Active Points) Real Cost: 10	1
0	17) Megadyne's Wings of the Will: Flight 5" (10 Active Points) Real Cost: 10	1
0	18) Spartan's Disregard for Pain: +5 STUN (5 Active Points) Real Cost: 5
0	19) Spartan's Mighty Strength: +15 STR (15 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) Real Cost: 10	1
0	20) Spartan's Remarkable Recovery: +5 REC (10 Active Points) Real Cost: 10
0	21) Spartan's Unyielding Resolve: +5 ED (5 Active Points) Real Cost: 5
0	22) Spartan's Unyielding Resolve: +5 PD (5 Active Points) Real Cost: 5
0	23) Spartan's Unyielding Resolve: Armor (5 PD/5 ED) (15 Active Points) Real Cost: 15
0	24) Spartan's Warrior Aura: +10 PRE (10 Active Points); Only for PRE Attacks (-1) Real Cost: 5
5	Ageless: LS (Longevity: Immortal)
3	Bite: HKA 0d6 + 1 (standard effect: 1 BODY, 2 STUN), Penetrating (+1/2) (7 Active Points); No STR Bonus (-1/2), Target must be grabbed, unaware, or willing (-1/2)	1
10	Nightvision: IR Perception (Sight Group), Discriminatory
23	Regeneration: Healing 1 BODY, Can Heal Limbs, Resurrection, Persistent (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (70 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Minute (-1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2)
4	The Will: Mental Defense (8 points total)

Powers Cost: 157

Cost	Skill
3	Acting 13-
1	Analyze: Super Powers 8-
3	Breakfall 13-
1	Computer Programming 8-
3	Concealment 13-
3	Conversation 13-
1	Lockpicking 8-
3	Paramedics 13-
3	Persuasion 13-
1	Security Systems 8-
1	Seduction 8-
3	Shadowing 13-
3	Sleight Of Hand 13-
3	Stealth 13-
1	Tactics 8-
3	KS: Sports 13-
1	SS: Genetics 8-
0	Language: English (idiomatic) (4 Active Points)
1	Language: German (fluent conversation) (2 Active Points)
2	Language: Persian (fluent conversation)
2	Language: Gaelic (fluent conversation)

Skills Cost: 42

Val	Disadvantages
10	Distinctive Features: Genetic blood tests result in "nonsense" (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses)
5	Distinctive Features: Mutant Aura (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses)
10	Hunted: Anti-Mutant Group 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish)
15	Hunted: Megadyne's Enemies 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish)
10	Psychological Limitation: Code vs Killing (Common, Moderate)
10	Psychological Limitation: Compulsion to "Sample" genetic powers (Uncommon, Strong)
10	Psychological Limitation: Confident (Common, Moderate)
5	Psychological Limitation: Fascinated by Blood (Uncommon, Moderate)
15	Psychological Limitation: Secretive (Common, Strong)
5	Social Limitation: Minor (Occasionally, Minor)
10	Social Limitation: Secret: "Vampiric" Nature (Occasionally, Major)

Disadvantage Points: 105

Base Points: 150Experience Required: 66Total Experience Available: 21Experience Unspent: 0Total Character Cost: 321

Height: 1.73 m	Hair: Auburn
Weight: 55.00 kg	Eyes: Green

Appearance: Auburn hair, deep green eyes, and skin with a hint of cinnimon. Her fairly attractive appearance has taken on a slightly hungrier look, and her increasing confidence and enigmatic tendancies only increase her mystique. Ironically, it's not something that matters that much to her.Personality: Dierdra is remarkably confident, composed, and mature for a 16-year old girl. She is also reserved, and more than a little secretive. She shares nothing about herself that she doesn't have to, and feels absolutely no remourse or regret over this fact. Despite this aspect of her personality, she is a decent person, loyal to her friends when it comes down to it, and with a deep sense of responsibility. She has only begun to understand the effect that the increasing strength of her personality can have on others.

Quote:"You should not speak of things you do not understand." Background: Dierdra didn't have the typical traumatic emergence of mutant powers. During the summer before 6th grade, she slowly developed the ability to see in the dark. In 7th grade, a "serious injury" suffered on the soccer field was an inconsequencial sprain by the next morning. Nothing serious came up, except for that strange little fascination with blood she never told anyone about. As a freshman in high school, her first serious relationship was with Nick Weller, now known as Megadyne. She was the first person he told about his telekinesis. Imagine their suprise when she manifested identical TK powers.

 

The following summer, Nick took the fateful step of saving a falling construction worker in public, resulting in instant fame, and trouble close behind. Someone hired the mentalist mercenary Cerebellum to "aquire" Nick, and she would have succeeded, had someone warned her that he'd be on a date with another mutant. Suprised by the villain at a downtown restaurant, Nick went down without a fight. An empathic wave of panic from the mentalist sent the rest of the patrons screaming for the exits, but as she turned to claim her prize, the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows exploded and she was hit from behind by a storm of shattered glass. Confused, and thinking that it was Nick fighting her, she didn't react in time to a very angry Dierdra, who tackled her from behind and instinctively bit her on the shoulder -- hard. Dierdra's canines sank in, and for the first time in her life she tasted hot blood flowing into her mouth -- and she liked it. She recoiled in horror, and spat most of the blood out, but did get enough of a "sample" to aquire some of Cerebellum's repetoir. Cerebellum took advantage of the opportunity to flee, contract be damned. It was soon after that Nick was contacted by The Vindicators, regarding their ongoing fight with Cerebellum's employer, and an offer to train him. Suddenly bitten by the superhero bug, Nick jumped at the chance. Nick and Dierdra eventually grew apart romantically, but remain friends. Nick knows she's a mutant, but not about the exact nature of her powers.

 

(Incomplete portion of backstory follows.)

 

It was around this time that Dierdra's parents learned that she was a mutant. Their reaction was mixed. Through a convoluted series of events, she ended up at The School.

 

Spartan: Heroic brick -- reluctantly sampled his powers after he was knocked out in a fight, in order to save him.

Kinetic: Kinetic energy manipulator -- stole a sample of his blood from the medical lab (compulsion got the better of her).

Powers/Tactics: Dierdra is a mutant "vampire" with a twist: she's also a walking genetic library. Her body absorbs mutant genes, giving her access to whatever powers those genes grant. Just a handful of "samples" has given her excellent flexibility, and she uses it to good advantage in a fight. She plays it close to the vest, and doesn't brag, announce her attacks, or show off. She doesn't want anyone to figure out how her powers actually work.: .

[Kristopher]

I feel so rejected...

[lemming]

Originally posted by Kristopher

I feel so rejected...

Don't feel so bad. At a glance, it looks like a neat character. I'm sure someone will be able to help you out.

[Solomon]

Really nice concept... looks like she could grow up to a mighty powerful superhero someday. Actually, she packs quite a punch as she stands already. 80 points really is one big VPP!

 

Technically, -1 1/2 seems a bit excessive as a limitation for her control pool: she already commands a fair range of powers and she's just going to get better over time.

 

On a lesser note, why the "extreme reaction" on her first DF? I really can't see Teleios curling up in a ball and whimpering after gene-testing her.

[Kristopher]

Originally posted by Solomon

Really nice concept... looks like she could grow up to a mighty powerful superhero someday. Actually, she packs quite a punch as she stands already. 80 points really is one big VPP!

 

Technically, -1 1/2 seems a bit excessive as a limitation for her control pool: she already commands a fair range of powers and she's just going to get better over time.

 

On a lesser note, why the "extreme reaction" on her first DF? I really can't see Teleios curling up in a ball and whimpering after gene-testing her.

 

I based the total limitation on the Mimic VPP listed in the back of USPD. (Don't have it with me at work, so I can't tell you the specifics right now, but it seemed about even with what they had.) The permanent access and conscious control over which powers she manifests are balanced out by the way that she has to add things to the list.

 

As for the reaction on the second DF, I was thinking of the kind of response that would get from the medical community if she were ever tested.

[Ghost who Walks]

This is actually pretty good.

 

I like how she has some of the traditional vampire powers. As a side note, I would never allow a character like this to aplayer, but as an NPC/plot hook she is fine.

 

 

So far as more disadvantages:

~Reputation: "Vampire"

~You may also want to put some kind of limit on her ability to retain the "genetic memory" of superpowers. A physical limitation, limiting it to a few days or weeks might seem reasonable to me. As NPC, that would make her more interesting...she might stockpile superpowered blood in her fridge, try to rob the hospital that has a genetics department, and visit crime scenes to steal "evidence"

 

 

Other powers

~some kind of tracking ability, only for peoples whose blood she has tasted. That wuld make her the ultimate bloodhound.

[Kristopher]

At this point, the real nature of her powers is a secret, so a Reputation Disad isn't really appropriate. She's trying very hard to make sure that it remains a secret, and has the appropriate Disad.

 

I don't want to add any more in the way of powers at this point, since she's an NPC for a game with 300-point teen characters. That VPP makes her a lot more dangerous than 318 points would indicate.

 

PS: Thanks.

 

[Kristopher]

Originally posted by Ghost who Walks

This is actually pretty good.

 

I like how she has some of the traditional vampire powers. As a side note, I would never allow a character like this to a player, but as an NPC/plot hook she is fine.

 

Would you allow a character with a full-on Cosmic VPP? I guess what I'm asking what it is exactly that worries you about her as a PC.

 

(Not that I'd be all that quick to allow her, but I'm interested in your thought process on the matter.)

[Ghost who Walks]

Originally posted by Kristopher

Would you allow a character with a full-on Cosmic VPP? I guess what I'm asking what it is exactly that worries you about her as a PC.

 

(Not that I'd be all that quick to allow her, but I'm interested in your thought process on the matter.)

Nope. I don't even really allow gadget pools for PC's.

 

Partly its a math thing, keeping track of some of the powers can really slow down game play. I've also found it hard to do scenarios around players with a VPP, because of its changeable nature.

 

Its also easy to tell the players, that anything that has a stop sign next to it, they can't have.

 

I don't really have that many VPP NPC's either. A few have "gadget" pools, the only "cosmic" one is for...Cosmo! (adapted from the Russian sourcebooks for 4th edition)

[Kristopher]

Revised Background for Crimson

 

Crimson

 

AKA: Dierdra Fallah

 

Background/History: Dierdra Fallah was born to an Irish-American mother, and an Iranian-American father. Her mother was an archaeologist, and her father came from old money that relocated out of Iran during the reign of the Shah. Summers were spent travelling around the world with her parents, and the rest of the year at home with just the servents, attending school.

 

Dierdra didn't have the typical traumatic emergence of mutant powers. During the summer before 6th grade, she slowly developed the ability to see in the dark. In 7th grade, a "serious injury" suffered on the soccer field was an inconsequencial sprain by the next morning. Nothing serious came up, except for that strange little fascination with blood she never told anyone about. As a freshman in high school, her first serious relationship was with Nick Weller, now known as Megadyne. She was the first person he told about his telekinesis. Imagine their suprise when she manifested identical TK powers.

 

The following summer was the first that Dierda spent at home without her parents. It was also the summer that Nick took the fateful step of saving a falling construction worker in public, resulting in instant fame, and trouble close behind. Someone hired the mentalist mercenary Cerebellum to "aquire" Nick, and she would have succeeded, had someone warned her that he'd be on a date with another mutant. Suprised by the villain at a downtown restaurant, Nick went down without a fight. An empathic wave of panic from the mentalist sent the rest of the patrons screaming for the exits, but as she turned to claim her prize, the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows exploded and she was hit from behind by a storm of shattered glass. Confused, and thinking that it was Nick fighting her, she didn't react in time to a very angry Dierdra, who tackled her from behind and instinctively bit her on the shoulder -- hard. Dierdra's canines sank in, and for the first time in her life she tasted hot blood flowing into her mouth -- and she liked it. She recoiled in horror, and spat most of the blood out, but did get enough of a "sample" to aquire some of Cerebellum's repetoir. Cerebellum took advantage of the opportunity to flee, contract be damned. It was soon after that Nick was contacted by The Vindicators, regarding their ongoing fight with Cerebellum's employer, and an offer to train him. Suddenly bitten by the superhero bug, Nick jumped at the chance. Nick and Dierdra eventually grew apart romantically, but remain friends. Nick knows that she's a mutant, but not about the exact nature of her powers.

 

It was through conversations with Nick that she learned of The Accademy. She applied, transferred, and started classes before informing her intinerate parents of the move in a letter. Since then, she has aquired the powers of two other mutants. During a battle alongside The Corps of Chicago, she had to "sample" Spartan's powers in order to dig him out of the rubble after he was blind-sided by Blindside. Her recent rotation in The Accademy's medical facilities saw her complusion get the better of her; she drew two samples of blood from Kinetic, but only one made it into the lab and the records. The other was furtively gulped down as soon as she could slip away.

 

Personality/Motivation: Dierdra is remarkably confident, composed, and mature for a 16-year old girl. She is also reserved, and more than a little secretive. She shares nothing about herself that she doesn't have to, and feels absolutely no remourse or regret over this fact. Despite this aspect of her personality, she is a decent person, loyal to her friends when it comes down to it, and with a deep sense of responsibility. She has only begun to understand the effect that the increasing strength of her personality can have on others.

 

Quote: "You should not speak of things you do not understand."

 

Powers/Tactics: Dierdra is a mutant "vampire" with a twist: she's also a walking genetic library. Her body absorbs mutant genes, giving her access to whatever powers those genes grant. However, to absorb the mutant genes, she must injest them. A mouthful or two of blood is the most obvious, but not the only, method.

 

Just a handful of "samples" has given her excellent flexibility, and she uses it to good advantage in a fight. She plays it close to the vest, and doesn't brag, announce her attacks, or show off. She doesn't want anyone to figure out how her powers actually work.

 

Appearance: Auburn hair, deep green eyes, and skin with a hint of cinnimon. Her mixed heritage gives her a touch of the exotic. Her appearance has a slightly hungry look, and her increasing confidence and enigmatic tendancies only increase her mystique. Ironically, it's not something that matters that much to her.

 

HT: 1.73m / 5'8"

WT: 55kg / 121 lbs

[Ndreare]

I would not have a problem but to me with the character and story. It seems all good but...

 

 

 

As an NPC how powerfull are your PC's? the way you have set up the character and the huge variation of powers you already have for her the V.P.P. Limit Would only be -1/2 at most. After all how limited is she compared to the limits in the book. Not at all as an NPC you the GM will be all to tempted to say yeh I guess she would have tracked down the Silver Avenger so if she needs his super speed she can use it.

 

 

The utilaty of that power is off the scale so should its cost. And remember if you are basing it on the fact that it will take her a full phase to change powers then remeberr that was included in the game mechanics when you purchased the power without the "0-phase to change +1" modifier.

 

I would look at the AP max you allow the players and compare her powers AP to that (Remeber that that does not even include the huge value of Variable FX).

[Vigil]

Some suggestions

 

I like your character concept but I do share some of the others concerns.

 

I agree that she should have some sort of PHYS LIMIT on how long she retains these powers.

 

The other alternative would be to give her a larger (yes larger!) pool but with the limitation that as she agquires powers from sampling other delicious, salty, blood that she acquires those powers PERMANENTLY and her pool is reduced by that much PERMANENTLY. You could even take the Independent limitation and have her forced to increase her pool by paying experience points into it. That could be a deterent from wholesale sampling and force that character into a situation where she may realistically (not winkingly) have to resist her sampling urges cause once she's tried something it's aprt f her forever. And what if she gets a "tainted sample"? She may end up adding a new disadvantage without any powers. Think about it. This way her power is extremely powerful but a double edged sword of the kind thatis fascinating to play.

 

As for disads, you could try a variation on what I did for obe of my muatant characters named Spectra. I'd posted her origin and some of her details here a while back when I was trying to sort her out and got some helpful suggestions (thanks all). For the sake of clarity in the following she's a PC, her fathers a villain NPC. Neither knows about the others double life.

 

Basically, the story is that she is mutant and doesn't know it. You see her father, Templar, is a member of a bloodthirsty group of anti-mutant terrorists known as The Humane Society. The Humane Society are vicious to the point of making The Marauders look like the Glee Club.

 

What I wanted to do with her character is see if I could put him together with a mutant daughter and see how it plays out dramatically. How would the characters chage, what would happen, all that stuff. The problem is I couldn't crebily do it.

 

So, intro Sage, the resident precog of the Humane Society. I cooked up aplausible back story where he foresaw her birth and realized that she could b used by a smart, foreward thinking precog to take over the Humane Society down the road. So he implanted a chip into her brain at birth which makes her invisible to Detect Mutant (it costs 19 points Independent andis fragile).

 

The great thing about this is that she doesn't know about it nor does her father so she was raised with him doting on her and when her powers began to mainifest she scanned as a non mutant (Sage made up a story about cybernetics, etc...all the stuff his comrades would fall for). Plus because she honestly doesn't know any snoopy telepaths who read her memories will find absolutely nothing unusual, no deception. So, we've a situation here where when her impant is finally disabled in a fight she'll set of mutant detectors all along the coast and then....what?

 

Well then, the way I'd play it is that she automatically, AT THAT POINT, gains and ANTI MUTANT SOCIAL LIMITATION. Her WATCHED BY HUMANE SOCIETY TURNS INTO A HUNTED with interesting internal strife in the group. And HER POWER LEVELS may MYSTERIOUSLY INCREASE without the jammer she never knew she had in the first place. All in al aneat little bit of work if you ask me. (which I assume you did)

 

So there's some ideas for you. Hope they help.

 

Vigil

[Kristopher]

Originally posted by Ndreare

I would not have a problem but to me with the character and story. It seems all good but...

 

As an NPC how powerfull are your PC's? the way you have set up the character and the huge variation of powers you already have for her the V.P.P. Limit Would only be -1/2 at most. After all how limited is she compared to the limits in the book. Not at all as an NPC you the GM will be all to tempted to say yeh I guess she would have tracked down the Silver Avenger so if she needs his super speed she can use it.

 

But I won't. That's not how I run games. She's also not a villain. The PCs are supposed to be 300-pt young heroes, attending or associated with The Academy (for which I'm sure I'll have a better name by the time I get to run this).

 

The level of the major limitation on the VPP was based on the Mimic pools in USPD (pg 265-266). Look at number 6 as a comparison. With that pool, the character retains access to all the powers and is not limited in choice between them. It has the following limits:

 

1. -1/4 Requires Successful HTH attack and skin contact to acquire powers

2. -1/4 Only to create powers copied from those touched

-3. 1/2 Powers may only be as powerful as those copied.

 

For #1, what level of Limitation would you assign for "Must injest genetic material from the target to acquire powers"?

For #2, we can can stick with the limit they assigned, but switch the text to "Only to create powers acquired via injesting a genetic sample."

#3 doesn't apply to Crimson.

But, #4 is "Can only duplicate genetics-based powers." What level of limitation would you assign for that?

 

That's what my thought process was on the matter.

 

The utilaty of that power is off the scale so should its cost. And remember if you are basing it on the fact that it will take her a full phase to change powers then remeberr that was included in the game mechanics when you purchased the power without the "0-phase to change +1" modifier.

 

I realize that.

 

I would look at the AP max you allow the players and compare her powers AP to that (Remeber that that does not even include the huge value of Variable FX).

 

Right now she doesn't have any variable FX.

 

In case it seems otherwise, I do appreciate the feedback, a great deal in fact.

[Kristopher]

Re: Some suggestions

 

Originally posted by Vigil

I like your character concept but I do share some of the others concerns.

 

I agree that she should have some sort of PHYS LIMIT on how long she retains these powers.

 

The other alternative would be to give her a larger (yes larger!) pool but with the limitation that as she agquires powers from sampling other delicious, salty, blood that she acquires those powers PERMANENTLY and her pool is reduced by that much PERMANENTLY. You could even take the Independent limitation and have her forced to increase her pool by paying experience points into it. That could be a deterent from wholesale sampling and force that character into a situation where she may realistically (not winkingly) have to resist her sampling urges cause once she's tried something it's aprt f her forever. And what if she gets a "tainted sample"? She may end up adding a new disadvantage without any powers. Think about it. This way her power is extremely powerful but a double edged sword of the kind thatis fascinating to play.

 

{snip interesting Disads idea}

 

As I envision her now, the deterent to wholesale sampling is that she might get caught. Why do you consider the psychological and social deterent to be "winking"?

[Vigil]

some suggestions

 

Hey Kristopher,

 

No offense meant but I find disads of the type that you describe to be a bit self serving (hence the "winking"). Look at it this way. If she resists the compulsion, what happens? Probably nothing. If she doesn't, what happens? She gains a fab new power. Doesn't seem like much of a disad to me as it presently exists.

 

If you structure it as I suggested then there may be consequences from her sampling. The possibility of tainted or diseased blood (no one wants HIV or Hep 3 or the Legacy Virus or anything else, do they?) makes the disads much more interesting and may even create a situation where she needs a total blood wash, which may leave her with no powers or mutated powers for awhile. Stuff like that I find much more interesting and persuasive as disads.

 

The thing I've found in far too many campaigns is that disads that are self-policing just aren't really ever enforced and aren't really disads. No character (even most NPCs) is going to resist the compulsion cause it's something that they want anyways. It's like Oscar Wilde said, "The only way to resist temptation is to give in to it." And that seems to be the situation with this character and it's one of the reasons why I tend to dislike vampiric characters (is "must drink blood" really a disad for a vampire when it's what they want to do anyway? That's like giving Santa Clause the disad "must deliver presents"!).

 

Now, if she at least had a pretty onerous Dependence on Blood or picked up her target's Susceptibilities and Vulnerabilities and Phys Limits and Dependances (all the "physical" disads) then we're cookin'. Imagine if she samples blood from a character who is already vampiric and gets a megadose of it! That could be a problem when her limitations end up turbocharged.

 

So, in essence, what I"m saying is that for vampiric charcters internal consequences rarely to seem to have any consequences. So go to the external limitations (the Dependences, Susceptibilities, Vulnerabilities and Phys. Limits, where the consequences happen in spite of, or because of, her direct actions. Remember a Phys Limit can be like a super Psych Limit in that a psych limit is something that a charcter "won't" do, aphys limit is more basic, it's something they "can't do". Take for example one of Azimov's robots from "I, Robot". They actually had a Phys Limit "will not harm humans". They were absolutely physically incapable of it, all of their circuits would rebel against it. That's a lot more powerful than if they had Psych Disad "will not harm humans" where they could still override it if they really had or wanted to. Just different magnitudes is all.

 

I'm not saying that I hate or even dislike the charcter. In fact, I feel she has tons of potential to be a very dynamic, engaging character if she's handled right. I'd be happy to offer whatever other suggestions I can and, again, no offense meant. I was just trying to point out what I can see as very vulnerable disads.

 

Vigil

[Kristopher]

Don't worry, I'm not offended at all.

 

For many actual vampires, as presented in fiction, there's no real downside to being compelled to drink blood, because becoming a vampire made them remorseless predators, then it's not much of a disad. They're worried about not getting caught, maybe. Sometimes it's dangerous to feed, too. But the compulsion to feed isn't pushing them to do something they wouldn't otherwise want to do.

 

For Crimson, well, it's not as if she enjoys drinking blood. She really doesn't want to do it. If the compulsion gets the better of her, then she's done something she doesn't want to do. She's already heavy with Psych Lims, so I didn't add another one to reflect her need for self-control and compusure, which is alluded to in the write-up. If she sucumbs to the compulsion, she's not in control. Sucumbing to the compulsion threatens her need for secrecy, threatens to expose the thing she's trying to hide.

 

I can see where you're coming from, and I'd wouldn't allow this character as-is to be used as a PC. But as an NPC, with me-the-GM playing her, I'm not worried. I can play the balance between the competing sides of her psyche.

[Vigil]

Cool.

 

Glad you're not offended.

 

Crimson sounds like a cool NPC, the type that my PC's would be hounding trying to drag into the team for better or ill.

 

Do you have any other characters you're devloping that you'd like to chat about. I'd mentioned one of my creations, Spectra, here and elsewhere. I like to create all the PC's for my players so the teams are cohesive and balanced and playable. I'm currently working on my speedster, Professor Cinnabar.

 

Vigil

[Kristopher]

Originally posted by Vigil

Cool.

 

Glad you're not offended.

 

Crimson sounds like a cool NPC, the type that my PC's would be hounding trying to drag into the team for better or ill.

 

Do you have any other characters you're devloping that you'd like to chat about. I'd mentioned one of my creations, Spectra, here and elsewhere. I like to create all the PC's for my players so the teams are cohesive and balanced and playable. I'm currently working on my speedster, Professor Cinnabar.

 

I was trying to figure out how the name "Cinnabar" made sense for a speedster, and then I remembered that cinnabar is an ore for mercury (mercury sulfide).

 

[Ghost who Walks]

Originally posted by Vigil

Now, if she at least had a pretty onerous Dependence on Blood or picked up her target's Susceptibilities and Vulnerabilities and Phys Limits and Dependances (all the "physical" disads) then we're cookin'. Imagine if she samples blood from a character who is already vampiric and gets a megadose of it! That could be a problem when her limitations end up turbocharged.

Perhaps another limitation on the power pool?

An activation roll perhaps, with side effects.

 

The side effects would be that she gets some of the disadvantages (negative) from the characters whose blood she is drinking, in addition to the postive effects.

 

The disadvantages would last as long as she kept the power they are associated with

 

Example: Drink some of Gronds blood, and become vulnerable to fire and ego attacks.

[Kristopher]

Originally posted by Ghost who Walks

Perhaps another limitation on the power pool?

An activation roll perhaps, with side effects.

 

The side effects would be that she gets some of the disadvantages (negative) from the characters whose blood she is drinking, in addition to the postive effects.

 

The disadvantages would last as long as she kept the power they are associated with

 

Example: Drink some of Gronds blood, and become vulnerable to fire and ego attacks.

 

Not that I'd eager to allow her as a PC, but if I were going to, I'd be more concerned with adding that kind of counterbalance. Or maybe not, I don't know. I'm not as big on the idea that characters are defined and made interesting by their drawbacks, quirks, and problems as the HERO system, or a lot of comicbook gurus, seem to be.

[Vigil]

Hey Kristopher,

 

I can see where you're coming from in your comments and can sympathize to some degree. Ir's true that disads alone don't define a charcter. I've gamed with one or 2 GMs who were obsessive about loading characters with disads until they were completely crippled. In fact, it seemed that they took damage just from being alive and were vulnerable to air. Kinda like Vertigo characters.

 

But I don't think that that's not the approach that either I or Ghost Who Walks are advocating. The probalem is that the other end of the spectrum is even worse. 2 classic examples of the little to no disad philosophy, Superman and Mon-El. Now I have to admit to being a pre-Crisis Mon-El buff but I've never, ever, ever liked Superman and think that he's just about the worst character ever created. And he's a perfect example of the all powers and disads school of character creation. The fundamental problem is that he's boring. He's rarely challenged in any sense of the word and his arch nemesis is a bald guy...who's really smart and absolutely mortal! Ooooh scary!

 

You see there's a dramatic principle at stake here and that's that the the greater the nemesis the greater the hero. Lex Luthor sucks as anemesis, he's no threat and so, Superman's not really much of a hero. I mean if your claim to fame, when you have almost incalculable and god-like power, is warring with some smart bald guy who's no more capable than your average stock broker, then you don't have muchof aclaim to fame. Check out Maxi-Mortal if you want to see a brilliant examination of what I'm talking about.

 

All of which leads me to the question of disads. While powers are cool and are certainly to a large part the fun of playing a character (there'd be little point otherwise), it's disads that make the characters human, likeable and engaging. Again, it's a quality of opposition thing. A character is measured by the quality of his/her enemies be they external or internal. That's why virtually everyone who reads comics finds Batman much more engaging than Superman, he's just more real and sympathetic. I find with my own charcters that they truly come alive once I have a cohesive and interesting set of disads in place. Before that they can be fun in a kinda flat, cardboard but they aren't anywhere near as engaging. I

 

guess what I'm saying is that it's hard to give a damn about characters that have no problems (like Superman). And I think that's the entire point. We want to give a damn about these charcters and to see our heroes struggle and overcome adversity because we do that evryday in our lives in our own small ways.

 

I could go on but I hope you have the point. It's kinda like the army slogan, "be all you can be...by adding disads!"

 

Vigil

[Kristopher]

You're right, in that Superman tends to be boring.

 

By the way, I think all that mighty power is _why_ Luthor is his nemesis. Luthor is far more intelligent, ruthless, and devious, and those are the areas in which Superman can be bested. All that power leaves Supes kinda naive and straightforward.

 

I'm afraid I might have overstated my case in my last post. I don't want to play, GM, or read about flawless, perfect, unbeatable characters. But I also get bored quickly with the "torment of the month" philosophy.

 

"Oh, look, Peter Parker's life has fallen apart AGAIN. How could I ever be more entertained than by watching Peter Parker suffer."

 

"Oh look, the X-mutants are still being persecuted and discriminated against. Their suffering is meaningful and deep."

 

It gets old.

 

To bring this back to the topic of the thread, Crimson has enough problems as it is, especially as an NPC. I don't feel any need to torment her on a regular basis.

 

Besides, she's supposed seem close to prefect to the other students, including the PCs. Smart, attractive, composed, has her own money, lots of powers with none of the obvious strangeness that seems to plague those with mutant powers.

 

Underneath, she's scared silly that someone will figure out that she's a "vampire". Every time she sees blood, she wants to drink it. She accidentally got her first set of copied powers by performing oral sex on her boyfriend*, which would be a fairly mortifying thing for a teenage girl to discuss. There's no one she can trust and no one she can confide in.

 

* (I'm surprised no one asked why she drank Nick/Megadyne's blood. The answer is, she didn't.)

[Vigil]

Wow!

 

I must admit I hadn't considered that angle on power acquisition.

 

But that still leaves an important unanswered question...did she spit or swallow? And does she have a sister?

 

Enquiring minds want to know.

 

 

Vigil

[Kristopher]

Originally posted by Vigil

Wow!

 

I must admit I hadn't considered that angle on power acquisition.

 

But that still leaves an important unanswered question...did she spit or swallow? And does she have a sister?

 

Enquiring minds want to know.

 

Vigil

 

A) Since she has Megadyne's powers, you already know the answer.

Her sister would rather just bite you.

[acowie]

Not that it's a very exciting comment..

 

But I really like her.

 

I think her concept is great. Like several people here I am a big fan of disads, but as an NPC (especially as she is supposed to be a cheerleader type) I can see why you haven't loaded her up. It's hard enough to juggle all the PCs disads in a meaningful manner without a whole bunch of NPC things creeping in.

 

What about the nitty gritty point scores? Like a couple of others I'm a little unsure about the control cost purely because once sampled the potential is always there. Right now - it's fairly limited. Give her a few years and it may be not even worth -1/4. I think you may have to vary the control limitation depending on game events (which is uncool, I realise).

 

Oh, and I do love the side effects idea.