Superheroing 101

[Mavnn]

So, I have this idea for a character.

 

And the idea is this: Joe found out at a young age that he wasn't normal. More intelligent, stronger, and less prone to injury than his peers, he quickly realised that he was the kind of stock superheroes were made from. His parents strong teachings on morality and ethics only reinforced his ideas, and by the time Joe started school, donning the spandex was already his life time dream. Up until age 8, though, it stayed as just that - a dream. Something he assumed would happen sometime, and he might as well get on with his life while he was waiting.

 

Then, mere days after his 8th birthday, Joe discovered his parents were the superheroes Crimson Fist (his mum, a speedster) and Golden Lion (an alien brick). When they were utterly trashed in a fight with (x villians), and went into hospital with the injuries to prove it. While they both survived, there was no question of them being able to continue their adventuring careers.

 

On that day, Joe's life changed. Superheroes were out numbered, out-gunned, and badly needed. He wasn't going to wait to become one, he was going to fight to become one. Having spoken to his parents, they agreed - on one condition. They weren't going to let him out before he was ready. And so his training began.

 

Powers wise, he's a general all-round metahuman - well above average in all characteristics, and ranging into the superhuman on several (Strength and PD/ED most notably, although he's not high enough in either to be considered a true brick). Maybe a couple of esoteric senses to give him a bit of variation.

 

The question is, what does he know? He's spent his entire education training to be a superhero, and the resources to learn whatever he needs.

 

I'm assuming that he will at least finish college before donning a costume, and will probably spend the first few years of his superhero career fighting crime on university campus.

 

Michael

[BNakagawa]

Perhaps what's more important is who does he know?

 

It's pretty reasonable for his parents to have known a number of like-minded paranormals from their earlier adventures. It's pretty reasonable for one or two of them to have been younger sidekicks who have since grown into full blown supers. Maybe one of them can take their kid under their wing to repay the favor.

 

If nothing else, this kid would probably have a lifetime of war stories to prepare him for the usual stuff. When to hold back and when to cut loose. How to pick the perp and how to smell a rat. The usual stuff that cop's kids usually get.

 

$0.02

[Mavnn]

Yeah, I'm assuming he'll have a collection of contacts, and maybe even some friends in the business.

[Crimson Arrow]

Definitely Contacts. He might have some kind of signalling device to call for help from them.

 

I can imagine he would have the KSs listed in Champions (KS: Superhuman World, KS: Superheroes, KS: Supervillains, etc). Perhaps Analyze Superhuman, even. Find Weakness against supers only might fit, but is perhaps a bit much for someone with little practical experience.

 

He'd have learned martial arts (quite possibly a variety - shown by "Comic Book Martial Arts", some form of self-defence training (Krav Maga, Hisardut, Commando Training) or a collection of moves taken from different arts (throws and escapes from Jiu-Jitsu, strikes from Tae Kwon Do etc.).

 

He'd probably have useful combat-related Skills too, especially Breakfall and quite likely Acrobatics.

 

Possibly a weakened form of Danger Sense ("I smell a rat", as BNakagawa puts it), perhaps confined to certain situations where he could perceive the danger and the stories he's heard would inform him.

 

How about a couple of Levels subject to the Limitation "only where he's heard of a similar situation"? This can operate as something for the GM to decide, or maybe just give the Levels an Activation or RSR Limitation instead. I'd suggest you roll once at the beginning of the fight (or possibly other event, if you are using Overall Levels).

[Lord Liaden]

Criminology skills are very likely, especially if he works the "street level" of superhuman crime - Criminology, Deduction, SS: Psychology to understand the villainous mind. Conversation and Streetwise to get information are also possible.

 

If he uses gadgets to augment his abilities, he would probably have studied various Sciences, and have Electronics, Mechanics and possibly Inventor. Computer Programming and Security Systems would logically follow this course.

[Lightray]

Find Weakess against superheroes might indeed be a bit much, but how about 8-pt. Combat Skill Levels - Requires a KS: Supervillains Roll? He's sure to have been drilled on the powers and weaknesses of all his parents' foes.

 

In my campaign I'd probably allow "Supervillain Knowledge" as a Power skill, too. It would be good to simulate those moments in comics when the hero exploits an enemy's weaknesses in some outlandish way.

[Hermit]

What others have suggested.

 

I'd say he'd have Stealth, and possibly security systems (not that heroes uhmm ever break and enter but ...gosh. )

 

Given how his parents were hurt, and how I'm sure he'd have the responsiblity of saving people's lives put into him over and over, I can't see him without trying to learn Paramedics.

 

Heck, in a bit of dark humor, you might even give him Demolitions, "Because Son, you never know when you'll have to defuse one...villains are nuts!"

 

Power wise, if you wanted to get fancy, you could indeed give him limited forms of telepathy or precognition with all sorts of limitations (ala dark champs) based on deduction or following his gut.

 

KS: History (super Humans) might also be a good one...from listening to all those war stories.

 

"Do you know who this guy IS? Microman, THE Microman .... he was a founder of the Sentinels"

 

[Mavnn]

No disads yet, but this is a very rough first draft. I've got nine points to play with, and he still needs some form of movement power.

 

Suggestions welcome...

 

Edit: Oops, used old version of export template. Will repost a cleaner version later.

 

Legacy

 

Player:

 

Val	Char	Cost
30	STR	20
23	DEX	39
23	CON	26
13	BODY	6
18	INT	8
14	EGO	8
13	PRE	3
14	COM	2
22	PD	8
22	ED	9
5	SPD	17
11	REC	0
46	END	0
40	STUN	0

6" RUN02" SWIM06" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 146

 

Cost	Power	END
16	Skin II Armor: Armor (8 PD/8 ED) (24 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

Powers Cost: 16

 

Cost	Martial Arts Maneuver
	Generic Combat Training
4	1) Block: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort
4	2) Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +5 DCV, Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort
5	3) Kick: 1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +1 DCV, 12d6 Strike
4	4) Punch: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 10d6 Strike
5	5) Takeaway: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab Weapon, 50 STR to take weapon away
3	6) Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, 8d6 +v/5, Target Falls
8	7) +2 HTH Damage Class(es)

Martial Arts Cost: 33

 

Cost	Skill
3	Acrobatics 14-
3	Breakfall 14-
3	Climbing 14-
3	Conversation 12-
5	Cramming
3	Criminology 13-
3	Deduction 13-
1	Forensic Medicine 8-
3	PS: Superhero 13-
3	Paramedics 13-
3	Scholar
1	1) KS: Police Procedures (2 Active Points) 11-
2	2) KS: Superheroes (3 Active Points) 13-
2	3) KS: Superhuman History (3 Active Points) 13-
2	4) KS: Superhuman World (3 Active Points) 13-
2	5) KS: Supervillians (3 Active Points) 13-
3	Scientist
2	1) SS: Biology 13- (3 Active Points)
2	2) SS: Chemistry 13- (3 Active Points)
2	3) SS: Pharmaceuticals 13- (3 Active Points)
1	4) SS: Physics 11- (2 Active Points)
2	5) SS: Physics of Superpowers 13- (3 Active Points)
1	6) SS: Psychology 11- (2 Active Points)
2	7) SS: Superhuman Psychology 13- (3 Active Points)
1	8) SS: Xeno Biology 11- (2 Active Points)
3	Security Systems 13-
3	Shadowing 13-
3	Stealth 14-
3	Streetwise 12-
3	Systems Operation 13-
3	Tactics 13-
1	Teamwork 8-
1	Tracking 8-
11	+2 with All Combat (16 Active Points); Requires A Skill Roll (KS: Supervillians (or Superheroes as relevant); -1/2)
8	+1 with All Combat

Skills Cost: 97

 

Cost	Perk
10	Contact: Dad (Golden Lion) (Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has: useful Skills or resources, Very Good relationship with Contact) 15-
10	Contact: Mum (Crimson Fist) (Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has: useful Skills or resources, Very Good relationship with Contact) 15-
12	Contact: British Old-timer Superheroes (Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has: useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact), Organization Contact (x3) (12 Active Points) 8-

Perks Cost: 32

 

Cost	Talent
17	Danger Sense (self only, out of combat, Function as a Sense, Intuitional) 13-

Talents Cost: 17

 

 

Total Character Cost: 341

 

 

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 141

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

[Vanderbilt_Grad]

That looks really good. You hit the nail on the head about movement powers. Running or Flight with only in contact with a surface seem reasonable given that 'mum' was a speedster.

[JmOz]

The problem right now is that while movement is important, you don't want to go overboard. So I will suggest the following mods:

 

. 9 Remaining points

+ 14 Reduce PD/ED by 7 each

- 4 Raise Armor by 2/2 (I have found that buying all defences in groups of works better)

- 13 +4 Running x4 NCM

+ 17 Remove the Danger Sense (Tell GM you want this after you get some experience)

+ 3 Combat Driving

20 200 point Vehicle (100 Base Points, !00 Disads). Probably a motorcycle of some kind.

 

You could also change the driving to piloting and give him a flight bike

[Mavnn]

Wow. I'd forgotton this thread existed, as I ended up playing a different character in the end.

 

Any how, if I was still going to finish him off (or if anyone wanted to borrow him as a character/NPC), I'd be tempted to give him some form of innate movement power as Vanderbilt_Grad was suggesting. As he spotted, that was the main reason for mum being a speedster.

 

JmOz, the main problem with your solution is that it drops his defenses by 5 each, and I originally intended him as a 'martial brick'. He doesn't really have the CV to sustain defenses of only 17. You're probably right about dropping the Danger Sense initially, given that however much he knows he's still a rookie. Would be fun to add on later, though.

 

My quick fix would be drop the danger sense to leave 26 free points, and then buy Running +8", x8 NCM. Not true Mach 16 super-speedster, but enough to give him good combat mobility and sufficient general movement to outrun a car. If you felt that was too excessive, and wanted to slow him down a bit you could instead add: Running +5", x4 NCM and Leaping +6", x4 NCM. This would leave him slower than a really fast car, but give him exceptional mobility around combat.

 

Michael

[JmOz]

My Math was off, I thought that his PD and ED did not include Armor, so my plan would have droped him to 25 I thought...