Bonus Character for Shared origins: Dynatron

[DShomshak]

Just because I finish a writing project doesn't mean I stop thinking about the ideas. I published Shared Origins: The Dynatron (available through the HERO Store) last year. Recently, though, I thought of a new hero whom I thought would work well as a character who gained his powers through the Dynatron and its supervillain inventor, Red Giant. So I wrote him up for my campaign. Then I thought, why not polish him up and share him with the forum?

 

So here's the Gladiator, who got his powers because he made a wish and had it answered in an unusual way. I hope you like him.

 

Dean Shomshak

 

EDIT: Hyper-Man and Pinecone kindly brought some errors to my attention. Thanks, guys! The corrected version is given further down.

 

No man is wise by himself.

Gladiator-for-forum.pdf

[Amorkca]

This is awesome Dean!!

 

I like the twists you have thrown in to his origin story!!

 

Will you post this as a HDC?

[BoloOfEarth]

Great stuff, Dean!  Well written as always.

[pinecone]

Very nice! One "technical" question...why the "odd" Str score? Is that a 6th ed "thing?

[Hyper-Man]

Very nice! One "technical" question...why the "odd" Str score? Is that a 6th ed "thing?

 

And why is his combined damage of STR with the HA listed as only 12d6 instead of 13d6?  Reduced END on a HA doesn't apply to base STR anyway so no prorating is necessary.

 

HM

[DShomshak]

Whoops -- That's an On-Screen Revision blunder. At first, Gladiator's weapon MP slots all had Variable Special Effects (+1/4) to represent how he could make all different weapons. Later I decided this was not a meaningful Advantage, because how often would it matter whether his HKA was a sword, an axe, a glaive-guisarme, or whatever? Okay, maybe somebody, somewhere, would pit him against a demon that was Vulnerable to cross-hilted swords, or he'd need to copy the sacred khopesh of Pharaoh Ramesses, but I figured that could be handled through a Power Stunt. So I dropped the Advantage. I reduced the Multipower reserve and slot costs, then used the points to raise his Speed, but I forgot to recalculate the bonus damage. Wthout the Advantage, his STR didn't need to be 31, either.

 

As a correction, I pushed the MP reserve down to 45 points so the slots would return to 12 DC. That and reducing STR to 30 freed up points. I spent that on extra defense versus light-based attacks, though I'm sure one could think of other things.

 

Anyway, here's the corrected version. (Hoping there are no further goofs.)

 

Dean Shomshak

Gladiator-Corrected.pdf

[BoloOfEarth]

Hey, Dean, I'm looking to bring some of your work (Sky-Q and the Dynatron, and maybe later the Green Butterfly) into my new Champions campaign, and it got me wondering  Are you in the process of creating any other Shared Origins works?  Just curious.

 

(If you're not familiar with any of Dean's past Shared Origins work, particularly if you're running a Champions game, I suggest you check them out.  I've had some success with the Dynatron in a past Champions campaign, and anticipate getting similar good use out of Sky-Q in this game.)

[Amorkca]

Hey Bolo

 

Do you by any chance still have a copy of Gladiator you could share?  I used to have a copy but cannot find it...

 

Thanks!

 

 

[DShomshak]

On 9/13/2021 at 4:35 PM, BoloOfEarth said:

Hey, Dean, I'm looking to bring some of your work (Sky-Q and the Dynatron, and maybe later the Green Butterfly) into my new Champions campaign, and it got me wondering  Are you in the process of creating any other Shared Origins works?  Just curious.

I'm sorry to say it, but... almost certainly not. Sales were piddling, both here and on DriveThruRPG. Not worth the work -- especially the illustration. I am not an artist. I can sort of fake it sometimes, but it's like pulling my own teeth. Taking care of my mother in her declining years has also been an impediment.

 

It's a shame, because I do have more Shared Origins I'd like to complete. The Parallax Event for the Shared Accident: A bit of stolen alien technology goes kaboom, and the wave of hyperspacial energy gives random people super-powers -- especially the people nearest, who form a supervillain team called the Constellation. Or there's Wreck of Empire: Professor Proton was one of the world's most powerful villains, but his ruthlessness led to his death. Some of his lieutenants try to keep his criminal empire going, but many of his agents, bases and weapons are up for grabs, creating Spinoff Characters. And for a Power-Granting Artifact I have the Doomsday Cross created by the Warlock, which pulls various lesser demon lords out of Hell to possess unwitting mortals. A few more. But they are all stalled at various points. At least you've got the concepts now, to develop for yourself.

 

Gladiator6c.pdf

 

On 9/14/2021 at 5:55 PM, Amorkca said:

Hey Bolo

 

Do you by any chance still have a copy of Gladiator you could share?  I used to have a copy but cannot find it...

 

And I see the attached file vanished at some point. Here it is again, I think.

 

EDIT: Old files detached.

 

Dean Shomshak

Gladiator6c.pdf

Edited April 26, 2023 by DShomshak

[BoloOfEarth]

1 hour ago, DShomshak said:

I'm sorry to say it, but... almost certainly not. Sales were piddling, both here and on DriveThruRPG. Not worth the work -- especially the illustration. I am not an artist. I can sort of fake it sometimes, but it's like pulling my own teeth. Taking care of my mother in her declining years has also been an impediment.

 

It's a shame, because I do have more Shared Origins I'd like to complete. The Parallax Event for the Shared Accident: A bit of stolen alien technology goes kaboom, and the wave of hyperspacial energy gives random people super-powers -- especially the people nearest, who form a supervillain team called the Constellation. Or there's Wreck of Empire: Professor Proton was one of the world's most powerful villains, but his ruthlessness led to his death. Some of his lieutenants try to keep his criminal empire going, but many of his agents, bases and weapons are up for grabs, creating Spinoff Characters. And for a Power-Granting Artifact I have the Doomsday Cross created by the Warlock, which pulls various lesser demon lords out of Hell to possess unwitting mortals. A few more. But they are all stalled at various points. At least you've got the concepts now, to develop for yourself.

 

 

That is a shame.  What you had put out was some top-quality work, and those ideas you had for future projects all sound great.  I particularly like the Doomsday Cross, and will try to develop it for my game, but doubt it will turn out quite as good.  

 

(And sympathies and kudos to you for taking care of your mother.  Been there myself, and I wish you the best at it.)

[DShomshak]

I've produced new pdfs of Gladiator for 5th and 6th editions and posted them in the Downloads area. Here are the links.

 

 

Dean Shomshak

[steriaca]

Spoiler

 

Darn boxes which don't go away.

 

Anyways, people pick up these books not for ways to create characters, but for new characters. GM's as a habit, don't actually NEED shared origins for there characters. Only some new and cool characters. 

 

And we all know you can create all sorts of cool characters, both good and bad, Deen.

 

Maybe put all of them into a collection volume and see if that sells better?