Signature Weapons

[JmOz]

I am looking for examples of signature weapons for "street level" heroes.

 

So to define what I am looking for, I don't need write ups, just examples.  By Street Level we are talking about Spider-man, Batman (I know, really powerful), most of the Netflix Marvel characters, etc...

 

I am looking for items that help to define the character.  I am not looking things like the GL ring or Iron Man Armor, as that is the wrong scale...

[Lord Liaden]

So.. things like: boomerangs; billy clubs; whips; staves; throwing stars/discs; nunchakus; swords of course; melee/throwing knives; maces; shields (thrown or not); bracers (for defense)... is that the sort of thing you had in mind?

[Lord Liaden]

Or maybe something a little more gadget-ish? Something like Green Hornet's gas gun? Or Judge Dredd's voice-activated variable-round Lawgiver gun? Or the Captain Cold/Mr. Freeze ice guns?

[Lord Liaden]

The Champions villain Double Dealer (in Champions Villains Vol. 3) is a nice example of a distinctive street-level villain gimmick weapon -- although I also think he represents a bit of a lost opportunity. DD wields two swords in battle, but he also wears a pair of technological gauntlets which generate a powerful magnetic field, capable of drawing his swords to him if he becomes separated from them; as well any other ferrous object.

 

Double Dealer's write-up notes that he can throw a sword at a target at range, but that's only "a desperation move" he rarely uses. However, with two swords, and a means to get them back after throwing them, that seems like a much more viable tactic that would make DD more versatile and more distinctive. Not to mention using his gauntlets to disarm opponents of their hand-held metal weapons. Needless to say, the version of Double Dealer in my games does those things.

[winterhawk]

Leave it to Lord L to cover pretty much anything...let's not forget my personal favorite...bow with gimmick arrows.  It's also easy to look to the great rogues galleries...the themed arsenals of the Joker and the Green Goblin, Penguin's trick umbrella, the Big 5 of the Flash's Rogues (cold gun(s), heat gun, mirror arsenal, weather control rod, gimmicked boomerangs), Mysterio's illusionary devices.  And how about street level powered armor/battlesuits like those of the Shocker and the original Scorpion.

[Lord Liaden]

Mentioning CV 3 prompted me to go back over the street-level villains in that book for other relevant examples. Ambush is a teleporter, but she also uses a taser baton for either striking or shocking. Arachne uses gloves that fire a sticky "webbing," as well as shuriken-like throwing blades marked with a spiderweb motif. Black Harlequin has his various toy-themed weapons, and his "Jester's Cane." Blowtorch, of course, carries a flamethrower. Buzzsaw wears a pair of gauntlets that shoot blades at high velocity. Cadaver uses a mind-controlling "Zombiefication Pistol." El Salto wears "spring boots" granting him enhanced leaping ability. And of course, you can't overlook the magnificent Foxbat Ping Pong Ball Gun .

[JmOz]

A little about my motivations here:  I have for a VERY long time been working on a gadget book called "The Fox Armory", a guide to "street Level" equipment. 

 

The majority of the book is items under 30 AP, and 15 RP, however I want one section of the book to be more expensive gadgets that really "Define" a character.

 

So far I have (and hero/villain names may change, Quotation marks mean THEY WILL CHANGE)

 

Magpie's Wings

Marksman's Quiver

Belt of Might

[Ninja-Bear]

Lady Hawk and Hawk boy are my kids street level Batman knock off.

[steriaca]

My vigilante character Red Death wields a colaspable sythe which he can use his Death Touch power through. So, it is on the based level a 3d6 AP and Penatration KA, with some combat only, one attack only Stretching. He could also use the flat of the blade or staff as an HA.

 

Other street level signature weapons? Dead Man's Hand of the Card Sharks group wields electrified gauntlets.

 

An only idea so far villain Killer Bee wields a "Stinger" sword (electrified and can also inject bee poison to the victim). He also has bee shaped darts, one type is sharp and has bee poison on them, another type carries honey type sticky entangle.

 

Black Dragon is a martial artist of a evil bent, and his dragon style helm is able to "breath fire".

 

Skull is a street level would be world conquer (he is starting small, but his long term file is not a single city but the world). He wields skull shape grenades, a bone shape staff, and a secret lasers hidden in the eye lense area of his mask.

 

Oops. Forgot that Skull and Black Dragon are also idea villains also.

 

Hope this helps.

[death tribble]

So Hawkeye's Bow and Arrows

Green Arrow's Bow and Arrows

[freakboy6117]

I was working on a hero who used rope darts that deployed from his sleeves and rigged to automatic retractors behind his back.

 

I considered adding some trick attachments tazers electromagnets or blades for example with enough line he could even use them as swing lines.

[Lord Liaden]

I played an acrobatic hero called Airborn who fought with a collapsible staff for hand-to-hand and throwing like a blunt javelin, which he also used as a balance pole for walking on wires and the like, and which could telescope long enough to work as a vaulting pole.

[IndianaJoe3]

Wrecker's enchanted crowbar and Thunderball's wrecking ball might qualify.

[JmOz]

So added two more weapons, both from Government agencies

 

STRIPES Staff---Think a combined Daredevil billy clubs and Mockingbird Staff/Fighting Sticks

STARS Gun---A multi-ammunition riffle designed as the primary weapon of a special force of soldiers

-------------------

 

If it helps for what I am picturing, imagine this scenario:

 

Alfred is dusting the Batcave Museum when the League of Assassins attack, what would Alfred have available to use as weapons to fight off the hoard of ninjas?  Now obviously don't want strait rip offs, but that is the type of Items I am looking for...

[steriaca]

If it helps for what I am picturing, imagine this scenario:

 

Alfred is dusting the Batcave Museum when the League of Assassins attack, what would Alfred have available to use as weapons to fight off the hoard of ninjas? Now obviously don't want strait rip offs, but that is the type of Items I am looking for...

A cane/tazer gun.

 

A kinetic bag launcher gun.

 

A low light vision goggles, and a laser gun which emits light only in the low light spectrum.

 

A glove that amplifies kinetic force with each strike.

 

An 'Iknow Karate' helm and body suit.

[steriaca]

A plate of Unbelivagirl's cookies (so hard that a diamond can't cut them, so poisonous that nobody can eat them but Unbelivaman and live, and even he gets sick to his stomach).

[JmOz]

(Firefly Suit) Maybe with a f/x switch...could see electrical or cold...Coldwind's Battle suit?  Combines the ice powers (Which with Captain Cold, Mr Freeze, Blizard, etc...seems needed) with flight, and a decent name for a villain...

[freakboy6117]

UK street level heroes

 

Promenade Brighton's sponsored hero is a gate teleporter and uses small gates to attack with a variety of grenades and batons. The gates let her throw them extra distance or have them come from strange directions even appearing at a targets feet.

 

The Illuminator Blackpools guardian is a combination of batman and Mysterio. He uses holographic projectors and drones. His costume has two modes SHOWTIME the suits holographic emitters cover his suit with swirling neon images which distract and misdirect targeting he wields a book staff with a a strobe light in the tip which causes blinding or stunning effects. STEALTH is sneaky Matte black but using the holographic emitters for chameleon capabilities. The drones have the same optical stun strobe and holographic emitters that let illuminator create illusions.

 

Illuminator uses the expectation of the SHOWTIME mode to use the stealth mode to great effect.

[BoloOfEarth]

Wasn't there a circus villain whose hat had a hypnotic spinner on it? 

 

As to homebrew characters, I had a hero (Goldenrod) who had an alien staff that gave him powers (flight, force field, force blast).

 

I also had Torg, a guy in plate armor whose signature item was an intelligent magic sword.

 

Midas, whose glove transformed anything he touched to gold.

 

Needler, who carried a satchel full of trick darts.

 

A friend created Dr. Discus, whose signature weapon was a pistol that fired spinning discs (cutting, exploding, entangling, etc.)

 

Actually, you could have a section on trick-warhead weapons (arrows, crossbow bolts, bullets, darts, discs, etc.).  Most powers are probably usable across most if not all of the various types (explosive arrow / bolt / bullet / dart / disc / baseball / boomerang, etc.)

[steriaca]

Wasn't there a circus villain whose hat had a hypnotic spinner on it? 

Yep. The Ringmaster (of Crime) was the ringleader of the Circus Of Crime, and would hypnotize the audience while his carny cohorts would rob them of there valuables, then make them forget being robbed and continued on with the show like nothing happened.

 

And the hat was strong enough to hypnotize The Hulk into becoming a clown once...

[JmOz]

​I like midas, do you mind if I use the idea for the books?  Needler is a cool name/ idea as well

[steriaca]

Winterblade's cold and ice generating hi-tech sword. Your free to use it.

[BoloOfEarth]

​I like midas, do you mind if I use the idea for the books?  Needler is a cool name/ idea as well

 

Feel free to use both.  Of course, Needler liked to taunt (or "needle") opponents.

 

In the "trick ammo" department, I also had Bankshot, who carried a custom titanium pool cue (named Floyd) and has twin bandoliers of billiard balls that he could throw (and of course bounce off walls / ceilings / floors to catch targets by surprise).  The balls did anything from plastic mesh nets, spike-balls, sleep gas, flashes, electricity, smoke, ice... 15 total effects, plus his reusable cue ball (a penetrating double-knockback physical Blast).  The solids were single-target attacks, the stripes were AoE attacks. 

 

Another signature weapon is Ping-Pong's paddle - basically, Reflection at any target.

 

All three (Needler, Bankshot, and Ping-Pong) belonged to a group known as the Gamesmen.  (The other Gamesmen didn't have signature weapons, so I didn't list them here.)

[JmOz]

Sounds great...Might crib them all BWAHH HA HA...Please send me your real name via private message so I can at least put a "Inspired by __________" in the credits