Pamela's 6E Build Thread - Redux

[evilaustintom]

3 hours ago, PamelaIsley said:

 

Thank you so much for the multipower suggestion. I think I will build her out a bit more.

 

On the telekinesis slam to the west only . . . that's Champions Powers idea, not really mine.  It is a nice idea, but I do think if you totally stopped relative to the Earth, you'd go splat pretty fast against any solid object.  I would assume, from a realism standpoint, that Kinetic Controllers are only able to sort of stop you, not totally stop you.  

 

Kinetic powers are a cool idea, but kind of hard to implement.

 

I saw you used the power suggestions from the book - I was just voicing my thoughts on it.  A GM might be flexible, and just go with it.

 

But as you say, the 'implementation' of some of those kinetic powers is an issue. 

 

I'm starting a new Champions campaign myself right now.  The GM ran the first intro game as, "Everyone as normal people."  He then effectively role-played our origin story.  We each rolled random 'superpowers', and my guy got 'energy manipulation'.  After the first game, the GM lets us build our characters however we want within the 400pt build, but using the 'direction' we rolled up.  I decided to narrow the focus of energy manipulation into nulling/suppressing energy, both normal and kinetic.  So you caught met at a good time - I've been playing around with kinetics, so I just happened to be the 'kinetic zone' this week.

 

If I get a chance when I get home, I'll try to post some of the kinetic powers I built for him.  They may not work for your character idea, but perhaps they'll help with idea of your own.

 

evilaustintom

 

 

[PamelaIsley]

Omega

Total: 900

 

STR 13, 12-, 2 ½ d6
DEX 18, 13-
CON 18, 13-
INT 23, 14-
EGO 23, 14-
PRE 23, 14-, 4 ½ d6

OCV 9
DCV 9
OMCV 3
DMCV 5

SPD 6

PD 8 33 (25r)
ED 8 33 (25r)

REC 10
END 95

BODY 10
STUN 60

 

Total Cost: 225

Skills & Talents
CS: Omega Blasts +3 (15)

Charm, 14- (3)

Conversation, 14- (3)

High Society, 14- (3)

Interrogation, 14- (3)

KS: Finance, 12- (3)

KS: Superhuman World, 12- (3)

KS: Politics and Government, 12- (3)

KS: U.S. Legal System, 12- (3)

Oratory, 14- (3)

Persuasion, 14- (3)

PS: Businessman, 14- (5)

Tactics, 14- (3)

Teamwork, 13- (3)

 

Filthy Rich (11)

Well Connected (Plus 27 points of variable contacts); (30)

Positive Reputation (Powerful Businessman., Large Group, 14-, +2 / +2d6); (6)

Total Cost: 106

 

Powers

Energy Absorption (Absorption 50 Body (Energy), Expanded Effect (2x Characteristics or Powers) +½, Variable Effect +½ (100 Active Points)); (100)

Omega Field (Resistant Protection 25 PD / 25 ED (75 Active Points), Costs END to Activate -¼, Unified (Omega Field II) -1/4; (50)

Omega Field II (Damage Negation (-4 DCs Physical, -4 DCs Energy) (40 Active Points), Costs END to Activate -¼, Unified (Omega Field) -¼; (27)

Fast Healing (Regeneration 2 Body Per Hour); (16)

Omega Eyes (Sight Group Flash Defense 10 points); (10)

Detect Energy (Large Class (Unusual) 14-, 360 Degrees, Range, Telescopic +10); (25)

Draining Touch (Drain Energy Powers 6d6, Delayed Rate of Return (5 pts per minute) +1 (120 Active Points), No Range -½); (80)

Omega Blasts Multipower (120 points reserve); (120)

1. Full Omega Blast (Blast 22d6, 110 active points); 11f

2. Omega Burst (Blast 12d6, ½ END +¼, AoE (16m Radius) +¾ (120 Active Points)); 12f

3. Omega Blast (Blast 16d6, 0 END +½ (120 Active Points)); 12f

4. Lethal Omega Blast (RKA 5d6, 0 End +½ (120 Active Points)); 11f

5. Focused Omega Blast (Blast 13d6, Armor Piercing +¼, 0 END +½ (114 Active Points)); 11f

Energy Travel Multipower (60 Point Reserve, All Slots ½ End +¼ (75 Active Points)); (75)

1. Flight (55m, x4 Noncombat (60 Active Points)); 6f

2. Energy Porting (Teleportation 10m, MegaScale (1m = 1,000 km) +1 ¾, (27 Active Points)); 3f

 

Total Cost: 569

Matching Complications
Distinctive Features (Mutant, Not Concealable, Noticed, Uncommon Senses); (10)

Hunted (Sentinels, Infrequently, As Pow, Harshly Punish); (10)

Hunted (Justice Squadron, Infrequently, As Pow, Harshly Punish); (10)

Psychological Complication (Obsessed with Ruling the World, Common, Total); (20)

Psychological Complication (Monologuing, Common, Moderate); (10)

Social Complication (Secret Identity: Jonathan Trench, Frequently, Major); (15)

Total: 75 points

 

Background: Jonathan Trench is among the wealthiest and most powerful people in the United States.  His successful rise from a relatively obscure background to becoming the head of the Trench Investment Network has been well-documented.  Not only does TIN control dozens of companies (and influence many more through its extensive holdings), but it does extensive lobbying in Washington.  TIN is a major contributor to political campaigns and influences television programming through advertising purchases.

     But Trench is even more powerful than most people suspect.  He is, in fact, the supervillain Omega, one of the greatest threats to public safety in the post-Detroit world. For many years, Trench kept his powers completely secret, seeing his status as a mutant (even a powerful one) as a financial and political liability.  The last thing Trench wanted to do was attract the attention of Vanguard or the rising superhero community. However, his views changed after Dr. Destroyer dealt a near deathblow to costumed crime fighting (and killed Vanguard). Now superheroes seemed on the decline.  Maybe it would just take one more push to change the balance of power completely.

    The superpowered Omega appeared shortly after the Battle of Detroit, attacking and handling the remnants of the Sentinels and Justice Squadron.  Since then, Omega has appeared infrequently, usually with some kind of a superweapon, to wage high stakes battles with America’s remaining superheroes.  Omega has acted by himself, with scores of agents, or as the leader of ad hoc teams of supervillains. He has always been thwarted, usually by a narrow margin, but he escapes to fight another day.

    The truth is that Trench is waging a long-term war to change the political face of the United States.  His goal as Omega is to convince people that superheroes cannot deal with the threat posed by supervillains.  Once he either finally defeats or destroys the heroes that survived the Battle of Detroit, he expects the government to enact broad reaching reforms to deal with supervillains that will transform the United States into a dictatorship and police state.  Trench is convinced that he has made enough inroads through TIN’s legal and illegal lobbying to control the key players in the authoritarian state that will emerge.

    Until then, Omega continues to gradually take control of New York City’s underworld.  He has taken pains to maintain good relationships with supervillains that might be useful if he needs a team to counterbalance the Sentinels and the Justice Squadron.  And, through TIN, he has used his influence on the government to discourage any attempt by the Justice Squadron and the Sentinels to merge. He wants the superhero community divided, discouraged, and easily dispersed.  To that end, he is concerned by the rise of the Champions in Millennium City.

Personality: Jonathan Trench desperately wants to rule the United States.  He won’t settle for being an elected president or lawmaker. He wants to be absolute dictator.  He understands that his plans are delicate and slow moving, but he is an extremely patient man. Each time Omega appears and fights superheroes to a standstill, or even just manages to escape, Trench is convinced that the public becomes a little more frightened and open to giving up its freedom in exchange for order and safety.  Trench spends virtually every waking moment cultivating influence with the media, key military figures, and politicians. He is continually identifying people that he thinks would be the first movers in a path toward a U.S. dictatorship. He will settle for being the power behind a new U.S. regime at first, but ultimately he intends to take it over personally as soon as possible.  Although he is an enemy to all superheroes (both through TIN and as Omega), Trench is particularly obsessed with destroying the Sentinels, seeing them as the key to the entire superhero world. He has begun to pay more attention to the Champions and other new superheroes and he is worried that this new influx of crimefighters is reversing the decline that Destroyer started at the Battle of Detroit.

Powers: Omega is an extremely powerful energy projector and controller.  He can absorb energy and then channel it into any two characteristics or powers.  He can project a powerful energy force field around himself. He has accelerated healing and can sense the presence of energy (and other energy projectors).  He has used the latter power to occasionally uncover the secret identities of energy-based superheroes and destroy them when they least expected it. His touch can also drain energy powers from his target, a power he doesn’t use much in combat (although it can be very shocking to someone he meets in his Trench identity to suddenly find their powers wilting away).  Most importantly, he has a variety of blast attacks, including a particularly lethal blast of what he calls omega energy. Omega can also teleport and fly, making him hard to catch. TIN’s many controlled companies give Trench access to a great deal of supertechnology. He frequently uses the resources of TIN to construct various doomsday devices to pit against superheroes.  He can also use TIN’s web of legitimate and illegitimate businesses to hire supervillains, mercenaries, and unscrupulous scientists and doctors for virtually any illicit enterprise.

Appearance: Jonathan Trench is a relatively nondescript white male in his mid-40s with dark hair and hazel eyes that seem to shift color in the light.  He wears expensive suits and has a cold, piercing stare. Although he is well known to many high ranking people in the United States, he seldom gives interviews or has in person meetings.  As Omega, he wears a dark green body suit that covers his face, along with a black cape, gloves, and boots. His eyes glow yellow when he is using his powers, most of which are a bright golden color when emitted from his body.

 

Notes: A custom master villain who could be used as a replacement for Holocaust, if I decided not to use him. His power set is very similar to Holocaust, without some of the fluff.  Omega is designed to be the big bad guy in a New York setting involving the collapse of the Sentinels superteam.  This arc would almost certainly launch a campaign centered around the PCs forming a new team.  He is designed to be just slightly more powerful than my Gravitar.  He is still much weaker than a default CU master villain.

 

 

Omega.hdc

[PamelaIsley]

Tatterdemalion

Total: 300

 

STR 13, 12-, 2 ½ d6
DEX 18, 13-
CON 13, 12-
INT 18, 13-
EGO 13, 12-
PRE 18, 13-,  3 ½ d6

OCV 6
DCV 7
OMCV 3
DMCV 3

SPD 5

PD 5    12 (7r)
ED 5    10 (5r)

REC 7
END 45

BODY 10
STUN 40

Total Cost: 130

Skills & Talents
Inventor, 13- (3)

Interrogation, 13- (3)

KS: Engineering, 12- (3)

KS: Superhuman World, 11- (2)

KS: Surgery, 12- (3)

PS: Medical Doctor, 12- (3)

SS: Psychology, 12- (3)

SS: Medicine, 12- (3)

SS: Biochemistry, 13- (4)

Stealth, 13- (3)

Total Cost: 30

 

Powers

Fearsome Costume (+12 PRE (12 Active Points), Limited (Fear Attacks Only, 6d6 total) -1, OIF -½); (5)

Padded Costume (Resistant Protection 7 PD / 5 ED (18 Active Points), OIF -½); (12)

Gas Mask (Life Support (Self Contained Breathing) (10 Active Points), OIF -½); (7)

Nightvision Mask (Nightvision (5 Active Points), OIF -½); (3)

Custom Handgun (RKA 2d6, Armor Piercing +¼ (37 Active Points), OAF -1, 2 clips of 8 charges -¼, Real Weapon -¼, Str Minimum 9 -¼); (13)

Fear Drug Coated Gloves (Drain PRE 3d6, Reduced Rate of Return (5 per minute) +1 (75 Active Points), No Range -½, OIF -½); (37)

Fear Gas Gun Multipower (105 Point Reserve, OAF -1, 2 clips of 8 charges -¼); (47)

1. Fear Cloud (Drain PRE 3d6, AoE (8m Radius) +½, AVAD (Self Contained Breathing) +1, Delayed Rate of Return (5 per minute) +1 (105 Active Points); 5f

2. Fear Dart (Drain PRE 4d6, Armor Piercing +¼, Delated Rate of Return (5 per minute) +1 (90 Active Points)); 4f

3. Nightmare Drug (Mental Illusions 8d6 (Human minds), AoE (8m Radius) +½, AVAD (Self Contained Breathing) +1 (100 Active Points), Limited (Only to Cause Nightmares) -½); 3f

4. Darkness Cloud (Darkness to Sight Group 15m radius (75 Active Points)); 4f

Total Cost: 140

Matching Complications
Hunted (Darkwing or other similar costumed avenger, As Pow, Harshly Punish); (10)

Psychological Complication (Obsessed With Causing Fear, Very Common, Strong); (20)

Psychological Complication (Overconfident, Common, Strong); (15)

Social Complication (Secret Identity: Henry Finch, Frequent, Major); (15)

Total: 60 points

 

Background: Fear is power.  Henry Finch always knew it.  As a child, he loved scaring his parents, classmates, teachers, anyone around him.  It started as simple pranks, but he later became more and more menacing. Making people frightened of him made Finch feel stronger.  But he knew when to stop. In high school, the threat of expulsion made Henry more cautious, more subtle about exerting his mastery through fear.  And he came to focus more on his studies.

    Very intelligent, Finch went on to a career in medicine.  He became a respected neurosurgeon and a lecturer at a prestigious New York medical school.  But he never lost his obsession with fear. And in his spare time, he taught himself biochemistry.  With nearly unlimited access to patient information and hospital resources, Finch soon became convinced that he could duplicate the effects of fear through drugs.  His success thrilled him in a way nothing else ever had. But he wasn’t satisfied with just creating his fear gas and poisons. Henry Finch wanted to feel the rush of using them on others.  

    Inspired by the costumed supervillains he saw on the news, Finch became Tatterdemalion, a scarecrow-like figure that began to plague the streets at night.  Tatterdemalion’s drugs were a success. They induced instant terror in a variety of joggers, drifters, and even street thugs. Tatterdemalion worked hard to develop his costume and created a gun that could deliver his drugs more effectively.  And he began to realize he could profit from his discovery.

    Tatterdemalion started to commit small crimes, using his fear gas to incapacitate bank tellers, security guards, and even the police.  His successes brought him to the attention of local mob bosses, who were having trouble with costumed crimefighters impinging on their operations.  Challenging these heroes gave Tatterdemalion an even greater rush.

    Tatterdemalion has clashed with Darkwing in New York and DarkAngel in Hudson City.  Although he charges exorbitant fees for his services supporting organized crime, Finch enjoys matching wits with these caped crusaders.  He hasn’t successfully broken their minds and driven one insane through fear yet, but he is sure it is only a matter of time.

Personality: Despite being a doctor and supposedly dedicated to helping people, Henry Finch is unrepentantly evil.  He is exceedingly cruel, reveling in causing nightmares and damaging the sanity of his victims. He is absolutely obsessed with intimidating others through fear, even when he isn’t acting as Tatterdemalion (his bedside manner in the hospital is famously creepy and unhelpful).  Although he affects a cool, scientific manner during his crimes, he can quickly become excited (even unhinged) as his fear chemicals take effect on a victim. Finch enjoys matching wits with superheroes, but, like many bullies, he is afraid of their power and is extremely careful.  He usually will only challenge them as part of an elaborate trap.

Powers: Tatterdemalion has created numerous drugs that induce fear in his targets.  He has a variety of delivery mechanisms, but he mostly relies on his gas gun.  He sometimes will use a chemical that causes nightmarish hallucinations instead of directly inducing fear.  After discovering that he was helpless against someone with a gas mask, Tatterdemalion began carrying a powerful handgun.  He sometimes uses this weapon to finish off incapacitated victims if he is involved in combat with multiple heroes or police, but he is reluctant to cut short their terror.  Tatterdemalion almost always employs a team of henchmen, who are usually attired in creepy chemical suits.

Appearance: Henry Finch is a very tall, almost skeletally thin man with dark blonde hair and gray eyes.  He speaks in a low, raspy whisper (particularly as Tatterdemalion) and goes out of his way to seem as creepy as possible in even everyday interactions.  As Tatterdemalion, Finch wears a scarecrow-like mask that evokes a skull, a tattered brown overcoat, and a battered wide brimmed hat.

 

Notes: Can you guess who this is based on?  This was just an exercise to create a villain suitable for a costumed avenger.  He is obviously a one trick pony.  I admit that I don't know how effective these powers are in Hero combat (their equivalent in M&M 2E is actually very potent).  The CU villain Freakshow kind of has similar powers, so I'm assuming that PRE attacks can be at least a little effective.  I like my costumed avenger Darkwing, but I don't know if I will have the patience to build out a whole rogues gallery for him.  He might end up being more like the JLA Batman and just help fighting supervillain menaces. 

 

Edit: Fixed a typo on his STUN.

 

Tatterdemalion.hdc

[Gnome BODY (important!)]

18 minutes ago, PamelaIsley said:

He is obviously a one trick pony.  I admit that I don't know how effective these powers are in Hero combat (their equivalent in M&M 2E is actually very potent). 

Characters are either immune, take him out fast, or lose.  4d6 PRE drain will give some PCs a 9- not-run-away roll.  7d6 generally ends the fight. 

[PamelaIsley]

18 minutes ago, Gnome BODY (important!) said:

Characters are either immune, take him out fast, or lose.  4d6 PRE drain will give some PCs a 9- not-run-away roll.  7d6 generally ends the fight. 

 

That's sort of what I was going for, using just rough estimates and assuming he rolls a 3 every time.  Is it too powerful?

 

His comic equivalent generally wins unless someone prepares for him by wearing a gas mask.  And then he's a pushover.  That's how most Batman villains work really.

[Gnome BODY (important!)]

18 minutes ago, PamelaIsley said:

 

That's sort of what I was going for, using just rough estimates and assuming he rolls a 3 every time.  Is it too powerful?

 

His comic equivalent generally wins unless someone prepares for him by wearing a gas mask.  And then he's a pushover.  That's how most Batman villains work really.

Depends entirely on how your players will take being told their PCs run away. 

It's also likely to piss off anyone who went high EGO low PRE, since it'll feel like their high EGO is being ignored. 

[PamelaIsley]

1 minute ago, Gnome BODY (important!) said:

Depends entirely on how your players will take being told their PCs run away. 

It's also likely to piss off anyone who went high EGO low PRE, since it'll feel like their high EGO is being ignored. 

The low PRE, high EGO thing isn't really avoidable.  Champions Powers, CU, etc. make it clear that fear attacks affect presence.  There are tons of examples.

 

Better to run away after an initial encounter and then prepare better, than be killed immediately.

[archer]

1 hour ago, Gnome BODY (important!) said:

Depends entirely on how your players will take being told their PCs run away. 

It's also likely to piss off anyone who went high EGO low PRE, since it'll feel like their high EGO is being ignored. 

 

Ding, ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

 

Running away in fear is probably the kind of mind-control-ish effect that bothers players the most, there's not much a player can do to creatively misinterpret such a command like they can with "attack your friends" so they're faced not only with a total loss of control of their character but their character can't even do anything interesting (like the brick gleefully pummeling his teammates or  the mentalist choosing to use his fists instead of his BrainBlast to attack his brick teammate).

 

Add to that the fact that the villain's power is designed so that it sidesteps things which might normally stop Mind Control...

 

Don't be shocked if the team's weapons guy goes home to get his sniper rifle, fully intending on putting the villain out of the campaign permanently (or someone else otherwise tries to ensure that they never face that bad guy again).

[PamelaIsley]

20 hours ago, archer said:

Don't be shocked if the team's weapons guy goes home to get his sniper rifle, fully intending on putting the villain out of the campaign permanently (or someone else otherwise tries to ensure that they never face that bad guy again).

 

Poor Scarecrow.

[PamelaIsley]

Overpower

Total: 500

 

STR 40, 17-, 8d6
DEX 18, 13-
CON 23, 14-
INT 13, 12-
EGO 13, 12-
PRE 18, 13-, 3 ½ d6

OCV 9
DCV 9
OMCV 3
DMCV 3

SPD 5

PD 8    28 (20r)
ED 6    26 (20r)

REC 11
END 65

BODY 15
STUN 50

Total Cost: 209

Skills & Talents
+1 Overall (12)

CS: Electric Multipower +2 (6)

PS: Strength Tricks, 12- (5)

Breakfall, 13- (3)

Deduction, 12- (3)

CK: New York, 11- (2)

KS: Superhuman World, 12- (3)

Security Systems, 12- (3)

Streetwise, 13- (3)

Tactics, 12- (3)

Teamwork, 13- (3)

 

Positive Reputation (Well-Known Superhero, Large Group, 11-, +1, +1d6); (2)

Total Cost: 48

 

Powers

Effortless Strength (½ End on STR +¼, 10 Active Points); (10)

Tough Skin (Resistant Protection 20 PD / 20 ED); (60)

Tough Eyes (Flight Group Flash Defense 6 points); (6)

Enhanced Sight (+10 Range for Sight Group); (15)

Flight (Flight 30m, x4 Noncombat); (35)

Tough Spirit (Power Defense 15 points); (15)

Fast Healing (Regeneration 1 Body per Turn); (16)

Electrical Absorption (Absorption 15 Body (Energy to END) (15 Active Points), Limited to Electricity -½, Unified -¼); (8)

Electrical Multipower (75 point reserve, All Slots Unified -¼); (60)

1. Lightning Bolt (Blast 12d6, ½ End +¼ (75 Active Points)); 6f

2. Ball Lightning (7d6, AoE (25m Radius) +1 (70 Active Points)); 6f

3. Lightning Flare (Blast 9d6 (45 Active Points) PLUS Sight Group Flash 4d6 (20 Active Points), Linked -½); 5f

4. Lightning Punch (HTH +4d6 (20 Active Points), HTH -¼); 1f

Total Cost: 243

Matching Complications
DNPC (Wife Melinda Powell, Normal); (10)

Enraged (When Suffering BODY dmg, go 11-, recover 14-); (15)

Psychological Complication (Prone to Self Doubt and Guilt, Common, Strong); (15)

Psychological Complication (Code v. Killing, Common, Total); (20)

Social Complication (Public Identity: Magnus Powell, Frequent, Major); (15)

Total: 75 points

 

Background: The new golden age of heroes was started by the appearance of the immensely powerful Vanguard about a dozen years before the Battle of Detroit.  Vanguard’s battles against threats to New York City, and sometimes the world, inspired other superhumans to take up the cause (and, arguably, also contributed to the resurgence of superpowered villains, particularly Dr. Destroyer).  But Vanguard wasn’t the only hero to appear at that time -- he just cast a very long shadow.

Magnus Powell was a young factory worker who gained superpowers as part of a massive electrical accident.  Left for dead by colleagues who tried to escape a collapsing plant, Magnus emerged days later. He found he now had superstrength, could fly, and could control electricity.  He didn’t know why he had survived, but the the young man was eager to show off his abilities and be a hero. He created a rough costume, called himself Overpower, and began to challenge low level street criminals.  His successes would have been big news . . . except for the fact that a much slicker looking Vanguard had already captured the press’s attention.
    For over a decade, Magnus battled crime as Overpower.  His costume was upgraded to look as sleek as Vanguard’s, and as he came to understand his abilities, he grew more powerful.  But he suffered from periodic bouts of depression because he continually compared himself to Vanguard. He eschewed joining superhero teams to continue to try to stand out as a solo hero, but he finally decided to give it up.  He married his long-time girlfriend and retired from superheroing.

The Battle of Detroit took Magnus by surprise.  He didn’t hear about it until it was over, and the death of so many heroes, while he stood on the sidelines, had a profound effect on him.  He once again slipped into a bout of depression, plagued by survivor’s guilt. At his lowest point, his wife nearly left him and he stood on the brink of becoming an alcoholic.

    The formation of the Champions was the beginning of his recovery.  Magnus now became convinced that superheroes were on the rebound and this was his chance to atone for his absence at Detroit.  In a new costume, Overpower began to again appear in the skies over New York. Magnus has had to adapt to slightly diminished powers and the effects of age, but he has become revitalized and is desperate to play a role in a new era of superhero achievement.

Personality: Overpower comes across as a gruff, curmudgeonly, veteran superhero.  He can be sarcastic, and even pessimistic, at times, but this simply hides his discomfort with younger superheroes who “do things differently.”  Magnus Powell is a generally selfless man who wants to be seen as a hero on the same level as the legendary Vanguard. He is plagued by self doubts, some originating from his original career when he never thought he measured up to Vanguard’s achievements and others from his failure to help fight Dr. Destroyer at Detroit.  These doubts can manifest themselves as moodiness, but otherwise Magnus tries to set an example for other heroes. Although he declined to be part of a team for years, Magnus would now love to be invited to join the Justice Squadron, the Sentinels, or a newly formed supergroup. His pride, however, prevents him from directly asking.  Magnus lost his secret identity years ago. He continues to officially call himself Overpower, but most people simply call him Magnus.

Powers: In addition to having a great deal of experience from over a decade of superheroing, which has helped him build up an impressive set of skills and a positive reputation, Magnus is a superstrong, tough, electrical energy projector.  He combines low level superstrengh, fast healing, enhanced sight, high resistant defenses, and the ability to fly, with a powerful suite of electrical blasts. He can also electrify his fists to produce more melee damage. Overpower’s abilities are not at their peak, but he is a tough combatant, both at hand to hand and ranged combat.

Appearance: Magnus Powell is a tall, athletic white man who appears to be in his mid to late 40s.  His build gives some appearance of being just past its prime, but he remains in solid shape.  He sports a full beard, which is beginning to gray just like the dark brown hair on his head. His modern costume is mostly white, with gold and black trim, along with black boots, gloves, and a black and gold cape.  

 

Notes:  I really enjoyed developing this character concept, but I don't think my writing has done justice to my original idea.  I still like Magnus, but the backstory didn't pop the way I was hoping (in contract to say Aetheria or Ultragirl, from earlier in the thread).  I intended for him, along with two other builds, to form the core of a complete revamp of the Sentinels.  The build itself is relatively straight forward.  He's just another flying brick with some energy powers (much like Ms. Photon).  He is built at 500 points to reflect his past as a superhero.  I love Superman / Ms. Marvel / Power Girl types, so I actually have a lot of these sorts of heroes saved in Hero Designer.  It's just a matter of thinking of a way to make their histories interesting and somewhat unique.

 

Overpower.hdc

[archer]

43 minutes ago, PamelaIsley said:

 

Poor Scarecrow.

 

 

That's the difference between a professional writer who is writing a story about Batman and isn't emotionally invested in what happens to Batman versus a PC who is playing a character which is loosely based on Batman and is very emotionally invested in what happens to the character.

[PamelaIsley]

For some reason I started giving people 15 points for the Mutant complication when it's only worth 10.  So I went back and fixed a bunch of characters (Bluebird, Gravitar, Aetheria, Kinetica, and Omega). 

[grandmastergm]

On 3/23/2019 at 8:41 PM, PamelaIsley said:

For some reason I started giving people 15 points for the Mutant complication when it's only worth 10.  So I went back and fixed a bunch of characters (Bluebird, Gravitar, Aetheria, Kinetica, and Omega). 

 

I'd say it would depend on the setting and how prevalent & powerful mutants are versus other supers, but yes the standard complication is 10.

[PamelaIsley]

1 hour ago, grandmastergm said:

 

I'd say it would depend on the setting and how prevalent & powerful mutants are versus other supers, but yes the standard complication is 10.

 

I think that I just picked the wrong thing the first time I used Hero Designer and then started copying that without thinking it through.  Just a simple mistake.  I intend my mutant stigma to be roughly equal to the Champions Universe, not the X-Men universe.

[borbetomagnus]

This is a great thread @PamelaIsley

 

Thank you!

[PamelaIsley]

Anaea

Total: 400

 

STR 50, 19-, 10d6  
DEX 18, 13-
CON 23, 14-
INT 13, 12-
EGO 13, 12-
PRE 18, 13-, 3 ½ d6

OCV 8
DCV 8
OMCV 3
DMCV 3

SPD 5

PD 10    25 (15r)
ED 8    20 (12r)

REC 9
END 60

BODY 15
STUN 50

 

Total Cost: 210

Skills & Talents
CS: Kingslayer Sword +3 (9)

+2 with all Agility Skills (12)

Fast Draw (Swords), 13- (3)

Interrogation, 13- (3)

KS: Ancient European History, 12- (3)

KS: Greco-Roman Mythology, 11- (2)

Riding, 13- (3)

Stealth, 13- (3)

Tactics, 12- (3)

Language (English, Completely Fluent, Latin Native); (3)

Language (Ancient Greek, Completely Fluent); (3)

Weapons Familiarity (Common Melee, Common Missile); (4)

 

Striking Appearance +1 (+1d6); (3)

Total Cost: 54

 

Powers

Tough Skin (Resistant Protection 15 PD / 12 ED (42 Active Points), Unified (Fast Healing) -¼); (34)

Fast Healing (Regeneration 1 Body Per Turn (16 Active Points), Unified (Tough Skin) -¼); (13)

Life Support (Immortal); (5)

Super Strength (½ End on STR +¼ (12 Active Points)); (12)

Super Athletic Multipower (20 point reserve, Unified -¼); (16)

1. Fast Running (Running +15m (27m total), x4 Noncombat (20 Active Points)); 2f

2. Super Swimming (Swimming +15m (19m total) (8 Active Points)); 1f

3. Super Jumping (Leaping +20m (24m forward, 12m upward) (10 Active Points)); 1f

The Kingslayer Sword (Multipower, 56 point reserve, All Slots OAF -1); (28)

1. The Sword (HKA 3d6 (6d6+1 w/STR), ½ END +¼ (56 Active Points)); 3f

2. Swordblast (Blast 6d6, ½ END +¼ (37 Active Points)); 2f

3. Shining Sword (Sight Group Flash 10d6 (50 Active Points)); 2f

Total Cost: 119

Matching Complications
Distinctive Features (Mystic Aura, Not Concealable, Uncommon Senses); (10)

Enraged (Suffering BODY Damage (Common), go 8-, recover 11-); (15)

Negative Reputation (Doesn’t Take Prisoners, Frequently); (10)

Psychological Complication (Unfamiliar With Modern Society, Common, Moderate); (10)

Psychological Complication (Honorable, Common, Total); (20)

Vulnerability (Shadow Magic, 1 ½ x STUN, 1 ½ x BODY, Uncommon); (10)

Total: 75 points

 

Background: The Roman Republic had collapsed.  Pompey and the Senate fled to Greece and Caesarian troops were closing in on the Eternal City.  For the Populares faction, it was a time of rejoicing, but to those who were loyal to the old traditions of the Republic, it was a time of fear.  One young girl, the daughter of a senator proscribed for death, fled to the temple of Jupiter, and begged the god for the means to stop the coming dictatorship.  As troops surrounded the temple, a light appeared in front of her. As she approached it, she could see a sword. She reached out and took it and found herself transformed into a formidable warrior.  She easily fought her way through the legionnaires ransacking the city and made her way to the Republic’s forces.

    For the next year, the strange warrior-woman called Anaea was a terror to Caesar’s forces.  But despite her efforts, Pompey’s Republican armies were losing. The night before the Battle of Pharsalus, Anaea again saw the light and followed it outside the camp.  As she approached it, a voice spoke to her. “This Republic is doomed. The age of heroes is over. But it will come again. Step into the light.” Anaea did as she was told and was suddenly bombarded with mysterious energy that made her cry out.

    When she awoke she found herself in a strange land of metal buildings and advanced paved roads.  People were screaming and running toward her. Although she understood them perfectly, she could tell they were not speaking Latin or Greek.  But she knew that there was danger. The threat was something that Anaea might have called a Chimaera. It was, in fact, an extradimensional being summoned by DEMON and bound to an initiate.  Anaea leapt into the fight, and defeated the monster. She was quickly thanked by bystanders and later questioned by members of the Sentinels. She fled, and spent several weeks trying to make sense of her situation.

    Since her first appearance, Anaea has pieced together enough of the situation to believe that whatever deity granted her powers had pushed her into the future to defend another Republic on the brink of collapsing.  She has decided that her destiny is to save the United States from would-be tyrants (supervillains) and to protect its people.

Personality: Anaea remembers almost nothing her past before the Roman Civil War.  Her memories have been replaced by a strong sense of purpose. She considers herself a champion of the Roman Republic and its values.  Now that she is in the future, she has transferred her loyalties to the American republic. She equates supervillains with Caesar and believes that it is her duty to destroy them, along with other instruments of evil (including villainous organizations like DEMON, and even corrupt politicians). Her approach to dealing with these groups is quite harsh, and she has no qualms about permanently ending a threat.  This has caused serious concern among the superheroes she has encountered.

    Anaea has a strong sense of honor.  She dislikes deceitful people and reacts poorly to any lie (even small ones).  She can be awkward in social interactions, and she is almost completely ignorant of large parts of the modern world and society.  However, her attractive appearance and her unapologetic heroism and loyalty to the republic have made her more than a few fans among the public.

    Rep. David Sutherland (the former superhero Invictus,, who harbors a villainous agenda) is obsessed with finding out who Anaea is and exploiting her.  He cannot openly hunt her for fear of revealing his own connection to Ancient Rome, but he would do almost anything to corrupt her into his service, or to destroy her after learning all he can about her powers and origin.  

Powers: Anaea possesses great strength, durability, and athletic ability. She is incredibly agile, skilled at ancient combat techniques, and quickly heals all wounds.  She wields a sword she calls the Kingslayer, which is incredibly deadly, can fire magical blasts, and emits a blinding white light. She has some combat training, and is comfortable switching between sword fighting and simple hand to hand combat.  For some reason, she gives off a mystical aura at all times that is perceivable by those attuned to it, and she is vulnerable to shadow powers.

Appearance: Whatever imbued Anaea with her powers also changed her from a thin, unathletic Roman teenager into that of a tall, incredibly beautiful woman.  She has long red hair, blue eyes, distracting curves, and a light Mediterranean complexion. She does not have any kind of a secret identity, so she most often appears in her “costume,” which consists of skimpy armor that doesn’t affect her agility or movement in combat.  She sometimes wears cloaks or heavy coats to hide the Kingslayer sword, but she is usually shameless about her anachronistic appearance.

 

Notes: I am continuing to create certain archetypes for the purpose of possibly replacing the entire Sentinels roster (or most of them).  This is, of course, very similar to a Wonder Woman-type character.  It's not a super complicated build, blending mostly brick powers with the sword.

Anaea.hdc

[archer]

"Reacting poorly to even small lies" is a bit more than "honorable" at least the way I've seen honorable people behave or portrayed.

 

I'd consider that a separate complication.

[PamelaIsley]

3 minutes ago, archer said:

"Reacting poorly to even small lies" is a bit more than "honorable" at least the way I've seen honorable people behave or portrayed.

 

I'd consider that a separate complication.

 

I don't know that would be worth many points.  She's already getting a lot of complication points for being out of step with the modern world and with normal superhero standards.

[PamelaIsley]

Crimson Psyche

Total: 500

 

STR 13, 12-, 2 ½ d6
DEX 13, 12-
CON 13, 12-
INT 23, 14-
EGO 23, 14-
PRE 18, 13-, 3 ½ d6

OCV 6
DCV 6
OMCV 12
DMCV 8

SPD 5

PD 5    13 (8r)
ED 5    13 (8r)

REC 10
END 70

BODY 10
STUN 50

Total Cost: 195

Skills & Talents
Charm, 13- (3)

Conversation, 13- (3)

High Society, 13- (3)

CK: Millennium City, 11- (2)

KS: Superhuman World, 11- (2)

KS: Celebrity and High Society, 12- (3)

KS: Investigative Journalism, 12- (3)

Persuasion, 13- (3)

PS: Newspaper Columnist, 11- (2)

Stealth, 12- (3)

 

Lightning Reflexes (+6 DEX to act first only with Mental Powers); (2)

Striking Appearance +1 / +1d6 (3)

 

Total Cost: 32

 

Powers

Telepathic Senses Multipower (90 point reserve, All Slots Unified Power -¼); (72)

1. Crimson Thoughts (Telepathy 10d6, Invisible Power Effects + ¼, 0 END +½ (87 Active Points)); 7f

2. Remote Viewing (Clairsentience (Sight Group), x16 Range (3,200m) (40 Active Points)); 3f

Detect Minds (Detect 14- (Mental Group), Discriminatory, 360 Degrees, Sense, Targeting); (25)

Armored Costume (Resistant Protection 8 PD / 8 ED (24 Active Points), OIF -½); (16)

Mental Shield (Mental Defense 20 Points); (20)

Mental Defense (Power Defense 20 Points, Only Works Against Mental Powers -½); (13)

Crimson Psionics Multipower (100 point reserve, All Slots Unified -¼); (80)

1. Crimson Drain (Drain EGO and INT 2d6, Expanded Effect (2x characteristics simultaneously) +½, Cumulative +½, Constant +½, Delayed Rate of Return (5 per week) +2 ½ (100 Active Points); 8f

2. Telekinesis (40 STR, ½ END +¼ (75 Active Points)); 6f

3. Crimson Blast (Mental Blast 7d6, ½ END +¼ (87 Active Points)); 7f

4. Brainburning (RKA 2d6, ACV (OMCV v. DMCV) +¼, AVAD (Mental Defense) +1, Does BODY +1 (97 Active Points)); 8f

5. Neural Blindness (Sight Group Flash 10d6, AVAD (Mental Defense +0), ACV (OMCV v. DMCV) +¼, (62 Active Points)); 5f

6. Confront Your Fears (Mental Illusions 12d6, ½ END +¼ (75 Active Points), No Conscious Control (Only Shows Greatest Fear) -1); 3f

 

Total Cost: 273

Matching Complications
Distinctive Feature (Mutant, Not Concealable, Noticed, Uncommon Senses); (10)

Psychological Complication (Erratic and Flighty, Common, Strong); (15)

Psychological Complication (Greedy, Common, Moderate); (10)

Psychological Complication (Overconfident, Common, Strong); (15)

Rivalry (Professional, Diadem of the Sentinels, As Powerful, Harm, Rival Aware); (10)

Social Complication (Secret Identity: Vanessa Ryan, Frequent, Major); (15)

Total: 75 points

 

Background: Few people have broken more stories on celebrity affairs or misdeeds than Vanessa Ryan.  Working for Millennium City’s premier newspaper as one of their online columnists, Ryan seemingly has a knack for ferreting out damaging and secret information.  That talent has allowed her a lucrative career and made her a popular (though feared) person at all the best parties and events in the rising Millennium City cultural scene.

   Ryan, though, doesn’t rely on sources or investigative work for her scoops.  She is actually an extremely powerful mutant, psionic, and telepath. For her entire life, she has used her mental powers to get ahead, reading people’s minds to find out what they thought of her, mistakes they had made in the past, or nefarious deeds they are committing in the present.  But Ryan isn’t just an unscrupulous journalist. Her semi-legitimate career doesn’t satisfy her lust for power or wealth. She is also the supervillain Crimson Psyche, a dedicated enemy of the Sentinels and frequent ally to other villains in that group’s rogues gallery.

   Crimson Psyche most often launches plots designed to steal lots of money or wealth at once.  She has also tried to take control of The New York Times editorial board, blackmail the mayor into redirecting police away from underworld allies, and assassinate the governor of New York.  Unless she is operating as part of a team, Psyche’s plots are dangerously unpredictable, and sometimes it is hard to understand how she stands to benefit from her success.

   Although Ryan lives in Millennium City, Crimson Psyche operates almost exclusively outside the city to protect her identity.  She is most famously an adversary of the Sentinels’ Diadem, that group’s own telepath and mentalist. Diadem has always managed to thwart Psyche’s plots or efforts on behalf of villainous leagues, and has earned Ryan’s eternal hatred.   

Personality: Crimson Psyche is both cruel and unstable.  While she is capable of being charming and persuasive, any setback or distraction can cause her to become unbalanced.  She can alternate between being curiously bemused or enraged, and back again, extremely quickly, causing even many supervillains to disdain working with her.  She is also greedy, and uses her powers and her position as a newspaper columnist for personal gain. Psyche has no qualms about killing or inflicting permanent harm on superheroes, other journalists, or just people she is jealous of.  She loves using her power to read minds and relishes when she discovers embarrassing secrets or weaknesses. She also enjoys watching victims struggle to confront their nightmares.

Powers: Crimson Psyche is a powerful psionicist and telepath, with a suite of abilities designed to either read or damage other people’s minds.  She can see areas far away with her mind, detect the presence of others, and resist most mental attacks against her. Her Crimson Psionics multipower contains her most dangerous attacks, and lets her drain the intelligence and willpower of victims, cause lethal brain damage, telekinetically manipulate objects, or blind others.  She can also force someone to confront their worst fears, which manifest as powerful mental illusions. Psyche disdains open combat and can often incapacitate opponents before a fight even begins. If confronted with a hero or group resistant to her abilities, she usually tries to flee.

Appearance: Vanessa Ryan is an attractive brunette, with a pleasing figure and bright blue eyes.  In her secret identity, she dresses in expensive suits and evening wear that show off her looks to the best effect.  As Crimson Psyche, she wears a one piece, red costume that leaves her arms and legs bare. She accents it with a long red cape, thigh high red boots, and red gloves.  Because she can cause her eyes to glow a bright red at will, Psyche does not normally wear a mask or hood with her costume, relying on this effect and a different hairstyle to protect her identity.

 

Notes: This is my attempt at building a mentalist, mostly as a counter to Diadem and using suggestions in Champions Powers.  I suspect she's overpowered in terms of what she can do if you can't block mental powers.  Her background didn't quite come together, but I got tired of reworking it slightly.  My writing style seems to be that I either write a great first draft and then just tweak it to make it better, or I end up with a mediocre character.  Subsequent drafts don't seem to improve on the original writing.

Crimson Psyche.hdc

[Tech]

Jumping back a bit for Tatterdemalion,

 

The power is written as:  Nightmare Drug (Mental Illusions 8d6 (Human minds), AoE (8m Radius) +½, AVAD (Self Contained Breathing) +1 (100 Active Points), Limited (Only to Cause Nightmares) -½); 3f

 

Is this power supposed to last more than one phase? This doesn't have anything to make it last longer than that, as it is on charges. Should it be on continuing charges?

[PamelaIsley]

1 hour ago, Tech said:

Jumping back a bit for Tatterdemalion,

 

The power is written as:  Nightmare Drug (Mental Illusions 8d6 (Human minds), AoE (8m Radius) +½, AVAD (Self Contained Breathing) +1 (100 Active Points), Limited (Only to Cause Nightmares) -½); 3f

 

Is this power supposed to last more than one phase? This doesn't have anything to make it last longer than that, as it is on charges. Should it be on continuing charges?

I see what you mean.  A continuing effect mental power that uses charges is complicated.

 

It looks like a modifier like (Continuing Charges, Dispersed by Wind or Rain) would actually be appropriate for the entire gun. Interestingly, continuing charges do not seem to be modeled by Hero Designer at all.

[PamelaIsley]

Accelerate

Total: 400

 

STR 10, 11-, 2d6
DEX 23, 14-
CON 13, 12-
INT 13, 12-
EGO 13, 12-
PRE 18, 13-, 3 ½ d6

OCV 8
DCV 8 / 16
OMCV 3
DMCV 3

SPD 8

PD 10 15 (5r)
ED 10 15 (5r)

REC 12
END 60

BODY 10
STUN 30

Total Cost: 190

Skills & Talents
PS: Speed Tricks, 12- (5)

Acrobatics, 14- (3)

Computer Programming, 12- (3)

Contortionist, 14- (3)

Deduction, 12- (3)

Electronics, 12- (3)

KS: Superhuman World, 11- (2)

PS: Software Engineer, 11- (2)

SS: Electrical Engineering, 11- (2)

Security Systems, 12- (3)

 

Speed Reading x 1000 (8)

Lightning Reflexes (+20 Dex to Act First) (20)

Total Cost: 57

 

Powers

Speedster Running (Flight 45m, Megascale (1m = 1km) +1 (90 Active Points), Only in Contact with a surface -¼, Unified -¼); (60)

Padded Costume (Resistant Protection 5 PD / 5 ED (15 Active Points), OIF -½); (10)

Mask (Sight Group Flash Defense (5 Active Points), OIF -½); (3)

Dodging Bullets (+8 DCV (40 Active Points), Costs End -½, Unified -¼); (23)

Impact Resistance (+20 PD (20 Active Points), Only Works Against Move By Attacks -1, Unified -¼); (9)

Speedster Attack Multipower (50 Active Points, All Slots Unified -¼); (40)

1. Compressed Air Punch (Blast 6d6 (30 Active Points), Limited Range (20m) -¼); 2f

2. Dizzying Spin (Drain DEX 5d6 (50 Active Points), No Range -½); 3f

3. Rapid Fire Punch (HTH +9d6 (45 Active Points), HTH -¼); 3f

 

Total Cost: 153

Matching Complications
Hunted (DEMON, Infrequent, MoPow, NCI, Harshly Punish); (20)

Hunted (Yellowflash or other speedster, Infrequent, As Pow, Harshly Punish); (10)

Psychological Complication (Code v. Killing, Common, Total); (20)

Psychological Complication (Impatient Showoff, Common, Moderate); (10)

Social Complication (Secret Identity: Curt Swift, Frequent, Major); (15)

Total: 75 points

 

Background: Curt Swift has no idea how he gained superpowers.  Growing up in the suburbs of New York, no one ever really noticed anything that special about the boy.  Sure, he was a fast reader and super energetic, but he wasn’t particularly athletic and he was only an average student.  He graduated from college and took a job as a software engineer on Long Island. He seemed destined for an unremarkable life until a fateful day when DEMON launched a major attack on his office building.  Rather than panic, Curt decided to try to warn his coworkers and get as many people out as he could. He suddenly found that he was moving super fast from floor to floor. In fact, he was zipping around at breakneck speeds.  His efforts that day astounded him (and saved more than a few lives).

    Later Curt began to test the limits of these new abilities.  Over the next few weeks, his speed increased more and more, until he was definitely moving at superhuman velocities.  He was familiar enough with superhero achievements to know that his powers were those of a speedster. Once he had felt he had practiced enough, Curt didn’t hesitate to don a costume and become Accelerate.

    Accelerate has become something of a small phenomenon in the New York area.  He has fought with DEMON, the evil speedster bandit Yellowflash, and several other prominent New York supervillains. He also patrols the streets of the city, challenging street crime and more mundane wrongdoing.  He is quite eager to become more, and would definitely jump at the opportunity to join a true superteam to take the next step as a hero.

Personality: Curt Swift is an intelligent, energetic personality, who always radiates an aura of impatience.  He is absolutely thrilled at his new powers, even if he doesn’t understand where they came from (he has tested negative as a mutant).  He enjoys showing off when fighting criminals or just for the TV cameras that show up at some of his larger encounters. Swift is an avid reader and his powers have made him an incredible speed reader, meaning he can consume entire novels or technical manuals in what seems like no time at all.  Accelerate would never kill in his pursuit of justice, but he is capable of holding a grudge. He would like nothing better than to bring down DEMON and Yellowflash in any way possible short of lethal violence.

Powers: Accelerate is a classic speedster.  He has high dexterity (particularly for the purposes of going first in combat) and speed, and is capable of extreme velocities when running.  He can dodge to the point of avoiding bullets. In combat, he relies on lightning fast punches, a dizzying spin move, and the ability to create a compressed air blast at range.  Mostly Accelerate likes to use his speed to confuse and misdirect his opponents. He is well aware that is power set would work even better as part of a balanced team.

Appearance: Curt Swift is a tall, fit young man in his late 20s.  He has brown hair and eyes and an infectious, if sometimes wry, smile.  He always seems to be in motion, even if it’s just playing with his fingers or hair.  As Accelerate, he wears a black bodysuit that turns white at the neck, along with a partial mask that exposes his hair and face.  His goggles are yellow, and there are small lightning designs on his chest and near both feet.

 

Notes: I am not that fond of speedsters.  I've never really understood how to make their powers work in a PnP game (either this one or M&M).  I used a lot of Champions Power and Champions suggestions for Accelerate.  He is another hero intended as part of the New Sentinels that I've written up.  I also created a nemesis for him, referenced in his Complications.  

Accelerate.hdc

[archer]

9 minutes ago, PamelaIsley said:

 Accelerate would never kill in his pursuit of crime, but he is capable of holding a grudge.

 

I had to go back an re-read the write-up to make sure whether the character is a criminal or a hero. This sentence makes it sound like he has criminal pursuits rather than that he pursues criminals.

 

I love speedsters as well and love seeing different interpretations of how to write them up.

 

I've seen and written up a lot of different slots in a speedster's multipower so I can't resist tossing out some ideas:

Change Environment to clutter or de-clutter an area. He could use this to clean a room, search for items while organizing an area, quickly move civilians out of a very limited area, knock over trash cans, push random buttons and flip random levers, etc.

TK vortex area effect - only to lift things straight up, a nice way to toss a group of agents and a bunch of debris into the air

 

I like the Dizzying Spin idea but draining DEX has minimal impact on a combat unless you get it down to zero which also hampers his mobility. The average drain would be -9 DEX (18 CP) which seems underwhelming as an attack.  I wonder if the slot might work better as a 4d6 drain on running plus a 1d6 drain on leaping which would at least pin most opponents in place. Or maybe as a 5d6 CON drain because an average -9 CON (half of 18 CP because CON is a defense power) is a very significant drop for most characters (the Dizzying Spin making the target sick to his stomach).

[PamelaIsley]

I changed that sentence to make it more clear he is a hero.

[Amorkca]

On 4/14/2019 at 8:41 AM, PamelaIsley said:

I changed that sentence to make it more clear he is a hero.

 

Is Yellowflash another of your villains and will you be posting him/her too?