I was running my Zombie Apocalypse game, with several long-time friends.
The three PC's and one NPC are on the top of a sporting goods store that they and their survivor group has been holed up in for a couple of days, as they prep to leave L.A.
The three PC's are Jordan, a gorgeous LAPD "kiddie cop" (think of Eliza Dushku in the LAPD uniform. Now youre on track), Eric, a recently-graduated high-school athletic star who was about to turn pro before the world ended (looks like Tom Welling), and Gabriel, a six foot ten EMT ambulance driver (who looks like Abraham Benrubi). The NPC with them is most often referred to as "Conspiracy Man", and goes only by the name of Ed. Despite a few comments about the "alien overlords" and the "flouride mind-control policy", they nevertheless gave Ed a rifle, as they had just raided a pawn shop, and his oddly useful skill-set was instrumental in their success. (They suspect he is ex military, and has seen too much).
The group has recently discovered that there are a few more survivors trapped on the fourht floor of a building about a block away from their own hideout. The people trapped in the office building have smashed out a window and hung a sign out of it written on a drape that says "Help Us".
As the characters are deciding what to do next, the sounds of gunfire erupt from a rooftop a few buildings away. The characters look around, and realize that it is coming from four gang-banger types who are taking shots at the "Help Us" sign, and the people behind it. (These are people with the same mentality as those who were shooting at police, ambulances, and fire fighters during the L.A.riots).
Jordan, the cop, is the first to spot the perps. She aims her rifle at them. The others follow suit. I tell them that one is shooting, another has a rifle also, and there are two others with pistols besides. They look like they are in their early twenties, of mixed ethnicity, and are wearing loose clothes with alot of sports team endorsements. Jordan makes a Perception roll and recognizes them as wearing local gang colors.
Ed: Firing order?
Jordan: Im taking down the shooter.
Ed: Ill take the other one who has a rifle.
Eric and Gabriel's Players both indicate they are also going to fire. I ask them to pick targets. And then...
Gabriel's Player: Ill shoot whichever one has the most underwear showing.
After we all finally stopped laughing, Garbiel then proceeded to randomly hit the unlucky s.o.b. in Location 13. For near-max damag,e and maximum Stun.
I guess Gabriel -really- didnt want to see that guys underwear!
(Edit: If this post accidentally offends anyone out there who habitually "busts a sag"... TOUGH! Pull your gorram pants up!)
Shoo-shoo
Damm what are all these crickets doing here?
Well anyway I just made up another character sheet for one of my characters in the pics that could be a superteam thread.
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HORRORSONG
Val Char Cost Roll Notes
8 STR -2 11- Lift 75.8kg; 1 1/2d6 [1]
11 DEX 3 11- OCV: 4/DCV: 4
8 CON -4 11-
8 BODY -4 11-
10 INT 0 11- PER Roll 11-
12 EGO 4 11- ECV: 4
10 PRE 0 11- PRE Attack: 2d6
6 COM -2 10-
4 PD 2 Total: 4 PD (0 rPD)
4 ED 2 Total: 4 ED (0 rED)
3 SPD 9 Phases: 4, 8, 12
4 REC 0
16 END 0
20 STUN 4 Total Characteristic Cost: 10
150+ Disadvantages
15 Psychological Limitation: Sadist (Very Common, Moderate)
10 Psychological Limitation: Dislike causing pain (Common, Moderate)
5 Hunted: Police 8- (Less Pow, Harshly Punish)
10 Rivalry: Professional (With other fear based villian; Rival is More Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry)
5 Distinctive Features: Shabby (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
Total Disadvantage Points: 45
Background/History:
Horrorsong has been a sadist since he learned to interact with other people. His strict and unforgiving parents “taught” him to dislike physical pain however and he got interested in psychological torture in stead. When he was young he imagined presence as a “force” some people had and some people lacked. Clearly the ones who wielded this force should rule the others. After an un-eventful childhood Horrorsong got a job as a scientist working to find a way to psychologically influence soldiers to give up. He rejected the fear gas the other inventors came up with and designed his own fear generator which used sub vocal sound waves to influence the brain pattern of the subjects.
He failed to make the horror generating machine portable however and the machine produced waves in all directions making all people sick with fear not just the enemy, he tried to generate a projector device but he just did not have the skills necessary.
The machine was rejected and Derrick was to start another project when he got the not so bright idea to use the machine to play a joke on one of his subordinate researchers. He tricked her into coming over to his lab and then he switched on the machine to see who could “stand” the fear effect for the longest. To his surprise she went into a hysteric fit right away and when he turned it off she promptly quit her job. Then she sued the company for millions of dollars. Derrick got fired for his stupid stunt and his over-specialization and arrogant personality made it difficult for him to find a job that he did not feel was beneath him.
Unemployed and alone Horrorsong started to slowly sunk more and more down into self-pity and his anti-social ideas from his childhood started to return in full force.
Only he understood the “force” that made some people better than others.
People rejected him because they were envious of the potential they saw in him.
He desired vengeance and over the years he almost sub-concisely collected all the parts he needed for creating another machine.
He loaded onto a truck and drove into town, parked it turned on the machine and left the truck. As a diversion he had donned a gasmask and used several fear inducing gas grenades. Then he proceeded to rob a jewelry store. A superhero showed up and using his powers over air quickly got rid of the gas but it did not help him with the sound waves.
Horrorsong could leave in peace while security, customers, the superhero and the police lying on the ground shaking with fear.
He had never felt so powerful! Now Horrorsong truly went over the bend and became more and more delusional, he started to see himself as an artist a master of the horror force, fit to be king over man!
Personality/Motivation: Horrorsong see himself as an artist in horror. He through his power over horror is better than others and have the (natural) right to do as he please.
He dislike pain both causing it and feeling it himself.
Quote: And gigants walk among us tall, but on clay feet..
Powers/Tactics: Hide the machine/truck on a corner and walk into a store and fill his bags with loot.
If faced with serious resistance he tries to shoot them with his gun. Horrorsong is arrogant and not prone to change his plans just because he should.
Campaign Use: As a one trick pony Horrorsong could be used in an adventure or two. His equimpment might fall into a more competent vilians hands.
Since Horrorsong has faced some hard times and does not try to kill or injure people some heroes might try to cure Derrick of his delusions and help him into a normal life. That will probably fail since Horrorsong is a sociopath just with a taste for causing fear rather than pain. It would take long time in a very good mental asylum to help him live a normal life.
Appearance: Average size and weight. Allthough Horrorsong like to wear expensive suits he does not clean them as often as he should so he comes off as a little dirty and scruffy looking. He has black greasy hair and brown eyes. He often goes a day or two witouth taking baths.
The characters:
Joey Flame - mutant blaster type with, you guessed it, fire powers.
The Wraith - ghost of some poor schlep killed in a super-battle years ago.
The situation:
Joey has been captured by VIPER agents and is being held in a non-descript cell in an unknown area. The Wraith followed along with the intent to break JF out at the best opportunity. Joey has the Disadvantage Psy Lim: Phobia of Ghosts and the Supernatural; obviously, these two have difficulties when they're paired up.
Wraith: (Phasing into the cell and becoming visible) Joey, I'm here to take you home.
Joey Flame: Oh, Jesus! Guard! Guard! The Grim Reaper is here, you gotta lemme out! Please! (and similar panicking)
Guard: Well, thats a new take on the whole "sick prisoner" routine...
Figuring a better way to approach the situation, the Wraith Skin-rides (Mind Control with Melding) the guard and opens the door.
Wraith: Joey, it's just me, Sam. Just relax... I've taken this guard's body, you have nothing to be scared of.
Joey: (calmed this time cuz he made his EGO roll) Sam... you think the idea that I'm dealing with a dead guy possessing the body of a terrorist is somehow calming?
Wraith: (after a long pause) Undead. You want out or not?
Highwayman reacted to input.jack in Quote of the Week from my gaming group...