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Dominique

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  1. Re: Algernon HERO And the Atomic Youth. The Atomic Youth When Layla Tibbs returned home from school to find her mother pacing, she knew something was wrong. She had been raised by her mother, a former police officer who’d worked her hair to an early gray raising a young daughter sans husband while wearing a badge and pushing herself through law school at night; and all of this while struggling against a world that judged her on the color of her skin instead of the measure of her character. Now an A.D.A., Layla’s mother had never before shown her daughter the troubled and emotional face she was wearing that evening. “He’s in the kitchen...waiting. You two need to talk,” her mother told her. “Who? What?” was all her daughter could form in response. “Your father,” Layla’s mother said bluntly, before grabbing a jacket and hurriedly walking out the door. Layla had never met her father, had never even been told more than a simple “he left” by her mother when Layla brought up the subject. She was understandably surprised by this turn of events, and even more so when she walked into the kitchen and saw the towering figure waiting for her. She didn’t know what she had expected, but a white, Italian-looking man who made three of anybody else she’d ever met certainly didn’t figure anywhere into the equation. Turned out, he was Greek, not Italian. And not a man, either…not a mortal man, anyway. It took a lot longer to process his story than to actually hear it told. He claimed to be Herakles. The Herakles. He also claimed to be immortal and to have actually fought crime on occasion – or “vile, base darkness,” as he called it. He had met her then-police officer mother while doing just that, and had quickly become enamored of both her striking looks, and her “fierce, warrior spirit.” He apologized for Layla having grown up without him, but claimed that his half-brother’s “machinations” had made it necessary for him to leave Layla’s pregnant mother while returning to Olympus to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, the problem wasn’t resolved, nor would it be between him and his sibling. She was known to his family now, the how of it all her father hadn’t a clue –but assumed it had to do with the abilities she had begun recently discovering, and hiding desperately from her mother and classmates. But, regardless, he could no longer leave her clueless and unprotected. His time on Earth was short, but he had brought a few things he referred to as her birthright, and a warning: “Find training, and friends. You’ll need both for what lies ahead.” When she turned around to face him, after having looked at the bag he left on the floor for her, he was gone. Looking through the bag she found armor, a shield, a wicked looking sword, and a small silver ball whose function mystified her at the time. Soon after, The Pale Rider appeared in the city. An armored figure of spectral and monstrous demeanor, astride a demonic looking steed, The Rider immediately set to laying waste to a portion of her native downtown Chicago while calling her out to face him. The challenge was issued in an archaic form of Greek which Layla found she understood perfectly. Against her mother’s strident demands, Layla donned the armor and other gear her father had left for her and went to what she expected would be her death. Again, she was in for a surprise. When she went to confront the Pale Rider, she was joined by a number of other young meta-types equally new to the hero community: the wise-cracking Mustang, a mutant of inhuman strength and speed who seemed to only grow stronger and faster as his opponents tried to hurt him; Sideshow, a giant of a young man whose form seemed to suffer minor (and sometimes painful) changes in shape constantly; Nimbus, an energy being with a containment suit in the form of a young girl, and the personality to match; and Brainchild, a telepathic human computer with an endless reservoir of intellectual tricks and apparently little in the way or patience, self-restraint, or social skills. Each, it seems, had been approached by a statuesque blonde woman wearing armor similar to Layla’s and warned of the calamity they faced and their part to play in it. Layla’s father, she guessed, wasn’t the only new-found relative wanting her to live to see another day. Through determination, courage, and a substantial amount of luck, the young heroes persevered, gaining a healthy respect for each other in the process. They stayed together after their victory, quickly becoming celebrities to the people of the city, and either a boon or a headache for the local authorities, depending on the day and the person being asked. The silver ball, as Layla later discovered, is a gate that opens to a dimension that apparently only consists of the structure and grounds of an ancient Greek mansion, where the skies are always blue and the weather always fair and temperate. Layla, or “Scimitar” as she has been dubbed by the press (after the sword she always carries), has gotten to calling it what her teammate Brainchild first named it, her “pocket Olympus.” She has inhuman powers, cool friends, and a party pad to beat all party pads. Things can get rough sometimes, but as far as Layla is concerned . . .life is good.
  2. Re: Algernon HERO Actually, thank Aaron. And here's some info on the "Cold Front". The Cold Front Members of The Cold Front: Chiller -- Former hitman who lucked into finding a weapon cache hidden years earlier by the 60s' era villain Fineous Frost. He paid The Magi to update the equipment so he and his partner could use it, and then went back into the same business with wealthier clientele, more difficult targets, and bigger paychecks Subzero -- Chiller's partner both before and after the lucky find. He and chiller use pretty much identical equipment, but he's the more inventive in new applications whereas Chiller is the better and deadlier shot. Blueblood -- British national, disowned aristocrat, and former ultra-leftist "guerilla." She and her other "freedom fighters" were fairly pathetic excuses for homegrown terrorists until she got caught in the crossfire between Madame Menagerie and several (very angry) agents for Section 9. Her former colleagues in her "cell" were all killed, but she managed to survive, though just barely. Crippled, she was offered a chance to escape the shell of her body by an associate of the Madame's. She accepted and her benefactor Dollface, one of Empyrean's old enemies, transferred Blueblood's consciousness to an android body. Blueblood later came into possession of a staff containing a shard from the Winter Knight's fabled Iceblade, which gives her certain magical powers concerning..wait for it...ice. Tundra-- An anthropologist "cursed" by an inuit shaman after pillaging the burial ground of the shaman's tribe, Tundra is the host for an ancient entity that calls itself the "Spirit of the North Wind." When in possession of it's host's body (who barely remains in control), the spirit appears as an enormous humanoid of ice and rock that exhibits control over earth, wind, and cold (snow, ice, some weather patterns, etc). Why it remains with the group is a question The Covenant, among others, would like answered. The Cold Warrior -- Real identity unknown, this individual is believed to be a cyborg underneath the battlesuit he wears. Despite his American accent and speech patterns, he exhibits an almost psychotic hatred for both the US and the former members of the USSR. His battlesuit has a number of weapon systems based around a cold motif, though it is been theorized that the suit merely channels power the Cold Warrior already possessed. Recruited by Blueblood following Frostbite's departure and the Front's moving into their new line of business, he doesn't get along very well with his teammates, especially Chiller and Subzero (who would never admit how much he intimidates them). Note: Frostbite, a mutant with cold-generating powers and the ability to transform his body completely into a malleable icy substance, was originally a member. He left after a near-fatal accident kick-started a boost to his powers, evolving them to a new level (though the end of his relationship with Blueblood was equally a factor). He's now a member of the Slaughterhouse Six. The Eidolon is a supernatural being, a spiritual gestalt of the murdered and other souls that died violent and unjust deaths. It acts as one of the guardians of the Lands of the Dead, as well as the occasional avenging hands against the perpetrators of the most heinous of crimes.
  3. Re: Algernon HERO Okay, here's the first batch of info I dug up on TAF universe. The Pantheon Empyrean (Carter Carson) As their civilization escaped the destruction of their home reality, moving from dimension to dimension, Empyrean’s people discovered that their vessel, a starship never actually intended for the number of people on it nor for the rigors of traveling the environs it was enduring, had been critically damaged. Desperate to prevent their race’s total extinction but having only limited time and resources, they modified their vessel’s emergency escape pods for travel through The Gray and from there to disperse across a number of realities. Of these, apparently only Empyrean’s pod actually survived. Soft landing in northern Missouri, he was found by an elderly couple, the Carson’s, a retired policeman and his wife, a former schoolteacher. They named him Carter and raised him as best they could. When they died, he moved to the big city, working a variety of jobs before becoming an archivist and research specialist for a major newspaper. Empyrean’s passage through the Gray with inadequate radiation protection apparently mutated and enhanced his race’s natural psionic abilities, but his upbringing without proper training left him with limited usage – his abilities only seemed to enhance what he would expect from his natural physical abilities, such as telekinesis augmenting his natural strength and durability, ESP mimicking any number of superhuman senses, etc. Only after encountering other psi-actives and receiving some training did he master some of his more exotic powers, such as flight or his ability to adjust his interaction with temporal flow to seem to move at vast speeds. Later, he and his teammates would discover that everything he knew (or more accurately, what he was told by the pod’s computer) was a lie – even the Carsons had been a false memory fed into his mind by the transport pod. He had been engineered by a race called The Chonozhka from their slave stock’s gene pool, partially an organic construct and partially a synthetic and highly sophisticated android, and his “life” had actually begun the moment the pod released him, complete with 25 years of programmed memories and a constructed personality matrix. His creators had intended for him to infiltrate Earth’s heroic metahuman community and then destroy it from the inside. His hidden programming warred against his persona (apparently much too well constructed) and experience, distracting him long enough for his teammate Dusk to use captured alien tech, given to the Pantheon by Empyrean’s old nemesis Maximillian Mars, to seriously injure him and diminish his powers. Today, he is one of the powers behind the throne of Makoroa, psychologically and emotionally controlled and manipulated by Dr. Deimos. Dusk (Bryce Hartford) Bryce and his brother Bannon were a first for the Hartfords, namely twins. Growing up indoctrinated in the family’s secrets and trained to take over the identity of The Watchman, the brothers found themselves at odds. Extremely competitive, neither wanted to share the mask. Ultimately, they staged a contest, the exact nature known only to the two of them,, but which Bannon apparently won. Bryce left his brother to carry on the family legacy, but constructed his own vigilante identity as the brutal and unwavering Dusk. Brilliant, exceptionally conditioned and skilled, Bryce put his life-long training to good use as a scourge of the criminal underworld, accumulating a number of deranged and grotesque enemies such as Cipher, Naga, and Tribunal. Though they reconciled, the brothers remained competitive until Bryce was killed while disabling his teammate, Empyrean. Morrigan (Amazon) Exiled Avalonian and former enemy of Western civilization, Morrigan began as what amounts to a gender-rights terrorist. Over the years, as she matured, she began to work more and more with the authorities instead of against them. By the time the Pantheon formed, she had built a reputation as an earnest champion, though her politics and personal behaviors continued to raise eyebrows. She was killed with Chain Lightning activating the subspace bomb that destroyed the invading Chonozhka fleet. Chain Lightning (Rick Parsons) Rick was the son of one of the scientists involved in the energy transmission experiments whose disastrous failure turned Mike Thompson into Dynamo (of the 60s era Sentinels). Her proximity to the discharge that consumed Thompson’s physical form forced Emma Parsons into giving birth prematurely. Rick grew up gradually manifesting the strange energy-based abilities that would give him his name. By late adolescence, he had learned to use the force that always supercharged his body to convert himself into a state of existence somewhere between matter and energy. In this quasi-energy form, Parsons possessed vast superhuman speed and the ability to manipulate various other energies at will. He gave his life powering up the subspace bomb that Morrigan then triggered. Gauntlet (Anthony Thames) Astronaut Anthony Thames disappeared in a flash of light while on a routine EVA outside the Space Shuttle Discovery. He had been chosen as an agent of the Mihral (MEER-rahl, now called the Mihral Dominion), and advanced interstellar race that had devoted their power and experience to peacekeeping efforts through out the known galaxy. Each of their agents, chosen from the dominant species of their section of space, was outfitted with a sophisticated armored glove that could project solid energy forms as visualized by its wielder, among many other almost miraculous functions. Returned to his sector of space, he performed his job well, protecting Earth and her surrounding systems from a number of threats -- not least of which being the rogue member of his own corps, Cestus – before joining the Pantheon to face menaces outside his own power such as Hivemother, Sopok Tor, and Lamprey. It was the Mihral that ultimately told Gauntlet and the Pantheon about the Chonozhka. Later, Gauntlet found that his patrons had known about Empyrean’s masters not just as a threat, but as a rival. Coldly logical, the Mihral had decided long ago that the most efficient way to bring and keep the peace was through actual control, not diplomacy. The corps were an unwitting fifth column, seeding the way for the Mihral’s own eventual campaign of domination. When this became known, the corps rebelled, most dying as a result, while the areas of space “protected” by the corps erupted into conflict. Today, Thames is a bitter and cynical mercenary/bounty hunter, desperately seeking a cause in which to believe while taking money to do what he once performed as duty. Mindstalker A being of pure psionic force, native to some place in the deep Astral plane and brought to Earth accidentally by Ghostworks personnel during an experiment, Mindstalker was apparently some sort of law enforcement figure among his own race. Trapped on Earth following the experiment, he simply adopted the plane and people as his new charges and went on with his traditional duties. He could appear as any form or image he chose to be seen as (having no set physical form), moved in and out of the near astral effortlessly, and was an unmatched telepath. His original self was destroyed by Umbra during the inter-temporal Shadowlands War, but a remnant still exists as the monstrous Figment. Shepherd (Maegrist) Maegrist is one of four known Human-Atlantean hybrids in existence (the others being the criminal Mako, the heroine and former member of the Electric Avenue Irregulars during the 70s, Aquarius, and Tiburon, a Mexican national on his father’s side who works for UNSOCIS on their SABER team). Exiled from Atlantis because the circumstances of his birth, early life, and personality match up to an ancient prophecy with ominous implications for the Atlantean crown, Shepherd is a religious figure to his fellow Atlanteans, a self-proclaimed messenger and agent for what he calls Mother Ocean. His ability to talk to and command most sea life he claims is a gift from her, as well as his (difficult, tiring, and very limited) control over weather. Though badly injured helping Gauntlet keep Empyrean occupied for Dusk, Shepherd eventually recovered and continues to preach the gospel of his mistress while protecting her domains from enemies both above and below. And some info on their enemies Pantheon Enemies #1: Enemies of the Team as a Whole Amalgam An alchemical homunculus created by Simon Magnus to avenge his defeat at the hands of the Pantheon. In addition to being practically indestructible due to its ability to repair itself almost instantly from any damage, Amalgam also possesses the magical ability to become a “living” reflection of the abilities used against it. It gained sentience after mimicking Mindstalker’s powers and turned on its creator. Amalgam hates humanity for having the one thing he will never have: a soul. Currently trapped in a dimensional bubble between Earth’s dimension and The Gray. The Answer Once an up and coming “Young Turk” in The Magi’s R&D crew (before it became The Orchard), this former chemistry prodigy (and addict) tried developing a new series of designer smart drugs intended to expand brain function and sensory channels. Testing it upon himself, the ultimate high put him into a coma. When he awoke, his mind worked on levels heretofore unattained by man. Unstable in the extreme, The Answer desperately seeks intellectual challenges to overcome the deadly tedium he now finds existence. Unfortunately, he’s found the more interesting challenges to be in the destructive and anti-social vein, such as “How do you bring society to its knees?” or “How do mortals defeat what are essentially gods?” Currently imprisoned in Fort Sunderland in a chemically maintained sedation. Arsenal, Inc. A time traveler from yet another alternate time line (different from that of Praetorian’s or The Quantum Mechanic’s), this far spanning entrepreneur is the pinnacle of the arms merchant trade – somehow isolated from the effects his actions might have on the course of history, he’s willing to sell to anyone, anywhere, anywhen, so long as he’s happy with what he gets out of the deal. Napoleon needs 28th century Autonomous Polyalloy-Armored Combat Exoframes with Biodrive Operating Cores? No problem… what’s the little guy offering? Current whereabouts unknown. The Fallen (Godking, Shroud, Warcrow, Overload, Manacle, Mindslaughter, Inquisitor) Originally created from Nightmare’s fevered mindscape and given form, these dark and murderous doppelgangers were each member of the Pantheon’s worst fear about themselves and each other. Later, the magic remnants of the original doppelgangers absorbed the bodies of seven criminals seeking revenge on The Pantheon, gaining new life independent of Nightmare…going so far as to claim that they were actually echoes of another alternate dimension somehow manifest initially through Nightmare’s psychic power. Currently assumed destroyed. Hivemother Neither her real name nor the name of her species is pronounceable by the human tongue. Burrowing through dimensional strata, her and her kind find world after world teeming with life, take forms based on the dominant species, and then conquering and stripping the world of its natural resources before moving on. At least, they did until they hit Earth and were beaten, repeatedly. Currently, her horde is assumed destroyed and Hivemother herself is incarcerated on the highest security level of Fort Sunderland. Lamprey A living weapon believed to have survived the Acathii-Rha’Zha’Keth War eons ago (much as Starbane did), this gargantuan worm-like creature moves through space seeking intelligent civilizations to use as hosts for itself and its offspring, burrowing deep within a planet to feed off of its core while its innumerable children seek to attach themselves to organic “mounts,” controlling the victims while slowly consuming their life energies. Currently believed destroyed, but as its children slowly grow into a semblance of the parent if they continue their life cycle, the original or other adults may still be out in the cosmos somewhere. Nightmare A descendant of one of the original explorers of Oneiros who actually managed to escape back to Earth, Nightmare is one of the unfortunates whose mind was eventually sought out by the semi-sentient dreamworld (as Dr. Grimm and Rakshasha). Contact with Oneiros both destroyed his sanity and somehow awakened the ability to tap Oneiros’ energies to at first enter people’s dreams and control dreamscapes, but later evolved into the staggering power to make the things in his own dreams and visions become real. Currently incarcerated at Fort Sunderland and kept in a drug-induced and (hopefully) dreamless coma-like state. Purge An alien warlord and racial supremacist, Purge is the English translation of the title this despot took upon himself after his people’s “ascension.” This is what they called the incident of an unintentional first contact wherein his people captured and killed the members of a pacifistic race that had accidentally broken cover on the planet during an anthropological observation. Originally evolved artificially by the Acathii, Purge’s people were deemed a failure due to their volatile nature and violently hardwired xenophobia. Their enhanced physical and mental prowess enabled them to survive on their harsh world, but a lack of natural resources had stifled their technological development -- until fate dropped a functioning starship in their laps. Preying on weaker planets and taking their resources to build a terrifying fleet, Purge and his people started a holy war that was the terror of their area of the galaxy until they encountered the Pantheon. Purge views it as his duty to cleanse the stars of all other races save his own. Currently at large, Purge is believed to be rebuilding his shattered fleet. Simon Magnus Archmage of legend, Magnus is finally coming to end of many of his spells and bargains that have extended his life. Desperate to extend his life further, by any means, he is willing to steal, murder, lie, and pillage, so long as he is able to find a means to stave off his own long-delayed demise….and avoid “paying up” to the many entities he’s swindled, deceived, and betrayed over the centuries. His schemes have been thwarted numerous times in recent years by the Pantheon. Currently at large. Sopok Tor Intergalactic agent provocateur, Tor was originally the dictator of his own world until put down by the Gauntlet Corps after attempting to extend his grasp to neighboring star systems. Now he uses his contacts and ill-gotten resources to hide among the stars while fomenting unrest and conflict – all in the hope of eventually putting himself back on a throne… somewhere. Currently at large.
  4. Re: Algernon HERO Dave, if you've got a few minutes today, do you think you could post your overall design strategy, and let us know how you went about converting the various characters from M&M to Hero.
  5. Re: Algernon HERO I'm guessing you're refering to people like Cyberhawk? Overal, what do you think of the book so far?
  6. Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews Dave, any word on when the proof copy's coming back from the printer? Once it arrives, can you let us know how it looks?
  7. Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews Dave, when does it look like the book is going to ship?
  8. Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews Actually, I was a play tester for the M&M version of the book, but since I'm an old school Champions player (I've still go my original 1st edition rules book), I'm really interested in seeing what Dave's managed to come up with. So far I've been very pleased with the previews he's posted. The point totals are significantly higher than what I'm used to for your "standard" Champions product and they look like they're going to gave most hero groups a real run for their money. Also, several of the villains could quite easily be integrated into an existing game or any of the canon groups presented in the various official products. Lastly, for those of you interested, I’ve got a Algernon Files plot hook/seed thread going on over on the Blackwyrm forums - http://www.blackwyrm.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=168 -You’ll have to register on the site before you can view it (it only takes a minute or two), plus there are plenty of other goodies such as background info, artwork, and character cutouts available for download on the main site. I’d encourage you to take a few minutes and look it over, you won’t be wasting your time.
  9. Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews I'm waiting to see the Hero versions of the Sinister Circle and the Black Knights. For those of you who aren't familiar with them, the Black Knights are VERY powerful group of mercenary villains. They make Eurostar look like a girl scout troop.
  10. Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews Also, for those of you unfamiliar with the Algernon Files universe, Aaron Sullivan has been kind enough to post additional notes, and bacgrond material over on the Blackwyrm Games website. Most of it's posted in the "forums" section of the site.
  11. Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews I start a thread, take off for a couple of days, and look at the hornets nest I seemed to have stirred up. As far as the previews go, what do you guys think of them so far? On the subject of M&M to Hero, I really don't think it can be done with one simple little "formula". I believe you have to take it n a case-by-case basis, and work out each character's stats based on the original concept for the character. Maybe Dave will be kind enough to post an "official" answer on how he came up with each character's stats.
  12. Re: Algernon Files 2.0 previews Gent's if you haven't added this book to your Christmas list, you need to. It's worth every penny you pay. And if you like the previews wait until to you see The Prometheans, Krait, and Sepulchre!
  13. Previews for the Hero version of The Algernon Files 2.0 are up on the Blackwyrm Games site - http://www.blackwyrm.com/Extras.htm
  14. Anyone happen to now what Eurostar's current line up is. I can't find my Copy of Champions World Wide, and the only new member I can remember off the top of my head is Der Wesgote (sp). Thanks in advance.
  15. What's the best way either you, or one of your players, has left a game? Back in the day, I had a guy who got tired of his character (don't ask me why), and I let him do a "Spock" (he went into a reactor to stop it from melting down), and died of radiation burns.
  16. Re: Algernon files 2 For those of you who are interested, print, CDs, and PDF versions of The Fires of War: The Algernon Files, Vol. 2 are now available from the Blackwyrm Games website - http://www.blackwyrm.com
  17. Re: Help with SWAT The GURPS SWAT suppliment used a lot of info from my website - http://www.specwarnet.net/taclink I'm currently a Sheriff's Deputy and a member of the Virginia Tactical Police Association, US Correctional Tactical Officers Association, National Tactical Officers Association, and South Carolina Tactical Officers Association. Feel free to ask whatever questions you want, and I'll do my best to answear them.
  18. For those of you who are interested, and fortunate enough to attend, Dave Mattingly will be running Champions games at both cons. You can get more info here - http://www.blackwyrm.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=100
  19. Re: The Marvel Handbook online Shhhh...I won't tell if you dont.
  20. A little something I stumbled across earlier today- http://www.unfluffybunny.com/cripp12/AtoB.htm Enjoy.
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