William Bushway

Re: What's the most ridiculous PC you've ever been subjected to? Credit where credit is due, the player would have been a guy named Andrew Gibson, who I never had the opportunity to actually game with. He was fond of asking questions in the vein of "Who would win: 5000 first-level Barbarians or 5 20th-level wizards?" or "How much damage could a 3rd-level Barbarian do with a toilet?" when were still playing AD&D. If my search-fu is strong, here's where I originally posted the character on the forums. I originally posted the character to the champ-l mailing list at sysabend.org back in 2001 - it could be read here if the archives were working.

My s/o is a waitress, and commonly works double shifts, that means she's on her feet a good 12-14 hours per workday. I work in IT, 8 hour shift on my butt, with plenty of leeway to take trips out for a bite to eat, and time to surf the web and other such diversions. When it comes to household chores, the whole "work smarter, not harder" thing is a crock. Somehow, she's convinced me that I have to do more scutwork around the house because hers is the more strenuous job. You'd think the fact that I pay all the rent and utilities would earn me some points in that regard. You'd be wrong.

If you can convince the player to retire the character, or the player leaves the group, sounds like the character is ripe for a "Parralax Turn" - Hero's power sets him so far above the masses that he begins to lose touch. This can be accompanied by the "Authority Complex," where the hero believes so firmly in his own infallibility that he grows tired and resentful of the "stupid" things that normal people do to each other that he feels he has to step in and save them from themselves. Definite villain possibilities, there.

I imagine that in a similar situation, a soldier or police officer who negligently killed 4 non-combatants in the course of rescuing a comrade would be immediately suspended pending investigation of the incident. Best-case scenario is desk-duty until a full psych evaluation and a refresher course on tactical hostage rescue has been completed. Worst case is being stripped of rank and then being tried for murder.

Honestly, that campaign was doomed from the start. The other (marginally less awful) character concepts I recieved were: Batman.. with Guns. Years later when I first saw the Harbinger of Justice, this guy's concept immediately came to mind. Japanese demon dressed in full Kabuki costume with flame powers and a cursed katana. No background or heroic motivation, but a damn cool sketch (player in question was an artist). I came across the sketch a while ago, and planned to use it for a writeup of Kagutsuchi, who would have been a Susano Orbatos clone from Masamune's Shirow's Orion. However, I seem to have lost the sketch again Guy with a glove that could launch time-delay explosive "bombs." This was the video-game geek's contribution. Powered-armor guy, basically a man-sized Valkyrie from the Robotech cartoon. This from the Battletech nut. The funniest part was that I'd pre-planned to have the characters meet up with trying to take on a super-powered arsonist who was holding the city hostage. I can't imagine how these characters would've saved the Mayor from the burning City Council building...

Okay, we've heard the gaming horror-stories, worst moments, etc. Now it's time for everyone to post the Worst Character Concept they've ever seen. I'll roll out my old standard as example, one I first shared with the world back in 2001 on the Hero Mailing List: I may as well share the Worst Character Concept Ever, submitted to me by a prospective player in a Champions game was going to run (but never got off the ground): The Superlative (Invincible, Indestructible, etc.) Hammer-Wheel. The Invincible Hammer-Wheel's power is that he has hammers for hands and wheels for feet. Or it could have been wheels for hands and hammers for feet. The player himself wasn't sure, but my mental picture of the character is a man with monster-truck wheels plugged into where is arms should be, who drives up to villains and kicks them with his sledgehammer feet. Here's basically how the conversation went: Player: I hear you're running a superhero game. Can I play? Me: Sure. Do you have a character concept in mind? Player: The Invincible Hammer-Wheel! Me: Uh... (keep in mind this was to be a "serious" supers game) Player: He has hammers for hands and wheels for feet! Or, wheels for hands and hammers for feet. I haven't decided. Me: And how did he come by these "powers?" Player: He was born that way. Me: Must have been rough on his folks... Player: He was raised by farm implements. Me: ...and his motivation for doing good? Player: He lives in the woods. So whenever people bring up their "worst concept" horror-stories, all I have to say is; "The Invincible Hammer-Wheel. He has hammers for hands and wheels for feet. He was born that way. He was raised by farm implements. He lives in the woods."

Well, according to the Triupmh and Torment graphic novel, in the Marvel Universe the contest to determine the Sorcerer Supreme is held once every 100 years. Magi from across the globe gather in the Himalayas at the request of a mystic known only as the Old One. If memory serves, they were tasked with releasing the avatars of the Vistani, who were imprisioned in a crystal. The crystal reflected spells back upon their casters - Those casters who were unable to withstand their own spells also became entrapped in the crystal. As a twist, the newly "crowned" Sorceror Supreme is responsible for granting a boon to the challenger who came in second, in this case Doctor Doom.

Haven't seen the anime, but... Arucard? Do you think they're making fun of the Japanese r/l sound substitution? - Alucard being Dracula spelled backwards...

Re: Breaking Personality Stereotypes for the Archetypes How about a TK-brick that can only use his powers to create simple machines? "With a long enough lever and a place to stand, I could move the Earth" - Archimedes Amp : a generic blaster with Variable SFX on each slot of his multi = he can manipulate the most prominent/powerful source of energy in his local environment. Streetlights emit laser blasts, an open freezer issues forth a blizzard, boomboxes create sonic booms. This guy is a thinker who enjoys the challenge of trying to think of new ways to use his environment. Kitbash/Kludge : An inventor who can't make things better than the stuff already out there, but he can make somethin almost as good from stuff just laying around. Can turn a washing machine into an APC, a cell-phone into a stun gun, etc. Can't put the old devices back together when he's finished Pacifist : The martial artist that doesn't fight. Master of an art that redirects opponents energy - but not back at the opponent themself (too violent!). Dodge, Entangle (binds opponent with their own clothing), Missile reflection (aims shots back at te foci that fired them). Hmmm... how about an empath that can share any sensation he's experienced over the last 40 years of a hard-drinking partying lifestyle. Call him Hangover I had a concept for a plant-based metamorph the had started out as a kid-sidekick in the Golden Age (the Green Boy), went on to a career as a adult hero (the Green Knight), and now is a mystical/"wild spirit" type (the Green Man). He started out his career with a Pinocchio complex, but as he's matured he's begun to embrace his alien-ness. Of course, also has a penchant for the legends of England How about a mystical gadgetteer, one with no spellcasting powers of his own, who has a trunk full of different talismans, wands, and magical doodads that he uses? Loves to research and track down these things more than using them - I see him more as an appraiser from Antiques Roadshow than Sorcerer Supreme. Maybe he's out to keep them out of the wrong hands, or he's just an incurable collector. Give him unluck and a VPP of foci with charges and activations. How about a government-conspiracy nut who's appointed himself the Patriot of the "Real American government." Or a militant, Rage Against the Machine-type patriot - make her a female draped in a tattered american flag, who claims to be "the product of the rape of Lady Liberty by Big Business." Maybe a an inventor who's designed a suit for a purpose that 90% thinks is bizarre/pointless? He soldiers on, using his own money, because he's convinced that the scientific discoveries he'll make with the suit will make him rich. I'm think of that guy who's developing the Bear Encounter Suit as inspiration here. A speedster that is lazy and procrastinates because he literally saves up his energy for when he really needs it. Maybe he's even super-slow in everyday life - his voice is an octave lower, lower body temp, ages at a reduced rate. But then he makes up for it with bursts of incredible speed. I'm imagining an Eyore-type personality. Believes in taking it slow and doing it right - When he eventually gets fed up with people rushing around him and making mistakes, he shifts to hyperspeed and gets things done quickly and efficiently. "Now, was that so hard?" How about a pool (billiards) shark? There was a relatively goofy Marvel villain named 8-ball who used his expertise designing missile propulsion systems to create a pool cue that aplified the force applied to it by 1,000x. You could take that idea and make the character a little more "cool," kind of a hustler/Gambit-clone. Doesn't really break any sterotypes, but the concept has always had a certain charm for me

Twain wrote two more stories about Sawyer; Tom Sawyer Abroad, and Tom Sawyer: Detective. I'm guessing that the U.S. sent Tom because he was a detective and because he'd already been across the pond once (in Tom Sawyer Abroad he crosses the Atlantic in a balloon).

Another question I don't think the PCs have considered is what happens to their survivng DNPCs? As soon as they try to hold Congress hostage, what's to stop the govt from grabbing their DNPCs again to use as bargaining chips? Maybe its time to introduce an underground mutant resistance group - have them approach the PCs offering to use their resources to ide their DNPCs. From there they can meet the group's leader, who might be able to convince them that their talents would be wasted in a frontal assault. If you really want to convince your group of the Texas senator's loyalties, you could reveal him to be the leader of this group. The other way to difuse this potential bomb is give them a chance to take on the man behind the scenes - from your description, it sounds like this Fortitude character. Why is he doing this? Why does he want Pharoah and Damage?

This is when I'd introduce the Secret Service supers - people who have powers, but they're so limited in scope that they can't operate as a costumed hero would. So instead, they've taken the steady paycheck of a government job. Of course, the government has made sure that none of these folks have public identities. Your hero marches up to the White House, when an anynonymous Secret Serviceman places a hand on his chest. Anonymous Secret Serviceman: "Sir, I'm afraid I can't let you pass." Hero: "And how do you intend to stop me?" That's when A.S.S. hits him with 1" Superleap, UAO, No Range, Megascale (1" = 1,000,000 miles).

Luminary Glitter Starlet

Lol, this makes me think back to the old public TV show "Dr. Fad," hosted by the guy that came up with the Wacky Wall Walker toy. He even wore a sweater covered with the things. Man, that's show's theme song was catchy...

Weird Mystic: The Stranger. He's kind of a Batman/Spider clone, but instead of striking terror, he Strikes Madness in the Minds of Men! Featureless mask that he can remove for his coup de grace, the "Glimpse of Madness." Vanish teleport, clinging (walking along walls). Not occult per se, but he has "seen things that would drive other men to madness."