gmurie

Re: Power suggestions Or if the symbiont is bonded to the host you build it like any other hero and define all the powers as SFX, and add a Distinctive Features that's easily concealed. And a Vulnerability to Sonics for some reason maybe... If the symbiont can hide under the character's clothes, but can be removed, then it'd just be an IIF.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Virgo Val Char Cost 15 STR 5 18 DEX 24 23 CON 26 10 BODY 0 35 INT 25 10 EGO 0 15 PRE 5 8 COM -1 5/25 PD 2 5/25 ED 0 4 SPD 12 10 REC 4 60 END 7 30 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 3" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 109 Cost Power 70 Energy Field Manipulation: Multipower, 87-point reserve, (87 Active Points); all slots Linked (Force Field Projector; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; -1/4) 7u 1) Force Bolt: EB 14d6 (vs. ED), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (87 Active Points) 7u 2) Shredding Force Field: RKA 2d6+1 (vs. PD), Damage Shield (+1/2), Continuous (+1) (87 Active Points) 7u 3) Controlled Force Fields: TK (58 STR) (87 Active Points) 7u 4) Capture Fields: Entangle 7d6, 7 DEF, Cannot Be Escaped With Teleportation (+1/4) (87 Active Points) 7u 5) Projected Force Fields: FW (12 PD/12 ED; 5" long and 2" tall), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (87 Active Points) 90 Force Field Projector: FF (20 PD/20 ED/10 Power Defense/10 Flash Defense: Sight Group), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (90 Active Points) 16 Force Field Rider: Flight 10" (20 Active Points); Linked (Force Field Projector; Greater Power is Constant or in use most or all of the time; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; Lesser Power need not be used proportionally to Power with which it is Linked; -1/4) 5 Body Armor: Damage Resistance (5 PD/5 ED) 20 LS (Eating: Character only has to eat once per week; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing) Powers Cost: 236 Cost Skill 9 +3 with MPP 8 Penalty Skill Levels: +4 vs. Range Modifier with MPP 3 Analyze: Technology 16- 3 Computer Programming 16- 3 Concealment 16- 3 Electronics 16- 3 Inventor 16- 3 Mechanics 16- 3 PS: Research Scientist (INT-based) 16- 3 SS: Human Machine Interface (INT-based) 16- 3 SS: Force Fields (INT-based) 16- 3 SS: Robotics (INT-based) 16- 3 SS: Genetics (INT-based) 16- 3 Security Systems 16- 3 Weaponsmith 16- 5 Cramming Skills Cost: 61 Cost Perk 10 50 Point Contribution to Zodiac Vehicles & Bases Perks Cost: 10 Cost Talent 3 Absolute Range Sense 3 Absolute Time Sense 5 Eidetic Memory 3 Lightning Calculator 4 Speed Reading (x10) Talents Cost: 18 Pts. Disadvantage 10 DF: Mutant (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Uncommonly-Used Senses) 15 DF: Physical Wreck/Power Armor (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 Hunted: by Doctor Silverback and her parents 8- (As Pow, NCI, Capture) 20 Phys. Lim.: Will die outside of her armor or a sterile environment (Frequently, Fully Impairing) 15 Psych. Lim.: Cold and Aloof (Very Common, Moderate) 20 Psych. Lim.: Disconected from Human Society and Social Norms (Very Common, Strong) 15 Psych. Lim.: Protective of Children (Common, Strong) 15 Reputation: Mentally Unstable Child Prodigy, 11- (Extreme) Disadvantage Points: 125 Base Points: 200 Experience: 109 Total Character Cost: 434 BACKGROUND/HISTORY: Cythia Reynolds was born to pain and physical handicaps that should have killed her. She barely survived her first year of life, but through the intervention of many experts including none other than Dr. Silverback she was able to survive; after a fashion anyway. Her immune system was severely compromised, but she'd earned her first PhD by the time she was eleven. For all that her body was weak and her immune system crippled Cynthia's intellect was remarkable; inhumanly so. Cynthia was disconnected from other people, because she needed to live in a sterile environment, but that was little obstacle to her goals and ambitions. She kept contact with people all over the world through encrypted channels on her computer. One of her greatest friends was an engineer named Stanley Morgan who was helpful in teaching her about power armor technology. Eventually, she was trading her expertise with super villains and organizations like ARGENT for knowledge, money, and material. Usually with the help of Stan Morgan, who would eventually become Cancer of the Zodiac. With Cancer's help Cynthia was able to create a power armor suit that would let her survive in the outside world, and would let her escape from her parents and doctors. Due to a growing paranoia about contact with the world she developed a remarkable force screen system to protect herself. She had to steal funds to create it, and the system was a dangerous weapon. She heard about how her parents and others were beginning to talk about how she was mentally unstable. It simply would not do, and as the authorities closed in Cancer and some of the other members of Zodiac appeared with an offer that she couldn't refuse. Now Cynthia has a large and luxurious sterilized suite in the mountain stronghold, and all the money and material she could possibly want. PERSONALITY/MOTIVATION: Cynthia is human only by genetics, and is disconnected from the rest of the human race by the barriers that keep her alive. She's had quite a bit of cybernetic work done on her, which a further disconnect from the rest of humanity. In interactions with others she comes across as aloof, cold, conservative, fastidious, and cautious. She's not a leader in the group, and is only a member of Zodiac for her own protection and access to the resources she needs for her research, though she finds Aquarius' goals and ideals intriguing. Virgo's ultimate goal is to be healthy and able to survive without her armored suit. She's canny enough to know that making a devil's bargain with someone like Telieos or Dr. Destroyer is not the way to go about it. Virgo is taking the slow cautious road by teaching herself as much about cloning and personality transference as she can. She's learned that the mutation that makes her super intelligent is also the factor that weakens her health, so she's cautious about trying to cure herself. If transfering her brain into a robot is what it takes to survive she'd give it serious consideration. She has little regard for the lives of adults, but has some reticence about hurting children, and has been known to go out of her way to save them. QUOTE: "I'm superior to you every way, so don't bother trying to stop me." POWERS/TACTICS: Virgo's powers are not taken as a focus, because she cannot survive without her power suit, and she's rarely out of her armor. When she is out of her armor it's when she's at one of the Zodiac bases that have sterile suites. Instead, she has a physical limitation to represent the special care needed to keep her alive. In most respects she's a typical energy projector, and rather than providing any limitation on her characteristics and and endurance reserve for her powers all of her stats represent her armor's abilities abstracted to normal ability scores. If ever out of the armor, all of her physical ability scores are in the 3-5 range. Virgo does not like being near other people even when in her armor. She'll use flight and try to stay at least six hexes away from anyone and use her EB, TK, Entangle, or Force Wall to increase that distance. If grabbed or when people get too close to her she won't hesitate to use her Explosive EB or Damage Shield RKA to clear an area or get loose unless there are children about. CAMPAIGN USE: Like Cancer, many of Virgo's points are tied up in non-combat Talents, Perks, and Skills. Her actual power in game is not as great as her points cost might imply. Especially since she cannot take her powers as foci while staying within the character concept. Virgo is exclusively focussed on what's good for the Zodiac organization, and her goal of being able to fix her health problems. Superheroes that are cyborgs, or have healed from some crippling health problems might be hunted by her in one way or another. She would make a good master villain for a teen champions game, because although she's a dangerous criminal she's also a teenager herself, and won't hurt other children. To increase her power, increase her ability scores and the active points of her MPP. To decrease her power remove her combat skill levels. APPEARANCE: Virgo's armor makes her look a bit older than she actually is, and bulks out her frame to make her look strong and healthy. Out of the armor she's a wreck with dark sunken eyes and sparse greasy brown hair, with stick thin limbs and little physical development. She looks much younger even than her fifteen years.

Re: Looking for write-ups of The Hybrid Better write ups here: http://www.titanstower.com/source/whoswho/hybridvan.html The joys of Google! There's probably wikis on the characters, but not on the group itself seemingly.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? I'll put up Virgo, Leo, Gemni, Libra, and Scorpio as soon as I have them hammered into shape. I've got Leo done, but I want to finish up Virgo and Gemni first, so I can post them in the order that they've joined the group.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Cancer Val Char Cost 15/50 STR 5 14/20 DEX 12 15/25 CON 10 11 BODY 2 25 INT 15 11 EGO 2 15 PRE 5 8 COM -1 8/28 PD 5 8/28 ED 5 3/5 SPD 6 8 REC 4 30 END 0 27/53 STUN 0 7" RUN 2 4"/17" SWIM 2 3"/10" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 74 Cost Power 50 Weapons Systems: Multipower, 75-point reserve, (75 Active Points); all slots OIF (-1/2) 4u 1) Hullcutter Laser Torch: RKA 3d6+1 (vs. ED), AP (+1/2) (75 Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2) (uses END Reserve) 4u 2) Rocket Torpedoes: EB 10d6 (vs. PD), Explosion (+1/2) (75 Active Points); 8 Charges (-1/2) 3u 3) Netgun: Entangle 6d6, 6 DEF, Entangle And Character Both Take Damage (+1/4) (75 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4) 5u 4) The Claws of the Crab: HKA 2d6+1 (2 1/2d6 / 4d6 w/STR) (vs. PD), AP (+1/2), Penetrating (+1/2) (70 Active Points) (uses END Reserve) 9 LS (Safe in High Pressure; Safe in Intense Cold; Self-Contained Breathing) (13 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 10 Active Sonar (Hearing Group) (15 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 8 HRRP (Radio Group) (12 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 12 Swimming +13" (4"/17" total) (x4 Noncombat) (18 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) 15 Headlamps: Hearing Group and Normal Sight Images Increased Size (4" radius; +1/2) (8" Cone; +0), +/-5 to PER Rolls (37 Active Points); Only To Create Light (-1), OIF (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) King Crab Armor Statistics 17 1) +35 STR (35 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) 9 2) +6 DEX (18 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) 10 3) +10 CON (20 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) 13 4) +2 SPD (20 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 40 5) Armor (20 PD/20 ED) (60 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 13 6) Endurance Reserve (70 END, 13 REC) (20 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 17 7) +26 STUN (26 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) Powers Cost: 239 Cost Skill 9 +3 with MPP 3 Combat Piloting 12- (13-) 3 Computer Programming 14- 3 Demolitions 14- 3 Electronics 14- 3 Inventor 14- 3 KS: Power Armor Tech (INT-based) 14- 4 AK: The Oceans 13- 3 Mechanics 14- 2 Navigation (Marine) 14- 3 PS: Engineer (INT-based) 14- 1 SS: Oceanography 8- 3 Security Systems 14- 2 Survival (Marine) 14- 3 Systems Operation 14- 6 TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, Jetskis, Large Motorized Boats, SCUBA, Small Motorized Boats, Submarines 3 Weaponsmith 14- Skills Cost: 57 Cost Perk 10 Mountain Base 20 Base built on 100 points [Notes: No statistics are provided, but the base is secret, and located beneath an old canning factory that Stanley has had renovated into a small mansion and bespoke engineering and machine works. He still does legitimate engineering consulting work and holds several patents that allow him to present the illusion that he can afford it. It has labs and living quarters, as well as a secret power armor lab for the Cancer armor.] 20 Vehicle built on 100 points [Notes: There are no statistics, but the sub is relatively small. It has living quarters, some primitive labs, and an advanced computer that can pilot the sub without Cancer's involvement. It has invisibility to Hearing and Sonar in a MPP so either one or the other can be used, but not both. It is a system of transport and home away from home, and has no weaponry.] 10 Money: Wealthy Perks Cost: 60 Pts. Disadvantage 15 DNPC: Children 8- (Incompetent) 10 Hunted: Alliance of Industrial Magnates 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 20 Hunted: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 20 Psych. Lim.: Easily Offended (Very Common, Strong) 15 Psych. Lim.: Obsessive Personality (Common, Strong) 10 Psych. Lim.: Introvert, -2 to relevant social skills (Common, Moderate) 10 Reputation: Eco-terrorist, 8- (Extreme) 15 Soc. Lim.: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) Disadvantage Points: 115 Base Points: 200 Experience: 115 Total Character Cost: 430 BACKGROUND/HISTORY: Stanley Morgan is the direct male descendant of the famous King Crab, a Nazi sympathiser and villain from before world war two, and before superheroes became well known or as powerful as they were after the war. King Crab's primary feature was that he was a pioneer of marine biology and submarine research, and he'd used those skills to vandalize shipping all over the east coast on behalf of Hitler's regime. Eventually, his dastardly crime spree was brought to an abrupt end by a group of gentlemen adventurers out of New York and London. The last anyone heard of the King Crab he was heading towards the depths of the ocean in one of his submersibles with a dozen explosives laden lobsters to accompany him. He did survive, but was horribly disfigured by fire and the bends. Fleeing to Germany he quietly did his part until Germany's fall without attracting too much attention, and then emigrated back to the United States in the company of one of his nurses. A woman whom he later married and had several children by. From time to time he'd go back to his secret base to wallow in memories, and even do a bit of work on a primitive suit of power armor. He never took up his villainous career again, and his family did well by his inventions and scientific work. Decades later his great grandson, also named Stanley Morgan, a dispirited and depressed engineer who'd just lost the most recent in a long string of jobs and had his wife and children leave him found his great grandfather's secret diaries while going through the families papers. Working through his great grandsire's journals he found the secret underwater base in a sub-basement of an abandonded building in New Jersey. He bankrupted himself buying the property, and then comitted several clever robberies to pay off his creditors. Now he has everything he needs, a secret base, a new career, and a hobby that pays well without him having to put up with executive higher ups overruling his engineering decisions. Best of all a new group called the Zodiac had invited him to be their Cancer. PERSONALITY/MOTIVATION: Stanley is a moody and withdrawn person most of the time. He's only happy when he's sheltered away in his labs inventing, or while wearing the greatly improved Cancer armor that he'd inherited from his great grandfather. He's quite touchy and difficult to get along with in social contexts, but is least likely of the Zodiac to betray the group. He doesn't take well to orders, but works with the group as an equal partner. Much of what Stanley does is for the purpose of making money. He does this so he can keep up his great grandfather's legacy, keep inventing and tinkering, and provide money to his children. He's estranged from his wife, and she fears that he's dangerously obsessed with her and the children. QUOTE: "Why can't you fools leave me alone!" POWERS/TACTICS: Stanley's powers all derive from his engineering and inventing skills, and from his suit of power armor. The armor still has the vague outline of the armor the original King Crab created, so heroes may assume that the suit is dated and weak. It is not. Stanley has invested a lot of time and money into both the armor and his submersible, so they are both quite powerful. He's also invested a lot of effort into training himself up to the physical demands of his new career. Stanley prefers not to fight at all. In any situation where heroes might encounter him he's going to be out to either transport other members of Zodiac, or to make money. His first impulse in any situation will be to flee, either by getting into his sub or just diving in his armor. He will NEVER voluntarily participate in any robbery that is not on or near the water. CAMPAIGN USE: Cancer is likely to hunt anyone that annoys or upsets him. He likes the oceans, and has built up quite a reputation as an ecoterrorist, though he doesn't care so much about the pollution as the idea that people are dumping in "his" waters. Anyone who makes a point of mocking him either personally or in the media will get ambushed by him at some point, but he's careful and clever enough to only do it on his terms. To make Cancer more powerful increase the statistics and power of the weaponry provided by his armor, or give him some more combat levels. To decrease his power do the opposite. Cancer will never add weaponry to the submersible, but might add automated weapon systems to the secret base. Note that nearly one hundred points of Cancer's points are tied up in his submersible, base, and non-combat skills. His physical power is no greater than most starting PC heroes. APPEARANCE: Stanley himself is a middle sized man in his mid thirties with balding stringy blond hair and unexception features, but is in remarkable health because he trains at least two hours a day. The Cancer armor is a massive suit of power armor that looks like a deep sea diving rig as envisioned by a mad scientist of the 1920s. Close examination reveals that most if not all of the armor is modern tech, and has been intentionally given a "retro" pulp era look.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Pisces Val Char Cost 25 STR 15 23 DEX 39 23 CON 26 10 BODY 0 13 INT 3 17 EGO 14 15 PRE 5 18 COM 4 12 PD 7 12 ED 7 5 SPD 17 10 REC 0 46 END 0 35 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 15" SWIM 0 5" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 137 Cost Power 50 Empathic Powers: Multipower, 75-point reserve, (75 Active Points); Limited Power All powers limited to emotion reading and control (-1/2) 5u 1) Telepathy 10d6 (Human and Animal classes of minds), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (75 Active Points); Empathy All Emotions (-1/2) 5u 2) Mind Control 10d6 (Human and Animal classes of minds), Telepathic (+1/4) (75 Active Points); Limited Power Only to Inflict Emotional States (-1/2) 5u 3) Ego Attack 6d6 (Human class of minds), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (75 Active Points); Limited Power Only vs. people with 25+ pts of psych limits (-1/2) 5 Zodiac Communicator: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group) (10 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Sense Affected As More Than One Sense Hearing (-1/2) 27 Precognitive Warnings: Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Function as a Sense) 12- 15 Precognitive Evasions: +3 with DCV 20 Precognitive Dodge: Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack) 8 LS (Breathe Underwater; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in Intense Cold) 7 Tough Skin: Damage Resistance (7 PD/7 ED) 13 Swimming +13" (15" total) Powers Cost: 160 Cost Martial Arts Maneuver Aikido12 1) +3 HTH Damage Class(es) 4 2) Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +5 DCV, Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort 4 3) Escape: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 55 STR vs. Grabs 3 4) Hold: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Grab Two Limbs, 50 STR for holding on 3 5) Takedown: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +1 DCV, 8d6 Strike; Target Falls 3 6) Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, 8d6 +v/5, Target Falls Martial Arts Cost: 29 Cost Skill 9 +3 with Aikido 3 Breakfall 14- 3 Conversation 12- 2 KS: Aikido 11- 2 KS: New Age Movements and Philosophies 11- 4 PS: Social Worker 13- 2 SS: Psychology 11- Skills Cost: 25 Cost Perk 10 Mountain Base Perks Cost: 10 Pts. Disadvantage 5 Dependence: Immersion in Water Takes 3d6 Damage (Very Common, 1 Day) 5 DF: Slightly Odd Features and Build (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 20 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 15 Phys. Lim.: Requires Specialized Medical Care (Infrequently, Fully Impairing) 20 Psych. Lim.: Weak Willed (-3 to EGO rolls to resist social skills) (Very Common, Strong) 20 Psych. Lim.: Loyal to Aquarius (Common, Total) 15 Soc. Lim.: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) Disadvantage Points: 100 Base Points: 200 Experience: 61 Total Character Cost: 361 BACKGROUND/HISTORY: Amanda has always been uncontrollably attracted to bad boys and broken men. There was some undefinable urge to get involved with 'the wrong guy' out of some delusion that she could fix them perhaps. She never lacked for boyfriends, but few stayed with her. Amanda was a gorgeous woman, but unreliable and in the long run crazy as a sack of cats. Her personality tended to move around from day to day, and while she was physically attractive, she often left her boyfriends unimpressed with the actual relationship. Amanda finally thought she'd met 'Mr. Right' in a university researcher who'd been swept up in some scandal or another, and had just gotten off parole. Too bad for her that she got too curious about his research. VIPER eliminated the errant researcher by injecting him with earthworm DNA, which killed him. When Amanda tried to contact the authorities VIPER used her as a test subject as well. They figured that the Koi DNA was a certain death sentance, but they couldn't have been more wrong. During the escape the others assumed that Amanda had gotten off lightly. She was a little off looking like Taurus, but was otherwise human in appearance. In time it was discovered that she had the ability to breathe underwater, and she had other environmental adaptations. She also had a empathic power that worked on both humans and animals. Aquarius was thrilled, and for her part Pisces was drawn in by the charismatic mystic. She's ambivalent about breaking the law, but lacks the will to oppose the current of her life. She's also rather fond of Cancer, and can often be found hiding out in the Crab Shell. PERSONALITY/MOTIVATION: Pisces is one of the few members of Zodiac that's entirely loyal to Aquarius and his vision of what the Zodiac should be used for. That is, she feels that he's a spiritual leader who can usher mankind into an age of love and enlightenment; if only people would treat him with the respect that he deserves. She's not particularly violent or criminal in demeanor, but is easily led, and prefers the company of her fellow Zodiac members. As a consequence, she's gotten involved in some fairly rough situations. At times, she'll admit to herself that she prefers having power and being a criminal than not having power and being a victim. Pisces has no goals or motivations other than to do whatever the most charismatic and forceful members of Zodiac (Aquarius, Capricorn, and Leo mostly) want her to do. QUOTE: "You should listen to us, we have the world's best interests at heart." POWERS/TACTICS: Pisces is able to breathe underwater (salt or fresh water) and is superhumanly strong, fast, and tough. Like the over VIPER research victims she's also developed an additional mutation. She has empathic and precognative powers to go along with the enhanced senses and other aquatic adaptations brought on by her new form. Before her change she was also an enthusiast of Aikido, and her newly enhanced form allows her to use that martial art effectively in combat. Pisces prefers not to get into combat at all, but when forced can be startlingly vicious. She uses combat as a means of working out years of victimization. When things do get rough for her she prefers to retreat to a large body of water where she can flee from most forms of pursuit, or simply fight on more favorable terms. Usually, she'll use Mind Control and Ego Attacks from a distance, and if those powers don't work will hold actions and use her martial arts defensively or flee. CAMPAIGN USE: Pisces will hunt anyone that Aquarius or one of the other more charismatic members of Zodiac tells her to. To make her more powerful add to her suite of precognative and empathic powers. To reduce her power reduce or eliminate those powers. APPEARANCE: Pisces, despite having some patches of fish scales hidden about her body and some other small physical oddities is still a lovely woman. She has the appearance and figure of a pale Eurasian beauty. Her costume is fairly modest considering that it consists of only a one piece swim suit and a mask.

Re: Public Identity Scenario Hooks Tremble evildoers! Banana slug man is here. Banana slug man! Banana slug man! Doing the things a Banana slug can!

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Capricorn Val Char Cost 15 STR 5 26 DEX 48 18 CON 16 15 BODY 10 18 INT 8 10 EGO 0 20 PRE 10 10 COM 0 9/17 PD 6 8/16 ED 4 6 SPD 24 9 REC 4 36 END 0 32 STUN 0 9" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 3" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 135 Cost Power 150 Arsenel: Variable Power Pool, 120 base + 30 control cost, (180 Active Points); VPP Can Only Be Changed Between Adventures (-1/2), Limited Class Of Powers Available Guns, grenades, explosives, knives, and military gear only (-1/2) 0 1) Very Big Sniper Rifle: RKA 3d6 (vs. PD), Increased Maximum Range (2,250"; +1/4), AP (+1/2), NRM (+1/2) (101 Active Points); OAF Bulky (-1 1/2), Arrangement (-1/4), 2 clips of 4 Charges (-3/4), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) Real Cost: 22 0 2) Claymore Mines: RKA 3d6 (vs. PD), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4), Trigger (Activating the Trigger requires a Zero Phase Action, Trigger requires a Turn or more to reset, Two activation conditions apply simultaneously - remote or tripwire; +1/4), Explosion (Cone; -1 DC/2"; +1/2) (90 Active Points); 2 Charges (-1 1/2), OAF (-1), Arrangement (-1/4) Real Cost: 24 0 3) Flashbangs: Sight and Hearing Groups Flash 10d6, Explosion (+1/2) (82 Active Points); OAF (-1), 4 Charges (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4), Range Based On STR (-1/4) Real Cost: 23 0 4) Pair of Submachineguns - First: RKA 2d6 (vs. PD), 32 Charges (+1/4), Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) (52 Active Points); OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) Real Cost: 21 0 5) Pair of Submachineguns - Second: RKA 2d6 (vs. PD), 32 Charges (+1/4), Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) (52 Active Points); OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) Real Cost: 21 0 6) Lowlight Goggles: Nightvision (5 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) Real Cost: 3 0 7) High Tech Hunting Glasses: Sight Group Flash Defense (8 points) (8 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) Real Cost: 5 5 Increased Arc Of Perception (240 Degrees) with Sight Group 6 Running +3" (9" total) 16 Body Armor: Armor (8 PD/8 ED) (24 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 5 Zodiac Communicator: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group) (10 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Sense Affected As More Than One Sense Hearing (-1/2) Powers Cost: 182 Cost Skill 10 +2 with Ranged Combat 5 Accurate Sprayfire 5 Concentrated Sprayfire 3 Combat Driving 14- 3 Deduction 13- 3 PS: Accountant (INT-based) 13- 3 PS: Criminal (PRE-based) 13- 4 AK: United Kingdom 13- 6 KS: The Criminal World 15- 3 Persuasion 13- 3 Streetwise 13- 3 Trading 13- 4 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Small Arms 3 Weaponsmith 13- Skills Cost: 58 Cost Perk 10 Money: Wealthy 10 Mountain Base 25 Various Criminal Contacts and Favors Perks Cost: 45 Pts. Disadvantage 20 Hunted: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 20 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 20 Psych. Lim.: Code of Honor (Common, Total) 10 Psych. Lim.: Casual Killer (Uncommon, Strong) 10 Psych. Lim.: Vengeful (Uncommon, Strong) 15 Soc. Lim.: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) Disadvantage Points: 95 Base Points: 200 Experience: 125 Total Character Cost: 420 BACKGROUND/HISTORY: Capricorn is Danny Corrigan, an Irish mobster who's crime syndicate was uprooted and destroyed by a combination of law enforcement and enemy mobs. He'd worked himself up from enforcer to mob accountant, and had a nice retirement lined up for himself before it all fell apart. After the fall of his friends and family he drifted, and was eventually scooped up by VIPER for their hybrid project. Not the least because he'd done some book keeping for them, and they decided he was a loose end that needed to be tied up. Since he was an older man one of the more mischevious of the scientists (the same one who gave Pisces Koi DNA) decided to make him truely an "old goat" by mixing his genetics with that of a goat. Corrigan almost didin't survive, but through willpower and pure grit he clung grimly to life until Aquarius found the group and stabilized his condition with magic. Capricorn is an experienced and elder statesmen of crime. He's done and seen it all; protection, assassination, arson, gambling, prostitution, drugs, and an array of other vices. For him it was always just a job, and he approached it with a professionalism and skill that would be almost enviable; were it not for all the lives he destroyed. He'd finally settled on the role of mob accountant when he started slowing down, and even put himself through business school during one of his bouts of incarceration. It was Corrigan who led the escapees from the VIPER nest when UNTIL raided it, and it was he who helped Aquarius organize the group and recruit the additional six members. His underworld contacts and money skills are vital to Zodiac's survival. Were it not for Capricorn, it's unlikely that the unworldly and strange Aquarius could have kept the group as a cohesive whole for long. Now Capricorn is one of the nominal figureheads of the group. If not a combat leader, then a respected foundation on which the group relies. PERSONALITY/MOTIVATION: Daniel Corrigan is reserved, methodical, patient, and not a little cruel. He has a black sense of humor, and was a feared hit man and enforcer in his day. With his health and vitality back, and then some, he's even more deadly. He does not buy into the mystical hoohah that many of the other members of the group believe in, but the group brings in a lot of money and provides him with a new sense of purpose. He doesn't spend any more time with people like Aquarius than he has to, but when push comes to shove he'll always back his new organization. Capricorn's goals are to build Zodiac into a criminal empire, and to get as wealthy and as powerful as possible. He's well on the way to achieving that goal, but for the moment has not actually aquired followers as traded favors within the criminal world. He sticks rigidly to a personal code of honor: He will never betray an ally, he'll never cooperate with law enforcement, he must try to avenge insults, and he will not tolerate betrayal. QUOTE: "Heh, superheroes. Well it had to happen some time. Take them down!" POWERS/TACTICS: Capricorn has had a lot of surgical work done on himself to stay as human looking as possible. After the escape he started growing horns, but has had them removed for example. He can move with skill and grace, and often knows what people are going to do even before they do. His eyes have the peculiar horizontal slits of goat's eyes which give him remarkable peripheral vision. If ever in combat he wears a suit of high tech armor and uses a variety of guns, knives, grenades, and other weapons. Capricorn is mission oriented, so if he's out to rob a bank he'll be in and out as quickly as possible. He cannot be dragged into a confrontation. If he wants to eliminate an enemy then explosives or sniper rifles will be used; whatever it takes to destroy his victim quickly and efficiently. He doesn't like Leo on a personal level, but prefers working with her on jobs to any other member of Zodiac. CAMPAIGN USE: Of all the Zodiac Capricorn is one of the most dangerous to have as a hunter, because if someone annoys him enough to want to hunt them he'll kill them as quickly and as efficiently as possible. To make Capricorn more powerful add to his DEX, SPD, combat levels, and increase the size of his VPP. To decrease his power reduce the active points of those abilities. APPEARANCE: In his secret ID Capricorn wears contact lenses to conceal his inhuman eyes. He's almost a stereotype of the Irish gangster right down to the curly red hair and accent. In villian ID he wears a suit of combat armor stylized to look like his namesake.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Sagittarius Val Char Cost 20 STR 10 23 DEX 39 18 CON 16 20 BODY 0 13 INT 3 8 EGO -4 15 PRE 5 8 COM -1 8/18 PD 4 8/18 ED 4 5 SPD 17 8 REC 0 36 END 0 29 STUN 0 17" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 4" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 93 Cost Power 90 Teleportation Powers: Multipower, 90-point reserve 9u 1) Teleportation 20", x4 Increased Mass, x8 Noncombat, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (90 Active Points) 9u 2) Teleportation 10", x4 Increased Mass, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), MegaScale (1" = 10,000 km; +1 1/4), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (90 Active Points) 30 High Tech Bow: Multipower, 60-point reserve, (60 Active Points); all slots OAF (-1) 2u 1) Electroshock Arrows: EB 12d6 (vs. ED) (60 Active Points); 8 Charges (-1/2) 2u 2) Nanosharpened Broadheads: RKA 2 1/2d6 (vs. PD), AP (+1/2) (60 Active Points); 8 Charges (-1/2) 2u 3) Explosive Tip: EB 8d6 (vs. PD), Explosion (+1/2) (60 Active Points); 8 Charges (-1/2) 2u 4) Tangler Arrows: Entangle 6d6, 6 DEF (60 Active Points); 8 Charges (-1/2), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4) 3u 5) Smoke Grenade Arrows: Darkness to Sight Group 4" radius, 8 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (+0), Conforming (+1/2) (60 Active Points) 2u 6) Flashbang Arrows: Sight and Hearing Groups Flash 7d6, Explosion (+1/2) (60 Active Points); 8 Charges (-1/2) Centaur Body, all slots OIHID (-1/4) 22 1) Running +11" (17" total), x4 Noncombat (27 Active Points) 24 2) Armor (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points) 8 3) Knockback Resistance -5" (10 Active Points) 11 4) +10 BODY (20 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) 10 LS (Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents) 5 Zodiac Communicator: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group) (10 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Sense Affected As More Than One Sense Hearing (-1/2) 1 Teleportation: Mountain Base Location (1 Locations) Powers Cost: 232 Cost Skill 9 +3 with bow MPP 3 Streetwise 12- 2 Survival (Urban) 12- 3 CK: London 12- 5 KS: Academic Trivia 14- 3 PS: Philosopher 12- 1 Weaponsmith 8- Skills Cost: 26 Cost Perk 10 Mountain Base Perks Cost: 10 Pts. Disadvantage 15 DF: Centaur in villian ID, or no legs in secret ID. (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 20 Phys. Lim.: Parapeligic OR Centaur - Limited mobility in both forms (All the Time, Greatly Impairing) 15 Phys. Lim.: Requires specialized medical care (Infrequently, Fully Impairing) 20 Psych. Lim.: Irresponsible and Impulsive (Very Common, Strong) 15 Psych. Lim.: Habitual Nonconformist (Common, Strong) 15 Psych. Lim.: Fear of Confined Spaces (Uncommon, Total) 15 Soc. Lim.: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) Disadvantage Points: 130 Base Points: 200 Experience: 31 Total Character Cost: 361 BACKGROUND/HISTORY: Daniel Archer is probably one of the most unfortunate of the surviving petty criminals swept up in VIPER's animal hybridization project next to Aries. The VIPER scientists had hoped that by merging the DNA of more innocuous animals than snakes with their victims they'd get some mildly enhanced agents out of it. Daniel ended up as a crippled wreck, and had to be carried out of the VIPER base by the others when UNTIL raided the facility. When Aquarius found the group of five unfortunates he was able to use healing spells to stabilize Daniel's condition, but he was still in rough shape, and had the life of a deformed cripple to look forward to. Not that this was any great departure from his life before. He was a homeless alchoholic and heroin addict, and only fell in with various criminal syndicates because he was sharp enough to work past this flaw. The group probably could have abandoned the careless and irresponsible Daniel to his fate and he'd have not cared much, but the group didn't want to abandon him, because it was his teleportation powers that helped them escape in the first place. As far as Aquarius was concerned this man was clearly to be Sagittarius. He was half horse, and his birth name was even Archer! Aquarius was able to further stabilize Daniel's condition, and when Aquarius added Cancer and Virgo to the group they were able to create a cybernetic mobility system that made him look like a true centaur. Daniel serves Zodiac grudgingly, and like Aries he's not too keen on his new life, but isn't strong willed or brave enough to betray the group. He does like the comforts of the Mountain Base that their stolen money has bought, and some of the group's members are fun enough that he's willing to go along with their schemes. Like Aries he doesn't have wealth as a perk, because he can't take advantage of the group's wealth except as it's part of the base. PERSONALITY/MOTIVATION: Were it not for the immunity to drugs that his body has mutated for him Sagittarius would certainly be a drug addict and alchoholic again. He's tried to find something that'll get past the immunity, but to little success. Now he tries to work out his frustrations and restlessness in combat, and in sexual gratification for those women who are willing to look past his crippled body. If Sagittarius could get his condition reversed he'd betray the group in a heartbeat, but he's dependant on Virgo and Cancer for his mobility, so isn't likely to ever try. Until such an opportunity comes along Daniel will just fight and roust as much as his freakish new body allows. QUOTE: "Just push off! Right?" POWERS/TACTICS: Sagittarius has developed a few different mutations. He has a remarkable teleportation ability, and an inhuman facility with muscle powered weapons. Most of Sagittarius' other powers derive from his cyborg horse's body and the armor that covers his torso. While using the harness he can run very fast. He's also naturally immune to most drugs, poisons, and venoms. Sagittarius is capable of being clever, but his impulsiveness often gets the best of him. He's found through trial and error that using his great speed and teleportation to keep distance from the enemy and shoot arrows works the best. He won't hesitate to flee combat if things turn against him, and he'll fight like a wild animal to avoid capture. His phobia of confined spaces leaves him with a deep and uncontrolled horror of imprisonment. CAMPAIGN USE: If you're just using Zodiac for the first time Sagittarius, Pisces, Ares, and Taurus make a good starting point for the group. They've all got the common background of the VIPER experiment, and are relatively low powered villains, but Sagittarius' teleportation abilities will allow them to escape to fight another day. To make Sagittarius more powerful add some offensive powers to his suite of teleportation powers. Give him a teleport that can be used as an attack or a penetrating RKA for example. Adding to his DEX, SPD, and combat levels will also help. To reduce his power reduce the power and flexibility of his teleportation powers, and reduce the power of his bow MPP. APPEARANCE: In costume he looks like he has a human torso on a robotic horse's body, while out of costume he's a parapalegic with no legs and a complicated mass of electronics on his leg stumps that can be hidden under clothing.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Taurus Val Char Cost 55/80 STR 45 20 DEX 30 30 CON 40 20 BODY 20 8 INT -2 8 EGO -4 25 PRE 15 12 COM 1 17/32 PD 6 17/32 ED 11 5 SPD 20 20 REC 6 60 END 0 65 STUN 2 11" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 14"/19" LEAP 3 Characteristics Cost: 193 Cost Power Density Increase Power Set 37 1) DI (3,200 kg mass, +25 STR, +5 PD/ED, -5" KB), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (37 Active Points) 20 2) Armor (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points); Linked (DI; -1/2) 7 3) Damage Resistance (10 PD/10 ED) (10 Active Points); Linked (DI; -1/2) 13 4) Rooted: Knockback Resistance -10" (20 Active Points); Linked (DI; -1/2) Head of the Bull, all slots OIF - Bull's Head Helmet (-1/2) 7 1) Polarized Lenses: Sight Group Flash Defense (10 points) (10 Active Points) 7 2) Psi Jammer: MD (12 points total) (10 Active Points) 5 3) Communicator: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group) (10 Active Points); Sense Affected As More Than One Sense Hearing (-1/2) 20 Reduced Endurance on STR:80: Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) for up to 80 Active Points (20 Active Points) 10 Running +5" (11" total) Powers Cost: 126 Cost Skill 15 +3 with HTH Combat 3 PS: Bodyguard 12- 4 CK: London 13- 3 KS: Gay Culture 12- 3 Streetwise 14- Skills Cost: 28 Cost Perk 10 50 Point Contribution to Bases and Vehicles 5 Money: Well Off Perks Cost: 15 Pts. Disadvantage 5 DF: Not quite human body (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 20 Hunted: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture) 20 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 10 Phys. Lim.: Requires specialized medical care (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing) 20 Psych. Lim.: Slow to Adapt (Common, Total) 15 Psych. Lim.: Stubborn (Common, Strong) 15 Psych. Lim.: Greedy (Common, Strong) 15 Soc. Lim.: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) 5 Soc. Lim.: Closeted Homosexual (Occasionally, Major, Not Limiting In Some Cultures) Disadvantage Points: 125 Base Points: 200 Experience: 37 Total Character Cost: 362 BACKGROUND/HISTORY: Ricky was, like most of the Zodiac, a petty criminal from the United Kingdom brought into VIPER by false promises of recruitment. Then used as a guinae pig for DNA experimentation using recovered research from King Cobra's labs. Like most of the others Ricky was merged with an innocuous herbivore. In this case a cow, but unlike the most of the other test subjects he survived. During the escape from VIPER when UNTIL attacked the facility Ricky's strength started magnifying more and more, and has remained a hundredfold more than it was when he was first injected with the bovine DNA. Like the other survivors, it seems that VIPER had inadvertently activated a recessive mutant trait. In Ricky's case, it was the ability to increase his own mass, so his already prodigious strength was magnified further. Ricky used to be a bodyguard and petty thug, and for the most part he still is today. He's not a key player in Zodiac, but is loyal to the group. He likes money and the security that money brings, but rarely initates actions on his own. Some of the members of Zodiac know about Taurus' homosexuality (Libra in particular) but he remains closeted about it as possible. It counts as a social limitation because it'd harm his standing in the criminal circles were it to become public, and could even result in a reduction of his PRE ability score. PERSONALITY/MOTIVATION: Taurus is one of the least ambitious members of the Zodiac, and he will always be working at the behest of other members of the group. If encountered on his own it's because he's hired himself out as a body guard. He's a party animal, and often goes to night clubs and spends his money as fast as he steals it. Though he's not actually stupid, Taurus is not a deep thinker, and does not deal well with change or complexity. Ricky likes his new life, though he'd prefer to not be on the run from UNTIL and VIPER all the time. The wealth that comes with his new career more than makes up for it. He is not currently involved in any relationships, but is always on the lookout for Mr. Right, or at least Mr. Right now. QUOTE: "I'm gonna crush you like a bug little man." POWERS/TACTICS: Taurus is a brick with a suite of density increase powers that make him one of, if not the, strongest metahumans alive. Taurus has been mentally dominated or blinded during combat on a few different occasions, and it's made the rest of the group worried enough about it to invest a lot of resources into his helmet so it doesn't happen again. When he's confused or dominated Taurus has caused a lot of harm to the other members of Zodiac. His typical tactic is to turn on his density increase all the way and start pounding away, though with a bit of prompting from the other members of the group he'll be more flexible than that. On his own Taurus gets stuck in his ways, and doesn't adapt well to changes in environment. While he's not stupid, he doesn't deal well with complicated environments or difficult situations. CAMPAIGN USE: Taurus breaks the typical superheroic campaign limits on strength, because he's intended to be a frightening brute. When he has his Density Increase on all the way Taurus' STR should be at least ten points higher than the strongest PC. However, without help from other members of Zodiac Taurus should have the tactical acumen of an ox. He hits things, and sometimes he might use a haymaker on a stunned enemy or a move through on someone more than a half move away. To make Taurus weaker reduce his STR and DEX until he's no longer an overwhelming threat. APPEARANCE: Unlike unfortunates like Aries, Taurus doesn't look completely inhuman. He has not, for example, actually grown horns. He's much bigger than he was, and close examination will show that his body isn't put together quite right. In costume he wears a full head helmet that's styled like a bull's head.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Here are the first five Zodiac members, and along with Aquarius, Cancer, and Virgo are the founding members of the group. Aries Val Char Cost 40 STR 30 23 DEX 39 28 CON 36 11 BODY 2 8 INT -2 8 EGO -4 10/20 PRE 0 10 COM 0 20/35 PD 12 20 ED 14 5 SPD 17 14 REC 0 56 END 0 45 STUN 0 17" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 12" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 144 Cost Power 62 Absorption 10d6 (energy, STR and STUN equally), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4) (62 Active Points) 20 Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Limited Power Only vs. attacks that can be fully absorbed (-1/2) 7 +15 PD (15 Active Points); Limited Power Only vs. Self Inflicted damage from Move Through or Move By (-1) 15 Tough Hide and energy resistance: Damage Resistance (15 PD/15 ED) 5 Herd Instinct: +10 PRE (10 Active Points); Limited Power Only while with at least four allies (-1) 6 +2 PER with all Sense Groups 20 Knockback Resistance -10" 10 Animalistic Mind: MD (15 points total) (13 Active Points); Limited Power Not vs. mental powers that affect both human and animal minds (-1/4) 22 Running +11" (17" total) 4 Leaping +4" (12" forward, 6" upward) 5 Zodiac Communicator: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group) (10 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Sense Affected As More Than One Sense Hearing (-1/2) Powers Cost: 176 Cost Skill 15 +5 with Move Through, Move By, or Grab By 3 Conversation 11- (13-) 4 CK: London 13- 2 KS: Football 11- 3 Sleight Of Hand 14- 3 Streetwise 11- (13-) Skills Cost: 30 Cost Perk 10 Vehicles & Bases - 50 point contribution Perks Cost: 10 Pts. Disadvantage 20 DF: Looks like Pan (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 25 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Harshly Punish) 15 Phys. Lim.: Cloven hooves and odd leg structure. Can't drive a car for example. (Frequently, Greatly Impairing) 10 Phys. Lim.: Requires specialized medical care (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing) 15 Psych. Lim.: Braggart (Very Common, Moderate) 15 Psych. Lim.: Born Follower (Common, Strong) 15 Psych. Lim.: Greedy (Common, Strong) 15 Soc. Lim.: Public ID (Frequently, Major) Disadvantage Points: 130 Base Points: 200 Experience: 30 Total Character Cost: 360 BACKGROUND/HISTORY: Like most of the Zodiac, Aries was one of the criminals swept up in VIPER's hybridization experiments. Simon Roderick was a thug and petty criminal who never achieved more than being a pickpocket and small time conman. He was the meekest and most tractible of the researcher's victims, because although Simon was a braggart, he was easily cowed by the VIPER agents. The researchers started with a fusion of King Cobra's genetics treatments and sheep DNA. They assumed that merging the DNA of a small herbivore with the human DNA of an easily intimidated petty criminal would the least dangerous. They were wrong. Though sheep are easily manipulated herd animals humans are not, and Simon's newly scrambled DNA made him strong and incredibly fast while bringing up many recessive and unexpected traits. He grew an impressive set of horns, and like his namesake when he was angry or frightened he could ram his way past just about anything. No longer would he be a mere pickpocket and purse snatcher, now he was Aries! Or at least he has been since Aquarius showed up and pulled the group together. Aries is one of the Zodiac's most reliable and loyal members. He lives to fight and steal; mostly because he's got little else that he can do with his mutated body. While part of a group he's a fearsome and brave opponent, and has even led the odd strike team. On his own he's easily cowed, and prefers to flee when things go against the group. PERSONALITY/MOTIVATION: Simon, like a sheep, likes the company of the other members of Zodiac, and rarely if ever works on his own. He spends most of his time at the group's mountain base. When he is involved in the group's crimes he's doing it because he wants some particular item, or the group is running low on funds. He is a lot more brave and self-confident than he used to be, but that's not saying all that much. Simon likes living in comfort and luxury, and he has quite a nice apartment set up for himself in the group's mountain stronghold. So long as the money keeps rolling in, and he's not put in mortal fear of his life too often, he's pretty happy. If he could have his condition reversed he might prefer to stay the way he is, and what he'd really want is to have a human body AND be able to keep his new abilities. POWERS/TACTICS: Simon is strong, fast, and tough. He has a thick skull and can headbutt or charge most things with little fear of injury. He's not particularly bright or strong willed, but is not stupid either. During the escape Aries discovered he had also gained the power to absorb energy attacks, and can use the energy to improve his strength and health. That Aries is a fire sign, and Simon can now absorb fire is taken as divine providence by the group's more superstitious members. Aries is a champion at the charge and is difficult to hit while on the run. He and Gemini are often used by the rest of the group as a distration. They'll cause some trouble and then take off at high speeds, so any law enforcement will chase them while the rest of the group carries on with the primary mission. CAMPAIGN USE: Aries is one of the least powerful of the Zodiac, but when he's with the rest of the group and his Absorbtion is charged up he's capable of inflicting tremendous amounds of damage. To make him less powerful reduce his STR, DEX, and Absorbtion. To make him more powerful increase his DEX and SPD. Aries is not a hunter, but might aid another Zodiac member that's hunting someone if there's something in it for him. Unlike many of the other members of Zodiac Aries does not have wealth as a perk, because it's nearly impossible for him to spend any money he does have. He just hangs out at the base and when he wants something he pesters one of the group's more human looking members to get something for him. APPEARANCE: Aries looks like the mythological Pan, with the lower half of a sheep and the upper half of a VERY hairy man with horns. He does not play any musical instruments, and any implication that he does will probably get the questioner a headbutt.

Re: Public Identity Scenario Hooks A good topic! Especially since identities are so often used as a "free fifteen points" that so rarely act as disadvantages. As opposed to the same points value in a Vulnerability sayferexample. - Legal Troubles: The PCs with secret IDs are basically vigilantes, but in a comic book universe they're given some slack for it. If a group of PCs get in a fight and some injured innocent bystanders need to drag someone through the courts it'll be the poor beggar with the Public ID. Especially if they're all monstrous looking and stuff. You don't need to make a big deal of it, but have it be an inconvenience to the player. "I'm going to go and do X between adventures." "Sorry, you've got to spend that time in court and in meetings with your lawyer." - Sidekick!: Some kid has decided (ala Buddy/Syndrome) that the PC is his perfect role model, and follows him around everywhere. A PC with a Secret ID or even no particular ID could ditch such a nuisance no problem, but not a PC with distinctive features and a public ID. See above for the reaction of the kid's parents. - Back in my day... : On the other end of the generation gap a retired and beloved golden age hero has decided that the PC is a symptom of what's wrong with this modern world. Why back in his day they'd have not let Detroit get blown up that's fer durn sure! Having a public ID the hero gets pestered by old folks and conservative talk show hosts and has nowhere to retreat to. Especially appropriate for tarty scantly clad sexpot type heroes, or heroes that are publicly "deviant" in some other way. - Why is everybody always picking on me?: Whenever someone like Mirage, Utility, Bulldozer, or whatever decides to make a challenge it's always on the hero with the Public ID. After all, they're easier to track down. - Ewwww.... : If the PC hero's got nasty distinctive features you can always make a point of small children running away from them, people never thanking the hero for saving them, and always going to other heroes (or even villains!) for help. This could be really bad, like if there's a situation where bystanders have to cooperate in order to be saved, but instinctively shy away from the hero. - Have I got a deal for you!: Lenny Spankowitz, PR agent to the stars, is harrassing the PC to do publicity for him. He's a complete pain in the butt, and follows the hero around everywhere, generally getting in the way. The hero might sign with him just to get him off their back, but God help the hero if he does. Spankowitz is a crook, and pretty awful at his job. There's an episode of the animated JLA where Flash hooks up with someone like that.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group?

Re: A Catgirl Miniature I'd watch Pulp City for minis. Catgirl minis are passe, and my mini sculpting skill is good enough that I can slap a tail and ears on almost anything. I'm with SP on the subject of catgirls, I wish I could find the "Spade a Catgirl" art that he did. I thought it was available as a t-shirt, but I can't find it. On the other hand I DID find this NWS beauty!

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Here are the zodiac members as I've got them worked out right now, and in roughly the order that they're recruited into the group. I'm posting this myself to keep it all lined up in my head correctly: The VIPER/COIL DNA herbivore hybrid victims are really the first five. They are all petty criminals who were unsuitable as VIPER agents, or crossed the organization in some way: Aries (Simon Roderick): A pickpocket and small time conman who's had sheep DNA grafted onto him. He's now a speedster/brick with an energy absorbtion to STR and STUN that can turn him into a full on brick. He's brave in groups, but not on his own, and has a potentially devastating move through/by. He looks more like Pan now, but with bigger horns. Taurus (Ricky Brown): A thug/bodyguard type who lacked the smarts or imagination to be much of anything, and who's had cow DNA grafted onto him. He's now a brick, and when he turns on the density increase power he's gained he's one of the strongest metahumans alive. He's also secretly a homosexual. Sagittarius (Daniel Archer): A homeless drug addict and petty criminal. When he got his DNA crossed up with a horse's he gained a whole set of unusual powers. Teleportation, immunity to poisons and chemicals, and a remarkable aptitude for combat. His legs became atrophied and useless, but Cancer and Virgo have created a special battle harness that turns him into a centaur. Now he fights with a high tech bow, and pines for the days when drugs and alcohol did anything for him. Capricorn (Danny Corrigan): A semi-retired Irish gangster who'd worked decades as a professional mobster, finally settling into a quiet life as a money launderer when he ran afoul of VIPER. Having his DNA scrambled up with a goat's has given him a newly restored youth, though he's had to have expensive surgeries done to remain human looking. He's a hardheaded professional criminal, and fights with an arsenal of guns, grenades, and explosives (VPP). Pisces (Amanda Prescott): Girlfriend of one of the more careless VIPER researchers, and one of those poor unfortunates always attracted to the worst possible man. She's had her DNA scrambled up with Koi, and now has Aquaman type powers plus precognition and empathic powers. While she once pursued Aikido for philosophical reasons her newly enhanced body lets her use it as a deadly combat art. She's got a lot of frustrations to work out, and is frightfully loyal to Aquarius' vision of the future. Aquarius: Detailed above. Virgo (Cythia Reynolds): A child prodigy who's only just getting into her teenage years. She has a rare and crippling vulnerability to virus' and bacteria, and has built herself a powersuit that seals her off from the rest of the world. Unfortunately, she stole a lot of the material she needed to build it, and has fallen in with Zodiac for protection. Cancer (Stanley Morgan): A grumpy and unsociable inventor and recluse. He'd discovered during a messy divorce that he was the grandchild of a WWII mastermind called King Crab. He's since found, restored, and modernized his grandfather's secret base, power armor, and submarine. Scorpio: Not 100% on this except that I want her to have been a vigilante similar to Thunderbird with a low power EB that she's so skilled with she has ranged martial arts that can be used with it. She's so embittered and cut off from normal society that she's drifted into being a criminal without noticing. Leo (Liza Ekwensi): A Liberian woman who's lived a life of priviledge as a minister's daughter, and then lost it all when her father got caught up in a corruption scandal. She's a mutant who's strong, fast, tough, and can see in the dark. She's a deadly powerful martial artist, and is arrogant and cruel. Gemini: Not clear on yet, except that I don't want to go with the obvious and easy route of duplication. I'm thinking something more like "super schizophrenia" in which the voice in his head actually has powers. Libra: It's just too easy to have her be the mentalist with powers of seduction. I want to work something in where the powers have more to do with Libra's representation as the scales of justice.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Wow, you learn something new every day. I've got more than half the group half fleshed out, but I need to go back over the ones I've already created and alter the background info. I'm trying to make each one of them reflect their sign as closely as possible. Though most of it is generalities that any character can be pigeonholed into.

Re: Super Powers, Cybernetics, Magic, etc....getting back into the swing of things. Well much if not all will depend on your GM. For example, there was a recent thread about how martial arts can be comboed with Telekinesis, and the general consensus was that it was a rules abuse. If only because it leaves the players who take melee martial arts as it's intended feeling like twits for not gaming the system. Cybernetics I just build like any other super, but with different special effects and disadvantages like Phys: Needs specialized medical attention, or limits on healing and vulnerabilities and susceptibilities to electrical and magnetic attacks. From time to time I might add a limit like Phys: No arms if foci taken away (Infrequent, Total) and OIF - Removable Cyborg Arms. Magic is a toughie, because GMs often have a problem with VPPs, which are often the best way to simulate magic. Experienced Champions GMs are well aware that the preferred tool of the munchkin is the mystic character. You can cram all sorts of otherwise unrelated powers together under that concept. Mystic characters should take the skills Power: Magic, KS: The Mystic World, and a grab bag of other KS's. The Ultimate Mystic is not the greatest of the Ultimate Books IMHO, but it does have some good jumping off points and info about different magical styles. In a superheros game disadvantages like gestures and incantations are strictly optional. Seriously, you're just not being specific enough. What EXACTLY are you looking for help with?

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Aquarius QUOTE: "Join me, and we can usher in a new paradise on Earth." Val Char Cost 20 STR 10 17 DEX 21 23 CON 26 15 BODY 10 15 INT 5 23 EGO 26 25 PRE 15 20 COM 5 11/21 PD 7 11/21 ED 6 5 SPD 23 9 REC 0 46 END 0 37 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 4" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 154 Cost Power 88 Spiritual Magic: Multipower, 88-point reserve 9u 1) Mind Control 14d6 (Human class of minds), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (87 Active Points) 6u 2) Mind Control 10d6 (Human class of minds), Personal Immunity (+1/4), Explosion (+1/2) (87 Active Points); No Range (-1/2) 9u 3) Mind over Matter: TK (45 STR), Affects Porous, Fine Manipulation (88 Active Points) 9u 4) Ego Attack 7d6 (Human class of minds), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (87 Active Points) 9u 5) Mental Illusions 14d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (87 Active Points) 8u 6) Spirit Form: Desolidification , Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (80 Active Points) 9u 7) Astral Spying: Clairsentience (Hearing, Perceive into Earth and Mystic Dimensions, Mental And Sight Groups), MegaScale (1" = 10 km; +1/2), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (87 Active Points) 15 The Powers Mystic: Elemental Control, 30-point powers 15 1) Flight 10", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points) 15 2) FF (10 PD/10 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points) 52 Mystic Rituals: Variable Power Pool (Magic), 35 base + 17 control cost, (52 Active Points) 0 1) XDM (Related Group of Dimensions, Any Location) (35 Active Points) Real Cost: 35 0 2) Teleportation 10", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points) Real Cost: 30 10 MD (15 points total) 10 Mind Over Body: LS (Eating: Character only has to eat once per week; Extended Breathing: 1 END per Turn; Longevity: 800 Years; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Sleeping: Character only has to sleep 8 hours per week) Powers Cost: 264 Cost Skill 9 Power: Spiritual Magic (EGO-based) 17- 3 Acting 14- 3 Conversation 14- 3 Deduction 12- 5 KS: Music and Culture of the 60's 14- 4 KS: Magical Spells and Rituals 13- 2 KS: The Mystic World 11- 3 Persuasion 14- Skills Cost: 32 Cost Perk 10 Mountain Base Perks Cost: 10 Pts. Disadvantage 10 DF: Hippie Love God (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 Enraged: When his ideas are mocked or disregarded (Common), go 8-, recover 11- 15 Hunted: DEMON 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Hunted: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 20 Psych. Lim.: The Ends Justifies the Means (Common, Total) 15 Psych. Lim.: Arrogence (Common, Strong) 15 Psych. Lim.: Must lead others into a "New Paradise on Earth" (Very Common, Moderate) Disadvantage Points: 120 Base Points: 200 Total Character Cost: 460 Background: Charles Fontemorte is a child of the 60's, and one that had an intuitive knowledge of magic. He grew up in a strict household, and was inheritor to a great magical legacy. He was even able to transcend many of the restrictions of normal magic. He could see and control the minds and spirits of others. He might have grown to be a strict and self controlled mystic, but when he was exposed to the culture of the hippies and the free love movement during an unauthorized escape from home his strict upbringing fell away. He was, like many of the people of his generation, not exactly as open and free as he claimed. He only endorsed freedom so long as people used it to do what he wanted. With his powers of mind control that made him a super villain in no time. It always surprised him that anyone would oppose his attempts to unite all people into a single culture of love under his inspired leadership. He'd even fought off menaces like DEMON and VIPER for goodness sake! The pinnacle of his career came when he'd led a large commune to participate in a dangerous mystic ritual that would reshape the world, or at least a large chunk of the United States, in his image. At the peak of the ritual daemonic forces tore through the portal he was creating as super powered mystics from both sides of the law descended on him. The portal was closed and the ritual aborted, but only just. Surrounded by enemies on all sides Aquarius fled through the portal into distant dimensions to meditate on his losses. From time to time he'd manipulate events on Earth, but he'd lost his appetite for it. He was lost in meditation for some time until Skarn the Shaper and Tyrannon both tried to take his new refuge for themselves. Outnumbered and overpowered Aquarius fled back to Earth, it was time to usher in a new Age of Aquarius. Only under his leadership could the Earth fight back these inevitable threats, and the Zodiac would be his tool for doing it. Personality: Aquarius is convinced that his dogmatic belief in the Age of Aquarius is the best path to a paradise on Earth, and anyone who denies this is a fool to be ignored or destroyed. His facade of the hippie love child is just that, a facade that conceals a control freak capable of extreme cruelty. Were it not for his love and support for the rest of the group and people who agree with him there'd be little to like about Aquarius. Aquarius' concept of what the Age of Aquarius means varies, but it basically consists of all people working together in enlightened respect for the spiritual. Naturally, with him as the fountainhead of all wisdom and knowledge. He doesn't want to actually rule the world, but for those that do rule the world to hew to his advice and vision. As you can imagine from his background, he's willing to do incredibly thoughtless and dangerous things to move the process along. Powers and Tactics: Aquarius is a mystic with a lot of powers that control or scan the spirit and mind. He has an array of basic comic book magical powers, and also has a strong suite of mind control and other mental powers. Physically he's an imposing man, and claims that his mastery of spiritual power has empowered him physically. Aquarius tends to hang back and use his suite of Mind Control effects to mess with authority figures who oppose him. He especially favors using his Explosive Mind Control to turn innocent bystanders into loyal followers while he flees the area. He lacks any real physical power, and against enemies with enough mental defenses to resist him he's in trouble and knows it. This is why he's so fond of Zodiac, and why he's willing to cede official leadership positions to other members of the group. Campaign Use: None of Aquarius' hunteds have non-combat influence over him because he's a man out of time and place. He has no living relatives or friends that he cares about enough to force him into a bad position that isn't a superpowered member of Zodiac. Aquarius doesn't go in for mere robbery unless there's some artifact or tome he wants to get his hands on. He's more than willing to help heroes against world threatening events like alien invasions, but is an insufferable pain even then. To increase Aquarius' power increase the active points in each of his power frameworks, and to decrease his power do the opposite. Appearance: Aquarius is a handsome and imposing looking man, with the figure of a Greek god. He dresses like the stereotype of the Hollywood producer who used to be a hippie, but is much younger. He talks like the stereotype of the hippie love child, but it's a veneer that covers an easily revealed control freak who's certain that all people should acknowledge his wisdom and beneficence.

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? OK, I'm working on it. I'll post the completed characters soonish. I promise. Done so far: Ares - Pickpocket and small time con artist turned into a Pan lookalike with energy absorption powers. Aquarius - Supervillain from the 60's with a lot of "spiritual" magic. Mostly he's a mentalist with a mystic bent to him and a 35 point VPP. Taurus - A thug and bodyguard turned into a brick capable of beating down just about anyone, but lacking in a certain mental flexibility or ambition. Sagittarius - An unreliable homeless drug addict who was left crippled by the VIPER experiments that grafted him with horse DNA. Aquarius made some sort of devil's bargain with Telieos to turn him into an actual centaur. He's got a psychokinetic power that lets him fire bolts of energy. Cancer - A disgruntled engineer power armor type. I already have a half formed notion of Pisces (vacant headed girlfriend of one of the VIPER researchers who got too nosy)

Re: Any interest in a Zodiac villain group? Snnrk. Now I know how Hermit felt when I hijacked his Adonis thread. Me oh my.... In brief I have the following origin for the group in mind. It assumes integrating the group in the main Hero Universe, but they can be winched in anywhere there's a master villain or organization with super tech genetics, but might not be sharp enough to stay on top of the project. VIPER is mightily cheesed off at King Cobra after the events of "Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth", but in the end they'd have to have samples of the mad scientist's genetics research. Naturally, they're not crazy enough to fool about with DNA of dangerous predators. However, some of the organization's more maverick researchers decide that if they get some of their less useful recruits to be test subjects they might make some useful advances for other projects. They get a bunch of losers and hard luck cases together. People they'd normally never recruit as VIPER agents even the most desperate of times. Instead of snake DNA that King Cobra used they use DNA samples from harmless herbivores like sheep, goats, and cows. That they underestimated the human side of the equation and how the resultant hybrids turned out is a given. Ares (Sheep DNA), Taurus (Cow DNA), Sagittarius (Horse DNA), Capricorn (Goat DNA), and Pisces (Goldfish DNA - one of the scientists was a loon) managed to escape in the confusion of an UNTIL raid on the facility. They'd managed to track down the missing criminals and homeless people used as research subjects. At the time these original members of Zodiac didn't think of themselves as anything other than victims and freaks, and might have surrendered to UNTIL in some hopes of being cured except they were contacted and aided by a mystic supervillain from the 60's called Aquarius. He'd been in deep meditation in another dimension for decades after his last scheme fell apart. Using his powers of prophecy and other mystic rituals he tried to assemble a group of allies to help him in this new age, and found himself among these unfortunates. He quickly managed to convince them that they could all be rich and powerful if they elected to travel with him instead. All five of them were easily convinced that there was something greater at work when it turned out that they were all actually born under the star signs they now represented. Since then the group has actively recruited the other six members. Only rarely do they all work together at a single job, but each member knows and can rely on the other eleven to support and assist them whenever needed. ----- NOTE: I've just finished Cancer. He's a disgruntled engineer who discovers that his great grandfather was a pulp villain called King Crab. He finds his great grandfather's secret lair and a primitive submarine and power armor. that he's updated, while preserving the retro Jules Verne look of the original equipment. Ares is also done, he's a pickpocket and low rent conman who's been turned into a move through specialist. I haven't formed any thoughts about the other five yet. The five VIPER victims and Aquarius are the groups core members, and I did it that way so the group has a cohesive and linked background that gave them a reason to cooperate and work together.

Re: Telekinesis Super. I guess I'm on the other side from Golden Age about martial arts used as melee attacks as intended. I'm always going to look at character background, personality, and powers. Ferex, I have no problem with the speedster who's scion of a long line of speedsters going back to the Golden Age having "Speedster Martial Arts", or an Energy Projector who's only ability is to shoot a fairly basic set of EBs out of his eyes and practices with them a LOT having "Eyebeam Ranged Kung Fu". Where I might draw the line is if a player presents to me a character sheet as bland and uninteresting as raw tofu (ie zero background info and generic disads) that has a mix of high STR, and EB, and a mix of HtH and ranged martial arts with no clear explanation as to WHY it should have them.

There used to be a zodiac group in an old old OLD expansion for Champions. I thought it might be fun to create a new group. I'm not big on originality, but I like carrying on a project from other ideas and sources. I'm not inclined to work on this if there's zero interest in it though. If you search around in this forum you can see a hijack that I did of Hermit's Adonis. I made a whole bunch of sexy lady supers for him.

Re: Telekinesis Super. Three reasons: 1) Most importantly, the enjoyment of the other players. If one of my players wants to have a real martial artist who uses those attacks as they are intended and you have some STR:40 TK monster using all those attacks from the other side of the board and making the other player generally feel like a tool for playing a CHARACTER instead of a RULES MANIPULATION, that's going to make the game a bad experience for the other player. As a GM I'll side with the players who aren't trying to exploit the rules system in ways that were clearly not intended by the designers. 2) Because it doesn't make a lick of sense to anyone who isn't exclusively focussed on the rules, and bending those rules to their advantage. 3) Because it's overpowered, and I don't want a game in which half or more of my players are creating TK Martial Arts characters, and other players are left with characters that either must compete by exploiting the rules in some other manner, or just live with the munchkins dominating every combat. Hero is a very flexible system, but just because you CAN build things like Teleport, Flight, or Extradimensional Movement as an attack doesn't mean the GM should allow it.

Re: Recruiting Drive: The Overlords (Galactic Champions) Maybe, but I'm not real keen on villain based games. Got anything else in the works? I do live in Madison.

Re: Telekinesis Super. Then you pay for it with points as a full on power like a big boy or girl, and stop messing us poor GMs about with false justifications about how a ranged attack can use melee martial arts maneuvers. TK can already be used as a disarm and grab, you're just going to have to sink levels into it to get the CV bonuses. Choke hold can be built as a compound power of TK and indirect NND. Or you buy Stretching with all the advantages required to make it work like a melee based short range TK. You look at the points cost of that monster and see how there's a bit of a balance issue there? Maybe you don't.... :/