SKJAM!

Re: Who homages the Watchmen or those the Watchmen homaged? You can justify anything--that succeeds. "The ends justify the means", in its original sense, only applies retroactively. Under that principal, as long as Ozymandias managed to get a positive outcome from his actions, achieving his goals, he's justified. But if he had failed, then his actions, no matter how nobly intentioned, would become unjustified by the same measure. (The failure to understand this is why so many characters who quote that phrase end up as bad guys and/or losers.)

Re: Superhero Legacy. Passing on a Name Years ago, I wrote up a Japanese hero named Warai Kamen "Laughing Mask" who was actually four people over the course of time. #1 was a WWII vet with ninja training and brain damage that prevented him from speaking coherently, and gave him a really disturbing laugh. Killed when his arch-enemy created and blew up an entire secret base just for that purpose. #2 was a very minor superhero with Desolid powers who had no connection with the original, but reinvented himself by copying the first one's costume and passing as Warai Kamen's ghost. Eventually someone managed to get lucky and shoot him when solid. #3 was the second one's gadget supplier, who took up the mantle when his friend died, to disguise that fact and protect #2's family. I forget how he died. #4 was a champion martial artist whose aunt had the first Warai Kamen's mask for reasons she never explained, and gave it to him when he expressed an interest in fighting crime. He eventually was swallowed by the campaign equivalent of Godzilla. After that, no one wanted to continue the legacy.

Re: Who homages the Watchmen or those the Watchmen homaged? See my avatar. The Mask of Justice takes inspiration from Rorshach, the Question, and of course the two-fisted pulp heroes, through a Golden Age lens.

Re: Suicide Girl Evil plan for a sufficiently callous villain. Convince SG to link to a particular victim, supposedly for extortion purposes. Then shoot her in the head a few times.

Re: Child of Mine . . . Ghost Tracker: She didn't inherit any powers from her father--his powers were artificially induced, after all. But he did teach her survival, combat and tracking skills, which she puts to use as an unstoppable bounty hunter. Ranma Saotome (Ranma 1/2) and Rebis (Doom Patrol).

Re: Supervillains and Philosophy One character I'd like to see looked at is the one who actually named himself after his philosophy: Anarky (the first one, not the new replacement who thinks "anarchy" means "random violence.") Admittedly, he's a trifle obscure, but again, has an actual philosophy. Lex: Yes, he's still a bad guy, but Post-Crisis, he's been made a little more complex, and some stories do in fact look at his viewpoint. It's made clear though that his ego gets in the way of him actually doing good for good's sake. He'll only do charity if he gets credit for it, do good for people only if it gives him power over them.

Re: Superhuman women and normal women That tendency of superheroish women being unusually tall and "built" did get some ribbing in an issue of the last series of "Dial 'H' for Hero". A male construction worker has been turned into a female superhero by the dial, then lost the "off" switch. When "she" goes shopping for civilian clothes, the protagonist learns that normal stores just don't carry Amazon sizes. "Maybe you could find out where Power Girl shops?" Oh, and the first issue of "The Initiative." Cloud 9, who happens to have a neat power she uses for flying joyrides, but is otherwise uninterested in using for hero or villain purposes, is drafted by the government. She has an awful moment in the women's locker room, when she realizes that all the other girls are built like brick outhouses--"even the lizard chick!"

Re: Champs-What if you had to draft a superpower registration act? By teaching them strong ethical standards. And by that point in the future, there are ways to stop people from using telepathy or mind control on you available to the public, if you're paranoid. (Telekinesis is not so easily defended against, but if someone is whipping that out, things are already out of hand.)

Re: Champs-What if you had to draft a superpower registration act? "Make the use of superpowers illegal"--None of my characters would go for that for an instant, threat of "even worse law" notwithstanding. Even if you restricted it to "offensive" powers, there's still the old "any power is offensive if you know how to use it" problem. (Plus the poor saps with Damage Shield Always On--admittedly most of them are villains, but still.) Registration, on the other hand, is a bit more workable. The first step is to make the committee's work public. The process should be transparent so that the public will know exactly what the problem is that the law is trying to fix, how the law is intended to work, and the details of how it is to be applied. All of my characters would insist on this. The two characters most likely to be actually useful in drafting a registration act are Calculus, who is a super-genius and has social skills; and Kira Midori, a law enforcement officer from an alternate future where psychic powers are as common as left-handedness in the modern day. The former because he's really smart and can spot obvious pitfalls, the latter because she can share how her society deals with these issues.

Re: Super Fantasy- The Land of Mar'Veldc Wonder Woman, naturally, is an Amazon warrior/diplomat. Negotiating from a position of strength is completely compatible with a swords & sorcery world. Cheetah becomes a were-creature of feline type appropriate to the setting, and a worshipper of a nature god, as well as having sage abilities (though in the comics she hasn't taken any levels in that profession lately.) Catwoman is a thief, no need to change much there. Black Lightning: Mage with a speciality in electrical spells. Green Arrow: Another Robin Hood-type archer. Hey, the Shining Knight! Gotta have him. Sword of Sharpness, Chainmail of Impenetrability, flying horse. Aquaman: Human/merperson crossbreed, ruler of undersea kingdom.

Re: Enemies for Teen Champions game Along the same lines as "Darkash", "Cardmaster", a young mage whose powers are focused through the equivalent of collectible game cards. He's very versatile, with Summon creatures, various direct attack spells, Change Environment effects, etc. The catch is that he has to follow the "rules" of the card game, so which spells he has access to depend on his luck of the draw. (Plus, his powers are really obvious in their special effects and stopping him is astonishingly easy once you get past his summons.)

Re: (Organization) The Strange Adventurers

Re: (Organization) The Strange Adventurers Darrin Clure Player: NPC, created by DC Comics Val Char Cost 12 STR 2 12 DEX 6 12 CON 4 10 BODY 0 13 INT 3 10 EGO 0 10 PRE 0 10 COM 0 3/9 PD 1 3/18 ED 1 2 SPD 0 4 REC 0 25 END 1 22 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 2" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 18 Cost Power 21 Vibratory Powers: Elemental Control, 52-point powers, (26 Active Points); all slots Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (EC stops working when Force Field reduced to 0 by ablation; -1/4) 20 1) Vibrates at a frequency that can't be seen or heard: Invisibility to Sight Group and Normal Hearing , No Fringe, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (66 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Cannot be turned off while EC is active; -1) 10 2) Vibratory Field: Energy Blast 3d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Damage Shield (Offensive; +3/4), Invisible to Normal Hearing, and Sight Group (+3/4) (52 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness (Only works on non-rigid objects, cannot be turned off while EC is active; -1 1/2) 10 3) Vibratory Field II: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Damage Shield (Offensive; +3/4), Invisible to Normal Hearing, and Sight Group (+3/4) (52 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness (Only vs. rigid objects, cannot be turned off while EC is active, not vs. objects with powerful electric currents running through them; -1 1/2) 18 4) Vibratory Field III: Force Field (6 PD/15 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Invisible to Normal Hearing, and Sight Group (+3/4) (58 Active Points); Ablative BODY Only (-1/2), Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Electrical damage is doubly effective for ablation purposes; -1/4) Powers Cost: 79 Cost Skill 2 Animal Handler (Canines) 11- 2 CK: Rocket City 11- 3 Combat Piloting 11- 2 KS: Space Program Scientists 11- 3 Navigation 12- 2 PS: Astronaut 11- 3 PS: Test Pilot 12- 1 TF: Combat Aircraft, Early Spacecraft Skills Cost: 18 Cost Perk 5 Contact: Dr. Elaine Barrows, Vibratory physicist (Contact has useful Skills or resources, Very Good relationship with Contact) 11- 7 Fringe Benefit: Federal/National Police Powers, Pilot's License, Security Clearance 3 Reputation: First man to circle the moon and return (World-wide) 14-, +1/+1d6 Perks Cost: 15 Total Character Cost: 130 Pts. Disadvantage 20 Dependent NPC: Meteor, faithful dog 14- (Normal) 5 Physical Limitation: Must be exposed to cosmic radiation to activate powers (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 15 Psychological Limitation: Protective of children (Common, Strong) Disadvantage Points: 40 Base Points: 100 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 APPEARANCE Hair Color: Black, wavy Eye Color: Brown Height: 1.84 m Weight: 86.00 kg Description: Darrin Clure is a Caucasian male in his late 20s-early 30s. He's well-built, with a squarish jaw. His usual outfit is his pilot's garb; bomber jacket, ascot, loose trousers and military boots. BACKGROUND Darrin Clure was a successful test pilot when he was tapped for the space program, and was lucky enough to be selected as the first man to circle the moon and return. The mission was successful, but what Darrin did not know is that an unusally high cosmic radiation belt caused a strange vibratory pattern in the ship, and eventually in himself. When the spaceship landed, it appeared to be empty. The scientists who investigated found themselves knocked about by an unseen force, but could find no trace of Darrin. Meteor, Darrin's dog, had also entered the craft and was acting erratically. In reality, Darrin was right there, but vibrating at a frequency that made him invisible to sight and normal hearing. It also made attempting to touch anything an exercise in frustration. After the scientists discovered the odd vibratory frequency of the ship, Clure decided to consult Rocket City's expert on vibratory physics, Dr. Elaine Barrows. Although Darrin was able to attract Dr. Barrows' attention by having Meteor perform simple tricks, he was unable to find any way of directly communicate with the physicist. Then they received word that Dr. Barrows' young niece (who lived with her) was deathly ill. A medical doctor was summoned, as a heavy storm blew in. He discovered that the niece would need an immediate operation, with no time to get her to a hospital. Fortunately, Dr. Barrows had some medical training and was able to act as assistant. But as the storm outside got worse, it snapped a power line, punging the house into darkness. Realizing that the little girl could die, Darrin rushed out and grabbed the power lines to connect the current, hoping his vibrations would protect him. Amazingly, the wires did not get mangled by his vibrational field like everything else he'd touched. The lights came on, the operation was a success, and then Dr. Barrows noticed a man lying in the street near the live wires. She took the man inside, and when he awoke the story was revealed. Apparently, the large dose of electrical current had overcome the vibrations, returning him to visible. (Speculation) Later, it was discovered that additional exposure to large doses of cosmic radiation would activate Clure's odd vibrations again. Darwin Jones asked him to become a Strange Adventurer. PERSONALITY Darrin Clure is a brave man who loves flying and exploration, but is not the sort to get a big head from his celebrity. He is very protective of children, willing to risk his life on even the off chance that it would save a kid. He also loves his dog, Meteor. Darrin enjoys a cigarette as a reward after a hard day, but never smokes while on duty. QUOTE "Good gosh, Elaine, do you realize what this all means?" POWERS/TACTICS When his powers are activated, Darrin Clure's body vibrates at a frequency that makes him invisible and inaudible to normal hearing. (Dogs and other beings with ultrasonic hearing can hear him just fine.) The vibratory field around his body shatters rigid objects, and pushes non-rigid ones away. It can also protect him from damage, to a certain degree. Unfortunately, the powers all are on full effect when they're on, and can only be turned off by running a powerful electrical currtent through Darrin, slowly wearing down the field. Darrin considers his powers something of a hassle, and will avoid activating them unless absolutely necessary. Sadly for him, most of his missions are based on his stealth capability, and require him to go invisible at some point. Even then, he will avoid violence, or using his powers to do harm, whenever possible. CAMPAIGN USE Darrin Clure is the stealth expert of the Strange Adventurers, and also a handy team pilot. He may also be encountered in scenarios centered around the space program. He will not hunt anyone unless ordered. Meteor is a small, light-furred spaniel. He knows several basic tricks that Darrin taught him, but is otherwise a perfectly normal dog. If Darrin needs to be more powerful, increase the damage on his Damage Shields, but allow him to control how much damage they do. To make him less powerful, remove the "No Fringe" from his Invisibility, and the "Invisiible Effects" from his damage shield.

Re: The Classic Justice League starting members on 350 points Teaching is a Professional Skill in Champions terms, though with Wildcat you might want to specialize it to PS: Fighting Coach. When last seen in the comics, he was down to his last life, though the continuity status of that particular story may be in question.

Re: (Organization) The Strange Adventurers Rodney Drake Player: NPC, created by DC Comics Val Char Cost 7/47 STR -3 13 DEX 9 13 CON 6 8 BODY -4 10 INT 0 10 EGO 0 10 PRE 0 10 COM 0 1/9 PD 0 3/11 ED 0 3 SPD 7 4 REC 0 26 END 0 19 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 3" SWIM 1 1"/9" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 16 Cost Power 48 Gravity Increase: Density Increase (11,500 kg mass, +40 STR, +8 PD/ED, -8" KB), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (60 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (no extra leaping; -1/4) Powers Cost: 48 Cost Martial Arts Maneuver 3 Jab: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, 3d6 / 2d6 Strike 5 Defensive Block: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, Block, Abort 5 Turtle Jab: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, 1d6 / 0d6 Strike 4 Fancy Footwork: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +5 DCV, Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort 4 Hook: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 3d6 / 2d6 Strike 3 Uppercut: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, 1d6 / 0d6 +v/5, Target Falls Martial Arts Cost: 24 Cost Skill 12 +4 with Martial Maneuvers 3 KS: Boxing 12- 2 PS: Student 11- Skills Cost: 17 Cost Perk 1 Reputation: "The World's Mightiest Weakling" (State-wide) 8-, +1/+1d6 4 Contact: Professor Milton (Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 11- 3 Fringe Benefit: Special Agent of DSI Perks Cost: 8 Total Character Cost: 113 Pts. Disadvantage 5 Distinctive Features: Unusually skinny (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 5 Physical Limitation: Cannot use powers unless has been electrically charged that day (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 15 Psychological Limitation: In love with Wilma (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Must not use powers for personal gain (Common, Strong) 5 Unluck: 1d6 (Heavy weight) Disadvantage Points: 45 Base Points: 100 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 APPEARANCE Hair Color: Blond, wavy Eye Color: Blue Height: 1.70 m Weight: 45.00 kg Description: Rodney Drake is a Caucasian male in his mid-twenties, extremely skinny and clean-shaven. He dresses in casual business suits or black swim trunks. BACKGROUND Rodney Drake has been unusally skinny ever since he hit adolesence. Despite his general physical fitness, Rodney was unable to add muscle mass to his body. In college, Rodney boxed, and did quite well, but there wasn't a future for someone as light as he was in the sport. His scrawnyness and mild-mannered personality left Rodney easily bullied. But one day, being humiliated in front of his girlfriend Wilma by a muscleman at the beach snapped something, and Rodney decided to put a full effort into gaining weight. It was not going well until a passing scientist, Professor Milton, offered to try an experiment to make Rodney heavier. The "Gravity Battery" made Rodney weigh much, much more by increasing his personal gravity, with no change in his appearance. Once he'd gotten used to the effects, Rodney challenged the beach bully to a wrestling match in front of Wilma, and handily won, explaining to his sweetheart afterwards how the trick was done. Rodney then went on to perform various acts of "strength" for charity, billed as "The World's Mightiest Weakling." He had gotten something of a swelled head about his abilities, and Wilma left him over his grandstanding. Rodney was saddened, and resolved that the one remaining charity event he was already scheduled for would be his last. As it happened, this was an exhibition boxing match against much larger opponent Dynamite Davis. Realizing that his weight gave him an unfair advantage, Rodney deliberately missed his blows, while dodging all of Dynamite's punches so that the larger man wouldn't injure himself. After several rounds of fancy footwork, Rodney had tired Dynamite out and was able to knock him out with a light tap. Afterwards, Rodney explained his decision to Professor Milton, who revealed that the "gravity battery" had not been functioning when Rodney "charged up" before the fight; so he'd won it on skill and determination alone. Wilma, who'd regretted her hasty decision to break up, returned just in time to hear this conversation and make up with Rodney. (Speculative) While Rodney had never intended to use his powers again, he soon discovered that his body had been permanently altered by the "gravity battery". Any sufficiently large electrical charge enabled him to once again increase his weight, and he learned to control the effect to be as heavy as he wanted. Darwin Jones, chief of the Department of Scientific Investigation, tracked Rodney down and offered him a position as a Strange Adventurer. After consulting with Wilma, Rodney agreed. PERSONALITY Rodney is a mild-mannered fellow, but enjoys positive attention. Notably, he's not motivated by wealth, having given all proceeds from his brief show-biz career to charity. He is most concerned about keeping Wilma's good opinion of him. QUOTE "That was the last charge I'll take, Professor! It gives me an unfair advantage over others! It's like cheating!" POWERS/TACTICS Rodney is able to increase his personal gravity, making himself super-heavy. His strength increases proportionately, allowing him to move normally while heavy, but with no visible change to his musculature. Sometimes, his increased weight will cause problems with soft ground, weak furniture and the like. To use this power, Rodney must have charged himself with electricity that day. He's also a skilled boxer. A mild-mannered fellow, Rodney will try to solve problems without resorting to violence.. Failing negotiation and reason, Rodney will pull his punches and attempt to do minimum damage to his opponents, though he isn't so fussy about property damage. CAMPAIGN USE Rodney Drake is the closest thing the Strange Adventurers have to a "brick" and a martial artist brick at that. Thus he will be sent on missions that would seem to require great strength. He will not hunt anyone unless ordered. To make Rodney more powerful, allow him to reduce his local gravity as well, allowing him great Leaping ability or even Flight. To make him less powerful, reduce the amount he can increase his weight by.

Re: (Organization) The Strange Adventurers Darwin Jones Player: NPC, created by DC Comics Val Char Cost 10 STR 0 10 DEX 0 10 CON 0 10 BODY 0 14 INT 4 12 EGO 4 12 PRE 2 10 COM 0 2 PD 0 2 ED 0 2 SPD 0 4 REC 0 20 END 0 20 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 2" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 10 Cost Skill 3 Bureaucratics 11- 3 Climbing 11- 5 +1 with HTH Combat 3 Deduction 12- 2 KS: U.S. Criminal Code 11- 2 KS: World History 11- 0 Language: English (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 1 Language: Latin (basic conversation) 4 PS: Scientific Investigator 13- 3 Scientist 1 1) SS: Biology 11- (2 Active Points) 1 2) SS: Chemistry 11- (2 Active Points) 1 3) SS: General Science 11- (2 Active Points) 1 4) SS: Geology 11- (2 Active Points) 1 5) SS: High-Energy Physics 11- (2 Active Points) 1 6) SS: Mathematics 11- (2 Active Points) 1 7) SS: Metallurgy 11- (2 Active Points) 1 8) SS: Physics 11- (2 Active Points) 1 9) SS: Psychology 11- (2 Active Points) 2 TF: Helicopters, Small Planes 1 WF: Handguns Skills Cost: 38 Cost Perk 10 Follower: Bodyguard/Assistant (50 pt base) 12 Fringe Benefit: Federal/National Police Powers, Security Clearance, Top Man 5 Money: Well Off 1 Reputation: The man to go to with baffling scientific mysteries (A large group) 8-, +1/+1d6 Perks Cost: 28 Total Character Cost: 76 Pts. Disadvantage 5 Hunted: Media 8- (Less Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 20 Psychological Limitation: Curious (Very Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Must defend America, humanity, Earth (Common, Strong) Disadvantage Points: 40 Base Points: 100 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 APPEARANCE Hair Color: Black, slightly wavy Eye Color: Brown Height: 1.80 m Weight: 80.00 kg Description: Darwin Jones is a Caucasian male in his late thirties or early forties. His slightly wavy hair is cut conservatively, but he has a thin mustache. As a government official, Chief Jones wears conservative business suits of a superior quality. BACKGROUND Much of the following is speculation: Darwin Jones was named after Charles Darwin, the naturalist most famous for propounding the theory of natural selection. From an early age, he showed a strong interest in science, and holds at least one degree in a scientific field. Like many young scientists, Mr. Jones was tapped for government work during World War Two. But unlike many other scientists, Darwin showed both an ability to navigate the government bureaucracy and an aptitude for detective work. After the war, Mr. Jones joined the newly created Department for Scientific Investigation, formed in reaction to various science mysteries uncovered during the previous few years. He quickly rose to become head of the DSI, which position he still held as of 1956. PERSONALITY While not a particularly innovative person, and producing no original research, Darwin Jones is naturally curious, and has a wide-ranging interest in science. As part of the DSI, Mr. Jones is determined to protect America, humanity and Earth (in that order) from threats brought about by the misuse of science or paranormal catastrophes. Darwin Jones is a bachelor and likes to relax with a cigarette, though he never smokes on duty. His best friend is his bodyguard/assistant Tom. QUOTE "Think of it, Tom--Two planets threatened--by a single match!" POWERS/TACTICS Darwin Jones has no superhuman abilities or unusual skills, but is possessed of a keen mind and a wide array of scientific knowledge. In addition, he has the resources of the Department of Scientific Investigation at his disposal. He generally carries a small pistol when in the field, though he prefers not to use it if he can avoid violence. Chief Jones is a very hands-on investigator, who will personally look into interesting cases, though he will delegate specialized tests to the appropriate technicians. He likes to be on hand for the capture of the perpetrator of any science crime, thus he's a familiar face to the public. CAMPAIGN USE As the head of the DSI, Darwin Jones is a good patron or contact in a 1950s game. With some modifications, he could easily be moved to other time periods. His "hands-on" tendencies may need to be scaled back to avoid stepping on the player characters' story role. He could also be a decent Hunted for alien or mad science types. To make Chief Jones more powerful, increase his Science Skill rolls and perhaps give him access to the fantastic devices his department has confiscated for study.

Re: Campaign: Classic Champions Universe Him and Kawaii, yep. I also created Grasp, Inc. for Adventurers' Club, if you ever find a copy.

I picked up the Showcase Presents: Strange Adventures Volume One trade, and noticed that there were an awful lot of men who gained odd abilities through alien contact or scientific flukes. They pretty much all lost them at the end of the story...but what if that wasn't quite the case? THE STRANGE ADVENTURERS (all characters created and trademark DC Comics) Membership: Darwin Jones "Chief of the Department of Scientific Investigation" (leader), Rodney Drake "The World's Mightiest Weakling", Darrin Clure "The Invisible Spaceman", Ken Warren "The Fireproof Man", Hal Worth "The Man Who Grew Wings", John Westbrook "The Human Battery", Paul Browning "The Man Who Couldn't Drown", Bob Fallon "The Escranner", Mark Barrett "The Man With Four Minds", John Gardner "The Mechanical Mastermind" and Charlie Linton "The Man Who Ate Sunshine". Background: In the 1950s, Earth was under constant threat by alien invasions, bizarre catastrophes and mad scientists. Many of these threats were defeated by individual bystanders who just happened to gain special abilities at that point. Most claimed to have lost these abilities, or put them aside, but when Darwin Jones, chief of the Department of Scientific Investigation, looked into the matter, he found that some were in fact not completely powerless. He convinced these men to use their abilities on behalf of the United States to battle further threats to humanity. Purpose: As special agents of the Department of Scientific Investigation, members of the Strange Adventurers are sent to investigate and neutralize unusual threats to humanity or Earth. They do little crimefighting as such, to keep their profile low. Relationships: Many of the Strange Adventurers have never even met each other, communicating only with Darwin Jones. Those that have met seem to get along fairly well, if a bit stiffly--most of them aren't big on showing emotion. The Strange Adventurers are respected by other DSI agents, who are grateful for their assistance in baffling situations. Other law enforcement officials are usually cooperative, if miffed by the Adventurers' habit of not sharing the existence of their powers more freely. While most of their investigations are one-off, the Strange Adventurers have two recurring enemies: Tim Steele, killer robot and King Gorilla, superintelligent ape. Thus far they have not teamed up. Tactics: To be honest, the Strange Adventurers often just stumble across situations that require their special talents and deal with them as best they can. But sometimes, Bob Fallon's Escran ability reveals a catastrophe about to happen, and Darwin Jones sends the most appropriate agent or agents to the scene. Paul Browning, with his inability to breathe air, naturally gets all the ocean-based investigations. Campaign Use: As support for player characters in a 1950s campaign, primarily. They can easily be twisted into an opposition that suppresses any evidence of the paranormal or supernatural on behalf of the government. Transported to the modern day, their white Anglo-Saxon Protestant male uniformity could cause them to be hilariously unable to function in a more diverse culture.

Re: Campaign: Classic Champions Universe As and when you get up to that Enemies book, you should know that Hitsusatsu's codename should actually be Hissatsu. (Clumsy use of kanji dictionary on my part.)

Re: Stormy Relations Mask of Justice: Gets his powers from a Greek goddess, supposedly. Mind you, his teammate would be the Norse god of Swing, given the era. Would be very skeptical, though his powers would allow him to tell if they were the real thing or something else. Would want to know why his father went through that whole "goddess of justice" routine back when he gave Nick the mask. Talion: Complete disbelief and lack of any warmth towards the supposed parents. His changeling fantasies died long ago, and it's far too late to make it up to him. And of course it would turn out to be a cruel trick to hurt him emotionally.

Brother Voodoo (tm Marvel) Created by Roy Thomas and Len Wein Player: NPC Val Char Cost 20 STR 5 14 DEX 12 14 CON 8 10 BODY 0 14 INT 4 22 EGO 24 18 PRE 8 12 COM 1 7 PD 3 6/36 ED 3 4 SPD 16 9 REC 4 30 END 1 28 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 4" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 89 Cost Power 2 Immune to Fire I: Life Support (Safe in Intense Heat) 30 Immune to Fire II: Armor (0 PD/30 ED) (45 Active Points); Only Works Against Limited Type of Attack (Fire and heat; -1/2) 40 Immune to Fire III: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); Only Works Against Limited Type of Attack (Fire and heat; -1/2) 45 Summon smoke and drums: Change Environment 4" radius (4" Any Area; +0), -3 to Normal Sight PER Rolls, -3 PRE Roll and all Skill Rolls based on PRE, Multiple Combat Effects, Personal Immunity (+1/4) (45 Active Points) 31 Hypnotic Control: Mind Control 6d6 (Human, Animal Class of Minds and Plant Class of Minds classes of minds), Telepathic (+1/4) (62 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (Hypnosis, limited array of commands; -1/2), Limited Class Of Minds [subset of a class] (Only living beings; -1/2) 62 Control Fire I: Suppress Fire 10d6, any fire power one at a time (+1/4) (62 Active Points) 175 Control Fire II: Aid Fire 10d6, any fire power one at a time (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2) (175 Active Points) 4 My Brother's Strength: +5 STR (5 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Cannot be used while Daniel is inhabiting another body; -1/4) 113 Daniel Drumm's Spirit: Mind Control 15d6 (Human class of minds), Telepathic (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (169 Active Points); Limited Class Of Minds [subset of a class] (Only living beings that are not already possessed by another spirit; -1/2) Powers Cost: 502 Cost Martial Arts Maneuver 3 Defensive Throw: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +1 DCV, Block, Target Falls 4 Fast Strike: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +0 DCV, 6d6 / 2d6 Strike 5 Flying Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +4 DCV, Dodge All Attacks, Abort; FMove 4 Joint Lock/Throw: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab One Limb; 1d6 NND ; Target Falls 4 Martial Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +5 DCV, Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort 4 Martial Escape: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 35 STR / 15 STR vs. Grabs 4 Martial Strike: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 6d6 / 2d6 Strike 4 Reversal: var Phase, -1 OCV, -2 DCV, 35 STR / 15 STR to Escape; Grab Two Limbs Martial Arts Cost: 32 Cost Skill 4 AK: Haiti 13- 3 Animal Handler 13- 3 Breakfall 12- 3 CK: New Orleans. Louisiana 12- 10 +2 with HTH Combat 15 +5 with Voodoo powers 5 Conversation 14- 2 CuK: Mystic World 11- 3 KS: Arcane And Occult Lore 12- 5 KS: Voodoo 14- 0 Language: French (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 4 Language: English (idiomatic) 3 Oratory 13- 3 Paramedics 12- 4 PS: Houngan 13- 2 PS: Psychiatrist 11- 3 Survival 12- Skills Cost: 72 Cost Perk 1 Fringe Benefit: License to practice a profession 5 Money: Well Off 6 Reputation: Powerful houngan who fights for justice (Those who practice, fear or even know of voodoo) 11-, +3/+3d6 1 Fringe Benefit: Passport 10 Follower Perks Cost: 23 Cost Talent 20 Animal Friendship 13 Danger Sense (general area, in combat, Function as a Sense) (27 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Only vs. preternatural danger; -1) 12- 10 Divine Favor Talents Cost: 43 Total Character Cost: 761 Pts. Disadvantage 5 Distinctive Features: Voodoo sign on forehead, skunk stripe (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 20 Hunted: Evil mystics 11- (As Pow, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Harshly Punish) 15 Hunted: Government and Law Enforcement Officials 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching) 10 Psychological Limitation: Talks down to the ignorant (Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Limitation: Must free slaves (Common, Strong) 5 Reputation: nutty mountebank, to those who have heard of him but don't believe in voodoo/magic, 8- Disadvantage Points: 70 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 491 Total Experience Available: 491 Experience Unspent: 0 APPEARANCE Hair Color: Brown, with a white streak down the middle Eye Color: Brown Height: 1.82 m Weight: 100.00 kg Description: Jericho Drumm is a well-muscled black man in his thirties, with a white streak through the center of his hair, and a symbol on his forehead that looks like a "V" superimposed on a circle. He wears a necklace of claws, a snakeskin sleeveless vest (white with green diamond shapes), a yellow waist sash, and green tights with white fringe, sometimes adding a red cape for formal events. BACKGROUND Jericho Drumm and his twin brother Daniel were born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Jericho wanted to rise above the poverty and squalor of their native island, so he emigrated to the United States to attend college and become a doctor, specializing in psychiatry. Far from the superstition of Haiti, Jericho adopted the materialist philosophy of his adopted nation. But then he received a message from Daniel, calling him back to Haiti. Though Daniel had chosen to become a houngan, a voodoo practicioner, they'd kept in touch. Daniel claimed to have been cursed by a bokor (evil voodoo practicioner) going by the name of Damballah (the serpent loa.) Despite Jericho's medical knowledge, he was unable to save Daniel's life. Daniel's last request was that Jericho go into the swamp and seek the help of Daniel's teacher, Papa Jambo. Papa Jambo, elderly and frail, was unable to leave the swamp, but trained Jericho in the ancient mystic ways of Voodoo. Jericho was a freakishly gifted pupil, soon surpassing his brother's abilities. But as an extra edge, Jericho submitted to a ritual that brought Daniel's spirit back from the afterlife and allowed it to share his body. This ritual exhausted Papa Jambo, and with the old man's death, Jericho assumed the new name and role of Brother Voodoo. Brother Voodoo emerged from the swamp to find Damballah on the brink of taking control of the mystic community. He battled the villain, eventually realizing that Damballah's supreme control of reptiles did not come from his own skill and power, but from a mysterious amulet called a wangal. Once deprived of that amulet, Damballah lost his powers and was consumed by his own serpents. Now Brother Voodoo goes between his homeland of Haiti and mansion in New Orleans (with side trips elsewhere) fighting the abuse of voodoo and the enslavement of people whereever it rears up. PERSONALITY Jericho Drumm is an intelligent, well-educated man who thinks analytically. He's cool and collected under even the worst circumstances, and uses his emotions to fuel his actions rather than determine them. This isn't to say that he's afraid to use force when it's appropriate--and in his business that happens a lot. Brother Voodoo doesn't like those who display willful ignorance and tends to talk down to them (but using polite language.) He despises any form of enslavement, particularly those who use magic to remove free will. QUOTE ""The process is only foolproof when it works, Baron--and though you may have laughed--Brother Voodoo did not gain his reputation for nothing!" POWERS/TACTICS Jericho Drumm is a trained psychiatrist and houngan in excellent physical shape, who has somehow picked up remarkable if untrained fighting skills. Brother Voodoo can effortlessly enter a trance state in which he is effectively immune to fire. He can summon blinding smoke at will, which is accompanied by the unnerving sound of voodoo drums. Brother Voodoo has a special affinity for animals, especially reptiles, and can sense supernatural evil over a wide area. While combined with the spirit of his brother Daniel, Jericho's strength doubles. By extending his will, Brother Voodoo can hypnotically compel living humans, animals and plants to do his will within their capabilities. It's not terribly effective against humans, though. For those, he can release the spirit of his brother Daniel, who will possess the target (this does not work against the unliving or those already possessed by another spirit.) He can also control fires, making them smaller or larger. Brother Voodoo likes to enter a combat either through his conjured smoke, or a wall of flame to unnerve opponents. If they seem weak-willed, Brother Voodoo may attempt to hypnotically compel them not to attack. He will call upon an animal ally if a suitable one is nearby. He usually waits to use Daniels' spirit until he's sure of the opposition and where Daniel can best be put to use. Once engaged in combat, Brother Voodoo is a fan of good old fisticuffs, but is not above using his powers to best advantage. CAMPAIGN USE Rather obviously, Brother Voodoo is the man to call if a case involves voodoo or seems to. He's also good local color for Haiti or New Orleans, and a more trustworthy guide than many to be found in those locations. If he needs to be more powerful, give him more mystic abilities along the same line, and perhaps some Mental Defense. To weaken him, have his powers be merely smoke and mirrors, combined with the belief of gullible criminals. Bambu, Brother Voodoo's servant, is a mysterious figure whose past is unknown. He serves the owner of the wangal; when Damballah possessed it, Bambu served him; now it is Brother Voodoo's turn. Brother Voodoo feels that relying on the wangal would be a crutch, so has Bambu wear the amulet for safekeeping. Give Bambu senior citizen stats, with a skill set appropriate to a manservant, and 10d6 Mind Control, Area Effect Radius, 0 END, reptiles only, IAF wangal. Bambu will be uttely loyal to Brother Voodoo, while Jericho Drumm lives.

Re: The Classic Justice League starting members on 350 points For Hal Jordan, a little bit of Disads... Psych Lim: "Fearless" Overconfidence (uncommon, strong) There aren't many situations a Green Lantern can't handle, but Hal has trouble acknowledging even those. Psych Lim: Ladies' Man (very common, moderate) Hal enjoys the company of women, and is not shy about expressing this. Psych Lim: Must win Carol Ferris as Hal Jordan, not Green Lantern (uncommon, total) Only applies during Hal's original Silver Age run. He had the hots for Carol, she has the hots for his Green Lantern identity and Hal Jordan, but since Hal is her employee, she feels that relationship is inappropriate.

It's been quite a while, so from Essential Marvel Horrror #2... Living Mummy (Created and trademark Marvel Comics) Player: NPC Val Char Cost 37 STR 27 10 DEX 0 25 CON 30 20 BODY 20 10 INT 0 15 EGO 10 20 PRE 10 4 COM -3 14/44 PD 7 10 ED 5 2 SPD 0 12 REC 0 50 END 0 52 STUN 0 6" RUN 0 2" SWIM 0 0" LEAP -7 Characteristics Cost: 99 Cost Power 37 Skin like steel: Armor (30 PD/0 ED), Hardened (+1/4) (56 Active Points); Only Works Against Limited Type of Attack (the BODY portion of attacks; -1/2) 4 Over seven feet tall: Knockback Resistance -2" 11 Functionally Immortal: Life Support (Eating: Character does not eat; Longevity: Immortal; Sleeping: Character does not sleep) 4 Psychic Connection to Dr. Skarab: Mind Link , Dr. Skarab class of minds, One Specific Mind, Psychic Bond (10 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Empathetic link, no verbal communication; -1), Does Not Provide Mental Awareness (-1/4), Stops Working If Mentalist Is Knocked Out (-1/4) 3 Tall, with long arms: Stretching 1" (5 Active Points); Limited Body Parts (-1/4), no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4) Powers Cost: 59 Cost Skill 3 Climbing 11- 25 +5 with HTH Combat 3 Hoist 11- 3 AK: Northern Africa 12- 2 AK: Ancient Egypt 11- 2 KS: Animals and plants of Northern Africa 11- 0 Language: Swarili (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 3 Language: Ancient Egyptian (completely fluent) 2 Navigation (Land) 11- 3 PS: Hunter 12- 4 PS: Warrior 13- 7 Stealth 13- 3 Survival (Desert, Tropical Plains) 11- 11 Tracking 15- 4 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons Skills Cost: 75 Cost Talent 10 Follow-Through Attack Talents Cost: 10 Total Character Cost: 243 Pts. Disadvantage 20 Distinctive Features: Huge man in mummy wrappings and deformed flesh (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 10 Hunted: Beings who wish to enslave him 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 10 Money: Destitute 10 Physical Limitation: Stiff--cannot run non-combat, leap, or use Acrobatics or Breakfall (Frequently, Slightly Impairing) 10 Physical Limitation: Speaking is painful and slow (Frequently, Slightly Impairing) 20 Psychological Limitation: Desires freedom for himself and all oppressed peoples (Common, Total) 15 Psychological Limitation: Does not truly understand modern society (Very Common, Moderate) 10 Social Limitation: Monster (Occasionally, Major) 20 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Fire and dehydration attacks (Common) Disadvantage Points: 125 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 APPEARANCE Hair Color: none. formerly black Eye Color: Brown Height: 2.28 m Weight: 295.00 kg Description: Before his mummification, N'Kantu was a tall, well-built black African of the Swarili tribe. He's still tall and impressive, but somewhat scrawnier-looking. He's entirely covered in gray mummification bandages save his eyes, which are his only outward method of expression. Under the wrappings, N'Kantu's skin is withered, mottled and blistered from millenia of disuse. BACKGROUND Over 3000 years ago, N'Kantu was chieftain of the Swarili tribe of Northern Africa when he and his entire tribe were taken captive by Egyptian raiders. Prized as slaves because of their great strength and hardiness, the Swarili were put to work building the glorious tomb of Pharoah Aram-Set. Fearing revolt, the Pharoah ordered that the slaves be killed upon completing the edifice. Fortunately , N'Kantu saw through this plan and turned it back on the Egyptians, succeeding in freeing the remainder of his people and slaying Aram-Set. However, this victory was short-lived. The pharoah's closest advisor, the wicked priest Nephrus, had known of the rebellion and kept it a secret so that N'Kantu's people would eliminate Aram-Set, then Nephrus would dispose of the Swarilis and rule himself. Nephrus trapped N'Kantu with a paralyzing drug, replaced his blood with a fluid designed to give immortality, then had the chieftain wrapped in mummification cloth and sealed in a sarcophagus. Presumably Nephrus was using him as a test to see if the fluid actually worked before making himself immortal. But no sooner had Nephrus declared himself Pharoah than the palace was struck by an earthquake, and he was apparently crushed to death by the ceiling. In 1973, the paralysis drug finally wore off, and N'Kantu broke out of the long-lost sarcophagus. Unfortunately, three millenia of being buried alive had affected N'Kantu's mind, and he was completely insane. He rampaged across Egypt until he was finally shocked senseless by broken electrical cables. Egyptologist Dr. Skarab (a direct descendant of Nephrus, fortunately much more ethical than his ancestory) brought N'Kantu's mummy to New York City to study. N'Kantu finally awoke from the electrical shock to find his mind cleared but his surroundings entirely alien. Before he could get his bearings, N'Kantu found himself whisked away to the extra-dimensional lair of the Elementals, powerful mystics who'd once tried to conquer the Earth until stopped by the power of the Scarlet Scarab, a mighty magical artifact (and not so coincidentally created by another ancestor of Dr. Skarab.) They offered to transform N'Kantu back into a normal man in exchange for him bringing them the Scarab so that they could not be defeated. While this promise let down his defenses long enough for N'Kantu to be mind-controlled into doing their bidding, the Living Mummy's hatred of all oppressors allowed him to break free before being forced to kill an innocent man. The Elementals, angered by his defiance, came back to Earth anyway and seized the city of Cairo, sealing it in an impenetrable force field. N'Kantu teamed up with Dr. Skarab, his assistants Ron and Janice, lovable rogues Asp and Olddan, and the renegade Elemental Zephyr to find a way to unlock the power of the Scarlet Scarab and eject the attacking Elementals from the Earth forever. Following that epic battle, N'Kantu wandered off, perhaps to visit his long-lost homeland. He was last seen in the Negative Zone prison during the so-called "Civil War", his dedication to freedom and lack of English skills making the Living Mummy unwilling or unable to register under the SHRA. PERSONALITY N'Kantu was once a proud hunter and warrior, who has lost everyone he ever cared for to the mists of time. His hideous appearance and weak communication skills further isolate him from the people around him, making the Living Mummy a very lonely person indeed. But he will fight for the freedom of himself and any oppressed peoples he comes across in his wanderings. One day he hopes to rest, but not just yet. QUOTE "Yes, boisterous ones. We indeed challenge you. Too long in this war have I remained silent--for such is my way. But now I see what you do not and I can act--and know victory is ours!" N'Kantu's voice is hoarse with the dust of ages, and slow. POWERS/TACTICS N'Kantu was a large, powerful man and a skilled warrior before he was mummified. Over millenia, the immortality fluid has hardened his body to the consistency of mild steel, making the Living Mummy inhumanly strong and nigh-invulnerable to physical weapons. While he still feels pain when struck, ordinary weapons do no permanent damage to him. He no longer needs to eat or sleep, and ages so slowly as to be functionally immortal. However, his body has also become stiff and slow, making him unable to use many advanced combat techniques or move quickly. In addition, the Living Mummy is vulnerable to attacks that dry him out, such as fire. The Living Mummy is fairly straightforward in his tactics, preferring punches and grabs. When working with more fragile allies, N'Kantu will often provide them cover from gunfire by interposing his body. CAMPAIGN USE The Living Mummy is a misunderstood monster; his freakish appearance and lack of communication skills often fool people into believing him to be a menace to themselves or in general. Thus it's most likely that the player characters will fight N'Kantu first before getting all the details. But he can also be a stalwart ally in the right genres, such as Horror Hero. He is often the target of evil mystics who seek to control his power for their own plans, or to destroy him for foiling those plans. To make the Living Mummy stronger, add to his strength and combat skill levels. To weaken him, add a Susceptibility to fire. If necessary, you can add a bit more DEX and Speed, but N'Kantu should always be slow by campaign standards. Professor Skarab is an Egyptologist with a secret mystic heritage that only comes to the forefront when he is in contact with the Scarlet Scarab; use the Scholar Package and modify appropriately. Ron is an anthropology major, and Janice's field is never specified but likely complementary. Asp is a skilled second-story man, while Olddan is an aging conman and forger. They may be gay, but more likely Asp is bisexual. The Elementals all have mystic powers: Hellfire is mostly into RKAs, Magnum is into earth and rock control, and has high-end superstrength, Hydron controls water and is a sadist. Zephyr, their female member, and the least interested in ruling the world, controls the wind and men's minds. She defects early on. Enjoy, SKJAM!

Re: Biggest Brains in DC Up and down, but I.Q. (Ira Quimby) has the ability to make himself smarter by absorbing sunlight through his skin. Amazingly, it took until 52 before he thought of stripping to Speedos on a tropical island to take advantage of this.

Re: Evil Schemes for the Average Megalomaniac Mass mind control. Replace world leaders with obedient duplicates. Unleash plague to which megalomaniac has only cure.