Hermit

In the Super Hero Genre, a good chunk (probably even the majority) of Supers have secret identities... and day jobs. Are there any you folks tend to take more than others? Why? I've seen some players who seem to go for businessman every time. Another I know has about 80% of her characters as students in either High school or college.

So, just how many mild mannered reporters, playboy millionares, and government liasons do you folks have your stables de character?

Warning: Long (apologies)

Currently I am GMing for a Pirate TE campaign. "Mad" Rodrik Bonny was the NPC captain of the "Last Chance". Enter some of the PCs... Skyler is the human child he found, who has since grown into a stunning beauty and effective pirate in her own right. Indeed, she even replaces the former first mate Arno Benny, a Heavy Engineer who often wants perhaps more than his fair share. Still, Arno seems to accept the promotion with good grace...perhaps too good for a pirate.

Right outside the Hegemony, the relations and long line of the Ingaldi (The nobles of the Kalshari) continue their exile. Enter Cahira, roughly 157th in line to the title of Ingaldi herself.From a precoucious child, she has grown into a skilled pilot for her people. Even if she has an unfortunate tendency to send her own ships into spins just to "make the stars dance." She also grows restless with the exile, and wishes she could strike back at the Hegemony. Tales of pirates frustrating even the mighty Thorgons brings a pleased green glow to her skin.

In the Terran Empire itself, a young Fex V'croa (sp?) doesn't believe the tales of humans treating Fex like second class citizens. He follows in his father's paws and joins the Imperial Navy. Thanks to a lifetime around weapons (His mother is a weapon's designer) he becomes a rising star gunner... hampered only by the tendency of some Empire officals to favor humans first. He discovers that some of his mother's 'rejected' designs have some how made it on Vice Admiral Victor Cromwell anyways. Confused, he brings this up... only to find the Empire is willing to accuse his mother of espionage rather than pay her the now considerable due for her work. Rather than simply try to get out of this outfit, he spouts meaningless words of loyality for the empire and dismay for his mother's betrayal... but secretly, this is NOT a happy cat.

Vice Admiral Cromwell is a young and cruel officer in charge of bringing the pirates of this sector to heel. His chief thorn is Bonny. A new ship, an Orca class (Yup, borrowed the design from another thread) is built to do everything pirates can do, but better. Cromwell is first going to use it against the pirates in battle, but then he gets a better idea... to use it as bait.

Back to Cahira....staying at a dome pocked planet where many nobles are gathering, they are ready should the Thorgon's cross in. To their surprise, it is a fleet of the Terran Empire that approaches. At first offering to 'help' these renegade Kalshari, when the Ingaldi does not immediately agree to be 'escorted', Cromwell's ship and a few others begin attacking the plaent. Fortunately, Cahira was already boarding her ship (She didn't trust this odd offer of help from the start)... and many others get up in the air as well. Once deeper in space, she launches a shuttle with a copy of the Ingaldi's transmission, hoping to lead the ships away from the real one. It works, but when a master gunner in Cromwell's ship blows out the back of her shuttle...she's ready to die!

Enter some fairly good piloting by Skyler as Rodrick brings the Last Chance to the fray. He doesn't know what's in the shuttle, but if the Imperial Navy wants it, so does he. The Kalshari get away with minimum losses, and Cahira ends up being rescued by the likable madman, and joins the crew.

In the mean time, a certain Imperial crew with a fex in it recieves word that 'officially' these Kalshairi were pirates. Cromwell is frustrated, the deal he had cut with the Thorgons for their assistance in clearing out pirates in the netrual zone has gone to put because he could not deliver the Ingaldi to them as he promised. V'croa is disgusted by the lies, and his own part in the attack on an the colony of exiles. He's also confused as a clearly top secret ship soon becomes the talk of the town.

Mean while, the "Last Chance" is on it's last legs... fearing "it's luck may run out" Bonny hears tale from Arno of a top secret ship that is state of the art about to be moved, and decides it's time to get the crew a new home. Insured by his own engineer as well as some rumors abroad (Unknown to him, carefully leaked) he decides to go for it.

Which is just what Cromwell and Arno wanted and planned for. As the Last Chance makes it's hook up to the Orca... there is an explosion in its engine room... cutting off power. A life pod goes out, as Arno heads to the Constellation, the ship of his NEW boss, Vice Admiral Cromwell.

The Last Chance has just run out of luck. Bonny offers to 'surrender' himself... buying time for Skyler and Cahira to slip out of an air dock in space suits to try to commendeer and start up the Orca now cabled to the Last Chance so they can save the crew. For a brief moment, a certain Fex gunner has both ladies in his sights (And the GM began to wonder if one player was going to blow away the characters of two others) he fires...blowing open a hatch for them to get in to. He's unsure how he'll get out of here though to join them.

The Orca starts up, breaks free, and fires at the Constellation, taking it off guard for the first time. The explosions and unexpected fire gives a certain Rodrik Bonny a chance to break free long enough to stumble onto a certain Gunner. Both rush towards the Constellation's escape shuttle, but there's only one time to get through the door. Deciding his luck has run out, Rodrick shoves V'Croa ("Tell Skyler Bonny sent you!") through, and then races to turn the lower guns on the constellation itself.

And so V'Croa ends up in the hands of Pirates (Who he joins) and Skyler retrieves as much of the old crew as she can ... the explosion in the lower parts of the Constellation tells her what Rodrik has done to delay their foes. She orders Cahira to fly them out of there now!

With Rodrik dead, Skyler takes the name Bonny as her own to honor the fallen father figure. As for the stolen Orca ship? They dub it Bonny's Pride.

While he finally killed "Mad" Rodrick Bonny, Cromwell has lost a state of the art experimental ship, and gained Arno. Who is made a Captain of the Imperial Navy and given a ship of his own... 30 coins of silver no longer enough for most acts of betrayal.

Both recieve a coded and seemingly untracable transmission a week later from Captain Skyler...it's a simple black spot.

A patriotic babe by any other name...

Originally posted by Starlord

Settle down, the MnM Lady Liberty is happily married. So hands off!

Yeah, but the one for Champions is single.

I like that idea Dark Cloud. It could be a logical reason for a sci fi version of the dungeon crawl (When/if you're in the mood for that). To the aliens , it's all well organized, but to our heroes who can not see the samewavelengths, it's a chaotic labryinth.

That's great! good for you....

I hate you! Die! Eat FREd and DIE you gloating son of a ....

I'm sure the product will be up to the great standard we've recieved in the past from the DoJ. Scott is one of my favorite authors for Champions, and I hear good things about this Steve Long guy

You bought them off! didn't you! You've got connections and your corrupt, greedy fingers are in the HERO pie now! You slime I oughta...

Please, let us know what you think of it when you get a chance to puruse it more fully. Some of us will have to wait a while to get our own, but it's always nice to get input from fellow gamers.

Spite! Spite and rage and jealous tantrums! May your camel lose it's hump, may your RPG books lose their gloss! May a thousand needles...

PS: I maybe slightly envious.

Originally posted by Spectrum

Q: What was an early concept for Yoda?

 

A: I couldn't see its face under the mask, but it was beathing heavily.

Q: So , did you meet Hanibal Lecter's perverted brother?

A: A pan galactic gargle blaster, an orion slave girl, and Fred.

Originally posted by danbuter

The name of the "Name The Character" contest on Hero Games front page just happens to be Lady Liberty.

Well, I'm not sure when Freedom City first came out, but I'm pretty sure this Lady Liberty (which has been around since November of last year, I believe) is no relation

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

If I see Steve Long come out with someone who could b!tch-slap Scott Heine's "Infinite Man," then I'll go .

That'll be the 5E version of the "Habringer of Justice"

Originally posted by misterdeath

Oh, you don't know?

 

New Viperia is 1370 points in the playtest (should be getting my real copy on friday). Slightly elevated in that everything she has/does is slightly better than the previous edition.

 

Mwahahahaha.

 

D

I repeat...

I suppose I should mention how my own characters would react:

Lone Star: He'd be surprised as heck. You see, the lady he's smitten by is involved in Law Enforcement. He'd wonder how she got super powers (if she had), or if it was even her. If it was sure it was her ...he'd worry that whatever gave her those powers had driven her insane. He'd take her in for help....IF he could ever make the ego roll to hit her and knock her out.

Slammer: Rhapsody is a super hero(And mentalist), and the closest thing Slammer has to a true love (though he's a bit dense about admiting it to himself). He'd be totally off guard and she'd get away easily. He just wouldn't believe she was evil now, but at the same time, is still 'new' so the options of clones etc wouldn't occur to him.

Surge: Surge is currently dateless... poor guy. If it he DID have a lady love and this happened though, he'd probably blame it on demonic possession.

Wildcard: "not AGAIN... I didn't even mess with the freaky magic words this time... honest!"

Originally posted by GestaltBennie

For those who haven't seen the playtest manuscript, the new Ripper (and Oculon) are rather more impressive (power level wise) than they were in previous editions. Viperia has also been reworked and has been slightly elevated in power and versatility.

 

Desperation indeed.

 

Scott Bennie

Viperia has been SLIGHTLY elevated? Isn't that like adding another kilometer radius on a tac nuke?

Originally posted by death tribble

 

A. Officer, I can explain everything

Q: You want to tell me why you were doing 89 points on that power in a 60 active point limit zone?

A: Believe it or not, that's what lead to the war between the states of Iowa and Oregon.

Originally posted by zornwil

Q: I heard Hillary Rodham-Clinton's on the warpath, making a name for herself while going after an "enemy's list" that got leaked. Did you hear who was on her enemy's list?

 

A: The tidybowl man, that guy in the boat, he can do it!

Q: The black hole in the center of our universe is clogged! We must flush it clear or the universe is lost, but who? WHO can save us?

A: I'm only doing this to plug DH#13

Well, it's hard for me to imagine an American Eagle replacement without some good old oratory and similar skills to inspire and lead with... but not bad.

The "detective" skill you have confuses me. Do you mean Deduction? or is that "PS: Detective"?

Post without posting...very zen.

Originally posted by zornwil

Q: What do you remember most about the Exorcist?

 

A: Peachy-green, sir!

Q: So, your Bruce Banner's gamma irrated chipper side, how you feeling?

A: All your space are belong to Russ!

Re: The Snakes Have Arrived!

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

Quick, call St. Patrick!!

Mmm, leads to all sorts of thoughts about the VIPER nests in Ireland...

Originally posted by lemming

Q: I thought there'd be painkillers or at least lube involved?

 

A: A branding iron

Q: I need a good marketting technique to guide folks, any suggestions?

A: I've seen fire, and I've seen rain... but I've never seen that!

(Been awhile since I've seen one of this put up, I THINK we're on #7, but if I miscounted, my apologies)

Your character is in a battle with a relatively new super villain, one that has been around for only a few weeks. In your latest battle with him/her, their mask comes off... revealing the face of your characters love!

What would your character do? And what would your character think?

Re: Most excellent!

Originally posted by BobGreenwade

Congratulations on a good start!

 

Now maybe you can convince them to go out and buy the Terran Empire book itself....

Not likely, they'll just borrow mine.

However, maybe now I can put "The Spacer's Toolkit" on my 'must get' list and thus feed Ben.

Originally posted by DocMan

Q: You gave me the plague! WHY?

 

A: That's not a moon! That's a SPACE STATION!

 

Doc

Q: Did that alien robot just drop his pants and moon us?

A: There can be only one... well, maybe two... three at most.

Ace, that sounds great. I like the "flying coffin" twist on things, and hadn't thought of working with the "old frontier" in that fashion. Very creative.

Originally posted by Edsel

Kewl, good work.

 

Mixing genres is always a good way to appeal to a group with varied interests. Hope it continues to go smoothly for you.

Thanks,

I must say, the core PC group of a Human female captain, a male Fex Gunner, and a female Kalshari pilot is already making things very interesting.

I almost feel sorry for the Terran Empire

Originally posted by Stormraven

I caught one of the episodes - the one with Thunder and Lightning - and quickly changed the channel. The dialog was badly written and horribly performed, sounding like the worst dubbing I've ever heard for Anime.

 

But when it showed up again, I decided to give it another go. The Puppet King episode. Better. The dialog still isn't very good, and the performances need lots of work, but it shows a small bit of promise. Not enough to make me want to seek it out, but I'll at least give the episodes a chance - not like the Justice League show, which I either mute (if I'm waiting for another show) or change the channel on the moment I see it.

I'm in a similar boat. I saw the first episode and CRINGED. I hated the animation, and the writing seemed sub standard. However, the kids(And hey, the show IS marketted more for kids...despite it's #$#$ time slot for it) I baby sit for loved it, so I recorded the darn thing for them.

I hate to admit it, but while the animation still makes me cringe at times, the writing has done a turn around and is getting quite good. The character development, plots, and dialouge are now saving the show.

I still don't care for the animation, but that's me.

Foxbat- Foxbat rocks, in any edition.

CLOWN- Really, if you use them to poke fun at society and not the PCs, they're great!

Firewing- Okay, I read too much Silver Surfer when younger... but I like the warrior of Malva.

Terror Inc- Pr Muerte was the Poor man's Doctor Destroyer, and I used his crew in more adventures than I could count.

Takofanes- He's turning into a great behind the scenes villain.

Dr. Destroyer- Give the guy his props, he started out as a doomesque standard mastermind, but in the hands of such folks as Scott Bennie and others has turned into THE Face of Evil in the Champions Universe.

The Ultimates- A tight villain group that can use tactics and teamwork to great effect.

Heck, there's too many more to list. I'm rather fond of many of them.