Hermit

What Derek said

Paul Harvey Voice: "And now you know the rest of the story . Good day!"

Fifth Rules Edition... but it's name actually started off as a tongue in cheek comment by Steve who said "You can call it Fred for all I care" Or something like that

I think part of it is that 'masculine good looks' often stresses other physical stats like strength or Constitution. Not to say Athletic women aren't/can't be heart throbs, but it's not the same.

I want to make a Super Villain who's plans for global domination are masked by his ownership of a RPG company...

I just feel inspired in that direction for some reason lately

Escapism is one of the goals of my games, so I either wait a month or two, or instead put in a situation that's different enough to keep the 'different universe' feel, while still close so as to explore some issues.

Originally posted by Supreme

If you think about it, this issue is not limited to women. Male characters, both in comics and in RPGs tend to fall within two categories: non-humans (i.e., the Thing, the Hulk, J'onn J'onzz) and super-studs (everyone else). Even with male characters who don't put any points into COM (and I'd say that was less than 5% of all characters) they still are drawn with He-Man physiques. But hey -- vanity is fun isn't it?

 

What I've noticed that you almost never see, in comics or games, is a female character over the age of 17 with breasts smaller than a "C" cup. Never seen it.

Yeah, good point. You don't often see "Super Dude" with a Pot belly for example.

As for the ladies.. hmm.. not sure I've seen it either. At least not in comic books. Gaming supplements I think I've seen a few.

Originally posted by Monolith

Remember everyone, only a couple of more days to get your votes in. Hopefully we can get things evened up! Vote soon! Vote often! (well, not often) Vote!

May the cuter belly button win!

Originally posted by altamaros

Someone sees anything else ?

 

 

NICE sum up. *Nods* I think you got most if not all of them.

One that might be mentioned (but also might fall under your other categories) would be 'National character'.

While also often flag bearers, many American heroes have names with the words like "Freedom" in them. It's not hard to picture a UK Hero who, inspired by his nation and his forefathers courage under the Blitzkrieg calls himself "Valiant" or "Steadfast".

Another thing to do is look at a nation's past names for warriors of various sorts. The State of Tennesee is called the "Volunteer state' because of the large number of young men who stepped forward in a past war to aid their nation. It's not hard to believe that in a super hero universe, a native of the state with powers might use that. Perhaps an Italian Hero would call himself "Gladiator", and a Japanese Super would dub himself "Samuraii".

Super Sex Appeal

Well, the two ladies who play Champions with me almost always play high comeliness characters. It is in genre, and Role Playing is in part escapism. Most of us would like to be attractive... guys AND gals alike. So most of our PCs and NPCs are good looking to drop dead gorgeous.

Originally posted by Col. Orange

 

Ladies and gentlemen of the board, who ARE the top ten beguiling women of the Champions Universe?

Why? Straight Stats or attitude?

I think it's a mix... Stat, attitude, and the artist's drawing of said character. Others may disagree on who's 'most' beguiling... I'm undecided myself.

Due to a mix of store troubles, and some financial troubles, I still haven't gotten CKC (And now, may be getting Millenium City before I get that), so I haven't seen the ladies in that book.

4th Edition, I always thought Soli had that 'shy lady' sexiness going. Howler, well, the drawing was uhm... very nice, and she had 'sultry voice' as a disad. Hard not to imagine her as having sex appeal.

Out of 5th edition women, Talisman has quite the 'evil is sexy' thing going. Maybe I just have a weakness for high boots.

Witchcraft is a redhead, and like many Marvel zombies of yesteryear, I've been trained to have a Pavlovian response to attractive redheaded super heroes. Most embarrasing.

I know Sapphire is supposed to be THE Sex Symbol of the current Champions... but... *le shrug*

True. I mean, the Maine was supposed to be a gag, but I had at least one player who could NOT Take the monkey seriously.

The puns flew fierce...

Zapping the poor thing while singing "Shock the monkey"

Flashing her while shouting "See no Evil!"

it got worse.

Well, I HOPE "Stalker" of 4th Ed. doesn't come back, I already used the name.

I never really got much use out of them after the first time I ran them. They weren't hopeless, they just didn't compare to other more in genre groups. If I recall, for a time, my favorite punching bags for my players' characters was 'Terror Inc.". Now, Pr. Muerte is pushing up daisies and I'm working on and looking for 5th Edition replacements.

Hmm.. the name Ocelot for a super hero... might work.

On the old boards, I mentioned my Australian canidate after someone mentioned they were sports nuts more than outdoorsman.

Competitor - Who enjoys and excels in various forms of athletics, and maybe some minor knowledge in martial arts. HIs only 'power' is the ability to duplicate the powers of those around him. He has a rather "Anything you can do I can do better" attitude, but in an easy going kind of way.

Originally posted by Acroyear

Ha! Your style is no match for my style. Your master is weak and pathetic. He only taught you how to lose with that style. How can you compare your style to mine? Vermin Pigdog! Ha!

Cool... his font is even out of synch with his typing!

Originally posted by MisterVimes

* Orion was a lazy bum who hung out at the headquarters and mooched.

Orion is clearly a very wise fellow

Just a thought

Originally posted by Enforcer84

But its such a part of the superhero genre for Superheroes to have the "union suits". That's the thing, the debate that has been going on in the list (far too polite to be "raging") the idea held by those members of the list from England and France is that their heroes wouldn't wear masks, wouldn't dress in bright costumes, and so on. The idea being that only Americans are so inclined(implying that the traditional superheroic costumes are some how beneath them). Then there are Americans who disagree. I was wondering where the Herophiles fell.

 

Well, not to offend those players from other nations, but if you have America as having the majority of super heroes, and the FIRST Super heroes... the US supers might set the standard. Other heroes of other nations might wear masks because that's the fashion and it would be embarrassing to be outdone by the yanks.

Again, that depends on a universe's "history" a lot.

I think I'd rather put the points in Presence. Who's going to doubt your divinity then?

Originally posted by Acroyear

 

This thread has been great, imo. Now I might have too many good ideas worth looking into.

He's more confused than ever...

Congratulations gang, mission accomplished!

Originally posted by cubist

Nu-uh, the smart Hulk was able to lift a mountain and hold it off the heroes in Secret Wars, even when he was only able to get a little bit stronger from being mad and everyone was taunting him to do it...

Ah yes, if only we could mix 80 comic book situations with modern day movie ones...

Hulk/Banner, holding up the mountain as best he can, "not sure if I can hold it..."

Sphynx, "You dress in the manner of a male prostitute..."

Hulk/Banner- "HULK SMASH!"

Re: Your PCs might be Underpowered if...

Originally posted by Cybernaut

Your PCs might be Underpowered if...

 

 

:D :D

... a Viper Agent named "Marvin" takes their lunch money daily.

Your base is a cardboard box with the word "Transmagorifier" on it.... and you fear Calvin wants it back.

Damsels keep falling to their deaths because of your Acro-phobia psych lims.

When you do try to save them, the velocity kills you both.

You consider a shaken soda can lobbed at you a 'Doomsday device'

Your BODY stat is on an activation roll.

Originally posted by Acroyear

How about a gadgeteer with a VPP with the lim "can only simulate powers of devices he's studied." So he can do any of the mundane stuff... guns, radios, etc. But as time goes on, he's whipping out any old focus of any villain he's thwarted.

 

"Why, yes, these are just like Binder's boot jets. The real question is, where do you want the next ping pong ball?"

 

Ok, that stinks, too.

*L* Actually, I like that one.

Sort of Photographic invention

My own campgains (infrequent) are based in the fictional city of Los Santos, CA, and I'm starting one on up in Millenium City (Which means I'm eagerly awaiting the book as well)

But I've played all over.

Thought about basing one outside the U.S., but really can't pick.

Perhaps he could play the co-owner of an RPG company, who must occasionaly don green and white tights to teach d20 thralls the HERO way... oh, wait, I think there's an ad like this.

Good idea

I like the sentient android Nucleon.

I have an NPC robot that was a component in Dr. Destroyer's Mind Control machine years back. Makes for a cool mentalist, or so one of my players tells me.

Mechanon really DOES sort of need a vision type doesn't he?

Originally posted by Acroyear

Speaking of which, my 2 most experienced characters have mystic backgrounds, too (one an elemental, the other with artifacts that give him the powers of a pantheon). So veering away from that might be fresh.

 

One idea I sort of toyed with was a Silver Avenger who just "took" to the cyberline treatment, it interacted with him strangely and buffed him up to standard super level. Along with some fancy gauntlets, he has the Golden Avenger style AP punch and an energy shield (kinda of Cap-ish). But as I was doodling out a costume, my dislike for PRIMUS (in general) just kinda stopped me. I guess I could shake the background and stick with the concept.

 

I think I'm going to use the bad guy on the reform angle. I liked it before and you presented the idea a couple times, too. Now to find something to apply it to Or if something else comes up, I'll change my mind. It's sometimes an advantage, too, to be fickle.

Mmm.. maybe I'm in the mood for a bad guy reformed type myself. This thread maybe giving me more ideas than I'm throwing out.

You could mix the Silver Avenger idea with that , believe it or not. Maybe some trauma occured, or there was corruption in PRIMUS that turned him against it (Or just had him disobey orders) but because of his unique reaction to cyberline, they couldn't just depower him. Maybe they let him go to fight some menace (And he earned his early parole thusly), or he broke out... or even served his time

Currently I'm working on my Spider-Man clone, mystic bent to him (Do NOT tick off Grandmother Spider then ask for help... she'll put you to work)

More ideas in the air

Originally posted by Acroyear

I thought I would share the current team lineup, too. So you can see what thunder I don't want to steal

 

Fuzion

Dervish

Nth Man

Gargoyle

Kinesis

Strike

"Monk"

Tyr

Anak Krakatoa

 

 

Then there was me... with my Green Lantern type guy.

Whew, with a team with that many numbers and diversity, it will be tricky not to overlap.

Brick, Energy Blaster, Gadgeteer, Martial Artist, Mentalist, Metamorph, Mystic, Patriot, Powered Armor, Speedster, Weaponmaster

Out of the 'official' archetypes, the only ones I see missing from the group is a gadgeteer and Patriot.

The group seems to favor the mystic (One exception being Fuzion), so maybe you should favor the tech.

Possible ideas that come to mind, but are very rough...

A bowman ala Hawkeye/Green Arrow, heavier on the technician side than pure skill perhaps. Or if that bores you, make it a cross bow or even darts (All those years between Aberdeen University learning engineering, and training in the Pub after classes)

You've already seen one idea on a patriot if you wanted to use it, but you could mix the Gadgeteer with the American Patriot sort. Call him or her "Ingenuity" or "Know how" (As in "Yankee..." )

This might be a good time to try the Avatar type Patriot... the ones based not on nations, but concepts. I'd reccomend Justice, except that might step on Tyr's toes. You could make one based on a concept of 'Truth' , give him no concious control Precognition; Dispel against Images, Mental Illusions, and even Shapechange; and Telepathy. Not too effective alone, but might be great support.

You might also want to create a link to one of your old characters. Maybe one of your past characters saved the current one, and inspired him to become a hero as well. Perhaps there is a blood relation? Maybe it's just me, but I enjoy that sort of thing.