Marchwarden

Thank you, Mayday. Eternia would be tricky to disguise, but not impossible. At any rate, we've kept her out of sight since then. Bloodstone's does-BODY NNDs make a mockery of armour, unfortunately. Against most foes, her ninja tricks keep her safe; in fact, this is the first time I can recall her taking a large amount of damage in a fight. The Bride of Krim used a HUGE AE TK attack to grab her, and then Bloodstone was able to tag her with his Continuous does-BODY NND while she was at 1/2 DCV. They were definitely fighting smart. Not that we had poor tactics, but in a straight fight with both sides at full effectiveness, they had the raw power and the numbers, and once a few of us were down, they could use teamwork more effectively (hard to combine your efforts when your buddies are sprawled in a heap).

I must concede that she does use her gifts for the benefit of others. Can't fault that. I also checked the CU timeline and noticed that she is noticeably younger than her teammates. The junior team member is often the happy-go-lucky one. I have to admit, I thought that Witchcraft's initial writeup went a bit too far to portray her as timid and inhibited. Then she was featured in quite a few art pieces in CU and CKC, and they depicted a more resolved and defiant Bethany. It developed the character in my mind. Perhaps we'll see either text or art that brings Corrie onto sharper relief, and presents her more as carefree than as careless.

Hello. I'm looking for commiseration. The Champions of 2018 went up against their nemeses and got creamed. Particularly rough, since they're the latest incarnation of the Crowns of Krim. The GM found them suitable regular opponents for plot reasons and also because of the fairly clear-cut morality (you don't have to feel guilty about opposing the CoK). So, they pop up on an 8- or whenever the GM decides we could use some straight-up action. The only problem is that they aren't the kind of villains who Stun you and then escape before the law arrives. Losing badly to the Crowns can't help but entail infernal woe for the defeated. Mind you, they have us outnumbered 6 to 5, and heavily outpointed (this is a high-power setting, so we started at 450 and have since garnered eight sessions of experience, but our highest-point members are about even with their lowest). Their roster is: Force, Phoenix, Temblor: essentially unchanged. Bloodstone: finally souled out and got his powerup. Eclipse: met with a cruel end. He had heard that a certain archaeologist had unearthed the fabled Tablets of Krim, and decided to pay "John Black" a little visit. Desol'd through the wall and got Eater of Shadows right in the heart. While he was still in shadowform. Schwup! Now Giles de Morphant has become Shadowlord, and adding the power of the Shadow Crown to Black Paladin makes for an ugly customer. Yet even that was only the opening strike of a dreadful coup. De Morphant had entered into a grim bargain with a yet crueler power than he. And so it was that, undone by treachery, Dark Seraph perished in hellfire. The Iron Crown now rests upon the brow of Talisman, self-styled Bride of Krim. Very bad. The combined power of the Crowns offers her a chance to match the power of her sister, the Archmage, but she has learned to move cautiously, gathering strength and corrupting the flow of Earth's magic aura, turning it to the dark. On our first encounter, we cleaned their clocks; this was mainly because they are quite notorious by 2018 and their basic capabilities are quite well known to heroes and the law; we had trained together, but had not yet made our debut. We capitalized on this; we were able to mop up the 5 lesser Crowns before their leader showed up, and then team-piled her. The second time we tangled, they knew what they were up against, but we had found all the necessary clues and followed the leads and roleplayed well enough to convince the Trismegistus Council to fortify us with defensive wards and consecrated weapons and such, so we were able to take them in battle thanks to past performance in the noncombat part of the storyline. This time...I'm fairly certain we overlooked something. The GM is too experienced to just fling us into a meat grinder. There must have been a warning we overlooked, an opportunity we failed to take...once we've licked our wounds, we'll be back. But, oh man what a pounding we took. Our base is in ruins. Radar Rider was shot out of the sky (nonpersistent Force Field types hate getting stunned in midair) and escaped death by plummeting into Lake St. Clair (he was fished out by a boater). Marchwarden, his body battered and all his arrows spent, was was able to grab his unconscious, nearly exsanguinated teammate Heartseeker and flee ignominiously with Bloodstone in hot pursuit - lost him in a churchyard, thankfully, and made a Paramedics roll to staunch her bleeding. Defender, our leader, is Talisman's prisoner - he's always given her a funny "mystic vibe" which she no doubt wants to understand better, although her studies may not be pleasant for him. Eternia - was torn limb from limb by the Crowns. They scattered the pieces amidst the rubble of our base, as a message to those who would oppose them. Fortunately, they clearly underestimated her awesome regenerative properties ; but we can't count on them making the same mistake twice. All in all, a dark day for the Champions of tomorrow. Heartseeker will be low on BODY for a while, even with proper medical care, and Radar Rider isn't in much better shape. We need to find and rescue Defender, obviously. Eternia is physically fine, but being dismembered can't have done much good for her self-confidence issues. Homestead is a wreck, and the only bright spot is that no civilian staff were present when the attack fell. Not our finest hour.

I realize that it may have been an inside joke to create a mutant with no angst whatsoever, but does anyone else think that Sapphire comes across as too flighty? I don't require all my heroes to be steeped in doom and misery, but I at least like to see them either achieving their heroic status through some act of diligence or at least seeming to appreciate the seriousness of the job. Sapphire was born beautiful, born talented, achieved overnight success as a pop star without apparent effort, sprouted mutant powers overnight and seems to regard superheroism as just another kind of stardom. It's one thing to have natural talents, but to be naturally talented at everything you'd want to succeed at, and never need to try hard at anything, just doesn't seem very heroic, and neither does the "With great power comes photo ops!" attitude. I could easily handle any one of those traits in a character, but pile them all together and you're left with someone who's really hard to respect. Just cranky, I guess.

She need neither utter a silly acronym nor wear a rather bad costume. Goddesses take these measures into account during the design stage.

The latter case would be correct. Potentially not even possible, and if it were than the...consequences would be trapped inside the unromoveable field.

HEARTSEEKER ON HERSELF: "We all need to pitch in together sometimes. I'm only doing my bit." DEFENDER: "He really understands. He doesn't fight just for his family or his hometown or his country; he acts wherever there is need. That sentiment was what made me decide to sign on with this mob." RADAR RIDER: "A great teammate and just a great mate, really. Very talented musician and worth any three in a fight. I don't tease him about it, but I do find his studied aloof poses to be a little amusing. The ninja are rarely fooled by outward appearances, that's our game after all." ETERNIA: "She needs our help, but one day she'll need her freedom more. I suspect that James, with the best of intentions of course, may be slow to act on that." MARCHWARDEN: "Brilliant outdoorsman, obviously, but...New Zealand isn't that far from Oz. I've been there several times. Even dated a rugby player from Wellington once. New Zealanders have round ears and sink in snow like everybody else. Admit that you skimped on your research and get out of trying to claim that's where you're from."

OK, my turn at the keyboard: MARCHWARDEN (Champions 2018) ON HIMSELF: "I am here to answer the threat of Krim, and to uphold a pledge older than the histories of Men." DEFENDER: "He is a credit to his race. I am proud and honoured to accept him as my captain." RADAR RIDER: "He is both warrior and minstrel. Some of his fellow folk seem to think that this makes him a weaker fighter. We know better, who have mastered both song and sword since this world was young. I only wish that his tastes ran less to the loud and distorted, but every bird must sing in its own voice." ETERNIA: "My friends wish to help her learn to be a 'normal human'. My heart misgives me on this count; if Teleios' boast was correct, she possesses a power to endure greater even than my own. She is something new, and unique, of human origin certainly, but not wholly human. She will need to find her own road, down through the ages of the world." HEARTSEEKER: "She is barely a child, but she has cultivated a closeness to the world more akin to what my own kindred have come to know over years unnumbered. Her skill and courage are remarkable. I also admire her quietness; her company is easier to bear than any other Human I have met."

And now: Eternia ON HERSELF: "The subject continues to adjust to her new environment. Rudimentary social skills appear to be developing, as do emotional attachment to friends and teammates. The experiment continues, but without Te'Te'Tele'...supervision. I like it here." DEFENDER: "He's fully aware of my regenerative proprties, but seems concerned when I suffer injuries. He just doesn't seem to understand that a little pain is a price I'm happy to pay for justice. I already gave more than my share for science. He's been injured in battle many times, and he's not nigh-indestructible like me. He has a sense of compassion, a sensitivity to the suffering of others, that I find remarkable in a man who'se chosen a life of struggle. I feel that, if I can understand it, I'll have made a real breakthrough towards comprehending my own humanity." RADAR RIDER: He's sweet. He makes me laugh. He has a sense of "cool" that allows him to treat me as a teammate and a friend, and not be overprotective of me. Many men have trouble doing so. I like his music, too." MARCHWARDEN: "There is something in him that the 'Perfect Man' never displayed. Every motion and word shows a grace born of older times and lovelier places. The songs he sometimes sings in New Zealandish are wonderful and wistful and glorious all at once. Just seeing kim walk, across the snow under the stars, fills me with wonder and hope. And of course, that was his arrow that marred the Perfect Man's perfect flesh and left him on his perfect knees in a puddle of perfect blood. I'm ashamed that I enjoy remembering that moment, but I can't deny that I do." HEARTSEEKER: "A scientist and a shadow warrior. She brings to her causes every resource at her disposal. Ridiculous as it is, I can't help thinking of her as the tougher of us two. It must be the power and balance of her mind and spirit, and the confidence she has in herself. Still, sometimes I think that she regards my stay here as suspect, like the keeping of a wounded creature that ought to be released into the wild. I hope that in time I can prove to her that the world holds no terror for me, and that I stay here because I have chosen this place as my home and these people as my family.

Next up: Radar Rider ON HIMSELF: "The Last Defender of Rock and Roll. I've got it in my genes and soul. A paladin of powerchords, a six-string samurai. But really, just another heartsick guy." DEFENDER: "He's the heart of the team, really. Don't be fooled by his serious attitude; the guy's got a sense of humor, maybe even a romantic streak. He just needs to learn not to try to hard. You gotta stay loose, find a rhythm." ETERNIA: "Man, has she seen some dues. Naturally, I'd never make a move with someone who's got copious trauma issues to work on, but she has inspired some lyrics of longing. Teleios so needs to die." MARCHWARDEN: "Aaarrgghh! Legions of screaming fangirls! After him all the time! I'd get trampled if I didn't stay up in the air! Pointy-eared ponce, why *him*? No offense, really; he's a great teammate and an awesome backup vocalist. It just mystifies me sometimes, that's all." HEARTSEEKER: "What a girl. Dedicated, beautiful...I mean, with all due respect to a fellow teammate, of course. I admit that it spooks me a little when she sneaks up on me; I've had 360 degree radar sense since I was twelve, so I'm not used to it."

This was a trick WW used to use in their sourcebooks, and it worked rather well. Says something about the speaker as well as the subject. Champions 2018 Defender on: HIMSELF: "It's an awesome responsibility to succeed Governor Harmon. I'm not going to let him down, but I can only hope that my best effort is good enough." RADAR RIDER: "It's really almost impossible not to like him. He has a reputation for frivolity and recklessness, but I've trained with him, fought beside him and gotten to know his character. There's no one on this team more dedicated. He may be noisy, but he's not wild; it's just his way. ETERNIA: "It chills my heart to think of what her life was like before we found her. I realize that I shouldn't worry too much about her - she's the strongest, toughest member of the team by far, and not stupid either - but she's still quite unfamiliar with the outside world. She's a fast learner, though; I'm sure that with a little help she'll adjust to a more normal life. Wendy's been wonderful, taking her on outings and having heart to heart talks with her, just sort of teaching her how normal people act." MARCHWARDEN: "Even after all this time, his skill and acuity are simply mind-boggling to watch. Once you allow for cultural differences, he's also very courteous. I realize that, to him, this must seem a noisy, grimy place full of slow dull people, but he keeps it to himself. I also realize that he's abiding strictly by our ethics of battle. Impressive as his archery is, I know he's holding back. Fortunately, I've learned to trust his control." HEARTSEEKER: "She's right to be concerned about the planet; we've rebuilt our cities and our factories, but if we don't rebuild our forests and our oceans, it will all have been in vain. It's also good to see her so obviously passionate her cause; her other calling has taught her many forms of disguise and misdirection, but she was a conservationist long before she was a ninja."

Not to seem indelicate, but you left one out.

Marchwarden, solo...let's pray he's met the brick or else makes a Reputation roll, despite being new in town. Otherwise, he'd probably get the wrong idea about the big flamy guy and follow a cry of "You cannot pass! Go back into Shadow!" with an overkill rain of arrows. With the team... much better. Heartseeker's Saiminjutsu might not overcome the MD, but Defender's intuition powers might warn him that "this is not what it seems". If only we can establish communication (probably after subduing him), then Heartseeker would start throwing enough ninja smoke pots around to make the whole district look from a distance as if it were on fire. Defender would radio local emergency services, explain quickly, and persuade them to play along with the ruse. After that, a quick race to the scene of the kidnapping; our team's combined sensory, tracking ability would make it quite feasible to trail the kidnappers very quickly to where the hostages are kept. MW and HS are more than stealthy enough to make a successful intrusion without alerting whatever guards are around, Radar Rider could jam their communications and once the innocents are found and secured, Defender, Eternia and Radar Rider would sweep in and rapidly subdue any remaining threats. Then we'd attempt to ambush the returning villains - Radar Rider's powers, Defender's hacking and Heartseeker's ninja questioning methods (befuddling their minds with saiminjutsu) should allow us good odds of securing passwords and faking an all-clear signal.

Without teammates, Marchwarden would probably be screwed, since he doesn't know a bomb from a bag of frogs. However, if that train had a normal on it who could explain that the madman "has a great blasting-fire at his fingertips, and it will be unleashed if he is slain", then MW would probably run along the top of the moving cars and make an acrobatic surprise assault through the window. His martial arts are a pale shadow of his archery, but he's strong enough to knock out a normal, and there is no way the madman can react faster than a superhumanly agile warrior hitting him from an unexpected quarter. Then, get someone competent to disarm the device while the madman is insensible and held fast. With the team around, things get easier. Even outside his armour, Defender's technical savvy and mysterious intuition should give us a hint as to the location and nature of the bomb. Radar Rider might be able to sense and/or disable it, depending on whether or not it was a radio-control mechanism. Of course, the instant Defender mutters under his breath: "Blue then green wire but NOT red" then unless the madman can outdraw DEX 35, MWs arrows will sever the blue and then the green wire and not touch the red. Heartseeker could lull him with ninja hand signals and then swiftly and harmlessly render him unconscious. Eternia? Even she couldn't hope to shield others with her body from a pony nuke. That said, an instant's distraction (her 30 COM might be useful there) and she'd be all over him with her irresistable STR. Also, if the bomb can't be disarmed, she could toss it clear into the Chesapeake - an ecological disaster, but better than the alternative.

Perseus can be fun to play. He's the son of Zeus, but also gadget-based. As a demigod, he can be squeezed into 450 or even 350 points without him looking too weedy. Red Harbinger was a 600-point NPC, sort of the female Captain Marvel. Lore of Isis Might of Kali Splendour of Freya Craft of Hekate Light of Amaterasu Fury of the Morrigan Also a single mom trying to keep a household together. A heroine, but prone to overkill.

Let's see...I've been Hunted by my own DNPCs...always a sprightly occurence. Marchwarden has a Legion of Squealing Fangirls, who always seem to find him and get underfoot. This is a source of great aggravation to his teammate Radar Rider, who can't figure out why he, the Last Defender of Rock and Roll, doesn't even have a girlfriend, while Marchwarden, whom he's quite convinced is as gay as a tree full of parrots, gets swarmed by swoony admirers wherever he goes. Oh, and there was the time we ripped off the plot of Casablanca. The 33-year-old (but still hale) Knighthawk rescued 19-year-old Emily Cross, and she was awestruck by his noble courage and gentle strength. She pursued his affections, and two years later they were married (in secret, for her protection). Three years after that, Knighthawk was caught in a planar rift that "no one could possibly have survived". Emily mourned, and the nation mourned with her. For four years she kept to a solitary life, but then fate brought Freedom Rider across her path. It was a different kind of feeling, smoldering, blazing with passion, but she could not deny her feelings. There was genuine love as well, although the young hero had difficulty showing it sometimes. In time, he made his decision. He invited her to meet him at their favorite restaurant. The ring was in his pocket. The waiter brought a note. It said simply that she could never see him again. That very morning, the planar rift had reopened and Knighthawk had emerged unhurt. Emily was torn, horrified and yet also filled with joy. She decided that it would be least painful for everyone if she broke the affair off quietly. Of course, Knighthawk returned to heroism and set about refounding a superteam. One of the new recruits was Freedom Rider. They battled crime, trained with each other and developed a close bond of trust. Then Freedom Rider got to meet the missus. Hoo boy.

Re: Day jobs for characters... My very first champs character was a shoeshine boy. On the current "Champions 2018": Defender - Inventor with several patents. His predecessor sometimes feeds him consulting contracts from Harmon Industries. Eternia - As a former test subject, she has considerable scientific acumen but no formal education or socioeconomic skills. The team is helping her adjust to the world outside Teleios' lab; she's gotten modelling offers. Marchwarden - Well, back home he's a Marchwarden, a noble calling in his own culture. Still doesn't get capitalist society, but as a sort of diplomatic envoy, he's entitled to some hospitality. They put him up at the base. Radar Rider - with his radiowave control powers, he's very handy as a DJ or performer. Doesn't need much equipment. Heartseeker - Conservation activist. Also sometimes appears on her parents' show, or at their zoo. You know, I never really noticed what a bunck of slackers we are. Thankfully, we have Defender I as a benefactor.

Re: The Team "Vibe" Well, the "Champions 2018" campaign is mainly in the spirit of "earnest young heroes rekindling the flame". It's fairly four-colour and light in tone. On the other hand, the "Starfall" mini-campaign is far grimmer. Four individuals, who had all lost friends and loved ones to the depradations of Eurostar, met to forge a lethal pact of vengeance. It's dark Champions with the sole aim of systematically hunting and eliminating a team of murderous super-terrorists. So far, the score is 2-0 in favor of the PCs, with no civilian deaths (OK, some "innocent" VIPER folks got pinned for Ultrasonique, but VIPER garners little sympathy).

In one campaign, I had a trio of NPCs - not evil, but technically villainous in that many of their actions flouted the law. They were based on the idea that three titans - Prometheus, Epimetheus and Atlas - survived the wars against the Gods of Olympus. Mythology would have mentioned if any of them ever had sons. However, the ancient Greeks were a little less careful about keeping track of daughters. Empyrea - titaness, daughter of Prometheus. As strong and tough as a starting-level brick, with regeneration, prophecy, hyperintelligence and pyrokinesis. Apparent age 18-20, radiant classical Greek beauty. Basically a good person, but prone to ignoring mortal laws and authorities when pursuing her far-sighted visions of the "greater good". Also, not always successful at reining in her cousins. Zoe - titaness, daughter of Epimetheus. As strong and tough as a starting-level brick, with dazzling PRE and song-based powers. Apparent age 18-20, impossibly radiant classical Greek beauty. Basically a total sweetheart, but also an absolute ditz. Margeneta - titaness, daughter of Atlas. Was never out-bricked by any mortal during entire campaign. Apparent age 14-15, just-blossoming dark classical Greek beauty. The youngest, the most grudge-minded towards Olympians and their adherents, and also carried a huge chip on her shoulder. Also yielded some good quotes... D: "Am strongest man in Europe! None can withstand Durak!" [M catches incoming haymaker with one hand, stops it cold and squeezes until popping sound is heard.] M: "Half right." And overheard once in a corner of the saloon at Sanctuary: "Go ahead, big guy. Either arm. Heck, I'll let you use all four."

My most embarrassing moment? My very first Champs character, Scrap-Iron. A revenge-minded power-armour type, he built his suit so that he could exact personal vengeance against the superpowered ruffians who had destroyed his life's work, and against all their ilk as well. Well, no PA hero ever wants to get caught in a fight while unarmoured. Scrap-Iron was worse than just "unarmoured" at the particular moment when the base got ambushed. It was an excellent time for a strategic retreat...but first, due to the source and nature of the attack, he had an Enraged roll to make. He failed. He even failed the DEX roll to keep the towel on as he charged in. Amazingly, he survived his short-lived stint as the Naked Avenger...but never lived it down.

Re: Shrinking Brick Names "Mighty Mite" "Flyspeck" "Battle-Gnat" "The Spark" - if he/she glowed or twinkled "The Mote" - can refer to self after winning a fight as "The Mote who smote" "Silver Bullet" - assumes bullet size and appropriate colour