Pariah

Re: Evolution of a Leader I'm tempted to say, "True leaders don't evolve. They're intelligently designed." Okay, now for my real answer. My current campaign doesn't feature a 'team leader'. I'm just fortunate enough to have a gaming group that has a lot of really good players. What I have noticed, though, is that even without someone wearing the leader hat, they usually get things done pretty efficiently. Why? Because they communicate with one another. My players start conversations with each other--in character, mind you--about what's going on. Difficult situations become group problem-solving exercises, and problems get resolved. So try starting conversations in character. If your fellow players are bright, they'll figure it out.

My friend Lord Mhoram, who introduced me to the Hero Boards, tells me that the 50th post is something of a transition event--a rite of passage, kind of like being told you don't have to sit at the kids' table any more. So for my 50th post I wanted to do something to celebrate the milestone, as well as something to help me develop a deeper connection with the people reading my posts (if any). So I came up with this. Below is a list, as best my memory will allow me to compile, of every character I've played in a campaign setting. Some of these characters I've played for only a gaming session or two, and some I've played for years. I've been playing Champions since 1987, so the list is pretty substantial. Enjoy. And feel free to post similar lists, if you're interested. -- Quasar - My very first Champions character, which I shortly thereafter turned over to another player because he liked the character and I wanted to build something else. Flying energy projector, light-based powers. Impulse - Telekinetic and Focused (IIF: Soul Gem) telepath. Also had a 3rd Edition Martial Arts package and some investigation skills. The Wanderer - Jedi-style (complete with laser sword) alien martial artist who mistakenly ended up on Earth. Naturally he joined the first superhero team he could find--the rest of whom were all mutants. Hey, it was the 80's. The Vanguard - My first truly long-running character. He started off as a Black Knight clone and was called Cavalier. The GM ran him on a lot of solo adventures (we were roommates), and he really helped me establish a back story and flesh out the character. My love of novella-length character histories dates back to this character. Black Bow - Former SWAT team member who took up a crossbow to fight crime. He had the standard array of trick arrows/bolts, as well as a few normal ones. Riptide - Marine biologist and engineer who developed a supersuit for undersea exploration. When the government agency he was working for cut off his funding and ordered the prototype destroyed, he stole it instead. Played as part of an aquatic campaign. Ricochet - Part of a 'first supers in the world' campaign, Ric could produce two-dimensional force/energy fields that he could use as FFs, FWs, EBs, or RKAs. Based loosely on the New Universe character Justice. Lotus - Martial artist with passive psionic abilities. Formerly a PSI trainee. In her secret ID, she's a pediatrician who teaches Wing Chun Kung Fu on weekends. Lightning Rod - Electrical energy projector with a metal rod that gave him OCV bonuses and reduced END. His secret ID is a meteorologist. Sterling - A mutant servant of the British Crown, he can change his body into a shiny, super-strong metal alloy. He was sent to the US on semi-permanent assignment to work with the American superhero populace and see what he could learn. Solaris - She fights crime with the aid of the Solar Bands, a pair of bracers that allow her to construct light-based energy constructs. In an adventure with the Crimson Centurion, it was revealed that her Solar Bands may be the 'Lost Bands' long sought by the Cosmic Centurion Corps. Chill - Firefighter who got caught in a chemical fire and developed ice powers--but all of them were non-ranged. So basically, a cold-based energy projector with no ranged attacks. Big Jake - Jake was a fairly normal Labrador retriever who was kidnapped and experimented on by an extradimensional wizard. Now he has human-level intelligence, speech capacity, and the ability to alter his size. He still has some canine instincts, though, such as the time a suspect got away by telekinetically making a car drive down the street by itself. Jake, of course, chased it. Kid Thunder - Originally intended as a short-term replacement for two characters whose players moved to the precise middle of nowhere and left the group without anyone with ranged attacks. In costume he looked like Raiden (from the original Mortal Kombat), but without the hat. He stuck around and eventually grew up into the hero Thunderstrike. Jack Diamond - He saw his best friend murdered during a robbery attempt and spent the next ten years studying martial arts and criminology in order to get back at the guy. He opened a private detective agency, with Jack Diamond as the primary detective and his secret ID as one of the office workers. He later became a member of Watchtower and inexplicably became one of the leaders of the team. In addition to his inhuman speed and agility, he also has an impressive array of gadgets--some of which he's taken as trophies from bad guys he's helped bust (like the crooked former Golden Avenger's power gauntlets). Pariah - Cast out of a magical secret society for advocating contact with the outside world, he was eventually exposed to mutagenic waste and captured by Genocide. When Watchtower invaded the facility he was freed and joined the group. He's a brick with a 40-point tactical magic VPP. Magnetite - When Elizabeth fell off the parallel bars and sustained a severe concussion at an international meet in Paris, she lost her chance to make the US Olympic gymnastics team. Sometime shortly thereafter, she discovered she had gained the ability to control magnetic fields and manipulate metal. She served with Watchtower for several years before leaving with teammate Phoenix (no relation to Ms. Grey) to join StarGuard. Her current location and activities are unknown. Fang - A world-renowned immunologist who accidentally infected himself while trying to discover a cure for lycanthropy. His treatment allows him to make the transformation voluntarily (except under a full moon) and to keep his human intellect. He was a bald-faced ripoff of Hank McCoy, although I don't believe Fang ever said, "Oh, my stars and garters!" Desperado - What happens when a self-absorbed professional ski racer finds that his floozie of the day is actually a demon? He escapes with his life--just barely!--and becomes part of a group of interdimensional operatives working to preserve the cosmic order. He's ridiculously quick and athletic, plus he has ice powers. For now. His power set seems to change without warning from time to time. Knight Owl II - The grandson of Francis Krill, the original Knight Owl from Word War II. He uses his grandfather's newest invention, a suit of powered armor, to fight crime in San Angelo. Inspired by/ripped off from Batman Beyond. Called "Egg Boy" by his teammates because of the egg-shaped grenades he uses. Alexander Kamensky (aka Enigma) - He spent nearly ten years as an officer in Air Force Intelligence, specializing in cryptography, translation, and electronic surveillance. When he was diagnosed with an incurable disease he volunteered for a government test program, survived the experiments, and gained super strength. He worked briefly for a US Government black ops unit before becoming a free agent. Morningstar - On her way home from a party she'd been told not to go to, she saw her parents murdered by Genocide. She discovered her superpowers shortly thereafter. Upon turning 18, she was released from a state foster home and joined the New Champions. She's a flying force field projector with a mace. Tactically, think Hawkgirl from the Justice League cartoon. Knight of the Scarab - An ancient warrior with mystical weapons who found himself lost in time and space, only to emerge in present-day San Francisco. He was eventually retired from the Meeb campaign because he just wasn't bizarre enough to hang with the rest of the team. Wild Card - An archaeologist who discovered a set of magical playing cards made for Napoleon as a weapon. Each card value (Ace, King, etc.) has a different combat effect; so does each suit. (Built as two linked Multipowers.) Unfortunately, he never knows what he's getting until he actually draws a card. Good thing he also has a Savate package to rely on. NOT a ripoff of Gambit, thank you very much. ColdFire - A computer science student who was kidnapped from a seance by something from the Other Side. An Ice Demon Lord named Fomri took her with the intent of transforming her into someone he could mate with and sacrifice the child to establish a permanent gateway to Earth. She was transformed, but escaped before he could, uh, consummate the deal. Or so she thought. She has cold-based powers that look like blue-white flame. Amethyst - A member of an ancient mystical secret society (The same one that booted Pariah? Nobody knows.) who's spent her whole life preparing for an extradimensional invasion she knew would come in her lifetime. Now it's here, and her organization has recruited a number of heroes to help fight it off. Magical powers centered around Telepathy and Telekinesis. -- And as far as I can remember, that's it. Twenty years of heroics. Thanks, Hero System!

Re: How does a world die? [burns]Excellent.[/burns] I was actually going for the George W. voice, but you get the idea. The really scary thing is that I had a professor who pronounced it wrong. In the Chemistry department. And he was one of the undergraduate advisors. Nice guy, though, and other than that, a heck of a teacher.

Re: Single Green Superhero seeks.... (personels for your characters) ColdFire - Single White (NOT Caucasian, but frostbite-white) Female seeks warm-hearted man for companionship and occasional Kicking Of The @ss Of Evil. Computer skills a plus. LS: Extreme Cold is an absolute necessity. Freaks and weirdos not a problem, but you've got to be better-looking than at least one of my current teammates, i.e., Those who may be put off by the fact that I'm currently pregnant with the baby of an Ice Demon Lord need not apply.

Re: My Delemia

Re: WWYCD: Brawl At Rick's (Another Bar Fight) Now THAT'S a Presence attack. Repped.

Re: WWYCD: Brawl At Rick's (Another Bar Fight) Having overheard the exchange thus far, Jack Diamond is over the bar and standing between Rick and his old buddy when the first punch is thrown. Diamond blocks it, then turns the block into a painful arm-twisted-behind-the-back hold. At this point he whirls the poor schmuck around so that he's face to face with his old teammate and says, "Go ahead, Rick. Deck him. For old-time's sake."

Re: How does a world die? Imagine if a supervillain (or group thereof) developed a machine powerful enough to do something really catastrophic to the planet, like stopping the rotation of the planet's core and causing all sorts of atmospheric and/or radiation problems. Or maybe the device would melt so much of the polar ice caps that it throws off the freshwater/saltwater balance in the world's ocean currents, triggering a new ice age. In either case, any superheroes would be hard pressed to fix the problem, and it would be The End Of The World As We Know It. On second thought, never mind. Both of those scenarios are way too far-fetched to be believable.

Re: Archetype Twists

Re: Archetype Twists I've got three characters that might fit: Chill: Firefighter who got caught in a chemical fire and developed ice powers--but all of them were non-ranged. So basically, an energy projector with no ranged attacks. Scarlet: 250-point character with a 60 STR and a 26 DEX. Speed brick. Fang: World renowned immunologist who accidentally infected himself while trying to treat someone with a case of lycanthropy. Brainy werewolf. Never played any of them for very long, though. Too bad.

Re: Jetpack for Bicycles Don't let the guys at VIPER see this pic. They'll want one of these for all of their agents....

Re: Brick Collection (Spin off from Normal Proofing Bricks) Pariah Val Char Cost 80 STR 70 24 DEX 42 35 CON 50 14 BODY 8 18 INT 8 20 EGO 20 25 PRE 15 14 COM 2 20/40 PD 4 15/35 ED 8 6 SPD 26 25 REC 4 70 END 0 75 STUN 3 14" RUN 6 2" SWIM 0 16" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 266 Cost Power 30 Traditional Brick Defenses (GM Permission): Elemental Control, 60-point powers 30 1) Armor (20 PD/20 ED) (60 Active Points) 30 2) (Total: 60 Active Cost, 60 Real Cost) Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (Real Cost: 30) plus Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (Real Cost: 30) 5 Seeing in the Dark: UV Perception (Sight Group) 22 Sensitive to Magic: Detect Magic A Class Of Things 13- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, Range, Sense 12 Sensitive to Power: Detect 'People of Power' A Class Of Things 13- (Unusual Group), Range, Sense 11 Will of Iron: Mental Defense (15 points total) 15 Harmony with the Self: Power Defense (15 points) 2 Magic is Ageless: LS (Longevity: 400 Years) 0 20 The Strength to Endure: Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (20 Active Points) applied to STR 64 Society Spell Suite: Variable Power Pool, 40 base + 24 control cost, No Skill Roll Required for established spells (+1/2) (70 Active Points); Cannot use spells from opposing Elements at the same time (-1/4) Powers Cost: 241 Cost Skill 20 +4 with HTH Combat 3 Scholar 8 1) KS: Magic Control Skill (9 Active Points) 19- 2 2) KS: Magic History and Theory (3 Active Points) 13- 1 3) KS: The Mystic World (2 Active Points) 11- 2 4) KS: The Real World (Not an Everyman skill, in his case) (3 Active Points) 13- 3 PS: Farmer 13- 0 Language: Latin (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 3 Language: English (completely fluent) 3 Acting 14- 3 Disguise 13- 3 High Society 14- 3 Riding 14- 3 Sleight Of Hand 14- 3 Survival 13- 3 Teamwork 14- Skills Cost: 63 Total Character Cost: 570 Val Disadvantages 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Azariah Sheppard) (Frequently, Major) 10 Distinctive Features: 6'5", 300+ Pounds, Muscular build (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 10 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing (Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Limitation: Stubborn and determined; Doesn't give up easily (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Overconfident (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Long memory of both Friends and Enemies (Uncommon, Strong) 20 Hunted: Secret Mystical Society 8- (Mo Pow, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Harshly Punish) 20 Hunted: Genocide 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 10 Hunted: Thor 8- (As Pow, Capture/Defeat in Combat) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x Effect Magic-based Drains and Transfers (Uncommon) 10 Susceptibility: Magic-based Drains and Transfers, 2d6 damage Instant (Uncommon) 10 Mystery Disadvantage, TBD by GM Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 220 Total Experience Available: 220 Experience Unspent: 0 Example Spells 1) AIR: Raiment from Thin Air: Cosmetic Transform 2d6 (standard effect: 6 points) (Any clothes into any other clothes), Improved Target Group (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2), Area Of Effect Nonselective (3" Radius; +3/4), Usable Simultaneously (up to 16 people at once; +1 1/4) (37 Active Points); Limited Target (Clothing Only; -1/4) Real Cost: 30 2) AIR: Unseen Hand: Telekinesis (13 STR), Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1) (39 Active Points); Affects Whole Object (-1/4) Real Cost: 31 3) AIR: Unseesn Hand: Stretching 4", Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1) (40 Active Points) Real Cost: 40 4) AIR: Wind Walking: (Total: 40 Active Cost, 40 Real Cost) Teleportation 12", x4 Increased Mass (Real Cost: 34) plus Teleportation: Fixed Location (Watchtower Conference Room) (1 Locations) (Real Cost: 1) plus Teleportation: Floating Fixed Location (1 Locations) (Real Cost: 5) Real Cost: 40 5) AIR: Personal Atmosphere: LS (Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Safe Environment: Zero Gravity; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing), Usable By Other (+1/4) (37 Active Points) Real Cost: 37 6) AIR: Cloak of Air: Invisibility to Sight and Hearing Groups and Detect , No Fringe (38 Active Points) Real Cost: 38 7) EARTH: Strength from the Earth: +40 STR (40 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x10 END; -4), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only When In Contact With The Ground (-1/4), Only when Pushing natural STR (-1/4) Real Cost: 7 8) EARTH: Stature of the Mountain: (Total: 40 Active Cost, 40 Real Cost) Growth (+30 STR, +6 BODY, +6 STUN, -6" KB, 6,387 kg, -4 DCV, +4 PER Rolls to perceive character, 8 m tall, 4 m wide) (Real Cost: 30) plus Running +5" (17" total) (Real Cost: 10) Real Cost: 40 9) EARTH: Man of Stone: (Total: 39 Active Cost, 31 Real Cost) Density Increase (3,200 kg mass, +25 STR, +5 PD/ED, -5" KB) (25 Active Points); Visible (-1/4) (Real Cost: 20) plus Knockback Resistance -7" (14 Active Points); Visible (-1/4) (Real Cost: 11) Real Cost: 31 10) EARTH: Refresh Soil: Minor Transform 1d6 (standard effect: 3 points) (Non-viable soil to viable soil), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Area Of Effect (128" Any Area; +2 1/2) (40 Active Points) Real Cost: 40 11) EARTH: Feast of Stones: Major Transform 2d6 (standard effect: 6 points) (Stones into Food and Drink), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (37 Active Points) Real Cost: 37 12) EARTH: Stone Spear: HKA 2d6 (4d6 w/STR), Range Based On STR (+1/4) (37 Active Points); Beam (-1/4) Real Cost: 30 0 13) FIRE: Flame Blast: RKA 2 1/2d6 (40 Active Points); No Knockback (-1/4) Real Cost: 32 14) FIRE: Summon Smoke: Darkness to Sight Group 3" radius, Personal Immunity (+1/4) (37 Active Points) Real Cost: 37 15) FIRE: Sword of the Cherubim: HKA 2 1/2d6 (5d6+1 w/STR) (40 Active Points); No Knockback (-1/4) Real Cost: 32 16) FIRE: Light of the Sun: Change Environment: Natural Sunlight 16" radius, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (37 Active Points) Real Cost: 37 17) FIRE: Wings of Flame: (Total: 39 Active Cost, 39 Real Cost) Flight 11" (Real Cost: 22) plus EB 1d6, Damage Shield (+1/2), Continuous (+1), NND (LS: Extreme Heat; +1) (17 Active Points) (Real Cost: 17) Real Cost: 39 18) FIRE: Wall of Fire: FW (10 ED), Transparent to PD Attacks (+1/2) (37 Active Points); Restricted Shape (Sphere centered on Pariah; -1/4) Real Cost: 30 19) WATER: The Heavens Opened: Change Environment (Precipitation) 16" radius, Varying Effect Limited Group (any form of precipitation) (+1/2) (37 Active Points) Real Cost: 37 20) WATER: Denizen of the Deep: (Total: 33 Active Cost, 33 Real Cost) LS (Safe in High Pressure; Safe in Intense Cold; Self-Contained Breathing) (Real Cost: 13) plus Swimming 11", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (16 Active Points) (Real Cost: 16) plus Environmental Movement (No penalties underwater) (Real Cost: 4) Real Cost: 33 21) WATER: Washing Away Wounds: Healing BODY and STUN (Simplified Healing) 4d6 (40 Active Points) Real Cost: 40 22) WATER: The Path of Moses: Tunneling 6" through 6 DEF material, Custom Adder (40 Active Points); Limited Power (Only to pass through bodies of water; -1/2) Real Cost: 27 [Notes: The Custom Adder is Affects Porous, borrowed from Telekinesis with Special GM Permission] 23) WATER: Wall of Water: FW (7 PD/7 ED) (Opaque Normal Hearing) (40 Active Points) Real Cost: 40 24) WATER: Torrent Against the Flame: Drain 2d6+1, any one Fire power one at a time (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2) (40 Active Points) Real Cost: 40

Re: Brick Collection (Spin off from Normal Proofing Bricks) PARIAH BACKGROUND: Misfit. Azariah had always been something of a maverick in the Society. He understood the need for secrecy. Had the rest of the world known of the Society's existence during the Dark Ages, the superstitious masses would have destroyed it in its infancy. Had the Society's magic been public knowledge, it would never have survived the Inquisition or the Enlightenment. The world wasn't ready to acknowledge such power. The world just wouldn't--couldn't--understand. But all of that was in the past, or so it seemed to Azariah. With the advent of the age of superheroes, the world had learned to accept powers and concepts their fathers and grandfathers would have tried to destroy. And there was so much good that the Society could do for the world. Azariah began advocating openness with the world. He thought he could get others to see things his way, to realize the opportunity that lay before them. He was wrong. He was given one chance to stop spreading his divisive opinions. When he continued, he was brought before the rulers of the Society and judged. It was decided that if Azariah wished for interaction with the 'normal' world, he would live as a part of it. The Banishment Ritual was performed for the first time in memory. Azariah was stripped of most of his magical powers. His memory of Society strongholds and rituals was removed. He was exiled to a remote part of the world to live as a solitary farmer. And he was given a warning: if he used his magic publicly or revealed the existence of the Society, they would kill him. Outcast. Azariah Sheppard became a farmer in a remote valley in the mountains of northwestern Wyoming. He would never have made it were it not for his ability to create rain for his thirsty crops. He lived for a few years as a hermit, fearful of contact with the rest of humanity and of the reprisal that would come from the Society if any learned of his secret abilities. But neither his remote location nor his remaining magical abilities were proof against human contact. He was forced to use his abilities to rescue a group of hikers that had become lost and wandered into his valley during a blizzard. The media searched for this mysterious Samaritan and found his home, but was never able to find him. The excitement died down after a few weeks, but Azariah was convinced that that little exposure would be more than enough to get the Society's attention and arouse their wrath. He decided that his only course of action was to find a new location and hope that the Society would at least be delayed in their retribution. As he wandered the mountain wastes, he fell through a hidden crack in the snow and found himself atop a pile of hazardous waste. Curiosity got the best of him, and he followed the tunnel that led from the dumping ground. He soon found himself in a top secret Genocide base. The Genocide troops captured him in quick fashion and placed him in a holding cell. Despite his magical abilities, he might have stayed there to rot had it not been for the timely attack on the complex by Watchtower, a prominent superhero group. He managed to escape in the confusion. Over the next several weeks, Azariah discovered that his exposure to the hazardous waste had changed him. He was now a mountain of a man, nearly six and a half feet tall and at least three hundred pounds. Furthermore, he had vast strength and resistance to injury. With these new powers added to his own magical abilities, he now had the power to defend himself and others. Let the Society bring their reprisals now. Azariah had nothing to fear from them, no reason to conceal his abilities or his story. There was too much that was evil in the world, too many that used power to prey on the weak. The Society might be able to ignore that, but he couldn't. He would use his abilities--all of them--to protect those who were unable to protect themselves. He would be more than an exile. He would be a hero. Pariah. QUOTE: "We will do this because it is the right thing to do. We need no other reason." PERSONALITY: Azariah Sheppard is very much a product of his environment(s). The Society was closed, conservative, and stifling, almost paranoid. He learned morality in absolutes; good and evil were clearly drawn in black and white. He still has very definite opinions about right and wrong, but they're a little different than they once were. Azariah is generally calm, self-assured, and reasonable. If there's anything that makes him upset, it's prejudice and persecution. He fights for equality and harmony between peoples, ideas that got him kicked out of the Society. He hates bullies and will try to thwart them at any opportunity. He is a staunch supporter of personal freedom and individual responsibility. Azariah is an intelligent and soft spoken man. He's a doer, not a talker--he prefers to let his actions speak for him. He has a long memory for the deeds of friends...and enemies. If he has any personality failing, it's that he tends to carry a grudge. He also tends to be overconfident in battle, due to the varied nature of his abilities. POWERS / TACTICS: Pariah is a brick with a twist. Like most bricks he has great strength and is very hard to hurt. But he also has magical powers that can give him a lot of tactical options in a fight. He likes to start a fight with Air magic because of the versatile things he can do with it (teleportation, invisibility, telekinesis, etc.). Against truly powerful opponents he will use the most powerful of his magics, Earth magic (growth, density increase, extra strength, etc.). He also has useful spells in Fire and Water that he'll use as specific circumstances require. APPEARANCE: Azariah Sheppard is a big man: 6 foot 5, 300+ pounds. He has dark brown (almost black) eyes and darker than normal skin. His black hair is worn short in a very conservative cut. Most people would consider him North African or Mediterranean by his appearance, but even he doesn't know for sure where he was born. Due to his magical abilities, Pariah's costume can vary from fight to fight. His typical costume is a sleeveless black bodysuit with a half-face coverage mask. Over the bodysuit he wears a white tabard with green trim and fastened with a white belt. The emblem on his tabard shows representations of earth, air, fire, and water, showing the elements from which he draws his magic.

Re: Hero 'I.D' for those who refuse to register Super Hero Name: Jack Diamond Other Names: Chariot, formerly of the supervillain group TAROT. Heh. Just kidding, I'm really just Jack Diamond. Race: Human. Anything beyond that is semantics. Secret Identity: Jack Diamond--see, it says so right here on my driver's license. Colorado license #970-867-5309, expires July 2011. Terrible picture, though. Area of Activity: Anywhere I'm needed. It's like the bumper sticker: New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Moab. Family: No, thanks. Maybe later. Political Status: Agnostic. Marital Status: I'm married to my job as a crimefighter, but I'm not opposed to a mistress. Allies: Watchtower, the premier superhero team protecting planet Earth. You've heard of them, perhaps? Enemies: That pinhead who used to be the Golden Avenger, mostly. Also Genocide, VIPER, TAROT, and pretty much anyone else requiring more than a SWAT team to take down. That's what we're here for. I also bust pimps, pickpockets, drug dealers, and armed robbers on weekends, as a hobby. Any other info we should know about?: There's a gray minivan that's been parked in front of that bank across the street for the last seven minutes with the engine running. Don't you find that a little suspicious?

Re: So you got powers and want to be a Superhero? Here is the manual! Why does this thread make me think of "The Greatest American Hero"...?

Re: Brick Collection (Spin off from Normal Proofing Bricks) Brick #2 of 3. When I get finished converting him from 4th Edition, I'll post my namesake, Pariah. -- History: From the time she was very young, Janna was different. She was always a little taller than her classmates, and a little stronger. She never had a broken bone, never even got sick. And at the age of 19, she was hit by a drunk driver. Not only did the crash not hurt her, it didn't even knock her down. Since nothing extraordinary had ever happened to her, she figured she must be a mutant. The truth was something else entirely. For the past fifty years or so, Zeus had been contemplating a comeback. Sure, those mortals he left in charge when he took his leave of Earth were never too bright, but this was just too much. Those impudent mortals had come to deny the need - even the existence - of any of the gods. And a few of them, superheroes and supervillains, as they called themselves, had even begun claiming to be gods - or at least acting like gods, which was no better. Something had to be done, and Zeus was just the god to do it. Of course, for maximum effectiveness, Zeus realized that he needed an avatar (read: flunkie) to fight his enemies and carry out his plans while he schemed and plotted. Heracles and Ares had always served adequately in the past for such things. But Heracles no longer seemed interested in conquest, and Ares had become too treacherous and bloodthirsty to be trusted. He'd just have to get an avatar the old fashioned way.... For reasons unfathomable to any but himself, Zeus chose a rather average Chicago housewife, Stacy Allen. He abducted her husband George, a construction foreman, and gave him a one-day case of amnesia. Then, shapeshifted to resemble George in every particular, he appeared at Stacy's door with a dozen red roses and a bottle of wine (provided by Bacchus) guaranteed to increase both her desire and her fertility. Stacy was shocked to see such a display of affection and romance from her husband (or so she thought), and the rest, as they say, is history. Stacy still remembers that night fondly, and George still believes he hit his head on a steel I-beam the following morning, resulting in a concussion and slight memory loss. Janna, of course, knows nothing of this. She just knows that she's got talents beyond what is normally considered 'human'. She never went into athletics, much to the chagrin of her school's basketball and volleyball coaches. She didn't think it would be fair. She was a cheerleader one year, but gave it up when it became apparent that she and the head cheerleader had a 'personality conflict'. So she tried to fit in, as best a girl of her height could. And she did quite a job of it. Janna finished an average high school career, graduating somewhere in the top half of her class. She went to a local business college and got a particularly ordinary job as an administrative assistant at a real estate agency. She lives in a typical apartment, drives a nondescript car, and has a rather boring social life. To all appearances, Janna Allen is Ms. Average. The truth is something else entirely. Momenta Val Char Cost 45 STR 35 23 DEX 39 33 CON 46 15 BODY 10 13 INT 3 13 EGO 6 18 PRE 8 12 COM 1 30 PD 21 25 ED 18 6 SPD 27 16 REC 0 60 END -3 55 STUN 0 9" RUN 6 2" SWIM 0 9" LEAP 0 Characteristics Cost: 217 Cost Power 45 Concussive Strength: Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Double Knockback (+3/4) (45 Active Points) applied to STR 14 Fortress of the Body: Damage Resistance (15 PD/13 ED) 7 Fortress of the Mind: Mental Defense (10 points total) 14 Olympian Constitution: LS (Immunity All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat) 12 Immovability: Knockback Resistance -6" Powers Cost: 92 Cost Martial Arts Maneuver 4 Martial Block: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort 3 Martial Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, 9d6 +v/5, Target Falls 4 Martial Escape: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 60 STR vs. Grabs 3 Martial Grab: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Grab Two Limbs, 55 STR for holding on Martial Arts Cost: 14 Cost Skill 3 Bureaucratics 13- 3 Conversation 13- 3 Deduction 12- 3 Persuasion 13- 3 PS: Office Manager 12- 2 AK: Campaign City 11- 5 PS: Keeping a Low Profile 14- 5 +1 with HTH Combat Skills Cost: 27 Total Character Cost: 350 Pts. Disadvantage 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) 5 Distinctive Features: Tall (6'4") (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 Psychological Limitation: Code vs. Killing (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Likes to Fight (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Overconfident (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Stubborn and/or Determined (Common, Moderate) 20 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 20 Hunted: Local Crime Syndicate 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 10 Hunted: Halfjack 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 10 DNPC: Co-worker 8- (Normal) 10 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Hard Radiation (Uncommon) 10 Vulnerability: Magical KA's (Common) Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 Quote: Cool it with the attitude or I'll knock you to Buffalo.

Re: Need Some Latin Blessings I found a web site a few months back that was kind of like Babel Fish, but also included a Latin option. If you'd like, I'll see if I can find it again.

Re: Brick Collection (Spin off from Normal Proofing Bricks) Thank you! I had a great time playing him, though the campaign didn't last as long as I might have hoped. Things kind of fell apart after we burned down half of Oakland. (Personal, not campaign-related.) I remember one bit of the last session from that campaign: Our Gov't Contact: I have to say, I'm disappointed at how this mission turned out. I expect better performance in the future. Jon's Character: Fine, next time we'll try to burn down the whole city.

Re: Brick Collection (Spin off from Normal Proofing Bricks) Sorry, that was my best approximation of the Style Disad from 4th Ed. I was away from the game for several years and still don't have a lot of 5th Ed stuff yet. I was just trying to get the points right.

Re: Brick Collection (Spin off from Normal Proofing Bricks) I'm not sure how well my entries will fit the spirit of the thread. My two bricks are both pretty ordinary, as far as 'brick powers' are concerned. What makes them interesting (at least to me) is what else they can do. My first submission for your consideration is Alexander Kamensky, 1st Lieutenant, US Air Force (Retired). Alex graduated from the Air Force Academy with a double major in mathematics and linguistics. He spent nearly ten years as an officer in Military Intelligence, specializing in cryptography, translation, and electronic surveillance. Then he was diagnosed with an incurable disease. He volunteered for a government test program focusing on reversing terminal conditions. He survived the tests and gained superpowers to boot. He was transferred from the USAF to a top secret government agency, where he participated in covert operations against superterrorists and other enemies of the state. When he and his team accidentally started the firestorm that burned half of Oakland to the ground, the agency was disbanded and he became a free agent - officially, anyway. The government still keeps tabs on him, and he still keeps in touch with his old CO. Loyal readers, I present: Enigma Val Char Cost 50 STR 40 20 DEX 30 25 CON 30 13 BODY 6 18 INT 8 14 EGO 8 15 PRE 5 12 COM 1 30 PD 20 25 ED 20 6 SPD 30 15 REC 0 50 END 0 51 STUN 0 9" RUN 6 4" SWIM 2 12" LEAP 2 Characteristics Cost: 208 Cost Power 5 Binoculars: +8 versus Range Modifier for Sight Group (12 Active Points); OAF (-1), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2) 15 Damage Resistance (15 PD/15 ED) 5 Mental Defense (8 points total) 5 Power Defense (5 points) 10 Steel Quarterstaff: HA +4d6 (20 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) Powers Cost: 40 Cost Martial Arts Maneuver Aikido Package 5 Defensive Strike: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, 10d6 Strike 4 Martial Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +5 DCV, Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort 4 Martial Escape: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 65 STR vs. Grabs 3 Martial Grab: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Grab Two Limbs, 60 STR for holding on 3 Takedown: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +1 DCV, 10d6 Strike; Target Falls 1 Weapon Element: Staffs Martial Arts Cost: 20 Cost Skill 3 Linguist 2 1) Language: Arabic (completely fluent) (3 Active Points) 0 2) Language: English (imitate dialects) (5 Active Points) 1 3) Language: German (fluent conversation) (2 Active Points) 1 4) Language: Japanese (fluent conversation) (2 Active Points) 3 5) Language: Russian (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 2 6) Language: Spanish (completely fluent) (3 Active Points) 3 Scholar 2 1) KS: Aikido (3 Active Points) 13- 2 2) KS: Codes and Code Breaking (3 Active Points) 13- 1 3) KS: Satellites (2 Active Points) 11- 2 4) KS: The Intelligence World (3 Active Points) 13- 1 5) KS: USAF Policies and Procedures (2 Active Points) 11- 3 Electronics 13- 3 Computer Programming 13- 5 Cryptography 14- 3 Concealment 13- 3 Paramedics 13- 3 Security Systems 13- 3 Systems Operation 13- 5 +1 with all INT-based skills 1 Medikit: +1 with Paramedics (3 Active Points); OAF (-1) 2 Electronics Kit: +1 with Electronics, Security Systems, and Computer Programming (5 Active Points); OAF (-1) 10 +2 with HTH Combat 3 Scientist 1 1) SS: Linguistics 11- (2 Active Points) 2 2) SS: Mathematics 13- (3 Active Points) 2 PS: Computer Hacking 11- 3 Breakfall 13- Skills Cost: 75 Cost Talent 3 Lightning Calculator 4 Speed Reading (x10) Talents Cost: 7 Total Character Cost: 350 Pts. Disadvantage 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) 20 Psychological Limitation: Protective of Innocents (Very Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Patriotic (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Takes difficult situations as a personal challenge (Common, Moderate) 20 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 20 Hunted: International terrorist organization 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 10 Hunted: Top secret US Government Agency 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching) 10 Distinctive Features: Style (Aikido) (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Large Group) 5 Distinctive Features: Military appearance and mannerisms (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 5 Rivalry: Professional (with "Dumb" bricks; Rival is More Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Unaware of Rivalry) 5 DNPC: Col. William Ross, USAF 8- (Normal; Useful Noncombat Position or Skills) 10 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Sonics (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY Sonics (Uncommon) Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0

Re: WWYCD: Arrested for TERRORISM!!

Re: What would your inner geek pick? Now, to actually answer the question. Here's some of what I'd spend my points on: 10 points to buy off that annoying Phys Lim I've got (Bad ankle, Frequently, Slightly Impairing) 3 points for Bump of Direction - Everyone in my family seems to have it except me. Must have missed out on that gene. 5-10 points to buy up some of my existing Science Skills (Chemistry, Astronomy, Physics, Mathematics & Logic, etc.) 4 points in Perks: License to practice a profession (Teacher Certification), Passport, Concealed Carry Permit 5 points to buy off that Money Disad (Low income/high debt). Substitute teachers in grad school don't make jack. I'd also like better stats - higher than average, but still in the "Normal" range. Then I'd blow the rest on a Telekinesis EC. TK has such potential to be useful, both in daily life and in abnormal situations. I'd probably end up being rather low-powered, but I'd by all the TK powers with Invisible Effects. Of course, then I'd have to blow a few points on a new skill roll - KS: Subtlety.

Re: What would your inner geek pick? Even 30-ish ponts in Disads can be a real burden if your GM is sadistic. With most of the GMs I've had, though, I think 125 would work just fine. By the time you add up beliefs and disbeliefs, phobias, likes and dislikes, core values, minor neuroses, and the like, I think you could squeeze 50 points in Psych Lims out of just about anybody. Throw in 15 points for a Secret ID, and you're already halfway home. The idea of having 250--or even 200--points in Powers and Skills with minimal Disads is sure appealing, though.

Re: WWYCD: Arrested for TERRORISM!! Thunderstrike would use his one phone call to contact his father-in-law (the Chief of Police in Las Vegas). One rock-solid alibi, coming right up! Jack Diamond wouldn't worry about it too much, for two reasons: 1. He's got two or three Deep Covers floating around, what's the harm in expending one of them? 2) His Secret ID (Steve) is known to work for Diamond's detective agency. If the FBI wants to hassle Steve, nobody would think twice if Diamond decided to intervene. And Diamond can certainly give them more of a hassle that they can give Steve. He's got a whole wad of information on the FBI that they probably don't want made public. Pariah is more concerned with justice than with his identity. His major Hunted already knows who he is and where to find him anyway. He'd give the FBI all the information they'd need to clear him. Morningstar would immediately suspect that this is not really the FBI, but that Genocide has discovered her Secret ID and is using this knowledge to try to destroy her budding career as a superheroine. She's look for an opportunity to escape, then return in costume and start cracking skulls until she found out just what the h3ll was going on. Wild Card would explain patiently that he was on school business when the event took place. They can check with the head of the archaeology department at University of Florida-Vibora Bay for confirmation. Amethyst is too busy fighting off an extradimensional invasion to worry about such mundane matters.

Re: How does a world die? Consider that the flu epidemic of 1918 killed 40 million people worldwide. Now, according to US HHS Secretary Leavitt, the main way to combat the spread of such a pandemic is containment. Once it gets out, there's little you can do to stop it. Consider that there are a lot more people traveling to a lot more places today than there were in 1918. Introduce the right virus in the right place, and within 3-4 weeks (again, says Sec'y Leavitt) the disease has gone prety much worldwide. It's estimated that the avian flu will kill roughly half of the people it infects, to say nothing of wild bird populations. Now imagine a virus engineered by VIPER or Dr. Destroyer or the like--even more deadly, even more virulent, and even more llikely to jump species. If a virus like that were to get out, we'd all be pretty much screwed. Of course, there's always the nuclear (or is is nuclayer?) winter scenario.