DusterBoy

Re: S.H.A.R.D. - Super Hero Acronym Resource Directory

P.E.A - Paranormal Enforcement Agency

or, more offensive . . .S.C.A.T - Superhuman Crisis Action Taskforce

or SuperHuman Incident Team

or . . . maybe not

Try these:

M.A.S.T - Metahuman Activities Support Team

S.H.E.A.R - SuperHuman Emergency Action Regiment (not like there'd be an actual regiment, numbers wise, but it's the thought that counts)

Re: Opinions: A 'Hero' Stealing Their Gear.....????

I'm going to risk being flamed here.

I agree Bilbo is a fantasy character. So are superheroes. The genre is just the same, only with a pseudo-scientific/technical rationale and a contemporary "real-world" background with science (esp "radiation") standing in for magic. And there are a lot of mythological and/or supernatural characters in both Marvel and DC Comics. Plus a lot of the gadgets used in the comics verge on the magical - a case in point being Peter Parker's web casters.

John Clute specifically includes superheroes in his "Encyclopaedia of Fantasy".

And the argument could be made that aliens in superhero campaigns/comics function as stand-ins for elves, goblins and other supernatural beasties.

Re: Opinions: A 'Hero' Stealing Their Gear.....????

Looks like the Tuatha de Danann have struck again.

There's a breed of evil Celtic giant called the Fomori who were the TdD's hereditary enemies.

About a hero "stealing" his artifact/s, look at "The Hobbit". Bilbo "acquired" the Ring from Gollum so technically he's a thief. But the Ring was trying to leave Gollum - to get back to Sauron. Bilbo chanced upon in the dark and put it in his pocket. He didn't realise at that point that it "belonged" to anyone.

And consider that Gollum/Smeagol murdered Deagol to get the Ring - after Isildur had "stolen" it from Sauron in battle, claiming it as "weregild" or some such. So who's the real thief? And the point is, the Ring allowed Bilbo to resolve the conflict between the Dwarves, Men and Elves - an undoubtedly heroic action. On his deathbed, Thorin forgave Bilbo for stealing the Arkenstone - again, without which the coalition would have been impossible. And Bilbo never saw himself as a hero, or a thief.

As Gandalf points out to Frodo in "LotR:Fellowship of the Ring": "I can put it no plainer than by saying Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you were meant to have it. And that may be a comforting thought."

The point here (yes I have one - I'm not just rambling or quoting Tolkein for the hell of it) is that is taking something you were meant to have - no matter by whom - stealing? Even though the museum could legitimately press charges against Character X for theft, and the local PD would also regard her actions unfavourably.

I think it's how she uses these artifacts as well as their provenance. If she is (literally) fighting for "good" with them against inimical forces, then she can be properly seen as heroic.

I think if I was working with her, I would regard her as heroic - plus I'm a sucker for Elves.

Re: Nick Diamond, Private Eye

Boy, you haven't read Robert B Parker's "Spenser" stories at all, have you?

Re: Nick Diamond, Private Eye

Nick Diamond

 

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

15 STR 5 12- Lift 200.0kg; 3d6 [1]

17 DEX 21 12- OCV: 6/DCV: 6

16 CON 12 12-

16 BODY 12 12-

13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 13-

13 EGO 6 12- ECV: 4

15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6

14 COM 2 12-

5 PD 2 Total: 5 PD (0 rPD)

3 ED 0 Total: 3 ED (0 rED)

3 SPD 3 Phases: 4, 8, 12

7 REC 2

35 END 2

35 STUN 3 Total Characteristic Cost: 80

 

Movement: Running: 7"/14"

Leaping: 3"/6"

Swimming: 2"/4"

 

Cost Powers END

3 Observant: +1 PER with all Sense Groups

3 Quick Healing - heals at twice normal rate: (3 Active Points)

 

Martial Arts: Brawling

3 Right Cross +1 +0 6d6 Strike

5 Left Jab +1 +3 4d6 Strike

5 Kick in the Nuts +1 -2 8d6 Strike

4 The trick is not to let them tag you -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort

4 +1 HTH Damage Class(es)

 

Perks

7 Money: Wealthy

6 Contact: Lenny Seltzer - bookie (Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has useful Skills or resources, Very Good relationship with Contact) 11-

4 Contact: Race Witherspoon - gay photographer (Contact has access to major institutions, Good relationship with Contact) 11-

1 Reputation: Tough Guy (A small to medium sized group) 14-, +1/+1d6

20 Lincoln Monk: Follower (30 Active Points); Activation Roll 14- (-1/2)

 

Talents

5 Eidetic Memory

6 Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)

 

Skills

3 Acting 12-

5 AK: Hudson City 14-

4 AK: Greater Miami 13-

4 AK: Mid Atlantic Coast 13-

3 Combat Driving 12-

2 Computer Programming (Personal Computers) 12-

3 Conversation * 12-

5 Criminology * 13-

3 Deduction * 12-

3 Fast Draw 12-

2 Gambling (Horse Racing) 12-

3 High Society 12-

2 KS: Current Affairs - Sports 11-

2 KS: Police Etiquette and Procedures 11-

0 Language: English (idiomatic) (4 Active Points)

3 Language: Spanish (completely fluent)

3 Lockpicking 12-

2 PS: Finance 11-

2 PS: Photography 11-

5 PS: Private Investigator * 14-

2 SS: Psychology 11-

3 Shadowing * 12-

3 Stealth 12-

3 Streetwise * 12-

3 WF: Small Arms, Blades

8 +1 with All Combat

3 +1 with Pistols

10 Detective Skills: +2 with a *

 

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 171

Total Cost: 250

 

150+ Disadvantages

5 Dependent NPC: Dr. Vivian Tylo, MD - girlfriend 8- (Normal; Useful Noncombat Position or Skills)

10 Dependent NPC: Kit Diamond - mom 8- (Normal)

10 Hunted: Guy he sent to jail 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish)

5 Physical Limitation: Addicted to tobacco (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing)

5 Physical Limitation: Slow Riser -1 to all skills until after he's had his morning coffee (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing)

10 Psychological Limitation: Code of Honor - Private Eye's (Common, Moderate)

10 Psychological Limitation: Sense of Duty to clients (Common, Moderate)

10 Psychological Limitation: Stubborn (Common, Moderate)

10 Psychological Limitation: Overconfident (Common, Moderate)

10 Reputation: Honest, 11-

5 Rivalry: Professional (Sgt Harry Dane - ex-partner; Rival is As Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry)

5 Social Limitation: Bad rep with cops - fired from the State Police for being a "bush-league f***ing hot dog". (Occasionally, Minor)

5 Unluck: 1d6 - plays the horses but usually loses

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 100

 

Background/History: Nick Diamond is a 3rd generation private eye. His grandfather, Blake Diamond, operated in Chicago during the mid to late 20s before moving to San Francisco in 1930. He married his secretary, Jessica Lord, in 1928 and they had one child in 1931.

 

Sam Diamond followed in his father's footsteps after getting out of the Army in 1955. Sam operated in the Greater Miami area throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s. In 1967 he married millionairess Kit Forester, Nick was born three years later. In 1982 Sam was murdered by Al Mungar, an ex-con that he had put away 20 years earlier. Blake came out of retirement to bring Mungar in aided by Sam's friend Waldo "The Horse" Gronsky.

 

Blake and Jessica moved to Florida and helped Kit raise Nick who grew up on his grandfather's stories of Chicago during Prohibition and Frisco in the 30s. Blake and Jess died just weeks apart in 1988. They say that Blake died of a broken heart after he lost Jessica, but Nick isn't so sure.

 

In 1992 Nick graduated from Hudson City University with a degree in Criminology. He joined the State Police shortly after. Nick got considerable practical experience while working out of the Stewart County D.A.’s office, but the States were a bad fit for him and he felt too pressured to conform. He was a good investigator but his constant tendency to throw the book away led to his being fired in 1998 for being “a bush-league f***ing hot-dog.” But, by that time, Nick figured that he’d already gotten what he needed from the job.

 

In 1998 Nick opened the latest version of Diamond Investigations. Currently he works out of an office above the Hudson City Five Cents Savings Bank at the corner of Beaufort Ave. and N. Adams Street. Business has been decent but could be better, a lot of it is routine – serving of court papers, insurance investigations, and background checks – but a few times a year a case comes in the door that reminds him that the Hollywood myth about private eyes does have some basis in reality.

 

Nick’s dodged his share of bullets over the years and even had a couple dug out of his flesh but, as his assailants have found out, Nick Diamond is a hard man to kill. Yeah, he knows that somewhere out there is the bullet that really does have his name on it, but he figures that it’ll get to him when it gets to him, so there’s no point in worrying about it.

 

Nick lives on 7th Avenue near the Kurtland Blvd. overpass in the same apartment that he occupied when he was a student at HCU. He keeps himself in shape by jogging three times a week and pumping iron at the HCU weight room.

 

Over the years he’s developed a strong friendship with Lincoln Monk, a freelance leg-breaker who once saved his neck when he was a cop. Another of Nick’s friends is Lieutenant Frank Mallory of the HCPD Homicide Squad, although Mallory has no great love for Nick, he knows that Nick is both a good investigator and honest, and that counts for a lot, even if he is a pain in the ass sometimes.

 

The most important person in Nick’s life remains his mother, Kit, who now lives in West Palm Beach, but he has recently begun a relationship with Dr. Vivian Tylo, an ophthalmologic surgeon at HCU Hospital, that is showing a lot of promise.

 

Personality/Motivation: Nick Diamond is tough, cynical, world-weary, and a smartass. He will frequent expose "Diamond's Rules", most of which he makes up as he goes along. He enjoys needling people, mainly thugs and pompous idiots, whom he figures deserve it. But sometimes he'll be a pain in the ass just cause he's in a rotten mood. He always figures that his clients are hiding something or lying to him about something.

 

Deep inside Nick longs for the kind of life his grandfather led in the thirties. Life may have been tough and there was a lot of crime, but there were also a lot of genuinely nice folks that needed help. Something that he feels is in extremely short supply in Hudson City. In spite of his cynicism, in a very real sense Nick is still a kid at heart, who believes in right and wrong. But his profession has forced him to accept the fact - albeit grudgingly - that sometimes the best you can do, is to do what you can, not what you should.

 

Quote: Honey, I'm too damned old to listen to bullshit. Tell me what your problem really is and maybe I can help you. Otherwise stop wasting my time.

 

You're a sporting man, Joe, so I'll make you a bet. In fact I'll make you two. One - you won't kill me because you want to know what I know and there's no percentage in killing me without finding out why. And Two - if your pet pork chop over there tries to hassle me I'll take his piece away from him and clean his teeth with it. Even money.

 

Nick: Viv, we should be on that plane. Heading for someplace sunny and warm. I don't know why I stay here sometimes, I really don't. The weather stinks, the cops are a pain in the ass and nine times out of ten my clients have lied to me about something. I mean it's not like I need the money.

Vivian: People are people, Nick, and lying is almost a part of the human condition. Particularly in Hudson City.

Nick: That's the point. I could do this somewhere else so why do I stay here?

Vivian: Because nowhere else can you make as much of a difference as you do in Hudson City. What you won't admit is that you'ld like to be Sir Gawain but you were born six centuries too late.

Nick: Eight centuries.

 

Powers/Tactics: Nick Diamond is armed with .357 magnum Colt King Cobra. Although most everyone has switched over to semi-autos by this time, Nick prefers the power and simplicity of the wheel-gun, which he normally loads with hot .38 Specials rather than full magnum loads. He sometimes carries a .38 caliber snub-nosed Taurus 617 revolver in an ankle holster as a back up. If he needs really heavy firepower he’ll load up his Mossberg 500, 12 gauge shotgun.

 

Although skilled with firearms, Nick prefers to avoid a shooting confrontation by using his fists instead. A skilled brawler, he has been known to needle thugs into a fistfight, which he invariably wins, just to see what happens. This ties into Diamond's rule # 7 - When the investigation's stagnant, punch out a bad guy to get it moving again.

 

Personal Habits:

 

Nick smokes unfiltered Camel cigarettes. Although he’s been trying to quit he has yet to manage it. He has cut his intake down to about a pack a week. Like his father and grandfather Nick likes to play the horses. Lenny Seltzer, an old timer who operates out of a booth at the Patriot Tavern in Bayside, is his bookie. Lenny is also an occasional source of information if a case involves gambling.

 

Nick’s alcoholic beverage of choice is draft Guinness beer, but he has been known to drink neat bourbon when stressed and also has an appreciation for Moet et Chandon champagne. When it comes to non-alcoholic drinks Nick goes with coffee – usually instant Folgers, or Coca-Cola.

 

Nick drives a Ford Mustang GT that he bought new in 1998. Although he likes the car the powerful V-8 is getting expensive to operate as gas prices continue to climb. He’s considering trading the car in on something a bit more fuel efficient.

 

 

Appearance: Nick rarely wears a tie although he does have several. His customary dress is casual – jeans or dockers, a jersey, a jacket or coat and loafers or athletic shoes. Although he looks good in a suit, he dislikes wearing one and will only do it if he has to. Both Monk and Frank Mallory have been known to needle him about clothes once in a while. Almost unbelievably, Nick owns a tux, which he has worn exactly three times.

Boy, you haven't read Robert B Parker's "Spenser" stories at all, have you?

Re: Disturbing Character premises...

With the greatest power comes the ability to deny responsibility.

Talk about cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

Hoo, boy!

Re: Let's make a superhero base auditions (Topside description)

Okay, if this thread is still running . . .

Quick and (not that) dirty: the location is Canary Wharf, London. You've got a big, sprawling four-storey Norman Foster-designed building done in concrete, glass and steel so it looks good. It should look like a normal office building but it's built on the "iceberg principle" - there are more floors underground than there are aboveground. The building's power plant is in the bottom basement.The team's ground vehicle is in the underground car park as is the hanger for the team's aircraft (a tilt rotor or something that looks like a USAF/Area 51 "black project"). There is a lift to the roof which has a two-part sliding door to allow egress. There is no hard-core security, or armed guards, but it is EMP-hardened, the walls and windows are armoured and there is a sophisticated air-filtration system.

What d'you think?

Re: Generation Gap

I had something similar come to mind once. If you don't mind, I'll repost something I posted earlier. Mind you, this was with older farts

 

..............

Otis Broome smiled at his young granddaughter. Her eyes were bright blue, and taking everything in. The old man winked, and tipped his hat to her, “See Betty, this is where I used to work.” He gestured to the parking lot, “Fraid they paved it over, but once, there was a beautiful building on this spot… the ‘Guardhouse’ we called it.”

 

The child looked at him with suspicion, though she also seemed embarrassed at questioning her grandfather, “Were you REALLY Doctor Justice?”

 

“Why child, how rude, “ He tisked, “Since when has your grandfather ever sought to deceive you?”

 

“Uhm..” Betty thought about it, then replied, “How about when you told me that if I kicked the next cabbage over, I wouldn’t get stuck with a baby brother.” She crossed her arms and looked at him, “That didn’t work.”

 

“Touch’e,” Otis admitted with a smile, “But I really was Dr. Justice.”

 

There was an earth shattering boom, knocking both old man and girl to the ground. Otis turned his head to see two figures had crashed in the center of the street. Meteor, the flame covered stone like hero of Libra, was on top of Shatterburst, a notorious villain.

 

Shatterburst kicked Meteor off of him, sending the crime fighter several feet away and landing him near the two.

 

Meteor got up, and motioned at the villain, “Give it your best shot, @zzh*le!”

 

Betty’s eyes bugged a bit at the language. That, however, was the least of Otis’ worries. “Wait,” He called out to Meteor, “My granddaughter and I are here…”

 

“So move..” Meteor shrugged unconcerned, even as Shatterburst fired his jagged energy burst towards him. Meteor dodged easily, seemingly not caring that any innocents might get caught in what he was avoiding.

 

Otis moved as well in a leap that no Olympic Jumper could have made. In one motion he swooped Betty up in his arms and sprung to the side. The energy wash burned at his back, and destroyed his jacket, but while diminished, his powers remained, and he merely grunted once, essentially unharmed. Had Betty been in that same line, she would have been killed.

 

The two superhumans continued to duke it out, blasts and punches flying wildly and Otis found himself getting his granddaughter back to her mother the next street over.

“Martha, take Betty to safety, away from here… I have to go.”

 

“Dad, you can’t…” his daughter began to protest.

 

God, she looks so much like her mother, but I don’t have time for this Otis drew on the same voice he used to use to cause minions to hit the floor “No argument, do it NOW!”

 

She nodded, and took the crying child off. Even as Martha was putting Betty in the car to leave, Otis was already racing back to the fight. It felt weird to be doing this again. His heart seemed to be holding up okay. Not that it mattered if it didn’t. There were innocent lives at stake, and someone had to do damage control.

 

For the next ten minutes, Otis Broome cleared away innocents, saved people downed by falling debris, and yelled a great deal at the idiots who seemed to confuse the amount of property damage they caused with the size of one’s genitalia.

 

He was ignored.

 

Suddenly, Shatterburst grabbed at his throat. A thin red line formed all around his neck.

 

Then the villain’s head fell off, severed.

 

“Oh my god,” Otis muttered to himself.

 

“I had him, Razorwire,” Meteor scowled, “I didn’t need your help.”

 

Razorwire, another member of the superteam Libra, smiled like a Cheshire as she slowly appeared holding her bloody monofilament name sake, “F*** you, don’t be such a baby just because this one counts as mine…”

 

Some teenagers on a street corner cheered, “YEAH! Libra kicks #$$!”

 

They’re worshipping them , Otis felt disgusted, Those boys honestly admire someone who just killed another human being without due process of law…

 

It boiled up in him, “You should be ashamed of yourselves.” He scowled at the two ‘heroes’, “This isn’t how it’s done. You don’t ignore innocents then brag about kills…”

 

“Save the lecture, old man,” Meteor sneered, “Or you’ll be next.”

“I think he’s cute, a bit senile, but cute,” Razorwire laughed, “Let’s go.”

 

With that, the two left. A moment later, so did Otis. Pulling out his cell phone God, how I hate these things. he dialed a number he hadn’t called in a long time.

 

“Hello, Liz? It’s me, Otis. I’m fine, the heart is better I… Liz, please, let me talk. Libra just wrecked part of downtown, endangered innocents without a care, and killed a man without trial…they don’t care. We have to do something.”

 

The sounds of protest buzzed over the other side of the phone.

 

“I know we’re retired, damn it, but we’ve got to do SOMETHING. We’ve got to show this city there are still real heroes, ones who value life, and justice and… Darn it Liz, you know I’m right. You still got Malcolm’s number? His armor maybe old, but I bet he can upgrade, that’s one thing you and I can’t say. Meeting me at the parking lot where our old base was… midnight tonight. Oh, and come in costume.”

 

Another sound of protest issued from the cell.

 

“Yes, I know it will need to be altered. I don’t fit in mine either. Liz, we don’t have a choice. We maybe Yesterday’s Heroes, but we’re the only ones who can save today.”

 

There was a sigh on the other side of the call, an acceptance, and finally a god bless.

 

“You too, Liz, you too,” And Otis Broome, the once and soon to be present Dr. Justice, eyed the vacant Parking lot for at least an hour remembering.

Otis Broome is already my favourite character. Please say you're going to develop this on this board.

(What is a hero? A hero is someone who does the right thing because he cannot do differently, who never quits and always completes his mission. But a hero never thinks of himself as such.)

"Why do think this is my responsibility? Because no-one else thinks it's theirs"