GestaltBennie

Re: CotN Outtakes

Re: CotN Outtakes I think Steve didn't want the book to be overloaded with NPC heroes, and I certainly can't argue that point. By and large, I'm really happy with the editing on the book, and with the final result in general.

Re: CotN Outtakes The last of the outtakes, the superhero team of Quebec. ---------- Les Esprits Guardiens Membership: Le Fort, Voyageur, Surcheval, Chatelaine. Background: For years, people in Quebec complained they had no native superhero team. Les Esprits Guardiens was founded after the 1995 sovereignty referendum; one of the arguments that the victorious “non” side had made was that English-Canadian superheroes would (and had frequently) provided protection from invading supervillains, both foreign and domestic. The Chatelaine, a sorceress with heavy pro-sovereignty leanings, was outraged by the claim and decided the solution was put together a Quebec superhero team and show that Quebec didn’t need the Northern Guard to defend itself. Her first recruit was a “new” superhero named Le Fort (new only in the sense that he had recently started his heroic career; Le Fort had been born in the 17th Century and was the source of numerous legends and folk tales). The other veteran Quebecois superhero, Voyageur, had federalist leanings, however he saw the need for a local team and was willing to put aside his political trepidation. The team was officially formed in 1998, with sponsorship from the city of Montreal. The fourth founding member was Ti-Jean, but he died in a skiing accident unrelated to superheroing in 2006. His replacement, who joined in 2007, was Surcheval. The team has faced a number of villains like Punition, Roi D’Hiver and Tilingkoot, and acquitted itself well. StarForce has proposed uniting with them to form Alliance Canada (which would eventually branch out with superhero teams in the North, the West Coast and the Maritimes and become the unofficial sentinels of all Canada.) Chatelaine has vetoed this every time, but Voyageur is pressing for the union, pointing out that even sovereigntist politicians join with English-Canadians when their interests are at stake. The Chatelaine has countered by proposing an alliance with COMET (which the Ottawa team has rejected). Tactics: Les Esprits keep their combat tactics simple: if Le Fort feels they can handle a situation (or have no choice but to intervene) Le Fort and Surcheval charge in, while the Chatelaine and Voyageur hold back and use their powers at range. If things go badly, the Chatelaine is ordered to work up a teleportation spell and retreat. Relations: Les Esprits Guardiens has a good relationship with the Quebec authorities, and with UNTIL. Their relations with the federal government and the RCMP are cordial but distant (Voyageur intervenes to handle them); they’ve occasionally worked with COMET (COMET Green has a standing invitation to join the team) and Voyageur has aided StarForce on occasion, as he and Justiciar are old teammates. Within the team, there are two factions: Le Fort and Chatelaine on one side, and Surcheval and Voyageur on the other. Voyageur and Chatelaine acknowledge their differences and maintain a cool, civil relationship; it’s obvious they’ll never be friends, but they’ve saved each other’s lives too often to be enemies. Les Esprits Guardiens Plot Seeds 1. Laurentia or Bust: An emissary from the alternate dimension of Laurentia approaches the Chatelaine, suggesting that she secretly link the signal from Radio-Canada with its Laurentian equivalent, so Quebeckers can see first hand what life in a sovereign Quebec would be like. Of course it’s a trap, but when people in your country tune into a signal from an alternate dimension (out of sheer curiosity), what happens when the invading army using that signal gets the coordinates wrong and lands in your backyard? 2. Time Travel: Royal Pain or Incredibly Annoying?: Le Fort is immortal, but what happens when PCs who are around Le Fort and Voyageur at a social gathering suddenly get drawn in a temporal nexus and go back in time to the 1820s, when men were men, and men were rowdy, and your superpowers are either useless (or scaled down to a heroic scale)... and one of you has to gather their teammates—who now believe they belong in the 1820s—and win a no holds barred fistfight against Le Fort in an Ottawa logging camp. 3. Separation Anxiety: You uncover evidence that Chatelaine has been using her magical powers to “prime” people for the idea of a sovereign Quebec. No, what she’s doing is more subtle than a mass suggestion to vote “oui” in the next referendum. She’s been performing ritual magicks designed to increase Quebeckers self-assuredness and confidence in their nation’s self-worth, so they won’t feel a need to stay with Canada when the “non” side uses its “typical scare tactics.” You know that revealing this to the public would probably cause a lot of scandal and break the team apart along sovereigntist/federalist lines. Do you go public? Le Fort Val Char Cost Roll Notes 40 STR 30 17- / 20- Lift 6400 kg/51.2tons; 8d6/11d6 HTH damage [4/5] 20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 30 CON 40 15- 18 BODY 16 13- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 12 EGO 4 11- ECV: 4 20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6 18 COM 4 13- 26 PD 18 Total: 26 PD (20 rPD) 26 ED 20 Total: 26 ED (20 rED) 5 SPD 20 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 14 REC 0 60 END 0 53 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 195 Movement: Running: 6”/6” Leaping: 16”/19”/6” Cost Powers END 12 Growth (+15 STR, +3 BODY, +3 STUN, -3” KB, 792 kg, -2 DCV, +2 PER Rolls to perceive character, 4 m tall, 2 m wide) (15 Active Points); Only When In Contact With The Ground (-1/4) 1 20 Tough as the Land: Damage Resistance (20 PD/20 ED) 0 14 Immortal Body: Life Support (Longevity: Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum) 0 4 Strength of the Land: Lack Of Weakness (-5) for Resistant Defenses (5 Active Points); Only When In Contact With The Ground (-1/4) 0 5 Squint: Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) 0 11 Hardiness of the Land: Knockback Resistance -7” (14 Active Points); Only When In Contact With The Ground (-1/4) 0 8 Super-Strong Legs: Leaping +8” (16”/19” forward, 8”/9 1/2” upward) Martial Arts: [boxing] Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 4 Block +2 +2 Block, Abort 3 Clinch -1 -1 Grab Two Limbs, 50 STR / 65 STR for holding on 4 Cross +0 +2 10d6 / 13d6 Strike 5 Hook -2 +1 12d6 / 15d6 Strike 3 Jab +2 +1 Strike 2 Weapon Element: Clubs, Axes Perks 3 Fringe Benefit: Federal/National Police Powers 8 Contact: Justiciar (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has useful Skills or resources, Very Good relationship with Contact) 12- Skills 20 +4 with HTH Combat 4 AK: Quebec 13- 3 Climbing 13- 3 Conversation 13- 2 CK: Montreal 11- 3 Disguise 12- 3 Gambling 12- 4 KS: Quebec Folk Tales 13- 4 KS: The Superhuman World 13- 2 Language: English (Fluent Conversation) 3 Navigation 12- 4 PS: Lumberjack 13- 3 Seduction 13- 5 Tactics 13- 3 Teamwork 13- 3 TF: Rafts, Sleds, Small Rowed Boats 2 WF: Common Melee Weapons Total Powers & Skills Cost: 177 Total Cost: 372 200+ Disadvantages 20 Hunted: Borealis 8- (Occasionally), More Powerful, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Harshly Punish 25 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Occasionally), More Powerful, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Capture 15 Hunted: Province of Quebec 14- (As Pow, NCI, Watching) 10 Physical Limitation: Always cheerful, Never Seems to Get Upset Frequently, Slightly Impairing 10 Psychological Limitation: Code Versus Killing Common, Moderate 5 Rivalry: Professional (all other bricks), Rival is As Powerful, Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival, Rival Aware of Rivalry 20 Psychological Limitation: Sworn to Defend the Quebec People Very Common, Strong 15 Social Limitation: Public Identity Frequently (11-), Major 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Magic attacks Uncommon 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY Magic attacks Uncommon 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x Effect Magic attacks Uncommon Total Disadvantage Points: 372 Background: As old as the hills, they say, but just how old are the hills? And what do they do when they smile on you? Gabriel LeFort was a fur trader, based in Montreal, who explored the wilderness as a fur trader. In 1641, the Land observed him, a big likable man with a deep booming (if off-key) singing voice and it gave him powers. He became superhumanly powerful and immortal. Gabriel enjoyed using his powers, though he eventually discovered they raised people’s suspicion, particularly from priests. He hid his powers from those who might persecute him, wandered the wilderness and created legends, In the 19th Century, he was Joseph Montferrand, champion boxer and lumberjack defender of the people. In the 20th Century, he was Matthieu Deglise, who traded the British Commonwealth boxing title with the Rocket Man, Billy Deighton, in a series of bouts across Canada that captured the national imagination in the mid-1930s. He enjoyed Montreal for its nightlife and drinking, but preferred the wilderness. During the Second World War, Gabriel avoided the European front —though he loved a good brawl, he hated war—but circumstances forced him into the fight on the domestic front, and he fought alongside Princess Aureole in her attack on Vultok’s ice realm. It was the first time his growth powers had manifested themselves: calling himself Le Fort Bcheron (“the Mighty Lumberjack”), he helped save Canada from Vultok, but the sheer horror of what he saw forced him to retreat into the wilderness for over 40 years. Eventually he received another visit from the Land, which was getting irritated by human “degradation” and “ignorance.” Gabriel agreed to return to civilization and win the people’s trust and persuade them to take better care of the land. To win people to his side, he became the superhero LeFort. LeFort has established himself as the premier superhero of Quebec, and most of Canada holds him in high regard. Though he harbors strong nationalistic feelings —he remembers how English and Irish-Canadians treated Quebeckers back in the old days—his message has primarily been one of environmental stewardship. People nod their heads when they hear him speak, but they never seem to do something. It depresses him, but he’s found some good people, and he’s doing some good work, and he’s content. Personality: Le Fort is a happy individual whose learned to take life in stride. He’s found the balance between zeal and indolence, and so he’s managed to keep his psyche on an even keel. He is very good to talk with, very friendly when drunk; he has, however, absolutely no regard for people who bark orders at him or who don’t treat people with patience and respect. Le Fort loves to fight. He regrets that since the pulp era, the spike in magical forces that fueled the growth of his powers has made it impossible for him to return to the boxing ring, as that was where he felt most alive. He loves to pick fights with bricks when he first meets them. He expects the opponent to bond with him and figure out that it’s a gesture of masculine respect; unfortunately, not everyone does and many people come away from a first meeting with more than a few bruises. Quote: “Let’s you and I fight!” Powers/Tactics: Le Fort is a magically altered human. With gifts of immortality and superhuman strength, he’s already one of Canada’s toughest superhumans, however his Growth power, the ultimate expression of that magic, puts him at a strength level equal to all but a handful of bricks on the planet. Le Fort’s clothing grows and shrinks with him. Le Fort’s tactics are stay at human size throughout as much of the fight as is feasible. He doesn’t use his growth power unless his opponent is tough enough to take it; he views the use of his full might as an “honor” that few are worthy of possessing. If an opponent has a weapon, he’s not above taking an axe-handle and swinging for the fences. Campaign Use: ]To reduce his power level for low-powered campaigns, lower his STR to 30, his SPD to 4, and shave off some combat skill levels. To increase his power level for high-powered campaigns, boost his base defenses by 5, add two Overall skill levels, and add 3d6 Luck. Le Fort will watch people at the beckoning of the Land, but he’ll only hunt someone if they’ve sworn to destroy Quebec or its French-speaking majority. Since he helped bust an anti-Quebec organization called Canada First in the mid-1990s, no one’s filled that vacuum, though lately he’s casting a suspicious eye on the Hunter-Patriots., Despite the lack of specific contacts, LeFort’s reputation is good enough that he should be treated as having Non-Combat Influence Appearance: Gabriel LeFort is a barrel-chested mountain of a man, 6’6” tall and 265 strapping pounds. kilos). His costume is a flannel lumberjack’s shirt (worn open to reveal a swath of chest hair), faded blue jeans, and bright red toque; he has brown hair, brown eyes, and a medium-length, well-groomed beard. Chataleine Val Char Cost Roll Notes 15 STR 5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH damage [1] 23 DEX 39 14- OCV: 8/DCV: 84 28 CON 36 15- 10 BODY 0 11- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 18 EGO 16 13- ECV: 6 25 PRE 15 14- PRE Attack: 5d6 14 COM 2 12- 15+ PD 12 Total: 15/25 PD (0/10 rPD) 15+ ED 9 Total: 15/25 ED (0/10 rED) 5 SPD 17 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 10 REC 2 56 END 0 32 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 156 Movement: Running: 6”/6” Leaping: 3”/6” Cost Powers END 105 Sorcery Variable Power Pool, 60 base + 45 control cost, all slots Powers Can Be Changed As A Half-Phase Action (+1/2) (105 Active Points) 13 Force Field (10 PD/10 ED) (20 Active Points); Conditional Power Cannot Add to Defenses Pulled From Magic Pool (-1/4), Limited Power Force Field Won’t Stop Attacks If Attacker Makes an EGO roll at a -3 penalty (-1/4) 2 16 Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack) (20 Active Points); Limited Power Won’t Stop Attacks If Attacker Makes an EGO roll at a -3 penalty (-1/4) 0 11 Mental Defense (15 points total) 0 8 Sight Group Flash Defense (8 points) 0 Perks 2 Fringe Benefit: Local Police Powers Talents 5 Eidetic Memory 4 Speed Reading (x10) Skills 3 +1 with Magic 3 High Society 14- 3 KS: Literary World 12- 4 KS: Superhero World 13- 4 KS: The Occult World 13- 1 Language: English (basic conversation) 3 Oratory 14- 3 Persuasion 14- 2 PS: Bookseller 11- 17 Power: Magic Pool Control Skill 18- Total Powers & Skills Cost: 207 Total Cost: 364 200+ Disadvantages 5 Distinctive Features: Glowing Silver Eyes (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly Used Senses) 10 Hunted: Black Paladin 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 10 Hunted: Roi D’Hiver 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Hunted: VIPER 8- (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 10 Psychological Limitation: Addicted to Reading New Magic Tomes (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Disdain for Canadian Government (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Fear of Crows (Common, Moderate) 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Marie Dubois) (Frequently, Major) 5 Susceptibility: The Touch of Silver 1d6 damage Instant (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY from Holiness Powers (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN from Holiness Powers (Uncommon) Total Disadvantage Points: 364 Background: The evil of the Black Paladin is unfathomable; one of his uncountable misdeeds was to kidnap girls and prepare them for careers as his sorceress “chatelaines.” Marie Dubois was one of them. Snatched from her Quebec home at the age of five, Marie was forced into the life of a sorceress apprentice. A chatelaine-in-training, Sir Giles called her. Black magic became her meat and drink. She participated in unholy rites, so her essence became allergic to symbols of holiness (silver, consecrated ground, etc.) However, the Paladin has enemies, both human and superhuman. A courageous Jesuit priest discovered the Paladin’s activities, and gave his life to contact the Mighty Canadians. The superhero team defeated the archvillain. Marie was returned to her parents. All was set aright. The only problem was, it wasn’t. She had been in the Paladin’s dubious care for nine years; she no longer knew her parents. She had been exposed to dark rituals that haunted her dreams. She couldn’t be taken to confessional without screaming. Exorcisms followed, but she wasn’t possessed, just scarred. The one magical effect that consumed her was a geas; the Paladin had intended for her to become a living library of the occult, so she was ensorcelled to read as many occult tomes as possible and commit their contents to memory. Somehow, she graduated from high school, and enrolled in college. She turned to politics as a distraction. After her campus was bombed by a nutcase associated with the now defunct Canada First! Organization, Marie realized that Quebec needed more than the political will to stand on its own two feet; it needed protectors. She had done her best to shun magic since her rescue, only to discover that she was fighting against her own nature. She decided to stop fighting and embrace her gift. Calling herself the Chateleine —turning the Paladin’s attempt to enslave her into a symbol of personal triumph—she trained herself to fight the enemies of Quebec and the darkness within herself. It took decades before she felt ready to assume the mantle of the Chatelaine, but in 1994, she became Quebec’s newest superheroine, and never looked back. Personality: Though admittedly brash, outspoken, and hard-driving, the Chatelaine has a reputation for moodiness that’s largely undeserved; by her own admission, she doesn’t handle the media well (particularly the English-language press, as her English isn’t very good) and her childhood wasn’t conducive to the development of casual social skills. She’s been a loner for most of her life, and her one romantic relationship turned out to be with a warlock who tried to get her back into the Black Paladin’s fold —she’s certainly not expecting to find a romantic relationship any time soon. Quote: I hold the key to the castle, and that castle is Quebec. And you are not welcome in the castle.” Powers/Tactics: The Chatelaine is a sorceress, pure and simple. Through magical training, she can perform fantastic spells with almost unlimited effects. Her favorites involve blinding via flashes, disabling through entangles, and (when her teammates are in trouble) ranged healing spells or a teleport to get them out of the way. Her defenses have an unusual limitation: a person can battle through them by making an appropriate EGO roll (at a -3 penalty). Every time someone successfully attacks, they get a chance to break through. The Chatelaine is still bound by the geas to become a mystical library and there are dark forces tugging at her life, threatening to send her into the abyss. She tries to get around the curse by reading texts that emphasize the positive uses of magic, and doing a lot of meditation to hold herself together. So far it’s worked, but it’s a battle. Campaign Uses: To adjust the Chatelaine for a low-powered campaign, reduce her Magic Pool to 50 points. To increase it for a high-powered campaign, raise it to 70 points, increase her Pool Control Skill to 21-, and raise her SPD to 6. The Chatelaine considers herself to be the guardian of Quebec’s mystic community, so if you’re a practicing mage in Quebec, she may be watching you. If you’re connected with the Black Paladin, or perceived as a threat to the sovereigntist movement in Quebec, she’s a natural Hunted. The Chatelaine has NCI, though against some threats (particularly the occult), she’s very reluctant to involve the authorities in any way. Appearance: The Chatelaine is a woman approaching middle age who remains reasonably attractive (magic is better and cheaper than a good plastic surgeon). When in heroic identity she has short silver hair and wears a black domino mask and a bright green dress (the same color has her eyes) with silver gloves and a silver sash around her waist. In civilian identity she has dark hair and allows her face to look older and more care-worn. She’s 5’5” tall and weighs 120 pounds. Surcheval Val Char Cost Roll Notes 35 STR 25 16- Lift 3200 kg; 7d6 HTH damage [3] 26 DEX 48 14- OCV: 9/DCV: 9 28 CON 36 15- 13 BODY 6 12- 18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 13- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6 12 COM 1 11- 22 PD 15 Total: 22 PD (15 rPD) 22 ED 16 Total: 22 ED (15 rED) 5 SPD 14 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 13 REC 0 56 END 0 45 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 179 Movement: Running: 14”/6” Leaping: 7”/6” Cost Powers END 15 Toughness: Damage Resistance (15 PD/15 ED) 0 60 Teleportation Powers: Multipower, 60-point reserve 6u 1) Incredible Speed: Teleportation 30” (60 Active Points) 6 4u 2) Quick Change Other: Cosmetic Transform 8d6 (Quickly Dress or Change An Object’s Apparel) (40 Active Points) 4 4u 3) Combat Teleport: RKA 2d6, Penetrating (x2; +1) (60 Active Points); OIF (anysmall teleportable object) (-1/2) 6 4u 4) Desolidification (40 Active Points) 4 2 Life Support (Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum) 0 12 Blink Teleport: +5 with DCV (25 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2), Conditional Power Must Follow Teleport or Full Move Running (-1/2) 2 16 Running +8” (14” total) 2 Perks 2 Fringe Benefit: Local Police Powers Skills 16 +2 with All Combat 3 CK: Quebec City 13- 2 CK: Montreal 11- 3 Computer Programming 13- 3 Electronics 13- 3 Interrogation 13- 3 Language: English (completely fluent) 3 PS: Instructor 13- 5 SS: Physics 15- 3 Stealth 14- 1 Systems Operation 8- 1 Teamwork 8- Total Powers & Skills Cost: 171 Total Cost: 350 200+ Disadvantages 20 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Occasionally), More Powerful, NCI, Harshly Punish 10 Hunted: Punition 8- (Occasionally) (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Psychological Limitation: Loves to Mock People Common, Strong 10 Psychological Limitation: Scientific Curiosity Common, Moderate 10 Rivalry: Professional (Le Fort), Rival is More Powerful, Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival, Rival Aware of Rivalry 15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity (Andre Chounard) Frequently (11-), Major 10 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x Effect from Drains (Common) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY from Sonic Attacks (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN from Sonic Attacks (Uncommon) Total Disadvantage Points: 350 Background: Andre Chounard is actually the second superhero by that name; the first was Phillip Chounard, his uncle, a superhero in the 1960s and 70s, a speedster herald of the Quiet Revolution. Andre’s grandfather was Pierre Rhiaume, better known as Maître Cerveau (Master Brain), a science hero of the pulp era. Andre developed a “human potential machine” designed to bring out people’s finest qualities; the machine was no quick fix (the process required months to unlock people’s potentials, and many had none worth unlocking, so there were few volunteers). However, Phillip gained the power of lightning speed, and when he retired, he uncovered the machine and asked his relatives to take the treatment. One of them, a young graduate student in physics, gained powers. Phillip trained his nephew to be a superhero, a career choice that Andre agreed with enthusiasm When Les Esprits Guardiens was formed, Andre was glad to join. It hasn’t been the most sterling superhero career so far. Andre’s “potential” includes a huge potential to get on people’s nerves with petty insults and quips, a quality that serves him well when he needs to goad a supervillain into doing something stupid, but which has given him a rather unpleasant reputation. In part, it’s because he feels he needs to play things straight in his secret identity (a freshman high school physics teacher), so Surcheval is an emotional release for him. Personality: Andre has established himself as a bit of a jerk; he makes snide remarks about his teammates behind their backs, and is sometimes very obnoxious to LeFort (who takes the remarks in stride, though at some point Chatelaine and Voyageur expect there’ll be a blow-up). He has one great passion in his life: physics. Nothing shuts him up more quickly than the opportunity to study odd physical phenomena or supervillain technology, and he’s beginning to compile a database of exotic technology that may one day form the basis of a first generation Surcheval powered armor suit which will augment his already prodigious abilities. No one’s quite sure why he’s such a jerk to LeFort. Most of the time, the rivalry expresses itself in practical jokes (with one nasty joke from LeFort in response to ten petty ones from Surcheval). Quote: Cease your babbling, you pig-faced lunatic. Supervillains are such a relic from the past. Surcheval is the future.” Powers/Tactics: Surcheval is a mutated human; the potential of his family line unleashed. Although he’s technically a speedster, Surcheval might be better characterized as a “burster.” He doesn’t have a high SPD and tends to accelerate and decelerate quickly and travel in short bursts, thus teleport is a better fit for most of his powers than running. Surcheval is a front line combatant for Les Esprits. He likes to annoy his opponents and serve as a distraction for LeFort, either by verbal quips, or with his Transform power (he’s fond of putting women’s clothing or insulting T-shirts on his opponents, then pulling out a camera and taking a picture). When he has to get serious, he’ll teleport behind someone and blindside them with a move-through, or he’ll move his hand through an opponent (his double armor piercing killing attack). The latter is reserved only for psychopaths or threats that require immediate neutralization. Campaign Use: Surcheval fits the “annoying jerk superhero” archetype. One should not go too overboard with this; PCs should receive a little more lenient treatment than villains (unless they’re being truly obnoxious). To raise Surcheval’s power level for a higher-powered game, increase his SPD to 6, give him a 3d6 Hand Attack, and add some Danger Sense. To lower his power level for a lower powered game, remove his Combat Levels and drop his defenses by 3-5 each. Surcheval does not watch or hunt people, unless they’ve humiliated him in the past. Appearance: Surcheval is a good looking young man in his twenties, with short brown hair, blue eyes, and a bit of a smirk on his face. He’s 5’11” and weighs 182 pounds. His costume is an orange and black bodysuit that more than one person refers to as the “ugliest superhero costume in Canada.” Voyageur Val Char Cost Roll Notes 15 STR 5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH damage [1] 20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 23 CON 26 14- 10 BODY 0 11- 10 INT 0 11- PER Roll 11- 20 EGO 20 13- ECV: 7 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 14 COM 2 12- 6 PD 3 Total: 24 PD (18 rPD) 7 ED 2 Total: 19 ED (12 rED) 5 SPD 20 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 8 REC 0 62 END 8 30 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 121 Movement: Running: 6”/6” Leaping: 3”/6” Cost Powers END 63 Telekinesis Powers: Multipower, 63-point reserve 6u 1) Telekinetic Blades: RKA 3d6+1, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (62 Active Points) 2 6u 2) Mental Manipulation: Telekinesis (35 STR), Fine Manipulation (63 Active Points) 6 6u 3) Wave of Permeable Telekinesis: Energy Blast 6d6, No Normal Defense ([+ rPD5 Force Field or Telekinetic Armor]; +1) (60 Active Points) 6 35 Astral Form: Multipower, 70-point reserve, (70 Active Points); all slots Character Is Incapacitated And Helpless While Using Power (-1) 3u 1) Distant Remote Viewing: Clairsentience (Sight And Hearing Groups), Megascale (1” = 1,000 km; +1), Can Be Scaled Down 1” = 1km (+1/4) (67 Active Points); Character Is Incapacitated And Helpless While Using Power (-1) 7 3u 2) Local Remote Viewing: Retrocognitive Clairsentience (Sight And Hearing Groups), x8 Range (2,000”) (65 Active Points); Character Is Incapacitated And Helpless While Using Power (-1) 6 6 Mental Wards: Mental Defense (10 points total) 0 15 Telekinetic Powers: Elemental Control, 30-point powers 15 1) Telekinetic Shield: Force Field (18 PD/12 ED) (30 Active Points) 3 15 2) Telekinetic Flight: Flight 15” (30 Active Points) 3 15 Telekinetic Probe: Spatial Awareness (no Sense Group) (22 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2) 2 Perks 2 Fringe Benefit: Local Police Powers 7 Contact: Friend in the Mayor of Montreal’s Office (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has useful Skills or resources) 13- Skills 6 +2 with Telekinesis Multipower 3 Bureaucratics 12- 2 KS: Montreal 11- 2 KS: The Superhuman World 11- 5 KS: Canadian History 14- 2 Language: English (fluent conversation) 3 Paramedics 11- 4 PS: History Teacher 13- 3 Stealth 13- 5 Survival 12- 3 Tracking 11- 2 TF: Rafts, Small Rowed Boats Total Powers & Skills Cost: 237 Total Cost: 358 200+ Disadvantages 5 Distinctive Features: Voyageur’s Outfit (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses) 15 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Occasionally) (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 15 Hunted: Punition 8- (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 5 Physical Limitation: Perceives Past Elements Imposed on the Present 15 Psychological Limitation: Often Confused by Retrocogntive Visions Common, Strong 15 Psychological Limitation: Sworn to Protect the Innocent Common, Strong 15 Psychological Limitation: Overconfident Very Common, Moderate 15 Social Limitation: Public Identity Frequently (11-), Major 10 Unluck: +2d6 Total Disadvantage Points: 358 Background: Alain Pelletier traced his roots back to the days of the voyageurs. He was a proud Quebecker from a wealthy family; he never suspected that his father was actually a mutant psychic supervillain, at least not until he started having psychic flashes as a teenager. Alain was taken aback when he approached his father and discovered that dad wanted to use him as part of his schemes to increase family power and influence. He ran, only to discover it’s very hard to escape a trained psychic. He was forced to fight his father, and in the course of the battle, he accidentally killed him. His father’s dying curse was partial possession; to avoid hiding from the past, Alain would be forced to psychically feel the history of the area around him, especially when it involved his family. Alain spent the next five years in a mental institution. Eventually, he did recover, and he faced a critical choice. Either he could allow what had happened to scar his entire life, or he could move onto something better. He knew he had to make amends, but he decided to do so in a way that turned the curse into a blessing. He became a superhero. Alain’s perceptions often extended as far back in the pastas the time of the voyageurs and he came to identify with these hardy souls. He took their garb as his own and became Le Voyageur, the adventuring hero of New New Canada. That was 1969. For many years, Voyageur was one of Quebec’s greatest heroes (if also it’s most eccentric). He’s been a part of the Northern Guard in its second incarnation. His mutation has kept him in remarkable physical condition for years, though he’s starting to feel them wear at him over the last decade, and on the mornings after a fight, it’s been harder to get out of bed. He’s always taken a backseat to other heroes in the Quebec press (he’s too federalist for many people’s liking, and not modern enough: “Why?” one Montreal news commentator famously moaned. “Are so many of Les triomphateurs based on history and folk legends, and so few on the present day?” Even Voyageur had to admit he had a point. His best friend in the superhero world (now retired) was Hivernant, who also had the motif. Having never married, Voyageur is looking for some continuity, a successor to inherit his legacy. He is slowly coming to the realization that no one really wants to be part of one, a realization more terrifying than any supervillain he’s ever faced. Personality: Voyageur is an idealistic, happy-go-lucky soul; many view him as a “Quebec hippie.” He takes pride in being a raconteur, though his stories often take too long to get to the point. Voyageur believes that life is an adventure, that one should embrace the adventure and experience it with gusto. Perhaps in reaction to his stultifying family, Alain espouses the transformation of the world into a single large, open, welcoming community, urging people to embrace an ideal of human brotherhood that transcends language and ethnic lines. It’s an opinion that’s put him at odds with many in Quebec, including most of his current teammates. In recent years, Voyageur’s typical cheerfulness has been tinged with melancholy, as he realizes he’s well past his shelf life as a superhero and has no idea how to get out gracefully. It’s a conflict that’s going too get harder in the future. He’s spending more time in the astral plane these days, as he doesn’t feel his physical limitations there. Voyageur’s archenemy is Punition. They’ve battled numerous times, and there’s absolutely no bond of respect between them. Punition would love to be the man who ends Voyageur’s career, and if Voyageur dies, so much the better... Quote: "Life is a voyage that one must free to enjoy to its forest. How unfortunate that your voyage will take you Powers/Tactics: Voyageur is a “psychic voyageur.” He can use clairvoyance to travel in his astral form and wander around to gather information. The separation of mind and body has also led to the development of mind over matter techniques that express themselves as telekinesis. The most unusual of his telekinetic abilities is the “psychic force wave” (his NND) where he sends a ripple of telekinetic force through someone, making them queasy without actually damaging them. He has a side effect to his Clairsentience that’s written as a physical limitation: he sees time periods overlapping with the present and reacts to them (e.g. he’ll see a 1930s car parked in a parking space and drive around it). He has no control over his “lateral vision” and while he usually can separate past from present, sometimes he’ll forget and try to strike up a conversation, or rescue someone who doesn’t exist. (This is particularly problematic when he’s seeing only a few years into the past). Voyageur serves as a scout and a second rank combatant in Les Esprits Guardiens. He typically stays about twenty meters back from a fight and attacks at range, usually with his permeable telekinesis power, or his telekinetic blades against someone who’s particularly tough. [Campaign Use: To adjust Voyageur’s powers for a lower powered game, reduce his defenses to 20, his SPD to 4,, his blades to a 3d6 RKA, his Telekinesis to 30 STR, and his NND to 5d6. To increase them for a higher point campaign (or to represent Voyageur in his prime, during the 1970s and early 1980s), increase his defenses to 28, raise his SPD to 6, and add some PSLs vs. range penalties (his vision has gotten worse over the years). Voyageur doesn’t hunt or watch people —he’s too busy wandering in the astral plane for that sort of thing— except as a favor to Le Fort. Appearance: Voyageur appears to be a scraggily man in his late 50s, wearing the fur costume of an eighteenth-century voyageur (explorer) from New France. He’s 5’11” tall with a scruffy grey beard, long, scraggly hair, and bright green eyes.

Re: CotN Outtakes Not really. There's one unpublished chapter, but I'm not sure it deserves to be released. If Steve gives his permission, I may mine it and post the best chunks out of it at some other time.

Re: CotN Outtakes Cut from the Culture section: comic books. --- COMIC BOOKS Canada has been well-represented in comics since the Golden Age. In 1938, a Canadian named Joe Shuster co-created Action Comics #1, featuring a character named Superman. Canadians have been involved with the American comic book industry ever since. The Golden Age Canada’s most vibrant period of comic books was the Golden Age. With American comic book shipments to Canada curtailed (along with all “non-essential goods”, it gave a chance for a Canadian comic book industry to blossom. These were the Canadian “whites”, which earned its name because they were in black and white (color dyes being too expensive for wartime entertainment). The big name in publishing was Cy Bell, a sign painter who saw an opportunity and founded the Wow comics group. The headline character of the era was Johnny Canuck, whose name was taken from a character used by old editorial cartoonists to symbolize Canada. The historic Johnny Canuck was a lumberjack, but fifteen-year-old creator Leo Bachle envisioned him as an ace pilot and freelance superhero in the tradition of Alex Raymond strips like Flash Gordon. Johnny’s powers were exceptional strength (bordering on the superhuman) and the ability to escape from even the most bizarre peril with a jaunty quip. He had no costume (and often no shirts), but usually wore aviator’s gear into action. Johnny’s first adventure featured him crash-landing into “the Lost Jungles of Libya”, where he was captured by an evil Aztec-like tribe. After killing the chief in a duel. Johnny took over as tribal king, and helped lead the tribe against Nazi invaders. In subsequent adventures, Johnny (apparently not taking that kingship role too seriously) left Libya to go into Nazi Germany, where he punched out Hitler, making the Feuhrer so mad that he tried to guillotine our stalwart Canuck. Johnny survived to deliver several more beatings to Hitler before the war ended. Johnny Canuck was the most popular Canadian superhero, but he was far from the only one. While Johnny headlined Dime Comics. Triumph Comics was the home of Nelvana of the Northern Lights. This superheroine was inspired by Inuit legends; was suggested by Group of Seven artist Frank Johnston. Nelvana was drawn and written by Adrian Dingle. Arguably the best drawn book of the Golden Age, Nelvana fought the Nazis and went on numerous fantastic sci-fi adventures.. The third major Canadian comic book of the Golden Age was Canada Jack. Written by George Mendenez Rae, Canada Jack fought saboteurs on the home front, often with the help of kids who belonged to the Canada Jack Club. There were, of course, numerous other Canadian golden age heroes: (the original) Iron Man, Freelance, the Brain, Dixon of the Mounted, the Penguin, and many others. The most popular books of the era had sales of 100.000 copies. However, the end of the war allowed American four-colour comics to flood into Canada. Canadian comic book manufacturers switched to color to compete, only to discover that the newsprint they needed to compete with the Americans was still being rationed. By 1947, the Golden Age comic book companies were forced to fold up shop or turn to reprints to survive, and by 1948, the growing backlash against “crime comics” would kill what remained of that industry. Canada would never again enjoy such a healthy home-grown comics industry again. Quebec La Belle Province has never really taken to traditional superhero comics. Quebec had an early tradition of newspaper satirical strips, but its comic books were controlled by religious institutions. Early Quebec comics like Sais-tu (“Do you know?”) was dedicated to the adventures of historical figures and religious figures like the saints. In the era of Frederick Wertham; American imports were viewed upon with grave distaste, and the Catholic church threw its weight behind gentler fare like Hérauts (“Heralds”). Quebec did have it stand-outs: comic artist Maurice Petitdidier drew charming strips like Fanchon et Jean-Lou. In the mid-1960s, but a flood of well-produced European comics like Tintin and Asterix were imported into Quebec, and Quebec’s gentle, domestic fare couldn’t compete. By 1965, the major Quebec books were no more. Quebec’s satirical tradition came into play in its treatment of superheroes. Unable to play them straight, comics like Capitaine Kebec and Angloman used the superhero genre – in many cases, barely – as a vehicle for social satire. Quebec’s comic creators are probably best known for their work in underground comics. The most celebrated author is probably Julie Doucet, whose Dirty Plotte book garnered international attention. Influenced by French artists like Moebius, many Quebec artists have turned their attention to science fiction. Today, Quebec’s comic books are more influenced by European fantasy and American alternative culture than mainstream American books. The 1970s and 80s Canada’s comic book industry experienced a brief resurgence in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when a boom in black and white comics made it more economically feasible The two major comic book characters to emerge were Richard Comely’s Captain Canuck, and Northguard, created by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morissette. Northguard’s Quebec ally, Fleur-de-lis, is arguably the most noteworthy Quebec superhero ever created. One other Canadian series deserves mention: Cerebus the Aardvark, created by Dave Sim, lasted 300 issues. Alpha Flight In the 1970s and 80s, Marvel Comics was noted for their innovation. One of the most popular characters was Wolverine, a short, hirsute, raging berserker with adamantium claws and regeneration. Created by Len Wein and Herbe Trimpe, he debuted, wearing an ugly canary yellow costume, in Incredible Hulk #181. The character’s first appearance wasn’t particularly notable. However, once Wolverine joined the X-Men as an anti-hero among the heroes, the character’s popularity soared. An ex-Canadian government agent with a mysterious past, Wolverine’s backstory demanded to be filled in. Under Chris Claremont and (then-) Canadian artist John Byrne, X-Men #109 featured the appearance of “Major Maple Leaf”. While (thankfully) the name would not stick, the character would return along with a whole team of Canadian superheroes: Alpha Flight. While the concepts of the original AF may have been on the cliché side (Sasquatch, Shaman, Snowbird), they had an exuberant charm that endeared them to many readers. Byrne agreed to write and pencil their own book, and Alpha Flight #1 was published in 1983. Alpha Flight, under Byrne, was an instant hit. Unfortunately after Byrne’s departure, other creative teams were not as successful and the title went into a long downhill skid. Despite the controversial outting of Northstar as a gay superhero in issue #106, the book ended two years later. Two subsequent attempts to revive the book, the first as a conspiracy theory mystery, the second as a superhero comedy, were both short-lived failures. Marvel blamed the failures on the fact that the Canadian comics market wasn’t strong enough to support a mainstream book. Others pointed to the quality of the creative teams and the degree to which it had strayed from the original characters and concept. In 2006, Marvel’s creative staff wiped out all but a few members of Alpha Flight in an off-panel death scene, To old fans, it felt like a slap in the face. In 2007, Marvel feeling that the Alpha Flight name “left a bad taste in people’s mouths”, fielded an Omega Flight team that included only one Canadian. Aside from Wolverine and the pages of Alpha Flight, Marvel has no other Canadian superheroes. DC, despite many Canadian comic book creators and a sizable market, has only two Canadian superheroes: Flying Fox of the Young All-Stars, who appeared once in the Global Guardians in 1994. Editorial Cartoonists An area where Canada has always excelled is in the art of the editorial cartoon. Known for their no-holds-barred approach, Canada’s editorial cartoonists have contributed to a half-century of cynicism toward Canadian politicians. Duncan MacPherson, Terry Mosher, Len Norris, Roy Peterson and Ben Wicks are probably the best known editorial cartoonists of the last two generations. Canadian Creators Canadians who have contributed to the American comic book industry include names like Hal Foster, Darwyn Cooke, Todd McFarlane, Gene Day, Tom Grummet, Cary Nord, Bernie Mireault, Stuart Immonen, Colin Upton, and many others. The strongest voice in Canadian comics is probably Drawn and Quarterly, a Montreal-based publisher of independent comics who published Doucet’s aforementioned Dirty Plotte. Another Drawn and Quarterly publication, Chester Brown’s graphic novel Riel, may be the definitive biography (in any media) of the Métis leader.

Re: CotN Outtakes The next entry of things cut from CotN for time and space reasons. Enjoy. ------ COMET Membership Comet Gold (leader), Comet Black (second-in-command), Comet Red, Comet Green, and Comet Blue. Background In 2001, while on a field trip in the Canadian Shield, five college students from Carleton University discovered an alien object buried in the frozen north. Before they could contact the authorities, the slumbering artifact came to life. Driven an unknown directive, it latched onto each of the five students and attempted to refuel itself from their life essences. Discovering they were incompatible, the artifact converted them into living solar batteries, but the effort expended in the conversion process killed the object before it could start the refueling cycle. Now empowered as living solar batteries, the five students did what any red-blooded Canadian man or woman would do —become superheroes. Returning to Ottawa, they revealed what had happened to the authorities. They arrived in Ottawa just in time to intercept an attack on the city by the villainous Baron Nihil, who was attempting to assassinate Canada’s top field general. Adam Elliot urged the team into battle, and proved to be a capable leader in his attack on the Nazi science horror. Impressed by their showing, the authorities asked them to put their powers to good use, so they spent several years training with the RCMP and the Canadian military (while continuing their studies at Carleton). They were inaugurated as Ottawa’s official superhero team in 2003. and dubbed COMET (City of Ottawa Metahuman Emergency Team). The team is led by Comet Gold, who’s assisted by his four teammates are Comet Red, Comet Green, Comet Blue, and Comet Black. The team is usually stationed near the House of Commons when it’s in session. Their most famous battle took place in 2006, when they repelled an attack by Borealis on the House of Commons. This was one of many battles they’ve had in the Ottawa region. COMET is known for versatility and teamwork rather than raw power. The origin of the alien species responsible for the COMET armor is a mystery: in the 1980s, astronaut Michael O’Dowd was enhanced with similar powers after an encounter with aliens and became the (now-retired) superhero Solar Sentinel (though Sol had a 50 STR in addition to the suite of other abilities). It’s possible that COMET isn’t the only bio-solar superhumans around. Powers/Tactics The COMET suit is a bioluminescent weave that’s a plant-based lifeform that’s integrated itself into the pilot’s body. It requires direct sunlight or an equivalent light source to trigger the COMET transformation; the process takes a full phase. The COMET armor can be stripped from a pilot, but it can regrow (this requires five minutes of direct exposure to sunlight). The Aid to the Endurance Reserve power serves as an acceptable substitute for sunlight. When the suit’s active, the pilot becomes enveloped in a field of semi-solid bioluminescence that he or she can manipulate at will. The COMET armor does not function for anyone except the members of the team who were converted by the alien. The one exception was Dr. Phillip Ross, who stole samples of the COMET to use in his biotech experiments, which resulted in the creation of the monstrous Numon (now destroyed). Given how Numon’s powers worked, the COMET suit may actually be a chrysalis stage of an extraterrestrial metamorphic cycle, and one day the COMET team may wake up to find themselves summoning a different armor with more powerful — and more alien — capabilities. Tactically, the COMET team keeps things simple. They maintain distance and air cover on their foe, assign one team member to protect innocents, and then attack at range, with everyone using a different attack power on a target, then teaming up with a combined blast if that doesn’t take them out of the fight. Each of them wears one of the alien COMET suits of powered armor, a bioluminescent weave that’s a plant-based lifeform which has integrated itself into the wearer’s body. Thus, the suits look far more “organic” than typical powered armor, though they have plenty of “technological” features as well. Each COMET member’s suit matches his color-code designation, with gold highlights and trim, except for Comet Gold whose suit is gold with black highlights and trim. Campaign Use: For the purposes of Hunteds, the COMET team, and Comet Gold should be considered to have NCI. No individual member except Gold has that designation. COMET Plot Seeds 1. It’s No Fun, Being An Illegal Alien: You do a favor for a stranded extraterrestrial, when he casually mentions that the COMET team raped and murdered its children! It claims that the creatures that bonded with COMET were meant to bond with a different species, but when COMET “forced” them to bond, they effectively murdered them! How do you solve this crisis in extraterrestrial relations? 2. Dire Consequences: While he’s visiting your city, Residual programming by Borealis kicks in, and COMET Black once again becomes Dire! But how did Dire get an army of brainwashed citizens to serve at his side as they attack a local power plant? Is something bigger going on? 3. We Stand On Guard... So Stay Out of Our Way!: You’ve been asked to guard foreign dignitaries at a summit of world leaders... and COMET is there to protect the Canadian Prime Minister. But every one at the conference seems to be acting strangely... and when the Canadian Prime Minister pulls a gun and shoots one of your country’s cabinet ministers... and your country’s Vice-President/Deputy Prime Minister starts firing back. What’s going on? And is it your imagination, or is COMET acting strangely too? COMET (template) Val Char Cost Roll Notes 20 STR 10 13- Lift 400 kg; 4d6 HTH damage [2] 20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 28 CON 36 15- 14 BODY 8 12- 18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 13- 10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3 20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6 14 COM 2 12- 10 PD 6 Total: 10/20 PD (0/10 rPD) 10 ED 4 Total: 10/20 ED (0/10 rED) 6 SPD 30 Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 10 REC 0 56 END 0 40 STUN 2 Total Characteristics Cost: 146 Movement: Flight 20”/160” Cost Powers END 17 Endurance Reserve (100 END, 15 REC) Reserve: (25 Active Points); REC: (15 Active Points); Conditional Power: Only Recovers In Direct Sunlight (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) 0 35 Bioluminescent Powers: Multipower, 53-point reserve, (53 Active Points); all slots OIF (-1/2) 3u 1) Light Blast: Energy Blast 10 1/2d6 (53 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 5 3u 2) Sight Group Flash 4 1/2d6, Area Of Effect (6” Cone; +1), Selective (+1/4) (52 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) 5 3u 3) Solid Light Band: Entangle 5d6, 5 DEF (50 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 5 3u 4) Solid Light Barrier: Force Wall (10 PD/11 ED) (53 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 5 3u 5) Bioluminescent Leech: Drain END 2 1/2d6, Ranged (+1/2), Armor Piercing (+1/2) (50 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 5 1u 6) Invisibility to Radio Group and Normal Sight (15 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 1 3u 7) Light Fingers: Telekinesis (28 STR), Fine Manipulation (52 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 5 3u 8) Recharge Another Member’s Energy: Aid Endurance Reserve 3 1/2d6, Ranged (to Endurance Reserve; +1/2) (52 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 0 50 Comet Flight: Flight 20,” x16 Noncombat, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Noncombat acceleration/deceleration (+1) (137 Active Points); Fuel Dependent (fuel is Very Common; must refuel Once per 6 Hours; -3/4), OIF (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2) 0 15 Armor (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Activation Roll 14- (-1/2) 0 13 Life Support (Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing) (19 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) 0 Perks 3 Fringe Benefit: Federal/National Police Powers Skills 6 +2 w/ Multipower 8 Penalty Skill Levels: +4 vs. Range Modifier with Multipower 2 Penalty Skill Level: +1 vs. Flight penalties 2 AK: Central Canada 11- 2 CK: Ottawa 11- 2 Language: French (fluent) 3 Navigation 13- 2 SS: Biotechnology 11- 3 Teamwork 13- (44+) Additional Skills (se each individual agent) Total Powers & Skills Cost: 208 (253) Total Cost: 331 (375) 200+ Disadvantages 5 Distinctive Features: Powered armor suit Wearer (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly Used Senses) 10 Hunted by Canadian Government (As Powerful, Watching, NCI, 11-) 10 Hunted by Borealis (More Powerful, Watching, NCI, 8-) 15 Physical Limitation: Cannot Change Into Suit Except In Direct Sunlight (Frequently, Greatly Impairing) 10 Susceptibility: Herbicides 2d6 damage Instant (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY Darkness Attacks (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Darkness (Uncommon) 115+ Other Disadvantages and Experience Total Disadvantage Points: 375 The members of the COMET team are: Comet Gold Adam Elliot, head of COMET, is a graduate student at Carleton who’s working on his doctoral thesis in biotechnology. Something of a science prodigy, as a teenager, he interned as a major Ontario biotech firm, only to discover it was being used as a front for Teleios. He exposed the connection to the general public, and earned the enmity of the Perfect Man. Adam and Ben (Comet Black) are both romantic rivals over Jocelyn’s (Comet Green) affections. So far, the more outgoing Comet Black is winning, however those who know them can tell that the true bond of affection is between Adam and Jocelyn. Powers 10 2d6 Luck Skills 3 Acrobatics 13- 3 Breakfall 13- 3 Computer Programming 13- 3 Electronics 13- 3 Inventor 13- 3 KS: The Superhuman World 12- 3 Mechanics 13- 3 Scientist 3 SS: Chemistry 13- 3 SS: Mathematics 13- 3 SS: Optics 13- 3 SS: Physics 13- 3 SS: Robotics 13- Total Additional Powers/Skills: 49 Total Character Points: 380 Additional Disadvantages 5 Enraged if Innocents Hurt (8-, Recover 14-) 15 Hunted by Teleios (More Powerful, 8-) 15 Psychological Limitation: Code Vs Killing (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Intense Scientific Curiosity (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Overly Protective of COMET Red (Common, Moderate). 10 Rivalry (Professional, Romantic, w/Comet Black) 60 Experience Bonus 380 Total Points Comet Black The son of James and Matelyn Pryce, who were engineers on various NASA projects in the 1990s (and who died testing an experimental rocket engine ten years ago), Ben Pryce is an electronics genius in addition to his other pastimes. Ben is handsome, charismatic, and an insufferable egotist. He believes that only the rational mind of a trained scientist is fit to rule the world, and that anyone who disagrees with his view should shut up and get out of his way. Although he denies it, Ben has one foot in the supervillain camp, though his love for Jocelyn Dumont and a certain noblesse oblige attitude toward the innocent keeps him with the team. Lately, however, he’s been courted by both Teleios and Borealis, who’ve asked him to turn on COMET. Ben repudiated them (violently), however he’s becoming very resentful about Adam’s leadership role on the team and his relationship with Jocelyn. Teleios’s arguments seem especially persuasive, though he refuses to admit it. Under Borealis’s mental control he once assumed the costumed identity of the villain Dire and though his teammates snapped him out of it, part of him really enjoyed the walk on the dark side. Powers 10 Analyzer: Analyze Circuitry (Detect Electrical Device, Sense, Range. Discriminate, Analyze, OAF) Skills 3 Computer Programming 13- 3 Cryptography 13- 3 Deduction 13- 3 Electronics 13- 3 Inventor 13- 3 Mechanics 13- 3 Oratory 13- 3 Scientist 3 SS: Dimensional Theory 13- 3 SS: Nuclear Physics 13- 3 SS: Physics 13- 3 SS: Robotics 13- 3 Systems Operations 13- Total Additional Powers/Skills: 49 Total Character Points: 380 Additional Disadvantages 5 Enraged if Physically Struck (8-, Recover 14-) 5 Hunted by Teleios (More Powerful, Watching, 8-) 10 Psychological Limitation: Shows Contempt Whenever Someone Displays or Admits Ignorance (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Code Vs Killing (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Overconfidence (Common, Moderate) 10 Rivalry (Professional, Romantic, w/Comet Gold) 60 Experience Bonus 380 Total Points COMET Blue Josh Jordan was always an adventurous kid, and though many people considered him a dumb jock, he had an interest in mysteries and conspiracies, the latter inspired by his dad, a famous literary critic. When his parents died in a tragic accident in his freshman year at Carleton, Josh took a year away from school and blew through his trust fund to finance a globe-hopping adventure spree. That year solidified his interest in archeology and mysticism. When he returned to Carleton, he wanted to maintain his interests, which led him to join the fateful expedition where COMET was created. A good friend and trusted teammate, Josh’s sense of humor and high-spirits make it natural for his friends to lean on his broad shoulders, even COMET Black. Powers 13 Extra Strength: STR +30, No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Extra Time: One Phase to Activate, (-1/4), Increased END Cost (x2) (-1/2) 4 5 1d6 Luck Skills 10 +2 Levels w/HtH 3 Acrobatics 13- 3 Breakfall 13- 2 KS: Canadian History 11- 2 KS: The Mystic World 11- 3 SS: Archeology 12- 3 Survival 13- Total Additional Powers/Skills: 44 Additional Disadvantages 5 Enraged if Accused of Being Irresponsible (8-, Recover 14-) 5 Hunted by Teleios (More Powerful, Watching, 8-) 10 Psychological Limitation: Code Vs Killing (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Easily Bored (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Excessively Curious (Common, Moderate) 65 Experience Bonus 375 Total Points Comet Red Benny Harris was a bright kid who came from shady stock; his dad, a native of Shelbourne Nova Scotia, was a smuggler as well as a fisherman. Benny received a bursary to Carleton and engaged in a bit of petty crime before he got his powers. When the COMET team was born, Benny suggested becoming supervillains, but the others stared him down. More or less forced to become a superhero, he’s managed to settle into the role, however he’s still the least heroic of the COMET crew and the greediest. Nonetheless, Benny really likes the adoration of the people and won’t screw that up — unless something very tempting comes his way. Powers 10 Endurance Boost 2d6 Absorption (physical, to END) 12 Size Boost: Growth (+20 STR, +4 BODY, 4 STUN, -4” KB, 400 kg, +0 DCV, +0 PER Rolls to perceive character, 4 m tall, 2 m wide), Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4) (12 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x4 END; -3/4), Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to Activate, -1/4) 8 2 +1” Running Skills 10 +2 Levels w/HtH 3 Navigation (sea) 12- 2 PS: Fisherman 11- 2 PS: Writer 11- 3 Streetwise 13- 3 Survival (maritime) 13 3 TF: Small Motored Boats, Large Motored Boats, Small Sailboats Total Additional Powers/Skills: 53 Additional Disadvantages 5 Enraged when insulted (8-, Recover 14-) 10 Psychological Limitation: Code Vs Killing (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Harbors Grudges For No Good Reason (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Greedy (Common, Moderate) 74 Experience Bonus 384 Total Points Comet Green Jocelyn Paiemont was born in Laval, Quebec, Her father was not Nicholas Paiemont, the man who raised her, but rather, it was Henri Lalonde, the supervillain Punition! Jocelyn’s parents tried to hide the truth from her (and her twin sister Genevieve), Against the odds, Jocelyn has managed to live a very normal life until she received her powers. The recent revelation of her true parentage has deeply conflicted her — and has all but driven her sister into her natural father’s arms, just as Genevieve’s own powers start to emerge. Powers 10 Strong Will: +5 EGO 10 Pheromones: +3 DCV, only against those attracted to women (-1/2) 20 Touch of Grace: Mental Illusions 10d6, Limited Power: Pleasing Images Only, Can’t Do Damage (-1/2), No Range (-1/4), Extra Time: Full Phase (1/2). 5 Skills 3 Animal Handler 13- 3 Combat Driving 13- 3 Conversation 13- 3 Persuasion 13- 3 SS: Biochemistry 12- Total Additional Powers/Skills: 55 Additional Disadvantages 5 DNPC sister (slightly less competent. 11-) 5 Hunted by Teleios (More Powerful, Watching, 8-) 10 Hunted by Punition (As Powerful, Capture, 8-) 10 Psychological Limitation: Code Vs Killing (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Nervous Around Guns (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Reckless, Moderate) 66 Experience Bonus 386 Total Points

Re: CotN Outtakes Some historical characters today, two for Western Hero, and one for Pulp. Plus a Canadian variant on a werewolf,. A PDF is unlikely. I don't know how Cryptic would feel about semi-official versions of their IP in published format; it would require editing time from Steve that he probably doesn't have, and there's no one available to do layout except me, and my InDesign is on a dead (for the moment) computer. ---------- LOUIS RIEL 13 STR 11 DEX 15 CON 14 BODY 18 NT 10 EGO 23 PRE 10 COM 5 PD 5 ED 3 SPD 6 REC 30 END 29 STUN Abilities: AK: Red River Territory 13-; CuK: Métis 14-; KS: Law 13-; KS: Philosophy 13-; KS: Theology 15-; Language: English (completely fluent); Language: Latin (completely fluent); Language: Siouan (fluent conversation); Oratory 14-; Persuasion 14-; Riding 11-; Survival 13-; SS: 19th Century General Science Knowledge 12-; Tactics 13-; Tracking 8-; Trading 8- 200+ Disadvantages: Psychological Limitation: Messianic Complex (Common, Strong); Psychological Limitation: Protective of his people (Common, Moderate); Reputation: Murderous Traitor or Savior of His People, 14- (Extreme); Social Limitation: Wanted Criminal Agitator (Frequently, Major) Notes: The most controversial figure in Canadian history, Louis Riel is a brilliant but taciturn man who received extensive religious training in the general knowledge of the day and who worked as a law clerk for a Quebec firm (though he hated it). Sam Steele The greatest Mountie of them all was not named Do-right, but Steele — Sam Steele (1849-1919). A handsome strapping man of boundless energy and resolve, Steele’s military training prepared him well for the ordeals of the NWMP. He was the third man inducted into the force and participated in the Long March west, establishing himself as one of the force’s mainstays. As with the other NWMP, he enjoyed good relations with the First Nations bands of his day. Steele fought in the Battle of Batoche and the subsequent battle at Loon Lake to put down Riel’s First Nations allies, and established Fort Steele in British Columbia’s Kootenay Valley to control the Kootenay Gold Rush. After spending a decade wandering the northwest to bring order to trouble spots (usually without drawing a gun even in the most dire of situations), Steele was given the task of commanding the NWMP in the Yukon at the height of the gold rush. Steele’s term as superintendent was firm and fair (if not always legal). When he left in 1899 to join the Boer War, the residents of Dawson threw a parade to cheer him off, and gave him a bag of gold dust as a parting gift. Steele served in the Boer War and in the First World War, where he often clashed with commanding officers who wanted to relegate him to recruitment efforts. Steele died shortly after the war during the influenza outbreak at the age of 70. His son Harwood’s 1923 novel, Spirit-of-Iron drew heavily on his father’s adventures. SAM STEELE 20 STR 15 DEX 18 CON 18 BODY 18 INT 18 EGO 23 PRE 12 COM 9 PD 8 ED 3 SPD 10 REC 36 END 40 STUN Abilities: Observant: +1 PER with Sight Group; Foot Pursuit: Running +1” (7” total); Intimidating Presence: +10 PRE (10 Active Points); Conditional Power Only For PRE Attacks, Requires Eye Contact (-1/2); Basic Fisticuffs: Martial Block; Martial Grab; Contacts (4 points’ worth); Fringe Benefit: Local Police Powers; Fringe Benefit: Police Officer; Fringe Benefit: Captain (British Artillery); Reputation: Tough but Fair Negotiator and Lawman (A medium-sized group) 14-, +3/+3d6; Environmental Movement (no penalties on Temperate Wilderness); +3 Overall; AK: The Yukon 13-; AK: Alberta/Eastern BC 11-; Bureaucratics 14-; Conversation 14-; Interrogation 14-; CK: Dawson City 11-; KS: Criminal Law And Procedure 11-; KS: The Law Enforcement World 11-; KS: RCMP 11-; Language: Siouan (fluent conversation); Language: French (fluent conversation); PS: Police Officer (or the like) 11-; Navigation 13-; Oratory 14-; Persuasion 14-; Riding 12-; Survival 14-; Tactics 13-; Tracking 13-; Teamwork 12-; WF: Emplaced Weapons, Small Arms 200+ Disadvantages: Distinctive Features: Uniform and/or Badge (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses); Hunted: department he works for 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching); Psychological Limitation: Prejudiced Against Non-Anglo Saxons (Uncommon, Moderate); Psychological Limitation: Mild Bouts of Alcoholism (Common, Moderate); Psychological Limitation: Prefers to Solve Problems Without Guns (Common, Moderate); Psychological Limitation: Politically Ambitious (Uncommon, Moderate); Rivalry: Professional (Other RCMP officers seeking political favor), Rival is As Powerful, Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival, Rival Aware of Rivalry; Reputation: Agent of the Canadian Government, 8-; Social Limitation: Subject To Orders (Very Frequently, Major) SIR FREDERICK BANTING 10 STR 11 DEX 13 CON 12 BODY 20 INT 13 EGO 18 PRE 10 COM 4 PD 4 ED 3 SPD 5 REC 26 END 24 STUN Abilities: Reputation: Medical celebrity (A large group) 14-, +3/+3d6; Animal Handler 13-; Bureaucratics 13-; Deduction 13-; Inventor 13-; KS: Painting 11-; KS: Theology 11-; Paramedics 13-; PS: Farmer 8-; PS: Researcher 14-; Scientist; 1) SS: Aeronautics 12-; 2) SS: Anatomy 13-; 3) SS: Medicine 17-; 4) Veterinary Medicine 13-; WF: Small Arms Disadvantages: Social Limitation: Celebrity (Occasionally, Major); Psychological Limitation: Obsessed with achieving new medical discoveries (Common, Moderate) Notes: Banting served in the First World War, where he won a Military Cross for his bravery. His interest in medical discoveries and their practical application in the military might make him a good Canadian NPC for a Pulp Hero game. B]Loup Garou[/b] 20 STR 20 DEX 18 CON 16 BODY 10 INT 10 EGO 20 PRE 10 COM 9 PD 6 ED 4 SPD 8 REC 36 END 35 STUN Abilities: Shapechanging: Multiform (change shape into 150-point human or animal; true form is half-animal form) (150 Character Points in the most expensive form) (x2 Number Of Forms) (35 Active Points); Extra Time (Extra Phase, -3/4); Fangs/Bite: HKA 1d6+1 (2 1/2d6 w/STR); Claws: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR) (15 Active Points); Reduced Penetration (-1/4); Lycantrope’s Bite: Major Transform 7d6 ((lasts for 101 days, recognizing someone, drawing blood, then not speaking of it)), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (210 Active Points); Conditional Power Only to one person (next person in the curse) (-1), Always On (-1/2), Limited Target humans (-1/2), All Or Nothing (-1/2); Lycanthropic Resilience: Damage Resistance (2 PD/2 ED); Lycanthropic Resilience: (Total: 30 Active Cost, 25 Real Cost) Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% (Real Cost: 15) plus Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% (15 Active Points); Does Not Work Against Fire Attacks Limited Type of Attack (-1/2) (Real Cost: 10); Lycantrope’s Legs: Running +3” (9” total); Wolf’s Legs: Leaping +2” (6” forward, 3” upward); Lycanthropic Senses: +2 PER with All Sense Groups; Lycantrope’s Eyes: Ultraviolet Perception (Sight Group) (Sight Group); Lycanthropic Nose: Discriminatory Sense with Normal Smell; Lycanthropic Nose: Tracking with Normal Smell; Red In Tooth And Claw (; Avoid Harm; Chomp/Claw Slash; Holding Bite; Knockover)+3 with HTH Combat; Animal Handler (Canines) 13-; Concealment 11-; PS: Human profession 12-; Shadowing 11-; Stealth 13-; Survival 11-; Tracking 11-; WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons 75+ Disadvantages: Enraged: Berserk in combat or when injured Very Common, go 11-, recover 11-; Physical Limitation: Human size (up to about 3m tall and 650 kg); Physical Limitation: Human form is sickly during the curse (Frequently, Greatly Impairing); Physical Limitation: Cursed for 101 days (Frequently, Greatly Impairing); Psychological Limitation: Hungers for blood in were form (Common, Moderate) Notes:: The Loupe Garou is a variation on the traditional werewolf legend. The Loupe Garou transforms into a beast at night (usually into a wolf, however cows, horses, and other animals are not unknown). Many of the associations of the traditional curse do not apply: silver and the moon play no part in it. Instead; the curse of the Loupe-Garou lasts for 101 days; the victim will be sickly during the day and a ravenous predator at night, and passes on the curse to someone he knows, which comes into effect at the end of the 101 days. If someone recognizes him in were form and draws blood from him in monstrous form, then the curse will be lifted; they may not, however, speak of the incident until the 101 days are up, or both men will become accursed.

Re: CotN Outtakes CANADA in A Non-Champions World Champions is a great game, but it’s not the only Hero System game in town. For those interested in playing pulp, western, and other historical games, here are suitable package deals. Traditional Inuit Package Deal The nomadic hunting culture of the Inuit led a harsh life in some of the most formidable terrain on the planet. This is close to the package deal for a modern Inuit; because they’re more settled, they should have one less rank in Survival, and TF: Snowmobile. Cost Powers END Talents 2 Environmental Movement (no penalties on) Skills 3 Animal Handler 11- 2 KS: Inuit Lore 11- 2 KS: The Spirit World 11- 0 Language (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 2 PS: Inuit Warrior 11- 1 Navigation 8- 7 Survival 13- 3 Tracking 11- 1 WF: Polearms and Spears 3 TF: Dog Sleds, Dogs, Sleds Total Powers & Skills Cost: 26 Total Cost: 26 200+ Disadvantages 5 Social Limitation: Aboriginal (Occasionally, Minor) Package Disadvantages: 21 Lumberjack Package Deal The Lumberjack is one of the most enduring symbols of Canada, from the days of its first colonists to the modern day: the lumberjack has always been a symbol of Canadian manhood from Quebec to British Columbia. Cost Powers END Powers 5 Perfect Chop: Find Weakness 11- w/axe and saws, Conditional Power: Only Against Trees (-2) Talents 2 Environmental Movement (no penalties on) Skills 3 Log Rolling: Acrobatics 11- 9 Climbing 14- 3 Hoist 11- 4 PS: Lumberjack 13- 3 Survival 11- 3 Teamwork 11- Total Powers & Skills Cost: 32 Total Cost: 32 Disadvantages 5 Distinctive Features: Lumberjack Clothing (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) Total Disadvantage Points: 5 Total Package Cost: 29 Plains First Nations Package Deal Adventurers in the Wild West era would be most likely to encounter an “Indian brave” from a buffalo hunting tribe like the Cree, Blackfoot, Assiniboine or Blood nations; this is a package of likely skills possessed by a brave. Cost Powers END Skills 1 Animal Handler 8- 2 KS: Band Lore 11- 2 KS: The Spirit World 11- 0 Language (Siouan or Algonquian) (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 2 PS: Band Warrior 11- 1 Navigation 8- 3 Riding 11- 3 Survival 11- 3 Tracking 11- 2 WF: Common Melee Weapons Total Powers & Skills Cost: 19 Total Cost: 19 Disadvantages 10 Social Limitation: Status Indian (Frequently, Minor) Total Package Cost: 9 Voyageur Package Deal Voyageurs were the courageous backwoods traders who worked for the Hudson’s Nay or Northwest Company during the 18th and 19th century. Adept woodsmen who could endure many seasons in Canada’s most formidable wilderness, the voyageur traveled long distances in pursuit of his fortune. Voyageurs often worked closely with Indians, and would almost certainly be conversant in one of the major Indian languages. Hivernants, those who expect to live in remote forts during the coldest winter months, might have a better Survival skill. Those stationed in the far north might also have Animal Handler (canines), Survival (arctic), and TF: Sled. Voyageur Package Cost Powers END Talents 2 Environmental Movement (no penalties on) Skills 2 AK: Canadian Wilderness 11- 3 Bureaucratics 11- 3 Climbing 11- 3 Combat Driving 11- 3 Hoist 11- 3 KS: Native Culture 12- 3 KS: Trapping 12- 2 Language: one First Nations language (fluent conversation) 3 Mechanics 11- 3 Navigation (land) 11- 3 PS: Fur Trader 12- 6 Survival (Temperate/Subtropical) 13- 3 Teamwork 11- 3 Tracking 11- 3 Trading 11- 0 TF: Small Rowed Boats Total Powers & Skills Cost: 48 Total Cost: 48 Disadvantages 5 Social Limitation: Prejudice: Rustic (Occasionally, Minor) 10 Social Limitation: Subject to Orders from HBC or NWC (Occasionally, Major) Total Disadvantage Points: 15 Total Package Cost: 33 The Pulp Era Prohibition Rumrunner Package Deal “Then drink to the Volstead, oh, long may it last, And drink to the small boats, oh, may they be fast, To outrun the Coast Guards and land the good liquor, At beaches where signal is just a lamp’s flicker. “For some there’s a fortune but others will die, Come load up the ship, boys, the Yankees are dry. -- Rumrunner Drinking Song Not the most honorable or safest of professions, nonetheless, the Rumrunner was an important figure (and common adventuring profession) in the 1920s and early 1930s. Many rumrunners were caught and imprisoned, but some survived to become quite wealthy. Rumrunner Package Deal Perks 2 Contact: Criminal Underworld 11- 2 Contact: Other Rumrunners 11- Skills 3 Combat Driving 11- 3 Contortionist 11- 2 Navigation (Marine) 11- 2 PS: Rumrunner 11- 1 Language: Smuggler’s Codes (basic conversation) 1 Mechanics 8- 1 Systems Operation 8- 1 TF: Small Motorized Boats Total Powers & Skills Cost: 18 Total Cost: 18 0+ Disadvantages 5 Hunted: Revenue Agents 8- (Less Pow, NCI, Limited Geographical Area, Harshly Punish) Total Disadvantage Points: 5 Total Package Cost: 13 MODERN PACKAGE DEALS Quebec Cirque Performer Cost Powers END 7 Surprising Bounce: Leaping +2” (4” forward, 2” upward) (Accurate) 1 Skills 8 +4 with grab-bys 3 Acrobatics 11- 3 Acting 11- 3 Breakfall 11- 3 Contortionist 11- 3 Hoist 11- 5 PS: Circus Performer 14- 3 PS: Mime 12- 3 Teamwork 11- Total Powers & Skills Cost: 41 Total Cost: 41 200+ Disadvantages 5 Distinctive Features: Costume (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) Total Disadvantage Points: 5 Total Package Cost: 13 Ten Scenarios for Pulp Hero in Canada Champions is a great game, but it’s not the only Hero System game in town. Here are scenarios that can be run involving Canada (or set in Canada) to give Pulp Hero games a boost. 1. Bride of Kigatilik!: The evil Eskimo (Inuit is recent usage) spirit Kigatilik seeks the perfect bride! He hopes to breed a demonic son that will hunt down and kill every angakok, and he wants a girlfriend of one of the PCs. (For a male alternative, Sedna is looking for the “most masculine and heroic male of humankind” to serve as his paramour to breed a new species of killer whale! If there ain’t a big two-fisted lug among your PCs who fits that description, you shouldn’t be playing pulp). Soon evil Eskimo cultists are hunting their quarry and it’s up to you to stop them! 2. Exorcism: He’s Prime Minister of Canada, and he’s also someone who holds seances to talk with his mom. What happens if William Lyon Mackenzie King starts using Canada’s influence to persuade foreign powers to loan valuable occult artifacts to Canada, allegedly for museum shows, but actually for a terrible occult ritual. How do you fight a demonically possessed Prime Minister? 3. Exclude This, You Little Weasel!: Members of Vancouver’s Asian Exclusion League are joining forces with their American counterparts to plan a coordinated assault on Asian communities along the west coast, hoping to strike such a savage blow that they’ll be driven off the continent! Stop them. 4. Nose to Bluenose: (Requires an American-based team with a sailing background). Seeing that a PCs has an interest in sailing, a wealthy American millionaire spends a great deal of money and hires the PC for a very special mission: defeat the legendary Nova Scotia fishing schooner Bluenose and win the Fisherman’s Cup at all costs. However, you get a very bad vibe from the eccentric millionaire, and you wonder if there isn’t a hidden agenda in play. Canadian version: You’re friends with the crew of the Bluenose, and they make you an honorary crew member. Then they fall sick to a virus on the eve of the Fisherman’s Cup, and you’re the only “crew member” who’s healthy enough to sail the ship. The judges will allow you to compete on their behalf if you can find a crew in fifteen minutes. But what other evil schemes will your opponents try to win the race? 5 Shame of the Yankees: The first home run that Babe Ruth hit was when he played in Toronto, and allegedly landed in Lake Ontario. Now you’ve discovered word of a plot to use that baseball in a magic spell that will prevent the Babe from ever hitting another home run again. What kind of creep would do a thing like that, a Dodgers fan? Get the baseball before he does! 6. Death Ray of the North: A mad scientist builds a laboratory atop the Magnetic North Pole (currently in territory claimed by Canada, on an ice sheet over the Arctic Ocean). When the aurora borealis reaches its peak, he’ll be able to harness the earth’s magnetic field and create a death ray to attack any target on earth! Someone needs to stop this madman, now! 7. Bolshevik Bombast vs. Yankee Fury: A ring of Bolsheviks is spreading discontent in the heartland of America’s cities, inciting discontent on the poor deluded people of the Great Depression. They’re the same mob who have been causing riots up in Canada. Someone needs to go up to their hidden base in the slums of Toronto to stop them, but they’re being protected by one of the rarest creatures on Earth -- a corrupt Mountie! 8. Rum Line or Bust: When a friend/respected rival G-man is gunned down by a gunman sent by Canadian rumrunners, it’s up to you to even the score. However, the person responsible is holed up in a rumrunner’s smuggler’s den (Cowichan Bay in British Columbia, an island in Lake Ontario, Smuggler’s Cove (near Lunenberg Nova Scotia). Infiltrate it and bring that rat to justice! Canadian Version; He may have been a smuggler, but he wasn’t a bad guy! Now he’s been gunned down by a pack of mad dogs calling themselves G-men. Your friend deserves better than that. He deserves justice… Canadian justice! And it’s up to you to give it to him. 9 The Mighty Canadian: There’s a new heavyweight boxer in town, and he’s Canadian: Quebec’s Matthieu Deglise. However, he has a secret: he’s an immortal who maintains his immortality by defending the honor of French Canada in the boxing ring. When he wins a championship, his immortality is assured for another generation. However, should he loses a championship fight, he’ll die. Furthermore, his victories always have a price: every champion he’s beaten since 1620 has experienced a tragic, fatal accident shortly after their defeat. 10. Hope of the Future: It’s 1924. There’s some ten-year-old kid named Joe who delivers papers for the Toronto Daily Star who likes to draw. A mystical villain predicts he’ll bring a vision of great hope to the world. The villain is a really evil sorcerer who wants to dash all hope for mankind, so he’s trying to kill the kid before he can achieve it. You need to find a way to protect him and defeat the villain. The kid’s last name is Shuster, and the hope he’ll bring is named Superman.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? "Frail" -- Jars of Clay

Re: CotN Outtakes The original Red Ensign would be "Maple Leaf Forever"; his successors would be: "O Canada". Glad you guys liked it. Here's some stuff cut from the Hockey section. Rod: Jim Brock played two seasons for Chicago and three seasons for Detroit. He wanted to play for the Leafs but never got his chance, though he spent some time with the Marlies prior to his NHL career. He retired from the NHL in 1962. --- Hockey Package Deal Skills 3 Breakfall 11- 2 PS: Hockey 11- Martial Arts: [Professional Hockey] Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 4 Body Check +0 -2 4d6 +v/5 Strike, FMove 5 Strip the Puck -1 -1 Disarm, 20 STR to Disarm; FMove 5 Passing Strike +1 +0 2d6 +v/5; FMove 5 Hip Check +0 +0 2d6 +v/5; Target Falls; FMove 4 Shove +0 +0 25 STR to Shove 5 Steal the Puck +0 +0 Grab Weapon, 20 STR to take weapon away 4 Weapon Bind +1 +0 Bind, 20 STR 1 Weapon Element: Polearms and Spears 1 TF: Skates Powers END 6 Good Skating Legs: Running +3” 1 Total Powers & Skills Cost: 45 Total Cost: 45 Note: "Goons" should probably have some sort of brawling package ("Five for Fighting"). Elite players will have a higher PS, some levels with puck passing, DCV levels only usable on ice, an extra inch or two of running (Only while wearing skates on an ice surface), connections with agents, sports reporters and publicists, Reputation, and an extra level of Wealth. Hockey and Superheroes If you’re running a Champions game, there’s a number of ways you can integrate hockey into your superhero game; some as the scenarios that present themselves include: Hockey Character Origins 1. He Shoots Up, He Scores! Your team’s trainer has hooked up with an evil organization (such as VIPER) to give your team an undetectable performance-enhancing drug. You’re members of a team that’s being mutated – and you don’t like some of the changes you’re seeing in your teammates, some of who are becoming quite psychotic. You need to use your own burgeoning powers to stop them. But once you've exposed the scandal, your playing days will be finished. What else will you do with your time? 2. Power Play You’re members of the Sudbury Meteors, a minor league hockey team on a losing streak, crowded into a rickety old van when a meteor lands nearby. Investigating, you’re engulfed in a strange radiation. You’re a hockey team who’s become superhuman! How do you handle your powers? Hockey Related Champions Scenario Hooks 1. “Nyet, Nyet Soviet, Da Da, Canada!”Baron Nihil decides to get his revenge on Canada where it most hurts – by destroying its greatest moment. He goes back in time to the Summit Series, to make sure Canada loses the final game of the series and destroy the nation’s morale. You need to travel back in time to Russia on September 28, 1972, when Canada played Game 8, and keep people from interfering with the series. Unfortunately, not only do you need to deal with Baron Nihil, you also discover that Soviet superheroes have been ordered to engineer a USSR victory by any means necessary... 2. Try-Out NHL players like to think of themselves as quiet and self-effacing, but not Julian Roentz, a mouthy star forward for the Calgary Flames whose known for his hard play and mouthy attitude. Now approaching the end of his playing days, Roentz has announced that he wants to change careers – other talented normals have become costumed vigilantes, so why not a prime athlete like him? This might be amusing, but he wants to audition for your team. Worse, the media is turning this already ludicrous incident into a real circus. Deal with it. Note: This might make a good origin for a PC, if a player wants to pursue such a concept. 3. The Good Ol’ Hockey Game Cosmos-Prime, a bored galactic entity, has decided to put humanity on trial! He claims that the species lacks the necessary spirit to survive as a member of the galactic brotherhood, and is giving one chance for you to prove yourselves! Kidnapping your team and transporting you to an interdimensional arena, where you have to play a game of hockey against a thuggish team of galactic superbeings. 4. Phantom of the Rink A great old hockey stadium in your town is being demolished to make room for a new, modern arena filled with luxury boxes and other modern sports amenities. Someone doesn’t like this, and mysterious accidents befall people who are involved in the deal. Some even say that the rink is haunted by the ghost of a hockey player who died in a tragic accident. Is it really a ghost? Or is it someone who wants revenge on the new owners? Or an old player who can’t stand losing the place that’s attached to so many of his memories? 5. The Hockey Murders There have been a spree of hockey related murders; one by one, players of a team that won the Cup fifteen years ago are being murdered one by one, and the authorities want a PC private detective to get to the bottom of the case (particularly since there are since the killer was superhuman). Who did it? The coach’s insane ex-wife who blamed the team for covering up an affair? An insane fan or player from the team that lost the Cup? The benched player who was ostracized from the team and then suffered a career-ending injury in a Post-Cup celebratory prank?

Here's something I've been meaning to do for a long time; publish the outtakes from CotN here that Steve cut and gave back to me. Hopefully, these will be useful to someone. We'll start off with the write-up for Canada's national hero, the (alas deceased) Red Ensign. Red Ensign III Val Char Cost Roll Notes 20 STR 10 13- Lift 400.0kg; 4d6 HTH damage [4] 23 DEX 39 14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8 23 CON 26 14- 18 BODY 16 13- 18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 13- 18 EGO 16 13- ECV: 6 24 PRE 14 14- PRE Attack: 4 1/2d6 20 COM 5 13- 10+ PD 6 Total: 10/24 PD (0/14 rPD) 10+ ED 5 Total: 10/24 ED (0/14 rED) 5 SPD 17 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 9 REC 0 46 END 0 40 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 162 Movement: Running: 11”/[Noncombat]” Leaping: 24”/[Noncombat]” Swimming: 6”/[Noncombat]” Cost Powers END 47 Canada Staff: Multipower, 70-point reserve, (70 Active Points); all slots Restrainable (-1/2) 1u 1) Booster Jets: Leaping +20” (24” forward, 12” upward) (20 Active Points); 6 Charges (-3/4), Restrainable (-1/2) 3u 2) Energy Globe: Entangle 5d6, 8 DEF (65 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2) 6 1u 3) Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack) (20 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2) 0 2u 4) Electro-Staff: Hand-To-Hand Attack +8d6 (40 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2) 4 4u 5) Tractor Field: Telekinesis (45 STR) (68 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2) 7 3u 6) Sight Group Images 1” radius, +/-10 to PER Rolls (40 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2) 4 24 Armored Suit: Armor (14 PD/14 ED) (42 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Activation Roll 15- (-1/4) 0 5 Life Support (Self-Contained Breathing) (10 Active Points); OAF (Rebreather; -1) 0 8 Mental Defense (12 points total) 0 10 Super Athlete: Running +5” (11” total) 1 4 Super Athlete: Swimming +4” (6” total) 1 Martial Arts: Self-Defense Training Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 3 Aikido Throw +0 +1 4d6 +v/5, Target Falls 4 Choke -2 +0 Grab One Limb; 2d6 NND 4 Escape +0 +0 35 STR vs. Grabs 4 Hold -1 -1 Grab Three Limbs, 10 STR for holding on 4 Judo Disarm -1 +1 Disarm; 30 STR to Disarm roll 4 Karate “Chop” -2 +0 HKA 1d6 +1 4 Kung Fu Block +2 +2 Block, Abort 4 Boxing Cross +0 +2 6d6 Strike 1 Weapon Element: Clubs 1 Weapon Element: Knives Perks 9 Reputation (A large group (Canadians)) 14-, +3/+3d6 Skills 24 +3 with All Combat 3 Acrobatics 14- 3 Animal Handler 14- 3 Breakfall 14- 3 Bugging 13- 3 Bureaucratics 14- 3 Climbing 14- 3 Combat Driving 14- 3 Computer Programming 13- 3 Concealment 13- 3 Criminology 13- 3 Demolitions 13- 3 Electronics 13- 3 Interrogation 14- 4 KS: Canadian History 14- 5 KS: Paranormals 14- 5 Language: French (imitate dialects) 1 Language: Hebrew (basic conversation) 3 Lockpicking 14- 3 Mechanics 13- 2 Navigation (Land) 13- 3 Oratory 14- 3 Paramedics 13- 5 PS: Architect 14- 3 Security Systems 13- 5 SS: Architecture 14- 3 Shadowing 13- 3 Sleight Of Hand 14- 3 Stealth 14- 3 Streetwise 14- 3 Survival 13- 3 Systems Operation 13- 3 Tactics 13- 3 Teamwork 14- Total Powers & Skills Cost: 284 Total Cost: 445 200+ Disadvantages 10 Dependent NPC: Son 8- (Normal) 5 Enraged: Bullying (Uncommon), go 8-, recover 14- 10 Hunted: Black Banner 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Hunted: Baron Nihil 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Psychological Limitation: Protects the Innocent (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Outspoken Social Conscience (Common, Moderate) 5 Rivalry: Professional (The Memory of Past Red Ensigns; Rival is More Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Unaware of Rivalry) 175 Experience Bonus Total Disadvantage Points: 445 Background: The first Red Ensign was Tommy Brock, a descendent of the great Canadian general of the War of 1812. A steadfast pacifist, he volunteered to fight in the Second World War after his best friend, who’d gone to England as a naval cadet, was badly burned in a U-boat attack. When the hospitalized Billings told Brock of the horrors he knew were being committed by Nazi Germany, Brock repudiated his former pacifist ideals and took on the mantle of the Red Ensign, a symbol of Canadian patriotism. He chose to become a superhero rather than a soldier because only such a brazen symbol (and obvious target) could atone for his stubborn blindness to evil in the years preceding the war. The Red Ensign fought the Nazis for three years. He once even had Hitler in a chokehold (though a Nazi drug caused him to pass out before he could finish off the Feuhrer for good). Escaping from the Nazi firing squad, the Ensign’s deeds promptly Hitler to commission a Nazi scientist named Ernst Von Niehl to destroy him. Eventually, Von Niehl lured the Ensign into a prearranged death trap in Holland and killed him, though at the cost of being trapped for decades in “the annihilation dimension” (from which he emerged as Baron Nihil). The Red Ensign’s legacy haunted the Brock family, and in 1964, that legacy led to a dramatic development for Brock’s nephew Jim, an NHL star turned Toronto policeman. One of Jim’s cases involved an eccentric scientist Dr. Matthew MacNeil, who had been the Golden Age superhero Dr. Cerebro, MacNeil mistook Jim for his uncle, whom he’d known in the Second World War. Futzing through his closet, MacNeil presented the bewildered policeman with a long white-metal rod. “I made it from the metals of King Vultok’s realm,” the scientist explained. “It’s virtually indestructible and it can return to your hand with a gesture. If you learn to use it properly, you’ll be a match for any of these new-fangled supervillains who are starting to show their faces again. I call it… the Canada Staff.” When Jim held the Canada Staff, he knew that his life would be changed. He knew that Canada was under threat from a new wave of costumed villains, and someone needed to take a stand, as his uncle had. After two years of intense training, Jim felt ready to take up the mantle of the Red Ensign. It was 1964. Jim Brock was 29 years old. Years of crimefighting, brawls against superhumans and battles against the elements followed. He had a long, storied career. Jim’s charisma and humility provided a good counterpoint to the flamboyant politicians of the Trudeau era, and he worked well with the authorities. Jim’s early career linked him forever with Canada’s flag debate (see History) and led many to call him “the Lester Pearson of superheroes” (after the Prime Minister who oversaw the start of his career). He was loved and respected by nearly everyone. Although rival heroes like the Mighty Canadians were vastly more powerful, the Red Ensign had the love of the people. However, superhero work is not a game long played by those whose bodies wear out, and by 1976, Jim’s was spent. Broken bones, muscle tears, and numerous concussions had taken a grave toll on him, and even an exo-skeleton couldn’t keep the years and kilometers from showing in his performance. Many politicians, fellow heroes, and folks in the media begged him to retire. Even a few of his old foes tried to persuade him to step aside. Stubbornly Jim refused to quit, though he did found the first incarnation of the Northern Guard in 1978 to provide him with backup. However. a support team couldn’t forestall the inevitable. A head injury he suffered at the hands of Fantastic Bill (a minor otherwise forgettable villain) took away his ability to focus, and finally forced him to step down in 1980. Jim remained as the titular head of the Canadian Guard, but the disabling injuries he suffered made even that work difficult. In 1985, the Canadian government’s attempt to regulate superheroes led to a schism between Brock and the rest of the team. Jim, his teammates said, had always been too close to the government to see what a threat they could be. His life in tatters, the ailing Brock retired to a small town in northern Manitoba, where he died in 1997. The legacy of the Red Ensign hung over the Brock family well after his retirement. Jim’s son Hugh, embittered by his absentee dad and never-ending media scrutiny, took the Canada Staff as his own — but he chose to become a supervillain, and he christened himself the Black Banner. Not particularly successful, Hugh Brock’s stint at villainy embarrassed the family and the nation. In 1999, the Black Banner broke out of prison and bitterly tried to end “the family curse” by killing every male descendent of the Brock family (the idea of a female Red Ensign didn’t seem to occur to him). His first target was his cousin David, Tommy Brock’s sole living grandson. David had been haunted by the specter of the Red Ensign since childhood, but didn’t resent the legacy. David fought back against his cousin, knocking him unconscious and taking the Canada Staff away just as a crew of photographers arrived. “I guess that makes me the new Red Ensign,” David shrugged. A naturally gifted athlete, David Brock had pursued a career in architecture, but he was a bit of a thrillseeker at heart and had a strong social conscience. He grew up in downtown Toronto, and shared the liberal political leanings of many in the urban core. David’s career was controversial, however he performed as admirably as his famous predecessors. Though his attempts to form a new Northern Guard met with failure, he quickly rose to become Canada’s most respected hero and its face to the superhuman community abroad. David discovered, however, that the Canada Staff brought its share of problems, especially enemies. In 2007, during a hostage crisis at the Governor-General’s mansion, Baron Nihil shot him with a variation on the same “annihilation” ray that had struck down his grandfather. The Red Ensign was vaporized in a split second, leaving only the Canada Staff, which clattered on the hardwood floor of Rideau Hall. However, Nihil was unable to break the staff (as he had hoped) and the arrival of COMET forced him to withdraw. The Canada Staff was given to David’s widow, Mary Brock. As the entire nation mourned, the press openly spoke about “the Brock Curse” and the world wondered if anyone would ever take up the Canada Staff again. Personality: Each Red Ensign has been perceived as dull and steady, and in each case, that’s not true. In particular, David Brock was an often prickly, excitable young man with a strong social conscience and a boundless determination to correct injustice, particularly toward minorities, women, and the poor. When a crisis happened, he was as calm as any superhero you’d ever meet. David was an idealist; he believed in the larger global community, supers and non-supers, and in cooperation and friendship. He believed that the only way to stop supervillains was to create a better world and to encourage higher standards of behavior. He was aware, however, that someone who often gets into fights may not be the best messenger, but handled the dichotomy with effortless aplomb. Quote: “Let’s see… Button #12, makes a Canadian flag pop out of the flag. Okay, it’s corny but it works.” Powers/Tactics: Each Red Ensign has been a human in peak physical condition that’s trained to be able to compete against superhumans. The Canada Staff and the Canada Suit are the sole superhuman items in his arsenal; the Canada Suit was invented by Golden Age scientist Dr. Cerebro; it’s an armored cloth with a fluid metal sub-layer; while the suit is heavy, the metal flows to mimic the wearer’s movements, so it doesn’t restrict his agility. The Canada Staff is made from the metal of the alien artifact that was King Vultok’s crown; no known force, including being heated to millions of degrees Kelvin or attempts to disassemble it at the molecular level, have been able to make a dent in it. The Staff is not an OAF; it will teleport back into the Ensign’s hand as a zero phase action if he’s ever disarmed. The Red Ensign’s tactics are standard for a martial arts oriented character. He does pay more attention to strategic objectives than many heroes; if he foils the villain’s plan and forces the villain to retreat, he’s usually as satisfied as he would be if he’s knocked out the bad guy. Campaign Use: Okay, if this guy’s dead, why is he listed here? First, no one ever found a body. In comic book terms, this is shorthand for “he’s not really dead,” so you can bring him back at the most dramatic time. Secondly, it gives the players a chance to run a legacy character. They can take the opening and run Red Ensign IV, either as a member of the Brock family, a family friend, or the Brock family can hold tryouts to see who best deserves to hold the Canada Staff. To increase the Ensign’s power level, add the Steelsman exo-skeleton from the RCMP Package. To decrease his power level, reduce his SPD to 4 and reduce the hand to hand attack and telekinesis to levels appropriate for the campaign. Red Ensign III didn’t actively watch or hunt people, but he always kept an eye out for threats to Canada: ranging from gunrunners to genetic mutation. You might take him as a hunted by defining it as “being unlucky enough to always cross paths with him.” For the purposes of Hunteds, all Red Ensigns had NCI. Appearance: Red Ensign III was in his late 20s, 6’2” (188 cm) tall and a lean 180 pounds (82 kg). He had dark brown hair, worn short, and a lean, attractive, clean-shaven face. The Red Ensign suit was a red bodysuit, with a tan longcoat and fatigues and army boots. A maple leaf flag design is incorporated into the center of his chest, and a red ensign and Quebec fleur-de-lis are emblazoned on his shoulders. He donned a military helmet, with a red facemask worn underneath. The Canada Staff was a white gold rod, 180 cm. in length. Red Ensign Adventure Seeds 1. They Found A Body….: …unfortunately, it appears that he’s been turned into one of Necrull’s necrullitic zombies. Put it out of its misery, then figure out what’s going on. 2. Crimson Ensign: To add insult to injury, Baron Nihil is dressing the Knights of Sanguanay in the costume of the Red Ensign as he launches attacks on your city! He hopes to drive a wedge between Canada and your country by having its national hero attack you. Stop this sacrilege. 3. Stop That!: The Canada Staff is mysteriously appearing in your bedroom/quarters. Every time you try to get rid of it, it returns. You’re not even Canadian. You can’t seem to make anything work, except to make it eject a Canadian flag and cause it to play O Canada. What does a dead superhero’s stick want with you?

Re: Why do the Champions waste so much time being "good citizens?"

Re: Gestalt's Tyranny League “Even the Pope doesn't have enough prayers to save you or your weakling friends… The Berserker is stronger than God Himself!” BERSERKER Val Char Cost Roll Notes 80 STR 70 29- Lift 26.2ktons; 20d6 HTH damage 18 DEX 24 13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6 40 CON 60 17- 20 BODY 20 13- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 14 EGO 8 12- ECV: 5 30 PRE 20 15- PRE Attack: 6d6 12 COM 1 11- 16 PD 0 Total: 16/25 PD (0/9 rPD) 16 ED 8 Total: 16/25 ED (0/9 rED) 4 SPD 12 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 24 REC 0 80 END 0 80 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 226 Movement: Run: 6"/NC" Swim: 2"/NC" Cost Powers END 60 "I Vill Enjoy Crushing you!": Healing STUN 3d6, Trigger (Activating takes no time, resets automatically, immediately after it activates; triggered by squeezing someone who's held in a grab; +1) 6 40 It's Like Hitting A Brick Wall: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6+1 (2 1/2d6 w/STR), Damage Shield (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1); Does Not Work Against Persons Who Grab Or Are Getting Grabbed By The Character (-1/2) 0 65 ""Come and Fight Me!"!": Mind Control 10d6, Telepathic (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2), Area Of Effect (11" Radius; +1); No Range (-1/2), Conditional Power One Command, "Attack me!" (-1/2), Limited Class Of Minds Men Only (-1/2) 0 10 Burst of Strength: +20 STR; No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Limited Power Only in STR vs. STR competitions (-1/2) 4 24 Dense Form: Knockback Resistance -12" 0 34 Armor (9 PD/9 ED), Hardened (+1/4) 0 30 Toughness: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% 0 15 Toughness: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% 0 44 Adrenaline Rush: Custom Power; Conditional Power Only when bloodied, berserk, or under half STUN (-1/4) plus Healing (Regeneration) 3 BODY, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (60 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Turn (Post-Segment 12) (-1 1/4), Self Only (-1/2), Conditional Power Only when bloodied, berserk, or under half STUN (-1/4) 0 10 Lack Of Weakness (-10) for Resistant Defenses 0 15 +5 PER with all Sense Groups 0 8 Testosterone Sense: Detect A Single Thing (STR) 12- (Smell/Taste Group), Discriminatory 0 8 Belt Radio: HRRP (Radio Group); OIF (-1/2) 0 8 Leaping +8" (28" forward, 14" upward) 1 Martial Arts: Wrestling Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 4 1) Choke -2 +0 Grab One Limb; 2d6 NND 4 2) Escape +0 +0 115 STR vs. Grabs 3 3) Hold -1 -1 Grab Two Limbs, 110 STR for holding on 4 4) Reversal -1 -2 115 STR to Escape; Grab Two Limbs 3 5) Slam +0 +1 20d6 +v/5, Target Falls 3 6) Take Down +2 +1 20d6 Strike; You Fall, Target Falls Skills 32 +4 with All Combat 12 +4 with Wrestling 3 Animal Handler 15- 3 Breakfall 13- 3 Climbing 13- 3 Interrogation 15- 4 KS: Paranormals 13- 3 Language: English (completely fluent) 11 Power 16- 4 PS: Circus Performer 13- Total Powers & Skills Cost: 470 Total Cost: 696 200+ Disadvantages 15 Distinctive Features: Big (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 20 Enraged: Berserk The Sight of Blood (Uncommon), go 11-, recover 14- 10 Enraged: When Insulted (Common), go 8-, recover 14- 15 Hunted: Columbia 8- (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 10 Hunted: US Government 8- (Less Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 10 Psychological Limitation: Obeys Imperator and Despot (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Overconfident (Common, Moderate) 15 Reputation: Violent Strongman, 14- 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY For One Turn, After Losing A STR vs. STR competition (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN For One Turn, After Losing A STR vs. STR competition (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: When Move-Throughs Connect, But Fail to Budge the Target (Uncommon) Total Disadvantage Points: 696 Background: He always looked for the easy way out, but Taros Vlacek never found it. Hard labor was always Terry's lot – how frustrating. Born into a Rumanian circus family, even at an early age, Terry showed immense physical strength. He figured that muscles should garner him respect, hell, he should have had star billing! The painful truth of the circus world was that strongmen were never the star of the show. He was relegated to the dismal ranks of sideshow attraction by the circus manager: his father. Both ringmaster and taskmaster; Anatolie Vlacek believed that giving Terry special billing would be seen as favoritism, so he held him back. Terry pushed himself hard, in the belief that the more powerful he became, the more attention he’d get. Terry was close to being a world-class power lifter even before he got his gestalt in 1989. After he received his powers, he sensed that life had suddenly turned his way. After a half dozen performances where he awed the crowd with his powers, he tried to negotiate a better deal with the circus. “Never,” Anatolie declared. “Perhaps biceps and gaudy displays of strength may play well in America, but in Europe, people go to the circus to be charmed at the spectacle.” Terry became convinced that his fortune lay elsewhere. He was always an angry kid, but the older he got, the more dangerous his temper became. When his father refused to give him what he wanted, he destroyed half the circus in a mad rampage, critically injuring him, and left for Hollywood. Taros tried to become a star in the movie industry, but he barely knew English, was completely socially inept, and Hollywood didn't quite know what to do about Gestalts. Terry’s temper quickly ensured that the doors closed on him wherever he went. Angry at being rejected, Terry decided to go to the set of the television show “Baywatch” and wreak havoc. He ended up getting into a big fight with Gary “The Physique” Corbin and made all the papers. To his annoyance, the media used the fight as an opportunity to make jokes. No charges were laid. Next, Terry tried his hand at professional wrestling. Unfortunately, Terry was too strong for his own good: it was too easy for him to hurt people, and the major promotions closed their doors on him too. One day he went to a gym where the stars hung out, with the intention of crippling every major star in the promotion, but the stars had gone elsewhere that night. Terry wrecked the gym and then headed back to the circus, head bowed, utterly humiliated, and overflowing with anger. Taros did find a job at a low-rent American circus. He was given a minor spot on the roster, but mostly helped the roustabouts set up the show; Terry's muscle saved them a lot of dough. Several of the carnies took him under their wing and helped him work up a good strongman routine. The manager agreed to give him star billing for one show and see how it would go. Unfortunately his show was interrupted by several drunken spectators, one of who was a local football player who said he could kick Terry’s ass, and threw beer in his face. Terry lost it. He literally ripped the man in half, then ripped apart his friends when they jumped him, then several security guards, then a pair of police officers. Now a fugitive from justice, he was featured on “America's Most Dangerous Criminals” as “the Circus Killer”. He was captured twice, first by America Man in 1993, and then by a young Florida lifeguard (who would later become Columbia’s Edge) in February 1994. But the Refrigerator hadn't been built yet, and prisons couldn’t hold him. In May 1994, Terry was contacted by Imperator, who invited to join the Tyranny League. For once, someone showed Terry some respect, for the first time, he felt wanted. Billing himself as “the strongest man on Earth”, the Berserker now rivals heavyweight gestalts like the Titan and Silverfist, both of whom he'd like to crush publicly. His greatest hatred, however, is towards Columbia’s Edge, who gets under his skin more than anyone else alive. Personality: Berserker doesn’t have many redeeming qualities; he’s many thousands of times stronger than a normal human being, and it sometimes seems like he has thousands of times more testosterone. He’s extremely quick to take offense, and he’s very quick to throw a punch (although if he’s squabbling against his fellow Tyranny Leaguers, he’ll often deliberately miss on the first swing and hope they back down). Despite his perrenial anger, Berserker is very grateful to Imperator, and he’s struck up an odd friendship with the League's other powerhouse Jericho Bronze, good ol’ boy. Berserker feels insecure over his past misfortunes, but has become so used to abuse that he enjoys taking some of it just to cultivate a martyr complex, something that often turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy. He expects the public to fear and hate him, so when he’s in public, he does his best to cultivate fear and hatred, through the destruction of property and people. Berserker’s a hardened killer who has no problems with ripping someone apart, even children, and has come to enjoy the expression on heroes’ faces when he rips a hostage apart. Berserker has no social agenda. He hates most social institutions: politics, religion, and popular entertainment, without any good reason. He has no understanding of Imperator’s cause, and as long as gets to hurt people it doesn’t matter. And for his part, Imperator gives him plenty of opportunities (or uses Mindwarp’s mind control to hold him line). Powers/Tactics: Berserker is probably the preeminent Strongman gestalt on Earth. Even Titan has a tough time against him in a direct contest of muscle, and he exceeds even the Stuntman or Edge in terms of sheer physical toughness. He gets a genuine rush from using his powers (especially when he's grappling – the feeling of a helpless opponent squirming in his arms actually strengthens him.) Alone, Berserker is a crude tactician. However when he fights alongside his League teammates, he will listen to them (at least until he loses his temper) and obey instruction. While his preferred tactic is to simply to grab his opponent and squeeze the life out of them, the League often asks him to hold him in place for the Scarlet Knight or Daimyo to dispatch. Taros would rather fight his own battles, but such is the price of belonging to a team. Appearance: One of the most physically impressive supers on the planet, Berserker is a Caucasian male (Rumanian ancestry), who stands a towering 7’1” tall and weighs 3700 lbs, most of it dense muscle. He has long red hair and green eyes, and talks with a slight Romanian accent. Never a good conversationalist, Berserker's speech is often halting, which commonly gives the mistaken impression that he has a speech or mental disability. His costume is a brown bodystocking that’s a cross between a circus strongman’s costume and a gladiator.

Re: Gestalt's Tyranny League Reposted from the Blackwyrm site. ----- “The world is corrupt, covered in rust and decay. I am a gauntlet of unblemished steel that shall remove this corruption, sweep aside the self-congratulatory delusional form of government that calls itself “democracy” and crush its self-righteous champions until the world screams. Then I shall gently caress it with a new order and everything will be better.” Imperator Val Char Cost Roll Notes 20 STR 10 13- Lift 400.0kg; 4d6 HTH damage 20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 20 CON 20 13- 20 BODY 20 13- 28 INT 18 15- PER Roll 15- 20 EGO 20 13- ECV: 7 30 PRE 20 15- PRE Attack: 6d6 16 COM 3 12- 8 PD 4 Total: 8/43 PD (0/35 rPD) 8 ED 4 Total: 8/43 ED (0/35 rED) 4 SPD 10 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 15 REC 14 40 END 0 60 STUN 20 Total Characteristics Cost: 193 Movement: Run: 6"/NC" Swim: 2"/NC" Cost Powers END 67 Multipower, 135-point reserve, OAF (-1) 13u 1) Force Beam: EB 18d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) 0 13u 2) Temporal Deceleration: Drain BODY 3d6+1, Ranged (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), all non-Teleporting movement powers, DEX and SPD simultaneously (+2) 0 9u 3) Intimidation: Mind Control 18d6, Conditional Power Uses PRE instead of EGO for Effect (+0), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Limited Power One command, "Hold Still" (-1/2) 0 87 Communication: Telepathy 8d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), MegaScale (1" = 100 km; +3/4), Area Of Effect (9" Radius; +1); Communication Only (-1/4), IIF, Power Crown (-1/4) 0 70 Impenetrable Force Field: FF (35 PD/35 ED), Hardened (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Conditional Power reduces by -5 PD/-5 ED unless an 11- roll is made evefy time it's hit (-1/2), IIF (Power Belt; -1/4) 0 24 Sight Group Flash Defense (8 points), Hardened (+1/4); IIF (Fndnti power belt; -1/4) plus Hearing Group Flash Defense (8 points), Hardened (+1/4); IIF (Fndnti power belt; -1/4) plus Mental Group Flash Defense (8 points), Hardened (+1/4); IIF (Fndnti power belt; -1/4) 0 15 Immovable: Knockback Resistance -15"; OAF (Fndnti Power Sceptre; -1) 0 10 Lack Of Weakness (-20) for Resistant Defenses; OAF (-1) 0 16 Mental Defense (20 points total) 0 Perks 220 Vehicles & Bases (500 points) 24 Contact:: Secret US Media Operatives (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact is slavishly loyal to character), Organization Contact (x3) 13- 24 Contact:: Secret US Government Operatives (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact is slavishly loyal to character), Organization Contact (x3) 13- 24 Contact:: Secret US Military Operatives (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact is slavishly loyal to character), Organization Contact (x3) 13- 2 Fringe Benefit: Tenured College Professor 10 Reputation: Expert in Xenotechnology Archeology (A medium-sized group) 14-, +5/+5d6 Skills 18 +6 with Power Sceptre 25 +5 Overall; OAF (-1) 8 AK: Known Space 17- 6 CK: New York City 15- 3 Breakfall 13- 3 Bureaucratics 15- 3 Conversation 15- 3 Deduction 15- 3 Interrogation 15- 3 Inventor 15- 3 Scholar 6 1) KS: Paranormals 16- 6 2) KS: Psionics 16- 6 3) KS: Xenotechnology 16- 3 Language: Latin (completely fluent) 3 Language: German (completely fluent) 3 Oratory 15- 11 Power: Power Sceptre Tricks 17- 6 PS: Archaeologist 15- 6 PS: College Professor 15- 3 Scientist 7 1) SS: Archeology 17- 5 2) SS: Civil Engineering 15- 5 3) SS: Gestalt Science 15- 5 4) SS: Mathematics 15- 3 5) SS: Psionic Science 13- 5 6) SS: Psychology 15- 7 7) SS: World History 17- 3 Systems Operation 15- 3 Tactics 15- Total Powers & Skills Cost: 802 Total Cost: 995 200+ Disadvantages 15 Hunted: Columbia 8- (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 10 Hunted: US Government 8- (Less Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 15 Psychological Limitation: Megalomaniac (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Misogynist (Common, Strong) 20 Reputation: Leader of the World's deadliest Supervillain Team, 14- (Extreme) 15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity (Frequently, Major) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY Defiance Gestalts (Uncommon) 5 Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Defiance Gestalts (Uncommon) Total Disadvantage Points: 995 Background: Phil Dansen grew up in Niagara Falls, on the American side. Talented and boisterous, Phil was that rare combination of intelligence and personablity that often marks those bound for greatness. Always an avid student, he worked on simultaneous archeology and engineering degrees at Columbia University, graduating in only three years. Clearly, he was destined to become one of the top men in whatever field he chose. Dansen's abilities attracted unwarranted attention: Matthias Power, one of the earliest supervillains. Power took Dansen under his wing. Never a particularly scrupulous person, Phil welcomed the opportunity to study under a mad genius and profit from his intellect – it seemed like it'd be a lot more fun than graduate school. He also fell in love with Power's smart (but emotionally distant) daughter Theresa. Dansen chuckled at the thought that the two of them would conquer the world together. Unfortunately Matthias didn't exactly care for the match. Employing Phil to check out an alien artifact that he uncovered in the Arctic, he knew that three people had already fried their minds from casual exposure to it. He ordered Dansen to unlock the artifacts by every available means. Phil took every precaution in dealing with the object, but, like a very smart mouse playing with the world's deadliest mouse trap, it was far beyond his – or any human's -- experience. It was a Fndnti crown of knowledge, designed to probe the intellectual capacity of an alien species by frying its mind with data and probability fluctuations. Like the others it had tested, Phil felt an irresistible compulsion to place the crown on his head. Unlike the others, he was still alive (though twitching on the ground) at the end of the process. Phil was directly linked to the consciousness of the entire Fndnti species. He saw worlds, many worlds. He felt the Fndnti rise from their worlds like titans of myth, tendrils of emotion outstretched toward the cosmos, curious, afraid, and awestruck. He saw what the universe was, what it will become, and what it might become, all in a single moment. Civilizations rose and destroyed themselves before his eyes. It was a Clockwork Orange moment, but played out on a universal stage. In it, he saw what would be the fate of the world, the twin perils of developing destructive technology, or staying complacent and allowing outsiders to destroy you. Phil focused on the need to prevent that. That focus, combined with Phil's nascent psionic gestalt abilities, is what kept his mind from destruction. Even the Fndnti marveled at it. He heard their voice throb in the back of his mind. “Are you the planet's leader?” a voice asked. The Fndnti had tested many humans and Ar throughout their history. None had come as far as Phil. “Yes, I am,” Phil answered. In that moment, he knew that the boast would one day be true. He would rule humanity and save it from destruction. Dr. Power found Phil's body in the snow. Returning with it to his Canadian base, the villain listened carefully to Dansen's mad mumbling rants. It was clear that the archeologist had experienced something remarkable and Power was determined to find out what he had experienced. He handed him over to his daughter for interrogation. Theresa, wanting only to please her father, tortured the man who loved her – and that a little piece of her loved. The torment Theresa applied severed the link with the Fndnti; ironically, it probably saved his life (or prevented his full apotheosis). Phil emerged from the process a radically changed man: bitter at betrayal, but also convinced that he had been chosen by destiny to lead the human race. Phil remained Power's prisoner for months, until he managed to trick Theresa into dropping her guard. He contacted Crucible and revealed the location of Power's base; when Crucible arrived to battle Power, Dansen used the battle as a diversion to loot the Fndnti artifacts that Power had acquired. Dansen didn't remember much about his cosmic link, but he did remember how to use the technology. The power crown grafted itself to his mind, and another artifact became a power sceptre, a weapon of power and command. It was 1993. Bitter, betrayed, but extremely determined, Phil concluded that he destined to save the world by becoming its leader. Indeed, he was the only person qualified for the job. Finding himself in a thoroughly comic book world, he dressed himself up in the trappings of that trade. He would take the name Imperator, the title of Roman emperors. And like the greatest Imperator, Augustus, he would wrench control of the world with ruthless force, then establish justice and order that could survive even incompetent successors. Remembering the impact that the Devastators supervillain team had made in 1991, Dansen knew that if he were to gather the right forces, he could put together an invincible gestalt army. Thus the Tyranny League was born. Since founding the League's founding, Imperator has had his share of triumphs and setbacks. Sure, his ultimate triumph has not come as quickly as he had hoped, but Imperator, unlike Mathias Power, was never given to “silly, comic book-like” one-shot schemes of conquest; instead, he prefers to operate through a combination of brute force, misdirection, and infiltration. The Tyranny League is the most feared villain team on Earth because of their tactical prowess and raw power, but it’s what they do behind the scenes that makes them truly dangerous. In the meantime, Phil Dansen has a tenured position as a professor of archeology at his old stomping grounds, Columbia. He enjoys the irony of the name. In his secret identity, bolstered by Computor's hacking of government files, he enjoys a reputation as one of the world's greatest experts in the fields of xenotechnology and has even been a paid consultant for the United States government on the Eiko and other alien issues. Personality: Imperator is a cunning megalomaniac. In those few occasions when he’s in public (usually at Copenhagen), Imperator tries to come across as a megalomaniac, playing up some of his natural qualities so his enemies will underestimate him. In truth, he’s as cunning as he is forthcoming. Due in part to his torture at the hands of Theresa Power, Imperator has a low opinion of women, and has vowed that a woman will never serve as a member of the Tyranny League. He can be very dismissive of anyone who disagrees with him, and vengeful toward those who get in his way. His hatred of Columbia is intense; he wants to inflict a slow death on each and every one of them, especially Liberator, Labyrinth, and Edge. Powers/Tactics: Imperator is a low-grade gestalt, a gestalt of Intimidation, evidenced by his preternatural mental abilities. His gestalt gives him an incredibly keen tactical mind, extraordinary command presence, the ability to sum up what a person is thinking with a glance, and cause someone to stand down with a stare. Imperator’s greatest weapon is, however, not Gestalt in origin. The Fndnti power sceptre is an alien artifact of immense power that shoots out a stream of high-energy plasma particles. It’s a personal focus that chooses a master (typically someone whose mind has already been touched by the Fndnti mental process). This psionic link sharpens their mental skills and reactions and guides the master when using the sceptre. The belt is a companion piece to the sceptre. The crown remains implanted in his skull, but only becomes visible when he uses his (mental defense) powers. Imperator prefers the role of general to that of captain; he only joins his fellow Leaguers on major operations. He leaves command of the battlefield to Jericho Bronze. If forced into combat, he tries to sit back and attack at range; he’s painfully aware of his lack of mobility, and his relative slowness compared to most supers. He uses his staff's temporal control abilities when targets close with him. Appearance: Imperator is a tall Caucasian man in his late 30s (he looks about 35), with sandy brown (neither grey nor balding) hair and blue eyes. He is thickly built, slightly heavy around the middle. His costume is a gold and steel body armor in a vague Romanesque style (with a lion symbol on his chest), and a long red cape. There are shield icons on his belt, and his steel facemask is outfitted with a gold crown. He carries a large golden scepter. Imperator Plot Seeds 1.Crown of Glory: Imperator realizes that his crown has other possible uses: it can make him a psionic on par (or better) than Influence! All he needs is another Fndnti artifact, a harmless looking thing that's currently owned by a friend of one of the PCs. 2.Why Do They Want This Schlub?: A second rate supervillain, realizing that Professor Dansen is a universally respected expert on xenotechnology, decides that he'd be a valuable target for a kidnapping. The PCs are called in to make the save – but why is the Tyranny League attacking?

This is intended as an official expansion of the Gestalt timeline, focusing on the 2008 US election. This is a draft open to discussion by players and GMs interested in the setting; comments will be taken into account before it is finalized. -------------------- On November 4, 2008, Barack Hussein Obama defeated Mitt Romney and his running mate, John McCain to become 44th president of the United States. Major issues included the ineffective campaign against the Tyranny League, a looming war with Iran (precipitated by the USMC Vanguard's raid on the Iranian nuclear program in June), and a slight downturn in the economy. Accusations that Obama was an Oratory gestalt led to him taking a public examination for gestalt powers at several poinrs during the campaign, though his detractors refused to believe the results. Obama's election was considered to mark an improving trend in gestalt relations (though observers have noted a warming trend in the last year, especially on the part of President Bush). One of Obama's first actions as President-Elect was to promise to fast track the immigration of several foreign gestalts into Columbia. This action was in spite of rampant rumors (in far right circles) that Obama and Columbia would work together to bring in an army of foreign gestalts to impose a gestalt totalitarian order on America. Liberator officially welcomed the decision of the American people but Columbia refrained from comment, except for Starbird and Carnival, who were both ardent Obama supporters. Barack also promised not to disband ActionAmerica, though Flying Fortress's recent departure from the group was said to be at the request of the president-elect, following a controversial battle in Cincinatti where Railgun was critically injured (most presume that Fortress was trying to settle an old score from his supervillain days). The election campaign was marred by a number of incidents, including a well-publicized report that a Gestalt Protector of Democrats had gone into an apartment fire in Atlanta and telepathically determined who was planning to vote Democrat and who was planning to report Republican, and only rescued people with correct political leanings. The ATF superteam assisted in stopping an assassination attempt against Obama, which cultimated in shots being fired at a rally in Philadelphia by a renegade Dawn Brothers operative. The attempt was foiled, but several bystanders were badly hurt. The attempt was complicated by a well-meaning gestalt illusionist who made everyone at the rally look like Obama in an effort to foil the assassin, which resulted in the injuries to the bystanders and the escape of one of the two assassins, Tim Derek-Jones, a Grey Army operative, who remains at large. In California, Proposition 8 passed, overturning the state's ruling on gay marriage. A proposition to bar privately sponsored superhero teams -- clearly directed at the Hollywood Knights, was widely defeated when the measure was shown to have been initiated by Weaponsmith. The passage of Proposition 8 has motivated several gay organizations to urge the world's most famous gay superhero, Surfer Joe of the Hollywood Knights, to refrain "from heroing in a state which opposes gay rights". Joe's answer was indeterminate (and some say, deeply confusing).

Re: Fallout 3: Postapocalyptica I designed parts of the Hub and most of the Cathedral in the first game, wrote a lot of text that was good but never used, but was not a ey member of the team. My most memorable contribution was probably the name "Dogmeat". The people mainly responsible for that game's success were Tim Cain and Chjris Taylor. I didn't work on FO2, but Chris Avellone was lead designer and did an extraordinarily good job. I haven't seen the new game yet, but I hope to track it down sometime after my WOTLK fix dies down and give it a go. I'm really glad that the legacy that our original team built is being honored and perhaps even surpassed, in the same way that Fallout did for the classic Interplay game Wasteland, our original inspiration and genesis of the line.

Re: Mount Rushmore golem Yeah, it's a fun option for any world where the power level required isn't a problem. I can see a villain claiming he'll peform the biggest robbery of dead presidents ever: so the heroes protect the federal reserve and maybe Arlington, and then the villain creates the golem instead....

Re: Artwork for Gestalt This would probably be a great time to point out that Jason Reeves, one of the artists from the book, has updated his website. Check it out at: http://133art.com/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Gang Citations may be needed in the actual article, but these people are perfect for a Dark Champions game.

Re: THE BOOK OF THE DESTROYER: What Do *You* Want To See? I take it this also means we won't have Marksman lighting a match on his armor and calling him "Al".

Re: THE BOOK OF THE DESTROYER: What Do *You* Want To See? You can probably guess at some of these (because they're obvious from the patterns of my past stuff, but here are a few ideas I'd like to throw out: 1. Twenty ways to connect your character background to events in Destroyer's life. 2. Twentyways your DNPC might be connected to Destroyer. 3. Five defunct archenemies of Destroyer; who did he hunt down during his history, why, and how'd ge eliminate them? 4. Ten Confrontations. Scenario seeds that lead to a confrontation with Destroyer that doesn't necessarily lead to physical violence. 5. Cult of the Destroyer. Anyone who's this powerful and whacked has to have a fan base. Who are these guys? 6. The D-Files. Anyone who's this powerful and whacked may also have a cult who get together not to admire him, but to investigate Destroyer conspiracies. Who are these guys? What sort of whack do they blame Destroyer? Is any of it true? 7. Weird Destroyer Tales that can be spun into plots. Telepathic children who were so traumatized by stories of Dr. Destroyer that they inadvertently created (vaguely Destroyer shaped) boogeymen. The guy whose Halloween Dr. Destroyer costume was *too* realistic. The aliens who tried to kidnap Dr. Destroyer so he could become their God of Technology (and their terrible fate). The luchador whose gimmick that he was Doctor Destroyer's lackey. 8. Dates with Villainy. How Destroyer gets along with other villains, with appropriate anecdotes (Dr. Destroyer's dinner with Ist'vatha V'han, the time Takophanes tried to take his soul, etc.) 9. The Destroyer protocols. If Dr. D. is ever captured, what does the government plan to do with him? How to guard against a counterattack?

Re: PS238 Best Game of 2008! Thanks QM.

Re: Justiciar is up I think Rod is correct on the pronounciation, but I've always said it th same way as Steve. Anyway, this is very cool.

Re: Inspired by 52 "18 Worlds" (warning, long post)

Re: In the Gestalt Universe, The Superhero Ideal Past tense, unfortunately. Chris and I haven't gamed together since I moved away from California, about ten years ago. For awhile, I had two amazing groups of players assembled (and they delivered big time in each of the three Gestalt campaigns). Chris also ran an unbelievably good Warhammer Fantasy game when we were at Interplay together. Good times.