Avatar (PL 10)
Sblocked for your convenience:
[sblock=Appearance: ]Avatar is a handsome, yet rugged-looking man in his mid 30's, weighing about 160 lbs. Most women notice his
thick, sandy hair, which sets off his deep blue eyes. A slight scar crosses his chin, hinting at an adventuresome
past. In the field, Avatar wears a white shirt, tan slacks, and an ever-present bush hat. In the classroom, his
tastes run to tweed suits with elbow patches. No matter what the situation, he usually looks ready for anything,
which is fortunate because when he's in the field, just about anything can and does happen![/sblock][sblock=Personality: ]Avatar is generally soft-spoken and charismatic. He is not above dealing with shady types in pursuit of some goal,
but he prefers other company. Likewise, he is willing to bend the rules so long as the outcome is respectable, but
generally he is a law-abiding man. However, when he perceives some great injustice, he is an implacable foe of
whoever or whatever is perpetrating the deed, stopping at nothing to set things right. Avatar has a soft spot for
children, underdogs, and the oppressed. He is quite sensitive to the customs and attiudes of other cultures, which
has served him in good stead during his many travels in the world.[/sblock][sblock=Background: ]To most of the world, Dr. Henry Johnson is a university professor who is the author of a popular series of books
on the history of ancient civilizations, hardly a best-selling author, but one who is known among afficiandos of
the subject. They know little of the scholar who supplements his income as chair of the history department of a
small but highly regarded east coast university.
Fellow academics know him as a leading authority middle eastern history, although he is also known for being quite
knowledgable about burial customs and religious practices of ancient civilizations all over the world. He has many
refereed articles to his credit, and is widely quoted in such studies. Although they know him better than the
general public, his fellows in the halls of ivy have barely scratched the surface of the man.
Those who know him well enough to call him "Hank" are aware of his incredible personal history. No one knows all
of it save the good doctor himself, but by piecing together various stories a picture emerges of the son of two
scholars, who became very worldly at a tender age by being dragged all around the world in his parent's pursuit of
knowledge. Although near to completing an undergraduate degree while still a teen, he ran off on a series of
adventures, each more outlandish than the last, until he ended up as an intelligence officer working for the CIA,
the Mossad, and the KGB simultaneously...a true triple agent! Part Indiana Jones and part McGyver, he finished
both his undergraduate and graduate degrees (with a paper relating early Coptic burial practices to those of
ancient Assyria nearly a millennia earlier!) about the same time he "retired" from the spy business.
Since then, he split his time between writing, teaching classes, and criss-crossing the globe as a "purveyor of
antiquities". No tomb is too well hidden, no jail too escape-proof, and most importanly, no patron too penurious
to keep him from his goal. A remarkable life for a remarkable man...one whose unique talents would probably
qualify him for the resolutes even if it were not for the unsettling events of 12-31-99. Few know the measure of
"Hank", indeed.
And fewer still know him as Avatar. For the eve of the close of the millenium found him deep in the Rub al Kali -
the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia, his whereabouts unknown to the local authorities, who would not have approved of
either his plans to loot a centuries-old pagan temple uncomfortably close to their holy city of Mecca, or of the
bottle of champagne he planned to drink at midnight in the main chamber of that very temple. But as he began video
taping the murals and writings on the wall of that chamber, still legible after over 2,000 years, tiny motes of
dust began to glow with an unearthly light and coalesce into billowing luminescent forms. He couldn't have known,
deep underground, that the millenial comet was passing directly overhead at that very moment, the very moment when
a deep booming voice inside his head began to speak. The voice spoke to him of duty, of honor, of justice, of a
hundred other things. It spoke to him of things he remembers and of things he has forgotten but will remember one
day. It spoke until sleep took him, and he woke only to find himself laying in the sands outside the entrance
under the burning sun of a new desert day.
Dr. Johnson couldn't have known what strange power had infused his being that day, but he found out soon enough.
Passing through the streets of old Jerusalem, he encountered a suicide bomber for the second time in his life.
Only this time, he was close enough to remember the odd grin the young man next to him had just before he
disappeared in a sheet of flame. The bomber, Johnson, and several others were blown to bits by the savage blast.
The survivors were evacuated, and the authorities began the laborious process of cataloging debris, personal
effects, and human remains. A few hours after the horror had taken place, one investigator remarked how unusual it
was to find an intact corpse so close to the epicenter of the bombing, and his partner remarked that "it wasn't
there not too long ago." They moved up to take a closer look, and were shocked to find Dr. Johnson, badly injured
and clad only in tattered underwear, slowly regaining consciousness! Ever since, his closest friends have taken to
calling him Avatar...the one chosen as the servant of the gods.[/sblock][sblock=Notes: ]Most of Avatar's traits come from simply being a intelligent and capable man thrust into the middle of some very
unusual circumstances. For example, his computer skills come partly from his work in academia, and partly from
times when it became advantageous to discern the contents of the hard drives of a Russian "Apple" computer. Avatar
is a crack shot with a pistol, and not only started carrying, but became proficient with a whip after suffering
the inevitable Indiana Jones comparisons.
Of note are those specific traits that appeared after his encounter in the lost temple of Arabia. These powers
derive from the symbiosis of Johnson and the "spirit motes" that appeared to him there. These are apparently a
host of infinitesimal intelligent incorporeal entities who seem to have taken it upon themselves to ensure that
Johnson is able to fulfill the destiny given to him by whatever Power or Powers control the motes. These beings
infuse Johnson's physical person, and "live inside" him, if an incorporeal being can be said to reside in any
location at all. So long as some part of Johnson's corporeal body and the spirit motes remain together, all the
traits they give him will be present. How they might be separated is a matter of speculation, but suggestions have been
to utterly atomize Johnson's remains, to render Johnson incorporeal himself, or to perform some sort of "exorcism" to
drive the spirit motes out. Until such problem is resolved, Avatar will remain damnably hard to kill...at least, permanently,
that is.
Traits granted by the motes include:
Constitution points above 10
The Uncanny Dodge feat (the motes provide the awareness that Johnson is in danger...)
Both the Healing and Regeneration powers
Defense Bonus above +10 (possibly more of the defense bonus, too)[/sblock][sblock=Advancement: ]Initial: Abilities 25 + Skills 25 (100 ranks) + Feats 25 + Powers 25 + Combat 44 + Saves 6 - Disadvantages 0 = 150 / 150[/sblock]
Code:
Name: Avatar (Henry Johnson)
Size: Medium
Gender: Male
Str: 14 +2 ( 4 PP) PowerLevel: 10 PP: 150
Dex: 12 +1 ( 2 PP) AB: +7 (14 PP) XP: 0
Con: 20 +5 (10 PP) Grapple: +9 HP: 4
Int: 16 +3 ( 6 PP) Speed: 30'
Wis: 13 +1 ( 3 PP) Init: +5
Cha: 10 +0 ( 0 PP)
Base Power Feat Total
Defense: +15 +0 +0 25 (30 PP)
Dodge: +7 Flatfooted: 25
Base Mod Feat Power Misc Total
Fort: 0 +5 +0 +0 +0 +5 (0 PP)
Ref: 3 +1 +0 +0 +0 +4 (3 PP)
Will: 3 +1 +0 +0 +3 +4 (3 PP)
Toughness: 0 +5 +0 +0 +0 +5
Attack Attack Damage Save Type Type
Melee:
Unarmed +7 DC 17 Tough Bruise
Whip +7 DC 15 Tough Bruise (+special)
Ranged:
Heavy Pistol +11 DC 19 Tough Bruise
Movement Types:
Base: 30/60/120
Feats: (25 PP)
Accurate Attack
All-Out Attack
Attack Focus (Ranged) 3
Connected
Equipment 4
Evasion 2
Improved Aim
Improved Initiative 1
Improvised Tools
Inventor
Jack-of-All-Trades
Power Attack
Precise Shot 1
Quick Change 1
Second Chance (Knowledge: History Checks)
Skill Mastery (Computers, Craft: Mechanical, Knowledge: History, Stealth)
Sneak Attack 1
Taunt
Uncanny Dodge (Mystical)
Skill Points: 100 (25 PP)
Skills Ranks Mod Misc Total
Bluff 8 +0 +8
Climb 4 +2 +6
Computers 6 +3 +9
Craft: Mechanical 6 +3 +9
Diplomacy 2 +0 +2
Disguise 6 +0 +6
Gather Information 8 +0 +8
Knowledge: Current Evts 2 +3 +5
Knowledge: History 15 +3 +18
Knowledge: Pop Culture 2 +3 +5
Knowledge: Streetwise 8 +3 +11
Language: Greek 1 N/A N/A
Language: Latin 1 N/A N/A
Medicine 2 +1 +3
Notice 6 +1 +7
Profession: Professor 9 +1 +10
Search 4 +3 +7
Sense Motive 2 +1 +3
Stealth 8 +1 +9
Languages:English
Greek
Latin
Equipment:Task Force Communicator (0 EP)
Binoculars (1 EP)
Flashlight (1 EP)
GPS Receiver (1 EP)
Heavy Pistol (8 EP)
Laser Sight (1 EP)
Stun Ammo (1 EP)
Multi-tool (1 EP)
PDA (1 EP)
Whip (5 EP)
Powers:
Healing 4 (2 PP/Rank + 2 PP = 10 PP) [Mystical]
Power Feat: Persistent
Power Feat: Regrowth
Extra: Resurrection
Flaw: Empathic
Regeneration 13 (1 PP/Rank + 2 PP = 15 PP) [Mystical]
Recovery Bonus 4 (Automatic with Constitution bonus)
Disabled 2 (Every hour)
Ability Damage 2 (Every hour)
Resurrection 5 (Every hour, stopped by any means that separates the
mystical force from the body...disintegration,
incorporeality, exorcism, etc.)
Power Feat: Persistent
Power Feat: Regrowth
Complications:
None
Disadvantages:
None
Lgt Med Hvy Lift Push
Max Weight: 58 116 175 350 875
[sblock=Appearance: ]Avatar is a handsome, yet rugged-looking man in his mid 30's, weighing about 160 lbs. Most women notice his
thick, sandy hair, which sets off his deep blue eyes. A slight scar crosses his chin, hinting at an adventuresome
past. In the field, Avatar wears a white shirt, tan slacks, and an ever-present bush hat. In the classroom, his
tastes run to tweed suits with elbow patches. No matter what the situation, he usually looks ready for anything,
which is fortunate because when he's in the field, just about anything can and does happen![/sblock][sblock=Personality: ]Avatar is generally soft-spoken and charismatic. He is not above dealing with shady types in pursuit of some goal,
but he prefers other company. Likewise, he is willing to bend the rules so long as the outcome is respectable, but
generally he is a law-abiding man. However, when he perceives some great injustice, he is an implacable foe of
whoever or whatever is perpetrating the deed, stopping at nothing to set things right. Avatar has a soft spot for
children, underdogs, and the oppressed. He is quite sensitive to the customs and attiudes of other cultures, which
has served him in good stead during his many travels in the world.[/sblock][sblock=Background: ]To most of the world, Dr. Henry Johnson is a university professor who is the author of a popular series of books
on the history of ancient civilizations, hardly a best-selling author, but one who is known among afficiandos of
the subject. They know little of the scholar who supplements his income as chair of the history department of a
small but highly regarded east coast university.
Fellow academics know him as a leading authority middle eastern history, although he is also known for being quite
knowledgable about burial customs and religious practices of ancient civilizations all over the world. He has many
refereed articles to his credit, and is widely quoted in such studies. Although they know him better than the
general public, his fellows in the halls of ivy have barely scratched the surface of the man.
Those who know him well enough to call him "Hank" are aware of his incredible personal history. No one knows all
of it save the good doctor himself, but by piecing together various stories a picture emerges of the son of two
scholars, who became very worldly at a tender age by being dragged all around the world in his parent's pursuit of
knowledge. Although near to completing an undergraduate degree while still a teen, he ran off on a series of
adventures, each more outlandish than the last, until he ended up as an intelligence officer working for the CIA,
the Mossad, and the KGB simultaneously...a true triple agent! Part Indiana Jones and part McGyver, he finished
both his undergraduate and graduate degrees (with a paper relating early Coptic burial practices to those of
ancient Assyria nearly a millennia earlier!) about the same time he "retired" from the spy business.
Since then, he split his time between writing, teaching classes, and criss-crossing the globe as a "purveyor of
antiquities". No tomb is too well hidden, no jail too escape-proof, and most importanly, no patron too penurious
to keep him from his goal. A remarkable life for a remarkable man...one whose unique talents would probably
qualify him for the resolutes even if it were not for the unsettling events of 12-31-99. Few know the measure of
"Hank", indeed.
And fewer still know him as Avatar. For the eve of the close of the millenium found him deep in the Rub al Kali -
the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia, his whereabouts unknown to the local authorities, who would not have approved of
either his plans to loot a centuries-old pagan temple uncomfortably close to their holy city of Mecca, or of the
bottle of champagne he planned to drink at midnight in the main chamber of that very temple. But as he began video
taping the murals and writings on the wall of that chamber, still legible after over 2,000 years, tiny motes of
dust began to glow with an unearthly light and coalesce into billowing luminescent forms. He couldn't have known,
deep underground, that the millenial comet was passing directly overhead at that very moment, the very moment when
a deep booming voice inside his head began to speak. The voice spoke to him of duty, of honor, of justice, of a
hundred other things. It spoke to him of things he remembers and of things he has forgotten but will remember one
day. It spoke until sleep took him, and he woke only to find himself laying in the sands outside the entrance
under the burning sun of a new desert day.
Dr. Johnson couldn't have known what strange power had infused his being that day, but he found out soon enough.
Passing through the streets of old Jerusalem, he encountered a suicide bomber for the second time in his life.
Only this time, he was close enough to remember the odd grin the young man next to him had just before he
disappeared in a sheet of flame. The bomber, Johnson, and several others were blown to bits by the savage blast.
The survivors were evacuated, and the authorities began the laborious process of cataloging debris, personal
effects, and human remains. A few hours after the horror had taken place, one investigator remarked how unusual it
was to find an intact corpse so close to the epicenter of the bombing, and his partner remarked that "it wasn't
there not too long ago." They moved up to take a closer look, and were shocked to find Dr. Johnson, badly injured
and clad only in tattered underwear, slowly regaining consciousness! Ever since, his closest friends have taken to
calling him Avatar...the one chosen as the servant of the gods.[/sblock][sblock=Notes: ]Most of Avatar's traits come from simply being a intelligent and capable man thrust into the middle of some very
unusual circumstances. For example, his computer skills come partly from his work in academia, and partly from
times when it became advantageous to discern the contents of the hard drives of a Russian "Apple" computer. Avatar
is a crack shot with a pistol, and not only started carrying, but became proficient with a whip after suffering
the inevitable Indiana Jones comparisons.
Of note are those specific traits that appeared after his encounter in the lost temple of Arabia. These powers
derive from the symbiosis of Johnson and the "spirit motes" that appeared to him there. These are apparently a
host of infinitesimal intelligent incorporeal entities who seem to have taken it upon themselves to ensure that
Johnson is able to fulfill the destiny given to him by whatever Power or Powers control the motes. These beings
infuse Johnson's physical person, and "live inside" him, if an incorporeal being can be said to reside in any
location at all. So long as some part of Johnson's corporeal body and the spirit motes remain together, all the
traits they give him will be present. How they might be separated is a matter of speculation, but suggestions have been
to utterly atomize Johnson's remains, to render Johnson incorporeal himself, or to perform some sort of "exorcism" to
drive the spirit motes out. Until such problem is resolved, Avatar will remain damnably hard to kill...at least, permanently,
that is.
Traits granted by the motes include:
Constitution points above 10
The Uncanny Dodge feat (the motes provide the awareness that Johnson is in danger...)
Both the Healing and Regeneration powers
Defense Bonus above +10 (possibly more of the defense bonus, too)[/sblock][sblock=Advancement: ]Initial: Abilities 25 + Skills 25 (100 ranks) + Feats 25 + Powers 25 + Combat 44 + Saves 6 - Disadvantages 0 = 150 / 150[/sblock]
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