Brainstorming a PC, system agnostic-ish

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 3, 2019

I had an idea for a (super?)heroic character that I am calling THE ORGONAUT, who is a master of accumulating and using orgone to defeat his foes and solve problems. When the idea popped into my head, I envisioned a character who wore (or manifested) a suit of armor that was kind of like Iron Man’s, but more...organic: if you will, that kind of character as imagined by one of the great artists of Art Nouveau. Flowing lines, muted colors. Possibly even vinelike protrusions.

According to Wikipedia, Orgone is:

a pseudo-scientific spiritual concept variously described as an esoteric energy or hypothetical universal life force. Originally proposed in the 1930s by Wilhelm Reich, and developed by Reich's student Charles Kelley after Reich's death in 1957, orgone was conceived as the anti-entropic principle of the universe, a creative substratum in all of nature comparable to Mesmer's animal magnetism (1779), to the Odic force (1845) of Carl Reichenbach and to Henri Bergson's élan vital (1907).

So it’s kind of like The Force, or prana. According to various sources, Orgone can
* Neutralize EMF radiation
* Clear negative energy
* Aid in meditation
* Support restful sleep
* Enhance lucid dreaming
* Relieve stress
* Purify the atmosphere and manipulate weather
* Detoxify water
* Improve plant growth
* Augments resistance to illness, but doesn’t cure it.
* Enhances psychological and spiritual growth
* Emits positive energy (evil can’t stand being around it)

And so forth.

I can see this character manipulating the “positive vibes” via auras to change moods and fend off evil beings. I can see orgone energy powering his body to (slightly) superhuman levels of strength, speed, and healing.

But before I go too far into my own headspace, I was wondering what ideas others might have.

I don’t care about the system. I can see someone doing this PC as a D&D character (like a Paladin/Beguiler/Geomancer), a supers in HERO, or maybe some kind of Mage from the WoD games. I just want to find out where people might go with this concept. What powers and abilities he might have.

Riley37 · Jun 3, 2019

This isn't yet narrowed down to a character concept, any more than "what could you do with teleportation?", which is the power concept of Nightcrawler, Blink, Cloak, and Gateway, each of whom is a distinct character. This is narrowed down perhaps as much as a D&D class. What one can do with orgone depends on the metaphysics of the setting. Is there such a thing as evil, beyond conflict of interest - the sort of evil which paladins sense? Is there a Positive Energy plane? Do souls exist, independently of bodies?

There is a certain real-world organization, which makes some claims about orgone energy, and which also has a reputation for silencing its critics by any means available; so I don't care to go further on that topic.

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 3, 2019

This is admittedly more of a seed than a concept. If it were a full-blown concept, I’d probably anchor it to one core system*, then ask how to model it in others.

I have a mental picture in my head of Iron Man as if depicted by Alphonse Mucha. No such similar art exists from him, and I haven’t yet sketched out my own rendering of the concept yet. His warriors were usually depicted more realistically than his more mystical images of women.

The fact that I suggested a Paladin/Beguiler/Geomancer for D&D implies that I see this guy as a mystic warrior of some kind, tied into nature. But again, I also had this idea superimposed on an Iron Man type character manipulating orgone- that’s more modern, more technological.

A biotechnical hero, but mixed with the arcane and mystic, not from sci-fi like H.R. Geiger might conceive and inspire.

And because it’s rooted in the pseudoscientific technology of orgone, said hero wouldn’t be as much reliance on typical super-armor features as the various energy blasters, bullets, rockets, jets and so forth. At least, not of a conventional type...

For instance, if he has an “Orgonic” sword or darts, they probably wouldn’t be like a typical metal version, nor quite like a lightsaber. Instead, they might bypass armor and barriers without damaging them, but only affecting the living flesh of the target.

* I do this often, typically in HERO.

Radaceus · Jun 3, 2019

I love Mucha's work, and was unfamiliar with this whole Orgone thing.

firstly, I have recently been also brainstorming something similar, with regards to a better warforged, that is, a being that is not so much warforged as it is an amalgamated automaton. It's for a multiverse concept I'm brewing

secondly, some questions/ideas

if this Orgonaut represents positive flow of energy, is there an anathema? is there a Xag-yi to it's Xag-ya?
if it is the suit of armor that is the curative force, is it a unique artifact akin to an infinity stone?
or, is the Orgonaut a construct of a creator race, it and the Orgone fuse as a single entity that champions good?
is Orgone a resource a certain race learned to manipulate and are able to craft into items?
if so, is an Orgonaut a warrior class of the aforementioned race?

Tonguez · Jun 3, 2019

According to Mark Mothersbaugh of the band Devo:

'We did the red energy dome, which was useful—besides being an icon—it was a useful icon. You probably know this very well, but your orgone energy goes out the top of your head and it dissipates out the top, but if you wear an energy dome it recycles that energy. It comes back down and showers back down on you and, among other things, you remain manly, shall we say, for maybe another 150 years of your life, probably...

So obviously the Orgonaut will need to wear a Red Ziggurat Power Dome as a hat, and the googles are pretty cool too.

I'd imagine powers like Captain Planet with lots of rainbow coloured aura and purifying beams of Orgone energy

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 3, 2019

Radaceus said:
secondly, some questions/ideas

if this Orgonaut represents positive flow of energy, is there an anathema? is there a Xag-yi to it's Xag-ya?

if it is the suit of armor that is the curative force, is it a unique artifact akin to an infinity stone?

or, is the Orgonaut a construct of a creator race, it and the Orgone fuse as a single entity that champions good?

is Orgone a resource a certain race learned to manipulate and are able to craft into items?

if so, is an Orgonaut a warrior class of the aforementioned race?

1) I imagine that it’s quite probable that orgone has an opposing force or is corruptable. OTOH, some might see entropy and decay as orgone’s opposite already.

2) I’m envisioning the armor as something rare if not outright unique. It collects and stores orgone energy, which the Orgonaut then uses.

3-6) that’s all VERY campaign dependent, and could work in any of those ways or more. The Orgonaut could be an arcane engineer version of Tony Stark, an alien or elder mythic race who is the last of his kind*, the beneficiary of rediscovered/stolen alien/mystical gear**, a member of a specially chosen group of guardians***, a new kind of golem, etc.

* veteran of 1000 psychic wars?
** XO Manowar, Greatest American Hero, etc.
*** like the Green Lantern Corps

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 3, 2019

I was trying to work out how to do an orgonic dome gate without doing a Devo ziggurat, when I remembered the other artists who sprang to mind when I first had this idea were Roger Dean and Moebius.

Moebius in particular has depicted several characters wearing quasi-conical headwear which could serve as a more flowing version of the ziggurat (or pyramidical) headgear. Here’s his character, Arzach as one example:

Star Watcher is another:

moebius_starwatcher_moebius-5_epic-graphic-novel-1988.jpg

Umbran · Jun 3, 2019

Dannyalcatraz said:
And because it’s rooted in the pseudoscientific technology of orgone, said hero wouldn’t be as much reliance on typical super-armor features as the various energy blasters, bullets, rockets, jets and so forth. At least, not of a conventional type...

For instance, if he has an “Orgonic” sword or darts, they probably wouldn’t be like a typical metal version, nor quite like a lightsaber. Instead, they might bypass armor and barriers without damaging them, but only affecting the living flesh of the target.

To me, the concept of orgone does not invoke "armor". The character can wear armor, sure, but given that you are talking about it ignoring material barriers, it does not seem to me like the power source should be good at *producing* physical barriers.

Orgone should be able to toughen the flesh to be resistance to damage (mirroring, for example, the damage resistance you see in the Hulk, or Thor), but not enhance a suit of unliving physical plates. Orgone may be able to produce force fields (perhaps superior against projected energy like lasers, and inferior to things like swords). Orgone manipulation should be able to heal or boost (or reduce) physical stats.

Be careful, in that when you talk about getting through physical barriers, what you are creating is a character with the innate ability to ignore armor - that's potentially game-breaking, and needs to be *expensive*. Check if the system you are using has known ways to do "armor piercing". Put some limitations on it that are consistent with the flavor - you can go through things like kevlar or plate mail (purely physical materials), but those with "dense flesh" or "living armor" (like the Hulk or the Thing, respectively) get full value out of their protection. Orgone should not ignore force fields, so someone like Iron Man (who is, if you read the pseudo-tech specs, often using molecular chain mail backed by force fields) should get partial value of their armor. Magical defenses should be at full power with respect to orgone. I would suggest that orgone-based powers may not be able to reach through the walls of homes (as opposed to say, the walls of a warehouse).

In other ways, looking at the list of orgone powers you give, it is looking kind of a gadgeteer version of Doctor Druid, who in the Marvel comics is a psychiatrist with various mind-affecting and mystical powers. Check him out for some of the kinds of results you want from powers.

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 3, 2019

Umbran said:
To me, the concept of orgone does not invoke "armor". The character can wear armor, sure, but given that you are talking about it ignoring material barriers, it does not seem to me like the power source should be good at *producing* physical barriers.

Oh nononono!

I was thinking of the armor as much the same as Iron Man’s (or a Paladin’s, in fantasy). It isn’t a manifestation of the power, it’s a piece of technology there to protect the vessel in which the power resides when The Orgonaut goes into battle.

When you look at pictures connected to the concept of orgone, you have things like the pyramids, but there’s also a bunch of wire-filled furniture and transistor packed boxes and other gizmos.
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That latter category is part of the “why” for the Iron Man like armor. The armor protects the user, but especially contains and protects the machinery that collects and possibly aids in focusing the various orgone powers.

Orgone should be able to toughen the flesh to be resistance to damage (mirroring, for example, the damage resistance you see in the Hulk, or Thor), but not enhance a suit of unliving physical plates. Orgone may be able to produce force fields (perhaps superior against projected energy like lasers, and inferior to things like swords). Orgone manipulation should be able to heal or boost (or reduce) physical stats.

Agreed on orgone energy powering his body to (slightly) superhuman levels of strength, speed, and healing. I could see him regenerating to a certain point, but not actually doing a Gallifreyan rejuvenation. And while his orgonically reinforced body would be inherently strong, fast and tough, he wouldn’t be able to duke it out with a typical superhero. Think...50% stronger and faster than current world record holders: clearly superhuman, but not so über as to seem obviously godlike.

Which is another reason for the armor: the suit would amplify his orgonic abilities beyond what he’d be able to do without it. Still not a powerful as someone like Iron Man, though. The Orgonaut would probably be able to win an encounter with a SWAT team, but not an entire police force or an armored division.

Be careful, in that when you talk about getting through physical barriers, what you are creating is a character with the innate ability to ignore armor - that's potentially game-breaking, and needs to be *expensive*. Check if the system you are using has known ways to do "armor piercing". Put some limitations on it that are consistent with the flavor - you can go through things like kevlar or plate mail (purely physical materials), but those with "dense flesh" or "living armor" (like the Hulk or the Thing, respectively) get full value out of their protection. Orgone should not ignore force fields, so someone like Iron Man (who is, if you read the pseudo-tech specs, often using molecular chain mail backed by force fields) should get partial value of their armor. Magical defenses should be at full power with respect to orgone. I would suggest that orgone-based powers may not be able to reach through the walls of homes (as opposed to say, the walls of a warehouse).

The systems with which I am most familiar would DEFINITELY make those bypassing powers expensive- among the most expensive available.

I hadn’t thought of it in particular, but agree that orgone powers shouldn’t bypass force fields. Good catch!

Magic should likewise have some ability to blunt or utterly defeat orgone powers as well, depending on the details.

In other ways, looking at the list of orgone powers you give, it is looking kind of a gadgeteer version of Doctor Druid, who in the Marvel comics is a psychiatrist with various mind-affecting and mystical powers. Check him out for some of the kinds of results you want from powers.

I haven’t thought of him in ages! From the Marvel Directory:

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Known Superhuman Powers: Doctor Druid is a master of certain special disciplines of the mystical arts. His abilities are derived from two major sources: personal powers of the body and mind developed under the tutelage of the Tibetan lama, and the employment of the arcane lore of his Celtic forefathers. Because he does not manipulate ambient and extradimensional magical energy, Druid cannot be considered a sorcerer. His use of ritualistic Celtic Earth magic does qualify him as a mystic, however.

Doctor Druid possesses a number of yogic physical powers. He has control over the involuntary functions of his body, such as his heartbeat, respiration, bleeding, and reaction to pain. He has also developed certain mental powers generally classified as psionic (utilizing an unknown form of energy generated by the mind). Druid has great telepathic capacity, enabling him to broadcast and receive thoughts. He is able to scan virtually any mind or project his thoughts to anyone on Earth, provided he knows where to reach the mind he seeks. He also possesses the ability to mesmerize people to his will, controlling what they see, hear, or do. This mental domination is only possible over those minds who are less adept than his own. His control over a person (or persons) persists until such time as the subject completes the task he or she was given, until Druid willfully releases him or her, or until the effect of the hypnosis loses its potency (generally a matter of hours for most minds). By means of hypnosis, Druid is able to achieve a number of illusory effects: invisibility, power-bolts, transformation, sudden materialization, etc. He also has certain psychokinetic powers, enabling him to levitate objects at will. The maximum weight he can lift with his mind is equivalent to the weight he can lift with his body, approximately 300 pounds. He can even levitate himself off the ground while in meditation, but he does not have sufficient skill to use this levitation to fly to any real extent.

Possessing the racial memories of his Celtic ancestors, Doctor Druid employs the knowledge and skills of the ancient Druids after whom he was named. These skills are those of the natural or earth variety, employing candles, potions, mystic symbols, chants, runes, and other elaborate preparations. By such rituals, Druid is able to accomplish any number of specific magical feats, although the lengthy preparations required generally prohibit their more frequent use. Earth magic is designed to tap the inherent mystical energy in natural objects and materials, and is not as efficient as the tapping of the ambient mystical energy in the environment as a whole.

Druid's other ancestrally derived knowledge is that of astrology. By a mystic awareness of the stars' and planets' positions, Druid has limited precognitive insights as well as a sensitivity to the balance of mystic forces. He can sense the presence of recent use of all forms of magic (even those he cannot employ) and trace them to their source.

Limitations: Druid's Druidic powers have a special vulnerability to iron, as did that of his ancestors. Iron tends to act as a "lightning rod" for the magical forces he employs, sometimes disrupting its effects.

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Dannyalcatraz · Jun 5, 2019

Where I’m at so far, assuming a recent past to modern superheroic setting:

ARMOR: a mix of tech, biotech, and “esoteric” elements
~ Protects The Orgonaut’s body from physical, mystic and energy threats (in that descending order)
~ Moderately amplifies strength, speed, and durability
~ Houses and protects the orgone accumulator and other devices

ORGONIC POWERS (Powers marked with * are enhanced by or the Armor; those with § require the armor)
~ Moderately increased strength*, stamina*, speed*, senses* and toughness*
~ Rapid healing, moderately improved illness resistance and slow regeneration
~ Mood manipulation
~ Short-range reinforcement or disruption of life energy, including things like empathic healing or enervation, affecting plant growth, sterilizing surfaces & equipment.
~ Detect life energy (long range directionally or in a short radius, depending on concentration)
~ Short-range aura that repulses “evil” and calms “good”
~ Manipulation of local weather conditions §
~ Short range disruption of EMF fields (radio, microwave) §
~ Water purification (limited volume/day) §

SKILLSET:
~ Slight to moderate training in hand-to-hand combat
~ Engineering & fabrication
~ Mystic lore knowledge
~ Academic researcher
~ Amateur criminology & “armchair” profiling skills

At this point, this version of the Orgonaut doesn’t have typical power-armored hero gizmos: no blasters, no missiles, no flight, no life support systems. He fights crime much like the old pulp heroes did, with fists and wits...with some tech aids.

Brainstorming a PC, system agnostic-ish

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