[Mutants & Masterminds] A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

[Davies]

Zloba

One of her earliest memories is of a rare occasion when her father actually took her with him when he went to visit one of his fellow mad scientists. She must have been four, maybe five years old. She's not sure what made him do it. Maybe her mother was just too busy or too stoned to look after her, or they were between nannies, or he'd heard about 'take your daughter to work day' and decided to make a mockery of it by bringing her along. And of course she didn't understand anything that she saw, not then. But she remembers, very clearly, staring up at the girl in the coldsleep matrix, and feeling ... something like a mix of pity and envy for her. It's funny how the image of that girl, in her slow time, still sticks with her, through all the drugs she's taken since then.

Years passed, and her mother found a way out of the pain that growing old caused her, and it became clear that she was a Hyperbrain, just like Daddy. When they came around to recruit her for a think tank, her father persuaded them to forget the whole business by underwriting their operations for a full year. Ironically, their operation didn't last much longer than that, but she's always been a little grateful that he gave her the chance to let her talents develop as she pleased, rather than for the benefit of the government. It's the only gratitude she feels towards him; her life, she's well aware, was an accident.

At seventeen, she left home and her name behind, and by her eighteenth birthday she was already being accused of being a curse. She owned that, just like she has always owned everything she does -- and nothing else. She gets paid for the work she does, of course, but what she doesn't need immediately, whether for food, work or fun, gets passed on to others who seem to need it more. While she has often caused death and destruction through her activities -- perhaps most heinously blowing up a certain video game company when she heard that they'd stolen her likeness for some silly game of theirs -- that's never the point of them. Whether there is any point, beyond her amusement, is really known only to her.

She's worked with criminals, even supervillains. But she is perfectly happy to lend her assistance to superheroes if the mood strikes her. Her most persistent adversary and associate is Trouble, who has fascinated her ever since they first crossed paths in her first few months of activity. Almost the first words out of her mouth when they met were, "Would you mind if I took you apart, figured out how you work, and den put you back togedder? I can totally do dat last part." (She has problems with the 'th' sound. Also with the truth.)

Those who know Trouble well are aware that nobody, not even Sam Hazzard, can get under Trouble's skin as easily as Zloba can. She expresses more emotions when dealing with the other woman than she ever expresses under any other circumstances -- usually frustration and embarrassment, more than anything else, but neither feeling is usually apparent on her. There is a theory that, despite how Zloba has often put Trouble in great danger, the living weapon experiences a sensation of safety whenever she's in the anarchist's presence, allowing her permission to be more open about her emotions than she can ever otherwise be. Sam Hazzard hates Zloba like poison, incidentally, and Zloba cheerfully returns 'Glass-Eyes'" disdain.

Among the chemical enhancements that Zloba has experimented with, over the years, is a weak variation on the Accelerator. Because of regular doses of the substance, she is biologically overclocked, able to move and think at great speeds -- not nearly as fast as some who've used similar substances, but quite fast all the same. The drugs are almost certainly going to kill her before she turns forty, but she regards this as trivial. She intends to live hard, 'love' fast, and not care about the condition of her corpse. If she realizes that attitude is a permanent barrier between her and Trouble, she's never given any signs of it.

Zloba -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 3 | AGL 5 | DEX 6 | FGT 8 | INT 6 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Powers:
Arsenal: Array (15 points), Easily Removable (-8 points)

• Boom Boom: Ranged Burst Area Damage 5 - 15 points
• Buzz Buzz: Ranged Multiattack Damage 5 - 1 point
• Scorch Scorch: Cone Area Damage 7 - 1 point
• Squirt Squirt: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 5 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobilized), Extra Condition, Limted Degree - 1 point
• Zap Zap: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 5 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) - 1 point

Nose for Nano: Senses 2 (acute nano awareness [olfactory]) - 2 points
Overclocked: Enhanced Advantages 2 (Improved Initiative 2, Move-by Action); Enhanced Defenses 6 (Dodge 3, Parry 3); Leaping 2 (30 feet); Quickness 2; Speed 5 (60 MPH) - 10 points
Teleportal Hack: Accurate Extended Only Teleport 6, Portal; Removable (-7 points) - 28 points

Advantages:
Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Initiative 3, Instant Up, Inventor, Jack-of-all-trades, Language 3 (many, [Russian is native]), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Skill Mastery (Technology), Well-informed.

Skills:
Deception 6 (+7), Expertise: Science 2 (+8), Investigation 4 (+10), Perception 6 (+8), Sleight of Hand 3 (+9), Stealth 6 (+11), Technology 6 (+12), Treatment 4 (+10), Vehicles 3 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +17
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 1)
Buzz Buzz +13 (Ranged Damage 5)
Squirt Squirt +13 (Ranged Affliction 5, Resisted by Dodge)
Zap Zap +13 (Ranged Fortitude 5)
Boom Boom -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 5)
Scorch Scorch -- (Cone Area Damage 7)

Defense:
Dodge 13/10, Parry 11/8, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5/3, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 64 + Powers 51 + Advantages 19 + Skills 20 + Defenses 12 = 166 points

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. CANNOT Resist a Challenge. Family (father.) Frenemy (Trouble.)

Do you ever wanna catch me?
Right now, I'm feeling ignored!
So can you try a little harder?
I'm really getting bored!

 

[Davies]

Joey Garber

Growing up in the early nineties, Joseph Garber was always aware that he had a slightly skewed angle on things, and a talent for making observations that struck other people as funny. There was only one job that made any sense for someone with such talents, but Joey decided that politics didn't really interest him, and so left Hamilton behind right after his high school graduation, moving to Toronto to become a standup comedian. He arrived there only a few months before Paragon showed up for the first time.

Joey worked a lot of different jobs in those first few years, while crafting his standup persona. His routine sometimes made mention of the man in red longjohns, but usually only as something that was less bewildering than whatever situation was under discussion. On the whole, Joey liked Paragon, though he hoped that he'd never be in circumstances where he'd need the guy's help, and -- if he was being really honest -- figured that there was no chance that he was going to stick around all that long.

And then, in 2002, nearly everyone in the Toronto suburb of Brampton was turned into giant chickens, with the notable exception of guess who? Paragon naturally took an interest in fixing this little anomaly, and as Joey was the only person around who say anything except 'cluck cluck buckaw' in worried-sounding tones, the comedian proved to be the most helpful witness. Paragon dealt with the crazy man who'd done this out of the bewildering belief that this would demonstrate how wrong chicken factory farming was, and Joey had some new material for his act. He expected this to be the only time that his life would be inappropriately touched by the fantastic.

Boy was he wrong. After the fourth time that something like this happened around him, Paragon honestly became a little suspicious that Joey was somehow causing all this, but some observations (assisted by other members of the Powerhouse who had different perspectives) revealed that he was just stumbling into circumstances well beyond his control. Paragon decided to just cope with it, and began keeping an eye on Joey's activities in order to have some warning about when strangeness was about to erupt.

In the process, the two of them found themselves becoming friends. Joey's tendency to make light of situations ended up making even the very serious Paragon give the occasional chuckle, and the hero came to appreciate the comedian's brand of courage. Paragon wound up giving Joey a signal device that he could use to contact him whenever the situation called for it. The device has taken a variety of forms over the years, and currently exists only in digital form as an app on Joey's smartphone -- a P-shaped icon that will demand a PIN number before it allows him to contact Paragon. The hero can't respond to the signal verbally, but Joey is able to describe the circumstances he's calling rather than just rely on a high-pitched squealing noise.

At this point, Joey has encountered enough strangeness and badness that he will sometimes try to resolve things without calling in Paragon, since he knows that the big guy has a lot on his plate already. He's never been foolish enough to ask for help with simple inconveniences, nor traded on his friendship to gain greater celebrity, but he will use the device when he thinks Paragon could stand to hear a friendly voice. He doesn't know (or really suspect) that Paragon maintains a civilian identity in Toronto, and has never (as far as he knows) met any of the other superheroes with whom his friend associates. He does make wisecracks about some of them in his act, though.

Joey Garber -- PL 3

Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 0 | FGT 0 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 3

Powers:
Immutable: Immunity 5 (alteration effects) - 5 points
Signal Device: Senses 1 (communication link with Paragon); Removable (-0 points) - 1 point

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Equipment, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Taunt.

Equipment:
Smartphone.

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4), Deception 3 (+6), Expertise: Comedy (PRE-based) 5 (+8), Insight 5 (+7), Investigation 3 (+4), Perception 4 (+6), Stealth 4 (+5).

Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +0 (Close Damage 0)

Defense:
Dodge 4, Parry 3, Fortitude 2, Toughness 1, Will 4.

Totals:
Abilities 16 + Powers 6 + Advantages 5 + Skills 14 + Defenses 9 = 50 points

Complications:
Fame--Motivation. Danger Magnet. Friend (Paragon.)

 

[Davies]

Dr. Will Caulder

Born in 1961, William Caulder knew that he wanted to be a doctor by the time that he was in his early teens. His education was partially underwritten by scholarships established by Ryan and Lucy Richmond, who believed in investing in doctors who might come to work for their hospital. While he only met the two of them a handful of times, and they weren't mentors, exactly, he respected and admired them both, and was horrified when they suffered their 'accident' shortly before he obtained his M.D.

Believing that this had to have been the work of the Pythonian Insurgency, William responded to that by volunteering his services as a doctor for the Joint Special Operations Taskforce. While he helped to save many lives in the process, his work with the Taskforce left him feeling increasingly revolted by violence, and uncertain whether this was really the best way to honor the Richmonds' memory. The loss of life at Delphi was particularly appalling to him, and he was glad that his contract expired with JTAS' dissolution. (He would later end up protesting the war in Syria.)

Returning to Chicago, William ended up working for a clinic located not far from the abandoned hospital that the Richmonds had run. His experiences here have further solidified his opposition to violence, viewing it as a vicious circle that wrecks as many lives as poverty does. The only appropriate use of force, in his view, is to prevent the use of force against another or one's self. Even non-lethal weaponry, like Richmond Enterprises' famous 'meta-taser', can end up causing permanent and irrevocable harm to someone if employed recklessly. That said, it is an improvement on firearms, and Dr. Caulder was pleased that the Richmonds' son was continuing their legacy, though he doubted that they'd ever meet.

In 2003, however, the vigilante known as Darkwing stumbled into their clinic with injuries inflicted by one of his frequent enemies, the January Man*. Dr. Caulder treated the man's injuries while respecting his right to maintain his secret identity, and they had a lengthy discussion about violence and vigilantism. The doctor was forced to admit that humanity might not survive its encounters with extraterrestrial and monstrous threats without the use of violence, but still felt that its use against street criminals was a waste of effort that could be better spent elsewhere. He discussed the Richmonds' role in his life, and spoke about how their lives had been cut short by violence, how much more they could have done without it. They parted ways without coming to any conclusion.

Dr. Caulder had, of course, not needed to remove Darkwing's mask to recognize the individual with whom he was dealing. And of course, Darkwing knew that he knew. He has since met Robert Richmond, in both of the man's identities, on several occasions, without ever admitting to that knowledge. He suspects that a number of the anonymous donations that the clinic receives come from him, but has never brought up the issue since he recognizes that Robert isn't trying to buy his approval -- which would be an insult, and wouldn't work. He has also formed a friendship with Robert's personal assistant, Martha Paddington, that has sometimes verged on romance. (He's never had time for a lasting relationship, unfortunately.)

Now approaching his sixtieth birthday, Dr. Caulder is seriously considering retirement. He's still in good health, and retains a certain amount of the physique he developed through high school and amateur wrestling, but he thinks he's probably earned a quiet rest for the remainder of his years. Whether he'll get that remains to be seen.

Dr. William Caulder -- PL 3

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 0 | DEX 0 | FGT 3 | INT 2 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Advantages:
Connected, Improved Hold, Improvised Tools, Skill Mastery (Treatment).

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6), Expertise: Physician 6 (+8), Insight 5 (+7), Perception 4 (+6), Persuasion 4 (+5), Treatment 6 (+8)

Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 1**)

Defense:
Dodge 2, Parry 3, Fortitude 3, Toughness 2, Will 3

Totals:
Abilities 22 + Advantages 4 + Skills 15 + Defenses 4 = 45 points

Complications:
Peace--Motivation. Friends (Robert Richmond, Martha Paddington.)

* Yes this was a movie OOTL. No it wasn't a movie in this world's history. The individual who used this alias is no longer active in Chicago's crime scene.
** Included solely for completeness; Dr. Caulder will only ever attack someone for the purpose of setting up a Grab, and never inflict damage on a Grabbed target.

 

[Davies]

Donald Irving

Some people are, however much they might prefer it otherwise, best defined by what they are not. While above average in most respects, Donald Irving is not an especially brave, clever, strong or charming individual. He has never been granted any sort of super-powers, even temporarily, and not only has Argus never even considered recruiting him, he has sometimes only held on to his position with the various, much more mundane security companies which have employed him by the skin of his teeth -- though he has never actually lost a job under any circumstances other than the company itself going under, and bounced back quickly when that happens. He is, it can be fairly said, good at his job.

Unfortunately, the biggest intrusion of the fantastic into his life -- the fact that his younger brother is the Blue Bolt -- is also a constant reminder of one of the biggest screw-ups of his professional career. He never should have let Jimmy anywhere near the laboratory he was supposed to be guarding. Everything that happened that day, especially the death of Professor Gibbon, followed directly from that, and Donald honestly isn't sure how he managed to keep his job after letting that disaster happen. He honestly hoped that the crazy powers his little brother picked up would wear off after a while, but it was not to be.

In the twenty-odd years since then, Donald has on very rare occasions sought his brother's help in dealing with some of the crazier situations that he's encountered -- preventing burglaries by other costumed goons and the like -- but always regrets doing so, or at least regrets the stress that these situations cause for himself. A good part of this stress, that he's never admitted to himself, is his worry that these episodes will eventually result in Jimmy's secret identity being exposed, and harm coming to Jimmy as a result. The fact that it's much more likely that harm will come to Donald or to their widowed mother has never really consciously occurred to him; deep down, he still sees himself as the guy who has to look out for his dumb little brother, despite the reality of the situation being exactly the opposite.

Donald has met a few other members of the superpower community over the years -- most notably his Jimmy's roommate and his insane ex-girlfriend, but he also found himself in the middle of an investigation by Darkwing on one weird occasion. Amit is a pretty nice guy, but the rest of these people are frankly every bit as nuts as the one who's actually trying to kill Jimmy, in his view. He was recently bewildered to be invited to a barbecue that had the entire extended 'family' of the Powerhouse in attendance, and actually found himself getting along with that Nick Grey fellow, who seemed to have a good head on his shoulders.

In recent years, Jimmy has been moving more and more into the administrative side of the security industry, though he still prefers to keep a personal eye on things as much as possible. He's just self-aware enough to absolutely refuse to think, especially not out loud, about how long he has until retirement (seven years, for the curious) and fully intends to live to collect his pension. Of course, he may not have any real choice in the matter.

Donald Irving -- PL 4

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 1 | DEX 1 | FGT 3 | INT 2 | AWE 1 | PRE 1

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Close Attack, Equipment 3, Ranged Attack 2.

Equipment:
Concealed armor (Protection 2, Subtle), light pistol (Ranged Damage 3), meta-taser (Ranged Affliction 4 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated]), smart phone, handcuffs.

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4), Expertise: Current Events 2 (+4), Expertise: Streetwise 3 (+5), Expertise: Security Guard 4 (+6), Insight 4 (+5), Intimidation 2 (+3), Investigation 2 (+4), Perception 4 (+5), Ranged Combat: Pistols 2 (+3), Stealth 2 (+3), Technology 2 (+4), Treatment 2 (+4), Vehicles 4 (+5).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +4 (Close Damage 1)
Pistol +5 (Ranged Damage 3)
Meta-Taser +3 (Ranged Fortitude 4)

Defense:
Dodge 3, Parry 3, Fortitude 4, Toughness 4/2, Will 4.

Totals:
Abilities 24 + Advantages 7 + Skills 18 + Defenses 7 = 56 points.

Complications:
Duty--Motivation. Easily Rattled. Family (Jimmy, their mother.)

 

[Davies]

Ibuki Kruger

In 1983, a man from West Germany named Dieter Kruger went to Japan in order to become a ninja. Four decades on, he regards this particular ambition as a childish fantasy that he accidentally managed to make come true, as he became an initiate of the Shadow School of Kageyama Sarutobi, living a secluded life and practicing the Shadow School's martial arts style on the slopes of Mount Ibuki. It was a satisfying life, but when Sarutobi passed away in 1992, Dieter found himself no longer as welcomed by the Shadow School's new leaders. Rather than remain where he was not wanted, he left with his lover Nabiki and returned to West Germany, where a daughter, whom they named Ibuki, was born to them in the next year. After the Wall came down, they relocated from Bonn to Berlin.

Dieter continued to practice the martial arts, and established a school where he could teach them as well -- though what he taught was conventional jujutsu rather than the secret techniques that he'd learned. Eventually, his daughter began to join him and her mother in this practice, and demonstrated a remarkable talent, eventually becoming a junior instructor along with her father. (Her mother passed away when she was sixteen.) Her father strove to instill in her the philosophical teachings of the Shadow School -- that it was better to conceal one's abilities, that one should never be the first to fight, and that adventure and excitement were not things to be sought out.

He did not have much success with that last one. Ibuki is an excitable and cheerful young woman who is constantly looking for whatever adventure might come her way, as though trying to take the world in a love embrace. She doesn't wear a costume or have a secret identity, but she would definitely pass the 'rescue a kid's cat' test, and be bewildered that anyone would choose not to do so. She will usually fight defensively up to a point -- but after she (or someone else) has been injured, she will instantly switch tactics to a much more aggressive approach, and do whatever it takes to end the threat.

Since 2013, Ibuki has been a friend and frequent ally of Berlin's resident superheroine, Magnolia. Their first encounter was an eye-opener for Lin Ni-cheng, who had honestly thought her friends in the Ultra Girls were joking when they warned her that she might run into people who mistook her for a super-villain and tried to attack her. Fortunately, neither of them was hurt, and Ibuki was thrilled to meet someone who was as skilled as Magnolia. Magnolia has sometimes tried to gently discourage Ibuki from trying to help her out, to no avail. While these exploits have sometimes ended with Ibuki needing to be rescued, she has been a great help on other occasions, and her cheery demeanor is a definite comfort at times.

It's not at all clear whether Ibuki is a superpower. Her abilities are all within the realm of the most extraordinary examples of humanity, with one possible exception. She has sometimes quickly recovered from serious injuries much faster than simple adrenaline would permit, but the phenomenon is so unreliable that it can't really be studied. She herself views this as just the occasional lucky break.

Nabiki Kruger -- PL 7

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 3 | DEX 2 | FGT 5 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Powers:
Parkour: Leaping 2 (30 feet); Movement 1 (safe fall), Limited to Distance 0; Speed 1 (4 mph) - 4 points
Second Wind: Healing 5, Reaction (when staggered or worse), Self only - 20 points
Striking Strength: Strength-based Damage 2 - 2 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Close Attack 2, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Diehard, Evasion, Fearless, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Language (Japanese and German [bilingual]), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Athletics), Takedown, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+8), Athletics 8 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+9), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+5), Intimidation 6 (+7), Perception 4 (+6), Stealth 5 (+8).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +11 (Close Damage 3)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 10, Fortitude 5, Toughness 4/2, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities 34 + Powers 26 + Advantages 19 + Skills 18 + Defenses 17 = 114 points

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Family (Father.) Friend (Magnolia.) Impulsive.

 

[Davies]

Makabre 2400

Aleksandur "Sasho" Stancioff was born seven years after his native Bulgaria transitioned out of Communist rule and into one of the most corrupt democracies in Europe. By the time it was apparent that he was a potential Hyperbrain, all the think tanks had been closed down, leaving him with no real options to develop his talents except self-teaching. He became a base raider, seeking out what had been left behind by previous mad scientists and criminal geniuses, hoping to learn from it if possible and to make a few bucks from selling what he didn't immediately need.

Sasho enjoyed moderate success in this pursuit until four years ago, when he simultaneously hit the jackpot and moved on to a completely different line of work. Initially, he couldn't believe his good fortune -- everyone in the base raider lifestyle talked about what they'd do if they managed to get into one of Makabre's lairs without springing its defenses, but no one ever really thought it could happen. And yet there he was, staring at a fortune in robotics and a badly damaged Makabre robot double.

Before he finished congratulating himself on his good fortune, however, a portal opened up on one of the lair's walls. Sasho promptly took cover, and watched a group of clumsy-looking cyborgs stroll through the portal and pick up the robot double, then carry it with them back through. He cursed his bad timing for a moment, before he heard sounds of battle through the portal. Deciding to investigate and possibly exploit the situation, Sasho went through the portal himself.

In doing so, he became the first human from the World Less Magical to visit the reality known as the Sprawl. He didn't know that at the time, though, only that he'd arrived in a different laboratory than the one that he'd just departed, where the Makabre robot had reactivated and attacked the cyborgs who'd taken it. They were no match under normal circumstances, but had heavy weapons that equalized matters, and the result was that the Makabre robot was shut down, the portal-generating mechanism was ruined, and only one of the cyborgs was still functioning -- which lasted only until Sasho smashed its head open.

Putting his skills to use, Sasho eventually figured out that he'd traveled to a city that was more advanced than anything he'd ever seen. The full details of his situation still eluded him, but there would be time to figure that out. Gathering up the Makabre robot, he escaped from the lab and disappeared into the maze-like alleys of the Sprawl.

It took him a few weeks to learn the Patois that people spoke, but necessity is a great teacher. He managed to create an identity for himself as a denizen of the Sprawl, which he found a surprisingly easy task. (He'd later conclude that the system was designed to make it easy to create such false identities, to facilitate the endemic corporate espionage of the Sprawl.) Gradually, he learned about the Sprawl and its parasitic practices. These didn't bother him on a moral or ethical level, but it was annoying that these actions had led to him ending up in a completely different world. He decided to make the best of the situation.

All the while, he'd been studying the Makabre robot's systems, gradually hollowing it out until it could function as a suit of powered armor. This meant losing some of its more interesting systems, but he wanted something that could keep him alive. He also managed to restart its computer and reprogram it just enough that it viewed him as the real Alexandar Marković, and would act as an advisor. With that done, he was ready to embark on a career of super-villainy!

Except that he quickly realized that the local authorities clearly had a monopoly on villainy. He has basically ended up as a sort of resistance leader, opposing the corporate overlords. His followers have grand ambitions of overthrowing them -- Sasho doesn't particularly share such grandiose plans, and would really prefer to find a way to get home (ideally bringing a lot of Sprawl-tech with him that he could pass off as his discoveries.) Yet, egged on by the computer system, he has also started to wonder about the idea of seizing control of the Sprawl from its current rulers and becoming a better class of dictator. What might he do with that sort of power? What might he not do?

Makabre 2400 -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR 6/0 | STA 0 | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 3 | INT 6 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Powers:
Robotic Armor: Removable (-13 points)

• Armored Shell: Impervious Protection 7 - 14 points
• Comms: Senses 1 (communication link with Markovic) - 1 point
• Force Field: Sustained Impervious Protection 5 - 10 points
• Rocket Pack: Flight 8 (500 MPH) - 16 points
• Sealed Systems: Immunity 10 (life support) - 10 points
• Servomotors: Enhanced Strength 6 - 12 points
• Weapon Systems:Array (20 points)
  • Chest Blast: Line Area 2 Damage 6 - 1 points
  • Focused Gauntlet Blast: Ranged Damage 10 - 20 point
  • Multifire Gauntlet Blast: Ranged Multiattack Damage 6, Accurate 2 - 1 point

Advantages:
Improvised Tools, Inventor, Languages 2 (Sprawl Patois, English, Russian, Serbian, [Bulgarian is native]), Sidekick 15, Takedown.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+6), Expertise: Science 3 (+9), Insight 8 (+10), Intimidation 8 (+9), Investigation 2 (+8), Ranged Combat: Weapon Systems 6 (+8), Technology 4 (+10), Vehicles 4 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 6/0)
Focused Gauntlet Blast +8 (Ranged Damage 10)
Multifire Gauntlet Blast +12 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 6)
Chest Blast -- (Line Area Damage 6)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 5, Fortitude 3, Toughness 12/0, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 30 + Powers 60 + Advantages 20 + Skills 20 + Defenses 13 = 142 points

Complications:
Survival--Motivation. Secret (identity and illegal status.) Somewhat Power Hungry.


"Marković" -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR -- | STA -- | AGL -- | DEX 0 | FGT 0 | INT 9 | AWE 3 | PRE 3

Powers:
Comms: Senses 1 (communication link with Makabre 2400) - 1 point
Construct: Immunity 50 (Fortitude, mental effects) - 50 points

Advantages:
Second Chance (Insight checks), Skill Mastery (Technology)

Skills:
Expertise: Science 5 (+14), Insight 9 (+12), Investigation 4 (+13), Persuasion 9 (+12), Technology 5 (+14).

Offense:
Effectively none.

Defense:
Dodge --, Parry --, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 0, Will 9

Totals:
Abilities 0 + Powers 50 + Advantages 3 + Skills 16 + Defense 6 = 75 points

Complications:
Loyalty ... Right?--Motivation.

 

[Davies]

Wilmarth

In the Sprawl, truth is what the powerful decide it to be. That notwithstanding, it is occasionally useful for the people who make those decisions to have access to facts, even if they later decide those facts to be irrelevant. And it also occasionally useful for the discovery of those facts to be made by unofficial and deniable agents, whose circumstances make it impossible for them to become potential rivals, rather than official ones who might well do so. So in this world of neon-lit darkness, there are still those who go down the mean streets without themselves being mean. Or, at least, not too mean.

The woman who uses the name Reuth Wilmarth is one such private investigator. Unlike most people in the same line of work, she was never employed by corporate security in any manner. Nor was she ever a member of the metropolitan patrol, the second most common source for private investigators. Why, exactly, old Duglas Sexton chose to give her a job as an operative, more than a decade and a half ago, and then later picked her out of all his operatives to head up the agency before he retired, are stories that she keeps close to her chest. If asked, she'd shrug and say 'some other time, maybe' -- which is a much more polite answer than will be given to anyone who asks her how an android became a citizen of the Sprawl.

Androids perform the bulk of the dangerous manual labor that sustains the sprawl. Their combination of machine-like resilience, self-repairing bodies, and organic brains -- unable to be 'hacked', as the digital brains of a robot could be -- make them the ideal slaves. Those who rebel are, of course, killed without hesitation. There isn't a special job title for those who do this, nor is it given any euphemistic name; 'retirement' is already in use as a pleasant way to describe suicide, after all. In the two centuries that the Sprawl has existed in its current state, there have only been a handful of androids who have been given their freedom. Reuth Wilmarth is the only one who is still alive.

Wilmarth doesn't talk about that, either. Truthfully, she doesn't say much beyond what she has to say in order to keep the agency running as smoothly as it can, and in order to pursue the handful of cases that she personally investigates. Among a handful of people whom she has allowed to get somewhat close -- all employees of the agency -- she will sometimes discuss a personal philosophy that is somewhere between existentialism and utilitarianism, and express her skepticism that any action undertaken any person in the Sprawl, from the highest to the lowest, is meaningfully delaying the eventual end of their world. After evaluating the response that she gets, she generally shrugs and says, "But hey, it pays the bills, right?"

And yet. From time to time, the agency is contacted not by those employed by the corps as cutouts, but by ordinary people who need to discover the truth. Most agencies won't even bother to lie to these people, just bluntly state that they aren't a charity and make it clear that their would-be clients can't afford their rates. But every now and then, when these desperate people contact Wilmarth's agency, she decides to work their cases for free. She won't discuss what triggers these decisions, or what motivates her. Generally, these people end up regretting their decision, for she never pulls any punches when it comes to revealing what she's learned, and what she's learned is generally tragic.

But sometimes -- oh so rarely -- in these investigations, there is a quality of redemption.

Wilmarth -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 5 | STA -- | AGL 3 | DEX 5 | FGT 8 | INT 3 | AWE 2 | PRE 2

Powers:
Android: Immunity 30 (Fortitude); Protection 8; Regeneration 1 (natural healing) - 39 points

Advantages:
Attractive, Equipment 5, Eidetic Memory, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Move-by Attack, Precise Shot (ranged/cover), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge, Well Informed

Equipment:
Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5, Accurate), Commlink and 13 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+11), Deception 8 (+10), Intimidation 6 (+8), Investigation 5 (+8), Perception 7 (+9), Stealth 6 (+9), Technology 7 (+10), Vehicles 4 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed +11 (Close Damage 5)
Blaster Pistol +11 (Ranged Damage 5)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 8, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 39 + Advantages 21 + Skills 25 + Defenses 8 = 139 points

Complications:
Professional--Motivation. Capricious Curiosity. Responsibility (agency.) Second Class Citizen.

 

[Davies]

Bloodhounds

The Sprawl's metropolitan patrol is ostensibly neutral in conflicts between the various corporate entities that rule this world the size of a city. However, this neutrality means that they make no real attempt to investigate activities that are official acts of the corps, to avoid the appearance of favoritism against any of them. They do make attempts to investigate unofficial acts of the corps, and deniable assets have a great deal to fear from them, though most such are better equipped and better trained than the enlisted personnel and officers of the patrol.

With the exception of the Bloodhounds. Their official designation is HDCLEO (Heavy Duty Cybernetic Law Enforcement Officer) but nobody ever uses that name or even the abbreviated version of it. Older residents of the Sprawl sometimes call them 'Hatchetmen', in memory of a corporate security officer who was rebuilt into the first of their kind, roughly one hundred and fifty years ago. The process to create a Bloodhound involves removing roughly 85% of the former organic material, leaving only the brain, skull, spinal column, and sometimes the face.

Despite what you might expect, the majority of those who become Bloodhounds are not patrol personnel who suffer serious, life-threatening injuries in the course of their duties. At one point, these did form the majority of the Bloodhound corps, but attitudes have shifted, and it is now considered foolish to offer what is notionally perceived as an honor to those who make mistakes that result in such losses. In today's Sprawl, Bloodhounds are typically volunteers who agree to the process in exchange for financial considerations paid to their survivors. Assuming they don't meet their end in the line of duty, which most do, a Bloodhound can expect to remain functional for around fifteen years before their remaining organic parts begin to shut down.

While the metropolitan guard is generally disliked by most proles within the Sprawl, the Bloodhounds are regarded with terror. The amount of damage that one of them can cause is horrific enough, but it is also widely (and correctly) rumored that each of them has an override mechanism that can force them to obey the commands of anyone able to activate it. At any time, then, a Bloodhound can be converted from a diligent if cold-blooded agent of the law into a mindless assassin for any corporate agent who knows the appropriate passcodes ... which are easily accessible to such individuals.

It is not clear how much of an individual Bloodhound's consciousness survives their conversion, to be replaced by an artificial personality and engineered memories intended to support their mission. It may vary from case to case, with some remembering nothing and some having nearly complete recall of their previous life. The latter case nearly always go rogue at some point or another, vanishing into the underworld. Some of these become predators within their new environs. A few become protectors.

Bloodhounds -- PL 9/MR 9

Abilities
STR 6 | STA - | AGL 2 | DEX 2 | FGT 8 | INT 2 | AWE 1 | PRE 1

Powers:
Armored Frame: Impervious Protection 8 - 16 points
Cybernetics: Enhanced Advantages 2 (Eidetic Memory, Improved Initiative); Senses 7 (Accurate and Extended Hearing, Analytical and Extended Vision, Infravision, Radio) - 9 points
More Machine Than Meat: Immunity 30 (Fortitude) - 30 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 8, Fearless, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Power Attack.

Equipment:
Autoblaster (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8, Accurate), Fragmentation Grenade (Ranged Burst Area Damage 6), Flashbang (Ranged Burst Area Dazzle 6), Tear Gas Grenade (Ranged Cloud Area Affliction 6), and 12 points of equipment as needed (often a rocket pack [Flight 6].)

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8), Expertise: Civics 8 (+10), Expertise: Streetwise 7 (+9), Intimidation 10 (+11), Perception 10 (+11), Ranged Combat: Blaster 6 (+8), Stealth 4 (+6), Vehicles 5 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 6)
Autoblaster +10 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 8, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 8, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 34 + Powers 55 + Advantages 12 + Skills 26 + Defenses 8 = 135 points

Complications:
It's A Job--Motivation. No Human Rights. Override. Requires Maintenance. Others as Needed.

 

[Davies]

Jeemi Crysalid

In the two centuries that the Sprawl has existed, very few methods of creating augmented human beings have not been tried by the corps, in the pursuit of creating more effective operatives. A bit less than thirty years ago, one program was implemented to create the ideal salesman, on the theory that such an individual would be able to persuade the worlds exploited by the Sprawl that this exploitation was in their own best interests. This batch of cloned operatives were outfitted with cybernetics that emitted subsonic waves that caused those who heard their voices to become more relaxed and receptive. Beyond that, they were given extensive training in techniques of persuasion and salesmanship.

One of this batch was just a little bit smarter than his fellows, and so never tried to use his talents of persuasion on the staff who were supervising their education. This was smart because he never suffered the harsh discipline that was inflicted on any of the silvertongues, as they were called, who were caught doing such a thing, and they were always caught, no matter how clever they were. And yet, this planted the seeds of doubt in this particular clone; trained in the business of telling lies, he found himself seeing through the lies he was given in his training. If it was wrong to do this to one of the staff, then it should surely be wrong to do this to anyone, unless circumstances were dire.

With that in mind, the clone made his escape from the creche where he was being raised. It was a narrow success, for he ended up losing an arm in the process, and was half-dead when he stumbled into a street doc's clinic. Circumstances seemed dire, so he used his talents to convince the street doc to outfit him with a top line bionic arm in addition to treating his injuries without reporting them. While recovering from the surgery, he watched video recordings of popular musicians, and was moved by the way that they seemed to take control of the crowds watching them without the benefit of his enhancements. This was a role that he could fill, and perhaps use his talents to guide the masses against those who would be their masters.

So he taught himself to play a guitar, to sing, and made his debut as Jeemi Chrysalid, the newest electrothrash sensation. He's managed to thrive as a musician without selling his soul back to any of the corps, though very few people know that this is because he moonlights as a deniable asset in their wars with each other. He never uses his silver tongue while doing so, since he takes it for granted that the same protections that prevented it from working on the staff of the creche are in common use by now. (He's wrong about this, incidentally.) Besides, if he gets exposed, he knows what his fate will be, and he only wants to go back there as the leader of an invading army ...

Jeemi is genuinely idealistic in his desire to replace the corporate hegemony with something a bit less oppressive and a bit more open, though he doesn't know enough about history or government to imagine what that could be. He doesn't want to be a ruler, viewing that as the ultimate sell-out. However, he can't really help himself from using his abilities to his personal advantage, though he has certain personal limits in what he won't do with them. Getting out of a run-in with the metro patrol is one thing; getting someone to become interested if they weren't already is quite another, and he'd never do that. He hopes.

Jeemi Chrysalid -- PL 6

Abilities:
STR 3/1 | STA 2 | AGL 2 | DEX 3 | FGT 5 | INT 1 | AWE 1 | PRE 4

Powers:
Bionic Arm: Enhanced Advantage (Improved Grab); Enhanced Strength 2; Strength-based Damage 4; Removable (-2 points) - 7 points
Silver Tongue: Auditory Perception Area Affliction 6 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled), Limited Degree, Selective, Subtle, Persuasion Check Required (DC 11) - 12 points

Advantages:
Attractive, Benefit (well-off), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 4, Evasion, Fascinate (Expertise: Performance), Fast Grab, Improved Initiative, Inspire 2, Power Attack, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge.

Equipment:
Light Blaster (Ranged Damage 4), guitar and 11 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5), Deception 4 (+8), Expertise: Performance 7 (+11), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+7), Insight 5 (+6), Perception 7 (+8), Persuasion 6 (+10), Ranged Combat: Blaster 3 (+6), Stealth 5 (+7), Technology 4 (+5), Vehicles 5 (+8).

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 1)
Bionic Arm +5 (Close Damage 7)
Light Blaster +6 (Ranged Damage 4)

Defenses:
Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 4, Toughness 7/2, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Powers 19 + Advantages 18 + Skills 28 + Defenses 11 = 114 points

Complications:
Freedom--Motivation. Fame. Manipulative Tendencies. Secret (origins, activities.)

 

[Davies]

Giasper

Art by Yicat (source)

"Privacy" is one of many concepts, like 'representative democracy' or 'pollution controls', that the denizens of the Sprawl have been forced to live without. The best that can be said is that the absence of privacy cuts both ways -- just as any of the corps can easily determine what's going on pretty much anywhere in the Sprawl, they find it difficult to keep secrets from each other, too. Digital security is largely imaginary, and so when the corporations need to send confidential information between their various tentacles, it has to be done by a human courier.

The woman who uses the name Giasper Kasey is one such courier, or rather she was until two days ago. She likes to think that she was pretty darn good at her job, efficient in her pickups and deliveries and very practiced in making sure that the package -- whatever it might be -- did not get taken away from her in transit, whether that meant fighting her way through the people who were trying to take it from her, or sneaking past them. She was doing well enough in that job to be able to afford top of the line equipment, like her skycycle and her headware, that gave her an edge on the competition. And she always followed one simple and inviolable rule -- never, ever, under any circumstances, do you peek at the package.

So two days ago, when she was told, explicitly, by the secretary who handed her the dataslug that she was supposed to take through the barrens to some remote outpost operated by a subsidiary of Zantech that was supposedly studying time travel, that if worst came to worst she was supposed to scan the slug and verbally deliver the message contained within it, Giasper treated this like the joke that she thought that it was. Problem was, he wasn't joking. After losing the slug twice to opposition forces and regaining it the same number of times, all within the first hour of what was supposed to be a three hour trip, Giasper decided that she should probably make some sort of backup for the data. So she copied it to her own headware.

And then the strangeness started. As soon as she did that, the attempts to steal the slug tapered off. She had an easy run of it until she got to the outpost and handed over the package, and was asked whether she'd looked at the contents. Lying to the person who would authorize the back half of her payment didn't seem like the greatest idea, so she admitted that she had, and quickly mentioned that the secretary had told her that she could.

"He's dead," said the recipient, and tried to inflict the same condition on Giasper. She managed to get out of the building and get away from the ambush, but nothing that has happened since then has made any sort of sense. People are trying to kill her over nothing! The message consisted of seven words, which didn't make any sense to her. What's Osiris, what does it mean that it's a black god, who is Nephren-ka, and what does it mean that he's awakened? Nobody will explain anything about that, much less why she now has a ridiculous price on her head! She needs help, and she's not really in any position to refuse it from any possible source ...

Giasper -- PL 6

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 2 | DEX 4 | FGT 5 | INT 2 | AWE 1 | PRE 1

Powers:
Cyberware: Enhanced Advantages 9 (Close Attack 4, Defensive Roll, Eidetic Memory, Evasion, Improved Initiative 2, Quick Draw); Senses 6 (Accurate Hearing, Analytical and Extended Vision, Danger Sense, Infravision) - 15 points

Advantages:
Close Attack 4, Defensive Roll, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 8, Evasion, Fearless, Improved Initiative 3, Move-by Action, Precise Shot (ranged, concealment), Quick Draw.

Equipment:
Concealed Armor (Protection 2, Subtle), Light Blaster (Ranged Damage 4), 5 points of equipment as needed
Skycycle: Size Medium; Strength 4; Speed 7 (air); Defense 15; Toughness 5; Features Remote Control, Senses 3 (direction sense, radio, time sense), Subtle Flight - 24 points

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6), Deception 8 (+9), Insight 6 (+7), Investigation 6 (+8), Perception 6 (+7), Ranged Combat: Blaster 4 (+8), Sleight of Hand 4 (+8), Stealth 5 (+7) Technology 6 (+8), Vehicles 6 (+10).

Offense:
Initiative +14/+6
Unarmed +9/+5 (Close Damage 1)
Light Pistol +8 (Ranged Damage 4)

Defenses:
Dodge 6, Parry 5, Fortitude 4, Toughness 6/4/4/2, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 36 + Powers 15 + Advantages 12 + Skills 28 + Defenses 10 = 101 points

Complications:
Survival--Motivation. Enemies (oh so many.)