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

[Davies]

Blakestone (I, II, III)

When Jennifer Chase won a riddle game with the spirit of the House of Riddles in 2004, she had already learned a few details about the previous individuals to win mastery of the House and with it the name Blakestone. In the years since then, she has continued to seek out more information about her precursors in the role, out of both genuine curiosity and a sneaking suspicion that their stories might yet impact her own, or those of people she cares about. It has been difficult, but she thrives on challenges like this. Here is what she knows.

The first Blakestone is and likely will remain the most mysterious. He appeared as if from nowhere in south London in 1922 to acquire the lot on which the House of Riddles was to be built over the next two years. The title for the property is framed on the wall of the main office of the House, and plainly states that it is in the name of "Blakestone T. Magician". It seems likely that his stage name was inspired by the American magician Harry Bouton Blackstone, but no one has ever discovered any indication that he used any other name for any purposes.

He justified his title of magician by performing stage magic for children in the vicinity of the House, with witnesses not seeing any evidence that he used any occult powers in these performances -- save for the illusory guise which he used at all times. While easily identified as an illusion, it proved impossible for anyone, no matter how adept, to see through it or neutralize it. Aside from these episodes, he rarely departed from the House. Invitations sent to his address would receive polite demurrals; visitors would be greeted at the threshold but gently turned away. Those who broke in were never seen again; the current Blakestone has found evidence that at least one such would-be intruder left by means other than the front door.

Blakestone The Magician passed away quietly in 1949, and his will left the management of his personal fortune and of the House in the administration of a trust run by his attorney, one Hadrian Murtaugh. According to the terms of that trust, the House would pass into the ownership of any individual who was able to spend a night within it and emerge with their reason intact, and the new owner would also receive the right to be called Blakestone, provided that they maintained the House in good condition and returned to it for at least one day out of every subsequent month. Failure to do so would cause the property to revert to the trust.

Nowhere mentioned within these legal documents was that the House itself, or more accurately its genius loci, would challenge each prospective owner to a riddle contest, with their sanity as the stakes. It is not known precisely how many would-be Blakestones came into the House between 1949 and 1956, nor has the current Blakestone had much success in determining their eventual fates. Hadrian Murtaugh was known to be the benefactor of a number of sanitariums throughout the United Kingdom. There is, interestingly, evidence that someone succeeded in winning the contest in 1950, but whoever did so abandoned the House within less than a month.

The first person to win and retain the House was one Charles Cameron Calder, about who somewhat more has been discovered. Born in late 1926 and raised in a Westminster orphanage, it seems likely that he was one of the children entertained by Blakestone The Magician during his childhood. At the age of twelve, his own magical talents were discovered and he was offered a scholarship at New Worminghall, one of several endowed by the government of the United Kingdom with the intention of eventually employing these gifted students for the secret benefit of the realm. They were to be disappointed in Calder, who was only interested in his own gain.

Prior to becoming the second Blakestone, he had been engaged in a career of chicanery against many of the ancient families of Great Britain, appropriating their treasure and lore. It does not seem that he had any larger goal in mind, such as world domination or immortality, focusing entirely on acquisition for its own sake. Gaining the name of Blakestone afforded him greater opportunities for schemes of this nature, and he embraced these possibilities with gusto. While not the most famous sorcerous villain of the first age of superheroics, he was more frequently successful in his aims due to his avoidance of conflict with superheroes whenever possible. However, the second Blakestone was ultimately killed in 1972, after an unknown person stole his enchanted corselet and an angry victim of his attacked him outside the House while bereft of his defenses. The identity of the thief, and the whereabouts of the corselet, remain mysteries.

At the time that the House became vacant, Leonard Valentine would have seemed an unlikely candidate for its mastery. While also a New Worminghall graduate who had been known in the mystical community since 1967, and had occasionally corresponded with Jeremiah Wander, Valentine had no noteworthy accomplishments to his name at that point. Nor did he seem to have any interest in achieving such, focusing on advancing his own knowledge of the arcane for its own sake rather than for any purpose, whether criminal or altruistic, as well as satisfying his somewhat hedonistic impulses.

That changed in 1974, when a botched magical experiment endowed him with self-regenerating capabilities and caused a dramatic shift in his personality, as though the energy which allowed him to rapidly recover from injuries demanded that it be used to that end, compelling him to a more violent way of life. To that end, he traveled extensively throughout the world, notably visiting the United States and Brazil, where he became involved in many occult mysteries, and crossed paths with numerous luminaries of the era.

Returning to his native London in 1983, he seemed to settle into the role of Blakestone almost as an afterthought. His was a much shorter mastery than either of his predecessors, as he was assassinated in 1987 by persons unknown using a bullet that suppressed his auto-regenerative abilities. It is believed by the current Blakestone that he was killed because of his refusal to assist the British government in its response to the Pythons, in an act that left them even more vulnerable to a different threat.

As of February 2022, Jennifer Chase has held the mastery of the House of Riddles for almost eighteen years, longer than any person since the original Blakestone. It is a streak that could end at any moment, thanks to her current situation, and she wonders what subsequent masters will think of her. She does not bother to think about the two previous masters. "They were both jerks."


Blakestone (I) -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 1 | AGL 0 | DEX 2 | FGT 1 | INT 3 | AWE 4 | PRE 5

Powers:
Disguise Spell: Continuous Morph 2 (humanoids) - 12 points
Mystical Awareness: Senses 4 (acute analytical radius mystic awareness) - 4 points
Shield Spell: Linked Enhanced Advantage 2 (Defensive Roll 2); Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Subtle - 11 points

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (millionaire), Connected, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 3, Fascinate (Persuasion), Multilingual, Ritualist, Trance.

Skills:
Deception 6 (+11), Expertise: Magic 8 (+13), Insight 8 (+12), Investigation 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+10), Persuasion 6 (+11).

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

Defense:
Dodge 4/0, Parry 5/1, Fortitude 3, Toughness 6/1, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 27 + Advantages 11 + Skills 20 + Defenses 7 = 97 points

Offensive PL: 1*
Defensive PL: 6
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 8

Complications:
Comfort (?)--Motivation. Secrets (many!)



Blakestone (II) -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR -1 | STA 0 | AGL 0 | DEX 1 | FGT 0 | INT 3 | AWE 2 | PRE 4

Powers:
Corselet of Adamant: Protection 12, Impervious 6; Removable (-3 points) - 15 points
Mystical Awareness: Senses 4 (acute radius mystic awareness) - 3 points
Sorcery: Array (24 points)

• Mystic Blast: Ranged Damage 12 - 24 point
• Mystic Binding: Ranged Affliction 12 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Will; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobile), Concentration, Instant Recovery - 1 point
• Mystic Passage: Extended Teleport 8 - 1 point
• Scrying: Remote Sensing (vision) 8, No Conduit - 1 point

Advantages:
Connected, Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 3, Ritualist, Startle.

Skills:
Expertise: Crime 6 (+9), Expertise: Magic 7 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+10), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 4 (+8), Ranged Combat: Sorcery 5 (+6), Sleight of Hand 6 (+7), Stealth 6 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +0 (Close Damage -1)
Mystic Blast +6 (Ranged Damage 12)
Mystic Binding +6 (Ranged Affliction 12, Resisted by Dodge)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 4, Fortitude 2, Toughness 12/0, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities 18 + Powers 45 + Advantages 7 + Skills 23 + Defenses 18 = 111 points

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 9
Resistance PL: 5
Skill PL: 6

Complications:
Greed--Motivation. Power Loss (Sorcery, if unable to speak and gesture; at half-power if only one.) Reacts Badly To Surprises (Surprise Attacks render him Defenseless instead of Vulnerable.)


Blakestone (III) -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 11/3 | AGL 2 | DEX 3 | FGT 3 | INT 2 | AWE 3 | PRE 4

Powers:
Healing Factor: Enhanced Stamina 8; Immunity 3 (disease, need for sleep, poison); Regeneration 10 - 29 points
Mystical Awareness: Senses 4 (acute radius mystic awareness) - 3 points
Synchronicity: Variable 5 (apparently random events), Check Required (Expertise: Magic, DC 20), Free Action, Insidious, Subtle, Unreliable -- 32 points

Advantages:
Contacts, Equipment 3, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fearless 2, Improvised Weapon, Ritualist, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+7), Expertise: Magic 8 (+12), Expertise: Streetwise 8 (+10), Insight 8 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+10), Investigation 6 (+8), Perception 6 (+9), Stealth 6 (+8).

Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 1)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 11, Toughness 11, Will 7.

Totals:
Abilities 42 + Powers 64 + Advantages 10 + Skills 26 + Defenses 11 = 153 points

Offensive PL: 4*
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 9
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Discovery--Motivation. Cruel. Numerous Vices (drink, drugs, sex, others.)

 

[Davies]

Jerry Gimlin

Art by Gary Hanna

Back in September, things were going pretty good for twelve-year old Jerry Gimlin. While the summer camp that he and the rest of his Boy Scout troop had been planning to attend had been delayed because of that whole alien invasion thing, so had the start of the school year, so they got to go on an early autumn camp instead. It was in a different part of the Ponderosa State Park than they usually visited, so it was all new to him, and he was really excited! And this is the point in the narrative when he usually lowers his voice to add, "I could never have known the horror that was about to begin."

While he was occupying himself with a study of some of the trees in the Meadow Marsh area, Jerry stumbled across a hidden cache that contained a weird fur suit. It was so out of place that it took him a moment to recognize it as intending to look like a Bigfoot. Clearly, someone had intended to film a hoax video or possibly scare some tourists, but had been unable to do so. (Likely for the same reason that everything else had been a little out of schedule lately.) In a moment of impulsive mischief that he would really regret, Jerry decided to put the costume on and give the troop a little scare.

As soon as he was inside the thing, Jerry realized that something strange had just happened when he looked down and realized that he had somehow grown about three feet in height, and could not figure out how to get out of the costume. Panicking, he ran back to the campsite and proceeded to give the other scouts and their leaders a much bigger scare than he had intended, since he could not make himself understood, either. After fleeing back into the forest, he watched in horror as the rest of the troop left in their vehicles, abandoning him to the tender mercy of whatever hunters showed up to deal with the situation.

Fortunately, the first hunter on the scene was one Maureen Summerisle. Recognizing that the monster had not harmed anyone yet, she was only interested in trying to capture it, and worked out what was going on. With difficulty, she was able to teach Jerry how to get out of the "sark", as she called it, but the thing was bonded to him now and for the foreseeable future. Reuniting him with his parents, she recommended that they contact the Bethany Ryan School for Accelerated Studies, whose teachers would hopefully be better equipped to handle their now-superpower son.

All this has cured whatever mischief remained in Jerry; he is now completely devoted to using his strange talent to make sure that no one else is ever as alone or afraid as he was for the week before Maureen rescued him. During that period, he constantly recited the Boy Scout Oath to himself to keep his panic at bay, and has thoroughly internalized it by this point. His tutors have not yet realized that this intense focus on doing the right thing at all times has caused him to develop a hidden resistance to any sort of mental influence. His teammates in Kids Unlimited often view him as a bit of a cornball, but appreciate his courage and might.

Jerry Gimlin -- PL 6

Abilities:
STR 8/-1 | STA 8/-1 | AGL 0 | DEX 1 | FGT 0 | INT 1 | AWE 1 | PRE 0

Powers:
Pure Heart: Immunity 20 (mental effects) - 20 points
Transformation: Linked Enhanced Advantages 4 (Great Endurance, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash); Linked Enhanced Stamina 5; Linked Enhanced Strength 5; Linked Continuous Growth 4; Linked Immunity 1 (cold); Linked Protection 1, Impervious 7; Linked Senses 1 (low-light vision); Activation (Standard Action) - 48 points

Advantages:
Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+4), Expertise: Survival 2 (+3), Insight 2 (+3), Intimidation 0 (+2/+0), Perception 4 (+5), Stealth 6 (+6/+2).

Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +4 (Close Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 3/2, Parry 4/3, Fortitude 8/-1, Toughness 9/-1, Will 4

Totals:
Abilities 2 + Powers 68 + Advantages 3 + Skills 9 + Defenses 10 = 92 points

Offensive PL: 6
Defensive PL: 6
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 1

Complications:
Doing Good--Motivation. Difficult Speech (in alternative identity only.) Minor OR Monstrous Appearance.

 

[Davies]

The Erlking

There is a romantic notion that the further one goes back in time, the more that people of that time had respect for the natural world. From a certain perspective, that is true ... but only if one confuses respect for fear. In the world lit only by fire, most people regarded the world beyond their village palisades with suspicion and mistrust, and even those cast out beyond their protection typically came together in smaller communities, for a human being alone in the wilderness was sure to become a victim of it.

Except when they did not, as did the man who became the Erlking. Even in his earliest mortal life, in the Jutland of the 9th century, he was someone who rejected his own humanity and sought to live in the wild. In part, this was due to his disgust and disdain for other humans, but there was also a part that could be explained by his psychic connection to plant life. Had he been another, more empathetic person, his story might have been a different one.

As it happened, he was to become part of the story of the man who became Merlin. Just how their paths crossed is something that neither of them chooses to discuss, but if (as seems likely) they initially met in battle, they reached an understanding of sorts that kept it from becoming a terminal affair. Merlin claims to have been impressed that the man, despite lacking any real talent for magic, had learned enough to manage some limited feats. He decided to show him how to do more in the expectation that he would become a menace that would-be heroes could overcome, expecting him to be destroyed by one of them eventually.

And the Erlking did indeed become such a potential threat, notably crossing paths with the Jutish chieftain Amleth at one point, but he proved more resilient than Merlin expected and more talented. As with Merlin, he found a way to bind his soul into the substance of another plane of reality and become immortal. Also as with Merlin, this proved to be his last act before falling into a deep sleep that would last up until the current year, when he was awakened by the Dreamdancer.

The Erlking despises the world into which he has awakened. There are so many people now, and they no longer tremble in the darkness but light up their nights. He is not, as one might expect, angered by the environmental situation, as the modern view of nature as something fragile and in need of protection is not something he is intellectually or emotionally equipped to accept. Even if someone were to explain the goals of the environmental movement to him, he would reject them as something designed to allow humans to continue to prosper. He does not desire the respect of humans but rather their fear.

His primary agents in his misanthropic aims are his "daughters", smaller plant creatures who present as human females. (It takes him roughly a month to grow one of them, so they are not Summoned minions as such; however, they are plants and can be used as mediums for his Greenbond.) He has dispatched several of them to spy on human communities and find ways to sabotage and destroy them, with some of them playing the old trick of luring vulnerable humans into the woods to be murdered and used as fertilizer for more daughters.

One of them, however, has come to develop a certain sympathy for humans, specifically the nature-loving group into whose company she has fallen, and has taken the human name Manon Kilde. This betrayal infuriates the Erlking, but the fact that it happened at all means that the other daughters might do so as well. His paranoia forces him to keep an eye on all of them, and so he has been unable to devote as many resources to destroying the traitor as he would like.

The Erlking -- PL 13

Abilities:
STR 9 | STA 8 | AGL 3 | DEX -1 | FGT 10 | INT 3 | AWE 2 | PRE 0

Powers:
Ascendant: Ascendant: Immortality 5 (one day), Only When On Home Plane; Immunity 1 (aging); Movement 1 (dimensional travel to home plane), Reaction (death); Movement 2 (dimensional travel to mystical dimensions), Standard Action - 10 points
Greenbond: Remote Sensing 5 (Auditory, Olfactory, Visual; 30 miles), Medium (plants), Simultaneous, Subtle 2; Senses 4 (postcognition), Limited to while in vegetation - 20 points
Just A Tree: Continuous Morph 1 (tree) - 6 points
Large Plant: Elongation 4; Permanent Growth 4 (14 feet; Strength +4, Stamina +4, Intimidation +2, Dodge -2, Parry -2, Stealth -4), Innate; Immunity 3 (need for sleep, starvation & thirst, suffocation); Protection 6; Regeneration 10 - 36 points
Plant Influence: Array (52 points)

• Pollen Cloud: Perception Range Cloud Area Affliction 13 (Resisted by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Asleep) - 52 points
• Rapid Growth: Continuous Create 12, Moveable, Subtle - 1 point
• Root Shift: Accurate Extended Teleport 13 (30 miles/8000 miles), Easy, Medium (plant life) - 1 point
• Tanglevines: Selective Burst Area Cumulative Affliction 12 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile), Extra Condition, Limited Degree, Indirect 3 - 1 point

Sense Immortal: Senses 2 (ranged detect immortal) - 2 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Chokehold, Equipment 5, Improved Grab, Improved Smash, Ritualist, Startle, Tracking, Trance.

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+11), Close Combat: Grab 2 (+12), Expertise: Magic 10 (+10), Expertise: Survival 8 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+8), Perception 8 (+10), Stealth 10 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +3
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 9)
Grab +12 (Close Grab 13)
Pollen Cloud -- (Perception Range Cloud Area Fortitude 13)
Tanglevines -- (Burst Area Affliction 12)

Defense:
Dodge 10, Parry 12, Fortitude 11, Toughness 14, Will 10.

Totals:
Abilities 52 + Powers 129 + Advantages 13 + Skills 23 + Defenses 20 = 237 points

Offensive PL: 13
Defensive PL: 13
Resistance PL: 11
Skill PL: 6

Complications:
Misanthropy--Motivation. Paranoid. Unfamiliar With Modern World or Technology (or environmentalism.)


Daughters of the Erlking -- PL 8/MR 7

Abilities:
STR 4 | STA 3 | AGL 2 | DEX 1 | FGT 4 | INT 0 | AWE 3 | PRE 2

Powers:
Human Disguise: Morph 1 (human form) - 5 points
Plant Creature: Immunity 3 (need for sleep, starvation, suffocation); Impervious Protection 6, Noticeable; Regeneration 10; Visual Concealment 4, Limited to while in vegetation - 28 points

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Taunt, Tracking.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+7), Deception 6 (+8), Insight 3 (+6), Investigation 6 (+6), Perception 6 (+9), Stealth 4 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 4)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 7, Toughness 9, Will 6

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Powers 33 + Advantages 7 + Skills 13 + Defenses 13 = 105 points

Offensive PL: 6
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 4

Complications:
Obedience--Motivation. Secret (inhuman.) Others as Needed.

Note: Manon Kilde is a non-minion Daughter with Acceptance as a Motivation, and the additional complication Friends.

 

[Davies]

Biānpào/鞭炮

As one of the most publicly visible members of the Sīfa Zhuānjiā, much has been revealed (and confirmed) about the personal history of Yang Dongmei, alias Biānpào ("Firecracker"). Born in Beijing in 1992, she was only thirteen years old when, for the first time in decades, fireworks were permitted as part of the celebrations for the Spring Festival. She remembers staring up in amazement at the lights in the sky, and claims that she knew what she wanted to do with her life at that moment.

The latter part might be exaggerated, but she did grow up to work in a fireworks factory (and suffered a serious hearing loss while doing so.) Her dream was that one day she would get to work in designing the displays. To that end, she did a great deal of private study of how they worked, in the process developing a number of inventions of her own.

Unfortunately, by the time she was in her early twenties, public opinion had shifted against fireworks once again, and Dongmei found herself not only frustrated in her ambitions, but out of even the job she was doing to support them. Supposedly, she considered using her inventions to go on a criminal rampage, but stopped herself before she started. She was someone who wanted to share beauty with the world, not terror. To do that, she was going to have to break the law, but she would have to do this in a smart way.

So she got in touch with the Sīfa and began to use her talents and inventions for them. In the process, she learned that she had a very minor superpower and was able to calculate the passage of time down to the thousandth of a second, which she employs to set up her fireworks to go off with exacting precision. Dongmei has also studied with the hyperbrains of the group, unable to imitate their discoveries but able to incorporate some of them into her devices.

Biānpào is currently planning to accompany a small group of the Sīfa on an expedition to the Sprawl, and expects to learn a lot to advance her gear. Plus, it sounds like a blast! (While taking her work of bringing beauty -- and thus truth -- to the world seriously, she also intends to have as much fun as she can doing so.)

Biānpào -- PL 10

Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 3 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 5 | INT 5 | AWE 0 | PRE 1

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Attractive, Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Fearless, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+9), Deception 7 (+8), Insight 10 (+10), Perception 10 (+10), Persuasion 8 (+9), Ranged Combat: Fireworks 6 (+9), Sleight of Hand 8 (+11), Technology 7 (+12), Vehicles 6 (+9).

Powers:
Expert Timing: Senses 1 (time sense) - 1 point
Firecracker Arsenal: Array (25 point); Removable (-6 points)

• 反沖/Blowback: Linked Ranged Burst Area Damage 5; Linked Burst Area Move Object 5, Limited to moving away from the center of the effect - 25 points
• 輝煌/Brilliance: Linked Ranged Damage 6; Linked Ranged Cumulative Affliction 6 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Visually Impaired, Visually Disabled, Visually Unaware), Limited to One Sense - 1 point
• 燃燒/Combustion: Ranged Damage 8, Secondary Effect - 1 point
• 混亂/Confusion: Ranged Cumulative Perception Area Affliction 8 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Limited to compelling or controlling erratic behavior - 1 point
• 閃電/Fulmination: Ranged Multiattack Damage 8 - 1 point
• 著迷/Spellbound: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 6 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Will; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobile, Paralyzed), Extra Condition - 1 point

Protective Costume: Protection 2; Removable (-0 points) - 2 points

Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 0)
Fulmination +12 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8)
Combustion +12 (Ranged Damage 8)
Brilliance +12 (Ranged Damage 6 and Affliction 6, Resisted by Dodge)
Spellbound +12 (Ranged Affliction 6, Resisted by Dodge)
Blowback -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 5)
Confusion -- (Ranged Perception Area Fortitude 8)

Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 9, Fortitude 5, Toughness 10/8/5/3, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 40 + Powers 27 + Advantages 14 + Skills 33 + Defenses 17 = 131 points

Offensive PL: 10
Defensive PL: 10
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Hard of Hearing (wears hearing aid, Disabled on auditory Perception checks without it.) Hunted by the Authorities. "Let's Get Loud" (subtlety is not an option.)

Note: Inspired by EternalPhoenix's Firecracker archetype.

 

[Davies]

Connor Roberts

Imagine being a kid with superpowers. Now imagine being a kid who wanted to have superpowers, and now has them ... but finds that they do nothing to make people, especially those who also have powers, accept him as an adult. Such is the life of Connor Roberts, made slightly worse by his strange certainty that if things were just a tiny bit different, he would have what he wants. He is not sure why he believes that, but he does.

Most kids want to be a superhero at some point in their lives, other than those who want to be a supervillain. (Definitions being as subjective as they are, there is a fair amount of crossover between these groups.) Connor certainly did, but was not blessed with superpowers in his youth, or his early adolescence. He decided to train himself to be ready for a chance to gain them, studying and practicing at a variety of subjects that he thought might be useful. He was helped in this by the benign neglect of his parents, more focused on the problems of his two older siblings and grateful that he seemed to be keeping out of trouble.

Definitions being as subjective as they are, it should not come as a surprise that a fair chunk of what Connor did could have gotten him into a lot of trouble. Case in point: exploring closed off mines in the Wyoming Valley was what some might consider trespassing, and many might consider dangerous. That said, Connor would have claimed that he was being careful, using a "Digital Canary" app on his smart phone to avoid gas concentrations. While making his escape from one of them, he tripped over a weird-looking rock that he reflexively picked up.

Only when he got back to the surface and examined his finding did he start to get excited. It looked just like the power prisms that he had seen being used by both El Dorados and their mysterious female ally. And, sure enough, it allowed him to surround himself in a force field and take flight just like they could. His dream was coming true! He shaped his force field to disguise himself, and began venturing out as Kid Comet, dealing with street crime in his native Scranton.

Fairly quickly, his activities came to the attention of those other power prisms, right when the original El Dorado returned from his journey in space. Initially, Connor was grateful to have the help of these more experienced heroes, especially when he found himself menaced, first by the villainous power prism user who also showed up and then by the Saturn-affiliated street gang that included his older brother. But that gratitude turned to anger when the old -- ahem -- when Edeth said that she had never heard of someone as young as Connor being trusted with a prism before.

The El Dorados apparently convinced her not to take action but it was clear to him that he was not going to be welcome in their company for a while to come. Well, so what? He would join the Minor League, or maybe attend the Futurian Academy, and be welcome among them instead! Except that both groups indicated that, at fourteen, he was just a bit younger than they wanted. So he has found himself packed off to the Bethany Ryan School, with the other super-babies. It is beyond frustrating.

Nevertheless, Connor fully intends to go on being a superhero, rather than letting the anger he feels turn him down a dangerous path. The question now is how subjective his definitions of superheroing will be ...

Connor Roberts -- PL 7

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

Powers:
Power Prism: Removable (-12 points)

• Flight Mode: Flight 7 (250 MPH), Aquatic; Insubstantial 3, Standard Action - 24 points
• Force Field: Linked Sustained Protection 8; Linked Sustained Immunity 10 (Life Support) - 18 points
• Offensive Applications: Array (16 points)
  • Basic Blast: Ranged Damage 8 - 16 points
  • Exo-Armor: Enhanced Strength 5, Affects Corporeal 6 - 1 points
  • Force Objects: Moveable Create 5 - 1 point
  • Tractor-Pressor Beam: Move Object 8 (6 tons) - 1 point

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Redirect.

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4), Deception 3 (+4), Expertise: History 2 (+4), Expertise: Science 3 (+5), Insight 3 (+5), Investigation 3 (+5), Perception 3 (+5), Ranged Combat: Power Prism 3 (+6), Treatment 1 (+3).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +2 (Close Damage 6/1)
Basic Blast +6 (Ranged Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 3, Fortitude 4, Toughness 9/1, Will 6.

Totals:
Abilities 28 + Powers 49 + Advantages 5 + Skills 12 + Defenses 11 = 105 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 5
Skill PL: 0

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Hates Being Treated as "A Kid". Power Loss (prism energy depletes.)

Note: Based on a character concept by Voltron64.

 

[Voltron64]

The El Dorados apparently convinced her not to take action but it was clear to him that he was not going to be welcome in their company for a while to come. Well, so what? He would join the Minor League, or maybe attend the Futurian Academy, and be welcome among them instead! Except that both groups indicated that, at fourteen, he was just a bit younger than they wanted. So he has found himself packed off to the Bethany Ryan School, with the other super-babies. It is beyond frustrating.

He'll grow into it.

 

[Davies]

He'll grow into it.

 

[Davies]

Magnificat

In the years after Tanelorn was established, and its interdimensional gates began to see regular use, it saw many arrivals from other worlds, both sapient and otherwise. While the portals could be controlled, and dangerous visitors were usually prevented from entering, things nevertheless slipped through. One of them was a large orange tomcat which resembled a Persian Tabby, who strolled through the portal from which he emerged with a facial expression that conveyed a detached lack of concern, verging on disdain, for his surroundings.

The cat was soon witnessed engaged in contests of dominance with the local cats, who had been mutated like all life in Tanelorn. Most of them were able to assume a two dimensional state ("flatcats", to use their nickname) while the new arrival demonstrated a different power. He was able to switch between an immense, 24 foot tall form and his normal size, which seemed to demonstrate unusually fast reactions. Having been accepted as dominant by most other cats in the city, he soon found himself dubbed Magnificat by human observers.

Just what he thinks of that name is unclear, as is what he thinks about everything else. While demonstrating human-level intelligence, attempts to communicate with Magnificat have universally failed. He does not respond when spoken to by persons able to communicate with animals, and his mind is almost impossible to target for psychic probing. Judging by his expression, it seems apparent that he views responding to any communication by humans, regardless of source, as completely beneath his dignity. However, this lack of interest should not be confused with hostility. Magnificat has occasionally demonstrated a sort of regal kindness towards human children who interact with him, even suffering to allow himself to be held and his tail to be pulled ... within limits.

While some observers believe that he shows some signs of aging in the decades since his arrival in Tanelorn, he has outlived most of the cats who were present at that time. He has fathered a handful of mixed breed children with the local cats, none of whom have demonstrated powers like his own. Despite that, he apparently does not regard kittens as a threat to his territory, instead viewing them with the same sublime indifference as he regards everything else.

Magnificat -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 7/-3 | STA 6/-2 | AGL 3 | DEX 0 | FGT 3 | INT -1 | AWE 3 | PRE -1

Powers:
Feline Senses: Senses 5 (low-light vision, extended acute scent, extended ultrahearing) - 5 points
Shielded Mind: Permanent Mental Concealment 2 - 4 points
Sizemorphing: Array (30 points); Quirk (full power only)

• Huge Size: Continuous Growth 8 (24 feet; Strength +8, Stamina +8, Speed +1, Intimidation +4, Dodge -4, Parry -4, Stealth -8); Impervious Toughness 6 - 48 points
• Tiny Size: Continuous Shrinking 8 (~1 foot; Strength -2, Intimidation -4, Speed -1, Dodge +4, Parry +4, Stealth +8); Enhanced Defenses 12 (Dodge 6, Parry 6); Speed 1 (4 MPH) - 1 point

Unusual Longevity: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison) - 3 points

Advantages:
Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Fast Grab, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Initiative, Prone Fighting, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+8), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+7), Deception 8 (+7), Insight 6 (+9), Perception 7 (+10), Stealth 0 (+11/-5)

Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 7/-2)

Defense:
Dodge 13/7/3, Parry 13/7/3, Fortitude 8/0, Toughness 11/6/3/-2, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 8 + Powers 60 + Advantages 8 + Skills 15 + Defenses 6 = 97 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 8
Skill PL: 5

Complications:
Survival--Motivation. Does Not Speak. Poor Manipulators. Proud.

"... still I am the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to me." -- Rudyard Kipling

 

[Davies]

Nyx

Art by Jacob E. Blackmon

Long ago -- longer ago than this language has words to describe -- a group of extraordinarily powerful entities, whom we could call the Old Ones, realized that they needed still more power in order to accomplish a task that they had set for themselves. The Ascendants of the World More Sorcerous, heirs to the Old Ones, have only legends of this time and the decisions that were made then. But according to at least some of those legends, the decision to hide the creature later dubbed Ananke in a reality less magical than their own, where the powers of entropy were notably weaker, was made to ensure that she would be forever out of the reach of the Old One who embodied those powers. If so, then Nyx, last of the Old Ones, has had the last laugh, for he has endured long enough to see that reality become one that he can reach. Can, and will.

As "Hierarch" of Entropy, it was his ostensible responsibility to oversee the corruption and destruction of mortal life. While callously permitting any number of schemes towards those ends, it was obvious to most observers that his own plans were exclusively directed towards preserving his own position in the hierarchy, which necessarily required him to preserve that hierarchy itself. To do this, he was quite willing, at times, to cooperate with Ascendants of the four spheres of Life, though he frequently manipulated them to bad ends. By the time of the Anachronic Calamity, however, he had apparently become sufficiently certain of his position that he believed he could survive even the disintegration of reality that the Calamity would cause if allowed to continue.

Strangely, however, he did not believe that he could survive an assault by an unprecedented alliance of renegade Entropics and a collection of Eaters of Worlds, and agreed to support the plan to stop the Calamity if the Argonauts would protect him from them. This oddity was noted by some at the time, and has been speculated on since. It seems likely that he had known of the prospective ambush (though perhaps not of the rebellion) beforehand, and chose to allow it to continue in order to evaluate the capabilities of the assembled defenders of reality. For he had seen an opportunity taking form, and his actions were all carefully chosen to allow him to seize it.

And now the World Less Magical is no more, and entropy in that reality possesses its spiritual qualities that it previously lacked. So Entropics can travel there safely. Nyx will not go there himself, initially; he will send a catspaw to clear the way for him, likely a certain rebellious Shadow Dragon who has a grudge against creatures from that distant future. But once the way has been cleared, he intends to travel there and seize power in that era, escaping the doom that it sure to come to him if he remains in the World More Sorcerous that will now end a few scant hundreds of millions of years from now. Nothing in that reality can hope to challenge him ...

... but perhaps, if they do, that will be interesting as well.

Nyx -- PL 18

Abilities:
STR 15 | STA 18 | AGL 4 | DEX 3 | FGT 9 | INT 9 | AWE 9 | PRE 8

Powers:
Ascendant: Immortality 5 (one day), Only When On Home Plane*; Immunity 1 (aging); Movement 1 (dimensional travel to home plane), Reaction (death); Movement 2 (dimensional travel to planes of the Sphere of Entropy)**, Standard Action - 10 points
Chill of the Grave: Perception Range Damage 18, Resisted by Will**, Insidious, Subtle - 74 points
Divine Body: Immunity 10 (life support); Impervious Toughness 16 - 26 points
Divine Mind: Impervious Will 16, Limited to Mental Effects; Reaction Damage 6 (when subject of mental attack, mental communication or mind reading), Resisted by Will; Senses 7 (vision counters all concealment, vision counters illusions) - 45 points
"For The Dead Travel Fast": Accurate Extended Teleport 13 (30 miles/8000 miles), Turnabout; Enhanced Advantages 6 (Close Attack 2, Evasion, Improved Initiative 3), Quirk (Close Attack is only enhanced against targets with a lower Initiative total); Enhanced Defenses 18 (Dodge 9, Parry 9) - 76 points
Grip of the Grave: Affects Insubstantial 2 on Strength Damage - 2 points
Sense Immortal: Senses 2 (ranged detect immortal) - 2 points
Tentacles: Extra Limbs 4; Elongation 2 - 6 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Assessment, Chokehold, Close Attack 2, Evasion, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative 3, Jack-of-all-trades, Power Attack, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Deception 8 (+16), Expertise: Dimensional 7 (+16), Expertise: Magic 7 (+15), Insight 8 (+17), Intimidation 10 (+18), Perception 8 (+17), Persuasion 8 (+16).

Offense:
Initiative +18
Unarmed +11/+9 (Close Damage 15)
Chill of the Grave -- (Perception Range Damage 18)

Defense:
Dodge 18/9, Parry 18/9, Fortitude 18, Toughness 18, Will 18.

Totals:
Abilities 150 + Powers 241 + Advantages 9 + Skills 28 + Defenses 14 = 444 points

Offensive PL: 18
Defensive PL: 18
Resistance PL: 18
Skill PL: 13

Complications:
Power--Motivation. Aura of Death (kills mundane insects and plant life in his immediate vicinity.) Obviously Inhuman. Whimsical Sadism.

* When he emerges in the present, he does not have a Home Plane. This represents an opportunity to permanently destroy him. However, he will be aware of this vulnerability and seek to correct it. If he succeeds, add Equipment 5 (Home Plane) to his sheet. (It should also be present on his sheet in any depiction of him in the World More Sorcerous.)
** This division of reality does not exist in the current era; given time, it will become "mystical dimensions". Allowing him that time may be unwise.
*** Characters with Immunity (aging) are also immune to this effect, unless the GM gives them a Power Loss complication. ("How does it feel to be a billion years old?")

 

[Davies]

Alharund

Three are the stereotypical traits of the wood elves of Elphaim, and to an extent of all elves. They are all skilled magic-wielders. Utterly false, even absurd -- sorcerous abilities are not given to every member of any of the peoples of the world. They are all brilliant archers. While it is a given that every elf has learned to string the bow and to let fly, the accuracy with which they do so varies from person to person, and the hunters of Elphaim are more prone to use spears in their chase than the bow in any event. They are all merry and cheerful, gamboling about in the woods in a never-ending celebration of -- Oh, no, no, no. This one really irritates those of their kindred who strive for a stern and serious demeanor.

Alharund, a wandering soldier of fortune currently employed by the Republic of Tohrukin to train their archers, is one such stern and serious elf who has grown quite irritated with the stereotypes. That he is an amazing archer would seem to reinforce one of them, but he will strive to disabuse anyone of the notion that his skills, acquired through long training and hard work, are any sort of "natural talent". As he is also a private individual, he will not often speak of the sorrow that these skills have brought him.

In his youth, roughly a century past, an orphaned Alharund was given into the care of one of the masters of the ancient art of yakha, a meditative discipline that used archery as a metaphor for the development of a focused mind. He applied himself to his lessons, and soon developed the mentality that his master sought, in which he no longer depended on his imperfect bow or untrustworthy hand to strike the targets before him. Pleased with his development, his master declared that Alharund would now move on to the next phase of yakha, in which the bow itself was set aside.

That was where the problem started. The young elf had not realized that he was supposed to eventually let go of the bow, rather than use it for its ostensible purpose. That purpose was deeply tied to a desire he had hidden in his heart all this time, the desire to hunt the beastfolk that had orphaned him decades before. His master, frustrated to realize that he had failed to purge Alharund of such base and worldly desires, warned him that he was setting out on a road that led only to a meaningless death, but the archer refused to hear anything of it. So he left his master and eventually his homeland.

Unfortunately, he was soon to find that only in Elphaim were beastfolk considered monsters to be slain out of hand. In the lands beyond the forest, they were as often honest citizens as they were raiders and bandits, and Alharund ended up spending more than one night in the stocks after he assaulted an innocent bystander. He has never quite gotten past his suspicion of their kind, but generally just tries to avoid them in his current life. His personal goal is to advance his skill at shooting until it becomes perfect and he achieves the sort of enlightenment that his master insisted could only be found if he stopped using a physical bow instead of the arrows of the mind. He is certain that he can eventually do this, and would welcome the opportunity to test himself against unusual threats -- or mundane ones that happened to be beastfolk.

It seems likely that his master was right, and Alharund is walking a path that leads nowhere. But perhaps his master did not know as much as he thought, even if he was an Ascendant of Mind posing as a mortal ...

Alharund -- PL 7

Abilities:
STR 2 | STA 2 | AGL 4 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 2 | AWE 6 | PRE 2

Powers:
"Aim With the Eye, Shoot With The Mind": Enhanced Advantage 1 (Benefit [make Ranged Combat: Bow checks with Awareness]) - 1 point
Ranger: Movement 2 (safe-fall, sure-footed); Speed 2 - 6 points
Wood Elven Gifts: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, need for sleep); Regeneration 2; Senses 1 (low-light vision) - 6 points

Advantages:
Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 2, Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (bow) 2, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Quick Draw, Trance, Ultimate Aim.

Equipment:
Sword (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical), Bow (Ranged Damage 3), and 3 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+7), Athletics 6 (+8), Close Combat: Sword 3 (+7), Deception 4 (+6), Expertise: Magic 4 (+6)*, Expertise: Philosophy 6 (+8), Perception 4 (+10), Ranged Combat: Bow 5 (+11), Stealth 5 (+9), Treatment 4 (+6).
* INT-based.

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +4 (close Damage 2)
Sword +7 (Close Damage 5, Crit 19-20)
Bow +11 (Ranged Damage 3, Crit 18-20)

Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 4, Toughness 7/2, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities 50 + Powers 13 + Advantages 12 + Skills 22 + Defenses 10 = 107 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 5

Complications:
Self-Improvement--Motivation. Hatred (beastfolk.) Tactical Preference (seeks the high ground.)