[Planetary] Help me stat THE FOUR

[Tom Cashel]

Okay, a little background. I'm currently planning/yoinking elements for an extensive D20 Modern/Future/Alternate Universe Dimension X game, with the players traveling around in what amounts to their very own TARDIS. See this thread for more info on that.

Today, I decided that the Big Baddies opposing the heroes will be The Four from the comic book Planetary--my own versions of them (thus giving me a kind of second-order alternative version). The comic makes extensive use of "alternate universe" versions of popular superheroes. In this case, Warren Ellis has taken the Fantastic Four and turned them into the secret masterminds of malevolence on a multiversal scale. Scary!

So...it occurred to me while perusing the Menace Manual that I could take a Smart Hero, slap the Malleable template on him...and have a cool Mr. Fantastic amalgam. It occurred to me that a cool alternate Human Torch could be created as an advanced Charred One. How would you do the Thing? The Invisible Woman?

Keep in mind that I'm not trying to create exact replicas of The Fantastic Four using D20...more trying to create the evil "real-world" alternates that the comic book quartet may have been based upon. Y'know what I'm getting at?

So please suggest some good templates, creatures, classes, etc. that I could use...or if you've got lots of time on your hands and like that sort of thing, stat them! They can be uber-powerful (13th level or higher) since my PCs won't be encountering them directly for quite a long time.

Okay...whaddya got?

(By the way...if you like comics, Planetary is an awesome series. Very, very well done and well worth stealing from. )

 

[Commonblade]

You could just use the Invisable Stalker (with wizard or mage levels) and Stone Golem (with warhulk levels from the Minauters Handbook) from MM3.5, they would work. Sorry don't know enough about Modern (yet) to help you more.

 

[Tom Cashel]

Stone Golem! That's a good idea. Thing is, I'm not really using any classes with fantasy flavor in this campaign. But it is perfectly acceptable for fictional worlds to bleed into my milieu, along with veried time periods and alternate dimensions.

...But since this thread isn't generating the excitement I thought it would (not a lot of Planetary readers out there, eh?), here's more info on the analog characters I'm trying to stat:

The Four Voyagers

Dr. Randall Dowling, Kim Suskind, William Leather, and Jacob Greene - four members of the secret Artemis team, participants in the top-secret US moon shot in June 1961, are Planetary's main adversaries and the source of many of earth's problems for the last 40-plus years. The failed moon shot brought the crew into close proximity of a sudden translunar event involving a manifestation of a Snowflake, and Bleed energy, which changed the crew into something more than human. While overt world domination seems within the grasp of this powerful group, they have thus far preferred to work behind-the-scenes to control earth and hoard exotic technologies. The Four Voyagers are on the "human adventure," and have deemed the rest of us unworthy to join them.

The Four are analogs to Marvel's Fantastic Four, as seen from the similarities of their origins and the powers manifested so far. They seem to be Ellis' commentary on the dominance of Marvel Comics characters in the sixties, along with a critique of the squandered opportunity by such characters to make the world around them a better place.

Info above quoted from, and more info on the characters available, here.

Dr. Randall Dowling (Reed Richards): Malleable Smart/Fast Hero

Kim Suskind (Sue Storm): Psi powers, perhaps?

William Leather (Johnny Storm): He crackles with energy. Any templates that'll do this? I still like the idea of making him a Charred One.

Jacob Greene (Ben Grimm): Stone golem, perhaps...

 

[LoneWolf23]

Jacob Greene could take a lot of levels in the D20 Future Dreanought Advanced Class, which is referred to as the "walking tank", with a lot of toughness and defense feats.

edit: I'd also look into the Blood and Vigilance PDF at RPG.Now, which has a D20 Modern compatible system for superheroes.

 

[Tom Cashel]

Jacob Greene could take a lot of levels in the D20 Future Dreanought Advanced Class, which is referred to as the "walking tank", with a lot of toughness and defense feats.

That sounds perfecter than perfect, LW23, considering my wife just gave me a copy of D20 Future for my b-day...which is today!

"Walking Tank" is exactly what I want that guy to be. Big, strong, and well-nigh indestructible.

 

[King of Old School]

Kim Suskind: definitely psi powers, with emphasis on psychokinesis and invisibility/stealth powers.

Randall Dowling: Field Scientist AdvC for sure.

William Leather: more Elohim than Charred One, IMO.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Four are all HIGH level characters -- 20th level at least.

KoOS

 

[Spatula]

...But since this thread isn't generating the excitement I thought it would (not a lot of Planetary readers out there, eh?),

I read Planetary but Suskind hasn't been seen (ha!), Dowling only glimpsed in flashbacks, and Greene was also out of sight until the latest issue. Kinda hard to convert something when we don't know much about them other than the Four are evil FF analogues.

And even then, they're not necessarily that "close" to the source. Leather has been seen the most, but seems to be more than just a human torch. IIRC, we see him "phase" through a floor, and he takes on the super-strong, super-tough member of Planetary whose name I can't exactly remember right now in hand-to-hand combat. That's not exactly Johnny Storm there.

That said...
From what we've seen so far, I would write up Jacob Greene as a Tough Hero/Soldier with a Military (pilot) occupation and a permanent iron body effect (as the D&D spell, except that it would be Ex instead of Su or Sp). Bam, you're done.

William Leather as some sort of Fast Hero/Battle Mind, except without the "psi-blade" and "psi-shield." Perhaps keep those elements but change the physical manifestations of them (i.e. he can spend a move action to "enflame" his fists so that they do damage as the psi-blade would). Ignore the Battle Mind's list of allowable powers and simply give him whatever powers you think he should have (some kind of flame projection, probably, along with flight and the ability to turn incorporeal).

Kim Suskind as some sort of X Hero/Telepath (not necessarily a mind-controller, although her invisibility could be more of the mental variety rather than the physical, light-bending kind).

Randall Dowling, I have no idea.

 

[Tom Cashel]

This is cool. Thanks for all the suggestions, folks! I checked out the Dreadnaught in D20 Future, and it looks great for my version of Jacob Greene. A Strong/Tough hero with a few levels in that class should be perfect.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Four are all HIGH level characters -- 20th level at least.

I agree with you; in the comic book that's certainly true. And Elijah Snow is an Epic Modern as well. I'd wager all the Century Babies are.

For that reason, I want to stat my own version of The Four. If Warren Ellis created Wildstorm analogs of the Marvel characters, then I want to create D20 analogs of Warren Ellis' characters. It'd be fun to try to stat them exactly as they appear in the book, but then they'd eventually just show up and annihilate my PCs.

The event would be fun for me; the inevitable backlash would not.

I read Planetary but Suskind hasn't been seen (ha!)

Good one. But we do know that

she is a more dangerous foe [than one who can turn invisible and project invisible force fields] for two reasons. First, she seems to possess some measure of super strength. She ripped solid metal doors off of their hinges with her bare hands in Issue 14. Second, she uses her force field powers in inventive and ruthless ways: Snow has seen her explode people from within, and she has been seen projecting her force field with dangerous, potentially impaling spikes.

The question is...will D20 Modern or Future Psi powers allow this kind of effect? I'm thinking that she doesn't need "super strength"...telekinesis could be used to augment whatever strength she has.

...Dowling only glimpsed in flashbacks, and Greene was also out of sight until the latest issue. Kinda hard to convert something when we don't know much about them other than the Four are evil FF analogues.

But see above. This is meant as a creative exercise, not a pure transfer of a character between media. I'm interested in seeing how people, given the rich source material, would create their own analogs of the Planetary analogs. I think it's rather true to the series to do it that way.

And even then, they're not necessarily that "close" to the source. Leather has been seen the most, but seems to be more than just a human torch. IIRC, we see him "phase" through a floor, and he takes on the super-strong, super-tough member of Planetary whose name I can't exactly remember right now in hand-to-hand combat. That's not exactly Johnny Storm there.

Jakita Wagner. (Beside the point.) Leather also 'shaves' off his own beard with one finger, which isn't important but was totally cool. (I just re-read the first trade last night.)

From what we've seen so far, I would write up Jacob Greene as a Tough Hero/Soldier with a Military (pilot) occupation and a permanent iron body effect (as the D&D spell, except that it would be Ex instead of Su or Sp). Bam, you're done.

That's quite elegant, and I like it. I might drop a few Dreadnaught levels on him as well, depending on how far advanced the heroes are when they meet him.

Great ideas for Leather and Süskind, too. And thanks also for helping me to focus my ideas on this...when I started this thread I had only a sketchy idea of what I wanted, but now it's pretty clear.

I think I'll make them each +/- 15th level. Good long term mastermind foes. So...given the wide latitude to make these characters your own, how would you stat them.

Anyone? (C'mon, I know there are people out there who, unlike me, get a charge out of creating stat-blocks. )

 

[Spatula]

Well, I don't have d20 Future. But here goes, regardless:

Jacob Greene (32 pt buy)
Human male Tough Hero 5/ Soldier 10

Ability Scores: Str 22 Dex 8 Con 18 Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 9
Saves: Fort +14 Ref +5 Will +5

Combat:
BAB +10/+5
HD/hp 15d10+60 (avg 142)
AC 9 (10 - 1 dex)
Initiative +1
Speed 15 feet
Attack +17/+12 melee (1d6+10 [19-20/x2, auto-confirm], slam)

Skills:
Climb +8 (2 ranks + 6 Str)
Craft (mechanical) +8 (8 ranks)
Drive +1 (0 ranks - 1 Dex + 2 feat)
Intimidate +17 (18 ranks - 1 Cha)
Jump +17 (11 ranks + 6 Str)
Knowledge (tactics) +5 (5 ranks)
Listen +7 (6 ranks + 1 Wis)
Pilot +19 (18 ranks - 1 Dex + 2 feat)
Spot +7 (6 ranks + 1 Wis)

Feats:
Personal Firearms, Simple Weapons, Aircraft Operation (heavy aircraft), Aircraft Operation (helicoptor), Aircraft Operation (spacecraft), Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Sunder, Brawl (or any other Solider bonus feat), Great Fortitude, Vehicle Expert, Heroic Surge (4/day)

Talents
Remain Conscious, Cold Resistance (4), Sonic Resistance (4)

Abilities
Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialization, Improved Critical, Critical Strike (slam); Tactical Aid (+1 for 5 rnd); Improved Reaction

Iron (Stone) Body: DR 15/adamantine. Immune to blindness, critical hits, ability score damage, deafness, disease, drowning, electricity, poison, stunning, and all spells or attacks that affects physiology or respiration. Acid and fire attacks deal half damage.

Notes: Easy to hit, but he subtracts 15 pts from all physical damage and is immune to critical hits. Good luck forcing a massive damage save (or getting him to fail one - and even if he did, he'd still be on his feet). He's also immune to electricity, highly resistant to fire and acid, and somewhat resistant to cold and sonic damage.

 

[Tom Cashel]

That...ROCKS.