Superhero Chat

Retro-aside:

That kid isn't the first documented mutant, since that just refers to a genetic difference.

As for beneficial mutations of note, there was an article the other day about a particular Winter Olympian who was naturally doped. Seems the old blood system carried more hemoglobin, which enhanced oxygenation, which enhanced endurance and gave the athelete an edge. And others in the athelete's family were similarly blessed...

And while it wasn't neccesarily a human mutation, there was a guy who was permanently intoxicated due to the yeast in his GI tract constantly fermenting stuff into alcohol. He did not live the good life.
 

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Aries_Omega said:
I was wondering how many people out there do d20 superhero games and which systems. I am partial to Deeds Not Words myself. I would also like to use this thread as a way for people to brainstorm ideas to help one another in their endevors.

I myself am having trouble in naming some characters and could use help.

1: A female ferret lycanthrope. Created through an accident.

2: A male rouge/tomb raider type who now is working for an Egyptian god that he tried to rip off.

Aries
Like C.Baize (high Chuck!), I'm a *huge* fan of Blood and Vigilance, mainly because it is clear, concise, well-written, easy to customize, and is totally compatible with d20 Modern (which my group is a big fan of also). I've heard good things about others, and know some big M&M fans who truly love the M&M system. BnV gets my vote though, because it's inexpensive and easy to work with if you are a d20 player already. There are several discussion threads about it on these boards if you search for them.

I've added powers, feats, and stunts to our BnV game with little effort, and converted other Superhero game modules/material to work with it (namely Godlike and M&M).

My story hour (in my sig) is based on our WWII/Superhero game and is a ton of fun when we play it.

Broccli_Head has a nice supers Story Hour also that you may want to check out.
 

Pc

I got one interesting party check this out. All the PC's the players made up. This superhero campaign takes place in the year 2026 in the Washington DC area. Only one PC has a name....any help would be great.

Sureshot - A baseline/human who use to be an assassin for hire. He was this ace marksman and could shoot anything. He was captured and publicly unmasked. Later he was sent to the Kirby National Detention Center (AKA the Fortress) which is a prison for supers. He made a deal w/ his former employer and in exchange for a new ID he would look away at some of his operations. Sureshot faked his death and escaped the prison....after being reprogrammed to HATE firearms. He still has this uncanny accuracy and uses blades now to fight those who commit crimes with firearms.

Unnamed PC 1 - During WWII a relic hunter was in Egypt and found an ancient temple devoted to the god Khons (or Chons, Khonsu or Khonshu) and made it past the traps and puzzles to get to a relic. He placed his hands on it and Khons himself manifested and gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. Work for him....or die. It is now 2026 and he is still working for Khons as the "hand of Khons". His powers are just a VERY small portion of the Khons own powers. This is the one PC I asked for a name.

Unnamed PC 2 - Janelle Carson was a militant eco activist. One night her and a small group loyal to the EFA (Ecological Freedom Army) broke in to a lab and set free the animals. A ferret bite her and now she has a form of lycanthropy based on the ferret. This is the other PC that I needed a name for.

Unnamed PC 3 - During the 1980's the US and may other countries in an effort to artificially create "talented" people that smashed tanks with their fists in WWII the race to map the human genome was a big and very top secret issue. A few experiments escaped. One was a psionic individual that grew to help a revolt at a Montana base in the 1990's. The revolt went bad with many casualties and he escaped and blended into society and now teaches high school (or at a university maybe). Now with various members of the US Senate wanting to have "metahumans" register (think like in X Men and in X Men II) he is thinking about coming out of retirement.

Unnamed PC 4 - Metahumans are feared and discriminated like in X Men and in X Men II. This girl (age 16) is a mutant version of Harry Potter. During the summer she lives with a foster family and it is hell, during the school year she lives at her school and practices her magnetism powers there. She been costuming up and practicing her abilities and has became a reluctant hero because of it.

Unnamed PC 5 - Back in the day 1/3 of the host of Heaven fell and became demons. Later more were made...among them were the Succubi. One of them after centuries of working under the whip of a harsh taskmaster decided to make a run for it. Angels can fall and become somewhat mortal. Demons when the....rise? Anyhow when they no longer want to do their lot in their existence can come to the mortal world with a fraction of their power. Their soul is still owned by Hell but they can try to find a way out of that while they are on Earth. This Succubus decided to take the route of a private detective. She can meet people, and hang out with them and work mostly at night.
 

Edited
Unnamed PC 1 - During WWII a relic hunter was in Egypt and found an ancient temple devoted to the god Khons...It is now 2026 and he is still working for Khons as the "hand of Khons". His powers are just a VERY small portion of the Khons own powers.

Unnamed PC 2 - Janelle Carson was a militant eco activist...A ferret bit her and now she has a form of lycanthropy based on the ferret.

Unnamed PC 3 -a psionic individual that grew to help a revolt at a Montana base in the 1990's...he is thinking about coming out of retirement.

Unnamed PC 4 -This girl (age 16) is a mutant version of Harry Potter. She been costuming up and practicing her abilities and has became a reluctant hero because of it.

Unnamed PC 5 - A Succubus can come to the mortal world with a fraction of their power, soul still owned by Hell, but they can try to find a way out of that while they are on Earth. This Succubus decided to take the route of a private detective. She can meet people, and hang out with them and work mostly at night.

Unnamed PC #1 seems strongly inspired by Marvel's Moon Knight, so some kind of Moon or Egyptian related name would be appropriate. I thought some ot the earlier suggestions were pretty good. Other things associated with the region: the Nile, the Lotus, the Scarab, etc. NightScarab? Dark Lotus?

I already suggested "Doc Marten" for Unnamed PC#2, and I'll stick with it.

Unnamed PC#3- What kind of powers does he have? That would help with the naming. MindSpear? PsiHammer? SoulBlade? Dr. Fear the Mind Killer? At any rate, here is a link talking about actual US Gov't Psi programs- full of wonderful acronyms to mine for ideas: http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/stargate.htm

Unnamed PC#4- Gaussian, Flux, Bipole, Tesla. Here is a link about magnetic and diamagnetic materials: http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/magnetic_materials.htm

Unnamed PC#5- Angelo Caduto is Italian for Fallen Angel, so what about "Angela Caduto," at least as a secret ID for the PI. Does she have a superheroic ID as well?
 

Dannyalcatraz said:
Edited
Unnamed PC#5- Angelo Caduto is Italian for Fallen Angel, so what about "Angela Caduto," at least as a secret ID for the PI. Does she have a superheroic ID as well?

She has the "complication" Form Shifting...meaning that she shifts from one form, usually human (ie Bruce Banner) to a super form (ie the Hulk). She has no mental flaws with this. She...mentally is exactly the same person in either form, just her "powers" are only in her demon form.

Aries
 

So in human form, she's a talented PI, and in "heroic" form, she's an otherworldly fox from hell.

Does she have the horns & bat wings as depicted in the old 1st ed AD&D MM? Seduction powers? Supernatural toughness? Spells or simple enchantments?

Perhaps her "heroic" ID could be kind of Gothic (mimicking DC's "Death" from the Vertigo titles or J.O. Barr's "Crow").

Possible names- Blackheart, Passion, Obsession, Jealousy, Bloodfire, Soulburner,
 


RangerWickett said:
B: Four-Color to Fantasy -- On the other end of the spectrum, FCTF is designed as simply a toolkit of rules you add to an existing D&D or D20 Modern game to add super-powers to characters. It changes no rules, just adds some more to handle the things superheroes do. It's feel is more like a normal d20 game, and the only new rules it requires learning are those for the super powers. It also has the great plus that it's very easy to add to an existing D&D or D20 Modern game, letting you create strange powers for characters in a fantasy setting, or even to just increase your characters stats if you want someone who is tough, but not super-powered.
Regdar thinks you must get a kick back every time you whore Four-Color to Fantasy.
 

Character Listing for Deeds Not Words

This is one of my player's PC's. I use the Deeds Not Words rules set. Any comments would be great. This character is is a former "super villian" that used firearms to kill but was captured and publicly unmasked. During that unmasking he tried to escape and drew a pistol and shot at a cop....and missed....and killed a kid. That was something he actually felt bad about.

Deathshot (as he was called) was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole to be served at the National Detention Center for Meta Humans (aka the Fortress). The prison attempted to rehabilatate him via neural reprograming (think Clock Work Orange or Cyberpunk). Deathshot used his contacts on the outside to fake his death in prison and escape. He was a changed man though....and couldn't bare to hold a gun let alone see one being used. He now is on a mission to end gun violence. He reinvented himself and now uses his uncanny accuracy, natural athletics and his training to fight the very people he use to work with.

Sure Shot
1st level Human/Baseline Assassin
Str 10 (+0) Dex 21 (+5) Con 14 (+2) Int 11 (+0) Wis 16 (+3) Cha 08 (-1)

Alignment: N
Languages: English (S/R)
Hit Dice: 1d6+2 (8 HP) Power Dice: 1d6+3 (9 PP) Hero Points: 1
Initiative: +7 (+5 Dex, +2 power) Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 21 (+5 armor, +5 Dex, +1 class) DR/BDR: 4/7
Base Attack Bonus: +1
· Melee Attack Bonus: +1
· Ranged Attack Bonus: +6

Fortitude Save: +2 Reflex Save: +7 Willpower Save: +3

Advantages: Alternate Identity (3EP), Protected Identity (2EP), Secret Lair (glorified closet) (1EP)

Complications: Villain Code – Preferred Opponents (Gun Wielding) (2 EP), Lasting Shame (2 EP), Checkered Past – Exposed and Convicted Felon (6 EP), Calling Card (stapling people to walls before police arrive) (4 EP), Favors Owed (Dark Secret) (4 EP), Foresworn from Firearms (4 EP)

Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Dodge, Mobility, Shot on the Run

Armor & Weapon Proficiencies: Exotic Weapon (Kukri), Exotic Weapon (Shuriken), Exotic Weapon (Kusari-Gama), Edged Weapons, Impaling Weapons, Improvised Weapons, SMG, Thrown Weapons, Trauma Weapons, Light Armor, Medium Armor

As Death Shot/ Morris Shotton (assumed dead)
Fame: 10 Reputation: -14 Resources: N/A
Deathshot/Morris Shotton was so feared at one time that he received a +2 to Charisma based rolls for purposes of Command and Intimidation checks

As Sure Shot/ Jason Smith
Fame: 1/0 Reputation: 3/0 Resources: 5/5

Skills: Balance +10, Defeat Security +10, Escape Artist +10, Move Silently +8, Read Lips +2, Shadowing +6, Spot +4, Streetwise +4, Tumble +6

Class Abilities: Sneak Attack +1d6, Weapon Focus (dagger)

Special Abilities: Rolls 2 dice for initiative and picks the best from the two. +5 dodge bonus to AC vs. All attacks of opportunity while moving through threatened areas. +1dodge AC to one designated opponent per round.

Armor: MW Concealable Ballistic Vest (+3 AC, 2 DR, 4 BDR, -1 Armor Check Penalty, +6 Max Dex Bonus), MW Armored Duster Coat (+2 AC, 2 DR, 3 BDR, -2 Armor Check Penalty, +4 Max Dex Bonus), Armored Bracers (+1 AC)

Gear: MW Concealable Ballistic Vest, MW Armored Duster Coat, Armored Bracers, (2) MW Kukri, MW Kusari-Gama, (6) Daggers, (30) Shurikens, (150 ft.), Everest Tech Grapple Rod, MW Bandolier (10 items).

Preferred Attacks: Sureshot prefers stealth and his natural guile to win his fights. He can throw (2) daggers with both hands (+3/-1) or (6) shurikens (+2/-2) if he needs to cover a large area. He often uses his kursari-gama to entangle a foe and finish him off. He doesn’t often use his kukri for more then intimidation but is adept at cutting with them.

Light Load: 33 lbs. Medium Load: 66 lbs. Heavy Load: 100 lb. Maximum Lift: 200 lb.

Super-Powers: Enhanced Initiative (+6 bonus to Initiative checks and also rolls two dice for initiative and selects the best roll from the two dice/ 6 EP) Enhanced Ability (+1 point of Dexterity/ 1 EP)
· Total Value of Enhancement Package: 22 EP
· Compensated Enhancement Points: 22 EP
· Threat Rating: 1
 

I love the concept & the background!

However, I don't particularly care for the execution of it.

IMHO, it would take a lot of training for someone who was such a deadly shot to retrain himself to the same level in melee. Yes, there are military snipers with better-than-average HTH skills, but against a TRUE melee specialist...it wouldn't be much of a contest. Additionally, given the extreme revulsion the character had after the accidental killing, it would seem that he would shun most lethal equipment...yet he's kitted out with kukri, shuriken and kusarigama? They're not guns, but still.

(I know this is a supers campaign, but using that as justification is a cop out- this guy is essentially extemely well trained, not a true super.)

It would make more sense to me if he used a special firearm: a taser, a regular gun with rubber bullets, a flechette pistol with paralysis or sleep-inducing drug rounds, a gas pellet launcher, a glue gun, a sonic nausea/vertigo inducing gun, a laser dazzler, etc. (check out the show Tactical to Practical about less-than-lethal firearms). Any such kind of firearm makes more sense than a complete change in combat style.

It could even be a totally sci-fi type weapon. Perhaps its a stun blaster, or a gun that binds miscreants with bonds of force. A stasis gun?

Were it my PC, I think I might design the PC so that he fires a grappling hook or magnetic clamp with which he disarms his opponents after which he opens the proverbial can 'o whupass on them. Line his new costume with steel tips for his boots, steel knuckle-dusters, metal knee and elbow pads... Perhaps he might carry a nightstick or nunchaku, but I wouldn't give him something edged or piercing- too obviously and potentially accidentally lethal. You really have to TRY to kill someone with a blunt weapon- accidents just won't do it. If he really must have an edged weapon, make it a tool like a high-tech ceramic diamond-edged pocket knife, not a true weapon.

He would still require his former sniping ability to do the disarms, and the cable for the grappling hook could be used as an improvised garotte if he REALLY needed it. It would also allow him to do whip tricks, do a little swinging on the cable line a la Spider-Man, etc.

I would, however, keep the calling card in some form. Probably a superglue of some kind.
 

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