Builds on the Sun (Xin Yan the Breaker)

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Ken
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Cateran)

Post by Ken »

RainOnTheSun wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2017 6:55 am Well, hey, that's about as much of a promotion as you can get! Good for you, Steve Long. Although I still think you go overboard on damage for conventional weapons.
Steve Long was so good at heading up Hero Games that I was seriously ready to jump systems when M&M3 came along.
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RainOnTheSun
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Cateran)

Post by RainOnTheSun »

Image

"Well, Johnny, here's another fine mess you've gotten us into."

Johnny had a terribly unpleasant childhood, and nobody to talk to to make it easier. So he talked to himself, or at least, he talked to someone like himself. The other Johnny was different from him--he was stronger, and smarter, and the more Johnny talked to the other Johnny, the stronger he got. So the two Johnnys worked together until they were strong enough to get away from all the bad people who were giving them trouble, and then they moved to the big city to really make something of themselves.

That's a pretty vague history, but Johnny usually doesn't examine his origins very closely. Sustaining a delusion powerful enough to warp the physical world nearby is like walking on air in a cartoon: if you think too closely about what you're doing, the entire thing falls apart. What's more concrete is that a strange man with a habit of talking to himself got involved in a nasty bit of paranormal business that no outsiders should have been able to find, and the resulting violence got him a couple years in jail. He made friends in jail that explained to him how things worked in the big city, and when his sentence ended he had a new job as a fixer for the powers that be. There are a lot of dangerous, unpleasant things going on underneath the surface in this city, and Johnny helps make sure they stay quiet and don't disturb people. He has a new name now, too: Janus. He likes it, but the other Johnny isn't quite sold on it yet.

JOHNNY JANUS, Power Level 8

Strength 1, Stamina 3, Agility 1, Dexterity 1, Fighting 8, Intellect 2, Awareness 1, Presence 2
* 38 points

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Ambidexterity, Cipher), Connected, Contacts, Diehard, Equipment 2, Ranged Attack 7, Quick Draw, Second Chance (mind control), Takedown, Uncanny Dodge, Well-Informed * 19 points

Equipment: Two semi-automatics (Ranged Damage 4, Improved Critical, Split Attack)

Skills:
Deception 3 (+5), Expertise: Criminal 6 (+8), Expertise: Politics 3 (+5), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+8), Insight 3 (+4), Intimidation 12 (+14), Investigation 3 (+5), Perception 3 (+4), Persuasion 6 (+8), Sleight of Hand 3 (+4), Stealth 3 (+4), Technology 3 (+5), Vehicles 3 (+4) * 19 points

Combat Skills:
Ranged Combat: guns 4 (+12) * 2 points

Powers:

"Over there, Johnny? Well, I trust you." Senses 6 (vision counters illusion and invisibility, magical and mental awareness, Limited: "secondhand") * 3 points

"You're watching out for me, right, Johnny?" Subtle Protection 5, Sustained Immunity 3 (poison, critical hits), Sustained Immunity 20 (direct psychic and magical attacks, limited to half effect), 1 Alternate Effect * 20 points
"Maybe you should handle this one, Johnny." Subtle Ranged Damage 8, Affects Incorporeal 2

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 1)
Pistols +12 (Ranged Damage 4)
Johnny +8 (Ranged Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 8, Toughness 3/8, Fortitude 7, Will 9 * 19 points

Complications:
Reputation - Criminal Record
Responsibility - The Authorities. Johnny works freelance when he has the time, but the biggest power players in the underworld demand his loyalty and know where to find him.

Total: Abilities 38 + Advantages 19 + Skills 21 + Powers 23 + Defenses 19 = 120

Johnny here is another character submission I made for a game. One of the inspirations for the game was Batman, so I thought, "Who's my favorite Batman character? Two-Face!" So I made something with a split personality. And then he turned into the protagonist from Deadly Premonition, because that game fascinates me.

The "secondhand" Limitation is there because Johnny doesn't actually see the invisible or sense mystical forces: the other Johnny does. And then the first Johnny gets a "there's something interesting over there, let's go check it out" feeling, with as much detail as the GM feels like giving him.

Johnny was almost a woman named Janice Gemini.
RainOnTheSun
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Cateran)

Post by RainOnTheSun »

Image

Yeah, okay. Let's do this.

SAILOR MARS, Power Level 10

Strength 5, Stamina 5, Agility 2, Dexterity 1, Fighting 8, Intellect 1, Awareness 2, Presence 2
* 52 points

Advantages:
Ritualist * 1 point

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10), Expertise (Magic) 5 (+6), Expertise (Shrine Maiden) 5 (+6), Intimidation 11 (+13), Ranged Combat (Mars Power) 9 (+10) * 16 points

Powers:
Flight 7 * 14 points

Mars Power - Array (20-point)
Fire Soul - Ranged Damage 10 * 20 points
Burning Mandala - Ranged Multiattack Damage 6, Accurate 2 * 1 point
Akuryo Taisan - Affliction 10 (Resisted by Will; Dazed and Vulnerable, Stunned and Defenseless) * 1 point
Dispel Evil - Nullify 10 (Broad, Magical effects) * 1 point
Telepathy - Mental Communication 2, Mind Reading 6 * 1 point


Martian Morphology - Array (20-point)
Intangibility - Insubstantial 4 * 20 points
Density - Enhanced Strength 5, Enhanced Stamina 5, Sustained * 1 point
Invisibility - Visual Concealment 4 * 1 point
Shapeshifting - Morph 4 (Any Form) * 1 point

Senses 2 (Magical and Mental Awareness) * 2 points

Offense:
Initiative +2, Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 5 or 10), Akuryo Taisan +10 (Ranged Affliction 10), Fire Soul +10 (Ranged Damage 10), Burning Mandala +14 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 6)

Defense:
Dodge 10, Parry 10, Toughness 5/10, Fortitude 5/10, Will 10 * 18 points

Complications:
Responsibility - R'aee is the reincarnated princess of an ancient martian civilization, and she fights to defend the earth, and Tokyo in particular, from the forces that destroyed her ancient home.
Secret (Identity)
Temper - R'aee appears stoic and serene on the surface, but she has a short fuse for people who fail to live up to her standards. Living up to the standards of a superhuman magical alien princess is hard.

Total: Abilities 52 + Advantages 1 + Skills 16 + Powers 63 + Defense 18 = 150

There's probably an interesting story behind the princess of a people famously vulnerable to fire being someone who creates fire. It might not be a nice story.
Last edited by RainOnTheSun on Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Sailor Mars?)

Post by Jabroniville »

Heh- it's like you directly targeted me in your thread title :).

I think I've read that bit before- it's quite cute. Especially because Bruce Wayne apparently knows enough about anime to consider J'onn's nom-du-guerre to be a "dead giveaway". Interesting power-set, with a lower-tier Martian nonetheless wielding the power of flame.
RainOnTheSun
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Sailor Mars?)

Post by RainOnTheSun »

He's just sick of Robin talking to him about it. "I don't CARE if the dub said they were cousins, Tim."

I took the Dynamic off of R'aee's morphology array. The Martians in DCA have it, but they don't have to worry about staying on 150 points. I used one point from it to give her some telepathy, and put the other 3 points into Intimidation, because I'm no Sailor Moon expert and even I know that every fight starts out with a Demoralize check.

Her telepathy is part of her magic array, so she can't fry monsters and play psychic switchboard at the same time. She has to settle for only being a flying telepathic brick that round, poor her. The most annoying part of this character to GM for would probably be her ability to be a flying invisible ranged attacker whenever she wanted: either impress on your player the importance of only using this sparingly, keep somebody with a readied action and an area attack around to watch for the fires springing up out of nowhere, or just start giving a lot of enemies vision that counters invisibility. Why? Because they're magic monsters, that's why! They do magic things!
slade the sniper
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Gravitar)

Post by slade the sniper »

Jabroniville wrote: Tue Nov 21, 2017 4:59 am Yeah, it's hard to really "figure" tanks properly. In comics they're always jobbers, because the heroes dodge the first shot, then run up and mess up the cannon part (because tanks can't fire ahead of their main gun). And the only heroes who ever get hit with the main gun are the ones who can take the shot (Hulk) without flinching overly much.
RainOnTheSun wrote: Tue Nov 28, 2017 10:45 am Tanks, like giants, are hampered in superhero comics by the need to keep the superhero recognizable in the same panel as the tank--and that means putting the tank way closer to a terrifyingly fast-moving target with attacks that can penetrate its armor than the tank would ever want to be. I am no great tactical thinker, but I'm fairly sure a tank crew would want to be half a mile away from the X-Men, the Avengers, or the Justice League, at minimum: if you are in a tank and you can make out the details of your opponent's colorful and highly distinctive costume, you have probably already lost.

Not that you can't design tanks specifically to fight at close range or against superheroes, of course. Which brings me conveniently to...
With that firmly in mind, do you think there is an issue with the way they are handled in the core book, Impervious Toughness 12, Damage 10 cannon and a Damage 6 Machinegun (although they should have 2 machineguns with Damage 5 for the 7.62mm and one with Damage 6 for the .50 caliber)? Especially when you throw in smokescreens and psuedo-real world ranges for machineguns for about 1000 meters, ballistic computers, reactive armor, thermal sights and laser rangefinders (which I would rule as giving the benefits of Improved Aim per Targeting Scope and a +2 bonus for Laser Sights...or +7 if we combine them and use the 3E gadget guide) and give the tank the Penetrating advantage due to the ammo along with a +2 bonus for follow up shots if we also give the Tracer advantage.

I mean, super bricks vs tanks in melee is a no-brainer in favor of the brick...but why do we never see a split panel of a tank taking a shot...and 2000 meters away a non-brick super/villain getting splattered? The crew should have a +5 with their tank, and adding in that +7...brings it to 12 and Damage 10 brings the whole thing to 22/2 = PL 11 for a well crewed modern MBT. That should be a decent threat...especially if you split the PL 11 among the entire crew...right?

-STS
RainOnTheSun
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Gravitar)

Post by RainOnTheSun »

slade the sniper wrote: Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:35 pm
I mean, super bricks vs tanks in melee is a no-brainer in favor of the brick...but why do we never see a split panel of a tank taking a shot...and 2000 meters away a non-brick super/villain getting splattered?
Probably because the natural habitat of supers is big cities and secret lairs, and the chances of getting any kind of clear shot from 2000 meters away are vanishingly slim. All the problems tanks have in urban combat get 1000% worse with superpowers involved.

Now, as I've said before, I know very little about real-world strategy and tactics, but I think the most effective way to use tanks in a super battle would be to put them into position to attack a specific area from far away and work to lure or drive the enemy into that field of fire. It could be a good way to introduce lower-PL player characters to a high-powered enemy they're not ready to beat yet, too: they don't have to stop Lord Annihilo, they just have to draw him into the specially-prepared kill zone the national guard has set up and let all the really big guns force him away. And then a couple PLs later they run into Lord Annihilo again, on their own...
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Sailor Mars?)

Post by RainOnTheSun »

Image

Image

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Tom McGrath has a pretty cool page. You should probably go check it out.


I really, really like airships, so whenever I run a game, I make sure to put some in. Here are stats for some military models that I might be using soon.

For context, these airships are for a world with 1930s to early 1940s weapons technology, so they don't have some of the features you might expect if they existed in the modern world. The chemical process that allows them to fly only works on nonliving organic matter, so they can't be as heavily armored as, say, a tank of the same size could be. I gave them statistics as robots, instead of vehicles, because they're more likely to be things players fight than they are to be things players ride around in.

The machine guns in these builds have "Accurate 2 (Limited to multiple attacks)," which only costs one point and reduces the penalty for attacking multiple targets by up to 4. I think it suits a heavy machine gun designed for continuous fire instead of short bursts. Impervious is intended for use with 2E rules.


RECONNAISSANCE GUNSHIP, PL 5-7, 73 POINTS

STR 8 STA - AGL 2 DEX 0 FGT 0 INT - AWE 0 PRE -

Powers: Airship (Flight 6 [1 rank Limited to cruising]), [/b]Armor[/b] (Protection 4, Impervious Toughness 5), Machine (Immunity 30 [Fortitude effects), Primary Weapon (Choose one: Ranged Multiattack Damage 6, Accurate 2 [Limited to multiple attacks]; Ranged Damage 8, Burst Area 3; Ranged Cone Area Damage 5, Diminished Range, Indirect, Secondary Effect 4), Six Meters Long (Growth 4, Permanent, Innate), Features: Radio, Searchlights

Advantages: Ranged Attack 5

Skills: Perception 4 (+4)

Offense: Initiative +2, machine gun +5 (Ranged, Multiattack Damage 6), light cannon +5 (Ranged, Damage 8), light flamethrower +5 (Ranged, Cone Area Damage 5)

Defense: Dodge 3, Parry -1, Fortitude immune, Toughness 8, Will immune

Totals: Abilities -18 + Powers 80 + Advantages 5 + Skills 2 + Defenses 4 = 73

Complications: Crew Required: To operate at full effectiveness a scout gunship needs a pilot and a gunner. Vehicle Body: Airships do not have arms or legs. Usually.


ASSAULT GUNSHIP, PL 6-8, 84 POINTS

STR 10 STA - AGL 1 DEX 0 FGT 0 INT - AWE 0 PRE -

Powers: Airship (Flight 6 [1 rank Limited to cruising]), [/b]Armor[/b] (Protection 3, Impervious Toughness 7), Machine (Immunity 30 [Fortitude effects), Primary Weapon (Choose one: Ranged Multiattack Damage 8; Ranged Damage 10, Burst Area 6, Quirk: reloading takes one round; Ranged Cone Area Secondary Effect Damage 6, Diminished Range, Indirect), Machine Gun (Ranged Multiattack Damage 6, Accurate 2 [Limited to multiple attacks], Alternate Effect of Primary Weapon), Thirteen Meters Long (Growth 8, Permanent, Innate), Feature: Radio, Searchlights

Advantages: Ranged Attack 6

Skills: Perception 2 (+2)

Offense: Initiative +1, machine gun +6 (Ranged, Multiattack Damage 6), superheavy machine gun +6 (Ranged, Multiattack Damage 8), cannon +6 (Ranged, Damage 10), flamethrower +6 (Ranged, Cone Area Damage 6)

Defense: Dodge 1, Parry -2, Fortitude immune, Toughness 11, Will immune

Totals: Abilities -24 + Powers 95 + Advantages 6 + Skills 1 + Defenses 6 = 84

Complications: Crew Required: To operate at full effectiveness an assault gunship needs a pilot, a gunner, a loader, and a commander. Vehicle Body: Airships do not have arms or legs. Usually.


HEAVY ASSAULT GUNSHIP, PL 6-9, 91 POINTS

STR 11 STA - AGL 0 DEX 0 FGT 0 INT - AWE 0 PRE -

Powers: Airship (Flight 6 [1 rank Limited to cruising]), [/b]Armor[/b] (Protection 2, Impervious Toughness 9), Eighteen Meters Long (Growth 10, Permanent, Innate), Machine (Immunity 30 [Fortitude effects), Primary Weapon (Choose one: Ranged Multiattack Damage 8, Accurate, Burst Area 4, Extended Range; Ranged Damage 12, Burst Area 8, Extended Range, Quirk: reloading takes two rounds; Ranged Cone Area 2 Secondary Effect Damage 6, Diminished Range, Indirect), Machine Gun (Ranged Multiattack Damage 6, Accurate 2 [Limited to multiple attacks], Extended Range, Alternate Effect of Primary Weapon), Feature: Radio, Searchlights

Advantages: Ranged Attack 6

Skills: Perception 2 (+2)

Offense: Initiative +0, machine gun +6 (Ranged, Multiattack Damage 6), linked autocannons +8 (Ranged, Multiattack Damage 8), heavy cannon +6 (Ranged, Damage 12), heavy flamethrower +6 (Ranged, Cone Area 2 Damage 6)

Defense: Dodge -1, Parry -3, Fortitude immune, Toughness 12, Will immune

Totals: Abilities -28 + Powers 106 + Advantages 6 + Skills 1 + Defenses 6 = 91

Complications: Crew Required: To operate at full effectiveness a heavy assault gunship needs a pilot, a gunner, two loaders, and a commander. Vehicle Body: Airships do not have arms or legs. Usually.


Assault gunships take their name and most of their inspiration from the assault guns of World War II.
RainOnTheSun
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Airships)

Post by RainOnTheSun »

Image

Image


More airships! These are inspired by the fixed-wing gunships that started to see use in the Vietnam war. Compared to assault gunships, they prioritize quantity over quality, carrying enough ammunition and automatic weapons to pin down a small army for long periods of time. They have different official names depending on the country, but "vulture" is the unofficial name that usually sticks, because they fly over a battlefield in a circle until everything dies. Vulture airships are relatively lightly armored, so they normally stay far away and use their saturation fire. If they need to attack a single target they can get closer and use targeted fire, but it puts them in more danger so their crews try to avoid it.

I used the Cloud Area extra to represent making a zone uninhabitable through sheer volume of fire. On the one hand, the gunship needs to continue firing on the area to maintain the cloud, but on the other hand, anyone passing between the gunship and the cloud area suffers damage too. On the other other hand, somebody with super strength or Move Object could end the area effect by using something big and sturdy to provide cover...


LIGHT VULTURESHIP, PL 8, 86 POINTS

STR 10 STA - AGL 2 DEX 0 FGT 0 INT - AWE 0 PRE -

Powers: Airship (Flight 7 [2 ranks Limited to cruising]), [/b]Armor[/b] (Protection 2, Impervious Toughness 6), Heavy machine guns ([/b]Saturation Fire[/b] (Ranged Cloud Area 2 Damage 6), AE: Targeted Fire (Ranged Multiattack Damage 7, Accurate 4 [2 ranks Limited to multiple attacks]), Machine (Immunity 30 [Fortitude effects]), Twelve Meters Long (Growth 8, Permanent, Innate), Features: Radio, Searchlights

Advantages: Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 5

Skills: Perception 4 (+4)

Offense: Initiative +2, Saturation Fire +5 (Ranged Cloud Area 2 Damage 6), Targeted Fire +9 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 7)

Defense: Dodge 2, Parry -2, Fortitude immune, Toughness 10, Will immune

Totals: Abilities -22 + Powers 94 + Advantages 6 + Skills 2 + Defenses 6 = 86

Complications: Crew Required. Vehicle Body: Airships do not have arms or legs. Usually.


MEDIUM VULTURESHIP, PL 8, 91 POINTS

STR 11 STA - AGL 1 DEX 0 FGT 0 INT - AWE 0 PRE -

Powers: Airship (Flight 7 [2 ranks Limited to cruising]), [/b]Armor[/b] (Protection 2, Impervious Toughness 7), Eighteen Meters Long (Growth 10, Permanent, Innate), Light autocannons ([/b]Saturation Fire[/b] (Ranged Cloud Area 2 Damage 7), AE: Targeted Fire (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8, Accurate, Burst Area 3), Machine (Immunity 30 [Fortitude effects]), Features: Radio, Searchlights

Advantages: Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 5

Skills: Perception 4 (+4)

Offense: Initiative +1, Saturation Fire +5 (Ranged Cloud Area 2 Damage 7), Targeted Fire +7 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8, Burst Area 3)

Defense: Dodge 0, Parry -3, Fortitude immune, Toughness 12, Will immune

Totals: Abilities -26 + Powers 103 + Advantages 6 + Skills 2 + Defenses 6 = 91


HEAVY VULTURESHIP, PL 8, 97 POINTS

STR 13 STA - AGL 0 DEX 0 FGT 0 INT - AWE 0 PRE -

Powers: Airship (Flight 7 [2 ranks Limited to cruising]), [/b]Armor[/b] (Protection 1, Impervious Toughness 8), Autocannons ([/b]Saturation Fire[/b] (Ranged Cloud Area 2 Damage 8), AE: Targeted Fire (Ranged Multiattack Damage 9, Accurate, Burst Area 4), Machine (Immunity 30 [Fortitude effects]), Twenty-Nine Meters Long (Growth 12, Permanent, Innate), Features: Radio, Searchlights

Advantages: Move-By Action, Ranged Attack 5

Skills: Perception 4 (+4)

Offense: Initiative +0, Saturation Fire +5 (Ranged Cloud Area 2 Damage 8), Targeted Fire +7 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 9, Burst Area 4)

Defense: Dodge -2, Parry -4, Fortitude immune, Toughness 13, Will immune

Totals: Abilities -28 + Powers 111 + Advantages 6 + Skills 2 + Defenses 6 = 97

Complications: Crew Required. Vehicle Body: Airships do not have arms or legs. Usually.
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Airships)

Post by catsi563 »

good ole Puff the Magic Dragon. bloody things can pretty well obliterate a wise swath of land with minimal effort in a single pass. the big ones carry a 105 howitzer, a couple of 20mils, several rotary 7.62s and a 50 cal or 3 for flavor
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Woodclaw
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Airships)

Post by Woodclaw »

Back in the days of the ATT I did some ship-building of my own and I came up with a "reverse autofire" rule for saturation weapons. Pretty much it meant that characters in a saturation area weapon suffered +1 damage for every 2 points they failed the Reflex Save, up to +5.
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

WareHouse W (main build thread for M&M)
RainOnTheSun
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Airships)

Post by RainOnTheSun »

Image

Artist Luke Mancini.

Image

Artist Daryl Mandryk.

Image

HOPLITE, PL 6

STR 5, STA -, AGL 0, DEX 0, FGT 5, INT 0, AWE 0, PRE - * -4 points

POWERS:
Armor plating: Impervious Protection 2; Protection 2 (Fades) * 5 points
Big Robot: Growth 2 (Permanent, Innate); Immunity 50 (Fortitude effects, mental powers); Impervious Toughness 2 * 57 points
Machine Gun Arm: Ranged Multiattack Damage 6 * 18 points

EQUIPMENT:
Hoplon: Strength-based Damage 1; Impervious Protection 2 * 5 points

SKILLS:
Perception 4 (+4) * 2 points

ADVANTAGES:
Equipment 1, Interpose, Ranged Attack 6 * 8 points

OFFENSE:
Initiative +0; Machine gun +6, Ranged Damage 6, Multiattack; Shield bash +5, Close Damage 6; Unarmed +5, Close Damage 5

DEFENSE:
Dodge 3, Parry 4, Will -, Fortitude -, Toughness 8 * 4 points

POWER POINTS:
Abilities -4 + Powers 80 + Skills 2 + Advantages 8 + Defenses 4 = 90 Total

This is a robot I made while thinking about the Sentinel from Warmachine and the way Multiattack works in M&M. It's a simple build that does one thing: protect its owner. It uses covering fire to give its owner total cover (I assume the intent is total cover rather than partial, just to make covering fire more valuable than an ordinary Aid action), and if that isn't enough to encourage people to target it first, it Interposes to take hits for its owner, too. It even comes in at exactly 90 points, so you can buy your own robot buddy with six ranks in Minion or thirteen in Sidekick.

The way I picture "Protection 2 (Fades)" working is that, the first time the Hoplite takes a big enough hit to get through its Impervious 6 and force it to make a save, it counts as one use. So, it loses one rank of Protection even if it doesn't take any other damage. The second time it has to make a toughness save, it loses the other rank. To get them back it has to be repaired by somebody. The protection it gets from its shield can be bypassed by a surprise attack or an affliction like a Snare that makes it Vulnerable, too, but it doesn't get any extra discount for that. That's just part of the cost of using Equipment.

So: The Hoplite is a nine foot tall robot that stands next to its owner, or whoever its owner tells it to protect, and spews bullets in the general direction of anything that starts to attack them. That's about it.
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Hoplite Robot)

Post by RainOnTheSun »

Image

Pistolero

Bernardo Perez is a high school senior, a decent but not great student, with a secret: he's a mutant with psychic powers. An esper, you might say. He was offered an invitation to the Claremont Academy a few years ago, to help him understand and control his powers, but he turned it down. The way he saw it, he already knew all he needed to about his powers. All taking their offer and going to their fancy school would do is teach a bunch of total strangers to understand and control his powers, and why would he trust them with that? He goes to an ordinary school, close to home, and he likes it just fine, thanks.

He's runs with a neighborhood group who call themselves the Knights. Teenagers and twentysomethings, mostly male but not completely. They talk themselves up like they're the biggest badasses in the city, but they're mostly harmless. More like a neighborhood watch than a gang, honestly, although they'd be terribly hurt if they heard you say that about them. Everyone in the Knights has a nickname they use with each other, and because the Knights all know about Bernardo's "mind bullets," they call him Pistolero.

"Wonder Boy" and "Fingerbang" were also suggested as nicknames. They were declined.

Bernardo's powers are a secret to everyone else. They don't leave behind any physical evidence, so he's managed to keep it that way so far, even when using them to help the Knights out of some scrapes. He's never had to fight an actual supervillain, so far, just members of other, more heavily-armed gangs and the occasional career criminal.



STR 2, STA 5, AGL 2, DEX 1, FGT 5, INT 1, AWE 9, PRE 1 * 52 points

ADVANTAGES:
Languages (Spanish), Power Attack, Uncanny Dodge * 3 points

SKILLS:
Deception 3 (+4), Expertise: Streetwise 7 (+8), Intimidation 7 (+8) Ranged Attack: Mind Bullets 8 (+9), Stealth 5 (+7) * 15 points

POWERS:
Mental Awareness - Senses 2 (Mental Sense, Radius) * 2 points

Mind Bullets - 22 point array * 21 points
Magnum - Ranged Damage 7, Alternate Resistance: Will, Extended Range * 1 point
Pistol Whip - Affliction 11, resisted and overcome by Will, Extra Condition: Dazed and Vulnerable, Stunned and Defenseless, Unconscious. Linked to Unarmed damage * 1 point
Rapid Fire - Ranged Multiattack Damage 5, Accurate, Alternate Resistance: Will * 1 point
Spread Shot - Cone Area Damage 7, Alternate Resistance: Will * 1 point

Psychic Movement - 5 point array * 4 points
Speed 5 * 1 point
Teleport 2, Change Direction * 1 point

OFFENSE:
Initiative +2
Magnum +9, Ranged Damage 7
Pistol Whip +5, Affliction 11 and Damage 2
Rapid Fire +11, Ranged Multiattack Damage 5
Unarmed +5, Damage 2

DEFENSE:
Dodge 11, Parry 11, Toughness 5, Fortitude 7, Will 9 * 17 points

TOTAL:
Abilities 52 + Advantages 3 + Skills 15 + Powers 33 + Defenses 17 = 120

COMPLICATIONS:

Relationship: Bernardo's parents and his little sister don't know anything about his psychic abilities, although his parents think the Knights are a bad influence on him (his sister thinks they're cool and wants a nickname too). He's very protective of them, especially his sister. As far as he knows he's the only psychically sensitive one in his family.
Responsibility: The Knights think their little corner of the West End is "their turf," and they try to protect it. This frequently gets them into fights with some dangerous people, and when it does, they come to him for help.
Secret: Most people don't know about Bernardo's powers, and he likes it that way. His usual disguise when he wants to use them is just a motorcycle helmet.
Temper: Bernardo has a short fuse. The easiest way to set him off is to say something about his family, but anyone who puts in the effort can provoke him into a fight without too much trouble.



(Pistolero was a character I made for a PbP game so short-lived that I only got to make one post with him and his sister. Real life is tricky and unpredictable, and I hope the GM is doing okay wherever he is now. Bernardo would be a fun character to try again someday.)
RainOnTheSun
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Re: Builds on the Sun (Pistolero)

Post by RainOnTheSun »

Image

"It's not everyone who can fight crime and look this good!"

SAPPHIRE (PL 8)

Abilities:
Strength 2, Stamina 3, Agility 2, Dexterity 2, Fighting 7, Intellect 1, Awareness 3, Presence 3 * 46 points

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit 2 (independently wealthy), Language (English, Spanish is native), Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork * 11 points

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5), Expertise (high society) 4 (+5), Expertise (singer, Presence-based) 4 (+7), Persuasion 2 (+5), Vehicles 2 (+4) * 7 points

Powers:
Enhanced Stamina 1, Limited to energy resistance * 1 point

Force-Field: Sustained Impervious Protection 3 * 6 points

Power-Riding: Flight 3 * 6 points

Sapphire Energy Powers: 16 point array, 4 powers * 19 points
Power Bolt - Ranged Damage 8
Sapphire Bolt - Ranged Cumulative Affliction 8, Fortitude resists, Limited to vision: Impaired, Disabled, Unaware
Bright Bolt - Ranged Damage 6 Linked to Ranged Affliction 6, Fortitude resists, Limited to vision, instant recovery: Impaired, Disabled, Unaware; Enhanced Ranged Attack 1
Stun Bolt - Ranged Affliction 9, Fortitude resists: Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated; Quirk: ineffective against force fields

Offense:
Initiative +3, Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 2), Power/Sapphire Bolt +7 (Ranged Damage or Cumulative Affliction 8), Bright Bolt +8 (Ranged Damage and Affliction 6), Stun Bolt +7 (Ranged Affliction 9)

Defense:
Parry 7, Dodge 7, Toughness 3-7, Fortitude 7-8, Will 5 * 11 points

Abilities 46 + Advantages 11 + Skills 7 + Powers 32 + Defense 11 = 107 pp total

Complications:
Enemy - VIPER, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. There's one in every superhero universe.
Fame - Sapphire has a public identity, and as a superpowered crime-fighting rock star, she gets a lot of attention.
Prejudice - Sapphire is a mutant, and can be detected as such by the appropriate powers and instruments.
Vulnerability - Light-based attacks are extra-effective against Sapphire, for some reason probably related to her powers. This could take the form of an automatic critical hit, a DC increase, or some kind of GM fiat.

Sapphire, or Corazon Valenzuela, is a member of the Champions, Hero System's team of example superheroes. She's the most interesting one of the team to me, because she fills a niche as a celebrity superhero that I don't see being featured very often in superhero RPGs. It's especially rare to have a superhero famous for doing something other than being a superhero. She's easy to add into the background of a campaign as an example of a super who isn't defined by her powers.

Speaking of powers, compared to most M&M superheroes she may seem a bit on the weak side, but to me Champions supers generally feel lower key than M&M supers, in comparison to the stats for weapons and objects. I estimate that one character point in M&M is worth a little bit less than four Hero System character points, and I make conversions with that in mind. She has a rank of Limited Stamina because, in hero system, characters frequently have different defense scores for physical and energy attacks, and Sapphire is one of those characters who physical attacks are generally more effective against. This version of her was built on 400 Hero System points, but there's another, more powerful, veteran Sapphire in the system, and she looks more like...


Image

Why would you unzip your jacket and then buckle a belt around it? I don't understand superhero costumes!

SAPPHIRE (PL 10)

Abilities:
Strength 2, Stamina 3, Agility 2, Dexterity 2, Fighting 7, Intellect 1, Awareness 5, Presence 5 * 54 points

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Benefit 5 (billionaire), Connected, Language (English, Spanish is native), Ranged Attack 5, Teamwork * 15 points

Skills:
Deception 6 (+11), Expertise: High Society 6 (+7), Expertise (PRE): Singer 15 (+20), Insight 4 (+9), Persuasion 13 (+18), Vehicles 2 (+4) * 23 points

Powers:
Enhanced Stamina 1, Limited to energy resistance * 1 point

Force-Field: Sustained Impervious Protection 4 * 8 points

Power-Riding: Flight 4 * 8 points

Sapphire Energy Powers: 18 point array, 6 powers * 23 points
Power Bolt - Ranged Damage 9
Rapid-Fire Bolts - Ranged Multiattack Damage 5, Accurate 2, Improved Critical
Sapphire Bolt - Ranged Cumulative Affliction 9, Fortitude resists, Limited to vision: Impaired, Disabled, Unaware
Bright Bolt - Ranged Damage 6 Linked to Ranged Affliction 6, Fortitude resists, Limited to vision, instant recovery: Impaired, Disabled, Unaware; Enhanced Ranged Attack 3
Stun Bolt - Ranged Affliction 9, Fortitude resists: Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated
Restraints - Ranged Cumulative Affliction 9, Dodge resists, Extra Condition, Limited Degree: Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized

Solid Energy Constructs: 16 point dynamic array, 3 powers * 21 points
Basic Constucts - Move Object 8
Barriers and Bubbles - Create 8, Stationary
Augmented Force-Field - Impervious Protection 2, Enhanced Fortitude 3 (Impervious), Enhanced Will 3 (Impervious)

Offense:
Initiative +3, Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 2), Power/Sapphire Bolt +7 (Ranged Damage or Cumulative Affliction 9), Rapid-Fire Bolts +11 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5), Bright Bolt +10 (Ranged Damage and Affliction 6), Stun Bolt +7 (Ranged Affliction 9), Restraints +7 (Ranged Cumulative Affliction 9)

Defense:
Parry 7, Dodge 7, Toughness 3-10, Fortitude 7-11, Will 5-8 * 9 points

Abilities 54 + Advantages 15 + Skills 23 + Powers 61 + Defense 9 = 162 pp total

Complications:
Enemy - VIPER, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. There's one in every superhero universe.
Mega-Fame - Sapphire is one of the most famous people on earth. People commit crimes in her vicinity just so they can try to get her autograph.
Prejudice - Sapphire is a mutant, and can be detected as such by the appropriate powers and instruments.
Vulnerability - Light-based attacks are extra-effective against Sapphire, for some reason probably related to her powers. This could take the form of an automatic critical hit, a DC increase, or some kind of GM fiat.

For all the extra character points Sapphire gets as a veteran, her combat PL doesn't increase very much. She flies a bit faster, and her energy bolts hit a bit harder, but she mostly gains versatility in combat: she has an entire second array, now. The big change to her as a character is that she's become almost frighteningly successful in her career. Sapphire is now a world-renowned philanthropist and megabillionaire, a conqueror of the earth in a way most of the supervillains she'll fight could only dream of being, and her ability to fly and shoot zap bolts sort of pales in comparison. The Connected advantage is basically Inventor or Ritualist for social characters, and Corazon Valenzuela can move heaven and earth with a phone call and a selfie.

If you imported her into a game without the rest of the Champions, I think this version of Sapphire would work well in a Maximillian Mars role as a benefactor for a group of superheroes. She supports a lot of charities, and one of them could always use a team of heroes. She'd also make an interesting rival for a crime lord or a corrupt politician, being able to threaten them through social and financial power in a way that superheroes rarely do.
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Woodclaw
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Location: Como, Italy

Re: Builds on the Sun (Sapphire)

Post by Woodclaw »

It was a bit of pity that in Champion Online Sapphire appeared only in the tutorial stage.
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

WareHouse W (main build thread for M&M)
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