The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

[Tattooedman]

Love that picture! I'm going to have to "borrow" it for a future character build in my own setting. Not as a weather controller obviously (nice twist on the archetype btw), but in some fashion.

[Davies]

Love that picture! I'm going to have to "borrow" it for a future character build in my own setting. Not as a weather controller obviously (nice twist on the archetype btw), but in some fashion.

I look forward to that, and thank you!

(Artist is Cliff Richards, from Suicide Squad Most Wanted #5.)

[Commander Titan]

...the Echeverria family of Arizona...

One of the powerful Mutant families you've mentioned, perhaps? Or am I reaching?

You're not reaching. They are a very old money family, but whether their members have powers is still an open question. A lot of the ancients have lost theirs over time.

Mostly, though, they're just there to explain where his surname comes from -- Hechavarria is a variation on their name.

Welcome to Echoes, by the way.

I may have to got back through and see which family names have been revealed! Though one assumes the original names might not be the same, due to intermarriage and the march of time.

And thank you! I've lurked for well over a year or two, just reading some people update threads, but felt the urge to jump to the other side more recently.

[Davies]

Beretta Staunton & Genevieve Benyamina

Beretta

Genevieve

Once upon a time not so long ago ...

When he was younger, growing up in a London neighborhood, he never got a straight answer from his father about why he had been named after an Italian gun manufacturer. The old man is gone now, and he took that particular secret to the grave with him. Well, the time when he got teased about his name was quickly eclipsed by the time when he endured abuse for the color of his skin, anyway, and he has much more important things to worry about in his current days and nights.

When she was younger, growing up in Prague, her mother was quite forthright about why she had been given a name like Genevieve. While of Algerian origin, her family also had roots in France, and St. Genevieve was the patron saint of Paris, and her mother had always loved the "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" from Camelot. Even then she had thought that was a weird thing to love, but she has much more important things to worry about in her current days and nights.

Beretta chose employment with Argus as a way to get out of what the United Kingdom was turning into, and also to do a bit of good in the world. Unfortunately, his first assignment after training was guard duty on a castle in Romania that came under attack by vampires, which no one had ever told him were even real. Early in their assault, Beretta ended up falling into a hidden chamber within the castle, where he discovered an antique armored gauntlet. Heeding a strange impulse, he put it on and felt it merge into his body, granting him the power to fight against the attackers and win the conflict. Unfortunately, that was just the first battle of a much longer war.

Genevieve chose employment with Bezpečnostní informační služba, the Security Information Service of the Czech Republic, as a way to serve the nation where she was raised, and also to do a bit of good in the world. Unfortunately, she found herself overmatched by the opposition she frequently faced. Feeling that she needed to acquire an edge, Genevieve obtained cybernetics that enhanced her reaction time. This made things more even, but also drew her into conflict with a group of robots seeking to undermine the republic, whom she defeated. Unfortunately, that was just a small battle of a much larger war.

Upon learning of the disaster in New York, and what had been learned about Dracula covertly ruling the U.K., there was only one thing Beretta could do. Even if not for his own anger over what had become of the land of his birth, the gauntlet might have driven him to it; while vampires of this sort had not existed in the era when it was made, it had been forged to destroy creatures like them. So he left Argus and returned to the United Kingdom to fight against the monsters, undead and living, who were making a hell of his home. His occasional contacts with Argus made it clear that they could not support him officially, but would lend him unofficial, backchannel support. For a year, things were good ... and then they got strange.

Upon learning of the existence of the rogue ASIs, and the Gray Seal who were fighting them, there was only one thing Genevieve could do. Besides, the Seal were probably a more reliable source of maintenance for her extant cyberwear, above and beyond the communications implant they provided. For a while, she provided material and personal assistance to their struggle. Then, after the victory in Seattle made the Patron decide that they must trust outside agencies, she was chosen to be the agent to make contact with a certain agent of Argus who was pretending to be a vigilante in the United Kingdom. Reluctantly, she went rogue from BIS and made her way across the continent to start this operation ... and then things got strange.

Together, the two learned that forces under the direction of Axiom, in response to the destruction of Pythagolem, had amped up their secret war against Dracula and his followers. Had they been other people, they might have shrugged this off as a case of evil fighting evil to the good of all. But both of them were well aware that neither of those evils cared even a whit about the possibility of innocent bystanders being hurt in their conflicts, and both of them had always been driven by a desire to protect them. So they joined forces to fight a secret war of their own.

It is not an easy partnership. All that Beretta knew about the Gray Seal is that they were a bunch of crooks engaged in corporate sabotage, and he still cannot bring himself to believe that a bunch of thinking machines have as much influence as she has claimed. For her part, Genevieve has never had much respect for Argus or private security firms in general, and she still does not really believe in what she has heard about the mystical properties of the device he uses, which is probably just some weird xenotech. Nevertheless, having only each other to rely upon, they have learned to work and fight together, and might even be considered friends. He even tolerates the way she calls him "Tommy," while she copes with being called "Gina."

Not the first time people have used those particular aliases ... but they have much more important things to worry about in their current days and nights.

Beretta Staunton -- PL 7

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 6/1 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 1 | AWE 3 | PRE 1

Powers:
Transformation: Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical 2; Enhanced Advantages 6 (Close Attack 3, Favored Enemy [vampires], Improved Initiative 2), Quirk (Close Attack is only enhanced against targets with a lower Initiative total), Subtle; Enhanced Stamina 5, Subtle; Impervious Toughness 5; Senses 1 (low-light vision); Speed 3 (15 MPH) - 37 points

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Close Attack 3, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll, Evasion 2, Favored Enemy [vampires], Fearless, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative 2, Improvised Tools, Inspire, Luck 4, Ranged Attack, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5), Athletics 2 (+3), Close Combat: Blade 3 (+7), Deception 6 (+7), Expertise: Current Events 8 (+9), Expertise: History 5 (+6), Expertise: Magic 2 (+3), Expertise: Popular Culture 6 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+5), Insight 6 (+9), Investigation 6 (+7), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 6 (+7), Ranged Attack: Blaster 2 (+5), Sleight of Hand 5 (+8), Stealth 5 (+8), Technology 4 (+5), Vehicles 2 (+5)

Offense:
Initiative +11/+3
Unarmed +7/+4 (Close Damage 1)
Blade +10/+7 (Close Damage 4, Crit 18-20)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 5, Fortitude 9/4, Toughness 8/6/3/1, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 34 + Powers 37 + Advantages 15 + Skills 39 + Defenses 9 = 135 points

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

Complications:
Justice--Motivation. Hunted by the Authorities. Secret (Argus agent.)

Genevieve Benyamina -- PL 7

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

Powers:
Boosted Reflexes: Linked Enhanced Advantages 4 (Evasion, Improved Initiative 2, Uncanny Dodge) and Enhanced Defenses 4 (Dodge 2, Parry 2), Tiring - 4 points
Radiotelepathy Mindlink: Selective Area Radio Communication 3 (regional), Limited to those with radiotelepathy, Subtle; Senses 1 (radio) - 17 points
Striking Strength: Strength-based Damage 1 - 1 points

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 10, Evasion 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Improvised Tools, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Teamwork, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge.

Equipment:
Body Armor (Protection 3), nightvision goggles, and 8 points of equipment as needed.
Motorcycle - 10 points
Size Medium; Strength 1; Speed 6 (ground); Defense 10; Toughness 8.
Arsenal: Array (24 points)

• Autoblaster: Ranged Multiattack Damage 8 - 24 points
• Customized Blaster Pistol: Ranged Damage 5, Accurate - 1 point
• EMP Grenades: Ranged Burst Area Affliction 5 (Resisted by Will; Dazed & Vulnerable, Stunned & Defenseless, Paralyzed), Limited (only against robots and androids) - 1 point
• Frag Grenades: Ranged Burst Area Damage 5 - 1 point
• Smoke Grenades: Ranged Cloud Area Concealment Attack 4 - 1 point

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+4), Athletics 4 (+4), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+8), Deception 5 (+9), Expertise: Current Events 3 (+6), Expertise: History 3 (+6), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+7), Expertise: Survival 2 (+5), Insight 5 (+6), Investigation 5 (+8), Perception 5 (+6), Persuasion 5 (+9), Sleight of Hand 5 (+8), Stealth 7 (+8), Technology 6 (+9), Treatment 4 (+7), Vehicles 2 (+5).

Offense:
Initiative +10/+2
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 1)
Autoblaster +6 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8)
Blaster Pistol +8 (Ranged Damage 5)
EMP Grenade -- (Ranged Burst Area Will 5)
Frag Grenade -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 5)
Smoke Grenade -- (Ranged Cloud Area Concealment Attack 4)

Defense:
Dodge 8/6, Parry 8/6, Fortitude 4, Toughness 6/4/3/1, Will 9

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Powers 22 + Advantages 21 + Skills 37 + Defenses 17 = 135 points

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

Complications:
Justice--Motivation. Hunted by the Authorities. Secret (Gray Seal.)

You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

[Ian Turner]

He even tolerates the way she calls him "Tommy," while she copes with being called "Gina."
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

Amused by the Bon Jovi references.

[Davies]

He even tolerates the way she calls him "Tommy," while she copes with being called "Gina."
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

Amused by the Bon Jovi references.

Glad to hear it.

[greycrusader]

...the Echeverria family of Arizona...

One of the powerful Mutant families you've mentioned, perhaps? Or am I reaching?

Hey, thanks for joining! Good to have a new member!

[Davies]

Rumpelgeist


Since 2017, corrupt businessmen and criminal enterprises in Central Europe, particularly East Germany and Austria, have found themselves significantly less secure than they had been. The being who calls themselves Rumpelgeist, after the phantasmal creature who may have inspired the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin, has seen to that. They rarely come into conflict with their operatives, preferring to observe, document and report on their activities to members of the press who have proven trustworthy. On a handful of occasions, Rumpelgeist has demonstrated considerable combat skills, suggesting highly enhanced reflexes are part of their "power package". They also sometimes set up complicated pranks on their targets, and have been known to indicate their presence to the people they observe (after recording their activities) by rattling something.

As far as is known, no one knows that Rumpelgeist is Dresden-born Hoyt Sauer, who developed superpower levels of agility and reflexes in his early teens. Becoming something of a prankster and the despair of his parents, they cheerfully packed him off to the Futurian Academy when representatives from the school came calling. He did quite well in his studies there but his abilities were too subtle to allow him to really stand out among his fellows. In his graduation interview with Exelion, however, the headmaster suggested that he make a virtue of this lack of ostentation, employing his talents for a more covert style of heroism.

Hoyt seems to have taken this to heart. Exactly how he came into possession of the stealth suit which allows him to become invisible (and also incorporates a relatively weak force field) is not something he has discussed with anyone. He has stated his belief that it functions using much the same properties as the Griffin formula. It does not appear to have the neurological effects that the chemical does, likely because the invisibility persists only as long as the user wishes. However, Rumpelgeist has admitted that he is concerned about the possibility that he might one day lose control due to this invisibility, and claims to use it with appropriate caution. Whether that is true or not is open to question.

During the recent Konan invasion, Rumpelgeist found himself pressed into service as a messenger by the group of European heroes fighting in the Carpathians, many of whom were former classmates of his. (This required him to work with Der Fahrer, similarly tasked, and neither of them gets along with the other.) He survived the experience, but avoided both the celebration afterwards and any attempts to offer him honors, preferring to mourn his losses privately and then get back to work. "Handeln ist seine Belohnung," remarked one of the reporters with whom he has had frequent interactions.

Rumpelgeist -- PL 10

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 3 | AGL 5 | DEX 3 | FGT 11 | INT 4 | AWE 4 | PRE 4

Powers:
Stealth Suit: Concealment 6 (radio, visual); Sustained Protection 2; Removable (-2 points) - 12 points
Striking Strength: Strength-based Damage 2 - 2 points
Swift: Movement 1 (wall-crawling); Speed 2 (8 MPH) - 4 points

Advantages:
Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment, Fearless, Improved Initiative, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Skill Mastery (Stealth), Uncanny Dodge.

Equipment:
Smartphone and 3 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10), Athletics 6 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+13), Deception 8 (+12), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+8), Insight 6 (+10),
Intimidation 7 (+11), Investigation 8 (+12), Perception 6 (+10), Sleight of Hand 7 (+10), Stealth 9 (+14), Technology 4 (+8), Vehicles 4 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +13 (Close Damage 3)

Defense:
Dodge 11, Parry 13, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/5/3, Will 9

Totals:
Abilities 70 + Powers 18 + Advantages 9 + Skills 39 + Defenses 15 = 151 points

Offensive PL: 8
Defensive PL: 10
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Justice--Motivation. Secret Identity. Trickster.

Note: For his PL 8 stats as a student at the Academy, modify as follows: reduce STA to 1 rank, FGT to 9 ranks, INT to 2 ranks, AWE to 2 ranks, PRE to 2 ranks; drop Stealth Suit; reduce Stealth to 7 (+12); reduce Dodge to 9.

[Harnos]

Vaask


The Vaask are an omnivorous reptilian species who rule over a small multi-system empire, dubbed the Vaask Hegemony, which borders on the regions of space explored by the Technate. While rumors about them had been known to the Technate Space Agency since it began its exploratory missions roughly sixty solar years ago, the Vaask were not actually encountered until the TSV Adventure, under the command of Arlan Hayez, stumbled onto a similarly outfitted Vaask vessel during Hayez' first year of command. The two ships' crews ended up joining forces to overcome a group of psychically powerful aliens who attempted to have them fight each other for their pleasure.

This has more or less set the tone of the relationship between the Technate and the Hegemony. They are not friendly, and certainly not allied with each other, but neither is in any hurry to go to war, despite occasional incidents that are usually dismissed as the actions of rogue commanders on either side. The Vaask are actually glad to have the Technate as rivals, as focusing their efforts on competing with them reduces the amount of internal competition that is apparently endemic to their Hegemony. They generally regard the Technate's claims of desiring peaceful coexistence with the amusement appropriate to absurd jokes, though some more militant Vaask are less amused and more inclined to believe 'peace' to be a code for 'subjugation'.

That's perhaps understandable, as the Vaask have subjugated a number of species in the formation of their empire. Such peoples are left to their own devices, for the most part, but never considered the equal of a Vaask unless they have served time in the Vaaskorium, the military service. Any being who has survived a full 7.33-year term in the Vaaskorium is treated as a full citizen of the Hegemony for all purposes ... in theory. In practice, there is a major glass ceiling both within and without the Vaaskorium that keeps authority out of the hands of non-Vaask, and for that matter of Vaask whose scales are blue, yellow or purple or combinations of the above, rather than pure green.

While the Vaask are on average stronger and much tougher than a typical Chiraben or any of their allies, they are aware that their rivals possess other advantages. As such, the Hegemony has a number of competing super-soldier projects designed to produce enhanced Vaask who are the equal of the most elite mammalian combatants. As with other super-soldier projects, these have typically produced only a single or rarely a handful of acceptable results, but the Vaask are more than willing to keep trying until they get it right. They are also experimenting with technomancy, and also, lacking the Technate's prejudices, with mysticism.

The stereotype of the Vaask is one of extremely straightforward behavior. Despite this, the Vaask are actively engaged in espionage against the Technate, largely relying on their subject peoples and hired Technate traitors as agents. As a result, they are reasonably informed about what the Technate knows about the Crimson Imperium, about Earth, and about the Dark Side. They've come to view the lattermost as a potentially serious threat, and would be willing to become ... co-belligerents, shall we say, should that front ever heat up.

Vaask Soldier -- PL 6/MR 4

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

Powers:
Claws: Strength-based Damage 1 - 1 point
Hide: Impervious Toughness 2 - 2 points

Advantages:
Equipment 4, Fearless

Equipment:
Blaster Rifle (Ranged Damage 8), Body Armor (Protection 4)

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+5), Expertise: Military 5 (+5), Perception 3 (+3), Ranged Combat: Blaster 4 (+4), Vehicles 2 (+2)

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 4)
Blaster Rifle +4 (Ranged Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 6, Toughness 7, Will 4

Totals:
Abilities 22 + Powers 3 + Advantages 5 + Skills 8 + Defenses 13 = 51 points

Complications:
Duty--Motivation. Competitive. Others As Needed.

For a more experienced PL 7 Vaask Elite Soldier, increase STR and FGT to 4 ranks, add Improved Initiative, increase Perception to 5 ranks, Ranged Combat: Blaster to 6 ranks, and Vehicles to 4 ranks, and increase Parry to 7; consider also giving them an additional rank of Equipment (to buy a dashka [Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical, Reach] and 4 more points of gear as needed) and Close Combat: Dashka 2 (+6). Vaask supersoldiers, mystics and technomancers should be unique characters.

Oh, I missed that thread. I would like to read more about Abraxas but I'm too lazy to examine the whole thread. By the way, I see some Starfinder influence here, nice work.

[Harnos]

Siren



Siren expected to be used to mind control people into obeying them, and was somewhat startled when there wasn't very much of that. Instead, Kingfisher gave her a great deal of authority, specifically focusing on the city's entertainment industry and the media. She quickly realized how clever that was; by controlling what people saw on television or read in the newspapers, she could control vast numbers of people without exercising any of her power at all.

Using your power to control people directly for the purpose of indirectly controlling people. Well, that is a brilliant and sweet irony sir, well done indeed.

[Harnos]

Kingfisher


Imagine if a group of supervillains took over a city ... and that was a step up for the people who lived there.

That was the situation which confronted the city of St. Louis, Missouri, in 2013. For many years, it had been regarded as the most crime-ridden city in the United States, with the highest number of murders, robberies, sexual assaults, drug offenses, and numerous other crimes. It had reached the point where even many professional criminals wished things would ease up a bit -- though they generally meant that as 'all you other guys stop, so I can start making more money'.

One of those who'd had a bit more vision than that was Michael Selvon, a professional confidence man and small-time mastermind. In his youth, he'd been taken in by one of the think tanks early in the project's lifespan, before the loyalty conditioning system had been fully developed, so that he felt free to walk away when he came of age. While he'd developed considerable technical expertise, he'd only ever put it to use in the service of his true vocation -- grifting.

In 2009, while having a smoke in one of St. Louis back alleys and privately grousing about how his take of the most recent job he'd pulled had been wholly inadequate, Selvon chanced upon something that would change his life. Further down the alley, a young man in a costume dropped out of the sky and landed light as a feather. Then, apparently without realizing that he was being watched, he tore the costume off, threw it into a trash bin, and stumbled away down the alley in a set of civilian clothes.

Selvon waited until he was sure that the kid wasn't coming back to go and take a gander at the costume, which made his breath quicken. He'd never encountered Darkwing or his sidekick Talon, but he recognized this as the flight suit employed by the latter. (Somewhat after this, he would learn that the two had had a falling out, explaining much of what had just happened.) It was damaged, but Selvon had the sense that he could repair it, and possibly even improve on the design.

He spent three weeks and a fair chunk of change doing just that, turning it from the kid's costume into something that Selvon would want to be seen in. With that, he made his debut as the Kingfisher, the flying bandit, certain that this would allow him to rise as high in the criminal underworld as he could fly in the skes. But it didn't. He was regarded as a nuisance by the public, a minor problem by the superheroes that he fought, and a pawn by crimelords. All that grated on his ego quite a bit.

It's not at all clear if he came up with the idea for the Combination himself, though that's certainly how he presented it to the fellow multiple-time losers that he invited to a meeting in 2013. There, he pointed out that the continued success of the Powerhouse, and more recently the Ultra Girls organization which had been born from it, proved that combining their strengths was the smart thing to do. "So let's do that," he said. "Let's get organized, and take charge of this rotten little town."

And they did, after spending several months in training and preparation. The leadership of St. Louis organized crime was massacred with startling ease. Civilian leaders were bought off, terrorized into obedience, or disappeared, as were the handful of local vigilantes. Within a year, though the overwhelming majority of the public had no clue what had happened, Kingfisher and his fellows were firmly in control of the city. They named themselves the Combination after one of the nicknames of Murder Incorporated.

Of course, something like this would attract Argus attention, and the agency attempted to bring down the Combination just as quickly as it had risen. But after several operations failed to accomplish that, the recently assigned Director of Combination operations came to the conclusion that they were out of their league, and so it was time to call in the heavy hitters. In a very rare move, Argus openly contacted the Powerhouse, explained the situation, and asked them to intervene.

The original six were all on hand for what happened next. As they descended towards St. Louis, a giant holographic arrow appeared in the sky, pointing towards one particular skyscraper. Preparing for a trap, they approached the building, found its upper floors open to the air and entered to discover the members of the Combination seated around a round table not unlike their own. Kingfisher greeted them like old friends, but when the threats started up, he calmly asked them to leave town, and leave them to their own devices.

"Why should we do that?" asked Darkwing, who was taking point for obvious reasons.

Kingfisher smiled. "Because of the twenty-three bombs I've set up all around the city, shielded by nullification fields, all set to go off if I die, if I'm removed a certain distance from the city, if I'm removed from my costume, if I'm sufficiently annoyed ... oh, so many contingencies."

Basilea couldn't read his mind, but she had the sense that he was telling the truth. Clearly, a direct assault was not the way to go, so with the promise that this was not over, the Powerhouse withdrew from what they regard as their greatest defeat thus far. And Kingfisher let out a sigh of relief that his bluff had worked. Twenty-three nullification shields had been well beyond what he could obtain with his resources.

There were only eight.

In some ways, things really have gotten better in St. Louis. Property taxes have never been lower. (But, aside from properties owned by the Combination, everybody pays protection.) Crime rates are down too. (Because a crime has to be reported to figure in such numbers, and everybody knows better than to report certain crimes.) Police brutality is at an all-time low. (The Combination's people do that sort of thing for them.) The schools are getting plenty of money! (The better to indoctrinate the next generation with the Combination's 'ideals'.) The only question is, how long can this run of good fortune last? (That is indeed the question.)

Kingfisher's greatest strength is that he genuinely does listen to his associates, rather than viewing them as pawns. They're much more like rooks or knights -- not nearly as readily sacrificed. That said, he would sacrifice just about anything to win the game that he imagines himself playing with the forces of law and order, and should never be imagined to have a soft side for anybody. His greatest weakness is probably his tendency to come up with plans that are just a little too baroque for his own good -- he'll assign seven people to do the job of four, with the other three given orders to watch each other for potential double-crosses.

Kingfisher -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR 2 | STA 3 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 8 | INT 6 | AWE 2 | PRE 4

Powers:
Armored Costume: Removable (-7 points)
* Armor: Protection 3 - 3 points
* Lenses: Senses 6 (darkvision, extended vision, tracking infravision 2) - 6 points
* Psychic Shielding: Enhanced Will 4, Impervious 12 - 16 points
* Wings: Strength-based Damage 4, Accurate 2; Flight 5, Wings - 11 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Beginner’s Luck, Benefit 5 (multi-millionaire, status), Connected, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Takedown, Teamwork, Ultimate Effort (Deception checks), Well-Informed

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+10), Athletics 9 (+11), Deception 9 (+13), Expertise: Criminal 8 (+14), Expertise: Current Events 6 (+12), Expertise: Streetwise 8 (+14), Intimidation 8 (+12), Perception 8 (+10), Persuasion 8 (+12), Technology 7 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 2)
Wing Slash +12 (Close Damage 6)

Defense:
Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude 6, Toughness 6/3, Will 12/8

Totals:
Abilities 64 + Powers 29 + Advantages 14 + Skills 39 + Defenses 21 = 167 points

Complications:
Power--Motivation. Overly Flashy Plans. Secret Identity.

A loser who accepted his weakness to find a way around it and eventually defeated people much more powerful than him to take control of a city. He is a masterpiece master villain. I would like him more if he made the city an objectively better place without irony.

[Davies]

A loser who accepted his weakness to find a way around it and eventually defeated people much more powerful than him to take control of a city. He is a masterpiece master villain. I would like him more if he made the city an objectively better place without irony.

Using your power to control people directly for the purpose of indirectly controlling people. Well, that is a brilliant and sweet irony sir, well done indeed.

Oh, I missed that thread. I would like to read more about Abraxas but I'm too lazy to examine the whole thread. By the way, I see some Starfinder influence here, nice work.

Wow, thanks a lot! Yes, one of the points of the project was to do a Starfinder campaign in Earth's stellar neighborhood. I considered explicitly using the rules for Drift travel to represent how long hyperspace travel takes, but decided to go with something a little more M&M-flavored, ultimately.

(If you're interested in Abraxas, I recommend the Google Drive version of the thread, as his page there reveals more about his origins.)

[Davies]

Posting this early because we might have a blackout coming shortly.

Action Figure

Approximately two-thirds actual size.

Jeanne Martell was one of countless young Americans to volunteer for National Guard duty in the aftermath of the attack of Cerebron. While demonstrating considerable talent for her duties, she was something of a problem child who received frequent disciplinary infractions during her relatively brief career. Her time in the service came to an end in early 2003, when she was blasted by a criminal using a stolen Newton Beam projector before one of her teammates shot the man. Normally, the shrinking effect of a Newton Beam wears off after about a minute. For whatever reason, whether whatever unknown modifications had been made to the weapon or some x-factor in her own biology, the effect on former Private Martell has lasted more than eighteen years, right up until the present.

While horrified to have been shrunken to the size of a doll, Martell eventually decided that it was a blessing in disguise. She had heard rumors that the government was assembling a team of superpowers from among serving military personnel, and she was -- sort of -- a superpower now! With her tiny size and her skills, she would be an ideal scout for the missions of such a team, and looked forward to being tapped for it. In reality, she was never seriously considered for membership in the United Superheroes of America, mostly because John Wright had already been recruited for the team by the time she had her origin, but partially because of her history of discipline problems.

Nevertheless, Martell was stunned to be given a medical discharge, and to watch the debut of the United Superheroes on her big screen TV (actually a smartphone.) Fuming, she decided that if her country had no use for her talents, there were plenty of other interested parties who could put them to use and would pay well for them. Of course, the sorts of mercenary groups who were interested parties often operated extremely black operations, and quite a few of her early jobs were extraordinarily hard on what remained of her conscience. She nevertheless shut up and soldiered.

Matters being what they were, many of the jobs that Action Figure (a name she picked over the other suggestion, Commando Barbie) worked resulted in her encountering superheroic opposition. For whatever reason, she kept being sent up against that damn Minuteman character who had taken her job, both when he was a member of the United Superheroes and later as a solo act and member of the Powerhouse. These encounters usually went poorly for her, resulting in her spending a lot of time in mundane but specially construsted jail cells. Sometimes she would try to employ advanced technology to give her more of an edge in these conflicts, but always returned to her preferred, mundane (but also specially constructed) weaponry when these gimmicks failed her.

This has gone on for years now. (Whatever happened to her also seems to have slowed down her aging process, slightly.) Recently, Action Figure heard rumors that suggested that Minuteman had been forced into semi-retirement after some Argus stooge, posing as his girlfriend, betrayed him. She found herself somewhat surprised to feel sympathy for her long-time adversary; dating back to her own feelings of betrayal, Martell has always felt nothing but contempt for people who engage in double-crosses and has never descended to those sorts of tactics herself. Somewhat hesitantly, she sought out John Wright, claiming to want a truce, and had a surprisingly pleasant time drinking and talking about old times with him.

Probably nothing will come of this. Probably they will go back to fighting like crazy as soon as he gets his suit back in order and she gets hired to do a job that he runs into. Probably nothing will come of this. Probably ...

Action Figure -- PL 8

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

Powers:
Doll Sized: Permanent Shrinking 8 (STR -2, Dodge +4, Parry +4, Stealth +8, Speed -1, Intimidation -4) - 8 points

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidate), Equipment 5, Evasion, Grappling Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-trades, Power Attack, Precise Shot (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork.

Equipment:
Body Armor (Protection 2), Tiny Knfe (Strength-based Damage 1, Improved Critical), Tiny SMG (Ranged Multiattack Damage 2).

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4), Close Combat: Knife 2 (+7), Intimidation 8 (+4), Expertise: Military 8 (+9), Expertise: Survival 6 (+7), Insight 6 (+8), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 8 (+10), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+8), Stealth 8 (+18), Vehicles 4 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 0)
Knife +7 (Close Damage 1, Crit 19-20)
Tiny SMG +12 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 2)

Defense:
Dodge 11, Parry 10, Fortitude 6, Toughness 5/3, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Powers 8 + Advantages 20 + Skills 31 + Defenses 14 = 111 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 5

Complications:
Professional--Motivation. Hatred (traitors.) Temper.

[EternalPhoenix]

Good luck with your power troubles! Action Figure seems pretty neat.

[Davies]

Good luck with your power troubles! Action Figure seems pretty neat.

Thank you! (And thanks for catching that error. )