[MM3]Sunstormers - OOC

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CaptainKaulu
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by CaptainKaulu »

Tony Jones wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 2:34 pm What's the 'Withstand Damage' advantage? I don't think I've seen that before.
I think it's from Mecha & Manga? I don't know what it does though.
CaptainKaulu
Posts: 547
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by CaptainKaulu »

Ralph Saetang
Power Level 8 (120 PP)
Image

Ralph's parents were very successful Thai immigrants to Chicago who (stereotypically) got into the restaurant business. Ralph has had a pretty comfortable life: working in the family business; wrestling one year in high school; studying Spanish with a minor in computer science in community college; and participating in some minor e-sports tournaments.

Abilities [38 PP]
· Strength 0 (+0) · Stamina 7 (+7) · Agility 1 (+1) · Dexterity 2 (+2) ·
· Fighting 2 (+2) · Intellect 3 (+3) · Awareness 3 (+3) · Presence 1 (+1) ·
Load Limit 50 lb.

Powers [37 PP]
Main Electrical Powers Array · solar-storm power · [24 PP + 5 PP for Alternate Effects]
  • Bask in Electric Energy
    • Speed 3 · (16 mph or 250 ft/round)
    • Power Household Devices: Feature 1
    • Minor Ferromagnetize: Feature 1
    • TeraOhms: Immunity 20 (very common descriptor: electromagnetic effects)
      Extras: Sustained, Increased Duration (continous); Flaws: Activation 1 (Move Action), Limited to Half Effect
  • Chain Lightning: Damage 6
    Extras: Increased Range 1 (Ranged), Multiattack, Accurate 1, Affects Insubstantial 1, Improved Critical 1, Indirect 3 (jumps from target to target)
  • DC Shock Field: Affliction 4 (Fortitude; Dazed / Stunned / Incapacitated)
    Extras: Progressive; Reaction 3 (touch)
  • EMP Shockwave: Weaken Electronics 8 (Fortitude)
    Extras: Affects Only Objects, Broad, Simultaneous, Area (Burst 1); Flaw: Fades
  • Wire-Transfer: Teleport 10
    Extras: Accurate, Increased Mass 1 (100 lb.), Change Direction, Change Velocity, Turnabout; Flaw: Medium (electrically conductive materials)
  • Conductive Scan:
    • Senses 3 (Extended 1 Radius Electromagnetic Awareness: visual)
    • Telegram: Mental Communication 2 · (1-mile range)
      Flaw: Medium (electrically conductive materials)
    • Remote Sensing 8 (visual senses) · (1-mile range, or 0.5-mile range with Simultaneous)
      Extra: Simultaneous [partial 7]; Flaw: Medium (electrical conduit)
Static Field · solar-storm power · [2 PP]
Protection 1
Extras: Sustained, Increased Duration (continous)
Bolster · solar-storm power · [2 PP]
Luck Control 1 (Spend On Other)
Flaw: Limited to Recover
Restaurantier · training power · [1 PP]
Enhanced Expertise: Cooking 3
Flaw: Limited to Thai cuisine
Deceptive Dance · talent power · [3 PP]
  • Enhanced Deception 6
    Flaw: Limited to feinting & tricking
  • Skill Knack: Feature 1 (ignore -5 penalty for Feinting as a Move Action)
Advantages [13 PP]
· Benefit (Wealth: well-off) 1 · Defensive Roll 2 · Equipment 1 · Grabbing Finesse · Improved Initiative 1 · Interpose · Languages 2 · Luck (Recover) 3 · Set-Up 1 · Skill Mastery 1 (Expertise: Video Games) ·
(Set-Up is a bonus Advantage from having a rank of Presence.)
Equipment · [5 ep]
  • Commlink · 1 ep
  • Smartphone · 2 ep
  • Multi-Tool · 1 ep
  • Wrist-Computer · 1 ep
Languages
· native: Thai · English · Spanish ·
Skills [17 PP]
· Athletics 5 (+5) · Close Combat: Grabbing 8 (+10) · Deception 0 (+1, or +7 feinting/tricking) · Expertise: Cooking 4 (+7, or +10 Thai cuisine) · Expertise: Pop Culture 2 (+5) · Expertise: Science 2 (+5) · Expertise [DEX]: Video Games 3 (+5) · Ranged Combat: Lightning 6 (+8) · Stealth 1 (+2) · Technology 2 (+5) · Vehicles 1 (+3) ·

Defenses [15 PP]
· Dodge 5 (+6) · Parry 4 (+6) ·
· Fortitude 0 (+7) · Toughness (+10/+8*) · Will 6 (+9) ·
*without Defensive Roll

Offense · Initiative +5
  • Unarmed: Close Attack +2 · on a hit, bludgeoning Damage DC 15 (Strength-based).
  • Grab: Close Attack +10 · on a hit, restrain target DC 12. · (Not Vulnerable while Grabbing. Triggers use of DC Shock Field if that Power is active.)
  • Chain Lightning: Ranged (150/300/600 ft) Multiattack +10 · on a hit, electrical Damage DC 21, crit 19-20. · (Jumps from target to target. Affects Insubstantial DC 18.)
  • DC Shock Field: Reaction to touching · Close electrical Affliction DC 14 (resisted and overcome by Fortitude; Dazed / Stunned / Incapacitated).
  • EMP Shockwave: Close Area (30-ft-radius Burst) Attack, Dodge DC 18 to halve · electromagnetic Weaken electronic objects DC 18 (resisted by Fortitude). · (Affects all electronics effects simultaneously. Fades to lower DCs than 18.)
Complications
  • Motivation - Responsibility. Chicago is in a crisis. It is Ralph's duty to help out.
  • Honor. Ralph is a fervent (though not especially knowledgeable) Buddhist.
  • Easy Life. Ralph is not used to life being a challenge. Superhero work may emotionally shock him.
  • Prejudice. Racism.
ABILITIES [38] + SKILLS [17] + ADVANTAGES [13] + POWERS [37] + DEFENSES [15]
= 120 PP TOTAL
jmucchiello
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by jmucchiello »

kenmadragon wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 10:04 am Okay, managed to come up with a name (not a hero-one, that'll probably come later) and wrote out most of a background. I'll add more onto it and add in notes, physical descriptions (before and after the sun-storm), bio-data and other stuff like that.

At the moment, I think we've got five submissions... And quite the spread. There's Deborah, a social media influencer with psychic powers she doesn't know about/acknowledge; Gina, the Chicago-local cop who can control gravity and likely wants to keep the peace in a reeling city; Sunny, the socially-awkward nerd and well-intention-ed paragon/FISS who's determined that this brave new world needs superheroes; Karima, the faithful journalist turned into a living-shadow-creature who wants to help others dealing with the horrors of the Sunstorm; and Jackie, the street-rat and con-man who has the deadly aim of Bullseye and has another personality that'll Hulk-out when enraged. A solid spread, all told.
And everyone stuck with PL 8.
pathfinderq1
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by pathfinderq1 »

Various updates:

> I am hard at work in the Build mines, fiddling points to see what works- pretty close to final builds and working on backgrounds. Too cold around here to go outside this weekend anyway.

Ideas under consideration include:
1. Outdoorsy weather controller
2. Sassy streetwise solar-powered paragon/blaster (Starfire/ Apollo type)
3. Scrapper/super-soldier (a young nurse who is convinced that she DOESN'T have 'superpowers')
4. Speedster (actually 1 character/background but 3 possible power-sets: basic speedster, flight speedster, and hyper-agile 'bouncy' type)

>All possible builds are PL7/135. All possible characters are younger (Speedster 16-18, others 19-21). I had considered 'Stone body' type brick, but we're pretty well-supplied with tough sorts, as well as an Elastigirl expy and a 'living ghost'. And I'm not cruel enough to want to inflict my teleporting delinquent on anyone outside of a Her High style game- or am I?

>Withstand damage: Not sure where it is from originally, but I have seen it in House Rules for a number of campaigns (and on the Character Build threads). It allows a character to lower active Defenses in exchange for improving Toughness; functionally a "Bracing for impact" trick. Some versions allow choice at moment of use (Like Defensive attack, Power attack, etc. "I'll use Withstand damage to drop my dodge and parry by 3 to get Toughness +3); other versions are ranked (Rank 1 is -2/+2, Rank 2 is -5/+5 max). Like all such Advantages, choice lasts until your next turn.
Last edited by pathfinderq1 on Mon Jan 17, 2022 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
kenmadragon
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by kenmadragon »

pathfinderq1 wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 5:05 pm >Withstand damage: Not sure where it is from originally, but I have seen it in House Rules for a number of campaigns (and on the Character Build threads). It allows a character to lower active Defenses in exchange for improving Toughness; functionally a "Bracing for impact" trick. Some versions allow choice at moment of use (Like Defensive attack, Power attack, etc. "I'll use Withstand damage to drop my dodge and parry by 3 to get Toughness +3); other versions are ranked (Rank 1 is -2/+2, Rank 2 is -5/+5 max). Like all such Advantages, choice lasts until your next turn.
As I recall (and as CaptainKaulu said), it's from Mecha and Manga, which was a 2e source-book, but I've seen GMs allow it for 3e games because it's just another "stat trade-off maneuver" type of advantages.

Let me know if that's allowed or not, Neo-Paladin - if no, I can always change my build and use that point in Advantage for something else (Power Attack or Move-By Action or something).

Also, to the other folks in the thread, let me know if you have any notes on Sunny to improve the character background and complications and stuff. It's been years since I've played PbP (much less anything that wasn't D&D) and my character-creating is a bit rusty.


Edit:

On second thought, I think I'll drop Withstand Damage since it's unfamiliar to the GM and I had a better idea about how to use it. Since Sunny's powers are basically "Invincible 2.0 with super-senses", I'll just pick up 1 rank in Regeneration (or 2 ranks, with a Source flaw for solar radiation).

I'm also probably going to re-work some of his background and complications because I wrote that really late at night when inspiration hit, and looking back on it now, it feels like I was rambling from sleepiness. Gonna try and make it more concise and coherent.
Last edited by kenmadragon on Sun Jan 16, 2022 8:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Tony Jones
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by Tony Jones »

pathfinderq1 wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 5:05 pm I had considered 'Stone body' type brick, but we're pretty well-supplied with tough sorts, as well as an Elastigirl expy and a 'living ghost'.
I wouldn't call Khemis an Elastigirl expy. Sure, she has stretching powers, but so do a lot of characters. And outside of that I'd say she's pretty different.
pathfinderq1
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by pathfinderq1 »

Tony Jones wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 6:21 pm
pathfinderq1 wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 5:05 pm I had considered 'Stone body' type brick, but we're pretty well-supplied with tough sorts, as well as an Elastigirl expy and a 'living ghost'.
I wouldn't call Khemis an Elastigirl expy. Sure, she has stretching powers, but so do a lot of characters. And outside of that I'd say she's pretty different.
I meant that I had also considered (and about half built) an Elastigirl expy, not that we already had one (though Khemis' stsretchy/grapply build was part of what canned that idea for me). Sorry for the confusion.
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Tony Jones
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by Tony Jones »

Ah. Fair enough!
Neo-Paladin
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by Neo-Paladin »

A quick rundown of events after January 1st, 2022.

January 1st, 2022 - The solar eruption hits the Earth around 3 p.m. PST. Electrical systems go haywire. Many metropolises (New York, Hongkong, Paris, London, Mexico City...) suffer from power outages. Communication systems, including the internet, fail as satellites are compromised.
People all over the world lose consciousness, falling into a deep semi-comatose state.
For a brief time, chaos reigns. Militaries are mobilised. There is looting and pillaging in many countries.

January 2nd, 2022 - While the damage is substantial, scientists and engineers agree that it could have been much worse. Rudimentary communications are re-established. With the realisation that this was not an attack by any foreign power but a global disaster, most countries have their militries focus on disaster relief. Russia, however, begins sending armed troops over the Ukranian border.
Meanwhile, millions of people are still without power and the police have a hard time keeping things under control. For a time, some urban areas degenerate into warzones. In Germany, an attempted coup by neo-fascists is barely stopped, but not before several moderate and left-wing politicians have been killed. Similar events happen in Austria and France.
The ongoing coma of thousands of people all over the globe baffles the scientific community. Some theories about exotic radiation are thrown about but come to nothing. Many of the afflicted are not admitted to hospitals because those are already busy with the aftereffects of the power outages, accidents and, of course, COVID.

January 3rd, 2022-January 4th, 2022 - Exactly 72 hours after the eruption hit, all those who had fallen into a coma awaken. While there are still no official comments regarding their health, what's been restored of the internet is full of rumors about some of the afflicted having suffered physical changes or displaying superhuman abilities. Still being busy restoring order, officials refuse to make statements debunking or confirming the rumors. Meanwhile, the Russian army makes great strides into the Ukraine, with the EU and the NATO being busy with damage control or insurrections on their own soil.

Power is slowly being restored to many major population centers, along with communications, although the internet and cell phone coverage are still severely compromised. Still, more and more rumors surface, of people gaining strange powers since reawakening from their comas.
The Russians troops on Ukranian soil vanish without a trace. Putin is furious but, given that Russia broke international law, cannot believably condemn the incident. Further incursions onto Ukranian soil are stopped.
Cell phone images surface of an African man hovering in the air, shooting beams of focused light from his hands, incinerating an armed convoy.

January 5th, 2022 - There are still hundreds of thousands of people without power, but most critical systems have been restored.
Disturbing rumors surface regarding an " incident" in China which caused what looked like a small nuclear explosion but which the government strictly denied. Other reports about Chinese military units searching and systematically killing anyone among the already-oppressed Uigur minority who fell into a coma during the eruption are also vehemently denied.
More information on the African superhuman surface - he apparently calls himself " God's Light" and has vowed to fight the Lord's Liberation Army, a terrorist group that has plagued parts of Africa for years.
It doesn't take long before #BlackSuperman begins trending.
More and more rumors and images or short clips appear showing either people with altered appearances or humans doing impossible things like levitating or lifting cars without assistance.
While governments are still hesitant to confirm or deny the veracity of these sightings, several scientists point out that it's absolutely impossible that, in a time when the internet was pretty much down, thousands of people networked and decided to play a hoax on the whole of Earth.


January 6th, 2022
The term " Sunstormers" is coined by Neil Degrasse Tyson when he's interviewed about the events:
" It's not easy to say this, for me or anyone like me who thought they knew how the universe worked. But now we see these people, these...Sunstormers and we have to acknowledge...we do not have a clue how they do what they do. We will find out eventually, I'm sure of that. But right now...your guess is as good as mine."

Israel closes its borders again after a series of brutal terrorist attacks apparently performed by a Sunstormer that involved some kind of mineral-controlling powers. Interestingly, no group claimed the incident for themselves.
In Spain, a nun develops the power to heal with a touch. The Vatican, however, is still struggling with a response to the events and whether to see these powers as divinely inspired or not.

January 7th-10th, 2022 It's impossible to deny that something monumental has happened to Earth. Of course, 0,0001 percent of the population does not sound like much, but it still means thousands of people whose very existence calls into question everything we believed about the world and our place in it. Every day, someone new comes forward, it seems, able to do the impossible.
These are truly " interesting times."
Last edited by Neo-Paladin on Mon Jan 17, 2022 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jmucchiello
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by jmucchiello »

Nitpick: Exactly 72 hours after Jan 1 3pm pst is Jan 4 3pm pst. Maybe it was exactly 48 hours?
Neo-Paladin
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by Neo-Paladin »

Thanks, my dyscalculia struck again. Corrected things.
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Tony Jones
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by Tony Jones »

On a more local level, what's it been like in Chicago? And the USA?
kenmadragon
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by kenmadragon »

Well, the new information about the early days after the Sunstorm gave me some inspiration to modify my character background to take that into account and shift how Sunny's motivations take shape.

Though, I am also curious about what the effects of the Sunstorm have been like on the US in general, and Chicago in the specific since it's directly relevant to this campaign.
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Vivid
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by Vivid »

Helpful timeline. Thank you!

Motivation-wise I think Jackie is still trying to figure out what it all means. And Clyde may develop completely different motivations than Jackie. Fun!
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Tony Jones
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Re: [MM3]Sunstormers - Recruiting and OOC - Recruitment ends on Jan.22nd

Post by Tony Jones »

I definitely see this being invoked in the USA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Emergencies_Act

And I guess the National Guard would be called out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_ ... ed_States)

About 13000 of them in Illinois according to the page above.
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