Basarin

He extended a hand to Stesha. "Slipstream, AEGIS superhero...well, in training at least. Just started gearing up for the superhero gig a week ago, but this is my first time actually out field testing this darn thing." He glared his jetpack, which seemed to openly mock him with an innocent aura of 'Who? Little me?' "I swear, this thing's going to cause me trouble one of these days." He turned his attention back to Stesha. "So this part of town's where you set up shop?"

Automatically responding to the query of concern without noticing who it was, Slipstream said, "Don't mind me, it's not like it's the fifth time I landed on my head today with this thing on." He paused and then looked up at who asked the question earlier. She might not be able to see the look on his face, but everything else indicated a posture of "whoops." "...did I say that out loud again?" Facepalming, he faced the woman and noticed that he saw her on his approach flight. Looking at her, and then at the tree (and making the connection), he jutted a finger at it and asked, "Was that your handiwork I was seeing just earlier? Pretty sure trees just don't reach for the sky that quickly when they feel like it..."

"...okay, I'm PRETTY sure this tree wasn't this tall just earlier," Slipstream noted openly as he looked up at it. Hovering to a short distance above the grass, he then cut the power to the engine again, sure this time that he'd land on his feet. Not accounting the fact that he wasn't used to the weight of the engine on his back yet, while he did land on his feet, he also then promptly fell faceflat onto the grass with another "OOF!" Getting up to his feet again after a few moments, he shook his head in annoyance. "I asked for more simulation time, but do they listen? Nooooo..." Looking around, he added, "Again, hope no one saw that. Don't need to make a wrong impression on the first night out..."

Come on in! FYI, shortcut to the link is here. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3566

Rubbing his head (helmet, anyway) as he got back to his feet, he scanned the streets below before his gaze fell upon the park, and the not-so-natural fauna growing quicker than would be normal. Adjusting his commbead, he said, "HQ, near a park in downtown. Big, giant...plant...things growing pretty quickly. Gonna check it out, over." Without waiting for a response, and purely on reflex, Slipstream punched the ignition on his jetpack and flew straight towards the park. This time, with more concentration applied, Slipstream slowed to a gentle hovering speed above the park, wondering what the heck was going on here. That, and hoping that the quiet night was going to STAY quiet despite this.

For the most part, tonight downtown Freedom was quiet. No muggings in sight, no bank alarms (not yet, anyway), and nothing overly catastrophic was occurring. The only other sound separate from the regular din of the daily nightlife came from above, where the hum of what sounded like a jet engine flying overhead could be heard. If any of the passerbys cared to look up, they would have seen a blue man-sized object and white engine exhaust flying overhead at a reasonable clip relative to its size. "Nice and quiet here too," Slipstream noted as he flew over the streets of Downtown. His voice was rendered into something sounding vaguely electronic from the silver helmet he wore, featureless save for the blue visor. "And I'm the one guy making the most noise around this part of town. Who knew?" Seeing an upcoming intersection, he willed the jetpack to slow down to a static hover. "C'mon now, just a bit slower...slower I said!" The jetpack didn't seem to want to listen, and rather than slowing down over the intersection, the engines just kept on going. "...this is going to suck," the hero grumbled as he began to approach the roof of a building. For lack of a better solution to make the jetpack actually stop, he cut the power to the engine and trusted in what little of the laws of physics he could be bothered to remember to see him safely (if not comfortably) onto the roof. While said laws of physics did manage to land him on that roof, it was far from comfortable. With an audible THUD, Slipstream bounced twice on the roof before sliding and impacting against the fire escape helmet first. The blue light on the visor flickered visibly for a few moments as the jetpack clad hero struggled to recover from his debut as an impromptu missile. "...need...to read...instruction manual..." he grumbled as he at least managed into an upright sitting position. "At least no one saw that."

Hello, all. On the suggestion of a few in the chat, I'm opening up a sort of introduction thread for my character, Slipstream. This is so I can get a feel for writing the character, but also for the character to get adjusted to the jetpack he stole from SHADOW and just more or less try to settle in. He'll be doing this by sticking to light duties initially, such as patrolling neighborhoods in and around AEGIS HQ. Along the way, he's free to meet and chat with (or fight crime with) other PCs in the area. So if your hero's in the area, and you want to just at least pop up and say hi, by all means please come on in! I'll be posting the thread later today in the Downtown Freedom forum, City Center. Post here or PM if you're interested.

Characters Name: Slipstream Power Level: 10 (150/154PP) Trade-Offs: None Unspent PP: 4 Gold Status: 4/30 In Brief: A former AEGIS recon pilot who is now an AEGIS superhero by means of a jetpack, a blaster pistol, and the enthusiasm of a gamer accessing a cheat console. Alternate Identity: Ian Smith Age: 25 (Born May 10th, 1985) Gender: Male Height: 5'11" Weight: 175 lbs. Eyes: Brown Hair: Black Description: Ian stands tall at nearly six feet with an average build, but otherwise he looks rather unremarkable. His short black hair is generally always in a hopeless mess to the point that even AEGIS regulations, which insist on cleanliness, had to make an exception in his case. That and a usually cheerful or friendly expression on his face may combine to give off an impression of seeming less than bright, but his brown eyes are always sharp and paying attention to his surroundings. Whenever he can get away with it, Ian tends towards casual clothes, and usually wears a light jacket with a t-shirt underneath, blue jeans and a pair of sneakers, and wears different variations from day to day. Otherwise, he can be seen in his AEGIS uniform (whether it's his pilot suit or dress uniform). As Slipstream, he wears an armored jumpsuit of a dark navy-blue color with white stripes, and various compartments on the suit hold miscellaneous pieces of equipment should the need for them emerge. The jetpack, which is of a silver hue, is naturally strapped onto his back, and is attached to the hero through reinforced straps. The pack itself is not too bulky, but it does give the impression of looking like a glorified bulky rucksack (albeit a bit more elegant looking). To finish the look, Slipstream wears a silver helmet that has no distinguishing features aside from glowing blue eye slit visors and small "wings" pointing backwards at the sides. History: There isn't really anything remarkable about Ian Smith. A native of Freedom City, he could be described as relatively normal; he loved video games (and still does), dragged his feet with schoolwork, and got dirty in the occassional sport. Also like most other kids in Freedom City, he grew up idolizing the superheroes that protected them. In particular, Ian grew up admiring the heroes who could fly over the tallest buildings like birds, and he promised himself that he would join them one day. Unfortunately, the sudden superhero transformation turning him into something that could pound the badguys into the pavement never did happen, but the childhood fascination of wanting to fly (and zapping badguys) never did completely vanish. After finishing highschool, Ian applied for and was accepted as a flight officer in AEGIS. Surprisingly enough, he excelled during flight officer training, and his instructors saw him fit for duty as a reconaissance pilot. He would serve well in that role, and in the many skirmishes AEGIS fought against superpowered criminals, Ian would scout ahead and report back to ground personnel information on their target. However, Ian's luck seemingly ran out in a skirmish against agents of SHADOW when his aircraft was shot down amd he was captured. During his captivity under SHADOW, he was relocated to a holding facility which at the time doubled as a storage area for an upcoming weapons deal. Among the items stockpiled laid a prototype rocket pack, something that attracted Ian's attention for the duration of his imprisonment. Fortunately for Ian, AEGIS had taken the time and effort to organize a rescue effort (along with the odd nearby hero or two), and the pilot didn't have to wait long before the attack arrived. It was during the chaos of the rescue effort that Ian was able to slip out of his cell, but rather than simply try to escape, his fixation with the jetpack ran its course. Without a second thought, he slung the jetpack and its accompanying equipment on and made his getaway. Some time after Ian's debriefing, AEGIS decided that they had a new asset in the "acquired" jetpack, and approached Ian (the only personnel with any experience with the jetpack) about becoming an AEGIS-sanctioned "superhero." Given his childhood fascination with flying heroes, Ian took very little convincing. Personality & Motivation: Ian is a laid back individual whose preference is to "take things easy." He can usually be found with a friendly expression on his face, and it is pretty difficult to get him angry or annoyed. He also has a tendency to openly comment on things he finds interesting or flat out ridiculous, and just plain speaking his mind; if he weren't so good at his job as a pilot, he could possibly have been brought up on charges of insubordination. If one can get past this, he is easy enough to approach, and can be a solid friend or comrade. Ian did not really need much prodding to jump at the call. His childhood dream of becoming a superhero never truly left him, and the chance to actually join their ranks was an offer he would have been crazy to pass up. However, he also was raised with the important lesson of "always try to do the right thing," a creed he does his best to live up to. As a pilot, he was always able to help, but a simple aircraft against superpowered villains left him feeling somewhat irrelevant in the grand scheme of things; now, with the path of a hero open to him, he feels he might be able to make a noticeable (even if small) difference. Powers & Tactics: Ian's training and tactics as a reconaissance pilot translates into his tactics as Slipstream. Rather than a direct attack, Slipstream prefers to skirimish with his opponents. After sizing up the opposition, he will engage the enemy with ranged attacks along with misleading them through generated holograms of himself. The entire time, he is airborne and never gets too close. Naturally, he has no supernatural powers, and relies entirely on his training and his devices to see the day through. Complications: It's...a...PROTOTYPE!: Whether it was a "proof of concept" device or simply not quite finished, Slipstream's jetpack still has a lot of technical gremlins to sort out. Unfortunately for him, they can make their presence known at the most inconvenient times... Poster Boy: Being a super hero isn't all fun and games (if only, huh?); as an AEGIS superhero, Slipstream has to be mindful of the fact that he represents the organization as a whole, and his actions must be made accordingly... Abilities: 0 + 10 + 6 + 0 + 10 + 0 = 26PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 20 (+5) Constitution: 16 (+3) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 20 (+5) Charisma: 10 (+0) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP Initiative: +5 Attack: +4 Melee, +10 Ranged (+4 Base, +6 Attack Focus) Grapple: +4 Defense: +10 (+4 Base; +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -2 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 4 = 14PP Toughness: +10/+3 (+3 Con, +7 Force Field) Fortitude: +8 (+8 Con, +5) Reflex: +10 (+5 Dex, +5) Will: +8 (+4 Wis, +4) Skills: 120R = 30PP Acrobatics 15 (+20) Bluff 10 (+10) Concentration 10 (+15) Diplomacy 15 (+15) Drive 10 (+15) Gather Information 15 (+15) Notice 15 (+20) Pilot 15 (+20) Sense Motive 15 (+20) Feats: 25PP Acrobatic Bluff All Out Attack Attack Focus 6 (Ranged) Benefit (Security Clearance [A.E.G.I.S.]) Connected Defensive Attack Dodge Focus 6 Fast Task (Acrobatic Feint) Move By Action Power Attack Precise Shot 2 Skill Mastery 2 (Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Drive, Gather Information, Notice, Pilot, Sense Motive) Uncanny Dodge (Audio) Powers: 15 + 8 + 16 = 39PP Device 5 (25PP, Flaws: Easy-To-Lose 2) [15PP] (Blast Pistol) Blast 10 (Extras: Penetrating [1], Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Alternate Power 2) [25PP] Alternate Power: Snare 10 (Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Tether) [23PP] Alternate Power: Blast 10 (Extras: Area [General, Burst], Penetrating [1], Selective, Flaws: Action [Full], Unreliable [5 uses per day], Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Complications: Must be recharged through the jetpack) [23PP] (Explosive Gel) Device 2 (10PP, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [8PP] (Helmet) Sensor Array 2 (4PP, Feats: Alternate Power 5) [9PP] Base Power: Super-Senses 4 (Danger Sense [Audio], Normal Hearing [Extras: Counters Concealment 2, Extended]) [4PP] Alternate Power: Super-Senses 4 (Normal Vision, Extras: Counters Concealment 2, Counters Obscure 2 ["Darkness"]) [4PP] (Darkvision, See Invisible) Alternate Power: Super-Senses 4 (Detect Weakness [Visual], Extras: Acute, Analytical, Ranged) [4PP] Alternate Power: Super-Senses 4 (Infravision, Time Sense, Ultrasonic Hearing, Ultravision) [4PP] Alternate Power: Super-Senses 3 (Radio, Extras: Accurate 2]) [3PP] (Radar) Alternate Power: Super-Senses 3 (Normal Vision, Extras: Penetrates Concealment 4, Drawbacks: Power Loss [Lead]) [3PP] (X-Ray Vision) Super-Senses 1 (Communication Link [Audio, HQ]) [1PP] Device 4 (20PP, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [16PP] (Jetpack) Flight 7 (1,000mph / 10,000ft per Move Action, Drawbacks: Must make Concentration check to maintain after EVERY hit) [13PP] Force Field 7 [7PP] DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage Blast Ranged DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage Explosive Gel Ranged/Area DC20 Reflex 1/2 Effect DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage Snare Ranged DC20 Reflex (Staged) Entangled/Bound Abilities (26) + Combat (16) + Saves (14) + Skills (30) + Feats (25) + Powers (39) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/154 Power Points

Hello, everyone. I'm in the middle of making my first Mutants and Masterminds character build, and I'll be frank in that I really am not 100% sure on what I'm doing. That being said, I submit what I DO have for the rest of you all to take a look at, and I value any opinion or criticism that any of you have. For starters, I'll begin with a rough character background. My character (Ian Smith) is an AEGIS reconnaissance pilot. All his life he wanted to become a superhero, inspired mainly by Paragons such as Captain Thunder. His body stubbornly remained typically mortal, but he still kept the dream of wanting to fly fresh in his head. He did the next best thing; he trained to become a pilot instead and joined AEGIS as a means to that end. He turned out to be quite talented at the job, and he was assigned to the reconnaissance flights to give AEGIS ground personnel early warning about super powered threats in Freedom City; having a good pilot that both could report in and make it out in (more or less) one piece was always an asset. This links into his origin. I am still a bit undecided on which villain organization (or a single supervillain in an arms deal with another group like the Foundry) AEGIS was fighting at the time, but during said battle, Ian will be shot down and taken prisoner. He will be held in a temporary base or safehouse, but he'll be rescued, either by AEGIS personnel or nearby heroes recruited by AEGIS to do the same thing. In that safehouse, though, he saw the jetpack prototype that's basically going to become his trademark, and during the chaos of the rescue operation, he'll break free, put on the jetpack, and hit the on switch without looking back. After it's all said and done, AEGIS would put him back on active duty, but as a superhero rather than a pilot. Ian doesn't need much convincing, since now he actually gets to fly around like he dreamed as a kid AND keep getting a paycheck for it. (*superhero handle still under consideration*) So that's that for his rough character background. Now here's for his probably cringe-inducing stats I've come up with. Abilities: (26 points total) - STR: 12 (2 points) - DEX: 18 (8 points) - CON: 14 (4 points) - INT: 12 (2 points) - WIS: 18 (8 points) - CHA: 12 (2 points) Saving throws: (8 points total) - Toughness: +2 (+2 w/Costume, +5 w/Force Field active) - Fortitude: +2 - Reflex: +8 (4 points) - Will: +8 (4 points) Skills: (6 points total) - Piloting 8 (2 points) - Survival 4 (1 point) - Notice 4 (1 point) - Concentration 4 (1 point) - Computers 4 (1 point) - (May add knowledge here, but not sure on that just yet) Feats: (14 points total) - Diehard (Free) - Equipment (Free? Must confirm later) - Attack Focus 5 (5 points, Ranged attacks) - Favored Environment 5 (5 points, Air) - Improved Defense 2 (2 points) - Uncanny Dodge 2 (2 points, Visual) Powers: (points total) (this section is still being worked on; fluff and flavor text will follow as soon as I have a firmer idea of how this works) Costume (Protection 2, 2 points) Jetpack, Device 3 (12 points, Jetpack, hard to lose) - Flight 5 (200 MPH, 10 points) - Force Field 5 (5 points) Blaster Pistol, Device 5) (15 points, Easy to lose) (this part is still under construction) - Feats: restricted 1 (finger printed) - Traits: blast 10 (feats: Alternate Power - Area of Effect) - Complications - Recharge (must be plugged into the jetpack) Helmet (Device, hard to lose) (this part is also still under construction) - Datalink - (Currently debating what else the helmet gives) Combat: (24 points total) - Attack: +6 (12 points) - Defense: +6 (12 points) The premise behind this guy is that, well, he wears a jetpack, helmet, and jumpsuit/costume, flies around and zaps criminals with his raygun; I also plan on giving him extra tools to help him out in other scenarios. I want to make him generally a dodgey type, being able to maneuver his way out of incoming attacks while also giving return fire. His jetpack also contains a force field generator, so if he can't dodge it, the shield can take the brunt of it for him. The raygun is where I'm not too sure on how to design power-wise. Normally it's a blaster pistol; however, its alternate power is that he can hook it up to his jetpack and charge it up for an area of effect attack, basically making it a less extreme version of Men in Black's "Noisy Cricket" gun. The catch there is that he has to spend time to charge it. His helmet is also there for advanced targeting, but I'm thinking it would also give some other benefits (more saving throws? Unsure). And people mentioned in the chat that I could add extra effort to the devices themselves? I would like more input on that. So there's what I've got so far. I'm sure there's a bevy of stuff I haven't thought of, but I ask anyone out there to take a look and to lend me your thoughts. Thanks, all!

'lo, all. I'm also someone redirected here from TV Tropes (and am in the chat room as we type, though I have to jet for dinner in a sec). I just recently graduated from grad school and am studying for the LSAT at the moment (currently working on assumption questions; much hair has been torn from my head over them). I'm relatively new to the superhero genre in general (I generally never read comic books), but I love the style of the setting (I just got into the DCAU and I am a fan of City of Heroes). I also have a long term love of gaming (my parents call it an addiction, but eh). Hope to meet you all!