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  1. Multi-Girl Power Level: PL 10 (193/193PP) Trade-Offs: -3 Atk/+3 Dam (melee) / -3 Def/+3 Tou Unspent Power Points: 0 In Brief: Teenage duplicating T-Baby Alternate Identity: Bernadette O’Connell Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland Residence: Boston, Massachusetts, Claremont Academy during the school year Base of Operations: Claremont Academy during the school year Occupation: Student Affiliation: Claremont Academy, Young Guardians Family: Sean O’Connell (father); Deirdre O’Connell (mother); Liam O’Connell (brother); Brendan O’Connell (brother) Description: Age: 18 (June 2005) Apparent Age: 18 Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5’ 9” Weight: 130 lbs Eyes: Green Hair: Red Bernadette is a tall, attractive teenager with an athletic build and bright green eyes. Her thick red hair goes down to the middle of her back. She is rather pale skinned, with slight freckles on her checks and nose, as well on her shoulders and upper back. Her clothing style is generally typical of a teenage girl her age, though she tends to favor outfits that are more form fitting. So far she has not come up with any sort of heroic costume and therefore relies on the standard Claremont uniform. History: Born in Dublin, Ireland, the youngest of three children, Bernadette’s family immigrated to the United States when she was eight years old. For most of her life, Bernadette seemed just your average Irish/Irish-American girl, perhaps a little stronger, faster or tougher than other girls her age, but still nothing too out of the ordinary. As she grew older, the young redhead naturally drifted to sports, first football (soccer) and later focusing on lacrosse. Three years ago, Bernadette accompanied her lacrosse team for a tournament in Freedom City. The team was at a game in Kingston when the 2018 Terminus invasion began. Thankfully, both teams and bystanders were all safely evacuated from the area, but not before being exposed to some of the energy from the Terminus. Unknown to Bernadette, this exposure awoke something that had long been dormant within her. Over a decade before Bernadette was born, her father had been a merchant marine aboard a cargo vessel docked in Freedom City when the 1993 Terminus invasion had occurred. Her father’s exposure to Terminus energy led to Bernadette being born with a latent connection to the Terminus. Her exposure during the 2018 invasion activated that connection. For the next few years, the activation this connection was generally unnoticeable. But toward the end of her Freshman year in high school, Bernadette had an unexpectedly late “growth spurt,” growing several more inches. At the same time, Bernadette continued to get stronger and stronger. Then, right after the end of the school year, Bernadette was out at a mall with several friends. It had seemed just another mall trip when Bernadette’s duplication power inadvertently activated. This caused Bernadette to panic and try to get away from her friends before they saw her with her duplicate. This just led to her activating more duplicates, which generally just created a bit of a chaotic and confusing scene at the mall. Headmistress Summers learned about the incident (generally caught on the mall’s surveillance cameras) and reached out to Bernadette’s family, who were struggling to figure out how to deal with their daughter’s sudden abilities. Now Bernadette is set to start at Claremont Academy in the fall, away from her friends and family, in order to learn more about her powers and how to control them. Personality & Motivation: Growing up with two older brothers, Bernadette learned to stick up for herself. As a result she developed an outgoing and sometimes aggressive personality, which has often served her well in athletics. With those she considers friends, Bernadette is generally good natured. However, since her powers became active, the teen’s world has turned upside down, as she has had to leave behind her friends and family to attend Claremont to learn how to control her powers. Powers & Tactics: Still being relatively new to her powers, Bernadette is still learning to fully control them. It is still not too uncommon for her to accidently summon one or more duplicates when not intending to. She also has not fully adjusted to being much stronger than she used to be. When it comes to combat situations, Bernadette tends to rely on her experiences of scraping with her brothers growing up and the team sports she used to be involved in such as lacrosse. This typically involves working with several duplicates against the same opponent or having her duplicates attack multiple opponents around her at once. Her Strike power is Bernadette and several of her duplicates striking the same target in coordination. Her snare is her and several duplicates grappling a target. Complications: T-Baby: Bernadette’s powers originate from the Terminus incursion of 1993 and 2018, there are those that are frightened or hate so call “T-Babies.” Abilities 2 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 12 = 30 Strength: 12/28 (+1/+9) Dexterity: 14/22 (+2/+6) Constitution: 14/28 (+2/+9) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 22 (+6) Combat: 16 + 8 = 24 PP Initiative: +2/+6 Attack: +8 BAB Defense: +4 BDB, +8 Def (with +4 Dodge Bonus); +2 Flat-Footed Grapple: +15 (+26 with Many, Many Hands!) Knockback: -6 Saving Throws: 3 + 4 + 6 = 13 PP Toughness: +2/+12 Fortitude: +5/+12 (3 ranks +2/+9 Con) Reflex: +6/+10 (4 ranks +2/+6 Dex) Will: +8 (6 ranks +2 Wis) Skills: 64R = 16PP Acrobatics 4 (+7/+10) Skill Mastery Climb 2 (+3/+12) Bluff 4 (+7/ +11 w/ Attractive) Drive 2 (+4/+8) Kn: History 5 (+7) Kn: Pop Culture 4 (+6) Notice 8 (+10)Skill Mastery Perform (Dance) +4 (+10) Perform (Singing) 15 (+21)Skill Mastery Pilot 2 (+5) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Stealth 4 (+6/+10)Skill Mastery Swimming 2 (+3/+12) Feats: 9 PP Attractive Dodge Focus 4 Luck Set-Up Skills Mastery (Acrobatics, Notice, Perform [Singing], Stealth) Teamwork Equipment: 1 PP (from rewards) Communicator: Communications 4 (Radio, 1 mile; Feat: Subtle) [5 EP] Powers 46 + 29 + 26 + 4 = 105 PP Container 9.1 (T-Baby physiology) [46 PP] Enhanced Str +16 (feat: subtle) {17 PP} Enhanced Dex +8 {8 PP} Enhanced Con +14 {14 PP} Speed 3 (1 alt power) {4 PP} Alt: Leaping 3 Protection 3 {3 PP} Duplication 9 (PL 9 duplicate with 124PP/135PP; Extras: Heroic; Power Feats: Mental Link, Sacrifice) [29 PP] More Duplicates! 12 (24 PP Array, Feats: Alternate Powers 2) [26 PP] Base Power: Snare 12 (Extra: Engulf (0)) {24/24 PP} Alt 1: Add (Extras: Targeted Area (burst); Selective Attack) to Melee Attacks {24/24 PP} Alt 2: Many, Many Hands!: Super Strength 6 (+30 effective Str), Additional Limbs 5 (24 arms) {17/24 PP} Strike 3 (feat: mighty) (Martial Arts Training) [4 PP] Drawbacks Weakness (Daka Crystals; Frequency: Uncommon [-1]; Intensity: Major: cumulative -1 to all stats [-2 Plus -1 effects CON]; Time: every 20 minutes [0]) [-4 PP] Totals Abilities (30) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (16) + Feats (9) + Powers (105) - Drawbacks (4) = 193/193 PP Note: Multi Girl’s Heroic Duplicate has identical stats except does not have the More Duplicates! array.
  2. Oh no, Doctor Midas stole a bunch of gold from the bank, and now he's making his escape! Good thing that you're there to stop him! But wait, who's that catching up to him? Is that Ghost!? I'm looking for 1-2 people to team up with Ghost to stop that gold loving diabolical Doctor Midas before he gets away! PL8-10 prefered, but I'm open to others. Teen heroes will probably lead to some interesting interactions, but anyone's free to enter!
  3. Nocturne Power Level: 9 [13] (173/225PP) Unspent Power Points: 51PP Trade-Offs: -3 Defense / +3 Toughness In Brief: Gravity-powered mean teen. Theme: Dear Rouge - Black To Gold Alternate Identity: Natalia Koshchei Birthplace: Freedom City, USA Residence: Claremont Academy Occupation: student Affiliations: Claremont Academy Family: parents, grandfather (Viktor Koshchei - 'Graviton'). Description: Age: 16 (DoB: December 2004) Gender: female Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5'8" Weight: 125 lbs Eyes: gold Hair: black Natalia is relatively tall and svelte, long-limbed with a teenager's approximation of elegance. She has her father's short nose, pale skin, strong features, and piercing eyes (now gold, a side-effect of being infused with her powers), and her mother's straight dark hair and sharp chin. She's probably smiled at least once, surely, but there's no evidence and one gets the impression that all witnesses to the event have since disappeared. She dresses fashionably but not ostentatiously, favoring clean lines and well-fitted clothes in her signature blacks and golds. She has expensive tastes rarely sustained on a teen's budget, and she makes up the difference with self-made (and thus perfectly-fitted) clothing of her own increasingly sophisticated design, along with a carefully-maintained closet of favorites. When up to no good Natalia wears a sleeveless black bodysuit that covers her from her feet to her neck; over this she drapes carefully-tailored gold and black cloth, cut low and tight in the top and flowing freely below the waist, slit up to her hips in an invocation of a fine dress or elegant robe. With a pair of low-heeled ankle boots she can stand just a little bit higher (the better to look down on her foes), and with gold-accented gloves she can protect her hands (and not have to touch...anything). A simple black mask and hood protect her identity. History: Born as the sun set on the Second World War, Viktor Koshchei was a mountain of a man in both statue and intellect, his potential quickly identified and dedicated to the development of new sciences and tools to promote the Soviet Union. He broke ground on exotic sciences. He developed new and fantastic weapons. And he was, in truth...entirely disinterested in all of it. His last great work was a way to harness gravity itself: a machine, attached to a man, that could amplify his strength and abilities to punch through any problem, crush any wall, defeat any enemy. This had always been his way: the direct solution, solving troubles with your own two hands. When he and his work were to be buried, shuffled off to a secret laboratory where neither might see the light of day again, he donned the machine and punched through the problem. From that point on he was a villain of the Cold War, asset and hindrance to all sides. He was Graviton, and his solutions to his problems were direct, decisive, and far more entertaining than a lab. Still, his machine was imperfect, his particles difficult to source; there was a better way, a theoretical way. Not for him, but for a child - a worthy successor. A legacy. His own child, his son, was too old to gain the power himself...and besides, he made eyes at every spy and hero they encountered. No, he would need a new generation. A new child to empower and teach. Natalia was born in 2004 to parents that had long-since settled down, and who had neither the ability nor interest to keep her from her grandfather's attention. Under his guiding hand she learned about a power that was a part of her - not half-machinery, like her deda, but built into her being, infused into every cell of her body. Under his guiding hand she learned everything he thought she would need to survive, and to be every inch as great as he had been. These were possibly not good lessons for a young girl. She got better at manipulating people than at making friends, better at being who she thought she should be than being who she really was. She got into fights (and mostly won) but the more she thought she knew about the world the worse she got at being her own person, and the worse she was at being her own person the more she cut herself from real, human connections. She was a bully, aloof and mean...and worse, she was good at it, even when she didn't want to be. Natalia's parents finally put their foot down when, at 13, Viktor attempted to take her on a 'proper job' - which is to say, an attempt to knock over a bank. Faced with the influence Viktor had already had and who their daughter risked becoming, they cut ties with him and sought to enroll their daughter in a more positive environment where she could still learn about herself and what she could do. Personality & Motivation: There is not a normal person in Natalia's family tree, not to mention a distinct lack of trust all around, and she wears the signs of both wherever she goes. Natalia seeks control - control of herself, control of her abilities, and control of her life; historically she's sought control of the people around her if she could get it. She's not comfortable with vulnerability, nor open displays of empathy between equals, nor seeking help from others. She's been taught, implicitly or explicitly, that there are many kinds of strength but it is always strength that wins in the end. There are movers, and the moved; the manipulators, and the manipulated; hunters and prey. She will not be the latter. Being a young teenage girl she has no idea how to properly pursue any of that, but she assumes a school full of the empowered will be an excellent place to learn. She is lonely in a way she can't properly admit, even to herself. Powers & Tactics: Natalia wields power over the force of gravity, generating & controlling exotic particles that decay far too quickly for proper study. She prefers the hands-off approach, keeping her enemies at bay - she'll lock them down if she can, controlling the battle to the best of her ability and pressuring her enemies until they don't pose any further threat. This more practical tactic is somewhat undercut by her sense of impact and presentation, however; she'll rarely turn down an opportunity to crush an enemy's will along with their strength, all the better to keep them from being a threat in the future, and all the better to make herself seem more controlled and powerful than she may sometimes feel. Power Descriptions: Lower-key uses of her powers may be difficult to perceive, but any larger efforts will see energy pour off of Natalia in uneven black-and-gold patterns; this gravitational energy is far more evenly-distributed at her target, re-manifesting as fields of dim light or fluctuating circles. Complications: Critical Mass: Not all of Natalia's self-control is unhealthy; her power is driven as much by instinct as intellect and in times of great distress or emotional turmoil it may manifest unreliably or unbidden. The Gravity-Powered Menace!: Natalia's grandfather was quite active back in the day, and his identity is not a secret. She is the gravity-powered granddaughter of a known (if partly-retired) gravity-powered supervillain and one could easily assume the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Leverage: Natalia's family contains several criminals, at least one supervillain, and an ex-spy. The politics of this are complicated, and a teenage girl would make excellent leverage for anyone trying to get at or through any given piece of her family. Pride Goeth Before: Natalia cloaks herself in her pride, wields it as both armor and sword; she can be provoked into acting against her best interests if an enemy can dig into her pride and sense of self. She may also be reasonably blackmailed if one found evidence of anything she might consider embarrassing or immature. Social Distancing: Natalia's not used to dealing with other people, and while she's capable of turning up the charm when she wants something, her disdain and the social distance she keeps with casual acquaintances is easily mistaken for malice. Her reputation suffers for it, which may leave anyone who doesn't know her (and some of those who do) unfriendly and untrusting at the outset. Abilities: 0 + 2 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 8 = 20PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 10 + 6 = 16PP Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) Attack: +5 Melee, +5 Ranged, +9 Gravitics Defense: +6 (+3 Base, +3 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Grapple: +5 / +21 Move Object Knockback: -0 / -10 Saving Throws: 5 + 6 + 9 = 20PP Toughness: +1/+12 (+1 Con, +11 Force Field; 9 Impervious) Fortitude: +6 (+1 Con, +5) Reflex: +7 (+1 Dex, +6) Will: +11 (+2 Wis, +9) Skills: 72R = 18PP Bluff 8 (+12 / +16 Attractive) Concentration 5 (+7) Craft [Artistic] 12 (+14) Diplomacy 10 (+14 / +18 Attractive) Intimidate 8 (+12) Knowledge (Current Events) 4 (+6) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 8 (+10) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 8 (+10) Language 1 (English [native], Russian) Notice 4 (+6) Sense Motive 4 (+6) Feats: 11PP Attractive Connected Dodge Focus 3 Environmental Adaptation 3 (high/low/zero gravity) Improved Initiative Luck 2 Powers: 5 + 20 + 43 + 2 + 6 + 12 = 88PP (all powers have the 'gravity' and 'mutant' descriptors, ultimately from a 'science' source) Flight 2 (25mph; Feats: Subtle) [5PP] Force Field 11 (Extras: Impervious 9) [20PP] Gravitics Array 20 (40pp Array; Feats: Alternate Power 3) [43PP] BP: Move Object 12 (crush/throw; 50 ton heavy load; Extras: Damaging 9; Feats: Accurate 2, Indirect 2, Precise, Variable Descriptor 1 (any physical)) [39/40] AP: Nullify Flight 9 (drag, nullify all Flight effects; Extras: Alternate Save +0 [Reflex], Area (general, burst), Effortless, Selective Attack) [36/40] AP: Paralyze 9 (collapse; Extras: Area (general, burst), Alternate Save +0 [Reflex], Range [Ranged], Selective Attack; Flaws: Action 1 [Full]; Feats: Indirect 2, Reversible) [39/40] AP: Trip 9 (riptide; Extras: Area (general, burst), Knockback, Selective Attack; Feats: Improved Throw, Indirect 2) [39/40] Immunity 1 (own powers; Feats: Selective) [2PP] Super-Senses 6 (Gravity Awareness [mental; Accurate, Acute, Radius, Ranged]) [6PP] Utility Array 5 (10pp Array; Feats: Alternate Power 2) [12PP] BP: Environmental Control 3 (low gravity, 25' radius; Extras: Action 1 [Move]) [9/10] AP: Environmental Control 3 (high gravity, 25' radius; Extras: Action 1 [Move]) [9/10] AP: Super-Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2; Extras: Affects Others, Area [general, burst], Range 1 [Ranged]) [10/10] Useful Notes: Environmental Gravity Drawbacks: -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness Damage Move Object Ranged DC24 Toughness Damage Nullify Ranged (45' radius) DC 19 Reflex Area Check |> Contested Check (Ref/Rank) Flight Nullified Paralyze Ranged (45' radius) DC19 Reflex Area Check |> DC19 Reflex Slowed/Paralyzed |> DC19 Reflex (+1/round) Recover Trip Ranged (45' radius) DC19 Reflex Area Check |> Contested Check (STR/DEX) Prone + Knockback Totals: Abilities (20) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (20) + Skills (18) + Feats (11) + Powers (88) - Drawbacks (0) = 173/225 Power Points
  4. In Brief: Instead of becoming The Huntress, Helena Bertinelli becomes Spawn. Character: Mister Strix Power Level: 14 (Built as PL9) Tradeoffs: None Power Points: 218/218PP Unspent Points: 0 Alternate Identity: Gaetano “Guy” Giordano (Deceased) Identity: Secret. The public is not aware that either Gaetano Giordano or Mister Strix are undead, or that they are the same person. Legal Status: Deceased USA citizen with no criminal record. Birthplace: Bedlam City, Wisconsin, USA Base of Operations: Bedlam City Residence: The Twilight Lodge Occupation: President of The Twilight Lodge (current), E.R. Doctor (former) Affiliations: The Twilight Lodge (President), Father Cesare Messina (Retired Catholic priest, Friend) Family: Doctor Adriana Aparo (Widow), Luna Giordano née Gallo (Mother), Massimo “Mo” Giordano (Father), Matteo “Matt” Giordano (Older Brother), Flora Russo née Giordano (Older Sister), Rafael Giordano (Younger Brother, Deceased). Matt and Flora are both married, with children. Adriana has re-married, and she has a child with her new husband. DESCRIPTION Age: 38 (Date of Birth: 1981) Apparent Age: 31 (Date of Death: 2012) Gender: Male Ethnicity: (Sicilian) Italian-American Caucasian Height: 6’2” Weight: 165 lbs. Hair: Black Eyes: Black His superhero costume consists of a white skintight jumpsuit, mask, and cape. The chest of the jumpsuit is emblazoned with a white crescent moon set against a black circle. The edges of the cape and gloves are cut with notches suggestive of the feathers on a bird's wings. The gloves are fingerless. The mask covers his entire head except for his jaw and the lower half of his face. It has a shape similar to the feathers on the head of a horned owl. The bottom of the mask comes to a hook with a slight downward curve resembling a raptor's beak. Overall, it looks like a photo-negative version of the original Raven’s costume. Out of costume, a fan of old movies might compare him to a young (and underslept, and possibly ill) Lee Van Cleef or Basil Rathbone, while an enthusiast for more modern fare would compare him to a mid-1990s Nicolas Cage. His flesh is unnaturally pale, and always cold to the touch, regardless of any physical activity or environmental factors. When visible, his veins appear to be black. His build is slender. He was never bulky in life, and when he transformed, most of his fat burned away, and most of his internal organs shriveled and atrophied. His face is all sharp angles, with high, prominent cheekbones, a large nose, and a narrow, pointed chin. His hair is dark, and perpetually messy. (Since he has no reflection in mirrors, even if he had much reason to style his hair, he wouldn't be able to see what he was doing.) He has thick eyebrows, perpetually arched over eyes set deep in their sockets, eyes which always seem to be surrounded by shadows, regardless of the angle or intensity of light in the area. The irises of his eyes are completely black, indistinguishable from the pupils. The center of his eye is one solid black disk. His hands are slightly larger in proportion to the rest of his body than they should be, the fingers slightly longer. His voice is a deep baritone, surprisingly deep for someone of his size. When he feeds or uses his powers, his appearance becomes even more overtly monstrous. His veins bulge and darken. The blackness at the center of his eyes spreads to cover the entire eyeball. His mouth, canine teeth, and tongue all double in size. His voice deepens by at least a full octave, and echoes independent of the local acoustics. When he growls, he sounds like a tiger. HISTORY Guy Giordano’s life ended just as it was about to begin. Gaetano "Guy" Giordano was born the third of four children in an Italian-American family living in Stark Hill. The family all attended the local Catholic school and church. His mother was a librarian turned homemaker, and his father was a "made man" in the Scarpia crime family. Guy was closest with his younger brother, Raphael, and his mother, whom they both took after, being more gentle and scholastically inclined than their brutish father and older brother or their scheming "queen bee" older sister. When they grew up, Guy became a doctor, while Raphael became a priest. Guy went to college and medical school in Chicago and Detroit, and earned a doctorate in emergency medicine alongside Adriana Aparo, his fellow student. After they completed their residency, they got engaged, spent a year working with Doctors Without Borders in Libya and the Congo, then moved back to Bedlam, got married, and bought a house. They were just about to start trying for their first child when Guy got sick and died. Unbeknownst to his family, Guy's younger brother Raphael wasn't just a priest, but a Vatican-sponsored monster-hunter. Raphael had destroyed a powerful elder vampire, and the even older and more powerful vampire who had created that elder took his revenge and replaced the lost member of his "family" by killing Raphael's favorite brother and turning him into a vampire. Raphael was no match for the vampire, who only ever identified himself as "Johann." He ambushed Raphael at the cemetery where Guy was buried. Guy dug himself out of his own grave, emerging in a mindless feeding-frenzy, and Johann made sure that Raphael was caught helpless in Guy's path. Guy drained his little brother dry. After Guy's bloodlust faded and he cried out in anguish over what he'd done, Johann wished him a taunting "Happy Birthday" and stabbed him in the heart with a wooden stake, putting him in a coma. Then he locked Guy's unconscious body in a box and left it there for five years. When Johann finally took the stake out of his heart, Guy woke up, but he had no idea how much time had passed. He ran home, only to learn that his wife lived there with her new husband and their child. He fled the scene before anyone spotted him. Johann laughed, taunted him with another "Happy Birthday," and vanished. Guy spent the next year living in the shadows of Bedlam. He spent days sleeping in sewers, abandoned basements, and hastily dug holes in the dirt, rarely staying in the same place twice. He spent the nights spying on his family and his widow, and through a mix of research and trial and error, figuring out how much time had passed, what had happened to him and what he could do. When he drank Raphael's blood, he absorbed his memories, so he knew that he was a “vampire,” but that could mean a hundred different things. He spent many nights at local libraries, catching up on recent history and researching his “condition.” An academic at heart, he felt “at home” there, and since he could ignore alarms and surveillance equipment, hypnotize guards, and slip through locked doors as a cloud of mist, he had the run of the place. When he needed blood, he would grab sewer rats, or hypnotize the employees at the less ethical animal “shelters,” so he could drain the cats and dogs already scheduled for execution. At first, he made the mistake of trying to subsist entirely on animal blood. But he learned the hard way that the inferior quality (for his purposes) of animal blood would only satisfy his undead body for so long. After the first time he snapped and almost killed a random person on the street, he made an effort to regularly infuse his diet with human blood. He limited his human feeding to whatever criminals and corrupt cops he could find, often guys he recognized as his father’s employees and associates. At one point, he decided that he needed to be destroyed, and even if suicide was a sin, the greater sin would be continuing to live as a monster. So he fought through his instinct to sleep during the day, and he tried to walk out into the sun. He was terribly burned, but he discovered that his undead body had a powerful instinct for self-preservation, one he could not overcome. He fled the light, slept deeper and woke up thirstier than ever before, and by the time he regained the capacity for rational thought, he was standing over the half-drained body of what was now the second random person he had almost murdered. After that debacle, he stopped trying to kill himself. During a chance encounter near the end of his first year as a vampire, he saved the life of a 70-year-old retiree and "supply priest," Father Cesare Messina. Father Messina quickly became his friend and confidant, the only source of human interaction for him since his death. Father Messina felt that it was his duty to help Guy figure out God's plan for him, even if that just meant praying for him and chatting with him over coffee. Father Messina reminded him that the best way to heal one’s own pain was to help others with theirs. As they spoke, an idea formed between the two of them. Guy could do what everyone with extraordinary abilities and a secret to protect did to help make the world better: He could put on a mask, and become a superhero, “Like Raven, that guy in Freedom City.” Father Messina was an ornithology enthusiast, so when the subject of superheroes came up, Raven's was the first name that came to his mind. Of the decorations in Father Messina's home, the pictures and sculptures of owls outnumbered the Christian imagery by at least ten to one. With little prompting from Guy, Father Messina practically gushed about how owls were found all over the world, in all kinds of environments, and how they appear in the myths of almost every culture on the planet, usually as demons or psychopomps. Guy mentioned a local legend he’d heard in the Congo about how owls hunted humans to eat their souls. That reminded Father Messina that while the more popular modern vampire myths describe them transforming into bats, in older stories, they turned into owls. Just like that, Guy knew what form his disguise should take. The tailor who would later craft it was hypnotized to misremember the job, but he was well-paid. "Mister Strix" was born. At the start of this new chapter in Guy's life, Johann reappeared, attacking him without warning and beating him almost to a second death. Then Johann laughed, taunted him with yet another "Happy Birthday," and disappeared. To Guy's surprise, he laughed too. Johann’s assault had an oddly invigorating effect on him. If Johann was still trying to break him, that meant he wasn't broken yet. His conversations with Father Messina had given him a new sense of purpose, but Johann’s beating gave him a new sense of hope. His existence might be evil, but he could still do some good with it. He might not be a doctor anymore, he wasn't going to let that stop him anymore from doing the same thing in death that he used to do in life: Try to save people. PERSONALITY & MOTIVATION Like any good Catholic, the primary driving force in his life has always been guilt. When he was a child, it was guilt over the apple, and the crucifixion, and not being the son his father wanted. When adolescence opened his eyes a little wider, it was guilt over who his father was and how he made his money. He became a doctor and went to war zones so that he could try to save more lives than his father had destroyed. Now it’s guilt over what he is and what he has to do. In life, he was quiet and gentle, but determined. He always tried to put others before himself. People always told him he was “a good listener.” He loved his wife. He loved his family, even if he didn't like them. He inherited his mother’s love of books, opera, traditional French and Italian cooking, and when he got older, coffee and wine. He always seemed to have his nose in a book. He’d lived in war zones, but he’d never really been in a fight. He'd never wanted to hurt anyone. In death, everything that used to define him or bring him joy has been stolen from him, and he's become a predator who leaves ruin in his wake, a danger to everyone around him. Violence now feels as natural to him as breathing used to, and the only thing that truly brings him joy anymore is sinking his fangs into another person’s neck and sucking the blood out of their veins. He hates the thing he’s been turned into, and the things who turned him into it. He’s trying to make the best of it. POWERS & TACTICS In his mortal life, he was a fully licensed medical doctor with a specialization in emergency medicine, with field experience in multiple war zones. In combat, he is an unskilled brawler, relying entirely on the animal instinct and enhanced physical prowess he gained when he became a vampire. Everything he “knows” about fighting, he learned from movies and television. Popular culture is also his main source of “knowledge” about his own condition. He’s studying all the relevant history and mythology he can get his hands on, but it’s a slow process. The vampire who killed him didn’t tell him anything. Most of what he can do either comes from pure instinct, or is something he read about and decided to try that worked, either immediately or with practice. He is undead, preserved and animated by the life-consuming energy that is the pure darkness of the Schattenwelt, in a process fueled by blood magic. His undead body is far more resilient than his human body was. His skeleton is harder than stone, but just as light as human bone. His flesh feels human to the touch, but displays a resistance to cutting or puncturing more akin to thick leather or Kevlar. His body somehow metabolizes the blood he drinks to sustain his existence, keep him preserved, heal his wounds, and alter his body in ways he is only beginning to explore. He can increase his strength, speed, and agility to superhuman levels, grow claws that can shred metal and stone as if it were paper, or transform into a cloud of mist. His blood can also heal the wounds of others (a Healing power stunt off of his main array), though consuming his blood can bring unpredictable side-effects (a temporary Complication for the other character). He also has some psychic powers. He can broadcast a psychic command which forces the minds of others to ignore his presence. He can more directly hypnotize anyone who looks him in the eye, forcing them to obey all his commands and re-writing their memories. When he bites a living creature and sucks their blood, the combination of sharp fangs, endorphin rush, and blood loss makes it difficult for the victim to understand what is happening or to remember it clearly after the fact, even if he hasn't mesmerized them. Since his blood can heal wounds, he can use his fang to cut his tongue, then lick the puncture wounds closed with the transfer of blood. This combination allows his feeding to go mostly undetected. His senses are several orders of magnitude more acute than his "natural prey", normal humans. He can see clearly in total darkness, pick out tiny details at long range, hear frequencies beyond the the normal range of human hearing, and track by scent like a bloodhound. From a distance, he can hear a person’s heartbeat, hear the blood pulsing through their veins, and smell their breath. Like a shark, he can sniff out even tiny amounts of blood from far away. The smell and taste of blood can give him the type of information about its owner that would make a crime lab jealous. When he tastes blood, he can also tap into any psychic resonance it has absorbed, experiencing the memories of its original owner like they were his own. He’s also learned the hard way that he has just about every quirk and weakness that’s ever been attributed to vampires in folklore. He doesn't have to worry about running water or being invited into a home, but that’s about it. COMPLICATIONS Achilles Heels & Weaksauce Weaknesses: Certain plants, objects, and symbols of mystical and religious significance will repel him, interfere with his movement, and cause him pain and injury. He cannot stand them, even if they were a source of joy or comfort in his mortal life. Daylight Fire Garlic: All parts and states of the garlic plant affect him: The flower and the bulb, whether living, freshly harvested, or even ground into dry powder. Unlike most plants, garlic never withers or dies merely from being in his presence (see "Walking Wasteland", below). Holy Symbols & Blessed Items: Holy symbols and items affect him at the GM’s discretion, on a case by case basis. Generally, the holy symbol must belong to a “Good” deity, or a deity whose portfolio includes concepts such as “Healing,” “Life,” “Light, or “The Sun.” Foods and liquids which have been “blessed,” such as holy water, or which have ritual significance, such as the wine and wafers used in Communion, will also affect him. Holy symbols and items will affect him even if he, or the character wearing or wielding them, do not believe in (or even know of) the religion with which they are associated. However, if he attempts to force his way past the holy object and some sort of opposed check is required, a wielder who knows, believes in, or reveres the deity associated with the holy item will have a better chance of winning the opposed check than a wielder who is ignorant, skeptical, or blasphemous. Jade Mirrors: He has no reflection. Like machines, mirrors do not register his presence. If he can exert enough willpower to stare into a mirror, then a vague, blurry semblance of his visage may briefly appear, only to vanish as soon as he turns away. This effort may cause the mirror to crack, or even to shatter. Mirrors also sometimes break even if he briefly glances at them, or passes by them without peek. Salt: Pure salt will affect him, but saltwater will not, nor will food with a high salt content. Silver Wolf’s Bane: See “Garlic,” above. Everything described there applies to wolf’s bane as well. Wooden Stakes: He can be incapacitated if his heart is impaled with a piece of wood. It doesn't matter if the “stake” is made entirely of wood or not, so long as the part lodged in his heart is composed of pure, whole wood. An arrow or spear with a steel head and a wooden shaft would work, but a piece of compressed particle board would not. Wood and wooden implements do not cause him any of the fear, discomfort, or damage described below, and staking his heart is the only circumstance under which a wooden weapon will overcome his resilience or regeneration. Wood does not limit his movements, and touching it does not harm him. He already has drawbacks and flaws to account for how these items can suppress his powers, penetrate his defenses, and inflict wounds which are slow to heal, and since those traits already provided a power point discount, they do not count as complications. However, these items can have other effects which would count as complications: He cannot stand to look directly at these items. As soon as he sees them, the GM can force him to make a Will save against an Emotion Control (Fear) effect, which may cause him to flee the scene entirely. He cannot knowingly or willingly attempt to touch any of these items, or even to advance to within touch-range of them. He must stay at least 10 feet away, just outside of touch-range. (If the item is hidden from him, then he can unknowingly approach it or touch it.) The GM can force him to save against Damage and/or some other attack effect if he touches any of these items or their shadows, or if the ingests them, or the blood of someone else who has recently ingested them. If another character wears or wields any of these items, then he cannot attempt to physically touch them, or anyone behind them. (As reflected with his Power Loss drawbacks, he also cannot bite them or use his mind control powers on them.) He cannot attempt to directly remove or destroy the items. Another character who wields these items can advance toward him, forcing him to withdraw. If he is bound with these items, or with bonds infused or plated with these materials, then he cannot untie or break those bonds, no matter how objectively flimsy they may be. He may not even be able to lift them. (As reflected with his Power Loss drawbacks, such bonds will also suppress most of his powers.) If these items are mounted on, above, or around a door, window, or other portal, then he cannot pass through that portal, even in his mist form. If these items are placed on top of the lid to a container, or tied or wrapped around it, then he cannot open that container, or enter or exit it in his mist form. If these items are arranged in a circle, then he cannot cross that circle. He cannot step over it, and he cannot fly over it in his mist form. A circle around another character can protect that character from him, while a circle around him can trap him. He can attempt to overcome these limitations, forcing his way past these items, or even forcing himself to touch them, with a focused act of will, most likely represented by a Will save. If these items are being wielded by another character, then the GM can force him and that other character to make an opposed check, most likely Charisma. This effort may cause him harm whether it is successful or not, so he may also have to save against Damage or some other attack effect. If his act of will is successful, then he can temporarily overcome the limits to his freedom of movement, and these items may be damaged, or even destroyed. They may bend, crack, shatter, melt, or burst into flame. Addiction (Blood): He doesn't just need blood. He wants it. He loves it. It is as much his drug as it is his sustenance. The GM can decide that he's thirsty, give him a Hero Point, and then give him a circumstance penalty on a check to represent how difficult it is for him to focus on other tasks when he’d rather be drinking blood. When blood is available, the GM can give him a Hero Point, and then force him to make a Will save to resist the urge to lap it up or suck it down. He can also cause Addiction complications for other characters. They can become addicted to the euphoria of being fed upon by him, or they can become addicted to consuming his supernatural blood. Chill of Undeath: When viewed through Infra-Vision or perceived with another heat-detecting Super-Sense, he always appears to be colder than his surroundings, even if he's in Antarctica or at the bottom of the ocean. The GM can give him a Hero Point if this causes him a setback, such as allowing him to be seen when he would otherwise be concealed, or exposes him as a supernatural creature when he would otherwise go undetected as such. The area around him tends to be unnaturally cold. In his passing, condensation will often form on glass and liquids will often freeze solid. The GM can treat him as having an Uncontrolled touch-range Environment Control (Cold) effect, and they can give him or another character a Hero Point if this causes a setback. Electromagnetic Ghosts: Although machines cannot detect or perceive him directly, his immediate presence can cause electromagnetic interference. When he passes by a radio, audio recorder, or video camera, he can trigger bursts of static or image tearing. The GM can give him a Hero Point if this alerts enemies to his presence. Enemies: Archnemesis Dad: His father is a captain in the Scarpia family syndicate. His surviving brother works with him, as does his sister's husband. When he was alive, he refused to participate in his father’s criminal activities, but he didn't interfere with them either. When he died, so did his ambivalence. Now he’s determined to dismantle everything his family helped build. Burn The Witch!: The secret monster-hunting arm of the Catholic Church knows that his brother killed a vampire, and that soon after, he and his brother were both killed in circumstances which sounded suspiciously like retaliatory vampire attacks. It’s been a few years since then, but if they hear about anything that sounds like a vampire in Bedlam, they will follow up. I Hate You, Vampire Dad!: “Enemy” isn't quite the right word. His sire, "Johann" (real name unknown), is working toward a long-term goal of making him part of Johann's "family." To Johann, that means an unholy combination of child, friend, and lover. Unfortunately for him, Johann doesn't think he’ll realize his potential as a vampire until his human spirit is broken and stripped away from him by a conga line of trauma and disappointment, a process Johann expects to take at least a hundred years. Johann shows up once a year like clockwork to beat him within an inch of his life as a celebration of his "birthday" as a vampire. In addition, Johann will, seemingly at random, send various minions, pawns, or even other “children,” to torment him in some way. They might attack him directly, provide aid to his enemies, or harm something or someone he cares about (including Bedlam City itself). Enemy To All Living Things: While machines seem to simply ignore him (as represented with his Permanent Concealment from them), nature seems to actively resent him. Animals universally hate and fear him, unless they have consumed his blood, or are under the effect of some sort of mind control power. They will flee from him, attempt to scare him away, and/or attack him. He automatically fails any Handle Animal or Ride skill checks. (See, also, “Walking Wasteland,” below.) Glamour Failure: He has quirks which either explicitly reveal him to be a supernatural creature, or at least create a subconscious “Uncanny Valley” effect, making humans deeply uncomfortable in his presence. The air is unnaturally quiet around him because of all the normal sounds his body doesn't make, and he lacks several signs of life that most observers would take for granted. The GM may give him penalties to checks involving social interaction, or declare such checks to be impossible. Indifferent or even Friendly NPCs could turn Hostile, attacking or fleeing. Many of those features are already mentioned in "Description," above, and others are described in other Complication entries. He never casts a shadow, regardless of the level or angle of light in the surrounding area. His hands and fingers appear to have normal friction ridges, yet his touch never leaves prints. His footsteps never leave tracks, or make a sound. He does not breathe, cough, sneeze, or yawn. (This is particularly noticeable in winter.) His heart does not beat. He has no pulse of any kind. He does not sweat. When he is wounded, his skin does not bruise, and his cuts do not bleed. He will only bleed if decapitated or staked through the heart. His blood is so dark that it mostly appears to be black, only showing red when light hits it at just the right angle. If he cries, the tears are blood. His body does not age. Most machines seem to ignore him. He has no reflection in mirrors, or any other reflective surface. He does not show up in photographs or on video cameras, film or digital. His voice cannot be heard in auditory recordings, or through microphones, telephones (cellular or land-line), or radios. He doesn't show up as a blip on any kind of radar or sonar. He can walk freely through the laser, infra-red, and microwave beams used by motion detectors without them registering his presence. Automatic doors won’t even open for him. A gas chromatograph mass spectrometer can at least attempt to analyze samples of his tissues, and mechanical components like buttons which detect physical pressure will recognize the force his touch exerts upon them, but that seems to be the extent to which machines recognize or acknowledge him. Note: Aside from his lack of reflection, this is the result of the Permanent flaw on his Concealment against machine senses, so he should not receive any Hero Points for it. However, it may be a complication for other characters. For example, a robot or cyborg ally whose eyes are mechanical cameras and whose ears are mechanical microphones may receive a Hero Point in exchange for not being able to see or hear him. Heavy Sleeper: When the sun is in the sky, it is almost impossible for him to stay awake, and once he falls asleep, he stays asleep. Instead of suffering the usual -10 Notice penalty while asleep, he automatically fails Notice checks. Other characters can even lift or manipulate his body without waking him up. Nothing less than a direct attack on his body will disturb his daytime slumber. I Do Not Drink…Wine: His Immunity to Fortitude effects includes Immunity to Starvation and Thirst, but not only does he not need to eat or drink, he physically cannot. If he tries to consume food, or if he tries to drink any liquid other than blood, then he will quickly vomit it back up, along with some of his own stored blood, and the GM can also force him to save against an attack effect, like Nauseate, or even Damage. Involuntary Transformation (Berserk Rage): His undead body has instincts for predation and self-preservation more powerful than those of any living creature, and more powerful than his moral compass. When he attempts to resist those instincts, the GM can force him to make a Will save. Failure can result in a complication for him and/or for others. Starvation can cause him to be overcome with bloodlust, to the point of mindlessly attacking the next human he encounters, without caring if his prey survives the encounter or not. Potential causes of “starvation” include simply going too long without drinking blood, trying to subsist for too long on blood of low quality (animal blood, refrigerated blood bags, etc.), or depleting the blood stored in his body by using it to fuel his powers. When exposed to one of his weaknesses, especially fire or sunlight, he feels a powerful primal urge to flee from it. If he is unable to summon the willpower to endure its presence, then during his flight, he may brutally attack anyone who gets in his way, whether they meant to or not. Once he is out of danger, he may then be overcome with bloodlust, as if he were starving, as his scared inner animal seeks to re-assert control over its surroundings. Made of Evil: He is that which should not be, but is. He is a monster, an abomination, a dead thing preserved and animated with the life-consuming darkness of the Schattenwelt. Any powers which “Detect Evil” will show him as such, and any powers which “Protect From Evil” or “Smite Evil” will affect him as if he were applicably “Evil,” regardless of his actual conduct or inner sense of morality. Any power such as “Aura Vision” which can detect the presence or state of a “soul” will show his to be present, but shredded, hanging in tatters, and stained by shadows and blood. Mainlining The Monster: Some view him as a monster to be destroyed, but others see him as a resource to be exploited. His blood and body could be used as a component for countless magical spells, rituals, potions, or other items. When ingested or injected by a living creature, his blood can act as a powerful and potentially addictive drug. The specific effects vary depending on the person, the amount consumed, and the GM’s whims. It can act as a stimulant or a narcotic. It can cause euphoria, hallucinations, and/or uncharacteristically aggressive or deviant behavior. It can even heal wounds, cure diseases, or grant temporary powers, such as Enhanced physical abilities, or Immunities like Aging and Disease. It can also create a temporary psychic link, and a temporary stain or “taint” on the user’s “soul” or “aura” with a "negative resonance." Prejudice: If someone does learn that he is a vampire, or that his family is part of the Bedlam Mafia, it could cause them to mistrust him (and they might not be wrong). Conversely, if he learns that another character is also a vampire, or some other sort of undead creature, then this can be a complication for them, because his default reaction will be homicidal violence. Relationships: His wife remarried, and has children with her new husband. But he still cares about her, and by extension, her new family. He still cares about his family too, even the mobsters. He keeps tabs on all of them, and he will leap to their aid if they are in danger. Father Cesare Messina, the retired priest, is the only friend he's made since his death. He will drop everything to help Messina. But the priest’s secret association with him could cause problems for both of them. Responsibility: By assuming ownership of The Twilight Lodge, he has assumed responsibility for both the cursed structure, and the damned souls who staff it in their quest for redemption. Secrets: It is not public knowledge that Gaetano Giordano is Mister Strix, or that either of them is a vampire. As far as most people know, Gaetano Giordano is still buried in his grave. Unlife: Even though he has no Constitution score and Immunity to Fortitude effects, he still needs to sleep, and he still needs “food” in the form of blood. He only gets restful sleep if he has complete shelter from sunlight, and if his resting place includes soil from his homeland. He does not need to be buried; a thin layer of dirt spread out under him is sufficient.When he drinks blood, his undead body stores that blood in his heart. His body consumes a small amount of that stored blood every night to preserve his corpse, and a greater amount to heal his wounds and fuel his powers.After a day without sleep and/or three days without blood, the GM can inflict negative conditions upon him, like Fatigued or Exhausted, cumulative penalties on certain checks, and/or temporary ability damage. The GM may allow him some sort of check to delay or lessen these effects, akin to the Constitution checks and Fortitude saves mortals can make to resist the damage caused by neglecting their physical needs.He will not be destroyed by starvation or lack of sleep, but the supernatural preservation of his body will be disrupted. At first, he will start to look sick. Then, he will begin to age. Finally, he will start to decay. Eventually, his flesh will wither away and slough off completely, leaving little more than a fanged skeleton. Eventually, he won’t have eyes or a tongue, but he will still be able to see and speak. Once he finally gets the blood and restful sleep he needs, the decay will gradually reverse. If his soft tissues have rotted away, then his bones will absorb the blood he “drinks" directly. The decay will reverse at roughly the same rate at which a mortal would recover from starvation and/or sleep deprivation.His ideal sustenance is the blood of a living human (or humanoid alien with genetic similarity sufficient to produce viable offspring with a human), taken directly from that human’s veins, ideally while the human is experiencing some sort of intense emotion. The further his feeding deviates from that ideal, the less nourishment and satisfaction he derives. He can consume blood from cold storage, so long as that stored blood would be safe to transfuse back into a living human. He cannot feed on necrotic or coagulated blood, and attempting to do so will cause him to vomit as if it were human food (see “I Do Not Drink…Wine,” above). He can feed from vertebrate animals and aliens which have “blood” (the fluids of arthropods, for example, would not work), but it is not as satisfying, or as efficient; it would take multiple units of animal blood to equal the same “nutritional content” as one unit of human blood. The blood of living supernatural creatures, such as faeries, werewolves, or dragons, on the other hand, tastes better than human blood, provides more efficient nourishment, and may also have side-effects at the GM’s discretion. Potential side-effects include addiction, inebriation, temporary insanity (hallucinations, berserk rage, etc.), and temporary Boosts to his existing powers, and temporarily gaining new powers. Depending on the individual, the blood of human mutants and mutates, powerful aliens, and, depending on their descriptors, even other vampires, may have the same effects. Walking Wasteland: Since he is infused with the life-consuming dark energy of the Schattenwelt, his very presence can be hostile to life. At his touch, or even in his passing, non-animate plants (except for garlic or wolf’s bane) may wither, or even melt or crumble into ash, while food and drink such as bread, milk, cheese, or wine (but never salt) may spoil or rot. Animals which happen to be pregnant may spontaneously miscarry. ABILITIES 18PP Strength: 28/12 (+9/+1), 38/12 Lifting (Heavy Load: 4,800 lbs. [2.4 tons] / 130 lbs.) Dexterity: 28/12 (+9/+1) Constitution: - Intelligence: 18 (+4) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 18 (+4) COMBAT 12PP Initiative: +9/+1 (+9/+1 Dex) Attack: +9/+3 Melee (+3 Base, +6 Enhanced Attack Focus), +3 Ranged (+3 Base) Grapple: +20/+4 (+9/+3 Melee Attack, +9/+1 Strength, +2 Super-Strength) Defense: +9/+3 (+3 Base, +6 Enhanced Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: 9 (4 vs Vampire Weaknesses) SAVING THROWS 5PP Toughness: +9 (Impervious 9, except against Vampire Weaknesses) Fortitude: - Reflex: +9/+1 (+9/+1 Dex, +0PP) Will: +9 (+4 Wis, +5PP)Ultimate Save SKILLS 32R = 8PP Acrobatics 0 (+10/+1) Handle Animal 0 (-) Intimidation 0 (+18/+4) Knowledge (Life Sciences) 6 (+10) Knowledge (Streetwise) 11 (+15) Languages 4 (English [Native], French, Italian, Latin, Spanish) Medicine 11 (+15) Notice 0 (+18/+4) Ride 0 (-) Search 0 (+18/+4) Sense Motive 0 (+18/+4) Stealth 0 (+20/+1) FEATS 4PP Benefit (Legally Deceased) Interpose Jack of All Trades Ultimate Save (Will) Enhanced: Attack Focus (Melee) 6 Dodge Focus 6 Evasion 2 Hide In Plain Sight Takedown Attack 2 EQUIPMENT 7PP = 35EP The Twilight Lodge (Headquarters) [39/40EP = 8PP, 8PP from Dead Head] Power Level: 14 Size: Large Exterior (500ft, Mansion) / Huge Interior (1,000ft, Castle) [3EP] Toughness: 10 [1EP] (Descriptors: Magically Warded and Ectoplasm-Reinforced Structure) Features: [35EP] Communications (Feats: Dimensional 3 [Any/All]) (Descriptors: Interdimensional Ghost-Phone) Concealed 3 (+20 DC) (Descriptors: Magical Perception Filter, Unholy Aura) Defense System 2 (Descriptors: Ghosts, Zombies) Dimensional Portal (Hells) Dual Size (Descriptors: Interdimensional Structure) Feature: Secret Sewer Entrance Fire Prevention System Garage Gym Holding Cells 2 (Toughness 15, Nullify 10) (Descriptors: Magically Warded and Ectoplasm-Reinforced Dungeon) Library Living Space 2 (Masterwork) Personnel (Descriptors: Undead Servants) Pool Powers 7 (196PP) Power System (Descriptors: Hellfire Furnace) Security System 3 (DC30) (Descriptors: Magical Wards) Self-Repairing (Descriptors: Ectoplasm-Infused Structure, Undead Servants) Workshop (Artificer/Ritualist) Powers: [PL14 x 2 = 28PP per rank, x7 ranks = 174/196PP] Concealment 3 (ESP effects, Mental-type senses, Extras: Duration [Continuous], Flaws: Limited [Observers outside the clubhouse can use ESP effects and Mental-type senses to perceive the exterior of the clubhouse, but not the interior, and vice versa], Permanent) [3PP] Features 1 (Temporal Inertia) [1PP] Immunity 1 (Mister Strix's Vampiric Aura) [1PP] Nullify 10 (All Insubstantial, Super-Movement [Dimensional Travel], and Teleport effects of any descriptor, Extras: Action 3 [Reaction], Effortless, Range [Perception], Flaws: Limited [Only counters attempts to enter or exit the clubhouse]) [62PP] Psychomancy 23 (46PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 3) [49PP] Base Power: Mind Reading 10 (Extras: Action [Standard], Mental, Flaws: Limited [Probe], Feats: Subtle) [11PP] Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area [General, Burst], Mental, Selective, Flaws: Limited [Fear], Feats: Progression [Area Size] 3 [500ft radius]) [33PP] Alternate Power: Illusion 10 (Sense Types: All, Extras: Selective, Flaws: Phantasm, Feats: Progression [Area Size] 6 [500ft radius]) [46PP] Alternate Power: Teleport 10 (Extras: Duration 2 [Continuous, no action needed to keep portals open], Portal, Flaws: Action 2 [Standard Action to open or close a portal], Limited [Short-Range Jumps, 1,000ft], Limited [To/From points inside the building], Feats: Change Direction, Insidious, Progression [Portal Size] 2 [25ft], Subtle) [25PP] Super-Senses 13 (Normal Vision, Extras: Counters Concealment, Counters Illusion, Counters Obscure [All Descriptors], Penetrates Concealment, Flaws: Limited [Inside the building]) [7PP] Transform 10 (Memory Alteration, Extras: Action 3 [Reaction], Alternate Save [Will], Duration [Continuous, Lasting], Mental, Range [Perception], Flaws: Limited [Memory alteration is limited to erasing or distorting memories of the clubhouse interior], Limited [The clubhouse will only alter a target's memory when they are leaving the building], Feats: Subtle) [51PP] POWERS 185PP Descriptors (All Powers): Black Magic, Blood Magic, Darkness, Death, Evil, Necromancy, Shadow, Undead Side Bar: Vampire Weaknesses (Limited, Power Loss) Concealment 8 (All Auditory, Radio, and Visual type senses, Extras: Duration [Continuous], Flaws: Limited [Machines], Permanent) [8PP] (Descriptors: Unholy Aura) Enhanced Dexterity 16 (Drawbacks: Power Loss [Vampire Weaknesses, Frequency: Uncommon]) [15PP] (Descriptors: Superhuman Agility, Superhuman Speed) Enhanced Feats 17 (Attack Focus [Melee] 6, Dodge Focus 6, Evasion 2, Hide In Plain Sight, Takedown Attack 2, Drawbacks: Power Loss [Vampire Weaknesses, Frequency: Uncommon]) [16PP] (Descriptors: Superhuman Agility, Superhuman Speed) Enhanced Skills 68 (Acrobatics 1, Intimidation 14, Notice 14, Search 14, Sense Motive 14, Stealth 11, Drawbacks: Power Loss [Vampire Weaknesses, Frequency: Uncommon]) [16PP] (Descriptors: Super-Senses, Unholy Aura) Features 3 (Deathly Aura*; Touch does not leave prints; Wounds do not bleed) [3PP] (Descriptors: Unholy Aura) *See "Death Powers" in Power Profiles. Healing 1 (Extras: Action 4 [Reaction], Affects Objects, Total; Flaws: Limited [Objects], Personal, Source [Blood]) [5PP] (Descriptors: Regeneration) Immunity 30 (Fortitude effects) [30PP] Impervious Toughness 9 (Flaws: Limited [Vampire Weaknesses inflict Penetrating damage]) [5PP] (Descriptors: Regeneration, Superhuman Resilience) Protection 9 [9PP] (Descriptors: Superhuman Resilience) Regeneration 14 (Recovery 14 [+9, Recovers over time like a living creature], Feats: Regrowth) [15PP] Regeneration 22 (Recovery Rate: Injured 6 [no rest], Disabled 8 [no rest], Resurrection 8 [1 round], Flaws: Limited [Vampire Weaknesses inflict Incurable damage; Requires outside aid to Resurrect if decapitated, staked through the heart, incinerated, dissolved, or disintegrated]) [11PP] Super-Movement 1 (Trackless) [2PP] (Descriptors: Unholy Aura) Super-Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling, Drawbacks: Power Loss [Vampire Weaknesses, Frequency: Uncommon]) [1PP] Super-Senses 11 (Acute Analytical Tracking Smell/Taste, Darkvision, Microscopic Vision, Postcognition [Flaws: Medium {Blood}], Ultra-Hearing, Drawbacks: Power Loss [Vampire Weaknesses, Frequency: Uncommon]) [8PP] Vampire Power 19 (38PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 4, Drawbacks: Power Loss [Vampire Weaknesses, Frequency: Uncommon]) [41PP] Base Power: [12 + 16 + 3 + 3 + 4 = 38PP] Drain Constitution 9 (Extras: Linked [Mind Reading], Flaws: Limited [1 rank per round], Requires Grapple, Feats: Insidious, Slow Fade 4 [1 hour], Subtle) [9PP] (Additional Descriptors: Blood Drain) Mind Reading 9 (Extras: Action [Standard], Linked [Drain], Flaws: Range 2 [Touch], Requires Grapple) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Blood Divination) Enhanced Strength 16 [16PP] Leaping 3 (x10, Running Long Jump: 190ft) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Super-Strength) Speed 3 (50MPH, 500ft per Move Action) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Super-Speed) Super-Strength 2 (Lifting Strength: 38, Heavy Load: 4,800 lbs. [2.4 tons]) [4PP] Alternate Power: [9 + 16 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 4 = 38PP] Autofire Strength 9 [9PP] (Additional Descriptors: Super-Speed) Enhanced Strength 16 [16PP] Incurable Strength Damage (Feats: Improved Critical 2 [18-20], Variable Descriptor [Piercing and/or Slashing damage; Claws and/or Fangs], Drawbacks: Lethal) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Claws, Fangs) Leaping 3 (x10, Running Long Jump: 190ft) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Super-Strength) Speed 3 (50MPH, 500ft per Move Action) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Super-Speed) Super-Strength 2 (Lifting Strength: 38, Heavy Load: 4,800 lbs. [2.4 tons]) [4PP] Alternate Power: [10 + 16 + 3 + 3 + 4 = 36PP] Concealment 10 (All Non-Mental type senses, Flaws: Phantasm, Feats: Selective, Drawbacks: Progression [Counter Rank / Save DC] 1 [-1 = Rank 9 / DC19]) [10PP] (Additional Descriptors: Hypnosis, Mind Control, Psychic Invisibility) Enhanced Strength 16 [16PP] Leaping 3 (x10, Running Long Jump: 190ft) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Super-Strength) Speed 3 (50MPH, 500ft per Move Action) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Super-Speed) Super-Strength 2 (Lifting Strength: 38, Heavy Load: 4,800 lbs. [2.4 tons]) [4PP] Alternate Power: [10 + 23 = 33PP] Concealment 10 (All Non-Mental type senses, Flaws: Phantasm, Feats: Selective, Drawbacks: Progression [Counter Rank / Save DC] 1 [-1 = Rank 9 / DC19]) [10PP] (Additional Descriptors: Hypnosis, Mind Control, Psychic Invisibility) Flight 3 (50MPH, 500ft per Move Action, Extras: Linked [Immunity, Insubstantial], Feats: Subtle) [7PP] (Additional Descriptors: Mist Form) Immunity 2 (Critical Hits, Extras: Duration [Continuous], Linked [Flight, Insubstantial]) [4PP] Insubstantial 2 (Extras: Duration [Continuous], Linked [Flight, Immunity]) [12PP] Alternate Power: [37PP] (Additional Descriptors: Hypnotic Eyes) Mind Control 9 (Extras: Conscious, Duration [Sustained, Lasting], Linked [Transform], Mental, Flaws: Distracting, Sense-Dependent [Visual], Feats: Subtle) [19PP] Transform 9 (Memory Alteration, Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Duration [Continuous, Lasting], Linked [Mind Control], Mental, Range [Perception], Flaws: Distracting, Sense-Dependent [Visual], Feats: Subtle) [18PP] DRAWBACKS -14PP Vulnerability ("Blessed/Celestial/Consecrated/Holy" effects, Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Minor [+1 DC]) [-1PP] Vulnerability ("Fire" effects, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Minor [+1 DC]) [-2PP] Vulnerability ("Silver" effects, Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Minor [+1 DC]) [-1PP] Weakness (Daylight, Frequency: Very Common, Intensity: Moderate [Cumulative -1 Drain on Toughness, Destroyed when Toughness reaches -6], Time: 1/round) [-8PP] Weakness (Healing effects without Descriptors which identify them as being "Evil", "Unholy", or otherwise beneficial to the "Undead" do not work on him, even if they have the "Affects Objects" extra, and they also inflict Damage of equal rank; Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Moderate, Time: Instant) [-2PP] Abilities (18) + Combat (12) + Saving Throws (5) + Skills (8) + Feats (4) + Powers (185) – Drawbacks (14) = 218/218 Power Points ATTACK RANGE SAVING THROW EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC24 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blood Drain Touch/Grapple DC19 Fortitude* Drain Constitution* Opposed Will vs +9 Mind Reading Claws/Fangs Touch DC24 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical, Lethal, Incurable) Hypnotic Eyes Perception (Visually Sense-Dependent) Opposed Will vs +9** Mind Controlled DC19 Will Transformed (Memory Alteration) Psychic Invisibility Personal DC19 Will*** Total Concealment from all non-Mental type senses *This saving throw is not Staged, because he can only drain 1 Constitution rank per round, regardless of the margin by which the victim failed their save. **Because the two Linked effects target the same saving throw (Will), the victim makes one saving throw and compares it against the DC for both effects. The Transform effect has a static DC, but the Mind Control effect has a DC determined by a power check, so it is possible that the victim will successfully save against one of the linked effects but fail to save against the other one. ***Creatures with Intelligence 0 are unaffected. Creatures with Intelligence 1+ only get a saving throw if he does something to draw attention to himself. Machines with Intelligence 0 are also unaffected, but he has a separate, permanent Concealment effect against all Auditory, Radio, and Visual-type machine senses.
  5. In Brief: Jason Chorde + Non-Snarky Harry Dresden + Gender-flipped Witch-skin Mercy with Winston's barrier projector Character: Hex Power Level: 12 (Built as PL9) Tradeoffs: None Power Points: 185/187 PP Unspent Points: 2 Alternate Identity: Leonard "Len" Kepler Identity: Secret Legal Status: USA citizen with no criminal record Birthplace: By the side of a county road in rural Oregon, USA Base of Operations: Emerald City, Oregon/Washington, USA Residence: A small house-barge moored on the Southern Shore Occupation: Wizard Affiliations: Briana Whitethorne (Mentor), Mr. Hewitt (Ghost Butler), Various Elemental Spirits who maintain and defend his headquarters Family: Mother, Father, Two Younger Siblings (A set of fraternal twins, Brother and Sister), Various extended family members DESCRIPTION Age: 24 (Date of Birth: 1995) Apparent Age: 24 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian American mutt of mixed ancestry, including, but not limited to, Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, and Scandinavian Height: 6’4" Weight: 285 lbs. Hair: Blond Eyes: Green (Gold when using magic) Hex carries a black wooden staff almost as tall as he is, carved from ebony and etched with dozens of runes. He wears a sleeveless indigo robe that goes down to about mid-calf, over a lighter lavender tunic. The robe has a high upturned collar, and is affixed to the tunic with a pair of brooches sitting just under his collar bones, purple sapphires about the size of chicken eggs cut into a hexagonal shape and set into gold. The tunic goes down to just above his knees, and is belted at the waist with an indigo sash. The chest of the tunic is embroidered with a black disc containing white lines arranged in a "Flower of Life" design, 19 small interlocking white circles arranged in a hexagon pattern inside one larger circle. The part of the tunic below the waist is slit to divide it into six flaps. Indigo trim traces along the bottom of the tunic. The baggy sleeves of the tunic are tucked into white leather bracers. The left bracer is also etched with runes, and studded with another gold-set egg-sized hexagonal-cut purple sapphire. Below the tunic he wears a pair of baggy indigo leggings, tucked into knee-high white leather boots with large fold-over cuffs. Over his eyes, he wears a set of leather goggles. The strap is soft leather, while the part around the eyes is boiled hard leather. The lenses appear to be glass, but are actually crystal, transparent from the inside but opaque from the outside. When he uses his magic, his irises take on a slight golden glow, which sometimes shines brightly enough to be visible from behind the goggles. When not actively wizarding, his enchanted vestments transform into normal clothing which makes him look like just another Pacific Northwest hipster: A zip-up hooded jacket, blue jeans, combat boots, and a red and black plaid flannel shirt. His goggles turn into vintage-style black square-frame glasses with non-prescription lenses. His bracer morphs into a hexagonal wristwatch with a broken motor, the hands stuck permanently at 6 o'clock ("It's right twice a day!"). Len's body type is colloquially known as a "bear" or a "dad-bod." He's bulky, and extremely hairy, from head to toe. The hair below his neck is significantly darker than the hair on his head, making it stand out. The bulk is mostly muscle, which his body builds easily, layered over a wide frame (he really is "big-boned"), but it's covered with enough fat (which his body also accumulates easily) to completely obscure any definition. His head and hands are both slightly larger in proportion to his body than a normal adult, which makes him appear overall even bulkier. HISTORY Leonard Kepler was born in the right place at the right time. His parents lived in Emerald City, and it was expected that he would be born there. However, during his mother's ninth month of pregnancy, her father, his maternal grandfather, died suddenly. His parents had to drive out to the remote small town in rural Oregon where he lived for the funeral. They had no idea that their route passed close by a nexus point where several "ley lines" of magical energy crossing the planet intersected, spilling that magical energy into the nearby area. They also didn't know that they passed under a very specific and rare alignment of stars in the sky. Leonard's mother went into labor on the way to her father's funeral, and delivered her son into a point of time and space which imbued him with a natural talent for channeling magical energy and imposing his will upon it. His parents made it just in time for the funeral, with the new baby in tow, making the whole occasion emotionally complicated for all involved. Len's childhood was unremarkable at first. He excelled academically, so his parents made sure to move wherever they could find the best schools in town. The best schools were always in rich neighborhoods, so his family, despite being poor, always wound up living on the periphery of rich neighborhoods, and he always wound up being the one poor kid in a class full of yuppies and trust-fund brats. He seemed normal until he was 8 years old, when his talent began to manifest, mostly in the form of astoundingly unlikely mechanical failures everywhere he went. He was always big for his age, but when puberty hit, he grew like a weed. The combination of being a "teacher's pet," a "fat ogre," poor, and a walking technical difficulty was more than the adolescent could take, so he began lashing out. This caused the manifestations of his magical talents to intensify, which eventually drew supernatural attention to him. As a goddess of Chaos, Eris, also known as Discordia (see Threat Report), became aware of Len when he was eleven years old, and sent her minions to recruit him. Fortunately for Len, and probably the rest of the world, that effort was foiled by Briana Whitethorne, an old-school broom-riding, wand-firing, cauldron-stirring, gravelly voiced, Scotch-drinking, pipe-smoking, dirty joke telling ("Hey, grasp my rod! Hah!") witch. Briana intercepted and defeated the minions of Eris, and convinced Len's parents to let her take him on as her apprentice. For the next twelve years, while his siblings went to school, Len spent nine months out of every year by Briana's side, studying and practicing in her pocket-dimension home, and taking frequent jaunts across the multiverse, dimension-hopping to alternate Earths, visiting different time periods, and even traveling to more exotic planes of existence, like the Astral and the Elemental Realms. Briana appeared to be in her mid-fifties, but various interactions and artifacts Len observed over the years suggested she was much older. Briana taught Len how to use spells, conduct rituals, and forge and brew magical talismans and potions, to control, direct, and when necessary, unleash the magical energy he tapped into. Almost as a by-product of the different magical traditions they researched, he wound up with a knowledge base of history and mythology worthy of a graduate degree in several different humanities. In 2018, after a dozen years, Briana declared one day, with no warning and little fanfare, that Len was her student no longer, but a wizard in his own right, and announced her intention to leave, though she did not say where (or when?) she was going. She bequeathed the pocket universe and all its contents to Len as a "graduation present," pulling up its dimensional anchor and folding up the whole thing into a literal deed which she signed over to him before departing. He decided to purchase a house-barge moored on the Emerald City coast and anchor the pocket dimension there, where he could keep a safe distance from the heart of the city while still having relatively easy access to it. From there, he casts daily divinations to determine when and where he'll be needed to protect the city and its people. PERSONALITY & MOTIVATION In any comedy duo, Len would be the Straight Man that a Wacky Zany Guy would play off of. He carried a lot of anger when he was a child, but his training with Briana, especially in meditation, helped him to let go of that anger a long time ago. When he learned how to control his magic, he also learned how to control his feelings. The angry kid grew up to be a mellow adult, a "gentle giant" who just tries to be nice to people, help out, do the right thing, and avert or de-escalate conflicts instead of initiating or exacerbating them. He radiates a calm, quiet confidence that many people find disarming (a confidence borne of over a decade of traveling the multiverse and escaping or fighting off Death in many forms), with a big smile that comes easily and spreads all the way up to his eyes. When he's not saving the world, or researching new ways to save the world, he likes to curl up with a cup of coffee and a good book, or sing and play on his guitar (at which he's middling, at best). He's a regular at one of the rare local coffee houses that doesn't have wi-fi, for obvious reasons. POWERS & TACTICS Hex has a natural talent for tapping into and channeling the "raw and chaotic magical energy" of The Phoros, another dimension inhabited by beings of the same name, "immortal, immaterial, glowing spheres of light and fire." (See The Book of Magic.) His magical training focused on bringing Order out of that primordial Chaos to which he was attuned, in several different ways. He can cast spells, conduct rituals, or imbue physical items with magic power. Generally, the more time and labor intensive the method of shaping and controlling the magic, the less chance there is of it "leaking out" and wreaking havoc on himself or his environment (see "Walking Techbane" under "Complications," below). He casts spells by quickly speaking incantations and tracing symbols in the air with his fingers. The words are mostly from ancient Atleantean and Lemurian dialects, though they sometimes include snippets of more "mundane" ancient languages, like Egyptian, Greek, Latin, Old Norse, or Sanskrit. They are mostly invocations, entreaties, or references to various mystical entities, realms, and forces across the multiverse. Some of the symbols he traces in the air are Atlantean or Lemurian runes (though, again, sometimes they belong to more "mundane" dead tongues), while others are sigils he created himself, which would require study of his own notes in his private spellbooks to understand. Often, while casting, golden flames will erupt from his eyes and surround his hands, and his fingers will leave burning streaks in the air which will linger for several moments. When trying to go unnoticed, he can whisper or mutter the incantations, and suppress the light show, but the spells are usually more effective when the casting is more bombastic and theatrical. This is the use of his magic which generates the desired effect most quickly, but which is also the most likely to disrupt local technology and/or "snap back" on him, so he limits himself to minor utility spells. He can also conduct lengthy rituals, using a complex combination of spoken incantations, physical movements, runes drawn or carved upon objects and/or the surrounding environment, certain clothes worn (or not worn), and employing all manner of special props or ingredients, ranging from candle flames to animal body parts. His most common application for this use of his magic is to draw an arcane circle upon the ground and cast specially-crafted rune stones into it, in order to divine past and future events, in a manner similar to Scandinavian mystics (though the runes carved upon his stones are all sigils of his own design). He does this regularly in order to figure out when and where his aid will be needed. This use of his magic is less likely to disrupt local technology or harm himself than spell casting, but it is also far more time and labor intensive. Finally, he can imbue magical energy into physical items. This method of magic use is by far the most time and labor intensive for him, but is also the one least likely to cause chaotic side-effects, as it imposes the most direct and permanent "Order" upon the innate "Chaos" of his magic. The items are most effective and resilient when he crafts them himself, which is why his tutelage under Briana included "mundane" skills like sewing, carpentry, and metalsmithing. Then he etches magical runes, mostly sigils of his own design, into the object. Often, the etchings are filled in with ink or dust which includes exotic ingredients. Most of the magical items he crafts are temporary in nature, limited use protective charms or brewed potions which provide some power after consumption which wears off once the liquids have been fully metabolized. The few permanent items he has created involved "locking down" a significant portion of his own personal magical talent, basically carving off a piece of his own soul and trapping it inside the object. If the object were destroyed, that piece of his soul would come rushing back into him, with potentially explosive results. Hex's magic focuses mainly on the summoning, shaping, and unleashing of direct "force," a magical version of pure kinetic energy. To protect himself and others, he uses the runes embedded in his robes to create selectively-permeable force fields and constructs, in the form of glowing golden transparent floating hexagons. To shelter large groups or to protect people from explosions or falling debris, he'll create domes or walls made up of multiple interlocking hexagons, what some would call a "beehive barrier." When he requires personal defense, he'll create one or more hexagons of various sizes, some connected and some not, which will hover and orbit around him, rapidly repositioning themselves and clustering together as necessary to block incoming attacks. Other runes woven into the back of his robes harness that same force to create giant feathered wings of pure energy which allow him to fly. The runes carved into his staff, meanwhile, allow him to cast healing spells, or, if combat is required, to cover the staff in one of several different glowing auras, each a different color accompanying a different effect. One punches opponents away, while another punches through them, and a third ignores their physical body to punch their soul (or rough equivalent). Hex also dabbles in dimensional magic, mostly for travel and storage, and minor divination (obtain information, find what is lost), conjuration (create something from nothing) and transmutation (alter the something that already exists) spells for utility. He doesn't use any mind-controlling or mind-altering magic, or any necromancy aside from the "white necromancy" of healing wounds and curing diseases, in both cases more for ethical reasons than on account of any lack of aptitude. Hex has his talent for channeling magic because of when and where he was born, but that talent has nothing to do with genetics. His parents are both physically unremarkable, and any examination or testing of his body or genes would show a "normal" baseline human. The change brought on by the circumstances of his birth was not to his body, but to his soul. In combat, Hex's first priority is always to see to the safety of victims and innocent bystanders. He'll throw up protective barriers, heal the wounded, spirit people away from the combat zone, and otherwise use his powers and even his own body to intercept any potential harm to civilians first, only actually crossing swords with supervillains if it's the last option. If he does engage in direct combat, then he tries to keep a cool head, use the minimum force required, and offer the villains multiple chances to surrender peacefully. If they finally do surrender, he'll take them up on it without hesitation, even if they spurned previous offers. COMPLICATIONS Disruption: There is no such thing as perfect order. Some chaos always slips out. Every system, no matter how efficient, wastes some energy. If Hex fails a Concentration check to maintain a power, then in addition to letting the power switch off, the GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for declaring that he has lost control of his magic; it "misfires" in some way that causes something bad to happen. (Based on the drawback introduced in The Book of Magic.) Enemy (Eris): Eris still hasn't forgotten the boy who spurned her. Her minions clashed with Briana and Len several times during Len's apprenticeship. And now that the boy is a man, Briana isn't around to protect him anymore. The GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for Eris or her minions or pawns attacking or otherwise disrupting him at the worst possible times. Honor: Some villains are going to escape or gain some sort of advantage because Hex will be too busy helping an innocent bystander to stop them. Other villains are going to get surprise attacks on Hex because they offered a phony surrender or begged for mercy and he relented. Obligations (Family, Mentor): If Briana or his family call for his help, he'll drop everything and run to their aid. The GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for having them request his aid at the worst possible times. Prejudice: While out on the town, Len disguises himself as just another hipster, and for better or for worse, a lot of people are going to treat him as such. The GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for a penalty or automatic failure on a Diplomacy check if the NPC hates what they think Len represents. Rivalry (Siblings): Len's siblings have been justifiably jealous of his awesome magical life at several points during their emotional development, and others could potentially play on that jealousy, either to gain information about him, or even to enlist direct aid in harming him. Even if one of them had to be mind-controlled into betraying him, they would suffer a penalty to resist that mind control effect, since it would play on their existing darkest desires. Secret (Identity): Len has a loving local family, and any adversaries who learned about his double life could threaten or harm them. Walking Techbane: The type of magic Hex uses is fundamentally incompatible with technology. His magic comes from Chaos, and Technology is an application of Order. Technology uses the existing laws of physics to perform tasks, while his magic changes and distorts the local laws of physics. The use of his magic, and sometimes merely his presence, causes Reality to fight with itself, and the outcome is never certain. For Hex, using magic in the vicinity of machines is like shoving his hand into the innards of an active engine. It's possible that his hand will be fine, but that the engine parts will break or slip out of place, bringing the whole thing grinding to a halt. It's also possible that his hand will be shredded but the engine will go on running without noticing. Or it's possible that his hand will be shredded and the engine will break. Any time Hex uses his magic near a machine (the GM can decide what "near" means), the GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for inflicting one or more of the following consequences: Hex's effective power rank is reduced. Hex's power effect just fails. Hex suffers Damage, or some other Attack power effect. One or more nearby machines malfunctions, shuts off, surges, shorts out, and/or breaks. Hex hits one or more nearby machines with an Uncontrolled Nullify effect, and/or an Uncontrolled Damage or Disintegrate effect, effectively Linked to whatever power he was using, possibly with the Side-Effect flaw (so that he will suffer Damage or some other Attack power effect if the machines make their saving throws). ABILITIES 36PP Strength: 18 (+4) (Heavy Load: 300 lbs.) Dexterity: 10 (+0) Constitution: 18 (+4) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 18 (+4) COMBAT 16PP Initiative: +0 (+0 Dex) Attack: +4, +8 Magic Staff Grapple: +8 (+4 Melee Attack, +4 Str) Defense: +8/+4 (+4 Base, +4 Magic Robes), +4/+2 Flat-Footed Toughness: +10/+4 (+4 Con, +6 Force Field) Knockback Resistance: 5/2 ATTACK RANGE SAVING THROW EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC19 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Staff Strike Touch +5ft DC21 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Staff Strike (Blue Aura) Touch +5ft DC19 Fortitude (Harmless) Healing + Boost Staff Strike (Gold Aura) Touch +5ft Opposed Trip vs +10 Prone + Knockback DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Staff Strike (Red Aura) Touch +5ft DC20 Fortitude (Staged) Drain Toughness DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy, Lethal) Staff Strike (Violet Aura) Touch +5ft DC20 Will (Staged) Drain Wisdom DC25 Will (Staged) Damage (Energy) Force Construct (Dropped) Touch* DC19 Reflex Avoided DC24 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Force Construct (Trap) Touch DC19 Reflex Trapped inside object Finding Spell 200 miles DC19 Will Limited ESP Element/Energy Spells Perception DC11 Fortitude (Staged) Drain Toughness DC16 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Any “Magic”) Telekinesis Perception/Area Opposed Grapple vs +1 Pinned/Bound DC16 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Dimensional Pocket Touch/Grapple DC16 Reflex Trapped inside pocket dimension *The force constructs can only be created at Touch-range, but if he were flying or otherwise elevated, he could potentially create one in mid-air and then drop it onto one or more enemies. SAVING THROWS 15PP Fortitude: +8 (+4 Con, +4PP) Reflex: +8/+4 (+0 Dex, +4 Magic Robes, +4PP) Will: +10 (+3 Wis, +7PP) SKILLS 108R = 27PP Concentration 10 (+13) Craft (Artistic) 12 (+15) Craft (Structural) 12 (+15) Diplomacy 11 (+15) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 17 (+20) Knowledge (Cosmology) 7 (+10) Knowledge (History) 7 (+10) Knowledge (Theology/Philosophy) 7 (+10) Languages 2 (Atlantean, English [Native], Lemurian) Notice 7 (+10) Perform (Singing) 1 (+5) Perform (Stringed Instruments) 1 (+5) Search 7 (+10) Sense Motive 7 (+10) FEATS 5PP Artificer Attack Specialization (Magic Staff) Equipment 8 (40EP)Veteran Reward Interpose Ritualist Trance EQUIPMENT 8PP = 38/40EP Acoustic Guitar [1EP] Masterwork Chalk & Rune Stones [1EP] Masterwork Compass [1EP] Fixed-Gear Bicycle (Vehicle) [6EP] Size: Medium [0EP] Defense: 0 (DC10) [0EP] Toughness: 6 [1EP] Strength: 20 (Medium Load: 266 lbs.) [2EP] Powers: [3EP] Features 1 (Marked with a magic rune) [1EP] Speed 2 (25MPH) [2EP] Pocket Dimension Inside A Barge House (PL12 HQ) [29EP] On the outside, a small trailer home sitting on a flat-bottom boat, little more than a raft with a motor attached. On the inside, a mansion. The interior structure is maintained and defended by a few dozen elemental spirits, organized by Mr. Hewitt, the ghost butler who served Briana Whitethorne and decided to remain with the estate when it changed hands. One room contains a standing portal to the Elemental Realms. The elemental spirits are of limited intelligence, greater than a normal animal but less than that of a person. Most of them take the forms of animals, such as dogs and birds. The spirits can use that portal freely to return to their home dimension at any time; they are not slaves. However, in order to enter the estate from the Elemental Realms, they must accept a voluntary geas which imposes a non-aggression pact between them, and obligates them to clean, repair, and defend the manse for as long as they choose to occupy it, in exchange for a regular supply of "treats" for them to consume. These "treats" mostly consist of manifestations of opposing elements which they can consume. For example, the water spirits are usually provided with fire for them to quench. Mr. Hewitt is the ghost of an Englishman. He appears as a translucent pale blue version of his former self, with a wisp of blue mist instead of legs. He is not bound to the manse; in fact, he refers to it as his "refuge." He politely deflects any attempts to pry into his reasons for staying and serving the household. Cryptic comments have indicated that he was a butler in life as well, and that he lived through both World Wars. Size: Diminutive Exterior / Large Interior [2EP] Toughness: 10 [1EP] Features: [26EP] Defense System 4 (Damage, Snare, Suffocate, Trip) (Spirits) Dimensional Portal (Elemental Realms of Air, Earth, Fire, & Water) Dual Size Fire Prevention System (Spirits) Greenhouse Holding Cells 2 (Toughness 15, Nullify) Library 2 (Masterwork) Living Space Personnel (Spirits) Pool Powers 2 (36/48PP) Comprehend 3 (Languages 2 [Speak Any/All Simultaneously], Spirits, Extras: Affects Others, Area [General, Stationary, Burst], Flaws: Limited [Others], Feats: Progression [Area Size] 4 [100ft/rank = 300ft radius]) [13PP] (Translation Runes) Communication 7 (Range: 200 miles, Sense Type: Mental, Extras: Area, Linked [ESP], Flaws: Limited [One-Way], Medium [Reflective Surfaces], Feats: Dimensional [Earth-Prime], Selective) [6PP] (Scrying Mirror) ESP 7 (Range: 200 miles, Sense Types: Auditory + Visual, Extras: Duration [Sustained], Simultaneous, Flaws: Action 2 [Full], Medium [Reflective Surfaces]) [14PP] When Hex uses the mirror, every reflective surface within the area becomes a potential window through which he can see and hear. If an intelligent creature is near one of those surfaces, Hex can communicate with them telepathically. They will see his image in the mirror, and hear his voice as if he were speaking to them, but it's all in their mind. They will have to speak or write to reply, so any other observers will see or hear them normally, but those other observers will only catch a glimpse of Hex in the mirror and hear his voice if they make a DC17 Notice check. Features 1 (Temporal Inertia) [1PP] (Pocket Dimension Outside of Space and Time) Swimming 2 (5MPH) [2EP] The physical motor attached to the rear of the barge doesn't work. It's just for show. When Hex needs to move the barge, he activates runes etched into the underside to summon a water elemental. Sealed (Defensive Runes) Security System 2 (DC25) (Defensive Runes) Self-Repairing (Spirits) Think-Tank (Spirits) Workshop 4 (Mundane Crafts, Magical Inventions, Both Masterwork) 1 + 1 + 1 + 6 + 29 = 38EP POWERS 86PP Devices 11 (55PP Container [Passive, Permanent], Flaws: Hard-To-Lose, Feats: Quick Change [Transforms into normal clothes and accessories as a Free Action], Restricted [Magic users]) [46PP] Magic Robes: [28PP] (Transforms into normal clothing) Enhanced Defense 4 (Extras: Linked [Enhanced Reflex, Force Field, Immunity]) [8PP] ("Abbridon’s Aegis") Enhanced Reflex 4 (Extras: Linked [Enhanced Defense, Force Field, Immunity]) [4PP] Force Field 6 (Extras: Linked [Enhanced Defense, Enhanced Reflex, Immunity], Feats: Selective) [7PP] Immunity 2 (Critical Hits, Extras: Force Field [Free Action, Sustained Duration], Linked [Enhanced Defense, Enhanced Reflex, Force Field], Flaws: Unreliable [50%]) [1PP] Flight 3 (50MPH / 500ft per Move Action) [6PP] ("Abbridon’s Wings") Immunity 2 (Environmental Cold, Environmental Heat) [2PP] ("Abbridon's Succor") Magic Bracer: [14PP] (Transforms into a wristwatch) Create Object 9 (Max Volume: 9 cubes, Max Toughness: 9, Lifting Strength: 45 [Heavy Load: 6 tons], Extras: Linked [Environment Control], Flaws: Range [Touch], Feats: Progression [Max Volume] 1 [10ft cubes], Selective, Stationary, Tether) [13PP] (Force Constructs, "Abbridon’s Aegis") Environment Control 1 (Light [Level 2], Area: 5ft radius, Extras: Linked [Create Object], Flaws: Range [Touch]) [1PP] (Glowing Force Constructs, "Abbridon's Lantern") Magic Goggles: [13PP] (Transforms into a pair of glasses) Comprehend 1 (Languages 1 [Read Any]) [2PP] ("Eyes of Ios") Super-Senses 4 (All Visual-type senses, Extras: Counters Concealment, Counters Illusion) [4PP] ("Eyes of Ios") Super-Senses 10 (Magic Awareness, Descriptor Frequency: Very Common, Sense Type: Visual [Default: Accurate, Acute, Ranged], Extras: Counters Obscure ["Darkness" Descriptor], Penetrates Concealment, Tracking, Flaws: Limited [Counters Obscure only works for an individual sense, the Magic Awareness, not the entire Visual sense type], Drawbacks: Power Loss [Penetrates Concealment cannot penetrate Lead, Frequency: Uncommon]) [8PP] (Magic Aura Vision, "Eyes of Ios") Vulnerability (Visual Sensory effects, while Super-Senses are active, Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Minor [+1 DC]) [-1PP] Device 7 (35PP Container [Passive, Permanent], Flaws: Easy-To-Lose, Feats: Restricted [All powers except the Staff Strike are restricted to Magic users]) [22PP] (Magic Staff) Environment Control 1 (Light [Level 2], Area: 5ft radius, Extras: Action 2 [Free], Flaws: Range [Touch]) [3PP] ("Abbridon's Lantern") Magic Staff 14 (28PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 4) [32PP] Base Power: [5PP] (Staff Strike) Damage 2 (Feats: Accurate, Extended Reach [10ft], Mighty) [5PP] Alternate Power: [28PP] (Azure Aura, "Abbridon’s Healing Touch") Healing 9 (Extras: Action [Standard], Restorative, Flaws: Limited [Others], Feats: Extended Reach [10ft]) [28PP] Alternate Power: [28PP] (Golden Aura, "Abbridon's Rebuke") Damage 6 (Extras: Linked [Trip], Feats: Accurate, Extended Reach [10ft], Knockback 8 [Effective Damage 18], Mighty) [17PP] Trip 10 (Extras: Knockback, Linked [Damage], Flaws: Range [Touch], Feats: Improved Throw) [11PP] Alternate Power: [28PP] (Violet Aura, "Ghost Strike," "Soul Strike," "Abbridon’s Judgement") Drain Wisdom 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Linked [Damage], Feats: Accurate, Extended Reach [10ft], Drawbacks: Full Power) [11PP] Damage 6 (Extras: Alternate Save [Will, 10 ranks], Linked [Drain], Feats: Mighty) [17PP] Alternate Power: [28PP] (Crimson Aura, "Jaws of Vhoka The Devourer") Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Linked [Damage], Feats: Accurate, Extended Reach [10ft], Incurable, Drawbacks: Full Power) [22PP] Damage 6 (Extras: Linked [Drain], Feats: Mighty, Drawbacks: Lethal) [6PP] Magic 5 (10PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 8) [18PP] Base Power: [10PP] (Channeling Raw Magical Energy, Chaos Magic, "Flames of Phoros") Drain Toughness 9 (Extras: Affects Objects, Area [General, Burst, 45ft radius], Linked [Damage, Nullify], Flaws: Distracting, Limited [Objects], Limited [Machines], Side-Effect [Damage], Drawbacks: Full Power) [2PP] Damage 9 (Extras: Area [General, Burst, 45ft radius], Linked [Drain, Nullify], Flaws: Distracting, Limited [Objects], Limited [Machines], Side-Effect [Damage]) [3PP] Nullify 9 (All “Technology” effects, Extras: Area [General, Burst, 45ft radius], Linked [Damage, Drain], Flaws: Distracting, Range [Touch], Side-Effect [Damage]) [5PP] Alternate Power: [10PP] (Conjuring Spells, "Weyan’s Wheel of Workings") Create Object 1 (Max Volume: 1 5ft cube, Lifting Strength: 5 [Heavy Load: 50 lbs.], Extras: Duration [Continuous], Range [Perception], Feats: Innate, Precise, Progression [Object Toughness] 5 [Max Toughness: 6], Subtle, Drawbacks: Power Loss 2 [When unable to speak and gesture, Frequency: Common]) [10PP] Alternate Power: [9PP] (Element/Energy Control Spells) Drain Toughness 1 (Extras: Affects Objects, Linked [Damage], Range 2 [Perception], Feats: Precise, Subtle, Variable Descriptor 2 [Any "Magic"], Drawbacks: Power Loss 2 [When unable to speak and gesture, Frequency: Common]) [6PP] Damage 1 (Extras: Linked [Drain], Range 2 [Perception]) [3PP] Alternate Power: [10PP] (Dimensional Magic, "Ahgrazul’s Vault") Dimensional Pocket 1 (Extras: Duration 3 [Continuous, Lasting], Flaws: Medium [Existing pockets and containers], Requires Grapple, Feats: Progression [Cargo] 8 [25 tons], Subtle, Drawbacks: Power Loss 2 [When unable to speak and gesture, Frequency: Common]) [10PP] Alternate Power: [10PP] (Force Magic, Telekinesis, "Hands of Lamal") Move Object 1 (Lifting Strength: 5 [Heavy Load: 50 lbs.], Extras: Area [General, Burst], Damaging, Range [Perception], Selective, Feats: Precise, Progression [Area Size] 4 [100ft/rank = 100ft radius], Subtle, Drawbacks: Power Loss 2 [When unable to speak and gesture, Frequency: Common]) [10PP] Alternate Power: [9PP] (Divination Magic, Rune-Casting Ritual) Super-Senses 8 (Postcognition, Precognition, Extras: Simultaneous, Drawbacks: Action 4 [1 minute], Noticeable, Power Loss 2 [When unable to conduct ritual, draw an elaborate circle on the ground, and/or when deprived of specially prepared rune stones, Frequency: Common]) [9PP] Alternate Power: [10PP] (Divination Magic, Finding Spell) Telelocation 7 (Range: 200 miles, Extras: Duration [Sustained, Lasting], Flaws: Limited [Only learns the target's direction relative to him, not their exact location], Medium [Requires a piece of the target, or an object heavily infused with the target's resonance], Feats: Progression [Counter Rank / Saving Throw] 2 [Rank 9 / DC19], Rapid 8 [x100,000,000, Take 20 to Search maximum area in less than a second as a Free Action], Drawbacks: Action [1 minute], Noticeable, Power Loss 2 [When target is hidden behind a lead barrier, or when deprived of specially prepared compass, Frequency: Common]) [10PP] Alternate Power: [10PP] (Dimensional Magic, Folding Space, Teleportation, "Gates of Ios") Teleport 4 (Range: 1 mile, Extras: Accurate, Portal [Duration: Concentration], Flaws: Action [Move Action to open portal], Distracting [Flat-Footed on any round when he opens or maintains a portal], Medium [Existing Doors], Feats: Change Direction, Dimensional [Between Earth-Prime and Pocket Dimension HQ], Progression [Portal Size] 1 [10ft x 10ft], Subtle, Drawbacks: Power Loss 2 [When unable to speak and gesture, Frequency: Common]) [10PP] Alternate Power: [10PP] (Transmutation Spells) Transform 1 (Any Inanimate Object Into Any Other Inanimate Object, Extras: Duration [Continuous, Lasting], Range [Perception], Feats: Progression [Mass] 3 [10 lbs.], Precise, Subtle, Drawbacks: Power Loss 2 [When unable to speak and gesture, Frequency: Common]) [10PP] Examples of "Minor Transmutation Spells": Transform locked objects into unlocked objects. Transform broken/torn objects into repaired/mended objects. Transform dirty objects into clean objects. Transform wet objects into dry objects. Change the temperature of an object, to hot, cold, or lukewarm. Heat up food. Chill a drink. Change the taste of food or drink by transforming it into a differently-seasoned version of itself. Change the color of an object. Inscribe text onto an object, or erase text from an object. Abilities (36) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (27) + Feats (5) + Powers (86) - Drawbacks (0) = 185/187 Power Points
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