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Cortex (PL 10) - Gaea


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Cortex

Power Level: 10 (150/150) 
Trade-Offs: ; -5 Defense +5 Toughness
Unspent Power Points: 0

In Brief: Brain in a Jar - Telekinesis as a side-effect

Residence: A Jar
Base of Operations: Still a Jar

 

Spoiler

Brain in glass sphere - 75 percent of marketing decisions based on psychological experiments may be flawed

Theme:

Catchphrase: Quite.

Alternate Identity: 
Identity: Axon Cerveau
Birthplace: Louisiana
Occupation: None
Affiliations: 
Family: Father: Monsieur Cerveau (Super Villain Mad Scientist and Inventor and [Minor] Mentalist – Location Unknown), Mother: Unknown.

 

Description:
Age: 16
Apparent Age: Only an experienced neurosurgeon can tell. 
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Height: 2”
Weight: 16 lbs
Eyes: none
Hair: none

 

Power Descriptions: Multicolored swirls of telekinetic force coalescing in beautiful fractal bands.

 

History: Axon grew up never knowing his parents. Raised by nannies and boarding schools, until he was summoned on his 13th birthday to “a lair” (And who has a lair anyway?) to reclaim his family legacy. A legacy of mad science and super-villainy. A legacy he wanted no part of. But he accompanied his father on his heists, never sure if it was out of fear or curiosity. He even created a few rudimentary devices. But then there was the accident. A hot screaming agony where his were not the only screams. And then darkness. The endless monotony of it. How long he spent in that state, alone in the dark with only his thoughts. Calendars said it was only a few months, but that can’t possibly be right. He could swear it was years. Years, spent clawing back to interaction. To a form of sight. His father studied, poked, prodded, and tested him. Helped him to grow his new gifts. Wanted him to join him again. Axon would do anything to escape the boredom. But his new found powers connected him to the victims, he could feel their heartbeats, their pulses, their terror. Axon renounced his father, renounced villainy, and legacy, and is trying to forge his own path. Claremont is another boarding school, yes, but this one will be different.

 

Personality & Motivation: Axon’s personality is in flux. He was a spoiled kid who never had the love of his parents, and never knew his mother. He was raised by hired hands. Then manipulated by his brilliant father. He spent months recovering from the total loss of his body, and then the thrill of being able to do things beyond the kin of mortal man. He isn’t stable, entirely. But he has had a lot of time alone with his own thoughts, and he trusts that he’ll settle down. One thing he doesn’t want is to ever cause fear again.
 

 

Powers & Tactics: Axon is nervous about causing direct damage to people. He has in the past, but he doesn’t care for it. He creates force constructs and rips things from people’s grasp. He prefers non-violent methods of containment. His BrainSphere has no method of propulsion built into it. He takes great joy in flying around like a giant glass ping-pong ball. The BrainSphere does have a network of sensors that replicate many basic sensors, and turn his brain signals into verbal (speakerphone) communication.

 

Complications:

Not a Normal Teenager: Axon might be able to throw a car with his mind, but he can’t really drive it.

Genetics isn’t Destiny: His father might have been a mad scientist, but that doesn’t mean Axon has to, even if the odd doomsday device does pop into his head at the most inconvenient of times.

Survivor’s Guilt: Axon became a brain in a jar when his father saved him from an explosion that killed hundreds, an explosion that his father caused. It’s when he first the truth of what his father was, and that he and he alone survived. The guilt hasn’t begun to untangle.

There’s No Going Back: Whatever perpetuating nutrient bath he’s been stored in, his brain has grown. He’s the largest human brain on record. Even if a body could be cloned or regenerated, he’d never fit.

Boredom is a form of Torture: A brain is designed for multi-channel input. Axon will do anything not to be so endlessly, ceaselessly bored.

 

Abilities: 16pp =-10 + 0 + 0 + 8 + 14 + 4

 

STR:  +0 (-)

DEX: +0 (10)

CON: +0 (10)

INT:   +4 (18)

WIS:  +7 (24)

CHA: +2 (14)

 

Combat: 0pp= 0

Attack: +1 (Size)

            Melee:+1 Ranged +1

Defense: +1 (Size)

Flatfooted: +1

Grapple:-4 (size)

Initiative: +0 ()

 

 

Saves: 18pp = 5+10+3

Toughness: +10 Impervious / +15 Impervious (+10 BrainSphere, +5 Forcefield)

Fortitude: +5 (+5 Con +0)

Reflex: +10 (+10 Dex +0)

Will: +10 (+3 Wis +7)

 

Skills: 8pp (32 ranks)

Bluff 5 (+7)

Knowledge (Tactics) 10 (+14)

Knowledge (Technology) 10 (+14)

Notice 3 (+10)

Sense Motive 4 (+11)

 

Feats: 5pp

Diehard

Inventor

Jack-Of-All-Trades

Luck 2

 

Powers: 28 + 5 + 5 + 68 = 106pp

 

BrainSphere Brain in a Jar (Device 7) (Hard to lose; 35pp Pool, Descriptor: Technological)[28pp]

Immunity 13 (Aging, Critical Hits, Life Support, Starvation & Thirst)[13pp]

Protection 10 (Impervium Glass, Extra: Impervious 10) [20pp]

Super Movement 1 (It Floats!, Water Walking) [2pp]

 

Shrinking 4 (Extra: Permanent, PF: Innate) [5pp]

 

Super Senses 5 (Ranged: Touch, Penetrates Concealment, Descriptors: Mind & Training) [5pp]

 

Big Ole Brain! (Array 20) (default power: Move Object; 61pp array, Pfs: Alternate Power 3, Dynamic 4)[68pp]

  • DBE: Move Object 20 (Extras: Range (Perception); Pfs: Precise)[61/61pp]
  • DAE: Create Object 20  (Extras; Impervious 15; Pfs: Progression: Object Size (250 Ft Cubes), Precise) [61/61pp]
  • DAE: Flight 5 (250 MPH)[10/61pp]
  • DAE: Force Field 6 (Extras: Impervious)[12/61pp]

 

Drawbacks: Disability (No Body, Very Common, Minor) [-3pp]

 

Totals: Abilities 16 + Skills 8 (32 ranks) + Feats 5 + Powers 106 + Combat 0 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks -3 = 150

Edited by Gaea
New Character
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I get what you're going for here, Gaea, but we've considerably relaxed the rules on Equipment - there's no need to make the investment in most of this. Anything mundane you want the character to pull out in a thread, he generally can do it - within reason and as long as the GM says it's okay. And Equipment really should not be a Power Feat - as that defeats the major discount you get for these things by buying them as Equipment. He's also way undercapped for a PL 10; you're not going to have fun with him in most threads. 

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I guess the idea was to give him "continuous equipment" so that he had paid for anything he was mechanically benefiting from. 

 

If you're saying I don't need it, I can spend those points on bringing him up to cap, however I like the idea that he's a little more street level than most of the people with "showier powers". He gets things done by having the right tool in the backline, and the story threads he's in are going to power him up by giving him access to more and more stuff. As for undercapped, I was leaving slack for guns and bombs, and things he's likely to pick up in the course of his adventuring. 

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Abilities: 16pp =-10 + 0 + 0 + 8 + 14 + 4

 

STR:  +0 (-)

DEX: +0 (10)

CON: +0 (10)

INT:   +4 (18)

WIS:  +7 (24)

CHA: +2 (14)

 

-

 

This is okay - plenty of precedent on the lack of STR. 

 

Combat: 0pp= 0

Attack: +1 (Size)

            Melee:+1 Ranged +1

Defense: +1 (Size)

Flatfooted: +1

Grapple:-4 (size)

Initiative: +0 ()

 

This is not - you need to have at least +3 ATK/DEF purchased as per our house rules, and you need to meet PL caps - so he should have a total Defense of +5 

 

 

Saves: 18pp = 5+10+3

Toughness: +10 Impervious / +15 Impervious (+10 BrainSphere, +5 Forcefield)

Fortitude: +5 (+5 Con +0)

Reflex: +10 (+10 Dex +0)

Will: +10 (+3 Wis +7)

 

You are limited to +10 Impervious as a PL 10 character - i.e., we follow the suggested rule of tying Impervious to PL. 

 

Skills: 8pp (32 ranks)

Bluff 5 (+7)

Knowledge (Tactics) 10 (+14)

Knowledge (Technology) 10 (+14)

Notice 3 (+10)

Sense Motive 4 (+11)

 

He should have Craft, otherwise he can't get anything meaningful out of his Inventor. And I think it's his INT that's 24, not his WIS?

 

Feats: 5pp

Diehard

Inventor

Jack-Of-All-Trades

Luck 2

 

Diehard is a feat you get for free, as per our house rules.

 

Powers: 28 + 5 + 5 + 68 = 106pp

 

BrainSphere Brain in a Jar (Device 7) (Hard to lose; 35pp Pool, Descriptor: Technological)[28pp]

Immunity 13 (Aging, Critical Hits, Life Support, Starvation & Thirst)[13pp]

Protection 10 (Impervium Glass, Extra: Impervious 10) [20pp]

Super Movement 1 (It Floats!, Water Walking) [2pp]

 

Shrinking 4 (Extra: Permanent, PF: Innate) [5pp]

 

Super Senses 5 (Ranged: Touch, Penetrates Concealment, Descriptors: Mind & Training) [5pp]

 

Big Ole Brain! (Array 20) (default power: Move Object; 61pp array, Pfs: Alternate Power 3, Dynamic 4)[68pp]

  • DBE: Move Object 20 (Extras: Range (Perception); Pfs: Precise)[61/61pp]
  • DAE: Create Object 20  (Extras; Impervious 15; Pfs: Progression: Object Size (250 Ft Cubes), Precise) [61/61pp]
  • DAE: Flight 5 (250 MPH)[10/61pp]
  • DAE: Force Field 6 (Extras: Impervious)[12/61pp]

Would you be interested in a full-on sheet reworking, Gaea? I have one that might help.

 

 

Drawbacks: Disability (No Body, Very Common, Minor) [-3pp]

 

Totals: Abilities 16 + Skills 8 (32 ranks) + Feats 5 + Powers 106 + Combat 0 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks -3 = 150

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Quote

 

"This is not - you need to have at least +3 ATK/DEF purchased as per our house rules, and you need to meet PL caps - so he should have a total Defense of +5 "

 

"A minimum of 1/3 (rounded up) of a character's total Attack and Defense bonuses must come from Base Attack and Base Defense, rather than feats like Attack Focus or Dodge Focus"

 

 

Sorry. That was unclear. I think the rule as written reads as "1/3 of your total attack and defense has to come from Base Attack and Defense", not "You have to have a minimum 1/3 of your PL in base attack and base defense" 

 

How does that interact with trade offs? 1/3 of PL10 is 3. but 1/3 of Tradeoff 5 is 2 (1.6 rounded up). 


The rule as written mentions feats and BAB and BDB? How does that work with enhanced BAB and BDB for powers?

 

Quote

Diehard is a feat you get for free, as per our house rules.

Thanks for reminding me on DIehard.

 

 

Quote

"He should have Craft, otherwise he can't get anything meaningful out of his Inventor. And I think it's his INT that's 24, not his WIS?"

 

No it's his wisdom, he only has an 18 in Int. As to the point on Inventor, he is a jack of all trades, so he can make untrained craft checks. He has the capacity for invention, but he hasn't explored it yet. I was going to play with that through character growth. Even at his current level, he can make some pretty good "basic" inventions like cell phones and things about half of the time. 

 

Quote

"Would you be interested in a full-on sheet reworking, Gaea? I have one that might help."

 

Absolutely. Thanks so much. If it's a template, I'm happy to apply it if you point me in the right direction.  

 

 

 

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So sorry for the delay! Let me go ahead and post the rebuild here: 

 

Abilities: -10 + 0 + -10 + 10 + 10 + 10 =12 pp

STR 0 (-5)

DEX 10 (+0)

CON n/a (-)

INT 22 (+6)

WIS 20 (+5)

CHA 20 (+5)

 

Combat: 8 + 12 = 20 pp

ATK: +4 (+10 Ranged)

DEF: +8 (+6 Base, +3 flat-footed)

Grapple: -/+20 w/TK

Initiative +0

 

Saves: 4 + 3 = 7 pp

TOU +12 (+4 Protection, +8 Force Field)

FORT n/a

REF +4 (+0 Dex, +4)

WILL +8 (+5 Wis, +3)

 

Skills: 20 pp=80 r

Bluff 7 (+12)

Concentration 7 (+12)

Diplomacy 7 (+12)

Intimidate 4 (+9)

Medicine 12 (+17) 

Knowledge: Life Sciences 12 (+18)

Knowledge: Technology 12 (+18)

Knowledge: Theology and Philosophy 5 (+11)

Notice 13 (+18)

Sense Motive 13 (+18)

 

Feats: 14 pp

Attack Focus: Ranged 6

Dodge Focus 2

Eidetic Memory

Inventor

Jack of all Trades

Luck

Master Plan,

Speed of Thought

 

Powers: 22 + 4 + 8 + 30 + 4 + 7 + 2 = 77 pp

 

Brain Array 10.5 [21+1=22 pp]

Blast 10 (PF: Subtle)

APMove Object 10 (Heavy Load: 12 tons)(PF: Precise) 

 

Flight 2 (psionic flight, 25 MPH) [4 pp]

 

Force Field 8 (psionic forcefield) [8 pp]

 

Immunity 30 (in a jar, Fortitude saves) [30 pp]

 

Protection 4 (in a jar) [4 pp]

 

Regeneration 6 (regenerative nanites, +0 Recovery Bonus) (PFs: Persistent, Regrowth) [7 pp]

 

Super-Senses 2 (Danger Sense [Mental], Uncanny Dodge [Mental]) [2 pp]

 

costs

abilities 12 + combat 20 + saves 7 + skills 20/80 + feats 14 + powers 77 = 150 pts

 

 

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