Supercape Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 (edited) Captain Cosmos Power Level: 12 (236/238 PP) Unspent Power Points: 2 Trade-Offs: -3 Attack / +3 DC, -3 Defence / +3 Toughness In Brief: Multidimensional Paragon Alternate Identity: Buddy Brand Birthplace: San Francisco Residence: Freedom City Occupation: Newsreader Affiliations: None Family: Bernard Brand (Estranged Father, Businessman), Violet Brand (Lawyer Sister) Description: Age: 45 Apparent Age: 45 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Mixed-Caucasian Height: 5’10” Weight: 85 Kgs Eyes: Blue Hair: Brown / White Buddy is a man of average build with a physique representative of regular but not extreme exercise. He looks fairly close to his age, with silver flecked black hair, a tan, and a few wrinkles. He has what many call a “trustworthy” face. When dressed as Captain Cosmos he wears a blue and orange spandex costume and mask, complete with cape. Captain Cosmos can change his dimensions. As a one-dimensional being he is essentially an imperceptible line. As a two dimensional being he will be completely flat. In transdimensional form he will look slightly translucent. In hyperdimensional form he will appear to be slightly blurred. Most bizarrely, in Antidimensional form he will look as if flipped in a mirror. History: Buddy had an undesirable upbringing with a father who simply pushed him too hard to succeed at everything, wanting him to be a lawyer or politician. In university, Buddy rebelled, and ended up working in media, which ended up enjoying – and being promoted to newsreader for WCZA Channel 7 News. His flagship show is "the Brand Report", where he grills famous persons of Freedom City on a Thursday Evening. Buddy’s life changed when he ran into an alternate version of himself late on evening, driving home from an out of town party. The mysterious figure was “Captain Cosmos” and lay dying on the road. As Buddy comforted the dying man, he heard his dying words “Beware…the Collapse!” and was then infused with a hyperdimensional energy source, granting him extraordinary powers. For the first few days Buddy was wracked with nausea and disorientation. His physician, Doctor Linda LaBelle, ran some tests and came up with some extraordinary results. To this day, only she knows of his secret identity. Buddy felt both a duty to carry on the mantle of Captain Cosmos, and a duty to address some of the terrible things he had reported on in the world. Thus, Captain Cosmos roamed the skies once more… Personality & Motivation: Happy, anxious, driven. Captain Cosmos is a friendly guy who is generally well liked. Having seen much of the darker side of the world as a newsman, he has a cynical / realistic outlook, although he is generally an optimistic sort. In other words, he sees a lot of problems in the world, but also feels that they can be sorted out. His relationship with his father growing up was pretty awful. His father put immense pressure on Buddy (and Buddy’s sister, Violet) to be hyper successful. He is left with a chronic feeling of not being “good enough”, which drives his career and his personal life. This leaves him with a chronic (but usually well hidden, as befits a TV presenter) anxiety about being fired or failing somehow. Powers & Tactics: Captain Cosmos draws on the power of all the alternate versions of Buddy Brand throughout the multiverse (although only he has this power). This grants him amazing strength and resilience, and as he can sustain himself from the life force of all his alternate versions, making him immune to any biological attack. In addition he can fly, and can alter his dimensions, either lowering them (one or two dimensional) or raising them (and thus being able to bypass normal space and time considerations) He will reduce his dimensions primarily for stealth, although sometimes fights two dimensionally if he is tired, weakened, and feels justified in using his dangerous “slicing” ability. Most commonly, he will use his hyperdimensional form, drawing on the strength of countless other Buddy Brands and reinforcing his own resilience and power. He will sometimes summon alternative versions of Buddy Brand, for instance if he needs someone to cover his show or pretend to be Buddy, or because he simply needs more helping hands. Power Descriptions: Captain Cosmos’ dimensional changes appear as above (Appearance). His flight leaves a slight rippling behind him but is entirely silent. Complications: Buddy or no buddy?: Alternative versions of Buddy (Multidimensional/Summon power) are usually the same happy, anxious, nice guy version of Buddy (i.e. default summoning friendly attitude). But the process is not 100% accurate. Alt versions have their own agenda and, particularly if more extreme / deviant versions are summoned (such as Caveman Buddy, or Pirate Buddy), may be indifferent or even hostile. Busy Body: Buddy’s Secret ID is both busy and famous, and he lives in the competitive, stressful world of Media. Whilst able and reasonably popular, he is not so skilled that he is irreplaceable. Dread of Drowning: As a child, Buddy nearly drowned in a white-water rafting expedition – and his Father remonstrated him badly. He has a lingering fear of being submerged (although he no longer has any danger of drowning). Whilst actually underwater he is only slightly anxious, it is the process of actually submerging that is dreadful to him. If he voluntary submerges himself he would need at least a moment to steel himself (causing delay), whilst an involuntary submerging (from knockback or telekinesis or the like) would send him into a paralytic panic. Possibly Psychotic: Altering his dimensions (dimensional form array) tends to scramble his brain if sustained for long, leading to suspiciousness and eventually to psychotic symptoms (see below). Spoiler The strain of changing dimensions can drive Buddy slowly mad. This is a difficult area so GMs / others> feel free to wave this away – in fact, the possibility that he is not going psychotic makes it more interesting! For the purpose of simplicity, there are three stages of psychosis. Prodrome: Suspiciousness, things might appear more threatening or salient than they would otherwise appear. Descriptions can be loaded with meaning that simply isn’t true. This is itself is unlikely to be a complication but is more flavour, or an omen of what to come. Hallucinations/Delusions: Frank psychotic symptoms. Hallucinations are fairly straightforward. Buddy may also get fixed delusions, usually paranoid / threatening. Both of these symptoms can lead to grossly inappropriate behaviour which may well warrant a complication if it is painful enough. Catatonic/Thought disordered: In the final stages, cognition and motor activity is so affected that Buddy is unlikely to be able to function at all. The descent into psychosis is faster in high gravity, slower in low gravity, and minimal in zero gravity (gravity distorting space-time dimensions thus compounding the problem). In addition, being hit by dimensional, gravity, or temporal powers can ebb away his sanity. The psychic strain also depends on the type of alternate form. Low: Drawing power from alternate dimensions (Multidimensional, Hyperdimensional), stages progress after several hours. Medium: Changing own dimensions (Flexidimensional, One dimensional, Two dimensional), stages progress by the hour. High: Assuming esoteric additional dimensionals (Anti dimensional, Transdimensional), stages progress by the minute. (These are guidelines, feel free to change according to plot. Sciency dimensional unpredictability is the explanation for variation.) Psychotic symptoms will resolve in a day or two. Improvement may be faster with skilled psychological help (Behavioural sciences?) or with drugs* (medical skill). ECT, or seizures, will cause extremely rapid, arguably instant recovery (although one still has to recover from the anaesthetic and the seizure). *For those of you who are interested: Psychotic symptoms resolve with (and only with) antipsychotic drugs (medications usually used are things like Olanzapine, Risperidone, and Aripiprazole). Modern antipsychotics are relatively unsedating and only rarely have motor side effects (although they have other long term side effects such as weight gain and diabetes). Catatonic states, however, are not (usually) responsive to antipsychotic drugs (in fact, they can make catatonia worse). They do rapidly resolve with benzodiazepines (the medictaion most usually used is Lorazepam, but any will do) or ECT. Zero: Captain Cosmos could plausibly eliminate all his dimensions; essentially a zero-dimensional form, thus ceasing (temporarily) to exist at all. Whilst he would never voluntarily do this (arguably he could not voluntary force his own non-existence) massive exotic dimensional effects or super high gravity might cause this state – as might a malignant mind controller. Abilities: 4 + 0 + 2 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 20 Strength: 14/40 (+2/+15) Dexterity: 10 (+0) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 18 + 18 = 36 Initiative: +4 (w/ Improved Initiative) Attack: +9 Defense: +9 (+5 Flat Footed) Grapple: +25=8 (+30=3 in Hyperdimensional form) Knockback: -7 (-17 in Hyperdimensional form) Saving Throws: 0 + 8 + 9 = 17 Toughness: +15 (+1 Con, +14) (10 impervious in Hyperdimensional form) Fortitude: Immune Reflex: +8 (+0 Dex, +8) Will: +12 (+3 Wis, +9) Skills: 20 PP = 78 R Bluff 4 (+6) Concentration 12 (+15) Diplomacy 10 (+12) Intimidate 4 (+6) Knowledge (Current Events) 14 (+16) Knowledge (Civics) 4 (+6) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 4 (+6) Language 2 (Englishbase, French, Spanish) Notice 8 (+11) Perform [Oratory] 8 (+10) Sense Motive 10 (+12) Feats: 7PP Accurate Attack Beginner’s Luck Connected Benefit 1 (Wealth) Improved Initiative Move-by Action Power Attack Powers: 36 + 37==43 + 1 + 12 + 30 + 14 = 130=6 Alt Form 5 Dimensional Array (30 PP Alt Forms, Duration: Sustained [+0], Feats: 6 Extra Alt Forms) [36 PP] “Dimensional Control” [Dimensional] Base Form: 1 Dimensional (Becomes a mathematical line) [9+20+1=30 PP] Concealment 4 (All Visual Senses, Flaws: Permanent [+0], Feat: Close Range) [9 PP] Insubstantial 4 (Incorporeal, affected by dimensional affects, Flaws: Permanent [+0]) [20 PP] Super Senses 1 (Radius Vision) [1 PP] Alt Form: 2 Dimensional (Becomes completely flat) (5+6+19=30) Concealment 4 (All Visual Senses: Feats: Close Range, Flaws: Permanent [+0], Limited to those facing side-on) [5 PP] Insubstantial 1 (Flaws: Permanent [+0], Limited to passing through gaps equal to or wider than width Feats: Evasion 2) [6 PP] Strike 15 (Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Improved Critical 2) “Slicing” [19 PP] Alt Form Hyper Dimensional (Enhanced normal dimensions) (8+12+10=30) Immovable 8 (Resist movement +16, Knockback -4, Extras: Unstoppable) [8 PP] Impervious Toughness 12 [12 PP] Super Strength 5 (Additional +25 STR) [10 PP] Alt Form: Flexi Dimensional (Alter three dimensional proportions) (12+8+3 +7=30 PP) Growth 12 (Gargantuan size, Flaws: Dispersal [-2]) [12 PP] Morph 4 (Any form, +20 to disguise. Flaws: Limited, cannot change colour) [8 PP] Elongation 3 (up to 25’ extention, +3 Escape and Grapple) [3 PP] Insubtantial 1 (Liquid/Fluid dimensions, Feats: Selective, Subtle) [7 PP] Alt Form: Multi Dimensional (Summon alternative versions of unpowered Buddy Brand) Summon 7 (105 PP Alternate Versions of Buddy Brand, Extras: Type (Narrow), Duration (Continuous), Feats: Progression 2 [up to 5 versions], Mental Link, Drawbacks: Action [Full round per copy]) [30 PP] Alt Form:Transdimensional (Bypass normal dimensional contraints) (16+8+6 = 30 PP) Supermovement 8 (Dimensional 2 [Alternate Dimensiona], Space Travel 3 [Fast Interstellar], Permeate 3 [Full speed]) [16 PP] Supersenses 8 (Visual Penetrates [4], Auditory Penetrates [4]) [8 PP] Flight 6 (Stacks with normal flight for Flight 11, 25000mph, Flaws: Levitation) "Gravity hitching" [5 PP] Alt Form: Antidimensional (Flipped dimensions!) [24 + 1 + 5 = 30PP] Protection 0 (Extras: Impervious 12, Reflection [physical only] 12) [24 PP] Alternate Power to Flight: Burrow 6 (50mph, Extras: Penetrating) [1 PP] Immunity 5 (Grapples/Snares) [5 PP] Strength: Linked Enhanced Strength 26 (feats: Affect Insubstantial 2, Dimensional 2) with Super Strength 6 (+30 effective strength, Feats: Shockwave) (30+13 = 43 PP][Dimensional] Feature: Temporal Anchor [1 PP] [Dimensional / Temporal] Flight 5 (250mph, Feats: Subtle, Instant Up) [12 PP] [Dimensional] Immunity 30 (Fort Saves) [30 PP] [Dimensional] Protection 14 [14 PP] [Dimensional] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 30 Toughness Damage Totals: Abilities 20 + Combat 36 + Saving Throws 17 + Skills 20 + Feats 7 + Powers 130=6 = 236/238 Power Points Edited March 31 by trollthumper +2 PP for Feb 2024 Link to comment
Supercape Posted May 31, 2023 Author Share Posted May 31, 2023 (edited) A note on psychosis / complication Spoiler The strain of changing dimensions can drive Buddy slowly mad. This is a difficult area so GMs / others> feel free to wave this away – in fact, the possibility that he is not going psychotic makes it more interesting! For the purpose of simplicity, there are three stages of progression: Prodrome: Suspiciousness, things might appear more threatening or salient than they would otherwise appear. Descriptions can be loaded with meaning that simply isn’t true. This is itself is unlikely to be a complication but is more flavour, or an omen of what to come. Hallucinations/Delusions: Frank psychotic symptoms. Hallucinations are fairly straightforward. Buddy may also get fixed delusions, usually paranoid / threatening. Both of these symptoms can lead to grossly inappropriate behaviour which may well warrant a complication if it is painful enough. Catatonic/Thought disordered: In the final stages, cognition and motor activity is so affected that Buddy is unlikely to be able to function at all. The descent into psychosis is faster in high gravity, slower in low gravity, and minimal in zero gravity (gravity distorting space-time dimensions thus compounding the problem) The psychic strain also depends on the type of alternate form. Low: Drawing power from alternate dimensions (Multidimensional, Hyperdimensional), stages progress in hours. Medium: Changing own dimensions (Flexidimensional, One dimensional, Two dimensional), stages progress in minutes High: Assuming esoteric additional dimensionals (Anti dimensional, Transdimensional), stages progress in rounds. (These are guidelines, feel free to change according to plot. Sciency dimensional unpredictability is the explanation for variation.) Psychotic symptoms will resolve in a day or two. Improvement may be faster with skilled psychological help (Behavioural sciences?) or with drugs (medical skill). ECT, or seizures, will cause extremely rapid, arguably instant recovery (although one still has to recover from the anaesthetic and the seizure). Edited May 31, 2023 by Supercape Link to comment
Supercape Posted May 31, 2023 Author Share Posted May 31, 2023 (edited) Buddy Brand Alternate Versions Captain Cosmos can summon alternate versions of Buddy Brand from the multiverse to help. Due to plot / dimensional effects, this is not always accurate although he can pull in different versions (Narrow extra). Most alternate versions have similar personalities and backgrounds, but differ slightly in the way they turned out. Broadly they are all social commentators. (e.g. War correspondent Buddy, Civil Rights lawyer Buddy, Politician Buddy, Comedian Buddy) More "extreme" or "deviant" versions (for instance, Caveman Buddy, Pirate Buddy, or Space Buddy) are less likely to be helpful and may be frankly chaotic. There is always a chance a really malignant version pops up, such as Nazi Buddy, or evil mastermind Buddy. Power Level: up to 11 (up to 71/105 PP) Unspent Power Points: 34 PP (Providing flexibility for alternate versions) Trade-Offs: Varies In Brief: Alternate Versions of Buddy Brand Abilities: 4 + 0 + 1 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 20 Strength: 14 (+2) Dexterity: 10 (+0) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 8 +8 = 16 Initiative: +4 (w/ Improved Initiative) Attack: +4 Defense: +4 (+2 Flat Footed) Grapple: +8 Knockback: -1 Saving Throws: 1 + 5 + 7 = 13 Toughness: +1 Fortitude: +2 (+1 Con, +1) Reflex: +5 (+5) Will: +10 (+3 Wis, +7) Skills: 18 PP = 72 R Bluff 4 (+6) Concentration 12 (+15) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Intimidate 4 (+6) Knowledge (Current Events) 14 (+16) Knowledge (Civics) 4 (+6) Language 2 (Englishbase, French, Spanish) Notice 8 (+10) Perform [Oratory] 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 3PP Connected (possibly) Benefit 1 (Wealth) Improved Initiative Powers: Feature 1 (Temporal Anchor) [1 PP] Abilities 20 + Saves 13 + Combat 16 + Skills 18 + Feats 3 + Powers 1 = 71 PP Edited June 1, 2023 by Supercape Link to comment
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