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Skysong - Physicus - PL10 Hero


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Player's Name: Skysong

Power Level: 10 (150/158)

Trade-Offs: N/A

Unspent PP: 8

Character’s Name: Physicus (technically Physicus II, but he doesn't use the full title)

Alternate Identity: Zakitaj Kelembran (Zah-ki-ta-jay Keh-lem-bren)

Age: 32 (advanced age due to cryosleep; physically only 24. Born 1978 AD by Earth calendar.)

Gender: Male

Height: 6 feet 1 inch

Weight: 157 lbs (about 300 lbs armored)

Eyes: Aqua

Hair: Brown

Description: Zakitaj Kelembran is an imposing figure; standing at a little over six feet tall, with a shoulder-length mane of straight brown hair that bounces when he moves yet somehow manages to look bold rather than effeminate, he seems to fill up any space in which he finds himself, no matter the size. His eyes, the teal of the sea off of Cancun in color, are capable of both touching warmth and terrifying hardness; they move through a vast range of emotions in time with the shifting tone of his rich bass voice. His movements are full of grace and purpose, and his stance exudes confidence and a pride in his deeds that is inspiring rather than haughty. Only the most perceptive of individuals can see that beneath all of his emotional armor is a heavily-suppressed fear: the fear of making a mistake and dooming himself and his people to damnation in the eyes of the world.

His battlesuit is no less impressive; a fluid silver and purple bodysuit with no joints or seams, it stretches elegantly when he moves. The chestplate, faceplate, groin, elbows, knees, hands, and feet of the suit are the dark purple of an iris flower, while the rest resembles elemental mercury. There are no facial features on the artificial head, adding to the seamless, statue-like appearance of the suit; internal hollows and phased materials allow for him to speak, see, and hear through the helmet, which uses genetically-engineered plants to provide an infinitely-recycling self-contained air supply. The tips of the suit's fingers are of the same purple color as the rest of each hand, but are slightly longer than Zakitaj's actual fingers because they contain the generators for his Kinetic Projector; should his arms be restrained while he retains the suit, he can utilize a secondary projector embedded in the chest area, though only one projector can be used at a time and the backup one only becomes active in the event of such restraint.

History: ((Note: paragraphs 1-3 give background on the planet Khalados, its history, and its culture, information which causes Zakitaj's biography in the later paragraphs to make more sense. If you would like to skip to Zakitaj's story, go to the fourth paragraph and those following it.))

Fifty thousand years ago, the enigmatic alien race known as the Preservers left Earth after tinkering with the genetics of the emerging Human race for countless millenia. They left a great deal behind, advancements that would allow Humans to become the dominant species on the planet, but they also took a great deal with them, including "samples" of those they'd worked on. They used these "samples", which they viewed with a level of scientific detachment that bordered on sickening, to "seed" other planets across the galaxy with Humans before abruptly vanishing; no one knows quite what became of them. Their legacy, however, continued not only on Earth but on the many worlds they seeded. One of these worlds, which its inhabitants came to call Khalados (interestingly, it means "Earth" in their language), is where the tale of Zakitaj Kelembran begins.

Khalados was a small (1/8 the size of Earth), rocky planet with a weak atmosphere; it might be theorized that seeding it was a cruel experiment in the adaptability of the Human species. For millenia its inhabitants had an average lifespan of about twenty years due to the harsh environment. Somehow, they evolved much like the Humans of Earth, perhaps vestiges of the Preservers' meddling. Their culture, however, was strikingly different due to the nature of their homeworld. Huge photosyntheic insect-creatures took the role of plants, processing carbon dioxide into oxygen; with no vegetation, farming never developed, and nomadic culture never died out. The Khaladi learned the technique of "hunt rotation", allowing the herds of the insectoids' smaller cousins to replenish themselves to keep food resources available. They organized themselves into tribes which pursued these vast herds across the face of the planet, meeting once a year to trade ideas and food.

The yearly meetings gradually led to the establishment of a set location, upon which the first permanent city was built roughly ten thousand years ago. The wise sage Formori came to oversee this city, and commanded that all the best and brightest of each tribe be brought there to pool their ideas and advance the Khaladi people as a whole. Disputes over hunting rights and the like became fewer and fewer as new technologies were freely shared and a standardized language was established for the entire planet. Three thousand years ago, the sage Pauz formally united the tribes under a single government; his descendants, advised by a council of the best and brightest of their people, would move the species forward. Though tribal tensions remained and sometimes erupted, the next three thousand years would be a golden age for Khalados, the time when their technology surpassed that of Earth.

Zakitaj Kelembran was born in the Earth year 1978, the result of one of Prince Kastig's amorous episodes with a young scientist whose name remains unknown. Kastig was third in line for the throne, and with healthy older siblings he merely enjoyed the benefits of his position without worrying about the responsibilities. He claimed his illegitimate child, allowing him to grow up much as any member of the royalty would despite the fact that laws excluded the young boy from ever holding a position of authority. Handsome even from a young age, with a deep voice and large vocabulary that made him seem much older than he was, Zakitaj became much like his father; life was a game, and he knew he was one of the best players. At the age of seven he walked the palace delivering scathing, sarcastic jokes about anyone he laid eyes on; usually, even the victims of such jokes had to admit they were funny.

He might never have learned to be remotely responsible without outside intervention, intervention which came when he was eight. Khalados received a visitor that seemed to be of their kind but hailed from another planet: Earth. A disheartened teleporting superhero called Physicus, having left his homeworld after the Moore Act of 1984 made costumed vigilantism illegal, was surprised to find other Humans on a planet so far away, and decided to stay awhile. The locals were intrigued by him, and he was asked to tutor members of the royal family, Zakitaj among them. He accepted the position, and the young bastard was the most eager student of anyone. From Physicus he learned English and was regaled with tales of Freedom City's better years; he also learned discipline, patience, and subtlety, attributes that would serve him well throughout his life. Physicus taught the Khaladi royal family for fourteen years before his health caught up with him and he departed into the stars one last time.

Zakitaj grew into a fine young man, much beloved by those who knew him. He remembered Physicus's stories and the lessons they taught; his desire to make something of himself led to intensive training that greatly benefitted his natural grace and agility. His father, impressed with his devotion, allowed him access to the royal armory, where he first gained access to the royal battlesuit that became so important to him. Zakitaj hoped that, one day, he might be to Khalados what Physicus and other superheroes like him had been to Freedom City; a guide and protector despite a lack of official status. It was not to be; in the Earth year 2002, everything changed. First contact was made with an alien race; unfortunately, that race was the ruthless Broan Empire, which brought not a peace delegation but an invasion fleet and a demand of surrender. Proud and confident in his people's technology, the king of Khalados refused. It soon proved to be a mistake.

Things went well at first; the Broan fleet deployed landing craft in an attempt to capture the planet intact, but their ground forces were soundly thrashed by the Khaladi in their potent battlesuits. Within a few hours, the Broan grunts had been routed and taken prisoner; the Khaladi code of honor forbade them from killing even these invaders. As they marched these prisoners into the capital, planning to use them to prove their strength in renewed negotiations, they were horrified to see the fleet above charging its weapons. The Broan mercilessly bombarded Khalados from orbit, heedless of the presence of their own troops; the Khaladi had only small shuttlecraft used for exploration of their solar system, and were utterly unprepared for this tactic. Most of the Royal Family boarded one of these shuttles in an attempt to board the Broan command vessel and shatter the chain of command, but the shuttle was incinerated moments after launch.

Zakitaj was not aboard; he had doubted the decision to fight from the beginning, and when he saw the bombardment being unleashed he and the council of advisors gathered everyone they could and hid underground, beneath the ruins of the capital city. They remained there while the battle ended; it took no more than a day for their entire civilization to be reduced to dust. The Broan fleet moved on, leaving behind a token garrison to oversee the strip-mining of Khalados. The few Khaladi survivors huddled beneath the ruins, waiting for the moment when they would be discovered and forced into a fight that would finish them off. They could hear the alien machines coming ever closer, and had nearly given up all hope when the sound of weapons discharges replaced the hum of the mining drills. Zakitaj emerged, hopeful that others of his people had survived and that there might be a chance to drive away the remaining Broan.

Instead he discovered a great starship, neither Broan nor Khaladi in design, which had landed some distance away in the ruins of a market square. Down the ramp strode none other than Physicus, even more frail and aged than Zakitaj remembered. The two of them teamed up to lead a charge from the Khaladi shelter to the starship; it would be later known as the “bloody runâ€. Dozens of unarmed Khaladi were cut down by Broan weapons as they tried to reach their only chance of escape and survival; Physicus was gravely wounded, and Zakitaj carried him most of the way to the ship. He died just short of the ramp he’d only just descended. A mere hundred or so Khaladi out of the half a billion that had inhabited the planet days earlier made it to the ship, which several of them managed to pilot away from their devastated homeworld.

The ship proved fast enough to outrun the Broan garrison, but it seemed there was nowhere for the last survivors of Khalados to go. Zakitaj, studying the star charts aboard the vessel his mentor had somehow acquired, managed to locate Earth and set a course; the voyage would take eight long years. The young man vowed that he would bring his old friend home for burial. He also promised to continue to aspire to his goal; he could not be the hero Khalados needed, but with his training and technology, he might just be able to become one of the heroes of Earth and forge a new home for the remaining Khaladi there. Settling into one of the cryo-tubes for the journey, he merely hoped that he could make his survival mean something.

((Note: At first glance, it may seem like feats such as Contacts, Connected, and Well-Informed are poor choices given Zakitaj’s background; however, since he knows 100 Khaladi survivors who will be integrated into the population of Freedom City in various positions, he actually has a wide range of “Human resourcesâ€. Also, nothing is stated about Zakitaj’s arrival on Earth, nor how he gains his superheroic alias, though the inspiration for it should be obvious; this is because I would like that to unfold in the first thread he takes part in.))

Personality & Motivation: Zakitaj knows all too well that he both represents and gives hope to his people; where he was once a jokester with a taste for sarcasm and wordplay, doing what he enjoyed during and in-between doing his duty, he has now taken on the role of figurehead, doing everything by the book so that he can safely be exposed to constant public scrutiny. One failure to meet his people's expectations, or one PR issue with the wider world, and he has failed in the harsh mission he has partially been given and partially created for himself. He is fiery and passionate in his pursuit of justice, doing his best to emphasize the contributions made to Freedom City by Khaladi such as himself without sounding pompous or repetitive. Given the power of his battlesuit, and the fact that he alone can use it in all the universe, he cannot settle for the more mundane life he longs for; he must be a champion or a failure, and the latter is never an option in his eyes.

Powers & Tactics: Incapable of anything truly superhuman on his own (though he is at peak Human level in several areas), Zakitaj relies on his battlesuit to help him survive confrontations with heavy munitions or powerful foes. Though he’s quite stealthy, his potent Kinetic Projector and heavily reinforced armor lend themselves well to front-line fighting, as does his incredible way with words, a weapon no less mighty.

Complications:

Enemy: The Broan Empire doesn’t leave survivors; Zakitaj is, to them, an embarrassing loose end that they will go to lengths to tie up, preferably by making him an example.

Hatred: Zakitaj lost everything but his life to the Broan, but that loss was also caused by the arrogance of his homeworld’s leaders; he loathes both the alien race and rash, overconfident politicians, and will take risks to attack them (one with weapons and the other with words).

Honor: Zakitaj holds to the code of honor favored by his people; he will never kill, and is obligated to ensure that any criminals he captures or subdues receive a fair trial.

Responsibility: Zakitaj is the only superhuman among the hundred or so survivors of his homeworld; his actions reflect on all of his fellows.

Public Identity: Zakitaj, as a champion of the Khaladi, makes no secret of his identity. This makes him easier to target through those close to him.

Stats: 2+10+0+4+4+10 = 30 pp

Str: 12 (+1)

Dex: 20 (+5)

Con: 10 (+0)

Int: 14 (+2)

Wis: 14 (+2)

Cha: 20 (+5)

Combat: 20 (+5 Defense, 5 attack bonus) = 20 pp

Attack: +5 (+10 ranged thanks to Attack Focus (Ranged) 5 ranks)

Grapple: +6 (Strength bonus + attack bonus)

Defense: +10 (+2 flat-footed b/c +5 bonus from Dodge Focus)

Knockback: -0 (or -5 with Device)

Initiative: +9 (+5 dex, +4 Improved Initiative)

Saves: 5+5+5 = 15 pp

Toughness: +0 or +10 (+0 Con, +10 Device)

Fortitude: +5 (+0 Con, +5)

Reflex: +10 (+5 Dex, +5)

Will: +7 (+2 Wis, +5)

Skills: 60 ranks = 15 pp

Computers 8 (+10)

Diplomacy 10 (+15)

Gather Information 5 (+10)

Intimidate 10 (+15)

Knowledge (Current Events) 8 (+10)

Knowledge (Technology) 8 (+10)

Speak Language 1 (Khaladi and English)

Sense Motive 5 (+7)

Stealth 5 (+10)

Feats: 32 pp

Attack Focus (Ranged) (5 ranks)

Connected

Contacts

Distract (Intimidate)

Dodge Focus (5 ranks)

Elusive Target

Evasion (2 ranks)

Fascinate (Diplomacy)

Fearless

Fearsome Presence (10 ranks)

Improved Initiative

Ranged Pin

Startle

Well-Informed

Powers: 42 pp = 42 pp

Device 10 (Khaladi Royal Battlesuit (Super-Science); Extras: Hard to lose (4 points per rank); Power Feats: Restricted 2 ranks (only usable by those descended from the Khaladi royal family, which now only includes Zakitaj)): 42 pp

Device Powers (50/50 device points)

Immunity 9 (Life Support System (Super-Science); Grants Immunity (Life Support)): 9 device points

Protection 10 (Khaladi Phaseweave (Super-Science); Extras: Impervious (+1)): 20 device points

Kinetic Control (Blast) 10 (Kinetic Projector (Super-Science); Power Feats: Alternate Power): 21 device points

AP: Deflect 10 (Kinetic Projector (Super-Science); Deflects slow and fast projectiles)

Drawbacks: -4 pp = -4 pp

Normal Identity: Zakitaj is powerless without his battlesuit, which takes 1 full-round action to don. (-4 pp).

DC Block:

Kinetic Control (Blast) 10 --- 25/Toughness --- Bruised, Staggered

Fearsome Presence 10 --- 20/Will --- Shaken/Fleeing/Panicking

Costs: Abilities (30) + Combat (20) + Saves (15) + Skills (15) + Feats (32) + Powers (42) - Drawbacks (04) = 150/158 pp

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Okay, just a few minor details.

Your Knockback modifier while wearing the suit is -10, Impervious Toughness is not halved.

Secondly, in the computation of your powers section, you forgot to pay for the 2 points of Restricted on the Battlesuit, so you are two points over budget.

Everything else checks out however.

However, I just want to double check something that I ask pretty much every new player. You are aware that you can have trade-offs correct? More damage for less accuracy and vice versa correct? The same with Defense and Toughness.

Also, as of right now, you do not meet your offensive caps. Hitting caps means that when you average your Attack and Damage (aka DC modifier) it equals your Power Level, in your case 10. Currently, you are PL 7.5 offensively.

I am just making sure you are aware of these issues. If you're good with the way things are, then so am I.

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Thanks again for getting to me so quickly! I would go insane if I had to go over a bunch of these all the time.

The Knockback modifier has been corrected.

The Powers section pp total has been updated; it should now be correct. I got rid of my 8 ranks of Craft (Electronics) to pay for Restricted; someone else will have to fix the battlesuit if I use extra effort with it.

You're quite right about the attack modifier, now that I look at it. I got rid of my 4 ranks of Notice, the Improvised Tools and Hide in Plain Sight feats, and both ranks of the Precise Shot feat. This freed up 5 power points, which I then spent on 5 ranks of Attack Focus (Ranged).

I didn't really feel like I had enough points left over to take advantage of any Trade-Offs. Maybe when I get some more pp.

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