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Agent A - The Drifter - PL7 Hero


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Character Name The Drifter

Power Level: 7 (108/109PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Unspent PP: 1

Gold Status: 4/30

In Brief: A young, costumed hero with little more than his mask and scavenged tools.

Alternate Identities: Carter Washington

Identity: Secret

Birthplace: Freedom City

Occupation: Day laborer

Affiliations: None

Family: Father; John Washington, Living. Danisha Hardaway, Mother, Living. Estranged from both.

Age: 19, born April 1991

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: African-American

Height: 6 foot

Weight: 170 pounds

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Black

Description: During the day, Carter does not stand out too much. He is tall, standing at just a hair over 6 feet tall, though he is a little thin for his height at 170 pounds. His hair is cropped short, though it is rough in places, as if it hasn't been cut in a while. His clothes are non-descript most of the time, and might be a little ragged, most of it coming from thrift stores. If given an opportunity, however, he cleans up very well. He is actually quite handsome, and can be charming when he puts his mind to it. However, he doesn't think of it too much, and doesn't always put this to use.

However, when night falls, a different young man appears. Clad in a ballistic vest and cargo pants, armed with scavenged tools stuffed into a backpack, and masked by a bandana, the masked Drifter is a terror on those who would prey on the people of Freedom City. The very makeshift nature of his disguise has become distinctive among the criminal element, especially in Greenbank, and inspired the name the papers gave him. Luckily, he is no longer homeless, but he is not about to correct anyone, and the name has stuck. Carter finds it "very Clint Eastwood" in his own words, so it works for him.

History: Carter was the product of a broken home. He lived alternately with his father, an alcoholic who was abusive when he bothered to acknowledge Carter at all, and a mother who spent more time worrying about feeding her addiction than her son. His only escape was into the stories of costumed heroes that he would read and see in the newspapers and a few comic books that he managed to find. He hoped that one day he could get away from the life he lead, and somehow become a hero. He idolized the costumed detective Foreshadow, who he followed as he cleaned up Southside. He hoped to be able to do the same in his own neighborhood of Greenbank.

However, these escapes were few and far between. Eventually, the abuse and neglect became too much for him to handle, and one day when he was 15 he simply left. He attempted to hide for some time, before he realized that no one was looking for him. His parents had apparently not reported him missing. He finished up high school quietly, living on the streets for several years. However, one night not too long after he left, he heard a scream in the night. Instead of running away, he moved towards the screams. A woman was being robbed by two of the local gang members. Something in Carter snapped, and he lunged for the robbers, catching them by surprise. Carter was always big for his age, and he was able to overpower the men and save their victim.

One of the victims was carrying an item that would perhaps change his life forever, though it didn't seem so at first; a telescoping baton. Thinking simply to help protect himself on the mean streets, he took the weapon from the man. However, they managed to get a look at his face, and one day soon, they came for him, and brought some backup. Carter fought like a man possessed, and managed to fight through and escape. However, he knew that they would only come looking for him again. He needed to take them down first.

And thus was the Drifter born into a trial by fire. Though untrained, he began to work to take down the gang piece by piece using cunning and talent, eventually managing to get the gang leader himself arrested after a brawl ranging through the abandoned train yards. They had managed to knock over a shipment of some tech, and Carter was tempted to take one thing that the leader carried; a grapple hook gun. It was then that Carter realized something. It wasn't much, but he had done something about his town, just like his childhood heroes had done. He had even gotten into the papers, if only on the back page. They spoke of a "mysterious, masked drifter" who the police saw fighting at the scene.

And he wasn't going to stop there. Carter began to spent his nights as the Drifter, fighting against the various criminal elements in Greenbank and beyond. As he graduated high school and turned 18, he entered an assisted living program, getting a small apartment of his own as well as job assistance. However, he still spends his nights as the masked Drifter, hunting those who would prey on the defenseless. His skills as a detective and fighter grew the hard way, through raw experience. Though young, he has the potential to make an impact, should he be given the opportunity.

Personality & Motivation: Carter is rather optimistic for someone of his means and past, as well as one who participates in his brand of "leisure activities". He tries to see a bright side of everything, and very little gets him down. He tends to deal with stress through humor, which can annoy those of a more serious bent. That said, he is able to keep a cool head in stressful situations, which allows him to capitalize on his opponent's mistakes. He is very caring towards those he would call friends, and has something of a hero complex, like many costumed heroes. Despite his relatively sparse education, Carter is quite intelligent and very clever.

Carter is very charming when he puts his mind to it. Despite his current loner tendencies in his hero persona, Carter has the potential to be a leader with some more experience. That said, he is very respectful of other heroes, especially those with more experience than him, and would be more than willing to team up with a group should circumstances demand it, or simply if he was asked. He has something of an inferiority complex about his own skills, which is what is preventing him from trying to attach himself to a group of his own volition. Despite what his name might imply, he is very loyal, and far from flighty. He has a strong code against killing, even when it might be appropriate. No one expected him to be anything but a criminal, and he wants to prove them wrong.

Though his start into masked heroism began with a simple need for survival, Carter is determined to do his part in cleaning up the streets of Freedom City, however small it might be. While some might write him off as a thrill-seeker putting himself into danger needlessly, Carter does have a passion for what he does, and truly wants to help Freedom City.

Powers & Tactics: As he has no powers himself, nor the budget of tech-based heroes, Carter is forced to rely on his own skill, cunning, and those gadgets and equipment that he can scavenge or make himself on the cheap, like homemade smoke bombs. He owns a telescoping baton and a grappling hook gun, souvenirs of his first adventure as the Drifter, and has since trained himself to be proficient in their use. The latter is a bit in disrepair now, which is worrying to Carter. He is a brawler through and through, and hard experience has taught him some of what works and what doesn't. When he is able, he prefers to get the drop on his opponents, taking them out with stealthy strikes and slinking back into the shadows. What he does is far from pretty, but it often works.

One thing that is working for him is his growing reputation. He has become known as a hunter of street gangs and organized crime, and sometimes his reputation alone is enough to give his opponents pause, or even cause them to flee the scene when he arrives. He is also not above exploiting every advantage he can get in combat, especially to slink back into the shadows for another strike. He has not had to test himself against a super-powered foe yet, and is a bit hesitant to do so.

Complications:

Enemies: The organized crime and gangs of the city are beginning to take notice of the hero, and are gunning for him. This is especially true in Greenbank, his usual stomping grounds, though Carter is beginning to branch out more as he acquires more tools.

Secret: Carter protects his civilian identity. While he is not particularly worried about any family members that he knows, having to watch his own back 24/7 is not appealing to him.

Struggling: Formerly homeless, Carter is living in assisted housing in a small apartment in Greenbank and works as a day laborer to get by. It's not much, but it's a place to live and a job, which is more than he had.

Abilities: 6 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 = 30pp

Str 16 (+3)

Dex 16 (+3)

Con 14 (+2)

Int 14 (+2)

Wis 14 (+2)

Cha 16 (+3)

Combat: 14 + 14 = 28pp

Initiative: +7

Attack: +7

Grapple: +10

Defense: +7, +3 Flat-Footed

Knockback: -3

Saving Throws: 3 + 2 + 3 = 8pp

Toughness: +7 (+2 Con, +3 Vest, +2 Roll)

Fortitude: +5 (+2 Con, +3)

Reflex: +5 (+3 Dex, +2)

Will: +5 (+2 Wis, +3)

Skills: 84R = 21pp

Acrobatics 6 (+9)

Bluff 6 (+9, +13 Attractive)

Climb 6 (+9)

Diplomacy 6 (+9, +13 Attractive)

Disable Device 6 (+8)

Escape Artist 6 (+9)

Gather Information 6 (+9)

Intimidate 6 (+9)

Investigate 6 (+8)

Knowledge (Streetwise) 6 (+8)

Notice 6 (+8)

Search 6 (+8)

Sense Motive 6 (+8)

Stealth 6 (+9)

Feats: 21pp

Attractive

Blind-Fight

Defensive Roll 1 (+2 Toughness)

Equipment 4

Evasion 2

Fearsome Presence 3

Improved Initiative

Improvised Tools

Luck 1

Move-by Action

Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Stealth)

Sneak Attack

Takedown Attack

Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Well-Informed

Baton (Strike 2; Power Feats: Mighty) [3EP]

Vest (Protection 3) [3EP]

Grapple Gun (Super-Movement 1 [swinging] + Speed 1 [10mph / 100ft per Move Action]) [3EP]

The Pack (9EP Array): Bolas (Snare 4), Alternate Powers: Throwing Stones (Blast 4, Feats: Mighty 1), Homemade Smoke Bombs (Obscure 4, Visual Senses, Extras: Independent) [11EP]

Powers: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0pp

Drawbacks: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0pp

DC Block

ATTACK      RANGE     SAVE                        EFFECT

    Unarmed     Melee     DC18 Toughness (Staged)     Damage

    Baton       Melee     DC20(22*) Toughness (Staged)     Damage

    Bola        40ft      DC14 Reflex (Staged)        Entangled/Bound (fail by 5 or second hit)

    Stone       40ft      DC20(22*) Toughness (Staged)     Damage


*Sneak Attack

Abilities (30) + Combat (28) + Saving Throws (8) + Skills (21) + Feats (21) + Powers (0) - Drawbacks (0) = 108/109 Power Points

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Oh no, he's nothing like, say, The Punisher or anything like that.

When I say vigilante, I mean like Batman or Spider-Man is a vigilante, as in a civilian taking the law into his own hands. Carter definitely has a code of honor that he follows in his dealings. I think it's just a semantic difference. I'll edit it to clear up the confusion.

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Alright, let's go over the crunchy bits then! It all checks out, I just have one question. You bought an odd number of base attack. you can achieve the same by buying an even number and adding 1 dodge focus, saving 1pp. If you're OK with losing a point in the wash, i'll stamp it.

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I was trying to plan for the future there; when Drifter gets points enough to get to PL8, he can buy the next point and have a +4 bonus when flat-footed, just in case things go wrong. That was my thinking, anyway.

One quick change, though. Changing Power Attack out for Blind Fight.

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Two quick corrections that I spotted. I forgot to add my strength mod to my unarmed damage save DC, which I think I'm supposed to do. Also, I didn't notice that visual Obscure counts as two senses when it comes to points, so my equipment array was wrong. I removed olfactory Obscure, so it should work now.

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  • 2 months later...
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