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Mantis (PL12) - NPC Tier 2


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Note that the name Mantis has been used before by either Marvel or DC (I can't remember off-hand), but the last time I asked AA about this, he said it should be alright.  Hopefully that's still the case.

 

 

Character Name: Mantis
Power Level: 12 (180/180PP)
Trade-Offs: -4 Attack / +4 Damage (Scythe), -2 Defense / +2 Toughness

In Brief: Cyborg Arms Dealer

 

Alternate Identity: Christian Mannis
Identity: Public (though Mannis himself is rather underground, especially these days)
Affiliations: To be revealed during play!

 

Description:
Age: 32
Apparent Age: Indeterminable
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Metallic and scarred
Height: 5’ 9” when “crouched,” 7’ 2” standing tall
Weight: 650 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Mostly burnt off

When relaxed, Mantis is a lumpy man in bulky clothing, often a long robe with the hood pulled up, as little else fits his misshapen body.  His face may still be exposed: a few slivers of scar-heavy skin sit between metal plates, his built-in goggles, and breathing apparatus. 

 

When excited, Mantis rises over a foot in height on his triple-segmented legs, exposes whichever weapon he currently prefers from his right arm, sprouts several flexible cord-like tentacles, and if necessary, activates his built-in jetpack, which usually burns away his clothing in a short order to reveal the metal monster beneath.  His body is heavily armored and covered with tubes and wires.

 

His voice sounds like a possessed Speak & Spell and he smells of burning oil.  This is not an individual that most people want to spend time with.

 

Power Descriptions:

Mantis is enhanced (and indeed, kept alive) by intense cybernetic modifications; at this point, he is more machine than man.  These are usually somewhat concealed, but in combat he unfolds like the world’s meanest Swiss Army Knife to reveal several nasty weapons. 

 

History:

Once upon a time, Christian Mannis might’ve been a C-list villain thanks to the peculiar scythe-device he fitted over his right hand.  Mostly, he sold guns to bad people for lots of money.  This wasn’t a career with a long life expectancy, and so as tends to happen in these cases, the FBI invested significant resources toward catching him.  Had he been captured by any of their many regular agents, Mannis might have gone relatively quietly.  Instead he ran afoul of Adept, a telekinetic misanthrope who made the arrest look laughably easy.  When Mannis watched his latest enemy prepare to gain an invitation to the prestigious AEGIS thanks to that night, his pride boiled over, and he snapped.  He activated the bomb in his signature weapon, preferring to die and take some of the nearest agents with him rather than be a flawless victory for the FBI. 

 

But to the surprise of all, especially Mannis himself, he did not die (two of the agents next to him were not so lucky, and several more were seriously injured).  He fell into a coma, yes.  He lost his entire right arm and many other things, yes.  The doctors were forced to amputate even further until he was only kept alive by extensive life support, yes.  But he lived.

 

Many in the FBI were displeased at the tax dollars devoted to saving a man who would probably never even awaken to see his trial, but the law is the law.  For more than a year, Mannis lay silent in his hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines and stuck full of tubes.  Then one day, he didn’t.  A nurse made the usual rounds to find nothing but an empty room. 

 

Who broke him out?  Who rebuilt him into this technological warmonger?  And perhaps most importantly, why? 

 

If the Mantis has his way, they’ll find out soon enough.  They’ll all find out.
 

Personality & Motivation:

Mantis wasn’t a nice person even before being blown to bits and reforged as a walking war crime.  He doesn’t enjoy what he’s become; his quality of life has, safe to say, dropped quite a bit.  He eats through tubes and digests with more tubes.  He cannot feel the wind on his skin, because what little he has left is nothing but thick scar tissue. 

 

He blames the United States government, and in particular, he blames Agent James Warne.  Maybe he’ll feel a little better after he does to Adept what he did to himself.  Probably not, but there’s only one way to know for sure. 
 

Powers & Tactics:

Mostly, he’s got guns.  Big, powerful guns.  The large caliber machine gun, grenade launcher, and flamethrower are all cleverly contained within his oversized right arm…as is the long scythe that continues to be his namesake; while less accurate, it packs an unholy punch, and the curve of the blade often lets him sweep his targets off their feet and send them flying through the air.  Mantis cycles through these various weapons as needed.  His rebuilt legs each have two knees and a lot of height, so he can move quickly on foot, but even quicker through the air via his jetpack.  The tentacles that stem from his back and ribcage (five in total: three attached to his spine and one beneath each regular arm) are mostly for utility purposes (his mechanical hands can be clumsy), but he won’t hesitate to use them to get a better hold on someone in a grapple. 

 

No matter his approach to battle, Mantis is always very aggressive right until he is forced to retreat.  He chooses his tactics not based on personal preference, but on whatever he thinks his enemy is weakest to.  If his opponent fights at range, then he closes the distance and attacks with his scythe.  If a melee brawler comes after him, then he flies out of reach and blasts them to pieces.  He has methods for one-on-one duels or entire groups.  After spending his adult life running guns, Mantis is very willing to use them against anyone who stands in the way of his revenge.
 

Abilities: 8 + 8 + 8 + 2 + 4 + 0 = 30PP
Strength: 18 (+4)
Dexterity: 18 (+4)
Constitution: 18 (+4)
Intelligence: 12 (+1)
Wisdom: 14 (+2)
Charisma: 10 (+0)

Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP
Initiative: +4
Attack: +4 Base, +8 Scythe, +12 Ranged

Grapple: +12 (+4 Attack, +4 Strength, +4 Super-Strength)
Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus, +2 Flat-Footed)
Knockback: -12

Saving Throws: 6 + 6 + 6 =18PP
Toughness: +14 (10 Impervious)
Fortitude: +10 (+4 Base, +6)
Reflex: +10 (+4 Base, +6)
Will: +8 (+2 Base, +6)

Skills: 44R = 11PP

Bluff 4 (+4)

Craft (Mechanical) 7 (+8)

Intimidate 8 (+8)

Knowledge (Technology) 9 (+10)

Language 2 (English (Native), Mandarin Chinese, Russian)

Notice 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 6 (+8)

Feats: 15PP

All-Out Attack

Attack Focus 8 (Ranged)

Dodge Focus 6

 

Powers (All powers have the Technology Descriptor): 4 + 6 + 9 + 20 + 1 + 6 + 8 + 39 = 93PP

Additional Limbs 3 (5 Tentacles; PF: Ambidexterity) [4]

Flight 3 (50MPH) [6]

Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9]

Protection 10 (Extra: Impervious) [20]

Speed 1 (10MPH) [1]

Super-Senses 6 (Visual (Extended (100’), Darkvision 2, Distance Sense, Infravision), Radio) [6]

Super-Strength 4 [8]

Weapon Arm Array 18 (PF: Alternate Power 3) [39]

            BP: Blast 12 (Grenade Launcher) (Extra: Area (Burst)) [36]

            AP: Blast 12 (Flamethrower) (Extra: Secondary Effect) [36] [Fire Descriptor]

            AP: Blast 12 (Machine Gun) (Extra: Autofire) [36]

            AP: Strike 12 (Scythe) (Extra: Linked; PFs: Accurate 2, Extended Reach, Knockback 8, Mighty); Trip 12 [36]


Drawbacks: -3PP

Vulnerable: Electricity (Common, Moderate (+50%)) [3]


DC Block:

ATTACK        RANGE      SAVE                   EFFECT

Scythe        Touch      Toughness DC31         Physical

Machine Gun   Ranged     Toughness DC27         Physical

Grenades      Ranged     Toughness DC27         Physical

Flamethrower  Ranged     Toughness DC27         Energy

 

Carrying Capacity: 38 Str.

LIGHT         MEDIUM    HEAVY       MAX       PUSH/DRAG

1,064 lbs.    1 Ton     1.5 Tons    3 Tons    7.5 Tons

 

 

Totals: Abilities (30) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (18) + Skills (11) + Feats (15) + Powers (93) - Drawbacks (3) = 180 Power Points

Edited by Blarghy
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