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Post by maxwellchris on Oct 19, 2022 14:30:54 GMT
And now: LADY JUSTICE (Human Mystery Woman, Level 1) S 11, I 10, W 13, D 13, C 13, CH 7 HP 5 Signature Move: "The Scales of Justice guide the Sword of Truth!" catchphrase, uttered when she makes a stand/grand entrance/rallying cry, etc. Info: Lady Justice wears a blindfold (that she can see through just fine), carries a sword, and wears a pendant shaped like the "Scales of Justice." She carries rope and a few pairs of handcuffs as well. She also packs a firearm, but prefers to use it as a last resort, or to shoot objects, etc. She is very stern and uncompromising, much like Ditko's orginal version of "The Question." So, yeah, her Charisma is a little lower than one might expect. Her gruff attitude and rough ways of dealing with opponents sometimes put her at odds with other heroes, but she IS committed to working toward a common goal with others when it comes down to it.
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Post by Adminenkainen on Oct 19, 2022 19:48:16 GMT
11 hp at first level seems a bit high for a mysteryman/woman. Are you sure you weren't using superhero hit dice...?
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Post by maxwellchris on Oct 19, 2022 19:51:51 GMT
Yep. Rolled 2D6 instead of 1. Kick her down to 5 HP, then!
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Post by Adminenkainen on Oct 19, 2022 20:14:34 GMT
Lady Justice just got a lot squishier!
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Post by order99 on Oct 20, 2022 2:23:56 GMT
Alex Diamond (Alejandro Pedernal, Lab Accident) Origin: Android Class: Fighter Level: 2 Alignment: Neutral STR 16 AC 5/14 Unarmored. HP 11 Attack +1 (+2 Melee) Move: 12 INT 12 Save: 16, +3 vs Poison ,Missles, +1 Science, Plot WIS 9 CON 13 Current Karma: 1 Current XP: 2500 Current Funds:$1200 DEX 10 CHA 11 Background: Chemist. Alejandro can analyze, synthesize, and utilize any element or compound currently known 1930's Science. +1 to all attempts, no roll needed unless his skills fall into Comic Book Science territory. Languages and Skills (1D6): Alejandro can speak his native Spanish and his adopted English with perfect fluency and several regional accents. Hangups: Unrecognized Achievements (his Master's Degree is unrecognized in the US) Black, Oily Blood (severe injury will reveal his unnatural nature). Undocumented (Alejandro is faking his death and passing as an American Citizen). Origin Abilities: In addition to natural AC 7/12, Alejandro's reinforced body has a permanent Costume, Helmet and Shield bonus. This is a replacement for an Android's normal Daily Power, and cannot be supplemented by further Armor unless in excess of AC 5/14, nor any Cover Bonus. Mr Pedernal has a 45% immunity to disease, gas or poison, and a 3+ chance on 1D6 to detect and follow radio signals to a source and always knows Magnetic North. Strong sources of transmission or industrial-strength magnetism overwhelm his senses however, making him nearly helpless. Also, his reinforced, nearly-crystalline flesh heals at half the normal rate-but a bath of extremely potent salts energized by a mild current invigorate his cells into fantastic growth of 1HP per 2 hours. Class Abilities: May use any weapon or armor (to lesser effect-see Origin Abilities) and may use Guns without a Save vs Plot. Two attacks per turn against Mobsters of less than a full Hit Die. Equipment
Several well-tailored suits Several Casual outfits and a light Barn Coat. 1914 Mauser (range 200, 1D6 Damage) Walking stick of flame-cured Spanish Ebony (1D6-1 damage) Bedroll Two Man portable tent Rabbit Trap 2 First Aid Kits Footlocker filled with common chemicals, cleaners, tiny alcohol stove and cans of and tinned food Gently used 1912 Curved Dash Oldsmobile with modifications to motor and suspension (same stats as Model T) Description: A neatly groomed man of medium height and weight, tanned skin, European features, Hazel eyes, short, jet-black hair and a pencil-thin mustache. Polite, soft-spoken and moves with assurance. He smells very faintly of ozone if exerting himself yet never seems to sweat. If he loses his temper he seems to turn cyanotic rather than choleric. Issue Zero: Go to America, they said. Land of opportunity they said. There is nothing for you in Torreon, they said....a pity that his neighbors and old classmates hadn't tried it themselves. Admittedly, a young single man with little family left had a better chance than most...but the Americanos treated him like he was a slow-witted buffoon, then avoided him when they found that his command of English often exceeded theirs. His Master's degree from the Universidad de Guadalajara was treated as nothing. Alejandro Pedernal drifted from low-paying job to low-paying job-migrant fruit picker, pest control, janitor...but at least the pay was steady, and at night the same stars shone on Alejandro that shown on everyone else. His latest job in cleaning had been in Lakefront City, at the Schuster Research Laboratories. Alone at night, Alejandro could satisfy his professional curiosity in between the scrubbing, mopping and emptying of wastebaskets-but while much of the research appeared to be dietary supplements and better ways to preserve food, some of it was.. .bizarre. There were samples of meat and bone preserves in some sort of, well, goo was the only appropriate word for it. According to the research notes (not even locked away) the 'goo' had a semi-organic crystalline structure, flowed under normal temperatures but solidified under sudden force, current or heat-and slowly replicated when fed. Tempted to the limits of his curiosity, Alejandro was so, so tempted to take a tiny sample or two for his own research-but night after night the chemist fought with himself, allowing himself only access to the other Doctor's notes... And so it was that he was leaning his mop against a lab table, engrossed in a notebook, when men with guns entered and emptied their weapons into his torso, not even giving him a chance to surrender. Vision fading, Pedernal remembered hitting a steel-hard surface that then turned into mud, thick mucus-like fluid entering his lungs as his heart faltered to a stop- And then he awoke in a truck full of corpses, and a terrified gravedigger tried to decapitate him with a spade. The spade shattered against his body, and the man ran and Alejandro was on his own with a flatbed of bodies headed to the Potter's Field. Money and jewelry were bulging from the glovebox-the man had been stealing from the dead-and some ID carelessly cast aside...one of them looked a bit like Pedernal himself.. Alex Diamante, the Driver's License read. Italian -American. And a copy of his degree, folded into an envelope along with a rosary and some dried flowers. Alex Diamante had a Bachelor's in Chemistry, and resembled Alejandro...the temptation was, at last, too much. Alex Diamond fled with a small fortune in jewelry and keepsakes, trimmed his mustache thin, took a teaching position at Lakefront Community College-and secretly ran experiments on his own flesh and blood with the castoff equipment he could purchase. At last, a decent wage, a modest apartment, conversation with intelligent men and women from the Teaching Staff... But it wasn't real. He was a fake person, a fake human even...and when the stress of false mannerisms and fake smiles became too much, Alex took his old but durable antique car out into the wilderness, where he could see the same stars that shone on young Alejandro Pedernal in Torreon. And closing his eyes, the altered being with two names could feel the stars sing gently against his flesh... And then some idiot with a gun fleeing the policia, running into you accidentally and deciding to pistol-whip you out of his way-you took exception to the harmless steel kiss, responded with your prized Ebony cane,...and suddenly the Law and the Press and your fellow teachers think that you are a hero of some kind. Can Alex Diamond keep his new life in the face of such scrutiny, or will his new life melt away like the glistening oily fluid in his veins? Editor's Notes: Stretched the Android template like taffy, sorry... Replaced the Daily power with a lesser but permanent Bonus, Altered Detect to something less Technical and linked it directly to the Weakness. I think that Alex is fairly balanced-but if someone would like to snatch him for a Playtest, be my guest...
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Post by maxwellchris on Oct 20, 2022 9:50:16 GMT
Lady Justice just got a lot squishier! May just give her a bulletproof vest, I think
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Post by order99 on Nov 17, 2022 4:07:34 GMT
Jackie Nimble (Joanna Riordan, Mild-Mannered Scrubwoman)
Origin:Half-Alien Class: Mysterywoman Speedster Level: 2 Alignment: Neutral
STR 11 AC 5/14, 4/15 in costume, HP 9, Attack +0 (+1 Missle), Move 21 INT 13 Save 15 (+3 Poison, Missles, +1 Plot, Science) WIS 9 CON 12 DEX 15 (+1) Current Karma:1 Current XP: 2500 Current Funds: $1500 CHA 13
Background: Athlete. Joanna gets a +1 to any Climbing, Swimming, Running or Grapple checks and can master any sport within hours.
Languages and Skills(2D6K1): Joanna speaks both flawless English and French due to her time in Finishing school.
Hangups: Something to Prove (will go out of her way to prove herself the equal of any man or woman and easily gets over her head) Powered Skills (her Class Abilities are based on her enhanced metabolism, and may be neutralized by anything that can negate her Speed/Origin Abilities).
Origin Abilities: +3 Move per Level (Alien Ability) +3 Move (half-man Ability)
Class Abilities: May use any weapon a Fighter might use but limited to Bulletproof Vest or less for Armor. Adds Missle Saves directly to AC. Has Heightened Skill use and access to 3 Stunts per day. Special Attack: Flurry of Blows (+2 to Strike, must be able to maneuver at Running Speed).
Equipment
Plain grey dresses and aprons for work 2 Tennis outfits, 2 Swimsuits, several pairs of running shoes and 1 Party Dress, the last still unwrapped and unused. 1 1927 Worksman Bicycle with reinforced rims, tubes, tires and chain that she tries in vain not to break by pedaling too fast.
Jackie Nimble Costume- thick canvas pants dyed electric blue, WWI Ace Flying Jacket dyed emerald green and leather helmet (also green) with goggles, sturdy-soled boots and heavy gloves with nickels sewn into the lining (+1/-1 AC, Helmet Bonus, 1D6-1 Punch)
Bandolier holding 5 Juggling Clubs (1D6-1 damage, 20' range)
3 First Aid Kits (usually only carries one at a time)
1 Canvas Messenger Bag
Description: Joanna Riordan stands ramrod straight and moves with the no-nonsense stride of someone on important business-even getting coffee and doughnuts in the morning. Her average height and weight conceal toned muscles like coiled springs. Her short black hairstyle stays out of her grey eyes which miss little. When working, her mind often appears to be somewhere else, and she doesn't bother with make-up in her janitorial garb.
As Jackie Nimble, Joanna poses like the cocky tomboy she really is, sports a genuine Gaelic accent and flirts with a Pirate's grin that lights up her entire face. She isn't afraid to get rough with the lads but prefers being faster and smarter than them.
Issue Zero: The daughter of Working-class immigrants from Kilarney, Joanna was expected to take full advantage of the 'Land of Opportunity'-and secretly resented every moment of it. Her parents scrimped and saved every penny to fund her education to Madam Mooreland's Finishing School, and Joanna graduated with honors-with the ability to cook excellent meals, mastery of shorthand and the typewriter and a flawless command of French...
Useless. Finally able to put a bit of distance between herself and her parents (who she dearly loves but chafes under the weight of their expectations) Joanna boarded a bus to the thriving metropolis of Keystone City-and found that the city was flooded with competent typists and stenographers. Undaunted, she took a job as a short order cook to make ends meet, and set her cap for Midwestern University. She was going to get a real degree, and an education as good as any man's...
Joanna began to hang out at the swimming pools, the tennis courts, making contacts-a scholarship was her only real hope of paying for Midwestern-and after learning her way around the local clubs, the campus and the college bureaucracy, Miss Riordan applied for an athletic scholarship.
Instead, the faculty offered her a Custodial job on campus. Well, it paid twice what she was making as a cook, allowed her free access to campus facilities and a cafeteria pass-better than nothing she supposed...why not? She wasn't afraid of hard work, and she could pick up extra money when some of the cafeteria cooks needed time off. Another decade of careful saving and perhaps Joanna could afford an Associate's Degree, then a Bachelor's, all on her own.
Then one fateful day there was an accident in one of the labs, and some Undergrad named Garrick nearly died. The place was an absolute wreck, nobody would go near it-but Joanna Riordan had never been afraid of messes, nor the massive bonus the campus offered for the job. Cleaning up the Cyclotron alone took an entire day, then she had to wait for the eggheads to rewire it while she scrubbed the walls of all contaminants, but didn't see any of the mineral stains she expected from all of this 'hard water' they were talking about...the faculty gave her the next day off to go with her bonus, and oh how she needed it-she was exhausted.
The next day she had a mild fever, and the day after that, then the muscle cramps set in and she started losing weight while eating like a horse at mealtimes...but a Riordan does not shirk her duties, and Joanna performed her custodial duties in a haze, oblivious to the fact she was outpacing and outperforming her peers without trying. She retired with a book on basic woodworking to help her doze off-and finished it in an hour. She read a book every night after that, devouring them like potato pancakes...three weeks later, feeling less feverish, Joanna accepted a friendly game of tennis-the balls floated at her in slow motion and she could not miss them. The next day her entire body throbbed like a bad tooth, but running seemed to loosen her back up-then one night three men tried to rob her at knifepoint and it was like she was facing toddlers, they couldn't come near her. She could have fled but got cocky and knocked one out with a brick, but then there were three more and she'd been herded into a dead end-
-And she was on the roof. She had scrambled madly at the brick like a trapped cat and within seconds she was on the roof. What in the name of the Devil's Backside was going on here?
Late at night, Joanna began to test herself. She could run flat out nearly as fast as a racehorse, far faster than the sprinters on campus. She built up enough velocity to run up the side of a wall, though she nearly lost her grip at the top. On a hunch, she tried the local lake, and skipped nearly two hundred feet across the surface before sinking like a stone (well swimsuits were invented for a reason). Her testing made her cramp up something fierce-but when the cramps and strains stopped she was somehow faster. She spent her nights on four hours of sleep, snacking on sandwiches and devouring medical journals, chemistry primers, basic physics texts...near as she could figure, her mental speed had increased fourfold, her reflexes nearly threefold-and her body was trying to catch up. Now, how could she make this work for her?
Four months after her first fever, Joanna Riordan opened the newspaper and found her answer. A bank robbery had been foiled by a streak of light. A man, moving too fast to track, a blur on a photographer's plate, dressed in red...and she knew. Garrick.
She would never tell. It wasn't her place. But it did give her an idea...and with a sturdy, tear-resistant outfit, a cowl to hide her face, goggles for debris and tough, treaded boots-Jackie Nimble unleashed her One Woman Delivery Service on an unsuspecting Keystone City! Money, Notoriety and Adventure await...
Editor's Note: This is Per Negaton's fault. He keeps obsessing over Speedsters in H&H-but refuses to use Scott's Superhero Class, Scott's 1st Edition Speedster subclass or my homebrew Speedster template, go figure. The one he built for the 1886 campaign (dormant but not abandoned, so I swear!) used a Light City Elemental for Grodd's sake! So one day he asked me if I thought that a 'more realistic' Speedster could be built off of Stunts, and my brain began to boil (OW!). I thought of what a Stunt could do, realized that Wuxia-style Super Parkour could be made to work, amazing feats of mental acuity could be the result of Speed-reading several books, etc. Jackie Nimble will increase in pure speed every Level, practically dances around bullets with her AC, and can explain many of her Stunts as 'super-speed'-and could easily take a Level or two of Superhero later, for those brief bursts of "Holy Cow Did I Just Do That?"
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Post by order99 on Nov 24, 2022 0:57:52 GMT
In honor of the Holidays.... (prepares to dodge entire Internet of rotten produce ) Rex the Gobbler Slayer ( Rex, overgrown mutant chicken turned Grim Avenger) Origin: Light City Super-pet Class: Light City Super-pet Level: 3 Alignment: Neutral STR 16(+1) AC 6/13 HP 12 Attack +2 (+1 Melee) Move 24 INT 10 Save 12 (no modifiers) WIS 10 CON 15 (+1) DEX 8 Current Karma: 3 Number of Adventures: 7 Current Funds: $200.00 CHA 11 Background: Farmer. Rex has extensive knowledge of farming, land management, conservation, husbandry, fertilizers and agricultural equipment both archaic and modern. +1 to all Skill checks when applicable. Sadly, Rex has trouble integrating with society at large for the moment and has to settle for small, private gardens for now... Languages and Skills (1D6): Rex is currently literate in both English and Latin but cannot currently speak either, alas. He really wants to learn Morse Code but so far has only learned a very few basic ones such as SOS... Hangups: "It's A Giant Chicken!!!" (everyone gets a Bonus Die on Save vs Plot to penetrate Rex's disguises). "No, Seriously! A GIANT CHICKEN!!!" (Penalty Die to Recruitment Checks) Origin and Class Abilities- Not Remotely Human: In order to use technology designed for Humans, the Super-pet must make a Save vs Plot. Also, the Super-pet cannot speak Human languages unless they have taken the Human Speech Trick. They cannot use Human tools, Weapons or Armor. They have a natural attack of 1D6 damage. They are capable of learning two Tricks at Level 1, +1 Trick per Level afterwards. Faster than Most: Rex currently Moves at twice human speed. Steel-hard Feathers: Taken three times for +3/-3 AC EquipmentGigantic Trench Coat, Floppy Hat, rubber mask, Dark glasses, gigantic floppy galoshes (Human disguise) Army Surplus rucksack, tied across back, full of bags of seed corn (snacks) pencils and notepads, several beak-worn paperbacks Blue Ribbon with Medal around neck, engraved "Best in Show-Rex". Points to it a lot when trying to convince Humans he is not a terrible monster Description: Seriously, it's a Giant 'Effing Chicken-specifically, an enormous Rhode Island Red Rooster that stands a massive 6'0" and is corded with fighting muscle. The feathers have an odd, oily sheen to them, and the Talons appear more like those of an Ostrich or Emu. A disturbing intelligence appears in beady black eyes... Issue Zero: The following document was found in the office of Hugo Gernsback, editor of Amazing Stories magazine. Mr. Gernsback's doorknob appeared to be sheared completely off of the door, as if from some giant hammer-blow. The damage to the office itself was minimal, consisting of the Editor's prize Smith-Corona...the keys appear to have been repeatedly battered as if by some tiny claw-hammer. The resulting documents were found neatly by the typewriter, along with 2 $20 bills taped to the battered machine. The document reads as follows: I apologize for damage to machine. It is difficult for me to type and I will use small words and precise sentences. Typing with only a beak is difficult. Yes, BEAK. Not a joke. Keep reading please. Money on desk is for new keys. I know that you knew Doctor Clay Ludlow and visited often. You were one of his best friends and most argumentative about many subjects. He believed that H.G. Wells 'Food of the Gods' was in reach of Modern Science-you disbelieved. Doctor Ludlow should have taken warning from Wells' message in the story...but his heart was in the right place. He succeeded-in a fashion. He grew an Ox four times normal size, all meat, all appetite. But the bones could not keep pace with the meat and one day it fell over and shattered everything and Papa-Clay Ludlow was that to me- had to shoot it in the head six times to put it out of it's misery. Next experiment was me. Rex, Papa's favorite. Grew smart and fast, learned to fetch, learned to herd sheep and goats, learned all the tricks Papa taught me. You were there, watching. I remember. Grew bigger too, a little, but you were in Chicago for something and did not see that. And you were not there to see the Turkeys... I don't know if Papa used a new formula or if the species of bird was to blame-but three male and three female turkeys grew large and smart, smart like smartest of dogs or maybe monkey-never met a monkey yet-and they grew MEAN. You know that birds are supposed to have Dinosaur as a possible ancestor-these turkeys had brains like dinosaurs, the hunting kind. I watched the Gobblers-not really turkeys now-learn to open doors and break padlocks. All I could do was crow and crow to wake Papa and give him a chance. Papa heard me and grabbed a gun, shots were fired-and Papa died. But only three males and two females left the grounds. I screeched and screeched-don't know for how long-but I felt a fire in my blood and then I was smart enough to escape my pen too. I knew that the Gobblers had to die. I was not as big or as strong, but I was faster, and Man-smart now. Two months I followed them-and when the females laid eggs I crept up and shattered them and ran. Nearly caught and killed twice, but no eggs have hatched. Cannot take the chance that the Gobblers are sterile-Humans will be overrun if they are not. Twice I have felt burning in my blood and grew even faster, even bigger...I killed a female two night ago, she was strong and fierce but I was far faster and used cunning and strategy. I did not escape unscathed, but I live. One female left, kill her and it is doubtful that the males can breed with normal stock. Probably. Please help me. They no longer separate, no opportunity to pick off a single one now-and I am not strong enough to take them all. The last female must be killed. You are a respected man Hugo Gernsback, if you write an article there will be those who believe. But if you fear ridicule-then make me fiction. Enough will read, and when a reader spots a Gobbler-or myself-they might not think that they are mad or blame strong alcohol or opium... I will visit your home soon when you are alone. Please do not be afraid. I am Rex, you saw me herding lambs in the summer sun. You were Papa's friend. Please be mine too. -REX Gobblers ( Lab Experiments Run AMOK!) Description: Gobblers look like pony-sized Turkeys-but while the female's feathers are a dusty grey with brown highlights, the males have taken on some of the bright blues and greens of a peacock. Stats- Use the Medium Carnivorous Rooster from the Mobster Manual 1 Page 26. Might have a weakness to Gravy and Cranberries if the Editor is feeling festive. Editor's Notes: This Class is actually from Hideouts & Hoodlums' distant cousin Light City. The Rules are similar enough that characters are easily shoehorned back and forth. Mind you, I might be tempted to try an Animal Companion Origin for H&H...probably use the Half-man abilities, three instead of two, then the 'Not Human' weakness. It was good enough for the Alien Origin...
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Post by order99 on Jan 9, 2023 5:13:44 GMT
Mister Tremolo (Aaron Silvermann, Angel of Death and Music) Origin: Half-man Class: Magic-User Level: 3 Alignment: Neutral STR 10 AC 8/11, 7/12 with Amulet HP 9 Attack +1 (+1 Missle) Move 12 INT 10 Save 15 (+3 Magic, Poison, +1 Missles, Plot) Additional +1 with AmuletWIS 12 CON 11 DEX 15 (+1) Current Karma: 2 Current XP: 2500 Current Funds: $1300 CHA 12 Background: Luthier. Aaron specializes in the creation of stringed musical instruments and can play any that he makes, and most common ones besides. +1 to Skill Checks when applicable. Languages and Skills: Aaron speaks and reads English and Yiddish-the latter being a German dialect influenced by Hebrew, his pure German is passable but unremarkable. Hangups: Dislikes heights intensely (at least one loaded Spell is always Feather Fall) Unnatural (Detects as a Magic creature himself, though Protection Circles treat him as a mortal). His Origin Abilities may be Neutralized for 1D3 Combat Turns by Dispel Magic (though he has not yet experienced this) Save vs. Magic if the Dispel works. Origin Abilities: Uncanny Senses (only surprised on a 1 in 6 chance) Touch of Death(1D6 Damage) 'Animal' Tells- odd ice-blue eyes, hands deeply tanned and wrinkled like an old man's, sweat smells like Myrrh (incense used at burial). Class Abilities: Can use no armor and only Simple Weapons. Extensive study of Kabbalah and Gematria have given Aaron access to Spellcasting. His focus is a custom-designed instrument resembling a 4-stringed medieval Citole, but with a modern-styled fretboard and micro-tone fretting ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citole#/media/File:Citole.jpg ). This requires Aaron to use both hands but doesn't require his voice. Through this Citole Aaron can cast up to 3 Lvl 1 Spells and 1 Lvl 2 Spell per day. Spells known include: (Lvl 1) Read Languages and Magic, Sleep, Charm Person, Detect Magic, Cure Light Wounds, Feather Fall, Light, Disguise (Lvl 2) Invisibility, Summon Mobster I .
Equipment
Several sets of sturdy working man's clothes and two good suits for special occasions Luthier's Toolkit Modest cottage in Lakefront City, corner of 12th and Bright Mister Tremolo Costume- a powder-blue Great Army coat in the old Napoleonic style, with high collar to obscure the lower face and a Grace Note insignia on front pocket. Old-timey Tricorne hat of powder blue. Sturdy grey wool shirt and pants beneath, and practical black leather boots. Industrial goggles tied to the face-the brass crossbar between the lenses sport tiny brass flags, giving his eyes the appearance of Quarter Notes. Thin leather gloves conceal his gnarled hands-but not his Death Touch. An Amulet of Protection is sewn into a secret pocket near the heart (acquired previous Adventure/Editor fiat) Soft case for Citole, slung over shoulders 3 First Aid Kits, only one on his person. Slingshot Range 50, Damage 1D3 or Special 6 Gas Pellets sewn into sleeve. Hand-made with pepper and snuff, treat as Tear Gas-but only one target and only for 1 Combat Turn matchbooks and a handful of noisy firecrackers Customized WWI Surplus 1916 Harley Davidson-despite tuning and a custom muffler, this is an obsolete motorized heavy bicycle-treat as Scooter. Saddlebags have room for the other two First Aid Kits, a change of clothing and a small bedroll Description: Aaron Silvermann is in his late Twenties, with classic European features but a slightly darker complexion than a typical Nordic (his Grandmother was Syrian by birth). His once Almond eyes have turned a disturbing pale blue and his hands appear to be those of an old man with severe arthritis-but for all that they are as strong as they ever were. Unlike his late father Aaron keeps his chestnut hair in an almost military cut and is clean-shaven, and only wears his kippah at Temple-otherwise he prefers modest suits and fedoras. As Mister Tremolo, Aaron uses his antique-style coat-collar, hat and goggles to keep his face as hidden as any mask. When his Death Touch is active, tiny wisps of Moonsilver smoke drift from between his fingers. Issue Zero- April 29th, 1937: I am still uneasy looking out of the cabin, seeing the sky above and the waves so very, very far beneath. But this amazing Airship is so stable and smooth that as soon as I turn back to see Papa and Mama seated at our table it is as I am inside a house. Our table is too large-Mama tried to get Cousin Sophie and her parents to come with us, but they refused-Bremen is their home, and they think that the Germans are civilized. The Russians were civilized too, but all it took was a few muttered rumors and soon hundreds were dead in Pogram-Papa was only a child when the Cossacks came for him, and if he says that Germany is getting dangerous, I believe him. Some of our neighbors did as well-some of them are here-but not enough. I hope that there is time for them to escape later. As for us, this amazing vessel, this Hindenburg-she will be our salvation and deliverance. May 6: I cannot write. I will not write. Not now. May 17: I cannot understand what happened that day. I was watching the sky and then there were sparks and heat and Papa pushed me, he was on fire and screaming but a madman's strength propelled me out of the cabin and into the sky and then the ground and I shattered like a clay plate at a wedding... There was no pain. I could not move and there was no breath in me but I felt nothing below the neck. My last vision would be a steel mooring mast and a flickering light...but then a man bent down to see me. His eyes were covered in dark lenses and he wore a rich red opera cloak and the most perfect hat-had he come from an Opera? I had been looking forward to seeing one...he picked me up and there was no pain but I could hear broken glass bones and smell blood. The Opera Man placed me in a prone position on the ground and-what was he doing, snapping my bones back into place so that I would look better for the funeral? Was this man a funeral director? There were pops and snaps and I felt nothing but they sounded horrible. and then my Opera-goer spun my head and suddenly there was pain and dizziness, everything hurt except my hands, they were heavy like lead and colder than the coldest Winter I could remember. I think I screamed something but my Samaritan just shook his head and pointed to his watch and I could no longer see him. What had happened? Why am I unbroken? Why did he leave? And then I understood. The pointing at his watch-it didn't mean I'm in a hurry-it meant... Not Yet. A malach sent by G_d had saved me, healed me. My parents would be overjoyed. Perhaps they were-but I cannot ask them. They rest in the bosom of Abraham now. I sit Shiva at the cottage our family had bought-it was small for three but too large, so large for one. My hands look as if they were burned, but by frost and ice-the doctor says that the damage was only skin deep, and soon I will shed the old skin and be well...but he looked away from me when he spoke. I need to know if I am a cripple or not-as I sit shiva my hands tool across the maple slabs Papa took from the Black Forest Old Growth...by the time the Mourning Period has ended ( it will never end) I have a polished violin the color of my hair and when I play it the neighbors weep at its rich sorrowful tones, and I know that I am not a cripple. I give the violin to my cousin Abram Becker-it will get us a good price and perhaps it will see concert halls. May 31: I work with Cousin Abram in his shop, making wonderful things just as he and my Father had planned for me to. I will never stop mourning my parents-but the heavy cold weight of it is lifting, and the work makes it ease. I spot children going through our trash during lunch, where we throw away the imperfect instruments-flaws in the wood that we sometimes find only in the final stages, cracks from drying a bad batch of varnish-I should scold them for rooting like unclean pigs...but instead I leave some money on Abram's desk for the hide glue and shellac. When I am done our cast-offs will play. They are ugly but they hold tune and the children are overjoyed. I stay and work the whole night using the empty cigar boxes in the office and gut strings broken too short for guitars, and I make Ukuleles. In the morning the streets ring with joyful noise-and rather than kvetch at me Cousin Abram makes me take my money back. He is a very good man. November 10, 1938: Kristallnacht. Such a pretty name for such a horrible thing. Cousin Sophie is dead-as is the baby, never to be born now. Her husband Mordecai is gone.Everyone is gone. I cannot work, I burn and burn inside-but my hands are like ice, only my hands. No one works today-there is too much sorrow and anger here and it will infect our projects-and so I walk to clear my head. I know they are there before I see them-I don't know how I know but I know...when I don't advance but turn away, they follow, three of them and large, wanting a fight. I could try to outrun them- I cannot. Kristallnacht is in me and I cannot run. They come close, with balled fists and hateful words and I will not run. I am of the People of David and the Tribe of Asher, and if the goyim touch me I will return blow for blow and I will not run. I avoid the first clumsy punch and strike with all my anger-they may leave me dead in the street but they will bear my marks, every one of- There is blood, there is blood everywhere and two men are running away howling and one is on the ground and his head looks like I took a red hot axe to it....there is blood on my hands and it smokes, he is dead he is dead and I am a murderer....no. No the man breathes and moans and he tries to sit up and slumps over-I think he will live. I should help him but I dare not touch him. There is blood on me-I am Unclean. I must perform a mikvah. I have cleansed myself. My right hand has two split knuckles from where I struck the kitchen wall-but the plaster is cracked an inch deep and burned on the surface...I use my left hand, touch the plaster gently and focus, and less than a minute later there is a print of my hand on the plaster. The man that saved me was no malach, but a dybbuk-and now I am a dybbuk as well. Can a Dybbuk be Righteous in the eyes of G_D? May I still pray to Him, call him abba? I don't know. I will fast, and pray, and consult my Papa's books.... Jan 7, 1939: The man shakes my hand, knowing what I can do, and with not an ounce of hesitation. He is goyim, but he is a friend-although in a way he is also of the Chosen, a set-apart People who dwell Beneath the water...he gently handles my chosen Totem, carved as a Citole-carved not by tools in Abram's shop but with bare fingers in my cottage-Rory seems very impressed. "Just remember," he says to me over the Tuna Melt, "if you do this, hide your face. Don't let anybody find your friends and family. And most importantly," he finished with a sour frown,"give yourself a Name. If you don't name yourself, the Papers and the Radio will. I didn't exactly name myself the Damp Man you know...." I think it suits him myself-but I will take his advice. When the disease carried by Brownshirt and Blackshirt and Swastika make their way across the ocean, I will be here to make them run. Editor's Note: Claws, Death Touch, Heightened Senses, Danger Sense, Tomayto Tomahto.... Poor Tremolo has a lot of Mystic Weaknesses built in, but since they're Hangups they go away whenever the Player gets tired of harvesting Karma from them, and the character Masters his abilities better... Also, Death will be known now and forever as Opera Man...
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Post by Adminenkainen on Jan 10, 2023 18:49:14 GMT
I'd be more impressed if the tuna melt was his wand, but then his name wouldn't make as much sense...
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Post by order99 on Jan 10, 2023 23:45:16 GMT
An edible Focus? So what kind of side-effects do we get when it sits in the sun too long and goes 'off'? Or Worse, some Mobster takes a bite out of it mid-cast? Hmmmm... (gets idea for Random Super-Mobster Origins)
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Post by order99 on Mar 10, 2023 4:21:23 GMT
Delerious (David Lee Dollahyde, Lab Assistant On the Run) Origin: Human Class: Fighter Level: 2 Alignment: Neutral STR 15 AC 9/10 unarmored, 6/13 with D-Vest! HP 11 Attack: +1 (+2 melee) Move 12 INT 12 Save 16, +3 vs Poison, missles, +1 vs Science, Plot WIS 8 CON 12 Current Karma: 2 Current XP: 2500 Current Funds: $85.00 DEX 13 CHA 10 Background: Electronics. David can build and maintain any 1930's electrical or electronic product, kitbash and read schematics-anything veering into Comic Book Superscience might not be impossible either, roll at +1. Languages and Skills (1D6): David speaks and writes English. He gets a +1 at Hiding, Sleight of Hand and Games of Skill such as Chess and Poker...a Vegas kid through and through. Hangups: Wanted by the Vegas Mob, Sworn Foe of the Vegas Mob, D-Vest! Abuser (the Editor may decide to switch a Supernatural Encounter for any other type). Origin Abilities: A Human, David has a few extra Skills rather than a custom SCM. Class Abilities: May use any weapon or armor, may use Guns without a Save vs Plot. Two attacks per turn against Mobsters of less than a full Hit Die. Equipment
Three changes of casual suits in a worn carpetbag 2 First Aid Kits 2 Remington Derringers (Range 120, Damage 1D6, 2 shots per gun) and box of ammo A deck of cards The Spectacular D-Vest! This miracle of Unholy Science may be activated, and then-gives protection AC 6/13 and immunity to Head Blows, magnifies unarmed blows to 1D6-1, provides immunity to suffocation and gases of all types, and allows the user to stick to walls (Climb at 2+ on 1D6, Speed of 3). The D-Vest! can be used for a maximum of two hours at a time, after which the operator must spend at least one Exploration Turn recovering...failure to do so may incur Side-effects such as blurred vision, tinnitus, hypoxia and dizziness, and smelling 'really tasty' to Supernatural Mobsters, possibly seeing Nasty Things out of the corner of one's eye- might want to try a Rest Turn just to be on the safe side... Description: David Lee Dollahyde stands at an average height and weight, lightly tanned skin, sun-bleached curly blond hair and green eyes that never stop scanning his surroundings. He moves with a light, careful step and always knows where the nearest door is. David wears completely average grey suits, grey fedora and sensible brown shoes, but may sometimes vary shirt and tie colors for variety. His voice is clear and precise like a Radio Announcer. When his D-Vest! is active, Delerious looks like a man photographed in Negative, with Dark skin and Black, curly hair, with eyes and open mouth aglow like a neon sign, and shimmering slightly as if underwater-kind of disturbing to Normal Folk, really.... Origin Issue: Hey Kelly, it's Dave. I know we haven't talked in ages, and i'm afraid we might not talk for awhile after this...anyway Sis, just wanted you to know your stupid Brother was still alive. Yeah, that job you were afraid was Too Good to be True? Kinda was-but not the way you thought. Tillingast really was as brilliant as he came off, not a bit of fraud or humbug about him! And not a crackpot either...i'll admit that the Final Product didn't actually "allow a man to swim through Solid Matter as easily as a Duck through Water" not the prototype anyway, but Oh Man could his early model do some Serious Weirdness.... What? No, i'm fine, no side effects or anything, I don't have cancer and I don't glow in the dark, Ben was taking itty-bitty baby steps with this project, i'm fine. No, Ben Tillingast was every bit the Genius I thought he was-but I never really asked him where the money was coming from...yeah. That's the Too Good to Be True part-turns out that his 'interested parties' weren't from the Energy Department, nope.....Vegas Mafia-yeah, that Mafia Kelley...anyway, things went South in a big way, i'm laying low and Ben's....Ben....yeah. Gone-and all of his secrets with him as far as the Mob is concerned. Yeah Sis, they're after me too, No Witnesses and all that stupid Republic serial nonsense... No, I don't need money-I mean, I can get more-but don't wire me any. In fact, don't come near Nevada, stay in Wyoming where it's safe. And Kelly? Forget you ever had a brother. Not forever, but...maybe a few years? See, I know Tillingast's Secret, and i've got the Prototype. I don't have the Physics on why it works, but you bet your Sweet Bippy that I know how it works, I made the schematics, did the repairs, I could make a new one from scratch if I had to! The Big Boys aren't going to know what hit them... Run? Kelly, I can't outrun these guys. And frankly, I don't want to. Ben Tillingast was more than a paycheck Sis-he was a friend of mine. And you don't touch my friends and family. I'm going to do some touching right back. These Made Men? They're gonna believe The Devil Himself is after them-they'll be right. Watch the Papers and listen to the Radio Kelly, you'll see me there-maybe not the me that you know though...love you too hon,love you too.... Editor's Notes: So, what on Earth would posesss an Editor to give a PC such a Super-science Artifact? Well, the actual gadget just consists of: -a Starting Wealth Roll of 16 -The purchase of A... 1) Bulletproof Vest 2) Helmet 3) Shield 4) Rebreather and 5) Suction Cups, and... -Whispering seductively into the Editor's Ear to "Draw me like one of your Kirby Heroes". Yeah, I just added all of the costs, weight and effects together into one Weird Gizmo, put the Rebreather time limit on the entire package, and just change the way it looks...
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Post by Adminenkainen on Mar 11, 2023 3:22:17 GMT
Ingenious, building a new trophy item out of many smaller trophy items!
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Post by order99 on Mar 11, 2023 5:05:30 GMT
It could work for those 'always invisible' types too. Does your Character Concept need a Belt of Invisibility, and you aren't seeing a Science Hero, just a Joe/Jane with a Gimmick? Buy a Bulletproof Vest and bat your eyes at the Editor, and WHAM, AC 7/12 is the same as AC 9/10 plus Limited Visibility Bonus of +2 (H&H page 97). Add a Shield and you almost have True Invisibility (+3 Bonus instead of +4). Now this form of 'Invisible' doesn't actually help you sneak around any better-you still make noise, still have a scent and still need to roll that 5+ on your Skill Check-but it's a nice, cheap 'good enough' Handwavium-invisible that let's you engage in fisticuffs without immediately popping back into Panel...and it's also the kind of 'bulletproof' that can be countered temporarily with a lucky can of paint. Call it a 'chameleon weave' or a 'light-bender panoply' or somesuch. Likewise the Invisible Scarlett O'Neil-hard to model as a Superhero- works pretty good as a Half-human Mysterywoman with Android Aura (AC 7, switches on and off like 'Too Hot to Handle') +1 Hide as a Human Skill (can't split an SCM in half after all) and the Mysterywoman Skill Dice plus Hide bonus seems to model the comics version fairly accurately... Shameful Confession time- Delerious isn't really that original. I took a lot of inspiration from Ditko's Shade the Changing Man. Mea Culpa...
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Post by order99 on Apr 29, 2023 5:10:32 GMT
Delphi (Ava Delphine, Blind Psychic Detective)
Origin: Half-Woman Class: Magic-User/Mysterywoman Psychic Level: 1/1 Alignment:Lawful
STR 9 AC 5/14 unarmored HP 6 Attack +0(+1 Special Attack) (+1 Missle) Move: 12
INT 13 Save: 15, +3 vs Poison, Missles, Magic, +1 vs Science, Plot WIS 11 CON 10 Current Karma: 1 Current XP: 1500/ 1000 Current Funds: $900
DEX 15 CHA 12
Background: Detective. +1 to any Checks to find Hidden Things, Shadow/Trail suspects, research records and Pick Locks.
Languages and Skills (2D6 K1): Ava speaks perfect English and Greek, having been raised in a bi-lingual household.
Hangups: Legally Blind (her Abilities do not let Ava see colors, read non-Braille books(without a Spell) or extend far enough to drive) My Best Enemy (her mentor and lover has become a Demon-ridden vigilante) "Good Lord, her Eyes..." (Penalty Die on non-intimidation Reaction Rolls when uncovered)
Origin Abilities: Third Eye Open I (only surprised on a '1' on 1D6) Third Eye Open II (functions unobstructed by any normal darkness or smoke up to 30 feet any direction). Animal 'Tells'- Constant tilting/twitching of the head to catch every scent/whisper, fine network of white scars near eyes, eyes of blank smoked quartz.
Class Abilities: May use any weapon and wear up to a Bulletproof Vest (but any armor negates her Spell-casting Ability, see below). Adds Missle Save Bonus to AC. Improved Skill Checks and 2 Stunts per day. Special Attack-Unexpected Direction(targets foes without looking or turning her head, a bit unnerving). May cast up to 1 Spell per day using a Focus, enter into a Contest of Wills with other Spellcasters. Spells Known: Read Languages and Magic, Detect Magic, Detect Evil, Charm Person, Cure Light Wounds.
Equipment
Sturdy white cane, hickory with steel core (1D6-1) Dark glasses to hide her eyes Artificial Eyes of worked smoky quartz-the left eye is her Spell Focus, the other is Spirit-Warded (Holy Symbol). A wrist-brace of 5 Throwing Knives, seldom equipped unless expecting "rough stuff" (1D6, range 30 ft-which is also the limit of her Special Senses) Notebook with Braille stylus for quick notes. Backpack with juice, snacks, bus schedules, maps etc (the latter modified with stylus for reading) and a handy First Aid Kit Her lover's WWI Army greatcoat, a bit too large for her but very weather-resistant
Description: Ava Delphine is a petite but sturdy woman in her mid-twenties with deeply-tanned skin, sharp cheekbones and black hair cut into a practical Pageboy. Her clothing tends to medium-length skirts and plain shirts, often in clashing colors and always topped with an over-sized military coat in less than perfect weather. Her stylish but impossibly dark round-rimmed lenses hide thin white surgical scars near her eyes-which appear to be made of solid smoke. Ava walks like a perfectly-sighted person aside from a constant unconscious head-twitch...most people don't realize she's blind unless she asks someone to read a Menu or Newspaper to her in her light New England lilt. Ava does not have a Secret ID-and if she ever finds the Tabloid muckraker who first named her 'Delphi' she's going to use them in a Knife-throwing act (The Curse of the Damp Man strikes again!)
Issue Zero: Dear Doug,
I know that you are reading this-I traced you to your hotel room and slipped it under the door myself. Please don't ignore me.
Did you think that a false name would hide you from me? I know you too well-and with the gifts that you yourself gave me I could probably find you in a Florida swamp in a hurricane. I'm not here for the Reward the Authorities have placed on your...other self, sizable as it is I couldn't live with myself if I turned you in for it. And who would believe me without proof? They weren't there to see or understand.
This is all my fault. If I had the chance i'd go back to that day and stop you-i'd stay wrapped in my dark cocoon and remain the near-helpless woman that I was when you found me...or better yet go back to my 16-year-old self and tell her to stop riding stallions and stick to geldings so i'd never hit that boulder face-first and lose my freedom...
But then I would have never met you. And If I could go back and do it again, knowing you would be there as payment, so help me God I would rip those 16-year-old eyes out of my skull bare-handed. Once I met you-you were all of the light that I needed.
I am here because I am to blame. Your fascination with the Occult, Machen, Crowley, Mathers, the Egyptian rituals, Blavatsky and her insights, the Freemasonry rites and the Sacred Geometries- I knew how passionate you were about them. I loved hearing you talk about new ways to perceive the world, new ways to define it, how the very architecture or colors or use of space and sound can influence the human mind. The meditations and exercises you guided me through-they let me know I wasn't nearly as helpless as I thought. You saved my soul, Douglas Cash. And how were you repaid?
I will never forget the way that I tingled in that space behind those polished orbs in my itchy sockets, just before everything snapped into perfect clarity-I knew the location of every stick of furniture, felt the solid walls and a little beyond them even, knew your outline and the hand positions you were using-I no longer needed my eyes to see, though it is a far different type of sight. And I will never forget those strange wriggling things that wrote upon your skin with black iron and sulfur, nor the cries of agony from your throat as you howled, heard and smelled the sizzle of your poor flesh as you broke open the door and into the cold snow...I wish I could have undone it Doug, the price you paid for my new-found perception-it was far too high.
Why did you run Doug? I could have helped you. I still can. I've been in correspondence with certain experts. Let them see you, try and help...those things i've heard on the radio, the killings and the maimings and the mayhem-and yes, they were criminals, but...that violence, that fury. That isn't you. You are being influenced by evil entities-I didn't believe it then but I do now...it took me hours to write this message, scratching the letters out with my stylus and then filling them in with the pen-I know you can't read Braille and I didn't dare dictate this to any one else.
Visit me tonight. Let me hold you again. Give me the chance to hear your voice, touch your face. Your secret is safe as long as you need it to be-but let me convince you to come with me, to come home. And if I can't...then there will be coffee and wine and croissants with cream cheese, Duke Ellington on the turntable and slow dances. I still have your coat, come claim it, come claim me Douglas Ames Cash. Please talk to me.
Yours Forever, Ava
(Editor's Notes: Delphi follows the guidelines for Changing Classes from H&H version 2.2 Page 7-all Abilities, best of Saves, no HP increase for the 1st Level M-U. Half-human Origin is from the Trophy Case Vol 2 Issue 4. Ava's high starting Skill, Background and Stunts should make her a top-notch detective, with just a touch of "budding Jedi Knight" on top. I could see her staying mostly Mysterywoman or going full-blown Mage with Fog Cloud/Phantasmal Force to confound the sighted, Remove Fear, Sleep and Invisibility to become the Ultimate Information gatherer. Either way, an eventual team-up with Doctor Mid-nite would be inevitable...)
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