H is for Huckster Ace

First Appearance
Ace was my first "Controller" for City of Heroes. I went with Fire and Radiation as that seemed like the nastiest combination and made both powers a nasty greenish-white color and dubbed it "Hellfire". Thematically I went with a western look as I was thinking of the Hucksters from the Deadlands RPG and envisioned him as a more powerful version of those who had been pulled thru time for unknown reasons.

Origin
Huckster Ace grew up in the latter part of the 19th century in America. As with many young men he eventually went west, but this was not history as we know it, but something known as the "Weird West" where legendary creatures walked the shadows and men of both good and bad character took up the fight against them. He learned the secrets of the book of Hoyle and became a powerful wielder of hex magic. In one particularly violent confrontation with a servitor of the reckoners, he blacked out and found himself somewhere else. Later he came to know it as 21st century America. It was different than home - a lot different - but there was evil here as well and his magic still worked, so he took up the fight once more.

Personality
Ace is a quietly confident man, occasionally grim when confronted with the darkest magical threats, but most of the time he is pleasant to be around and very optimistic in his outlook on life and the future. He is also a closet entertainer as his brand of magic means that he is quite adept with cards and card tricks. He always carries at least one deck of cards, usually several in various pockets.

He is also a man out of time, and though he has adapted to some degree there are many ways in which he is different, old fashioned, or has a blind spot. He is polite to most, women in particular, though he has tried to tone down his old west habits a bit as some women seem to find it offensive in some way. Also, unlike some other time-lost souls, he has no great desire to return home. Based on the magic he knows, he suspects if he did return it would be to the exact moment he left, and he knows that he was about to die. For whatever reason he was thrown forward 100+ years instead, and he is quite content to accept this gift without questioning it too much.

Somewhere between "Maverick" and Gandalf" is a good rough description of his general mien. Mix in some of the optimism of Brisco County Jr. and you're in the ballpark.

Huckster Ace for ICONS

PDF Link is here.

 Attributes

Prowess: 3 (Typical) - OK, but he's not a professional scrapper

Coordination: 4 (Good) - better than average

Strength: 4 (Good) - better than average

Intellect: 5 (Excellent) - he's a bright guy

Awareness: 6 (Remarkable) - magically attuned senses 

Willpower: 7 (Incredible) - he's been thru a series of harrowing experiences yet retains his sanity

Stamina: 11

Determination: 3

Origin: Transformed

Specialties: Occult Expert, Sleight of Hand Expert

Powers:
Wizardy - Huckster Hexes - 7 (Incredible) - Blast (Hellfire), Affliction (Blazing Hellfire), Binding (Rings of Hellfire) - This manifests as blazing green helfire, and does not typically have beneficial effects, being a very violence-driven flavor of magic.

Flight 3 (Typical) - Spirits of the Air - Ace has a pact with certain air spirits that allows him to fly anywhere there is air. 

Qualities: 
"Card Sharp" - Huckster magic is based on cards and gambling so he knows his way around "games of chance" like few other men alive. He is a gambler by nature and this manifests in various ways throughout his life. 

"Man Out of Time" - He was born in 1850 and was in his 30's when he suddenly appeared in 21st century urban America. There was some culture shock, followed by some adaptation, but one's upbringing and 30+ tears of experiences  is not something that just goes away.

"That Certain Style" - Ace likes to keep a certain look, largely based on his look in his own time. He realizes this makes him stand out in many places but he secretly likes the attention. People may not immediately recognize him as a superhero, but they do notice him.

Challenges:

"Dark Dealings" - Hexslinging involves gambling with evil spirits for the power to accomplish the goals of the huckster. Occasionally the huckster loses and bad things happen. Also, pure white magic types would likely have a huge problem with this if they knew exactly what Ace was doing when his eyes turn green. For now it's a well-kept secret.

"Enemy - The Man with Fiery Eyes" - There have been rumors of another "cowboy-lookin' dude" around the city lately, one who wields a pari of old west revolvers and whose eyes appear to be on fire. This is nagging at Ace as he has a nagging memory of confronting such a foe, inconclusively, back in his own time. He knows the mysterious figure was magically powerful, and he is baffled and concerned that this foe could show up here and now. He senses that some kind of confrontation is coming, but he has no idea who this is or what he is supposed to do. 

Getting back to his origins ...

Huckster Ace for Deadlands (Savage Worlds)

PDF link is here.

Here we have Ace just after his first few adventures in the Weird West. He is similar physically to his ICONS incarnation, but he can't fly, carries a few guns, and has a slightly different magic arrangement. I wanted him specifically to not be a big brawler or gunfighter so his abilities there are average at best. He is pretty focused on his huckster abilities though and should be fun to play. As he advances I would focus on buying more powers and adding some social skills since he's fairly purty. 

Sometimes you fight fire with Hellfire!

G is for Gator - Sewer Gator!

First Appearance
In City of Heroes there were a lot of options in both powers and costumes. Sometime things are driven by one or the other and sometimes inspiration strikes and a concept just springs into your head one morning. That was the case with Sewer Gator - my first manhole cover wielding humanoid albino alligator! In that game he was a Shield/Super-Strength Tanker, and that's the theme we're going to take here.

Origin
Much like certain ninja turtles, he came to awareness in a sewer in a glowing pool of chemical goo. He was changed, and as he grew to full size he became smarter as well. Life is tough in the sewer of a city with active superhumans and it was learn or die. He survived and thrived and eventually started making runs to the surface world, where his hero career began. One night he saved a family from a bunch of local gang thugs and despite his appearance they thanked him for it! He liked the feeling and began "patrolling" the neighborhood and soon had a handle on local threats. Eventually he became known to the local supers as well and started working with them too.

Personality
Gator is somewhat awkward socially, having grown up in a sewer. He learns fast though and is trying to fit in.   He doesn't like to start fights, but he doesn't back down. He's fairly intimidating so a the less combat-oriented heroes like having him around when patrolling. He likes to use his intimidation to avoid combat as much as possible, so he's not known as a hot-head and is pretty well thought of amongst the local second-stringers.

PDF Sheet Here

Sewer Gator for ICONS:

Attributes

Prowess: 5 (Excellent) - Ferocity trumps training

Coordination: 4 (Good) - Not terrible but not his strength

Strength: 8 (Amazing) - Mutant Gator Power!

Intellect: 3 (Typical) - A genius among gators

Awareness: 5 (Excellent) - He's canny

Willpower: 5 (Excellent) - A hard-headed gator

Stamina: 13

Determination: 2

Origin: Birthright

Specialties: Underwater Combat Expert, Weapon: Manhole Cover

Powers:
Aquatic - 5 (Excellent) - Gator Nature
Invulnerability - 5 (Excellent) - Scaly Hide
Force Field - 3 (Typical) - Manhole Cover used as a shield
Blast - 5 - (Excellent) - Manhole Cover as flung weapon

Qualities: 
"Mutant Animal" - He is not a human. This has advantages and disadvantages. It's mainly a physical and social factor.

"King of the Sewers" - He lives in the sewers. This also has advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes he can hide, sometimes he can find information, sometimes it just means he smells bad.

Challenges:

"Looks like a Big Alligator" - Most people do not consider this friendly at first glance.

"Hunted by Local Gangs" - He has disrupted the local criminal underground and they know that a big white gator is involved.


Notes: I gave him Invulnerability + Force Field to separate his innate toughness from the manhole cover. It's somewhat wasteful structurally but it works the way I want it to. Offensively he's pretty simple - he can punch people or throw the shield ... or a car! But his weapon specialty helps him actually hit with the shield. I think his Challenges are fairly obvious given the background, and his Qualities should be fun in play.

Modifications could include some form of Regeneration (reptilian physiology), Extra Limb (his tail), or Aura (he does live in the sewer).

Home Sweet Home

and just because I can ...


Sewer Gator for Marvel Heroic Roleplaying:

PDF is here

He has two powersets - "Albino Mutant Alligator" and "Manhole Cover Shield". You can guess where the shield came from but the other set is from several different places. I opted not to go with the "mutant" limit because he's not a mutant in the Marvel sense - he's not human to begin with.

His Milestones are from Colossus and Cyclops in the Basic Game. I wanted to emphasize his "tanker" origin so that where Colossus comes in. I also wanted to emphasize that he's learning to work with others and bridge the two worlds of the surface and the sewers, so that's where Cyclops comes in. They may be a little too similar - I can see one good fight generating a whole lot of XP - but I would want to try it out and see how it goes because thematically it's right where I want it to be.   

Motivational Monday

F is for Mr. Fission

First Appearance
I decided to make a Radiation Defender in City of Heroes and while working on him I decided to go all-out on the costume. I also decided that my old junior high science teacher would be a  ... distinctive ,,, model to base him on. Mainly for the hair.

Origin
A junior high school science teacher receives a tragically mis-labelled shipment. Instead of rock samples he has opens up a box of  - PROCESSED URANIUM! Overwhelmed, he passed out ... but he did not perish! Instead, he developed a strange ability to emit radiation himself! After class is over for the day he changes clothes and emerges as ... Mister Fission!

Personality
Mister Fission is a fairly new hero and still very enthusiastic about his new power and place in society. he keeps his identity secret but his awesome 'fro is unusual enough that it could be a clue to a determined foe. He excitedly and vocally analyzes everything that's going in a confrontation and tends to run on when something touches on his area of specialty - he tends to say more, not less.Right now he is struggling to maintain both of his jobs and while he loves teaching he is beginning to realize that he may have a higher calling and may have to give up being a full-time educator. Maybe he can still sub.

Also he prefers to pronounce it "Fiszhin" like "Vision", not "Fishin'" as in "goin' fishin'"

This did not go well - a story for another time ...

Mister Fission for ICONS

 Attributes

Prowess: 3 (Typical)

Coordination: 4 (Good)

Strength: 3 (Typical)

Intellect: 5 (Excellent)

Awareness: 5 (Excellent)

Willpower: 4 (Good)

Stamina: 7

Determination: 2

Origin: Transformed

Specialties: Science (Physics) Expert, Science (Chemistry) Expert

Powers:
Elemental Control - Radiation - 8 (Amazing) - Attacking (Affliction) Detecting, Healing

Power Nullification - 7 (Incredible) - Irradiation Attack

Resistance - Radiation - 7  (Incredible)

Qualities: 
"Science Teacher" - It's hard to switch out of this. He tends to lecture but he relates well to kids. he also keeps his super-activity a secret.

"Connections -Local Science Guy" - as an enthusiastic teacher he has connections at many of the local science institutions like the university, the observatory, a chemical company, etc.

"I'm here to help!!!" - He's an enthusiastic newcomer to the superhero world, perhaps too much so. He will fearlessly jump in to help whenever there is trouble, but sometimes gets himself into trouble while doing so. He does not yet have a permanent team affiliation but this has not dimmed his enthusiasm at all.

Challenges:

"Nuclear Powered Man" - He knows deep down that his power is extremely dangerous but tries not to let that keep him awake at night. He keeps it under tight control, but his nightmare is that a parent finds out about his secret life and claims he is a danger to the children he teaches. 

PDF sheet here

Mister Fission for Marvel Super Heroes

PDF Sheet here

His stats are pretty much the same as ICONS. The powers are a little different though, so I gave him Incredible hyper-running as a travel power. It makes sense (in a comic-book sense) that his over-energized metabolism might be able to give him bursts of speed and it makes him less reliant on his car. I think a good-guy radiation dude would be fun in MSH as typically the only one you run into is Radioactive Man and he's usually bad. MSH is pretty open for power stunts and with 50 Karma he should be able to pull off a few in a session.

E is for The Exclamation!

First Appearance 
One day City of Heroes rolled out a new powerset - Street Justice. As always, homage type characters were on my mind and after seeing some of the moves I wanted somebody with a long coat - the swirling trench-coat thing would like nice with the rapid motions of the set. While I was thinking about some of this I was also doing some research for ICONS and came across this image:

That plus a quick review of certain Justice League episodes resulted in The Exclamation!


Origin
In an alternate universe, a certain conspiracy-hunting hero realized he might not live forever and that his work must go on. He took in an orphaned street kid as his assistant and apprentice and trained him in every way he could. The kid had some natural talent for fighting and the aggression of a young man as well and so his mentor made sure he received a lot of training in the martial arts - practical training, not flashy tournament styles.

Inevitably, years later, his mentor made a mistake and was tragically slain, dying in the arms of the apprentice. Enraged, the student-no-longer took up his teacher's lifelong mission, even adopting a similar look. Whispers of the death of the mentor were soon replaced by rumors that he was back from the dead, and was taking a more direct hand in things brutally taking vengeance on those responsible for his death. Even his calling card was different, expressing action instead of questions.


Personality
Revenge taken, the new/old hero has continued his exploration and extermination of secrets, lies, and corruption. His main targets are organized crime, gangs, and the biggest corrupt politicians. He is relentless in pursuit and uncompromising in his justice. The Exclamation is not afraid to kill and is quite comfortable judging those who he has solid evidence against. He does not use guns, though, preferring to deliver justice up close and personal, hand to hand.

His mission has become an obsession and he has little time for a "normal life". His true identity, Steven Rand, has slowly become less and less important as he spends more time each year as The Exclamation. He has far more "contacts" than friends and no real family to speak of. A few honest cops and his old martial arts trainer are about the only people who truly know him as Steven, and not all of them know his secret.

The Exclamation for ICONS:

Attributes
Prowess: 7 (Incredible)
Coordination: 6 (Remarkable)
Strength: 4 (Good)
Intellect: 6 (Remarkable)
Awareness: 6 (Remarkable)
Willpower: 6 (Remarkable)

Stamina: 10
Determination: 3

Origin: Trained

Specialties: Martial Arts Expert, Computers Expert, Criminology Expert, Investigation Expert

Powers:
Invulnerability - 4 (Good) - Armored Trenchcoat (Device)

Precognition - 3 (Typical) - Extensive network of contacts and internet skill (Treat as Device)

Qualities: 
"Networked" - Ex has an extensive network of petty criminals, conspiracy theorists, clean cops, and a lot of fringe groups. Sometimes he helps them, sometimes they help him.

"Obsessed with Justice" - this is extreme enough to perhaps be a challenge, but it also powers him through the worst moments as he just cannot quit.

"Calling Card" - to help strike fear into his targets Ex sometimes leaves a business card marked only with an exclamation point. Occasionally he lights a fire in that shape, or spray paints it on a wall. Regardless, it's not hard to tell when he's been somewhere and set something straight.

Challenges:

"Hunted by the Corrupt" - Ex has "handled" enough hi-profile figures that he has become a target, and with his distinctive garb he is not a difficult target to find. he has survived so far but it is a growing problem. 

"Rationalist" - Ex is a man who tends to think in terms of the physical world - magic and the supernatural is not something that really enters his equations and he is convinced that they can be explained through more conventional superpowers or advanced devices. A confrontation with an undeniably supernatural force or entity could cause all kinds of problems for him.

PDF character sheet here

Notes: What if The Question took on his own "Robin"? What if this apprentice ended up more like the Punisher than Nightwing? Mix in a little Rorschach and Batman and we have an interesting mix of character traits that is (hopefully) fun to play in both "transition scenes" and "action scenes". In the movie I see him as played by Brandon Lee.

At 50 points he;'s one of my more reasonably costed characters so he could run alongside a crew of randomly generated heroes just fine. Also, 3 starting Determination is quite nice. His Specialties and Qualities give him something useful to do outside of fights. In a fight, well, Prowess 7 + Martial Arts 2 means he can do all kinds of mean things to thugs and major villains alike.

Yes, this is more of an Iron Age character than I typically create but I like his potential. He could end up tragic, he could end up seeking redemption, he could have interesting confrontations with other heroes and with villains both. Put him in some wilder situations and see if he can deal with the more extreme elements of a comic-book universe like aliens, gods, and wizards. It should be a lot of fun.

For an interesting nemesis I think Barking Alien's Afterlife would be great. Rumors of mob killings attract his attention, a first encounter with the supernatural killer leaves him shaken, research only makes it worse as the thing's true nature is revealed. For some extra drama maybe Afterlife killed Ex's mentor, knows it, and taunts him with it! Oh, the finale on that one should be something ...

Also ...

The Exclamation for Mutants and Masterminds 2nd Edition:

Link to PDF here.


The Exclamation

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 150/150

STR: +4 (18), DEX: +4 (18), CON: +3 (16), INT: +4 (18), WIS: +1 (12), CHA: +1 (12)

Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +7, Ref: +8, Will: +7

Skills: Bluff 8 (+9), Computers 12 (+16), Disable Device 12 (+16), Disguise 12 (+13), Gather Information 12 (+13), Investigate 12 (+16), Knowledge (current events) 12 (+16), Knowledge (streetwise) 12 (+16), Notice 12 (+13), Search 12 (+16), Sense Motive 12 (+13), Stealth 8 (+12)

Feats: Attack Specialization 3 (Unarmed Attack), Benefit (Alternate Identity), Blind-Fight, Connected, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Elusive Target, Equipment 2, Evasion 2, Fighting Style: Kung Fu, Grappling Finesse, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Block, Improved Critical (Unarmed Attack), Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Jack-of-All-Trades, Master Plan, Power Attack, Quick Change 2, Redirect, Startle, Takedown Attack, Ultimate Effort (Will Save), Uncanny Dodge (Visual), Well-Informed

Equipment: Flashlight, Gas Mask, Handcuffs, Undercover Vest

Attack Bonus: +6 (Ranged: +6, Melee: +6, Grapple: +10)

Attacks: Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 19)

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -4

Initiative: +4

Languages: Native Language

Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 34 (136 ranks) + Feats 36 + Powers 0 + Combat 32 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 150

Under M&M 2E (yes, some of us still use it) he has a lot more detail regarding his connections and information gathering skills. Eidetic Memory, Connected, Contacts - all of these work with his high skill levels to make a pretty potent character when it comes to "what's going on" or "who is this guy"? He's also pretty good at sneaking around.

His combat abilities are a little rough though. I started with the "Conspiracy Theorist" template from Instant Superheroes (once I realized I had it, anyway) and modified it up to remove any ranged/gun abilities and refocused it on a more martial arts style approach. I feel like his defense should be higher but pushing it up will push his toughness down even more and single-digit toughness can be rough in a fight, especially for a melee guy. His attack bonus I reduced across the board and then pushed it up with an unarmed combat focus, but I suspect that would be a lot easier to do in M&M3 with the whole stat split between fighting and ranged capabilities. If I was going to play him in a new campaign I would probably want to tweak him some more to get the numbers just right, but I think he's pretty effective as he is right now.

Quick note on 40K Fridays

 ...they are taking April off for this A to Z thing. Hopefully when we get to May I will have some new 40K stuff to post and fire things back up with a bang.

Also, Bladesharp is doing Warhammer 40,000 for his A to Z theme so head over there for your fix of 40K stuff this month!

D is for Draco Polaris

After statting up Draco Rex a while back I thought I would touch on another of the "Dracos" for this month's challenge. Miscreants! You face icy doom at the hands of Draco Polaris!

Draco Polaris

Prowess: 6 (Remarkable)
Coordination: 5 (Excellent)
Strength: 8 (Amazing)
Intellect: 4 (Good)
Awareness: 5 (Excellent)
Willpower: 6 (Remarkable)

Stamina: 14
Determination: 1

Origin: Birthright (one additional innate power)

Specialties: Athletics, Occult

Powers:
Icy Blast - 6 (Remarkable) - Draco can breathe an arctic blast as a ranged attack

Frost Aura - 5 (Excellent) - Draco can wreathe his body freezing cold as a magical effect

Invulnerability - 7 (Incredible) - Draconic physique and hide
Extra Body Parts - 6 (Remarkable) Wings (flight at speed 6) 

Qualities: 
"Hero" - Draco Rex is the equivalent of an Arthurian Knight, albeit from another dimension. He has codes of honor and behavior that can limit his options, especially when it comes to dangerous situations around non-supers.

Challenges:
 "Stranger in a Strange Land" - Draco is not from around here and did not grow up in human society or in a technological society, meaning he doesn't always understand the subtleties of modern life

"Unusual Looks" - he looks like an 8' glowing green dragon man with big green wings. This is not always an advantage, and he can't just put on a hat and a trenchcoat to hide it.

"Solo" - Draco is the only one of his people on Earth, as far as he knows. This means that everything from clothing to medical attention is problematic. This could also be used as a mental challenge as he has no true companions from his home, nor does he have contact with  family or home either. His drive to be reunited with them could come into conflict with his sense of duty as a hero mentioned above and make for some interesting sessions.

Link to PDF character sheet here.

Notes: 
Under the point build system he is about 60 points.  I considered adding his claws back in but with Strength 8 I don't think he really needs them. He could also benefit from the Regeneration power, and I might give up the Fiery Aura to get it.

In play he's  likely the team brick but he can hold his own in a ranged fight too and can be of use when it comes to magical research, devices, and enemies as well. 

A lot of the background info and where-he-came-from stuff is in that other post, so go read it if you're interested - it's totally worth it!

Now this is almost a cop-out because he's the same character as Draco Rex with his fire abilities replaced by cold. So, let's go in a different direction ...

Link to Character Sheet PDF is here.

Draco Polaris, level 10

Dragonborn, Sorcerer

Build: Dragon Sorcerer

Spell Source: Dragon Magic

Dragon Soul: Dragon Soul Cold

Dragonborn Subrace: Standard Dragonborn Racial Traits

Dragonborn Racial Power: Dragon Breath

Dragon Breath Key Ability: Dragon Breath Strength

Dragon Breath Damage Type: Dragon Breath Cold

Background: Akanûl (Akanûl Benefit)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES

Str 20, Con 10, Dex 10, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 21.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES

Str 16, Con 10, Dex 10, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 17.

AC: 20 Fort: 20 Reflex: 15 Will: 22

HP: 67 Surges: 6 Surge Value: 16

TRAINED SKILLS

Arcana +9, Diplomacy +15, Intimidate +17, Athletics +15

UNTRAINED SKILLS

Acrobatics +5, Bluff +10, Dungeoneering +5, Endurance +5, Heal +5, History +6, Insight +5, Nature +5, Perception +7, Religion +4, Stealth +5, Streetwise +10, Thievery +5

FEATS

Level 1: Ancient Soul

Level 2: Bolstering Breath

Level 4: Enlarged Dragon Breath

Level 6: Battle Hardened

Level 8: Alertness

Level 10: Coordinated Explosion

POWERS

Sorcerer at-will 1: Burning Spray

Sorcerer at-will 1: Dragonfrost

Sorcerer encounter 1: Frostbind

Sorcerer daily 1: Lightning Breath

Sorcerer utility 2: Shield of Flames

Sorcerer encounter 3: Poisonous Exhalation

Sorcerer daily 5: Glacial Armor

Sorcerer utility 6: Water to Ice

Sorcerer encounter 7: Rimestorm

Sorcerer daily 9: Ice Stalagmites

Sorcerer utility 10: Dragon's Resolve

Now this is without any magic items at all - this is just raw character - stats, skills, feats, powers. add in the appropriate magic items or (innate bonuses if that's your thing) and he's good to go. He loses some of the super-level strength but he's pretty tough and has a lot of breath weapon type capability. If we take him all the way to 30 then he gets pretty close to superhero level powers too. I thought it was an interesting way to re-examine a superhero character.