Metropolis After Dark ("hiatus")

[kenseido]

So was mine. It was all a setup for the last line.

Edit: I added some Sample items.

[Nineofspades]

Didn't even see that last line.


Well played.

[Crazyivan777]

So, throwing this against the wall, concept-wise, and seeing if it sticks (feedback requested!)


The character (We'll call him Alex, just as a place-holder), at age 13, was living in a bad neighborhood (I assume even Metropolis has bad neighborhoods). He'd taken to packing a gun because his budding machismo made him think he would be 'tougher and cooler' with one.
One night he saw what he thought was an attempted carjacking, and, without thinking, he pulled out the gun and shot the guy doing it.
As it turns out, the guy was a cop. He'd been checking out a stalled-out car. The driver didn't see Alex, and Alex ran, ditching the gun.
Consumed with guilt, Alex grew up doing whatever he could to make karmic amends, eventually becoming an ER doctor in order to save lives, but it felt like the blood just wouldn't wash off his hands.
One night, however, he was visited by a shadowy entity. At first, it appeared it was a woman who'd come in with a broken leg, but afterwards, there was no record of the woman, and only Alex remembered her.
The reason for this was simple. The woman was Fate. She had been looking for Alex. The police officer he'd shot had been destined for great things. Destiny shouldn't be able to be balked by such an accident.
Fate talked with Alex, and revealed to him that he, somehow, was outside destiny. She was furious with him, as his mere existence could alter so many things that were -supposed- to happen. She'd come, with his own gun, ditched so many years ago, to kill him.
Alex pleaded for his life, and reasonably put forth that, as an agent of Fate, he could do more good than harm, and perhaps wash away his sin. Fate agreed (but did not tell Alex that, as Fate, she actually couldn't kill him) and gave him back his gun. He would be responsible for tracking down and stopping those who meddled in the order of the world now.
Alex is finally getting his shot at redemption.

[Sakuro]

So far so good. I think you need more. Like explaining why this guy is PL 10. Keep in mind at PL 10 people can punch with the force of a tank cannon. Does Fate imbue him with Luck based powers? Does he train extensively? Uncover mystical relics? By this time he's likely a matured adult ... so something should probably happen to "amp Alex up".

[Crazyivan777]

Ah, yes. Hadn't mentioned the powers. Generally has three:

1) Destiny works strangely for him. In mechanical terms, probability control, with some of the feat-based bells and whistles.

2) Being outside of destiny means he doesn't interact with humanity in quite the same way. 'You don't see me' -style invisibility.

3) The pistol has been amped, although I'm not sure how just yet. A high-power blast just seems kinda... Plain.

He's also a bit of a skill monkey, though not horribly so.

[Silhouetted Lady]

Silhouetted Lady, Power Level 10

Str 14 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 14 Wis 14 Cha 10
Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+10), Concentration 8 (+10), Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+10), Notice 8 (+10), Search 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 8 (+10)
Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus 3 (melee), Attack Specialization (shadow sword) 2, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 4, Equipment 2 (cell phone, sanctum sanctorum), Improved Initiative 1, Move-By Action, Luck 2, Power Attack, Ritualist, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth), Sneak Attack 4, Trance, Ultimate Effort (Knowledge [arcane lore])
Powers: Concealment 10 (all senses, Power Feats: Close Range. Selective), Flight 2 (Power Feats: Subtle), Immunity 3 (aging, need for sleep, starvation and thirst), Protection 4 (shadow armor, Extras: Impervious 6), Strike 3 (shadow sword, Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Critical Strike, Improved Critical 2, Mighty, Shadow Strike, Subtle, Variable Descriptor [physical/shadow]), Super-Senses 2 (Darkvision)
Combat: Attack +3 (ranged), +6 (melee), +10 (sword), Grapple +8, Damage +2 (unarmed), +5 (shadow sword), +7 (unarmed sneak attack), +10 (shadow sword sneak attack), Defense +10 (+3 flat-footed), Knockback -5, Initiative +6
Saving Throws: Toughness +10 (+6 flat-footed), Fortitude +8, Reflex +8, Will +8
Abilities 20 + Skills 14 + Feats 27 + Powers 54 + Combat 16 + Saves 18 = Total 150

The woman known as Silhouetted Lady used to be known as Anna Smith. She has all but cut ties to her old life. Not that it was very hard. Living in Metropolis, daily fights between heroes and villains abound. Some times there is collateral damage.

Anna Smith was like so much background noise. An unimpressive girl, she left her small town for Metropolis's college. When she wasn't taking school notes, she was a secretary for a job that just paid enough. During her days and nights off, she was the wallflower. She had friends, but none that she could call "best friend". She was content in her ways, not really happy, but content.

A couple of months ago, the Justice League was fighting giant alien robots in town. One of the buildings that it happened to slam into hadn't been evacuated quick enough. Anna was one of the people in that building. The shadows had other plans for her though. They transported her broken body to the shadowlands. After fixing her, the shadows told her that some people had resonance with the shadowlands and she was one of those people.

They asked her if she would be willing to act as a protector from the shadows. Anna really had nothing to hang on to in the mortal world, but then again she could live the life of a superhero. She agreed. Anna Smith vanished from the world that day and no one noticed.

The shadows taught her how anchor her body in the shadowlands. They also taught her the arcane secrets of the shadows. A couple of years passed, not that anyone noticed, but she and the shadows new she was ready to rejoin the world. Not as Anna Smith but as Silhouetted Lady.

[Sakuro]

dy, you will want a background to go along with that build. Something that tells us about her history. Where she came from, has been, and how she has come to her current standing.

Looking at her build I'm guessin gyour going for an invisible sword woman. You have 30 unused PP. You could use that to buy a couple Devices: her armor and sword. Equipment breaks and is lost more easily than Devices. Also, you could give these items supernatural qualities as Devices.

[Silhouetted Lady]

OK, I gave her a story. I made her armor and sword devices. I gave her darkvision. I still have 12 points to spend.

[Nineofspades]

I have also added a backstory to my medusa, as well as complications.

[Sakuro]

Sillhouetted Lady is going to need at least two Complications. Anexample based on her background are a responsability to the Shadows and another being that people tend to ignore or overlook her. For example she might try to talk a villain down with Diplomacy, but she ends up being "beneath his notice".

I see she basically has Skill Mastery in all her skills. I don't know if that is going to fly. Might want to consider limiting it to just four.

Sneak Attack also isn't a very useful Feat if someone is expecting your attack. Which is usually the case (you may be asked to turn Conceamlent into Blending, or tag on some other limitation). To counter this you could make her more of a physical specimen (more Strength) and even create of "sword fighting style" power with strike that both requires a sword and stacks with the sword's damage.

Another suggestion for using up PP would be to give her a Teleport power. Say she can jump from one shadow to another.

[Femme Fatale]

I'm sorry, this is just for my (and possibly other's) sanity and eyesight. I couldn't read everything crammed all together. Please, carry on.

Str 14 (+2)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con 14 (+2)
Int 14 (+2)
Wis 14 (+2)
Cha 14 (+2)
(24points)

Acrobatics 8 (+10)
Bluff 8 (+10)
Diplomacy 8 (+10)
Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+10)
Notice 8 (+10)
Search 8 (+10)
Sense Motive 8 (+10)
Stealth 8 (+10)
(16points)

Accurate Attack
Acrobatic Bluff
All-Out Attack
Attack Focus 3 (melee)
Attack Specialization (sword) 2
Defensive Attack
Defensive Roll 4
Equipment 2 (cell phone, motorcycle)
Improved Initiative 1
Power Attack
Skill Mastery 2
Sneak Attack 4
Taunt
(24points)

Concealment 10 (all senses, Power Feats: Close Range. Selective)

Device 2 (shadow armor, hard to lose, Restricted [shadow resonance]): Impervious Toughness 6, Protection 4

Device 2 (shadow sword, easy to lose, Restricted [shadow resonance]): Strike 3 (Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Critical Strike, Improved Critical 2, Mighty, Alternate Powers: Drain Constitution 8 [Power Feats: Accurate])

Super-Senses 2 (Darkvision)
(40points)

Attack +3 (ranged), +6 (melee), +10 (sword)
Grapple +8
Damage +2 (unarmed), +5 (sword), +7 (unarmed sneak attack), +10 (sword sneak attack)
Defense +10 (+3 flat-footed)
Knockback -5
Initiative +6
(16points)

Toughness +10 (+6 flat-footed)
Fortitude +8
Reflex +8
Will +8
(18points)

[Femme Fatale]

I really want to do this game but I have no idea what to play.

[Sakuro]

Brainstorming time! Are there any archtypes you've been wanting to play with?

[Femme Fatale]

Have you ever played D&D? DO you know what a Beguiler is? If not it's a rogue with full spontaneous cast, but the spells are limited to enchantment and illusion. That said we have two or three spell casters and we really don't "need a rogue". (high want)

I've submitted a half-demon to another game and don't want to double dip that concept. (low want)

Half-angel? I don't think I could make interesting. (low want)

Dragon that walks among mortals? I don't think PL10 will cover that. (medium want)

It seems I'm having a fantasy brain block here

[Sakuro]

How about a dragon with a human form, whose innate abilities revolve around the thing syou like about the Beguiler? Asian dragons are reputed to take on human form often. There are even legends about emperors/kings with dragon blood. You character could be a young dragon, which would explain the lack of epic PL.