[3e]: The Sentinels [OOC]

[Millennium]

HI folks, that's me officially going dark until Monday night. Neo-Paladin, and anyone else I've missed, I promise I'll have comments on your characters then!

[Mickale]

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If anyone else wants a second opinion, i'll give it.

id like one

[Lord Fell]

I'm still planning to submit the Terror Twins. Worked out with Millenium how the build will work behind the scenes.

[MrMellow]

Made some modifications to my build. I maintain that the Eidetic Memory/Jack-Of-All-Trades combo shouldn't be out of order on a literal genius character, but note how I'm not exactly putting it together with Beginner's Luck or something like that. I've altered his skill mastery to Expertise: Science, which should be appropriate. Might put in a Second Chance (Perception) later though, again because the character's supposed to be a genius.

The Reconstitution Therapy set gets a cost-up, even though it's only one point because of the -Limited technicality. I suppose I ought to explain it better; what he needs to maintain this is basically continuous treatment using machines and supplies present at his own lab, which are both unique and technologically advanced.

Separated some powers to a new device; the HALO is basically a plug-in micro power-pack, processor, computer interface and antenna (conveniently in the form of a hovering energized circlet). It's unobtrusive enough that he can wear it around most of the time, and integrates fully with the suit, which it is also designed to sit in if he isn't currently wearing it. Still not sure if I should keep this though...

In response to the Gadgets remark, I've placed one rank of it solo and made it a Permanent, so it can't be boosted by the Device's power supply. This, hopefully, should take away your concerns. A tech hero without at least a little Gadgets is like a fish without a bicycle; it may not technically need one, but damned if it doesn't come over as a lot more fun with it. Added a description to the charge-up container also; basically, it's what happens to the system when it has access to more of a capacitor charge. With more of a voltage, the whole system speeds up, even the processing circuits, and the electroactive armor works better and faster at dealing with damage.

Still waiting for your response on whether if you want me to revise the Boost mechanic as a whole (since I think there's a pretty good, if not as good, way to do this) or whatever. I don't really see a difference between it and what you can do with the Absorption power, if you just add a whole lot of Advantages and then Flaws which together pretty much change the whole nature of the thing.

[insaniac99]

The Reconstitution Therapy set gets a cost-up, even though it's only one point because of the -Limited technicality. I suppose I ought to explain it better; what he needs to maintain this is basically continuous treatment using machines and supplies present at his own lab, which are both unique and technologically advanced.

I can't speak for Millennium but I think most GMs wouldn't find those worth a full -1 flaw. Some might find it worth a -1pt quirk, but I doubt it. I think most would have that be a complication.

[Spectrum]

Name/ Handle: Rebekah Manowich/ Hoopoe

Description: I seriously doubt that I'm going to find a picture that matches the color scheme I'm looking for. Picture a pretty young woman (early 20s) of Jewish descent in these colors with the wings being a long flowing cloak.




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PL 10/ PP 210

Attributes 70
Saves 7
Abilities 23.5
Advantages 28
Powers 81.50
Total 210.00
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Attributes (70)
STR 3
STA 3
AGL 3
DEX 3
FGT 3
INT 5
AWE 5
PRE 10
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Saves (7)
Dodge 3+7 (Crowd Sourcing)
Fort 3+7 (Legionnaire's ring)
Parry 3+7 (Crowd Sourcing)
Toughness 3+7 (Legionnaire's ring)
Will 12
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Skills (23.5)
Deception 20
expertise: heroes and villains 9
Insight 10
Persuasion 20

"UN Security Training"
Athletics 6
Close Combat (Unarmed) 6
expertise: politics 6
Investigation 6
Ranged combat (UN Special Issue) 6
Technology 6
Treatment 7
Vehicles 6

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Advantages (31)
Animal Empathy
Attractive 2
Benefit: Security Clearance
Benefit: Wealth 2
Connected
Contacts
Improved Initiative 2
Inspire 5
Leadership
Luck 6
Redirect
Setup 3
Taunt
Uncanny Dodge

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Powers (81.5)

General powers (15)
"Remember Me", Immortality 6 (1 day), limited: must have had mental contact at time of death -1, revives at that location (6)
"Blessing", Luck Control 4, Resistible (WIL) -1, side effect (weirdness magnet, things go 'oddly' around her) -1 (4)
"First impressions", Quickness 10, interaction tasks only-1 (5)
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Legionnaire's ring (7-2 removable=5) A special ring that she received from her grandfather, a memento of another age
Protection 7, visible -1 (3.5)
Fortitude 7, visible -1 (3.5)

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Crowd Sourcing (17.5)- Ability to gather information and react at mental perception range
"Knowing who to ask", Investigation 14, limited to gather information (3.5)
Advantages: Eidetic Memory, well informed (2)
Enhanced defenses (dodge 7 and parry 7), quirk (not against opponents immune to mental powers -2) (12)

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Influence Others array (21+5 alternate effects, 26 total)
"Stunner", Affliction 10 (vs Wil, entranced, DC 20), area of affect (burst,)+1, sustained+2, only first degree-2 (20)
"Puppetry", Affliction 10 (vs Wil, entranced, compelled, controlled, DC 20), perception+2, limited to minds-1 (20)
"Can't Rest Yet", Healing 5, energizing+1, perception+2, stabilize+1, limited (others only)-1 (21)
"Splitting the Melon", Damage 10, wil based, perception+2, limited to minds-1 (20)
"False Face", Morph 3 (Humanoids), (15)
"Ignore us", Concealment (all senses), Affect Others+1, Area+1, Selective+1, Blending-1, passive-1, Resistible (Wil)-1 (20)

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Mind reading array (14+5 alternate effects, 19 total)
"Broad spectrum contact", Communication 4: mental, area+1, selective+1, subtle+2, concentration -1, distracting -1, tiring -1 (14)
"Team switchboard", Communication 2: mental, area+1, selective+1, subtle+2 (14)
"Telepathic Translation", Comprehend, languages 3, affects others +1, perception area (hearing) +1 (12)
"Reading the Seas", Senses, mental awareness, accurate+2, acute+1, analytical+1, counters concealment+2, counters illusion+2, radius+1, range+1, rapid+1; +4 perception (14)
"In your Mind's Eye", Mind reading 6, subtle+2 (14)

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Our story starts with the birth of Rebekah Manowich but with the birth of the 20th Century. While The Captain was the first Hero that most people know about, the truth is, he was ‘only’ the first popular Hero with powers above and beyond the normal man in the modern era. There are many arguments that in the ancient times and across history other super powered Heroes have emerged, we’ll leave that discussion for another day. No, our tale will deal with the costumed local community Heroes that are known about by local historians and not many others. Manny Manowich, Rebekah’s great grandfather, was the sidekick to one such hero, the Blue Streak of Chicago. Manny continued to serve as a sidekick, but never fully was a Hero himself, at least not in his own mind. Again, there are disagreements. As with many sidekicks, stories do not focus on him, but with the Heroes that are connected to. If we were to ask the Hero population, they would be able to share more light on the situation. They would say that Manny was a Hero to the Heroes, always there to provide backup or a kind word. He was there when a Hero needed someone to turn to for guidance on what it means to be a human being and not ‘just’ superhuman.

Our story skips up a few decades and picks back up in the early 90s with the birth of Rebekah. Rebekah was a healthy baby but from the start her parents realized that she was a little peculiar. She would have the oddest look on her face sometimes and her screams were all too real as if they skipped the ear and went right to the brain. She was precocious, her body seeming to be the greatest limitation for learning and developing. Her parents soon became concerned about the child, suspecting (correctly) that she was something more than human. They turned to Manny in hopes that he would be able to bring some more light to the situation. The old man, mostly retired by this point, quietly took in young Rebekah and began to work with her to grow not just in terms of power but as a socially aware and responsible human being. He was determined that if Rebekah chose the life of a Hero she would be prepared for it. Growing up, she spent time with her Grandfather’s friends, Uncles Bruce or Steve or Aunts Lois and Diana. Her childhood friends were the same; Franklin Richards was a steady crush while her best friend (and rival) was Katie Powers. At the same time, she was showered with affection by her biological family, never forgetting that she was a Manowich as well as a little girl that could do things that most people couldn’t.

As Rebekah grew older and her powers grew, Manny realized that she would need a special place to start training. Although she was a good girl and never intended to cheat, in normal schools it was too easy to read the seas of minds, pluck knowledge from her teachers, and then lose it again. Manny decided that she would need to attend a special school such as the Claremont Academy or Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Though she was young for the school, Manny was able to pull his weight and get her to admitted. It didn’t hurt that he offered to come teach at whatever school she was accepted by. Still, she encouraged to walk a careful line between the two worlds, that just because she could do more didn’t mean that she Was more. Even so, her Bat Mitzvah looked like a who’s who of those connected to the Hero community. Understandably, photos of that event are very difficult to come by.

College was a difficult time for her, for the first time in her life, being parted from her grandfather and the stability that he represented. The old temptations were back but she was able to generally resist them. Oddly, computers began to become of more interest to her as they represented a solid wall against her abilities, putting her on more equal footing with her classmates. Graduation came and went again and she was approached by and joined the UN to assist with facilitating communications. This brings us to the current day, overjoyed by her recent invitation to join the brand new Sentinel’s team.
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Complications:

Rebekah rarely completely turns off all of her powers. Most of the time, she has Stunner and Reading the Seas in effect. She gets terribly and painfully lonely if she doesn’t have some kind of constant social connection with someone. Although she doesn’t know it yet, that lack of connection is also one of the few situations where she can truly die. There are also social consequences to her powers: every so often, she will attract unwanted attention. She also tries to stop from being repulsed by the stray thoughts that she hears and hopes are only transitory.

While she doesn’t have a secret identity to protect, she contains a wealth of others peoples’ secrets, some very serious like a secret identity and others more mundane like a crush that nobody is supposed to know about. Everyone has secrets that they would prefer to not know and she has the key to see too many of them. She has been the target of friends’ enemies hoping to strike indirectly. Thankfully, so far she’s been lucky in not having to spill any of them.

She’s a woman, a known mentalist, an American and a Jew. In the difficult political positions of the UN any of those can be bad, together all of them can be an excuse to not deal with her.

Her ties to the Hero community can be a blessing and a curse. On one hand, she has a wealth of knowledge and experience that she can draw upon. On the other hand, growing up as everyone’s nice/granddaughter/sibling can make it very difficult for her to establish herself as an independent person and a Hero in her own right.

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I think that's everything. Sorry for the overwhelming amount of text. If anybody has any suggestions, I'd appreciate them.

Thank you,
Spectrum

[MrMellow]

Hnuörk? He upped it to PL12 180pp? Oooooh, this is going to be fun! Yes, my pretties...!

[Spectrum]

Name/ Handle: Rebekah Manowich/ Hoopoe

... rereading it makes her a little more Mary Sue than intended. Any suggestions on how to back off that a little while keeping concept?

[Plan B]

What is the concept?

And less skills at 20.

[MrMellow]

Suggestion for new limitations that might supplant the boost, if There Can Be No Compromise:

Flaw: Charging (-1pp/rank)
This power starts out at only half of its maximum power rank, rounded down, whereupon it starts to charge one PL every round. Every usage of the power however, causes it to stop recovering and drop one PL. This flaw can be taken for partial ranks. As an example, the hero Overdrive's power pack has an Electrical Shockwave which is a Ranged Damage 10, with 5 ranks of Charging. Thus, in combat, he starts out with his Damage at 7. He waits for a round, and the blast powers up to PL 8. However, the next round he is forced to use it on a goon for two rounds, reducing its PL to 6. He will now have to wait four rounds before the power is fully powered up.

Flaw: Escalating (-1pp/rank)
This power starts off with a PL of 1. However, for every round, it gains a PL, up to its designated maximum PL. Usually, this should also require that certain actions are made or certain circumstantial conditions are met by the character, if appropriate. When outside of combat, the power Fades according to normal Fade rules, at a rate of one PL per round.

[Spectrum]

What is the concept?

And less skills at 20.

Powerful telepath with one foot in the Hero world, the other foot dangled precariously in the 'real' world.

[RedBstrd]

Storm Queen PL12

Real Name: Alexandra Roivas

I love that picture. Bruce Timm's art is really nice.

[RedBstrd]

Chidubem Kamau, "Kashii"
PL 11 (195 pp)

Concept: African martial artist, Nightcrawler analogue



Abilities: Str 3, Sta 3, Agi 8, Dex 4, Fig 8, Int 0, Awe 4, Pre 2

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+12), Athletics 8 (+11), Deception 3 (+5), Expertise: Music 4 (+4), Insight 6 (+10), Perception 4 (+8), Persuasion 5 (+7), Sleight of Hand 4 (+8), Stealth 2 (+10), Technology 5 (+5), Vehicles 3 (+7)

Advantages: Agile Feint, Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll 7, Equipment 1, Evasion 1, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Instant Up, Language 2 (French, Hausa, Base: English), Move by Action, Takedown, Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind

Powers:
Affliction 11 Stun Rods (Easily Removable; 1st degree: Impaired, 2nd degree: Stunned, 3rd degree: Paralyzed, Resisted by Fortitude, DC 21; Split) • 8 pp
Damage 8, Strength-based Dambe (Striking) • 8 pp
Enhanced Trait 1 Dambe Chant: Inspire 1 • 1 pp
Enhanced Trait 1 Inner Peace: Second Chance (Emotion Effects) • 1 pp
Enhanced Trait 3 Kokawa (Wrestling): Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Taunt • 3 pp
Healing 8 Amulet (Removable; Persistent, Stabilize) • 14 pp
Teleport 9 (2 miles in a move action, carrying 400 lbs.; Change Direction, Change Velocity, Increased Mass 3, Turnabout) • 24 pp
AE: Burst Area Affliction 8 Teleporting Stun Rampage (1st degree: Impaired, 2nd degree: Stunned, 3rd degree: Paralyzed, Resisted by: Fortitude, DC 18; 30 feet radius sphere, Selective) • 1 pp
AE: Burst Area Damage 8 Teleporting Strike Rampage (DC 23; 30 feet radius sphere, Selective) • 1 pp

Equipment:
Cell phone, Commlink • 2 ep
3 ep unspent

Offensive:
Close Attacks +11
Ranged Attacks +4
Dambe (Striking) +11, DC 26 Toughness
Stun Rods +11, DC 21 Fort (Impaired/Stunned/Paralyzed)
Teleporting Damage Rampage, DC 18 Dodge: DC 23 Toughness on failure, DC 19 Toughness on success
Teleporting Stun Rampage, DC 18 Dodge: DC 18 Fort on failure, DC 14 Fort on success

Defenses:
Dodge 12
Parry 12
Fort 11
Will 11
Toughness 10 (3 without Defensive Roll)

Totals: Abilities 64 + Skills 24 (48 ranks) + Advantages 23 + Defenses 23 + Powers 61 = 195

Complications:
Accent - Chidubem has a strong West African accent, making attempts to conceal his identity more difficult than they otherwise might be.
Family - While Chidubem's family has grown distant in recent years, he still feels strong ties to his parents. He sends home most of what he earns and fears for their well-being. Fears over their safety or desire to take care of them might cause Chidubem to be somewhat conflicted with his other responsibilities.
Humble Roots - Despite Kashii's efforts to achieve mastery of his emotions, he is highly offended by those who trample on the weak. Racism and cruelty to the impoverished make his blood boil.
Nationalist - Kashii is very proud to be a Nigerian, and an African in general. He won't take lightly to insults against his people. Likewise, he is often tempted to use his position to promote Pan-African interests (debt relief, etc.). Placing global goals above Nigerian national interests is always a chore for him.
Pawn - Many within Nigeria's government and military wish to use Kashii as a tool for their own interests, well aware that someone of his general description and known powers operated at least once in local boxing matches. While Kashii does not advertise his Nigerian roots, his nation of birth is not difficult for his countrymen to determine.
Secret Identity - Chidubem has a costumed persona as Kashii.
Target of Racism - Many people around the world dislike seeing a black man as a high profile member of the superhuman community.

Background:
Born of a lower class but highly Westernized Hausa family in Nigeria, Chidubem Kamau spent his early days working with his father in the family butchery or practicing either football or Zulu stickfighting with neighborhood kids. As a member of the butcher caste, Chidubem was encouraged to train in Dambe boxing and the slightly less fashionable wrestling art of Kokawa. In his early 20s, Chidubem signed up for for the Istunka martial arts competition in Somalia. His preparations included challenging local practitioners of Dambe (striking), Kokawa (wrestling), and stick fighting. Unknown to Chidubem, an international team of scientists were near one of his competitions, inspecting a closed production facility. Decades earlier, a European pharmaceutical company utilized the site for testing experimental serums on small numbers of local families, taking advantage of the lax laws, corrupt judicial system, and low cost of settlement payouts in the event of fatalities. Word reached one of the officials that a local man, operating under the stage name of "Kashii," had reportedly exhibited superhuman - or perhaps magical - powers during one of the fights. Indeed, Chidubem had unconsciously teleported himself during the match, leaving himself dizzy and almost losing the fight, having been saved only by the startling effect that his power had on his opponent.

Chidubem had immediately left the city after the match, partially due to the controversy surrounding the fight's outcome. The team of scientists failed to catch up with the young fighter but submitted reports on the event and speculated that he may be the child or grandchild of someone who received experimental drug testing during the late 1960s. Local government officials and journalists also spread the word of the incident, ensuring that the highest rings of the Nigerian government were aware of the appearance of one of their first national superhumans. By then, Chidubem had continued on his travels. As the final leg of his training, the young man had to climb three mountains to test his endurance and commitment. Atop the mountains, he tried to replicate the strange feat of the fight, failing more often than not.

Weeks later, Chidubem entered the Istunka martial arts competition in Somalia as planned, demolishing all other contenders. During one of the fights, he faced another superhuman and was forced to try repeating the trick he learned. Successful in the effort, he teleported behind his opponent and pummeled him with a fighting stick. Kashii won the tournament, receiving one of the traditional talisman amulets of a defeated foe as a token of submission.

When he attempted to return to his life, Chidubem found an agent of the UN waiting for him, suggesting that the Nigerian martial artist test out for the Sentinels. Chidubem agreed.

Chidubem's native language is English (the official language of Nigeria), but he also speaks French and Hausa. He is now in his mid-20s. His costumed persona, Kashii, means "part" in Hausa, reminding him that he is only part of an effort to make the world better.

Build Notes:
Kashii's fighting style is primarily Dambe (boxing) and Kokawa (wrestling), the two facets of West African martial arts. When unarmed, his right hand is his "spear" and his left hand serves as a defensive "shield," giving him a memorable fighting style. Unlike many of his counterparts, he does not apply resin and broken glass to his gloved "spear" hand. Like most pratictioners of Dambe and Kokawa, he makes frequent use of taunting and inspirational chanting before fights. In addition to his unarmed skills, Kashii carried a pair of "Zulu" fighting sticks which accent his fighting skills.

After joining up with the Sentinels, he was given a new set up fighting sticks, which are heavy-duty metal rods capable of emitting a powerful but non-lethal electric shock. Mechanically speaking, his unarmed and armed strikes are the same except when he uses the fighting sticks to shock opponents. By default, he strikes with his fighting sticks but would switch to his "spear" hand if disarmed. The use of fighting sticks - except when using Affliction - is purely aesthetic.

Now that he has training for his superhuman abilities, he can teleport around an area and batter a number of foes, like Nightcrawler does. When doing so, he can either use his martial arts/fighting sticks to damage opponents or he can stun them. The build draws on a low PL version I made of the character for Shadows of the Hawk, plus some strong influence from Thorpacolypse’s Nightcrawler build.

[Millennium]

Thoughts on all the builds so far. Thanks for your patience. I’m going to deal with builds in page order of this thread. If a suggestion you’ve made outside the build is missed, I’ll try and address it later on, even if it means correcting myself. I just find dealing with things in a linear fashion is easier on my brain.

Steel Seraph – Overall I like the build. The re-write makes the powers a lot cleaner, which I’m happy with. The nit-pick I had was around Slow Fade Feat and Boost Mechanic. I would maybe build it something like this:

Boost: Variable 2; Fades, Limited (Locked))

This would give you 10pp to boost into your other traits, with the Locked limit meaning you couldn’t shift the points until the Boost you’re currently used has completely faded. With the Fades modifier, instant powers fade at 1 rank per use, while powers with higher durations fade at a rate of 1 rank per turn. I’d allow a Slow Fade feat to move this up to one rank every two uses / turns.

How does that grab you? There Can Be Compromise But PM me to bash it out, rather than cluttering up the board.

Speaking of which, what’s the Total Fade on the Micro-Missile Array for?

Everything else I’m cool with. I’ll even bend on the Jack-of-all-Trade, Eidetic Memory combo… although not because I buy the reasoning of “genius” 

Insaniac does read me correctly, I’d have the Reconstitution Therapy as a quirk, on the Immunity at least (because one assumes it has to work when you’re away from the lab). It looks like that’s what you’ve done though so no argument on cost

Sternkrieger – Fairly simple build, no real issues with him.

Storm Queen – Your revisions have covered any of the questions I might have had, so I’ve nothing more to add

White Hole – Nothing glaring here.

Shadow Wing – As above, your revisions have addressed the only minor niggles I had with the build so I don’t think I need to ask for any more.

Aldwyn – Looking back over this build I do have one issue. You have the Scarlet Stand of Sirrion, which is a Flawed version of Flight (Platform), yet the Utilitarian Magic has a Flight AE, which is higher ranks. So how is the Scarlet Stand flawed when Aldwyn can fly anyway? Other than that, no queries.

Impact – Why is the Immunity listed as Close Range? Surely it’s Personal? Also, Why is the Living Rubble Immunity not under the Impact Form? I’ll have to think about the Limited: Only as Impact thing as well. I don’t see Captain Marvel with “Limited: Only When Marvel” on any of his powers. I think there’s a way of bundling a whole bunch of powers with some sort of Activation requirement. That might suit better…

The Visitor – Nothing is jumping out at me to challenge here.

Shadis – I’m not sure on the Ring as a Minion. This is largely because I’ve never really used or had to deal with Minions in my games before, but a Minion strikes me as something that should be a little more independent of the character than a Ring. The character is never going to take it off, and it’s hard to remove. The Minion advantage also explicitly states that lost minions are replaced between Adventures. The Ring doesn’t strike me as something that falls into this category at all.

To me it would work much better as a Device (hard to remove) that grants the powers listed.

I’m willing to listen to arguments for this though, from your good self or other experienced hands that have more of a feel for Minions than me.

Scarlet Spider – No Issues
The Hawk – No Issues
Thoth – Nothing jumping out at me

The Militant – The Only comment really I’d have is that you might want to re-think the Variable. Taliesin’s build of Taskmaster has a good Variable that covers (which I copied outright for my won Taskmaster clone Vindicator). It just stirkes me that you’re never going to need 30pp of Advantages all at once, It could be cheaper to buy a Variable that you can also shuffle around quicker. It just seems an inefficient way of doing things. Other than that I don’t really have major problems.

Leonhem - Nothing jumping out at me.
Beltane – No issues here either.
Silent Knight- nothing crazy jumping out here
Hoopoe – I won’t comment on this character yet, just because you seem unsure about her Spectrum. Is the build done or do you want some time to edit?
Kashii – No major problems here

[Millennium]

Hey Guys,

I really am sorry for the lack of activity on this - Slow before I even get started. It gets worse before it gets better. During work today I got involved with a discussion which resulted, long story short, in me having to go out on a work trip this week. I travel on Wednesday night and won't be back until next Monday again. So I'm around the next couple of days and then disappearing. So recruitment is getting extended another week... technically.

I'm closing the thread to new submissions, classing all submitted so far as "under consideration". I'm going to go with a final team of 6. So effectively you've got another week and a couple of days to get that final polish on if you want to do anything else.