Taliesin's 3E Builds: Moonstone, Binary, Rulk, Wasp, Shang

[Vexous]

What exactly is Sif's status anyway? Didn't she dump Thor for Bill, who in turn dumped her. Then she tried to hook back up with Thor but he was seeing(married to?) the Enchantress? Because if she's a single Marvel female, thats sort of like the kiss of death. Best she can hope for is to join a team and pray she doesn't get rotated out.

[Taliesin]

The Warriors Three

Fandral the Dashing
PL10
Abilities Str 6, Sta 6, Agi 7, Dex 6, Fgt 11, Int 1, Awe 2, Pre 3
Powers Asgardian Physiology (Enhanced Strength 4, Limited to Lifting; Immunity 3 -- aging, disease, poison; Speed 3)
Equipment Sword
Advantages Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Languages 2 (English, German; base: Norse), Move-By Action, Quick Draw, Takedown, Taunt
Skills Acrobatics 6 (+13), Athletics 4 (+10), Deception 8 (+13), Expertise: Riding 4 (+11), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 8 (+13), Ranged Combat: Bow 8 (+14), Stealth 4 (+11)
Offense Initiative +11, Sword +11 (Damage 9)
Defense Dodge 12, Parry 12, Toughness 8/6*, Fortitude 9, Will 9
*Without Defensive Roll bonus.
Power Points Abilities 84 + Powers 10 + Advantages 16 + Skills 24 + Defenses 16 = Total 150
Complications Motivation--Thrills (and being dashing)
Design Notes: Fandral’s base attack bonus is deceptive--he can be very accurate with the use of tradeoff feats and his skill with the sword is better represented by his PL rather than just his attack bonus.

Hogun the Grim
PL10
Abilities Str 8, Sta 10, Agi 4, Dex 4, Fgt 10, Int 2, Awe 3, Pre 1
Powers Asgardian Physiology (Enhanced Strength 3, Limited to Lifting; Immunity 3 -- aging, disease, poison; Speed 3)
Equipment Mace (Strength-based Damage 2)
Advantages All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Assessment, Equipment, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Defense, Languages 2 (English, Norse; base: native tongue), Power Attack, Startle, Takedown, Tracking
Skills Expertise: Military 8 (+9), Insight 10 (+13), Intimidation 10 (+11), Treatment 6 (+7)
Offense Initiative +4, Mace +10 (Damage 10)
Defense Dodge 10, Parry 10, Toughness 10, Fortitude 10, Will 10
Power Points Abilities 86 + Powers 9 + Advantages 13 + Skills 29 + Defenses 13 = Total 150
Complications Reputation (Grim), Temper (and angry)
Design Notes: Hogun might seem boring and not do anything particularly well, but he is the most efficient and balanced warrior of the Three.

Volstagg the Enormous
PL10
Abilities Str 8 [12], Sta 10 [14], Agi 2, Dex 2, Fgt 8, Int 0, Awe 3, Pre 3
Powers Asgardian Physiology (Immunity 3 -- aging, disease, poison), Lion of Asgard (Array--8 points, Alternate Effects of Strength Damage: Groundstrike (Burst Area Affliction 8--Resisted by Fortitude, Vulnerable, Prone, Incapacitated, Limited--both Volstagg and targets must be in contact with ground); Shockwave (Burst Area Damage 10, Limited--both Volstagg and targets must be in contact with ground)), The Enormous (Features 1--Voluminous; Growth 4, Innate, Permanent; Impervious Toughness 10), The Valiant (Deflect 6, Reflect, Redirect)
Advantages Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Interpose, Languages 2 (English, German; base: Norse), Luck, Power Attack, Takedown
Skills Expertise: Cooking 4 (+6), Expertise: Riding 4 (+6), Insight 10 (+13), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 10 (+13)
Offense Initiative +2, Unarmed +8 (Damage 12)
Defense Dodge 8 [6], Parry 8 [6], Toughness 14 (Impervious), Fortitude 14, Will 6
Power Points Abilities 72 + Powers 43 + Advantages 10 + Skills 16 + Defenses 9 = Total 150
Complications Accident (inadvertently causes collateral damage), Obsession (food and drink), Relationship (seven children)
Design Notes: Volstagg’s immense bulk serves him both offensively and defensively. He has also shown to seize victory through sheer dumb luck alone, thus The Valiant allows him to Redirect attacks when he’s curled up defending.

Herolab File

[Taliesin]

Decided to try something new with shortform statblocks for the Warriors Three. I'll only do this with more "minor" characters and those without terribly complicated powersets.

[Tzimisce666]

Hey Taliesin, HUGE fan of the builds, I think you really manage to capture the Marvel characters as close as one can to the incredible ambigious way they are depicted in the comics. Considering comic writers love to add/pick-and-choose abilities for characters as suit the story it's hard to nail down solid statistics, but if I need Marvel charcters for my game your's are the ones I use. Reading through couple nit-picky questions want to ask you:

-Spider-Man and Venom have the same Strength 9. My understanding was the Venom suppost to be stronger then Spidey, but i notise you say this is a "modern" Spiderman. Having not kept up with modern spider-man all that well has he gottan stronger in recent years?

-I notise with Ghost Rider you went the Perception Range/Visual Dependant with Penance Stare rather then what your 2e build was with the limited to grapple. Any reason for the change?

[Rakumi]

Hey Taliesin, HUGE fan of the builds, I think you really manage to capture the Marvel characters as close as one can to the incredible ambigious way they are depicted in the comics. Considering comic writers love to add/pick-and-choose abilities for characters as suit the story it's hard to nail down solid statistics, but if I need Marvel charcters for my game your's are the ones I use. Reading through couple nit-picky questions want to ask you:

-Spider-Man and Venom have the same Strength 9. My understanding was the Venom suppost to be stronger then Spidey, but i notise you say this is a "modern" Spiderman. Having not kept up with modern spider-man all that well has he gottan stronger in recent years?

-I notise with Ghost Rider you went the Perception Range/Visual Dependant with Penance Stare rather then what your 2e build was with the limited to grapple. Any reason for the change?

I could be wrong with assuming what he was thinking for the Spiderman to Venom... but in the comics, they had Venom pressing 11 tons as Spiderman could push 10 tons. If he is going off those versions, a Strength 9 on the charts covers everything from 12 tons down to 6 tons. Keep in mind M&M is broad with their stats because they know they must cover up to millions of tons (as far as strength goes). Where a game system like D&D can squeeze just 100 tons in modifiers that go up near 50 or so (I have not done the math so excuse if I am off a bit). And if I am off from what Taliesin was thinking... I am sure he will better explain and I just totally went out of the ballpark with this one. lol.

[Morrigan Aensland]

Love the Thor builds, Tal, hon! Great stuff, and after seeing (and love-love-loving the movie), they're even more welcome.

Still waiting for Jessica Drew at some point, though... *cough*

[Tzimisce666]

I could be wrong with assuming what he was thinking for the Spiderman to Venom... but in the comics, they had Venom pressing 11 tons as Spiderman could push 10 tons. If he is going off those versions, a Strength 9 on the charts covers everything from 12 tons down to 6 tons. Keep in mind M&M is broad with their stats because they know they must cover up to millions of tons (as far as strength goes). Where a game system like D&D can squeeze just 100 tons in modifiers that go up near 50 or so (I have not done the math so excuse if I am off a bit). And if I am off from what Taliesin was thinking... I am sure he will better explain and I just totally went out of the ballpark with this one. lol.

Yeah that totally makes sense I guess. I mean I picture Venom really brutalizing Spidey strength-wise. But looking at the chart in the Core book your point pretty much convays. If Venom can lift a couple tons more then Spidey he's technically stronger even if that puts them both at Strength 9. And the D&D math lol. I think your about right. Not nearly as bad as doing math for the old Heroes Unlimited though......

[Black Mamba]

Yeah that totally makes sense I guess. I mean I picture Venom really brutalizing Spidey strength-wise. But looking at the chart in the Core book your point pretty much convays. If Venom can lift a couple tons more then Spidey he's technically stronger even if that puts them both at Strength 9. And the D&D math lol. I think your about right. Not nearly as bad as doing math for the old Heroes Unlimited though......

There is always a lot more going on then just the raw numbers as well. Yeah, they both do the same STR Damage but Venom has a higher Toughness - which means he resists it much better. Venom also has the 11 Damage fangs - and he has full Power Attack while Spidey only has the base Power Attack. A little bit of Web Ball and some Power Attack punching and Spidey is brutalized. The game is as much about how you use the numbers as having the numbers.

[Tzimisce666]

Yeah that totally makes sense I guess. I mean I picture Venom really brutalizing Spidey strength-wise. But looking at the chart in the Core book your point pretty much convays. If Venom can lift a couple tons more then Spidey he's technically stronger even if that puts them both at Strength 9. And the D&D math lol. I think your about right. Not nearly as bad as doing math for the old Heroes Unlimited though......

There is always a lot more going on then just the raw numbers as well. Yeah, they both do the same STR Damage but Venom has a higher Toughness - which means he resists it much better. Venom also has the 11 Damage fangs - and he has full Power Attack while Spidey only has the base Power Attack. A little bit of Web Ball and some Power Attack punching and Spidey is brutalized. The game is as much about how you use the numbers as having the numbers.

Oh totally Black Mamba, it's all about the how you use the numbers. I just like stats alot (numbers guy) and am curious on Taliesin's thoughts about the two having the same Str. When it comes to stats I'm always curious about the why's. Call it needless curiosity.

[Taliesin]

I think it's reasonable to give Venom a slightly higher Str, although the modern Spider-Man is stronger than early Spider-Man (who was probably Str 7 or 8 and reached Class 10 only through Extra Effort--the issue that "established" Spidey's 10 ton lift was certainly an instance of pushing himself).

And I haven't forgotten Spider-Woman. Just wanted to get some Thorish builds out to coincide with the movie.

EDIT: Regarding Ghost Rider, I just thought my 3E version was more elegant. The idea was the same, as Ghost Rider usually grabs his target in order to force their eyes to meet.

[Taliesin]

Spider-Woman
PL10

Abilities
Strength 8, Stamina 7, Agility 9, Dexterity 5, Fighting 9, Intellect 2, Awareness 2, Presence 2

Powers
Bioelectric Venom Blast: Ranged Damage 11, Fades • 11 points
Immunity Factor: Immunity 3 (disease, poison, radiation) • 3 points
Pheromones: Reaction Olfactory Perception Area Affliction 2 (Resisted by Fortitude; Impaired, Disabled), Variable Descriptor (fear or pleasure), Limited to Two Degrees, Quirk (only pleasure in men, fear in women) • 8 points
Spider-Movement: Leaping 4 (120 ft.); Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) • 8 points
• Flight: Flight 4 (30 MPH) • 1 point

Advantages
Agile Feint, Assessment, Attractive, Languages 4 (French, German, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, 2 others; base: English), Move-By Action, Precise Attack (Ranged, Cover), Ranged Attack 4

Skills
Acrobatics 8 (+17), Deception 8 (+10), Insight 6 (+8), Investigation 8 (+10), Perception 8 (+10), Sleight of Hand 4 (+9), Stealth 4 (+13), Technology 8 (+10), Vehicles 6 (+11)

Offense
Initiative +9
Unarmed +9, Close, Damage 8
Venom Blast +9, Ranged, Damage 11

Defense
Dodge 13, Parry 13
Toughness 7, Fortitude 9, Will 9

Power Points
Abilities 88 + Powers 31 + Advantages 13 + Skills 30 + Defenses 17 = Total 179

Complications
Power Loss: Spider-Woman’s heightened physical abilities drop to Str 2, Sta 2, Agi 3, and Dex 3 if she loses her powers.
Reputation: Face of the Skrull queen, double agent.

Real Name: Jessica Miriam Drew

Design Notes: Spider-Woman exudes pheromones that attract men and repel women--the effect is mechanically the same but the descriptor is different. Jessica’s Immunity to Diseases and Poisons only activates after previous exposure to the toxin, but this is really more a complication than anything, considering that it’s in the GM’s control whether or not she has been previously exposed, and even initial exposure only produces momentary dizziness and rapid healing of any damage done in the interim.

[badpenny]

I think Spider-Woman's pheromones engender love in men and hatred in women (IOW attracting men and repulsing women) and therefore should have degrees of Entranced/Compelled (limited to two, because she can't outright control anyone).

The power tends to linger, so perhaps Cloud is appropriate. It's also more oncentrated in a confined area and more diffuse in an open area, i.e. indoors vs. outdoors. Hmm, but perhaps that's handled by the Descriptor...?

[Taliesin]

I think Spider-Woman's pheromones engender love in men and hatred in women (IOW attracting men and repulsing women) and therefore should have degrees of Entranced/Compelled (limited to two, because she can't outright control anyone).

Pleasure/love/attraction in men, fear/hatred/repulsion in women--it's a pretty minor distinction. Given the actual mechanics of Entranced/Compelled, I don't think they're appropriate, particularly Compelled.

The power tends to linger, so perhaps Cloud is appropriate. It's also more oncentrated in a confined area and more diffuse in an open area, i.e. indoors vs. outdoors. Hmm, but perhaps that's handled by the Descriptor...?

I prefer using Olfactory Perception, given how the pheromones are introduced into the targets' bodies, but Cloud works too. The other details are definitely just descriptors.

[badpenny]

Given the actual mechanics of Entranced/Compelled, I don't think they're appropriate, particularly Compelled.

I'm not sure I follow you here. I've never seen the power Disable anyone/anything. The most latest example (in Bendis' Spider-Woman mini), she uses her pheromones to get a police detective to walk her out of the HQ while he's professing his "connection" with her. Surely an example of Compelled in action....

What mechanics are you at odds with?

[Taliesin]

Given the actual mechanics of Entranced/Compelled, I don't think they're appropriate, particularly Compelled.

I'm not sure I follow you here. I've never seen the power Disable anyone/anything. The most latest example (in Bendis' Spider-Woman mini), she uses her pheromones to get a police detective to walk her out of the HQ while he's professing his "connection" with her. Surely an example of Compelled in action....

What mechanics are you at odds with?

The name of the conditions don't always match up with what they actually do.

Disabled doesn't "disable" anything in common parlance--it penalizes checks, which works for both pleasure and fear. In the case of pleasure, it can make the target more susceptible to interaction effects by penalizing his Insight/Will, which works just fine for the described example and more besides.

I thought it was more elegant and therefore chose it. A power stunt to change the conditions would be appropriate for specific applications.