Fandom Heroes, Villains, Endbringers, Oh My!

[RinKaihou]

Background


Every cape, hero or villain, must have an origin story. Are you a mere high school student who triggered after one failure too many? Or perhaps you were already a thug working for a drug dealing gang and you rose up through the ranks after gaining your abilities? Or are you the daughter of a lawyer who heard rumors of an organization selling superpowers?


Your background will affect your personality, habits, resources and connections. The right hand man of a supervillain might be provided great amount of resources, but will be expected to bend the knee to his master. A college student could not miss too many classes to fight crime, lest the college drop him from the roster. A rogue Tinker may be forced to scrap his toaster and refrigerator to provide parts for his inventions.


Powers and Trigger Events


Powers are what separates the parahumans from normal humans. It might be something as simple as levitation or it might be something too powerful for everyday use like extremely dense feet that cause fractures in the pavement upon contact.


Trigger Events are traumatizing events in a person’s life that cause them to trigger and gain powers. Imagine the worst moment of your life, a moment filled with betrayal, rage, depression or some other negative emotion that utterly broke you. Most powers develop in such a way as to enable you to survive your trigger event. Perhaps getting locked in a locker filled with rotting tampons by your treacherous best friend will result in a Brute power that will allow you to destroy your biohazardous prison? Or perhaps a Breaker power that allows you to survive severe contamination, infection and poisoning? Running from a gang of rapists may cause the development of a Mover power that allows you to teleport or fly?


Your first post will always be your characters trigger event. The worst moment in your character’s life, causing feelings of helplessness, emphasizing your lack of power to solve your problems.


After this post, submit three (3) possible powers that may be caused by your trigger event to the GM. The GM will then create three (3) possible powers that match your trigger event. The final power of your character will be decided by a d6 or a six-sided die. (This will be the only time dice will be used for the roleplay)

 

[RinKaihou]

Power Classifications


Powers are classified according to the nature effects and ranked according to the magnitude and threat level of the effects i.e. Brute 4, Shaker 7, Mover 1. They are usually ranked from 1 to 10 but the scale may go beyond 10 for particularly dangerous and powerful threats.


· Mover: A Mover has the ability to transport themselves and/or others to other locations by means of enhanced speed, teleportation, flight, vehicles and the like. Triggered by events that drives the character to flee, escape or run.


· Shaker: A Shaker can affect a broad area, asserting some degree of control on the battlefield. May include gas, explosions, force fields and ambient or radiated effects. Most wide-area effect, forcefield and space-time manipulation powers fall under the Shaker category. Trigger events involve environmental or ambient danger, often nonhuman or only abstractly human.


· Breaker: A Breaker is one who has some ability to ‘break’ the natural laws of the universe as far as those laws apply to them and is frequently a side effect of powers to prevent them from harming their owners. They typically have the ability to a different state in which they have different abilities. Can also include general altered states. Trigger events involve abstract physical danger or harm as well as difficult to define pain or stress (neither mental or physical).


· Brute: A Brute typically has enhanced strength or durability, and are most dangerous in melee and difficult to pin down. While the execution of the power may be stable, the source of the power may vary. Triggered by events that involve experiencing physical harm or pain.


· Master: A Master is one whose powers let them control others or create minions (be they humans, parahumans, animals or specific objects). Can range from the ability to control simple insects all the way up to parahumans or projections. Varies in area (touch to long distance), number of beings affected (one to nearly infinite), simple commands to absolute control, and across a spectrum of time lengths and programming (short durations to indefinitely or programmed commands). Can be of pseudo-telepathic variety (there are no true telepaths except the Simurgh) or require voice commands. Usually designated the second highest threat in any situation.Trigger events include isolation, alienation or exile.


· Tinker: A Tinker has powers that give them an advanced grasp of science that lets them make technology decades ahead of their time. They can intuitively create or alter many devices beyond the usual restrictions of knowledge, resources and physics and are less dangerous when removed from their gear, but should not be assume harmless. Each Tinker has a specialty in which their powers are centered on. Tinkers will not be able to reach their full potential until they discover their specialty. Many Tinker devices can not be used or maintained safely by anyone except the Tinker in question. Trigger events involve issues that prove difficult to resolve, typically over an extended period of time.


· Blaster: A Blaster is one with ranged, offensive attacks of some form. Can include blasts, thrown or moved objects. Not always damaging, but often deleterious. Trigger events involve human threats, threats approaching from a distance or being surrounded.


· Thinker: A Thinker may possess enhanced knowledge, skills and/or perceptions beyond reasonable norm. This may include clairvoyance, precognition, skill acquisition, enhanced hearing or enhanced sight. If all numbers are assumed equal, Thinkers take the highest priority in engagements. Trigger events involve emotional or mental strain or reaching a crisis point in a short period of time.


· Striker: A Striker is one who has the ability to apply some effect by touch or at point-blank range. Often applies a changed state, like a Breaker, but isn’t personal. This can also include those who use energy weapons, those who had certain kinds of enhanced strength without the durability, and those with pyrokinesis and such that don’t extend more than a foot around them. Trigger events involve an immediate in-your-face threat, often a singular person or object (knife, being strangled)


· Changer: A Changer is one who can alter their form, appearance and/or natural abilities through some manipulation of their bodies. Does not include new powers beyond natural weapons, armor or durability. Trigger events involve issues in physical state or a severe conflict between one’s body image and society’s expectations.


· Trump: Trumps are those who can manipulate powers in some capacity: altering, granting, strengthening, weakening, or has powers that interact solely with the powers of others. Trumps can have different powers or effects based on circumstance. An extremely rare trigger, whose trigger events are the same as other triggers but with the involvement of other powers.


· Stranger: A Stranger has powers that predominantly lend themselves to infiltration. These can bypass defences, mislead, or help to avoid notice or otherwise affect a person’s mind. Trigger events are the inverse, but not the opposite, of Master triggers: negative attention of a group or individual threatening emotional or mental security.


 
Factions


The world, as harsh and dystopian as it is, has given birth to groups or factions, most of which are led or formed by parahumans. You start as an independent or rogue cape, but you may join (or get forcefully recruited) a faction based on your background, abilities and actions that led to contact with the faction. You may even leave your current faction as long as you are prepared for the consequences of doing so. Brockton Bay has various hero and villain factions to choose from, each one with their own requirements, goals, pros and cons.


· Independent - Independent capes rarely last long. They are either killed of, captured, recruited, forcefully recruited, Mastered etc. However, Independent capes enjoy a freedom that those involved in a faction no longer have.


· Protectorate ENE - The Protectorate is a government-sponsored superhero organization that spans the United States of America and Canada. It works in conjunction with the Parahuman Response Team (PRT). Based in the Brockton Bay Protectorate Headquarters (PHQ), Protectorate members maintain regular patrols and respond to reports of villain activity. They have a salary as membership is equivalent to employment and have access to Protectorate and government resources, a great deal for Tinkers. However, Protectorate members are expected to follow rules, regulations, chains of command and maintain a good image for Public Relations purposes, which includes their costume and cape name. Membership also requires one’s civilian identity revealed to fellow members. The leader of Protectorate ENE is currently Armsmaster.


· Wards ENE - The Wards are the under-eighteen subdivision of the Protectorate. Wards are granted a trust of $50,000 a year, as well as a base minimum wage salary, the latter of which is doubled on full on membership to the Protectorate. In all other respects, Wards are similar the Protectorate in membership types and status, but bear additional protections and measures. Wards are to attend school during typical hours and maintain satisfactory grades and failure to do so will see their pay docked. Wards must be allowed a full night’s sleep with regularity. Membership also requires one’s civilian identity to be known to fellow members.The current leader of Wards ENE is Aegis.


· New Wave - The New Wave Movement, or New Wave, is a group of superheroes operating in Brockton Bay and is formerly known as the Brockton Bay Brigade. New Wave advocates superheroes without secrets and full accountability. All New Wave members have their civilian identities known to the public. The current leader of New Wave is lawyer Carol Dallon, known by her cape name Brandish.


· Empire Eighty-Eight - The Empire Eighty-Eight is a gang of white supremacists based in Brockton Bay. The leader of E88, Kaiser, has recruited from other states as well as having the charisma that people came to him. This made E88 the group in Brockton Bay with the most parahuman muscle. Reruitment into the Empire Eighty-Eight requires one to be white, racism preferred but optional.


· Azn Bad Boys - The ABB is one of the most powerful hangs in Brockton Bay. Despite having far fewer capes than E88, the ABB is considered to be an equal threat due to the powers of their leader, Lung, and his right hand man, Oni Lee. Recruitment into the ABB requires one to be Asian.


· Archer’s Bridge Merchants - Commonly referred to as The Merchants. The Merchants is a supervillain gang in Brockton, composed mostly of druggies and drug dealers. The Merchants are seen mainly as annoyances by hero and villain alike. The current leader of The Merchants is Skidmark.


· The Undersiders - A supervillain team brought together by an anonymous benefactor. Undersiders have a monthly allowance contingent on them remaining together as a group as well as individual enticements for several members of the group. The Undersiders focus on small-time jobs such as robberies. Their current leader is Grue.


Note that these are only the major factions based in Brockton Bay. With enough notoriety or fame, you might be invited (or forcefully recruited) to specialized factions, most of which are international, such as Toybox or the Slaughterhouse Nine.

 

[RinKaihou]

Perks and Complications


Perks and Complications are positive and negative events/properties/occurrences that your character has based on your character’s background. You start with 0 points. Taking complications grant you points while taking perks cost points.


Perks:


Blank (3 points) - Due to a side effect of your power, you are completely immune to being perceived by Thinker abilities. Your future and past cannot be observed, clairvoyants cannot detect you, and even danger senses cannot warn their users of incoming attacks from you. Other thinker abilities that do not rely on directly perceiving you with their power itself are unaffected. Enhanced sense pick you up just as easily.


Invictus (5 points) - Your will is absolute, boundless and unbreakable. Factors such as distress, suffering and difficulty mean nothing to you. Abilities that would affect your mind or control you are useless.


First Impressions (3 points) - No matter what you do, it seems that you are incapable of making a bad impression on others when they encounter you. Even your enemies will find themselves respecting you, treating you as a worthy opponent. You will find it trivial to find a place in the various factions, and they will be more willing to help you out or extend the benefit of the doubt. However, your actions and decisions will affect them as normal. Expect to become very popular with the media should you give them the time of day.


Secret Lair (6 points) - You have a well hidden and secured hideout, complete functional and untraceable utilities and resources. You may decide the nature of your hideout but the size is capped at that of a large city building. Comes with tools and a workshop for Tinkers. Enjoy living like a Bond villain.


Cloak and Dagger (4 points) - You have contacts, spies and information networks.


Complications:


Everything Gets Worse (4 points) - Fate is going to keep guiding everything to fall apart at the seams. Heroes will die, monsters will get away to reap even more innocent lives, and your victories will only be bought at the cost of sacrifice. You can still make it here, even win. But it will be a long hard road filled with sacrifice and pain, and will most likely leave you a shattered and broken wreck.


Marked (2 points) - You have accidentally stepped on someone’s toes. This is always a significant faction in the area, such as the Empire Eighty Eight. You will have to deal with their attempts to capture or kill you as they desire to set an example to the rest of their competition.


Simurgh Victim (1 points) - You were a survivor of the Simurgh attack on Canberra. It is sealed off from the world to in an attempt to stop the Simurgh’s machinations from causing devastation and destruction, and the city is filled with case-53’s and the people stuck there. You managed to escape but if it gets out that you were there, you will be incarcerated. For an additional 2 points, your escape was detected and recorded and the Protectorate is hot on your tail.


Pseudo-Asian (1 point) - Lung thinks you’re an Asian and will attempt to recruit you to the ABB, whether willingly or forcefully. Cannot be taken if you actually are Asian.


Loner (1 point) - You believe yourself to be an independent person who needs no backup or team. You cannot be part of a faction for the next 3 months.


 
Cauldron


You have heard rumors of a secret organization that sells ‘powers in a bottle’. If your backstory can explain it, instead of having a trigger event, you may have bought one of these miracle drinks that grant powers, maybe for a fortune or for a future debt to be collected. Instead of choosing a trigger event and submitting three possible powers, you may instead give a single word, the label on the bottle you purchased.


Some examples might be ‘Void’, ‘Basilisk’, ‘Solar’ etc. The GM will cook up 6 powers based on that word and roll a d6 for your power.


Case 53’s are parahumans whose powers have not only granted them abilities but have also affected their physical form to the point of their appearance being ‘monstrous’. All Case 53’s have a symbol somewhere on their body that resemble an upturned letter U. While not proven, it is thought that Case 53’s are results of failed experiments by a secret organization that sells powers.

 

[MoltenLightning]

(How should I make the character sheet? Or should I just make a background story-type thing on the first post?)

 

[RinKaihou]

Character Sheet Template


Name:


Age:


Gender:


Race/Ethnicity:


Faction: (Starts as Independent):


History, background, personality:


Power : (Classifications, rank, details)


(To be codetermined by player and GM based on posted Trigger Event)


Perks and Complications:

 

[MoltenLightning]

Name: Fate Graine


Age: 17


Gender: Female


Race/Ethnicity: White


Faction: Independent (For now)


History, background, personality:


She was born and grew up in an average family in a normal city, she lived without worry until she was about 12 years old, but at that point, life changed quite suddenly.


She lost her parents when they left after food was scarce and they were poor. Her life began to become a whirlpool of misery, but she had help. With a couple of friends, she had to survive in a villainous world. But, with her hope and determination, she managed to survive. This has turned her into the person she is today.


Still affected by the past, she now works on meeting new, kind people. By doing so, she hopes to be released of the haunting memories and finally find pleasure in life she has never had.

• Goals and Motivations: To find the best way to live life, and make sure others wish the same.
  
• Morality / Ethics: She feels that others should respect one another, and never betray anyone. As long as you follow that code, she's fine with anyone.
  

• Phobias / Fears: Being left alone, seeing her parents again, betrayal, & having others attack her mentally when she tries her hardest.
  
• Best Qualities: Driven, humorous, positive, charismatic
  
• Worst Qualities: Stubborn, moderately foolish, secretly afraid of many things, gets attached easily
  

Power: Will be decided


Perks and Complications: 0

 

[Ryoh Hirai]

Name: Gideon Addler.


Age: 16.


Gender: Male.


Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian.


Faction: Independent.


History & Background:


Born and raised by loving parents in Vancouver, Canada, he recently lost his mother to liver cancer. While his father succumbed to alcoholism, he instead jumped the slippery slope of depression, questioning his whole life and beginning to see himself and his almost nonexistent accomplishments in a new light. "Who am I really, what do I have to offer to this world?" He kept asking himself every morning and every night in front of the mirror: he wanted to be someone his mother could be proud of, someone who could change the world somehow, like the capes of the Guild she liked so much.


For a while the meds and the company of some new friends he made when he moved into his grandparents' house seemed to somewhat help, but no matter how much he partied, no matter how much he tried to immerse himself into his studies, his soul never healed completely. He could try and ignore the pain, but a festering wound in his mind always pulsated with pain every once in a while, widening inexorably, until that day...


Personality & Looks:


Gideon was always a shy kid who usually kept to himself. He had some trouble making friends and entering social gatherings and, usually, he relied a bit too much on his mother. When she died and his father started drinking his pain off, he had to learn how to shake off the sadness and despair long enough to help himself and the only parent he had left... and so he did, working part time and studying like a madman every chance he could, even if it wasn't really his thing. When he moved to the US, he started pouring the determination he had used to keep his destroyed family going into making friends, managing to become one of "the popular kids" and hiding his pain and sensibilities behind a mask of confidence. He likes sweet things and eating in general and, although he isn't really "healthy" in his eating habits, he manages to keep up a tolerable shape and look through careful planning and care, at least since he started attending his new high school in Brockton Bay. He tends to be humorous, using laughs to mitigate his issues. He has a childish sense of heroism, and has always wanted to be a cape (thank his mother) to help propagate his own sense of right and wrong, so much so that, when he was still a child, he used to wander in his own fantasies for hours, just imagining his life as one of those heroes. He's not particularly tall or slim, and has a bit of muscle, his face has sharp features, thin lips, green eyes, and dark blonde hair, kept short and wild.


Power: TBA.


Perks & Complications: None.