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View Full Version : Wildcards: Luke Skylar, Belle Argent, Aeolus and More! [Anteheroes NPC Spotlights]



AstralFire
2008-10-03, 11:23 AM
Hopefully the first of many looks at NPCs in the Anteverse.


Luke Skylar
Robert Szasz
Belle Argent
Agent Aeolus
Michelle Black


Flames erupted from the back of a mainframe and Luke found himself in an empty security room, lit in dim gray from the monitors. One chair was knocked down onto the floor, and the door was still gently swaying on its hinges.

"Must've just run off. Can't blame them, it's a bloody warzone."

He grimaced; he felt weak. He was just a rocket fairy! Constantly shifting reality was bad enough, but manipulating computers was at best a tenuous application of his domain, and it was taking its toll on him.

Then he looked up.

Half of the displays showed static, half of the remaining showed people fleeing the studio, but three were transfixed on the fight upstairs. Together they had a pretty wide angle of coverage... and it wasn't pretty. Alex was hiding behind the newsdesk, and his arms had no human right to be bending like that.

"Bugger."

Ellie was out cold next to him, half of her officer's uniform - not to mention her skin - burned. That left Michelle dancing between lightning bolts coming from something no mortal camera could see.

"Bugger it all for a lark." Luke punched a console and sat down. Rockets had security systems too. The question was, what could he do with an electrical security system against an elder spirit who shot electricity?

And then he saw it - a row of buttons colored red. She might not be technological, but he could give her a short circuit just the same. He slammed his fist down.

"Water, water, every bloody where!"

Luke Skylar

It is the 1970s; America just won the race to the moon, Leia Organa doesn't know she made out with her brother, and people are still confused about the existence of giant floating starchildren. It is, perhaps, the height of space science-fiction in the American consciousness. Aerospace engineering company SkylarTech has recently moved its production headquarters to Delaware, and in Williamton, the hopes and dreams of little kids and visionary scientists alike have begun to amalgamate into a new form.

That was the birth of Luke Skylar, spirit of rockets... or perhaps more accurately, rocket science.

A cheerful, intelligent and helpful (if slightly unhinged) spirit, Luke has an obsession with being British (even though he's not); a deep admirer of Arthur C. Clarke and Doctor Who, he has attempted to graft a pastiche of British culture into his mostly-American birth to grant him an air of dignity. It mostly just makes him look insane, but affably so.

Due to recent events, Luke is capable of full manifestation unlike most faeries, and can interact directly with people. When he does so, he takes the form a tall, lanky, very pale man in his mid-20s, with tousled brown hair that resembles an owl's nest. He frequently favors wearing all white suits, since he can spontaneously generate whatever clothes he feels like wearing when he manifests, making it easy to keep clean.

When a friend fell to the plague of the Rose, Luke Skylar acted, getting in touch with two spirit mediums interested in getting to the bottom of the matter and even equipping them with some of his rocket science inventions. As more information was uncovered, it started to seem as though every anthropomorphized faerie in the city had been affected, and Michelle taught him how to manifest in the real world to help hide himself from the threat.

In the end, though, Luke ended up helping Alex and Michelle take the Rose on head-to-head; for his part in saving so many lives (mortal and fey), the local Court Queen has granted Luke the status of Noble Spirit. He now insists on calling himself 'Sir' Luke Skylar, much to the chagrin of many.

Character Sheet

Threat Level: Low (Blue)
Life: 10 Points
Spirit: 10 Points
Composure: 10 Points
Evasion: 6
Resolve: 6
Sprint: 10
Reaction: 6
Arsenal:
Light Melee Weapon: Rapier
Override: Innate Magic
Decrease Reality: Innate Magic

Advancement Trees:
Martial Skill (Mundane, Tool): 5 Points
Distracting Presence, Threatening Presence, Whirl, Nimble Warrior

Reality Alteration (Magical): 11 Points
Decrease Reality, Increase Reality, Reality Reach, Sharp Decrease, Long Decrease, Long Increase.

Resources (Faeries): 7 Points
Little Fish, Helping Hand, Middle Management, Your Own Person.

Technology (Magical): 27 Points
Computer Kid, Repair Guy, Jump Start, Juryrig, Override, Tech Sense, Mechanical Genius, Technical Wizard, Syntax Error, Geek God, Tech Ascendant.

AstralFire
2008-10-03, 02:25 PM
Luke Skylar in 3rd Edition D&D:

Luke Skylar
Medium Fey [Psionic]
Classes Psion (Shaper) 4
HD 4d4 (11)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); ALT SPEEDS
Init: +1
AC 11; touch 11; flat-footed 10
BAB +2; Grp +2
Attack +1 Rapier +3
(1d6+1, 18-20/x2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Spirit Manifestation
Special Qualities Fey Qualities
Saves Fort +1 Ref +2 Will +4
Abilities Str 11, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 21, Wis 11, Cha 14
Skills Concentration +7, Craft (Rockets) +15, Knowledge (History) +12, Knowledge (Literature) +12, Knowledge (Science) +15, Profession (Mad Scientist) +7, Use Psionic Device +9.
Feats Skill Focus (Knowledge (Science)), Skill Focus (Craft (Rockets)), Body Fuel
Alignment Chaotic Good
Spirit Manifestation (Su) Luke Skylar can move between the spirit world and the native world. He may use Ethereal Jaunt, as the spell, 5 times a day. The duration is unlimited.
Powers Known Psionic Repair Damage, Astral Construct, Energy Resistance (Specified), Force Screen, Inertial Armor, Far Hand, Precognition (Defensive), Precognition (Offensive), Prescience (Offensive)
Power Points 27

Khane
2008-10-03, 03:41 PM
Nifty NPC. Can we expect to see more of him in our upcoming PbP campaign? :smallwink:

Also, he has a 50 point buy. Did you set a limit when making him, or did you just add the appropriate skills you felt fit the concept?

AstralFire
2008-10-03, 03:46 PM
You might, in the current version of the universe I'd like to keep the Aeolus and Alexis storylines more separated, and Luke's always been with Alexis.

I built Luke pretty much just "as I felt", I wasn't going for reaching a direct number. Once I build enough of these NPCs at various benchmark strengths, I'll feel confident enough to come up with a new Threat Level system. I've probably low-balled your points for what you should have given your in-game prestige.

Probably the next one who'll get built will be a little lower, and you may encounter him in the PbP - Robert Szasz. I wanted to start out with Luke since Luke is probably the most immediately eyecatching character.

Khane
2008-10-03, 04:21 PM
You might, in the current version of the universe I'd like to keep the Aeolus and Alexis storylines more separated, and Luke's always been with Alexis.

I built Luke pretty much just "as I felt", I wasn't going for reaching a direct number. Once I build enough of these NPCs at various benchmark strengths, I'll feel confident enough to come up with a new Threat Level system. I've probably low-balled your points for what you should have given your in-game prestige.

Probably the next one who'll get built will be a little lower, and you may encounter him in the PbP - Robert Szasz. I wanted to start out with Luke since Luke is probably the most immediately eyecatching character.

Sounds fun, I look forward to examining Robert greatly. Anyways, this topic has caused me to run a small exercise with building a small team (5, in this case) of NPC's with low point values(25 each.) that work as a coherent team with a high total point value (125). I'd like to show you the results once I finish them, which should be later tonight.

AstralFire
2008-10-03, 09:47 PM
You'll probably have to show me (late) tomorrow. I'm hitting the hay after I do this:

[hr]

Robert raised his eyebrow and looked at the boy. "...What?"

"You didn't know about Project Athor?"

"...No, that sounds horrible. What is it?"

"Project Athor takes criminals around the world that were meant for death by lethal injection. If they fit a certain physiological profile, they're drugged with a different chemical instead and carted off to one of our bases - usually not HQ, though, except for 'new models' that Jimenez wants to try out - and give them a year or two, and... Super Soldier Special."

"...That's horrible." Robert visibly shuddered. "That's what... she did, isn't it?"

"More or less, yeah. The difference being that these are convicted murderers, rapists, psychopaths, slavers... or in the case of Singapore, jaywalkers. And they're wiped of any memory before it starts as well as given a lobotomy, so you could make the argument they're dead. Except for the fact that their soul still inhabits their bodies."

"What kind of a horrible person could do*those things?"

The boy pointed straight ahead. "Take your pick. Either of those two."

Robert shook his head. "No. That's the sort of horrible thing we are here to stop. He wouldn't do something like that."

"I wouldn't be so sure. You saw what he did to her back in the hangar."

"No! I also saw what he didn't do. He didn't touch her. He... he put her in her place. Look, we need her help, he's just making sure we get it. He could have done countless things to her or to us, but he didn't."

He stopped and looked at Robert incredulously.

"...What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"You're pretty damned naive. Sure you're thirty?"

"You're pretty damned cynical. Sure you're nineteen?"

Robert Szasz

Hope for a better tomorrow is what pushes Robert Szasz. A third-generation military man, Szasz enlisted in the Air Force right out of college, and moved swiftly through the ranks for his dedication and skill. He looked forward to a long career there, and was considered a prime candidate for officer training...

And then he was outed, by someone who he had trusted and thought was his friend. The friend never publically made it explicit that Robert was gay, but... that was the end of Robert's advancing career, and he failed to re-enlist next time his time was up. He retired and chose to move in with (and marry) his longtime life partner, Michael Bowman, a gay rights activist. And in the meantime, he picked up some odd jobs here and there, trying to figure out what next to do with his life.

Apparently the more quiet and soft-spoken of the duo, Robert heard inklings of a group that promised hope. Hope for a better tomorrow and a way to get there. A group that needed someone with talents like his...

And so he's found himself as part of a revolutionary underground sect. They have no name - it's always just been referred to as 'our thing' among his colleagues. But 'Our Thing' has gotten pretty big, and their list of allies is eternally growing. Prominent members of national governments have joined, though who they are exactly isn't privy to Robert.

In this group of diplomats, heroes, world leaders and wizards, Robert is just a small fry. Competent, cheerful and determined, he seems constantly overshadowed by his allies... but there's something about this man that just won't give up.

Character Sheet

Threat Level: Street
Life: 14 Points
Spirit: 14 Points
Composure: 14 Points
Evasion: 6
Resolve: 7
Sprint: 10
Reaction: 6
Arsenal:
Light Melee Weapon: Knife
Standard Ranged Weapon: Magnum
Explosion: Grenade

Advancement Trees:
Endurance (Mundane): 8 Points
Tough Guy, Vigorous, Healthy, Energetic, Toughness

Interpersonal (Mundane): 10 Points
Demoralized & Determined, Composed, Tongue-Lasher, Serene, Resolute

Marksmanship (Mundane, Tool): 4 Points
Steady Grip, Pinion Shot, Double Shot

Martial Skill (Mundane, Tool): 3 Points
Distracting Presence, Threatening Presence, Unarmed Combatant

Resources (5th Column): 4 Points
Little Fish, Helping Hand, Middle Management

AstralFire
2008-10-04, 05:41 AM
Robert Szasz in 3rd Edition D&D:

Robert Szasz
Medium Humanoid (Human)
Classes Urban Ranger 3
HD 3d8+9 (26)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +0
AC 14; touch 10; flat-footed 14 (Adamantine Chain Shirt)
Damage Reduction 1/-
BAB +3; Grp +3
Attack +1 Composite Longbow +4 (1d8+2, 20/x3), Short Sword +4 (1d6+1, 19-20/x2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Saves Fort +5 Ref +3 Will +4
Abilities Str 12, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 12
Skills Gather Information +7, Heal +7, Knowledge (local) +6, Search +6, Sense Motive +6, Swim +7, Speak Language 3.
Languages Common, Undercommon, Dwarven, Orcish
Class Features Urban Tracking, Endurance, Rapid Shot, Favored Enemy (Humanoids).
Feats Iron Will, Improved Toughness, Weapon Focus (Longbow)
Alignment Lawful Good
Advancement If Robert improves in levels, he will probably multiclass to Urban Scout and become a Swift Hunter.

AstralFire
2008-10-05, 01:50 PM
Silver hair, cherry red trenchcoat, matching fedora and dark round glasses, with the vaguest traces of a smile slipping 'round her lips. Everyone knew the name - Belle Argent, bounty hunter extraordinaire. She even had her own television show, Hunting for Silver. But not everyone knew her real talent - bringing in arcanists.

Her silvered HUM-V roared to a stop in front of a steel gate. It guarded the way to a formerly inconspicuous military complex - now it seemed as though a huge knife and stabbed and twisted through it. Arcanum HQ.

She placed a hand atop the huge black mastiff in the seat beside her and scratched behind the ears. It growled. But not at her - at the man who was nearing the car. His nametag said, "Pollux."

"Ah, Agent Pollux... good to see you again. Looks like you boys got your playhouse roughed up a bit, huh?

He didn't bat an eye. "Ariel Bellafonte," he said, using her real name, "What are you doing here? I wasn't aware this little crisis was an invitation for every scavenger around to show up."

She smiled thinly and removed her glasses, revealing startling eyes - one red, one hazel. "Like it or not, I have been hired by your directors to assist in this matter. A handsome sum of money, too. I can't believe you don't have me on the guest list, garçon."

He grunted. "No, you're in. Unfortunately. I guess we could use all the help we can get, but keep your hands off of our tech this time around." Pollux nodded back towards the gatehouse. The metal gates barring her way retracted, sliding into the ground.

"How kind of you." She pushed her glasses back up onto her face. "Besides, I've never taken anything that didn't belong to me anyway." The light glinted off her lenses as though they were winking. And then she drove through, leaving Pollux fuming in the dust. The wall shot back up immediately after she passed over it, locking her into the base.

As she pulled in front of the main entrance, Belle turned off the ignition and reached over to her dog. "C'mon Himmler. Time to see what mess they want me to get them out of this time."

Himmler whined.

"Oh, get a spine. It's not every day we work for the government."

Belle Argent

Belle Argent oozes style, charisma, and (perhaps most attractive of all) death. Born to a former U.S. Ranger who became a soldier of fortune, Ariel Walker resisted her father's lifestyle growing up. There had to be more to life than what he did, dragging her around the world on his missions of death and barely having the time or inclination to so much as kiss her good night. When her father disappeared one night in a mission in Laos, Ariel left and returned to the United States, with the intention of going to college.

But it wasn't that simple. Though bright, Ariel had never really been formally schooled, and passing examinations proved to be too difficult for someone whose first spoken word was Swahili for 'murderer.' Desperate to reach a better life for herself, she started swimming through local college bars, and eventually latched onto an up-and-coming computer programmer by the name of Jake Bellafonte. Jake was desperate for a woman and had a bright future ahead of him in technology; Ariel was desperate for money and had a good head on her shoulders.

They went through a whirlwind romance and were wed by Christmas; Ariel's first Christmas in an area with snow, and despite what you may think, they were happy. Ariel was money-oriented, but she came to enjoy Jake's company, and Jake began to grow up a bit. For a while, it seemed as though the wild child had indeed managed to settle down as she began to plan for having kids of her own, humming Silver Bells as she'd pick out things for the hypothetical children.

But slowly, everything went wrong. By their third anniversary, not only had they failed to have children - something the couple blamed on each other - but Ariel found herself drifting away from Jake and back towards thoughts of M-16s and knives. News reached Ariel that her father's corpse had finally been found; he'd been tortured to death only a week past. She felt no sorrow in her heart, but she knew then that there was a hole in the world shaped like Thomas Walker, and she was meant to fill it. And that night, Ariel just walked out the door and didn't come back.

Character Sheet
Threat Level: Medium (Green)
Life: 11 Points
Spirit: 10 Points
Composure: 14 Points
Evasion: 7
Resolve: 7
Sprint: 14
Reaction: 6
Arsenal:
Light Melee Weapon: Knife
Heavy Ranged Weapon: Rifle
Explosion: Grenade

Advancement Trees:
Acrobatics (Mundane): 10
Sprinter, Quick-Witted, Fleet of Foot, Evasive, Expect the Unexpected

Endurance (Mundane): 3
Catch My Breath, Healthy, Resilient (Bulletproof Vest)

Interpersonal (Mundane): 20
Cool Customer, Composed, Rock Steady, Sweatin' 'em Out, Cooler Customer, Imperturbable, Resolute, Serene, Ice Man

Marksmanship (Tool): 24
Steady Grip, Snapshot, Rain of Fire, Faster Aim, Suppression Fire, Persistant Aim, Far Reach, Sniper Shot

Scouting (Mundane): 9
Long Range, Move Silently, Quiet Shoes, Sharp Sight, Silent Stalker, Sniper Scope

AstralFire
2008-10-05, 06:46 PM
Belle Argent in 3rd Edition D&D:

Belle Argent
Medium Humanoid (Human)
Classes Urban Arcane Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Deepwood Sniper 2
HD 4d10+4d8+8 (49)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +2
AC 21; touch 14; flat-footed 19 (+2 Mithral Breastplate, +2 Ring of Deflection)
BAB +8; Grp +9
Attack +2 Composite Longbow +12 (1d8+5, 19-20/x4)
Full Attack +2 Composite Longbow +12/12/7
(1d8+5, 19-20/x4)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Saves Fort +8 Ref +9 Will +2
Abilities Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 18
Skills Bluff +15, Escape Artist +13, Gather Information +15, Intimidate +15, Hide +13, Move Silently +13
Languages Common, Orcish, Elven
Class Features Urban Tracking, Endurance, Rapid Shot, Favored Enemy (+2 Arcanists), Keen arrows, range increment bonus +20 ft., Concealment reduction 10%, magic weapon, projectile improved critical +1
Feats Power Shot, Weapon Focus (Longbow), Far Shot, Many Shot, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Specialization (Longbow), Improved Rapid Shot
Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Advancement Belle will advance by taking more levels of Urban Ranger, though no further Arcane Ranger substitute levels.

Himmler
Use the stats for a Wolf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/wolf.htm).

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 11:14 AM
"Well... uh... I'll be in the mini-mart..." Aeolus stood up and slammed the door behind him. He had better things to do than sit next to a woman who just wet herself.

He pushed the glass door open and headed inside. Behind a metal cage stood a black woman slightly shorter than him. Her stomach was bulging a bit, but her frame wasn't particularly plump.

"Yo, preggers, where's the restroom?"

"What did you just say?"

"I asked where your restroom is, lady."

She looked him over for a minute, rolled her eyes and sighed. Another jerk. "Out back." Her thumb showed the way.

"Thanks."

He headed around to the back wall of the building. Lady probably thought she was clever by telling him to head out back and not give him a key. They always had keys if they were outside. They were also flimsy as hell though, usually. He walked up to the door and looked it over for a second. Standard lock, not even a challenge. They usually don't spend much on these places.

He held his hand up to the keyhole, then yanked it back, forcing air through the tumblers. There was a slight breeze as they were shoved apart, and he quickly yanked the door open.

Aeolus had been expecting something that smelled horrible. He hadn't been expecting a rotted broom in a closet. The boy thought about this for a moment, frowned, then grinned. He had been an ass.

He walked back to the front.

"Pretty clever."

"Want the key?"

"Nah. Already know it's a broom closet." He grinned again.

"Congrats. You're one step ahead of the game."

"Guess I deserved it. Sorry."

"So you are one step ahead of the game. I'm impressed. Of course, by playing the game, you're automatically five steps behind... but it's a start."

Agent Aeolus

Agent Aeolus was one of the most successful operatives at the United States Government's Arcanum Division. He had one of the highest performance records ever seen, youth and inexperience being overshadowed by raw talent and power, as well as his exceptionally early enrollment in Project Olympus. Countless targets were taken out silently from the shadows, and rogue arcanists that rose to make trouble were easily rebuffed.

Then he suddenly left one November. Exactly why, few are sure. Those who once considered him a friend say that maybe he grew tired of the senseless killing, but Agent Echo thinks she knows the truth: he got sick of not having a normal life.

He was pursued by members of the Arcanum Division, but has consistently evaded their attempts to capture him, finally losing them around North Carolina in early March. He has since continued his winding path around the country, making his way to Washington, D.C. Why that is, remains to be seen.

Aeolus cannot remember his parents; they died in a fire when he was young. This is not a fact that he has bothered to shed many tears over, not knowing them well enough to bother caring. As a result, he grew up in an orphanage for the earliest years of his life, where he was bullied and ostracized even as his powers had just begun to form.

He was taken from his orphanage at the age of eight and brought to the Arcanum Division based on reports they'd heard of a boy with amazing powers. There he was trained in the use of his powers, raised in a friendly environment, and given the best education that taxpayer money could buy. He chose as his codename Aeolus; he gave up his old identity. These days, he does not even remember his birth name; it is irrelevant to who he is. The younger Aeolus lived alone; the newer at least had Agent Echo. She was a much older girl, brought in shortly after he was. He helped her adjust to life at the Arcanum, and she raised him like a little brother. Many other agents didn't like either of them, but they were close as could be to each other.

Powers: Agent Aeolus has the preternatural ability to control oxygen kinetically via his hands. The primary result of this ability is a close approximation of psychokinesis, although he has also demonstrated the ability to mimic psychopyretics by rapidly agitating oxygen molecules. He is capable of using these powers to disable and defeat most people rather quickly. With no preparation time, he can send a flurry of aerial bursts each the strength of a weak punch through the air; with considerable time spent focusing and concentrating, he can generate an explosive attack capable of destroying several inches of reinforced steel walls through a combination of direct pressure and extreme heat. Airborne electrical attacks have proven less than useful against the agent; Aeolus has been trained to polarize the air in order to force electricity to pass in the way he wishes it to. He cannot generate electrically-based attacks, but he can turn such attacks back on the originator.

He has also demonstrated the ability to use these powers to create simple physical constructs constructed of oxygen as long as he maintains concentration; he primarily uses this ability to create a large semisolid disc which he rides to fly at slower speeds (95 MPH or less). Aeolus' constructs, by virtue of being compressed oxygen, are paramagnetic, similar to iron; they are strongly attracted to magnetics and conduct electricity.

At higher speeds, this mode of transport is inefficient compared to using direct wind power to propel himself provided he is wearing a large, loose cloak or coat. When not actively using his powers, he is capable of sensing general motion of oxygen in a 1,000 foot radius. (Approximate; varying levels of concentration or power use can expand or decrease this range.)

Agent Aeolus is considered moderately dangerous; he is equipped with state-of-the-art technology in addition to his formidable array of powers and possesses high levels of unarmed and armed combat experience. While he appears to be reluctant to kill, one must remember that he was trained as an assassin. He wears ablative bulletproof armor over most of his body, excepting his head.

In a vacuum situation or should his hands be directly encased in an airless substance, he is effectively stripped of his powers, though this does not render him helpless.

Character Sheet
Threat Level: High (Red)
Life: 10 Points
Spirit: 10 Points
Composure: 10 Points
Evasion: 6
Resolve: 6
Sprint: 10
Reaction: 6
Arsenal:
Light Kinetic Ranged Weapon: Air Pummel
Heavy Kinetic Ranged Weapon: Air Blast
Kinetic Explosion: Air Bomb

Advancement Trees: 91 Points
Endurance (Technological): 7
Catch my Breath, Resilient, Feed Your Rage (Mundane), Tough Skin

Kinetics (Magical): 32
Barrier, Kinetic Attacks, Kinetic Barrier, Shove, Kinetic Shove, Kinetic Stop, Kinetic Suspension, Deflect, Overdrive, Conservation

Geomancy (Magical): 1
Gust

Interpersonal (Mundane): 8
Cool Customer, Flame Warrior, Rapier Wit, Rock Steady, Cooler Customer, Tongue Lasher

Marksmanship (Mundane): 15
Steady Grip, Trick Shot, Shot-Fu, Fan of Death, Suppression Fire, Point Blank

Martial Skill (Mundane): 3
Unarmed Combatant, Distracting Presence, Threatening Presence

Scouting (Mundane): 23
Long Range, Move Silently, The Second Sense, Sleight of Hand, Quiet Shoes, Sharp Sight, Damn Tourists, Echolocation, Patient Watcher, Silent Stalker (Magical), Catburgler (Magical), Exacting Eye, Refuge in Audacity

Technological (Mundane): 3
Computer Kid, Repair Guy, Crumple Zone

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 01:13 PM
Aeolus is probably the hardest one to export so far - in Gestalt, he'd be a Rogue//Psion (Kineticist), but in single class there's not much support for being a blaster and a skill guy. I'm reserving this post in case I'm later struck with inspiration, but he doesn't mechanically fit. Of course, if he did then I wouldn't have made the system to begin with...

Besides, I don't think anyone's actually reading this thread, just misclicking on it. :smallsigh:

phoenixcire
2008-10-06, 02:59 PM
I'm actually reading this feverishly, I just refrain from posting because I don't want to add a lot of clutter. I am also eagerly awaiting info on Government and other organizations/secret societies. I want to add them into my character I've made to flesh out the story better.

Khane
2008-10-06, 03:10 PM
I'm actually reading this feverishly, I just refrain from posting because I don't want to add a lot of clutter. I am also eagerly awaiting info on Government and other organizations/secret societies. I want to add them into my character I've made to flesh out the story better.

If you already have a character built (Mechanically, if not thematically), please post it on drop.io/anteheroes. This is where we're keeping track of the character sheets, and it can also serve a useful bulletin board and storage place for general files relating to the game.

phoenixcire
2008-10-06, 03:24 PM
If you already have a character built (Mechanically, if not thematically), please post it on drop.io/anteheroes. This is where we're keeping track of the character sheets, and it can also serve a useful bulletin board and storage place for general files relating to the game.

I was planning to post it there, but as every other character has a story I wanted to finish mine before posting. I wanted to write it in the fashion that these NPCs are being written; story, background and character stats.


Just for fun, nduli and mwuaji are Swahili for murderer/killer.

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 03:58 PM
Useful info, thanks, I'd been too lazy to do my research on that point.

I think I'll try and throw up an article about the government in the main thread tonight.

phoenixcire
2008-10-06, 04:15 PM
Useful info, thanks, I'd been too lazy to do my research on that point.

I think I'll try and throw up an article about the government in the main thread tonight.

Thanks! I like to look up odd tidbits of information. It gives me something to do. Case in point, penumbra is actually latin for "almost shadow" or "mid-shadow." My original character name(before the changes) was Umbranox, or Shadownight. I was rushing and lacking creativity. I wanted something that was similar to Nightshade.

Khane
2008-10-06, 04:25 PM
I was planning to post it there, but as every other character has a story I wanted to finish mine before posting. I wanted to write it in the fashion that these NPCs are being written; story, background and character stats.


Just for fun, nduli and mwuaji are Swahili for murderer/killer.

Shelly doesn't have a backstory written, and Sean didn't until a while after Harvey was posted. I just want it up there so I can examine the mechanics of the character and think of ways that they can help eachother in combat.

Come on, don't be shy!

Username
2008-10-06, 05:18 PM
Heh, my character still lacks a backstory. I've got one planned out, mind you! I've just been woefully lazy about writing it down. You might not have guessed it, but Clark on Drop.io is pretty much the psychic version of Indiana Jones.

Also, I check this thread several times a day eagerly hoping for updates.

phoenixcire
2008-10-06, 05:28 PM
Shelly doesn't have a backstory written, and Sean didn't until a while after Harvey was posted. I just want it up there so I can examine the mechanics of the character and think of ways that they can help eachother in combat.

Come on, don't be shy!

Ok, I just need to tweak my character a bit real quick. I decided upon a last minute weapon change because mine was too similar to one already posted and I wanted to add variety. Even though I created this character before the original playtesting, which I was forced to miss(dammit)...two shadow blades seemed too much to me.

Edit:
I added my character Daren Darkstalker. Once again I lacked creativity. Names are definitely not my strength.

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 09:14 PM
Michelle leaped backwards as the two ran up, a thin smile set across her face.

"Last warning guys, really." She raised her simple yew bow, one arrow nocked.

The dark-clothed fey laughed. "You share your mother's impudence, child."

"Unwise for an apprentice," his partner agreed. "There are two of us, and but one of you-"

"Three."

"What?"

Before he could say another word, the arrow slipped carelessly from her bow, split in twain and pierced both their hearts. Michelle's brown eyes flared green. "Fire and Water- Purify!"

The luminous shafts suddenly exploded in misty vapors and smoke, swallowing their victims whole.

She lowered her bow... then whirled about, drew her sword and decapitated the spirit behind her in one swift motion. As the head began to loll backwards, it all disappeared into a silvery-grey mist.

"Three. And that's senior apprentice."

Michelle Eunhee Black

A Korean-American spirit mage, Michelle has no father. Literally.

Her mother, a Gumiho (or nine-tailed fox) that had renounced the evil ways of her kin, was able to conceive a child from the power of her meditation and prayer after a long life of piety. The last-name Black is little more than a reference to the black tips of her mother's fox form.

Michelle was unaware of this for most of her life, having just been told that her father died when she was little, but the nature of her and her mother's origins was made clear when Helena possessed Songshim Black and used the Gumiho's body to wreak havoc upon Williamton.

Due to the conflict between the inherently corrupt nature of Gumiho and her mother's much-refined purity, Michelle has retained little of her mother's natural reservoir of magic, and is actually less inherently supernatural than most people - however, she keeps much of her mother's brilliant mind, and has been able to compensate for her power deficiency with skill and wit.

Very few attempt to challenge the senior apprentice for her well-earned title, and she can match most of the Patient Bear masters in a duel. However, she will never actually earn the title of a Master in the tradition, as she cannot actually channel spirits.

She seems to have some sort of a relationship with her longtime fellow apprentice, Alexis Decker, though the young woman's serene exterior makes it hard to really know.

Character Sheet

Threat Level: Elite (Gold)
Life: 14 Points
Spirit: 14 Points
Composure: 14 Points
Evasion: 7
Resolve: 7
Sprint: 10
Reaction: 6
Arsenal:
Purify (Magical)
Standard Melee Weapon: Ingeum Sword
Standard Ranged Weapon: Ingeum Bow
Displace (Magical)

Advancement Trees: 117
Acrobatics (Mundane): 10
Reactionary, Artful Dodger, Charging Thunder, Roll With It, Expect the Unexpected, Evasive

Endurance (Mundane): 7
Vigorous, Healthy, Energetic, Toughness

Geomancy (Magical): 7
Light & Sound, See Magic, Walk on Water, Summon Object, Open Minded

Interpersonal Skills (Mundane): 14
Demoralized & Determined, Composed, Rock Steady, Tongue-Lasher, Imperturbable, Resolute, Serene

Life & Spirit (Magical): 7
Life Touch, Shield, Status Shield, Big Shield

Marksmanship (Tool/Mundane): 20
Snapshot, Pinion Shot, Double Shot, Suppression Fire, Far Reach, Running Shot

Martial Skill (Tool/Mundane): 20
Threatening Presence, Whirl, Balanced Warrior, Disarming Strike, Lethality, Deadly Blow

Mind and Soul (Magical): 19
Fey Sight, Purify, Mind Sense, Feedback, Sanctified Weapons, Touch the Soul, Penetration, Crucible

Reality Alteration (Magical): 10
Displace, Reality Reach, Large Displace, Rapid Displace, Rippling Reach

phoenixcire
2008-10-07, 01:19 AM
Aeolus is my favorite of your NPCs so far.

"Yo, preggers, where's the restroom?"

I like how you gave him wind based powers as well as making him a blowhard. Great homage to his namesake. I do believe you are taking him from the Aeolus that's in The Odyssey.

AstralFire
2008-10-07, 07:16 AM
The blowhard resemblance was unintentional, but it does dovetail nicely. He's a jerk simply because I set out to make a character that was very noticeably different in tone from Alexis, the other main lead of the series.

Michelle is my personal favorite, in part because this incarnation of her is actually a person; she was a rather boring character who existed basically as little more than a love interest in prior versions of the story, and when I started designing her this time I decided that she had to be awesome.

phoenixcire
2008-10-07, 08:17 AM
Oh yeah, I forgot that you based this on a bunch of stories you've written or something like that. Regardless, if arrogance is properly written, it can be hilarious.

AstralFire
2008-10-07, 09:27 PM
White fire welled up beneath his feet and poured out from his eyes. Most of the bones in his body were broken. He couldn't feel his legs. But he had to keep moving. The city was inside of him, and it was him, and he was it. Williamton itself was alive, reaching out to him, and he to it.

When he spoke again, his voice had the weight of millions, aged by decades.

"Rhodonike, we suffer you no more."

The rose-haired goddess simply stared, her hair slowly rising and crackling with static.

The flames roared to life, and Alexis soared. The lightning came, and he kicked it away, flipping vertical. She sidestepped, he handsprung. His foot, her jaw. Rockets fired.

Her hand slammed down. An explosion, crackling, the rockets sputtering dead. Back on his feet, a scream of pain, raw flesh on tile. Her fist, her lightning, his gut. More screams.

Grab her hand. Don't let go. Break her face, break her face. Her face, his knee, her face, his fist. Break her face. Don't let go.

Suffer no more.

Alexis Robert Decker

You may have recognized Alexis' name from the newspapers even before the Rose incident. When he was 12 and living with his parents in Ohio, Alex was at the centerpiece of the trial of a middle school teacher, Mr. Fujita. Alex had been playing on the river near where his principal had been found dead only a few weeks prior... and the next thing he knew, he was at school, straddling Fujita's chest and pounding a confession out of him for the murder.

The songshim (teacher) Seojin Black came to hear of this - almost everyone else in the country had. Shortly after the trial had ended and the media circus had begun to recede, Seojin appeared before Alexis' parents. Their child had special gifts, she had surmised - a deep natural connection to the spirit world. Something that only she could help him master and guard himself from. After a few demonstrations, Mr. and Mrs. Decker were convinced, and Alexis ended up moving to Delaware to join Mrs. Black's growing Academy of the Patient Bear.

His connection to the spirits is so deep and intuitive that it has influenced his fighting style; Alexis has very little natural talent for brawling, but can hear the small whispers of the world and predict his opponents' next moves as a result. Likewise, his high inner reserves of magic can be used to augment his morale and energy. Despite all of this talent, however, Alexis has very little mind for arcane magic, and his connection to the spirits is so deep that he has only recently made headway in controlling the gate to his soul.

As each has what the other lacks, Alexis and Michelle are frequently partnered with one another; his quick wit, intuition and powers of observation synergize with her steady calculations, foresight, and objectivity.

When working with Luke, Alexis' high natural magic made him an obvious test subject for the spirit's latest creation - magically powered rocket boots. Intended for flight and "casual use to navigate large shopping malls", Alexis mostly ended up using them to pioneer the art of kicking people and spirits alike in the face (and gut, and groin, and feet) with rockets. Luke's opinion on the development is mixed.

Character Sheet

Threat Level: Elite (Gold)
Life: 14 Points
Spirit: 14 Points
Composure: 10 Points
Evasion: 7
Resolve: 6
Sprint: 21
Reaction: 6
Arsenal:
Kinetic Heavy Unarmed: Rocket Boots (Magical/Tech)
Kinetic Light Unarmed: Rocket Boots (Magical/Tech)
Shield

Advancement Trees: 109
Acrobatics (Magical): 40
Reactionary, Sprinter
Artful Dodger, Charging Thunder, In a Single Bound, Quick-Witted
Fleet of Foot, Roll With It
Double Time, Evasive, Expect the Unexpected, Wildfire
Speed Demon, Speed of Thought
Aerial Leap

Endurance (Mundane): 12
Catch My Breath, Vigorous
Healthy, Just Getting Started
Vigorous
Constant Commotion, Toughness

Kinetics (Magical/Technological): 2
Kinetic Attacks, Shove

Interpersonal Skills (Mundane): 3
Cool Cat, Flame Warrior
Rapier Wit

Life and Spirit (Magical): 23
Life Touch
Shield, Spirit Channel
Life Funnel, Status Shield
Lifeforce Sense
Aura of Life
Spirit Fountain

Martial Skill (Magical/Mundane): 24
Unarmed Combatant, Distracting Presence, Threatening Presence
Whirl
Close-Quarters Warrior, Unarmed Warrior
Disarming Strike
Lethality
Deadly Blow

Mind and Soul (Magical): 2
Fey Sight, Lore. (Alexis is unable to voluntarily channel spirits, or expel them.)

Scouting (Mundane): 3
Long Range
Fast Eyes, Sharp Sight

phoenixcire
2008-10-07, 10:01 PM
Alexis mostly ended up using them to pioneer the art of kicking people and spirits alike in the face (and gut, and groin, and feet) with rockets.

I like this. It reminds me of all those Chuck Norris facts.

Alexis Decker can kill two stones with one bird.