Aberrant RPG - What's your character like? Part 2

[Jager]

Holographic Awarness? Were is that posted?

[Renard]

It's in Brainwaves, which can be found here: http://members.aol.com/talonstudio/brainwaves/

[Cody]

Nice. I have a couple of question but nice. First, here's a better link to Brainwaves . This version was developed by the crew here at N!Prime from the original and looks spiffier. Actually it looks spiffier than any WW e-book I've ever seen. The links for download are in the first post on the page.

The questions are about some of Renard's abilities from his eruption. The Holographic Awareness, Intuition, Teleport and Claws work really well. I'm kind of wondering where the Psychic Shield, Hypnosis and Disorient come into play though. It's not that they can't fit but they don't seem to at first glance.

[Renard]

The in character explanation is that he several time before eruption fantasized about hypnotizing his way out of trouble, especially trouble relating to his ethnicity.

The real explanation is of course that I wanted them! I was considering Mega-Man instead but my telepathy fetish got the better of me.

At eruption, he grew a little, got stronger and healthier and gained Hypnosis due to his image of himself as lacking in these areas. Psychic Link and Psychic Shield came along with Hypnosis. Disorient is partly part of the psychic package, partly part of the red theme.

So, the explanation is (more than) a little weak, but I'm open to suggestions.

[Cody]

Quote:

Originally posted by Renard:
So, the explanation is (more than) a little weak, but I'm open to suggestions.

Oooo... a challenge...

Maybe Renard saw (feared) himself to be weak willed. His father and mother held off the greedy relatives but he failed. He could see that as proof of his own personal weakness. The physical powers prove his outer strength while the psychic shield and hypnosis prove his inner strength because he sees that as a contest of wills. His above average Will Power works into this pretty well.

Is he less afraid of taking risks after eruption? That might explain the psychic link. Connecting so directly to another mind is something a "weak" person wouldn't dare to do.

The Disorient could be a real combination of his physical and mental abilities. He can tap into the same well of power he uses to create claws and teleport (physical strength) then force it on his targets perceptions (inner strength) through the same ability that lets him psychically link to another mind. If you like this explanation you might also think about his taint (glowing eyes) appearing any time he uses abilities that are rooted in his fears (Disorient, Psychic Shield, Hypnosis, Psychic Link).

I'm not sure it says it any where in the books but I always thought Taint worked best when it was somehow related to the inner demons of the character.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

RE: New Power: Transmutation-3

,,

Quote:

Cody:

Opinions;

1. Insane?

Old rule from another game - if I can kill man I can transform him and the net effect is the same....

2.A. Permanent Statues?

If you lack a suitable defense and have zip for will power left then you deserve what you get. Which would you prefer to be; a statue that can be recovered with Molecular Alteration or some clever use of other quantum power authorized by the ST? Or dead?

...I really do believe this is balanceable within a game.

Sorry I didn't see this earlier.

As I read the rules, this is a resisted power, and you only need one succ to turn the air in someone's lungs to lead, or turn their bones to salt, or all the oxygen in their body to something else. Any of these effects is fatal.

The only way of preventing this is lots of willpower spent to oppose it (since you don't get a willpower roll??? Is that right???) and you also don't get a dodge. The only power that could defend you is Hardbody (but only in some cases).

I agree completely regarding point #1. I even agree completely regarding baselines in general. Disintegrate (another L3, Q5 combat power) does one level of damage per succ, can be dodged, and soaked by Inv, Imperv, and HB. What you have here is one heck of a lot more effective than disintegrate and a lot more versitile on top of that.

Unless I'm misunderstanding the rules, I'd suggest raising the Q min to 7, this sounds a lot like a level 4 power.

Say, this really should be moved to the ST area.

[Cody]

Doctor Smith, this dropped off the active topic list before I saw it. Sorry for the delay in answering.

Quote:

Originally posted by David 'Dr. Troll' Smith:

As I read the rules, this is a resisted power, and you only need one succ to turn the air in someone's lungs to lead, or turn their bones to salt, or all the oxygen in their body to something else. Any of these effects is fatal.

Not quite. The oxygen example doesn't fly because it's gaseous vice solid or liquid. Plasma states also aren't allowable so no turning fire into crystal although that would be a pretty cool piece of art... Your other examples are truthfully things that never occured to me - I didn't consider that any ST would allow such a thing - so I didn't think to address it. My opinion is that this falls under the rule of "No" and is up to the ST to decide because it's very much like a player arguing that Molecular Alteration allows them to turn the dead skin in your epidermis into enriched plutonium. Sure it's technically true under the rules and power description but would you allow that?

Speaking of which, if you can't turn their lungs into lead (or more effectively turn their node into oatmeal) how do you see this power killing someone? Oh, it can mess someones life up in a lot of ways but instant death doesn't seem to be in the cards.

Quote:

The only way of preventing this is lots of willpower spent to oppose it (since you don't get a willpower roll??? Is that right???)

I don't see a problem with allowing a willpower roll to resist. I overlooked that mostly because I didn't see this as primarily an attack power. Like Bodymorph: Water, EA:Water, EM: Water or Matter Chameleon - the power isn't necessarily deadly but you can suffocate someone.

Quote:

and you also don't get a dodge.

True, but then lots of things that mess your character's day up and won't give you a dodge. Toss a breather in a swimming pool and keep making him forget he's under water is something I've actually seen in a game. Cruel but effective and even poetic in that particular case..

Quote:

The only power that could defend you is Hardbody (but only in some cases).

Partly true. As Meridian pointed out there has to be ways to defend, something I agree with, but because of the lattitude between special effect and mechanic in Aberrant it's not possible to list every possibility without knowing (a) how you define the power, ( how the target defines the defense, and © what's allowable in your game (Golden Rule and Rule of No). If I define the power as changing the values of your quantum field then I've opened several possible defenses while closing other possiblities. If I describe it as a swarm of nano-machines different possibilities emerge.

Same with defenses. We can both have the same defensive powers as listed in the book but because of how we define them your power is effective while mine is less useful than wet tissue paper. Anything that let's you bounce AG damage looks pretty promising but to the creative player goes the defense and let the ST decide the success.

Quote:

I agree completely regarding point #1. I even agree completely regarding baselines in general. Disintegrate (another L3, Q5 combat power) does one level of damage per succ, can be dodged, and soaked by Inv, Imperv, and HB. What you have here is one heck of a lot more effective than disintegrate and a lot more versitile on top of that.

I'm glad you agree with parts of it but I think you're overstating some points. For instance in Cody's case, a simple Mega Stamina Enhancement (Regeneration) can negate some or all (depending on how you define it) the effectiveness and versatility you mentioned. A level 3 power negated by a simple Enhancement sounds like a promising counter-balance. Yes, you couldn't know that in advance but neither can Cody know that someone he thought he'd taken care of is coming after him five minutes later.

Quote:

Unless I'm misunderstanding the rules, I'd suggest raising the Q min to 7, this sounds a lot like a level 4 power.

Think over the responses I provided and then tell me what you think.

Quote:

Say, this really should be moved to the ST area.

Oops!

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

In reverse order of importance...

Quote:

Cody:Not quite. The oxygen example doesn't fly because it's gaseous vice solid or liquid...

Actually, oxygen in the blood is liquid (but this is a minor point).

Quote:

Cody:

Quote:

Dr. Troll: The only power that could defend you is Hardbody (but only in some cases).

Partly true. As Meridian pointed out there has to be ways to defend, something I agree with, but because of the lattitude between special effect and mechanic in Aberrant it's not possible to list every possibility without knowing (a) how you define the power, ( how the target defines the defense, and © what's allowable in your game (Golden Rule and Rule of No). If I define the power as changing the values of your quantum field then I've opened several possible defenses while closing other possiblities. If I describe it as a swarm of nano-machines different possibilities emerge.

Yes and no. Player cleverness can use special effects to their advantage. There are also various techniques in the suite powers that can only be used depending on special effects (Magnetic Mastery can be used to defend against a metal NPC etc).

But we don't look at special effects for basic defenses. If PC "A" has hardbody (regardless of how he has defined it) then it works against PC "B's" Disintegrate (regardless of how he has defined it). Similarly, A Magnetic character's force field provides soak against all normal attacks. There needs to be basic defenses.

Quote:

Cody:...it's very much like a player arguing that Molecular Alteration allows them to turn the dead skin in your epidermis into enriched plutonium. Sure it's technically true under the rules and power description but would you allow that?...I overlooked that mostly because I didn't see this as primarily an attack power. Like Bodymorph: Water, EA:Water, EM: Water or Matter Chameleon - the power isn't necessarily deadly but you can suffocate someone.

My suspicion is that Molecular Alteration isn't supposed to work on organic matter at all. Looking at the power (Molecular Mastery) it comes from, they seem to go out of their way to say it doesn't work on living things (with the exception of the word "tree" which I put down to poor editing and someone not thinking clearly). The equivalent only-works-on-organics power is in WWI, I think it's called Life Mastery (Q6 min). It's equivalent technique doesn't work on Novas (and I would assume Psions) although you can hose baselines a number of ways.

[Renard]

Quote:

Originally posted by Cody:

Quote:

Originally posted by Renard:
So, the explanation is (more than) a little weak, but I'm open to suggestions.

Oooo... a challenge...

Sorry for the delay Cody. I like your idea and will incorporate it in Renard's erruption/backstory.

[Cody]

Quote:

Actually, oxygen in the blood is liquid (but this is a minor point).

I thought it was a suspended gas... I do understand where the question comes from now.

Quote:

But we don't look at special effects for basic defenses.

Actually we do though you may not run into it often depending on what sort of character concepts you play. This may sound like I'm quibbling here but that's not my intention.

First, new powers open up new possibilities. Yes I think that Hard Body, or anything else that bounces AG damage, should IMHO give you a shot at bouncing this effect no matter how many dice the player is throwing. That strike me as balanced when you consider that actual AG damage is weighted against defense rather than being automatically nullified just because you possess a particular Enhancement. I look at it this way because (a) I still don't see this as primarily a combat power, and ( It's not a damage effect so the idea of calculating the result on being 20% successful in turning someone to stone is not one I view with eagerness.

Second, and assuming all ST's are equal, if your Hardbody is define as being composed of quantum faux neutronium therefore difficult to affect and allowing you to bounce AG damge, someone is going to argue that molecules is molecules and I say let the ST decide just like she has to decide the limits on Shape Shifting, Weather Manipulation or other level 3 powers. The dice are listed but the conceptual boundaries are the providence of the creative player as limited by the ST under the Rule of No. And in similar situations of combat, armor defined as fire because your theme is human torch versus an area effect quantum blast defined as a water wave usually gets the fire bug hosed every time. But the one that bases his power on some other energy will laugh at it and kick the water elemental's heinie around the block.

I realize there a lot of leeway in looking at it this way but you get to make a Willpower Roll to ignore it. I'm stipulating countering a Level 3 power with at least two Enhancements, which are either free with a Mega Attribute dot or can be bought cheap. When all that fails you still get to spend Willpower Points to buy down the successes. Are we discussing game balance or something else? Yes there are some power definitions that are going to fail but the up side is that there are some that you wouldn't think applicable that are going to succeed because of how the player defined them.

Quote:

My suspicion is that Molecular Alteration isn't supposed to work on organic matter at all.

I think it's living matter because the definition of "organic" covers so much, but that isn't the point I was trying to make. Say a player says he wants to do what we're describing and the ST says no because (a) she won't allow a partial effect of an object, ( the part you're trying to change is integral to the object (the person) you're doing it to, and © she includes "formerly living matter integral to a living body" as being part of that living body therefore not allowed.

So the player thinks for a moment and says, "Okay. In that case I'm still doing it but I'll use the dust particles on his skin and clothes as the target instead."

My point was that there are a lot of things allowable under the rules and descriptions but an ST shouldn't feel obligated to allow them to happen in her game. I would never have thought of trying to turn someone's bones into salt but you did. I don't see this as a sign that either of us is a better player (though I give you props for creativity) but any ST that allows this to happen has only herself to blame. If a power is problematic then the ST either creates house rules or bans it. That happens all the time with Telepathy and usually because the devious/creative player starts doing things that are legal but the ST just doesn't want to deal with and gets tired of saying no all the time.

What do you think?

[Cryostorm]

I've been holding off commenting Cody, simply because your only describing something used in your TT game. Dice and rules don't really apply on the Opnet so, on that level it's not really relevent which is why i don't feel the need to tear apart the power.

However, some of your comments kind of bug me. First off, when have you even known a player who didn't use their characters abilities to their utmost advantage, especially when said character's life is on the line? To say that "Oh this power isn't really meant to be a offensive power" is just begging for a broken, abused power. Players are a devious and blood thirsty lot after all and this power is going to be able to tear down many games in seconds.

Second, biulding powers in which a Storyteller has to constantly make on-the-fly rulings for nearly every situation gets very, very annoying for the storyteller and I've had first hand experience with this kind of thing. I think most STs would feel better if it wasn't so "fast and loose" with the rules.

[Cody]

Thanks for understanding that this has been a description of Cody and not a suggestion for other people's games.

I'm sorry some of my comments bothered you but perhaps I can explain better than I have so far. When I say that I didn't think of this as offensive I'm not telling you how you should view the power or glossing over potential for abuse. I'm only offering an explanation for why I didn't think about something as basic as a Willpower roll. Or why I didn't think to address the idea of turning someone's lung into lead and their node into oatmeal. The one was something I overlooked and the second is something I never considered as possible/alloweable. Where people have made points ranging from Meridian's comments on common defense, to Kirby's on duration vs expenditure of willpower or Doctor Smith reminding me of willpower rolls I've made changes to reflect their very good suggestions.

I agree with you that a situation requiring an ST to make constant rulings is not desireable but would point out the examples offered are of powers and situations already built into the game in the core book. Despite some seeing the powers in the players guide as the true measure of godlike potential I see the truth as being that level three powers are already godlike. This may be just personal opinion on my part but the differences between level 3 and level 4 + powers is often scope not effect.

Since this is a description instead of a suggestion I can field any questions concerning game balance and effect - I think I've been doing a fair job and am willing to alter when a good point is made - but I can't soothe fears of abuse. I think that's an issue to be addressed within a troupe not in a description even though I recognize the validity of the concern. And some of the differences in opinion between Doctor Smith and I are based not in the rules but in our preferences of play. He's not wrong but I have tried to point out that some things are not so black and white as they might seem.

I appreciate the feedback and hope with explanation you are less bothered by some of my comments. I will see if I can tighten this using all the suggestions so far and that it plays less fast and loose with the rules.

[Cody]

Renard:

You arevery welcome and I'm glad you can use it.

Jager, Meridian, Kirby, Doctor Smith and Brother X:

Again I want to thank you for the feedback. It's all appreciated. Even if you find my views a little skewed. Oddly, when the power was first designed the idea of duration was the main point and very little effort was put into effect versus living matter. That's why I didn't deal with it using specifics in the original description. Much of that was just an on the fly summary of things discussed within the troupe as possibilities.

You've all been great and I value the feedback even if I haven't always agreed. Thanks.

[Miss Baby]

if a powr of the same level does the same thing as another power.you use the first power, change the name. On the othr hand if you make a power that does the same thing as anohter power,plus more it should nto be the same level.

It does the same thing as a few level three powers, with about the same if not more power.I would say it is at least a level 4 power, with a q of 6..At least.

[Cody]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ghetto Funk Baby:
If a power of the same level does the same thing as another power you use the first power and change the name. On the other hand if you make a power that does the same thing as another power plus more it should not be the same level.

Agreed. Not applicable to this particular discussion, or actually a rule, but it's an excellent guideline to adhere to and I highly recommend it to anyone doing creative development with aberrant powers.

Quote:

If it does the same thing as a few level three powers, with about the same if not more power I would say it is at least a level 4 power, with a Q of 6. At least.

Again an excellent point and one I recommend to anyone doing development of powers creatively or otherwise.

I hope you don't take offense with my correcting your post. You brought up some excellent guidance for development, things I'm often explaining to other people in my area, but your original post was a little difficult to read. I did take care not to change the meaning.

[Miss Baby]

I only take offense in the fact you had to say that you fixed it.oh relaly I take none..But someday soemthing will hapen to you.And when that thing hapens you will think.

[Cody]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ghetto Funk Baby:
..But someday soemthing will hapen to you.And when that thing hapens you will think.

You're a little late. That was last week...

[Miss Baby]

Don't worry, somethign else will hapen,and you will think. Mayebe it willb e when you watch the next Ring movie, or maybe when you put on your shoes..But something will hapen, and you will think!

[Cody]

Well, as long as the check's in the mail...

[Cryostorm]

Okay, so here's Brother X's backstory. Please be kind with the criticism, this is the first draft and I wrote it while on a coffee binge last night...

Early Life

Christian’s earliest memories are of happy times. His parents were loving and attentive. His mother was the perfect “soccer mom” and his father spent all of his free time introducing Christian to the joy of comic books. Sadly, as with all things in life, it was not to last. Christian’s father passed away when he was only 10. Just 6 months after N Day and the arrival of the Nova phenomenon.

Life continued for Christian but it wasn’t quite the same. His mother had to take on two jobs just to keep up their standard of living and the comic books Christian loved so much, his only reminder of good times, were slowly dying off. In ’99, when his mother remarried, things became even worse for Christian. He became a third wheel, unwanted by his stepfather and slowly pushed to the side. In 2001, he couldn’t take it anymore and ran away for the first time. For three weeks Christian lived on the streets, trying to survive before the cops found him and dragged him back home. His parents were livid and his stepfather decided to punish him in the cruelest way he could think of; he confiscated Christian’s entire comic collection, his only link to his dead father, and sold them all off, keeping the money for himself.

Christian’s parents made life a living hell for him over the next 2 years. His mother was terrified of losing him and couldn’t understand why he would want to run away while his stepfather wanted nothing but obedience from him, he wanted to control Christian’s every move. He wasn’t allowed out of the house except for school and was banned from participating in any extracurricular school activities. He was even driven to and from school by one or the other of his parents. All this bred a deep and residing hatred for the both of his parents and on the night of their 4th anniversary, he ran away again. He was 15.

Eruption

Christian did whatever was necessary to survive on the streets: panhandling, stealing, and even prostituting himself. While never happy, Christian did make friends who became like a surrogate family to him. They dreamed their impossible dreams together and protected one another.

,,

The one thing Christian never shared with his second family was the fact that he suffered from terrible headaches and migraines. He was afraid that if he let the others know he was sick, they would see him as weak and a liability. He suffered for three years this way before he finally erupted. His eruption was not a violent or explosive affair and he didn’t figure out that it had actually happened until a couple of days later when he realized he could read the minds of the people around him. Christian’s abilities quickly revealed themselves after his initial discovery; Super human reflexes and resiliency, the ability to generate both ice and some sort of energy blast, telekinesis and he grew "retractable" wings.

It was a few months before the Boston police caught up with the newly empowered Christian and not knowing just what to do with him once they caught him, Christian was sent to the New York Rashoud facility for analysis and training.

Current Life

Christian spent a year and a half training with Utopia before leaving in the winter of ’08. During that time, Christian made a few friends, including an erupted gang-banger by the name of “Streets”. It was Streets who first gave him the nickname of Brother X after making the observation that Christian’s powers resembled the powers of several of the X-Men from the old comic he used to read as a kid. Neither of them realized how prophetic the nickname would be until both Christian and his trainers discovered an unusual trait he possessed. While Christian could (and did) improve those Quantum expressions he already possessed, he also continued to develop different powers that seemed completely unrelated to anything else he was capable of. The first was the ability manipulate Magnetic fields. Next, he found that he could transform his skin into some form of “Organic Steel,” which not only provided him with a small measure of physical protection but also a level superhuman strength. Next he developed a second potent quantum energy blast although this one seems to be made up of Plasma rather than kinetic force. Finally, just before his departure, Christian developed the ability to teleport short distances.

Only Streets and Christian ever made the connection between Christian’s versatility and the comic characters he was imitating.

Christian accepted an independent contract with DeVries shortly after leaving Utopia and was quite happy doing “spook” work until Anna contracted him for a combat mission. While somewhat hesitant about it, Christian agreed and shortly thereafter, found himself in the Canadian Rockies with 2 other Elites he couldn’t name trying to stop a Green War assault on a very wealthy logging company. It was a bad situation. The two elites were killed and Christian was forced to kill one of the Green War novas in a most gruesome manner. He telekinetically stuffed the poor s.o.b. into an industrial sized wood chipper.

Christian wasn’t quite right after that incident and decided to take some time to reevaluate his life. During the 6 months he spent wandering he revisited some of his old haunts and a lot of his old friends from his pre eruption days. He shocked himself with how much of his former life he’d pushed out of his mind and seeing his friends still desperately scrounging to survive, he decided to do something about it

Taking his old nickname as his "stage name," Christian signed on to the XWF as Brother X. This allows him get out there and really use his powers without having to worry about causing mass destruction and death while making a ton of money which he funnels into his own private program to help improve the lives of Boston’s street kids.

[Cody]

No one else has commented but that just means I get to be the first. I like the character and think (after getting caught up on the forums) that Brother X makes a great showing on the board.

Nobody (that I know of) plays an XWF character and he comes across as very interesting. Down to earth but intelligent and thoughtful.

Nice work!

[Sakurako Hino]

>.< Sorta makes me feel guilty I and Bro had a falling out... As they say, walk a mile in someone's shoes...

[Matryoshka]

Well, Signy. Not much can be said about Miss Signy Malory. That is the way she likes it.She doesn't take well to talking with most other novas and spends most of her time drawing and painting.

She doesn't travel much.Well she doesn't travel at all. She stays in Southern Califonia, South Town.She now and then helps out the local PD.

One thing she really loves is that not many people know fully what shecan do.

[Zed]

Name: Zachary "Zed" Daniels Nature: Jester

Gender: Male Age: 23

Strength *** Intelligence *** Charisma **

Dexterity **** Perception *** Manipulation **

Stamina **** Wits **** Appearance **

Abilities

---------

Arts WT ***

Biz WT **

Rapport WT **

Computer IQ ***

Bureacracy IQ **

Athletics DX ****

Martial Arts DX ***

Legerdemain DX ***

Awareness PE **

Driving DX *

Pilot DX *

Firearms DX *

Endurance SM ****

Resistance SM ****

Backgrounds

-----------

Node *

Resources ***

Attunement *

Dormancy **

Willpower: ***

Quantum : *****

Quantum Pool: 30

Taint: *****

Bashing Soak: 13

Lethal Soak: 9

Mega-Attributes

---------------

Mega-Strength * Quantum Leap

Mega-Dexterity * Physical Prodigy

Mega-Appearance * Appearance Alteration

Mega-Stamina *** Resiliency, Regeneration, Durability

Nova Powers

-----------

Spacial Manipulation *** Warp Body, Flatform, Ripple Shield

Armor *

Zachary Daniels grew up in a small town in Rhode Island. He had always been interesting in cartoons. He'd spend hours after school watching them on TV. When he graduated from high school he went to art school and got a degree. He got an internship at a cartoon studio in Boston. Life was going pretty well for Zachary. One day a rather disgruntled former employee of the company came in and started spraying bullets all over the offices. Zachary erupted, turning into a real life version of a cartoon hero he had been working on. The bullets seemed to move around his body, forming an outline of his body on the wall behind him. He subdued the gunman and was proclaimed a hero. He is now considering several offers, including his own cartoon series. When using his quantum powers Zachary turns into Zed, a living, breathing cartoon. If you've ever seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit you'll have an idea. He can dish out and take a lot of punishment, all done in a wacky cartoon style. He spends a lot of time dormed down; he finds it hard to relate to most adults when your eyes take up half your face. He has a sharp wit which sometimes gets him in trouble as he cracks a joke at just the wrong time.

[Jager]

It just occurred to me that Boston isn't a safe place to cut loose. Brother X, both Prestons, and Zed all have ties there.

What a happening little burg, eh?

[Cryostorm]

A belated thanks for the kind words Cody. I can't believe I missed this post! Oh and Sakura, don't sweat it. That's the whole fun of this place.

[Kirby1024]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jager:
It just occurred to me that Boston isn't a safe place to cut loose. Brother X, both Prestons, and Zed all have ties there.

What a happening little burg, eh?

It's the water. It's like Adelaide, Australia, or Los Angeles, USA, only it's good in a world with superheroes...

[Zed]

It's the beans.

[Meridian]

Water + Beans = Gas

Ergo it's the gas....

[Ghostwriter]

Name: Regan 'Codex' McLachlan

Nature: Analyst

Eruption: Depression/Research Block

Allegiance: Team Tomorrow

Willpower: 5

Initiative: 12

Taint: 3

Quantam: 4

Strength 1, Dexterity 1, Stamina 1, Perception 3 (visual only), Wits 4, Intelligence 6, Appearance 2, Manipulation 3, Charisma 2

Etiquette 1, Linguistics (Text) 5, Academics 5, Awareness 3 (visual only)

Mega-Atts:

Mega-Wits 1 (Natural Empath)

Mega-Intelligence 2 (Eidetic Memory, Speed Reading)

Mega-Perception 1 (Electromagnetic Vision)

Abilities: Boost Intelligence +1 (Only works on other people), Telepathy +2 (Basic Telepathy), Domination +1 (Works best with eye contact and/or writing) Precognition +1 (Short-range, based on past experience and research.)

Aberration: Near-Deafness, Poor Hearing Memory, Dulled Senses other than sight.

Background: Utopia 1

Regan McLachlan is the ultimate librarian. She is mega-intelligent, with perfect visual recall and enhanced visual learning processes. On the downside, her other senses are somewhat dulled, especially hearing. She has a disorder that's related to high-functioning autism known as Aspergers' Syndrome (it's a real disability) and has two emotional states - detached or in overload. Her mind is organised like a library, and she has basic telepathy, with a knack for literally reading a person's mind. She can also enhance a person's memory or intelligence for short periods of time, and possibly be able to manipulate them somewhat. Depending on her emotional state, she has either a low-level immunity to charisma and empathy, or is totally vulnerable. However, she has slight empathic and charismatic abilities of her own - a smile that lights up her rather average features.

She erupted after hitting researcher's block while writing a history assignment. Combined with her natural depression about her looks and doubts about her intelligence - enhanced by her husband's abusive behaviour - she developed an extraordinary mind and visual memory, heightened visual perception and some telepathic abilities. Her empathic abilities are rather low, no doubt to protect her naturally detached mind from frequent emotional overload, and mainly just give her a general perception of a person's emotional state. She developed near-deafness and other dulled senses as the cost for her new abilities, and has been known to charm the moderately hard-hearted with a smile.

Shortly after she erupted, her husband took a sledge-hammer to her left knee as she was late home from her mundane job as an under-librarian. Permanently lame as a result, she needs crutches and has pins and a leg-brace in her knee just to get around the house.

She has joined Team Tomorrow as an information analyst and archivist, serving in the Asia/Pacific team since she comes from Australia. Quiet and reserved, she tends to rely on her intellect rather than her heart, and has little trust for men outside of T2M.

How does this sound? I've got the sourcebook on lay-by, so please don't shoot me if it's screwed up. Helping out with additional stats, feats, etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Codex

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

On the whole, I like the idea and the character.

Quibbles:

1) Physical stats are low for a nova. I'll suggest giving her Str=1, Dex=1, Stam=3, just to make her legal.

2) The max for Int is 5 (mega Int 2 makes having a 6 redunant in any case).

3) Since her taint is 3, she doesn't have aberrations. But you could still have all of those as flaws.

4) She should have more backgrounds, contacts & resources sound about right.

[Ghostwriter]

*winces*

My character is a complete klutz. But you're the expert...

Revised, after checking out some Team Tomorrow stuff on the Net. Scottish/Irish Gaelic are virtually the same, so I'm treating them as one language for the purposes of character creation.

Name: Regan 'Codex' McLachlan

Nature: Analyst/Autistic

Eruption: Depression/Researcher's Block

Allegiance: Team Tomorrow

Willpower: 5

Taint: 3

Quantam: 5

Initiative: 12

Strength: 1

Stamina: 3

Dexterity: 2

Intelligence: 5

Wits: 3

Perception: 3 (visual only)

Appearance: 2

Manipulation: 3

Charisma: 2

Etiquette: 1

Bureaucracy: 1 (Utopia)

Linguistics (text): 5 (Gaelic - English/Irish, English, Latin, Russian, Ancient Greek. Aramaic), (spoken): 2 (English, Scottish/Irish Gaelic. Latin)

Academics: 5 (Obscure Knowledge, History, Literature, Mythology, Theology)

Computers: 3 (Has created her own archiving and information programmes with help from Team Tomorrow cyberkinetics, and has a sound-to-text and text-to-sound programme that she uses for mixing music)

Awareness: 3 (visual only)

Musicianship: 1 (Vocalist/DJ)

Mega Atts:

Mega-Int: 2 (Eidetic Memory, Speed Reading)

Mega-Wits: 1 (Natural Empath)

Mega-Perception: 1 (Electromagnetic vision)

Flaws: Near-Deafness (Hearing Range of 6 feet), Poor Aural Memory (Three hours) Poor Movement (leg brace, pins and crutches due to broken left knee), Dulled Senses other than sight.

Abilities: Telepathy +2 (Basic), Boost Intelligence/Wits +1 (Only works on other people less intelligent than herself), Precognition +1 (Short-range, based on past experience and research), Domination +1 (Eye-contact or writing only)

Background:

Utopia: 2 (While a member, rarely seen by others in T2M beyond leaders or best friend Julie Logan)

Contacts: 3 (Academic Community, Utopia, Wiccan Community)

Followers: 1 (has been assigned an aide to remind her to eat regularly)

Regan McLachlan is the ultimate librarian. She is mega-intelligent, with perfect visual recall and enhanced visual learning processes. On the downside, her other senses are somewhat dulled, especially hearing. She has a disorder that's related to high-functioning autism known as Aspergers' Syndrome (it's a real disability) and has two emotional states - detached or in overload. Her mind is organised like a library, and she has basic telepathy, with a knack for literally reading a person's mind. She can also enhance a person's memory or intelligence for short periods of time, and possibly be able to manipulate them somewhat. Depending on her emotional state, she has either a low-level immunity to charisma and empathy, or is totally vulnerable. However, she has slight empathic and charismatic abilities of her own - a smile that lights up her rather average features.

She erupted after hitting researcher's block while writing a history assignment. Combined with her natural depression about her looks and doubts about her intelligence - enhanced by her husband's abusive behaviour - she developed an extraordinary mind and visual memory, heightened visual perception and some telepathic abilities. Her empathic abilities are rather low, no doubt to protect her naturally detached mind from frequent emotional overload, and mainly just give her a general perception of a person's emotional state. She developed near-deafness and other dulled senses as the cost for her new abilities, and has been known to charm the moderately hard-hearted with a smile.

Shortly after she erupted, her husband took a sledge-hammer to her left knee as she was late home from her mundane job as an under-librarian. Permanently lame as a result, she needs crutches and has pins and a leg-brace in her knee just to get around the house.

She has joined Team Tomorrow as an information analyst and archivist, serving in the Asia/Pacific team since she comes from Australia. Quiet and reserved, she tends to rely on her intellect rather than her heart, and has little trust for men outside of T2M. However, she has begun to mix music using her unique insight and a programme that allows her to convert text to sound, developed from one that allowed her to convert sound to text so she didn't forget conversations. Her greatest achievement is a bodhran-drum/harp version of 'Stairway to Heaven' in Scottish Gaelic remixed to a dance beat.

She has esoteric interests, and is a devout Wiccan who specialises in comparative theology and mythology.

Does this sound better?

Codex

[Meridian]

My turn.

Generally better ... but wouldn't Utopia be able to find a healer to 'fix' her knee?

Hearing limited to 6' - don't know if this is possible. Even folks with really poor hearing can hear the loud sounds that occur more than 6' feet away. On the other hand they may not hear something spoken softly less than 1' away.

[Ghostwriter]

It's part-disability, part aberration. A better character sheet will come when I have access to the sourcebook.

[Ghostwriter]

Here's the other character I've written up for Out Of Ashes. Please give me feedback. *grin*

Name: Renee ‘Heartsease’ Byrnes

Nature: Pacifist Demeanor: Dreamer Residence: Brisbane, Australia

Strength ••

Dexterity ••

Stamina •/•

Enhancements: Agelessness +1

Charisma •/••

Manipulation ••/•

Appearance •/•

Enhancements: Candor, Bardic Gift, Calm, Agelessness

Intelligence •••/••

Perception •/••

Wits •/•

Enhancements: Ingenuity, Intuitive Deduction, Insight 1, True Intent, Prudence

Skills:

Musicianship •• (Vocalist, Lap-Harp), Academics •• (Bachelor of Arts in Literature and History), Linguistics • (Gaelic), Crafts • (Sewing/Embroidery)

Willpower: ••••

Quantum: ••

Quantum Pool: 24

Taint:

,,

Initiative:

Soak:

Exp:

,,

Quantum Powers: Empathy +1, Telepathy + 2, Voice +2

,,

Backgrounds:

Node: • Allies: (Utopia, Wiccan Community) •• Resources: • (Personal Library)

Flaws/Merits: Curious, Anti-Social, Devout (Wiccan), Obsessive (Privacy)

,,

Health levels

Bruised OOOOO

Hurt OOOOO

Injured OOOOO

Wounded OOOOO

Maimed OOOOO

Crippled OOOOO

Incapacitated OOOOO

Dead OOOOO

Background:

Renee Byrnes is a quiet, reserved young woman from Australia’s Gold Coast who is a voracious reader of fantasy and folk tale literature, no doubt as an escape from the unsettled life of her teenage years. Bullied frequently at high school and enduring her mother’s abusive relationships with a series of violent boyfriends, the slight blonde erupted after a particularly bad day when she’d been teased at school and then watched her mother get hit one too many times by her current partner, a heroin addict. Her wish had been rather complex: She wanted to be like Galadriel, the elven queen from Tolkien fantasy, with her gift for charming people with song and nature. While Renee didn’t develop pointed ears or greater height, she managed to calm the drug-addicted rage of her mother’s boyfriend with a sweet voice and a good dose of telepathy.

Reclusive, even anti-social by nature, Renee didn’t embrace her new talents and become a novox singer like so many others like her. She had developed an ageless appearance that made her average features handsome if not striking, and finished high school before busking her way through university, with a desire to make it on her own. When she finished her degree, she realised that despite her personal wishes, the world was out there and that there were novas that wouldn’t leave her alone. So she reluctantly joined Utopia as an Auxiliary member, earning the name Heartsease for her knack of soothing negative emotions through singing.

Heartsease is curious, perhaps too much so, yet obsessive about her privacy. She tries to talk (or sing) her way out of situations rather than fight because of her pacifistic Wiccan beliefs. With a knack for finding solutions to problems and calming people in a hurry, Renee is being called on more and more despite her personal wishes.

[Agnelli Celeste]

Well, you seem to be lacking atubute points. As a character starts with one in each atrubute and gets another 15 of them.

And she only has 14 points, meaning she is short ten.

Nature: Pacifist( Wile good in some games seems to be a bit out of place)

I would get less enhancements, at least one or two less. Then use those point to flush out the mundane things, or maybe get a defensive power

[Sphere]

Here's Sphere's stats and history. Made him up for use on the message boards. But he's loosely based on a couple of long-running characters I had back in my Player days.

Sphere.

Real Name: Alan Roberts.

Eruption: Life-threatening situation.

Nature: Survivor.

Allegiance: Independant.

Attributes: Str(3), Dex(5), Sta(5), Per(3), Int(4), Wits(4), App(3), Man(2), Cha(3).

Abilities: Brawl (1), Athletics (1), Drive (1), Firearms (2), Stealth (1), Endurance (3), Resistance (3), Awareness (2), Computer (2), Engineering (2), Intrusion (3), Arts (1), Biz (1), Intimidation (2), Interrogation (1), Streetwise (1), Subterfuge (1), Command (1).

Backgrounds: Resources (4), Contacts (2), Allies (1), Node (2), Attunement (3), Cipher (4).

Merits: Taint Resistance.

Flaws: Vengeful, Enemy (Agent Morrison of the Directive, 3pt Flaw).

Willpower: 5

Quantum Pool: 30

Quantum: 5

Taint: 5

Aberrations: Anima Banner (a sphere of blue light centred on him), Bad Temper.

Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina (Adaptability) (2), Mega-Dexterity (Enhanced Speed) (1).

Quantum Powers: Plasma Spheres (Explosive Lethal Q-bolt) (2), Force Field (1).

Description: A stocky, well-muscled brute of a man. Shaven head and intelligent brown eyes. Has a tattoo of the "recycle" symbol on the back of his neck. Habitually wears a heavy leather jacket, DM boots, and jeans whatever the weather.

Capsule.

Alan Roberts was born and raised on the council estates of inner-city London. Age 12, he was joyriding in stolen cars. Age 18, and he was stealing them to order. Age 25, and he was a professional crook specialising in armed robberies and bank jobs. He was making a lot of money and saving much of it away.

But the good times ended in 2005. A well planned security van heist went tits up, and Alan shot two policemen in the getaway. He and the rest of the gang were apprehended by London Fog two days later. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life. The prison doors slammed shut on him the same day Devis Mal released the Null Manifesto to the world.

Three years later. Three years behind bars watching the world outside become a brighter and brighter place thanks to the Novas. The frustration of his confinement was eating him alive. He spent a month in solitary for brutally beating a man called Higgins who'd stolen cigarettes from him.

The day he was released back into the general population he had a splitting headache. He wasn't ready for Higgins and his mates ambushing him in his cell. The others held him whilst Higgins stabbed him again and again with a sharpend screwdriver. The pain and the blood loss, combined with his internal frustrations triggered his eruption.

The resulting explosion vapourised everyone in his cell, set the entire wing ablaze, and blasted a gaping hole in the side of the prison. Alan barely remembers how he got to the outer wall so quickly. But he remembers the football-sized sphere of energy which shot out of his clenched fists and granted him his freedom.

He awoke out in the vast emptiness of Dartmoor. His wounds were already starting to heal. He walked for days, utterly lost, his phenomenal endurance and powers protected him from starvation and exposure. For two weeks he walked alone, trying to understand what had happened. Eventually he found a small village, nicked a car and fled back to London.

By now, however, the Government had found out what had happened and they sent a Directive Nova called Morrison to locate and apprehend Alan. They fought, and Alan barely managed to escape with his life. He escaped to mainland Europe by walking across the bottom of the Channel.

He's currently hiding out at a villa owned by the retired bank robber who first taught him. These days he goes by the name Sphere, and he's desperately trying to figure out what to do.

[Cody]

Codex, I second Meridian's question about the knee and assume your reply was about the hearing disability not the leg.

Sphere... I like the character. I really do. Especially the tatoo.

Good on both of you for a nice bit of creativity.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

About the knee;

I've been thinking about it and the best explaination of why it didn't/couldn't heal is if it were injured *before* her eruption (a bit late to be making that comment I realize).

If that had happened, it is possible that her maimed state could be her base state, so any "cures" inflicted on her would be "healed" as her knee returned to its "natural" state.

Case in point, "London Fog".

[David Kincaid]

A case in the reverse is the founder of the Argus Agency. Erupted moments after his spine was broken. Was paralized for much of his early 'nova life.'

Later had spine healed by other novas.