Blacklight
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Chris Brower
Jun 27, 2016, 12:16:33 AM6/27/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
This is the new official thread for discussing my character, Blacklight (aka Kristen Kaltnacht).
My greatest thanks to Vlad for getting this character off the ground and laying a solid foundation and Jay for helping to tweek the initial concept set my Vlad.
The difference between the initial workup is mainly in the complications, where I made some adjustments. I also renamed a couple of the powers to fit the character's thought process.
Please find attached a .hdc version (I decided to get the program earlier than later), .pdf version for common review, a picture I made using HeroMachine 2.5 online to set the concept, and .pdf called Power CP Structure that outlines the cost of the powers Vlad set and a few new ones I may get later at the bottom of the list.
Please have a look, as desired, and let me know if I can adjust anything and/or answer any questions.
Thank you all for your time!
- Chris
My greatest thanks to Vlad for getting this character off the ground and laying a solid foundation and Jay for helping to tweek the initial concept set my Vlad.
The difference between the initial workup is mainly in the complications, where I made some adjustments. I also renamed a couple of the powers to fit the character's thought process.
Please find attached a .hdc version (I decided to get the program earlier than later), .pdf version for common review, a picture I made using HeroMachine 2.5 online to set the concept, and .pdf called Power CP Structure that outlines the cost of the powers Vlad set and a few new ones I may get later at the bottom of the list.
Please have a look, as desired, and let me know if I can adjust anything and/or answer any questions.
Thank you all for your time!
- Chris
sirte...@gmail.com
Jun 27, 2016, 3:50:38 AM6/27/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Chris,
I'm glad you were able to find your own names for most of the powers. For that matter, I hope you don't feel obligated to keep the character code name. Nothing personalizes an RPG character like a name you can totally own, and that goes double for supers,
Also, like the costume. Hero Machine is handy.
For the power and point details, I defer to someone more familiar with Sixth Edition, preferably Jay.
If nobody beats me to it, I can input the final results into the character maker for you in a week or so.
Chris Brower
Jun 27, 2016, 11:52:24 AM6/27/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Thanks Vlad.
Sometimes, the things we inherit are better than those we acquire for ourselves. I really like the name Blacklight and many of the power names you suggested. I see the names as something her family gave her, so she kept it. This also includes her stats. I may still tweek a little, but nature and genetics have their way of making us the way we are without our input.
I was able to buy the Hero Design Creator software from Hero's website, so I was able to input your initial version of the character and tweek from there. If that is the Character Creator in which you refer, we are all set.
Thanks again!
Sometimes, the things we inherit are better than those we acquire for ourselves. I really like the name Blacklight and many of the power names you suggested. I see the names as something her family gave her, so she kept it. This also includes her stats. I may still tweek a little, but nature and genetics have their way of making us the way we are without our input.
I was able to buy the Hero Design Creator software from Hero's website, so I was able to input your initial version of the character and tweek from there. If that is the Character Creator in which you refer, we are all set.
Thanks again!
Jay
Jun 28, 2016, 9:54:15 PM6/28/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Okay -- had a chance to look carefully over the character, here's my comments and suggestions:
1.) She's a little low on SPD, and a bit high on REC and END, particularly given how (relatively) little Endurance she'd use with only a 4 SPD. It's all perfectly within acceptable parameters, but you might consider bumping up to a 5 SPD so you don't feel like all the other metahumans are running rings around her.
2.) She's also a bit low on skills -- is Kristen actually any GOOD at her job? If so, you might consider adding on some interpersonal skills that she's picked up along the way, like Conversation (for getting information out of people) Persuasion (to get them to do what you want) or Trading (to make sure she closes the sale). I've gone ahead and posted an updated version with all her "everyman" skills added, just as a reminder that she can do other things as well...
3.) Just a thought, if you feel like you need some extra points to round the character out a bit more: if Blacklight's Flight, Resistant Protection, and Darkslinging Multipower are all derived from the same special effect of manipulating dark energy, you could add the -1/4 Limitation "Unified Power" -- basically that means that the powers are interconnected enough that if an opponent could affect one power with that special effect (e.g.; an alien that feeds off of dark energy, a light-based character that could "illuminate" the darkness), then all of her powers would be affected. Just for kicks, I tried it out (attached) and found you could save an extra 25 points, even AFTER upgrading her flight so she could fly at nearly 200 mph!
4.) Tell me about John Richardson -- why's he so interested in Blacklight? As he figured out her secret identity? Does she have any interaction with him outside of hero work?
5.) Why does being restrained upset Kristen so much? Is there an incident in her past that precipitated this?
6.) What did Kristen study in college, where she made her circle of friends/Contacts? Is it related to her current job in real estate, or some other career path that she gave up on, or something she plans to move up to?
All in all, Blacklight looks great -- she's got my approval for the campaign, although I would recommend at least considering using Unified Power to free up some points to round out her Skills and maybe bump up her Speed to 5. But the choice is yours...
1.) She's a little low on SPD, and a bit high on REC and END, particularly given how (relatively) little Endurance she'd use with only a 4 SPD. It's all perfectly within acceptable parameters, but you might consider bumping up to a 5 SPD so you don't feel like all the other metahumans are running rings around her.
2.) She's also a bit low on skills -- is Kristen actually any GOOD at her job? If so, you might consider adding on some interpersonal skills that she's picked up along the way, like Conversation (for getting information out of people) Persuasion (to get them to do what you want) or Trading (to make sure she closes the sale). I've gone ahead and posted an updated version with all her "everyman" skills added, just as a reminder that she can do other things as well...
3.) Just a thought, if you feel like you need some extra points to round the character out a bit more: if Blacklight's Flight, Resistant Protection, and Darkslinging Multipower are all derived from the same special effect of manipulating dark energy, you could add the -1/4 Limitation "Unified Power" -- basically that means that the powers are interconnected enough that if an opponent could affect one power with that special effect (e.g.; an alien that feeds off of dark energy, a light-based character that could "illuminate" the darkness), then all of her powers would be affected. Just for kicks, I tried it out (attached) and found you could save an extra 25 points, even AFTER upgrading her flight so she could fly at nearly 200 mph!
4.) Tell me about John Richardson -- why's he so interested in Blacklight? As he figured out her secret identity? Does she have any interaction with him outside of hero work?
5.) Why does being restrained upset Kristen so much? Is there an incident in her past that precipitated this?
6.) What did Kristen study in college, where she made her circle of friends/Contacts? Is it related to her current job in real estate, or some other career path that she gave up on, or something she plans to move up to?
All in all, Blacklight looks great -- she's got my approval for the campaign, although I would recommend at least considering using Unified Power to free up some points to round out her Skills and maybe bump up her Speed to 5. But the choice is yours...
Chris Brower
Jun 30, 2016, 11:10:18 PM6/30/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi Jay,
Thank you so very much for addressing several of my remaining to-do items for Kristen! I meant to address her lack of skills, slower flying speed, and figure out how to connect the Dark Force powers in some way. The Unified Power idea is perfect and allows me to address the other two items. I liked the alternate character sheet you sent, so I kept your adjustments and added skills.
As far as skills, I took a couple of liberties that can be reversed if they are incorrect:
1) I removed one of the Contact perks to allow for more skill purchases, which flesh out the character more.
2) Since a couple of the suggested skills were Everyman skills that she possessed, I simply upgraded them at the reduced cost instead of buying in full, since I assume she already had the familiarization with them.
3) I used the Custom Adder feature to make the appropriate point adjustments for those skills in #2 (above) and for adding a language (German) that is in the same family as English and has a reduced cost.
Please find attached for your review the .HDC copy of the new character, a PDF version, and a new History write-up incorporating the new skills.
In answer to your other questions:
Thank you so very much for addressing several of my remaining to-do items for Kristen! I meant to address her lack of skills, slower flying speed, and figure out how to connect the Dark Force powers in some way. The Unified Power idea is perfect and allows me to address the other two items. I liked the alternate character sheet you sent, so I kept your adjustments and added skills.
As far as skills, I took a couple of liberties that can be reversed if they are incorrect:
1) I removed one of the Contact perks to allow for more skill purchases, which flesh out the character more.
2) Since a couple of the suggested skills were Everyman skills that she possessed, I simply upgraded them at the reduced cost instead of buying in full, since I assume she already had the familiarization with them.
3) I used the Custom Adder feature to make the appropriate point adjustments for those skills in #2 (above) and for adding a language (German) that is in the same family as English and has a reduced cost.
Please find attached for your review the .HDC copy of the new character, a PDF version, and a new History write-up incorporating the new skills.
In answer to your other questions:
4.) Tell me about John Richardson -- why's he so interested in Blacklight? As he figured out her secret identity? Does she have any interaction with him outside of hero work?
John Richardson was Kristen's former college boyfriend and budding journalist, and it was his idealism and desire for the truth that was the foundation of her attraction. However, after their falling out and breakup, he initially became spiteful toward her. As her boyfriend, John became suspicious toward her and began to suspect Kristen's powers. Now as a young star reporter for the Evergreen Tribune Newsgroup, he looks to use his former lover as a stepping stone to acclaim by exposing the hidden threat of non-Nova humans living among normal people. He is bidding his time and collecting enough information to break the big story.
5.) Why does being restrained upset Kristen so much? Is there an incident in her past that precipitated this?
I don't know, actually. It may simply be an irrational fear. It may be a subconscious reaction to her constant moving as a child. I though it was an interesting limitation that could have good role-play later, so I added it. Maybe we can discover the reason together as she grows.
6.) What did Kristen study in college, where she made her circle of
friends/Contacts? Is it related to her current job in real estate, or
some other career path that she gave up on, or something she plans to
move up to?
I included a description in the new history document to address this, but to be brief, she has a BA in Particle Physics. This was chosen in an effort to learn more about her dark force powers, how they work, and understand the science behind them. Because of her studies, she was able to expand her use of the Dark Force, thus the Multipower framework came about.
Unwritten is her next steps. She is considering applying for the Doctoral program at the university to expand her knowledge. She also wants to study Norse mythology and viking history in more depth, since this is her heritage. I named the school as the University of the Northwest (UNW) in the attached history document, but if there is a more proper name for a a major university in the city (much like University of Washington/Portland State University), then I will substitute.
I hope this helps. Please forgive my long-winded answers : )
- Chris
Unwritten is her next steps. She is considering applying for the Doctoral program at the university to expand her knowledge. She also wants to study Norse mythology and viking history in more depth, since this is her heritage. I named the school as the University of the Northwest (UNW) in the attached history document, but if there is a more proper name for a a major university in the city (much like University of Washington/Portland State University), then I will substitute.
I hope this helps. Please forgive my long-winded answers : )
- Chris
Jay
Jul 1, 2016, 1:25:59 AM7/1/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
1.) Everything looks good, with one proviso: you actually still have to pay full price for the Everyman Skills that you upgrade from Familiarities (see 6E1 p60, paragraph 1). This means you'll need to shave 3 Points off Blacklight to get her down to an even 400; I'd say you could probably take if off REC and never miss it -- the general rule of thumb is that you should be able to go from 0 STUN to full in about 3-4 Recoveries, so you'd still be in good shape with a 15 REC. It's your call, though -- find some place to shave those three points, and Blacklight is good to go.
2.) UNW sounds great -- I think I'll start incorporating it in my own writings, actually!
3.) If you don't have a specific incident in mind for what caused Blacklight to fear being restrained, may I propose a scenario? The "villain" who attempted to kidnap the children was an entity known as "The Raggedy Man" -- a sort of local urban legend that Evergreen City kids make up nursery rhymes about, and whose name is often invoked whenever children go missing in this town (sort of like how Freddy Krueger is regarded by the kids who grew up on Elm Street). The classroom The Raggedy Man invaded was part of an attempt to integrate normal, human kids with second-generation Novas -- trying to pull the Nova children out of Novatown and give them a chance at a fresh start by making sure they get a first-class education.
Kristen saw The Raggedy Man firsthand; smallish person of indeterminate gender, whose outfit was a crazy-quilt of tattered, colorful bits of children's clothing and various swaddling blankets all haphazardly stitched together, with enormous glossy black buttons sewn in where eyes ought to be. The Raggedy Man moved as softly and silently as smoke; he never said a word or even seemed to breathe, but Kristen could hear faint voices whispering inside her head while in The Raggedy Man's presence -- snatches of lullabies, promises to take her away to secret places where no grownup would ever find her, things only a child could truly understand. When she refused, The Raggedy Man's chest seemed to burst at the seams and tendrils of fabric shot out, binding her and wrapping around her nose and mouth, smothering her. Kristen fears she would surely have died that day if it hadn't been for PRIMUS agents, led by Silver Avenger Flannagan, bursting in the room at that moment to rescue the hostages. Several armor-piercing rounds from Flannagan's pistol severed the tendrils that bound Kristen; then Flannagan proceeded to rip The Raggedy Man limb from limb with her bare hands (she has about Spider-Man levels of super-strength). It turned out The Raggedy Man was simply stuffed with more fabric like the cloth its suit was made from, like it was nothing more than a ragdoll brought to life.
PRIMUS assumes that The Raggedy Man was simply an animated mound of cloth, and have an open file for investigating the supposed puppeteer, whom they've assigned the codename "Patchwork"; but Kristen feels in her bones that The Raggedy Man is real, and it sends a chill down her spine whenever she hears children singing one of those schoolyard songs about him...
Let me know what you think...
--Jay
2.) UNW sounds great -- I think I'll start incorporating it in my own writings, actually!
3.) If you don't have a specific incident in mind for what caused Blacklight to fear being restrained, may I propose a scenario? The "villain" who attempted to kidnap the children was an entity known as "The Raggedy Man" -- a sort of local urban legend that Evergreen City kids make up nursery rhymes about, and whose name is often invoked whenever children go missing in this town (sort of like how Freddy Krueger is regarded by the kids who grew up on Elm Street). The classroom The Raggedy Man invaded was part of an attempt to integrate normal, human kids with second-generation Novas -- trying to pull the Nova children out of Novatown and give them a chance at a fresh start by making sure they get a first-class education.
Kristen saw The Raggedy Man firsthand; smallish person of indeterminate gender, whose outfit was a crazy-quilt of tattered, colorful bits of children's clothing and various swaddling blankets all haphazardly stitched together, with enormous glossy black buttons sewn in where eyes ought to be. The Raggedy Man moved as softly and silently as smoke; he never said a word or even seemed to breathe, but Kristen could hear faint voices whispering inside her head while in The Raggedy Man's presence -- snatches of lullabies, promises to take her away to secret places where no grownup would ever find her, things only a child could truly understand. When she refused, The Raggedy Man's chest seemed to burst at the seams and tendrils of fabric shot out, binding her and wrapping around her nose and mouth, smothering her. Kristen fears she would surely have died that day if it hadn't been for PRIMUS agents, led by Silver Avenger Flannagan, bursting in the room at that moment to rescue the hostages. Several armor-piercing rounds from Flannagan's pistol severed the tendrils that bound Kristen; then Flannagan proceeded to rip The Raggedy Man limb from limb with her bare hands (she has about Spider-Man levels of super-strength). It turned out The Raggedy Man was simply stuffed with more fabric like the cloth its suit was made from, like it was nothing more than a ragdoll brought to life.
PRIMUS assumes that The Raggedy Man was simply an animated mound of cloth, and have an open file for investigating the supposed puppeteer, whom they've assigned the codename "Patchwork"; but Kristen feels in her bones that The Raggedy Man is real, and it sends a chill down her spine whenever she hears children singing one of those schoolyard songs about him...
Let me know what you think...
--Jay
Chris Brower
Jul 1, 2016, 1:31:19 PM7/1/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Wow, that's an incredible story, and I like it very much. After reading it, I had an idea; what if this wasn't their first encounter? Since this fear may be deep rooted, could it be possible The Raggedy Man has visited her before? If so how this being added to your story:
This wasn't the first time she found herself face to face with The Raggedy Man, in fact the two have a history together. Their first encounter was 18 years ago, just after Kristen's fifth birthday; she received a new doll from a family friend as a gift. For several nights, Kristen thought the doll would come to life and leave the house, only to return before daybreak. Suspicious, she told her parents, who dismissed it outright. After a week, the young girl decided to follow The Raggedy Man.
Silently, she crept down the stairs and out the door, careful not to be noticed by either the doll or her parents. Quietly, she padded her way down the sidewalk and stopped before a house she'd seen a few times but didn't really know. The Raggedy Man slipped silently into a open window, and Kristen followed. She found herself inside the room of a boy she barely knew from the playground. The Raggedy Man was silently standing over the child, his patchwork tendrils holding the boy down. The boy's face was pale, his eyes wide open staring blankly into the ceiling, and a yellow-white sparkly mist began rising from the boy's open mouth.
Kristen screamed in sheer terror, unable to take her eyes from the scene. The surprised Raggedy Man quickly shifted his gaze to wailing girl. Within seconds, the bedroom door flew open and the boys parents came in hitting the light switch. Surprised at the scene, the parents move swiftly toward their son. The Raggedy Man shifted his gaze to the adults and quickly went limp onto the bed. Both the police and Kristen's parents were called, and it was several hours before everyone settled down that evening. She tried to tell them, again, and met the same resistance. She was grounded and her doll taken back home.
The following night, Kristen was unable to fall asleep. Time passed slowly, and the little girl clutched her favorite teddy bear for comfort and protection. It was late when her door began to creek slowly open. A small shadowy figure crept silently into the room and headed straight for her bed. Kristen had begun to doze off by this time and was in a light sleep. The small figure made its way onto her bed, and started a light lullaby only she could hear. Soft soothing voices promised to take her away from all the fear and protect her.
Suddenly, her eyes flew open, and she could see patchwork cloth tendrils extending from The Raggedy Man's chest wrapping her arms, legs, and torso tight, pinning her to the bed. The innocent button eyes and stitched smile stared blankly at her, while the voices turned menacing and threatening. She tried to scream, but the sound faded into the musty cloth stuffed into her mouth. She struggled against the straps to no avail. The doll had complete control.
This continued for several nights, and each time she told her parents, only to receive stern warnings and more punishment. Finally the tide turned. The following week, she found herself again bound to the bed, menacing thoughts from the doll filled her mind with a promise of relief if she would surrender and go with The Raggedy Man to a safe place. Tears streamed down her cheeks and the sobbing sounds faded into the musty cloth. She was on the brink, when suddenly a loud piercing noise filled the room followed by static.
Alerted by the sound, Kristen's parents threw open the door to gaze upon the horror before them. Their child was bound by the doll, just as she said, it's soft cloth face contorted into a wicked grimace. The parents moved to catch the doll, but as they reached out for it, a sheath of darkness enveloped Kristen, severing the cloth tendrils. The release of tension in the cloth caused the Raggedy Man to fly backwards onto the floor. It quickly scurried out of the open door, disappearing into the night.
The Raggedy Man would visit Kristen three more times in her youth, most recently eight years ago. Every time, the soft lullaby would play and offers of solace would be made, accompanied by the bondage from the patchwork cloth, only to turn dark and menacing.
This is likely why Kristen can still hear the lullaby, despite being an adult. I don't know if this is feasible, a stretch, or just plain nuts. Of course, the name Raggedy Man would be different in other places, but it could be the same entity (or variations of it). It is possible one event at the school could cause the fear, but I was thinking it might be more deep rooted, somehow.
Thanks for your time, and I apologize again for the length.
- Chris
This wasn't the first time she found herself face to face with The Raggedy Man, in fact the two have a history together. Their first encounter was 18 years ago, just after Kristen's fifth birthday; she received a new doll from a family friend as a gift. For several nights, Kristen thought the doll would come to life and leave the house, only to return before daybreak. Suspicious, she told her parents, who dismissed it outright. After a week, the young girl decided to follow The Raggedy Man.
Silently, she crept down the stairs and out the door, careful not to be noticed by either the doll or her parents. Quietly, she padded her way down the sidewalk and stopped before a house she'd seen a few times but didn't really know. The Raggedy Man slipped silently into a open window, and Kristen followed. She found herself inside the room of a boy she barely knew from the playground. The Raggedy Man was silently standing over the child, his patchwork tendrils holding the boy down. The boy's face was pale, his eyes wide open staring blankly into the ceiling, and a yellow-white sparkly mist began rising from the boy's open mouth.
Kristen screamed in sheer terror, unable to take her eyes from the scene. The surprised Raggedy Man quickly shifted his gaze to wailing girl. Within seconds, the bedroom door flew open and the boys parents came in hitting the light switch. Surprised at the scene, the parents move swiftly toward their son. The Raggedy Man shifted his gaze to the adults and quickly went limp onto the bed. Both the police and Kristen's parents were called, and it was several hours before everyone settled down that evening. She tried to tell them, again, and met the same resistance. She was grounded and her doll taken back home.
The following night, Kristen was unable to fall asleep. Time passed slowly, and the little girl clutched her favorite teddy bear for comfort and protection. It was late when her door began to creek slowly open. A small shadowy figure crept silently into the room and headed straight for her bed. Kristen had begun to doze off by this time and was in a light sleep. The small figure made its way onto her bed, and started a light lullaby only she could hear. Soft soothing voices promised to take her away from all the fear and protect her.
Suddenly, her eyes flew open, and she could see patchwork cloth tendrils extending from The Raggedy Man's chest wrapping her arms, legs, and torso tight, pinning her to the bed. The innocent button eyes and stitched smile stared blankly at her, while the voices turned menacing and threatening. She tried to scream, but the sound faded into the musty cloth stuffed into her mouth. She struggled against the straps to no avail. The doll had complete control.
This continued for several nights, and each time she told her parents, only to receive stern warnings and more punishment. Finally the tide turned. The following week, she found herself again bound to the bed, menacing thoughts from the doll filled her mind with a promise of relief if she would surrender and go with The Raggedy Man to a safe place. Tears streamed down her cheeks and the sobbing sounds faded into the musty cloth. She was on the brink, when suddenly a loud piercing noise filled the room followed by static.
Alerted by the sound, Kristen's parents threw open the door to gaze upon the horror before them. Their child was bound by the doll, just as she said, it's soft cloth face contorted into a wicked grimace. The parents moved to catch the doll, but as they reached out for it, a sheath of darkness enveloped Kristen, severing the cloth tendrils. The release of tension in the cloth caused the Raggedy Man to fly backwards onto the floor. It quickly scurried out of the open door, disappearing into the night.
The Raggedy Man would visit Kristen three more times in her youth, most recently eight years ago. Every time, the soft lullaby would play and offers of solace would be made, accompanied by the bondage from the patchwork cloth, only to turn dark and menacing.
This is likely why Kristen can still hear the lullaby, despite being an adult. I don't know if this is feasible, a stretch, or just plain nuts. Of course, the name Raggedy Man would be different in other places, but it could be the same entity (or variations of it). It is possible one event at the school could cause the fear, but I was thinking it might be more deep rooted, somehow.
Thanks for your time, and I apologize again for the length.
- Chris
Jay
Jul 1, 2016, 2:05:59 PM7/1/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
That works great, completely as-is! It's important that The Raggedy Man comes across as pure Nightmare Fuel if/when the PC's encounter it; and having it be a proverbial demon from one character's past makes you the GM's ally in really helping to set the tone for that story arc -- it can be hard to scare folks who are literally bulletproof, but I think we can pull it off and tell a really awesome story together using The Raggedy Man...
--Jay
--Jay
Chris Brower
Jul 1, 2016, 2:16:34 PM7/1/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Thanks Jay. I agree and I am very stoked about this! The character has developed spectacularly from the initial concept to end result. Thanks again to you and Vlad for helping me with her!
- Chris
- Chris
Chris Brower
Jul 2, 2016, 11:28:34 PM7/2/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Jay,
Please find below the starting character sheet for Blacklight. I lowered her Recovery to 15 to pay the missing CP for the Conversation, Paramedic, and Persuasion skills, as suggested. I also added the story regarding the Raggedy Man in the History tab. Otherwise, the CS is identical to the previous version.
I just wanted to archive the information and provide an opportunity for everyone to see the completed character.
Please find below the starting character sheet for Blacklight. I lowered her Recovery to 15 to pay the missing CP for the Conversation, Paramedic, and Persuasion skills, as suggested. I also added the story regarding the Raggedy Man in the History tab. Otherwise, the CS is identical to the previous version.
I just wanted to archive the information and provide an opportunity for everyone to see the completed character.
Chris Brower
Jul 8, 2016, 7:42:52 PM7/8/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi Jay,
I was able to finish the 20 Questions and the What Would You Do request. It is all in the attached file, again way too long to read, I suppose. :)
This was quite difficult, as I'm not sure I can answer all of the questions for myself, let alone a PC. I had quite a bit of fun with it.
Thanks for your help!
I was able to finish the 20 Questions and the What Would You Do request. It is all in the attached file, again way too long to read, I suppose. :)
This was quite difficult, as I'm not sure I can answer all of the questions for myself, let alone a PC. I had quite a bit of fun with it.
Thanks for your help!
Jay
Jul 8, 2016, 7:57:24 PM7/8/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Outstanding work, Chris! I'm printing it all out now, so I can go through it all and take notes; if I have any questions, I'll e-mail you within the next 24 hours. I appreciate your going the extra mile for the campaign.
--Jay
--Jay
Chris Brower
Jul 9, 2016, 1:30:24 AM7/9/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
You are welcome, Jay. I enjoyed the questionnaire, as it influenced and made me reconsider my initial response to the rumor list for Kristen.
Please find attached for your review three character options to include the bonus points awarded. These are in the order of preference:
Option 1: full 10 points
- added back the college friends contact removed to allow other skills to be purchased (+9CP)
- increased the PS: Diving Team to DEX based skill from base (+1CP)
Option 2: 8 points skill adds
- added Fringe Benefit: International Drivers License (+1CP)
- added Skill: Bureaucratics (+3CP) (could have added Computer Link instead)
- added KS: Evergreen City Real Estate Market (familiarity, +1CP)
- added Language: American Sign Language (fluent, +2CP)
- increased the PS: Diving Team to DEX based skill from base (+1CP)
Option 3: 8 points a power and skill adds
- added barrier power for multipower framework (Noctural Buttress, +5CP) (could have added Healing with range or area effect advantage instead)
- added Fringe Benefit: International Drivers License (+1CP)
- added KS: Evergreen City Real Estate Market (familiarity, +1CP)
- increased the PS: Diving Team to DEX based skill from base (+1CP)
Please let me know which would best fit the story and team requirements, and we'll go with that. If I get the full 10 points, I could change from the contacts to add a power or two (barrier and/or healing) if that best fits the story, but I like the idea that Kristen has friends and mentors she can lean on.
Thanks again for your help!
Please find attached for your review three character options to include the bonus points awarded. These are in the order of preference:
Option 1: full 10 points
- added back the college friends contact removed to allow other skills to be purchased (+9CP)
- increased the PS: Diving Team to DEX based skill from base (+1CP)
Option 2: 8 points skill adds
- added Fringe Benefit: International Drivers License (+1CP)
- added Skill: Bureaucratics (+3CP) (could have added Computer Link instead)
- added KS: Evergreen City Real Estate Market (familiarity, +1CP)
- added Language: American Sign Language (fluent, +2CP)
- increased the PS: Diving Team to DEX based skill from base (+1CP)
Option 3: 8 points a power and skill adds
- added barrier power for multipower framework (Noctural Buttress, +5CP) (could have added Healing with range or area effect advantage instead)
- added Fringe Benefit: International Drivers License (+1CP)
- added KS: Evergreen City Real Estate Market (familiarity, +1CP)
- increased the PS: Diving Team to DEX based skill from base (+1CP)
Please let me know which would best fit the story and team requirements, and we'll go with that. If I get the full 10 points, I could change from the contacts to add a power or two (barrier and/or healing) if that best fits the story, but I like the idea that Kristen has friends and mentors she can lean on.
Thanks again for your help!
Jay
Jul 9, 2016, 9:49:44 AM7/9/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Any one of those packages would be fine, and has my approval -- this coming session is designed based on what you guys could do at the time I started writing, so you're not really lacking anything you'd need to successfully complete the mission.
One thing, though -- because you're using the "Unified Power" Limitation, it means that all the powers that take that Limitation (including the slots in your Multipower) have to be closely related with the same special effect; so before I'd allow a Healing Power to be added as a MP slot, you're going to have to convince me about how you could reasonably use darkness to help heal injuries. Does it only work on you, or can you heal others? Are you absorbing light (or ambient dark energy, or whatever) to energize yourself? Are you creating bandages or slings out of dark matter/energy to bind somebody's wounds? There's the potential for any of those to possibly work, but depending on how it works, it would affect the sorts of Limitations that ought to be added to the power (for example: "dark energy bandages" might only be able to heal 1/2 of the BODY damage from any single injury, since there's only so much binding up you can do to treat a broken bone or a third-degree burn)...
--Jay
One thing, though -- because you're using the "Unified Power" Limitation, it means that all the powers that take that Limitation (including the slots in your Multipower) have to be closely related with the same special effect; so before I'd allow a Healing Power to be added as a MP slot, you're going to have to convince me about how you could reasonably use darkness to help heal injuries. Does it only work on you, or can you heal others? Are you absorbing light (or ambient dark energy, or whatever) to energize yourself? Are you creating bandages or slings out of dark matter/energy to bind somebody's wounds? There's the potential for any of those to possibly work, but depending on how it works, it would affect the sorts of Limitations that ought to be added to the power (for example: "dark energy bandages" might only be able to heal 1/2 of the BODY damage from any single injury, since there's only so much binding up you can do to treat a broken bone or a third-degree burn)...
--Jay
Chris Brower
Jul 9, 2016, 4:58:51 PM7/9/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Thanks Jay! I will keep option 1, as it adds the contact and increases the diving skill, which more closely matches her background and character. I have attached the new starting character sheet for reference and archival, and I listed the previous version as draft 4 in my files.
Thanks again for your help!
- Chris
Chris Brower
Aug 22, 2016, 3:58:07 PM8/22/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi Everyone,
BLUF: I am thinking that Kristen would like to join the Evergreen City PD in earnest. Have a look below for more details, and I would like your opinion on it (especially Jay's).
After the last session, I was thinking about the offer made by the Mayor to form the team officially, and the benefits of that endeavor (police powers, a base, etc). Although she initially wanted to think on it, her apprehension subsided after everyone else accepted the offer outright. As such, she will also be accepting the offer, which got me thinking about how it would affect her current life and what Kristen thought about her future.
After a night's sleep, one benefit of the deal lingers in her mind (as it did mine), which is the granting of police authority. This excites her, as being a police officer would bring her athletic nature, her friendliness with people, and her desire to protect the innocent all into a single focus. Also, she thinks, being a real police officer would help the team relate to the city's "boys in blue" and could really form a bridge between the two groups (heroes and police), instead of the likely animosity some officers will have to the vigilante group (us) taking their authority.
As such, I think Kristen will ask the mayor if he would sponsor her entry into the EGPD police academy as part of the deal. She would then become one of the police liaisons between the team and the EGPD. In her civilian identity, Kristen would be a rookie assigned to the Special Assignments division of the PD and would have a mentor and do local patrols out of a local precinct when not needed by the team. This would be instead of the Public Affairs idea I had yesterday.
In order to do this, I would need to spend a majority of the CPs we earned last night on her base skill set and I would ask if our next adventure begin a couple of months after the end of the last one (with RP in between) to allow time to go through the academy and finish her ride-alongs.
Skills/Perks/Talents:
Here are the skills I think she would learn coming from the Academy. The optional list are skills I would like to have ASAP to flesh out the benefits of being a sworn officer (they would hopefully be granted by Jay but could be pulled at any time).
The main skills cost 12CP, so I would need permission to remove the Realtor License (1CP) and the Passport (1CP) in lieu of the skills. Her current free Professional Skill is Realtor, but it is only an 11-, and I think the cost to upgrade it to full would be the same (no discount). I am happy to change the PS: Real Estate Agent to something better.
Please let me know if these skills and perks would be appropriate or if something would be better. I didn't take criminology nor investigation, since she would be a patrol officer, to start, and not a detective.
Would this be an OK use of the experience points, or should I try to add/improve my powers? I see this as an opportunity to expand the character, but I don't want to do it at the detriment of the team.
Thanks for your help!
- Chris
BLUF: I am thinking that Kristen would like to join the Evergreen City PD in earnest. Have a look below for more details, and I would like your opinion on it (especially Jay's).
After the last session, I was thinking about the offer made by the Mayor to form the team officially, and the benefits of that endeavor (police powers, a base, etc). Although she initially wanted to think on it, her apprehension subsided after everyone else accepted the offer outright. As such, she will also be accepting the offer, which got me thinking about how it would affect her current life and what Kristen thought about her future.
After a night's sleep, one benefit of the deal lingers in her mind (as it did mine), which is the granting of police authority. This excites her, as being a police officer would bring her athletic nature, her friendliness with people, and her desire to protect the innocent all into a single focus. Also, she thinks, being a real police officer would help the team relate to the city's "boys in blue" and could really form a bridge between the two groups (heroes and police), instead of the likely animosity some officers will have to the vigilante group (us) taking their authority.
As such, I think Kristen will ask the mayor if he would sponsor her entry into the EGPD police academy as part of the deal. She would then become one of the police liaisons between the team and the EGPD. In her civilian identity, Kristen would be a rookie assigned to the Special Assignments division of the PD and would have a mentor and do local patrols out of a local precinct when not needed by the team. This would be instead of the Public Affairs idea I had yesterday.
In order to do this, I would need to spend a majority of the CPs we earned last night on her base skill set and I would ask if our next adventure begin a couple of months after the end of the last one (with RP in between) to allow time to go through the academy and finish her ride-alongs.
Skills/Perks/Talents:
Here are the skills I think she would learn coming from the Academy. The optional list are skills I would like to have ASAP to flesh out the benefits of being a sworn officer (they would hopefully be granted by Jay but could be pulled at any time).
Police Officer
- KS: Law Enforcement (11- (proficient), 2CP)
- PS: Police Officer (14-, 3CP)
- Bureaucratic (paperwork, courts, etc) (8- (familiar), 1CP)
- Combat Driving (11- (proficient), 2CP)
- Weapon Familiarity: Handguns (1CP)
- WF: Police baton (1CP)
-
Fringe Benefit: Local Police Powers (2CP)
- Optional:
o Access: Evergreen Police Access (HQ, precincts, other around the city)
- Need CP cost from Jay
o Computer Link: Evergreen PD Systems
- Need CP cost from Jay
The main skills cost 12CP, so I would need permission to remove the Realtor License (1CP) and the Passport (1CP) in lieu of the skills. Her current free Professional Skill is Realtor, but it is only an 11-, and I think the cost to upgrade it to full would be the same (no discount). I am happy to change the PS: Real Estate Agent to something better.
Please let me know if these skills and perks would be appropriate or if something would be better. I didn't take criminology nor investigation, since she would be a patrol officer, to start, and not a detective.
Would this be an OK use of the experience points, or should I try to add/improve my powers? I see this as an opportunity to expand the character, but I don't want to do it at the detriment of the team.
Thanks for your help!
- Chris
Jay
Aug 26, 2016, 10:24:22 PM8/26/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Everything you proposed for your XP expenditures sounds perfect, Chris, including the removal of the Passport and Realtor's license -- I definitely encourage broadening the characters' abilities and skills, and I think you guys turned out to have plenty of raw power for the challenges you faced.
I also like the idea of Kristen enrolling in ECPD as well. My plan was to have the next story pick up a few months from where we left off -- it's going to take a little time for the city to finish outfitting the base, get all the paperwork in order, prepare the press kits, and so on. I think police training takes somewhere in the neighborhood of six months to complete; so unless you want the mayor to intercede on her behalf and get you in some sort of accelerated program (which would tip your hand as to Kristen not being just another beat cop), she would probably be about halfway through her academy training at the time of the next story arc.
I also like the idea of Kristen enrolling in ECPD as well. My plan was to have the next story pick up a few months from where we left off -- it's going to take a little time for the city to finish outfitting the base, get all the paperwork in order, prepare the press kits, and so on. I think police training takes somewhere in the neighborhood of six months to complete; so unless you want the mayor to intercede on her behalf and get you in some sort of accelerated program (which would tip your hand as to Kristen not being just another beat cop), she would probably be about halfway through her academy training at the time of the next story arc.
Chris Brower
Aug 26, 2016, 11:08:34 PM8/26/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Thanks Jay! I am excited to have Kristen becoming a full law enforcement officer. Is starting the next adventure half way through training going to be an issue?
I wanted to pass along the info I found regarding Police Academy length. As you mentioned, Kristen would not like to be pulled part of the way through training, nor would she like the training to be extraordinarily shortened, as she wants to blend in and serve as a respected conduit between the team and the force. That said, here is what I found about Police Academy lengths IRL:
1) The Discover Policing website outlines the academy experience in a one pager along with average class types and hours. It also says this in regards to length:
"According to BJS, the median duration of basic recruit training - excluding any field training component - was 18 weeks across all academies with a range anywhere from four weeks to six months. The average class size among all academies ranged from 21 to 32 recruits with larger academies generally having larger class sizes."
http://discoverpolicing.org/what_does_take/?fa=training_academy_life
2) The Yahoo Answers page has several posters listing various agencies' academy length. State Patrol seems to last the 6 - 9 months, with local law enforcement lasting 10 - 16 weeks.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061028181030AApIjc9
3) The Portland Police website indicates an academy length of 16 weeks for basic training, 2 months of field patrol, then 12 weeks of advanced academy training.
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/420444
4) The Seattle PD website says
"The Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) is approximately 4.5-months (720 hours). Upon graduation from the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) you will become a Student Officer. You will spend approximately 4 weeks at the Seattle Police Department Advanced Training Unit in Post-BLEA. You will learn the laws specific to the City of Seattle, department policy and procedures and services specific to Seattle.
http://www.seattle.gov/policejobs/frequently-asked-questions
It is fine whatever the length. If I need to have her sit out the next adventure, we can do that to make it realistic.
Thanks again for your time! I am excited about this.
I wanted to pass along the info I found regarding Police Academy length. As you mentioned, Kristen would not like to be pulled part of the way through training, nor would she like the training to be extraordinarily shortened, as she wants to blend in and serve as a respected conduit between the team and the force. That said, here is what I found about Police Academy lengths IRL:
1) The Discover Policing website outlines the academy experience in a one pager along with average class types and hours. It also says this in regards to length:
"According to BJS, the median duration of basic recruit training - excluding any field training component - was 18 weeks across all academies with a range anywhere from four weeks to six months. The average class size among all academies ranged from 21 to 32 recruits with larger academies generally having larger class sizes."
http://discoverpolicing.org/what_does_take/?fa=training_academy_life
2) The Yahoo Answers page has several posters listing various agencies' academy length. State Patrol seems to last the 6 - 9 months, with local law enforcement lasting 10 - 16 weeks.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061028181030AApIjc9
3) The Portland Police website indicates an academy length of 16 weeks for basic training, 2 months of field patrol, then 12 weeks of advanced academy training.
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/420444
4) The Seattle PD website says
"The Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) is approximately 4.5-months (720 hours). Upon graduation from the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) you will become a Student Officer. You will spend approximately 4 weeks at the Seattle Police Department Advanced Training Unit in Post-BLEA. You will learn the laws specific to the City of Seattle, department policy and procedures and services specific to Seattle.
After completing advanced training, you will enter the Field Training Program, with an experienced officer who will evaluate your performance in the patrol division."
http://www.seattle.gov/policejobs/frequently-asked-questions
It is fine whatever the length. If I need to have her sit out the next adventure, we can do that to make it realistic.
Thanks again for your time! I am excited about this.
Chris Brower
Aug 27, 2016, 4:36:25 PM8/27/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi Jay. Even though the Sanctioned Hero package provides the Local Police Powers perk, I was thinking it might still be wise to have Kristen spend the points on that perk separately to account for her civilian identity having the capability too. Do you agree? Could she have one badge number gor Officer Kaltnacht and Blacklight instead of separate ones? Might make for a good trail for her reporter ex complication.
I was also thinking of her replacing her Secret Identity Complication with a Hunted by Police complication. I May need an extra 5 points, though. This way the idenity wouldnt be an issue if it gets busted, except for her DNPCs.
Thanks for your time!
Chris Brower
Aug 27, 2016, 4:44:49 PM8/27/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
In regards to Complications, the generic Policeman template has the following Complication:
10 Hunted: Police Department (Infrequently, Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)
This is what I was thinking of relacing the Secret Identity with an addl 5 point one needed.
10 Hunted: Police Department (Infrequently, Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)
This is what I was thinking of relacing the Secret Identity with an addl 5 point one needed.
Jay
Aug 30, 2016, 6:28:48 PM8/30/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Sorry, I seem to be falling behind on my posts once again...
1.) Let's assume that roughly three months has passed since the end of the Mechanon story arc -- Kristen has completed basic training and is ready to hit the streets in her secret identity; any suggestions in what you'd like to see in a partner for her (so as to make a good foil for her) would be welcome and appreciated.
2.) You're definitely right that Kristen's Local Law Enforcement Perk should be paid for on her own, as those police powers are quite separate from her being a superhero sanctioned by the Mayor.
3.) As to what you want to take as your replacement Complication, I leave that to you (unless you want it to be a Mystery Complication, and GM's choice!)
--Jay
1.) Let's assume that roughly three months has passed since the end of the Mechanon story arc -- Kristen has completed basic training and is ready to hit the streets in her secret identity; any suggestions in what you'd like to see in a partner for her (so as to make a good foil for her) would be welcome and appreciated.
2.) You're definitely right that Kristen's Local Law Enforcement Perk should be paid for on her own, as those police powers are quite separate from her being a superhero sanctioned by the Mayor.
3.) As to what you want to take as your replacement Complication, I leave that to you (unless you want it to be a Mystery Complication, and GM's choice!)
--Jay
On Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 9:16:33 PM UTC-7, Chris Brower wrote:
Chris Brower
Aug 30, 2016, 11:28:20 PM8/30/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Kristen would like someone in her generation with more experience, passion for the job, compassion for others, and who is willing to be patient as she learns the ropes (and if it is a guy, someone good looking wouldn't hurt). However...
Is this what you had in mind for a foil?
Assigned to a desk in the third precinct due to age and the number of complaints against him (problem with conforming to modern rules of society), he prefers to be on patrol (feels he’s been railroaded to a desk job), and takes advantage of as many opportunities to hit the streets as possible. When he learned of this new officer fresh from the academy that would be assigned to the special units division and who would need a mentor for field training at irregular times, he saw it as a personal opportunity to remain on patrol duty. With much effort and calling in favors, he was able to cajole his way into the assignment as Kristen’s field instructor. This is the opportunity he was waiting for; a chance to get away from the desk and back onto the streets one last time before retirement. He vowed to teach the young officer everything he knew, whether she wanted to learn or not, and stay on patrol instead of behind the desk.
Important points:
- Old timer veteran
- Stuck in the past, which gets him in trouble
- Prefers the “old ways”: acts gruff, violates personal rights (uses violence and verbal abuse frequently), has trouble with diversity
- Good hearted and means well
- Tons of experience and has a lot to teach
The particulars (name, appearance, background) can be filled in as needed by you (or me if you'd prefer) as the story progresses. I figure this is an NPC for you, and their interaction can form the basis of a single (or set of) Complication(s) (psychological for hating and respecting him at the same time, psychological for feeling like she isn't learning what she should be (at first), social for needing to protect her partner contrasting with an internal requirement to follow the rules, eventually social for liking her partner as a mentor/friend/father figure(?) and wanting to protect him, perhaps others). I am not sure if he would be told about her "special" assignment as Blacklight, or if that would be cause for interaction later (secrets between partners is difficult after some time).
I hope this is the sort of framework you were thinking for her partner acting as a foil. We can flesh out more details, as desired, when you have more time and/or at the gaming session. I can certainly use this to create a quick story to get things rolling, whenever you'd like.
Thanks for your time, Jay! I know it is difficult to juggle sometimes.
Is this what you had in mind for a foil?
Assigned to a desk in the third precinct due to age and the number of complaints against him (problem with conforming to modern rules of society), he prefers to be on patrol (feels he’s been railroaded to a desk job), and takes advantage of as many opportunities to hit the streets as possible. When he learned of this new officer fresh from the academy that would be assigned to the special units division and who would need a mentor for field training at irregular times, he saw it as a personal opportunity to remain on patrol duty. With much effort and calling in favors, he was able to cajole his way into the assignment as Kristen’s field instructor. This is the opportunity he was waiting for; a chance to get away from the desk and back onto the streets one last time before retirement. He vowed to teach the young officer everything he knew, whether she wanted to learn or not, and stay on patrol instead of behind the desk.
Important points:
- Old timer veteran
- Stuck in the past, which gets him in trouble
- Prefers the “old ways”: acts gruff, violates personal rights (uses violence and verbal abuse frequently), has trouble with diversity
- Good hearted and means well
- Tons of experience and has a lot to teach
The particulars (name, appearance, background) can be filled in as needed by you (or me if you'd prefer) as the story progresses. I figure this is an NPC for you, and their interaction can form the basis of a single (or set of) Complication(s) (psychological for hating and respecting him at the same time, psychological for feeling like she isn't learning what she should be (at first), social for needing to protect her partner contrasting with an internal requirement to follow the rules, eventually social for liking her partner as a mentor/friend/father figure(?) and wanting to protect him, perhaps others). I am not sure if he would be told about her "special" assignment as Blacklight, or if that would be cause for interaction later (secrets between partners is difficult after some time).
I hope this is the sort of framework you were thinking for her partner acting as a foil. We can flesh out more details, as desired, when you have more time and/or at the gaming session. I can certainly use this to create a quick story to get things rolling, whenever you'd like.
Thanks for your time, Jay! I know it is difficult to juggle sometimes.
Chris Brower
Sep 2, 2016, 2:15:11 PM9/2/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi Jay,
Please find attached an updated character sheet for Blacklight. The sheet reflects the following changes:
1) Added 10 experience points from adventure.
2) Spent 10 points by adding Police Officer skills (in own category) to reflect Kristen's admission into the Police Academy
3) Replaces 2 (one-point) Perk skills with Local Police Powers (2CP)
- removed the Realtor License to practice a profession (-1CP) (she hasn't earned it yet)
- listed her passport as expired (-1CP) (didn't want to remove it, as it is reasonable she had one to visit family in Germany but let it lapse. Thus, she can't visit parents unless they come to US nor extended family in Germany until renewed)
4) Removed 15 point Complication: Secret Identity (Frequent, Major)
5) Added 10 point Complication: Hunted ECPD (Infrequent, Mo Pow; NCI; Watching)
- reflects initial background check and ECPD Internal Affairs watching her conduct as both Blacklight and Officer Kaltnacht)
6) Added 5 point Complication: Distinctive Feature - Badge Number same for both personas (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable through Major Effort)
- Kristen uses the same Police badge number for her superhero and police identities
- takes significant effort to get both Kristen's and Blacklight's badge numbers in those identities and run together to detect the match. Likely to be the press or conspiracy theorist/staunch gov't watchdog to make connection.
Please let me know if I can answer any questions, and thank you for your time and effort!
Please find attached an updated character sheet for Blacklight. The sheet reflects the following changes:
1) Added 10 experience points from adventure.
2) Spent 10 points by adding Police Officer skills (in own category) to reflect Kristen's admission into the Police Academy
3) Replaces 2 (one-point) Perk skills with Local Police Powers (2CP)
- removed the Realtor License to practice a profession (-1CP) (she hasn't earned it yet)
- listed her passport as expired (-1CP) (didn't want to remove it, as it is reasonable she had one to visit family in Germany but let it lapse. Thus, she can't visit parents unless they come to US nor extended family in Germany until renewed)
4) Removed 15 point Complication: Secret Identity (Frequent, Major)
5) Added 10 point Complication: Hunted ECPD (Infrequent, Mo Pow; NCI; Watching)
- reflects initial background check and ECPD Internal Affairs watching her conduct as both Blacklight and Officer Kaltnacht)
6) Added 5 point Complication: Distinctive Feature - Badge Number same for both personas (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable through Major Effort)
- Kristen uses the same Police badge number for her superhero and police identities
- takes significant effort to get both Kristen's and Blacklight's badge numbers in those identities and run together to detect the match. Likely to be the press or conspiracy theorist/staunch gov't watchdog to make connection.
Please let me know if I can answer any questions, and thank you for your time and effort!
Chris Brower
Sep 3, 2016, 5:32:05 PM9/3/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
If the team or you (i.e. Mayor, City or ECPD) need Blacklight to have a public identity complication, she can be talked into it.
I just wanted to put that out, since her new complications eliminate the Secret Identity complication and she will be acting as a link between the ECPD and the Team. It seems like the Mayor may want to be able to announce it, but she won't volunteer to take the complication, so as the player I will accept any complication the GM (Jay) feels is needed to help the cohesion and the story progress.
- Chris
I just wanted to put that out, since her new complications eliminate the Secret Identity complication and she will be acting as a link between the ECPD and the Team. It seems like the Mayor may want to be able to announce it, but she won't volunteer to take the complication, so as the player I will accept any complication the GM (Jay) feels is needed to help the cohesion and the story progress.
- Chris
Chris Brower
Sep 5, 2016, 12:22:47 AM9/5/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Kristen Kaltnacht (Blacklight) Appearance:
Standing before you is a young woman in her early to mid 20s, 5’ 8”, with an athletic build that weighs in around 135 pounds. If you guessed, you would say her figure would be around 35B-26-36. Besides her height, her most striking features are the deep blue eyes, augmented by light brown/auburn hair that stretches to just below her shoulders when allowed to flow. Her overall appearance is memorable, and many would place her as a 6 or 7 on a 10 scale without makeup or other enhancements. Her personality is also very likeable, which usually increases her overall beauty over time.
Kristen is a well-groomed young lady, who dresses to match the event or surroundings. She uses light make-up to allow her natural features to shine through and project an air of openness and sincerity.
Civilian clothing: Kristen generally dresses like many women in the Pacific Northwest and chooses outfits to match the weather and the places she plans to go. In the cooler months, she generally wears sweaters (light or heavy), clean undamaged jeans, and boots. Her outerwear includes jackets and coats of various styles and weights. In the warmer months, she can be found wearing dresses, a shirt and skirt combination, or jeans and casual shirts. She will match these outfits to sneakers, flats, or heels, depending on the situation. Casually, she can be found in a light-weight dress (usually from a vintage store or of her own creation) or jeans/t-shirt and flats. Professionally, she has a couple pant suits with both slacks and skirts that she employs in formal office settings. While on duty for the Evergreen City Police Department (ECPD), she wears the uniform of a patrol officer.
Superhero clothing: Kristen had fun creating her hero costumes. She made two body stocking type outfits from spandex that she pairs with thin leather boots and gloves. She also has a single low-cut spandex shirt with long sleeves that clings to her body just below the ribcage (to show her midsection) and a pair of spandex pants. Under these three outfits she wears a sports bra and seamless panties to provide support and smooth curves. Lastly, she made an outfit out of a sports bra and workout shorts as her initial attempt. All of these outfits were recolored to match her dark/navy blue core and deep purple sides color scheme. In addition, she has two types of masks she can wear: one attaches to the body suits and covers all but below her nose and chin and the top of her head; while the second is more of a futuristic eyewear, dark shaded cyclops-blade like accessory that is snuggly strapped to her head. The latter has headphones built-in.
Chris Brower
Sep 14, 2016, 10:18:16 PM9/14/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
I found a model that can give you an idea of what Kristen looks like. The profile can be found here.
Height, build, measurements, eye/hair color, and basic facial features match my thoughts.
All, please let me know if this works and/or is in line with your expectations; I am interested to know.
Thanks,
- Chris
Height, build, measurements, eye/hair color, and basic facial features match my thoughts.
All, please let me know if this works and/or is in line with your expectations; I am interested to know.
Thanks,
- Chris
Chris Brower
Oct 3, 2016, 11:52:54 PM10/3/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi Guys,
I have a few questions regarding spending the CP we earned and adding some complications.
Personally, I would like to continue adding to Kristen’s skill list, as I think her power set is pretty diverse. To that end, here is the full list of skills/Perks I was thinking of purchasing:
- 1CP Combat Driving (would improve from 11- to 14-) (useful with ATV, police training)
o This skill would get a free TF. We have TF: Small Motorized Vehicles (includes the ATV) as Everyman Skill; should I pick this and remove Everyman or go with different TF? If latter, suggestions? (motorcycle, wheeled military vehicles, etc?)
- 2CP AK: Nova Town (11-) (from patrolling Nova Town, could be useful for OPs there)
- 2CP CuK: Evergreen City Police Dept (11-) (since she’s a full cop, makes sense and could help with finding places, things, people, data)
- 1CP Positive Reputation: Evergreen City (11-, Medium size group) (as Blacklight)
- 1CP Positive Reputation: Nova Town (14-, small to medium size group, neighborhood) (as Kristen)
- 1CP Positive Reputation: Evergreen City Police Dept (11-, medium size group) (as Kristen)
- 1CP Weapons Familiarization: small arms (from handguns) (matches police training and may be useful if bag guy uses special gun)
- 3CP Combat Piloting (14-) (would take the free TF for our jet)
If I had to pick, I would choose the Combat Driving, Knowledge Skills, and Reputation Skills. I could choose any, though. Your thoughts, everyone? Jay any concerns?
After my long story (Adventures in Nova Town: The Journey Begins) on the other thread, I was thinking of adding a couple of complications in the form of characters to the list. However, I’m not sure if a few would jive. Here is what I was thinking:
- 5 Hunted: The Bear (Infrequent; As Pow; Limited Geo Area (Nova Town); Harshly Punish) (This is the villain Kristen took down in the story. Looking for revenge and can threaten DNPCs; could become primary nemisis).
- 0 DNPC: John Richardson (Infrequent (could be more); As Pow; Useful Noncombat Position/Skills) (Kristen’s former boyfriend, already listed as hunting her so has a reason to be around (Frequent?), thought they might rekindle their relationship, would rush to the rescue, he has an idea of her secret ID)
- 0 DNPC: Officer Frank Doyle (Infrequent; As Pow; Useful Noncombat position; Unaware of Secret ID) (Kristen’s ECPD partner; she would drop nearly everything to help him if in trouble, maybe as much as her brother)
- 15 Hunted: Criminal Organization (Mo Pow; NCI; Mildly Punish) (this would be the group for whom The Bear worked and Kristen caused trouble/disruption. Could become a primary nemesis for her non-super ID and could find out her Secret ID. It would be GM fiat as to the exact nature of the org.)
Although low point cost, these are mainly after Kristen’s civilian identity and not Blacklight, so could provide interesting story arcs if the two worlds crossed. I know I may be piling on the complications, but they are all so good and fun! Please let me know your thoughts, everyone (too much? Can’t have too many? Chris is out of control? etc). Jay, any concerns?
One last thought on Kristen’s ex. I initially added him to make up the points, but he’s participated in many of her out of session stories, and I’ve found him a compelling character for her (a good foil, maybe?). I was curious if a NPC could be both a complication and a Contact Perk. That would be interesting…
Chris Brower
Oct 12, 2016, 1:16:17 AM10/12/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi Jay,
Please find attached updated copies of Blacklight's character sheet.
I made the following adjustments:
+1 CP increase WF:Handguns to WF: Small Arms (finish Police package)
+1 CP increase Combat Driving from Proficient (10-) to skill based (14-) (finish Police package)
+2 CP added AK: Nova Town (11-) (finish Police package; from patrolling area & meeting people)
+2 CP added CuK: ECPD (11-) (finish Police package; KS to know the where, who, when, why of her civilian employer)
+1 CP Positive Reputation: Evergreen City (as Blacklight) (11-, assume city is a med-size group)
+1 CP Positive Reputation: Nova Town (as Kristen) (14-, assumes neighborhood qualifies as small to med-size group)
Most of these skills reflect Kristen's post-Academy advanced police training (hands on w/shotgun and rifles, advanced tactical driving classes, patrolling Nova Town w/partner, making arrests). The only real Blacklight item is the increased reputation from defeating the Mechanon, Dr Helix, etc and the positive press from that. I thought it might be min/maxing to stretch the Evergreen City rep to both personalities; even though she has been on the news for the trafficking ring disruption as an officer (which could double the reputation in Nova Town).
I have also been busy adding to Kristen's Complications (most are for her non-super ID):
+10 DNPC (Normal, useful posit/skills, unaware (but suspicious) of secret ID) (John Richardson, former boyfriend & news reporter whom she is growing close to again) (he is also an original Hunted complication) (could be set to +0 w/As Pow instead of Normal due to news affiliation).
+0 DNPC (As Pow, useful posit/skills in ECPD, unaware of secret ID) (Police partner and mentor, she would do whatever to help him)
+5 Hunted (as Kristen): The Bear (Nova crime org lieutenant she arrested in Adventures in Nova Town 1 story) (w/Nova abilities and crime family behind him, listed As Pow but could bump up if needed. Infrequent due to being in jail. I can see him become Kristen's nemesis)
+15 Hunted (as Kristen): Crime Organization (The Bear's employer) (Mo Pow, NCI, Mild Punish) (she disrupted their human trafficking business and knocked out a Lt. Although the story mentioned it was the Irish Mob, I just filled that in; it is yours to mold, Jay).
If this is too much for Complications, we can remove them/change them/expand them as desired. I just wanted to expand the gallery a bit, and if it is preferable to remove some older items, we can do that too).
Please let me know if I can answer any questions, and thank you for your time!
- Chris
Please find attached updated copies of Blacklight's character sheet.
I made the following adjustments:
+1 CP increase WF:Handguns to WF: Small Arms (finish Police package)
+1 CP increase Combat Driving from Proficient (10-) to skill based (14-) (finish Police package)
+2 CP added AK: Nova Town (11-) (finish Police package; from patrolling area & meeting people)
+2 CP added CuK: ECPD (11-) (finish Police package; KS to know the where, who, when, why of her civilian employer)
+1 CP Positive Reputation: Evergreen City (as Blacklight) (11-, assume city is a med-size group)
+1 CP Positive Reputation: Nova Town (as Kristen) (14-, assumes neighborhood qualifies as small to med-size group)
Most of these skills reflect Kristen's post-Academy advanced police training (hands on w/shotgun and rifles, advanced tactical driving classes, patrolling Nova Town w/partner, making arrests). The only real Blacklight item is the increased reputation from defeating the Mechanon, Dr Helix, etc and the positive press from that. I thought it might be min/maxing to stretch the Evergreen City rep to both personalities; even though she has been on the news for the trafficking ring disruption as an officer (which could double the reputation in Nova Town).
I have also been busy adding to Kristen's Complications (most are for her non-super ID):
+10 DNPC (Normal, useful posit/skills, unaware (but suspicious) of secret ID) (John Richardson, former boyfriend & news reporter whom she is growing close to again) (he is also an original Hunted complication) (could be set to +0 w/As Pow instead of Normal due to news affiliation).
+0 DNPC (As Pow, useful posit/skills in ECPD, unaware of secret ID) (Police partner and mentor, she would do whatever to help him)
+5 Hunted (as Kristen): The Bear (Nova crime org lieutenant she arrested in Adventures in Nova Town 1 story) (w/Nova abilities and crime family behind him, listed As Pow but could bump up if needed. Infrequent due to being in jail. I can see him become Kristen's nemesis)
+15 Hunted (as Kristen): Crime Organization (The Bear's employer) (Mo Pow, NCI, Mild Punish) (she disrupted their human trafficking business and knocked out a Lt. Although the story mentioned it was the Irish Mob, I just filled that in; it is yours to mold, Jay).
If this is too much for Complications, we can remove them/change them/expand them as desired. I just wanted to expand the gallery a bit, and if it is preferable to remove some older items, we can do that too).
Please let me know if I can answer any questions, and thank you for your time!
- Chris
Chris Brower
Nov 17, 2016, 12:54:34 AM11/17/16
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi Jay,
Please find attached updated copies of Blacklight's character sheet with the additional 52 points. I tagged the 50 points as part of the main point count and have 2 as XP. Due to the large point count, I took everyone's advice and decided to mainly focus on boosting Blacklight's infrastructure, then added two new powers and a couple skills to finish it out.
Please find attached updated copies of Blacklight's character sheet with the additional 52 points. I tagged the 50 points as part of the main point count and have 2 as XP. Due to the large point count, I took everyone's advice and decided to mainly focus on boosting Blacklight's infrastructure, then added two new powers and a couple skills to finish it out.
I made the following adjustments:
+10 CP to Speed (from 5 to 6)
+8 CP to the Darkslinging Pool (from 60 to 70 permitting expansion)
+10 CP to Recovery (from 15 to 25)
+2 CP to Endurance (from 65 to 75)
- the REC and END boost is to accommodate the added speed and Multipower pool increase, allowing 2 turns of actions at full usage (ex: 8 END/phase for a power and flight x 6 phases = 48 END/turn. This allows 2.5 turns before depletion).
+5 CP to Presence (from 20 to 25, allowing 5d6 Presence Attacks. Reflects more confidence and greater influence as her reputation grows).
+5 CP for Nocturnal Aegis (Barrier power in power pool, 69AP)
+5 CP for Umbra Interdiction (Deflection power in power pool, 60AP)
- these two powers are added to permit protecting others at range, which she lacks. She saw the need last adventure.
+1 CP to add Traveler Skill Enhancer (already had AK: Nova Town (11-), CuK: ECPD (11-)) and it auto boosted AK Univ. of the Northwest (from 8-) since it was the only other purchased AK.
+1 CP to boost CK: Evergreen City (11-) from Everyman
+3 CP to add Combat Piloting (w/ The Raven, the Guardian's Jet, as the free TF)
- Hell yeah, she named it! No one else did, and Kristen spends time flying the machine with that cute pilot dude.
+1 CP to add TF: Small Planes (because all pilots learn to fly in this first)
+1 CP to add Positive Reputation ECPD (Med sized, 11-)
- I assume both Kristen and Blacklight have the same level in each identity, so I bought it once generically.
Please let me know if I can answer any questions or make any corrections. Thanks for your time!
Chris Brower
Apr 23, 2017, 9:22:18 PM4/23/17
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi everyone,
I need your help with my character. Since you are versed with the rules of the Hero System, and even have some GM experience witht eh game, I was hoping the three of you would have a look at the attached character sheets and let me know if you find any balancing issues and if you would approve/deny the updated character sheet for Blacklight.
Some background, I wanted to pull Blacklight back a little from the 500 point mark, in which we are approaching, and reset the character back to the 400 CP state. I had been updating her sheet a bit since I took the GM job, but it was as a means to keep her viable as a counterpart for the team and was a halfway effort. Thus, I decided to roll back my changes.
While starting the roll-back, I decided it was an opportunity to better focus the character and make it more my own from the initial template graciously provided by Vlad and fix the Complication bloat I had made (100 points).
The powers are the same, with the addition of two I think help round out the skill set (Barrier & Deflection). The greatest change was in the character's skills, perks, and talents. I discarded a few items that were made during initial creation to help flesh out a story, but had no impact in the game at all (Realtor prof skill and the two contacts are an example). These are replaced with the skills, perks, and talents that better focus her law enforcement career, which I chose as the character grew. I also reduced some of her Characteristics to match the levels I think she would have, instead of the initial levels set for meta-game purpose (such as Con reduced to 18 from 23, despite the increased chance for CON stun).
All of this brought her to a 413 CP character (400 start, 10 from her background/picture for Jay, and 3 from experience).
Please have a look at the "Blacklight (New Start)_v2" PDF and/or HDC files attached, and let me know your thoughts, opinions, and whether you would approve/reject the character as a GM. (Earlier version for comparison can be found in this thread, if desired.)
Thanks for your help!
I need your help with my character. Since you are versed with the rules of the Hero System, and even have some GM experience witht eh game, I was hoping the three of you would have a look at the attached character sheets and let me know if you find any balancing issues and if you would approve/deny the updated character sheet for Blacklight.
Some background, I wanted to pull Blacklight back a little from the 500 point mark, in which we are approaching, and reset the character back to the 400 CP state. I had been updating her sheet a bit since I took the GM job, but it was as a means to keep her viable as a counterpart for the team and was a halfway effort. Thus, I decided to roll back my changes.
While starting the roll-back, I decided it was an opportunity to better focus the character and make it more my own from the initial template graciously provided by Vlad and fix the Complication bloat I had made (100 points).
The powers are the same, with the addition of two I think help round out the skill set (Barrier & Deflection). The greatest change was in the character's skills, perks, and talents. I discarded a few items that were made during initial creation to help flesh out a story, but had no impact in the game at all (Realtor prof skill and the two contacts are an example). These are replaced with the skills, perks, and talents that better focus her law enforcement career, which I chose as the character grew. I also reduced some of her Characteristics to match the levels I think she would have, instead of the initial levels set for meta-game purpose (such as Con reduced to 18 from 23, despite the increased chance for CON stun).
All of this brought her to a 413 CP character (400 start, 10 from her background/picture for Jay, and 3 from experience).
Please have a look at the "Blacklight (New Start)_v2" PDF and/or HDC files attached, and let me know your thoughts, opinions, and whether you would approve/reject the character as a GM. (Earlier version for comparison can be found in this thread, if desired.)
Thanks for your help!
Chris Brower
Apr 23, 2017, 11:10:56 PM4/23/17
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi everyone,
If you reviewed the new character sheet, you will have noticed Blacklight has CPs for a 300 point follower and 16 CP for her apartment.
Once the main character was built with 413 CPs, I though it fun if the additional points were spent on a sidekick, instead of just beefing up her current stats (and re-bloating them). Off and on, I thought it might be fun to have her brother as a sidekick, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn about followers, how they are built, and how to create a character with some new powers.
Since she is a 400 point mid-level super character, the rules have an example of a 300 point sidekick, so I went with that. Please have a look at the attached Sidekick file. I was trying to determine a good motif, and I came up with three options:
1) a mirror of Blacklight, just lower power
2) a character that adds useful skills or abilities to Blacklight, but doesn't engage in much combat (keep him safe but useful)
3) a combat related character different from Blacklight
The first is fairly straight forward to build, so I didn't create it yet. The second motif is the Sidekick (Spectre) files; a stealth type character that can help Blacklight with a coordinated attack and slowing the enemy down.
The third option is the Sidekick (Shadowknight) file, and the one that came the easiest. What would a 15 year old guy think of if he could channel energy into superpowers? Something bad ass and more like a video game hero, most likely! As such, I followed the trail, and it eventually became a Black Knight in armor, wielding a shield and a large weapon (a flying brick type of character, it seems).
However, his power is that of an energy projector. Thus as I built the character with:
a Resistant Protection PD/ED power that will form as an energy field in the opaque shape of armor instead of a thin film, and has a Darkforce Multipower (like Kristen's) that:
uses dark energy to augment his strength when it is activated,
forms a shield of energy (like D&D shields) for further protection (used more Resistant Protection, but initially though of a Barrier in the form of a shield),
creates an opaque Mace of dark energy as a melee attack (HTH Attack),
and a dark energy bow that will form to dispense bolts of dark energy (Blast attack).
The Multipower is variable, so he can use aspects of each (except the Blast) to further the concept, but may also use any of them at full power. I envision this as: Phase 12 (move, activate shield and allocate defense to match threat), Phase 3 (move, half multipower to strength and half to Mace for an 11d6 attack with Armor Piercing and attack). Use darkness to gain advantage or retreat. Flight to help with move through and shift position in battle as needed.
As with Blacklight, please have a look as a discerning GM, and let me know what you think of the idea.
Thank you very much for your time! This has been a good exercise in learning about power balance.
- Chris
If you reviewed the new character sheet, you will have noticed Blacklight has CPs for a 300 point follower and 16 CP for her apartment.
Once the main character was built with 413 CPs, I though it fun if the additional points were spent on a sidekick, instead of just beefing up her current stats (and re-bloating them). Off and on, I thought it might be fun to have her brother as a sidekick, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn about followers, how they are built, and how to create a character with some new powers.
Since she is a 400 point mid-level super character, the rules have an example of a 300 point sidekick, so I went with that. Please have a look at the attached Sidekick file. I was trying to determine a good motif, and I came up with three options:
1) a mirror of Blacklight, just lower power
2) a character that adds useful skills or abilities to Blacklight, but doesn't engage in much combat (keep him safe but useful)
3) a combat related character different from Blacklight
The first is fairly straight forward to build, so I didn't create it yet. The second motif is the Sidekick (Spectre) files; a stealth type character that can help Blacklight with a coordinated attack and slowing the enemy down.
The third option is the Sidekick (Shadowknight) file, and the one that came the easiest. What would a 15 year old guy think of if he could channel energy into superpowers? Something bad ass and more like a video game hero, most likely! As such, I followed the trail, and it eventually became a Black Knight in armor, wielding a shield and a large weapon (a flying brick type of character, it seems).
However, his power is that of an energy projector. Thus as I built the character with:
a Resistant Protection PD/ED power that will form as an energy field in the opaque shape of armor instead of a thin film, and has a Darkforce Multipower (like Kristen's) that:
uses dark energy to augment his strength when it is activated,
forms a shield of energy (like D&D shields) for further protection (used more Resistant Protection, but initially though of a Barrier in the form of a shield),
creates an opaque Mace of dark energy as a melee attack (HTH Attack),
and a dark energy bow that will form to dispense bolts of dark energy (Blast attack).
The Multipower is variable, so he can use aspects of each (except the Blast) to further the concept, but may also use any of them at full power. I envision this as: Phase 12 (move, activate shield and allocate defense to match threat), Phase 3 (move, half multipower to strength and half to Mace for an 11d6 attack with Armor Piercing and attack). Use darkness to gain advantage or retreat. Flight to help with move through and shift position in battle as needed.
As with Blacklight, please have a look as a discerning GM, and let me know what you think of the idea.
Thank you very much for your time! This has been a good exercise in learning about power balance.
- Chris
Chris Brower
Apr 30, 2017, 2:29:23 AM4/30/17
to CHAMPIONS of the Northwest
Hi Everyone,
Just for completeness, I have finalized Kristen's character sheet, including her Apartment and Sidekick (her brother Stefan). Attached below are all of the character sheets. If you desire, feel free to review to be sure I'm not doing anything munchkin with them. Otherwise, these are the sheets I'll play if/when Blacklight makes an appearance.
I will post a story for getting Stefan involved sometime next week. I wanted to focus on getting the Rumor sheets out and prepping for our upcoming session. For the time being, let's say Blacklight has been given a mission to recruit new members for the team, since most of the previous ones have moved to Reserve status.
Thanks for your time, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!
- Chris
Just for completeness, I have finalized Kristen's character sheet, including her Apartment and Sidekick (her brother Stefan). Attached below are all of the character sheets. If you desire, feel free to review to be sure I'm not doing anything munchkin with them. Otherwise, these are the sheets I'll play if/when Blacklight makes an appearance.
I will post a story for getting Stefan involved sometime next week. I wanted to focus on getting the Rumor sheets out and prepping for our upcoming session. For the time being, let's say Blacklight has been given a mission to recruit new members for the team, since most of the previous ones have moved to Reserve status.
Thanks for your time, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!
- Chris
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