Well, for my first-ever V&V character, I decided to go with random generation. So, this guy is a bit whacky, and took some time to work out how the things I rolled would fit. Note: This isn't a criticism... This is generally what I've experienced with every supers game I've ever played (and I don't imagine I'm the only one
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I've borrowed Dsumner's 'character template' to get him posted here... Dsumner, if this isn't ok, please let me know and I'll fix that!
So, lets have a look at Zeta-Man, shall we?
Identity: David Cumberland
Side: Good
Affiliation: Brand-new Solo Hero
Base of Operations: New York, New York
Sex: Male
Age: 22 (altered from age roll to add a four-year military term)
Level: 1
Training: Combat Accuracy in his Alien Headband
Powers:
1. Special weapon (Device); Alien circlet-type Headband fused to his body with a large red gem-type stone in it's center. This strange item has two main powers:
a) Power Blast (device; 19 charges; 1 charge per shot or as listed below) (device parameters: STR=19, END=20): The gem in his alien circlet fires blasts of energy up to 19.5" away, for 1D20 damage. Zeta-man can bounce his shots off of multiple opponents as the rules state for multiple attacks. Each opponent shot after the first costs an additional 2 charges(!!) so he is forced to do this sparingly. Unlike the rules (as this is a 'special weapon'), once Zeta-Man misses an opponent, the blast just stops bouncing from that point (and the other shots that hit, still do). If used defensively, Zeta-Man expends only 1 charge if he has an action to shoot the incoming attack, or expends 2 charges if the power blast fires of it's own accord at incoming attacks when he doesn't have an action. This 'sentient attack' of his alien headband is out of his players control, and is under the control of the GM to be used for dramatic gameplay as opposed to player benefit; Simulating the alien wierdness of his headband.
b) Heightened Agility B (Device; 19 charges seperate from power blast charges; 1 charge per turn): +12
2. Weakness Detection: Costs an action, no power cost, 1" range. Zeta-Man can detect one weakness in any target within his range. Ever after, he then receives +3 to all attacks against that person/being. Subsequent detections against the same person/being reveal other weaknesses if they are there, but don't add further combat bonuses. Zeta-Man can tell others about a weakness he's learned, but no combat bonus is gained by others through this power.
3. Psionics (Mind Reading): 3" range, 2 PR per use. Alien experimentation has awakened things in the mind of Zeta-Man. He can now read the surface thoughts of anyone in range. He only needs to know of their general location and visualize them in his mind, although he need not 'know' them personally, so he can do this even if he doesn't have line-of-sight. If he wants to learn deeper thoughts from someone, he does have to have line of sight, and it requires more than one turn of power use at 2 PR per turn. It's up to the GM what other, sub-surface thoughts he learns. Targets can 'get a feeling' that someone is near and 'in their mind' (!) if they succeed at a detect danger roll. If Zeta-Man continues his probe for longer than one round, the target's detect danger roll grows each round after the first (adding another full percentage to the total; So on the third round, they are at x3 for their detect danger percentage). If Zeta-Man is detected, even if the target doesn't know who is doing it, they can try to block their mind from further probing by saving vs CHA as a percentage. Again, the percentage adds another full CHA score each round if Zeta-Man continues to probe. Note that Zeta-Man cannot tell if his targets are aware of him unless they make some action that alerts him to this fact! Also, GM's may rule that certain mind/magic/etc powers may simply be used in defense against this as they are written.
Weaknesses:
Diminished Senses: Due to alien experimentation, Zeta-Man/David Cumberland can now only see in grayscale; He has totally lost all ability to see and discern visual colors outside of that.
Weight: 180 lbs.
Basic Hits: 4
Agility Mod: -
Strength: 13
Endurance: 17
Agility: 11
Intelligence: 9
Charisma: 14
Reactions from Good: +1/Evil: -1
Hit Mods.: 2.16
Hit Points: 9
Healing Rate: 1.6
Power: 50
Damage Mod.: -
Accuracy: -
Carrying Capacity: 504 lbs.
Basic HTH Damage: 1d8
Detect Hidden: 8%
Detect Danger: 12%
Inventing Points: .9?
Inventing: 27%
Movement Rates: 41” ground (sprinting)
Origin and Background:
David Cumberland grew up on a farm in upstate New York. His formative life was one of hard work, and discipline, and generally no excitement or change. When he began to take crops to local markets, the boy found that he had a penchant for public speaking; He just 'felt right' in front of large (for these small-town farmer's markets) crowds and telling them about the virtues of his crops. Or anything else, for that matter. Through school, he played some sports, but really focused on speech classes, and was eventually approached my military recruiters. Choosing the U.S. Army upon graduation, he joined up as the Army's version of a publicity agent and went right to work helping to develop speeches for, and even actually conducting speeches, on behalf of soldiers everywhere. Life was getting pretty good. What he didn't know, however, was that the recurring nightmares and loss of time he used to get in weird times in his life were going to change his life. He had been being abducted by aliens for years; They had been experimenting on him since he was very young. Just before his 22nd birthday, almost right as he was going to finish his first Army enlistment, he had been accosted by them again, in which time the experiments took on an altogether more serious tone: They made serious breakthroughs in his mind, and fused a circlet-type headband on his body with which to channel thoughts to him and control him. The only thing was, he woke up during the surgery before they could finish. He lashed out, learning that his headband could fire energy blasts, and was able to free himself from his grisly hospital. As he fled through the corridors of the ship, seeking to evade and hide at every sign of the aliens searching for him, he found that he was able to detect their very thoughts. This allowed him to escape them easily, as even though he couldn't understand their 'language', he could 'hear' them in his mind when they got near. His blind escape-route lead him into some strange reactor room, and here he was cornered. Scared he would die, he unleashed the power of his circlet again, firing blast upon blast in fear-filled, haphazard fashion... Severely damaging the reactor itself. The aliens realized what was happening, and left David quickly, seeking the escape shuttles that would save their lives from the resultant destruction of the ship they were all in. Luckily, David was able to follow them, and leaped into a capsule after knocking out the alien that had intended to pilot it. He jumped in, had no idea how to maneuver the thing, and just hammered his fists at glowing buttons on the control screen. Naturally, this knocked the capsule completely out of control and rocketed him pell-mell back to earth. He survived the crash, and has ever since not been able to keep his identity secret... As he can never hide the circlet that is now a permanent part of him.
Combat Tactics/M.O.: Zeta-Man tries his best to enter combat cautiously, and gather information first. But when he fights, he still fights like a teenager... Full of passion and energy, and rather brashly.
Personality/Character Traits: David is generally a likable young man; Boisterous and gregarious. He's got a bit of a contagious happiness and 'it will be ok' attitude. He's pretty determined, having learned this not only from his farmer's upbringing, as well as his military service... But from his life-threatening escapade on a UFO. Still, he's young and inexperienced, and while he's not dumb, he's not too bright, either. He's pretty prone to making brash decisions when he doesn't know what else to do, especially if there are pretty girls to impress! He's very unhappy that his circlet is forever visible and cannot be concealed... He would have loved to have an 'alter ego' or 'secret identity'... But he does his best to protect his folks.
Ok... Long winded! I also rolled 'stretch powers', but chose that to drop, and chose not to drop another to rid myself of his weakness. Man... Trial by fire! I rolled two powers that were basically 'Make this up yourself' (Psionics and Special Weapon)... With no experience with this game whatsoever
I just did my best to hip-shoot it, from reading from other powers in the book and looking at other V&V write-ups.
Please criticize! Did I calculate something wrong? Is he way too out there, power-wise? Would you not allow him for 'such and such' reason?
This post is so huge, I am embarrassed actually.
Is there no spoiler command I can use on this forum to put around his background etc, so this thing isn't an entire internet page long?