Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

[Xotl]

I've built this villain team around the concept of powerful beings drawn together by a Fu Manchu/Dr. Yin Wu sort of master Oriental villain (The Sinister Wang Ho). He seeks a return to the old days, where China is the centre of the world and has a proper Emperor with the Mandate of Heaven. I'm looking for some feedback on her build, but I'm adding her background to aid in that.

 

LOTUS BLOSSOM

Lotus Blossom grew up in the mid-19th century, during the collapse of the last Chinese imperial dynasty, the Qing. The two Opium Wars culminated in the burning of the Emperor's Summer Palace by Anglo-French troops, destroying the home of the Ministry of Sorcery and its centuries-old collection of arcane knowledge. The Taiping Rebellion, a ferocious civil war that raged for almost 15 years and killed some 25 million people, decimated the arcane knowledge of China, as well as killing most of its practitioners. Her father was one of the few imperial court magicians to survive this tumultuous period, but political machinations forced him out of favour and into exile. As the country collapsed, pulled to pieces between competing foreign powers, he decided to break with centuries of tradition and teach a woman, his daughter, the ways of imperial sorcery, before it disappeared altogether. She proved an apt pupil, eager to avenge the fall of her family as well as her country, and to reclaim the life of luxury she had once known.

 

Despite her best efforts, her powers were no match for the winds of change then sweeping across the land. Shot by British soldiers while supporting the Boxer Rebellion, she lay dying, mentally screaming in anguish at her failure as her countrymen were shot down all around her.

 

When she awoke she was somewhere else, a cave by the looks of things. Her wounds had been healed, though she felt weak as a kitten. A man dressed in the rich finery of the imperial court sat by her side, marked by his robe as one of the highest-ranking mandarins of the Ministry of Sorcery. He carefully fed her a rich black liquid, which filled her with strength as it trickled down her throat. She rapidly came back to life, ready to rush out and crush the invaders of her home. She had to hurry: there was little time, always so little time.

 

"Not yet," he said, apparently reading her mind. "That battle is lost. The foreign devils have occupied Peking; the Qing are finished. It is only a matter of time."

 

"No!" she cried. I have worked all my life to prevent this. I won't give up now!"

 

He looked at her keenly, his strange eyes glowing by the light of the fire. "Serve me, and you will have all the time you need..."

 

 

VAL...CHA......Cost...Total...Roll.......Notes

10....STR.......0......10......11-.......HTH Damage 2d6 END [1]

14....DEX.......12.....14......12-.......OCV 5 DCV 5

10....CON.......0......10......11-

10....BODY......0......10......11-

19....INT.......9......19......13-.......PER Roll 17-

23....EGO.......26.....23......14-.......ECV: 8

30....PRE.......20.....30......15-.......PRE Attack: 6d6

10....COM.......0......10......11-

2.....PD........0......2/25..............2/25 PD (0/23 rPD)

2.....ED........0......2/25..............2/25 ED (0/23 rED)

5.....SPD.......26......5................Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

5.....REC.......2.......5

50....END.......15.....50

30....STUN......10.....30

0.....RUN......-12......0"...............END [0]

0.....SWIM.....-2.......0"...............END [0]

0.....LEAP.....-2.......0"...............0" forward, 0" upward

 

CHA Cost: 104

 

Cost..POWERS

70.....Sorcery Multipower, 88-point reserve, (88 Active Points); all slots Gestures (-1/4)

4u.....1) Dispel 22d6 (standard effect: 66 points), any Magic power one at a time (+1/4) (82 Active Points); Requires a contested Power Skill Roll (-3/4), Gestures (-1/4) - END=8

6u.....2) Ego Attack 8 1/2d6 (85 Active Points); Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4) - END=8

4u.....3) Dust of the Lotus: Energy Blast 7d6, Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), No Normal Defense (self-contained breathing, no need to breathe, gas mask; +1) (87 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Not in high winds or rain (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4) - END=9

6u.....4) Mental Illusions 13d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (81 Active Points); Gestures (-1/4) - END=3

7u.....5) Telekinesis (33 STR), Affects Porous, Fine Manipulation, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (87 Active Points); Gestures (-1/4) - END=3

3u.....6) Telepathy 14d6 (Animal and Human class of minds) (80 Active Points); Eye Contact Required (Constant Power requires eye contact throughout use; -1), Gestures (-1/4) - END=8

7u.....7) Teleportation 7", No Relative Velocity, x8 Increased Mass, MegaScale (1" = 1,000 km; +1), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (88 Active Points); Gestures (-1/4) - END=9

 

15.....Flight 5", Inherent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (22 Active Points); Always On (-1/2)

46.....Force Field (23 PD/23 ED) - END=5

41.....Images - Sight, Hearing and Touch Groups 1" radius, +/-8 to PER Rolls, Alterable Size, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (61 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2) - END=2

7......Life Support (Eating: Character only has to eat once per week; Longevity: 200 Years; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Sleeping: Character only has to sleep 8 hours per week)

10.....Mental Defense (15 points total)

40.....Mind Link, Any Willing Target, No LOS Needed, Number of Minds (x8)

32.....Spatial Awareness (Mental Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees)

10.....Teleportation: Floating Fixed Location (2 Locations)

36.....Teleportation 15", No Relative Velocity, Position Shift (45 Active Points); Incantations (-1/4) - END=4

12.....+4 PER with all Sense Groups

 

POWERS Cost: 356

 

 

SKILLS

Bureaucratics 15-

Cryptography 13-

Deduction 14-

High Society 16-

KS: Arcane & Occult Lore 16-

KS: The Mystical World 15-

KS: The Spirit World 15-

Language: Cantonese (imitate dialects; literate)

Language: English (completely fluent; literate)

Language: Mandarin (completely fluent; literate)

Musical Instrument Familiarity (Chordophones) 14-

Power: Magic 16-

Sleight Of Hand 12-

Teamwork 13-

+4 with DCV; Must be aware of attack (-1/4)

+4 with Energy Blast

 

SKILLS Cost: 87

 

Cost...TALENTS

3......Perfect Pitch

 

TALENTS Cost: 3

 

 

Value..DISADVANTAGES

10......Dependence: Juice of the black lotus Takes 2d6 Damage (Extremely Difficult To Obtain; 1 Day)

5.......Distinctive Features: Face of shadow (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

5.......Hunted: The Circle 8- (Mo Pow; Watching)

10......Hunted: Tiger Squad 8- (Mo Pow; Limited Geographical Area; Harshly Punish)

20......Hunted: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow; NCI; Capture)

20......Psychological Limitation: Contemptuous of non-Chinese (VC; Strong)

10......Psychological Limitation: Lusts for forbidden knowledge (Un; Strong)

15......Social Limitation: Subject To Orders (Frequently; Major)

20......Susceptibility: Cold Iron 2d6 damage per Phase (Un)

20......Vulnerability: 2 x Effect Sight Group Flash attacks (Com)

5.......Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Light-based attacks (Un)

5.......Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY Light-based attacks (Un)

 

DISADVANTAGES Points: 145

 

Total Character Cost: 550

 

 

Lotus Blossom has learned much since that day a century ago. Her powers have grown far beyond what even her father possessed. She has veiled her face in shadow and adopted a new name in order to conceal her identity but also her age. She never walks, instead continually floating a few inches off the ground, with her arms folded inside her long robes.

 

Her hunger for forbidden knowledge derives from her fear that she will die before she completes her goals. More than anything she seeks immortality, and it is that that has allowed her master to ensnare her. Immortal himself, he parcels out his knowledge ever so sparingly, allowing her to remain relatively young and agile, yet always aware that she has so much still to do. Wang Ho has falsely told her that the immortality process he possesses must move slowly, and requires a slow but steady trickle of the juice of the black lotus: in reality, while it does provide a small boost to her powers, the cost is a terrible dependency on an extremely rare substance, just one more tool Wang Ho uses to keep her close to him.

 

In battle Lotus Blossom prefers to hang back, crafting images to deceive her opponents. However, she possesses a strong array of attacks if this proves necessary. If things go wrong or the team is needed elsewhere, she is the one that teleports them all away.

 

Though she has little regard for non-Chinese, she saves an extra measure of hatred for the British. Heroes with strong British themes, especially patriotic ones, will always draw her emnity first. As the schemes of her master have led to action outside of China, UNTIL is after her (and her teammates). Lastly, China's national superteam, Tiger Squad, is a bitter enemy: Blossom views them as a pack of uncultured peasant lackies and betrayers of the true China, and they have clashed many times over the years. Having watched the Cultural Revolution smash many of the relics of China's ancient past, she has nothing but scorn for the Communists.

 

 

I've posted her first because she's by far the most interesting. I'd appreciate any feedback you could give on her build, as I'm relatively unpracticed at this whole character making thing. I'll add the other members later, so as not to make this a flood.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

Added to The Tiger Squad Sourcebook (Fan Project)

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59885&highlight=Tiger+Squad

 

 

Cheers

 

 

QM

[Xotl]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

Next we have Guan Di. Guan Di is the Chinese god of war (and, believe it or not, the patron of bean-curd sellers). The idea behind this character is that he is actually a magical construct, a golem-like being created through arcane processes by your Dr. Yin Wu/Fu Manchu-type villain as a powerful and inspiring symbol of the old, pre-Communist ways. It helps that he's a mean brawler as well (or so I hope: I post him here so that you might critique). The real Guan Di has, as far as I know, no tradition of archery, but I felt like adding it so I did.

 

He has a false past, implanted into him by his creator (along with an unconscious near-absolute desire to obey him), and truly believes he is in fact an avatar of the god of war. I figure it would be a possible interesting plot device to deal with this, perhaps even luring him away from his masters' control if the truth could be somehow learned and convincingly revealed to him.

 

He loves a good brawl, delighting in it to the point that he'll sometimes miss when it is more advantageous to leave. Though he does not need to eat, his mind carries false memories of his mortal life, and so he'll gladly eat and drink and generally try to live the normal life he's in fact never had. Though a great fighter, he is also one of the world's foremost experts on the Confucian classics, and will gladly take the opportunity to teach or engage in debate over related issues.

 

I would have added the Psych Lim "Protective of Bean Curd Sellers", but it didn't seem worth the points. The point though is that he's extremely protective of Chinese citizens, and I intend him to be the one member of the group whom a hero team might, if they play their cards right, be able to eventually turn.

 

 

GUAN DI

VAL...CHA....Cost...Total...Roll.......Notes

25....STR.....15.....25......14-.......HTH Damage 5d6 END [2]

24....DEX.....42.....24......14-.......OCV 8 DCV 8

22....CON.....24.....22......13-

18....BODY....16.....18......13-

14....INT......4.....14......12-.......PER Roll 12-/14-

18....EGO.....16.....18......13-.......ECV: 6

25....PRE.....15.....25......14-.......PRE Attack: 5d6

12....COM......1.....12......11-

5.....PD.......0.....5/30..............5/30 PD (5/30 rPD)

5.....ED.......1.....5/30..............5/30 ED (5/30 rED)

5.....SPD.....16.....5.................Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

15....REC.....12.....15

62....END......9.....62

55....STUN....13.....55

13....RUN......0.....13"...............END [2]

4.....SWIM.....2.....4"................END [1]

5.....LEAP.....0.....5"................5" forward, 2 1/2" upward

 

CHA Cost: 186

 

Cost..POWERS

31.....Bow of Divine Fury, 70-point reserve, (70 Active Points); all slots OAF (-1), Limited Range (-1/4)

2u.....1) Armour-Cutting Arrow: Killing Attack - Ranged 3d6, Armour Piercing (+1/2) (67 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1), OAF (-1), Limited Range (-1/4)

2u.....2) Arrow of Blinding Vapours: Darkness to Sight and Smell/Taste Groups 6" radius (65 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1), OAF (-1), Removed by high winds or rain (-1/4), Limited Range (-1/4)

2u.....3) Arrow of the Blinding Sun: Flash - Sight Group 14d6 (70 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1), OAF (-1), Limited Range (-1/4)

2u.....4) Arrow of Tranquil Mists: Energy Blast 7d6, No Normal Defense (self-contained breathing; +1) (70 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1), OAF (-1), Limited Range (-1/4)

2u.....5) Thunderclap Arrow: Energy Blast 9d6+1, Explosion (+1/2) (70 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1), OAF (-1), Limited Range (-1/4)

 

45.....Green Dragon Crescent Blade: Hand-To-Hand Attack +9d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Affects Desolidified - any form (+1/2), Armour Piercing (+1/2) (101 Active Points); OAF (-1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) plus Stretching 1", Inherent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (11 Active Points); Always On (-1/2), Linked (Hand-To-Hand Attack; -1/2) - END=4

 

Jade Armour, all slots OIF (-1/2)

50.....1) Armour (25 PD/25 ED) (75 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

10.....2) Damage Reduction - Energy, Resistant, 25% (15 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

10.....3) Damage Reduction - Physical, Resistant, 25% (15 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

13.....4) Knockback Resistance -10" (20 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

 

5......Damage Resistance (5 PD/5 ED)

7......Healing 1 BODY, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (20 Active Points); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Turn (Post-Segment 12) (-1 1/4), Self Only (-1/2)

30.....Life Support (Eating: Character does not eat; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing; Sleeping: Character does not sleep) (30 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

5......Mental Awareness

10.....Power Defense (10 points)

14.....Running +7" (13" total) - END=1

15....+25 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (37 Active Points); Only to resist Disarms (-1 1/2)

4......+2 PER with Sight Group

 

POWERS Cost: 259

 

 

SKILLS

+3 with HTH Combat

+3 with Bow of Divine Fury Multipower

Penalty Skill Levels: +8 vs. Range Modifier with Bow of Divine Fury Multipower

Breakfall 15-

Defense Maneuver I-IV

Gambling 15-

KS: Chinese Classic Literature 18-

KS: Chinese History 13-

KS: Chinese Myths & Legends 17-

Language: Cantonese (completely fluent)

Language: English (fluent conversation)

Language: Mandarin (idiomatic; literate)

Rapid Attack (Ranged)

Stealth 14-

Tactics 16-

Teamwork 14-

Trading 14-

TF: Equines

WF: Common Martial Arts Melee Weapons, Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Iron Mandarin Duck

 

SKILLS Cost: 123

 

 

Cost...TALENTS

8.......Combat Archery

10......Follow-Through Attack

4.......Rapid Archery

 

TALENTS Cost: 22

 

Value..DISADVANTAGES

10......Distinctive Features: Extremely tall (9 ft) (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

10......Distinctive Features: Red Face (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

15......Enraged: If fighting abilities unfairly disparaged (Com), go 8-, recover 11-

10......Hunted: Tiger Squad 8- (Mo Pow; Limited Geographical Area; Harshly Punish)

20......Hunted: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow; NCI; Capture)

15......Psychological Limitation: Contemptuous of non-Chinese (Com; Strong)

15......Psychological Limitation: Lives for battle (Com; Strong)

20......Psychological Limitation: Slavishly loyal to Sinister Wang Ho (Com; Total)

15......Social Limitation: Subject To Orders (Freq; Major)

10......Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x STUN Magical attacks (Com)

10......Vulnerability: 1 1/2 x BODY Magical attacks (Com)

 

DISADVANTAGES Points: 150

 

 

Total Character Cost: 590

[Balabanto]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

You forgot that Guan Di is also the god of Literature.

[Xotl]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

You forgot that Guan Di is also the god of Literature.

 

I knew he had a heavy association with it (hence the 17- in classic literature), but I didn't know he was actually a god of it. I'll raise it, but this gives me an idea. Thanks!

[Bloodstone]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

I could be wrong here, but I don't believe rapid archery and combat archery are necessary for a Champions character. Those are both talents for Heroic games.

 

Why is the Green Dragon Crescent Blade only a HA and not also an HKA? Does he not use the blade? It should probably have some stretching for reach...

[Xotl]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

I could be wrong here' date=' but I don't believe rapid archery and combat archery are necessary for a Champions character. Those are both talents for Heroic games. [/quote']

 

"Necessary" is kind of an odd way of looking at it, unless you meant redundant? Combat Archery is +5 OCV, only to not hit your friends, and Rapid Archery lets you shoot twice a phase, but as a full phase action and at half DCV (though he should also have Rapid Attack to make that just a half-phase action, so thanks for bringing it up).

 

Why is the Green Dragon Crescent Blade only a HA and not also an HKA? Does he not use the blade? It should probably have some stretching for reach...

 

It originally was, but I designed him for a more pulpy/4-colour sort of game, and a HKA of that size was too lethal for what I'm going for. It would be an easy replacement if you wanted to go that way, and would certainly be more realistic I agree.

 

Stretching for reach is another good idea. Thanks.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

It originally was' date=' but I designed him for a more pulpy/4-colour sort of game, and a HKA of that size was too lethal for what I'm going for. It would be an easy replacement if you wanted to go that way, and would certainly be more realistic I agree.[/quote']

 

Well, the guy already has 3d6 AP RKA's, so I presumed he wasn't opposed to a little bloodshed

 

Personally, I'd still put the blade in there even if he normally doesn't use it. Never know when you might go up against a robot, zombie or other "ok to use lethal force" type target. And besides, if somone manages to take his weapon from him, they may not have a reason to hold back...

[Xotl]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

Well, the guy already has 3d6 AP RKA's, so I presumed he wasn't opposed to a little bloodshed

 

Personally, I'd still put the blade in there even if he normally doesn't use it. Never know when you might go up against a robot, zombie or other "ok to use lethal force" type target. And besides, if somone manages to take his weapon from him, they may not have a reason to hold back...

 

That RKA is only 4 charges, and is around for exactly the sort of targets you've described; I'd never use it on players.

 

Your comments concerning taking his blade away are good though. I might remove the focus limitation to represent the blade's ability to teleport back to his hand at whim (accompanied by a stroke of his long beard and a HA HA HA a la Pai Mei from Kill Bill). Then again, I don't really have too much trouble with the villains being defeated or captured, so that might be a bit much: I'd hate to penalize player tactics.

 

Has there been anything published like +STR, only to resist Disarms? It might be a good compromise - make it harder to take away, but not impossible.

[Xotl]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

I'll post the last two at once to finish off the thread.

 

The first is Snapdragon, your typical oriental martial artist. I tried to be a bit creative in some of his powers - in particular, I think the Trigger is fun. He is an ambitious, aggressive martial artist, driven to be one of the greatest fighters of his age. This has gifted him with a host of long-running rivalries, mostly with Tiger Squad martial artists, but also with the freelancer villain Shadowdragon.

 

What Snapdragon does not realize is that he is also a mutant, which explains some of his phenomenal abilities. As mutant power levels go his are fairly low - he gets great reflexes and perception rather than optic blasts and whatnot. However, Snapdragon believes he is a great martial artist because of his dedication and training, rather than due to winning the genetic lottery, and has built his worldview around this. The revelation that he is a mutant and that this is the source of his raw ability would be shattering to him. None of his teammates are aware of this fact.

 

Iron Monkey is quite literally a 4ft tall iron statue of a sinister-looking monkey, imprisoning a mischevious demon imp from one of the Chinese hells. Mischevious, malicious, and with a relatively low attention span, he bores easily. He is also weak-willed; the sorceror who imprisoned him knew of this mental weakness and tried to compensate by shielding the demon's mind (the Invisibility to mental group), but in the end it's only a patch.

 

As both are martial artists, I tried to distinguish them somewhat. Snapdragon makes the more aggressive, more traditional attacks, while Iron Monkey has a host of moving, flying strikes. He zooms by his targets, never remaining in one spot, often while shrunk. In addition, Snapdragon has the discipline and foresight to use his teamwork skill to work together with Guan Di in pursuit of tactical goals, while the impulsive Iron Monkey would be much more focused on whatever target presented itself, especially if it was annoying him. They would play out very differently on the battlefield.

 

 

SNAPDRAGON

 

VAL...CHA....Cost..Total...Roll......Notes

17....STR.....7.....17......12-......HTH Damage 3d6 END [2]

20....DEX.....30....20......13-......OCV 7 DCV 7

15....CON.....10....15......12-

15....BODY....10....15......12-

11....INT.....1.....11......11-......PER Roll 14-

15....EGO.....10....15......12-......ECV: 5

30....PRE.....8.....30......15-......PRE Attack: 6d6

15....COM.....3.....15......12-

5.....PD......2.....5................5 PD (0 rPD)

5.....ED......2.....5................5 ED (0 rED)

6.....SPD.....10....6................Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

10....REC.....8.....10

40....END.....5.....40

40....STUN....8.....40

9.....RUN.....6.....9"...............END [2]

5.....SWIM....3.....5"...............END [1]

6.....LEAP....3.....6"...............6" forward, 3" upward

 

CHA Cost: 127

 

Cost..POWERS

Lightning Reflexes

12.....1) Damage Reduction - Physical, Resistant, 25% (15 Active Points); Must be aware of attack (-1/4)

5......2) Clinging (normal STR) (10 Active Points); Requires A Climbing Roll (-1/2), Sideways movement at 1/2 ground move rate (-1/4), No ceiling movement or angles less than 80 degrees (-1/4)

2......3) Flash Defense - Sight Group (5 points) (5 Active Points); Requires A DEX Roll (-3/4), Must be aware of attack (-1/4)

7......4) Knockback Resistance -6" (12 Active Points); Requires A Breakfall Roll (-1/2), Must be aware of attack (-1/4)

11.....5) Lightning Reflexes: +7 DEX to act first with All Actions

14.....6) Teleportation 9", Trigger - within the area of an Explosion or AoE attack (Activating takes no time, Trigger resets automatically and immediately, Character does not control activation; +3/4) (31 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2), Must Pass Through Intervening Space (-1/4), Must be aware of attack (-1/4), Requires A DEX Roll (No Active Point penalty to Skill Roll; -1/4) - END=2

9......7) +2 SPD; Costs Endurance (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Only in combat (-1/4) - END=4

 

Phenomenal Perception

17.....1) Danger Sense (self only, out of combat, Function as a Sense, Intuitional) 14-/11-

5......2) Increased Arc Of Perception (240 Degrees) with Hearing Group

32.....3) Spatial Awareness (no Sense Group), Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Range

9......4) +3 PER with all Sense Groups

 

10.....Luck 2d6

5......Iron-willed: Mental Defense (10 points total) (7 Active Points); Ablative STUN Only (-1/2)

6......+12 PRE (12 Active Points); Only to resist Presence attacks (-1)

 

POWERS Cost: 139

 

Cost..MARTIAL ARTS

5......Defensive Block: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, Block, Abort

5......Defensive Strike: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, 11d6 Strike

5......Disarming Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab Weapon, 62 STR to take weapon away; Target Falls

5......Flying Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +4 DCV, Dodge All Attacks, Abort; FMove

4......Joint Lock/Throw: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab One Limb; 5d6 NND ; Target Falls

4......Killing Strike: 1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +0 DCV, HKA 3d6

3......Legsweep: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, -1 DCV, 12d6 Strike, Target Falls

4......Martial Block: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort

4......Martial Disarm: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, Disarm; 67 STR to Disarm

4......Martial Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +5 DCV, Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort

4......Martial Escape: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 72 STR vs. Grabs

4......Martial Flash: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Flash 12d6

4......Martial Strike: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 13d6 Strike

4......Nerve Strike: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, 6d6 NND

5......Sacrifice Strike: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, -2 DCV, 15d6 Strike

4......Weapon Bind: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Bind, 67 STR

32.....+8 HTH Damage Classes

 

MARTIAL ARTS Cost: 100

 

SKILLS

Acrobatics 13-

Breakfall 14-

Climbing 13-

Concealment 13-

Contortionist 13-

Defense Maneuver I-IV

Disguise 12-

Feint 13-

High Society 16-

Interrogation 15-

KS: The Martial Arts World 15-

Language: Cantonese (imitate dialects; literate)

Language: English (fluent conversation; literate)

Language: Mandarin (imitate dialects; literate)

PS: Caligrapher 15-

Rapid Attack (HTH)

Shadowing 14-

Sleight Of Hand 13-

Stealth 13-

Tactics 11-

Teamwork 13-

WF: Common Martial Arts Melee Weapons, Common Melee Weapons, Iron Mandarin Duck, Off Hand

+2 Overall

+2 with Agility Skills

+2 with HTH Combat

 

SKILLS Cost: 141

 

Cost...TALENTS

48......Combat Luck (24 PD/24 ED)

4.......Double Jointed

3.......Lightsleep

5.......Rapid Healing

3.......Simulate Death

2.......Trackless Stride

 

TALENTS Cost: 65

 

Value..DISADVANTAGES

5.......Distinctive Features: Elaborate tattoos (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

10......Distinctive Features: Mutant (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses)

5.......Distinctive Features: Very long fingernails (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable)

10......Hunted: Tiger Squad 8- (Mo Pow; Limited Geographical Area; Harshly Punish)

20......Hunted: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow; NCI; Capture)

20......Psychological Limitation: Hates non-Chinese (VC; Strong)

15......Psychological Limitation: Must be the best (Com; Strong)

15......Psychological Limitation: Overconfidant (VC; Moderate)

5.......Psychological Limitation: Vengeful (VC; Strong - cost reduced for breaking 50pts of Psych Disads)

10......Reputation: Cold killer, 8- (Extreme)

5.......Rivalry: Professional (Boxer; Rival is As Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry)

5.......Rivalry: Professional (Phoenix; Rival is As Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry)

5.......Rivalry: Professional (Revolutionary III; Rival is As Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry)

5.......Rivalry: Professional (Shadowdragon; Rival is As Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry)

15......Social Limitation: Subject To Orders (Freq; Major)

 

DISADVANTAGES Points: 150

 

Total Character Cost: 575

 

 

 

 

IRON MONKEY

 

VAL...CHA....Cost..Total...Roll......Notes

35....STR.....25....35......16-......HTH Damage 7d6 END [3]

17....DEX.....21....17......12-......OCV 6 DCV 6

20....CON.....20....20......13-

20....BODY....20....20......13-

13....INT.....3.....13......12-......PER Roll 12-

7.....EGO.....-6....7.......10-......ECV: 2

20....PRE.....10....20......13-......PRE Attack: 4d6

10....COM.....0.....10......11-

10....PD......3.....10/35............10/35 PD (10/35 rPD)

5.....ED......1.....5/25.............5/25 ED (5/25 rED)

5.....SPD.....23....5................Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

15....REC.....8.....15

40....END.....0.....40

70....STUN....22....70

8.....RUN.....4.....8"...............END [2]

2.....SWIM....0.....2"...............END [1]

16....LEAP....9.....16"..............16" forward, 8" upward

 

CHA Cost: 163

 

Cost...POWERS

68......Armour (25 PD/20 ED)

10......Clinging (normal STR)

15......Damage Reduction - Physical, Resistant, 25%

7.......Damage Resistance (10 PD/5 ED)

6.......Extra Limbs - Tail (1), Inherent (+1/4) (6 Active Points)

15......Flash Defense - Sight Group (15 points)

37......Invisibility to Mental Group and Infrared Perception, No Fringe, Inherent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (56 Active Points); Always On (-1/2)

30......The Devil's Own Luck: Luck 6d6

5.......Nightvision

20......Power Defense (20 points)

25......Shrinking (0.3025 m tall, 1.7969 kg mass, -4 PER Rolls to perceive character, +4 DCV, takes +6" KB), Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4) (25 Active Points) - END=2

 

POWERS Cost: 238

 

Cost...MARTIAL ARTS

20......+5 HTH Damage Classes

4.......Choke Hold: 1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab One Limb; 4 1/2d6 NND

4.......Fast Strike: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +0 DCV, 14d6 Strike

5.......Flying Dodge: 1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +4 DCV, Dodge All Attacks, Abort; FMove

3.......Flying Tackle: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, -1 DCV, 12d6 +v/5 Strike; You Fall, Target Falls; FMove

4.......Killing Strike: 1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +0 DCV, HKA 3d6

4.......Martial Escape: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 75 STR vs. Grabs

5.......Passing Disarm: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Disarm, 70 STR to Disarm; FMove

5.......Passing Strike: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, 12d6 +v/5; FMove

5.......Passing Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 12d6 +v/5; Target Falls; FMove

5.......Takeaway: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab Weapon, 70 STR to take weapon away

 

MARTIAL ARTS Cost: 64

 

SKILLS

Acrobatics 13-

Breakfall 12-

Climbing 12-

Contortionist 12-

Language: Cantonese (completely fluent)

Language: English (completely fluent)

Language: Mandarin (idiomatic; literate)

Lockpicking 13-

Mimicry 17-

Teamwork 13-

Tracking 14-

Ventriloquism 17-

+3 with Agility skills

+4 with HTH Combat

 

SKILLS Cost: 98

 

Cost...TALENTS

4.......Double Jointed

3.......Perfect Pitch

 

TALENTS Cost: 7

 

Value..DISADVANTAGES

5.......Distinctive Features: Magical aura (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses)

10......Distinctive Features: Monkey made of iron (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

10......Hunted: Tiger Squad 8- (Mo Pow; Limited Geographical Area; Harshly Punish)

20......Hunted: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow; NCI; Capture)

15......Psychological Limitation: Contemptuous of non-Chinese (Very Common; Moderate)

10......Psychological Limitation: Easily distracted (Common; Moderate)

20......Psychological Limitation: Mischevious; fond of malicious pranks (Very Common; Strong)

15......Social Limitation: Subject To Orders (Frequently; Major)

15......Susceptibility: Holy relics and spaces 1d6 damage per Phase (Uncommon)

30......Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Electricity (Very Common)

 

DISADVANTAGES Points: 150

 

Total Character Cost: 570

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

Both Excellent Designs...

 

 

How about some plot threads?

 

 

QM

[bubba smith]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

Both Excellent Designs...

 

 

How about some plot threads?

 

 

QM

motion seconded

[Xotl]

Re: Most dishonourable Chinese supervillain team

 

Happy to oblige.

 

First, as far as how they would be used. I've never thought of a team name for them - they've always struck me as an extension of another villain's will rather than an independent entity (much like VIPER's Dragon Branch, which I'm sure player's just refer to as "VIPER agents/villains" rather than a team name).

 

As befitting a great villain, their master has made sure to tie them as closely to himself as he can. Also befitting a great villain, this can also provide a number of excellent plot threads ("the more you squeeze, the more will slip through your grasp").

 

Lotus Blossom: she has no independent access to the juice of the black lotus, meaning she can never be more than a week away from her master without suffering. He keeps her busy, but "graciously" allows her the ability to travel when not needed in pursuit of her own agenda, knowing that with her teleportation abilities she can return in an instant. She will usually not Hunt heroes, being too occupied with her master's plans or her own designs.

 

Guan Di: he's a boisterous, energetic "man", who loves to drink and carouse. His unique appearance means he can never pass himself off as a normal and sneak into the cities or villages, so he keeps himself busy training his master's agents (and drinking with them). He's not aware of his own "Slavishly Obeys" limitation, as it has been implanted into his mind at the subconscious level by his creator along with his skills and false memories. It manifests itself in his mind as a natural, feudal sort of loyalty to his master - he simply thinks his attitude is proper and natural towards any superior, and frowns upon "uppity" subordinates. His carefree attitude and near-total loyalty preempt any sort of Hunting of heroes, unless ordered specifically by his master.

 

Snapdragon: he has had a long criminal and martial arts career spanning the world before he fell in with his current master (hence his reputation). He is the most independent of the team, and the most often off on his own. Most of his rivalries are with unpublished Tiger Squad members - he deliberately focuses on the more high-profile martial artists, such as China's heroes (or a notable PC), as their constant appearance in the news makes people think of them as the greatest martial artists in the world, a title he wishes entirely for himself. His drive and vengeful nature make him an excellent Hunted or Rival, especially with martial artists, but at no more than an 8-: his master ensures he has plenty to do.

 

Iron Monkey: the demon within might be considered similar to a poltergeist - an entity that delights in mischevious irritation and destruction. It makes no exception for scale - a small prank or hurt is as delightful to it as a grand one. Though impulsive, it is not stupid: despite his short attention span he remembers any thorough thrashings he might receive. He cannot feel pain, but has grown to love this plane of existence and so has no wish to return to his infernal home (which is what would happen if his BODY were reduced enough that he was "killed"). He is not really suitable as a Hunted: there's always something more immediate he can focus on, another prank he can play elsewhere, and this prevents the forming of real grudges.

 

 

I've tried to make the group low on Characteristic totals so that they might easily be adjusted to suit any sort of point-level. They all have stats suitable for even a 250 point game - just lower or raise their PD, ED, and attack dice as desired (you should adjust Snapdragon's Teleport trigger to always be 1" higher than your campaign's AP cap/10 - right now at 9" it's aimed at 80 AP).

 

PLOT SEEDS

 

Lotus Blossom:

 

1) She seeks immortality and is willing to pay almost any price. She believes her master's stories about the necessity of the juice of the black lotus, but is painfully aware of the side effects and the hold it places on her. If you have an immortal PC with a Public ID, then she would be very interested in speaking to him about the source of his powers. Even more so, any arcane PC might do as well, though her contempt for non-Chinese means that unless the PC is Chinese he must have established himself as an expert or someone very powerful.

 

2) Alternatively, any PC with a decent enough Alchemy skill (say 15-) or a higher Arcane Lore skill than Lotus Blossom has could realize that black lotus juice has nothing to do with immortality serums, and pass this potent piece of advice on.

 

3) Some backlash resulting from a PC's magical or technological effect (most appropriate would be flash- or light-based attacks) has resulted in the dispelling of Lotus Blossom's permanent facial cloak of shadow, revealing the careworn face of a Chinese woman apparently in her mid-50's. This fills her with shame and fury, and would earn the PC a powerful Hunted. It would be worse if, in order for her to restore her cloak of shadow, she had to capture and perform certain rites on the PC who caused the cloak to fall in the first place...

 

4) For any British-themed PC: While overseas working on some sort of villainy on behalf of her master, Lotus Blossom is knocked unconscious in some sort of mundane accident (gas-line explosion, etc). The PC, responding to the crisis, pulls a unconscious Lotus Blossom from certain death, and she awakes in his/her arms to realize that not only has she been saved from certain death by a non-Chinese, but by no less than Captain Britain/The Admiral/Dreadnought/Boiled Roast Beef Man/whomever. Too weak to leave or be moved, she is placed under guard at a local hospital by UNTIL (with teleport suppressors, of course). The PC and his team are asked by UNTIL to guard her, as they have no doubt her partners in crime will attempt a rescue. Not only does this set up a fight, but further interactions between the rescuer and LB. From here you can choose to inflate her prejudice through the humiliation of rescue and capture (setting up a Rivalry or Hunted), or begin to weaken it due to kind words and deeds. This might also serve as a good time to reveal knowledge concerning her addiction and immortality quest, especially as a week passes and she begins experiencing terrible symptoms that no doctor can explain...

 

Guan Di:

 

1) Due to his status as the god of literature, he has been implanted with a great deal of knowledge on the Confucian classics (18-). However, while that's an extremely high skill roll, it's not perfect, which you would expect from a god. Guan Di does not realize there are some small gaps in his knowledge in this regard and so feels he knows all on this matter. If confronted with someone with a higher roll (such as Tiger Squad's Immortal Philosopher, perhaps), he would not know what to do.

 

Similarly, there are a fair number of immortal beings in the Champions universe. As Guan Di the god actually had a mortal life as a talented third-century general by the name of Guan Yu, it is conceivable that there are some still alive who knew him in that life, and would quickly learn that this supposed Guan Di does not remember his old friend or other aspects of his mortal past that he should know better (note that his KS: Chinese History is only 13-). Wouldn't you know it, any immortal/long-lived PC happens to be one of those people...

 

If his reality is challenged by any of these unpleasant facts there's no telling what he might do. He might go beserk and have to be stopped, if you want something simple. Alternatively this could be the path towards making him understand that his creator has lied to him, breaking his loyalty Psychological Limitation and turning him down the road to reformed herodom.

 

 

I've got more, but my PC has a nasty tendency to blue-screen, so I'm posting this now and will add more later. Feedback is more than welcome. I also slightly edited their writeups as ideas came to me based on these hooks. I'll add finished Hero Creator files once I'm sure they're all done.