First Wave (Mutants and Masterminds 3E)

Game Master Sobran

Woohoo! Thanks so much! Even if I don't get in that was fun to just make the character.

It put electricity in both categories (the 5 point and 10 point) so I'd hoped it was the former (given 10 points apparently gives immunity to "Anything with the Weather Descriptor" all on its own). I'll think on it.

I had to check this out to see what was going on. So at the 5-point level, you are immune to Damage effects that use the electricity descriptor. At the 10-point level, you are immune to all power effects that use the electricity descriptor. To clarify, the 5-point level would still leave you vulnerable to an Affliction power that uses electricity to paralyze, while the 10-point version would not.

You're free to use whichever one you think is appropriate.

Defenses: Whooooops! I didn't mean to take all of his defenses down. That is definitely how I worded it though. That is, uh, an unfortunate turn of phrase on my part. I meant to reduce his Dodge and Parry and buy them back up with that limit. Sorry for the confusion. Try to get Toughness + Dodge or Parry at 15 or 16. Whichever of those you figure he's bad at (probably Parry), you can have a couple points lower than that. Try not to get too crazy low. Do whatever you want on the Fortitude-Will axis, as long as you understand the consequences.

I finally had a look at that Weather Control power you've had on your sheet since the word go and I think I see a problem. You don't need the Variable extra at all. It's just Environment, with 3 points of effect (say Heat, Cold, and Impede Movement for example) and the Selective extra. It should cost 4 points per rank. Built that way, you can choose 3 points of effects whenever you use the power. It's not really limited to the 3 you chose when used as weather control in this way. So you might choose one time to make it extremely cold (2 points) and reduce the visibility (1 point). You decide it's snowing.

Now you can reduce the cost of this power. I would suggest using one of the Uncontrolled variants. If you use the Uncontrolled that requires a roll, you could also add Side Effect to make it dirt cheap (1 point per rank), with the understanding that if you fail the activation roll, I take narrative control of the (metaphorical?) s#%&-storm that follows.

Well, it's the middle of the week and we should getting pretty close to having finished characters. Many of you just need to work up a background at this point. A few are still finishing up some edits. I'm about to head to bed, but I figured I would drop a little teaser of the other sorts of empowered individuals you might encounter in your time in Emerald City.

Meet Laura Dickson, a former lawyer turned bloodthirsty vigilante. She has an unwavering commitment to justice, but her methods have caused some disagreement in the minds of the public. Some see her as a necessary evil; others as a dangerous menace.

If you should happen upon her clearing out a group of Traid, be sure to make it clear whose side you are on. You wouldn't want to end up on the wrong side of Justice Edge, her enchanted sword.

You can check out her uncensored character sheet if you like. She's built on the same limits and guidelines as your PCs. Not a threat to the whole group by herself, but you probably wouldn't want to duel her.

Rynjin wrote:

It put electricity in both categories (the 5 point and 10 point) so I'd hoped it was the former (given 10 points apparently gives immunity to "Anything with the Weather Descriptor" all on its own). I'll think on it.

I had to check this out to see what was going on. So at the 5-point level, you are immune to Damage effects that use the electricity descriptor. At the 10-point level, you are immune to all power effects that use the electricity descriptor. To clarify, the 5-point level would still leave you vulnerable to an Affliction power that uses electricity to paralyze, while the 10-point version would not.

You're free to use whichever one you think is appropriate.

Defenses: Whooooops! I didn't mean to take all of his defenses down. That is definitely how I worded it though. That is, uh, an unfortunate turn of phrase on my part. I meant to reduce his Dodge and Parry and buy them back up with that limit. Sorry for the confusion. Try to get Toughness + Dodge or Parry at 15 or 16. Whichever of those you figure he's bad at (probably Parry), you can have a couple points lower than that. Try not to get too crazy low. Do whatever you want on the Fortitude-Will axis, as long as you understand the consequences.

I finally had a look at that Weather Control power you've had on your sheet since the word go and I think I see a problem. You don't need the Variable extra at all. It's just Environment, with 3 points of effect (say Heat, Cold, and Impede Movement for example) and the Selective extra. It should cost 4 points per rank. Built that way, you can choose 3 points of effects whenever you use the power. It's not really limited to the 3 you chose when used as weather control in this way. So you might choose one time to make it extremely cold (2 points) and reduce the visibility (1 point). You decide it's snowing.

Now you can reduce the cost of this power. I would suggest using one of the Uncontrolled variants. If you use the Uncontrolled that requires a roll,...

I went with Variable because there were a few different effects I wanted to use (Environment was one, Concealment [Fog] was another) that I couldn't afford to get separately. But it occurs to me now that I can make that an Alternate Effect dealy instead. Grab Distracting Selective Environment 3 (9 points) and have that Alternate be Area Concealment 3 (9 points).

I imagine fog is easier to make than complex weather effects, so it kinda makes sense he'd more easily make the latter.

Okay:

I think that hits 135 on the dot.

Considering some flaws that could be fun, and may trim a few more points. Like a Quirk of his immunities being a slight electromagnetic field surrounding him. Attracts small metal objects (paper clips and so on) to stick to him, may mess with smaller electronics (like bluetooth headsets for instance).

That would give me room to max his Defenses and get some Advantages that fit (Benefits: Wealth and moderate fame particularly).

Enjoying the looks of all of these characters. Can imagine Issue #1 cover already.

Thanks. I've decided to take your advice on several points. This is the latest for Anthem:

I have no updates for Atsuko - her original submission was complete enough, I think - but I'm enjoying seeing everyone else's ideas. ^^ M&M is very freeform and allows for all sorts of ideas, so it's fun seeing what other people come up with. XD

It's one of my favorite systems once everything is all put together, but man is character creation and al the fiddly bits exhausting.

Backstory:

I figured a small character piece would be more useful than a lengthy backstory. He was a weather man, developed super powers in the weird event that granted them, and now he's well known as the crime fighting meteorologist.

I wanted him to be a bit full of himself, but largely good at heart, if wrapped in a self-absorbed exterior. Kinda like Booster Gold on a good day.

Re: Quirk, how many "Ranks" do you think the EM field is worth? It's not absolutely crippling, but is likely to be inconvenient in many cases (he can't use any phone other than his own, TV remotes, headsets, that sort of thing unless he's paid money to get them shielded, which is only feasible in his own home. Larger electronics are fine).

I'm probably going to make his Flight have the Noticeable flaw, winds whipping up around him, maybe a bit of mist or fog. Cool image, might as well get a point back for having it.

Okay:

** spoiler omitted **...

Oh man, I wish I had caught you earlier. So you can actually create a fog effect using just the Environment power effect. One of the possible uses is impairing visibility. The one difference is that if you keep the alternate effect, you can use Concealment to eliminate visibility entirely instead of just giving it a -5 penalty. It's up to you.

As written, Power of the Storm! will require you to find an electrical source and it can't include your own powers. I just want to make sure that works for you. If you just want to be able to heal with a lightning bolt that you summon, then that's just a narrative effect. Either use Regeneration without the Source flaw or use a Healing effect limited to self only.

I'm probably going to make his Flight have the Noticeable flaw, winds whipping up around him, maybe a bit of mist or fog. Cool image, might as well get a point back for having it.

Pair that with the wind creating a bit of sound so that people are likely to notice him coming and I'm fine with the Noticable flaw.

Re: Quirk, how many "Ranks" do you think the EM field is worth? It's not absolutely crippling, but is likely to be inconvenient in many cases (he can't use any phone other than his own, TV remotes, headsets, that sort of thing unless he's paid money to get them shielded, which is only feasible in his own home. Larger electronics are fine).

I would just call that a 1-point Quirk. It's a neat narrative device, but it is unlikely to have repercussions the vast majority of the time. That's basically what Quirk is for though and most Quirks will be 1 point. I think it's worth a point so that I can describe you sometimes killing the monitor someone is trying to use to hack a computer.

Re: Background. I like it! He sounds like an ass, but a good-natured one. He's the sort of guy I imagine used to go get regular tans at a salon before his new powers started shorting out the beds.

Yeah, the Concealment is what I want for sure. I may drop Persistent and Requires Source both. How often do Incurable effects come up?

And cool on the Flaws. 2 points back will buy me two Benefit ranks. Fame and fortune, to a small degree.

Glad you like the background. Sounded fun, but wasn't 100% sure it'd fit in with a more standard hero team. The tanning salon thing sounds funny. Very fitting. =)

Thanks. I've decided to take your advice on several points. This is the latest for Anthem:

** spoiler omitted **...

Looks good! I punched it all into Hero Labs and didn't have any real issues. I only see two things and they're minor:

1) Sonic Sleep is way over cost if I include all of the extras listed on the right. However, I noticed Nooooooope! This was an error all on my end. For some reason I thought this power had Concentration on it. It doesn't. Whoops.

2) You still have 1 point left to spend, by my count. Actually, my program is counting, not me. I think the discrepancy is that I have the Shield listed as Easily Removable, as most hand to hand weapons are. They are vulnerable to being disarmed. However, I'm thinking you want to only be able to have it taken away if you're unconscious or someone pries it from your cold, hard hands. Is that correct? If so, I'll just correct it on my end.

Assuming I'm right about these two things #2, you have nothing to change and you're good to go as-is. She looks good! It's a nice Captain America motif... though for the record, I'm pretty sure she'd kick his ass.

Yeah, the Concealment is what I want for sure. I may drop Persistent and Requires Source both. How often do Incurable effects come up?

And cool on the Flaws. 2 points back will buy me two Benefit ranks. Fame and fortune, to a small degree.

Glad you like the background. Sounded fun, but wasn't 100% sure it'd fit in with a more standard hero team. The tanning salon thing sounds funny. Very fitting. =)

Sounds good. You can just roleplay an enormous bolt of lightning raining from the sky as he heals. You could apply the Limit: "needs open sky or high electrical source" I suppose, but it isn't really necessary.

Incurable effects don't come up that often and for good reason. They're meant to represent the sort of thing that give even Wolverine trouble. Alien viruses and dynamically changing nano-venoms. That sort of thing. If they do come up, it makes sense that even your average regenerator has trouble dealing with it.

"The good news is I can heal. The bad news is that the giant bolt of lightning advertises my permission to every villain within a couple of miles..."

Advertising is never bad news.

*Flashes a smile with way too many unnaturally white teeth*

Not sure if this thread is an open recruitment, but if it is, I'd like to express interest! If you are open to a submission, I'll take a look through the characters pitched so far and try to come up with something complimentary but unique!

I've been playing more 2nd Ed lately, so my 3rd-Fu is a little rusty. Hopefully there are a few folks here that can give me some gentle guidance when I get a detail wrong...

Just a question and not at all meant to rush you or anything, but I was just wondering how much longer the recruitment would go on?

I THINK this will be the final, good to go version of Meteor Man.

Considering MAYBE dropping Persuasion by 2 and using the point to buy Benefit: Connections as well, but unsure.

Just a question and not at all meant to rush you or anything, but I was just wondering how much longer the recruitment would go on?

Honestly, I'm just waiting to have enough completed characters to start the campaign.

I THINK this will be the final, good to go version of Meteor Man.

** spoiler omitted **...

Looks good to me.

Okay, I think this needs to be drawing to a close. I don't want to accidentally forget anyone, so here's what we'll do:

Anyone who has gotten me a final build or is on what they believe to be their final revision, raise your hand. If you are trying to get your character finished, you only have until tomorrow to do so. If you don't make it, I can put you on the list in case the game suffers any attrition, which isn't unusual in play by post games.

I would like to get this game going by Monday or so. Also, let me know if you need a tutorial or system refresher. This won't affect your chance of admittance, but I need to know whether to plan for that.

*RAISES HAND* (click me!) Also I will need a tutorial

*Raises hand* Atsuko's submission is fully complete. I have the rules, and have read the rules, but this'd be my first actual game, so please don't hesitate to point things out to me if I mess up. XD

Yo**Raises Hand**

Hand up, let's go!

Hands up, wait, don't shoot!

*Raises hand*

Not sure if this thread is an open recruitment, but if it is, I'd like to express interest! If you are open to a submission, I'll take a look through the characters pitched so far and try to come up with something complimentary but unique!

I've been playing more 2nd Ed lately, so my 3rd-Fu is a little rusty. Hopefully there are a few folks here that can give me some gentle guidance when I get a detail wrong...

I'm afraid I'm full up on interested parties at the moment. I can add you to the list if you like, in case we suffer any attrition.

Man, I'm really surprised by the turnout. So the number of applicants is roughly double the number of open spots. If it were just over by one or two, I would try to jam everyone in and let the natural attrition that tends to happen at the beginning of these campaigns sort out the crowd. That's really not possible with ten people. So I have two basic options:

1) I move forward with one campaign, as planned. I pick half of you and break a few hearts. I know that some of you are also considering a campaign run by Tumbler, so it's possible some people may just back out. I'm not sure whether the two are mutually exclusive or if people plan to play in both.

2) I run two games. The only restriction here is that the only way I could reasonably do this is if we run two different games so I can keep the two straight mentally. If I use the same setting and story, I could get mixed up. If I went this route, half of you would play the planned First Wave campaign, outlined here. The other half would run through Emerald City Knights, but with the same characters you've already made. The thing is, I realize that most experienced players have already played through this. It may be suitable for the newer players among you though.

So. Thoughts? I'm not trying to cop out of making a decision here. I'm fully capable of picking half of you and moving forward, but I prefer to provide my players with options. If you can separate yourselves into groups and want to both play here, then so be it. However if the sole interest is in the First Wave setup, then I obviously need to just make my choice.

For reference, here is the list of players with their character name, general concept, origin, and skillset. I made this for the purpose of making my decision, but I figure it might inform your own as well. If I missed someone, let me know. Note: I may have the origin listed as unknown on a person or two that actually had a defined origin. The fluff was often posted separate from the crunch, so I had trouble tracking everyone down.

Thelongestshot: Freebird. A flying ranged combatant. Origin: government experiment. Skilled with Insight, Intimidation, and very Perceptive. Military training.
Rynjin: Meteor Man. A flying master of electricity. Minor weather control. Origin: powers granted by storm. Very persuasive. Famous.
Imimrtl: Dr. Fusion. Radioactive blaster. Regenerates and resurrects. Origin: experiment/accident (I think). Broad array of skills. Physicist.
Rednal: Atsuko (still getting a hero name?). Eldritch horror. Mental blaster. Origin: unknown. Deceptive, Perceptive, Persuasive, Intimidating. Latter two only rarely used.
Anthem: Anthem. Captain America / Black Canary mashup. Brawler and sonic blaster. Origin: unknown (powers developed after injury). Perceptive, Athletic, Acrobatic, and Stealthy. Broad array of skills.
Jaster Kite: Discord. Chaos energy controller. Brawler / blaster. Origin: mysterious rift. Acrobatic. Unskilled teenager.
Crazy Lou: Dough Joe. Elastic martial artist tank. Origin: unknown. Athletic and Perceptive.
Trodskij: Warden. Tech genius / Punisher type. Origin: unknown? Broad array of skills. Tech genius, but also skilled with Vehicles, Treatment, Perception, Investigation, Insight, and Athletics. Inventor.
Pardum: Dr. Fate. Magician. Random powers dependent on cards. Mild precognition. Skilled with Investigation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, and Treatment.
Tumbler: Slipstream. Armored teleporter. Incredibly tough and a small array of teleportation tricks. Deceptive, Persuasive, skilled with Vehicles and Technology.

I genuinely haven't thought of a good Super name for Atsuko. XD Maybe it'd be something to address in-story, with the characters able to discuss how they want the world to perceive them?

(Atsuko specifically hasn't been "outed" yet, so she'd be unknown to the public at large.)

Also, I'm good with you running either one or two games. ^^ I would prefer this game over Tumbler's, though.

I wouldn't mind playing Emerald City Knights, since I have no clue what that is.

Of course, a potential downside is that running a module is naturally going to lead to a shorter campaign than the other game.

I wouldn't mind playing Emerald City Knights, since I have no clue what that is.

Of course, a potential downside is that running a module is naturally going to lead to a shorter campaign than the other game.

On that front, I think I could figure out a natural way to continue the campaign at that point. That should give enough time to let the games naturally diverge in style and tone.

As far as my recruiting, I'm certainly not trying to poach anyone from this thread. My interest in this game and in running another one is that I am neurotically checking to see if there are any updates in my other campaigns, so I figured getting involved in more would mean more frequent joy.

As for splitting, I have run Emerald City Knights,but I'd be willing to play it if you'd rather have me there. I'm not sure how well the mysterious armor fits into your plans for First Wave, but I think it could fit ECK.

Good luck with your decisions. I know how agonizing it can be.

As far as my recruiting, I'm certainly not trying to poach anyone from this thread. My interest in this game and in running another one is that I am neurotically checking to see if there are any updates in my other campaigns, so I figured getting involved in more would mean more frequent joy.

As for splitting, I have run Emerald City Knights,but I'd be willing to play it if you'd rather have me there. I'm not sure how well the mysterious armor fits into your plans for First Wave, but I think it could fit ECK.

Good luck with your decisions. I know how agonizing it can be.

Oh, I didn't think you were poaching. No worries.

Heck, I knew when I submitted you had limited space and already had a crew from the other board, so my heart won't be broken either way.

That being said, I have only played to about the second scene in Emerald Knights, not very far at all, so I'd be good with being in either one.

Atsuko, how about "Mindbender"?

Interesting, though that sounds a bit more like a psychic controller type. XD

On a conceptual level, Atsuko's more of a channel for power than anything else. I don't see many of her powers as "hers" so much as... something she has, but only has moderate control over and in no way understands.

On a personal level, she'd probably pick a name with positive connotations. XD Mindbender seems a bit negative (taking away free will, etc.), and she specifically wants a positive public image.

Conduit? Catalyst? Avatar? Gateway?

Conduit? Catalyst? Avatar? Gateway?

Doesn't she have a teleport ability? If so, Gateway seems like it would be about one thing, but is actually about something else.

She does, looks like. I hadn't looked too closely at her before now so was just throwing out names that work well for someone channeling other powers, but Gateway or Portal or some variant thereof looks like it might fit pretty well with the eldritch horror angle.

I've been eyeballing this game, wanting to submit but decided not to because of the initial limit of 1 or 2 players. If this does split up into two games, would you accept one more submission?

I'm good with either way. Like I said I had fun making the character and happy he got pretty balanced so whichever you decide is good with me. I'd rather one good game however than you get stretched thin and both suffer but that all depends on your schedule and such.

Alright, here goes. First, let me say that I did not arrive at this decision lightly. There were a lot of very good submissions, which did not make this an easy process.

Trodskij brought up a good point regarding splitting my attention between the two campaigns. I think I can do it, but I definitely need to get one launched and going before attempting to work on the other one. In addition, I realized that Emerald City Knights is built for PL 10 characters. I can actually modify enemies on the fly pretty easily, but that is one more piece of work while I am, again, trying to launch another campaign.

So here is my current plan: I move forward with First Wave. Once the campaign is established, I may return to the idea of launching Emerald City Knights and going from there with the other group.

When it came time to pick the roster, I had to take some time. I apologize for the delay. I am going to explain my thinking behind the selection, because I don't want anyone thinking that they weren't "good enough" for First Wave or that I have somehow divided people into primary and secondary camps.

First, I considered the peeps that came over from Reddit. This is only fair, as that is the place I originally launched feelers for this campaign. From there, Trodskij and Crazy Lou ended up in First Wave, as I promised. Now unfortunately, I had to exclude Pardum and thelongestshot. I love Pardum's Dr. Fate concept but am still waiting on a final build. Similarly, thelongestshot finished his (second) character concept in record time, but I have yet to receive a background.

To you two: this is nothing personal. I am just ready to move forward with the game. Rest assured, if I move forward with Emerald City Knights, you two will be the first I contact to see if you are interested.

To round out this team, I relied as much on balancing the concepts and skills of the team as anything else. So here, after much reflection, are the teams:

First Wave: Crazy Lou (Dough Joe), Trodskij (Warden), Rynjin (Meteor Man), Anthem (Anthem), Rednal (Atsuko / TBD)
ECK: Tumbler (Slipstream), Pardum (Dr. Fate), thelongestshot (Freebird), Imimrtl (Dr. Fusion), Jaster Kite (Discord)

Tumbler, I had a really hard time figuring where to put you. You've played ECK before, so I really wanted to fit you in the First Wave campaign. However, with Dough Joe already filling the tank role, I couldn't justify putting you in the team as well.

Imimrtl, I had a similar issue with you. It was basically a tossup between you and Rynjin for elemental blaster. It basically came down to the idea that if I fail to properly scale Emerald City Knights at some point, your resurrection power could come in super handy over there... No joke.

First Wavers: Do me a favor and post your most recent build in the Discussion thread. I realize it is probably there somewhere, but I would like to have it in one place instead of hunting through 162 (or whatever) posts. Putting your background there as well would certainly be helpful. I'll be putting these into Hero Lab to scan for any last minute errors and then making the opening post tonight, if all goes well. If anyone has Hero Lab themselves, PM me and I'll give you my email address so you can just email the file. Anthem, I believe I have your most recent Hero Lab file, but if you can send yours just in case, I'd appreciate it.

ECKers (Knighters?): If you haven't finished up your character and are still interested, by all means get it finished and PM it to me. If you aren't interested in running through Emerald City Knights (and whatever comes after), please let me know. There are folks that have expressed interest in this thread that I'd like to contact if someone backs out. Of course, all of this is dependent on whether or not I can handle a second campaign. I should know within a week whether or not this is possible. If I move forward with it, I will set it up then and PM those of you on this list, unless you've already told me you're not interested.

Sounds good Sobran! Just let me know when/if you go ahead with the second one. Like I said, I had fun making the character and the chance for a campaign is a bonus.

Sigh.....

Here's my character sheet.
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=640264

John Mason was a military man, good at what he did and always tried to do the right thing. This meant when he discovered his superiors committing horrible crimes, they decided to put his iron will towards their own ends. They knew of the existence of a so called "Super-Gene" and attempted to manipulate his to get him to erupt in a way that served their plans. Unfortunately for them, their understanding of what they were doing was limited at best, and he emerged unable to be influenced by any of their attempts at control.
Though they continue to attempt to punish him for being unable to force him to do their bidding, he has enough information on them to keep himself alive and keep them in check... For now...

Cool. PM me if Eden City Knights gets off the ground.

I know that was a typo, but "Eden City Knights" sounds cool. Cooler than Emerald City Knights, though I know that one's got a pre-established setting to it.

Whoops. Wasn't so much a typo as something I've been working on personally for a while, and the intials just matched. Must have been on my mind.

I know that was a typo, but "Eden City Knights" sounds cool. Cooler than Emerald City Knights, though I know that one's got a pre-established setting to it.

In the dark recesses of prehistory, Lilith raises an army to avenge the wrongs done to her. The Divine Being, tired by the act of Creation, is slumbering. Three angelic beings, led by the Morning Star, imbue a group of mortals with the essence of creation and charge them with defending the First City, Eden. Within its walls lies Lilith's ultimate goal: the Gates of Heaven. Will our divinely inspired heroes be able to stop her machinations?

Join us next time on... Eden City Knights!

Crazy Lou wrote:

I know that was a typo, but "Eden City Knights" sounds cool. Cooler than Emerald City Knights, though I know that one's got a pre-established setting to it.

In the dark recesses of prehistory, Lilith raises an army to avenge the wrongs done to her. The Divine Being, tired by the act of Creation, is slumbering. Three angelic beings, led by the Morning Star, imbue a group of mortals with the essence of creation and charge them with defending the First City, Eden. Within its walls lies Lilith's ultimate goal: the Gates of Heaven. Will our divinely inspired heroes be able to stop her machinations?

Join us next time on... Eden City Knights!

Daaaaaaaaamn. That was cool.