There's very few numbers that you have to worry about. You get to add 1 to one of your labels at character creation. The rest of it is picking the two to three Playbook moves you start with.
No worries.
Cool, thank you!
AD in some ways feels like a Bull, actually. Except the whole love thing ...
I actually found filling out the character sheet pretty straight forward, especially after Wingblade's helpful primer to explain all the various terms. :-)
Digger, keep in mind the Bull's heart doesn't have to involve romantic love, just as the rival doesn't have to be an enemy. The Bull is powerful and big-hearted. You can switch the subject of your love or rival as you see fit, or leave it with the same characters for a long, up-and-down relationship.
My favorite example of a Bull (not included in the write up) is Wolverine from the early days of the All-new, All-different X-Men. His love was Jean, and his rival was Cyclops. But you could also go with MCU Captain America during Civil War -- Bucky was his "love" and Stark was his rival. [And the internet explodes with a zillion shipping theories]
Most Playbooks have some overlap, where the same character can be built using different Playbooks. What matters is what you want to explore and where you feel your major themes lie.
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I'd say that the whole Love thing is a relatively important part of the Bull, and honestly American Dream is an interesting take on the evolving perceptions of a Legacy - I'd stick with that playbook personally.
But the best thing is - if the kind of story you want to tell changes, there are ways to change your playbook!
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I agree with Bronwyn in this regard. while the powers might match Bull better, I think you are more interesting as a legacy. and the Bulls heart is kinda the most important part of the Bull playbook.
Having seen one played by someone who never remembered, it was kinda dull, and the playbook felt flat. like a Janus who does nothing with their civilian life.
Thanks, all. When I think of themes I want to explore they definitely lean towards the legacy stuff, the generational interplay and so on. The powers are minor details, and I'm sure no one will mind me making him less powerful. The Bull labels felt more like what I was thinking, but we can always get him there. Maybe when he first shows up he's more traditional, getting more radical as time goes on.
This is why I love character creation as a group! Thanks, all.
Been snooping for any further questions directed towards my submission, but haven’t noticed any. If you all want any further info just lemme know!
Hmm, I would say the most important part of Delinquent is rebelling against who other people say/think you are or want you to be while simultaneously actually trying to figure out who you really are. Or at least, that's what the playbook means to me in the context of Kaoru. She doesn't want to be who other people think she should be; she wants to be who she is. And sometimes that involves overcompensating as she tries to show that she's not just other people's perceptions.
As such, I think maybe I should have Delphi play a more active role than I had initially planned in trying to tell Kaoru how to act/use her hacking (still initially with the goal of "correcting" Pinky's influence rather than trying to be a mentor or help her grow, but I could see that changing as they get to know her better). And then when Kaoru figures out Pinky's manipulating her and gets angry, she winds up in the awkward position of two people with opposing influences over her, and how can she rebel against one without giving the other exactly what they want?
That's on the more superpowered/hacking side anyway. On the more mundane side she's primarily rebelling against her mom's idea of a "perfect daughter" and what that implies about who she should like, her gender and gender presentation, and her choice of future occupation. She's realized that this image her mother had didn't line up to the person she's starting to suspect she is. So there's conflict in dealing with this shift in her self-perception and resentment over feeling like she got forced into this box but still an underlying love for her mom and desire to be accepted.
You know, Anon, you're also talking about the themes of the Protégé Playbook. Obviously, I've been occupying that slot for a long time, but if there's room for a wildly different Legacy, I'd be willing to share the Protégé spot with a wildly different concept -- which it sounds like you're doing, and Delphi could be a good mentor figure.
(Also, I've got enough advancements that I could switch playbooks if I so choose, and I've been toying with that idea.)
I've got a description written up somewhere of what question(s) I felt like each playbook was focusing on - didn't end up tracking it down for the initial post since it's obviously just my interpretation of the playbooks and I didn't want to force that on anyone!
That said, if your Delinquent isn't rebelling against anyone, then adding NPCs to be overbearing is certainly a good idea :-p
Thron/______: One thing I'd be interested to see is how you expect your Newborn to relate towards humanity. Removed curiosity? Data's Pinnochio story? For example, do you see ______ attending school?
Also, we've sure got plenty of good stuff going on in this recruitment thread! Current plan is that we're going to take the weekend to ruminate, and get a roster up for Monday.
I'll say that I'm still getting more of a Delinquent vibe from Kaoru, since to me it sounds like her question isn't "Should I be like Delphi or forge my own path?" and is more like "Do I even want to be a hero?" or "Why should I try to act like a hero when no one thinks I am?" (But you know, not my character.)
The more I think on it, the more themes I'd like to explore. Like, for AD, busting up a mugging isn't necessarily about the incredible violence he could inflict, but helping the mugger not have to mug would be the goal. Nazis get smashed. People oppressed and lashing out get help.
The protege thing is something that actually occurred to me while writing that. My thoughts are that Kaoru can't be Delphi's protegee until they actually have a meaningful relationship, which I am hoping to develop over time. But the Kaoru/Delphi relationship track is a separate track from the "Who am I?" track. If the former develops a lot faster than the latter, then yes, it could turn into more of a protegee character. But if it's the latter that develops faster, I'm not sure it really makes sense to go that way. So...it sort of depends on how things go. That being said, if selected, I definitely wouldn't want to step on your toes, so if things looked like they were heading that way, I'd be sure to check in with you to see how we might handle it. :-)
So currently I still think Kaoru is more of a Delinquent since being like Delphi isn't even something she's considering right now (except for the purely technical wanting her skills); Browyn's right in that it's more of a "Do I even want to be a hero?" question. Not gonna lie that I definitely want Kaoru to develop into a hero (and hence why I want her to develop a positive relationship with Delphi). But from a world perspective, she could go either way in terms of hero or villain. As such, I kind of like the idea of warring influences on her with Delphi trying to draw her to heroism, and Pinky encouraging selfish villainy.
Alexis as a Bull will probably be drawn more to childish and immature teammates as their Love, speaking to their experience (or lack thereof) as a child themselves.
On the other hand, anyone who acts strict or tries to command the team is going to probably be their Rival. Coming from a life forced to obey the rules or suffer awful consequences, Alexis is caught between the familiarity of a neat and tidy existence and wanting to rebel against that lifestyle. Anyone who reminds them of it will be someone that they will find themselves at odds with, caring too much even about small things.
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Well, I can already tell Moshe will either be good friends or perpetually annoyed with AD with his combination of morals and personality.
It would be interesting to see how any of these characters interact with each other.
Sure, Anon! You do your character, but I was just pointing out what I saw as a possible direction that you might have wanted to go. I just wanted to let you know I'd step out of your way if that's what you wanted. Bust sticking with Delinquent is totally fine. It looks like you're getting the sense of the different Playbooks, which is great.
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A question and a suggestion here.
How in-universe is this recruitment? Because the idea of all our characters filing in to give interviews to the current team members is kinda hilarious to me.
If y’all want to see more of my ideas, just ask. I’m happy to type more of these guys up.
Thron/______: One thing I'd be interested to see is how you expect your Newborn to relate towards humanity. Removed curiosity? Data's Pinnochio story? For example, do you see ______ attending school?
It would be a removed curiosity. I don’t see how it would attend a school unless it was one for super kids explicitly and it went more as a curiosity than for actual education.
I mean...it’s nature is fairly obvious...
Yes, it’s inspired heavily in both look and theme to the Robot in the Netflix version of Lost in Space. But it will eventually be way more vocal. Not always the quiet threat off to the side. I post too often to play the quiet type, ;-P
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A question and a suggestion here.
How in-universe is this recruitment? Because the idea of all our characters filing in to give interviews to the current team members is kinda hilarious to me.
If y’all want to see more of my ideas, just ask. I’m happy to type more of these guys up.
Yeah, as hilarious as interviews would be...
I'm gonna say no, this isn't cannon. We'll work individually with each of those selected to bring them in.
And Blue, I'm not going to say no to you typing more up. We haven't shut down recruitment yet. It's up to you.
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And now I'm having flashbacks to old legion of superheroes origins comics.
Sorry I haven't had a chance to expand on Mystic's background - sick baby needed looking after all weekend and I've only had time to keep up with my other games. I'll try to get something more up soon but I'm pretty time-limited at the moment.
And now I'm having flashbacks to old legion of superheroes origins comics.
We need an Arm Fall Off Boy.
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I was just thinking that, and a fortress lad.
Oh-hoho, alrighty then. You asked for ‘em. Here’s an idea for every other Playbook, truncated for the sake of post length.
“After the death of his grandfather, American-Scotsman Shaun MacGregor has decided to fufill his lifelong dream of being a superhero. But the pain of his granfather’s death still lingers in his mind, as does the mysterious specter of the Black Shuck...”
BULL - Rawhide
“A product of generations of genetic cultivation, Austin Longhorn is a minotaur-esque mutant who loves his fellow half-animals as much as he loves to beat bad-guy faces in. Now if only he could beat in the faces of the a@!&~%+s who have legal ownership over him and his people...”
DELINQUENT - Decoder
“The Decoders are a long line of tech-based heroes, whose legacy stretches back to the First World War. When Ryu Wen was invited to join them, he was ecstatic. Then a mysterious villain took it all away with one fatal attack. Now, with no guidance and nothing to stop him, he’s determined to seek justice at any cost.”
JANUS - Watchdog
“Joe Hatathli’s life is...complicated. He’s the star quarterback of his school’s football team, but his cheerleader girlfriend just broke up with him. His mom has finally found someone to be happy with, but now there’s a baby step-brother to take care of. And then there’s that whole ‘being a vigilante werewolf’ thing...”
LEGACY - Rush
“The Speed Society is a prestigious organization almost as old as Halcyon. As the years have gone on however, their fame and fortunes have dwindled, to the point that now hardly anyone knows that a new, exceptionally insecure and nervous speedster called Rush has joined their ranks and hopes to bring them back to their glory days.”
NOVA - Blue Ice
“The Crynords were defeated decades ago, but they left many things behind. Weapons, ships, and one of their young, named Balboa (by his adoptive government agent parents). Now entering maturity, Balboa has struck out on his own to learn more about his people, as well as to show the world he isn’t the threat they think he is.”
PRODIGY - Son Savanna
“Morgan Jabari has pushed himself, trained himself, to be one thing: the best. Now thanks to the magic of the hero Anansi, he’s better than the best. Which makes it all the more confusing and frustrating to him why Anansi has him doing stupid charity work. Maybe if he makes his own team, he can get the action he wants...”
TRANSFORMED - The Savage
“Not to long ago, Oliver Horde would have given up anything to be something other than himself. When the Master of Games offered him just that, he couldn’t say yes fast enough. He wanted his fantasy to come true. He got exactly that...”
“Three PhDs, two brand-new genetic editing techniques, and a pending Nobel prize, Simon Quid should be the happiest young genius alive. But in the darkest moments of the night, when the fear of what could be done with what he’s created paralyzes him, happiness seems a lifetime away...”
HARBINGER - Romulus Rex
“The nation of New Rome isn’t the worst place to live. Least that’s what Prince Romulus thought before he learned about the helots, and the experiments, and the impending end of humankind. So he went back, back farther than his time remembers, to the legendary time of heroes, to stop the rise of New Rome.”
INNOCENT - Firebug
“Today, Firebug is an arsonist, a maniac who attacks places and people seeming at random. Twenty years ago, Firebug was a rising star of the Silver Age. Two hours ago, a young Firebug stumbled out of a time portal and was attacked by goons. Now, everybody’s confused.”
JOINED - “Suit”
(Due to the nature of this Playbook, this is more of a rough idea than a realized character. The idea is inspired by Titanfall 2; a mech and its pilot, each with their own intelligence and powers, but they come together to form a “singular” hero.)
NEWBORN - Soulchild
“The world is made of ‘auras,’ manifested concepts and emotions of higher-dimensional beings that craft the fabric of everything. One day, some great thinker in some dimension had a thought: what would a human with my powers be like? From that though came a new creature, half-man, half-aura; the Soulchild.”
NOMAD - Ageless
“To explain the life of Connor Fedorov is to tell a tale of a boy disconnect from temporality. Between his frequent time jumps, visits to the past and future, and his past/current/future status as a paragon of Halcyon, his sense of time has almost completely left him. At the recommendation of his therapist A.I., he’s come to the present to try and set down roots, to reconnect with the people in the times he travels through.”
REFORMED - Boondock
“Jedidiah T. Gibbs is not a good person. For years he terrorized the South with his rampant crime sprees and excessive alcohol consumption. Until one day he got caught, and for the first time since he was 13 he sobered up. On that day he realized something: he’s not a good person, but maybe he can still do some good.”
SOLDIER - Agent Tiger Shark
“No one in A.E.G.I.S. is 100% sure where Tiger Shark originally came from. Some say he was a horrific bioweapon created by a mad scientist, others say he was a regular teenage who got dumped in a vat of radioactive chum, but nobody knows for certain. What is certain is that he’s jovial, tough, loyal as hell, and exceptionally...’forward’...”
STAR - Thunderclap
“He started as a street thug, a goon with no luck and even less cash. Then along came a magical lighting bolt, an Robbie Watt-Watson found himself a new power and a new calling. Now put your hands together, because here he is folks! The one, the only, THUNDERCLAP!”
Cassie’s mom was always a distant presence in Cassie’s life. She was mostly brought up by nannies until she was old enough to be sent to an exclusive private school miles from Halcyon. Even during school holidays she spent most of her time away at various camps – horseriding, skiing, even yachting, but that’s just what happens when you’re the only daughter of a mother who happens to be Halcyon city’s richest widow. Isn’t it?
It was only when she graduated on to high school, on another exclusive campus miles from anywhere, that Cassie became aware of the rumours…. That her mother was some kind of underworld figure, some kind of criminal who had managed to avoid being locked up by, rumour had it, a mix of bribery, threats and ‘hits’. As it turned out though, the truth was even stranger.
It had been her 16th birthday when the limo had arrived at the school gates and one of her mother’s ‘employees’ had driven her back to the city, where an unseasonable storm that the weather service had totally failed to predict, was making its effects felt. When the car had pulled up at the old five-story building on the edge of the park Cassie had not known what to expect. Possibly some kind of birthday present? More than a few of her friends had wrangled convertibles out of their parents, so it wasn’t out of the question. Things had gotten strange when she had been ushered in through the building’s doors. First, despite the storm outside, the windows were all open and candles were set up all over the place. Second, she’d been lead upstairs to an attic room that she hadn’t even known existed.
When she’d entered things had gotten even weirder. The room was decked out with strange shapes – runes she later found out that glowed with an off-putting green light. In the center of the dark space her mother stood, next to what looked like an alter, and completely naked.
”Ah, Cassiphione” her mother had intoned. ”You’re finally here. Good. Come,” she had continued, ”Come here. I’m almost ready. It’s almost time.”
Without speaking. Without being able to speak, or stop herself, Cassie had complied, taking several steps forward until she was standing face to face with the older woman who looked her up and down. ”Yes” she had said, ”Your body will do very nicely.” I do so hate it when my daughters fail to develop appropriately. Now, remove your clothes and lie down on the alter and we can begin. I’m sure you have many questions but I am in something of a hurry.”
Again without her conscious volition, Cassie’s body had followed the instructions and her mother had taken up position at her head, holding a knife and a cup.
”Don’t look so concerned.” she had said. ”it will be done soon enough.”
To be continued...?
Okay guys: first, thank you all so much for your applications and your enthusiasm; we really do appreciate it! If the game wouldn't crash to a grinding halt under its own weight, everyone would have been a good addition to the team. Still though, we did have to prune, and we've picked our additions.
We're going to go with:
American Dream / Digger Chandler
Kaoru / Anon A Mouse
Kilt / Blue Symbiote
Mercy / Azrael Dukshi
Mystic / Hymenopterix
Go ahead and dot into Discussion and Gameplay, and we'll finish up character creation!
As for the rest, thanks again for your interest, and I wish you good luck in getting these characters to the table!
(In fact, if someone's interested in running a different campaign - clearly you've got plenty of great character submissions to choose from!)
Kilt, if you didn't realize this, I (Wingblade) also played Siphon back in the old Panurgic game!
Good to see you again!
Darn. Have fun all!
OH S*@#! Hi! Yes I’m still alive! College tried its best to change that, but I’m finally free to play again!
Congrats to those who made it in. Feel free to keep my robot in mind if you need a filler later.
Awesome! Thanks for the pick, and sorry for those who missed out. - Some great concepts in there!