Good superhero concepts can often come from merging two established heroes together, and running with the result. Here’s a quick example.
Pipistrelle (aka Philippa Strelli) is a cross between Batgirl and Black Canary. She has a typical Bat family member’s love of shadows and dark clothing, but also possesses Black Canary’s sonic scream. She can use this at ultra-sonic levels to mimic a bat’s echolocation.
Philippa was a classically trained singer until she was kidnapped by Knife Maestro, a mad scientist who wanted to unlock to the secrets of perfect pitch. He mutilated her vocal chords, and it’s these mutilations which have massively extended her vocal capabilities. After months of recovery she is back on the stage, but it is now the dark underbelly of the city where she finds her true calling.
Stats for M&M3e/DC Adventures (and render) to follow.
Here’s her stats!
Pipistrelle, aka Philippa Strelli (PL10, 150pp)
STR 3, STA 3, AGL 6, DEX 6, FGT 12, INT 3, AWE 5, PRE 4
Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fort 6, Tough 8/3, Will 10, Init +6Acrobatics +12, Athletics +9, Close Combat +14, Deception +8, Expertise:Music +11
Insight +9, Intimidation +8, Investigation +9, Perception +11, Ranged Combat:Sonic Scream +12
Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +14, Technology +5, Vehicles +10Benefit:Wealth 2, Defensive Roll 2, Uncanny Dodge, Equipment 3
Sonic Scream:
60′ Cone Area Blast 8, DC23, 40/80/160′ (Diminished Range 2, Sense-dependent (Hearing), Distracting)
– AP: Blast 8 +12 DC23, 40/80/160′ (Diminished Range 2, Sense-dependent (Hearing))
– AP: Senses 6 (Accurate Acute Hearing, Darkvision, Ultra-hearing, Sustained)Costume (+2 Tough), Commlink, Flash Goggles, Mini-tracer, Motorcycle
I have made her sonar and advanced hearing ability (accurate acute hearing means she can hear the difference between two pins falling, and identify where they fell) an Alternate Effect of her Sonic Scream, meaning she loses that ability for the round that she uses her Blast attack – effectively she “blinds” herself with her own attack. Clever use of the rules, even if I say so myself.
There just isn’t enough Supers-related RPG content on the web, so I’m glad to see someone (else) supporting the genre, and DC Adventures especially (the current gold standard).
I’ve got to go back and read your other stuff.
I agree. We need more superhero gamers! There just aren’t anywhere near enough of us to go around.
More than we think, but of course, not all are bloggers or even blog commenters. I’ve run Supers games for long stretches ever since, what, 1989? I’ve found it to be easier to recruit players from non-RPG backgrounds than games about other genres. In all, I think I’ve had over 20 players in those 20 years, at least half for whom playing DC Heroes was their first RPG experience.
What is it about super babes that makes them want to run around functionally naked? Not that I’m complaining, but wouldn’t Pipistrelle get kind of cold in that outfit? :)
Heh. She’s positively wrapped up for winter compared to some of the renders still sitting on my hard drive :D
If it is giving her +2 Toughness it has to have some padding on it.
Well, there’s a couple of outfits for V4 that gives that particular padding. I’ve seen them, actually.