A formidable specialist in all things technological. Just don't tell him magic is real too. He gets all twitchy.
Savant
Waldo Barrymore is infamous in supercrime circles as a masterful freelance engineer and gadgeteer, but he's looked down upon by many other "mad science" types for his lack of originality and real grasp of fringe science. An ingenious specialist, he's quite capable of refining and improving on almost any technology he's allowed to work on but doesn't have the creative spark to truly innovate with all-new designs. This puts him in an odd position where he gets hired to create or optimize all manner of exotic tools and weaponry by less technically adept villains, but rarely interacts with his intellectual peers.
Operating under the supranym Savant, Barrymore is often found working with the likes of SIN and SEVER although he's not formally part of either organization. He also freelances for other villains, often taking examples of stolen technology to re-engineer in place of fees. On rare occasions he'll call in some favors from former clients to get access to a particularly intriguing new device he wants to play with, sometimes even taking to the field himself to ensure he gets what he wants. He's particularly fond of alien technology and relics of lost super-science civilizations. While mostly content to remain in his lab, his influence is widespread and running into his clients, his proxies, or his gadgetry is surprisingly common in the course of a hero's career.
The only part of the criminal underground he won't have anything to do with are supernatural types. Savant neither understands nor believes in so-called "magic" or ghosts, demons, elder gods and the like. In his eyes it's all just fakery or some form of technology he simply hasn't figured out yet, and he doesn't like being confronted with things that conflict with that world view. Ironically, he and Syzygy keep crossing paths, much to their mutual consternation.
Description: A heavyset man with florid, fleshy features. He wears a dull green boiler suit, sturdy black boots and tight black gloves. All that is overlaid with a network of metal cylinders connected by back cables, with the cylinders laying along his arms and legs, clustered in a "belt" of sorts at his waist, and filling a bandolier covering much of his torso. These cylinders form his personal arsenal of inventions and include force field generators, versatile energy projectors, sensory mechanisms and adjustable engineering tools. His voice is deep and his speech slow and somewhat slurred.
Gender: Male Age: Forty-something Height: 6'1" Eyes: Watery Blue
Hair: Bald, Walrus Mustache Skin: Caucasian Build: Portly
Approach: Specialized
Archetype: Formidable (Weakness: Magic & Other Supernatural Effects)
Health: 45 + (5 x H)
Powers: Inventions d10, Deduction d8
Qualities: Technology d12, Conviction d8, Monomaniacal Engineer d8
Status: No Weakness Mods - d12 / Both Bonuses and Penalties - d8 / Only Penalties - d4
Abilities:
Cautious Strike (A) Attack using Inventions. Use your Max + Min dice. Defend yourself using your Mid die.
Deflection Field (R) Defend against an Attack that only targets you by rolling your single Inventions die. One other nearby target takes damage equal to the amount of damage prevented.
Determined Strike (A) Attack one target using Conviction. Use your Max + Min dice. The target cannot Defend or use reactions against this Attack.
Swift Recalculation (A) Boost using Deduction. Use your Max + Min dice. Remove all penalties on yourself.
Tuned Strike (A) Boost using Inventions. Use your Max die. That bonus is persistent and exclusive. Attack using your Mid die.
Upgrades & Masteries (optional):
Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health. Increase all Power dice sizes by one (max d12).
Master of Superiority (I) As long as you are manifesting an effect related to a power you have at d12, automatically succeed at an Overcome involving usage of those powers.
Tactics
Savant dislikes taking a direct hand in the any fighting, preferring to let others test his creations rather than risk his own skin. If forced into combat he'll try to end it as quickly and efficiently as possible, always keeping an eye out for a convenient escape opportunity. He'll usually open with Tuned Strike to establish a lasting bonus for himself while testing an enemy's defenses, then switch to relying on Cautious Strike to focus down a vulnerable target. Anyone displaying potent defensive reactions will draw Determined Strike Attacks instead. His Deflection Field gives him a solid reaction of his own, and he'll put its feedback damage into his primary target whenever possible. If affected by penalties related to his weakness to magic and the supernatural he'll immediately shed them using Swift Recalculation, which he might also use to maximize his bonuses for a key Overcome (most likely to escape the battle).
His upgrade significantly improves his already-strong die pools and lets him use his mastery for Overcomes using Inventions, which should be pretty common for him given his limited selection of powers to choose from.
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Savant's abilities and powers represent his more portable personal gear, but it's common for him and his allies to bring some of his other creations to a conflict. Some examples are shown below as challenges of various complexity. These would count as their own scene elements.
Barrier Field Tripod complex challenge (moderate scene element)
Description: A four foot tall metal tripod frame topped by a glowing orb. It projects a selective force field that covers the nearby area, protecting anyone with an attuned identifier tab and keeping unauthorized personnel out. These tabs are quite small and usually worn in an unobtrusive location or sewn directly in to a uniform's fabric.
This challenge starts in play, set up in single location with any number of villain targets within its force field. Hero targets cannot enter the force field without taking an Overcome action to bypass or force their way through the barrier, which takes their full turn and does not count as a success for ending the Challenge. All targets within the field reduce any damage sources originating outside the field by twice the number of successes still needed to Overcome the challenge.
Disable Barrier Field 000
A hero may be able to locate and steal a locator tab from a defeated foe or imitate one's signal, either of which requires a simple Overcome. Once they've done so the tripod treats them as villain targets for purposes of movement.
Grav-Cage complex timed challenge (moderate scene element)
Description: A small metallic sphere about the size of a baseball, meant to be thrown at a target or concealed and then remotely triggered when a foe draws near. Its power cell is short-lived but very potent while it lasts.
Start challenge when a hero moves into a location with a villain target. That hero cannot move or be moved and suffers a -2 to persistent penalty. Attack and Hinder actions against that hero suffer the same penalty. These restrictions and mods end when the challenge is fully Overcome or its timer runs out.
Breach Grav-Cage 000 Timer 000
Mindbender Box complex challenge (difficult scene element)
Description: An armored metal cube standing on four short legs, about two feet across and four feet in height. Its effect is purely psionic and does not require line of sight to function, so it's commonly deployed someplace relatively safe where it can interfere with movement and actions without being an easy target. The locus of the effect is easily determined even when the box is hidden (you can feel it pushing you away) but it may be difficult to reach or attack.
This challenge starts in play, set up in single location. Any hero target that starts their turn nearby can take basic actions normally, but must take a minor twist to use any action or reaction ability or to move closer to the Minderbender Box. This challenge can be dealt with using brute force (treat the Box as having 20 Health and ignore the first two points of damage it suffers from each Attack) or through Overcomes performed by a hero in physical contact with the box (two successes needed) or using psychic powers to interact with it (three successes needed).
Dismantle Mechanism 00
or
Cancel Out Mindbender Signal 000
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Trivia
If I've kept count properly, this marks my 200th different villain Approach/Archetype pairing on this blog, leaving me with a "mere" 52 more to go till I've covered every possibility. Yay, milestones.
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