Roughhouse, Psionic Brawler

A psychic villain-for-hire who actually wants to get in a brawl for a change.  If you're using any of the Syracuse Seven stuff on the blog, he's a minor nemesis of fellow mutant super Meteoric, who was a classmate at the same training academy a few years back. 

Roughhouse

Vinson "Call Me Vin" Barlowe is a young mutant whose powers manifested about five years ago, leading to a brief petty crime spree and him being remanded to mandatory attendance at a specialized academy in upstate New York.  He didn't take well to the training and left as soon as he'd satisfied his legal requirements.  From there he gleefully took to a life of super-crime under the supranym Roughhouse, acting as a muscle for hire for mundane criminals or a useful distraction for other, more experienced villains.  He hasn't been back in a courthouse yet, but it's really only a matter of time.

Roughhouse's power set is a bit of a rarity as a physically-oriented psychic who enjoys getting into a fistfight.  He has quite potent telekinesis that he uses to protect himself and add a great deal of hitting power to his blows, but it doesn't project well beyond five or six feet.  Many of the common TK tricks (like manipulating things at a distance) are beyond him because of this.  He can easily lift a car, but not from a block away.  He can also manage modest self-levitation through his TK, which is mostly used for reaching airborne foes.  For mobility Roughhouse relies on fast, accurate teleportation, which he's practiced until he can employ it alongside his TK in a variety of surprising and effective combat moves.  

Description: A well-tanned young man sporting an impressive mohawk and rather a lot of body piercings.  He generally wears plain biker leathers, spiked gloves and boots when "working" and conceals his facial features with a combined bandit mask and face cloth held in place with his telekinesis.  He has a slight Pennsylvanian accent, and saying the word "ask" properly is apparently just too much to "axe" of him.  Speaks Spanish very, very badly.

Gender: Male        Age: Early Twenties        Height: 5'11"        Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Black Mohawk, Tipped Green     Skin: California Tan      Build: A Little Thin

Approach: Leech                         Archetype: Guerrilla

Health:  35 + (5 x H)

Powers: Telekinesis d10, Teleportation d8, Flight d6

Qualities:  Acrobatics d8, Banter d8, Criminal Underworld Info d8, Psionic Mutant Brawler d8 

Status: (# of Enemies Engaged) 4+ - d10 / 2-3 - d8 / 0-1 - d6

Abilities:

Assault, Battery and More Assault (A) Attack using Psionic Mutant Brawler.  Use your Max die against one target, your Mid die against a second target, and your Min die against a third target.  If you Attack three targets, the damage is all irreducible.

Displacement Cascade (A) Hinder multiple targets using Teleportation.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.  If you roll doubles, also Attack one of those targets using your Max die.

Sucker Play (A) Attack one target using Psionic Mutant Brawler.  Use your Max + Min die.  Defend against all Attacks from targets other than that target with your Mid die until your next turn.  All Defended damage is dealt to the target of your Attack instead.

TK Block (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Telekinesis die.  If this negates the Attack entirely, also Hinder the Attacker and Boost yourself using that roll.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die.

Master Mercenary (I) If you have a contract for a specific task, automatically succeed at an Overcome when your payment is at stake.

Tactics

Roughhouse fights for kicks as much as he does for money and really enjoys showing off his combat moves.  He tends to be overconfident about being able to escape with a timely teleport if things go wrong.  If he wants to single someone out from a team he'll use Sucker Play to deliver TK-enhanced punches and then use teleportation to blink around his victim at short range in hopes of misdirecting foes so they strike his target.  Against multiple foes he'll pile on the damage by teleporting between them rapidly and striking them from unexpected angles using Assault, Battery and More Assault.  He'll use TK Block selectively, trying to maximize his chance of fully preventing damage to get the big rider effects off the reaction.  Displacement Cascade is a mostly defensive maneuver, porting around the battlefield telekinetically shoving foes off balance while also popping some painkillers and looking for an opening to land a big hit.

His upgrade makes him even better in a brawl, and his mastery reflects getting an extra-big paycheck for motivation.    

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Meteoric, Biometallic Flying Speedster/Brick

Fourth member of the Syracuse Seven hero team, who are gradually being ported over from the Tiny d6 Supers system along with their friends, family and supervillains.  Every team wants a flyer, a speedster and a super-strong brick, and she's the whole package rolled up in one.

Meteoric

Justine Cross is a young mutant whose powers manifested about five years ago, resulting in a permanent transformation into her biometallic form.  Her bigoted family immediately turned their back on her, but high school teachers and friends helped her find counselling and support, culminating in several years of training in a specialized academy in upstate New York.  Since graduation she's gone on to join a small local super team as part of an outreach program intended to improve mutant relations with the broader supers community.  She's pretty well adjusted considering everything she's gone through and gets along well with her teammates.  They've become found family for her along with her former academy classmates.  Justine has become wary about involving her old high school connections with her new life out of fear they'll be targeted by villains and anti-mutant extremists, and has nothing to do with her biofamily.

Description: A slender young woman made of metal?  A robot built with a feminine human form?  Some kind of iron golem?  It isn't immediately clear.  Her voice is surprisingly deep with mechanical overtones, which just further confuses the issue of just who and what she is.  She wears a pair of biking shorts and a snug tee shirt with the Syracuse Seven's "S7" logo on it when heroing, and civilian clothing when off duty. 

Gender: Female            Age: 20           Height: 5'4"            Eyes: Gunmetal Blue

Hair: None                  Skin: Dull Metallic Gray             Build: Boyish

Background: Tragic     Power Source: Nature ("Natural Mutation")     Archetype: Speedster

Personality: Sarcastic                   Health (G/Y/R):  32/24/11

Powers: Flight d10, Strength d10, Speed d8, Vitality d8, Agility d6

Qualities: Acrobatics d10, Close Combat d10, Young But Well-Trained d8, Banter d8

Status: Green (32-25) - d8 / Yellow (24-12) - d8 / Red (11-1) - d10

Abilities:

Green

Biometallic Beatdown (A) Attack using Strength.  Use your Max die.

Blur of Motion (A) Attack multiple targets using Close Combat. Use your Min die.  Hinder each target using your Mid die.

Positional Advantage (A) Boost or Hinder using Flight.  Use your Max die.  If you roll doubles, Attack using your Mid die.

Principle of Great Power (A) Overcome a situation using one of your highest rated powers.  Use your Max die.  You and your allies each gain a Hero Point.  Minor twist: How do you restrain yourself from unleashing your full power?  Major twist: What major damage do you do in the process of saving the day?  RP: Your powers are so strong they can even scare you sometimes, but you work hard to control them.  You can wield those powers to intimidate others.

Principle of Speed (I) When you successfully Overcome, you may end up anywhere in the current environment.  You and your allies each gain a Hero Point.  Minor twist: What physical drawbacks do you suffer from going too fast?  Major twist: What critical detail did you speed past earlier that is now coming back to haunt you?  RP: You're fast and don't like to waste time.  You like to keep moving.

Yellow

Get In Their Face (A) Attack one target using Strength.  Use your Max + Min dice.  Boost yourself and the target using your Mid die.

High Speed Maneuvering (A) Attack multiple targets using Flight.  Use your Max die against one target and your Mid die on all others.  If you roll doubles, take irreducible damage equal to your Mid die.

Momentum (R) When you defeat a minion, roll that minion's die to Boost yourself.  Use the resulting bonus on your next action.

Red

Interception (R) When an opponent Attacks you may become the target of that Attack and Defend yourself by rolling your single Red zone status die.

Maximum Speed (I) When you use an action ability, you may also perform a basic action using your Mid die on the same roll.

Out

I've Had Worse (A) Hinder an opponent by rolling your single Banter die.

Tactics

Meteoric is a speedy flying brick who prefers to keep moving during a fight rather than get into toe-to-toe slugfests.  In Green, she's got strong single target damage from Biometallic Beatdown, excellent multitarget control with Blur of Motion and a solid mod game from Positional Advantage - assuming she has the room to use Flight.  Her Principle of Great Power leans into using her physical might and graceful flight to solve problems, and Principle of Speed gives her strong mobility and extra HP when she does Overcome.

The Yellow zone has a potent if somewhat double-edged single-target Attack and Boost from Get In Their Face and an incredibly hard-hitting multi-target Attack from High Speed Maneuvering, albeit at the risk of some self-damage from collisions.  The Momentum reaction gives her an easy source of bonuses as long as there are minions to deal with.

Once in Red she has access to a versatile defensive reaction with Interception, and improves her action economy with Maximum Speed.  She's still going to be relying on her potent Yellow abilities, but her options get better along with her status die.    

Her I've Had Worse Out ability is fairly weak, but lets her mouth off to her heart's content even after a trouncing. 

Design Notes

Meteoric hasn't changed much from Tiny d6 Supers to the SCRPG in terms of style, although she's a bit more offensive (especially against multiple enemies) and less evasive due to the way her abilities work and the weird lack of a defensive reaction on the Speedster archetype.  I went with Natural as a power source because Genetic just gets boring when every mutant has it, and a "natural mutation" is one perfectly valid way to interpret the ability set.  Speedsters are traditionally land-based sprinters but (as the build here shows) there's no reason they have to be.  She's still a very fast runner - but she flies even faster and has the Acrobatics quality to use her Flight well.

Justine's abilities are borderline ridiculous when compared to other hero builds, with everything at least good and several (Blur of Motion, Positional Advantage, Get In Their Face, High Speed Maneuvering) so strong they could easily have been up in the next GYRO zone.  Some are a little risky, but that fits her character well.  I somewhat deliberately tried not to optimize her Red zone choices to compensate - she mostly gets more versatile when hard-pressed rather than seeing the big jumps in raw power many heroes do.  Her biggest mechanical weakness is probably her narrow focus - all her powers are Athletic or Mobility, and her qualities are mostly aimed at pooling well with physical tasks.  If she has to Overcome social or intellectual challenges she's likely to struggle to build good pools, making her the team's combat monster a lot of the time.

Her role on the Syracuse Seven is to give the team a real flyer (KO Clown and the Leaping Lizard are pretty mobile too, but they're jumpers and have to come back down sometime) who's also got solid offense, and she's a very strong crowd controller in the SCRPG as well as having good single-target hitting power.  Meteoric is also very good at providing an aerial taxi service (sometimes involving the four "pokey" team members stuffed in an actual taxi she's carrying) when needed, as well as evacuating civilians or getting injured victims to a hospital ASAP.

Meteoric has a minor weakness to electricity.  Her biometallic form is an efficient electrical conductor, which causes pain and spasms even when she resists actual physical injury.  She needs to be careful around power lines when flying.

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Zero Justice, Cold-Hearted High-Tech Sniper

A hired assassin with a real hate for the legal system, but weirdly prone to take the law into his own hands when that system fails to deliver justice.  Also, cryo-guns.  Lots of cryo-guns.

Zero Justice

The hired killer known only as Zero Justice employs a variety of high-end super-science gear on his jobs, which seem to have been acquired from a variety of sources - SIN and Savant foremost, although his signature cryo-guns are rumored to have come from SEVER in exchange for several assassinations.  Where he got the money to start his career is still unknown, but he certainly doesn't have problems earning a healthy income now.  He's an ambush sniper by preference, using a potent cloaking device to achieve near-perfect invisibility along with a stealth flight pack and climbing claws to reach the perfect firing position unnoticed.  His cryo-guns project silent, invisible heat-cancelling beams than can be adjusted to cause anything from crippling chills (useful for the occasional "take them alive to be interrogated" job) to instant frostbite to literally freezing a human body solid.  His arsenal also includes several traps and "cryo-grenades" using similar principles.  Zero Justice is also smart, wealthy and connected enough to hire other villains-for-hire for backup, acting as distractions while he focuses on getting the kill. 

He specializes in disposing of witnesses, whistleblowers and turncoats before they can testify in court, including super-heroic types (for an suitable extra fee, of course).  Zero Justice has an apparent grudge against the legal system in general (one of the few things you might get him ranting about during a job) and will happily take the rare contract on DAs, judges, and police officers, especially ones with a hint of corruption about them.  Weirdly, he's also been known to do "charity work" by taking token payment in exchange for eliminating or "punishing" (usually with limbs lost to frostbite or worse) those he sees as having escaped justice.  Legal trickery, privilege, botched investigations, corruption and especially qualified immunity preventing bad cops from facing the law all make him very, very angry.  It's not clear if he'd treat a former employer this way if push came to shove, but it might make an interesting story if he had to make that choice.

Worth noting that he regularly demonstrates familiarity with law enforcement procedures, suggesting he may be a former policeman gone very, very bad.

Description: If he was ever seen out of costume, he'd be revealed as a man of Hispanic descent, in good shape but otherwise rather average aside from a shaved scalp that reveals a nasty scar starting just above his right eyebrow.  In costume, he's completely unseen a lot of the time thanks to his light-refraction cloaking web, but you might catch a glimpse of a black-clad figure in an unmarked paramilitary uniform hung with webbing loaded down with various gadgets.  He wears a balaclava mask with integrated visor, gloves and boots with retractable climbing claws, a compact whisper-silent flight pack, and a pair of holstered cryo-pistols as backups for his much larger sniper cryo-rifle. 

Gender: Male                   Age: Mid-Thirties              Height: 5'11"              Eyes: Brown

Hair: Shaved                    Skin: Light Brown                Build: Leanly Muscular

Approach: Ninja                     Archetype: Predator

Health: 35 + (5 x H)

Powers: Cryo-gun Arsenal d10, Invisibility d10, Gadgets d8, Flight d8, Wall-Crawling d6

Qualities: Ranged Combat d10, Stealth d10, Alertness d8, Hired Killer With An Agenda d8, Investigation d8

Status: (# of Enemies Engaged) 0-1 - d10 / 2-3 - d8 / 4+ - d6

Abilities:

Ambush Hunter (I) Double any mods of your choice involved with taking action against a target that is unaware of your presence or distracted from remembering you're still around.

Chilling Shot (A) Attack using Ranged Combat.  Hinder the target using your Max + Min dice.

Finishing Shot (A) Attack using Ranged Combat.  Use your Max die.  If the target has a penalty you created or is in the Red zone, use your Max + Mid dice instead.

Vanish & Reposition (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Stealth die.  Boost yourself using the amount of damage reduced.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase the die size of each of your powers by one step (maximum of 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

Zero Justice prefers to ambush targets while they're alone and off guard, but if he's forced into a less unfair fight he'll try to stay on the fringes and snipe while his allies provide a noisy, obvious distraction for him.  He'll open with Chilling Shot, then either repeat it next round or switch to Finishing Shot if his victim hasn't shed the penalty yet.  Note that he's very likely to take a minor twist to get two uses out of penalties from Chilling Shot so he has more chances to use his other abilities to full effect.  Once a target drops into Red he'll just hammer away with Finishing Shot until they drop, then move on to new prey.  He'll protect himself with Vanish & Reposition, saving the resulting bonuses for when he can increase their effects with Ambush Hunter.  If pressed by more than one hero at close range they'll use movement and Stealth Overcomes to slip away and go into hiding again, trying to re-establish a good ambush position.

His upgrade makes him much more effective all around, as well as enabling his mastery so that he can automatically succeed at slipping back into hiding.

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The Awesome Agglomerator, Mysterious Alien Robot

This villain is the occasional nemesis of the superhuman Long family (Longhair, Knack, and their son the Leaping Lizard) thanks to the use of miracle metal in some of their technology.  As an uncompromising alien robot it can show up as a more general-purpose villain seeking to recover lost fragments of itself from other sources or to carry out the next stage in whatever mysterious plan its creators programmed into it.

The Awesome Agglomerator

An apparently-alien robot composed entirely of a morphic super-substance dubbed "miracle metal" by the authorities.  This exotic material's origins remain unknown, but it appears to some form of inorganic pseudo-life that responds to certain coded electromagnetic stimuli.  The stuff can assume a wide variety of properties, create more of itself from other forms of matter, generate its own electrical current through what appears to be direct mass conversion - in effect, it's a perfect medium for super-science gadgetry.  Unfortunately the Agglomerator's primary priority is to recover loose samples of the stuff no matter who's using it, followed by creating more of it for use in building much larger alien devices whose purposes remain unknown since the hero community has managed to keep any of them from being fully completed - so far.  One ruined structure appeared to be a signaling device meant to reach across dimensional barriers, which suggests that keeping any of them from being finished might be a Good Thing.

The Agglomerator doesn't appear to be built as a dedicated war machine, but even so it can adopt a fairly efficient combat form by modifying its robot body, giving it great strength and durability, limited energy weaponry and short-ranged flight capacity.  Being made of miracle metal also lets it generate significant electrical charges, slowly transform other materials (metals work best) into more of the alien substance, and reanimate any fragments torn from its frame as backup helpers, although re-integrating them requires significant downtime for re-programming.  While it usually operates alone or with specialized constructs of its own creation, it has been temporarily "hacked" by tech-savvy villains for their own purposes in the past, occasionally resulting in some unlikely team-ups.  

Description: A very tall humanoid robot with three-digited hands and feet.  The curved surfaces of its frame are faceted like a geodesic sphere.  While not a true shapeshifter its bulk varies considerably based on its current Power Suit (which represents its robot body's capabilities) die size, ranging from very thin with a 20" shoulder span and spindly limbs up to 5' shoulders and massively armored appendages.  Damage that spawns legion minions will tear jagged pieces out of the thing's frame, which will swiftly form into smaller, less complex versions of the main body and resume the fight independently.  It speaks very little, but when it does so it sounds like a badly-programmed TTS device.     

Gender: None     Age: Unknown     Height: 6'10"     Eyes: Dull Silver

Hair: None                    Skin: Dull Silver                   Build: Robotic

Approach:  Adaptive                                Archetype:  Legion

Health:  10 + (5 x H)

Powers: Absorption d10, Electricity d8, Transmutation d8, Power Suit d6

Qualities: Conviction d10, Close Combat d8, Miracle Metal Man d8, Ranged Combat d8

Status: (# of Legion Minions) 0 - d12 / 1-2 - d10 / 3-4 - d8 / 5-8 - d6 / 9+ - d4

Abilities:

Energy Conversion (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Absorption die.  Boost yourself using the same roll.

Limited Synchronization (I) Whenever multiple Legion minions all take the same action against the same target, you must roll all their dice at once and use the lowest rolling die amongst them for each minion's result on that action.

Miracle Metal Body (A) Boost using Power Suit.  Use your Max die.  Attack using your Mid die.  Defend using your Min die.

Miracle Metal Minions (I) Whenever a Legion minion with a die size greater than d4 rolls a save against physical damage, instead of the normal effects if it succeeds it splits into two minions, each of one smaller die size, and you take 1 irreducible damage.  If it fails its save, it is only reduced one die size rather than being destroyed.

Priority Optimization (A) Lower two of your powers by one die size each.  Increase one of your other powers to d12.  Then take a basic action using that power.

Shed Fragment (R) When you would take physical damage, prevent that damage and create a minion with a die size equal to your status die (after creating that minion).  You may use this reaction more than once per round, but each use after the first deals 1 irreducible damage to you.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional, usually in effect unless recently reduced in size & mass):

Quality Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase all Quality dice sizes except Miracle Metal Man 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

The Awesome Agglomerator's tactics are dictated by its programmed priorities (represented by the Conviction quality), which start with recovering lost fragments of miracle metal (by force, if need be), then creating more of it with Transmutation- and Electricity-based Overcomes and finally using it to construct various supertech alien gadgets that will no doubt endanger the world.  Against heroic opposition, the first move will be to use Priority Optimization to switch to "combat mode" and increase its Power Suit power to d12 while lowering Transmutation and Electricity to d6 each, usually taking a Boost or Attack action as it does so.  If hit with physical damage, it always opts to use Shed Fragment to produce a minion, which suffers from Limited Synchronization but benefits from Miracle Metal Minions.  Energy Conversion provides a solid reaction against other damage types, and it might use an action to increase it to d12 if facing major threats, dropping Transmutation and Electricity to d4 in the process.  When not adjusting its power dice, Miracle Metal Body gives it a very versatile all-purpose action ability.  The Agglomerator usually has at least one bonus to work with each turn, which will usually be employed to minimize damage (either on Energy Conversion or the Min die of Miracle Metal Body) unless the enemy is using mostly physical damage so it can safely improve an Attack instead.

Its upgrade will usually be in effect unless it recently suffered major damage, which will reduce its physical size and mass as well.  It mastery is very, very easy to employ if it has a bonus from any power it maximized already.  If it isn't facing major opposition it may even maximize Transmutation at some point and Overcome to start making more miracle metal before "jump-starting" it with Electricity.

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The Agglomerator is often accompanied by smaller masses of miracle metal shaped into simplistic humanoid forms and used as assistants and a self-transporting supply of material for larger projects.  They've been pre-programmed for adaptability and quick integration into more elaborate constructions - including the Agglomerator itself. 

Miracle Metal Minions d6, d8, or d10 minions (usually d8)

Description: Very basic humanoid robots varying in size from four to six feet tall.  They share the same geodesic sphere faceting their master uses.  Their simplistic self-defense programs rely on clubbing blows or electrical discharges in combat. 

Programmed For Rapid Integration: You may sacrifice yourself to roll your die and the Agglomerator Recovers that much Health if it is nearby.

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Mister Corundum, Quick-Thinking Alien Brick

Another member of the Syracuse Seven hero team, the rest of whom can be found at the link along with some of their relatives and enemies.

Mister Corundum

"Mister Corundum" is an alien refugee on Earth, rescued from a group of spacefaring slave traders when they attempted to raid Jersey City a few years back.  His real name is mostly outside of human hearing range, hence the "nickname" he's adopted.  While he's really a pretty average Tamfranian citizen, his natural advantages put him on par with many supers so he's volunteered to join a small-time hero team while he waits for an opportunity to get back off world.  As a member of a long-lived species he figures he can spare a few decades playing do-gooder for these frail aliens.  It's a fair repayment for being saved from a one-way trip to the spice mines or galactic gladiatorial arenas.

Corundum is frequently bemused by Earth customs, and asks a lot of awkward questions about everything from biology to politics.  Fortunately he's a good-natured sort and rarely causes lasting offense.  He has faced some anti-xeno bigotry already and there's probably more to come, but it hasn't made him cynical yet.

Description: A tall humanoid figure made of blue crystals with pink and purple highlights.  Much broader across the shoulders than humans, has a top-heavy look with a microcephalic head.  His voice is high pitched and sounds like chimes.  If it wasn't already obvious that he's not a Terran native, the six-digited hands and three-taloned feet should make it clear.

Gender: What's That? (Uses he/him)   Age: 148     Height: 6'4"     Eyes: Dark Purple

Hair: Spikes Of White Crystal        Skin: Sapphire Crystal            Build: Multi-Faceted

Background: Interstellar          Power Source: Alien          Archetype: Armored

Personality: Stalwart                   Health (G/Y/R):  32/24/11

Powers: Strength d10, Vitality d10, Lightning Calculator d8, Awareness d6

Qualities: Alertness d12, Close Combat d8, Insight d8, Self-Discipline d8, Tamfranian Space Construction Worker d8

Status: Green (32-25) - d8 / Yellow (24-12) - d8 / Red (11-1) - d8

Abilities:

Green

Invigorating Punch-Up (A) Attack using Vitality.  Recover Health equal to your Min die.

Principle of the Indestructible (A) Overcome when you charge headlong into danger.  Use your Max die.  You and your allies each gain a Hero Point.  Minor twist: What goes wrong with your defenses?  Major twist: Who got hurt other than you as a result of you not being able to take damage?  RP: You ignore damage from unpowered attacks such as clubs, fists, arrows, etc.

Principle of Space (A) Overcome while in space or similar conditions to space.  Use your Max die.  You and your allies each gain a Hero Point.  Minor twist: Who can hear you scream?  Major twist: What caused you to drift off into the unknown?  RP: You are unaffected by the rigors of space.

Subtlety Is Overrated (A) Attack using Strength.  Attack a second target using your Min die.

Taking Advantage (A) Attack using Alertness. This Attack ignores all penalties and Defend actions, and cannot be affected by Reactions.

Tamfranian Physiology (I) Reduce any physical or energy damage your take by one while you are in the Green zone, two while you are in the Yellow zone, or three while in the Red zone.

Yellow

Blocked Hit (R) When you are Attacked at close range, Defend yourself by rolling your single Vitality die.

Wary Guidance (A) Boost all nearby allies using Awareness.  Use your Max + Mid dice.  Hinder yourself using your Min die.

Red

Efficient Neural Networking (I) When you use an action ability, you may also perform a basic action using your Mid die on the same roll.

Exploit Every Opening (R) After an opponent Attacks or Hinders you or a nearby ally, Attack that opponent by rolling your single Alertness die.

Hyperreactive (I) You have no limit on the number of reactions you can take.  Each time you you use a reaction after the first in a round, take one irreducible damage or take a minor twist.   

Out

Impromptu Cover (A) Defend an ally by rolling your single Vitality die.

Tactics

In Green, Mister Corundum has several offensive options.  Subtlety Is Overrated offers some minor minion-clearance.  Invigorating Punch-Up grants a bit of healing to extend your fighting time, which pairs well with the damage reduction provided by Tamfranian Physiology.  Taking Advantage is the highest damage option and bypasses many defensive tricks and reactions, and reflects Corundum's ability to instantly spot and identify weaknesses in enemy fighting styles.  Principle of Space is a bit hard to use in most Overcomes but provides a lot of "life support" effects thanks again to his alien nature.  Principle of the Indestructible is much easier to use for a frontline brawler and tank.

Once he reaches Yellow, he gains a solid close combat defensive reaction in Blocked Hit, and leans into his role as a tactical leader with the very strong Wary Guidance ability.

His Red abilities have the nasty combination of Exploit Every Opening letting him respond after every Attack or Hinder on himself or a nearby ally, and Hyperreactive means "every opening" is exactly that (as well letting him block multiple close attacks per round of that seems better).  He'll probably draw a lot of Attacks fast once this is in play, but hopefully he can exploit it for at least a couple of hits.  Efficient Neural Networking will also improve his general action efficiency quite a lot, most likely using it for self-Boosting so he can improve his minor healing ability and last longer.

Once he goes Out, allies can still use his massive frame as Impromptu Cover to Defend themselves.

Design Notes

This hero proved to be a very straightforward port from Tiny d6 Supers to the SCRPG, easily re-creating the original team tactician/brick concept.  Everything fell into place and I managed to add a little versatility to him as well.

Mister Corundum is fairly average specimen of his species, which means he's inhumanly strong, fantastically tough (if a little brittle) and has very quick mental processing thanks to his "brain" being a lattice of crystalline circuitry running through his whole body mass - hence his remarkable Alertness.  His natural advantages make him a decent brawler even by superhero standards, but he'll often skip trading punches to use support abilities on his allies.  Tamfranian physiology is quite immune to the rigors of deep space - vacuum, hard radiation, zero gravity, extremes of temperature - as represented by Principle of Space.  Their visual senses extend to the entire electromagnetic spectrum, and they have an extra sense that detects cosmic and nuclear energies at modest ranges - hence the Awareness power.

His greatest weakness in an intense dislike of heights.  Seriously, he gets dizzy on a stepladder, not that most of them can support his weight anyway.  He stays well away from windows in skyscrapers, hates making rooftop patrols, and really dislikes flying.  The fact that he'd probably hurt the ground more than himself if he fell off a ten-story building doesn't matter, this is an irrational fear of his.

Blog Content Index

Lash & Crash, More Agents of SIN

Two more supervillains from the labs of the Science Integration Network's SIN/NER division.  This pair aren't quite the successes that Rush and Crush were, but with those two they do round out a four-man supervillain team for larger operations.  I'm sure they'll shake down into a cohesive group eventually.

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Science Integration Network (SIN)

The Science Integration Network maintains a low-profile front as a global initiative to share scientific research data for the good of humanity, but its true nature is much darker and better fitted to their SIN acronym.  A largely secretive conspiracy of would-be technocrats and fringe scientists, their ultimate goal is to dominate the world through the power of superior technology and free researchers from the stifling bonds of ethics, morality and other superstitions.  Their goals are appealing to many technically-oriented super-geniuses, although most of them are too megalomaniacal to cooperate with others long enough to advance SIN's agenda much.

The organization has two main divisions, the Operations Directive and the Novel Engineering Research branch.  The SIN/OD specializes in industrial espionage, internal and external security, and direct action against rivals.  They employ cutting edge military-grade equipment when secrecy isn't a priority, and spy-fi gadgetry when remaining covert.  SIN/NER concentrates on developing and testing new technology, including conducting research into the nature of super powers of all kinds.  Most often found field testing experimental devices as part of the organization's overall goals, SIN/NER agents have also been known to hunt supers (both heroes and villains) for use as experimental specimens and test subjects.       

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Lash

An argumentative and sour individual, Mateo Abarca Villalobos was never a perfect fit as a SIN/NER agent, which eventually led to a disciplinary review.  When offered the choice between a chemical mind-wipe and permanent discharge from service or signing up for an empowerment program to "make something useful of himself" he grudgingly took the latter option.  Better than waking up in a gutter somewhere with no idea what he'd been doing for the last five years.  

He was one of the lucky ones, gaining the ability to project crackling whips of energy from both hands.  These could drain a wide spectrum of exotic radiations, weakening most "superpowers" and interfering with advanced technologies as well.  The absorbed energy was metabolically converted into vastly improved strength and durability or channeled back into targets to cause disruptive feedback.  He quickly learned to use his whips for acrobatic maneuvering and even fine manipulation at a distance as well, adding to his versatility.  He was also informed that he'd need regular treatment with the Q-radiation used to empower him to keep him from suffering a "catastrophic metabolic collapse" - ensuring his reluctant loyalty to SIN going forward.

SIN assigned Mateo the supranym Lash (which he quietly despises) and generally uses him alongside other success stories from the same series of experiments.  He'd rather work solo or in charge of regular agents so that he isn't constantly having to restrain himself from siphoning his unwanted allies' power, but his superiors rarely trust him that far.  Lash isn't a happy man, but that's pretty much his normal state of being anyway.

Description: A tall, broad shouldered man of Hispanic descent.  He wears a single-piece bodysuit that covers everything but his head, with the upper half in navy blue and the lower half in dark red, and will often be found puffing on a cigarette.  When his powers are active lashes of crackling yellow energy project from one or both hands, moving with impossible precision and extending several hundred feet at maximum. He has a raspy smoker's voice with a mild Costa Rican accent.

Gender: Male     Age: Twenty-Something     Height: 6'0"          Eyes: Muddy Brown

Hair: Brown Buzzcut     Skin: Light Brown     Build: Broad-Shouldered

Approach:  Dampening               Archetype:  Loner

Health:  35 + (5 x H)

Powers: Absorption d10, Strength d8, Swinging d8

Qualities: Close Combat d10, Acrobatics d8, Finesse d8, Grumbler d8

Status: (# of Other Allied Villains) 0 - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 3+ - d6

Abilities:

Scourging Siphon (A) Hinder multiple targets using Absorption.  While a hero has this penalty, reduce all their power dice by one size.

Stroke of the Lash (R) When a nearby hero that you can see invokes a twist, Hinder them by rolling your single Absorption die.

Unimpressed (R) When you would be Hindered, reduce the penalty to -1.  When an Attack would reduce you to zero Health, reduce the damage to one.

Vicious Thrashing (A) Attack multiple targets using Absorption.  Hinder each target using your Max die.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional, rarely when when working with other villain allies):

Power Dampening Field (I) +10 Health.  While the scene is in the green zone, all heroes' powers of d8 or higher are reduced by one die size.  In the Yellow zone all of the heroes' powers of d10 or higher are reduced by one additional step (two die sizes total).  In the Red zone, all heroes' power dice are treated as d4.  Heroes can remove this upgrade with three overcome successes.  If a hero takes a minor twist while taking these Overcomes, they lose access to a power until this upgrade is removed.

Master of Enforced Order (I) If you have complete control over your surroundings, automatically succeed in an Overcome to organize rabble to accomplish a task.

Tactics:

Lash would really prefer to work without other powered allies around so that he doesn't have to restrain his energy-draining abilities to exclude them from the effects, but SIN often sends him out as part of a team whether he likes it or not.  Against heroes he'll usually alternate between Scourging Siphon to weaken their powers and Vicious Thrashing to harm and hamper them with painful feedback.  He'll use whichever reaction triggers each round as soon as possible, either making twists even worse with Stroke of the Lash or largely shrugging off Hinders or KO damage with Unimpressed.

On the rare occasions when he has his upgrade it will further weaken opposing heroes and might draw extra Stroke of the Lash reactions as heroes attempt to remove the field.  His mastery makes him a very efficient leader for teams of standard agents and "Deadly SIN" operatives.

Unique Optional Mechanic:  Lash frequently suffers from being a Loner forced to restrain his flailing multi-target abilities around allies, resulting in a low status die.  If his Health reaches the Red zone and he's still at a d6 status the GM can decide he's had all he's putting up with and have him cut loose.  If he does so, his status die becomes d10 until the end of the scene, his upgrade (if he has it active) now affects villains as well as heroes, and whenever he uses Scourging Siphon or Vicious Thrashing he automatically includes any eligible allied villains as targets of those abilities.  Friendly minions and lieutenants aren't affected unless the GM decides Lash has gone totally berserk, as their lower (or nonexistent) power levels don't interact with Lash's Absorption tricks as violently.  How his allies react to this is up to the GM, although they're likely to stay focused on their mission and deal Lash after the heroes.

Lash will suffer serious repercussions from his masters at SIN if this happens, and might wind up making a clean break and becoming a rogue villain rather than face the music.   

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Crash

Louis Balland was a SIN/NER agent before being recruited for the division's ongoing empowerment experiments.  He was thoroughly enthusiastic about the prospect of gaining super-powers, and while the physical changes that came with them were more severe than anyone expected there's no denying that he gotten some major power in exchange.  As Crash he's become a human rocket, capable of propelling himself at incredible speeds with fiery jets projected from his hands and feet and surviving full-speed collisions with even the hardest targets.  Those same jets can be used as impromptu weapons or tools as well, spraying blinding flames over a wide area as he spins overhead (the so-called "Gamera maneuver") or focusing down to cut like a blowtorch.  Like other successful products of this program he's absorbed a massive dose of Q-radiation that resonates in a positive feedback loop with similarly-empowered superbeings, and his personal charge is the strongest to date.

Description: A very tall man with strange proportions, seemingly stretched out vertically with over-long limbs and a cone-shaped head.  He wears a single-piece bodysuit that covers everything but his head, hands, and bare feet, with the upper half in dark red and the lower half in navy blue.  He has a slight Californian accent and tends to shout to make himself heard over his rather noisy powers.

Gender: Male     Age: Twenty-Something     Height: 6'8"     Eyes: Green

Hair: None     Skin: Ruddy Caucasian     Build: Distorted, Vertically Stretched

Approach: Overpowered                    Archetype: Predator

Health: 50 + (5 x H)

Powers: Flight d12, Momentum d10, Fire d10

Qualities: Human Rocket d8, Imposing d8, Alertness d6

Status: (# of Enemies Engaged) 0-1 - d10 / 2-3 - d8 / 4+ - d6

Abilities:

Blazing Jets (A) Hinder multiple targets using Fire.  Use your Max die.  Attack any target that gains a penalty this way that already had one penalty from you using your Mid + Min dice.

Jink (R) When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Flight die.  Deal that much damage to a different nearby target.

Prep For Launch (A) Boost yourself using Human Rocket.  Use your Max die.  That bonus is persistent and exclusive.  Defend yourself against all Attacks using your Mid die until the start of your next turn.

Rocket-Propelled Ram (A) Attack using Momentum.  Use your Max + Mid + Min dice.  Hinder yourself using your Max die.  Deal Mid + Min dice damage to yourself.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional, usually in effect when working with Crush, Lash or Rush):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die.

Master of Annihilation (I) If you can cause massive collateral damage without regard for casualties, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation where a show of overwhelming force would help.

Tactics

Crash is a straightforward fighter, and an enthusiastic one.  He usually opens a scene with Prep For Launch to establish a lasting bonus for himself, then hurls himself at one target after another using Rocket-Propelled Ram until the fight is won or he KOs himself.  Jink gives him a very strong reactive defense that also throws out some non-Attack damage (making it harder to protect against).  He'll break from this pattern only if he sees an opening to go late in one round and early in the next, setting him up to use Blazing Jets back-to-back before the heroes can shed the penalties from the first usage, which can set him up to do a lot of damage and apply big penalties to multiple targets.

His upgrade amps up his damage and lets him spread it around a bit more, as well as letting him survive more rams.  His mastery reflects his talents perfectly.

Blog Content Index

The Masters Family, Superpowered Rulers of Herralund

My campaigns have been lacking in the kind of villain-led fictional nations that show up in comics - Doctor Doom's Latveria and Sentinels' own Mordengrad, for ex - so here's a lengthy fix for that.  Rather than go with a single super-dictator this place has a loosely-related family and a civilian population who are kept at least partially mollified by the possibility of their own children winning the genetic lottery and becoming part of the ruling elite themselves. 

The Masters Family

The Masters family are the de facto rulers of the Domain of Sovereign Herralund, a tiny island nation found off the coast of Iceland.  The history of the place is somewhat nebulous (there's a suggestion that it may not have existed prior to the 17th century, and it may not have always been exactly where it is now) but the UN recognized it as a sovereign state in 1950 after it was putatively granted independence by Norway (who seems to have been unaware they even had a claim to the place).  A minor player in international politics, the island's superhuman rulers give it more pull than it would otherwise have, and it has significant investments and interests abroad - some decidedly shady in nature.  With a population barely in the six digits, Herralund is a hypothetically direct democracy that that elects a ruling Council to manage its affairs.  Official languages are English and a local variant of Icelandic, with 91% of the population bilingual. 

That Council has consisted entirely of superpowered members of the Masters family for as long as the current system has existed, and any relative who manifests powers (usually in their late teens) will be inducted into the Council once they reach their majority at age 20.  The Council normally has six to ten members active at a time, making the current group the smallest and youngest in recorded history - a matter of some concern to its members.  The family tree is a sprawling convoluted mess, and most residents of the island can lay claim to some degree of relation at this point, with the attendant chance for their children to manifest powers.

The lineage shares a number of common traits, including superhuman durability, longevity, and the the ability to bend others to their will through sheer mental strength.  They also enjoy an inexplicable ability to twist local reality to serve their needs, particularly within the Domain they lord over.  This manifests largely as incredible good fortune that lets them avoid mishaps or even turn bad luck against their foes, and renders the weak-willed almost incapable of voluntarily harming them.  In dire situations they can extend this further to actively drain the life energies of those nearby to restore themselves, leaving victims enervated, comatose, or worse.

Individual Family members also manifest a personal ability to control some elements of their environment, ranging from the geography of the land itself, the region's climate, or even local flora and fauna.  These powers are strongest within their familial domain but remain quite potent even beyond those borders.  Under most circumstances such traits are unique but may recur in future generations, with only one "Holder" of each power active at a time.  Family records show two occasions where there was a duplication - once involving identical twins and another a pair of cousins who were born at exactly the same time.

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Majestra Masters

Majestra is the oldest member of the currently active Family member, and one of the most effective at manipulating Council politics in her favor.  She sees herself as a long-term planner, cautiously pursuing schemes to ensure the growing prosperity of Herralund and her own personal wealth and power.  Her unique Holding is Landheart, which grants her the ability to command the flora and fauna of the Masters Domain, which (along with her shared Family presence) lets her exert her will on every living thing on the island, although she rarely tests herself against her relatives.  Her Holding has also influenced her personal interest in biosciences and the nature of the Family's superhuman gifts, a subject she regularly collaborates with Magnus about.

Of her younger cousins, she's closest in temperament to Minerva who shares a similar Domain-first mindset.  Most of her time on the Council has been shared with Marcus and she has a soft spot for his blunt nature, but that doesn't stop her from reigning in his sledgehammer response to problems when she can.  Magnus may be the newest to join the Council but she acknowledges his talents, both political and technological.  As long as his recklessness is kept under control the Family will certainly benefit from his work, but the risks need to managed carefully.  Mordecai has always been a disappointment and she expects him to remain one, leading to a real coldness toward him even though she supports Minerva's efforts to find a use for the layabout.   

Description: A tall, dignified, regal woman in her late thirties.  She favors elaborate hairstyles and elegant gowns in black silks and velvet.  Radiating an aura of cold confidence and determination, she rarely needs to raise her delicate voice to command attention, even around her Family members.    

Gender: Female        Age: 39        Height: 5'8"           Eyes: Ice Blue

Hair: Raven Black            Skin: Pale            Build: Statuesque

Approach: Disruptive                   Archetype: Domain

Health:  50 + (5 x H)

Powers: Plants d10, Presence d10, Animal Control d8, Vitality d8

Qualities: Leadership d10, Medicine d8, Science d8, Eldest Cousin d8

Status: (# of Environmental targets/challenges) 3+ - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Interposition (A) Hinder multiple targets using Leadership.  You and any nearby allies Defend using your Max die.

Magnificent Indifference (I) Ignore damage from environment sources during the environment's turn.

Master the World (A) Activate one of the environment's twists in its current zone or one zone closer to the Red.

Mortal Obligation (A) Roll any number of environment minion dice.  Recover that much Health.  Remove those minions.

You Will Obey Me (A) Attack using Presence.  Use your Max die.  A target dealt damage this way Attacks an ally by rolling their single largest power die. 

Upgrades & Masteries (optional, usually in effect within the Family domain):

Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase all Power dice sizes by one (max d12).

Master of Enforced Order (I) If you have complete control over your surroundings, automatically succeed in an Overcome to organize rabble to accomplish a task.

Tactics

Majestra is a thoughtful but imperious combatant who habitually uses others to do the fighting for her.  Interposition is extremely versatile, and can be paired with Plants, Presence or Animal Control to hamper foes and protect herself and allies using whatever resource is most appropriate - animated greenery, loyal Companions and innocent bystanders, or swarms of wildlife.  You Will Obey Me crushes the psyche of one foe and uses their powers against another.  She also shares the family abilities of Magnificent Indifference (making her immune to environmental damage on the environment turn), Master the World (allowing her to trigger environmental twists at will), and Mortal Obligations (which lets her draw the life energy out of those nearby to restore herself).

Her upgrade amps up her power and durability considerably, especially within the Family domain, while her mastery reflects her casual control of all life around her. 

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Marcus Masters

Marcus is one of the most potent Holders of Storm in Family history, but he's come to rely on raw power over skill or creativity when employing his talents.  Bold, brash, and quick to resort to violence, he's a great asset in a fight but full of braggadocio and lacking the usual subtlety of a Council member.  He's considered a major national defense asset unto himself, which is often used as an excuse for keeping him from travelling abroad where there might be...incidents.  Majestra and Minerva both keep a cautious eye on his activities, especially when he's hanging around with Mordecai or Magnus.

Given the opportunity, Marcus will happily pick a fight with foreign supers to test himself against them.  He's fairly good natured about it even when losing (which is rare) and tries not to kill or seriously injure such foes, although his raw power can lead to unfortunate mistakes.  He's very good about sending flowers to the hospital or the funeral if things do go awry.  Actually beating him one on one in what he regards as a fair fight will earn his respect, which is not an easy thing to do otherwise.  

Description: Big, burly, and wind-blown, he looks more than a bit like a very muscular Count Dracula, especially in the black suits and flowing capes he favors.  His booming voice carries well even over the driving winds that usually accompany him, although it tends to be a bit alarming at formal receptions and quite dinners.

Gender: Male        Age: 34        Height: 6'4"        Eyes: Deep Blue

Hair: Black, Pronounced Widow's Peak   Skin: Weather-Beaten   Build: Muscular

Approach: Overpowered                   Archetype: Domain

Health:  65 + (5 x H)

Powers: Weather d12, Presence d10, Vitality d10

Qualities: Imposing d8, Living Tempest d8, Banter d6

Status: (# of Environmental targets/challenges) 3+ - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Apocalyptic Whirlwind (A) Attack using Weather.  Use your Max + Mid + Min dice.  Hinder yourself using your Max die.  Take damage equal to your Mid + Min dice.

Magnificent Indifference (I) Ignore damage from environment sources during the environment's turn.

Master the World (A) Activate one of the environment's twists in its current zone or one zone closer to the Red.

Mortal Obligation (A) Roll any number of environment minion dice.  Recover that much Health.  Remove those minions.

Raging Storm (A) Attack multiple targets using Weather.  Use your Max die.  Hinder each target using your Mid die.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional, usually in effect within the Family domain):

Group Fighter (I) +20 Health.  When you take an action that lets you make an Attack, also make an Attack using your Mid die.

Master of Annihilation (I) If you can cause massive collateral damage without regard for casualties, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation where a show of overwhelming force would help.

Tactics

Marcus is an blunt instrument in combat, throwing out vast amounts of damage with little regard for his own safety or those around him.  Raging Storm is his primary offense, and he's often careless about who he targets with it.  Anyone who draws his ire through particularly strong resistance or showing disrespect will be singled out for a strike from Apocalyptic Whirlwind, often followed by using Mortal Obligations to heal the self-damage inflicted.  He rarely uses Master the World unless a particularly destructive twist is available, or if he needs to add more environmental minions to fuel his healing trick.  Remember that Magnificent Indifference only prevents damage during the environment turn, although Marcus is likely to accept some harm from a twist on his turn if it will hurt his foes worse.

His upgrade pumps up his damage output even more, and his mastery perfectly reflects his personality and general approach to any opposition.

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Minerva Masters

Minerva is the Family's intelligence expert, a traditional position for anyone inheriting her Holding of Demand.  An unusual gift in that it has no clear direct connection to the land itself, in theory it reflects the ruler's inherent right to call on the obedience of those who dwell within their domain.  In practice, it's more often used to manipulate foreigners these days, forcing them to speak the full truth when interrogated and forget that they've done so.  While any Family member can use their overwhelming presence to produce short-term obedience to some degree, Minerva is capable of much more precise and lasting effects when given time to properly condition subjects.  Even in the heat of battle she can make a single foe nearly unable to offer resistance or compel entire groups to hesitate or even turn against one another in ideal circumstances.

Her cunning and unique talent make Minerva a major power player in Council politics.  Fortunately for everyone, she has a more realistic (some would say paranoid) grasp of the potential dangers of the outside world and is the least likely member of the Family to put her own interests ahead of Herralund as a whole.  This causes her to come into conflict with the rest on occasion but she can usually justify her actions in hindsight, particularly when she prevents Marcus from doing something drastic or deflects the consequences of Magnus making an unwise alliance with some foreign super-villain.  If the Family Council were ever to fall, Minerva is the most likely to survive and rebuild a power base elsewhere. 

Description: A perfect china doll of a woman, easily mistaken for being a decade younger than she is.  She accentuates the effect with a wardrobe of rather girlish fashions (still black but less formal and severe than the Family norm) and a practiced school-girl speaking style that she only drops around the Family - or victims she doesn't plan to let live much longer.  She has the usual Family gift of presence, but her unique gift lets her dial the effect on individuals or small groups up or down considerably.      

Gender: Female           Age: 27            Height: 5'1"           Eyes: Pale Blue

Hair: Black, Very Long                Skin: Very Pale                 Build: Waifish

Approach: Skilled                   Archetype: Domain

Health:  45 + (5 x H)

Powers: Suggestion d10, Presence d8, Vitality d6

Qualities: Insight d10, Persuasion d10, Conviction d8, Espionage Training d8, History d8, Self-Discipline d8

Status: (# of Environmental targets/challenges) 3+ - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Enduring Compulsions (A) Hinder using Suggestion.  Use your Max + Min dice.  That penalty is persistent and exclusive.

Magnificent Indifference (I) Ignore damage from environment sources during the environment's turn.

Master the World (A) Activate one of the environment's twists in its current zone or one zone closer to the Red.

Mortal Obligation (A) Roll any number of environment minion dice.  Recover that much Health.  Remove those minions.

Serve My Will (A) Hinder multiple targets using Suggestion.  Use your Max die.  If you roll doubles, also Attack each target using your Mid die. 

Upgrades & Masteries (optional, usually in effect within the Family domain):

Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase all Power dice sizes by one (max d12).

Master of Enforced Order (I) If you have complete control over your surroundings, automatically succeed in an Overcome to organize rabble to accomplish a task.

Tactics

Minerva's approach to combat revolves around getting into the heads of her foes and manipulating their actions.  While her kinfolk can produce similar short-term effects with Presence, her personal Suggestion power lets her embed Enduring Compulsions in a victim, as well as offering more precise control with Serve My Will turning foes against one another in ideal circumstances.  As with the rest of her family Magnificent Indifference protects her from environmental damage and Master the World lets her manipulate her surroundings, usually to bring more minions into play as fuel for Mortal Obligation.

Like most Masters, her upgrade makes her more durable and potent while in her homeland, and her mastery reflects her skill at manipulating the weak-willed.

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Mordecai Masters

Mordecai is the second youngest member of the Family Council, and by far the least respected.  This stems largely from his surprisingly weak powers, something that makes him something of a disappointment to his relatives.  He inherited the Holding of Stone, which has traditionally been a very potent part of the Family's superhuman arsenal with past Holders able to raise new land from the sea, move the island itself and perform similarly stunning feats.  Mordecai pales in comparison, although he can still crumble a (small) building, raise a modest hill with time and effort, or casually reshape small masses of stone and metal.  He actually earns the Family coffers quite a bit of money selling his sculptured artwork under an alias abroad.

While his relatives largely see him as something of a court jester and rarely listen to his advice or desires, Mordecai is secretly as prideful as any of them, perhaps more so.  He seethes with rage about his status but conceals it quite well most of the time, and when it does boil over he's careful to direct it at his inferiors (like mundane humans) rather than any of his relatives.  Only Minerva suspects his real feelings, and she's careful about not letting him get her alone in a position where he might have the advantage.  She also sees more potential in him than the others, and often arranges for him to have a (carefully monitored) role in Family diplomatic and economic endeavors where his knack for being entertaining and affable provides a useful distraction.  Mordecai is a little too self-absorbed to realize she's acting as a de facto patron for him, for better or worse.

Description: A very short, slightly built young man, badly in need of a shave and a decent haircut.  He wears the same conservative, formal black outfits favored by the rest of the Family but somehow it always looks rumpled and ill-fitting on him.  He's still strangely likeable in a raffish sort of way and usually tries to act like an affable joker, but you might catch a gleam of real hatred in his eyes if you catch him at the right moment - usually when looking at one of his relatives.  He has a pleasant baritone voice and is an accomplished singer and musician.

Gender: Male           Age: 25            Height: 5'2"          Eyes: Watery Blue

Hair: Black, Scruffy             Skin: Spotty Caucasian               Build: Weedy

Approach: Underpowered                   Archetype: Domain

Health:  40 + (5 x H)

Powers: Stone d8, Metal d6, Presence d6, Vitality d6

Qualities: Creativity d10, Banter d8, Secretly Furious All the Time d8, Acrobatics d6

Status: (# of Environmental targets/challenges) 3+ - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Magnificent Indifference (I) Ignore damage from environment sources during the environment's turn.

Master the World (A) Activate one of the environment's twists in its current zone or one zone closer to the Red.

Mortal Obligation (A) Roll any number of environment minion dice.  Recover that much Health.  Remove those minions.

Taking Chances (A) Attack using Stone.  If you roll doubles, add that value to your Attack.  If you roll triples, add all three dice to your Attack.

Unleashed Rage (A) Attack multiple targets using Secretly Furious All the Time.  Defend yourself against all Attacks until your next turn using your Min die. 

Versatility Over Power (A) Boost using Creativity.  Use your Max die.  Hinder using your Mid die.  Attack using your Min die.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional, usually in effect within the Family domain):

Power Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase all Power dice sizes by one (max d12).

Master of Total Chaos (I) Automatically succeed at an Overcome when you throw out all the rules during a situation that is spiraling out of control.

Tactics

Mordecai prefers to avoid violence unless he's confident that he's gotten the upper hand through scheming or treachery.  If forced into combat he'll usually be looking to escape as soon as possible, using Master the World to trigger any twists that might help with that and Magnificent Indifference to avoid harm from damaging environmental effects.  If cornered by multiple enemies he'll react with Unleashed Rage out of desperation.  Against single targets he might use Taking Chances to try for a lucky KO but he prefers to use Versatility Over Power to set up bonuses to use on Overcomes for escape attempts or further distractions.  If hurt he'll resort to Mortal Obligations without a second thought for its effects on bystanders, showing that weak or not he's as ruthless as his relatives.

His upgrade and mastery do a great deal to improve his capabilities, and encourage him not to travel abroad without finding a way to retain his "home turf" advantage.  

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Magnus Masters

The youngest member of the Family Council, Magnus is also the least traditional and most openly ambitious.  Unlike his siblings he has a broad interest in science and technology and relies less on his innate powers, perhaps because his unique Holding of the Mist is regarded as one of the weakest inheritances.  He has a bond with the fogs that often blanket the land, allowing him to dissolve into an insubstantial grayish haze at will, something that really doesn't further his desire to drag Herralund into the modern day very well.  To compensate, he's managed to employ obscure scientific principles not only to augment his power levels but to briefly copy the Holdings of any other relatives nearby.  He's also got far more solid ties to the broader world of supercrime than anyone else on the Council, although to his chagrin he's regarded as a bit of a dabbler within the mad science subcommunity. 

The rest of the Family is rather nonplussed by Magnus and his behavior.  Majestra regards him as something of an upstart, although she concedes having a Family member with real technological skills is extremely useful.  Marcus sees his "toys" as an amusing novelty, a typical miscalculation on his part that Magnus is happy to take advantage of.  Minerva keeps a very close eye on his activities, particularly in regard to any dangers his criminal connections (some of which she quietly shares) may bring to Council operations.  Mordecai plays at being his friend, a fellow "young blood" in the Council ranks, but his real hope is that Marcus will offer him similar improvements on his own fairly weak powers.

Description: A short fireplug of a man, quite young and with the same magnetic personality his whole family shares.  Usually dressed in sedate black clothing unless he's working in his lab, in which case he adopts more traditional mad science garb.  All of his outfits feature a lot of carefully-concealed pockets filled with a variety of his inventions.  One of his eyes has been replaced with a red-lensed mechanical implant, and he has the faintest of scars around that eye socket.  When distracted he tends to manifest his personal talent, partially blurring into a pale, cold mist around the edges.   He has a commanding voice and a real knack for monologuing.

Gender: Male      Age: 22      Height: 5'4"      Eyes: Left Penetrating Blue, Right Cybernetic

Hair: Close-Cropped Black             Skin: Artificially Tanned               Build: Sturdy

Approach: Adaptive                   Archetype: Domain

Health:  45 + (5 x H)

Powers: Inventions d10, Intangibility d8, Presence d8, Vitality d6

Qualities: Criminal Underworld Info d10, Imposing d8, Megalomaniacal Mad Scientist d8, Stealth d8

Status: (# of Environmental targets/challenges) 3+ - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 0 - d6

Abilities:

Emulation (A) Use an action ability of one of your allies.

Fine-Tuning (A) Take 1d6 irreducible damage.  Increase all your power dice by one size until the end of the scene.

Magnificent Indifference (I) Ignore damage from environment sources during the environment's turn.

Master the World (A) Activate one of the environment's twists in its current zone or one zone closer to the Red.

Mortal Obligation (A) Roll any number of environment minion dice.  Recover that much Health.  Remove those minions.

Wonderful Toys (A) Boost using Inventions.  Use your Max die.  Attack using your Mid die.  Defend using your Min die.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional, usually in effect with access to Family resources and backing):

Quality Upgrade (I) +20 Health.  Increase all Quality dice sizes except Megalomaniac Mad Scientist by one (max d12).

Master of Mad Science (A) As long as you have access to materials, automatically succeed at an Overcome by using scientific principles and inventions.

Tactics

Magnus is the family's outlier, relying more on his scientific discoveries than his own innate power to dissolve into eerie mist.  At their most basic, his personal arsenal of Wonderful Toys give him a versatile combat option.  He can also use Fine-Tuning to improve all his powers, making him increasingly potent as time goes by at the cost of time and energy - energy he often callously restores with Mortal Obligation.  He's also developed a way to scientifically augment his blood ties and employ the abilities of his relatives with Emulation, giving him incredible potential when fighting alongside the rest of the family.  Like all Masters, he shares their immunity to environmental damage through Magnificent Indifference, and can manipulate nearby events using Master the World.

His upgrade is notably different than most of his relatives, reflecting the ability to draw on diplomatic connections, social pull and simple wealth rather than a raw power increase that Fine-Tuning already provides him.  Similarly, his mastery reflects his personal "hobby" and technological proclivities.

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Like most VIPs, no member of the Masters family goes anywhere without a security detail.  In their homeland, these "Companions" act as uniformed military personnel, who may also make an appearance on diplomatic outings.  Almost all Companions are also trained to operate as covert operatives when a less obtrusive presence is called for, and these will invariably be nearby awaiting the call to action.  Supremely loyal thanks to lifelong exposure to the family's commanding Presence, they're happy to lay down their lives - which is fortunate, given how quick the family is to use Mortal Obligation when facing real danger.

To reflect this, add the following minor twist option to any environment where a group of cleverly disguised security guards could conceivably make a sudden appearance, remembering that comic logic often makes the impossible possible.

Call the Companions!: Roll the environment dice.  Add a number of Companion Guard environment minions to the scene based on the current scene tracker (even if activated with Master the World).  Use the Min die in Green, Mid die in Yellow, and Max die in Red.  These minions are allied to any Masters family villains in the scene and prioritize protecting them and following their orders.

Companion Guard d8 environment minion

Description: When operating openly, they appear to be a military honor guard in stylish dress uniforms and carrying energy rifles and pistols (no doubt tuned to stun, of course).  When maintaining a low profile they're nearly indistinguishable from local civilians until you get close enough to notice the concealed weapons, commo rigs and vaguely Scandinavian accents.    

Trained Protectors: You gain a +2 bonus to Defend actions targeting members of the Masters family. 

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