Tag: Hollis McCray

So here’s my first stab at building a character. Not sure I have the system right, and the name is terribad. (I got it from a random Chinese name generator.) Comments & critique are appreciated!

Meng Hui-li, the Lightning Sorceress

Ma Hui-li was one of the subjects of a Chinese experiment to create a hyper-intelligent human. The others are either dead, or even more insane than she ever was. (The infamous Doctor Chimera is also rumored to be connected to the project, most likely as one of the researchers.) Unfortunately, in her case what was created was a being without any empathy, conscience, or ethics, only hate and rage towards those who had done this to her. After freeing herself and destroying the compound, Hui-li proceeded to sell the products of her intellect to anyone with the money to buy them and the will to use them.

Then one day, someone managed to reach the person underneath all that cold, uncaring intellect, hate, rage, and pain, and make her care again. Hui-li isn’t as smart as she once was, but the joy her work now brings is worth the loss.

Verbs: Smash: 1 Influence: 0 Maneuver: 1 Protect: -1 Investigate: 2

Summary of Powers:

Hyper-intelligence and scientific skills. Think Reed Richards plus Doctor Doom plus Tony Stark plus Lex Luthor. Now cube the resultant IQ.

Powers that are advantages: Usually has a halo of multi-function drones around her. Plus an array of gadgets.

Simple: Construct or improvise a device to solve a small-scale problem.

Difficult: Prevent an alien trans-dimensional portal from imploding and destroying the earth.

Borderline: Design, construct and deploy an array of shield drones to stop Hong Kong from being wiped out by a typhoon. In under thirty minutes.

Impossible: Time travel.

Origin: Not That Girl Anymore: You used to operate in a world that any do-gooder would not care to be associated with. State what your life was like and what turned you around.

I was previously involved in: Developing hyper-technology and selling it to the highest bidder, mostly supervillains or two-bit dictators, anyone that would pay and actually put my technology to use,

I changed my ways because: My neural conditioning started breaking down, and I started caring about other human beings. I even fell in love. (Sort of, it’s complicated.)

Courage Under Fire: when you receive hostility in return for trying to genuinely do what is right, say how you mitigate the hostility and roll+Influence. On a 10+, you sway those that witness your heroism, the EiC will offer you a chance to write in or increase a Bond. On a 7-9, as a 10+, but the EiC will first offer you an ugly choice or a hard bargain.

Double Take: when you Burn a Bond with a teammate in order to gain the trust of someone else, roll+Influence. On a 10+, you gain their trust and may write a Bond in with the new person. On a 7-9, you must offer assurances that you are on their side.

Drive: Create

Book available to open when:

-You work building, researching or studying is used against you and those you care about.

Workspace: Choose which of the following your workspace includes. Choose 3: portal to another dimension, biology lab, a junkyard of raw materials, hi-tech vehicles, weird-ass electronics, machining tools, transmitters & receivers, a proving range, relics of the golden age, booby traps, hi-tech machinery and parts, cosmic artifacts, unknown relics or unknown technology.

When you go into your workspace and dedicate yourself to making a thing, or to getting to the bottom of some shit, decide what and tell the EiC. The EiC will tell you “sure, no problem, but…” and then 1 to 4 of the following:

• It’s going to take hours/days/weeks/months of work;

• First you’ll have to get/build/fix/figure out _;

• You’re going to need _ to help you with it;

• The best you’ll be able to do is a crap version, weak and unreliable;

• It’s going to mean exposing yourself (plus colleagues) to serious danger;

• You’re going to have to add _ to your workplace first;

• It’s going to take several/dozens/hundreds of tries;

• You’re going to have to take _ apart to do it.

The EiC might connect them all with “and,” or might throw in a merciful “or.” Once you’ve accomplished the necessaries, you can go ahead and accomplish the thing itself. Work together with the EiC to come up with what it does and how it works.

Move available to open when:

-You go for broke and sacrifice something important to you in order to get your workspace.

Deep Pockets: when you need an item or object that is not complex or too hi-tech (EiC’s call), roll+Investigate. It has to be something small enough to be on your person. On a 10+, you happen to have just the thing, or close enough. On a 7–9, you happen to have something pretty close but there’s a catch, the EiC will tell you what it is. On a 6-, you used to have just the thing, but it looks like an enemy stole it from you, you lost it somewhere, the EiC will tell you where you last saw it.

Move available to open when:

-Your desire to learn about something endangers your physical or mental health or your identity.