Results from last time:
1 vote:
Torcher
Reflector
Suppresser
Neutralizer
Partial vote indicating loyalty to resistance, target Ar Harbor and mentor Adder
2 vote:
Lurker
Nameless (via Sufficient Velocity thread)
As soon as I got started working on these results I realized I’d done something wrong. I’d indicated, last time, that you were voting per-choice, and could leave stuff you don’t care about blank. But if I am doing things that way, WP don’t really make sense, since totals that exceed the max could end up there. It was also creating a sort of franken-choice, where the most common parts of each submitted character would merge together to make a character that was no one’s particular idea
I guess in my mind I had been setting it up as slate choices, where you presented a whole (or rather, 1/3 of whole) character, and the most popular of those won. But I hadn’t spelled that out, and, indeed, had spelled out the opposite. I feel bad and am bad.
But enough moping, what I’ve decided to do about that is to do a revote on character creation 1 as part of this week’s vote on Character Creation 2! You will all no doubt forgive me and praise my dedication, and I will bask in the warm light of your approval.
This time we are doing slate voting. I will count each distinct set of all choices for our luckless protagonist.
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First Section (for this section you have 5 WP and 7 UP) (See Character Creation 1 for more details if needed)
1. <Who am I?>
[ ] Write In (name must be of the construction verb-er, example, Kicker, Warper, Gasher, etc.)
2. <Real name?>
[ ] Write In
3. <Gender?>
[ ] woman
[ ] (1WP) man (another 1 WP charge, if male, to avoid mutating in the direction of your strongest gift)
4. <Time as an Ultra?>
[ ] (1WP) Very recently
[ ] A few years ago
[ ] (2WP) Back before the old world fell
5. <Reason for Being Processed?>
- [ ] Peril. I had my back to the wall, to the point that Process’s odds were better than those I’d face in my day to day life.
- [ ] Boredom. There is, when you get right down to it, very little to do in the Regime.
- [ ] Force. Someone was recruiting, and I was a warm body
- [ ] (1WP) Ambition. I wanted to accomplish something and only an Ultra could pull it off. (write in my goal)
6. <Gift choice>
- [ ] (1UP) Ultra Strength One, I can lift and throw cars and the equivalent
- [ ] (3UP) Ultra Strength Two, I can lift and throw buildings and the equivalent
- [ ] (7UP) Ultra Strength Three, I can lift and throw anything, only She is stronger
- [ ] (3UP) Ultra Speed One, The world slows down when its important to me
- [ ] (6UP & 1WP) Ultra Speed Two, My life plays out at a languid pace around me
- [ ] (2UP) Ultra Durability One, I am action hero levels of invincible
- [ ] (4UP) Ultra Durability Two, I am comic book levels of invincible
- [ ] (2UP) Another ability, comparatively minor (write in)
- [ ] (5UP & 1WP) Another ability, of exceptional reach and breadth (write in)
7.<Loyalty>
- [ ] I don’t care who wins, I am just trying to survive and enjoy what comforts this world has to give
- [ ] I am exactly what I look like, a partisan of Prevailer’s Regime
- [ ] (1WP) I am on the side of the human Resistance, trying to protect them as best I can from within a predatory organization.
- [ ] (1WP) I am on the side of Kill Every Monster, striving to eradicate my own kind, so that humans may once again rule their own destinies
- [ ] (2WP) I serve a foreign power, collaborating with the enemy I am ostensibly battling against (specify Union or Pantheon)
8.<Sponsor?>
- [ ] No one
- [ ] Subtracter
- [ ] Adder
- [ ] First Fist
- [ ] Second Fist
- [ ] (1WP)Third Fist
- [ ] (1WP) Snitcher
- [ ] (2WP) Answerer
- [ ] (2WP) Prevailer
Second Section, for this section you have 4 WP
9. <Physical Description>
What do I look like? First off, in terms of my form, but also how do I dress and what do I carry around, on a day to day basis? Ultras in the Regime all have to wear something on our heads (humans are forbidden from doing so), which is called a Sigil. What is mine?
* [ ] Write In
10. <Demeanor>
How do I carry myself, act? Am I generally solemn and formal, loose and friendly? Do I get my way with threats, or argument? If an unbiased observer was trying to sum up my basic role with a short sentence or phrase, what might that be?
* [ ] Write in
11.<Human Background>
Before I became an Ultra I was a …
* [ ] Regime Citizen. I lived in the city, idled away my days on protein paste and currying favor with the Ultras. I know the lives of those beneath us.
* [ ] Suburb Scavenger. I orbited the Regime’s heartlands, scavenging the Old World for tech to trade with the Regime’s subject while keeping out of the Ultra’s way. I understand our past in a way that the kept humans of the inner cities never will.
* [ ] (1WP) Wilderness Dweller: I lived in a town with no Company Facility or Ultras. We survived on our own, without protein powder or Ultra gifts. I know how it was done, and I could do it again.
* [ ] (2WP) Foreigner: I’ve lived outside of the Regime, and I haven’t forgotten how they do things in the (Union/Pantheon). It will give me insight into their decisions.
– [ ] Specify Union or Pantheon for the place I’ve sojourned.
12. <Ultra Background>
Since I’ve been an Ultra I have …
* [ ] Served as soldier in the Regime’s wars. I’ve seen the kind of operation I’m currently leading from the bottom floor, this is my chance to do it right.
* [ ] Worked as an enforcer and investigator for the higher ups. I’ve cracked skulls and kept the peace, keeping humans and annoying Ultras in line. I know where the bodies are buried, because I put them there.
* [ ] Worked as a Troubleshooter, roaming the land and enforcing the Regime’s norms. Traveling between cities holds no surprises for me, and I know many of the Ultras of consquence outside Shington.
* [ ] (1WP) Worked on my own projects, carving out my own little piece of the Regime. Its resources may prove useful now that She has selected me.
* [ ] (1WP) Write In
13.<Past Priorities>
When I’ve had the power to choose I’ve always showed favor to …
* [ ] (1WP) No one, I’ve tried to be even handed and fair to all.
* [ ] My Fellow Ultras. I have always prioritized my own kind, the rank and file Ultras of the Regime.
* [ ] (1WP) The humans, they are the ocean in which my kind swim. Their view of me is most important.
* [ ] Our superiors. It is an obvious precaution to curry favor with the most powerful.
14.<Tally>
It is pretty ghoulish, but Ultras track status by how many of our kind we’ve taken out in open battle. In my case that’s …
* [ ] (1WP) None, Somehow, on my rise to this position I’ve never had to get my hands dirty.
* [ ] A few, between one and ten. When challenged, I’ve responded.
* [ ] (1WP) A lot more than ten. I took the red path to the heights.
15. <Notoriety>
How well known am I? Well, it would depend on who you ask. But generally …
* [ ] (1WP) Little. Others may know my gift’s general description, but I’ve kept out of the spotlight, for the most part.
* [ ] A moderate amount, what was necessary to gain my position. Everyone has a good idea of how my gifts work, and my name opens many doors.
* [ ] (1WP) A celebrity, I’ve made sure of it. Everyone who knows anyone knows of me.
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That’s it for part 2 of character creation. Next week we’ll finish out character creation , and I’ll also explain the systems I’ve worked out for the main campaign will operate.
Thanks for participating!
Regime Quest 1 (No Change)
1. Name: Lurker
2. Real Name: Darvin Flint
3. Gender: Male (1WP)
4. Ultra Time: Back before the old world fell (2WP)
5. Motivation: Ambition; Darvin saw the way things were heading in the events leading up the First Defiance. Out of luck and disillusioned, he undertook the process to have a chance at choosing his own fate. (1WP)
6. Gifts: In addition to having Ultra Durability One, Lurker can passively mute his presence, making gazes pass over him, acknowledge him, but generally fail to assign any importance to this fact. He blends in but acting in a manner which draws substantial attention to him weakens the effect. Actively Lurker can erase himself, his presence, and all knowledge of himself in a localized area. The larger the area, the shorter the duration he can use his power. (7UP & 1 WP)
7. Loyalty: I don’t care who wins, I am just trying to survive and enjoy what comforts this world has to give.
8. Sponsor: Adder
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Regime Quest 2
9. Physical Description: Lurker’s appearance is, as a consequence of his Gift, hard to describe with certainty. For others, attempting to remember details inevitably is made disconcerting because they never took note of any to begin with. Before the Process, Lurker was a tall wiry man with unruly black hair. Caucasian, but with definite Native American heritage, Lurker was an imposing and sharp looking individual. His Sigil, when not being worn has been noted to be a black leather Stetson lined with snake skin. Lurker tends to dress in a subdued fashion, wearing earthy colors. In line with his Sigil, Lurker wears signature leather cowboy boots.
10. Demeanor: Lurker choses to be direct, but not for a lack of guile. With his flowing movement and his soft southern drawl, Lurker often takes the path of least resistance. A habit from his past leaves him fond of laying out ideas and arguments in formal language. Lurker is a fan of the phrase “speak softly and carry a big stick,” although he follows the spirit rather than the letter of it. Once, he was described as “a man with the head of a coyote, the heart of a snake, and a spine of riveted steel.”
11. Human Background: Lurker underwent the Process before the First Defiance. A Judge in a small town in the hinterlands of Texas, Lurker has since become a Suburb Scavenger, keeping out of the spotlight and collecting pieces of technology from the Old World.
12. Ultra Background: Lurker has been working on his own projects, collecting both individuals and technology since the fall of the Old World. They may prove useful now that She has selected him.
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Note: I wasn’t sure how to combine this with the option of undergoing the Process before the Old World fell. Since the fall Lurker has been keeping to the shadows and quietly collecting technology and individuals in an out of the way location. His first hint of the Regime’s attention was when the Company set up shop. I’m setting aside 2 WP for these two.
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13. Past Priorities: The humans, they are the ocean in which my kind swim. Their view of me is most important. (1WP)
14. Tally: A few, between one and ten. When challenged, I’ve responded in force.
15. Notoriety: Little. Others may know my gift’s general description, but I’ve kept out of the spotlight, for the most part. (1WP)
Voting for this one!
(Change in sponsor for Part 1 – seems I misread something or something?)
1. Reflector
2. Maria Spiegel
3. Woman
4. A few years ago
5. Peril
6. My Gift is an ability of exceptional reach and breadth – the ability to copy the Gift of anyone that I can see, but for truly exceptional Gifts, at reduced strength; attempting to copy Her Gift is unlikely to give me more than Ultra Strength Two, for example. Along with this, I have the comparatively minor ability to identify the Gift of anyone that I can see. (7UP, 1WP) Which means, long story short, I only have powers if I can see other Ultras…
7. In my heart of hearts, my sympathy lies with the human resistance; though my ability to aid them is limited when I cannot see other Ultras.
8. My sponsor is Snitcher – I guess she finds the continually-changing nature of my power fun to watch or something? (1 WP)
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Part 2:
(This is actually going to depend heavily on Part 1. I’ll be picking my Part 2 on the assumption that Reflector is picked in Part 1.)
9. Average height, but startlingly red hair; almost more notable that my Sigil, which is a monocle; a piece of reflective glass that references my name, while the small size serves as a continual reminder that my powers depend utterly on the presence of other Ultras, and are useless when on my own. I tend to carry a knife, just in case.
10. I’m loose and friendly, generally slightly nervous and always ready for a sudden change in circumstances. I’m in the strange position that I can meet most low-level Ultras at their power level, but am nearly defenseless against ordinary humans when there are no other Ultras around… which makes it very hard to classify where I am on any sort of power scale. And if I crush someone beneath my heel today, they can probably do me a lot of mischief if they ever catch me alone, especially if they get the drop on me… so I’m very careful to never make a serious enemy, as far as I can manage.
11. I used to be a wilderness dweller. I know how to live without my Gift, and you never know, if I ever get stranded alone that might be necessary again… (1WP)
12. I’ve been working as a troubleshooter.
13. I’ve always tried to be even-handed and fair. One on one, everyone’s my equal, after all.
14. A few, between one and ten. I don’t like killing, so I keep the numbers down by making fun of the idea of someone being killed by their own power, trying to embarrass future challengers out of bothering. It may or may not be working.
15. I’m known a moderate amount.
I am doing one and two together, just picking the most popular set of 15 choices, so no worries about your part 2 ending up with another part 1.
Completing the character of James Bacon, Neutralizer
Physical description
A slender man of medium height, looking a little older than he is (about 40). Mustache and a pointy goatee, wears a tunic/cape and a ruff, in deliberate imitation of 17th century English fashion. Same for the Sigil, is a top hat of not-too-wide brim. E.g. see the attire of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon. Always carries a gun and a throwing knife, which is more than enough to finish an Ultra too sure of her Ultra Durability to dodge.
Demeanor
James tries to look solemn and paused, and thinks before speaking. This is however a public stance, and he is quick to drop it in confidence, or when the occasion merits it (like every time Prevailer is around, will not do to anger or bore her with less speed than needed). Argument and discussion is his preferred way. Use of his Gift is limited when not needed, only hinted at or used when no other option seems available, and when possible it is used in the passive (like, carefully neutralizing the menace of a rival even when putting said rival into danger would be easier). An outside observer would call him “stiff”, or maybe “very controlled” if she was feeling generous.
Human background. Regime citizen.
Ultra background. Enforcer and investigator.
Past priorities. Our superiors. Since I’m secretly with KEM, I cannot risk being discovered by favoring daggers. Ultras think they have nothing to worry about with me, up to the moment I’m ready to take them down for good.
Tally. A lot more than ten (1WP). My gift may be useful and powerful, but it’s too easy to indirectly attack me through others, or make me part of an “accident”. Thus, when a confrontation ends, if I’ve not won a friend I make very sure I have not left an enemy alive. Plus, it pleases Subtracter.
Notoriety. A moderate amount.
I like the idea behind the RPG-like story you’re trying to do here, but the amount of commenters and the amount of options don’t really line up, so I think that even with the new system, you are going to end up with just one vote for every situation anyway. For this to work well, I think we either need to be given discrete 2-4 option choices, or have a lot more participation in the comments section working to flesh out ideas to form a consensus.
That said, I’ll not add another full slate of choices this time, and just upvote one of the others to try to make it a bit easier for you.
I hear you. The zillions of questions part is just for character creation.
[X] Moniker: GM fiat
[X] Real Name: Mia
[X] woman
[X] (2WP) Back before the old world fell
[X] Force. Someone was recruiting, and I was a warm body
[X] Another ability, comparatively minor (write-in)
-[X] The ability to restore and repair something’s form in a few moments, through touch. Can affect herself.
[X] (5UP & 1WP) Another ability, of exceptional reach and breadth (write-in)
-[X] The ability to take aspects of something’s form and to give someone aspects of yours. Make someone older and become younger, make someone tall and become short, make yourself tough and stiff but make a wall weak, make yourself light but make paper heavy, ect. Does not require concentration, but a limited number of effects can be maintained on one person at one time. Effects cannot be dismissed, but it is possible to “get rid of them” by giving them to an enemy and leaving them there forever. Range is short, but it works fast.
[X] (1WP) I am on the side of Kill Every Monster, striving to eradicate my own kind, so that humans may once again rule their own destinies
[X] Subtracter
[X] Physical Description: A short, unassuming woman. In fairly good shape. Wears “heavy” armour, and carries a large hiking backpack. Clothes and gear in good state. Sigil: An Old World graduation cap.
[X] Demeanor: Hates Ultras (including sometimes herself, though she blames any immoral actions on necessity and her nature as an Ultra), but doesn’t actively seek her own death (has some caution, fears it). Polite and even kind to non-Ultras. Social person (with non-Ultras) who likes company and cares about how she is perceived by others.
[X] (1WP) Wilderness Dweller: I lived in a town with no Company Facility or Ultras. We survived on our own, without protein powder or Ultra gifts. I know how it was done, and I could do it again.
[X] Worked as a Troubleshooter, roaming the land and enforcing the Regime’s norms. Traveling between cities holds no surprises for me, and I know many of the Ultras of consquence outside Shington.
[X] (1WP) The humans, they are the ocean in which my kind swim. Their view of me is most important.
[X] (1WP) A lot more than ten. I took the red path to the heights.
[X] A moderate amount, what was necessary to gain my position. Everyone has a good idea of how my gifts work, and my name opens many doors.
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I love the idea of playing an Ultra who roots for Kill Every Monster (the contradiction is marvellous and depressing!), and an Old Worlder.
I gave her a power that’s a little tricky to manage if she doesn’t consider every non-Ultra to be an acceptable target: note that while she can take aspects of something’s form, she can only give them to people (not things) and only after having adopted them for a moment herself. So if she wanted to petrify an enemy (make his limbs as stiff as stone) she would have to be petrified herself for a moment. And if she made herself as light as paper to move around more easily (gliding, maybe?) then she would have to stay that way until she could find an acceptable target to pass the effect onto.
Oh, and her power can heal physical harm (which explains her survival for so long and can be useful for rapport with non-Ultras) but cannot directly inflict it.
In fights, I presume that she would rely on enhanced clothing (armour made light, for example), and that she would carry around things whose form has useful qualities so that she could adopt them quickly and if needed give them to allies (if useful) or enemies.