Alexander the Great

Jeff started a new Low Power (100 CPs) Mighty Protectors campaign last night. The players randomly created their characters.

The only allowed Modifier was Gear, although Abilities with built-in modifiers were allowed. Jeff also allowed for small CP changes to the characters, which in my character's case were Heightened Agility and Heightened Cool that I tacked on to two of the randomly rolled abilities.

The campaign is set in present-day Austin, Texas. The famous hero known as the Golden Guru held auditions for members of his new superhero team, with the PC's being the lucky heroes picked (this was hand-waved for brevity).

Character generation took about half of our allotted time. The other half involved a fight in an alleyway with the Roller Girls. Alexander used his magnetic manipulation ability to lift several metal dumpsters to first block the villains from escaping and later to capture them.

Here is the character that I randomly rolled, Alexander the Gr8!

PDF: Alexander the Gr8

MP Villain Spotlight: Citizen Crane

Origin: Forester Charles Crane was a successful businessman who owned and operated the Crane Construction Company. At one point when business was slow, vulture capitalists swooped in and took over the company. Crane was devastated and his mind snapped.

He now uses what's left of his fortune to commit the crime of property destruction, almost exclusively against buildings owned by the raiders who ruined his company.

Tactics: Crane is not subtle: he drives his modified crane to a target, usually a building for which he has antipathy, and begins to destroy it using the crane's wrecking ball (which does 2d10+d8+1 blunt kinetic damage). His crane is modified to include an electrical field. He uses this field to keep unwanted enemies (heroes, police, paparazzi, etc.) off of his crane.

Crane is wealthy and will sometimes hire thugs (60-70 CPs) to provide extra protection from police and/or heroes.

Quotes: I'm Forester Charles Crane and I built this city. Now watch me destroy it one building at a time!

Notes: This character is comedic in nature. Crane is not really evil, and doesn't want to kill anyone (with the possible exception of the men who ruined his company). The PCs should want to apprehend Crane and make sure he has a nice padded cell in an insane asylum.

PDF Character Sheet

PDF Vehicle Sheet

Image Character Sheet

Image Vehicle Sheet

Citizen Crane is copyright by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.

Superman 1938

I recently subscribed to the DC Universe Online, mainly because I wanted to read DC comics; something that I didn't really do during my comic book reading days.

I started with Superman #1 (which premiered June, 1938) and read up to issue #9. I have to say that this version of Superman is quite a bit different than the silver or bronze age depictions. In these early issues, Superman's origin is different, his powers are different, and his personality is different.

His planet of birth, Krypton, dies of 'old age.' A friendly scientist -- not his father -- places the infant Superman into a space-ship, sending it to Earth.

A passing motorist discovers the space-ship with the infant Superman and places the child in an orphanage. There is no mention of Ma and Pa Kent.

As an adult, Clark Kent works for the Daily Star, not the Daily Planet.

Superman can't fly, doesn't have heat-ray vision, doesn't have x-ray vision. There's no mention of super-breath, super-speed, or any of a dozen other abilities that he would later employ. There's no mention of him being harmed by kryptonite. He's strong, capable of bending steel bars. He can leap 1/8 of a mile! And he's bulletproof, with only a 'shell-burst' capable of piercing his skin.

Oh, and this Superman is a jerk, doubtless because he grew up in an orphanage... and by the way, Lois is a jerk too! Superman spies on people -- a lot. He's a bully, who terrifies ordinary citizens as well as crooks, and he casually beats up on people, usually mocking them as he does so.

Notes: On the first page of issue #1 it is stated that Superman can leap 1/8 of a mile, or 132" in Mighty Protectors terms. I therefore tried to get his leaping distance as close to this number as possible.

Superman 1938 PDF

Superman 1938 Image

Superman Origin

Superman is a Spy

Superman is a Jerk I

Superman is a Jerk II

Superman is a Jerk III

Lois is a Jerk Too

Superman #1 Cover

Superman is a trademark of DC Comics. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games. This write-up is by B.K. Adams.

MP Villain Spotlight: Vortau

Origin: The "Vortau" is an alien assassin who was born on a world whose dominate life form is a strong insect-like species. As all of the Vortau's race are mute; they communicate by means of telepathy.

The Vortau's true name and features are unknown, as it has never been captured and has never volunteered this information. It is rumored that there are other bounty hunters and assassins just like the Vortau.

Campaign Use: The Vortau makes a good villain to use against the player superheroes, usually after the heroes have meddled with other alien entities.

Tactics: When the Vortau takes a contract he will do his utmost to fulfill the bargain. The Vortau uses his shape-shifting and telepathy to good effect, spending a fair amount of time gathering information on his target(s). Depending upon how deadly the GM wants to make this character, the Vortau may or may not take called shots against a target's head.

The Vortau may use his miniaturized communicator devices to spy upon his target.

If faced with a group of superheroes and/or their base, the Vortau will use his vehicle, the Hek-Zeksar (see sheet) in a military-style assault, opening his attack with a volley of missiles. Should his vehicle be disabled, the Vortau will fight outside of his vehicle.

Should the Vortau start to lose a fight he must make a CL save at -4 to attempt to flee the scene. Should the roll be made, the Vortau will try to get out of sight then shape-change to an inconspicous form.

Telepathic Quote: --I am the hunter and you are the prey and I shall honor my ancestors by burning a hole in your shell and letting your life-liquid drain--

Notes: The picture shown is one of Vortau impersonating a male human while on a mission to eliminate certain Earth superheroes.

Vortau PDF

Vortau Image:

Vortau Ship PDF

Vortau Ship Image

Vortau is copyright 2018 by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.

MP Villain Spotlight: Karnage

Intro: I've decided to post villains of my own creation for the Mighty Protectors rules in something I'm calling Villain Spotlight. My first post features Karnage, a Standard Power-Level villain.

Origin: Kadeem Najjar is from an affluent family whose roots are based in Cairo, Egypt. As a teenager, he came to the U.S. in the 1990s in order to study medicine at Stanford University. Being somewhat shy as well as a foreigner, he made few friends, but he poured his energy into his studies and graduated near the top of his class. He then went to medical school where he again excelled in his studies. With a loan from his father, Mansour, he started his psychiatry practice.

Recently, he began experimenting with "ancestral memory" and accidentally unlocked a powerful and evil alter-ego named Karnage. The alter-ego has a special requirement -- a chemical found only in human adrenal glands. Due to this requirement, Karnage has begun killing random homeless people.

Dr. Najjar is horrified by what his alter-ego has done but he is too arrogant and prideful to turn himself in to the authorities.

Tactics: Karnage likes to fight in the dark and often goes on his murder sprees at night. If inside a building with artificial lighting, he will cut the power, preferring to fight in the dark and relying on his full sense of smell to find and attack his enemies. He will push his damage in an attempt to maximize his sharp kinetic (spine) damage as well as to inject his poison, which must do 1 hit point to be effective.

Should Karnage find himself losing a fight he will try to run away using his Speed ability, pushing his acceleration to put as much distance between himself and the heroes as possible. He'll attempt to hide in the sewers if possible, using his heightened olfactory sense to guide him.

Quote: "You are nothing... less than nothing... while I wield powers unlocked from humankind's' ancient past!"

Notes: Karnage makes a good villain for a solo (150 CP hero) crime-solving adventure or a group of 3-4 100 CP heroes. For a group of 150 CP heroes, increase Karnage's total CPs to 200.

Karnage PDF

Character Sheet:

Karnage is copyright by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.

X-O Manowar

On the MHG forums Dan2448 requested that I write-up the Valiant Comics hero known as X-O Manowar.  Although I was familiar with the name, I had never read this comic. I became intrigued and did a bit of research: X-O Manowar looks like it was a really cool comic book -- one that I wish I had collected back in the 90's.

Since the power-armor suit contains a sentient AI named "Shanhara", I had initially considered making the suit a man-sized vehicle (using Size Changer Smaller), but doing that bends the rules a bit, so I ultimately went with the suit as a collection of abilities that uses the Linked modifier. Aric must spend 1" of his movement to activate the suit.

Note that this version models his stats and abilities as they existed in the 1990's. Also note that I do not have access to a lot of source material so consider this write-up an "in-the-ballpark" translation of the character.

In any event, here's my Mighty Protectors write-up for X-O Manowar. Enjoy!

Manowar PDF

Manowar Sheet

Notes:

9/7/18: Edited sheet for typos & added Ht.Expertise

X-O Manowar is a trademark of Valiant Entertainment. This write-up is by B.K. Adams. Mighty 

Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.

Karnilla, Queen of the Norns

Here's my MP write-up for Karnilla, mighty sorceress, lover of Balder the Brave, and sometimes foe of Asgard! Here's a google sheet with some suggested spells for Karnilla. Her base, Nornkeep, is also included, albeit without a map, as an MP vehicle/base sheet.

You can check out my dedicated page to see more Asgardian write-ups.

Karnilla

Nornkeep

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The images are copyright Marvel Comics. The write-ups are by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.

Legion of Super-Heroes: Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire

Here are three more MP write-ups of early 1980's LSH superheroes: Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire (Wildfire Energy Form). Their stats & abilities reflect the LSH comic as it was pre-crisis-on-infinite-earths.
Notes:
1) To avoid problems with constantly shifting Power and Hits, I've used Telekinesis A) KInetic Manipulation with the Touch Range modifier to simulate Ultra Boy's incredible strength.
2) Ultra Boy's 'Penetra Vision' costs an extra 5 CPs because it can see through anything.
3) If Wildfire's suit is targeted and hit, and takes 22+ damage, his containment suit will explode and he will 'transform' into his Energy Form.

Timber Wolf

Ultra Boy

Wildfire (Containment Suit)

Wildfire (Energy Form)

Timber Wolf in Action

Ultra Boy in Action

Wildfire & Ultra Boy in Space

Wildfire Origin Part 1

Wildfire Origin Part 2

Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, and Wildfire are trademarks of DC Comics. These write-ups are by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.

Legion of Super-Heroes: Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy

Here are three more MP write-ups of early 1980's LSH superheroes: Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy. Their stats & abilities reflect the LSH comic as it was pre-crisis-on-infinite-earths.

Shrinking Violet

Star Boy

Sun Boy

Panel #1

Panel #2

LSH Cover #286

Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, and Sun Boy are trademarks of DC Comics. These write-ups are by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.

Legion of Super-Heroes: Star Cruiser LX-811

Here's my Mighty Protectors vehicle write-up of the Bronze Age Legion of Super-Heroes LX-811 Star Cruiser!
Notes:
1) The range on the Ion Cannons is AGx16", or 384".
2) The vehicle's central power system is the warp engines.

Cruiser LX-811

Legion of Super-Heroes is a trademark of DC Comics. This write-up is by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.

Legion of Super-Heroes: Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Shadow Lass

Here are three more MP write-ups of early 1980's LSH superheroes: Mon-El, Phantom Girl, and Shadow Lass. Their stats & abilities reflect the LSH comic as it was pre-crisis-on-infinite-earths.

Notes:
1) Mon-El loses most of his super-abilities when exposed to red sun radiation, but his susceptibility to lead is removed via a long-lasting antidote, invented by Brainiac 5.

Mon-El

Phantom Girl

Shadow Lass

LSH #292 Panel #1

LSH #292 Panel #2

LSH #292 Panel #3

Mon-El, Phantom Girl and Shadow Lass are trademarks of DC Comics. These write-ups are by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.

Legion of Super-Heroes: Element Lad, Karate Kid, Light Lass

Here are three more MP write-ups of early 1980's LSH superheroes: Element Lad, Karate Kid, and Light Lass. Their stats & abilities reflect the LSH comic as it was pre-crisis-on-infinite-earths.

Notes:
1) Element Lad's CPs in Transmutation exceed his overall ability cap by 40 CPs. The 'transmute into any element' for +10 CPs is a modifier I made up (like I did with the villain Shimmer).
2) Years later both Element Lad and Light Lass are revealed to be gay.

Element Lad

Karate Kid

Light Lass

Panel from LSH #290

Element Lad, Karate Kid, and Light Lass are trademarks of DC Comics. These write-ups are by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House  Games.

Legion of Super-Heroes: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Duo Damsel

Here are my MP write-ups of three more LSH superheroes: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, and Duo Damsel. Their stats & abilities are based upon early 1980's LSH comics (pre-crisis-on-infinite-earths, pre-zero-hour).

At this point in LSH history, Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel are married, are reservists who keep their Flight Rings (and possibly their other LSH equipment although I'm not sure), and they show-up occasionally to help out the Legion.

Brainiac 5 is usually found at Legion HQ, where he monitors the other legionnaires, helping out when necessary.

Notes:
1) Duo Damsel was once known as Triplicate Girl, and she was able to split into 3 duplicates, but at some point one of her duplicates was killed -- thus the name change. I originally had her splitting into 3 duplicates but I've updated her sheet to show the correct number.

8-11-18: I revised Bouncing Boy's super leap, lowering it a bit.

Bouncing Boy

Brainiac 5

Duo Damsel

Bouncing Boy & Duo Damsel (LSH #284)

Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, and Duo Damsel are trademarks of DC Comics. These write-ups are by B.K. Adams. Mighty Protectors is a trademark of Monkey House Games.