Definitely some strong predictions! But here’s a newcomer to mess with it…
Step 1: Background
Starting at the very beginning gives us opening results of 6 and 10. This makes the Backgrounds of Law Enforcement, Military, and Former Villain available to us. Let’s build an ex-supervillain. They’re always fun folks. I have no idea what name to give this person, but I’ll call him Bob for now.
This one is very tricky, because I would want Bob’s qualities to be tied to his powers, and I don’t know what those are yet. Quality choices lean much more towards “former mastermind” than “former minion”, so let’s give Bob Technology d10 and Imposing d8. Your classic ranting mad scientist.
Former Villains have an… Expertise… Principle…
Seriously?? If anyone should be Ideals-driven, it would be the person who was a villain until something woke them to heroism. Fine. Whatever. I don’t even mind. Principle of the Gearhead, there.
Step 2: Power Source
Former Villains get the d10, d8, d8 spread, so we roll up 9, 7, and 2. So our choices are Training, Relic, Radiation, Supernatural, and Cosmos. Of those two, I actually like the idea of a supernatural technician, someone who tried to build devices that were powered by magic. This is not a good plan in the Sentinels universe, but Bob didn’t care!
This gives us access to Transmutation d10, Electricity d8, and Vitality d8. Our good doctor can channel the lightning of the heavens to transform the nature of objects, and has turbo-charged his own body. A real self-Frankenstein of a guy.
For Abilities, our good (bad) doctor uses Transmutation to Boost or Hinder people, and Electricity to Boost allies and heal people. Then, once we’re done with those, we get a free Presence d10.
Step 3: Archetype
We’re given d10, d10, d6 for Archetype, and 5, 1, 1 gives us access to Speedster, Shadow, Blaster, and Close Quarters Combatant. We’ve got a lot of electricity, let’s be a Blaster!
This lets us boost our Electricity to d10, and then gives us Ranged Combat d10, Fire d8 (it was that or Momentum), and Inventions d6. Our Blaster has a couple of elements to blast with.
For Abilities, we’ll lean into the elements, since we can’t lean into transmutation. Electricity fires off precise hits, and Fire just rolls over everyone. In Yellow, he becomes immune to electricity, and can use his Inventions to do a lot of damage and Boost.
We get an Esoteric Principle this time around, and I’m going to go with the Principle of the Inner Demon. When Bob channels his inner supervillain, he’s always at risk of slipping back into bad habits. This isn’t quite as literal as the Principle suggests, but it still works well.
Step 4: Personality
Rolling for personality gives us 9 and 9, which lets us choose between Inquisitive and Apathetic, both of which are gone. That leaves us with Naïve or Arrogant, and I’m going to pick Arrogant. For all that he’s turned over a new leaf, there’s a lot of the old villain in Bob.
Step 5: Red Abilities
When in serious danger, sometimes you just need an Impenetrable Defense, powered by your alchemical transformations. And sometimes you just want to unload with a Final Attack, using your best Inventions.
Step 6: Retcon
So, we got a free d10, and there is something that’s really bugging me about this character. Even though it is definitely not the right move, I’m going to swap his Presence and his Inventions to let him use his cool tech for more things.
(The right move is Red to d8, but this means two heroes actually will drop to d6 in the Red Zone.)
Step 7: Health
We’re looking at (8 + Red Die 6 + Athletics 8 + 4) 26 Health this time around. I think all those big Red Dice may have tilted my thoughts about what the standard ranges look like…
Step 8: Alias
We have some extra work to do here. I’m officially naming our friend Bertram Gilles, an engineer who became obsessed with alchemy and its ability to create perfected things. After losing his job because of his ‘mad obsessions’, he undertook criminal activity to develop his alchemical devices, under the name Doctor Phlogiston.
During Oblivaeon, Doctor Phlogiston was released from prison to fight a horde of Aeon Men, saving the lives of many of his fellow prisoners and guards. In the aftermath, he was paroled and put on a work-release program as long as he followed various strict rules and also took action as a superhero, which he does under the alias of Doctor Cobalt. A lot of people don’t know that Phlogiston and Cobalt are the same person, but enough do.
Character Sheet
Doctor Cobalt
Alias: Bertram Gilles
Background: Former Villain, Power Source: Supernatural, Archetype: Blaster, Personality: Arrogant
Principles: Gearhead [Expertise], Inner Demon [Esoteric]
- Roleplaying: You always know the general state of repair or function of an item of technology, whether it’s a simple toaster or an alien orbital defense system. You have a darkness in you that you strive to keep suppressed. You can reach out to similar forces.
- Minor Twists: What mechanical device just shorted out? What sinister act comes from tapping into your dark side?
- Major Twists: What machine just went terribly off the rails? What havoc does your dark side inflict as you allow it to take control?
Status Dice: Green d10, Yellow d8, Red d6
Health: 26 (Green 26-21, Yellow 20-10, Red 9-1)
Qualities:
- Technology (Info) d10
- Ranged Combat (Physical) d10
- Imposing (Social) d8
- Paroled Supervillain (RP) d8
Powers:
- Transmutation (Materials) d10
- Inventions (Tech) d10
- Presence (Intellectual) d6
- Electricity (Element) d10
- Fire (Element) d8
- Vitality (Athletics) d8
Green Abilities:
- Principle of the Gearhead(A): Overcome a technological challenge and use your Max die. You and your allies gain a Hero Point.
- Principle of Inner Darkness (A): Tap into your dark psyche and Overcome using your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
- Firestorm (A): Attack multiple targets with Fire. Use your Min die against each.
- Lightning Bolt (A): Attack using Lightning. Ignore all penalties on this attack, ignore any Defend actions, and it cannot be affected by Reactions.
Yellow Abilities:
- Incredible Machines (A): Attack with Transmutation. Use your Max die. If you choose a hero to go next, also boost them with your Mid die.
- Galvanize (A): Boost an Ally using Lightning. You and nearby heroes in the Yellow or Red zones Recover health equal to your Min die.
- Mass Transmutation (A): Boost or Hinder multiple close targets with Inventions.
- Galvanic Reactor (I): When you would take Lightning damage, reduce that damage to 0 and then Recover that amount of Health.
Red Abilities:
- Unleash The Darkness (A): Attack using Inventions. Use your Max + Mid + Min dice. Take a major twist.
- The Perfected Bezoar (A): Defend using Transmutation against all attacks against you until your next turn, using your Max + Mid die.
Out Ability: Hinder an opponent by rolling your single Transmutation die.
Aftermath: So, I like Doctor Cobalt, but I think he could definitely have been stronger if I wasn’t holding to these rules. He doesn’t have a Reaction because there wasn’t one in his Archetype, I would have given him the ability to defend other people earlier if I’d know that was coming, plus if I didn’t need to give him a new trait in the Archetype phase, he’d have started with Inventions at d10 instead of Fire.
But he still works, and he’s still fun. Not a serious loss.