Thanks, and welcome to the boards!
Eighteen down, two to go. We are so close that I can taste it! We’re also in the odd situation in which I know almost exactly what my last two friends look like, because there are only two options left for everything. The only question is what doubled Archetypes we end up with.
Step 1: Background
We’re finally getting around to one of the stronger Archetypes – Retired. Jay was a hero back in the 80s and early 90s, but when they had children, they set aside their powers to let others take up the call of heroism. Now, they’re pushing 60 and looking at the world, and they want to make it safe for their children and grandchildren. It’s time to step up again.
I get Social and Information Principles, and I’m going to take Insight d10 and Magical Lore d10. Jay understands people, and understands magic. They used to be a lot more athletic, but time marches on.
As a Retired Hero, I get an Identity Principle, and the Principle of Levity seems good, here. Jay has seen enough to not take anything too seriously, and tries to keep everyone’s spirits up with the occasional wisecrack and silly joke.
Step 2: Power Source
Our two choices are Higher Power and Multiverse, so we’re taking Higher Power. Jay was Chosen to be a superhero by a force of pure goodness. I don’t think it’s a literal divine force, though. More that it’s a ‘heavenly’ realm that looked at the world and decided that they needed to do something to help, and empowering a good-hearted human was the most they could do.
We hit an interesting little wrinkle here, but I love it. Retired gives a d12 and two d6s, and we have to take Toxic according to my rules. So our Chosen One can control poisons and toxic things, either purifying them or enhancing them into those who have done wrong. They also pick up Strength d6, and Suggestion d6; they can influence minds just a little bit, and are pretty strong.
Following along on the ‘healing and toxins’ route, Yellow gives Jay the ability to unleash toxins in people’s bodies that hurt and hinder them; doing that creates a feedback effect that also hurts Jay. Instead, they can make an attack with their Strength, and use that to Boost anyone who is trying to Attack or Overcome. In Green, they can burn the toxins in themselves to reroll their pool when it comes up short.
Step 3: Archetype
We are Modular! We still have to roll d10, d8, d8 to determine our secondary Archetype, though. With results of 1, 5, and 6 we get Speedster, Blaster, Close Quarters Combatant, Armored, and Sorcerer. The only thing this gives us is dice choices and a Principle.
I’m going to take Close Quarters Combatant, just to get a Responsibility Principle, which sounds good. This requires me to take Close Combat d10, and I’ll add Flight d8 and Vitality d8 to the mix. Looks like the physical stuff can be recovered.
As a Modular character, I get four Modes for Jay (plus default), and I think these are the four semi-divine beings that they can call upon for power. First, Jay gets the basic ability to Boost and then change Modes, which is okay but not impressive (compare to Form-Changer, which is much more versatile.) In Yellow, they can destroy a bonus, change modes, and then act, and in Red they can change modes if they’re hit, but they take more damage.
In Green, calling upon Desalath, Incarnate of Speed locks Jay into Toxic d10, Flight d10, Strength d8, and Vitality d8. In this mode they can’t attack enemies or Boost themselves, but can do powerful overcomes and get around the area rapidly in preparation for hitting Yellow.
In Yellow, Jay can call upon Sirrek, Incarnate of Hope, locking themselves into Toxic d12, Flight d4, Vitality d12, Suggestion d4. In this form they can’t Hinder or Overcome, but can use their Vitality to defend everyone efficiently (which also makes their Toxic attack even stronger, since they won’t be Hindering themselves…) Alternately, they can call upon Toran, Incarnate of Power, and lock themselves into Toxic d10, Vitality d6, and Strength d12. They can unleash extremely powerful Attacks while Defending themselves, but can’t Boost, Hinder, or Overcome (which as an aside, also affects that Toxic area attack, making it just a nice area attack.)
Finally, in Red, Jay can call upon Cyrox, Incarnate of Sin. In this mode they are engulfed by toxic energies, getting only the Powers of Toxic d12, Vitality d10, and Strength d6, and they can’t Boost or move, but their basic attacks become much stronger.
Jay’s Responsibility Principle is the Principle of Family. We mentioned their family back at the start, and now we can make it a huge part of their life. They’re married, they have several siblings and cousins and numerous children, plus a few grand-children to boot.
Step 4: Personality
Well, we’re finally getting it. Mischievous lets us use Toxic instead of Vitality for health, at the cost of a worse Red Die. Going to have to fix that later.
Step 5: Red Abilities
Our primary goal in Red is to make the Destroyer Form even more nonsense. Inspiring Totem lets Jay take a basic action when they use an Ability Action, which means stacking multiple attacks onto area attacks. Endurance Fighting lets you Hinder anyone you attack; I’ve already taken it, but I’m going to stretch and take it again because it’s so silly.
Basically, in this Mode, Jay can use their Toxic power to attack multiple people, then Hinder them, then Hinder them, then attack one or two more people and Hinder them. It is a devastating swarm of toxic nightmare.
Step 6: Retcon
We could push Red to d10, but instead I’m going to take Impossible Knowledge to just really, really be the worst.
Step 7: Health
We’re looking at (8 + Red 8 + Toxic 12 + 4) 32 Health for Jay!
Step 8: Alias
Jay channels mystical beings through themselves in order to control life and death. I’m going to go ahead and call them… The Channeler. Because it’s simple.
Character Sheet
The Channeler
Alias: Jay Ingram
Background: Retired, Power Source: Higher Power, Archetype: Modular [Close Quarters], Personality: Mischievous
Principles: Levity [Identity], Family [Responsibility]
- Roleplaying: You keep your positive outlook even when all hope is lost. Your spirit is nearly impossible to break. Your family is an important part of your life. You have relatives in a wide range of fields that you can call upon.
- Minor Twists: Who did you offend by making light at the wrong time? Which member of your family just compromised your mission?
- Major Twists: What has finally caused your spirits to break? What do you have to give up in your heroic life for the sake of your family?
Status Dice: Green d6, Yellow d8, Red d8
Health: 32 (Green 32-24, Yellow 23-12, Red 11-1)
Qualities:
- Insight (Social) d10
- Magical Lore (Info) d10
- Close Combat (Physical) d10
Powers:
- Toxic (Materials) d12
- Flight (Mobility) d8
- Vitality (Athletic) d8
- Strength (Athletic) d6
- Suggestion (Psychic) d6
Green Abilities:
- Principle of Levity (A): Overcome a dire situation in which your jokes prevent demoralization and use your Max die. You and your allies gain a Hero Point.
- Principle of Family (A): Overcome in a situation in which you’ve been given advice from a family member and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
- Absolute Conviction ®: After rolling during your turn, you may take 1 irreducible damage to reroll your entire die pool.
- Call Upon (A): Boost yourself with Magical Lore, then change Modes.
Yellow Abilities:
- Poisonous Sin (A): Attack multiple targets using Toxic. Use your Mid die. Hinder all targets damaged with your Min die. Hinder yourself with your Max die.
- Lead the Way (A): Attack with Strength. Boost all nearby heroes using Attack or Overcome actions with your Min die until the start of your next turn.
- Empowered Call (A): Destroy a bonus on you, then change Modes. Take an action in your new Mode.
Red Abilities:
- Divine Channeling ®: When you are hit by any attack, you may change to any Mode. If you do, take extra damage equal to the attack’s Min die, or take a minor twist.
- Infectious (I): Whenever you use an Ability action, you may also perform a basic action using your Mid die on the same roll.
- Corrosive (I): Whenever you Attack a target with an action, you may also Hinder that target with your Min die.
- Impossible Knowledge (I): At the start of your turn, change any penalty into a bonus.
Modes:
Default Mode: No special changes.
Desalath, Incarnate of Speed [Green]
- Powers: Toxic d10, Flight d10, Strength d8, Vitality d8
- Cannot Attack or Boost.
- Scout (A): Overcome using Flight. Defend yourself with your Max die. Then, you end up anywhere in the scene.
Sirrek, Incarnate of Hope [Yellow]
- Powers: Toxic d12, Flight d4, Vitality d12, Suggestion d4.
- Cannot Hinder or Overcome.
- Shield of Faith (A): Defend yourself and all nearby Allies using Vitality until the start of your next turn.
Toran, Incarnate of Power [Yellow]
- Powers: Toxic d10, Vitality d6, Strength d12
- Cannot Boost, Hinder, or Overcome.
- Punishing Blow (A): Defend using Strength. Attack with your Max die.
Cyrox, Incarnate of Sin [Red]
- Powers: Toxic d12, Vitality d10, Strength d6
- Cannot Boost or move.
- Toxic Storm (I): Whenever you take a basic Attack action, either use your Max + Min dice to Attack one target, or Attack one target with your Max die and a second with your Mid die.
Out Ability: Hinder an opponent by rolling your single Toxic die.
Aftermath:
Oh, wow. I think I may have broken the game just a touch.
Jay is an absolute nightmare, which is ironic given that they’re a divine champion. In Green they’re pretty weak; they can either stay in default form and be limited to unboosted basic actions, or they can shift into a form that can’t attack or boost and focus on Overcoming and defending themselves.
When things hit Yellow, though, Jay explodes. Both of their alternate modes modify their powerful area attack; one does so by turning it into a flat strong area attack, and the other mode just removes its drawback and makes it extremely powerful. They’ve got an immensely powerful area Defend if they need it, and a strong defend/attack against individual enemies if the area Attack/Hinder isn’t doing it.
And then they hit Red, and every enemy who isn’t immune to toxins just dies.
Poisonous Sin, at this point, rolls d12 + d10 + d8. Then it attacks multiple enemies with Mid and Hinders all of them with Min twice. Then Jay can either hit one person with Max + Min and also Hinder them with Min, or hit one person with Max and a second with Mid and Hinder them both with Min.
Then Jay will Hinder themselves with their Max die.
Then at the start of their turn, they turn that penalty into a bonus for the next Poisonous Sin.
It’s absolute goddamn nonsense. It has just enough vulnerabilities that I think it’s playable (can’t work against toxic-immune enemies, can’t work against highly mobile enemies who get away, and you pin yourself down) but I honestly think there’s a possibility that after seeing this in play for a couple sessions I might request a rebuild to be less overwhelming.