rarely if ever have I seen a genie wish turnaround get turned back around on them! 
3 Likes
Oh, yes, that was a homebrew I forgot to tag. I think it’s okay power-wise, but it is possible that it should be a reaction.
1 Like
I feel like it happened semi-regularly on I Dream of Jeannie, but my memory may be failing me. Also the Weird Science TV show, which insisted on calling her a “magic genie” at least some of the time. Admittedly, they didn’t wind up getting absorbed in those cases… 
I think it’s fine as-is. At most you’ll get a +4 from a big multitarget Hinder that hands out a total of -12 in penalties (so probably four targets at -3 or six at -2 - not all that easy), and a single target Hinder will never generate more than a +2 rider bonus and even that calls for a -4 penalty, which is no easy feat. That’s not good enough to merit burning a reaction, I’d think.
1 Like
Okay, that was my initial thought, but I’m glad to have it confirmed by another expert. I do think I’ll add a caveat that you have to do it with an action - I can imagine a build using Hinder reactions or ally actions that give you a Hinder that gets out of hand in terms of how many Hinders get turned into Boosts in a round.
And now…
History of Venture Comics, Pt. 4: Dawn of the Silver Age (1958-1961)
In many ways, the Silver Age of Venture Comics was defined by Venture into the Unknown. Anthology comics were nothing new, but in the early days, Venture was specifically looking for stories that they could spin off into new adventures to revitalize the company. Venture into the Unknown featured the company’s first in-depth letters page; while earlier comics had included occasional letters, this one encouraged readers to write in to talk about the stories they particularly enjoyed or wanted more of. It wasn’t entirely clear, in 1958, how successful Venture into the Unknown was going to be at its primary purpose. Out of twelve initial issues, only two titles were launched - Skybreaker Stories and Vanguards! Both of these titles had featured two issues in Venture into the Unknown, but the other eight featured a slate of heroes that were less popular. It was here that it became standard practice to give a second issue to a hero that Venture wasn’t sure about, to let them have a chance to build an audience.
1959 and 1960 saw Venture Comics continue to grow, with the Dread Dynasty kicking off a revitalization of Madame Liberty’s struggling line, the return of Greenheart drawing sales, and Flatfoot’s new villains giving him a stronger image and personality. Even Celestial Travels gave in to superhero fever, featuring a consistent hero for the first time. 1960 also saw a rising tide of crossovers, as Venture Comics began to knit their loose arrangement of heroes closer together and actually have them occupy a shared world, all of which led to the launch of the Champions of Truth.
In 1961, Venture Comics’ lines were doing well, but due to some publication issues, were currently limited to eight titles per month. As a test, Venture Comics used two of those eight slots to launch bi-monthly titles while they worked on getting more space on the shelves, seeing whether releases every other month might support some of their popular, but less critical lines. The Reactors and Wondrous Adventures released opposite each other, and Venture into the Unknown was cut back to bi-monthly to make room for a new line, Champions of Truth.
Champions of Truth debuted with an attack by the malevolent Doctor Freak and his Freak Army on the city of Grovedale, in search of Greenheart’s magic. Fearing that they would not be able to stop him alone, Wonderer’s friend Kamil wished for heroes to gather to save him, and Wonderer’s power drew Madame Liberty, Flatfoot, and Skybreaker together from their respective homes to save the day! The heroes vowed that whenever there was danger that threatened the world, they would come together again, knowing that Wonderer’s power could make it happen. They also promised to stay in contact, and over the next few years each of the five began to appear more frequently in one another’s stories.
The Champions of Truth were not quite the Freedom Five. They assembled when there was danger, and then returned to their lives. Occasionally, Wonderer’s magic would draw out a different hero whose powers were necessary to save the day - a member of the Vanguards or the Reactors, or one of the later heroes who were soon to appear. But the core membership was generally those five, and they were a popular draw for the readers of Venture Comics. Other superhero crossovers became commonplace in Ventures into the Unknown, which began to feature more unusual crossovers and fewer new introductions. In 1961, only one of its six issues featured an attempt at a new hero, who promptly vanished; the others featured two Greenheart stories, a crossover between Greenheart and Wonderer, a solo adventure featuring Captain Bolt, and a crossover in which Doctor Cosmos and Wavelength explored a pocket dimension that proved surprisingly popular, setting up future tales of the two heroines absent their respective teams.
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Maybe just add an “On your turn, when you Hinder…” clause like Adaptive’s “Diversity Through Adversity” uses? That would lock out off-turn actions and most reactions nicely, and has the merit of being brevity. As I’ve said elsewhere the Adaptive ability can be a bit much when used as written but I don’t think that’s an issue here.
More dignified than having to hitch a ride in a Green Lantern bubble and less restrictive than Justice League teleporters.
You just know there have to be stories where some nefarious type manages to take the Wonderer out of action first, or redirect his summons to someplace inconvenient, forcing the team to have to work harder to unite.
2 Likes
The Randomizers:
Background 10, 2, 10 [Options: Criminal, Unremarkable, Adventurer, Former Villain]
Power Source 11, 2, 3 [Options: Training, Genetic, Mystical, Supernatural, Cursed, Genius]
Archetype 8, 2, 3 [Options: Shadow, Powerhouse, Blaster, Flyer, Robot/Cyborg, Sorcerer]
Personality 5, 1, 8 [Options: Lone Wolf, Sarcastic, Distant, Fast Talking, Inquisitive, Analytical]
Big Brain
Real Name: Anton Petrov, First Appearance: (As Professor Puppet) Madame Liberty #234, June 1961. (As Big Brain) Covert Tactics Vol 2. #1, March 1962.
Background: Former Villain, Power Source: Genius, Archetype: Robot/Cyborg
Personality: Analytical, Principles: Discovery, Tactician
Status Dice: Green d10, Yellow d8, Red d6. Health: 30 [Green 30-23, Yellow 22-12, Red 11-1]
Qualities: Technology d10, Alertness d10, Conviction d8, Science d8, Reformed Revolutionary d8
Powers: Power Suit d12, Robotics d10, Lightning Calculator d10, Strength d6, Awareness d6, Flight d6
Green Abilities:
- Initial Loadout [A]: Boost yourself using Power Suit. That bonus is persistent and exclusive.
- Deploy Servitors [A]: Attack using Robotics with a bonus equal to the number of bonuses you currently have.
- Principle of Discovery [A]: When you’re on the forefront in making a discovery or invention and take an Overcome action to further your knowledge, use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
- Principle of the Tactician [A]: Overcome when you can flash back to how you prepared for this exact situation. Use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
Yellow Abilities:
- Reinforce (I): Reduce the amount of physical damage taken by 2 while you are in the Yellow zone and 3 while you are in the Red zone.
- Automated Countermeasures [R]: When you are attacked, first roll your single Power Suit die. Defend yourself with that roll. Then, Boost yourself using that roll.
- I’ve Figured You Out [A]: Attack using Lightning Calculator. Then, if the target of the Attack survived, also Attack that target with your Max die. Otherwise, Recover an amount of Health equal to your Min die.
Red Abilities
- Vent Plasma [A]: Attack multiple nearby targets using Power Suit. Use your Max+Mid dice. Take irreducible damage equal to your Min die.
- Stroke of Genius [A]: Overcome using Alertness. Use your Max+Min dice. Hinder all nearby opponents with your Mid die.
- Robotic Pile-On [A]: Remove a bonus on a target. Hinder that target using Technology. Use your Max die, and the penalty is persistent and exclusive.
Out
- Remove a bonus or penalty of your choice.
In 1962, as they worked to expand their publication lines, the eyes of Venture Comics were on their least profitable titles. A dip in sales had left Covert Tactics on the bottom rung, and the idea was floated to introduce a new team of war-based superheroes who would help fight for the ‘cause of liberty’ in various conflicts. The editors sat down to figure out who could be drawn into the titles, and who should be created for them, and a new idea emerged.
A year before, Madame Liberty had undertaken a two-part adventure in which she did battle with a young Russian genius, Anton Petrov, who was deploying various remote-controlled robots to destabilize West Berlin under the moniker of “Professor Puppet.” After stopping Professor Puppet’s Mayhem Manikins, Madame Liberty discovered that Petrov was a disembodied brain, his seemingly human body just a robotic duplicate after he nearly died in an accident while being forced to develop weapons for the Soviets. She was able to convince the young man to defect to the West and disband his robot army.
Petrov would go on to be the driving force behind a new team as, during his debriefing, he revealed a vast network of Soviet super-science projects being developed, many of them ready to be deployed secretly on the front lines of various puppet conflicts. A team of NATO heroes was formed to follow Petrov’s leads and take down the Soviet network, along with attempts to rescue or convert Soviet scientists. Petrov himself joined the team as Big Brain, providing information, support, a powerful power suit that mimicked a human body and a fleet of tiny robots to act alongside the team from a safe distance.
While Covert Tactics was a borderline-jingoistic product, Petrov himself allowed the writers to retain a level of sympathy for those trapped in autocratic regimes, and the battlefronts on which the team often took part led to conversations about the horror of war that came close to violating the Comics Code on several occasions. A two-parter in late 1965 that was deeply critical of American involvement in Vietnam was shelved after heavy pressure from the CCA, leading to a growing resentment of the authority by the writers that never went away.
Behind the Scenes
I had planned to kick of Covert Tactics with the team’s leader, but I may never get another shot at Former Villain so I’m going for it now.
Petrov joins the grand tradition of scientists who are really just brains in jars, which go back as far as the 1940s are and just weirdly common in comics. Usually, they’re bad guys, which is why this one was a bad guy, for like two issues. Genius and Robot/Cyborg are also a great mix because he can Boost as a reaction every round, rapidly charging up his primary attack by grabbing small boosts that he doesn’t need to use. If he can get an ally who also gives out boosts, he can get some truly wild Attack bonuses going very, very fast, and a persistent-exclusive bonus in Green using d12+d10+d10 is going to be a nice touch.
Unless the Red Herring pops up and turns a bajillion bonuses into penalties, of course. But what are the chance of those two meeting?
2 Likes
Love the concept, but I can’t figure out where you’re getting those P/Q dice from. There’s no source of a d12 at all and there’s an extra d6 that can’t be a retcon since you’ve got three Reds.
By my math, you should have these to spend each step:
Background: Q 10, 8
Power Source: P 10, 8, 8, plus a bonus Info/Mental Q 10
Archetype: 10, 6, 6 with one committed to a P, the others either P/Q, plus a Technological P 10
Personality RP Q 8
The lack of a d12 also lowers your Health by 2 despite the archetype’s special rule for calculating it.
I mentioned this at the top of the thread, but I’m not using the corebook when I generate heroes; I’m using the houseruled version of character creation I use in my own games. I didn’t write it up in detail, because of forum rules. The short version is that my houseruled Former Villain gives d12, d6, d6 as its power source dice.
1 Like
Fair enough. I’ll stop worrying about it, then.
1 Like
The Randomizers:
Background 3, 3, 9 [Options: Performer, Upper Class, Tragic, Adventurer, Medical]
Power Source 2, 8, 4 [Options: Training, Experimentation, Nature, Powered Suit, Tech Upgrades, Artificial Being]
Archetype 3, 2, 6 [Options: Shadow, Powerhouse, Blaster, Close Quarters, Flyer, Elemental Manipulator]
Personality 5, 4, 10 [Options: Mischievous, Sarcastic, Inquisitive, Alluring, Decisive, Jovial]
Corporal Liberty
Real Name: Abe Duncan, First Appearance: (As Corporal Liberty) Covert Tactics Vol 2. #1, March 1962.
Background: Tragic, Power Source: Training, Archetype: Shadow
Personality: Decisive, Principles: Liberty, Powerless
Status Dice: Green d8, Yellow d8, Red d10. Health: H [Green I-J, Yellow L-M, Red N-O]
Qualities: Investigation d10, Acrobatics d10, Stealth d8, Banter d8, Field Inventor d8
Powers: Deduction d10, Gadgets d10, Agility d8, Invisibility d8, Presence d6
Green Abilities:
- Reach the Target [A]: Attacking using Gadgets. Remove one physical bonus or penalty, Hinder a target using your Min die, or maneuver to a new location in your environment.
- Deflect [R]: When you would be dealt damage, roll a D4 while in the Green zone, D6 while in the Yellow, or D8 while in Red. Reduce the damage you take by the value rolled. Attack another target with that roll.
- Principle of Liberty [A]: Overcome in a situation where you are restricted or bound and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
- Principle of the Powerless [A]: Use your knowledge of the limitations of super powers in an Overcome action and use your Max die You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
Yellow Abilities:
- Trained For This [A]: Boost yourself using Deduction. That bonus is persistent and exclusive. Then, Attack with your Min die. You may use the bonus you just created on that Attack.
- Bag of Tricks [A]: Attack using Gadgets. Use your Mid die to Attack one extra target for each bonus you have. Apply a different bonus to each attack.
- Steps in the Road [A]: Attack or Overcome using Deduction. Boost yourself using your Min die.
Red Abilities
- Cunning Fighter (I): Whenever you Attack a target with an action, you may also Hinder that target with your Min die.
- Weak Point [A]: Attack using Deduction. Use your Max+Min dice. Ignore all penalties on this attack, ignore any Defend actions, and it cannot be affected by Reactions.
Out
- Boost an ally by rolling your single Deduction die.
Having settled on the team’s motivating force, the writers of Covert Tactics needed a team leader. Their thought was that this should be someone who could serve as a foil for Petrov - an American tactician and soldier who could match Petrov’s genius, but in a different way. Then someone in the writer’s room said, “Hey, it’s been a few years since Kid Liberty was in anything.”
And thus, Corporal Liberty was born.
Abe Duncan was aged up to his mid-twenties and set up as a recent college graduate approached by the U.S. military to lead Covert Tactics due to his experience in fighting authoritarian regimes. He was given full decision-making authority on the team’s members, and while not all of his choices were ones the military approved of, he was able to get them through. Abe deliberately reached out to overlooked and underappreciated people both within and beyond the military for his core squad and his support team, building a group whose primary goal would be saving lives, not serving the state.
Abe and Anton clashed frequently; the two had very different attitudes towards how to approach danger and the relative benefits of discovery. But their shared connection to Madame Liberty and their shared understanding of living under occupying states (left somewhat vague for Abe, since his current age didn’t remotely work for someone who had been a teenager in World War II) meant that even when they fought, they respected each other. And the other team members Abe would bring in would help cement Covert Tactics as a highly popular title for Venture Comics…
Behind the Scenes
I think we all knew this was going to happen.
I specifically blocked off Kid Liberty for Covert Tactics, on the theory that I would have five tries to build him. Full disclosure: this was not the second attempt, it was the third. I’ve re-arranged the five members of this team so that their introductions will flow a bit more smoothly.
Mechanically, Training/Shadow is a true classic, which also means that Corporal Liberty is a lot like Wraith in terms of qualities and powers - although he only shares one Green and one Yellow ability with her, so there’s some distinction there. Corporal Liberty is still a gadget-maker, using his Field Inventor trait, but he’s a lot less focused on it than he used to be, focusing on investigation and up-close combat. He doesn’t literally have the power to turn invisible, it’s just a representation of his stealth not quite following logic.
2 Likes
The Randomizers:
Background 3, 8, 4 [Options: Performer, Military, Law Enforcement, Struggling, Dynasty, Adventurer]
Power Source 4, 4, 6 [Options: Experimentation, Nature, Powered Suit, Tech Upgrades, Alien]
Archetype 3, 1, 6 [Options: Speedster, Powerhouse, Marksman, Close Quarters, Armored, Elemental Manipulator]
Personality 9, 2, 6 [Options: Natural Leader, Distant, Fast Talking, Inquisitive, Stoic, Jovial]
Pulsejet
Real Name: Kelly Taggart, First Appearance: Covert Tactics Vol 2. #1, March 1962.
Background: Military, Power Source: Tech Upgrades, Archetype: Elemental Manipulator
Personality: Jovial, Principles: Order, Flame
Status Dice: Green d6, Yellow d8, Red d10. Health: 30 [Green I-J, Yellow L-M, Red N-O]
Qualities: Ranged Combat d10, Finesse d10, Self-Discipline d8, Alertness d8, Air Corps d8
Powers: Fire d10, Speed d8, Flight d8, Sonic d8
Green Abilities:
- Rapid Tactics [A]: Boost using Speed, assigning your Min, Mid, and Max dice to 3 different bonuses, one of which must be given to an enemy.
- Sonic Boom [A]: Defend using Sonic. Use your Max die. Boost using your Min die.
- Light It Up [A]: Attack using Fire. Use your Max die. Take damage equal to your Min die.
- Principle of Order [A]: Overcome a challenge where you can organize other people. Use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
- Principle of Flame [A]: Overcome a challenge involving flame and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
Yellow Abilities:
- Fireburst [A]: Attack multiple targets using Fire. Take damage equal to your Max die.
- Internal Combustion [R]: When Attacked, treat the amount of damage you take as a Boost action for yourself.
- Heat Sinks (I): When you would take damage from Fire, you may Recover that amount of Health instead.
Red Abilities
- Jetfuel (I): If you would take Fire damage, ignore that damage and Recover that amount instead. Use the value of the damage to Boost yourself.
- Sonic Firebreak [R]: When multiple nearby heroes are Attacked, you may take all of the damage instead. If you do, roll your Speed die + Red zone die and Defend against the Attack by the total.
- Combustion [A]: Attack using Ranged Combat. Use your Max die. Remove any number of penalties from the target. Add your Min die to the Attack each time you remove a penalty.
Out
- Defend an ally by rolling your single Finesse die.
Tasked with creating a military-adjacent superhero team that would be highly distinct from the Vanguards, one of the goals of the creators of Covert Tactics was to underline that this team wasn’t just an American group, but an international one. Pulsejet served as one of the two team members who underlined this fact, as a member of the Women’s Royal Air Force in Britain.
Flight Lieutenant Kelly Taggart was a decorated pilot in the WRAF, who despite not technically being allowed to fly combat operations had several dozen supply flights over dangerous territory on her record by the age of 24. However, she was stymied by the inability to fly combat missions and a desire to do more.
Corporal Liberty recognized a kindred spirit in Taggart, someone whose inclusion on the team would be respected by his NATO backers but who would be able to operate at a distance. He chose her as the team’s official pilot, and pulled strings for her to acquire an experimental jetpack and flamethrower system that allowed her to fly through the air, shape flames, and turn heat into energy. As Pulsejet, she could fly the team to their destination, and then deploy from the air to support them.
Taggart was a firm supporter of Covert Tactics, but often clashed with the other members. She had risen through the military based on a strong belief in order and the proper chain of command, and the much more freewheeling nature of her teammates often drove her to distraction. At the same time, she was a friendly face and a good soldier, and was close with the team’s entire support staff.
Behind the Scenes
Another classic energy build that sets everything on fire and then uses that fire to keep getting stronger. One thing that this build technically allows, and I would use sparingly, is for Pulsejet to enter Red, hit every nearby enemy and friend with flame, and then shove herself in the path of that flame to cover her friends, deal a truly massive amount of fire damage to herself, heal fully, and put together a free +4 Boost.
Narratively, Pulsejet is set up to be a foil to both Corporal Liberty and Big Brain; she’s the most aggressively military-minded member of the team, and the one who sometimes has to remind the others what their actual purpose is. This is in part to distinguish her from the Human Torch; she’s fired up, but she’s no hothead, and operates much more on a controlled burn.
In the long run, I suspect that Pulsejet’s experimental tech is going to have some permanent effects, possibly including not needing it any more. Her Principle would seem to indicate that.
1 Like
The Randomizers:
Background 5, 6, 1 [Options: Blank Slate, Academic, Upper Class, Law Enforcement, Dynasty]
Power Source 7, 6, 1 [Options: Accident, Nature, Relic, Powered Suit, Cursed]
Archetype 8, 4, 3 [Options: Powerhouse, Marksman, Armored, Flyer, Sorcerer, Psychic]
Personality 5, 2, 4 [Options: Natural Leader, Mischievous, Sarcastic, Distant, Stalwart, Inquisitive]
Irogane
Real Name: Naomi Kimura, First Appearance: Covert Tactics Vol 2. #1, March 1962.
Background: Dynasty, Power Source: Accident, Archetype: Armored
Personality: Sarcastic, Principles: Justice, Mastery
Status Dice: Green d8, Yellow d8, Red d10. Health: 34 [Green 34-26, Yellow 25-13, Red 12-1]
Qualities: Close Combat d12, Banter d10, History d8, Fitness d6, Lifelong Training d8
Powers: Metal d12, Awareness d6, Presence d6, Strength d6
Green Abilities:
- Metal Skin (I): Reduce any physical or energy damage you take by 1 while you are in the Green zone, 2 while in the Yellow zone, and 3 while in the Red zone.
- Patina [R]: When you change personal zones, you may Boost by rolling your single Metal die.
- Overwhelming Assault [A]: Attack using Metal. Attack a second target with your Min die.
- Finishing Blow [A]: Attack using Metal. Recover Health equal to your Min die.
- Spot Danger [A]: Attack using Awareness. Defend another target with your Min die.
- Principle of Justice [A]: Overcome to stop an act of injustice in progress and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
- Principle of Mastery [A]: Overcome in a situation that uses your powers in a new way and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
Yellow Abilities:
- Inspire [A]: Boost any number of nearby targets using Presence. Use your Max die.
- Crush [A]: Attack using Metal. Hinder that same target using your Min die.
Red Abilities
- Metallic Eruption [A]: Hinder any number of targets in the scene using Metal. Use your Max+Min dice. If you roll doubles, also Attack each target using your Mid die.
- Take the Hit [R]: When an opponent Attacks, you may become the target of that Attack and Defend by rolling your single Close Combat die.
Out
- Hinder an opponent by rolling your single Close Combat die.
While the writers of Covert Tactics knew that they were making stories mainly for kids, they also intended to push the team to the edge of what they could get away with, and it turned out that Naomi Kimura was exactly on that line. Naomi’s father, Tetsu Kimura, was secretly the Tengu Warai, the last of a long line of protectors of the common folk in Japan, forced to flee the country in 1936 to avoid being captured and executed by the Imperial military. In America, he met a fellow emigree and fell in love, and Naomi was born in 1939. Then, for reasons that were not written as entirely clear, her family left their jobs and moved to New York, where her father found work as a security guard. Naomi herself was determined to prove herself as a loyal American, learning combat techniques from her father at night and working as a military aide during the day.
All this culminated in Naomi uncovering a Soviet super-science plot to create undetectable super-soldiers, and making the mistake of checking it out personally. In the ensuing fracas, a container of specially-treated metal broke, dousing her in liquid silver and coating her from head to toe. When she recovered, she discovered that her skin was still silvery, and that she could extrude metal from her body and use thin tendrils of it to command and reshape other metal objects and structures. While the military debated what to do about the situation, Corporal Liberty reached out about the possibility of adding Naomi to his team. Madame Liberty had worked with the Tengu Warai in the past, and Abe believed Naomi would be a huge asset. Relieved to have the situation in hand, she was recruited into Covert Tactics as their fourth member, Irogane!
Once again, Irogane brought a new perspective to Covert Tactics, having grown up in a society that she loved, but which left her ostracized. Naomi and Abe bonded quickly, with hints of romance between them, and she had a playful relationship with Anton; her friendship with Kelly was more prickly, with the two not always seeing eye to eye, but she respected Pulsejet’s determination to do the right thing.
Irogane’s creator had intended for her to have grown up in a Japanese internment camp during the second World War, but the Comics Code censors absolutely refused to allow it, and required substantial revisions in order to make the character publishable. This left Covert Tactics in a shaky place, with extra attention being paid to their plots and characters.
Behind the Scenes
Irogane is a tank. Between her damage reduction, her massive health, and her ability to heal on a Green action, she can bounce back and forth between Green and Yellow for a while, picking up extra boosts for herself or her allies. Her primary downside is that because she’s built using two different d12, d6, d6 steps, she is really bad at every power except Metal. When she inspires she can get away with having a Max die, so it won’t hurt as badly, but if she Spots Danger she’s going to need to rely on the bonuses she generates and if something shuts down or interferes with her main power she’s in trouble.
The first draft of Irogane explicitly stated that she grew up in a Japanese internment camp. After some discussion, though, I’ve been convinced that the Comics Code would not let someone get away with mentioning Japanese internment prior to 1971, even in passing. As a result, the specific events of Irogane’s past got sliced up by the censors and won’t be back for a while, ironically mirroring our discussion.
1 Like
The Randomizers:
Background 8, 8, 7 [Options: Law Enforcement, Struggling, Retired, Created, Exile]
Power Source 4, 3, 3 [Options: Genetic, Experimentation, Nature, Relic, Cursed]
Archetype 2, 1, 2 [Options: Speedster, Shadow, Physical Powerhouse, Marksman, Psychic]
Personality 7, 4, 10 [Options: Mischievous, Stalwart, Alluring, Stoic, Decisive, Naive]
The Steward
Real Name: Mali Xur / Max West, First Appearance (Return): Covert Tactics Vol 2. #1, March 1962.
Background: Retired, Power Source: Cursed, Archetype: Physical Powerhouse
Personality: Stoic, Principles: Peace, Mentor
Status Dice: Green d6, Yellow d8, Red d10. Health: 34 [Green 34-26, Yellow 25-13, Red 12-1]
Qualities: Science d12, Close Combat d10, Insight d8, Fitness d6, Alien Scout d8
Powers: Strength d12, Cosmic d6, Size-Changing d6, Presence d6
Green Abilities:
- Hard-Won Experience (I): Whenever you roll a 1 on one or more dice, you may reroll those dice. You must accept the results of the reroll.
- Armored (I): Reduce any physical or energy damage you take by 1 while you are in the Green zone, 2 while in the Yellow zone, and 3 while in the Red zone.
- No Fancy Moves [A]: Attack using Close Combat and use your Max die.
- Principle of Peace [A]: Overcome a situation with serenity instead of violence and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
- Principle of the Mentor [R]: Before a nearby ally rolls to Overcome, you may Boost their Overcome result with your sole status die. If they take a twist from the Overcome, you take a minor twist as well. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
Yellow Abilities:
- Draw Fire [A]: Attack using Strength. The target of that Attack must take an Attack action against you as its next turn, if possible.
- Cosmic Burst [A]: Boost all nearby allies using Cosmic. Use your Max+Mid dice. Hinder yourself with your Min die.
- Cosmic Recovery [A]: Boost yourself using Strength. Then, either remove a penalty on yourself or Recover using your Min die.
Red Abilities
- Burn the Candle [A]: Overcome using Strength in a situation that requires you to be more than humanly capable. Use your Max+Min dice. Boost all nearby allies with your Mid die.
- Ancient Scientist (I): When taking actions using Science, you may reroll your Min die before determining effects.
- Talk Down [A]: Hinder using Insight. Use your Max+Min dice. Boost yourself or an ally with your Mid die.
Out
- Defend an ally by rolling your single Close Combat die.
The final member of Covert Tactics caught readers entirely off-guard, and sparked a fierce debate in the editors’ room of Venture Comics. The Steward was, at this point, a forgotten character, a Centurion rip-off that had vanished from comics a decade before with no fanfare or concern. He was an alien, at odds with the war themes that were still meant to be the core of the comic, and the editors were very worried that he would sink the comic. But the writers laid out their thoughts, and managed to squeeze him in.
Abe Duncan found Mali Xur in Nigeria, having hung up his cape and instead working to help a single village. The hero had aged greatly since his glory days, the disease within him continuing to weaken him even as his powers grew even stronger. Corporal Liberty told him that he needed someone on the team who could be a guiding light - all of the existing members had military backgrounds and personal tragedies, and someone needed to teach them. He’d considered talking to his own mentor, but he knew that she was busy in Germany. But there was no one whose heart he respected more than the man who had chosen to make Earth his home.
Mali Xur was old. He was tired. He had seen a global war despite his best efforts, and the horrors that followed it. But touched by Abe’s faith in him, he dusted off his suit and became the Steward once more, offering words of advice and hope to the members of Covert Tactics. More than once, his quiet wisdom was the difference that convinced one of their targets to come with them, and when the chips were down, he was still able to throw down with the best of them - if for shorter lengths of time than before.
Behind the Scenes
And with that, Covert Tactics resurrects not one, but two heroes of the Golden Age, making them both older and wiser versions of themselves. There is some overlap mechanically between the Steward and Irogane, but I think it’s broad enough to work, and I love the idea of four young heroes and one old man trying to keep them from running face-first into disaster.
I have created an alternative game text for Principle of the Mentor, which I think applies really well to the sort of mentor who hangs back and gives support and advice rather than showing by example. There was some discussion about this - what do people think about a reaction Principle?
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Well, Speed already establishes that Principles don’t always need to be Action abilities, and Reactions are more limited and “cost” more than Innate (or Inherent - I can never recall what I actually stands for) abilities. Seems pretty strong to reactively add ~+2 to ally Overcomes but you’ll also be subject to mods that can make that less predictable than it already is. Certainly flavorful. Maybe deserves some thought about its own suggested twists rather than using the book ones for Mentor straight.
If you wanted to tone it down some, require it to be used before the ally rolls their die pool (which comes after the point where they commit to Overcoming) and have Steward separately suffer the same level of twist the ally does, if any. That puts a lot more twist-risk into it that both parties are largely evading otherwise - by choosing to react after the die roll he can just skip it if the ally whiffs so badly the Boost won’t save the situation.
That’s the only thing I can see being a balance issue - which could be pretty impactful if you have that Athletic Red ability that gives you multiple reactions and the team needs to do a bunch of last-minute Overcomes. If things reach that point it ought to be feel risky even with a wise mentor around to help.
Hmmm… yeah, I think moving it to before is a good idea. I’m not as sure about the twist from a cost perspective, but maybe if it’s limited… okay, how about this:
Principle of the Mentor [R]: Before a nearby ally rolls to Overcome, you may Boost their Overcome result with your sole status die. If they take a twist from the Overcome, take a minor twist. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
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Seems reasonable. The odds of the ally rolling a Major twist result after the bonus from the reaction are very low anyway, unless there’s an absolute pile of penalties in opposition - in which case maybe finding someone else to Overcome seems like a better idea to me.
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You’d be surprised! Assuming no bonuses or penalties, the chance of a major twist on a Mid die Overcome with d8, d8, d10 and a d8 Status die providing a Boost is actually about 7%, or one in fourteen. Rare, but not nearly unheard of!
Obviously, chances drop as the dice sizes grow and if the other hero is using a Max die effect it goes down dramatically, but if they’re using a Max die Overcome they probably don’t need the help.
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Just under a 1-in-14 chance qualifies as pretty darn rare to me, and that all assumes no other dice-fixing, reactive reroll abilities, etc. Also kind of rare to see actual Mid die Overcomes happening IME, between Principles and various other Overcome abilities (which are rarer than I’d like). Most common in smaller groups where there are just plain fewer of those around, of course. Even then you could always just shrug, do a risky basic Overcome using your Max die and hope you didn’t just pay a minor twist for the privilege of taking another minor twist.
I notice people tend to reach for dice-fixer abilities more when they’ve got middling-poor die sizes, but of course they aren’t always an option in character gen aside from a few Reds.
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“If they take a twist from the Overcome, you take a minor twist as well.” would be my let’s-avoid-clarifications edit.
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Done!
The Randomizers:
Background 7, 7, 3 [Options: Performer, Law Enforcement, Unremarkable, Interstellar, Anachronistic]
Power Source 2, 8, 1 [Options: Accident, Training, Genetic, Powered Suit, Radiation, Tech Upgrades]
Archetype 2, 2, 8 [Options: Shadow, Marksman, Flyer, Robot/Cyborg, Psychic]
Personality 10, 4, 8 [Options: Mischievous, Fast Talking, Alluring, Nuturing, Decisive, Apathetic]
The Drifter
Real Name: Zeke Jones, First Appearance: Venture into the Unknown #47, September 1962
Background: Unremarkable, Power Source: Genetic, Archetype: Psychic
Personality: Apathetic, Principles: Levity, Immortality
Status Dice: Green d6, Yellow d8, Red d10. Health: 32 [Green 32-25, Yellow 24-12, Red 11-1]
Qualities: Banter d10, Finesse d8, Self-Discipline d8, Carefree Roamer d8
Powers: Presence d10, Precognition d10, Telekinesis d10, Agility d8, Teleportation d6
Green Abilities:
- Quip [A]: Attack using Banter. Other nearby heroes in the Yellow or Red zone Recover equal to your Min die.
- See the Path [A]: Boost using Precognition. Apply that bonus to all hero Attack and Overcome actions until the start of your next turn.
- Secret Power [R]: After rolling during your turn, you may take 1 irreducible damage to reroll your entire dice pool.
- Principle of Levity [A]: Overcome a dire situation where your jokes prevent demoralization and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
- Principle of Immortality [A]: Overcome a situation involving your physical condition and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
Yellow Abilities:
- Seen It All [R]: When damaged by an environment target or a surprise Attack, Defend by rolling your single Agility die.
- The Look [A]: Attack multiple targets using Presence, using your Min die against each.
- Pratfall [A]: Attack using Telekinesis. Either Attack one target and use your Max die, or two targets and use your Mid die against one and your Min die against another.
- It Was All You [R]: After an ally rolls dice to take an action for their turn but before using the result, Boost that ally’s roll using your single Precognition die.
Red Abilities
- Get Involved [A]: Attack using Telekinesis. Use your Max+Mid+Min dice. Take a major twist.
- Set Them Up, Knock Them Down [A]: Boost another hero using Precognition. If that hero has already acted for the turn, use your Max die, and that hero loses health equal to your Min die. That hero acts next in the turn order.
- How…? (I): At the start of your turn, change any penalty into a bonus.
Out
- Remove a bonus or penalty of your choice.
By late 1962, Venture Comics was on the verge of resolving their publication issues and expanding their list of titles once again. In addition to looking at turning a couple of their bi-monthly titles back into monthlies, this meant introducing new characters and working to get them some traction. One writer suggested a superhero with a bit more comic flair than the Venture Comics standard, quickly sketching out a story about someone who didn’t want to be a hero but who kept getting involved anyway, stopping villains and solving problems without anyone even knowing he was there. After a few passes, the Drifter was born.
Zeke Jones was, to all appearances, a nobody; a slightly bored, quip-prone guy who moved around a lot, taking odd jobs and keeping his head down. He’d make friends everywhere he went, but he never stayed long and he never got involved. This was because Zeke Jones was also an immortal psychic from an ancient mystical bloodline of champions, able to peer into people’s minds, reshape the world with a thought, see the future at a glance and even slip from place to place without covering the ground in between. But Zeke didn’t want to use his vast powers. He didn’t want to be someone special. So he ran away, and spent the next several centuries experiencing the world, enjoying it, and generally being a laid-back and friendly guy who’d lend a hand in little ways.
Except that big things had a way of crossing Zeke’s path, and while he hated getting involved, he’d hate it more if someone got hurt while he was there to stop it. So when supervillains threatened his latest home, he would use his precognitive abilities, telekinesis, and even mind control to inspire the locals to fight back and protect them from harm, easily scattering villains. Zeke often crossed paths with other heroes, who generally mistook him for one of the civilians they were trying to rescue, and he helped them out in the same way. The only one who seemed to know who he was was the Wonderer, although the exact details of their prior connection weren’t clear; after a crossover with the Champions of Truth in 1964, the Wonderer privately approached Zeke and let him know that he was glad Zeke was doing well, and the two went out to chat about ‘the old days’ together. Wonderer also made it clear in that issue that he wasn’t planning to tell his allies about Zeke, letting his friend make the decision about revealing himself in his own time.
Technically, the Drifter would not get his own comic in the Silver Age. Instead, he was prominent in the now-monthly Wondrous Adventures, usually but not entirely in backup stories, as well as making appearances in both Into the Green, Venture into the Unknown, and occasionally Champions of Truth.
Behind the Scenes
This one went through some changes.
When I started with Unremarkable I was initially planning on making Venture’s first comedy character, and my image was that he was a jokey acrobatic who humiliated villains and goofed off a bunch. Then I gradually changed, bit by bit, until we got to “slightly goofy guy who’s secretly extremely powerful but also doesn’t want to get involved or do anything, really.” In many ways, I have created the anti-Scholar, and I suspect the writers of the Drifter were at least a little bit inspired by that particular hero.
I think my favourite part of this character is that it is, in fact, possible to play him fully effectively in an action scene without any other hero realizing that he’s present. It would be a pain in montages; you’d probably need some situation in which everyone thinks he’s part of their team’s support staff, but he’s secretly the psychic powerhouse.
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