I continue to work on and evolve the style of art I’m going to use for the Parahuman rulebook. Today, I present to you another picture of Emerald.
This one was done on my iPad using a Wacom Bamboo Stylus rather than my fingertips. I think it turned out much better than my previous attempts.
Here is the statblock, created in Hero Lab, for one of the villains of the Parahuman campaign setting: Phyr. 
Phyr is the daughter of Charon, and was the favored of his children, right up until she cruelly slew an entire village in Korea for no other reason than she was bored.
Charon did not approve of this, and a battle ensued. The stronger, far older Charon won and, as punishment for her transgressions, stole Phyr’s left eye, feeding it to a crow. Because Phyr does not have the regeneration abilities of many Immortals, she was unable to regenerate her eye and now wears a patch to conceal the gaping wound.
Banished from his sight and disowned by her Immortal father, Phyr took the gifts he allowed her to keep and headed out on her own to sow destruction, fear and misery wherever she goes.
Phyr – PL 10
Strength 2, Stamina 4, Agility 5, Dexterity 3, Fighting 5, Intellect 2, Awareness 4, Presence 4
Advantages
- Accurate Attack
- Artificer
- Attractive 2
- Eidetic Memory
- Improved Critical 3: Cut the Flesh
- Improved Trip
- Languages 2
- Power Attack
- Weapon Bind
- Weapon Break
Skills: Acrobatics 6 (+11), Athletics 4 (+6), Close Combat: Cut the Flesh: Strength-based Damage 10 2 (+7), Close Combat: Slash: Strength-based Damage 6 7 (+12), Close Combat: Worst Fear: Affliction 10 5 (+10), Insight 2 (+6), Intimidation 16 (+20), Persuasion 8 (+12), Sleight of Hand 6 (+9), Stealth 6 (+11), Treatment 8 (+10)
Powers
- Charon’s Blessing: Immunity 11 (magical, Aging, Life Support)
- Charon’s Call (Mystic Scythe) (Easily Removable (indestructible)): Cut the Flesh: Strength-based Damage 10 (magical, slashing, DC 27; Penetrating 10) [Alternate Power: Slash: Strength-based Damage 6 (Alternate; magical, slashing, DC 23; Multiattack, Penetrating 6)]
- Charon’s Daughter: Protection 4 (magical, +4 Toughness; Impervious)
- Worst Fear: Affliction 10 (fear, magical, 1st degree: Impaired, 2nd degree: Defenseless, 3rd degree: Incapacitated, Resisted by: Will, DC 20)
Offense: Initiative +5
- Cut the Flesh: Strength-based Damage 10, +7 (DC 27)
- Grab, +5 (DC Spec 12)
- Slash: Strength-based Damage 6, +12 (DC 23)
- Throw, +3 (DC 17)
- Unarmed, +5 (DC 17)
- Worst Fear: Affliction 10, +10 (DC Will 20)
Complications:
- Disability: One Eye: Phyr lost her eye in a battle with her father, Charon. As a result, she has poor depth perception (-2 to any ranged attacks) and prefers to get into melee whenever possible.
- Motivation: Thrills: Though Phyr has not been around as long as many Immortals, she is easily bored and is prone to self-destructive behavior.
Languages: English, German, Greek
Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 10, Fortitude 6, Toughness 8, Will 8
Power Points: Abilities 58 + Powers 43 + Advantages 14 + Skills 35 (70 ranks) + Defenses 14 = 164
Created With Hero Lab® – try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com!
[tags]Role Playing Games,RPGs,Mutants & Masterminds,Parahuman[/tags]
And the playtesting continues…in their first adventure our heroes foil an assassination attempt against he daughter of the famous Patriot by the Parahuman assassin, Friction and face down the infamous Blitz, WWII Nazi Wunderkind and Patriot’s greatest enemy…
[podcast]http://rollsomedice.com/recordings/Vanguard_Playtest_Issue_1_Eulogies.mp3[/podcast]
[tags]actual play,mutants & masterminds,parahuman,playtest,podcast,superheroes[/tags]
Zaibatsu Corporation Bio-Organic Technology
Bio-organic technology was pioneered by Zaibatsu Corporation and has become all the rage in Japan. These devices are made of specialized symbiotic cells, vat grown and manipulated to for the devices below. There are two grades of bio-organic technology. Common bio-organic technology can be purchased on the open market, though it’s not cheap, and is considered a status symbol among Japanese socialites and are legal to own. Military grade bio-organic technology, on the other hand, is only supplied to Japanese military organizations, including the National Japanese Police Force. Nevertheless, these items find their way into the hands of criminals and parahuman villains, particularly those associated with the Yakuza, with an alarming regularity.
These should be purchased just like normal powers since most, once attached, cannot be removed, but because they are relatively common (in Japan anyway) they are included in this chapter.
Bio-Claw
Grade: Military
Appearing as a fleshy gauntlet with wickedly sharp claws, this bio-organic device is known as a “Demon’s Claw” in common terms. Its use should be obvious. Design: Damage 5 ranks Cost: 5
Bio-Energy Blaster
Grade: Military
This bio-organic device looks like a reddish fleshy nodule with an eye at one end. It attaches to the user’s forearm. The user can project a plasma blast from the eye. Design: Ranged Damage 10 ranks Cost: 20
Cosmetic Modification
Grade: Common
This bio-organic device actually covers a wide range of possibilities; from unnatural-colored eyes to features that give an animalistic appearance (such as zebra stripes) to permanently perfectly-styled hair to bioluminescent skin that displays the correct time. This is the most common form of bio-organic technology seen in Japan and is available at almost any hospital and many clinics. Unlike other bio-organic technology, these modifications can be purchased with the Equipment feat, with each separate modification costing only one point. Design: N/A. These modifications grant no powers or abilities and can be considered Features. Cost: 1
Dermal Modification
Grade: Common or Military
The user’s body is covered in a silverish skin that is a hundred times more dense (a thousand times for Military Grade) than normal human flesh. The Common Grade Dermal Modification offers Protection 5 while the Military Grade offers Protection 10. Design: Protection 5 (Common); Protection 10 (Military) Device Cost: 5 (Common); 10 (Military)
Diplomat’s Collar
Grade: Common
This bio-organic device is a piece of greenish-blue flesh that attaches to the user’s neck and wraps around to include the user’s ears. It allows the wearer to speak and understand any language. Design: Comprehend Languages (Speak and Understand) 2 ranks Cost: 4 points
Long Grasp
Grade: Common
This glove of bio-organic material fits over the wearer’s own hand, and provides perfect tactile sensations even through the vein-filled reddish skin. The bio-organic flesh of the “glove’s” wrist is able to extend and expand greatly, while still enabling the wearer to feel the sensations and control the hand up even several feet away. Design: Elongation 2 ranks Cost: 2
Regenaskin
Grade: Common or Military
Police officers and military personnel are often wounded in combat. This bio-organic second skin, which renders the wearer’s own flesh a pale white, is able to speed up the normal healing process to incredible degrees. Design: Regeneration 1 rank (Common) or Regeneration 5 ranks (Military) Cost: 1 (Common) or 5 (Military)
Symbiotic Muscles
Grade: Common or Military
This bio-organic device comes in two grades. Common Symbiotic Muscles enhance a user’s physical ability scores 2 points while Military Symbiotic Muscles enhance them by 4 points; each symbiotic muscle can only treatment can affect only one ability score, though Symbiotic Muscles can be mixed and matched to enhance multiple Abilities. The bio-organic device appears to be thick, ropy muscles that attach externally to the wearer’s body. Design: Enhanced Ability 2 ranks (Common) or 4 ranks (Military) Cost: 4 (Common) or 8 (Military) per enhanced ability.
Third Arm
Grade: Common
The user has a third arm that attaches somewhere, usually the chest or below one of the user’s primary arm. Using this arm is as easy and natural as using one’s own off-hand. The arm is obviously inhuman in appearance, with large, fleshy bulges and thick blue veins. Design: Extra Limbs, 1 rank Cost: 1
(Note: A big thanks to Nick for the new Parahuman logo.)
[tags]RPGs,Roleplaying Games,Mutants & Masterminds,Parahuman[/tags]
This week, my Mutants & Masterminds group got together to do a little character conceptualizing for the new Parahuman campaign. And we decided to record it. You can Click To Play or Click to Download below. Enjoy!
Available right here, through DriveThruRPG or on iTunes.
[tags]Role Playing Games, rpgs, Mutants & Masterminds, podcast, parahuman[/tags]
(Note: This is still early stage stuff and may go through some revisions/corrections before the final product)
The Special Parahuman Police Force normally could not stand against a Parahuman threat and makes use of power armors when it must stop a Parahuman threat in the city. Below are examples of two of the SPPF power armors in common usage.
SPPF Wasp First Responder Power Armor
Device (Removable): 94 points
–Communication (Radio; Long Range, 3 ranks; Extras: Area, Selective; Flaws: Limited only to other SPPF officers)–20 points
–Sting (Blast; 8 ranks)–16 points
–Enhanced Strength (4 ranks)–8 points
–Enhanced Agility (8 ranks)–16 points
–Enhanced Dexterity (8 ranks)–16 points
–Flight (8 ranks)–16 points
–Immunity (Life Support; 10 ranks)–10 points
–Protection (5 ranks)–5 points
–Features: Radio–1 point
–Note: All powers are Innate; +9 points
The Wasp is a first responder unit; fast and lightweight. It doesn’t pack the punch that the Tankbuster has, but is definitely much quicker and more agile.
SPPF Tankbuster Heavy Combat Power Armor
Device (Removable): 63 points
–Communication (Radio; Long Range, 3 ranks; Extras: Area, Selective; Flaws: Limited only to other SPPF officers)–20 points
–Cannon (Blast; 10 ranks)–20 points
–Enhanced Strength (4 ranks)–8 points
–Massive Size (Growth; 4 ranks; Extra: Permanent)–8 points
–Immunity (Life Support; 10 ranks)–10 points
–Protection (4 ranks)–4 points
–Features; Radio–1 point
–Note: All powers are Innate; +7 points. Because of the Massive Size, the suit gives the following modifications (on top of other modifications from the other powers: +4 Strength, +4 Stamina, +4 to Mass, +2 to Intimidation, -4 Stealth, -2 Dodge and Parry, +1 to size)
The Tankbuster is a heavy combat unit designed to go toe to toe with fairly powerful Parahumans.
The above statistics are for standard SPPF Wasp and Tankbuster power armors. The armors are often outfitted for specific missions, usually with less lethal weaponry such as Foamcasters or Nullifiers.
[tags]RPGs,Parahuman,Previews,Mutants & Masterminds[/tags]
A GENETIC STUDY OF THE PARAHUMAN UNCERTAINTY FACTOR
By: Takashimi Oshoti, Director of P-Factor Genetics, Zaibatsu Corporation (translated)
Despite access to the best genetics technology available in the world, the Parahuman Uncertainty Factor, or P-Factor as it is commonly called, remains a solid mystery. But what, exactly, do we know?
Through study of genetic samples from parahumans ranging across all currently recognized scientific categories, we can determine a few similarities. Frustratingly, predicting and controlling the natural genetic spontaneity of the P-Factor, or producing parahuman mutation on a genetic level to predetermine the abilities and presence of parahuman capabilities, remains one of our top unachieved goals.
What is known is that the parahuman DNA structure contains an additional amino strand. While the standard human DNA structure contains a helix-shaped amino complex, the parahuman complex contains a third strand which runs down the center of the complex. It is believed that this amino strand is what enables the parahumans to develop their powers and abilities.
Furthermore, few are born with this third amino strand, making the category of the Born something of a misnomer, as they almost always develop the strand later in life. Of the 150,000 test subjects monitored for a period of 30 years (see notes on the Oni Project), only 5% developed the strand naturally. Only .2% of those were born with the third stand, and all of those fell into the Immortals classification. The remaining 4.8% of subjects developed the strand over a period of time ranging from early childhood (3% of the cases) to late adolescence (70% of cases) to adulthood (20% of cases). This number includes those categorized as both Born and Mystics. It was impossible to conclude which of the subjects would exhibit the P-Factor, nor which abilities would be developed. Approximately 72% of the subjects developed what are known as “minor abilities,” which have little to no practical application. The remaining 18% developed the “major abilities” we associate with parahumans in the media.
Another 4% of the remaining non-parahuman test subjects were able to be induced, categorized as Experiments (see notes on the Zhinma project). Of those 5,700 Experiments, 80% grew the third amino-strand, but were killed by the process. The remaining 20% developed functional and useful parahuman abilities.
As a note of interest, samples of Clatishian DNA gathered from the Rosewll crash site and the later Invasion, as well as willing Clatishian donors, share the third amino-acid strand, though they have an additional triglyceride. This perhaps gives some credence to old cultural beliefs that the first parahumans were created by beings from the stars.
Attempts to induce Experiment status on unborn fetuses, both vat-clone and natural, resulted in a 100% mortality rate. In vat-clone children, successful Experiment status was able to be induced somewhat earlier than natural children; within the first tri-year state for vat-clones as opposed to no earlier than the 5th year for natural children.
Among survivors of the Zhinma Project, some uniformity was able to be obtained between various subjects, primarily the ability to appear completely normal, and to supply these Experiments with three identifiable levels of abilities. The first grade of Zhinma, while the weakest, are the easiest to control genetically. Dai and Hyper-grade Zhinma, however, prove to foil our attempts to completely shape the outcome of their genetic mutation, so the progress with the first grade of Zhinma should not be considered success in controlling the elusive P-Factor.
It is widely believed by researchers on the project that the strange and unreadable notes hidden throughout the original tract on the Wunderkind formulae might well provide the answers needed to control the P-Factor and the way it mutates. Unfortunately, the notes on translating the language in which the notes are scribbled were not delivered with our initial package of Wunderkind serum and research logs. And if the rumors about the original experiments are correct, it is questionable as to whether it would be morally correct to even successfully translate the notes were we to actually receive the information needed to decrypt them.
Perhaps fortune will smile upon us with the G2 Project.
[tags]Parahuman,Mutants & Masterminds,RPGs,superheroes[/tags]
