Once upon a time, Princess Pauline lived in a huge castle atop a hill surrounded by an enchanted wood populated with all manner of friendly animals. Then the orcs came and Princess Pauline was forced to escape with the aid of a gruff dwarf and a love-struck paladin. They had a series of hilarious adventures (most of which involved Princess Pauline singing and looking immaculate)  and now find themselves questing through dungeons in search of the Key to True Love which will banish the orcs from Princess Pauline’s kingdom forever. Then they will all live happily ever after.

Except maybe the dwarf.

Dirty Little Secret: The power behind the orc invasion is none other than Princess Pauline’s evil stepmother, a wicked Night Hag intent on claiming the tiny kingdom as her own. In order to do that she needs to ensure that Princess Pauline dies in as gruesome a manner as possible. Or eat an apple. Either works.

Notes: 4e D&D Bards make excellent Disney Princesses. In fact they might as well have just called it the Disney Princess character class. With a fine singing voice and the ability to get friends and foes alike into all sorts of japes in battle (not to mention lullabies at bedtime), your Bard Disney Princess is a worthy (if frustrating) addition to any adventuring party. As your Rituals, take Animal Messenger and Create Campsite and your woodland friends will only be too eager to help with your domestic chores.

Here is Princess Pauline’s character sheet at 1st level.

Enjoy!

Drew had fled into the sewers, hiding in the comforting darkness. Silence enveloped him as he considered his fate and the evil he had faced that day. That was when they came. The Rats.

They brought him food and water, kept him warm in the cold dark. Their chatter filled his mind as they showed him the secrets of the Under City. He learned the most forgotten sewer routes, the ancient caves that speak of a time before civilised man. They showed him how to use the shadows, and when to choose the right moment to attack. He also saw what it means to go against the law of the pack; justice should be swift, absolute and without mercy.

When the time was right, they showed him the way back into the light.

Drew reclaimed his heritage as head of Duayne Industries, secretly funnelling off the R&D budget to craft a secret base and array of vehicles, weapons, armour and equipment. When the darkness falls, Ratman roams the streets bringing justice – swift, absolute and without mercy.

Not the best render in the world. Picture Batman but skinny, brown and no cape. Got that? ‘Kay.

Dirty little secret: At the centre of it all in the deepest dark sits The Rat King, immortal, silently plotting, using the weakest and most vulnerable of human children to unknowingly forge an army of conquest. And as for the laughing criminal who killed Drew’s parents – well, every King needs a Jester……

Notes: Much as I like Batman, his origin story is a bit crap, isn’t it? I mean – he sees a bat from his bedroom window and decides to become Batman; what’s that about? He could have seen a tree and become Treeman, or the Moon and turned into Moon Knigh… I mean, Moonman. Heck, we could have Cloudman running around catching the crooks if he’d looked up five minutes earlier. The bats did nothing for him except provide a fashion theme. Big woo. So here’s my take where the Rats aid poor Drew, care for him, nurture him and become (should he ask it of them) and entire frickin’ ARMY for him. Bats? Bats are for wusses.

Supporting characters: Colin (weedy sidekick wannabe); Nighthawk (an earlier Colin, now fully grown), Arnold (butler, secretly in the pay of the Rat King), Ratgirl (teenager, also taken in by the Rats); Ratwoman (slightly mad lady with a rat fetish); The Jester (arch enemy), Ratmite (don’t ask).

Stats as per Costumed Adventurer archetype, Mutants & Masterminds, Second Edition page 18. Here’s the direct link to the whole of Chapter One (which includes these stats, and more), for free!

(Note to self: Getting behind on my ICONS and Risus Superheroes versions. Must fix that.)

“Gunfire, ah thought you ni-… black folks could all run fast!”
“Honey, I’m from New York. We don’t run anywhere. We just walk like we mean it.”

Meanwhile in upstate New York, Casey Chambers was also having problems with words. In her case, the words were “You’re fired!”, and it was the sixth time she’d heard them in as many months. Her anger management classes suggested a little therapeutic firearm practice, and that’s where the word “Fire” took on a whole new meaning.

“Can’t you just let one of ‘em get close enough for me to hit ‘em? Just one?”
<BLAM> <BLAM> <BLAM> “CAN’T HEAR YOU!”

Refusing the Iron Coach’s “compulsory performance enhancers” meant one thing: being pinned down and strapped to a chair by the rest of the team then having his arm shot with needles while they all cheered on. All for the sake of the team, of course. But the mix o’ drugs they pumped him with that day…. it wasn’t quite right.

“Look at their balls, swing the bat. Look at their balls, swing the bat.” <THWACK!>
“Oh honey that’s gonna leave a mark. On the ceiling.”

The firearms coach told her to hold the gun and funnel everything she’s got into the trigger. All her anger, all her hopes and dreams. Then squeeze. Forty feet away, the target blew into a thousand pieces. Odd thing is, the gun wasn’t even loaded.

“What you running from, Johnny?”
“I broke a gym. And the building. And the baseball team. And the coach. Guess I’m gonna keep running till they catch me. Who you running from, Cass?”
“… Myself, I guess.”
“Damn girl. You’s already caught.”

Dirty little secret: It goes without saying that the evil drug-peddling Iron Coach is after Brickbat so he can replicate the formula, right?

Notes: Brickbat is your typical brick with a bat (hence the name) and Gunfire can shoot bullets of fire with her guns (hence the name). They’re about as stereotypical as can be (a Deep South lummox and a New York sassgirl) but…. I dunno. There’s something about them. Chemistry. Love these two!

For both characters, their weapons (the guns and the bat) are just pieces of equipment that they use as a focus. Brickbat is just as effective a hitter when unarmed and Gunfire doesn’t really need the guns to fire her blasts – the ones she uses are just plastic toy guns as that way she doesn’t need a firearms license and it doesn’t matter if they fall into the wrong hands.

As such, these items don’t influence the points of their powers or abilities.

Brickbat AKA Johnny Noxx, PL8 120pp
Str 30, Dex 16, Con 26, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 16
Tough +8, Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +9
Attack +8, Defense +8, Init +3

Super-Strength 2 (Thunderclap 40′ Area, DC 18, Heavy Load 3.2 tons)

Handle Animal +6, Notice +7, Profession:Baseball +4, Sense Motive +7, Survival +7
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Improved Block 2, Improved Grapple, Takedown Attack 1

Equipment: Baseball bat

Gunfire AKA Casey Chambers, PL8 120pp
Str 13, Dex 24, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 16
Tough +1/+3, Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +8
Attack +4, Defense +8, Init +7

Blast 8 (200′ DC23, Autofire 2, Improved Range)
Immunity 5 (Fire)

Acrobatics +9, Bluff +5
Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Specialization 1 (Blast), Defensive Roll 2, Jack-of-All-Trades

Equipment: Fake plastic guns

ICONS stats to follow!

Poor Sammy Tomkins. Cleverest boy in school, and all round bully magnet. Some kids get picked on for their pocket money – Sammy gets picked on for being Sammy. At least, he was until Bodger and his gang chased him into an alleyway, and Something Happened. Sammy saw the math of the situation, right there: the angles and vectors of it all. He grabbed a trashcan lid and let fly. It launched from his hand and hit Bodger square on the nose, bounced off into a gang member then ricocheted into a third. The rest fled, followed by the awed and bloodied Bodger. They’ve kept their distance since then.

Math-Whizz was born, and Geometry is his battleground.

Since that day Sammy has found a renewed passion and has gained remarkable grades not just in Math, but also in Metalwork and Sports (much to the surprise of his teachers, who had written him off long ago). His pride and joy is The Equalizer, a collapsible and mathematically perfect shield of his own devising. It fits snugly hidden inside his backpack with his books, calculator and his dad’s binoculars.

Wherever there is crime, Math-Whizz is ready for some Subtraction Action!

Notes: I’d set Kick-Ass around Power Level 4. Characters aren’t even up to sidekick (PL6) standard but can pull off some awesome stunts for being nothing more than a bunch of dorky losers. These are guys who will fall and sprain their ankle one minute then see off a load of mobsters the next. It’s tempting to go lower (perhaps even PL 2) but PL 4 feels to me to strike the balance between cinematic and low-powered just right.

Math-Whizz is Captain America, ultra-lite. Armed with The Equalizer he can use its sharpened edge to fight in close quarters or lob it with a 50’ range and ricochet off surfaces or enemies. The mathematically perfect design even allows it to deflect bullets back to their source, so it’s a foolish mook indeed who lets rip against him. Without his shield though, he’s a punching bag.

I’ve added the fact that he’s “just a kid” as a complication, and whenever that comes into play (school night, out of pocket money so can’t repair his suit, babysitters, coming against foes who laugh at him and hold him upside down by his ankles, etc) he gains a Hero Point. Those things are all-important currency in a Mutants & Masterminds game.

Dirty little secret: Sammy’s mom ran off with a bad man. A very, very bad man. Guess who the local crime boss is – and Sammy doesn’t know!

Math-Whizz AKA Sammy Tomkins, PL4 60pp
Str 8, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 14, Wiz 13, Cha 12
Tough +0/+2, Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +6
Attack +0 (+4 w/Shield), Defense +6, Init +1

Acrobatics +5, Climb +4, Computers +7, Craft:Mechanical +5, Craft:Structural +5, Disable Device +4, Investigate +4, KS:Tactics +6, Notice +5, Stealth +5

Attack Specialization 2 (Shield), Defensive Attack, Improved Block 2, Improvised Tools, Equipment 1

“The Equalizer” Shield (Device 4)
- Deflect 4 (Fast Projectiles, Reflection)
- Shield 5
- Strike 4 (+4 DC19, Thrown 50’, Ricochet, Split Attack)

Binoculars, Programmable Calculator, Padded Bodysuit

Complication: “He’s just a kid!”

Doc Storm in his prime!

Time has not been kind to Doc Storm. He is now an old man who knows his adventuring career is behind him. He is wheelchair bound and acts as the central coordinator and information hub for the Seven Champions. He has personal knowledge stretching back over 60 years  and access to databases and a vast collection of contacts, allies and friends.

Notes: What do you get when you cross Captain America, Thor, The Oracle and Doc Mid-Nite? This guy. Doc Storm is a Super Soldier past his prime who now serves the Seven Champions as medic-in-chief and the friendly(-ish) face of the team. He’s skilled at neither Diplomacy nor Gather Information and tends to rely on using his high military rank and renown to open necessary doors (ie, burn a Hero Point when needed). Don’t be fooled by that fact he’s confined to a wheelchair – he can pack an impressive punch and if cornered will unleash the Curse of Sif – a 50’ radius burst of intense lightning! He only uses that as a last resort though as the damage it inflicts is incurable; once the Curse of Sif is given, it can never be taken away.

Dirty little secret: With the power to cure all ills and even regrow shattered limbs with a touch, why has Sif seen fit to condemn his legs to wither away? What has he done to earn her displeasure? Or is there another, more malevolent force, testing him?

Risus:

Anthony Lisbon, Doc Storm
Cleric of a Forgotten Goddess (4), Wheelchair-Bound Super Soldier (3),  Field Medic (2), Well Connected (1)

Mutants & Masterminds:

Anthony Lisbon, Doc Storm, PL10 150pp
Str 18/30, Dex 12, Con 18/30, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16
Tough +10, Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +8
Attack +10, Defense +10, Init +1

Enhanced Con 12, Enhanced Str 12, Super-Strength 4 (Heavy Load 12.8 tons), Immunity 2 (Electricity)
’Blessing of Sif’ Healing 6 (Persistent, Regrowth)
- AP: ‘Curse of Sif’ Lightning Blast 10 (DC 25 Area Burst 50’, Tiring, Range Touch, Incurable)

KS:Life Sciences +7, KS:Tactics +7, KS:Technology +7, Medicine +8, Notice +6, Prof:Medic +7, Search +7, Sense Motive +7

Benefit 3 (Military Rank), Connected, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Endurance 2, Improved Pin, Improved Throw, Power Attack

Drawback: Wheelchair-bound, common, major.

And with that, the Seven Champions are complete.

Coming up next: The Cathedral, home of the Seven Champions!

Dirty little secret: The spirit of vengeance walks these mean streets once more. Will is stop at your house?

Notes: Here’s a character who removes her own head to become a spirit of vengeance. That’s more than a little creepy, and sure beats changing costume in a telephone booth. What if someone steals Denise’s head while she is Oriflamme so she’s stuck that way until she gets her head back? For that matter – would Oriflamme particularly want it back?

Also known as “Ghost Rider’s girlfriend”. But not to her face. If she had a face.

Bonus trivia fact: Oriflamme is named after the Battle Standard of the King of France, not a cheap perfume brand. They stole the name and I’m takin’ it back!

Risus:

Denise Montmartre, Oriflamme
Fiery Spirit of Vengeance (4), Hard Nosed High-Powered Attorney (3), Marked Woman (2), Lonely Singleton With a Cat (1)

Mutants & Masterminds:

Denise Montmartre, Oriflamme, PL10 150pp
Str 22, Dex 18, Con 24, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 18
Toughness +12, Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +6
Attack +8, Defense +8, Init +4

Intimidate +6, KS: Business +6, KS: Civics +8, Notice +3
Fearless, Fearsome Presence 5

Flight 5 (250mph)
Hellfire Control 5 (Blast, 120’ DC 27)
- AP: Mental Blast 6 (DC 21)
- AP: Strike 12 (Flaming Sword, DC 27)
Immunity 9 (Life Support)
Protection 5
Super-Senses 2 (Tracking, full speed)

Dirty little secret: Why are the Syndicate so determined to destroy the Boanerges family name? Is there a link to the superhero Oriflamme? And does his artificially intelligent sword know more than it is letting on?

Notes: My Iron Man is better than your Iron Man because my Iron Man’s got a sword. So there.

For M&M, I’ve added the sword here as a Sidekick rather than a Device to make it completely autonomous – just build it with INT 30, no STR, DEX or CON and a Strike Power, Usable by Others, and you’re there. Clever, eh?

Risus:

James Boanerges, The Red Knight
Wealthy Playboy in Power Armour (4), Wielder of an intelligent supersword (3), Inexperienced Hothead (2), Keen Tennis Player (1)

Mutants & Masterminds:

James Boanerges, The Red Knight, PL10 150pp
Str 10/30, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 14
Tough +1/+12, Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +6
Attack +8, Defense +8, Init +2

Computers +6, Craft:Electronics +6, Craft:Mechanical +6, KS:Technology +6, Notice +7, Sense Motive +3
Accurate Attack, Power Attack, Minions 3 (2x 15PP Scientists), Sidekick 10 (50PP Artificially Intelligent Sword)

Battlesuit (Device 18)
- Communication 4 (Radio, 1 mile)
- Flight 6 (500mph)
- Blast 10 (100’, DC 25)
- AP: Enhanced Strength 20
- Immunity 9 (Life support)
- Protection 11 (Impervious)
- Super-Senses 14 (Extended Blindsight, Darkvision, Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Infrared vision, Ultra-Hearing, Time Sense)
- Super-Strength 4

Dirty little secret: Patrick is a nasty little street thief who got caught. Now he’s a nasty little street thief who wields a surprising amount of power but has to maintain the facade that he is one of the good guys. The question is: when the crunch comes, will the facade hold, or will the illusion crumble around him and reveal his true nature? Has the illusion finally mastered the illusionist?

Notes: Love this character! The world needs more streetwise gothpunk superheroes who can turn into giant snakes. He’s like a cross between Zatanna & Martian Manhunter but with a snake fetish and a personality styled after The Invisible Man from the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. While his illusions tend to be snake-themed he’s not limited in any way – that truck hurtling toward you could be all too real. Or not.

His Shape Change ability gives him 40 points worth of powers and abilities with a limit of Power Rank 8. That’s more than enough for his favourite hybrid form, a Huge half-human snake-tailed behemoth (Growth 8, Super-Strength 2, Protection 8 – a mere 36 points). His powers aren’t part of an array (no Alternate Powers here!) meaning he can become a giant hybrid snakebeast and still cast illusions over a 100’ radius. Yowzah.  Sometimes, I pity the bad guys.

His hobbies include listening to British ‘80s punk bands and throwing snakes at people for a laugh

Risus:

Patrick Ultan, Serpentine
Master Illusionist and Mind-Reader (4), Snake-themed shape changer (4), Streetwise petty crook (2)

Mutants & Masterminds:

Patrick Ultan, Serpentine, PL10 150pp
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 12
Tough +1, Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +7
Attack +6, Defense +10, Init +7

Bluff +9, Climb +4, KS:Streetwise +6, Notice +8, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +12
Improved Initiative 1, Power Attack, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Tremorsense)

Illusions 10 (DC20, Visual & Audio, Phantasms, Area 4: 100’ radius)

Shapeshift 8 (40 points, Limited: Snake & Snake Hybrids only)

Super-Senses 3 (Tremorsense)

Telepathy 2 (100’, Communication & Mind Reading, Flaw: Full Action)

Dirty Little Secret: More to the point – what’s going to happen in South America now that the Talisman has been removed? Things tend to be secured in ancient pyramids for a reason. Maybe it was holding back a major ecological disaster, operating as the lynchpin for a powerful binding spell, or…… worse! Uho.

Notes: This is one seriously powerful guy! With his Earth Control power he can move around 200 tons of earth each round without breaking sweat. He can bump that up as high as 200 thousand tons (roughly twice the weight of Mount Everest), but that’s tiring and will doubtless have a permanent environmental impact. Heck, he could Push up to one million tons of earth. That’s more then plenty to create whole mountain ranges. Phew.

If that’s not enough (!!!), he can alter terrain on a more tactical scale, creating terrain which hampers movement and is distracting in some way (tremors, shards of earth, plants, uneven surfaces, mud, quicksand – whatever works) – in a 5,000’ radius. That’s battlefield control on a superheroic scale for you.

Oh, and he can also Burrow up to 100mph, Fly up to 500mph (using a platform of Earth) and cause shards of earth to blast a shapeable area, selectively targeting enemies and ignoring allies.

He also makes a mean chocolate cake.

Risus:

David Sands, The Groundsman
Sapphire Talisman-wearing Terraformer (4), Professional Explorer (3), Hands-on Scientist (2), Keen amateur chef (1)

Mutants & Masterminds:

David Sands, The Groundsman, PL10 150pp
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14
Tough +10, Fort +15, Ref +8, Will +6
Attack +10, Defense +10, Init +2

Handle Animal +4, KS:Earth sciences +5, KS: Life sciences +5, Search +5, Stealth +8, Survival +8

Earth Control (Element Control 14, Continuous)
- AP: Blast 10 (250’, DC 25, Shapeable Area, Selective, Improved Range, Indirect)
- AP: Burrowing 7 (100mph)
- AP: Flight 6 (500mph, Earth Platform)
- AP: Environmental Control 10 (Distraction DC 10, Hamper Move 25%, 100’, 5000’ radius)

Immunity 3 (High Pressure, Extreme Heat, Suffocation)

Protection 6

Super-Strength 9 (+45 STR, Tiring, Side-Effect 2, applies to Earth Control)

Drawback: Power Loss, all powers (when separated from Talisman)

Dirty little secret: Seriously – this guy is reading Evil Demonic Tomes That Will Tear At Your Soul and thinks it’s going to turn out allright in the end. I ask you.

Notes: Repeat after me: Superhero Necromancer. Any questions?

Risus:
Andrew Fisher, Relic
Necromancy (4), Religious Historian (3), Average Horror Writer Suddenly Thrust Into the Limelight by Unexpected Success (2), Losing It Slowly (1)

(Yes, he is a better religious historian that he is horror writer. Unfortunately, that doesn’t pay anywhere near as well)

Mutants & Masterminds:
Andrew Fisher, Relic, PL10 150pp
Str 12, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 16
Tough +6/+12, Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +11
Attack +6, Defense +6, Init +2

Computers +5, Concentration +9, Drive +5, Gather Information +11, Intimidate +13, Investigate +11, KS:Arcane Lore +13, KS:Religion +13, Medicine +5, Notice +6, Profession: Horror Writer +9, Stealth +4, Survival +6

Artificer, Benefit 2 (World famous horror author), Defensive Roll 6, Eidetic Memory, Fearsome Presence 8, Ritualist, Teamwork 2, Equipment 3, Wealth 9

Necromancy (Magic 10)
- Summon Undead (Summon 3, Horde, Fanatical, Sacrifice, Mental Link, Minions 5 (50 zombies)
- AP: Death Touch (Drain 14, Constitution, DC 24 vs Will, Incurable)
- AP: Necromantic Bolt (Blast 10, 100’, DC 25 vs. Fort, Limited: only versus creatures with a soul)
- AP: Ghost Form (Alternate Form 4, (Concealment 2: Visual, Flight 1, Immunity 4, Insubstantial 2))

Super-Senses 3 (Magic Awareness, Darkvision)

Equipment: HQ (Sanctum Sanctorium), Camera, Cell Phone, Desktop Computer, Laptop Computer, Digital Audio Recorder

Like

Unlike