Stilts: Character for Four Color Comix Mush

(I don't get to play on this very often but from time to time I drop in for the nostalgia of the old days when I'd play Grenademan on Children of the Atom 2....The picture was done by Flynn Nicholls))

Stilts is a young man of approximately 6 feet 2 inches of height. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He is comely but not handsome. He is muscled, but not muscular. He has posture but is not graceful. Were one to look at his face it would seem largely forgettable and and average 18 year old boy.

The exception to that might be the large robotic stilts that compose his legs. At the moment they're underneath a large pair of blue jeans. He also is wearing a white t shirt. He has a wrist watch that looks like it was made in the 1950's with the tiny initials, "JS" written in one side.


-----------------------------< Stilts () - Male >-----------------------------
Brought to you by Megalith Corp
Approved Character PL 10 Type: 150 PP Avail: 0 Spent: 150
---< Attributes >------------------------------------------< Value: 24 PP >---
Strength: 14 (+2) Dexterity: 14 (+2)
Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 14 (+2)
Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 14 (+2)
---< Skills >----------------------------------------------< Value: 25 PP >---
Survival Wis 1 [3] Stealth Dex 3 [5]
Sense Motive Wis 3 [5] Pilot Dex 3 [5]
Notice Wis 4 [6] Acrobatics Dex 15 [17]
Climb Str 2 [4] Craft Mechanical Int 10 [12]
Craft Structural Int 10 [12] Knowledge Technology Int 10 [12]
Knowledge Physical Sci Int 10 [12] Gather Information Cha 4 [6]
Escape Artist Dex 1 [3] Disable Device Int 14 [16]
Computers Int 10 [12]
---< Feats >-----------------------------------------------< Value: 19 PP >---
Acrobatic Bluff Improved Trip
Attack Focus:Ranged [5] Inventor
Beginner's Luck Jack Of All Trades
Crushing Pin Luck [2]
Dodge Focus [2] Power Attack
Grappling Block Sweeping Strike
Improved Throw
---< Powers >----------------------------------------------< Value: 40 PP >---
Protection 10 (10pp) Technological - Link With the Stilts
Blast 7 and Enhanced Strength 10 (Flaws: Lower Body Only (-1) (For Enhanced Strength); 19pp) Rapid Extension and Retraction of the Leg
AP: Elongation 6, Leaping 7, Enhanced Strength 10 (Flaws: Lower Body Only -1; 18pp)
AP: Trip 9 (Extras: Area Effect (Cone); 18pp)
AP: Trip 10 (Feats: Split Attack, Indirect (3); 14pp)
AP: Super Strength 10 (Flaws: Leg's Only (-5); 5pp)
Super Movement 3 (6pp) Wall Crawling, Trackless
AP: Swimming 6 (6pp) Water Mode

---< Drawbacks >--------------------------------------------< Value: 0 PP >---
Complications:

Everybody's Used The Suit
Over His Head
Idle Hands are the Devil's Plaything

Drawbacks:
None.
---< Combat >----------------------------------------------< Value: 42 PP >---
Base Attack: 8 Toughness: 10+2=12
Melee Damage: 2 Fortitude: 6+2=8
Initiative: 2 Reflex: 3+2=5
Defense: 18 FF: 13 Will: 5+2=7
----------------------------------------------------------< Skills System >--

#===Stilts's +note: Complications=============================================#
Approved: Yes

Everyone's Used the Suit: Old enemies, Old Allies, There are all kinds of expectations that others might have about someone who has worn the suit, and most of them are negative. People are generally not going to take him seriously.

Over His Head: Jeremy still doesn't consider himself a super hero, not really so it is rather possible for him to quickly be overwhelmed by the magnitude of circumstances. If people's lives are on the line, he'll still rise to the occasion, but otherwise his own mind might play tricks against him causing him to screw up at the worst moment.

Idle Hands are the Devil's Plaything: Jeremy hates being bored. He will find something to do if something to do isn't found for him which means he may be the guy to push the button or the guy to pull the lever unless someone gives him a rather good reason not to (or he thinks it will get him killed.)

Background:

The Stilts first showed up in the 1950's and were used by the evil Stilt Master. Largely regarded as one of the least effective villains in history, the list of people who beat the crap out of him is a veritable who's who list of heroes at the time. It became a bit of a running joke that the Stiltmaster was a loser and that having him on your team was a sign that not only would you lose, but lose badly. The pressure and humiliation eventually caused the Stilt Master to go insane and he was placed in an asylum for the criminally insane.

A panoply of petty thugs picked them up, both because of the extreme ease at which they could be repaired and also for a lot of henchmen looking to reach the ranks of super villaindom, though they quickly gave it up as they were mocked and most proved to be just as ineffective as the original owner of the suit. One villain, the StiltMeister, enjoyed a brief reign of success at the right hand of Horus-Mael in his attempt to take over the city of Cleveland, but his unfortunate accident with a manhole cover soon ended that notable success among a string of otherwise ghastly failures.

Enter Morvis Butler, a strange youth with a masochistic streak. He was determined to resurrect the reputation of the Stilts, not as a villain but as a hero. He was by far the cleverest of the wielders thereof, and added many enhancements. This was both a curse and a blessing. He was often harassed by the police, but at the same time he achieved many stunning victories against Villains who merely assumed that he was one of their number when he showed up at a scene. He wielded the stilts through the 1970's and eventually gained quite a reputation in the city of Cleveland as a beloved hero. He retired with honor in 1980.

The Stilts then passed to Hoseph McGuilicuddy, the most heroic to have the stilts. He even became a reserve member of the AHA and was well known in the mid west in the 1980's. He wasn't known as being particularly...effective...though he had heart. A lot of heart. In fact, there were at least three instances where 'heart' saved lives and his absolute refusal to give up on his friends proved to be his most valuable asset. He was run over by a bus at the tragic age of 43.

A few extremely minor heroes tried their hand at the Stilts, as they were passed from one relative or friend to another. Nothing much happened until they were stolen again by a rather minor thug looking to make a name for himself. He didn't do well either. For six or seven years the Stilts passed through seven or eight different owners, none of whom really amounted to any resounding degree of success.

The stilts eventually ended up on the reality TV show, "Who's a HERO?!" With one of the whiniest contestants using the Stilts. He was also one of the first booted out but they liked him so much that they brought him back on "Worst of Who's a Hero" "Worst of Who's a Hero 2-12" and a large amount of c-list celebrity gigs including Dancing With Kittens. However, a life of high edge living and drug changes made Steebs Jlaster end up dead from an overdose.

Jeremy had always wanted to be a super hero. He managed to convince his parents to let him enroll in martial arts, gymnastics, wrestling, electronics and as many classes in high school as he thought would be applicable. He even found a real magician to test him to see if he had any magical skill. He didn't. He had himself tested for a meta gene. He didn't have one. He applied to several genius scholarships....Jeremy is smart but he's not a super genius. He was about to give up, when he saw IT online.

The estate of the previous owner was selling the Stilts. A quick Google search later he was able to find out the Stilts had a sort of super heroic history. He took his college fund ($20000) and used them to buy the stilts. His parents were furious. While they haven't 'disowned' him, they are very upset and things are rather icy between him and the rest of his family. He moved out on his own.

He had to get a job somewhere, and the only skill that he was good enough to earn a living at that would give him money quickly enough was working as a mechanic at Smith's Garage. Of course, the equipment that could help him repair the Stilts couldn't hurt either. Jeremy began to research all of the other owners and learn every trick and every buried secret they possessed. He even managed to work out a few on his own. Finally after a year he was ready to try them out.

As he went out to fight crime, at first he tried to keep a secret identity, but he tripped and fell and the bad guys (before beating the crap out of him) took a picture of his face, and soon word was out about who currently owned the Stilts. He nearly gave up then and there but decided against it and kept training with the Stilts. For the next six months he trained for every waking hour he wasn't working. Finally, finally he felt he was ready. Ish.

Character History - The Lifting

When I was around 11, I was able to play D&D in Houston TX with a totally random class mate of whom I remember almost nothing, and basic D&D and Keep on the Border Lands. The character is a vague memory as is almost everything else except the fact that it was a glass table.

Odd how, after 'cheating' and doing the forbidden I remember almost nothing about the ending of it. Odder still what the memory considers important.

Retro RPG - My First Character

My first character in Dungeons and Dragons, when I was 8 years old, was made when playing D&D with our rather awesome neighbor in Caspar Wyoming named Robbie. It was myself, Greg and He. I made a hobbit thief, in a fit of originality named Lippin. There were the other two characters Flipping and Nippin. We walked down a corridor and killed a bug bear.

That was it. Not a big deal really but I was hooked. Actually, I was obsessively hooked since I'd never found such a potent tool to unlock my extremely repressed imagination. I constantly bothered Robbie to let me play, even to the point that I left my soccer party early so I could go play. My parents, having read a Jack Chick pamphlet distributed by National Right to Life about the dangers of D&D, forbade me from playing.

This lasted several years.

LARP: VILE at DragonCon 2010

My Character: Dr. Spork, radical experimenter in telekinetic fields that make him INVULNERABLE!

Background: A group of wannabes are trying to get into the world's paramount super villain org, VILE. Only one will be accepted.

Game: This game was put on by the people who run the Forest of Doors LARP, as a one shot and it ROCKED. There wasn't really much in terms of story, and the role play was...very light but thematically interesting. Basically, everyone started with a power, and had to perform capers to gain infamy points.

Every caper required a certain number of powers. So by definition you have to get people to team up with you. You can also make gadgets with tech points. You get tech points by doing things like bringing the GM's drinks, or, most fun of all, rushing out into the con and getting pictures of things like villians giving a thumbs up or down, or 'pranking' good guys. It was extremely fun though it devolved into a bit of really a relaxed party in the last hour, mainly because the GM's were all smashed.

Immortal invisible war - Ripperology Calling

My character: Tom Sawyer

Background: A group of renegade alien servants toed themselves to humanity through the power of myth.

Game: Everyone recieved invitations to go from the present to one hundred years in the past. The group started in a symposium escorting an important human. Tom Sawyer had befriended Mark Twain years before and taken the name of the character as a result. He had a special rifle and the mythological aspect of frog. Someone reported that a young Alistair Crowley had stolen Nietze's briefcase. The grou went after him. They caught the boy but a drone, servant of their former alien masters was wearing a human flesh suit and killing people. The group followed the drone and then ended up in a titanic battle with other immortals including a shape shifting Charles Darwin, Perun, and Captain Nemo. Tom Sawyer used a shape shifting Billy the kid, along with other members of the grou who used fire, a drawn dragon, and Van Helsing's claws to kill the out of control Darwin. The group then returned to the present. Their host then said, "ah! So that is how it happened."

The Seven (LARP Gencon 2010)

My Character: Preston Quick

Background: Vincenti set up a group of seven elite billionaires in 1945 when he discovered suspended animation. To avoid aging, this group went in and lived only seven days a year; from Dec 25 to Jan 1. For 76 years things went great until Aram, one of the seven, was killed. Most said it was an accident. Quick new better.

Preston had joined when someone else left the Seven 9 years before. Preston was suave, sophisticated and a mechanical genius. He had a secret though. His Major Domo, Charles, was in fact his twin brother. Charles had Asbergers and was a financial wizard but hated people. The two had been switching back and forth each year inside of the chamber because Preston didn't want to leave his brother behind.

Game: Preston talked with Lua, the member of the seven he most trusted, confiding he thought it was a murder. She agreed and the two worked to correct things. A man named Xander burst into the party claiming to have snuck in. Preston thought this man had potential and hired him on the spot.

The Seven met to discuss candidates. During the meeting, Preston had an odd urge to clean his hands. Suspicious, he used his gadgets to scan himself and sure enough; his RRID chip, which many people had which allowed them to telepathically link to devices, had been activated against his will. He immediately suspected the Chases, who were one of the candidates to be one of the seven. His suspicions were confirmed when the Chases were trying to get him kicked out of the Seven.

Preston did some more investigation but made the swap with Charles in middle of the night. Things got complicated with Charles pretending to be Preston, but while people thought it was a bit odd, they asked no questions. Charles, as Preston, continued to 'talk' to people but gave up the murder investigation because it didn't concern him. He helped when he was asked.

Xander revealed that he had broken into the vault and had proof it had been tampered with. Charles/Preston thanked him. Vincinti asked him about a historian who had been sent to observe the Seven. Charles/Preston spoke to her. She was there.

The Seven met again with no tangible results though they narrowed it down to a few candidates. Xander walked in at random without invitation, and Charles/Preston said, "Are you insane?" This pissed Xander off.

At first it looked like the Chases had murdered Arav, but it turned out to be Vincinti. One of the other Seven had investigated and confided to Lua and Charles/Preston that Vincinti was 400 years old. Preston (the real one) told Charles over the phone to tell the others that Vincinti was collecting them! The evening ended uneventfully but Preston decided to leave the Seven for good. They were much too dangerous. Charles was happy since he had never been one to like the freezing or deception anyway.

The King of Feldra (LARP Gencon 2010)

My Character: Prince Reginald Bluestorm

Background: Reg had learned from his calculations that the neighboring kingdom of Feldra was going to be vulnerable by the end of the day. Feldran magic was all tied to a single sword owned by the king, and since Feldra had not chosen a sword before (in the Dragon of Feldra) it would soon vanish. If Feldra was vulnerable, Reg's older brother Mortimer was sure to kill the king of Rydia (Reg's kingdom) and assume the throne in order to invade Feldra because of his hatred of it.

Game: Reg desperately raced on horseback to inform the Feldrans of his brother's intent, informing them that if they did not have a new king by sundown, their kingdom would be invaded. He immediately talked to Morgymr, the wizard of the kingdom, offering to be his apprentice. This was to help restore the balance of Light and Dark to the kingdom. The Regent, Sir William, had assembled many nobles to choose a king. Some went out to cure the plague that was ravaging the land for a time. Others went out and sought information on the Dragon. Morgymr urged aid against a creature that was in his tower called a Shadow Wyvern. Reg and several others skillfully killed it. All kinds of politics were going on in the background, but it came to a head when, in order to prove that both their kingdoms were doomed if Feldra did not have a king, Reg swore an oath of loyalty to Feldra, convincing Sir Williams of his intent and the urgency of Feldra receiving a king.

There were five candidates. Using a clever interpretation of Feldran magic, Reg got all five candidates to take an oath to tell only the truth. One candidate was revealed to be interested only in himself. The second was shown to be less than qualified. Through a series of votes of the council (on which Reg now served due to his oath) Sir William was chosen as king, and both kingdoms were saved. The Dragon was put back to sleep and there was an excellent chance of the Plague being cured as well.