Thursday, March 17, 2011

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.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.