Heroes Unlimited: Phenomenal Paragons: Perfidious Rex

The First Son of Argon came to Earth to conquer it and prove his right to the imperial throne of Argon. Unfortunately his information was two millennia out of date and instead of a primitive world under the rule of the Roman Empire he found a technologically advanced one. He challenged the person he believed to be the planet's monarch, the superhuman "August", and was immediately defeated. Now, years later and with August dead by another's hand, he has returned. His goal: conquest in the name of Perfidious Rex!

The fight went something like this.

This is the twelfth character in my Phenomenal Paragons series. The introduction to which is here. It is inspired by Jacob Pisson's World's Strongest series, here.

Okay this is our first, and hopefully only, alien. I don't want lots of aliens in my setting as I want to keep the focus on Earth. I have ideas for other planets and planes but I'm not ready to develop them yet. The character originates from playing City of Villains many years ago. The concept was "Anti-Superman", hence "First son of Argon" as opposed to "Last son of Krypton". Daughter didn't have the same beat and aliens; maybe they don't gender like we do.

Step 1: The Usual.

Elevens across the board. There's a note that future steps will change attributes and that all bonuses stack.

Step 2: Alien Appearance.

Now we get to a bunch of tables and sub-tables to roll on. Joy. I'm using the tables from the main rules as I've yet to find better. 

I roll a Humanoid.

I'm told to make some rolls on the mutant table. I use the improved ones I found online. I get Strong Psychic Potential (+2 ME, +20 ISP, +2 save versus Psi, Mind Control and Possession), and Forearm Blades (optional +2 die damage to any punch attacks, +10 SDC, and +1 Horror Factor when popped) which are sword like blades that are roughly the length of the character's forearm and pop out when  needed. I envision them folding out of their outside arm and extending from their wrists. I can't yet decide if they just fold out at ninety degree angles from just above the wrist or are jointed like an insect's limbs and extend forward like actual swords.

We also get a couple of rolls on cosmetic differences.We get pointed ears and purple skin.

Step 3: Physiological Changes due to Unearthly Environments.

Now we get to find out what sort of planet Argon is. I roll a Vegetation World. This is a fertile planet overgrown with plant life. Think Endor or Kashyyyk from Star Wars. A sub-table gives us no fear of heights, a +10% bonus to Acrobatics and climb as well as +2 to roll with impact.

We are 7 foot tall, 170 lbs.

All natives to vegetation worlds are natural acrobats, with a further +10% bonus. This gives us a further +2 to roll with impact. We also get the +1 to PS, PP and PE, as well as +3 SDC and a 2d4 acrobatic kick attack. We also get +10 SDC from being from a vegetation world.

Step 4: Determining Super Abilities.

Now we get to discover what sort of superpowers we get. we have multiple options, many of which just direct us to other classes. The only one unique to the alien class is racial superpowers. Which is what I should have selected. But I rolled and got Psionics.

I did this gag before too.

   

So I create another Natural Psionicist.

Yeah I know. Thankfully this one isn't a megahero. I checked.

So we get +5 ME, +2 MA, +70 ISP, and our save versus Psionics is 10+.

We get to pick 10 minor psionic powers and 3 super psionic powers. 

Starting with the latter first I go for Telekinesis (super), Bio-Regeneration, Mind Block Auto Defense (which permanently reduces our ISP by 14 points).

For the lesser powers I pick Levitation, Resist Fatigue, Sense Magic, Telepathy, Intuitive Combat,  Astral Projection, Ectoplasm, Telekinetic Leap, Telekinetic Punch, and Telekinetic Push. 

Step 5: Determine Education and Skills.

Presented with another chart, aliens having different standards of education than humans, I'm told that there are more options in a book I don't own and have no intention of buying yet. Borrowing a copy I learn that it doesn't have much in the way of options; just a few new skills and packages that use them. I hard pass for now.

Back at the main rules I pick Combat Specialist. This gives us 4 physical skills, a hand-to-hand style, 6 weapon proficiencies, a piloting skill, and First Aid. All at +10%. We also get 6 secondary skills.

For our physical skills I pick Boxing (+1 attack per round, +2 parry and dodge, +1 roll with impact, +1 PE,+2 PS and +10 SDC), Wrestling (+1 roll with impact, +2 PS, +1 PE, +14 SDC and some other stuff I'll record elsewhere), Gymnastics (+2 roll with impact, +2 PS, +1 PP, +2 PE and +7 SDC), and Juggling (+1 initiative, +1 strike with thrown, +1 parry and thrown weapon rate of fire 4 per round).

For our hand-to-hand style I invent Argonian Sword Style (+10 SDC, +2 ME, +2 PP, +1 PE, +2 strike, +1 dodge, +1 roll with impact and a critical strike from behind), which is just Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu ("Samurai" style) from Ninja's and Superspies, but with the alignment requirements reversed and the martial arts powers removed. Well okay I give them the Warrior Spirit Kata, which is where a samurai stares at his opponent for a bit and then they strike. The other guy misses and blows a gasket.

Like this. They overpressured the system.

No but seriously the character using the kata gets to parry and dodge as normal for a round but can't attack. Meanwhile their MA gets boosted (to 20 in the case of this character) and they roll to intimidate. If they succeed then their opponent is at -4 to strike. As these things go it's a fairly minor ability.

For the weapon proficiencies I pick: Sword (+1 strike, +1 parry), Energy Pistol, Targeting: Thrown (+1 strike thrown), Small Thrown Weapon (+1 strike thrown) and Grenade.

For the piloting skill I pick Pilot: Hover, given the nature of most of the vehicles we can start with.

For our secondary skills I pick Body-Building (+2 PS, +10 SDC), Running (+1 PE, +10 Spd, +3 SDC), Basic Electronics, Basic Mechanics, Wilderness Survival, and Prowling.

Step 6: Reasons for Coming to Earth.

Another chart. It doesn't have conquest listed but it does have glory hound, which is similar.

Step 7: Familiarity With Earth.

Some. All of his information is 2000 local years out of date. We get three Earth languages and literacies at 90%. I choose Latin, Greek and English.

Step 8: Equipment.

Earth Clothes/Disguises:

None. Why should they hide? They're here to rule, not cower in fear!

Special Alien Weapons:

I have a choice to roll on the ranged or melee weapon charts. I can only pick one. I choose ranged, since his sword was broken, and get a melee weapon...

Apparently there's limit to the number of right justified reaction gifs I can use in one post.

Let me just check the melee weapons... Nope, no ranged weapons hidden there.

Okay so reading deeper it's an energized weapon that can also emit energy blasts, like a blaster. As a melee weapon it does double damage. As a blaster it does 5d6 damage, has a range of 1000' and a rate of fire of 3 (1d4+1) per round. 

Meanwhile over in the melee weapons there's an energy sword, like a lightsaber, that does 5d6 damage. I decide to combine them. After losing their sword to Saitama August, the character jury rigged their blaster into an energy sword. It still works as a blaster but the power supply is hingin' aff th' bracket. Every round it is used as a blaster it gets a random number of shots, 1d4+1.

Special Vehicles:

I choose the hover platform, to go with the pilot: hover skill. It holds 1-4, travels at 90 mph and floats between 3 foot and 300 foot. I can't decide if it's like the glider from "Nausicaa, Valley of the Wind," the hoverboard thing that the Green Goblin rides in Spiderman or the flying crane-lift thing I once built in Second Life.

This?

This?

Or this?

Money:

Money is like budget right, so £120,000 in precious metals and gems.

Step 9: Everything Else.

We have 20 base SDC and our alignment is... ...6, Miscreant.

Phew! I've been designing this guy as a villain from an authoritarian world. Imagine how embarrassing it'd be if I'd rolled them up as Principled, Anarchist or something. (hides first dice roll)

Okay so on with the character sheet.

Name: unknown

Super Identity: Perfidious Rex

Level: 1, Alien.

Height: 7', Weight: 170 lbs, Age: unknown, but juvenile or young adult.

Alignment: Miscreant.

Disposition: Authoritarian arsehole who expects everyone to do as they say.

IQ 11, ME 20, MA 13, PS 20, PP 15, PE 18, PB 11, Spd 21

Hit Points: 21, S.D.C.: 97, P.P.E.: 20,  I.S.P.: 116.

Alien Traits: 

Species: Argonian. Pointed ears, purple skin, strong psychic potential, forearm blades. No fear of heights and natural acrobat.

Homeworld: Argon. A vegetation world.

Reason for Coming to Earth: Conquest (Glory Hound).

Familiarity with Earth: Detailed records from last survey, which was roughly 2000 local years ago. So some.

Skills: 

Natural Skills: Acrobatics (Sense of Balance 80%, High Wire 80%, Climb Rope 90%, Back-Flip 70%), Climbing 55% (Rappelling 55%)

Scholastic Skills: 

Argonian Language, Argonian Literacy, Basic Maths, Boxing, English Language, English Literacy, First Aid, Greek Language, Greek Literacy, Gymnastics, Hand-to-Hand Argonian Sword Style, Juggling, Latin Language, Latin Literacy, Pilot: Hover, W.P. Energy Pistol, W.P. Grenade, W.P. Small Thrown Weapons, W.P. Sword, W.P. Targeting: Thrown, Wrestling

Secondary Skills: 

Basic Electronics, Basic Mechanics, Body-Building, Prowling, Wilderness Survival.

Psionics: 

Healing Powers: 

None.

Physical Powers:

Ectoplasm (varies), Levitation (varies), Resist Fatigue (4), Telekinetic Leap (8), Telekinetic Punch (6), Telekinetic Push (4).

Sensitive Powers: 

Astral Projection (8), Intuitive Combat (10), Sense Magic (3), Telepathy (4).

Super-Psionic Powers: 

Bio-Regeneration (super) (20), Mind Block Auto-Defense, Telekinesis (super) (10+).

Saves:

Coma/Death: +6%

Harmful Drugs/Toxins: +2

Horror Factor: +0

Insanity: +3

Magic (Spells 12+, Circles/Wards 13+, Ritual 16+): +2

Poison (Lethal 14+, Non-Lethal 16+): +2

Psionics (10+): +5

Possession: +2

Combat:

Initiative: +1, +3 (intuitive)

Attacks per Round: 2+4+1

Strike: +2, (+3 sword, +5 thrown); +1 (intuitive)

Damage: +7

 1d4+7 Punch

 2d4+7 Acrobatic Kick

 2d4+7 Knife Hand or other martial arts hand strike

 3d4+7 Punch with Forearm Blade

 5d4+7 Knife Hand with Forearm Blade

 5d6 Energy Sword

Dodge: +3; +4 (intuitive)

Parry: +3; +1 (intuitive)

Roll with Impact: +5; +2 (intuitive)

Pull Punch: +0; +4 (intuitive)

Disarm: +0; +2 (intuitive)

Benchmarks:

Carry Capacity: 400 lbs; Lifting: 800 lbs.

Stamina: Carry Max 72 minutes, 36 minutes while running or fighting. Lifting for 18 rounds (270 seconds; 4.5 minutes).

Ground Speed: 14.7 mph for 18 minutes.

Swimming Speed: Can't swim.

Leaping Distance: 5 ft. high and 10 ft broad with a running start, 6 ft high and 3 ft broad from a standing start.

Background:

First son of Argon... yada yada... conquest of Earth... yada yada... picked a fight with the biggest and baddest assassin-fucker on the planet. And lost. Now, having recovered from their injuries and their opponent dead by another's hand they seek to rule the world. For Argon!

They are in complete denial that August is dead and actually really depressed.