There Must Always Be Hope! (Shounen Superhero Quest)

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There Must Always Be Hope! (Shounen Superhero Quest)

Considering I'm not getting too much done...
0.1 Character Creation I - Dawn of Potential
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Netherlands
There Must Always Be Hope! (Shounen Superhero Quest)

Considering I'm not getting too much done in some of my other works, I figured I'd spur my creativity a little with a new quest thing, since ST works pretty well. Although I'm kinda lapsing on that one, I've been meaning to write something superheroish which is a little more original and freeform, and this seems a good place to try. This whole thing is based on notes and ideas for an original universe that might be used in a proper story down the line, but it'll serve as a nice basis here. Also silly shonen anime, obviously. It has shades of all the usual superhero universes, but figuring out how it works and who to trust is as much the character's problem as it is all of yours. Research is recommended, in-universe! Also, as usual you can write-in almost every choice in proper updates, and unless I veto them they will probably work out in interesting ways.

Hopefully this quest will work out better than the space admin thing I started right when I got a sudden truckload of new work due to a change in jobs. Sorry about that one. Omakes and other such things will get you spiffy things, and I might make some of them canon too, like in ST. Depending on what you pick, the story might veer into completely different directions including subject matter & tone, so we'll see how it turns out... (Feel free to ask whatever you want.)

0.1 Character Creation I - Dawn of Potential

It all started a few decades ago, when the world was caught up in global war and every side desperately searched for that key invention which would turn matters in their favor. Digging ever deeper into the most dangerous reaches of science and the occult, wonders were unearthed that nobody could have expected to find. Miracles that turned the world upside-down forever. The Übermensch had come, and left his mark on history, the first superhero to step into the light of day. Or perhaps he was a villain...

This was a Golden Age, when all the world was enamored by those mighty titans who strode onto the battlefield in their flashy costumes, representatives of their respective nations. For years the conflict wore on between Germany and the rest of Europe, and between Japan and America. In time, the Übermensch was opposed by the People's Champion of the Soviets, Heavensent from the UK, and many more.

The war did finally end, but the weapons with which it was fought remained behind. Some sought to continue their service, as they had done in the war, and committed themselves to maintaining the peace, whether foreign or domestic. Others, freed from their wartime obligations, chose a more selfish route and used their abilities to further their own ends, whether they were benevolent or not. A few, driven by hatred, spent their lives as thieves, assassins, or worse. Heroes and mercenaries were born - and so were villains.

It is now the year 2015, well into the new millenium, and the peace has persisted for more than half a century, though it is still as precarious as it has ever been. The USSR continues to be dangerous to those who disagree with its ideals, its talons stretching deep into central Europe, and remnants of Nazi engineering are a stark reminder of German history. Even those threats, it seems, are not enough - from all nooks and crannies old and new enemies emerge, intent on destroying the world's balance. This might be a new age of wonders, but it still requires its protectors. Now, perhaps, more than ever.

The very first heroes were made in laboratories as experiments of war, but it's been a long time since then, and it's not that clear-cut anymore. Although some are still created by secretive government programs, many wartime heroes have had children in their civilian identities and passed their genes on to future generations, only to activate at the most inopportune moments. Extraterrestrial visitors are rumored to walk the Earth, and then there are those who are imbued by magic or science with their own unique abilities.

On the fringes there are those who refuse to wait for nature, and grasp their own potential. They are looked on in derision by the established order for their 'vanity', though perhaps there is also an element of fear.

Yesterday, you were a nobody. A regular human being, of no particular interest. Yesterday, you were nothing special.

Not today.

Who are you?

-- Give your name, gender, and a general physical description. Superhero name is not necessary yet, but start thinking. (Depends on powers, so I'll have a choice a little later once that's decided.)


What is the origin of your powers?

[ ] Mystical : Your ability comes to you through the power of mental and magical aptitude, tapping into the energy of the mind and the cosmos. Although you are not fully aware of why you gained this ability, you can sense its endless potential.

[ ] Alien : Whether you personally arrived on Earth from some alien world or dimension, or one of your ancestors did, it is clear that your nature derives from some place out there. Now if only you knew the details of your origins, perhaps you could reach your apex...

[ ] Genetic : The after-effects of the war still resonate, and you are no exception. One of your ancestors was a volunteer for superpower experiments, or perhaps an unwilling victim, and their genetic legacy lives on in your family. Many do not look kindly on memories of those days, least of all those who descend from villains.

[ ] Imbued : This was nothing you did. Someone else - or something - granted you these abilities. Whether it was voluntary or not, an indelible mark was left on you. Who knows, perhaps one day the one who granted your power might come to claim his payment.

[ ] Craftsmanship : You did not require a bolt of lightning from the sky - your superpowers, such as they are, were made by your own hands. Whether you invented technology to do so, or wrote a new mystical script for your own use, you are a self-made power through and through. Now, you will have to convince the world not to disregard you as a wannabe… (Obligatory ´Elective´ as empowerment nature.)

[ ] Write-In : Please be specific on how it does not fall under any of the above categories.


What was your empowerment like?

[ ] Traumatic : This was forced upon you. Whether others intentionally induced your specific powers or whether these powers are a reaction to the threat is uncertain, though.

[ ] Spontaneous : These powers just appeared one day… there wasn't any planning involved, it just got started out of the blue.

[ ] Elective : These powers were hard-won, and though you are still at work on perfecting them to an acceptable level, you have something.

[ ] Write-In


What is your powerset?


-- Provide a key concept which defines your powerset, both in the present and going forward. No matter the powers gained, they will always be related to this concept. Examples are provided below, but feel free to suggest others. Be sure that your choice of origin & the concept make logical sense together, because I'm under no obligation to accept a nonsensical combo (they will be laughed at instead.) Stay reasonable, plx.

Examples :

Fire
Earth
Primal
Electric
Light
Atomic
Gadgets
Quantum
Guns
Medicine
Celestial
Rage
Psychic
Sorcery
Speed



Your Status

-- Distribute 4 points among the following categories. Any leftovers are converted into wildcards which will add more beneficial options to future events. They are an investment, if you will. You will earn more points going forward, and training a given attribute will also increase it (up to peak human potentially without help of powers, though that is hard.) Benchmark: 1 = Average Human, 3 = Professional, 8 = Absolute Peak Human, 15 = Wonder Woman, 30 = All Star Superman.

You have gained 4 points to freely distribute on top of those already here:

Fighting Ability : 1
Your ability to fight, interpreted broadly. Depending on your preferences, this may refer to punching things, slicing at them with weapons, or using powers effectively.
Agility : 1
Your overall speed and reaction time, as well as athletic potential of your body. Trying to parkour without decent agility will involve crashing into things a lot.
Strength : 1
Your ability to dish out blows and handle heavy loads, assuming you are using no enhancing equipment or abilities. Also helpful in general feats of strength.
Endurance : 1
Your ability to take blows and keep on going despite them. It's all well and good to be a class cannon, but if you intend to extend a fight, you'd better be able to keep up.
Reason : 1
Your intellectual capacity, particularly in the application of information and your ability to determine strengths and weaknesses, as well as possible courses of action.
Intuition : 1
Your natural understanding of your surroundings, as well as educated guesses which are right more often than not. More wisdom than knowledge.
Psychic Potential : 1
The mind is a powerful force in itself, particularly if enhanced beyond human limitations. Mental and mystical forces rely on this untapped energy.
 
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Status
Status

Name : Marcus Atherton
Description : Blessed with a lithe athletic body gained through a lifetime of hard work and physical training. He has a sharp face with deep brown eyes, and a shock of auburn hair kept short. His skin is light.


Power Origin : Imbued
Empowerment : Elective
Powerset Concept : Celestial
Heroic Points : 10


Power Aspects
-

Condition
Fighting Ability 1 Average
Agility 3 Expert (+10)
Strength 1 Average
Endurance 1 Average
Reason 1 Average
Intuition 2 Advanced (+5)
Psychic Potential 1 Average
Characters
Mass-Master (Richter Ravensfeld) - Ally
Currently works as technician and curator at the Redfield Observatory & Science Museum, which sits atop the former headquarters of the Eternals. Eighty-Nine years old and now powerless, he passed his powers of gravity manipulation to Mass Equivalence in order to continue his legacy. He wore a dark blue costume with long ear-like protrusions akin to a rabbit.

Kid Cosmo (Ezekiel Atherton) - Close Ally
Former physicist and part-time astronomer, Kid Cosmo currently spends his time mostly at home due to his failing health and advanced age. Although he once tried to change his name and image, he was unsuccessful. His powers allowed him the power of flight and the ability to manipulate certain energies. He wore a white-and-blue costume with a closed cowl and a cape, plus a galaxy symbol on his chest and forehead.

Cassandra (Marjorie Vögel)
An intelligent precognitive and psychic, Marjorie - or Marge, to friends - is highly assertive and brooks no disagreement. Although long past her days of heroism, her ability to foresee important events marks her as one of the few Eternals who still actively employs her powers. She originally wore a white-and-pink costume with three long bows over her hair, later replaced by a more sober purple ensemble.

Spinning Top
An obese hero who used his mass as a weapon, he was capable of accelerating his own body to rotate at high speed. He wore heavy protective clothing and used the momentum imparted by his power to grind and smash anything in his way.

Torchbearer
The only black member of the Eternals, he was not considered a key member of the team - at least by the media - until the civil rights movement brought attention to him and other early pioneers in superheroism. He could manipulate fire and rouse the spirits of those around him by invigorating them with his own energy, although he could not generate a flame himself. He wielded a staff tipped with a torch, modeled after the Olympic torch, and wore a red-and-black costume.

Rough Beast
A shapeshifter capable of changing between human and the form of a large beast, cat-like but with a bear's physique, Rough Beast was never publicly seen outside of his monstrous appearance. He disappeared in 1979, expected to have retreated into civilian life.

Silvertongue (Larry Blunt)
Intuitive but somewhat brash, Silvertongue had the ability of limited mind control, able to confuse and misdirect by use of his voice. He publicly revealed his identity in 1988, only two years before his death, spending the last months of life as a traveling musician.

[7 Missing from File]
Übermensch - Germany
The first internationally recognized Superhuman, Übermensch represents the might of the Nazi regime during the Second World War. He possesses great strength, endurance and durability, and does not appear to age. Although reviled by some for his actions during the early years of the war, his later open opposition to the ideology which he represented made him into a major force for international turmoil and a focal point of anti-Nazism sentiment, and he is presently considered a pivotal figure in European history.

Stars & Stripes - USA
The quintessential patriotic hero, inspired by a long line of heroes using similar imagery, Stars & Stripes is sometimes considered an American self-parody. Clothed in red, white and blue, and wielding a flagpole like a polearm, he has become almost as recognizable an image as Uncle Sam.

The People's Champion / Narodnyy Chempion - USSR
One of the greatest heroes to arise from the Second World War, the People's Champion was the USSR's answer to the German Übermensch. Superhumanly strong with metal-infused skin and advanced regeneration, he is clad all in red and wields the symbols of his nation, a large blacksmith's hammer and a sickle on a chain, to deadly effect.

[?? Missing from File]
Mass Equivalence
The protégé of the original Mass-Master of the Eternals, this young hero uses similar gravity manipulation abilities and wears a similar costume, although the long ears have been replaced by long white strips of fabric akin to a scarf.

Fleetfoot
Super-swift and always on the job, Fleetfoot is a speedster of some renown, and undoubtedly the only hero in Redfield who could be called famous. Although she is not the fastest among speedsters, she's known as a very slippery fighter whose flashy silver-and-red costume always attracts attention.

Tiger-Man
Formerly an inhabitant of the Redfield area, this animal-themed hero travelled to San Fransisco, likely to compete in regional championships. His powers consist of heightened senses, strength, and speed, and he wears a tiger-print sleeveless costume with a somewhat silly tiger-head helmet.

[?? Missing from File]

Traits

Empowered : +10 Heroic Points gained! (Spend 1 to add a +5 modifier to any roll, or spend 3 to re-roll - only once per round, though.)
Great Potential : All your powers have greater potential than they had for the original Kid Cosmo, and are broader in scope. Potentially.
Legacy Hero : + 10 to PR rolls.
Charisma - +20 to Social rolls, + 10 to PR rolls, more Leadership & Inspiration options.
 
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[X] Name: Marcus Atherton
[X] Gender: Male
[X] Physical Description:
Marcus is blessed with a lithe athletic body, gained through a lifetime of hard work and physical training. He has a sharp face with deep brown eyes, and a shock of auburn hair kept short. His skin is light.

[X] Imbued : This was nothing you did. Someone else - or something - granted you these abilities. Whether it was voluntary or not, an indelible mark was left on you. Who knows, perhaps one day the one who granted your power might come to claim his payment.

[X] Elective : These powers were hard-won, and though you are still at work on perfecting them to an acceptable level, you have something.

[X] Concept: Celestial

[X] Agility to 3
[X] Intuition to 2
[X] Bank 1 Point
 
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Questions~

Is Dakka allowed as a key concept?

If we have Fighting as a key concept, and put our points into fighting, CAN WE SOLVE ALL PROBLEMS THROUGH MARTIAL FIGHTING ARTS?

FIGHTING ART OF SCIENCE! FIGHTING ART OF MAKING MORE DAKKA.... and so on?
 
[x] Plan KH
- [X]Name: Roxas
-[X]Gender: Male
-[X]Description:
-[X] Mystical
-[X] Spontaneous
-[X] Key Concept: Light
-[X] Agility +1, Reason +1, Intuition +2
 
The skills start at 1. Brining Agility up to 3 costs 2. Brining intuition up to 2 costs 1. That is three, leaving one left over.
It looked like you spent three points on Agility and 2 points on Intuition.

Kinda want to make an expy of Neptunia from Hyperdimention Neptunia... or what about Static Shock guys?

Hmm or Dakka Man!

Or wait... SV MAN! The ability to talk to people on a forum without using the computer (higher levels let us act as ROB for him~)
 
I can't write a full sheet because no keyboard but I would like to suggest a concept.

Concept: Glitch
 
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[x] Plan KH
- [X]Name: Roxas
-[X]Gender: Male
-[X]Description:
-[X] Mystical
-[X] Spontaneous
-[X] Key Concept: Light
-[X] Agility +1, Reason +1, Intuition +2
 
I don't know if I know the fandom enough to use any of the relevant powers etc, so I hope you can deal with that. In any case, original is better. :p
 
[X] Name: Johnny Kai
[X] Gender: Male
[X] Physical Description: intimidated build and face that makes him easily confused with thug.
[X] Trained: a street vigilante who picked fights with bullies and thugs only to get overpowered by those gifted. He got the attention of one such vigilante (i.e. batman or the punisher) who taught him how to fight crime better.
[X] Traumatic
[X] Guns and Gadgets
 
[X] David Knight
[X] Male
[X] David is a broad, large man, 6'3 in height and weighing at 190 pounds of solid muscle. A former soldier, David's tanned face and skin are marked by scars. His black hair is cut short and his green eyes are intelligent. Slight stubble covers his lower face.
[X] Alien : Whether you personally arrived on Earth from some alien world or dimension, or one of your ancestors did, it is clear that your nature derives from some place out there. Now if only you knew the details of your origins, perhaps you could reach your apex...
[X] Elective : These powers were hard-won, and though you are still at work on perfecting them to an acceptable level, you have something.
[X] Key Concept: Kinetic
[X]Stats
Fighting Ability : 1+1=2
Agility : 1+1=2
Strength : 1+1=2
Endurance : 1+1=2
Doing an expy feels like such a copout.
 
[X] Name: Saitama
[X] Age: 25
[X] Gender: Male
[X] Origin: 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 squats, and 100 km run. Every. SINGLE. DAY!
[X] Elective
[X] Concept: Punch
[X] Fighting +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Strength +1.
[X] Appearance:

Not really expecting this to win. Just... throwing it out there.
 
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[X] Alice McGee
[X] Female
[X]
[X] Mystical
[X] Traumatic
[X] Weapons, Rage, Psychic, Cat Companion
[X] Psychic Potential : 2, Fighting Ability : 2, Agility : 2,Endurance : 2



Punching? Flying? Guns? NAY! We invade the minds of our enemies and fight them there, in worlds made of their consciousness!
 
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