Alright, this is a book I published quite a while ago and haven't gotten back to yet. It's a collection of stories linked together by a common thread: Steampunk superheroes. It's a mix of comic-book heroes and pulp stories, with people having strange abilities and powers.
The superheroes in our comics obviously didn't get started until Superman showed up in 1938; he was the first and original. But there are later stories such as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen that take the idea of literary heroes with special abilities to an earlier time. I chose to set my stories 30 years before Superman, starting in 1908. The trigger for this sudden change in the world? Easy: The Tunguska event in Siberia.
Since I just completed a Let's Read of the 1st edition Champions game, I thought that this would be a great way to both show off the game's characteristics and hype up my book at the same time. Yes, I'm shameless that way.
So, today I'm going to write up one of these heroes in the 1e Champions format. I might do some of the others as well over the next little bit; we'll see what I have time for as we get close to Christmas.
BLOODHOUND
Val Char Cost
15 STR 5
18 DEX 24
15 CON 10
10 BODY 0
13 INT 3
15 EGO 10
15 PRE 5
12 COM 1
7 PD 4
6 ED 3
4 SPD 12
6 REC 0
30 END 0
26 STUN 0
Total 77
Cost Powers
9 +3 Enhanced Vision
10 Ultraviolet Vision
9 +3 Enhanced Hearing
10 Ultrasonic Hearing
15 Parabolic Hearing
5 Discriminatory Smell
15 Tracking
5 Climbing 12 or less
5 Detective Work 12 or less
10 Find Weakness 11 or less
15 Martial Arts (Street Fighting)
10 +2 levels with any PER rolls
5 Stealth 12 or less
123 Total
Pts Disadvantages
20 Hunted by Rasputin, 11 or less
15 Physical Lim: Sensory overload
20 Psych Lim: Disturbed by bright lights, loud noises, etc.
10 Psych Lim: Sucker for a sob story
15 Secret ID: Harold Douglas
20 Susceptibility: Flash attacks 3D6, Common
100 Total
Point Totals: Char 77 + Powers 123 = 200 = 100 Base + 100 Disads
Background:
Harold Douglas was one step up from a hobo, traveling from place to place across America looking for a big score, or even just a place to fit in. He spent a few years riding the rails, then working in various mining towns before settling down in the small but growing city of Los Angeles in 1908.
In the summer of that year, however, his life changed dramatically. He grew incredibly sensitive to bright lights and loud noises, and the smell of the city was nearly incapacitating. He couldn't stomach the taste of beer anymore, and his clothes felt raspy and rough despite being made of the softest cotton. He found himself unable to work due to the constant migraines and overwhelming sensory input, and in desperation locked himself in his room for three weeks until he ran out of food and had to leave.
Unable to handle the sensory overload, he collapsed in the street. Two young Mexican boys picked him up and drove him in a 'borrowed' car to a convent where a nun was known to have miraculous healing powers. However, Sister Juanita was unable to cure him of his affliction.
Undeterred, the nun offered to help Harold get his senses under control; two months later, he was able to walk outside. Darkness was no barrier; he could see as well at night as he could during the day. He returned to Los Angeles and discovered a valuable use for his abilities, tracking down a kidnapping ring and returning a young child to his parents. The grateful father offered Harold a reward, and staked Douglas to sufficient funds to start a private investigator's business.
Powers/Abilities:
Harold Douglas, aka the Bloodhound, is a fit but otherwise normal man who has seen and done it all. He learned to brawl in the mining towns, and got quite good at it. His extraordinary senses give him a tremendous advantage in many situations; he can hear conversations in a room a hundred feet away, can see in the dark, and can identify people by their smell and follow them for hours. He's not a trained detective, but his senses compensate for his lack of experience, allowing him to find clues that elude even elite investigators. However, his senses are easily overloaded, causing him pain if the input is too great.
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Alright, there you have it, the first Gilded Age character writeup. If you're interested, please click on the picture above to go to the Amazon page where you can find the book. It's only in eBook format at the moment, but that will change soon enough. Take care, and I'll see you all later.
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