Zenith Comics Presents: Applications OPEN! 2 Spots

[Heroglyph]

First concept:

Verve

According to legend, when the “White Man” came and began their expansion west,
one Native American tribe had retreated to a remote valley and spent years developing enchanted paints; a picture painted from these enchanted paints would come to material life. The tribe had used these paints to defend themselves with devastating results.

Simon Kirby, and art student, had heard of these legends while doing research for his thesis, and set out over Spring Break to see if the legend was true. Discovering a hidden cave in the long abandoned valley refuge, Kirby came across a set of clay jars containing dried pigment used to make paint. He added water, and painted a series of animals on the walls, in the fashion of the other cave paintings present…but nothing happened.

Hearing someone approaching, Simon quickly hid. It was a gang of criminals who were using the cave to stow a kidnap victim while they waited for the ransom. Kirby accidentally upset one of the jars of paint, causing it to shatter on the cave floor. The robbers, not wanting any witnesses, immediately shot Kirby.

As he lay on the cave floor, his pooling blood mixed with the ancient paints, and he felt a strange power awaken within him. The animals he had painted began to shimmer with vitality. He concentrated on them and they sprung to life, leaping from the cave walls into full three-dimensional form. They attacked the kidnappers, driving them off in panic, and leaving behind the kidnap victim. The danger past, the animals quickly vanished, reappearing as painting on the wall once again. Kirby’s wounds were not fatal, and he freed the bonds the kidnap victim, taking her back to safety and returned to art school.

Afterwords Kirby discovered that he had the power to bring any of his drawings to life for short periods of time. He knew it had to be the paints. Perhaps when they intermingled with his blood, their magical powers had been activated and they now coursed through his veins. He had heard of ritual sacrifices and such in primitive cultures, perhaps blood was the missing ingredient Kirby had initially lacked to activate the power contained within the enchanted paints.

Having been a fan of comics his entire life, Kirby knew that he must use these new powers for the greater good. He would become a superhero. He dubbed himself Verve, after the spirit and enthusiasm that animates artistic compositions and performance.

[BASHMAN]

Maybe he'll illustrate his favorite comic characters and bring them to life!

[Heroglyph]

2nd concept:

FRONT-RUNNER
To add some excitement to his life, Alec Halsey took up Parkour/Free Running as a hobby. On one of his rooftop running escapades, Alec fell through the skylight of an abandoned warehouse and was knocked unconscious from the fall.

When he regained consciousness, Alec discovered that he was tied down to a gurney in a makeshift lab within the warehouse. It seems the mob was using the warehouse as a lab to synthesize a new type of methamphetamine. One of their super-powered henchmen, Speed Freak, had gotten himself killed, but they were able to recover his body and harvest his organs for study and research. His adrenal gland was instrumental in synthesizing this new drug.

Alec was to be the first test subject and was injected with the drug despite his protests.. In a surge of panicked adrenaline, Alec broke free of his leather restraints. He was moving faster than humanly possible, dodging bullets, and incapacitating the mob scientist and his goons in mere seconds.

He flushed the remainder of the drug down the toilet and destroyed the scientist’s notes to prevent them from synthesizing any more, then made an anonymous call to the police reporting the location of the mobsters. He then sped away into the night , faster than the eye could see.

Since then Alec has fashioned a costume for himself and has begun patrolling the rooftops and alleyways of the city as the superhero known as Front-Runner. He does this partially for the thrill it gives him, but also to prevent innocents from coming to harm. He had learned himself just how dangerous the city could be, and he hopes that he can make it a little safer with his abilities.


Off topic: How do you post images on the forums? I tried uploading an attachment, but it is not showing up.

[AslanC]

He flushed the remainder of the drug down the toilet and destroyed the scientist’s notes to prevent them from synthesizing any more

I like everything but this. The notes have to survive man, how else can I bring in a nemesis ala the SEVEN Million Dollar Man to your Steve Austin?

As for images, use Photobucket to host, we don't have image hosting here alas.

[Heroglyph]

Fair enough. I am liking Front-Runner mainly because of the free-running twist on a speedster. He doesn't just run, he can do all sort of funky acrobatic moves to navigate the urban environment.

[AslanC]

Just remember the campaign is set in 1984, so Parkour hasn't been invented yet.... I think... let me check... yup 1988 in Lisse... so I guess he would be considered ahead of his time... not bad for a speedster

[MrJupiter]

Fair enough. I am liking Front-Runner mainly because of the free-running twist on a speedster. He doesn't just run, he can do all sort of funky acrobatic moves to navigate the urban environment.

This is the thing about this character I like as well. Acrobatic and blazing speed. Very nice combination! I like the story as well, but agree with AslanC that some small sample or scrap of notes should be missed (though the character doesn't need to know this...).

As for posting images to the forum:
1/ Set up an online account with Flickr (or other site with similar purposes).
2/ Upload the image there.
3/ Copy the URL of the image (on Flickr I click on the picture, go to the magnifying glass at the top and click on "All Sizes"; then scroll down to "Grab the photo's URL". Highlight this and copy.)
4/ Then, in the forum, put the cursor where you want the image to go.
5/ Now, at the top, click on the “Img” button.
6/ Paste the picture’s URL.
7/ Again, click on the “Img” button.

Viola! If everything went correctly, you should have your image inserted into the post! I can’t wait to see these characters posted with stats!

[Shennaqua]

Hi AslanC,

I'm interested in submitting some characters for your play-by-post game. I have the first one ready. Her name is Sun Flare, and I've added her to the Builds forum here:

Sun Flare

I have concepts for the next two characters, and will try to get them posted in a day or two.

Cheers,
Shennaqua

[AslanC]

Okay so we've got;

Tempest
Front-Runner

Still waiting for two more choices from Shannaqua.

Anyone else still want in?

[Wasabi]

I would like to throw my hat in as well as being interested! I'll have three characters ready to go asap! Cheers

[Heroglyph]

Front-Runner
Brawn 1
Agility 5
Mind 1

Powers:
Super Running 5 (40 squares) 5pts

Super Speed 5 5pts

Speed Multipower [9pts total]
* Push (run in circles making a tornado to lift vertically / spinning hands to push horizontally ) 5pts
* Deflect (catch bullets, etc. ) 3 (x 8DMG) 3 pts
* Hover (spinning hands/ whirlwind) 1
* Rapidfire punch : Special Attack +3DM (x4 Dmg) 3pt

Advantages
Instant Change, Versatile

Disadvantages
Arch Enemy (Mob Lord)
Destitute

Skills
Athletics x2 (x7 DMG) / Running +1/ Acrobatics +1, Climbing +1, Streetwise

Cost Breakdown: Stats 14 Powers 19=33 total


Not sure if I am doing multipower cost correctly. Iffy on the Athletics skill breakdown as well.

[Lindharin]

Looks cool, Heroglyph!

Not sure if I am doing multipower cost correctly. Iffy on the Athletics skill breakdown as well.

I think the multipower should be 9:
5 for Push, +1 for Deflect and +1 for Special Attack. However, Hover is a movement power (instead of combat) so it costs +2.

For Athletics, I'm a little iffy about that myself, but here is my understanding: You get 5 agility skill picks for free.

Pick 1: Athletics / Running
Pick 2: Athletics / Acrobatics
Pick 3: Athletics / Climbing
Pick 4: Athletics improved multiplier +1
Pick 5: Athletics improved multiplier +1

So you would have a multiplier of 7 (5 base, +2 from extra skill picks) on any Athletics roll. And if you are making a Running, Acrobatics or Climbing check then you roll twice and pick the better result.

But I could be wrong...

[Shennaqua]

Hi AslanC,

I've got my second character is up. Her name is Dark Matter, and I've added her to the builds forum.

Dark Matter

Cheers,
Shennaqua

[Wasabi]

Greetings AslanC -
Well I finally got my copy of BASH ultimate in the mail and am currently reading it cover to cover (I am so hooked) Hence my desire to find a game to explore the system with. Seeing as you are the one who got me interested in the system (your work over at Superbuddies started it all off btw) I was excited at the chance to join in this PbP game of yours.

Here are my 3 (admittedly brief) character concepts. I should have full stats for them up in the next few days as i learn the system. Without further ado:

SEQUOIA
Ryan Walker was an average college student and ECO-activists who chained himself to a tree in a grove slated for clear cutting by the corporate interests of the Chimera Corporation. Seeing this group as a minor inconvenience an executive of Chimera ordered the area to be exposed to an experimental defoliant in order to remove the “ECO-pests”. The gas like substance caused Ryan to mutate into a humanoid planet being with an array of powers. Growth and plant control being chief among them.

JAUNT
Conner McCray was a lab tech for physicist Dr Walter Scott of Strong Solutions. Conner gained his abilities of teleportation in a lab accident with a quantum wave energizer. His new found abilities cause both himself and the doctor to “port” out of the lab seconds before a massive explosion that would have taken both their lives. Upon further investigation it was discovered that the accident was not at all but an act of sabotage.

AEGIS
“Evolution by Design” - the goal of the Avalon Corporation was to create a synthetic ultra-gene graft procedure to grant normal humans super powers and abilities. A public success, until Richard Bishop discovered the truth. That he and other members of the program are in fact Engineered Life Forms (E.L.F.s) grown in test tubes designed to be the ultimate corporate sponsored superheroes. Implanted memories keep the clones back stories intact with the aid of actors and other clever ruses. The corporation allows him to use his force field abilities as a public superhero in exchange for his silence.

[AslanC]

I gotta say I like all three, though Sequoia really strikes me as original. I would probably take him.