[SUPERS] My Unofficial Handbook to the DC Universe

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

What makes Toyman interesting to me is that he attempts to force Superman to be in multiple places at once. Doomsday is just a 40-page slugfest.

Okay, you convinced me. I will make a version of Toyman.

The interesting part will be differentiating him from the similar Batman villains, like the Joker and Riddler.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Okay, you convinced me. I will make a version of Toyman.

The interesting part will be differentiating him from the similar Batman villains, like the Joker and Riddler.

Well, I'm sure adding in Allies (Adjustable; Group: 10-100; Minion) to represent his army of toy soldiers, action figures, explosive remote controlled cars, etc. will help differentiate him a lot from folks that use gag weapons in personal combat like Joker. He's much more of a "behind the scenes" kind of trickster; Superman would be more likely to find one of his battery-operated explosive stuffed animals wandering the street than he would Toyman himself.

Or you can do the more recent, very much younger Toyman who was infatuated with Power Girl... o/`

[aesir23]

I'm going to side-track away from the Superman Family (and Villains) because I was inspired by all the RPM threads on the forums recently to finally build one of my all-time favorite DC characters: John Constantine.

But first, here are my thoughts on

Magic in the DC Universe
Magic is a chaotic and unpredictable force, so it's no surprise that it works so differently for so many different characters.
Anybody who learns the rituals can do some magic--this magic uses the rules of Ritual Path Magic (although several variants exist, including effect shaping and book magic--see comments above about "unpredictable.") And there are those who are particularly gifted at this sort of magic.
The more powerful magical characters in the DCU rely instead on Magical Powers--these are built as powers with the Magical Power Modifier (There is no Mana in the DCU. Magical just specifies a unique set of anti-powers and countermeasures.)
Importantly, there is no Divine power modifier in the DCU. Angels, demons, devils, and most small-g-gods use either Magical or Cosmic as their power modifier.

[aesir23]

Anti-Hero: John Constantine
Allies: Swamp-Thing, Zatanna
Affiliations: The Trenchcoat Brigade, Justice League Dark.
Area of Operation: London, Global, and, occasionally interdimensional.

John Constantine grew up in a troubled home in a working-class neighborhood in Liverpool. He began studying the occult on his own as a teenager and began experimenting with demonology while leading a punk band in Newcastle in his late teens and twenties. Things didn't end well. People got hurt and it haunts him to this day.

Now he works as an occult investigator in London, sometimes pulling small con-jobs to help pay the bills. He's been involved with the super-hero community on several occassions (notably when he helped Swamp-Thing discover his true nature) but mostly he works on his own, fighting demons that nobody else even notices.

You may have heard that John Constantine is one of the most powerful wizards in the multiverse. Maybe you even heard it from John Constantine himself. Thats...not quite the case. The truth is, while Constantine's a knowledgable and skilled magician, most of the magical entities in the DCU could wipe the floor with him. He relies on his wits to punch above his weight.

The most notable example of this also is when he sold his soul to the three most powerful lords of Hell in order to manipulate them into curing his Lung Cancer (and doing their best to ensure he lives a nice, long time)--because should he die, there will be a war over his soul that would significantly weaken the forces of Hell.

John Constantine is a bastard, by his own admission, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. But he is on the side of Good, even when he doesn't act like it.

Name: John Constantine
Race: Human

Attributes [160]
ST 11 [10]
DX 12 [40]
IQ 15 [100]
HT 11 [10]

HP 11
Will 15
Per 15
FP 11

Basic Lift 24
Damage 1d-1/1d+1

Basic Speed 5.75
Basic Move 5

Ground Move 5
Water Move 1

Social Background
TL: 8 [0]
Cultural Familiarities:
Languages: English (Native) [0]; Enochian (Native) [6]; French (Accented) [4].

Advantages [251]
Mundane Advantages:
Ally (Swamp Thing) (150% of starting points) (Favor; 6 or less; Special Abilities) [2]
Appearance (Handsome) [12]
Contact Group (Heroes of DCs Magic Community) (Effective Skill 21) (6 or less; Somewhat Reliable) [10]
Gizmo (Charms) (2) [10]
Hard to Kill (5) (Magical) [9]
High Pain Threshold [10]
Luck (Extraordinary) [30]
Occultist (2) [20]
Reputation ("If you kill him, it will start a war between the lords of Hell.) (4) (All the time; Small class) [6]
Reputation (Great and powerful Wizard!) (3) (10 or less; Small class) [2]
Signature Gear (Fine, durable, well-made Trench Coat) (1) [1]
Smooth Operator (2) [30]

Magical Abilities:
Gizmo (Charms) (2) [10]
Hard to Kill (5) (Magical) [9]
Resistant (Aging) (Rare) (+8; Magical) [2]
Ritual Adept [40]
Ritual Path Magery (5) [50]
Ritual Path Magery 0 [5]

Perks [2]
Good with (Working Class Brits) [1]
Immunity to Lung Cancer [1]

Disadvantages [-106]
Addiction (Tobacco) (Cheap) (Highly addictive; Legal) [-5]
Curious (12 or less) [-5]
Dependent (Chas ) (No more than 25%) (9 or less; Friend) [-10]
Dependent (Gemma Masters (Neice)) (No more than 25%) (6 or less; Friend; Loved one) [-10]
Destiny (Damned to serve one of the lords of Hell after his death.) (Major) [-10]
Enemy (The legions of Hell) (utterly formidable group) (9 or less; Rival) [-20]
Guilt Complex [-5]
Nightmares (12 or less) [-5]
Odious Personal Habit (Overly Cynical and Sarcastic) (-1) [-5]
Reputation (Kind of a Bastard who you don't want to work with) (-2) (7 or less; Large class) [-1]
Secret (Not nearly as powerful as you've heard) (Serious Embarrassment) [-5]
Sense of Duty (Innocents) (Large Group) [-10]
Stubbornness [-5]
Wealth (Struggling) [-10]

Quirks [-3]
Enjoys Irish whiskies, English ales, and French Cigarettes [-1]
Has a tendency to drink too much. [-1]
Likes People to think he has "Callous" and "Selfish" disadvantages [-1]

Skills [207]
Acting IQ/A - IQ+2 17 [2]
includes: +2 from 'Smooth Operator'
Area Knowledge (England) IQ/E - IQ+2 17 [4]
Autohypnosis Will/H - Will+0 15 [4]
Brawling DX/E - DX+2 14 [4]
Carousing HT/E - HT+4 15 [4]
includes: +2 from 'Smooth Operator'
Connoisseur (Liquors) IQ/A - IQ-1 14 [1]
Connoisseur (Music (Optional Specialty: Punk Rock)) IQ/E - IQ+0 15 [1]
Current Affairs/TL8 (Supernatural) IQ/E - IQ+0 15 [1]
Exorcism Will/H - Will+1 16 [2]
includes: +2 from 'Occultist'
Fast-Talk IQ/A - IQ+4 19 [8]
includes: +2 from 'Smooth Operator'
Forensics/TL8 IQ/H - IQ-1 14 [2]
Forgery/TL8 IQ/H - IQ-1 14 [2]
Guns/TL8 (Pistol) DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Head Butt (Brawling) Tech/H - 15 [3]
Hidden Lore (Demon Lore) IQ/A - IQ+3 18 [4]
includes: +2 from 'Occultist'
Hidden Lore (Spirit Lore) IQ/A - IQ+1 16 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Occultist'
Hidden Lore (Things Man Was Not Meant To Know) IQ/A - IQ+1 16 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Occultist'
History (Magicians and Magical Societies) IQ/H - IQ+0 15 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Occultist'
Hypnotism (Human) IQ/H - IQ+0 15 [4]
Interrogation IQ/A - IQ+0 15 [2]
Intimidation Will/A - Will+2 17 [2]
includes: +2 from 'Smooth Operator'
Knife DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Lockpicking/TL8 IQ/A - IQ+0 15 [2]
Mind Block Will/A - Will+1 16 [4]
Occultism IQ/A - IQ+3 18 [4]
includes: +2 from 'Occultist'
Pickpocket DX/H - DX+3 15 [14]
Poetry (Songwriting) IQ/E - IQ+0 15 [1]
Research/TL8 IQ/A - IQ+2 17 [2]
includes: +2 from 'Occultist'
Scrounging Per/E - Per+0 15 [1]
Sex Appeal (Human) HT/A - HT+3 14 [0]
includes: +4 from 'Appearance', +2 from 'Smooth Operator'
Shadowing IQ/A - IQ+0 15 [2]
Singing HT/E - HT+1 12 [2]
Sleight of Hand DX/H - DX+3 15 [16]
Stealth DX/A - DX+2 14 [8]
Streetwise IQ/A - IQ+2 17 [2]
includes: +2 from 'Smooth Operator'
Targeted Attack (Brawling Kicking/Groin) Tech/H - 12 [4]
Wrestling DX/A - DX+1 13 [4]

Ritual Path Magic:
Thaumatology IQ/VH - IQ+1 16 [4]
includes: +2 from 'Occultist'
Path of Body IQ/VH - IQ-1 14 [6]
Path of Chance IQ/VH - IQ+1 16 [14]
Path of Crossroads IQ/VH - IQ-1 14 [6]
Path of Energy IQ/VH - IQ+1 16 [14]
Path of Magic IQ/VH - IQ+1 16 [14]
Path of Matter IQ/VH - IQ-1 14 [6]
Path of Mind IQ/VH - IQ-1 14 [6]
Path of Spirit IQ/VH - IQ+1 16 [14]
Path of Undead IQ/VH - IQ-2 13 [2]

Stats [160] Ads [251] Disads [-106] Quirks [-4] Skills [221] = Total [524]

*EDITOR'S NOTE: This is very clearly drawn from the pre-New 52 John Constantine--the current New 52 and Rebirth John Constantine has ALOT of points in magical powers and is every bit the powerful magician people think he is.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

I've been working on some pre-Graduation Day notes. Hope they help.

Just a heads up. I've edited this with the first San Fran Teen Titans lineup and have begun adding bios for all the inactive Titans at the time of Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day. Currently up to the first Terra. In the bios, I've added notes in parentheses for events after Graduation Day when possible. (Such as Rose Wilson's time as the Ravager from the time she gouged out her own eye through Flashpoint.)

Raven's bio is a pretty long one, but I think I caught most of her powers as they were depicted in The New Teen Titans v1 and v2, Tales of the Teen Titans, and The New Titans. Not sure if I caught her Teen Titans v3 power set correctly.


Edit: Commenting has been turned on, so if people have info I missed, lemme know!

[AlexanderHowl]

Not the nitpick, but the John Constantine could be more efficient. I would suggest giving him IQ 18 and Magery 8 [+90 CP], get rid of Occultist 2 and Smooth Operator 2 [-50] and replace his magical skills with the Wildcard Skill of Ritual! (a variant of Magic! I tailored for RPM), which would include Alchemy, Thaumatology, and the RPM Paths at IQ+2 [-44 CP]. You end up saving 4 CP and have a much more powerful character.

If you do not like Ritual! just do the rest, put 1 CP in each Magical Skill, Alchemy, and Path of Nonexistence, and you end up saving 40 CP, and the character is still a better magician. Use the 40 CP to give him ST 12 and HT 14, and he ends up surviving a lot better as well. Or you could give him a few magical gadgets.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Not the nitpick, but the John Constantine could be more efficient. I would suggest giving him IQ 18 and Magery 8 [+90 CP], get rid of Occultist 2 and Smooth Operator 2 [-50]

I get what you're saying, but optimization is not the point of these builds.

If I do what you're saying I end up with a more powerful John Constantine, it's true. But I don't want a more powerful John Constantine--I want a John Constantine that represents the capabilities that I see in the comic books I love (this one is particularly based on the Hellblazer runs written by Jamie Delano and Garth Ennis).

Raising his IQ is particularly problematic for a number of reasons--for a start, there's comparisons across my other DC characters to consider. I'd suddenly be looking at a John Constantine who's as smart as Bruce Wayne!

I'd also be stuck with a John Constantine who is REALLY good by default at a lot of stuff John Constantine isn't very good at.

I do expect that if players take these characters to play in their own games, they'll probably optimize the hell out of them. But that's not the game I'm playing by creating them.

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

and replace his magical skills with the Wildcard Skill of Ritual! (a variant of Magic! I tailored for RPM), which would include Alchemy, Thaumatology, and the RPM Paths at IQ+2 [-44 CP]. You end up saving 4 CP and have a much more powerful character.

Yeah, all of these would be much easier and more comic book accurate with Wildcard! skills. I just don't like them. A lot of the fun for me is picking and fine-tuning skill lists. It allows me to say things like "Oracle's as good as Batman at Research but worse at Interrogation", where if they both had Detective! I'd just give Batman a higher Detective! skill and he'd be better at research, too.

In John Constantine's case, giving him Ritual! would mean he'd be just as good at healing people as at banishing spirits. But he's not.

I hope this explains my approach a little better.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by aesir23

I get what you're saying, but optimization is not the point of these builds.

If I do what you're saying I end up with a more powerful John Constantine, it's true. But I don't want a more powerful John Constantine--I want a John Constantine that represents the capabilities that I see in the comic books I love (this one is particularly based on the Hellblazer runs written by Jamie Delano and Garth Ennis).

The runs I read paint hims as a capable magician that's extremely well informed about anything occult but mostly a smooth talking con man. He's always wheeling and dealing, usually with a strong bluff and a hole card that will really suck to play.

I'd increase his Smooth Operator / con man skills, give him a bit of luck, and contacts rather than allies. You could throw in a few favors for when he gets in way over his head.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by naloth

The runs I read paint hims as a capable magician that's extremely well informed about anything occult but mostly a smooth talking con man. He's always wheeling and dealing, usually with a strong bluff and a hole card that will really suck to play.

Yeah, that's a very apt description of what I was going for.

Originally Posted by naloth

I'd increase his Smooth Operator / con man skills, give him a bit of luck, and contacts rather than allies. You could throw in a few favors for when he gets in way over his head.

Well, Chas is definitely more Ally than contact--at least when he's in London. He might be "reluctant" though.
You're probably right about adding some Contacts and Swamp Thing's not really an Ally he can count on (I just remember one issue when he came to John's birthday party and grew some really good marijuana for him, but he doesn't really help on adventures much.)

As for the Con man/bluffing part...that's supposed to be represented by his Fast-Talk and Intimidation skills--both of which are already pretty much at "among the best in the world" levels. I suppose one more level of Smooth Operator might be appropriate.

As for adding Luck... I thought I had!

[YankeeGamer]

I like what you've done here. There's 2 heroes I'd love to see:
Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) when Zeus gave her powers Early on or in Young Justice--a new hero with great powers learning the game)
The other is Wonder Woman herself, when she was working with Cassie.
Thanks for sharing this great stuff :)