×

Notice

The forum is in read only mode.
× Similar to the main general chat... but let's keep this limited to topics directly relating to writing and Independent Fiction.

Posting rules: Any registered member can create or post to a thread.

Question Dead Man's Hand

8 years 7 months ago #1 by Cryptic
  • Cryptic
  • Cryptic's Avatar Topic Author


  • Posts: 1746

  • Gender: Unknown
  • Birthdate: 04 Jun 1983
  • I was trying to think up a villain team for the WU that was a counterpart to the Royal Flush gang , and Dead Man's Hand came to mind. Problem is my impulse is to write the team is to make the Boss a necromancer and the gang be literal dead men.

    Anyone have a good counter idea?

    I am a caffeine heathen; I prefer the waters of the mountain over the juice of the bean. Keep the Dews coming and no one will be hurt.
    8 years 7 months ago - 8 years 7 months ago #2 by Phoenix Spiritus
    • Phoenix Spiritus
    • Phoenix Spiritus's Avatar


  • Posts: 2595

  • Gender: Male
  • Birthdate: 20 Jan 1976
  • Well, since a "Royal Flush" beats anything in poker, the Dead Man's Hand would need to be a group of extremely good bluffers to take them.

    With that name, I'm thinking a slightly mercenary, very "grey" team, not your typical superheroes.

    So I'd be thinking the two "Aces" would be very well trained 'Ninja' type fighters. Almost assassins. Say a bladework shapeshifter, and an 'invisible' shooter / sniper. People who would be the 'Ace in the Hole' for any other team. The backup. The ones called in when it all goes a crapper, and the team needs to be rescued. Anything goes, straight up survival, last man standing specialists.

    Then you have your eights, I'd go with a couple of 'pinup girl' femfatal assassins. Infiltration specialists with all the tricks. Honey traps. Your basic 'Poision Ivy' type girls.

    And then you have your 'hole card'. I'm thinking a true unknown. Someone nobody ever suspects is part of the team. This would be your background thinker and planner "mastermind", never gets the hands dirty type person. I'm feeling psychic, telepath, but more likely a clairvoyant. One of those 'I can see the future' and plan it out exactly type people. They are the one pulling the strings of the other four, and planning their escapades so precisely it never goes wrong.
    Last Edit: 8 years 7 months ago by Phoenix Spiritus.
    8 years 6 months ago #3 by Kristin Darken
    • Kristin Darken
    • Kristin Darken's Avatar


  • Posts: 3898

  • Gender: Unknown
  • Birthdate: Unknown
  • How about an Exemplar 6 with a BIT that is hardcore 'average guy' and a full on high ranking ESPer package up around rank 4 or 5. Because of his BIT, his brute strength capabilities aren't as high as a 6 would normally be (say down around a mid to high 4)... but he's got everything else, physical and mental; making him capable of almost anything with sufficient skill/training (and with that much brain power, very little training is necessary). His 'average guy' looks are almost a power in themselves... even trained operatives overlook him. Especially after seeing him in combat or the after effects of him in action... the normal brain is just not capable of equating his ability/skill with how he looks.

    Add in that he has a full spectrum of ESPer senses/abilities to apply to his observation / information gathering. Not PDP with its limit at one at a time, from three total; he's simply an ESPer... and has a strong psychic ability with a full scope of senses for time, space, probability, energy, magick, etc. Maybe some receptive Emp and TP... all sensory stuff, though, not projecting.

    That makes him an almost ideal recon/tactical advisor.

    Have your comms Telepath be one of your honey traps. One of whom needs to be all mental (strong send and receive on both TP and Emp, able to pull and manipulate memory and drive emotion) - no one knows who or what 'she' is, no one has ever actually 'met' her/seen her. But everyone adores her. Usually the opposition goes out of the way to give her access. To everything. Only people with decent psi defenses ever oppose her. The second honey trap is for those places where there are no people to manipulate with skill sets to do the same to all tech - gadgeteer maybe - access/security/bypassing any technical defenses/isolation hardware or software - but physically capable mid-range Ex with maybe some Energizer or a PK variant.

    For the two assassins? I agree with the melee shifter, but I wouldn't limit them to blade, and I'd find a shifter who can do mass absorption (can add or subtract from his base mass through the local environment). For your sniper, i'd go with a versatile TK with spacial warping. Every shot is as close to point blank as possible, can have his feet standing in a safe room while his body extrudes through his field onto a rooftop to take a shot through a window 800 yds out but the barrel is extending just out of the fruit basket in the middle of the table. Both trained experts in their weapons and methods of integrating them with their power sets.

    Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
    Moderators: WhateleyAdminKristin DarkenE. E. NalleyelrodwNagrijMageOhkiAstrodragonNeoMagusWarrenMorpheusWasamonsleethrOtherEricBek D CorbinMaLAguASouffle GirlPhoenix SpiritusStarwolfDanZillaKatie_LynMaggie FinsonDrBenderJGBladedancerRenae_Whateley
    Powered by Kunena Forum