Aquatic characters for campaigns
Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 12:59 am
The oceans can offer a lot of potential for settings and backgrounds for characters. Look at The Deadliest Catch for example. None of the people on that show may come close to being superbeings, but no one can doubt that the seasoned old salts on that show are a cut above the norm, dealing with conditions where many are called, but the chosen are few. And that's just on the surface of the waters! Military forces, free divers, treasure hunters, salvage hunters, all try to explore one of the last frontiers on Earth. It's no wonder that you can also mix in possibilities of aquatic and amphibian life to play or encounter like dolphins, whales, mutants, experiments, aliens who call the oceans home, and have an interesting addition to a group of adventurers or heroes in a game.
Unfortunately, comic books can tend to be hit and miss with beings who call the oceans home, and take it upon themselves to watch over the seas and its inhabitants, including their own people. Such legendary heroes who patrol 70% of Earth's surface can either be fodder for mockery as to their lack of functionality on land, or powerhouses that compensate for several possible shortcomings. But hey, at least it allows for the possibilities to create your own beings, including Megas who can be impervious to pressure, going to ocean depths where the pressure can reach several tons per square inch. Not something to be mocked when you think about it, but the potential of being the fish guy on a team of superheroes can be rife with mockery. Usually to offset this stigma a few aquatic heroes are given the titles of royalty, so one can respect the title if not the abilities. But me, I like to believe that once everything else has been done for characters on land or even calling the air or space their homes, why not give the seas a chance?
I know this is a Heroes Unlimited forum, and I considered putting this in All Things Palladium Books. But the best part about the HU forum is it's the most likely that one can bring such characters into a game setting aside from Rifts from all over in the available books! Dolphins and whales, Pneuma-Biforms, Amphibs, mutants, experiments, aquatic and amphibian aliens, immortal mercreatures, the Zaranceti and Kree-Lok from PFRPG to the Diatyas and Royal Diatyas in Pantheons of the Megaverse are all examples! The possibilities are only as limited as one's imagination and the vast resources one can find in Palladium Books.
Examples in Century Station that run the gamut of respectable to laughable would be the mutant Leviathan, a being whose power continues to change and grow, to The Cuttlefish. Normally a potent mix of powers, but the outcome is...well, Zoidberg's cousin gone bad. Out of boredom and curiosity, especially with Rifts Lemuria coming soon, this made me re-examine the potential for characters that call the water home. A few of my gaming friends used to alternate with me in running games, but the other GM's in the group for the system have moved away, leaving me to run the games every week. I wish I could play again some time soon, because I came up with a great character idea who may help break the mold of needing to be royalty, and not one to be mocked or underestimated.
There are some interesting aquatic aliens in Aliens Unlimited, although you may have to read them more closely to pick up the interesting parts. I can't tell you how many times I've flipped the pages past many of them, looking at the pictures and seeing what the races had to offer. And one that from first glance seemed to easily be a monster race actually took me by surprise. That race was the Nattereri. A proud, warrior race who have mastered their predatory emotions and have focused on protecting the weak and innocent, easily fitting in with knights and heroes in aspirations throughout the Megaverse. They're a big race bordering on giants, tough, strong, have natural armor ratings(as well as horror factors, they're not the prettiest sea dwellers to our eyes) and who have a few options for power categories without being overpowered. The race have the natural equivalent of Heightened Sense of Smell, warriors have the equivalent of Healing Factor, plus can pick one Extraordinary attribute. They can even get bionic lungs to compensate and breathe on land without having any adverse effect on their power categories. Also given that their running speed can be average but their swimming speed is multiplied by ten, I had an idea for what I'm currently working on. A Nattereri Physical Training character who also happens to be a bounty hunter. I have his focus on strength and endurance, making his strength equivalent to Superhuman, and aggressive and deadly combat. Given the Nattereri's appearance, powerful bite attack, I thought about what ability for his attribute would put him over the top! Extraordinary Speed!
We have a character with the equivalents of three minor abilities, and one bona fide minor power that on land can give him the edge, but in the sea, he would be the fastest being on almost any world's oceans. Of course this can be a double edged sword, if making an attack at that speed he'll take 1/3 the damage, which could make this a Kamikaze run if he's not careful. Now all I needed was a good name and background for this guy. I'm still writing up his skills and stats, but I'm planning on making him a Scrupulous bounty hunter acting more as a cosmic auxiliary lawman who comes to Earth to help fight threats that the planet isn't ready for yet, to warn humans about the Atorian Empire(Nattereri are the founders of the Niamese Coalition against them), and to try to get people to become desensitized to beings that aren't as attractive as they'd perceive, but their actions are what makes them who they are.
To make things even more interesting, I thought that an alien perspective can be interesting to play because it can address subjects and topics some may take for granted. My Nattereri believes in taking in prey alive as a show of honor, unless the prey are true monsters like the Lilliamok. But as part of his background, I thought of him becoming aware of a show featuring people trying to stop whale poaching and harming other aquatic races like dolphins. Thanks to Rufts Underseas, it lists one language a person can learn is Dolphin/Whale, which made sense to me for one that an aquatic alien would know. After all, humans aren't the only race on this planet who are sentient, intelligent and deserve respect. So imagine this alien knight-errant who can actually speak to such creatures, not to command them but to converse. Upon coming across such whaling vessels, he addresses the ships.
"Upon my planet, creatures such as these are the sages, the aids, the ones who understand your strengths and frailties simply by sensing you. In the spaceways between planets swimming amongst the stars are celestial beings known as Void Whales. One may equate them as the star faring cousins of these cetaceans. Like living mountains, living starships, these beings are rare, and wondrous to behold. But they are capable of rending ships apart should they approach their families and young with ill intent. The ones you hunt aren't as capable, but no less deserving of respect. And protection. Their ways are not your ways! They wish you no harm, but cannot fight you without harming themselves. However, I have spoken to them. I am a bounty hunter, someone who protects the innocent and am compensated for my efforts. Though I would be hard pressed to fight for them with no reward, they have told me things. They wish for you to cease your senseless slaughter of their races for your 'curiosity'. And as such, they have told me there are countless ships sunken beneath the waves with items that your kind would find to be valuable treasure. The whales have told me that there is a bounty upon YOU. Not your lives, but your ships. Turn and leave now, or the bounty will be claimed. The price: one ship for every whale you have slaughtered. In return, I will be told the locations of the lost treasure ships and permission to claim them as payment, the debris of gold and jewels means nothing to them. But lives do. If you leave now and never return, your ships will be spared from the justified wrath of the sea's oldest sages. But if you stay or raise a weapon to myself or them, man your lifeboats. Your ships will be lost to the seas." Nothing like a being who can create a whirlpool at 600 MPH to hammer the point across, eh?
Would he actually do it? Does he value sea life over human lives? Does he view them equally? Worse yet, does his claim of the whales creating a bounty on the whaling ships ring true, or is it a ruse to make humans think about their actions and treatment of non-human lives? This being would gladly fight to save humans, even risking his own life entering burning buildings to rescue lives. He can show that the heart of humanity can beat within a body that isn't human. And this being is good at his profession, hunting prey both human and alien who have threatened or harmed the innocent. A tireless hunter relentless in his pursuit of his prey, his tactics and ferocity gave him the earned name of a predator on his homeworld. Known for its endurance in stalking its quarry until it tires, then striking with blinding speed and legendary ferocity, such is the name of this Nattereri. He is known as...Shakuda, the Mer-Manhunter!
That's just my imagination, I'm making this guy never knowing when I'll get to play him. But I'm sure that I can't be the only one that has come up with, or thought about making a character that calls the seas home, capable of more than some may suspect due to the stigma of aquatic characters. So how about it? What have you created for aquatic characters, or what are you inspired to make to put your own twist on this sub-culture(pun intended) of heroes and villains? C'mon folks, unleash your aquatic creations!
Unfortunately, comic books can tend to be hit and miss with beings who call the oceans home, and take it upon themselves to watch over the seas and its inhabitants, including their own people. Such legendary heroes who patrol 70% of Earth's surface can either be fodder for mockery as to their lack of functionality on land, or powerhouses that compensate for several possible shortcomings. But hey, at least it allows for the possibilities to create your own beings, including Megas who can be impervious to pressure, going to ocean depths where the pressure can reach several tons per square inch. Not something to be mocked when you think about it, but the potential of being the fish guy on a team of superheroes can be rife with mockery. Usually to offset this stigma a few aquatic heroes are given the titles of royalty, so one can respect the title if not the abilities. But me, I like to believe that once everything else has been done for characters on land or even calling the air or space their homes, why not give the seas a chance?
I know this is a Heroes Unlimited forum, and I considered putting this in All Things Palladium Books. But the best part about the HU forum is it's the most likely that one can bring such characters into a game setting aside from Rifts from all over in the available books! Dolphins and whales, Pneuma-Biforms, Amphibs, mutants, experiments, aquatic and amphibian aliens, immortal mercreatures, the Zaranceti and Kree-Lok from PFRPG to the Diatyas and Royal Diatyas in Pantheons of the Megaverse are all examples! The possibilities are only as limited as one's imagination and the vast resources one can find in Palladium Books.
Examples in Century Station that run the gamut of respectable to laughable would be the mutant Leviathan, a being whose power continues to change and grow, to The Cuttlefish. Normally a potent mix of powers, but the outcome is...well, Zoidberg's cousin gone bad. Out of boredom and curiosity, especially with Rifts Lemuria coming soon, this made me re-examine the potential for characters that call the water home. A few of my gaming friends used to alternate with me in running games, but the other GM's in the group for the system have moved away, leaving me to run the games every week. I wish I could play again some time soon, because I came up with a great character idea who may help break the mold of needing to be royalty, and not one to be mocked or underestimated.
There are some interesting aquatic aliens in Aliens Unlimited, although you may have to read them more closely to pick up the interesting parts. I can't tell you how many times I've flipped the pages past many of them, looking at the pictures and seeing what the races had to offer. And one that from first glance seemed to easily be a monster race actually took me by surprise. That race was the Nattereri. A proud, warrior race who have mastered their predatory emotions and have focused on protecting the weak and innocent, easily fitting in with knights and heroes in aspirations throughout the Megaverse. They're a big race bordering on giants, tough, strong, have natural armor ratings(as well as horror factors, they're not the prettiest sea dwellers to our eyes) and who have a few options for power categories without being overpowered. The race have the natural equivalent of Heightened Sense of Smell, warriors have the equivalent of Healing Factor, plus can pick one Extraordinary attribute. They can even get bionic lungs to compensate and breathe on land without having any adverse effect on their power categories. Also given that their running speed can be average but their swimming speed is multiplied by ten, I had an idea for what I'm currently working on. A Nattereri Physical Training character who also happens to be a bounty hunter. I have his focus on strength and endurance, making his strength equivalent to Superhuman, and aggressive and deadly combat. Given the Nattereri's appearance, powerful bite attack, I thought about what ability for his attribute would put him over the top! Extraordinary Speed!
We have a character with the equivalents of three minor abilities, and one bona fide minor power that on land can give him the edge, but in the sea, he would be the fastest being on almost any world's oceans. Of course this can be a double edged sword, if making an attack at that speed he'll take 1/3 the damage, which could make this a Kamikaze run if he's not careful. Now all I needed was a good name and background for this guy. I'm still writing up his skills and stats, but I'm planning on making him a Scrupulous bounty hunter acting more as a cosmic auxiliary lawman who comes to Earth to help fight threats that the planet isn't ready for yet, to warn humans about the Atorian Empire(Nattereri are the founders of the Niamese Coalition against them), and to try to get people to become desensitized to beings that aren't as attractive as they'd perceive, but their actions are what makes them who they are.
To make things even more interesting, I thought that an alien perspective can be interesting to play because it can address subjects and topics some may take for granted. My Nattereri believes in taking in prey alive as a show of honor, unless the prey are true monsters like the Lilliamok. But as part of his background, I thought of him becoming aware of a show featuring people trying to stop whale poaching and harming other aquatic races like dolphins. Thanks to Rufts Underseas, it lists one language a person can learn is Dolphin/Whale, which made sense to me for one that an aquatic alien would know. After all, humans aren't the only race on this planet who are sentient, intelligent and deserve respect. So imagine this alien knight-errant who can actually speak to such creatures, not to command them but to converse. Upon coming across such whaling vessels, he addresses the ships.
"Upon my planet, creatures such as these are the sages, the aids, the ones who understand your strengths and frailties simply by sensing you. In the spaceways between planets swimming amongst the stars are celestial beings known as Void Whales. One may equate them as the star faring cousins of these cetaceans. Like living mountains, living starships, these beings are rare, and wondrous to behold. But they are capable of rending ships apart should they approach their families and young with ill intent. The ones you hunt aren't as capable, but no less deserving of respect. And protection. Their ways are not your ways! They wish you no harm, but cannot fight you without harming themselves. However, I have spoken to them. I am a bounty hunter, someone who protects the innocent and am compensated for my efforts. Though I would be hard pressed to fight for them with no reward, they have told me things. They wish for you to cease your senseless slaughter of their races for your 'curiosity'. And as such, they have told me there are countless ships sunken beneath the waves with items that your kind would find to be valuable treasure. The whales have told me that there is a bounty upon YOU. Not your lives, but your ships. Turn and leave now, or the bounty will be claimed. The price: one ship for every whale you have slaughtered. In return, I will be told the locations of the lost treasure ships and permission to claim them as payment, the debris of gold and jewels means nothing to them. But lives do. If you leave now and never return, your ships will be spared from the justified wrath of the sea's oldest sages. But if you stay or raise a weapon to myself or them, man your lifeboats. Your ships will be lost to the seas." Nothing like a being who can create a whirlpool at 600 MPH to hammer the point across, eh?
Would he actually do it? Does he value sea life over human lives? Does he view them equally? Worse yet, does his claim of the whales creating a bounty on the whaling ships ring true, or is it a ruse to make humans think about their actions and treatment of non-human lives? This being would gladly fight to save humans, even risking his own life entering burning buildings to rescue lives. He can show that the heart of humanity can beat within a body that isn't human. And this being is good at his profession, hunting prey both human and alien who have threatened or harmed the innocent. A tireless hunter relentless in his pursuit of his prey, his tactics and ferocity gave him the earned name of a predator on his homeworld. Known for its endurance in stalking its quarry until it tires, then striking with blinding speed and legendary ferocity, such is the name of this Nattereri. He is known as...Shakuda, the Mer-Manhunter!
That's just my imagination, I'm making this guy never knowing when I'll get to play him. But I'm sure that I can't be the only one that has come up with, or thought about making a character that calls the seas home, capable of more than some may suspect due to the stigma of aquatic characters. So how about it? What have you created for aquatic characters, or what are you inspired to make to put your own twist on this sub-culture(pun intended) of heroes and villains? C'mon folks, unleash your aquatic creations!
