Champions – Piper of the Vanguard

Piper hails from a dark and desolate future – a dying earth, reduced to barren desert after a geomagnetic – and geotemporal – catastrophe, blasted by terrible storms, irradiated by particle storms, and haunted by an ever-shifting array of mutated monstrosities created in evolutionary temporal loops. Those same loops drain the energies of the earth and bring the end ever-closer even as the horrors they spawn destroy the last forms of life on land.  The sea too is poisoned and dying – and the solar wind and the temporal disturbances are slowly stripping away the atmosphere.

On that dying world a few people clung to life in old shelters with the use of such ambient magic as remains – but the end drew ever closer.

According to what little history had been preserved, something humanity had done – some experiment, technological error, or mystic ritual – had been the catalyst, the trigger that had doomed the world.

What man had done, man might perhaps undo. In a final meddlesome experiment the last men sought to imbue themselves with the power of the temporal vortexes, to open the paths of time to themselves – and perhaps to find a way to forestall the catastrophe. Most were lost, presumed dead – but a few found the gates of time opening for them. Mankind had a final chance.

Piper is on a mission; that future – or any similar future – will not come to pass if he can prevent it. Unfortunately, he often finds himself acting on vague hints and visions, rather than from any firm knowledge. Still, what can he do but try?

Fortunately for the world, Piper’s future was low-probability to begin with – but occasional horrific creatures from it, riding the vortexes in their own ways, cross time and probability to walk the past as well. Equally fortunately, the Rho-Field bars the Vortexes energies – restricting both Piper and the vagrant monstrosities from reaching the deep past. Still, when two incarnations of the vortexes share the same time they tend to be drawn together – leaving Piper occasionally confronted by the horrors of a barren world.

Piper is – in some respects – Vanguard’s team leader. After all, he has a greater mission – and can carry the team through time to confront horrors that are disrupting it, gets visions of possible terrible futures that they must take action to prevent, occasionally gets visions of past tragedies of no temporal importance which he and his team may attempt to intervene in, and is immune to paradox, and so can readily spot the small changes that indicate that other time-manipulators are changing history (which the team may then attempt to fix – hopefully subtly enough not to further disrupt the past). That’s enough to keep any group busy.

Plus, of course, occasional horrific monsters show up to harass him for no good reason.

Piper has a good deal of power over time – but outside of that, and the heightened reflexes that he gets as a side effect – he’s a fairly normal human being. Still, his first action in a fight is generally to boost his speed and that of his allies, which is useful in itself, and then to simply use his “hyperspeed” to vastly enhance his movement and combat abilities. That leaves him vulnerable in a variety of ways of course – most obviously to area effects – but you cannot have everything.

 

Piper

 

Value	Characteristic	Points
18	STR	8
23	DEX	39
18	CON	16
10	BODY	0
13	INT	3
11	EGO	2
18	PRE	8
12	COM	1
8	PD	4
8	ED	4
6	SPD	27
8	REC	0
36	END	0
28	STUN	0
	Total	112

 

Points	Powers	END
27	Temporal Manipulation Multipower (82-pt reserve); Generic Limitation (Time-Manipulation Powers Only): -½; Side Effects (16d Endurance Drain): 60/All, -1; Variable Limitations: -½, -¼; Activation: 15-, -¼
u-2	Hyperspeed Style / Deja Fu
(12)	+12 DEX.
(1)	Nerve Strike (OCV -1, DCV +1, 6½d6 NND)
(2)	Takeaway (OCV +0, DCV +0, STR 73)
(1)	Martial Dodge (OCV –, DCV +5)
(1)	Killing Strike (OCV -2, DCV +0, 3d6 HKA)
(9)	+7 DC for Martial Attacks\
u-3	2d6 Aid to Speed (Fade/min., Max. 20); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power, +0; Autofire: 5 shots, ½; Area Effect (Radius): 500″ radius, +1; Selective Target: +¼; Increased Area: ×125, +1¾; Reduced END: Zero, +1.	0
u-3	Running (+22″, 28″, NC: 224″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×8, +10; Non-Combat (MPH): 393; Reduced END: Zero, +½.	0
u-2	Timejump Extra-Dimensional Movement; Dimensions: One, +0; Time Travel: Any Time, +40; Mass Multiplier: ×8, +15; Carrying Mass: 400.	7
u-2	6d6 Entangle in Timeslowed Air (DEF 6); Range: 375; Reduced END: Half, +¼.	3
u-3	Precognition / Clairsentience (Hearing, Sight); See: Future, +20; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Active Points: 82; Dimensions: Current, +0; Range: 500″.	0
u-2	Postcognition / Clairsentience (Hearing, Sight); See: Past, +20; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Active Points: 75; Dimensions: Current, +0; Range: 250″.	0
u-3	2d6 Temporal Scrambling / Drain Physical Attributes (Return/5 min.); Range: 0; Affects: All Powers of Special Effect, +2; Reduced END: Zero, +½.	0
u-3	4d6+1 Hyperspeed Throwing / Killing Attack (RKA); Range: 405; Reduced END: Half, +¼.	3
3	Immune to Aging
12	2d6 60-Point Equipment Allowance Aid (Fade/month, Max. 60); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Extra Time: 1 hour, -2½; Only activates in armories, labs, or between outings: -1½; Personal Only: -1; Difficult to Dispel: ×4, +½; Increased END: ×10, -4; Active Points: 119; This allows a character to haul along 60 CP worth of customized gear.	30
65	Total Powers

 

Points	Skills, Talents, Perks	Roll
3	Martial Throw (OCV +0, DCV +1, 12½d6+v/5)
4	Martial Block (OCV +2, DCV +2)
4	Fast Strike (OCV +2, DCV +0, 14½d6)
8	+2 DC for Martial Attacks
3	Acrobatics	14-
3	Breakfall	14-
3	Combat Driving	14-
5	Knowledge / Possible Future Timelines	14-
3	Sleight of Hand	14-
3	Stealth	14-
3	Survival	11-
3	Immunity to Paradox; Frequency: Common
3	Lightsleep
48	Total Skills, Talents, Perks

 

Cost	Equipment
2	Elemental Control: Microfiber Clothing (18 points) (5-pt reserve) ; All abilities -.5 OIF (Uniform), -1 (Conventional Technology Only).
a-8	Armor (8 PD/8 ED) ; Hardened: ×1, ¼; Always On: -½
b-4	Life Support Systems
(1)	Life Support: High Pressure/Vacuum
(1)	Life Support: High Radiation
(4)	Need Not Breathe
(1)	Life Support: Intense Heat/Cold
c-2	Instant Change (can look like any clothing) ; Clothes: Any Set, 10
d-2	+3 level w/Stealth (Camouflage)
4	Advanced Military Electronics Package ; Computer: Int 13, Dex 0, Spd 1 (-27 Points Base).
(1)	Elemental Control: Electronics (3-pt reserve) ; All abilities Conventional Technology (-1)
a-3	Radio Listen and Transmit ; Usable By Others: Simultaneous Use, +½; Invisible (Scrambled: Detectable, but untranslatable.): One Sense Group, +½
b-2	Infrared Vision ; Usable By Others: Simultaneous Use, +½
c-3	Telescopic Vision (Sight, +4 to PER) ; Usable By Others: Simultaneous Use, +½
d-2	Flash Defense (Sight, 5 pts) ; Usable By Others: Simultaneous Use, +½
e-2	Flash Defense (Hearing, 5 pts) ; Usable By Others: Simultaneous Use, +½
f-2	Detect Health of User (+1 to PER) ; Time Required: Instant, +2; Range: Touch, +0
g-2	Enhanced Perception (all) (+2 to PER) ; Usable By Others: Power Lost, +¼
h-3	Eidetic Memory; Always On (Memory is either perfect or utterly gone): -½
i-2	Basic Computer Functions
(1)	Absolute Time Sense
(1)	Inertial Locator/Bump of Direction
(1)	Lightning Calculator
j-2	Detect Environmental Hazards (+1 to PER) ; Time Required: Instant, +2; Range: Touch, +0 ; Detects Chemical Weapons, High Radiation, Etc.
k-4	GPS/Heads-Up Map Display: Navigation 14-; Usable By Others: Power Lost, +¼
l-7	+3 level w/Rangefinder/Targeting System: Ranged Combat; Usable By Others: Power Lost, +¼; OCV Only: -½
m-4	2d6 Aid: Programs/Databases (Fade/week, Max. 12) 3; Range: 0; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Extra Time: 1 min., -1½; Activation: 11-, -1; Must have program available to load: -2 ; This allows the user to load maps (area knowledge), mission information, and so on. All of it should be Usable By Others/Power Lost, so you can load a total of 10 points worth of information.
(3)	Programs ; 1) Monitor instruments and transmit information to user and command systems 2) Place call for emergency assistance if serious health issues are detected. 3) Refuse to activate without proper identification of authorized user.-The first two programs normally run continuously after boot-up. The third runs at boot-up but shuts down once satisfied.
(1)	English (Basic Conv.); Literacy: Standard, 0
(4)	Easy Interface: Computer Programming 12-; Usable By Others: Power Lost, +¼
17	Temporal Amplifier (Buys off Activation and Side Effects on Temporal Control Multipower) ; Focus: Obvious Inaccessible, -½; Generic Limitation (Time-Manipulation Powers Only): -½; Variable Limitations: -½, -¼
9	Arcadian Flute (30-pt reserve); OAF (Flute): -1; Extra Time: 1 turn, -1; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼
u-1	Comfort Zone / Change Environment (2″ rad.) 0; Effect: Fixed, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Uncontrolled: +½; OAF (Flute): -1; Extra Time: 1 turn, -1; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼
u-1	1d6 Transform (Produce Supplies) (Major, Limited Class) 1; Range: 150; Reduced END: Half, +¼; Cumulative: +½; OAF (Flute): -1; Extra Time: 1 turn, -1; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼
u-1	Darkness (Sonar, 1″ radius) 0; Range: 150; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Uncontrolled: +½; Area Effect (Radius): 2″ radius, +1; OAF (Flute): -1; Extra Time: 1 turn, -1; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼
u-1	Darkness (Hearing, 1″ radius) 0; Range: 150; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Uncontrolled: +½; Area Effect (Radius): 2″ radius, +1; OAF (Flute): -1; Extra Time: 1 turn, -1; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼
u-1	Force Wall (3 PD/3 ED) 0; Range: 150; Width: 6″, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Uncontrolled: +½; OAF (Flute): -1; Extra Time: 1 turn, -1; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼
7	Demolitions Kit 17-; OAF: -1
60	Total Equipment

 

125+	Disadvantages
15	Code Against Killing (Common, Strong) ; He hasn’t any objection to killing animals though – or to eliminating futuristic wasteland predators.
20	Utterly committed to his mission, often undertakes tasks based on precognitive visions. (Common, Total)
10	Paranoid about technological developments. (Common, Moderate)
10	Watched: Canadian Government (8-); Capabilities: More Powerful, 15; Non-combat Influence: Extensive, +5; Geographical Area: Unlimited, -0; Only Watching: ×½; Punishment: Harsh, 0
10	Public Identity
5	Distinctive Features: Weathered Survivalist; Concealability: Easily, 5; Reaction: Noticed and Recognizable, +0
10	Hunted: Future Monsters (8-); Capabilities: As Powerful, 10; Non-combat Influence: None, +0; Geographical Area: Unlimited, -0; Actions: Hunting, ×1; Punishment: Harsh, 0
10	Reputation: Time Traveller (8-, Extreme) ; This REALLY brings out the crazies on occasion.
10	No current background – parents, paperwork, etc. (Frequently, Slightly)
100	Total Disadvantages

 

COSTS:	Char.		Powers		Total	Total		Disadv.		Base
	112	+	113	=	225	225	=	100	+	125

 

OCV	DCV	ECV	Mental Def.	PD/rPD	ED/rED	Phases
8	8	4	0	16/8	16/8	2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

 

Height: 158cm (5’2″), Weight: 53kg (117 lbs), Sex: Male, Age: 27, Race: Human