Recently the members of Aurora Ward – in their own eccentric fashions – were helping to put together a coalition of mostly-good and somewhat-good imaginary entities to help drive back the advance of some of the very worst ones in areas where pure good could not reach. They touched several realms along the way, including the Pirate Seas, the Anime Worlds – and the Pony Realm.
There Ameobo – shapeshifting, magic-absorbing, and able to split off miniature versions of himself as weaker minions – got cast as Queen Chrysalis, while Armageddon was General Armageddon, her Pegasus General. In the confusion of not following the plot, Armageddon wound up (thanks to 10d6 of Unluck) accidentally “married” – and mystically linked – to Prince Blueblood.
Whether either of them liked it or not.
Drawn over to Earth in Aurora Ward’s wake, Prince Blueblood is currently a junior editor at the paper where Armageddon works in his secret identity.
Prince Blueblood is not so bad as all THAT. Yes, he IS a bit snobbish and vain – but if he was truly useless and unendurable, Celestia has had a LOT of practice in shipping annoyances off to jobs where she will never have to deal with them again. Confronted with what was – at first glance – just another social climbing, gold-digging, girl – obsessed with FASHION in a minimal-clothing world of all useless things – he turned up his “obnoxious snob” routine to the maximum and promptly drove her off.
Unfortunately, in a reality shaped by the thoughts of the shows audience, that left him with all kinds of ill-wishes raining down upon his head.
Personally, Blueblood is a decent tactician (a distinct rarity in a world of cartoon ponies), a reasonably skilled commander, knows a few basic unicorn and military spells, and has the compass-related magic of his cutie mark – the ability to locate things, to find routes, to teleport himself and others short distances, and to modify distances to gain tactical advantages. He’s no professional superhero – but he is a competent mage-commander with a package of cartoon powers to back it up with. There are worse allies.
That doesn’t mean that he isn’t pretty upset about all this.
WHY IN TARTARUS AM I ALWAYS THE BUTT? I GIVE THE OLD BRUSH OFF TO ONE SUPERFICIAL FASHION-OBSESSED GIRL WHO JUST WANTS NOBLE CONNECTIONS AND EVER SINCE I’M A TARGET FOR EVERY DAMNED POSSIBLE IRONIC IDIOCY!!!
Prince Blueblood
| Value | Characteristic | Points |
| 13/25 | STR | 3 |
| 8/12 | DEX | -6 |
| 12/18 | CON | 4 |
| 8/14 | BODY | -4 |
| 8/20 | INT | -2 |
| 8/14 | EGO | -4 |
| 13/25 | PRE | 3 |
| 8/32 | COM | -1 |
| 5/11 | PD | 0 |
| 2/8 | ED | 0 |
| 3 | SPD | 12 |
| 7/13 | REC | 0 |
| 24/48 | END | 0 |
| 27/39 | STUN | 0 |
| Total | 5 |
| Points | Powers | END |
| 35 | Cartoon Character Package Deal | |
| (7) | Elemental Control: Cartoon Powers (15-pt reserve); Generic Limitation (Cartoon Pony Powers Only): -½; Always On: -½ | |
| a-7 | Armor (10 PD/10 ED) | |
| b-7 | Regeneration (1 BODY/Turn); Regenerate: From Death, +20 | |
| c-4 | Images: Background music and sound effects (Hearing, 16″ radius); Range: 150; Observer PER Penalty: 0, +0; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; No Conscious Control: -2 | 0 |
| d-5 | Cartoon Immunities | |
| (1) | Looking Good: Immunity to being messed up for more than a few seconds; Frequency: Fairly Common | |
| (1) | What Gravity? Immunity to Falling until lack of support is brought to his attention; Frequency: Fairly Common | |
| (1) | In My Pocket, Why? Immunity to having to have pockets to carry stuff in.; Frequency: Common | |
| (1) | Sure I’m Perfectly Normal: Gets treated as just another human in most non-comedic ways; Frequency: Common | |
| (1) | Clothing? Immunity to being considered insufficiently dressed; Frequency: Fairly Common | |
| (1) | Rated G: Immunity to Indecent Exposure; Frequency: Fairly Common | |
| (1) | The Sounds of Harmony: Immunity to the need to compose or practice topical songs; Frequency: Fairly Common | |
| (1) | I Can Handle That: Immunity to not having normal hands; Frequency: Common | |
| (0) | All Devouring: Immunity to reasonable limits on how much can be swallowed at one time.; Frequency: Rare | |
| (0) | There’s A Hole: Immunity to solid matter provided that it LOOKS like there is a hole in it and the user is not responsible for that.; Frequency: Rare | |
| (1) | Yes, It’s Suitable: Immunity to having to wear appropriate clothing to stay warm, dry, etc.; Frequency: Fairly Common | |
| (0) | It’s a permanent: Immunity to hair damage save by bladed weapons; Frequency: Rare | |
| (1) | Immune to Aging | |
| (1) | Immune to Disease | |
| (1) | Life Support: High Radiation | |
| e-5 | 2d6 Aid to Equipment Allowance/Bases/Etc (Fade/week, Max. 30); Range: 0; Extra Time: 1 hour, -2½; Generic Limitation (Only to pay for role-appropriate, provided, or generally available gear): -1; Activation: 11-, -1; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Generic Limitation (Only GM-Approved Equipment) | 3 |
| 70 | Cartoon Disadvantages | |
| (20) | Hunted: Fans of the Show (11-); Capabilities: As Powerful, 10; Non-combat Influence: Extensive, +5; Geographical Area: Unlimited, -0; Actions: Hunting, ×1; Punishment: Harsh, 0 | |
| (20) | Driven by strong, but fairly simple, straightforward, and constant motivations (Very Common, Strong) | |
| (10) | Distinctive Features: Cartoon Character; Concealability: Concealable, 10; Reaction: Noticed and Recognizable, +0 | |
| (10) | Public Identity | |
| (5) | Incapable of causing Body damage, cannot develop killing attacks (Infrequently, Slightly) | |
| (5) | Rivalry: Related Characters; Situation: Professional, 5; Position: Equal, +0; Rival: NPC, +0 | |
| 20 | Multipower: Unicorn Magic (50-pt reserve); Generic Limitation (Unicorn Pony Magic Only): -½; Generic Limitation (Only Basic Spells and those related to his Compass Rose Cutie Mark): -½; Generic Limitation (Easily disrupted by a blow to the horn, horn restraints, or similar): -½ | |
| Basic Unicorn Magic | ||
| u-2 | Telekinesis (STR 15); Range: 240; Manipulation: Fine, +10; Reduced END: Zero, +½ | 0 |
| u-2 | 8d6 Energy Blast: Telekinetic Blast; Range: 250; Versus: PD; Reduced END: Half, +¼ | 2 |
| u-2 | Force Field Dome (8 PD/8 ED); Area Effect (Radius): 3″ radius, +1; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Uncontrolled: +½ | 0 |
| u-2 | 6d6 Suppress Magic; Range: 225; Affect: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Reduced END: Half, +¼ | 2 |
| Cutie Mark Magic | ||
| u-1 | Detect Distance and Direction to desired item (+3 to PER); Time Required: Half Phase, +0; Range: Ranged, +5; Based on EGO Combat Value: vs. ECV, +1; Variable Special Effects: Any, +½ | |
| u-1 | Detect Route (+6 to PER); Variable Special Effects: Certain Group, +¼; Time Required: Half Phase, +0; Range: Ranged, +5 | |
| u-2 | 10″ Teleportation (Long Range 160″); Increased Range: ×16, +20; Long Range: 160″; Long Range (miles): 0.20; Mass Multiplier: ×4, +10; Fixed Locations: 0; Floating Locations: 0 | 2 |
| u-2 | Change Environment: Manipulate Direction and Distance (8″ rad.); Effect: Variable, +1; No Range: -½; Trigger: Set, +¼; Reduced END: Half, +¼
While employing his signature spell Prince Blueblood may, once per segment, gratuitously either expand or reduce the distance between two things within his area of effect by up to 8″. For example, he could decree that a character was 8″ further from the center of that fireball that had just gone off, or that the evasive martial artist was 6″ closer (and thus effectively adjacent) to his friend the brick, or that someone was off to the side of that attack that would have otherwise hit them. |
2 |
| 13 | Running (+4″, 10″, NC: 40″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×4, +5; Non-Combat (MPH): 18 | 2 |
| 12 | +12 CP to All Attributes Great Blessing; Modifications to Primary Attributes do not affect secondary attributes. Aid to Defenses has half effect per standard rules. | |
| (12) | 2d6 Aid (All attributes) (Fade/turn, Max. 12); Range: 0; Affects: All Powers of Special Effect, +2; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; Always On: -½; Personal Only: -1; Increases maximums only, does not speed healing: -1; Difficult to Dispel: ×2, +¼; Aid to Defenses is halved per the standard rules. Aid to primary attributes does not affect secondary ones. | 0 |
| 59 | Total Powers |
| Points | Skills, Talents, Perks | Roll |
| 10 | Money (Wealthy) | |
| 5 | Member of Aristocracy | |
| 3 | High Society | 14- |
| 3 | Conversation | 14- |
| 3 | Bureaucratics | 14- |
| 3 | Persuasion | 14- |
| 3 | Seduction | 14- |
| 3 | Tactics | 13- |
| 3 | Bump of Direction | |
| 36 | Total Skills, Talents, Perks |
| Cost | Equipment |
| 18 | Lucky Charms (Luck) (10d6); OAF (Assorted Good Luck Charms): -1; Fragile Focus: -¼; Linked (With Unicorn Magic): -½ |
| 2 | Additional Multipower Slot: 5d6 Entangle, 16 Charges, 0 End. OIF (Telekinetically-hurled Bolos). (0kg) |
| 2 | Additional Multipower Slot: Sphere of Light (3d6 NND (Vrs not being a demonic entity) Energy Blast, 3″ Radius, 1/2 Endurance Cost (1), OIF – Sacred Sun Symbol, (0kg) |
| 2 | Elemental Control: Enchanted Royal Armor (5-pt reserve); OIF (Symbolic Barding): -½; Visible (Magic Armor): -¼; Generic Limitation (Passive Protective Effects Only): -½ |
| a-2 | Armor (4 PD/3 ED) |
| b-2 | Power Defense (10 pts) |
| c-2 | Mental Defense (13 pts) |
| 30 | Total Equipment |
| 100+ | Disadvantages |
| 50 | 10d6 Unluck |
| 15 | Mystically linked to Armageddon (Frequently, Greatly) |
| 15 | Snob (Common, Strong) |
| 10 | Loyalty to Equestria (Uncommon, Strong) |
| 5 | Slightly reduced manual dexterity (Infrequently, Slightly) |
| 5 | Watched: Equestrian Nobility (8-); Capabilities: More Powerful, 15; Non-combat Influence: Extensive, +5; Geographical Area: Limited, -5; Only Watching: ×½; Punishment: Mild, -5 |
| 100 | Total Disadvantages |
| COSTS: | Char. | Powers | Total | Total | Disadv. | Base | ||||
| 5 | + | 95 | = | 100 | 200 | = | 100 | + | 100 |
| OCV | DCV | ECV | Mental Def. | PD/rPD | ED/rED | Phases |
| 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 25/14 | 21/13 | 4, 8, 12 |
Height: 132cm, (4’4″), Weight: 74kg, (163 lbs), Sex: Male, Race: G4 Unicorn Pony
Yes, this is likely a little more magically powerful – and far more boosted – than most baseline ponies. I’m presuming that he IS a member of the royal family and that things are stepped up a notch because the base setting is a superhero universe where magic is common enough that people can take courses in it in high school.
Filed under: Background | Tagged: Background, Champions, Character Sheets, Role Playing Game, RPG, Super Hero Groups |
Emergence Campaign Weblog 
The major problem that Prince Blueblood always presented for me wasn’t that he apparently had a title despite his uselessness and irritation – for all we know, he’s already been shipped off to some distant nowhere, and was just in town for the gala (and to beg to be returned home) – it was that he had a royal title, which made him part of the ruling family. That raises all sorts of problems, which could have been avoided if he was “just” a noble.
The problem is that, insofar as we’ve seen, royalty in Equestria isn’t hereditary. It’s something bestowed typically only on those with the strongest of magical powers (e.g. royalty), or who otherwise forcibly take the title for themselves.
Celestia and Luna have apparently always been royalty, or at least ever since they took power (something I’ll speak no more of, since the only source that speaks to those circumstances is one that I don’t consider trustworthy. Cadence was adopted as Celestia’s (and by extension Luna’s) niece once she became and alicorn, and was made a princess by virtue of that. Likewise, Twilight wasn’t adopted, but the scenario was otherwise the same as Cadence – she was crowned immediately after her ascension (even if it took some time for her to then figure out what she was princess of).
Sombra, on the other hoof, apparently crowned himself after his conquest of the Crystal Empire. While not the same as the alicorns, it matches the modus operandi in that a royal title is something earned, not inherited.
But then we come to Prince Blueblood. While it’s easier to assume that he’s done something to earn that title, it’s hard to consider what that would be that would place him on politically-equal footing with the alicorn princesses. Whatever it was would have to have been unparalleled, even by Twilight and her friends.
Unfortunately, the show’s creator decided to run in the opposite direction with that line of reasoning (though to be fair, the show hadn’t quite firmed up its own internal rules at that point) stating that he was a nephew to both Celestia and Luna on their mother’s side, about fifty-two times removed.
That’s a problem, for several reasons. The first is that if he’s a “nephew” rather than a “cousin,” it would seem to suggest that he’s descended from a heretofore-unknown sibling of Celestia and Luna themselves, rather than from a sibling of their parents, which I think was the intention. Moreover, it’s awkward to consider that he’d be considered a royal anything when the blood connection is that thin. When you’re fifty generations removed, everyone is related to everyone else. So by that token, Blueblood is no more worthy of royalty than literally any other pony in Equestria (though that might be a subtle jab at his character).
(Though it’s interesting to consider that if Celestia and Luna are fifty-two generations removed from a contemporary ancestor, that might be a clue to their actual ages. If we presume that a new generation is born every thirty years – that is, it takes an average of thirty years before a newborn foal is grown and having children of their own – then that’s be fifty-two instances of thirty years, which is…just over fifteen hundred years. Hm, that seems like far too little, considering that the most recent incident with the two of them before the start of the show was a thousand years ago, and we know they had adventures prior to that (e.g. defeating Discord).)
I’d suspect that Blueblood hadn’t been shipped off; he appears a few other times – and why would Rarity be interested in him (or even have heard of him) if he wasn’t normally a major social figure in Canterlot? (Although it’s interesting that she says that he’s “the most uncharming prince she’s ever met” – rather implying that she’s met others).
As far as titles go though… Equestria seems to be the result of the union of at least three peoples, each presumably with their own system of government. It was taken over by Discord for a time, and then was liberated by Celestia and Luna, who assumed control as “princesses”. As far as we know, it’s system of titles and governmental structures has never been rationalized – and neither have those of the neighbors. After all, King Sombra ruled the Crystal Empire, which seems to mostly consist of a single city-state. Now it’s ruled by a Princess. Why wasn’t Sombra an Emperor and why isn’t Candace an Empress? And why is a city-state an “Empire” anyway?
It would be quite reasonable to assume that some royal titles are bestowed (hereditary if so stated), others are earned (and may or may not be hereditary), others are self-claimed (hereditary if the heir can pull it off), and still others are inherited as a standard.
At the simplest, “Prince” Blueblood might be the current possessor of an old hereditary title (likely putting millions of other ponies in line for that title after him).
To get more complicated, perhaps he’s the rightful successor to the pre-Discord rulers and would take power if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ever stepped down. Maybe he DID do something spectacular when he was younger. Maybe he’s eldest in the direct male line of descent from Discord (that would be different; could Celestia and Luna have assuaged whatever loyalists Discord had by letting his kids keep their ranks? Of course, for all we know, Discord was one of Celestia and Luna’s ancestors anyway. After all, given Discords nature, he could have pulled one of Loki’s stunts and been their mother). Have Celestia or Luna had any kids? Adopted any? I could see them taking in orphaned foals quite regularly.
This is another one where I’ve got to plead “insufficient data”. What little we do have on Equestrian titles is just too vague. I can say that it doesn’t usually matter how thin the bloodline is though; Titles pass according to their own rules. Thus the title of “Holy Roman Emperor” hung on until 1806 and there are still plenty of claimants to titles that have been meaningless for centuries.
[…] Prince Blueblood and the Cartoon Powers Package: Prince Blueblood the Navigator, standard “Toon” powers, and why Celestia tolerates him. […]
[…] Prince Blueblood and the Cartoon Powers Package: Thanks t0 10d6 of Unluck, Prince Blueblood was accidentally married to Armageddon by Princess Celestia and sent to Earth. This has caused some confusion. […]
[…] Prince Blueblood and the Cartoon Powers Package: Prince Blueblood the Navigator, standard “Toon” powers, and why Celestia tolerates him. […]