Saturday, April 23, 2011

V&V A to Z: Talos the Tester

Character Name: Talos the Tester     Alternate I.D.: n/a     Side: Neutral
Gender: Male     Height: 6'0""     Weight: 210 lbs     Age: ???
        
Physical Description: A winged humanoid with pale blue skin, wearing garments (skintight bodysuit with weird spacial designs + a funky Kirby cape) of the same color (power effects such as Illusions B and Telekinesis also share this same colorization).  Facial features, and to a lesser degree the rest of the body, have a somewhat insectoid aspect to their appearance. 

STR: 21     END: 27     INT: 25     AGL: 27     CHA: 22

Level: 15th     XP: 119,911     Basic Hits: 5     Hit Points: 129     Healing Rate: 4.0/day
Movement: 75" ground, 1013" flight     Power: 100    Carrying Capacity: 1,256 lbs     
HTH Damage: 1d10    Damage Modifier: +5    Accuracy: +5    
Detect Hidden: 18%     Detect Danger: 22%    Inventing Points: 7.5     Inventing: 75%
Reaction Modifier: -4     Training: INT  

Powers
Adaption
Animal Powers (Insect)
     Heightened Agility A: +10
     Heightened Endurance A: +13
     Heightened Strength A: +10
     Wings: 1013" flight (230 mph)
Cosmic Awareness
Dimension Travel (type 3)
Illusions (type B)
Telekinesis (3,150 telekinetic capacity, range 405", PR 1)

Equipment
Sword of Talos (+2 to hit, +1d6 damage, Power Blast (15" range, 1d20 damage, PR 1, can add to HTH damage as carrier attack), Automatically Returns to Wielder as desired (as per Telekinesis, range 60", PR 1), Revivication (PR 25), grants wielder 1 pt of Invulnerability per character level)
Universal Translator

(the GM should feel free to add whatever bizarre Kriby-like technology strikes his or her fancy to Talos' collection)

Areas of Knowledge
Technology, Science

Character Notes/Origin/Personality: Little is known of the extra-dimensional entity known as Talos.  There are indications that this being is not the first to call itself by that name and/or follow the same modus operandi

For reasons of his own, Talos appears to different beings (usually, but not always, superhumans) and will arrange and observe a 'test', seeing and judging how they respond. Sometimes he operates secretly, not letting the subject know that they are being tested.  At other times, he may make his presence known to the subject.  In the latter case, the stated goal may not be the real criteria for the test, or at least not the only one.  Talos does not divulge to the subject whether or not they have passed or failed the test, but instead usually gives a vague indication that he may visit the subject again at a later time.  On rare occasions, he may offer a reward for those who have perform well on the stated part of a test, as a form of incentive; this usually takes the form of information that is desired, as opposed to a material object.

His overall criteria for judgement is his own.  Standard values of human morality do not appear to play a factor in his tests, as he has tested both heroes and villains; in both cases, some have passed, and some have failed.  It is believed by some that he is cataloging individuals that can be gathered at a later time to face some sort of 'Great Test'.            

Campaign Use:  Need an excuse to bring a PC or PCs into a one-shot adventure that they might otherwise not logically fit in?  Talos can bring anyone to anyplace, and the reasons don't have to make sense to anyone else (this can be useful for one-shot adventures when the entire group hasn't shown up, and the GM needs to run something for a solo or small group of PCs).  Of course, at some later date, the GM might want to run the PCs through the 'Great Test' (whatever the heck that might be), as they have to work together with several other heroes and villains, crossover-style.  

No comments:

Post a Comment