RolePlay onLine RPoL Logo

, welcome to Masks of New Atlantis

00:17, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Character Workshop - Nox.

Posted by Master of GamesFor group 0
Master of Games
GM, 20 posts
Fri 23 Jul 2021
at 02:36
  • msg #1

Character Workshop - Nox

Feel free to work on your character concept(s) here!
Nox
player, 1 post
Fri 23 Jul 2021
at 04:43
  • msg #2

Character Workshop - Nox

Hello, all! Please feel free to weigh in.

Right now, I’m tempted by the Doomed (because an optimist-idealist who’s also Doomed in a setting that’s so full of strife/epic former-disaster sounds fun, also witch-hunts?), the Janus (because on New Atlantis, balancing mundane-and-super life must be particularly interesting!), Nova (because witch-hunts spark inspiration here), the Innocent (this seems like a fun way to connect to the setting by constantly asking people to explain it; plus, plenty of scope for Future Self to be Not What The Innocent Hoped), and the Harbinger (this seems like a fun way to connect to the setting).

...And I will start narrowing down and developing tomorrow, after some sleep.
Master of Games
GM, 25 posts
Fri 23 Jul 2021
at 05:22
  • msg #3

Character Workshop - Nox

They could all be neat!

Bear in mind that the really notorious and large-scale state-sponsored witch-hunts happened back in the 1970s in territories under WUC control. If anything it's the Innocent that might have witnessed those. That said, smaller scale witch-hunts in former WUC territories and elsewhere could very well have happened after the War too. Hardline loyalist groups might have engaged in those, along with other people looking for someone to blame for everything that went wrong.

One might also imagine the original witch-hunts precipitating a cycle of violence: some mages and psychics could have gone to great lengths to defend themselves or get revenge, harming civilians in the process and causing others to seek revenge on them and "all their kind" in turn. Something like that can keep going for a long time. So yeah, there is plenty to work with there if you want!
Nox
player, 2 posts
Sat 24 Jul 2021
at 03:42
  • msg #4

Character Workshop - Nox

First up The Innocent.

Where are they coming from?

I'm thinking they'd hail from the late 70s, 80s. Grew up in the immediate aftermath of WWIII, perhaps some overlap, definitely before New Atlantis became a thing. That way they can really be innocent of the why and what of New Atlantis, reliant on the other PCs. They can remember some of the really, really fresh wounds without necessarily coming directly from a war zone, and view New Atlantis with wonder, a utopia to protect.

Runaway train of thought: I say that but then think: Oooh, hey, maybe they're from somewhere like New Los Angeles post-California being focibly attached by the WUC or the Dark Between Stars? Maybe they were part of a small burgeoning group of teen superheroes, and it had a Legacy character? And the Legacy's dad stopped the Long Valley Caldera supervolcano from being transformed into a weapon at the expense of his own life? But that was when they were little, before they came together as a team. Maybe it was a WUC-plot?

Back to the Innocent. I'm imagining one parent was a reporter in the old comic book heroic tradition of reporter: totally mundane, but striking into the heart of danger to get the story. The other parent, perhaps a judge or lawyer. All-American as a surge of NeoMcCarthyism swept across the nation, and Judge!Parent took part in that suspicious/close atmosphere, and maybe witnessing some of that is what caused the very idealistic Innocent to step up and try to be a free superhero, one that wasn't controlled by a government that seemed quite frankly kind of shadowy.

How did they get to New Atlantis, 2001?

A heroic accident. Maybe they were doing some teen superheroics with their team or their superhero partner. Maybe in the past they would've been "the Protege" and their mentor. Could tie into interesting things in the present day if what sent them to the future/present was a bit of Cylien tech, or even... Ooh, maybe some new supers have been disappearing. Innocent and friends wind up stumbling on the facility these supers are being kept in. Whoever's keeping them is definitely doing not-great things, trying to step up their control.

Something goes wrong during the rescue. The superteam is caught. Or the Innocent slips, after saving one of the victims. Said victim does something with their power, or a bit of tech, and sends the Innocent into the future. Maybe it's not quite so comedy of errors accident. Maybe somebody they're rescuing gets hurt really bad and gives the Innocent a Cool Item to protect/hide. Then they recklessly jump through a spell or the Delinquent of their time jerryrigs a teleporter and instead of just space they also get moved through time. Of course the teleporter is destroyed by the one use. Lots of refinement/things to think about. I do like the idea of keeping something safe, something that might be plot relevant or tie into another PC or something. I also like the idea of the Innocent being in their future because of recklessness. Maybe one of their teammates was supposed to take the thing, and the Innocent decided to save them by doing it instead?


Who is the Innocent?

An optimist and a wide-eyed idealist who tries not to be wide-eyed but the future is cool, New Atlantis is keen, etc. They try not to wear their heart too obviously on their sleeve and they try not to let impulse get the better of them, but they struggle with that. They are extremely pro-evidence and anti-censorship. The innocent is a bundle of energetic curiosity. They really believe that there's an answer to any problem and that people will come around, if given the chance. There's always a way! It can be a fun way!

Who is the Innocent's Future Self?

Open to ... suggestions, here. But my vague idea is...

Today's Self is a hero. Nobody'd (dare) say they weren't. They've got a reputation for ruthlessness: for being autocratic, manipulative, untrusting, untouchable, aloof, reserved. They're a very pragmatic hero and people are scared of what they might do. Very into censorship and hush, very Good but in that way that's kinda bad. Today's Self has had a lot of bad stuff happen and they've come out of it ready to do Tarnished if not outright Black things in the service of humanity/good. Old ideals have definitely been compromised in order to have political power which they can use to achieve their current goals. And who is the Innocent's Present Day self in New Atlantis since they didn't grow up there?

I'm actually maybe imagining a superhero who might represent American (or other Western country, or New Califa or New Pacifica or New Union of American States or something) interests on New Atlantis. Their goal is to make sure New Atlantis stays neutral/isn't a threat to the rest of the world (yeah yeah, they say they want to be a neutral island where superheroes can operate from free of nation state control but is that actually true? And if it is, is it actually good?).

What powers?

I'm still thinking. Something that's telepathy-y/mind control-y might fit both present and potential-future self.

Next up, the Doomed! But any thoughts on the Innocent-so-far, lay them on me.
Master of Games
GM, 41 posts
Sat 24 Jul 2021
at 06:14
  • msg #5

Character Workshop - Nox

California was almost certainly invaded and occupied at least in part at some point in the War. The Dark would not have claimed it directly, but the Steel Caudillo would have. The Nautilian may have raided it as well.

If you go with the warzone option, perhaps there was a resistance group made up of young superheroes (really just local kids with superpowers), who went on to butt heads with the American government after the War as they tried to keep operating independently?

In any case, past superhero connections could be very interesting to work with. Perhaps they would encounter members of their team, now all grown up without them. Perhaps apart from their future self, the team is seemingly gone without a trace.

Either way, I would like some details on the old team and its members if you decide
to go with this character.

The McGuffin idea is also neat.

I was actually thinking earlier that while teleportation technology exists in the setting, it is still somewhat finicky (which together with the power requirements means it could not yet make conventional transportation obsolete for most uses)... and was a lot more so twenty years ago. An accident with an early teleportation device, especially one that has been tampered with, would certainly work as an explanation for the Innocent's time travel.

The USA still exists. There may have been separatist movements there, but on the whole, I doubt they have gotten far against a superpower with several loyal superhero teams. Having the present day self be something like a liaison between America's superheroes or one of those teams and New Atlantis and its heroes could be very interesting. It could tie into the Cold War plot. They could be a very helpful presence at times, but one that is committed to an agenda - even if that agenda is somewhat benign, such a character would naturally clash with any more independent-minded heroes, because those heroes are, at best, wild cards.

And of course, being a powerful psychic would make them even more intimidating...

EDIT: Oh, one more thing. You have a good idea for how the Innocent got to this time. But what about the Future Self? I mean: why are there two of them now? Did the mishap clone them somehow? If so, I can see the Future Self dismissing the character as some strange, but irrelevant or at most mildly embarrassing glitch, at first.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:50, Sat 24 July 2021.
Sign In