New Templates

Template: Wealthy Brat
by Mark Berger

"Well if I'm the villain, then I'll settle this like a villain should!" - B-ko

This character is the antithesis to what most of our heroines stand for. Possessed of hideously wealthy parents who dote on their daughter's every whim and desire, these girls are generally of dubious sanity and often suffer delusions of godhood. They despise other kids who won't bow down to them and worship, and as a result will often pick large and elaborate fights with said 'offenders,' usually choosing as their prize something not up for grabs (such as a lover or friend or particular piece of property whose ownership is non-negotiable). Also, these characters generally never grow up and get a real life.

Skills:
Wardrobe & Style: +2
Personal Grooming: +2
Social: +1 (high, not everyday society)
Mecha Tech: +2
Handgun: +1

Equipment Bonus: ANYTHING they want.
Starting Cash: Effectively unlimited.

This character template is intended for use on GM approval ONLY.

Template: Magical Girl
by Mark Berger

"I will right wrongs and triumph over evil - and that means you!" - Sailor Moon

Magical Girls are at the opposite end of the spectrum from Wealthy Brats. Generally overly cheerful, and possessed of powersuits too *cute* to describe, Magical Girls are just as insane as Wealthy Brats. Their fathers often referred to them as "Princess" while they were growing up, and they often still refer to their fathers as "Daddy," even if they're eighteen years old. They usually think they are battling Evil Monsters from an alternate dimension called the "Smegaverse" or something to that effect, and act as though they must keep their powersuited alter identities a secret.

Starting Skills:
Interrogation: +2
Human Perception: +1
Shadowing: +1
Wardrobe and Style: +2
Mecha Gunnery: +1

Equipment Bonus: A too-cute powersuit, prized possession given to her by a boy she has a crush on, a school uniform and a closet full of various outfits she never wears.
Starting Cash: +100Y

Note: yes, this template is a parody of Sailor Moon and her ilk. The characters of Magic Knight Rayearth would actually fall into the category of Powersuit Girl, see below.

Template: Powersuit Girl
by Mark Berger

"Is this a private tail-kicking, or can anybody join in?" - Melisma Sonata.

These girls are blessedly normal. Young and inexperienced but bursting with talent, the Powersuit Girl is most commonly seen with friends or family unless she is needed to destroy Insectoid Aliens. Schoolwork usually comes a distant third, unless it's part of a class that she likes. Occasionally given to fits of rage, sadness, jealousy or happiness, the Powersuit Girl often jumps to incorrect conclusions or takes things people say the wrong way.

Starting Skills:
Mecha Pilot: +1
Any 2 combat skills: +1
Awareness/Notice: +1
Blade or Handgun: +1
Drive or Bike: +1

Starting Equipment: A powersuit, a school uniform, a prized possession, a wardrobe, a gun or knife and a car or bike (can be a flightcycle or a motorcycle).
Starting Cash: +300Y

Character Template: Mysterious Masked Mecha-Man
by Judge [norahdou@nb.sympatico.ca]

"Who WAS that masked man?"

This character template would tend to manifest in two major forms, Vigilante and Bodyguard.

The first is that of the unknown Lone Ranger (powered or otherwise), who, like any other hero, shows up whenever there's trouble, with the intent of doing something about it. The thing is, nobody -even the other heroes- has any idea who this guy is, or where he gets his toys -which tend to be meaner than the already over-the-edge tech that they themselves use. The Vigilante will show up, trounce the bad guys, and then vanish again. He may be an ally to the heroes or a rival force -or, if the referee is feeling particularly vindictive, he could even be an enemy.

As with most established heroes, the Vigilante maintains a double identity. One side is his villain-busting armored visage, and the other is something completely different, a personality designed to deflect the suspicions of those who have met the Vigilante and are trying to find out who he really is. He may adopt a Waynish, boy-billionaire attitude, who is everything that the Vigilante is not, or he may opt to live dangerously by posing as someone who is very much like the Vigilante -so much like him, in fact, that he's TOO likely a candidate for the heroes to take seriously.

The other version of the M4 is the almost inevitable bodyguard/main squeeze one sees around Mechagirls. He's essentially the same as the Vigilante, except that he only shows up when his "charges" get into trouble -usually a dramatic last-second rescue from the jaws of death. The Bodyguard tends to make speeches with no real point other than to confuse the heck out of the villains and give the clutzier heroes/heroines time to regroup and kick a$$. And once the fight is over, he vanishes without a trace.

Like the Vigilante, this guy has two identities. However, in many cases these two personas are partially or even completely unaware that the other exists -the normal personality blacks out when the Bodyguard appears, and the Bodyguard, for all intents and purposes, just doesn't exist between its flamboyant appearances- which can be both good and bad. The two sides of the Bodyguard's personality tend to be mirror opposites; his superhero self is protective, polite, and charming, but his everyday self is cold, irritating, even rude. Most Mechagirls who go looking for their Bodyguard will immediately dismiss his street personality, and then be absolutely stunned when they find out that their dream guy is "that jerk!"

If there are any good-looking female villains around, the Mechagirl had better beware, because it's a given that their enemy is going to try and take the Bodyguard for herself -and the most infamous weakness of the Bodyguard is his susceptability to being brainwashed.

Suggested Skills: In addition to whatever Everyman Skills are being used, the following are fairly useful for a Vigilante: Athletics, Driving, Expert (usually in fighting), Gunnery, Hand-to-Hand, Mechapilot, Melee Weapons, Oration (for making those speeches), Stealth, Technical (usually High, Super, or Milspec Tech), Wardrobe & Style. When creating a Bodyguard, make sure that his combat skills are 2 to 3 points higher than the scores of the character(s) he's supposed to protect -he wouldn't be very effective, otherwise.

Suggested Talents and Perks: Martial Artist, One-Liners*, Handsome, Combat Sense, Wealth

*This is a Skill Group Talent which improves your Oratory, Performance, and any other skill involving talking by 1 point per level taken. Taking One-Liners gives you the ability to make short, dramatic pronouncements, usually cliches and bytes from well-known action movies.

Equipment: A nice apartment somewhere, a good vehicle (bike or car) that the street personality can use, a powersuit, decent wardrobe, and a fair supply of cash.

Other Notes: An M4 tends to be a couple of years older than the main characters -perhaps a senior student at the local high school, or a campus-dweller. One or both sides of his personality may possess a skill or quirk -such as growing roses- that the Mechagirls go wild over, but this isn't necessary. He'll usually have a signature weapon or item as well, and he frequently takes his name from it. And when it comes to complications, remember two things: every Vigilante has some deep trauma that makes him what he is; and Bodyguards are notorious when it comes to memory loss and tragic childhoods.

Playing a Mysterious Masked Mecha-Man: To start with, this template needs referee approval before it can even be used. Then the player has to create the basic, non-M4 personality of his character according to some other template. The following rules apply:

1) The everyday personality cannot display more than three of the skills which his alter-ego possesses -anything more would be too much of a giveaway and would blow his cover.

2) The everyday personality cannot own any other powersuit except for the one his alter-ego uses (and if he's a Bodyguard, he might not even know he owns THAT one) and he can't enter combat in any other mecha he might happen to be piloting without a REALLY good reason (such as a surge of adrenalin brought on by the threat of imminent death) to explain away his "heroic" behaviour.

Once that is done, the player then creates his Vigilante or Bodyguard and hands it over to the referee. This is where being an M4 would really stink for would-be power players, because they're not allowed to use their super-skills; the M4's hero side is a plot device for the referee to spice up the game with. Only when the M4's real identity is revealed through the normal course of events can his creator assume full control -and the referee is advised not to let this happen until the rest of the heroes get their skills up to a point where the M4 is no longer so far ahead of them.

Due to the nature of the M4, this template may wind up being a referee-only option. But if you can find a player who doesn't mind taking a back seat to the glitzy heroes for a while, the roleplaying possibilities are pretty good.

One last thing: when you introduce an M4, it's probably a good idea to bring his "normal" self onto the scene several episodes ahead of the armored hero, and make sure that there are also several player-controlled minor characters running around as well. It'll keep the players guessing and should add a real bit of depth to the hunt for the M4's identity, and what the players don't know could prove to be REALLY embarrassing for their characters -and that's one of the things that every referee lives for.

Some Suggestions for Using the M4

Revenge of the Nerd: What if the M4 was, in actuality, the lowly and despised technogeek? How would the Mechagirls react when they find out that the dreamy guy who keeps saving them is also the pathetic dweeb who has mecha designs for wallpaper? How would the GUYS react when they find out that this little twerp has been upstaging them all this time?

My Boyfriend's Back: Perhaps the boyfriend of one of the glamorous Mechagirls got jealous of all the attention she was getting and decided to make a name for himself. Or, maybe he was worried about her and decided to look out for her. But what happens to their relationship when all the OTHER Mechagirls start drooling over him?

Are You With Me or Against Me?: A real kicker if the M4 turns out to be a villain, particularly if one of the female heroes falls in love with him along the way.

*This template, in case you haven't already guessed, was inspired by Tuxedo Kamen, the quintessential masked man. When I saw the Powersuit City template for the Magical Girl, I just had to do it.