Board 8 > Scarlet Ranks 52 Characters from 52 Sessions of the DCRPG Campaign: Part III

(+) Yeah! (+)

As the conspiracy of destinies collides, the stars shatter over twelve men and women as they seize their dreams across a universe in turmoil.

Topic #3 begins here, with #81 - an undrafted surprise entrant onto our list!

tagged, we're almost a fifth of the way there!

whooooa- whisper a'daire

Here we go.

So what did Brennus do to piss off Dr Light and get his spell?

And what was the spell?

I asked if she'd duel with me so I could learn from her and then mocked her the whole duel. Told her I wasn't learning anything, thar she was passed her prime. The final straw was when I said if I wanted to learn anything, I would have to ask the other Doctor Light to teach me.

It didn't end well for me, but as she left me battered on the floor I learned...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/4/2/AAcguBAAEXuO.jpg

I've used it a few times when we need to sneak past a large group to make everything darker so we can move unseen. It is a good spell!

this is gonna be a deservedly high ranked Jay Hunter

an undrafted SURPRISE entrant?

It's the Joker!

#81 - Tomorrow Woman
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/3/5/AAQcMAAADiG3.png
A real hero.

The first expansionary member of the JLA, Tomorrow Woman was secretly designed by Professor Ivo and T.O. Morrow in partnership with one another to destroy her fellow teammates. Instead, she developed a conscience and self-detonated to protect them from harm. Now rebuilt, Tomorrow Woman is trying to understand her humanity and what she is meant to achieve outside of her fathers ambitions. Found in Haven by Checkmate, Tomorrow Woman was brought back to Zonn Zorr for repair. She has developed a kinship with Iron Munro, who she considers a mentor, and also with Doctor Light, whose field team protecting Japan takes up much of her time.

There have been several influences that form the basis for Tomorrow Woman in this campaign for me. Maria from the classic silent film Metropolis, Ava from Ex Machina, and of course the works of Isaac Asimov all play an underlying role in informing the rebirth and reeducation of Tomorrow Woman. Now far-removed from her dual paternal influences, what the party is witnessing in Tomorrow Woman - or Clara, as Black Alice has come to learn is her given name - is a true development of autonomy, an evolutionary process of independent thought. As many will be quick to point out, Tomorrow Woman's dialogue is presented even in a different format than any other character's: sentences are often short, and every word suffers from randomized capitalization (though sometimes, this is subtly NOT randomized). For Clara, the Tomorrow Woman, the opportunity to serve the resistance has become a renaissance of sorts, filled with almost daily epiphanies. Tomorrow Woman is remarkably naive in many ways, the totality of her experiences in this new life, since activation in Haven, comprising the sum of her experiences.

To explore the idea of autonomy and self-determination within an artificial lifeform has always fascinated me, really brought out, in my mind, a host of moral and philosophical quandaries. Even in Tomorrow Woman's own understanding of the world - simplistic though it may be - she has begun to tackle much larger issues and these questions, such as the nature of where life begins and simulation ends, loom largely in the darker recesses of her mind. She busies herself daily with sitting at the feet of a blind superhero from the 1940s, hoping to soak up his every piece of advice, and when she's not there, she's in Japan, often brutally murdering those enemies who support the growing empire of Darkseid. The sanctity of life is in many ways lost on Tomorrow Woman, and in other ways, something so precious that she would do anything to protect it. This contradictory set of laws governing her own morality likely was installed within Tomorrow Woman by her sadistic mad scientist fathers - who she is often quick to fall back on for guidance not otherwise provided to her.

And then there's the fact that, despite being one of the shortest-tenured Justice League members in history, Tomorrow Woman is nevertheless a Justice Leaguer. Though her powers have been altered dramatically - and with many pieces of her body missing, that doesn't seem to be changing quickly - Tomorrow Woman is a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to Rosetta and the Nashville team, Clara has regained the talent of flight once again, something her slow, deliberate smile has underlined means so much to her. It's uplifting to witness this childlike wonderment around every turn in Tomorrow Woman's journey into enlightenment, into true autonomous self-determination. What a treat.

The first honorable mention was undrafted, but at least one player has revealed to me that they were on a shortlist for drafting.

I absolutely love Tomorrow Woman. I may find her strongest moments to be ones she isn't truly a part of.

Possibly the most annoyed Mister Terrific has been with Spec Ops is when they brought Tomorrow Woman back, because of her history, which tells a great deal about how destructive she was.

And at the same time, Doctor Light (Kimiyo, not Arthur) went from annoyed at her childlike behavior, specifically the kissing, to openly sympathetic, realizing through Rosetta the extent to which Tomorrow Woman had been overcoming what she was built to be.

Then, of course, there's Iron Munro and Sandra Knight talking about her, where Sandra is a little annoyed at her ex-husband having fallen into the role of mentor for this lovely, but weird, woman, while Iron sees it as completely innocent, which it really is.

This is without going into Susie loving Tomorrow Woman for all her quirks.

And, of course, every bit of trouble Roz'etta has been having regarding the Psycho-Pirate that could have been solved if the players had just chosen Roger Huntoon over Tomorrow Woman, but I'd rather have all this trouble over missing out on this sweet little robot who loves flying so much.

Her impact goes far beyond herself, her powers, and her little sparse bedroom. She's so great.

Tomorrow Woman is always fun to read about. She's always in that uncanny valley, but also with the Hope that would be present in the Man of Tomorrow - there's nowhere to go but up with her, I feel.

I had a meeting in mind for Lush and Tomorrow Woman that I was thankfully able to get to during our Bingo month. They strangely have a lot in common and it's one of my favorite short convos Lush has had.

Tag

Whether android or ring, I love an AI developing autonomy.

Also from the last topic, Rex is a good boy.

It's really hard to understate how far Tomorrow Woman has come.

She started as an abandoned, broken machine in a dark room, but she's come so far, and working on her is what pushed Roz'etta towards being heavily invested in robotics storylines, which has had an even further impact on her, between the Metal Men, Robotman, Cyborg, and even robotics-adjacent effects like Mal Duncan being partially fused with Red Tornado.

Getting into honorable mentions now huh? These could make or break some lists. Well, break more like.

break all the lists (except mine)

WarThaNemesis2 posted...

Mal Duncan being partially fused with Red Tornado.

Was this on purpose or accident?

Cody11533 posted...

Was this on purpose or accident?

Accident, it was part of the fall of Rann and the Zeta Beam disaster.

Honorable Mention: Journal Moore
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/1/1/AAJ38fAAEDq7.png
The character that would have been #128 is Journal Moore!

Twenty-two and perhaps the most together woman of her age, Journal Moore works as the Presidents communications director, having gone from White House intern to the expression of presidential speech in a span of 72 hours. Journal is a non-nonsense go-getter, cutthroat in her efficiency and highly competent. As the speech writer and policy czar for the President, Journal is one of his closest confidants, a fact that is becoming all too real for those who join the Presidents reconstruction task force.

While Journal at this moment really only interacts with Xander, the relationship between the two immediately slipped into something comfortable, like a well-worn pair of shoes. There is a natural chemistry there, one that feels like it's always been there. The patter and back-and-forth is rapid-fire and natural, and any dialogue always has a real crispness to it, a real snap. Based and rooted in a classic West Wing-style Sorkinian political perspective, Journal's confidence matches Xander's own, and when they butt heads, it always pertains to just how much authority each of them has and how much both want to see President Horne's administration survive and remain successful.

It should be mentioned that President Horne's staff is largely liberal despite Horne himself being the last relic of a campaign set in 2008 - a moderate Republican. Never elected, Horne was the Speaker of the House during President Lex Luthor's administration. After both Luthor and Pete Ross (his VP) were ousted form power, Horne was next in the line of succession. Though Horne himself never seemed to have aspirations for the Oval Office, he's slipped into a natural wartime leadership position out of necessity; however, this also led to a host of hand-me-downs from the previous administration remaining in position during the odd, unexpected transition of power as a result. Journal has something to prove because of this. Not only is she the wrong party, a liberal independent in a conservative Republican's executive staff, but she has so little experience that she's defensive due to it.

I love the characters who have something to prove. Not only is there a desire to be successful that drives Journal well-past the point of simple performance, but Journal knows that there are no alternatives. These are the times that try men's souls, after all. Most of Washington is dead, captured or Equated. The House and Senate are gone. The Supreme Court is gone. The Cabinet is gone. What remains are a handful of admittedly low-level personnel from the wrong administration, forced to ban together to achieve great things with few resources amidst the gathering storm of a final, existential crisis. Journal may be conniving, she may be all about Eve.

But she's also a true patriot, rising to meet that final crisis with the earnest aplomb of a young woman who simply won't accept 'no' for an answer.

The next honorable mention is a mention that went undrafted!

This has got to be Granny Goodness

Perhaps Deathstroke? I was considering him.

Xander and Journal butting heads is great, since at his core I think Xander is still a bit of that guy who wants to make others happy with what he's done, but he also is responsible, so he isn't just going to hand off any and all duties to Journal, but I think he also really wants Journal to be the best Journal she can be.

It's a fun dynamic.

Does this mean there are 28 HMs?

That would seem to be the case yes

Johnbobb posted...

Does this mean there are 28 HMs?

Yes

Journal and Xander is a fun relationship. I think that they share a lot of views and want the same things, but they both believe the path they see is the one that brings most success and that anything less is uncertain.

Honorable Mention: Randall Dowling
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/5/4/AAUHRBAAEYQy.png
The man who would be #127.

Dowling - a man who worked for two masters in both the United States government and an organization known only for the character of 4 that served as its symbol - has been involved in much of the secretive scientific research conducted behind the scenes of the last 60 years. This included the American concentration camp and science city called Area 50, where political dissidents were used as guinea pigs. He also appears to have some connection to the invasion of Earth by Darkseid, where his advancements have been used as the baseline to create the Anti-Life Equation virus which has consumed the minds of billions. In the visions of Eve Manners, Dowling appeared to perfect a bioweapon called the Morticoccus Virus, something that he took with him when he departed through an interdimensional transporter just before Area 50 was shuttered for the foundation of Area 51. Where Dowling went afterwards well, that information may be of vital, vital importance to the resistance effort.

The story of the campaign turns on the tale of Eve Manners, and Dowling, a master manipulator, the true specter of the past, lurking in the shadows, is a crucial part of that. I wish I could say more about Dowling, I really do. To elucidate Dowling's character further would be to reveal too much that the party doesn't know... yet.

But I guarantee all of you, Randall Dowling will play one of the most important roles in the back half of the campaign. His abilities to torment, torture and terrorize will not be forgotten. And everything that was bright to light first in the memories of Eve Manners will be the crucial foundation for a large corner of the campaign.

This character was an OG of the campaign, yet went entirely undrafted - a smart move, as she scores what would be 126th place.

The campaign does a good job of trying to make everyone some level of sympathetic.

Randall Dowling is one of the very few who are just presented, at least so far, as totally unforgiveable. I wonder how long it will take for the real deal to get punched in the face, should he still be alive.

Dowling is someone I'm very interested in finding in the campaign and hoping he gets some comeuppance. I feel like that may not be the case though. My suspicion is that since he made the Morticoccus Virus he also would know the antidote for it- I think he's going to give us a direct path to reverse the Equation or at least inoculate those still unaffected.

Oh, and he ties into one of my favorite Wallerisms. Roz'etta suffered under Waller the first time, but one of Waller's weak defenses is that Roz'etta would have had it much worse under others.

Dowling is one of those others.

Dowling is a total creep and I have so much excited to learn more about him. He's like the Checkmate of Earth 0.

Guessing Bea

Og of the campaign makes me think this is an animal

Gonna guess Blackbat.

Blackbat didn't appear for like 50 weeks, Vis

Guess is Etta

Honorable Mention: Fire
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/2/5/AAQcMAAADfRd.jpg
The woman who would come in 126th place.

Bea began as a showgirl, stage performer and amateur model on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, but all of this ended up becoming a simple cover for her while she worked with the Brazilian espionage agency. On one of her missions, she was exposed to a pyroplasmic explosion and gained her green fire-based abilities which have since become her trademark. Green flames flying across the sky? That is the Justice Leaguer, Fire. Considered the greatest hero of South America by many, Fire served for years with the JLI before joining the Superbuddies. Along the way, she found a partner and mentee in Talirah Isiset. Together, they worked for Maxwell Lord prior to the deaths of both Tali and Max. In fact, with so many of her allies dying in the wake of her loss at the Battle of Metropolis, Fire has internalized guilt for the complete eradication of the Superbuddies and the League. Nevertheless, Amanda Waller sees great potential in Fire, and Fire has been brought back to her roots - spying and espionage. Waller knows that if someone can just pull her from her funk, Fire might very well be the perfect leader for Wallers worldwide resistance against Darkseid. But only if.

The largest question mark in the campaign right now is Fire's stability. Burdened with incomprehensible guilt, Fire has stated on numerous occasions that she is a survivor, possessing a survivor's guilt. Sue is dead, Ralph is missing. Max is dead. Nate is dead. Tali is dead. Ted and Booster are both missing - and they could be dead. All of Fire's closest comrades have met with a terrible, terrible end. In her mind, the only true connective tissue is Fire herself, and most of the party has seen just what lengths Fire will go to try and salvage even the faintest glimmer of hope.

As it turns out, she'll walk through Hell itself.

For her dearest friend, a sister from another mister, Ice, Fire braved the inferno of the damned, marching from its center to its infamous gates of abandoned hope, all to resurrect a friend who Fire once again undertook the yoke of blame in her death. The missive was simple from Etrigan - play Orpheus to Ice's Eurydice. March out of Hell without ever looking back. Fire and Guy Gardner managed to make it almost to the gate... before both had to check, had to see if their dearly beloved Tora was there.

They both cost Ice a return to life.

In reality, however, it appears that this test was a ruse to allow Ice an escape on behalf of Etrigan - though for what purpose, it remains unclear. Ice still did depart - the test over, Ice's soul was abandoned by the demon custodians monitoring her. After all, the fun had been had. What use was there in playing janitor to the damned when the Lords of Hell weren't watching? So Ice attached herself, unaware, to Fire's very soul. And now the pair share a body. In fact, Tora even has taken control of Fire from time to time; after all, she's a Somnabule, a soul that feeds on the warmth of others, unaware of her monstrous demeanor.

Fire is desperate to resurrect the dead, and there may be a chance. Could the woman whose entire life is founded upon loss, tragedy and guilt, finally redeem herself in her own eyes? Could Fire and Ice be united once more?

Our last honorable mention for now - undrafted and debuting in our campaign in the first half of 2022.

I'm guessing dog! I'm guessing dog!

HanOfTheNekos posted...

Blackbat didn't appear for like 50 weeks, Vis

I misread the clue.

the even more twisted tale of jekyll and hyde for fire and ice came to me during my fire write-up way back when i made my list, and it's one of the comparisons i'm most proud of

Bea is great. An early favorite. I think her sad demeanor has made her more difficult to bring to the forefront, but she's still been a key part of things and I'm always excited to scene with her.

Rooting for Mona. Give me my Queen of Spades.

Fire is case of being able to talk to her about anything really. She has roots in c1, she has a very intricate story that filled in the time while we were tubed, and she is a key role in Checkmate. She's another case where most characters can have a totally unique relationship with

Fire is a case of a character that could have been a lot higher this campaign with a change of direction from me before the campaign started. We know about my character being Minerva, a princess of Tritonis. That wasn't entirely the guaranteed plan prior to this campaign. When creating my character I settled on an idea of being a princess and asked Scar where realistically I could have a princess come from. He gave me 10 options, one of which was Norway.

Norway was one of my three finalists, but I was definitely being nudged towards Tritonis. Had I picked Norway, this alternative character would have been the sister of Ice and would have met a contact of hers immediately in Fire. Everything surrounding Fire, Guy and Tora would have just been that much more of an insane situation for my poor little princess.

so I definitely took "campaign og" to mean a character that was original to the campaign

whoops

Honorable Mention: Martina Dementieva
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/4/8/AAUHRBAAEYaE.png
The woman who would be #125. Kent Nelson, is this biography just an attempt for you to weasel your way out of your debt?

Martina Dementieva is an Eastern European arms dealer who carved out a tiny little corner of Las Vegas for herself, selling high-value items of significant importance. Martina helped supply Checkmate agents in Las Vegas with the inventory necessary to steal the Helm of Fate from the Excalibur, all with the desire to use that Helm to pay off Kents significant debt to Martina. When the battle on the Strip commenced after the heist, Martina tried to warn Kent of what was coming - in this case, Zazzala. But during the uproar, she was grabbed by a thug from Club V and held at gunpoint. Ultimately, when Zazzala arrived, Martina was among those who vacated Las Vegas, sensing greener pastures elsewhere.

Calm, cold and almost entirely emotionless, Martina is my little exploration of what the Black Widow really should be, should someone strip away the heroics from the character. Built entirely on self-sufficiency and survivalism, Martina recognizes the logic in supporting Checkmate over the Society, despite her strong connections that have been constructed around a belief in the Society's enduring domination of North America. Originally from Ukraine, Martina's rough upbringing has only reinforced sentiments that cozying up to power is the smartest move in any situation. Perhaps this is why not only has Martina assessed the spec ops team as a savvier alliance than the oftentimes tumultuous Society, but also why she has clearly chosen to seduce Kent Nelson physically. Knowing that Kent is the next Doctor Fate, Martina seems actually rather open about her reasoning for sleeping with Kent - and Kent seems too deliriously thrilled with the relationship to either recognize or care about her real purposes for being with him.

In fact, that relationship defines what I truly love about Martina - she's manipulative, but brazenly so. She makes no bones about it - she will sleep with Kent, keep him physically content, but also keep him at an arm's length. There's an alpha-beta definition, and Martina is certainly the dominant of the pair, uninterested in intimacy or love, only focused on keeping the Helm of Fate close at all times. Martina is decidedly self-serving, a villain of sorts. Every bit of her plays to the rational, power-hungry arms dealer, and her wily ways, willing to gamble for the sake of advancement in a world decidedly lacking in opportunities for such, always fills me with delight. She is one of the truly equal players to the players, and their back and forth in scenes of dialogue oftentimes provides me a chance to have some who is intellectually on equal footing with the PCs in our campaign.

Now that her plans to start gun running across the planet are beginning to transpire, I think Martina will have a grander role in the success of Checkmate as it gears up for all-out war with Darkseid. And what with the Helm of Fate nearly at her beck and call, I think that will make for entertaining - and perhaps surprising - fare.

Back to #80, the first of a draft class falls.

When it comes to Martina, I think the one thing that holds her back is that she's kind of in a position where she shares a similar role to La Dama or Roulette, but she's far less prominent than either. She's still fun, especially with her connection to Kent, but she's got a bit of an uphill battle against those first two.

I think Martina is different where she's more directly connected to Checkmate. La Dama is focused on the refugees, and Roulette Metabrawl, but Martina already has the best in to the table of Checkmate affairs.

There's something to be said for the deal making and such but I think Martina sticks out in her own way, least of which is how she says "Kyent Nyelson"

First of a draft class could mean one of vis or hombad and I'm thinking Radio Tuner if that's the case.

If it's the first round though I'm thinking Black Alice

Scare I already had Devlin drop

I don't think Martina is similar to La Dama or Roulette. She wants her own slice of the pie, yes, but the other two could have stood pat without Checkmate being involved. They already had power. Martina is maximizing that we're at the end of the world so she may as well push for everything since she has nothing to lose. Not even the Stanley Cup stayed in her possession. But she quickly understood the game that she had to produce to get those things and if its physicality for Kent or ammunition for Checkmate she's on top of things moving and shaking