Bothrops' Pit

[Bothrops]

"Come to Freddy."

FREDDY KRUEGER
PL 8 (150p: Abilities 32 + Skills 18 + Advantages 5 + Powers 86 + Defenses 9)

Abilities
Strength 4 Stamina - Agility 3 Dexterity 0 Fighting 7 Intellect 2 Awareness 3 Presence 2(5)
Skills
Deception 5 (+7/10), Expertise (mechanic) 3 (+5), Insight 7 (+10), Intimidation 5 (+7/10), Investigation 3 (+5), Perception 5 (+8), Stealth 5 (+8), Technology 3 (+5)
Advantages
Beginner's Luck, Close Attack 1, Favored Foe (dreamers), Improved Initiative 1, Taunt

Powers
Eternal Undeath (42p)
Immortality 1, Immunity 30 (fortitude), Protection 9, Regeneration 1
One, Two, Freddy's Coming For You (7p)
Movement 2 (dimensional movement 2 [dreamscapes]; Activation 1, Limited to those of elm street kids & people afraid of his legend), Senses 8 (Accurate Acute Extended 3 Ranged Detect Dreamers [mental]; Dimensional 1, Limited to elm street kids & people afraid of his legend), Feature 1 (dreamers sharing a dreamscape with Freddy are very difficult to wake up)
Dream Demon (4p)
Enhanced Presence 3 (Limited to dreamscapes), Enhanced Fascinate 2 (deception & intimidation; Limited to dreamscapes)
Dream Mastery (Array 24; 27p)
BE Dreamweaver: Perception Area (mental) Cumulative Affliction 8 (resisted by Will; Figment, Phantasm, Immersion; Limited to Dreamscapes, No "Area" Save)
AE Worst Nightmare: Perception Range Damage 8 (Alternate Resistance [Will; +1]; Limited to Dreamscapes, Limited to immersed targets [3 ranks], Precise, Variable Descriptor 2)
AE Brain Drain: Perception Range Weaken Will 8 (resisted by Will; Limited to Dreamscapes, Insidious, Subtle) +Linked Cumulative Mind Reading 8 (Concentration, Feedback, Limited to Dreamscapes, Subtle)
AE Nightmare Rider (Activation 1): Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 8 (resisted by Will; Controlled; Dimensional, Limited Degree 1 [3rd only], Limited to Dreamers, Merge with subject)
The Glove (Removable [-2]; 6p)
Strength-based Damage 2 (Accurate 1, Affects Incorporeal 2, Improved Critical 3)

Offense
Initiative +7
Unarmed: +8 (DC 19)
The Glove: +10 (DC 21; Crit 17-20)
Grab: +8 (vs 4)
Dreamweaver: Area Perception (DC 18)
Worst Nightmare: Perception (DC 15/18)
Brain Drain: Perception (DC 18)
Nightmare Rider: Perception (DC 16)

Defenses
Dodge 7 Parry 7 Fortitude - Will 8 Toughness 9

Complications
Motivation: Freddy is a sadistic serial killer of children & teenagers. Originally he only targeted the "elm street kids" (the children of the enraged people who burned him alive), but he now wants more. Much more.
Addiction/Dependence: Krueger's life-elixir is the fear people feel of him. Before he finally kills his victims, he first just stalks them in their dreams, feeding on their fear and causing them to tell others of their horrid nightmares - he spreads his legend (and with it his influence & power) like a contagious disease.
Disability: Freddy only exists inside dreamscapes (he normally resides within his own "dream-core"). While he can be forcibly dragged into the real world (see Weakness, below), he cannot do this by himself (his only way of acting in the real world is by possessing a dreamer's body with his "Nightmare Rider" power). When trapped in our world, he can escape into the dreamscape by either using Extra Effort (stunting his Dimensional Movement power, only possible at the end of the scene) or by using the aforementioned "Nightmare Rider" power (using a dreaming person as a "bridge").
Power Loss: Freddy's "Dream Mastery" Array is both dependent on the sum of the amount of general fear he caused and the absorbed souls of his murdered victims (GM's decision): If he's gorged, it functions normally. If he's hungry, it's impaired. If he's very hungry, it's disabled. And if he's starving it's nonfunctional. In the latter case, he's still able to haunt his target's dreams & using interaction skills to cause the fear he needs.
Weakness: A dreamer who manages to successfully use an offensive dream/mental power or interaction skill against Freddy and then IMMEDIATELY wakes up (HP-use or external help) can drag him into the real world (if so intended), temporarily trapping him there.

Description, Background & Personality
Oh c'mon...

Design Notes
Ta-daaa! Here's my interpretation of everybody's favourite pizza-faced wisecracking nightmare-slasher. The tricky thing about statting Freddy is, of course, how to simulate the dream-world he normally inhabits: Either treat it as a purely mental affair with a more colorful descriptor, or as an actual dimension of its own (and with its own "physical laws").
I finally opted for a compromise: The dreamscapes are treated as actual temporary dimensions created by every dreaming person. These may "overlap" (creating a communal dreamscape), and mental contact with a dreamer also enables access (and thus interaction with Freddy). Yet any interaction is resolved by willpower, dream- & mental powers, and interaction skills. Physical traits (& -powers), physical laws and spatial distances are completely meaningless. This also means that Freddy's STR, toughness and physical combat traits (including his iconic Glove) are only used when he'd been dragged into the real world. "Physically" attacking someone in the dream world is instead resolved with his "Worst Nightmare" power.
Please take note that I used the optional "illusion as afflictions"-rule presented in the Power Profiles (pg. 79) for his "Dreamweaver" power.
Further, for enabling "non-psychic" characters to fight back against Freddy, the GM should allow stunting impromptu dream powers from other traits ("Dream Warriors!"), and also be generous with HPs.

[Bothrops]

THE PACK
Concept: Bestial Duplicator Villain
PL 10/7 (150p: Abilities 44 + Skills 20 + Advantages 9 + Powers 75 + Defenses 2)

Abilities
Strength 2(4) Stamina 5 Agility 6 Dexterity 0 Fighting 7 Intellect 0 Awareness 4 Presence -2
Skills
Acrobatics 6 (+12), Athletics 8 (+10/12), Expertise (criminal) 3 (+3), Expertise (survival; uses AWE) 1 (+5), Intimidation 8 (+6), Perception 8 (+12), Stealth 6 (+12)
Advantages
Close Attack 2, Defensive Roll 1, Fearless, Improved Trip, Move-by Action, Teamwork, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge

Powers
Duplication (61p)
Summon 6 (duplicates; Continuous, Heroic, Mental Link, Multiple Minions 2 [4 minions], Survival)
Feral Agility (2p)
Leaping 2 (Check Required 1 [acrobatics], Speed 1
Feral Senses (2p)
Senses 2 (low-light vision, acute scent)
Feral Transformation (Activation 1; 7p)
Enhanced Strength 2 (Permanent), Fangs & Claws: Strength-based Damage 1 (Improved Critical 1), Regeneration 1, Speed +2 (Quirk 1 [must run on all fours])
Pack Mind (2p)
Enhanced Will 4 (Permanent, Limited to mental effects)
Unrecognizable (1p)
Feature 1 (no one can precisely remember the basic human form)

Offense
Initiative +6
Unarmed: +9 (DC 17/19)
Fangs & Claws: +9 (DC 20; Crit 19-20)
Grab: +9 (vs 2/4)

Defenses
Dodge 7 Parry 7 Fortitude 6 Will 4(8) Toughness 7(5 without Def roll)

Complications
Motivation: The Pack is mostly driven by its primal survival instincts, with hunting prey being the foremost one.
Identity: The Pack is a collective identity now, having foregone all individuality long ago. Combined with its predatory & feral instincts, it has great difficulties with blending into normal human society. It really doesn't care much, though.
Reputation: The Pack is feared (& wanted) as a gang of savage thugs & killers.
Temper: The Pack has a savage & bestial disposition, and thus is easily provoked to violence.
Weakness: Due to its collective mental link, any mental effect successfully used on one member works on the whole pack.

Description & Personality
The Pack (or rather, its individual members) all look identical (like clones): A smallish, scrawny (but wiry) plain-looking runt of a teenage boy with unkempt dirty-blonde hair & wearing ratty clothes. Despite this seemingly unassuming appearance, there's something very unsettling about him/them, as his/their eyes show a feral hungry gleam, and his/their behavior resembles that of a pack of stalking hyenas (complete with a menacing "giggle"). When he/they unleash(es) the feral form, he/they partially transform(s), gaining traits reminiscent of leopards, spotted hyenas & jackals - short fur, a bristly crest running down the back, and sharp fangs & claws.
The Pack had long lost all individuality, it's now a collective identity. It functions mostly by primal instinct, living for hunting foremost, but still possesses enough cunning & pragmatism to function in the modern world. It's also clever enough to always keep one member back in reserve, making it very difficult to capture or kill.

Background
The individual (or rather "gang") known as "The Pack" was once a mentally ill (severe schizophrenia & dissociative identity disorder) half-feral homeless teenage boy. Abducted by the Labyrinth & subjected to the DNAscent process (splicing his genes with that of various mammalian carnivores), the trauma of this procedure promptly triggered the boy's actual innate mutant power, duplication (probably the underlying source of his mental illness). Intrigued, the Labyrinth set him loose again, eagerly wanting to see how he'd fare in the field. Since then, he (or rather "they") had fully abandoned his/their individual identity, referring to himself/themselves in the first-person plural - "we", "us", "our" etc. He/they now make(s) a living as hired muscle for various criminals & supervillains, especially for jobs requiring to track down & kill a human target. They're literally a pack of vicious attack dogs for hire.

Design Notes
I just wanted to make a duplicator with a specific theme. While the whole build's PL is set at 10, the individual pack members' PL is actually only 7. The "Survival" extra on The Pack's Duplication power means that when the "original" is taken out, the nearest duplicate becomes the new original. Oh, and The Pack has the same supernatural ability as Princess (of The Sentinels), being unrecognizable outside its super identity.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DUPLICATE - Heroic Minion
PL 7 (90p: Abilities 44 + Skills 20 + Advantages 9 + Powers 15 + Defenses 2)

Abilities
same as original
Skills
same as original
Advantages
same as original

Powers
same as original, with the following exceptions:
- no "Duplication" power
- Feature 1 (can "borrow" the original's Duplication power, but the total number of duplicates is still limited to 4)

Offense
same as original

Defenses
same as original

[Bothrops]

MANDRAGORA
Concept: Plant Controller, Corrupt Dryad
PL 10 (150p: Abilities 52 + Skills 16 + Advantages 6 + Powers 65 + Defenses 11)

Abilities
Strength 4(2) Stamina 5 Agility 2 Dexterity 0 Fighting 5 Intellect 1 Awareness 8 Presence 3
Skills
Deception 10(+13), Expertise (druid) 9(+10), Insight 2(+10), Persuasion 5(+8/10), Stealth 6(+8)
Advantages
Animal Empathy, Defensive Roll 1, Equipment 2, Ritualist, Taunt
-Languages: Gaelic, English

Powers
Forest Stride (3p)
Movement 3 (Permeate 3; Limited to plant-material)
Green Thumb (Array 36; 41p)
BE Fellwood (Accurate 5): Create 10 (plants; Moveable, Damaging, Permanent, Source [soil], Diminished Range 1, Innate, Precise)
AE Plant Animation: Burst Area Move Object 9 (Medium [plants], Damaging, Diminished Range 1, Precise, Selective)
AE Entangle: Ranged Burst Area Cumulative Affliction 9 (resisted by Dodge, overcome by Damage; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobile; Extra Condition, Limited Degree 1, Medium [plants], Selective)
AE Pollen Cloud: Cloud Area 2 Cumulative Affliction 9 (poison; resisted & overcome by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Asleep)
AE Evil Seed (Accurate 2): Progressive Affliction 11 (resisted & overcome by Fortitude; Impaired & Vulnerable, Disabled & Stunned, Controlled & Transformed [into "seedlings"]; Extra Condition, Injected, Mental Link)
AE Greensight (Activation 1): Remote Sensing 16 (visual & auditory; Concentration, Feedback, Medium [plants]) and Green Memory (Activation 1): Senses 4 (postcognition; Limited to areas of vegetation) and Tree-Gate: Teleport 7 (Extended only, Medium [plants], Portal [Sustained])
Hamadryad (Array 8; 9p)
BE True Form (Reverting Default): Concealment 2 (normal vision; Blending, Limited to areas of vegetation), Enhanced Strength 2, Protection 6 (Armor, Limited against fire or cutting/chopping weapons)
AE Human Guise: Morph 2 (humans; Limited to women, Standard Action) +Linked Enhanced Advantages 3 (Attractive 2, Fascinate [deception]) +Linked Enhanced Persuasion 2
Plant-Kin (9p)
Immunity 3 (starvation & thirst, suffocation), Immunity 2 (cold, heat; Limited to partial), Immunity 2 (disease, poison; Limited to those not affecting plants), Regeneration 5 (Source [soil]; 4 ranks), Senses 1 (low-light vision)
Tree of Life (3p)
Immortality 1 (new body grows in a pod sprouted by the life-tree), Immunity 1 (aging)

Equipment (10p)
HQ: Sacred Grove (Size M, Toughness 8; Concealed, Defense System, Grounds, Intelligent, Isolated, Living Space, "Power System", Self-Repairing 1)
Thorn-Spear (free, created via Fellwood): Strength-based Damage 3, Reach 1

Offense
Initiative +2
Unarmed: +5 (DC 19/17)
Thorn-Spear: +5 (DC 22/20)
Fellwood: +10 (DC 25)
Plant Animation: Area DC 19 (DC 24)
Entangle: Area DC 19 (DC 19)
Pollen Cloud: Area DC 19 (DC 19)
Evil Seed: +9 (DC 21)
Grab: +5 (vs 4/2)
Grab (Fellwood): +10 (vs 10)
Grab (Plant Animation): Area DC 19 (vs 9)

Defenses
Dodge 7 Parry 7 Fortitude 9 Will 8 Toughness 13 (11 without Def Roll)

Complications
Dependence / Power Loss: Mandragora's lifeforce is tied to her life-tree (which is the nexus of her Sacred Grove). She must physically touch this tree at least once a week or lose 1 rank of STA (dying at -5); touching the tree completely restores lost STA. To keep the tree alive, she must - during a full moon night - ritually sacrifice human beings to it, the younger the better (each remaining life-year the victim had left extends the tree's life for 3 days). In case of the tree's death, she'll lose her "Tree of Life" power, and must consecrate another suitable tree (a naturally grown one of appropriate size & age) with a similar sacrifice of 3 victims, to avoid dying permanently.
Motivation-Sadism: Inflicting emotional pain is Mandragora's first & only joy in her eternal life, she goes out of her way to make people suffer. This habit has caused her trouble on multiple occasions (even jeopardizing her sacrificial schedules), but she's not the type of person who learns from mistakes.
Phobia: Mandragora greatly fears fire.
Weakness: Due to her plant-like metabolism, Mandragora is vulnerable (+2 save DC) to plant-harming agents (herbicides, defoliants etc).

Description & Personality
Mandragora is a hamadryad who usually assumes the form of a gorgeous young woman of varying appearance, while her true form looks a bit less pleasant, similar in general shape but featuring greenish-brown bark-like skin that looks somewhat mouldy.
Mandragora displays a kind, sweet & seductive persona, but this is just a ruse. In truth, she's a spiteful & cruel misanthrope supreme. Besides permanently looking for suitable victims to sacrifice for her holy tree, she devotes her time to spreading misery, sorrow & pain wherever she roams. While certainly not afraid of using physical violence & murder, Mandragora loves inflicting emotional pain most. Therefore, she prefers targeting young children for her sacrifices – they're rich in lifeforce, are easily abductable, and their loss causes maximum grief for the poor parents. Yep, Mandragora is a NASTY piece of work.

Background
The entity known today as Mandragora was once an ordinary, nameless hamadryad (tree-spirit) bound to a great ancient oak tree in an Irish forest, living in harmony with nature & the seasons like all proper dryads. But during the middle ages, farmers slash-and-burned the forest for clearing land, destroying her oak and thus dooming her to die. With her life-force quickly ebbing away, the desperate dryad called out to dark powers (perhaps Mr Infamy?) to save her. They promptly answered, offering a deal: Her survival, great power and mobility (by being able to claim new life-trees) at the price of regular blood sacrifices. She accepted eagerly, and hasn't looked back since that night. As a result, the trauma of her original tree's destruction, combined with vindictive feelings and the corrupting influence of her dark bargain, has twisted her into the depraved monster she is today.

Design Notes
I felt that a plant controller archetype had been missing in my roster, so I made Mandragora. While the build is quite straightforward mechanically, I opted for a twist in her background & personality, defying conventional stereotypes: Mandragora is neither a friendly hippie tree-hugger nor a misunderstood eco-warrior. Instead I made her PURE EVIL!
She's also directly inspired by William Friedkin's 1990 horror movie The Guardian, featuring a very similar evil dryad as the main antagonist (I've borrowed her portrait). And her sinister "Evil Seed" power (it works by infecting victims with a parasitic plant, turning them into "seedlings" - short-lived slave-minions - until they're gruesomely consumed from the inside out) is, of course, derived from Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Of all my original VILLAINS, Mandragora is, alongside Carnassial, the single most VILE one (Carnassial wants you to die in pain, Mandragora to LIVE in pain), making the others appear almost sympathetic in comparision: A.R.A.C. and Dagon are typical calculating master villains pursuing grand schemes, with no interest in depravity. Similarly, Bloody Nick and Ravani Devi are ruthless predators but still having some standards. Shogg and The Big Bad Wolf are tragic monsters driven by urges beyond their control. Overchill is just callous & selfish, Thagz a simple hoodlum, and The Pack merely animalistic.

[Bothrops]

THE KEEPER OF THE HOUNDS
PL 9 (100p: Abilities 36 + Skills 12 + Advantages 5 + Powers 37 + Defenses 10)

Abilities
Strength 4 Stamina 6 Agility 2 Dexterity 0 Fighting 6 Intellect -1 Awareness 3 Presence -2
Skills
Athletics 2 (+6), Expertise (kennel master) 6 (+5), Insight 2 (+5), Perception 9 (+12), Persuasion 0 (-2/+6), Stealth 5 (+7)
Advantages
All-out Attack, Animal Empathy, Fearless, Power Attack, Takedown

Powers
Apostle (10p)
Immunity 4 (aging, cold, disease, poison), Enhanced Advantages 2 (Diehard, Great Endurance; Permanent), Senses 4 (darkvision, acute tracking scent)
Demonic Form (Activation 2; 25p)
Enhanced Strength 3 (Permanent), Enhanced Stamina 2 (Permanent), Enhanced Parry 2, Extra Limbs 2 (animated guts; Limited to when wounded), Growth 3 (Permanent), Regeneration 5 (Sustained, Quirk 2 [no Staggered or worse conditions]), Speed 1, Bite: Strength-based Damage 2 (unarmed; Improved Critical 2)
Kennel Master (2p)
Enhanced Persuasion 8 (Limited to animals)

Offense
Initiative +2
Unarmed: +6 (DC 19)
Grab: +6 (vs 4)

Defenses
Dodge 8 Parry 6 Fortitude 8 Will 5 Toughness 6

Demonic Form (bulldog-thing)
STR 10 STA 11
Dodge 7 Parry 7 Fortitude 13 Toughness 11
Athletics +10, Stealth +4
Unarmed: +6 (DC 25)
Bite: +6 (DC 27)
Grab: +6 (vs 10 [+2])

Complications
Motivation-Gluttony: Probably the most primitive apostle in existence, The Keeper of the Hounds exists only to gorge himself, particularly with those bearing the Brand of Sacrifice (whom he will pursue to the end of the world).
Disability: The Keeper seems to be mentally handicapped, and he's incapable of forming complete sentences (he speaks only in crude monosyllabic words).
Prejudice: Even in human form, the Keeper does more resemble a filthy deformed beast. Together with his behavior (see Disability), this means he's mostly unable to normally function in human society.
Relationship: The Keeper affectionally cares for a pack of vicious demon-possessed hounds. Harming them will send him into a murderous rage.
Responsibility: As an apostle, the Keeper answers to the Godhand.
Weakness: When in their demonic form, apostles retain a body-part equivalent to their basic form (his human face & arms under the demon form's chin in the Keeper's case). Attacks against this spot (natural 20 or 3 degrees of success on the attack roll, Finishing Attack or expenditure of a HP) gain a +2 circ. bonus on Damage-DC, and ignore the apostle's Regeneration.

Description, Personality & Background
see here

[Bothrops]

Telling Man, Telling Man,
What do you see?
I see people full of vanity.
Telling Man, Telling Man,
Where do you hide?
In closets and wardrobes, full of pride.
Telling Man, Telling Man,
Will you come for me?
Look in the mirror and wait and see.

THE TELLING MAN (Myrus Tell)
Concept: Horror Villain, Monstrous Supernatural Slasher
PL 7 (135p: Abilities 54 + Skills 18 + Advantages 9 + Powers 45 + Defenses 9)

Abilities
Strength 5 Stamina 7 Agility 2 Dexterity 0 Fighting 7 Intellect 0 Awareness 3 Presence 3
Skills
Deception 2 (+5/13), Expertise (fleshcrafting) 5 (+5), Insight 2 (+5), Perception 6 (+9), Persuasion 0 (+3/5), Sleight-of-Hand 10 (+10), Stealth 11 (+13)
Advantages
Diehard, Favored Foe (vain persons), Fearless, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw, Skill Mastery (sleight-of-hand), Taunt

Powers
Beguiling Song (4p)
Enhanced Deception 8 (Quirk 1: requires singing or humming), Enhanced Fascinate 1 (deception)
Patchwork Body (8p)
Immunity 7 (aging, cold, critical hits [Unreliable], disease, poison, transformed-condition), Regeneration 1, Feature 1 (Keeping: can remove & replace his body parts with stolen ones)
Mind of the Mists (5p)
Immunity 10 (mental effects; Limited to half)
Mist Powers (Array 14; 18p)
BE Haste: Multiattack on Strength-based Damage (7 ranks) + Speed 4 + Quickness 3
AE Temporal Fugue: Burst Area Affliction 7 (resisted & overcome by Will; Dazed & Vulnerable; Extra Condition, Limited Degree 2, No Area Save)
AE Masque of the Form: Morph 3 (humanoids; Standard Action) +Linked Enhanced Persuasion 2 and Choking Fog: Environment 1 (visibility 2, no oxygen; Quirk 1 [easily countered], Selective)
AE Mist Form: Insubstantial 2 +Linked Flight 1 (Good, Subtle)
AE Mental Scan: Close Range Cumulative Mind Reading 7 (Effortless)
Mist Senses (4p)
Senses 4 (low-light vision, vision counters fog, ranged detect vanity)
Taker & Keeper (Easily Removable -4; 6p)
Strength-based Damage 2 (cutting; Affects Insubstantial 1) +Linked Cumulative Affliction 7 (poison; resisted & overcome by Fortitude; Impaired, Stunned, Paralyzed; Injected)

Offense
Initiative +6
Unarmed: +7 (DC 20)
Taker & Keeper: +7 (DC 22 + Affliction DC 17)
Temporal Fugue: - (DC 17)
Mental Scan: +7 (DC 17)
Grab: +7 (vs 5 [+2])

Defenses
Dodge 7 Parry 7 Fortitude 9 Will 5 Toughness 7

Complications
Motivation/Addiction: The Telling Man solely exists for fullfilling his (or rather, its) insane craving - harvesting the prized physical attributes of vain people and adding them to his own patchwork body, seeking perfection & beauty for himself (that said, his rapidly shifting standards of beauty are "alien" at best). Unfortunately, he's cursed to be NEVER satisfied for long, so his ghastly quest will go on forever.
Identity: The Telling Man has long forgotten his original human identity. This, combined with his obsession & strange behavior, makes functioning in normal society almost impossible for him.
Infamy: The Telling Man has become a dread legend, which is often used as a cautionary tale warning of vanity.
Obsession: Since the Telling Man single-mindedly pursues vain persons, he usually ignores people who are either humble or do not pose a threat to him / get in his way.
Prejudice: Whenever his Masque of the Form power is inactive, the Telling Man's true hideous patchwork body is revealed.
Quirk: The Telling Man often feels compelled to leave a written note at the scenes of his crimes - "I take what I keep."
Bound to the Mists: The Mists of Ravenloft will irregularly rise & shunt the Telling Man to other locations, a phenomen he has no control over. The new destination is usually ripe with new potential victims.

Description & Personality
While he can use his powers to disguise himself as an innocous human, the Telling Man's true body is, although humanoid, a qrotesque, ever-changing & mismatched collection of stolen parts, crudely stitched together with wire & string. Formerly human, he's now a monstrous supernatural being who's sole obsession is this "collection". The Telling Man targets only vain persons for surgically taking away their most prized attributes, gruesomely mutilating or killing them in the process. He will then stitch the stolen parts to his own body, as he was granted the power to savely & painlessly remove & replace his own body parts - even vital organs. For example, there once was a rich & somewhat snobbish young lady, who was famous for her striking blue eyes - guess what the Telling Man did to her... Similarly, a soldier fancying himself brave had his heart cut out, a smartass scholar was lobotomized, and an arrogant prizefighter's meaty arms were amputated.
Due to the constant "updating" of his body with both male and female parts, and having long forgotten his original identity as Myrus Tell, the Telling Man is an ageless androgynous being. He displays distinct effeminate mannerisms, and speaks in a crooning, singsong-y way. This voice is actually very dangerous, as it can confuse & lull his victims into a trance, setting them up for his attack. He usually fights with a pair of arcane surgical instruments, Taker & Keeper.
Despite his single-minded obsession, the Telling Man is dangerously cunning, patiently stalking his intended victim. He normally avoids direct violent confrontations, yet he's a lethal opponent if forced into one, combining his time-altering powers, great strength and razor-sharp blades to viciously slash his foes into bloody ribbons.

Background
Now a legendary monster, the Telling Man was once a young human vagabond named Myrus Tell, who made a meager living as a peddler. Even then, he was a strange antisocial oddball, and with an unhealthy obsession with beautiful things. Therefore, his offer of trading gold for a lock of a pretty young noblewoman's hair was rudely rebuffed. Myrus clubbed the woman to death and scalped her. He then kept the scalp as a trophy, and often wore it like a wig. He wanted more, so he became a serial killer targeting vain people and taking their most coveted body parts for his growing "collection". One fateful day, he tried to stitch a harvested ear to his own head, for replacing his original one. At this moment, the Dark Powers intervened, granting Myrus the ability to replace his body parts (as well as an array of other supernatural powers), but also cursing him to forever roam the land & punish vanity.

Notes
Easily my favourite villain (together with Toben the Many) from D&D's gothic horror campaign world Ravenloft. According to his designer, the Telling Man was directly inspired by Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb from The Silence of the Lambs, in an attempt to "make effeminate frightening". He also resembles the titular monster from the horror flic Jeepers Creepers. The other way around, the Telling Man partially served as an inspiration for my original villain Shogg (an identity-stealing amoeboid shapeshifter with a similar motive & MO).
IMHO The Telling Man is a memorable & really creepy horror villain, who can be easily introduced to other settings. I intended him as a villain for a street-level game, therefore PL 7. The build itself is more streamlined, with simplified mechanics, for easy conversion from D&D-3e to M&M. For his Choking Fog power (an Environment effect), I set "no oxygen" as a 2p/rank - condition.

[Bothrops]

There, within the abandoned cottage, sat Toben the Many. He had infected the body of a young woman this time. The body was slumped by the window. I approached it carefully and saw the woman's body raise its head. Its dead eyes lolled lifelessly within its rotting skull. Its dead purple tongue uttered a greeting. "Welcome", the dead woman said, giving the semblance of a grin.
I stepped back as I saw what Delilah had warned me of. The woman's body was holding a dead child. Its infant hand clutched the air toward me, and its bloated lips partet to speak. "How nice of you to drop in..."
It spoke with that same gravelly rasping voice, Toben's voice.
"How dare you?" I raised a trembling hand to smite the blasphemy from existence.
"How dare I WHAT?" asked another gravelly voice. I came from outside the window. I looked up and saw a host of bodies, wandering the once empty square. The monster had infected the entire village. He and the villagers were now one.

TOBEN THE MANY
Concept: Sentient Zombie Plague, Joker Expy
PL varies / pp: varies


Template: Toben-Zombie (minion)

Abilities
Strength 5* Stamina - Agility ** Dexterity ** Fighting ** Intellect 3 Awareness 2 Presence 2
Skills
as original, plus Deception 6 Perception 6 Stealth 6 -if the original has higher ranks, use these instead
Advantages
as original

Powers
as original; plus:
Grinning Sickness (49p)
Affliction 8 (disease; resisted & overcome by Fortitude; dazed & impaired, disabled & stunned, controlled & transformed [into toben zombie]; Linked to unarmed attack, Contagious, Cumulative, Extra Condition, Progressive [Flaw: daily interval], Mental Link, Sensory Link)
Hivemind (12p)
Immunity 10 (mental effects), Enhanced Advantages 2 (Fearless, Teamwork)
Undeath (varies)
Immunity 30 (fortitude), Protection 5 (modified by growth/shrinking, or equal to original's STA, whichever is better), Senses 2 (darkvision)

Offense
Initiative varies
other attacks: varies
Grinning Sickness: DC 18

Defenses
Dodge ** Parry ** Fortitude - Will 10 Toughness 5 (or better)

*modified by growth/shrinking, or as original if better
**as original

Complications
Motivations-Thrills: Toben lacks a purpose, and has no real idea of what to to with his immortal existence. So he fights his boredom by playing morbid sadistic "pranks" to hapless people, and generally causing all kinds of chaos & mayhem.
Quirk-Completely Batshit: Toben is a psychotic madman, who normally acts totally unpredictable. That said, he's capable of carrying out very complex schemes. He's also supremely arrogant & fearless, believing himself invincible (this is actually somewhat justified, though).
Weakness: Any effect that can cure diseases can potentially destroy a host body. Toben makes a Will check against a DC of effect rank+15, failure means the body is rendered dead & cleansed.

Description & Personality
Toben the Many is a unique form of undead without a body of his own (not even an incorporeal "ghost-body"). He exists solely within the bodies of his victims, whom he infects like a contagious disease (his "Grinning Sickness"), transforming them into undead zombies when they finally succumb. They're then imprinted with Toben's personality (becoming a part of him & forming a "hive mind"), and their faces rot in peculiar way, giving them bulging eyes and a hideous leering rictus grin. Toben is the polar opposite of a split personality, being instead a single mind occupying multiple bodies. If one body perceives something, so do all, and Toben's capable of perfectly coordinating his "army's" actions. While his individual bodies can be defeated without much problems, Toben as a whole is a completely different story: The only way to truly vanquish him once & for all is by destroying every single body of his - good luck with that.
Toben is essentially a sentient zombie plague with the mind of a psychotic prankster motivated by cheap thrills, and with an extremely sadistic sense of humor. He's got no interest in murder in itself (he kills only for collecting new bodies and causing emotional pain to others), reveling in the shock & horror of his "audience" instead. Luckily, Toben lacks ambition and any desire for power & control, and this stops him from being a potentially world-threatening menace. Makes sense from his POV: Where's the fun with no hapless mortals around for him to torment?

Background
Toben's origins are a mystery - even he himself has probably forgotten. One popular legend tells that Toben was once a villainous con-artist & thief, who used his mastery of disguise to frame others for his crimes. Once, he posed as a gypsy (vistani), and even managed to befriend a clan of other gypsies (by claiming he's distant family). Under this disguise, he stole from a tyrannical noble, causing the latter to execute the whole clan by impalement. As this happened, the clan's wisewoman recognized Toben within the crowd of jeering spectators. When she was about to be put to the stake, she uttered a dire curse: "Since you hide in the skin of others, may you forever live in their skins - and in their skins only!"

Notes
My other fav Ravenloft villain, Toben the Many is clearly an expy of The Joker (yes, that one) - Joker as an infectious zombie-hivemind in a gothic horror scenario, to be precise. Even Toben's "Grinning Sickness" is highly equivalent to Joker's trademark "Joker-Gas" - making its victims die with a smile...
The handy thing about Toben from a GM's POV is that he's merely a template which can be applied to hosts of wildly variable power, making him suitable for campaigns of any PL (he still functions best in low-powered street-level campaigns, though).
My reasoning for giving the "Grinning Sickness" both the Cumulative AND the Progressive extra (the latter with its own "Slow" flaw): Victims who are merely infected will take their time (at least 1 day) before finally succumbing, but the ones directly killed by Toben will transform & reanimate within seconds.

[Bothrops]

- "These spiders have no reproductive organs, almost like worker bees or soldier ants."
- "Hell, if these are the soldiers I'd hate to see the general!"
Arachnophobia (1990)

THE GENERAL (aka Big Bob)
Concept: Crafty Killer Spider
PL 5 (75p: Abilities 4 + Skills 6 + Advantages 10 + Powers 47 + Defenses 8)

Abilities
Strength -3 Stamina -1 Agility 4 Dexterity -2 Fighting 3 Intellect -2 Awareness 4 Presence -3
Skills
Acrobatics 1 (+10), Expertise (survival; uses AWE) 1 (+5), Insight 1 (+5), Perception 8 (+12), Stealth 1 (+15)
Advantages
All-out Attack, Benefit 1 (status: spider-hive patriarch), Defensive Roll 1, Evasion 2, Fearless, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative 1, Ultimate Toughness, Uncanny Dodge

Powers
Arachnid Senses (2p)
Senses 2 (low-light vision, tremorsense)
Dinner-Plate-Sized (21p)
Shrinking 10 (Permanent, Innate)
Hunting Spider (10p)
Feature 1 (produce webbing), Leaping 1, Movement 4 (Slithering, Swinging, Wall-Crawling 2)
Neurotoxic Venom (14p)
Progressive Affliction 7 (resisted & overcome by Fortitude; impaired, disabled, dying; Injected)

Offense
Initiative +8
Venomous Bite: +3 (DC 17)

Defenses
Dodge 9 Parry 9 Fortitude 6 Will 4 Toughness 1 (-1 without Def Roll)

Complications
Disability: The General is an animal (albeit a highly intelligent one), and thus can't speak to humans.
Motivation: Similar to regular animals, the General is mainly interested in survival & continuing his species. Yet he's also a ruthless conqueror who seeks to claim & dominate new territories.
Power Loss: While the General's huge powerful fangs can easily penetrate even thick leather boots, any stronger armor might neutralize his deadly bite, forcing him to target more vulnerable spots.
Prejudice: Unlike his innocous-looking offspring, the General must avoid being seen in his new Californian habitat, as a tarantula-sized spider would invoke horror & disgust there.
Relationship/Responsibility: The General is devoted to & fiercely protective of his mate & offspring. Harming them is a surefire way to piss him off.
Temper: The General is highly aggressive & vindictive, and clearly capable of holding a grudge. In the latter case, he may indulge in blatant sadism (if he feels save enough) – to the point of postponing the fatal bite for savoring his foe's fear.

Description & Personality
The General is a large hairy spider resembling a tarantula at first glance, with a 1' legspan. Yet his facial structure (particularly the arrangement of his eyes & jaws) is actually that of a jumping spider, though, and he's armed with an ultra-potent neurotoxic venom capable of killing a grown man in less than a minute.
The General's other striking feature is his extreme intelligence (for an animal, let alone an arthropod), enabling him of thinking ahead, utilizing tactics, recognizing individual humans on sight, and understanding the concepts of revenge & cruelty. This intelligence begot a far more sinister nature unimaginable in other animals. Yet just like other good villains, the General is not without admirable qualities: He clearly cares for his "family", and he displays great bravery & resourcefulness in the face of adversity – during the movie's climax, he fearlessly engages the human protagonist (who's armed with an improvised flamethrower) in a deadly game of cat & mouse.

Background
The General is a member of an unknown spider-species hailing from a huge Venezuelan tepui, where it evolved in isolation for millennia. These spiders occupy the top of the food chain & utterly dominate their habitat, because they've developed an extremely lethal venom, high intelligence, and an eusocial caste-system similar to ants or bees, with a fertile leader caste producing large numbers of sterile soldiers. This isolation ended when renowned entomologist Dr Atherton led an expedition to the tepui. Atherton's photographer, Jerry Manley, stomped on a spider, enraging a witnessing young male of the leader caste – the future General, who hitched a ride in Manley's backpack (for seeking revenge as well as escaping his confined environment & founding his own hive in virgin territory). Back at base camp, the General assassinated Manley and then, hidden in his victim's coffin, traveled to the idyllic Californian small town of Canaima (Manley's home). Shortly after arrival, he mated with a common house spider and spawned not only an army of hybrid soldier-spiders (who inherited their mother's innocous looks and their father's deadly venom) but also a young queen soon capable of producing fertile offspring. Mayhem ensued.

Notes
Recently re-watched 1990's Arachnophobia, and promptly remembered what an awesome BADASS villain the main antagonist of this classic gem was. Forget Shelob, Kumonga or Eight-Legged Freaks – IMHO the General is THE most terrifying spider ever shown in a movie, period. This is partly because of his semi-realistic & plausible nature (no silly honking CGI monstrosity). While the movie is notable for its quirky humor, there's nothing funny about the General, as he's a sneaky, crafty & nasty little killer with an attitude.
On the topic of realism: While the General's toxicity & intelligence are clearly exaggerated, there's actually some scientific foundation for both. The Golden Lancehead is a species of pit viper evolved in isolation on a single island off the Brazilian coast. These snakes are the dominant predators in their habitat and feed almost exclusively on birds, so they've developed a highly potent & fast-acting venom (5 times as strong as that of their already dangerous mainland relatives). And Portia, a genus of jumping spider, displays a degree of advanced learning- & problem-solving ability that scientists cannot explain with mere instinct anymore. Did I mention that the General resembles a tarantula-sized jumping spider? Sweet dreams...

[Bothrops]

JENNY ARC
Concept: Electrical Speedster
PL 10 (150p: Abilities 26 + Skills 11 + Advantages 6 + Powers 79 + Defenses 28)

Abilities
Strength 0 Stamina 3 Agility 0 Dexterity 0 Fighting 6 Intellect 0 Awareness 2 Presence 2
Skills
Deception 8 (+10), Expertise (musician; uses PRE) 6 (+8), Perception 5 (+7), Persuasion 3 (+5)
Advantages
Improved Initiative 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Uncanny Dodge

Powers
Living Lightning (36p)
Environment 1 (light 1; Permanent), Flight 1 (Perfect), Immunity 11 (life support, electrical shock effects), Insubstantial 3 (electricity; Permanent, Innate), Protection 6 (Limited to energy attacks), Strength Affects Corporeal 1
Electrosense (2p)
Senses 2 (Ranged Detect Electricity)
Ride The Lightning (Array 18; 19p)
BE Flight +9
AE Accurate Teleport 9 (Distracting, Extended, Medium [power lines])
AC/DC (Array 20; 22p)
BE Shocker (Accurate 3): Damage 8 (electricity) +Linked Cumulative Affliction 8 (resisted & overcome by Fortitude; Vulnerable, Stunned; Limited Degree 1) + Enhanced Takedown 2 (Limited to Shocker)
AE Thunderstruck (Activation 1): Enhanced Strength 10 (Affects Corporeal [9 ranks], Distracting) + Enhanced Close Combat (unarmed) 4
AE Blackout: Burst Area Cumulative Affliction 10 (resisted & overcome by Fortitude; Impaired, Disabled, Incapacitated; Affects Only Objects, Limited to electrical devices)

Offense
Initiative +12
Unarmed: +6 (DC 15)
Unarmed (Thunderstruck): +10 (DC 25)
Grab: +6 (vs 0)
Grab (Thunderstruck): +6 (vs 10)
Shocker: +12 (DC 23 + DC 18)
Blackout: Area DC 20 (DC 20)

Defenses
Dodge 11 Parry 11 Fortitude 10 Will 7 Toughness 3/9

Complications
Dependence/Power Loss: Jenny Arc must regularly feed on outside sources of electricity to recharge her powers and to sustain herself. Failure to do so will eventually cause her "AC/DC" array to become first impaired, then disabled, and finally nonfunctional. At this point, she'll also begin starving.
Motivation – Doing Good: Haunted by the deaths of her bandmates (see Background), Jenny swore to honor their memory by using her powers for protecting innocents & combating threats (albeit in her own way).
Secret: Jenny's human family (who thinks her dead) is still around. Even if it's painful, she doesn't dare to reveal herself to them, as she fears for their safety.
Temper: Jenny has a short fuse, it doesn't take much to set her off. An angry Jenny is prone to reckless actions & excessive force.
Weakness: Jenny is vulnerable to magnetism (+2 DC, & counts as being composed of iron). She's also vulnerable to electrical power drains (+2 DC).

Description & Personality
Jenny Arc is a being of pure electrical energy, with a blueish-white glowing female-shaped "body" consisting of crackling electricity.
Jenny was permanently transformed into her current state courtesy of being hit by lightning (which apparently triggered some dormant mutation). While she clearly enjoys her powers, she does often miss her former human life & its pleasures (especially her budding musical career). Somehow gaining the ability to switch between human- & energy form would be a dream come true for her. Jenny is a passionate, fun loving (& sometimes reckless) person, yet also suffers from a textbook case of survivor's guilt.

Background
Jennifer Kay Archer (nicknamed J-K, even by her parents) came from a typical suburban middle class family in Arcadia, Louisiana. Influenced by her older brother, she became a HUGE fan of classic hardrock at an early age. She soon proved to be a gifted musician herself, playing guitar in several high school bands. When she came of age, J-K naturally pursued a career in music, with a scholarship allowing her to study at a prestigious music school. With a few friends, she founded the AC/DC cover band "Thunderstruck", which soon became locally famous. Spotted by talent scouts, they were invited to perform at the city's annual open air festival. During the gig, a thunderstorm was brewing. Underestimating its speed, they wanted to complete their last song, which proved to be their undoing. Lightning hit the stage, fatally electrocuting the band. With the exception of Jenny, who's body was apparently atomized. Yet days later, she somehow pulled herself together again, and awoke to realize she'd been transformed into a woman of living electricity. Being declared legally dead & mourning the loss of her bandmates, she grimly realized that her human life was over, so she decided to make the best out of her situation.

Notes
Yup, this is more or less a shameless expy of DC-supervillainess Livewire (even her origin story is very similar), yet re-imagined as a hero (& lacking a weakness to water).
Unlike a more traditional energy controller (ranged attacks, moderate mobility), I added the typical traits of a speedster (melee attacks & extreme speed) – Jenny Arc doesn't shoot lightning, she rather IS lightning!

[Bothrops]

BRUTE SPLICER
PL 7 (75p: Abilities 40 + Skills 13 + Advantages 6 + Powers 8 + Defenses 8)

Abilities
Strength 8 Stamina 9 Agility 3 Dexterity 0 Fighting 6 Intellect -1 Awareness 0 Presence -1
Skills
Athletics 3 (+10), Intimidation 11 (+11), Perception 6 (+6), Ranged Combat (throwing) 6 (+6)
Advantages
Great Endurance, Improved Charge, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Startle, Takedown

Powers
Spliced-up Behemoth (5p)
Growth 2 (Permanent, Innate)
Sports Boost (3p)
Leaping 2 (Check Required 1 [athletics]), Speed 2

Offense
Initiative +3
Unarmed: +6 (DC 23)
Grab: +6 (vs 8 [+2])

Defenses
Dodge 5 Parry 5 Fortitude 10 Will 4 Toughness 9

Complications
Motivation/Addiction: The Brute Splicer is primarily motivated by his craving for ADAM.
Prejudice: Excessive splicing & ADAM-withdrawal transformed the Brute into a huge deformed monstrosity, and also caused his mind to deteriorate.
Quirk: When left alone, splicers tend to talk to themselves.
Secret/Hatred: The Brute Splicer is outspokenly & violently homophobic. A typical case of compensation/projection, since he's a closeted self-hating homosexual himself.
Temper: Like all splicers, the Brute has been turned into a foul-tempered ranting ax-crazy lunatic by his ADAM addiction. In particular, questioning his masculinity will send him into a blind frenzy.

Description
see HERE