Heroes Unlimited: World's Strongest 23

Previously on World's Strongest:
Impact, The Alien Renegade
Calamity, The Cybernetic Sniper
Megaton, Friendly Neighborhood Nuclear Warhead
The Whirlwind, a Fusillade of Fisticuffs
Car Mage, The Wizard of Wheels
Night Sheriff, The Sheriff of Shadows
Hammer of Heaven, The Daring Demon Hunter
The Wanderer, Precocious Practitioner of the Arcane Arts
Storm Eagle, Queen of the Skies
Breakthrough, Multi-powered Mutant Powerhouse
Mr. Shade, The Ninja Vigilante
Wrath, Mistress of Mayhem
The Physician, Psychic Surgeon
Maximum, The Machine Man
Metal Marshal, The People's Powerhouse
Devil Fist, the Fist of the Morning Star
Perdition, Implacable Justice
Nemesis, Sister Spy
Prince Herman, Magician Mischief Maker
Inquest, The Vigilante Detective
Seraph, Paragon of Protection
Le Tarasque, King of Undertown

And also on Age of Astonishment:
Hunter, the Elven Weapon Master
Ms. Miracle
The Iron King of Asgard
The Crimson Commando
And now...

We will be digging into one of the oddest categories in all of Heroes Unlimited. There are four types and each is kind of unique and wierd. I will be avoiding doing a specific hero for each of the four types of Gestalt, mostly because some of them a pretty darn wierd, mechanically. However I do think you should check out Powers Unlimited 2, as this category alone is a pretty darn spiffy read. It lets you play everything form Firestorm to Swamp Thing, as well as some even odder ones. For this one i iwll be going with the Animal Gestalt, as I cannot think of a single hero in popular culture that fits that character type, and I like the idea of making a truly terrifying hero. So lets dig into my...

Gestalt Hero

Step 1: The Usual
Normally this would be elevens across the board, but Gestalt heroes roll their attributes at different stage of the character creation. Which begs the question, if this step is skipped, why is it included? Cargo Cult Game Design.

Step 2: Hit Points & SDC
This step is also skipped. Again I must ask why they included it, if it is not a step you actually take?

Step 3: Powers of the Animal Gestalt
This step is nearly every step in the character creation. I would seriously consider reworking the steps of this character type entirely. Basically you choose the type of creature that makes up the gestalt and the type of entity that unites those creatures and that will grant you all the attributes, HP, and SDC. You will also, in this step, choose your starting powers and gain all your skills. I mean, your character is pretty much done after this step. A funny thing I noticed here, you can gain a pretty huge PPE base for your character, but there is very little to spend that PPE on. You cannot gain spell casting as a super ability for this type of Gestalt. SO why have such a high PPE base. I mean, the character I made has 700 PPE and can only use it to summon critters to do her will. Just a thing that struck me as odd is all. Any way, for this hero I wanted to go a for mouse and rat gestalt. The reason for this is twofold. First because rats are very much an urban animal and that would fit within the Coast City I have been designing as we go. Second because I am a big fan of the Nutcracker Ballet. Every year I design the lights for a local ballet company's production of The Nutcracker. My best looks are always for the scene where the Nutcracker fights the mice/rats(if I do say so myself). With that in mind, we have a rat gestalt. I am also going for the best attributes I can manage for this character, I went with the Force of Nature option for that reason. It is a pretty darn powerful build. Another interesting thing of this type is that they start out with one power, but they can gain more powers as they level up. So the character at the end of 15 levels will be a much more powerful creature than one that is at 1st level.

Type of Animals for the Body
Rats/Mice Horror Factor: 11 AR: 12
Controlling Animal Intelligence
Force of Nature
PS 30 supernatural
PP 17
PE N/A
Spd 81
SDC (4D6x10)x5 whenever you make up a new body you roll again
Bonuses
+1 Attack
+2 vs Psionics and mind control
Impervious to Disease, Cold, Heat, Fire, and Possession
+2 vs Horror Factor
Special Abilities
Heal Plants and Animals by Touch
Can possess a large Animal
Summon and Control Animals(same as spell)
Life Essence/Spirit
IQ 16
MA 17
ME 15
Spd 46(in astral form)
PPE 700
HP 105(spirit form only)
Skills
Understand all languages(cannot read or write)
Basic Math
Advanced Math
H2H: Expert +2 attacks per melee round. +2 to roll w/punch, +2 to pull punch
All Domestic Skills
All Wilderness Skills
Navigation
Astronomy
Biology
Botany
Chemistry
Holistic Medicine
Paramedic
Wilderness Survival
Tracking
Climbing
Swimming
Animal Gestalt Abilities
Animal Abilities: Nocturnal
Extraordinary Vision
Night Vision
Extraordinary Sense of Smell
Natural Prowl
+20 SDC
+2 PP
Can Control 5 nocturnal animals

Step 4: Education & Skills
This has already been taken care of, so it too is a step to be skipped.

Step 5: Alignment
For this character I will be making a hero with something like an evil alignment. I will be going with Aberrant alignment as she has a sense of honor, but she is a force of nature so she sees no reason to obey man's laws. Heck most things can't even effect her in any meaningful way. I see her as a sort of spirit of Undertown. When you have no where left to turn you may speak to the arts, and if it fits her sense of justice she may answer your prayers in a  violent and horrifying way.

Step 6: Other Stuff
This is just listing out he money and equipment of the character. As she is not a physical entity(unless she wants to be), she really doesn't need much. So I think I will use this time to come up with a reason why she helps people. Maybe she is something that is worshiped by the people of Undertown and sometimes she answers prayer. She does not really have any powers that would let her be helpful in a non-fighting way, so she could be something like a spirit of justice and rats. rats go everywhere, so she is probably also seen as a goddess of secrets. I can work with this.


Name: Karni Mata
Super Identity: Rat Queen, Dark Goddess of Undertown
Alignment: Aberrant

IQ: 16
ME: 15
MA: 17
PS: 30 Supernatural
PP: 19
PE: N/A
PB: Probably not applicable as well.
Spd: 81/46 in spirit form

Natural AR: 12 when in a body of rats and mice
HP: 105 in spirit form only
SDC: (4D6x10)x5+20 per body
PPE: 700
HF: 11 when in a body of rats and mice

Skills
Understand all languages(cannot read or write); Basic Math; Advanced Math; H2H: Expert; All Domestic Skills; All Wilderness Skills; Navigation; Astronomy; Biology; Botany; Chemistry; Holistic Medicine; Paramedic; Wilderness Survival; Tracking; Climbing; Swimming

Powers
Animal Abilities: Nocturnal
Heal Plants and Animals by Touch
Can possess a large Animal
Summon and Control Animals(same as spell)
Impervious to Disease, Cold, Heat, Fire, and Possession

Sing the songs of Undertown
And of those who dwell in the dark
In forgotten corners and depths will hum
in the hidden shadows so stark

The battle is old the wise men say
Between the High and the Lost
When all is gone and despair it creeps
There is one hope, one cost

In the depths where none will tread
The Rat Queen takes her court
And if she wills a measure she'll make
light and darkness does she sort
-a fragment of a song sung in the depths of Undertown

Deep in Undertown, beyond the reach of Le Tarasque's laws, there grows a cult. The worship a goddess of rats, a goddess of secrets and judgement. The Lost(those who are are forced through circumstance to dwell in Undertown) call this cult the Ratspeakers. It is known that if your pain is unjust, if you have been wronged, you can go to the Ratspeakers and ask for intersession. If their goddess is moved to act on your behave the rats will come in vast numbers to forma  body for her, and she will avenge you. She cannot, or will not, bring back that which was lost to you, but she will bring a swift end to those who did evil. For some, it is enough.

There are other kinds of Gestalt heroes. The mental and physical human gestalts are very odd creatures, and I may come back at some point and do one of them. But for now this is enough. We have added to the lore of Coast City, and added a potential ally or menace to the city with ties to the downtrodden and lost. I think it was pretty neat. Next we will be digging into the Imbued Hero. Hourman, eat your heart out.

Also +Megan Bennett-Burks and I just finished a Kickstarter for A Far Off Land, A Fate RPG in Two Worlds. It is a game about special people chosen by Eldritch beings to travel between the worlds and protect or destroy both. They are shape shifting masters of primordial magics, and they hold the fate of two worlds in their hands. If you missed the kickstarter and would like to check out the game, you can still get it. Check out the Beta Document.