Not long ago, dear reader, we considered the benefits of running your games in a shared world with a few other active GMs. It was easy to highlight the Dino-Pirates of Ninja Island, but I think it is important to note that there are other kinds of sharing -- in this case, I am thinking specifically of the kind of sharing that the source may not be aware of. Simply, I am talking about theft. Shameless thievery! In writing (and in RPGs), it's not actually a bad thing. It's called pastiche. A further discussion on the benefits and uses of pastiche probably deserves its own post, so I shall not delve into the details here. Suffice to say that -- when designing a game in which colossal forces of nature will battle over the fate of the world -- subtlety in character creation is not always a good design goal. Going for the obvious, familiar hook may seem lazy, but can often be the only way to communicate the expected abilities and behavior of a con-game character to a player who will probably spend no more than four hours with the character sheet in hand.
Strategies for preparing for a con game also deserves a post of its own, so I shall ignore this topic for the moment, as well. Instead, I want to share a pastiche of my own -- a DPoNI kaiju blatantly stolen from the silver screen, statted up for your (and my!) use in Green Ronin's Mutants and Masterminds RPG.
Smashing. Truly smashing.
EMPEROR KUNG - PL12
The giant ape called Emperor Kung haunts the deepest jungles of these islands, the last of a once-numerous race. It is whispered among the learned that these great beasts were bred to defend the kingdom whose crumbling temples are now used by degenerate tribesman for sacrifices to their vile and bloodthirsty gods. Emperor Kung is special; practically immortal the sages say.
In the fading days of this now-lost kingdom, the once-peaceful apes were turned into beasts of war, combating the dark forces that eventually drove its peoples back out into the trackless wilderness only to be replaced by the foul Impsalans. These beasts were cunning, but they could be controlled. In the final death throes of the kingdom, their lives were spent incautiously. Only the greatest warrior among them -- an ape rumored to be a ruler among its own kind, an ape said to have a mystic bond to the fallen kingdom's last warrior king -- survived the last battles.
With the kingdom he defended now gone, and the last of his kind dead, he retreated to the jungles. He emerges only to take vengeance on the descendants of his enemies, or to defend the last remnants of the civilization he once served.
The Stats:
Strength 15, Stamina 14, Agility 4, Dexterity 4, Fighting 9, Intellect -2, Awareness 2, Presence 3
Advantages Benefit, Ambidexterity, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Favored Environment: Jungle, Improved Critical: Unarmed, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Trip, Improvised Weapon, Instant Up, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Takedown 2
Skills Acrobatics 9 (+13), Insight 1 (+3), Intimidation 4 (+13), Perception 4 (+6)
Powers Brachiation Leaping: Leaping 5 (Leap 250 feet at 60 miles/hour) Movement: Movement 4 (Safe Fall, Sure-footed 2, Swinging) Gargantuan: Growth 12 (+12 STR, +12 STA, +6 Intimidate, -12 Stealth, -6 active defenses, +3 size categories, +1 speed ranks; Innate; Permanent) Quick Healing: Regeneration 10 (Every 1 round) Stunning Roar: Burst Area Affliction 12 (sonic, vibration, 1st degree: Dazed, 2nd degree: Stunned, 3rd degree: Unaware, Resisted by: Will, DC 22; Burst Area: 30 foot radius sphere)
Offense Initiative +4 Grab, +9 (DC Spec 25) Stunning Roar: Burst Area Affliction 12 (Save DC Will 22) Throw, +9 (DC 30) Unarmed, +9 (DC 30)
Complications Motivation: Responsibility: Emperor Kung is the King of the Jungle, and the survival of this lush natural archipleago is his holy and eternal charge. Temper: Though Emperor Kung is a marvelous creature unique among all others, he is -- at his core -- an ape. When angered, Emperor Kung reacts with full fury to attack or destroy whatever upset him.
Languages None
Defense Dodge 10, Parry 10, Fortitude 15, Toughness 14, Will 9
Power Points Abilities 50 + Powers 72 + Advantages 22 + Skills 9 (18 ranks) + Defenses 27 = 180