X-MEN -- temporarily CLOSED

[Photo]

This is the simplest idea that I've ever wanted to pursue: Free-form, small group, Original characters, posting order- yes.

The setting, or the source of the idea for this comes from an infatuation with x-men. They are the perfect metaphor for the super-hero, and even better, they work in a team. I want to replace all of the x-men except for Erik Lensherr, and Charles Xavier. No Wolverine, No Mystique, No Havoc/Cyclops, no Jean Grey, No Gambit, No Beast. None of them. We will all create our own individual powers and characters, running with Chris Claremont's storylines, as a guide. We won't have to invent the story, we can just play whatever we want as it is needed. For a starting conflict, a nice assault on the Sentinel factory would be fun. To keep things easy, I'll control Xavier, but he'll really just be a device to move the plot.

Considering, We may have to put a couple players in the role of the antagonist to keep things moving forward. One or two players will play Magneto and all of his NEW chronies to keep us on our toes. The new chronies will be invented by all of us, adding to the fun, hopefully.

I'd prefer to keep it free of a system. But I can run table top games, so I could run a system for this if the player's interested want to give it a shot. I need three more people, minimum.

As far as sexual content goes, I think the style of the rp will adjust to whomever is interested.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Character thread

I'm currently accepting applications. The Character sheet is at the bottom of this POST. Cyclops is an example CS. All Characters and Powers should be as original and well thought out as possible. Please, understand that if I don't like a character, it has nothing to do with the essence of that character (probably). With the nature of the RP, it's strictly the quality of the power, and the originality. I want to stress original powers, which is borderline impossible. And, I understand that, there's an innate challenge that comes with this game. I had to think of my character for two weeks, and it ended up coming to me in a vague dream that I barely remembered in a cold sweat at seven in the morning.

So, the Character thread should now contain "Keeper", my addition to Xavier's team. It was a bit rambuctious of me to run with such a basic character sheet. It has it's flaws, and I think everyone's character creation suffered due to this mistake, which is fully on me. I built the CS poorly. Now, there's an example.

I haven't opened an OOC thread yet. This is it for now.

Character Sheet

Code Select Expand



(picture may be included anywhere, please make it a reasonable size. I'd prefer pictures of real people in citizen garb)

[b]Name[/b]:
[b]Age[/b]:
[b]Gender[/b]:
[b]Race[/b]:

[b]Mutation[/b]: (describe the effect of the mutation within your characters gene structure, if you want, talk about their actual gene structure)
[b]Effective Power[/b]: (include the use of your character's mutation, and level: 1-4. one being the weakest, four being the highest. No one is a five, not yet. I might have a quick dice off to decide one original character with a five rating. Xavier and Erik are both fives, phoenix was a five. Notably, this changes the story.)
[b]Physical Description[/b]:
[b]Personality/Clothing style[/b]: (when not fighting magneto and the sentinels)
[b]Emotional Type/"Yellow-Blue" Leotard Description[/b]: (When fighting magneto and the sentinels - Not every character wears yellow/blue but enough of them do to make it an x-men symbol. It's encouraged, how about that.)
[b]Relevant History[/b]:
[b]Fears[/b]:
[b]Other[/b]:


SAMPLE

Name: Scott Summers "Cyclops"
Age:28
Gender: Male
Race: Human, mutant, Caucasion

Mutation:Cyclops has the power to emit beams of energy from his eyes described as an "optic blast." The beams have the appearance of red light (i.e., electromagnetic radiation in a red wavelength); however, they do not give off heat and instead deliver concussive force without recoil. The beams are tremendously powerful and can be used to rupture steel plates and pulverize rock. Cyclops' optic beam is the product of his body metabolizing sunlight and other ambient energy.(106) This metabolized energy is then released in the form of the beam from his eyes. Cyclops can deplete his body's energy reserves and needs to recharge through exposure to sunlight. When depleted, Cyclops can continue to emit the beams; however, their intensity is greatly diminished.

Cyclops' eyes contain inter-dimensional apertures, releasing powerful energies from another dimension into his own via the beams. His body naturally metabolizes ambient energy that is used to open and focus the apertures in his eyes. The energy of the beam itself originates from this other dimension.

Effective Power: Cyclops' force beams were measured by Iron Man to be almost 2 Gigawatts. The effective range of his optic beam is approximately 2,000 ft. It has been observed to be focused tight enough to punch a pin hole through a coin. His optic beam continuously projects from his eyes whenever they are open and unprotected. In addition, varying the beam width, height, and intensity, Cyclops has demonstrated a high degree of skill and accuracy in manipulating his optic blast. Cyclops is able to reflect the beam off hard and shiny surfaces.[12][97][98] This feat also demonstrates his intuitive sense of spatial geometry between objects.[12][97] The reflective qualities of the beams allows him to bounce the beam off many different surfaces in rapid succession.

Scott's poor control over his power is attributed to events in his childhood.[10][110] His lack of control is initially described as being due to a head wound during his childhood, disabling his brain's ability to turn off his optic blasts.[10] Later depictions explained that his lack of control is psychosomatic and due to the emotionally traumatic events of his childhood.

Physical Description: N/A We all know what Cyclops looks like
Personality/Clothing style: Selfless, self-disciplined, and ethical, Cyclops also possesses tremendous leadership abilities, and great tactical and strategic skills. Xavier views Scott as one of his most prized pupils; their relationship exhibits father/son qualities. We all know what he looks like.
Emotional Type/"Yellow-Blue" Leotard Description: N/A We all know this guy. Include both the style of fighting, the type of warrior that s/he happens to be, and how s/he dresses in dangerous circumstances.

Relevant History: When Scott was a boy growing up in Anchorage, Alaska, his father, USAF Major Christopher Summers, took the family for a flight in their de Havilland Mosquito. It came under attack by an alien Shi'ar spaceship. As the plane went down in flames, Scott's parents fastened him and his younger brother Alex into a parachute and pushed them off the plane, hoping that they would survive. Scott's poor control over his power have been attributed to events in his childhood. The parachute caught fire, and Scorr hit his head in the fall, rupturing his ability to control his power.

Fears: Being at all like Wolverine in any way.
Other: Loves Jean Grey and anyone who looks like Jean Grey

[AribethAmkiir]

Interested, though I'd prefer if the game remained focused on plot and story and any sexual content happened on the side. 

[kckolbe]

You had me at no Wolverine

[chaoslord29]

Interested with an original character concept and seconding AribethAmkiir's sentiments.

[apygoos]

no  wolverine? count me interested.

[Thorne]

I'm .. hesitantly interested. I have a couple of original characters that might fit this.
One of them is actually posted in my one on one ideas thread (irritatingly similar to Emma Frost, without the telepathy, the overt sexuality and the lack of ethics). The other is a light-bender who could, in theory, make herself invisible.

My knowledge of the setting is limited in that 'I am familiar with the setting, but not the storylines you are suggesting' kind of way, however.

[Prosak]

You had me at no wolverine? Wow, whats with all the hating on one of the biggest bad asses to ever grace a comic book page. So watch what you say bub. :P lol. But I digress. Joking aside, I can be interested. I am, not sure what a power of mine would be but. I can see myself doing this.

[apygoos]

Wolverine is a Badass,perhaps, but he's lived through more than  the gods themselves have. the only one who's probably more potent is X-23.

[TheFonze]

You had me at X-men :3

[Photo]

I chatted with Clairmont at Comicon, no big deal!

and he was going on and on about what happened to Wolverine lately. Even he is appalled by the recent story archs and of course, the direction of the movies.

Anyway! Good to see some interest gathering (really fucking fast). I'm seeing some familiar players, it's good to have ya'll back. My only real question is this, who wants Magneto and the general antagonist role. I'll accept up to three people playing every antagonist, no more, perhaps two instead. These people are also allowed to have an x-men if they feel that they can handle it. I don't want to give some one more than they can chew though.

Look for more updates. I'm doing a heavy GM RP already, so I intend on going at this with a real minimalist approach. The Sentinel assault would actually be a Stan Lee Story arch, but it's a good place to start, since that's how the original x-men books started, but he ran out of ideas soon after that. That's why we are using Claremont story arcs instead of original story arcs, or (dear god no) new stories. Some of them are character specific to THE X-men, so we can't use those, but there are others that we can totally scavenge. (ie, Days of Future past (x-men one movie) - God Loves, man Kills - (x-two) - Moira Mactaggert's involvement - The Hellfire club featured in "First Class" With Fassbender - The Dark Brotherhood - The Morlock arc etc.)

[Oldknight]

This does look like it could be interesting

[Cold Heritage]

Do I understand correctly, and that there is going to be an enforced ratio of two or perhaps three X-Men characters to every antagonist character?

[chaoslord29]

Thinking I would definitely like to play as a member of our original X-Men, with two ideas jumping to mind immediately:

A sort of "Golden Boy" mutant; Faster, Stronger, more adept in nearly every physical mien as the average human, a real candidate for buddying Mutant Supremacy if the right pressures were applied, and perhaps the subject of some envy and loathing from those less fortunate members of the mutant community.

A fully manifested mutant who has left humanity almost entirely behind, existing now as a non-newtonian subtance held together by an electrostatic skeleton/nervous system that happens to prefer humanoid shape. Capable of altering the shape and density of his form at will to whatever might serve his purposes.

[Interested]

I'd like to be the Male Storm . . .
A Caucasian male, powerful weather controler! With a healing factor to keep his body from overstraining to death.

[Thorne]

This is sounding more and more like Shard would best fit.
She is an uncomfortably powerful receptive empath (maintains mental barriers to keep everyone else out, although physical contact combined with powerful emotions can bypass those barriers in some cases), manifests a diamond-like crystal as offensive/defensive power.

She comes off as cold and impassive to strangers, and doesn't talk about herself much. Whether her mental shields would keep a telepath like Xavier out, I don't know, but she doesn't /talk/ about it much. She's always there when someone needs her, though.

[AribethAmkiir]

When do you want character pitches, Photo? 

[Photo]

it's never too early for character pitches. so, everyone feel free to talk your hearts out about your characters. We definitely have enough for a character thread. HERE

Begin work on the new x-men. For the record. I'm 100% SET on having us run around in yellow and blue leotards. This is a huge selling point for me. So, if you're not down with that, note it please. Let it be known that you won't be kicked out of the game or anything. Because, there are a few actual x-men that wear purple, and dark green, and even red, or silver. So do whatever, but that yellow and blue X should be somewhere

@Thorne, I'm looking forward to the character template. Check out the thread just I linked in this post.

@Interested, I would like it if everyone made up an original power.

@Chaos boy, go with the one you would enjoy more.

@Cold Heritage, it won't be heavily enforced. Characters will varry however we need them to. The X-men will be built of most players in the RP. Then there will be two-four antagonist players prepared to playing Erik Lensherr and all the rest of the "Evil" Characters.

Finally, we may not need antagonists at all until later. It'll be up to everyone to find their own stories within IC boards and OOC boards. I'll create them but I'm really taking the GM role lightly this time around. I'm not writing a story unless my character is participating directly. I might have two or something to help out.

[Thorne]

While I'm pretty sure Shard prefers to wear military surplus (it's cheap and easy to come by), I do have a concept sketch of her wearing one of those silly outfits, and I'm pretty sure I can work that badge in someplace. Because the silly outfit is, if nothing else, fun to draw. ^^;

Sheet, then. Heh, heh, heh...

[kckolbe]

My two concerns so far are gender ratio and power level.  I am seeing a couple of concepts that are stronger than the fully developed X-Men, and much more than X-Men could do in the beginning.

[Photo]

I noticed that two Kckolbe. Don't worry. I'm REALLY REALLY not afraid of saying no to stupid characters this time around. I just didn't want to cut anyone off before they had a chance to show me what they mean in the Character thread.

As far as gender ratio goes? I might just have to make up a whole bunch of x-girl's for you boys

[kckolbe]

Quick question: Are we playing as the X-Men because the famous X-Men never existed, or are we the next generation after the previous ones were wiped out?

[AribethAmkiir]

Do you mean original characters or original powers?

[AribethAmkiir]

Name: Cassandra (Cassie) Finnegan
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Race: Mutant
Mutation:
-Size Manipulation: Cassandra can decrease her body’s size stopping anywhere from a foot shorter than her normal height to shrinking to a millimeter in total height.

-Vibration Emission: Cassie has the ability to generate dense and highly destructive energy bursts that travel through air from her hands.  She is currently capable of breaking solid concrete with her blasts.  The emission can only travel through air, and is generated from her wings which do not need to be fully unfolded to create the emission.

-Wing Manifestation:  Cassandra has a pair of iridescent wings that are a part of her normal skeleton.  The wings seem to grow and attach to her clavicle, scapula, and first and second ribs.  The wings naturally fold flush against her back and have the appearance of a multicolored, chaotic and random looking tattoo when folded against her body.  Her wings allow her to fly at speeds up to 60mph and are capable of carrying an additional 200 lbs. of weight while keeping Cassandra aloft.
-Enhanced Agility, and Reflexes: Her wings and size manipulation allow for increased body coordination.  This is most notably seen in an enhancement of her agility and reflexes.  The enhancement to agility and reflexes only occurs when flying.
Effective Power Level: 3

Physical Description: Cassie is naturally 5’5’ and 120 lbs.  She sports a young, lean, and athletic look with an obvious Irish heritage.  Her red hair is wavy and long, usually falling past the shoulder, and helps accentuate her pale complexion and honey brown eyes.  She has a soft, genuine, and easy smile that just touches her eyes.  She typically wears blouses, shirts or dresses that leave her upper back bare.  This reveals her wings, which when folded flush to her back, appear to be a multicolored, beautiful, yet random tattoo which never quite seems to line up the same way twice.

Clothing style: Blouses, shirts, or dresses that leave her upper back bare.

”Yellow-Blue" Leotard Description: Her costume is a backless and sleeveless blue body suit with a large golden X upon the torso and a collar that secures the suit around her neck.  She wears golden colored gloves that approach her elbow and quarter length blue pants tucked into thigh high black boots.
Personality: Like many young mutants, or even young people, Cassandra displays a wounded self-esteem.   She is often rebellious and wild, and enjoys taking unnecessary risks.  Despite her issues, she is a spunky, flirtatious, young woman who usually can be counted upon when the situation calls for it.  Cassie likes to appear independent and rebellious, but those who really know her realize how codependent she actually is.

Relevant History: Cassie was born in a small little town located in western Michigan, just off Lake Michigan.  She was the youngest child and only daughter to a high school English teacher and a Geologist.  She had a happy childhood raised in a sleepy little town with a population no greater than 80,000.  At the age of sixteen, her mother died of cancer shattering her peaceful, happy life.  Shortly thereafter Cassie began experiencing nightmares accompanied by migraine headaches and spastic full-body convulsions.  In an attempt to discover what was happening to his daughter, Cassie’s father admitted her to the local hospital where she was monitored.  On the second day of her hospital stay, Cassie’s powers manifested slowly shrinking her before doctors and nurses in her hospital bed.  It was only through the intervention of unknown parties that Cassandra wasn’t sent away to a government facility.  The case of “the suddenly shrinking girl”, however, made national headlines.  For her own protection, Cassie was sent to a private School for Gifted Youngsters. 

In the years since, Cassie’s wings have fully developed and she has begun to learn to control her abilities and has begun to come to terms with her “condition”.

Fears: Being publicly ousted as a mutant, then being hunted and persecuted because of it, and having her parents injured due to what she is.

Other:

[Thorne]

Name: Cherise 'Shard' Haveston
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Physical Description: Standing about 5'4", Shard still has the lithe frame of the gymnast she was in high school, albeit with a little more muscle and curve. She looks more or less normal - pale, creamy skin that doesn't seem to tan, eyes that seem either grey or violet, depending on her mood, set in sharp, even features. Her hair is mostly straight, worn a little past the shoulder and is a deep, even indigo blue in colour.

Powers, Personality and Past

Mutation: One-way empathy, kinetic manifestation.

Empathy: Receive-only, and while the range is limited, you can still fit a lot of people in a building that size. Walls shorten her range considerably, the thicker the wall, the less likely she can 'hear' through it.
Physical contact enhances her sensitivity, frequently bypassing her shields entirely, so she avoids it when possible.

Between her empathy and some experience reading body-language, Shard can frequently tell if she's being lied to - of course, she can't always be sure about specifics and she's been known to be wrong.

Kinetic Manifestation: A diamond-like crystal that seems largely unbreakable (although Shard knows better - sufficient force will shatter a manifested object). At present, Shard can manifest talons and barriers at need, and can occasionally manage other, more subtle effects.

She's teaching herself to fly, using manifested 'wings'. At present, this looks more like 'glide, badly', if not 'fall',

Effective Power: 3.

Personality: She gives off an approachable, down-to-earth air - someone who can be trusted not to lose their head in a crisis, without the sense of authority that might come from a more 'Alpha Wolf' personality.

Clothing style:  Clothing ranges from leather-and-lace goth to 'military surplus' without any warning, and tends to be stuff she can move in.

"Yellow-Blue" Leotard Description: A mock-neck navy-blue sleeveless leotard with a subtle tone-on-tone 'x' pattern woven into the fabric, trimmed in black and gold. With it, she has black fingerless gloves covering her arms from knuckle to elbow, and over-the-knee black or navy boots with the same kind of trim.

Relevant History: What is known, is that Shard comes of an affluent background, and occasionally, her speech patterns show this, but she no longer answers to 'Cherise' - as far as Shard is concerned, that girl died when she left home.
That was at the not-so-tender age of sixteen, after a disasterous Prom - the one time (that she knows about for sure) Shard has truly lost control of her powers - that one was in the papers, with a couple of people dead, and several injured.
What isn't known, is that her father disowned her more or less on the doorstep that very same night, leaving her to her own devices with nothing but the clothes on her back. Luckier than some, Shard managed to find someone willing and able to teach her control, or at least, discipline.

Most recently, Shard has found herself in the role of guardian and protector for two younger mutants, one of whom is in great demand for her powers, and it's because of her, and the other girl, Shard's younger sister, that Shard has come to Xavier at all. With their arrival, much of her responciblity for the pair has been removed.

Fears:
Failure, mice, closed spaces - and most especially, losing control.

Other:
Most of her discipline comes from spending four years being a student of practical martial arts, with a little tai-chi and Reiki to aid focus. She's no expert, but the foundations are laid, and she spends a lot of time practicing.

[kckolbe]

I am toying around with a couple of powersets, and would love to hear feedback. 

The first is the ability to phase out of the material world, similar to Kitty Pryde, only his is not instant.  For him to phase requires concentration and a couple of moments.  Once phased, he can travel to other places, I am thinking through the act of being summoned, with teammates being able to summon him.  He might have the ability to teleport to one "safe place" on his own, perhaps back to the mansion.  Pros: Makes an excellent scout/messenger  Cons: Horrible in combat

The second would be a character with the ability to drain the energy of those around him.  At least at first, he would not be able to turn it off, which means teammates would feel the signs of fatigue when around him, and possibly nod off (has some fun RP possibilities).  The energy drained would give him energy.  In time, he could learn to "turn it off" or maybe feed energy back.  Pros: Multiple RP possibilities, minor combat use  Cons: Could hinder teammates.

Was also thinking of force shields, but nothing overly developed.