Gotham: No Man's Land [DC Comics/ Bat Family/ Sandbox] Recruitment Thread

Started by RegretNot, December 31, 2021, 11:07:11 PM

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RegretNot

Gotham: No Man's Land


Based on the 90s comic book run of No Man's Land this setting takes place in a Gotham City hit by a +7.0 earthquake summoned by nefarious means.  Gotham has been left broken and fractured.  Batman and his allies rushed to the defense of the city and did their best to stop complete anarchy from overtaking.  After the smoke cleared they had done their best and neutralized many of the villains but the city itself was very damaged and dangerous.  The national guard moved in to secure civilians and evacuate knowing the history of the criminal underworld in Gotham.  After the evacuations they destroyed all the bridges in and only then did the Bat Family realize not all civilians were able to be clear.  Commissioner Gordon and his own volunteer force of police remain to try and keep order but they are going to need help.  Batman tries his best to encourage help from outside but with other issues for the Justice League and the world it seems turning Gotham from turning in on itself completely is left to the Bat Family.  The Rogues are free and dividing the city into territory it is up to our heroes to retake it and make it safe again so it can be Gotham again and not what could easily become Arkham City. 

This game will be an open sandbox featuring characters from the DC Universe that had any relation to Batman or Gotham.  Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth will be NPCs that mentor the heroes and help guide them in their crusade to save Gotham.  Canon characters and OC Vigilantes will be allowed in the game, this is a street level game with most characters having no kind of super powers. 

Events of No Man's Land:

07-05:  Batman calls countless allies to rally against the foes of Bane and Ra's Al Ghul who are attempting to release a deadly virus on the unsuspecting world. 
07-05 to 07-13: The Bat Family and it's allies wage battle and stop the release of the virus known as the Clench. 
07-16: Back in Gotham with no time to rest the city is gripped by a +7.0 Earthquake and the heroes are left to try their best to save lives and stop the villains from taking over the city.  The cause of the quake is unknown but there are plenty of suspects.
07-17 to 07-26: Lives are saved, villains pushed back, and the city evacuated by the National Guard as the infrastructure of Gotham itself is greatly damaged.
07-27 to 08-08: The city is shut off with bridges destroyed. The Bat Cave is damaged left for the Bat Compound under Wayne Enterprises.  Countless citizens are left by the government to fend for themselves with the Rogues taking parts of the city as their own.  Commissioner Gordon and his volunteer force of police stay to try and maintain order and communication with the outside world.  Batman's absence for the countless days is felt while Bruce tries to reason with the government for aide and fails. 
08-09: Present time.

Gotham Map


Possible Characters / Reserved:

Bruce Wayne / Batman (NPC)
Alfred Pennyworth (NPC)
Cassandra Cain / Orphan (taken)
Tim Drake / Red Robin (reserved)
Barbara Gordon / Batgirl | Oracle (reserved)
Richard "Dick" Grayson / Nightwing (taken)
David Zavimbe / Batwing
Katherine "Kate" Kane / Batwoman
Selina Kyle / Catwoman
Lance Bruner / Robin
Claire Clover / Gotham Girl
Harper Row / Bluebird (taken)
Duke Thomas / The Signal (taken)
Jason Todd / Red Hood (taken)
Jean-Paul Valley / Azrael (taken)
Damian Wayne / Robin (taken)
Stephanie "Steph" Brown / Spoiler (taken)
Lucas "Luke" Fox / Batwing (taken)
Helena Bertinelli / Huntress
Minhkhoa "Khoa" Khan / Ghost-Maker
Elizabeth "Bette" Kane / Hawkfire
Kate Spencer / Manhunter
Renee Montoya / The Question
Dinah Lance / Black Canary
Zinda Blake / Lady Blackhawk
Hank Hall / Hawk
Dawn Granger / Dove
Tatsu Yamashiro / Katana
Zatanna Zatara (reserved)
Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn (taken)


Sheet Template
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[font=arial][b]Name:[/b]
[b]Superhero name & Nicknames[/b] Superhero name  | Whatever nicknames people call them
[b]Age:[/b] Must be over 18
[b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] All welcome


[b]Physical Description:[/b] A sentence or two to describe what you look like, height, eye color, hair color, etc.
[b]Distinguishing Features:[/b] Scars, tattoos, birthmarks, piercings, etc.
[b]Face Claim:[/b] In accordance with E rules face claims must at least be 18 years of age.

[b]Personality:[/b] Must include at least a few personality adjectives that best describe your character, making sure one or two are weaknesses or negative parts to them no one is perfect. You can either list them and describe each one or you can include the terms in a paragraph.

[b]History:[/b] How did your character grow up?  Did they have major events that shaped their life?  How did they react to the events leading up to No Man's Land?

[b]Specialized Powers/Skills:[/b] List of any metahuman powers and special skills the character has.

[font=arial][b]Weapon Specialties:[/b] Is there a specific type of weapon or weapons that your hero is skilled with or a signature one they use?

[b]Costume Description:[/b] Can start with none or something generic

[b]Signature Vehicle:[/b] What is their ride of choice?

[b]O/Os:[/b] Please put a link to your O/Os and please describe your character specific O/Os


Totoro


BlackStone

So using the concept of the story line No Man's Land but not following what happened as it was laid out in the comics, yes?

RegretNot

Quote from: BlackStone on January 01, 2022, 03:24:13 AM
So using the concept of the story line No Man's Land but not following what happened as it was laid out in the comics, yes?

Yep just using framework as the set up.

BlackStone


Flower

*coughs* I'm in between Catwoman and Dove. >.> Leaning towards Dove.

Totoro

What are the rules regarding gender-bending characters? Also, how do you feel about players taking rogues who have been somewhat morally grey at times and using them as PC's? (E.g. off the dome Harley Quinn, Ravager, Clayface etc.)

Will all the rogues/villains for this game be NPC'd by the GM?

RegretNot

Quote from: Totoro on January 01, 2022, 05:20:30 AM
What are the rules regarding gender-bending characters? Also, how do you feel about players taking rogues who have been somewhat morally grey at times and using them as PC's? (E.g. off the dome Harley Quinn, Ravager, Clayface etc.)

Will all the rogues/villains for this game be NPC'd by the GM?

I wouldn't have a problem with gender bending per say plenty of the array of genders, orientations, identities in gothams bat family.  For the morally grey I would hear all arguments like with other supers deciding to help Gotham from the DC universe.  I want to see what interest looks like before I think about playable antagonists, still pondering such an option at this time.

Totoro

Quote from: RegretNot on January 01, 2022, 06:08:04 AM
I wouldn't have a problem with gender bending per say plenty of the array of genders, orientations, identities in gothams bat family.  For the morally grey I would hear all arguments like with other supers deciding to help Gotham from the DC universe.  I want to see what interest looks like before I think about playable antagonists, still pondering such an option at this time.

Sounds good. I'll muse on some ideas! Hopefully a few more are interested.

Kadigan

I also have some interest. If the morally ambiguous are allowed, I have an idea for making Harley Quinn more heroic I've been aching to use in a game if allowed. Sadly choice 2 I see is gone Red Hood. If not Harls, then possibly Holly Granger instead of Hank Hall as Hawk (assuming Flower would be ok teaming up with me)

Flower


Kadigan

Hawk takes major offence at not being included in the team naming process.

RedPhoenix

I have always thought No Man's Land would be a terrific setup for a group game and have pondered running it myself. I'm definitely interested in seeing how this progresses if the interest check passes. I can't promise I'd actually be able to join as early in the year is always a hectic time for me so I'd have to see how much free time I actually have but definitely interested.

I will say I'd be more interested if, given that the idea is not necessarily to actually go through the plot of No Man's Land if players were able to also play as the sort of overlords hanging onto territory. I think playing a Penguin type character who is, while generally a bad guy, actually the best choice for safety and prosperity for a situation like this opens up lots of interesting philosophical territory.

Another part of it that really interests me is how the common theme of those still in No Man's Land is that these are the folks that chose to stay in Gotham despite for the most part more than having the resources to be able to flee. While for some antagonists there may be more base motives here - i.e. no law means free looting, leaving over the bridge means getting arrested on the way out, etc., there may also be the fundamental love of the city that nobody else quite understands angle to sort of unite folks that would otherwise be at odds.

Random idea for who I'd want to play. I love the Zatanna background that has her growing up as Bruce Wayne's friend in Gotham, and would love to play a version of her that reluctantly gives up her performer lifestyle and does what is in her mind the right thing by returning to Gotham. Obviously she's far higher power level than the setup anticipates but we could nerf her by either saying perhaps the disaster had a huge impact on the magical world too and her abilities are severely weakened here - i.e. it's not just a No Man's Land for government but also magic, which would make her decision to stick around even more against type and potentially open up some fun RP there.

Okay my rambly post, no matter what else props for suggesting the idea. =)
Apologies & Absences | Ons & Offs
May you see through a million eyes.

TheVillain

Well, I’ve had a few ideas. Let me know what you think, comments and criticism welcome.

Sgt. Floyd Lawton AKA “Deadshot”

Name: Sgt. Floyd Lawton
Alias: Deadshot
Age: 32
Race: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Orientation: Heterosexual
Occupation: Special Ops - Sniper
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 210 lbs
Personal Effects:

  • Laser Eye Patch - A high tech laser-assist eyepatch he wears over his right eye to augment his aiming skills and access personal databases. In combination with the scope of a sniper rifle he's said to never miss a shot.
  • Sniper Rifle - Floyd's weapon of choice.
  • Colt M1911 - Floyd's backup weapon of choice.
  • Locket - A small locket often worn around his neck but slipped into his pocket for his attacks. Contained is a picture of a woman and two children, one of the children is Caucasian while the other is clearly at least half Hispanic. The woman is his dead wife Susan, the Caucasian child is his dead son Eddie, and the half-Hispanic child is his missing daughter Zoe.
  • The List - It's not exactly public knowledge that the President is prepared to nuke Gotham if the situation isn't contained in 2 months, but Floyd knows this. Because Floyd is the president's Plan B. Given a list of 100 individuals, Floyd has been told that Gotham City will be destroyed in 60 days unless every single individual on that list is either committed in Arkham, incarcerated in Blackgate, or Dead by the end of those 60 days.
Personality: While not blatantly suicidal, Floyd has been psychologically evaluated to have very strong self-destructive urges. He seems to genuinely not care if he lives or dies, he just doesn't want to do the job himself. He always was a bit of a loner and a tad anti-social. Prefers to exclusively hire the services of prostitutes for sexual encounters, claims that in his experience marriages never end well even when they do start well. The only real exception seems to be if Children are involved, especially Zoe. Floyd may have no reason to live on a personal level but the very idea of Zoe being in danger can bring out the Papa Bear in him after all.
Brief: The mysterious grim reaper in Gotham, and possibly its savior. The President has to nuke Gotham in 60 days you see, that's the time analysts give before sensitive materials and knowledge officially gets out. But the President does have a Plan B - because only certain people actually have to die. So if Deadshot gets to them within the 60 days the bomb doesn't have to drop.

Of course, that's ignoring the fact that Zoe went missing and Floyd is willing to do anything to get her back. Even if that means blowing up a city.

Role Play: Micheal Rowe
Extra: The names on the List are known only to Floyd (and the GMs) but Floyd has permission from the President to also kill whoever it takes to get through the List. It's personal for Floyd though. His son Eddie was raped and murdered by an unknown pedophile in Gotham, his former wife killed herself over that. He's also in Gotham because he's learned that while doing some special ops on one of the Cartels he ended up sleeping with a Gotham member of a Columbian Cartel named Michelle Torres, and she had a daughter named Zoe. And now Zoe has gone missing in the No Man's Land.

So Floyd's in Gotham not only to potentially save it from nuclear annihilation but he's also in Gotham to get revenge for his son's rape and murder that drove his wife to suicide, and to find his missing illegitimate daughter Zoe before she suffers a similar fate - because she is, without even a hint of exaggeration, the only reason he has to live for and he'll do anything to get her back. Even if that means killing everyone else in Gotham to do it.
                   
Backround: Floyd didn't have what one could call an ideal childhood. His parents didn't even really like each other, they just got pregnant and had a shotgun wedding. In time they grew to hate each other but by then they had two boys, Floyd being the younger of the two. Their home life was miserable but they did have a bit of refuge outside where they could go hunting. Both of the Lawton boys got to be very good shots actually.

Floyd's older brother Edward eventually lied about his age to join the military to get away from the abuse, which quickly trained him to be a sniper. It was coming back that was his brother's mistake. Believing his training had made him strong enough to finally being some peace to the Lawton house, all it did was enrage their father further. Floyd's father killed his mother and his older brother that night, and would of killed him too if Floyd hadn't managed to hide out in the woods with his hunting rifle. The lawyers called it Self-Defense. What he's only shared with a military psychologist though was that he had the rifle sooner and he tried to save his brother - would of too if he hadn't missed the shot.

Joining the military to follow his brother's footsteps, Floyd too would be trained as a Sniper. There's a quite a few people in powerful positions that would go as far as to say he's the Best Sniper America's ever had in fact. Susan just had the bad luck of falling in love with him. A reporter from New York they tried to start a family and life together, but unfortunately they tried to do it in Gotham. While Floyd was serving a tour of duty in Iraq their young son Eddie - named for Floyd's diseased but remembered foldly older brother - was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a pedophile. Their marriage might of survived elsewhere, but they were in Gotham. Susan would kill herself over how badly the Gotham PD handled the case and Floyd went deeper into his work to hide the horror.

Floyd didn't love Michelle Torres, that should be made clear. She was just a prostitute with the Venitas Cartel he slept with to maintain his cover during a special ops mission. She didn't love him either, but the condom broke and she became pregnant with a daughter she named Zoe and Michelle did love Zoe. Loved her enough to quit the life and set up a new home, if she could only manage Gotham. Michelle only managed to get word to Floyd about Zoe last year, and even then they have to keep it a secret. To Floyd though it was a second chance to try and be a good dad even if it has to be a secret.

No Man's Land has had him in a silent panic, all the more so that he's gotten word that Zoe's gone missing. Willing to take any excuse to get into No Man's Land, he'd get one from the President Himself. 60 Days. The President's analysts say that's about how long they have before the chaos of Gotham City results in something horrible getting out into the world, from sensitive information to experimental materials, something has to be done to Gotham in 60 Days. Floyd Lawton is the President's Plan B. The Pentagon has made a list you see, of 100 Gotham Citizens. Mostly Criminals, the Pentagon and the President are convinced that if all 100 are either in Arkham, in Blackgate, or Dead before the deadline then Gotham doesn't have to burn. Which is good, because somewhere in Gotham there's also someone who knows what happened to Eddie and someone else that knows where Zoe is.

So it's really simple. The President has written off Gotham and it's citizens already. They're all already dead, they just don't know it yet. But if Deadshot can kill enough of them then the rest of the people can live in the hellish cesspool they call a city. Sgt. Lawton is saving lives, with every bullet and body he puts in the ground there's a chance that someone else will live instead. Which is good, because if the reward is finally getting some Revenge for his son Eddie and being able bring home safe his missing daughter Zoe then Deadshot is willing to kill every single citizen of Gotham to do it, one bullet at a time.

OC Kaoru Yuu AKA “The Night Spider”

Legal Name: Kaoru Yuu
Alias: 夜の蜘蛛 [Rough Translation: "The Night Spider"] AKA "The Ninja"
Age: 27
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Part of Gotham Residing In:

Kaoru is said to seem to stand taller then he actually does, a tribute to his posture and obvious training. At least its obvious to anyone who has had extensive training themselves. Obviously Japanese by ancestry he has taken to wearing his hair long as a sign of his relaxing of some of his older attitudes, and so that his milky eyes aren't immediately obvious. Blind since childhood, he is often seen with a blind man's cane if he rarely actually needs it. Not all of his old attitudes have been relaxed obviously, his physique has been described as looking like he wasn't born so much as cut out of rock. That killer edge is still there though, as when he teaches his classes he gets deadly serious.

A relaxed immigrant that's done very well getting into the Melting Pot that is America. Speaks English and Japanese with seeming equal skill, though in truth his Japanese is said to be nothing short of poetic. He goes to coffee shops, he chats with policemen on the street, he helps out in his neighborhood - until he's on the clock. He sheds the relaxed attitude entirely when teaching self-defense classes - there he's said to be one of the toughest teachers in Gotham, and the most rewarding.

To anyone in the know about the League of Shadows, it's almost like he's giving just ordinary citizens certain select Shadow-Assassin lessons to teach them to defend themselves. Suspiciously so...

Expert Martial Artist (Ninjutsu, Shaolin Kung Fu, League of Shadows) - Kaoru is considered a world class martial artist in at least two major martial arts forms and would be considered one in the third as well if its existence was publicly acknowledged.
Old World and Improvised Weapons - Kaoru is also highly trained in the use of weapons traditionally associated with Shinobi Warriors. Though he does far better with the Melee ones then the thrown ones. He's also picked up a surprising amount of skill at just using ordinary objects around him as melee weapons, especially his cane.
Detective - While nowhere near Batman's level, he can easily keep up with a police detective and is rumored to do odd jobs as an unlicensed PI in his community.

== Advantages ==
Sensory Adaptation - Kaoru has been blind since early childhood, and while the old legend about the other senses gaining superhuman sharpness is just a myth his brain has compensated. His other senses aren't superhumanly sharp but from practice and his brain adapting to his blindness all of his other senses are significantly sharper and more sensitive then a normal person's.
Shadow Warrior - While other combatants experience at least some drop in proficiency when the local environment is too dark to see clearly, Kaoru actually becomes a better fighter when the local environment is too dark for normal vision. Forced to adapt his fighting style to perpetual darkness he can use it to his advantage far better then most.
Body Language Analysis - Nowhere to the level of Lady Shiva or Batman, but Kaoru can read body language to some degree if they're doing something particularly loud, quiet, or aggressive. He knows Bruce Wayne is Batman from knowing how they both move.
High Physical Abilities - He isn't the strongest, fastest, or toughest human on the planet but he is at or near peak human in all categories.
High Pain Threshold - Kaoru can absorb a surprising amount of damage and still be an effective combatant.

== Disadvantages ==
Blindness - Kaoru has been physically blind since early childhood, and while he has overcome this in many ways he has by no means overcome this in all. His eyes have healed enough that he can see the local lighting conditions but that is all.
Death Wish - Kaoru believes that he's living on borrowed time, and that his death in the near future is all but certain. The League of Shadows might think he's dead but they probably have figured out the truth. As cliche as it sounds to him the only question is if he'll have an honorable death when the time comes.

== Background ==
Kaoru Yuu was born in Osaka, Japan to a father that unfortunately owed gambling money to the Yakuza. When the Yakuza started getting forceful with his father to pay up, one time they couldn't find his father but they could find him - so they put industrial grade bleach into Kaoru's eyes. Blinded for life, it would give his father the push he needed to do the right thing. He'd stand up to the Yakuza and work with the police to bring them down.

Which, needless to say, got them killed. Both of Kaoru's parents would of been murdered in front of his eyes if those eyes still worked. Instead he heard the shots, the gasps for breath, smelled the gunpowder...

Anger, rage, grief - a stranger claiming to be Kaoru's uncle offered an outlet for these things and a path to Vengeance in the art of the Shinobi. His blindness and young age meant at first meant that it took him more time to learn even the basics but when he started getting them the pace sped up faster and faster. Soon the blind ninjutsu master reaped bloody vengeance on his parent's murderers, which earned him the nickname "夜の蜘蛛" (or roughly "The Night Spider" in English) in the Japanese underworld and got him the attention of the League of Shadows.

They took him in, trained him their ways - swore to turn him into an instrument of vengeance against those who murder parents and blind children, and the League of Shadows delivered on that promise several times over. Kaoru embraced the life and the League for years, a killer vigilante who acted all over the world. But as a member of the League of Shadows, Kaoru had been blinded in more way then one. He was fine with killing individual murderers, but there were lines we found he wasn't willing to cross like the plans to destroy the city of Gotham - innocent and murderer alike.

When Bruce Wayne destroyed that training camp of the League of Shadows, to Koaru it was a blessing. Able to use it to fake his own death, Kaoru wandered the mountains seeking either death or a sign to continue and he found it in a hidden Shaolin Temple. There he learned a lesson neither his parents, his Ninjutsu master, nor the League of Shadows was able to teach him - he learned some measure of peace with himself.

He left the temple soon after, knowing that while he can master the physical skills of Shaolin Kung Fu quickly the spiritual lessons would forever be beyond his reach. Wandering again, he was hearing stories about this "Batman" of Gotham City that stopped the League plans. Curious, he would get a boat to come over. Gotham is an awful city, but thanks to Batman it’s relatively safe from the League. That’s good enough for now.

He'd get a job at the Blade And Soul Dojo in Downtown Gotham, helping teach classes despite his at the time relatively poor grasp of English. A grasp that got better as his own classes got more popular. You went to the other teachers at the Blade And Soul to get physically fit, he was the one that taught you to defend yourself against abusive boyfriends and whole gangs at once. His grasp of English got better too - just in time for Chelsea.

He'd heard one of his students mention it to her friends. Brenda Wing's roommate at Gotham State, a Chelsea Saunders, was found in Trillium Park - brutally raped and left for dead. Brenda even claimed to know who was responsible but wasn't going to tell the police out of fear. What she didn't realize is that she didn't tell the police - she told someone much worse. Yes, he had learned some level of peace from the Shaolin Monks - but only some.

The gang that attacked Chelsea was found at the entrance of Trillium Park - and anyone who had been in Japan during the "Night Spider" attacks would of seen how much it looked like the work of that vigilante save that the victims were still alive. Thoroughly broken, bleeding, and at best if they ever walk again it'll be with a cane but their hearts were still beating. And they weren't the first. The "Night Spider" is alive and well it seems and now prowls the streets of Gotham instead of Osaka. In Gotham, when one hears the word Vigilante they think of the Batman - how will Gothamites react to the news of vigilante attacks that look like the Batman has become more brutal? Like he still doesn't kill - but now he's willing to surprise you with just how much the human body can survive? And what happens when people start figuring out that he's someone else entirely?

No Man’s Land has struck, but the Night Spider has been trying to keep order in at least Chinatown. A possible new ally for the Bat Family?

== Character Extras ==
Face Claim: Rain
Ons and Offs: Group Sex, Oral Sex, Dirty Talk
My O/O's / My A/A's / My Ideas
Update - Apologies to all my partners, real life is exploding and I've gotten far behind.

Kakihara

I will plant my interest flag as well as not much in group games have struck me.  My first choice of the Badfamily is always Red Hood but seeing as he's reserved, I'm kind of intrigued by Minhkhoa Khan AKA Ghost-Maker as it's a character I've only gotten to hear about recently so need to do some more research first.  But I was intrigued by him when I first learned about the whole concept. 

Flower


RegretNot

Quote from: Kadigan on January 01, 2022, 06:59:20 AM
I also have some interest. If the morally ambiguous are allowed, I have an idea for making Harley Quinn more heroic I've been aching to use in a game if allowed. Sadly choice 2 I see is gone Red Hood. If not Harls, then possibly Holly Granger instead of Hank Hall as Hawk (assuming Flower would be ok teaming up with me)

Harley is named in sometimes in the bat family because of her anti hero ways at times, I would be okay with her appearing perhaps as a second character but she would still be held at arms reach I would say.  She could help take back the city but she isn't getting in the Bat Compound or Bat Cave anytime soon at least without a few chaperons.  Hawk is a solid choice too.

Quote from: RedPhoenix on January 01, 2022, 10:32:19 AM
I have always thought No Man's Land would be a terrific setup for a group game and have pondered running it myself. I'm definitely interested in seeing how this progresses if the interest check passes. I can't promise I'd actually be able to join as early in the year is always a hectic time for me so I'd have to see how much free time I actually have but definitely interested.

I will say I'd be more interested if, given that the idea is not necessarily to actually go through the plot of No Man's Land if players were able to also play as the sort of overlords hanging onto territory. I think playing a Penguin type character who is, while generally a bad guy, actually the best choice for safety and prosperity for a situation like this opens up lots of interesting philosophical territory.

Another part of it that really interests me is how the common theme of those still in No Man's Land is that these are the folks that chose to stay in Gotham despite for the most part more than having the resources to be able to flee. While for some antagonists there may be more base motives here - i.e. no law means free looting, leaving over the bridge means getting arrested on the way out, etc., there may also be the fundamental love of the city that nobody else quite understands angle to sort of unite folks that would otherwise be at odds.

Random idea for who I'd want to play. I love the Zatanna background that has her growing up as Bruce Wayne's friend in Gotham, and would love to play a version of her that reluctantly gives up her performer lifestyle and does what is in her mind the right thing by returning to Gotham. Obviously she's far higher power level than the setup anticipates but we could nerf her by either saying perhaps the disaster had a huge impact on the magical world too and her abilities are severely weakened here - i.e. it's not just a No Man's Land for government but also magic, which would make her decision to stick around even more against type and potentially open up some fun RP there.

Okay my rambly post, no matter what else props for suggesting the idea. =)

I appreciate you liking the setting, I was trying to think of a setting I know of that would work for a group game and one that I haven't read in forever so it would allow the framework but not make anyone beholden to how the comic went.  Its all in the players hands and I don't plan on going back to read it so as the GM I don't try to curb anything subconsciously lol.  I love Zatanna and I am glad you see she is pretty powerful to be in the setting but if she had some limitations by the nefarious earthquake I would be okay with her joining the fray.  She certainly could delve into the magic or things unseen Bruce and the standard Bat Family can't see going on.  Hopefully you can make some time for us but no pressure. 

Quote from: TheVillain on January 01, 2022, 01:43:37 PM
Well, I’ve had a few ideas. Let me know what you think, comments and criticism welcome.

Sgt. Floyd Lawton AKA “Deadshot”

Name: Sgt. Floyd Lawton
Alias: Deadshot
Age: 32
Race: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Orientation: Heterosexual
Occupation: Special Ops - Sniper
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 210 lbs
Personal Effects:

  • Laser Eye Patch - A high tech laser-assist eyepatch he wears over his right eye to augment his aiming skills and access personal databases. In combination with the scope of a sniper rifle he's said to never miss a shot.
  • Sniper Rifle - Floyd's weapon of choice.
  • Colt M1911 - Floyd's backup weapon of choice.
  • Locket - A small locket often worn around his neck but slipped into his pocket for his attacks. Contained is a picture of a woman and two children, one of the children is Caucasian while the other is clearly at least half Hispanic. The woman is his dead wife Susan, the Caucasian child is his dead son Eddie, and the half-Hispanic child is his missing daughter Zoe.
  • The List - It's not exactly public knowledge that the President is prepared to nuke Gotham if the situation isn't contained in 2 months, but Floyd knows this. Because Floyd is the president's Plan B. Given a list of 100 individuals, Floyd has been told that Gotham City will be destroyed in 60 days unless every single individual on that list is either committed in Arkham, incarcerated in Blackgate, or Dead by the end of those 60 days.
Personality: While not blatantly suicidal, Floyd has been psychologically evaluated to have very strong self-destructive urges. He seems to genuinely not care if he lives or dies, he just doesn't want to do the job himself. He always was a bit of a loner and a tad anti-social. Prefers to exclusively hire the services of prostitutes for sexual encounters, claims that in his experience marriages never end well even when they do start well. The only real exception seems to be if Children are involved, especially Zoe. Floyd may have no reason to live on a personal level but the very idea of Zoe being in danger can bring out the Papa Bear in him after all.
Brief: The mysterious grim reaper in Gotham, and possibly its savior. The President has to nuke Gotham in 60 days you see, that's the time analysts give before sensitive materials and knowledge officially gets out. But the President does have a Plan B - because only certain people actually have to die. So if Deadshot gets to them within the 60 days the bomb doesn't have to drop.

Of course, that's ignoring the fact that Zoe went missing and Floyd is willing to do anything to get her back. Even if that means blowing up a city.

Role Play: Micheal Rowe
Extra: The names on the List are known only to Floyd (and the GMs) but Floyd has permission from the President to also kill whoever it takes to get through the List. It's personal for Floyd though. His son Eddie was raped and murdered by an unknown pedophile in Gotham, his former wife killed herself over that. He's also in Gotham because he's learned that while doing some special ops on one of the Cartels he ended up sleeping with a Gotham member of a Columbian Cartel named Michelle Torres, and she had a daughter named Zoe. And now Zoe has gone missing in the No Man's Land.

So Floyd's in Gotham not only to potentially save it from nuclear annihilation but he's also in Gotham to get revenge for his son's rape and murder that drove his wife to suicide, and to find his missing illegitimate daughter Zoe before she suffers a similar fate - because she is, without even a hint of exaggeration, the only reason he has to live for and he'll do anything to get her back. Even if that means killing everyone else in Gotham to do it.
                   
Backround: Floyd didn't have what one could call an ideal childhood. His parents didn't even really like each other, they just got pregnant and had a shotgun wedding. In time they grew to hate each other but by then they had two boys, Floyd being the younger of the two. Their home life was miserable but they did have a bit of refuge outside where they could go hunting. Both of the Lawton boys got to be very good shots actually.

Floyd's older brother Edward eventually lied about his age to join the military to get away from the abuse, which quickly trained him to be a sniper. It was coming back that was his brother's mistake. Believing his training had made him strong enough to finally being some peace to the Lawton house, all it did was enrage their father further. Floyd's father killed his mother and his older brother that night, and would of killed him too if Floyd hadn't managed to hide out in the woods with his hunting rifle. The lawyers called it Self-Defense. What he's only shared with a military psychologist though was that he had the rifle sooner and he tried to save his brother - would of too if he hadn't missed the shot.

Joining the military to follow his brother's footsteps, Floyd too would be trained as a Sniper. There's a quite a few people in powerful positions that would go as far as to say he's the Best Sniper America's ever had in fact. Susan just had the bad luck of falling in love with him. A reporter from New York they tried to start a family and life together, but unfortunately they tried to do it in Gotham. While Floyd was serving a tour of duty in Iraq their young son Eddie - named for Floyd's diseased but remembered foldly older brother - was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a pedophile. Their marriage might of survived elsewhere, but they were in Gotham. Susan would kill herself over how badly the Gotham PD handled the case and Floyd went deeper into his work to hide the horror.

Floyd didn't love Michelle Torres, that should be made clear. She was just a prostitute with the Venitas Cartel he slept with to maintain his cover during a special ops mission. She didn't love him either, but the condom broke and she became pregnant with a daughter she named Zoe and Michelle did love Zoe. Loved her enough to quit the life and set up a new home, if she could only manage Gotham. Michelle only managed to get word to Floyd about Zoe last year, and even then they have to keep it a secret. To Floyd though it was a second chance to try and be a good dad even if it has to be a secret.

No Man's Land has had him in a silent panic, all the more so that he's gotten word that Zoe's gone missing. Willing to take any excuse to get into No Man's Land, he'd get one from the President Himself. 60 Days. The President's analysts say that's about how long they have before the chaos of Gotham City results in something horrible getting out into the world, from sensitive information to experimental materials, something has to be done to Gotham in 60 Days. Floyd Lawton is the President's Plan B. The Pentagon has made a list you see, of 100 Gotham Citizens. Mostly Criminals, the Pentagon and the President are convinced that if all 100 are either in Arkham, in Blackgate, or Dead before the deadline then Gotham doesn't have to burn. Which is good, because somewhere in Gotham there's also someone who knows what happened to Eddie and someone else that knows where Zoe is.

So it's really simple. The President has written off Gotham and it's citizens already. They're all already dead, they just don't know it yet. But if Deadshot can kill enough of them then the rest of the people can live in the hellish cesspool they call a city. Sgt. Lawton is saving lives, with every bullet and body he puts in the ground there's a chance that someone else will live instead. Which is good, because if the reward is finally getting some Revenge for his son Eddie and being able bring home safe his missing daughter Zoe then Deadshot is willing to kill every single citizen of Gotham to do it, one bullet at a time.

OC Kaoru Yuu AKA “The Night Spider”

Legal Name: Kaoru Yuu
Alias: 夜の蜘蛛 [Rough Translation: "The Night Spider"] AKA "The Ninja"
Age: 27
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Part of Gotham Residing In:

Kaoru is said to seem to stand taller then he actually does, a tribute to his posture and obvious training. At least its obvious to anyone who has had extensive training themselves. Obviously Japanese by ancestry he has taken to wearing his hair long as a sign of his relaxing of some of his older attitudes, and so that his milky eyes aren't immediately obvious. Blind since childhood, he is often seen with a blind man's cane if he rarely actually needs it. Not all of his old attitudes have been relaxed obviously, his physique has been described as looking like he wasn't born so much as cut out of rock. That killer edge is still there though, as when he teaches his classes he gets deadly serious.

A relaxed immigrant that's done very well getting into the Melting Pot that is America. Speaks English and Japanese with seeming equal skill, though in truth his Japanese is said to be nothing short of poetic. He goes to coffee shops, he chats with policemen on the street, he helps out in his neighborhood - until he's on the clock. He sheds the relaxed attitude entirely when teaching self-defense classes - there he's said to be one of the toughest teachers in Gotham, and the most rewarding.

To anyone in the know about the League of Shadows, it's almost like he's giving just ordinary citizens certain select Shadow-Assassin lessons to teach them to defend themselves. Suspiciously so...

Expert Martial Artist (Ninjutsu, Shaolin Kung Fu, League of Shadows) - Kaoru is considered a world class martial artist in at least two major martial arts forms and would be considered one in the third as well if its existence was publicly acknowledged.
Old World and Improvised Weapons - Kaoru is also highly trained in the use of weapons traditionally associated with Shinobi Warriors. Though he does far better with the Melee ones then the thrown ones. He's also picked up a surprising amount of skill at just using ordinary objects around him as melee weapons, especially his cane.
Detective - While nowhere near Batman's level, he can easily keep up with a police detective and is rumored to do odd jobs as an unlicensed PI in his community.

== Advantages ==
Sensory Adaptation - Kaoru has been blind since early childhood, and while the old legend about the other senses gaining superhuman sharpness is just a myth his brain has compensated. His other senses aren't superhumanly sharp but from practice and his brain adapting to his blindness all of his other senses are significantly sharper and more sensitive then a normal person's.
Shadow Warrior - While other combatants experience at least some drop in proficiency when the local environment is too dark to see clearly, Kaoru actually becomes a better fighter when the local environment is too dark for normal vision. Forced to adapt his fighting style to perpetual darkness he can use it to his advantage far better then most.
Body Language Analysis - Nowhere to the level of Lady Shiva or Batman, but Kaoru can read body language to some degree if they're doing something particularly loud, quiet, or aggressive. He knows Bruce Wayne is Batman from knowing how they both move.
High Physical Abilities - He isn't the strongest, fastest, or toughest human on the planet but he is at or near peak human in all categories.
High Pain Threshold - Kaoru can absorb a surprising amount of damage and still be an effective combatant.

== Disadvantages ==
Blindness - Kaoru has been physically blind since early childhood, and while he has overcome this in many ways he has by no means overcome this in all. His eyes have healed enough that he can see the local lighting conditions but that is all.
Death Wish - Kaoru believes that he's living on borrowed time, and that his death in the near future is all but certain. The League of Shadows might think he's dead but they probably have figured out the truth. As cliche as it sounds to him the only question is if he'll have an honorable death when the time comes.

== Background ==
Kaoru Yuu was born in Osaka, Japan to a father that unfortunately owed gambling money to the Yakuza. When the Yakuza started getting forceful with his father to pay up, one time they couldn't find his father but they could find him - so they put industrial grade bleach into Kaoru's eyes. Blinded for life, it would give his father the push he needed to do the right thing. He'd stand up to the Yakuza and work with the police to bring them down.

Which, needless to say, got them killed. Both of Kaoru's parents would of been murdered in front of his eyes if those eyes still worked. Instead he heard the shots, the gasps for breath, smelled the gunpowder...

Anger, rage, grief - a stranger claiming to be Kaoru's uncle offered an outlet for these things and a path to Vengeance in the art of the Shinobi. His blindness and young age meant at first meant that it took him more time to learn even the basics but when he started getting them the pace sped up faster and faster. Soon the blind ninjutsu master reaped bloody vengeance on his parent's murderers, which earned him the nickname "夜の蜘蛛" (or roughly "The Night Spider" in English) in the Japanese underworld and got him the attention of the League of Shadows.

They took him in, trained him their ways - swore to turn him into an instrument of vengeance against those who murder parents and blind children, and the League of Shadows delivered on that promise several times over. Kaoru embraced the life and the League for years, a killer vigilante who acted all over the world. But as a member of the League of Shadows, Kaoru had been blinded in more way then one. He was fine with killing individual murderers, but there were lines we found he wasn't willing to cross like the plans to destroy the city of Gotham - innocent and murderer alike.

When Bruce Wayne destroyed that training camp of the League of Shadows, to Koaru it was a blessing. Able to use it to fake his own death, Kaoru wandered the mountains seeking either death or a sign to continue and he found it in a hidden Shaolin Temple. There he learned a lesson neither his parents, his Ninjutsu master, nor the League of Shadows was able to teach him - he learned some measure of peace with himself.

He left the temple soon after, knowing that while he can master the physical skills of Shaolin Kung Fu quickly the spiritual lessons would forever be beyond his reach. Wandering again, he was hearing stories about this "Batman" of Gotham City that stopped the League plans. Curious, he would get a boat to come over. Gotham is an awful city, but thanks to Batman it’s relatively safe from the League. That’s good enough for now.

He'd get a job at the Blade And Soul Dojo in Downtown Gotham, helping teach classes despite his at the time relatively poor grasp of English. A grasp that got better as his own classes got more popular. You went to the other teachers at the Blade And Soul to get physically fit, he was the one that taught you to defend yourself against abusive boyfriends and whole gangs at once. His grasp of English got better too - just in time for Chelsea.

He'd heard one of his students mention it to her friends. Brenda Wing's roommate at Gotham State, a Chelsea Saunders, was found in Trillium Park - brutally raped and left for dead. Brenda even claimed to know who was responsible but wasn't going to tell the police out of fear. What she didn't realize is that she didn't tell the police - she told someone much worse. Yes, he had learned some level of peace from the Shaolin Monks - but only some.

The gang that attacked Chelsea was found at the entrance of Trillium Park - and anyone who had been in Japan during the "Night Spider" attacks would of seen how much it looked like the work of that vigilante save that the victims were still alive. Thoroughly broken, bleeding, and at best if they ever walk again it'll be with a cane but their hearts were still beating. And they weren't the first. The "Night Spider" is alive and well it seems and now prowls the streets of Gotham instead of Osaka. In Gotham, when one hears the word Vigilante they think of the Batman - how will Gothamites react to the news of vigilante attacks that look like the Batman has become more brutal? Like he still doesn't kill - but now he's willing to surprise you with just how much the human body can survive? And what happens when people start figuring out that he's someone else entirely?

No Man’s Land has struck, but the Night Spider has been trying to keep order in at least Chinatown. A possible new ally for the Bat Family?

== Character Extras ==
Face Claim: Rain
Ons and Offs: Group Sex, Oral Sex, Dirty Talk

Deadshot is always one flip from being good or bad so I like the idea of him running around and likely being an ally one moment and a major pain in the ass the next for he is on his own mission.  I like the OC of The Night Spider too, could see him working his way into the Bat Family rather quickly. 

Quote from: kakihara on January 01, 2022, 01:47:54 PM
I will plant my interest flag as well as not much in group games have struck me.  My first choice of the Badfamily is always Red Hood but seeing as he's reserved, I'm kind of intrigued by Minhkhoa Khan AKA Ghost-Maker as it's a character I've only gotten to hear about recently so need to do some more research first.  But I was intrigued by him when I first learned about the whole concept. 

Ghost-Maker is an interesting new character in the family especially with how he views himself as more effective than Batman but depending on how you would want to play him he either would be breaking the rule of staying out of Gotham for the first time to help with No Man's Land or has found a place among Gotham over the last year or two before the events happen.  Either way I would find his addition an interesting dynamic. 

lustfulintentions

I absolutely loved this story line and premise, and always dug Dick Grayson's/Nightwing's role in it. Consider this an interest flag, if there's room.

RegretNot

Quote from: lustfulintentions on January 01, 2022, 04:59:01 PM
I absolutely loved this story line and premise, and always dug Dick Grayson's/Nightwing's role in it. Consider this an interest flag, if there's room.

Plenty of room, interested in Nightwing?

Swashbuckler

Are you alright with people not SUPER versed in the Bat-Family but willing to do research as needed?

If that is ok, I would like to plant a flag for The Signal

RegretNot

Quote from: Swashbuckler on January 01, 2022, 05:26:26 PM
Are you alright with people not SUPER versed in the Bat-Family but willing to do research as needed?

If that is ok, I would like to plant a flag for The Signal

I am fine with those even casual fans that want to look a few things up and anything they don't like in canon they don't need to keep (past relationships, traumas, etc).  I will reserve The Signal for you. 

lustfulintentions

Quote from: RegretNot on January 01, 2022, 05:18:21 PM
Plenty of room, interested in Nightwing?

Yes, I'd love to give it a go if we've got enough interest in the full cast to give  it a shot.


Swashbuckler

Quote from: RegretNot on January 01, 2022, 05:28:32 PM
I am fine with those even casual fans that want to look a few things up and anything they don't like in canon they don't need to keep (past relationships, traumas, etc).  I will reserve The Signal for you.

Awesomesauce!

Kakihara

Quote from: RegretNot on January 01, 2022, 03:16:41 PM
Ghost-Maker is an interesting new character in the family especially with how he views himself as more effective than Batman but depending on how you would want to play him he either would be breaking the rule of staying out of Gotham for the first time to help with No Man's Land or has found a place among Gotham over the last year or two before the events happen.  Either way I would find his addition an interesting dynamic.
I would definitely lean towards the former, him breaking the rule to stay out of Gotham for the first time.  I think he'd see it as a perfect opportunity to show Batman how his drive of vengeance and trying to save everyone hinders his crimefighting endeavors.  He would see it as a perfect opportunity to show him how it should be done since it's clear the disaster has only highlighted what a failure his way has been.