NUELOW Heroes & Villains: Jimnast

Here's another superhero character background based on a character created by Carter-Ethan Rankin and released into the public domain. The character name and illo is free for all to use, but the rest of the material in this post is presented under the Open Gaming License. Copyright 2013 Steve Miller.

Jimnast (aka James "Jim". Nast)

Jimnyst (Male)
(aka James "Jim" Nast)
Brawn 23, Body 14, Brains 5
   Traits: Dumb, Martial Artist, Sense of Honor
   Combat Maneuvers: Backflip, Basic Attack, Kung Fu Face, Murderous Mitts, Signature Move
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded:  Superhero Outfit (Armor, absorbs up to 1 point of damage). Reusable shopping bag full of purchases (Medium Melee Weapon, deals 3 points of damage).

Origin Story
James Nast was working as the personal trainer of Texas cattle-heiress Kate Crawford when a dropped cell call changed his life forever.
   He was on his way to Kate's ranch for their weekly session when she called him on his mobile. "Jimmy, I need you to stop [garbled] and pick up [garbled]. Got that, dar[garbled... silence]." The message shouldn't have made any sense, but somehow Jimmy knew that Kate wanted him stop by several stores for a variety of food items, bandages,ammunition, feminine hygiene products, and to collect her dry cleaning.. Jim, happy to please a nice client, all the errands... and was greeted with amazement when he arrived at Kate's mansion.
   "I wasn't sure if you actually got my message," she said. "And all I wanted you do to was pick up my dry cleaning."
   "You did want me to get these other things?" Jim asked.
   "Well, yes. Well, a friend--"
   "Don't worry, Ms. Crawford. It happens all the time. I guess I have a knack for knowing what people need me to get for them from the store. But I;m wrong, I'll be happy to keep the stuff. Although I don't know what I'll do with these bandages. Or all these bullets."
   "Jim," Ms. Crawford said after looking thoughtful for a moment, "there is someone I would like you to meet. I'll call him up and he'll be here by the time we're done with our session."
   To Jim's amazement, that "someone" was American Eagle, the leader of Patriotic American Native Superheroes (PANS). He scanned Jim with an odd device and then stated that Jim had the oddball superpower of knowing what a person wants him to get from the store without even being told. To Kate Crawford, American Eagle said, "You're right. He's exactly what we need."
   That's when Kate revealed her secret identity as Texas Hellion to Jim, and stated that she and other select members of PANS wanted to hire him as their personal shopper. "It's really hard to get to the store when you're constantly saving the world," she said.
   "We'll provide you with a vehicle, an expense account, and a wage above prevailing market norms," American Eagle added.
   "Do I get to wear a superhero costume?!" Jim asked.
   "If you must," American Eagle responded. "But--"
   "Excellent! It'll be yellow with silver boots! I'll be.... The Shopper!"
   "I think Jiminey or the Jimmenest might be even better," American Eagle replied curtly.
   "Hush," Kate said.
   But Jim didn't notice American Eagle's coolness. "It's clever because it's a pun!" He exclaimed with excitement. "Gymnast! It's perfect! Instead of advertising what my powers are, it obscures them. And it keeps it open for if I ever need to branch out into other super-stuff."
   "Which you will never need to," American Eagle stated firmly
   "You sketch up a costume idea, and fax it to this number, Jim," Kate said. "That's the designer PAN works with, and he'll do you right."
   Next week, after Jim completed his first personal-shopping job for Texas Hellion, he arrived at her house in his new superhero costume.
   "Here you do, Hellion. Or do you prefer Tex?"
   "Kate when I'm not in uniform." She looked at Jim wonderingly. "Did you decide against Gymnast?"
   "No ma'am. The Gymnast that's me!"
   "Then what does the 'J' stand for?"
    Now it was Jim's turn to look wonderingly. "For Gymnast."
   "Gymnast? J for Gymnast?"
   "Yeah. J-I-M-N-A-S-T." Then he looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Kate. Do you have trouble with spelling? I didn't meant to make you feel bad. I know what it's like. I'm not very good at it myself."
   "You don't say?" Kate responded.
   Jim now travels throughout America, keeping the homes of PAN members well-stocked with basic essentials (and even picking up their dry cleaning at time)
 
Powers
Jimnyst has a very limited precognative ability: He knows what a targeted person needs from the store, perhaps even before that person does. He has no powers that are useful in combat, although he is a highly trained martial artist.

Enemies and Allies
No supervillains have yet seen fit to target Jimnyst, and they may never do so--who would want to invite the wrath of the entirety of PAN by messing with their personal shopper? Meanwhile, he has become fast friends with Texas Hellion, Hot Shot, and Butts Pirate, so he is often available to lend an extra hand on their missions and they're often nearby if he should be in trouble.

(For ROLF! game stats for American Eagle, Butts Pirate, Texas Hellion, and 15 other heroes and villains, check out POTS vs. PANS.)

NUELOW Heroes and Villains: Unveiled

Here's the write-up for another character that Carter-Ethan Rankin came up with and released into the public domain. This display image and character is available for all to use. The text in this post is published under the Open Gaming License. Copyright Steve Miller 2013.

Unveiled (aka Soraya Jirrah)

Unveiled (Female)
(aka Saraya Jirrah)
Brawn 22, Body 14, Brains 10
   Traits: Improv Master, Nimble, Sense of Honor, Super Power (Item-based: Super Strength, Super Speed, Flight, Furious Fists)
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Castrate, Debate Philosophy, Disarm, Dodge,
   Important Stuff Worn/Weiled: Scheherazade's Wrap (Armor, absorbs up to 6 points of damage [Self-repariing, every dawn, source of super powers]). Pistol (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage [for when all else fails]).

Origin Story
Soraya Jirrah was studying for her doctorates in archeology and ancient Mid-East history at Guardian University in the United States when terrorists killed 3,000 Americans on 9/11/2001. She watched in horror as the madman in charge of her country proceeded to taunt the already-angry Americans and then with sorrow as America invaded Iraq and predictably proceeded to completely mismanage the ensuring occupation.
   Even before she had been formally granted her PhDs, she approached the American government for a job with the State Department to help catalog and prevent the theft of the artifacts in the various Iraqi museums. She was hired, and she returned home to find her country in a far worse state than it had been when her parents sent her to the United States.
   Women had never been in a good place in Iraq, but the Americans had let Islamic extremists of the magnitude they proclaimed they were fighting ascend to positions of power and begin to implement systematic oppression of women and legalize rape and sexual abuse in a fashion to rival that in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and even Afghanistan.
   One night while working late in the Baghdad museum, she interrupted a theft being undertaken by Black Lion, a Baghdad pimp turned "Islamic militia leader devoted to Jihad" under the Baghdad occupation. His men attacked Soraya, and he was about to rape her when her had grasped at a piece of cloth and she found herself filled with amazing power. She not only defeated the thieves, saved the life of the American soldiers they had wounded, but also stopped two terrorist strikes against Baghdad neighborhoods that night.
   The item Soraya had grasped was a cloak that Scheherazade had wrapped herself in while spinning stories for her psychopathic, misogynist husband to forestall her murder at his hand for 1,001 nights. When she wears it, it grants her the wondrous powers of characters in legends and fairy tales.
   From that night forward, Soraya dedicated herself to defending the innocent from those who would oppress them. Unlike most costumed heroes, she never hides her face--and is very pointed about not doing so, as she hopes to serve as a symbol to women throughout the Muslim World who are letting themselves slip further and further into intolerable domination by misogynistic religious fanatics.

Powers
Unveiled's abilities are derived from the ancient garment she wears.  She can possess and use any supernatural or fantastic ability attributed to a character in the 1,001 Arabian Nights stories. The cloak only works from sun-down to sun-up.

Enemies and Allies
If you name a group of  women-hating Islamic terrorists, or many governments in the Middle East and North Africa, you will be naming one of Unveiled's enemies. Her main ally is Colonel Harold Dunbarr, a U.S. Army Intelligence officer who covertly provides her with access to the rapid transportation and vast information resources of the American military, but she also frequently works with the Daughters of Aisha, a growing secret society of women dedicated to giving women rights equal to that of men across the Islamic world. Unveiled also recently shared an adventure with Gadaffi's Angels, and they made her an honorary member of their team.

NUELOW Heroes and Villains: DMC

Another super-character for your enjoyment (and, I hope, use in your ROLF! games). Once again, the character concept and the display illo were originated by Carter-Ethan Rankin and released into the public domain. The write-up here is presented under the Open Gaming License. Copyright 2013 Steve Miller.

DMC (aka Dwayne Matthew Charles)

DMC (formerly Fasttrack) (Male)
(aka Dwayne Matthew Charles)
Brawn 23, Body 15, Brains 7
   Traits; Dead-Eye, Improv Master, Nimble, Sense of Honor, Super Power (Natural Super Speed)
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disarm, Dodge, Double Strike Run Away
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Super Outfit (Armor, absorbs up to 2 points of damage). Asp (Small Melee Weapon, deals 2 points of damage).

Origin Story
Toronto-born Dwayne Matthew Charles began his superhero career as a kid-sidekick to the Canadian superhero duo of Mountie and Redcard under the codename Fasttrack; at the age of 10, he was bitten by a radioactive coyote and gained superhuman speed. He did not, however, care for the stressful life of a masked crime-fighter, and he had retired from the superhero game before he turned 16. He rarely used his super-speed after that.
   Dwayne had a great love of basketball--and a talent for the game. He went to college on an athletic scholarship and was being courted by recruiters for top basketball teams while he was still a sophomore. When he graduated, he stepped onto what looked to the the fast-track to basketball super-stardom.
   Fate had different plans. While walking to the corner store, he saw an elderly woman about to be hit by a bus--and he used his super-speed to rush her to safety. Dwayne had hoped no one would notice his super-rescue, but unfortunately, his action was caught on nearby security cameras and on the cellphones of bystanders. His face was instantly recognized, and when enterprising webizens compared the footage to that of Fasttrack in action, Dwayne's long-held secret was out. Within hours, reporters from every conceivable media outlet were on his doorstep.
   Dwayne explained that he wasn't Fasttrack and didn't want to be Fasttrack; if people couldn't use his name, they could always call him "DMC," he said. But by the end of the day, Dwayne was fired from the basketball team and proceedings were underway to have him blacklisted from professional sports for not revealing his super-abilities. That, in turn, let to online petitions to have him reinstated and to stop bigotry against the supra-abled. To top it off, the Mountie's old enemy Beaver Beater, showed up and challenged Dwayne to a fight--and in the chaos, his housed burned down.
   Jobless, homeless, and the face of a cause he really doesn't want to be the face of, and celebrated as the hero he didn't want to be, one of the fastest men alive found himself with nowhere to run. Reluctantly, he took on the mantle of superhero again. He is currently using DMC as his code-name, but he still holds out hope of returning to his career as a professional basketball player.

Powers
DMC has the ability to move at superhuman speeds.

Enemies and Allies
Beaver Beater has never forgiven DMC for the humiliating defeat he dealt her during his very first appearance as Fasttrack; she remains committed to crushing him to a bloody pulp. The Mountie and Redcard remain ready and willing to help DMC in any way he might need, if he asks. His sister, who entered the costumed hero-business under the name Blaxplosion, also stands ready to help him if needed.

Coming Soon... Film Fun Comics Vol. 2!

Here's the cover for the second Film Fun Comics book... which I finished putting together just now.

The drawing is by Lee Elias, and it originally appeared on the cover of Black Cat #9, back in 1947. The book will feature a little bit of short fiction by yours truly relating the origin of the Black Cat (ala NUELOW Games), and Black Cat comics drawn by Joe Kubert, Lee Elias, Jill Elgin, and Al Gabriele.

If current plans hold, Film Fun Comics Volume 2: The Black Cat vs. HIM will be available  for download from DriveThruComics.com and RPGNow.com next Friday. In the meantime, if you haven't checked out Film Fun Comics Volume 1: Stuntman, why don't you do so? There's a Black Cat story in there to get you warmed up -- click here for more information and to get a copy.

Also available now is His Honor and.... The Demon, which also contains a Black Cat story. Not to mention three tales starring The Demon--who is a judge by day, masked crime-fighter by night--and a ROLF! battle scenario that pits The Demon against The Black Cat. Click here to check it out.

Let us know what you think of these NUELOW Games comics collections/game supplements. We think they're pretty cool, but if no one else likes them, we'll move onto other projects!

NUELOW Heroes and Villains: Black Wing

Black Wing was inspired by the illo below and a basic concept that was released into the public domain by artist Carter-Ethan Rankin (you can see his original idea here). Everything else in this post is presented under the Open Gaming Licence. Copyright 2013 Steve Miller. (Rules for characters with wings and flying can be found in ROLF!: Angels, Demons & Death, and elsewhere).

Black Wing (aka Helena Winger)

Black Wing (Female)

(aka Helena Winger)

Brawn 20, Body 14, Brains 9

   Traits: Mutant (Claws, Fangs, Wings; only present when she is transformed at night or underground), Stone Cold Killer, Super Power (Natural: Super Strength, Flight,. Limitation: Superpower only active at night or underground), Too Sexy for My Shirt, Unstoppable.

   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Battle Rage, Castrate, Dodge, Double Strike, Human Cannonball, Murderous Mitts, Signature Move

   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Natural Weapon (Small Claws, deals 2 points of melee damage) Natural Weapon (Small Fangs, deals 2 points of melee danage that ignore armor).

Origin Story

Helena Hunter was an admirer of Guardian City's shadowy masked crime-fighter and super-detective Black Bat since she was a little girl. As she entered her teens, she dedicated herself to discovering his secret identity, so she could present herself as a worthy sidekick for him.

   Helena was successful; she managed to do what no one has done before, and deduced that Black Bat is actually millionaire Wayne Grayson. To her disappointment, however, Black Bat cooly rejected her offer to become has sidekick, stating that he always works alone and has never wanted to operate a daycare center.

   Devastated, Helena posted about her achievement and rejection to her Facebook page (without mentioning which hero she had tracked down and been rejected by). One of her online Friends, however, was secretly Black Bat's long-time foe Brick Bat, and he read between the lines to grasp her achievement. He reached out to Helena, offering her superpowers in exchange for Black Bat's secret identity. Helena jumped at the chance.

   Brick Bat brought the girl to one of the many mad scientists he works with where she was subjected to a treatment that was to give her powers to rival Black Bat. Helena promised to reveal the hero's name when she had her powers, but once the treatment was over, she betrayed Brick Bat and turned on him and the scientist. The scientist died beneath her newly acquired claws and fangs while Brick Bat barely escaped with his life.

Powers

During the night hours, after the sun has completely set or before it starts to rise, when she is underground or otherwise in a place where not even reflective sun-rays can reach her, Helena transforms into a monstrous bat-woman. with wings and vicious claws and fangs. She loses her normal vision when transformed, but instead moves about as a bat would, using a sonar-like ability to avoid hitting objects as she flies. This ability also lets her hone in on people through the sounds of their hearts beating. When transformed, Helena also has super-strength and the ability to fly.

Enemies and Allies
Helena's only enemy so far is Brick Bat, who wants revenge for her betrayal. Although she is still seething with anger and resentment against Black Bat, she has not turned her powers against him, but is instead still trying to gain his approval and respect. To that end, she has taken to brutally murdering random muggers and criminals--as well as some of Guardian City's top gang-bosses. Btween the mounting sense in the criminal underworld that something will have to be done to stop her, she is soon in for some real trouble. And that's not even taking Black Bat--who frowns on muderers of any sttrip--into account.

NUELOW Heroes and Villains: Captain Bananahammock

Here's another character for use in your ROLF! games. This one might be a useful foil if you want to create further adventures for Jane Bond. Maybe he could be her Honey Ryder? Or perhaps Captain Bananahammock can fall through a temporal/spacial vortex and become a frienemy of Amelia Earheart as she battles evil in the 57th Dimension (that idea was suggested by L.L. Hundal).

Once again, the character concept, name, and displayed artwork were created by Carter-Ethan Rankin and released into the public domain. The section labeled ROLF! Game Stats is presented under the Open Gaming License and is Copyright 2013 by Steve Miller. Everything else in this post is considered product identity, as defined under the Open Gaming License and may not be reproduced without permission from the copyright holders. (But if you ask Steve, he will almost certainly say "yes.")

Captain Bananahammock (aka Eric Ellis)

--
ROLF! GAME STATS
Captain Bananahammock
(aka Eric Ellis)
Brawn 29, Body 19, Brains 7
   Traits: Dumb, Egomaniac, Improv Master, Too Sexy for My Shirt
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Dodge, Driver, Strategic Bleeding, Seduce, The Look, The Walk
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Bright yellow shorts. Captain Bananahammock also owns a helicopter and a speedboat, both of which he has painted bright yellow.

The Banana Boat [Watercraft]
Body: 25; Speed: 16; Maneuverability 8
   Passengers: Driver + 4
Weapons: None, but passengers can shoot out the windows, dealing regular damage with ranged weapons

The Banana Smoothie [Aircraft]
Body: 24; Speed: 13; Maneuverability 5
   Passengers: Driver +3
   Weapons: None, but passengers can shoot out the windows, dealing regular damage with ranged weapons

(Rules for vehicles in ROLF! can be found in Amelia vs. the Queen of the 57th Dimension, but they will also be included in the projected ROLF! superhero game... when we get it done.)
--

Origin Story
Male supermodel Eric Ellis's greatest claim to fame was being the face (and sexy body) of Scorch Sports and Swimwear until the company was revealed to be a front for Pocket Rocket's latest scheme to dominate the world and driven into bankruptcy. The scandal ruined Eric's modeling career, but he didn't mind, because he had more money in the bank than he knew what do with. Further, his encounter with Texas Hellion and Hot Shot as they sent Pocket Rocket to the prison hospital for the umpteenth time got him thinking that he should go into the "mystery man" business. He was perfect for it, he thought--he's got a rockin' bod that he's not afraid to show off, and he's rich. (A couple of all-night private consulting sessions with Hot Shot further convinced him that the Hero Biz is where he would spend his retirement.)

Superpowers
Captain Bananahammock has no powers other than his self-described rockin' bod and tremendous ego. He adventures and fights crime primarily to be seen and admired-- ideally in as few clothes as possible while avoiding arrest for indecent exposure.

Enemies and Allies
No one really views Captain Bananahammock as a threat, although mad scientist Dr. Tooth will shoot him on sight for coming onto his wife, Dr. Floss, when they met in Sydney last year. Captain Banananhammock frequently works with agents of with Agents of P.R.I.G., and he has an on-again, off-again relationship with Hot Shot--basically whenever they're in the same hemisphere.

NUELOW Heroes & Villains: Punk Rock Girl

Here's another ROLF! super-character. Creator Carter-Ethan Rankin states: "She's Hallie Hiromatsu! She's a punk! She's got skin of stone! She considers herself the 4th member of Shonen Knife! She's: PUNK ROCK GIRL!"

Punk Rock Girl (aka Hallie Hiromatsu)

Enjoy!

ROLF! Game Stats
Punk Rock Girl (Female)
aka Hallie Hiromatsu
Brawn 20 (23 when transformed), Body 15, Brains 7
   Traits: Martial Artist, Unstoppable, Super Power (Item-based: Whenever she listens to a song by Shonen Knife, she can gains Super Strength, and cause her skin to turn to stone for up to one hour (all damage suffered is reduced by 3 points). Limitation: When she transforms, her skin turns gray and pitted--like a rock--her hair becomes a short purple mohawk and her left eye becomes a jagged pit. If she hears a Shonen Knife song and does not wish to transform, she must roll a successful Brains ATT check to resist.)
   Combat Maneuvers: Backflip, Dance Move, Double Strike, Disarm, Kung Fu Face, Murderous Mitts
   Important Items Worn/Wielded: Nunchuks (Medium Melee Weapon. Deals 3 points of damage). iPod loaded with all official Shonen Knife albums, as well as several dozen bootleg recordings),

Origin Story
Teenager Hallie Hiromatsu is the youngest daughter of Hiro Hiromatsu, an American of Japanese descent who has returned with his Caucasian wife to Japan to run a language school. In truth, Hiro is the top operative of P.R.I.G. (Pacific Rim Intelligence Group) and his school serves as a front for the secretive, U.N.-sponsored spy ring.
   From literally the day she sat foot in Japan, Hallie has been a huge fan of the all-girl alternative rock band Shonen Knife. Although grounded on the night they were performing near her home, she stuck out to attend the concert with a girl friend. Before going to the concert, the two girls styled Hallie's hair in a purple mohawk, because she wanted to show her father that he may be some sort of super-spy, but he couldn't stop her from doing whatever she wanted to do.
   However, Hallie's movements had been tracked from the moment she snuck out of her house, not by her father but by the sinister North Korean super-agent Spirit of the People and her mad scientist sidekick Dr. Kim Chee ("Kim. It's just Dr. Kim!"). They in turn were being followed by Captain Freedom and his wild-child sidekick Jungle Girl. When Spirit of the People and Dr. Kim struck at the concert with the intent of kidnapping Hallie and her friend, the two heroes were ready to stop them. The Shonen Knife performance continued uninterrupted, as the band and crowd just thought it was an extra special, extra energetic night of moshing and thrashing.
   During the fight, Dr. Kim's latest death-ray gun malfunctioned  and exploded, almost killing him and overloading Shonen Knife's amplifiers and speakers. Hallie, bathed in both the weird radiation of the gun and the sonic waves of a distorted Shonen Knife tune,
underwent a strange transformation--her skin turned rock hard and she gained superpowers. While Captain Freedom evacuated Shonen Knife and the crowd from the collapsing concert venue, Hallie and Jungle Girl chased and defeated Spirit of the People.
   When Hallie reverted to her natural body soon afterwards, it became apparent that she had also been severely injured in the explosion and she almost died. Although Hallie made a full recovery, her left eye could not be saved. After recovering, her father saw that she was put through a crash-course martial arts training program, so she could defend herself and put her superpowers to use in the name of freedom and justice
 whenever she listens to a song by Japanese alternative rock band Shonen Knife.

Superpowers
Dr. Kim Chee's malfunctioning weapon activated dormant mutant traits in Hallie that now is triggered when she hears a song by Shonen Knife. When transformed, her Brawn ATT increases by +3 and all damage received). Hallie's transformation lasts for one hour, and she must get at least 6 hours of sleep between transformations to do them successfully. She can chose to not transform by making a successful Brains ATT check.
   Hallie's left eye is a highly advanced cybernetic prosthetic that allows her to record what she sees and transmit it to P.R.I.G. central command at will. It is non-functioning when she becomes Punk Rock Girl.

Enemies and Allies
Hallie is an Agent of P.R.I.G. and can call upon their resources. She will stop agents of P.O.T.S. whenever she can... and anyone who says a bad word about Shonen Knife had better ready for a beating.

FYI
Punk Rock Girl created by Carter-Ethan Rankin. Bikini Blur, Reiko Nakamura, and the displayed image have all been released into the public domain. Everything else (except for the names Captain Freedom, Dr. Kim Chee, Jungle Girl, and Spirit of the People, which are Product Identity) in this post is presented under the Open Gaming License, and may be reproduced accordingly, and is Copyright Steve Miller 2013. Shonen Knife is also not Open Gaming Content, and is a trademark used without permission. No challenges to ownership intended.

Shonen Knife is actually a real-world Japanese rock band, who were a favorite of Kurt Cobain. Here's are a couple of samples of their music: