Pillar (PL 8 M&M Game)

Name: Pillar

Real Name: Roger Goren

Concept: Powerhouse / Martial Artist

Origin: Endowed / Trained

Background

Roger Goren is a skilled martial artist with superhuman strength. When he was an undergraduate working on his degree in urban planning and criminology, Roger was severely beaten at a homeless shelter where he was volunteering. He awoke under the care of Andy Yuss, one of the homeless people at the shelter. Andy was also secretly part of the alien race known as the Harad, exiled to Earth centuries ago for stealing technology. Andy agreed to train Roger and use his alien science to empower him to do good and promote justice. However, while Roger thought this meant fighting crime, Andy somehow alerted the UN to Roger’s existence. After a frustrating conversation, Roger agreed to work for the United Nations’ Rapid Response Team. He is now known as Pillar.

Abilities

Superhuman Capabilities

Pillar was given treatments by Andy that took the form of drinking several solutions over five months, that made Pillar's physiology capable of drawing strength from gravitational fields. Consequently, Pillar has superhuman strength and durability. Additionally, Pillar has developed under Andy's tutelage several manipulations of gravitational fields for effect. He can, for example, temporarily decrease his or someone else's weight, allowing them to leap long distances. He has the ability to increase the gravitational pull on people and objects, often slowing them as a result. And finally, He is capable of sending out a highly destructive gravitational shockwave through solid objects, just as the ground.

Researchers are confident that Pillar will lose his superhuman abilities if we is in the weightlessness of space, outside the gravitational reach of a planet. It is unclear how his physiology would react to a artificial gravity, such as those found on alien spacecraft. Some scientists are also curious what would happen if he found himself in a substantially higher gravitational field, such as the one around Jupiter. Any answers to these questions are highly speculative at this juncture.

Trained Skills

Pillar is trained in a fighting style that Andy calls "Vazkrat" or "Groundlock". It primarily focuses on a strategy of grappling an enemy in a way that either leads to a various incapacitating holds, or putting the opponent in a position to be struck while prone or grappled. This combined with his powers (see below) make him a formidable opponent in hand to hand combat.

Additionally, Pillar is college educated in urban planning and criminology. Response Team strategists hope this set of skills will be useful for managing cities and populations before and after superhuman or alien events.

Addendum: Andrew Yuss

aka Coach Andy, The Trainer, Antaeus (possible joke on the subject's part)

Andrew Yuss is an alien ally of Pillar. He is a Haradian exile, and he is considered dangerous and unreliable.

Subject's Account

The following is Yuss' account of his life. It is to be read with suspicion.

Yuss was one of the many Haradian military scientists charged with salvaging and reverse engineering alien technology for use in the Eternal Conquest. Yuss' specialty was something akin to vitalism: the study of how the lifeforce of organisms interacts with other natural forces of the universe. In Terran terms, he knows a great deal about organic chemistry combined astrophysics. Yuss' position in the military came to an end, however, when a military officer attempted to cheat Yuss and the Reclamation Corps out of the spoils of a conquest. The details at this point in Yuss' account become variable, but it appears he was imprisoned before escaping in a small spacecraft loaded with vitalistic technologies.

Leaving Haradian space, Yuss came to the backwater system Sol. Yuss attempted to blend in with the indigenous people of Earth with mixed results. He found it easiest to take the role of a homeless man as he studied the society around him. He was confused and amazed how how martial glory was not the defining virtue of contemporary western society.

After a few years on Earth, the Battle of Neptune occurred, and Yuss was one of the few people who knew what this meant. He decided he could help best by using his Haradian and xenotechnology to "build" a superhero to help with the war effort. He thought Goren was of the right temperament, and Yuss saw an opportunity to enlist him to the cause when Goren was injured defending some other homeless.

Yuss claims his only motivation was to help with the war effort, as he does not believe Earth deserves what the Harad will do to it.

T.A.O. Analysis

The following is is the verifiable information we have collected on Andrew Yuss, combined with speculation by The Threat Assessment Office.

Yuss is a Harad, though his physiology appears to have been altered by alien science. He can appear human at will by changing his body's outward appearance. The Threat Assessment Office suspects he also has the ability to take multiple human shapes as various disguises, this has not been confirmed but it is compatible with his ability hide from detection. Second, Finally, Yuss appears to be an elderly man, his physical abilities appear to be at least equivalent to a healthy mature human. T.A.O. has not been able to fully quantify them, and some worry he is hiding his true limits. His major physical limitation is a slight limp that appears genuine. He has demonstrated a working knowledge of the same fighting style as Goren.

Mentally, Yuss is highly intelligent, perceptive, and erratic. He becomes distracted easily in the moment, though he has demonstrated the ability to develop highly intricate plans. He is arrogant and highly extroverted. Many find him charming despite these characteristics. His knowledge of biochemistry is beyond human science.

Finally, Yuss appears to have hidden small caches of Haradian tech around the city. He does not have a fixed residence, and he has many contacts among the homeless and underclass of the city he lives in.

Stats

Motivation: Do Good (protect the weak)

Complication: Relationship (Coach Andy)

Complication: Gravity-Dependent Powers

Power Level: 8

Point Total: 135

ABILITIES

Cost: 42

• STR 8 (Unenhanced 3)
• STA 8
• AGL 3
• DEX 4
• FGT 7
• INT 2
• AWE 2
• PRE 0

POWERS

Cost: 54

• Gravitic Strength (Cost: 11)
  • Enhanced Strength
    • Permanent
    • +1 lifting strength

• Gravitic Durability (Cost: 31)
  • Enhanced Stamina 8
    • Impervious
    • Permanent
  • Protection 1
    • Impervious
  • Immunity: High Pressure

• Gravity Control Cost: 12
  • Gravity Wave – Damage 10
    • Linked to other gravity Control
    • Area: Line (6’ X 30’)
    • Limited: Both Pillar and targets must be on ground
  • Gravity Drag – Affliction 10
    • Alternate Effect
    • Linked to other gravity Control
    • First Degree: Hindered & Impaired (-1 speed, -2 on checks)
    • 30’ Cylinder
    • No Second or Third Degree
  • Leaping 5 - 900 feet
    • Alternate Effect
    • Linked to other gravity Control
    • Affects Others

ADVANTAGES

Cost: 12

• Assessment
• Close Attack
• Equipment: Smartphone (camera, computer, comlink, phone, video)
• Fast Grab
• Improved Grab
• Improved Hold
• Improved Initiative
• Improved Trip
• Instant Up
• Prone Fighting
• Startle
• Takedown

SKILLS

Cost:17

• Acrobatics: 1 / +5
• Athletics: 2/ +10
• Close Combat (Unarmed): 0/ +8
• Expertise (Urban Studies): 6/ +8
• Insight: 7/ +9
• Intimidation: 8/ +10
• Perception: 7/ +7
• Ranged Combat: Throwing 1/ +5
• Tech 2/ +4

OFFENSE

• Initiative +7
• Unarmed +8
• Unarmed damage:8

DEFENSE

Cost: 10

• Dodge: 4/ +7
• Parry: 0/ +7
• Will: 4/ +6
• Fortitude: 2/ +10
• Toughness: 0/ +9

Abilities (42) + Powers (54) + Advantages (12) + Skills (17) + Defenses (10) = 135