Board 8 > Scarlet Ranks 52 Characters from 52 Sessions of the DCRPG Campaign: Part III

(+) Yeah! (+)

Encantadora helped Spirit in a sort of magical operation that resulted in the creation of Kryptonite Woman. While that hasn't gone much further yet, I'm curious where it'll lead.

Enchantress was in round 8 and putting her right next to Encantadora sounds like something you'd do.

Encantadora is also helping us track down another Campaign 1 PC in Obrov. He was with the Doom Patrol when they entered a canvas that could take them to a number of other canvases in the world. She's hanging onto one of them right now.

I need to follow up with Encantadora on Shanner's treatment.

Encantadora is one of those characters who controls every scene she's in, and it's fun to see the PCs embracing playing the fool enchanted by her whims.

TotallyNotMI posted...

I need to follow up with Encantadora on Shanner's treatment.

Wait, you need to do that? I thought I needed to do that.

hombad46 posted...

Wait, you need to do that? I thought I needed to do that.

...we need to do that!

I suppose it is better for the doctor to do so. But I feel connected since she conned me out of my Kryptonite haha

TotallyNotMI posted...

...we need to do that!

I suppose it is better for the doctor to do so. But I feel connected since she conned me out of my Kryptonite haha

Details please?

Just how much kryptonite is floating around in the wild, and why did Brennus have some?

WarThaNemesis2 posted...

So really, while they were 'together' for about a year during No Man's Land, they've only truly become a thing very recently.

Good for Roz'etta. In this campaign about the fate of the universe and beyond, the relationship updates remain some of my favorites from these topics.

Maniac64 posted...

Details please?

In Leesburg, there was a false Bruce Wayne who had the citizens of the city hunting for a cache of Kryptonite hidden somewhere. Encantadora was brought with us to detect where the kryptonite was in exchange for some portion of the total.

William Shanner, a scientist who is sick due to exposure to... nukes? I don't recall offhand why he's sick, was also brought to Leesburg to fix robot versions of superheros we found in Leesburg.

Shanner approached Brennus one session, thanking him profusely. Brennus said you're welcome even though he had no idea what he was being thanked for. Shanner explained that Encantadora told him that Brennus selflessly agreed to give her his portion of the Kryptonite so that Encantadora could use it to heal Shanner. Brennus didn't have the heart to tell Shanner this never happened, so Encantadora got Brennus' portion of the Kryptonite

Shanner I believe is responsible for Bludhaven being radioactive

Shanner had nothing to do with Chemo being dropped on Bludhaven.

Fixed Shanner's name. I don't know where William came from in my head

#68 - Nocturna
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/1/1/AAOJ0pAADa_z.jpg
Sort of like Grace Kelly with a meanstreak and shadow powers.

Nocturna is a survivor. Originally a street orphan with only her brother to rely upon, Nocturnas abilities came from an astronomical experiment gone awry. What should have killed her instead gave her powerful shadow abilities, and Nocturna was born into a life of crime. Nocturna was recruited into the Society, where she gained and lost everything with the rise and fall of Simon Culp. Betrayed by Shadow-Thief, she worked her way to her brother in Platinum Flats, only to discover that the Checkmate agents who had destroyed her life had followed her. She attempted to confront them, only to realize that they were working with Amanda Waller. Ultimately, Nocturna has thrown in with Checkmate, becoming the founding member of a new Suicide Squad operating out of Zonn Zorr.

Recently, the Squad has finally been unleashed in the field, and Nocturna clearly has command of its largely psychotic line-up, from Kid Karnevil to the Body Doubles to Harley Quinn. What I love most about Nocturna is her presence. She spends 90% of her time gripped by the vice of vanity, surveying every blemish she possesses, enjoying long hours filled with accessorizing for the fun of it, but the moment anyone questions her capacity to lead, she's on them like white on rice. That's Nocturna in a nutshell - she can turn it on and turn on you with the slightest provocation. Pepper has spent a great deal of time getting to know the entire Squad, and I think Vis would agree that Nocturna is quite mercurial, prone to anger, and oftentimes obsessed with getting back respect she does not dole out herself.

She's a villain. Through and through. But villainy manifests, of course, in many ways. If Nocturna's primary Deadly Sin of Man is Pride, that's not the worst that Checkmate could be forced to endure, I imagine. In the meantime, Nocturna summons up the image of a 50s and 60s movie star - confident, filled with a real presence, impossibly beautiful. She can manage great things with little maneuvers. Of course, her heights come with the perils of scaling them, and the downfall of the PCs when it comes to Nocturna is knowing she doesn't want to be handled. She can't be handled, in fact. She's Nocturna. You adjust for her.

We're back to honorable mentions. Surprised Vis didn't draft this one!

Nocturna's refusal to give an inch, ever, no matter what, at least until she gets so frustrated that she has to, is a big part of her appeal.

As for this honorable mention...Hralkaar?

Meeting Nocturna in Platinum Flats walked the line between fun and tense. She is pretty open about how she'd rather you just die than inconvenience her.

A pick that Vis didn't make? Sarah?

Woo points.

hombad46 posted...

Encantadora helped Spirit in a sort of magical operation that resulted in the creation of Kryptonite Woman. While that hasn't gone much further yet, I'm curious where it'll lead.

What do you mean? She's been training and even has a new name already

Has she? Well I guess the name change is why I haven't noticed.

Blackbat?

hombad46 posted...

Has she? Well I guess the name change is why I haven't noticed.

Kay!

Brennus and Saoirse did a little bit of chatting with her. She ended up coming to our Eighth Ager training.

ScareChan posted...

Meeting Nocturna in Platinum Flats walked the line between fun and tense. She is pretty open about how she'd rather you just die than inconvenience her.

Listening to that visit to Platinum Flats trip after the recent visit to Gateway City sounded like walking the line between fun and tense too. Nocturna is certainly something.

As for this vis not drafting thing, it actually made me think of Kid Karnevil.

Honorable Mention: Nite-Wing
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/6/5/AAAe4tAADqGR.jpg
The kid who would be #120.

Since the day his sister was mishandled by the police of Gotham City, Nite-Wing has been on a road to anarchy, a proponent of the eradication of the corrupt institutions which prey upon the less fortunate. Perhaps this is why he so quickly joined with Lex Luthors Society, believing that heroes should be held accountable for their actions. Nite-Wing has impressed his Society colleagues so much that he was handed the keys to Hub City, and he was able to hold onto them thanks to the Ghost of Denver and his partners. Now, Nite-Wing has begun once more to distrust the authority-that-be, the Society, and he has turned to his new allies for their help - to find his real sister.

I had a clear vision for Nite-Wing in this campaign, and I do feel that, despite his limited screen time, the concise, brief scenes with Nite-Wing have really nailed a specific kind of character in a specific situation. A perennial rebel, Nite-Wing naturally turns on the authority of the Society because that is the nature of the Society and the nature of Nite-Wing. There is always something to be up in arms about. There is always a better world out there. In No Man's Land, Nite-Wing stood against society, in the form of law and order. In this campaign, there might be something to be said for that archaic model in a world where the inmates have taken over the asylum. Conscientious to the end, Nite-Wing stands by principle even when the world is crumbling around him.

In fact, I would say Nite-Wing is one of those characters best exemplified by the thematic music chosen for his sessions - Angry Young Man. William Joel has had a couple of major tracks in this campaign so far, but his music does well to paint yet another picture, this time of Nite-Wing. I think the lyrics have already spoken for themselves. Through and through, from start to finish, there's really not a single line that doesn't apply on some level to Nite-Wing. His fervent independence has always been something of a double-edged sword. While Nite-Wing is anti-establishment, he is aggressively and ferociously so. This served him well in a world with no law, but less so in a world that began to find new order as territories congealed into larger and larger bodies during No Man's Land. Nite-Wing simply cannot relate to alternative points of view; the character is incapable of transformation because he's been burned by every form of authority imaginable. There is no seat of wisdom that Nite-Wing can trust now. Of course, we return to the character years later, and Lex Luthor has found a way to channel that anger. Instead of attempting to diminish Nite-Wing's passion for anarchy, he has instead encouraged it, set it further ablaze, and given him the opportunity to tear down the institutions of power. Nite-Wing is anti-superhero, anti-cop, and ultimately anti-organization, so the role he plays in the Society was always doomed to be a temporary one. Nite-Wing questions too much too often, and without a charismatic and manipulative leader like Lex wooing him at all times, it really was only a matter of time before Nite-Wing once again began to question leaders once more. For me, Nite-Wing is a much more interesting part of the Final Crisis equation than the No Man's Land equation because smaller pieces can do bigger things in this sandbox. I look forward to seeing how the relationship blossoms with the PCs moving forward.

The next honorable mention was one MI should have picked!

If it was an honorable mention, I shouldn't've!

Nite-Wing has never met Brennus or Varra. I think that's kind of remarkable that I have (unwittingly) completely avoided him.

Part of me hopes Nite-Wing becomes one of our Society friends that we help expand. I had a plan that would see him root out some of the Court of Owls, but we will have to see

Spirit used to be friends with Nite-Wing, but they have yet to meet each other in campaign 2.

It is surprising that Nite-Wing gained the leadership position he did. I mean, he's just an angry young man. He probably was just very vocal and onboard with the Society and stuff and that made him be heard.

But in this reality, he is always looking for how things can be better... and the current state of the world is not it.

He's the kind of guy I think Saoirse respects in the moment, but in a normal version of the world, he'd have to be smart about what he was standing up to to keep that respect.

London-era Saoirse though probably would have been all for him.

Nite-Wing is one of those Society members who bought into the idea of the Society, but didn't reach the logical endpoint until he saw it for himself.

It's absolutely what he would have done based on No Man's Land. He just can never stop being Nite-Wing.

Nite Wing absolutely would've made top 100 campaign 1

probably top 50

maybe top 20

I was so excited to explore Nite-Wing as Huntress' Robin. I hope we can work him hooked up with these other Robins.

Honorable Mention: Bluebird
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/4/9/AAcguBAADmzF.png
The girl who would be #119.

A college student from Chicago, Harper Row was an obsessed fan of the Blue Beetle, going so far as to spend all of her free time attempting to learn his secret identity. Eventually, through sheer determination and brainpower, Row discovered Ted Kord was the Blue Beetle - but unfortunately for her, never worked up the gumption to introduce herself to him until the world began to spiral and descend into chaos. Now, Row, a skilled inventor, protects her brother and other unequated in Highland Park from the Court of Owls and other threats outside of the walls of Chicago. Recently, she assisted Checkmate agents in navigating through the fortress of walls of Chicago into the city itself.

Bluebird presents me an opportunity to discuss something that, really, no one here cares about, and that is the transition of characters from post-continuity, ie: the Ne52, into the post-Crisis universe instead. Our campaign is anchored in the year 2008, so no comic events that happen after Final Crisis have occurred yet, and no characters that debut after 2011 - when DC in its infinite (crisis) wisdom decided to reboot their entire line in a somewhat vain attempt to bring accessibility to new readers. Now in 2023, that attempt has been largely obliterated, and continuity is a mismash of everything a hodgepodge melting pot where "if it happened, it happened". But for my purposes as a DM, I'm hewing close to the state of affairs as they were in 2008, when Writers like Grant Johns were around, putting out their best work.

Bluebird's first appearance comes in 2011, right at the beginning of the New52 initiative, and as such, I've had to retool her very existence from the ground up. Staring down the barrel of far too many Bat-imposters in Gotham, I chose to make a risky decision and extract Bluebird (and her brother Cullen) entirely from continuity as they stood and replace them in Chicago. Suddenly, the 'blue' name meant something for Bluebird - she's a fangirl of the missing Blue Beetle Ted Kord. So much so that she may have reached stalkerish levels of obsessive tendencies. This allows a few things - firstly, it has expanded the mythology of the Chicago area, Ted Kord's hometown, and swelled the ranks of those who live in the city. For me, quantity does not often equal quality, but in terms of building a living and breathing city, you need independent, disparate individuals chipping away at their own personal goals, often cross-purposes with one another. Few locations in the campaign are one-sided; to building conflict, you need two to tango.

But also, Bluebird feels like a natural fit in the Beetleverse rather than the Batverse. With the supposition that a New Earth Bluebird is different from a Prime Earth Bluebird, I really thought the character gained a breath of fresh air, a reestablished purpose as a tech junkie forced to lug around her sarcastic brother at every turn. She's an amateur hero, and maybe the water is beginning to crown her crown and come in just over her head in a post-Apokoliptic world, but by relying on the actions of her idol, Bluebird is thriving. Letting that idol and distant mentor be someone other than Batman also allows for heroes besides the Dark Knight to develop a significant legacy, unseen hands where culture and society develops around the impact of these gods and heroes, men and women who serve as the modern legends they are.

Anyways, I won't bore you with this nonsense any further. Onto the next HM!

Our next Honorable Mention was undrafted as well. Good work, team!

I'm so hyped to have Saoirse meet Bluebird. I feel like they'll be kindred spirits.

Bluebird was really cool, and I think if we would have gone to Highland Park wayyyy sooner (80 weeks ago), Bluebird could be playing a part in the core ZZ community. As it stands, she's on a couple of timers, but we'll hit them as long as we keep returning to Gateway.

Very invested in what happens with Blue Bird. As a character she's a lot of fun and I do feel like she fits very well with where she is and the persona she has been given. As a player she fits in with this pool of younger heroes that I want to attach Lush to and find out if they fall ally or enemy as things go further down the road.

I love Bluebird (and Cullen) so much. I've played with the idea if using my solo one shot to go hang out with them and get into some mischief in Highland Park.

You just want to eat pizza with Cullen.

I'm guessing Cullen is the next HM too

I wonder if one of these is Jim Rook

Honorable Mention: Pirate
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/8/2/AAOJ0pAADaVK.jpg
Are. We3. Good?

Yes. I suppose I haven't made it any secret that We3 was one of my personal favorite comic mini-series, scribed by Bloodfruit's good friend Grant Morrison. The inherent sweetness of all three characters, these Lost Boys-akin children-turned-WMDs really tugs at my heartstrings, and has actually been one of the few comics that made me cry. The most interesting aspect of We3 has been integrating them into the larger DCU narrative. Originally, the story was told in its own isolated universe as part of the much-missed Vertigo imprint. Of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to introduce this trio of beloved pets to the campaign, and I think Pirate's debut in the smaller-stakes locale of West Virginia made for a perfect showcase of We3. I'm fascinated by how their minds work - somewhere between animal and human lie We3, a group in perpetual state of discovery, but suffering constantly from the burden of having been manipulated, altered and put through unending, lingering pain. Yet, still, somehow, they are loyal and honest creatures that do not begrudge anyone around them for their lots in life. No - instead, they've found a family and become inextricably tethered to them. The upshot is one of the few bright moments of optimism in an otherwise bleak campaign.

The story of Pirate - and by extension, the story of We3 - is one of pain and endurance, and innocence triumphing over the will of man. Pirate is, in some ways, the perfect antidote to the idea of Anti-Life. Having survived experiments that left him far more machine than animal, it is that animal heart that still beats strongly within a husk of metal. It is that animal heart which endears him in the people around him. And, truth be told, it is that animal heart that finds companionship in the animal heart beating within Cheetah. Pirate, I think, also serves as a great foil to several party members. When you think about it, Data 7's origin is a lot like Pirate's - I think, as we explore things, the branching paths of both of those characters really helps define them, when put next to one another. Furthermore, someone like Saoirse, with a passion in biology, plays well off the unique nature of Pirate. I'd like to see more characters interact with him, certainly, because there is this weakness in every party member worth exploiting, and that's compassion. I think Pirate plays into that compassion because he is sweet and innocent and undeserving of what happened to him - and none of that matters one iota to the Wall, who sees Pirate as an asset in the war against Darkseid. As Waller remains unflinchingly focused on protecting the world, characters like Pirate could easily become the casualties in the war, and that is certainly the weakness in Waller, exploited perfectly by a sweet, innocent little rabbit.

Now that the core of We3 has reunited, I think there are few spots in the campaign as bright and wholesome as this found family unit reuniting at the heart of the last scrap of forest unvarnished by the Eclipsed, Equated, OMAC or the Society. Pirate. Loves! Family.

A mention I thought for sure would be drafted but wasn't - and ended up in the Honorable Mention category - falls next.

to eat

Pirate. Is. Good?

Glad that we were able to briefly get We3's savior, it's been nice.

Man a mention that no one took that you thought they would... Booster Gold?

this is Jim Rook

I'll guess the only mention-only character I even briefly considered drafting: Deathstroke

What a cool writeup for Bluebird. Having only known Harper from her small role in Young Justice, her entire story being transposed and changed in the campaign was new to me. And it was very well done from all I've read. I really like Bluebird.

Bluebird being this total Ted Kord Superfan and Jaime just being at the wrong/riight place at the wrong/right time makes them feel very opposite but they end up in this same pool next to each other. It's really interesting and I can't wait for them to meet up.

Honorable Mention: Maxwell Lord
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/0/5/AAUHRBAAEaOl.png
The corpse that would be #117.

For many people, Maxwell Lord was a used car salesman, a huckster looking to create brand awareness and build a corporate empire while also doing a little bit of good in the world. From the JLI to the Superbuddies, Maxwell Lord was a force for change in the superhero community. From the beginning, Maxwell Lord was enamored with the rise of superheroes, and for nearly a decade, he was an outsider looking in, desperate to get his hands on what he saw was the future of humanity. Max began to make connections with the United Nations as his business dealings yielded millions of dollars in profits annually. As he began to spearhead non-profits, Max was contacted by the UN Secretary General with an offer - as the Justice League closed its doors following the deaths of Steel and Vibe, there was a vacuum of power, one that the UN hoped to fill with a more globally-focused initiative. Max leapt at the chance, and serving as the new financier, Lord founded the Justice League International, the most worldly-comprehensive variation of the League, with embassies around the world. It would eventually expand to its largest size, with multiple branches before Maxs funding dried up, forcing him to turn over the reins of power to Superman and the new JLA. Without the Justice League, Max began to work hard to form a new team with old reliables, and those the Superbuddies were born - his next project that began to gain steam, up until his death. At the same time, however, Max had risen to the rank of Black King in Checkmate, a role that he apparently had hidden from his closest friends.

But his greatest influence ended up being his death. Murdered for undisclosed reasons by Wonder Woman on a globally-broadcasted feed, Maxwell Lord unintentionally began the destruction of her career and legacy, all with the half-second snap of his neck. The nature of the whys and wherefores have become the focus of a team of Checkmate agents, as Wonder Womans killing of Max has become a matter of serious contention. With the body of Max reclaimed from the Stagg Industries mortuary, Kim Rebecki used her abilities to enter his mind. Amplified by Mento, Maxs last thoughts revealed that his mind had been tampered with, much like a mindwipe, but more forcefully so, meaning that Max is a pawn, just as much as though who worked for him in Checkmate. These thoughts included Egyptian words in an ancient dialogue and the mention of Talirah Isiset, a longtime ally to some of the Checkmate agents and a member of the Superbuddies.

The death - the murder - of Maxwell Lord is yet another enduring component of the greater mystery surrounding Checkmate. How did such a slimy used car salesman rise to this position of power? Why did he lose it in such a precipitous fall? And what other secrets lie in the shadowy corridors of a mysterious castle where dark things dwell? All of these questions to be answered in due time, perhaps. For now, we lift our glasses to the smarmy, arrogant supercapitalist bastard and remember him for what he was.

We're back to numbered rankings as we lose a Round 4 draftee.

There's such a covered truth about Max, but seemingly also a tragedy where Wonder Woman killed him, and it maybe wasn't even his fault.

Guessing Shiny and Happy

slowly following the mystery of max lord has been a treat

Max was on my list of mentions to draft, but I feel like we've been moving away from him little by little- at least for the time being.

I do enjoy the mystery behind him and what it is that caused Wonder Woman to take him out. I had him on my top deaths for the campaign and it's one that happened before it our campaign started

Round 4 guess is going to be Fiddler

I can see Fiddler dropping here yeah

Fiddler drop also makes sense.

Ugh, there's still so much to find out about Max. We're diving in, but this new Black King that replaced him is so interesting with all of his connections to England, Jimmy, and Sasha that it's hard not to focus down that storyline.

#67 - Fiddler
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/3/2/AAcguBAADoHM.jpg
And we come to the one and only time I actually cried a bit during this campaign so far.

In his early years, Isaac Bowin was a petty thief working the streets of India. While Bowin was attempting to rob a local merchant, local authorities found and apprehended him, whereupon he was taken to prison. During his incarceration, Bowin met an old Hindu fakir who used the power of music to hypnotize and control the actions of a deadly cobra. Bowin pressured the fakir into teaching him the mystical powers of the East, and the Hindu finally relented. Bowin proved an apt student, and before long, his knowledge surpassed that of his teacher. Using random materials found in his cell, Isaac fashioned a crude fiddle and used his new knowledge to escape from prison. He no longer required the services of the old fakir, so he used the power of his fiddle to murder him. Afterwards, he tracked down the merchant he attempted to rob earlier and executed him as well. Calling himself the Fiddler, Bowin returned to the United States to begin a new life of crime.

For years, Bowin would menace generations of the Flash, always in an effort to prove his competency and earn a distinctive reputation among his peers, villain and musician alike. However, in the end, the Fiddler would find himself disrespected by the Society, never offered membership among its numbers - some would claim this was due to Bowins extensive age and the thought that he was all but washed-up at this advanced point in his life. Thus, he joined the Secret Six, battling against the Society for just a shred of dignity. He would earn it, ultimately, but from the most unlikely of sources - Checkmate agents, for whom he would buy precious moments in an escape from the House of Secrets when Cheshire betrayed the Six to attack. The Fiddler died, his swan song a heroic one.

God, I don't know how it got to me so quickly - I knew it was a potential inevitability, of course, and yet I was unprepared to let go of the Fiddler in the House of Secrets. The music, of course, played a significant part of that moment. Perfectly aligned with the scene from start to finish, the Fiddler's swan song was a sacrifice that really moved me. In its way, it was indicative of how unflinchingly unsentimental the Society operated. Cheshire broke the souls of the Secret Six in her betrayal, but instead of allowing that to wipe out his allies of convenience, the Fiddler, who had espoused prior to that point a desire for legacy and remembrance, finds just that. Again, in the effort to buy precious seconds, the Fiddler is added to that mental monument of giants, unforgettable giants who gave it all. And, sadly, he will never see if his effort bore fruit. I'd like to think that the Thinker will have a real legacy in this campaign, but it's too easy to forget absent friends, and that sort of bittersweet realism only adds to the pain of what ended up being a personal favorite scene for me in its quiet suffering.

One of you drafted #66, but not who I expected...