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

(+) Yeah! (+)

Maniac64 posted...

This brings up a question I have. What is Canary? It sounds like she isn't a metahuman or an alien or fae. Is she a bio engineered lifeform? A machine?

She is a body pillow.

Maniac64 posted...

This brings up a question I have. What is Canary? It sounds like she isn't a metahuman or an alien or fae. Is she a bio engineered lifeform? A machine?

As far as I know, a bio-engineered lifeform. I always kinda pictured it like the powerpuff girls

#37 - V
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/8/7/AAOJ0pAADaen.jpg
Verily, victory via vigilantism brings vaunted valor to the villagers of London, those voicing vexation in the villainy of the Prime Minister and his vainglorious vagabonds. Yet, the vox populi is vindicated in the veracity of V's vaccaination from vacuousness, vacilating between a venerated vantage of valediction and versatility in verbiage, a verifiable visionary in vivid violence.

V seemed to be quite beloved as a protagonist of sorts in the fascist state of England, and I think going forward, he will remain front and center in the greater injustices of the world under Darkseid. But for now, V enjoys his theatrics, his dramatics, his ability to engender a certain amount of anger within those with any virtue in their hearts. After all, the man that strikes a match is equally important as the one who uses it to light the flame, and the fires of revolution must be stoked by the party if there is any hope in overthrowing the man who turned the end of the world into an opportunity to take over his control. Fortunately, they have a friend in V, and a that alone turns the dark, dreary complacency of the people of London into a droll and perhaps even mirthful opportunity to introduce a little anarchy into the world. Anarchy - the very epitome of everything Darkseid seeks to destroy.

The opportunity to explore the fascistic tendencies of a 1984 London has proven an excellent bookend to the Story Line - though we haven't had opportunity quite yet to touch on exactly why. Still, the hidden history of Britain goes hand-in-hand with its present day, a warning that was born as a part of a wave of British works during the early Thatcher years, about life in dystopian and authoritarian societies. Its distinctive visuals, themes and complex narration made it a classic, both in film and in comics, and the mask of Guy Fawkes, of course, inspired the early days of anonymous by encouraging anarchical expression. V himself talks always in quotes, parables, references and metaphors - and his mask makes him inscrutable. In that, he is the very definition of Theatrum Mundi - often delivering his lines loudly, dramatically and always from the classics. Yet, he's certainly not a good guy; there is a ruthlessness to V's motivations. He never hesitates to trigger chaos, and his fanaticism in the name of true liberty leaves him viewed as much an evil terrorist as a genius-level freedom fighter.

Yet, there's a clockwork precision to his intricate planning. Such formidable mental resources in the face of a stacked deck leaves him the sort of underdog one can root for - especially against this Thatcherized 1984 Tory London in which he is so deeply rooted. He doesn't fight the Nazis, but there are parallels to V and someone like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who plays a role elsewhere in this campaign. But it is V who ultimately rises to the occasion, his smirking visage the antidote to the common totalitarian - a totalitarian whose vision for an empire has already begun to show its cracks. And that fragmentation is ripe for an explosion that will break the seal of the UK's civilization and allow an even greater tyrant to pour through the defenses, putting a stake into the heart of the most storied civilization on Earth when all is said and done.

#36 is our first round one drop!

V!

V is just so charming and it's hard not to want to work with him.

Guessing Freddy.

A-Ha! I should have figured this would be V, a character who really has captured everyone's hearts a little with his manner of speaking and way of pushing for action.

As for this...I'll go with Freddy too.

Prince Henry > V

Going to guess Black Alice

Was V really not drafted? That seems like a big oversight

Also I'm gonna guess Zoe here?

Johnbobb posted...

Also I'm gonna guess Zoe here?

I don't see her dropping before her father.

Johnbobb posted...

Was V really not drafted? That seems like a big oversight

Also I'm gonna guess Zoe here?

If I had 100 picks I'd have definitely taken him, I just thought my picks would be above him!

#36 - Freddy Freeman
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/4/9/AAOJ0pAADYRZ.jpg
A few letters short of a magic word.

Freddy Freeman, along with Mary and Billy Batson, made up the team of youthful superheroes called the Marvel Family. Together, they spent years defending Fawcett City from the perils of Doctor Sivana, Black Adam, and others. Left powerless after the Rock of Eternity exploded, Freddy was essentially held captive by his Equated step-parents until Checkmate intervened, rescuing him. On their way, Freddy discovered a tiny fraction of his magic still remained, and he hunted down Billy - now the new wizard Shazam - in Salt Lake City for answers. Freddy instead received a quest to regain his powers by uttering the name Captain Marvel, and has begun to travel the world, receiving boons from Chiron, Ale, Nanaue, Vyndktvx and Marvel himself along the way. Time is running out, however - a mysterious rival, Sabine de la Croix, has begun to amass similar blessings to become the next Captain Marvel. Freddys next target appears to be the desert nation of Egypt, near the pyramids of Giza.

Freddy commands a solo storyline for himself, and I think he will continue to rise as time goes on. Right now, he doesn't have a particularly large amount of starring screentime that I think really illuminates us on who Freddy is and what makes him tick. There is a lot of complexity to Freddy, at least for a character that I DM. He's leaving his youth and entering adulthood, but at the same time I think Freddy, as a superhero, has never endured the hardships of Billy Batson. He hasn't been galvanized by prophecy and forged in battle. Freddy needs a rite of passage because he was in danger of becoming unremarkable, living in a world where everyone forgot his name.

Sadly, Freddy goes through long bouts of background status, oftentimes disappearing for months in real-time. Fortunately, the current story arc with Herr Starr seems to be propelling Freddy back into prominence - the only question remains this: just how much of a corruptive influence is the Grail on the next Captain Marvel?

#35 comes from Round 3!

I would have thought the 30s was very low for Freddy!

Maybe this is Eve...

Roz'etta talked to Freddy early in the campaign about the gods, and he was so desperate to get ahead, to be done with his trials as soon as possible that they talked about the possibility of jumping in order, and he even asked her about Martian gods, specifically Lord L'Zoril, the god of dreams.

It wasn't a huge moment for either character, but it was one of the times Roz'etta was able to settle into a role of elder to the younger heroes, and those are special times.

And of course, he's now suffering from Herr Starr, whose most hated enemy is one of Roz'etta's best friends, Jesse Custer, so that's fun..

I feel Eve is coming soon.

Freddy is great because he's Captain Marvel Jr. He has been the whole time - and yet, he's going to be Captain Marvel, and still isn't there yet. He's always tortured by trying to get better to achieve enough, and yet we rely on his wisdom and experience more than most.

Elvis would be very happy.

Surprised to see Freddy so low.

But excited to learn who his next God is.

Maniac64 posted...

Surprised to see Freddy so low.

But excited to learn who his next God is.

One team is about to enter the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, so the next god may be determined very soon!

WarThaNemesis2 posted...

One team is about to enter the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, so the next god may be determined very soon!

Or get devoured by beetles

HanOfTheNekos posted...

Or get devoured by beetles

i don't think the god will be devoured by beetles

#35 - Eve Manners
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/0/5/AAUHRBAAETOJ.png

Once again, I very recently did a write-up for Eve, so I'll cheat and re-post it here for the time being!

The entire campaign may just hinge on one single session, one single story as told by one single woman. Eve Manners, who gave the last bits of her life to tell the party the story of Area 50. I... don't know if I can do Eve justice in a write-up. I've been turning over in my head how to tell her story. She meant such a great deal to me, so much more than I could explain in simple words. Here was a woman whose only crime was to love the wrong person in the eyes of a fearful, culturally stunted society. She was captured, dragged away by anti-communist goons and forced into a firing line. Eve Manners was killed - and that was where the torture truly began. Brought back to life just to see if it was possible, Eve would spend the next chapter of her existence in a 58 year-long half-life.

After the party cracked open Area 51, there came a message through back channels, Morse code, that lured them back to the scene of science's greatest crime. There, they learned of Eve Manners' tragic life. Of a woman whose comfort she relied upon for strength - a woman who was then killed, her brain scooped out of her skull and strung up inside of a house that began to lumber into animation thanks to her sentience. A house that so desperately wished to remember her past life, the happy memories, the music - yet because of prodding, trauma inflicted by Dowling's men, she could not sing.

Eve spoke of Randall Dowling, a man from another Earth, who began to incubate the first stirrings of a disease called Morticoccus, which functioned much like the Anti-Life Equation. This Randall Dowling, under orders from Tex Thompson, seemed to lay the groundwork for so many projects that have since found their way to Darkseid's hands. Randall Dowling - who also is from Jenny Sparks' world.

Eve spoke of the first Hunger Dogs. Of a Robotman who silently watched over these projects before their end - a Robotman which now lays in pieces within Z'onn Z'orr's robotics laboratory. So many threads, spun together by Eve as she walked the party through the ruins, like a ghost through her old haunts. And in the end, Eve Manners bid them farewell. For 58 years were over. The half-life was complete. Eve's last act was one of a hero - and the inspiration for a new act in this campaign. Without Eve Manners, I think the emotional impact of what Darkseid's deeds have wrought wouldn't be so visceral, so deeply meaningful. Eve Manners led a life entire comprised of loss and grief, love stolen and pain endured. Yet she persevered until the last possible moment she could to provide just one iota of meaning to her existence. Sometimes, that's all we can hope for. Sometimes, that's all we have in us. Sometimes, the greatest heroes leave just a single, almost invisible mark, to carry the torch, to let out that last gasp, that final cry. It's up to the rest of us to hear it, to know it, to never let its call be denied.

Another Round One draft pick falls here at #34!

We're gonna get that Dowling. For Eve.

As for this....my gut's pointing me to Alice?

Oh, and as I've said before, Eve's story ties into one of the enduring legacies of Roz'etta's story.

"Amanda Waller is always right."

If Roz'etta had landed in someone like Dowling's hands like Eve ended up, then she's so, so, so much worse off than she is now.

Eve managed to be someone whose story already happened and just got told to us (later because we caused her to summon us - yay causality).

And yet the full experience of simply being told a story was enough to feel it. Her story is over, but it's merely a window into a greater story we have yet to explore, and that's a cool feeling.

Eve was such a touching character and it opened another door into the campaign that I did not expect. Dowling is on my ZZ Most Wanted list for sure

ScareChan posted...

Eve was such a touching character and it opened another door into the campaign that I did not expect. Dowling is on my ZZ Most Wanted list for sure

Yeah, bring his head to put on a pike.

I could see this next one being Alice. Shes been on the back burner recently.

#34 - Black Alice
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/5/8/AAOJ0pAADbTS.png
The face of the Eighth Age.

Alice is a magical leech: she can borrow the powers of other nearby magic users. Inexperienced and quick to anger, Alice is in desperate search of both her own role and a place to belong. After A-Day, Alice isolated her neighborhood in Dayton from the rest of the world in order to protect her father. But after Checkmate agreed to return Carl Zechlin to its prison for safekeeping, Alice (with some difficulty) agreed to join the resistance, where she developed fast friendships with Pepper Spray and Nightshade. Alice recently, after being spurned by a callous non-suitor, attempted to contact God himself in an effort to end the rampage of the Spectre, only to be scarred with a crucifix by the Saint of Killers. Recovering both mentally and physically, Alice has devoted herself to the efforts of Checkmate.

The story of magic in this campaign is often a generational one, and Alice represents the natural evolution of mankind throughout history - all of the product which came before, none of the wisdom that produced those gifts. Alice couldn't take her powers more for granted if she tried, and in that arrogance is her weakness - but also the weakness of youth. It's often been said that youth is wasted on the young, that those who would most value the exuberance and vitality of youth are those who have spent theirs already. Wisdom mourns the loss of that which cannot be had again, you might say. Alice, for her part, is getting smarter every day.

Alice lacks limits and restraints without her father - we've seen that in practice, as Alice is only ever tempered by her own faults and her own mistakes. A concussion is as good as any form of punishment Alice can receive, the school of hard knocks meting out more education than even Eve is able to do. In a way, Alice is a beast - she can be corralled, but taught? That's something far more difficult. Alice is so fiercely independent that any attempt at tutelage doesn't exactly land. Perhaps that is why Eve chooses to simply mete out harsh criticism at times instead of nurturing Alice - Alice has evolved much like her closest friends in Z'onn Z'orr. Brennus is bull-headed and it takes a lot to get him to change his convictions, and Pepper as well rarely seems willing to break out of her worldview unless it's on her own terms. So between those twin influences, Alice has herself become a bastion of brazen stagnancy. She exists like Rover does, unevolving and oddly complacent in her tenuous place in the universe. She's found a safe haven and a time and a place where, with her father left in a paradoxical position where he both provides Alice comfort by existing and yet leaves her trapped in the denial stage of grief, Alice has become a brick wall of sorts. And it might take drastic changes to get her to change.

Sadly, Alice's closest friend in Z'onn Z'orr really doesn't spend time with her any more, so she's really suffered from what could have been an easy Top-5 position. It's been months and months since Alice had participated in a meaty scene - although she did provide a chapter to Paul Lincoln's book. I think that was one of my favorite little pieces I put together in the entire campaign. Just fun, fun stuff.

With a third of the list to go, we're back to Honorable Mentions, kicking off with a character from the last list!

Woah, I thought for sure Alice was top 10

I dont want to overdo Alice and get you burned out on her like I did with Nite-Wing in campaign one! ;_;

Johnbobb posted...

Woah, I thought for sure Alice was top 10

Not having scenes since 2022 will really hurt you in the top half of the list. I mean, the entire Top 20 is really, really tightly packed.

I've been wanting to do some 8th Ager training again soon. It'd be good to get Kay some more time and see Alice as she adapts to being part of something - a core part of something as opposed to someone on the periphery.

Alice and Eve are such a great duo, one that I'm glad I helped put together. Roz'etta knew Eve's style would break through to Alice a bit.

As for this...could it be Ollie?

Guessing Soranik who has JUMPED

Honorable Mention: Green Arrow
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/0/0/AAUHRBAAEdns.png
Here's a picture for the next time you run into the man who would be #112! Uh-oh...

Since Arrow is another character with a recent write-up, I'm going to cheat and repost once more.

And in their darkest moment, their newest, greatest ally stolen from them, the party was left bereft, hopelessly adrift, transported to the furthest reaches the Grid would allow. It would be here that hope would be unexpectedly renewed - the Green Arrow, a modern-day Robin Hood, revealed. Oliver Queen, one of the most well-known heroes of this or any other age, was the right-hand man to the leader of the Justice League, his fiancee Black Canary. Here aboard the Justice League Satellite, believing the world all but conquered by the forces of Darkseid and the Society, had been grimly holding vigil for the end of the world. A party arrived inspired new confidence. Suddenly, these stoic vestiges of a bygone world became animated once more.

And boy howdy, did Green Arrow get animated in a big way. Oliver Queen was boisterous, loud-mouthed, full of vim and vigor and a hint of vinegar. He was about as liberal as you could get, taking every possibly jab he could against Darkseid, the former United States government, people who voted for Lex Luthor, the corporate elite... Ollie was having none of it. But he also was gung-ho on getting back to Earth and taking the fight right up the ass of Darkseid. I think he wooed the party, won them over with his trademarked obnoxious dadisms and sense of humor. Then, he rallied them. To a man, every player in that group seemed enchanted with the Emerald Archer.

And then he went and made the sacrifice to end all sacrifices.

After a teleporter malfunction left the party scattered and, in many cases, grievously injured, Green Arrow bought precious moments for Silhouette, allowing himself to be captured by the recently-indoctrinated Justifier which used to be Black Lightning. As Silhouette inched his way to safety, he watched on in muted horror as Green Arrow was forced to accept the Equation, all the while shouting out - as his the Green Arrow way - liberal platitudes and angry dissertations on how this was all wholly fascist. And with that, an ally was turned into an unwilling accomplice to the enemy.

This was a moment where the emotions of the party where palpable. A few players have said that Arrow's sacrifice hit them extremely hard, and I could tell that Arrow's capture by former ally Black Lightning legitimately fucked with feelings.

He was Green Arrow. A hero to the last. Let not his sacrifice be in vain, you agents of Checkmate.

The next honorable mention is a bottom-half pick in the draft!

Roar yes!

Arrow is great and DC was bandied about as another return soon, so we'll see! Gotta kick his arse, for being such a conformist. He would agree it's deserved.

If we hadn't lost Ollie, I have a feeling Roz'etta and him would argue a lot. Roz'etta buys into Waller's reasoning, Ollie doesn't, and just the sheer philosophical battles of words they could have would be a wonder to explore.

...Of course, he's not lost forever, and the time to argue may happen one day.

And for this hint...La Dama?

Gonna guess Ari again.

WarThaNemesis2 posted...

If we hadn't lost Ollie, I have a feeling Roz'etta and him would argue a lot. Roz'etta buys into Waller's reasoning, Ollie doesn't, and just the sheer philosophical battles of words they could have would be a wonder to explore.

...Of course, he's not lost forever, and the time to argue may happen one day.

And for this hint...La Dama?

I bet you $100 La Dama is ranked.

And yeah, if Ollie was around, I think Saoirse would become his disciple. Hal said they were a lot alike - it'd be a fun pairing.

HanOfTheNekos posted...

I bet you $100 La Dama is ranked.

I still don't even know why my gut is saying La Dama might not be top 100, I'd have taken her if she was available in the late rounds!

It's probably like Mordru or Jenny and scar did the last hint to throw us off this one.

Also Roz'etta and Saoirse arguing about Ollie would have been even more fun times.

We gotta rescue him.

Wildcard guess of Talia

Alice can definitely be a heavy hitter, but has been less on screen lately, yeah.

Ollie -still- tugs at my heart strings.

As for this one going with Calculator or Aria

Honorable Mention: Brutale
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/8/5/AAblU3AAD4Hd.jpg
The man who would be #111.

Brutale was the chief interrogator for a junta government in the banana republic of Hasaragua in South America until he was run out on a rail by an angry populace that retook control of the country and demanded independence. Brutale turned his trade to good use in the United States, where he found a position with the Demon-God during No Mans Land. Developing a close kinship with Artemis the Dog, Brutale and Artemis went their separate ways after the No Mans Land edict ended. Years later, Artemis came across Brutale as he sought resources for his new boss, El Presidente Bane. Brutale has since joined the Convoy, where he has proven to be a valuable asset to the 50,000 men, women and children attempting to make their way to Zonn Zorr.

Boy, do I love playing Brutale. He's just so easy to slip into in any situation, regardless of whatever cosmic nonsense is around him, whether it be OMACs, Darkseid, or even a talkative bird. In fact, ever since No Man's Land began, I knew that I was going to pull Brutale out of his canonized position with the Society and move him over somewhere, simply because I'd hate to let him go to immediate waste as yet another city warlord in Iowa or some such fiddle-faddle.

In all honesty, this ranking is more reflection of his more background role this go-round. Veteran characters are so important to this campaign; the actions and interactions of the past lay such a meaningful and emotional baseline for players. In fact, I had to reel myself back and make sure that not every big reveal was the return of a character. In some ways, the campaign is a lost and found, digging through the chaff to find old friends in unexpected places. But instead of allowing that to overwhelm the rest of the campaign, it's important to let those reveals enhance the detective story - because that's what this campaign is, ultimately. It's a detective story.

I think, having been placed as the interrogator of the holding facility, Brutale could conceivably achieve great things as the campaign progresses, however, Exploration of that delightful, devilishly dirty little secret (most people believe that torture is necessary deep down, in that primitive ape brain of ours to some extent, even if they think it is morally repugnant) and its connection to truth-telling can be integral to some of the philosophical moments of the campaign that I find most enjoyable.

The next honorable mention is a blast from the past as well!

I think I heard you pulled him from his Society role before. That makes me curious how many other characters have had their canonical fate shifted through the campaign and our actions!

Roz'etta's interrogation of the Crimson Archer where she took a few moments of pulling out the Waller playbook was so much fun, and part of that was the way she used Brutale. While I'm sure the hope for some was that there would have been more of him in that scene, Roz'etta casually waving the threat of Brutale, in the same way Waller showed the potential for the destruction of Pokolistan, was so much fun for me, especially since she didn't actually need to unleash him, meaning that the time for Roz'etta to allow Brutale his ways may still be yet to come.

THIS time I'm gonna guess Blackbat.

Brutale is one of those characters that I love but I don't think my character has a place with them. I mean, even Fields ticked Brutale the wrong way.

He's really fun to read and listen to though - Brutale is one of those characters that I think would benefit from being an additional NPC brought on a session. He's got the knives and one of the most unique and stand-out voices from C1.

blast from the past....could be Vicki Vale?

TotallyNotMI posted...

I think I heard you pulled him from his Society role before. That makes me curious how many other characters have had their canonical fate shifted through the campaign and our actions!

I don't know if I have a full accounting, but Francine Langstrom is a big one. Nite-Wing was pushed to such extremes that he HAS a role in an event in which he never appeared! There are certainly others; characters that someone took a liking too were given reprieves or opportunities to return when their roles in Final Crisis are virtually or completely nonexistent. Someone like Hector, who was an original character, was worked into the second campaign predominantly based on reaction. Fire's storyline was built on Tali's death pretty significantly, too. And the situation in Hell is especially built on the campaign's results.

The big opposite of this prompt: Stephanie is in position, but from a really bizarre path that somehow worked (I think) better than the comic variation.

Brutale and Artemis lopping off fingers to MMBN music is my head cannon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgESN8tQacY

Honorable Mention: Jenny Sparks
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/0/1/AAUHRBAAETGR.png
The spirit of #111. Here's another rip-off, copycat write-up because Jenny just ranked recently. Talk to Jenny more! Please! She's only the century of all of your births; that's deserving of a modicum of respect!

Jenny Sparks is a Century Baby, one of a very select number of children born on the 1st of January, 1900. For each year of the Twentieth Century, however, Jenny developed and grew based on the psychic and culture sensibilities of the time. In her twenties, she was a wild child, manic and irrepressibly the party girl to know. In the 30s, she suffered depression, drank herself into a stupor, and waited for the 1940s to roll around. She was a rebel in the 1960s and a stone cold bitch in the 1980s. You see, Jenny was the very embodiment of her century, right down to her power - the ability to utilize electricity. There was a Jenny of the 19th century, and there would be a Jenny of the 21st century. But from 1900 through 1999, there was Jenny Sparks, who died on December 31st, 11:59 p.m., 1999.

So... why is she here? First of all, the name might seem entirely foreign to most DC readers. Well, as it turns out, Jenny was the spirit of the Twentieth Century... of an alternate Earth. So a dead woman from an alternate reality stumbled into the spotlight in the 21st century of Earth-1? Kind of, sort of, courtesy of Kid Eternity. Jenny wormed her way into the party's hearts after first beating the snot out of Xander - it turns out she'd had a bad run-in with the Justice League once upon a time, and she'd never forgiven them for that - and when the time came for her to depart from the mortal realm once more... Well, here's the thing. Kid Eternity had given Bloodfruit an amulet. A very special amulet, it was, one that could allow a summon to go from a fleeting friendship to permanent companionship. The Spirit of the Twentieth Century was now back from the dead for good.

The most fascinating aspect of this drinking, smoking, carousing, irreverent woman is that she's MEANT to live in another era entirely. The fact she exists in the wrong century is quite alarming - she's the incarnation of a bygone time. Her birth was meant to coincide with its birth, her death with the dawn of the following century. What does this mean, now that she exists in the 21st? Well, that remains to be seen, I suppose.

Jenny also connects to a larger, more sinister arc - the story of Randall Dowling... which we'll talk about soon enough.

In the meantime, the least likely ally to the resistance against Darkseid is the girl in the Union Jack tank top and slim-cut jeans, angling to kick the Dark Lord's ass for the good of Mother England and Democracy. And if she has the chance to beat down on some sorry Justice Leaguer's ass in the offing, well, she won't complain.

The last honorable mention for this particular batch hails from campaign one, originally, and played a part in some contentious parentage issues for Batgirl...

Jenny is going to help bust up STAR Labs LA with us soon, it will be fun

She also helped a little with figuring out a way to help house Josiah Power

Was hoping Cluemaster would rank, but HM is good too!