Superman

[Trakx]

Below is a write-up done by James O'Rance (a.k.a. Taladasnet). I copied it from the Yahoo board from post # 10323.

Any comments about the write-up, or arguments about his stats - such as his 21 Strength - are welcome.

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Superman
(Clark Kent / Kal El)

Edge 4 Hand Size 6 (40)
Calling: Guardian
Hindrances: Susceptible to Magic
Triggered - Powerless (Lack of yellow sun radiation)
Triggered - Powerless (Kryptonite)
Fatally Vulnerable (Kryptonite)

21D* Strength
16D* Agility
09A Intellect
18C Willpower

* Superman has Strength 4X and Agility 4X when Triggered - Powerless.

Skills
Hyper-Breath;
Aerial Combat;
Astronomy, Computers, Photographic Memory, Journalism;
Manipulation, Writing

Powers

Enhanced Senses 8
Hearing and Vision
Infravision
Microscopic Vision
Penetration Vision
Telescopic Vision

Energy Blast 15 ("Heat Vision")
Fire Control (Limit: Increase Heat Only)

Flight 15
Mach Control

Immortality

Life Support 15
Limit: Two hours only

Lightning Speed 14
Mach Control
Spinning Drill

Resistance +9 to
Gases, Poison, and Radiation

*** *** ***

"Strength 21 might seem to "break the rules", but not only is this DC's flagship character (and DCU characters can be -very- strong), but it was derived from DC Heroes benchmark tables and so is consistent with other DCU characters that I converted to Saga." - James O'Rance, aka Taladasnet

[Trakx]

Here is a different write-up, done years before James O'Rance's version. This one is by Byron Molix from Yahoo board message # 4180.

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Superman (Clark Kent)
Edge 3
Calling: Exemplar / Protector
Hindrances: Fatally Vulnerable to Kryptonite
Hindrances: Triggered Powerless without Yellow Solar Energy (30 minutes or immediate in the case of kryptonite)
Hindrances: Triggered Powerless by Magic (no delay in return).


19C Strength (*6): Hyper-Breath, Lifting(WC)
16C Agility (*5): Construction, Flinging
07A Intellect: Chemistry, Journalism, Linguistics, Photographic Memory
13D Willpower: Leadership

Ability Boost (Strength) "Strongest Hero on Earth" 3
Limit: Doesn't affect defense, and has to make a Desperate Willpower check to activate.
Stunt: Super-Boosting (can boost over 20)

Body Armor +5 (24 total Defense)

Enhanced Senses (All) 17
Stunts: Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Penetration Visionm (not through lead), Telescopic Hearing, Telescopic Vision

Energy Blast "Heat Vision" 16
Stunt: Wide-Angle

Flight 25
Stunts: Life Support, Mach Control

Space Flight Intensity 7


==================
Below are comments by Byron:

"Confusing Stuff:
Lifting is a skill I mentioned in my DC Universe genre article. A further development I've done is make it Average Difficulty to pick up and be able to carry around something, but Easy just to pick it up (say Batman has to move that VW bug off Commissioner Gordon). Superman is very good at hefting big weights.

No Lightning Speed? Okay, going in reverse, if Lightning Speed can substitute for Agility, then superhuman agility can substitute for Lightning Speed, but badly. No power stunts, and running speed is half-Agility unless they make a Daunting Agility action to move full speed. What does this mean? Superman can run down the street at about 600 mph without trying and he build a house at least as fast as the Flash, even though his intensity is much lower. (You have to figure his strength is a factor, plus he's got an appropriate skill)

Another New Rule: Lethal Combat
If something after cardplay is 20 more than the appropriate defense, it's considered lethal. You can attempt to make an attack lethal as well. If you have Force Field, Resistance or Body Armor, nothing is lethal unless it's really 20 over your defense. Effects of a lethal attack are that you drop the appropriate defense attribute by 8, minimum of 0. Super-defense and armor still add normally. So an intensity 44 attack is lethal to Superman, perhaps as it should be. He'd still get to take off 16 pts before dropping cards though. Lethal combat doesn't change how you take wounds, so people still go unconscious and then go into a coma." - Byron

[Trakx]

Dear god! I just noticed James' version has Supes at 18 Willpower!

[Tommy Brownell]

Superman (Kal-El/Clark Kent): Strength 20B, Agility 15A, Intellect 8A, Willpower 10B, Edge 4, Hand Size 6(60). Hyper-Breath, Sonic Slam, Wrestling; Aerial Combat, Martial Arts, Piloting, Repair; Computers, Journalism, Linguistics, Lore (Kryptonian); Intimidation, Leadership, Observation. Absorption (Solar, Absorption Boost: Strength, Flight, Lightning Speed, Unique Trait: Superman's Boost limit is 22, not 20) 26, Body Armor +4, Cold Control (Breath Only) 14, Energy Blast (Heat), Enhanced Senses (Aura Reading, Hearing and Penetrating Vision 18, Microscopic Vision 14, Telescopic Vision 6), Flight (Mach Control, Resistance to Pressure, Whirlwind) 18, Invulnerability to Cold, Corrosion, Disease, Heat, Poison & Radiation, Lightning Speed (Spinning Drill) 19, Regeneration (Limit: Solar, Unique Trait - Powered by Absorption power) 8 Space Flight 26. Calling: Exemplar/Protector. Hindrances: Fatally Vulnerable (Kryptonite), Susceptible (Magic), Triggered-Powerless (Superman has 4s in Strength and Agility when removed from a Yellow sun, and loses all powers).

Here is my version from another one of the vast number of projects I am working on.

[stormangel]

My old website needs a complete overhaul, but I did a few DC characters at uwac.tripod.com/DC/dc.html

Superman's stats back when I did them are as follows.

SUPERMAN
(CLARK KENT)

Strength 20
Agility 14
Intellect 8
Willpower 12

4 Edge * Hand Size 6(40)

POWERS
Body Armor +4
Cold Control 11 ("Super-Breath")
Cold Waves, Ensnarement
Energy Blast 15 ("Heat Vision")
Pinpoint Blast
Enhanced Senses 16 (Hearing and Sight)
Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Penetration Vision (doesn't work through lead), Telescopic Vision
Flight 22
Mach Control, Whirlwind
Lightning Speed 19
Mach Control, Spinning Drill
Resistance +10 vs. Cold, Disease, Heat, Poison, Pressure, and Radiation
Space Flight 8

SKILLS *= Master Skill
Hyper-Breath, Sonic Slam, Aerial Combat, Fast Exit, Flinging, Journalism*, Lore, Photographic Memory, Physics, Leadership, Writing

CALLING: Protector
HINDRANCES: Fatally Vulnerable-Kryptonite, Susceptible- Magic, Triggered- Powerlessness Lack of Yelow Sun Radiation, at -1 Strength and Agility per day to a minimum of 5 and at -2 Intensity per day on all powers

PERSONALITY: The epitome of heroic, Superman shines as a role-model. Cares deply for others and has no qualms about putting himself in harm's way to save others.

HISTORY: Rocketed from the dying planet Krypton, infant Kal-El traveled to Earth where he was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent. As he grew older, manifested more and more powers. As an adult he decided to use his powers to protect his adopted planet as Superman.

[Trakx]

Stormangel: Flight 22? Did you make this call because he circled the Earth in Superman: The Movie?

And did you give him the skill Writing because he's a journalist?

By the way, as a side note, but applicable to Superman: in the description for Lightning Speed (or Hyper Speed, if you're reading off the MSHAG 1.6) it says that you can apply it to any movement ability and it lists Flight among them. So, I would imagine that at base, Flight allows you to maneuver with more skill the higher your intensity AND fly faster. If you have Lightning Speed, you could apply it to Flight, and just fly faster - using Lightning Speed's intensity in addition to Flight's (like Power Amplification).

[stormangel]

Can't remember my reasoning on the 22 Flight, although he certainly flies amazingly faster than most. These were done in 2000.

Writing is because he is a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist.

World class Leadership is a possiblity I've thought about since this was written, as he has led the premier team, with some of the biggest egos in the DCU without fail.

[Trakx]

stormangel said:

Writing is because he is a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist.

Whaaaaaaat? Seriously? Wow, I didn't know that.

As for the Leadership, of anyone I would say that he gets it, yeah, but then again I would give it to Captain America and Xavier, too. Then again, it seems that everyone who Marvel has given Leadership to would qualify for Master or World Class. (Very few exemplars come to mind but those above, though, and I don't even know that they have Leadership)

[Tommy Brownell]

To me, Cap's the only guy in Marvel or DC that would warrant World Class Leadership *cites JLA/Avengers and Superman selecting Cap to be the leader of both squads*

Cyclops would certainly qualifyfor Master Class, but not World Class.

Storm and Xavier would only get Leadership, at best. Same with Nightcrawler or Havok.

[joefixit9991]

I love the Saga game and it's one of the great rpg tragedies that TSR killed it when they did, going instead with the d20 system for all of their games. Anyway, I had discussed and worked out some DC character stats a while ago, around the time that James O and I were in communication with each other. The one set of stats that definitely stands out in my mind was the Superman ones.

Superman
Clark Kent

Calling: Protector
Hindrances: Fatally Vulnerable to Green Kryptonite, Overprotective, Susceptible to Magic (magical effects only), Triggered-Powerless (without the exposure to yellow sun, Superman's strength drops 1 point every day and his powers drop two points per day). *Red Kryptonite effects Superman in a random manner; Narrator is encouraged to draw a fate card and use the event as inspiration*

Edge/Hand Size: 4/6(40)

Strength 6D(22B)
Agility 6B
Intelligence 6A
Willpower 12D

Skills:
Hyper-Breath, Sonic Slam, Wrestling
Aerial Combat, Fast Exit, Flinging
Assessment, Journalism, Lore (Kryptonian), Physics
Leadership, Observation

Powers:

Cold Control 13 "Super Breath"
--Cold Waves, Ensnarement

Energy Blast 18 "Heat Vision"

Enhanced Senses 15 (Hearing/Sight)
--Microscopic, Penetration (except lead), Telescopic

Flight 22
--Ability Boost, Whirlwind

Lightning Speed 12

Regeneration 5

Resistances +10: to Aging, Cold, Disease, Fire, Poison, and Radiation

Space Flight 8


Well, there ya have it. Any and all criticisms are welcome.

--Brent

[Tommy Brownell]

Welcome to the boards, Joefixit! Sorry they're not more active...=)

[Trakx]

Everyone always gives the guy 20 or even higher Strength, which I just don't get. I mean, he's strong, but THAT strong? He is known for being strong, sure, but being so much more diverse than other well-known strongmen, I think this should reflect that. I don't know. Maybe that's just me.

But personally, I would put his Strength at 17 or 18.

But maybe I'm just imagining 20 as something so fantastically out there there almost NO one would be it. I mean, in my opinion, Galactus should be a 20, not a 30. I mean, it's the freakin' ULTIMATE LIMIT of MORTALS.

So, nothing against anyone or their opinions, but I just see 20 as extreme.

[Tommy Brownell]

But the benchmarks, as they have been set, have Galactus at a 30, and 20 as the absolute peak of superhuman achievement...like Hulk. And only he can move beyond that due to his anger. Nah, Superman is a 20 for sure. The fact that he's so much more diverse than the average strongman is why it's easier to find someone to fight The Hulk or Thing than it is to find someone to fight Supes.

[Trakx]

Okay, but while the MSHAG charts don't explicitly say "Strength 20: Able to lift 100,000 tons and more", it's a common assumption since most superhero cards and games have that amount as the peak.

Has he ever lifted this much?
I guess maybe stopping a 747 in flight may have that much weight in force...

[Tommy Brownell]

I'm pretty sure DC has routinely put his peak above Hulk's...because their power levels are generally higher across the board. Something I'm not PERSONALLY a fan of, but that's one of the reasons why I'm usually a bigger Marvel fanboy.