Firestorm
(Martin Stein and Ronnie Raymond)
Context
Firestorm is a DC Comics super-hero, who was introduced in 1978. As often with DC, while this was the Bronze Age the character still had a certain Silver Age look and feel.
The fire didn’t quite catch, but Firestorm had his own book through much of the 1980s. He has since kept returning in many forms, and with many different characters having the Firestorm powers. And he still has a fanbase .
Our Firestorm writeups are primarily an update of his official game stats for his different forms throughout the 1980s and 1990s. There is some material added for context, but these are primarily technical articles.
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The series goes like this:
- Firestorm (Stein/Raymond version) – this here writeup.
- Firestorm (Raymond/Arkadin version).
- Firestorm (fire elemental version).
- Firestorm (universal fire elemental version.
- Firestorm (Raymond 1990s solo version).
Background
- Real Name: Ronald Raymond.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: Father (Edward Raymond), Grandfather (Richard Dare, aka Captain X, deceased), Step-Mother (Felicity Smoaks Raymond), Elaine Raymond (mother, deceased).
- Base Of Operations: Pittsburgh (formerly lived in To Be Filled In).
Powers and Abilities
Firestorm’s unique nuclear-molecular structure allows him control over the structure of matter, allowing him to reshape it into any form desired. He can fly and disperse his own molecular structure in order to pass through solid matter. His matter control allows him to “see” patterns in matter, enabling him to perceive heat patterns.
Firestorm’s powers cause him painful feedback when he tries to use them on “organic” materials. Presumably, this means that he can not create organic materials either. Well, it depends what you mean by “organic”.
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“Organic”?
He managed to change a newspaper into a bouquet of roses, for example. On numerous occasions, he creates plastic (or wax) versions of plant or animal matter (since he presumably should not be able to create plant or animal matter). Yet anything containing carbon is technically organic and plastic contains carbon.
He is able to affect a stuffed bear (which in theory *could* have been created out of all synthetic materials). But he later creates lemon curry and caviar (actual, real caviar). And he has problems affecting an inorganic machine containing the mind of a villain, and he can’t affect Slipknot’s rawhide noose.
So, what is “organic” anyway? The way Firestorm’s limitation works is that he can’t affect
- Living matter, including inorganic living matter (such as a machine possessed by a villain’s mind) or
- Matter which is made from dead animals (dead plants are not a problem).
Furthermore, he can not create such material… except as noted, which are presumably cases where the feedback happened to score no RAPs.
Goofing around
To use Firestorm’s SIA to poor use of his powers, roll each round that Firestorm is in combat. If he fails, he may not use Dispersal, and he must enter hand-to-hand combat. Even if he succeeds, roll again to see if he uses his powers in a less than effective manner (such as creating a cage consisting of a giant wax pumpkin with the top cut off like on a jack-o-lantern).
History
During a terrorist attack on an experimental nuclear power plant, Professor Martin Stein and teenage jock Ronnie Raymond were fused together into Firestorm (I), the Nuclear Man.
As the nuclear-powered hero, they were members of the Justice League and worked as a team to defeat menaces such as Black Bison and Killer Frost.
Description
As Firestorm, Ronnie’s red hair was floating in the air and on fire. He possessed a yellow and red costume.
As Ronnie, he was a teenager with red hair, and a football player’s body. Martin was an older man with black hair, slightly balding. He also wore glasses.
Personality
Ronnie was brash and fun-loving. He didn’t take having the Firestorm powers very seriously at first, but eventually grew to the responsibility. Martin provided a balance to Ronnie’s energetic personality, preferring to analyze the situation and think through any problems. Together, they made a very effective team.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Firestorm
| Dex: 07 | Str: 08 | Bod: 09 | Motivation: Thrill of Adventure |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 05 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Student |
| Inf: 06 | Aur: 05 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: 002 |
| Init: 017 | HP: 070 |
Powers:
Animate Objects: 15, Bomb: 15, Detect (energy): 04, Dispersal: 15, Energy Absorption: 15, Energy Blast: 11, Flash: 06, Flight: 15, Full Vision: 05, Gravity Decrease: 02, Illusions: 01, Matter Control: 12, Matter Manipulation: 18, Regeneration: 04, Sealed Systems: 15, Telekinesis: 12
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Offensive powers (including Animate Objects) cannot be used while Dispersed (though he could originally).
- Energy Blast may be used to produce nearly any type of energy at will, including “nuclear bursts”, electricity, heat, force-bolts, and flame (+2).
- Matter Manipulation and Energy Blast (used for “nuclear bursts”) are Fatiguing when used on “organic” substances (see details below).
- Matter Manipulation will not function on certain organic substances.
- Gravity Decrease may only be used on himself.
- Telekinesis can only be used to move objects that have been created by Matter Manipulation.
- APs of Animate Objects may substitute for APs of any other Animation power which animates solid material.
- Dispersal may be Used On Others, but doing so is Seriously Marginal.
- Matter Manipulation may be used on energy, using the APs of the energy power as the OV/RV.
- Matter Manipulation suffers a +2 penalty to OV/RV when creating matter out of thin air.
- Energy Blast may be used as if it were Energy Being, but only as a shortburst rather than a sustained sheath of energy.
- Energy Absorption is ineffective against electricity.
- Bomb may only be used to create a nuclear explosion, with all the usual side effects; these side effects can be neutralized by Firestorm if he chooses to spend a Dice Action using Energy Absorption.
- In order to use Flash for a sustained light, Firestorm must create a ball of energy that he carries or that flies along with him ; such a ball may be physically attacked (BODY: 1) and can be physically manipulated by others; as a Trick Shot, for example, such a ball could be sent hurtling into Firestorm’s face, causing Firestormto be attacked by the Flash power.
- Illusions represents his flaming hair; this hair may be made larger (to scare someone) or may appear extinguished by water.
- Full Vision represents the Professor looking behind Firestorm and may not always be in use.
- If any Power is Pushed, that Power will Burn Out unless Firestorm purchases *all* of the APs to which he is entitled. If any Power Burns Out, Firestorm must split into his Alter Egos until that Power is Recovered.
- Firestorm typically must use his hands to use any offensive power. He may use beams from his eyes instead, but doing so is Catastrophically Marginal.
- Using offensive powers requires concentration, so he may not use them while being affected by any power with lingering effects (such as Poison Touch or Disintegration).
- When Firestorm is damaged in combat, both Ronnie and Professor Stein are KOed. When Firestorm uses Last Ditch Defense, the Professor might not be awakened unless he also uses Last Ditch Defense to stay conscious. Stein will continue to suffer the results of such damage when Firestorm splits.
- Insta-Change can be used to provide Firestorm with any equipment that either Ronnie or the Prof were carrying, without changing back to his Alter Egos.
Skills:
Acrobatics: 02, Gadgetry: 02, Scientist: 08
Advantages:
Insta-Change, Scholar (Physics).
Connections:
JLoA (High), Vandemeer University (High), Firehawk (High).
Drawbacks:
Alter Ego: Controllable (Ron Raymond/Martin Stein), MPI (See Below), Secret Identity, SIA (poor use of powers, especially resorting to hand-to-hand combat and not using Dispersal), Loss Vulnerability (All powers but not stats, 0 AP range, extreme cold, only sometimes), Misc: Damage or poor health (being drunk, having a brain tumor, being a werehyena) on the part of Firestorm’s Alter Egos will have a similar impact on Firestorm (and sometimes vice-versa). Loss Vulnerability: Firestorm’s BODY is only 4 against attacks which Blindside him.
Ron Raymond
| Dex: 04 | Str: 04 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Thrill of Adventure |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 05 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Student (High School, then College) |
| Inf: 06 | Aur: 05 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: 2 |
| Init: 014 | HP: 030 |
Powers:
Energy Absorption: 10, Telepathy: 25
Bonuses and Limitations:
APs of energy absorbed via Energy Absorption may be added to the APs of any of Firestorm’s Burnt Out powers for the purpose of being able to change into Firestorm again ; Telepathy can only receive (and presumably transmit) feelings of pain from (and presumably to) Professor Stein.
Skills:
Acrobatics: 02, Scientist: 08 (Ronnie did not start with the Scientist skill, but Martin Stein’s brains rubbed off on him).
Connections:
Firehawk (High)
Drawbacks:
Alter Ego: Controllable (Firestorm I).
Martin Stein
| Dex: 02 | Str: 02 | Bod: 03 | Motivation: Responsibility of Power |
| Int: 08 | Wil: 05 | Min: 06 | Occupation: Scientist then Professor |
| Inf: 04 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 04 | Resources {or Wealth}: 005 |
| Init: 014 | HP: 020 |
Powers:
Energy Absorption: 10, Telepathy: 25
Bonuses and Limitations:
- APs of energy absorbed via Energy Absorption may be added to the APs of any of Firestorm’s Burnt Out powers for the purpose of being able to change into Firestorm again.
- Telepathy can only transmit (and presumably receive) feelings of pain to (and presumably from) Ronnie Raymond.
Skills:
Gadgetry: 02, Scientist: 08
Advantages:
Scholar (physics).
Connections:
Scientific Community (High).
Drawbacks:
Alter Ego: Controllable (Firestorm I) (formerly Uncontrollable, as he did not know about Firestorm and suffered amnesia when Firestorm was formed).
Firestorm used Ronnie’s Mental and Mystical stats for purposes of damage, but could make problem solving checks using Professor Stein’s stats and Scientist Skill, though typically he wouldn’t bother.
Late in their career, Firestorm would suffer periodic “attacks” as a result of Stein’s brain tumor, during which he needed to maintain intense concentration or split into Ronnie and Stein.
This is represented by a Minor Psychological Instability. Should Firestorm ever roll a natural 2, he must make an Action Check using his Will/Will vs 8/8. If this check fails, Firestorm will split into his two personalities. See below for more details.
New rules
Matter Control
Link: INT
Range: Normal
Base Cost: Big
Type: Dice
Factor Cost: 7 or more
This Power can substitute its APs for APs of almost any “Element” Control Power (including Earth Control, Air Control, Water Control, and Ice Control, but not Fire Control). Furthermore, any solid may be controlled as if it were ice or earth, any liquid may be controlled as if it were water, and any gas may be controlled as if it were air.
This power only works on inorganic material.
Helper(s): Based on a writeup by Danielle Mendus (using Who’s Who) ; KalEl el Vigilante, Eric Langendorff.
Source of Character: DC comics.