Mystery Lad
Context
This character is an original creation. We often call these “homemades” or “homebrewed” – think home cooking or craft beer.
Many of these characters were created to take part in tabletop role-playing game sessions. Others were invented as a creative writing exercise, often as part of a community event.
Background
- Real Name: Unrevealed.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: None.
- Base Of Operations: Hot Springs, Arkansas.
- Height: 6’1” Weight: 185 lbs. Age: 21
- Eyes: Brown Hair: Dark Brown
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Powers and Abilities
Mystery Lad is potentially very powerful. His powers are however completely uncontrollable.
There are two options on how to do this. The GM can decide what power is available each time Omni-power is activated. Or the GM can come up with a table to roll on to get a random power each time.
History
The young man known as Mystery Lad is precisely that, a mystery. No one is quite sure where he is from, including himself. He appeared one day about 60 miles west of Hot Springs, Arkansas. He mainly has fought small time criminals.
That was before things started getting really strange. A wizard from another dimension lost control of a spell. His tower replaced the Hot Springs Mountain Tower , a tourist attraction on one of the mountains surrounding the city. From his tower, a wave of magic spread out over the city. This wave caused parts of the city to change places with other cities from other dimensions.
Unknown to Mystery Lad, Hot Springs sits on a nexus point where a large number of dimensions connect. He was kept busy defending the residents of Hot Springs from strange creatures. And defending strange creatures from residents of Hot Springs.
Dimensional trouble
He met two groups of heroes during this time. First was the Justice Squadron which included N.I.T.E. Mk 2 (Newcastle Industries Technological Enforcer), Blackfire, Patriot and Champion.
Second was the Company With No Name, who were all from the wizard’s home dimension. Sorshalyn Riordan, Anna Loren Riordan, Sandy Underbank, Granit, Laura and Jason were all comrades of Koss Firefist. When they discovered what he had inadvertently caused, they made their way to Hot Springs to combat it.
The Justice Squadron, the Company With No Name and Mystery Lad made their way to the tower. The others were defeated by creatures that Koss had accidentally summoned. Mystery Lad made his way to the laboratory on the top floor and confronted the wizard. When Koss learned what was going on, he began working to reverse the process.
He and Mystery Lad rescued the others and together they all succeeded in halting the spell. But they could not reverse it.
The Justice Squadron went back to their home base in Dallas, while Mystery Lad and The Company With No Name sought to bring some semblance of normality to the now fractured city. Both groups offered membership to Mystery Lad, but he refused.
Description
Mystery Lad is fairly ordinary looking. He has no “superhero” costume as such. He goes into action wearing normal street clothes. He tends to prefer black and usually wears black jeans and a black button down shirt that’s never tucked in.
He is usually either seen wearing a black fedora or a black felt hat that looks kind of like a cowboy hat. He usually wears black cowboy boots and in the winter wears a black leather jacket.
Quotes
“Um… Save your dog from a burning tree ? I can do that. I hope.”
DC Universe History
He can be placed pretty much as is. Very little goes on in the Arkansas area. Either he can be encountered on a mission to Arkansas, or he can be encountered in a situation much like the one described in the history section.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Mystery Lad
A 1125 point character
| Dex: 06 | Str: 03 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Upholding the Good |
| Int: 06 | Wil: 05 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Hero |
| Inf: 06 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 04 | Resources {or Wealth}: 02 |
| Init: 020 | HP: 229 |
Powers:
Omni-Power: 0 (11), Energy Absorption: 11
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Omni-Power is Fatiguing.
- Omni-Power has Catastrophic Power Burnout (R#: 5) (see note below).
- Omni-Power is completely random (see note below).
- Energy Absorption feeds Omni-Power.
- When Omni-Power reaches 11 APs it automatically activates.
- Energy Absorption is actually unlimited, when he absorbs more than 11 APs it is automatically released according to the chart below and he passes out.
Skills:
Vehicles (Land, Water): 04
Advantages:
Lightning Reflexes, Luck, Area Knowledge (State of Arkansas).
Connections:
Justice Squadron (Low), Company With No Name (High).
Drawbacks:
Uncertainty, Traumatic Flashbacks (failing Power Burnout Roll).
Omni-powered
Mystery Lad’s Omni-Power can only do certain powers, and can only do one power at a time. When he fails a burnout roll, his Omni-Power reverts to 0 APs.
Here is the chart to roll Mystery Lad’s powers randomly. Roll percentile dice, or use the random number function on a scientific calculator like I did. All powers are at the number of APs of Omni-Power.
| Roll | Power |
|---|---|
| 01-08 | Acid |
| 09-15 | Color (Only the color pink, only area effect, continuous for time equal to APs of power). |
| 16-23 | Darkness. |
| 24-31 | Energy Blast . |
| 32-38 | Fabricate (doodads only, GM’s choice). |
| 39-46 | Flame Project. |
| 47-54 | Flash (continuous for time equal to APs of power). |
| 55-62 | Force Field (user only, cannot attack through, continuous for time equal to APs of power). |
| 63-69 | Gravity Decrease (Area effect, only usable against others). |
| 70-77 | Gravity Increase (Area effect, only usable against others). |
| 78-85 | Ice Production. |
| 86-92 | Illusion (roll again to decide what power it creates the illusion of, rerolling any 86-92 results). |
| 93-100 | Lightning. |
Source of Character: A Champions campaign.
Helper(s): Danielle Mendus, Andrew Lee, and Dan Davenport.