Pistolera of the Ravens (Birds of Prey enemy) (DC Comics)

Pistolera

(Profile #2 - post-Gunbunny)


Power Level:
Game system: DC Heroes Role-Playing Game

Context

This writeup vigorously assumes that you’ve just read our Gunbunny character profile.


Background

  • Real Name: Unrevealed.
  • Marital Status: Unrevealed, presumed single.
  • Known Relative: None.
  • Group Affiliation: Former member of the Ravens, former partner of Gunhawk.
  • Base Of Operations: Mobile.
  • Height:5’7” Weight: 125 lbs.
  • Eyes: Blue Hair: Blonde


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Powers and Abilities

Pistolera is known both as an exceptional sniper (though perhaps not the equal of Gunhawk) and an excellent general firearms expert (perhaps better than Gunhawk). Her usual approach is rapid bullet placement, making her deadly against most targets but more likely to miss against extraordinarily fast and agile opponents.

She often fights with a pair of high-quality pistols, and usually can engage different targets with each handgun.


History

(Starting right where the ended.)

Apparently, Gunbunny also left Gunhawk since she felt his reputation was overshadowing her own talents. Though she originally seemed to lack combat experience, Gunbunny was also a dead shot. She decided it was time for her to forge her own rep as a mercenary firearms expert before Gunhawk’s rep became too poor.

One can infer that she was very successful at establishing her own credentials. Within less than a year, Gunbunny (now known as la Pistolera) ended up being recruited by the Ravens, elite female assassins led by no other than Cheshire. Cheshire is herself one of the most dangerous women in the world.


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Time travel (not on purpose)

As a member of the Ravens (along with Cheshire, Vicious and, for a while, Termina), Pistolera conducted a number of missions. Those included a raid against a S.I.M.O.N. fortress to snatch a neutron weapon, and the recovery of an old Soviet satellite in an American lake.

Howbeit, this later mission turned out to be complicated. The payload of the satellite was generating a temporal disturbance that sent the Ravens into what seemed the Pleistocene . They briefly made it back to the XXth century, clashed with Black Canary and troops from Kobra (their employer). They then ended up in pre-Colonial times, fighting against Huron  warriors.

Pistolera and Vicious during a fight

Eventually, the Ravens allied with the Viking explorers of Jon Haraldson (aka the Viking Prince). Overall it seems that the Ravens spent two years in the past.

Black Canary was sent back to fetch them, but the operation went partially awry. Cheshire was recovered, but she used Pistolera and Vicious to guarantee her egress. Furious at her betrayal, her two former wingwomen also managed to leave the past but popped back into the present weeks after Cheshire did, and were arrested.

Two speeds – guns and knives

All three women ended up imprisoned in the Slab super-prison. Pistolera and Vicious paid off a guard to let them kill Cheshire. Their attempt failed. They got out of prison, though, and were part of the army of female super-villains and mercenaries assembled by Circe to take over New York City.

Pistolera and Vicious during a street fight

Despite their difficulties to stand each other, Pistolera and Vicious continued to operate together for some time. They were seen working as enforcers for the Penguin. During that contract, the Gotham underworld erupted into gang warfare due to a mistake of the vigilante Spoiler.

Vicious and Pistolera were part of the catastrophic streetfighting that ensued. They even managed to escape from Catwoman when Pistolera blew up a gas tanker before the vigilante would take them down. They clashed at several points with the GCPD, and harmed or killed several officers. Eventually though, they were defeated by Robin (Tim Drake).

Last shot

Pistolera was next hired (apparently by Cheshire) as one of the hitpersons who attempted to kill members of the criminal Society. Outfitted with a Thanagarian long rifle, she shot Knockout with an explosive charge that seemingly killed her. However, Knockout had time to hurl her lover Scandal Savage clear of the detonation.

Savage found and tortured Pistolera to get payback. After Pistolera admitted that Cheshire had hired her and Vicious, Deadshot seemingly mercy-killed the blonde gunsel.

Another woman calling herself Gunbunny was later seen at Gunhawk’s side.


Description

As Pistolera, she inverted the colour of her Gunbunny uniform (from green to red) to mark her distance from Gunhawk and her past. But she kept the suit and visor since they’re so useful.

Later on she would often wear a mariachi-inspired outfit — I’d assume she liked the Rodriguez movie — instead of the Spandex. She seems to particularly like the hat.


Personality

As Pistolera, she’s a much more seasoned fighter than she was as Gunbunny. She likes things to be done neatly and in a disciplined way. As a result, she doesn’t like her fellow Raven Vicious. The two are often bickering as Vicious wants things to be done in a close-ranged and messy way.

Inevitably, Pistolera lacks experience compared to Cheshire. She also tends to be more concerned about everyday girly things that most adventurers. But despite her blonde moments and remarks, she has repeatedly evidenced spurts of surprisingly on-target initiatives and deadly reflexes.

She seems friendly, generally speaking. She managed to go along fairly well with both Cheshire and Vicious (which is not easy to do). She even seemed sympathetic toward Catwoman because she liked her moves. Her friendliness disappears when that person is actively harming her interests – at which point Pistolera becomes mean, like when she tried to kill Cheshire or dumped Gunhawk.

Pistolera tends to badger Vicious by making herself sound more intelligent and educated than Vicious is. Generally speaking, it doesn’t work.


Quotes

Cheshire : “I think the rad levels I was getting were from neutrinos. The area around the satellite is bathed with them.”
Pistolera (worried): “Does that mean we’re sterile now ?”

(Awed by Catwoman’s acrobatics) “Nah, I like her moves too much to backshoot her.”

Kobra goon (surprised): “A woman ?”
Vicious: “No, buster… Three women !” (kills him)
Pistolera: “Nice move, Vicious. We were going to question him.”
Vicious: “There’ll be more, Pistolera. Even you shouldn’t have trouble finding a man in a Kobra hideout.”



Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG

Tell me more about the game stats

Pistolera

Dex: 04 Str: 03 Bod: 04 Motivation : Mercenary
Int: 04 Wil: 03 Min: 04 Occupation : Mercenary
Inf: 03 Aur: 03 Spi: 04 Resources {or Wealth}: 004
Init: 013 HP: 015

Skills:
Evasion (Ranged only): 06, Vehicles (Land): 04, Weaponry (Firearms): 07, Weaponry (Heavy): 06, Weaponry (Sniper rifles): 08

Advantages:
Expertise (Guns and ammo), Familiarity (SCUBA), Lightning Reflexes, Schtick (Paired firearms, Speed-Shooting, Fast-Draw (Pistols)).

Connections:
Mercenary scene (Low), Vicious (Low), formerly had a High Connection with the Ravens.

Drawbacks:
None demonstrated.

Equipment:

  • COSTUME [BODY 06, Blunting: 05, Skin armour: 01, Limitation: Blunting and Skin armour only vs bullets and blades, Partial (Long Coat)].
  • VISOR [BODY 02, Radio communication: 05, Shade: 02].
  • When not wearing the COSTUME and sporting her Mexican-inspired outfit, it is likely that she sports a CONCEALED VEST [BODY 04, Blunting: 04, Skin armour: 01, Limitation: Blunting and Skin Armour only vs. bullets and blades, Partial Coverage (-1CS Trick Shot to bypass), Drawback: Real armour].
  • Pistolera’s mainstay weapons are a pair of large, high-quality, high-capacity M1911-style .45 pistols — arbitrarily I’d say a pair of Para PXT Super-Hawg [BODY 03, Projectile weapon: 04, Ammo: 14, R#02] with four extra clips.
  • Pistolera often packs a pair of revolvers as back-up weapons – which means that she usually carries four handguns. I’d assume those are compact .357 magnums with the following stats – [BODY 03, Projectile weapon: 05, Ammo: 06, R#02].
  • Occasionally, she seems to dual-wield machine pistols instead of the .45s (the art is unclear) [BODY 03, Projectile weapons: 05, Ammo: 06, R#03, Advantage : Autofire], likely with six extra clips.
  • She will also carry a marksman’s rifle when necessary. It’s drawn generically, but for the sake or argument let’s assume a .308 Sako TRG22 [BODY 01, Projectile weapon: 06, Range: 08, Telescopic vision: 04, Ammo: 10, R#02. Limitation: Projectile weapon has No Range – use the Range given next instead ; Bolt-action (requires an Automatic Action to ready the next shot)].

Design Notes

She fares better against multiple low-OV targets than against high-OV targets, though — she uses her Speed-Shooting Schtick, vastly prefers putting her extra AP from the Paired Firearms Schtick into EV, will seldom boost her own AV (she doesn’t have too many HPs anyway), and rarely Flails. I guess she’s more a bullet-placement sort of girl.

In DCH terms, Pistolera no longer has the Familiarities she had as Gunbunny — her guns-related Skills are now high enough to imply extensive guns-related knowledge.



Game Stats — DC Adventures RPG

Tell me more about the game stats

Pistolera — Averaged PL 6.2

STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
01 02 01 04 02 00 01 01

Powers

Right-hand pistol ● 1 point (Easily removable – requires a handgun) ● Descriptor: Skill
Rapid-Fire (Firearms) 2.

Left-hand pistol ● 1 point (Easily removable – requires a handgun) ● Descriptor: Skill
Rapid-Fire (Firearms) 1, Improved Initiative.

Devices

Costume ● 9 points (Subtle, Removable). Pistolera occasionally sports a modified version of her Gunbunny costume (if she does, she won’t wear the vest listed in her equipment)
– Bullet-resistant — Protection 4 (Limited 2 – to Sharp Impact).
– Radio headset — Communication 2.
– Polarised visor — Impervious Enhanced Fortitude 2 (Limited 3 – to Bright Light).

Combat Advantages

Close attack 2, Defensive Roll 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 1 (Firearms), Improved Initiative (w/pistol), Power Attack, Quick Draw, Rapid-Fire 3 (w/paired pistols).

Other Advantages

Equipment 4.

Skills

Athletics 2 (+3), Close combat 1 (+5), Expertise (Guns & Ammo) 8 (+8), Insight 1 (+2), Intimidation 2 (+3), Perception 3 (+4), Ranged combat (Firearms) 6 (+10), Stealth 3 (+4), Vehicles 2 (+6) (Limited 2 – Common land vehicles only).

Equipment

– Light Pistol (Feature 1 – one extra pistol) ● 7 points
– Carries a Sniper Rifle when needed ● 11 points
– Undercover shirt (Protection 2, Limited to Ballistics, Subtle) ● 2 points

Offense

Initiative +6 (w/pistol)
Unarmed +5, Close, Damage 1
Pistols +10, Ranged, Damage 3 Ballistic, Multiattack (from Powers), Critical 19-20
Sniper rifle +10, Ranged, Damage 5 Ballistic, Critical 18-20

Defense

Dodge 10 Fortitude 5
Parry 5 Toughness 4/2*
Will 4

* Without Defensive Roll

Complications

  • Motivation Mercenary.
  • Previously had a Rivalry with Vicious, and a Relationship with Gunhawk.

Power levels

  • Trade-off areas Attack & Effect PL 8 (rifle), Dodge/Toughness PL 7, Parry/Toughness PL 5, Fort & Will PL 5.
  • Point total 77. Abilities 24, Defences 18, Skills 15, Powers 2, Devices 9, Advantages 8. Equiv. PL 6.

Notes

For Rapid-Fire, see the New Rules for M&M document – a new Advantage ended up being the cleanest approach despite our reluctance to make up new rules.

She’s not quite a one-trick pony, since she’s also a dangerous sniper and would perform well with submachineguns and the like – so there can’t be too much locked into her paired pistols techniques. The improved initiative marks her intuitive shooting style and drilled-in reflexes, and the Rapid-Fire is arranged in such a manner that it’s only useful if she got two guns (though it also suggests that she could do nasty things with an accurate Damage 2 pistol – say a competition shooting .22 piece – through rapid bullet placement, which I think is very appropriate for her).

Do note that she doesn’t have enough Ranks of Rapid-Fire to use it with Heavy Pistols (Damage 4), though.

By Sébastien Andrivet.

Source of Character: DC Universe.

Helper(s): Darci, Capita_Senyera, Gareth Lewis.