Toro
(Ruben Cisneros)
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.
This specific character was part of a RPG campaign run by writeups.org contributor Kal El, set in Barcelona.
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Background
- Real Name: Ruben Cisneros.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: Juan Cisneros (father), Laura Bosch (mother), Jordi Cisneros (brother).
- Group Affiliation: Patrulla Barna (The Barna Patrol).
- Base Of Operations: Barcelona.
- Height: 6’5” + 10” of horns (Toro)/5’7” (Ruben). Weight: 284 lbs (Toro)/156 lbs (Ruben). Age: 21
- Eyes: Light Brown (Toro)/Blue (Ruben). Hair: Dark brown (Toro)/Fair (Ruben).
Powers and Abilities
Toro has quite a good combat technique. It is backed by superhuman strength that grows while he continues fighting new menaces (in DC Heroes RPG terms, he began with STR 07) and a physical resistance even higher (BODY 09, Skin Armor: 05).
This technique is backed by a number of special powers :
- His horns (Claws) that he almost never uses, except for high-speed spinning for digging.
- Shape-changing into a big bull (basic form of DEX 03 STR 05 BODY 04 Running: 04; recently lost its horns).
- He used to have a super-running ability, and can still travel at top human speed.
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History
Ruben Cisneros was a normal boy from the Gràcia district , in Barcelona… normal, or that’s what he thought. One day, during a travel with his scout group to the Montserrat mountain, he fell in a hole. The presence of a lot of corpses in it shocked him forever, but Ruben found something more besides the corpses.
Looking at how he overcame his fear and exited the hole by himself, a group of minotaurs came in. They told him that he was the Chosen to be the next Toro (Bull) incarnation. Inside some men there was a beating bull and the aliens made the one in Ruben take shape.
At that moment, Ruben became Toro. When the metamorphosis takes place, the other half goes to another dimension, from where he can’t see what’s happening to his counterpart, but can maintain telepathic contact.
Ruben Cisneros is now studying Law at the Pompeu Fabra University , and lives in an apartment with his brother Jordi, 15. Their parents are diplomats, and take the whole year traveling. Neither his parents nor his brother know about his secret identity.
For information about the Barna Patrol, see the Ariadna write-up.
Description
Ruben is 21 years old, 175 cm (about 5’7”) and 72.5 kgs (156 lbs). Little times wears casual in the city, when he goes with his scout friends it’s like a change. He also wears thin glasses.
Toro, on the other hand, seems a little older, around 25, mostly because of his impressive built: he’s 190 cms tall (about 6’5”) plus 10” of horns on the top of his head. He wears a skin-tight black suit with a white “T” symbol on the chest, and dark grey boots.
Personality
Ruben Cisneros is a bit snobbish, but just a little. He has a quick mind and used to dislike other persons being slower, but he’s now growing up. Otherwise, Ruben has always been a noble boy, and that pure heart awarded him the right to become the “Toro” on this century.
Toro is a serious hero. He’s the manifestation of Ruben subconscious. A bit slow, he doesn’t like to be remembered that his other half is more smart than him. Also, he appreciates strength in others, as Ruben does with intelligence.
When one persona is on the material world, the other is in an empty dimension . They can communicate mentally, but can’t see what happens in the other world. If they require the other’s help they must explain each other the situation or switch sides.
Other traits
For a while, Toro and Ruben had a falling out. But a mystic communion during the First Century patched up their friendship.
Toro informally leads the Patrulla Barna. He doesn’t give nor receives orders, but orders aren’t needed when they, as friends, act. Perhaps this leadership stems from his role when defeating the first attempt to rob a painting at the university.
While in the “waiting dimension”, Toro and Cisneros have occasionally heard voices from the real (players’) world. There also was a romantic subplot involving Toro, Ruben, Pedra Roja and Bombolla. And there was that time when the Patrulla Barna’s arch-enemy, Master Mephisto, tried to turn him evil or crazy.
The failure to save a man from a gone-crazy T-Rex robot at the S.T.A.R. Labs facilities on Barcelona has also been bothering his mind.
Quotes
“I got a column.”
DC Universe History
Look at Ariadna’s write-up, but the Barna Patrol fits perfectly on the DC Universe’s Barcelona.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Toro
A 630 + 45 Points Character
| Dex: 05 | Str: 11 | Bod: 09 | Motivation: Upholding the Good |
| Int: 03 | Wil: 05 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Superhero |
| Inf: 03 | Aur: 05 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: 0 |
| Init: 015 | HP: 065 |
Powers:
Claws: 05, Digging: 05, Invulnerability: 01, Shape Change: 05, Skin Armor: 05
Bonuses and Limitations:
Shape Change just changes into a bull (-4).
Skills:
Martial Artist: 06
Advantages:
Insta Change, Iron Nerves, Lightning Reflexes.
Connections:
Patrulla Barna (High).
Drawbacks:
Alter Ego (Controllable), SIH (Red moving things), Secret ID.
Equipment:
Com [BODY 02, Radio Communications: 05].
Alter Ego : Ruben Cisneros
| Dex: 02 | Str: 02 | Bod: 03 | Motivation: Responsibility of Power |
| Int: 08 | Wil: 04 | Min: 03 | Occupation: Law’s Student |
| Inf: 05 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 04 | Resources {or Wealth}: 05 |
| Init: 015 | HP: 070 |
Skills:
Detective: 03, Thief: 03, Vehicles: 03
Advantages:
Insta-Change, Languages (English, French, Japanese).
Drawbacks:
MPR (nearsighted), Secret Identity, Traumatic Flashback (corpses), Uncertainty.
Source of Character: Homemade character (Player: Dani Parra).