
Vin
(Mistborn)
Context
Vin is the heroine of Mistborn a trilogy of fantasy novels published during the 2000s. These were written by Brandon Sanderson, an author well know for his elaborate magic systems and setting backstories.
I’ve tried to avoid as many spoilers from the books as I can, but some are necessary for the stats.
The history covers towards the end of the first book, but the DC Heroes write-up itself would be around the middle of the second book. The Powers summarize the metals she regularly has at her disposal. Other Powers would of course be available if she discovers other metals.
Readers interested in the Mistborn world are encouraged to check out the Mistborn RPG, written by Crafty Games in coordination with Mr. Sanderson.
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Background
- Real Name: Unrevealed.
- Other Aliases: Vallete Renoux.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: Tevidian (father), Reen (brother, deceased) mother and sister (deceased).
- Group Affiliation: Kelsier’s Crew.
- Base Of Operations: Luthadel.
- Height: 5’4” Weight: 110lbs.
- Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
Powers and Abilities
As a Mistborn, Vin can burn all Allomantic metals to use their powers. She seems to actually be more powerful than most Mistborn, able to Push and Pull metals as though weighing more than she does. She also seems to have a particularly strong talent for Burning Bronze, being able to actually penetrate Copperclouds.
Even without the physical enhancements of Pewter, Vin is fairly agile and stealthy. She has received some combat training as part of Kelsier’s crew – both fighting with her powers, and regular armed combat.
Allomancy (w/DC Heroes data)
Allomancers can consume certain metals or alloys they’ve ingested to give themselves powers They swallow small amounts of the metals, often carrying around capsules containing tiny amounts in an alcohol suspension.
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Drawing on these ingested metals they’re able to gradually transform portions of it (‘burn’ it) into the energy required to power their abilities.
The majority of Allomancers – called Mistings – can only burn a single metal. But a rare few – called Mistborns – can burn all Allomantic metals. Vin is a Mistborn.
Metals must be pure when ingested, and alloys must be mixed to a precise proportion. Otherwise the Allomancer becomes sick from burning them.
Burning rates
The Allomancer can “flare” metals rather than simply “burn” them to gain greater power. This uses the metal at an accelerated rate. Duralumin also allows all of a metal supply to be used in a brief surge of power (see below).
(In DC Heroes terms all Powers gained from a metal have a group Power Burnout, starting as Minor. Flaring increases the Burnout by one severity (Minor to Serious, Serious to Catastrophic), and can be treated as Pushing, which all Allomancy Powers may do whether Automatic or not. If the Burnout is triggered all Powers gained from that metal are affected.)
Some Allomancers choose to burn metals for extended periods (days, weeks, or even months), and become known as Allomantic Savants. Their abilities become more powerful, but they can also suffer physical damage from the process.
There are 16 regular metals and 2 god metals Allomancers may burn. The 16 regular metals are divided into four categories, composed of internal and external pairs of a metal and its alloy. At the beginning of the Mistborn trilogy only nine of the regular metals, and one of god metal, are known. For most of the trilogy Mistings are only known for the first eight metals.
Iron
Type : External Physical Metal.
Misting Name : Lurcher.
Burning Iron (or Ironpulling) allows an Allomancer to pull on nearby metals. Metallic objects lighter than the Allomancer fly through the air directly towards the Allomancer’s centre of gravity. Should the object weigh more than the Allomancer (or should it be secured by a heavier object), they Allomancer will be pulled towards the object.
Lurchers can detect metals by seeing lines of power spreading out from themselves towards nearby metals. The width of the line varies according to the proximity and amount of the metal.
Only powerful Allomancers may affect metals piercing or within a body (+5CS to the OV/RV).
Pulling on objects can send the Lurcher falling towards their target unless they stabilize themselves. For instance they might Pull on a secure metal object in the opposite direction). If not they suffer Knockback with the AV/EV being the APs of weight of the metal object or the APs of Repulsion used, whichever is lower.
Powers : Attraction (Limited to metals, may be used with the Area Effect Bonus), Detect (Metals). Common Lurchers have around 6 APs in each Power.
Steel
Type : External Physical Alloy.
Misting Name : Coinshot.
Burning Steel (or Steelpushing) allows an Allomancer to push on nearby metals. Metallic objects lighter than the Allomancer fly through the air directly away from the Allomancer’s centre of gravity. Should the object weigh more than the Allomancer (or should it be secured by a heavier object), the Allomancer will be pushed away from the object.
Coinshots can detect metals by seeing lines of power spreading out from themselves towards nearby metals. The width of the line varies according to the proximity and amount of the metal.
Only powerful Allomancers may affect metals piercing or within a body (+5CS to the OV/RV).
Pushing on objects can send the Coinshot falling away from their target unless they stabilize themselves. For instance they might Pull on a secure metal object in the opposite direction).If not they suffer Knockback with the AV/EV being the APs of weight of the metal object or the APs of Attraction/Repulsion used, whichever is lower.
Powers : Repulsion (Limited to metals, may be used with the Area Effect Bonus), Detect (Metals), Projectile Weapons (Contingent on Repulsion, metal objects only), Reflection/Deflection (Contingent on Repulsion, Metal missiles only). Common Lurchers have around 6 APs in each Power. Coinshots also carry bags of coins which they can use as missiles (Projectile Weapons: 04).
Tin
Type : Internal Physical Metal.
Misting Name : Tineye.
Burning Tin greatly increases the Allomancer’s senses, allowing them to hear distant conversations or see in near total darkness. All five senses must be increased together, and it makes them vulnerable to attacks targeting those senses.
Powers : Analytic Smell and Taste, Directional Hearing, Extended Hearing, Hypersensitive Touch, Telescopic Vision, Ultra Vision. Common Tineyes have around 2AP in each Power. They also suffer a -1CS Attack Vulnerability to sensory attacks.
Tineye Allomantic Savants have their Powers at a higher level (around 5 APs). They also possess around 6 APs of Danger Sense. Their Attack Vulnerability is -2CS, and they must often have their ears plugged and their eyes covered during daylight.
Pewter
Type : Internal Physical Alloy.
Misting Name : Thug, Pewterarm.
Burning Pewter greatly enhances the Allomancer’s physical strength, speed, durability. It also enhances their body’s ability to heal.
An Allomancer performing “Pewter drag” can keep themselves going for hours or even days at a time. Some are known to have run as fast as a galloping horse for days. However, like many other uses of Pewter, they have to keep burning it for a time after to recover, otherwise they could collapse from exhaustion or worse.
Powers : Power Reserve (usually around 8 APs) which they share in a Permanent pattern among their Physical Abilities, with no attribute raised to more than double its natural AP level (apart from when Flaring). They also have Lightning Reflexes, Running (usually at 04 APs), Mind Over Matter (usually 6 APs), and Regeneration (usually at 01 AP).
Zinc
Type : External Mental Metal.
Misting Name : Rioter.
Burning Zinc allows an Allomancer to riot (enflame) the emotions of those nearby, enhancing certain feelings. This may be targeted on a particular individual, or allowed to affect all within range.
Powers : Broadcast Empathy (Enflame emotions only, may be used with an Area Effect Bonus if wished). Common Rioters have around 6 AP.
Brass
Type : External Mental Alloy.
Misting Name : Soother.
Burning Brass allows an Allomancer to soothe (dampen) the emotions of those nearby, suppressing certain feelings. They might also suppress all but the feeling they want the target to feel. This may be targeted on a particular individual, or allowed to affect all within range.
Powers : Broadcast Empathy (Calm emotions only, may be used with an Area Effect Bonus if wished). Common Soothers have around 6 AP.
Copper
Type : Internal Mental Metal.
Misting Name : Coppercloud, Smoker.
Burning Copper hides the traces of Allomancy from those burning Bronze. It produces an invisible area, known as a Coppercloud, which obscures the signs of Allomancy from observers both within and without the area covered. While commonly believed to completely obscure Allomancy from detection, some Steel Inquisitors and a rare few Allomancers are capable of penetrating Copperclouds.
Since Copper Burns slowly, most Mistborn burn it continually, making them harder to detect.
Powers : Obscure (Only blocks Detect (Allomancy)): 10.
Bronze
Type : Internal Mental Alloy.
Misting Name : Seeker.
Burning Bronze allows an Allomancer to “hear” the pulses given off when other Allomancers Burn metals. Those practiced at Burning Bronze can even determine the location of the Allomancer, which metal is being Burned (since they produce different sounds), and at what rate.
Powers : Detect (Allomancy) (Discerning Bonus). Common Seekers have around 4 APs.
Chromium
Type : External Enhancement Metal.
Misting Name : Leecher.
Burning Chromium allows an Allomancer to wipe the metal reserves of another Allomancer by touching them. This form of Allomancy is unknown during the time of the Mistborn Trilogy.
Powers : Neutralize (Allomantic Powers only, Range of Touch, it can Team Attack all Powers a target possesses without penalty, effects last until the target ingests more of the appropriate metal. Common Leechers have around 12 APs.
Nicrosil
Type : External Enhancement Alloy.
Misting Name : Nicroburst.
Burning Nicrosil allows an Allomancer to cause the metal supplies currently being Burned by an Allomancer they’re touching to be instantly Burned up in a flare of power (perhaps unexpectedly). This uses up their supply of that metal. This form of Allomancy is unknown during the time of the Mistborn Trilogy.
Powers : Enchantment (Currently Burning Allomantic Powers, Range of Touch, Split among active Powers [all having at least 1 AP if possible (if more Powers are active than the APs of Enchantment, APs are first distributed to the more active Powers, at the GM’s discretion) with remaining AP going to the Powers in primary use]). Common Nicrobursts have around 8 APs.
Aluminum
Type : Internal Enhancement Metal.
Misting Name : Aluminum Gnat.
Burning Aluminum instantly wipes out an Allomancer’s entire metal reserve.
Powers : None known.
Duralumin
Type : Internal Enhancement Alloy.
Misting Name : Duralumin Gnats.
Burning Duralumin instantly burns away other metals the Allomancer has burning at the time. This releases an enormous burst of power related to those metals. While the power of the burst has yet to be measured, when Vin Burned it to boost her Pewter in a fight, a head butt to the Thug she was fighting exploded his head.
This only really has any benefit, or effect, for a Mistborn (see below).
Powers : None known.
Cadmium
Type : External Temporal Metal.
Misting Name : Pulser.
Burning Cadmium allows an Allomancer to subtly “pull” on time in a bubble around them, stretching it and making it pass more slowly. This form of Allomancy is unknown during the time of the Mistborn Trilogy.
Powers : Time Slow. Common Pulsers have around 5 APs.
Cerrobend
Type : External Temporal Alloy.
Misting Name : Slider.
Burning Cerrobend allows an Allomancer to subtly “push” time in a bubble around them, compressing it and making it pass more quickly. This form of Allomancy is unknown during the time of the Mistborn Trilogy, although Steel Inquisitors have exhibited similar abilities.
Powers : Superspeed. Common Sliders have around 5 APs.
Gold
Type : Internal Temporal Metal.
Misting Name : Auger.
Burning Gold shows an Allomancer visions of possible other lives they could have led, and different paths they could have taken. This process usually occupies their attention, and they often suffer emotional trauma following the visions.
Powers : None known.
Electrum
Type : Internal Temporal Alloy.
Misting Name : Oracle.
Burning Electrum shows an Allomancer visions of possible paths they could take in the future, usually limited to a few seconds. It can also counter the benefits of Atium.
Powers : Precognition: 00, Neutralise (Atium burning Powers). Common Oracles have around 12 AP of Neutralise.
Atium
Type : Godmetal.
Misting Name : Seer.
Pure Atium grants the Allomancer an expansive vision of the future. It also enhances their mind to accept, process and hold more information. In alloy, it produces various expanded Mental and Temporal effect. Regular use of Atium shows the Allomancer shadows of movements from the next few seconds allowing them to easily evade and strike their enemies.
This makes Aitum the most sought after and expensive of metals, and battles between Mistborn usually come down to who has the larger supply of the fast Burning Atium.
Powers : Danger Sense, Power Reserve (Dexterity). Common Seers have around 6 APs in these Powers.
Malatium
Type : Godmetal.
Misting Name : Unknown.
Burning Malatium (an alloy of Atium and gold, and which was for a long time known as the mythic Eleventh Metal) allows an Allomancer to see a vision of who a person was in the past.
Powers : Postcognition (only shows them what the person looked like in the past).This has been exhibited as working for up to 34 APs of time (1000 years).
Larasium
Type : Godmetal.
Misting Name : N/A.
Pure Larasium, which is very rare, transforms a person into a Mistborn, allowing them to Burn all metals.
Powers : N/A.
Mistborn (w/DC Heroes data)
Mistborn have access to all the abilities of Mistings, and gain others from using the powers in combination.
Mistborn can combine their Ironpulling and Steelpushing to jump around the city using metals in buildings (or coins which they drop as anchors). They push and pull themselves over great distances.
Lurchers and Coinshots can try this to a limited degree (Power Tricks). But it’s only really possible for a Mistborn, with the benefit of the enhanced reactions and physique provided by Pewter. This gives them the Jumping Power at 5 APs, Limited to using metal as anchors for the jumps. Howbeit they don’t necessarily need to land (and often don’t) before Jumping again.
Fan art by Slayrr from her DeviantArt gallery .
Mistborn Burning Duralumin have Power Reserve, Limited to currently Burning Allomantic Powers, and is usually around 8 APs. The APs are split among the valid Powers, with all having at least 1 AP if possible. If more Powers are active than the APs of Power Reserve, APs are first distributed to the more active Powers, at the Player’s discretion. Remaining AP going to the Powers in primary use, at the Mistborn’s discretion.
Burning Duralumin immediately lasts for one Phase, immediately wiping out their ingested metal reserves afterwards.
Mistborn Burning Duralumin to boost their Broadcast Empathy can, if they successfully target a Hemalurgy spiked individual (such as Steel Inquisitors, Kandra, and others), attempt to use Control on them. They’ll have around 6 APs of Control.
Burning Duralumin and Atium allows a Mistborn to view further into the future. They see the ultimate effect their actions could have, allowing them to choose accordingly. This is Precognition at an AP level equal to their Danger Sense (from Burning Atium) and their Power Reserve (from burning Duralumin).
Power Reserves from burning various metals all stack. So a Mistborn burning Atium and Pewter could have their Dexterity boosted by both.
History
A millennium after saving the world from the Deepness, the Lord Ruler was a tyrant. He reigned over a world where ash from Ashmount volcanoes constantly rained down on the lands. The ash clouds kept out the burning sun, leaving it red in the sky. It was thus unable to burn away the mists which layered the lands through the night.
Society was split into the nobles, descendants of those who supported the Lord Ruler’s ascension, and the Skaa, the peasant slaves of the Lord Ruler. Some nobles inherited Allomancy.
Breeding between the classes was strictly forbidden, to ensure it didn’t spread to any with Skaa blood who might use it to rebel. Nobles were required to kill any Skaa with whom they’d had relations.
The Lord Ruler’s authority was maintained by:
- His Obligators, Allomancers who compose the empire’s bureaucracy.
- The Steel Inquisitors, Allomancers altered into inhuman appearing monsters which hunt Skaa Allomancers.
- His armies of the bestial Koloss, monstrous humanoids growing up to 12 feet tall.
Vin
Born to a Skaa woman, Vin learnt her father was senior Obligator Tevidian. While young, her mother killed her younger sister, nearly killing Vin, who was only rescued by her half-brother Reen. He took her away, always moving around and joining local Skaa criminal gangs.
Vin learned to remain inconspicuous, to avoid the attentions of other gang members, even with Reen protecting her. He beat into her not to trust anyone, and to always expect betrayal.
Fan art by Sev4, open-published on Newgrounds .
He seemed to teach her a final lesson when she was nearly 16. He disappeared, abandoning her in Luthadel, centre of the Lord Ruler’s empire. She stayed with the gang they’d been a part of, its leader Camon probably recognizing her Allomancy. She believed it was luck that allowed her to guide others decisions.
Mistborn
Knowledge of her abilities reached Kelsier. He was the infamous Survivor of Hathsin, a Mistborn thief who’d escaped the final prison of the empire. He revealed to Vin that she was a Mistborn, and offered to train her in her abilities if she joined his crew. She reluctantly agreed.
The rest of his crew was being assembled and Kelsier revealed the job: to take control of Luthadel and seize the Lord Ruler’s cache of Atium, his means of controlling the nobility.
Despite misgivings, the crew agreed and the job was split into achievable tasks. Initially suspicious of everyone, Vin was fascinated by the honest friendship between the members of the crew. However, it took her some time to allow herself to accept their friendship.
Preparation
Kelsier trained her in some of her Allomantic powers. Meanwhile the Mistings in the crew taught her their areas of expertise. Kelsier also introduced her to Sazed, a Terrisman Steward who aided Kelsier’s in the rebellion, and Lord Renoux, a nobleman from a far corner of the empire who was apparently aiding Kelsier.
They set Vin up in the role of Lord Renoux’s niece, Vallete, visiting from a far dominance. After weeks of training in etiquette by Sazed, Vallete began attending balls. Her part of the job was to infiltrate high society. At the balls, she met and developed a kind of relationship with Elend Venture, scion of the most powerful house.
He was equally fascinated by her, regularly sitting at her table with his books – despite her house’s low status – and read while they generally ignored each other.
Description
Short and slight, Vin usually wears nondescript clothing as a rule, to help herself go unnoticed.
When out at night, she now tends to wear a Mistborn cloak. This is a dark gray cloak tailored completely from separate, ribbonlike strips of cloth. It is worn only by Mistborn, which generally discourages guards from questioning the wearer too closely if they’re seen out at night.
As Vallete, she wears the latest courtly fashions, although she prefers sleeker, more reserved styles than some of the more ostentatious nobles wear.
Personality
Vin was initially quiet and beaten-down, wary of anything new, and had learned to stay inconspicuous to avoid unwanted attentions from other thieves. She grew in confidence as she learned how to use her powers.
Initially she could never quite believe the crew could achieve their goal, let alone Kelsier’s private goal of killing the Lord Ruler. Like everyone else, she’d been raised to believe that the Lord Ruler held a portion of the divine, and so opposing him was pointless.
Fan art by Slayrr from her DeviantArt gallery .
Raised by Reen to trust no one, and to expect betrayal from everyone, Vin was slow to befriend the crew. She was fascinated by the camaraderie and trust they seemed to exhibit, but kept looking for signs it was a fraud. Her need for it to be true eventually won out, but every step felt like a risk to her. Reen’s voice in her head always reinforced his lessons.
Her desire for it to be true, however, led her to worry that she wasn’t pulling her weight in the group. Thus,she’d occasionally overcompensate by doing foolhardy things to try and prove herself.
While somewhat uncomfortable with the role of Vallete at first, she soon began to get used to it. She even came to worry that she was starting to enjoy attending balls as Vallete too much. In this role she plays the part of a typical young country noble, getting to grips with courtly life at the centre of power.
Relying on her impulses, Vin rarely spends time thinking things through. If a meeting with an informant feels wrong, she’ll leave the scene without bothering to search for a reason to support her instincts.
Quotes
Vin: “I used to think everyone was like you say – hateful, hurtful. But there are good people in the world, OreSeur. I wish I could prove that to you.”
OreSeur: “You speak of this king of yours ?”
Vin: “Yes. And others.”
OreSeur: “You ?”
Vin: “No, not me. I’m not a good person or a bad person. I’m just here to kill things.”
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Vin
Dex: 10 (05) | Str: 06 (03) | Bod: 06 (03) | Motivation: Responsibility of Power |
Int: 05 | Wil: 06 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Assassin; former thief |
Inf: 04 | Aur: 06 | Spi: 08 | Resources {or Wealth}: 003 |
Init: 023 (016) | HP: 075 |
Powers:
Analytic Smell and Taste: 02, Attraction/Repulsion: 08, Broadcast Empath: 06, Density Increase: 01, Detect (Allomancy): 08, Detect (Metal): 08, Directional Hearing: 02, Extended Hearing: 02, Hypersensitive Touch: 02, Jumping: 06, Mind over Matter: 06, Obscure: 10, Power Reserve (DEX, STR, & BODY): 11, Power Reserve (see Duralumin below): 10, Projectile Weapons: 04, Reflection/Deflection: 08, Regeneration: 01, Running: 04, Telescopic Vision: 02, Ultra Vision: 02
Bonuses and Limitations:
- All Powers except Density Increase have the Allomancy Limitation (see below).
- Broadcast Empath may use the Area Effect Bonus (+).
- Density Increase is Always On but only adds to her weight for purposes of Ironpulling and Steelpushing (see below).
- Detect (Allomancy) has the Discerning Bonus (+1).
- Obscure only works against Detect (Allomancy) (-1).
- Projectile Weapons requires coins or similar small metal objects as ammunition (-1).
Skills:
Acrobatics*: 10, Martial Artist: 04, Thief (Stealth)*: 10, Weaponry (Melee, Missiles)*: 10
Advantages:
Lightning Reflexes (While Burning Pewter), Rich Friends.
Connections:
Elend Venture (High), Sazed (High), Kelsier’s Crew (High).
Drawbacks:
Attack Vulnerability (-1CS vs. sensory attacks while Burning Tin).
Equipment:
- Capsules (x5) [BODY 00, contain common Allomantic metals in an alcohol solution].
- Bag of coins [BODY 01].
- Glass Knives (x2) [BODY 02, EV 02 (03 w/STR, 04 w/Martial Artist)].
- Mistborn Cloak [BODY 03, Special Credentials (don’t get stopped by regular guards)].
Design Notes
While it can be seen as this world’s version of magic, I haven’t treated it as such for the purposes of the write-up, so I haven’t Mystic Linked the Powers.
Source of Character: Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson.
Helper(s): brandonsanderson.com , Darci.
Writeup completed on the 26th of April, 2010.