About The Code | Hero Creation | Game Mechanics | Sample Heroes & Villains Leatherman: submitted by Uncle Dark The Warden: submitted by Sean Demory Damsel: submitted by Sean Demory The Answer: submitted by Sean Demory El Jefe: submitted by Aaron Houx Angel: submitted by Mike Sullivan Kid Discord: submitted by Jared Sorensen CrossXBones: submitted by Jared Sorensen Brigadier: submitted by Sean Demory The Crimson Blade: submitted by Sean Demory The Protector: submitted by Sean Demory The Green Falcon: submitted by Gareth Michael Skarka Robot Boy: submitted by Jared Sorensen Leather Man Secret Identity: Randy Wilson Appearance: Randy looks like he's in his late 20s (actually, he's 34), of medium height, well built with high muscle definition. He has blonde hair (from a bottle, he's actually a brunette) and hazel eyes. When he goes out "on patrol," he wears a studded leather harness, jackboots, PVC shorts, studded gloves, and a leather hood. Objective: Randy wants to fight gay-bashing in the city's queer ghetto (5) Motivation: While he occasionally makes high-minded speeches, he's really in it for the adrenaline rush (2) Profession: Personal Trainer. Randy makes his money by helping people slim down or bulk up. His personal routine includes some martial arts workouts, but he's really only into it for its aerobic exercise value. Advantage: Randy is a masochist. Pain doesn't faze him. In fact, he gets off on it. Weakness: Due to abuse of steroids and diet drugs in his early 20s, Randy has a small speed habit. This can affect his judgment, especially if he's in need of a fix. Modus Operandi: Leather Man tends to tie assailants he subdues to whatever's handy (lamp posts, street signs, whatever) with black gaffer's tape, and leave them there until morning with their pants around their ankles. Exposure: Randy has only been doing the Leather Man thing for a year or so, but he works in a small community and makes no secret of his accomplishments (4). Popularity: Leather Man has a reputation as a poor solution to a bad problem (3). The Warden Secret Identity: Tony Wills Appearance: Tony is a well-built black man in his late 20s with short hair and a few prison tattoos. As The Warden, he wears a crude iron mask/helmet, heavy reinforced gloves, steel-toed boots and a tattered grey overcoat covering a prison “bulletproof vest” (a utility vest with phone books duct taped to vital areas of the body.) He carries an old, handheld police scanner, a baseball bat (reinforced with steel rods) and a length of heavy chain. Objective: Fight street crime in the projects (6) Motivation: Tony went to jail for five years for a gang-related assault. He turned himself around, but saw many of his former friends growing more manipulative and destructive to the community, and blamed them for the current state of the neighborhood.(3) Profession: Building superintendent (he knows all number of handyman tricks, ranging from picking locks to jury-rigging and metalwork to getting toilets to work. He’s also got a good grasp of building security and basic street ettiquette.) Advantage: The Warden is overwhelmingly brutal in combat, often demoralizing foes sufficiently to make them slip up or run away. Weakness: Poverty. Tony Wills lives in the projects, and can’t afford much. His rent is covered by work, but he lives very much paycheck by paycheck. Modus Operandi: Lockdown. The Warden spraypaints warnings that he’s performing a lockdown in a certain area before performing intensive patrols. Anyone he catches doing anything suspicious during lockdown gets locked down. Exposure: 3 (MO, Appearance, Advantage) Popularity: The Warden’s more feared than loved in his neighborhood, after a few very rough lockdowns (3 - Violent). Damsel Secret Identity: Angela Li Appearance: Angela’s a small Chinese-American woman, with short hair and a determined glare. As Damsel, she wears SCA-type plate-and-chainmail armor with a half-helm and carries a smallsword and a quarterstaff. Objective: Protect women from victimization (8) Motivation: Angela’s rapidly-waning sense of idealism was bolstered after she fought off a client’s boyfriend with nothing more than a few self-defense tricks and a handy coffee-pot. She threw herself into a dedicated training regimen, invested in some armor and hit the streets. Profession: Women’s shelter employee Advantage: Dedicated. Damsel doesn’t back down, ever. She’s gotten cut a few times, shot at twice and has not been deterred when a woman was in danger. Weakness: Overconfident. Damsel plays to the camera... she knows she needs to be a symbol so she’s flashy when she can be, and can underestimate herself Modus Operandi: Damsel always gives her opponent a chance to give up before and during the fight. She never strikes first. Exposure: 4 (Appearance, code name, objective, advantage) Popularity: Damsel’s been relatively public, standing guard at “Take Back The Night” events and facing off against abortion protesters. She’s kept her nose clean, although she’s had to beat on a few miscreants, and is molding her image very carefully (5). The Answer Secret Identity: Garrett Hodges Appearance: Hodges is a lanky man in his mid-30s with short, greying hair. As The Answer, he wears a full-face mask that looks like newsprint, a white suit and a black shirt and gloves. Objective: Rule the underworld through information (8) Motivation: After driving two small-scale criminals to prison or suicide through well-placed information leaks, Garrett decided he could use his intellect for exceptional personal gain. (4) Profession: Supervillain (Information gathering, plotting, seeking out thugs) Advantage: Calculating. The Answer’s got a mind like a steel trap, and he is prone to stunning intuitive leaps at the drop of a hat. Weakness: Fear of violence. When it comes to a throw-down, The Answer’s answer is invariably “escape.” Modus Operandi: The Answer works through videotape, showing his mark a copy of the information he has and the person he’ll give the information to before presenting his terms... “The Answer is $100,000 to keep that girl’s name out of the paper, Mr. Mayor.” He’s branched out, planning heists for pay and coordinating them with his activities to bring his marks down. Exposure: 3 (MO, appearance, code name) Popularity: A fair amount of murder and mayhem has been committed at the order of The Answer, and he’s known to have a fair amount of blood on his distant hands. 1 (Secretive, violent) El Jefe Secret Identity: Javier Ruiz Appearance: Javier is a 23 year-old former gang banger, out on parole, who lives in the barrio. He is fairly well-built, has short hair and 2 tattoos - a Nazca Monkey on one shoulderblade and a fist with "Raza" on the knuckles on his right shoulder. This tattoo is a constant reminder of his gang days. As El Jefe, he dresses like a gang banger's shadow: black baggy pants, black long sleeved shirt, black tennies and a black stocking cap over a black luchadore's mask. Objective: As a former gang member, Javier fell into selling drugs and perpetrating violence. He was sent to prison at age 16-17 on manslaughter charges stemming from shooting back at a rival gang in a drive-by. At age 18, he stopped getting angry and started getting smart. He earned his GED and holds dual degrees in business and social work, both obtained in prison. Now as El Jefe, and in his day job, he is trying to make life better in the barrio for kids and decent people. His objective is to stop gang-related street crime and drug dealing, and someday to get those who are supplying the drugs to the gangs. (Objective 6) Motivation: Javier's motivation is one of repentance and altruism, seeing the kids who are growing up in the neighborhood either fearful or in awe of the gangs. (Motivation 3) Profession: Javier is working at a local community center helping kids and doing some fund raising. Use of both his degrees. He lives at home with his mother, sister and 2 brothers - all younger. He plays with the kids, talks to them about their problems and talks about his former life. Advantage: Javier's advantage is his former thug life, his contacts on the streets and the kids who come to the center. He can find out pretty easily what is going down and plan for it. Weakness: Javiers weakness is that he is a parolee. He needs to keep a low profile and not attract much attention in case the police would get on his case. He also has a soft spot for the kids he deals with every day. Modus Operandi: El Jefe's MO is once he beats down a thug and leaves him unconscious, he trusse them up and calls the police on the thug's cell phone. When the police show up, all the perp's gang gear is in a neat little pile by the door. Exposure: Not much is known about El Jefe, and Javier would like to keep it that way. The police just know that someone is out there taking down gang bangers and the thugs can't even give a good ID. (Exposure 1) Popularity: El Jefe's popularity with the neighborhood and kids would be great, if Javier could let them know what's going on. At this moment, he is little more than an urban legend. (Popularity 3) Angel Secret Identity: Robert Anthony Appearance: Robert is a 19 year old male. He's got serious acne and a weak chin. He looks perpetually rather frightened. Angel is never seen. However, Robert has a high quality voice-changer-thing, and he as Angel talks on the telephone a fair amount. Angel sounds smooth, confident, and sexy. Robert Anthony is a very smart kid, very confused about himself. He's got some pretty serious identity and sexuality issues, and they're crippling to his self-confidence. Unwilling to deal with his real life, he's created an alter ego, the smooth, confident, and rather female "Angel," who foils high-profile crime and is loved by all. Objective: Angel's objective is to become publically well-loved by solving high-profile crimes. Robert is very dedicated -- indeed, rather obsessed -- to this goal (8). Motivation: Robert is trying to escape his own life by crafting an alter-ego that's everything he wishes he was (4). Profession: Robert goes to college, studying chemistry, part time and works at a Dairy Queen. Advantage: Robert is extraordinarily attentive to tiny detail. Weakness: Robert is physically a pushover, and has no confidence in his Robert persona. He can't even ask his manager for a raise or call out an answer in class, much less stand up to a criminal face-to-face. This weakness is not a problem when he's on the phone as Angel, or otherwise hiding his identity. Robert does legwork for himself, of course, but he tends to take a fly-on-the-wall approach. Modus Operandi: Robert is largely a remote investigator. He looks for some kind of serious, big crime, and then he checks for everything he can on it from newspaper archives, online stuff, phone conversations, etc. He'll go out in his Robert persona to do physical investigation (he thinks of himself almost as an agent of Angel, not Angel herself). In his remote Angel persona, he's contacted pretty much everyone who seems smart at his college, and can usually convince them to help him in areas that he's not personally capable of, like hacking or forensic work or whatnot. He's very good at putting all that together into a coherent whole. After assembling enough material, Angel spreads the word far and wide as to who the culprit for the crime is. Her M.O. is to send very comprehensive "evidence packages" to the police and the media, but she also is more than willing to talk (by phone or any other remote service) extensively with anyone who has questions about her investigation. Exposure: Angel aggressively reveals her presence, her code-name, her MO, her objective (the "solving high-profile crime" part, at least), and her Advantage. Her voice is well-known to all, as she gave permission for a radio guy to play it at one point. Her Exposure is 6. Popularity: Angel is non-violent and media-friendly, insofar as her non-existant status allows her. Her popularity is 7. Kid Discord Secret Identity: Billiam Gates Appearance: Kid Discord is a twenty-year old kid with a shaggy mop of brown hair and a quirky smile. He sometimes wears disguises when on missions. As the Kid, he wears outrageously weird t-shirts, "urban camouflage" combat fatigues and combat boots. prescription swimming goggles and a lime green cape tied around his neck. His "utility bag" contains flyers and weird props to confuse his audience. Objective: Entertain and confuse the masses with his absurd guerilla theatre performances (4). Motivation: Bill just likes to make people go "Huh?" and question the absurdities of life. (2) Profession: Part-time bookstore employee Advantage: The Kid has got contacts all over the city and beyond (thanx to various 'zines and the Internet). Weakness: The Kid has been diagnoses with terminal leukemia and is often seriously ill, too ill to even leave his bed. Modus Operandi: Dials a random number and shouts "All Hail Discordia!" before "changing" into his costume. Usually, the Kid operates in cognito in order to play practical jokes on people. Exposure: The Kid is very well known across the city and on the Internet. Occassionaly he works with other fringe theatre and subversive activist groups to "get the message out." (7 - Code Name, Appearance, Objective, Motivation, Advantage, MO) Popularity: Some consider the Kid to be a nuisance but most people react quite favorably to his antics (7). CrossXBones Public Identity: Jack Mayhew Appearance: Sturdy looking and tall with short dark hair. As CrossXBones (pronounces "Crossbones"), Jack wears black leather pants, a black leather jacket with a Jolly Roger on the back and a dark red kerchief tied around his head. He carries a cutlass on his belt as an affectation, an item that has raised more than one eyebrow when he's out and about. Objective: Help people in their mundane, day-to-day lives (8). Motivation: Jack is just an extremely generous, caring person...who happens to think that he's a swashbuckling pirate king (4) Profession: Superhero Advantage: Jack is extremely charismatic Weakness: Jack is a loon and doesn't react well to violence. He's apt to flee rather than fight. Modus Operandi: None. He just hangs out in public places and helps people deal with daily life. Exposure: 10 (the public is extraordinarily aware of Jack, his mission and even his favorite food -- hot dogs and saurkraut) Popularity: People think that he's an oddball. They're right, but they love him (8) Brigadier Secret Identity: Alex Hodges Appearance: Alex is a young man in his mid-20s, with sandy blond hair. As The Brigadier, he wears a black, hooded sweatshirt, combat boots, black fatigue pants and a black facemask. He wears red gloves, and a red fist is stenciled on the back of his shirt. Objective: Support direct action in an effort to overthrow all government; strike back against those who take advantage of the people (8) Motivation: Alex has an unshakeable conviction that the people of the world are ready for true anarchy. As a survivor of recent uprisings, he’s also aghast at what he has termed the excesses of police... he’s very focused on protecting front-line nonviolent protesters from violence, as he respects their convictions if not their tactics. (4) Profession: Activist/campaign worker. Alex knows how to organize, how to publicize and how to keep a protest moving. He’s also well-versed in direct action tactics and sabotage. Advantage: Well-prepared. As an organizer, Alex knows what is needed for most situations, and tends to carry extras of everything from breathing masks to first-aid kits. He also knows how to deploy protesters for maximum effect, and he’s able to change tactics as a protest continues. Weakness: Alex had his leg broken during a crowd stampede, and he still walks with a limp. Modus Operandi: Immediately before a major action, The Brigadier sends a mass communique to pre-selected media outlets explaining his motive and giving evidence of wrongdoing. News outlets have learned to scramble when they receive his e-mail. Exposure: 6 (MO, Appearance, Objective, Motivation, Advantage, Code Name) Popularity: 3- The Brigadier has met violence with violence several times, and has been linked to various acts of property destruction. He’s not secretive at all, however, and has made his presence known through interviews and community outreach sessions The Crimson Blade Secret Identity: Doug Washington Appearance: Doug Washington is a wiry black man with a goatee and close-cropped hair. As The Crimson Blade, he wears a red kerchief/mask covering his eyes and nose, a blousy black shirt, red and black striped pantaloons and black boots. He carries a sharpened epee and a main gauche. Objective: Protect the innocent, defend those in need. (7) Motivation: Doug works off of three motivations. In part, he feels a desire to help people and do good deeds. He also enjoys the thrill of swashbuckling and the opportunity to use skills he never thought would be useful after college. After a few rescues he also found that, as a dark and romantic figure, he could get a fair amount of Crimson Blade play, and has been taking full advantage of that of late. In practice, this means he’ll help people in general, but he’s more likely to flashily spring to the aid of an attractive woman. (3) Profession: Accountant Advantage: Combat proficiency. Doug was poised to be an Olympic-level fencer before he left the hobby behind (he considered it frivolous.) He’s gotten back up to speed, and he’s loosened his form sufficiently to be able to take on large numbers of people with flair. Weakness: Nearsighted. Doug wears glasses most of the time, and contact lenses in his Crimson Blade persona. Modus Operandi: The Crimson Blade is known for non-lethal incapacitation. He’ll disarm foes, cut buttons to make pants fall down, wrap people up in awnings and the like. He patrols the city’s entertainment district, frequenting areas around nightclubs. Exposure: 5 (Code name, appearance, objective, advantage, MO) Popularity: 7 (The Crimson Blade’s very friendly but not terribly well-known outside of his “patrol area.”) The Protector Secret Identity: Joe Jorgensen Appearance: Joe's built like a running back, which he was. He's a white male in his early 30s with bleached-blond hair. His "supersuit" is a red, white and blue leather jacket, blue pants and sneakers, a white shirt (with light bulletproof vest) and a domino mask. His costume and name were a scheme concocted by his agent, who dropped Joe before he put it to use. Objective: Fight crime, make the papers. (8) Motivation: Three words: Fat. Endorsement. Dollars. (4) Profession: Arena football washout, professional athlete. Joe's been trying to get some quick fame for a while. He's currently working as a bouncer. Advantage: Athletic prowess. The Protector's a well-tuned athletic machine, able to punch, kick and run with the best of them. He's expanded his training regimen to include martial arts and acrobatics. Weakness: Low self-control. Joe's prone to 'roid rage, he binges often and can't say no to much at all. Modus Operandi: Cocky, low-thought "crimebusting" He's not much of a detective, but he has muscled a few informants into giving him tips on upcoming crime, which he's bashed through in a very high-profile manner Exposure: 6 (Code name, appearance, objective, profession, advantage) Popularity: 7- The Protector's a very public hero, willing to sign autographs and make sure his mask is in the public eye. He's a little too cocky to be "friendly," though The Green Falcon Secret Identity: Walker Blake Appearance: Blake is a tall, broad-shouldered man. As the Green Falcon, he wears a dark business suit beneath a flowing, dark green wool overcoat. The costume is completed by a green felt fedora over a full-face mask. He uses a variety of weapons in his nightly work, including pistols, shotguns, homemade explosives, mace, pepperspray, etc. Objective: Rid the city of organized crime and gangs(6) Motivation: Blake wants to be feared and respected (3) Profession: Investigative Journalist Advantage: Contacts. The Green Falcon has a massive number of contacts all over the city--citizens whom he has saved, police whom he has assisted, and small-time criminals whom he has released on condition. Weakness: Fear of discovery. Blake's greatest fear is for the Green Falcon to be revealed as a 'nobody' Modus Operandi: The Green Falcon leaves his victims with a literal calling card--a gloss-black business card with an embossed green falcon. Exposure: 7 (The exploits of the Green Falcon are big, splashy and massively well-covered by the local media) Popularity: Green Falcon engages in fairly brutal justice, to send a message to the rest of the criminal community. This makes him a somewhat fearsome commodity, even amongst law-abiding citizens (Violent and Secretive--3) Robot Boy Secret Identity: Jeffrey Boyd Appearance: Jeffrey is a frail young boy about fourteen years old who uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. As Robot Boy, Jeffrey wears a silver bike helmet, thick goggles and attaches silver streamers to his chair. He carries a small horde of comic books in a compartment in the chair. Objective: Help kids dealing with their own disabilities (5) Motivation: Self-empowerment and independence (2) Profession: Student Advantage: Jeffrey is smart, confident and has a great sense of humor. People just love him...even when he's being a pain in the ass. Weakness: Afflicted with a degenerative condition at an early age, Jeffrey relies on his wheelchair to get around. He cannot walk and sometimes suffers mild seizures. Modus Operandi: None Exposure: Jeffrey is well-known and liked at school and has been featured on a variety of local news programs. He tours schools as Robot Boy to help kids deal with their problems. 10. Popularity: Robot Boy is seen as a positive inspiration to young kids and is generally a decent human being (albeit one fascinated by comic book superheroes...and who isn't?). 8.