Jon Sable: Freelance

Originally Published on Classicmarvelforever.com on 05/05/2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jon Sable (In 1984)

F: Rm (30)
A: Rm (30)
S: Gd (10)
E: Ex (20)
R: Gd (10)
I: Rm (30)
P: Rm (30)

Health: 90
Karma: 70
Popularity: As Jon Sable: 15, As B.B. Flemm: 30
Resources: Rm (30)


Talents:
Sable has many talents, including:

• Hunting
• Tracking
• Athletics (He was an Olympic athlete who competed in the 1976 games.)
• Military*
• Guns
• Marksman*
• Sharp Weapons
• Multi-Lingual
• Detective/Espionage
• Martial Arts A, B, E
• Tumbling
• Knowledge: Intelligence networks
• Performer: Writer
• Boxing

Powers:
None

Contacts:
Sable has contacts throughout the world, but chief among his contacts are:

• Sonny Pratt
• Eden Kendell: Sable's publisher and confidant
• Myke Blackmon: Sable's on-again/Off-again girlfriend and illustrator.
• Chief Winters: While an antagonistic relationship exists between Sable and Winters, it was shown to soften a bit (Shaman's Tears # 5) to the point that Winters probably is a contact.

Limitations:

• Public ID: Sable maintains his identity publicly as an adventurer for hire, and is well known for his activities.
• Secret ID: Sable maintains a dual identity specifically as B.B. Flemm - the writer of popular children's novels  Sable is very careful to maintain the public identity of the writer, purely for financial reasons (It was imagined that Sable's persona would tank sales).
• Wanted: Sable has been wanted for murder at one time in Africa.

 

 

As you might tell, Jon Sable was perhaps one of my favorite comics in the 1980s and possibly one of the better books out of a period of time of better comics. Sable had a short-lived TV series in 1988 and has long been the subjects of possible adaptions.

Abraham Setrakian from 'The Strain'

Abraham Setrakian

Abraham Setrakian

F: Typ (06)
A: Pr (04)
S: Pr (04)
E: Gd (10)
R: Gd (10)
I: Rm (30)
P: Rm (30)

Health: 24
Karma: 70
Resources: Ex (20)
Popularity: 0

Talents:
Occult Lore Specialist*: Strigoi - Abraham Setrakian knows the Strigoi better than any other human on the planet, and as such, gains a +2CS when dealing with any fact or information regarding their abilities, weaknesses, and habits. While Setrakian does not know the specifics of the origins of the Strigoi, he has a great understanding amassed from 70+ years of pursuing them.
Researcher
Occult Lore - Generalist and Folklore.
Streetwise
Firearms
Marksman*
Business/Finance: Small Business
Sharp Weapons
Carpentry/Construction
Metalworking

Powers:
Abraham Setrakian is considered a 'normal' human, but has shown incredible ability to ignore pain and remain focused. As such, Setrakian should be considered to have something akin to Iron Will at Gd (10) rank. The suggestion is that even at 90+ years old with a weak heart, Setrakian is still hunting and incredibly effective at it.

Jack Update: We learned early on that Setrakian was utilizing Strain blood to keep himself alive - as such he is considered to have Gd (10) Longevity when is utilizing it, but requires a source (usually the worms that infest his wife's heart).

Equipment:
Sword: Setrakian utilizes a silver sword with a unique history, which grants him Ex (20) edged damage halving effective body armor. The sword has a history (which is further explained in the books) and has additional properties, but for the purposes of this write-up remains a standard sword. The handle is uniquely made for use by Setrakian's ruined hands, granting him no penalty for single slashes. The sword's blade is considered unbreakable, but the handle is simple worked silver, and can be broken.

Nailgun: Setrakian carries a standard nail-gun (purchased at Home Depot), which is filled with silver nails. The gun has a single area radius and does Pr (4) damage, but each nail is made of solid silver and is considered lethal against the Strigoi

Additional Equipment: Setrakian keeps a well-stocked cache of items for hunting and detecting Strigoi, including silver weapons, a silver mirror (used to detect the presence of Strigoi) and other items. Setrakian will have items on his person when hunting if given time to prepare.

Base of Operations:: Setrakian maintains a base of operation in a secret room below his shop in Manhattan, where he keeps both a private library, his workshop, and the heart of his deceased wife (turned Strigoi). The secret rooms are known only to a few.

Contacts:
Setrakian is mainly a loner, but is allied with several people during the course of The Strain specifically Ephraim Goodwinter, Nora Martinez, and especially Vasiliy Fet. Outside of that, Setrakian is considered to have few connections.

Limitations:
Age: Setrakian, despite being very capable and mentally aware, is pushing 90+. As such, his FASE have begun to reflect his old age. In addition, Setrakian has a weak heart which requires medication. Any Endurance FEAT that is Gd (10) intensity or better requires an additional Endurance FEAT in order for Setrakian to act. Failure in either case incapacitates Setrakian and potentially could begin the dying process.

Obsession: Setrakian is obsessed in detroying the Strigoi, making their destruction his life's work. Setrakian has placed himself in harm's way in the past to destroy them.

Crippled: Setrakian's hands were crippled by the Master Vampire during WWII, and as such, suffers a -1CS for all agility actions requiring use of his hands. Setrakian has compensated, but detail work is difficult if not impossible.

Enemies: Setrakian's activities are known to the Strigoi, and specifically the Master Vampire and specifically his agent, Eichhorst.

Notes:

I debated Setrakian's Fighting score based on the events of the series and his condition, and settled on Typical (for a 90+ year old!), representing the lifetime of experience despite his physical limitations. I also toyed with the Psyche, as Setrakian is shown to have far greater will in the novels, but opted to remain at the Rm (30) rank as I'm trying to remain close to what I see the series representing. I added the streetwise talent as Setrakian seemed to show both his ability to understand the local criminal scene and recruit the hacker who gained the flight manifest and passenger list. I also included the idea of having generalized Occult Lore as well as the very specialized version as it was implied or suggested he had studied and had various books on the subject while learning about the Strigoi.

The Martan Ghosts from 'Ghosts of Mars'

’ This is about one thing: dominion. It's not their planet anymore. ‘

I figure I’ll cut down my narrative on the write-ups, mainly due to the fact I can drone on and people really just want the stats :>.

Why the Ghosts from Mars?
First, I love John Carpenter movies, and I rather liked the practical approach to the effects. Second, it was a near concept combining the ghost story/possession/sci-fi survival flick into a fairly slick film. I rather liked the majority of the movie, and I think it’s a neat enough monster-group to be represented

 

Ghosts of Mars

Standard ‘Ghost’

F: Varies on Host
A: Varies on Host
S: Varies on Host
E: Varies on Host, See ‘Powers’
R: Typ (06)
I: Rm (30)
P: Ex (20)

Health: Variable
Karma: Roughly 56
Popularity: ‘0’ prior to the initial outbreak, it is assumed that the popularity reduces to ’-50’ as they become a planetary threat to the Martian colony.
Resources: N/A

Talents:
The individual ghosts seem to have their own talents, which include the basics:

• Knowledge: Ancient Martian Culture
• Knowledge: Martian Language
• Sharp Weapons
• Blunt Weapons
• Artist: Scarification/Tattooing
• Small-Unit Tactics
• Mystic Origin* (See Notes)

Powers:
Free Spirits*: In the truest sense of the word, the Martian ghosts are free-spirits capable of nearly permanently possessing a body until physical death. The ghosts are perhaps a thousand strong, maybe more, and work with a group mentality to reassert control of the red planet. The ghosts have the following abilities:

• Free Spirit: The Martians exist purely as free spirits, and cannot be killed through any physical or traditional means. As such, the ghosts cannot normally interact with individuals unless they possess a host and cannot be detected through normal means. The ghost adapt their FASE from their hosts, and completely replace their hosts RIP with their own. The ghosts are nearly impervious to damage in their spirit forms, although their hosts are not so, and suffer damage at the regular rate. Ghost-possessed individuals can still be stunned and knocked unconscious, but this does not free a host from the ghost (hah, I'm a poet and didn't know it).
• Possession: The ghosts can permanently possess a physical host, and maintain that possession until death. The possession is a Rm (30) intensity attack which depending on the opposed result determines the time between the initial attack and complete possession. As the ghost 'takes over', the individual will begin ritually scarring themselves, decorating their flesh as the ancient martians did. The process is as follows: Once the target has been 'selected', they must make a RM (30) Psyche with a Yellow Intensity or begin the possession process. If the result is a critical failure (01), the possession occurs within the same round. If the result is white, the possession can occur between 1 - 10 rounds, if the result is green the possession will take 1 - 10 Turns. The possession can be resisted with Karma or can be stopped by 'shutting down' or altering the sensory input of an individual (With an Ex (20) or better effect). The ghost cannot attempt to possess someone they have already failed in 'converting', nor can they seem to affect anyone with a Rm (30) Psyche or higher.
• ESP: The ghosts can 'sense' other beings and are not hindered through normal sensory obstacles (Such as darkness and the like). In addition, those who are being 'possessed' or have contact will pick up the psychic impressions of the ghosts, such as their goals and history.

Contacts:
The ghosts only communicate or have contacts through their own group.

Limitations:
The ghosts have several key limitations despite their near-immortal nature:

• Dependency on a host: The ghosts cannot interact with the physical world, and must possess a host in order to do so. In addition, the bond between a host and the martian means the martian can be 'killed' for a while at the death of the host
• Bloodthirsty and Cruel: The ghosts are extremely savage and will delight in causing as much sadism as possible.
• Inhuman: A possessed host does not maintain anything that is a remnant of who they were. In combination with the ritual scarring and bloodthirsty nature, ghost-possessed individuals are incredibly easy to spot.
• Goal: The entire host of the Martian ghosts seem to be dedicated in murdering the 'invaders' and taking them over in order to return Mars to the Martians.
• Lack of communication: The ghost do not communicate verbally in a means that humans would understand.
• Binding*: It seems to be possible to bind a ghost to a place, as was part of the backstory. If this is the case, then it would be easy to assume the ghosts suffer a -1cs to their Psyche for the purposes of mental entrapment/mystical binding.

Notes:
For the purposes of the write-up, I've included the Mystic Origin* talent. I debated this because it is clear that the ghosts may not be traditional spirits...however....even John Carpenter said they were actually alien beings more akin to lovecraftian horrors, so I kept it. I also debated adding a variation of Iron Will, which could totally be justified as they simply do not feel pain in their host forms, and in some cases ,seek it out. I ended up not including it, as I felt that there were only a few examples of this in the movie.

The Koblenz undead soldiers from 'Shockwaves' (1977)

Shortly before the start of World War II, the German high command began a secret investigation into the powers of the supernatural. Ancient legend told of a race of warriors, who used neither weapons nor shields, and whose superhuman power came from within the earth itself. As Germany prepared for war, the SS secretly enlisted a group of scientists to create an invincible soldier. It is known that the bodies of soldiers killed in battle, were returned to a secret laboratory near Koblenz, where they were used in a variety of scientific experiments. It was rumored, that toward the end of the war, allied forces met German squads that fought without weapons, killing only with their bare hands. No one knows who they were or what became of them, but one thing is certain, of all the SS units, there was only one that the allies never captured a single member of.’

There is something campy and yet terrifying about the underwater Nazis from the movie Shock Waves. Even for most of the movie, you don’t really shake the feeling that despite the campiness, there is something very surreal and very terrifying going on. Perhaps due to the presence of Peter Cushing or the sequences where the undead are resting in pools, there are moments where Shock Waves plays on the viewer, and it’s creepy movement. Films like Outpost, The Devil’s Rock and even the first Dead Snow I think attempt to capture the ‘Evil Nazi Horror’ concept, but I personally don’t think they are as creepy as Shock Waves.

Why The Shockwave ‘Zombies’

I think that the best reason I went with the undead Nazis from Shock Waves was the fact that it creeped me out of a kid, almost as much as the Blind Dead did with their undead horses. I think that the fact that they were zombies, but not Romero or Voodoo zombies and it was something I hadn’t seen before caused it to stay with me. It took years, but like Sugar Hill I finally got a copy of Shock Waves on DVD recently, and it wasn’t as awful as I thought it would be. I certainly think that the undead Nazis are good enemies and potentially good adversaries.



Shockwave ‘zombies’

 

Typical 'zombie'

F: Ex (20)
A: Gd (10)
S: Gd (10)
E: Am (50)*
R: Typ (06)
I: Gd (10)
P: Typ (06)

Health: 90
Karma: 22
Popularity: 0/-5 (as part of the Koblenz program)
Resources: N/A

Talents:
Military*
Unarmed Combat
Small-unit tactics

Powers:
'Undead Nature': The Koblenz undead soldiers are essentially zombies of the truest sense: They are not alive nor are they dead - completely immune to the effects of their environments, capable of some independent thought and action, and unable to be hurt in the conventional means. How the Kolbenz Zombies have been reanimated and through what means they are maintained remain a mystery, but it is assumed that it was some combination of forbidden science and technology. As the Koblenz 'Zombies' are reanimated, they have the following abilities:

• True Undead Nature: The Koblenz Zombies do not need to breath, eat, sleep, or regenerate. The Koblenz zombies simply ignore environmental conditions such as heat, cold, submersion, darkness, or other traditional environmental means. They are considered completely impervious to environmental conditions. In addition, the Koblenz zombies seem to possess typical (06) body armor, effectively ignoring any damage at that level. The Koblenz zombies cannot be stunned nor can they be affected by stagger or similar effects - They can however be slammed and still are affected by area attacks. The Koblenz Zombies are not forced to make Endurance FEATs vs. Death, instead they simply ignore the effect but take the damage at rank. When either separated from their visor or reduced to 0 health, the Koblenz Zombies simply cease action and are destroyed.
• Heightened Senses: Although not specifically addressed as such, the movie supports evidence that the Koblenz zombies can see heat and in total darkness, as well as being capable of spotting hidden humans either directly or through listening for breathing.
• Non-Decay: Although the Koblenz Zombies are dessicated in many ways, they do not decay nor do they suffering from being 'water-logged' through deep submersion. The Koblenz Zombies seem to be adapted for their nature and are not restricted by decay or any other similar effect.
• Surprise Attack: The Koblenz Zombies seem to be able to effect successful surprise attacks, gaining a +1cs to do stealth/sneak checks.

Contacts:
The Koblenz Zombies do not maintain their contacts, even with their still-living superior officers. The Koblenz Zombies are effectively unable to communicate outside of themselves and choose not to.

Limitations:
Horrifying Visage: The Koblenz Zombies are very easy to spot, and cannot hide their nature or are unable to do so. As such, the Koblenz Zombies suffer a -1cs to reaction bonuses or ability to disguise exactly who and what they are.
Limited Numbers: The Koblenz Zombies cannot make more of themselves, and are limited to the numbers they had when originally returns (approximately a platoon is left). As such, they are limited to their larger actions, and when destroyed, and further limited.
Goggles: The Koblenz Zombies are armed with a set of goggles which seem to not only amplify their senses but also keep them going somehow. When the goggles are destroyed or removed, the Koblenz Zombie simply becomes a corpse. How and why this works is still unknown, but it is shown to be the most effective means to destroy them. The goggles require a successful Fighting or Agility FEAT in order to remove, which the Koblenz Zombie may oppose.
War Criminals: The Koblenz Zombies are technically war criminals and would be hunted by appropriate agencies if discovered.

Notes:

Terrible but memorable movie. The reason of the high Endurance rank is that the Koblenz Zombies are build for primarily being able to 'survive'. They are easily capable of acting and reacting at that level, possibly higher, but I chose to limit them at Am (50) for the reason that I think that simply put, it's doubtful the human body could sustain any higher, regardless of the technology.

Gen-Modded Makos from 'Deep Blue Sea' (1999)

See how that works? She screws with the sharks, and now the sharks, the sharks are screwing with us.’

The gigantic, genetically modified mako sharks from 1999’s Deep Blue Sea are fearsome, intelligent, and motivated. The Deep Blue Sea sharks aren’t just aggressive, but as it turns out highly intelligent, using both their own ferocity and understanding of their ‘prison’ to force the hapless survivors to do exactly what they want. From the claustrophobic submerged hallways to the darkness of the open oceans, the sharks were great villains in a rather unexpected movie.

Why The Deep Blue Sea Sharks

Well, I like sharks.

No, that’s not really it, it’s the fact that the movie is unexpected, and the sharks are smart. There are enough moments to make you go ‘What?!?!?!’ and a few more shocks, twists, and turns. I don’t think a lot of shark movies outside of the original Jaws really provide a good nemesis feel, and that the makos in DBS really are kind of frightening. Having a huge gen-modded shark attack you is one thing, but having it be intelligent is something else entirely.

Gen-Modded Sharks from ‘Deep Blue Sea’

Gen-Modded Mako

F: Ex (20)
A: Rm (30)
S: Rm (30)
E: In (40)
R: Typ (06)
I: Rm (30)
P: Typ (06)

Health: 120
Karma: 42
Popularity: 0 (Not widely known to exist)
Resources: N/A

Talents:

The makos do not specifically possess talents, but have shown the ability to make plans, hunt in packs, understand stress and fracture points, and generally higher-intelligent predator behavior. It is conceivable that the makos are capable of making reason checks to understand how things work, but do not have real skill or talents per say.

Powers:
Genetically modified Mako sharks

The makos have been genetically modified to increase both size and brain capacity, and as a side-effect, have greater intelligence, ferocity, and other evolutionary attributes. In specific, the sharks are capable of increased memory, intelligence, retro-dynamic motion underwater (going backwards), and even other modifications to their ability to sustain damage. The makos have the following abilities:

• Complete environment adaptation: The makos are primed for their environment, and are considered to have Hyper-Swimming at Rm (30), water breathing, and water freedom at Gd (10).
• Naturally (enhanced) abilities: The makos are far larger and stronger than normal mako sharks (rivaling a certain great white in size). They are capable of biting with In (40) intensity, halving body armor. The makos also are capable of hunting in packs, granting them a +1cs when coordinator efforts and attacks. The makos are also capable of Ex (20) stealth while in the water, appearing and disappearing very quickly. In addition, the makos can accelerate and attack in a single area rather than needing additional areas to do achieve top speed.
• Tracking: The makos can track blood in the water with Ex (20) ability.
• Body Armor: The natural hide of the mako grants Typ (06) body armor against physical, blunt, and edged attacks, and Pr (4) against piercing or energy attacks.

Contacts:
The makos have no contacts.

Limitations:
Due to their nature, the makos have the following limitations:

• Animal Instinct: Despite their increased intelligence, the makos are still drawn to their animal nature, which proves to be their undoing. The makos are unable to resist blood in the water, and must make a -2cs Psyche FEAT to not attack a wounded opponent. In addition, the makos suffer the same problems as other sea-life might.
• Water Dependency: The makos cannot function outside of the ocean, and can rarely exist above water.
• Size: The DBS makos are gigantic, starting at 25 feet and going as long as 40 feet. As such they are at a +1cs to hit once spotted.