There are a number of iconic heroes with no powers relying on skill alone. The Black Fool is inspired by these classic characters. Caught in Suceava, Romania when GEO, overthrew the local government, he was trained as an assassin only to betray his masters. Fleeing to the United States he tried to build a new life for himself only to become a hero. This character concept explores the idea of a skill driven character capable of keeping up with super powered heroes and villains.
As a trained assassin the Fool is not a brawler or all that tough. However, what he lacks in raw strength he makes up for in grace and an extremely aggressive combat style. Combining natural speed and acrobatic talent with martial expertise the Fool keeps foes off balance and unable to safely land a blow. Utilizing the Boons Critical Skill and Skill Support, the Fool is able to deliver powerful attacks and disappear or disorient foes. While the Fool still uses a set of blades, he has modified his fighting style to inflict non-lethal blows.
The Black Fool
Power Level: Classic
Creation Method: Standard – Balanced Array
Background
Romanian by birth, Umit Vasile was caught in Suceava, during the first days of the Global Environmental Outreach occupation. Small and of delicate build, Umit survived on the streets, for a time. It was inevitable however that he would be caught.
Placed into a work camp, Umit learned to fight like a cornered animal, as he avoided older men and bullies. This sparked the interest of Amil Feneris, code name Lord August, the head of GEO’s Grey Court, a division of specialized soldiers used for off the record operations. The identities of each member of the Grey Court was secret to everyone outside Lord August. Instead, each was given a designation and matching garb disguising their appearance.
Moved to a training program, he excelled in every drill, chore and request. It is debatable whether it was due to his young age or the conditioning as to why he is so willing to serve. Either way, Umit spent the next four years honing his natural talents. Given the name Jester, he joined the Court along with Lord, Queen, Princess and Knight.
At age sixteen, he becomes the Court’s infiltrator and assassin. Serving without question in over a dozen operations. In 2009 he was sent with Princess for an abduction in Arlington, Virginia. The operation should have been an easy extraction. Princess’ was to lure the target into a private area where Jester would sedate and transport the target. Only Umit never showed. A whisper on the wind, he was gone without a trace.
Before Umit lost his mother, she told him that the world was changing. If he was going to survive, he had to keep every advantage, every secret as tightly as possible, until there was no other choice, otherwise there were those that would exploit any tools he might possess.
After his capture, Umit saw the cruelty and brutality of GEO coveted. From the cafeterias he studied the men, taking note during food line brawls. He bore witness to how the strongest bullies were elevated, rewarding their physicality and aggression. But Umit was small, if he was going to impress the surveyors it would not be with brute force.
It didn’t take him long to plan his first show. Playing one off the other, crippling several of his own tormentors. To them, Umit had been easy prey. What the brutes didn’t realize was that all that time he was mapping out exactly how he would tear them apart. When he was ready, he allowed them to fight harder than they ever had. Never allowing them to touch him. He forced them into desperate gambits only to injure themselves. This is what brought him to Lord’s attention.
Once moved into the training program Umit took every lesson to heart showing only his appreciation for the knowledge, never questioning except to improve his abilities.
As a member of the Grey Court he followed orders thoroughly and efficiently. The Lord and the rest of the court never suspected the loathing he harbored, or that the diligence in researching operations allowed him to study and develop an understanding for the outside world.
It was his third US job. As Jester, Umit had cultivated an asset with the MCPD named Carver. A simple man, willing to turn a blind eye for money. Carver had been essential in his previous dealings inside the United States.
It was easy to give up Carver. An exchange, one rogue MCPD agent for one new identity and fresh start. The court on the other hand turned out to be exceedingly more complicated. Without all of them inside the US he couldn’t ensure their capture. It would only ensure August would hunt him to the ends of the earth should his Princess be captured.
Umit Vasile became Michael Ray Kingsley and disappeared. Praying he could forget his past in the process. Only, no matter how well you plan nothing ever works out so simply.
Issue 0: Birth of a Fool
Five months living as Mike Ray, he’d found small work as a stage magician, performing banal tricks at children’s parties and local events. This afforded him a place to stay, food to eat, enough money to feel like he had every comfort. However, the joy his childhood was denied blossomed on the faces of the children in his audience. He lived what most Americans would call, a good life.
Mike Ray, he was still trying to adjust to the name, had begun to believe this was a life he could retire into. Of course his meals were simple and the apartment wasn’t the best. Occasionally there was the sound of gunfire or sirens in the night. On the worst nights he would remember running from those noises. This was America though, and those bullets were not aimed at him. It was when the sound of second hand pistols and home made zip guns were replaced with an RA-419 Lumariant Rifle pulse blast apathy and inaction became steeled resolve.
Using the fire escape Mike quickly found what he thought was going to be GEO foot soldiers. What was there was far worse. Gang members with high end GEO weaponry destroying a police car. Quickly disabling the two punks, Mike escaped, scaling an alley wall nearby, disappearing before backup could arrive on either side of the firefight.
Deadheads, local narcotics dealers, Mike hand learned of them after doing a performance at an elementary school. They were junkies, street pushers, with military grade hardware. Tonight though they were out in force.
Unearthing a costume he never expected to wear again, but was unwilling to part with. The Jester was replaced by the Black Fool. He had seen the horrors GEO was capable of, and he would not allow their venom to infect another city.
Origin & Catalyst
Forced to Survive (Dedication)
Escape Oppression
Drives
Never Reveal More Than Is Necessary
Shutdown GEO
Children Should Be Children
Attributes
History 11
Strength 5
Dexterity 12
Constitution 7
Sense 7
Fortune 7
Wisdom 7
Intelligence 10 (1 AP)
Mental 10 (1 AP)
Expression 10 (1 AP)
Backgrounds
Forced to Survive (Dedication) 11
Escape Oppression 8
Never Reveal More Than Is Necessary 5
Shutdown GEO 1
Children Should Be Children 1 (1 AP)
Background: Ex-Assassin 3
Talents
Acrobatics 10 (3 AP)
Climbing 8
Distraction 10
Escape Artist 5
Etiquette 3
Fasting 5
Forgery 3
Intuition 3
Lockpicking 4 (1 AP)
Movement: Freerunning 7 (2 AP)
Perception 10 (3 AP)
Research 6 (2 AP)
Sleight of Hand 10
Stealth 12
Subterfuge 5
Wit: Rapier 8
Drawbacks
Enemy: GEO
Enemy: The Grey Court
Limitation: Delicate (-6 Stamina)
Boons
Critical Skill: Distraction MA
Critical Skill: Stealth MA
False Identity (Mike Ray Kingsley) MA
Languages: Romanian, English, French
Always Moving (Acrobatics Support: Defense) MA
Predictable (Perception Support: Offense) MA
Unpredictable (Distraction Supports Defense) MA
A Motley Kit Tools (Actual Tools, Escape Clause) TY
Cost: 6 Boons + 7 AP
Fighting Styles
A Jester’s Repost 12
Dexterity/Initiative
Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA
Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2
(S) Interrupting Actions 1 (1 AP)
Cost: 1 Power + 6 Boons + 1 AP
Gear
A Merry Many Knives 9
Quality 9
Dexterity/Offense
Devastating (Boost Devastation. Penetrating) MA3
Cost: 7 + 11 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 36/Gear = MA4TY (9 AP)
Stamina 9
Willpower Current: 7 Max: 11
Starting AP 30
Attributes 3 + Talents 12 + Boons 7 + Powers 10 – Drawbacks 3
Initiative: 37 (Dexterity 12 + Intuition 3 + Perception 10 + Jester’s Repost 12) Dice 4
Surprised Defense: 7 (Fortune 7) Dice 2 Armor 1
Normal Defense: 34 (Dexterity 12 + Jester’s Repost 12 + Secondary: Acrobatics 5 + Secondary: Distraction 5) Dice 4 Armor 4
Mental Defense: 10 (Mental 10 ) Dice 2 Armor 2 (Research)
Defense Notes:
Climbing: Once per Session use Climbing (8) as a Supporting Characteristic if there is a wall or other vertical surface within Close Range for Active Defense.
Fasting: Gain 2 Free levels of Armor when dealing with Drain Attacks.
Intuition: Once per Session use Intuition (3) with Surprised Defense.
Perception: Once per Session use Perception (10) as a Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
Favored Attack: Daggers, Daggers Everywhere 32 (Dexterity 12 + Many Merry Daggers 9 + Secondary: Jester’s Repost 6 + Secondary: Perception 5) Dice 4 Range Close Damage 12 (17 VS Surprised Defense) Notes
Secondary Attack: Sucker, Punch! 32 (Dexterity 12 + Many Merry Daggers 9 + Secondary: Jester’s Repost 6 + Secondary: Perception 5) Dice 4 Range Close Damage 12 (17 VS Surprised Defense) Notes It is almost impossible to truly disarm the Black Fool. Although, he will allow people to believe this. Often he will faint showing a false opening only to follow up with a devastating kick or elbow.
Additional Attack: Surprise 33 (Dexterity 12 + Many Merry Daggers 9 + Secondary: Jester’s Repost 6 + Secondary: Perception 5 + Specialty: Interrupting Actions) Dice 5 Range Close Damage 14 (20 VS Surprised Defense) Notes Must be used with an Interrupting Action
Additional Attack: Assassinate 12 (Dexterity 12 + Many Merry Daggers 9 + Secondary: Jester’s Repost 6 + Secondary: Perception 5 – Heavy Blow 20) Dice 4 Range Close Damage 18 (17 VS Surprised Defense) Notes
Offense Notes:
Critical Skill: Distraction & Stealth: When making an Attack Roll the Black Fool may treat any result with two 6s as use of the Distraction or Stealth Talents. Use the original Roll to determine the result of the use of the Talent.
Distraction: Attempt an Expression (10) + Distraction (10) roll against an Opponent’s Defense + 10 or Mental + 10 whichever is higher. On a Successful roll the Character may make their next Attack against the Opponent’s Surprised Defense. Repeated attempts increase the Difficulty by 10.
Lock Picking: Roll Intelligence (10) + Lock Picking (4) against an Opponent’s Defense + 10. On a Successful roll the Character disables 1 piece of Gear the target is using. The Target must spend 1 Turn, or 1 Action and 1 Willpower to fix disabled Gear.
Sleight of Hand: Once per Session use Sleight of Hand (10) as a Supporting Characteristic for any Disarm Roll.
Stealth: Hide from Opponents in Combat. Roll Dexterity (12) + Stealth (12) against the Target’s Sense + Perception + Tracking On a Successful roll the Target loses track of the Character. If the Character follows up with an Attack they use the Target’s Surprised Defense. To hide from everyone in a Combat the Character Roll’s as normal versus the highest Sense + Perception + Tracking. This may be done multiple times. However, using a power with a visual component increases the Target by 10 unless the Opponent is first distracted by something else.
Subterfuge: Add 1 additional Wound when attacking a foe using their Surprised Defense. (Already noted in damage above)
Wit: Once per Session use their Wit as a Meddling Power (-2). The Player must explain how they apply their Wit interferes with someone else.
