Like Orphee in some thunder world
Asking to be bathed in light
To be exemplified
With grey desire he looks out mad
His soft grey indigo eyes
-
Indigo Eyes, Peter Murphy
Cyclops, Havoc, the Human Torch, Radioactive Man, Static, even Jubilee with her plasmoids, the Blaster is raw power unleashed. There are few, if any more dangerous than the Blaster. However, with great power come, well, little else. The Blaster is most commonly characterized as focused almost entirely on offense, relying on wit and guile to avoid harm, when being able to level a city block with a wink just isn’t enough.
Power Framework
The Blaster is often extremely direct. There is not a lot of diversity in the core framework, it’s all delivering as much damage down range as possible. Able to push their damage, the Blaster’s attack can tear through even the most impervious armors.
Power: Ultra-Blast
- Parent Attribute: Mental
- Primary Role: Offense
- Ranged
- Blast
- Devastating (Boost Devastation, Penetration, Total Devastation)
The Blaster typically requires a mental focus and sharp mind. For this reason, we’ve selected Mental as the Parent Attribute. Also, the Blaster comes from the school of, the defense is a good offense, the primary role is Offense.
As a Ranged power, the Blaster can strike from a distance. While the Blast Boon helps to keep bruisers at bay, knocking foes who fail to defend themselves to the ground. This is as close to a defense as the basic Framework gets. Instead, the Blaster picks up multiple Devastating Boons to push their damage to the limit. Easily comparable to a high powered rifle for their normal blasts, when they let loose the Blaster is cable of ripping through a tank.
From the basic Framework, lets look at several common variations. The Adept, who focuses on different ways to modify and utilize their Blast, the Sniper, specializing on keeping themselves away from the front line, and the Warlord, combining raw power with martial skill they wade into the fray.
The Adept
- Cone
- Line
- Radius
- General Boons:
- Tricky (Shift Power 2: Universal and Offense)
Forming different types of blasts the Adept can control the battlefield. The Adept can easily adapt to different situations using the Tricky Boon and not just for one off attacks. The Shift Power Boons allow the hero to maintain a power stunt for a full scene, not just a single action.
This added versatility allows the Blaster to draw threats away from allies or cut off means of retreat. Also, thanks to the Adepts big bag of tricks they can easily take down large gangs of foes who make the mistake of clustering together.
The Sniper
- Push Range
- Continuous (Brutal Onslaught, Lock On)
- Specialty: Heavy Blow
The Sniper has no intention of getting close to the battle field. The Push Range Boon allows them to move further away from a battle should they need added distance. While a Specialty in the Heavy Blow Combat Maneuver helps to offset the penalties when trading accuracy for damage.
Additionally, once the Sniper has a target in their sights they can maintain a single uninterrupted attack. Each Turn, this damage continues to escalate if the Blaster’s foe cannot escape their attack.
The Warlord
- Fighting Style: Select a Martial Art
- Parent Attribute: Dexterity
- Primary Role: Defense
- Secondary Role: Offense
- Secondary Role: Initiative
- General Boons:
- Perception Supports Defense
- Tactics Supports Offense
The Warlord leverages every advantage they have to delve into the fight. They have trained their minds and bodies to avoid danger and layering on damage.
Note: Powers and Fighting Styles can be used together for an Attack, when it fits the narrative. For Example: A hero whose energy beams are generated from their hands can just as easily charge their attack as normal, but instead of releasing the blast, they slug the baddie instead.
Should they be caught off guard, the Warlord is as vulnerable as other Blasters, pairing with a Tank the Warlord can become a force to be reckoned with.
Common Talents
- Education
- Perception
- Tactics
Perhaps more than any other Archetype, the Blaster needs to keep their wits about them. Perception, helps them avoid hidden threats. While Education and Tactics allows the Blaster to provide additional battlefield support to allies.
Common Weaknesses
There’s another term for the Blaster, glass cannon. Metahumans Rising ensures that by default heroes are hardier than most people. The Frail Drawback brings heroes back down to more mundane levels.
From one trick pony to master of the battlefield, the Blaster can take a number of different shapes. It may feel daunting to play a character that lacks the versatility of other heroes with broader powers. However, what the Blaster lacks in versatility they make up for in creativity.
For an example of a Blaster check out Mina from our Three Rivers Academy podcast.
