Sample file A WILD CARDS SOURCEBOOK FOR MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS Design John Jos. Miller and Steve Kenson Editing Spike Y Jones Development Jon Leitheusser Art Direction and Graphic Design Hal Mangold Cover Art MK Ultra Studios Interior Art Brett Barkley, Greg Kirkpatrick, and Mike Vilardi Proofreading The Green Ronin Staff Green Ronin President Chris Pramas Green Ronin Staff Bill Bodden, Steve Kenson, Jon Leitheusser, Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Marc Schmalz Aces & Jokers is ©2010 Green Ronin Publishing,Sample LLC. All file rights reserved. Reference to other copyrighted material in no way constitutes a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. Green Ronin, Mutants & Masterminds and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. Wild Cards is the trademark of the Wild Card Consortium. The following is designated as Product Identity, in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, Version 1.0a: all character and place names and descriptions, all novel descriptions and references, hero points, and power points. The following text is Open Gaming Content: all game stats and information, except for material previously declared product identity. Printed in the USA Green Ronin Publishing 3815 S. Othello St., Suite 100 #304 Seattle, WA 98118 Email: [email protected] Web Site: www.greenronin.com www.mutantsandmasterminds.com INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION here are a lot of a characters in the Wild Cards universe. This A third class of characters can be found in Chapter 3: The Fast volume contains information on over 300 of them—and a Shuffle: a rather short but interesting list of the alternate Wild couple of snapshots on some to come. Card biographies of real-world figures who have appeared in the Aces & Jokers is designed as a companion volume to series. Green Ronin’s Wild Cards Campaign Setting, which contains Finally, the last (but not least) character type can be found in Tcopious details concerning Wild Card background, history, and Chapter 4: A New Hand, which presents previews of the Com- lore. Not that it lacks biographical information: The Wild Cards mittee Trilogy, the latest Wild Cards volumes, not all of which will Campaign Setting presents in meticulous detail the biographies of actually be published by the time this sourcebook hits the shelves. around 90 of the universe’s most important characters—aces, jok- The Committee Triad consists of Inside Straight (2007), Busted ers, aliens, and nats alike. Lack of space prevented the inclusion of Flush (2008), and Suicide Kings (2009). As this is being written more, so here are the rest of them. only Inside Straight has been published. Busted Flush and Suicide The following biographies are presented in two formats. About Kings haven’t been published. 30 have been selected to receive extensive treatment similar to that A slew of new and interesting characters have been created in the Campaign Setting. These can be found in Chapter 1: The to fill these books—for reasons that will be discussed later. Top Deck. Basically, the characters who made it into this chapter Rather than try to write their biographies before their first were those whose Wild Card exploits could support longer bios. story arc is completed, we hope to present a complete history Enough is known about them that their bios include detailed life of their first adventures in a third Green Ronin reference vol- stories and gaming stats. ume to be published after the Committee Triad has appeared. Most of the rest of the characters covered in this book have This future volume will also include data from the Hard Call been relegated to Chapter 2: The Draw Pile. These are the almost graphic novel, as well as other future graphic novels, publish- famous denizens of the Wild Cards universe. Some have a page or ing schedules allowing. two recorded about their lives because of their brief and shining In the meantime, here are the stories of some 350 characters, moment in the sun. Some have a couple a couple of paragraphs. from Esteban Akabal to Zelda (the Bodysnatcher), to keep you Some just a sentence or two because they weren’t major characters entertained and enthralled. All of the information contained here in the books. Even obscure characters such as Ice Blue Sibyl, The is drawn directly from the books, but there are bits of data here Whisperer, Haymaker, and Sparkle Johnny, because theySample would and filethere that were added in from the private character sketches make fine characters to play. They exist in the Wild Cards universe, circulated between Wild Cards authors. Not many of these char- albeit as little more than names, and are all ready to be fleshed out acters had such sketches written about them, because most were by you and—who knows? —maybe take their place in your own created on the fly and were important in the context of only a Wild Cards universe besides such stalwarts of the series as Cap’n story or two. Some were mentioned once and then forgotten, and Trips, Dr. Tachyon, and Billy Ray. They’re characters begging for are waiting for you to pick them up, dust them off, and add to the their stories to be written, and you’re the author. Go for it. history of their deeds. SPOILERS ALERT! Needless to say, the following pages are filled to overflowing with spoilers. If you don’t want to learn the ultimate fate of Bat-Ears Brannigan before you read the story he appears in, read no further. 2 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE: THE TOP DECK Sample file CHAPTER ONE: THE TOP DECK ere’s the cream of the biographical crop. These charac- like, make up a background, and introduce him or her as a new ters, along with those already published in the Wild Cards ally or enemy for the players to deal with. Campaign Setting, are the most significant characters in the Wild Cards universe. You’ll find that many of these biographies aren’t as detailed as those in the first volume. THE BLACK DOG HAlthough these are important characters who’ve had a large im- pact on the Wild Cards universe, many of them were conjured up Created by George R.R. Martin by their various authors on the fly and less background informa- tion is available. Name: Unknown WC Name: The Black Dog You and your players are welcome to build upon the informa- Occupation: Terrorist WC Status: Joker tion provided here if you wish to have some of these characters Aliases: The Hound, Ethnicity: Jewish play a more significant role in your series. Depending on when The Hound of Hell your series is set, you may need to explain why that character is Birth: Unknown Death: -- active or even why he or she is alive! You also may want to use the Height: Tall Weight: Unknown game information on the following pages as templates for char- Eyes: Unknown Hair: Unknown acters of your own making. Find a character or set of powers you THE TOP DECK 3 CHAPTER ONE: THE TOP DECK THE BLACK DOG POWER LEVEL 4 STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA +2 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 15 12 13 15 14 15 TOUGHNESS FORTITUDE REFLEX WILL +3/+1* +4 +4 +5 *flat-footed SKILLS: Bluff 3 (+5), Climb 3 (+5), Concentration 4 (+6), Diplomacy 6 (+8), Disguise 2 (+4), Gather Information 9 (+11), Intimidate 6 (+8), Investigate 4 (+6), Knowledge (business) 2 (+4), Knowledge (current events) 4 (+6), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Knowl- edge (tactics) 7 (+9), Knowledge (technology) 2 (+4), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 2 (+4), Language 1 (Hebrew; English is native), Medicine 1 (+3), Notice 4 (+6), Search 4 (+6), Sense Mo- tive 6 (+8), Stealth 6 (+7) FEATS: Benefit (leader of the Twisted Fists) 10, Connected, Contacts, De- fensive Roll 2, Fascinate (Intimidate), Improved Initiative, Leader- ship, Master Plan, Sneak Attack, Well-Informed Equipment: varies, but usually includes at least one pistol or rifle close to hand COMBAT: Attack +5, Grapple +7, Damage +2 (unarmed attack), Defense +5 Black Dog’s game stats are based on his known abilities. His con- (+3 flat-footed), Knockback –1 (–0 flat-footed), Initiative +5 trol of the Twisted Fists gives him considerable influence and the Abilities 24 + Skills 21 (84 ranks) + Feats 20 + Powers 0 + Combat 20 ability to call on any number of followers and resourcesSample (includ- + Saves file 9 + Drawbacks 0 = 94 ing weapons, explosives, and vehicles). Assume these are covered by his Benefit feat, and whatever capabilities the GM wishes to give him, based on the story. O.K. CASADAY BACKGROUND Created by Victor Milán Born in Brooklyn, the Black Dog immigrates to Israel with his Name: O.K. Casaday WC Name: None family at the age of 9. He draws a joker when he’s 20. While in Occupation: Soldier/CIA WC Status: Nat public he wears a black canine mask, so no one knows the precise operative/closet Card Shark nature of his deformity. He’s the head of an international terrorist Aliases: Presumably; none Ethnicity: Caucasian joker organization called the Twisted Fists. Their financial sup- recorded port comes mainly from Jokertown and their headquarters are Birth: Unknown Death: Summer 1994 in the Jerusalem catacombs, a labyrinth of chambers and tunnels that meander under the ancient walled city. Height: Tall Weight: Heavy but solid The Dog makes a deal with Zoe Harris and Croyd Crenson Eyes: Unknown Hair: Balding blond (May 1994), sending them to Ukraine to get a nuclear warhead while promising to get Zoe’s Escorts safely to Vietnam and to turn Pan Rudo over to Croyd.