Fiction Friday - Nastja Simone

Nastja Ella Simone

(see also Introduction)

Background & Origin:  She was working on her PhD in robotics when she got tapped to join a secret project that was funded by the military, contacted to a private corporation, and using university students and faculty to develop the designs in modular fashion. Although nearly a hundred people at the university were s omehow part of the project, only a handful knew it even existed and only two knew the full scope.

Nastja was one of the cogs in the wheels. She is a very talented roboticist, with supplemental training in cybernetics and artificial intelligence. Her work is integral to the exoskeleton on which the suit operates.

A motorcycle accident resulted in brain damage and she lost motor control over her legs. Despondent, she helped design some brain implants intent on having them installed in herself, to restore lost motor function.  When all conventional avenues turned her away, she sought out an underground neuroroboticist. She doesn't talk about the deal she made with Alexi, but she still can't walk. However, her overall brain function erupted, and she felt the trade was acceptable.

She returned to university, and blew through her classes. She got drawn deeper into the secret power armor project to figure out why the control interfaces were driving volunteers mad (they all got pulled from the project while medications still allowed them normal lives). While the root problem remains elusive, it turns out Nastja’s implants allow her to control the suit without any side effects.

She didn't build the suit, but she has trained to maintain and repair it regularly, and upgrade it occasionally.

Her place of birth was a rural village, a tiny collection of farms. She was raised by relatives.

She has the following siblings:

• A younger brother that she has lost touch with;
• A twin brother that bears her a grudge for some past transgression;
• An adopted older brother that still lives with her childhood caretakers - he became “institutionalized,” and now works to help other kids survive the orphanage system.

She has experienced the following important events:

• Blind luck provided her with a financial windfall, found cash, an inheritance, or something similar;
• She made an enemy, a clan, gang or other small group. Nastja and the enemy are both equally annoyed with each other. This enemy have some close family ties that give them minor clout. Racial, religious or political bias caused the rift;
• She performed a vital task for a military leader, who is now in her debt;
• She made an enemy, a clan, gang or other small group. There's lots of yelling when they're around each other. They are not particularly important in the grand scheme of things. Nastja took advantage of them via scam or brute force;
• A serious relationship ended when her partner died, murdered by someone. She don't know who.
• An incapacitating accident left her laid up for several months, and permanently disfigured;
• Her relationship choices were sub-par, and she found herself two-timing a steady partner. He never found out.

Combat Tactics:  She is a melee fighter, and a dirty one. Leg sweeps, sand in the eyes, picking someone up and throwing him in front of a bus - it's all fair game to make the fight end as fast as possible.

Personality Traits:

Rude, compassionate, nurturing.  

Appearance:  5’5”, 117 lbs.

Powers:  In addition to being a gifted cyberneticist and roboticist, she has brain implants that give her enhanced intelligence and motor function. Despite that, her legs still don't work. Her doctors have begun telling her the paralysis is psychosomatic, and she tells them to eat shit and die.

She wears an armored powersuit/exoskeleton, designed for law enforcement and peacekeeping (rather than military) applications, that enhances her strength, has electroshock combat pads, and allows her to use her legs normally.

She has minimal training in any kind of combat, and is only an average hand-to-hand fighter.

Notes:  Model unknown (if there even was one).  Photomanip artist unknown.  Character by I.A. Riley, June, 2017.

Document Copyright (C) 2017 by Icarus Anne Riley. All rights reserved.  Portions Copyright others; no attempt is made to infringe upon their rights.

Villains & Vigilantes, Living Legends and the Monkey House Games logo are trademarks owned by Monkey House Games, ©2010 Monkey House Games. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A.

Unofficial Living Legends Companion written by Patric L. Rogers, Copyright © 2010-2017 by Monkey House Games. All rights reserved.

Mighty Protectors and the Monkey House Games logo are trademarks owned by Monkey House Games, ©2017 Monkey House Games. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A.

Sourcebooks Marvel Superheroes Advanced Set (TSR, 1986), Realms of Magic (Kim Eastland, TSR, 1986), The Ultimate Powers Book  (David E. Martin, TSR, 1987), 4C System (Michael Hammes, Philip Reed, 2007).

Random backstory generator - http://www.pbegames.com/lifepath/ .

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Random job  generator - http://writingexercises.co.uk/random-job-generator.php .

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Name - Nastja - Feminine form of ANASTASIUS. This was the name of a 4th-century Dalmatian saint who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Due to her, the name has been common in Eastern Orthodox Christianity (in various spellings). As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the youngest daughter of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II, who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family in 1918.

Mighty Protectors has a very different design view of Armor and persistent protection than its predecessors. Consequently, it is extremely expensive to get comparable values.  So I went with Invulnerability to the most common Damage Type she is likely to encounter, and called it a wash.

(artist unknown)

(model, if there was one, is unknown)

Nastja Ella Simone - Villains & Vigilantes

Str 29 (11), End 14, Int 29, Agl 19, Cha 15, 117 lbs., level 2

Basic Hits 3; Hit Mod. (2.2) (1.4) (1.6) (1.3) = 6.4064; Hit Points 19; Power 91; Move 62” ground; Carrying Capacity 1509 lbs.; Basic HTH 1d10; Accuracy +3; Damage Mod. +5; Detect Hidden 20%; Detect Danger 24%; Heal 0.9; Inventing Points 4.8

Armor B Device:

• ADR 128 - the good news is that it is heavily plated, padded and insulated, including climate control system. The bad news is maintenance and repair is a bitch. Every time she gets hit, roll percentile dice. If the roll is less than the current ADR, then reduce the ADR by the damage taken, and she suffers no personal injury. She can “roll with the blow” normally to protect the armor; 
• Heightened Strength B: +18; 
• Natural Weaponry: Built-in electroshock pads in the gloves and striking surfaces give her +3 “to hit” with unarmed HTH (just don't think about it too hard), and +6 damage; 
• Heightened Defense: Motion sensors and reflex enhancers enable her to avoid more attacks (opponents are -4 “to hit” her) while she is conscious, mobile, and aware of the attacker. 

Heightened Intelligence B Device: Brain implants, some of which are mounted on the outside of her skull, give her +19 Intelligence. These are permanent and difficult (but not impossible) to disable.

Physical Handicap: An accident damaged her legs, and she needs prosthetics (or cool power armor) to move faster than 6” per turn.

Invention: With her helmet on, the suit provides Adaptation, with 8 charges. Each hour or use as defense expands one charge. Charges can be refreshed by spending one hour in her workshop. The helmet also has a 15-minute backup air supply for when the charges run out.

Training: +1 “to hit” with unarmed HTH attacks

Gear: She also carries a radio, energy pistol, smartphone, first aid kit, and nightstick. If she is feeling mean, she adds a knife and sword, but worries about the serious injuries from cutting people.

Combat Summary:
Unarmed: Attack HTH +4 “to hit,” Damage 1d10+5 or 1d20 (both avg 10.5)

Shock Pads: Attack HTH +7 “to hit,” Damage 1d10+11 or 3d10 (both avg 16.5)

Energy Pistol: Attack HTH +5 “to hit,” Damage 1d10+5 or 1d20 (both avg 10.5), Range 57”

Nightstick: Attack HTH +5 “to hit,” Damage 1d4+1d10+5 (avg 13)

Nastja Ella Simone - Living Legends

PHYS 22/d10
DEFT 11/d6
REFL 16/d8
INTL 22/d10
COOL 11/d6
VITL 11/d6
Mass 53 Kgs (d3 Mass effect)

Total Cost: BCs (83) + Skills (13) + Powers (99) - Weaknesses (-25) = 170 CP

Skills

4 @ +2 Levels (5) (+7) [13 CP]

• Electronics (INTL/S): d12
• Science (INTL/S): Robotics, d12
• Unarmed (DEFT/G): Punch, Kick, d10

Powers

Bionics: Brain implants increase INTL, included above

Power Armor

• Armor: 11 vs all Physical Damage Types, plus Other (87), Modifiers: Ablative (-3), Equipment [suit] (-3) [39 CP];
• Adaptation: Asphyxiation, High Temperatures, Low Temperatures (3) (+5), Modifiers: Equipment [suit] (-3) [4 CP];
• Heightened PHYS: +15 (15), Modifiers: Equipment (-3) [10 CP];
• Natural Weaponry: Skill Bonus +3, Damage Bonus +3 Blunt Kinetic [crushing] damage (27), Modifiers: Equipment (-3) [18 CP];

Mundane Equipment

Nightstick [8 CP]

• Skill Bonus: Add +2 to Weapon [bludgeons] skill (7), Equipment [carried] (-3) [-3 CP]
• Natural Weaponry: Add +0 Blunt Kinetic [crushing] damage to weapon [bludgeons] skill (0), Equipment [carried] (-3) [0 CP]
• Parry (shield bonus): Non

Generic Energy Pistol [11 CP]

• Skill Bonus: None
• Power Blast: d8 Energy [pure energy] (16), Range [12”] (+0), Equipment [carried, size 0.3m] (-3) (+1), Charges [7ch, clip, reload as single action] (-1) [11 CP]
• Equipment Armor: Standard Equipment value of 6

Medical Kit [4 CP]

• The damage form can vary depending on the special effects. On “modern” Earth the damage form would typically be [chemical] (e.g. “flesh-like polymer”), but in more fantastic or high-tech settings it might also be [poison] (e.g. “healing stimulants”) or [disease] (e.g. “genetically engineered super-blood platelets”).
• Healing: Hits, +1 level, Biochemical (8), Charges [22ch] (-1), Equipment [carried] (-3), Roll Required [Medicine skill, roll 2+, required per use] (-1) [4 CP]
• Equipment Armor: Standard Equipment value of 6

Radio Transceiver [5 CP]

• Radio Transmission: 3 channels, audio only, 10 km (4), Verbal Trigger (-1), Linked [to Basic Radio Sense] (-1), Equipment [carried, size 0.1m] (-3) (+3) [3 CP]
• Heightened Senses: Basic Radio Sense (2), Only 3 Channels (-2), Ranged (+3), Activation Required [to a Persistent power] (-2), Equipment [carried, size 0.1m] (-3) (+3) [2 CP]

Weaknesses

Persecuted: She has enemies (Uncommon, Major) [-10 CP]

Physical Handicap: An accident damaged her legs, and she needs prosthetics (or cool power armor) to move faster than 2” per turn. (Major) [-15 CP]

Nastja Ella Simon - Mighty Protectors

Strength 21 (Carrying Capacity 960 lbs., Basic HTH d10+1)
Endurance 12 (Save 11, Heal 1.6)
Agility 18 (Save 12)
Intelligence 24 (Save 13)
Cool 15 (Save 11, Initiative d6+1)

Hit Points 18
Power 75
Physical Defense 2 (6)
Mental Defense 3
Move 17
Inventing Points 12
Wealth d6
Luck 10-
Weight 117 lbs. (192 lbs. in armor)
Total Cost 80 + 95 - 25 = 150

Powers

Bionics: Increased Intelligence (included above)
Wealth: d6 Wealth roll (2.5 CP)

Gear - Power Armor

• Adaptation: Asphyxiation, High Temperatures, Low Temperatures, Modifiers: Multifunction Gear (12.5 CP)
• Armor: Kinetic 4, Energy 4, Biochemical 4, Entropy 4, Modifiers: Multifunction Gear (27.5 CP)
• Heightened Defense: Physical Defense +4, Modifiers: Multifunction Gear (7.5 CP)
• Heightened Strength: ST +10, Modifiers: Multifunction Gear (7.5 CP)
• Invulnerability: Kinetic, Modifiers: Multifunction Gear (17.5 CP)

Gear - Off-The-Shelf Items

Arsenal: She has a pool of six (6) devices she can choose from when at base, and carry any four (4) at one time. Each can be worth up to 15 CP (20 CP)

• She carries an energy pistol, smartphone, first aid kit, and nightstick. GM said I don't need to worry about the CP for each, so I'm not.

Weaknesses

Physical Handicap: An accident damaged her legs, and she needs prosthetics (or cool power armor) to move faster than 2” per turn. (-15 CP)

Nemesis: TBD (-10 CP)

Combat Summary

Initiative: d6+1

Unarmed: Attack 15-, Damage d10+1 or d12 (and 6.5)

Energy Pistol: Attack 15-, Damage d10 (avg 5.5)

After subtracting for Armor, but before rolling with the blow, she takes ½ damage from Cold, Heat, and Fire, and ¼ damage from physical attacks like punches, bullets, knives and falling.