Characters
Blackjack
Blackjack entered the Great war deemed less than a man by the world. He returned as something far greater. An alien lifeforce now courses through him granting him incredible powers at equally devastating prices. Every superhuman feat frazzles his lungs, his heart and slowly - his sanity. Now, he must decide: how much of himself is he willing to sacrifice to save his community?
Silk Widow
Silk Widow has worked everywhere from the sugar cane plantations of the West Indies to the smoke-choked speakeasies of the States, and she has seen what greed and corruption do to the souls of the guilty and innocent alike. She is done playing witness. Favored by the ancient Akan trickster god Anansi she is no longer a pawn – she is the reckoning. Underestimate her and it will be too late when you realize she’s as deadly as she is dazzling.
The Socialist
The Socialist is more than a hero for the people, he is the people. He is the unstoppable force running headlong up against the immovable object of oppression. Igniting his soul to fuel both his wrench and resilience, he pours his spirit into the masses—empowering them to rise up and reclaim their lives from those who would keep them down, poor and powerless. His strength is their strength.
The Ancient
The Ancient’s ancestors never stop talking—it’s a constant, often annoying, internal chatter. But the frustration fades when they guide her into a sublime Apsara dance or offer forgotten spiritual wisdom. She loves the voices best, however, when she is standing against colonial exploitation in Cambodia or brawling with some random ruffian in urban America. During these contests as an ancestor steadies her for a perfect kick, helps to block a rain of blows, or guides a single, fight-ending strike - that’s when she loves the voices in her head…
The One
A learned man with superhuman intelligence and mind-powers, The One finds no value in the lives of “ordinary” people. Their pain exists to combat his boredom. Considering himself above all laws, he operates large-scale, untraceable criminal enterprises while maintaining a mild-mannered façade that belies his total and complete lack of empathy. He rules from the shadows with an iron grip of fear, intimidating friend and foe alike. He resents the illusions of “good” and “innocence”. As the world’s foremost Mentalist he is driven to cure humanity once and for all until it is a perfect mirror of himself.
Noir 1933 Archetypes
Pulp Heroes
The Slugger
A blue-collar brawler, whose credo is punch first, ask questions later. Equipped with crude, simple weapons like clubs, bats and high impact, low range pistols, they let their fists do the talking. And thinking. And everything in between.
The Professional
Relying on wits and skill rather than physical prowess, the Professional, from dapper playboys to rumpled sleuths, navigate the stratified society of the City. Amongst their number are the Mentalists, showmen and specialists who deploy pseudoscientific skills of influence and perception.
The Mentalist
The Street Sharp
Fast and agile, hitting hard then slipping away into the warrens of the neighborhood, Street Sharps are lithe youths, gang members, or hardened veterans, wielding hidden knives as deftly as they wield their knowledge of the city’s secret ways.
TECHNO HEROES
The Gadgeteer
Equipped with a dazzling array of scrappy, cobbled-together devices, the Gadgeteer zips across the city skyline, unleashing perilous weaponry that skirts the very edge of scientific plausibility.
The Weaponsmith
Pouring all their technological devotion into a singular device of unparalleled craft, be it a weapon, a vehicle, or suit of armor, the Weaponsmith is bonded so intimately with their signature invention they wield it with almost supernatural ability.
The Augment
Cursed as much as blessed by technology, the Augment incorporates into their bodies lifesaving devices that boost their strength and durability far beyond the norms of humanity, but which blur the line between biological and artificial, between man and monster.
WEIRD HEROES
The Initiate
Drawing their strength from their cultural heritage, either through the spirits of the dead or through the power of ancient artefacts, the Initiate defends their neighborhood with martial skills and ritual weaponry.
The Elemental
Empowered by extradimensional sources of energy, the body of the Elemental is transformed into a weapon with unparalleled scope for destruction, requiring those afflicted to master not only their powers, but their capacity for self-control.
The Mystic
Entering into a bargain with Entities beyond the realm of the Known, the Mystic is a master of reality-warping powers. In return they pledge their body and soul, forever risking becoming a pawn of their unseen masters.