Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Stephen Strange—Sorcerer Supreme

With the release of the new movie—which currently has almost no ties to the rest of the cast of the MCU—I decided it was time to take a break from overhauling all of my Savaging so far and just do someone fresh and... relatively simple.

SPOILERS AHEAD; go watch the film and then come back to read up on the Savaging.


Name: Stephen Vincent Strange
Race: Human
Experience: 40 (Veteran)
Power Level: Deity with Super Karma (Rising Stars; 70 PP)
Agility d6; Smarts d12; Spirit d8; Strength d6; Vigor d6
Pace 6; Parry 6 [8 with the Cloak of Levitation]; Charisma 0; Toughness 5
Hindrances: Arrogant, Nerve Damage (Major; –2 to fine motor skills like Driving, Healing, Shooting, etc.), Obligation (m—protect the Sanctum Sanctorum), Pacifist (m)
Edges: Arcane Background (Super Powers), Rich, Doctor, Scholar (Medicine and Neuroscience), Martial Artist.
Skills: Fighting d8, Healing d12, Investigation d10, Knowledge (Arcana) d4, Knowledge (Medicine) d8, Knowledge (Neuroscience) d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Spellcasting d12, Streetwise d4.
Inventory: Acolyte clothes, Cloak of Levitation, Sling Ring.
Powers:
  • Attack, Melee (4): Damage Str+d6, Grapple, Reach 2. Slow to Activate. (Crimson Bands of Cytorrak.)
  • Deflection (1): –2 to hit with ranged attacks. Contingent on attack, melee.
  • Super Attribute (2): Spirit +1. (Kamar-Taj training.)
  • Super Skill (8): Fighting +2, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Spellcasting +4. (Intense study and practice.)
  • Super Sorcery (12): Level 6. (Sorcery.)
  • Teleport (10): Can teleport up to 12". Portal, Traverse (+6). Device (–1, sling ring).
Astral Dimension (separated for ease of understanding Strange's powers)
  • Extra Action (4): One extra action, Fast Action. Contingent on invisibility. (Time moves slower in the astral dimension.)
  • Flight (2): Pace 12, Climb 0. Contingent on successful intangibility.
  • Intangibility (6): Soul Walk. Limitation (–1, cannot cast spells in the astral dimension). (Astral projection.)
  • Invisibility (9): Level 3, –6 to hit. Contingent on successful intangibility, Limitation (–1, visible to others in the astral dimension).
  • Super Edge (1): Combat Reflexes. Contingent on successful intangibility.
  • Toughness +4 (2): Contingent on successful intangibility. (Tough soul.)
Cloak of Levitation (Switchable)
  • Danger Sense (1): Device (–1, Cloak of Levitation). (The cloak is always on the lookout for threats.)
  • Flight (2): Pace 12, Climb 0. Device (–1, Cloak of Levitation), Limitation (–1, tends to have a mind of its own).
  • Parry +2 (1): Device (–1, Cloak of Levitation). (The cloak helps protect its wearer.)
  • Super Edge (5): Improved Dodge. Device (–1, Cloak of Levitation). (Pulls the wearer away from dangers.) Switchable (primary).
with
  • Sidekick (4): Limitation (–1, doesn't gain XP).


Name: Cloak of Levitation
Experience: 0 (Novice)
Power Level: Deity Sidekick with Super Karma (Rising Stars; 50 PP)
Agility d12, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d12, Vigor d8
Pace 6, Parry 7 [9], Charisma —, Toughness 15
Hindrances: Code of Honor, Doesn't Speak, Loyal, No Arms (M—the cloak must dedicate its entire form to any kind of interaction and cannot perform fine manipulation)
Edges: Arcane Background (Super Powers), Quick, Improved Dodge
Skills: Fighting d10, Knowledge (Arcana) d8, Notice d8, Taunt d4
Powers:
  • Construct (8): +2 to recover from being Shaken; doesn't breathe; immune to disease and poison; ignores one level of wound penalties.
  • Doesn't Eat (1): It's a cloak.
  • Doesn't Sleep (2): Cloak.
  • Fearless (2): C-L-O-A-K.
  • Flight (4): Pace 12.
  • Parry +2 (3): Protector. (Incredible reflexes.)
  • Super Attribute (14): Agility +3, Spirit +1, Strength +2. Not Today (Agility).
  • Super Edge (4): Improved Dodge. (Incredible reflexes.)
  • Toughness +9 (12): Hardy.
Doctor Stephen Strange was a renowned doctor and neurosurgeon. He performed cutting-edge research and was one of the top surgeons in New York City. Unfortunately, he's also kind of a dick. He was notorious for picking his patients to further his reputation and placing himself above everything, including the rules and their consequences. This little quirk came back to bite him in the ass when examining patient X-rays on the road (at night, in the rain, on a mountainside), which caused a serious wreck, sending him off the mountain and nearly killing him.

While he was saved by modern medicine, his hands were irreparably damaged in the crash—severe nerve damage made it difficult for him to even write, much less perform complex surgical procedures. Strange was driving himself mad, spending away his resources on experimental procedures, drugs, anything that might help his hands heal. Eventually, as his bank accounts dwindled, Strange found another man who was paralyzed from the waist down and had recovered miraculously. This led Strange to Kamar-Taj, a house of the mystical arts in Nepal.

Initially, Strange was skeptical of the idea of magic until the Ancient One—master of the arts and top dog of Kamar-Taj—projected his astral body and then sent him on a mind-twisting trip through the multiverse. Strange dedicated the next months of his life to learning these arts, becoming more fit, training in martial combat, studying spells and rituals, and even mastering high-end magic like Astral Projection, and was even able to enter the Mirror Dimension on his own. His gift for the mystic arts led him to using the Eye of Agamotto, a pendant housing the Infinity Stone of Time (which I will not Savage any time soon—time manipulation on that scale is silly, it's a MacGuffin, and it's purely a plot device and I don't want to put numbers to that kind of stuff right now).

Unfortunately, his training was cut short by a fallen student, Kaecilius, began to destroy the mystic Sanctums across the world. Strange ended up in the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York, holding Kaecilius and his zealots at bay and discovering the Cloak of Levitation (a sentient artifact). After discovering the zealots' pact with Dormammu (evil mystical dimensional god) and escaping from them, the Ancient One was killed in a battle with Kaecilius, and this pushed Strange onto the path of a hero, and he convinced one of his mentors—Carl Mordo—to help him defend the Sanctum in Hong Kong. Upon arrival, though, the Sanctum was destroyed and Dormammu was leaking into this dimension. Using the power of the Eye of Agamotto, Strange reversed the damage, and after a brief fight, fled into the Dark Dimension to strike a bargain. Using the Eye to create a time loop, Dormammu agreed to leave, taking his zealots and retreating into the Dark Dimension for now.

Strange is now the guardian of the Sanctum Sanctorum, and while he wasn't quite the Sorcerer Supreme by the end of this film, the mid credits scene certainly showcases that he has become notably more powerful. I'm excited to see him in Infinity War (and possibly Ragnarok) but if he gets too crazy he might start breaking this game. I certainly hope it doesn't get to that point.

There are two custom modifiers here: Soul Walk on intangibility effectively just means that Strange's soul leaves his body when he activates the ability, while Portal on teleport forms a portal that anyone can use. The specifics of these abilities are available in my Super Power changes document.

Leave questions, comments, etc below. Hopefully we'll get more updates and entries from the movies and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pretty soon.
—DoctorBoson