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View Full Version : Help me take a Modern Superhero and make a Medieval Villain!



ondonaflash
2010-01-17, 05:14 AM
Okay this one may require some explanation. I have designed a campaign based off of a tarot deck where each card is representative of a physical manifestation of itself. The cards are used to summon five six entities, the Queen of Blades, the King of Pentacles, the Knight of Wands, and the Jack of Staves from the minor arcana, and the more powerful Magician and Fool. The important thing to
know is that the Minor Arcana are each world shatteringly powerful, but the Major Arcana are better.

The idea is that a secular ruler provokes a cult of wizards into summonig the Minor Arcana, who overthrow the ruling empire and attempt to usher in an era of tyrannical despotism and force the people to worship them as gods. Someone accidentally summons the psychotic Fool who forces the Minor Arcana to kneel before him. Constantly (very literal minded). Until the party finds and summons the Magician, who weakens the Arcana long enough for them to be killed by the party.

Now the point of this thread: I decided, purely for fun, to model the Arcana after DC heroes, complete with overwhelming powers. The Queen of Blades is based off of Wonder Woman: super strong, invulnerable bracers (lootable) able to fly, plus she has a sword (and a bondage fetish, this is a villain remember). The King of Pentacles is Superman: super fast, super strong, heat Ray vision, super breath, flight, infravision, and a blue and red tabard with a gold Pentacle on he front. The Knight of Wands is Batman: cowl of hiding and a ridiculous set of contingency items, also epic dexterity, etc. The Fool is, naturally, the Joker if the Joker had control over all reality within about five square miles. Where I'm stuck is with the Jack of Staves and the Magician. I'd like he Jack to be a JLA member (not Aquaman) and for the Magician to be a DC villain-made-good. Ideas?

ocdscale
2010-01-17, 05:36 AM
Braniac for the Magician?
Green Lantern, Flash, or Green Arrow (would obviously need a power boost) for Knight of Staves?

T.G. Oskar
2010-01-17, 05:58 AM
Where I'm stuck is with the Jack of Staves and the Magician. I'd like he Jack to be a JLA member (not Aquaman) and for the Magician to be a
DC villain-made-good. Ideas?

Well...does it need to be DC?

If so, the two natural choices would be Zatanna and the Wizard. Both of them are known for their use of magic.

However, if you'd really want to hit the spot, I'd say Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme. Granted, he's from Marvel, but not only is he a magician, he's also the kind of person who solves the problems of other superheroes, and usually has the skill to fix insurmountable situations. Furthermore, if you consider his collaboration with the Illuminati, even though it was not exactly evil in nature, you might work that out a bit.

Malacode
2010-01-17, 06:14 AM
Seconding Braniac for the Magician!
Also, what are you after in Jack of Staves? A Jack of all Trades, a Jack-be-Nimble, a Jack the Giant Slayer? Little Jack Horner :p ?

Edit: Martian Manhunter could work as Jack of Staves

ondonaflash
2010-01-17, 06:35 AM
I do like the Martian Manhunter... All I am really looking for in the case of Jack of Staves is an interesting character with abilities that are easily duplicated in the D&D 4e system. I like the idea with the magician being Braniac...

playswithfire
2010-01-17, 10:57 AM
I don't know that much about the tarot, but some wikipedia'ing got me to the Page of Wands page, page apparently being the same as jack and wands being the same as staves. The description there says:


"The page lives where the wand, or the flame, is larger than the person. The drive is larger than life's experiences. The thirst for action and the yearning for progress has put you squarely in front of the task so that you can grow beyond your limit."

For JLA members, that sounds like either Green Lantern (which someone already mentioned) receiving his ring and the training and responsibilities that come with it or Captain Marvel, the child given the ability to transform into an adult superhero by the wizard Shazam.

EDIT: I don't know 4e, so I don't know if either of those heroes' powers are easy to translate to 4e

ondonaflash
2010-01-18, 03:48 AM
That's not a terrible suggestion, just a little more into the tarot card thing than I want to get.

What abilities from the monster manual (4e) or players handbook would you all give the Martian Manhunter and/or Braniac?

Shardan
2010-01-18, 05:46 AM
Phasing, invisibility, super strength, vulnerability to fire, telepathy... didn't he have mind control too?

ondonaflash
2010-01-18, 05:57 AM
I think he could possess people? Maybe? I don't know him as well as some of the others.