Backstory: Joaquin LaTorre was a popular Latino player on his college team and then the local minor league baseball team. He seemed well on his way to the majors, until a mysterious illness sidelined him for the better part of a season. While he recovered physically, for the most part, Joaquin didn’t have the stamina to play professionally any more, so he fell back on his broadcast degree, and is one of the more popular sports anchors in the area, with a newspaper column and podcast to boot.
Joaquin, however, hopes to take the truth about his career-ending malady to his grave, out of shame. He was getting desperate for an edge that would get him out of the minors, and like many athletes, he turned to pharmaceuticals. He should have stuck with the usual performance enhancers. But no, Joaquin had to try Max, the often-deadly drug that induces temporary superpowers. He told himself that very small doses would be safe, and he didn’t have problems the first couple times.
But the third time wasn’t a charm. The Max reacted with something–another performance enhancer in his system? Maybe Joaquin had some latent meta-human potential? Whatever the reason, when Joaquin recovered months later, he discovered his “kinetomancer” powers, which manifest as colorful “force balls” that he throws. So, having thwarted his own MLB stardom dreams, Joaquin has found another route to national fame–superheroing.
Design & Play Notes: A number of Fastball’s powers (Immunities, Move Object Feature, some array powers, etc.) are from Power Profiles‘ Kinetic Powers chapter; the Fast Pitch power is Massive Knockback from the Strength Powers chapter.
The details of Joaquin’s city, college/university, former team, and TV station are left for you to develop, to fit with your campaign.
FASTBALL
Concept: Kinetic Energy Controller Power Level: 10 (150pp)
Abilities: STR 3; STA 2; AGI 3; DEX 2; FIG 3; INT 0; AWE 0; PRE 1
Advantages: Accurate Attack 1, Benefit 2 (Ambidexterity, Local Celebrity), Improved Initiative 1, Luck 2, Ranged Combat 8 (+10)
Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Athletics 6 (+9), Close Combat Unarmed 2 (+5), Expertise: Baseball 6 (+6), Expertise: Pop Culture 4 (+4), Expertise: Sports Reporter 4 (+4), Intimidation 4 (+5), Perception 6 (+6), Persuasion 4 (+5)
Powers
Kinetic Ball Array
*Kinetic Burst Damage 9, Ranged
*Hardball–Kinetic Blast Damage 10, Ranged
*Kinetic Cage–Create kinetic cage, Limited to entrapping
*Struck Out–Weaken Movement Effects, Ranged, Affects Objects, Broad
Kinetic Force Field: Protection 8, Impervious, Sustained
Fast Pitch: Move Object 4, Linked to Strength damage, Limited to flinging away, Reduced Range–close.
Feature 2 (Quick Change 1, Move Object < mass rank -5)
Immovable (Immunity 10: Being moved, Sustained). AE: Frictionless (Immunity 10: Grabbing, ensnaring, & restraining effects, Sustained)
Safe Fall: Movement 1
Senses 1: Extended Vision
Speed 2
Complications
Motivation–Recognition: Joaquin has always wanted fame. He didn’t make it to the Majors, he’s a popular TV news figure, but only in the region…but maybe as Fastball he can get nationwide fame.
Foul Ball (Accident): A miss with a kinetic ball may result in collateral damage.
Secret: Fastball is ashamed of his foray into illicit drug abuse. He’s not just afraid the truth would damage his reputation, but that underworld reserachers might become curious as to why Max turned him into a permanent supertype.
Weakness–Kinetic Overload: Rarely, in spite of his immunity, an extreme amount of kinetic energy can overwhelm Fastball. Treat as the Side Effect power flaw.
Equipment: Minor personal items
Abilities 28 + Defenses 23 + Advantages 14 + Skills 19 (Ranks 38) + Powers 66 = 150
Offense
Initiative + 7
Unarmed +5: Close, Damage 3
Ranged +10: Damage 10
Defense
Dodge: 8 [5 pp]
Parry: 8 [5 pp]
Fortitude: 8 [6pp]
Toughness: 10
Will: 7 [7 pp]
Linda Whitson
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