DC Adventures Character Sheet: Livewire

When starting up my DC Adventures game, I wanted to include a few usual Metropolis villains that players might recognize in the first game.  Livewire hasn’t been in too many comics, but has popped up a number of times in the Superman cartoons, and, since she never came off as being a ‘boss’ character, she seemed like an appropriate choice to fill in the ranks.

I could have winged what Livewire was and what she did, but I wanted to see how difficult it would be to make a character from scratch, so I would know how tough it would be for my players to do the same.  While DC Adventures plays with relative ease, making my first character took me a number of hours… enough time for me to recognize that it wasn’t smart to foist this on my players on day one.  Still, I got a better understanding of how the game worked in the process, and had a character I could use and return, so I consider it a win.

Livewire is a bit of a ‘puzzle’ villain.  Wonder Woman, for example, can’t just fly up to her and punch her on the chin.  Not only can she turn into a living ball of electricity,  but she has the ability to shoot off lethal blasts of electricity while insubstantial.  Still, there’s enough ways for a normal team of superheros to disable her (energy blasts seem like a common theme), and she’s got a pretty big weakness for those who can find access to water or sand.  I also gave her random strength, because she really is randomly strong… it just rarely comes up.  She also has the ability to “Use [her] technology skill at a distance”… the equivalent of shooting a bolt of lightning at garage door to spring it open.  I could have gotten all fancy  with determining how many points this would require, but I just figured the leftover 3 points I had was enough to handwave this.  If you really want a proper explanation, use “Move Object 2: Precise, Limitation: Machines”.

Livewire – PL 10

Strength – 7
Stamina – 2
Agility – 0
Dexterity – 2
Fighting – 0
Intellect – 2
Awareness – 0
Presence – 4

Defenses

Dodge – 0
Parry – 2
Fortitude – 10
Toughness – 2
Will – 0

Initiative – 0

Powers

Insubstantial 3: Becomes Electricity
Electric Charge – Damage: Electrical Blast 12, Affects Corporal, Half-Mile Range
Electric Field – Energy Aura: Electrical 4, Affects Corporal
Flight 10
Quick Change
Protection and Deflection 10, Limited to Electricity, Always on self
Use the Skill Technology at a distance

Skills

Deception 6
Expertise: Shock Jock 10
Insight 4
Intimidation 6
Technology 10 (Tied to power only.  Livewire doesn’t have technical know how, but can override manual mechanics by “juicing” them.)

Complications

Livewire has a tendency to believe that she is always right.  Mistakes are something that other people make.

Vulnerable to Water and Dust Silicon.  When insubstatial, Livewire can still be attacked with any attack that includes water or sand as part of the attack.  If smothered in water or sand, Livewire automatically becomes Dazed, Staggered if already Dazed, or Incapacitated if already Staggered.  Apply before damage is dealt.