Name: THE SHADOW (radio version) Val Char Cost 15 STR 5 15 DEX 15 18 CON 16 13 BODY 6 20 INT 10 25 EGO 30 35 PRE 25 14 COM 2 8 PD 5 4 ED 3 SPD 5 7 REC 36 END 30 STUN Characteristic Rolls: STR: 12-, DEX: 12-, CON: 13-, INT: 13-, EGO: 14-, PER: 13- Run: 10", Swim: 2", Jump: 3", Lift: 200kg Cost Powers END/Roll 8 +4" Running (Total 10") 15 Mental Defense 20 20 Invisibility to Normal Sight, No Fringe, -1/2 Limit, Can Be Dispelled By Successful EGO vs. EGO Roll 17 Elemental Control: Hindu Mysticism 17 7D6 Mind Control 17 7D6 Telepathy Cost Skills, Talents, Perks Roll Martial Manuevers 5 Boxing Jab (Defensive Strike), +1 OCV, +3 DCV, STR Strike 5 Boxing Hook (Offensive Strike), -2 OCV, +1 DCV, STR+4D6, Strike 4 Boxing Block (Martial Block), +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort 3 Wrestling Slam (Martial Throw), +1 DCV, STR+v/5; opponent falls 3 Wrestling Take Down (Sacrifice Throw), +2 OCV, +1 DCV, STR; you fall, opponent falls 4 Wrestling Escape (Martial Escape), +15 STR vs. Grabs 3 Wrestling Hold (Martial Grab), Grab, +10 STR for hold only 3 Acting 16- 3 Breakfall 12- 3 Bureaucratics 16- 3 Bugging (Eavesdropping) 13- 3 Climbing 12- 3 Concealment 13- 3 Conversation 16- 3 Criminology 13- 3 Deduction 13- 3 Forensic Medicine 13- 3 High Society 16- 3 Interrogation 16- 2 LS: Hindi, fluent 2 LS: Tamil, fluent 2 LS: Cantonese, fluent 3 Oratory 16- 3 Paramedic 13- 3 Persuasion 16- 5 Shadowing 12- 3 Sleight of Hand 12- 3 Stealth 12- 3 Systems Operation: Radio 13- 9 Ventriloquism 16- 2 CK: New York City 11- 2 KS: Criminal Underworld 11- 2 KS: The Occult 11- 2 PS: Hypnostist (INT-based) 13- 5 Talent: Resistance 10 Perk: Wealthy 100+ Disadvantages 10 DNPC 11-: Margo Lane, girlfriend; normal, useful skills 15 Secret ID: Lamont Cranston, playboy and amateur detective 10 Watched 11-: The Police (as Cranston) 20 Hunted 11-: Evil Mystics, more powerful 20 Can't Pass Up a Mystery, total 15 Protective of Margo Lane, common, strong 15 Reputation 14-: Mysterious Avenger 20 Sinister Laugh, concealable with effort, causes extreme terror 112 He Knows What Evil Lurks bonus OCV: 5; DCV: 5; ECV: 8; Mental Def.: 20; Phases: 4, 8, 12 PD/rPD: 8/0 ; ED/rED: 4/0 Costs: Char.: 119 Disad.: 125 Powers: + 218 Base: + 100 Exp.: + 112 Total: = 337 Total: = 337 Source: "The Street & Smith Dectective Story Magazine Hour," 1931 (it became "The Shadow" radio show, which continued until 1954). Background: Superman wasn't the first hero to rescue a plucky female sidekick named Lane. The Shadow spent much of his on-air career getting "friend and companion" Margo Lane out of scrapes. Unlike Lois Lane, Margo usually wasn't responsible for getting herself into trouble. The Shadow began as the host of radio dramatizations of Street & Smith Publications' detective stories. He'd start off each episode with a cheerful comment such as, "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay. The Shadow knows!" His scary voice and sardonic laughter so excited listeners' imaginations that he began taking a greater and greater role in these stories and eventually took over the show. His success on the air encouraged the publishing house to issue The Shadow magazine, featuring adventures in which the character took center stage. The Shadow developed into two related but distinct crime fighters, although both are masters of stealth, misdirection and ventriloquism On the radio, The Shadow is hypnotist and amateur criminologist Lamont Cranston, who has learned from the Hindu yogis of India the ability to cloud men's minds so they cannot not see him. He uses intimidation and mind control rather than gunplay to thwart a diverse cadre of gangsters, madmen, and spies. Although he's capable of giving the bad guys a well-deserved sock in the jaw, he rarely has to. His opponents frequently become so rattled by his unseen presence that they destroy themselves while trying to kill him. Unlike his magazine counterpart, this Cranston really is a wealthy young playboy, and he's allowed one other person -- Lane -- to know his true identity. As such, he's a much more human and sympathetic hero. He and Margo are clearly lovers, but he's too busy battling bad guys to propose marriage. The radio Shadow lacks a network of agents; instead he and Lane are driven around New York City by talkative cabbie Moe "Shrevie" Shrevnitz. He works more closely with the police (they can't see him to arrest him), although they still resent his interference. Somehow Cranston manages to be on hand whenever Police Commissioner Ralph Weston arrives to investigate a crime scene. Weston, who knows Cranston and Lane socially, regards Lamont's amateur sleuthing as a sometimes amusing annoyance. He would be even more annoyed if he knew that Cranston is the eerie voice that keeps second-guessing his deductions. Powers and Abilities: The Shadow's invisibility doesn't quite translate into the conventional Champions power. He's not truly invisible in the sense that he's bending the laws of physics. Instead, he's using a sort of passive area effect Mind Control to prevent people from perceiving him with any of their senses unless he wants them to. He doesn't often have to worry about the usual Invisible Man giveaways such as footprints, mist or splashed paint. If a clever villain were to splash paint on him, The Shadow could prevent the crook from perceiving the paint, too. On the other hand, persons with strong enough EGOs or with the appropriate training can perceive him normally. The Shadow has encountered such individuals more than once during his long career but they typically perish in their own deathtraps or at the hands of their associates before they can reveal his secret to the world. GM's Note: This type of occult invisibility works quite well in the 1930s and '40s. It would become more problematic in a contemporary campaign where security cameras and other concealed remote electronic sensory devices are common. The Shadow could elude human guards only to be cornered by robots or heat-seeking weaponry. Of course, that would give the player characters a chance to come to his rescue. In addition, The Shadow also possesses standard Mind Control and Telepathy powers, is a masterful orator and competent detective. It's easy to be a keen observer when you can literally look over people's shoulders, but Cranston has developed the true detective's knack for noticing little details that others miss. Cranston's usual tactic is to confront a suspect in an isolated place, appearing only as a disembodied voice, to scare useful information out of him. If that doesn't work, The Shadow will keep hanging around, eavesdropping and attempting to startle the villain into a rash act that will undo his schemes. In addition to making himself invisible, The Shadow routinely throws his voice to another portion of the room. That way, he'll be out of harm's way if the crook starts shooting or throwing things or otherwise trying to locate him. While he will intervene physically to protect himself or an innocent, The Shadow's most powerful weapon remains his voice. Disadvantages: If you listen to enough episodes of the radio show, it appears there is some sort of Delhi diaspora going on during the Great Depression. Although his powers are supposed to be unique, The Shadow encounters a number of east Indian emigres (and Westerners who have studied the occult in India) who are familiar with how his abilities work and who can sometimes match them. Invariably, these people are on the opposite side of the law. Since they can often see him, they don't have too much trouble figuring out his secret identity. While this is a bad thing -- without his powers The Shadow is merely a public-spirited citizen -- it also keeps him honest and on his toes. His encounters with evil mystics are a constant reminder of what he could become if he doesn't restrain himself. Also, Lamont Cranston possesses an eagerness to investigate all the suspicious circumstances he encounters, even when doing so isn't in his best interests. He'll go to that interview with a suspect even though he knows it is a trap. He'll have to check out that lighted window in the storm-drenched abandoned house, even though he and Margo would be safer (and drier) if he were to pass it up. Height: cm ( ' "), Weight: kg ( lbs), Sex: Male, Race: Caucasian Appearance: Are you kidding? "No man sees The Shadow! Heh, heh, heh, ha, ha, ha, haaaa!" ===================== Hero System write-up by Kevin Scrivner