DC Adventures Character Sheet: Jeannette
In DC Adventures Log 3: Bad Medicine, Part 2, Badder Medicine, Team Lex encountered the Secret Six, split into two groups. The smaller of the two was left to cause havoc in Metropolis as a distraction and included Jeannette.
Most of Jeannette’s contemporaries in The Six are Power Level 11, but I wanted Jeannette to be a threat to the players by her lonesome, so I ratcheted her up to a PL14. I don’t think many fanboys and fangirls would put Jeannette on par with the heavy hitters of the DC Universe, but Jeannette has successfully gone toe to toe with Wonder Woman before and won (you know, by going full on Banshee), so it isn’t in the realm of impossible.
My first thought was to take Wonder Woman, who is Power Level 15, rearrange her stats and remove some points. I did so, took a step back, then remembered that there was something in the book about Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman using more points than their power level would normally require to “flesh them out”. I checked the numbers and found that Wonder Woman was built with 286 points, while PL15 starts at 225. That’s 21% more points, and some serious padding in her bustier. Now, I’m sympathetic to why the game developers decided they needed to give Wonder Woman so many points while keeping her stated power level at 15. After all, her invisible plane is worth 31 points alone… and that plane has little relevance, since Wonder Woman can fly as fast as her damn plane. It does bother me, however, the sort of message this gives players. It stresses to players that they should be min/maxing munchkins, since paying full price for a bunch of fun toys doesn’t add any ‘value’ to a person’s power rating.
Alright. Enough with the ranting about Wonder Woman. Here’s some notes on Jeanette:
Jeannette is more powerful in her Banshee form, giving her access to her Banshee’s Wail and some limited flight (which, I know, she probably doesn’t have. But I figured, heck, she’s a banshee… why not some wafting?) If you don’t know Jeannette’s back story, I’d suggest reading it on her Wikipedia page here. Unlike some two dimensional comic book characters, Jeannette’s life and death in Revolutionary France is a compelling story and could be a novel itself. Even if you only have a passing interest, you’ll want to read up on how she died, since, whenever Jeannette uses her banshee’s wail, everyone who hears it relives that terrible fate.
Speaking of her banshee’s wail, I’m perfectly aware that, in game terms, it doesn’t do anything but incapacitate those who witness it. I kind of assume that, if someone gets to the very end, however, they die. That small detail probably isn’t worth a point, since, if you’ve spent seven rounds entranced by this horrible screaming, you’re not likely to survive, anyhow.
Do note, also, that turning into a Banshee comes at a cost to Jeannette. Once she’s turned that part of herself on, it doesn’t shut off unless someone she trusts talks her out of it. And even then, it’s a bit touch and go. If you’re playing Jeannette as a character, I’d suggest using the scream as a sort of ‘last resort’.
Jeannette – PL 14
Strength – 12
Stamina – 14
Agility – 10
Dexterity – 4
Fighting – 12
Intellect – 2
Awareness – 2
Presence – 6
(Statistics Points: 124)
Defenses
Dodge – 16
Parry – 14
Will – 14
Fortitude – 16
Toughness – 14
(Defenses Points: 22)
Offense
Initiative +10
Unnarmed +12 Close, Damage 12
Powers
Immortality 5, 10 points
Quick Change into Banshee Form, 1 point
Wail of the Banshee – Affliction 10, Resisted by Will, Burst Area, Innate, Quirk: Must change into Banshee Form (Entranced, Stunned, Incapacitated), 30 points
Flight 4, Quirk: Must change into Banshee Form, 7 points
(Powers Points = 49)
Advantages
Attractive, Benefit (Independantly Wealthy, Rank 2), Connected
(Advantages Points = 4)
Skills
Deception 8 (+14)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 6 (+12)
Persuasion 8 (+14)
(Skills Points = 13)
Total Points = 212
Complications
Panics at the prospect of imprisonment – Jeannette spent many years in a gulag, and has no intention of returning to that world.
Can’t let go – Once Jeannette achieves her Banshee Form, it is difficult for her to relinquish it, and needs to be talked down.
John-Michael Gariepy 