So last week Zac Eubank of Hyper RPG posted a twitter question about what kind of villains we, the loyal fans, would like to see show up on the Valiant RPG show on Wednesday nights. I posted the suggestion of Mad Scientist type character who’s gained access to Doomsday levels of Nanotechnology. The twist in this character design is that the character has plot point amnesia, and doesn’t remember any of the following:
The Master Plan for the Nanotech.
What he’s actually discovered and the applications he’s made with the Nanotech.
The current status of the Master Plan.
Nanotech Implantation in his own body.
So working within these limitations in information, what does this character look and how do they interact as a villain? Let’s put together a basic profile of how this character exists.
Data
Alter-Ego: Delphi
Name: Dr. Jacob Haidenreicht
Age: 35
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
Birthdate: January 6th, 1982
Hair: Brown
Eyes, Green
Height 6’2”
Weight 190 lbs.
Level of Education: Doctorates in Robotics and Computer Science from MIT.
Criminal Record: None
History
Delphi is a recent entry into the super powered criminal market. A fixer for hire, he specializes in troubleshooting technological issues for other criminals and developing specific solutions to the problems of the criminal underworld. No problem so far has proven to be too big for him to diagnose and he works very efficiently and comes in under budget. He’s a wonderful resource the underworld community in whatever city he sets up in, and his skills are highly recommended.
The Scoop
Delphi is working according to an operational plan that comes to him in bits and pieces. He often blacks out while working, and wakes up with new notes written in his own hand writing about the next phase of a project or the next gadget to build. He’s getting more concerned about the black outs, but so far hasn’t taken any steps to find a treatment. The money and resources he is paid in are going into an off the books project that he works on subconsciously.
Ways to encounter him:
1st Encounter
Recent low tech criminals are fielding some high tech gear. Investigation will lead the PCs back to Delphi’s lair and he can be encountered as a middleman for a more dangerous criminal.
2nd Encounter
The “Plan” requires a specific component/maguffin that Delphi will have to acquire himself. He hires a crew of goons to help him run his score, and the characters either catch him mid mission or are part of a manhunt to find him.
3rd Encounter
The characters start receiving mysterious communications cluing them in on some aspects of the “Plan” and how to thwart some of Delphi’s plans. This eventually leads to a confrontation with Delphi that the characters win. Parts of Delphi’s memories start to come back and he gives the characters an idea of what’s going on before the nanotech takes control again.
4th Encounter
Delphi’s close to completing the plan and the characters have to race against time to stop it.
Thoughts and Ideas
So this is a way of looking at a mad scientist with a twist. Most of the time he’s not a hardened criminal and will surrender when threatened with violence. Only after he starts to complete the master plan will he consider using violence as an option. The more complete the plan, the more Delphi strains against the Nanotech that has taken control of him.
It’s also possible to have Delphi continue to be a low level recurring bad guy/grey guy. He works for money and doesn’t have any particular scruples about the people he works for. In this application, he becomes a recurring NPC that can help or hinder the Super Heroes as the story needs him to.
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