The Book of Sauron
 

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Character Bio - While on an expedition to Tierra Del Fuego, a young Karl Lykos was attacked and bitten by mutant pterosaurs while attempting to rescue Tanya Andersson, his childhood love. Afterwards, Karl quickly realized he had acquired the ability to siphon energy from other living things and needed to do so to survive. Eventually becoming a hypnotherapist, Dr. Lykos had successfully crafted a device to drain patients' energy in order to satiate his vampiric tendencies. It was on the fateful day that one of Professor Charles Xavier’s students/X-Men had been sent to recover with the aid of Dr. Lykos’s treatments that Karl had been overwhelmed by the mutant’s power and transformed into the evil and villainous Sauron. After battling the X-Men, Karl had returned to human form and fraught with guilt he leaped over a cliff in the very place he was bitten as a child. Lykos had survived the fall and found himself in the Savage Land, where he then allied with Ka-Zar. Lykos again encountered the X-Men and transformed into Sauron while assisting Ka-Zar and the X-Men against Magneto and his Savage Land Mutates. Later on, Sauron was sought out by Tanya with the help of Angel and Spider-Man. Sauron was now leading the Mutates against Za-Zar in an attempt to conquer the Savage Land, but the were-pterosaur was defeated. Karl was cured of his condition by Professor X after returning home with Tanya and the two married and built a life together. The future did not remain bright, however, and after a time Sauron re-emerged, as powerful and chaotic as ever.
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-Rulings and Clarifications-

• N/A

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As a Marvel figure, Sauron has these Marvel Synergies.
• As a figure with a secret identity, Sauron has these Secret Identity Synergies.
• As a Mutate, Sauron has these Mutate Synergies.
• As a Creature, Sauron has these Creature Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• A Hypnotized Unique Hero adds 4 to Sauron's roll for Hypnotic Gaze and Sauron may take a turn with that Hero if that roll is successful. Current Hypnotized Unique Heroes.

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses:

• As a figure with a secret identity, Sauron interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a Mutate, Sauron interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a Creature, Sauron interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a figure with Super Strength, Sauron interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a flying figure, Sauron interacts differently with these special powers.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• N/A

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: IAmBatman
• Second playtest: fret_gurglo
• Third playtest: Ronin
• Fourth playtest: tcglkn
• Extra playtest: tcglkn (with class of Creature)
• Art: Comic, Figure, Background
• Art by tcglkn
• Sauron was created by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams for X-Men #59 (August 1969).
• Comic art by Greg & Tim Hildebrandt.

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

NAME = SAURON
SECRET IDENTITY = KARL LYKOS

SPECIES = MUTATE
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = CREATURE
PERSONALITY = FEROCIOUS

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 6

LIFE = 6
MOVE = 6
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 4
POINTS = 320

CLAW CARRY
After moving and before attacking with Sauron, you may choose a small or medium figure Sauron passed over this turn. Place the chosen figure adjacent to Sauron, and you may roll one unblockable attack die against the chosen figure. When the chosen figure is moved by Claw Carry, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

LIFE FORCE HUNGER
If Sauron inflicts any wounds on an adjacent figure that is not an Android, Construct, Undead, or destructible object with a normal attack, remove 1 Wound Marker from this card and, one time per round, if the defending figure was a Unique Hero that is not Human, add one die to Sauron's attack and defense for the remainder of the round.

HYPNOTIC GAZE
After taking a turn with Sauron, you may choose an adjacent Unique Hero and roll the 20-sided die, adding 4 to your roll if that Hero has the Hypnotized personality. If you roll 13 or higher, that Hero gains the Hypnotized personality for the remainder of the round. Take temporary control of the chosen Hero and immediately take a turn with that Hero. At the end of that turn, control of that Hero returns to the player who controlled the Hero before the Hypnotic Gaze. You may not take any additional turns with other figures you control.

SUPER STRENGTH
FLYING



The original design; looking back.

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

@tcglkn

Comic Art - TBD


Figure pics - TBD



Background - TBD

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

Everything looks good. I assume the last line of Life Force is because he needs to constantly feed? Maybe call the power Life Force Hunger to better convey the theme.

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

I also like Life Force Hunger there.

Just asking, but does the Hypnotize power need to be instead of attacking with a 50/50 roll? Was thinking it might work equally as well as an after moving, before attacking power with a higher number. I thought we made a hypnotize spell/personality to make taking control powers easier too, does anything about the hypnotize personality need to be added in here either way?

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

Baron Mordo has a Hypnosis power that keys in on the Hypnotized personality, and I know LO wanted future Hypnosis units to work with that system as well.

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

All figures adjacent to Sauron have the Hypnotized personality?
Or maybe if one figure is engaged with Sauron.

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

You all covered my questions/suggestions!

I was going to suggest Life Force Hunger and following Mordo’s precedent.

Also, thematically, is he really only Medium, not Large?

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

For personality, I'd go with Ferocious or something on those lines. A lot of his more iconic appearances are pretty "I really like being a dinosaur and committing crimes," so at some point he stops being conflicted. :lol:

Life-Force Absorption as a name sounds a little generic to me since it does call out Mutants specifically. I'd honestly recommend leaning into the goofiness a bit here - like, Pterodactylous Vampirism or something. I doubt it'd be reused either way. :lol:

And yeah I'd agree with putting Hypnotized in there, just as a hat to hang things on. It's a minor mechanic but we've been pretty consistent with it.

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

Yeah, it can be as simple as making it much easier to do against figures with the Hypnotized personality.

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

That's what I was thinking. A bonus to the roll.

Re: The Book Of Sauron (Breathing)
 

LIFE FORCE SATIATION could be another menacing title for it, but HUNGER probably gets the meaning across best.
With the current wording, I just realized it is unclear if Sauron is able to get the die bonus once or multiples times per round. I had originally meant it as a once per round. Ideas on stacking and wording? Also it just says defending figure, does this ignore if the attack was successful or not?

edit: Oh, it says "up to" I missed over that earlier, I think that covers it.

I'd be open to it being in addition to attacking with it being harder to roll if that's what you guys think works best, but I like it more working hand in hand with Claw Carry. Doing the unblockable attack, normal attack, and taking a turn with another figure feels like a lot in one turn and I feel like he'd only have the opportunity to do one or the other. Also Sauron is usually successful with the Hypnosis so making it harder wouldn't be as thematic.
Should I tack (and that figure has the personality of Hypnotized for the remainder of the round) on at the very end? I'm thinking no, as people generally shake off the effects pretty quick after turning on their teammates, but it's an option.
Also I thought a more specific title would be better what with Baron Mordo and all, thoughts?

Sure thing.

7' tall and 200lbs, wingspan similar to Angel. I think size should stay Medium.

I think I addressed everything. Let me know what y'all are thinking. I'll be pretty busy tomorrow, a big storm knocked over a tree in the yard, but I'll probably catch up later in the night after work.