The Book of Stepford Cuckoo (Celeste)

[IAmBatman]

Yeah, I think it'd be really tough to come up with 5 unique hero designs that were really strong and still really each did what the characters should do. Not to mention how tough it'd be to find distinctive comic art.

[SirGalahad]

So far its 4-2 with Hahma yet to chime in, but I've never been one to be unyielding, so here's another possibility I had - simpler, but viable :


NAME = STEPFORD CUCKOOS

SPECIES = MUTANT
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE SQUAD
CLASS = TELEPATHS
PERSONALITY = HEARTLESS

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 1

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 4

POINTS = 150

FIVE-IN-ONE
When each member of the Stepford Cuckoos rolls normal attack or defense dice, you may add 1 die for each of the other members of the Stepford Cuckoos within 3 spaces of that figure.

MENTAL SHIELD
An opponent may never take temporary or permanent control of the Stepford Cuckoos.

[tcglkn]

The problem with that is that they only have one life and I don't think that works for them. I support Uncommon Heroes 100%. If we do Unique Heroes, make them all Stepford Cuckoos with different Secret Identifies and give them the exact same power set you have in the OP minus the part about only drafting 5 of them.

[Good Pig]

Originally Posted by tcglkn

The problem with that is that they only have one life and I don't think that works for them. I support Uncommon Heroes 100%. If we do Unique Heroes, make them all Stepford Cuckoos with different Secret Identifies and give them the exact same power set you have in the OP minus the part about only drafting 5 of them.

Yeah, that would be my preference too.

Identical cards with different Identities. I still think Uncommon Hero is the best, but that that is a middle ground solution.

[IAmBatman]

Identical cards with different identities feels odd to me, but I wouldn't death no it as an alternative option. I still prefer Uncommon Heroes and the OP (with a couple of small tweaks) though.

[Griffin]

Unique Heroes with the same power set and different identities is AOK with me too.

[Hahma]

I'm fine with Unique Hero for these girls since they have individual names. I wouldn't have minded doing that with the Code Blue Cops, but there was only 1 white mini to be used for all of them but Lt. Stone, and they aren't quintuplets that can get away with having the same mini.

Here's some stuff they can do, from Marvel Comic Database. I guess the only thing perhaps that might be neat to add would be diamond form (near bottom of the below entry), where they gain attack/defense/super strength but can't use telepathic powers. It would seem too that Mental Shield would be something they would gain in diamond form as well. Just a thought as something like this could be used to lower their base stats somewhat for when they want to use telepathic attacks, but they can also go diamond on someone's ass when they need to, particularly useful when there are only 1 or 2 of them left and the telepathic attack would be weaker.

Just a thought.

Telepathy: mutants with various telepathic abilities. They can read minds and project their thoughts into the minds of others. Though they individually possess their own power they work in greater power when the girls join in a super-mind rapport.

• Telepathic Illusion: ability to create realistic telepathic illusions and cause people to experience events which are not actually occurring.
• Mind Link: ability to develop a mental link with any person which remains as a connection to that individual
• Mind Control: capable of controlling the minds of others but only one at a time and if the target is in her physical presence.
• Mind Possession: ability to possess the mind of another, and use that beings body as your own
• Mind Alteration: ability to alter the minds of others by force of will.
• Telepathic Camouflage: ability to mask herself, and other peoples' presence from those around her. Can telepathically disguise herself, making her appearance to those around her quite different (changing the appearance of clothing, as well as more involved disguising).
• Cloak Mind: ability to rearrange the “mental engrams” of mutants so their distinctive mutant though patterns cannot be detected by Cerebro-type devises or by other telepaths
• Telepathic Tacking: enhanced psionic senses enable her to detect and track other sentient beings by their unique psionic emanations (thought patterns contained in the psionic portion of the spectrum) especially if they pose a threat to her well-being in her immediate vicinity.
• Astral Projection: ability to Astral Travel and communicate with others astrally through her own will, or through contact with the thoughts and memories of others.
• Mental Paralysis: ability to induce temporary mental or physical paralysis
• Mental Amnesia: Can erase any awareness of particular memories or cause total amnesia.
• Psionic Blasts: can project psionic force bolts which have no physical effects but which can affect a victim's mind so as to cause the victim pain or unconsciousness.

Gestalt Psychic Link: ability to merge their psychic engrams together in order to pool their collective telepathic power together. This allows the Cuckoos telepathic and intellectual power greater the sum of its parts. Whereas Sophie was the dominant consciousness and often commanded the Cuckoos before her death; it seems that the remaining three Cuckoos operate the gestalt in a more equal democratic fashion.



Organic Diamond Form: ability to transform themselves into a flexible, translucent diamond-like substance while retaining mobility. In this form, their skin is as hard as real diamond. In this state, food and water are not needed for a undetermined amount of time. Their diamond form does not require a conscious hold and thus will remain until it is voluntarily triggered back.

• Telepathic Immunity: Enclosed in diamond skin, They cannot give or receive telepathic attacks.
• Superhuman Stamina: ability to sustain peak exertion for up to a day.
• Superhuman Strength
• Flawless Diamond: unlike Frost, their diamond forms are completely flawless. Nothing can enter or escape from their core. Skin, bone and muscle augmented to make it stronger and harder than human; impervious to injury to an extraordinary extent. They're completely impervious in their diamond form.
• Perpetual Diamond Heart: also, unlike Emma, the Cuckoos can transform selective parts of their bodies as their hearts are in a perpetual diamond-form state. Therefore, they can never feel emotion again, even when in their "normal" tissue form.

Known Abilities: capable leaders, able to use Cerebra.

Strength Level: Strength level unknown, but it is presumed to be at a superhuman level.

[Good Pig]

I brought up the diamond form too early on. I think right after Sir G drafted them. Everyone (including Spidey) said it wasn't iconic that they go into diamond form. Which is odd because they're clones of Emma Frost and share her same powers. Guess it would bore the writers not to make them different.

[SirGalahad]

Attempt #3

NAME = STEPFORD CUCKOO
IDENTITY = (CELESTE, ESME, MINDEE, PHOEBE, SOPHIE)

SPECIES = MUTANT
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = TELEPATH
PERSONALITY = HEARTLESS

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 4

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 4

POINTS = 80

SHARED MIND
After revealing an Order Marker on this card, instead of taking a turn with this Stepford Cuckoo, you may take a turn with any other Stepford Cuckoo you control.

COMBINED TELEPATHY SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 5. Attack 3 + Special.
Roll 1 additional attack die for each Stepford Cuckoo you control within 4 spaces of this Stepford Cuckoo. Figures with the Mental Shield special power and destructible objects are not affected by this special attack.

MENTAL SHIELD
An opponent may never take temporary or permanent control of this Stepford Cuckoo.



Tried to come up with something for Diamond Form, but the problem I keep running into is that in order to give them conditional Mental Shield (when the Diamond Marker is on the card), we would have to spell out the special power. It's not like Flying or Super Strength, like we did on Vixen. Unless we think that the power's been around long enough that we can reference it without spelling it out.

draft:

DIAMOND FORM

Start the game with a blue Diamond Marker. Before Order Markers are placed each round, you may place or remove the Diamond Marker. While the Diamond Marker is on this card, this Stepford Cuckoo:

• adds 4 to her Defense number;
• has the Mental Shield special power; and
• cannot use any other special powers on this card.

An additional problem is that Esme, Phoebe, and Mindee could be in Diamond Form and Sophie and Celeste are not. OM on Celeste. She should not be able to pass her turn to Phoebe with Shared Mind because Phoebe's in Diamond form, but there's nothing to prevent that.

[Griffin]

There are only two powers that I ever care to see be referenced on a card without it being spelled out, and that is Flying and Superstrength. Only because they ARE spelled out in the rule book.

I like attempt #3 and I can live without Diamond Forms, as it isn't something that is iconic.

[IAmBatman]

I can live without the diamond forms as well. If we're going to go the direction of more than three powers on the card, I'd rather just see us do five heroes with distinct power sets. If all the powers are going to be the same, we should cap it at three, IMO.

[Good Pig]

Attempt #3 looks good to me. I think the SA should not require clear sight, similar to Xavier's SA.