Tabletop RPG Podcast and Roleplaying Resources

Category: Cortex

Dr. Presto in Cortex Prime

Dr. Presto

Cover Name: Dr. Presto                      Real Name: Stefano Romano

Affiliations: Solo d6, Buddy d10, Team d8

Values: Duty d6, Glory d8, Justice d8, Love d8, Power d6, Truth d6

Distinctions (d8 or d4 +1 PP): Mystic Defender of Overlooked Victims, Stage Magician, Celebrity in the Spotlight

Power Set: Confusion

  • Cause Retreat d8 (target retreats)
  • Friends Are Foes d10 (cause target to attack another person)
  • Hallucinations d10 (cause target to act in an irrational manner)

SFX: Area Attack. Target multiple opponents. For every additional target, add d6 and keep +1 effect die.

SFX: Multipower. Use two or more Confusion powers in your dice pool, at –1 step for each additional power.

SFX: Darkest Magic. Step up or double any Confusion power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to the Doom Pool equal to the normal rating of that power.

Limit: Focus Item. Lose your cane’s crystal and lose your Confusion abilities to gain 1 PP. Test to recover.

Specialties: Stage Magic d6, Psychology d6, Fencing d6, Sleight of Hand d6

Signature Assets: Crystal pommelled silver sword cane d6

Relationships:

  • PCs: The Shade (Ralph Messano) d10, The Mantis d8, Mr. Morbidis (Eli Levine) d6, Lucky Devil (Bizhanee Chindi) d6
  • NPCs: Helen Rourke (Police Clerk) d10, Jimmy “Knuckles” Savage (Small Time Thug) d6, Mickey O’Conner (Night Club Owner) d8

Milestones:

I Am More Than A Magician
1xp when you use stage magic to influence others without using mystic powers
3xp when you gain notoriety for something that didn’t involve using your powers
10xp when you personally defeat a major villain without magic or forsake being a stage performer

Agent of the S.B.I.
1xp when you uncover a secret clue to an erstwhile crime or villain
3xp when you emerge successfully from a battle or conflict
10xp when you defeat a major, named villain or abandon your S.B.I. mission

Background:

Stephano Romano was born in Italy, but is now a naturalized American citizen. He initially lived in New York City with a practice as a psychologist. Dr. Romano’s hobby as a stage magician burgeoned and interest in finding the ‘true’ mystic arts led him to uncover magical powers from the study of ancient European grimoires. After acquiring the ability to confuse people with a crystal mounted on his sword-cane, Stephano turned to a life of fighting street crime by night, seeking to avenge his patients who had psychological scars from the thugs who have brutalized them. Now, relocated to Washington, D.C., Stefano has taken the alias ‘Dr. Presto’ and continued to wage a secret war with the forces of evil.

Firefly One-Shot: The Miranda Datachip

Mason ran a great game of Firefly RPG! We managed to exercise key rules such as Dice Pools and Flashbacks. I really like this system better than Fate RPG which is very similar in terms of Aspect-style mechanics and a narrative focus. The Dice Pool mechanic really helps solve the math errors I always had with Fate and all the +1’s and +2’s.

Anyway, a few photos from the game. Fun times!

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