Astral Projections - The Winter Warlock for Mutants & Masterminds 3e

WINTER WARLOCK

Concept: Sometime advisor to Santa Claus
Power Level: 8-9 (148pp)

Abilities: STR 1; STA 1; AGI 2; DEX 4; FIG 0; INT 6; AWE 2; PRE 4

Advantages: Benefit 3 (Cipher 2, Status 1 [Santa’s Advisor]); Equipment 2, Favored Environment (Cold), Ritualist

Skills: Deception +6, Expertise: Magic +16, Expertise: North Pole Dimension +12, Insight +6, Intimidation +6, Perception +8, Persuasion +4, Ranged Combat (Winter Magic) +4, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +2, Treatment +9

Powers
Immunity 11: Aging, Cold Effects
Magic Feed Corn: Flight 10, Affects others only, Only works on Reindeer, Quirk: Must be eaten
Feature 1: Quick change
Morph 1: Older wizard with white beard and hair
Wizardly Robes: +5 Toughness
Winter Magic Array
Ice Sculpture: Create 10
Cold Blast: Damage 10
Conjure Blizzard: Environment 3 (Extreme cold, Impede movement 1 rank, Visibility -2)
Crystal Snowball: Remote Sensing 10, Visual/Hearing, Dimensional 2 (Earth, North Pole Dimension), Easily removable
Snare: Cumulative Affliction 6; 1st degree: hindered & vulnerable, 2nd degree: defenseless & immobilized; Resisted by Dodge/overcome by Damage or Sleight of Hand DC 16; Extra condition/Limited degree; ranged

Complications
Motivation: protector
The Heir: Alastair is bound to his uncle’s old office for a few more centuries–but at least the company is good
Enemy: Mr. Infamy sometimes obliges a mortal who wishes “No more Christmas!” or something else that affects the season or dimension, which brings him into conflict with the Warlock and his cohorts
Quirk: gets a kick out of playing “Evil Warlock”

Equipment: Headquarters (North Pole Cottage)
[Toughness 10, Size Medium, Dimensional Portal, Infirmary, Isolated, Library, Living Space, Magical Workshop 1, Temporal Limbo 1]

Abilities 40 + Defenses 31 + Advantages 7 + Skills 20 (40 Ranks) + Powers 49 = 148

Offenses
Initiative + 2
Unarmed +0 Close, Damage 1
Ranged (Cold Blast) +4: Damage 10

Defenses
Dodge: 10
Parry: 8
Fortitude: 8
Toughness: 6
Will: 10

Backstory: Alastair Winternight, aka Alex Winter, is the latest in a line of mages who dwell near the North Pole. But not the one on our planet. This North Pole is a dimension near to ours, perhaps one of those brought into existence–or altered–by humankind’s fantasies. For ages untold, the Winter Warlocks were as coldhearted and harsh as the domain where they lived…Until Alex’s predecessor was charmed into aiding and abetting the then-young Kris Kringle. The Old Warlock found joy in this new scheme, but it cost him most of his powers and strength to defy the wickedness of the past.
He regained them but slowly, and never again reached his full strength or power. In the waning years of the 19th century, the Old Warlock finally found on Earth a many times great nephew, Alistair, a young physician who had enough of the gift of magery to take over. Lured by a letter promising a “rich inheritance” (not precisely a lie) Alex took the provided carriage North to tend to his long-lost, ill uncle.
A hundred-plus years later, the not-quite mortal man who now calls himself Alex Winter has almost reached the heights of power the previous Warlocks enjoyed–and seems to have removed the last vestiges of villainy from the line. He spends some of his time on Earth, claiming to be an historical and medical fiction writer and has become acquainted with some heroes. While he will help if the situation is dire enough, or somehow affects the North Pole Dimension–Santa’s endeavors in particular–Alex tends to keep somewhat to himself.
Alex favors the 19th century garb of his (actual) youth, in shades of white, silvery-gray, and silver. When acting officially as the Winter Warlock, especially in his home dimension, Alex dons fur-trimmed white wizard’s robes and magically “ages” his features to those of an older man, a stereotypical wizard.

Design & Play Notes: “Alex” is inspired by a favorite Christmas cartoon of my childhood, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and, to a lesser degree the free M&M adventure Crisis on Christmas. I got to thinking about a successor for the Winter Warlock of the TV show, and a vague version of this concept appeared when I ran Crisis for some friends. (That adventure encourages cameos from old holiday cartoons.) The module also provided Alex’s Enemy Complication.

The approximate PL is based on Alex’s defense values. While this write-up is primarily intended as an NPC, he can also be used as a PC with few changes, depending on the game’s PL.

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Linda Whitson

Contributing Writer & Copy Editor at D20 Radio

Linda Whitson is a long-time RPGer, amateur musician & artist, & an officer in the Rebel Legion Star Wars costuming club. Linda met her husband in an AD&D game and they have 2 teenagers, an anime fangirl daughter and a son who plays on his university's quidditch team. She is the Lead Mod of D20 Radio's forums and Copy Editor for the blog. Linda can be reached at GMLinda@d20radio.com