Seeker: The Shirtless Australian Ninja

tdits

Well, I've been planning on making everyone's favourite Australian ninja for a while, and now I have the character slots for it. Thanks, LTS sale! So, here's the tentative build:

PowerHouse (Link to this build)

Name: Seeker

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Dexterity (Primary)
Level 10: Intelligence (Secondary)
Level 15: Constitution (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: The Glacier
Level 6: Coordinated
Level 9: Acrobat
Level 12: Impresario
Level 15: Negotiator
Level 18: Quick Recovery
Level 21: Healthy Mind

Powers:
Level 1: Reaper's Touch
Level 1: Reaper's Caress (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Night Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3, Silent Running)
Level 8: Ricochet Throw (Rank 2, Microelectronic Controllers)
Level 11: Form of the Tempest
Level 14: Dragon's Bite (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 17: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Rank 2, Resurgent Reiki)
Level 20: Smoke Bomb Lunge
Level 23: Parry (The Elusive Monk)
Level 26: Shuriken Storm (Floating Butterfly)
Level 29: Masterful Dodge
Level 32: Ego Surge (Nimble Mind)
Level 35: Ego Placate (Svengali's Guile)
Level 38: Reaper's Embrace (Rank 2, Rank 3)

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Acrobatics (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35:

Specializations:
Dexterity: Gear Utilization (3/3)
Dexterity: Brush It Off (2/2)
Dexterity: Deadly Aim (3/3)
Dexterity: Expose Weakness (2/2)
Warden: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Warden: Ruthless (2/2)
Warden: Elusive (2/2)
Warden: The Best Defense (3/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (3/3)
Vindicator: Modified Gear (2/2)
Mastery: Dexterity Mastery (1/1)

Now, I know you all must have a lot of questions. Why Seeker? Why is he Australian? Where is his shirt? Why is everybody in this show a @#$%ing ninja? Why would you build it this way, have you never used SB before?

Well the answer to these questions are as follows: Because. How should I know? He sold it to pay for ninja training. Because ninja are cool. No, I have not used SB before, please explain to me the error of my ways.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

flowcyto

I know ya took NW for the theme, but for ref the best dps passive for bleed/rupture builds is WotW, since it boosts bleeds and the rupture dmg of Reaper's Embrace. That said, you'll still have good dps potential w/ SB + NW, so dun fret it too much for the concept.

But that opens up the biggest issue w/ the build: no rupture (Reaper's Embrace). You def want that ability in a bleed build- its where most its single target burst dps comes from.

Ricochet Throw meshes well w/ NW, but you prob want Micro Circuits over Rank 3 if you are just using it for AoE or as an AoE stealth opener.

Although FotS is a fine choice for a bleed build, the toggle won't work w/ Ricochet Throw or Shuriken Storm. FotT would work from all attacks, but may be a bit less reliable until you get a high crit rate.

Str 2ndary isn't doing much for the build. It could be better served being replaced by Int SS and getting MSA in the powers (since the build lacks an EU). Another option, is taking Str PSS for its better defensive perks (and knock resist), but still gearing mostly for Dex and Con (STR/Dex/Con SS setup; w/ MSA still being a decent EU choice w/o Int gearing).

If ya want room for other powers, ya dun really need both ego placate and smoke bomb. Non-ranked Unbreakable can prob also be replaced w/o much issue, since you already have aggro control, BCR, Parry/EM, and MD.

Ego Surge w/ NM adv would be more effective than LnL w/ its adv. Could also consider Warden Mastery since SB builds rely on the basic combo vs. single-targets a good deal.

And ur 2nd TP should prob be a flight-granting power (ya dun have to rank it up though).

bulgarex

tdits wrote: »

Now, I know you all must have a lot of questions. Why Seeker? Why is he Australian? Where is his shirt?

In case anyone is wondering who the heck tdits is talking about: Seeker was a NPC hero and member of the Champions example superhero team for a previous (Fourth) edition of the Champions tabletop RPG. He's the guy on the left foreground of the cover of the 4E core book, which you can see here: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-udChLt6PzZI/Tb-BhiKU9VI/AAAAAAAAAqA/6SQ0HsCCtFI/s1600/Champions_4th.jpg

The character Seeker was created in 1989, when Americans were still enamored of all things Australian, and "ninja" in the popular American consciousness was synonymous with "bad@$$ martial artist." Seeker was Don Morgan, an orphan raised in the Outback by Mr. Edo, a survivor of a WW II ninja recon team. When he became an adult Mr. Edo sent Don out on walkabout to "seek" unspecified answers/truths. (Yeah, I know, but like I said, 1989.) :rolleyes:

As for his lack of shirt, I'm not privy to his designers' intentions; but Seeker was supposed to be a swashbuckler, so maybe that look was intended to evoke swashbuckler-ness. Seeker did appear on the covers of a couple of later books sporting a more traditional-looking full-body ninja nightsuit.

Seeker is actually mentioned in Champions Universe in connection to the present incarnation of the Champions hero team. Specifically, he's a fictional character in the Champions licensed comic book (within the CU world), created to replace Nighthawk when Nighthawk refused to license his likeness.

tdits

flowcyto wrote: »

But that opens up the biggest issue w/ the build: no rupture (Reaper's Embrace). You def want that ability in a bleed build- its where most its single target burst dps comes from.

You know, I had Reaper's Embrace in there when I started and I must have accidentally deleted it while moving powers around.

flowcyto wrote: »

Ricochet Throw meshes well w/ NW, but you prob want Micro Circuits over Rank 3 if you are just using it for AoE or as an AoE stealth opener.

Thanks, I didn't know that. I figured the extra damage would have been minuscule compared to R3, like most of the other damage advantages.

flowcyto wrote: »

Although FotS is a fine choice for a bleed build, the toggle won't work w/ Ricochet Throw or Shuriken Storm. FotT would work from all attacks, but may be a bit less reliable until you get a high crit rate.

Yeah, I wanted it for the advantage, but I needed the advantage points for Reaper's Embrace anyway.

flowcyto wrote: »

Str 2ndary isn't doing much for the build. It could be better served being replaced by Int SS and getting MSA in the powers (since the build lacks an EU). Another option, is taking Str PSS for its better defensive perks (and knock resist), but still gearing mostly for Dex and Con (STR/Dex/Con SS setup; w/ MSA still being a decent EU choice w/o Int gearing).

Yeah, I'm just paranoid about Knock Resistance. I don't think I really need an EU on top of Rush though. Then again, Seeker went flying all the time, so I might not need so much...

flowcyto wrote: »

If ya want room for other powers, ya dun really need both ego placate and smoke bomb. Non-ranked Unbreakable can prob also be replaced w/o much issue, since you already have aggro control, BCR, Parry/EM, and MD.

Yeah, I replaced Smoke Bomb with Smoke Bomb lung (just because I like having a lunge), and Unbreakable with Reaper's Embrace.

flowcyto wrote: »

Ego Surge w/ NM adv would be more effective than LnL w/ its adv. Could also consider Warden Mastery since SB builds rely on the basic combo vs. single-targets a good deal.

You're probably right about Ego Surge vs Lock 'n Load. I just figured the cost reduction would be a bit nice without an energy stat. Then again, I suppose Seeker isn't really meant to have a lot of knock resistance, so Int it is.

flowcyto wrote: »

And ur 2nd TP should prob be a flight-granting power (ya dun have to rank it up though).

Yeah, it probably should be. I might pick up Hover Disk. I just wish it had some options in the costume editor.

I've placed the updated build in the OP.

PS. Thanks for knowing what I'm talking about Bulgarex. Also, nice avatar. SPAAAACE GHOOOST!