100

It seems this post marks my 100th since moving My Dice Are Older Than You over from its old home.  While I'm not sure my content is always top notch, writing here has certainly helped out on the personal sanity front.  Since I started my ICONS characters, I've also managed at least one new post a day for the past three weeks.

To celebrate, here's the ICONS version of my favorite superhero PC.  He was originally created for Champions 4e, but I think ICONS suits him fine.

Troubadour

Trained

Prowess  7
Coordination  6
Strength  4
Intellect  4
Awareness  4
Willpower  3

Stamina  7
Determination  5

Specialties
  Acrobatics Expert
  Martial Arts Master
  Area - Fair City
  Performance (Acting)
  Weapons Expert (Blades)

Powers
  None

Qualities
  Warrior, Poet, Lover
  Identity : Troubadour
  Motivation : Adventure!
  Connections : Fair City's Rich and Beautiful

Challenges
  Enemy : Capn' Skulldugger
  Enemy : The Troubadour Revenge Squad
  Social : Reputation (Slightly Seedy Has-Been)

Point Total  37

(The above stats reflect Troubadour at the beginning of the Fair City campaign)

Background/History: Many would say his business card puts it best:

TROUBADOUR
Warrior, Poet, Lover

While Troubadour certainly cultivates a mysterious image, it's hard to consider someone who lives his life in the glare of the limelight truly secretive. Troubadour has been active on the superheroic scene for over a dozen years. While little actual information is publicly bandied about regarding Troubadour's past, it's all there if someone wants to look at it.

Born Geoffrey Larrocque, of the Usher Heights Larrocques, Geoffrey was raised in the lap of luxury. As a second son, there were fewer expectations placed on him than his older brother, Andrew, leaving Geoffrey to pursue whatever interests struck his fancy.

Fascinated by his family's history of piracy and derring-do, Geoffrey developed an early flair for the dramatic and flamboyant, a flair that served him well when he was cast as D'Artagnan Jr. in the hit TV series "Young Musketeers". The series ran for four seasons, giving Geoffrey free rein to indulge all of his swashbuckling fantasies. In his years on the show, he became a capable gymnast, fencer, and martial artist.

At the end of the show's run, Geoffrey went off to college, where he majored in Liberal Arts and gained his passion for jazz. One year short of graduation, he left school to travel the world. The trip, however, was cut short by the tragic death of his parents in a plane crash, leaving Andrew in charge of the family fortune.

Andrew, unlike Geoffrey, saw little of value in Geoffrey's interests, the family history or, in fact, anything he deemed "old fashioned". Determined to take the Larrocque name to new heights in business, he decided to sell the family estate and use the funds for start-up venture capital. Horrified at the thought of losing his home, Geoffrey used the remainder of the money from his television days and a goodly portion of his trust fund to buy out his brother's half of the property. Andrew agreed, with the stipulation that Geoffrey keep his distance from Andrew's business interests and do nothing to besmirch the family name.

And so it was that, at the age of twenty one, Geoffrey Larrocque found himself the sole proprietor of a forty five room mansion and an incredible case of boredom. His brother's stipulation limited his social calendar; he missed basking in the limelight; and even the mansion itself seemed less alive. Apart from furtive forays to local jazz clubs, he became more and more reclusive.

Until he had his first taste of superheroics.

One night, as he left his favorite club, Geoffrey found himself in the middle of a superpowered firefight. Blue Beacon was taking on Dumpster Diver and the self-proclaimed "genius of junk" was getting the better of the Sapphire Sentinel. Seeing an opening, he caught Dumpster Diver unawares, knocking the piece of trash out cold. At that moment, a new world opened up for Geoffrey. It was exciting! No, it was exhilarating!

Actually, it was all over the papers. "Geoffrey Larrocque, millionaire and former TV star, defeats noted supervillain."

Andrew was livid. He threatened legal action. He threatened to cut off Geoffrey's inheritance. He threatened physical violence.

In the end, Geoffrey apologized. It seemed the best thing to do. After all, he hadn't intended to make a public splash. If it weren't for those mask-wearing weirdos, none of this would have happened. Wait a minute – masks! Of course! He could don a mask himself. After all, he'd already defeated one supervillain, how hard could it be?

Taking inspiration from his swashbuckling heroes and fashioning himself a costume from old bits and pieces culled from mementos from his TV show, he set forth to fight crime as The Bard. Using a limited knowledge of pyrotechnics culled from the stage, he crafted skull-shaped bombs to aid him against particularly difficult opponents.

It may have been a silly concept and a sillier costume, but it gave him the freedom he craved. As The Bard, Geoffrey could go forth and conquer, without bringing down the wrath of Andrew. He served a short stint with the Sentinels, (as do many fledgling heroes in the Vanguard Universe), but left over "personality differences". Realizing that The Bard identity was just ridiculous, he disappeared from the scene for a few weeks, only to re-emerge as Troubadour. A year later, he had his name legally changed to Troubadour, in order to appease Andrew, whose business flourishes in Empire City. Since that time, he has been a constant, if not particularly diligent, thorn in the side of evil.

Five years ago purchased a jazz club in downtown Fair City, and named it (appropriately enough) Troubadour's. He makes the scene there a couple of times a week, unless he's off saving the world. Troubadour's is one of the top jazz clubs in the nation, attracting every major act and a host of rising stars.

While he's matched wits (and crossed blades, so to speak) with many supercriminals, there are a few that stand out in his rogues gallery. Cap'n Skulldugger has been a perennial thorn in his side (their chosen motifs do seem to attract one another don't you think?). Secondly (and more dangerous) is the Troubadour Revenge Squad. This is a group of women who, having been spurned by Troubadour at one time or another, acquired superpowers and banded together with the intent of making his life miserable, or at least enlightening him to their feminist agenda. The TRS membership currently includes Large Marge (leader with growth powers), The Shrew, Dollface, Digitalice, and Fury (as in Hell hath no...). Given Troubadour's romantic inclinations, the group is always recruiting new members.

Personality/Motivation: Anyone with a business card like that can't possibly have low-self esteem problems. And he doesn't. Troubadour believes in living life in CAPITAL LETTERS. If there are multiple ways to accomplish a task, he will inevitably choose the one that shows his abilities off in the best possible manner.

Still, it's important to note that Troubadour has a strong altruistic streak and a sense of noblesse oblige. He comes from the old-money liberal school of politics and has no problem devoting his time, energy, and money to worthy causes. In some cases, this makes him seem like less a superhero and more a garden variety celebrity since he does spend so much time making appearances. In other cases, his strong liberal politics fairly boil to the surface; he excels at asking other superheroes the sort of hard questions the costumed set confronted in the "relevancy" period of the late '60s and early '70s.

Quote: "Forgive me, my dear, I just have to polish of this ruffian and then we'll get back to this delicious...conversation."

History: In the Fair City campaign, Troubadour started out as a bit of a hero in need of redemption. He was somewhat caught up in his own celebrity and had gotten away from what brought him into the game in the first place, namely the thrill of the chase and the chance to deal with Society's ills head-on. As a member of Vanguard, he slowly moved into a leadership role, and along the way found what appears to be lasting love with his team-mate Gorgon. After her secret identity was revealed and her career as District Attorney ruined, the two of them set out to "Find America, the Real America."