Janissary

Janissary

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Dex:   3   Str:   2   Body:    3
Int:   4   Will:  5   Mind:    6
Infl:  7   Aura:  6   Spirit:  9
Initiative:14/17 Hero Points: 40

Skills:
Medicine: 5
Scientist: 2
Weaponry (Melee): 3

Advantages: Area Knowledge (Turkey); Connections: Ankara Numune Hospital (High), Turkish Government (Low), Turkish Police (Low), Justice League  (Low); Iron Nerves; Luck; Popularity (in Turkey); Scholar (Chemistry, Biology)

Drawbacks: Secret Identity; Minor Irrational Attraction to patriotism; Miscellaneous: As an observant Muslim, is committed to praying five times a day,giving alms to the poor and fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Alter Ego: Dr. Selma Tolon
Motivation: Upholding the Good
Occupation: Physician
Wealth: 4

Equipment:
Enchanted Scimitar [Dex: 5, Str: 7, Body: 6, Body: 25, EV: 8, Flight: 12, Weaponry: 7]

Eternity Book [Body: 15, Sorcery: 25, R#: 3] Limitation: Spells must be read aloud from the Book. This book requires either the Homo Magi Advantage, or enough AP's in Occultist (Occult Knowledge) to be properly used. Dr. Tolon has neither.  Her unskilled Occultist attempt to use the book requires a check using her Infl/Aura against an OV/RV of 5/5:

   Missed by 5 or more:    Nothing substantial occurs, though there might be some special effects.
   No RAPs:    GM’s choice – something superficially similar to what Janissary wanted, but without the desired effect. (Example: Instead of having the target burst into flames, it's sword becomes a flaming blade).
   ½ RV:   Roughly what Janissary wanted, but implemented in a different and less desirable way (Example: Instead of being neutralized by being turned into trees, the targets are neutralized by being teleported away).
   Full RV:   The correct spell is cast.



Source: adapted from Writeups.org



Ed's Notes: Following a long history of such racial tokenism (Apache Cheif, Samurai, El Dorado, the Global Guardians...) DC introduced a trio of sword-wielding, Mediterranean characters as part of their Planet DC event. They introduced many foreign heroes, but somehow all three form the Mediterranean ended up begin chicks with swords. And I've got nothing against that - my last relationship with such a chick lasted 25 years, so... yeah, bring on the sword-wielding badass chicks!

One thing that needs to be said... As usual with these sorts of ham-handed attempts at representation, DC screwed something up pretty badly with this one. Historically, the “Janissaries” were regimented slave-soldiers of non-Muslim origin. So it's not a terribly good name for a nurturing, Turkish, Muslim heroine. But yay for trying, I guess?

I see a lot of potential for the character though, especially in a post-9/11 world. (Which was not the world she was created in, it is worth mentioning.) The sword is cool, and the BOOK has the potential to be game-breaking... IF she can ever get it to work. I see a lot of "Greatest American Hero" hijinks going on with that. But she can access up to 8 AP's of Sorcery taking no Spiritual damage, and up to 15 without being knocked unconscious by it. And since it's bashing damage, she'd even survive the full 25, though she'd be out for a while afterwards. Could be good for a starting Character though, and if they eventually leaned the Occultist Skill (which would drop the OV/RV of the book reading attempt to 2/2. 

A note on that OV/RV of 2/2 BTW... According to Writeups: it was actually Occultist Skill vs. 3/3 or Infl/Aura (Unskilled) vs 5/5.  But that's not right... Unskilled isn't a a +2 penalty to the OV/RV, it's a +2 COLUMN SHIFT Penalty to the OV/RV. So, to really  make sense, either her OV/RV should be 7/7  (which would make using the book properly nearly impossible, requiring FIVE Column shifts past the required 11 (a 24!) to get full RV) -OR- the Occultist attempt should be against 2/2. Which... Is kind of pointlessly easy, but preferable to making it THAT difficult to use the book, I suppose. SO I'm going with 2/2.

First Appearance: JLA Annual #4 (August, 2000)