Introducing Astral/Conduits

So in comics, animes, and beloved childhood cartoons, there are tons of characters that are inexorably linked: if one goes down, both go down. Favorites include but are not limited to small yellow zappy rabbits, gender-bent Arthurian legends, and spinning blue tops. Yes, Japanese books and animes are weird: but that’s why we love them.

Astral Conduits bring this dynamic to life in Project: Champions. The Conduit is not capable of much, but the Astral is able to keep pace with some of the toughest characters this game has to offer. With ridiculously good bonuses and decent ability selection, your Astral/Conduit duo will become a force the be reckoned with.

Astrals, in this world, are magical beings who lack the ability to maintain corporeal form without a connection to a Conduit. Conduits tend to be… less than physically fit, and this is due to the resource drain applied by the Astrals. the Astrals repay this kindness of their Conduits by keeping them safe and working for them. While some Conduits bind their Astrals and make them terrifying creatures of unspeakable horror, some Conduits are simply along for the ride, accepting a change in the mundanity of everyday life.

Of course, there ARE Astrals which do the enslaving-and-evil-turning bit, but they tend to be a rarity since the other Astrals descend on them and annihilate them without hesitation or remorse.

This dynamic is one of my favorite, and I am super happy to be able to introduce it to you all.

Stan Lee: 1922-2018: The Legend Behind The Legends

It was… 2007. I was 10 years old and sitting in front of my TV with a Duke X-Box controller in my hand. Booting up for the first time was X-Men Dimensions, a fighting game featuring the well-known group of Mutants that are a popular culture phenomenon.

I had no idea who they were, of course: I hadn’t had much interaction with Superheroes at that point: They hadn’t truly hit their stride yet in the mainstream. But as I played that polygon-rendered Tekken-With-Mutants video game, I fell head over heels in love: I wanted more.

While I came to love DC’s comics, I felt like Marvel’s comics (and Characters) were closer to reality than the others. When I found out almost all of them were the offspring of one man, Stan Lee, I was amazed and inspired: what if I could create characters like that? Up to that point I hadn’t really made my own characters, but that sparked a creative surge in my mind: I wanted to create.

As time went on I continued watching Marvel’s projects and their comics, and when rumors of a Iron Man movie coming to the big screen began to circulate, I though “hey, that could be cool.”

It was. And so was Iron Man 2. And Captain America, Thor, AND Avengers. I loved it, and I loved seeing Stan Lee cameo across the movies.

Of course, I was still tinkering with my own Superheroes, including a lightning-powered hit man that could go toe to toe with Thor and come out ahead. When he was made, my knowledge of what all Thor was capable of was somewhat limited: I thought he was just a strong dude with lightning and a hammer.

Stan Lee inspired me to create superheroes, and that would lead to several game iterations, Fan Fiction for one, and this for another. I have my favorites of Stan’s comics: Spider-Man vs. Fancy Dan, came out in the 60s and featured a riverboat swindler with a cane and a really, painfully purple suit and his cronies stands out in my memory. My favorite character Stan would come up with is Captain America. A weak man who wanted to serve his country getting incredible powers and serving as the bumbling Private Rogers and Captain America.

If we’re honest, we owe the Superhero as we know it today to Stan Lee. People with power, but just people: they’re not perfect, but they’re doing the best they can. Without Stan Lee, the superhero would have faded into obscurity after the close of World War Two. Stan Lee getting tired of writing Cowboy, Detective and Romance comics would lead to the creation of Spider Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the rebirth of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and The Avengers (featuring Ant Man and The Wasp.) But without the catalyst of Stan Lee’s comics, others would not have come forward with their own superheroes as well.

I owe Stan Lee for Legends of Albadyn, for Project Champions and for Fan Fiction The Game. I owe Stan Lee for bringing my creativity forward to the point that I would create Characters of my own.

I’ll miss you, Stan The Man. Excelsior!

Character Builds: A Certain Game

Okay, so it’s pretty much a universally known game, with online-only objective-based gameplay and a memorable (and explosively popular) cast of characters. Perhaps a new one is coming out with the next update, eh?

Anyhow, while this is not an exhaustive list, I took some time to make a few characters from the game, so those of us who want to play one of their favorite characters can. This post will likely be followed up with some additional builds…

Build 1: Deadeye Cowboy

HP: 25

MVT: 6

ATK: 3–RTH: 4+–RTD: 4+

Skill: Marksman: Reduce your RTH by 1. Reduce your Attack Speed by 1.

Skill: DodgeX1: You may ignore an Attack and move in any direction 3 Squares. Usable Once per Round (Enhanced by 1)

Weapon: Revolver (Pistol of Some Sort.)

Armor: Medium Armor

Build 2: Esports Mecha Pilot

HP: 45

MVT: 7

ATK: 5, R5–3+RTH–3+RTD

Augment: Rocket Barrage: Make 3 R6 3+RTH Attacks. Usable Twice per Battle. Cost: 1 Attack Point per Barrage

Augment: Point Defense System: Ignore 4 Successful Hits per Battle. This is a Static skill

Weapon: Minigun

(Once you gain a level, add Heat Sink Discharge for a nice Ultimate)

Build 3: Shieldmaiden

HP: 25

MVT: 4

ATK:3–RTH: 5+(+4DamagePerHit)–3+RTD

Skill: Bash: If you Hit an Enemy, you may Stun them for 1 Round instead of dealing Damage.

Gadget: Health PackX1: Heal yourself or an Ally 5 HP. Usable 5 times per Battle. (Enhanced by 1)

Weapon: Flail (Blunt Weapon of Some Sort)

Armor: Heavy Armor

I hope these builds are to your liking, and I look forward to making more in the future!