Ryoko comes from the extremely amusing series Tenchi Muyo!. The basic story is a rather common one in Japanese anime/manga; young man meets beautiful girl, falls in love and then meets said girl's friends, relatives and enemies. This sort of plot is the root for such anime/manga as Urusei Yatsura (aka Lum), Ah (or Oh) My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, Tenchi Muyo, Video Girl Ai, Girl from Phantasia... Uhm... OK, you get the idea.
Ryoko was created to be the servant of a very powerful being known as Kagato. Her intended use was as a sort of 'living weapon', going about and wrecking havoc wherever Kagato pleased. At one point, Ryoko attacked the home planet of the Jurai and was pursued to Earth afterwards. Crashing to Earth, she was imprisoned in the depths of a cave for over 700 years. Eventually, she was released by Tenchi Masaki (the 'hero' of the series). After an initial misunderstanding (in which Ryoko destroyed Tenchi's high school), Ryoko settled down to live with Tenchi (sort of).
This is (of course) a simplified account of the first two episodes of the series. There are (naturally) a number of other characters in the series, including Ayeka, Princess of the House of Jurai, Tenchi's love interest and Ryoko's rival in all things.
Description:
Ryoko is rather short, standing only about 5'4" or so. She is slim, with a well
proportioned figure. She has pale sea-green hair that falls past her shoulders
and gold eyes with vertical cat-like pupils. Although she is over 2,000 years
old, Ryoko appears to be about age 17 or so. Ryoko dresses in a wide assortment
of outfits, most of which look sorta like modernized versions of the traditional
kimono. Her battle costume is a skintight body suit in deep red with a black
jagged pattern that covers each arm and the sides of her torso.
Powers Notes:
Uhm... where to start..
Most of Ryoko's powers center around the the gems set into each wrist (and, I believe, her throat). Most of her powers seem to require at least one of the gems to be present. When creating Ryoko's powers, I used the list found in Ryoko's Cave, which is a rather cool Web site (sorry, URL forgotten).
First, Ryoko can manipulate heat energy. This allows her to project intense bolts of energy (EB), or a rapid pulse (EB with autofire), or to create a beam sword (HKA), or to 'throw' the sword (RKA). The sword appears as a beam of light and acts very much like a lightsaber. When switching slots, Ryoko is usually surrounded by a swarm of glowing dots.
Second, Ryoko can manipulate matter. This grants her a broad range of powers, not all of which are expressed in the elemental control. She herself is made from a material called 'Masu' or Mass. A such, she doesn't bleed if cut (or doesn't appear to), she can grow lost body parts at will (Body Aid), create a Duplicate of herself (Duplication), really doesn't need to breath and doesn't age (Life Support) and so on. Ryoko can walk through walls with ease, and can even carry someone with her. When desolid, she looks perfectly normal (ie. 'solid'). Usually, she combines Desolid and Flight to create such visual effects as sinking straight down into the floor or ground, looking almost as if she's riding on an elevator. Finally, she utilize her desolid to sink into a large object and manipulate it from within (Growth).
Note: this last power does require a little explanation. When this power was used in the anime, Ryoko cut a large stone column down, and then sank into it. Moments later, the column assumed Ryoko's form, grabbing a nearby opponent and standing up. After a few moments, the column was blasted to chunks and Ryoko abandoned that attack to try something else. Thus, the following limitations have been placed on the power: Requires Available Mass, which means that there needs to be a free standing object for her to sink into; Growth Goes Away if Body Taken Exceeds Body Bonus for Growth, which means that if she takes Body damage greater than that granted by the current level of Growth, then the manipulated object has been destroyed and Ryoko loses all bonuses from Growth.
Aside from all of Ryoko's other matter manipulation tricks, she can also fly, as well as teleport. Note: Ryoko has no problem flying in deep space.
Ryoko used her hair needles once. They were projected from her hair, and looked like long thin spines. She used them while entangled in a thick sticky goo.
Ryoko's final power is the ability to summon 'spirits' from the surrounding atmosphere. This requires a gem on her left wrist. Once summoned, she can control them and even send them back, but this requires a gem on her right wrist. The one time she summoned such a creature, she only had one gem... (and the thing was immune to all of her attacks...).
A few words on Ryoko's powers: If, for some reason, you plan on using Ryoko, I have a few suggestions. One: down power everything. Simply having Ryoko pay full END for everything will do wonders for her play balance. Two: Ryoko's gems are implanted in her wrists. Removal requires lopping her hand off (in which case the gem will vanish) of the use of a powerful 'key' to remove them. In the series, the sword Tenchi was used this way. Ryoko was impaled on the weapon and the gems were 'dispelled' from her body. GMs should decide what forms of non-lethal methods sound good for removing the gems. Three: Remove such things as the hair needles, summon and duplication. These powers are demonstrated only once in the series and shouldn't detract from her combat capabilities in the slightest. Four: Play up the fact that Ryoko would rather sleep, drink sake and sit in a hot spring than fight anyone! (usually)
Disadvantages Notes:
Although no one ever really comments on the way Ryoko looks in the anime, she
does stand out in a crowd. In a more 'normal' superhero universe, she certainly
would appear a bit different.
Ryoko is amazingly lazy, doing her best to get out of any real work. She also rather self-indulgent, preferring to spend her time relaxing in a hot spring drinking sake over all else. On the other hand, she is some what vain. After being caught in an explosion, she actually wasted time straightening her hair and dusting off her clothing before pursuing the person responsible.
As a way of amusing herself, Ryoko occasionally goes out of her way to stir up trouble. This usually involves cruel tricks on Ayeka, or some way to make Tenchi look bad in Ayeka's eyes.
Ryoko has fallen head over heels in love with Tenchi. She will do her best to protect him from any and all threats (including Ayeka) and woe to anyone that actually harms him...
Ayeka is Tenchi's fiance (sort of). She is also Ryoko's biggest obstacle to winning Tenchi's heart. Ryoko has tried a number of schemes to get Ayeka out of the way, but none have succeeded. It doesn't help that as a member of the Royal House, Ayeka has a number of powers of her own.
Ryoko is well known as a pirate and thief and is still wanted in some parts of the galaxy. She's safe from the Jurai though, the statue of limitations on her attack ran out a right after she was released from the cave (convenient that).
The Character:
STAT VAL COST
Str 30 20
Dex 18 24
Con 30 40
Body 13 6
Int 10 0
Ego 10 0
Pre 20 10
Com 16 3
PD 15 9
ED 15 9
Spd 4 12
Rec 12 0
End 60 0
Stun 45 2
Char Total 135
Power Total 792
Total Cost 927
COST POWERS & SKILLS
64 (80) Multipower: Energy Manipulation, IIF: Wrist Gems
6 u 15d6 EB, END 7
6 u 8d6 EB, Autofire: 5 shots, 1/2 END, 3 END (per shot)
3 u 2d6 HKA Energy, 0 END
3 u 2d6 RKA, Energy, 1/2 END, END 1
31 Elemental Control: Matter Manipulation
15 Growth: 50 Points, +50 STR, +10 BODY, +10 STUN, -10" KB, -7 DCV, +7 PER,
+5" Reach, 24 m tall (80', 12 hexes), 12 m wide (40' 6 hexes),
100,000 kg mass,1/2 END, Requires Available Mass (-1/2),
Growth Goes Away if Body Taken Exceeds Body Bonus for Growth (-1/4),
IIF: Wrist Gems, END 3
49 Desolidification (not through mystic shields and wards)
Invisible Power Effects: Sight, Usable by 1 Other (+1/2), END 8
34 1d6 RKA, Armor Piercing, Autofire - 3 shots, 1/2 END, Hair Needles,
END 1 (per shot)
15 Does Not Bleed (getting limbs lopped off doesn't affect her in the
slightest)
12 5d6 Body Aid, Self Only (-1/2), Only to Starting Values (-1/2)
143 Duplication: Single Duplicate (see separate character sheet for further
information)
25 Life Support: Self-contained breathing, Pressure, Heat/Cold, Vacuum,
Aging, Disease
72 Flight: 30" (60" non-combat), 1/2 END, IIF: Wrist Gems, END 3
30 Teleport: 10", x2 Distance, x 2 Mass (20" noncombat), 1/2 END,
IIF: Wrist Gems, END 2
108 Summon: 300 point creature, Limited group: Spirits (usually from the
surrounding air), 0 END, IIF: Gem on Left Wrist
50 15d6 Mind Control, Only to Control Summoned Creatures (-1), 0 END,
IIF: Gem on Right Wrist
70 35d6 Dispel, Only to Remove Summoned Creatures (-1), 0 END,
IIF: Gem on Right Wrist
3 Acrobatics 13-
3 Combat Pilot: Space Ship (Ryo-oh-ki) 13-
5 KS: Local Space Empires 14-
3 Navigation 11-
3 Persuasion 13-
3 Seduction 13-
7 Shadowing 13-
3 Stealth 13-
3 Systems Operations 11-
1 WF: Ship to Ship Weapons
16 CSL: +2 with Combat
6 SL: +2 with 'Ship' Skills (Combat Pilot, Navigation, Systems Operations)
Disadvantages
100 Base
5 DF: Sea green hair, Gold cat's eyes (conc, noticed)
10 Hunted: Galaxy Police (as pow) 8-
15 Psych: Lazy, self-indulgent and vain
10 Psych: Delights in causing trouble
15 Psych: In love with Tenchi
5 Rivalry: Ayeka (romantic)
10 Rep: Ryoko - notorious space pirate 14- (limited group)
757 Bakemono Bonus
Ryoko's Duplicate: This form only possess Ryoko's 'innate' powers as well
as any that were used when she didn't have possession of any gems.
Since this form has little combat capabilities, she doesn't seem to bother
creating it while fighting. She has created it to have someone to talk
to, as well as to set up scams (this stunt was pulled in the TV series).
The Character:
STAT VAL COST
Str 30 20
Dex 18 24
Con 30 40
Body 13 6
Int 10 0
Ego 10 0
Pre 20 10
Com 16 3
PD 15 9
ED 15 9
Spd 4 12
Rec 12 0
End 60 0
Stun 45 2
Char Total 135
Power Total 222
Total Cost 357
COST POWERS & SKILLS
80 Desolidification (not through mystic shields and wards)
Invisible Power Effects: Sight, Usable by 1 Other (+1/2), END 8
34 1d6 RKA, Armor Piercing, Autofire - 3 shots, 1/2 END, Hair Needles,
END 1 (per shot)
15 Does Not Bleed
12 5d6 Body Aid, Self Only (-1/2), Only to Starting Values (-1/2)
25 Life Support: Self-contained breathing, Pressure, Heat/Cold, Vacuum,
Aging, Disease
3 Acrobatics 13-
3 Combat Pilot: Space Ship (Ryo-oh-ki) 13-
5 KS: Local Space Empires 14-
3 Navigation 11-
3 Persuasion 13-
3 Seduction 13-
7 Shadowing 13-
3 Stealth 13-
3 Systems Operations 11-
1 WF: Ship to Ship Weapons
16 CSL: +2 with Combat
6 SL: +2 with 'Ship' Skills (Combat Pilot, Navigation, Systems Operations)
Disadvantages
100 Base
5 DF: Sea green hair, Gold cat's eyes (conc, noticed)
10 Hunted: Galaxy Police (as pow) 8-
15 Psych: Lazy, self-indulgent and vain
10 Psych: Delights in causing trouble
15 Psych: In love with Tenchi
5 Rivalry: Ayeka (romantic)
10 Rep: Ryoko - notorious space pirate 14- (limited group)
187 Bakemono Bonus
(Ryoko created by Naoko Hasegawa, Masaki Kajishima, Hiroko Hayashi; character
sheet created by Michael Surbrook)