CHIEF MCMURPHY Fireforce

NAME : Major Peter McMurphy IDENTITY : Public OPERATIONS : Los Angeles, CA, USA POWER LEVEL : 11 PLAYER : Jim Caswell
Peter McMurphy: Head of the LA Strikeforce

STRENGTH 10/2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 1/-3 DEXTERITY 1 FIGHTING 5/1 INTELLECT 6 AWARENESS 6 PRESENCE 3
Abilities Cost: 40

Lifting STR 10 25 tons Running SPD 5 60 mph Impervious ignores up to 5 Critical Immunity

DODGE (AGL) 7/9 (DC 19) PARRY (FGT) 7/9 (DC 19) FORTITUDE(STA) 7 TOUGHNESS(STA) 13 WILL (AWE) 8
Defense Cost: 13
Offense:

Unarmed
+10 Close, Damage 10 Shield Jab +10 Close, Damage 12 Shield Bash +11 Close, Damage 11 Taser +14 Ranged, Affliction 8

INITIATIVE +10

All-Out Attack Assessment Benefit 2 (CoJ, Federal Officer) Chokehold Close Attack 4 Connected Contacts Defensive Attack

Equipment 17 Extraordinary Effort Great Endurance Improved Defense Improved Disarm Improved Initiative 1 Improved Smash Interpose Language 2 (Spanish, Cantonese) Leadership

Leadership Lionheart Power Attack Quick Draw Ranged Attack 8 Speed of Thought Takedown 1 Teamwork Well-Informed
Advantages Cost: 54
Notes:

Acrobatics 6 1 -- Athletics 10 10 -- Close Combat 9 5/4 -- Unarmed 10 5/4 1 Deception 4 3 1 Expertise
Criminology 10 6 4 Streetwise 7 6 1 Police Officer 7 6 1 Tactics 7 6 1 Insight 7 6 1

Intimidation 8 3 5 Investigation 12 6 6 Perception 8 6 2 Persuasion 8 3 5 Ranged Combat 9 1/8 -- Taser 14 1/10 3 Sleight of Hand -- 1 -- Stealth 5 1 4 Technology 7 6 1 Treatment 7 6 1 Vehicles 8 1 7
Skills Cost: 22
Powers Cost: 0

Cybernetic Exoskeleton: Enhanced Strength 8, Enhanced Agility 4 32 Enhanced Fighting 4 Powered Armor: Protection 9, Impervious Toughness 9 (ignores 5) 18 Leg Servos: Speed 5 5 Helmet: Immunity (Critical Hits, Sensory Afflictions vs Sight & 8 Hearing), Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Extended) Shield Removable (-2) 6 Main Function: Enhanced Defenses 4 (Dodge & Parry +2) 4 Shield as Weapon Array 4 AE Shield Bash: STR-based Damage 2 3 AE Shield Jab: STR-based Damage 1, Accurate 1, Improved 1 Critical 2 Grappling Gauntlet Array: Removable 5 AE Snag & Pull: Move Object 4, Limited only in certain paths 4 and directions AE Decel Swingline: Movement (Swinging, Safe Fall) 1 AE Jump Line: Leaping 4 (120 Ft.) 1
Devices Cost: 74
Total Cost: 203
Base Points: 176 ExP Spent: 27 Experience Points Total: 29 Total Points: 203
Equipment:

Duty Belt: Taser Sidearm (Ranged Affliction 8 vs Fort.), 27 Accurate 1, Diminished Range 1 Nightstick (STR-based Damage 2), Mini-Camera, Minirecorder, Rebreather, Smoke, Flash, Sleep & Tear Gas Bombs, Supercuffs (Affliction 10, Inaccurate, Grab-based, Cummulative, vs Dodge, Extra Condition (Impaired & Vulnerable, Disabled & Defenseless), Limited Degree) Flashlight 1 Customized Van, Motorcycle, Customized Wheelchair 12 CoJ Communicator COJ-021, Strikeforce Radio 3 Contribution to CoJ Bases and CoJ Vehicles 8 Contribution to Strikeforce Base and Vehicles 2 Contribution to TARA 4 EMP Cannon (Kept at TARA) 28 (Electric Blast 8 (+9 to hit), +5 only vs Electronics, 5 uses, Linked to EMP Effect - Broad Ranged Weaken 7 (+13 to hit), Extended Range 1, Accurate 2, 5 uses
Complications:
Parapalegic - When outside of his armor, Peter is crippled from the waist down (AGL -3, FGT 1) and needs a wheelchair to get around.
Relationships - While Peter still loves his wife Wanda (his first true love), he has found in Paula that love really can strike twice. He and Paula have adopted a Coptic Sala'aqi orphan named Émile.
Responsibility - As a federal officer, Peter is sworn to uphold the law.
Revenge - Peter has a deep-seated desire to see Captain Zero destroyed.
Enemy - Due to some weird time-shifting stuff that Peter doesn't understand, there is a time-traveling alternate version of himself that is trying to rewrite history and willing to do some nasty things to get his way.
What's In A Name - Around Tara, Paula and Peter refer to McMurphy as "Mac" so as to make things less confusing for the elder Rostokov.

Background: Peter McMurphy had everything his heart desired: he had just earned his gold shield, leaving the days of being a L.A. beat cop behind, he had been happily married to his high school sweetheart for the past fifteen years, and they were at the mall to buy her a new engagement ring to celebrate his promotion. Then everything went horribly wrong. When a (then thought to be) insane Count Zero began attacking former allies, the battle was fought in the same mall that the McMurphy's were shopping. Thanks to a good deal of collateral damage, Peter was left trapped and crippled as his wife died under rubble.

While in the hospital recuperating and receiving physical therapy, Peter was visited by Alex Wells on behalf of Adams Industries, sponsors of the Champions of Justice. In an attempt to make amends for everything McMurphy lost, they offered to equip him with the latest in cybernetic and exo-skeleton technology. But Peter wanted more. His life had been dedicated to two things, keeping the peace and loving his wife. He lost the latter forever; he didn't want to loose the former as well. Wells agreed to help him and created the Fireforce battle armor. Shortly thereafter, Peter was introduced to the CoJ, but still harbored some ill-feelings toward the group and turned down their offer to join.

Fireforce spend the next few months working the streets of LA as a vigilante while holding down a desk job at the precinct during the day. When his path crossed with the CoJ again, however, he accepted membership with the team, in spite of the fact that (and, in truth, partially because) Count Zero had rejoined the team, claiming that the attack was committed by his "evil twin, " Captain Zero. If Zero went evil again, Fireforce wanted to be there to help take him down. Over time, however, Peter managed to form friendships with teammates (even Count Zero eventually) and overcame most of his psychological hang-ups that had formed after that fateful day. He even managed to fall in love again with the team's resident pilot, Ms. Scarlet. He also built up the courage to reveal his dual identity to his bosses at the police department, sparking the development of the Strikeforce branch of law enforcement.

Personality: When Fireforce first arrived on the scene, he was still harboring deep-seated anger and pain and his personality reflected that. He was suspicious, hard-driven and merciless, but still held to his true nature by not going over the edge. Over time, however, his psyche healed thanks to the efforts of his friends and teammates and he learned to smile again. He can now joke with others and enjoy socializing, but knows when its time for business and is one of the most dedicated people on the team. His natural leadership qualities sometimes cause conflict with those who don't feel leaders are needed, but serves him well in organized institutions like the police force and Strikeforce.

Powers/Tactics: McMurphy is first and foremost a cop. As such, he will handle almost every situation like a police officer would, making his expectations known upfront and being no-nonsense in serious situations. When it comes time for combat, he tries to subdue the perpetrator as quickly as possible using any and all of the tools at his disposal. Thanks to his exo-skeleton powersuit, he is stronger, faster and more durable than any normal human and uses those abilities to their full advantage. He also carries a variety of tools and armaments, most notably a Taser sidearm and the Pulse Cannon; an electromagnetic weapon releases a powerful EMP blast (formerly referred to the ZeroKiller earlier in his career). He also carries a shield that serves the dual purpose of providing extra protection and acts as a powerful bludgeoning weapon.

Appearance: Peter McMurphy is 6'1" tall and 205 pounds, with the Fireforce battle suit adding 3" and 200 lbs. to his mass. Peter's build is athletic, with his arms holding the majority of his musculature. Through daily physical therapy, though, the rest of his body is in decent shape. When out of the powersuit, Peter moves about thanks to a manual wheelchair with the hidden mechanics to power-lift him to a standing position. The Fireforce suit is a stripped-down design of the Technon armor, painted black and grey. The cybernetic helmet system crosses the design of a riot gear headpiece and a modern visored football helmet, leaving the bottom half of the face exposed.

Fireforce was created, designed and played by Jim Caswell.

© Copyright 1989, 2024 - James E. Caswell

Back to the PSB Strikeforce page

Back to the Champions of Justice page

Back to the Strike Force page

Back to the Earth-K page

Back to the Welcome to the RCU page

Last updated on 5 May 2023