Excalibur (circa 1990)

[Spatula]

Now that I have a Marvel digital subscription, I've been going back and filling in some holes in my past comics reading (Marvel's digitization efforts permitting). Back in the day, I had (and loved) a handful of issues of the early days of Excalibur and now, thanks to the internet, I've read all the Chris Claremont and Alan Davis issues (up to #51, where the digitization stops, skipping over the issues that weren't written by Claremont or Davis). After all of that I was inspired to stat up the group...

[Spatula]

I won't print her whole datafile here, since it's mostly identical to the one that comes with Breakout. What I would change for this time period is her Phantom limit and her milestones. At the time, Kitty had to concentrate to turn her powers off - by default they were always "on". For her milestones, her main pre-occupations at the time were mourning the deaths of her former teammates and friends (Cypher's death, the X-Men's supposed death in Fall of the Mutants, and Magik's de-aging in Inferno), and mooning after a scientist who was, in turn, mooning after Phoenix.

Limit: Phantom. Earn 1 PP and change Intangibility into a complication. Recover power by activating an opportunity or during a Transition Scene.

Milestones
Survivor’s Guilt
1 XP when you mourn the loss of the X-Men and your friends in the New Mutants.
3 XP when you create a resource or asset based off of your history with your deceased friends.
10 XP when you decide to fully put the past behind you and dedicate yourself to your new team, or when find evidence of your departed friends and leave Excalibur to join them.

Teenage Romance
1 XP when you develop an unrequited crush on another character.
3 XP when you embarrass or humiliate yourself in front of the object of your crush.
10 XP when you confess your true feelings to the object of your crush, or when you decide to move on because your crush will never reciprocate your feelings.

[Spatula]

Previous discussion of Captain Britain here.

Following the discussion in that thread, I didn't bother to include his Mystic Senses in the datafile - it's mentioned in the wiki but it never actually get used in the Excalibur comics at hand. I also didn't bother with a Mystic specialty because he's completely clueless about magic, and Merlyn in the book is much more of a sci-fi concept than a magical one. Brian's pretty clueless in general. The Cosmic specialty is a stretch, but warranted I felt given all of his experience with alternate Earths.

I weighted his affiliations on the solo side. Part of that is that he's always charging off on his own to fight foes away from everyone else. But another part is that it's revealed around issue #45? that Roma put a jinx on him to limit his effectiveness as part of the team.

For Brian's SFX, I borrowed the Thing's doom pool-boosting SFX. Whenever Brian gets into a fight, massive property damage is the result. Every time.

His milestones reflect his continued unhappy interactions with Roma, Saturnyne, their agents (like the Technet), and other Captain Britains; and his out-of-control personal life.

Captain Britain
Brian Braddock [known to authorities]

Affiliations:
Solo D10, Buddy D8, Team D6

Distinctions:
Guardian of Earth-616
Hotheaded
Proud, Proper Brit

Power Sets:
Omniversal Corpsman
Enhanced Reflexes D8, Godlike Durability D12, Godlike Strength D12, Superhuman Stamina D10, Supersonic Flight D10

SFX: Collateral Damage. Instead of spending 1 PP, add a D6 to the doom pool to create an Omniversal Corpsman stunt.

SFX: Destructive Rage. Add a doom die to your next attack action. After your action, step up the doom die and return it to the doom pool.

SFX: Multipower. Use two or more Omniversal Corpsman powers in your dice pool, at –1 step for each additional power.

Limit: Prideful & Jealous. Gain 1 PP and step up emotional stress taken (or take D6 emotional stress) from having your pride wounded or when another man shows interest in Meggan.

Limit: Merlyn’s Energy Matrix. When outside the British Isles without your costume, step down all Omniversal Corpsman powers and gain 1 PP. You can continue to activate this limit until your powers are all shut down. Recover power(s) by spending a Transition Scene back in the British Isles.

Specialties:
Combat Expert D8, Cosmic Expert D8, Menace Expert D8, Science Expert D8

Milestones:
A Spiritual Malady
1 XP when you deal with unwanted emotions in inappropriate ways (drinking, fighting, cheating on Meggan, etc.), or when you choose to resist those sorts of activities.
3 XP when your inappropriate actions or suppressed emotions cause difficulty for yourself or others, or puts others in danger.
10 XP when you realize that you have some issues to deal with and confront them, or when you decide that your problems are manageable and do nothing.

“I Am No One’s Pawn!”
1 XP when you fight or assist a ruler or agent of Otherworld, including other Captain Britains.
3 XP when you get in trouble with the Captain Britain corps, or when you accede to the orders of your superiors.
10 XP when you discover that you’ve been manipulated and confront your puppet master.

[Spatula]

I really like this datafile! Nightcrawler was always one of my favorite X-Men, and I feel like these stats capture his character in a way other datafiles that I've seen have not.

At the time of Excalibur's formation, Kurt couldn't teleport more than once without hurting himself (per day? per scene?). A pre-Excalibur Nightcrawler wouldn't have the Physical Strain limit.

As for his milestones, Kurt ends up being the de facto team leader/strategist for Excalibur. Which makes sense given that he's pretty level-headed, smart, and has the most team experience. But it's not a natural role for him. His other main plotline during this time is his attraction to Meggan, and his desire to "rescue" her from Brian's boorish, callous, jerk-ish behavior. This obviously causes some issues for the team.

Nightcrawler
Kurt Wagner [public]

Affiliations:
Solo D8, Buddy D6, Team D10

Distinctions:
Circus Acrobat
Gentleman or Monster?
Swashbuckling Flirt

Power Sets:
Fuzzy Blue Elf
Superhuman Reflexes D10, Wall-Crawling D6

SFX: Indigo Fur. When including a Fuzzy Blue Elf power in an action or reaction to avoid visual detection, step up or double Covert Expert. Spend 1 PP to do both.

SFX: Prehensile Tail. Against a single target, step up or double a Fuzzy Blue Elf die. Remove the highest rolling die and add use three dice for your total.

SFX: Rapier(s). Spend 1 PP to step up a Combat asset or resource.

Limit: Demonic Visage. Step up emotional stress inflicted by other’s fear of your appearance to gain 1 PP.

Teleportation
Teleport D8

SFX: BAMF! Add a D6 to your dice pool for an attack action and step back highest die in pool by –1. Step up physical stress inflicted by +1.

Limit: Physical Strain. Gain 1 PP and step up physical stress (or take D6 physical stress) for every teleport past the 1st, per scene.

Limit: Mutant. When affected by mutant-specific complications and tech, earn 1 PP.

Specialties:
Acrobatics Master D10, Combat Expert D8, Cosmic Expert D8, Covert Expert D8, Vehicles Expert D8

Milestones:
Love Triangle
1 XP when you choose to flirt with a character or teammate that has another suitor.
3 XP when your flirting causes trouble for you or your team with the other suitor.
10 XP when you attempt to win the object of your affection for good, or when you decide to walk away from the romantic relationship.

Reluctant Leader
1 XP when you give an asset to a teammate.
3 XP when you defeat a foe without any team member becoming stressed out.
10 XP when you sacrifice something important to you to rescue a teammate or keep the team together, or when you leave the team yourself.

[Spatula]

Representing the Phoenix Force here is a bit tough. Also hard to gauge Rachel's power levels independent of the force, since she isn't active for very long before becoming its new host. To me, the Phoenix Force powers listed here represent that she's been holding back the whole time - it's not until Excalibur #50 that she fully embraces the awesome power of the phoenix. At that point, I would step up some of the powers.

Phoenix
Rachel Summers [public]

Affiliations:
Solo D10, Buddy D6, Team D8

Distinctions:
Complicated Family Ties
Phoenix Force Host
Refugee of Futures Past

Power Sets:
Jean Grey’s Firstborn
Enhanced Durability D8, Psychic Blast D8, Psychic Resistance D10, Telekinetic Blast D8, Telekinetic Control D8, Telepathy D10

SFX: Multipower. Add more than one Jean Grey’s Firstborn power to your pool. Step back each Jean Grey’s Firstborn die in your pool once for each die beyond the first.

Limit: Mutant. When affected by mutant-specific complications and tech, earn 1 PP.

Phoenix Force
Cosmic Mastery D10, Superhuman Senses D10, Supersonic Flight D10, Transmutation D6

SFX: Energy Absorption. On a successful reaction against an energy-based attack action, convert your opponent’s effect die into a Phoenix Force stunt or step up a Phoenix Force power by +1 for your next action. Spend 1 PP to use this stunt if opponent’s action succeeded.

SFX: Nexus of Psionic Energy. If your pool includes dice from both Jean Grey’s Firstborn and Phoenix Force power sets, step up or double one Jean Grey’s Firstborn die.

SFX: Unleashed. Step up or double any Phoenix Force power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die.

Limit: Destructive Power. If your pool includes a Phoenix Force power, both 1 and 2 on your dice count as opportunities, but only 1s are excluded from being used for totals or effect dice.

Specialties:
Combat Expert D8, Cosmic Expert D8, Psych Expert D8

Milestones:
Dangerous Host
1 XP when you suffer complications or are targeted because of the Phoenix Force.
3 XP when you survive an action scene without using the Phoenix Force.
10 XP when you give up the Phoenix Force to another, or choose to embrace your role as the host of the Phoenix Force.

Hunted
1 XP when you defeat a foe that is trying to capture or kill you specifically.
3 XP when you allow your hunters to escape, or yourself to be captured, to protect bystanders or teammates.
10 XP when you confront the figure behind the hunters and put an end to their search for you.

[Vexous]

Some good stuff on the write ups. Rachel unleashing to D12 seems about right for that period.

Not really sure if Brian's Durability is a Godlike D12 though. If you compare him to someone like Ms Marvel they're probably pretty close to each other on the D10 level.

Might be wrong but his strength may be lower as well. Don't think he was lifting 100tons or more back then and that seems to be the D12 entry level.

Then again, it's been awhile since I've read the Excalibur stuff. Could be my memory is skewed.

[Spatula]

This one was a bit tricky, as Meggan is a bit of a blank slate throughout those issues. It looks like she's changed a lot since then and has gotten some powerups. But for a long time her powers and past weren't clearly defined - reading her first appearances it looks like she was a "warpie", now she's a mutant, but she has shown some affinity for magic, etc. And at least back then she tended to take a back seat to the rest of the team.

Meggan
Meggan [public]

Affiliations:
Solo D6, Buddy D10, Team D8

Distinctions:
Loves Brian Braddock
Naïve
Sensitive

Power Sets:
Empathic Metamorph
Empathy D8, Enhanced Stamina D8, Enhanced Strength D8, Mimic D10, Mystic Senses D6, Shapeshifting D8, Subsonic Flight D8

SFX: Multipower. Use two or more Empathic Metamorph powers in your dice pool, at –1 step for each additional power.

SFX: Natural Mimic. When creating assets with Mimic, add D6 and step up effect die by +1.

Limit: Eager to Please. Gain 1 PP when you step up stress or complications caused by manipulation or mind control.

Limit: Environmental Sensitivity. Change an Empathic Metamorph power into a complication and gain 1 PP. Recover the power by spending a Transition Scene in a healthier environment.

Limit: Mutant. When affected by mutant-specific complications and tech, earn 1 PP.

Specialties:
Combat Expert D8, Mystic Expert D8

Milestones:
Abandoned Romani
1 XP when you follow a lead to find your family of origin.
3 XP when you defeat a foe or obstacle preventing you from uncovering your past.
10 XP when you discover your true past, or when you decide that the past doesn’t matter and leave it behind.

Eager to Please
1 XP when you change your appearance and/or behavior to conform to the desires of another.
3 XP when your changes lead to conflict among those you’re trying to please, or you flee to prevent such a conflict.
10 XP when you decide to figure out who you really are, or when you double down on trying to please someone else at your own expense.

[Spatula]

Edited Nightcrawler's Indigo Fur SFX to look more like Falcon's Stealth Tech SFX.

Not really sure if Brian's Durability is a Godlike D12 though. If you compare him to someone like Ms Marvel they're probably pretty close to each other on the D10 level.

Might be wrong but his strength may be lower as well. Don't think he was lifting 100tons or more back then and that seems to be the D12 entry level.

Then again, it's been awhile since I've read the Excalibur stuff. Could be my memory is skewed.

See the previously linked thread for the discussion on Brian's abilities. His official strength ratings place him in the same ballpark as other D12 heroes that we've seen.

[Octavian]

I was looking for a Nightcrawler datafile. Nice work!

My main suggestion for a change is to take out Circus Acrobat as a distinction (it's already accounted for as a Specialty) and put Devout Catholic in it's place - it's a pretty central part of his character and has some great potential to be used at d4

[Spatula]

I was looking for a Nightcrawler datafile. Nice work!

My main suggestion for a change is to take out Circus Acrobat as a distinction (it's already accounted for as a Specialty) and put Devout Catholic in it's place - it's a pretty central part of his character and has some great potential to be used at d4

Thanks!

"Circus Acrobat" is a distinction that I struggled with... It's a bit redundant with "Swashbuckler" but was meant to emphasis Kurt's flair for showmanship as well as his past. There could definitely be a better distinction there.

Kurt's Catholicism isn't ever brought up during the Excalibur issues this datafile is based on, which is why I didn't include it. But adding that and getting rid of the teleport limit would be totally appropriate for a more iconic take on Nightcrawler.

Now I wonder if the Catholicism was a later addition to the character - I'm reading through the old Chris Claremont/Dave Crockum issues of the "new" X-Men and it hasn't come up there yet, either. OTOH, the characters are still being fleshed out - the team just discovered (in issue #98 or 99) that Wolverine's claws are not a part of his costume, and it's pretty clear that he doesn't have his healing factor or adamantium skeleton yet.