Hero High Design Journal #8: The Student Body
Since the arrival of the AlterniTeens and the rededication of Claremont Academy to an all-super student body, its number of students has increased. In addition to the more famous Next-Gen and AlterniTeens, here are some of the students you might find on the Academy campus.
Battlecry
Clarence Beaudrie, grandson of billionaire and Freedom City socialite Angela Beaudrie, always wanted to be a hero, so much so that his family spent a fortune on questionable gene treatments for their rather spoiled child. When one process finally took, Clarence developed superpowers, though it’s obvious he isn’t the heroic type. He may believe he is, but he’s too privileged and arrogant to ever risk his own neck helping others. He is good at convincing others to do the hard work while he takes credit.
Desert Wasp
Zaid Rahman is a Saudi national attending Claremont, and he couldn’t be happier to be here. When Duncan Summers approached the Rahmans, they were glad to be rid of their troubled son, at least until he matured. He was always getting into clashes with the religious police, and his last stint in a Riyadh jail earned him a dozen lashes. The Rahmans feared that if the authorities discovered his powers, he’d be drafted into the military or worse. Zaid, however, has recently come to terms with his own struggle with his sexuality, and refuses to return home once he graduates. He knows what happens to gay people there.
Eel-Skin
Charles Kumble is a good natured lad from Bombay, India who moved to Freedom City with his family when his mutant powers manifested. The Hero Boosters Club managed to put the Kumbles in contact with Duncan Summers, who then invited Charles to Claremont. Charles is well-liked all around, especially for his enthusiastic attempts to introduce his classmates to cricket, convince the kitchen staff to cook curries, and show various Bollywood hits during movie night. Charles dreams of becoming a hero.
Feline
Feline was found in the alleys of Rio de Janeiro, after she attacked a squad of killers targeting street kids. Duncan Summers heard about the incident, and the Next-Gen raced to retrieve the young mutant before SHADOW or the government could get to her. Feline has no memories of her past, though it’s certain she was a street kid who went feral once her powers manifested; she may have been a SHADOW genetic experiment. As a half-cat, she’s among the more visible mutants at the academy, and she’s taking special tutoring to catch up to everyone else.
Firepower
Nathan Collins has the pyrokinetic ability to generate and control fire, the awakening of which led to him being shipped off to Claremont to learn to control his abilities. Initially somewhat unsure of himself, Firepower has begun to fit into life on campus, his confidence growing as he practices with his abilities (aided by the fact that he can’t accidentally burn off his morphic molecule uniform like he did his old clothes). For complete details on Firepower’s arrival at Claremont Academy, see the Mutants & Masterminds Beginner’s Guide.
Kid Alchemy
Terrance “Bling” Brown was an urban kid in danger of falling in with the wrong crowd. He earned the nickname Bling for his ability to transmute metals into gold, and he was making a living selling cheap watches for a substantial mark-up. When Sonic and Foreshadow saved Bling from a street gang that was using Terrance’s ability to make them money, the two heroes convinced the young mutant to enroll at Claremont. Sonic also convinced Terrance to change his name to something less stereotypical. Kid Alchemy was born, and Terrance has since become a better student with a deep respect for “his boy,” Sonic.
Pusher
Very few people feel comfortable around Naomi Vasquez. Her mind powers allow her to read thoughts, which she won’t hesitate to use against someone if they annoy her, and she can make people “do things.” As a victim of child abuse, Naomi refuses to be pushed ever again. She’s also afraid of letting anyone get too close to her, though she’ll never admit to that fear.
Sloth
William Polzysky is one of the school bullies. He’s not misunderstood or hurting inside; he’s just mean. Sloth is a massive teen, with a linebacker’s bulky build plus a couple of extra feet in height. And, he likes pushing his weight around, literally. Only Megastar has managed to plant him on his butt, but most other students don’t have that kind of power. Sloth leads a small clique of troublemakers who constantly seem on the verge of expulsion.
Student Body
Daisy Gibbons is the “it girl” at school, meaning she’s beautiful, she knows it, and she makes sure you never forget it. Daisy and her popular clique are elitist; high school is a popularity contest, and Daisy plans on being the only contender. She has no interest in being a heroine… her ambition is to be a model, a singer, or an actress, preferably all of the above.
Hey, Just How Many Super-Kids Are There?
Technically, there are as many super-teens in Freedom City as you decide there are. The assumption is the Claremont Academy has a super-powered student body of about two or three dozen, but it can be more or less as you see fit. You can use the Next-Gen, AlterniTeens, an all the students described here in addition to the player characters in your Hero High series and a few NPCs of your own creation, or you can limit the Claremont Academy’s students to just the player characters, them and the Next-Gen, them and the AlterniTeens, or whatever best suits your game.
