Like other fans of Marvel Heroic, I started writing up non-Marvel character datafiles to speculate on how various characters from other media could fit in the system. While that is all fine and good, it’s only producing media for players. With the game now out of print, the biggest content hole is really in NPC Datafiles and related plot hooks. We’ve all been that lazy GM who wants to just grab some stat blocks, figure out how to make it all fit and run with an idea. Right now, that pool is large but finite.
It’s not hard to swap a PC’s statblock into an NPC statblock, but finding a home for the character in a plot can be slightly more difficult. As such, along with the Player Datafiles, I felt that should stat up NPC versions along with some suggested plot hooks.
Type-Moon’s interpretation of King Arthur has always interested me and, given that I already posted my PC version of the datafile, it seemed like a good place to start.
The male Arthur, as seen in Fate/Prototype
The Setup
In the Fate series, a supernatural power has brought 
King Arthur into the present day. The series puts forth the idea that King Arthur was a woman named Arturia Pendragon, but the character can be easily be male without impacting the core concept.
Arthur’s life has been full of regret and remorse. Arthur ruled from a position of cold logic at the expense of emotions, eventually causing the knight of Camelot and Britain’s population to doubt and question their king. The situation hit a breaking point, resulting in Arthur’s apparent death at the Battle of Camlann and the fall of Camelot.
As suggested by the title The Once and Future King, Arthur didn’t die. Instead, the legendary king was transported to the modern day and now searches for a way to fix the mistakes of the past and restore Britain to its former glory.
While history doesn’t remember Arthur’s physical appearance in detail, the sword Excalibur could give away the wielder’s identity. As a precaution, its appearance is concealed by a wind-based magic barrier. This barrier can be manipulated in combat, providing Arthur with some minor melee magic. Otherwise, Arthur is mostly a physical combatant.
Where Do the PCs Fit Into This?
There’s many ways that Arthur could be directly messing up the PC’s lives, depending on where you want to take the plot.
In general, Arthur is a well-intentioned extremist who wants to fix past wrongs that should be left unchanged. While not evil, Arthur’s end goals will cause chaos through out the PC’s timeline. This may serve as a jumping off point for similar themes of regret among the PCs, especially those with milestones dealing with questionable past actions.
To pull directly from the source material, Arthur could be searching for a Mystic artifact that can rewrite history. Arthur feels that everything that went wrong with Camelot was the result of his/her poor leadership and that Britain could be saved by replacing Arthur with someone – anyone – else. Such an action would rewrite the timeline, putting the PCs and their world’s existence at risk.
If your campaign and party has a more scientific bent, maybe this artifact isn’t magical at all. Arthur is actually looking a Science or Tech-related device. A time machine is close enough to the appearance of magic to someone with no background in technology.
Further, maybe this item doesn’t exist at all. Arthur’s existence in the present day is due to striking a deal with a powerful being. The Marvel universe is full of powerful figures who are happy to offer the impossible for a price. Perhaps Arthur cut a deal with a being who has run afoul of the party in the past and is only a pawn in that being’s larger scheme.
For a more outlandish spin on the above idea, Arthur could quickly realize the truth about the current situation and decides that if Britain’s past can’t be changed, maybe it’s future can be. Arthur has the ability to be a charismatic leader and could start a movement to dismantle Britain’s current leadership.
The female Arturia, as seen in Fate/Stay Night.
Saber
Arthur/Arturia Pendragon
Affiliations
Solo D4 Buddy D6 Team D8
Distinctions
The Once and Future King
I Must Rewrite My Past
EXCALIBUR
Invisible Wind Barrier D8,
Superhuman Durability D10, Weapon D10
SFX: Area Attack. Target multiple opponents. For every additional target, add D6 to your pool and keep +1 effect die.
SFX: Invisible Air. On a successful reaction against a physical attack action, create the asset Invisible Blade with your effect die. Spend a doom die to step up the asset +1.
SFX: Strike Air. Step up or double Invisible Wind Barrier for one action, then step back to 2D6s. Spend a doom die to recover Invisible Wind Barrier.
SFX: The Sword of Promised Victory. Step up or double Weapon on your next roll, or spend a doom die to do both, then shutdown Weapon. Spend a doom die to recover Weapon.
Limit: Gear. Shutdown Excalibur to step up the lowest die in the doom pool or add a d6 doom die. Spend a doom die to recover Excalibur.
KING OF BRITAIN
Enhanced Senses D8, Godlike Stamina D12, Superhuman Reflexes D10
Superhuman Strength D10, Mystic Resistance D12
SFX: Avalon, The Everdistant Utopia. Spend a doom die to ignore physical stress or trauma.
SFX: Blessing of the Lady of the Lake. Spend a doom die to ignore stress, trauma, or complications caused by water.
SFX: Prana Burst. In a pool including a King of Britain die, replace two dice of equal steps
with one die of +1 step.
SFX: Regeneration Magic. Before you make an action including a King of Britain power, you may
move your physical stress die to the doom pool and double the King of Britain power for this action.
Limit: Factor of the Dragon. Step up the lowest die in the doom pool or add a d6 doom die to step up physical stress inflicted by dragon slaying weapons and foes by +1.
Limit: Power Boost. Shutdown a King of Britain power and step up the lowest die in the doom pool or add a d6 doom die. Spend a doom die to recover the power.
