The Challengers represent a curious blend of traditional superheroes, supernatural investigations and scientific adventurers. The Challengers have never been primarily a crime-fighting organization. Their primary efforts have instead involved discovery, investigation, and exploration of unknown or abnormal supernatural and scientific phenomena. It makes its services available without charge anyplace in the world there is a threat beyond the capabilities of conventional forces. The group also does applied scientific research; revenues from patent leases makes the Challengers one of the most profitable groups around while remaining an independent organization, free of government control. However, they do have a close working relationship with many national governments and organizations.

They have encountered sophisticated thieves, fantastical creatures, aliens, robots, demons and mad scientists. The Challengers have travelled through space, time and other dimensions. Above all else, the Challengers are bold and brave, unafraid to face any danger and willing to plumb any mystery, no matter how strange.

The Challenger's headquarters is a 5-story warehouse owned by them and located in the port district. The building is unusual in that each floor has a ceiling height of 7 metres. Two cargo elevators service the floors, one on each end of the building.
The 1st floor contains the Challenger's ground vehicles (half the floor), machine shops for repairing these vehicles, a gym, and olympic size swimming pool.
The 2nd floor contains the Challenger’s living quarters, bathrooms, kitchen and dining area.
The 3rd floor contains the medical lab, the library, and science labs.
The 4th floor could be considered the actual headquarters. The computer banks, monitor banks, communications
centre, and briefing room are all there.
The 5th floor contains the hangars for the Challenger’s various sky vehicles, storage space, and a machine shop capable of building or repairing their vehicles. The vehicles are on platforms that carry them around the floor and over to the launching hatch.
The roof is flat and featureless. A large C-insignia marks the retractable hatch for launching and landing vehicles. If a Challenger vehicle approaches, the hatch will open automatically. There are a series of observatory domes located at various spots on the roof. The observatory equipment includes a computer-linked telescope and twin telescopic cameras.
The bulk of the basement is occupied by the building’s mechanical systems (plumbing, ventilation, and elevator winches). One quarter of it contains a sub pen with a small submarine and a water-filled conduit that reaches the river.
The computer system maintains visual, audio, biophysical, and electronic surveillance on every section of the building. The building is equipped with devices that can disrupt the functioning of a single targeted device or stop the functioning of all electrical machinery within it.


 

Doctor Faris
  Real Name Albert Faris Alignment Chaotic Good
INT 24 STR 11
WIS 19 DEX 14
CHA 11 CON 15
MR 1/8 wheelchair HPs 73
Age 61 Training Science, Mechanical and Electronics
Height 5'7 Weight 120lbs
Disposition Moody, short tempered
Category 12th level Gadgeteer
Abilities Specialties in Fabrication, Vehicles, Weapons, Genius and Micronization.
Biography
Dr. Albert Faris is a paraplegic scientific genius, and was a child prodigy with special aptitude in mathematics, physics, and mechanics. He was taking college-level courses when he was 14 and attended such prestigious universities as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Columbia University, and Cambridge University. By the age of 20, he had several degrees in the sciences under his belt. Albert worked as a military scientist, mainly in communications for the Army. Three years later, in his mid-20s, Faris used his inheritance, along with government funding, to finance his research. Since then he has used his scientific knowledge to develop numerous inventions and innovations that have made him wealthy. Faris founded and organized the team called Challengers of the Fantastic to protect the innocent and discover, investigate, and explore unknown or abnormal supernatural and scientific phenomena.


 

Guardian Angel
  Real Name Peter Saul Alignment Chaotic Good
INT 10 STR 21
WIS 19 DEX 17
CHA 14 CON 23
MR 65 HPs 336
Age 32 Training Espionage and Military
Height 5'9 Weight 180lbs
Disposition Brooding
Category 9th level Augmented
Powers Autonomous System Control, Brain Barrier, Densified Muscular Structure, Emergency Heal, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Taste, Enhanced Visual,
Immune System Enhancement, Lung Augmentation
Biography
Peter was killed by a lion on safari in the 1900s, but his body was cryogenically preserved and eventually resurrected by Dr Faris. After his return from death, Peter was given a healing factor devised by Faris but went temporarily insane and ran away. For next few years he travelled the world training extensively in the martial arts. He tangled with various underworld organizations before finally returning to Faris and with his assistant Madeline Newton. Peter carries and uses primarily three weapons: a Bolo Mauser, a Katar, and two shuriken. These are carried as part of his costume, on the chest.

 

Dr Oracle
  Real Name Soo-lin Liu Alignment Chaotic Good
INT 18 STR 11
WIS 18 DEX 18
CHA 14 CON 13
MR 25 HPs 85
Age 31 Training Mysticism, nature and the supernatural
Height 5'3 Weight 80lbs
Disposition Mysterious, friendly
Category 9th level Medium
Powers Spellcast; D'arque, Dreamspeak and Protective
Biography
Dr Oracle owns her own 'magic' shop filled mainly with ingredients for potions and charms. The door always seems locked to those who are just wandering by, giving it a curious glance, but for those troubled by things beyond the ken of this world, the door is always open, no matter what the time, and Oracle waits within and greets them by name. She waits, ready to listen, near a small round table where her tarot cards lie. The frightened travellers, coming inside, are surrounded by a comforting scent of mint-jasmine, and a curious collection of crystal jars, magical artifacts of all types, and endless rows of books containing a wealth of esoteric knowledge. Oracle is not surprised by their arrival, and seems to already know the trouble they are in, but she makes them tell their story, perhaps to make them clarify it to themselves. She offers the guidance of the tarot cards, giving them her interpretation of their plight through the symbols of the cards, but she makes no moves to interfere. As they stumble away to face their demons, she sometimes seems to a company them, stepping in to intercede only after they have made a move to protect themselves, and the demons seem to vanish. Oracle takes no payment for her services, but from each event she is seen leaving with a reminder of the case, which is now firmly entombed in one of the many opalescent jars that line her parlor shelves, macabre reminders of the evil that has just been overpowered by the soul of this person who came to her in need. Soo-lin seems to be the guardian of many treasures, magical artifacts that somehow make their way to her and, even when stolen from her, always find their way back to her care. Nothing is known of her origin, although she is rumored to be of Gypsy blood and to have come from Europe in some other time. She also frequently aids the Challengers whenever they have a case involving the supernatural.

 

Helen DeCorso
Real Name Helen DeCorso Alignment Chaotic Good
INT 14 STR 11
WIS 14 DEX 17
CHA 13 CON 12
MR 20 HPs 84
Age 27 Training Piloting, modern hand weapons
Height 5'7 Weight 75lbs
Disposition Fearless, cocky, protective of her friends
Category 9th level Ace Aviator
Biography
Helen, determined to become the first woman ace trained herself to pilot a wide range of modern aircraft and made herself an expert in various forms of combat and weaponry. Her first attempt to join the Challengers came when she helped rescue a member from a modern-day pirate. Dr Faris then invited her to join the team. Helen is an ace aviator able to easily handle any type of aircraft, and a fine markswoman, skilled in the use of a variety of weapons, and has superior abilities in hand-to-hand combat. In addition to her ability to handle any plane, Helen is also an expert in in aerial manouevres and combat. Helen helps Dr Faris in designing and maintaining the groups' air vehicles.

 

Madeline Newton
Real Name Madeline Newton Alignment Chaotic Good
INT 12 STR 11
WIS 10 DEX 16
CHA 13 CON 13
MR 21 HPs 89
Age 23 Training Espionage, infiltration
Height 6' Weight 88lbs
Disposition Warm, passionate
Category 9th level Femme Fatale
Biography
Madeline came from a long line of family members who were considered war heroes. Both her father and grandfather would routinely share their stories of valour and victory with her, instilling an especially strong sense of pride and patriotism in the young farm girl. Tragedy struck when her family took in an injured Guardian Angel. Their farm came under attack from Guardian's pursuers and her father was killed, dying in the arms of a very distraught Madeline. Paul promised to avenge his death, but Madeline convinced him to bring her along. During their time together Paul trained Madeline and she soon became highly skilled in espionage, especially disguise and infiltration. They eventually killed those responsible and later both joined the Challengers.

 

 

Allies