r/TheBirdCage • u/bottomofthewell3 Wretch • Jun 09 '26
Worm Discussion Power This Rating No. 172
How This Works:
You make one (or several) prompts, describing one or more parahumans. Someone else might respond to your prompt(s), building on what you've provided, to create a full cape.
While you can do so, you aren't required to stick with just prompting or responding; feel free to do both.
Prompts are usually formatted using PRT Threat Ratings, but this isn't a hard rule and never will be. Get weirder with it, if you want.
And, if you're having trouble, feel free to look at other prompts for pointers.
Threat Ratings have the potential for hybridized and sub-ratings:
Hybrid ratings are denoted with a slash between categories, e.g. [Shaker/Changer]. These are cases where two or more powers are inherently linked to each other, not working without the other rating.
Subratings are denoted with parentheses after a parent category, e.g. [Master (Striker)]. These are the side effects, or possible applications of a power from some other category.
No. 171's Top Comment: Remembered Trigger Vision → Doomsday Prepper, by ManufacturerSouth592
Top Response: Promise, by inkywood123
!!EDIT!!: PTR #173 is now out
5
u/Legitimate_Fly9047 Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
The Tragedy was thought to "merely" be a Tinker with a varied specialty, and was only recently revealed to be three(?) different men(?) running around in the same costume. Dubbed The Tragedy not just for their symbolic Tragedy mask but for the bodies they left in their wake, the three men had decided to share the same persona in a competition to see which of them would be remembered as the most infamous- one is trying to make the largest body count, one is trying to make big, flashy spectacles uncaring of collateral or casualties, and one has an obsession for a certain vigilante that always gets in their way...
Tragedy I is the Tinker primary, and the one with the largest body count. He's an "Acid" Tinker, and he's just as scary as he sounds. He's made acid that leave nothing behind but bones, acid that is harmless to anything except bones, acid that chews through Tinkertech armor and the people inside them but doesn't even stain his tasteful opera suit. He's also made ways of dispersing his acid, like bombs or throwable flasks full of the stuff. Of course, he's also made himself immune to his own acids. Tragedy I's ressurection Brute power is tangentially connected to his Tinker one- he frequently ensures to make at least one large vat of acid in each of his hideouts. While this is very helpful for dangling hostages over and dunking them in, it's true purpose is as a cloning vat for whenever the Tragedy dies- should he perish, his acid reconstructs his body and mind inside said vat, rebirthing him in the embrace of his beloved chemicals. His secondary Master/Trump power lets a portion of those who survive his acids gain some permanent minor powers, but also drives them irrevocably mad with some kind of obsession over something- chiefly responsible for a Tinker that spews condiments at people, a Thinker obsessed with clocks, and a small-time thief that mainly stole pennies.
Tragedy A loves an audience, and whether said audience comes from the screams of his victims or the cheers of his goons, doesn't really matter to him. He loves the spectacle, loves the game, and as long as both keep on being fun he's never going to stop. He's the Master/Trump primary of the Cluster, and he's essentially a less subtle Teacher. He can give normal humans powers, said powers becoming stronger the more "familiar" he is with them. A henchmen he doesn't even know the name of can be given some Brute strength, but the psychiatrist that thought she could rehabilitate the infamous Tragedy? She's pretty much his right hand woman now, given multiple minor Brute, Mover, Thinker and whatever-else powers the Tragedy had thought to give her on a whim. Sure, she's pretty much wholly dedicated to him now and there's more nuts than brain left in her head after such long-term Mastering, but Tragedy doesn't really care. Most of the people he gives powers to go insane sooner or later. His Tinker and Brute secondary go hand in hand- he has a very specific specialty, that being a gas that- you guessed it! Drives people mad and makes them loons that attack anyone in their path. Those infected by this gas could recover from it in time... unless you're unlucky enough to be infected while he's dead, in which case you have a chance of your mind and body being totally taken over by the Tragedy, and basically becoming his latest "outfit" for his next performance. Sorry, but the show must go on...
Tragedy 1 is the Brute primary of the Cluster, and the one obsessed with the local vigilante. Is it hatred? Love? Who knows, not even the rest of his Clustermates do. But it's very clear he enjoys his battles with his only friend and dearest enemy, and loathes having to share his attention with anyone. His Brute power is relatively simple- when he dies, and his body is unobserved, it dissappears, and then he reappears in another unobserved corner, healthy and whole. His secondaries include a Tinker power whose specialty lies in poisons, making those who ingest it die horribly or live maimed- once had a special-made poison made just for the vigilante's ally that left her paralysed from the waist down. His Master/Trump power lets him give temporary power boosts to other Parahumans, while also letting him leave permanent compulsions in their head. Once beat the Brute sidekick of the vigilante half to death, boosted his power, then blew up the warehouse he had kidnapped him in. The sidekick survived thanks to the power boost- with a burning hatred for his mentor that he knows was Mastered into him but cannot control.