Amelia

GM Bedlam General Hospital As Mister Strix was creeping through the halls, he was stunned to see a familiar face walking toward him, for the second time inside of a week: Emergency medicine specialist Doctor Adriana Aparo, his widow. Bedlam General Hospital, Basement When Dead Head opened the morgue drawer, he was greeted by a pair of faintly glowing red eyes. Either his knocking and taunting had woken the new vampire, or he'd already been awake, waiting. As Dead Head had expected, the thing that used to be Roberto Hernandez lunged at him, fangs bared. As he hurled himself forward, he let loose an inhumanly deep growl that echoed across the basement, a tiger's growl, a growl Dead Head was used to hearing from Mister Strix. Dead Head easily sidestepped Hernandez, who rolled as he hit the floor, landing on his feet in a crouch. Hernandez was naked, and his skin was unnaturally pale. His eyes were no longer glowing, but the irises and sclera were both still completely red. Only the pupils were tiny dots of black in the center. He reeked of necromancy, just as Javier Delgado had, just as Mister Strix did. He looked up and down at Dead Head. "You're not food," he hissed. "You're like me. Come on, let's go suck this place dry."

Dead Head I'll give Robert Hernandez a DC15 Acrobatics check to roll to his feet at the end of his failed lunge. Roberto Hernandez's Acrobatics check: 17. Whether you decide to parley with him or not, I'll keep Dead Head and Roberto Hernandez in combat rounds for now. Dead Head is up. Mister Strix Strix's half happens concurrently with Dead Head's encounter. I'm going to just go ahead and run through it, because it's probably going to all be over before any other PCs could intervene. I'm going to say the sight of his widow hits Mister Strix with a rank 8 Fascinate effect, like the feat. Mister Strix's Will save (DC18): 9. Natural "1". He's Fascinated. When he says her name out loud, she gets a Will save to break through his Phantasm Concealment. Doctor Aparo's Will save (DC18): 22. She sees right through him. In addition to being unable to take any actions beyond gawking at his ex-wife, he's at -4 to Notice that Maria Delgado is crashing out. Mister Strix's Notice check (DC10): 23. Since he failed the initial save but made the subsequent Notice check, I'm going to say he has a chance to save his ex-wife, but not the other three people in the room. If he'd made that first save, I'd have given him a chance to save everyone. But that's why it's called a "setback". Mister Strix's Reflex save (DC17): 27. He saves her. Reflex saves for the two nurses and the orderly (DC17): 20, 13, 9. Two of them get sprayed. Fortitude saves against the Disease Transform effect for the nurse and the orderly (DC17): 6, 16. Both of them are infected. Mister Strix gets a Hero Point for the setback. Maria Delgado's Initiative: 9. Mister Strix's Initiative: 26. Round 1: Mister Strix: Free Action: Swap his array to the Autofire & Claws AP. Standard Action: Charge at Maria. All-Out Attack for +2/-2. That puts him at +10 attack and +4 defense. Attack roll (DC17): 12. Miss. Move Action: None. Maria Delgado: Standard Action: Use Improved Grab to bite and grapple Strix. All-Out Attack for +2/-2. That puts her at +9 Attack, +5 defense. Attack roll (DC14): 23. Strix's Toughness save (DC22): 10. That would Disable him, so he'll pop a Hero Point for a re-roll. Strix's Toughness save (Hero Point re-roll): 21. He takes an Injury. Grapple check: 19. Strix's Grapple check: 34. Her grapple fails. Round 2: Mister Strix: Move Action: Demoralize Maria. Strix's Intimidate check: 10. Maria's Intimidate check: 27. He fails. He can't attempt to Intimidate her again. Standard Action: Attack Maria. All-Out Attack for +2/-2. That puts him at +8 Attack, +6 Defense. Attack roll (DC15): 24. He succeeds by 9. 9 / 2 = 4.5, rounded down to 4 = +4 damage. Maria's Toughness save (DC29): 22. She's Injured, and Dazed for 1 round. Maria Delgado: No actions. She spends the round Dazed. Round 3: Mister Strix: Standard Action: Trip Maria. All-Out Attack for +2/-2, putting him at +10 Attack, +6 Defense. Attack roll (DC17): 27. That's +4 "damage" from Autofire. Trip check: 24. Maria's Trip check: 20. Maria is Prone. Free Action: Surge for a second attack. Standard Action: Melee attack Maria, at +4 since she's Prone. Power Attack for -2/+2. Attack roll (DC17): 19. +1 damage from Autofire. Maria's Toughness save (DC28): 13. She's Destroyed. After destroying Maria, Mister Strix tries to Mind Control the nurses and orderly. Mind Control power checks: 11, 27, 21. Staff's Will saves: 8, 11, 7. They're all thoroughly enthralled. Then he'll try to use Diplomacy on Doctor Aparo to get her to cooperate. Strix's Diplomacy check (DC15): 11. Nope. He'll burn his last Hero Point for a re-roll, and he'll unmask himself for a +2 circumstance bonus. Strix's Diplomacy check (DC15, Hero Point re-roll): 14. The +2 puts him at 16, just over the line. Mister Strix is Injured, Fatigued, and has 0HP. Back to Dead Head.

This formatting is wrong. You want [Skill ranks] (+[Total skill bonus]) Like this: Your power descriptors should also include their origin - "Alien", "Magic", "Mutation", "Technology", etc. This isn't 3E, where they put the descriptors at the top and front and then follow with the mechanics. Put the mechanics first, then the descriptors. That should look more like this: On a strategic note, I'd recommend the following: Don't ever, ever fold any of the sources of your Defense bonus or Toughness save into an array. You want those to be stand-alone and always on. Seize Initiative sucks. Don't take Accurate on the array itself. Take it on whichever individual APs need it. That way, you're not wasting points in the APs that don't need it. You don't actually want every power that's sharing space in the same AP slot to be linked to every other power, because when powers are linked, whenever you activate one, you activate the other(s). If you don't want her to teleport every single time she turns on the mirror image, then don't link them. Powers which only take a free action to activate probably shouldn't be linked, since you can take as many free actions in a round as you want. Look up how the durations on Lasting powers like Paralyze work (Ultimate Power pages 16-17 or Mutants & Masterminds 2E page 70, but preferably UP), and decide whether or not you think you actually need to buy the duration on the Stasis Field all the way up to Sustained (Lasting). Concentration (Lasting) might work well enough. Concentration duration might also work well enough on your Blast. Maintaining the damage will force you to keep the array on the Blast slot. It'll end if you swap to another AP, since the duration on Damage isn't Lasting (again, look that up). What else are you going to do with the standard action you'd be using to maintain a Concentration-duration Blast? 12 ranks of Penetrating is overkill, especially on a rank 12 Blast. Penetrating ranks add to the base damage when you're figuring out how much Impervious you can punch through. Blast 12 probably doesn't need Penetrating at all, since you'll probably never run into a villain with more than 12 ranks of Impervious Toughness, and if you do, you can Power Attack for +2 without the feat (house rules from 3E) or +5 with it. You're definitely not going to run into someone with Impervious Toughness 18. Why do so many attack powers have the Full Power drawback? It doesn't look like you need the points. Since she has a movement power (Teleport), the rednames are likely to say that the disability is Minor Intensity, not Moderate, worth only 1PP. They will most likely advise you to take it as a Complication instead. Personally, I would advise taking the drawback and buying a rank of the Luck feat with it, and in general, if something can either be a drawback or a complication, I'd recommend taking it as a drawback, unless you're already at max Luck ranks for your Power Level (1/3rd rounding down, by our house rules).

And here's a maxed-out version: Character: Octoman Power Level: 13 (Built as PL10) Tradeoffs: None (At PL10: +2 Attack / -2 Damage, +2 Defense / -2 Toughness) Power Points: 250/250PP Unspent Points: 0 ABILITIES 42PP Strength: 26/16 (+8/+3), 66/14 Lifting (Heavy Load: 235,520 lbs. [117.76 tons] / 230 lbs.) Dexterity: 34/16 (+12/+3) Constitution: 26/16 (+8/+3) Intelligence: 20 (+5) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 20 (+5) COMBAT 24PP Initiative: +20/-1 (+8/+3 Dex, +12 Enhanced Improved Initiative, -4 Deafened) Attack: +12 Melee (+6 Base, +6 Attack Focus [Melee]), +6 Ranged (+6 Base) Grapple: +42/+15 vs one target, +38/+15 vs multiple targets (+12 Melee Attack, +12/+3 Dexterity, +4 Additional Limbs, +6 Elongation, +8 Super-Strength) Defense: +12 (+6 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: 4/1 SAVING THROWS 10PP Toughness: +8/+3 (+8/+3 Con) Fortitude: +10/+5 (+8/+3 Con, +2PP) Reflex: +12/+3 (+12/+3 Dex, +0PP)Evasion Will: +10 (+2 Wis, +8PP) SKILLS 85/88R = 22PP Acrobatics 2 (+15/+5)Skill Mastery Bluff 15 (+20)Distract, Fascinate, Second Chance, Skill Mastery, Taunt Computers 15 (+20)Second Chance, Skill Mastery, Ultimate Skill Disguise 0 (+5, +10 or +50 with Morph) Escape 0 (+18/+3, Automatic with Insubstantial) Knowledge (Current Events) 10 (+15) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 5 (+10) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 15 (+20) Knowledge (Technology) 10 (+15) Knowledge (Theology & Philosophy) 1 (+6) Languages 3 (American Sign Language [ASL], English [Native], Hebrew, Spanish) Notice 3 (+15/+5)Deafened Search 0 (+15/+5) Sleight of Hand 2 (+15/+5)Skill Mastery Stealth 2 (+15/+5) Swim 2 (+15/+5)Swimming FEATS 30PP Acrobatic Bluff Attack Focus (Melee) 6 Chokehold Distract (Bluff) Dodge Focus 6 Fascinate (Bluff) Grapple Finesse Improved Disarm Improved Pin Improved Trip Luck 3 Online Research Second Chance 2 (Bluff, Computers) Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Computers, Sleight of Hand) Taunt Well-Informed Ultimate Skill (Computers) Enhanced: Environmental Adaptation (Underwater) Evasion Improved Initiative 3 POWERS 122PP Additional Limbs 4 (+10 Limbs, Extras: Duration [Sustained], Feats: Ambidexterity) [5PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Retractable Tentacles) Concealment 2 (Normal Vision, Flaws: Blending, Passive) [1PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Elongation 6 (250ft Max Elongation, Elongate 300ft per Move Action, Free action to retract, 60ft Range Increments for elongated melee attacks, Flaws: Limited [Additional Limbs]) [3PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Stretchy Tentacles) Enhanced Constitution 10 [10PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Redundant Organs, Regeneration, Super-Toughness) Enhanced Dexterity 18 [18PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Agility, Super-Reflexes) Enhanced Feats 4 (Evasion, Improved Initiative 3) [4PP] Enhanced Skills 28 (Acrobatics 1, Notice 10, Search 10, Sleight of Hand 1, Stealth 1, Swim 5) [7PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Agility, Super-Reflexes, Super-Senses) Features 2 (Environmental Adaptation [Underwater], Internal Compartment) [2PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Immunity 6 (Critical Hits, Environmental 2 [Cold, Pressure], Poison, Suffocation [Underwater]) [6PP] (Descriptors: Gills, Insulated Skin, Internal Network of Fluid Bladders & Siphons, Mutation, No Skeleton, Venom Glands) Insubstantial 1 (Feats: Subtle) [6PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Morph 1 (+5 Disguise, Any Form) [3PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Octopus Movement 2 (4PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power) [5PP] Base Power: [4PP] Leaping 4 (x25, Running Long Jump: 450ft) [4PP] (Descriptors: Biological Jet Propulsion, Mutation) Alternate Power: [4PP] Swimming 4 (25MPH / 250ft per Move Action, Can Take 10 on Swim checks) [4PP] (Descriptors: Biological Jet Propulsion, Mutation) Octopus Power 13 (26PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 4) [30PP] Base Power: [10 + 16 = 26PP] Enhanced Strength 10 [10PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Strength) Super-Strength 8 (Lifting Strength: 66, Heavy Load: 235,520 lbs. [117.76 tons]) [16PP] (Descriptors: Mutation) Alternate Power: [22 + 4 = 26PP] Dazzle 8 (Sense Types: Olfactory + Visual, Flaws: Range [Touch], Feats: Extended Reach 4 [25ft], Improved Critical 2 [18-20]) [22PP] (Descriptors: Ink Spray, Mutation) Obscure 2 (Sense Types: Olfactory + Visual, Area: 10ft radius, Extras: Independent, Total Fade [4 rounds], Flaws: Limited [One Sense: Normal Vision], Range [Touch]) [4PP] (Descriptors: Ink Cloud, Mutation) Alternate Power: [24PP] Morph 8 (9, +45 Disguise, Any Form) [24PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Alternate Power: [26PP] Paralyze 8 (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Secondary Effect, Feats: Improved Critical 2 [18-20]) [26PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Pharyngeal Jaw, Proboscis, Venom) Alternate Power: [26PP] Snare 8 (Extras: Area [Type: Targeted, Shape: Cone], Engulf, Selective, Flaws: Duration [Concentration], Feats: Chokehold, Progression [Area Size] 1 [25ft/rank = 200ft]) [26PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Tentacles) Regeneration 7 (Recovery 1 [+9]; Recovery Rate: Injured 3 [1 minute], Staggered 1 [20 minutes], Disabled 2 [1 hour]; Feats: Regrowth) [8PP] (Descriptors: Mutation) Super-Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2 [Full Speed; Not Flat-Footed]) [4PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Suckers) Super-Senses 10 (Acute Extended Tracking 3 Smell/Taste, Danger Sense [Sense Types: Olfactory], Extended Vision, Low-Light Vision, Microscopic Vision 1 [Dust], Uncanny Dodge [Sense Types: Olfactory]) [10PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Suckers) Abilities (42) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (22) + Feats (30) + Powers (122) - Drawbacks (0) = 250/250 Power Points

HONORED by TT Dirge: Please change the veteran status in the subject line from "Gold" to "Platinum".

EMBRACED by TT Mister Strix: Please change the veteran status in the subject line from "Gold" to "Platinum". Please add "Twilight Lodge" to his tags. Please spend all of his open 4PP on 16 Skill ranks, 8 normal and 8 Enhanced: Normal: +1 Intimidation +7 Knowledge (Streetwise) Enhanced: +2 Intimidation +2 Notice +2 Search +2 Sense Motive Please also move one normal skill rank from Stealth to Notice, and one Enhanced rank from Notice to Stealth, as follows. Please retool his Super-Senses as follows. This includes dropping the Extended extras, and adding Postcognition (which was removed from the array, see below) and Ultra-Hearing. This will not change the total cost of his Super-Senses power. Please retool his Vampire Power array as follows, combining multiple separate APs together. This will not change the total cost of the array. Here is a new DC chart for the "Combat" section reflecting the changes: ATTACK RANGE SAVING THROW EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC23 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Claws/Fangs Touch DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical, Lethal, Incurable) Blood Drain Touch/Grapple DC18 Fortitude* Drain Constitution* Opposed Will vs +8** Mind Reading DC18 Will (Staged)** Sickened/Nauseated/Incapacitated Glimpse of The Abyss Touch/Area (Visual Perception) DC18 Reflex Avoided DC18 Will (Staged) Shaken/Frightened/Panicked Hypnotic Eyes Perception (Visually Sense-Dependent) Opposed Will vs +8** Mind Controlled DC18 Will** Transformed (Memory Altered) Psychic Invisibility Personal DC18 Will*** Total Concealment from all non-Mental type senses *This saving throw is not Staged, because he can only drain 1 Constitution rank per round, regardless of the margin by which the victim failed their save. **Because the two Linked effects target the same saving throw (Will), the victim makes one saving throw and compares it against the DC for both effects. This effect has one static DC and one DC determined by a power check, so it is possible that the victim will successfully save against one of the linked effects but fail to save against the other one. ***Creatures with Intelligence 0 are unaffected. Creatures with Intelligence 1+ only get a saving throw if he does something to draw attention to himself. Machines with Intelligence 0 are also unaffected, but he has a separate, permanent Concealment effect against all Auditory, Radio, and Visual-type machine senses.

GM V.I.N.C.E.'s "face" appeared on the monitors. "Don't be alarmed! But maybe be a little alarmed. My scanners are having trouble getting an accurate read on the kid's vital signs. Every time I try to take his pulse, I pick up a weird series of echoes that makes an accurate count impossible. But if my count is anywhere close to accurate, then his blood pressure's so high it could high-five the ISS. He should be dead from ten heart attacks, not sitting here having a conversation. His heart attacks should be having their own heart attacks. And, not to bury the lede, but the kid's setting off the Geiger counter of all things. Don't panic, he's not radioactive enough to hurt anyone just by standing next to you. He'd have to spit out twice as many rads before even the little girl's blood showed any changes. But he's definitely a hot spot, above and beyond the normal background radiation. It looks like he ingested a barium meal for a gastrointestinal study, only instead of just swallowing a cupful of the stuff, he got a transfusion and replaced his whole bloodstream with it. I'd have to take a full X-ray to make sense of any of it, and if I did, I'm willing to bet his veins would light up like a Christmas tree."

Name: Ben Wang Codename: Octoman Year: Sophomore Pronouns: He/Him Roommate: Horrorshow? Goal: BECOME GECKOMAN! Favourite High School Movie: Assassination Nation

Dirge's Toughness saves (DC20): 15, 23. Makes one, fails one by 5.

Tentaculared by TT Octoman: Please change the veteran status in the subject line from "Gold" to "Platinum". Changed the combat traits from 12/8 to 10/10. Unspent: 2PP Dropped 2 ranks from Attack Focus (Melee). (+2) Dropped 2 ranks from Dodge Focus. (+2) Dropped Second Chance (Computers). (+1) Dropped 4 ranks from Enhanced Dexterity. (+4) Unspent: 11PP Increased Reflex save by 2. (-2) Added one rank of Defensive Roll. (-1) Increase the Enhanced Skills from 12 ranks to 20 ranks. (-2) Increase the "Octopus Power" array from rank 13 (26PP) to rank 16 (32PP). (-6) Shuffled a couple of skill ranks around. Please change the "Tradeoffs" at the top of the sheet from "None (At PL10: +2 Attack / -2 Damage, +2 Defense / -2 Toughness)" to just an unqualified "None". Here's the new crunch half of the sheet, from "Abilities" on down:

Strix has Knowledge (Streetwise), yeah. I think you misspoke. The Mara are Hardwick Park. Wolverton is Eentsy Z's street gang coalition, and The Rock and The Stone's syndicate.

I'll go ahead and get Hernandez's attack roll out of the way before my next GM post. EDIT: Forgot to mention he's All-Out Attacking for +2/-2. Attack roll (DC14): 13. OK, so he lunges at Dead Head but misses. Again, I'll describe that in my next GM post.

@Dr Archeville Go ahead and roll Initiative for Dead Head. Then I'll post an IC description of either 1) the vampire jumping out of the drawer to attack him, or 2) the vampire in the drawer who's obviously about to jump out and attack him. Roberto Hernandez's Initiative: 22. @Avenger Assembled I'll keep the rest of the thread going concurrently. Horus and Strix aren't going to go on pause during Dead Head's vampire-fight.

Cool. Dead Head is up.

GM Bedlam General Hospital, Industrial Drive None of the corpses Dead Head found in the basement freezer were labeled with the name "Delgado". A series of metal cabinets were built into one of the basement walls. A grid of clipboards hanging on an adjacent perpendicular wall corresponded to each drawer. One of them listed a "Roberto Hernandez", with notes stating that he was admitted after having been mauled by a large animal of some kind, and that he'd died from the trauma and blood loss shortly after being admitted, about three days ago. The Delgado Residence, Hardwick Park Little Esteban nodded emphatically at Lady Horus. "Lemmee just get my stuff!" He grabbed a small backpack and started stuffing it with a couple books and stuffed animals. "And my toothbrush!" He sauntered off to the bathroom. "Can the puppy come with us? If Papa gets out of jail and finds us, you guys can beat him up and send him back!" He stared up at Lady Horus, wide-eyed and hopeful. In the hospital basement, Dead Head heard Mutt's voice in his head again, as Mutt relayed the boy's desire that Mutt stay by his side for the rest of the night.

Mister Strix The man in white clouded the minds of everyone around him as he sprinted and bounded across the mixed-use buildings of Hardwick Park, the apartment blocks with businesses in their ground floors, through the single-story track houses of Wolverton, and into the looming darkness of Industrial Drive's ghost town of shuttered mills and foundries. He leaped up to one of the top floors of the hospital, clinging to the outside wall until he spotted the nearest of many broken windows. He dissolved himself into a cloud of mist and floated through the jagged glass and iron bars, re-materializing once inside. One by one, he started checking the charts hanging from the patients' beds in each room and the stretchers lining each hallway, scanning for Ms. Delgado's name. He spent as much time clambering up the walls and across the ceilings as he did on the ground, avoiding the many nurses and orderlies running from room to room.

Mister Strix: 12 Grim Diddle: 4 Woodchuck Man: 27 Fratboys: 20. That's weird. [Other]: 19 Initiative & Conditions Summary Woodchuck Man: 27, Unharmed Fratboys (6): 20, Prone [Other]: 19, Unharmed Dead Head: 16, 2HP, Unharmed Mister Strix: 12, 1HP, Unharmed Grim Diddle: 4, Unharmed Woodchuck Man: Standard Action: He uses Total Defense. With one rank of Improved Defense, he gets +6 to his dodge bonus until his next action. Move Action: None. Fratboys: Standard Action: Four of them attack. Two of them take a swing at Dead Head. Attack rolls: 8, 17. One hits. That would normally be a DC17 Toughness save, but the +2 damage falls well under Dead Head's 10 ranks of Impervious, so he succeeds automatically. Two of them Charge at Grim Diddle. Attack rolls: 20, 4. One hits. Grim Diddle's Toughness save (DC17): 17. He takes no damage. The other two use Full Defense to get +4 to their dodge bonuses. Move Action: None. [Other]: Standard Action: Uses a rank 8 Area Trip attack against Dead Head and the Fratboys. Trip check: 13. Fratboy Reflex saves (DC18): 19. Wow. Fratboy Strength/Dexterity checks (against rank 4, so DC9): 4. The Fratboys all get knocked down. Move Action: Give a new order to the Mind Controlled animals, to change the text. @Dr Archeville : Gimme a DC18 Reflex save for half, and then an opposed Trip check. Dead Head's +7 Strength and +1 Super-Strength, +8 total, is better than his +1 Dex and nonexistent Acrobatics, so he'll make the check at +8 (he can use the shovel to help himself stay upright). The trip check to stay upright is DC13 if he fails the Reflex save, or DC9 if he makes it. Also, gimme a DC25 Notice check.

GM Two of the six fratboys started swinging their improvised clubs more aggressively at Dead Head. "YEAH! We're MAN enough!" One of them even connected, caving in a couple inches of his skull, though Dead Head didn't feel it as anything worse than a tickle. Two others screamed and ran at the glowing blue man, swinging wildly. One swipe of an aluminum baseball bat smacked the side of his head with an audible *THUNK*. His eyes glowed brighter for a moment, and his moans took on a harsher rasp. "ERRRRNNNGGG!" His arms flailed just as wildly in turn. Meanwhile, two of the fratboys in the middle of the pack, lacking their friends fighting spirit, huddled together back-to-back, nervously glancing back and forth at either end of the alley. Suddenly, as the brawl began in earnest, an earthquake struck the alleyway, or at least, it seemed like an earthquake at first. Upon closer inspection, the ground wasn't shaking. Rather, the cement was somehow dividing itself into detached blocks, which then rapidly rose and fell above and below street level, seemingly at random. It was as if the alley had turned into a giant game of Whack-A-Mole beneath their feet.

Octoman "Whoa, hey, The JACK! You're AWESOME! BIG fan." Octoman grabbed one of his own tentacles as he rambled. "The bad guys are like 'NYAH, Gonna do bad stuff!' and you're all swingin' through the window all 'Ha-HA! I think NOT!'" He thrust the tentacle straight ahead. "Then with the FIRE SWORD, all *PEW* *PEW* *POKE* *SLICE*" He waved his tentacle around in a vaguely sword-like manner. "And the bad guys are all like 'AAAHHH I'M ON FIRE NOOO I REGRET MY LIFE CHOICES!'" His arms and tentacles all flailed at the ceiling for a moment. "TIGHT. WOW, so not ONLY is Geckoman the new Raven, but he's Bombshell's baby-daddy AND he's got THE Jack of All Blades doing the babysitting? MAN, he's got life figured OUT! Is that just something all the Interceptors do for each other, watch the kids while you're out doing the hero thing? That's cool and all, have each others backs, but it seems like it'd be a better allocation of resources to just hire an actual babysitter? I mean, I know you guys don't get PAID per se, but your time's still, like, VALUABLE. Oh hey, so Bombshell just said she's gonna get me into Superhero-School! And not just ANY superhero-school, but the SAME one that GECKOMAN went to! Pretty sweet, right? You couldn't ASK for a better teammate, Man, she's just been doin' me one solid after another all day. Patchin' me up like this, couldn't get better hospitality at any five-star hotel, savin' my ass after Dollar-Store Mel Gibson back there made good on his promise to re-pave the street with it, and, like, I know I'm frontin' like I'm all tough and manly, like the heroes in those old movies all 'Pain don't hurt' and 'I ain't got TIME ta BLEED' and stuff, and Bombshell, you did enough poking and prodding while I've been lying here to figure out how I don't exactly have 'bones' anymore, but it still kinda FEELS like I have bones and I broke ALL OF 'EM, so not having to swing myself home was seriously THE BEST, can't thank you enough..."

We should probably do Initiative at this point, since things are getting violent.

GM While Dead Head had gone around, Mister Strix, as he often did, had gone up, and over. Dead Head heard the flock of pigeons perched on the roof overlooking one side of the alley start flapping and squawking as they flew away, and he saw Strix's silhouette replace them against the night sky. "ZOMBIE!" The young men did not appear to be comforted by the sight of Dead Head landing beside them. They kept screaming, as much at each other as at the paranormal creatures surrounding them, which they did not appear to distinguish between. "WEREWOLVES and ZOMBIES! We NEVER shoulda came back here!" "Nut up, wusses! Let's take our streets back from these freaks and get it back!" A couple of them moved to take panicked swings at Dead Head with their wrenches and crowbars. The Woodchuck Man established a pattern where he would move forward a couple steps, then back again, not making any real progress but creating the illusion of advancing on the men. He kept waving his claws around and squeaking and screeching menacingly. The glowing blue man kept floating forward, very slowly but steadily.

Here's an alternate build I'm considering with 10/10 combat traits instead of his current 12/8. Character: Octoman Power Level: 12 (Built as PL10) Tradeoffs: None ABILITIES 24PP Strength: 30/14 (+10/+2), 50/14 Lifting (Heavy Load: 12 tons / 175 lbs.) Dexterity: 30/14 (+10/+2) Constitution: 26/14 (+8/+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 16 (+3) COMBAT 16PP Initiative: +10/-2 (+10/+2 Dex, +4 Enhanced Improved Initiative, -4 Deafened) Attack: +10 Melee (+4 Base, +6 Attack Focus [Melee]), +4 Ranged (+4 Base) Grapple: +34/+12 vs one target, +30/+12 vs multiple targets (+10 Melee Attack, +10/+2 Strength/Dexterity, +4 Additional Limbs, +6 Elongation, +4 Super-Strength) Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: 5/2, 4/1 Flat-Footed ATTACK RANGE SAVING THROW EFFECT Unarmed Touch* DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Mass Tentacles Touch/Area DC20 Reflex Bound (Helpless) Ink Spray Touch +20ft DC20 Reflex Dazzle Olfactory + Visual DC20 Fortitude Recover Venomous Bite Touch DC20 Fortitude (Staged) Slowed/Paralyzed *Up to 250ft with Elongation. SAVING THROWS 10PP Toughness: +10/+4 (+8/+2 Con, +2 Defensive Roll), +8/+2 Flat-Footed Fortitude: +8/+2 (+8/+2 Con, +0PP) Reflex: +12/+4 (+10/+2 Dex, +2PP)Evasion Will: +8 (+0 Wis, +8PP) SKILLS 56R = 14PP Acrobatics 2 (+15/+4) Bluff 15 (+18)Taunt Computers 15 (+18) Disguise 0 (+3, +8 or +48 with Morph) Escape 0 (+16/+2, Automatic with Insubstantial) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 7 (+10) Knowledge (Technology) 2 (+5) Languages 3 (American Sign Language [ASL], English [Native], Hebrew, Spanish) Notice 5 (+12/+5)Deafened Search 2 (+10/+5) Stealth 2 (+15/+4) Swim 3 (+15/+5)Swimming FEATS 21PP Attack Focus (Melee) 6 Chokehold Defensive Roll (+2 Toughness) Dodge Focus 6 Grapple Finesse Luck 3 Online Research Taunt Well-Informed Enhanced: Environmental Adaptation (Underwater) Evasion Improved Initiative POWERS 97PP Concealment 2 (Normal Vision, Flaws: Blending, Passive) [1PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Enhanced Constitution 12 [12PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Redundant Organs, Regeneration, Super-Toughness) Enhanced Dexterity 16 (Feats: Evasion, Improved Initiative) [18PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Agility, Super-Reflexes) Enhanced Skills 20 (Acrobatics 3, Notice 7, Search 5, Stealth 3, Swim 2) [5PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Agility, Super-Reflexes, Super-Senses) Features 2 (Environmental Adaptation [Underwater], Internal Compartment) [2PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Immunity 4 (Environmental 2 [Cold, Pressure], Poison, Suffocation [Underwater]) [4PP] (Descriptors: Gills, Insulated Skin, Internal Network of Fluid Bladders & Siphons, Mutation, No Skeleton, Venom Glands) Morph 1 (+5 Disguise, Any Form) [3PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Octopus Movement 2 (4PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power) [5PP] Base Power: [4PP] Leaping 4 (x25, Running Long Jump: 500ft) [4PP] (Descriptors: Biological Jet Propulsion, Mutation) Alternate Power: [4PP] Swimming 4 (25MPH / 250ft per Move Action, Can Take 10 on Swim checks) [4PP] (Descriptors: Biological Jet Propulsion, Mutation) Octopus Power 16 (32PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 4) [36PP] Base Power: [5 + 3 + 16 + 8 = 32PP] Additional Limbs 4 (+10 Limbs, Extras: Duration [Sustained], Feats: Ambidexterity) [5PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Retractable Tentacles) Elongation 6 (250ft Max Elongation, Elongate 300ft per Move Action, Free action to retract, 60ft Range Increments for elongated melee attacks, Flaws: Limited [Additional Limbs]) [3PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Stretchy Tentacles) Enhanced Strength 16 [16PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Strength) Super-Strength 4 (Lifting Strength: 50, Heavy Load: 12 tons) [8PP] (Descriptors: Mutation) Alternate Power: [26 + 6 = 32PP] Dazzle 10 (Sense Types: Olfactory + Visual, Flaws: Range [Touch], Feats: Extended Reach 4 [25ft], Improved Critical 2 [18-20]) [26PP] (Descriptors: Ink Spray, Mutation) Obscure 3 (Sense Types: Olfactory + Visual, Area: 25ft radius, Extras: Independent, Total Fade [6 rounds], Flaws: Limited [One Sense: Normal Vision], Range [Touch]) [6PP] (Descriptors: Ink Cloud, Mutation) Alternate Power: [6 + 24 = 32PP] Insubstantial 1 (Feats: Subtle) [6PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Morph 8 (9, +45 Disguise, Any Form) [24PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Alternate Power: [32PP] Paralyze 10 (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Secondary Effect, Feats: Improved Critical 2 [18-20]) [32PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Pharyngeal Jaw, Proboscis, Venom) Alternate Power: [32PP] Snare 10 (Extras: Area [Type: Targeted, Shape: Cone], Engulf, Selective, Flaws: Duration [Concentration], Feats: Chokehold, Progression [Area Size] 1 [25ft/rank = 250ft]) [32PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Tentacles) Regeneration 1 (Recovery 1 [+9], Feats: Regrowth) [2PP] (Descriptors: Mutation) Super-Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2 [Full Speed, Not Flat-Footed]) [4PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Suckers) Super-Senses 5 (Acute Tracking Smell/Taste, Danger Sense [Sense Types: Olfactory], Low-Light Vision, Uncanny Dodge [Sense Types: Olfactory]) [5PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Suckers) Abilities (24) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (14) + Feats (21) + Powers (97) - Drawbacks (0) = 182/182 Power Points

Floaty Blue Bald Man looks solid. And the men are definitely reacting to him, at least as much as the Woodchuck Man. The alley is...let's say 50 feet long, 10 feet wide. The Woodchuck Man and Dead Head are at the mouth of the alley on one side. Floaty Blue Bald Man is at the mouth on the other end, moving slowly inward. The fratboys are right in the middle. They seem to want to either attack or flee, but they can't seem to decide which to do, or which direction to do it in.

Dirge: Free Actions: Activate Force Field power. Maintain Flight power. Full Action: Use Perception-range Move Object to "grapple" one of the hoverbikes and "throw" it at the rider of another hoverbike (he won't actually release his "grip" on the bike). The grapple attempt hits automatically, since the Move Object is Perception-range. Grapple check: 33. If he wins that: Attack roll to throw the bike at another rider: 19. If he hits, that's a DC25 Toughness save for both the bike itself and for the rider he's aiming it at.

Dirge The blue-furred sheep-man laughed and shouted at the incoming pirates. "COWARDS! LOWLY SCAVENGERS! YOU THOUGHT THIS WORLD MERELY A RUNT YOU COULD CULL FROM THE HERD! BUT TODAY, YOU FIND NOT EASY PLUNDER, BUT ONLY YOUR DOOM! TODAY, YOU LOCK HORNS WITH THE DIRGE OF THE FRYXUS! THE CARRION BIRDS WILL FEAST UPON YOUR ENTRAILS BEFORE THE SETTING OF THE SUN!" With a thought, the Fryxian was suddenly covered in a flowing, shimmering aurora of alternating red, yellow, green, violet, and blue. He reached out toward the incoming pirates with both his hand and his mind. In a fraction of a second, radio waves emanated from his brain, bounced off the metal in the hoverbikes, and returned, confirming its presence to him. His eyes and his grin, both already wide, grew even wider. Sparks danced along his arm. He clenched his hand into a fist, and jerked it to the side, exerting his will upon one of the bikes so that it would do the same.