RocketLord

GM "Yeah, that was really not my intention." Rita's response was short, as she led Nicole a bit further down the hall, before stopping by a door with the letters "n F" stamped on the door in white paint. Bringing her key up to card reader, Rita quickly entered her code, and then pushed the door open. No automatic door opening here, it seemed. Inside, Nicole would be met with what appeared to be a large glass cage in the middle of the stark white room. It was maybe 3 by 3 by 3 meters in size, and empty, save for what at first sight appeared to be about 20 mice, all lying scattered around in the cage. Of course, they only appeared to be just regular mice at the first look. Metallic bits and pieces protruded from their bodies, which appeared to be patchworks of organic and metallic parts. Some had twisted bodies, barely looking like mice anymore, with extended jaws, spikes sticking out of their bodies, fused limbs and worse.

Justice Wait, Gretchen actually recognized her armor? Robin couldn't suppress the huge grin from her lips. Someone was actually recognizing her! Turning around, not wanting to peek or anything, Robin took the time to reply while Gretchen was getting changed. She... didn't really need to do that herself, but she put on her red domino mask first. Just felt right to have that on. "Pretty much, yeah. I mean, I found this place here, but I made the armors and tools myself." She waited a moment for Gretchen to be changed, before she turned back around, her eyes growing wide. "Wait! You're the Shrike, right?" Being obsessed with super heroes turned out to pay off, at least every once in a while. "You're Grimalkin's partner! I thought you were based in Freedom!" She was almost starting to bounce around, but no, she really shouldn't. She should try and remain professional. Taking a deep breath, Robin shook her head. "I think you look great, honest!" So... she should probably suit up too, right? "Hey, watch this!" Now she was bouncing, hurrying back into the room with the armors and the bike, and stepping out in front of the red armor. This was great! She actually got to show off her suit to another hero! Her belt was on, the Justice Driver was active. "Henshin!" The voice activated tool coming to life, the black undersuit quickly expanded from her belt, coming up to cover her to her neck, then, at almost the same time, the Justice Armor moved from the stand, bits and pieces of it coming around and attaching to the under suit, the helmet being the last part, before the pink powerlines and eye plates lit up, with the red scarf briefly shooting out from her body, before falling down over her shoulder. "What do you think?"

That works. The hostages are deeper in the ship, in what seems to be holding cells. There's some guards there, but they're abandoning their posts as the ship continues to morph and twist.

As per chat: Trying to turn the bad ink into good ink. Give me a power check vs. DC30.

Koschei the Deathless, converted from Emerald City Secrets 3E, as requested by Ari. PP spent above 15PP/PL, but due to conversion. PL12 due to mental powers only, without them significally lower, which is why he is defensively under caps.

Koschei the Deathless Power Level: 12 (197/197PP) Unspent Power Points: 0 Trade-Offs: (Ranged) +2 Attack / -2 DC. Defensively under caps. In Brief: Unstable former Russian spy turned psychic head of the Mafiya. Alternate Identity: Gregor Malakov aka Gregory Malinski (Secret) Birthplace: Russia Residence: Emerald City Base of Operations: Emerald City Occupation: Head of the Malakov Mafiya Affiliations: The Chamber, Malakov Mafiya Family: None Description: Age: 98 (DoB: 1921) Apparent Age: Early 50'es. Gender: Male Ethnicity: East Slavic Height: 6'2'' Weight: 165 lbs. Eyes: Green, formerly pale blue Hair: Silvery grey Typically, while appearing to members of his organization or fellow criminals, Koschei wears a full, concealing hood of dark green, showing only his glowing green eyes, with wrist length leather gloves (to conceal his fingerprints) and a dark, tailor-made suit. In his public identity as “humble importer” Gregory Malinski, he dresses in similarly fine fashion, with his silvery grey hair neatly trimmed. Decades of use of the Viridian Stone have left their mark in his eyes, now permanently a vivid green rather than Malakov’s former pale blue (another useful quirk for concealing his true origins and identity). History: The undisputed head of the syndicate bearing his name for decades, Gregor Malakov long ago traded his humanity for power and would gladly trade whatever remains of it for the promise of a few more years of life. For the ability to live forever, he would sacrifice anything or anyone. A spymaster in USSR during the Cold War, Malakov's ruthless climbing through the ranks afforded him with no shortage of enemies. While he remained untouchable due to his success, a single failure would eventually lead to his downfall. Exposed to scientific experiments intended by his enemies in the KBG to destroy him, they instead unlocked Malakov’s latent psychic potential. Initially, his mental powers were limited, but subtle and persistent, like their master. He used them to extricate himself from a nest of vipers and set himself up as a crime lord in Emerald City. There he acquired the fist-sized chunk of green viridian he keeps close at hand at all times. A failed attempt at creating a Preserver Stone, the Viridian Stone greatly enhanced Malakov's psychic powers. With it, he became “Koschei the Deathless,” fearsome master of the Mafiya. Gregory Malinski’s legitimate business interests serve primarily as a means to launder Mafiya money by investing it in shipping, real estate, warehousing, contracting, and various other businesses. Malakov is careful to keep his criminal connections hidden and does not generally deploy Mafiya resources against his business rivals, although he sometimes indulges in using his powers to his advantage in business negotiations, relishing the advantage—and the reputation as a shrewd businessman—they give him. As a member of the Chamber, Malakov keeps Emerald City in a stranglehold, but despite his enhanced lifespan, his age and constant exposure to the Viridian Stone has begun to take their toll on his sanity. While Koschei the Deathless remains a fearsome figure, and can be as subtle as ever in his manipulations, he has grown increasingly paranoid and erratic. Yet, Koschei remains strong, and so far, none in the Mafiya would dare challenge his leadership. Personality & Motivation: Malakov’s greatest fear is mortality: His viridian stone and mind-over-matter have maintained him in a relatively hale and hearty state. For a man nearing one hundred years old, he seems only in his fifties. Still, age has taken its toll, and Malakov wants to find a way to reverse it and perhaps secure true immortality. He obsessively pursues various methods of life-extension and enhancement, careful not to show his hand, lest his enemies try to exploit any sign of weakness. While his decades long use of the Viridian Stone and age has begun to take its toll on Malakov's mental stability, making him prone to irrational action and paranoia, he is still a ruthless master manipulator. Powers & Tactics: On his own, Malakov posses low level psionic powers, unlocked due to the scientific experiments he was exposed to by the KGB. These abilities are enhanced to a fearsome degree when Koschei wields the Viridian Stone, allowing him to read thoughts and memories, project illusions, and strike foes with powerful mental blasts. He can also exert mental influence over the minds of others, editing their memories (a useful means of concealing his activities). Koschei’s powers make his position as mob-boss almost unassailable, since he knows every disloyal thought and can deal with any plot against him before it happens. The Viridian Stone has also granted Koschei a degree of mind over matter, somatically controlling his body to resist aging and shrug off some harmful effects while healing quickly from any injury. While he is trained and efficient with a large number of weapons, particularly rifles and guns, Koschei prefers to use manipulation and subtle use of his mental powers to defeat his foes. Power Descriptions: Koschei's mental powers are all but impossible to track and recognize. Aside from the Viridian Stone in his hand, and the constant glow of his green eyes, one would never know that Koschei were the source of the mental attack that just felled an ally. Even when he takes direct control of a person, they will fail to recognize that they are even being controlled. Complications: Addiction: Koschei has grown dependent on the power of his Viridian Stone, not only for his psychic power, but for his extended life as well. Motivation—Greed: Koschei is motivated by having the very best in all things and believes living well (and wealthy) is the best revenge. Obsession—Survival: Koschei wants to avoid death at all costs and is obsessed with any means of prolonging his life. Unstable: Koschei's advanced age and repeated use of the Viridian Stone has taken its toll on his psyche. While this generally takes the forms of various rants and threats for even the smallest of slights ("Bethlehem Heights will BURN for blocking my Wi-Fi signal!"), Koschei has been known to act on these threats. Abilities: -2 + 2 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 8 = 22PP Strength: 8 (-1) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 10 + 20 = 28PP Initiative: +3 (+3 Intelligence, Speed of Thought) Attack: +5 Base, +5 Melee, +9 Unarmed (+5 Base, +4 Attack Specialization), +14 Ranged (+5 Base, +9 Attack Focus) Defense: +10 (+10 Base, +0 Dodge Focus), +5 Flat-Footed Grapple: +3 Knockback: -4 Saving Throws: 6 + 9 + 13 = 28PP Toughness: +7 (+2 Con, +2 Defensive Roll, +3 Undercover Vest) Fortitude: +8 (+2 Con, +6) Reflex: +10 (+1 Dex, +9) Will: +15 (+2 Wis, +13) Skills: 160R = 40PP Acrobatics 6 (+7) Bluff 15 (+19) Diplomacy 9 (+13) Drive 6 (+7) Gather Information 12 (+16) Intimidate 12 (+16) Investigation 12 (+15) Language 4 (Czech, English, German, Polish, Native Russian) Notice 12 (+14) Pilot 5 (+6) Profession [Criminal] 15 (+17) Profession [Spy] 15 (+17) Search 12 (+15) Sense Motive 15 (+17) Stealth 6 (+7) Swimming 4 (+3) Feats: 30PP Attack Specialization [Unarmed] 2 Attack Focus [Ranged] 9 Assessment Benefit 2 (Crime Lord) Benefit 3 (Multi-millionaire) Connected Contacts Defensive Attack Defensive Roll 1 Diehard Eidetic Memory Equipment 1 Improvised Weapon Leadership Set-Up Speed of Thought Trance Well-Informed Equipment: 1PP = 5EP Undercover Vest (Protection 3 [Feats: Subtle]) [4EP] Additionally: Access to most guns and explosives listed in the rulebook Powers: 21 + 21 + 6 = 48PP Device 7 ("Viridian Stone"; 35PP Container; Flaws: Easy-To-Lose) [21PP] (Cosmic, Preserver Stone) Enhanced Psychic Powers Array 16 (32PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 3) [35PP] (Note: All stack with same powers in Psychic Power Arrays) (Psionic) BP: Mind Control 9 ("Enhanced Mental Influence"; Extras: Conscious; Feats: Mental Link) {28/32} AP: Blast 8 ("Enhanced Mental Blast"; Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Range [Perception]) {32/32} AP: Illusion 6 ("Enhanced Mental Illusion"; Options: All Senses; Extras: Duration [Sustained], Selective; Flaws: Phantasms; Feats: Progression [Area] 2) {32/32} AP: Mind Reading 8 ("Enhanced Mind Probe") [8PP] 1PP/rank + Mental Communication 9 ("Enhanced Telepathy") [18PP] {26/32} Psychic Powers Array 9 (18PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 3) [21PP] (Mutation, Psionic) BP: Mind Control 3 ("Mental Influence"; Extras: Conscious; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Insidious, Subtle 2) {12/18} AP: Blast 4 ("Mental Blast"; Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Range [Perception]; Feats: Subtle 2) {18/18} AP: Illusion 3 ("Mental Illusion"; Options: All Senses; Extras: Duration [Sustained], Selective; Flaws: Phantasms; Feats: Progression [Area] 3) {18/18} AP: Mind Reading 4 ("Mind Probe"; Feats: Subtle 2) [6PP] + Mental Communication 3 ("Telepathy"; Feats: Subtle 2) [8PP] {14/18} Somatic Healing 3 (6PP Container ) [6PP] (Cosmic Mutation, Psionic) Immunity 4 (Options: Aging, Disease, Poison, Radiation) [4PP] Regeneration 2 (Options: Recovery Bonus 2) [2PP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block Name Range Save Effect Attack bonus Unarmed Touch DC14 Tou (staged) Damage +8 Mental Influence Perception DC13 Will (staged) Mind Controlled N/A Enh. Mental Influence Perception DC22 Will (staged) Mind Controlled N/A Mental Blast Perception DC19 Will (staged) Damage N/A Enh. Mental Blast Perception DC27 Will (staged) Damage N/A Mental Illusion Perception DC13 Will (staged) Tricked by Illusion N/A Enh. Mental Illusion Perception DC19 Will (staged) Tricked by Illusion N/A Totals: Abilities (22) + Combat (30) + Saving Throws (28) + Skills (40) + Feats (30) + Powers (48) - Drawbacks (0) = 198/198 Power Points

Birth of Justice Robin smiled, standing in the back alleys of Betlehem Heights. This wasn't the first time she had put on her costume, or held the Justice Buster in her hand, but it was the first time she had actively gone looking for trouble like this. No one was around but her, and she found her mind drifting, remembering the question she had asked that had eventually led her down this path. --- "What's that?" Lucas Jr., Robin's brother, had been watching television. Some kind of show about heroes in bright suits that saved the day from giant monsters by piloting giant robots that combined into even bigger robots. They were heroic, they were awesome, and Robin had been hooked from the start. There was just something about the bright colors and the robots. Together with Lucas Jr., she had followed the TV show for years, the interest eventually growing to the original versions of the show from Japan. At the same time, Robin had started to notice the real, actual super heroes of the world. The Atom Family, the Freedom League, the Interceptors, and so many more. They were big, they were exciting, they were larger than life. They fought to protect everyone, and yet, Emerald City had no such thing. No heroes, not villains. Every time she looked to the sky, Robin was disappointed. --- She wasn't alone anymore. Robin could hear the trouble from up ahead, shouting and angry yells. Setting into a run, she found a store owner swinging a broom around, trying to keep three guys from getting in. Not really big time super heroics or anything like that, but if she could help, then she was gonna. That was the whole reason she decided to do this, after all. --- "Then why don't you become a hero?" Grandma Dottie's words might just have been a joke. A little encouragement for her favorite grandchild, a game for her to play, but at ten years old, Robin took it to heart, and decided on the path her life would take. If Emerald City didn't have any heroes, then she would become one herself. Only, what kind of hero? She couldn't fly, she wasn't that strong. No super powers at all, and honestly, it was not like she could just walk up to someone and demand an accident that could grant her powers. Sure, that sort of thing happened, but it wasn't something she could count on. Still, Robin had her advantages. She was quick and agile, at least. She started taking gymnastics classes. Began pushing herself, becoming better. Started competing. She had a good aim. Robin knew she could use that, become better. Started tagging along with her father to the firing range, started to try and actively groom it. That was some of the skills, but she needed tools, too. But what kind? At least Robin had one other advantage. She was smart. Really smart. She would make her own tools, somehow. If Emerald City had no heroes, then she would build one. As with many other things, inspiration came from the Japanese shows that had created the interest in the first place. Not from the one with the giant robots, but from the one with the lone riders that donned armors to defend the innocent. --- Two of the three guys had pulled out guns, because of course they had guns. Robin had plans for some better armor for the suit, something that could easily take hits like that, but so far, it was just that. Plans. The suit could appear quickly, just like in the show. It boosted her a bit, faster and stronger, but that was about it. Sure, she had plans. A powered up kick with some miniature engines, if she could figure it out. Different armors, for different situations. Maybe an utility belt. Still, for now she had the armor, and it wouldn't block bullets, so Robin dodged, flipping and spinning out of the way. She still had one big advantage here, at least. The Justice Buster. It was loud, it was powerful, and with one shot, one of the men were sent flying and were left on the ground, completely unconscious. The next one with the gun soon followed. --- "Looks like you're not the only wannabe hero out there." Grandma Dottie had called out, when Robin had spent an evening having dinner at her home. There had been a new hero in Emerald City. An actual super hero, swinging through the streets: The Emerald Spider. She was amazing, and she was using an armor, just like Robin was planning. It was inspiring, to say the least, and Robin was an instant fan. Who needed to be the first, anyway? Robin would get there in due time. She had her studies. She was working hard, spending as much time sketching designs and plans as she was spending actually studying. At least, once she started working on her Ph.d., she would have more time to actually put her plans into motion. --- The third guy came at Robin with a knife. She flipped out of the way, trying to put some distance between them. She really needed to get some close range weapon. Using the gun up close like this weren't her best choice. She shouted something at the guy, and he swung her knife, catching her arm. The armor took some of it, but it really wasn't built for blocking a knife yet, and it stung, even if it didn't pierce her skin. A quick kick to the guts made him double over, then she punched him. Some distance between them, and the Justice Buster did the rest of the work. It hadn't been easy, but she could still give the store owner a thumbs up before running off into the night for the next trouble. She had been dreaming of this for so long. It was the best feeling ever. --- "Finally!" Robin admired her work, laid out on the table before her. A slightly large and heavy belt, maybe, but it had been years of work. It was just the first prototype, but it worked. An expanding armor, that could appear pretty much instantly. Just like in those shows. Next to it, an oversized gun. It was probably not all the way legal, and it could seriously hurt someone if used wrong, but it wasn't lethal, or at least not meant. The Emerald Spider was still out there, and other heroes had started showing up, too. She wanted to join them. She couldn't wait. She couldn't wait. Now all she needed was a name.

Second Shot: Origin Vignette 20 Questions HellQ Guidebook Page Reputation Theme Music

Alright, giving it a go, then! Not much left for what I've got planned, at any rate. So, avoiding taking damage from the ship shifting. I'm treating it as an area effect. DC25 TOU saves, with a DC20 Reflex Save to halve that to a DC20 TOU save. This will be an ongoing effect while you stay inside the ship. You have the option of escaping through the opening holes, or of course whatever else you can think of.

GM Almost as soon as the squid had flashed in color, telling Aquaria about their leader, the entire structure began to shake. Everything started to shift and turn around them, like the entire space ship were starting to change shape. Everything was moving, with openings beginning to appear around them as the ship shifted, at least it presented openings that they could escape from, if that was their choice. The squids still near them started to scatter, moving parts and pieces of the ship quickly blocking the group from pursuing, unless they started trying to tear the ship apart from the inside, at least. Of course, that would just open them up for further attempts by the ship to smash them.

Right, doing that, then. No more boom.

She? Wait, wait. Jones was here because of Anna. Could she be the one that had set these bombs up? And maybe she had made Jones' armor, too? He honestly didn't seem smart enough to have made it himself. But, this was not good. He was starting to catch on... or rather, he had caught fully on. Yeah, of course she was stalling. It had taken him long enough to figure it out. The data transfer had to be done by now. She tried to steal a look at the screen again. Stealing data from bad guys? Alright. But this bomb? No, she wasn't about to set it to go off before she knew exactly what it did and how much it would take out. "Yeah, but set right for what?" She didn't respond to the stalling comment. No, better not to. "How do you know you're not just being used, and this bomb is set to take you out with it? Easy way to hide their tracks."

@Supercape Any luck with disabling the device?

GM "Some do, some don't. Honestly, we're all just people, even if we are creating the future." Rita was impatiently tapping her foot as the elevator took its sweet time arriving. "Guy's the most outspoken, of course." She failed at suppressing a small grin. "He probably jumped at the chance. To be honest, he's been angling for my position for years." The elevator arrived, and Rita entered, flashing her keycard and entering a code. Once Nicole was inside, she would press a button leading to one of the subfloors. "Still, even if Guy is an obnoxious jerk, what he wants is progress. Can't really blame him for that." The elevator seemed to take forever to progress get to their location. Rita stayed silent, but would reply to any questions Nicole asked, before they reached the floor. The elevator door opened, revealing a long hallway. It led at least 100 meters in one direction, where it split to the left and right. Each side of the hallway had heavy, armored doors, though with windows at eye height for anyone to look in. Rita started walking down the hallway, clearly starting to seem uncomfortable. "Are you completely sure about this? We can always just tell Guy that you saw it."

Not sure exactly what you mean, but there is the ink dripping from the books at the table, which Strix called out to inform the rest of. That, and the still standing cultist, is the only so far unhandled things in the fight. Of course, you don't know exactly what they were doing yet. Let me know if you need more info.

@TheAbsurdist: A very slight change I just remembered to make: Clarified that the ATK/DC trade off is for ranged attacks only.

I've updated the Benefit feat with the mechanical benefit. Put the description in for what Eagle Eyes does, as it can be a pain to look that feat up from personal experience. Expanded the description for the Concealment power under Power Descriptions. And got it with the equipment. Might make it into a device at some point, but this should be fine for now.

GM Tricia appeared utterly shocked. "What exactly are you implying?" Her tone changed, the panic from before replaced with nothing ice. She seemed to glare daggers at the captain, as she grossed her arms. As it was, she was in a dress. And one that did not have any pockets. But she had her handbag, hanging off one shoulder, and she slowly reached for it, while keeping her eyes on the captain. "Are you even a hero? Taking the bad guys' side all of a sudden? What exactly do you think you will in my pockets, Mr. Hero? I hosted this entire thing to help people, and now you believe those lowlives?" The gunman piped up, shouting from behind the good captain. "Just take her bag already!"

Pan greeted just about anyone that would look his way on the way in. Some times in English, some times, at least to the subject of his greeting, in their own language. He was all smiles still, as they reached the table and were seated. "Cosy," Pan commented, before turning to the menu. And Prudence was checking up on them? Of course she was. Pan had seen her more than a few times around Veronica, after all, and that woman did seem to have a stick stuck in a certain place. "Is she worried we will be late already?" His question was of course directed at Veronica, though his eyes were firmly on the menu, trying to figure out what he wanted. Maybe the chicken roti? It sounded delicious, at least.

GM Ronin's attack came rushing past his allies, towards the only cultist still standing. He was fast, and the cultist was already Mr. Strix and Lady Horus. The kick hit home, directly to her face, but she only smiled and gave a light laugh, while muttering something: "The master protects me still." She was only barely audible. So far, she'd avoided or shrugged off whatever they had thrown at her, despite having had little luck hurting the heroes herself.

31 - Ronin - Uninjured - 2HP 24 - Lady Horus - Uninjured - 0HP 24 - Wadjet - Uninjured 24 - Cultist 1 (Illusion Creator) - Uninjured 21 - Cultist 2 (Big Brute) - Unconscious 12 - Mr. Strix - Shaken - 0HP - Defense -2 till next turn 10 - Cultist 3 (Shadow) - Unconscious 7 - Dr. Thorne - Uninjured - 2HP Current situation around the room: The Cultist 2 (the big cultist) is knocked out in the doorway, with Liam next to it. Cultist 3 (the Shadow cultist) is on the floor. Wadjet is in the hallway, next to the big cultist, learning that he's knife proof. Liam is in the room behind Cultist 2. Cultist 1 has retreated to the corner the furthest away from the door, with Strix, Ronin and Lady Horus in front of her, Strix and Ronin being in melee range. Ink is dripping from the books on the table.

Let's go with you making a move action to reach her through the room and past the others. That's a hit. TOU save: 20 Sorry, but she tanks it. @Avenger Assembled, you're up.

@TheAbsurdist: sorry, forgot about the repair action. Smaller dome has been accounted for. Still need a TOU save for the dome for the last shot, and you'll move the ship with little resistance for now, so give me an IC.

Hey Sim, welcome to the site. A thing I spotted about the new ranged attack, it breaks this house rule from the Abilities page: So for +6 attack, you'd need 2 of that to be from Base Attack bonus. On that note, unless you're doing trade offs, which you don't seem to be, its best to try and hit PL limits, so the total attack bonus and DC for your skill is PLx2, except of course for Perception range skills which can at max be PL. Also, a ref might have to correct me here, but I think the Rank 15 Fearsome Presence feat breaks PL limits, since it would be a Rank 15 Perception effect.

GM The man gave pause as the flying girl appeared from out of the blue, flying down to stand in front of him. She was smaller than him, sure, but she had been flying, and that alone seemed to give him pause. Still, aside from staring at her from behind his sunglasses. "Ms. Bright, huh?" The man asked. His voice was deep, with a very slight Southern accent. "What makes you the protector of these people?" He was clenching his fist. His posture shifted ever so slightly, readying himself for a brawl, following Ms. Bright's threat, but his voice, if somewhat stern, did not sound like he meant to antagonize her. "I'm here to save all these people, of course."