Heritage

January 13th, 2010 8:03 pm (Continued from Interceptors: Liquid Therapy) Morena Colby was banging around her small kitchen, chopping up veggies and mixing up a batch of her famous spinich dip; away from work, she was barely recognizable in baggy cargo pants and a faded Phish tour shirt, her shoulder-length hair in a simple blue headband. She finished the dip, took a swig from her Corona, then yelled back over her shoulder into living room, where a TV blasted loudly. "Ma, I'm gonna have some people coming over, so I'm gonna be downstairs! I set the TiVo up to record Top Model!" There was no response, so she headed down into the basement, carrying the tray of snacks downstairs with her beer clutched in her free fingers. Her father had alwasy wanted to finish the basement, but he was killed before he ever had the chance. There was a full bar and half the walls were panelled, but then the panelling just stopped. It made her a little sad whenever she came down here, but it also reminded her of how important her work was for the force. Colby set the tray on the bar, hopped up on a stool and nursed her beer, waiting for her guests to arrive... Still wearing her civvy clothes, Lynn gave the house a quick once-over from across the street in the shadows: decent-sized, maybe a three-flat, on a quiet street in a working class neighborhood. "Okay, there is is; she said to head to the back door and ring the bell." She turned expectantly to her fellow teammates.

To hit Spider-Leg: 1d20+10=13 Hmm, might not have got 'em.

Well that was far more effective than I thought it would be! Must remember that trick in the future. Happy with her success, she hoped to make equally quick work of the remaining would-be thief. She slipped out her cellphone and speed-dialed ASTRO Labs as she formed a thick tentacle and started it whirling over head. "Gentlemen, if you could contact the police and let them know there are six unconcious miscreants passed out behind the Supers Museum; I'll leave them in a neat pile." Then the whip lashed out at the back of the fleeing minion.

Lynn shrugged, apparently unaware of the detective's reputation. "Yeah, I guess so. She seems cool." The tiny one sighed and raised her glass. "Fine, I'll toast already! So we just walk up to her door and knock; that's fine by me. I guess I shouldn't have been so flippant, 'cause what I really meant is will 'Erik' here be wearing a mask?"

Gossamer: 1d20+3=6 Hooray.

Lynn held up a finger as she raised her glass to her lips. "Hey, I'm all for letting the good times roll, but I do have one quick question first: how do we head over to Colby's place tomorrow? Based on chit-chat around the precinct, she lives in a house in the West End. So do we roar up on our space bikes or what?"

D'oh, I didn't fully edit Grim's sheet! [b][u]Saving Throws[/u][/b] [17PP] [b]Abilities 40 + Combat 24 + Saving Throws 17 + Skills 27 + Feats 44 + Powers 51- Drawbacks 8 = 195/195 Power Points[/b] DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN

I posted that query before I knew she was ill; get well soon, Alder!

This does indeed look super-cool; I really love this trend of non-action movie directors who are secretly nerds making action movies, because they care enough to get the details right. And yeah, that suitcase armor is so damn sick! 8-)

Okay, major character edit for Grim, mostly on Colby's sheet; the changes are as follows: For Grim, not too much; I bumped her Fort save up by two and bought 2 more ranks of Sidekick. For Colby, a few things: 1. Some tweaks to the fluff, mostly about her home, her magic glasses and her studying overseas. 2. Several skills boosted: Drive, Kn: Current Events and Kn: Streetwise (all +2), added four languages she used as part of her studies, and Survival and Swim both +1 3. New sparkly magic glasses, listed under Powers 4. 10 ep in the form of her home, where she does all her magic stuff: mystical Library, sacred space (Lab) and studio (Workshop). DONE BY AA [img=http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k240/Heritage367/024ydmedcrop.jpg] [b]Character Name:[/b] Grimalkin [b]Power Level:[/b] 13 (195/195pp) [b]Tradeoffs:[/b] None [b]Unspent PP:[/b] 0 [b]Total Ps Earned:[/b] 67 (90 -> 122, then Gold bump w/ 10 rollover, +35 more) [b]Alternate Identity:[/b] Lynn Epstein [b]Height:[/b] 5'3" [b]Weight:[/b] 116 lb [b]Hair:[/b] Brown, worn short and a bit spiky [b]Eyes:[/b] Dark brown [b]Description:[/b] A pretty young slip of a girl, Lynn typically wears ragged jeans, T-shirt, tennis shoes and a hooded sweatshirt during the day, but is wrapped in skintight leather of black and midnight blue, complete with domino mask, when she prowls the dirty streets at night. [b]History:[/b] A young runaway from Atlantic City, Lynn Epstein turned to a life of panhandling and petty crime to survive; three years ago it became too much, and she crawled into a dark alley on a chill winter night to die, but instead awoke the next day transformed! For many months she used her powers selfishly, living the high life and swindling ‘suckers’, until one night she saw a young streetwalker attacked; the FCPD’s profound indifference to the crime appalled her, and she swore that night to use her powers to help those the Powers That Be would not help. Like a trickster goddess with a vengeful streak, her personal brand of justice might seem somewhat capricious, but she would never willfully take a human life. [b]Personality & Motivation:[/b] Being that she's a shapeshifter, it's perhaps not surprising that Lynn is rather hard to pin down; she lives very much in the 'now', making few great plans and doing her best not to dwell on the past. Her emotions are intensely felt, and she can switch from playful to angry to sad almost in the same sentence. Lynn also finds comfort in the little things, everyday wonders like bike rides in the park, ice cream of nearly any flavor, and lazy afternoons spent lying in the grass; she never seems to have enough of the simple pleasures, which makes her cherish them all the more. As a crimefighter, Grim is driven by many things: the desire to see a wasted life blossom once more, an end to cruelty, injustice and indifference, and a strong personal desire to constantly improve her technique. She likes teaming up with other heroes to see how she measures up and maybe pinch a trick or two, but she is frequently very self-critical of her own performance, to the point of downplaying her many successes. However, she’s still quite young and her confidence continues to grow. [b]Powers & Tactics:[/b] Grimalkin's powers come from her faerie nature; some of them are innate, such as her keen senses and high tolerance to cold, but many of them come from her ability to manipulate glamour, the very essence of the fey. Seeing as her body is now wholly composed of glamour, she can alter it in a number of ways, such as completely changing her appearance, making herself nearly undetectable, or eluding capture. She can also create various objects seemingly out of thin air (actually ambient glamour), which she uses as props, furniture or just her own amusement. In combat, Grim prefers the stealthy strike to take better advantage of her razor-sharp claws; when forced into a 'fair fight', she uses her wits and charm to befuddle her foes to level the playing field. [b]Complications:[/b] Prejudice (the Wealthy) [u][b]Abilities[/b][/u] [40PP] Strength 16 (+3) Dexterity 26 (+8) Constitution 18 (+4) Intelligence 12 (+1) Wisdom 12 (+1) Charisma 30/16 (+10/+3) [u][b]Combat[/b][/u] [24PP] Initiative +12 Attack +6 Base, +10 Melee, +12 Claws Defense +12 (+6 Base, +6 Dodge Focus], +3 Flat-Footed Damage +3 Unarmed (+5 Sneak Attack), +6 Claws (+8 Sneak Attack) Grapple +18 Knockback 4, 2 Flat-Footed [u][b]Saving Throws[/b][/u] [15PP] Toughness +8, +4 Flat-Footed Fortitude +10 (+4 CON, 6PP) Reflex +12 (+8 DEX, 4PP) Will +8 (+1 WIS, 7PP) [u][b]Skills[/b][/u] [27PP = 108 Ranks] Acrobat 15 (+23) (Skill Mastery) Bluff 15 (+25/+18) (Skill Mastery) Climb 7 (+15) Diplomacy 2 (+12/+5) Disguise 0 (+3, +38 Morph) Gather Information 2 (+12/+5) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Streetwise) 9 (+10) Notice 14 (+15) Search 14 (+15) Sleight of Hand 7 (+15) (Skill Mastery) Stealth 15 (+23) (Skill Mastery) [u][b]Feats[/b][/u] [42PP] Acrobatic Bluff Agile Climber Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Attack Specialization (Claws) Connected Contacts Defensive Attack Defensive Roll 4 Distract (Bluff) Dodge Focus 6 Elusive Target Equipment 2 Evasion Grapple Finesse Improved Initiative Move-By Action Luck 2 Power Attack Setup Sidekick 21 (15 Platinum Reward, 6 purchased) Skill Mastery (Acrobat, Bluff, Sleight of Hand, Stealth) Sneak Attack Takedown Attack 2 Taunt Uncanny Dodge (Audio) [u][b]Powers[/b][/u] [51PP] [b]Comprehend 2[/b] (Languages: Understand all, Languages: Speak any one at a time) [4PP] [b]Immunity 2 ([/b]Aging, Cold[b])[/b] [2PP] [b]Glamour 7 ([/b]14PP Array, [i]Feats:[/i] Alternate Power 5[b])[/b] [19PP] [quote][b][u]Base Power:[/u] Morph 7 ([/b]Any Humanoid, +35 Disguise[b])[/b] [b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Concealment 6 ([/b]All Visual and Audio Senses, [i]Feats:[/i] Close Range, Selective, [i]Extras:[/i] Affects Others, Flaws: Blending[b])[/b] [b][u]Alternate Power[/u]: Elongation 5 ([/b]100ft[b]) + Insubstantial 1 ([/b]Liquid[b]) + Super-Movement 2 ([/b]Slithering, Water-Walking[b])[/b] [b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Emotion Control 12 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Area, [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [Fear], Sense-Dependent [Vision][b])[/b] (2pp available) [b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Enhanced Charisma 14[/b] [14PP] [b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Flight 2 ([/b]25mph, [i]Drawbacks:[/i] Power Loss [Wings][b]) + Shrinking 8 ([/b]Tiny, [i]Feats:[/i] Normal Movement, Normal Strength, Normal Toughness[b])[/b] [14PP][/quote] [b]Leaping 2 ([/b]x5[b])[/b] [2PP] [b]Morph 2[/b] (Glamour) [4pp] [b]Strike 3 ([/b]Claws, [i]Feats:[/i] Alternate Power, Improved Critical 2, Incurable, Mighty[b])[/b] [8PP] [quote][b][u]Alternate Power:[/u] Create Object 3 ([/b][i]Feats:[/i] Precise, Subtle, [i]Extras:[/i] Duration [Continuous], [i]Flaws:[/i] Range [Touch][b]; [i]Drawbacks:[/i] Power loss: Contact with cold Iron)[/b] [7PP][/quote] [b]Super-Movement 2 ([/b]Slow Fall, Wall-Crawling[b])[/b] [4PP] [b]Super-Senses 8 ([/b]Normal Hearing [[i]Extras:[/i] Accurate 2, Extended], Normal Olfactory [[i]Extras:[/i] Acute, Extended, Tracking], Normal Vision [[i]Extras:[/i] Counters Obscure 2 {"Darkness"}][b])[/b] [8PP] [u][b]Drawbacks[/b][/u] [-8PP] [b]Vulnerability ([/b]Iron, [i]Frequency:[/i] Uncommon, [i]Intensity:[/i] Major [+50% DC][b])[/b] [-2PP] [b]Weakness ([/b]Iron, [i]Frequency:[/i] Common, [i]Intensity:[/i] Moderate, -1 CON / minute [10 rounds][b])[/b] [-6PP] DC Block Unarmed -- DC 20/Toughness (22 w/ Sneak Attack) -- Damage Claws -- DC 23/Toughness (25 w/ Sneak Attack) -- Damage [b]Abilities 40 + Combat 24 + Saving Throws 15 + Skills 27 + Feats 42 + Powers 51- Drawbacks 8 = 191/195 Power Points[/b] [u][b]Equipment[/b][/u] [quote name="Equipment"][i]Shared Equipment - Contributing 4ep[/i] [b][u]Interceptors HQ[/u][/b]: [21ep] [i]Size:[/i] Large; [i]Toughness:[/i] 10; [i]Features:[/i] Combat Simulator, Communications, Computer, Concealed 2, Defense System, Fire Prevention, Garage, Gym, Living Space, Holding Cells, Infirmary, Power 2, Power System, Security System 2, Workshop [b][u]Defense System 1:[/u][/b] [b]Snare 10[/b] [b][u]Power 1:[/u][/b] [b]Healing 9[/b] ([i]PFs:[/i] Persistent, Regrowth) [20pp] [b][u]Power 2:[/u][/b] [b]ESP 6[/b] ([i]Visual, 20 mile range [all of Freedom City][/i]; [i]Extra:[/i] No Conduit; [i]Flaw:[/i] Medium – Surveillance equipment; PFs: Subtle, Rapid) [14pp] AND [b]Quickness 9[/b] ([i]Flaws:[/i] Limited to Search) [3pp] AND [b]Quickness 9[/b] ([i]Flaws:[/i] Limited to Notice) [3pp] [b][u]MAVERIC[/u][/b] (Mobile Armored Vehicle for Emergency Response and Intercepting Criminals): [13ep] [b]Size[/b]: Huge [2ep] [b]Strength[/b]: 35 [1ep] [b]Speed[/b]: 5 [5ep] [b]Toughness[/b]: 10 [1ep] [b]Defense[/b]: 8 [0ep] [b]Features[/b]: 4 [4ep] Features: Alarm, Caltrops, Remote Control, Smokescreen [/quote] [quote][b][u]Sidekick:[/u][/b] [img=http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k240/Heritage367/ltcolbycrop.jpg] [b]Character Name:[/b] Det. Morena Colby [b]Power Level:[/b] 6 (105 pps) [b]Unspent PPs:[/b] 0 [b]Height:[/b] 5' 6" [b]Weight:[/b] 128 lbs. [b]Hair:[/b] Light Brown [b]Eyes[/b]: Brown [b]Description:[/b] An attractive young woman in her early thirties, Morena dresses fairly conservatively on the job in jacket, slacks and sensible shoes, but she does her best to look stylish within the limits of her budget. She usually wears one or two pieces of jewelry of her own design, typically a necklace and bracelet in a naturalistic design. She carries a light shoulder bag for both her forensic tools and materials for spell-casting, such as chalk, clay and various herbs. Off duty, she indulges her passion for tie-dye t-shirts, baggy cargo pants and sandals, switching to clunky boots in cooler weather, with her hair worn up in haphazard fashion if she's working on an art project. [b]History:[/b] The Colbys are a police dynasty in Freedom City, a proud tradition that Morena resisted for many years; brought up in a working-class Lutheran family, she found herself yearning for a more passionate spiritual experience, and devoured books on other countries and cultures from a very young age. Against her parents' wishes, she left home to attend Freedom College, eventually earning a Masters degree in Anthropology and Comparative Religion; while in school, she also became very interested in indigenous art from around the world, as well as West African drumming. Ultimately she remained a (partially lapsed) Lutheran, but she feels her explorations of world culture have filled a hole in heart that the faith of parents was never able to do. She also experimented with transcendental mediation (and truth be told, a few hallucinogens), and has gotten quite good at self-inducing a trance. She also spent a year studying overseas in Benin, Ghana and Nigeria. However, tragedy soon led her life down a different path; shortly after she finished school, Morena's father, a long-serving officer on the Southside, was kidnapped and ritualistically murdered by a drug-dealing cult linked to the Mayombe. Her knowledge of the cult and its symbols allowed her to help the police find him, but not in time to save his life. Deciding to apply her passion to the family tradition of service, Morena enrolled in the police academy two weeks later, and she rose swiftly through the ranks until she finally made detective. [b]Personality & Motivation:[/b] Morena has developed many interests to help her cope with the stresses of police work. In her off-hours, she likes to work in her studio, which fills half of the garage behind the West End bungalow that’s been in the family for years. She prefers sculpture and pottery, and several of her pieces can be seen on display in galleries in Riverside and the Theatre District. She also teaches art to children at a local community center on weekends (as well as meditation classes for their parents), and still drums with a percussion group based on the Freedom College campus once a month, playing one of her several [i]djembes[/i]. And at least twice a year, she goes with friends on a week-long backpacking trip, typically to Upstate New York or the Carolinas. Colby understands that in a city like Freedom, crime is not just limited to murder and robbery; far worse things go on at night, [i]unspeakable[/i] things, and she's one of the few detectives willing to work in the unglamorous Supernatural Crimes Unit. Sometimes the weight of that responsibility is almost too much for her, but she still snaps up her cellphone and gets dressed any time of day or night when the weirdness hits the fan. She has recently made the acquaintance of the mysterious vigilante Grimalkin, and has struck up an unlikely friendship with the diminutive shapeshifter. The detective recently used the black plastic frames for a pair of her father’s old glasses to make a special fetish to aid her during investigations; wearing the frames allows the wearer to detect and analyze a wide variety of mystical phenomena, but the intense focus required and the bizarre clashes of color which indicate magical effects make them hard to wear for long periods of time. She uses the semi-finished basement of her home as her ritual space, working mystical enchantments while doing loads of wash. [b][u]Stats[/u]:[/b] [20] Strength: 12 (+1) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 14(+2) [b][u]Combat[/u]:[/b] [14] Attack: +4 (+6 Pistol, +6 Shotgun) Grapple: +5 Defense: +5 (+1 flat-footed) Knockback: -3 (-2 flat-footed) Initiative: +2 [b][u]Saves[/u]:[/b] [12] Toughness: +6, +4 flat-footed Fortitude: +5 (+1 Con, +4) Reflex: +6 (+2, +4) Will: +5 (+1 Wis, +4) [b][u]Skills[/u]:[/b] [104r = 26] Bluff 3 (+5) Concentration 3 (+4) Craft (Artistic) 7 (+10) Diplomacy 4 (+6) Drive 4 (+6) Gather Information 6 (+8) Intimidate 4 (+6) Investigate 6 (+9) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 7 (+10) Knowledge (Art) 3 (+6) Knowledge (Civics) 5 (+8) Knowledge (Current Events) 5 (+8) Knowledge (Streetwise) 6 (+9) Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 6 (+9) Language 6 (English [native], Ewe, Fon, French, Hausa, Pulaar, Yoruba) Medicine 1 (+2) Notice 6 (+7) Perform (Percussion Instruments) 2 (+4) Profession (Police Officer) 6 (+7) Search 6 (+9) Sense Motive 6 (+7) Survival 2 (+3) Swim 2 (+3) [b][u]Feats[/u]:[/b] [28] Attack Specialization 1 (pistol) Artificer Benefit 1 (Security Clearance) Contacts Defensive Roll 2 Dodge Focus 2 Equipment 12 Luck 2 Precise Shot 2 Quick Draw 2 Skill Mastery [Craft (Artistic), Gather Information, Knowledge (Arcane Lore), Search] Trance [u][b]Powers[/b][/u] [5PP] [b]Device 1 ([/b]5PP, Hard-To-Lose[b])[/b] [4PP] [quote][b]Super-Senses 6 ([/b]Detect Magic [Visual, [i]Extras:[/i] Analytical, Counters Illusion 2, Extended, Tracking, [i]Flaws:[/i] Distracting][b])[/b] [5PP][/quote] [b][u]Equipment[/u]:[/b] [60ep] Binoculars [1ep] Cell phone [1ep] Digital Audio Recorder [1ep] Flashlight [1ep] Handcuffs [1ep] Heavy Pistol (Blast 4) [8ep] Knife (Strike 1, Mighty, Improved Critical) [4ep] Laptop [1ep] Pepper Spray (Dazzle 5, Stun 5) [15ep] Shotgun (Blast 6/Blast 5, Accurate) [11ep] Tonfa (Strike 1, Mighty) [2ep] Undercover vest (Protection 3, Subtle) [4ep] [quote][u][b]Colby’s Home[/b][/u]: [10ep] Size: Small; Toughness: 5; Features: Communications, Computer, Garage, Gym, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Pool, Security System, Workshop[/quote] [u][b]DC Block[/b][/u] Unarmed -- DC 16/Toughness -- Damage Heavy Pistol -- DC 19/Toughness -- Damage Knife -- DC 17/Toughness -- Damage Pepper Spray -- DC 15/Reflex, DC 15/Fortitude -- Dazzle, Stun Shotgun -- DC 20(21)/Toughness -- Damage Tonfa -- DC 17/Toughness -- Damage [b][u]Costs[/u]:[/b] Abilities (20) + Combat (14) + Saves (12) + Skills (26) + Feats (28) + Powers (5) = TC (105/105)[/quote]

January 22nd, 10:05 AM, FCU Memorial Burn Unit It was her third day in the hospital, and Colby was ready to bust out of the joint; she was bored as hell, her bed was far from comfortable and the food was tasteless and oddly-colored. The detective idly nibbled the bandages on her right hand, which was itching like crazy again. It was maddening; if they'd just let her go home, she could put together a healing totem that would do more to heal her burns than all the gauze and Neosporin in the world. Though to be honest, it would be difficult to work with the necessary ingredients with her hands all messed up. All in all, she was lucky; her attempt to drag poor Kolanski out of the car left her with third-degree burns on her hands and second degree burns on thirty percent of her body, plus major blistering on her face and a lot of singed hair. It was futile, of course; the coroner said he was killed instantly, and for what it was worth felt little pain, spared the horror of burning alive. Colby shuddered at the thought of such a terrible death, and was thankful the veteran cop didn't suffer. And Grimalkin, God bless her, caught the bad guy; in a second, she'd seen Kolanski was gone, and in fact begged Colby not to try and save him, but she didn't understand, she wasn't a cop. But once that damn pixie girl realized there was no swaying her, Grimalkin was out the door, up the side of the building and in hot pursuit of the perp, bringing him to ground three rooftops away, and dragged him back hogtied, left with a note next to Colby's totaled car. The thought of that tiny girl hauling two hundred and thirty pounds of sociopathic cultist half a block made Colby smile, which made her nose itch something fierce. She screwed her face up this way and that, trying to make it stop. "Need a little help there, detective?" It was one of the floor nurses, but not one she'd seen before, a pretty young blonde wearing Tinker Bell scrubs; the staff had all been great, one of the few good things about her stay at Memorial. "Uh yeah, just an itchy nose, and you know-" She waved her bandaged hands ineffectually. The nurse smiled warmly. "I hear you. I'm Emily, by the way." She leaned over and ever so gently scratched the bridge of her nose. "There, that better?" The policewoman sighed with relief and chuckled. "Oh God yes! Emily, has anyone ever tell you you've got great hands?" Emily wrinkled her nose as she picked up Colby's chart. "A few times, yeah. Well let's have a look here." The nurse flipped through the pages in a haphazard fashion, not really seeming to look at anything in particular, then put the chart down abruptly. Her face went from cheerful to downright sorrowful. "Actually to be honest, I came here to apologize." Frankly this was the last thing the detective expected to hear. "For what? The staff here have been excellent!" Emily shook her head. "No, I mean-" And suddenly the nurse was surrounded by a familiar gray mist, and in her place stood Grimalkin, still in the Disney scrubs, but she looked different; there was no mask, her hair was still short but not so spiky, and her ears were no longer pointed. She looked like a small sad girl, and somehow oddly familiar... "I'm so sorry about what happened that night; I feel terrible, I'm having these nightmares..." She twisted a handful of her shirt into a tight knot as tears welled up in her big brown eyes. Colby held up a bandaged hand and laid it on her changeling's arm. "Hey, hey, hey, it is not your fault, young lady! Bad things happen to cops everyday, and there's nothing you or I can do to change that." "Yeah, but if we hadn't been kibitzing and laughing it up, you would have seen the guy with the rocket launcher in time." Dear God, the poor thing was really beating herself up over this, taking sole responsibility for Kolanski's death; as best as she could with her heavily-bandaged hands, she pointed an angry finger right at Grim. "Now you listen to me, young lady! That is bull****! First of all, it was you who spotted the perp on the roof, not me; I had eyes on the storefront, and didn't even think to scan the roofline across the street, a mistake I would have made with or without you in the car. We had no evidence this suspected group had access to that kind of firepower, or else we would have had some serious backup out there." Grim just stood there, eyes wide and gulping for air as Colby read her the riot act; when the detective finished, she pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, eyes on the floor, lost in thought. Colby rested a hand gently on top of her head. "Listen, I know the drill; you think I haven't had the same thoughts running through my head? I've been stuck in the hospital for three days; all I do is think! It's a game all cops play, and I'm guessing all capes, too; it's called 'What I Should Have Done', and it's a game that nobody ever wins." When the shapeshifter looked up, tears ran down her face, but there were the beginnings of a smile, too. "Thanks; I really needed to hear that, Colby." The policewoman waved a hand dismissively. "Ah, it's no big deal, and please, call me 'Reena'; all my friends do." And now Grim's smile was huge, practically lighting up the room. "You got it, Reena! Uh, anything I can do for ya while I'm here?" Colby scooted up in her bed and peered around, making sure no one else was in earshot. "Actually, there is. I need to get the hell out of here and back to my workshop; I've got no patience with medical science, and all my juju's back there." The changeling shook her head and waved her hands dramatically. "No problemo! I can get you outta here like that, and if you need an extra pair of hands to, y'know, chop herbs or stir cauldrons or whatever, I'm your girl!" "Fantastic! So, how do we do this?" When the regular nurse checked Colby's room a few minutes later, she was shocked to find a smiling wooden mannequin, which looked eerily like her patient, lying under the covers with a note attached:

Fortunately, Estelle was able to sweep her hair of out the way of the odious-looking goo, but this was all taking far too much time, time better spent tracking Dr. Archeville; she had to finish this business up fast! She shook her head and sighed. "Gentlemen, I'd really love to stay and chat, but I have more important things to do this evening, so we need to wrap this up, if you don't mind." Suddenly her hair shot out in all directions like an explosion of golden needles, and there was a sound like a hundred whips being cracked at the same time. Then her locks lazily returned to surround her like an amber cloud, twitching fitfully.

Reflex save: 1d20+10=20 Her freak flag still flies! Based on chat counsel from D_A, gonna spend that HP on a cool stunt: Strike 10 (Extra: 50-ft. Burst Area; Flaw: Action/Full Round)

Reflex save: 1d20+10=20 Her freak flag still flies! Okay, trying to take Scourge out of the sky! To hit: 1d20+10=19 Grapple: 1d20+33=34 Throwing Scourge at Mr. Glue Gun: 1d20+10=12 Bah! Reroll courtesy of last HP: 1d20+10=16+10=26 Yes!

Sadly I might need that final HP when she finally encounters Doc's assailants, so fatigue it is, I fear.

Should we have this one locked?

Thankfully the backup suit worked almost as well as her normal one (though she could feel it getting a bit warm), and the energy of the two blasts was safely dissipated. However the gas was still a problem; Gossamer had quickly covered her face as soon as she smelled the gas, but it was still hanging about the area in a thick cloud. I need to clear the air; sooner or later I'll have to take a breath. Carefully placing the rescued crate on the pavement next to her, she started to whip her hair around faster and faster, until a strong wind was howling behind the museum towards the truck, driven by her whirling golden locks. This might actually work!

Okay, so stunting Super-Breath with Prehensile Hair! SB: 1d20+5=15 Woosh!

Ok, Goss is looking to stunt the Hair-Blower effect from UP on page 185 to both clear away the gas and hopefully knock some of these clowns on their butts. If I'm reading it right, she would have the equivillent of Super-Breath based of Super-Strength 3, correct? This would create a cone of wind thirty feet wide and thirty feet long.

Grim nodded and smiled, an interesting smile that is both warm and weary as she scrathed between the kitty's ears. "Well, your welcome; now I gotta get outta here before that crazy 'Moscow fever' strikes again." She shivered and fanned herself dramatically. Just before she turned to leave, the young shapeshifter stopped and turned back to look at Atlas. "By the way, just so you know-" And then she switched to flawless Russian. "" And with an enigmatic wink, she faded from sight... ;)

Lynn let her breath out slowly, and then let her head drop down; after a few seconds, she raised it and looked Erik straight in the eye. "Damn you and your logic; who'd have thought Dread Pirate Roberts would be the most practical one on the team?" She drummed her hands on the table and nodded. "Fair enough; it's was just a crazy idea, but there are more where that came from." Her new drink arrived, and the young shapeshifter plucked out the little plastic straw and started gnawing on it. "Well, if tomorrow night works for both of you guys, I'm gonna visit Detective Colby later and let her know it's a go; I guess we'll just show up wherever she tells us to, and go from there." She shrugged and took a sip of rum and Coke.

Thank you, sir! Since Detect normally defualts to Mental, I thought I had to pay for the extras.

Okay, so I'm tweaking Grim's Sidekick Detective Colby a bit, and I had an idea for a Device; actualy it's an old idea from when I was going to make her a PC that I always liked. It's a set of black plastic glasses frames that used to belong to her dad that she has enchanted to allow her to sense magical phenomena. Here's what I'm looking at: Device 2 (Easy to Lose, Flaw: Distracting) Detect Magic [visual] (Accurate, Acute, Analytic, Counters Illusion, Extended, Ranged, Tracking) Cost: 4pp (paid for via Sidekick rank) In some ways, these seem like they might be too powerful for a Sidekick, but they would be her only Device; I would be fine with a somewhat weaker version that cost 2pp, but I'm not sure what to cut. I also always assume my math is way off Any advice would be appreciated.

Ok, rollin,, rollin', rollin', keep them doggies rollin'. Fort save: 1d20+6=14 Lame! HP-sponsored reroll of same: 1d20+6=25 (after +10) Toughness save: 1d20+12=25

Grim is so there it's not even funny.