Dr Archeville

Oh, no, this thing ruined his meal, threatened innocents, and attacked his beloved -- if Dok is investigating this, he's investigating it. Full Enhanced Int and Electromagnetic Screwdriver acting as both a site of scanners and accessing the databases he's got back at home to find out everything he can. That's a 45 with Taking 10. Is that enough to figure out it was specifically tracking Mona (due to being a Terminus Energy source) and knowing about AEGIS's earlier (Scrapped) plans to make Anti-Terminus 'bots? And anything about the guy who took up the defunct project and cobbled together semi-functional models?

ah, well, knew there had to be some drawbacks. Hunh, I'd often heard Tankers were the best "Baby's First MMO char" (and that's what I'd made Dead Head as in Champs Online). I do like the Regen/Resistance combo of Willpower (it fits how Dead Head is here), but if I do remake him as a Scrapper, I'll def give the Dark/Dark a try.

"Ah, well, far be it from me to interrupt one's meal!" the Doktor replied, putting his hands up defensively. "If you have plans already, we can meet later; the tests I had in mind are simple and should not require much of your time, an hour at most. Or, as I have not eaten yet, we could share a meal somewhere. My treat!," he added, hoping the enticement of free food would grab the man's interest. "What is your pleasure, hrm? Italian? Greek? Something familiar, or something untried?" He offered his right hand, "lots of choices out there!"

Hauz Rulz, yo!

So I spent much of the weekend playing the 7 day free trial of CoH. First thing I notice: the game runs slow on my not-built-for-gaming comp. I had to crank the graphics all the way down for it to run smoothly. Also, there's an annoying tendency for it to completely lock up when I talk to people (twice w/ one of the guys in the tutorial, twice w/ Praetor White, once w/ Robert Flores; doesn't happen all the time, just sometimes). No idea what's causing that. I've got one char on the Virtue server (which seems to be the one most folks here use), Dedd Hedd (Dead Head was unavailable ) Tanker, Willpower/Dark Melee, level 7. Not sure what Power Pool to go with or him -- Concealment, Leaping, Speed, and Teleport all look fun. With the Resistance, will try and stay on the heroic path for him. Not sure what to make for Doktor Archeville. Leaning towards Mastermind (Robots!), but am stuck on what to give him for Secondary; both Force Field and Traps look tempting. (The Inventor Archetype in Champs Online has a mix of all three of those, and has served me well there.) Power Pools, Concealment, Flight, Medicine, and Teleport all look good. Would probably make him a Loyalist (for variety), on a Hero-Villain-Hero revolving door. So who else is playing, and what are your characters? I know we've got a few, but don't know who/what.

Archeville retrieved his Electromagnetic Screwdriver from his labcoat pocket and adjusted it to create a anti-electron shield to repel some of the arcing lances of lightning, damping its effect enough for his force field to safely handle the remainder. "Fortunately, this rock is merely the size of the state of New Jersey," Archeville replied as he went down the crevasse, "so our esteemed British compatriot can get you two across to the second site in around 45 minutes, assuming nothing here adversely affects his flight speed. And he does not pause to often for sightseeing," he added with a chuckle. Archeville set to work, carefully setting the first half of the binary implosion device's core. He would not be able to set it completely, of course, until Supercape and Blueshift got their half to the designated spot.

Arichamus: Force Field 18 Avenger Assembled: Astral Form, or Mind Reading 12 Auth65: Force Field, or Water Control 13 Cubist: Fire Control 20 Dr Archeville: Telepathy 19 Ecalsneerg: Weather Control 8 or 17 Electra: Animate Object, or Alternate Form (?) 8 Robert: Blast 17 Fox: Concealment, or Vibration Control, or Cold Control 10 Geez3r: Blast 19 Gizmo: Spatial Control 11 Godiva: Nullify, or Force Field 10, or Astral Form 12 GranspearZX: Possession Heritage: Blast 16 KnightDisciple: Power Control Quinn: Weather Control, or Mind Control 11 quotemyname: Telekinesis 16 Raveled: Protection 9 or Magic 4 Semi-Autogyro: Possession 15, or Speed 17 Setzer: Alternate Form (Solid) 20 ShaenTheBrain: Mind Reading 14 Sorus: Nauseate, or Animate Objects 10 trollthumper: Air Control 18

"We would be honored to dine with you," Viktor replied with a slight bow "and, yes, questions a-plenty. My first one being," he looked up and around, hi eyes wide with wonder, "whose aircraft this is, how it came to be in such disrepair, and what the prognosis is on its repair. If I can be of assistance, I would gladly give it a short; I presume it works on the same principles as aircraft in our home dimension. Ah, was there some manner of air bladder attached to provide lift, or some other means of counteracting gravity's pull?"

DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN Dead Head's got 5pps unspent +3 ranks of Super-Senses (to cover the change in cost on Awareness and Detect powers) [3pp spent, 2 left] add Enhanced Super-Senses 4 (Acute, Analytical for all Mental senses; Flaws: Limited [Necromantic effects]) [2pp spent, 0 left] Please edit the subject line to reflect he's PL 13. Mighty Jaws of Doom 4.5 (9 points; PF: Alternate Power) [10PP] BE: Strike 1 (standard jaws of doom; Extra: Affects Corporeal 4; PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Incurable, Mighty) [9/9PP] AP: Strike 1 (spirit-shredding jaws of doom; Extras: Affects Corporeal 4, Alternate Save [Fort] 4; Flaw: Action [Full round] 4; PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Incurable, Mighty) [9/9PP] Protection 1 [1PP] Super-Senses 5 (darkvision, scent, tracking [olfactory; Extra: Extended; PFs: Dimensional 3], ultra-hearing) [9PP] Drawbacks: [-4PP] Disability (no hands; very common, moderate; -4PP) DC Block DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN

White Knight's flame flickered and dimmed as he cowered in pants-soiling terror before the Angel of Death, and actually broke down sobbing! Dead Head's headless body shambled towards the head cultist, shovel raised high above its shoulders. It brought the weaponized tool down, hard, on the cultist; his crimson force field flickered from the force of the impact, but did not fall. Before the cultist could ready a counterattack, though, Dead Head's bodiless head swooped down to deliver a mighty headbutt of justice! "[bg=#000000]HYAAAH![/bg]" The one-two combo overwhelmed the cultist, and he (and his crimson force field) fell. "[bg=#000000]Nice work,[/bg]" the flying head said as it turned to Death!Grim, its voice carrying an eerie flanged reverb effect which made the sigh of its dangling entrails just a touch worse. "[bg=#000000]Nice threads, too.[/bg]"

[bg=#408000]18: Grimalkin: Bruised, 5 HP[/bg] 15: Dead Head: unharmed, 3 HP, will be fatigued at start of next round 15: White Knight: unharmed, trapped [bg=#000000]15: Cultists x4: unconscious[/bg] [bg=#000000]12: Mutt: unconscious[/bg] 02: Head Cultist: Bruised WK's Will save vs. Grim's Fear (DC 25) (1d20+8=10) :shock: Fails by 15, so he's panicked and cowering! 18: Grimalkin: Bruised, 5 HP [bg=#40FF00]15: Dead Head: unharmed, 3 HP, will be fatigued at start of next round[/bg] 15: White Knight: unharmed, trapped, frightened/shaken, panicked [bg=#000000]15: Cultists x4: unconscious[/bg] [bg=#000000]12: Mutt: unconscious[/bg] 02: Head Cultist: Bruised Reaction: HP to nix fatigue Move Action (Body): Headless Body shambles forward Standard Action: Attack w/ shovel! Headless Body attack w/ Shovel vs. Cultists (Defense 14); All-Out Attack (-5 Defense, +5 Attack), Power Attack (-5 Attack, +5 Damage); DC 28 Toughness if it hits (1d20+12=27) Toughness save, DC 28; includes -1 from existing bruise (1d20+7=16) fails by 12, he's staggered & Stunned Concentration check, DC 18, to see if Force Field remains up (1d20+10=30) Move Action (Head): Bodiless Head flies down Free Action: Extra Effort to SURGE for another standard action (will be fatigued at start of next round) Standard Action: Attack/charge with headbutt! Bodiless Head attack w/ headbutt vs. Cultists stunned (Defense 10); All-Out Attack (-5 Defense, +5 Attack), Power Attack (-5 Attack, +5 Damage), Charging (-2 Defense, +2 attack); DC 26 Toughness if it hits (1d20+10=27) Toughness save, DC 26; includes -1 from existing bruise (1d20+7=12) fails by 14, that's another stun + staggered, but staggered + staggered = unconscious, so he's out! And that's it for combat; Grim can call the cops or Interceptors or whoever to take these fools away.

"Metahuman abilities and psychological states are often a 'chicken and the egg' conundrum," the Doktor replied, then chuckled, "though that is a misnomer, given that any evolutionary biologist could tell you that the first chicken egg came from an ancient chicken-like creature which was almost, but not quite, a chicken -- a 'proto-chicken' -- whose offspring experienced some mutation, a change to its genetic material, which lead to a sustainable change in the inherited traits of the proto-chickens from one generation to the next, eventually giving rise to a chicken! Ah, sorry, tangents" he chuckled again and waved a hand dismissively, "my point is: how much does your mental state affect your abilities? How much do your abilities after your mental state? It is, I feel, one reason why, despite how much research has been done on the nature of metahuman abilities, we still know not much more than what we did several decades ago: because the research has been too narrow, focusing solely on the physiological. Taking the psychological into account, looking at the whole picture, is the only way we will ever truly understand these amazing abilities." "Speaking of," he looked back up through the branches, "would you be interested in demonstrating some of your abilities? Supercape's initial findings have me quite intrigued, and I have some tests in mind, if you were open to it."

16 June 2011 Good news! Though Colt and Grim are leaving the Interceptors (bad news! though the wedding was sooo nice!), we already have some replacements! Thrude, the "daughter of Thor" who appeared so abruptly last month, has agreed to join -- an easy sell, as she needed a place to stay, and was eager to work alongside the city's heroes! The team seemed happy to have her aboard, much to my relief (though I had anticipated they would -- always nice to verify my hypotheses!). To my surprise, Jack had done some "recruiting" of his own: some manner of plant-woman, going by the name of Willow. She calls herself a dryad, which makes me recall my prior experiences with such beings, but if she were to have the issues the villainous Dryad had, I am sure Jack would have ferreted them out by now. Though Thrude is primarily a melee fighter, she does have some ranged attack capability, and a good flight speed, so she can easily cover Colt's role as ranged artillery, either blasting from afar or (far more likely) quickly closing distance to smash them with her hammer. Willow, though, I am unsure on: she is also a melee fighter, but she can teleport, but only through plants. (Must see if I can meet up with Stesha to do some comparisons of their abilities. I do hope she is alright -- I wish she has let me help with her pregnancy! Ah, well, I know she is in fine hands.) I may bring in a third, the young metal-bender Ferros. He has a great deal of ranged combat options, as well as environment-altering ones, which will be of use to everyone on the team! He could be a good counterpart, too, a "soothing yin" to Thrude's "raging yang." Plus, he and Dynamo can talk science!

Part 2!

This started with a discussion about Chuck Austen's terrible, terrible storylines, like the one where Archangel and Husk have sex in midair (in front of all the X-Men, and Husk's own parents). To be continued!

A solid month of posting; we've had better, but we've had worse, too. So many vignettes! All but those in red have been tallied and their sheets edited. 3 PL bumps, 2 new Player Awards, and 1 new maxed character! Arranged by Player, it looks like this: Aoiroo Changeling: 5pp Silhouette: 6pp Arichamus King of Suits: 4pp AvengerAssembled Citizen: 4pp Edge: 4pp and is now [maxed] :clap: Freedom Angel: 4pp Harrier: 1pp Azuth65 Ricochet: 0pp Wisp: 3pp Cubist Jubatus: 4pp Cyroa Dark Star: 3pp Torque: 4pp Dariusprime Animus: 4pp Fulcrum: 4pp and is now PL 15 :clap: Dr Archeville Dead Head: 4PP Doktor Archeville [Maxed]: 5PP Protectron: 3PP Ecalsneerg Arrowhawk: 1pp Equinox: 3pp Geckoman: 2pp Electra Fleur de Joie: 5pp Miss Americana: 5pp Wander [maxed]: 4pp FelicitousFolly Maelstrom: 1pp Fox Dragonfly: 5pp Gaian Knight: 4pp Wraith: 2pp Geez3r Atlas: 1pp Dynamo: 1pp Gizmo Ghost Girl: 0pp Jack of all Blades [maxed]: 5pp Midnight (II): 7pp Wail: 5pp Godiva Jade Dragon: 5pp Lotus: 1pp GranspearZX Arcturus: 1pp Crusader: 0pp Griffalo no posts all month Mercury: 0pp Thunderhead: 0pp Heritage Gossamer: 1pp Grimalkin [maxed]: 2pp JackgarPrime Victory: 1pp and is now Bronze :clap: KnightDisciple Cobalt Templar: 4pp and is now PL 10 Fenris: 2pp Gabriel: 4pp Lone Star Mad Dog: 1pp Warlock: 2pp and is PL 11 now Zap: 1pp Lord Bayushi no posts all month Lionheart: 0pp Quinn Crow: 4pp Overclock: 1pp Push: 5pp quotemyname Blueshift: 5pp Colt: 2pp Ferros: 6pp Raveled Glowstar: 5pp Ironclad: 5pp Semi-Autogyro Myrmidon: 6pp ShaenTheBrain Scarab: 2pp Thrude: 3pp Sorus Sage: 3pp and is now PL 13 Willow: 1pp Sovem Lucid: 1pp Supercape Lord Steam: 3pp Rene de Saens: 3pp Supercape: 5pp trollthumper Cannonade: 4pp Nick Cimitiere: 5pp The 100+ Posts per Month Club No one! :shock:

Still need thread lists for Dariusprime FelicitousFolly

Dead Head Whole Kit and Kaddishle (4) 4 posts + 21 from Dok = 25 posts = 3pp, +1 Ref pp = 4pp Doktor Archeville [maxed] News Thread (1) [ArchEvil] Revelations (4) The Case of the Mock Magnetokinetic (9) Dine and Crash (2) Dok & Thrude & Jack & Willow (1) The Heroes are NEAR (6) Homeland Insecurity (6) I KAN HAZ HUMANITY? (4) Interceptors - They're Finally Getting Married! (2) Now You're Moving With Wormholes (6) 1+4+9+2+1+6+6+4+2+6 = 41 posts + 5 GM/NPC Posts = 46 posts = 3pp, +1 Ref pp = 4pp 21 to Dead Head, 25 to Protectron And pass Ref pp on to Dead Head Protectron None! 0 + 25 from Dok = 25 posts = 3pp GM and NPC News Announcement (1) [ArchEvil] Load-Bearing Bosses (1) [ArchEvil] Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit (3) [ArchEvil] Revelations (4) [ArchEvil] Terrible Bosses (2) 1+1+3+4+2 = 11 / 2 = 5 posts, added to Dok

In order to make sure the Refs accurately count all your IC posts and award you the due amount of power points, please post with a list of all the threads in which your character posted IC this month (including the News forum). Remember that we require that posts be a minimum of about 500 characters. You can see here what a 400, 500, and 600 character post looks like. Posts shorter than 500 characters will not be counted. Please also mark things from the Non-Canonical forum as being non-canonical, as those count 1/2 (2 posts made for your char in a non-canon thread count as 1 post for the char). And if you are GMing something, list those threads, too. GM-only posts -- as well as NPC Villain posts -- also count 1/2, and can be assigned to whichever of your characters needs a 'push' to get up in post numbers. When you make your list, please post a link to the IC threads -- preferably to the top of the page where your first post for that month appears -- so we (and the auto-count program) can jump right to it. When you post the link to your thread, the URL should look like this http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4478&p=100643#p100643 or this http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4478&start=10 or this http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4478 NOT this http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?p=100643#p100643 The four digit number in the URL (bolded & underlined in the correct example) is the thread id number which we need to use the autocountamotron. When you start a thread, make sure [iC] is in the title/subject line of the IC thread, and [OOC] is in the title of the OOC thread. If you make a post in an IC thread as a GM or an NPC, add [GM] in the subject line of the thread. If you make a post and [iC] is not in the subject line, the AutoCounter will not count it. And if you do not put [GM] in the places you post as an NPC or Ref, it won't count those properly. Please list your threads in alphabetical order. Please clearly note any threads in which you are both player and GM/running an NPC. Also, when you start a new thread, please mark it on the Timeline (if you have a handle here, you have an account for the Wiki, and anyone with an account can edit it). You do not have to be specific on the date, but I would like to keep track of when things are happening relative to each other. The Timeline also serves as an index for everything we've done in the nearly three years this site's been active, and it's useful to know if X happens before or after Y. If you've done any extracurriculars -- artwork, HellQ, 20 Questions, NPC, Vignette, Wiki work, etc. -- please be sure to list them along with your active threads. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in your post counts being postponed or skipped completely.

Sounds good!

We've been winging the whole "run while being grappled" thing, so, yeah. Also, this thread should end soon. No one else has shown any interest in appearing, and I need to wrap threads up that's got Dok in them. (Also, it makes Dok look like an utter fool if he can't catch one "stupid cat"!)

Lo, Praise to Archeville! Even in the year 2525, the halls of Valhalla still ring with the songs and tales of the noble and fantastic deeds of the Heroic Age. Many were brought to them by Thrude, daughter of storm and harvest, who fought alongside many of those fabled heroes once she was released from her prison with Fenrisúlfr. Her recountings were taken up by the skalds of Asgard and spun into epic poems and songs, passed down through the centuries as they were told and re-told 'round the hearthfire and at the feasting table. This is one such epic. LO, praise to Archeville, Man of Germania! Master of the Magic called "Science" by mortals! Effulgent was he as hoar-faced Heimdall himself! Wolf-eyed and golden-haired, as the Gjallahorn's aunt!* With his rod and his belt he did stride into war. His rod did power hold like Odin and fair Sól. Belt a sword's headland** strong as dwarf-forged mail-band! And he could pass, unseen, to brush 'gainst Ymir's skull!*** Blŏzan, Fear-Smith, faced he, but his heart was Gleipnir! Fought he a Knight of White, Múspell's son, in gaol grim. A Corps of Power -- twice -- when dared they end his feast! These and more did he face -- Metal men, giant beests! Wise dwarf-friend was he, both to dark and to light. Portentous weddings he attended, and births, too. Played he with the new gods and fought their mirror-kin. A Stone of Ragnarok seen, faced -- mountain-splitters! His own Vallhall made he -- fabled Interceptors! Well their deeds are known, and, lo, loud their songs are sung. But to one did he sing -- praise Fulcrum Jörðsdottir! As Odin and Frigg, as Thor and Sif, so were they. In each the other found what they so long had lacked. Though Hel's hounds sought to bring sleep of the sword to them,**** they fought, and raged, and held fast to life, denying Vánagandr his meal. But Death lie in patience. LO, praise to Archeville, the Scientist Supreme -- a most masterful mage and the handsomest sage -- Long may his songs be sung! He did shed his heart's blood, so a few would outlast the Götterdämmerung.

"They... never actually placed me in one," he said after a moment. "I lost- my mother passed shortly after I was born, and my father was taken from me when I was thirteen." Archeville did not speak of his past much -- it was not something he took great pains to hide, he was not ashamed per se, it was just unpleasant to dwell on -- but being with another child of the foster program made it easier for him to open up. "And most families wish to adopt babies and toddlers, not adolescents. So I was a ward of the state -- the foster agents themselves raised me -- until I turned eighteen, though by then I was already in university." "Temple, eh?," he asked, his mood swinging back up. "Buddhist? Taoist? Would you say their meditative and bodily control techniques have helped you control your abilities?" He had, of course, noticed Jin's calm demeanour, his even breathing, his measured and controlled moves. "Many metahuman abilities are influenced by one's emotional and mental state."

Archeville nodded, his face a solemn mask, at Ferros' tale. "I am deeply sorry for your loss, young man. I have some firsthand knowledge of how difficult foster homes can be... how you always feel apart from them, different... the way their eyes look at you, reminding you that you are not really their child..." His voice drifted off, his face softened, "they say they love you -- and maybe the really do -- but there is always that disconnect, that absence of a biological link that keeps you forever apart." He squeezed his eyes shut but opened them wide a split second later, "bah, enough of that! So, 1993, eh? Yes, those Terminus energies may have had a hand in your change, too -- I have some experience with the effects of those, too!," he laughed, thinking of his beloved Mona. "So, how long was it before your abilities manifested? Yesterday was the first I can recall seeing you!"

The following additions to the House Rules will go into effect July 1st, 2011. 1) Extraordinary Effort: When using Extra Effort, you can gain two of the listed benefits, even stacking two of the same type of benefit. However, you also double the cost of the effort; you’re Exhausted starting the turn after your extraordinary effort. If you are already Fatigued, you are Unconscious. If you are already Exhausted, then you cannot use extraordinary effort. Spending a hero point at the start of your next turn reduces the cost of your extraordinary effort to merely Fatigued, the same as a regular extra effort. 2) Two new feats: Like Stunning Attack, both feats are significantly inferior to their power counterparts, but not so much that they're useless. Stun: Condition lasts until victim makes a save to shake it off, or wakes up from unconscious. Stunning Attack: Condition lasts for 1 round, or until victim wakes up from unconscious. Dazzle: Fail save by 1 = Sense type disabled, Lasts until victim makes a new save Dazzling Attack: Fail save by 1 = Sense type impaired, Fail by 5 = Sense type disabled, Lasts for 1 round Paralyze: Lasts until victim makes new save Paralyzing Attack: Lasts for 1 round 3) Gravity Control: This power, as described in the books, is banned. Please use Move Object (Extra: Area; Flaw: Limited [up/Down]) effect instead, with the "Gravity Control" descriptor. Lifting things up or pinning them down requires a grapple check, like any other use of Move Object. 4) Super Senses: The base cost for Awareness and Detects is based on the frequency of the thing you sense: 1PP base for an Uncommon descriptor (ex.: celestial/holy, demonic/infernal, necromancy), 2PP for a Common descriptor (ex.: mental, metals, plants), and 3PP for a Very Common descriptor (Ex: electromagnetic energy, magic).