Dr Archeville

Dead Head landed with a soft thud after the fall through the Void, leaving a nice corpse-shaded indentation in the ground. He picked himself right back up, shoved a few errant bones back into place, and made his way to Taylor and JJ. Dang, 'Venger can move. Wait, why ain't she movin'? Is this place centered, anchored, 'round her? Or 'round baby JJ? Unslinging his shovel from his back, he made a beeline towards them, keeping an eye out for any more of those shadow-creatures. "I'm guessin' this is gonna take more'n jes' diggin' the ground out from under ya..."

Or at the very least hit your Defense/Toughness caps, so you aren't KO'd after the first hit.

Handy cheat-sheet for Kyri, v3! 20 -- High Cultist -- uninjured 16 -- Ironclad -- uninjured, 3 HP now 13 -- Dragonfly -- uninjured, 2 HP 13 -- Push -- uninjured, 4 HP 9 -- Cobalt Templar -- uninjured, 3 HP 9 -- Dead Head -- uninjured, 2 HP 9 -- Mutt -- uninjured, 0 HP (minion, uses DH's HPs) 9 -- Surprise (Flesh Golem?) 9 -- Surprise (Flesh Golem?) 7 -- Surprise (Flesh Golem?) 2 -- Surprise (Flesh Golem?) 2 -- Zombie Group 1 (5 Unharmed) 2 -- Zombie Group 3 (5 Unharmed) Dead Head's turn! First off, those scared cultists. Per this post by Kenson, Fearsome Presence is treated as a Sustained (Lasting) effect, so the cultists get a new Will save (DC 20), with a +1 bonus, one minute/ten rounds from when it was used (so nine rounds from now). That'll probably never get here, but I'm throwing it out for sake of completeness. Dead Head will charge for the Head Cultist (and probably get interposed by a Flesh Golem). Standard Action: Charge, All Out Attack, Power Attack. Since the interposing flesh golem's initiative has not come up yet, it should still be flat-footed. Attack with shovel; charging (+2 attack, -2 Defense); All-Out Attack (-2 defense, +2 attack), Power Attack (-2 attack, +2 damage). DC 25 Toughness save if he hits, 27 if his Sneak Attack factors in (1d20+12=13) :oops: Spending an HP to re-roll that. Attack with shovel; charging (+2 attack, -2 Defense); All-Out Attack (-2 defense, +2 attack), Power Attack (-2 attack, +2 damage). DC 25 Toughness save if he hits, 27 if his Sneak Attack factors in; HP re-roll (add 10 if die roll is 10 or less) (1d20+12=22) die roll is 10, add 10 to get 32. Mutt will do the same. Standard Action: Charge, All Out Attack, Power Attack. Since the interposing flesh golem's initiative has not come up yet, it should still be flat-footed. Attack with Mighty Jaws of Doom; charging (+2 attack, -2 Defense); All-Out Attack (-2 defense, +2 attack), Power Attack (-2 attack, +2 damage). DC 21 Toughness save if he hits, 23 if his Sneak Attack factors in (1d20+8=22) DH has 1 HP now.

Necromancy Examples: Black Talon (Marvel), Nekron (DC) FC Examples: Baron Samedi. Dead Head, Nick Cimitiere. Necromancy includes spells relating to, manipulating, or invoking the forces of life, death, undeath, and related phenomena. When most people hear "necromancy," they likely think of evil sorcerers raising armies of zombies or binding ghosts to carry out the whims (or feeding on them to boost their own power!), but necromancy can also be used to call upon the spirits of the dead (such as one's ancestors) for advice and guidance, or even (by fending off death spirits and channeling life energy into someone) to heal. Necromancy has an odd place in Freedom City (both as published and as used here). Resurrections, something frequently seen in comics, are just not that common here -- the Centurion is still dead, as are most of the Allies of Freedom, and the handful of Iron Age villains killed in the Blackstone Riot of 1983. And, as a rule, characters at FC PbP don't die (since all PCs and named NPCs get the Diehard feat for free). But ghosts (like Silver Scream), vampires (like Dracula and Avenger), zombies/revenants (like Dead Head and Justice), and two different death-gods (Baron Samedi and Hades) have all made an impact on Freedom City, and zombies (victims of Samedi's zombie powder) still shuffle down certain dark and abandoned alleys. Some have speculated that Rick Lucas' presence in Freedom City is what made the place so over-the-top bizarre, and his departure after the passing of the Moore Act made it a grimmer, darker place (both due to him not being there to subconsciously buoy everyone and him subconsciously dragging everyone down). Could there be a cabal of necromancers at work for a similar purpose, holding back Death so it only strikes at moments of great significance, at the cost of not being able to easily or truly bring back those who have passed on? Why Take This Path: To influence (or control) the forces of life and death, two of the most primal forces in the universe. For some, a fear of and desire to master death drives them. For others, the desire to heal the infirm (but not extend life to an unnatural degree) and comfort the grieving are the reason. Common Personality Types: Many who specialize in the Art of Necromancy are introspective and pragmatic types, and many are given to brooding rather than open discussion or sharing. Villainous ones often see people as proto-materials for their experiments, eager to see them pass (or to kill them themselves), though some claim they were "doing the recycling thing long before it became cool." Heroic ones seek to comfort others when they or their loved ones are faced with the inevitability of death, and try to assist any lingering spirits in finals tasks so they can 'cross over'. Powers: Many of these offensive effects have alternate Save (Fortitude) or Vampiric to reflect their life force-targeting nature, though there could be variants with Alternate Save (Will) for cases where the target can overcome the effect through sheer force of will despite a failing body. Summon is another common effect, for creating or summoning undead creatures. In addition to the effects here, many necromancers also tap into der Shattenwelt (the "Shadow World," an extradimensional source of pure darkness and a source of power for der Nacht-Krieger and other shadow-wielders, as well as many predatory and life-draining undead) or the gloom of certain Underworlds to use Darkness effects/spells. Nonmagical Variants: Many of these abilities would work well for a biokinetic/vitakinetic (life controller). Miscellaneous: One reason I'm doing this one first: it's a classic antagonist seen in magical series. Another reason: the sample PL 12 Necromancer from Book of Magic has an incomplete Magic Array, requiring a Ref/player to fill it out (or just knock those 5 "unspecified" points off the total). UNDEAD CREATION & SUMMONING EFFECTS/SPELLS Many consider these spells to create undead as soldiers or slaves to be the heart of Necromancy. In the case of corporeal undead (skeletons, zombies, vampires,etc.), the necromancer must have a sufficient number of bodies to raise up. With incorporeal dead, the creation bears more resemblance to other conjuring magics. Conjure Ghost: This spell conjures a ghost (like the one on pg. 88 of Book of Magic) to serve the necromancer. Summon Ghost 9 (summons one PL 2, 127pp ghost; Extra: Fanatical) [cost 27pp] A necromancer could also have ghosts conjured by this spell via the Minions or Sidekick feats. Conjure Shade: This spell conjures a shade (like the one on pg. 35 of Book of Magic) to serve the necromancer. Summon Shade 8 (summons one PL 9, 113pp shade; Extra: Fanatical) [cost 24pp] A necromancer could also have shades conjured by this spell via the Minions or Sidekick feats. Create Revenant: This spell can transform an ordinary corpse into a powerful revenant (like the one on pg. 89 of Book of Magic) to serve the necromancer. Summon Revenant 13 (summons a PL 10, 183pp revenant; Extras: Fanatical) [cost 39pp] A necromancer could also have revenants created by this spell via the Minions or Sidekick feats. Create Skeletons: This spell can turn a jumble of ordinary human bones into several necromantically animated skeletons (like the one on pg. 235 of the core M&M rulebook), which serve without question (or thought). Summon Skeleton 2 (summons a PL 1, 20pp skeleton; Extras: Fanatical, Horde; PF: Progression 4 [up to 25 skeletons]) [cost 12pp] A necromancer could also have skeletons created by this spell via the Minions or Sidekick feats. Create Vampire: This spell can transform an ordinary corpse into a powerful vampire (like the one on pg. 225 of the core M&M rulebook) to serve the necromancer. Summon Vampire 10 (summons a PL 8, 145pp vampire; Extras: Fanatical) [cost 30pp] A necromancer could also have vampires created by this spell via the Minions or Sidekick feats. Create Zombies: This spell can turn a collection of mostly intact corpses into necromantically animated zombies (like the one on pg. 235 of the core M&M rulebook), which serve without question (or thought). Summon Zombie 1 (summons a PL 1, 5pp zombie; Extras: Fanatical, Horde; PF: Progression 4 [up to 25 zombies]) [cost 8pp] A necromancer could also have zombies created by this spell via the Minions or Sidekick feats. Universal Create Undead Spell: For ease of record keeping, it may be better to combine all the undead creation spells into one general application spell. Summon Undead 13 (summons any undead of up to 195pp; Extras: Fanatical, Type [General]) [52pp] Universal Create Undead Horde Spell: Similar to the Universal Create Undead Spell, but for making large numbers of weak undead. Summon Undead 2 (summons any undead of up to 30pp; Extras: Fanatical, Horde, Type [General]; PFs: Progression 4 [up to 25 undead]) [14pp] OFFENSIVE ATTACKS/SPELLS Aura of Necromantic Power: Sometimes the best way to exert control over an undead is not to leash them with Necromantic Fetters (see below), but to persuade and intimidate them with displays of power. OF course, this only works on undead capable of being affected by Interaction skills, so is useless on mindless undead. Enhanced Charisma (Flaw: Only works against undead creatures) [cost 1pp per 2 ranks] Boneblade: Necromancers often wear jewelry made from bones (sometimes human, sometimes not), and this spell is one reason why. It can expand a length of bone into a potent bladed weapon. Strike (PFs: Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [cost 3pp + 1pp/rank] Bonebolt: This spell, similar to Boneblade, turns a bone into a potent missile weapon and then hurls it with poltergesit-like force. Blast (PFs: Improved Critical 2) [cost 2pp + 2pp/rank] Chilling Touch: Calling forth the chill of the grave into his hands, a necromancer can damage and weaken a foe with but a touch. Strike (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Linked Drain Strength) [cost 3pp/rank] Death Touch: A basic spell to disrupt a target's vitality with a touch. Since the attack is on your very life force, armor offers no defense. Strike (Extra: Alternate Save [Fortitude]; PF: Incurable) [cost 1pp + 2pp/rank] Graymantle: Foes who can regenerate are tough to put down, and while Incurable damage is a start, Persistent Healing and Regeneration trump even that. But some necromancers, using their knowledge of life and death energies, figure out how to suspend a target's advanced regenerative abilities, making them easier to put down. Nullify Regeneration (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Duration [Concentration]) [cost 2pp/rank] Hammer of the Undead: Sometimes a necromancer cannot cow or control an undead (either a free-willed/renegade one or one controlled by another necromancer), and in those cases, he must destroy them. This spell does just that, disrupting the energies that animate and tether them to this world, and is effective against corporeal and incorporeal targets. Blast (Flaw: Only versus Undead Beings; PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2) [cost 2pp + 1pp/rank] Heartclutch: This terrible spell creates an invisible force around a target's heart and slowly but steadily crushes it. Blast (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Duration [Concentration], Range [Perception]; PF: Subtle) [cost 1pp + 5pp/rank] History of Blood: One of the more bizarre spells in the necromancer's repertoire, this has the terrifying effect of causing a target's old wounds to re-open. Each round another old wound opens, or one that's already opened becomes bigger. This spell only affects beings that have been wounded in the past, and only to the extent they have suffered injury. Someone who's never suffered a serious injury is largely immune to this spell. In general, the GM/Ref can assume that most people have suffered enough cuts, nicks, and minor injuries to take at least one bruise or injury per round from this spell, but can restrict the total damage it does to the target. This spell could not be used to harm someone to the point of being staggered if they had never been staggered before. Blast (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Duration [Concentration]; Drawback: Only affects beings who have been wounded or injured in the past, and only to the extent that they have suffered injury) [cost 4pp/rank - 1pp] Necromantic Fetters: The undead a necromancer creates (via one of the Summon powers, above) are fairly loyal already, but sometimes a necromancer wants to control a free-willed undead (or some other necromancer's undead). This spell lets them do so. Mind Control (Extra: Conscious; Flaw: Only versus Undead) [cost 2pp/rank] Ocular Necrosis: A bolt of crackling black energy streaks towards the target, homing in on his eyes and exploding into a flash when it hits. The target is blinded as the necrotizing energy worries on their eyes, though time and the target's own resilience will eventually remove the effect. Dazzle Visual (note: both initial and secondary saves are Fort) [cost 2pp/rank] Osseous Malady: Many necromancers, through long experimentation with skeletons and other fleshless undead, learn how to manipulate the skeleton of a still-living person. The spell causes painful warps and minor breaks, but is not enough to actually cause lasting damage. Stun (Extra: Range [Ranged]; Drawback: Ineffective against beings with no skeletal structure) [cost 3pp/rank -1pp] Osseous Malady, Greater: A more potent version of the Osseous Malady spell, which does cause severe warpings and breaks. Blast (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude]; Drawback: Ineffective against beings with no skeletal structure) [cost 3pp/rank -1pp] Pestilence: This spell creates a potent wasting disease in the touched target, though the effect is not immediate. The target makes a Fortitude save. If it is successful, there is no effect. If it fails, on the following day the target makes another Fortitude save against the same DC. If it also fails, the target loses one point of Constitution per point the save fails, up to a maximum of your power rank. The target makes another save each day; failure means loss of additional Constitution, while success means no effect for that day. Two successful saves in a row stops the wasting disease entirely. Healing can also cure it with a power check (DC 10 + your power rank). The target cannot recover lost Constitution until the disease is halted or the target's condition becomes dying at Con 0. Worse, the disease, once unleashed, continues to spread. Anyone touching the victim must succeed at a Fortitude save or fall victim to the same malady. These victims are in turn also contagious; the effect lingers until all traces have been eliminated. Drain Constitution (Extras: Contagious, Disease) [cost 3pp/rank] Spectral Hands: This spell summons poltergeists to move and manipulate objects from afar. Damaging and Perception-ranged versions are also possible. Move Object [cost 2pp/rank] Premonition of the Grave: This spell afflicts living beings with the terror of their own mortality: the knowledge that they will one day die, that death will not be pleasant, and that the afterlife holds no comforts. (The last part may not strictly be true, but the spell makes one believe it is so.) The spell has no effect on long-lived or immortal beings, such as the undead or gods. With enough power behind it, the spell can scare someone into a comatose state, for a few moments (more if Slow Fade is added on). Drain Charisma (Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Range [Ranged]; Drawback: Ineffective against characters with Immunity to Aging) [cost 2pp/rank -1pp] This can also be a descriptor for Emotion Control (despair or fear), or the Fearsome Presence feat. Rot: This spell focuses the forces of decay and rot to age a target object dozens of years in the space of but a few seconds. It has no effect on inorganic matter (such as metals or stone), but is effective on cloths, woods, and even several types of plastics. Corrosion (Flaw: Limited [only works on organic matter]) [cost 2pp/rank] Shuffling the Years: This spell, created by vain necromancers terrified at the thought of losing their youth and beauty, drains the life force of another and uses it to restore and maintain their youthful appearance. Targets recover slowly (one point of Con per day), while the user's looks slowly fade in proportion to the amount of life force they drained (keeping a rank of Attractive for one day per point of Con drained; a Bystander drained of 10 points of Con [and likely killed for it] would allow the caster to keep a rank of Attractive for 10 days). Drain Constitution (Extra: Linked Boost Attractive Feat; PFs: Slow Fade 7 [target regains 1 point of Con per Day, user loses 1 rank of Attractive per Week {more or less}]) [cost 7pp + 2pp/rank] An alternative (and easier to track) version: Drain Constitution (Extra: Linked Boost Charisma; PFs: Slow Fade 6 [target regains 1 point of Con per Day, user loses 1 point of Cha per Day]) [cost 6pp + 2pp/rank] Soulripping: The most feared attack in the necromancer's arsenal, this spell literally rips a target's soul out of their body, killing them. It obviously does not work on beings who lack souls, such as certain undead, robots and other constructs, and so on; the GM/Ref has final say on who is and is not susceptible to this. Blast (Extra: Alternate Save [Will]; Drawbacks: Lethal only, Ineffective against beings without souls) [cost 3pp/rank -2pp] Spell of Eternal Death: Necromancers can be a jealous and petty lot, and few things enrage them more than finding out someone else has resurrected a foe they had killed. This spell prevents that happening. The spell is cast on a dead body. For its duration, any attempt to use a Healing (Resurrection) effect on it must overcome the Nullify effect on it. Due to its Independent nature, the Nullify fades over time, though it can take years, decades, or even centuries (depending on how much Slow Fade you have) for it to fade completely. Nullify Healing (Extras: Duration 2 [sustained], Independent; Flaw: Only nullifies Resurrection Healing; PFs: Slow Fade 8 [Nullify loses 1pp per Month]) [cost 8pp + 2pp/rank] Spell of Withering: This spell focuses the forces of decay and rot to age a target dozens of years in the space of but a few seconds. It can kill in moments, but if the target can break free (or be freed by allies), the spell will undo itself... eventually. Healing with the Restoration extra can be used to de-age the target even faster. Drain All Ability Scores (note: only Drains Str, Dex, and Con; Extra: Duration [Concentration]; PF: Slow Fade 7 [regain 1pp per Week]; note: Ineffective against targets with Immunity to Aging) [cost 6pp + 4pp/rank] Note: The spell only drains Str, Dex, and Con, but since draining Con can actually kill you, I did not apply a -1 Flaw for not being able to Drain Int, Wis and Cha. Touch of Rigor: This spell induces temporary rigor mortis in a victim. Paralyze [cost 2pp/rank] Vampiric Touch: This spell drains life-force from the target into the caster. It can provide a significant advantage to the necromancer, who is simultaneously strengthening himself and weakening his foe. Strike (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Vampiric) [cost 3pp/rank] Visions of Putrefaction: This spell forces the target to believe his flesh is rotting and sloughing off his body, and that his internal organs are spilling out. Many are dazed into inaction at the sight, if they do not simply faint away. Stun (Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Mental, Range 2 [Perception]) [cost 4pp/rank] Words of Death: Similar to Death Touch, above, but performed at a range by intoning death-curses at someone. Fortunately for the target, they must be able to hear the necromancer to be affected. Blast (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Range [Perception]; Flaw: Sense-Dependent [Hearing]; PF: Incurable) [cost 1pp + 3pp/rank] Words of Death, Greater: The death-curses of some necromancers are potent enough that they can affect multiple people around them, and they do not even need to hear the words to be affected! Strike (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Area [burst]; PF: Incurable) [cost 1pp + 3pp/rank] DEFENSIVE EFFECTS/SPELLS Hidden Heart: An unusual but power ritual that allows a necromancer to render his body indestructible by most forms of harm. During a lengthy ritual, the necromancer removes his internal organs and places them, still living, into mystic jars or tanks (which he typically then hides and protects with potent magical wards and defenses). As long as his organs remains safe outside his body, he rapidly heals any damage he takes, and can even return from the dead! He can also reattach, but not regrow, severed limbs. Since this involves a lengthy ritual, it is represented as a mystic power that character simply has, not a spell. Immunities (especially life support) would also be an appropriate associated effect. Regeneration 15+ (Bruised 3 [no action], Injured 3 [1 minute], Staggered 3 [1 minute], Disabled 3 [20 minutes], Resurrection 3 [5 hours; stopped by completely destroying the body or by killing his removed organs]; PF: Persistent) [cost 16pp, plus enough ranks for Recovery Bonus to bring it up to +9] Osseous Armor: Necromancers often wear jewelry made from bones (sometimes human, sometimes not), and this spell is one reason why. It can expand those bits of bone into a suit of armor, offering protection equal to (or better than!) the finest suits of armor, medieval or modern. Force Field (cost 1pp/rank) Spell of Life-Shielding: This spell protects both the caster and his comrades from the attacks of undead creatures, and form many necromantic spells. It was developed by necromancers more interested in exploring than in control, but was quickly adopted by necromancers eager to have a shield from the magics of their opponents. A character could also take a regular, Continuous version of Enhanced Fortitude Save (Only vs. Undead/Necromancers) as a permanent power, to represent either semi-permanent magical enhancement or a built up tolerance for those types of assaults. Enhanced Fortitude Save (Extra: Affects Others [self + Others], Independent; Flaw: Duration [sustained], Limited [Only versus Necromancy and Undead powers]; PFs: Progression 2 [up to 5 simultaneous users], Slow Fade 2 [1pp per 5 Minutes]) [cost 7pp + 1pp/2 ranks] A character could also take a regular, Continuous version of Enhanced Fortitude Save (Only vs. Undead/Necromancers) as a regular power, to represent either semi-permanent magical enhancement or a built up tolerance for those types of assaults. In fact, it's probably best to simply do this, since the PL caps on Fort saves can make granting this to others tricky. Enhanced Fortitude Save (Flaw: Limited [Only versus Necromancy and Undead powers]) [cost 1pp/2 ranks] Spell of the Undead Form: This spell temporarily imbues a caster's body with certain injury-resisting properties possessed by the undead. However, it comes with a drawback: the undead attributes taken on are so strong that the necromancer becomes susceptible to certain spells that otherwise could not affect him, notably Aura of Necromantic Power and Necromantic Fetters. Immunity 30 (Fortitude effects; Active Sustained effect; Extras: Independent, Total Fade [lasts for 30 rounds]; Flaws: Side Effect [becomes susceptible to certain Necromancy spells]) [cost 30pp] Spell of the Undead Form, Second: A variant of this spell can be applied to one's allies. Or to someone you trick, and then use Necromantic Fetters on... Immunity 30 (Fortitude effects; Active Sustained effect; Extras: Affects Others [Others Only], Independent, Total Fade [lasts for 30 rounds]; Flaws: Side Effect [becomes susceptible to certain Necromancy spells]) [cost 30pp] Spirit Shield: Another spell of general defense, calling forth spirits of the dead which whirl around the necromancer and deflect or absorb incoming attacks. Force Field (cost 1pp/rank) Wall of Bones: This spell creates a wall, appearing to burst up from the ground, of bones woven together to form a solid, durable mass. (The power of the spell itself creates the bones, so none are needed in the area; it works as well in a garden as it does a battlefield.) It is a versatile spell, though the inability to use it to drop masses of bones on foes and inability to use it to trap most fliers makes it less versatile than other Create Object effects. Create Object (Flaw: must contact the ground on at least one edge) [cost 1pp/rank] Wraithform: This spell allows a necromancer to take on the incorporeality of a wraith. Insubstantial 4 (incorporeal; affected by Necromancy) [cost 20pp] MOVEMENT EFFECTS/SPELLS Opening the Grey Portal: Many necromancers are skilled enough to travel to and from one particular death-realm (Annwn, Araf, Barzakh, Duat, Elysium, Gehenna, Guinee, Hades, Hel, Jahannam, Jigoku, Limbo, Mictlan, Naar, Naraka, Niflheim, Purgatory, Sheol, Tartarus, Yomi, many others)... Super-Movement 1 (dimensional [one Land of the Dead]) [cost 2pp] Opening the Grey Portals: ... while others are powerful and experienced enough to travel to any of them! Super-Movement 2 (dimensional 2 [any Land of the Dead]) [cost 4pp] SENSORY EFFECTS/SPELLS Detect Life: With this spell, the caster can detect the presence of life nearby. The necromancer knows how intense the life is (roughly speaking, how healthy and innately powerful the being is) as well as its location (but not well enough to target attacks). Super-Senses 3 (acute ranged detect life [mental sense]) [cost 3pp] A similar spell can allow a necromancer to Detect Undead with equal ability. Languages of the Dead: Necromancers, like most mages, frequently deal with ancient and esoteric tomes, but learning all those languages can be time consuming. Better to summon the spirit of someone who already knows the language in question and can act as a translator. Comprehend 3 (languages [speak any one at a time, understand all, read all]) [cost 6pp] Medium: This ability -- as often a knack someone is born with which leads them to studying Necromancy as it is a spell others learn -- allows one to communicate with incorporeal and normally invisible and inaudible spirit beings, such as ghosts. It allows one to function as a "medium" of sorts, speaking to spirits and comprehending their replies. However, this ability does not gain any ability to summon or compel spirits. Comprehend 1 (spirits) [cost 2pp] Seance: Similar to Medium, but allowing multiple people to communicate with the dead. Comprehend 1 (spirits; Extras: Affects Others [Others + Self], Area [5-ft. Burst], PFs: Progression 2 [25-ft. Area]) [cost 6pp] The Spell of True Necromancy: This spell, the most basic function of the Necromancer's Art, compels a shade or corpse to speak of what will come to pass, though the spell does not guarantee that the caster can properly interpret the often vague and disjointed words of the dead. This spells requires the caster has access to a dead body, whether a preserved specimen in his laboratory or a corpse recently unearthed from a graveyard. Super-Senses 4 (precognition; Flaw: Requires dead body) [cost 2pp] MISCELLANEOUS EFFECTS/SPELLS Assume Likeness: By means of this spell and a few drops of a target's blood or bit of flesh, the necromancer creates an amulet that allows a wearer to take on the appearance of the target. Morph 7 (any humanoid, +35 to Disguise) in a Hard to Lose Device 3 [cost 12pp] Rumors persist of a non-Device version of the spell, in which the caster consumes the sample of blood or flesh. Grim Graft: Need a hand? Then take one from a corpse! This spell allows a necromancer to graft a limb from a corpse onto himself, and use it as his own. Additional Limb (note: Sustained duration) [cost 1pp/rank] Soul Feeding: This dread power allows a necromancer to draw into himself the life-force of a dying intelligent being to heal his wounds. Healing (Flaw: Self only; PF: Triggered [when intelligent being dies within 20 feet of the necromancer]) [cost 1pp + 1pp/rank] The Spell of Necromantic Healing: Since necromancy involves control & manipulation of the energies of life, death and undeath, necromancers can make potent healers. Healing [cost 2pp/rank] Spell of Life Regiven: Skilled necromancers can raise the dead to life -- true life, not the animate shell of a zombie or the mockery of a vampire. Healing (Extra: Resurrection) [cost 3pp/rank] Spell of the Second Self: Some necromancers can grow a second version of themselves from just a few drops of their own blood and an assortment of necroalchemical reagents. This simulacrum possesses all the knowledge and abilities that the caster has, and is free-willed; he is not automatically the caster's slave, though he is helpful. Duplication, at a rank equal to your power point total (minus the cost of Duplication) divided by 15. [cost 2pp/rank]

"Shhhh" a voice behind Muse hissed when she spoke. When Eddie spoke, two people behind them shushed. Scene two opened with Wotan, ruler of the Gods, asleep on a mountaintop with Fricka, his wife. Fricka awakes and sees a magnificent castle behind them. She wakes Wotan and points out that their new home has been completed. The giants Fasolt and Fafner built the castle; in exchange Wotan has offered them Fricka's sister Freia, the goddess of youth and beauty and feminine love. Fricka is worried for her sister, but Wotan is confident that they will not have to give Freia away, because he has dispatched his clever servant Loge to search the world for something else to give the giants instead. Freia enters, screaming in fear, followed by Fasolt and Fafner. Fasolt demands payment for their finished work. He points out that Wotan's authority is sustained by the treaties carved into his spear, including his contract with the giants, which Wotan therefore cannot violate. Donner (god of thunder) and Froh (god of spring) arrive to defend their sister Freia, but Wotan stops them; as ruler of the Gods, he cannot permit the use of force to break the agreement. Hoping Loge will arrive with the alternative payment he promised, Wotan tries to stall. When Loge finally shows up, his report is discouraging: there is nothing that men will accept in exchange for feminine love, and, by extension, nothing the giants would accept in exchange for Freia. Loge tells them that he was able to find only one instance where someone willingly gave up love for something else: Alberich the dwarf has renounced love, stolen the Rheingold and made a powerful magic ring out of it. A general discussion of the ring ensues and everyone finds good reasons for wanting it. Fafner makes a counteroffer: the giants will accept the Rheingold in payment, instead of Freia. When Wotan tries to haggle, the giants depart, taking Freia with them as hostage. Freia's golden apples had kept the Gods eternally young; in her absence, they begin to age and weaken. In order to win Freia back, Wotan resolves to follow Loge down into the earth, in pursuit of the gold. An orchestral interlude follows that "paints" the descent of Loge and Wotan into Nibelheim. As the orchestra fades, it gives way to a choir of 18 tuned anvils (each of a specific size, quantity and pitch) beating out the dotted rhythm of the Nibelung theme to give a stark depiction of the toiling of the enslaved dwarves. Now at the hour mark, and brief intermission was announced.

Sounds like a plan to me!

"Die Satellitenschüssel!," Archeville cried out. The Doktor held his Screwdriver up like a microphone, "Minions! Secure that satellite dish, and make sure it is not damaged! I, Havok, require it for my nefarious plans! Muah hah hah hah hah!" The robots obeyed, but their Atari brains, junkyard servomotors, and moonshine rocket packs meant they could not get there in time to fully stop it. But they could slow it, enough for the other heroes to lend a hand. Or hair. Or gadget.

I'd opt for A & B (check surveillance, ask cops if anything's happened), since that will allow me to wrap up this eight month old thread which is tied to a Vignette that's already come & gone ;)

[bg=#000000]"Only part I ever permanently been deprived of,"[/bg] he said, passing his head back and forth in his hands like a basketball, [bg=#000000]"is m'appendix, which I had out when I was in the 5th grade. I have had pieces'a me taken..."[/bg] He placed his head down on the table, then his body got up and walked around a bit. [bg=#000000]"... either by cultists or mad scientists, tryin' t'figure out how I do what I do, or t'use me in some vile ritual they had in mind. For the most part, I do without 'till I can get it back, though a few times I was able t'graft on a replacement from another corpse. With the spirit's permission, a'course. Oh, an' I been dunked in acid a few times,"[/bg] he added, [bg=#000000]"but in those cases, I did regenerate the body parts."[/bg]

While securing Witchfinder (and his driver, who had been KO'd in the crash) for the police, the trio found an armory's worth of weapons in the van. Several different guns (and several different types of ammo, including iron, silver, and wood), numerous daggers (also in an assortment of materials), and even a variety of grenades (ranging from standard flash-bangs and incendiary to weirder things like ones that could disperse holy water into an area). Equally interesting was the surveillance gear, most of it military grade. Folded on one crate was a map showing the same los Diablos Rojos and il Diavoli Neri spots Vince had brought up. About a third of them -- not ones they had been to -- had red X's over them.

Dead Head, in fact, did not notice the injury, which had immediately started healing up as more putrescent flesh grew in to fill it. The revenant worked his shovel free from the concrete, then thrust it high into the air. He let out a shriek of his own, hoping to throw it off-guard, but his own weird necrology turned on him as the throat of his constantly decaying-yet-regenerating body warped in a way that three off his keening and made him sound more like a teenager with a cracking voice. Dang, ain't sounded like that since high school. He swung again with his shovel, putting more oomph into it than he otherwise normally would, hoping the target would still be off-guard from his shriek. But the beast was not phased by the dead man's screams, and easily dodged out of the way. Man, ain't nothin' goin' right here!

D'oh! Knew I was forgetting something! Full Round action to command the 'Bots to catch the falling GBN dish and secure it for... Havok's nefarious plans!? Or will they not be fast enough?

"Well...," he began, looking back and forth between his patient and the skinned holographic representation of him, "my first question would be, why have you not gone to Phantom about this, or to Eldrich? This sort of thing is their specialty, and as flattering as your appreciation of my scientific skill is, why come to me?" "As for my thoughts on your... condition," he continued, "I have a few hypotheses, a few ideas, but I will not have anything more concrete without many more scans and examinations. This," he held up his gadget, "is little more than a glorified x-ray-slash-MRI scanner, it can only tell me so much. Also, what can you tell me about these 'cultists in yellow'?"

Archeville actually laughed at the sight, a good, hearty, Bavarian laugh. "Oh, now, that is wonderful, Lynn!" He flew all around it, scanning it with his gadget and, yes, even tasting bits here and there. "It checks out as real, all the complex carbohydrates one would find in a hand-made gingerbread house. And tasty, too!" He tapped his chin in thought, "alright, now, let us go for something more complex. Can you make... an automobile? Not a kiddie, candy one, a real, working car?"

So there's only one of each of the seven rings? If you don't want them tied to emotions, maybe something else that there's seven of? There's a lot to choose from.

Archeville hovered in front of her, laying both hands across her shoulders and gazing deeply into her eyes. He held her there a moment, not saying a word, allowing -- or so he hoped -- his steadfast presence to calm her. When at last he spoke, it was with a warm smile. "Oh, liebchen.... In about five billion years, our Sun will expand out into a red giant, engulfing Mercury and Venus and possibly the Earth, and pushing all the other planets into wider orbits. And even if Earth was not engulfed, and its orbit was merely knocked wider, it would likely still be close enough for the oceans to evaporate and the planet reduced to a desert." He chuckled, and brushed away an errant lock of hair from her face, "of course, by then humanity will have gone out to other planets and colonized other worlds, and established relations with all sorts of interesting extraterrestrial species and cultures." "Short term, though, yes, I am sure we will survive. Whether or not 'Metahumanity' is a new evolutionary step for us, if Homo sapiens go the way of the Neanderthal, if everyone has powers and there are no 'baseline humans' anymore... well, that is something I am very eager to find out. There are many ways it could go, owing to biological as well as cultural factors, and some ways are more likely than others..." He smiled at her again, and caressed her cheek, "but I am confident that, in some way, in some form, sapient life native to Earth will persist for many, many millennia to come. Especially as long as there are people like us to help shepherd us."

That could be what it's doing, but I honestly don't know. And since I don't know, I advise people not to use the minroll feature.

"Sey are not... dat small," he said after he was able to breathe again, "I mean, your... stature does make some dings easier to vork on. But, er, I haff been doing a lot of research into nanotechnology lately, und many of my findings dere haff been qvite useful in getting dese dampers into someding dat is as elegant in form as it is in function." He'd been with scores of women, but none of them were anything like her. And it wasn't just the powers, though he would admit they did engage his scientific curiosity. The fact she chastised him for being so generous to her was something new, and that intrigued him. She didn't try to impress him, didn't act in a way she thought would entice him (as many other had), yet she impressed and enticed him all the same, through her quiet strength and dignity. A calming Yin to his raging Yang... though she did not suspect just how raging. And, try as she might to deny it, her "Iranian/Persian Amazon" looks were hot. He set the box aside (which floated next to him) and slid his hands around her neck, to undo the clasp of the damper at her neck. She felt a slight warmth there -- a reaction to his touch? or surging Terminus energies? -- which faded slightly as he replaced it with the far more elegant gold necklace. He did the same at her wrists and ankles, his touch sending tiny electric arcs through her forearms and calves. "We can do the belly-chain... later," he whispered to her ear. "Amongst other things..." "For now, though," he said, floating a few feet away and speaking loud enough for the servants in the dining area to hear, "a light snack, featuring fruits and vegetables grown in ArcheStern's aeroponic gardens."

My understanding is that using "minroll 11" means any rolls of 1-10 is treated as 11. Which isn't strictly what using a HP for a re-roll is.

Excellent catch, Rav. Selective Attack is the Extra Dragonfly's "beamspam" would need, if she wants to avoid DH. But, with his Impervious 10, he's immune to Blast 9 or less.

Actually, the 21 did hit. (Also, don't use minroll, it seriously skews results) Fort save, DC 21, vs. Drain Toughness (1d20+6=15) fails by 6, so Toughness reduced from +8 to +2 Toughness save, DC 29, vs. Stabpunching (1d20+2=10) fails by 19. He is stabpunched the frak out.

"I can control it as well as you can control yer own hands," he said cheerily, "though, since it's as insensate ta pain as tha rest'a me, there's not much it can react to. Oh, an', yeah, that was me tryin' ta wave at ya with mah hand earlier." The disembodied right hand curried back to Dead Head, hopping up and off of assorted objects about the lab to get up to the gurney he was sitting on. It crept across his hand, up his left arm (digging in with its nails for traction), across his shoulder (he ducked his head a bit for it to get clear), and slid down his right arm, flipping at the end to put the two wrist-stumps back together. When they met, they fused together, and when he held his hand up, it looked as if nothing had happened. "I used ta be able ta separate several pieces at a time," he continued, a touch of loss creeping into his voice, "but since... since Papa Ghede left, I can only do one part at a time. One had... or one eye..." he said as he calmly plucked out one of his eyes, held it up for her scanner, then popped it back into the socket, then placed both hands at his jawline, "or jes' [bg=#000000]my head."[/bg] The last was said while he gave a sharp tug to his head, neatly removing it from his neck; once separated from his lungs, his voice took on an eerie sepulchral reverb. Heeheeheeheehee

Sounds good. Gizmo, time for stabpunching!

"Ah, ja, dat vould fit..." the Doktor said enigmatically. "Dere... is at least von heroic Grue I know of," he said in a slightly strained tone, "von who broke free from dat culture und took to guarding de vorld... it had originally been sent to infiltrate. I am not at liberty to reveal... its identity, but if de biomaterials used in your treatments vere derived from... it, den de concern I had is moot. You see," his voice lost the strain and returned to a more casual tone, "I vas concerned dat any Grue cells used in your therapy vould make you susceptible to mental influence by de Grue Meta-Mind, as vas de case mit all dose poor people sey had turned into 'sleeper agents' during de last invasion."

Dead Head looked around at the unconscious cultists, then back to Midnight. "Don't look like these folks'll tell us, but I got another way ta find out." He dashed down the corridor where the ghouls had been. Trevor heard him talking, as if carrying on a conversation with someone, but heard only pauses instead of a replying voice. Soon enough, he came back up to the main chamber. "Dead'uns says they was workin' some sorta 'ritual'a transference,' planning on stickin' that critter's soul," he nodded towards the felled chimera, "inta the body'a yer friend there. Sez there's other cults 'round the city doin' similar, but none'a them knew 'xactly where. None said who was head honcho for this, though... but I don' think it's jes' some wacked-out cultists switchin' 'round spirits fer laughs. Man, I got a bad feelin' 'bout this." ~fin~