Dr Archeville

That's what I figured, and I've no problem at all with that. :)

Doktor Archeville was quiet. He silently observed all that went around him, hands neatly folded before him. He noted the outbursts and accusations, the rants and recriminations, and filed it away. On the surface, he seemed a calm, dispassionate observer. Inside... well, that was another matter entirely. Archeville remained silent.

By the book, Interaction skills to change a characters attitude (which is about all Diplomacy can do) do not work on PCs. A player can choose to keep being a hotheaded jerk no matter how eloquent a persons speaks (i.e., no matter how high their Diplomacy check).

This last post was partially inspired by the ending of the 1941 film The Devil and Daniel Webster. In it, a New Hampshire farmer sells his soul to "Mr. Scratch" for seven years of good fortune, but when it comes due the farmer gets Daniel Webster to find a way out. Webster offers his soul in exchange for a chance at a trial by jury to see if the Devil's claim is true; the Devil brings forth a "jury of the damned." Webster wins in the end (of course), but at the celebratory supper afterwards, the farmer's mother brings out a fresh-baked peach pie... but when she removed the cover, the pan was empty! Cut to the Devil down the road, greedily eating the entire peach pie.

"Why can't it be this-" Jos asked, before realizing his associate had disappeared. ... what the? "Ember? Where the... Ember?" he called out. "Dammit... now what?" "Now..." a wicked smile crossed Jos's face, "some indulgence." Jos dashed back to his car and sped home, dropped the scrying mirror off in his basement workshop, then changed into one of his jogging outfits and took off. He jogged southwest, towards several homeless shelters he knew of in the Waterfront. At each one he entered disguised as a transient, took a few minutes to scope the place out, then burst into his demonic form, wrecked some random destruction, and wolfed down what he could of their meager food supplies (including, in one kitchen, an entire apple pie). What resistance he faced from the staff and the few brave transients he easily fended off, but he did not hurt them too badly; tonight was about causing despair, and the dead could not despair. Between shelters, he purged so as to make room for more stolen food; two families would find a nasty surprise in their fireplaces the next morning, and another would find their van in an abysmal state. "Where the devil have you been, lad?" Jos asked as he took a croissant and coffee, "I have had to run this store alone for almost a week. That werefox of yours knows nothing of filing!"

Apparently Doktor Vile had a jaw of breakaway glass, for the mighty kick form RRG sends the mad biologist hurtling back to the far end of the corridor! He slumps down to the ground with a wet PLOP, and his tentacle-limbs merge back until he has some semblance of a humanoid body, though even then his parts are still a mismatched jumble.

That hits in either case, his Defense is 18. His Toughness in this form, though, is a mere +2. And the actual save is... a 4. That fails by 25.... I'm going to get KO'd. For the setback, I'll get another Villain Point. End Round 8. Doc can make a recovery check in 10 rounds. Initiative & Conditions 5 -- Doctor Brown/Doktor Vile -- 2 Villain Points -- unconscious 3 -- Rocket's Red Glare -- 1 Hero Point -- unharmed Since he's KO'd, his Shapeshift shuts off.

End Round 7. The fatigue tozins from his rage are all gone, so he's good as new. Initiative & Conditions 5 -- Doctor Brown/Doktor Vile -- 1 Villain Point -- unharmed 3 -- Rocket's Red Glare -- 1 Hero Point -- unharmed Move action to shapeshift to Standard action to grapple. Initial melee attack is a 25, that hits. Follow-up grapple check is... 34. Doing Damage, so If RRG does not beat that grapple check, you need to make a DC 27 Toughness save.

"Sad? Sad?!," Dr. Brown screamed, "what would you know of the intricacies of creating life, you lithium-layered lummox?! You stand there in that inharmonious electric ensemble, daring to have any shred of criticism for the elegance of life? You think that cacophonous collection of cogs and computers can protect you from all the varied wonders of life? Do you think it can protect you form me?!" As "Dr. Brown" was ranting, her face, then her whole body (including her clothing) began to warp and flow like melting wax. "her" limbs stretched and split into dozens of tentacles, and more sprouted from "her" sides and back and out from her stomach. "Her" head twisted and warped and reformed into an alabaster man's head with long hair (really more tentacles). And all those tentacles were now coming for him! "I vould prefer to add your biomass to mein next projekt, but Doktor Vile is not above cracking some of de bad eggs! Muah hah hah hah hah!!!"

Okay, just wanted to make sure that's what you'd meant.

"Oh, come on, little vons," the Doktor continued to taunt, "von of you almost made it up to me dat time! You can practically taste it, ja?" "I must say," he added as an aside to Atlas, "you are being an awfully good sport about all dis. Vhen dis is all over, I am treating you to lunch."

:P While you two had been talking, did you mean for them to be standing in the hallyway, or moving towards the high energy physics laboratories where "Dr. Brown" said she saq Bug-Man go?

Hunh, I could swear he was CEO, or some other direct/official head honcho position. In that case, I'll need to edit my last post.

"Restraint is something I intend to teach mein... associates," he replied, "as vell as getting dem to dink more before acting, using deir brains before deir brawn. Or, at least, giving me time to use mein brain und consulting mit me before dey go out." "Before dis becomes a debate on dat topic, dough," he quickly added, "dere are some matters concerning Darts dat I wanted to bring to your attention, matters vhich may haff some impact on yuor stay here. Just as some of de backers haff lost faith in it, many on de board of directors haff lost faith in you. Dey vish to distance Darts avay from you und your activities, und so are voting to remove you as head researcher und cutting you off from all deir resources. Furthermore, dere is talk of getting completely out of veapons manufacturing und focus more on defense or on even more general scientific und technical pursuits across a vide range of fields."

And once we know the result, it's my turn! Wait, Doc Otau (at least, the one from the FC book) can't beat that DC 30 Intimidate!

"Not von of mein," Archeville said, still keeping that eerie, serene calm, "but he does seem like somevon you vould vant to face. You are all about new experiences und challenges, ja?" One flash of blue light later, Kievel's laser whip fell limp to the ground, and Archeville was floating 60 feet up in the air and about 35 feet back. He looked at the floating car, then to Mervyl, "young man, I vould not advise listening to him," he pointed towards Knievel, "his is a very treacherous path. But if you are of a more heroic mindset, und vould like to help, you should know he hates being held in von place."

DC to hotwire a car is 15-20, so the nefarious Dr. Annihilation now has a running car! Now is Doc's turn! Doc still can't break that grapple check, so he attempts to escape the grapple by teleporting out of it. 60 feet up & 35 feet back (which works out to be about 70 feet total distance). Or does he? DC 25 Concentration check... bloody hell, 22! I get two move action, so trying again to teleport... ah, better, a 31 Emperor, go! Note: since your Magnetic Control is not Subtle, it's obvious to all that it's you doing it; his power is not invisible like Magneto's.

BUMP

"The answer to dat," Archeville replied, "is so obvious I am surprised you even asked it." "Vhy are de gadgeteers und vearers of battlesuits out dere in de limelight, shoulder-to-shoulder mit other metahumans? For de same reasons de martial artists und veapons masters -- und, stepping avay from 'superheroes' und 'supervillains,' actors und actresses und athletes -- are in de spotlight. Because it is inevitable. People like seeing vinners, seeing dose who can do dings dey cannot, or vill not, und people who can do dings others cannot or vill not do dose dings, in part, because only dey can do dose dings. Even dose who claim to not be in it for any glory or recognition do vhat dey do because dey feel dey must, und de rest of de vorld vatches deir activities mit rapt attention." "However," he continued, "it is possible dat de genetic factors for metahuman abilities are linked in some vay do de 'extrovert' genes, und perhaps all dose gadgeteers und veapon masters und martial artists und actresses und athletes vould manifest metahuman abilities if exposed to de correct stimuli... but dat is a theory dat seems qvite untestable."

Archeville was about to respond to Phantom (who still felt a tad nauseous around the Doktor), but Arrowhawk's words grabbed his attention. "Dat is an interesting point, Herr Hawk: de Knights do not rally haff any sort of charter, ja? No attempts to form some manner of agreed-upon bylaws und regulations und internal controls, no? How can de Knights police others if dey do not police demselves?"

You may want to roll initiative for them ;)

Works for me :D

Heeheehee End Round 6. Doc has ended his rage, so now he's fatigued for as long as he'd been Raging, 1 more round. Initiative & Conditions 5 -- Doctor Brown/Doktor Vile -- 1 Villain Point -- unharmed, fatigued 3 -- Rocket's Red Glare -- 1 Hero Point -- unharmed Doc's current form Full round spent being yadda yadda yadda.

"D-Doctor Brown," she said with a tinge of indignation, "and... and you think someone sent it? Wh-Who? Who could -- who would -- make such a creature? And surely, if it was sent by someone, it would have to have some intelligence, wouldn't it?" The doctor's fear was giving way to a cooler examination of the events, "in order to perform any assigned tasks, right? Unless the goal was just to cause chaos. But what would be the gain in that?"

Sounds good. Full round to switch brain from Enhanced Charisma to Enhanced Wisdom. Wis is now 34/+12, so he's got a +12 on Concentration. Extra Effort to SURGE, gaining another Move action to use Teleport. Concentration check is... 24! Failed by 1! HP to re-roll and... oh, come on! Another 24! And Doc's fatigued, too. Emperor does his thing. Atlas arrives 5 feet in front of where the wormhole was. And may now smash.