Dr Archeville

The Refs have been (more than) a tad busy with assorted RL issues, and so have not yet made a decision on this. Sorry :(

Players Name: Dr. Archeville Character's Name: Dead Head Power Level: 15 (but built as PL 10) Power Points: 250/250PP Unspent Power Points: 0PP Trade-Offs: -1 Attack / +1 Damage w/ Body Weapons, +1 Attack / -1 Damage w/ Shovel; -5 Defense / +5 Toughness In Brief: The Revoltin' Revenant, enemy to graverobbers and death-warpers, friend to all children! Alternate Identities: Burton "Burt" Lee Identity: Secret Birthplace: Durham, North Carolina, USA Occupation: Advocate, Ghostbuster, Psychopomp Affiliations: Midnighters Family: David Lee (Father), Jamie Lee (Mother), Keith Lee (Brother), Katherine Lee (Sister), numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins; all believe Burt Lee died ten years ago. Age: 41 (DoB: October 1977; Date of death/Reanimation January 2000) Apparent Age: Early 20s... ? Gender: Good Ol' Boy Ethnicity: Caucasian (some Irish on his mother's side, some English from his father's side) Height: 6'2" (1.88 m) Weight: 170 lbs. (77.11 kg) Eyes: Ectoplasmic Blue-Green Flames (formerly Green flames, formerly Blue) Hair: White-Grey (formerly Platinum-Blonde) Description: Dead Head is a mostly preserved corpse, dry though not quite mummy-like, with purplish-gray skin and wild white hair. Sometimes he creaks when he moves. He smells like tobacco and spices and rum, and his eyes glow with a soft blue-green light. He still doesn't get out to the shops much, but has been raiding Avenger's old wardrobe for outfits to supplement what he gets from dumpster diving (a habit he has not, and probably never will, break); he enjoys wearing a noose as a necktie. He still carries a shovel, but now he's usually able to get new ones instead of using rusty discarded ones. His voice still sounds like a harsh, strained whisper, with an eerie reverb when speaking when he shouldn't be able to (like when his head is detached from his body). Power Descriptions: Dead Head's resilience still comes not from being so tough that attacks bounce off, but rather that blasts and bullets and fists go through him harmlessly. His eyes constantly glow with a cyan light, which flares when using his Comprehend and Enhanced Feats powers. History: For full history and background, see his Guidebook entry. By September 2009, he had made his way to Freedom City, perhaps the hub for superpowered and mystical activity in the world. He opposed numerous cults and necromancers, as well as some more traditional supervillains and even few Grue kaiju, but things came to a head for him on Halloween 2010. On the 50th anniversary of his imprisonment in Tartarus, Hades, Greek God of the Underworld, tried to manifest on Earth, but was stopped by a group of heroes and Baron Samedi and his agents. During the battle, something stepped out of Dead Head: Papa Ghede, Baron Samedi's good counterpart. When Malador and Samedi had opened that rift a decade ago, it was to a prison dimension holding a pseudonatural monstrosity. Ghede and some other gods rushed to close it, but the Horror fought back, and dealt him a severe blow. Desperately seeking some spot to recuperate, Ghede went to the one place available: Burton Lee. He backtracked the mystical link the Horror had set up, which it had just sent a portion of its essence into. Due to the restrictions of The Pact, Ghede still needed Burt's permissions to inhabit his body... but he was dead, his soul about to be intercepted and consumed by the Horror. Ghede had to act fast, and offered Burt a deal: he'd save him from the Horror, resurrect him, let him continue amongst the mortal world, if he could hole up in him for a bit. Burt, not really wanting to be dead (or Horror-chow), agreed... but there was an unexpected hitch. The alterations the Horror had made to Burt's mind/soul, as well as the damage it caused when it lashed out and tried to send a portion of itself into him, altered his metaphyiscal being such that when the wounded Ghede tried to bond with Burt, he was instead trapped and in a state of semi-hibernation; the resurrection also went awry, bringing Burt back as a type of super-powerful zombie, constantly rotting yet regenerating. The increased magical activities of the past month finally roused Ghede, who spent some time cleaning and undoing the damage the pseudonatural Horror had done to Burt before manifesting and carrying Baron Samedi and Hades away. He planned to take Burt's spirit with him to Guinee, where he would be rewarded in final rest, but he pleaded to stay, and his friends rallied for him. Ghede allowed it, altering him to be more resilient and left him one of Legba's hounds, to make up for the loss of his ability to animate and resurrect the dead. Fortunately for Dead Head, he knows a few powerful and skilled mages and benevolent necromancers, who could help him relearn those abilities. These lessons are 'paid' in part by helping out around Parkhurst Hotel, a task he happily does. Personality & Motivation: At first, Burt was exceedingly depressed and horrified about his condition. All his friends were dead, twice over, and his family thought he was gone. Lacking any ties to the world of the living, he wandered and did what he could for the dead, but some of them wanted him to do horrible things. He never did them, but being constantly exposed to those requests didn't help his mood. Over the past few years, though, Burt has learned to lighten up -- thanks in part by helping to bring peaceful closure to several families -- and to even enjoy some aspects of his condition (like his Anatomic Separation power). Of course, given his appearance, voice, and mannerisms, his humor is very much in the vein of Tales from the Crypt's Crypt Keeper. He is, in fact, very much like a member of The Addams Family: compassionate and loving, friendly to all he meets, eager to help strangers in times of need, tolerant to a fault... and largely incapable of noticing how creepy and wrong he comes off, or just how badly his "idle fun" (like snapping off a hand and having it crawl around like a spider, or stretching and twisting in ways no living person should or could) unnerves some people. He has, of course, made a few enemies, and holds particular types of criminals with special distaste. Baron Samedi and Malador both wanted him, either to lead their armies of undead monstrosities, or to rip out whatever power is in him and add it to their own; now Samedi wants him destroyed just out of spite. Hades has also become an enemy, due to his role in preventing his possession of/merging with Daedalus. Burt himself takes special interest in cases involving children (especially those who weren't able to fully enjoy life) and those who disturb the dead (such as graverobbers and most necromancers). Powers & Tactics: Since losing his connection to Papa Ghede, Dead Head has lost much of his power. He's still monstrously tough and near-impossible to put down -- in fact, his body repairs itself even faster than before -- and he can still communicate with and even grab spirits of the dead, but he can no longer animate or raise them as he once could. He has recently re-learned how to control himself if separated into three pieces, and a new trick: taking on the appearance, sound, and even smell of anyone who has died. Good for confronting a murderer with their victims, bad for trying to sneak into guarded areas. His Fearsome Presence can be either contorting his body in hideous ways, channeling the chill finality of the grave, or making himself look like the decayed remains of someone the person knew. COMPLICATIONS Appearance: It's a zomumbie! Eek! The GM may give him a Hero Point if someone reacts negatively upon seeing him use some of his more disgusting abilities (or simply upon seeing him for the first time), such as fleeing from him, trying to drive him off, and/or attacking him. Creepy and Kooky, Mysterious and Spooky: Even when he's trying to present himself as 'normal,' Dead Head always has an 'Addams Family vibe' about him. The GM can give Dead Head a Hero Point when his antics run counter to the etiquette practiced by those around him or otherwise make them uncomfortable, which can, for example, give him a penalty to an interaction skill check, or cause him to fail it automatically. Alternately, this can be a Complication for another character, who will suffer a penalty or automatic failure to their check. Enemies: Baron Samedi, Hades, and Malador are the big three. Then there's all the graverobbers, organlegging rings, and death-cults he's busted up. The GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for one of these people/groups attacking or otherwise disrupting him at the worst possible times. Spare Change? Chaaange?: No job, legally dead, gets most of his clothes from the dumpsters behind the Goodwill and Salvation Army (or the closets of allies). The GM can award a Hero Point should these present a significant impediment to him. Temper/Hatred: Dead Head has a special dislike of those who harm children or disturb the dead. The GM can give him a Hero Point to force him to take a course of action which would be straightforward but also foolish and/or rash. The GM may force him to make a Will save to resist the urge, or simply dictate that he gives in to it. Alternately, the GM can give another character a Hero Point and force them to make a contested interaction skill check to convince him otherwise. Blind Without 'Em: Dead Head's "spiritual blindsight" is a necromantic variation of the traditional psychic blindsight, with a few limits. It allows him to sense the living, the dead, and the undead: anything that has or once had a soul (for varying definitions of "soul"). As such, it does not work on mindless robots (and similar constructs), nor does it pick up on nonliving objects (like buildings and vehicles). ABILITIES: 14 + 4 + (-10) + 2 + 6 + 6 = 22PP Strength: 24 (+7), effective Str 29 w/ Shovel Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: --- Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 16 (+3) COMBAT: 10 + 4 = 14PP Initiative: +2 Attack: +5 Ranged, +9 Melee, +11 Shovel (+5 Base) Grapple: +16, +17 w/ Shovel, +18 w/ Tireless Limbs, +19 w/ both Defense: +4 (+2 Base, +2 Dodge Focus), +1 Flat-Footed Knockback: -12, -7 vs Magic, Salt, or Silver ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Shovel Touch DC 24 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Shovel, Breaking Touch DC 17 Fortitude (Staged) Drain Toughness; Objects Only DC 22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical); Objects Only Necromancy / Body Weapons (Crit 19-20) Touch +5 ft. DC 26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Necromancy / Fearsome Presence 50 ft. DC 20 Will (Staged) Shaken / Frightened / Panicked SAVING THROWS: 0 + 3 + 7 = 10PP Toughness: +15 (Impervious 10 [not vs Magic, Salt, or Silver]) Fortitude: --- Reflex: +5 (+2 Dex, +3) Will: +10 (+3 Wis, +7) SKILLS: 76R = 19PP Diplomacy 12 (+15) Disguise 0 (+3, +23 w/ Morph) Gather Information 7 (+10) SM Intimidate 11 (+14) SM Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 9 (+10) Knowledge (Life Sciences) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Theology & Philosophy) 9 (+10) Notice 8 (+11) SM Sense Motive 12 (+15) SM FEATS: 26PP All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Attack Specialization (Shovel) 1 Contacts Dodge Focus 2 Favored Environment (cemeteries/graveyards) Fearless Improved Disarm Interpose Jack of All Trades Luck 3 Power Attack Prone Fighting Ritualist Skill Mastery (Gather Information, Intimidate, Notice, Sense Motive) Startle Takedown Attack 2 Weapon Bind Well-Informed Enhanced Feats Challenge 4 (Gather Information: Discrete Inquiry [-20 to penalty]) (from Comprehend Spirits) Challenge 7 (Intimidate: Demoralize as a Move action, Forceful Intimidation, Mass Intimidation, Powerful Intimidation 3 [-5 penalty], Startle as a Move action) (from “Boo!”) Elusive Target (from "Aspect of The Penanggalan") Fearsome Presence 10 (from “Boo!”) Improved Grab (from “Bite-y Flying Head”) Improved Grapple (from “Bite-y Flying Head”) Improved Pin (from “Bite-y Flying Head”) Improved Trip (from “Body Weapons”) Move-By Action (from "Aspect of The Penanggalan") Veteran Feats Equipment 8 (contribution to the Twilight Lodge Minion 15 POWERS: 3 + 12 + 2 + 1 + 30 + 1 + 5 + 7 + 23 + 15 + 31 + 5 + 16 + 2 + 6 = 159PP All powers have the magic, supernatural, and undead descriptors. "Shovel" also has the dimensional/summoning descriptor (since he summons it from another dimension). Anatomic Separation 1 (Extras: Variable Split) [3PP] Animate Objects 2 (animate dead; Extras: Horde, Range [Perception], Type; Flaws: Action [Full], Limited [to corpses]; PFs: Mental Link, Progression 3 [up to 10 zombies]) [12PP] Enhanced Strength 0 (ghost grabbin'; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2) [2PP] Features 1 (Internal Compartment; lt. load 346 lbs.) [1PP] Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30PP] Immunity 2 (Critical Hits, Flaws: Limited [Not vs Magic, including the natural weapons of Supernatural creatures, Salt, or Silver]) [1PP] Impervious Toughness 10 (Flaws: Limited [Not vs Magic, including the natural weapons of Supernatural creatures, Salt, or Silver]) [5PP] Medium 3 (6PP Array; PF: Alternate Power) [7PP] BE: Comprehend 1 (Spirits; PFs: Challenge 4 [Discrete Inquiry]) {6/6} AP: Comprehend 2 (Objects; Flaw: Limited [corpses]) {2} and Super-Senses 8 (postcognition, precognition; Flaw: Unreliable) {4} {2+4=6} Necromancy 8.5 (17PP Array; PFs: Alternate Power 6) [23PP] BE: Enhanced Anatomic Separation 2 ("Fall To Pieces"; Total Rank 3; Extras: Action [Free] [3], Variable Split [2]) {9pp} plus Flight 2 ("Aspect of The Penanggalan"; 25mph / 250ft per Move Action; Flaws: Limited [Only Detached Head Can Fly]; PFs: Elusive Target, Move-by Action) {4pp} plus Strike 0 (“Bite-y Flying Head”; PFs: Improved Grab, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin, Mighty) {4} {9+4+4=17/17} AP: Enhanced Feats 17 ("Boo!"; Challenge 7 [Demoralize as a Move action, Forceful Intimidation, Mass Intimidation, Powerful Intimidation 3 {-5 penalty}, Startle as a Move action], Fearsome Presence 10 [50-ft. radius, DC 20]) {17/17} AP: Comprehend 3 (”spirit translators”; read all, speak any one at a time, understand all) {6} plus Morph 4 ("Faces of Death"; Any Humanoid, +20 Disguise; Flaw: Limited [Dead People]; PFs: Covers Scent, Precise, Voice Mimicry) {7} + Shrinking 4 ("Creepy Dead Kid"; Small [-4 Str, -1 Toughness, +1 attack/defense, -4 grapple, +4 stealth, -2 intimidate]) {4} {6+7+4=17/17} AP: Strike 4 (”body weapons”; Extra: Penetrating 4; PFs: Extended Reach, Improved Critical, Improved Trip, Incurable, Mighty, Split Attack, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning/piercing/slashing]) {15/17}0 AP: Teleport 6 (”gravewalking,” 600 feet/20 miles; Extra: Accurate; Flaw: Limited [only from & to places of death {cemeteries, morgues, etc.}]; PFs: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Subtle, Turnabout) {17/17} AP: Communication 3 (“haunt hotline,” mental, 1,000 feet; Extras: Area; Flaw: Limited [Only with Undead and Characters with Comprehend/Spirits]; PFs: Dimensional 2 [afterlives], Selective, Subtle) {7} + Mind Reading 10 (“memento mors”; Extras: Action 2 [Free for surface, Move for probe], Sensory Link; Flaws: Limited [only memories & thoughts pertaining to death & killing], Range 2 [Touch]) {10} {7+10=17/17} AP: Nullify 11 (“curse eating”; all magic effects simultaneously; Extra: Duration [Concentration]; Flaws: Limited [to necromantic magic effects], Range [Touch]; PF: Selective) {12/17} Protection 15 [15PP] Regeneration 29 (Recovery 14 [+9], Recovery Rate: Injured 3 [1 minute], Disabled 5 [1 minute], Resurrection 7 [1 minute]; PFs: Persistent, Regrowth) [31PP] Shovel 1.5 (3 points; PFs: Alternate Power 2) [5PP] BE: Strike 2 (whack!; PF: Mighty) {3/3} AP: Burrowing 3 (digging; Soil: 5MPH / 50ft per Move Action, Hard Clay / Packed Earth: 2.5MPH / 25ft per Move Action) {3/3} AP: Super-Strength 1 (leverage; STR 29 [Heavy Load: 1,400 lbs.]; PF: Breaking) {3/3} Super-Senses 19 (Communication Link [mental, with Mutt], Darkvision [Drawbacks: Noticeable], Hearing Counters Concealment [Flaw: Undead only], Magic Awareness 3 [Mental], Mental Awareness 2 [Mental], Vision Counters Concealment [Flaw: Undead only], Danger Sense [mental], “Spiritual Blindsight” [Mental Sense; Enhancements: Accurate, Acute, Radius, Ranged]) [16PP] + Enhanced Super-Senses 4 (Acute & Analytical for All Mental Senses; Flaw: Limited [Only for Necromantic Effects]) [2PP] Undead Body 2.5 (5 points; PF: Alternate Power) [6PP] BE: Insubstantial 1 (disturbingly limber) {5/5} AP: Speed 1 (tireless limbs; 10 mph) {1} plus Super-Strength 2 (tireless limbs; effective STR 34 [Heavy Load: 2,800 lbs.]) {4} {1+4=5/5} TOTALS Abilities (22) + Combat (14) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (19) + Feats (26) + Powers (159) - Drawbacks (0) = 250/250 Power Points

There could also be Jump/Warp Gates, effectively high-ranked Teleport with the Portal extra (and Progression to make the Portal big enough for spaceships to go through).

Please remember to make OOC threads for what y'all do. Also, I think she means "surprised," "distribution," "pertain," "neural" and "merely." Spell check is your friend. Especially for someone who's supposed to be smarter than -- and thinks much, much, much faster than -- every other character on the board combined. Unless you intend Prodigy to speak in Buffy Speak (which I believe is not the case). :)

Yes. Yes, it is.

What's all this then?

That leaves him dazed (can take no actions). Switching it from "pulling down" to "pushing up" (or vice versa) would be a standard action. You could do both in one round, if you use Extra Effort to surge. If not, you can only put him up this round. He'll shoot up into the air as if thrown by someone with 50 Str, up to the limit of the Gravity Control area (50 feet). But the ceiling of the Bernanke Center for Extension & Continuing Education isn't 50 feet tall. The lobby is about 30 feet high, but the meeting rooms (like the one we're in) are only about 25 feet high. Kenson suggests just using the Gravity Control rank for damage in such cases. Which, at Gravity Control 10, would be DC 25. Knievel's 19 fails by 6, so he gets another Bruise and he's stunned again. Knievel may've also broken through the ceiling. I'll say it's got a Toughness of 5 overall (he didn't slam into a steel i-beam), and take 10 on the Damage save. That'd fail by 10, so... that section of ceiling/roof is "disabled." Knievel didn't break all the way through, but there is a generous hole up there now. End 3/Begin Round 4; Initiatives & Conditions 24 -- Arrowhawk 23 -- Captain K -- held up by gravity; 2 Bruise, Dazed, Stunned 16 -- Doc 13 -- Dark Star Yes, we're still doing rounds, on the slim chance that Knievel does something Awesome before the cops arrive. ;)

Around 10:00pm (give or take on an hour) on Monday, September 15h, 2008.

So, you're turning off one field, and setting up a new, bigger field? If so, yeah, that's fine.

I've been wondering that myself. Problem I keep hitting is figuring out what would go where.

I don't think he can do that, not without Split Attack.

Avenger's keen mind and keener eyes tell him that these mysterious scraps are the equivalent of demonic phone numbers. They're components in demon summoning rituals.

The plural of crisis is "crises" (pronounced "cry-seez").

Only if he's got his Force Field up. Which he doesn't. Also, he's standing still and is letting you hit him, so you needn't have rolled an attack Toughness save to resist = 11, fail. Quark gets 30pp worth of Doc's madness You really need to buy off the Resisted Flaw on that Mimic. It's not like you don't have the points. :monkey:

Dr. Archeville is known far and wide, to young and old. He's especially known to the scientific world, or anyone with any ranks in Knowledge (behavioral sciences, earth sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, or technology), and to people in/from (Western) Europe. Belphegor is slowly becoming known, largely as a (demonic) muscle for hire. Very, very few people know he has a human form. Jos Terhune is becoming known as a dealer in (semi-)fine antiquities and curios, and for being a discrete art appraiser. His specialties are Dutch and French works, but he can get a client in touch with some other specialist, for the right price.

"... die Flipperwaldt gersput!" A few of the people around Archeville were in tears laughing, while a few were feigning polite laughter, and others were just scratching their heads.

Oh, I understand that. I'm just saying that if he'd made a high enough Notice check, he would've seen through it immediately.

Standard action to reconfigure Gadgets. Extra Effort to surge to gain another standard action. Hero Point (down to 2 now) to negate fatigue. Full round action to use his Uber-TASER. Since Knievel is prone, melee attacks against him are made with a +4 bonus. (Conversely, ranged attacks suffer a -4 penalty, and Knievel himself suffers a -4 penalty on any melee attacks he makes.) Since he's effectively carrying more than his maximum load, he also loses his Dodge bonus to Defense (he's effectively flat-footed), as noted under Carrying Capacity in the core rulebook. Check for Unreliable: 11 = good to go Need a DC 20 Fort save from Knievel. Mid-Round 3; Initiatives & Conditions 24 -- Arrowhawk 23 -- Captain K -- held by gravity; 1 Bruise 16 -- Doc 13 -- Dark Star

"Mit respect, Herr Arrowhawk," Archeville said as he began to fiddle with his Electromagnetic Screwdriver, "I believe I haff something a bit better." Two short metal prong popped out of the end of the device, and electricity arced between them. And suddenly he had stabbed Knievel with it, and held it there for a few moments.

I'm not so sure that should've worked anyway. A "Morph Watch" isn't something you can get via Equipment, that's something that'd be a Device. And if it had worked, Knievel still would've gotten a Notice check to see through it (since Morph just gives a bonus to Disguise).

You speak as if death is the worst thing I can do to you...

Why not use the HP to re-roll the save, and thus possibly not take any damage?

On this board, we've always run it as your flat-footed Defense is one-half your "base" Defense, rounded down. You have Defense +8, your flat-footed Defense is +4. You have Defense +9, your flat-footed Defense is +4.

No, no, it's a "we're trying to make the place make sense" thing. (Admittedly, this is not as easy as it sounds.) It's not all about you :P

Avenger finds a wallet, with a driver's license. "Vulture"'s name is Thomas Wells. Also in the wallet, and tucked into his pockets, were many small strips of paper with weird symbols on them. Going over the kid with her senses, Scarab detects something fairly odd: a very ornate bone flute, held in a custom concealed holster on his side.