Dr Archeville

Archived due to inactivity.

Archived due to inactivity.

... not really. There's lots of applications where time isn't a factor. Like lifting/rolling a fallen telephone pole off a trapped bystander -- no matter how fast Jube's going, he's not going to find it any easier to lift/push away.

Mutt faded back into view and he trotted up alongside Dead Head, a small bucket he had fished out of a nearby chicken place's dumpster stuck on the end of his snout. "Maybe it weren't him what did it," Dead Head offered. "What I mean is, maybe it was his hands, but not his will. I'm thinkin' it'd have to've been out an' out mind control -- not sure this guy'd call up Kriminel, 'least not in that botched manner, if it was jes' blackmail, or some other form a' coercion -- but there's more'n one way to shackle a man's mind. 'Course," he rocked back a bit on his heels, "that jes' raises further questions -- like who'd be able to put a mind-whammy on a voudounista, an' why."

Dead Head ran to the shower and turned it on full blast, then the sink's taps, and used the room's ice bucket to try to extinguish the fires. But it was too little water, and the flames spread too fast (stupid cheap wallpaper!) to have any real effect. 'Least I was able to get the window open before it built too much and gave that backdraft effect. Alarms are goin', so there's at least that, but in a place like this, folks is liable to be sleepin' one off an' won't be woked by an alarm. But I know one way t'get 'em up an' outta here... The revenant concentrated a moment, focusing on the supernatural energies that fueled his body, energies far removed from the life force of normal people. He tapped it, remembering all the angry ghosts and poltergeists and Nihils he had known -- both from personal experience and hundreds of hours of horror movies -- and released it in a single, powerful, yet succinct, outburst. [bg=#000000]"GET OUT!"[/bg] That one'd wake even the dead, not that there's any 'round here.

"Black would be counterindicated, based on analyses of superhero and supervillain fashions. and a red cape is already used by another golden-plated figure," it turned its head a few micrometers, and a third monitor flickered, showing Chevalier, "though he has not been seen in some months." The monitor flickered again, images of Chevalier being replaced with other caped heroes, Centurion and Captain Thunder prominent among them. "White seems to be the primary color of choice for superheroes. Do you think that would look acceptable on me? As for attachment points, the shoulders should be the logical choice for such points." "An interesting query, Friend-Supercape," it replied when the physicists brought up the Lab's shortcoming. Its optics buzzed and whirred as it stood and looked around the laboratory, "do you have any suggestions for such?"

I agree with Rav and Fox!

One of Us! One of Us! One of Us!

Mutt trotted up into the air to follow Kimber, and nuzzled her hand once she'd stopped. Dead Head reacted in a way 'Nox had never seen: he winced. "Well, I don't think she's his Champion anymore -- they had a big fallin' out some time back, when she got tired'a bein' used by 'im," he shrugged, "but... yeah. Got married, had a kid... then a few months later, a grown-up version of the kid from the future pops up an' starts hangin' 'round! Which was really weird, talkin' to a guy whose diaper ya just changed a few hours ago. Or, worse, talkin' to him while yer changin' his diaper! 'Course, compared to that, the fact the kid was a dhampir weren't so-" He snapped his jaw shut, realizing he probably should not have said that last bit out loud.

Dead Head seemed completely unphased by the new voice coming from Nick's mouth. Wonder if Nick & my's ability to see through time is one a' the things 'bout us what unnerves 'Nox. "An' that poor offerin' may've been 'nough cause for Kriminel to kill the caller. Gettin' some vengeance for himself, as it were." Dead Head scratched his head in thought, unknowing peeling away some of the dried, bloodless skin with his ragged nails, "but maybe... maybe there's just enough of a link 'tween 'em still that he's gotta do what the caller asked, 'least in a roundabout way. Meanin', maybe Kriminel's goin' after anyone who's wronged this guy, even in the slightest. Which might make Kriminel worse, 'cuz he'd be in a baaad mood, havin' to wreak someone else's vengeance on Fete Ghede."

54VJWHL2K3I Roll a D6 (parody of Like a G6)

Archeville chuckled, "ah, yes, we do need early adapters like you to help 'gamma test' our new toys. Oh, now that is clever!," he exclaimed, looking over the smartphone's sealed seam. "Did you base it on the polymer used in automobile window repairs? This is quite good work: it feels as smooth as an unbroken screen, and there is no loss of interactivity, no degradation of touch sensitivity."

"Light and sounds levels in chamber dropping, too, yes?" he asked Dr. Yang as they walked briskly down the aisles. The first several times he'd been called in to see to something, he either flew of teleported directly there, seeing no reason to not move as fast as he could. But when he realized doing so actually took longer, because he had to wait for the other technicians and scientists to catch up, and try to explain things to him while short of breath, he took the slower track of running with them, letting them explain and give feedback as they went. "Complete absorption of all energy spectra?" When he reached the room, his eyes went first to the crystal, and the growing splotch of darkness at the crack, then to the myriad monitors arrayed around the room. Eventually he noticed Carrie, or, more accurately, the words he'd heard from her reached through the vast calculations his mind was working on. "Have not left since arrival. Prefer Waffle Haus; IHOP incorrectly named, despite protests and suggestions." He turned just enough to take the briefest of looks at her, "you seem well."

"I am hoping you can help me with that, Friend-Supercape," it replied as it went through the images again, noting the physicist's reaction to each image. "You are the only member of The Lab who wears a cape, but your familiarity with that article of clothing is only one reason I sought your assistance. You are an expert in most fields of high-energy physics, and know what materials would be proper to use in a garment that can safely absorb, store, and discharge large amounts of energy." "As for construction," it turned partly to another monitor, and reports and documents from assorted textiles laboratories flew up onto the screen, including some on Doktor Archeville's labcoat. "I have been researching all manner of fabrics -- woven, knitted, and non-woven fabrics -- and I believe several techniques will be of use for constructing my cape. For example, nonwoven techniques could be used for certain internal layers, perhaps as insulation around nano-batteries within the cape." "Closely linked to construction method, however," it turned back to face Supercape, "is style. What style and color do you think would best suit me? I have no personal experience with clothing, so do not have the proper experience to gauge what would 'work' for me."

If Dead Head used his Fearsome Presence (perhaps extra effort-ing it to increase the rank/radius), would that rouse any sleepers/drunks enough to get them out?

My college loans get paid off next month, and to celebrate I'm going to a convention, something I've not done in a decade (and that one was plagued with problems). I'm also going to be wearing a costume for part of it ('cuz I figure "Why not go all-in?"). So I thought I'd make a thread where folks can share their 'Con experiences, offer tips & tricks and dos & don'ts for getting around and getting the most out of a 'Con, and any other advice or recommendations. Have any of you been to a con, or plan on attending one this year? Any particularly good or bad memories or stories to share? Tips on attending panels, dealing with vendors, getting autographs, foods/drinks to stock up on or avoid like the plague, making friends? Costume/make-up tips?

"A pleasure to meet you, fraulein," Archeville beamed, meeting Fatima's eager handshake with cool firmness. He saw the phone in her hand, instantly recognizing it for what it was, what it could do, and how ArcheTech's new phone (to be released in late 2012/early 2013) would blow it out of the water. "Mona has spoken often of your own accomplishments, including your winning science projects. Perhaps you could show them to me after dinner?" Archeville sniffed the air, "ah, is that what your mother is preparing? It smells wonderful! I-" he turned back and pretended to notice Fatima's device for the first time, "oh, is that the latest iPhone?"

Archeville had not left the bowels of ArcheTech since he and Carrie had returned with the crystal. He had initially thought to bring it to his home to work on, to keep it all under wraps until Mona either burst out and he managed to crack it open and extract her, and because his personal gear was slightly better than what he'd introduced at ArcheTech. No, no, I have done too much on my own, not trusted enough in others... that is part of what got us all in this situation in the first place. Fortunately, Miss Americana did not show as extreme a reaction to Archeville as Jack of all Blades had, allowed him to talk and explain what the giant crimson crystal was, and gave him the space and resources he'd need to free her. The fact doing so meant he was kept close and could be monitored was also a factor. While doing so he'd been in full "(Mad) Scientist mode," so had neglected to pay as much attention to his grooming and hygiene as usual. In three months his hair, shaved off during his stay in the dying world, had grown back in, though was still short of the luxurious lengths it had been. He also sported three months worth of beard, reaching almost to the bottom of his neck. He had taken minimal breaks for food or sleep, so he still retained the lean look he'd developed in his time on that hellish world, and he had not used any of the advanced medical tech there on himself, so his body was still crisscrossed with scars from the numerous injuries he'd received; his nails were slightly long and ragged, since his cyberkinetic abilities precluded the need to actually touch devices to operate them. Must free Mona... must free Mona... must free Mona... The crystal had, of course, proven impossible to break, meeting all forces with an equal and opposite reaction; it was almost like an echo of the perfect realm that was the pre-Omega Terminus. Even scanning inside it had proven a monumental challenge, and required 'skipping' the scanning beam through another dimension to get inside it. The only real way he even knew she was in there was the brief telepathic contact the psions on that other world had established, and brief flashes Scarab detected when she had been called in to verify what Archeville had perceived and to consult on attempts to free her without undue damage or strain. But now, inexplicably, it had cracked, and once his assistant/guard had woken him from his brief nap, he rushed in to see what was happening.

Last month Duke University (about an hour from where I live & work) unveiled three new collections for their libraries, donated by two brothers who'd been collecting for over 40 years. The Edwin and Terry Murray Comic Book Collection (67,600 items) The Edwin and Terry Murray Fanzine Collection (1,150 items) The Edwin and Terry Murray Collection of Role-Playing Games (10,000 items; the largest collection of RPGs ever made available to scholars and the public!) If you're ever down in Durham, NC, be sure to check it out!

Which is why we strongly suggested you not use a Gestalt character as your first M&M character/your first character here. There is absolutely no shame in using a pre-made character (like the ones in the stickied threads in this very forum) -- they're there in large part to help newbies (to both the site and to M&M in general) out! Some things do readily stand out to me that need tweaking, or just plain don't work: [*:w25m0umr] Zeroth, formatting. While it's true the Char Building forum is for unofficial help, not official reviews (that's what the Character Bank is for), it does help us greatly if you use the standard format for the board, since that's the format everyone would be used to seeing here. [*:w25m0umr]Caps. The Combined form appears to have Defense of +6 (3 Base, Dodge Focus 3) and Toughness +10 (5 from Protection, 5 from "Force Field"), which puts him at PL 8 defensively, 7 (well, 6.5) if flat-footed. Offensively, he's at Attack +3 (+5 w/ Sword), Damage 9 (4+5) w/ Sword, putting him at PL 7 with his Sword. (Quick trick, effective PL = [Defense + Toughness] / 2, or [Attack + Damage/Effect] / 2, whichever's higher.) The one thing he has that hits his PL 10 cap is the Area Variable Blast (since General Area effect go just by the effect's rank to determine PL)... but that's a Full Action Distracting thing, so probably isn't something he'd be using regularly. At the very least, he should be hitting his Defensive caps, otherwise he'll be KO'd very early on. [*:w25m0umr]Attributes. Why do they all have CHA 8 (-1)? [*:w25m0umr]Saves. I do not see them listed: they should be! Exotic (non-Toughness) saves are something easily skipped over, but we strongly recommend not doing so. Especially Will, which is something he'd likely be facing a lot (what with being immune to bullets), and since he has Mind Shield that'd improve it. [*:w25m0umr]Insubstantial ("Insubstantial 4 [20+2=22] (Incorporeal, Affected by Magic; Extras: Continuous; Feats: Innate; Flaws: Permanent, Can take physical form)") Continuous/Permanent Insubstantial, even without Innate, means he is permanently incorporeal, so "can take physical form" shouldn't be there. If you want them to be Incorporeal by default, but can become corporeal with some effort -- the reverse of how it typically works -- you would just buy Insubstantial and put a note on there indicating the duration is reversed (incorporeal by default, free action to become corporeal, Sustained duration [must take free action to remain corporeal]). (Mutt, the spirit hound sidekick to my character Dead Head, has this very build.) Innate may or may not be applicable: Innate is only for things that are truly an intrinsic part of the character, like an Elephant's growth of hummingbird's Shrinking; something a Nullify Powers effect shouldn't turn off. To see if Innate would apply, here's a good question to ask yourself: is there any type of Nullify effect that should be able to turn off his incorporeal (or, if reverse, his ability to become corporeal)? Should, for example, a "ghost-busting" spell designed to render ghosts corporeal (so you can punch them) work on him? [*:w25m0umr]Immunities: why are they immune to Aging and Suffocation, but nothing else? Why do they hunger, need sleep, sweat on a hot day, shiver on a cold night, et cetera? [*:w25m0umr]"Protection (Force Field)" really should be written as simply "Force Field," assuming it is a true Force Field (i.e., Protection with the Duration changed from Permanent to Sustained). [*:w25m0umr]Devices. One thing often overlooked -- by both players and Refs (though we are trying to rectify this) -- is that Devices must be occasionally lost or otherwise inaccessible to the character in order to be worth the discount, particularly easy-to-lose Devices. If your characters are permanent Incorporeal, how will they be able to lose their Devices? Also, the Damage (blade) part seems like it should have the Mighty power feat; while it is true that him having a Str modifier of +0 would sorta make that a wasted point, why wouldn't his damage with the blade go down if his Str is drained? [*:w25m0umr]Damage. See me earlier point re: Caps. Also, many of the Refs find it easier to just write Damage (Ranged) as Blast. Also, as mentioned in Chat, the Chained flaw (from Mecha & Manga) is not allowed (and, as you said, doesn't really work for what you'd wanted; just use the Linked extra). And now for the Components Sicarii [*:w25m0umr]Caps. Attack +4, +6 w/ any sword (due to Attack Spec feat), +10 w/ Spiritweaver (due to Attack Spec feat & Accurate 2 on Sword), Damage 6 (non-Mighty sword) = PL 8 offensively (+2 Attk/-2 Dmg), 2.5 if unarmed (attack 4, Dmg 1 from Str), so you're golden here! Defense +4 (3 base, +1 Dodge Focus) & Toughness 11 (from Armor) = PL 8 (well, 7.5), so you're good here, too. [*:w25m0umr]Device. Noticeable is not a valid Drawback, since Equipment & Devices that provide a Toughness bonus are already Noticeable by default. Magus [*:w25m0umr]Caps: Defense 3 (Base) & Protection/Force Field 8 = PL 5.5. Attack +3 (base), +7 (Lightning), +9 (Ice Shard) & Damage 4 (100 Bolts), 6 (1,000 Bolts), 7 (Ice) = PL 5.5 (100 Bolts), 6.5 (1,000 Bolts), 8 (Ice Shard). His Ice Shard's the only thing putting him at PL 8; I'd strongly recommend upping his Defense or Toughness. [*:w25m0umr]Attributes: it's almost never worth it to have an odd-numbered Attribute, so you can reduce that INT 17 to a 16 with little change. [*:w25m0umr]Magic: Check Required (Knowledge/Arcane Lore) is not a Flaw we allow (I was sure I'd added it to our House Rules already). To illustrate why: Magus has +15 on his Know (Arcane) checks (12 ranks, +3 INT modifier), and the DC to make his 1,000 Bolts of Lightning work is 16 (10 + rank 6). He can roll a 1 and make the check (natural 1s don't auto-fail skill checks), so he can't not make the roll (barring some effect that drains his skill or his INT modifier), so the Flaw isn't a Flaw as it doesn't impede him in any real way. The "doesn't always work" Flaw is best represented by the Unreliable Flaw (50/50 chance of it not working, and if the roll's poor you can spend a Hero Point to improve the roll/make it work). This is a lot of stuff, yes, but these are the questions you'll be facing when you do submit a character to the Character Bank for playing here. We try to make sure the crunch & the fluff work together, and work with the setting as a whole.

Ten Bits of Advice Writers Should Stop Giving Aspiring Writers (warning: language)

"Naah, not a whole lot," he replied, then jerked his head towards Cimitiere, "'least, not if me an' Nick's doin' our jobs right! Oh, and, ah," he suddenly looked a bit sheepish, but quickly bounced back, "an' 'Nox, too. She's good people! Brave an' clever," he flashed a thumbs up and smiled at the non-necromancer, "really!" The revenant raised a hand to one side of his mouth and leaned close to the ghost's ear, "I think she feels like an outsider with me an' Nick an' all the things we deal with sometimes. I'll tell ya more 'bout her later." He pulled away, gave Ghost Girl a quick wink, then knelt down beside Mutt. "Nick's right 'bout one things, though," he knelt and gave the spectral hound a scratch behind the ears, "I got Mutt here after that all went down, an' that worked out great! 'E's helped me with all kinds of stuff, which was good, since that big ol' mess left me drained." Mutt rubbernecked between Dead Head and Ghost Girl, ever-happy for attention. A thought, like a mouse in a haunted house's mansion, scurried across Dead Head's brain. He looked up from Mutt & Ghost Girl to Nick, "hey, ya think she'll be 'round long enough fer the team?"

"I thank you for recognizing the quality of my logical mind," it replied flatly, optics still trained on Supercape's eyes, "though it is my desire to share such abilities -- not merely my thoughts but the capacity to make such thoughts -- with all organic life. And may I say that your ability to perceive mass and electromagnetic energies is a trait that has impressed me. Perhaps another project we can work on in the future would be to create scanning devices that can perform similar sensory functions." "As for the immediate project," it said, turning back to Supercape's cape, "as I stated, the two functions of it would be to serve as a secondary power source, and to distort my outline to aid in defense. A tertiary function would be to give me a more heroic image, as capes seem the norm for such individuals, and other costume elements -- such as tights or a mask -- seem ill-suited for my form." "As for the form of the cape..." The golden guardian turned its head towards one of the nearby computers, and the displays on its screen suddenly disappeared, replaced by a power point presentation of dozens of images of Protectron, all in different capes. Some were long, some short, some with high collars, some not; dozens of styles in a variety of colors. The work was far from professional quality, but did show a modicum of talent, or at least persistence and precision. "I have made some preliminary sketches in a basic visual art program, and would like some feedback."

Shoot, my eye ell out of his pocket. Well, I know where he's headin', if he's serious 'bout burnin' the hospital down! This guy's nuttier'n Aunt Babs's fruitcake! Okay, so I can head 'im off at- whoa, a fire here, too! The one-eyed revenant smashed in the window to Gorsky's hotel room with his unfeeling fists, and made a dash towards the bathroom. "Don't know if it's evidence he's burnin', or jes' trying to burn down everythin' 'round 'im. Man, that's all we need, a would-be necromancer what's also a pyromaniac! Gotta deal with this first, then I'll head back to the hospital."

"Yeah! Great shot, 'Nox!," Dead Head cheered. Though it was far easier for him to 'get' most of Nick's works, Nox's flashier elemental effects often struck a chord of wonder in him. His attention was soon wrenched away by Mutt's triumphant return. "Oh, lookit you -- who's a good boy?" Hungry Mutt mentally whined. "Aww, Mutt want a bone? I'm sure we can dig one up back at Parkhurst-" Nooo. Hungry. For chicken, he thought, laying on the Big Puppy Eyes routine. "Chicken?," the revenant repeated quizzically. "Whatcha want chicken for? After this I'd think ya'd want steak, or 'least a burger-" I smell chicken. Like from that food truck I chased! He was panting now, lost in fond memories of playfully terrorizing one of the local 'roving restauranteurs.' "What, the one with the leakin' gas tank? Ya hounded him so bad he's moved clear to the- waaitasec..." Dead Head looked back to Nick, who could almost hear the marbles falling into place in his skull, "I think Mutt's smellin' chicken & gas, an' if that's what I think that is, you an' I both know who's been called up." He turned back to his dog, "Mutt, can ya track that scent? Show us if it's a food truck with a leakin' gas tank, or an offerin' to Baron Kriminel."