Ecalsneerg

At Jack's words, and upon seeing their compatriots go down to several practiced sword swings, the hell beasts began charging, the two biggest of the pack rushing head long, and the others circling no less slowly, but more tactically, until they'd circle around the swordsman. Apart from two stragglers, too smart to rush into certain death, who began bounding up Jack's lawn towards his door. Then, en masse, they descended upon him in a mass of acid spitting, tooth gnashing rage and anger, masking their master as he faded away in a burst of hellfire, sulphur and red light, leaving only an echo of maniacal laughter.

Boom. All fall down. Throw up an IC post, then I'll get to Hellhounding.

Keter roared in agony, barely human sounds coming from his mouth as the multiple sword swipes sent him reeling to fall upon his back, coughing and spluttering, his fire extinguished. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA," he crowed triumphantly. Then he whistled, a high-pitched shrieking noise. At either end of the road, two packs of dogs appeared. Man-sized dogs, with no fur and blood-hued skin, and fangs like machetes gaping from their hanging jaws. The cement beneath them sizzled and melted, as acidic saliva gushed forth from their jaws. In unison, both packs roared, a terrifying noise that shook the guttering on the houses on the street. "New order, dogs," snarled Keter, the fires in his eyes blazing. "Every time he hits me, go kill someone. Young, old, innocent, criminal, hell, even if they can't fight back... kill them while the swordsman wastes his time on me." Then the blond man laughed again.

DC42 toughness save (1d20+16=29) Boom goes the dynamite. Staggered and stunned. Also... Initiative rolls (1d20+5=16, 1d20+5=7) But hey, you're getting a Hero Point for the Complication of "Don't Want Hellhounds To Eat Things". Initiative Jack - 18 - 8HP - Unharmed Hellhounds - 16 - 10 left Hellhounds - 7 - 10 left Keter - 6 - NPC - Staggered

"Apparently so," drawled Keter, barely budging from the sword swipes. He reached up and touched his cheek, pulling his hand away to reveal that the only mark made was a small red gash on his cheek. "I was expecting someone of real power, not a boy who can barely scratch me." Casual contempt filled his tone, and a sneer replaced his manic grin. His eyes began to glint red... Then he suddenly lunged forward, hellfire erupting from every visible surface of the man's body, blazing with the power of hell and reeking of hellfire and brimstone. While he clearly had power, he also clearly lacked melee skill comparable to Jack's.

First, attempt to Taunt as a move action. Then, all-out attack for 2 while wreathed in hellfire, for DC 29 Toughness (1d20+15=17, 1d20+14=19) Well, Jack's up...

Keep your Hero Point, he was still flat-footed, so it'll still hit. Resist, resist, resist the Taunt (DC 31) (1d20+20=34) DC22 Fort save against the Drain (1d20+12=27) DC30 Toughness save (1d20+16=27) Oh. Dear. God. Initiative Jack - 18 - 8HP - Unharmed Keter - 6 - NPC - Bruised x1

Right, Keter still is on his default array slots, so no fire aura. DC22 Toughness Drain (1d20+12=22), DC30 Toughness save vs Jack's sword (1d20+16=32). Oh, crap. OK... Initiative roll! (1d20+1=6) Initiative Jack - 18 - 8HP - Unharmed Keter - 6 - NPC - Unharmed

While he can't see anything amiss, in the distance he can hear what sounds a lot like the growling of several large dogs. Very large, aggressive-sounding dogs.

Yeah, go for it. Just take one. :twisted:

"That... means a lot," smiled Siobhan faintly. "And I really, really hope I never have to take you up on that." There was a brief moment of silence, before Siobhan checked her watch. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to head off, I've got a meeting at work. Thanks for agreeing to meet me," she said, getting up slowly. "Especially during your lunch break." The witch spent a moment awkwardly checking her pockets to make sure she had everything.

If Jack looked out the window, he could see the man standing patiently, tapping one foot and whistling. He knelt down, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Apparently some stray dog had wandered up to him. Then abruptly, fled at high speed, yelping like it had been kicked, leaving the madman laughing manically. Siobhan sighed as she finished drawing the Star of Solomon around the small stool holding her crystal ball. In one hand she held a pack of normal playing cards, and in the other hand Tarot cards. Reaching out with her will, she threw both decks into the circle, then threw her will into the crystal ball. Immediately, it began swirling with bright white light, the cards spinning and twisting around it inside the Star.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3040895/ 30? Buggery. Jack gets 2HP for being at his family home, and for a supervillain being in the middle of his turf, literally and figuratively.

You can tell he's a Bad Dude :P

DC30 Bluff check. He has zero interest in working with Jack, but is lying about it.

As Erik turned the mower around, a man clad in ragged clothing stepped out of mid-air in a bright red flash, the smell of sulphur and brimstone filling the afternoon air. He had his head bowed, but not so much that his pale blond hair and lean face were not clearly visible. Yet when he looked up, his eyes sparkled clearly, and his grin was wide, white and visibly unhinged. "Ah, metamagus. I have been looking for you..." he purred softly. "Although I didn't expect one of your prowess to be doing such... menial, pathetic tasks. How about you come with me, and I show you how to become so much more?" His grin widened, the madman's eyes clearly swimming in and out of focus.

"Eric, Eric, Eric," chided Siobhan, a slight grin on her face. "You can sprout claws and impale people, hurl things around with poltergeists and shrug off bullets. I can launch fireballs and cause earthquakes, and need nothing more than a cup of coffee afterwards." She gestured at her cup. "Magic is dangerous. The problem is, people won't realize that we don't do these things unless we need to, and the responsible practitioners won't let people do it either." The witch blushed deeply. "Thanks... but, I really, really hope you're right."

Hellhound At his heels pranced three dog-liked creatures, hair- and skin-less, each with teeth like daggers and claws like swords. Every one had four eyes a deeper, more putrid green than the saliva dripping from their jaws, sizzling as it hit the floor underneath them and melted the cheap tiling. Keter reached down and petted one absently, fingers running through the scaly ridges on the back of its head where its ears should be. Power Level: 8 (90pp/Minion 6) Abilities: 10 + 10 + 10 - 6 + 6 - 4 = 26PP Strength 20 (+5) Dexterity 20 (+5) Constitution 20 (+5) Intelligence 4 (-3) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 6 (-2) Combat: 8 + 12 = 20PP Initiative: +5 Attack: +4, +8 melee Grapple: +13 Defense: +8 (+6 Base, +2 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -4 Saving Throws: 3 + 2 + 3 = 8PP Toughness: +8 (+5 Con, +3 Protection) Fortitude: +8 (+5 Con, +3) Reflex: +7 (+5 Dex, +2) Will: +6 (+3 Wis, +3) Skills: 24R = 6PP Intimidate 10 (+8) Notice 7 (+10) Survival 7 (+10) Feats: 6PP Attack Focus (melee) 4 Dodge Focus 2 Powers: 20 + 4 + 3 + 1 + 4 = 32PP Drain Toughness 8 (acid drool, Extras: Affects Objects [+1]) [16PP] linked to Strike 3 (fangs, Power Feats: Mighty) [4PP] [total 20PP] Impervious Toughness 8 (Flaws: Limited against silver, magic or holy attacks) [4PP] Protection 3 [3PP] Speed 1 (10 MPH] [1PP] Super-Senses 4 (scent [Olfactory; Acute, Accurate 2, Tracking]) [4PP] Drawbacks: 4 + 4 = 8PP Mute (Frequency: very common, Intensity: moderate) [-4PP] No Hands (Frequency: very common, Intensity: moderate) [-4PP] DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 20 Toughness (Staged) Damage Corrosive Bite Touch DC 18 Fortitude/DC 23 Toughness (Staged) Drain Toughness, then Damage Abilities (26) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (8) + Skills (6) + Feats (6) + Powers (32) - Drawbacks (8) = 90 Power Points Notes: The Hellhound! No, not Kincaid. OK, I confess. These are pretty much super-Minions which no one would really notice much if you bumped up to full villain status, especially to fight some PL7s. They're nasty buggers. With Impervious 8, don't expect help from cops, soldiers or SWAT teams, they're able to do jack. They can track you by scent. They've got no hands to open doors, but they can just corrode through them. They can run as fast as any PC without a movement power. And with Int 4, I'd play them as very, very smart wolves. Pack tactics, going after the weaklings, but also being able to use doors, anticipate actions, and just general Jurassic Park style "clever girl" stuff. And why aren't they Fearless? Because having a scary PC make hellhounds run in terror is a potential awesome moment.

Jack & Equinox vs Keter & Hellhounds! I'll let Jack establish where he is prior to having Keter show up at his house.

22nd May 2011 Siobhan sat on her couch one lazy Sunday afternoon, a book in one hand, and a cigarette dangling out of her mouth. Her hair was still pinned up from her meeting with the school this morning, but she'd ditched the blouse and slacks for a loose pair of shorts and a FC Rayguns jersey. Which made it all the more surprising that when the door crashed open, she was able to quickly and easily bring herself to a standing position, legs planted firmly and right hand pointed towards the door, and the thin blond man struggling against a seemingly invisible wall. "Threshold, Simon," sighed Siobhan, lowering her hand, and walking over to the door. "You can't get in until I say so, and I'm not going to. You're too demonic now to just waltz in. Tell me what you want, and then go." Simon Kerr, the man calling himself Keter, looked into her eyes and grinned. "Good news, my dear Siobhan." He giggled. "I don't need you anymore. I've found someone else who will be much more useful to my cause." He reached out with one hand, but only succeeded in banging his fingers off the invisible barrier. "That all? Get thee gone, and if I find you doing anything illegal or immoral, I'll stop you. Anything else?" sighed Siobhan wearily. Simon was powerful, sure, but he wasn't at all threatening when he couldn't even get into her apartment. "I will return for revenge when all works out, my dear," Simon chided. "You'd do well to show some respect." The last word came out a bestial hiss. "You'll gain a swift death." Siobhan merely raised her head high, and laughed. "Simon, your plans always fail," she said primly. "Now, you cur, begone from my dwelling, or I will smite you so hard not even ash is left. Target innocents, and I will encase thee in earth. And more importantly, come to my abode again, and I will make you cry like a child. Sound fun?" Without a second thought, she reached out with her will and slammed the door in the warlock's face.

A silent curse formed on Equinox's lips. "Skies above, I am so sorry, I had no idea that would do that to your goggles." Oh Lord, Lady, forgive me, for I have harmed without just cause. She put one firm hand on the side of Blueshift's head, ignoring Push's stare. Please let this work, please let this work, I can fix this. She pulled a wand from her belt, and used the tip to gently shut the woman's eyelids properly. Lady, please... guide my will. "Fotizei," said Equinox softly, in something sounding like Greek, white light spilling forth and into Blueshift's eyes. Stars and stones, this isn't working... After a couple of seconds, she gently withdrew her hand from the side of Blueshift's head, and held it before her, making sure her wand hand was steady. I hate equivalent exchange. She jammed her index finger into her left eye socket, sending a bright burst of pain through her skull, and a bright burst of light out of her wand tip. She slowly drew back. "I deeply apologise, I've never had that reaction occur with anyone before."

Counter check against DC19 using Healing. (1d20+6=15) OK, blow that free HP on the re-roll... Re-roll... (1d10+16=21) Works.

No, that was Equinox firing a column of flame into the sky.

"I think a whole school is a bit much. I do think there's something in the traditional one-on-one, or groups of three arrangement," said Siobhan, leaning back in her chair. "Also, getting a building insured for a bunch of kids who could potentially burn the place down daily... a bit beyond our means, I think." She smiled and looked down into her cup. "Mind you, I suppose even accidentally using your powers is better than giving in to the people who'd rather you didn't have them in the first place. That, I'm not looking forward to. Teaching kids how to do magic, and more importantly why... I think I'll enjoy it. Supervillains? Dealt with them before. Perfectly normal people, never committed a crime but nonetheless hate you... that's going to be a... well, it's a thing."

Ignoring Glowstar, Equinox rolled her eyes. How many times am I going to hav to explain I can sense where they are? Instead, she spun in mid-air to look at Blueshift. Then looked up, shouted "Pyrkaaaaaaa-" and raised one hand above her head. "-KAAAAAAGIUS!" As she did so, a huge blast of flame erupted forth from her hand, illuminating a wide area temporarily, before vanishing leaving nothing more than a small of burning ozone. "So... brashness, lack of judgement and a propensity for violence are gender-specific traits? I could lend you a book on the subject, ma'am." She smiled down at Blueshift radiantly. "Sound good?"