Avenger Assembled

APPROVED

The results Erotes 1 - 23 Erotes 2 - 17 Shadow Paragon - 15 Fop - 15 Shadow Shifter - 8 Aw, he rolled a 1; he'll be crying!

Harrier goes on 11 >The Shadow Paragon goes on 4 The bad Erotes (using TT's Anteros) go on 16 The Fop (using Dok's Vampire with a Power Ring) goes on 3 The Shadow Shifter (using TT's Shadow Controller) goes on 4 Erote Twins: 16 Gabriel: 15 Harrier: 11 Shadow Paragon: 4 Shadow Shifter: 4 Fop: 2 The Eroti? Both feint as a move action - and roll so badly, oh well . They're targeting Gabriel, spokesperson (in their minds) for an enemy pantheon. They shoot! Pew pew! http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4263267/ Oh well. Gimmie a quick sec to edit...

The OOC thread, sports fans

"Sufficient killing can weaken dimensional barriers. Or shatter them entirely. I have seen it." Harrier's flat voice broke off as he pulled himself out of the past and into the dark present. "Particularly through dimensions such as those dominated by shadow, as you say. But there would be signs here, on Earth-Prime. Blood on the walls, shadow creatures moving forth on the landscape...none of that has been seen here." "Perhaps not in your realm," spat the female of the Cupid-lookalikes, "but we have seen it with our own eyes, and shown the signs to our allies in the shadow realm!" "You see!" hissed the male of the cherub twins in near-stereo, shooting Harrier a venomous look as he whispered in the paragon's ear, "Just as we told you would happen! The Omegadrone defends those who once were his kin, and the servant of the One God invites corruption and decay into the realm of his rivals!" "Hold a moment," said the foppish fellow for the first time, a suspicious look on his face, "you said you weren't expecting to see either of them-" "TARTARUS TAKE YOU!" shouted the male, "Kill them! In HADES NAME!" And as black shadows moved across the faces of the trio under the control of the corrupted Erotes and as they moved on Gabriel and Harrier, suddenly the reality of the situation grew all-too-clear for the embattled heroes! The cherubs opened fire on Gabriel, sizzling arrows shooting past him. "Stupid human, why did you have to interfere?" one shouted. The other shouted to her twin, "Don't worry, this is just a minor setback in a MAJOR operation!"

This thread will be closed TOMORROW. Post in it NOW if you have not.

"We are the Umbral Army, my boy!" said the fop jovially, "united by a common connection to that realm of mystical shadow your more boring mystics of mid-century called die Schattenwelt...well, close enough, anyway," he said, pursing his lips, "German is such a barbaric language, don't you think? I am Black Shadow, and you've already spoken to my friend the Dark Lady. We come from a place that lies between your world and its energetic opposite, the Counter-Verse." "The accident with your friend was...regrettable, but he'll recover. We had to make sure there were no technological...impediments to our mission. We're here for the Terminus...prisoners you've taken," said the Lady herself with a shadow of deep disgust crossing her face for a moment. "Your restraint when dealing with them is admirable, but the sheer strength of the murder they embody has begun to pierce the dimensional barriers between your world and the shadowlands. We've come to eliminate the problem." "You have come to destroy them." It was not a question - Steve seemed to know the answer before he spoke. "Yes, of course." She treated the suggestion with perfect casualness. "They're a threat to your world just by existing, not to mention an abomination in the eyes of any of your many deities. For pity's sake, drone, we know about you and what was done to you. Can you really tell me that mass murderers, these people who sent hundreds of thousands to mutilation, soul-murder, and torture beyond reckoning actually deserve to live." "I have done all that, and more besides," replied Harrier, his words clipped and falcon-short; as he moved warily to face the group, separating himself from Gabriel to stay out of reach of any shadowy bubbles, he went on, "why not come for me as well?" "Because what you did, you were forced to do," she said, sounding exasperated. "The same as with any other victim of mind control. Look, this has to be done for the good of both our dimensions, so just stand aside and let us get it done." With a sigh, she started to fly past Harrier and Gabriel, heading for the main room deeper inside the compound where the Terminus prisoners were being held.

Harrier wasn't as sanguine about the situation as Gabriel but followed him anyway, his armor's sensors cutting through the darkness just as they'd been designed to do. He knew from personal experience that shadows could be something to fear, especially when one battled those who were connected to the dark, cold place where all shadows were born, but at the same time there was something cheering in following that candlelight spear into the darkness around. Gabriel's spear, which might have lit the place like the noonday sun under normal circumstances, cast a glow like a torch at night, spreading light but not able to banish the darkness around them. They found the battle in the courtyard in the apartment complex, where a small team of AEGIS agents were trapped inside a translucent black hemisphere just off-color from the shadows that were all around. The attack had come from the five beings floating in the air above the empty swimming pool; or so it seemed - a man dressed like a Regency fop with poofy shirt, high collar, and knee-length trousers, a shadowy humanoid shape with two white eyes in the middle of what would have been a man's forehead, a man and woman who looked like a Victorian's Cupid in flowing robes, and in the center, a paragon with flowing cape and eye chest symbol who might have stepped straight from the pages of Central Casting. Behind them was a white _space_ that seemed to be cut out of the shadow as if someone had taken a razor to black paper, making their uniformly black and white costumes seem all the more stark. "Oh! There was a superhero here after all." It was the paragon who'd spoken, eyes narrowing behind a black domino mask. "And you must be the Omegadrone. Listen, we don't want any of these people to get hurt," she said with a gesture towards the trapped agents, who were milling around in their captivity but looked none the worse for wear, "and the last thing we want is to fight you two. If you want to go ahead and get the agents out of here, go ahead - we only need a half-hour or so to do our work."

Frost's cheery demeanor seemed to chill slightly as he studied the statue of Ereshkigal. "I have met great lady in question. Many years ago. There was incident along borders of the dead..." He shook his head, banishing old ghosts. "She has had much grievance with the world, now and again." Putting his gloved hands in his pockets, he shot a look at the Iraqi heroes. "You have seen the old ones flare up, eh? The ancient gods do take an interest in the world of men when our eyes turn elsewhere. But a cult would have to be careful indeed in a nation where men do slay each other for wrong kind of religion, much less wrong religion altogether." He shrugged. "As for me, my government has a strong interest in a peaceful Iraq, and I have strong interest in letting the ancient gods stay in ancient realms and outside of world of men. How I can help, I shall help."

Trapped by his suddenly unyielding body, Steve lay as immobile as a quadriplegic before suddenly he felt the energy return to his limbs. He pulled himself first up on his arms, then to his knees as the strength flowed back into his body. Several seconds later, the lights came back on - the lanterns seeming to glow with an attenuated light, as if their bulbs had been drained of power. There was no response to Gabriel's hail, save Agent Dumfries suddenly taking a long, shallow breath. Even by the weakened light of the lanterns, Dumfries looked grey-faced and sick. "Battery-driven heart," the grey-faced agent said weakly, "Got it from the Ptahmen...after we helped out with that Sobek thing...not doing so well. Better go see to my team." "We will tend to your people," said Steve reassuringly, having made his way over there heedless of the massive bruise already forming on his own dark face. He looked up at Gabriel. "Whatever is out there is _not_ of the Terminus...I don't understand what it could be. Surely anyone who wanted these dead would simply kill them and be done with it, not be so...elaborate in their preparations." Outside, in the corridor outside the small hallway they'd left, was darkness - not shadow, not black light, but cold, pitiless darkness that seemed to be as real, as solid as any beam of light. Gabriel's shout had penetrated the darkness; the heroes could hear gunshots and commotion. As his armor closed around him, Harrier could _see_. "The Shadow World." he said simply.

"Wait, that's what this is?" Dumfries looked wary, and perhaps a little abashed. "Why did they just say something when we-" "They would never tell. Never." Steve faced a crude horde of humanoid figures that were unmistakably Omegadrones, sketched in chalk against the wooden clothes rack that stood by the dryers. "To mourn is to expose oneself to the reality that is the Terminus, and to do so is to invite..." Having reached for the wall, almost touching, he turned and looked back at the others. "I think Gabriel is right. A direct consultation will-" Suddenly, the room plunged into darkness - the lanterns going out like so many candles snuffed into nothingness. The bulb overhead seemed to ignite, but with a glow that gave no heat or light. The only light in the room came from the drawings, which glowed in green and red. Steve felt his limbs harden like he'd been dipped in ice, and fell forward, smashing face-first into the floor with enough force from his armored body to crack the wood. Beside him, Agent Dumfries gave Gabriel a wide-eyed stare before clutching at his own chest and toppling over!

The agents gave Gabriel a notebook and pen and escorted both men to the laundry room, a thin-walled structure down in the basement of Circle Ten's main building. Their escorts were efficient and projected an air of professional calm, but it wasn't hard to guess they were tense too - certainly they gave Steve in particular a very close examination before the door guard unlocked the fragile wooden doors and ushered the two men inside. Lit by emergency lanterns placed by the AEGIS agents, the scene inside the laundry room was to Gabriel like something from one of the tawdry thrillers about the Terminus - but somehow terribly more real and alive. The walls were covered in crude chalk drawings of humans and humanoids, and shapes that were unquestionably Omegadrones and other monsters unknown to the world outside the Terminus. The monsters seemed to be pursuing the humans, like something from a cave painting, and occasionally they fell on a human shape and tore it to pieces, or dragged it away to become like a drone. When 'alone', the humans were weeping or otherwise embracing each other - or bowing before a symbol of Omega himself. Surrounding everything were words, the twisted script of the Terminus itself, a dark calligraphy cast in pale white chalk all around the grim, crude scenes of death, destruction, and despair. "We had our magic guy look it over and he couldn't detect anything," said Dumfries with a shake of his head as the heroes looked over the scene, "but I need to know if-" "Oh." The tension had gone from Steve's face, replaced by a shadow of reflected grief as he walked up to a wood panel scribbled over with small, broken humanoid images, no more than stick figures, and rows of text. "I know what this is. This is a shrine. A shrine to those they lost." He bit the words off, slowly and painfully, as thunder rolled outside. "This is a list of children's names," he said in a voice no more than a whisper. "Inhabitants of one of their homeworlds. All gone now."

"I know that of the twenty-three Doomforge operators deemed fit to enter the society of Earth-Prime, all are currently housed here." Steve's voice was cold as hammered iron, and having read the report he'd submitted to the League after their visit, it wasn't hard to guess. "In single apartments for most, with spouses in both. And that they were found in the complex's laundry room, writing on the walls in chalk in the language of the Terminus." The nature of the Terminus made all tongues one, but at the same time on the outside made the Terminus language itself almost impossible to translate if you did not speak it naturally. Steve spoke, distracted, as visions of the past swam before his eyes. He pushed back the memories, and seemed to mentally return to the room as he greeted a Agent Dumfries, the AEGIS agent in charge of handling the case, and for that matter making sure that the Terminus prisoners were well-protected. With his greying ponytail and sunglasses, the agent looked for a moment more like an aging celebrity before he spoke, shaking first Gabriel's hand, then Steve's with just a trace of reluctance. "We've got them all locked up in the containment area in the sub-basement. The spot that was supposed to guard them if their master ever showed up looking for them. Do you want to see them first, or visit their little shrine?"

September 30, 2013 Somewhere in Ashton The apartment complex looked like any other in this bedroom community, an anonymous collection of two-story boxes done in a vaguely mid-20th century Spanish style, occupying the edge of the bedroom community in the space that lay between Ashton proper and the industrial loading docks of Greenback. Thanks to Dr. Metropolis's powers, and Daedalus' wealth, nobody much had noticed just how fast the complex had gone up, or who exactly had moved into it. There had been some very special circumstances over a year earlier, when the heroes Wander, Jill O'Cure, Dragonfly, and Harrier brought back the >last survivors of a dying world from the grip of the Terminus. Most of the time, dimensional refugees in Freedom City went to the same place - Freedom League Special Circumstances Housing. But these refugees, such as they were, were very special indeed. Murdock stepped out of the car, the taxi rising off its struts, and looked up at the nearly-anonymous building complex, clouds in a darkening sky overhead showing what promised to be the mother of all rainstorms. He wasn't looking at Circle Ten Apartments, though, or even at the agents waiting inside who he knew worked directly for the Freedom League. Instead he was remembering the last time he'd met the people inside that building. He remembered that day, and how close he had come to losing control, with a fever-hot vividness, and took a moment outside to compose himself. Gabriel was arriving at the same time, by a discreet League teleporter into a nearby side-street rather than by his own very noticeable flight. The news wasn't good - the Terminus prisoners resettled in Freedom City had been found making a secret room inside their apartment complex, marked with strange signs and unknown names, and as the League's expert in religions, he'd been called in to see if this was another Terminus cult alive and well even among people who were supposed to be their guests.

Loose Cannon Psychic PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 0 + 2 + 2 + 4 + 6 + 6 = 24 pp STR 10 (+0) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 14 (+2) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 16 (+3) Combat: 8 + 12 = 20 pp ATK: +4 (+6 Vengeance) DEF: +10 (+4 Dodge Focus, +6 Base, +3 flat-footed) Init: +2 Grapple: +4/+20 w/Move Object Knockback: -5 Saves: 5 + 3 + 9 = 17 pp TOU +10 (+2 Con, +8 Protection) FORT +7 (+2 Con, +5) REF +5 (+2 Dex, +3) WILL +12 (+3 Wis, +9) Skills: 15 pp=60 r Concentration 8 (+11) Diplomacy 7 (+10) Intimidate 12 (+15) Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 13 (+15) Language 2 (Greek, Hebrew, Base [English]) Medicine 2 (+5) Notice 7 (+10, SM) Sense Motive 7 (+10) Feats: 10 pp Attack Specialization (Vengeance) Dodge Focus 4 Move-By Action Luck Startle Power Attack Ultimate Save [Will] Powers: 3 + 48 + 8 + 4 = 64 pp Flight 1 (air-walking, 10 MPH/100 fps, PF: Subtle) [3PP] Vengeance Array 16 (32 points; PFs: Alternate Power, Dynamic, Dynamic Alternate Power 6, Variable Descriptor 1 [bludgeoning/piercing/slashing], Subtle) [48PP] DBE: Environmental Control 1-6 (4 points worth of effects [Cold, Hamper Movement (Obstacle Course), Heat, Reduced Visibility (Cracked Pipes/Dimmed Lights/Sandstorm), Wind] in a 5 to 250 ft. radius; Extra: Selective Attack; PF: Precise) {6-31, 1-26 left} AP: Drain WIS 7 (Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Linked [Mind Reading], Mental, Range 2 [Perception]) {21} + Mind Reading 10 (Extras: Linked [Drain WIS], Mental, Penetrating; Flaws: Duration [instant/Lasting]; PF: Subtle) {11} {21+11=32/32} DAP: Damage 1-14 (internal destruction; Extras: Alt Save [Fort], Range [Ranged]) {3-32, 0-29 left} DAP: Blast 1-14 (psionic force; PFs: Indirect, Subtle) {4-28, 4-28 left} DAP: Blast 1-10 (telekinetic storm; Extra: Area [5-50-ft. Burst, General]) {3-30, 2-29 left} DAP: Dazzle 1-10 (explosion, auditory & visual; Extras: Area [5-50-ft. Burst, General]) {3-30, 2-29 left} DAP: Move Object 1-10 ('Dodge this,' Str 5-50, Hvy Load 50 lbs. - 12 tons; Extra: Range [Perception]) {3-30, 2-29 left} DAP: Damage 10 (pyrokinesis; Extra: Range 2 [Perception], PFs: Indirect, Precise) {4-32, 0-28 left} Protection 8 [8 PP] Super-Senses 4 (Danger Sense [mental], Mental Awareness 2, Uncanny Dodge [mental]) [4PP] cost abilities 24 + combat 20 + saves 17 + skills 15/60 + feats 10 + powers 64 = 150 pts --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design Notes: In honor of the forthcoming Carrie remake, here's my build for a loose cannon psychic like Carrie White of Stephen King's Carrie, or the firestarting Charlie McGee of Stephen King's Firestarter...there were other works of similar vintage, but Stephen King wrote the most famous ones! While some psychics are sharp blades like Psylocke or the Blue Fox, or powerhouses like the Scarab, this lady is sheer, raw power: she can whip up a telekinetic storm around herself, start fires just by concentrating, throw heavy objects, or just induce ministrokes by a glance. She can also read minds, but it's a little too refined for her to do without some serious concentration (hence why it's an AP, and not a DAP, of her big array). She could easily wreck a town full of bystanders and PL 3 policemen, and as written might be the most powerful person on Earth >H-Isolate-White. You should kick her up a notch if you want her to be a threat to a PL 10 team, maybe 2 or 3 notches, but I think as written she'd be very challenging to a small team of PL7s if played right. Carrie's story may seem too dark for FCPBP, but OTOH she's probably not that different from how Jean Grey's life would have gone down in a world where she was the only superhero (and if she had psychotically abusive parents). Maybe the superheroes showed up at the last minute and rescued the girl before she could do too much damage to her hometown, and now she's a Claremont student (or perhaps Project Freedom prisoner, depending on just how much bad stuff she did...) looking to escape the trauma of her past and carve out a better life for herself. This version has enough control that maybe she was recruited as a psy-agent out of high school (like an older version of Charlie); perhaps now she's offering guidance to a new generation of young, powerful people to make sure they can avoid the mistakes she did. (Carrie White would turn fifty years old this year...) Given her dangerous powers and the contempt her community held her, in the hero-friendly world of Freedom City she might well be a Terminus Baby.

Divine Weather Controller PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 0 + 0 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 2 = 12 PP STR 10 (+0) DEX 10 (+0) CON 24/14 (+7/+2) INT 12 (+1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 12 (+1) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16 PP ATK: +4 (+6 Weather) DEF: +8/+7 (+3 Dodge, +1 Shield, +4 Base, +2 flat-footed) Init: +0 Grapple: +4, +2+16-+20 w/Move Object Knockback: -11/-3/-1 Saves: 3 + 5 + 4 = 12 PP TOU +12/+7/+2 (+2 Con, +5 Force Field, +5 Enhanced Con, [+10 Imp]) FORT +10/+5 (+2 Con, +5 Enhanced Con, +3) REF +5 (+0 Dex, +5) WILL +6 (+2 Wis, +4) Skills: 40 r = 10 PP Bluff 4 (+5) Concentration 8 (+10) Language 2 (Arabic, English, Swahili [base]) Notice 6 (+8) Sense Motive 4 (+5) Sleight of Hand 8 (+10) Stealth 8 (+10) Feats: 7 PP Attack Specialization (Weather) Dodge Focus 3 Environmental Adaptation (Stormy Weather) Power Attack Second Chance (Concentration checks) Powers: 45 + 1 + 6 + 5 + 2 + 34 = 94 PP Device 11 (Divine Weapon, Flaw: Hard to Lose, PF: Restricted [Those Worthy]) [45PP] Divinely Enhanced Weather Control 4 (+8 points; PFs: DAP 3 [Obscure, Selective Environmental Control, Stun]) [14DP] Enhanced Constitution 10 (to 24/+7) [10DP] Impervious TOU 10 [10DP] Shield 1 [1DP] Strike 14 (PF: Takedown Attack) [15DP] 10 + 14 + 10 + 1 + 15 = 55/55 Feature 1 (Weather Sense) [1PP] Flight 3 (50 MPH/500 fpm) [6PP] Force Field 5 [5PP] Immunity 2 (environmental cold, heat) [2PP] Weather Control 12 (24 PP, PFs: Dynamic, Dynamic Alternate Powers 4, Variable Descriptor 1 [any weather]) [34PP] DBE: Environmental Control 1-6 (4 points worth of effects [Cold, Hamper Movement (icy/wet surfaces), Heat, Light [ball lightning], Reduced Visibility (rain/sleet/snow), Wind] in a 5 to 250 ft. radius) {4-24, 0-20 left} DAP: Blast 1-8 (lightning or other weather; PFs: Indirect 2) {4-18, 6-20 left} DAP: Blast 1-7 (mini-blizzard or other weather; Extra: Area [5-35-ft. Burst, General]) {3-21, 3-21 left} DAP: Dazzle 1-7 (thunderstroke or other weather, auditory & visual; Extras: Area [5-35-ft. Burst, General]) {3-21, 3-21 left} DAP: Move Object 1-8 ('Air Control,' Str 5-40, Hvy Load 50 lbs. - 3 tons; Extra: Range [Perception]) {3-24, 0-21 left} costs abilities 12 + combat 16 + saves 12 + skills 10/40 + feats 7 + powers 94 = 150 pts ------------------------------------------------------------------- Design Notes: Born in East Africa, her weather-manipulating powers made her first a local celebrity, then a hero. She defended her community, and those around it, from terrorists, criminals, and poachers while at the same time helping keep the crops growing in the middle of a desert community. But she knew there was bigger game out there; bigger problems, bigger villains, and bigger heroes. She got her chance to enter that world when she found a greatclub outside her small town, a mighty weapon lodged in the ground as if fallen from the sky. When she hefted the weapon, it turned out to be the greatclub of Mulungu, skyfather of the Kikuyu and other East African pantheons. Empowered by divine energies as well as her own mutant heritage, now she defends her homeland from enemies great and small. Yes, it's Storm wielding Thor's hammer! She's a very effective weather controller who becomes a mighty powerhouse when carrying her divine weapon, able to hurl mighty lightning bolts, summon tremendous storms and divide and conquer her foes by manipulating the environment around them - she can also just pull back and hit them with massive blows! I've given her an East African theme, but you could easily make this a weather controller wielding the weapon of any storm god - one natural angle might be to have her carrying the symbol of a divine parent, having inherited some portion of their power, and trying to solve the challenge of living in both worlds. Interesting fact, if you like the African theme; Set of Egypt was their god of storms...

All right, this has gone on for a fair bit already - Edge is out of HP, Boreas is Inspired, the monster is bound and helpless - give him your all, Boreas!

Inspired by Boreas' choice of tactics against the brobdingnagian bad guy, Edge concentrated and pushed, sending rivers of ice crawling up the flanks of the volcanic giant, slowing its approach and sending Magmar into a howl. Vulnerable to the cold, the creature was in a rough state now! The big giant was in a perilous position now, pinned down by the feet by a much smaller target, and in a good position to be shoved over backwards. "Okay, Boreas!" he yelled, "I think I've got him on the ropes! Go ahead and hit him with your best shot!" Mark was a little nervous; he didn't know Boreas that well and they were in a bit of a rough situation, but he was supremely confident they'd come through the fight all right - if he didn't fry first! It really was very hot down there by the volcano.

"Feh, I represent Mother Russia honestly and forthrightly, what more could a diplomat do, eh?" Frost laughed and clapped Bombardier on the back, then turned to Wendy Go. He looked the monster girl in the eye and remembered other young people, in long-gone places and times, fighting for their people because it was that or live as what they were. "Ah, privet! It is pleasure to meet another fine member of True North, my dear," he said with a paternal wink in her direction. He didn't offer to shake hands, even with gloves on, some people just didn't like it. As for the other member of the group, he was used to people in the modern age towering over him, but few did so quite as much as the mighty Canadian Shield did. He looked up at the giantess, remembering occasions he'd seen her manipulating volcanic power, and for a moment let his mind wander. "And hello as well, Canadian Shield. Ever on guard, eh?" He looked around and shrugged. "So, what affairs lie below?"

Mystic Knight PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 8 + 6 + 8 + 0 + 4 + 8 = 34 pp STR 18 (+4) DEX 16 (+3) CON 18 (+4) INT 10 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 18 (+4) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24 pp ATK: +6 (+10 Melee) DEF: +10 (+4 Dodge, +6 Base, +3 flat-footed) Init: +7 Grapple: +14 Knockback: -8/-2 Saves: 4 + 5 + 6 = 15 pp TOU +10 (+4 Con, +6 Protection [6 Impervious]) FORT +8 (+4 Con, +4) REF +8 (+3 Dex, +5) WILL +8 (+2 Wis, +6) Skills: 80 r = 20 pp Climb 6 (+10) Diplomacy 11 (+15, SM) Intimidate 11 (+15, SM) Knowledge [Arcane Lore] 5 (+5) Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy]) 10 (+10, SM) Languages 3 (Arabic, English, Latin, Base: Celtic) Notice 8 (+10) Ride 12 (+15, SM) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Survival 3 (+5) Swim 6 (+10) Feats: 32 pp Accurate Attack All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Defensive Attack Dodge Focus 4 Fearless Improved Disarm Improved Initiative Minions 5 [Pegasus] (Extra: Heroic) Power Attack Quick Draw [draw] Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge [theology and philosophy], Ride) Startle Takedown Attack 2 Ultimate Skill (Diplomacy) Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 25 pp Device 2 (Magic Sword, Flaw: Easy to Lose, PF: Restricted [those pure of heart]) [7PP] Strike 6 (PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Improved Crit, Mighty) {10/10} Device 4 (Magic Armor, Flaw: Hard to Lose, PF: Restricted [those pure of heart]) [17PP] Immunity 8 (disease, environmental cold, heat, poison, sleep, starvation and thirst, suffocation, Flaw: Limited [Half-Effect]) {4/4} Protection 6 (Extra: Impervious 6) {12/12} Super-Senses 3 (Detect Evil [2] visual, Enhancement: Analytical) {3} Super-Senses 1 (Communications Link (Pegasus [mental]) [1PP] Minion: Pegasus abilities 34 + combat 24 + saves 15 + skills 20/80 + feats 32 + powers 25 = 150 pts ===================================================================================== Design Notes: Just as there have been plenty of Camelots in our fiction, there have been plenty of versions of this character - the armored knight on the flying horse, ambassador of truth and justice from a long-gone past. I've built this version as something of a Wonder Woman expy - a fearless warrior who is a skilled fighter and experienced adventurer even without her magic sword and magic armor. Her sword lets her cut unholy spectres in half, her armor lets her shrug off small arms fire and detect infernalists and wicked demons. She's scary enough to make an infernalist flinch, but diplomatic enough to talk down a dragon. And charismatic enough to be the life of the party with flagon in hand! Her flying horse makes her mobile enough to do just fine in a big super-battle. Lots of Complications for a build like this, depending on whether she's from a Romano-Celtic Camelot clinging desperately to civilization as the Dark Ages close in, a Medieval Fantasy Catholic Morte d'Arthur style society, or a Grant Morrison-style Celtic-infused Camelot. A knightly code of honor would very much be applicable whatever her origins, and whether she came here by being frozen in a block of ice (alongside her trusty steed!) or traveling through a fae spaceship from the far future (sure, Grant Morrison, sure). Not being a big fan of dog-Celtism, I like the idea of drawing more heavily from the 'original' Arthurian stories and giving her origin a medieval fantasy flare. Green Ronin's own Medieval Player's Guide might be worth consulting here!

Power Thief Paragon PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 4 + 0 + 6 + 0 + 4 + 6 = 20 pp STR 30 [14] (+10/+2) DEX 10 (+0) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3) Combat: 12 + 8 = 20 pp ATK: +6 (+10 Unarmed/+14 Mimic) DEF: +10 (+6 Dodge Focus, +2 Base, +2 Flat-Footed) Init: +0 Grapple: +16-+19 Knobkack: -8/-1 Saves: 5 + 5 + 6 = 16 pp TOU +10/+3 (+3 Con, +7 Protection [+6 Imp]) FORT +8 (+3 Con, +5) REF +5 (+0 Dex, +5) WILL +8 (+2 Wis, +6) Skills: 28 r=7 pp Bluff 3 (+6/+10) Gather Info 4 (+7) Intimidate 7 (+10) Language 1 (English [base], Russian) Notice 6 (+8) Sense Motive 6 (+8) Feats: 11 pp Attack Specialization [unarmed] 2, Attractive, Dodge Focus 6, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 35 + 30 + 7 = 73 pp Container 7 (Power Thief, PFs: Accurate 4, Power Attack) [35PP] Mimic 6 (all powers, Extra: Linked [stun], Flaw: Tainted) {18/18} + Stun 6 (Extra: Linked [Mimic]) {12/12} = [30/30] Container 6 (Paragon Powers) [30PP] Enhanced STR 16 (to STR 30/+10) {16} Impervious TOU 6 {6} Paragon Array 6 (6PP, PFs: Dynamic, Dynamic Alternate Power) {9} DBE: Flight 0-3 (0-50 MPH/500 fpm) {6/6} DAP: Super-Strength 0-3 (Effective STR 30-45, Heavy Load: 1.5-6 tons) {6/6} Protection 7 [7 pp] costs abilities 20 + combat 20 + saves 16 + skills 7/28 + feats 11 + powers 73 = 150 pts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design Notes: Here's my build for Rogue, a power-stealer who has acquired paragon powers through mostly legitimate means. Yes, I grew up with the 90s animated X-Men, so I think of Rogue as the team's flying brick with a helpful additional power that kicks in when the team really needs it. She can fly fast and is bulletproof, at least if no one's packing anything bigger than a handgun. She's also strong enough to be a secondary brick, though probably not as strong as that Russian powerhouse her team has recruited! Her Mimic power has a linked Stun effect, forcing anyone whose power she copies to make a save against being dazed or stunned. She doesn't have the Aura effect that some Rogue conversions do; just treat her powers as an Uncontrolled complication that makes it very difficult for her to live a normal life. She has 30 pp to play with once she's successfully executed a Mimic, which just happens to be the exact same size as her Paragon Power container! What an interesting coincidence. (i.e., yes, she permanently imprinted those abilities on herself) Rogue's origin is probably a bit too dark for a PC on our site, but there's no reason she couldn't have gotten her powers from a villain - from Ultimen to rogue Grue, from Ubersoldaten to DNAscendents, there are plenty of bad guy paragons whose powers she could have stolen. Maybe that bad guy is in a coma, and a source of heavy guilt from the effects of a power overused to save a life, or maybe that bad guy is out for revenge! Or you could, I suppose, say a hero died as a result of using her powers - perhaps a mortally wounded teammate passed on her abilities to the team mimic, now giving her two heroic legacies to fight for!

Divine Teleporter PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 4 + 6 + 6 + 0 + 4 + 6 = 26PP STR: 14 (+2) DEX: 22/16 (+6/+3) CON: 16 (+3) INT: 10 (+0) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 26/16 (+8/+3) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24PP ATK: +6 (+8 Expeditious Array) DEF: +12 (+6 Dodge, +3 Base), +3 flat-footed Init: +6/+3 Grapple: +8 Knockback: -4 Saves: 2 + 5 + 6 = pp TOU: +8 (+3 Con, +5 Protection) FORT: +5 (+3 Con, +2) REF: +11/+8 (+3 Dex, +3 Enhanced Dex, +5) WILL: +8 (+2 Wis, +6) Skills: 48 r = 12 PP Acrobatics 12 (+15/+18, SM) Concentration 4 (+6) Diplomacy 8 (+10/+16, SM) Intimidate 8 (+10/+16, SM) Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 10 (+10, SM) Notice 3 (+5) Sense Motive 3 (+5) Feats: 14PP Acrobatic Bluff Attack Specialization: Expeditious Powers Challenge 2 (Combat Diplomacy, Fast Acrobatic Bluff) Dodge Focus 6 Evasion Power Attack Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy]) Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 10 + 6 + 26 + 5 + 14 = 62PP Enhanced Charisma 10 (to CHA 26/+8) [10PP] Enhanced Dexterity 6 (to DEX 22/+6) [6PP] Expeditious Array 12 (24 PP, PFs: Alternate Powers 2) [26PP] BE: Blast 12 {24/24} AP: Dazzle 12 (visual) {24/24} AP: Strike 12 (PFs: Critical Strike [demons], Extended Reach [5 feet], Improved Trip, Takedown Attack 2, Variable Descriptor 2 [any holy]) {21/24} Protection 5 [5PP] Teleport 4 (400 ft/1 mile) (Extra: Accurate, PFs: Easy, Turnabout) [14PP] costs abilities 26 + combat 24 + saves 13 + skills 12/48 + feats 14 + powers 61 = 150 pts ------------------------- Design Notes: Sometimes a vehicle for talking about faith in a superhero universe, sometimes used as a vehicle for cheap storytelling (exploding Communion wafers, yeah, that makes sense), the religious faith of Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler, has always been something that set him apart from his fellow X-Men. I got to thinking about what a holy teleporter would look like, and came up with this fellow, inspired by Nightcrawler, his AU daughter Nocturne, and St. Expeditus of the Roman Catholic Church. This fellow can BAMF around from place to place in a puff of sweet-smelling incense, traveling through a dimension of blazing white holy fire that he can then manipulate - he can fire blasts to smite the wicked, blind them, or just pull out a heavenly sword and go to town fighting bad guys! His powers also make him faster and more agile, and give him a near supernatural charisma when dealing with other people. Mechanically this guy doesn't have Nightcrawler's ready wit; while a personable enough guy, he's more likely to try and play peacemaker than go in quipping. He's probably much more like Movie!Nightcrawler than the comic book version. St. Expeditus is a big player in syncretic religions like Voodoo and others in Africa and Asia, so if he is an embodiment of that Catholic saint turned voodoo god, this guy might be the native hero of New Orleans, Reunion Island, or some place more exotic than Kurt's weirdly peasant-raddled Germany. It's up to you whether or not this fellow's teleportation powers directly are associated with his divine abilities or not; perhaps he's an angel come to Earth, perhaps a short-range teleporter died and came back with powers tied to the Paradise that awaits us all.

Mystic Giant Abilities: 4 + 6 + 6 + 0 + 10 + 0 = 26 pp STR 30/14 (+10/+2) DEX 16 (+3) CON 24/16 (+7/+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 20 (+5) CHA 10 (+0) Combat: 16 + 16 = 32 pp ATK: +8 (+10 w/Magic) [+6 [+8 w/Magic] w/Growth] DEF: +9 (+1 Dodge, +8 Base, +4 flat-footed) [+7 (+3 flat-footed) w/Growth]) Init: +3 Grapple: +10, +24 Knockback: -11/-9/-1 Saves: 0 + 2 + 2 = 4 pp TOU: +13/+9/+3 (+3 Con, +4 Growth, +6 Force Field [+4 Impervious [Aura], +6 Impervious [Force Field]) FORT: +7 (3 Con, +4 Growth) REF: +5 (+3 Dex, +2) WILL: +7 (+5 Wis, +2) Skills: 44 r = 11 PP Concentration 5 (+10) Intimidate 10 (+10/+14) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 10 (+10) Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 5 (+5) Languages 4 (English, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Old Norse [base]) Notice 5 (+10) Sense Motive 5 (+10) Stealth 0 (+3/-5) Feats: 6 PP Attack Specialization [Magic] Dodge Focus Second Chance (Concentration checks) Power Attack Ritualist Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 5 + 25 + 6 + 29 + 3 = 68 PP Force Field 6 (Extra: Impervious; Flaw: Limited [Dodge Bonus]; Drawback: Power Loss [when unable to speak or gesture to cast spells]) [5PP] Growth 8 (Extra: Duration [Default] (+0), PF: Innate) (Huge size) [25PP] (-2 ATK/DEF, +8 Grapple, -8 Stealth, +4 Intimidate, 16 ft tall, 4K-32K lbs, 15 ft space, 10 ft reach, x2 carrying capacity [Effective STR 40, Heavy Load: 3 tons]) Immunity 6 (Aging, Fire Damage) [6PP] Magic 12 (24 points; PFs: Dynamic, Dynamic Alternate Powers 2) [29PP] DBE: Damage Aura 1-2 (Extras: Linked [impervious Toughness], Penetrating, Secondary Effect) {6-12} + Impervious Toughness 1-4 (Extras: Duration [sustained], Linked [Damage Aura]) {1-4} {12+4=16/24} DAP: Damage 1-12 (fiery breath, Extras: Area [Targeted, Shapeable], Penetrating 4) {2-24/24} DAP: Teleport 7 (fiery step, 700 feet/200 miles; Extra: Accurate; PFs: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Turnabout) {24/24} Super-Senses 3 (Detect Magic 3 [visual]) [3PP] costs abilities 26 + combat 32 + saves 5 + skills 11/44 + feats 7 + powers 68 = 150 pts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design Notes: This build has been tugging at me since I first saw the above picture of the Scarlet Witch looming over her fellow heroes - a mystic character who just happens to be huuuge! Dividing her specialities does mean she's not as good a powerhouse as a real powerhouse, or as good a mystic as a real mystic, but as it is she's an interesting character with a lot of options. I've built this particular heroine as a daughter of Surtr, king of the fire giants of ancient Norse legend, one who has mastered her innately fiery nature and begun learning magical skills beyond that of her siblings. She can set herself on fire, hurl bolts of fire at her enemies, or take fiery steps that transport her hundreds of miles at one go! Perhaps her scholarly nature has driven her to walk the world of men for more knowledge; or perhaps she was left a foundling on Earth rather than growing up in Muspelheim, and is looking for a way to better understand and bring both worlds together. She's an OK blaster, but can easily benefit from using her formidable size to grapple smaller, weaker foes and set them on fire. As mentioned above, I get around the problem Growth causes with caps by just assuming her decreased Magic ranks at Medium-sized are a Complication. Note that her size is her default form; she can make herself medium-sized as a free action. This requires some concentration, which means she can't do it while stunned (unless she passes a Concentration check), unconscious, or asleep, . If she's going to spend a lot of time on Earth, she'd better find a place that can accommodate somebody sixteen feet tall! Note that if dropped in a magic-nullifying field, she's PL 8 offensively and PL 7 defensively, so she's pretty good to have on your magic team! If your headquarters has high roofs, anyway. She could easily have ice powers if you want to make her a daughter of Jotunheim, or something else entirely; there are a lot of giants out there in mythology!

Edge: >Reunion and Waffles >Black Rainbow >Vengeance from the Grave Harrier: >Hell Comes to Missouri Comrade Frost: >Bricks of Babylon >Leaves in the Wind GMing: >Both Alike in Dignity >When a Tornado Meets a Volcano ----------------------- Wander: >Black Rainbow >Vengeance from the Grave >Both Alike in Dignity Fleur de Joie: >Leaves in the Wind Miss Americana: >Hell Comes to Missouri

"I invited him," hissed Runs-With with what might have been an embarrassed face, rooting through an upturned clothes bin as she talked. Thinks-and-Eats scuttled over to help, reaching down with clawed limbs to help re-assemble her battered outfit. "I thought we could talk and I could explain why he would not be fertilizing my eggs as long as he wore the Orthodox robes, but instead it turned to this madness!" She snapped at her fallen ex-boyfriend, who had by now rolled onto his back to expose his belly in complete submission to the angry Commander. "I would have fought you fairly," she said as she pulled on a helmet with a faint ruffled line of feathers down the middle, something that had been a serious source of argument between mother and daughter, "but bringing the Deliverer into this was...what, did you think I would just bend over for you?" "I, I..." On his back, exposed in more ways than one, the fallen raptor shook his head. "No! No, I swear before the Deliverer and the First Tribe, I came only to talk! It was the Cleric who pressed the argument! He insisted on coming when he heard where I was going, and it all just spun out of control, I...he said he had found a secret! A secret to prove that the Deliverer was real! As real as any...mammal on two legs," he added, looking abjectly at the humans (and Willow). With a look of disgust, the Commander stepped back, allowing the boy to his feet. "Feh. They egg-rot the brains of our young males. You see how it is. The bald one is right to suggest a fate for you better than devouring. Perhaps you would benefit from a few years shoveling hadrosaur dung, until you can learn what stinks and what does not." "It is YOU who stinkssss!" hissed the Cleric, evidently the raptor who had been hurled from the building earlier. Bleeding from glass cuts and limping on a broken leg, he was no threat, but his eyes burned with hate. "In our temple, we have found the gateway to the First World before the Cataclysm, the world taken from us by THEM!" He gave the humans a venomous glare. "It is no accident that the First World is ruled by damned dirty apes! We have seen their films; how a million of their years ago their ancestors drove us from our world! Only the Deliverer brought us salvation from the doom that THEY brought to us! We will take back what is ours, and there is nothing you can do to stop us!"