Raveled

Miras shrugged. "Can't hurt to give it a shot, I guess," she said. "Of course even if there is some harmless practitioner in town, what are we going to do? We can't just tell her to pack up and take the new Greyhound out of town, can we? Even if we run her to Boston or Philadelphia, or hell even to Paris or Hong Kong she'll be alone. I'm not sure I'm willing to --" She was cut off when a scream rose above the crowds. She stood, and with the long practice of someone used to living in a crowded metropolis she weaved through the crowds to where their attention was focused. It turned out to be a church near the center of town, a steepled building with a life-sized crucifix out front. A woman and a small child were on the steps of the church; she was on the ground shielding a him, and while they were both wearing crosses around their necks and the same sort of clothes as the rest of the townfolks, their complexions marked them as natives. Four other colonists, all big men with angry expressions, were hemming them in and keeping them from escaping. One man strode forward, grabbing the woman's arm and yanking her to her feet only to throw her down again. "Where are they, witch!" he demanded. "Give us our children back!" She screamed and fell again, and again folded herself over her son. "Please, please! I've never done anything to you, I don't have anything to do with this! On God's name, we've never hurt any of you!" The men's faces colored with rage and one hefted a heavy blacksmith's hammer. "On God's name? You heathen witch, we'll show you what we do to those who talk the Lord's name in vain!" A dense, irrational anger filled Miras up as she watched it, made her skin hot and her muscles tremble and her vision turn red. She moved almost without thinking it; in a moment she was standing at the edge of the crowd and then in a green blur she was standing between the men and the natives. She towered over them, six-foot-plus and full of rage. "Get the hell away from here," she spat, locking eyes with the leader. "Or I will show you just why you should be afraid of witches."

Chrome Player Name: Raveled Character Name: Chrome Power Level: 10 (150/150) Trade-Offs: None Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress To Impervium Status: 0/150 In Brief: A sickly boy catapulted to superheroics with the help of alien nanotech. Alternate Identity: Warren Locke Identity: Secret Birthplace: Freedom City Occupation: Student Affiliations: Claremont Academy, AEGIS Family: Anthony (Father), Marie (Mother) Description: Age: 16 (DoB: September 1999) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian/Cyborg Height: 5' 8" Weight: 330 lbs Eyes: Brown/Yellow Hair: Brown/Black Warren Locke has an appearance that would make most creatures in the galaxy scream in fear. He looks a great deal like a Communion drone; his skin is shiny metal, his eyes are a glowing, solid yellow, and his 'hair' is a collection of black threads that glow with UV light. While many Communion drones were a forceful melding of such features, Warren has the entire package. His skin is obviously not normal metal, showing off his muscles underneath and moving just like natural skin. With his image inducer activated, Warren looks like an unremarkable, if extremely fit, young man. His hair is brown and he lets it grow out down to his collar, and his eyes are similar and bright. He's naturally incapable of growing a beard, and his skin is pale (but the inducer could be reprogrammed to change either of those facts). He is extremely well-muscled and likes to show it off with tight shirts and shorts, when the weather's appropriate. When he's expecting trouble, Warren wears the usual Claremont uniform. He favors a tee-shirt over the longer jacket and bike shorts over the longer trousers, sometimes choosing running shoes but just as often going barefoot. Power Descriptions: Warren Locke has been infested/augmented by an AEGIS-modified dose of Communion nanobots. They've completely infused his body down to the last cell, and this makes him stronger and tougher than most people. The nanobots have been modified to sever their connection to the Communion overmind, but they still allow Warren to mentally interface with computers and other machines. Since his bones and skin and muscles are all now a nanobot construct, he can even transform his limbs into weapons. His image inducer is a piece of technology that Claremont routinely issues to teenagers who have a non-human appearance. He's legally bound to wear it when off the grounds, unless he's acting as a superhero History: Warren Locke has been sick for as long as he can remember. He had developmental problems and seizures as a child, but it wasn't until he was ten that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It was a blessing and a curse; now the family knew what the root of the problem was they could fight it more directly, but Warren's parents had to face the fact that he was never going to magically get better, than he would probably die of the condition before they did. It was hard on their relationship, especially since Anthony was a soldier often deployed overseas, which left Marie to handle Warren's treatments and try to raise him. Warren grew up a lot in various hospitals, spending more and more time there as he grew older and his disease progressed. The prognosis was not good and eventually the boy was spending almost all of his time in a hospital bed or a wheelchair, but he did his best to cope. When Anthony was at home it was hard for them to bond, since even something as simple as going to the movies was a medical endeavor, but they bonded over Anthony's collection of old Fifties and Sixties SF books. Father and son read yellowing paperbacks, books that were almost falling apart with age, and for a few hours Warren was a brave astronaut or doughty space explorer. Things got easier when Anthony transferred from active duty to AEGIS and took a posting stateside. Marie and Warren moved with him from posting to posting, eventually settling in Freedom City when he was transferred to the AEGIS central office in the Federal Building. He continued to liaise between the civilian government and the experimental, superhuman exploits of AEGIS field agents, but at least he was able to be home most nights. His job became much more hectic in late 2015 as the intergalactic menace of the Communion came to Earth. AEGIS and UNISON worked hand-in-hand, along with dozens of superheroic individuals and teams, fighting back the metallic enemy from beyond the stars; even after the Communion's overmind was destroyed the remnants of the incursion had to be collected and carefully stored away, lest they become a threat all on their own. In this, Anthony saw a oft-dreamed for opportunity. A sample of Communion nanotech was lent to ASTRO Labs for testing. Anthony made sure as many scientists as possible were called to a meeting and hired a group of super-mercenaries to attack the lab. He was able to get his hands on a sample of altered Communion nanotech and raced to Freedom Medical Center, where Warren was being treated. He deliberately infected his son and, as his only child was overgrown with Communion metal, was taken into custody. The Communion nanobots went to work in the boy's body, forcing his disease into remission and rebuilt him. In a few days the silvery shell retreated, leaving him permanently changed and healed. After a long conversation between his mother, AEGIS agents, ASTRO scientists, and a quiet woman in dark clothes, it was decided that he should be enrolled in Claremont Academy. The school was uniquely equipped to help Warren learn to use his new abilities -- and to contain him if he should turn out to be some kind of sleeper agent. Personality & Motivation: Warren's an enthusiastic, earnest young man. He sincerely believes that he's been given a second chance at life and intends to take full advantage of it. He wants to see everything and travel everywhere, try a little bit of all that's around himself. Growing up with MS forced him to mature at an early age and sometimes he can seem overly serious compared to his peers, but that facade usually crumbles in minutes when he finds something else to be wide-eyed and enthusiastic about. Warren's an army (well, Air Force) brat at heart and has an open and trusting view of the world, combined with a deep commitment to lofty ideals like Justice, Service, and Duty. He's also young enough to be naive, and sometimes the harsh realities of the world can clash disastrously with his untempered views. Powers & Tactics: Warren is a largely untested combatant, and he favors simple tactics over elaborate battle plans. He's likely to charge straight at the biggest threat with his big claws, or stand off and blast it with his arm cannon. While he's perfectly capable of following more complex plans, he's also likely to be taken in by a villain's deception. Complications: Secret Champion of the Communion Chrome's nanobots are Communion constructs and scan as Communion technology to anyone with advanced enough sensors. Many individuals, especially in the wider galaxy, may attack him on sight. Complicated Relationship Warren has a... complex view of his father, the military, and the Communion. A villain could exploit this to make him unsure of himself. Electromagnetic Disability A powerful or targeted EMP could scramble the nanobots in Warren, reducing him to a normal person. In the middle of a fight that could be deadly. Big Eater Warren's nanobots don't create matter from nothing; while they're very efficient, a large or prolonged use of a power like Regeneration would require him to eat a big meal. Or several big meals. Tumblr Distraction Warren is always connected to the Internet, which means he can get distracted by trivial matters at any moment. Naive Newcomer Warren has a simple view of the world, where Good and Evil are starkly defined and in sharp contrast. A persuasive enemy could confuse him, even temporarily turn him against his allies. Abilities: -4 - 2 - 6 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 2 PP Strength: 6/18 (-2/+4) Dexterity: 8/14 (-1/+2) Constitution: 4/26 (-3/+8) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16 PP Initiative: +6 Attack: +4 Melee, +4 Ranged, +10 Cybernetic Enhancements Grapple: +13/+9/+2 Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -6/+1 Saving Throws: 2 + 4 + 6 = 12 PP Toughness: +10/-3 (+8/-3 Con, +2 Protection) Fortitude: +10/-2 (+8/-3 Con, +2) Reflex: +6/+3 (+2/-1 Dex, +4) Will: +8 (+2 Wis, +6) Skills: 64R = 16 PP Computers 8 (+11) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 10 (+12) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 7 (+10) Knowledge (Technology) 7 (+10) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 13 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Startle) Dodge Focus 6 Evasion Move-By Action Power Attack Startle Well-Informed Powers: 4 + 87 = 91 PP Comprehend 2 (Electronics 2) [4 PP] Alternate Form 17.4 [87 PP] Cybernetic Enhancements 10 (20 PP, Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 1) [23 PP] Base Effect: Damage 6 (Feat: Mighty, Extra: Linked [+0] [Super-Strength], Penetrating [10]) + Super-Strength 4 (Stacks with Super-Strength 1 for Super-Strength 5, Str 53, Extra: Linked [+0] [Damage]) (Cyber Claws) [20/20] Alternate Power: Damage 10 (Extras: Range/Ranged) (Arm Cannon) [20/20] Density 4 (+8 STR, +2 Protection, +1 Immovable, +1 Super-Strength, Feat: Innate, Subtle 2, Extra: Permanent) [Cyber-bulk] [15 PP] Enhanced Constitution 22 + Enhanced Dexterity 6 + Enhanced Strength 4 (Cyber Bodybuilding) [32 PP] Integral Comms 3 (6 PP, Feat: Alternate Power) [7 PP] Base Effect: Datalink 5 (5 miles, Feat: Machine Control) (Computer Chat) [6/6] Alternate Power: Communication 5 (5 miles, Feat: Subtle) (Cyber Cell) [6/6] Leaping 2 (x2, move action) [1 PP] Regeneration 3 (Bruised 3 [No Action]) (Self-Repair Subroutines) [3 PP] Speed 2 (10 MPH) [1 PP] Super-Senses 5 (Accurate Radius Ranged Radio Sense, Feat: Uncanny Dodge [Audio]) (RADAR) [5 PP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed (Unpowered) Touch DC 13 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Unarmed (Powered) Touch DC 19 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Cyber Claw Touch DC 25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Arm Cannon Ranged DC 25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Totals: Abilities (2) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (16) + Feats (13) + Powers (91) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/150 Power Points

Here is my next new character, to debut alongside Critical! Chrome is a young man, infected/transformed by modified Communion nanobots. He's my latest Claremonter, and hopefully he'll make a big splash. As always, Please Examine And Comment Helpfully.

For 5 PP she could use her Analytical Magic Awareness with all of her Visual senses, yes.

It would cost (3 for Magic Awareness, +1 for Analytical) 4 PP, and it would be tied to Shrike's normal Visual senses. So things like mundane darkness would make it unable to work (magical darkness could presumably be analyzed, but not seen through.)

I don't have a Claremonter at the moment but I do intend to get one going in August, and I'd love to get him in here. I don't have a lot to contribute here, though; he's a robot man made of US military hardware and alien programming, if that helps anyone's brainstorming.

Alright then. I think my list starts with the Orange Box. Not only do you get two Game of the Years nods in Portal and Episode One, you get TF2. Sure you could only play with bots, but it would finally give me a chance to try and grind out all the weapons and actually manage to figure out Rocket Jumping and the like. Next up has to be Final Fantasy Tactics. It's the only game I've ever played long enough to max out the timer -- 99:99:99 and more spent on a single save. After that I'd try the Mass Effect Trilogy. On a deserted island I might finally have time to do my perfect Paragon/perfect Renegade/Golden Perfect run throughs. Gat Out of Hell and LEGO Marvel are necessities. I've run into very few games that are as purely enjoyable to navigate. I could spend hours flying around Hell or racing the MTA trains. For mods galore, I'd pick up Grand Theft Auto IV. Again, I like the base game and there's pages and pages of mods for it. I've sunk entire days into Star Trek Online, so let's get that. That gives me three left. I suppose it would be cheap to go with RPG Maker and try to pass all those games off as mods; I suppose I'd also put the Batman Arkham Series on the list. Like the Orange Box, the games are just too damn good. Okami is zen meditation in a video game. It's too perfect to leave behind. Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut. Maybe the best treatment Shadowrun has ever had, and there's reams of fan-made stuff to play through.

What about games that require an Internet connection? You can't even load up an Ubisoft game post 2005 or so without connecting to their servers; are games that require a 'net connection assumed to have it, or to have the requirements removed? What about a game that started as a mod of another game; if I pick Half-Life 2, do I also get Garry's Mod, since GM started out as a mod for Half-Life 2?

So does the Orange Box count as one game, or three?

Blue Jay is going to use Search on all of those skeletons, and she's going to use Skill Mastery to get a 25 on it. If there's nothing on the skeletons, she's going to do the same in whatever records office there is, looking for any threatening communications.

"Oh.... You can call whoever, sure. I called the Union rep, but he said that he hasn't seen Greg since work got out. If you think you can ask him something else, then please do that." Asli turned Anne so that they could talk together, and so that Joe could make his calls without her listening in. "Anne, has Greg been acting oddly? You said he was working long hours, but has he talked about any new friends he made outside of work? Maybe he showed up with injuries that he couldn't explain?" Anne thought for a long minute before answering. "He's been moody lately. Some nights he'll come home after dinner and be so full of energy that he can't sit down, but in a few hours he'll be so depressed that he can't move. Some nights I go to bed alone, and when I wake up he's fallen asleep in front of the TV. His job is hard and working so many hours, he must be really tired when he gets home. That.. that was okay, right?" Asli made soothing noises to Anne as Joe talked on his phone.

Are there any actual dinosaur skeletons on display? If not, what are the skeletons of?

Shifted Obscure out to be on its own, adjusted the Powers math line because it was mixed up, and updated his totals.

I'll be frank that I can't imagine what any of my characters will do with this.

Blue Jay stopped on a building opposite the museum, observing it closely for some minutes. It didn't look inhabited, but the archer knew the value of patience in a hunt. She quickly climbed up to the roof and located an access door there, then knelt at the lock with her picks in hand. In a few minutes she had the lock undone and had slipped inside, leaving the door open just a crack behind her. She moved quietly and confidently down the building, pausing at each door and intersection to check it. If this building had anything to do with the attacks, it was probably where they kept the dinosaurs.

That's a correct description of the Obscure, yes. It's set up that way because that's how it is in his 3E statblock.

Blue Jay is going to go up on the roof and pick a lock up there to get inside. Results 1d20+10: 12 [1d20=2] Effing heck. HP to reroll that. Results 1d20+10: 29 [1d20=19] Much better!

Tona stared in disbelief at Sam, and the gun. She almost couldn't believe that she girlfriend was going to put her between two guns. Reluctantly, Tona stepped out and let Sam put the gun against her back. She stepped forward into the dining car, stopping well short of the trembling hotages. The blonde cultist peeked around Tona's bulk to look at her 'fellow cultist'. "Where the hell did you go?! You were supposed to keep anyone from getting this far forward! Dr. Rex is going to have your hide, man."

The Mook will take 10 on her save, so she doesn't see through that.

Tona leaned into her cover as the bullets chewed into the metal of the wall. "Sam, I love that you don't do violence very often, but that dinosaur was trying to disembowel me!" The stream of bullets paused as the cultists ran through their clip. Tona stepped out and sent a barrage of bolts into another one of the cultists. She saw one more on the ground, clutching his arm and writhing in pain from Sam's eldritch energy; and the blonde woman fumbling another magazine into her weapon. She shot the archer a shocked look before Tona stepped back into cover. "I'll cook the beast a steak when it wakes up," Tona said, "but right now I don't want to leave it behind us!" The blonde woman was panicking. She was down to her last handful of bullets and her companions were down. She could just imagine all the terrible things Dr. Rex would do to her if she failed. In a burst of desperation she started forward, grabbing one of the cowering hostages and throwing him to the ground. She pointed her weapon at the trembling man and put her foot on his back to hold him in place. "Alright heroes," she shrieked. "Throw out your weapons. Do it, or this guy's brain gets splattered!"

Double post.

Blue Jay leans out of cover and fires a quick volley at a mook. Since it's a mook she can take 10 on Attack and hit it with full Autofire. He takes 10 on his Toughness check and still goes down. The last Mook will stand up and threaten the civvies. She'd making a Ready action to shoot them if the heroes reappear! 23 --- Kit --- Uninjured --- HPx1 18 --- Dinosaur --- Unconscious --- GM 17 --- Blue Jay --- Uninjured --- HPx2 17 --- Cultist --- Uninjured --- Mook

Mook goes down. Make a post.

Kit swayed and jerked with the dinosaur's head and the receiver. She sent a surge of hellfire into the wires, melting them and causing the receiver to short out in a dramatic shower of sparks. The raptor paused and jumped off Tona, sitting back on it's legs and peering at them quizzically. It seemed like without the orders from the radio receiver, it wasn't inclined to keep attacking them. Tona wasn't inclined to give it the chance, though. She did a handspring and landed on her feet, a pair of blue clubs in her hands, a hard look in her eyes. She rained down blows on the dinosaur in a blue blur, energy impacting flesh in a steady, unbroken rhythm. The animal tried to fend her off, but the girl was too well-trained and too angry to allow a retreat; with a final, ringing crack she sent the dinosaur into a heap on the floor. She didn't have much time to savor her victory, though. The lead cultists screamed out "Open fire on the capes" and a crackle of fire sounded from inside the dining car. Tona jumped to the side and the bullets whizzed past, not hitting anyone.

Okay, the dino is no longer under MC and pulls back because it's not hungry, so why attack? Tona is pissed though and is going to attack it. Results 1d20+15: 33 [1d20=18] That's a crit! DC... I think Jay's table is messed up, but it would be DC 24 + full autofire + crit, so DC 34 Toughness from the dinosaur. Results 1d20+8: 24 [1d20=16] And the dino's down The Cultists are going to spend their turns spraying bullets down range. They Take 10 on attack and don't hit anything much! 23 --- Kit --- Uninjured --- HPx1 18 --- Dinosaur --- Unconscious --- GM 17 --- Blue Jay --- Uninjured --- HPx2 17 --- Cultist --- Uninjured --- Mook 17 --- Cultist --- Uninjured --- Mook 17 --- Cultist --- Uninjured --- Mook Kit's up again!