Raveled

Design Journal 15.6. I've been considering a somewhat radical solution to a recurring problem. I've handled the issue of packing and unpacking mys suit, but that armor's only one part of a system. I also need the interface suit, to turn my movements and nerve impulses into something the armor and understand (and vice versa). The suit can't go to the same place as the armor -- it's not rigid, it gets balled up and doesn't come back cleanly. I've ended up wearing it under my clothes at all times, which limits my wardrobe choices. (I can't believe I'm lamenting the fact that I can't wear a bikini whenever I like.) So, radical solution. I figure that I can implant a series of contact spikes, at least along my spine and maybe my limbs, tied into my nervous system. The suit will make contact with the spines and transmit the information. As a bonus, it would mean anyone lacking the spines, i.e. everyone else, wouldn't be able to use the suit. Will need to consult on this, on the neural interface at the very least. Hm, I think Dr. deHaviland has a degree in some kind of medicine. Could do worse. I think I should also talk to Mara about this.

January 11, 2011 Jessica Parker stood at the entrance to Archetech's corporate HQ, a massive black pyramid with a squared-off top. It might have intimidated someone else, but the young woman had been running around corporate offices and research labs since before she could legally drive. What fixed her attention wasn't the building so much as the man she was here to meet. Doktor Archeville was an unparalleled genius, a man who outshone her accomplishments like the sun outshines a flashlight. Her pulse sped up a little bit just thinking about being in his presence, talking and exchanging ideas. She entered the building and trod quietly, not out of the respect for the company or the wealth is represented, but because of the man at its head. The interior was a wide lobby area, with discreet signs pointing off towards different facilities. Jessica navigated the maze effortlessly, coming to a security station manned by several uniformed guards. She fixed one with her sunniest smile as she walked up and placed her hands flat on the counter separating them. "Excuse me," she said. "I have an appointment with Doktor Archeville. He should be expecting me."

Jessica patted Blake on the back and pulled out of the hug, holding onto his hand. "It'll be fine," she said. "I'll be fine. The hospital wouldn't've let me out if they really thought I was in danger." Even as she reassured her boyfriend though, she was planning out her next step. She needed to get checked out by someone who knew metahuman physiology. Hm, there was a Dr deHavilard at eh Lab, wasn't there? If she couldn't do the exam, maybe she'd know someone -- Blake's statement made her train of thought jump the tracks. "You lost your powers? That... might a good thing, hon. You didn't like that you didn't know the power source -- or at least, you didn't like what you did know about it." She blinked and glanced around the room. "But... but if you don't have any powers, how can any of this work?" She waved her free hand, indicating the whole of the Victorian manor. "How is this holding together if you're just a normal guy now?"

Jessica shook her head, but she didn't push Blake away. "No, there was... There was a fight. Out by the airport. I got... I got gassed. Some neurological agent." She waved her hands in the air, apparently unconcerned with having lived through a chemical attack. "Dragonfly got me to a hospital, though. I went through some treatments and I'm... pretty much okay, now. Just kinda hungry. And tired. And stressed." The young woman sighed and hugged Blake back, resting her head on his shoulder.

Jessica stayed diplomatically quiet as Corbin and Quo-Dis sorted out more of the culture clashes that seemed to be popping up around the girl. She was suddenly glad that she was dating another human being. She and Blake might come from different worlds in some ways, but compared to Quo-Dis they might've lived the exact same lives. At least she didn't have to worry that her boyfriend was going to sound like a neo-Nazi or something else equally ridiculous. As Quo-Dis was making Corbin fumble around, the waiter returned and began removing the plates and cutlery. She leaned back to give the waitress easier access, speaking over her arms to the others at the table. "So. There's a new coffee shop/gelatto place that opened up in Riverside. Anyone up for a little dessert?"

The building might've been made of mist and glamour, but the turkey and cheese sandwich was very real and tasted very good. Jessica turned her attention to the food for a moment, inhaling the sandwich and drinking the milk down. She wiped her milk mustache off and leaned back in the chair, feeling her stomach be just a little less empty. "I'm sorry, hon," she said, "but hospital food is so bad and I've been eating mostly popcorn today. With the shock and everything else... I guess it was just too much for me."

Jessica gawked openly at the interior of Blake's home. She went to the front doors (carved hardwood taller than her head) and stepped through, making sure that it still looked like a crack-house from the outside. It did and she stepped through, shaking her head and walking slowly, still marveling at the splendor all around her. "I... I don't understand, Blake. Is it some kind of teleporter, or a pocket dimension like Mara has? And how did you get all the materials in here? Was there already someone's Victorian mansion waiting in another dimension and you just... claimed it? Are you subletting from something? Or maybe-- ooh." Her head swam and she stumbled, falling against Blake. "Oh. Um. I... I think I need something to eat."

Jessica frowned. Blake wasn't being very forthcoming; that didn't bode well for whatever he wanted to tell her. "Alright," she said, nevertheless. "I'll come on over, then. It might be a half hour or so, though." She hung up and went upstairs, drawing a hot shower and stepping inside just long enough to rinse her hair. She grabbed jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, pulling on athletic shoes and shrugging on her parka. She took a step outside the door and glanced back around, mentally checking that she hadn't left any lights on or any doors unlocked, and her eyes fell on the medical report on the table. She bit her lip and debated with herself, then dashed back inside and picked it up. She really should talk about what happened to her, with Blake. He deserved to know, for all sorts of reasons. The medical report went on the passenger seat and the young woman punched the address she had into her vehicle's GPS. Signals bounced off satellites and computers processed, pinpointing a location in the city's lower-income district. Jessica pulled out of her drive and started weaving through traffic, watching the navigation screen with one eye. She didn't think twice about taking a route through Lincoln and Southside, dismissing the groups of suspicious-looking youths without a second thought. With her abilities, they were a non-issue to her. A much bigger problem was what exactly Blake was doing in Southside and not in Claremont. Jessica pulled up outside of her destination close to forty minutes after she got off the phone with Blake. Her jaw dropped when she saw the derelict building, shrouded in police tape and with the windows boarded up. She saw the door to the attached garage rattle up and Blake standing there in a smart suit, waving her inside. She drove up and into the building, careful not to scrape either her boyfriend or his (new) motorcycle. As soon as she was parked, she jumped out of the truck and walked around to Blake, grabbing the young man by his arm. "Blake, this is... are you..." She was honestly was at a loss for words, and could only stare at the dilapidated building. "I never knew you were so bad off, honey." She pulled him into a tight hug. "Don't worry. We'll figure something out."

Jessica took a moment to stare at the phone. "Blake, hon, are you okay? I mean, is there another sort of reason why you want me to be armored up?" Despite her skills and growing experience, the young heroine wasn't entirely comfortable with just using her battlesuit as a mode of transportation, especially with what had happened just last night. Still, if Blake needed her she'd go.

Ironclad Blake's New Home News A Moving Day Christmas Consultation The Odd Couples Sufficiently Advanced Technology Just Another Sunday Downloading Uptown Glowstar What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks Bikers, Mobsters, and the Southside C's Hero TV Reputation post GM Posts Teacher Review Meet the Neighbors I Need a Mage's Opinion

Jessica Parker was curled up in the couch in the TV room of her garden apartment, in upper-class Lantern Hill. She had been released from the hospital just after dawn and flown back home without saying much to Mara. The medical center had done some very basic test on her, and their results were sitting in a folder on the coffee table in front of her, currently serving as a place-mat for a big bowl of popcorn. She'd read and reread them, but right now she didn't want to think about them. There was a New Year's Doctor Who marathon on BBC America toady, and she intended to sit underneath a warm blanket and relax. Her plans were interrupted when the phone began ringing. She stood up and wrapped the blanket around herself, padding towards the nearest phone. She glanced at the caller ID and broke into a smile when she saw that it was her boyfriend. "Blake," she answered brightly. "A new place? I didn't know you were moving out of Claremont."

Jessica's cheek tingled from the pair of quick kisses, a sensation that spread to the rest of her body. It wasn't unpleasant, but she had to push it aside as she pulled the large vehicle up until she was practically butted up next to the racing bike with the packages piled atop it. She grabbed a long, narrow package from the center console and stepped out of the truck, smoothing her dark green slacks. She was wearing a sapphire-blue top to complement it, but at the moment her blouse was hidden under a bright red parka. The young woman walked around the truck and eyed the two men standing next to the fir. She took Blake's arm in one hand and pressed up next to him. "Could've told me it was going going to be casual dress," she whispered to him. She slipped the package into his inside suit pocket and patted the bulge it made. "Unwrap it later. Introduce me now."

Robin observed Gabriel, noting the sens of quiet contentment when he talked, however briefly, about his accomplishments. It spoke volumes about him, and made Robin want to find out more. The inside of the restaurant was already spilling light out onto the street. Inside, the sorceress greeted several of the staff with familiarity and made her way to a booth in the back. She took a seat facing the door and didn't bother to look at the menu. Instead she steepled her fingers and watched Gabriel for a moment before talking. "How exactly do you do it? Keep the heroic part of your life separate from the mundane portion?"

Not looking at the fluff here, just the mechanics. Adds up. Formatting's off a bit, though. Should be something more like this: Abilities: 4 + 2 + 0 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 22 PP Strength: 14/30 (+2/+10) Dexterity: 12/22 (+1/+6) Constitution: 10/24 (+0/+7) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) See the difference? Well, putting a Knockback in would be a good start. Everything seems to add up, though. Adds up, though it looks... complicated. Not sure how to make it simpler, though. Oh yeah, should have saves for his base (unEnhanced) stats. Barter's not a skill. Language nets you one language for every point. Profession's pretty much useless, and pulls of Wis in any case, not Cha. Other than that... Adds up. The quote box showing Equipment purchases should go at the end of the Feat block. A car would probably be free for him, unless he's enhancing it in some way. You have Dodge Roll listed on your Toughness line, but it's not here. I'm not going to debate the benefits of various Grappling feats, because I don't know them that well. Adds up, though. Formatting's still a bit off. Number-of-Ranks should go inside the bold tags. Where does the Protection and Immunity come from, if not the mask? Should list Leaping distances/action, and the effective Strength when factoring in Super Strength. Oh, and each of the Enhanced Abilities is a separate power. Otherwise, adds up.

Doctor Impossible would be so disappointed. Fixed the history and a couple of typos, added a Complication. Yes, he is a T-baby, even if no one has figured it out yet.

There's lots of problems with your formatting. Take a look at some other sheets to see what I mean. Adds up. Your costs and calculations are off. Base Def is 2 PP per point, so you only spent 6 PP on Base Def, not 8. Likewise, flat-footed Def is your Base Def divided by 2, rounded down; so in this case, your Base Def is +33, so your Flat-footed Def would be +1. Knockback needs to be recalculated, too; it's normally Toughness/2, but Impervious counts for full. So in this case, it would be (7 + (2/2)) -8 Knockback. Um, Grapple is Str + Melee Attack Bonus, gotta list that. Initiative is Dex Bonus + 4 for every rank in Improved Ini (this character has 1) \, so in this case it'd be +3. You need to list your Ranged Att Bonus, since it's different from your Base Att. Costs are off. You spent 3 + 4 + 3 = 10 PP, not 8. That's not even mentioning how low these are for a PL 7 character. He's a math professor without any ranks in Know/Physical Sciences (which includes mathematics and physics)? Moreover, he built this thing without any ranks in Craft or Know/Tech? And where are his ranks in Know/Tactics coming from? Lastly, Notice is based off Wis, so it would be a +7 modifier, not +9. Adds up, but again, where is Master Plan coming from? Did he spend time in the military (or does he play lots of strategy games? ) No. On several levels, no. The formatting needs to be overhauled, but frankly that's the least of your worries. Off the top of my head: A subtle Damage effect will never fly, since it would never give another character a chance to figure out something is happening to them. Fades on your only Toughness-boosting effect is a terrible idea, especially without Slow Fade, because you're gonna get taken down very fast. Your math is, surprisingly, off, not to mention that several things just don't make sense. Read the description of Deflect in UP again; it cannot exceed your total Def bonus. Similarly, if you're going to use it for a Melee Block it cannot exceed your Melee Att Bonus. Nothing in Deflect mentions buying it only for "physical projectiles.' Need a cost for the Protection effect; oh yes, you should also note the amount of Impervious Protection in his Saves line. In summary: Deflect is a terrible power. It needs to have an incredible cost to even be worth it in the slightest, and the effect it provides is better emulated with Enhanced Defense and Enhanced Feat (Dodge Focus), given the proper descriptors. Your character concept is sound, but it needs to be reworked substantially.

Jessica giggled at Corbin's suggestion. "Take-out from anywhere in the country? So gumbo from Louisiana, cheese steaks from Philadelphia, or deep-dish pizza from Chicago?" She picked at her food a little; it was mostly gone, and she was using the last bits of her chicken to catch the tomato sauce that had leaked out of her lasagna. "Why not go all out? Clothes shopping on Fifth Avenue, then a jaunt over to Akihabara for some video games, and dinner under the Eiffel Tower." She winked at the alien across the table. "I could get used to having anywhere in the world two steps away. Want to switch boyfriends for a bit, Quo-Dis?" She didn't really mean it, and to make sure Blake understood she let a hand fall to cover the one that was on her knee. She squeezed gently as she finished off her dinner.

Jessica Parker navigated the city streets carefully, her four-wheel drive SUV finding traction despite the snow and cold but the vehicle's size still engendering a sense of caution in her. She was very aware of what that much mass could do, even traveling at a relatively sedate pace. Still, there weren't many people driving on Christmas Day, so despite her caution she and Blake Salazar arrived at their destination in plenty of time. Jessica eyed the confrontation between the man apparently carrying an entire tree, and another man who looked big enough to do so, pulling the car over to the sidewalk well clear of the confrontation, eying the apparently abandoned building the pair were gathered in front of. "Blake? Hon? Are you sure you got the right address?"

Jessica Parker was frankly terrified of the mass of shoppers. She'd watched the holiday movies, of course, but she had assumed the crush and the insanity had been exaggerated for comedic or dramatic effect, like so much else in those programs. But no -- here she was, and there wasn't barely room to breath! If she'd had her choice she would've shopped online like a normal, sane person, but Blake had told her just two days ago that he was invited to a party Christmas Day and he wanted her to go. She didn't want to think poorly of her boyfriend -- he'd had such a rough couple months, after all -- but it would've been nice to get some warning! She didn't even know who the party was for, just that it was being held in a garage. She'd Settled for grabbing a wrench set and a Mag Light from the home improvement store, and now she clutched her purchases to her chest and tried not to get trampled as she slowly navigated her way path to the exit. For a moment, she was almost happy when she heard the screams and panicked shouts. This was something familiar to her -- civilians under attack and needing protection. She juggled bags for a moment until she was able to press the switch on her wristwatch, and in a blaze of light and energy her armor arose around her, leaving her clad head-to-toe in green and gold armor... and still juggling packages. She flew up underneath the mall's central skylight, where and interesting intersection of metal struts and plastic tubes made a statement about something or other, but Ironclad just saw a convenient place to wedge her packages. Bags handled, she oriented on the source of the disturbance and flew over there at the highest speed she could manage.

Really, it's the "I'm on a pale horse" that sells it. Genius.

Jessica shook her head. "That's not it, Mara. Haven't you ever wondered about... later? One day in the future, when you're all done fighting, just setting everything aside and being a normal person? Worry about the rent and inflation and car troubles? Instead of supervillains and world-shattering terrors and whether or not you'll survive this new insanity today? But now I can't do that. No matter what happens from here on in, I'm going to be different. Apart from everyone else." Her sniffed and put her chin on her knees. "Sometimes I just... wanna be like everyone else. You know?" Jessica suddenly lay back and pulled the covers up to her chin. She turned to face the wall, closing her eyes tight. "Oh, god, Mara. Just... just go away. Just let me go to sleep."

Jessica was quiet for a long minute, working things over in her head. If this had really... If she was now a... Could she maybe... The girl let out a tiny whimper, and this time she didn't try to stop the tears that came. "But... but I'm supposed to be normal. Just someone with armor."

Jessica's breath caught in her throat at the sudden and obvious display of power. "Oh...kay," she breathed. "You're a... you have a power. A superpower. That's fine for you, Mara, but.. I don't. Outside of my armor I'm just a normal girl. That doesn't explain how I can 'hear' a machine at all. Or how you were able to turn them off," she added.

Clad'd be up for this. She can do the whole "scientist among the mystics," "there's a rational explanation for this" bit.

Player Name: Raveled Character Name: Naught Power Level: 8 (120/120) Trade-Offs: +2 Att/-2 Dam, +2 Def/-2 Tou Unspent PP: 0 In Brief: Batman without the fortune. Alternate Identities: Derek Valance Identity: Secret Birthplace: Freedom City Occupation: Owner and proprietor of Valance Wreckage Affiliations: None Family: Marie Valance (Mother), Steve Valance (Father, deceased) Age: ??? (DoB: Month [Optionally, Day & Month], Year) Apparent Age: (if applicable) Gender: Ethnicity: Height: Weight: Eyes: Hair: Description:Derek Valance is a shade over six feet and slender. His long limbs are corded with the kind of dense, hard-packed muscle that betrays a serious weight-lifter. His complexion is dark, though whether it’s hereditary or a deep tan is hard to tell. His face is wide, and his square jaw is usually clean-shave. His dark hair is allowed to fall to his shoulders unbound, and his storm-gray eyes are hard. When patrolling, Derek favors dark clothes, loose enough to afford him movement, but not so loose that they would be a danger in a fight. He wears a dark brown canvas duster with many inside pockets, holding his various gadgets. Underneath that, he favors a dark gray pullover with an armored vest over that, dark, dark blue jeans, and black combat boots. His long hair he ties back in a ponytail, and a black domino mask conceals his features. Derek can fight open-handed, but his preferred weapons are a pair of kamagong tonfas, slightly customized. The weapons’ long edges have been lengthened by a few inches to better protect his long arms. To maintain balance, the short ends have a hollow space within, filled with lead shot. Both of the ironwood weapons have been expertly carved to fit his hands, and their natural gloss has been obscured with boot black. Power Descriptions: (if applicable) History: Derek Adrian Valance had it pretty good growing up. He lived in a little bungalow with his parents out at the edge of the city, where there weren’t too many skyscrapers but it was still a little too urban and densely packed to be a suburb. His mom taught elementary school, which sometimes resulted in Derek getting beaten up, but his dad was a cop; a young fear of the law and residual cool factor kept most of the bullies away. More than that, though, his father was a world-class martial artist and started teaching his son the essentials of escrima almost as soon as the boy had the physical dexterity for it. Derek’s life took a sharp turn when her was 14. His father was killed in a raid on a meth lab, shot in the back with a shotgun at closer range. The druggie was shot to death soon after, but it didn’t help the remaining Valances. A policeman’s benefits just didn’t stretch very far, and Mama Valance was forced to move them out of their nice neighborhood – and, when she lost her job at the nice school, had to move again and again. After a year or so of this, the pair ended up in the Fens. Derek joined a street gang, partly for protection and partly in teenage rebellion, but mostly as an outlet for his anger. He stayed out late, got piercings and tattoos, and got into plenty of fights. When he was 17, he broke into an apartment with a friend and started ransacking it, looking for valuables. They hadn’t planned on the man of the house being home, though, nor on him being armed. The man only had one gun, though; while he was covering Derek, the second delinquent snuck up behind him and hit him over the head. Once the man was down, the thug picked up the weapon and shot the home owner in the head until the gun clicked dry. The two fled the scene, but the event forced Derek to reevaluate where his life was headed, and her didn’t like it very much. He cut ties to the gang and moved to the Southside. One night he was in a convenience store, pondering which of his fake IDs to buy beer with, when a kid even younger than Derek came through the front door and pointed a gun at the lady behind the counter, screaming for the cash. It was simple enough for Derek to ghost behind the punk and disarm him; breaking the kid’s wrist and bouncing him off the walls a few times probably wasn’t necessary, but it made Derek feel a lot better. So much so that it made him consider things in a new light. Derek was, for all his young age, a trained and battle-tested fighter. He was smart, and physically in his prime. He wasn’t afraid of a fight, and he was pretty good at planning small-scale engagements. It took him close to a year to gather up all the resources he needed but then he hit the streets – and the rooftops, it must be admitted – as Naught. Though he mostly limits himself to the Southside, he makes patrols through other neighborhoods – if just to keep crooks elsewhere on their toes. Personality & Motivation:Derek carries a serious air with him that’s beyond his years, and he’s not in the habit of letting people get close. This means that he can come off as cold to people, when in truth he’s only protecting them from his enemies – or so he tells himself. He’s very goal oriented, too, having a tendency to break things down to their most basic tasks and focus on that, rather than the situation as a whole. In combat Derek often seems cool and detached; even his fury is a logical, distant thing, and her prefers taking an enemy force apart piecemeal, starting with the weakest members, to facing a nemesis head-on with all his backing. The reason for all this cold calculation and careful emotional separation is because Derek knows just how dangerous he can be. He’s terrified of letting loose and seriously, even mortally, wounding someone – especially if it’s someone he cares about. Powers & Tactics: Complications: Name: [Description] Example: Secret: Identity. Abilities: 10 + 10 + 12 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 46PP Strength: 20 (+5) Dexterity: 20 (+5) Constitution: 22 (+6) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 10 + 12 = 22PP Initiative: +5 Attack: +5, +10 Melee Grapple: +9 Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -0 Saving Throws: 3 + 3 + 5 = 11PP Toughness: +8 (+6 Con, +2 Defensive Roll) Fortitude: +8 (+5 Con, +3) Reflex: +8 (+5 Dex, +3) Will: +8 (+3 Wis, +5) Skills: 0R = 0PP Acrobatics 10 (+15) Bluff 13 (+15) Climb 10 (+15) Computers 8 (+10) Diplomacy 13 (+15) Escape Artist 10 (+15) Gather Information 13 (+15) Intimidate 13 (+15) Knowledge (Current Events) 7 (+10) Knowledge (Streetwise) 13 (+15) Medicine 3 (+5) Stealth 13 (+18) Search 13 (+15) Sense Motive 13 (+14) Feats: 0PP Acrobatic Bluff Attack Focus (Melee) 5 Challenge (Accelerated Stealth, Fast Acrobatics, Fast Bluff, Lip Reading) Defensive Roll Dodge Focus 4 Equipment 6 Hide In Plain Sight Improved Disarm Skill Mastery (Acrobatic, Bluff, Disable Device, Stealth) Takedown Attack 2 DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) NOTE: The easiest way to get your DC Block to line up is to write it out in a word processor in a Courier font, then just copy/paste it into your post. Abilities (0) + Combat (0) + Saving Throws (0) + Skills (0) + Feats (0) + Powers (0) - Drawbacks (0) = 0 Power Points