Raveled

Design journal 12.3. I've been considering my suit's weapon systems, and I've come to the conclusion that I lack any good option for engaging groups. I've pretty good at taking out a single target at a time, but when confronted by groups I could be overwhelmed. I've examined the problem, and I've come up with a possible solution -- cluster munitions. Basically this would be a small projectile, somewhere between a pencil and a cigar, that doesn't actually impact the target itself. Instead, it flies over the target and drops explosives. This payload fills a larger space than a traditional munition could, at the cost of reduced power. Problem: Spread might be too much. Could endanger civilians. A: Drop a partial payload. Problem: Unignited munitions. Can't be scattering live bombs around the city. A: Certain plastique compounds can be rendered inert with another chemical. Could the same effect be achieved with electricity? Problem: Mounting. Obvious A: Gauntlets, but I worry about focusing too much of my offense there. Investigate gorget, faulds for mounting. Blast X (Exlposive; Feat: Progression Reduced (1 ft/r); Extra: Area/Burst [General]) [3X + 1 PP]

<.< >.> It could be trade-offs! You don't know! *Gets very defensive* Yeah, I effed up. Should be DC 20. And sure, take the HP back.

I'm... not adverse to such an idea. Maybe a lock on it that requires a DC 15 or 20 Int check? :P

Actually, the Silencer has Defense 14. Go +Def/-Tough. Stun again! 1d20+12=17 Oh god these rolls suuuuuuuck! :cry:

The Silencer stepped out of line and shook his head as the pseudonatural energy ravaged his mind for a moment. This time, though, he seemed to be able to fight through it without much trouble and brought his weapon to bear on the hero. "Regrettable," he said, flipping a switch on the weapon with his thumb. "You could have helped me. But I won't let you help her." The vigilante pulled the trigger and the entire room seemed to warp like a bad reverb effect, as clashing chords resounded around Kid Cthulhu.

How does it have a laboratory?

"Um." Jessica picked up the computer and started doodling. "If we're worried about weapon proliferation, why not investigate less-than-lethal options?" A picture slowly grew over the table. It was fairly crude, but pretty soon the intelligentsia could make out the rough form of a male figure with a badge. He was wearing some sort of cylinder on his back, leading to a brace over his arm. "Glue grenades. Put a radar detonator on them and figure out the ideal detonation range. Cover the perp in something sticky and fast-setting, and hopefully they won't be able to move enough to fight back."

Silencer's Will Save 1d20+6=19 Ha. Something meaningful, at least. Stun 6 on KC.

Jessica stood up in the back, clearing her throat to gain everyone's attention. "Well. My name's Jessica Parker. I'm still a student at HIT, so I don't know if I can be said to be specializing in anything yet. But I have done a lot of work with robotics and soft AI. And lately, I've been very interested in piezoelectric materials." She stood there and fidgeted for a moment, then sat down quickly. She tried to sit there quietly, but she couldn't stop a blush from spreading behind her ears.

The Silencer clutched at his head suddenly, dropping his rifle; it swung on a sling around his body, and Lady Tarot took the opportunity to dash past Kid Cthulhu out into the street. The vigilante quickly fought through the mental assault and turned to face the hero. He was gripping his rifle by the stock, not quite pointing it at id Cthulhu. "Don't you get it," he hissed, his voice low. "A woman like that wakes up every day and decides to live off the pain and sorrow of others. Every second is a choice for redemption and she turns it down. How can you defend someone like that?" The Silencer's finger curled over the trigger of his weapon, and he slowly shifted his feet into a firing stance.

Silencer's Will Save 1d20+7=12 Oh wow, that was... that was horrid. Fiating that down to a Bruise. Clad's Ini 1d20+3=21 O.O Wow. 21 --- Ironclad --- None --- HP x3 (One more round) 19 --- Silencer --- Bruised -- GM 15 --- Kid Cthulhu --- None --- HP x4 10 --- Lady Tarot --- None --- GM

Jessica's gonna hold off on standing up and speaking, until some of the more important folks do so.

Lady Tarot's Ini. 1d20+2=10 Silencer's Ini 1d20+6=19

Kid Cthulhu landed at the bottom of the stairwell with a solid thud, looking at the enclosed space. Several of the high, small windows had been shattered, most of the tables had been overturned, and the cappuccino machine had bullet holes in it. All that was background, though; in the foreground, Lady Tarot cowered on the stage where Albion had abandoned their instruments. Her bodyguards were laying on the floor in various states of injured. One was being held upright by a thin man in a strange black bodysuit; the man thrust against the guard's chest and the woman coughed up blood, before crumpling to the floor. The man in the bodyglove raised his visored head to look at the hero and Kid Cthulhu had a sudden shock of recognition -- this was the Silencer, Freedom City's most famous, and most violent, vigilante! The Silencer put his finger to his lip and unslung an advanced rifle from his back. Turning to face Lady Tarot, he put the weapon against his shoulder and took aim. The criminal looked between Kid Cthulhu and the vigilante. "Help," she screamed to him. "He's going to kill me!"

Robin smiled and speared a radish. "That's for you to find out," she said, gesturing with her fork before she dipped it in some ranch sauce. "I'm going to eat my light dinner and try to get a nap. Grappling with the forces of death and decay takes it out of you." With that statement she settled in to eat her soup, responding to the other woman's inquiries with short, to the point answers or even monosyllables. Roughly a quarter of an hour later she crossed her fork and knife over the remainder of her salad and pushed the plate away, wiping her mouth with her napkin. She stood and shrugged on her longcoat, then dug out her business card and left it on the table. "If you find anything else," she said to Carrie, before turning around and walking out of the bistro.

Jessica's armor enveloped her quickly, screens flickering on in her sensorium as the systems warmed up. The suit detecting and inbound call from Blake and she waved a hand through the air, accepting it. She listened to his call. "Super creepy," she agreed. "I'm almost in armor, but it's gonna take a few more seconds. Perhaps Kid Cthulhu should investigate what's going on and why all the civvies are fleeing?" As if to underscore his girlfriend's point, the bubble of silence suddenly popped and Blake could clearly hear several gunshots, cut off quickly and replaced by a shrill scream of pain. "Blake, what was that?"

Jessica blinked when the line apparently went dead, but a quick glance showed that the connection was still open. She thought briefly about dropped calls, but she knew that a city the size of Freedom City would have multiple overlapping cell tower coverage -- dead zones didn't happen unless folks made them. She slipped the phone back in her pocket and dragged her back out, stepping between the cars and starting to snap on the different pieces of armor. Blake, for his part, wandered down the street. Between one step and the next he left the curious bubble of silence, and the sound of the city rushed back in. He turned back to face the entrance to the cafe, only to see folks rushing out of it, running as soon as they hit the street. Once they left the bubble of silence, their screams were clearly audible.

Realistically, Clad's probably in a Blue ring (creating her power armor from pure ENERGY!) while Robin's Green. magic requires a lot of willpower, dont'cha know. I just have no idea what a mystic would use power ring for that her magic wouldn't do. Well, I know what Robin's magic couldn't do, but the point stands.

But that would be complicated. HiPS is simple. Plus, Sage is probably powerful enough to reach into the minds of folks watching through the cameras.

Jessica was pulling her backpack out of the back of her truck when her cell phone rang. She fished it out of her pocket and checked the caller ID, frowning when she saw it was Blake. She flipped it open and held it between her shoulder and ear. "Blake? Hon? What happened?" She listened to him, her movements slowing down until she was frozen, leaning into her truck, one hand on the strap of her back. "Um, okay. If you wanna go we can. But could you tell me who Ms. Tarot is, first?" Blake, for his end, couldn't hear his girlfriend's question. All of a sudden, he couldn't hear anything at all -- not the cars on the road, not the faint strains of Albion behind him, not the thousand little noises of the city at night. He was in a zone of perfect silence.

Robin sipped at her drink and shrugged, mildly surprised that a civilian would know of Dead Head. "It's impossible to say," she said. "If they were still under the control of whoever formulated this stuff, I'd wager their first move would be to head towards him. Or her. But with that control broken, it's a toss up. They might lay there any not react, basically dead but for the fact that they wouldn't decay. Or they might go on a rampage, faster and tougher than when they were alive. Or they might stand around and follow whatever orders they are given." She turned her head as their waiter appeared from the kitchen, their food balanced on a platter. "I'll tell you this, though. That powder wasn't made with happy fun-time necromancy. I wouldn't be surprised if these zombies, bereft of any other instruction, turned violent."

Hahahaha. And now that I've severely cut back the alternate form (and made sure she's rules-legal ) she's 10 points under! I'm thinking of staying away from Variable Descriptor on the Strike, to give her room to grow, which means I can buy a movement array and maybe even some Will save!

AoE stun. Fort DC of 25, please.

Fusion's arms lashed out at the misshapen figure and passed straight through it, without slowing down. The twisted figure waited in the water there as the heroine's arms waved at and through it impotently, then opened its mouth -- and kept opening it. Its mouth stretched out of proportion, wider and wider, until it seemed like half its body was just gullet. A moment later a massive roar shook through the water, shockwaves smashing into Fusion and reverberating through her entire being.

And she's overpoints. Of course she's overpoints. I could never design something feasible, could I? :wallbang: