Fox

Mara hesitated herself, but managed to give the white-haired girl a small, if a little awkward, hug back. She tilted her head, opening her jacket and letting her helmet sit on the bike itself as she watched the quiet host. psychic? - nothing yet - not looking forward to that - still - El -- Jill's friend - worth the headache later She glanced at Jill, then back at the house, following the former toward the latter. should be - mmh - interesting?

The corner of Mara's mouth tugged toward being a grin, swaying with Ellie in her kitchen. "Are very good pants," she conceded, tapping a finger on their waistband. "Probably even better during acrobatics. Distract your opponents. Know it'd work on me." She seemed awfully amused - and a little distracted - by the idea, and gently shook her head. "Just saying. Best part isn't the pants, it's what they contain."

Mara wasn't too far behind Mark's car - by the time he'd pulled in through the gate she'd almost caught up, bringing her motorcycle in after him and pondering the coincidence of arriving at nearly the same time. Granted, if she hadn't taken so long to fret and worry about what someone's supposed to wear to such a thing, she and the passenger sitting behind her might have been a little more early - she glanced up at the building and started to second-guess the simple, dark blue blouse, black jacket, and black slacks (the former two of which she'd had to go out and buy; she didn't exactly stock up on fancy clothes; she'd had to do a little shoe-shopping for nicer black short boots with a short, wide heel, too. She wasn't awfully fond of shoe-shopping, but somehow beat-up running shoes didn't seem appropriate to the occasion). She sighed a little, turning the machine off and pushing the kickstand down with one foot. She removed her helmet, too, grudgingly admitting that it was entirely too late now to be worrying about that....

Mara made an amused hum into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Ellie's waist as she enjoyed the softness of the medic's lips. When the moment finally broke she stayed close, leaning her head up to touch foreheads. "No fever," she quietly teased, amused eyes looking into the opposite pair, "but seem a little flushed. Should look into that. And only might be alluding to your butt. Haven't seen it in person. Could just be wearing very clever pants."

The thing flinched, but didn't appear to be physically harmed to any noticeable extent - it was even more unhappy, though. After a failed attempt to stretch up and reach the painful fleshy creature, it hunched down and made a noise. An awful, loud, grating, rumbling noise that probably carried for a mile, echoing off the local buildings. It sounded a bit like a very angry rallying cry...and sure enough, smaller, higher-pitched cries were heard from not too far off, further back in the campus. Something - several somethings - could now be heard making their way toward the big blob as it sat seething on the ground.

Toughness Save vs. Radiation Burst, DC25 (1d20 + 18=34) Durable blob is durable. It's almost impossible to not hit, though, so there's that.

Dragonfly shook her head, closing her jacket and stuffing her hands in the pockets. "No scarf. Long trip - don't want to leave it or get it damaged. Or irradiated. Have plans, however - just need a spare hour or two to build something. After we arrive. Imagine you'll be doing most of the talking, anyway. When it's in English. Should have some time to tinker." She sighed, trying not to think too hard about 'time-space entanglement'. "Ready."

The engineer pouted, leaning on the counter and toying with her bottle. "Mmh. Unfortunate. Suppose I'll have to scrap plans for an attractive gynoid harem. Would have shared, you know," she noted, pointing at Ellie with her bottle. "Equal rights. Only fair - not cheating if you're present. Still. Suppose some things aren't meant to be." She sipped from her bottle, wryly adding, "Will have to make do with the real, attractive, athletic version. Somehow."

Mara blinked, raising an eyebrow as she picked up her bottle again. "'Got nothin''? You?" She tilted her head in feigned concern. "Feeling okay? Need to lie down? Have a thermometer somewhere....is kind of crazy, though. Yes. Try to keep it under control. Otherwise risk waking up one morning with a half-built robot duplicate on the workbench." She hesitated, and took a sip of her soda. "....a joke, that time." The eyebrow went a little higher, and she tilted her head, apparently pondering something. "Mostly."

Pulling on her jacket, Dragonfly started out toward the door...and paused, frowning as she thought of the last time she'd gone somewhere with Supercape (and nearly suffocated), and the last time she'd had to sit around in the cold (and been exceedingly uncomfortable). wait - was only freezing until- She turned back around, pushing aside some of the books piled on her shelves to unearth what was normally decoration: a pair of arm bands, which had been decorating her office since Christmas. won't work - preserved, but candy technology ran down quickly - weren't made to last - bet I could improve on the design - mmh - limit and extend - shame I don't stock peppermint A schematic unfolding in the back of her mind, she glanced around her office and started collecting odds and ends - a couple tools, scrap metal, parts (loose or salvaged from other projects), some cloth scraps. These and the bands themselves stored away in her dimensional pocket, she was finally out the door and headed to Supercape's office.

Hm. A good point. And it may be best to keep her hero points around, anyway. Though considering what she knows of Russia in winter (....and what happened last time she was around Supercape....) she'll probably want to over-engineer something. Just to take care of it now, and with your approval, whenever she has some spare time she'll use the parts she grabbed to re-engineer her Christmas toys: Device 1 (5dp device; Flaws: Hard To Lose) [4pp] A pair of ornate and solid-looking upper-arm brands made of steel and brass. Intricate machinery and a soft red glow can be seen through the seams and glasswork. When activated it puts up a small field that protects the wearer from the environment, and can generate a small, personal air pocket. Immunity 5 (Environmental Conditions [cold, heat, radiation], All Suffocation) [5dp] That's DC15 on the design and construction checks. Dragonfly can take 10 for a check of 26; -10 for a check of 16 cuts the times down by 1/4. Design: 4 hours * 1/4 = 1 hour / 100 (mental quickness) = done before she's out of the room. Construction: 16 hours * 1/4 = 4 hours, which she'll take care of as soon as she has time (if she has time) after they arrive. Per approval, naturally.

The amorphous green mass wasn't terribly impressed with the noises coming out of the hero's mouth, one long tendril sweeping out to strike at him...and missing, its anger at having its food taken away fouling its aim. Not that having such a relatively small target helped any.... The blob made an angry-sounding grumbling noise, its body undulating as it shifted back and forth.

Certainly. An HP for Supercape! Blob's turn: Melee Attack Roll vs. Supercape (1d20 + 6=16) A near miss! ROUND TWO: 9: Gaian Knight - 2HP - unharmed, not present 6: Supercape - 2HP - unharmed 2: ???? - ???? -2: The Blob - unharmed Supercape's up.

"Deal," Mara replied, making a failed attempt to get her heart not to skip quite so large a beat at the thought. "And...mmh. Yes. That's.......yes." Looking more than a little abashed, she ducked her head down and gestured in the general direction of an odd, smooth-surfaced device about the size of a basketball, with a covered grip on one end. "Didn't...don't really plan to build these things.... Sometimes a design or idea is in my head. Won't leave until I make it. Gotten very good at filtering out the-" don't say 'lethal devices' - violent devices? - no - also bad "-...filtering out some of them. Others get put together over a few late nights. Works, though. Most of the time. Doesn't have much use, but can't bring myself to take it apart."

Dragonfly 5pp to spend, and I've realized Dragonfly has a horrible, crippling weakness to getting made flat-footed. She's smart enough to realize that complete social naïveté is going to bite her, too, especially now that she has a relationship, so she's been doing what she does best: approaching it as a science. Microexpressions, studies in martial arts body language, even some animal behavior. It's not making her any better of a liar or diplomat, but at least she'll have a better understanding of people and nonverbal communication. To wit: 3pp into skills - Dragonfly picks up a very decent chunk of Sense Motive (9), a new language (that she's still in the progress of learning, but I'm grabbing it while I'm messing with skills) (Spanish), and a little more Craft (Electronic) and Craft (Mechanical) (1 rank each). Added complication: her new relationship with Jill O'Cure. She saves up her remaining 2pp. [b][u]Characters Name:[/u][/b] Dragonfly [b][u]Power Level:[/u][/b] 9 (142/144) [b][u]Trade-Offs:[/u][/b] +2 Defense / -2 Toughness [b][u]Unspent PP:[/u][/b] 2 [b][u]Progress to Silver:[/u][/b] 39/60 [b][u]In Brief:[/u][/b] Bitter young genius out to apply her mind on [i]her[/i] terms, and no one else's. [b][u]Alternate Identity:[/u][/b] Mara Hallomen [b][u]Identity:[/u][/b] Secret [b][u]Birthplace:[/u][/b] France (dual citizen, French/American) [b][u]Occupation:[/u][/b] inventor; full-time hero [b][u]Affiliations:[/u][/b] Ironclad, Jill O'Cure, The Lab [b][u]Family:[/u][/b] Alexander 'Hollow Man' Hallomen (father) [b][u]Age:[/u][/b] 19 (born December 1991) [b][u]Gender:[/u][/b] female [b][u]Ethnicity:[/u][/b] Caucasian [b][u]Height:[/u][/b] 5'5" [b][u]Weight:[/u][/b] "I can build death rays, you know." [b][u]Eyes:[/u][/b] dark blue [b][u]Hair:[/u][/b] dirty blonde [b][u]Description:[/u][/b] On the short side, slim and modestly proportioned but not exactly muscular, Mara tends to take just enough care of herself to maintain her shape and stay alive, but not much else. She nearly always looks a little strung-out, hair disheveled and eyes tired, like she doesn't sleep well (which she doesn't) or spends long stretches distracted by some project or idea to the neglect of all else (which she does). Her clothing is simple, practical, and subdued in color (shades of gray and black being popular, dark reds, blues, and purples being runners-up). Very often what she's wearing hasn't been washed recently. Makeup is practically a foreign concept. When out fighting crime her outfit is a little more clean and constant: slim black pants, a short grey jacket with a stylized black dragonfly on the back, and her devices - currently a pair of large, heavy-looking high-tech gauntlets, a high-tech flexible chestpiece and belt, and a large headset which covers both ears and has a translucent blue visor over her upper face. She prefers boots with a little bit of heel to them – they're not very practical, but she's self-conscious about her height (especially when confronting criminals or working with your standard 6' bombshell heroine). [b][u]Power Descriptions:[/u][/b] When Dragonfly's Datalink is active small lights 'dance' behind her eyes; this effect is not very bright, but is highly piercing (being subtly noticeable even under her visor, which obscures most of her features). Failed attempts to penetrate her Mental Immunity are met with psychic 'static', resistance, and unintelligible echoes of her multiple running thoughts. Her technology-based spatial effects typically manifest as shifting, churning distortions or fragmented space. Some effects are tinted the same distinct neon blue her gauntlets emit at the seams and glasswork when charged. [b][u]History:[/u][/b] In certain parts of the underworld you don't buy or sell weapons without knowing the name Hallomen. Word is that for the right price he can get you anything: designer drugs like Max or Zoom, the very latest in illegal technology, and even, once in a rare while – if you can afford it – gadgets from caught supervillains that got 'lost' on their way to the incinerators or science labs. From the back alleys to high-class black market auctions, he supplies whole armies if the price is right and by luck, bribes, and exceptional planning he never seems to get caught; those who've dealt with him jokingly call him the “Hollow Man†(through rarely to his face) in honor of how the police raid into his storehouses and labs to find empty – 'hollow' – rooms. What customers only very rarely know is where most of the new and custom items came from. Hallomen is a cold and ruthless man but a man none the less, and around the turn of the 20th century had a short tryst with a villainess and frequent buyer. He was completely uninterested in the child she bore (what use did he have for a wailing, disgusting baby?) until several years later, when he got word that the child was displaying superhuman traits – signs of high intelligence (for a child of that age) and her mother's ability to control computers by thought alone. Now and only now was the girl useful to him and when the mother died (something he calmly claims he had nothing to do with, of course) she fell into his care. Little Mara Hallomen indeed was predicted to be brilliant when she grew older but that simply wouldn't be enough (or soon enough) for the Hollow Man – no, anything good can be made better. He invested considerable resources into her 'education', and so it was that young Mara grew up all but alone in a barely-staffed lab, under a constant regimen of 'vitamins' and 'medicine', supplied with a never-ending stream of knowledge and information, her only human contact a rare visit from her father, a scant few researchers or guards, and the occasional empath or psychic paid to enhance her mind in ways science could not. Even this was cold comfort, however: anyone who set foot in the building was under strict orders not to talk to Mara unless absolutely necessary so she could concentrate on her real purpose: designing new and improved tools of crime. From death rays to personal teleporters to battlesuits, she made them all. Old-school and cutting-edge, energy to gravity to good old bullets, she designed a veritable panoply and Hallomen made money hand over fist. Kept docile, driven, and borderline insane as an intended side-effect of her constant 'health treatments', the only thing her father could never have predicted was the net effect it was taking on her mind: redundant and parallel in some places, warped and enhanced in others, bit by bit her brain was growing resistant to outside influence. The older she got the more treatment she underwent and the more treatment she underwent the more resistant she became; the more resistant she became the more disquieting her life seemed. Finally, near her 18th birthday, she was resting in what passed for her private room when a lone dragonfly wandered its way through the barred window and caught her eye. To anyone else it wouldn't even have been a remarkable specimen of a dragonfly, but to her the darting little bug was the most beautiful thing in the world: free. Then and there she made up her mind to be as free as the dragonfly was: to escape and feel the wind under her metaphorical wings. Less than a month later, the guards came to wake her and found the room empty, the majority of her research and designs completely destroyed, and a very large sum vanished from her father's own personal bank account. She's managed to stay a step ahead of her father and his goons ever since, figuring Freedom City and its relatively high hero count to be the perfect place to hide out…and test some new designs on her own terms. [b][u]Personality & Motivation:[/u][/b] Mara's more than a little bitter about not having had much of a childhood, and not amazingly socially skilled (which she typically deals with using snark and mistrust). When presented with a puzzle or new idea to build she's energized and almost manic as her brain kicks into gear to solve the task at hand. She's very intelligent and highly rational, but a combination of chronic bad sleep and frequent headaches (both side-effects of assorted substances that are even now still washing out of her system) can make her snide and irate. Given her life so far, she has a fairly intense dislike of criminals. She's softer at heart than she'd ever admit, having an especially strong drive to aid children, but by and large she's more driven by the victimizers than their victims. It's occurred to her that she could accomplish many of her goals by villainy (at the very least as the sort of villain who hunts other villains as often as they break the law), but believes heroism's just more rational – being strictly on the hero side of things provides more advantages than disadvantages...not to mention helps her sleep a little easier, particularly if she gets her own creations off the streets. [b][u]Powers & Tactics:[/u][/b] Mara dabbles in many areas of technology but most of her combat tech is based on spatial distortions, something she developed under her father's thumb but didn't work the kinks out of until she'd escaped. Her devices, her gauntlets especially, are built to warp and fold space to provide any number of effects. Her Datalink power she finds useful, but more for utility than combat; her mind's resistance to outside influence is something she tries to keep well-hidden as her ace in the hole against manipulation. When given half a chance she plans her battles quickly and efficiently, well aware that she relies on her devices and that those devices have limits. Against an obviously inferior foe she might be careless, but against anything or anyone challenging she is methodical and deliberate, striking when she'll have the upper hand and analyzing the situation for any advantage. [b][u]Complications:[/u][/b] [b]Enemy:[/b] The Hollow Man. When she left she dealt a huge (if sadly not crippling) blow to her father's business, not to mention the very large sum of money she took with her. He wants her back, preferably in good condition, though the longer he has to pretend that the key to his most popular items has vanished the more and more flexible he gets as long as she's alive and her head's in one piece. [b]Hatred:[/b] People taking advantage of children, anyone using the creations she thought up, and to a lesser extent organized crime or high-end weapons dealers. [b]Legacy:[/b] Against her best efforts, some of her creations are still being made here and there, and there are still quite a number of older designs floating around through the underworld. Anyone savvy enough, or connected enough, can link this (often quite lethal or empowering) technology to her. [b]Relationship:[/b] With [url=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2517#Jill]Jill O'Cure[/url]. [b]Secret:[/b] Identity. [b]Side-Effects:[/b] Powerful depressants and some other compounds (like Zombie Powder) react badly with chemicals and conditioning still in Dragonfly's system; depending on the dosage used she'll range from being slightly neurotic (as her sense of identity fights the old conditioning) up to complete if temporary regression to a happy and disturbing little worker bee that almost mindlessly devours any technical projects put in front of her. [b]Visor:[/b] The visor device communicates most of its powers through Dragonfly's normal senses, and thus may be lost to the appropriate dazzle or similar sense-impairing attack (eg, all visual senses and Uncanny Dodge are lost when visually dazzled; radio signals cannot be 'heard' if deaf; etc). [b][u]Stats:[/u][/b] 0+4+0+14+2+2 = 22pp Str: 10 (+0) Dex: 14 (+2) Con: 10 (+0) Int: 24 (+7) Wis: 12 (+1) Cha: 12 (+1) [b][u]Combat:[/u][/b] 10+8 = 18pp Initiative: +7 Attack: +5, +9 Gauntlets Grapple: +5 Defense: +11/+4 (+4 Base, +7 Shield), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -0 Base, -3 with Force Field [b][u]Saves:[/u][/b] 5+4+6 = 15pp Toughness: +0 Base, +7 with Force Field (+0 Con, +7 Force Field) Fortitude: +5 (+0 Con, +5) Reflex: +6 (+2 Dex, +4) Will: +7 (+1 Wis, +6) [b][u]Skills:[/u][/b] 84r = 21pp Computers 8 (+15) Concentration 4 (+5) Craft (electronic) 10 (+17) Craft (mechanical) 10 (+17) Disable Device 8 (+15) Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+17) Knowledge (technology) 8 (+15) Languages 4 (English [native], French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish) Notice 4 (+5) Perform (stringed instruments) 9 (+10) Sense Motive 9 (+10) [b][u]Feats:[/u][/b] 14pp Ambidexterity Benefit (wealth) Eidetic Memory Equipment 4 (20ep) Fearless Inventor Luck Master Plan Online Research Skill Mastery (Computers, Craft (electronic), Craft (mechanical), Notice) Speed of Thought [quote name="Equipment"]Masterwork Double Bass [1ep] Masterwork Violin [1ep] Multitool [1ep] The Lab (1pp contributed to [url=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4400]The Lab[/url]) [5ep] Warehouse HQ [12ep] [device][i]An outwardly-unremarkable warehouse tucked away in Greenbank, no local gangs or criminals seem to want to talk about it. Funny, that....[/i] Size/Medium Toughness/10 Concealed Computer Defense System Fire Prevention System Garage Laboratory Living Space Power System Security System Workshop[/device][/quote] [b][u]Powers:[/u][/b] 2+4+36+6+4 = 52pp [b]Datalink 2 ([/b]100ft, mental; mutation[b])[/b] [2pp] [b]Device 1 ([/b]Visor, 5dp; technology; [i]Flaws:[/i] Easy to Lose; [i]Feats:[/i] Restricted [Datalink][b])[/b] [4pp] [i]A blue, obscuring visor attached to two ear-covering mounts and covering much of the upper face. It requires Datalink to be used properly.[/i] [device][b]Super-Senses ([/b]Radio; Uncanny Dodge[b])[/b] [2dp] [b]Super-Senses ([/b]Visual; Analytical 2, Infravision[b])[/b] [3dp][/device] [b]Device 8 ([/b]Gauntlets, 40dp; technology; [i]Flaws:[/i] Hard to Lose; [i]Feats:[/i] Accurate 2, Precise, Restricted [Datalink][b])[/b] [36pp] [i]A pair of heavy, high-tech gauntlets capable of warping and folding space. They require Datalink to be used properly.[/i] [device][b]spatial Array 9 ([/b]18pp array; spatial; [i]Feats:[/i] Alternate Power 2[b])[/b] [20dp] [list] [b]Damage 9 ([/b]blast; [i]Extras:[/i] Range [Ranged][b])[/b] [18/18] [b]Damage 9 ([/b]spatial 'blade'; [i]Extras:[/i] Penetrating[b])[/b] [18/18] [b]Dimensional Pocket 8 ([/b]25 tons; [i]Feats:[/i] Progression 1[b])[/b], [b]Enhanced Feat ([/b]Quick Change[b])[/b] [15+1= 18/18][/list] [b]Protection 7 ([/b]spatial; [i]Extras:[/i] Force Field (+0); [i]Feats:[/i] Selective[b])[/b] [8dp] [b]Shield 7 ([/b]spatial[b])[/b] + [b]Enhanced Feat ([/b]Evasion 2[b])[/b] [7+2= 9dp] [b]Teleport 1 ([/b]100ft; spatial; [i]Feats:[/i] Turnabout[b])[/b] [3dp][/device] [b]Immunity 10 ([/b]Mental Effects; [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [Half]; [i]Feats:[/i] Innate[b])[/b] [6pp] [b]Quickness 6 ([/b]x100; [i]Flaws:[/i] One Type [Mental]; [i]Feats:[/i] Innate[b])[/b] [4pp] [b][u]DC Block:[/u][/b] [code]Unarmed 15 DC/Toughness damage Blast, Blade 24 DC/Toughness damage Pocket 18 DC/Reflex trapped 18 DC/Will, -1 per save failed to escape (Dimensional Movement grants automatic escape) Costs: Abilities (22) + Combat (18) + Saves (15) + Skills (21) + Feats (14) + Powers (52) - Drawbacks (0) = 142pp Sneerg is awesome

Mara leaned up for a quick kiss, releasing Ellie from the hug. "De nada," she quietly replied, putting her hands in her pockets and trying to smooth her personal (and personal contact) uncertainties as it had apparently worked...or at least improved things. "De rien. And always, for as long as I'm wanted. Always. Besides," she added, raising an eyebrow. "Am sure you'll repay the favor eventually. Relying on you next time I think building a gender-changing ray is a good idea."

The Blob: Initiative Roll (1d20 - 5=-2) GK (for when it's necessary): Initiative Roll (1d20 + 0=9) Mwaha. Ahaahahhahahahaahahah. (for when it's necessary): Initiative Roll (1d20 - 3=2) ROUND ONE: 9: Gaian Knight - 2HP - unharmed, not present 6: Supercape - 1HP - unharmed 2: ???? - ???? -2: The Blob - unharmed Supercape is up. Double-post away, sir! If you're not comfortable double-posting, let me know and I'll put up some GM filler.

....hmmm. Dragonfly previously invented a device to grant her immunity from cold descriptors, environmental or otherwise - any objection to her spending an HP to have them on-hand for this adventure? Or, of course, would such a thing not be necessary? Mostly it's a neat callback to a previous thread, partly it's keeping in mind what a Russian winter is likely to be like, if she has to spend any time in it at all.

Mara shook her head, quietly holding Ellie as she released some of her pent-up emotion. "No," she finally noted, very quietly. "Shouldn't be. Good to let it out sometimes. Might need a hug, or to cry. Might need to play sad double bass songs." She shook her head again, gently rubbing the medic's back. "Have to find some way, or it eats you. Go crazy. ...crazier. Regardless, am here if you need me."

She blinked, pulling her attention away from a book that probably weighed as much as she did. "Russia in winter? Mmh. Yes, could help translate. Provide engineering. Have wanted to take a look at a real nuclear installation. Not something I've ever been allowed near. Obvious reasons...clearance, accountability." She puffed some hair out of her face, reaching up to tuck it behind her visor. "Suppose you want to leave immediately. Reactors sound like something that can't wait. Will be there shortly."

What looked like fellow frat members were, if not happy in the strictest sense, at least willing to take their friend and drag him off with muttered apologies before he could do anything else stupid and dangerous. And what else wasn't happy? The blob. As it food was taken away, it reacted....badly, its body churning as it struck out at even the nearby ground, tentacles lashing the grass and stone as it oriented on the caped physicist. A low, angry noise filled in the air that transcended the species barrier - it was angry, and it was going to do something about thieving humans.

Naw. The blob wasn't really prepared for someone to grab its food away - you should be able to grab him and get him safely out of range before it can respond. Speaking of respond: roll for Init!

Mara looked pained for a moment as she tried to figure out how to react; seeing Ellie look so distressed almost physically hurt. After a moment she apparently decided to just trust her instincts, because she used their clasped hands to pull the young woman into a hug. It was a little awkward - even with several dates' of practice she apparently wasn't quite used to it - but she held her girlfriend close, silently embracing her and trying to offer whatever comfort she could.

"Yes," came the reply, with that peculiar distortion that meant she'd been too lazy or too busy to physically activate the nearest commlink. Dragonfly was in her office, actually not building something (for once); instead she was on an island of a chair, surrounded by a sea of open books, textbooks, video screens, and pictures of faces and martial artists. The pictures coated practically every surface but her beloved whiteboard, which was instead covered in scribbled notation. "Why?"

Naw, sounds like a fine thing to me. A hero can choose how many ranks of a power to use, after all, and how much damage they want to do at most; to me, that sounds like a Damage 0 (or a power limited to 'no damage') that still does something due to descriptors.