Supercape

A possible PL 12/180 Slot coming up. This is not a PC I would play as is, and I will be pruning it as there are some holes. But thoughts on what does work well (as opposed to what does not) is important as I need to work out what to keep, rather than what to eject. The core power set, and key prinicple (empowered 60s-80s spy billionaire cool guy like the Saint or Man from Uncle) is set in my head! Diamondlight Power Level: 10 (180/180) Unspent Power Points: 0 Trade-Offs: +2 Toughness / -2 Defence In Brief: Gambling Businessman infused with Daka-Energy Catchphrase: “Lighten Up!”, “How Illuminating!” Theme: On her Majesties Secret Service Alternate Identity: Hugo "Zed" Zoss Birthplace: Switzerland Residence: Various / International Jetsetter Base of Operations: Various / International Jetsetter Occupation: Businessman, Gambler Family: Henri Zoss, Father Description: Age: 37 (DOB 8 / 8 / 1980) Apparent Age: 30-35 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5’11” Weight: 80Kgs Eyes: Silver-Blue Hair: Blonde Hugo looks like a handsome man in good shape, with mid length blonde hair and peculiar silver blue eyes (that glow when he uses his powers). He dresses stylishly, favouring jackets and turtlenecks, or smart suits (including black tie). History: The wealthy Zoss family stretch back a couple of Centuries in Switzerland . In World War 2, Rudolf Zoss was the recipient of various Nazi Party (including the Thule Society) illegal goods, stored at the Zoss mansion. Amongst the good was a powerful Daka crystal, stolen from Dakana. Hugo Zoss made the most of his inheritance. The Zoss family may not have had the most moral of histories, but they were clever. Hugo was smart, astute, and charming. He studied psychology in Cambridge, Economics in Paris, and European Law in Brussels. He aspired to be an intellectual, but he often was a hedonist, and developed an addiction to gambling. Meanwhile, Doctor Henri Zoss (the son of Rudolf and father of Hugo) was driven to use the Daka Crystal in their vaults when his dear wife was sick, believing he could energise the human body. It did not work, and she perished. His son, however, Hugo Zoss, found out about the terrible heirloom, and tried to intercede, believing it belonged to Dakana. Ripping it from his father's laboratory he was exposed to its energies and transformed, infused with the energies designed to save his mother. Hugo was already a capable man, and turning his energies and mind to loftier goals than study and pleasure. The realisation that his family had an ignoble past, and his new powers, drove him to a new chapter in his life. He was now concerned with the power and corruption of the emerging plutocrats of the world; and he determined to use his talents to hold to account the rich and powerful who so often were accountable to nobody... Diamondlight would dearly love to return the Daka Crystal to Dakana, but for the fact that he still feels some family shame about the matter (And would prefer to do so secretly). He is however stopped by the fact that his father is now extremely ill too, and is using the energies of the crystal to stay alive... Personality & Motivation: Hugo was always a pleasant, charming, intellectual man. He had trace amounts of arrogance or narcissism, but these have disintegrated with the knowledge of his heritage. He remains much of his personality but now also is committed towards atoning for his families past. He has a complex relationship with wealth – enjoying and savouring every luxury it brings, but also being deeply concerned about its abuse and corruption. Hugo considers himself (and arguably is) a man of the world, an intellectual. He talks with a hard to trace, pan-European clear accent. That said, he maintains a darker desire – an uncomfortable addiction to risk taking and gambling that he has not, and probably never will, shake. He has therefore an additional “adventurous” streak. This is not quite the same as reckless – he prefers calculated gambles that he can carefully manipulate (but are gambles all the same). Powers & Tactics: Diamondlight can emit blue-silver coloured energy. Combined with his intelligence, and ability to sense light from every direction (thus giving him proverbial eyes in the back of his head), he can strike out with laser beams in every direction, emits bursts of blinding light around him, or most spectacularly, emit shining blades of light from his body to fight with. His Daka infused energies allow him to create a protective force field around his body (of the same colour), and actually provide him with limited sustenance and vitality. Diamondlight can also “bend” light around him, giving him a form of invisibility. If he moves too fast, the distortion becomes apparent so it is really only useful when moving very slowly. Aside from his powers, Diamondlight is an extremely smart, astute, and charming man and is an expert in psychology, law, and economics. He is a master of social skills and a world class gambler. Combined with his resources, he could be considered just as “dangerous” or powerful even without his energy powers. Tactically, Diamondlight will use his social skills (possibly augmented by invisibility and illusions) to first make sure he is “playing” on his terms. Once in a fight, he will use bursts of light and lasers against multiple foes or targets at range – but his preferred mode of combat is to use his “Laserswords” from each hand. Power Descriptions: Diamondlights' powers look like clear blue-silver-white energy constructs. His eyes glow when he uses his powers. When his force field is active, it gives him the same hue. Complications: Daka Deflection: Daka crystals “bend” his powers, causing beams of light and energy to bend away from the crystal or even, sometimes, absorbing them and causing a mighty feedback loop on Diamondlight (which could seriously injure him). This is less of a problem the nearer the crystal is to him, oddly (in other words, it affects his powers more when they are ranged) Gambling Gent: Hugo can hardly ever turn down a game of cards or dice. He is essentially addicted to gambling – if it were not for his mastery of gambling he would be quite broke. People can distract, delay, or manipulate him with this addiction (and he could always lose…) Enigmatic Energies: Hugo constantly emits very low level energy that is harmless. However, if stressed or emotional or distracted (or a combination of), these fluctuations could cause minor disruption to electronics (such as stopping his mobile phone working in a crisis). Horrible Heritage: Hugo and his father keep the family shame quite secret, and he would do anything to keep it that way. Hugo feels a need to make amends to (or at least feels indebted to) Dakana. He will be completely trusting and extremely helpful (And thus easily manipulated) by these groups (or those successfully pretending to be from those groups). As noted above, he would dearly love to return the family Daka crystal, but for the fact its energies are keeping his father alive. Heroic Hedonism: Hugo is a hedonist whose tastes are very broad rather than very gripping. He will seek out and be seduced (in the widest sense of that term) by anything that would feed his intellectual, artistic, philosophical, or sensual lusts. He would “fall” for a masterpiece of modern art, an exclusive wine tasting event in Paris, or dinner party with a revolutionary politician just as he would a pretty face. Paternal Problem: Henri, his father, is sickly and still grieving over his mother. He lives almost as a recluse in the family mansion in Switzerland, and could be a source of vulnerability for August. Abilities: 2 + 2 + 2 + 8 + 12 + 12 = 36 Strength: 12 (+1) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 18 (+4) Wisdom: 22 (+6) Charisma: 22 (+6) Combat: 16 + 16 = 32 Initiative: +5 Attack: +8 Base, +10 Light Array Defense: +8, +4 Flat Footed Grapple: +9 Knockback: -6 Saving Throws: 5 + 7 + 6 = 18 Toughness: +12 (+1 Con, +11 Force Field) Fortitude: +6 (+1 Con, +5) Reflex: +8 (+1 Dex, +7) Will: +12 (+6 Wis, +6) Skills: 112 R = 28 PP Bluff 10 (+16) Concentration 14 (+20) Diplomacy 8 (+14) Gather Information 4 (+10) Intimidate 4 (+10) Knowledge (Art) 4 (+8) Knowledge (Behaviour Sciences) 8 (+12) Knowledge (Business) 12 (+16) Knowledge (Civics) 8 (+12) Knowledge (Current Events) 4 (+8) Language 6 (English, French / German / Italian [Native Swiss], Latin, Russian, Spanish) Notice 4 (+10) Profession [Gambler] 14 (+20) Sense Motive 12 (+18) Feats: 7 PP Attractive Benefit 2 (Wealth 2) Connected Improved Initiative 1 Jack of All Trades Uncanny Dodge (Visual) Powers: 2 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 38 + 2 + 39 + 11 + 2 = 57) All powers have (in addition to others below) “Daka Energy Crystal” descriptor Concealment 2 (Normal Visual, Flaws: Blending*) [2 PP] “Light Bending” [Light] *NB: As Diamondlight has no movement powers in this case it means he cannot move his body (or have his body moved) more than five feet a round without distortion breaking his concealment. Immunity 1 (Light based visual dazzles) [1 PP] [Light] Immunity 4 (Aging, Cold, Sleep, Starvation and Thirst, Flaws: Limited to half effect) “Sustained by energy” Light Array (34 PP Array, Feats: Alt Power 5) [39 PP] [Light descriptor] BP: Damage 10 (Extras: Area [Burst, Targeted], Selective, Feats: Accurate, Improved Critical 2, Precise) [34/34 PP] “Laser Spray” AP: Dazzle 10 (Extras: Area [Burst, General, 5-2500’ radius], Feats: Decrease Area 9, Increase Area 5) “Light Burst” [34/34 PP] AP: Create Object 10 (Extras: Impervious, Feats: Accurate, Precise, Stationary) [33/34 PP] “Hardlight” AP: Illusion 10 (Visual, Extras: Duration [Sustained +1], Feats: Area Progression 4 [100’ Radius]) [34/34 PP] AP: Damage 10 (Feats: Accurate, Extended Reach 2, Improved Critical 2, Precise, Split Attack) linked with Dazzle 10 (Visual, Feats: Accurate, Extended Reach 2, Improved Critical 2, Precise, Split Attack, Flaws: Range [touch, -1]) [17 + 17 = 34 PP] “Laserblades” AP: Damage 10 (Feats: Accurate, Improved Critical 2, Increased Range 2 [5000' max], Improved Range 3 [1000' Increments], Precise, Extras: Range, Penetrating [5 Ranks Only]) [34/34 PP] "Laser Vision" Protection 11 (Extras [Sustained +0]) [11 PP] “Force Field” Super Senses 1 (Extended 1 Normal Vision [x10], Radius Normal Vision) [2 PP] “Light Sensitive” DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 15 Toughness Damage Laser Spray Touch/Area Targ. DC 25 Toughness Damage Light Burst Touch/Area Gen. DC 25 Reflex/Fort Dazzle Laser Sword Touch/15’ DC 25 Tough, Ref/Fort Damage, Dazzle Totals: Abilities 38 + Combat 32 + Saving Throws 18 + Skills 28 + Feats 7 + Powers 57 = 180 / 180 Power Points

GM After a few hails and mutterings, a few dances (sometimes without clothes), and various rubbing, throwing, and licking of powerful magic items and symbols, they settled down to a feast. Of course, cuisine was different in those days. But there was meat, roasted in the holy fire, and various nuts and berries and even the basics of herbs and spices. It could certainly be a lot worse, and for the celtic tribe it was certainly a feast. Much was offered Dreadnought. The Seer was not there, instead he was staring at the fire, muttering, and trying to pull the invisible sky pixies out of his head. The Chief however, was, accompanied by his voluptuous red daughter, who studied Dreadnought carefully. "Tell me of yourself, Giant! What is the sky made of? What halls do the Gods feast on? Is the Sun blown across the sky by the lungs of the Cloud-maidens as they say?"

GM The Seer and the Chief both seemed impressed, although the Seer seemed to be twitching. Then again, he always seemed to be twitching. "These are wise words" said the Chief. "I think you are sent from the Sun and the Earth. Praise the Gods!" "But..." interjected the Seer. "...we do not know from whence these creatures came. They are hard to see, hard to see....I have the eyes of the Gods, but not enough. Even for me..." The Chief nodded. "Our Seer is indeed touched by the Gods. Yet it is beyond his vision. Not even staring into the fire that burns for three days, without sleep, without food or water, in a trance. It yielded but fragment visions. We do not know..." "We must be one with the fire..." said the woman, kneeling down by them, fierce and determined. "It is the vision of fire that can see!" "My daughter. The only one more mad than the Seer" muttered the Chief. "Hehe" chuckled the Seer, playing with his imaginary hair. "Who would want to have the eyes of the Gods? I do, and it is a curse. I can feel the demons plucking my hair! haha!" the Chief nodded. "Let us rest now. The fire shall reveal...let us pray!"

GM The Chief and the Seer observed Dreadnought's scribing. "Tis witchcraft" muttered the Seer, pulling non existent hair out of his scalp. "WItchcraft" murmured the Chief. He took a glance over to a young woman, wide hipped and dressed in furs, with the longest, reddest hair that Dreadnought had ever seen. "Touched by fire..." he muttered even more softly. "FIre is what we need now. It is through fire that we shall survive. Through the sun, through the earth, through the fire. The Gods shall provide, look - they sent this giant to defeat the Ice demon!" proclaimed the Seer, quite mad but quite correct - in his own way. The Chief looked more balanced, although he was clearly devout. "Tell me, giant" he asked Dreadnought. "Can you destroy all the Ice demons? Are you truly sent from the Sun Gods?"

GM "Uhhh...no..." said the man, weakly. Up close, if one ignored the blood stains and broken nose, he looked like an average middle aged man. In reasonable shape, but not exceptional. Clean shaven, short hair. Probably looked decent in a suit. Probably wore a suit pretty often. "Look...I don't wanna die....uhhh....just don't kill me....just take me to a hospital...Ill pay whatever you want....uhhhh..." he groaned. "Oh my god it hurts. It feels like I shattered my legs. Uhhh...I have still got my legs, right? I don't dare look..." he complained, white faced. Whatever he said, his spinal cord seemed intent on making him crawl away, despite the logic of the situation.

GM It was a dirty job. Quick, and dirty. The man was sure to get an infection. Probably a sepsis. But that could wait. For now, at least, he had enough fluid for his heart to pump. He had enough oxygen for his brain to stay alive. And that was good enough. He was still out cold, however. The distant sounds of sirens crept through the air. Not near, but on their way. The other hunter tried to crawl away, leaving a trail of blood. It was not dangerous bleeding. And, from his perspective, it was a jolly good thing he was leaving a trail of blood rather than his entrails. But he was in no danger of getting away. This was just primal instinct. To run. "Help...help..." he asked. He had no right to ask for help. He was fortunate to be alive. But he still asked.

GM The lizard thing writhed, full of cold and fury, but took the force of Dreadnought square on. It seemed to crumple in on itself, blurred, misty, oily. For an awful second, maybe two, it squirmed on the icy stream, and then seemed to melt away, seeping into the stream that was now flowing again, something black and nasty. It dissolved into a residue. One could not say it disintegrated, for its residue was still on wood, stone, and moss, but it was clearly gone - for all intents and purposes. And from the trees, came roars of praise to the gods. "Victory! We are saved!" said the Chief, hailing his hands to the sky above. "For now..." muttered an old man, long of beard now white rather than red. He was stooped and thin, but his eyes burned with determination. Scars and tattoos littered his body, and he wore little, seemingly not feeling the elements. "Ah! My seer!" said the Chief, full of mixed assessment of the man. "He has the tongue of the Gods, too. He is crazy!" he muttered, less than pleased. "Crazy, I may be..." said the old man, picking his bald head, as if trying to unthread long gone hair from his scalp. "But I see things nobody else does. The things from the icy ages are not gone. This was just one...."

Tough Save: 1d20+8 11 Bang, it is dead!

GM Armitage paused, stroking his goatee and looking into infinity. "I am not sure. I doubt it can be destroyed. I consider myself an expert on these matters, but you will appreciate we are not dealing with a precise science" he explained. "My best guess remains a guess. An educated guess, true, but a guess all the same. I simply do not have enough information" he said, apologetically. "What we do depends on what we find. Examination, scrutiny, study" he explained. "Ah, if I had known the nature of the mask I would not have sold it" he sighed. "My business is dealing with such things. On occasion, I deal in things I should not. But, by and large, my business prevents harm" he said, not happy with the situation. "My apologies. On this occasion, my judgement was askew. It has not been the first time, nor, I dare say, shall it be the last. It is however the first time I have had the misfortune for such complications" he grumbled. "Let us find the mask first then, and try to understand it....Ah...this may require theft..." he said, both blunt and awkward.

GM And so... Mack, Vic, and Jess walked into Hector's scrap yard. It was, predictably, full of scrap. Rust and trash, and a fair bit of plain refuse. Hector would be hard pressed to make a living with this mess. Perhaps something else was going on? The three dogs were something else. And they were going on. They had a reddish brown tint, were large, and full of fury and muscle. Their teeth were sharp, and one could indeed smell the whiff of sulfur and brimstone about them. Each had a chain around their necks, tied to a strong metal pole suspended in concrete in the centre of the scrapyard. They could not reach Jessica and her friends, and probably couldn't snap the chains. Probably. They looked pretty fierce, and they had eyes on Jessica, something infernal in the look, like a connection that made them agitated and fixed on her. Unfortunately, the only way to the central hut, home to Hector, was through the dogs. The chains were long enough for them to serve as effective guard dogs - although right now they were incensed enough to be something more primal and ferocious...

GM "Yeah, we got Tuna. It helps keep 'em quiet..." replied Mack, turning over to his little hut full of tea and - yes - tins of tuna. "A dozen of these in a bowl, well, it would keep them distracted" he explained, setting to work with a tin opener. And lo, in a minute or two Jessica had a nice bowl stuffed full of tuna in a heap. The growling continued - and intensified. It seemed the unseen dogs inside the scrapyard could smell the tuna from afar. One could almost hear the saliva drooling from their lips in their barking. "Right, lets just hope they don't take a fancy to your flesh...I mean...uh...a fancy to your body....uhhhh....." mumbled Mack falling over his words as his eyes tumbled around Jessica's body in an attempt to stay descent. "I got my gun if it goes wrong..." he explained, proudly, showing the rather poor quality firearm tucked into the back of his jeans.

Lord Steam "Oh I quite like a bit of gaudy trash!" said Lord Steam, cheerfully, thinking of the rooms full of clutter in the Steam Mansion. "But the point is well made. Except for the moss. I prefer a polished oak myself. And comfortable leather chairs" he added. "And as for keeping secrets, well I am a diplomatic envoy. Keeping secrets is part of my job, although sometimes lamentably so. I confess I have some of the qualities of a spy, although it is not really to my palate" he moaned. "So let us keep our lips sealed. This is a game of politics it seems. A game of diplomacy. A game of...a game of...oh what's the right analogy..." he muttered. He snapped his fingers. "A game of thrones!" "Let us be on our way then!" he finished, bringing out the wand with a flourish. "And lets see what this devilish thing can do, mmm?"

Flux On a hunch, Quill directed his extraordinary mind towards the vessel. Perhaps there was some delayed energy signature which might help aid his understanding of the wormhole. Not that the wormhole itself was to be ignored. One could hardly ignore it if one tried, even with regular senses. It was magnificent. He had seen them before, of course; he had much in his travels through the universe. But they were rare phenomena - and complex in nature. Each one different even if the same - like stars and planets and nebulae. Each one worthy of study and appreciation. As he scanned the vessel and the wormhole it came out of, he started to piece together the data on the energy signatures...

GM It was true, of course. Every work Soreen said. But he just wished it had been under better circumstances. A choice rather than an imposition. But it would be savoured nonetheless. Starshot consulted the power reading on his helmet. 21%. Not good, but it would last a little longer. The problem with X-Ray scanning below them was it drained power. Still, it had got them here, and it was not dry yet. And good for a bit of telescopic analysis of the camp. "Lets scout out the place first, Emorda. Just you and me...we need to be clear what we are dealing with. Study our enemy...."

Rev "Awesome! Like faster than light. That's fast!" said Rev, duly impressed. She vaguely recalled something about it being impossible and relativity and something, but these were boring facts that should be ignored as far as she was concerned. "Are we going to use that wormhole? that would be neat. And double neat if I get to wear a space suit!" she said, getting almost too excited, now - she was tingling with electric excitement. One could imagine that in her case, with electricity running though half her body, it was actually literal as well as metaphorical. A slightly wet duty dampened spirits. "But we have to look after Lawrence, of course" she admitted.

GM It did not react well. The tree splintered just in front of the thing, less than an inch from what passed as its head. Embers and shards of cracked wood exploded into its face, and the sheer force of the blow sent a shockwave through the earth and deep tremors into its body. A mist came from it, and it seemed a little more visible now - not that seeing it clearly was pleasurable - far from it. It was like an elditch lizard from some terrible dimension. A wailing flute like music came from its mouth. Perhaps what passed for a scream, but it was surely too alien for such concepts. It flopped to the ground, the ice freezing over around it.

That does actually hit. Tough save vs tree: 1d20+9 27 but it truly is rolling well. Still, thats bruised and dazed, so Dreadnought is up again! Round 3 25 Ice Thing - Bruised x2 6 Dreadnought - Unharmed - 1 HP

Starshot "Honestly, I do not know if I will miss this planet or not. It has its beauty, and danger, and mystery. Another day, I would have enjoyed it. But the Xeno is still buried under sand, and our fortunes grave. The planet is our enemy. And yet I must stop to savour the night air" He was talking to his crew, but also to himself. Sinking into a battle between self and the forces against one would mean a war and that needed an antidote. A moment of peace. But only a moment. It was time again to relax, but there was nothing more to do but move forward now, no matter how long it took. There was, as far as he could see, no more provision to make, at least until the tides turned. They were committed to this act. So determined, he set off to sleep, and to begin again the next day.

GM The Ice thing cracked and split with the force of the blow - and for a moment it might have been that it would be sundered in half, but although Dreadnough plunged his fist right into the fleshy thing, it did not stop moving, nor flailing away. As Dreadnought pulled his fist out, it felt cold and empty, and a nasty blue mist circled his hand as if feeding on it. All in all, it was an uncommonly Eldritch, horrible experience. He took a few steps back through the stream, which was starting to ice over. The flailing limbs cracked stone and ice where he had been. A glance to the trees sore the scattered humans fearful but hopeful that Dreadnought would win. And yet, for all that hope, the central fire seemed to diminish in strength...

Tough Save: 1d20+10 29 A good roll! The Thing is fearless so immune to intimidation effects. Bruised! Round 2 25 Ice Thing - Unharmed 6 Dreadnought - Unharmed - 1 HP The central fire is dying, and the stream is icing up. Not enough to bother Dreadnought this round, but it will get slippery next! For now, the Ice thing will carry on flailing away - Flailing Away: 1d20+6 9 and missing, so Dreadnought is up. For reference you can assume in this thread there are trees and rocks everywhere, if improvised weapons are desired!

GM The thing hissed, a tongue a few feet long and full of cold mist like its breath. With speed, it slithered forward giving it a lizard like appearance. But it was hard to look at; not quite here, not quite there. Hard to see. It seemed so hard to look at, like it was there and not there. It circled Dreadnought, agile and fast, but not smart. Its limbs flailed forward, the water in the stream around them splashing and chuning, the central fire flaring embers dramatically. But Dreadnought could take a few steps back away from the flailing limbs. The stones cracked under the force from the creature. It was strong, fast, but lacked skill in its attack.

Round 1 25 Ice Thing - Unharmed 6 Dreadnought - Unharmed - 1 HP Ice Thing is not subtle or smart, so will slither towards Dreadnought and try to smash him: Smashes Dreadnought: 1d20+6 15 missing! Dread is up. note: The thing has partial concealment to all senses (i.e. 17-20 miss chance)

Initiative: 1d20+12 25 Inititaive for the thing!

GM The babble of voices did not stop, and could not be understood. Bar one. The Chief, a man of middle years, with few teeth and plenty of vigour. He was fast, and strong, and scarred from many rites of passage, his hair shocking red, and his eyes gold and green. He wore many furs and a few ornaments. "The Gods give me the gifts of tongues, giant! We have called you here, to the ever burning fires, so that we might be...." There was a crashing and a howl like the coldest wind. And from the forest something cold, black and nasty slithered. Like a snake it was, with a dozen slimy limbs each clawed and ghastly, with no eyes, and barely any form. Twenty feet long and with an oily mist around its form. It was hard to look at, as if not quite there, or transparent, but the stones and moss parted beneath its flesh, such as it was... "Saved from the Ice demons!" gasped the Chief, who was bold and brave, but knew he - like his tribe - were facing something beyond spear or claw!

OOC for this