KnightDisciple

Well, I'm trying to provide ideas for that; I realize they are compiling a list of things but I didn't see why I couldn't throw a couple of ideas against the wall to make it stick. None of this thread is meant to be snide or anything. My point point about reworking status quo is...actually, I'll touch on that later. Yeah. And all of those, especially things like "go back to Erde", are along the lines I was thinking. I think part of the "message" here is that, at least for our higher-PL characters, we need to maybe do planning out on occasion. Oh, the idea about having a pool of ship stats that we can tweak is an excellent one. For a while we had that "ridiculous HQs" thread with several spaceships in it. Unfortunately, that, ah, had some troubles.But the idea of having some generic resources along those lines is great. It could well turn into a project similar to the Oddballs, as well. Well, I'm not saying we need to churn out a couple dozen Preserver artifacts, but maybe try to use a couple more of them?Like I said, Tellax sounds like one with a lot of recurring potential. One or two more that operate differently from the Gorgon or Curator would give us a good stable of villain-making villains. I mean, Tellax's whole thing is "evolution", yeah? Sounds like a villain-maker to me. About the only other good source of that is the Labyrinth's DNAscent process. To a lesser degree, SHADOW (with various clone types) and Foundry (with lots of tech) might fight. Right, and we have several PCs in the Freedom League.That's part of my point. And you're right, there's not a LOT of conquest attempts. But I'm also suggesting, why couldn't the Lor occasionally ask for help with "unusual situations"? Maybe there's some freaky-deaky goings-on their magical corps can't figure out. Or a planet with a surge of empowered individuals with a greater power range than the Lor typically see (which as I recall is basically "telepathy and telekinesis, with minor variations thereof", but I could be wrong). 1.) As much as anything those ideas are meant to be backdrops and background flavor, kind of like how being in a city provides both. They are, as much as anything, to be a way for tech-related PCs and PC/NPC companies to be able to say "hey all those years we spend doing research-y things isn't this nifty proof it's not 100% wasted time?". The same would hold true for things like "better power generation", "better medical technology", and so on.2.) As well, a changing world could provoke discussions, concern, excitement, and so on among heroes and civilians like. 3.) Rescuing a mining crew from Blackstar actually sounds pretty boss Definitely possible, though I personally would hope we don't get too details or political. Peace talks between warring nations is good, talk shows trying to say "Political stance X is totes the best guys" is bad. Not that you suggested it, but I'm heading that one off at the pass. And I would be up for negotiation adventures for Gabriel, though there would have to be some "twists" involved. An attack, someone immune to sonic descriptor or social skills, someone coming in with an ulterior motive... 1.) Only a couple heroes could justify constantly being out in space. The rest would simply have the option. That's really the core of what my space-based suggestions are about, is options.2.) We do need to thing on ways for our more cosmic-y heroes to get out there and do stuff, and maybe have some help occasionally. 3.) Honestly, again, I'm hesitant to tie heroes too closely to "politics" as opposed to "rescuing people". I mean, Gabriel probably has different political views than, say, Equinox, or Fast-Forward, or maybe even Velocity. That's not bad, but it is something we have to keep in mind. PCs and players both share differing viewpoints, and the danger of putting too much politics in a thread is of disagreement that goes nowhere bubbling up. I think there's room to have the Grue pop up occasionally. I think the idea is, "alien menaces" should not always be big grandiose invasions, but rather more subtle spycraft, fifth column forces, things like that. Information gathering, rabble-rousing, disinformation spreading, that sort of thing. Such plots would also give room for the high-PL characters who aren't just big flashy powers to shine.

Let me know if that post doesn't work for you, Raveled.

William gave the two sisters an oddly serious (from him) look. "No one should ever have to justify dinosaurs. That's one of the top three lessons my father taught me for life." Then he cheered up a bit. "That sounds like a pretty awesome power, Haukea. Though...wasn't there some big-shot student a couple years ago who sorta kinda maybe did something similarish?" But before that line of conversation could continue, William noticed that some of the sculptures didn't look right. And one or two of the workers were in growing distress as their hand or hands were trapped in the ice. And then he noticed the three guys who were pretty clearly doing something and laughing about it. His face went flat, and his eyes sparked green for just a moment. "Just a sec, girls." And he set off at a power walk speed that was in no way a run, but was somehow faster than you'd think a power walk would be... After a moment, he "accidentally" bumped the shoulder of one of the boys flanking the main mischief maker. He turned to face them, fake shock on his face. "My bad, bros. Didn't see you standing here. Being jerkwads." His eyes were focused on the one who was causing the sudden ice growths.

Helping Facilitate Higher PL Play This is partially about trying to better account for what scale and scope higher PLs operate on, and partially about admitting we're already not RL Earth and not MU or DCU, and just moving further from the status quo. In chat the other day, it was remarked that PL 7-10 is generally "street level" crime. I'd agree; at that level, fighting regular gangs isn't too hard but doesn't feel like overkill, and the appearance of 1-2 members of the Crime League, Foundry, or Psion Dynasty (for 3 examples) is a Pretty Big Deal (or should be!). 11-13 is a fuzzy area. If you're, say, PL12 with 200pp, you're going to be comfortable dealing with continental scale stuff, or small global, cosmic, or dimensional affairs. A PL 12 with 250pp is going to be very well-prepared, but won't necessarily juggle mountains or the like. And 14-15...well, this is the point where you're looking at "saving the world" being a baseline, nearly. But our site's adventures generally happen in Freedom City, and the structure is focused on Freedom City. Which isn't entirely bad or entirely true (we've got some folks doing more and more over in Britain, for instance). But what if we took some steps over the next few years to intentionally extend the reach of Humanity, and thus our heroes? What about negotiations for a couple of moon bases, set up so it doesn't disturb Farsider society? What about small initial Martian colonies? Asteroid mining and research stations? Official diplomatic ties with the Lor Republic (without just being subsumed by them)? Basically, take all our super-science PCs and NPCs and have some real fruits start showing up. We don't need to solve every problem overnight, but let's crack some energy problems, get some spaceships cruising, things like that! This way, our high-PL characters have MUCH easier justification for going off-world, having contact with space-based characters and threats, things like that. None of this is a demand, mind you, but it is some ideas.

On Appropriate Foes for High PL Play So, you're a PL15, full stop. PL 15 Combat Caps all around, 250 PP, everything. Who you gonna call fight? Well, that's the question, now isn't it? -Obviously, the list should be larger than just "Omega and the Annihilists" (though that's a valid group to occasionally draw from). -Another source is the likes of the Gorgon, the Curator, Willow's siblings (assuming Sorus would be chill with that), and any other such Preserver-made beings. I've heard there's a new one, Tellax, who's basically the High Evolutionary on steroids. Basically, the Preservers seems like a good group to blame for rogue beings/machines that go around trying to destroy, conquer, corrupt, or disrupt entire planets and star systems. -The Star Khan and his family and empire are a good source of potential conflict. Plus, space-faring PCs could totally go around fighting entire fleets! That would be pretty awesome. -The Crime League, especially when the full roster is present, is a threat to, at minimum, the entire planet. Especially with some of the new NPCs we potentially have on tap to join them. -Talos and the Foundry can be threats right up to the level of PL 15, and with ever-changing technology they can prove to be foes that are constantly changing, adapting, and evolving. -Extra-dimensional enemies may well be a good source of some conflicts. In particular, Mastermind's Earth has already interacted with Prime once, Erde has semi-regular contact, Anti-Earth has the same, and Earth-I-War-4 (the one Cobalt Templar went to, with decades of on-and-off war) is the sort of place to breed powerful supers. Heroes going to one of these places to help turn the tide at a critical juncture would give a good shakeup of scenery, situation, politics, personality, and even powers. More generally, PL 15 would, ultimately, require foes who are either more numerous albeit at a slightly lower PL (minimum 12), roughly equal numbers and PL, or a higher PL (but lower numbers). We don't have a lot of PL 20s floating around, but I think we could continuously rustle up a good stretch of PL 12s and some good PL 15s. But I do think that it wouldn't hurt to try and organize a list of the highest-level, still-viable foes. We don't want to make it a "hit list", despite our aversion of Cardboard Prisons.

So, this thread is probably going to seem a bit scatter brained at first. If it ends up that way, I'll try to go back through as time goes on and clean things up. I'm going to break this up into a couple different posts. I welcome input from other people, but I'm trying to get the idea balls rolling here. Anyways, the main purpose of this thread is to propose, explore, and brainstorm on ideas of things we can do, large and small, to provide some good options for those players whose characters are either high PL (14 or 15), or cosmic in nature/scale. Why? Because to be honest we don't have a lot of stuff going on that's intentionally focused on that sector of play. Some of this is because we don't have a LOT of PL15 characters, but then again, we don't have a lot of straight-up PL15 characters because there aren't a lot of options at that level. Kind of a vicious cycle, really. I think, in general, there are a couple of areas we can look at to improve this. -Better stable of foes to face at high levels. -Updating parts of the setting (and maybe site organization?) to provide reasonable ways for PCs to encounter these foes and generally operate at the "appropriate" level.

Added Polarity. One thing I'd like to see folks doing is discussing possible teams. "But KD", you say. "I want my character to interact with any and all Claremont characters!" Which is good and fine and cool! And you do not in any way have to be on a team. But! What I've found is that setting up a team, even if it's only a general setup, makes it easier to organize at least some threads, because you have a pre-arranged group of PCs who you know are willing to work together.

The room quivered a bit, and then the large white desk was an elaborate, pure-white conference table. There were seats for Gabriel's assistants, who silently sat down. Gabriel's face had a sheen of sweat on it, which he dabbed with a kerchief one of the angels handed him. He gave them a shakey smile as stacks of paperwork appeared in front of all of them. Another metaphor, but one that a teacher could understand. "Right then, ladies and gentleman, let's get to work. Quite a lot of back-and-forth in the world..." He frowned. Conquest. Originally, it had meant taking control of something by force, and that force was violence. Force of arms. But now, there were other forces. Votes. Protests. Even the various resources of the internet. So they would direct those resources. Those forces. Conquest would be had. But it would not be the conquest of the strong over the weak, the conquest of the tyrant. It would be the conquest of Nelson Mandela over apartheid and South Africa. The conquest of Ghandi over the British Empire. The conquest of freedom over slavery. Captives would be freed. Those who would make property of their fellow humans would be stopped, hunted, some might say oppressed. Tyrannical regimes and leaders would lose power, and their opponents, their people, would rise up with one voice and turn the tide. But it was delicate. Oh so delicate. For even the best of intentions cannot easily contain the fires of revolution, which can easily turn back to tyranny. Better to start with small things that would produce big changes later; he would only be here for a few days, and he didn't want things to "snap back" from too radical of a change. At least he had help...

CT doesn't, and his turn is going to be spent cutting the hostage free. It sounds like the turn after that might be him laying into Unferth, though.... Speaking of, if he's going to move up and cut the ropes, would you require any sort of checks or anything?

The Baron couldn't help but give a whoop of joy as the car finally started. He turned at the Agent's words. For a moment he almost shook off the command, wanting to help Ironclad... But then they were buzzed by the flying wing, and he decided that the car was an awesome idea. He slammed the hood down and dashed to the open door, all but diving in, activating his earbud as he did so, to get back in contact with Ironclad. "Ironclad, we're mobile again! We're pulling out now, I'm in the car with the others, no one's left at the site!" As he was talking he signaled that the car should get moving, and quickly.

Right then. Will Save: 11. You know what, let's go with that. I'm assuming it means he GETS IN THE CAR NAOW?

(GM Post) Shadowblade briefly appeared on the north-west warehouse roof before striking the patrol. Her keen eyes would notice the guards were watchful, but not overly bright, and seemed to have been sticking to a very precise predetermined patrol route. The roof itself was clear. In fact, Blodeuwedd could see that Shadowblade was the only presence on that roof, or the other rooftops. All the patrols were on precise, ground-level paths. ------------------------------------------------- Comrade Frost found himself facing what almost seemed to be a sort of barracks facility; crude but clean, well-lit, and well-maintained. The two dozen "troopers" inside didn't seem to be Russians, and didn't seem to understand his taunts. Then again, their reactions were precise but stiff, like robots. They were clearly humans, but there was an odd same-ness to their proportions. They did all have guns, but such things shouldn't be a worry to someone like the Russian thermovore... Not even if they used a lot of bullets to try and turn him into a wind chime!

Gabriel nodded faintly at Jophiel's words. He concentrated, willing...no, asking the Horse to become a desk. For the stable room to become an office, one with other desks, with bookshelves, with windows, with large doors. The scene wavered for a few moments. But finally, it asserted itself, and Gabriel breathed a bit easier... Before clenching his eyes shut at the sudden rush into his mind. A rush that was nearly intoxicating... "Well that's an interesting sensation. Um. You said I would have some assistance managing my...portfolio of responsibilities, yes? Angels who worked in similar areas? Would it be too much to ask that I have said assistance at this time? I'm afraid this is all a bit overwhelming."

Will's eyebrows went up in an expression of alarm...before he actually looked a bit sad and apologetic. He seemed to only barely keep from saying a word that would get him hours of psychic lecture in the space of a minute from his mother. "Look, I'm sorry. You're right, that was uncalled for, and my only explanation, though not excuse, is that in coming here I was so glad to be able to "cut loose" that I forgot that not everyone grew up in a psionic household where mental conversations were the norm. Or even if they did they don't want strangers texting them. So, um, my apologies again. Is this going to be a rift between us or do we still have a chance at friendship?" It was a struggle to not use common lingo with Elias, but he could tell that the young psion was raised very differently and had trouble understanding Will when he got going. "And as for the "your thing" bit, I was, in that specific moment, referring to competition seeking romantic partnership with girls. Not everyone likes girls, or is seeking romance, or whatever, and I was expressing acceptance of that fact and that it was your decision and I was co-er, I was okay and supportive of it either way. More generally, someone saying something is "my thing" or "your thing" is referring to an action or behavior or hobby or whatnot that someone enjoys or otherwise pursues. So, for instance, making awesome TV shows is my parents' "thing". Flirting and acting suave is "my thing". But it's not your thing. Does that make sense at all?"

Gabriel walked slowly into the stable room, not really paying attention to whether Jophiel was following closely or not. He was airborne after a few moments, slowly flying up until he was at eye level with his temporary steed. One hand unconsciously reached out and gently brushed the creature's snout. It seemed almost unnervingly calm. And smart. Probably smarter than him. The empowered Irishman began to speak softly, though he was sure the Horse (and the angel accompanying him) could hear him. "You know, I have remarked I wanted to drive a classic Mustang. This isn't quite how I pictured that working out. Still, can't get much more classic than you, can we? You know, there's been a part of me, ever since I've received these powers, had them awakened, whatever, that's been afraid. Terrified. Because it didn't take me long to figure out what I can do. How convincing I am. It terrifies me. Because it's so...easy. It would be so easy to just flip the switch and start talking and make more and more and more people see that I'm right and these ideas are good ideas. So so easy. Talking my way to ruling the world. No, not ruling. "Guiding". So much more benevolent. Of course, that's probably the same thing...he...thought. So I stamp down that though. Fight it. Take it captive, just like every other thought. Control my tongue. And it's second nature now. But then this job offer comes along. And part of me is thinking what I could do. While the rest is afraid to do anything except keep the seat occupied. Because where would I stop or start? Well, it's not your fault, and I suppose I should see what exactly I can or should be doing besides keeping your crazy former rider from taking over the world." With a final pat on The White Horse's nose, Gabriel turned and floated back down to Jophiel, clasping his hands behind his back. "So do I get a desk, or do I work from horseback?"

"I think they get a lot of donors, since some of the students come from well-off families. Not really mine, but some do. And I'm a sophomore. Well, halfway to junior at this point, but. I'm not in any advanced placement classes, but I've done pretty well up to now in the "regular" stuff. So I guess we'll see. Too bad you gals can't both be there. I don't mind not sharing classes with my sister, but she's way younger, and kind of a brat." There was no real venom in the statement, just normal sibling rivalry. As Kalani asks her question, Will looks around, spotting no one paying particular attention, and moves in closer. He holds up his left hand, index finger raise. "Well, I can do this-" And suddenly the finger's a blur of movement, extending and curling and rolling around a bit. It only lasts a moment, but Will's all grin. "But, you know, all over. Especially running. I run well. Really well. Have a few more "'optional extras" installed but I can't really show off. You know, out in public, etc." Plus crazy grandfather, but they didn't need to know that.

"So our primary purpose is to guard the offices against a sneak attack through a hidden entrance to Heaven. And on the side, manage our...portfolio." The angel-themed hero seemed to be warming to the idea. The fact that it was only for a couple of days was even more incentive. He seemed to think over the presented facts a bit more, and without really thinking about it, he tapped the bow in his hand, which flowed down and over the hand holding it to solidify into a silvery vambrace over his coat sleeve, featuring a central design reminiscent of a crossbow. He raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and continued. "Having on-site assistants and trainers is just a plus." He nodded at Wander's statement of how they ought to get down to business, though he shared her curiosity of how they'd get to their "office". Or where exactly in the shining expanse around them their offices were!

A Privateer’s Life For Me? Backyard, Cline Residence, New Camelot City January 6, Anno Domini 2014 (Thoughtspeed January 2014 Vignette) William Cline was, as was becoming rather common, bored. Not just bored with this particular day, though with his dad out doing lame adult stuff, it was boring around the house. But bored with his life in general. His parents seemed to actually like the “passion plays†that they put on, for all that William found them either insincere, or too sarcastic. He never said so to his parents, of course. Partially because he knew this was their “assigned penance†from the League. Some of the group of do-gooders seemed decent folks, but some were a bit self-righteous. While they’d accepted the change of heart his parents had had after the Prince of Hell had tried to destroy New Camelot (and failed), a few had insisted it wasn’t enough. Thus, his parents put on “passion plays†where they spoke of past exploits of criminals and ne’er-do-wells. Will wanted more. Oh, sure, his parents occasionally helped the League of Camelot, but it just didn’t feel right to William. He wanted to help people, no mistake, but the League was always battling the forces of Hell, or the insane folks like Lord Stratos or whatnot. But what of the guilds of thieves, robbers, and pirates that plagued not just New Camelot, but the outlying farms and settlements, the roads, and even the seas around them? There were heroes, either attached to the League or independent, who did so. But not many. Other independent groups had mixed success; he’d heard of the group led by a young knife-flinging man, an eclectic mix who fought the highwaymen, fey, and dark things that haunted the roads, settlement, and city. Will was determined to be like the lovable rogue from the days of Arthur I, Will Scarlett. The man had been one of Sir Loxley’s most trusted companions and battle-brothers in his fight to keep the forests of Holy Britain safe. Scarlett had had to settle for plain steel in his hands. William Cline had no such limitation. He smirked, and in a blur, there were a set of simple wooden posts set up in the fenced-in backyard, each bearing some sort of hay-stuffed target with (comically bad) drawn faces at the top. He had his evil fae...now for his weapons. With a quick flash of green light, William bore twin longknives. A fierce grin on his face, he was a blur as he struck at the first target, a barrage of slashes sending hay flying. He might not have Will Scarlett’s skills yet, but he was getting closer, and the legendary knife-slinger never had Will’s speed! Then suddenly he held a classical rapier, and blows were struck upon more of the foul creatures of Faerie! Like the famed Arbalesters of the French region of the Empire, his sword was a gentleman’s weapon. The knives might be faster, but this, oh, this had style! And if there was one lesson his father had taught him that William had taken to heart, it was that style was key! He finally stopped his amateur “training sessionâ€, taking a few deep breaths to slow his heart rate down just a bit. He grinned, satisfied with how utterly destroyed the “evil Fae soldiers†were. He gave a salute with the blade to his worthy foes, before letting the collected energy disappear into the wind. Now he was left pondering two things. First, how could he make a living being a ‘hero of the peopleâ€? Perhaps he could approach someone with the Crown about a modified Privateer’s License? He’d heard of people using the more traditional version to drive down piracy closer to Old Camelot. Maybe something like that could be applied more broadly… Second, and more importantly, what would he wear? How would he present himself? What name would he take? He liked the thought of mostly black, but with green. His powers showed themselves as green, why not work with it? A hat, yes, a hat would be good. It would need a strap, so as to not fly off, but that was a small sacrifice. As for a name...his powers were equally those of mind as well as of body. He was fast, and he could do things...at the speed of thought. Speed of thought. Thoughtspeed! Yes, that sounded like a heroic name, one to inspire confidence in citizens, and induce swooning in pretty girls. Can’t forget inducing the swooning. So William Cline whiled away the time dreaming of his life as a Heroic Privateer, not knowing the battle soon to be raging on the streets with his father in the center. But, such was life in New Camelot City...

Initiative: 19.

"Probably had to use smaller tools. Some of these folks with the larger animal scupltures do a lot of it with chainsaws, but there's too much fine detail on this." Then he heard "Claremont" and went still for a moment, his eyes snapping over to Haukea. He wasn't "checking her out"; he was sizing up, almost like an opponent in a fight, except with no malice. More like in a friendly sparring match? "I'm actually attending Claremont myself, starting classes this semester. I did a bunch of boring tests and stuff last semester, not long after we moved in-town. It's fun. Different, but fun. First school I've been to with a meditation garden."

Well, offhand... -Make it so that historically, nephilim (who are almost assuredly the offspring of fallen angels, since we've set up in FCverse that non-fallen angels can totes have kids with saints in Heaven) are generally pretty bad folks. And because of their nature they can be quite destructive; just about like having a half-Kryptonian running amok in a world with WW1 technology (as an example of how badly stacked the odds are). This gives reason behind the animosity beyond "they're part angel and part human", since that's....also what Heyzel is. Even if they're not literal demon-spawn, the angel parent would be someone who likely is on the run for one reason or another; while I'm not well-versed in nephilim-related lore (and don't recall that as a primary motivator for the Flood), it would be logical that the rule against them exists for a reason. The destructive potential would be that reason, I bet. -Make it so Heaven does the 'I am watching you' thing really heavily. If they're not sending kill-squads, they're basically waiting in the wings, for just one bigger mistake, to justify it. If your character is going to be a hero through and through, they might well be the very first one. Power corrupts, and power from an already-corrupted source, singing in your metaphorical ears since birth, can corrupt even easier. Perhaps holy ground is uncomfortable for the character. Any PCs with close ties to Heaven are explicitly warned about them, and thus might be hostile, or strongly suspicious, at first meeting. Basically, make it an incredible uphill battle, with the hope of "not having the Heavenly Sword of Damocles over my head" far away for the character.

"I've learned it's sometimes best to not ask how parents have acquired a particular skill or skill set. The explanation will either be long and boring, or scar you for life. Or both." He gave an over-dramatic shudder. "Oh, hey, that's a nice castle." Indeed, it was a nice ice sculpture castle! Will seemed absorbed in admiring it for several long moments, before he spoke up, his eyes still drinking in the frozen water fortress details. "So, where do you gals go to school?"

Corbin offered Alfonso a polite smile and handshake. "Alfonso, nice to meet you. My name's Corbin. I'm from out of town. This is Indira, and Kimber. We, uh." He pauses, glancing at the girls briefly, a bit of uncertainty in his eyes. "We're here to try and find the spring, and maybe enjoy the landscapes, too. I'm an artist, see, so I figure even if we don't find some sort of mystical spring I'll get some good material." It wasn't even really a lie at all, it just left out the whole bit with superpowers.

Fenris >Shadows of History GM Posts (All go to Cobalt Templar) >New Ventures >Stirring Up A Metallic Nest Gabriel (All go to Cobalt Templar) >Come and See Vignette: >Straight Is the Gate, Narrow Is The Way, Lonely Is The Road Cobalt Templar >Reunions and Waffles >Night Rings >Never Did Run Smooth Vignette: >The Mage-Knight’s Tower Thoughtspeed >Ice Age Cometh >Sweet Child O' Mine Vignette: >A Privateer's Life For Me?

Right, untrained Sense Motive first: 18. Though not sure if that counts since it's untrained? Arcane Lore: 29.