GranspearZX

GM Taraxus reeled after yet another blow to his flaming skull, driven back even further by Supercape's assault. "You... are starting to annoy me." It was an obvious bluff; though it was visibly difficult to tell whether or not he was in pain, his movements were far slower than they had been at the start of the confrontation. By now, Supercape had driven him further back into the cavern, and he was no longer directly underneath the dimensional disturbance--that alone seemed to be causing it to stabilize and start to close. Not to be outdone, Trigger continued to strafe along the wall, letting another energy arrow fly at Taraxus. Another direct hit, but the demonic entity only seemed to shrug it off.

Okay! So first, Taraxus needs a TOU save: TOU Save: (1d20+14-3=19) Ouch. And he's Bruised (x4) and Stunned. And Trigger takes the opportunity to hit him with another arrow: Ranged Attack: (1d20+15=35) And it crits. DC25 TOU check for Taraxus: TOU Save: (1d20+14-4=30) Wow, these dice. o.o IC post forthcoming, and then Supercape's turn again!

American Way'd by Trollthumper. Crusader (6 PP to spend) Keeping it really simple with a small addition to his Powers section: Super Movement 1 (Slow Fall; PFs: Innate) (training) [3PP] Super Senses 2 (Accurate Hearing; PFs: Innate) (training) [3PP] Total PP Spent: 6

PL 8/120PP. Just stats for now. Feedback and suggestions always welcome. Abilities: 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 2 = 2PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 10/20 (+5) Constitution: 10 (+0) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 8 + 6 = 14PP Initiative: +9 Attack: +4 (+8 w/ staff) Grapple: +6 Defense: +8 (+3 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -4 Saves: 5 + 1 + 6 = 12PP Toughness: +8 (+6, +2 Defensive Roll) Fortitude: +5 (+0 Con; +5) Reflex: +6 (+5 Dex; +1) Will: +6 (+0 Wis; +6) Skills: 36R = 9PP Acrobatics 5 (+10) Bluff 4 (+5) Concentration 6 (+6) Disguise 0 (+16 w/ Morph) Escape Artist 1 (+6) Knowledge (arcane Lore) 5 (+5) Notice 5 (+5) Search 4 (+4) Sense Motive 4 (+4) Sleight of Hand 1 (+6) Stealth 1 (+6) Feats: 26PP Acrobatic Bluff Attack Specialization 2 (Monkey Staff) Defensive Attack Defensive Roll 2 Dodge Focus 5 Elusive Target Evasion Improved Grapple (w/ Additional Limbs) Improved Initiative Improved Throw Improved Trip Monkey Climber Move-by Action Quick Change 2 Redirect Ritualist Takedown Attack Taunt Uncanny Dodge 2 (Hearing, Sight) Powers: 15 + 6 + 9 + 6 + 21 = 57PP Device 4 (easy to lose, only usable by Kid Wukong; PFs: Indestructible) (15PP) Blast 8 (PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2) (Staff Extension) [20PP] AP: Strike 8 (PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Extended Reach, Knockback 5, Mighty, Split Attack) {18/18} (Staff Attack) AP: Strike 8 (PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Homing 8 [250 attempts]) {18/18} (Staff Animation) Leaping 5 (x50 / Running jump: 500 ft.) [5PP] AP: Flight 5 (250 mph / 2200 ft. per round; PFs: Platform) {5/5} (magic; Nimbus Flight) Morph 3 (Any form, +15 Disguise) [9PP] Protection 6 (+6 Toughness) [6PP] Monkey King Physiology (20PP Container; PFs: Innate) [21PP] Additional Limbs 1 (Prehensile Tail) [1PP] Additional Limbs 2 (Prehensile Feet) [2PP] Enhanced Dexterity 10 [10PP] Immunity 3 (Aging, Disease, Poison) [3PP] Super-Strength 2 (Carry Strength: 20; Heavy load: 400 lbs) [4PP] DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE DC EFFECT Staff Extension (Blast 8) Ranged DC23 TOU [Staged] Damage [Physical] Staff Attack (Strike 8) Melee DC23 TOU [Staged] Damage [Physical] Staff Animation (Strike 8) Melee DC23 TOU [Staged] Damage [Physical] Unarmed Melee DC15 TOU [Staged] Damage [Physical] Abilities (22) + Combat (14) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (9) + Feats (26) + Powers (57) - Drawbacks (0) = 180 Power Points

GM It all happened faster than the doctor in charge could really fathom. One minute, he was arguing with Charlotte Noble about staying out of the exam room, allowing random strangers inside... and the next, the surgeon that had been called to assist was telling him that the hemorrhaging had stopped. "How did you... Never mind." He was really in no position to argue against small miracles. His patient still needed much-needed attention, after all. "Get this man up to the OR." They all left the exam room and headed down the hall to an elevator, taking Ben Noble's unconscious and comatose form up to surgery. Charlotte could barely even look at him as he passed, his face bruised to almost unrecognizable proportions and a breathing tube down his throat. She turned to Freddy as they disappeared and headed to the upper floors, offering a thankful smile. "Thank you." The quiet that followed was brief; a man approached at a relatively rapid pace, a motorcycle helmet clenched in his right hand. He looked exactly like an unbruised Ben, save the bandage on his cheek and 3-days worth of chin stubble. Charlotte seemed relieved to see him, and he hugged her before he said anything else. "What the hell is going on? Is Ben okay?" He turned to Freddy. "...and who're you?"

GM "...I suppose I have to be 'serious' now." Trigger adjusted his glasses and faint blue lines streaked across his lenses. Even as Taraxus was pushed backward by the aura surrounding Supercape, Trigger moved quickly to his right along the wall. He squeezed the staff and it bent towards him into a bow, a single white beam of light serving as its string. He drew it back and fired an energy arrow at Taraxus, frowning as it bounced harmlessly off his chest plate. "...this may take a while."

Trigger's going to try taking a shot at it: Ranged Attack roll: (1d20+15=32) vs his TOU check (DC 27): TOU check: (1d20+14=27) -2 from the bruising means he's damaged by the aura, and takes a 3rd bruise. [bruised x3] And vs Trigger's arrow (DC22): TOU check: (1d20+14=28) -3 is 25, so the arrow is ineffective. IC post forthcoming, and then it's SC's turn!

10 minutes earlier... Clark slipped into his apartment window quietly, as he always did after a night out in the Fens in costume. Shutting and locking it behind him, he headed into his room, removing the cowl and staring at himself in his mirror. Specifically, he was looking at a very minor knife wound that grazed his right cheek. It wasn't bleeding anymore, but he felt as if he had to come up with a better excuse for it than 'I cut myself shaving'. He sighed heavily and started to remove his gloves as well when his cell phone rang. "Hello? Charlotte? What's wrong? Wh-... wait, slow down. What about Ben?" Clark nearly dropped his phone when Charlotte explained. She was nearly hysterical--there really wasn't much that could make Charlotte panic as far as injury went; she was, after all, an ER nurse with over 10 years of experience. "...I'm on my way." He threw on clothes over his costume; Clark didn't have time to change, and getting to Trinity from the Fens was going to take a while anyway. In minutes he was downstairs and on his bike, speeding across the city to get to the hospital, tickets be damned.

GM "Huh?" The first nurse looked up at Freddy, confused. Charlotte wiped her eyes and stood up, equally confused at Freddy's question. "Er... yes, I am. Do I know you?" Charlotte looked a little torn, between personal feelings and hospital protocol. Never mind that Freddy wasn't a doctor and she wasn't sure if he could be trusted. She looked down at her phone. "...Clark, where are you...! Oh, sorry... um... ...come with me." It was clear she'd made up her mind when she marched back towards the exam room, leading the way so that Freddy could follow unimpeded. She refused to feel helpless, and it showed. The ER security guard gave the pair a worried look; even he knew that it was highly unusual, but he didn't say a word, keeping an eye on them from a distance instead.

"Why? They're just bull-... oh. Right." Arc cleared his throat. For a moment, the Beast Rune's arrogance had overtaken him, forcing him to wrest control of himself again. It wasn't an encouraging sign. "No way for us to keep in contact, at least not that I know of. I could work something up if I had the time, but time is definitely on limited supply... we've got an hour before that jerk Harper sends agents in after us. I don't know how good an idea that is..." Arcturus took a few steps forward. "Splitting up in a dark forest... hm. Then again, we don't know how big this place is. At least two of us should scout ahead... Warp? Errant? How about you two?"

Works for me!

"Huh." Marcus blinked a few times, letting that sink in. He wasn't quite sure what 'entropic space' was, but if its energy could be directed like that... "To be honest, I'm not sure what the difference is. Mutants, metahumans... I mean, I was technically born with what I can do. The magic part I'm still learning, but my... oh wait, you haven't seen it yet, have you?" It suddenly occurred to him that during the entire ordeal, he never shifted forms. It was largely because the Beast Rune would have had him swiping at nothing. "Just try not to freak out." He stood back up and changed into his towering bear form. The transformation wasn't really physical; his entire body turned into a green silhouette, changed shape, and then he was standing there covered in fur, all in a matter of seconds.

I've been thinking a LOT about this, ever since Freddy suggested it to the detective. It was honestly an angle I hadn't considered. I came up with an idea that doesn't necessarily end with Ben's untimely demise; it's feasible that his injuries could leave him comatose instead. That creates several new plot hooks that could be used--mafiosos worried about him coming out of said coma, for instance. And it's far less likely to send Crusader spiraling into a dark place. That and it gave me an idea for a sidekick for Crusader--his brother's spirit in a battlesuit. :D

GM 9:57 p.m. Trinity Memorial Hospital The Trinity Memorial emergency room was about what one would expect--plenty of moving and yelling. The waiting area was surprisingly quiet. It was a sharp contrast to what was going on in the background to attempt to save a man's life. Beyond the exam room stood a young brown-haired woman, clutching her cell phone in her shaking hands. Silent tears streamed down her face as she backed herself into a wall, unable to continue watching through the window. "...come on, Charlotte," one of the other nurses took her by the arm. "He'll be fine... let the doctors do what they do best." When Freddy arrived, both nurses were entering the waiting area from behind the reception counter. "I'll get you some coffee, Charlotte... Everything'll be okay."

GM The detective raised an eyebrow; that was one heck of an ability to have. "Truthfully? From what I hear, he'll be lucky to make it to Trinity alive... Paramedics said his injuries were pretty extensive. If you hurry, you might be able to do... something." The detective hadn't seen Ben for himself, but he descriptions he'd been given made him visibly uncomfortable. It wasn't long after that a young man began moving about the crime scene, taking pictures of various points in the alley--and the myriad of holes gouged into the brickwork on either side of the alley. Short, thick rivets, approximately a half-inch long, were strewn everywhere. "His wife is actually a nurse at Trinity Memorial; she's already been contacted,"

"I saw it in a book once. Another reason you should study," he said half-jokingly, moving over towards the chairs positioned near one side of the lobby. "It's not weird at all. In the book I was reading, I saw it done with a ring. You make an agreement with an entity, called a pact, and then it allows you to summon it. That's a little different though... That method lets the summoned being come to this plane directly from theirs. This is more like... smuggling. Kidnapping, really." Talk about the different planes made him consider something else. Given the amount of downtime, he just had to ask. "Speaking of planes... I know when some people teleport, they pass through somewhere else. Usually. When we left the library, it was... different. Never seen anything quite like it before. What was that?"

Arcturus The Bear Necessities Last Stop Psychics and Tigers and Bears... Oh My! Crusader Vanguard Gathers A Very Noble Christmas GM/NPC (Please apply all to Arcturus) A Fool's Errand The Great Escapist My Brother's Keeper

And the rolls begin! Knowledge (streetwise) to ID the guy with the metal face. DC 20.

GM "Hm?" The detective on the scene actually noticed Freddy first. Local police were certainly aware of independent detectives--and Freddy was a uniquely identifiable individual. The officers seemed skeptical, but the detective waved him over. "Dunno if you can help or not actually. Still trying to figure out what went on here. Seems like a pretty brutal assault. Only one witness interviewed so far... said some guy with a 'metal face' ran off at the sound of the sirens. Probably a lucky thing too... I heard the guy he left here was in pretty rough shape... what was his name again?" "Ah..." The officer standing nearby thought for a moment. "Noble. Benjamin Noble."

The IC post is already up; feel free take your next shot! Although... Trigger actually has Initiative now! Initiative: (1d20+15=31) Which puts the current situation at: Trigger :: Unharmed Supercape :: -1 Con Taraxus :: Bruised x2 GM post forthcoming!

Ooh. I was reading the core book, but I don't really mind the UP version. In fact, I did think that version of Drain might have been a little much... Failure by 1 means just a 1 CON drop; that's perfectly acceptable for me. :)

GM Monday, February 4, 2013 9:35 p.m. It was always an unnerving thing when police sirens pierced the night air, blue and red lights washing over everything with a sudden sense of danger and urgency. The West End was no stranger to violent interludes, but somehow tonight seemed different. The overcast and starless sky only made the scene unfolding on the streets worse. It began with a 911 call, two blocks away from an out of the way sports bar, someone heard something that sounded like gunshots. Less than fifteen minutes later, an ambulance and two squad cars arrived to a find a man lying on the ground, barely breathing and unconscious. Not long after that, detectives arrived on the scene. "Geez. Looks like a war broke out here..." The first detective pulled on a pair of gloves, putting his hand against the brick wall of the alley where the victim had been found. "...are these bullet holes?" "We didn't find any bullet casings... We found these." The officer held up a paper bag, and the detective raised an eyebrow. "Are those... construction rivets?"

Murder mystery! A very personal one for someone... Featuring Bloody Mess, The Hound, and Crusader!

DC 22 (I should've mentioned that, d'oh) So he fails by 1. Ow. So his CON drops to 2... Hoo.

"Huh? Oh, hey Mr. Warburton." He waved, somehow managing to keep up with the phone conversation, Kat, and what was happening around him. Barely. He ordered four pizzas and, once he was done there, stuffed his phone back into his pocket. "Well, there's the Parkhurst ghosts... and me. I don't know if you know Etain and Morgan from school, but I think they live here too. Lots of other magic-users from around the city stay here from time to time. This place is pretty huge... Sometimes I can go for days without seeing anybody. Kinda nice to have some company though, even if it is about business."