GranspearZX

GM Arcturus tried to focus on the task at hand, his claws turning a bright red as a symbol appeared on the back of each hand, engulfing both in a small but intense-looking flame. He lunged at Gauntlet with a feral roar, flaming claws tearing a wide arc through the air. They scraped uselessly at Gauntlet's metal breastplate, and the metal monstrosity let out something that sounded like an irritated sigh. Its metal fist came flying at Arc faster than one might expect something that large to be capable of moving, nailing the bear squarely on the cheek. There was a sound like shattering glass that came after--it wasn't loud, but definitely noticeable, as a reddish brown field of light appeared and disappeared around Arcturus's body. In that instant, he went from an eight-foot tall force of nature to a young man less than half of Gauntlet's height. He winced as he mentally recovered, still trying to piece together what had just happened, but it didn't take long at all for him to realize he was normal again... wearing shorts and a mask.

+11 gives Arcturus a 27 for his attack. Gauntlet rolls for TOU and: +14 gives him 28... barely saving him from harm. :/ Gauntlet, of course, retaliates: ...leaving Arc to make a TOU save vs DC24: And he gets nailed with a metal fist in the face. Ow. HOWEVER... thanks to his Second Chance (TOU checks vs Unarmed attacks), he gets another shot: So he still gets nailed in the face. The results aren't AS bad, but bad enough, leaving Arc Bruised rather than knocking him out cold. And since he's in bear form (Sustained duration), DC17 Concentration check: And he fails (14), knocking him out of bear form. So that leaves us here: Catalyst: 1 HP Arcturus: 1 HP, Bruised Gauntlet: --- IC post forthcoming. As a side note, can I get some clarification on the Concentration check? The result is the same either way, but was Arc supposed to make a DC17 check (10 + Gauntlet's damage bonus) or DC21 (10 + 11 for Arc's Alt Form rank)? Edit: Clarified. DC21 it is!

"!!" Arcturus clamped a hand over his mouth, preventing him from making too loud a noise. He swallowed hard as he relaxed under Starlight's grip, staring blankly at the countless humans--were they even human anymore?--sitting in the seats listening to the terrible performance. Slipping back behind the door, he grimaced, trying to control his breathing and the rush of adrenaline borne from nearly running headlong into a zombie horde. "...necromancers," he whispered, shaking his head. "...got any ideas?"

GM "When he wakes up," the paramedic nodded. "I don't see why not. I suppose the police will want to talk to him too..." It didn't take long for the ambulance to reach the hospital's emergency room. After determining that Mr. Umbridge's life wasn't in immediate danger, the doctors and nurses admitted him to a room, two uniformed officers posted just outside. Aside from a few curious looks, Supercape didn't get too much attention, and the police were giving the hero a wide berth--after all, he'd quite possibly saved Umbridge from a significantly worse fate. By the time Umbridge started to come around, it was just past noon. "...ugh. Where am I..."

"The future, huh?" Arcturus's right hand balled into a fist, and then snapped open again. There was a light blue flash against the back of his furry palm, and he catapulted himself forward at the iron beast. His claws scraped at Gauntlet's breastplate, leaving a frozen white streak in the air from the elemental magic wrapped around his hand and wrist. "I'm gonna bury you here and now, tin grin."

1d20+5=10 And Arc goes on the attack: 1d20+11=27

Hm. I think it'll be fine, considering where the story's going. :D

Stealth [1d20+10] and Notice [1d20+5]: Stealth: (1d20+10=20) Notice: (1d20+5=24)

No worries; it's been rather hectic with me as well. Alexander Umbridge is an accountant. Not the entirely legal kind, however... His name is tied to several criminal enterprises--nothing that can be attributed to him directly, but he's been known to give legal and financial advice to plenty of criminals. He's got plenty of underworld contacts, and an even longer list of people who might want to do him bodily harm.

Arcturus frowned deeply at the terrible music. Had he been in bear form, he was sure it would have been worse. After seeing the drag marks, he knew that Leroy was here, but the question was where... So far, he didn't see anyone. That alone was far from encouraging. His main decision was whether to come up with a plan or simply march in there and demand answers. Normally, he'd have done the latter without a second thought, but now he actually considered the alternative. For all of about 20 seconds anyway. Arcturus held up one hand, silently suggesting that she wait for a moment... and then he tried to quietly push the door open, keeping low and trying not to attract too much attention to himself. The closer he could get, he figured, the better.

Apologies for the delay. Back to BIDNESS. *cough* Arc defends (total defense, +4 dodge), Gauntlet attacks: 1d20+7=21 And misses. Catalyst is up!

GM "I'd ask if you're alright, but... dumb question." Running headlong into Gauntlet hurt more than he thought it would. At least he'd recovered, and his natural agility got him back to his feet before any permanent harm could be done. It didn't solve his primary problem though... Gauntlet had wrecked several cars in his straightforward pursuit, and there was no realistic way to outrun him. Even if he put enough distance between the two of them, there was no telling what would get in the way in the interim. He needed a plan... a distraction. His stance became defensive as Gauntlet lunged at him again; the bear suddenly shifted his weight forward and lowered himself, deflecting the incoming blow upward, well over his head. "Uh... you might wanna run, little girl. This is gonna get ugly." The last thing he wanted was someone getting hurt, and he had a general sense of where Jasmine was in relation to the metal monstrosity.

I'm gonna be super-busy with school for a few days while I try to get some assignments done... All threads I'm currently in will be updated Wednesday morning at the VERY latest.

"...hm. Call me Arcturus. Necromancer, huh?" He knew exactly one necromancer, and he was pretty sure Nick had nothing to do with this. A few months ago, he might've blown Starlight off entirely, but now? "Well, I won't say 'no'." Arcturus was more than a little curious about the heroine, but he really didn't want to ask any questions--not yet, anyway. It reminded him of the time he tried to use the Light Rune in his book of runic magic--it was far more power than he could handle, and it burned out after he'd used it once, even destroying the stone on which he'd inscribed the rune. He hadn't tried it since, but Starlight made him consider experimenting with it all over again. He turned back around to open the door, as quietly as the old building would allow. It was one of the advantages of not being in bear form--being able to move around quickly and quietly. "There might be an innocent bystander in there," he mentioned; Arc certainly hadn't forgotten about Leroy.

Marcus was no actor. Far from it, really. As far as he knew, though, neither was Leroy. Why was someone who lived in an old theater seeing Leroy? The scene at Leroy's apartment played over and over in his mind, and he had a fairly good idea what had happened. The blood trail wasn't going in--it was going out. Something attacked him in the bathtub, maybe? It was pretty wild speculation; it wasn't as if the door had been kicked in, but the doorknob WAS rather loose... ARGH. Too much thinking. Bleh. It was pointless to assume, he decided. No, he needed to act; it was really the only way Marcus stayed sane in the face of the constant weirdness the magical world often threw at him. There was a certain level of temperance he brought to bear ever since he'd found his focus and purpose, and in keeping with following that path, he moved forward, right to the theater that 'Larry' had pointed out. There was no sense in walking in civvies, he thought, and before he got to his destination, Marcus changed. His new uniform was noticeably different from his old one; not only was he not wearing Claremont colors, but he was wearing a mask. Only a handful of people he knew also knew what Malek Ironbear looked like, and since Malek had given him his mask, it seemed like something he could easily emulate. It paid to have someone who knew of his powers AND could make something that could fit him and his bear form. At first, he doubted the story, but after seeing the place, Marcus decided it was definitely worth checking out. Marcus mentally braced himself and focused, reassuring himself as he channeled the Beast Rune's energy into his body... just in case. As he reached for the door, the light startled him; he spun around... and there was a lady in golden armor. Thanks to Marcus's new-found restraint, things didn't get ugly; the first thing he thought was 'Gauntlet', and he nearly shifted out of a pure, adrenaline-fueled reaction. She seemed less 'soulless armor', though, and much more 'non-human entity'... which was weird, but in a way for which Claremont could actually be credited with preparing him. There was also the fact that Gauntlet would have tried to put him through a wall from the very beginning--costume or no, it still could seek him out even as a civilian... a problem he hadn't quite solved yet. Still, his stance was a guarded one, fists clenched to defend himself if he found it necessary. He did relax visibly, though, as she spoke. "...did you just tell me 'go home'?" The mask did more for his secret identity than it looked capable of doing; his voice was an octave or two deeper, and the Beast Rune's magic had made his incisors and canines a touch larger than they should have normally been. "Look lady... I can take care of myself. Been doin' it for a while now."

Notice check: (1d20+4=19) And that should've been +5, not +4, so... 20. Yay!

Marcus was pissed. It wasn't the normal, uncontrolled and unfocused rage either. This felt entirely different, with a specific focus. The Beast Rune responded to his natural aggression by amplifying it, and the rune itself glowed with a fiery crimson color against his dark skin. Runes he hadn't even used swirled around him as the Beast Rune's magic washed over him, shifting him instantly into his bear form. "I'm NOT your brother." Teeth bared, Arcturus shifted his stance lower, claws twitching noticeably as the Beast Rune's battle lust started to fill him. Even without it speaking its intentions directly into his head, he cosigned it all. "Let me show you what happens to trespassers."

Who is Alexander Umbridge? Make an untrained Knowledge check and we'll see! :D

GM The second paramedic didn't say much, but she gave Supercape an incredulous eyebrow raise before she jumped into the driver's seat; the other paramedic was in the back with the victim and Supercape. As the ambulance drove off, they didn't turn on their sirens--the man had been pretty roughly handled, but other than being drugged, he was unharmed. The paramedic seemed especially good at what he did, making absolutely sure that the man was alright. He'd taken the man's jacket off, along with his watch and ring, taking a brief glance into his wallet at his driver's license. "Alexander Umbridge. Hm." He put the wallet back into the man's jacket, continuing to monitor the man's vitals while occasionally looking at Supercape. "...you don't know him, do you?"

The thought had crossed his mind to change forms and track him that way. He hadn't yet learned enough control over the Beast Rune to sense things outside his bear form, but changing had inherent problems of its own. People tended to lose their minds when seeing a giant eight-foot bear, and it wasn't worth causing a panic. He stepped outside and reached into his pocket for his phone, considering doing the very logical, civilian thing of calling the police when the resident homeless guy started poking him. Marcus visibly twitched with annoyance, gripping his phone a little tighter than necessary before looking at him. "Huh? Oh... yeah, I am... do you know where he went? And what friend?" He wasn't sure if Leroy had a significant other. It wasn't a subject they often talked about, but it wasn't as if he was living with anyone. He wondered if this 'friend' was who had caused all of this. For now, his only real, reliable lead was Hobo Larry. God help us all.

Marcus had collaborated with artists before, though certainly not as much as he was trying to now. His teachers thought it might be a good way to get the young mystic to open up, and so far, he was actually surprised at how much he was enjoying it. Traveling here wasn't entirely bad; it wasn't as if he was afraid of getting mugged, and considering his second home was a haunted hotel, what did he really have to be afraid of? He'd left his Wacom tablet at Leroy's though, but that was nearly a month ago; he trusted him enough to let him borrow it, but now he needed it back. Careful not to wake up the sleeping homeless guy--who he'd casually nicknamed Hobo Larry, as he had no clue what the guy's real name was--he knocked. For a moment, he thought Leroy actually wasn't home, but when the doorknob rattled at his touch, he paused, palms tingling a bit as he tensed up a little bit. "Leroy?" The door was unlocked; Leroy knew better than that. When he could finally see inside, it looked like a tornado had hit the place. For a moment, he held out hope that it was only a break-in, but even that was dismissed when he moved further inside and saw the blood leading into the bathroom. "Geez... Leroy?! You in here?!" He strode confidently into the room and headed straight for the bathroom, hoping he wasn't too late...

It was a wonder that the ghosts didn't disturb him anymore. Marcus had spent so much of his summer in Parkhurst that their incorporeal natures didn't even register. The fact that they couldn't stop it, though, made his frown deepen. He knew exactly what 'it' was. Marcus stood up slowly, fists tightening as he listened to the familiar, inhumanly heavy clang of Gauntlet's footsteps. As if responding to his irritation, his own magic began to surge, flowing from the Beast Rune on his back to the rest of his body. "Make sure he's alright," he said calmly, giving Rene one last glance before removing his shirt--no sense in ruining it for what was about to happen--and heading off to meet his 'house guest'.

Spectrum, Yellow Ring Bearer Lies exist within the truth. Truth exists within the lies. The unknown nature of it all... that's what people truly fear. PL 10 (150 PP) Abilities: 0 + 0 + 0 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 10PP Strength 10: (+0) Dexterity 10: (+0) Constitution: 10 (+0) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 10 + 8 = 18PP Initiative: +4 Attack: +5 (+7 Ranged) / +7 (+10 Ranged) w/ Yellow Ring) Grapple: +5 (+8 w/ Yellow Ring) Defense: +7 (+10 w/ Yellow Ring) /+4 flat-footed Knockback: -5 Saving Throws: 7 + 7 + 6 = 20PP Toughness: +0 (+10 w/ Yellow Ring) Fortitude: +7 (+0 Con, 7) Reflex: +7 (+0 Dex, 7) Will: +9 (+3 Wis, 6) Skills: 60R = 15PP Acrobatics 5 (+5) Bluff 5 (+6)Skill Mastery Concentration 6 (+9) Diplomacy 4 (+5)Skill Mastery Disguise 4 (+5) Gather Information 4 (+5)Skill Mastery Knowledge (behavioral science) 4 (+7) Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+7) Language 3 (+3) [Default] Notice 5 (+8) Perform (stringed instruments) 4 (+5) Search 6 (+9) Sense Motive 6 (+9)Skill Mastery Feats: 13PP Attack Focus (ranged) 2 Attractive Defensive Roll 2 Dodge Focus 3 Improved Initiative Luck Oathbound Quick Change 2 Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Gather Info) Teamwork Powers: 70PP Device 17 (Yellow Power Ring, Hard-to-lose; Descriptors: Magic, Holy; PFs: Restricted 2 [spectrum]) [70PP] Enhanced Trait 2 (Feats: Quick Change 2) [2PP] Enhanced Trait 12 (Traits: Attack Bonus +3, Defense Bonus +3) [12PP] Immunity 9 (life support) [9PP] Light of the Mind (Custom Array 15; Descriptors: Light) [36PP] BP: Illusion 9 (Affects all visual + Audio;; PFs: Progression 3 [50 ft. radius]; Extras: Ephemeral [Rank 3 effect];Flaws: Phantasms) [30PP] AP: Blast 10 (PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Precise; Extras: Duration [Concentration]) [1PP] AP: Confuse 10 (PFs: Progression 2 [Area x5]; Extras: General Area [shapeable; 10-50 cubes of 125 cu. ft. (5x5x5)], Selective Attack) [1PP] AP: Dazzle 10 (Affects all visual + Audio) [1PP] AP: Drain Fearless 10 (Single trait -- Fearless (feat); PFs: Progression 2 [Area x5], Slow Fade 3 [20 minutes]; Extras: Alternate Save [Will], General Area [burst; 50-250 ft. radius]) [1PP] AP: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: General Area [burst; 50 ft. radius]; Flaws: Limited to Emotion [Fear]) (1PP) AP: Illusion 4 (Affects all visual + Audio; PFs: Progression 2 [Area x5]; Extras: Damaging, General Area [shapeable; 5-25 cubes of 125 cu. ft (5x5x5)]; Flaws: Phantasms) [1PP] Protection 8 (+8 Toughness) [8PP] Super-Senses 11 (Aura Reading, Darkvision, Acute Analytical Ranged Mental Detect Fear) [11PP] Teleport 3 (300 ft. as move action; PFs: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Turnabout; Flaws: Short-Range) [7PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Melee DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast 10 Ranged DC24 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Magic) Confuse 10 Ranged DC20 Will Confused Dazzle 10 Ranged DC20 Fort/Ref Visual Dazzle Drain Fearless 10 Ranged DC20 Will (Staged) Negate Fearless Emotion Control 10 Ranged DC20 Will (Staged) Shaken/Frightened/Panicked Illusion 4 Ranged DC14 Will (Staged) Damage (Magic) Abilities 4 + Skills 15 (60 ranks) + Feats 13 + Powers 78 + Combat 18 + Saves 22 + Drawbacks 0 = 150 / 150 Power Points So this is my concept for Spectrum, a hero based on KnightDisciple's Power Ring concept. It's an interesting concept, playing a character that's more psychoanalytical than brawler. I even considered giving him Mind Reading to allow him to delve even deeper into someone's psyche to determine what they fear most and bring it to live through his illusions. Ultimately, Spectrum is supposed to be a showman--very flashy and a little bit over the top even without the ring. He knows he can pretty much talk his way out of or into a variety of situations, but consistently chooses to do the right thing by the people he actually cares about. Ah, heroism.

Creating things is fun! So, stuff I'm working on is gonna go here. INDEX -------- Character Builds Amorph

GM "...what the heck happened here?" The police didn't waste any time in surrounding the bikers; it didn't take long before all of them were arrested and the paramedics--REAL paramedics--were at the scene looking after the hostage. They gave Supercape quite a bit of leeway, considering he had done them a huge favor... possibly more than they actually knew. One of the paramedics looked up at Supercape as he approached, then nodded. "Not sure what he's been drugged with. Probably chloroform or something, but there's no way to be sure... I don't think it's too harmful though; he'll be fine. You're welcome to ride with us to Southside if you want."