GranspearZX

So, the Crusader is going to try and use Assessment on the group of Serpent Men in the next car... 4 targets with Sense Motive (+9) vs their Bluff skills: Sense Motive (Assessment feat): (1d20+9=27, 1d20+9=14, 1d20+9=20, 1d20+9=10)

"Hey, wait a m-... ah, hell..." Everyone was already moving, and Crusader didn't really have a whole lot of reason not to do so himself. Checking first to make sure the downed officers were alright, he joined Cannonade and Wisp, his shield still held on his right forearm. He narrowed his eyes a little bit as he tried to look into the next car. Crap. Well, there goes my night. If it weren't for the high winds between cars, one could hear the leather creaking in his gloves when he clenched his fists. For a moment, he stood perfectly still, watching the group, counting their number, and quickly trying to gauge their relative ability...

Hm... this sounds interesting; I'd be willing to give this a shot. PL10 fantasy version of Crusader wouldn't be too much of a stretch. :)

The Crusader kept his distance, shield at the ready. There wasn't really enough space for him to go charging in, and there were already three combatants in that range. He might've actually felt a little sorry for the outclassed and outgunned snakemen if they hadn't tried to skewer a civilian in front of him. That much was pretty unforgivable, and he moved forward, intending to punctuate his displeasure with another shield throw aimed for the snake man's hooded head. "Well, if you boys aren't in a sharin' mood..."

Notice (auditory): (1d20+6=21) -10 would give him 11, so he'd hear SOMETHING...

Even now, Arcturus seemed reluctant. He frowned, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. "...okay. The Beast Rune is a very, VERY primal form of lycanthropy. A sort of curse that's passed from person to person. It's not something you cure, it's something you survive. At least, that's the way I read it... "It's one of those primal forces of the world you can't really explain, through science or magic. I guess the best way to describe it would be... an elemental force, I guess. Only this particular force is that inner beast in everyone. It forces you to really examine yourself and who you are. And if you can't... it throws everything out of balance and usually you'll end up like that." He motions to the three unconscious werewolves. "Lycanthropy is... an offshoot of that. People have tried to replicate the Beast Rune for centuries, according to my mother's notes. So I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at seeing it first-hand... The one I have? I guess you could call it the 'True' Beast Rune... Far as I know, there can really only be one." He offers the glasses to Rene, so that he can see it for himself. It would give him a good look at Marcus's rune as well--both were disturbingly similar, though Marcus seemed to have an unusual synchronization with his compared to the other two. There was a distinct and rhythmic flow in the magic around Marcus's Beast Rune; the werewolves' seemed erratic and random, spreading throughout the body like... well, a disease. "This had to have come from somewhere... someone infected these three. I want to know who." He gripped his staff as he started to stand back up, pausing for a moment and lowering his voice. "...did you hear that?"

Sure, that works for me. :)

Arcturus didn't change back right away. It was unclear whether he could actually do so or not; he was still extremely agitated, and he loomed over Vigourie, standing behind Durand and Equinox. His expression was nothing short of hateful, and he seemed seconds away from ripping into the unconscious psychic right then and there. Still visible on his back in a patch of slightly lighter colored fur, the twin crescents of the Beast Rune shimmered, distorting the air around it like a mirage. He was so angry, he could hardly contain it, but he didn't act on it. Instead, he turned away from them all, his magic still rather unstable looking as he reclaimed his regular form. He was still breathing pretty heavily, and the transformation hadn't quite left him normal... His nails were longer and thicker than they should've been, and his incisors and canines hadn't shrunk as much as they should have either. He sat down on the ground, rubbing at his temples with both thumbs... ...definitely should've stayed home...

For a moment, the Crusader was more concerned with the fleeing passengers and the downed officers than the actual fighting. Once the area was clear, though, he stood up, and his right arm sank to his side. The bracer shifted and expanded into the Crusader Shield and he finally took a good look at his opponents. Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes? With his left hand, he brought his middle finger and thumb to his mouth, giving a sharp whistle--fair warning before his shield was hurled across the distance between himself and the cultists. It sailed in an arc, spinning with a faint red trail of light behind it before it bounced off one to strike the second, returning back the red-and-white clad hero who caught it with practiced precision. "You boys really didn't think this through, did you?"

Blast 1 (Accurate, Mighty 2) (1d20+9=11, 1d20+9=21) Aimed for Serpents 2 and 3 (though the first one probably does nothing)... Ah well. Blowing a hero point to reroll for the first target: Hero Point: Improve Roll (1d20+9=26)

I agree; if nothing else, this will give me a VERY good reason to look into taking the Gadgets power later on. :D

It's something he would have before, but that's a meta thing I'm not sure I want to mess with. I can go for jury-rigging it with a HP instead, though. In which case, DC10 + 7 (invention's PP cost) + 5 (increased difficulty for jury rigging) = DC21 Craft (artistic): (1d20+10=29) It'd take 7 rounds/about 45 seconds for him to actually cobble it together.

Prepared invention/artificer thingy: Device 2 ( "Eyes of Truth", easy to lose; PF: Restricted [Artificer feat]) [7PP] Super-Senses 10 (Detect Magic [Visual], Counters Illusion, Counters Concealment [visual], Counters Obscure [darkness, fog/mist]) [10DP] Using a hero point so he'll have this particular toy on-hand.

"You what me to what?" Theoretically, he could probably do it. Then again, he could 'theoretically' do a lot of things; in practice, nothing ever turned out quite like it was supposed to for him. At least in other cases, his forays into magical experimentation had only ruined a shirt or something. This was something entirely different, and someone's life literally depended on it. It was readily apparent on Arc's face that he wasn't entirely comfortable with that. Knowing the theory and putting it into practice were two very, VERY different things. "I can't... I mean, I really can't. Throwing together a ritual for this sort of thing is... tricky." The amount of magical power involved was staggering; just performing the necessary ritual on one person was taxing, but three people, reversing both a mental and physical transformation... it was well beyond his comfort level and skill. He knew he'd never be able to handle the magical backlash that would create, even with Rene's help. And finding help was out of the question, not miles away from civilization--and at least four or five miles away from his car. Part of him wished he'd asked for Equinox's or even Nick's numbers; they'd certainly know how to fix this. "Wait a second." Something clicked, and he waited for the beast he was holding to slip into unconsciousness before putting him down with the other two. He shifted back to his human form... and reached into his bag for a pair of silver-rimmed glasses. The oddest thing about them was that they were just rims--they didn't have any lenses. "Thought these might come in handy." He slipped the glasses on and stared at the three intently, moving closer to them and turning one of them over onto its front. "Holy crap. This looks like... my Beast Rune. A crude, crappy version of it, but the magic's the same. How the hell is that even possible? Mine's not infectious..." Marcus frowned, both fascinated and a little bit horrified at the prospect. He knew his magic was similar, but not this similar.

Initiative (1d20+4=8) Ow. Just... ow.

They say 'crime never sleeps'. Someone should have probably mentioned that they don't take weekends off, either. Weekends were easily the most free time he had during the week, Saturdays especially, so he learned to enjoy them while he could. He'd actually managed to sleep a whole six hours the night before! Normally, he would have been at home on a Saturday, too, but he'd decided to get some of his errands run today, and so far he hadn't encountered anything more weird than usual. In fact... he was on his way to a date with a fellow teacher. It was rare that he even had time to develop anything resembling a social life, but when the chance presented himself, he jumped on it. And shortly after, he'd jumped on a purse-snatching mugger. Good times. He wasn't entirely unprepared for what had become the rigors of his daily life; he often visited his father's grave in costume, and he was comfortable enough that he very regularly was seen in it... especially when he wasn't teaching. The Crusader Shield was pretty well disguised--a simple bracer on his right arm. He sniffled a bit as the subway train rocked to a stop, peering over his newspaper and surveying the occupants, both new and old. "Hm." He grunted gruffly and looked back to his paper. It wasn't as if Freedom City's night life was ever NOT strange, but the amount of trenchcoats in that car were certainly making him take notice. It didn't necessarily mean anything, but he wasn't getting a particularly friendly vibe. Probably just some kids out looking for trouble. God help them if they find it.

Reflex Save (1d20+9=23) Yay dodging bear!

It had been quite some time since Marcus had been able to relax and use his abilities for something not serious; Corbin's comment only made him laugh as he realized that he was probably the largest target in the courtyard. Still with most everyone focused on the sky, he went largely ignored, and tried to build himself a shelter from the snow. He barely got it up to his knees when Corbin suddenly changed tactics. The big bear's jaw went slack for a minute. "...oh come on!" All he could do was duck and cover, shifting back to his human form to make himself a smaller target behind his hastily built wall.

"Good question." Arcturus tightened his grip, noticeably compressing the smaller beast's form and forcing a painful yelp from it as it squirmed in his grasp. Bearhugs were especially effective if you were... well... a bear. The Beast Rune shared a remarkable similarity with lycanthropy. It wasn't contagious, but it exhibited a lot of similar traits to the magical disease--heightened aggression, a change in physical form, and often a mental atavism that tended to drive once logic-driven men into murderous rages. Marcus had become exceptionally well-read on the subject in an attempt to gain more control and understanding of his own powers, and while he couldn't be rid of the Beast Rune, lycanthropy could most certainly be reversed through magical means. It took so much time, though, that doing it on a scale larger than a one-on-one ritual was practically unthinkable. Removing lycanthropy was saving someone; removing the Beast Rune could be potentially fatal. Both were practically curses--a fact that Marcus didn't really like to think about. "Where'd these three come from anyway?" He looked down at the held beast, watching him wear himself out with trying to fight his way out of the bearhug. "I don't suppose you're gonna tell me, are you?"

Things of an Indexy nature! Character Information Reputation Chart Wiki Page >20Q HellQ Origin Story Extended Profile Arcturus's Magic: Georunic Spellcasting

Arc attacks! 1d20+9=28

Arc missed his first attack, but he didn't slow down. One might've actually thought his brain was on complete autopilot, but he retained enough awareness of his surroundings to know that there were others around him; thankfully, he was well in the clear as Equinox's fire spell lanced across the parking lot. If anything, though, Marcus felt like he was trying to rein in a wild animal--if the Beast Rune had its way, it would leave Vigourie a stain on the pavement. Certainly not for lack of trying of course. "Liberation? You smug son of a... I'm gonna liberate your HEAD from your SHOULDERS." Arcturus lunged right back at Vigourie with an athletic, menacing leap, snarling as he drew his arm back. He eschewed the staff entirely, aiming a particularly unforgiving backpawed strike at the psychic's face.

Marcus stood there, well aware of everything that was happening around him. No one noticed, but he was actively fighting the mind control while everything around him seemed to happen in slow motion. He could hear Nick and the Sheriff, and even Gabriel--though Gabriel was really hard to miss. He wondered how Stone had managed to stop him from moving and haul him out of the building without actually touching him, but that was a question for much, much later. It was difficult to make anything out with the Beast Rune buzzing at the back of his mind, and it was getting more restless by the second Marcus might've been panicking, but his magic refused to let him give in. The wave of psychic energy made Marcus recoil a bit as the Beast Rune surged back... and suddenly, he was himself again. There was still something not quite right about the young wizard, though. His jacket slipped from his shoulders, exposing the gaping burn hole the Beast Rune had seared through his shirt. He glared at Vigourie and, without even having to think about it as he normally did, magic engulfed his entire form, spilling outward from the rune on his back in a significantly more chaotic fashion than it had in the woods hours earlier. His eyes glowed with a menacing crimson hue as the bear Arcturus showed up, his quarterstaff growing just enough in size that he could still use it without it looking like a twig. There wasn't any banter or reply, no declaration of vengeance, or any sort of warning as Arc catapulted forward, faster than any bear should probably move. He quickly closed the distance between them, staff gripped in both paws as he tried to crack Vigourie right over the skull with the weapon. It probably wouldn't kill him... but the enraged look in his eyes suggested that the Beast Rune might not mind.

Okay, here we go: Fort Save: Will Save: +9 gives me 22. And I'm blowing the HP to reroll on the Fort save: HP (+10) + 12 gives me 28. Oh! And my attack roll: +9 gives me 23.

"You'd be... surprised at how much actual math is involved. At least, that's how it is with me. My mother's style of magic tended to draw from natural stuff, as far as I can tell. I've been able to reproduce a little bit of it, but it's had some... unusual effects." From the little bit he tried, his right arm was starting to show signs of his elemental experimentation. It wasn't physically different, but there was definitely a weak magical presence there... running along the same lines as his blood stream. He realized he could probably go on for hours about magical theory, not entirely unlike Professor Quinn... that did worry him a little bit. God. I could be turning into one of those bookworm types.