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August 1, 2016 It was Puppet Day - and things were a mess. Despite the public service announcement by Johnny Rocket and Dr. Metropolis (the latter six inches tall and made of hovering brown and green felt) that the Freedom League was on the case, the mass transformation of close to a third of Freedom City's population (especially its superhumans) was causing chaos all over the city. There was plenty for heroes to do, large and small. - The Dakanan Consulate For all their substantial superpowers, Edge and Monsoon had been pressed into service for the moment as child-minders - an assembly of children between the ages of one and six, the dozen or so children having drawn an unlucky straw and had two parents turn into puppets. Though neither Mark or Nina had much experience with childcare, they had quickly moved into action. Mark kept bags of snacks and bottles of milk and juice full, while Nina's stories kept older children occupied. Those that weren't playing iPads, anyway. Freedom City kids were resilient. "And then, all the world was transformed into a strange medieval society! I myself became a marid, daughter of the king of the seas, wedded to a handsome prince from the jinn kingdoms! Only our friends-" "Are you and Mr. Mark married in real life?" asked one small girl with a head full of blonde curls and a curious expression on her face. "Ah, no, but-" "But he said you two live in the same house!" asked one little boy of about the same age. "Are you two brother and sister?" "No! But we will be married soon! Now, children, back to the tale..."

Player Name: Sophistemon. Character Name: Robert 'Bob' Goodman, Jr. Power Level: PL7/8, 105/120PP. Trade-Offs: None. Unspent Power Points: 15 In Brief: An underachieving cable repairman has been transformed into a crime-fighting cartoon. Residence: Freedom City. Base of Operations: Freedom City. Catchphrase: “Now, stop me if you've heard this one before!” Alternate Identity: Punchline. Identity: Secret. Birthplace: Southside, Freedom City. Occupation: Cable repairman. Affiliations: The ACME Cable Company. Family: Orphaned; maintains positive relations with Father David Halloway and Sister Judy Valentine. Description: Whereas Bob Goodman was disappointingly average in almost every way imaginable, Punchline is a technicolor nightmare with ivory skin, dark blue hair, bright red lips, and yellow eyes. He wears an eye-popping, garishly colored costume of deliberately clashing orange, green, and purple. Age: 25 (as Robert Goodman) / 3½ (as Punchline). Apparent Age: Mid twenties. Gender: Male. Ethnicity: Caucasian. Height: 6'1”. Weight: 200lbs. Eyes: Yellow. Hair: Blue. Power Descriptions: Punchline is no longer a man of flesh and blood, but a cartoon brought to life; as such he possesses extreme physical resiliency and recuperative abilities. He is capable of pulling objects out of thin air, teleporting short distances, and altering his appearance to disguise himself as other people. Finally, his laughter is somehow capable of driving nearby listeners temporarily insane. History: Bob's boring little life ended three and a half years ago on the night he drove into the city to repair a cable antenna in the middle of a thunderstorm. Predictably, he was struck by lightning and his spirit was conveyed through the airwaves and spread throughout the informational infinity that is television. He emerged on the other side, reformed and better than ever, as the pugnacious Punchline! Personality & Motivation: Punchline is a frenetic maelstrom of manic energy, always moving and hamming it up, almost incapable of sitting still. He relishes the thrill of adventure and his powers allow him to find gleeful excitement in what would otherwise be dangerous situations. More than anything else he loathes having to disguise himself as the infuriatingly boring Robert Goodman, but the dead man's job affords him food to eat and a warm place to sleep, both of which remain necessities for now. Powers & Tactics: Punchline likes to use his disguises to get up close to his enemies without arousing suspicion, at which point he can drop the act and take them by surprise. When facing multiple opponents or a single, more dangerous enemy he will let loose with a peal of earsplitting laughter that can afflict everyone nearby with debilitating euphoria, generally allowing the battle to turn in his favor. Complications: Enemy: He is currently fighting an ongoing prank war with Boss Moxie and his notorious Toon Gang. Reputation: Not everyone loves a clown, and his appearance can be met with groans – if not hostility. Responsibility: Although he absolutely hates it, he needs to keep his job at the ACME Cable Company. Secret: It's currently essential to keep his civilian identity of Robert Goodman a closely guarded secret. Abilities: 4 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 30PP Strength: 14 (+2) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 16 (+3) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 10 + 10 = 20PP Initiative: +7 (+3 Base, +4 Improved Initiative) Attack: +5 Melee, +5 Ranged Grapple: +7 Defense: +7 Base, +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -3 Saving Throws: 3 + 4 + 3 = 10PP Toughness: +7 (+3 Con, +4 Force Field) Fortitude: +6 (+3 Con, +3) Reflex: +7 (+3 Dex, +4) Will: +6 (+3 Wis, +3) Skills: 44R = 11PP Acrobatics 4 (+7) Bluff 4 (+6) Craft: Electronics 4 (+6) Diplomacy 4 (+6) Gather Information 4 (+6) Investigate 4 (+6) Knowledge: Technology 4 (+6) Notice 4 (+7) Search 4 (+6) Sense Motive 4 (+7) Stealth 4 (+7) Feats: 10PP Beginner's Luck Dodge Focus 2 Elusive Target Fearless Improved Initiative Jack-of-All-Trades Luck 2 Uncanny Dodge: Auditory Powers: 27 = 27PP Dimensional Pocket 1 (Flaw: Storage Only) [1PP] Base Power: Force Field 4 [5PP] Alternate Power: Morph 2 (Broad Group: humanoids) [4/4PP] Regeneration 10 (Bruised 3, Injured 6, Resurrection 1) [10/10] Base Power: Teleport 3 (Extra: Accurate; Flaw: Short-Range; Feat: Change Direction, Change Velocity) [11PP] Alternate Power: Damage 5 (Feats: Accurate, Mighty, Variable Physical) [8/8] Alternate Power: Damage 6 (Extra: Ranged; Flaw: Full-Round Action; Feats: Accurate, Variable Physical) [8/8] Alternate Power: Emotion Control 7 (Extras: Auditory Perception, Selective; Feats: Mind Blank, Reversible; Flaws: Happiness Only, Range 2; Drawback: Noticeable) [8/8PP] Drawbacks: (-3) = -3PP Vulnerable – Electromagnetic Interference (Very Common; Minor) [-3] Attacks with the Electric, Magnetic, and Radiation descriptors are more capable of damaging Punchline than other types of damage. Due to the disruptive effect that they have on the signal that makes up his body, any wounds inflicted by these descriptors can cause drastic changes to his appearance and personality. These changes can be expected to persist until the wound has fully healed. DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Damage 7 Touch DC22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Any Physical) Damage 6 60ft. DC21 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Any Physical) Emotion Control 7 35ft. Radius DC17 Will (Staged) Combat Ineffectiveness Totals: Abilities (30) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (11) + Feats (10) + Powers (27) - Drawbacks (-3) = 105/120 Power Points. Power Notes Morph: Confers a +10 bonus to disguise; limited to humanoids. Regeneration: Bruises and Injuries heal at one per round without rest; Resurrection once per week. Teleport: Confers a movement speed of 300ft per Move Action; disallows Long-Range teleportation. Damage: Variable Physical allows the choice of Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage per attack. Emotion Control: The subject is giddy, suffering a –2 on attack rolls, defense, and checks. Failure by 10 or more means the target is overcome with euphoria, helpless and unable to take any actions. Miscellaneous Notes Jumping: Running Jump 12ft.; Standing Jump 6ft.; High Jump 3ft. Throwing Distance: 175lbs. 5ft.; 10lbs. 25ft. Carrying Capacity: Light 58lbs.; Medium 116lbs.; Heavy 175lbs; Max 350lbs.; Push/Drag 875lbs.