Razorback Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 I'm not sure of the conventions used, but I am using black italics as speaking and red italics as thinking or, in the case of Scarab, mentally 'speaking'.
Avenger Assembled Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 Oh. Would you mind using quotation marks for when you're speaking, and red italics (or whatever) for thoughts?
N/A Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 I'm using red for my character's dialogue, because her costume is primarily red and I wanted to create that association in the readers minds (and because it highlights the dialogue at first glance). I put quote marks around her spoken words, and I put her thoughts in italics. I use both for her telepathic transmissions.
N/A Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 Knowledge (Arcane Lore) roll to examine the symbols. Got a 15. Knowledge (Popular Culture) roll to know who Sophie Marceau is. Got a 19.
N/A Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 Activating ESP. First, looking inside the box and hoping it has something other than Gwyneth Paltrow's head inside. Second, conducting an extended search of the basement. I'll take 10 on any relevant Notice or Search checks.
Dr Archeville Posted January 29, 2009 Author Posted January 29, 2009 Know/Arcane of 15 tells Scarab... that these runes and symbols used in mystical rituals, but they're also ones so common that they can be seen in most any tattoo shop or "Magick for Dummies" or book. They're not from any one particular mystical tradition, but from several, predominantly Western traditions. Know/Pop Culture of 19 tells Scarab... Sophie Marceau, the woman whom the murderess closely resembles, is a French actress who has done mostly French films, but also a few American and British ones (notably Braveheart, a fantasy-history epic about legendary Scotsman William Wallace, and The World is Not Enough, a spy film in the James Bond series), which made her an international success. She's written a semi-autobiographical novel, Telling Lies, and has directed a few short films. She was married to a film director (who was 25 years her senior) & they had a son, then they divorced, then she was with a producer for a while and had another kid with him, but they split; for the past two years or so she's been dating Christopher Lambert, the French star of The Highlander film series. As far as you know, Miss Marceau is not a murderess, nor does she have two-inch-long retractable talons, nor the strength to lift a slightly pudgy teenager up into the air & throw him across the room. ESP shows her... nothing but an inky void. Since there's absolutely no light in the closed box to see by, and Scarab doesn't have Darkvision.
Razorback Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 Slamdance is going to go upstairs and get on the computer to try and find any info based on what Scarab found. And contrary to what his picture shows (if I get a chance to photochop his image to correct it this weekend I will) he does not have fingerless gloves. He gets a 20 so he hopes he finds something handy. Would it be possible to tranfer most of the web page viewed, images viewed, any Werd® documents or X-Sell® spreadsheets, etc to his PDA or email it to himself. Optimally, I'd like to just remove the harddrive and take it with me but I don't know if A) he could find the tools available and if Sandro is savvy enough to manage it. Doc, if you could let me know, or if I need more/different skill rolls, let me know and I'll reply IC.
N/A Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 ESP shows her... nothing but an inky void. Since there's absolutely no light in the closed box to see by, and Scarab doesn't have Darkvision. ...Touche, Doctor. I guess the egg-on-the-face falls under the category of things that both go and come around. Alright, she'll check out the basement the old-fashioned way. Again, taking 10 on any relevant Notice or Search checks.
Dr Archeville Posted January 30, 2009 Author Posted January 30, 2009 So, she's not looking into the mysteeerious locker, and going right on to the basement?
N/A Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 So, she's not looking into the mysteeerious locker, and going right on to the basement? Thought I'd leave Avenger something to do.
Avenger Assembled Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 Taking 10 on the Strength check to carve the thing open.
Dr Archeville Posted January 31, 2009 Author Posted January 31, 2009 "You saw it. Did she feed? Blood, flesh?" The answer would be: yes, but only once, and she seemed to not find it very appealing.
N/A Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Sense Motive check to analyze Avenger's abnormal reaction. I got a 24. Scarab activates her ESP again. She conducts another extended search of the house. This time, she covers all 3 floors (ground floor, upstairs, and basement), and this time, I'll take 20, for a result of 35. Since a search of two levels of the house took me a full round (6 seconds) last time, I assume adding another level will add another 3 seconds. 9x20=180, so I'm assuming this will take 3 minutes. And yes, she left the light on in the basement.
N/A Posted February 2, 2009 Posted February 2, 2009 Scarab uses her Telekinesis to collect the hair evidence and bag it without ever physically touching it, and gives half to Avenger. Doc, while I could pop a hero point for a few ranks of Investigate or the proper Knowledge skill, my HQ doesn't have a laboratory anyway. So I'm planning on taking this evidence to some scientist/techie type, who isn't Dædalus (Scarab is still avoiding her "old friends"). How famous is Viktor Archeville? Do you mind him making a cameo in a scene or two as a "consultant?"
Dr Archeville Posted February 2, 2009 Author Posted February 2, 2009 His fame is slowly growing in the city. It's not as big as it is in his homeland (for better or worse), but he is a known agent within Freedom.
N/A Posted February 3, 2009 Posted February 3, 2009 I'm making in-character references to the following HQ features of The Scarab's Lair: Communications, Computer, Concealed, and Library. The Concealed feature states that the penalty applies to all skill checks to locate the HQ. I assume that includes attempts to trace its location by backtracking use of the Communications and Computers features. The fact that Dædalus installed the tech doesn't make it any more effective than any other HQ with the same features. That's just fluff (and goes a long way toward explaining why the features would be on par with modern technology despite having been installed in the '60s or '70s). I don't know to what extent the optional Wealth rules are in use. I imagine it varies depending on the GM, the GM's mood, the phase of the moon, and the day of the week. But I figure if we're paying points for the feat, we should get some mileage out of it. Scarab hands Avenger $10,000. Since that's more than enough to buy a new computer, but not enough to purchase a new car, it fits comfortably within her +25 Wealth bonus. Thus, she doesn't spend enough to (temporarily) decrease her score. Unless anyone has any objections, I believe this is the part when Avenger starts prowling the city busting heads and bribing snitches, while The Scarab flies over to Archeville's house in Hanover, then back to her Lair to do some research. Slamdance is welcome to come along, or go his own way.
Dr Archeville Posted February 3, 2009 Author Posted February 3, 2009 Scarab took a page from Batman's (er, Raven's) book and has a money clip in her utility belt? ;)
Avenger Assembled Posted February 3, 2009 Posted February 3, 2009 All Avenger knows is that he's going to buy a ride-then pimp it! EDIT: naturally, Avenger is disappearing via Skill Mastery and Hide in Plain Sight. He simply leaves, disappearing at the end of the conversation.
N/A Posted February 3, 2009 Posted February 3, 2009 Scarab took a page from Batman's (er, Raven's) book and has a money clip in her utility belt? ...Is there something wrong with taking a page from Batman? Because I have a hard time thinking up a scenario where taking a page from Batman is anything but AWESOME. WW :bat: D?
Avenger Assembled Posted February 3, 2009 Posted February 3, 2009 Okay, that's taking 20 on Knowledge: Arcane Lore: 22 Knowledge: Streetwise: 26 and Gather Information: 26
Dr Archeville Posted February 3, 2009 Author Posted February 3, 2009 I don't know to what extent the optional Wealth rules are in use. I imagine it varies depending on the GM, the GM's mood, the phase of the moon, and the day of the week. But I figure if we're paying points for the feat, we should get some mileage out of it. Scarab hands Avenger $10,000. Since that's more than enough to buy a new computer, but not enough to purchase a new car, it fits comfortably within her +25 Wealth bonus. Thus, she doesn't spend enough to (temporarily) decrease her score Digging around some -- in D20 Modern, where the Wealth rules originated -- it seems $10,000 is a DC 26 "purchase". ($9,000 is the cut-off for Wealth 25.) Which means she can make the check easily enough (rolling a 1 gets her 26), but it will decrease her Wealth bonus by one point for one month. Because I have no real idea how to calculate what Avenger's Wealth bonus would now be -- does it stay at +8, since he could on his own make that DC 26 purchase? Or should it increase to +16 (so he can Take 10 to match that purchase)? Or should it increase by a certain number of points? -- I'm just going to say he now has 26 "Wealth Points" to spend on bribes. (If he wants to pocket some and invest it, he can buy some Benefit [Wealth] feat ) Bribery (also from D20 Modern) Bribes give a bonus to Diplomacy checks, which are used to get a person in authority or trust to do a favor for you (i.e., to make their attitude Helpful towards you). Bouncers and bureaucrats typically start at Indifferent, though some customs inspectors may start at Unfriendly. Corrupt cops start at Unfriendly, though ones who have only recently become corrupt may start at Indifferent. Some people may require a bribe (and the Diplomacy check automatically fails if one is not offered), while others may be insulted and offended by a bribe (causing their attitude to change one step for the worse). For every point by which you reduce your current Wealth score, you get a +2 bonus on the Diplomacy check, to a maximum of +10 bonus for -5 Wealth. Bribing also work for Gather Information checks, but in a flipped manner. 2 points of Wealth gets a +1 bonus on the Gather Info check, though no maximum is listed. (People expect to be paid for releasing information, especially restricted & protected info.) Okay, that's taking 20 on Knowledge: Arcane Lore: 22 Knowledge: Streetwise: 26 and Gather Information: 26 Taking 20 on the Knowledge checks requires access to a library. You cannot Take 20 on Gather Information.
Avenger Assembled Posted February 3, 2009 Posted February 3, 2009 Suffice it to say that dreams of gold-plated blood packets will be dancing in Avenger's head tonight. Okay, that's taking 20 on Knowledge: Arcane Lore: 22 Knowledge: Streetwise: 26 and Gather Information: 26 Taking 20 on the Knowledge checks requires access to a library. You cannot Take 20 on Gather Information. According to the description of the Contacts feat, I can take 20 on Gather Information in 20 minutes. As for the Knowledge checks, I submit that beating up low-level members of the supernatural underworld counts as visiting one's local supernatural/streetwise library. :D
Dr Archeville Posted February 3, 2009 Author Posted February 3, 2009 According to the description of the Contacts feat, I can take 20 on Gather Information in 20 minutes. Bah! You kids and yer feats... As for the Knowledge checks, I submit that beating up low-level members of the supernatural underworld counts as visiting one's local supernatural/streetwise library. I would disagree. Doing that is part of making the Gather Info check.
Avenger Assembled Posted February 3, 2009 Posted February 3, 2009 Point taken, and edit successfully...edited.
N/A Posted February 4, 2009 Posted February 4, 2009 Just so everyone knows, I'll be leaving town for 5 days this Thursday. The place I'll be staying at has internet access, so I don't expect a major disruption in my posting, but forewarned and all that.
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