Dr Archeville Posted June 30, 2009 Author Posted June 30, 2009 The Hanover Home of Doktor Viktor Archeville: Haus von Archeville Location: 1894 Dyson Drive, Hanover (North Freedom), halfway between the Hanover Institute of Technology and the Albright Institute. The houses on either side of my home, and the one behind it, are empty. They've been on the market since shortly after I moved in. I try to be friendly to my neighbors (mostly students of HIT and employees of the Albright Institute), and try to host a cookout at least twice a year (the first one went really well, but the second was crashed by a weird wasp-swarm-thing). Appearance, Exterior: On the outside, my home appears to be just another one of the new two-story housing units which have sprung up all over Hanover. The house itself is a neutral gray color, and all the windows are completely covered in thick drapes. The roof is covered in ultra-efficient solar panels. The yard is surrounded by what looks like a simple wooden whitewashed picket fence, with a mailbox on a post directly behind the fence, sticking out just enough for a mailman to open the box and insert letters without having to even touch the fence. A cobblestone path leads from the front gate (and the sidewalk which passes the house) to the front door. The lawn is well-maintained (my own special blend of Festuca caesia and Festuca rubra), and two large white oak trees in the back yard support a swinging hammock. Eight garden gnome statues -- each stands about a foot and a half tall, with blue shirts and red pointy hats -- flank the cobblestone path. In accordance with popular belief, they really are tiny robots, and they do have surveillance equipment inside them. Contrary to popular belief, they do not have eye-lasers -- they are part of the targeting system for the concealed mailbox- and rain gutter-mounted capturefoam projectors. What appears to be a chimney along one side of the house, and two small satellite dishes on the roof, hold more of my surveillance and sensory equipment. (Foes are likely to target the obvious satellite dishes, but few would think to take out my chimney.) The doors and windows are secured with gravitic locks (similar to magnetic locks, but using gravity). In full lockdown mode, they require my fingerprints and galvanic skin response (via scanners embedded in the doorknob), retinal scan (via scanners in the peep-holes), voiceprint (picked up by sound sensors spread all over the building itself), and thought-scan (using hyper-advanced MRIs to map parts of the brain and searching for specific regions of activity triggered when I think certain thoughts) to open, though most interior doors are set to either fingerprint & galvanic or voice keys. There are more than a few 'backdoors' into the security system (DC 30 Disable Device to bypass), which I knows of but has yet to patch, in case I get trapped (or goes completely mad and seals myself up) inside my home. Appearance, Interior: The inside of the house is far bigger than the outside dimensions would allow (approximately 16x bigger), due to a tesseract generator incorporated into the buildings' structure. (This is why thick drapes block all the windows: looking inside is a very disorienting experience, as you would see everything on that floor 'smooshed together' and because it twists like a unicorn's horn. Most rooms contain windows that can look out, though this is due to gravity lens periscope-like effect.) Tesseract generators within the interior 'pocket dimension' itself make it such that if the buildings generators are shut off, the interior would exist as a pocket dimension with no way out, rather than simply collapsing into nothing; the house itself would be an empty two-story house with an attic and a basement/root cellar. Stepping through the door to the ground floor lands a visitor in a nicely decorated foyer, with beautifully stained wood paneling along the walls and a tiled floor depicting an odd mandala-like design (a gift from Dr. Sunayani Singh, a talented and lovely Hindi geneticist). Three hallways lead off from the entryway, left, right, and straight ahead. A sparkling crystal chandelier (made of antidefenestritie, a glass-like substance I created that deforms like soft plastic rather than shattering on impact) hangs from the ceiling. A closet between the left and middle hallways houses a robot recharging station, and a closet between the middle and right hallways is a simple coat closet. The left hallway leads to the kitchen, formal dining room, and parlor, as well as stairs going down to the basement and sub-basements. The middle hallway leads to a formal sitting room and the back door, as well as cargo elevators that goes to all levels. The right hallways leads to an art gallery, my office, a library (containing numerous computer consoles as well as a lot of printed material), and a day room (currently housing my music collection), as well as stairs going up. The parlor and day room contain regular-sized elevators that go to the second floor and the basement. The walls of the art gallery are ultra-high resolution displays which can show indistinguishable-from-real views of various works of art, as well as the security system's views. The second floor contains study halls (for when I try to teach myself or another), reading areas, (automated) linen service/housekeeping, (automated) laundry service, the master bedroom with walk-in closet and private bathroom, 10 spare guest rooms (five on either side of the floor; all currently empty and featuring a rather Spartan décor, though this can be quickly changed), and two common bathrooms for the spare rooms. My bedroom sports a king-sized bed with transgenic spider-goat silk sheets. The basement contains book storage (textbooks and bound copies of numerous journals I subscribe to), furniture storage, a beer/wine cellar, heating/air conditioning units, major laundry room, water heater, computer system main memory, and power back-ups, and the lockers/showers and a sauna/whirlpool. Due to an as-yet resolved quirk of the tesseract generators, the furniture storage room is flipped upside down, so that walking into it one immediately falls up to the ceiling; this makes retrieving and storing furniture a bit tricky. The HVAC system really conditions the air rather than simply pumping in very cold air or very hot air until some muddy intermediate mix is reached. The beer/wine cellar contains regular-sized elevators and a sloped ramp that goes to the sub-basements. Day-to-day operations are powered almost solely by the ultra-efficient solar cells along the roof, but the main laboratory/workshop draws power from its own dedicated system (originally a fission reactor, later a fusion reactor, and currently an antimatter plant; I have plans for a total conversion plant which can convert minuscule amounts of any matter into large amount of usable energy.) The first sub-basement contains my primary workshops and laboratories, and the gymnasium off to the west side. The labs/workshops are all in one massive room, roughly divided into quarters. The top left/NW section contains most physics and mechanical workstations (including a blacksmith's forge), the top right/NE section holds the automated surgery and operating theater (including facilities for bionic implantation and total cyborg conversion), the bottom right/SE section holds the chemical/biochemical/bio-electronic workstations, and the bottom left/SW section holds the electronics workstations. In the center of the massive room is a large pillar, covered in displays which monitor all broadcast information networks (and links to the Scarab's systems in her Lair); while I could tap into such networks as NORAD Central Command, AEGIS Intelligence, F.A.A. flight patterns, personnel files from England's MI6, and so on, I do not, largely because that's a slippery slope I don't want to start on. The second sub-basement holds my "war room" (where I stretch my tactical skills, as well as store my most private of plans) and my "Hazard Hall" (which dominates most of this floor). To the untrained eye it is a featureless room, but behind the unassuming gray paneled walls exist a multitude of exercise and combat paraphernalia designed to put even the most well-trained metahuman through their paces. Laser canons, vanadium-steel spring vices, flamethrowers,gas dispensers, and sensory deprivation cocoons are only a sample of the hardware secreted within. Advanced holographic technology, largely of my own design, allows the Hazard Hall to assume a three dimensional interactive environment conducive to constant refinement of both individual and team work. The holograms are made to feel real via overlapping polygonal force fields and tightly-focused pressor beams, and hologram-disguised robots make for decent sparring partners. Miscellaneous Capturefoam projectors, like the ones outside, also cover the inside, with three in each room. The foam is a quick-hardening polymer that can either be 'whipped' to allow air to pass through (and not suffocate the target) or be made airtight to trap liquid and gaseous entities; with some forewarning I can add ionized Dakana crystal powder to the foam mixture which makes it equally effective against incorporeal beings. The foam can also double as a fire retardant for most conventional fires. All interior walls are reinforced with internal force fields. There are no visible phones in the entire house. The phone system is part of an integrated house-wide sound system which can direct, enhance, or suppress sound. There are few keyboards: most data entry is handled by dictating to the air (and waiting sensors) or by a complex web of infrared lasers which track the position of my fingertips and eyes' fovea. Most walls, desks and tables contain integrated ultra-high resolution flat-panel displays. Four workstations in the main library/workshop, one in each section, contains a hologram/force field system similar to the one in the Hazard Hall to create realistic-looking and -feeling models. Numerous robots, humanoid and non-humanoid, ranging in size from that of a rat to that of a gorilla, scurry about the place, performing routine maintenance and assisting with projects. Of note: a silver gorilla-bot in a tuxedo (Butleraffe) mans the foyer, several German Shepherd-sized spider-bots maintain the beer/wine cellar, and NERGAL (Nützlicher Elektronischer Roboter, mit Gedanken Aus Licht, or "Helpful Electronic Robot, with Thoughts [formed] Out of Light"), a red lion-man robot, was re-purposed to be a com-bot after suffering irreparable damage to parts of its 'brain'. Quote Stats: Size: Large/Small (Mansion/House-sized); Toughness: 15; Features: Communications, Combat Simulator 2 (Attacks & Realistic Illusions), Computer, Concealed, Defense System (Snare 12 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2], +13 to hit), Dual Size*, Fire Prevention System, Gym, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel**, Power no.1, Power no.2, Power System, Security System 3 (DC 30), Workshop. Cost 2+2+21 = 25ep. Power no.1: Enhanced Feats 1 (Well Connected) plus Enhanced Skills 100 (+4r to Gather Information, and +6r to Computers, Craft/Chemical, Craft/Electrical, Craft/Mechanical, Craft/Structural, Disable Device, Investigation, Knowledge/Behavioral Sciences, Knowledge/Civics, Knowledge/Current Events, Knowledge/Earth Sciences, Knowledge/Life Sciences, Knowledge/Physical Sciences, Knowledge/Popular Culture, Knowledge/Technology, and Medicine; Useable By Others) ("Cutting-Edge Equipment, Uber-RSS Feeds, and Masterful Libraries") [1+25=26/26p] Power no.2: Super-Senses 28 (communication link [with Archeville's electromagnetic screwdriver], acute analytical extended 2 radius ranged tracking detect energy [radio sense], acute analytical extended radius ranged detect mutant powers, acute analytical detect time, microscopic vision 4, acute analytical precognition [Flaw: Only for predicting macro-scale trends and behaviors]) [1+8+6+3+4+4=26/26p] Upgrades as of October 2009 Location: Same Appearance, Exterior: Same Appearance, Interior: Improved tesseract generators so that the total interior volume is approximately 64x what the exterior dimensions would indicate (though much of this extra space is in Sub-Basement 3). The laboratories and workshops in the first sub-basement have roughly doubled in size, though are as packed as ever. The "Hazard hall" in the second sub-basement has also roughly doubled in size. A third sub-basement has been added, which is approximately three times bigger than the entire house above it. For now it is a giant featureless egg-shaped room, with the entrance (from the "War room") at the narrow end, and the walls are made (or, more accurately, covered) in a near-seamless neutral gray metal. I have yet to decide what to do with all this space; for now it is merely the result of seeing how big a 'pocket dimension' I can create. Miscellaneous Defense system upgraded: the targeting systems a bit improved, capturefoam is a bit stronger, and I have added numerous and varied energy blasters throughout the house (and in the lawn gnomes). Internal force fields improved, making the walls, floors, and ceiling as strong as Impervium. Library improved, adding books and journals (mostly in electronic form) on nearly all subjects of human endeavor. Including "magic." I've finally completed my Arzthelferin ("Medical Doctor's Assistant"). It's a small chamber that a wounded person can be placed in, and the dedicated microbots inside can treat them for any injury or illness while they float in a nutrient-rich fluid (which also boosts their immune system). More sensors added, including an extradimensional incursion warning system, and pattern recognition software to help process the data. Communications systems vastly improved; I can now override any or all radio receivers on the planet to transmit vital information. Similarly, based on some of the preliminary works of TEMPEST, I've worked out how to tap into any sensory device -- television cameras, microphones, listening devices, etc. -- on the planet. Combined with my communications override system, this gives me a frightening amount of access; with the system cranked to the highest speed I can process, I can search the entire planet in about 20 minutes. Honestly, it scares me... but I keep finding ways to talk myself out of dismantling it. Lastly, I've added a teleporter system, one capable of handling large amounts of material. It is connected to similar systems in the Arche-Tech facilities around the globe, to Schloss Wissenschaft in Germany, and to ArcheStern in orbit. Quote Size: Huge/Small (Castle/House-sized); Toughness: 20; Features: Communications, Combat Simulator 2 (Attacks & Realistic Illusions), Computer, Concealed (appears to be a Small house), Defense System 1 (Blast 13 [PFs: Variable Descriptor 2/any technological], +14 to hit), Defense System 2 (Snare 13 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2], +14 to hit), Dual Size, Fire Prevention System, Gym, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Pool, Power no.1 (as Power x3), Power no.2 (as Power x2), Power no. 3 (as Power x2), Power no. 4, Power no. 5 (as Power x2), Power no. 6, Power System, Security System x5 (DC 40), Workshop. Cost 3+3+34 = 40/43ep. Power no.1: Communication 10 (audio, radio and visual; Extra: Area [entire globe]; PF: Selective, Subtle) and Linked Comprehend 4 (languages 4 [can transmit & receive multiple languages simultaneously, voice and text]) ("Communications Override") [74/84p] Power no.2: Enhanced Feats 2 (Contacts, Well-Connected) plus Enhanced Skills 162 (+6r to Computers, Craft/Artistic, Craft/Chemical, Craft/Electrical, Craft/Mechanical, Craft/Structural, Disable Device, Gather Information, Investigation, Knowledge/Arcane Lore, Knowledge/Art, Knowledge/Behavioral Sciences, Knowledge/Business, Knowledge/Civics, Knowledge/Current Events, Knowledge/Earth Sciences, Knowledge/History, Knowledge/Life Sciences, Knowledge/Physical Sciences, Knowledge/Popular Culture, Knowledge/Streetwise, Knowledge/Tactics, Knowledge/Technology, Knowledge/Theology and Philosophy, Medicine, Notice and Search; Useable By Others) ("Cutting-Edge Equipment, Masterful Libraries, Pattern Recognition Software, and Uber-RSS Feeds") [2+41=43/56p] Power no.3: ESP 10 (all, 200,000 mile range [entire planet, as well as satellites in orbit]; Extra: No Conduit, Simultaneous; Flaw: Medium [cameras for visual, microphones/listening devices for auditory and radio, chemsniffers for olfactory, pressure sensors for tactile, etc.]; PFs: Subtle) ("Sensor Tap") [51/56p] Power no.4: Healing 9 (Extra: Total; PF: Regrowth) ("Arzthelferin") [28/28p] Power no.5: Super-Senses 59 (communication link 4 [with Archeville's electromagnetic screwdriver, Schloss Wissenschaft, Fjölnirskraft, and Archstern], acute analytical extended 2 [1,000 ft. increment] tracking extradimensional awareness, acute analytical extended 2 [1,000 ft. increment] radius ranged tracking detect energy [radio sense], acute analytical extended 2 [1,000 ft. increment] radius ranged detect mutant powers, acute analytical detect physical objects [tactile], acute analytical detect time, infravision, low-light vision, microscopic vision 4, acute analytical precognition [Flaw: Only for predicting macro-scale trends and behaviors], extended radar [accurate extended {100 ft. increment} radius radio sense], radio, trace teleport, tremorsense [accurate ranged touch], ultra-hearing, ultravision, x-ray vision [not through lead]) ("Oodles of Sensors and Analytical Equipment") [4+6+8+7+3+3+1+1+4+3+4+1+1+3+1+1+4=56/56p] Power no.6: Teleport 10 (to any Arche-Tech facility, Schloss Wissenschaft, and ArcheStern; PFs: Change Direction, Easy, Progression 6/10 tons of cargo) ("Transporter") [28/28p] Upgrades as of April 2010 * Improved security * Added self-repair drones * Added Think-Tank feature (commlinks with ArcheTech staff, plus several semi-autonomous AIs that help sift through data). * ESP: added Rapid 5 (x100,000), replaced Simultaneous with Duration [sustained] * Healing: changed Total to Affects Objects. Now he has things that can heal people and repair robots (technological constructs). * Added "Force Screen" (Impervious for Toughness) * Super-Senses: Added more Communication Links to the HQs, specifically, to the ArcehTech branches (none of them had them before). Tweaked senses some, partly to take advantage of the fact radio senses are acute, radius and ranged by default. Quote Haus von Archeville (Doktor Archeville's Hanover Home) (44/45ep) Location: Hanover, Freedom City, USA, between the Albright Institute and ASTRO Labs. Appearance/Details: See here and here. Size: Huge/Small (Castle/House-sized); Toughness: 20 (Imp 15); Features: Communications, Combat Simulator 2 (Attacks & Realistic Illusions), Computer, Concealed (appears to be a Small house), Defense System no.1 (Blast 13 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Variable Descriptor 2 {any technological}], +15 to hit), Defense System no.2 (Snare 14 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2], +15 to hit), Dual Size, Fire Prevention System, Gym, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Pool, Power no.1 (Communication/Comprehend; as Power x3), Power no.2 (Enhanced Feats & Skills; as Power x2), Power no. 3 (ESP/Comprehend; as Power x2), Power no. 4 (Healing), Power no. 5 (Impervious Toughness), Power no. 6 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power no. 7 (Teleport), Power System, Security System x6 (DC 45), Self-Repairing, Think-Tank, Workshop. Cost 3+3+38 = 44/45ep. Power no.1: Same Communication/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [74/90p] Power no.2: Same Enhanced Feats & Skills as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [2+41=43/60p] Power no.3: Same ESP/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [51/60p] Power no.4: Same Healing as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [28/30p] Power no.5: Impervious Toughness 15 (force screen; Sustained Active effect) [15/30p] Power no.6: Same Super-Senses as at Schloss Wissenschaft. Communications links with Archeville's electromagnetic screwdriver, Archestern, Fjölnirskraft, Schloss Wissenschaft, and two ArcheTech facilities [the corporate HQ in Freedom City, and the Berlin facility] [46/60p] Power no.7: Same Teleporter as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [17/30p] Upgrades as of March 2011 * Changed Healing to Affects Others Regeneration. Healing is instantaneous, Regeneration is not, so this makes it more Bacta Tank-y. Quote Haus von Archeville (Doktor Archeville's Hanover Home) (44/45ep) Location: Hanover, Freedom City, USA, between the Albright Institute and ASTRO Labs. Appearance/Details: See here and here. Size: Huge/Small (Castle/House-sized); Toughness: 20 (Imp 15); Features: Communications, Combat Simulator 2 (Attacks & Realistic Illusions), Computer, Concealed (appears to be a Small house), Defense System no.1 (Blast 13 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Variable Descriptor 2 {any technological}], +15 to hit), Defense System no.2 (Snare 14 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2], +15 to hit), Dual Size, Fire Prevention System, Gym, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Pool, Power no.1 (Communication/Comprehend; as Power x3), Power no.2 (Enhanced Feats & Skills; as Power x2), Power no. 3 (ESP/Comprehend; as Power x2), Power no. 4 (Impervious Toughness), Power no. 5 (Regeneration), Power no. 6 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power no. 7 (Teleport), Power System, Security System x6 (DC 45), Self-Repairing, Think-Tank, Workshop. Cost 3+3+38 = 44/45ep. Power no.1: Same Communication/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [74/90p] Power no.2: Same Enhanced Feats & Skills as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [2+41=43/60p] Power no.3: Same ESP/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [51/60p] Power no.4: Impervious Toughness 15 (force screen; Sustained Active effect) [15/30p] Power no.5: Same Regeneration as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [26/30p] Power no.6: Same Super-Senses as at Schloss Wissenschaft. Communications links with Archeville's electromagnetic screwdriver, Archestern, Fjölnirskraft, Schloss Wissenschaft, and two ArcheTech facilities [the corporate HQ in Freedom City, and the Berlin facility] [46/60p] Power no.7: Same Teleporter as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [17/30p] Come Christmastime, Archeville tends to go all-out on the decorations, like so. (To offset any objections the neighbors may have, he gladly shares his special eggnog.)
Dr Archeville Posted July 27, 2009 Author Posted July 27, 2009 June 5th, 2009 (Friday) I went to the Albright Institute today to take them up on their offer for metahuman power examinations and training. It was quite enjoyable, especially the company of Dr. Rachel Brown. A highlight: I was able to do further tests on one of my powered armor projects, the biological enhancement one. Finally settled on a name for it, too: Biological Enhancement Through Transdermally-Administered Reagents. A BETTAR suit of armor! BETTAR Armor The armor component of this suit is an arrangement of blue-gray tungsten-steel alloy plates, not unlike medieval German plate armor, with an undersuit of radiation-resistant materials. The overlapping plates are especially concentrated around the vitals and striking surfaces, lending weight to a wearer's blows. Electronic sensors include infrared & ultraviolet vision modes, and a radio and GPS for communications monitoring and target tracking. Targeting arrays and warning systems wired to thee heads-up display and to enhancers in the limbs greatly enhance a wearer's reaction times, in both offensive and defensive modes, at least as long as the target isn't completely invisible. The real feature, though, are the two chemical rigs held within. Rather than enhance the wearer's strength and durability via electrical or mechanical systems, the BETTAR (Biological Enhancement Through Transdermally-Administered Reagents) armor uses biochemical injections. Upon activation (by manipulating a dial on either the chest or wrist), the first rig floods the host's bloodstream with amphetamines, corticosteroids, hormones, neurotransmitters, painkillers, and other stimulants via a system of tubes feeding into all major veins. The activation dial determines how high the wearer is amped up, but a complex monitoring system in the armor tracks the wearer's vitals and determines which chemicals to administer. The system can also administer a large selection of antibiotic, antiviral, and clotting agents, and a mini-defibrillator incorporated into the chest plate can deliver a therapeutic dose of electrical energy in the case of cardiac arrhythmia or unsafe tachycardia. Even when not actively boosting a wearer, the suit's drug harness pumps a high-nutrient, high-protein food substitute and low levels of antimicrobials, oxygenated perfluorocarbons, stimulants, temperature regulators, and radiation-chelating agents into the bloodstream. The second chemical rig, intertwined with the first, is even more exotic. It can inject mutagenic compounds (including the ASTRO Labs-developed catalyst Chimerazine) into the wearer such that the wearer temporarily gains metahuman powers of their own! Thee most basic are four types of blasts: electricity, cold, fire, and intense sonics. Another type of mutagen allows the wearer to secrete semi-viscous emotion-altering biochemical agents, which can be hurled at foes, or at allies to deaden any out of control emotions. Another bestows telekinetic abilities; it can also be set on a slow, constant 'trickle' to telekinetically enhance the wearer's ability to leap and to handle a fall. Lastly, there is a mutagen which grants the ability to generate a swarm of biting, droning insects from the wearer's own flesh, which will surround the wearer and bite and hamper anyone nearby. It does take a small amount of time to switch from one power set to another, since the existing mutagen must be flushed & its effects reversed before another can be safely added. There is still much testing to be done on the suit. Mixing so many drugs and compounds could have some serious side-effects to the metabolic and nervous system even with the monitoring systems in place, as could prolonged use of even a few of the compounds. Device 26 (130 points, Hard to Lose) [104pp] Boost 10 (all physical ability scores [str, Dex, Con]; Extras: Total Fade; Flaws: Personal; PF: 1 Alternate Power) [31pp] AP: Healing 10 (Extras: Action/Standard, Total; Flaws: Personal) Enhanced Attack 6 (targeting arrays) [12pp] Enhanced Defense 4 (warning systems) [8pp] Enhanced Feats 6 (Dodge Focus 2, Rage 4 [+10 Str, +5 Fort and Will save, 5 rounds]) [6pp] Immunity 16 (cold, critical hits, disease, fatigue effects, heat, need for sleep, poison, radiation, starvation and thirst, suffocation effects; Flaw: Limited to half effect for all except cold, critical hits, radiation) [10pp] Leaping 2 (x5) [2pp] Plasmid Powers 12 (24pp powers; PFs: 6 Alternate Powers; Drawback: Action 2/Standard Action to switch powers) [28pp] BE: Blast 12 (electricity) AP: Blast 8 (cold; Extra: Alt Save/Fortitude) AP: Blast 8 (fire; Extra: Explosion) AP: Emotion Control 12 (biochemical emotional manipulation; Extra: Alt Save/Fortitude; Flaws: Range/Ranged) AP: Strike 8 (sonic shout; Extra: Cone Area, Linked Dazzle 8 [auditory; Extra: Cone Area; Flaw: Range/Touch]) AP: Strike 5 (insect swarm; Extras: 25-ft. Burst Area, Selective Attack) plus Linked Environmental Control 3 (distraction [DC 10] and visibility, 25-ft. radius; Extra: Selective Attack; Flaw: Range/Touch) AP: Telekinesis 7 (Str 35; Extra: Range/Perception; PF: Subtle) Protection 7 (Extra: Impervious 12) [19pp] Speed 1 (10 mph) [1pp] Strike 2 (PF: Mighty) [3pp] Super-Movement 1 (slow fall) [2pp] Super-Senses 8 (danger sense [visual], direction sense, distance sense, infravision, radio, time sense, ultravision, uncanny dodge [visual]) [8pp]
Dr Archeville Posted July 27, 2009 Author Posted July 27, 2009 June 6th, 2009 (Saturday) Biological warfare -- using diseases and toxins as weapons of war -- is by no means a new phenomenon. During the 6th Century B.C.E., the Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with a fungus that would make the enemy delusional. In 184 B.C.E., Carthaginian leader Hannibal had clay pots filled with poisonous snakes, and instructed his soldiers to throw the pots onto the decks of Peragamene ships. Mongol armies were known for catapulting diseased corpses into besieged cities; during the Middle Ages, victims of the Black Death were used for biological attacks, often by catapulting their corpses and excrement over castle walls. The last known incident of using plague corpses for biological warfare occurred in 1710, when Russian forces attacked the Swedes by flinging plague-infected corpses over the city walls of Reval. Several colonists settling in North and South America are now (in)famous for waging biological warfare by distributing items infected with smallpox to indigenous populations. Francisco Pizarro distributed clothing infected with smallpox to South American peoples in the 16th century, Hernán Cortés did similar acts to the Aztec population around the same time, and Jeffrey Amherst distributed smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans sympathetic to France during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). During the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and World War II, Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army conducted human experimentation on thousands of people, mostly Chinese, in order to perfect various bioweapons. In military campaigns, the Japanese army used such weapons on Chinese soldiers and civilians, though this employment was largely viewed as ineffective due to inefficient delivery systems. In response to suspected biological weapons development in Germany and Japan, the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada initiated a bioweapon development program in 1941 that resulted in the weaponization of anthrax, brucellosis, and botulinum toxin. Research carried out in the United Kingdom during World War II left Gruinard Island (a small Scottish isle) contaminated with anthrax for 48 years (from 1942 to 1990). Use of such weapons was banned in international law by the Geneva Protocol of 1925, since a successful attack could conceivably result in thousands, possibly even millions, of deaths and could cause severe disruptions to societies and economies. The creation and stockpiling of almost all biological weapons was outlawed by the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention ("except in amounts necessary for prophylactic, protective and peaceful research"), and has been signed by over 150 nations. Unlike most arms control agreements, the BWC also applies to private parties. The consensus among military analysts is that, except in the context of bioterrorism, biological warfare is militarily of little use. A biological warfare attack would take days to implement and therefore could not immediately stop an advancing army. Additionally, as a strategic weapon, biological warfare is militarily problematic because it is difficult to prevent the attack from spreading to either allies or back onto the attacker, unless it is used to poison entire enemy civilian towns. Of course, large-scale military logistics often have little to no bearing on the solo or (comparatively) small team conflicts seen in "the Superhuman World." Given the highly dangerous and unstable nature of biological and chemical weapons, a small group of people -- or even one lone individual -- can cause massive chaos in a densely populated areas, such as the incident in October of 1968 when the first Fear Master released his fear-inducing biochemical agents into a premiere screening of Night of the Living Dead, or the March 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway by the controversial AUM Shinrikyo religious cult (which killed twelve and injured six thousand more). For some villains, causing such chaos and disarray, or weakening large groups of people, may actually be preferable to simply killing outright. Also, new diseases and poisons need not come from some sinister laboratory; scientists are discovering new bacteria and viruses in exotic places on Earth even now, but what may come down from some meteorite or on an extraterrestrial? Granted, there are sufficient biochemical barriers that should prevent most non-terrestrial pathogens from being compatible with us and thus a threat... but that is not always the case.
Dr Archeville Posted July 28, 2009 Author Posted July 28, 2009 June 6th, 2009 (Saturday) (continued) A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. Sometimes the term is used broadly to include injuries, disabilities, syndromes, symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts these may be considered distinguishable categories. Pathology is the study of diseases, the subject of systematic classification of diseases is referred to as nosology, and the broader body of knowledge about diseases and their treatments is medicine. Medical usage sometimes distinguishes a disease, which has a known specific cause or causes (its etiology), from a syndrome, which is a collection of signs or symptoms that occur together without an identifiable cause. However, many conditions have been identified, yet continue to be referred to as "syndromes" (ex.: Down's Syndrome), and numerous conditions of unknown etiology are referred to as "diseases" in many contexts. For the purposes of this article, a disease is any discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to a person caused by infection by a bacterial or viral agent. Bacteria are prokaryotic (nucleus-lacking) microscopic organisms, usually but not always unicellular, that are ubiquitous in soil, water, and as symbionts of other organisms. The first bacteria were observed by Antony van Leeuwenhoek in 1683 using a single-lens microscope of his own design. The name bacterium was introduced much later, by German scientist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1828, derived from the Greek word βακτήÏιον (baktÄ“rion) ("small stick"). Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) and Robert Koch (1843-1910) described the role of bacteria as pathogens (conveyors and causes of disease). A virus is a small particle which can infect other biological organisms. Viruses are capable of reproduction only by invading and taking over other cells, as they lack the cellular machinery for self reproduction. The term virus usually refers specifically to those particles which infect eukaryotes (multi-celled organisms and many single-celled organisms), whereas the term bacteriophage (or phage) is used to describe those infecting prokaryotes (such as bacteria). The word comes from the Latin virus, referring to poison and other noxious things. Antibiotics are used to fight bacterial infections; the first effective antibiotic substance is penicillin, discovered by French physician Ernest Duchesne in 1896; Alexander Fleming later accidentally discovered penicillin's antibacterial properties in 1928. (In 1888, German scientist E. de Freudenreich isolated pyocyanase, which retarded the growth of or killed several types of bacteria, but was itself highly unstable and toxic to most all life and so was not an effective antibiotic.) The first viral vaccine was developed by Edward Jenner in 1796, by using cowpox fluid as an inoculation against smallpox -- the subject's own immune system was able to fight off the comparatively weaker cowpox, and the antibodies created in the host's body proved effective against smallpox, which is molecularly similar to cowpox (the word vaccination comes from the Latin word for "cow," vaca). Anthrax Anthrax is a bacterial disease that most commonly occurs in wild and domestic herbivores, though it can also occur in humans when they are exposed to infected animals, tissue from infected animals, or high concentrations of anthrax spores. Anthrax mans “coal†in Greek, used because victims develop black skin lesions where the spores contact their skin. Other symptoms include gastrointestinal difficulty, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea, coupled with cold or flu-like symptoms and severe respiratory problems. Anthrax is generally not contagious from person to person. It was the first bacterium ever to be shown to cause disease, by Robert Koch in 1877. Drain Constitution 4 (Extras: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 8/1 point of Con per month once effect ends) Bubonic Plague Bubonic Plague is a terrible and nearly always fatal bacterial disease spread by fleas. The most prominent symptom is a swelling in the lymph nodes, especially around the groin and armpits, sometimes into the size of oranges. These rounded swellings -- buboes -- often oozed pus or blood. Bubonic plague can progress to septicemic plague, leading to additional bleeding of the organs and under the skin lead to dark blotches covering the victim. Victims also experience chills, delirium, fever, and headaches. Bubonic plague is believed to be the main culprit of the Black Death that spread through Europe in the mid-14th century, a devastating epidemic that killed approximately one-third of the population of Europe. Plague is almost 100% fatal is left untreated, but fortunately modern antibiotics can reduce the mortality rate to around 15%. Drain Constitution & Wisdom 6 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Hantavirus Hantavirus is a virus spread by rodents (carried in their saliva, urine and feces) that causes the disease known as Korean hemorrhagic fever or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Hantavirus targets the kidneys, lungs, pulmonary system and heart; symptoms include hemorrhagic (bleeding) fever, renal failure, hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure), chills, and shock. The Hantavirus name is derived from the Hantaan River of Korea, where the virus was first isolated. Hantaviruses are a relatively newly discovered class of virus, first recognized by Western medicine during the Korean War (1950-1953). Drain Strength & Constitution 3 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 8/1 point per month) Hate Plague This is a variant of the rabies virus (Lyssavirus genus), inducing and exacerbating hatred and destructive impulses in anyone it infects. The contagion is also highly infectious, spread by any fluid transmission, and the infected tend to bite and drool a lot. Eerily, the infected's eyes glow red, due to spiked blood pressure making blood vessels in the eye burst and the virus causing blood cells to create a bioluminescent byproduct. Emotion Control 12 (Extras: Alt Save/Fortitude, Contagious, Disease; Flaws: Limited to Hate, Range 2/Touch) Influenza Influenza (or, more commonly, the flu or the grippe) is a highly contagious viral infection that attacks the upper respiratory system. It is primarily transmitted from person to person via saliva droplets expelled while coughing. Symptoms include chills and fever, headache, muscular aches, weakness and confusion, dry or sore throat, cough, and runny nose. Major genetic changes in the virus have caused three influenza pandemics in the 20th century, killing many millions of people. Most people who get influenza will recover in one to two weeks, but others will develop life-threatening complications, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. An average of about 36,000 people per year in the United States die from influenza, and 114,000 per year are admitted to a hospital as a result of influenza. People age 65 years and older, people of any age with chronic medical conditions, and very young children are more likely to get complications from influenza. The flu can make chronic health problems worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks while they have the flu, and people with chronic congestive heart failure may have worsening of this condition that is triggered by the flu. It is possible to get vaccinated against influenza, however, due to the high mutability of the virus a particular flu vaccine formulation usually only works for about a year. Studies have shown that Sambucol, a trademarked extract of elderberry, may aid in curing influenza once it has been contracted, though it has no notable preventative effect. The name comes from the old medical belief in unfavorable astrological influences as the cause of the disease. Drain Strength, Constitution, and Wisdom 2 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Leprosy Leprosy, now known as Hansen's disease (in honor of the discoverer of the bacillus that causes it), can take up to nearly two years to incubate. When it finally manifests, the victim‘s features coarsen, their voice becomes hoarse, and pale spots appear on the skin. These spots gradually turn into red raised nodules which are insensitive to cold, touch or pain. The victim eventually loses feeling in his extremities, and muscles weaken until total paralysis sets in. Blindness sometimes occurs. Contrary to popular belief, Hansen's disease does not cause rotting of the flesh; however, due to nerve damage, extremities may become numb which may lead to minor infected wounds being unnoticed until damage is permanent. It can take upwards of 20 years for a person to die from leprosy. It is caused by a bacillus which multiplies very slowly and mainly affects the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes. It is related to the bacillus that causes tuberculosis. The mode of transmission of Hansen's disease remains uncertain. Most investigators think it is usually spread from person to person in respiratory droplets. What is known is that the transmission rate is very low, and it appears that a majority of the population is naturally immune. Leprosy is curable with modern antibiotics. Only two creatures are known to be susceptible to leprosy: humans and armadillos. Drain Str, Dex, and Con 6 (Extra: Disease [drain effect occurs once a year, not once a day, until shaken off]; PFs: Slow Fade 10/1 point per year) and Linked Drain Attractive Feat 6 (Extra: Disease [drain effect occurs once a year, not once a day, until shaken off]; PFs: Slow Fade 10/1 point per year) Malaria Malaria (formerly called ague or marsh fever) is a disease spread by mosquitoes which causes around 2 million deaths annually. It manifests as arthralgia (joint pain), a high fever which comes in waves every three or four days, shivering, convulsions, severe headaches, and profuse perspiration; complications include coma and death. Malaria is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium. Infected female Anopheles mosquitoes carry Plasmodium sporozoites in their salivary glands. When they bite a person, the protozoa enter the person's body via the mosquito's saliva and migrate to the liver, where they multiply within hepatic liver cells. They then enter red blood cells, where they multiply further, periodically breaking out of the red blood cells. The classical description of waves of fever coming every three or four days arises from simultaneous waves of the protozoa breaking out of red blood cells during the same day. The parasite is relatively protected from attack by the body's immune system because it stays inside liver and blood cells, but circulating infected blood cells are killed in the spleen. To avoid this fate, the parasite produces certain surface proteins which infected blood cells express on their cell surface, causing the blood cells to stick to the walls of blood vessels. These surface proteins are highly variable and cannot serve as a reliable target for the immune system. The stickiness of the red blood cells is the main factor giving rise to hemorrhagic complications of malaria. Some of the protozoa turn into male and female gametocytes. If a mosquito bites the infected person and picks up gametocytes with the blood, fertilization occurs in the mosquito's gut, and new sporozoites develop and travel to the mosquito's salivary gland, completing the cycle. Pregnant women are especially attractive to the mosquitoes, and malaria in pregnant women is an important cause of still births and infant mortality. If diagnosed early, malaria can be treated, but prevention is always much better, and substances that inhibit the parasite are widely used by visitors to the tropics. Since the 17th century, quinine (an extract of the bark of the South American Cinchona tree, and a flavor component of tonic water) has been the prophylactic of choice for malaria, though the development of quinacrine, chloroquine, and primaquine in the 20th century has reduced the reliance on quinine. These anti-malarial medications can be taken preventively, which is recommended for travelers to affected regions. Carriers of the sickle cell anemia gene are protected against malaria because of their particular hemoglobin mutation. The protozoan cause of malaria was discovered by a French army doctor, Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine in 1907. Drain Strength & Wisdom 3 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Necrotizing fasciitis Necrotizing fasciitis (neck-row-tize-ing fash-e-i-tis) is a serious but rare infection of the deeper layers of skin and subcutaneous tissues (fascia). While many types of bacteria can cause necrotizing fasciitis, most cases result from streptococcal gangrene. The infection occasionally starts with a sore throat, but more often begins locally, at a site of trauma. The affected skin is very painful, red, hot and swollen. Skin color may progress to a dark purple and bloody blisters may form with subsequent necrosis (death) of subcutaneous tissues; patients also typically have a fever and appear very ill. More severe cases progress within hours, and the death rate is high. Early medical treatment (often including intravenous antibiotics) is critical. If necrotizing fasciitis is suspected, surgical exploration is always necessary, often resulting in aggressive debridement (removal of infected tissue); limb amputation may be necessary. This disease is one of the fastest spreading infections known, and tissue may be consumed at a rate of three centimeters per hour. For this reason, it is popularly called "flesh-eating disease" and, although rare, became well-known to the public in the 1990s. Even under the best care available today, necrotizing fasciitis has a mortality rate of around 20%; mortality is nearly 100% if not properly treated, and so correct diagnosis and early treatment of this disease is of paramount importance. Drain Constitution 3 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 8/1 point per month) Pneumonia Pneumonia is a term for most any infection involving the alveoli of the lungs; "pneumonia" is the Greek word for "lungs." It occurs in patients of all age groups, but young children and the elderly are especially at risk, as are people with compromised immune systems. Common symptoms include painful cough with green or yellow mucus, fever with shaking chills, sharp or stabbing chest pains which are worsened with deep breaths or coughs, rapid and shallow breathing, and fever of 103°F (39.5°C) and higher. Rarer symptoms include bloody mucus, migraine headache, excessive sweating and clammy skin, loss of appetite, excessive fatigue, and cyanosis (bluish coloration of the skin due to the presence of deoxygenated blood in vessels near the skin surface). Pneumonia can progress to sepsis ("blood poisoning" and deteriorated renal functioning) and acute respiratory distress syndrome if untreated; these are the main causes of death in patients with untreated pneumonia. Drain Strength and Constitution 2 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Salmonellosis Salmonellosis is an infection with Salmonella bacteria, the most common contaminant of improperly prepared/stored poultry and eggs (though it can be found in any food contaminated with animal feces). Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. Drain Strength and Dexterity 2 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day)] Smallpox Smallpox is a highly contagious viral disease unique to humans. Many survivors are left blind in one or both eyes from corneal ulceration, and persistent skin scarring (pockmarks) is nearly universal. Smallpox was responsible for an estimated 300-500 million deaths in the 20th century. After successful vaccination campaigns, the World Health Organization declared the eradication of smallpox in 1979, though cultures of the virus are kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States and at the Institute of Virus Preparation in Siberia, Russia. Smallpox vaccination was discontinued in most countries in the 1970s, as the risks of vaccination include serious side effects, including death. Smallpox is one of the oldest-known diseases -- the first suspected smallpox epidemic was during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.E.) between Athens and Sparta, and it is described in the Ayurveda, a comprehensive system of medicine based on a holistic approach rooted in Vedic culture dating back 2,000 years. Initial symptoms are essentially similar to other viral diseases such as influenza and the common cold -- fever, muscle pain and stomach aches. The digestive tract is commonly involved, leading to vomiting. Smallpox virus preferentially attacks skin cells, causing the characteristic pus-filled “pimples†(pustules) associated with the disease, erupting first in the mouth, then the arms and the hands, and later the rest of the body. If the patient successfully fights off the infection, the pustules deflate and dry up, then flake off. If the patient cannot fight off the infection, bleeding will occur under the skin, making the skin look charred and black (this is known as black pox). Soon afterwards, bleeding begins in the organs, and death may occur from bleeding or from loss of fluid and entry of other infectious organisms, since the skin and intestine are no longer an effective barrier. Drain Strength and Constitution 4 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) The Strain The Strain is the name given to a virus (actually a viroid, something even more primitive than a virus) on a parallel world I discovered while testing my Pandimensional Scanner. It was released by Klash, a terrorist from approximately 2,000 years in the future of that world. It originally existed in two forms, Strain-1 and Strain-2, but later mutated into a third form, Strain-3; all were airborne agents. Strain-1 and Strain-2 searched for the "x-factor" -- the sequence of mutant genes that gave a Metahuman their powers -- in a target. If it did not find an activated "x-factor" in the target, the viroid would die off, leaving the person completely unaffected. If, however, it did find the "x-factor" it would begin inserting introns (junk DNA sequences) into the transcription codings of the victim's m-RNA. The purpose was to so thoroughly mess up replication and transcription that end result would be that the victim would die when their body could no longer create healthy cells. Strain-1 attacked general transcription and replication of all cells, a messy and non-selective process that resulted in something akin to a fast-replicating cancer. Strain-2, however, was much closer to Klash's original template and more in tune to his desire to stir a species war between humans and Metahumans. Its attacks were selective, working only on the x-factor genes. The net result was that a victim would eventually lose control of their superhuman powers, in addition to developing (at a far slower rate) the skin lesions, fever, cough, and overall weakness characteristic of Strain-1. Strain-3 was a complete fluke, accidentally created in the body of the Metahuman woman known as Contaminatia. Her powers allowed her to scan and visualize the genetic structure of a living being, and then alter it according to her own whims; she was essentially a walking genetics laboratory. Contaminatia had herself been infected with the Strain, which her own powers tried to stave off. In doing so, they caused a replication error in the Strain-2 viroid that was killing her. The pre-coded conditioning which Strain-1 and -2 both had -- to search for an x-gene and, if none was found, not to infect -- was striped from the viroid. When her containment suit was opened (an act of compassion by a former foe-turned-friend, the Metahuman geneticist Critter; she had wanted one final look at the night sky), this new "free agent" strain was inadvertently released, which was capable of infecting any living being that fit within the parameters of its general original template (i.e. hominids only, not canines or felines or so on). One of that world's top geneticists was the first non-Metahuman human to be infected with Strain-3 (though the fact she had some decades prior given birth to a Metahuman may have altered herself enough to make her more susceptible). She passed on the data she'd gathered to Critter, and he was able to devise a cure, though one that had a price. In order for the cure to be activated, it had to be injected into a healthy Metahuman, which would then cause their powers to overload and kill them, but in so doing release the "activated" cure into the atmosphere. The steel-skinned Koloss ("Colossus"), not wanting to see anyone else suffer as his sister Volshebstvo ("Magic") had, sacrificed himself for the cure, and within 24 hours all victims of the Strain (all variants) were miraculously and fully cured. Quasi-Plot Device. Metahumans infected gain the Uncontrolled Flaw on their powers, a Continuous Nullify X (all powers of a biological/Metahuman descriptor; Extra: Randomize). Yes, it's the Legacy Virus. Tetanus Tetanus is a serious and often fatal disease caused by a toxin secreted by an anaerobic bacteria. This bacteria can be found in soil and in the intestines and feces or numerous farm animals (horses, sheep, cattle, rats, dogs, cats, guinea pigs and chickens); spores of the bacterium have also been found in heroin. Tetanus was first documented by Hippocrates, and records dating back to the 5th century B.C.E. provide numerous clinical observations of the disease. However, the etiology (cause) of the disease was not discovered until 1884 by Carle and Rattone. Tetanus is contracted through open wounds, commonly caused by sharp objects in the ground such as rusty nails. However, it is not the rust that is the problem, but rather that the nail has been exposed to the environment for a long time (which caused the rust) and accumulating some of the tetanus bacteria from the soil. The first sign of tetanus is trismus ("lockjaw," a condition in which the mouth is locked shut by contractions of the jaw muscles), followed by stiffness of the neck and back, risus sardonicus (a painfully grinning face caused by facial muscle spasm), difficulty swallowing, and muscle rigidity in the abdomen. The stiffness and spasming of muscles eventually expands throughout the body. Typical signs of tetanus include an increase in body temperature by 3-7 F° (2-4 C°), diaphoresis (excessive sweating), an elevated blood pressure, and an episodic rapid heart rate. Complications of the disease include spasms of the larynx (vocal cords), accessory muscles (chest muscles used to aid in breathing), and the diaphragm (the primary breathing muscle); fractures of long bones secondary to violent muscle spasms; and hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system. Spasms and muscle contraction last for 3-4 weeks, and complete recovery may take months. There are on average 150 cases annually in the USA, and about 30% of tetanus victims (mostly elderly patients) die; in developing countries, the mortality rate may be as high as 60%. Drain Dexterity 4 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 7/1 point per week) Typhoid Fever Typhoid Fever is a bacterial disease spread through food or water contaminated with feces. It is marked by high fever, lack of appetite, diarrhea, stomach pains, headache, cough, exhaustion, delusion, confusion, and a rash of flat, rose-colored spots. Antibiotics are commonly used in treating Typhoid Fever. A person may become an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever, suffering no symptoms, but capable of infecting others. In 1907, Mary Mallon (who came to be known as "Typhoid Mary") became the first American carrier to be identified and traced. According to the Centers for Disease Control. Approximately 5% of people who contract typhoid continue to carry the disease after they recover. When untreated, typhoid fever persists for three weeks to a month. Death occurs in between 10% and 30% of untreated cases. Vaccines for typhoid fever are available and are advised for persons traveling in regions where the disease is common. Drain Con, Wis and Cha 6 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow fade 6/1 point per day) West Nile Virus West Nile Virus is a newly emergent virus, found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is also the cause of a number of conditions in humans, horses, and some other mammals. It is transmitted by bites of infected mosquitoes. In most people (80%), infection causes no symptoms. In others, the virus causes mild flu-like symptoms (fever, nausea, muscle stiffness, etc.) known as West Nile fever. The virus is able to pass the blood-brain barrier, and the most serious effects (in 0.7% of the infected) are encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), both of which can be fatal. In rare cases (first reported October 2002), patients develop sudden-onset paralysis. Drain Dexterity and Constitution 2 (Extra: Disease; PFs: Slow Fade 8/1 point per month)
Dr Archeville Posted August 15, 2009 Author Posted August 15, 2009 (edited) June 6th, 2009 (Saturday) (continued) A toxin is a substance that causes injury to the health of a living thing on contact or absorption, typically by interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes and receptors. Ingestible toxins are referred to as poisons, especially when intentionally administered by a human, while animal toxins that are delivered subcutaneously (such as by sting or bite) are called venom. In normal usage, a poisonous organism is one that is harmful to consume, but a venomous organism uses poison to defend itself while still alive. A single organism can be both venomous and poisonous. Toxins can have a variety of effects. Hemotoxins are toxins that destroy red blood cells (hemolysis) and disrupt blood clotting, and cause organ degeneration and generalized tissue damage. An injury due to a hemotoxic agent is often very painful, and permanent damage, such as loss of an affected limb, is possible even with prompt treatment. Hemotoxins are frequently seen in venomous animals, such as pit vipers. In addition to killing the prey, part of the function of a hemotoxic venom for some animals is to aid digestion -- the venom breaks down proteins in the region of the bite, making prey easier to digest. [[in M&M game terms, these are most always a Drain on Constitution, though in many cases the damage to muscle tissues can be considered a Drain on Strength.]] Neurotoxins acts specifically on nerve cells (neurons), usually by interacting with membrane proteins and ion channels. They cause loss of coordination and eventual paralysis [[in M&M game terms these usually Drain Dexterity, though by blocking neuromuscular transmissions can act as muscle relaxants and so Drain Strength as well]]. Some animal venoms contain enzymes and other proteins that are both hemotoxic and neurotoxic (such as the Mojave rattlesnake). Some substances -- most notably alcohol -- dull areas of the brain responsible for planning and motor learning, and an increased metabolism in areas of the brain associated with movement causes reward systems in the brain to become more active. [[in M&M game terms, this would be a Drain on Wisdom.]] Narcotics can cause a variety of effects, including drowsiness, inability to concentrate, apathy, lessened physical activity, respiratory depression, constriction of the pupils, dilation of the subcutaneous blood vessels causing flushing of the face and neck. [[in M&M game terms, these would also be a Drain on Wisdom.]] To increase the lethality of a Poison, a Ref could declare that once any ability score is drained to 0, any further drains to that same attribute instead drain Constitution, which can be fatal. In the cases of Strength drain, death comes from the inability of the heart and diaphragm (both muscles) to function properly. In the cases of Dexterity drain, death is caused either by a creeping paralysis that reaches the lungs and heart, or a complete shutdown of the central nervous system. Alcohol Alcohol -- or, more precisely, ethanol -- has been consumed by humans since pre-historic times, for a variety of hygienic, dietary, medicinal, religious, and recreational reasons. While infrequent consumption of ethanol in small quantities may be harmless or even beneficial, larger doses result in a state known as drunkenness or intoxication. Depending on the dose and regularity of use, alcohol can cause acute respiratory failure or death and with chronic use can cause severe health problems, such as liver and brain damage. Quote Drain Dexterity & Wisdom 1 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 4/1 point per hour) The effects of some alcoholic beverages may be harder to resist than others, though the effects themselves remain largely the same. Beers generally have a DC of 10 to 13, wines a DC of 11 to 12, and spirits a DC of 11 to 15. Actual alcohol poisoning can come into effect if both the character's Dexterity and Wisdom are drained to 0; in this case the character begins losing one point of Constitution per 10 minutes until death occurs or their stomach is pumped. Arsenic Arsenic is a poisonous metalloid used in pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. It comes in two forms, yellow and gray/metallic, and is so chemically similar to phosphorous that it will partly substitute for it in biochemical reactions. "Pressure treated wood" is often treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), and inhalation of the ash of burning CCA timber can lead to arsenic poisoning. Quote Drain Str & Con 3 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Atropine Atropine is an alkaloid extracted from the deadly nightshade, and was widely used by opticians to dilate eyes before performing an eye exam. Its use in this regard has lessened as faster-degrading compounds have been created. Injections of atropine are used in the treatment of bradycardia (an extremely low heart rate) and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) in cardiac arrest. Adverse reactions to atropine include ventricular fibrillation, supraventricular or ventricular tachycardia (abnormally rapid beating of the heart), giddiness, nausea, blurred vision, loss of balance, dilated pupils, photophobia, and occasionally confusion, hallucinations and excitation. These latter effects are due to the fact that atropine is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Quote Drain Str & Dex 3 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Bee Venom Bee Venom is acidic and designed to cause extreme pain to the target stung, because their sting's purpose is to defend their home and food stores. Though most bee stings do little lasting damage, some people are highly allergic to bee venom and go into anaphylaxis (a.k.a. anaphylactic shock) if stung. Symptoms of anaphylaxis can include respiratory distress, hypotension (low blood pressure), unconsciousness (either a sudden, short-term faint or a prolonged coma), urticaria (hives - raised red skin welts), angioedema (swelling of the face, neck and throat), severe itching, vasodilation (dilation/widening of blood vessels), and bronchospasm (constriction of the airways). Because a bee's stinger is barbed, a bee that successfully stings another creature must tear the stinger out of its own body, leaving both the stinger and a portion of its own abdomen inside the target; the bee soon dies afterwards. Quote Drain Constitution 4 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 5/1 point per 5 hours) Belladonna Belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade, is even more toxic than the atropine that is derived from it. Children have been poisoned by as few as three of the berries, and a small leaf thoroughly chewed can be a fatal dose for an adult. Symptoms of belladonna poisoning are the same as those for atropine and include dilated pupils, tachycardia, hallucinations (indistinguishable from reality), blurred vision, loss of balance, a feeling of flight, staggering, a sense of suffocation, paleness followed by a red rash, flushing, husky voice, extremely dry throat, constipation, urinary retention, and confusion. In some cases, the skin can completely dry out and slough off. Fatal cases have a rapid pulse that turns feeble. Quote Drain Strength 9 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Black Widow Spider Venom The venom of Black Widows spiders (genus Latrodectus) is a potent neurotoxin. Death is rare, as black widow venom acts by causing a localized release of neurotransmitters involved in muscular contraction. A bite results in a severe, uncontrollable, and prolonged muscle contraction in the area of the bite; since most bites occur on the foot or hand, far from the heart or other major organ, death rarely results. As with most cases of arthropod venom, however, some people may experience a severe allergic reaction to a black widow bite and go into anaphylactic shock. Quote Drain Str & Dex 1 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Blue-Ringed Octopus Venom Though only about the size of a golf ball, the Blue Ringed Octopuses (genus Hapalochlaena) is one of the deadliest creatures in the seas because it is one of the most venomous. Bacteria living in its salivary glands create a deadly cocktail of tetrodotoxin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, hyaluronidase (increases tissue permeability), tyramine, histamine (trigger inflammatory response), tryptamine, octopamine (trigger orthostatic hypotension, or "head rush"), taurine (breaks down lipids), acetylcholine (trigger muscular contractions), and dopamine. Tetrodotoxin is the major component of this venom; it blocks sodium channels (i.e., electrical signals), causing motor paralysis and sometimes respiratory arrest leading to cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen. There is no blue-ringed octopus antivenin available. Quote Drain Constitution 5 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Incurable, Slow fade 6/1 point per day) Blue Vitriol Blue Vitriol is the pentahydrate of cupric sulfate, and occurs naturally in the mineral chalcanthite as a blue or blue-green triclinic crystal. Chalcanthite is water-soluble and commonly found in the late-stage oxidation zones of copper deposits. Due to its ready solubility, chalcanthite is more frequently found in greater abundance in arid regions. Quote Drain Constitution 2 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow fade 6/1 point per day) Botulin toxin Botulin toxin (or botox) is the toxic compound produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinium. It is an enzyme that breaks down one of the fusion proteins that allow neurons to release acetylcholine at a neuromuscular junction. By interfering with nerve impulses in this way, it causes paralysis of muscles seen in cases of botulism. It is possibly the most toxic substance known, with a lethal dose of about 300 pg/kg, meaning that somewhat over a hundred grams could kill every human living on the earth. Botulin toxin has always been considered an ideal agent for chemical warfare (though, given its origins, the distinction from biological warfare is a thin one), since it oxidizes rapidly on exposure to air, so an area attacked with a toxin aerosol would be safe to enter within a day or so. The CIA once prepared some cigars of Fidel Castro's favorite brand, saturating them with botulinum toxin, as a possible assassination ploy. The cigars were never used, but when tested years later were still found to be highly lethal. Botulin toxin is used (usually under a trademarked name such as "Botox") for producing long-term (months) paralysis of muscles. This was intended for the relief of uncontrollable muscle spasms, but is increasingly being used for cosmetic purposes, to paralyze facial muscles as a means of concealing wrinkles. Quote Drain Constitution 6 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow fade 6/1 point per day) Chloral Hydrate Chloral Hydrate is a sedative and hypnotic drug, used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, as a sedative before minor medical or dental treatment, and as a general anesthetic in veterinary medicine. An overdose is marked by confusion, convulsions, nausea and vomiting, severe drowsiness, slow and irregular breathing, cardiac arrhythmia and weakness. It may also cause liver damage, and is moderately addictive. Mixed with alcohol, it was the first "Mickey Finn." It was discovered in 1832 by Justuc von Liebig in Giessen, and was widely abused and misprescribed in the late 19th century. Quote Fatigue 8 (Extra: Poison) Chloroform Chloroform a colorless liquid with a pleasant, non-irritating odor and a slightly sweet taste. It is a member of a subset of environmental pollutants known as trihalomethanes, a by-product of chlorination of drinking water and a long-standing health concern. Chloroform was first produced independently and simultaneously in 1831 by Justus von Liebig and the French chemist Eugene Soubeiran. It was used widely as a general anesthetic throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but abandoned in favor of ether upon discovery of its undesirable toxicological properties and its propensity to cause sudden, fatal cardiac arrhythmia. Quote Fatigue 7 (Extra: Poison) Cobra Venom Cobra Venom contains a powerful neurotoxin, which can be fatal within minutes of the initial bite. Most people who have been killed by cobra bites, however, were either very young, very old, or subject to multiple envenomations. Quote Drain Str, Dex and Con 4 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Curare Curare is an extremely potent neurotoxin. Used as an arrow poison by some Indian peoples of South America, it is a natural resinous extract obtained from several tropical American woody plants. The active ingredients of curare are alkaloids that affect neuromuscular transmission, thereby acting as muscle relaxants. Death from curare is caused by asphyxia resulting from paralysis of the respiratory muscles. The toxin kills only if it enters the blood stream. The amounts used to hunt animal are easily broken down in the gut, making the downed game safe for hunters and others to eat. As curare acts only at muscular synapses and does not cross the blood-brain barrier, a victim of curare poisoning may be aware of what is happening until the very end. Consequently, the victim can feel the paralysis progressing but is quickly unable to move, call out or gesture. Curare has also been used for treating the paralysis caused by tetanus ("lockjaw"), because the muscle relaxant counters the contractions caused by the tetanus toxin. Quote Drain Dexterity 10 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Cyanide Cyanide is a cyanogen salt that bonds with an enzyme involved in ATP production. Victims of cyanide poisoning exhibit vomiting, convulsions, deep breathing, shortness of breath and anxiety; more serious cases result in convulsions, loss of consciousness, and death after apnea (absence of external breathing) and heart arrest; victims also often exhibit a breath odor of bitter almonds and a bluish coloration of the skin due to the presence of deoxygenated blood in vessels near the skin surface. Cyanide is generally delivered in the form of gaseous hydrogen cyanide (HCN) or in the form of potassium cyanide (KCN) or sodium cyanide (NaCN), white solids or powder with a bitter, almond-like odor in damp air. Zyklon B, the poison gas used in Nazi gas chambers during the Holocaust, works by delivering hydrogen cyanide gas; cyanide is also the compound used in US execution chambers. Poisoning by cyanide also figures prominently in crime fiction, particularly the works of Agatha Christie, and cyanide salts are used in fast-acting "suicide pills." Quote Drain Constitution 9 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) DDT Dichloro-diphenyl-dichloromethane, is a colorless crystalline substance which is practically insoluble in water but highly soluble in fats and most organic solvents. DDT was developed as the first of the modern insecticides early in World War II, initially used with great effect to combat mosquitoes spreading malaria, typhus, and other insect-borne human diseases among both military and civilian populations. In the early 1960s, Rachel Carson, through publication of the book Silent Spring, aroused public opinion against DDT with her claim that DDT caused cancer and harmed bird reproduction by thinning egg shells. Neither claim has been substantiated in scientific studies: no link between DDT and human cancer has been found, and thinned eggshells have been produced only in studies using thousands of times more DDT than would be found in the wild. Nevertheless, Carson's book caused an outcry that eventually led to the pesticide being banned for agricultural use in most developed nations, and was one of the signature events in the birth of the environmental movement. The resulting ban is widely regarded as a major factor in the recovery of bald eagle populations in the United States. DDT is not particularly toxic to humans, compared to other widely used pesticides. In particular, no link to cancer has yet been established. Numerous studies have been conducted, including one in which humans voluntarily ingested 35 mg of DDT daily for almost two years. However, fertility studies in Scandinavia, where DDT was widely used to control pests, have found that the average male sperm count has dropped by almost 50% since DDT started to be used, while there is an increased rate of certain cancers of the reproductive organs compared to former years. These studies have not yet demonstrated a causative link between DDT and other effects, however. DDT was fist synthesized in 1873, and its insecticidal properties were discovered by the Swiss scientist Paul Hermann Müller in 1939, who was awarded the 1948 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his efforts. Quote Drain Strength 5 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Digitalis Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous biennials, perennials and shrubs in the foxglove family Scrophulariaceae. The members of this genus are known in English as foxgloves. They are native in Europe, northwest Africa and west and central Asia. The scientific name means "finger," and refers to the ease which a flower of Digitalis purpurea can be fitted over a human fingertip. "Foxglove" has a similar origin, seen as a suitable glove for a fox paw. The flowers are produced on a tall spike, are tubular, and vary in color with species, from purple to pink, white and yellow. The best-known species is the Common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, and is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its violet flowers. The first year of growth produces only the long, basal leaves, while in the second year the erect leafy stem 0.5-2.5 m tall develops. In contemporary medicine, digitalis extract is often prescribed for patients in heart failure. A group of pharmacologically active compounds are extracted mostly from the leaves of the second year's growth, and in pure form are referred to by common chemical names such as digitoxin or digoxin, or by brand names such as Lanoxin, or Purgoxin. Digitalis works by inhibiting sodium-potassium ATPase, which increases intracellular calcium. This inhibition increases the amount of Ca++ ions available for contraction, improving cardiac output and reducing distention of the heart. It has an anti-arrhythmic effect by prolonging the refractory period of the AV node (Atrio-ventricular), reducing the number of impulses reaching the ventricles. Digitalis toxicity (Digitalis intoxication) results from an overdose of digitalis and can result in jaundiced (yellow) vision and the appearance of blurred outlines (halos), as well as bradycardia (an extremely low heart rate) in extreme cases. Because a frequent side effect of digitalis is reduction of appetite, some individuals have abused the drug as a weight loss aid. Digitalis is a classic example of a drug derived from a plant formerly used by folklorists and herbalists: herbalists have largely abandoned its use because of its narrow therapeutic index and the difficulty of determining the amount of active drug in herbal preparations. Once the usefulness of digitalis in regulating pulse was understood, it was employed for a variety of purposes, including the treatment of epilepsy and other seizure disorders, a treatment now considered inappropriate. The use of Digitalis purpurea extract containing cardiac glycosides for the treatment of heart conditions was first described by William Withering. Quote Drain Constitution 8 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Hemlock Hemlock is a name shared by many related species of toxic plants, including the Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) and the Water Hemlock (Cicuta virosa). All are members of the family Apiaceae. Many types of hemlock are identical to fennel or parsley, and the root can be mistaken for parsnip. Unlike fennel, which as the odor or anise or licorice, most hemlocks have a mouse-like or musty smell. Hemlock sap is a potent neurotoxin, disrupting the entire central nervous system and causing nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, tremors and seizures. Most species of hemlock are native to Europe and Asia, but have been introduced and naturalized in many other areas, including North America and Australia. The most famous victims of Hemlock poisoning was Socrates, who was given a solution of hemlock in 399 B.C.E. after being condemned to death for impiety. Quote Drain Constitution 8 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Lead Arsenate (Gas) Lead Arsenate (Gas) is created when solid lead arsenate (see below) is heated. The substance sublimes, transitioning from a solid state directly to a gaseous one. Quote Drain Strength & Constitution 2 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Lead Arsenate (Solid) Lead Arsenate (Solid) has been used, well into the 20th century, as a pesticide on fruit trees, resulting in neurological damage to those working the sprayers. Symptoms of lead poisoning include reduced IQ, irritability, insomnia, excess lethargy or hyperactivity, poor appetite, headache and in extreme cases seizure and coma. Once in the body, lead is biologically inactive -- its toxic properties come from lead's ability to mimic other biologically important metals, most notably iron and zinc. Lead is able to bind to and interact with the same proteins and molecules as iron, but after replacing iron, those molecules function differently and fail to carry out the same reactions. Worse, the arsenic in lead arsenate will partly substitute for phosphorous in biochemical reactions, making this compound doubly dangerous. Quote Drain Constitution 3 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Mustard Gas Mustard Gas is a compound that was first used as a chemical weapon in World War I. In pure form, it is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid at room temperature. The name comes from impure mustard gas, which is usually yellow-brown in color and has an odor resembling mustard, garlic or horseradish. Mustard gas has a strong tendency to bond to the guanine nitrogen in DNA strands, leading either to immediate cellular death or cancer. Mustard gas is not very soluble in water, but is very soluble in fat, contributing to its rapid absorption into the skin. Those exposed usually suffer no immediate symptoms, but the exposure develops (in 4 to 24 hours) into deep, itching or burning blisters wherever the mustard contacted the skin; the eyes (if exposed) become sore and the eyelids swollen, possibly leading to conjunctivitis and blindness. At very high concentrations, if inhaled, it causes bleeding and blistering within the respiratory system, damaging the mucous membrane and leading to pulmonary edema. Blister agent exposure over more than 50% body surface area is usually fatal. Most of the mustard gas found in Germany after World War II was dumped into the Baltic Sea, though shells containing mustard gas and other toxic ammunition from World War I (as well as conventional explosives) can still occasionally be found in France. It was first synthesized in 1860 by Frederick Guthrie, though it is possible it was developed as early as 1822 by M. Depretz. Quote Drain Constitution 7 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Paris Green (Gas) Paris Green (Gas) is the sublimated form of solid Paris Green (see below). When heated, solid Paris Green transitions directly into a gaseous form, with no intermediary liquid state. Quote Drain Constitution 3 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Paris Green (Solid) Paris Green (Solid) is a sulfide of arsenic. It is an extremely poisonous, bright green powder that was formerly used extensively as a pigment in wallpaper. It was also used as an insecticide or fungicide. Quote Drain Constitution 4 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Phosgene Phosgene was one of many chemical weapons used in World War I. Phosgene comes as either a colorless gas or a refrigerated liquid; it has an odor reminiscent of moldy hay. It is a particularly insidious poison, as phosgene exposure often has no initial symptoms. Symptoms usually appear within 24 hours, but can take up to 72 hours to manifest. The gas combines with water in the tissues of the respiratory tract to form carbon dioxide and hydrochloric acid, which then dissolves the membranes in the lungs. Fluid fills the lungs, and death results from a combination of blood loss, shock, and respiratory failure. Unlike nerve agents, phosgene must be inhaled to cause harm and cannot be absorbed through the skin. Phosgene was responsible for most of the about 100,000 gas-caused deaths during World War I. Quote Suffocate 9 (Extra: Insidious; PF: Subtle) Note: Phosgene was not given the Poison extra, because the substance does not act on any traditional toxic mechanisms; it simply transmutes into a weak acid in the victim’s lungs. However, characters who have the Immunity/Suffocation are immune to the effects of Phosgene.] Pufferfish Poison Pufferfish Poison, or tetrodotoxin, is generated not by the fish itself but rather by various bacteria living within the fish. A single pufferfish contains enough tetrodotoxin to kill approximately thirty adult humans. Pufferfish poison is a potent neurotoxin, shutting down electrical signaling in nerves and paralyzing the victim, though since it does not cross the blood-brain barrier the poison itself does not render the victim unconscious. Quote Drain Strength & Dexterity 3 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Rattlesnake Venom Rattlesnake Venom is in most cases hemotoxic, destroying/pre-digesting the tissues at the site of the bite. Some tropical species of rattlesnake, however, have a neurotoxic venom which can interfere with the function of the heart and paralyze the lungs. Quote Drain Constitution 4 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Ricin Ricin (pronounced rye-sin) is extracted from castor beans. Ricin is poisonous if inhaled, injected, or ingested, interfering with RNA function and thus inhibiting of protein synthesis. There is no known antidote to ricin poisoning, and long-term organ damage is likely in survivors. In small doses, such as the typical dose contained in a measure of castor oil, ricin causes digestive tract cramps. Ingested in larger doses, ricin causes severe diarrhea and victims can die of shock. The best-known documented use of ricin as an agent of biological warfare was by the Soviet Union's KGB during the Cold War. In 1978, the Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was assassinated by Bulgarian secret police who surreptitiously shot him on a London street with a modified umbrella using compressed gas to fire a tiny pellet contaminated with ricin into his leg. He died in hospital a few days later; the pellet was discovered entirely by happenstance. Despite ricin's extreme toxicity and utility as an agent of chemical/biological warfare, it is extremely difficult to limit the production of the toxin. Under both the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention and the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, ricin is defined as a "schedule one" controlled substance. Despite this, more than 1 million metric tons of castor beans are processed each year, and approximately 5% of the total is rendered into a waste containing high concentrations of ricin toxin. Though ricin is quite lethal and easy to obtain, it's main drawback as a weapon is that it readily degrades into harmless compounds upon exposure to ozone, nitrogen oxides, and other oxidizing pollutants in the air. Although the castor bean plant has long been noted for its toxicity, ricin was first isolated and named in 1888 by Herman Stillmark. Quote Drain Strength & Constitution 7 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Incurable, Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Rirex Rirex is the calling card of France's le Arlequin du Diable (the Devil's Harlequin; Rirex from rire-x, rire being French for "laugh"). A hellish mixture of hydrogen-cyanide and Strychnodide (a strychnine derivative), the toxin causes immediate cessation of heart and brain functions. As a cruel side effect, the victim is further humiliated by having their muscles contract in such a way as to severely tighten and discolor the victim's skin, especially in the facial area. This leaves the victim's corpse permanently scarred with a clown-like grin in tribute to his killer. Since Rirex is just as deadly if absorbed through the pores as it is if inhaled, le Arlequin du Diable occasionally releases it in gas form throughout the central heating/cooling vents of a building (adding the Area and Obscure extras to the effect). Quote Drain Constitution 12 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day; Drawback: Noticeable) (Yes, it's Joker venom.) Sarin Sarin, a G-series nerve agent, is one of the world's most dangerous chemical weapons. At room temperature, sarin is a colorless, odorless liquid. Its relatively high vapor pressure means that it evaporates quickly, and its vapor is also colorless and odorless; it can be made more persistent through the addition of certain oils or petroleum products. Sarin attacks the nervous system of the body, forming bonds at certain sites that cause neurotransmitters to build up, effectively causing a continual transmission of nerve impulses. Initial symptoms following exposure to sarin are a runny nose, tightness in the chest and dilation of the pupils. Soon after, the victim has difficulty breathing and experiences nausea and drooling. As the victim continues to lose control of bodily functions, he vomits, defecates and urinates. This phase is followed by twitching and jerking, and ultimately the victim becomes comatose and suffocates as a consequence of convulsive spasms. Atropine, which inhibits neurotransmitters, is an antidote to sarin poisoning. Sarin was discovered in 1928 in Germany. Quote Drain Constitution 7 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Scorpion Venom Scorpion Venom is a fast-acting neurotoxin that they use to kill or paralyze their prey. The venom of most scorpions is geared towards activity in other arthropods (insects and arachnids), and so is relatively harmless to humans, producing only local pain, numbness and swelling. Some scorpions, however, do possess venom potent enough to do serious harm to humans. Quote Drain Strength & Constitution 2 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Sea Wasp Jellyfish Venom The venom of the Sea Wasp Jellyfish (also known as the Box Jellyfish) is one of the most potent naturally-occurring venoms known, if not the most potent. It is a powerful neurotoxin, causing paralysis and extreme pain. The pain has been described as so great that some people have gone into shock and drowned before succumbing to the full effects of the venom. Fortunately, the nematocysts -- the stinging cells in a jellyfish’s tentacles which deliver the toxin -- are unable to penetrate even a thin layer of nylon, so swimmers can protect themselves by wearing pantyhose on their legs and arms (a not uncommon site among Australian lifeguards). Quote Drain Dexterity 8 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Spitting Cobra Venom Spitting Cobra Venom is intended to be sprayed into the eyes of their victims, causing severe irritation, necrosis of the cornea and in some cases permanent blindness. The snakes spit this venom with near-perfect aim at targets up to ten feet/three meters away. This potent cocktail of hemotoxins and neurotoxins takes some time to break down -- if it gets on an item a character has, and they then touch the item and later touch their eyes without thoroughly washing their hands first, they can fall victim to the same effects. Quote Dazzle Visual 4 (Extra: Poison) Strychnine Strychnine is a highly toxic colorless crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, most commonly in rat poison. Strychnine poisoning can occur via inhalation, swallowing or skin contact, and produces some of the most dramatic, terrifying, best known, and painful symptoms imaginable. 10 to 20 minutes after exposure, every muscle in the body will start to simultaneously contract, starting with the head and neck. The spasms then spread to every muscle in the body, with nearly continuous convulsions, getting worse at the slightest stimulus. They progress, increasing in intensity and frequency until the backbone arches continually. Death comes from asphyxiation caused by paralysis of the brain's breathing apparatus, or by exhaustion from the convulsions. At that time, the body "freezes," even in the middle of a convulsion. Rigor mortis sets in immediately, with the eyes left wide open. Quote Drain Dexterity & Constitution 6 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Tarantula Venom Tarantula Venom has well-known neurotoxic effects, though there are no substantiated reports of tarantula bites proving fatal to a human due both to the small amounts injected in a bite and the fairly docile nature of tarantulas. It was once thought that a cure for tarantula venom would be to dance around in a wild fashion; this dance came to be known as the Tarantella. Research done into the venom of certain species of tarantulas shows that the proteins in it has the potential to slow heart attacks and retard the growth of brain tumors. Quote Drain Strength 2 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) VX Nerve Gas VX Nerve Gas is the most well-known of the V-series of nerve agents, due in part to being featured in the 1996 action movie The Rock. VX has the texture and feel of high-grade motor oil, with low viscosity and low volatility. This makes it especially dangerous, as it has a high persistence in the environment. VX works as a nerve agent by blocking the function of neurotransmitter-hydrolyzing enzymes, causing neurotransmitters to build up and thus causing nerves to fire continuously, resulting in contractions of all the involuntary muscles in the body. VX is often regarded as the deadliest nerve agent created to date, since as little as 10 mg is enough to kill an average person. Atropine is the most commonly used antidote, though it must be administered within seconds of exposure for it to be effective. VX was developed in 1952 in England. Quote Drain Constitution 11 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Viper Venom Viper Venom can cause bleeding of internal organs, particularly the brain or bowels. Additionally, the victim may bleed from the bite site, or spontaneously from the mouth or old wounds. Unchecked bleeding can cause shock and lead to death. Quote Drain Constitution 3 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Wasp Venom Wasp Venom is designed to paralyze the prey, so it can be stored alive in the food chambers of their young. As with bee stings, most wasp stings have no major effect on humans, but some people are extremely allergic and go into anaphylactic shock if stung. Quote Drain Dexterity 3 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) Wolfsbane Wolfsbane is one of 100 species of plants in the genus Aconitum, in the family Ranunculaceae. Related species include aconite and monkshood. Many species are cultivated in gardens due to their eye-catching blue or yellow flowers, which resemble cylindrical helmets. Aconitine, the active principle alkaloid derived from Aconitum plants, is a crystalline base that is soluble in alcohol but not water. Aconitine first stimulates and then paralyzes the nervous system, especially the nerves associated with pain, touch, and temperature. It also stimulates the cardio-inhibitory center in the medulla oblongata (at the root of the vagus nerve) and the nerve ganglia of the heart itself. Circulation and pulse are slowed, often down to 40 or 30 beats/minute, blood pressure falls, and the heart is arrested in diastole (the "dubâ" in the "lub-dub" of a heartbeat); respiration also slows. Additional symptoms include a sensation of burning, tingling and numbness in the mouth, and of burning in the abdomen. As in strychnine poisoning, the patient is conscious and clear-minded to the last. Treatment is to empty the stomach (usually employing a tube or an emetic, or nausea-inducing compound), and treatment with atropine (which speed up nervous reactions) and alcohol (which breaks down the aconitine in the system). The plants need not be eaten to produce a toxic effect -- aconitine can be easily absorbed through the skin simply by picking the plant's leaves and absorbing the sap through the skin. In this case, a tingling sensation will be experienced at the point of absorption, extending up the arm and shoulder. Soon after, the heart will be affected, and an unpleasant numbness will replace the tingling sensation. The root of the Common Monkshood (Aconitum napellus, the most common plant in this genus) has often been mistaken for horseradish; amateur home gardeners have killed themselves by ingesting what they thought was horseradish, but was really monkshood or wolfsbane. Quote Drain Strength & Constitution 6 (Extra: Poison; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) More on snake venoms here. Edited March 30, 2019 by Dr Archeville
Dr Archeville Posted August 15, 2009 Author Posted August 15, 2009 March 24th, 2009 (Tuesday, morning) Well, yesterday's lecture at HIT was... interesting. I barely got a chance to start before that pompous psychopath Captain Knievel showed up. The bizarre thing, though, was that he didn't start any violence: he was there to ask me questions! Specifically, questions about how I came to be so intelligent, and whether or not I felt jealous towards super-intelligent Metahumans who 'cheated' to get their aptitudes. His last question, though, was completely out of left field, as it was about Doctor Metropolis & how his powers worked. Though he was (surprisingly) calm throughout the exchange, I could not just let him go. Not after everything he's done (some of which I confronted him with during our Q&A session). Fortunately, Dark Star happened to be at the lecture, and we covertly came up with a plan to trap him, using Star's gravity manipulation abilities. Unfortunately, Knievel was able to escape even that, but as Star and I chased after him Arrowhawk appeared, and we managed to bring the madman down. Knievel's identity was revealed: turns out he's a wealthy and well-known bodybuilder! His trial is already set to take place tomorrow; I am sure it will be a media circus. His line of questions has me concerned, though. Specifically, his last question (though all his bigotry-laden questions are of concern on a more humanitarian level): the only reason I can think of that he would be interested in known how Doctor Metropolis' powers work is so he (and his fellow Metahuman-hater, Malice) can circumvent them. But what point would there be in that? Without his help, Freedom would take far longer to rebuild from the innumerable meta-battles which occur here, but what would be the benefit in that? To show that metahuman activity can be a danger to the environment? To turn public opinion against metahumans, framing them as "a clear threat to all"? Even if Doctor Metropolis were not a factor, there are enough Metahumans -- even relatively low-powered ones -- who would be willing & able to help with post-battle repairs to the city that any accusations of Metahumans being "a clear threat to all" would fail to gather much steam. March 24th, 2009 (Tuesday, afternoon) Knievel's lawyer contacted me, asking if I could come in and testify on Knievel's behalf, and prove that he's insane and thus not accountable for his actions! Ha!
Dr Archeville Posted August 26, 2009 Author Posted August 26, 2009 March 28th, 2009 (Saturday) Kenny, one of the HIT students who lives down the road, came by to tell me about a "big kegger" some friends were having, and wondered if I'd like to join. Of course, he also asked if I could bring some refreshments, due to my reputation in the neighborhood for having some of the best beers this side of Wading River. I've hit on some downtime -- the few experiments I'm currently running are pretty much on auto-pilot for now, cultures growing and computers compiling data -- so why not?! March 29th, 2009 (Sunday, afternoon) Awoke with a bad hangover, made worse by the screeching alarms which woke me. Which weren't as effective as they could be; I need to find some way to wake me faster in case something like this happens again. "This," of course, being the massive explosion in the Sunberry suburb in Riverside, so powerful it actually set off my seismographs. By now the fires have been brought mostly under control, thanks in large part to several superheroes -- Ace Danger, Arrowhawk, Avenger, Dark Star, Phantom, Scarab, and Sen -- who came in to help. Fortunately, most of the Sunberry residents were away this morning when the blast went off, so there were few injuries or fatalities. Unfortunately, it appears the source of the explosion was Eric Micheals, who owns one of the companies I consult for... and was (until now, secretly) the supervillain Malice! (What's more, Eric lost an arm in the blast.) On the one hand, I'm kicking myself: I've worked with the man for almost a year now, I should have seen this sooner! But maybe I just didn't want to see it. Or maybe I was too wrapped up in my own secrets (and on making sure I wasn't too generous with my inventiveness) to notice his. Worse, what if some of the projects I consulted on were components of his armor? Sure, I can (rightly) say I had no idea that's what he was using me for, but some lawyer may insist that I can't not have known Eric wasn't Malice, and thus I had to on some level know I was helping a supervillain! And even if that doesn't happen, I'd still know that my genius was being perverted by his anti-metahuman bigotry! On the other hand, if I play my cards right, I can turn this to my advantage. I might be able to use resources -- both materials and personnel -- from Darts, Inc. to finally start up my own company. Yes, that would be most fitting: turn a weapons manufacturer that was run by a metahuman-hating bigot into a multidisciplinary research center for all manner of fields pertaining to metahuman activity and the increasing emergence of metahumans.
Dr Archeville Posted August 26, 2009 Author Posted August 26, 2009 All the cool kids are doing it! Some TV Tropes that apply to Doktor Viktor Heinrich Archeville are: Applied Phlebotinum, and almost all of its subtropes Awesome by Analysis & Badass Bookworm Baddass Labcoat (boy, is it!) Barrier Warrior, though his force field can also become an Invisibility Cloak. Clothes Make the Legend (his Gravimetric Belt and Armored Lab Coat) Clown Car Base and Cool House (Warning: Some Rooms Contain Alien Geometries) Eldritch Abomination (Deep Ones did... something to his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather; this tampering is the source of his Enhanced mental attributes, Immunities, and mental Quickness) For Science! ("To paraphrase Richard Feynman, 'Science is like sex: it has practical uses, but that's not why I do it.'") Gadgeteer Genius, Mad Scientist, and Omnidisciplinary Scientist German Language und Gratuitous German, und you vill like it! Gollum Made Me Do It (mildly averted; his Dark Side keeps trying to push/take over, but so far he's resisted. So far.) Good Angel, Bad Angel (his Shoulder Daemons) Insufferable Genius (semi-averted; he prefers to let his actions speak for him) Kirby Dots (his inventions will have these. So do some things in his house. Like the toaster.) Magic Tool (his Electromagnetic Screwdriver) Magic vs. Science (like Reed Richards & Tony Stark, Archeville treats magic as a form of science he admits that he does not understand, and which makes him profoundly irritated and uncomfortable) Nazi Grandpa (he had one!) Not Wearing Tights (rubber-soled boots, khaki pants, a nice shirt, and a lab coat) Parental Abandonment (his mother died in childbirth, his father was committed to an insane asylum when he young Viktor turned 13) Reeeming Replacement (for both his grandfather, and, post-ArchEvil, himself) Reed Richards Is Useless (Dok could potentially do a lot more for the world, but he focuses on the big, unusual problems that most scientists & engineers cannot even begin to fathom. Also, much o his stuff is so advanced it can't be peer reviewed [since no one else understands it], and some of his stuff is so ridiculously advanced it would be dangerous for others who lack the proper skill to try and duplicate/mass produce it) Alternate Universe Reed Richards Is Awesome (and, more often than not, Terrifying) Rich Idiot With No Day Job (averted; he's a well-known omnidisciplinary engineer who consults for several different firms, and has started up his own international chain of research laboratories) Science Hero (though that should be Science! Hero) He'd the The Smart Guy in a Five Man Band. Stupid Jetpack Hitler (his grandfather was one, and some people mistake him for one) Super Intelligence (oh yeah) Technological Pacifist (usually; he doesn't carry any weapons, though his Electromagnetic Screwdriver can do in a pinch) Teleporters & Transporters (his Gravimetric Belt allows him to teleport) Teen Genius (sorta; Doc entered college when he was 16, and had two Master's degrees and a Doctorate when he was 22) Those Wacky Nazis (again, his grandfather, and some of his speech pattern when he's really in Mad Scientist mode) Weird Science (Science!) West Germany (it's where he's from, and he goes back every year for Oktoberfest) The Global Guardians PBEM Universe is one of the first places I used Doktor Archeville.
Dr Archeville Posted September 11, 2009 Author Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) Final(ish) Invention Cheat-Sheet Craft (chemical, electronics, and mechanical) all at +20. (up to +33 with Electromagnetic Screwdriver [or at HQ] & w/ Enhanced Int) Knowledge (technology) at +20. (up to +33 with Electromagnetic Screwdriver [or at HQ] & w/ Enhanced Int) Quickness 6 (x100; Mental only) Doc has Skill Mastery on all four skills, and Second Chance on Craft (Chemical). (He'll eventually get Second Chance for his other two Craft skills.) Quote Design up to 30/43pp inventions (if Taking 20, though that takes 20x the time). Requires 1 hour per pp; since you can Take 20 on this, Quickness does apply. Can halve design time by taking -5 on the Knowledge check. Take [-X], can design a 3pp invention (like an Easy to Lose Device 1) in 1.8 minutes (108 seconds, or 18 rounds) Take 1, Design an 11/24pp invention in 0.11/0.24 hours (6.6/14.4 minutes) Take 10, Design a 20/33pp invention in 0.20/0.33 hours (12/20 minutes) Take 20, Design a 30/43pp invention in 6/8.6 hours. Construct up to 30/43pp inventions, if rolling a natural 20 (cannot Take 20, but can Take 10). Takes 4 hours per pp to construct. Since you cannot Take 20 on this check, Quickness does not apply, but he can halve time by taking a -5 on the Craft check. Take [more than -5], can construct a 3pp invention in 6 hours. Take 1, can construct a 11pp invention in 44 hours, or a 6pp invention in 12 hours. With all enhancements, can construct an 24p invention in 96 hours, or a 19pp one in 38 hours. Take 10, can construct a 20pp invention in 80 hours, or a 15pp invention in 30 hours. With all enhancements, can construct a 33pp invention in 132 hours, or a 28pp invention in 56 hours. If he can get a 20 on the roll, he can construct a 30pp invention in 120 hours, or a 25pp invention in 50 hours. With all enhancements, can construct a 43pp invention in 172 hours, or a 38pp invention in 76 hours. Quote When he absolutely, positively needs something now(-ish), that's when Jury Rigging/Kit Bashing comes in. Doc can Kit Bash up to 25pp inventions (if rolling a 20 on Craft check), 38 if using all enhancements. Requires one round per pp. Cannot Take 10 or 20, so Quickness does not apply. At bare minimum (i.e., rolling a 1), he can kit-bash a 6pp/19pp invention in 6/19 rounds. If looking to make just a 10+ on the die roll, can kit-bash a 15pp/28pp invention in 15/28 rounds. Invention in Practice See this post for descriptions. Angstigator: Emotion Control 14 (Extra: 140-ft. Cone Area; Flaws: Limited to Despair, Range 2/Touch) [7pp] in an Easy to Lose Device 2 [6pp]. DC 16 to design/construct (30 hours total), or DC 21 to jury-rig (in 6 rounds). Bioplastic Armor: Immunity 80 (all lethal and nonlethal physical and energy damage; Flaw: Limited to half effect) and Protection 5 [40+5=45pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 9 [36pp]. DC 46 to design/construct (180 hours total). Blaster of the Gods, Jury-Rigged: Blast 16 (Flaw: Distracting; Drawback: Reduced Range 1/5 increments) [15pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 3 (bulky chest-mounted thing) [12pp]. DC 27 to jury-rig (in 12 rounds). Blink Box: Shield 6 (Drawback: Only half effective against attacks with Affects Insubstantial, and totally ineffective against attacks with Affects Insubstantial 2) [5pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 1 [4pp]. DC 14 to design/construct (20 hours total), or DC 19 to jury-rig (4 rounds). CyberOverrider: Mind Control 14 (Flaw: Only to override battlesuit or cyborg systems controls; PF: Mental Link) [15p] in a Hard to Lose Device 3 [9pp]. DC 19 to design/construct (45 hours total), or DC 30 to jury-rig (in 15 rounds). Decerebrator: Dazzle 5 (all senses; Extra: Linked Drain Dexterity 5 [Extra: Ranged]) [30pp] in an Easy to Lose Device 6 [18pp]. DC 28 to design/construct (90 hours total), or DC 33 to jury-rig (in 18 rounds). Dimensional Point Defense & Offense Unit: Deflect 10 (slow and fast projectiles; Extras: Reflections, Redirection) [40pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 8 [32pp]. DC 42 to design/construct (and 160 hours). Disintegrator Pistol: Disintegration 5 [25pp] in an Easy to Lose Device 5 [15pp]. DC 25 to design/construct (and 75 hours), or DC 30 to jury-rig (in 15 rounds). Elemental Converter, Basic: Transform 8 (any inanimate to any inanimate, up to 250 pounds; Extra: Duration/Continuous; Flaws: Limited to pure elements only) [40pp] in an Easy to Lose Device 8 [24pp]. DC 34 to design/construct (and 120 hours). Elemental Converter, Expanded: Same as the Basic Elemental Converter, with 2 Alternate Powers -- Blast 13 (Extra: Alt Save/Fortitude) and Blast 13 (Extra: Penetrating). 42pp, so Easy to Lose Device 9 [27pp]. DC 37 to design/construct (and 135 hours). Freeze Grenades: Snare 7 (Flaw: Unreliable/5 uses [batch of 5 grenades]; Drawback: Vulnerable to Fire/Heat, -2pp) Linked to Stun 10 (Extra: Range/Ranged; Flaw: Unreliable/5 uses [batch of 5 grenades]) [25pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 5 (bandoleer) [20pp]. DC 30 to design/construct (80 hours total), or DC 35 to jury-rig (in 20 rounds). Glatt: Trip 5 (Extras: 25-ft. Burst or 50-ft. Cone Area, Duration 2/Sustained, Independent; PF: Improved Trip; Drawback: Reduced Range 1/5 increments) [20pp] in an Easy to Lose Device 4 [12pp]. DC 22 to design/construct (60 hours total), or DC 27 to jury-rig (in 12 rounds). Hate Plague (in a Dart Gun): Emotion Control 13 (Extras: Alt Save/Fortitude, Contagious, Disease; Flaws: Limited to Hate, Ranged) [39pp] in an Easy to Lose Device 8 [24pp]. DC 34 to design/construct (120 hours total). Hypno Chip: Mind Control 14 (Extra: Conscious; Flaws: Range 2/Touch) [14pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 3 [12pp]. DC 22 to design/construct (60 hours total), or DC 27 to jury-rig (in 12 rounds). Image Inducer, v1: Morph 5 (any humanoid, +25 Disguise) [10pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 2 [8pp]. DC 18 to design/construct (40 hours total), or DC 23 to jury-rig (in 8 rounds). Image Inducer, v2: Morph 5 (one predefined humanoid form, +25 Disguise) [5pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 1 [4pp]. DC 14 to design/construct (20 hours total), or DC 19 to jury-rig (in 4 rounds). Lifting Gloves: Super-Strength 10 (+50 Str, or Str 60 total for Doc; Hvy Load 50 tons) [20pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 4 [16pp]. DC 26 to design/construct (80 hours total), or DC 31 to jury-rig (in 16 rounds). Mental Suppression Field, v1: Nullify 9 (all mental/psionic powers simultaneously; Extras: 60-ft. Burst Area, Duration 2/Sustained, Independent, Total Fade [shuts off after 36 rounds]; Flaw: Range/Touch; PF: Subtle) [46pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 10 [40pp]. DC 50 to design/construct (200 hours total). Omnichronometer: Enhanced Skills 8 (Notice +8; Flaw: Limited to using with Detect Time only) and Super-Senses 3 (Acute Analytical Detect Time) [5pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 1 [4pp]. DC 14 to design/construct (20 hours total), or DC 19 to jury-rig (in 4 rounds). Security Tap: ESP 4 (sight and hearing, 1 mile; Flaw: Medium [cameras and listening devices]) [8pp] in an Easy to Lose Device 2 [6pp]. DC 16 to design/construct (30 hours total), or DC 21 to jury-rig (in 6 rounds). Sprayfoam: Snare 12 (PF: Reversible) [25pp] in a Hard to Lose Device 5 [20pp]. DC 30 to design/construct (100 hours total), or DC 35 to jury-rig (in 20 rounds). Super Glue: Telekinesis 8 (Str 40; Flaws: Action/Full Round, Limited to only immobilizing body parts touching the surface; PF: Trigger [victim touches object painted with Glue]) [5pp] in an Easy to Lose Device 1 [3pp]. DC 13 to design/construct (15 hours total), or DC 18 to jury-rig (in 3 rounds). Edited March 28, 2019 by Dr Archeville
Dr Archeville Posted October 4, 2009 Author Posted October 4, 2009 September 17th, 2009 Had a nasty run-in tonight with Captain Knievel, along with one new Metahuman who seems to have taken the criminal path. To my dismay, they teemed up against me when I went to investigate a dimensional breach through which someone -- dressed like a carnival barker -- stepped through. My sensors didn't identify his point of origin, so I went in person to investigate and greet who I had hoped was a pleasant newcomer, but instead I was ambushed by Knievel and a young magnetic-manipulating Metahuman who called himself "Emperor." Unfortunately for me, Knievel's hatred of Metahumns is was not as strong as his hatred for me, and I guess "Emperor" just wanted the "cred" for attacking me, so they tag-teamed and blew me almost two miles up into the atmosphere! They overloaded the force field generator in my gravimetric belt, but fortunately not the flight function of it, so I did not instantly plummet back to earth. Even more fortuitous, Atlas, that mountain of red muscle, came to my rescue and brought me down from the sky before any low-flying planes slammed into me, and brought me to a safe place for recuperation. But now I have a problem -- Knievel's still out there, along with that magnetic Metahuman and the man from the dimensional breach, and I have no idea where they are or what they are up to. How can I go to Oktoberfest with such questions weighing heavily upon my mind?!
Dr Archeville Posted October 17, 2009 Author Posted October 17, 2009 Doktor Archeville's German Castle: Schloss Wissenschaft ("Science Castle") On the day Archeville turned 16, he was given a doozy of a birthday present: his own ancestral keep! It wasn't much to look at, just a five-story tower straining under more than a century of neglect, but it was in an exquisite location overlooking the majestic Danube river. He spent a few months working on fixing it up, but slowed when he started his college career. After graduation, he revisited the tower with many, many plans for it. Not only would this be his new home while in Germany, it would be a center for his company (still some years from completion) and a place of learning for all who were determined enough to make the trip. Location: Schloss Wissenschaft sits in the Black Forest of Germany. Originally a small keep awarded to one of Archeville's ancestors in the 16th century, it stands on a hill overlooking the junction where the Brigach and Breg rivers join to form the Danube river. The closest town is Donaueschingen, a regional rail hub. Appearance, Exterior: The keep had started as a 5-story tower with a basement/storage cellar. Archeville restored and expanded it, turning what had been a simple keep into a sprawling 110-room castle with an expansive subterranean substructure. Appearance, Interior: The ground floor contains the grand entry hall (with a large art gallery off to the side), a lavish reception hall (with a large and well-stocked kitchen off to the side), classrooms (see below), staff lounge and dining room (for non-robot staff), and a robot repair/recharge area. 2nd floor holds a ballroom, a large meeting room, a formal dining room, servant's quarters, expensively furnished guest rooms, music room, museum, communications center, robotics laboratory/workshop, business offices, and a balcony overlooking the lands. 3rd floor holds R&D laboratories (primarily life sciences), an infirmary (with state of the art quarantine chamber, pathology lab, and cryogenic storage), more living quarters (primarily for scientists and technicians who show exceptional talent and receive training from Archeville himself), a national surveillance center, and aircraft hangar/helipad. 4th floor contains R&D labs (primarily physical sciences) and a global surveillance center. The castle's massive central tower contains floors 5-10. (The reception room in the ground floor, ballroom on the 2nd floor, and R&D laboratories on the 3rd and 4th floors make up and expand out from the lower levels of the tower.) Most of the 5th floor is take up by the gym and Combat Simulator Holo-Chamber (which he can use to show famous battles from history, with himself in the the role of one of the commanders), and the 6th floor contains Archeville's living quarters (sitting room, bedroom, and bath, all luxuriously appointed with the best in carpeting, furniture, and decor). The 7th floor holds private laboratories and workshops for personal projects (with their own dedicated power supply, a tabletop cold fusion generator), and the 8th floor holds labs for studying "unusual" items (which includes nonterrestrial, extradimensional, and "magical" items). The 9th and 10th floors are Archeville's massive library/reading room. In addition to Archeville's personal elevator, the 8th-10th floors are connected by a massive spiral staircase. Beneath the castle are numerous subterranean layers of considerable size; altogether they are about three times as big as the entire above-ground castle. The basement holds wine cellars and miscellaneous housewares; it can be accessed via elevators in the kitchens and Archeville's personal elevator (which runs through the central tower). The first sub-basement is contorted with small winding passageways, and the hangar, with access to the surface coming through the courtyard of the castle or via a ramp leading out behind the castle. The second sub-basement contains all sorts of power inhibiting devices designed to detain and imprison metahuman villains (or unruly experiments), as well as several research & testing laboratories (including his primary psionics/psionic tech R&D laboratories). The third sub-basement contains more laboratories and workshops (primarily robots and alternative energy sources), nestled in a maze of corridors. The fourth sub-basement holds more secret laboratories/workshops (including an extradimensional research laboratory), and a highly efficient fission reactor. Beneath this, an underground offshoot of the Danube River runs through a number of large caverns, and the current of the river powers three backup hydroelectric generators. See here for more. Miscellaneous: Exterior granite walls are supported by titanium/vanadium steel bracing, supplemented with force screens. Schloss Wissenschaft is highly automated, with a permanent staff of only 50 humans and 300 robots. Archeville could streamline operations more -- less humans and less robots via more automation -- but he chose not to because people coming there expect to see robots, and appreciate seeing other humans. Most of the ground floor is open to the public at all hours ("if you can reach the place," he figures, "you deserve at least a little something.") The classrooms contain scores of "teaching computers" that can answer a number of questions; they are free for anyone to use, though they only display in German. These "teaching computers" have fully interactive file libraries on anatomy, astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ecology, geology, medicine, physics, and zoology; they can also teach algebra, calculus, trigonometry, drafting, and electrical and mechanical engineering. Quote Size: Gargantuan; Toughness: 20; Features: Combat Simulator 2 (Attacks & Realistic Illusions), Communications, Computer, Concealed (appears to be a merely Huge Castle), Defense System 1 (Blast 13 [PFs: Variable Descriptor 2/any technological], +14 to hit), Defense System 2 (Snare 13 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2], +14 to hit), Dock, Fire Prevention System, Gym, Hangar, Holding Cells (Nullify Mutant Powers 14), Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (as Power x3), Power no.2 (as Power x2), Power no.3, Power no.4 (as Power x2), Power no.5, Power no.6 (as Power x2), Power no.7, Power System, Security System x4 (DC 35), Workshop. [4+3+36 = 43/43] Power no.1: Same Communication/Comprehend as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [74/84p] Power no.2: Same Enhanced Feats/Skills as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [43/56p] Power no.3: Enhanced Skills 72 (+6r to Computers, Craft/Chemical, Craft/Electrical, Craft/Mechanical, Craft/Structural, Knowledge/Current Events, Knowledge/Earth Sciences, Knowledge/Life Sciences, Knowledge/Physical Sciences, Knowledge/Popular Culture, Knowledge/Technology, and Medicine; Useable By Others; PFs: Progression 10/up to 2,500 users simultaneously) ("Educational Computers") [18+10=28/28p] Power no.4: Same ESP as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [51/56p] Power no.5: Same Healing as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [28/28p] Power no.6: Same Super-Senses as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [56/56p] Power no.7: Same Teleporter as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [28/28p] Upgrades as of April 2010 * Improved security * ESP: added Rapid 5 (x100,000), replaced Simultaneous with Duration [sustained] * Healing: changed Total to Affects Objects. Now he has things that can heal people and repair robots (technological constructs). * Super-Senses: Added more Communication Links to the HQs, specifically, to the ArcehTech branches (none of them had them before). Tweaked senses some, partly to take advantage of the fact radio senses are acute, radius and ranged by default. Quote Schloss Wissenschaft ("Science Castle") (45ep) Location: Near Donaueschingen, Germany. Appearance/Details: See here and here. Size: Gargantuan; Toughness: 20; Features: Combat Simulator 2 (Attacks & Realistic Illusions), Communications, Computer, Concealed (appears to be a merely Huge Castle), Defense System no.1 (Blast 13 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Variable Descriptor 2 {any technological}], +15 to hit), Defense System no.2 (Snare 14 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2], +15 to hit), Dock, Fire Prevention System, Gym, Hangar, Holding Cells (Nullify Metahuman/Mutant Powers 15), Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (Communication/Comprehend; as Power x3), Power no.2 (Enhanced Feats & Skills; as Power x2), Power no.3 (Enhanced Skills/Others), Power no.4 (ESP/Comprehend; as Power x2), Power no.5 (Healing), Power no.6 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power no.7 (Teleport), Power System, Security System x6 (DC 45), Workshop. [4+3+38 = 45/45] Power no.1: Communication 10 (audio, radio and visual; Extra: Area [entire globe and the Moon]; PF: Selective, Subtle) and Linked Comprehend 4 (languages 4 [can transmit & receive multiple languages simultaneously, voice and text]) ("Communications Override") [22*3 + 8 = 74/90p] Power no.2: Enhanced Feats 2 (Contacts, Well-Connected) plus Enhanced Skills 162 (+6r to Computers, Craft [Artistic], Craft [Chemical], Craft [Electrical], Craft [Mechanical], Craft [structural], Disable Device, Gather Information, Investigation, Knowledge [Arcane Lore], Knowledge [Art], Knowledge [behavioral Sciences], Knowledge [business], Knowledge [Civics], Knowledge [Current Events], Knowledge [Earth Sciences], Knowledge [History], Knowledge [Life Sciences], Knowledge [Physical Sciences], Knowledge [Popular Culture], Knowledge [streetwise], Knowledge [Tactics], Knowledge [Technology], Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy], Medicine, Notice and Search; Useable By Others) ("Cutting-Edge Equipment, Masterful Libraries, Pattern Recognition Software, and Uber-RSS Feeds") [2+41=43/60p] Power no.3: Enhanced Skills 72 (+6r to Computers, Craft [Chemical], Craft [Electrical], Craft [Mechanical], Craft [structural], Knowledge [Current Events], Knowledge [Earth Sciences], Knowledge [Life Sciences], Knowledge [Physical Sciences], Knowledge [Popular Culture], Knowledge [Technology], and Medicine; Useable By Others; PFs: Progression 10 [up to 2,500 users simultaneously]) ("Educational Computers") [18+10=28/30p] Power no.4: ESP 10 (all senses, 200,000 mile range [entire planet, as well as satellites in orbit]; Extras: Duration [sustained], No Conduit; Flaw: Medium [cameras for visual, microphones/listening devices for auditory and radio, chemsniffers for olfactory, pressure sensors for tactile, etc.]; PFs: Rapid 5 [x100,000], Subtle) and Linked Comprehend 2 (languages; understand and read all) ("Sensor Tap, with Instant Translation") [56+4=60/60p] Power no.5: Healing 9 (Extra: Affects Objects; PF: Regrowth) ("Arzthelferin") [28/30p] Power no.6: Super-Senses 50 (Accurate, Analytical, and Extended 2 [1,000 ft. increment] on all Radio senses [10]; Radius for all Visual senses [2]; communication link 6 [with Archeville's electromagnetic screwdriver, Archestern, Fjölnirskraft, Haus von Archeville, and two ArcheTech facilities {the corporate HQ in Freedom City, and the Berlin facility}] [radio] [6]; tracking extradimensional awareness [radio] [2]; tracking detect energy [radio] [2]; detect metahuman/mutant powers [radio] [1]; detect technology [radio] [1]; detect time [radio] [1]; infravision [1]; low-light vision [1]; microscopic vision 4 [4]; acute analytical precognition [Flaw: Only for predicting macro-scale trends and behaviors] [mental] [3]; radio (with accurate, this is also radar) [1]; analytical scent [analytical and acute for olfactory {i.e., gas chromatographs & chemsniffers}] [2]; trace teleport [radio] [1]; extended tremorsense [accurate extended {100 ft. increment} ranged touch {i.e., seismographs & motion detectors}] [3]; ultra-hearing [1]; ultravision [1]; x-ray vision [Drawback: not through lead] [3]) ("Oodles of Sensors and Analytical Equipment") [10+2+6+2+2+1+1+1+1+1+4+3+1+2+1+3+1+1+3 = 46/60] Power no.7: Teleport 10 (200,000 miles; Flaw: Limited [only to any Arche-Tech facility, ArcheStern, Fjölnirskraft, and Haus von Archeville]; PFs: Change Direction, Progression 6 [10 tons of cargo]) ("Schwarzschild Wormwole Aperture Producer") [17/30p] Note: since the teleporters do not have the Accurate extra, they can only send people to places where the user's own accurate senses (enhanced by the ESP and Super-Senses of the HQ) can perceive, in addition to only being able to send people to a few select spots. And since most of his long-range sensors are Radio-based, then if, say, the Freedom City ArcheTech HQ is in an Obscure (Radio & Visual) effect, that will block any of his teleporters from evacuating anyone from or sending anyone to that place (and he'd need to go in personally). Upgrades as of March 2011 * Changed Healing to Affects Others Regeneration. Healing is instantaneous, Regeneration is not, so this makes it more Bacta Tank-y. Quote Schloss Wissenschaft ("Science Castle") (45ep) Location: Near Donaueschingen, Germany. Appearance/Details: See here and here. Size: Gargantuan; Toughness: 20; Features: Combat Simulator 2 (Attacks & Realistic Illusions), Communications, Computer, Concealed (appears to be a merely Huge Castle), Defense System no.1 (Blast 13 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Variable Descriptor 2 {any technological}], +15 to hit), Defense System no.2 (Snare 14 [PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2], +15 to hit), Dock, Fire Prevention System, Gym, Hangar, Holding Cells (Nullify Metahuman/Mutant Powers 15), Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (Communication/Comprehend; as Power x3), Power no.2 (Enhanced Feats & Skills; as Power x2), Power no.3 (Enhanced Skills/Others), Power no.4 (ESP/Comprehend; as Power x2), Power no.5 (Regeneration), Power no.6 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power no.7 (Teleport), Power System, Security System x6 (DC 45), Workshop. [4+3+38 = 45/45] Power no.1: Communication 10 (audio, radio and visual; Extra: Area [entire globe and the Moon]; PF: Selective, Subtle) and Linked Comprehend 4 (languages 4 [can transmit & receive multiple languages simultaneously, voice and text]) ("Communications Override") [22*3 + 8 = 74/90p] Power no.2: Enhanced Feats 2 (Contacts, Well-Connected) plus Enhanced Skills 162 (+6r to Computers, Craft [Artistic], Craft [Chemical], Craft [Electrical], Craft [Mechanical], Craft [structural], Disable Device, Gather Information, Investigation, Knowledge [Arcane Lore], Knowledge [Art], Knowledge [behavioral Sciences], Knowledge [business], Knowledge [Civics], Knowledge [Current Events], Knowledge [Earth Sciences], Knowledge [History], Knowledge [Life Sciences], Knowledge [Physical Sciences], Knowledge [Popular Culture], Knowledge [streetwise], Knowledge [Tactics], Knowledge [Technology], Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy], Medicine, Notice and Search; Useable By Others) ("Cutting-Edge Equipment, Masterful Libraries, Pattern Recognition Software, and Uber-RSS Feeds") [2+41=43/60p] Power no.3: Enhanced Skills 72 (+6r to Computers, Craft [Chemical], Craft [Electrical], Craft [Mechanical], Craft [structural], Knowledge [Current Events], Knowledge [Earth Sciences], Knowledge [Life Sciences], Knowledge [Physical Sciences], Knowledge [Popular Culture], Knowledge [Technology], and Medicine; Useable By Others; PFs: Progression 10 [up to 2,500 users simultaneously]) ("Educational Computers") [18+10=28/30p] Power no.4: ESP 10 (all senses, 200,000 mile range [entire planet, as well as satellites in orbit]; Extras: Duration [sustained], No Conduit; Flaw: Medium [cameras for visual, microphones/listening devices for auditory and radio, chemsniffers for olfactory, pressure sensors for tactile, etc.]; PFs: Rapid 5 [x100,000], Subtle) and Linked Comprehend 2 (languages; understand and read all) ("Sensor Tap, with Instant Translation") [56+4=60/60p] Power no.5: Regeneration 12 (Recovery +9, Recovery Rate: Injured 1 [20 minutes], Staggered 1 [20 minutes], Disabled 1 [5 hours]; Extras: Affects Others, Area [General, Burst, 60ft radius]; Flaws: Limited [Others]; PFs: Regrowth, Selective) ("Arzthelferin") [26/30p] Power no.6: Super-Senses 50 (Accurate, Analytical, and Extended 2 [1,000 ft. increment] on all Radio senses [10]; Radius for all Visual senses [2]; communication link 6 [with Archeville's electromagnetic screwdriver, Archestern, Fjölnirskraft, Haus von Archeville, and two ArcheTech facilities {the corporate HQ in Freedom City, and the Berlin facility}] [radio] [6]; tracking extradimensional awareness [radio] [2]; tracking detect energy [radio] [2]; detect metahuman/mutant powers [radio] [1]; detect technology [radio] [1]; detect time [radio] [1]; infravision [1]; low-light vision [1]; microscopic vision 4 [4]; acute analytical precognition [Flaw: Only for predicting macro-scale trends and behaviors] [mental] [3]; radio (with accurate, this is also radar) [1]; analytical scent [analytical and acute for olfactory {i.e., gas chromatographs & chemsniffers}] [2]; trace teleport [radio] [1]; extended tremorsense [accurate extended {100 ft. increment} ranged touch {i.e., seismographs & motion detectors}] [3]; ultra-hearing [1]; ultravision [1]; x-ray vision [Drawback: not through lead] [3]) ("Oodles of Sensors and Analytical Equipment") [10+2+6+2+2+1+1+1+1+1+4+3+1+2+1+3+1+1+3 = 46/60] Power no.7: Teleport 10 (200,000 miles; Flaw: Limited [only to any Arche-Tech facility, ArcheStern, Fjölnirskraft, and Haus von Archeville]; PFs: Change Direction, Progression 6 [10 tons of cargo]) ("Schwarzschild Wormwole Aperture Producer") [17/30p] Note: since the teleporters do not have the Accurate extra, they can only send people to places where the user's own accurate senses (enhanced by the ESP and Super-Senses of the HQ) can perceive, in addition to only being able to send people to a few select spots. And since most of his long-range sensors are Radio-based, then if, say, the Freedom City ArcheTech HQ is in an Obscure (Radio & Visual) effect, that will block any of his teleporters from evacuating anyone from or sending anyone to that place (and he'd need to go in personally). Update: June 2011 On June 17th, 2011, the day Archeville's evil side completely took over, Schloss Wissenschaft was destroyed by UNISON Agent Mark Lucas.
Dr Archeville Posted October 17, 2009 Author Posted October 17, 2009 Doktor Archeville's Mobile Undersea Base: Fjölnirskraft ("Fjölnir's Power/Strength") The seas have always held a special fascination for Viktor Archeville: their bounty, their mystery, their power. "We know more about the moon than we do about the deep sea," Greenpeace says. Archeville had advised and worked on assorted oceanographic missions before -- designing sensors and propulsion units, going over data, examining new sea life, and so on -- but he knew he could do better. So he decided to build a gigantic submarine, one capable of going faster, deeper, and staying under longer than any other, and which would have less of a "footprint" that would disturb the native life. The result, two years later, was the launching of Fjölnirskraft, currently the largest submarine in world history. Location: Fjölnirskraft roams the Pacific Ocean. She'll dock wherever she's allowed, but Archeville also has a private shipyard on a small, barren island east of the Marquesas capable of handling most routine repairs and refueling. The Archeneum hull plating and skeletal structure of the kraft allow it to cruise at deeper average depths than most submarines. A Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine can dive to depth of 1,480 feet (450 meters) before beginning to risk hull collapse from the pressure; Fjölnirskraft can dive to depths of up to 2,460 feet (750 meters) without undue strain. Appearance, Exterior: Manufactured primarily of Archeneum (a metal with approximately the weight of aluminum but a hardness & durability ten times that of osmium steel), the hull of Fjölnirskraft is, like other submarines, primarily tube-shaped, though the kraft is somewhat wider aft (rear) than fore (front), giving it shape like an elongated egg... or a turkey baster. However, when the eight manipulatory tentacles from the bow & the two from the sides all emerge and extend tot heir full length, it takes on the appearance of a gargantuan eyeless squid. Appearance, Interior: The front third of the Fjölnirskraft is taken up by laboratories and workshops dedicated primarily to oceanography/the marine sciences. The middle third is the habitation area, including the galley and infirmary. Between the habitation area and the laboratories is the command deck, and below the command deck is Archeville's personal quarters. The rear third contains the "cold fusion" power plant (see below) and the life support systems. Miscellaneous Archeville decided to keep the tradition of naming vessels after deities of the sea. According to Norse mythology, Fjölnir is the son of Freyr (son of the sea god Njörðr) and Gerðr (daughter of Ægir, a jötunn [nature spirit/giant] and king/personification of the seas), and thus the grandson of two sea-deities. Fjölnir is also another name for Odin (the chief god of the Norse pantheon), found in GrÃmnismál when the god revealed himself to Geirröd, and in Reginsmál when he was standing on a mountain addressing Sigurd and Regin; Snorri also mentions it as an Odinic name in Gylfaginning. The Fjölnirskraft generates power through a ultra-efficient "cold fusion" reactor that can pump out twice the power of a conventional fusion reactor but requires almost no shielding (which helps lighten the sub considerably). The power plant generates more than enough powers to meet the kraft's day-to-day needs, which, combined with its mostly robotic crew (see below), means it can stay underwater for approximately six months without having to even approach the surface. The Fjölnirskraft uses a magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) propulsion system, a major advantage compared to propellers or pumpjet propulsion. The MHD engine uses magnetic energy to force water through tubes, an effect sometimes described as an "underwater jet engine." There are six MHD "jets" total, three each on the port (left) and starboard (right) sides, along the rear 2/3rds of the kraft. The MHD system allows the Fjölnirskraft to attain speeds far beyond those of standard submarines; conventional submarines typically run at 20 knots and max out at around 35 knots, but the Fjölnirskraft can reach over double that. Additionally, the MHD engine makes almost no noise, rendering it nigh-unnoticeable by wildlife (and modern sonar systems). To improve the kraft's stealth profile, Archeville has covered the hull with an anechoic radar absorbent coating, and has acoustically isolated machinery and other noise-causing objects inside the hull by mounting them on vibration-dampening platforms. The Fjölnirskraft contains ultra-advanced communications and sensory gear. It uses powerful active and passive sonars, including a spherical array in the bow, a conformal sonar array mounted around the bow, and several types of towed sonar arrays built into tubular shrouds around the hull. The Fjölnirskraft's communications equipment can receive and broadcast over the full frequency spectrum, from ultra-high frequency (UHF) to extremely low frequency (ELF). Unlike virtually every other sub in the world, the kraft doesn't need to approach or break the surface to use its communications systems (which would be too disruptive for long-term deep sea projects); they work just as well hundreds of feet below the surface as the do on top of it. After careful consideration, Archeville did decide to give the Fjölnirskraft some weaponry. Torpedoes were right out, though: too "low-tech", too unreliable. Instead, he went with 16 energy beam projectors, spaced evenly around the hull, specifically designed and tuned by him to fire underwater with minimal loss of energy. They can also be set to "paralyze" or "stun" mode. Similar projectors are mounted on the inside of the ship, to deal with any intruders or unruly specimens. Also usable as a weapon -- but primarily intended for specimen retrieval -- are the Fjölnirskraft's tentacles, eight at the bow and two along the sides. When retracted the bow tentacles form a spiral cover over the front of the kraft, and the two at the sides lie flat against the hull, so when not in use the super-sub is as streamlined as any other submarine. The super-submarine also contains a dock/hangar for other, smaller vehicles. The Fjölnirskraft has a crew of a couple hundred at most, and often runs with just a few dozen, not the thousands which would be expected for a ship of this size and complexity. This is possible for two reasons. One, the kraft is highly automated, and Archeville's technology rarely breaks down under standard use. Second, basic tasks that can't be automated -- everything from keeping the ship clean to routine maintenance -- are performed by robots. Human personnel only have to perform tasks that Archeville isn't willing to relegate to robots. This of course does not include the "guest" scientists who make use of the kraft's facilities for their own research. Due to its relatively small crew, the Fjölnirskraft requires less in the way of life support systems. These systems include carbon dioxide "scrubbers" to remove that gas from the air, and carbon monoxide "burners" which do the same for that gas. Another system breaks water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen to replenish the air supply; filters, dehumidifiers, and similar equipment keep the air fresh. The sub also has a water distillation facility to produce all the water it needs. The kraft typically carries enough food and other supplies to travel for 180 days in comfort without surfacing. Quote Size: Gargantuan; Toughness: 20; Features: Communications, Computer, Defense System 1 (Blast 8 [Extra: Penetrating; PFs: Improved Range 1/200 ft. increments, Progression 1/25 increments; max range ~0.9 miles]; +14 to hit), Defense System 2 (Paralyze 8 [Extras: Alt Save/Fortitude, Range/Ranged, PFs: Improved Range 1/200 ft. increments, Progression 1/25 increments; max range ~0.9 miles]; +14 to hit), Defense System 3 (Stun 8 [Extra: Range/Ranged, PFs: Improved Range 1/200 ft. increments, Progression 1/25 increments, Sedation; max range ~0.9 miles]; +14 to hit), Dock, Fire Prevention System, Hangar, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (as Power x3), Power no.2, Power no.3 (as Power x2), Power no.4 (as Power x2), Power no.5 (as Power x2), Power no.6, Power System, Security System x3 (DC 30), Workshop. [4+3+30 = 37/43ep] Power no.1: Same Communication/Comprehend as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [74/84p] Power no.2: Additional Limbs 4 (8 tentacles fore, 2 midships; "Manipulatory Tentacles"), Concealment 4 (all auditory and all radio; PF: Close Range; "Anechoic Radar Absorbent Coating"), Elongation 8 (1,000 feet; Flaw: Only for Additional Limbs; "Manipulatory Tentacles"), and Swimming 6 (100 mph/87 knots; PF: Subtle; "Magneto-Hydrodynamic Propulsion System") [4+9+4+7=24/28p] Power no.3: Same Enhanced Feats/Skills as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [43/56p] Power no.4: Same ESP as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [51/56p] Power no.5: Same Super-Senses as at Home HQ in Freedom City, but replace precognition & trace teleport with accurate and extended 2 for ultrasonic hearing (i.e., extended 2 [1,000 ft. increment] sonar). [56/56p] Power no.6: Super-Strength 14 (effective Str 70) [28/28p] Upgrades as of April 2010 * Improved security * Added self-repair drones * ESP: added Rapid 5 (x100,000), replaced Simultaneous with Duration [sustained] * Healing: changed Total to Affects Objects. Now he has things that can heal people and repair robots (technological constructs). * Added "Force Screen" (Impervious for Toughness) * Super-Senses: Added more Communication Links to the HQs, specifically, to the ArcehTech branches (none of them had them before). Tweaked senses some, partly to take advantage of the fact radio senses are acute, radius and ranged by default. * Teleporter: it now has one. Quote Fjölnirskraft ("Fjölnir's Power/Strength") (42/45ep) Location: The Pacific Ocean. Appearance/Details: See here and here. Size: Gargantuan; Toughness: 20 (Imp 15); Features: Communications, Computer, Defense System no.1 (Blast 9 [Extra: Penetrating; PFs: Improved Range 1 {225 ft. increments}, Progression 1 {25 increments}; max range ~1.0 miles]; +15 to hit), Defense System no.2 (Paralyze 9 [Extras: Alt Save {Fortitude}, Range {Ranged}, PFs: Improved Range 1 {225 ft. increments}, Progression 1 {25 increments}; max range ~1.0 miles]; +15 to hit), Defense System 3 (Stun 8 [Extra: Range {Ranged}, PFs: Improved Range 1 {225 ft. increments}, Progression 1 {25 increments}, Sedation; max range ~1.0 miles]; +15 to hit), Dock, Fire Prevention System, Hangar, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (Communication/Comprehend; Power x3), Power no.2 (Additional Limbs/Concealment/Elongation/Swimming), Power no.3 (Enhanced Feats & Skills; as Power x2), Power no.4 (ESP/Comprehend; as Power x2), Power no.5 (Impervious Toughness), Power no.6 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power no.7 (Super-Strength), Power no.8 (Teleport), Power System, Security System x6 (DC 45), Self-Repairing, Workshop. [4+3+36 = 43/45ep] Power no.1: Same Communication/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [74/90p] Power no.2: Additional Limbs 4 (8 tentacles fore, 2 midships; "Manipulatory Tentacles"), Concealment 4 (all auditory and all radio; PF: Close Range; "Anechoic Radar Absorbent Coating"), Elongation 8 (1,000 feet; Flaw: Only for Additional Limbs; "Manipulatory Tentacles"), and Swimming 6 (100 mph/87 knots; PF: Subtle; "Magneto-Hydrodynamic Propulsion System") [4+9+4+7=24/30p] Power no.3: Same Enhanced Feats & Skills as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [2+41=43/60p] Power no.4: Same ESP/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [51/60p] Power no.5: Impervious Toughness 15 (force screen; Sustained Active effect) [15/30p] Power no.6: Same Super-Senses as at Schloss Wissenschaft, but replace precognition & trace teleport (-4 ranks) with accurate and extended 2 for ultrasonic hearing (i.e., extended 2 [1,000 ft. increment] sonar). [46/60p] Power no.7: Super-Strength 15 (effective Str 75) [30/30p] Power no.8: Same Teleporter as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [17/30p] Upgrades as of June 2011 During the ArchEvil event, Fjölnirskraft was boarded by Deep Ones and used to invade Freedom; Gabriel & Ironclad fought them off. What remained of the vessel, along with the rest of ArcheTech, was given to Miss Americana and the Scarab.
Dr Archeville Posted October 17, 2009 Author Posted October 17, 2009 Doktor Archeville's Satellite: Archestern ("Arche-Star") The International Space Station (ISS) is a lofty and worthy goal... but it is taking too long to get going! The Freedom League built and had in orbit the Lighthouse in about one year (assuming the reports that they only started work on it shortly after the Grue Unity Invasion are true), but the ISS has been worked on for a decade, and still won't be partly operational for another two years, and another four after that before it's fully operational. And the ISS is a far simpler structure than the Lighthouse! Out of his desire to help the scientific community (and prove he could do something others could not or would not), he designed Archestern, a research facility in geosynchronous orbit. He finished most of the designs and began assembly in 2005, got it into orbit with help from the Freedom League and Dark Star, and (with Ace Danger's help) got the okay for it from the United Nations and UNISON (though, as with the Lighthouse, not all nations were okay with it). Location: Archestern is parked in geosynchronous orbit (approximately 22,000 miles above sea level) over South America (mainly Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil). However, it is possible for ArcheStern to move, albeit at a very slow pace. Appearance, Exterior: Archestern presents a profile similar to an eight-pointed star. It has a large central area that's disk shaped, and radiating from it to the eight points of the compass are wedge-shaped "rays." The central disk is referred to as the Core; the eight arms are the North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, and Northwest wings. Appearance, Interior: The Core contains most of the station's key facilities, including gravity generation systems, the security room, and the bridge. The gravity generator (a masterwork resulting from Dr. Archeville's extensive research into gravitics) allows the station to maintain Earth-normal gravity (1.0G) without having to be spun; controls in the Core can vary the gravity throughout the station (or only in selected parts of the station) from 0.0 to 4.0G. From the security room, all internal and external cameras can be monitored, electronic locks controlled, and personnel communicated with. The bridge is where Doktor Archeville and crew operate the controls that fly the station; though it normally remains in a stationary orbit, it is possible to move it as a very slow pace. The bridge also contain the controls for Archestern's communications equipment and sensors. The North Wing contains Dr. Archeville's personal quarters, his dining hall and kitchen, and his laboratories. His large, luxurious room occupies the tip of the wing and has large "windows" made of transparent Archeneum that allow him to gaze out on the magnificence of space. The laboratories aren't as extensive as those in Schloss Wissenschaft or Archeville's Hanover Home due to a lack of room aboard the station, but there's more than enough to keep Archeville occupied. This is where he does most of his work on astronomy, astrophysics, and related subjects, since it's much easier to view the universe without an atmosphere getting in the way. The East Wing contains quarters and living spaces for Archestern's crew and guests. The lounges are small and focus almost entirely on video entertainment; there isn't room for things like billiard tables. The South Wing of Archestern primarily contains the unglamorous but absolutely necessary systems required to keep the space station running: the power generator (a binary cold fusion system, supplemented by numerous solar panels on the sunward side of the station); the heating plant and ventilation equipment; and the main life support systems. (Smaller backup life support systems are in the Core and each Wing except the West Wing, capable of sustaining life in that particular section but not elsewhere.) Additionally, the South Wing features Archestern's teleportation platform. The West Wing contain the landing/launch bay at its "tip," and the rest of the wing consists of hangars and repair bays for space vehicles. The Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest Wings contain laboratories and workstations ArcheTech uses (and rents out to other companies), to take advantage of the low- and zero-gravity environments which are ideal for manufacturing some types of electronic components and chemicals, the clearer view of the universe for astronomy and astrophyiscs work, and the top-down view of the Earth for meteorological research. Miscellaneous Archestern mounts a telescope even better than the Hubble Space Telescope. (Hubble has roughly x8,000 magnification, Archestern's has x10,000.) Archestern typically carries 60 man-years worth of food and other supplies. Quote Size: Colossal; Toughness: 20; Features: Communications, Computer, Defense System 1 (Blast 12 [PFs: Improved Range 2/600 ft. increments, Progression 2/50 increments; max range ~5.5 miles], +14 to hit), Defense System 2 (Move Object 12 [tractor beams, Str 60; PFs: Indirect 3, Subtle], +14 to hit), Fire Prevention System, Gym, Hangar, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (as Power x3), Power no.2 (as Power x2), Power no.3 (as Power x2), Power no.4, Power no.5 (as Power x2), Power no.6, Power System, Security System x5 (DC 40), Workshop. [5+3+31 = 39/43ep] Power no.1: Same Communication/Comprehend as at Home HQ in Freedom City, and Flight 2 (25mph; "Positional Adjustment Jets"). [74+4=78/84p] Power no.2: Same Enhanced Feats/Skills as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [43/56p] Power no.3: Same ESP as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [51/56p] Power no.4: Same Healing as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [28/28p] Power no.5: Same Super-Senses as at Home HQ in Freedom City, minus detect mutant powers & tremorsense (frees 10 ranks), add extended to radar (for extended 2/1,000 ft. range increment), and extended 4 to visual sensors and extended 2 to both extradimensional awareness and detect energy (total of extended 4 for all three, for 100,000 ft. [18.9 miles] increment). [55/56p] Power no.6: Same Teleporter as at Home HQ in Freedom City. [28/28p] Upgrades as of April 2010 * Improved range of Defense System, though they still fall far short of being able to hit anything even in upper Earth atmosphere. * Improved security * Added self-repair drones * Comprehend: added a Universal Translator Field to the station, so that everyone on board can understand each other (more or less); still gets tripped up on non-Terran languages. * ESP: added Rapid 5 (x100,000), replaced Simultaneous with Duration [sustained] * Gravity Control: added Gravity Control, with enough Progression to affect the entire interior of the station; now he can make any section of it weightless or experience multiple Gs. * Healing: changed Total to Affects Objects. Now he has things that can heal people and repair robots (technological constructs). * Super-Senses: Added more Communication Links to the HQs, specifically, to the ArcehTech branches (none of them had them before). Tweaked senses some, partly to take advantage of the fact radio senses are acute, radius and ranged by default. Quote Archestern ("Arche-Star") (45/45ep) Location: Geosynchronous orbit (approximately 22,000 miles above sea level) over South America. Appearance/Details: See here and here. Size: Colossal; Toughness: 20; Features: Communications, Computer, Defense System no.1 (Blast 12 [PFs: Improved Range 3 {1,200 ft. increments}, Progression 3 {100 increments}; max range ~22.7 miles], +15 to hit), Defense System no.2 (Move Object 13 [tractor beams, Str 65; PFs: Indirect 2, Subtle], +15 to hit), Fire Prevention System, Gym, Hangar, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (Communication/Comprehend/Flight; as Power x3), Power no.2 (Universal Translator; as Power x2), Power no.3 (Enhanced Feats/Skills; as Power x2), Power no.4 (ESP/Comprehend; as Power x2), Power no.5 (Gravity Control; as Power x2), Power no.6 (Healing), Power no.7 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power no.7 (Teleport), Power System, Security System x6 (DC 45), Self-Repairing, Workshop. [5+3+37 = 45/45ep] Power no.1: Same Communication/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft, and Flight 2 (25mph; "Positional Adjustment Jets"). [74+4=78/90p] Power no.2: Comprehend 4 (languages; Extras: Affects Others, 10,000-ft. Burst Area [entire satellite]; PFs: Progression 8 [2,500 ft. per rank]; Drawback: Comprehend takes time to process and assimilate entirely new languages into the translation matrix; "Near-Universal Translators") [16+8-1=23/30 points] Power no.3: Same Enhanced Feats & Skills as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [2+41=43/60p] Power no.4: Same ESP/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [51/60p] Power no.5: Gravity Control 10 (50-to-5,000-ft. radius, Str 50, Hvy Load 12 tons; Extras: Range [Perception], Selective Attack; PFs: Precise, Progression 6 [500 ft. per rank radius], Subtle). [48/60PP] Power no.6: Same Healing as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [28/30p] Power no.7: Same Super-Senses as at Schloss Wissenschaft, minus tremorsense (-3 ranks), add extended 2 for all radio and extended 4 to visual sensors (total of extended 4 for all radio and visual senses, for 100,000 ft. [18.9 miles] increment). [55/60p] Power no.7: Same Teleporter as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [17/30p] Upgrades as of March 2011 * Changed Healing to Affects Others Regeneration. Healing is instantaneous, Regeneration is not, so this makes it more Bacta Tank-y. Quote Archestern ("Arche-Star") (45/45ep) Location: Geosynchronous orbit (approximately 22,000 miles above sea level) over South America. Appearance/Details: See here and here. Size: Colossal; Toughness: 20; Features: Communications, Computer, Defense System no.1 (Blast 12 [PFs: Improved Range 3 {1,200 ft. increments}, Progression 3 {100 increments}; max range ~22.7 miles], +15 to hit), Defense System no.2 (Move Object 13 [tractor beams, Str 65; PFs: Indirect 2, Subtle], +15 to hit), Fire Prevention System, Gym, Hangar, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (Communication/Comprehend/Flight; as Power x3), Power no.2 (Universal Translator; as Power x2), Power no.3 (Enhanced Feats/Skills; as Power x2), Power no.4 (ESP/Comprehend; as Power x2), Power no.5 (Gravity Control; as Power x2), Power no.6 (Regeneration), Power no.7 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power no.7 (Teleport), Power System, Security System x6 (DC 45), Self-Repairing, Workshop. [5+3+37 = 45/45ep] Power no.1: Same Communication/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft, and Flight 2 (25mph; "Positional Adjustment Jets"). [74+4=78/90p] Power no.2: Comprehend 4 (languages; Extras: Affects Others, 10,000-ft. Burst Area [entire satellite]; PFs: Progression 8 [2,500 ft. per rank]; Drawback: Comprehend takes time to process and assimilate entirely new languages into the translation matrix; "Near-Universal Translators") [16+8-1=23/30 points] Power no.3: Same Enhanced Feats & Skills as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [2+41=43/60p] Power no.4: Same ESP/Comprehend as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [51/60p] Power no.5: Gravity Control 10 (50-to-5,000-ft. radius, Str 50, Hvy Load 12 tons; Extras: Range [Perception], Selective Attack; PFs: Precise, Progression 6 [500 ft. per rank radius], Subtle). [48/60PP] Power no.6: Same Regeneration as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [26/30p] Power no.7: Same Super-Senses as at Schloss Wissenschaft, minus tremorsense (-3 ranks), add extended 2 for all radio and extended 4 to visual sensors (total of extended 4 for all radio and visual senses, for 100,000 ft. [18.9 miles] increment). [55/60p] Power no.7: Same Teleporter as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [17/30p] Spoiler And if the Communications -- Communication 10 (audio, radio and visual; Extra: Area [entire globe and the Moon]; PF: Selective, Subtle) and Linked Comprehend 4 (languages 4 [can transmit & receive multiple languages simultaneously, voice and text]) ("Communications Override") [22*3 + 8 = 74/90p] -- is converted into a KillSat Laser (bearing in mind it is 22,000 miles above sea level): Disintegration 10 (Extras: Area [1,000-ft. Burst] for both, Range [Perception] for both; Flaws: Action [Full Round] for both; PFs: Progression [Area] 4) [74/74PP] ~or~ Corrosion 15 (Extras: Area [5 ft wide x 150 million foot {28,409 miles} long Line] for both; Flaws: Action [Full Round] for both; PFs: Progression [Area] 18) [63/74PP] ~or~ Corrosion 15 (Extras: Area [250 ft wide x 149,999,750 foot long Cylinder] for both; Flaws: Action [Full Round] for both; PFs: Progression [Area] 19) [64/74PP] June 2011 Following the ArchEvil event, the Freedom League & Miss Americana (in her new role as CEO of ArcheTech) gained custody of ArcheStern.
Dr Archeville Posted October 17, 2009 Author Posted October 17, 2009 Doktor Archeville's Super-Secret Haven: Nichtuberall ("Not Anywhere") Sometimes, Doktor Archeville really needs to get away, to someplace where nothing will disturb him and no one can find him. And so, he built his ultimate refuge, a place where he could concentrate on projects without any interruptions. Location: Inside a large asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Appearance, Exterior: Nichtuberall is entirely contained within the asteroid; there are no external indications that it is anything other than just one of the 2,000,000 other space rocks in the belt. Appearance, Interior: Nichtuberall features luxurious quarters, a well-stocked library, an automated kitchen, and enough labs for him to do most of his work; there isn't enough room for extensive testing of devices, so the labs mainly focus on theoretical work and computer modeling of prototypes. (He can save the data to the memory systems in his Electromagnetic Screwdriver and download it into one of his Earth-based computers at the first opportunity.) Miscellaneous Only Doktor Archeville knows about Nichtuberall: no humans were involved in its constructions, all robots involved in the construction were ultimately recycled into components of the HQ itself, and all information related to it was erased from his Earth-based computers (and his Electromagnetic Screwdriver) after it was completed. The only way to track it down (other than reading Archeville's mind) would be an intense analysis of the coordinate system used by the Micro-Wormhole Generator in his Gravimetric Belt, which is how he usually gets there (it takes several "jumps"). It can receive transmissions from Earth, but he never communicates back since that could reveal its location. Additionally, its distance from Earth -- 3 AU from the Sun, so 2 to 4 AU (185,911,614-371,823,228 miles) from Earth depending on their relative positions -- means standard transmissions would not reach Nichtuberall for 16.6 to 33.3 minutes. At its closest, it would require Teleport 13 to reach it in one hop from the Earth. At its most distant, it would require Teleport 14 to reach in one go. Its distant location is its best protection, but Archeville does not rely on that alone. A stealth field damps out any electromagnetic "noise" the equipment inside makes, and a "mental stealth field" built into the walls makes it so anyone scanning for him psionically "sees" nothing unusual about the asteroid. A variable phasic shield keeps nosy/wandering energy beings & incorporeal entities out. Quote Size: Medium (House-sized); Toughness: 20; Features: Communications, Computer, Concealed x3 (+20 to DC), Fire Prevention System, Gym, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (as Power x2), Power no.2 (as Power x2), Power no.3, Power no.4, Power System, Sealed, Security System x5 (DC 40), Workshop. [1+3+27 = 31/43ep] Power no.1: Same Enhanced Feats/Skills as at Home HQ in Freedom City, and Flight 2 (25mph; "Positional Adjustment Jets"). [43+4=47/56p] Power no.2: Same Super-Senses as at Home HQ in Freedom City, minus the 4 Communications Links, detect mutant powers, and tremorsense (frees 14 ranks), add extended 4 to all visual sensors (100,000 ft. [~19 miles] increment) and extended 3 to all radio senses (total extended 4/100,000 ft. [~19 miles] increment for radar, total extended 5/1,000,000 feet [~189 miles] increment for extradimensional awareness and detect energy). [56/56p] Power no.3: Nullify 4 (all Insubstantial effects; Extras: 200-ft. Burst Area [entire HQ], Duration 3/Continuous, No Save; Flaws: Range/Touch; PFs: Progression 3 for Area, Subtle) [28/28p] Power no.4: Obscure 7 (mental and radio, 500-ft. radius [entire HQ]; Extra: Duration/Continuous; Flaw: Range/Touch; PFs: Selective, Subtle) [16/28p] Upgrades as of April 2010 * added more ranks in the Concealed feature. * Improved security * Added self-repair drones * Concealment: added Concealment (mental & radio; Close Range, Selective), Enhanced Feats/Skills (Hide in Plain Sight and Stealth) * ESP: added ESP, with Rapid 5 (x100,000) and Duration [sustained]. Also added the Dimensional power feat, so he can view parallel worlds (and the Zero Zone). It's Subtle, but does not have No Conduit, so anyone who senses him watching them can use their own dimensional Perception-range powers against him * Healing: added the Healing power the other HQs have. * Obscure: added Selective Attack extra. * Super-Senses: Added more Communication Links to the HQs, specifically, to the ArcehTech branches (none of them had them before). Tweaked senses some, partly to take advantage of the fact radio senses are acute, radius and ranged by default. Quote Nichtuberall ("Not Anywhere") (41/45ep) Location: Top Secret Appearance/Details: See here. Size: Medium (House-sized); Toughness: 20; Features: Communications, Computer, Concealed x7 (+40 to DC), Fire Prevention System, Gym, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (Concealment/Enhanced Feats/Skills), Power no.2 (Enhanced Feats/Skills/Flight; as Power x2), Power no.3 (ESP Dimensional; as Power x3), Power no.4 (Healing), Power no.5 (Nullify Insubstantial), Power no.6 (Obscure), Power no.7 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power System, Sealed, Security System x6 (DC 45), Self-Repairing, Workshop. [1+3+38 = 41/45ep] Power no.1: Concealment 4 (all mental and radio; PFs: Close Range, Selective) and Enhanced Feats 1 (Hide in Plain Sight) and Enhanced Skills 20 (Stealth +20) [10+1+5=16/30p] Power no.2: Same Enhanced Feats & Skills as at Schloss Wissenschaft, and Flight 2 (25mph; "Positional Adjustment Jets"). [2+41+4=47/60p] Power no.3: ESP 14 (all, 2 billion miles [can reach Earth]; Extras: Duration [sustained]; PFs: Dimensional 3 [any dimension that tech-based ESP could reach, such as parallel dimensions and the Zero Zone], Rapid 5 [x100,000], Subtle) [79P] and Linked Comprehend 4 (Codes 1, Languages 3 [Read/Write/Speak/Understand All Languages]; Drawback: Comprehend takes time to process and assimilate entirely new languages into the translation matrix) [7P] [79+7=86/90] Power no.4: Same Healing as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [28/30p] Power no.5: Nullify 4 (all Insubstantial effects; Extras: 400-ft. Burst Area [entire HQ], Duration 3 [Continuous], No Save; Flaws: Range [Touch]; PFs: Progression 4 for Area, Subtle) [29/30p] Power no.6: Obscure 7 (mental and radio, 500-ft. radius [entire HQ]; Extras: Duration [Continuous], Selective Attack; PF: Subtle) [29/30p] Power no.7: Same Super-Senses as at Home HQ in Freedom City, minus the Communications Links and tremorsense (-7 ranks), add extended 4 to all visual sensors (100,000 ft. [~18.9 miles] increment) and extended 2 to all radio senses (total extended 4/100,000 feet [~18.9 miles] increment). [51/60p] Update: January 2011 Doktor Archeville revealed the existence of this facility to Blueshift, Push, Supercape, and Victory, after they stopped a planet-killer asteroid from impacting Earth. Upgrades as of March 2011 * Changed Healing to Affects Others Regeneration. Healing is instantaneous, Regeneration is not, so this makes it more Bacta Tank-y. Quote Nichtuberall ("Not Anywhere") (41/45ep) Location: Top Secret Appearance/Details: See here. Size: Medium (House-sized); Toughness: 20; Features: Communications, Computer, Concealed x7 (+40 to DC), Fire Prevention System, Gym, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power no.1 (Concealment/Enhanced Feats/Skills), Power no.2 (Enhanced Feats/Skills/Flight; as Power x2), Power no.3 (ESP Dimensional; as Power x3), Power no.4 (Nullify Insubstantial), Power no.5 (Obscure), Power no.6 (Regeneration), Power no.7 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power System, Sealed, Security System x6 (DC 45), Self-Repairing, Workshop. [1+3+38 = 41/45ep] Power no.1: Concealment 4 (all mental and radio; PFs: Close Range, Selective) and Enhanced Feats 1 (Hide in Plain Sight) and Enhanced Skills 20 (Stealth +20) [10+1+5=16/30p] Power no.2: Same Enhanced Feats & Skills as at Schloss Wissenschaft, and Flight 2 (25mph; "Positional Adjustment Jets"). [2+41+4=47/60p] Power no.3: ESP 14 (all, 2 billion miles [can reach Earth]; Extras: Duration [sustained]; PFs: Dimensional 3 [any dimension that tech-based ESP could reach, such as parallel dimensions and the Zero Zone], Rapid 5 [x100,000], Subtle) [79P] and Linked Comprehend 4 (Codes 1, Languages 3 [Read/Write/Speak/Understand All Languages]; Drawback: Comprehend takes time to process and assimilate entirely new languages into the translation matrix) [7P] [79+7=86/90] Power no.4: Nullify 4 (all Insubstantial effects; Extras: 400-ft. Burst Area [entire HQ], Duration 3 [Continuous], No Save; Flaws: Range [Touch]; PFs: Progression 4 for Area, Subtle) [29/30p] Power no.5: Obscure 7 (mental and radio, 500-ft. radius [entire HQ]; Extras: Duration [Continuous], Selective Attack; PF: Subtle) [29/30p] Power no.6: Same Regeneration as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [26/30p] Power no.7: Same Super-Senses as at Home HQ in Freedom City, minus the Communications Links and tremorsense (-7 ranks), add extended 4 to all visual sensors (100,000 ft. [~18.9 miles] increment) and extended 2 to all radio senses (total extended 4/100,000 feet [~18.9 miles] increment). [51/60p] June 2011 During the ArchEvil event, Blueshift, Push, and Victory fought Meta-Ceptors on Nichrüberall. What remained of the satellite was given to given to the Freedom League. Nichtüberall was used by members of The Lab as a secure place to study Gorgon nanites in Fall 2011. It is currently mothballed, but may be used as a long-range early-warninng system to warn of extrasolar threats.
Dr Archeville Posted October 31, 2009 Author Posted October 31, 2009 Doktor Archeville's Company: ArcheTech ArcheTech was founded Dr. Viktor Archeville, who wanted an international chain of research laboratories unconnected to any one government or any business interests. His vision was to establish a unique center for multi-disciplinary research in a number of scientific fields, especially those pertaining to metahuman activity and the increasing emergence of metahumans. Fields of research & development include bionics and cybernetics, energy projection, force field generation, genetics and genome stability, gravimetrics, advanced metallurgy, nanotechnology, particle physics, and others. In addition to its exotic research, ArcheTech also provides humanitarian aid in times of crisis. Archeville had done freelance troubleshooting work for numerous other science & technology research facilities, in America and Europe, for many years, even while still a college student. He used the contacts established there in three ways: to keep tabs on as many scientists and researchers as possible, to establish working relationships with investors and financiers, and similar relationships with tech-friendly politicians. Through a combination of sound investments, keen tax planning, and funds raised by selling off certain licenses for various inventions to outside commercial firms (though making certain to retain all copyrights and trademarks), Archeville was quickly able to raise the seed money needed to start up and run his company. Months of phone calls and meetings got him the researchers he needed (some who would work freelance for his company, some under contract exclusively for the company for a number of years), and "nudgings" -- completely legal, just not as "above board" as usual -- from certain politicians to get the building permits pushed through quickly. Location: Worldwide. The corporate HQ for ArcheTech is in Freedom City, New Jersey (the Hanover district), but there are branch offices all around the globe. In America, there are branches in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Outside of the United States, there are branches in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Archeville plans to expand even more. Appearance, Exterior: All ArcheTech facilities are pyramidal shaped (but with a flat, not pointed, top), grayish-white, and twelve stories tall. The design is meant to inspire pride in its employees and in the surrounding community. (However, this does not stop detractors from saying the darker coloration of the glass in the windows at the center of the building and of some doors at the bottom make the buildings look more like giant stylized As.) Each pane of glass doubles as a solar panel, to supplement the power drawn from the local power grids, though many facilities also have their own generators (the type depending on location). The flat roof contains a helipad rated for medical rescue and passenger helicopters. Appearance, Interior: The first floor of every ArcheTech branch is reserved for public information booths, lobby access, security stations, and the on-site company cafeteria. The top floor of all ArcheTech facilities is reserved for administrative offices and conference rooms. The ten floor between are packed with laboratories and think-tanks, including dormitories for participants in lengthy studies (or for Metahumans lacking control over their powers who need someplace safe to stay while they learn to safely harness their abilities). However, despite all of Archeville's hard work, the branches are still operating on skeleton crews, so there is lots of empty space used for storage (or to hold evacuees in case of emergency). The basement is reserved for maintenance facilities, power generators, and the bulk transporter (see below). Miscellaneous: All ArcheTech facilities can serve as a temporary Metahuman incarceration facility, due to the availability of both high-strength building materials and power-nullifying devices. Each facility also has a bulk transporter, capable of nearly instantly teleporting several tons of material at a time, but only to other ArcheTech facilities (including Schloss Wissenschaft, Archeville's castle in Germany, and ArcheStern, ArcheTech's orbital research station). These teleporters can be used in crisis situations, bringing in supplies from other facilities or moving evacuees quickly out of the area. Security for each local branch is multifaceted and relies heavily on redundant features for maximum protection. Main lobby entrances contain metal detectors and x-ray scanners, monitored at the primary security station by three full-time guards. Each floor has a security sub-station manned at all times by two guards, and three guards patrol each floor; each station has real-time video surveillance of each corridor and laboratory, and motion detectors to detect cloaked/invisible intruders. In addition to the human guards, each corridor and laboratory has an automated security turret programmed to neutralize any unauthorized persons with bolts of energy on a wavelength that will cause a normal human's neurological system to temporarily shut down; once a target is down, the energy projectors switch to emitting a beam of the same energy to keep the target uncoscious. Quote Size: Large; Toughness: 15; Features: Animal Pens*, Communications, Computer, Defense System (Stun 9 [Extra: Range/Ranged; PF: Sedation], +14 to hit), Dock, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Holding Cells x2 (Nullify Mutant Powers 14, Toughness 20), Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel**, Pool, Power no.1, Power no.2, Power System, Security System x5 (DC 40), Think-Tank*, Workshop. Cost: 2+2+27 = 31/43ep. Power no.1: ESP 3 (visual and auditory, 1,000 feet [entire interior of building]) and Super-Senses 13 (accurate for auditory senses [motion detectors], acute radius detect metal [radio sense], infravision, radio, ultra-hearing, ultravision, x-ray vision [not through lead]) ("Sensor Net") [9+13=22/28p] Power no.2: Teleport 10 (to any Arche-Tech facility, Schloss Wissenschaft, and ArcheStern; PFs: Change Direction, Progression 6/10 tons of cargo) ("Bulk Transporter") [27/28p] * from Agents of Freedom. ** from Books of Magic. Upgrades as of April 2010 * Improved security * Enhanced Skills: added Enhanced Skills to it (so people working there actually get a benefit for doing so) as at the other HQs. * ESP: added Rapid 5 (x100,000), replaced Simultaneous with Duration [sustained]. Increased ranks, so the security sensors cover the adjoining parking lots/decks as well as the interior of the facility. * Healing: changed Total to Affects Objects. Now he has things that can heal people and repair robots (technological constructs). * Added "Force Screen" (Impervious for Toughness) * Super-Senses: Added more Communication Links to the HQs, specifically, to the ArcehTech branches (none of them had them before). Tweaked senses some, partly to take advantage of the fact radio senses are acute, radius and ranged by default. * Teleport: added a Teleport Portal; they can only cover the city the facility is in, but the portal themselves can be big enough (25x25 ft.) for most any vehicle or being. Quote ArcheTech Facilities (39/45ep) Location: Worldwide. Corporate HQ is in Hanover, Freedom City, USA. Appearance/Details: See here and here. Size: Large; Toughness: 15 (Imp 10); Features: Animal Pens, Communications, Computer, Defense System (Stun 9 [Extra: Range/Ranged; PF: Sedation], +14 to hit), Dock, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Holding Cells x2 (Nullify Metahuman/Mutant Powers 15, Toughness 20), Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Pool, Power no.1 (Enhanced Feats & Skills; as Power x2), Power no.2 (Enhanced Skills/Others), Power no.3 (ESP/Super-Senses), Power no.4 (Impervious Toughness), Power no. 5 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power no.6 (Teleport), Power no.7 (Teleportal), Power System, Security System x6 (DC 45), Think-Tank, Workshop. Cost: 2+2+34 = 39/45ep. Power no.1: Same Enhanced Feats & Skills as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [2+41=43/60p] Power no.2: Same Enhanced Skills Usable by Others as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [18+10=28/30p] Power no.3: ESP 4 (visual and auditory, 1 mile [entire interior of building & adjoining parking lots/decks]) and Super-Senses 13 (accurate for auditory senses [motion detectors], acute radius detect metal [radio sense], infravision, radio, ultra-hearing, ultravision, x-ray vision [Drawback: not through lead]) ("Sensor Net") [12+12=24/30p] Power no.4: Impervious Toughness 10 (force screen; Sustained Active effect) [10/30p] Power no.5: Same Super-Senses as at Schloss Wissenschaft, plus 4 additional Communication Links. Communications links with Archeville's electromagnetic screwdriver, Archestern, Fjölnirskraft, Schloss Wissenschaft, and six ArcheTech facilities [the corporate HQ in Freedom City, and five other facilities with similar areas of focus.] [52/60p] Power no.6: Same Teleporter as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [17/30p] Power no.7: Teleport 6 (600 feet/20 miles; Extras: Duration [sustained], Portal; Flaw: Others Only; PFs: Change Direction, Easy, Progression [Portal Size] 2 [25ft x 25ft]). [28/30p] Note: Portal is a +2 Extra because it's basically Duration (Instant to Concentration) & Affects Others + Self (+1). But the HQ itself can't pass through the portals it creates, thus, the Limited (Others Only) Flaw becomes viable. Upgrades as of March 2011 * Added Bacta Tank-y Affects Others Regeneration. Not all ArcheTech facilities would have this, but the corporate HQ in Hanover, Freedom City does. Quote ArcheTech Facilities (40/45ep) Location: Worldwide. Corporate HQ is in Hanover, Freedom City, USA. Appearance/Details: See here and here. Size: Large; Toughness: 15 (Imp 10); Features: Animal Pens, Communications, Computer, Defense System (Stun 9 [Extra: Range/Ranged; PF: Sedation], +14 to hit), Dock, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Holding Cells x2 (Nullify Metahuman/Mutant Powers 15, Toughness 20), Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Pool, Power no.1 (Enhanced Feats & Skills; as Power x2), Power no.2 (Enhanced Skills/Others), Power no.3 (ESP/Super-Senses), Power no.4 (Impervious Toughness), Power no.5 (Regeneration), Power no. 6 (Super-Senses; as Power x2), Power no.7 (Teleport), Power no.8 (Teleportal), Power System, Security System x6 (DC 45), Think-Tank, Workshop. Cost: 2+2+35 = 40/45ep. Power no.1: Same Enhanced Feats & Skills as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [2+41=43/60p] Power no.2: Same Enhanced Skills Usable by Others as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [18+10=28/30p] Power no.3: ESP 4 (visual and auditory, 1 mile [entire interior of building & adjoining parking lots/decks]) and Super-Senses 13 (accurate for auditory senses [motion detectors], acute radius detect metal [radio sense], infravision, radio, ultra-hearing, ultravision, x-ray vision [Drawback: not through lead]) ("Sensor Net") [12+12=24/30p] Power no.4: Impervious Toughness 10 (force screen; Sustained Active effect) [10/30p] Power no.5: Same Regeneration as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [26/30p] Power no.6: Same Super-Senses as at Schloss Wissenschaft, plus 4 additional Communication Links. Communications links with Archeville's electromagnetic screwdriver, Archestern, Fjölnirskraft, Schloss Wissenschaft, and six ArcheTech facilities [the corporate HQ in Freedom City, and five other facilities with similar areas of focus.] [52/60p] Power no.7: Same Teleporter as at Schloss Wissenschaft. [17/30p] Power no.8: Teleport 6 (600 feet/20 miles; Extras: Duration [sustained], Portal; Flaw: Others Only; PFs: Change Direction, Easy, Progression [Portal Size] 2 [25ft x 25ft]). [28/30p] Note: Portal is a +2 Extra because it's basically Duration (Instant to Concentration) & Affects Others + Self (+1). But the HQ itself can't pass through the portals it creates, thus, the Limited (Others Only) Flaw becomes viable. June 2011 Following the ArchEvil event, Viktor named Miss Americana the CEO of ArcheTech.
Dr Archeville Posted October 31, 2009 Author Posted October 31, 2009 Doktor Archeville's "Utility Belt" (largely inspired by ShaenTheBrain's Utility Belt) Over the years, I have often been asked why I do not bring more of my cutting-edge equipment with me. "Surely you can whip up something to take out or solve any problem, in no time flat, right?" they ask. In many cases, yes, this is true. But part of the reason I do what I do is to challenge myself; fighting without all the beyond-cutting edge technology I could bring is something akin to Raven fighting off thugs and other low-level crooks with one hand held behind her back. She goes all-out when facing true threats, yes, but for rank-and-file criminals, she doesn't need to. But, as my mind has become more and more preoccupied by all the mysteries and problems of the world -- most of which I hope my company will address, at least in part -- I find I am less focused when it comes to personal-level conflicts (i.e., one-on-one or small group confrontations). While it is true my Electromagntic Screwdriver can do several of the things that items found in a common Utility Belt cover, there are many it cannot, so I have decided to start bringing an assortment of useful items with me. The items will not be in a new belt, of course: my Gravimetric Belt already covers my waist, and there's not much spare room in it in which to store items. Besides, most times when I am captured, I am stripped of my Belt, but my lab coat is left to me, so I shall sew some hidden pockets into my it instead. I believe a dozen should do. Contents Acid Pellets: Some materials are highly resistant to heat, so the cutting torch (see below) won't do. So I carry a number of small containers filed with assorted acids, mostly hydrochloric, nitric and sulfuric. [Corrosion] Bolas: A short length (no more than 4 feet) of lightweight metal cable with two, three or four six-inch-diameter metal balls attached to each end. If properly aimed, the bola wraps itself around a target's arms or legs, entangling them and preventing escape. [snare] Cell Phone: Always handy to have a quick means of communications. Even if my E.S., is taken from me, my foes may miss this simple device in the concealed pocket in my coat. Cutting Torch: A small acetylene torch, good for 30 minutes (or until the flame is extinguished by capping the gas flow). Acetylene does not produce heat in the same way as fire does, and it can be used to either cut or weld metal; neither water nor the lack of oxygen will extinguish acetylene. [Corrosion] Digital Audio Recorder: can record up to eight hours of sound, with a range of ten feet. My E.S. can do better, of course, but a back-up's always good. Digital Camera: can take up to 36 digital photos. Another fair backup. Explosives, Standard: A small quantity of explosive, kept in a hard plastic cylinder about the size of a roll of quarters (1-inch diameter, 3 inches long). Removing the base exposes a quick-setting contact cement, so they can be affixed to surfaces. Twisting the top of the cylinder activates the explosive, with a delay of up to 5 seconds; they can also be set to go off via radio signal. Damage is from the concussion of the blast as well as the shrapnel made form the remains of the hard plastic case. [Explosive Blast] Explosives, Incendiary: This explosive is slightly larger than the standard explosive, 4 inches long, and is separated into two hulls, one inside the other. Inside the inner core is a small quantity of explosive, and between the two hulls is a mix of powdered aluminum, metal oxide, sulfur, and barium nitrate. The "thermite reaction" (technically it is thermate) which occurs when the inner explosive goes off produces a tremendous amount of heat, useful for destroying weapons caches, artillery, and vehicles. [Explosive Blast, fire damage] Explosives, Cryonic: Similar to the incendiary explosive, above, but the two hulls are divided into two distinct compartments. In each compartment is a chemical that, when separate or when combined in an oxygen-less environment, is inert. However, when combined with each other and the ambient oxygen in the atmosphere, they produce an extreme endothermic reaction, causing the surroundings to drop to below-freezing temperatures. [Explosive Blast, cold damage] Explosive, Stun, v1: Similar to the incendiary explosive, above, but between the two hulls is a quantity of a concentrated, fast-acting anesthetic gas. When set off (via timer, radio signal, or an impact of sufficient force), the stun bomb explodes; holding one's breath will not negate the effects of the stun bomb, because the gas is of such a high concentration and is propelled with such force that it penetrates the pores. This can knock out most non-Metahumans, but serves as little more than a distraction for most others. [Explosive Blast, nonlethal damage] Explosive, Stun, v2: Similar to the incendiary explosive, above, but between the two hulls is a quantity of hypnovel, a potent anxiolytic, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, skeletal muscle relaxant, and sedative. When set off (via timer, radio signal, or an impact of sufficient force), the stun bomb explodes; holding one's breath will not negate the effects of the stun bomb, because the gas is of such a high concentration and is propelled with such force that it penetrates the pores. This can knock out most non-Metahumans, but serves as little more than a distraction for most others. [Explosive Ranged Stun] Flash-Bangs: Similar to the incendiary explosive, above, but between the two hulls is a pyrotechnic metal-oxidant mix of magnesium or aluminium and an oxidizer such as ammonium perchlorate or potassium perchlorate. The flash of light momentarily activates all light sensitive cells in the eye, making vision impossible for several seconds until the eye restores itself to its normal, unstimulated state. The incredibly loud blast produced by the grenade adds to its incapacitating properties by disturbing the fluid in the ear. [Dazzle Auditory & Visual] Flashlight: projects a beam of light 30 feet long, 15 feet wide at its far end. Glue-Goo Grenade: A small explosive filled with a quick-hardening, porous, non-conductive foam. Serves a similar purpose as the bolas, entangling targets to prevent attack or escape. [snare] Lockpicks/Multi-Tool: This is one thing I am not doubling up on. My E.S. is strong enough to be used as a hammer without damaging it, and it can be converted into a huge variety of tools (flathead and Phillips screwdrivers, torx, box, and star drive wrenches, drill bits, and lock picks, and function as a full lineman's kit, multiline analyzers, CPU and RS-232 logic-controlled break-out boxes and analyzers, an EPROM reader and writer for cell phone analysis, advanced oscilloscope and vector scope, taps, and jumpers, and record and playback radio, broadband cable, and HDTV signals, and runs a selectable multiplatform operating system, including DOS and non-DOS BIOS compact chipsets). It is impossible even for me to predict everything I would need, and thus what to "double up on" for emergencies. Besides, even without my E.S., I can make do with whatever junk is lying around -- I'm a Doktor! Paralytic Poison Darts: Neurotoxin-covered metal darts, for when stealth and precision are required. The plant-derived alkaloids affect neuromuscular transmission, thereby acting as muscle relaxants. [Paralyze] Pepper Spray: a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness, in a short-ranged aerosol spray. The active ingredient in pepper spray is capsaicin, the active component of chili peppers. However, capsaicin is only irritating to mammals (and repels some fungi), so this spray may be of reduced effectiveness against avians and reptiles (including Avians and Serpent People). [Dazzle Visual & Stun] Power Knuckles: akin to brass knuckles, but containing metal studs on the striking surface capable of further amplifying the powers of my punches by delivering a high-voltage, low-amperage shock (similar to a taser). [Mighty Strike] Smoke Pellets: Similar to the incendiary explosive, above, but there is only a very tiny amount of explosive (just enough to break the hard plastic casing of the two hulls). Between the two hulls is a mix of potassium chlorate (oxidizer), lactose or dextrin (as a fuel) and one or more dyes. The pellets are capable of producing a dense, viscous fog in a 1,000 cubic foot area (a room 10' x 10' x 10' or the outdoor equivalent area). The fog is completely black, and no light (including infrared or ultraviolet) can penetrate it, but it breaks down quickly (to half volume after approximately 10 seconds, and completely dissipates in about 25 seconds). [Obscure Visual] Throwing Discs: Each of these items consists of two thin metal discs, each as big around as a hockey puck, stacked on top of each other. Within is an assortment of expandable rims. Simple switches on the top determine which rim expands out: a rubberized rim for making banked shots, a razor-sharp rim for slicing, a spiked rim for inflicting piercing damage, or a solid metal rim for a good wallop. [blast, Ricochet, Variable Descriptor {bludgeoning/piercing/slashing}] Quote "Utility Belt" (15+9=24ep) Free: Cell phone, Digital camera, Digital audio recorder, Flashlight BE: Blast 5 (assorted explosives; Extra: 50-ft. Explosion; PF: Variable Descriptor; Drawback: Reduced Range/5 increments) [15p] AP: Blast 3 (throwing discs; Extra: Autofire; PFs: Ricochet 2, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning/piercing/slashing]) AP: Corrosion 1 (PFs: Precise, Variable Descriptor/acids or cutting torch) AP: Dazzle Auditory & Visual 4 (flash-bangs; Extra: 20-ft. Burst Area) AP: Dazzle Visual 5 (pepper spray; Extra: Linked Stun 5; Flaw: Range/Touch for Dazzle) AP: Obscure Visual 2 (smoke pellets, 10 ft. radius; Extra: Independent) AP: Paralyze 4 (paralytic poison darts; Extras: Alt Save/Fortitude, Poison, Range/Range; Drawback: Reduced Range/5 Increments) AP: Snare 4 (PF: Variable Descriptor/steel-wire bolos or glue-goo) AP: Strike 4 (power knuckles; PF: Mighty) AP: Stun 4 (stun bomb v2; Extras: 40-ft. Explosion, Ranged; Drawback: Reduced Range/5 increments) Upgrades as of April 2010 Improved chemical reactions can increase the efficacy of the assorted explosives, and streamlined cases combined with raised braille-like labels (and some training from Colt) will make it easier for me to draw them when needed. I also have ideas on an assortment of collapsible weapons, similar to that bat Erin White carries around. Quote Archeville's "Utility Coat" (16+9=25ep) Detailed here. Free: Cell phone, Digital camera, Digital audio recorder, Flashlight BE: Blast 10 (assorted explosives; Extra: Area [General, Burst, 30-50-ft.-radius]; Flaws: Action [Full], Unreliable [5 uses]; PFs: Progression [Reverse Area] 4, Triggered 2, Variable Descriptor [anesthetic gas, cold, concussive force, fire, shrapnel]; Drawback: Reduced Range [5 100-ft. increments]) [16EP] AP: Blast 3 (throwing discs; Extra: Autofire [5]; PFs: Mighty, Ricochet 2, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing]) [15EP] AP: Corrosion 4 (PFs: Precise, Variable Descriptor [acids or cutting torch]) [14EP] AP: Dazzle Auditory & Visual 6 (flash-bangs; Extra: Area [General, 30-ft. Burst]; Flaw: Unreliable [5 uses]; Drawback: Full Power, Reduced Range 1 [5 60-ft. increments]) [16EP] AP: Dazzle Visual 6 (pepper spray; Flaw: Range [Touch]; Drawback: Full Power) + Linked Stun 6 (pepper spray; Drawback: Full Power) [5+11=16EP] AP: Obscure 3 (25-ft. radius, Visual + Olfactory Senses, smoke pellets; Extras: Independent, Total Fade; PFs: Ricochet; Drawback: Reduced Range 1 [5 30-ft. increments]) [15EP] AP: Paralyze 6 (paralytic darts; Extras: Range [Ranged], Secondary Effect; Flaws: Unreliable [5 Uses]; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range 1 [5 60ft Increments]) [15EP] AP: Snare 4 (PF: Variable Descriptor [steel-wire bolos or quick-hardening glue-goo]) [9EP] AP: Strike 4 (assorted weapons; PFs: Extended Reach 2, Improved Critical, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Mighty, Split Attack, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing]) [12EP] AP: Stun 6 (stun bomb v2; Extras: Area [General, 30-ft. Burst], Range [Ranged]; Flaw: Unreliable [5 uses]; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 60-ft. increments]) [16EP] Also, Dok gained the Quick Draw feat. Upgrades as of April 2019 Quote Archeville's "Utility Coat" 13 (26 points; PFs: Alternate Power 12) [38 EP, or Equipment 8] Free: Digital audio recorder, Flashlight, Smartphone (cell phone/digital camera) BE: Blast 5 (“assorted explosives, thrown”; Extra: Area [General, Shapeable, 1-25 consecutive 5-ft. cubes]; PFs: Precise, Progression [Area] 2 [5 5-ft. cubes per rank], Progression [Reverse Area] 4, Triggered 2, Variable Descriptor [anesthetic gas, cold, concussive force, fire, shrapnel]; Drawback: Reduced Range [5 50-ft. increments]) {24/26} AP: Blast 3 (“throwing discs”; Extra: Autofire; PFs: Mighty, Ricochet 2, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing]) {13/26} AP: Dazzle Auditory & Visual 4 (“flash-bangs”; Extra: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Stun]; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range 1 [5 40 ft. increments]) {14} + Stun 4 (Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Dazzle], Range [Ranged]; Flaws: Limited [Dazed]) {12} {14+12=26/26} AP: Dazzle Olfactory & Visual 4 (“tear gas”; Extras: Area [General, Cloud, 20 ft. diameter], Linked [Nauseate]; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 40 ft. Increments]) {14} + Nauseate 4 (Extras: Area [General, Cloud, 20 ft. diameter], Linked [Dazzle], Range [Ranged]; Flaws: Limited [Sickened]) {12} {14+12=26/26} AP: Corrosion 4 (“acids & acetylene torches”; PFs: Precise, Variable Descriptor [acids or cutting torch]) {14/26} AP: Fatigue 4 (“sleep gas grenade”; Extras: Area [General, Cloud, 20 ft. diameter], Range [Ranged], Secondary Effect; PFs: Insidious, Sedation, Subtle; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 40 ft. Increments]) {21/26} AP: Morph 4 (“sprayflesh”, +20 Disguise, pre-technorganic Viktor Archeville; Extras: Independent, Total Fade [80 minutes]; PFs: Covers Scent, Slow Fade 4 [20 mins per pp]) {13/26} AP: Obscure Olfactory & Visual 3 (“smoke pellets”, 25 ft. radius; Extras: Independent, Total Fade [9 rounds]; Drawback: Reduced Range 1 [5 30 ft. increments]) {11/26} AP: Paralyze 4 (“paralytic darts”; Extras: Alt Save [Fort], Area [Targeted, Cone, 40 ft.], Secondary Effect; Drawbacks: Full Power) {15/26} AP: Snare 4 (“goo grenade”; Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Trip]; Drawback: Reduced Range [5 40 ft. Increments]) {11} + Trip 4 (Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Snare]; PF: Improved Throw) {9} {11+9=20/26} AP: Strike 10 (“assorted explosives, placed”; Extra: Area [General, Shapeable, 1-50 consecutive 5-ft. Cubes]; Flaw: Action [Full]; PFs: Precise, Progression [Area] 2 [5 5-ft. cubes per rank], Progression [Reverse Area] 9, Triggered 2, Variable Descriptor [anesthetic gas, cold, concussive force, fire, shrapnel]) {25/26} AP: Strike 3 (“assorted collapsible weapons”; PFs: Improved Critical [19-20], Improved Disarm, Improved Reach 3 [+15 ft.], Improved Trip, Mighty, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning/piercing/slashing]) {11/26} AP: Stun 4 (“stun bomb v2”; Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Range [Ranged]; PF: Sedation; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 40 ft. increments]) {15/26} Upgrades as of March 2020 Quote Archeville's "Utility Coat" 13 (26 points; PFs: Alternate Power 12) [38 EP, or Equipment 8] Free: Digital audio recorder, Flashlight, Smartphone (cell phone/digital camera) BE: Blast 5 (“assorted explosives, thrown”; Extra: Area [General, Shapeable, 1-25 consecutive 5-ft. cubes]; PFs: Precise, Progression [Area] 2 [5 5-ft. cubes per rank], Progression [Reverse Area] 4, Triggered 2, Variable Descriptor [anesthetic gas, cold, concussive force, fire, shrapnel]; Drawback: Reduced Range [5 50-ft. increments]) {24/26} AP: Blast 3 (“throwing discs”; Extra: Autofire; PFs: Mighty, Ricochet 2, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing]) {13/26} AP: Dazzle Auditory & Visual 4 (“flash-bangs”; Extra: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Stun]; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range 1 [5 40 ft. increments]) {14} + Stun 4 (Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Dazzle], Range [Ranged]; Flaws: Limited [Dazed]) {12} {14+12=26/26} AP: Dazzle Olfactory & Visual 4 (“tear gas”; Extras: Area [General, Cloud, 20 ft. diameter], Linked [Nauseate]; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 40 ft. Increments]) {14} + Nauseate 4 (Extras: Area [General, Cloud, 20 ft. diameter], Linked [Dazzle], Range [Ranged]; Flaws: Limited [Sickened]) {12} {14+12=26/26} AP: Corrosion 4 (“acids & acetylene torches”; PFs: Precise, Variable Descriptor [acids or cutting torch]) {14/26} AP: Fatigue 4 (“sleep gas grenade”; Extras: Area [General, Cloud, 20 ft. diameter], Range [Ranged], Secondary Effect; PFs: Insidious, Reversible, Sedation, Subtle; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 40 ft. Increments]) {22/26} AP: Morph 4 (“sprayflesh”, +20 Disguise, pre-technorganic Viktor Archeville; Extras: Independent, Total Fade [20 hours]; PFs: Covers Scent, Slow Fade 7 [5 hours per pp]; Drawback: Power Loss [shreds if Archeville takes any damage]) {16/26} AP: Obscure Olfactory & Visual 3 (“smoke pellets”, 25 ft. radius; Extras: Independent; Drawback: Reduced Range 1 [5 30 ft. increments]) {8/26} AP: Paralyze 4 (“paralytic darts”; Extras: Alt Save [Fort], Area [Targeted, Cone, 40 ft.], Secondary Effect; PF: Reversible; Drawbacks: Full Power) {16/26} AP: Snare 4 (“goo grenade”; Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Trip]; PF: Reversible; Drawback: Reduced Range [5 40 ft. Increments]) {12} + Trip 4 (Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Snare]; PF: Improved Throw) {9} {12+9=21/26} AP: Strike 10 (“assorted explosives, placed”; Extra: Area [General, Shapeable, 1-50 consecutive 5-ft. Cubes]; Flaw: Action [Full]; PFs: Precise, Progression [Area] 2 [5 5-ft. cubes per rank], Progression [Reverse Area] 9, Triggered 2, Variable Descriptor [anesthetic gas, cold, concussive force, fire, shrapnel]) {25/26} AP: Strike 3 (“assorted collapsible weapons”; PFs: Improved Critical 2 [18-20], Improved Disarm, Improved Reach 3 [+15 ft.], Improved Trip, Mighty, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning/piercing/slashing]) {12/26} AP: Stun 4 (“stun bomb v2”; Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Range [Ranged]; PFs: Reversible, Sedation; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 40 ft. increments]) {16/26} Upgrades as of January 2024 Added Quick Draw (“quick release holsters”), removed AP (“Paralytic Darts”). Quote Archeville's "Utility Coat" 13 (26 points; PFs: Alternate Power 10, Quick Draw) [37 EP, or Equipment 8] Free: Digital audio recorder, Flashlight, Smartphone (cell phone/digital camera) BE: Blast 5 (“assorted explosives, thrown”; Extra: Area [General, Shapeable, 1-25 consecutive 5-ft. cubes]; PFs: Precise, Progression [Area] 2 [5 5-ft. cubes per rank], Progression [Reverse Area] 4, Triggered 2, Variable Descriptor [anesthetic gas, cold, concussive force, fire, shrapnel]; Drawback: Reduced Range [5 50-ft. increments]) {24/26} AP: Blast 3 (“throwing discs”; Extra: Autofire; PFs: Mighty, Ricochet 2, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing]) {13/26} AP: Dazzle Auditory & Visual 4 (“flash-bangs”; Extra: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Stun]; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range 1 [5 40 ft. increments]) {14} + Linked Stun 4 (Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Dazzle], Range [Ranged]; Flaws: Limited [Dazed]) {12} {14+12=26/26} AP: Dazzle Olfactory & Visual 4 (“tear gas”; Extras: Area [General, Cloud, 20 ft. diameter], Linked [Nauseate]; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 40 ft. Increments]) {14} + Linked Nauseate 4 (Extras: Area [General, Cloud, 20 ft. diameter], Linked [Dazzle], Range [Ranged]; Flaws: Limited [Sickened]) {12} {14+12=26/26} AP: Corrosion 4 (“acids & acetylene torches”; PFs: Precise, Variable Descriptor [acids or cutting torch]) {14/26} AP: Fatigue 4 (“sleep gas grenade”; Extras: Area [General, Cloud, 20 ft. diameter], Range [Ranged], Secondary Effect; PFs: Insidious, Reversible, Sedation, Subtle; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 40 ft. Increments]) {22/26} AP: Morph 4 (“sprayflesh”, +20 Disguise, pre-technorganic Viktor Archeville; Extras: Independent, Total Fade [20 hours]; PFs: Covers Scent, Slow Fade 7 [5 hours per pp]; Drawback: Power Loss [shreds if Archeville takes any damage]) {16/26} AP: Obscure Olfactory & Visual 3 (“smoke pellets”, 25 ft. radius; Extras: Independent; Drawback: Reduced Range 1 [5 30 ft. increments]) {8/26} AP: Snare 4 (“goo grenade”; Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Trip]; PF: Reversible; Drawback: Reduced Range [5 40 ft. Increments]) {12} + Linked Trip 4 (Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Linked [Snare]; PF: Improved Throw) {9} {12+9=21/26} AP: Strike 10 (“assorted explosives, placed”; Extra: Area [General, Shapeable, 1-50 consecutive 5-ft. Cubes]; Flaw: Action [Full]; PFs: Precise, Progression [Area] 2 [5 5-ft. cubes per rank], Progression [Reverse Area] 9, Triggered 2, Variable Descriptor [anesthetic gas, cold, concussive force, fire, shrapnel]) {25/26} AP: Strike 3 (“assorted collapsible weapons”; PFs: Improved Critical 2 [18-20], Improved Disarm, Improved Reach 3 [+15 ft.], Improved Trip, Mighty, Variable Descriptor [bludgeoning/piercing/slashing]) {12/26} AP: Stun 4 (“stun bomb v2”; Extras: Area [General, Burst, 20 ft. radius], Range [Ranged]; PFs: Reversible, Sedation; Drawbacks: Full Power, Reduced Range [5 40 ft. increments]) {16/26}
Avenger Assembled Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 30 October 2009 While going through my mail today, though the numerous offers to speak at this function or that lecture series, I found an offer for elocution lessons. Some kind-hearted soul, it seems, was offering to pay for me to take some diction lessons, so as to reduce my heavy German accent and thus be better understood by others. (Though, on second thought, it may have been Avenger.) Which reminds me, I need to do something with those skin samples I took from 'her' during that Genderswitch Caper. What this person does not know -- what many do not know (though several probably suspect) -- is that I am perfectly capable of speaking English (or any language) without a German accent. A small number of people do know this -- Darian Cale, Elena Guerrero, and Eric Micheals all know, as well as anyone who's overheard certain conversations I've had with them. So why do I maintain my accent? Because it is a part of my mask. My accent often makes people initially assume I am just a funny-speaking foreigner, one whose actions and talents have been exaggerated to ridiculous levels. This is an act, for my benefit as well as theirs (though mostly mine). "How smart can he be, if he can't even get a second language right?" they say. This makes them a bit less likely to ask me to do or think of things for them, leaving me time to pursue my own projects. Muah hah hah hah hah! Another part of my mask: my "foodie" and "party man" tendencies. I make it a point to attend an HIT kegger at least three times a semester, and have attended Oktoberfest every year for the past decade. Also, I make sure any function I speak at has fine catered food from local restaurants. "How smart can he be, if all he does is party like a frat boy?," they say. "How smart can he be, when he drinks like that?" Little do they know that I have a very high tolerance for alcohol, and am never as drunk as I may appear. Well, almost never. I do sincerely enjoy Oktoberfest, and I do genuinely cut loose and relax there. And by 'relax' I mean 'have lots and lots of hot, wild sex!' But why bother with this? Why not just wear a real mask? Simple: it would be too obvious. If I wore a mask & costume, people would know there's a man under there, a man with his own routine wants and needs and weaknesses. There would be some who'd prod and pry and try to get to the man underneath, reveal my identity. But by hiding in plain sight as I do, it's easier for people to accept that this is the real me, that I really am just a silly-sounding, beer-loving German who happens to be pretty good with technology. And while it's true I do love beer -- good German beer, not the dog urine they make here in America -- I am a lot better with technology than most realize. Muah hah hah hah hah! Of course, if they knew just how good, I'd be asked to do more, and as it is I'm already asked to do quite a bit, with little time for my own projects and studies. It's not that I mind helping others, of course -- that is why I do what I do -- but now and again everyone needs some time for themselves. Plus, I cannot and (arguably) should not be solving as many problems as I could: some of the solutions require technology decades in advance of what is currently available to the mainstream, which they could not comprehend how to operate. "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime." Though, a appropriate alternative might be "Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime -- Unless he doesn't like sushi; then you also have to teach him to cook," reflecting how teaching one thing often requires also teaching other things along with it. “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you can sell him fishing equipment.†Though, paradoxically, my "silly party-man" attitude makes some people more likely to come to me, seeing me as a 'common man' whom they can talk to... or as some sort of Neo-Nazi. Foolish rabble! But that's not the only reason. I don't wear a mask because it would hide much of my face, and so hide my expressions from others. I need those to be seen, so others can pick up on if my Dark Side ever starts taking more control. If my Dark Side did take over, it would drop all the acts and accents, and set immediately to work on whatever dastardly plan it had in store. And if my Dark Side started wearing a mask & costume while committing criminal acts, my allies would know something is up when I go missing for stretches of time. Fool! I use those 'masks' as much as you do! You think I'm not watching while you spend the nights partying? Watching as you work with your 'heroic allies', keeping a keen eye out for any weaknesses I can exploit once I take over? And do you really think I couldn't keep up that accent, to keep others fooled?
Dr Archeville Posted February 8, 2010 Author Posted February 8, 2010 15 September 2009 I learned three things tonight while meeting with the Knights of Freedom (who are now defunct): that Jack Faretti is a vampire, that there are additional vampires in Freedom City, and that other members of the Knights (Ace, Phantom, and Scarab) knew this for some time. I am not sure which bothers me more: that there are such monsters lurking in this city, or that half the Knights knew yet did nothing. Given how the group initially formed – after fighting a demon and its cultists – I would think they would be particularly interested in combating so-called "supernatural" menaces. Perhaps I shall revisit my own studies of the "supernatural," and develop some "anti-vampire" weaponry. (And anti-werewolf, anti-ghost, anti-demon, anti-warlock, and so on.) Any insufficiently understood phenomenon is indistinguishable from magic, so surely my fantastic mind can cut through the legends and folklore, find the root similarities, and develop countermeasures for them. 18 September 2009 Leaving tomorrow for Oktoberfest. Must remember to double-0chek all the security measures, and notify a few locals of my absence. Not that it is exactly a secret that I do this every year, but still... 5 October 2009 Ah, back from Oktoberfest -- I am recharged! And while away, an idea has formed: my own superhero team, on that is more proactive than reactive, intercepting troubles before they grow too large. I have the know-how, and once ArcheTech is up and running in a few weeks I will have the resources (though I will have to find some ways to hide them, so they are not immediately traced back to me). And there is certainly no shortage of candidates... but who to choose? I would want at least one person with whom I have worked before, one of the Knights. This is an idea that shall require much thought. 8 December 2009 Well, well, well -- looks like Jack and Taylor are getting married! I guess there really is something there. I wish to give them a gift… but what? What could they need? Ah, of course! As "domesticated" As Jack may be, he is likely still feeding on human blood. Specifically, Taylor’s. But surely that must be a drain on her. Developing a synthetic blood substitute for him would be no challenge at all... but developing a small machine for them that could synthesize it, now, would be a challenge! Perhaps some sort of bio-elemental converter, using tap water and dust particles (mostly made from the shed skin cells of Jack and Taylor, and any guests) as the raw fuel for the process. In fact, why not build in a regular vacuum as well?! It will help ward of Jack’s hunger and keep the house tidy!
Dr Archeville Posted February 11, 2010 Author Posted February 11, 2010 13 December 2009 I have combed through thousands of books and magazine articles, and hundreds of hours of films and television, regarding vampires, and have assembled a hypothesis on their function. Later I shall assemble schematics for anti-vampire weaponry. Said weapons will be designed on the presumption that my hypotheses are correct; without further study and testing their true efficacy will be unknown. Avenger may be able to control his hunger -- and I am not entirely certain on that -- but the fact the other Knights knew of and yet kept quiet about the existence of vampires in Freedom still grates on me. We cannot stop all crime, not all at once, and we cannot punch out all the bad guys everywhere... but a vampire infestation? If rumor is to be believed, Foreshadow took out a nightclub's worth of vampires a few years ago; surely the Knights (if not the Freedom League!) could take out all the vampires in the city?! Put down the feral ones like any rabid animal, at least; those who show restraint, who are "tame," can be offered counseling and medical assistance, as the Albright Institute would do to any metahuman. Hypothesis: "Vampirism" is caused by a blood-borne virus, one as wildly different from common viruses as metahumans are from humans. Like all viruses, this "metavirus" only "works" when in living cells, lacking the molecular machinery needed to reproduce itself; it slips into a host’s cells and hijacks its machinery for its own purposes. The virus performs numerous alterations to the host body, as well as to bacteria naturally occurring within the host. Addendum: Some of these alterations may be news bits of genetic material inserted from the virus, while other changes may be due to the virus re-activating dormant genetic elements already present in the host. Blood, Dependence On One thing most all the legends agree on is that vampires require blood. Why? Own red blood cells break down, and they must replace them? Taking in extra adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from target's blood? (Elevated ATP levels would explain abnormal strength and stamina.) Genetic changes shut down ability to synthesize certain proteins? Certain proteins found only in other humans? Can a vampire starve to death? Does lack of regular feeding negatively affect them? Some legends tell of vampires going into feeding frenzies; could it be there's something in human blood, something they can no longer synthesize, that stabilizes their moods? Must the blood be fresh? Does stored blood work? Can synthetic blood substitutes sate their cravings? Tangent 1: Vampire bats can drink half their body weight in blood in one feeding, but their stomach lining rapidly absorbs the blood plasma and quickly transfers it to the kidneys and then to the bladder for excretion; shedding much of the blood’s liquid content makes flight easier/possible. No story I have found tells of a vampire urinating shortly after feeding, so some other mechanism is likely in place. Blood is compressed in the body, stored under high pressure? Could explain why a stake through the heart would be called for; piercing the skin releases the stored blood in an explosive manner. Tangent 2: Vampire saliva contains anticoagulants to prevent blood from clotting too quickly? Tangent 3: Vampires gain an unusual resistance to prionic diseases (Creutzfeld-Jakob, kuru)? Clinical Psychopathy/Sociopathy Presuming that vampires feel hunting and feeding urges akin to great cats and other apex predators, they must also lose conscience and empathy for other humans. It would be an essential survival trait; if a vampire felt great empathy for its prey, it would starve. Virus causes changes to the amygdala (emotional reactions, emotion learning) and prefrontal cortex (impulse control, decision making, emotional learning, behavioral adaptation)? To the white matter connections between these two areas? Enhanced Physical Abilities, Defensive (regeneration, speed, toughness) Increased metabolic rate = increased speed? (Normal foods no long a sufficient fuel, must use something more high-grade, i.e., human blood?) Thickening of motor nerve axons, leading to faster signal transmission? Tensile strength of muscle tissues increased (enhancing strength & toughness) to hold in all that compressed blood? Splicing in of genes similar to those found in amphibians that allow for regeneration? Enhanced Physical Abilities, Offensive (strength, claws, fangs) Increase in tensile strength of all bodily tissues, including nails and teeth? (Receded gumline, making teeth look longer?) Enhanced Physical Abilities, Sensory (nightvision, scent) General Senses: hypertrophy (enlargement) of the lateral amygdala and visual cortex (the “pattern-matching wetwareâ€)? Enhanced low-light/night vision: increased reflectivity of the retina? Increase in number of rods in the eye? Addition of a fourth type of cone, one that responds to infrared light? Enhanced auditory senses: alterations to the inferior colliculus (the part of the brain that processes sound) similar to those of a vampire bat, adapting it to better detect regular rhythmic sounds, such as the breathing of a sleeping person or a steady heartbeat? The amygdala may be the key neurological target – as well as emotional reactions and emotion learning, it sends impulses to the hypothalamus for activation of the sympathetic nervous system (flight-or-fight response, homeostasis), to the thalamic reticular nucleus for increased reflexes, and to the ventral tegmental area, locus coeruleus, and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus for activation of dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine/adrenaline. Garlic (Allium sativum) Garlic contains allicin, a potent antibiotic and anti-fugal. Disrupts balance of bacteria in the body? Holy Symbols Complete myth? (Perhaps intentionally spread by vampires themselves?) Psychosomatic condition (“I am a vampire, therefore I must behave as a vampireâ€?) Unfortunate result of brain re-wiring? (Optical receptors responding to horizontal lines cross-wired with those that respond to vertical lines, so that when both fire simultaneously – such as when right intersecting angles occupy more than 30 degrees of visual arc – positive feedback generates a neuroelectrical overload in the visual cortex, leading to grand mal seizures. However, while right angles are in many of the world’s holy symbols [crucifix, swastika], they are not in all [pentagram, Star of David, Yin & Yang].) Invitation Only “Crucifix glitch†(see above) bars vampires from entering buildings based on Euclidean architecture, dwellings that featured quartered window, supporting crossbeams, etc.? (Not many right angles in nature, so this would not have been as lethal when vampires first started prowling on our ancestors.) Mental Abilities Stimulation of psionic centers in the brain? Or simply an ability attributed to all based on the abilities of a few individuals? Telekinesis for flight, and some feats of superhuman strength and durability? Enhances intellect (since any predator must be smarter than its prey), to give the illusion of certain mental abilities? Native Soil Many stories tell that a vampire is partially dependent upon its “native soil,†that it must be buried when first infected in order to completely metamorphose into a vampire, and that is must periodically rest in the same soil (or soil form the same region). Perhaps there are certain anaerobic bacteria in the soil that are required to ‘stabilize’ the transformation; without being buried, the virus alone cannot perform the changes. Additionally, periodical re-introduction of these bacteria could be required to maintain the transformation. Alternatively, it’s all bunk: vampires bury their “children†because it was done to them, because it’s expected of them, and they just believe they need such soil. Pallor Sequester blood deep within body? So every slight nick or puncture doesn’t cause the release of it all? Reflection and Photographs Some legends say vampires lack reflections, since they lack souls. Targets don’t see reflection, because they’re so stealthy? Because they’re rarely in well-lit places? Subconscious psionic ability to manipulate light, dispersing it from their bodies in a random scatter? Reproduction Traces of virus or virus-altered bacteria on teeth and in saliva? Blood transfusion, draining victim to near death, then replace their blood with the thoroughly-infected blood within the “parent†vampire? Bite alone turns person into “lesser vampire†(saliva does not contain all the virus-altered bacteria needed for a full change)? “Lesser vampires†created when host does not possess certain dormant genetic elements? Shapeshifting & Stealth Bat, rat, and wolf most common. Shapeshifting power in host to begin with? Power from an early host, and genes sequences coding for it were carried over in the virus? Or simply an ability attributed to all based on the abilities of a few individuals? Fade from sight, then flush animal from a bush, to make others think they shapeshifted? Improved pattern-matching skills give an innate sense of how to adopt a posture which breaks up its outline against a background? Silver Silver weapons, including silver bullets, are more commonly used on werewolves, but some vampire tales contain them as well. Their use seems to stem from the idea that silver, being a pure metal and associated with the moon, would have power over the impure, moon-maddened monsters. However, there is a fair scientific reason for their use: silver has biocidal properties, and is quite effective as killing bacteria on contact; silver nitrate is one of the oldest disinfectants, and is still used today. Silver weaponry disrupts delicate balance of internal bacteria? Addendum: Copper has similar properties. Can copper work as effectively? Can brass? Sunlight Bram Stoker’s Dracula says the Count lost some of his unnatural powers during the day, but took no real damage from sunlight. Later stories show vampires burning to a crisp in the sun. Which is true? The nocturnal adaptations – particularly to the visual senses – would naturally lead a vampire to stay out of bright light. Virus inflicts a form of xenoderma pigmentosum (photosensitive skin condition)? Torpor Cut back on activity levels = reduced need for whatever it is they require from human blood “Hibernation†for long periods of time = adaptation to allow prey reserves to repopulate? And to forget? Undead? Most legends refer to vampires a being “undead,†neither truly alive nor dead. All my hypotheses thus far assume that a vampire is a living organism… but I have evidence this is not the case. The skin samples I took from Avenger on April 12th, 2009 are dead, and from what little I can tell were dead long before he gave them to me. (There is maddeningly little I can discern from them, as the majority of my equipment fails to register their existence; the best I can do is look at them through basic optical microscopes, ones with no reflecting components.) His cells are dead, yet do not show any sign of breakdown. Is it possible that the virus which causes vampirism does the vast majority of its work on the brain, mutating it into a form that no longer requires oxygen and thus is in no way dependent upon (but still capable of utilizing) its body? Vampires appear to have enhanced senses, because they use them all equally, rather than being primarily sight-oriented? They appear stronger and tougher, because they feel no pain and are unaware (or even uncaring) of any damage? I need more subjects! Water Many legends say vampires cannot cross running water. Vampires dislike getting near running water, since it carries away the scents of its prey? Vampires avoid water because, being heavier than normal (denser tissues, compressed blood from meals), they would sink to the bottom? Bacteria found naturally in water react negatively to bacteria in the vampire’s gut, causing pain or weakness? Wood Wooden stake through the heart would kill most anything. Piercing weapons to rupture skin and release high-pressure blood contents? Or just pins the creature to the ground while other weapons are brought to bear? Allergy to the resins or saps of certain woody plants? Ash, hawthorn, and oak are the species most often cited in the literature. I need more subjects! Of course, little if any of the above would apply to bona fide supernatural vampires, like Avenger and his ilk. Science -- even Science! -- can only do so much.
Dr Archeville Posted February 17, 2010 Author Posted February 17, 2010 14 December 2009 The following is my initial plans for anti-vampire weapons. Some can be used to capture, some to weaken, some to destroy... at least, hypothetically. My lack of true data on these... entities makes anything I come up with guesswork at best. And since I doubt Avenger would allow me to test any of them on him, or that he would allow me to test them on any of his "subjects" -- assuming his "King of the Vampires" title has any power -- I will need to do some field tests of my own. Easy enough to notify the folks at ArcheTech of my need for a few days to work on some "intense projects." But before I can start hunting, I would need to find where in Freedom they are nesting. (Social dynamics akin to vampire bats? Investigate further.) Anti-Vampire Weaponry Blood-Borne Agents: "Poisoning the Well" Making the blood of others less palatable – if not outright poisonous – to vampires. However, doing this would require knowing what it is in blood that vampires need, and altering the blood so it’s not deleterious to the human it’s in! More research is needed. Blood-Targeting Weapons Less problematic than the "poisoning the well" scenario above is to use biological or chemical agents on the vampire itself, to attack the blood within it. Malaria instantly springs to mind, largely due to the irony in using a protozoan parasite which lives in the gut of a mosquito to combat vampires. The classical description of waves of fever coming every three or four days arises from simultaneous waves of the protozoa breaking out of red blood cells during the same day. Additionally, the parasite produces certain surface proteins which infected blood cells express on their cell surface, causing the blood cells to stick to the walls of the blood vessels and not circulate (thus allowing them to stay in one spot, the liver, and not be carted off to the spleen where the body's immune system could work on the infection). Of course, distributing swarms of malaria-infested mosquitoes to infect vampires – or to infect humans and make them unpalatable to vampires – is wrong on many levels. Better to focus on hemotoxic agents (which destroy red blood cells and other proteins in the body), such as the venom of pit vipers and the Mojave rattlesnake. Fire Fire is a great equalizer. It burns structures. It sears flesh. And some creatures, like nocturnal haemophages, are particularly susceptible to the element, possessed of an aversion that is both physical and psychological. Flamethrowers are not a modern creation. The 5th century Byzantine army would pump “Greek fire†through brass tubes at enemy forces. Modern-day flamethrowers are more advanced but still function the same way. They have three components: the fuel reserve, the gun housing and the ignition system. The fuel reserve contains a fuel mixture that produces almost the same effects attributed to the “Greek fire†used centuries ago. The fuel reserve also holds a pressure tank that pushes the fuel through the system. The gun housing controls the rate at which the fuel flows. The ignition system is at the end of the spray nozzle and ignites the fuel as it leaves the weapon. By strictest definition, flamethrowers do not shoot fire; they shoot liquid set aflame. This liquid can even be bounced off walls, so it can reach unseen areas. The Surtrsklinge ("Surtr’s Blade") Personal Flamethrower operates on the same principal as a traditional flamethrower, though with some slight modifications. Traditionally, flamethrowers are used to attack fortifications and bunkers. The Surtrsklinge has been modified with the design of being more effective as an antipersonnel weapon. The weapon has a variety of settings controlled by pressing buttons with the thumb or carefully squeezing the variable-use trigger. It can be used to fire a concentrated stream of flame, larger balls or cones of flame, or a series of large gouts of flame. Traditional flamethrowers also have one glaring weakness: having their fuel tanks ruptured, which not only drains the fuel but can also set the operator on fire should any errant sparks come into contact with them. Fortunately, I have several super-strong yet lightweight alloys that I can use to armor the fuel tank and hose without making the device too bulky to use. Form-Locking Weapons A vampire’s ability to turn into a bat, wolf, or mist (assuming those abilities are common to all vampires) is a potent defensive mechanism, and negating it would be of great use to any vampire hunter. My own studies of metamorphic metahumans show that, no matter what sort of change occurs, there is a surge of erratic brain activity deep in the sensory cortex (the brain trying to process the sensor overload of radical body morphism). A device that can cause focused microseizures in that portion of the brain (using the same principles that cause certain patterns of brightly flashing lights to induce epileptic seizures) would flood the neural channels with "white noise," blocking their ability to shapeshift. (Note: this should work on any shapeshifter, at least any with a fairly human neuroanatomy.) Garlic-based Weapons Garlic-laced Pepper Spray? Pepper spray is already an irritant, and so should be effective against vampires (even “undead†ones), but adding some garlic extract shouldn’t reduce its effect. And, as a bonus, the added garlic makes it more pungent, interfering with a target’s olfactory-based senses. Garlic in smoke canisters? Effect could be similar to tear gas, but only against vampires, leaving non-vampires largely unaffected (that much garlic scent would be pungent to anyone). Holy Symbols This one is perhaps the trickiest one of all. I could easily rig a holographic generator to broadcast 3-D images of assorted holy symbols... but would that be enough? Is it just the image (re: "crucifix glitch"), or is there some psychic component, tied to the wielder's belief in the power represented by the symbol, that is really the key? Silver Weapons Silver, being a soft metal, does not keep an edge very well, so a pure silver blade would not be very effective. Silver plating is a solution, but one must be careful that plating does not wear completely off. There is one thing silver excels at, though: electrical conductivity. A high-voltage, low-current electric shock passed through silver-plated bolo wires would cause the muscles of any being – even “undead†ones – to involuntarily contract. The shock would be generated by batteries in the weighted ends. Another idea: assuming a vampire is in an enclosed building, use the HVAC to pump atomized colloidal silver into the area. Depending on how silver reacts to a vampire, it may cause discomfort, or it may just cling to everything… turning every item in the room (including the fists of vampire hunters) into silver-plated weapons. Of course, all these items would be (hypothetically) equally effective against werewolves. Solar/Ultraviolet Weaponry What component of sunlight is the key anti-vampire agent? Is it just the ultraviolet light? Or is it something more? It is easy enough to rig up something that can emit light which is, from an electromagnetic standpoint, identical to real sunlight. Easy, too, to rig it to an infrared sensor and thermal imager, so that when an object with a core temperature of less than 94oF (for vampires that are “undeadâ€) or more than 102oF (for vampires that are alive but have an exceedingly high metabolism) triggers the device. On the chance that there’s something in sunlight that is irreproducible by my Science (bah!), I have come up with a device that can absorb and capture sunlight, and should be able to catch any and all components of it. The Solar Backpack uses a complex series of miniature solar collectors to amass ambient solar radiation at an enormously fast rate (one hour of solar energy absorbed per five minutes charging cycle). A fully charged backpack carries the equivalent of 48 hours of solar radiation. The radiation is stored within the unit in a fully sealed, lead-lined containment unit. The backpack is then hooked up to a special solar pistol via a heavy-duty, flexi-lead hose. The pistol fires a concentrated, uni-directional burst of solar rays. Each measured burst is the equivalent of one hour of sun exposure. The range of the pistol is 180 feet. A second version of the unit sports two solar fibrillator units resembling those which one might see used in a hospital to resuscitate a victim of a sudden cardiac arrest. The fibrillators are attached to a split hose and must be held in contact with the intended target when the solar burst is released (they do function through normal weight clothing). Each fibrillator "shock" releases a concentrated bust of solar energy directly into the target's system for a period of time equivalent to four hours of sun exposure. Wooden Weapons Wooden stakes are easy enough to make, though their use would involve getting into melee combat, which I am somewhat averse to. Fortunately, there are options. When wooden bullets were found on Axis soldiers in WWII, they begat a number of military urban myths: poisonous splinters, shredding limbs, all sorts of nasty intel without visual confirmation. Fact is, wooden bullets were used most often as tracers for grenade launchers or as training bullets fired in desperation. Horror stories left over from WWII have created bugbear-like gremlins and foo-fighters out of a largely ineffectual ballistic… but my personal experiences have shown me that gremlins, at least, are all too real. As are vampires. The development of wooden rounds to deal with vampires is a no-brainer. The bullets are made of compressed fibers formed around a soft center of fresh wood; the soft center heats up upon firing and builds up pressure within the hollow of the bullet, shredding into splinters on impact. What sort of wood to use? Legends and myths vary: some say any wood, while others insist it must be ash, or hawthorn, or mistletoe, or oak, or willow. Numerous tests must be performed… but such tests would be exceedingly difficult to set up.
Dr Archeville Posted March 21, 2010 Author Posted March 21, 2010 4 January 2010 Phantom is fourteen weeks pregnant?! (Conception date late September 2009, not long after my last encounter with Captain Knievel, and the pleasant afternoon with Atlas.) With Avenger's spawn?! How is this possible? All the tests I've run on Avenger's skin samples -- the ones I can run, the ones that bypass that odd anti-tech cloaking field -- show his body is truly dead; I still have no solid idea how it stays animate. (Best Guess: It is dead, animated like a marionette -- or a 'mech -- via a telekinesis-like effect generated by his mind/"spirit", which exists separate form the body in an invisible noncorporeal state.) He should not be able to generate reproductive material! And as for Phantom, her temporally locked, "dynamically static" body should not even be able to get pregnant! This is maddening! Especially since all my tests show that the fetus is a living, normal human male; the only anomaly I detect is a trace of the same odd energies that permeate Phantom. And yet... opportunities are presented. Working with them, I can gain more intel on "Supernatural" elements (particularly vampires and other "spellcasters"), intel I otherwise would have a far harder time acquiring. Maybe even get a hold of some "magic items" and see what makes them tick, or some "spellbooks," see just what is in them. Plus, this would be the first time I have studied a metahuman fetus so early; with all the others I have worked on, I was only called in during the final trimester. Prenatal care is always important, especially when Metahumans are involved. I wonder if I should tell Ace, or Scarab? I'll be meeting her in a few weeks anyway, so I will have the opportunity to do so. Abominations!
Dr Archeville Posted March 22, 2010 Author Posted March 22, 2010 15 January 2010 Had a very pleasant day today, studying and assisting a non-magical, non-undead metahuman. Mona "Fulcrum" Teymourian is a 2.49 m tall, 260.82 kilogram woman with enhanced strength and durability, flight, and some emerging super-speed; all are tied to her ability to generate "Cosmic Energies". Very pleasant gal, too. Very pleasant. But more on that later. Except... according to both Dark Star and Jack of All Blades (whose energy-detecting powers make me inclined to hear them out), it's not "Cosmic Energies" she generates, it is "Terminus Energies." But she is not one of the "Terminus Babies" -- those conceived, in utero, or born during either the 1965 or 1993 Terminus Invasion, and evidencing powers due to exposure to Terminus Energies -- she was born in 1980. However, she was present at the final battle between Centurion and Omega, and receiving chemotherapy at the time, so it does seem probable that the energies escaping from Omega's cracked armor (and his subsequent exodimensional teleport out) could have infused her compromised body. Which makes for a fascinating ability to study some aspects of the Terminus without having to go to it! I of course had to use some special equipment to study her, due to her metahuman abilities. Standard blood pressure cuff cannot get a read because they cannot compress enough to affect her blood flow. Attempts to draw blood fail because the needles would shatter when pressed to her flesh. The standard doctor's light was insufficient for the pupillary response test, as it was not bright enough to cause any appreciable reaction. Going through the standard tests got me to thinking about all the other types of specialized equipment I have used (and, in most cases, created) to do a proper job on Metahumans. Medical Devices... of Science! Electromagnetic Screwdriver There are of course a number of medical-related tasks my omnigadget can perform. In addition to a laser scalpel, it can also generate a magnetic beam to manipulate metallic items from a distance (useful if I must do surgery on someone I cannot reach), all manner of sensors, and a holoprojector to share what I find. Electron Microscope: Super-Senses 4 (Microscopic Vision 4) Holoprojector: Illusion 1 (sight and hearing, 5-ft. radius) Laser Scalpel: Strike 5 (Extra: Penetrating 5; Flaw: Action/Full Round) Magnetic Manipulator: Magnetic Control 1 (Str 5, max load 100 lbs.; PFs: Indirect, Precise, Subtle) Pan-Spectrum Analyzer, v1: Super-Senses 4 (Acute Analytical Ranged Detect Electromagnetic Radiation [radio group]) Pan-Spectrum Analyzer, v2: Super-Senses 4 (Acute Analytical Ranged Detect Physical Objects [radio group]) (can also be used for Detect Air Purity/Detect Composition of Extraterrestrial Breathing Gases) Pan-Spectrum Analyzer, v3: Super-Senses 4 (infravision, radio, ultra-hearing, ultravision) Anesthetic Ray Anesthesia consists of three things: reducing anxiety levels, deadening their perception of pain (so they do not wake up), and paralyzing them (so they do not reflexively move while being operated upon). Rendering the patient unconscious (partly so they do not get traumatized by witnessing the surgery, partly so they do not annoy the doctors with questions while the try to concentrate) is the main difference between local and general anesthesia. But all that typically requires a mix of IVs and gases, and can get quite bulky. My anesthetic ray, which directly manipulates the nervous system (particularly pain receptors and the amygdala and hippocampus), can perform all of those functions. However, the energy wavelengths involved are quite erratic, so the ray has a very, very short range. I usually mount the projector a few feet directly over the patient's head. Device 11 (Anesthetic Ray; 55pp; Easy to Lose) [33pp] Emotion Control 12 (Flaws: Range 2/Touch, Limited to Calm) [4pp] Linked Paralyze 12 [24pp] Linked Stun 12 (PF: Sedation) [25pp] 4+24+25=53pp Gravitic Negator This device, a pad or mat of varying size which can greatly decrease the force of gravity directly over it, serves a variety of functions. It can be used to provide a way for pateints to rest without worrying about bedsores. Some studies have shown that certain wounds also heal better when the patient is in a low-gravity environ, due to the changes in how blood flows. Larger ones can also be used to set up an area for care of beings native to a low-gravity world. Device 4 (Gravitic Pressor; 20 points; Easy to Lose) [12pp] Gravity Control 10 (Str 50, Hvy Load 12 tons; Flaw: Decrease Only; PFs: Precise, Progression 9 [reduces area to 5 feet radius]) Gravitic Pressor This device, similar to the gravitic negator but operating in reverse, serves two functions. A smaller pad can be used to compress a subject's arm enough to stop blood flow, thus permitting me to measure their blood pressure. Larger ones can be used for strength training, or to simply immobilize an excited patient. Larger ones can also be used to set up an area for care of beings native to a high-gravity world. Device 4 (Gravitic Pressor; 20 points; Easy to Lose) [12pp] Gravity Control 10 (Str 50, Hvy Load 12 tons; Flaw: Increase Only; PFs: Precise, Progression 9 [reduces area to 5 feet radius]) [20pp] Device 8 (Gravitic Pressor; 40 points; Easy to Lose) [24pp] Gravity Control 20 (Str 100, Hvy Load 12,500 tons; Flaw: Increase Only; PFs: Precise, Progression 19 [reduces area to 5 feet radius]) [40pp] Larger pads of either type would have less Progression, to effect a larger area. Hemograbber Many metahumans have skin that is too tough to be pierced by standard needles. Using tougher needles is often insufficient, since the needles still must be driven in with enough force to pierce the skin. So instead of going in to get the blood, I have devised a way to make the blood come out to me. It works along vaguely the same lines as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). That compound, used as a carrier that forces skin to absorb delivered chemicals, works by causing the molecular "gates" within the walls of skin cells to open. But because of the skin's naturally selective characteristics, items beyond the size of a large molecule or bacteria are not physically able to pass through these open gates. Thus, while DMSO can be used to administer compounds in aqueous solution, there are limits to what it can transport. The Hemograbber uses a tightly focused energy beam that causes the skin cells to separate from one another in a very tiny area, and blood then oozes up (or shoot of like a geyser, depending on the width of the hole and the patient's blood pressure). It does not go very deep -- 3 mm at most, just enough to get down to the superficial veins -- but that is all that is needed. Widen the beam, amp up the power, and I've got the nastiest ray gun around: a Flay Gun! Best to put a biometric lock on it so only I can use it, of course. Device 8 (Flay Gun; 40 points; Easy to Lose; PF: Restricted 2) [26pp] Drain Constitution 16 (Extra: Range/Ranged; PFs: Slow Fade 6/1 point per day) [38pp] Shrinking Harness What better way to see what's going on inside someone than to get inside them? I can use this harness (which uses some of the shrinking techniques pioneered by my grandfather) to shrink down so small that I can hold a red blood cell in my hand as if it were a beach ball, or even smaller, to actually see and manipulate DNA strands. The harness also includes a low-powered gravitic manipulator so I can fly about unhindered (so I can check out the lungs and other cavities, and not tied solely to the blood and lymph streams), and a force field to protect me from any defenses that think I am an invading hostile bacteria. Device 10 (Shrinking Harness; 50 points; Hard to Lose) [40pp] Flight 1 (10 mph/100 feet; 6.25 feet at Miniscule/Atomic size) Force Field 13 (total Toughness +8 when Miniscule/Atomic; Extras: Impervious 5, Linked Immunity 9 [Life Support]) Shrinking 20 (Str 1, -5 Toughness, +12 Defense [+20 total]; PF: Atomic Size) [2+27+21=50] Sound Masker This small device can cancel all sound in small (3m radius) area. Quite handy for patients who need to get some uninterrupted rest. It can be synced to a small device worn around someone's throat -- say, a nurse or doctor -- so that it does not cancel the sound of their voice, allowing their advice to be heard while still blocking all other noises. Device 1 (Sound Masker; 5 points; Easy to Lose) [3pp] Obscure 1 (auditory, 10-ft. radius; Extras: Duration/Continuous, Selective; PF: Subtle) [4pp] Telepathic Headbands Sometimes a patient may be paralyzed, unable to speak, yet still aware. This handy device gets around that. The second version of the Telepathic Headband I created could be used to probe a mind for answers. This could be used to get to the roots of any traumas, uncover repressed memories, and even "communicate" with unconscious beings. Device 1 (Telepathic Headband v1; 5 points; Hard to Lose) [4pp] Communication 2 (mental, 100 feet; Extra: Two-Way) [4pp] Device 3 (Telepathic Headband v1; 15 points; Hard to Lose) [12pp] Communication 1 (mental, 10 feet; Extra: Two-Way) [2pp] Mind Reading 10 [10pp]
Dr Archeville Posted April 8, 2010 Author Posted April 8, 2010 29 March 2010 At the beginning of the month I had meant to go on a vampire hunt -- well, vampire reconnaissance mission, really -- but that wound up turning into an interview with a werewolf. While this was still quite fruitful, it made evident some holes in my plans to studyexterminate! all things "supernatural." As well as some redundancies in some of my existing technology, which could be repurposed for better effect. First, my Gravimetric Belt. I have been pretty happy with it these past several months, but I have come to realize I could streamline it a bit more. The space travel functions -- which I had worked so hard on implementing -- will be removed from the Belt itself, as well as some of the gravitic compensators. If I need to go into space, I can use one of my many other devices; if I am abruptly flung into space with no immediately obvious way back, I can rig something up. After removing those components, I re-wired the movement systems so they were more efficient -- lots of old and twisted wiring in there! Once that was done, I installed several new features. First, my primary force field will now incorporate a variable amplitude energy matrix, to provide defense against exotic attacks. This should provide some defense against a number of metahuman attacks, including some types of "magic"... hypothetically, at least. The field is not very strong, but with further tinkering I am sure I can make it an efficacious bulwark. Second, I improved the cloaking field with a back-up system, one incorporating a broader range of electromagnetic spectrum distorters and acoustic mufflers. Third, an entirely new feature, an Intangibility Field. This focuses the gravity manipulation capabilities of the suit inward, decreasing my density to the point where I become so diffuse as to be intangible. Gravitic and magnetic attacks (as well as one of "pure force") still affect me in this state, though -- they disrupt the field and can cause parts of me to either become more diffuse and separate, floating off from me, or inverts a section of the field so that part of me becomes so dense it tears away from the rest of me! Fourth (and finally), a second entirely new feature, a Shrinking Field. Yes, it would have been easier to go with a Density Increase setting, flipping the Intangibility field so that I become more dense (and thus stronger & tougher) instead of less, but being able to shrink down to the size of an blood cell is far, far more useful to me. Most of my excess mass is shunted into another dimension, though some is converted into energy, in the form of a protective force field, quite handy to ward off antagonistic leukocytes. Better yet, I was able to fit in sufficient components to shrink down past the cell limit, to a size where I can directly manipulate molecules and atoms! After all this, I still had the old components from my belt laying on the table, as well as several others I had been going through when working to improve the Belt. Ever since my Electromagnetic Screwdriver was destroyed by "gremlins", back last September, I had been considering making some considerable improvements to it. At the time I merely rebuilt it as it was, but in the past six months, I have made several advances in both miniaturization and energy manipulation (as well as electrical engineering in general), so I set to work on upgrading my "wondrous techno-wand" (as one reporter put it). Now instead of one focusing chamber, it has three. Today has been a fine day for Science! Device 12 (Gravimetric Belt v1.1.4.a; hard to lose; 60 points; PF: Restricted - Only usable by those with a +14 or better Knowledge/Technology modifier) [49pp] Device 12 (gravimetric belt; hard to lose; 60 points; PF: Restricted - Only usable by those with a +14 or better Knowledge/Technology modifier). 49pp. Enhanced Feats 2 (Environmental Adaptation [low-gravity, high-gravity]) [2] Flight 8 (2,500 mph / 25,000 feet; PFs: 2 Alternate Powers, Instant Up, Move-By Action) [18+2=20] AP 1: Immovable 18 AP 2: Teleport 8 (800 ft/Continental; PFs: Change Direction, Change Velocity) Force Field 12 (Extras: Impervious 10, Linked Enhanced Fortitude Save 3; PFs: 3 Alternate Powers, Selective) [26+3=29] AP 1: Force Field 10 (PFs: Selective, Subtle), Linked Concealment 10 (all senses; Flaw: Blending; PFs: Close Range, Hide in Plain Sight), Linked Enhanced Skills 8 (Stealth +8; +9 total) [26/26] AP 2: Insubstantial 4 (incorporeal; affected by force, gravitic, and magnetic; PFs: Selective, Subtle) [22/26] AP 3: Shrinking 20 (Miniscule [-20 Str, min 1/-5, -5 Toughness, +12 Attack/Defense, -20 Grapple, +20 Stealth]; PF: Atomic Size) and Linked Force Field 2 (Extra: Impervious). When Minuscule, with Labcoat, total Toughness is +6 [imp 6] and Defense is +22. [25/26] Immunity 9 (life support) [9] 2+20+29+9 = 60pp Gadgets 3 (Elektromagnetischer Schraubenzieher/Electromagnetic Screwdriver; 15 "Device Points", easy to lose; PF: Restricted - Only usable by those with a +14 or better Knowledge/Technology modifier) [19pp] Gadgets 3 (Easy to Lose, 15 'device points'; PF: Restricted - Only usable by those with a +14 or better Knowledge/Technology modifier) Sample Settings [*:3afzskh0]Corrosion 4 (laser-torch; PF: Precise) {13/15} [*:3afzskh0]Datalink 6 (20 miles; Extra: Area; PFs: Selective, Subtle) {14/15} [*:3afzskh0]Drain Dexterity 15 (mobility systems overloader; Flaw: Limited [people in battlesuit or with cyborg limbs]; Extra: Total Fade) {15/15} [*:3afzskh0]Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Linked [blast], Range [Ranged]; Flaws: Limited [Objects], Limited [Electronics]) [10PP] and Blast 10 (Extra: Linked [Drain]; Flaws: Limited [Objects], Limited [Electronics]) [5PP] (Electromagnetic Pulse Blast) {10+5=15/15} [*:3afzskh0]Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Area [burst, General], Linked ; Flaws: Limited [Objects], Limited [Electronics]) [10PP] and Strike 10 (Extras: Area [burst, General], Linked [Drain]; Flaws: Limited [Objects], Limited [Electronics]) [5PP] (Electromagnetic Pulse) {10+5=15/15} [*:3afzskh0]Cold, Electrical, Fire, Light, Magnetic, Microwave, or Radiation Control 7 and associated APs as alternative settings (electromagnetic manipulation; Cold & Fire = infrared) {14/15} [*:3afzskh0]Enhanced Flight 7 (to Flight 14 [250,000 mph / 2,500,000 feet {473 miles} per Move action]) {14/15} [*:3afzskh0]Enhanced Skills 6 (+6 to Notice) and Super-Senses 5 (extended for all vision [2], distance sense [rangefinder], infravision, ultravision) {1.5+5=6.5/15} [*:3afzskh0]Enhanced Skills 48 (+6 to any 8 skills that his home HQ can help with) plus Super-Senses 1 (communication link with home HQ) {12+1=13/15} [*:3afzskh0]Enhanced Teleport 0 (Extra: Portal on the 7 ranks of Teleport from his Belt; PF: Progression 1 [10-ft. portal]) {15/15} [*:3afzskh0]Enhanced Teleport 3 (adds to Teleport 7 from his Belt for a total of Teleport 10 [1,000 feet/Earth to Moon]; PFs: Progression 4 [2,500 lbs. cargo]) {10/15} [*:3afzskh0]Illusion 4 (holoprojektor; visual & radio; PF: Progression 1/10-ft. radius) {13/15} [*:3afzskh0]Power Control 15 (Flaw: Limited [Only technological powers]) {15/15} [*:3afzskh0]Strike 15 (lichtsäbel) {15/15} [*:3afzskh0]Super-Senses 4 (analytical extended tracking detect electromagnetic radiation [radio]) {4/15} [*:3afzskh0]Super-Senses 4 (analytical extended tracking detect physical objects [radio]) {4/15} [*:3afzskh0]Super-Senses 5 (penetrates concealment detect metal [radio]) {5/15}
Dr Archeville Posted May 18, 2010 Author Posted May 18, 2010 30 January 2010 Mona and I have been together for two weeks now, which is a new record for me. I really, really want this to work; she is just so different from anyone else I have ever been with, and I do not want to screw things up with her. There are some problems we face, of course, both social and physical, but she is a trooper, and I cannot be otherwise, especially with her encouragement. Ironically, while thinking of how certain pieces of technology might help us overcome some of these problems, part of my brain has gone into overdrive thinking up other, tangentially-related devices. I have not felt this giddy since my college days! And I can tell I am feeling silly when one realizes the names of this recent spate of devices can all be acronyms for numbers, one trough ten. See here for notes on Invention. Omnidefensive Nanite Enhancement (ONE) My labcoat and force field generator protects me from most physical assaults, but not all. Not most, some might say, considering all the indirect methods of harm there are among the Metahuman populations. Thus, I devised the ONE System: colonies of nanites that are houses in the body, constantly monitoring all biosystems, and reacting with lightning speed to any changes outside of specific preprogrammed parameters. Poisons? Diseases? The nanites can quickly break them down into something the host's immune system can manage. But that's just the tip of the iceberg: these amazing little machines can help fight off the effects of any assault that changes the body, and with careful monitoring of the brain, the mind as well. It is not a perfect system -- the trials for the full system proved quite disappointing -- but as these are now, they would definitely give someone an edge against many "exotic" Metahuman attacks, or a night of drunken revelry. I'd started work on these to try and find a way to restore Fulcrum to her original size, but my target quickly became larger and larger. As they are, they would not help Mona; her "growth" is now as intrinsic to her as the "shrinking" of a songbird. Immunity 10 (any effect that alters your traits, including — but not necessarily limited to — Boost, Drain, and similar trait effects, as well as Transform and other alteration effects used as attacks; Flaw: Limited to half effect) [5pp] The Wondrous Omnigoggles (TWO) Okay, the name is a bit of a cheat for the acronyms-as-numbers thing, but recent innovations in optics have gotten me to revisit some of my visual enhancement devices. These wraparound goggles contain heat sensors, nightvison, telescopic lenses, UV sensors, and x-ray sensors. Nanocameras along the headband allow the wearer to see all around himself at once. My Electromagnetic Screwdriver can perform all these functions; I used it while Mona used these when we went flying one night, as I showed her different ways to see the world. Device 2 (10 points, Hard to Lose) [8pp] Super-Senses 10 (extended vision 2 [1,000 ft. range increment], radius 2 [all vision], infravision, low-light vision, ultravision, x-ray vision [Vision Penetrates Concealment; Drawback: blocked by lead]). [10pp] Theme Recording Emotion Evoker (THREE) Music can move people, as both the Maestro and Fear Master (II) have proven. This is my own take on such technologies, focusing on more subtle aspects of it. A rousing piece can lift the spirits during a battle, but a subtle shift in it can demoralize one's foes. I would of course never use this while Mona is around, and in fact put this in the Restricted Vault when I know she is coming over. Subsonic Music Mastery 10 (20 points; PFs: 1 AP) [21pp] BE: Emotion Control 10 (Extra: 50-ft. Burst Area; Flaw: Sense Dependent/Auditory) [20/20pp] AP: Enhanced Charisma 14 and and Enhanced Feats 2 (Fascinate [Diplomacy, Intimidate]) and Enhanced Skills 12 (Diplomacy 6, Intimidate 6) [14+2+3=19/20pp] Force Utility Rig (FOUR) This device would be quite handy in any mechanics workshop, and I hope to perfect a mass-produceable version someday. The rig consists of a chest harness and two gauntlets, connected by a trio of thick cables. The gauntlets can generate an assortment of tools from the fingers or the whole hand, made of force fields; the system can also generate larger, simpler shapes for use in containing spills or scooping up large things, or a strong protective bubble around the wearer. Also included are knowledge databases with schematics for most mechanical devices, from door hinges to automobiles. The rig contains both voice- and motion-activated controls. A tangential link to Mona: she was at my place the other day and asked if there was anything she could help with (I was working on restoring one of Ace's cars at the time), and I let her try this out. I had to kludge together three of the rigs to fit her, but overall it was a success. Device 4 (20 points; Hard to Lose) [16pp] Enhanced Feats 1 (Improvised Tools) [1] Enhanced Skills 12 (Craft [Mechanical] +6, Knowledge [Technology] +6) [3] Force Construct 5 (Extra: Movable; PF: 1 Alternate Power) [16] AP: Force Field 7 (Extra: Impervious) 1+3+16=20pp Far-range Instant Vitality Enhancer (FIVE) This could more accurately be called the Long-range Instant Vitality Enhancer (and have the more fitting acronym LIVE), but I am working on a theme here. This device looks like a cliched 1950s ray gun, but rather than harming a target, it heals them. The energy produced by the ray gun greatly stimulates the healing processes of most life forms, and it can be adjusted for to fire a weaker wide-range beam in order to heal many people at once. Another indirect link to Mona for this. She makes certain darker parts of my personality quiet down, allowing me to focus on beneficial technologies like this. Device 7 (35 points, Easy to Lose) [21pp] Healing 11 (Extra: Range/Ranged; PFs: Stabilize, 1 Alternate Power) [35pp] AP: Healing 6 (Extra: 60-ft. Cone Area; PF: Stabilize) Shrinker, Industrial, Mark 10/X (SIX) This, the tenth iteration of my Industrial-grade Shrinking devices, can reduce a wearer in size to between one-half and two-thirds their normal height. This device is designed for use in tight spaces where normals-sized adults cannot go, but not so tight or small that they need specially-crafted tools to use in the work they do. The change in size occurs quite rapidly, quickly enough that the momentum from rapid size-shifts can be used offensively. The ninth iteration of the device consisted of a small chestpiece shaped something like a kite shield, a matching back piece, boots, gauntlets, belt, and an open-faced helmet. This version, designed specifically for Mona, consists of a necklace, anklets, bracelets, a belly-chain, and earrings; fashionable (and much more discrete) yet functional. Device 1 (5 points, Hard to Lose) [4pp] Shrinking 1 (Medium to Small, or Large to Medium; PF: Growth Strike) Seismic Event Enervator (SEVEN) Earthquakes are a fact of life... or are they? This, one of the largest devices I've designed, can set up counter-vibrations along a shifting fault line that will counteract the seismic waves. It can even counter most geokinetic Metahuman powers, even those not used to generate earthquakes. Yes, the device can be set to generate seismic waves and start earthquakes, but I put several safeguards in place to make sure that cannot happen. I have had ideas for this in the back of my mind since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but Mona's talk of her mother's homeland (Iran, one of the most seismically active countries in the world) got me to start putting my theories into a more practical application. Seismic Event Control 21 (42pp powers; PF: 1 Alternate Power) [43pp] BE: Seismic Event Interdictor: Nullify 6 (all earth manipulation abilities; Extras: 30-ft. radius Burst Area, Duration 2/Sustained; Flaws: Action/Full Round, Range/Touch; PFs: Improved Range 10/range increment of 150,000 feet [28.4 miles], Indirect 3, Progression [Area] 10/5 feet to 10,000 feet [60,000 ft., or 11.4 miles, radius], Progression [Range] 9/10,000 range increments [1 range increment = max range]) [12+29=41pp] AP: Seismic Event Generator: Move Object 6 (Str 30; Extras: 30-ft. radius Burst Area, Damaging; Flaws: Action/Full Round, Unreliable [5 uses/day]; PFs: Improved Range 10/range increment of 150,000 feet [28.4 miles], Indirect 3, Progression [Area] 10/5 feet to 10,000 feet [60,000 ft., or 11.4 miles, radius], Progression [Range] 9/10,000 range increments [1 range increment = max range]; Drawbacks: Action 2/5 minutes to activate) [12+32-2=42pp] OOC Note: This is just a thought exercise, there's no way this would actually be allowed in play. Electrical Insulator/Generator, Homaging Thunder (EIGHT) This full body suit contains millions of tiny clusters of high-capacity batteries, as well as "antenna" that can draw in electrical energy without harm to the wearer. Better yet, the wearer can then use the stored energy for a variety of effects, much like the stalwart leader of the Freedom League, Captain Thunder. It can do more with electrical energy than Thunder can, but it cannot heal the wearer the way Thunder can use electrical energy to heal himself. I made this as part of a series of devices I had created that could mimic (or excel at) the Freedom League's abilities, and showed them off to Mona one evening. Device 10 (50 points, Hard to Lose) [40pp] Absorption 12 (energy, feeds Electrical Control; Extra: Energy Storage; Flaw: Limited 2/Electrical energy only; PF: Slow Fade 1/1 point per minute) [37pp] Electrical Control 2 (PFs: 5 APs) [9pp] AP: Blast 1 (ball lightning; Extra: 5-ft. Burst Area) AP: Dazzle Visual 2 (blinding electrical arc) AP: Strike 1 (electrical aura; Extras: Duration 2/Sustained, Aura) AP: Stun 1 (taser-blast; Extra: Range/Ranged) AP: Teleport 2 (200 feet; Flaw: Medium/power lines and other conductive materials; PFs: Change Direction, Turnabout) Super-Senses 3 (acute ranged detect electricity) [3pp] 37+9+3=49pp Neo-Intellectual Nano-Enhancers (NINE) This device consists of two parts, a system of nanites a headband. The nanites can either be dedicated to this system (and have no function outside of it), or be part of some other nanite enhancement system (such as the ONE System, above). While worn, the headband activates the nanites which cluster in and stimulate assorted regions of the brain. ____ The headband/nanite combo can also send out signals that allow the user to mentally interface/interfere with the functioning of any electronic device within about three meters, allowing for true "hands free" computing. I have had plans for this for some time, for use in case something ever happened to me that stripped me of my enhanced intellect. Part of me wishes to give this to Mona, but hesitates for fear she would be terribly offended. Then again, given her Terminus-altered physiognomy, the nanite components may not work in her. v1; Device 3 (15 points, Hard to Lose; PFs: Restricted 2) [14pp] Datalink 1 (10 feet) [1] Enhanced Quickness 4 (Flaw: Mental only) [2] Enhanced Mental Abilities Array 4 (8 points; PFs: 4 APs; Drawback: Action 1/Move action to switch) [8+4-1=11] BE: Enhanced Intelligence 8 [8] AP: Comprehend 4 (codes, languages 3 [speak any one at a time, understand any/all at once, read any]) [8] AP: Enhanced Wisdom 8 [8] AP: Enhanced Charisma 8 [8] AP: Enhanced Attack 2 and Enhanced Defense 2 [4+4=8] 1+2+11 = 14 points v2; Device 4 (20 points, Hard to Lose; PFs: Restricted 2) [18pp] Datalink 1 (10 feet) [1] Enhanced Quickness 4 (Flaw: Mental only) [2] Enhanced Mental Abilities Array 7 (14 points; PFs: 4 APs; Drawback: Action 1/Move action to switch) [14+4-1=17] BE: Enhanced Intelligence 14 [14] AP: Enhanced Intelligence 6 plus Comprehend 4 (codes, languages 3 [speak any one at a time, understand any/all at once, read any]) [6+8=14] AP: Enhanced Wisdom 14 [14] AP: Enhanced Charisma 14 [14] AP: Enhanced Attack 4, Enhanced Defense 2, and Enhanced Feats 2 (Dodge Focus 2) [8+4+2=14] 1+2+17 = 20 points Temporary Enlargement Nanites (TEN) This device consists of nanites that are breathed in by a user, either through an inhaler or concealed in a cigar; they could also be incorporated into the air tanks/filters of a suit of powered armor, or as a tiny bionic implant. The nanites rapidly disperse throughout the body, and cause a marked increase in size; the growth is caused by chemicals carried by the nanites, and their even dispersion and monitoring ensures that the growth goes smoothly and evenly. The increase takes a few seconds to complete, and once done the subject remains at their new size for four hours. Mona's inspiration for this should be obvious. And, yes, there is a bit of male chauvinist ego there, rebelling at the fact she stands almost a meter taller than I. Growth 4 (Large, +8 Str, +4 Con, -1 attack/defense; Extras: Independent, Total Fade [12 rounds]; PFs: Slow Fade 3/20 minutes [Large for 4 hours]; Drawback: Action 3/Full round to grow) [16pp]
Dr Archeville Posted May 23, 2010 Author Posted May 23, 2010 Allies & Enemies: A Brief Assessment The Interceptors A superteam of my own development, created in October of 2009 to focus on Freedom City. Over time they have become an informal network for heroes too old for Claremont Academy but still too unestablished for the Freedom League, or who were otherwise disinclined to join a team full time. Biological samples, technological scans, and recordings of fighting styles for most taken bimonthly, first taken in late October 2009. All-Star - Overconfident Powerhouse (Reserve) An ego as big as his neck is thick, but his raw power (and ability to serve as a shield or distraction while others do the real work) in an undeniable asset.Blink - Atoning Teleporter (Reserve)Almost as skilled as she is regretful. Comfortable with Black Ops work; I would like to see her become less comfortable with it, get her off that slippery slope. Colt - Ultradimensional Gunslinger (Active) Amazing shot, a keen eye, and a calm centered-ness that has seen him take on a leadership role.Elektron - Rosy Robot (Reserve)One of the happiest beings I have ever heard of. Tech abilities useful in-field, especially as a mask for my own assistance. Surface scans on file from surveillance footage, nothing more. Grimalkin - Fae Faceman (Facewoman) (Active) Has the skills & abilities needed for some Black Ops work, but still shows reluctance at the "blacker" ops. This is precisely where I want the team.Jack of All Blades - Scintillating Swashbuckler (Active)A caring and selfless soul. But those can lead him to running off to avenge a wrong, before thinking things through. Razorwing - Dark Avenger A refugee from Ronin & the Shadow Academy. Brutal & effective, but slowly learning to ease up; must make sure he is lifted up by the rest, and not that he drags them down.Velocity - Eager Speedster (AWOL a/o Nov 2009)I wonder how much of her idealism springs from her ability to do so much. Her departure after the Demonic Invasion concerns me -- was she taken, or did she merely have a complete mental break? Must learn more. Vince - Convivial Computer Entity (Active/Liaison) By far my greatest success at AI, though his personality at times grates on me. Still, he fits smoothly with the team (especially Grimalkin and Jack/Blades), so in that respect he functions perfectly.The Knights of Freedom A mostly informal team of heroes, most of whom first met when opposing evil cultists in February of 2009; my involvement was primarily as an adviser. The team disbanded in September of 2009, in part due to the role Arrowhawk had in the March destruction of a large section of Riverside (he blew up the armory/ammo dump under Eric Micheal's home), in part due to Avenger's vampiric nature, and in part due to irreconcilable personality conflicts.Arrowhawk - Avenging ArcherDedicated, determined, deadly. He is still getting flak from what he did in Riverside; I am not sure if he still should. No samples collected. Avenger - Vengeful Vampire At first, I thought he was a time displaced vigilante from the grimmer & grittier 1980s. Now, I know different. Will fatherhood mellow him? For his child's sake, I hope so. Biological (Necrological?) samples collected April 2009 (gender-reversed), January 2010. Dark Star - Naive Godling Dark Star is perhaps the most dangerous metahuman on the planet. For now, his phenomenal power is tempered by his good and trusting nature, but if he were to suffer some sort of severe mental or emotional trauma, he could crack the planet. Energy signatures recorded May 2009. Divine - Bacchanalian Barkeep Supposedly the Greek Goddess of Hedonism, and the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite. She certainly acts the part, which is to say, no sane person would knowingly have congress with her. Biological samples collected April 2009 (gender-reversed). Phantom - Pandimensional Protector A "sorceress" that keeps otherdimensional riff-raff out. She does her job well, from what I hear, but her methods leave much to be desired. How will motherhood affect her duties? Biological samples collected January 2010. Scarab (II) - Sagely Psychic Powerful and wise, a rare combination; reincarnating through hundreds of lifetimes has served her well. I am hoping she can help me with my own problems, with both telepathy-augmented psychotherapy and a comparison of our genetic material to find any matching markers for psionic powers. No samples collected (yet). Wesley Knight - Biokinetic I have only met him once (and for most of that time, he was a she), but his powers are of immense interest. I must arrange to meet him again sometime. Biological samples collected April 2009 (gender-reversed). Young Freedom The latest team of young heroes to come out of Claremont, though these are even less official than the Next Gen. I interacted with them briefly in August 2009, helping to retireve them from a parallel world. Breakdown - Boisterous Sonokinetic There is a saying: "if it's too loud, you're too old." Breakdown makes me feel old. No samples collected. Edge - Effervescently Eager Accomplice The latest from a family of sidekick extraordinaire. And this one seems to have some manner of probability-manipulating powers; his presence really does make his allies more competent and his foes less so! A study of his abilities could yield valuable insights into certain aspects of Chaos Theory; must schedule time to meet him. No samples collected. Geckoman - Loquacious Lizardling Everyone likes this guy, and he does have a certain charm. I am more interested in where he acquired his tech and the serum that granted him his powers. Biological samples collected April 2009 (gender-reversed), May 2010 (Fisticuffs 2). Hellion - Hell's Harbinger? Word is, he is half-demon, and he was the initiator of the November '09 Demonic Invasion. But he has close and trusted friends, and they were able to talk him out of it, so there must be something human still in him. Unless it is all a ruse, to lull us into a false sense of security for an even worse (and possibly more subtle) invasion. Definitely bears watching. No samples collected. Phalanx - Earnest Powerhouse On the one hand, all reports indicate he is a genuinely good kid, with a heart as big as all outdoors. On the other hand, he is a Terminus Baby, and there is considerable concern that such beings may bring ruin to this world. I am keeping a close eye on him. No samples collected, but copies of government reports & covert recon by Grimalkin are on file. Psyche - Petite Psion Like Phalanx, she is a good kid. Like Phalanx, she is also a Terminus Baby; she compliments his physical might with phenomenal mental power. Which could make her much more dangerous. I am keeping a close eye on her, too. No samples collected, but copies of government reports & covert recon by Grimalkin are on file. Wander - Horror Survivor Super-soldier suffering severe PTSD from seeing her entire world consumed in some sort of "Zombie Apocalypse." Has been receiving constant psychological care, but I am concerned that she will never truly be at peace. No samples collected. Others Ace Danger - Legendary Lothario The man, the myth, the legend, he is all the stories say and more. Invaluable in helping me get ArcheTech and ArcheStern off the ground, which is still somewhat surprising considering that he fought my grandfather. No samples collected. Atlas - Big Red Man Incredibly nice guy, which is very good considering his immense strength and toughness. And he makes a damn fine sandwich. Must meet with him to see how he is doing after the Grue Invasion. Biological sample (trace) collected mid-September 2009. Captain Wonder - Gallant Paragon Like Ace Danger, he fought my grandfather many times during those dark days, but he was willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. Calm, cool-headed, a true inspiration for all. No samples collected. Dead Head - Revolting Revenant I had heard of this being for months, and finally got to meet it on May 2010. Avenger says he is undead, but if so he is the most well-adjusted undead I have ever seen. Unable to confirm hypothesis that he is just a mutant with phenomenal regenerative powers and a bad skin condition. No samples collected (yet). Displacer - Competitive "Teleporter" Good heart, but severe focus issues. Scans indicate his power is much more than mere teleportation, but I cannot pinpoint what. Keeping an eye on him; after Claremont, the Interceptors? Samples collected [month year]. Dynamo - Senseless Speedster One of the newer faces, though one rarely seen for long. Appears to be the stereotypical "ADD-addled speedster," but perhaps there is more to him. No samples collected. Fleur de Joie - Forbearing Flower-Child Very good with people, especially at moving them out of harm's way. And she works with Doctor Metropolis to restore the city to normal after attacks/events, certainly a commendable act. She has Dark Star's ear & heart; be sure she is kept safe. No samples collected. Freedom Angel - Heaven's Harbinger? Pious, trusting warrior-angel, or so he appears. Probably a deluded mutant, but as long as he does not stray into Templar territory, I see no harm in it. No samples collected. Fulcrum - Earnest Paragon So very different from me. So very right for me? Am I right for her? I pray I do not break her trust. Biological samples collected January 2010. Gossamer - Best-Tressed Chemist Smart and professional, but knows when to let her hair down. Still needs a lot of training if she wants to be a dedicated superhero. No samples collected. Lukos - Loony Lupine? A werewolf? No, just another mutant who's bought in to too much bad fiction. Though, if he's actually right... lots of potential for investigation. Biological samples (trace) collected March 4th, 2010. Mongrel Angel - Weird Winged Wonder I met her during the FL tryout in '08, and again at the second Fisticuffs. Flight + healing are a very useful combo; I should try and learn more about her, what else she can do. No samples collected. Quark - Superstitious Super-Genius On the one hand, this kid is smart, smarter than me in some things. On the other hand, he insists on using "magic" with his science, which irks me to no end. And he had the nerve to tell me my own enhanced intelligence was magical! No samples collected. Rycon - Flummoxed Electrokinetic A tragic case, one I had helped some years ago. Now she is in Freedom, but with a good deal of mental baggage. Is that what is interfering with her powers, or is it the mysterios cybernetic implant in her brain? Latest biological samples collected May 2010 Tempest - Confounded Conglomeration Some sort of "elemental spirit," very new to the world. Something akin to Doctor Metropolis? Sadly, it disappeared before I could arrange a proper interview/study of it. No samples collected. Following the ArchEvil Event, all knowledge of superhero secret IDs were removed from Archeville's mind (by Phantom & Scarab) & computer records (by Dragonfly & Miss Americana), and all biological samples and other data were confiscated/destroyed. Arrowhawk -- Angry Archer I knew he'd not treat me with kid gloves -- especially not after what 'I' did to Valkyrie -- and I suppose he thought I'd work out his identity eventually anyway so he went ahead and revealed it to me while I was in Providence. Our crimefighting methods are very different, but we often focus on similar threats; I certainly respect his skills, though I still say he'd do better with something a bit more advanced.Harrier -- Outstanding OmegadroneThe first to reveal himself to me, while I was in Providence. We share a past of horrors, and I think I can learn much from how he copes with it. Enemies Captain Knievel - Blustering Beef-Head He embodies everything that is wrong with society.Dryad - Psychotic Plant-WomanThe first supervillain I fought when I returned to Freedom. They say you never forget your first, and even if I did not have a near-perfect memory I would never forget this madwoman! Biological samples collected February and March 2008. Malice - Human Supremacist On the one hand, if not for Eric Micheals, it would have taken me much longer to acquire all the resources & personnel I needed to start up ArcheTech. On the other hand, he is an insane psychopath with a severely skewed worldview. I would like to think there is some good in him, somewhere, but I wonder how much of that is wishful thinking, and how much of that is fear that I might turn out like him. The Power Corps - Mechanized MercenariesI am rather proud of the fact I (with considerable help from Scarab) was able to take down half of this team. I am also quite infuriated that their other half plundered my mind for ultra-tech schematics which they then distributed to the criminal underworld, leading to a surge in upgraded tech-users and all-new tech-based villains.
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