I still haven't gotten any interest, so if no one has jumped in by Tuesday, we'll start with just three players. Sound good?
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I still haven't gotten any interest, so if no one has jumped in by Tuesday, we'll start with just three players. Sound good?
Suits me - thanks. You can always pad the party with NPCs. Will we resume where the game earlier left off?
Sounds fine to me.
We'll start this evening, from the break after rescuing Mindjack but before embarking on the first mission for Dr. Destruction. Elendil's Heir, which character do you want to play? We've got Lovelace the hacker, Deca the Atlantean tank, Funshine the psychotic teddy bear, Fitheal the eco-terrorist Sidhe, and Kamaria the African Anarchist available as former PCs, or else Mindjack the mentalist. Which do you want? We'll start as soon as you pick. For my sake, playing Lovelace, Fitheal, or Mindjack will force the party toward more sneaky, tricky behavior, while playing Deca, Funshine, or Kamaria will lend more weight to combat.
If you want to retcon the first mission for Dr. D, feel free to do so. It was all just a bad dream...
Or, you know, just assume we finished it OK, and then take up the story from as far further on as you see fit. :)
We'll assume that the first Dr. Destruction mission, recovering the power source, never happened. Upon restarting, we will get a new mission from Dr. Destruction.
Sorry, just saw this thread a few minutes ago. I'll go with Funshine.
So for review, here are the characters' data, up for review. If you've got any objections, observations, or quibbles, now is the time!
Omega Cell Red Delta
"Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster..." - Nietzsche
Thaddeus McAleister, age 49. As an inveterate practitioner of the dark arts with a penchant for misanthropy, Thaddeus had spent much of his life comfortably cooped up in his black house at the end of block tinkering with ancient mystic arts. It was not uncommon to see thick plumes of smoke churning from his chimney blotting out a good part of the sun and misting the neighborhood with a quite acrid stench. Though as the months drew into years his neighbors learned to ignore him, “rendering down the offal” or whatever that meant.
One dark and moonless night after having logged on to the forums at www.cultofsatan.com, Thaddeus found a thread boasting a spell which claimed to give the practitioner the power of the Morning Star himself! Sadly Thaddeus, in his pursuit of great power, found himself duped into casting his soul to the fiery depths of Hell.
It seemed as though all was lost for the aging occultist, though his unfortunate gullibility was balanced with an obstinate resolve to persevere. Through what may as well have been an infinite period,Thaddeus battled his way past the ranks of Hell, and at last through its gates. Although he had left the clutches of the dark prince, part of the dark prince would never leave Thaddeus.
Unfortunately though all was not well as his soul returned to earthrealm. Banished from Heaven, and escaped from Hell Thaddeus returned to find that his own body had been discovered dead in his house and had been, like so much of that “offal” as he was fond of calling it, rendered. Exasperated, he transmigrated into the nearest object, he cast his attention on; his childhood teddy bear.
Funshine, played by Elendil's Heir
Agility: d8 (+2)
Spirit: d4
Smarts: d4
Strength: d6 (+1)
Vigor: d8 (+2)
Derived traits are:
Charisma is -4.
Pace is 48 (6 if powers are negated).
Parry is 7.
Toughness is 9 (8 without armor) (7 if powers are negated).
Fighting - d10 (+5)
Healing - d8 (+5)
Lockpick - d6 (+2)
Climbing - d6 (+2)
Stealth - d4 (+1)
All other skills are at d4 -2.
Powers (total 20)
Duplication - 5
Speed - 5
Toughness - 3
Melee - 4
Deflection - 2
Leaping - 1
Edges: Power Points, Two Fisted, New Powers
Hindrances: Alien Form (Super Karma), Illiterate
Equipment: DuraWeave Armor (Hidden, woven into teddy bear fabric)- 1000
XP Total: 1
Terawatt, played by Malacandra
Name: Faraday Damper a.k.a. Terawatt
Power: Electricity
Race: Human
Background:
From an early age Faraday had a strange addiction: he liked giving himself electric shocks. He wondered why other people seemed to find them painful - no matter what stunts he pulled, nothing ever did anything but tickle. Eventually he found he was getting regular jolts from household current and, if anything, he relished the sensation. He managed to get his hands, quite literally, on a light industrial supply; he took a deep breath, concentrated... Okay, that smarted a bit, but he knew, intellectually, that it would have crisped any normal human being. Maybe he was one of these mutants.
Some people might have used their newfound gifts to make the world a better place, especially once they'd learned enough gadgeteering to channel all this absorbed energy into some nifty gauntlets that threw lightning bolts or a couple of wearable ducted fans that actually let him fly. But Faraday always figured charity began at home, and there were some important people in way-out parts of the world who would pay high for his unusual talents, especially if they wanted an inconvenience taken care of in a hurry. Once he was on someone's tail, he was hard to shake off, hard to hide from, and deadly once he caught up.
Years later, despite the occasional run-in with the law, Faraday had a nice pile tucked away and was looking forward to taking early retirement on the proceeds. And then the freakin' "Martians" invaded after all and every single world economy tanked overnight, and all his bank balances put together weren't worth wiping his ass with. Well, someone's gonna hurt big-time for this if Terawatt has anything to say about it!
Attributes: 6 points (base 5 plus Major Hindrance)
Agility: d10 (+3)
Smarts: d6 (+1)
Spirit: d4 (+0)
Strength: d4 (+0)
Vigor: d8 (+2)
Derived traits are:
Charisma is 0.
Pace is 6 (24 Flying).
Parry is 3.
Toughness is 14 (18 vs. bullets) (6 w/o armor).
Skills: 15 points
Stealth d8 (+3) - Ag
Shooting d10 (+4) - Ag
Lockpicking d10 (+4) - Ag
Streetwise d6 (+2) - Sm
Tracking d6 (+2) - Sm
Edges:
Arcane Background (Super powers), New Powers
Super Karma: Power Negation (Strong magnetic fields)
Attack, Ranged (3) [Electricity], Elemental Trick (2) [Electrical], Extra Damage +1 (3), Rapid Fire +1 (3), Larger (2), Stun (2), Stronger (2), Device (-4)
Immunity (4) [Electricity], Requires Activation (-1)
Flight, 4x Pace, -1 enemy attack rolls (6), Vulnerable (-2)
Bonus Human Edge: Trademark Weapon (+1 with Attack, Ranged [Electricity])
Hindrances:
Arrogant (Major)
Loyal (Minor) {Although he has usually worked alone, Terawatt is too proud to leave a team-mate behind if he has to work with one}
+100% starting funds (for Minor Hindrance)
Although usually getting by on his innate gifts and his own custom-made assists for them, Terawatt stashed a few things away for emergencies. He didn't usually bother armouring up while on a job but figured he might as well be ready for the worst-case scenario... though he never expected a case as bad as this one.
Kevlar Vest w/Inserts (1200)
Tactical Helmet (200)
GPS Reader (250)
Artificial Gill (100)
Lockpicks (200)
Backpack (50)
XP Total: 5
Flicker, played by CatInASuit
Name: Cody Simpson, aka Flicker
Power: Teleportation
Race: Human
Background: Always getting into trouble from a young age, he discovered he had the ability to grab things from a distance or to move himself around. From this he graduated to stealing small items to falling in with a bad crowd and carrying out armed robberies. Of course, one day, he stole the wrong item and got a severe beating for taking from the wrong person.
In return for being spared, he ended up working for a couple of masterminds in a groups of similarly skilled individuals. He's spent time inside, I mean who hasn't, after all being a criminal around supers means it's an occupational hazard.
Yes, teleportation is a wonderful skill for a criminal to have. It has a few limitations, but he is working on those, but it is such a versatile tool.
Attributes:
Agility: d6 (+1)
Smarts: d10 (+3)
Spirit: d8 (+2)
Strength: d6 (+2)
Vigor: d6 (+1)
Derived traits are:
Charisma is 0.
Pace is 6.
Parry is 4.
Toughness is 5.
Skills:
Fighting d4 (+1) - Ag
Gambling d6 (+2) - Sm
Guts d6 (+2) - Sp
Repair d8 (+3) - Sm
Streetwise d8 (+3) - Sm
Shooting d4 (+1) - Ag
Swimming d4 (+1) - Ag
Taunt d4 (+1) - Sm
Throwing d4 (+1) - Ag
Edges:
Arcane Background (Super powers)
Super Karma: Power Negation (Major): Gold
Teleport (3) + Move Other (+5) + Range x 2 (+2) + Taxi (+2) + Rapid Teleport (+3)
When his power takes effect, there is a flicker across him or whatever is being teleported at the start and end
Jack-of-All-Trades (Free Human Edge)
Hindrances:
Heartless (Minor)
Wanted (Minor)
Curious (Major)
M2 HeroKiller (300)
HeroKill Bullets x50 Medium (500)
Laser Sight (50)
Switchblade (10)
Crowbar (10)
Backpack (50)
Normal Clothing (20)
Cellular Phone (20)
XP Total: 5
Lovelace, an NPC
Nicole Anderson, 19, sometimes known as "Lovelace." Identified as a child prodigy at a very early age, Nicole began her career at the age of 5, hacking her kindergarten's computers to get herself a double (and free) helping of chocolate milk each morning. She progressed as a hacker, earning nationwide fame for cracking into military files and for her subsequent acquittal as the government's evidence, stored in computers, evaporated. Since her acquittal, Lovelace dropped off the grid, surfacing only briefly as her cover was blown by former accomplices or the government agents who want to take her out of commission for good. Posing as a graduate student in engineering while infiltrating a research university, she discovered her affinity for electronics and gadgetry, an interest that she's cultivated with several cybernetic implants and a myriad of super-powered gadgets. The arrival of the V'sori and the K'tharen has greatly upset the order of things, making the flow of easy money from competing governments and giant corporations difficult, not to mention awkward and absurd alien programming languages-- it's time for a change!
Attributes:
Agility d4
Smarts d4+4=d12
Strength d4
Spirit d4+1=d6
Vigor d4+1=d6
Derived traits are:
Charisma is 0.
Pace is 6.
Parry is 3.
Toughness is 5.
Skills:
Knowledge (Engineering) +4 (d10)
Repair +4 (d10)
Knowledge (Computers) +2 (d6)
Notice +3 (d8)
Streetwise +1 (d4)
Investigation +1 (d4)
Edges: Arcane Powers (free!), Mechanical Genius (free human edge), Rich (From hindrance), New Powers
Hindrances:
Habit (M) Lovelace has spent a few too many nights writing code and has developed a serious addiction to caffeine.
Loyal (m) Too much time spent reading fantasy and science fiction stories has led Lovelace to develop a sense "honor among thieves."
Curious (M) Lovelace simply can't stop herself from hacking into apparently poorly-guarded systems, which have occasionally been traps.
Greedy (m) Lovelace has become accustomed to the finer things in life, and will not hesitate to enrich herself to pay for them.
Powers:
Broadcast (1)
+Manipulation (5)
-2 Device (Headband with bobby pin antennae)
Interface (2)
+Code Breaker (1)
-1 Device (Laptop)
Chameleon (3)
-1 Device (Corset)
Deflection (3)
-1 Device (Brooch)
-1 Requires Activation
Invent (10)
Lair (1)
Gear:
Flak Jacket (80)-
Z-belt (500)-
Switchblade (10)-
Laptop computer (1200)-
Cell Phone (25)-
Digital Camera (100)-
Tool Kit (200)-
Backpack (50)-
Flashlight (20)-
Autograpnel (100)-
Clothes (20)-
Formal Clothes (200)-
$495 in cash
XP: 5
I'll post again this evening (US Pacific Time) as the villains receive their instructions from Dr. Destruction. Malacandra, if you've got anything to add before that happens, or any preparation before arriving at the rendezvous, please post before then.
So for the record, I'm going to try to play Lovelace as a true NPC, not a DMPC. DMPCs make me pretty uncomfortable, as a rule, because I think they're prone to rules abuse and bad roleplaying. Lovelace is here to round out the party a little and to provide a few skills (like healing) that the group doesn't really have access to otherwise. You can ask her to use her hacking and inventing skills, and she might even co-operate, but I'm going to try hard to avoid suggesting such things and she certainly won't take the initiative herself beyond reacting in fights and so on.
And in the spirit of having my fourth consecutive post in this thread, I'll note for the studio audience that I'm considering this game open for one additional player and Lovelace is included in the party only until someone new would like to play. 1 slot open, folks!
C'mon, don't be shy, lurkers!
Do we have consensus? Terawatt carries Funshine and Lovelace, with Flicker to follow on his own?
Seems so. Let's do this thang!
I need input on how the group proceeds. Do you fly out? Teleport? Walk out boldly and act like you've got the right to be there? Some combination?
We'd all wanna get out of there pretty quickly, right? Probably the same way we got there...?
Flying and teleporting? You can do that. However, you did get spotted last time partly because Terawatt's extra load applied a negative to his Stealth roll.
I just need a final attack plan. Terawatt's providing air cover. Lovelace will dash into the Barracuda and try to hijack it. She's no fighter, though, and if there are any more enemies in the Barracuda, she's unlikely to prevail. Are Funshine or Flicker going to clear the Barracuda?
Also, Malacandra, how does Terawatt's flight work? Wings? Electromagnetic repulsors? Sheer force of will?
Terawatt's flight focus is just a system of electric ducted fans powered by his own bio-electricity (they draw way less wattage that the lightning bolts he tosses around). Damage will last until you rule he has got his hands on enough tools, and enough time, to fix 'em.
I just want to thank you guys for playing along, and for being so spontaneous. I intended to have you recognize the overwhelming force at the site of Blue Alpha's hideout and have you pick up The Shifter, who was playing dead. It never occurred to me that you'd hijack the Barracuda! Way to jump the railroad tracks, and I mean that in the best way. It's more fun for me when that happens, too.
C'mon. We're playing Superheroes here, not Shadowrun. Crazy and Outrageous is always the way to go. :D
Not to mention picking up some cool toys on the way....
Plus, we're the bad guys. Wild 'n crazy beats the alternative every time!
Sorry for the delay, folks; minor family crisis. My mother ran the Boston Marathon on Monday (she's fine) and we've all been caught up in that. I'll be able to update in the next few days, but no big updates, so if you start a big old fight, it may not get resolved until Tuesday.
I think that takes priority somehow. Hope everything is ok and works out.
Ditto. Best wishes to you all.
What's next? I need a group decision. Don't make me get out the railroad tracks!
Malacandra, upon looking more closely at your selection of the Stun power, I don't think you've calculated the power cost correctly. A 6-point power contained in a device costs only 4 Power Points, not 5. You could spend that at the end of this adventure if you like, or save it until you're able to purchase more Power Points in the future.
Cool, save the extra and I'll find a good home for it later. :)
Sorry for the delays-- friends in town. Back to normal speed shortly.
No probs - just adds to the tension :)
So with that complete, I'd like to solicit advice from you three about how this was running. We seemed to slow down greatly for the last few weeks, and I'd love to speed that up a little. Partly that's my fault, but I also waited longer than I'd like to update hoping to get more player input. Is there anything I can do to help speed this up? From the players, I'd love to get a little more feedback on character actions, even a "Carry on" post would be helpful.
No particular suggestions. I'm having fun and really appreciate your running the show, Appleciders.
I'd prefer the pace as it was up front, but can understand if you're waiting for a response. I'll keep trying to post as frequently as I can.
Is it more feedback on the NPC actions that you're looking for, perhaps more character thoughts as well?
Mostly, I just want a response that lets me know that you've read the post and that you're OK with me proceeding. I don't want to advance the plot and accidentally leave someone without the chance to issue important orders.
In the other thread, Flicker said:
It wasn't my intention to have you guys go check that out; it was a piece of decoration to give you a sense of what the previous Omega group had been up to. They might be real, and that's why The Shifter called down an attack, or they might be a trap and The Shifter never had time to spring it on them. If you want, though, you could try a raid as a side quest.Quote:
"I wonder if the plans they picked up were valid, or if they were just a trap the Shifter was setting for the Alpha group. There's only one to find out, and that's to check them out for yourself. If Destruction has nothing doing, then a light spot of robbery is on the cards."
EDIT: That's "you" singular or plural, by the way. Could be a solo job or a group effort.
In any case, five XP apiece. Well done! That's an advance for each of you-- choose an edge, a single Ability raised by a die type, or two skill points (only one if you're buying it new or if you're raising it above the linked ability). Flicker alone can take the New Powers edge, to get another five Power Points if he wants, and Terawatt can spend his stray single Power Point from the miscount now if he wants to as well.
The plans that the Alpha team had out, as Flicker said, if Dr D doesn't find something for him to, its probably what he will look at next. Recon for a job like this is soemthing he is used to.
Whether you actually want to go through with it or not is entirely up to you.
As for the advance, I'll have a think about it. Not sure whether to go for a couple of skill or spend it on new powers. Possibly extra teleport range + wallwalker for the fun of it.
Yeah, thinking about it, I'll go for the new Powers Edge for all 5XP.
I'll spend 2 of those points on extra range bumping it from 48ft (15m) to 192ft (58m).
I will also pick up Wall-Walker for a point giving him just that. Consider it a side effect of his teleport skills as he uses it to alter his personal frame of reference.
I'll keep the other two power points for a rainy day.
That should be great fun, being able to run and teleport up the side of a building. :D
What would be most helpful for Funshine? I'm open to suggestions.
Well, some armor or other Toughness-related power wouldn't go amiss. It's pretty cheap to get some more extra damage from your Super Melee Attack claws. You could also buy the Free Roaming power for your duplicate; in the last mission, you lost him not because he took too much damage, but because he got hit and tripped, and you got too far away from him.
I'm not sure Flicker could handle multiple Funshines, imagine three of them running around (using Extra Duplicate) :p
Honestly, it's not a bad idea. Since Funshine already gets two attacks per turn, Patches also gets those attacks, and a third bear would boost his attacks per turn to six.
Suits me - let's do that. Thanks.
Add another duplicate? That costs you 3 points. You've got two left to spend-- you could get another d6 of damage per hit, or 3 points of armor, for instance.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Yes, add another duplicate, and then 3 points of armor. Thanks.
Somehow I don't we are going to be seeing Malacandra anytime soon.
So, with points spent, are we starting anything new soon?
Hey Appleciders, new game or game over?
OK, so here's my thoughts.
I'm not interested in running this with only two players. Though there are other people here on Mellophant who are interested in playing RPGs, they don't seem interested in playing this one. So we've got a couple options; we could end or pause this game and start a new one here on Mellophant. I know that others around here have expressed interest in something a little more classically D&D, and I'd be happy to run or play a game like that. We could also try to move the game back over to the Straight Dope boards, where I know there are lots and lots of people who are interested in playing RPGs. The difficulty, I think, would be that the mods there would not appreciate us posting the reams of copyrighted material that we've got over in the setup thread, and I don't think they'd be thrilled about us simply linking to that thread either. We'd probably have to go jump through some hoops by PMing the link to the thread over here to people. Third, we could start a game of D&D or similar over on the Dope. If we're playing D&D, that would be my preference; there's just so many more people over there.
Do have a preference?
No preference. I'm happy to play either way. If you run it by a SDMB mod I'll bet there wouldn't be a problem linking to threads here, regardless of content.