WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

[OddHat]

Your characters start hearing light human interest news reports about people being rescued from dangerous situations by a medium sized flying dog. Most of the reports are played for laughs. You also start hearing reports of bodies turning up, usually those of ethnic or religious minority members, ripped apart by what appears to have been a large, powerful animal. Then, when helping to rescue citizens from the threat of a major fire near a brewery (if the brewery goes up, so might the surrounding residential district), you spot the dog.

 

It is flying, and it seems immune to the flames.

 

What would your characters do? What would they think was going on?

[Egyptoid]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

WHITE-KNITE would start looking for a mentalist somewhere,

assuming that some sicko was using the dog for some agenda.

 

 

COSMO-KNITE would Beat. the. Dog. Up. if it won't beat up, get a bigger stick.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Er. Wow, that's a problem. I'm not one to judge without due cause.

 

Step one? Detect Evil. If the dog pops, we assign a squad of Knights to watch it. If it helps - great, it's helping now and I'll deal with it being evil later - there's always the possibility that there's a larger plot behind the obvious. If it isn't evil, we watch it anyway, but with slightly less paranoia.

 

If it starts tagging normals/innocents, oh, it's on. It is ON. No one chews on MY citizenry. Welcome to the world according to my Holy Avenger & Merciful Strike. Because there's conflicting evidence, and unconfirmed reports, I'd have no interest in killing it outright; the news reports give me just cause to knock it out and attempt to question it with a resident Druid or Shaman.

[Brandi]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

I see somebody just saw the movie White Dog.

[David Blue]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Chain Lightning: "Uh oh!" Despite his energy attack and chain, Last Hero relies heavily on his judo (psychologically, because he's put so much time into it and it's all he has in his normal body), and he is not comfortable with foes it applies poorly to. Chain Lighting would regard this visit with great suspicion, but he would focus on the immediate rescue. If nothing untoward happened, he would not attempt to contact the dog. ("Here boy, smell my fear, now let's be friends.") Rather, he would try to contact a heroine who might be able to pick up the scent later (magically or by literal tracking scent), and start tracking.

 

Chain Lightning would have an almost sure bet idea and a backup idea for what is going on.

* Almost certain: this is a demon animal that some talented but uninstructed magician has summoned up, intending to do good. But demons do bad every time you turn your back! Hence the rescues (under orders) and the killings (whenever the magician was asleep or off his guard in some other way). The summoner has to go to Master Peng (before the demon dog kills its "owner") and the demon dog has to go back to whatever Hell it came from. Hopefully lightning and iron will work. They usually do.

* Someone has taught a super-dog to hate non-whites. (This would suggest persistent animal control, which would mean an animal controller with a new attitude.) In which case, it is likely to attack straight away, as due to a quirk in the "Miracleman effect" Chain Lightning is Asian. This is just enough of an outside chance that if Chain Lightning was definitely hosed in combat, with no further chance to flee or resist, he would say his magic word and turn back to a mundane white guy with way too much interest in Japanese martial arts, Western ancient and chivalric warfare, and Chinese magic. If it bites his head off, in the style of Miracledog, too bad, he was dead anyway.

 

Afterthoughts: If changing back to normal form when hosed in combat worked for Chain Lightning, he would have no fear of the dog. On the contrary: he would try his best to get it to rescue him, take him to hospital. After all, the dog is known for rescuing people. In hospital, he would need to lie about what really happened to protect his secret identity. He would say Rescue Dog saved him from an identical twin Killer Dog. This might cause him to have problems, then and/or later, with any heroes who insisted on interviewing the only living witness to a Killer Dog attack. Then, as soon as he could get out of hospital, he would have to adjust his game and clear up the dog problem himself. This is the sort of scenario that has always made life interesting for Chain Lightning.

 

Last Hero: Assume the dog is friendly. Talk to it (unless or until it's clear it doesn't talk back), and work with it.

 

Last Hero is an alien in a strange land. Given that dogs are so common in this world, it would not readily occur to Last Hero to associate a friendly canine with unfriendly canine actions. A series of attacks by humans does not mean the next human you meet is bad. At this point, Last Hero would not have a clue or a guess as to what is going on.

 

Thunder: Happily cooperate with the dog, unless instead of rescuing people as expected it attacks. Buy it lunch after.

 

Assuming that people and even animals are basically Good or Bad, which is exactly what Thunder does assume, this can't be the bad dog (unless it attacks), because this is a rescue situation.

 

Afterwards, if the fire is out and everyone is taken care of, try to recruit the good dog. Thunder isn't mobile enough or smart enough to catch a bad dog, but the good dog may be both, or at least give her some good clues.

 

Orgone Man: this is the boring option because it's so simple. By the end of his career, the Man Of Orgone was way too good at what he did. Area scan for other minds to pick up any observer that may be controlling the dog, then scan the dog, detecting for major malign effects such as fractured character armor - typically produced by major trauma, superpowers or negative psychic energy catastrophes. If the dog detects as healthy enough, back to the rescue work - fast, because the supreme empath takes damage when other people take Body - and say hello with orgone-powered telepathy later.

 

If there's a problem, this could be another long term patient for the psychologist of the supers. One day, one of his patients was likely to kill him, and the Doc knew that. But it wasn't his way to leave people messed up - not even a dog.

[mikesama]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Jaguar Pequeno would end up having to knock the poor mutt out more than likely as something about her powers makes most canines (and villians with canine based powers) very hostile twoards her.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Sparky: Hook up with the new dog, confirm that he's helping with the fire, and coordinate to get in there, get the innocents, and get them out.

 

Afterwards, raise the issue of the people who've been savaged by a super-dog, and assuming he doesn't get attacked for it, try to talk the new guy into helping him track down the mutt who's giving them both a bad name. If that should be the new dog, see end of next paragraph.

 

If he's there because he started the fire, find out if he's immune to electricity too and get in there, get the innocents out, probably have a dramatic dog-vs-dog battle while trying to rescue innocents.

 

Void: There's no proof that this super-dog is behind the killings. Hope that he helps rescue innocents, then begin tracking him, trying to catch up with him and hoping he speaks people. Regardless, try to find out what's going on - this dog might be trying to find supers to lead them to the real threat, after all, or he might be the threat and need to go down.

 

Hard.

 

Darkchild: After rescuing the innocents inside (note that in all of these situations, if the dog tries to interfere with rescue, he's gonna be glad that he's immune to the flames, 'cause he's about to be bludgeoned into unconsciousness and left in the building until the innocents are clear before they maybe go back for him), use a Retrocognition spell to see if the dog has committed these horrible crimes.

 

If not, switch to a Translation spell and try to figure out what's going on. If he is, invoke Bastet to (1) lure him in (cats and dogs, after all) and (2) remind him that the old Goddess of Cats was also a Goddess of Protection for a reason - doggie's goin' to the pound.

[Blue]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Buy him a bowl of kibble.

[OddHat]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

I see somebody just saw the movie White Dog.

 

Nope. But I'll google it.

[David Johnston]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Wizard: You know what a dyslexic monotheist believes? The Wizard of Oz Incorporated will not leap to the conclusion that there is only one dog. However he will give it a tricorder scan so that the DNA of Rescue Dog can be matched or ruled out by the police. He'll also try to talk to the mutt and see whether it responds like a person.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

K. Dogma is busy framing the super dog with the killings.

[Spectrum]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Spectrum: Wouldn't think too much of it. It would strike him as odd that there was some house pet with super powers running around but considering that there are other supers around, it wouldn't consider it too far out of the realm of possibilites. Probably make a joke with a reference to leash laws or Kyrpto the Superdog.

[Brandi]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Nope. But I'll google it.

 

White Dog IMDB entry.

[OddHat]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

White Dog IMDB entry.

 

Sounds interesting.

[Lucius]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Wizard: You know what a dyslexic monotheist believes?

 

That there is only one Dog.

 

My characters are more likely to be dyslexic polytheists (there can be many dogs!) or dyslexic agnostics (I will believe in any particular dog when I see it.)

 

Almost any of my characters will simply try to co-operate if the animal is participating in rescue operations, try to take it out quickly if it's interfering, and otherwise ignore it until more date turns up.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

What do you make of the palindromedary?

[Robyn]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

I'd have no interest in killing it outright; the news reports give me just cause to knock it out and attempt to question it with a resident Druid or Shaman.

 

Say hello to your resident Druid, then

[Cold Steel]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Shadowhawk would wait and see if the mutt is like Lockjaw (which is good) or Cujo (which is not) before T'porting it to the pound.

 

He gets enough of the "rabid dog" treatment at home with Wolfsbane when she becomes cranky.

[Badger]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Badger- Try to figure out a way to control/suppress the evil side. After that keep him as a pet. It does get lonely living alone in a cave after all. Badger as a former villain knows too well what being given a 2nd chance means.

[Egyptoid]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Just got to thinkin...

 

[b]Huge Effin Black Dog - Huge Effin Black Dog[/b]

[b][u]VAL[/u]   [u]CHA[/u]   [u]Cost[/u]   [u]Total[/u]   [u]Roll[/u]      [u]Notes[/u][/b]
33    STR     23   33      16-       HTH Damage 6 1/2d6  END [3]
17    DEX     21   17      12-       OCV 6 DCV 6
21    CON     22   21      13-
9    BODY    -2   9      11-
9    INT     -1   9      11-       PER Roll 14-
11    EGO     2   11      11-       ECV: 4
19    PRE     9   19      13-       PRE Attack: 3 1/2d6
11    COM     1   11      11-
11    PD      4   11             11 PD (0 rPD)
11    ED      7   11             11 ED (0 rED)
5    SPD     23   5                 Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
17    REC     12   17
60    END     9   60
60    STUN    23   60
9    RUN      6   9"                  END [2]
3    SWIM     1   3"                  END [1]
5    LEAP     -3   4 1/2"                4 1/2" forward, 2" upward

[b]CHA Cost: 157[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]POWERS[/u][/b]
5     [b][i]Canine Nose[/i][/b]: Tracking with Normal Smell - END=
40     [b][i]Bite[/i][/b]: HKA 2 1/2d6 (4 1/2d6 w/STR) - END=4
9     [b][i]Canine Senses[/i][/b]: +3 PER with all Sense Groups - END=
13     Tunneling 2" through 3 DEF material - END=1
3     [b][i]Huge Effin Black Dog[/i][/b]: Lack Of Weakness (-3) for Normal Defense - END=
6     [b][i]Effing[/i][/b]: Mental Defense (8 points total) - END=
11     [b][i]Whizz[/i][/b]: Smell/Taste  Group and Detect Images 1" radius, +/-1 to PER Rolls, Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4), Sticky (+1/2) (19 Active Points); Extra Time (Extra Segment, -1/2), Gestures (-1/4) - END=2
1     [b][i]Leap[/i][/b]: Leaping +1" (7 1/2" forward, 3 1/2" upward) - END=1
3     [b][i]Canine Ears[/i][/b]: Ultrasonic Perception (Hearing Group) (Hearing Group) - END=
10     Find Weakness 11- with Single Attack - END=

[b]POWERS Cost: 101[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]MARTIAL ARTS[/u][/b]
3      Flying Tackle:  1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, -1 DCV, 6 1/2d6 +v/5 Strike; You Fall, Target Falls; FMove
3      Martial Grab:  1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Grab Two Limbs, 43 STR for holding on
4      Choke Hold:  1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab One Limb; 2d6 NND

[b]MARTIAL ARTS Cost: 10[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]SKILLS[/u][/b]
9      +3 with any three maneuvers or a tight group of attacks
6      KS: Huge Effin Black Dog 14-
9      Analyze:  Combat 14-
5      Concealment 13- (7 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2)
6      PS: Huge Effin Black Dog 14-
5      Defense Maneuver I-II 
0      Language:  Huge Effin Black Dog (basic conversation) (1 Active Points)
2      PS: Retrieve/Fetch 11-
3      Shadowing 11-
5      PS: Roll Over, Play Dead, Rip Throat Out, Kill & Eat 14-
5      Stealth 13-
3      Streetwise 13-
8      Survival (Temperate/Subtropical, Tropical, Mountain, Urban) 11-
3      Tracking 11-

[b]SKILLS Cost: 69[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]PERKS[/u][/b]
3      Anonymity
3      Reputation:  Huge Effin Black Dog (A small to medium sized group) 8-, +3/+3d6

[b]PERKS Cost: 6[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]TALENTS[/u][/b]
3      Lightsleep
15      Beast Speech
16      Berserk Fury
2      Trackless Stride

[b]TALENTS Cost: 36[/b]
[b][u]Value[/u]  [u]DISADVANTAGES[/u][/b]
5     Physical Limitation:  Huge Effin Black Dog Infrequently, Slightly Impairing
20     Reputation:  Huge Effin Black Dog, 14- (Extreme)
15     Social Limitation:  Huge Effin Black Dog (Frequently, Major)
15     Physical Limitation:  Animal Intelligence Frequently, Greatly Impairing
25     Psychological Limitation:  Huge Effin Black Dog (Very Common, Total)
15     Physical Limitation:  Very Limited Manipulation Frequently, Greatly Impairing
30     Berzerk:  Berserk Feline opponents (Common), go 11-, recover 11-, Berserk
15     Huge Effin Black Dog:  (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

[b]DISADVANTAGES Points: 140[/b]


Base Pts: 170
Exp Required: 69
Total Exp Available: 70
Exp Unspent: 1
Total Character Cost: 379

Huge Effin Black Dog - Huge Effin Black Dog

PERSONALITY/MOTIVATION: Huge Effin Black Dog

 

QUOTE: Bark

 

POWERS/TACTICS: Bite, Bark

 

CAMPAIGN USE: Huge Effin Black Dog

 

APPEARANCE: Huge Effin Black Dog

[Kenn]

Re: WWYCD: Good Dog Bad Dog

 

Step 1: Deal with the fire.

 

Step 2: Contact Liberty Station to check on Phaze's present whereabouts (never rule out the possibility of whacky shapeshifting teammate pulling a prank, particularly with weird cases.)

 

Step 3: Find out if Howard Saunders (formerly Howler) can communicate with dogs.

 

Step 4: Contact Prophecy to help communicate with dog.

 

Step 5: Contact Guardian to gather forensic evidence from the maulings.