Deconstructing Self

[Certified]

Note: In the following scenario assume the scale of the events match the scope of the campaign. If the campaign operates on a galactic scale so does the plot seed.

 

Over the last two years wars have broken out across every major country. Six weeks ago the US declared war with China and Russia. There are no major international coalitions, the UN, Nato and the EU have all crumbled in the onset of war. Old alliances forgotten, the armies of the world are stretched too thin to aid their allies.

 

Tracking a conspiracy theory, corrupt corporations and a cover up within the government you finally uncover the root cause of the recent chaos. A powerful necromancer has been quietly engineering distrust and fear between world leaders setting the stage for what may be Armageddon. All of this, a side show to fuel her master plan. The souls of the dead are being stripped down, broken and destroyed as the necromancer feeds on their energies. It is unclear if their ultimate goal is to rule what is left as some kind of living god or simply to wipe out all of existence.

 

In this you have located the necromancer's base of operations and the location of the relic that allows her to siphon off the energy released by the stripped souls. Consulting mystics they warn that the relic cannot be destroyed. However, it can be altered or disabled from within. They compare this to stepping into a tornado to end the storm by force of will alone.

 

It is unclear if you are not strong enough to disable the relic that you can survive. Although, if you do possess the strength of will needed it is unclear what will remain after being bombarded with thousands of soul fragments. More accurately what the new shape of your spirit may be as it stripped away and rebuilt by these soul fragments. Confronting the necromancer while the relic is still active is suicide as she is constantly growing stronger from the infusion of spirit energy. Stage set, what would your character do?

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

Black Cat - no hesitation, she goes in. She has built her abilities day by day by force of will and training, taking a normal human body to compete with the strongest super-powered people on the planet. If anyone can survive by force of will, it is her.* She has been possessed by her powers (back when she had powers) and survived through it, and became a much stronger person because of it. She defeated the Death Dragon after winning the tourney. She was dead and came back. This plot seed seems tailor made for this character. Her assumption is that the force of the soul fragments wouldn't hurt her, but "sand, buff and polish" her, and make her even more herself when things would be done.

 

I may suggest this scenario to her GM (the wife). It would make for a great "radiation accident/major power jump" bit.

 

Meeb would dive in, but figuring he wouldn't come out of it.

 

TV would freak out, and would attempt it, and would assume he'd die in the process. He's not even the strongest willed member of the team.

 

Sift would dive in, and assume she would come out ok. She'd try and get the good soul fragments to help her. She is a nascent Godling, so she figure she could pull it out.

 

Ballistic, like Black Cat has a strong will, but a very different approach. He'd suit up and go in, but he wouldn't expect to come out of it unchanged.

 

 

* Mechanics to support the strongest will thing, especially in remaining herself under any kind of psy/spiritual assault: Ego 23 (+7 for defensive purposes for 30). +4 with Ego rolls (notably breakout rolls), 18 pts mental defense, 3 of which is resistant. 50% Mental rDR only effects, not damage. 20 hardened (x2) Power Defense, 4 resistant (defined as her soul being strengthened against assault of a spiritual nature). She has an extra 15 body only vs Transforms, and "Difficult to dispel" on her ego to make it really difficult to mental and spiritual transform her (see Ultimate Mentalist).

[bubba smith]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

ihave to think onthis one

[Badger]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

I generally dont like plot devices where souls can be altered/destroyed. (though no problem necessarily in "captured" souls)

 

 

Anyhow, Badger I see being much more interested in killing the necromancer (and if he does thoroughly enjoy doing it, as soul tampering is the worst form of abomination there could posibly be to him) One of the other PCs will have to do it.

[Clonus]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

Let the team mentalist do it!

[薔薇語]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

Hire someone else to take care of it. Why gets your hands dirty with a necro?

 

La Rose

[Marketeer]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

The only concern I have with the scenario is that it is one that has a relatively straightforward response:

 

Most Champions characters, faced with "everyone gets hosed" or "I alone get hosed", are going to choose the heroic thing.

 

Even an Iron Age character, while not liking the choices, is unlikely to choose to have the necro win--since the necro has already established that no soul is safe from her, not making the sacrifice does not yield any benefit, even if the character is selfish in nature.

[The Weapon]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

Version One: My personality was made artificially I assume there's a way to record it artificially. Somebody do that, tell me when you're done and I'll jump in. Don't forget to make a new body, preferably one without the little feedback problems*. If he can't find someone to do that in time he goes in anyway. Hey, with the jumble of memories he's made up of he's probably best able to use the thing and might even survive in a recognisable way. If not well he was made a hero, why shouldn't he be destroyed as one?

 

 

 

* A.k.a. bouts of intense pain.

[Mendou]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

Pyrie is reckless by nature, but even she would pause for a moment to regret all the things she'd never be able to do. Then she'd dive in, burning brightly. She wouldn't expect to survive, and probably wouldn't even expect to win. But sitting there doing nothing isn't in her nature.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

See if the relic can be shipped off dimension and toss it somewhere either 1) without any life or 2) Into the Qlipphothic, ler the necro chew on that.

 

OK, 2 sounds like it might actually be a bad idea....

[hfergus]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

Volt - Jump in without hesitation. He would not particularly care if he lived or not, and would be confident about the status of his soul. This would be tailor-made for him, since he has always been a self-sacrificial hero. If I wanted to kill him of permantly, this is how I'd like him to go. And he would agree.

 

Olorin - would be really be p***ed that he did not detect and prevent this earlier, as he hates necromancers and they are his specialty. Before jumping in he'd say "Someone kill this #%#@!, burn him and scater the ashes. " He'd jump in figuring if he dies, 747 year of life is beyond normal anyway. If he lived he go "Oh crud. Does this mean I am truly immortal and not just ageless?" This is the sort of thing that could turn him into a demi-god or god, which he would hate.

 

Black Tiger - Swear and jump in, grumbling all the time. Life or death; the same, since he has noone special to regret leaving behind.

 

Futurain " Uhh... Jump in? Me? Anyone else around? Crud. Oh well; at least if I die, I can't mess up the timeline anymore." He'd then jump in with a "Banzai!".

 

Leadman - "If I must. I'm going to die. Horribly. Painfully. I hope it works." He'd then jump in, and he has a powerful will once he decides to do something. This might just cause him to lose his pessimism if he survives.

[Hermit]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

Banner- Leaps in, and given his unusual 'Powers' might actually succeed, but then he is the son of Captain America. If this is the sort of universe where a fighting spirit and belief can truly make a difference in an almost tangible way, then while he might not make it out alive, it would work at saving the day.

[Drhoz]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

Vitus : *highly annoyed* His soul has already been badly damaged in the past, he knows his has a great big hole in it, he knows he isn't particularly strong-willed .... So, tell Orca to jump on in - Orca has a history of jumping into dangerous glowy things. Some of THEM for full of souls too.

 

Zero might come through ok - he's used to shuffling through millions of minds at once, this can't be THAT different... hopefully. Isn't it? *checks team charter for "Certain Death" clauses*

[Singingcrow]

Re: Deconstructing Self

 

Well the Heroes I play would step up & attempt it. Hoping they'd survive the ordeal. If they come out of it altered, thems the breaks! Isn't that what is being a hero means? Making the sacrifices others aren't willing to make?