Amorkca

Well I am sadden by what I have read here.  I am actually reading the books now.   Book three was really good and it appears that book five is going to be in the same ranking.  The others so far have been decent but not great.   As with most authors, he gets better as the series goes on.  My favorite is still book 3 though.  I am going to get a copy of MHI after reading through these posts.  I don't get on social media much because people are really dumb when they can hid behind the internet.   I have heard from many people that Larry is actually a pretty good guy.  He has his beliefs and his off moments, that is fair because everyone does.  His world is pretty creative and characters for the most part have some good depth to them.  I am a little disappointed in Owen Pitt, the main character of the first couple of books because I think he lacks the same depth of Larry's other characters but Owen is far from the worst main character I have encountered in my readings.  Books 3 and 5 are about the other characters.  I would challenge anyone who is not a fan of the books but likes supernatural thrillers to give book 3 Alphas a go.  It is definitely in another league.

I think Dark Champions: Animated is 5th (Still really usable, the core rules are the same point costs have changed if you rebuild)

what level of power are the heroes?
if a hero is dealing say 10 DCs of damage and has say 10 resistant def + 10 normal def and a dcv/ocv of 8
for me thugs will look like this IMHO
 
Thugs
dcv/ocv 6
defenses thugs are 1 hit wonders
attacks 7-8 DCs
5 thugs for 1 hero

A man in Phoenix called his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and said, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough."
 
“Pop, what are you talking about?” the son screams.
 
“We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,” the father says. “We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about this, so will you call your sister in Chicago and tell her?”
 
Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. “Like hell they’re getting divorced,” she shouts, “I’ll take care of this.”
 
She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, “You are NOT getting divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?” and hangs up.
 
The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. “Okay,” he says, “they’re coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way.”

Bananners
 
 
 
Just kidding. Banner

Joe Anderson watched as Dani said her goodbyes to Jason. She held on tight and smiled when Jason brushed hair out of her face. Jason kissed her on her forehead and climbed back into the rental. Dani waited and waved until he had left the drive.
 
When Dani made her way to the porch, Joe said, “Good friend you got there.”
 
“One of the best,” Dani agreed. “He ditched his plans and brought me here without thinking twice.”
 
“So, airport on Sunday.”
 
“You get me for a few days, Gramps,” Dani said with a grin.
 
“What's in the box?” he asked, nodding at it.
 
Picking the box up, Dani sat on the glider with it in her lap. “Don't know yet. Part of me wants to open it and see. Part of me wants to wait a while. It's like he's still here if I don't open it.”
 
Joe sat beside Dani. “Felt that way about your dad's stuff. But there was stuff that needed dealing with to drag it out for too long.” Joe looked at his granddaughter. “So what happened?”
 
“Mrs. Baines argued that she had a right to whatever was in the box, key or no key. She had Bobby going to use a cutting torch to get into it.”
 
“Figure most of whatever is in there is paper. Not bright.”
 
Dani laughed. “That pretty much sums up Bobby.”
 
* * * * *
Sitting on the bed, Dani stared out into the dark beyond her window. The unopened box sat beside her. She focused her attention on the wick of the candle that was on the window sill. Flame leapt upwards, dancing in the slight breeze coming through the screen.
 
“So what am I supposed to do, Cody?” her voice soft. Her grandmother's cat, Fluffers, meowed at her and jumped on the bed. She began to rub her chin along the box. “Claiming it or telling me to open it?”
 
Fluffers meowed again and rolled belly-up. Dani smiled and began scratching the cat's offered belly. Fluffers started purring.
 
“I suppose you're right,” she said. She reached for the key laying on the covers. Picking it up, she slid it into the lock and and turned it. Lifting the lid, Dani saw that Cody had cut a part out of the sketch of her that Jason had done at her request, and taped it into the lid.
 
“I don't know if Jason would applaud your ingenuity or beat on you for defacing one of his drawings, Cody.” Looking in the box, Dani noted that it was mostly full, and what she could see was mostly paper. “Saved your ass, Rufus. No need to thank me.”
 
Dani fished out the first envelope laying on top. Written in red marker was “Read Me First”. The envelope wasn't sealed. It was smudged with dirt, ink, and fingerprints as if it had seen a lot of use. She pulled a sheet of paper out of it and unfolded it.
 
Hey Blondie,
 
If you're reading this then I didn't come home the way I had hoped. I kept swapping
the letter out. I'd write to you before each mission and use the same envelope. For good luck.
The guys in my unit think it's funny that I keep a fireproof box in my footlocker. I kept
telling them it was because my girl was just so hot. The drawing was nice. Really captured you.
The guys didn't believe it was my girl. It wasn't until we saw your commercial that you had sent
me that they started to believe.
Won't be long before my girl is a movie star.
There are things I want to ask about, but there's a bit of paranoia where it comes to the
mail out here. They don't want us writing anything out about what we're doing or where we're
going, just in case.
Some of out allies out here claimed they ran into some type of earth elemental. How do
we fight something like that? When asked, the Major said that we've got more guns than they've
got freaks. I don't want to even think about how many guys we could lose if we have to try.
I really miss you, Blondie.
Anyway, on to more important things.
Where I could I put you as my personal representative, I guess you'd call it. Not that I
don't trust Momma to do what I want. I know you'll do your damnedest to do what I want.
There's a couple of things in the box for Momma and Marissa. If you could, wrap them
up and see that they get them I'd appreciate it. The wood box is for Bobby. I'm not sure if it
needs wrapping. It's my pins.
I got your name on my bank account. Thanks for supplying the SSN. You'll be getting my
money. It isn't a lot, but I was hoping that Mari would use it to go to college or something.
There isn't enough to cover Bobby I don't think.
 
Dani put the letter aside. “If they both want to go I'll make it happen, Cody. Promise.”

Final bump, for those who were sitting on the fence! 
 
This is the last night to get the Adventurers Club / Haymaker excerpts combo on Bundle of Holding.  If you haven't made your mind up yet, you don't have much longer before it's made up for you. 

Some of you probably know this site but it was new to me.  HeroMachine.com.  Needs Flash;  they're working on that, since Flash is gonna go bye-bye fairly soon, but the online version is free.  You can buy a copy for Mac or PC pretty cheap too.

This is Simoom.  Simoom is a regional name for a very, very nasty desert wind...VERY hot, very dusty.  That inspired his power set...a few different types of blast, can lock you into a sandstorm that's all in your head, can create a region of blowing dust that blocks all sight (but not his), desolid (but at full END so not for long).  I think the visuals come out quite nicely;  wanted a little different head gear, but that one works.
 
I'm probably going to buy the PC version cuz it was fairly easy to use, and it's fun to do this.  And I can't draw for squat.

Lots of good feedback here and different view points. I think the problems pointed out can be summarized as:
 
1. Fairness - "master" casters are unfairly penalized
2. Cost - inexpensive effect for outcome
3. Versatility - potential to shut down casters easily
 
Obviously, each person is free to implement this type of effect as they wish (or forbid it altogether), but based on the feedback I think I am going to change the following to help balance the effect:
 
To help with fairness, I am going to implement a "Spell" limitation (Thanks @Chris Goodwin) that includes the fact that spells use can be restricted by effects like this one, along with some other common spell effects (all spells must draw END from a reserve, School limitation restrictions, END Reserves require rest to recover, LTE effects for Spell use, etc.).
 
For versatility, I will also allow 2 point DPSL's that counteract the effect at 2 points per -1 offset (per suggestions for an alternate defense mechanism in the Rules Forum by @Steve Long). This follows the general rule of defense being cheaper than the attack and would be a trivial cost for a master caster. This would be in addition to being able to dispel, drain and suppress the field, leave the area, etc. I will also be limiting the size and duration of the effect and not allow single target versions.
 
To adjust the cost I will be adjusting the pricing for this type of power as follows:
  > A -1 to CHAR roll and all skill rolls will cost 4 as published. This will work against anyone who HAS a magic skill roll.
  > A -1 to CHAR roll and new skill roll will cost 5. This is required to force a skill roll that someone has not purchased. It gives them a base roll of 9+(CHAR/5) for
     purposes of that roll only. This roll will NOT be modified by active points of the spell being cast. If this does not work out in game I will consider switching this
     to just a straight 14- and -1 per 5 point level beyond that.
 
Also thanks to @Hugh Neilson for ideas and commentary.
 
- E
 
 

“Hey! Rufus!”
 
Robert Baines looked up from where he had been about to apply the cutting torch and saw Dani. “Hey, Blondie.”
 
The name struck Dani like a slap across the face. “You don't call me that. Not now. Not ever. I am not one of Cody's hand-me-downs that you can lay claim to.”
 
Robert shrugged. “I didn't mean anything by it. Why do you call me Rufus anyway?”
 
“Because it rhymes with doofus. You're always the one doing stupid shit. You're about to apply a cutting torch to a fireproof box. Did you ever stop to think that whatever Cody put in there could be damaged by your cutting?”
 
He shrugged again. “Momma wants to know what's in it. There's no key to it, so cutting is the only option.”
 
“What's written on the box?”
 
“Blondie.”
 
“And everyone in your family knows who Blondie was to Cody. Yes?”
 
Robert shrugged again. “Yeah.”
 
“So, you ever stop to think that just maybe Cody arranged for me to have a key to it?” Dani took the box and turned away.
 
“Momma wants...”
 
“Momma will know if there's a damned thing in here that Cody wanted her to know,” Dani said with finality.
 
Cloud snorted at her as she walked by. “Hey, there, Cloudy.” Dani set the box aside. “You missing him, too?” Cloud came closer and snuffed Dani's hair. “Maybe I can talk Mari into a ride. Would you like that? You, me, and Sunny. Just like we used to do.” Cloud lowered his head. Dani placed her forehead against Cloud and felt the tears start again.

Thanks for the bump, Spence. 
 
I had been interested to know that, too. 
 
Finally did get the porcelain dice a few weeks ago.  They're gorgeous!  The feel great, too.  Alas, they have the same flaw as the Champions and Monster Hunter dice: they are casino - sized, making a handful of them impossible, especially for the women they were bought for. 
 
I'll do a video on them when I get a minute. 

Dani slipped her hand into Jason's and let him help her from the car. Standing up, she adjusted her black suit jacket. Her red blouse was only visible at the collar. Dani slipped on sunglasses and turned her face to the sun.
 
“His kind of day,” she said. They turned and headed towards the gathering of people. “Part of me wants to comment on some of the people I know, but you'd have no frame of reference.”
 
“I'm here for you. Beyond that I can be polite and make conversation as needed.”
 
“I appreciate it,” she said quietly.
 
“Dani!” a girl called. Dani looked and saw Marissa waving and coming closer. Mari looked a few pounds heavier than Dani recalled seeing her.
 
“Hi, Mari. Jason, this is Marissa Baines. She's Cody's sister. She's the one that let me know about what happened. Mari, this is Jason Scott.”
 
“Oh! The Jason you were always talking about?”
 
Dani smiled. “Yeah. The guy with the big pool in California.”
 
“I always wanted to visit that pool,” Mari laughed.
 
“You'd be very welcome,” Jason said.
 
“I hoped to catch you before everything started so I could give you something without Momma knowing,” Mari said.
 
“She's looking this way,” Dani said, turning her head to face Mrs. Baines. She gave a slight nod in greeting. “Do you know why I like having tall friends, Mari? They can be used as a wall when you don't want someone to see something.” Jason took a few steps, bent over as if he were picking something up, and then stood erect, blocking Mrs. Baines view of Dani. “Thanks,” Dani said.
 
Marissa pulled out a folded envelope. “A short note and the key I told you about.”
 
“Mari, how...how did he die?”
 
“Explosion. They didn't go into detail. At least as far as I heard. Just that he died in an explosion. Your grandfather is here. There's a seat for you near the front. I got an extra rose for you.”
 
“Thanks, Mari,” Dani said quietly.
 
Mari caught Dani in a quick hug. “I need to get back to the family. See you later?”
 
“I'd like that,” Dani said. “Escort me to my seat and you can meet my grandpa,” she said to Jason as she watched Mari retreat.
 
“He's your father's father,” Jason said. Said, not asked. They walked slowly through the crowd.
 
“Get real. I'd need a time machine to meet mom's dad. So when I join the team what kind of view can I expect?”
 
“I figured you'd get the view of the back alley.” Dani elbowed him in the ribs.
 
“There's my grandfather.” When they drew close, Dani hugged him. “Hi, Grandpa.”
 
“I was wondering if you were going to be here.”
 
“Had to.” Dani stepped back. “Grandpa, this is Jason Scott. Jason, my grandfather, Joseph Anderson.”
 
“Just call me Joe,” he said holding his hand out. Jason shook it. “Cody worked for me summers and weekends until he enlisted.”
 
“Yes, I heard the horror story of the equipment barn,” Jason said. Dani elbowed him again.
 
“No one got hurt. A pleasure to meet you.”

“A pleasure, sir. Dani, I'm going to go pull up a tree. All the seats seem to be claimed.” Dani nodded and Jason turned away. She found Mrs. Baines staring at her.
 
“Don't let her rattle you, Dani. You were more than good enough for Cody.”
 
Dani smiled. “If it comes to it, I'll be the one doing the rattling.”

I tried to do something differently with this, in that I put some "treasure" into the adventure.  Not the usual kind, like a magic sword for the warrior, but things that can be recovered, used, or taken advantage of by the player characters, if they are clever and observant.
 
By the way, big news coming out about this soon, regarding both Print versions and the adventure its self.

“Hey,” Jason said entering his apartment. He shrugged off his suit coat and lay it on the back of a chair.
 
“Hey,” Dani said from the window. She sat looking out it. She had taken her shoes off, but still wore her long black coat. “The place is coming along.”
 
“Slowly. Did you like the alarm? I think we could do better if it had some kind of beat to it.” Dani didn't rise to the bait. Jason sat in the window and faced her. “So what brought my favorite firecracker to New York. Don't you have school?”
 
“I took a week off. I let all my teachers know. I've got my stuff so I can do the expected class work. I'm sorry I messed up your date.”
 
“Morgan and I are just friends. She knew you needed me. So, why are you here?”
 
Dani reached inside her coat and pulled out an envelope. It looked like it had been in there a while, with dog-eared corners. She passed it to Jason. Turning it over, the return name and address meant little to him. He thought the town might be close to her grandfather's farm. “Read it,” Dani said, turning her attention back out the window.
 
Dear Dani,
 
I regret to be the one to tell you that our Cody was killed in action in the middle east. They are
shipping his body home next week. Momma has already made the funeral arrangements. That
said, Momma also doesn't want you there. I realize that won't come as a surprise to you.
 
Cody does want you there. I know how he felt about you. Probably better than most. In his
letters to me he said that there is a fire box in his footlocker. I have a key to it. He wanted
me to give it and the box to you in the event of his death. I guess it was the only way he felt
that he could protect some things that needed protecting.
 
I realize it won't be easy for you and Momma might cause a scene, but the funeral is...
 
“I'm sorry,” Jason said. Dani wiped some tears away.
 
“I can't stop crying.”
 
“You will. When you're ready and healing, they'll stop,” he said gently. “The funeral is tomorrow. What do you want to do?”
 
“I need to be there. I need to say goodbye.”

Leaning back against the wall, Dani watched the numbers shift as the elevator car moved upward. After the thirty-ninth floor the numbers shifted from red to blue. When the car passed the fortieth floor an alarm sounded. The car shook when it suddenly stopped.
 
“Geez,” she said to herself pushing off from the wall.
 
The door opened and Dani was confronted by handgun pointed in her direction.
 
“Dani?”
 
“Hi, Warren. Is Jason here?”
 
Warren pushed the gun towards the floor. “I wasn't gonna shoot her,” an island accent apparent in the woman's voice.
 
“I'm just not comfortable with you pointing it anywhere in her direction,” Warren said. “Sorry, Dani. He's out with Morgan. Dinner-slash-business meeting.”
 
“Oh.”
 
“Are you okay?”
 
“Well, there's this alarm going off in my ears.”
 
Before she finished speaking, Warren was beside her and punching a code into a wall panel. “Sorry. Workers on the floor below yet. I'm not sure why it went off when you came up.” The alarm went quiet.
 
“Because she hasn't been cleared yet,” the woman said.
 
“But she got this far, which means she was vouched for, Cheryl.”
 
“Aye, Jason did. Why do you think I didn't shoot her?”
 
“Because you'd be the cleaning detail,” Warren joked. “You okay?” Dani shook her head. “You hungry? Want something to drink while you wait?”
 
“I'm good,” she said quietly.
 
“I'll give him a call.”
 
“Thanks.”
* * * * *
“Seriously, what do you think of it?”
 
“Let's say I agree to buy it, then there's the cleaning, refurbishing, and general overhaul.”
 
Morgan smiled. “All true, but think of the space in the loft.”
 
Jason gave her an annoyed look. “They didn't even finish the fourth floor.”
 
“But those over-sized windows! Just think of the light they'll let in so you can paint.”
 
“They look out on the alley. There's only two of them. And the entire back corner is dark.” His phone buzzed. He picked it up and looked at the screen. “I'm sorry, Morgan. I need to take this.” He answered the phone. “Go.”
 
“Did she say what's wrong?” Jason pursed his lips while he listened. “If she wants to be alone until I get there, show her to my room. The alarm system will be fixed within the week. Thanks.”
 
Morgan looked at Jason over the top of her wine glass. “Something wrong?”
 
“Dani came into town unexpectedly. She needs to see me.”
 
Morgan smiled. “And here were having such a fun discussion.”
 
Jason nodded. “Give me a couple of days to think on it. Then I'll be in touch.” He signaled for the waiter.
 
“Do you need a lift?”
 
Shaking his head, Jason said, “Check please.”
 

Bracing her foot against the top of the desk, Beth fastened the strap around her ankle. “When are you going to let me see what you did to me?” She put her foot down, slipped on the other shoe, and repeated the process.
 
“Soon,” Leah teased.
 
“You're purposely dragging this out.”
 
“It won't be much longer,” Leah promised. “I just want a neutral opinion before you see it.”
 
Jason stepped into his office. “Now I have some idea of what my office is used for when I'm not around.”
 
Beth lowered her foot to the floor. “You! If you ever involve yourself in my personal life again, I'll... I'll... grrr!”
 
“In the first place, I have no idea what you're talking about. In the second, who are you and what did you do with my office manager?”
 
Leah smiled. “You like?”
 
“Your skills might be rusty from disuse, but you haven't lost your touch. She's gorgeous.”
 
“Can't I see now? Please?' Leah turned her makeup case so Beth could see herself in the mirror therein. “Oh, wow,” she said quietly. “What did you do to me?”
 
“What you asked. I hope you aren't disappointed.”
 
Beth smiled at Leah before looking back into the mirror. “No. Not at all.”
 
“So, dinner plans?”
 
“I... I haven't really stopped long enough to think that far ahead,” Beth said.
 
Jason held his hand out to Beth. She took it and he helped her to her feet. He surprised her when he spun her about like they were dancing. “Very nice.” He released her.
 
“What was that for?”
 
“To get a better impression.” Beth shot him an annoyed look. “At least I didn't ask you to dance on the coffee table. Or my desk,” he teased. He held out a card to her.
 
“Like I would. What's this,” she asked, taking the card.
 
“Dinner is at eight.”
 
Beth looked at the card. “Jason! I can't afford this!”
 
“You can. I pay you well enough. But that is neither here nor there. I called and made your reservation. They will put the bill on my tab. Your responsibility tonight is to enjoy yourself. Nothing more. There is a car waiting for you downstairs.”
 
“A car?” Beth looked stunned and then relieved. “Thank you.”
 
“Anything here I need to look at?” Jason asked indicating the pile of files.
 
Beth began collecting her things. “No. They'll keep over the weekend. I meant to put them away. I'll ask Jessica to see to it on my way out.” She slung her bag over her shoulder. She started to move around the desk and stopped. Beth turned to look Jason in the eye. “I love you.” She kissed him on the cheek.
 
“The feeling is mutual, Miss Gilbert. Enjoy yourself.”
 
“Yes, sir.”
 
“Beth.” She turned towards Leah. Leah passed her something.
 
Beth looked at it. It was the tube of lipstick Leah had used on her. “Thank you,” she said smiling.
 
“Have a good time,” Leah said. She and Jason watched Beth walk out of the office. “That was nice of you.”
 
“I'm not the one that painted her face. And apparently I am now done for the day. What would you like to do?”
 
“Food?” Leah said. She closed up her makeup case and latched it down. She set it on Jason's desk and retracted the legs, locking them in their place. “Just not wherever you sent her to.”
 
“It's your weekend,” he said. Leah smiled. “Wherever you want to go.”

In Champions Powers, under Miscellaneous Powers, there is a “Nega Beam” which is (I believe) intended to simulate Darkseid’s attack. It is hideously expensive, being a Summon for a 1,000+ point construct. But it does home in on its target. 

Actually that's the way Reed figured out how to defeat Gladiator, because there's no way he could pick up the building like that.  So Reed concluded he's using some sort of telekinesis to protect himself and deal damage, so they distracted him and Susan knocked him out.  Some day I want to have that entire Byrne run, its so well done.
 
By the way, if you pick up a copy, it helps the sales (and hence, the wallet of both me and Hero Games, who gets a cut) if you drop a review on the site.

So the two shot went off and it was epic.  I have never run Hero with firearms so it was a little slow, but it didn't take long for it to get crazy.  The soldiers were on R&R at a Juarez off-track dog betting parlor.  They were partying and getting into pushing and shoving matches.  During the night they popped a pill and next they know blackout.  They woke up and everyone was dead, there was blood all over their hands and defensive wounds on their arms.
 
The smell was getting bad, indicating they had been here for a few days and when they heard sirens.  Then this man with tatoo's all over his face comes walking in the back door.  During this time the party starts searching the room looking for weapons and finds a prescription bottle on one of the dead men and a strange religious symbol on all the dead men.  Then all hell broke loose as the ninja's jumped down from the ceiling.  They used their commando training to fight off the ninjas and the tattooed man threw a stun grenade.
 
The tattooed man explains that a Deacon had tipped the men off to unusual activity in and out of the church's private cemetery.  As they enter the church they find deacon dead with a throwing dagger in his throat, actually a perfect shot.  Then a black armored assassin with katanas jumps down and kicks the snot out of the party.  Only due to the luck of one player and the church getting riddled with bullets they stumble down some stairs.  They escape to the mausoleum and find a secret door, there is also a computer panel which they shoot instead of using.
 
They get found out from above and have a fire fight with the soldiers friends they killed in the off-track betting parlor.  They bust into the secret door which has an elevator and leads four stories into the ground.  They sneak in and knock out two guards who are wearing red masks.  In the hold underneath is a huge drug lab and distribution center.  They remember the pill bottle and put two and two together.  They actually use a computer and find these to be legal drugs, but luck (3 6's) once again comes through and they find two different pills.  A black light in a drawer show's them the truth.
 
These they deduce are knock out pills so they take a bunch out of the bottles.  This is huge so they believe they are being used to capture sex slaves (no idea where Socrates and Plato came up with this).  With these pills in hand they hear some noise and see soldiers.  They sneak out and decide to liquify the pills to be used on the enemy!  They spend a week doing this and beat up some Mexican Pharmacists to make this happen.  
 
With this bold belief that they can knockout their enemy, they put the formula into smoke grenades and find out about where the assassin and ninja fortress is.  They sneak in and throw the grenades into the compound and are amazed at how the ninjas find them exactly and shoot them up easily.  The pills when taken together cause the next action to be perfect thus, perfect perception, stealth and aiming.  After binding the party the side effects kick in and the party get's to watch the blood rage of the ninja's kill each other.
 
On one of the log's they seen names for a local police investigator and the local alderman in Juarez.  They are pretty pissed and go hunting down the local police investigator.  After some shoot ups and running on roof tops (one player fell through a roof into a cock-fight and placed a bet before leaving) they capture the cop.  They cop is fat, sweaty and out of breath and he tells them about the Lady Alderman.  As they are walking out he pops two pills and the turn and shoot him thinking they were the pills.  Turns out it was heart medicine, they got a chuckle out of that as they are a little paranoid.
 
The final fight is on a hill in a decrepit old stone building.  The Lady Alderman is waiting with some ninjas and a fight ensues, they miss a luck roll and are pretty beat up.  They remember they have one grenade left and let it go on themselves and kill the Lady Alderman.  They then turn into rage monsters and attack each other.  They are happy about this as they have been poking at each other the whole night about who is better (I made them exactly the same characters).  So they fight it out and one kills the other, but due to the rage after they die they turn into zombies and he rises and kills the one that killed him.
 
The end.  I had so much fun with this and really appreciate all the help.  I told the party that this forum created the adventure and they want to do it again.   I will start something soon, but thank you so much.
 
 
 
 

I've played in a few campaigns over the decades where the DM made every session a nail-biting near-death experience.  Over time the players can become fatigued and demoralized as their cherished characters nearly die again and again.
Nihilism can set in or sometimes players will skip a week purely to catch a breather from the action.
 
It's important to let the characters (and their players) catch their breath, feel heroic or simply experience how powerful they've become over the course of a campaign.  It's like a palate cleanser.  It resets the taste buds for the next delicious adventure.
 
When I was taking my Saturday table through War for the Crown I started to sense the players getting a little haggard from having to hide from and escape the city guard again and again.  So when one character went to meet his contact at midnight on a re-supply errand I gave him a little booster.
 
Darran Redbeard - Dwarven explosives expert and military veteran with over a 100 years of experience under his belt - blows his Streetwise roll - badly.
 
A handful of street toughs with rusty gear and patched, misfit armor approach him.
 
Thug 1:  Hey, there, little fella.  That's a nice axe.
Darran:  Yeah?
Thug 1:  Hand it over - along with your coin purse and those metal egg things you got (grenades) and we won't have to cut you.
Darran:  I see...
<More thugs step out of the shadows - It's at least 4 to 1 now>
<Player 2 - Oh, Jesus... ~begins laughing~  They don't know they're trying to mug The Punisher.>
Darran:  Here, take the money.  <holds out his coin purse>
 
First thug eats a round from Darran's exploding punch gauntlet (Think 8 gauge shotgun round expended each time a punch lands).  His bowels perfume the sidewalk - dead instantly.
Next goon runs up and shanks Darran.  Right into his enchanted chain shirt.  Zero damage.
Darran ignores this guy and throws his highest damage explosive into the two guys hanging back and preparing to shoot him with with short bows.
A thunderous retort shakes the alley as they are blown to chunks.
 
Darran:  This is the part where you run.
Shanky runs for his life.  He doesn't make it.
 
And when it was over the player who was concerned his explosives expert wasn't quite as powerful as the other characters on the team was grinning ear to ear.  The stress of hiding from the guards and shadowy assassins was forgotten.
He was John F'ing Wick.  He was Baba Yaga.
 
 

Ah, yes. Thanks. FH6E, pg 276 if anyone else is looking.
 
- E

This was fun!

Please let us know how it goes!

I think this is enough for my game!  Thank you everyone for all of your help!

Summon Missile
 
Slavishly loyal automaton which is destroyed on impact.