Spidey88

Re: The October Eight competition Kraken, part four: Here's an attempt at posting his stats (in 5E format, as that's what our group uses - though we did take to the Unified Power limitation): Hopefully this isn't too painful - I don't have Kraken in HDC format handy. (Split values indicate normal/transformed state) 10/45 STR 20/38 DEX 15/20 CON 10/15 BODY 23 INT 15 EGO 13/18 PRE 16 COM 4/15 PD (+3 for combat luck) 3/10 ED (+3 for combat luck) 4/8 SPD 5/13 REC 30/40 END 23/45 STUN OCV: 13 DCV: 17 ECV: 5 Move: 30" Leaping, Swimming (4X NCM), Swinging, and Gliding; 21" Running. INT Roll: 14- PER Roll: 14- (17- w. vision) PRE Roll: 13- STR Roll: 18- EGO Roll: 12- DEX Roll: 17- Maneuvers purchased: Flying Dodge, Legsweep, Offensive Strike, Passing Strike, Flying Grab Combat Skill levels: +4 DCV, +2 HTH, +6 OCV with Sweep (cannot result in positive modifier, only cancels penalties), +2 DCV (only to counter Sweep penalties), +3 w. Offensive Strike, Flying Grab, Passing Strike Powers: 36 +18 DEX; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 23 +35 STR; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 7 +5 CON; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 7 +5 BODY; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 3 +5 PRE; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) 3 +4 PD; OIHID (-1/4) 5 +6 ED; OIHID (-1/4) 15 +3 SPD; OIHID (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) (basically, if someone can cut him off from the mystical source of his powers, Kraken is screwed.) 9 Nightvision; Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), plus +3 PER with Sight Group; OIHID (-1/4) 8 Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Sight Group; OIHID (-1/4) 10 Clinging (normal STR) (includes extra grappling STR in Kraken form) 4 Extra Limbs (8); OIHID (-1/4) 6 Life Support (Expanded Breathing - Underwater; Safe in High Pressure) 1 Life Support (Safe in Intense Cold) (only above-zero cold, -1) (Cold water has no effect on him, and he won't get hypothermia.) 10 Octopus Powers: Elemental Control, 24-point powers, all slots OIHID (-1/4) 4) +25 STR; Limited Power (Only for grabs and escapes) (-1 1/2), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) (2 END) 9) Desolidification ; only protects vs. gross crushing + impact (-3/4), Needs at least a 3"hole to squeeze through (-3/4), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) (4 END) 5) Regeneration 2 BODY, Can Heal Limbs, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Turn (Post-Segment 12) (-1 1/4), Self Only (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) 8) Invisibility to Sight Group , Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Requires A Stealth Roll (-1/2), Only when in shadows or not moving (-1/4), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; eg. throwing paint, spaghetti sauce, etc. or by damaging skin sufficiently -1/4), OIHID (-1/4) 4) Darkness to Sight and Smell/Taste Groups 3" radius; 6 Charges (-3/4), No Range (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) 6) Stretching 3", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4), OIHID (-1/4) 26 Trading a Shell for Mobility: Multipower, 33-point reserve, (33 Active Points); all slots OIHID (-1/4) 3u Running +16" (22" total); OIHID (-1/4) 3u Swimming +28" (30" total) (x4 Noncombat); OIHID (-1/4) 2u Swinging 30"; Reduced reach (6m) (-1/4), OIHID (-1/4) 2u Leaping +21", Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4); OIHID (-1/4) 2u Gliding 30"; Restrainable (-1/2), OIHID (-1/4) Perks: Double Jointed Supreme Balance, OIHID (-1/4) Environmental Movement (Aquatic) Combat Luck (3 rPD/3 rED) Skills: Acrobatics 17- Acting 8- AK: Pacific North America 14- Animal Handler (aquatic animals) 13- Breakfall 17- Computer Programming 14- Contortionist 17- Electronics 14- Lockpicking 17- Mechanics 14- Scientist skill enhancer SS: Biochemistry 14- SS: Chemistry 14- SS: Genetics 14- SS: Marine Biology 15- SS: Physics 14- SS: Physiology 14- Security Systems 14- Shadowing 14- Stealth 17- KS: Stage Magic 11- KS: Environmental Law 14- PS: Scientist 11- TF: common ground vehicles, small motorboats +3 with Stealth, Shadowing, Acrobatics (all those stretchy arms and no bones help out big time) Defense Maneuvers I-IV Rapid Attack (HTH) Two-Weapon Combat (HTH) Disadvantages: -30 Vulnerability: Heat/Fire (1.5X Body, 2X STUN) -10 Vulnerability: Visual flash attacks -20 Secret ID -15 Hunted (other avatars. esp. Moray, avatar of eels): more powerful, 8- -15 Hunted (Keeper of the Depths): more powerful, Extensive NCI, easy to find, only watching, 8- -10 Distinctive Features: Easily concealed, major reaction -20 Code Vs. Killing (common, total) -5 Phys. Lim.: must submerge in water every 6 hours or take 2d6 STUN that can't be recovered until submerged during recovery -10 Compulsive wisecracker (common, moderate) -5 Chivalric (uncommon, moderate) -5 Susceptibility: airborne/waterborne copper solutions (1d6/min) -10 Ardent environmentalist (uncommon, strong) Forgive me if I may have missed a thing or two, or buggered up the transcription. And yes, he is an unbalanced, holy terror in close combat; but he folds extremely quickly if he gets hit or doesn't manage his END and SPD very carefully, and my GM gave him the OK. So there!

Re: The October Eight competition Kraken, part three: Description: Kraken's got the overall body structure of a lean, muscular humanoid, with a few additions: His skin in moist and soft, variable in texture and sometimes iridescent in the right light; changing colors like most people change expressions. His eyes are extremely large (about three inches across), protrude from his face slightly on a short stalk/mound, and have a horizontal, bar-shaped pupil. He has no nose, hair, or external ears, and his jaws are beaklike. On the underside of his arms, hands, legs, and toeless feet, there's a double row of suction cups. The rows widen on his palms and soles; such that his feet and palms are covered completely underneath, and his fingers each have a row of suction cups that go to the tips. His upper back has a muscular, fleshy hump about 4 inches thick - just above his shoulder blades, there's a horizontal slit that looks much like a ramscoop; and at the small of his back, there's another horizontal slit from which a pale siphon normally protrudes slightly. On the sides of this hump, in a symmetrical, radiating pattern, are eight tentacles about as thick as a man's bicep, and ranging from 6 to 20 feet long at any given moment. Each tentacle is also studded with a double row of suction cups along its underside (that is, facing forward when Kraken is standing, down when swimming). Despite his alien appearance, he's really quite pleasant to look at - once the initial shock wears off, at least. Objectively, he's attractive - but he's a lot to take in, and quite freaky if you don't expect him. His large, expressive eyes and open, friendly demeanor counteract this somewhat, but he's still prone to causing extreme reactions from the uninitiated - when it comes to the criminal element, he rather enjoys the effect. As Duncan Hall, he's a sharp-featured man of 26 years (who looks even slightly younger than that), with short, dark hair and green eyes. He's about 5'10", and a lean 165 lbs - he's not a big man, but it's obvious that he's in excellent shape, with nary an ounce of fat on his toned frame. Even if he isn't aware of such things, the ladies notice... There's usually either a look of quiet intensity on his face, or an irreverent grin. Attached is a picture I drew of him.

Re: The October Eight competition Kraken, part two: Powers/Tactics: Kraken's nature as an avatar of Earthly cephalopods affords him a variety of abilities, many of which even he would admit are beyond what any-real life octopus, cuttlefish, or squid can do. It seems that the Keeper of the Depths has endowed him with more of a symbolic, idealized template of what cephalopods can do - almost as an octo-demigod. The most obvious elements of Kraken's powers are his eight powerful tentacles, emerging from a fleshy hump on his upper back. Each one is about as thick as his bicep at the base, gradually tapering to about finger width near the tip, and has a double row of suction cups that extends its entire length along the underside. Each tentacle can stretch to over 20 feet in length with little loss of strength; though for lifting the heaviest loads, Kraken keeps them at minimal extension (usually around 6 feet). Each tentacle is fully prehensile, and capable of approximately the same degree of fine manipulation as a human hand. Kraken's brain in avatar form is modified to be able to coordinate multiple sources of sensory input and output - consequently, he's fully ambidextrous (decadextrous), and can perform several tasks at once with no loss in performance. His original four limbs are capable of the same feats of elongation and strength should he require them to, but he rarely feels the need. Perhaps the greatest utility of his tentacles is for propulsion - with their titanic power, speed, suction cups, and flexibility, Kraken is truly an all-terrain superhero. While he's not as fast as most speedsters over long distances, his combat movement is stellar: He can travel on land at speeds exceeding 200 kph; when he's got room to properly brachiate or leap, he can reach nearly 300 kph (even across smooth vertical surfaces); and by stretching out the web of skin between his tentacles (so that it expands close to their tips), he can even glide long distances with ease. Perhaps most astonishing is his performance in the water - by using his tentacles in conjunction with a burst of jet propulsion from his siphon, he can accelerate to speeds no boat could match in an instant; and in under five seconds, reach speeds nearing 800 kph! (Supercavitation is your friend.) Kraken's overall strength has been enhanced to vastly superhuman levels (he can benchpress a fire engine without significant strain) and his physiology is uniquely adapted for crushing, constricting, and grappling - combined with his combat training, only the truly strongest of the strong can escape his grasp. Kraken's agility and reflexes are perhaps even more spectacular - a fantastically sophisticated nervous system (with nerves as thick as veins) controls a total of 12 boneless, superstrong limbs - his athletic and acrobatic performance is practially without peer, and he's capable of truly stunning feats of derring-do that no human could hope to duplicate. His reflexes are faster than a normal human's by a factor of 50 or so - coupled with his keen vision and awesome speed, he's able to dodge bullets and even energy weapons with contemptuous ease. Watching Kraken in combat is like watching the definition of fluidity in action - despite the frenetic pace and number of limbs in play, this sinuous mass of brain and muscle makes a fight seems more like a carefully choreographed art than mere violence. Kraken's vision has been enhanced dramatically - not only is his vision tremendously acute, but he's able to see in the dimmest light. In addition, his huge, bulging eyes (the size of mandarin oranges) are on short stalks that are as flexible as the rest of him - meaning that he can literally look behind and above him without turning his head. This comes at a price, however - having orange-sized, super-sensitive eyes means he's rather vulnerable to bright flashes of light. Kraken is fully amphibious - he can breathe water (both fresh and salt), survive the crushing pressure of the deepest oceans, and get along quite comfortably in the chilliest polar waters. His resistance to cold drops off rather sharply in sub-zero temperatures, however - he'll need a parka if he goes on land in an Arctic winter. Kraken's overall metabolic processes have been considerably enhanced. He's got the stamina and toughness of an elite athlete, and he regenerates damage incredibly quickly - such that if he's able to survive an attack, even barely, he'll be fit as a fiddle within minutes. As well, he can regenerate lost appendages with similar speed. Kraken's invertebrate physiology and slippery skin means that few physical constraints or barriers mean anything to him. He's able to flatten and squish his entire body through spaces a man could barely even get a hand into - handcuffs, rope, even most entangles won't even slow him down - and even the strongest grappler will find he flows through their grasp like water! Gross crushing forces, like those produced by a magnetically sealed trash compactor, are also essentially meaningless to him. When he needs to be, though, he can tense up into a solid mass of rock-hard muscle (so his punches aren't like getting slapped with a wet noodle), or do it selectively so he remains as slippery as ever, but still hits hard. His skin is equally amazing - packed with layers of chromatophores and muscles, he's able to change his color and texture in the blink of an eye. Coupled with his protean body structure, he can blend into his surroundings so well that he's virtually invisible (as long as he stays still or sticks to the shadows). Like his vision, his skin comes with downsides as well - it's thin and moist, and Kraken needs to submerse or fully douse himself with clean water (or change back to human form) every few hours or he'll start to dry out. Fire and dry heat tend to affect him far worse than any human, though if given the opportunity, his natural regenerative abilities will allow him to recover from burns quickly. One quirk of Kraken's physiology that he tries to keep as secret is possible is his sensitivity to copper solutions - while merely touching something made of copper causes him no significant discomfort, inhaling any sort of copper solution (whether suspended in water or air) could kill him if he were exposed to it for just a few minutes. Thankfully, this doesn't come up all that often, but anyone with sufficient zoological knowledge could conceivably postulate it. Last, but not least, Kraken is able to project a thick cloud of ink when he needs to create some cover for an escape. Able to do its job both above and below the surface of the waves, it's also an effective barrier against those tracking by scent as well as vision. Kraken typically only has enough ink to use a full-sized cloud about six times over a 24-hour period, so he uses it sparingly. In combat, Kraken will rely on his speed and agility to keep himself safe from attack - he folds rather fast under direct assault. He's an absolute terror in close combat - using his reach and multiple limbs to assail multiple foes at once if possible, utilizing grabs and throws as much as direct strikes. He rarely stops moving, unless he's got cause to be cautious. He particularly enjoys taking on legions of henchmen (typically wading through scores of them without slowing down) and uppity bricks who underestimate his prowess in closeup fights and grappling. During a fight, he's likely to toss out a stream of insults and jokes to try and throw his opponent off his game - everything seems to be happening in slow motion for him most of the time anyway, might as well use the time! He tends to get more irritated than he should if he does manage to get hit, as he's rather proud of his superb reflexes and awareness. If things get bad, he'll put the lives of innocents or his teammates before his own, brazenly risking his life in their defense (again, trusting in his regeneration to survive a mistake) and will always offer to cover his friend's escapes; once he's the last one left, he's a master at the art of the strategic withdrawl - he's always got an eye on the way out, and he can take advantage of a lot more exits than most. A quick burst of ink to obscure view, then slurping out of sight through an air vent or the plumbing system! On his own against large numbers or overwhelming opposition, he'll fight from the shadows using his reach and stealth - hit-and-fade faster than the enemy can keep up. Also, if he's anywhere near water, he'll try and lure the fight closer to heighten his advantage - often going as far as picking up his opponent and tossing him in the drink! When he's not in Kraken form, Duncan is still extraordinarily quick - not superhuman, but with near-olympic level agility. He's got a keen, analytical mind and a wide array of skills in keeping with his scientific training and interest in escape artistry and magic. He still maintains a few superhuman abilities in human form: he's able to breathe and maneuver underwater effortlessly, climb walls (even without visible suction cups), and he's still an incredibly hard target to pin down - as slippery as a squid, it's saved his life on a couple of occasions where he's been unable to change into Kraken without risking his secret I.D. He'll use these abilities to catch the bad guys off guard or evade detection by them, if he figures he can use them without being seen. While he is able to change between his normal human form and that of Kraken painlessly and at will, the transformation does take a few seconds to complete fully.

Re: The October Eight competition Well, considering the title of this thread - specifically the fact that I faced my gaming kobayashi maru with this very character last October 8th (Cephalopod awareness day, coincidentally enough) - I'll fire off what I've got on my current Champions character, KRAKEN, part one Warning: this is super long, as far as stuff to be posted on a forum is concerned. I'll post it in several parts, as long as no one minds. (On that note, tell me politely if I'm being an irritating threadjacker, and I'll pare some of this down!) Background: Duncan Hall has always been what other men would call "driven". The youngest of the three children of Eileen and William Hall, a lawyer and an artist living in Victoria, Duncan's brilliance emerged very early in his life. He hungered for knowledge on any subject he could get his hands on - the more mysterious, the better. It's not surprising, then, that he decided very early on that he wanted to be either a marine biologist (we know more about the surface of the moon than the deepest oceans, after all) or a stage magician (so he could find out how they did all those cool tricks). For most of his life, he idolized two men: Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and Harry Houdini. Sure, there'd never been anyone he'd heard of who was a world-renowned oceanographer and escapologist before, but hey - someone had to be first! Despite his inherently eccentric nature, he was never osctracized too badly in school - his natural enthusiasm and good nature were too infectious to be overshadowed by the intensity with which he pursued his interests. He was a nerd, to be sure - but he was a surprisingly athletic one whose wit was as well-honed as the rest of his mental faculties. He had few close friends, though - he never felt as though he could relate too well to his peers. Under the surface, he was rather lonely - which only drove him further into his books. He never managed to break into the magic biz professionally, but he learned a lot on his own nonetheless. By the time he was in his teens, he was a competent lockpick and escape artist, and had developed a surprisingly limber physique (his double-jointed talent was earned through long practice). The marine biology was a different story, though - he threw himself into his studies with such single-minded intensity that he'd graduated high school (as valedictorian) by 14, got his bachelor's degree by 17 (with a perfect GPA), and earned his Doctorate in Oceanography at Dalhousie before his 24th birthday. He took a position as a research biologist through the Scripps Institution of Oceanography soon after graduating, and found a comfortable niche. His job afforded him a considerable amount of autonomy - go out on his boat, collect specimens, conduct experiments, collect data, and record results. In the two years he'd been working through Scripps, he'd yet to find the breakthrough that would ensure "Duncan Hall" would be a household name, but he was making some pretty big waves in the field of teuthology - already he was seen as the wunderkind who'd taken his place beside such experts as O'Shea, Hanlon, and Roper; and that was more than enough for now. He was respected, he was doing what he'd always wanted to do, and able to make a reasonably comfortable living doing it. It was a niche he would have been happy with for quite some time, had fate not intervened... One night, he was out collecting specimens for his latest series of cephalopod behavior experiments, when he spied a boat traveling without navigation lights of any kind - rather suspicious for a boat of that size, since any boat bigger than his zodiac had them by law and the rules of common sense. With his spotting scope, he was able to see the crew was dumping full oil-drum-sized containers directly into the ocean. Whatever was in those, it was obviously bad news! Anchored offshore in the shallows, he'd avoided their notice. Already wearing SCUBA gear and armed with a waterproof infrared camera, he opted to move in closer - if he couldn't stop them, he'd at least get some pictures of the dumpers and their craft, and log the location of the garbage for cleanup later. At first, he was confident - there was no way they'd see him, and their noisy splashing would conceal his exhalation. As soon as he got close to the boat, he saw "biohazard" and "radioactive" symbols on a falling barrel, and it sent a chill down his spine. What kind of monsters...? Pictures wouldn't be enough. Galvanized, he clambered aboard and attempted a citizen's arrest. Unfortunately for Duncan, his temper had gotten the better of him - he realized it as soon as the mob goons, paid to dump biomedical waste by a local supervillain/mad scientist, produced pistols and shot him four times in the chest. As Duncan fell, cold water flushed through his wounds, and he felt strangely calm. Why am I sinking? Oh - BCD was shot too. Everything seemed like a dream as he drifted downwards - almost like that time he had nitrogen narcosis. Oh, look, a school of opalescent squid - so graceful... Death wasn't so bad - peaceful, really - but he couldn't go yet. The barrels were still there, and that one was leaking a strange yellowish-green fluid from a bullet hole... No - not yet... Had to stop them... As everything began to go dark, his last thoughts rested on an Octopus bimaculoides that was curiously extending an arm to touch his hand. No - get away... Chemicals leaking... Then? Blackness. Blacker than he thought possible. Blacker than that deep-sea trench he'd seen through the sub's window... Almost tangible, smoky... like being dropped in an inkwell... "Hear me, Duncan Hall." A deep, rumbling voice implored; surrounding him, infusing him - intense, but quiet and serene at the same time. "Throughout time, I have watched and guided all the creatures of the oceans. I have no name, but you might call me by my station - 'The Keeper of the Depths'. You are not of my realm, human - yet your life ebbs because of actions on behalf of my charges." Am I dead? What's going on? "Rarely do I make contact with those of your species - but I sense potential within your spirit. If you would commit to the defense of my realms, I will give you a second chance, and power to do my bidding." Defense of your realms? You mean protect the oceans? "Yes. You live amongst your kind away from my waters, yet part of your soul resides here. You understand the connection between the lands and seas. You are already a creature of two worlds, Duncan Hall - if you pledge yourself to my cause, I will make you so in body as well as in spirit." What if I say no? "It is not in your nature." What's the catch? "You must do as I ask. I cannot act directly - you would be as one of my hands. If nothing else moves you in your current state, let me remind you that death awaits you should you decline." It seems I have little choice. "Very well, Duncan Hall. Serve me loyally, and you shall be rewarded..." The blackness began to subside. Duncan felt warmth on his back, and opened his eyes. Squinting, he groggily assessed the situation. It was early morning, and he had apparently washed ashore amidst the rocks. His boat lay off in the distance, still anchored where he left it. Snapping alert, he rolled over in a rush to inspect his wounds, his SCUBA tank clanging on the rocks. Amazed, his fingers explored the holes in his BCD and wetsuit, but could find no wounds of any kind. Come to think of it, he felt great - all the more amazing, considering he'd evidently spent the night unconscious amongst the waves in fairly cold water - he should have drowned, or at least been darn chilly... Then, the unthinkable happened. He exhaled, and water came roiling from his mouth. He almost didn't notice it - there was no discomfort to speak of. He couldn't believe it. Inhaling, he felt normal - but there was a strange weight there, in his chest, that he couldn't place. Exhaling again, a little more water exited - not much - but enough that he should have been choking and sputtering. Almost on the verge of panic, he thrust his head underwater, hoping the cool blast to his face would shake him out of his torpor (am I hypothermic and in shock? Lips aren't blue...), and inhaled again without even thinking. The reflex that nearly all mammals have that says "Hold your breath when you go underwater" wasn't there anymore, and he got a full breath of water - and moreover, it felt strangely refreshing. He nearly passed out right there. Duncan soon discovered that he could breathe the water as easily as he could the air above, and he realized what it meant - either the toxic waste had changed him somehow (how? his mind was already racing), or that wasn't just an unusually vivid dream he'd just had... It wasn't long before he'd shed his gear, even his flippers, and discovered that he was perfectly at home - comfortable, even - without need of any air, weights, or mask. Words could not express the exhultation of joy Duncan felt inside. For most people, discovering you could fly would have come close to producing the same emotion, but still fallen short. As he hauled himself into his boat a few hours later (no sense leaving it here, after all - there's still expensive equipment in it), his wet hands scrambled for purchase - and he found they stuck quite securely to the surface of the polished bench seat. Pulling his hand back, it briefly resisted with tremendous force - then popped loose easily. Duncan soon found he could control the reflex, and that this ability extended along both his arms and legs. What was next? A few days later when he dove into the sea to save a drowning surfer, he got his answer - as soon as he hit the water, he could feel his body began to warp and shift, and his perceptions heighted. His butterfly stroke quickly shifted to the blast-off of a ballistic missile; and as he reached the for the surfer scant seconds later, several strange arms reached along with the ones he was used to. The surfer quickly came to his senses after being brought to shore, stammered a shaky "thank you", and left quickly with wide eyes and a half-heard comment about feeling "like he was in a scene from that Pirates of the Caribbean movie"... Soon after, as the danger passed, Duncan began to worry that he would be stuck looking like an entree in a Japanese restaurant, and found his features shifting back to normal, the tentacles receding. Over the next few weeks, he practiced the transformation and the use of his new abilities, and found that he could become like unto a living cephalopod... At first, he could only change forms when sufficiently wet - but he soon figured out how to do it at will. The whole process took about 15 seconds, and even Duncan himself couldn't figure out where all the extra mass from the tentacles went. Always the crusader for the environment as a mere man, he decided he'd use his newfound powers to take the fight to those who caused the Earth pain, and those who saw fit to despoil man's world as well. After all - to deny that either existed in a vacuum was just plain shortsighted and stupid. As for a name? Well, that surfer had given him a mighty appropriate one already... In fairly short order, he became the scourge of pirates, gangs, amoral corporations, and entire whaling fleets throughout the Pacific - and using his growing status as a superhero, spoke up for environmental causes and tried to educate the public (and misguided protestors) whenever possible. Regularly patrolling the west coast of North America, he was able to use his tremendous speed to reach sinking ships, disaster sites, and crimes in action faster than anyone else usually could. Still, despite his tireless efforts, there were still plenty of things he missed; and there were plenty of other oceans that needed a protector, too - even with his matchless speed in the sea, he couldn't be everywhere or see the future. So, when The Global Guardians announced they were conducting tryouts, he knew without any hesitation that he had to be there...

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror I fully expect that there will be some shady people in positions of power that will not approve - but I think the global community as a whole will be mostly behind us. People are dying in huge numbers, and Tamerlane's evidently a metahuman (which I think changes things a little, or at least gives us an obvious rationalization. He's not just a dictator - he's a supervillain with an agent that can shut down all technology at will). Feel free to disagree. Honestly? As long as our patrons are behind us and our moral compasses are pointing in the right direction, I'm not sure that political infighting is really our problem (or something we're able to handle anyway). Sure, we might be sticking our necks out and painting targets on ourselves - but that's part of being a superhero anyway. Yes, I'm oversimplifying things - but I don't expect our GM will be hosing us too terribly. In real life, I'd be much more antsy about stirring up a political hornet's nest.

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror The stand-in is pretty much a given, actually - the aforementioned ninja assassin with shadow powers? She can create completely convincing duplicates of herself out of shadowstuff! Granted, they're rather underpowered compared to the real thing, but they're there for the purpose of just being a decoy anyway. Wraith (the ninja) has mental invisibility (as well as the regular type in shadows), so she should be able to muck around behind the scenes without alerting anyone right away. Ideally, she'd go in and retrieve the princess (the tech suppressor); but at another facility we snuck into, she was protected by a teleport-proof force field - so that may not be on the table. Tamerlane's whole battle plan relies on the princess - so really, she's probably an even higher priority than Tamerlane himself at the moment. My thoughts were definitely along the lines of "send Wraith out to gather evidence" - possibly on a live feed at the site of some horrible atrocity his army's committed while we're talking to him. If we're in Tamerlane's stronghold on a live feed, hopefully we can impress that if the cameras go off, we are in deep doo-doo and might need saving (or at least that Tamerlane is a total stinker and can't be trusted)! At this point, it seems as though we're not being broadcast 24/7 - just the interesting parts. Granted, the visit to Tamerlane qualifies - but we may be able to bring cameras ourselves (if we can have a base that exists between dimensions, our alien gadgeteer on staff can surely whip up some roving camera-drones) and not put anyone else in danger. I'm totally expecting #3, at best...

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror Well, the lot of you have (unsurprisingly) given me a lot of food for thought. It's definitely helped me a get a clearer grasp on what details I'll need to ask questions about next session! I'm still open to more input, though - fire when ready!

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror Good to know! Maybe I'll have to do some reading...

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror Or have the conscience of their whole roster of heroes (and flagship character) make a deal with their equivalent of the devil... Dang it, they did that one too...

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror Not even remotely - which is why we've been sent in. Tamerlane's a conqueror, not an elected official. 3 of the 6 characters are well-designed for this sort of thing, but only one of them is likely to be able to get past Tamerlane's mentalist lieutenants without being spotted. Fortunately, we seem to be on pretty solid ground as far as the legitimacy of our mission is concerned. There might be some objections here and there, but I don't expect the global community as a whole will take issue with us. As long as the tech suppressing field isn't up, we can make the attempt in relative safety - but we've got no way to ensure that. With the field up, we'll likely be sitting ducks in Tamerlane's stronghold. Still, it's looking more and more like accepting the invitation may be necessary. Besides - walking into a trap you know is a trap is a very comic-book thing to do! I'll need to check with the GM on this one - but I think only select parts of the competition are being filmed. I might be wrong; but if not, that gives us a little wiggle room.

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror Our GM is the absolute KING of "plots within plots within plots", so there will no doubt be some loose ends to wrap up for some time to come...

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror Because they'll all be changed completely in under a year by the next big, stupid "event" that is never properly dealt with or explored!

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror The Trikari, for whatever reason, are making the show. I, for one, can't help but be a little suspicious of their motives. The decisions about the team are made by a panel of judges, which includes respected superheroes (such as Tetsuronin), and a single Trikari representative. The details of the show are a point of frustration with me - our GM is very good at dealing with interesting plots, good action, and compelling mysteries - but he runs games that are very light on the actual in-character roleplaying. Thus far, I've tried to ask the judges and the Trikari such questions as "Reality TV? Really? Why?", and haven't got much of a response. I'll have to keep pushing when we aren't quite so in the thick of things. On the other hand, a reality TV show is a great way to a) raise resources for the group (extradimensional bases don't pay for themselves), and raise awareness of the group in a short timeframe (as long as the editing isn't manipulated to make us look like jerks or idiots). What little we know about the Trikari seems to indicate they're more than a little naive as far as their understanding of Earth's culture goes, so they may feel that this is perfectly dignified and appropriate anyway. Again: the concept of this campaign is that the UN has empowered us to act as international law enforcement to deal with metahuman threats. Much like UNTIL, we have to work with local law enforcement (assuming it actually exists - which it doesn't in the case of this mission). We have their support - the testing is merely to see if they will give us a thumbs-up and continue to grant us said legal enforcement powers. This mission is basically our first field test. That's what we've got, take it or leave it.

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror Then we go with the UN's wishes. They're our bosses, not any one country (and all of our PCs are from different countries anyway, eliminating some potential for mixed allegiances). Besides - we're not politicians, and don't have much place dealing with them. The exception would be if some country takes some extremist stance against what we see as the common good - a press conference, headed by Frostbite (our team's voice of experience, esp. involving dealing with the media), would be held to explain our position. We're intended to be international law enforcement, not law-breakers, so I can't see us going completely "Authority" and doing things "our way, and d@#! the consequences!" Hopefully we're not forced into that kind of position, either! Assuming the UN is bogged down in petty bickering, then we just have to go with what seems like the right thing to do by our own moral compasses.

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror Whew! It's been a long day. I'll do my best to respond to you fine fellows, starting with Lucius: The effect is created by a single metahuman individual (hereby referred to as "The Princess"). While typically short-range in scope, technological doodads created by a mercenary gadgeteer in Tamerlane's employ increase the range so much that it blankets out tech use in a radius measured in kilometers. So far, we've disabled one such device (a large, stationary system), and stolen another (a smaller, portable one installed in a souped-up APC). Our Trikari gadget monger, Dr. Cobalt, has been given the task of analyzing it (and discovering a counter for it) as his highest priority. Thus far, he's stumped as to how this tech-nullifying effect could even work - hopefully a detailed analysis of the amplifier will result in something tangible. If memory serves, Tamerlane possesses at least one more such device in his stronghold in the Registan - possibly more, but not many more. We're under the impression that it's taken his gadgeteer some time to create it. Not a one - the tech suppressant doesn't really impair any of the PCs, save for our alien super-communicators/wrist computers which can teleport us back to our base once per day. If Dr. Cobalt can counter the Princess' powers, we'll obviously try to modify the communicators. That instant escape clause is definitely handy for saving our skins! Presumably at their own risk. The whole country is essentially a demilitarized zone. Unknown. The source of our computer file on Tamerlane is a blank at this point. We've only got so many details so far, but it's something I can ask at our next session. Also an unknown quantity, but this ties into the next question: You bet - there's more than one village that's been obliterated to its foundations. We haven't got any good intel on how many survivors and refugees we can expect, but there's bound to be tons considering the scale Tamerlane's forces have been working on. 1) If we actually find this out, so be it - we do our best to break bread and help out with humanitarian efforts, and perhaps get direction from Tamerlane's forces as to where we could be of assistance softening opposition in a non-lethal capacity. I don't think it's too likely, though - all signs so far (without going into all the petty details) point towards Tamerlane being a power-hungry con man. Nothing absolutely conclusive, mind you - so we can't really risk going in all guns blazing (just in case). 2) Doesn't change too much, save for perhaps a little more leniency when he's taken to a tribunal for his war crimes. Emphasis on "little". Nukes, bioweapons, etc. haven't been on the table so far - Tamerlane's relying on a) his metahuman agents, and an army that's well-trained in primitive weapons and melee combat that capitalizes on the tech-suppressing effect. Very, very bloody. 3) Definitely a possibility. Robot puppet, mind-controlled slave, etc. are all things I've been keeping at the back of my mind. Not much we can find out about it until Tamerlane's captured, though. 4) Ties in a little with 3. Android minion of Mechanon, appropriated body of Menton, henchman of someone else behind the scenes - pretty much all of those lead down the path of "more than we can likely deal with at our current group size, power level, and resource level". Again, not much we can plan for until it pops up - just maintaining an open mind, and not taking everything at face value. 4a) Not necessarily - we're fairly committed at this point, but more in spirit than in resources. If we realize we're completely, irrevocably in over our heads (and survive ), there's nothing stopping us from backing out. At this point, we've already captured the head of Tamerlane's military force and one of his primary metahuman agents; so he's at least been dealt a pretty major blow, and we have something to show for our efforts. Simple - he's not stopping at Uzbekistan's borders. Mind-reading the General backs this up. The base is totally mobile, and actually is sort of an extradimensional construct. A "garage door" exists to our reality - said doorway can move about the planet at our whim, within certain limits. Its legal status? Poorly defined as a result. We've got nebulous "UN support", none of us have given much consideration to the specifics - we just want to "get the job done (properly), and leave the paperwork to the bureaucrats". The telepathic probe was a quick-and-dirty affair at the end of the last session - we didn't get the time for too many specifics, but all signs point strongly to "yes". More telepathy will no doubt follow, once we've had the chance to think of more pertinent questions (and the GM devise answers to them).

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror Yeah, not really an option - at least not one for the whole team to know about, as my character and another one have an ironclad CVK. Practical, though - the thought had occurred to me. One of our players has a ninja assassin who can teleport, become invisible in shadows, and has mental invisibility - so she'd be ideal for that sort of thing. She's enough of a loose cannon that she might go off on her own and try and kill Tamerlane - just making sure that the rest of us don't find out. We're considering it, but we've got little assurance that Tamerlane won't be able to brainwash us into joining up with him! Considering that one of our party can force people to tell the truth (ideally on camera:rolleyes:), the prospect may be too good to resist anyway. If we could GET to the tech suppressor, that'd be the thing to do. Tamerlane's whole battle strategy relies on her, and he knows it - consequently, she's extremely well-hidden and protected (as confirmed by a mentalist plumbing through the captured general's memories). As for inciting a revolt - Tamerlane's so charismatic, I don't know what our chances are. He's playing up the patriotic angle well enough that many people are flocking to his banner of their own accord. Still, if we are able to get enough dirt on the guy that sticks, it'd be a great way of ensuring his image is so tarnished that he can't try the same grab for power at a later time (assuming we stop this one, anyway).

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror No one really "controls" the rest of Uzbekistan - it's pretty lawless. There's pretty much just out-of the-way places Tamerlane hasn't bothered with yet. That being said, there may still be remnants of the old government that are still alive, hiding under a rock somewhere. Fair enough - it does come across as pretty dark and hopeless. I trust our GM, though. In other games he runs that are far darker and more "realistic" (eg. modern Call of Cthulu), he never goes too far. I have faith that we aren't going to be in a situation that's too unpalatable or depressing. So far, the mood of this game has been Bronze age-ish, at worst (with the realism at an iron-age level).

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror The real tricks will be a) gathering sufficient evidence quickly enough to accept his invite, and managing to out-talk Tamerlane (all evidence points towards some sort of super-charisma/brainwashing). We fully expect he's got an airtight alibi (or sympathetic propaganda cooked up) and that the invitation is a trap, in which he or one of his loyal mentalists will turn one or all of us into brainwashed minions. We'll never know unless we actually show up! Still, a good idea that should be factored into our decisions for sure. Not likely to happen - two characters (including my own) would be nowhere NEAR cool with that. Not to mention the fact that we're nowhere near powerful enough! There's 6 characters, all sitting at 310 pts + 150 disads - we'd get stomped in fairly short order when the rest of the world got sick of our shenanigans. We fully expect it, actually. Assuming we don't fail miserably, we're going to try and establish a peacekeeping presence in the region when we're done, with lots of humanitarian aid set up for the "common folk". Frankly, the big picture is WAAAAY too big for us to handle - we have to focus on what we're capable of. We're basically a strike force - not diplomats, politicians, economists, or any of that - but we don't want to just wash our hands after the fight is done and leave things worse than when we started.

Re: Sort of a WWYCD: Overthrowing Charismatic Conqueror I'll do my best to answer: 1) Tamerlane was chosen as he was essentially the biggest target that the PCs thought they'd have a chance at handling on their own. He's got a lot of resources, but he's far below "master villain" power levels as far as we can tell - same goes for his minions. He was the biggest bite we figured we could chew, so to speak - and one that would get us noticed (not to mention we'd potentially save a ton of innocent people caught in the conflict). We've captured his general and one of his loyal metas already, so he's lost a few teeth - but Tamerlane is the guy calling the shots, so he's the primary target. We're still potentially outnumbered, as far as superhuman elements are concerned. 2) We're a little fuzzy on the prosecution end of things. Admittedly, we were focusing more on the mission itself, rather than the specifics of legality. Suffice to say, he's overthrown a quasi-legit government and has commanded an army that's killed hundreds, if not thousands, of people; and committed many war crimes. There's any number of nations that want to get their hands on him - I've got the impression that the U.N. has a little more teeth in this campaign world than in ours, and UNTIL may be involved in prosecution too. Bottom line - we're being given international jurisdiction to deal with superhuman threats, and this is an area that's almost completely lawless (so no local law enforcement or military can hinder/help us). Basically, we've got about as much jurisdiction as UNTIL does - we have to work alongside local law/military when present, but aren't tied to any one country. Hopefully that's a little clearer now. 3) The parameters of the mission are extremely open-ended - essentially, we need to capture him, kill him, or otherwise stop him before more innocent lives are lost. Killing him will not go over well with about half the team, by the way. "Face Justice" is nothing more than a conceit of my own. Once we've caught Tamerlane, we place him in our own hotsleep facility at our high-tech base and call the U.N. - they'll handle things from there. At the very least, that's what the GM has told us - take that as you will.

Hey, folks! I've got sort of a poser for the lot of you, based on recent events in the Champions game I'm playing in. We're in a difficult situation, and I figured I'd pick your brains for a little input. We've got some decent ideas on the table, but I'd like to hear some other viewpoints. I'll frame it in the first person perspective, for the sake of the usual "WWYCD" exercise: Over the last several weeks, your character has been participating in what is essentially a huge reality-TV program designed to find the best candidates for a U.N.-sponsored superteam, to be known as the "Global Guardians". The base campaign world is very close to the 5th ed. Champs universe, but with a race of apparently benevolent aliens that have made themselves known to the people of Earth, and are partial sponsors of the Global Guardians competition (and suppliers of the team's high-tech vehicles and base). The overall feel of the campaign is fairly Iron-Age, at least in the sense that it's fairly realistic (aside from the whole metahumans + magic + aliens stuff). Not everything is black and white - there's a lot of gray to deal with. After the first phases of the show, the team consists of (coincidentally enough), your character and the other PCs. The final phase of the testing consists of this: your fledgling team needs to select a villain (or villain group) from UNTIL's most wanted list, capture him, and bring him in to face justice. The target selected: Tamerlane, a man who takes his name from the famed Asian warlord of the middle ages. With an inner circle of powerful metahumans (including one who, through supertech enhancement, can shut down all electronics and complex machinery in a radius of several kilometers), he's taken over most of Uzbekistan and has his sights firmly set on the entire region. Many metahumans in the region have fallen under his banner - perhaps due to natural charisma + potent propaganda, perhaps superhuman presence and power of influence - regardless, even many the outside world might call "heroes" are working alongside him, claiming that his rule would be better than any number of other tyrants that would fill the vacuum upon his departure. Important tidbits: 1) Tamerlane's path to power has thus far been rather bloody in places - though he claims his primary general (who's been captured already) was to blame. 2) The Trikari (the alien sponsors) have proposed creating small fusion generators to increase the standard of living in the region, and are ready to do so pending your team's approval. 3) The U.N. has taken a "hands-off" approach to this - basically, "we'll do it your way", and aren't offering any suggestions. Tamerlane's put some spin out after his general's capture, saying that he's grateful for the help the Global Guardians have rendered, and has invited you and the team to his central stronghold (The Registan). Essentially, my question is: what do you do to fix the situation? This is far more complex than just "beat up the bad guy". How would you deal with Tamerlane? If Tamerlane is defeated or pacified, how would you deal with stabilizing the region (rife with organized crime and scumbags ready to fill his shoes)? Would the Trikari fusion plants be of any lasting good, or just another precious commodity to fight over? The politicians and diplomats are staying out of it - the decisions and primary execution of them are all on your team's shoulders. (Hopefully this setup isn't so specific that it's irritating to answer - feel free to request more info if you want it, though.)

Re: MA/Claws... is there any Hope? Unarmed is even worse, trust me... All the different martial arts types should have some sort of specialty that they are better than the others at - I've tried everything, and Unarmed martial arts is outperformed by all the others. Least DPS, minimal AOE, no noticeable benefit endurance-wise (as far as I can tell - I'm open to opinions). Pair it up with Lightning Reflexes (probably the poorest-performing defense power), and you've got an extremely frustrating character to play! I've basically abandoned my primary character because he's just too useless right now to be fun.