pinecone

"Curse you! And your foul use of tactics!"

On 7/25/2021 at 5:08 PM, Writer10q said:

Hey so im making a character and her name is avi, she has telekinesis, mind read, and can go into peoples minds (some of this costs energy) she is a psychopath and is great with knives, any ideas for her villain name?

Sharp Thoughts..?

"I taught my parrot Power Work Kill"

Perhaps it is the opening to the hollow earth!

If I was a super vill, that is exactly where I would be located.

11 hours ago, Greywind said:

Gyrich's involvement with the Avengers showed otherwise.

 

If the Government were covering all costs, they would be exactly like Steve was saying in Civil War; they would decide who the bad guys are and who the Avengers could go after.

Depends on how it is done. Are the Avengers a government branch? an NGO? Something else? What governance is in place? I am sure that the "money" people would Want to control opperations, but each super has non replacable skills. Having a self run super team is far better than Not having a super team....in a world where world, and galaxy threatening enemies pop up without warning. (We are lucky they seem to choose NY to appear instead of sentinel island....)

7 hours ago, Clonus said:

 

Japan has a number of things like that.  

 

Tiger and Bunny:  Corporate sponsored heroes on a reality show

Yakuza: like a Dragon:  Cellphone app that can be used by citizens in distress to call mercenary superheroes. 

My Hero Academia:  Heroes supported by merchandising, deployed to matching power level threats by a guild.  

 

However, it's worth remembering that from its genesis the the amateur/volunteer status of most heroes was a major part of the genre.  It's not that superheroes are frozen in time. It's that they were never that realistic in the first place.  

But even in the comics the Avengers had a salary, and were "full time" heroes. Sure Tony paid them, but the Government would surely be happy to cover costs. (Late T'Chala took over expenses)

If Tony took them as a "write off" on his taxes, then the government is de facto paying their salaries...:)

But the software existed for the cgi, because of other projects. Didn't Hulk also push out bullets, then heal?

On 3/20/2018 at 5:58 PM, Old Man said:

The other thing about the adamantium bullet is that (one assumes) the healing factor can't deal with it.  In other Wolverine films we've seen the healing factor literally push bullets back out.  But we also know that it can't get rid of the adamantium bone lacing, so the same probably holds for the adamantium bullet, which is a problem when that bullet is rattling around in your adamantium laced brainpan.

 

I also shudder to think about what that bullet did to the inside of the gun barrel.

Use a softer metal jacket, with an Adamantium core? Or if you want fancy, a discarding sabot?

2 hours ago, Cancer said:

Did you have the fresh lizard (as shown about halfway down that linked page)?

The Iguana burrito is to die for!

"My name is Rage In! of the Murder beast clan!"

Personally...I strongly suspect that Spin is why the Time Arrow, only points one way.

On 7/4/2021 at 12:06 AM, Drhoz said:

Civilla’s character’s Drawback is Family Ties.

Terzo’s player: Just Family Ties or 80s sitcoms in general?
All: ….
GM: That was a Kevin-level joke and you should be ashamed.


Civilla’s player: When I found this Pokeball item in the TTS menu I said ‘Yes, I’m using that to keep my Summoned Monsters in’
Ayva’s player: Giant F***-off Toad, I choose you!
Civilla’s Player: I can’t summon those yet.
Ayva’s player: Small F***-off Toad, I choose you!

Closing Kintargi’s beloved opera house is not the only bizarre thing Barzillai Thrune has done - his other proclamations include banning the drinking of tea after sunset, and declaring that mint is an abomination.

Terzo: The man is a cad. I might, if pressed, go so far as to describe him as a knob-end.

Terzo: He’s not married? At his age? Surely he should have ensured an heir and a spare by now. I mean, I don’t envy whoever he’s been married off to, but it’s not like House Thrune haven’t been sticking their… fingers… in everything else. He comes to a city widely acknowledged as having the most beautiful people of the Inner Sea, and the only locals he wants to meet are the canines. Heaven knows there are reasons one might want to conceal one's personal predilections - there’s more beards in Kintargo theatre then there are the nearest dwarfhold - but it’s like the man WANTS to go down in history as Barzillai the Dogf***er.

Between people who have been financially inconvenienced by martial law or the closure of the opera house, and people desperately trying to find any anti-government allies that haven’t already been rounded up and publicly tortured to death by Thrune’s agents, and people just tagging along to see what happens, and people pickpocketing the crowd, and Thrune’s Blackshirts, there’s quite a large crowd gathering in Aria Park opposite the Opera House. On the other hand quite a large number of Kintargo’s citizens have gone missing entirely, including the former Lord-Mayor Jilia Bainilus, and the outspoken opera diva Shensen.

Anya is there to protest the government.

Ayva: The current government, at least. The last one wasn’t very good, but you take what you can get.

Terzo is ostensibly there because he invested an unwise proportion of his savings in the next season of the opera, but under his cheerful facade he actually carries a deep loathing of the Asmodean church and House Thrune. Rajira was actually going to BE in the next season of the opera, in Huntress of Heroes. Civilla is there to ensure her former tutor, Terzo, doesn’t get himself arrested with the rest of the mob.

Terzo: Ah, Ms. Ononda, isn’t it? One of ‘Shensen’s Songbirds’ as I recall. I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything from her? I was quite looking forward to seeing your performance in Huntress of Heroes - you never forget your first night in a starring role. Although I must admit it’s been a few years since I played the lead in Ser Curlique.
Rajira: And you don’t seem to have changed in size at all.
Civilla: Ouch.
Terzo: I don’t think I could play Ser Curlique anymore - perhaps his acquaintance Ser Lavagna?  ‘Hurry Uuuupppp’. Ah, Civilla, dear girl, there you are - have you met Ms. Ononda?

Of course Huntress of Heroes was already a controversial choice, given the current political climate. Maybe that’s why Shensen has gone missing. Most of us get to work agitating the crowd. Terzo, for example, loudly points out that some of the new laws would almost be acceptable if they were imposed by an actual local, instead of somebody like Thrune.

Terzo: Why should a tiny city across the sea regulate the price of tea?

And of course, indirectly slandering Thrune about the dog thing.

Trying to polarize the crowd and drown out the Blackshirts etc is also a option to take - Anya pointing out that the Chellish government are technically still pro-slavery (something she has a personal stake in) shuts some of them up, and Terzo leading a portion of the crowd in a rousing chorus of Do You Hear The People Sing? helps

Terzo: Definitely not the kind of song Thrune would want pointed in his direction, either.

Thrune, who has claimed the Opera House as his residence for some damned reason, eventually stops ignoring the gathering crowd and comes out onto the balcony.

Barzillai Thrune: Ah, my adoring little chickadees. I am sorry to say I have not yet adapted to your quaint, country ways, being accustomed as I am to the sophistication and learning of Egorian. Nonetheless, know I have heard your concerns, and that I appreciate your valued feedback, and I know we shall eventually find a mutual understanding in the fullness of time. I take pride in updating Kintargo’s quaint, outdated laws to the modern standards the city deserves, and strengthening its ties with the empire in these cruel times, but obviously I have approached my duties too aggressively. You say you chafe at the presence of nonnatives in positions of power? That authorities not of this city have no place as its leaders? That you will not be yoked by intruders? Your lord-mayor hears you. And so it is with a heavy heart that I issue this proclamation, in response to your demands: all ships’ captains are hereafter barred from leaving their vessels and setting foot on Kintargo docks or streets, under pain of... let’s say... squassation!”

That is not good - a large proportion of the city’s wealth comes from the port, and he’s just made us very unpopular.

Terzo: You take away our art and now you take away our income?!

Somebody manages to fling manure up three stories, and the inquisitor spills his drink over his robes. Thrune is not the kind of man to take constructive criticism well. He sets his Dotarri on the crowd. And he had an alarmingly large number of armed agents hidden in the crowd.

GM: If you can move off the map this round you can escape the riot.
Terzo: I’m not going to leave these young women behind!
Ayva: I’m older than you!
Terzo: But you look younger so chivalry applies.
Ayva: You flatterer, you.

Terzo is the first one to get clubbed down, anyway. Evidently Thrune’s curs have no compunction about hitting old men. So the three women have to fight for themselves - Civilla Summons some of her creatures and whistles for her carriage, and Rajira gets just a teeny bit murderous with her kukri.

Rajira: Grab the fat guy!
Ayva: You must be kidding.
Civilla: Please! The two of us should be able to drag him.

Then Rajira gets ‘subdued’ - she’s going to need to be carried out too.

Civilla: When we reach the edge of the park I summon a Chthonic Dolphin.
GM: As if the riot wasn’t weird enough…

And Thrune’s bodyguard Nox can apparently shrug off a dagger to the throat, although the NPC that knifed her is willing to help haul Terzo’s unconscious bulk out of the escalating riot, and we flee just before hellhounds get set on the crowd. Unfortunately there’s not enough room for the stranger in Civilia’s carriage, which she apologises profusely for. Maybe we’ll run into him again - he was certainly a dab hand with a thrown dagger. Civilla frets a bit until she’s sure Terzo and Rajira aren’t bleeding to death, and relaxes.

Civilla: *mutters dark thoughts* I wonder if that one with the dung was a plant.
Rajira: *mumbles* … no.. pretty sure he was human…
Ayva: Wow. Even when she’s unconscious.

Civilla orders her footman to drive the carriage back to her apartments.

About an hour later Rajira and Terzo regain consciousness.

Rajira: Ow.
Terzo: *clutches head* I didn’t think I’d drunk that much…
Civilla: You didn’t. You were struck in the head.
Terzo: Hmm. I could say I’m surprised that Thrune is the kind of man that hires the kind of thugs that attack unarmed old men, but I’m really not.
Civilla: He may not have hired them, but I strongly suspect that one that threw the manure was an agitator.
Rajira OoC: A Chinese agitator - Who Flung Dung.

Rajira comes around with a literal ‘Where am I?’ - she does want to know exactly who had a carriage on hand to get us out of there. It’s certainly evidence that Civilla has strong family connections, as well as wealth. Terzo is more interested in apologizing abjectly to the three women, for letting them get into such danger, especially since rescuing him put them into even more danger. And then he’ll have to find a few bottles of wine, since his Drawback is Hedonism.

Ayva: Ah - a drunkard.
GM: Wine, Women, or Song.
Civilla: Well don’t look at me.

Things get worse for the people of Kintargo, with armed groups of Thrune’s curs patrolling the streets on top of the curfew restrictions, etc. A few days later Rajira has to rescue a nobleman from a group of them. She does that by cutting one of their throats from behind. It takes a few goes, and her victim loses his fingers as well as he was trying to hold his throat shut when she slashed his throat again.

And then Civilla calls for the Watch. Which shocks the rest of us until she points out that these thugs DID attack a nobleman. Although recognising the victim is a further shock, since he’s the youngest son of the Victocora family, and possibly the only surviving member after their family estate mysteriously burned to the ground a week ago.

Rajira: We might have to get him out of here BEFORE the Watch arrives.
Raxus Victocora: Do you have somewhere safe?
Rajira: Yes. Come with us.

Apparently Victocora saw us at the riot, and tried to follow us. He needs our help - Thrune’s agents were responsible for a lot of highly suspicious fires that night, as they eliminated anybody that might be a threat to the Inquisitor’s takeover of Kintargo. And we, at least, were influential enough to stir up the crowd, and lucky enough to not get arrested and tortured to death at the riot.

Raxus Victocora: You are people of uncommon skill and I am a man of uncommon need.
Rajira: This is my city - I have no wish to see it under the thumb of outsiders.
Civilla: My Aunt Ginevra will hate me for this…
Terzo: So. You want us to be rebels against the Chelish government? Well, my family always said I was the black sheep - I’m in.
Ayva: What have we got to lose?
Rajira: We might get killed.
Ayva: We nearly got killed attending a peaceful protest.

Victocora has a letter from a now dead relative, pointing us towards possible allies - the Order of Archivists who try to preserve historical records threatened by the Chellish equivalent of the Ministry of Truth, and the Silver Ravens, who protected Kintargo during the last civil war. The Ravens apparently have a hideout underneath the abandoned Fair Fortune’s Livery.

Terzo OoC: We'll have to invent petrol engines in Pathfinder just so we'll have a place to hang Barzillai Thrune upside-down. Either that or post him to Civilla's brother in the Shackles - all pirates need a friend. Or chum.

Ayva’s player: I’d quite like to do a prison break scenario at some point.
Terzo’s player: Depending how this goes, we might have to - it’s not like we’re professional revolutionaries.
Civilla’s player: First order of business, don’t get caught.

Rajira OoC: Running from rooftop to rooftop is theoretically possible, but will involve a lot of climbing and leaping.
Terzo OoC: Then let us hope we don’t have to do that, because Terzo leaping from roof to roof is ridiculous.
Civilla OoC: I too am lacking in fantasy parkour skills.

Terzo: It’s been quite a few years since I’ve had to use any kind of disguise spell… late nights meeting up with like-minded individuals…
Civilla: Such is the price of celebrity.
Terzo: I'd better go fetch my rapier from under the bed.
Civilla’s OoC: Probably wise. I’m bringing my umbrella - so I have at least one square where I can Summon things in, without people noticing.

The four of us and Victocora dress inconspicuously and squash into Civilla’s carriage, and try to get across town without being spied on. The strangest thing about the abandoned livery is that nobody has occupied the building - the nearby tiefling slum can’t be as overpopulated as it might be.

Civilla: It might be a meeting-place for the local ne'er-do-wells - my Ears of the City spell wouldn’t have told me that.

Terzo’s essentially spherical nature leads to problems with things beyond parkour.

GM: It’s chained, but loosely enough that any medium creature should be able to slip in easily.
Terzo: Ah - slight problem there.
Civilla: Well, while Rajira picks the lock on the chain, the rest of us behave as though we’re slightly tipsy and looking for a little...
Rajira: Privacy for an assignation?
Civilla: Indeed.
Ayva OoC: Any performance by Terzo is widescreen.
Civilla: It’s been a long time since Terzo has slipped into anything. Other than a bottle.

Unfortunately the livery is already occupied by large angry half-starved mastiffs.

Terzo: I’m amazed they haven’t already been acquired for Thrune’s collection. Or should I say harem.
Ayva: I should have brought some meat with me…
Terzo: I shouldn’t have eaten that sandwich on the way here.

Terzo is soon mauled by the largest mastiff.

GM: You are a tasty tasty ham. Wine-glazed, even.

Poking around after the fight reveals the old killing floor from when the building was an abattoir, and a secret door that isn’t very secret anymore.

Terzo: Hopefully the ‘killing floor’ bit isn’t a portent.

Super glad you are running this one! It looks tre-cool when it came out.

Not sure where to post this. But this is a fun video about Spin. The fundimental force we don't understand!

Mass scanner, using the Higgs field?

On 5/27/2021 at 4:31 PM, Spence said:

 

I think we find out the MCU version of her story here.  I think we will find her entire family is enhanced. 

That would be the eugenics part, though it might be a family of orphans, that came together while in the program...?

The same applies to Cartels and Monopolies, once apon a time, That was legal, but it caused "problems" so society took action. After all a Cartel restricts free trade.....etc. The only open cartel/monopoly that seems to operate openly is Diamonds, and they have to use moralistic advertising to prevent people from buying "blood diamonds".

But market forces apply. Bumpy Johnson could supply better Heroin than others, so he created a "brand" and took control of most of the market (in New York anyways) Sub par grade goods require a captive market. And that requires monopolies, or cartels. That happens After somebody "wins" the market, and can close out competitors. Through diplomacy, or other means. Even purity laws are a barrier to free trade, we use them because they benefit society as a whole. There was a time when they did not exist. After it became a problem, government stepped in.

Summer Glau! Lol...

6 hours ago, DShomshak said:

One of the people I used to game with was a Libertarian (though he claimed he wasn't a Rand Cult Objectivist) and the rest of us brought up questions like this. As one of my friends put it, "Surely there must at least be a law that if the label says 'steak,' the package can't contain Play-Doh." And Mister Libertarian said, "No, there mustn't." If businesses start pulling shenanigans like this, that ceates a markt for private rating agencies that consumers can check to see whether a company that proclaims to produce steak is in fact selling steak. It took the rest of us all of one second to suggest how that would fail: Fake rating services, or fake reviews by paid reviewers, but Mister Libertarian still insisted it would work.

 

I know there are varieties and degrees of libertarianism, that many (or at least some) insist they don't want anarchy, just a more skeptical eye to what needs legislation. It's not hard to find instances of laws and state actions that are foolish, frivolous, or blatant attempts to privilege one business or segment of society. That doesn't mean that law and government are the problem. We *know* what happens when the State will not or cannot assert itself, and the result isn't political liberty or a free market: it's state capture or outright gangsterism.

 

Dean Shomshak

My take from my own reading was they want "Ethical gangsterism" more or less. If the Black swallow mob sells bad meat, the "Blue Dahlia" Mob can make a move....

On 7/2/2021 at 3:51 PM, Iuz the Evil said:

Oh good lord. Can you imagine if they were “faithful to the source material”? 

 

😂

 

 I’ll be stunned if it’s recognizable.

The only "plus" is that it is supposed to be a cast of all nations, so other than some possible "gender swaps" it should be "OK". Also they hate, and fight Nazis! So "on brand!"

6 hours ago, Cygnia said:

Ninja detected!

I was a house wreker, I tore down buildings and took scrap to be resold.

It's...Florida, do I need to explain?

On 6/20/2021 at 4:38 PM, mattingly said:

 

 

I May be a Jester...but I am No FOOL!....