Sociotard

Both Both Republicans And Democrats Severely Overestimate How Extreme The Other Side Is
 
The ironic thing about this is that all the factors that one would expect to lead to more accurate assessments only make things worse.

Artificer lights flooded the arena, and illusionists projected huge versions of the two wizards entering it for the crowd to better see. The first stroked his shining bolus and smirked. "I'm actually impressed you made it this far. Truly. This is a moment you should savor. You're about to see what a real mage can do."
"Oh, you're a mage all right. Just not an Archmage."
A raised brow. "I suppose you'll tell me the difference?"
Lightning exploded in arcs from the second wizards bolus in dazzling lines that jumped out of the arena and clear to the sky. "PRESENTATION"
 
Star Pupil: Megamind (Megamind)

 
 

Artificer lights flooded the arena, and illusionists projected huge versions of the two wizards entering it for the crowd to better see. The first stroked his shining bolus and smirked. "I'm actually impressed you made it this far. Truly. This is a moment you should savor. You're about to see what a real mage can do."
"Oh, you're a mage all right. Just not an Archmage."
A raised brow. "I suppose you'll tell me the difference?"
Lightning exploded in arcs from the second wizards bolus in dazzling lines that jumped out of the arena and clear to the sky. "PRESENTATION"
 
Star Pupil: Megamind (Megamind)

 
 

The students are not surprised when the teaching assistant wheels the marble bust into the classroom. Their professor this day is Julianus the Theurgist. Bodily, Julianus is long dead. His mystical ascension of the celestial planes, however, enabled his soul to continue after death as a eudaimon, a good spirit, to guide others on the path to Heaven. Moreover, the book written by his father Julianus the Chaldaean, the Chaldaean Oracles, tells how to attract planetary spirits and daimones into consecrated effigies, called telestika. The Paolini Institute holds numerous telestika, though Julianus is the only one that teaches. Though the stone does not move, it speaks, as if a sighing wind were shaped into a light baritone voice.
 
“Welcome, students. You have already learned the rudiments of evoking spirits. This class shall teach you how to create new spirits of your own, wrought from the raw energies of the planets, and bind them to your service as familiars. We call these familiars Iynges to distinguish them from other spirits — though they have recently gained another name you perhaps know better.
 
“The process requires two essential tools, in addition to the normal tools and procedures of Hermetic magic. First, you must create a picture of your Iynx. This shall preferably be small, for ease of use; when I lived, we painted miniature images upon ivory. In this modern age, you may paint or draw your spirit’s likeness at a larger scale and reproduce it at smaller scale on cardboard.
 
“The second tool is a round case, a bulla, of gilded metal engraved with glyphs of power and filled with substances of planetary affinities. At the conclusion of the long rites to shape your Iynx, you shall touch the bulla to the newly-shaped spirit, say the name you have chosen for it, and so bind it in that form, that name, and to serve you. You may wish then to wear the bulla on a cord, as a pendant, for convenience.
 
“When you desire to call upon your Iynx, take out your image of the spirit and gaze upon it. You whirl the bulla on its cord — it is now a strophados, an image in this world of the whirling motion of the heavens. Speak the spirit’s name with the command, Dialégo eséna! You, I select! And it shall appear, ready to work your will.
 
“My assistant shall now demonstrate, calling an Iynx I shaped and bound in life. Behold.”
 
The assistant removes a small card from her pocket and takes the golden ball hung on a fine chain around the neck of the bust. She whirls the ball over her head and cries, “Πίκαχυ, διαλέγω εσένα!” Students’ eyes widen as they realize what they just heard, as the form of a pudgy, mouse-like creature with a lightning-bolt tail appears floating in the air with a halo of sparks…
 
“Pikachu, I choose you!”

Though the stone lips cannot move, everyone hears the smile in Julianus’ voice. “We may all thank Magister Diggs for his… innovative approach to presenting the Hermetic Mysteries in a form the common folk can understand. And, incidentally, for a licensing agreement that makes this Institute largely self-financing. Now that’s magic.”
 
Professor: Julianus the Theurgist, specialist in Neoplatonic philosophy, spirit-creation, and Pokémon

And yes, the final exam involves the students pitting their Iynges in battle against each other. The contest, held in the university’s sports stadium, is always well attended.
 
Dean Shomshak
(And no, that isn't a portrait of Julianus the Theurgist. It's the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate. But he was into Neoplatonism, and is more than okay with having his image used as a telestika.)

Next up for the Misrepresentation Conservatory
 
Professor: Willow Ufgood (Willow)
Specialty: Slight of Hand and Psychological Manipulation
 
... and then the High Aldwyn says, "The bones choose *you* Burglekutt." The class responded with a wave of laughter.
 
"Now the High Aldwyn was an excellent sorcerer. He could do actual divination, but he knew when it was better to just *appear* to use magic. Magic is a tool, and good wizards are masters at using that tool. Great wizards know it isn't the only tool and know when it is the wrong tool. I learned that the hard way when a disappearing pig trick succeeded where a petrification spell failed. And that leads us to our first lesson: students, grab your piglets!
 

 

I wondered if Willow would make an appearance. 

Next up for the Misrepresentation Conservatory
 
Professor: Willow Ufgood (Willow)
Specialty: Slight of Hand and Psychological Manipulation
 
... and then the High Aldwyn says, "The bones choose *you* Burglekutt." The class responded with a wave of laughter.
 
"Now the High Aldwyn was an excellent sorcerer. He could do actual divination, but he knew when it was better to just *appear* to use magic. Magic is a tool, and good wizards are masters at using that tool. Great wizards know it isn't the only tool and know when it is the wrong tool. I learned that the hard way when a disappearing pig trick succeeded where a petrification spell failed. And that leads us to our first lesson: students, grab your piglets!
 

 

Next up for the Misrepresentation Conservatory
 
Professor: Willow Ufgood (Willow)
Specialty: Slight of Hand and Psychological Manipulation
 
... and then the High Aldwyn says, "The bones choose *you* Burglekutt." The class responded with a wave of laughter.
 
"Now the High Aldwyn was an excellent sorcerer. He could do actual divination, but he knew when it was better to just *appear* to use magic. Magic is a tool, and good wizards are masters at using that tool. Great wizards know it isn't the only tool and know when it is the wrong tool. I learned that the hard way when a disappearing pig trick succeeded where a petrification spell failed. And that leads us to our first lesson: students, grab your piglets!
 

 

Quilting.

Next up for the Misrepresentation Conservatory
 
Professor: Willow Ufgood (Willow)
Specialty: Slight of Hand and Psychological Manipulation
 
... and then the High Aldwyn says, "The bones choose *you* Burglekutt." The class responded with a wave of laughter.
 
"Now the High Aldwyn was an excellent sorcerer. He could do actual divination, but he knew when it was better to just *appear* to use magic. Magic is a tool, and good wizards are masters at using that tool. Great wizards know it isn't the only tool and know when it is the wrong tool. I learned that the hard way when a disappearing pig trick succeeded where a petrification spell failed. And that leads us to our first lesson: students, grab your piglets!
 

 

Oh, why not.
 
University Department: The Misrepresentation Conservatory
Dean: The Wizard of Oz
Official Motto: Vide debilus quando fortus es. Vide fortus quando debilus es.
Unofficial Motto: If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with b******t.
 
"Give it back, Pinhead!" Dean Clarke stormed into the office.
"I will accept Dean Diggs. Or Oz, if you say it kindly. Now, I have no idea what you are talking about." The little man clinked a spoon in his tea.
"Someone broke into our school and stole a cutting edge holoprojector. Give. It. Back."
The little man pursed his lips and clinked a little longer, then took a deep sniff of his tea. "I'm afraid you department uses such technical jargon, we may not understand each other. What is a Halo Protector? Sounds like something for the Hermetics. They love halos."
"Don't give me that." Dean Clarke took a moment to breathe. Never argue angry. "Our Holoprojector. A piece of artifice that can cast illusions. It went missing, and some recent cleaning faculty disappeared too. This has every indication of your departments skullduggery. Your lot love our technomancy to back your little ... feints."
"You wound me sir. I am Oz, the Great and Mighty! I have no need of your little trinkets." He set the tea on the counter. "And with that, good day, Arthur!" A burst of smoke, and the little man was gone. The other man stormed forward and started stomping around. "Get out here! I'll find your trapdoor and test broken robots on you!"
 
Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs (O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D. or Oz to his friends and Pinhead to nobody, thank you) heads the Misrepresentation Conservatory. They train wizards to manage their reputations, to let their appearance as weak or almighty be a strategic decision, not a prison. Oz himself specializes in public relations and stagecraft. He doesn't have any magic, but handles his position in a world of wizards with ease.
 

 

Oh, why not.
 
University Department: The Misrepresentation Conservatory
Dean: The Wizard of Oz
Official Motto: Vide debilus quando fortus es. Vide fortus quando debilus es.
Unofficial Motto: If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with b******t.
 
"Give it back, Pinhead!" Dean Clarke stormed into the office.
"I will accept Dean Diggs. Or Oz, if you say it kindly. Now, I have no idea what you are talking about." The little man clinked a spoon in his tea.
"Someone broke into our school and stole a cutting edge holoprojector. Give. It. Back."
The little man pursed his lips and clinked a little longer, then took a deep sniff of his tea. "I'm afraid you department uses such technical jargon, we may not understand each other. What is a Halo Protector? Sounds like something for the Hermetics. They love halos."
"Don't give me that." Dean Clarke took a moment to breathe. Never argue angry. "Our Holoprojector. A piece of artifice that can cast illusions. It went missing, and some recent cleaning faculty disappeared too. This has every indication of your departments skullduggery. Your lot love our technomancy to back your little ... feints."
"You wound me sir. I am Oz, the Great and Mighty! I have no need of your little trinkets." He set the tea on the counter. "And with that, good day, Arthur!" A burst of smoke, and the little man was gone. The other man stormed forward and started stomping around. "Get out here! I'll find your trapdoor and test broken robots on you!"
 
Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs (O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D. or Oz to his friends and Pinhead to nobody, thank you) heads the Misrepresentation Conservatory. They train wizards to manage their reputations, to let their appearance as weak or almighty be a strategic decision, not a prison. Oz himself specializes in public relations and stagecraft. He doesn't have any magic, but handles his position in a world of wizards with ease.
 

 

Department:  The College of Creatures and Treasure
 
Dean: Gary Gygax
 

Oh, why not.
 
University Department: The Misrepresentation Conservatory
Dean: The Wizard of Oz
Official Motto: Vide debilus quando fortus es. Vide fortus quando debilus es.
Unofficial Motto: If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with b******t.
 
"Give it back, Pinhead!" Dean Clarke stormed into the office.
"I will accept Dean Diggs. Or Oz, if you say it kindly. Now, I have no idea what you are talking about." The little man clinked a spoon in his tea.
"Someone broke into our school and stole a cutting edge holoprojector. Give. It. Back."
The little man pursed his lips and clinked a little longer, then took a deep sniff of his tea. "I'm afraid you department uses such technical jargon, we may not understand each other. What is a Halo Protector? Sounds like something for the Hermetics. They love halos."
"Don't give me that." Dean Clarke took a moment to breathe. Never argue angry. "Our Holoprojector. A piece of artifice that can cast illusions. It went missing, and some recent cleaning faculty disappeared too. This has every indication of your departments skullduggery. Your lot love our technomancy to back your little ... feints."
"You wound me sir. I am Oz, the Great and Mighty! I have no need of your little trinkets." He set the tea on the counter. "And with that, good day, Arthur!" A burst of smoke, and the little man was gone. The other man stormed forward and started stomping around. "Get out here! I'll find your trapdoor and test broken robots on you!"
 
Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs (O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D. or Oz to his friends and Pinhead to nobody, thank you) heads the Misrepresentation Conservatory. They train wizards to manage their reputations, to let their appearance as weak or almighty be a strategic decision, not a prison. Oz himself specializes in public relations and stagecraft. He doesn't have any magic, but handles his position in a world of wizards with ease.
 

 

Oh, why not.
 
University Department: The Misrepresentation Conservatory
Dean: The Wizard of Oz
Official Motto: Vide debilus quando fortus es. Vide fortus quando debilus es.
Unofficial Motto: If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with b******t.
 
"Give it back, Pinhead!" Dean Clarke stormed into the office.
"I will accept Dean Diggs. Or Oz, if you say it kindly. Now, I have no idea what you are talking about." The little man clinked a spoon in his tea.
"Someone broke into our school and stole a cutting edge holoprojector. Give. It. Back."
The little man pursed his lips and clinked a little longer, then took a deep sniff of his tea. "I'm afraid you department uses such technical jargon, we may not understand each other. What is a Halo Protector? Sounds like something for the Hermetics. They love halos."
"Don't give me that." Dean Clarke took a moment to breathe. Never argue angry. "Our Holoprojector. A piece of artifice that can cast illusions. It went missing, and some recent cleaning faculty disappeared too. This has every indication of your departments skullduggery. Your lot love our technomancy to back your little ... feints."
"You wound me sir. I am Oz, the Great and Mighty! I have no need of your little trinkets." He set the tea on the counter. "And with that, good day, Arthur!" A burst of smoke, and the little man was gone. The other man stormed forward and started stomping around. "Get out here! I'll find your trapdoor and test broken robots on you!"
 
Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs (O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D. or Oz to his friends and Pinhead to nobody, thank you) heads the Misrepresentation Conservatory. They train wizards to manage their reputations, to let their appearance as weak or almighty be a strategic decision, not a prison. Oz himself specializes in public relations and stagecraft. He doesn't have any magic, but handles his position in a world of wizards with ease.
 

 

Oh, why not.
 
University Department: The Misrepresentation Conservatory
Dean: The Wizard of Oz
Official Motto: Vide debilus quando fortus es. Vide fortus quando debilus es.
Unofficial Motto: If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with b******t.
 
"Give it back, Pinhead!" Dean Clarke stormed into the office.
"I will accept Dean Diggs. Or Oz, if you say it kindly. Now, I have no idea what you are talking about." The little man clinked a spoon in his tea.
"Someone broke into our school and stole a cutting edge holoprojector. Give. It. Back."
The little man pursed his lips and clinked a little longer, then took a deep sniff of his tea. "I'm afraid you department uses such technical jargon, we may not understand each other. What is a Halo Protector? Sounds like something for the Hermetics. They love halos."
"Don't give me that." Dean Clarke took a moment to breathe. Never argue angry. "Our Holoprojector. A piece of artifice that can cast illusions. It went missing, and some recent cleaning faculty disappeared too. This has every indication of your departments skullduggery. Your lot love our technomancy to back your little ... feints."
"You wound me sir. I am Oz, the Great and Mighty! I have no need of your little trinkets." He set the tea on the counter. "And with that, good day, Arthur!" A burst of smoke, and the little man was gone. The other man stormed forward and started stomping around. "Get out here! I'll find your trapdoor and test broken robots on you!"
 
Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs (O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D. or Oz to his friends and Pinhead to nobody, thank you) heads the Misrepresentation Conservatory. They train wizards to manage their reputations, to let their appearance as weak or almighty be a strategic decision, not a prison. Oz himself specializes in public relations and stagecraft. He doesn't have any magic, but handles his position in a world of wizards with ease.
 

 

I've gotten pretty good at Midjourney. Or I think so. PM me if you want me to try my hand at something.
 
A castle which is a refrigerator:

 
A bear with a Howdah on its back

 
 
Question
Okay, I think I get the concept of Academic Department and Dean. But the other professors ... have a specialty?  So specialty would have to be a narrower version of the Department?
 
So there's a History department, and a professor has a specialty in Antiquities? There's a Mathematics department and a professor has a specialty in knots?

Heh, 10 points is life support, immunity to toxins. I could do life support, immunity to impact damage from natural gravity

NNote: I am absolutely not any sort of official of the game or the board, nor am I part of the anointed few that can provide official-ish answers in the rules questions forums. 
 
All I can offer you is personal opinion (and lots of it, so move over a bit and let me sit down. 
 
First:  martial arts is re-branded Skill Levels.  They don't do anything Skill Levels can't do.  At a point way back when, Aaron Alston thought 'I have a great idea for a campaign! " and skinned a few skill levels down in price to" lock in" their use for one specific thing (presumably as a trade-off for the price reduction) as "this one equals damage" and "this one equals OCV" and that sort of thing.  By the most technical of definitions. No.  Only Skill Levels costing X or more can be re-allocated. 
 
However, you can also buy _dedicated_ skill leveks: skill levels specifically for Action X.  If you have bought Skill levels for use with 'missile deflect.' then by all means, add those. 
 
Now here is my ruling _were I your GM_.  This ruling comes from decades of experience - - and I am not unique there; let's not assume I am trying to claim otherwise-- that has given me a reasonable sense of when something would be problematic as well as countless actual problems and resolutions. 
 
So, we're I your GM, I would point out this:
 
Missile Deflection requires a Block maneuver (as someone else pointed out).  If you have a Martial Block amongst your maneuvers, I would allow you to use that Martial Block maneuver, and any skill levels that you have which are rules-legally applicable to your Martial Block maneuver.
 
Now most players who spend on martial arts spend pretty deep on it.  I have never gotten into it myself, but as always: if you and your friends are having a good time, then you are doing it the right way regardless of who agrees with you, and don't worry about those folks that disagree.   
 
As I said, most MA players are pretty spend on their martial arts stuff, so there is a good chance that you have a Martial Block and several martial skill levels you can throw at it.  It might seem to some that this gives you an unfair edge, but so does a gun.  You paid all those points specifically to do super-cool martial stuff; I can see no harm in letting you get to do super cool martial stuff. 
 
To go a bit further: if you do not have a martial block maneuver and these skill levels were bought _specificslly_ to work with martial arts., then no; I would not let you use these levels with a non-martial maneuver. 
 
If you want to plumb it further, there is a thread for asking rules questions to the current author and other deep-rules-knowledge of the latest versions types, and you could probably get a more current-book legal answer than I could give you, if you feel that you would prefer that. 
 
 

Sheep.

But have you also identified the appropriate range to go with your domain? 

Heh, 10 points is life support, immunity to toxins. I could do life support, immunity to impact damage from natural gravity

Heh, 10 points is life support, immunity to toxins. I could do life support, immunity to impact damage from natural gravity

The HERO System puts falling and movement into slightly different sets of rules, and the interaction between them isn't always straightforward.  
 
1 hex of Flight will let you hover; I'd rule that it would let you float safely to the ground as well.  Because I dislike "advantage stacking" (i.e. 1 point worth of a power with +6 1/2 in Advantages) I'd go with, say, 10m/5" of Flight.  Put a Trigger on it, and Only For Preventing Falling Damage, and (in 6e) the Gliding (-1) Limitation.  For me as GM, that would be enough.  
 
If the "general you" want more rigor, 120 meters or 60" of Flight/Gliding spread out across a full Turn would be enough to exactly counteract gravity.  120m/60" divided by the character's SPD would "technically" be enough, but I'm not sure I'd push the issue too much.  A character with 6 SPD could spend 20 points for the base Power, with whatever for the Trigger, let's wave our hands and say 30 Active Points, and -2 for the Limitations to make it 10 points.  I'd wave my hands a bit more and make it cost that regardless of a character's SPD.  30 Active and 10 Real points to ignore all falling damage?  That doesn't sound like too much or too little to me.  The one in my paragraph above is half the amount, and while I might like to see it cost more than 5 points, 10 is enough.

Correction: Four copies, one of those was to your mother and one was to me!