Sophistemon

Sense Motive Check: 1d20+10 18 This is true to form, for me. Knowledge: Arcane Lore: 1d20+11 30 Much better.

"Insects. Is that normal, for the drug?" Sam frowned. He hated bugs and though his apartment was small and grungy he kept it stringently vermin-free. He looked back at Warne for his reaction, then shrugged. The agent had thrown him into this without proper preparation; if things went off the rails it certainly wouldn't be his fault that everything fell apart. His voice dripped with sympathy when he spoke. "That sounds reasonable," he said. "I'll have to... write it down, and give it to the guards to cast but I don't think that they'd object to giving you a good night's sleep. Would that be okay?"

I don't think that Presto'd out and out lie to her. If not out of charity, at the very least because he doesn't want to make an enemy of a woman known to eat people. I'm fine with him writing it down and passing it on to a guard to give to whatever resident magician that the prison has available.

Sam smiled, though a little sadly. "Knickknack it is, then. Because I do want to be kind." After she'd paced away and implied the terms of her cooperation, Steiner looked back at Warne and thinned his lips. "I... wasn't aware that the drug caused nightmares. What kind of dreams have you been having? He licked his lips and decided to sweeten the pot. "I know a spell for peaceful sleep. I've used it on myself many times and I can't imagine that it would be difficult to configure for someone else. Knickknack, if you help me, I promise you that I'll do all I can to ensure that you rest easy."

Diplomacy Check: 1d20+12 21 My curse of sub-average rolls continues, but at least my bonus is high.

Presto grinned. "A dance with you sounds deliciously dangerous. Perhaps we could arrange something once we're both in a more favorable set of circumstances." He shrugged. "As it is, I'm not in a much better position than you are, my dear. I mean, yes, I don't eat prison food, but I do have to pay rent. I'm working retail now, if you can believe it!" He rolled his eyes. "It pays much more poorly than robbing banks but I don't get punched in the face quite as often." He looked, pointedly, towards her bruise and gave her a sympathetic frown. "As for why you should help me, there is such a thing as 'time off for good behavior.' I shaved six months from my sentence for just staying in my cell while there was a riot going on; imagine what they might give you for aiding an ongoing investigation? And as for someone finding out where I got the information, you have my word as a magician that I won't reveal my sources to anyone not involved in the investigation." He smiled, again, a little conspiratorially. "Besides, I've heard rumors about you. I'll bet that you'd see any enemies coming well before they arrived. In fact, I'd wager that you saw this coming. Did you know that I'd be here today? As for... Adept? Agent Warne? I suppose that it's a little of both. Like I said, I'm not robbing banks anymore, and every little bit helps." He paused, giving her a moment to process his words. "So," he said. "What do you say, Karen? Can I call you Karen? Will you help me out?"

It's not that the metal teeth aren't scary -- they are. It's just that Presto understands the commitment to appearances.

The former villain returned her smile, not at all phased by her metal teeth, and acknowledged her judgement. He even gave a slight bow. "I see that my reputation precedes me," he said. "Such as it is. Yes, I'm guilty as charged; I was once Presto the Preposterous. And who knows? I might be him again some day. But right now I'm here on commission and I'm hoping that you can help me. You see, I have it on good authority that you were only captured because you weren't exactly yourself at the time. Believe me, I can relate -- it's a hard life we chose and I'd by lying if I said that I'd never needed to take the edge of myself now and again." He raised a finger to his face and tapped the side of his nose. "But you didn't settle for the normal stuff. You went a bit... exotic. I'm interested in knowing where you got it."

Sam shuddered in spite of himself and took a few steps forward so that he was standing front and center before the cell, with only a few steel bars between him and a dangerous, psychopathic sorceress. He nodded to the woman and attempted the same sort of smile that had won over Gretchen and Lynn at the bookstore. "Good morning, Ms. Kilmns," he said. "I've been asked to speak to you today as a sort of... peer. You see, you and I are in the same line of business, more or less." He gave another smile, which came more easily this time. He was beginning to sink back into an old, familiar groove: Smoke and mirrors; that's what it all came down to. Smoke and mirrors. "I was hoping that you'd be willing to answer a few questions, one magician to another."

That shut Sam up right quick, at least for a moment. "Well, they... uh..." He fell silent and kept walking, growing increasingly more nauseous as the conversation focused back on Knickknack and her grim proclivities. When they reached her cell, the magician looked at the agent and thinned his lips. "What now?" he asked.

The former villain shrugged and ran some fingers through his hair. "Fine, fine." He moved to follow after agent Warne but then stopped and addressed the Blackguard. "Do me a favor and say 'hi' to Morris for me, would you? He's on my Christmas card list." He turned back to Warne and quickened his pace to catch up. "Right, then," he muttered. "Let's go get cozy with a cannibal. You know, if you're looking for advice on magical issues, I have friends who could help. We don't need to rely on someone who'd sooner carve us up like Easter hams."

I don't have any of my supplements anymore. Rassa-frassin' external hard drive grumble-mutter breaking down...

I'm crossing my fingers that Presto's boasting will come back to bite him.

Sam blinked, surprised, and then shook his head a second time. "What? No, I'm not afraid of her. She's a dabbler, for Pete's sake; an amateur at best!" He thumbed the lapels of his suit-jacket. "I've got more magic in my little finger than she has in her entire body. I just have my doubts that she's going to be useful to your investigation, that's all." Then, he looked pointedly at Warne. "And of course I have standards. I've devoted my life to this stuff, magic both illusory and real. I take it very seriously. And if you're going to be looking into the mystical side of the world, you should start taking it seriously, too." He huffed, and then addressed the guard. "Don't worry; I won't antagonize your prisoner. I'll be just as well-behaved outside the cell as I was inside it."

Thanks so much for the input, Vahnyu. I'm going to make some major, major changes to the build to accommodate what's been said here and in the chat. When that's done, I'll post the new sheet here.

Sam offered the guard a sardonic little smile before he he heard the name of their quarry, which caused his eyes to widen. "Knickknack?" he said. "No, no, no! Warne, she's a lunatic!" He shook his head and looked behind him, back towards the exit. "You can't tell me that we're here to meet with her. She eats people, for God's sake!" He shook his head, which caused his hair to ruffle. "And her magic is slapdash even by my standards."

Okay, let's see what we know. Knowldge: Arcane Lore: 1d20+11 22 EDIT Darn, I was so close to learning the big secret!

Sam reached a hand toward his chest and ran his fingers along the contours of the wand, hidden as it was in a secret pocket sewn into the interior of his jacket. Of course he knew where they were going. He remembered every single second of his humiliating defeat and the days that followed. The trial, the sentencing, and the long drive to Blackstone. Then, he had been beaten, weakened, stripped of his wand and defenses. That wasn't the case now. If this was a trick, some scheme to get him back behind bars... he'd fight it. He would. Lynn and Gretchen would be disappointed, he'd be throwing his nascent career as a hero into the toilet, but he wouldn't go back to prison. Not now, not ever.

Surprisingly, Sam laughed at the comment. "Hah! Look, I get it," he said. "I really do, and I'll tell you what I've told everyone else so far: I don't blame you for thinking that I'll backslide. I know that I've made mistakes. I know that I've made big mistakes, and I get that it's hard to believe that I won't just keep on making big mistakes. But, in my defense, I kicked the drugs in prison and spent five years patiently waiting until I was free again. No great schemes, not plots of escape, no rioting -- just waiting. And don't think that made 'sweet little Steiner' any friends, either. But I did it: no violence of any kind." He shrugged. "So, you can sit back there and keep thinking that I'm going to flip out at any second, go back to my old ways and try to rob another bank. Or maybe you just think that I'm some ex-con loser that's not going to amount to anything now that he's served his time. But you're wrong on both counts, and I'm going to prove it."

Sam took his seat and sighed, thoroughly unsettled. "If this is some trick," he said. "Some trap, and you plan to black-bag me, I'll have you know that I'm gainfully employed and there are people out there that will come looking for me." He buckled himself in and then looked over at Warne. "You don't carry a gun," he ventured, and glanced down at the agent's un-creased jacket. "At least not visibly. If you don't carry a gun, that means either one of two things. Either you don't carry a gun because you're suicidal, or you don't have it because you don't need it." He leaned back into the seat. "And if you were suicidal, you'd be dead. They wouldn't send just anyone to meet with me, so they sent you because you've got good reason to be brave." He looked away, out the passenger window, and gazed at the street rolling by. "This is bigger than you've let on, and I'm in more trouble than I thought." He thinned his lips and went quiet.

The following sheet is a work in progress. I'm posting it here instead of in the Character Bank because I'm interested in hearing any and all advice regarding its improvement. I am reasonably satisfied with the sheet overall, but I wish that I could find a way to add more points to his Skills and Feats. If anyone has any idea where I could shave a point or two to reinvest, please let me know. I also need a place to base him. Are there any military installations nearby? Abilities: 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 30PP Strength: 16 (+3) / 32 (+11) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 16 (+3) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 20 + 20 = 40PP Initiative: +10 (+2 Base, +8 Misc) Attack: +10 Melee, +10 Ranged / +9 Melee, +9 Ranged Grapple: +13 / +25 / +37 Defense: +10 Base, +5 Flat-Footed Knockback: -2 / -10 / -11 Saving Throws: 4 + 4 + 4 = 12PP Toughness: +3 / +11 (+3 Con, +8 Misc) Fortitude: +7 (+2 Con, +5) Reflex: +6 (+2 Dex, +4) Will: +7 (+3 Wis, +4) Skills: 40R = 10PP Acrobatics 4 (+6) Bluff 4 (+6) Climb 0 (+3) Computers 4 (+6) Concentration 0 (+3) Diplomacy 4 (+6) Disable Device 4 (+6) Escape Artist 0 (+2) Gather Information 4 (+6) Handle Animal 0 (+2) Intimidate 0 (+2 / +4) Notice 4 (+7) Pilot 4 (+6) Search 4 (+6) Sense Motive 4 (+7) Stealth 0 (+2 / -2) Survival 0 (+3) Swim 0 (+3 / N/A) Feats: 10PP Benefit 2 (AEGIS Agent, Security Clearance) – Gain some minor, but significant, benefit. Connected – Make a Diplomacy check to call in favors or aid. Contacts – Make Gather Information checks faster. Improved Initiative 2 – +8 bonus on initiative checks. Move-by Action – Move both before and after a standard action. Takedown Attack 2 – Gain a bonus melee attack when you drop an opponent. Well-Informed – Make an immediate Gather Information check when meeting someone. Equipment: 0PP = 0EP N/A Powers: 53 = 53PP Device 13 (Hard-to-Lose, Limited to Group, Technology, All Technological, 65PP Container) [53PP] >Power: Density 4 (Flaw: Permanent) [12/65] +8 STR, Weight Multiplier x2, Immovable 1, Protection 2, Super-Strength 1. >Power: Growth 4 (Flaws: Permanent; no CON bonus) [8/65] +8 STR, +1 Size Category (Large). >Power: Immunity 9 [9/65] Life Support (Disease, Poison, all environmental conditions, and Suffocation). >Power: Protection 7 [7/65] >Power: Super-Senses 1 [1/65] Infravision. >Power: Super-Strength 11 (Feat: Dynamic) [28/65] >>Alternate Power: Blast 11 (Feat: Dynamic) >>Alternate Power: Flight 11 (Feat: Dynamic) >>Alternate Power: Healing 10 (Extra: Total; Flaw: Self-Only; Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) Drawbacks: (-5) = -5PP Normal Identity (Very Common, Major) DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed 3 Touch DC18 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Unarmed 11 Touch DC26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast 11 110ft DC26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Totals: Abilities (30) + Combat (40) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (10) + Feats (1) + Powers (53) + Miscellaneous (???) - Drawbacks (-5) = 150/15 Power Points.

Wow, thanks!

"Extortion," Samuel said, in a tone that mocked the agent. "I prefer blackmail, but you haven't yet given me enough to work with. Blah, blah, blah." After rushing through his morning routine much more quickly than normal, the former villain was dressed and outside, his suit jacket covered up by an old coat to protect against the early Spring chill. He strode towards the car, still muttering under his breath. "A newt, maybe. I've never done it, but I could. They'd never find him, either -- I could put him in an aquarium in the bathroom. That would teach him some respect..." He raised a hand and knocked on the window. "Where do you want me?" he asked.

Sam grit his teeth. The offer of thirty-five dollars an hour was tempting, but on the other hand... "You're aware," he grumbled. "That what you're proposing is something like blackmail, aren't you?" Of course he was. Samuel had dealt with men like this Warne before -- prison guards and beat cops, teachers back at school... everyone with a taste of power got too used to using it on those they felt below them. Hell, Sam himself was guilty of that; it was probably just human nature. But that didn't mean that it wasn't infuriating when it happened to him. The thought occurred to him to go for the wand, to give this AEGIS agent a taste of his own powerlessness, but he managed to avoid doing something stupid. The problem wasn't just one agent, but all of them. He sighed. "Nevertheless, I accept your... terms."

Sam felt his face grow warm with embarrassment. "You, ah, heard that," he said, slightly aghast. "I'm sorry, Lynn. I didn't mean anything by it. It's just... some old bitterness still hanging around, I guess. I'm sorry." He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So! Resurrection, huh? The greatest trick of all! You'll have to teach me that one; it must come in handy in your line of work." Inside, he was reeling. She was going to let him go through Al-Kazar's notes! His books and papers! And she was going to let him go through them alone, presumably unsupervised! Think of all that he could learn! His previous magical education had been slapdash at best -- a bit here, a piece there, nothing from the same source at the same time. If he could fill in the gaps of his knowledge, who knew just what he could accomplish?