Kai Wren

Minions resisting intimidate - 1d20 + 0 = 20 Mystery Man resisting Intimidate - 1d20 +8 = 13 Ordinarily they'd get +2 to resist because they outnumber you - I'm going to call the monstery-ness a circumstance bonus to wash that out. Hilariously, the minions are far more on the ball than their boss, despite him being FAR better equipped to handle it! At this point we should probably generate an initiative order. Minion Group 1 - Normal Guns 1d20 +2 = 16 Minion Group 2 - Laser Guns - 1d20+2 = 22 Minion Group 3 - Back of the Sub - 1d20 +2 = 21 Mystery Man Initiative - 1d20+7 = 17 Mystery Woman Initiative - 1d20+10 = 30 Init Order Mystery Woman - 30 Laser Minions - 22 Back Sub Minions - 21 Miracle Girl - 18 Mystery Man - 17 Gun Minions - 16 Sea Devil - 7 Diamondlight - 7 (Note, not all in the order are going to be immediately involved in fighting and combat; I'm just getting the inits queued up so I know where they'll fall in later)

The dead woman’s grasp found its way through Victoria’s guard, and her scrabbling nails caught against her sunglasses, glancing off and cutting a light scratch across her cheek. There was more to it than that, though. She could feel something beneath the physical pain; a tingling touch as temporal energies swirled against her, and she brought her formidable will to bear against it. There was not even a moment’s hesitation in her, the woman twisted forwards, into the grasping hands of the zombie, knocking them both upwards and out of the way. Her knee rose in the gap made, and the sound of snapping cartilage brought an end to the monster’s desperate efforts to tear her to pieces as the head snapped back far enough to shatter the spine. It was only after the corpse fell backwards that Victoria realised what she had done. A shudder ran down her spine. That kind of move, that lethality, was something that she had learned as a theoretical practice; something that could be done but never should be done. She stooped down, then, and let out the breath she had been holding in. Her hand came up and closed the dead woman’s eyes. The zombie was already dead. She’d known that from the moment the creature had come at her, grey-skinned and not breathing, lurching with all the unnatural motion of a puppet on a string. But whilst she could tell herself that justified the instinct, it was still a disturbing moment. Was this a foreshadowing of the path to come? "I'm sorry that we failed you, sister." She whispered to the corpse, taking a moment to compose herself and reflect. Her hand reached into her pocket, and removed a small handkerchief which she dabbed at the blood beading from the tiny scratch the woman’s nails had achieved. “Looks like you were right.” She muttered to Violet, “We were too late for this one. Let’s hope we’re not too late for the rest.”

Unarmed Power Attack +5 - 1d20+10 = 28 (18 - critical hit!) DC 25 right back at you as construct is immune.

Toughness Check DC 25 - 1d20+5 = 21 (-1 Injury?) (Should have been +6 but I got my attack and defence tradeoffs mixed up - either way it comes out to a fail by less than 5. Willpower Check DC 20 - 1d20+7 = 26

Notice Check - 1d20+12 = 15 (Just Barely Passed!) Initiative - 1d20 +5 = 10

Lets go with an intimidate check!

Then I shall take 10 and hit DC 27 to be fancy.

Victoria was pleased that the young man was staying with the musician – it was possible, likely even, that he was mixed up in this in some way… but she didn’t like any of the rest of this. She felt like she was missing too many pieces, and they were working to a time limit here. If there were people in danger, they needed to find them quickly. She spared Violet a glance to make sure that the other Guardian was still with her, sticking close as she had been told to do, and then she started to circle towards the backstage area. Her intent was simple – approach as casually as possible, then slip in when no eyes were on her. Hopefully Violet would be able to keep up, and they’d both prove skilled enough to slip inside without drawing attention.

Noted on the forcefield, @Supercape! Could I nab a Bluff check for your credibility, please?

For the avoidance of doubt, the distribution of NPCs is currently as follows: 1 guy ('Barry') at the back of the submarine confronting Diamondlight - about 60ft from the mid-point of the vessel. 3 thugs going back to back up 'Barry' 8 other thugs continuing to unload cargo of various sorts. Mystery Man stood at the midpoint of the ship. Knowledge: Streetwise can be made if you can get a good look at him. Mystery Woman apparently bored out of her skull in the hold looking after Mystery Cargo.

There were definitely a lot of people doing this work, whatever this work was that they were doing. Most of them seem pretty intent on that work, too, and not one of them spots the Deep One lurking in the shadows. They were brawny sorts, for certain. Men and women who were clearly used to a hard life at sea, doing rough work. In another age, they might have been accompanied by parrots and wear eyepatches – these days, the uniform seemed to consist mostly of a motley assortment of firearms, a handful of which looked disturbingly advanced to be in the hands of crooks like this. “Oi! Who goes there?” The cry went up at the far end of the submarine, when Diamondlight was just ten or so feet from the rear end of the submarine, having picked his way through the cavern rocks. The individual in question levelled one of those firearms in his direction, squinting into the darkness as though he couldn’t quite believe that he’d spotted anyone – let alone that someone was there. That’s probably something to worry about, but not quite the only thing, because from the hatch in the middle of the submarine another man emerged. This one was clearly not one of the workers. For a start, he wasn’t carrying a crate. More tellingly, though, the man was tall, intimidating, and augmented. Over six foot tall, bald but for the dark stubble on his jaw, and with his right eye replaced with a gleaming red lens, the right side of his body was made of metal which gleamed more brilliantly than that of the submarine on which he stood. Having heard the cry, he gestured towards the far end. "Go back up Barry." He growled, "If he's jumping at shadows, throw him into the sea, that'll wake him up a bit." Three more of the criminals ran off to carry out his orders. From her position under the waves, Miracle Girl also spotted one thing which stood out amongst the general work. Most of the contraband was just that – contraband. Cartons of cigarettes, alcohol, a crate or two of firearms; none of it good but none of it mind-blowing. But, still in the hold, there was one sizeable crate that her superior X-ray Vision couldn’t penetrate, and one person sat on it. It was hard to get details on that person with just their skeleton to go on, but they were definitely a woman, and definitely swinging their legs back and forth as though bored out of their skull.

NPC Notice Checks: Goons - 1d20+0 = 18 Mystery Man - 1d20 +8 = 15

Okay party people! Could I ask for people who are trying to approach/be near the submarine within theoretical eyeline to give me stealth checks? I believe that would be both Aquaria and Diamondlight - I believe Miracle Girl is under the water (and thus outside of reasonable catch-a-glimpse distance). However, making the assumption that Miracle Girl is keeping eyes on the submarine with X-ray vision, could I get a Notice check from her? Thanks!~

1d20+0 = 12 (It should actually have been rolled with +1 but that's still a 13 so a no)

Victoria was never that comfortable with alcohol. She plainly did not understand the appeal of poisoning oneself. She’d tried it, of course; she could hardly have been a teenager in her mother’s house without getting forced to sample wine, and champagne was one of those things that was often just forced onto you… but it wasn’t for her. She listened to what the old woman had to say, of course; having been caught up in her conversational snare, it would have been rude to just walk away. She gave a nod in return. “Just checking out the local scene.” She said, as vaguely as possible. From behind those sunglasses of hers – still not taken off even though they are now indoors – she narrowed her eyes at the old woman. She was the owner of the club, but she was implying that she’d never heard the band play before? Alarm bells tinkled at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t think of a good way to call the old woman out without causing a scene. This was one of those moments where she really wished she had her mother’s gift for people. “If you’ll excuse us.” It wasn’t a question, and Victoria was soon moving along the outside of the crowd, looking to take in entrances and exits, as well as anyone who might otherwise stand out – aside from herself. In her current clothing, she wasn’t going to have an easy time blending into the background…

And it is now up over here! http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/topic/10522-ic-under-cove-r/

OOC Thread for: http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/topic/10522-ic-under-cove-r/ You are all free to determine how you heard about this terrible smuggling operation! Details are broadly sketchy, but there's definitely Daka crystals involved. Or you can just have been taking a nap in a dank cave because that's how you chill out! You know, whatever works.

GM “Be careful with that, ya mook.” The hissed voice echoed in the gloom of the cavernous space, and was coupled with the sound of a slap as one of the intruders into the quiet space smacked his fellow upside the head. They called it Devil’s Cove… or at least, some people had done, a very long time ago. Most people now didn’t call it anything, because most people didn’t come to this water-logged cavern a few dozen miles from Freedom City’s harbour. Why would they? There was nothing out this far. The wi-fi reception was terrible. But there were some things it had going for it. This late at night, when the stars are in the sky and the moon is shining down on the waves, there is a kind of quiet beauty to it. Serene, even. The natural cavern is far enough away from the city that there’s no intrusion of sound or pollution this far out. Few prying eyes came out this far. Which also made it a fantastic place for smugglers. The submarine that they had used to get this far was now surfaced at the mouth of the cave, the dull, dark metal glinting under the pale moonlight. The top hatch has opened, and a dozen people are in the process of quickly and efficiently unloading the cargo. Crates upon crates of contraband have filled the belly of the submarine, and in amongst all of them was the secret that had – unknowingly – ensured that the entire venture would come crashing down. Somewhere in there, there’s some Daka Crystals. The extremely valuable items were due for sale to some very unsavoury characters, and word had hit the street that they would be coming in tonight.

Awesome, that's two volunteers! Thanks very much guys! I'm happy to have either Sea Devil or Watchdog as you prefer - I would suspect Watchdog as a slightly better fit, but there is something amusing about the idea of a Deep One rising up to take on smugglers, so there's no way I'll turn that down. Heck, with just a little twisting we could have it at a cove near Freedom City rather than at the docks, and suddenly smugglers are interrupting some quiet contemplation time? Just a thought!

Hi guys! Supercape was saying they'd like to play more and as they were kind enough to offer to run something for me right off the bat I thought I'd reciprocate the offer and run something for them! I've dicussed it a bit with them in private and the basic premise of the scene is that a criminal gang will be moving some dakana crystals into Freedom City, Diamondlight has received a tip-off for this and will be moving in to prevent it from happening! I would like to have another 1-2 PCs involved, because it is always good to have a few people in the mix. I'm incredibly rusty when it comes to running M&M 2E, so there might be some fumbling on the mechanics side of things (though what with this being play-by-post it will hopefully be easier than trying to run it face to face as I'm used to). This is not intended to be a super challenging thread; I'm getting my feet wet and reminding myself how mechanics work, but there will (spoiler alert) be some Super-level opposition thrown in the mix to keep things interesting. So, yeah, if that sounds like something you might be interested in please post here and let me know! I can then get the thread up and running when I've got an idea of who wants in!

Victoria allowed herself a small smile. It was just a little thing, but the reaction to her handle amused her. Nobody had done the right number of ?s when speaking about her, and at least one person thought that she was waiting to think of a better handle. It was silly, but still, amusing to her. That confusion over her name was exactly the point - it was nice to get the occassional reminder that she wasn't totally out of her depth. The fact that others seemed to broadly agree with her initial ideas was just more ego-boosting! In #herostuff Whilst there were a lot of other interesting comments to mull over, she was certain that the woman who had brought them all together would have great insight into how best to achieve all three goals with the resources at hand. She'd hold off on further comment until she'd heard it.

Victoria forced herself to relax, making her hand uncurl. She was still tense as they were stopped by the bouncer, and even more so once the woman had been paid and they were free to step into the club proper. Bohemian was definitely the word. This place reminded her more of the elegant balls she was sometimes expected to attend for charities than the type of club she would have expected to be walking into. Then again, this is the theatre district; if there’s one place where people are going to be up for getting down to classical music, it is here. Victoria didn’t introduce herself to the two civilians. The less they knew about her, the better. Instead, her voice was quiet but insistent. “You two should stay on the floor of the club.” She said, “Be discrete but keep your eyes open. Violet and I will take a different path.” Splitting up would be a calculated risk, but if the club was a Katanarchist front they would probably want to maintain the charade. That was the safest place to try and store two civilians whilst the Guardians infiltrated the staff areas.

“Yes.” After confirming her identity, Victoria maintained a completely deadpan expression as Violet moved to head off puns that she would never have dreamed of making. Introductions given, she turned and looked over the tops of the glasses for half a moment, taking in the panic-stricken man and his nervous pacing. “I don't think so. Look at the way he’s holding himself. That is a man half-mad with worry, not a warrior.” And now she was at a crossroads. Heading into the club was dangerous. She wasn’t wearing her disguise; the uniform wasn’t exactly suitable for meeting someone in public, which was why she’d left it behind. If the deal was going down tonight, she could return then, properly equipped to handle the situation. But there was something nagging at her. If they’d taken this man’s children, why were they letting him stay outside and cause problems? One explanation flickered through her mind, and her teeth ground together as she started to walk towards the club, with definite purpose. She probably wasn’t even aware that one hand had curled into a very tight fist. “Stay close to me.” She said, tone sharp as a razor. “And be on guard. We’re putting our heads into the lion’s mouth, Violet. Be ready when the jaws close.” Was this foolish? She could not possibly feel more exposed. In her current guise, she couldn’t even call upon her mastery of the Wheel without jeopardising her identity. But ultimately, what choice did she have? Lives were at stake. Sometimes, you had to be foolish.

I'd also like to use my 'assessment' feat against the apparently-panicked-civilian. I'll just take 10 this time, so if he's secretly a ninja in disguise he needs to roll DC 29 bluff check or I'll get an understanding of his attack and defense bonuses relative to mine.

So, there was some questions in chat about the Guardians of the Wheel and a suggestion I write a Guidebook post for them. I threw together some notes to elaborate on how I saw the rough structure and history working from the (incredibly brief) outline in Incognito's history. I thought I'd solicit feedback here for whether this seems viable/workable/good/terribad, and whether there's more people would like to see expanded upon! The Guardians of the Wheel Membership: Fluctuates but no more than 50. Base of Operations: Decentralised Identifiers: Wheel insignia are popular. Each Initiate is granted a small steel amulet inscribed with ancient runes of fate and destiny. Notable Members: Master Wen, Incognito Formed in the wake of the second world war, the Guardians of the Wheel are an amalgamation of several old, small mystic orders which once worked independently to try and guard the secrets of fate. Efforts by the Katanarchists to steal these mystic secrets forced those orders to come together to defend themselves. The Guardians of the Wheel see it as their duty to ensure that the Great Wheel continues to turn. Fate, to the Guardians, is a force which has its hand in all things but which does not run smooth. Whilst the story of mankind is one of slow and gradual progress towards a brighter future, evil people – tyrants, dictators, megalomaniacs – can twist the Wheel from its proper course and cause it to turn backwards. It is the sacred duty of the Guardians of the Wheel to ensure not only that the Wheel turns, but that it turns in the ‘proper’ way, in accordance with the betterment of all mankind, for whilst the Wheel has – broadly – been heading in the right direction for a long time now, momentum is a difficult thing to stop, and if it ever changed course, it could all come crashing down just as quickly. The Guardians are a loose-knit organisation but all share initiation into martial secrets which allow them to literally grasp the Wheel of Fate and manipulate it. The most basic level of this takes the Wheel as it pertains to the practitioner of the art itself at their moment of crisis; turning back an injury or blow that has been struck by a foe and starting again. More advanced students of the art can manipulate the Wheel as it pertains to other people, freeze their own fate within the wheel to extend their lifespan, gain glimpses of the future or read the tracks of the past and legends speak of ancient Masters in this art strong enough to guide the Wheel to favour or hinder entire nations, all in the service, of course, to the greater good of keeping the Wheel on track. Now that the Katanarchists are on the back foot for the first time in decades, some of the strains in the Guardians are starting to show. They have never been fully unified, and there is a plurality of opinion about how to pursue the end of the great conflict which has guided them this far. Broadly speaking, these camps fall into four groups. The Seers believe that it is improper to use the arts of the Wheel outside of times of severe necessity and that it is now safe to return to places of seclusion and safety and wait for the Katanarchists to be broken by the inevitable turning of time. The Warriors believe that any quarter now will only give the Katanarchists time to find a new angle of attack and that they must crush them quickly, wherever they might be found. The Guides point out that it was not a Guardian who slew the last great leader of the Katanarchists, and argue that the Guardians have a responsibility to help guide other groups to bring the war to a successful conclusion. The Quiet have no opinion. They believe that there is now so much momentum taking the Wheel in the direction of good, thanks to the Earth’s many great defenders, that they needn’t do anything and that humanity will soon be ushered into a new Utopian Age. Ranking in the Wheel is very loose, but can similarly be broken down into three stages. Initiate – one who has been taught the secret of interacting with the Wheel but who has yet to slay a member of the Katanarchists and thus prove their dedication to the cause. Guardian – one who has killed for the Wheel, and thereby proven they understand the importance of the mission of the Guardians. Master – one who has demonstrated true mastery over one of the aspects of the Wheel. It is expected that those lower in the ranking will obey the orders of those higher in the ranking, but naturally this is not always the case as the different factions do not always respect each other as they should. More experienced and ‘senior’ Guardians also tend to expect obedience from less experienced Guardians despite there being no formal ranking system within that tier.