N/A

Whatever fuss the rest of them kick up, it should keep security distracted. I hate to leave them alone with Malice, but if he does turn on them here, I'll be more use to them outside his trap than by their side. Without a word, Kingsnake grabbed the edge of Bastion's hard-light basket, hurled himself over the edge into a somersault, and flipped hand-over-feet several times before hitting the ground running. His footfalls barely made any sound as he attempted to vanish into the shadows.

Is that counting the +4 Defense that prone targets get against ranged attacks? (Flipside of the penalty they suffer against melee attacks.)

If you're so tight on points that you're adding a drawback to Flight, then I recommend dropping Chokehold. I've never seen a fight last long enough for it to work.

No self-respecting Paragon would forsake the Interpose feat! Ambidexterity is garbage. I wouldn't bother with it. Weapon Break is so situational that I'd consider replacing it with a rank of Luck, and just burning a Hero Point to pick it up temporarily if the opportunity to use it ever comes up. You'll find the math on your carry capacity a lot easier if you go ahead and buy that odd-numbered Strength rank to get it up to a multiple of 5. I doubt that power points for a peanut allergy will make it through the refs.

I believe it's -2 Attack per range increment, not -1. So I think it would actually be at -10. Rank 10 ranged power, that's 10 100ft increments.

Huh. Yeah, I was marvelling at the dice luck.

"Use Exceptional Effort to gain 4 ranks of super strength for +4 to his check" I thought that option let you use two different uses of Extra Effort simultaneously, but explicitly wouldn't let you stack two of the same one?

"fail by 9 Bruised and Dazed again" ...Whut.

Geez? Heritage, Chris, feel free to post IC while I'm waiting.

Kingsnake (15) Dirty Blvd (6) Downtown Train (5) Legacy of Hatred (4) Thrude (3) Pop Some Tags (2) Starspawn (1) The Newt (0) None

Kingsnake came flying out of the smoke cloud right before it faded away. He tucked his legs up against his chest and somersaulted once before landing on the prone mercenary's midsection with both feet. Still standing on the armored man, he pulled the coiled whip from his side with one fluid motion, almost absent-mindedly. "Stay down." He let the coil fall free. The braided black leather twirled and slithered to the ground. He turned his head slightly over his shoulder in the direction of the so-called "hostage." "And you, stay put."

For the record, Backup #3's Shaken status from the Demoralize, and his Dazed status, apply to him in relation to everyone, not just Kingsnake. Neither is like a feint, where they're only flat-footed against the one who feinted them. Also, Kingsnake's out of Hero Points. At the top of Kingsnake's turn, he's Fatigued again, and the smoke cloud dissipates. Standard Action: Charge against Backup #3. More than enough movement to close the gap. That's +2 Attack and -2 Defense. He'll All-Out Attack for another +2 Attack / -2 Defense, and Power Attack for -2 Attack / +2 Damage. That leaves him at +13 Attack, +9 Damage (DC24), and +7 Defense (DC17) for the round. He gets +4 Attack for melee against a Prone foe, so that puts him at +17 Attack, +9 Damage (DC24), and +7 Defense (DC17). Attack check (DC19, need to roll a 3+): 22. That's a DC24 Toughness save, at -4 because of the existing Bruises. Move Action: Kingsnake (finally) draws his whip. (Shoulda picked up Quick Draw after all.)

Does Kingsnake's sonar give him more or less the same information (humanoid figures moving around, etc.)?

Thrude looked up into her grandfather's eye. "Aye, my king, I know the risks. But I would not be worthy of your name if I cowered from them. We owe a debt of blood to the peoples of Midgard. And if I am to protect them from all who may threaten them, then I must be able to move freely among all the Nine Worlds. This is the only way." Odin lifted his great spear Grugnir from behind his seat and grasped the haft with both hands. "VERY WELL!" He raised the spear into the air, and dark clouds blotted out the sun. Thunder echoed across the sky. Tendrils of electricity burst from his eye and from the blade of Grugnir, dancing up and down the haft. Hridgandr floated into the air, followed shortly by Thrude herself. She stood in mid-air for several moments, her hair floating in all directions, before a burst of rainbow-colored energy erupted from her solar plexus, surging like a tidal wave into Hridgandr. A vortex opened up beside them, a tear in the very fabric of space spiraling outward. Beyond the tear, the Rainbow Bridge, shining brighter than any star, sloped downward, vanishing in the distance behind clouds. Odin bellowed. "IF THOU WOULDST BESTOW THY POWER UPON A MORTAL, THEN CAST THY WEAPON INTO THEIR WORLD, SO THAT IT MAY FIND A WORTHY SOUL!" Thrude reached out with both hands, pushing against the howling wind blowing outward from the portal. She gripped Hridgandr tightly, then hurled it in. Wreathed in frost and lightning, it fell downward, parallel to the bridge without ever quite touching it. In a matter of seconds, it fell below the clouds and disappeared from view. As soon as it pierced the Midgard sky, the vortex closed behind it, and Thrude's feet floated down to touch the ground.

Odin pulled himself up by the armwrests of his chair to stand above Thrude. He bent his head down to stare at her with his one eye. His face was as stone, unreadable, unmoving. After what felt like an eternity of silence, he spoke. "Thy father spoke to me these same words in an age long past. His intent was noble, as thine is. He, too, sought to protect the people of Midgard, as we had before The Pact with the other powers bound our hands. And his power was stolen from him, and corrupted so thoroughly that the mortals to this day curse his name. By placing thy power in mortal hands, thou doth risk not only thy eternal life, but thy name and thy very soul."

Thrude shook her head. "Nay. I will always hold my spear-sisters close to my heart, but the Valkyries have no need of me. It is Midgard and all its peoples I have sworn to protect, they who need us now more than ever." She stood up from her chair, kissed her mother, then her grandmother upon the crowns of their heads, then walked around the table to kneel before her grandfather. She pulled Hridgandr, her massive battle axe, from her back, and presented it to Odin. "All-Father, in times past, thou didst tie my father's essence to Mjolnir. By wielding his hammer, a mortal could be a vessel for the Thunder-King's power, could channel his very essence. I beseech thee to do the same for me. If I am to protect Midgard, then it must be as much my home as this place. I cannot rule them from on high. I must be able to extend my hand in friendship, and they must be able to take it."

Odin stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So banishment was Loki's intent, not destruction. Curious." Sif relaxed back into her chair, but still stroked her daughter's arm. "What is thy intent now that thou art free? Will you stay? Rejoin Freyja's sisterhood? Or has an eon in Loki's foul dungeon afflicted thee with a new wanderlust?" Frigga paused between bites to interject. "With thy return to Asgard, The Pact is once again in effect. Thou cannot tread upon Midgard again without a mortal invitation, if the other powers will even allow an Aesir to honor one."

"Indeed," Sif almost hissed as she wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder. "I would see all the Nine Worlds burn before burying my own daughter in an abyss. What happened to ye in there, Child? Couldst thou feel the time pass? Was it some infernal slumber? Was there pain?" "Mother, please. I am no more a child than thou art. I am a blooded warrior, and I was..." Thrude looked away momentarily, then steeled herself. "...And I was to be a bride." Sif stroked Thrude's cheek. "Warrior, wife, and one day queen you may be, Thrude, but thou shalt always be the child who grew in my belly and nursed at my bosom." Thrude sighed. "There was no pain, nor sleep. The Fenris Wulf and I were locked in constant battle. No quarter was asked, nor given. Time had little meaning. There was no day or night, no sun nor moon. We fought to many a standstill, fought until we could not even stand. We rested, but there was no sleep, only hateful glares exchanged when we had not the strength for more. We would take up arms again as soon as we were able, and our melee would continue. Until our prison was broken, neither could gain advantage over the other. In time, I almost forgot the taste of mead, or even the word for it." She raised her goblet to her lips and savored her drink with a contented sigh.

Odin emptied his goblet of mead and stroked his snow-colored beard. "I have oft reflected upon my blood-brother's actions of late. I wonder if malice was truly his intent, or if he merely sacrificed your well-being for what he saw as a greater good." The mouths of all three women sitting at the table hung open, their eyes bulging so wide they almost popped out of their sockets. Sif gripped the edge of the table so hard her knuckles turned white as bone. "'Tis indeed mayhap a more terrible thought than if he meant simply to sow more chaos. But he has heard the prophecies, as we all have. He knows what his children will do when the time comes. I wonder if it was dear Thrude he sought to imprison, or his own wayward child, the Winter Wulf?" He straighted up in his chair. "We will not suffer his mischief regardless, and the loss of my beloved granddaughter is nay a price I would ever pay." He reached out and squeezed Thrude's hand.

Thrude took a seat next to her mother at the table. "It seems no member of our family stands beyond the reach of 'Uncle's' betrayal." Odin raised a single white eyebrow. "Betrayer he may be, but he is also kin. Ours is a bond sealed in blood. Curse his name and his deeds, but respect ye my oaths." Thrude swallowed and cleared her throat. "Apologies, Grandfather." "Pay it no further mind, Granddaughter. Had I spent the whole of an age imprisoned by his tricks and his treachery, I too would speak with a loose tongue on the matter."

"I say thee NAY!" Thrude's open hand shot up into the air. Thunder rumbled again in the sky above. "If NAZI VERMIN still TREAD upon Midgard, and THEY DARE to DEFILE my home with their presence, then we must KICK OVER whatever ROCK they WRITHE BENEATH, WITHOUT hesitation! EVERY MOMENT we tarry is an INSULT to the memory of their VICTIMS! I am THRUDE, daughter of SIF HARVEST-QUEEN, and THOR THUNDER-KING, son of ODIN ALL-FATHER and JORD, she whose very FLESH you STAND UPON! I am the DAUGHTER OF STORMS, the PRINCESS of ASGARD! If thou doth travel to fair Valhall at MY beckoning, under MY protection, then there are NONE in ALL THE NINE WORLDS who wouldst DARE to bar thy path! At MY command, the Rainbow Bridge ITSELF will open for thee, and the honored dead will attend to thy EVERY NEED."

Sorry, my bad. Was confusing the bonuses with the rolls. So Bruised and Staggered before the first attack, so his +11 Toughness drops to +10. If the Demoralize worked, then he's at +8. He rolled 13 on the first check, got 23 against DC27, failing by 4, just another Bruise. So he's Bruised x2 and Staggered against the second attack. His +11 Toughness drops to +9 for the Bruises, and with the Demoralize still in effect, it drops another -2 to +7. He rolled 12, for 19 against DC28, failing by only 9. So yeah, Dazed again, but just another Bruise. And Toughness +11, +8 with 3 Bruises, +6 with Demoralized, rolling a 12 for 18 vs DC19 (KB result of 4 + 15), just a 4th Bruise. Argh. He really won't go down.

Backup #3 was Bruised and Staggered before the first attack, so his +11 Toughness drops to +10. If the Demoralize worked, then he's at +8. If he rolled 10 on the first check, then he got 18, against DC27, failing by 9, getting another Bruise and Dazed. So he's Bruised x2 and Staggered against the second attack. His +11 Toughness drops to +9. If the Demoralize is still in effect, then it drops another -2 to +7. If he rolled 7, then he got 14 against DC28, failing by 14. That would normally Stagger him. But since he's already Staggered, shouldn't he be Unconscious now?

Take 10 with Skill Mastery for 30.

I will, however, go ahead and pop the other Hero Point to buy off the Fatigue, and Surge for another attack on Backup #3 while I still have Power Attack and the cloud. All-Out Attack for +2 Attack / -2 Defense, Power Attack for -5 Attack / +5 Damage, no Fatigue, that's +10 Attack, +13 Damage (DC28), +10 Defense (DC20). Attack check (DC12, hits on anything but a natural 1): 18. That's a DC28 Toughness save. Kingsnake will be Fatigued on his next turn.