Lord Fell

Pompadour walked out into the middle of the room, and signaled that he was ready. The first drone floated towards him at a seemingly leisurely pace. Pompadour backed away from it, and when it lunged, twisted to the side evading its attack. Pomp noticed that his hair wanted naturally to react to the attack, to lash out and deflect it. When the drone buzzed around and came in for a 2nd attempt, he let his hair "go with it." The tendril of hair slapped aside the robot's attack. Allowing his hair to reach full extension, when the drone made its third attempt, he batted it away with his hair before it even came close. From the trial documents he had read, Pompadour knew that as Sinister Pompadour, he was a dangerous and skilled combatant; if only he could rely on those instincts now. Pompadour tried to "relax" or, at least to allow his hair to do what it naturally wanted. When the second drone came at him, he used his hands and body to deflect and evade the attacks... and allowed his hair to extend to deflect the attacks, and move him out of harms way. The second drone buzzed away, defeated. The third drone was supposed to have all the speed and precision of a Special Forces operative, Green Beret, Ninja... Pompadour tensed, ready for the inevitable hit. Despite using all his defensive tricks, the drone slipped inside his defenses and tapped him on the chest. He thought that perhaps distance was the key, and again extended his hair. This time, when the drone moved in to attack him, he counter attacked, slapping it away. The final drone might not be Centurion, but it was supposed to be at least a Captain Wonder. He readied for the incoming attack, moved to the right to follow the drone, only to be outpaced. The drone tapped him fast and hard from the left side. Again, he extended his hair tendrils, trying to slap the drone out of the air before it could connect. His hair moved slightly slower than a striking cobra... and the drone moved slightly faster, tagging him in the chest. On the drones third, and final pass, Pompadour swung his hair at the drone... almost half-heartedly, but when the drone zipped inside his hair's faux-block, he stiff-armed it with his hands, preventing contact. He turned to look at Dr. Williamson, "Does that mean I pass?"

Just for amusement value, to mix things up... I will do a Normal defense, Total Defense, and a Block (with Accurate) against the first two, and Total Defense, and two Block (with accurate) against the 2nd two. First attack array:(1d20+0=8, 1d20+0=10, 1d20+0=5) Block: 1st Block (1d20+9=24) All Miss Second attack array: 1d20+3=10, 1d20+3=11, 1d20+3=23 Block: 2nd Block (1d20+9=24) All miss Third attack array: (1d20+6=20, 1d20+6=16, 1d20+6=10) Blocks: 3rd Blocks (1d20+9=21, 1d20+9=15) 1st hits, remainder are blocked. Fourth attack array: (1d20+10=21, 1d20+10=21, 1d20+10=13) Blocks: 4th Blocks (1d20+9=15, 1d20+9=26) 1st hits, 2nd hits, 3rd is blocked.

Thought... The more feats there are that allow you to substitute Attribute X for your (normally attribute Y) roll, the more specialized characters become. To the extreme example... we have... Mind over Matter -> Use your Int for your Str rolls. Cerebral Precision -> Use your Int for your Dex rolls. Prescient Perseverance -> Use your Int for your Con rolls. Logic Prevails -> Use your Int for your Wis rolls. Appeal to Reason -> Use your Int for your Cha rolls. What does the character sheet look like? Str 2 (-4) Dex 2 (-4) Con 2 (-4) Int 38 (+14) Wis 2 (-4) Cha 2 (-4) ...I already see a lot of depressingly homogenous sheets with 10s across the board, except the one or two stats that are relevant to the characters skills, which are maxed out... honestly, how do you GET a Dex of 30 without getting enough exercise to raise your Str or Con???

Indeed. My problem with Nyrath bringing both characters to the Danger Party isn't that I suspect Nyrath is up to no good. Honestly, if I had two characters, I'd be torn about which one to bring. I just believe it's a scenario that's rife for abuse, which is why it should (as a default) be illegal. Where a player has good reason, approval of the parties it affects, and a Ref is made aware of the situation, that would be different. In my original post, I pointed out that the refs screen character applications to ensure that one character isn't designed to be an adjunct to another character (whether it is that players, or someone else'). The precedent seems to be that players are intended to play one character, and do their own thing... not serve another character. So, I definitely feel that dual character use should either be restricted (as above) and if that's "too much hassle" then just banned.

So... shall we say that One Character/Player/Thread should be considered a soft rule, meaning that players cannot (generally) play two characters in the same thread. If a player has a good reason to play both of their characters at once, they must get permission from the other players in the thread they are in, and notify a ref. Good?

Here's my take... Your char took a Rank16 Knockback effect. For simplicity's sake, let's say Reaver takes a DC31 hit when he hits something hard enough to suck up all that momentum. This is either going to be the ground, somewhere outside the city, or a building somewhere inside the city that's designed to survive super powered shenanigans.

Yes... I don't really think their is a good shorthand for the Defendant's lawyer... Public Defendant for a court appointed attorney, but PD is also police department.

Pompadour frowned at the Spartan. 300? This... Is... Sparta? "I'm sure there are plenty of Greek heroes operating. The fact I can't come up with a bunch of names has more to do with my not paying attention to the Super Hero scene. Like I said I'm pretty new at this. If it makes you happier, I've got a good chunk of Mediterranean blood in me, too." Pompadour stepped to the side, so that he could see the man he was talking with, but also wasn't facing away from the main party. This probably makes Spartan happier as well, as his own view is no longer obscured. Pompadour is looking to see if Ace Danger is free. "What's this you say about being trapped for 40 years? Is that like cryogenic freezing? You don't look over 40..."

In my original post, I acknowledged that it might come up. A master villain that wants to crush the heroes of tomorrow so that his grand-kids have an easier time taking over the world shouldn't be banned from attacking Claremont Academy just because that player's PL6 is a student there. I recommended that the player pick one character as "active" and request a GM to run his other char as an NPC. That might be a bit over-board. The player probably could control both his characters actions, just with a Ref to observe that the player is running his characters true to their 'official' description. I'm assuming that if a player wanted to send a character to Claremont that was actually an evil 20something, masquerading as a 15 year old, planning to assassinate Duncan Summers that would be noted right on their character sheet... a player couldn't suddenly announce that was the characters 'true purpose' while their other character was attacking the school.

Pompadour paused by the entrance of the ballroom proper. The host of the event seemed to be involved in some sort of stand-off, which left Pomp to his own devices. Looking around the party, he recognized as many faces as faces he didn't. With the exception of Thunderstanding, he hadn't met anyone here that he could see. He was feeling a bit intimidated by the names he could put to faces. Since Thunderstanding was already in conversation, anyone he could talk to would be a stranger. It would be just my luck if someone recognized me as a supervillain, without having heard that I'm on the right side now. Pompadour's brain ticked away as he headed to the bar. According to his agent, the Miller people were still balking on an endorsement deal. Would it make more sense to give them a freebie, by being photographed drinking their product at the Party of the Year... or should he make them kick themselves for not signing him sooner? Deciding that this was not the sort of party one drank lite beer at, he opted for a flute filled with champagne. He realized that since getting out of the limo, he had said "Here you go," to the doorman who asked for his invitation and "champagne" to the bartender... if he didn't say a complete sentence to someone soon, he might freeze up for the night. He sipped from his glass, and glanced around, looking for a likely suspect. Over there, by the wall... I don't recognize him, so I can't be too badly out-classed... and he looks even more uncomfortable than I feel. Talking to him might do us both some good. "I'm probably giving away how inexperienced I am at this, but I don't recognize you at all. I'm Pompadour." He extended a hand in greeting to The Spartan.

Spartan is wearing a suit, and he's a big, surly looking bruiser. He could easily be mistaken for security staff. He could certainly slide in without notice. I haven't thought anyone's entrance seemed odd, given the layout of the hotel.

Pompadour is still attending his court ordered therapy when this thread takes place.

I'm going to wait until this training session is over, and then I am going to call dibs on the "next run." I am going to schedule that training bout for Wednesday, June 3rd.

I'm operating under the assumption that one must enter the Plaza before entering the Hotel. Probably they have set aside a specific entrance and dedicated an elevator to the one party. Schlebs and media without proper passes outside, and only guests, staff, and approved shameless dirt-diggers will see the second lobby.

The massive Volkswagon Beetle-Limousine slithered sedately through traffic, like an anaconda in a concrete jungle. Pompadour (legally named Brett Mason) and his Super Agent Mandy (legally named Amanda Karlson) sat behind the gold-tinted glass. Pompadour was somewhat nervous and trying not to fidget in his seat. "You need to relax. You're a superhero, not a poseur. You fought a thunder-god, and took on a horde of demons. An invitation to this party is just the Hero Communities stamp of approval." Pompadour eyed his agent. "That doesn't mean I'm not a total newb. Ace Danger has been fighting bad guys for like, 100 years." His gaze fell on the little LCD television by the mini-bar. "Do you see that? The rumours are true! Scarab is back! Scarab!" He shook his head at Mandy. "The big kids are playing hardball, and the best I can hope for is that they're too polite to point out that I'm using a Nerf bat." The limo pulled to a halt outside Pyramid Plaza, and a waiting functionary jumped forward to open the limo's door. As Pompadour stepped toward the curb, Mandy gave him a little wave. "Aren't you coming?" She shook her head. "I'm not a hero. Besides, if you want to play with the big kids, you can't hang onto Momma's apron. Have a good time, but not too good." Pompadour allowed the car door to be closed, and stepped out onto the red carpet. He wasn't wearing his traditional greaser threads. His well-worn blue jeans were replaced by grey pinstriped slacks. Instead of a battered leather jacket, he wore a bronze coloured, crushed velvet Valentino coat. In addition, he had opted for a tuxedo shirt instead of a wife-beater, the shirt was held closed with jeweled buttons, but he had left the neck open. Finally, he wore a tiny, almost infinitesimal domino mask that matched his jacket. Pompadour walked up the red carpet slowly, turning frequently to allow fans and paparazzi to get a good look, and some good photos. His hair is looking especially large and prominent tonight. When he finally reached the doorman, a tendril of hair reached into the jacket to pull out the invitation. Pompadour freeze-framed briefly while presenting the invitation, also with his hair, for the last good photo-op before entering the building.

:rules: In the thread for Ace Danger's party, I raised an objection that one player had brought both of their characters. The GM of that thread asked me to take my concerns to Campaign Discussion, or send a PM to the Mods, so here it is. Although there is apparently no specific house rule dictating this, I think that there should be. I tend to believe that the only reason that there is not such a rule, is that it's too obvious to be necessary. In a few instances, I can see where characters belonging to the same player might overlap, but in that sort of situation, I think that there should be rigid Ref supervision. Example: My PL10 villain decides to destroy Claremont Academy... all well and good until someone points out that my PL6 is a student there. Ideally, I'd just say the character was off campus at the time, but for arguments sake, let's say that timeline dictates that both characters are present. I would say that this is my "PL10s" thread, so my PL6 should be treated like an NPC, although I would recommend what my character does. Compare: PL10 Villain sets an atomic bomb in the boiler room... same player's PL6 runs into boiler room, contemplates bomb, runs out shouting "nope! No atomic bombs in the boiler room!" I strongly believe that if I were to create a PL10 hero "Ratman" and make a PL6 hero "Bobbin" -they are ambiguously heterosexual life partners, so they are always in the same threads, I'd be told no. In fact, I have seen players who have created characters that seemed designed to be minions for other players quashed. Specifically, Markk objected to Rex the Eliminator (Svenlol's character) on the grounds that he seemed to be designed to be a free, PL10 minion for Malice or Captain Knievel. Saku-nee also recruited one of her IRL friends to make a character that was blatantly a bodyguard for one of her abominations, when her character was archived-unapproved, that player abandoned his char. I'm not saying that any player would use two characters this way to pull off a lot of questionable antics, skull-duggery or shenanigans... I strongly suspect players here would not. However, enacting and enforcing a one character/player/thread rule makes the question moot, which would be preferable to questioning whether someone is playing fair. ...besides, if both of your characters are in the same thread, who gets the Post Credit? Double dipping? :shame:

I'm still a firm believer that "one character/per thread/per player" should be adhered to. It may not be a written rule anywhere, but I would have thought it went without saying. If a player were to stat up an NPC that always hangs out with their character, they'd be told 'no' -you either buy a Minion/Sidekick, or play with other players -you do not play with yourself.

Pompadour recoils from the storm of cheap hooch. However, the beer demons are relentless. A tendril of hair knocks one of the demons swings wide, but the other two that have attacked Pompadour connect! What should have been a stunning blow strikes Pompadour's head, but the blow seems to be dispersed by his hair. The other bottle, swung low catches him across the bottom of the ribs, and Pompadour lets out a gasp of breath. "Back off, winos!" Pompadour brings strands of hair to bear against each of the demons who struck him, smashing and tangling them up.

The first 2 hit Pompadour. Toughness Save vs. DC 21 (1d20+8=19, 1d20+8=24) and he is bruised by the first attack. Split attack against the two minions that hit. (1d20+4=19) I smite them... with my Hair. The damage DC is 19, and I'm going to keep the option to use Improved Gab open... Improved Grab (1d20+16=22, 1d20+16=21)

That sounds like he's busted to me, regardless of your Connected roll.

It looks to me like you are bringing both of your characters to the party... and I don't think that's quite cricket, especially given that one of them is a villain. Pompadour will be arriving late, because that's what a "cool kid" would be doing. It probably doesn't take a well-informed check to recognize Pompadour. He's one of the cover stories for this weeks Us magazine (a column titled "Superheroes are just like Us!"), and was on the Tyra show earlier this week. About 7-8 months ago he was a pretty serious Supervillain, at Least PL10 -in addition to increasing his current powers 4PLs, add a shwack of Super Genius and Axe Crazy. As a Supervillain, he was known as Sinister Pompadour, but The Raven injected him with a serum that removed his intellect and insanity, and weakened his other powers. He is primarily a superhero because his agent says he is (and she's goooooood) but he has gotten into a few super heroic adventures in the last two weeks.

Lengths of Pompadour's hair uncoiled and began to undulate in the room. Snaky tendrils rapidly closed with the first flying mechanoid, wrapping it in tight coils and pulling it out of the air. His hair wrapped up the target decisively, depositing a hog-tied bundle on the floor of the gymnasium. After releasing the first drone, Pompadour watched the 2nd one begin it's maneuvers. His first attempt to entangle the target was over-extended, and he found himself sprawled on the floor in a tangle of his own hair. Rolling to his feet, and straightening out his hair, he slung some tendrils at the target as it was passing overhead, but still disoriented from his tumble, he was off target. Taking a deep breath and pausing a moment to judge the movement of the drone, Pompadour's third attempt snared it out of the air. The target struggled to free itself, but the twisting, pulling grasp of Pompadour's hair finally dropped it to the floor of the gym. Pompadour revised his strategy. He knew that just about anything he could touch with his hair, his hair could stick to. When the third drone started it's maneuvers, Pompadour smacked it dead center of its chest. However, he didn't have quite enough 'stick' and the drone pulled free. His followup strike was equally accurate, and he managed to follow-up with additional grasping tendrils before the drone could pull free. It too, found itself flat on its back on the gymnasium floor. The fourth drone was the fastest and most erratic in it's movements. Despite his increased concentration, and attempts to predict the target's flight path... his hair-strikes were always wide of the mark. After his third failed attempt, Pompadour reeled his hair in, with a look of disgust on his face.

Part 1: Attack + Grapple vs. Def 10/+5 Grapple (1d20+4=17, 1d20+16=31, 1d20+4=11, 1d20+16=24, 1d20+4=13, 1d20+16=33) 3/3 1) Hits, and Grapple is impossible to break. 2) Hits, and DC to break grapple is 24 (1d20+5=14) 3) Hits, and Grapple is impossible to break. Part 2: Attack & Grapple vs. Def 15/+10 Grapple (1d20+4=5, 1d20+16=34, 1d20+4=8, 1d20+16=33, 1d20+4=20, 1d20+16=23) 1) Miss! 2) Miss! 3) Hits, and DC to break grapple is 23 (1d10+10=17) Pompadour will make use of Accurate Attack & Improved Grab. Part 3: Attack + Grapple vs Def 20/+15 Grapple with Accurate Attack +0, +3, +5 (1d20+4=22, 1d20+16=17, 1d20+7=24, 1d20+16=34, 1d20+9=18, 1d20+16=22) 1)Hit, DC 17 to break grapple. (1d20+15=19) Doesn't hold. 2)Hit, DC 34 to break grapple. (1d20+15=30) Grapple Holds! 3)Miss! Part 4: Attack & Grapple Roll vs. Def25/+20 Grapple Accurate Attack +1,+3,+5 (1d20+5=11, 1d20+16=17, 1d20+7=23, 1d20+16=20, 1d20+9=10, 1d20+16=29) 1)Miss! 2)Miss! 3)Miss!

A Week in the Big Apple, Part II Friday morning, Pompadour and his agent set out again. This time, Pompadour brought his massive, stand-up bass along, as their destination was Geffen Records. The next few hours at the record company went by at a blur. For the most part, Pompadour played the part of a trained Monkey, while Mandy talked business. Secretaries -ruthless guardians of portals to people of increasing prominence were disarmed and dispatched by Mandy with talk of appointments and other words of power. Later, in a small acoustically sound chamber, Pompadour played and sang for a grim-faced suit who sat in judgement. Later his agent dueled the man, for the highest stakes of all: money, percentages, artistic control... Pompadour felt wiped out from performing, but watching The Ruthless One, Amanda Karlson tear a hapless recording exec apart left him feeling numb. "So, what was it that you arranged back there?" He asked, on the way back to the hotel in the slick, black towncar. "Development contract. I signed you to a sub-label's sub-label. They like your looks, and don't mind your sound. Most of what we arranged is speculative. Your talent as a musician and a singer needs to improve to match your potential as a front-man. They offered us a lump sum for first dibs on anything you put out. If you put out a record within the next 18 months, they will also provide a production budget, advertising budget, and promote a first single." "So... is that good? Did you... we... get what you wanted?" Mandy looked utterly smug. "Oh yes. I basically stopped short of having him gift-wrap his cojones for me." That afternoon, Mandy insisted on taking Pompadour out shopping. Primarily for clothes, but she also dragged him to a few upscale jewelry stores. Supper time saw Pompadour carrying an assortment of bags, not to mention new luggage. A heavy steel Breitling chronograph with a carbon-fiber face adorned his left wrist. They sat down to eat at Zoe on Prince St. Most of the conversation was idle chatter, although Pompadour did complain of being talked into spending so much money that was from a line of credit. But then, Mandy told him what his recording contract was worth, and that made it seem more reasonable. Friday night, Pompadour decided to visit a nightclub; the doorman at their hotel suggested The Guesthouse. Ten o'clock found him wading a sea of beautiful people, drinking over-priced light beer, and having... a pretty reasonable time. The New York 'talent' was a little more blase, but he did draw a fair amount of notice. When he was roaming the club, the women would drag him onto the dance floor. When he was sitting down, they would press themselves into his lap. One dark-haired stunner seemed more determined than most to get his attention. He couldn't hit the dance floor without her making an appearance, or sit down to rest without her tracking him down. Unsurprisingly, when he headed for the exit, she was there to join him, arm-in-arm. The rest of the night passed somewhat more eventfully. He woke up alone on Saturday morning. Last night seemed pretty surreal. He was more or less sober for the whole evening but it had been an entirely new experience for him. He would be wondering if it had actually happened, if he hadn't found a pair of panties with a name and number monogrammed into the waist-band. He chose to order breakfast to his room, to consider the events of the previous evening. He wondered if perhaps he was supposed to feel different... but he didn't really. Later that day, he was supposed to attend an Art show at the Guggenheim. His thoughts continued to be preoccupied with the previous night. He drifted through the gallery, without seeing much of the works of Art. He practiced the two techniques his agent taught him -look for the artist tag, to make sure it's actually Art and then scan the work until you spy the signature. With this simple technique, he managed to look like he was actually interested in the show. Saturday night, he was slated to attend the opening of a new club. He found himself feeling antsy, and unsure about another foray into the wilds of the Big City Nightlife. Finally, he managed to psych himself up enough to attend the opening. Pompadour found the events somewhat more nerve-wracking that he had expected. First, some Press was on hand to cover the opening. He was photographed being admitted beyond the velvet rope. A few Media Mavens with better access actually managed to corner him, and ask him questions inside the club. One, a 40-something blonde asked him about his 'Sinister Intentions' with a look of terror in her eyes. She knew who he had been, although perhaps not who he was now. As the evening progressed, he found that not one or two, but three women were becoming increasingly competitive for his attentions. Uncomfortable, he tried to evade them, but to little avail. The girls presented a united front, and tracked him down wherever he went to avoid them. Finally he told them that he wouldn't be able to choose between them. He was more than a little disturbed when they told him that he didn't have to. The wee hours saw Pompadour faced with a writhing hydra of feminine lust on his bed. Partially disrobed, petting each other, eying him with evident hunger. Pompadour regarded the women. Six eyes leered back at him. Then... he sent them home. A call down to the desk arranged cabs, and some firm words evicted the women from his suite. There were no events scheduled for Sunday, and Pompadour spent the entirety of the day in his room.

(13:27:21) Moira: the biggest ones are 39 inches (13:27:42) Electra: Let's see, Stesha can up that by two size categories... (13:27:45) Moira: er 47 (13:28:25) Moira: so, 4 feet tall (13:28:34) Ecalsneerg: MADNESS (13:28:36) ShaenTheBrain: Must...resist...penis jokes...be strong...