Gizmo

Jack sat up straight as the announcer's voices filtered through the roar of the crowd. Dana's...? The gym was near his neighbourhood and firmly in the area he considered the core of his 'territory'. He'd even taught a couple of youth fencing courses there one summer, before the Interceptors had begun providing him with a steady pay cheque. It was a nice enough facility, but he couldn't imagine anyone making the trip from elsewhere in the city for anything but sentimental reasons. For the first time that evening Jack tried to focus on Fulcrum's face rather than her unsettling energy emissions. What's your deal, Paula Bunyan? His narrowed eyes sprang back open as Atlas roared. Ruskie's got some pipes. Dark Star's force field sounded like dulcimers and chimes to the swordman's energy sense; the red man's bellow transformed it into a rippling kaleidoscope of tingling colours as Jack's mundane hearing was overwhelmed. "Got a little showman in him," he noted approvingly.

Jack gave Grim a look of exaggerated surprise. "You mean you were actually trying with those punches?" The swashbuckler raised his hands to fend off a renewed assault. "I kid, I kid. Believe me, I know exactly how annoying I am; which really makes it worse, doesn't it? It's my little sister I've got to watch out for. You've met El- uh, Jill. Hermanita's got chops; just as snarky as me and twice as smart. Growing up with her's given me a pretty unfair advantage when it comes to the banter." Though he played it off, Jack cursed himself for slipping up. In this crowded space, in front of so many cameras, he couldn't afford to give up any clue to his civilian identity or his family. Brooding inwardly, outwardly he gave Fulcrum and Atlas a half grin. "Try not to wreck the place, huh?"

Let's say I'm building a character with a dynamic array, nothing too fancy, Protection, Strike, that sort of thing, but I want him to have to take a full round to 'power up' before he can use any of the array. Once he's powered up he can use everything normally, although it'd be good if it took another round to power down. How do I go about implementing that?

Woof. Actually, I think I flubbed the math even worse than that; Disintegration with one flaw should be 4pp/rank, shouldn't it? (1 Drain + 1 Ranged) + (1 Damage + 1 Ranged) + 1 Affects Object - 1 Limited to Objects = 4 How's this: AP: â€Lucky Dodge" and "Misfire" Immunity 2 [critical hits], Protection 5 [Extras: Impervious 10, Reflective 2], Enhanced Feats 4 [Evasion 2, Improved Defense 2], Disintegration 6 [Flaw: Limited to Objects, Tiring, Power Feat: Subtle] Adding the Tiring flaw brings Disintegration down to 3pp/rank, and means that he generally has to spend a HP to use it, making it feel more like a luck-related power. That should make things 2 + 5 + 10 + 20 + 4 + 19 = 60

Jack let out a short burst of laughter. "Oh man, most awkward congratulations ever," he grinned. He gave the cowboy and his exhausted companion a wry look. "At least I didn't hit her in the face!" The swashbuckler gestured emphatically, reenacting the bout with his hands. "The whole time, she doesn't even try for a body shot," he explained to the other participants. Jack indicated his bandanna mask. "I gotta start padding this thing." Taking his feet down from the back of the chair in front of him, the swordsman turned to regard Atlas and Fulcrum. "You two ready for this? Got a game plan, little mental preparation?" Jack mimed bobbing and weaving while tossing out a few quick jabs.

"Thanks, I think it went well," Jack replied nonchalantly. His laconic demeanor seemed genuine, rather than an ironic affectation. The bout had burned off a considerable amount of the manic energy he'd displayed earlier in the evening, and had left his need for a fight sated for the moment. As much as he enjoyed playing to the crowd, Jack wasn't particularly concerned with praise; the competition itself was the pay-off for the swashbuckler. Of course, it helps that I won, he mused. Still, the general malaise which had plagued him since the demonic invasion had lifted, if only temporarily. He idly made plans for a quick patrol after the final match.

Man, who knows what's ever going on with Grundy? The gist of it as I understand is that Grundy got Black Lantern-ed, but ol' Cyrus Gold was still stuck in not-so-great beyond. Then Bizarro threw Grundy into the sun. Seriously.

Well, Mona's whole motivation revolves around her hero worship of the Centurion, right? That means she understands about powerful inspiration, and the difference one person's example can make in the life of another. That's a pretty good step towards being a Blue Lantern. Then again, her fixation on the big guy might justify a Violet Ring, too. The Star Sapphires tend to be a little on the obsessive side. I get the impression that Fulcrum spends so much of her energy trying to live up to the Centurion's example that she hasn't really figured out who she is yet. All of the Lanterns are very forceful personalities in their own way, and I think Mona's still developing toward that.

With Grim awake and in capable hands, Jack slipped away towards the stands. Tossing his gloves to the side of the ring as he passed, the swashbuckler donned his greatcoat and walked calmly to where the other participants were seated. Plopping down on a chair, he placed his feet on the back of the seat in front of him and folded his hands over his stomach. "So," he drawled laconically, "I miss anything good?" Despite his relaxed demeanor, Jack pointedly made sure to keep a reasonable distance between himself and Fulcrum. The heroine's Terminus emissions had evened out, but they were still higher than when the exhibition had begun. Ramps up when she gets excited, maybe? he considered. If that's the case, not sure how good an idea having her actually fight is...

He could have gotten one wen he was knocked out, as a “significant failureâ€.

Suitably violent and gross! With a name like 'Malice' he'd fit right in with the Red Lantern Corps! Atlas decked out in the Indigo Tribe's barbarian look would be awesome. The idea of a giant guy like that zooming through the air, enjoying the sensation of flight is also pretty terrific. It's a bit of a stretch, but Tempest's mission is one of understanding and empathy, right? You could make an argument for Indigo Tribe, I think. As for Jester, a guy who's always trying to make people laugh might make a good, if unorthodox, Blue Lantern. Ha, well, I try! Talk about a perfect fit! I wonder how the Black Rings would react to Dead Head. They've created some pretty odd situations with guys like Deadman and Solomon Grundy. Speaking of Black Rings, can you imagine what they'd see if they used their 'emotion vision' thing on the good Doktor? Pretty confusing, I'd guess. Zing! Yeah, having multiple rings at once has so far been pretty rare and always temporary in the comics. I'm not as familiar with Divine as I could be, but it strikes me that the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares could made a pretty good case for a Violet and Red Ring combo. As for Seraph, she's "a sympathetic soul who would love to help everyone", right? Textbook Indigo Tribe. How about you, 'durf? I assume the Black Rings would be all over Ace, but if he was freed the way Wonder Woman was, where would he fall?

Nice. Although, can he do that? I mean, she's not just fatigued, she's exhausted and unconscious. It's not like it's going to be game breaking in this instance, I'm just wondering how that works normally.

Once Dark Star and the medics had confirmed that Grim was alright, Jack leaped up on one of the ring's posts and bowed with an exaggerated flourish. "People are always telling me I'm exhausting to be around," he cried into the audience, "but I had no idea! How about another round of applause for the always lovely Grimalkin?" The crowd's boisterous clamour redoubled. Jack placed a hand to the side of his mouth as though about to whisper, but continued to shout to he heard clearly. "Don't worry, we'll show her the recording when she wakes up!" With a final bow, the swashbuckler hopped down from the ring and unstrung his gloves. Retrieving his coat along the way, he made his way over to the medical station, standing nonchalantly nearby until Colt arrived to retrieve their teammate. Grim's energies seemed fine now that the cosmic referee has done his work, but he felt obligated to keep an eye on her anyway.

For a site about superheroes, there's a disturbing lack of comic book geekery going on here, so I pose this question: if your character(s) was a member of one of the Blackest Night Lantern Corps, which would it be? Quick recap for the comic disinclined: The Green Lantern Corps are basically the space cops of the DC universe, with members from each sector. They use rings which let them create constructs made of green light, powered by the wearer's own willpower. When a Lantern dies, their ring automatically seeks out a replacement, finding someone with the "ability to overcome great fear". Ages ago, one of the Corps' greatest members, Sinestro, went rogue and had a yellow power ring created; more recently he formed his own "Sinestro Corps", with yellow rings powered by fear rather than will. More recently still, Corps representing each colour of the spectrum appeared, each powered by a different emotion. Not surprisingly, they proceeded to have brutal but extremely colourful space battles. Despite their differences, the Corps were forced to team up when the Black Lanterns showed up: nigh-invincible undead versions of every character who's died over the years, even those who have been resurrected. Things have gotten so bad that the Corps have even deputized existing heroes and villains into Lanterns. The Corps are: Red Lantern Corps - Rage - "You have great anger in your heart." Agent Orange - Avarice - "You want it all." Sinestro Corps - Fear - "You have the ability to instill great fear." Green Lantern Corps - Will - "You have the ability to overcome great fear." Blue Lantern Corps - Hope - "You have the ability to instill great hope." Indigo Tribe - Compassion - "You have the ability to feel great compassion." Star Sapphires - Love - "You have great love in your heart." So... where do your characters fall on the spectrum? For example, I think Jack would probably be a Green Lantern, given his tremendous stubbornness. Continuing to fight no matter how bad things get is one of his core personality traits. His Charisma and Inspire make a pretty good case for his being a Blue Lantern, too, though. He definitely knows how to rally the troops. He could really go either way. For extra credit, how would they combine their ring's power with their existing abilities? I can see Jack surrounding himself with like a dozen swords, all fighting independently and blocking attacks from all directions.

Alright, I've updated the sheet with the Power changes I described above. What's the verdict?

A well fought match indeed, despite Invisible Castle's fickle disposition. I admit, I was hoping to get through it with Jack completely unscathed, but I'd say Grim earned that crit! But do you think we had enough Feint checks...? Even after Darkstar does his healing thing, Lynn's going to need a nap.

Jack hesitated as Grim babbled all but incoherently. "...what does that even mea- ouff!" Despite the manic randomness of her movement, or perhaps thanks to it, one of her fists connected solidly with Jack's face. Rolling backward instinctively, he snapped back up to his feet a few meters away, rubbing the bridge of his nose through his bandanna. "Aw man, not the moneymaker... Grim...?" It took a moment for him to find the fae lying face down on the mat, the mystical energy surrounding her defusing to a pale green gossamer shimmer. Twisting his mask back around so that he could see normally, Jack discovered Grim apparently passed out from sheer exhaustion. Dropping his hands to his sides, he looked from his unconscious opponent up to the audience, nonplussed. "Uh... That wasn't my fault."

Oh, come on! So close to a shutout... Argh. Alright, check against the Acrobatic Bluff: Acrobatics Check vs. DC33 (1d20+20=35) Jack avoids the Feint, but a natural 20 hits anyway, and, yes, the DC goes up by 5. Exhausted Grim's Strength drops to 10, so the DC is 15+0+5=20. Jack's not wearing his greatcoat, so he's got just +5 to his Toughness check: Toughness save vs. DC20 (1d20+5=17) Hence, he is bruised.

Well that's more bloody like it! Jack grinned broadly as he ducked under Grim's strike. Taking a playful jab of his own, he clasped his gloved fists behind his waist and continued to move casually around the shapeshifter's blows as though he were avoiding bumping someone's shoulder on a crowded sidewalk. "Woah, there!" he exclaimed cheerily, "I don't think Colt would stand for me getting 'deep in your cups'. And thrusting, now? Grim, you're going to make me blush!"

Guess I'll try a regular attack: Unarmed attack (1d20+11=13) Oh no... Alright, I'll go for a move action Feint; if memory serves, Grim should get a +2 against this: Move action Feint (1d20+16=26) Woof. So that's... yeah.

So that's a +4 cumulative bonus on top of +15 Acrobatics: Acrobatics Check vs. DC33 (1d20+19=33) ...huh. Ol' Jack, he does okay for himself, huh? So Grim's Defense should be 22 - 1 (fatigue) - 4 (Aggressive Stance) = 17, right?

Jack's Defense right now is just his regular 26. And yeah, since Feinting is a standard action, a lot of the time you'd have to wait until the next turn to attack. That's part of why Jack spent so much of the early fight jumping around instead of attacking; normally he'd take the penalty and use it as a move action, but Grim's Bluff is too high for that to work most of the time. I wouldn't worry about it; if the bonus works the way we think it does, he's managed to beat all of Grim's various Feints so far anyway; if not, he's avoided the hypothetical surprise attacks, too. We could retroactively factor in the -5 penalty, and it wouldn't actually change anything. Good to know! Jack'd probably be feeling a little guilty regardless. You'll notice when he was sparing with Blink in the Underground, he scored based on touches alone; the whole "bludgeon the petite woman with your fists" thing feels kinda skeevy to him. When he said he liked to hit on girls, this isn't what he meant, *rimshot*, hurr hurr.

Grim's bruised and fatigued; the -1 to attack comes from the latter.

Jack's heart honestly wasn't in the fight anymore as he twisted around Grim's attacks. He might not have been a boxer by specialization, but he was a precision fighter, and he knew he hadn't struck his opponent nearly hard enough to account for her response. At what point did putting on a show for charity turn into bullying a friend in front of a stadium full of people? Weak sauce. He took a feeble swing at the shapeshifter as Fulcrum shouted from the stands. Jack managed a wry smirk as he raised his voice. "Well, you heard her! Can't let us chauvinist pig dogs get the upper- hijo de...!" For a split second he thought Grim had managed to land a blow to his head. He quickly recognized the sensation as a spike in the energy radiating from the paragon in the audience. Feels like she's going to explode... either her or my head. One thing at a time...

Can we get a ruling on the cumulative +1 bonus against Feint? So far Grim has used a regular Bluff Feint here and the Acrobatic Bluff version here and here. Jack beat the first two for sure, and beat the third assuming he got at least a +1 bonus. The current Feint is the forth overall and the third Acrobatic Buff. Does Jack get +3, +2 or no bonus at all? Again, it doesn't make a lot of difference this time, since Jack can avoid that 14 flat-footed, but it'd be good to know for future reference. In the mean time... Surprise Power Attack: Unarmed attack, Defensive Attack 5 (1d20+6=7) Drat. Well, that was bound to happen sooner or later. Let's try a move action Taunt: Move action taunt (1d20+16=18) Wurg...