Brown Dynamite

Foreshadow eyed the man kneeling in pain in front of him. "Let me make the bad pain stop then." The point of his club was turned to the front, his upper body moving in tandem to the right slightly in preparation. Then in one fluid motion he, flipped the point of his staff out to the back, so that his arm and the cane stood now in line, and fully extended out to the rear. Next, bring your arm and the cane around from the rear to the front, along with a horizontal line. His arm remained perfectly straight as he twisted it in a 180-degree arc to strike Jack in the temple. His other arm would move in junction in a sort of pulley motion as he jutted it into his throat. Before finishing the combination and twisting his right hand in another 180-degree arc to strike Jack on the opposite side of his head. This blow was the one that sent the large man's skull crashing to the street below. He would push his feet along the ground to seamless twist his body to the side of Malcolm's prone form. With equals amount of anger, he would raise both staves above his head. Slamming both staves into Malcolm's abdomen. Foreshadow's shoulders jerked in pain as even the man's abdomen were like striking a wall at the level of resistance he was encountering.

I'm sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine what you must be going through. You're always welcome here. But, we understand your priority is and should be to yourself and your loved ones, especially during such a trying time.

Well actually spent an HP two rounds ago to no longer be Fatigued! Free Action: Switch to Staves on the configuration. Move Action: Take 10 on Bluff to Taunt Jack again (He's at +1 to resist now and the Bluff is at -5 due to it being pushed down to a Move Action) Standard Action: Power (-5 Atk/+5 Dmg) Attack Jack with Combined Staves (DC28): 1d20+11 28 On the off chance Jack is out of the picture will the next roll will be a Takedown Attack towards Malcolm...and if Jack is still standing using Extra Effort to Surge Standard Action: Power (-5 Atk/+5 Dmg) Attack Jack with Combined Staves (DC28): 1d20+11 17

Hm. It seems I dropped his knowledge skills but, for the life of me can't remember how I divvied them up. Welp just repicking them up. Nauseate is 2PP/R but the math is right. Alternate Save is a +0 Modifier. It's only a +1 modifier when used to change from a TOU save. Which basically just means it's only a +1 when used on Damage (or I guess if weirdly attached to unarmed damage). Fixed Confuse and Emotion Control. Those were just a result of C/Ping the brackets and not going back and changing after the fact. The second device is 32. I must have just annotated it incorrectly in between versions of the build. Fixing. now

Foreshadow chased after Jack. His stride doing its best to match the larger man's bountiful leap. Whipping his swing line out towards a telephone pole he would then wing down to the ground. From the outside looking in, it would be hard to believe that Jack could squash him like a bug with how much he kept running all over the street. And then...he hit Synapse. Or rather her force field. But, Foreshadow wasn't looking to see how much of a beating it could really take. Renowned athletes were praised for how they operated in the clutch. That moment of anxiety where all the pressure was on and one needed a win. But, that was when all the pressure was on their individual action. It was an entirely different matter seeing someone he had grown quite fond of. Fine, I get why David wasn't fond of this whole team thing Foreshadow's lips pursed together and he whistled low as he could to get Jack's attention. "So...tall, dark, and brain dead. Let's be perfectly clear. You are going to lose this fight. Now don't get me wrong you were always going to lose. That was decided the moment, you came up to us like you weren't anything other than hired muscle. But, now. Well, now, your next stop isn't going to be Blackstone. Oh no. Now, I'm going to make sure you get a front row seat to the hospital room of your choice."

Move Action: Swing down after Jack Standard Action: Take 10 to Demoralize (Taunt) Jack

On a technical level, anyone can use the rings. Though, fluff-wise the Cryptids wouldn't just take the rings back because of tradition and non Psychic or non Superhuman/Metas would just get minor more "human" boosts. But, there's not exactly a mechanic to show that other people would have different effects from wearing the rings (or else I would've built some sort of weird variable power reserve). So no need for Restricted, although I did consider having an "only the worthy" Restriction to just making the other people can technically use them as some sort of convoluted Complication. But, yes essentially it's mostly just flavor for why it's two separate devices rather than one. Mechanically, it does allow for using two different rings at once depending on the hand. Though obviously, only Morph isn't a Standard Action. So it's a moot point past fluff!

Dalir the Dashing Power Level: 12 (built as PL 10; 182/182PP) Trade-Offs: -5 Defense / -5 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 0 In Brief: Stage Magician with 10 Power Rings Alternate Identity: Dalir Saleh Identity: Secret Birthplace: Emerald City Occupation: Stage Magician, Illusionist Affiliations: None Family: Magnifico the Magician (Grandfather, presumed de...probably alive), Amir ibn Jafar ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Misr (father), Evie Saleh (mother), Corrine Conrad (half-sister) Description: Age: 27 (DoB: Born 19, June 1990) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Mixed (Of Egyptian, and Caucasian descent) Height: 6" Weight: 176 lbs. Eyes: Black Hair: Black Dalir is a tall muscular man whose torso and face are covered in tattoos. Normally favoring a punk rock aesthetic, while on stage wearing a top a top hat and patched suit, heavy makeup, and multiple talismans and necklaces. History: In 1953, Marionette the sole female founding member of the Crime League was murdered under mysterious circumstances. The following year Magnifico the Magician also died...supposedly. Not even his foe Doc Tomorrow was truly convinced that the master of Illusion had truly passed. And for good reason, as Magnifico had simply retired. Not known to any of their teammates but Marionette and Magnifico had fallen for one another. Before her murder, she had even given birth to a daughter who was raised solely by Magnifico. The real reason behind his retirement from crime? Becoming a doting parent. At least until the day he could aim for striking it rich again. Their daughter, Evie, was a chip off the old block. Falling into bad habits she became a bit of a cat burglar known simply as Matron. Selecting her targets through the rich elites whom she would seduce in her civilian identity, Evie was mostly in the game for the thrills. But, the youth soon found herself in a whirlwind romance with a rich teenage playboy who would one day be known to the world at large as ASAD. Although Evie ended up not robbing Amir, she did end up with a souvenir from their time together. She never told Amir about the product of liaison, not that he actively sought her out. And instead, used her criminal talents to work as an engineer with forged credentials. Dalir had heard the tales of his grandmother’s heroics, and his mother made sure to never speak ill of ASAD either. But he had never so much as heard a whisper of his mother’s own tales of villainy. At least until his mother found herself very popular with a number of her old contacts. Among magical circles, it became known that Evie had stolen ten rings from the Eightfold Web cult. These rings had Arcane sigils of Lemurian origin and nine different colored viridian stones, the tenth ring bore a daka stone. More arrogant members of the Order of the Prophet considered the family the supreme authority on magical matters. Various cults wanted a claim on them. And then there were the cryptids... The Cryptid Clans are an alliance of diverse human offshoots, banded together for mutual protection and benefit. In spite of appearances, the various clans do not share the same origin: some are creations of the ancient Preservers, while others are of more recent genesis. The members of the Hidden Peoples are defined by two primary characteristics: their heritage (or genetic origin) and their clan affiliation. Werewolves, stranded aliens, Deep Ones, and various other beings who couldn't possibly blend into regular society without garnering attention. And long before they Eightfold Web ever got its hands on the ten rings, they were a symbol of unity amongst the Cryptids. Evie took Dalir on the run with her as many a magical foe came out of the woodwork. But, she was out of practice. And after a week they found themselves cornered by members of the Eightfold Web. If not for the timely arrival of a gun-slinging Ape, Dalir would be dead at this moment. But, he wasn't quick enough to save Evie. Who was captured by the Web who mistakenly believed she had the rings in her possession. Unaware that as a contingency she had hidden them on Dalir's person. The gun-slinging ape dragged Dalir to meet with the clan elders who explained the situation to him. Viridian Stones are failed Preserver Stones. As such if one had the means a viridian stone could enhance and strengthen existing attributes of the beings they bond to and who bond to them. Including the latent abilities of a superhuman. It used to be a tradition for chosen champions of the Cryptids (one per clan and one per heritage ) to bond with a ring and act as a protector. But, the rings had already bonded to a wielder. And for the first time, it was an "untouched" as the Cryptids came to refer to the ordinary human. Personality & Motivation: Dalir acts as if he is very anti-establishment. This is an act. A sort of defense mechanism for the fact that both sides of his family tree have a lot of names to live up to. A desire to always be the center of attention led to his career in magic to begin with. His self-doubts have also led to a bit of arrogance. Dalir acts as if he has a high opinion of himself. Rarely viewing anyone else as his intellectual equal. An opinion he is all too quick to share when not performing on stage. Sarcasm may as well be a second language to the man. Still, while Dalir may be quick to insult mainstream tastes he will never turn away from someone in need. Including the group of outcasts, destiny has seen fit to charge him with protecting. His primary motivation is finding his mother. Powers (Descriptions & Tactics): At first glance, he is powerless without his ten Cryptid rings. But, even without his rings, Dalir is extremely intelligent. Despite hardly exercising a day in his life, his physique leaves little to be desired. And his intelligence would have made him competitive in any STEM field. Such physical and mental faculties hint at a possible if not outright obvious mutation. His ten rings are made of a golden orichalcum metal. These rings are inscribed with Arcane sigils of Lemurian origin. Each of them a different color, but only a single ring on each hand can be attuned to at the same time. When this is happening the ring in question glows brightly. Each ring whether actively attuned or not creates a glowing force field protecting Dalir from harm. Appearing as if he was surrounded by a rainbow. As such when wearing even one less ring his force field weakens. If someone else were to wield his rings they would theoretically have completely different powers than he does. White: Provides Empathic Healing by taking on the pain of the subject that Dalir wishes to heal. Yellow: Overtaxes a target with a large burden of emotional stress. Causing burnout and exhaustion. Blue: Influences the Emotions of others in whatever manner Dalir wishes. Green: Allows Dalir to read the emotional states of others. Red: Ramps up all the emotions of the target. Making them impulsive and prone to poor decision making. Black: Dalir overwhelms a targets senses driving them towards a state of sensory deprivation Orange: Dalir can use illusions to change his appearance and the appearance of those nearby to anything that pops up into his imagination Indigo: Dalir can create an image of himself, except he places his consciousness within the image, allowing him to perceive through it as if he were actually present, and to channel other sensory effects through its senses. Violet: Dalir creates an illusion upsetting the victim’s sense of balance, causing the world to seem topsy-turvy and inducing vertigo Daka: Rather than focus on a singular Illusion, Dalir manipulates the psionic energies in the area to create false images and sensory impressions. Tailor fitting the illusion using knowledge known to Dalir. Complications: Mama's Boy: Dalir is motivated by locating his mother. He will be quick to abandon reason at the news of her location (whether real or otherwise). Power Loss: Dalir must gesture to use the powers from his Viridian Rings Responsibility: Dalir is responsible for the protection of Cryptid Tribes. This responsibility can clash with his social life. Especially if the Cryptids feel free to fetching him themselves to perform his duty. Villainous Legacy: The identity of his grandparents is not publicly known. But, that doesn't mean there aren't still geriatric victims of the original Crime League who would be all too keen to take their revenge on the grandson of Magnifico the Magician. Abilities: 8 + 6 + 10 + 20 + 8 + 8 = 60PP Strength: 18 (+4) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 20 (+5) Intelligence: 30 (+10) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 4 + 4 = 8PP Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex) Attack: +2 Base, +6 Melee Defense: +5 (+2 Base, +3 Dodge Focus), +1 Flat-Footed Grapple: +10 Knockback: -7 Saving Throws: 0 + 4 + 8 = 12PP Toughness: +15 (+5 Con, +10 Protection) Fortitude: +5 (+5 Con) Reflex: +7 (+3 Dex, +4) Will: +12 (+4 Wis, +8) Skills: 80R = 20PP Bluff 11 (+15) Concentration 6 (+10) Craft (Mechanical) 5 (+10) Diplomacy 6 (+10) Disguise 2 (+6) Escape Artist 12 (+15) Knowledge (Current Events) 4 (+14) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 4 (+14) Knowledge (Streetwise) 2 (+12) Language 2 (Arabic, English [Native], Farsi) Notice 2 (+6) Perform (Stage Magic) 6 (+10) Sense Motive 6 (+10) Sleight of Hand 12 (+15) Feats: 10PP Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Beginner’s Luck Eidetic Memory Dodge Focus 3 Luck Powers: 40 + 32 = 72PP Device 10 ( 50PP Container; Flaws: Hard-To-Lose; User suffers Fatigue from Extra Effort rather than Device ) [40PP] (Cryptid Rings) Master of Illusions ( 40PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 4 ) [44DP] BP: Illusion 10 ( All Senses; Extra: Selective Attack; Flaw: Phantasm ) {40/40} AP: Astral Form 8 {40/40} (Illusionary Projection) AP: Morph 9 ( +45 Disguise, Any Form; Feat: Selective; Extras: Affects Others, Area [Burst, General]; Flaw: Phantasm ) {37/40} (“Shapeshifting”) AP: Nauseate 10 ( Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Range 2 [Perception] ) {40/40} (Vertigo) AP: Obscure 10 ( All Senses; Extras: Range [Perception], Selective Attack; Flaws: Distracting, Phantasm ) {40/40} (Sensory Deprivation) Feature ( Prestidigitation [Dalir can create minor illusions as “magic tricks” primarily suitable for entertainment, but potentially good for a circumstance bonus for interaction skills or to distract targets from other happenings.] ) [1DP] Protection 5 [5DP] Device 8 ( 40PP Container; Flaws: Hard-To-Lose; User suffers Fatigue from Extra Effort rather than Device ) [32PP] (Cryptid Rings) Empathy ( 30PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 4 ) [34DP] BP: Healing 10 ( Extra: Energizing, Restoration, Total; Flaws: Empathic, Limited to Others ) {30/30} (Empathic Healing) AP: Confuse 10 ( Extra: Range [Perception] ){20/30} (Emotional Instability) AP: Emotion Control 10 {20/30} AP: Mind Reading 10 ( Flaw: Limited to Emotions ) {5/30} (Empathy) AP: Fatigue 10 ( Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Range 2 [Perception]; Flaw: Action [Full-Round] ) {30/30} (Emotional Drain) Feature ( Good Vibes [Dalir radiates a subtle emotion or mental “broadcast” (such as the impression of a scent or music) good for, at best, an interaction check circumstance modifier.] ) [1DP] Protection 5 [5DP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE DC EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC20 Toughness Damage (Physical) Emotional Drain Perception DC20 Will Fatigue (Emotion) Emotional Instability Perception DC20 Will Confuse (Emotion) Emotion Control Perception DC20 Will Emotion Control (Emotion) Illusion Perception DC20 Will Illusion (Psionic) Sensory Deprivation Perception DC20 Will Obscure (Psionic) “Shapeshifting” Touch/Area [45’ Burst] DC19 Will Morph (Psionic) Vertigo Perception DC20 Will Nauseate (Psionic) Totals: Abilities (60) + Combat (8) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (20) + Feats (10) + Powers (72) - Drawbacks (0) = 182/182 Power Point

Foreshadow had to admit the slapped together patchwork teamwork was going less smoothly than he planned. Sure, when it came to planning he was a spur of the moment sort of guy. But, this was definitely not a cohesive unit. And now there was an entire building in the way of finishing off one of these Battle Brothers. Okay, yeah he's not going to be singing mental kumbayas anytime soon. Maybe his partner will be a better listener? Reaching for his multi purpose staves, Foreshadow once more shot a grapnel line. This time in pursuit of Jack and Mess. When it came to the canine in need, he would place keeping him safe in Synapse's capable hands. Upon landing on the roof Foreshadow placed himself between the pair and began to spit out, "Alright, not that I mind this whole not dodging forever thing. But, I think you're taking my stamina for granted. I'm ready to go all night." The plan was simple. Jab, jab, and jab some more. Foreshadow stepped in towards Jack and began circling around the roof. Treating the open space like a ring he would alternate in direction at random times. Change the tempo of his punches. But, never divert from the jab. It was a flurry meant to create more damage in multitudes rather than one single powerful blow. And really it only served to hurt his own fist. Or so it seemed... In reality, there was a small air of predictability to his seemingly erratic footwork. Foreshadow would make sure to always wait before throwing his left hand out. Waiting for Jack to turn his head to face away from Mess. The punches acting as nothing more than a distraction so as to provide an opening for the less than the less than cohesive pair to act in unison.

I'm going to double de-rail the thread with the trial by combat bit. Not in having White Lioness do it. But, why I felt it worked for Black Panther. The fact that no one seemed to even consider the notion, and the shock at the joke of Shuri doing so and more shock from M'Baku doing it. My takeaway? It was simply a matter of tradition. A holdover when the king needed to punch people in the face to keep the country safe, unlike modern advanced civilization times in which the king chooses to punch people in the face to keep the country safe. Anyways, the point is no one likely actually takes up the challenge of challenge day. The crown in MCU probably passes without issue. Now setting wise, yeah multiple trials. Probably a giant maze at some point. Because of course there's a giant maze. Hidden test of character. All that jazz. Toss in some punching and you've got a stew going. Back, to the thread. I think the first time Dakana became less than relatively unknown was actually WWII. Sure 1960s was when the White Lion joined the Freedom League. But, in the Golden Age book it was mentioned that the Dakanese army repelled Nazi attempts to invade the country and take their Daka Crystals.

Volcano Totem https://youtu.be/9VylZhputrk PL10 150/150 +2 Damage/-2 Attack, +3 Toughness/-3 Defense “I have roamed the galaxy in search of battle.” Abilities: 10 + 2 + 14 + 4 + 4 + 6 = 40 PP STR 20 (+5) DEX 12 (+1) CON 24 (+7) INT 14 (+2) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16 PP ATK: +12 (+4 Base, +8 Ranged) DEF: +7 (+5 Dodge Bonus, +2 flat-footed) Initiative: +1 Grapple: +9 Knockback: -6 Saves: 8+ 0 + 6 = 14 PP TOU +13 (+7 Con, 6 Protection) FORT +15 (+7 Con, +8) REF +1 (+1 Dex, +0) WILL +8 (+2 Wis, +6) Skills: 32r=8 PP Intimidate 10 (+13) Knowledge (Earth Sciences) 8 (+10) Notice 8 (+10) Search 3 (+5) Survival 3 (+5) Feats: 14PP Attack Focus (Ranged) 8 Dodge Focus 3 Endurance Precise Shot 2 Powers: 4 + 16 + 21 + 13 + 6 + 2 = 62 PP Burrowing 4 ( 10 mph/ 100' per round ) [4PP] Damage 4 ( Extras: Aura, Duration 2 [Sustained] ) [16PP] Damage 8 ( Feats: Alternate Power 4, Indirect; Extra: Range [Ranged] ) [21PP] Dazzle 8 ( Extra: Area [Perception]; Flaw: Action [Full-Round] ) {16/17{ Drain Toughness 8 ( Extras: Affects Objects Only, Range [Ranged] ) {16/17} Environmental Control 8 ( Extreme Heate ) {16/17} Trip 8 ( Extra: Area [80' General Explosion ) {16/17} Immunity 13 ( Fire Effects, High-Pressure, Suffocation [All] ) [13PP] Protection 6 [6PP] Super-Movement 1 ( Sure Footed 1 [25% Penalty Reduction] ) [2PP] Drawbacks: -4PP Vulnerable ( Cold; Frequency [Common], Intensity [Major] ) [-4PP] DC Block Abilities (40) + Combat (16) + Saves (14) + Skills (8) + Feats (14) + Powers (62) - Drawbacks (4) = 105PP So Pro Wrestling and Superhero comics have some pretty shared roots. There's the classic good vs evil paradigm. There's the colorful costumes both inspired by circus roots. Yep, underwear on the outside Supes is a straight up Strongman costume. There's even a shared sales ideology with a weekly/monthly story being told in which you have to digest multiple issues/matches to get a full story. Let's not even get into the behavior at respective fan conventions! So clearly, a pro-wrestling gimmick would be an easy inspiration for a superhero. Especially with the to the wall insanity that can only come from Memphis. So this here Volcano Totem is inspired by the Lord of Volcanoes himself the much maligned Ta Gar! If you want to be a special snowflake, perhaps he is the totem of a cryovolcano like those found on Saturn's Moons. You'll have to change some descriptors for icy results. Rather than some sort of galaxy-spanning boisterous bruiser perhaps you want to be the avatar or sire of a volcano god much like Alderwitch's own Volcanic ? There's potentially rife complications to be played being the child of Sutr or hey Hephaestus. Rather than being bitten by a radioactive volcano or the baby mama drama of real gods. Personally, I would go with an Earth Mage using one of the settings original Patrons from the Book of Magic if I were to make a Volcanic empowered individual. Specifically, Ghorummaz the Dragon Within the Earth, the Lord of Storms, the Earth-Binder. But, that's neither here nor there. So this character is built as a fairly standard blaster, with a few tricks up their sleeves. Sample Complications: About to Explode: This PC's powers may be tied to their emotions. Anger or fear causing unintentional consequences such as random earthquakes, boiling nearby water, melting pipes, etc. Hot Blooded: This PC's normal human body temperature hovers well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so they show up on thermal scans easily. Power Loss: Whether cryovolcanoes, regular volcanoes, or underwater supervolcanoes volcanoes tend to be part of the ground itself. As such perhaps this character could lose their powers when off the ground. As in riding a plane rather than being on the top of Pyramid plaza.

GM From inside the vehicle the passenger's phone began to ring. "What, five minutes? No wait. I'll be right th-" Suddenly, the man in the back threw the phone against the diverter in clear annoyance. The call having not gone the way he wanted. "You know what, we're paying the fine." He called from behind. The phrase seemingly enough of a cue for the driver to begin driving past. There was no question that SFX had successfully punctured the tire. But, it wasn't enough to stop this armored vehicle's tires from moving. Something that became all too clear as the car moved forward past Rev. Intent on speeding past the train tracks. However, the vehicle came to a sudden and immediate stop just before reaching the tracks. It wasn't clear if the nanobots had proven especially effective at stopping the vehicle at the last second. Or if something else drew their attention. But, even from the other side of the tinted windows, Rev could tell one thing was sure. In the reflection of the driver's side mirror, he had begun staring back at her from the moment the train began to pass.

That is true, sure, sure. Of course, my reading of that rule was that if the attack getting the Bonus could already overcome the impervious it'd still be getting the +2 Bonus as it wouldn't be using it to overcome. (So if say Bloody Mess Attacked with a Damage 10 effect against an Impervious 10 foe, Foreshadow could still provide the +2 bonus on the Damage as Mess wouldn't need the bonus to overcome Impervious). As it was mostly to stop minions from ganging up on a high impervious Superman. That could be wrong, of course. In which case live and learn on my part! Buuut, I'm totally cool with ineffectively not doing jack to Jack while trying to help to no avail! Could have fun with that post for sure. Comedy! (Although if the question of whether Jack had his Aid still came up. I would have to wonder if he has the penalty from distance from being away from Malcolm well I guess that depends on how you built him!).

Alright, burning an HP to shake off Fatigue. Free Action: Switch to Grapple Line in Array Move Action: Swing after Mess and Jack on the roof. Assuming he can make the distance in one move action, Standard Action: Delaying for a Combined Attack! (Power(-5 Atk/+5 DC) Attack Jack (DC24): 1d20+15 26)

Getting over a stomach bug. Will be back to posting tomorrow.

"Don't forget the butt. I didn't spend an hour today doing barbell hip thrusts to not get at least one compliment." Foreshadow spat backed at Malcolm. Seemingly unconcerned with the threat the pair posed. For a moment, he felt too comfortable. Distracted from the very real fact that they were an ever-present distraction from finally getting his hands on his precognitive foe. Foreshadow chased after Jack upon seeing him rush for Mess. The pair seemed all too happy to gang up two on one. It was a sound choice, if not a bit too dismissive to the fact that technically they quartet of heroes outnumbered them. Bloody Mess appeared to be the most threatening one in the area. Able to hurt them with his fists alone. Which meant they'd have less trouble giving Foreshadow his own share of broken bones when they ganged up on him. No sooner had Jack's fist completely missed Mess than Foreshadow had caught up with the pair and swung. The moment his staff made contact with Jack's stomach and Foreshadow's own shoulder he would swing back and strike against the other side of his abdomen to no avail. Well not for nothing, but why can everyone I fight either lift a car or carries enough ammo to make a small militia jealous? These guys definitely work in concert. Super-strong, durable, punches are thrown solidly enough to be a potential threat. Anything else we need to know Mess? Aside from why they seem to really hate you.

I actually have the slots for all three Ari!

Dalir the Dashing Notes: So here’s Dalir. Son of ASAD, and a member of the Prophet Family. If the Order of Prophets sounds familiar to you then you’ve read Freedom City 1st Edition. Personally, I brought the concept back but decided to turn it into a copy of the Watcher’s Council from Buffy. Plus, it gave reason to make Dalir on the outs with the family (the monster hunter progeny protecting monsters) without going the Hellion route and having demonic familial connections. That isn’t to say there isn’t room for the Eithfold Web to brainwash his mother into a spider-themed villain. Really, I just wanted to do more with the fact that people like the Pale Ranger and Doc Prophet made the fact that the Prophets were clearly a direct reference to the Wold Newton family. Of course, then brings the questions whether his attributes outside of the rings are a product of that side of the family. Or Amir’s. Either way, it’s pure genetics. Without his rings, he’s a solid PL 5 offensively/defensively. Now, I had to give up the gun-slinging ape sidekick. A tough choice to make, but obviously where my earned PP will go towards purchasing in the future. Obviously, he’s a six gun gorilla reference. Partially he’s a Wynona Earp (tv version not comics version) reference. I assure you this is not some sort of weirdly racist comment on Lothar though the thought does make me feel squick. I’ll admit. I wanted a Damage Effect with some sort of reversible flaw to equate to the Damaging Extra on Illusions without being an Extra itself. But, alas, all the cheese. The Architect [Working Name] Notes: So here’s Curator V. Okay, I don’t have an actual name for him yet. And really, I’m undecided as to whether I want him to have been freed from the Incursion or Day of Wrath. Unlike Braniac V, he’s not half machine. He’s pure construct through and through. Braniac’s actually a pretty boring dude for a super genius villain. Let’s be honest all he really does when it comes to Superman after his plans get stopped is punch hard and choke things. So you’d think I would dislike Brainiac V too then? After all, despite the super genius of it all he pretty much just punches things less hard and makes sarcastic quips. But, I don’t know there’s something appealing about Brainy. Of course, Unamed Curator Drone isn’t a 1 for 1 for the 12th level intellect. Especially when I already have another smart mouthed character in space. He was spun off another idea. So, in the Cosmic Handbook Blackstar created his Blackguards after acquiring the Nightstone which on FCPBP is currently in Cobalt Templar’s possession. And they acted as a sort of Yellow Lantern expy. Which if you think of the Spectral Knights as a Red Lantern it would have fit right at home. But, I instead planned on bumping Blackstar up in PL and making his Blackguards all constructs. Turning him more into an orange lantern expy as he continually seeks control of the other Preserver Stones which would also put him into conflict with Star Khan. But, I never did anything with that. However, it did give slight inspiration in another concept a Blue Lantern or Star Sapphire depending on your pov. Either way would have essentially been the space EMTs to the space cops. Powered by the Health Stone, one of the first concepts for a “Star Knight” involved imbuing this PC’s mind in an artificial construct. Uploading his mind back to his fleshy form after a mission. But, as a Praetorian said fleshy form and Health stone had been long lost. With more than likely nothing being left of his remains he would have partially been motivated to finding his body. This spun off to ancient, but not Praetorian, robot that crash landed on Earth. I even went so far as to think about maybe making him rebuilt by Da Vinci and giving him an appearance to Da Vinci’s own Germanic knight robot. With a rewired primitive AI that allowed Da Vinci to give him a chivalrous personality. Which ultimately came unto a blank slate machine. A self-aware curator drone whose AI is nothing short of human with none of the learned experiences. Not that you asked for the thought process that leads to me developing characters. But, from the start he was always designed with a support role to other heroes in mind. However, I believe every hero should have their own agenda not just whatever cohesive group agenda is going on. In this case his goal is understanding, rather than simply collecting knowledge like his creator. Though this does leave me at an impasse as to how to grow him. That I’ll hopefully decide through play (Either he’ll gain access to his own collection of Gadgets through the Variable Effect, or he’ll go super-math detect weakness/fake luck controller by mathing up all the variables. Or he’ll gain not! T-Sphere minions and a teleport ring) I did have to give up some super-strength. And chose not to buy up the template. Curator Drones are an expensive template yo (okay the ridiculous amount of Int I bought may have had something to do with it too. But he’s a +12 level intellect!) Dusk and Dawn Dusk and Dawn Notes: So it’s Cloak and Dagger. If they were biracial twins with each twin favoring a different parent’s skin tone. And y’know without the whole gritty murdering of drug dealers origins (though still infused with drugs) or being teenage runaways/dropouts or replacing romantic love with familial... really only in being a light/darkness controller pair. If not for the fact that I made a hero with ten power rings. I would’ve gone the Wonder Twin route here. With a weird shapeshifting into water animal forms combined superpower. I was gonna have Gestalting Twins one way or another. Maybe, I’ve seen too much Steven Universe too much. Who knows. Either way, these guys don’t gestalt…yet! Sure, mechanically Gestalt’s a bit of a discount compared to the standard Summon Minions. Especially since the component parts are heroic and could technically be built to the same PL as their combined form as long as each component does not have more than half of the total PP of Gestalt form. But 75PP is a pretty big limit on chars that have Insubstantial. So I’ve been worried about leaning too much into Psionic and Magical origins and descriptors. Which is probably the only reason that I didn’t go for a Light Bearer/Shadowalker combination. Especially as Beacon 1 can pass on his light bearer powers to multiple people so anyone that wants that Legacy could still have it. And he’d especially be likely to do so if someone was actively making multiple shadow touched. But, nope.

Move Action : Chase after Jack Standard Action: Power (-5 Atk/+5 Dmg) Attack Jack with Combined Staves (DC27): 1d20+8 20

Erick had not taken a single swig of vodka. Having faked his way through a couple glasses. He merely watched as Joseph did his thing. Aside from joining in with the cheers he kept quiet. His back positioned against a wall so as to keep an eye on any changing conditions. As soon as the last man drifted into slumber Erick went straight to business. "High tech energy weapons. Possibly equally advanced armor. Still, their constitution seems normal. Well normal for Russian soldiers with nothing but free time on their hands. I don't think they've personally been subjected to Darwin X. But, there's definitely something fishy going on here. Bears don't need this sort of firepower to take down." They knew the location of at least one security camera. There were guaranteed to be more. Still, an opportunity was provided. And Erick wasn't about to let it go to waste. But, they did have to move fast. And more importantly, he had to be ready to lie his butt off. "Alright, who looks my size? I think it's time for yet another wardrobe change. Since Dee's not here to Jedi mind trick them, we'll just have to go for old school cloak and dagger stuff again. And boy do I have a real reckless idea. You're going to love it, big guy."

Mess, I don't know why you are here. But, listen up. The other voice in your head. She says their brains seem odd. And seeing as she spends enough time in people's heads to act as a mental landline. I'd say it's probably good to give it a listen. The guy I'm here to catch is the psychic sort. So, maybe he's done something to them. While talking Foreshadow had drawn his staves. Twirling them in the typical figure eight formation attributed to Escrima. Except, every time Malcolm neared him he would strike. A small jab here, a poke there. The thrusts weren't hard enough to be painful. Which was already a difficult task as it were. But, to annoy. Until finally, Malcolm came at him swinging. Foreshadow bent back at a near 45 degree angle completely avoiding a haymaker of a blow then combined his staves together into a single long pole. The angered Battle-Brother would turn around and prepare to charge the acrobatic hero. It was exactly as Foreshadow planned. Thrusting out his combined staff without lunging he slammed it directly into Malcolm's collarbone. The large thug's own momentum coming to a complete halt and actually knocking him off his feet. At the same time, Foreshadow was sent int the opposite direction. Only stopping from falling off his feet by the butt of his staff slamming against the ground and supporting his weight.

GM Their assault continued until finally the room was cleared of bikers by the combined efforts of the heroes. Bodies were strewn about everywhere. Furniture was broken and upturned. In fact at some point a pool cue had found its way wedged into the wall itself. No doubt part of Errant's psionic display. "Alright, so that's the way you want to play it?" The leader called out, with his back turned from them. He was hunched over on the bar. His eye clearly beginning to swell. Hand reaching for his cell phone the leader simply left the phone on the table. "Bonjour," a thick Cajun accent called out from the mobile's speaker system. "It seems you have given my employees some trouble, non? I can't have that anymore." Soon an assortment of tones would sound in the room. Signifying that the phones were all getting a notification. Including their own. "Since you, all saw fit to greet my men so kindly. I've decided to give you my own personal greeting. Every person inside of the Bayview and Port Regal areas has just been given a very personal invitation. A chance to collect a million dollars...per head. A chance to catch the traitors aiding les poiscaille." Checking their phones to confirm the story would show the heroes four picture messages with their images. And a video, clearly edited, of them breaking into the Freedom City Water Supply and dumping a white powder inside. The editing job was impressive enough if a bit hastily done. And the obvious answer would be to head West. Away from Lonely Point. Away from where the Atlanteans were flooding in from. Away from Thaelia and the rest of the Atlantean Royal family. "Au Revoir." *CLICK*

Personally, I use the Encounter Danger Rank system developed by Elric and Jackelope King on Atomic Think Tank. It may not be for everyone, but I think the system's a great rule of thumb to consider. Step 1: How Dangerous?Encounters are rated by how dangerous they are, or how difficult it will be for the players to overcome them:TABLE 1: ENCOUNTER DANGER RANKDanger Rank: Description0: No Danger; there is almost no possible way that the PCs could suffer injury, much less defeat*: Minimal Danger; the PCs have almost no chance of being defeated**: Modest Danger; the PCs stand to suffer some injuries if they're not careful***: Significant Danger; the PCs are likely to win the fight, but it will require smart play to come out on top ****: Serious Danger; the PCs are going up against a real threat and could just as easily win as they could lose, and will need to play smart to win*****: Severe Danger; The PCs are going to be outmatched and without very clever gameplay and teamwork, they're more likely than not going to lose******: Overwhelming Danger; the PCs are very likely to lose the encounter, and only tremendous luck or playing at the top of their game can see them throughStep 2: Challenge RankNext, you need to figure out just how many NPCs to challenge your party with (and just how powerful to make them). Depending on how challenging you wish to make the encounter (see Step 1), you can have more or fewer NPCs of higher or lower power level. To determine this, you need to determine the total Challenge Rank for the encounter:Encounter Challenge Rank = Danger Rank x Number of Party MembersSo if a group of four PCs is going to face an encounter of Serious Danger (****), then the encounter will have a total Challenge Rank of 16.Step 3: How Many NPCs? How Strong?The total Challenge Rank of an encounter can be distributed in any way you like among the enemies the PCs will face. You can divide the Challenge Ranks to many NPCs, or only a few. Depending on how many ranks you assign each enemy, it will change what Power Level that NPC is.TABLE 2: NPC POWER LEVELNPC's Challenge Rank: NPC's Power LevelChallenge Rank 1: Party's PL -4 or lowerChallenge Rank 2: Party's PL -2 or -3Challenge Rank 3: Party's PL -1Challenge Rank 4: Party's PLChallenge Rank 5-6: Party's PL + 1Challenge Rank 7-9: Party's PL + 2Challenge Rank 10-13: Party's PL + 3Challenge Rank 14-19: Party's PL + 4Challenge Rank 20+: Party's PL + 5So long as the total Challenge Ranks of all of the enemies put together are equal to the Danger Rank x the number of PCs in the party, you'll still have an appropriate encounter for that Danger Rank. A Challenge Rank 16 encounter for a party of four PL 10 PCs could consist of four PL 10 enemies, or two PL 12 enemies, or one PL 14 enemy, or two PL 10 enemies and one PL 12 enemy, or eight PL 7-8 enemies [since the above table is using integer values, an enemy at party PL -2 or party PL-3 has Challenge Rank 2], or just about any other combination you can imagine.SimplifyingA helpful aid for this stage, especially if you're trying it for the first time, is to put a stack of poker chips or pennies in front of you for each enemy's Challenge rank. As you add or subtract enemies, or increase or decrease their power level, you can track it easily with the tokens. Minions are weaker than villains of the same PL and their challenge ranks reflect this. Using the above notation, minions would often be worth a fraction of a challenge rank; to avoid this, minions are listed as minions per challenge rank. The minions come out of the same challenge rank budget for the encounter. For example, if you want to include challenge rank 4 worth of minions of Party PL-3, use 3 minions per challenge rank * 4 challenge rank= 12 Party PL-3 minions. The power of minions can vary greatly with how spread out they are combined with the area attack/Takedown Attack capability of the party. Minions may not be as challenging to a particular group as these numbers suggest. This table is based on the idea that 4 minions= 1 villain of a given PL. Besides the formal minion rules, minions tend to be weaker in other ways; e.g., they generally don't have abilities like Mental Blast! Party PL-8= 16 minions for 1 challenge rank Party PL-7= 12 minions for 1 challenge rank Party PL-6= 8 minions for 1 challenge rank Party PL-5= 6 minions for 1 challenge Rank Party PL-4= 4 minions for 1 challenge rank Party PL-3= 3 minions for 1 challenge rank Party PL-2= 2 minions for 1 challenge rank Party PL-1 to Party PL= 1 minion for 1 challenge rank

Free Action: Draw Staves Free Action: Switch to Staves in the array Move Action: Let's take another 10 for another Acrobatic Trick on Malcolm. Which would be at -1 to perform from fatigue. As well as a +1 to resist for having been done before. The trick in question is to try and get Malcolm to Power Attack against an already hard to hit Foreshadow. He'll likely also redirect on a miss. Whether towards the prone Jack or something nearby like the ground who knows! Standard Action: Defensive (-2 Atk/+2Def) Power (-3Atk/+3Dmg) Attack DC (25) vs Jack: 1d20+8 28 which with the crit becomes DC30

Will take 10 on a Bluff for a total of 25!