Vanguard Roll Call!

Vanguard Roll Call!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Vanguard: Issue 177: Shadow of the Bat!



[Previously, in Vanguard!... ]

Vanguard had undertaken a desperate quest to stop the end of the world.
Earth’s greatest heroes had less than seven days to secure nine artifacts of power, or else all would be lost.

They discovered, to their surprise, that the second artifact of power was in the possession of the Black Bat. Around him were eight vampiric viceroys of villainy.





The Lord of the Underworld said, “How it warms the cockles of my heart that you now see the wisdom of a truce between us, where we could be the power for order in this world. Imagine my delight that you are now willing to accept the hand I graciously extended in friendship so long ago (Issue 53 to be exact).
“Sadly, your enlightenment comes too late. I’ve already moved to protect my interests in the face of the coming crisis, by allying with a force more effective than your own. One that will give me a better chance at survival than would you. Kill them.”

At the last two words, his eight crime lords, in refined suits and ties, suddenly leapt up ferociously from the table and snarled their lips to show mouthfuls of slavering white fangs. They bared their claws and their eyes were red with malice and murderous intent!

(OOC: Combat begins!)

The Black Bat smiled approvingly at his minions and calmly stepped backward toward the painting behind him. The shadows of the darkened conference room themselves seemed to draw around him like the folded wings of a bat. (OOC: The Bat evades. Evasion lasts one turn, or two ‘issues.’)

Avatar manifested the powers of Apollo, the god of the sun! His eyes lost their pupils and he was otherworldly and softly glowed with an inner light. (fyi, to activate Light Defense takes an action, as per the rules)

The revenant racketeers recoiled momentarily, hissing and growling in the face of this supernatural transformation, but their master was unfazed.

Lightning Strike and Symbiote were both surprised that a fight broke out! (OOC: Neither of their players gave orders for a combat possibility. Both characters save their actions. Both have two actions next turn!)

The eight cadaverous crimelords charged Vanguard in a bloodthirsty howl of fangs and fury!

The bestial vampire that ran the Chicago Outfit slammed into Avatar with the strength of ten men! SLAM! (12 points of damage! The myrmidon of mythology rolls with 7 and takes 5 from hits!)

The feral fiend that ruled the American Yazuka lunged at Lightning Strike to rend him apart with his bare hands! “Rraaugh!”  (14 points of damage! The electric avenger rolls with 8 and takes 6 from hits!)

The parasitic demon that Strike couldn’t recognize hurled over Vanguard’s line and grappled with Clone! CRASH!  (11 points of damage! The crusading collective rolls with 6 and takes 5 from hits!)

The unnatural monster who commanded the Russian Mob leapt upon the table and pitched himself at Menagerie! SLAM! (11 points of damage! The druidic defender rolls with 6 and takes 5 from hits!)

The depraved devil that controlled the Frisco Triad plunged across the table at Sentinel with inhuman strength! SMASH! (13 points of damage! The golden age guardian takes it all off his energy shields!)

The sadistic abomination that reigned over the New York Mafia flew over Slingshot at his son, Slate! WHAM! (12 points of damage! The sentinel of cyberspace rolls with 7 and takes 5 from hits!)

The bloodsucking demon that owned the Mexican Cartel pounced at Slingshot! “AAAAAH!” (14 points of damage! The malleable man of might takes 8 from Invulnerability and rolls with 6!)

The hateful horror that directed the L.A. Syndicate charged Symbiote! BASH! (14 points of damage! The scientific superhero rolls with 8 and takes 6 off hits!)

(OOC: Yow! 8 for 8!)

Sentinel yelled to Avatar over the carnal cacophony with conviction and confidence in him, “Raze him to a heap of burning ash!” (OOC: Sentinel holds his action. He has two actions next issue!)

Menagerie, trying to ignore the wild hellion upon him, cast the magic spell, Essence of Life, at the Black Bat in an attempt to drain him of life energy! VOM! The shamanic spellcaster missed the evading vampire!
(No power cost)

Slingshot, looking around the savage brute that assailed him, stretched a long arm at the picture
frame! BAM! He knocked it off its nail, revealing a wall safe. The pliable powerhouse formed his flexible fingers around the safe and ripped it out of the wall! REND! Before he got it free, Slingshot felt a jolt of electricity run up his arm! The safe was booby trapped! ZOT! Slingshot remains conscious and has the 2’ x 2’ iron safe in his hand!
(OOC: But can’t move now because he used movement to stretch to reach the safe.)

The Black Bat smiled approvingly at Slingshot, as a teacher might toward an especially bright pupil.

The Clone formed four more duplicates of himself and prepared for an attack from either direction!
(OOC: This is his action. Attempting to push Vanguard and the vampires into the conference table, toward Black Bat, will require an action. It can occur next issue, if you like).
The space was too tight and a Clone overflowed through the French doors (crash!) into the adjoining room which was dark and empty! A Clone could see a room beyond that, and doors to a balcony beyond that.

Slate was pinned in tight between Vanguard, the new Clones and the ravenous vampire that was trying to kill him! He blasted the undead creature with his digitalization ray! ZARK! The white, static-like beam struck the vampire and visibly damaged him, but the fiend kept fighting!

Quarters were tight, noisy, and dimly lit.

Black Bat said quietly, nearly inaudibly over the thrashing and howling of his murderous, vampiric servants, “How little you’ve grown since we last met. How I’ve overestimated you. Thank the devil my safety is not in your keeping.”

[And now... ]


Slingshot spoke urgently, "Sentinel!” Then he signaled non-verbally to "confirm acquisition".

Sentinel signaled back that his senses indicated it.

Slingshot received Sentinel's acknowledgement. He wasn't worried himself about these vampires, but he was worried about leaving his fellow Vanguardians to these fiends. There was no easy decision. He turned to Sentinel and signaled whether he should go.

Sentinel signaled from within his protective shields, “I think we should all go. We have what we came for. We were all prepared to leave without conflict. Why let the Bat control this situation? Perhaps there is an ambush awaiting you if you leave alone. I say we all go.”

Menagerie signed, "Agree!”

Slingshot shouted, "Vanguard!” Then he signaled to his teammates, “Time to move out! Avatar, flash bang please.”

Avatar had never trained in Vanguard non-verbal signal code, but (with a successful Int save) understood Slingshot’s meaning well enough. He readied to blind the vampire horde with purifying light when…

The Black Bat smiled and said, “Join with me Vanguard. It is Earth’s only hope.” Then he extended his overwhelming will. His voice could be heard above the fray and his powerfully hypnotic presence washed over the minds of Vanguard, just like the last time he faced them!

Avatar resisted the otherworldly influence with his Nobility of Spirit’s resistance to domination!

Clone’s fractured psyche both protected and exposed him! The three duplicates that were facing the Bat were now under his power! The other two were not!

Lightning Strike could not resist the Bat’s mental command!

Menagerie’s willpower allowed him to resist the Bat!  (costs one Power Point)

Sentinel’s telepathic defenses protected him from the Bat’s malevolent power! (costs one Power Point)

Slate’s hybrid physiology (Android Body defense and his Heightened Sense of Comprehension) defended him!

Slingshot could not resist the Bat’s will!

Symbiote could not resist!

The Bat’s vampire minions seemed to know instinctively who had heeded their master’s call.

The Bat said, “There. That’s better. You will thank me for this, I assure you. Now, bring down these upstarts who would threaten the world’s survival!”

Avatar did not obey. The immortal manifestation of mythology suddenly brightened like a star, against the forces of darkness! A flash of blinding sunlight pulsed outward, momentarily illuminating the dim room causing all its shadows to jump and grow with lives of their own!

The vampire lord of the Chicago Outfit, who had been grappling Avatar, was blinded and burned! He was still conscious as he burst into flames, screaming! “AAAAAAAAHHH!” He staggered back and into the wall, setting it alight with hungry orange flames! Thick black smoke roiled forth, covering the ceiling!

The undead master of the American Yazuka, who had been battling Lightning Strike, wasn’t blinded but was burned badly by the sunlight! He did not burst into flames. He growled and bared his fangs at Avatar like a cornered animal and then pounced at him! “RAAUGH!!!” The evil beast slashed with his claws and just missed the demigod of destiny!

The craven creature that ruled the Russian Mob, who had been trying to murder Menagerie, wasn’t blinded, by the attack, and only slightly burned! He attacked menagerie again with his inhuman strength! KRAK! (10 points of damage. Menagerie rolls with 5 and takes 5 from hits!)

The Black Bat was neither blinded nor burned, protected by the bodies and shadows of the vampires that stood between him and Avatar (as well as his Evasion).

The unnatural fiend that Strike hadn’t recognized, who attacked Clone from behind Avatar, combusted in flames without a sound! He could still see apparently, and fell to the ground, trying to extinguish his flames. He succeeded only in setting the carpet afire. More flames and smoke engulfed the room!

The remaining vampires weren’t blinded or burned, being shielded from the supernatural sunlight by the bodies and shadows that filled the tightly packed room:

The feral monster that controlled the Frisco Triad attacked Sentinel again with unmatched savagery! SKRASH! (12 points of damage! All off shields!)

The heinous hellion who commanded the Mexican Cartel instinctive ceased his attacks on Slingshot and joined the frenzied attacks on Sentinel!

The insidious devil that ran the L.A. Syndicate, abated his assault on Symbiote, and reached out to attack Sentinel, but could not reach him through the crush of bodies!

The soulless monstrosity that led the New York Mafia attacked Slate again and narrowly missed him!

The Clone that was closest to Avatar, and not under the Black Bat’s dark power, was blinded by Avatar’s flash of light!
No one else in Vanguard was blinded.

Sentinel was surprised that Bat now had possession of Slingshot who possessed the artifact!
(OOC: All your orders assumed that Slingshot had the artifact and involved a hasty departure. That won’t work now. Your other possible action was to read Bat’s mind to find out why he was so overconfident, but Kirk sees why now. So I’m going to have Sentinel save his action again! You’ve got three actions next issue! Fyi, the first two will pre-empt everyone else unless your order states you’re waiting for someone to act before you act)

Menagerie was also stunned by this unexpected turn of events!
(OOC: Like Sentinel, your orders required Slingshot to leave with the artifact. So I’m going to have Menagerie save his action! You’ve got two actions next issue! Fyi, the first one will pre-empt everyone else unless your order states you’re waiting for someone to act before you act)

The one Clone who was not mind-controlled or blind ran south through the adjoining room, and up the corridor in an attempt to flank the Bat! Halfway up the hallway, he snapped his wooden staff in two, creating two jagged ends. (His folklore skill tells him he needs sharp wooden stakes. And I’ll rule the unstable molecules were introduced to an existing wooden quarterstaff. Alex is so rustic, it fits.)

Armed with two wooden stakes, Clone leapt from the flames and smoke of the burning Chicago vampire and caught the Bat unaware! (fyi,  Evasion only works when aware of an attack)

THUNK! Clone plunged one stake into the Black Bat’s chest!
The Bat was wounded and surprised. He glared at Clone and his calm beauty disappeared for a moment, revealing a terrifying visage of inhuman malice!

Slate's eyes began to sparkle with digital energy as he said, "I think we should ignore the rest and take out the Bat... If everyone hits him with all we've got, we could end him... Now!" Slate blasted his digitization ray at the Bat, ignoring the slavering beast before him!
Bat was distracted by Clone’s attack (so again his Evasion doesn’t count).
Slate’s eyebeams struck the Bat and hurt him! ZARK!

The Bat’s visage of evil glared once more and then the illusion of his glamour and serenity was restored. “Kill them, I said,” he intoned calmly, the wooden stake still piercing his chest.


The Vanguardians who were under his control were slow and weak because their subconscious minds were frantically struggling to overcome the Bat’s dread influence!

Lightning Strike (used his saved action and) blasted Clone in the back! SHAKOW! (8 points of damage to the back. All off hits.)

The Clone that had stabbed Bat with a wooden stake fell before his feet!

Lightning Strike then blasted white hot electricity into Avatar at point blank range! SHAKOW! (7 points of damage! Avatar rolls with 6, and takes 1 hit point of damage.)

Symbiote (used his saved action and) touched Slingshot’s shoulder, sampling his DNA via the Harper Harness. The newly pliable pawn of Black Bat stretched taller to see over Slingshot, and then sent a big fist at Sentinel! WHAM! (7 points of damage! All off shields!)

The first Clone that Bat controls ignored his blind brother and attacked Sentinel’s back with his battle staff! KRAK! (6 points of damage! Shields failed their roll and the staff hit the unaware heir of heroism for 6 hit points damage!)

The other two Clones that Bat controls attacked Slate from behind with their staves! KRAK! CHOK! One hit the scion of cyberspace! (6 points of damage, all to hits!)

Slingshot flowed his elastic hand around the safe (and the artifact within it) to secure his grip. Then he turned, and raised the iron safe over his head and crashed it down to bludgeon his son to death! KRASH!!! Slingshot missed and blasted a hole in the floor between him and Slate!

Smoke and fire from the vampire conflagrations were quickly filling the crammed room and Vanguard still didn’t have the artifact!

To be continued!

OOC:
Between turns, the one Clone who isn’t mind-controlled doesn’t recover from his blindness.

All mind controlled characters, please give orders for actions in case next issue you have the chance to make a saving throw and you make it.

Fyi, any player that wishes to snap someone out of Bat’s mind control, it takes an action to attempt this, as per the rules.

Please see map below.
X =an unconscious character
F= a character who is on fire
B = a character who is temporarily blinded

Thanks everyone.



Current Conditions:

Avatar: Hit Points: 37, Power Points: 55, Manifestation: Apollo

Clone: Bodies: 4, Hit Points: 4, Power Points: 53, Hit Point Pool: 14, Three mind-controlled, one blind!

Lightning Strike: Hit Points: 42, Power Points: 67, Mind-controlled!

Menagerie: Hit Points: 11, Power Points: 53, Form: Man, Saved Action!

Sentinel: Hit Points: 23, Power Points: 59, Creation Point Pool: 118, Shields: 68, Two Saved Actions!

Slate: Hit Points: 24, Power Points: 64

Slingshot: Hit Points: 45, Power Points: 81, Invulnerability: 0 until Issue 178, Mind-controlled!

Symbiote: Hit Points: 32, Power Points: 75, Charges: 13, Copied: Slingshot, Mind-controlled!


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Slingshot:
Damnit! I gotta do something about my weak will..

Slate needs to tell daddy to stop.

Or do I get an inbetween turn escape attempt because I'm trying to pulverize my own son?

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Lightning Strike:
OOC:
OK, well I am controlled so I guess that saves me from making everything late this time!

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GM:
OOC:
Hi,
Stephane:
As per the rules, saving throws can be made whenever the victim is ordered to do something he would be opposed to, like attacking his friends or family.
Saving throw is percentile vs. Intelligence.
None of the three and a half Vanguardians who are mind controlled made their save last issue when ordered to attack Vanguard. 

Tony:
Please still submit orders in case a player tries to snap you out of it, or the Bat gives you more orders against your liking.
If he ordered you to attack Sentinel, I wonder if that would permit a saving throw.  ;-)

Best
Jeff

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Slingshot:
OOC:
Jeff,

Thanks for the clarification. I don't have the rulebook handy and my memory might be mixing other game systems. I'm getting to that uncertain age. :)

I'll send my turn in assuming that I break the control and if I don't, you can use and abuse me all you want. :)

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Menagerie:
OOC: I want to confirm that Bat's taking control of several of Vanguard count as an action so his Evading ended last turn. Correct?

Thanks
Tom

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GM:
OOC:
Hi Thomas:
Evasions last one game turn ( two actions on average ).

Every combat issue of Vanguard covers HALF of one game turn ( one action ).

In Issue 176, Bat used his action to Evade, the effects of which last one turn, or two issues ( issues 176 and 177).
In Issue 177, Bat used his action on his radius attack Mind Control power.

Fyi, Black Bat's Evasion will be active in Issue 178 until his action phase, as per the rules.
I hope that's clear.


Stephane: Thanks!
I keep a PDF of the V&V rules on my desktop and it's pretty handy.
Edition 2.1 from Monkey House Games is the rule system of second edition V&V, can be downloaded cheap, is full of new Jeff Dee art, and supports this great rpg's creators.
[ / commercial message ]

Best
Jeff

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Menagerie:
OOC:
Got it, thanks

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Sentinel:
OOC:
Finally got to read the issue this morning.

I do want to post IC but will be out all day tomorrow, so hopefully I figure out the time to do it and give you some dialogue too.

I'm assuming I can try my shield mirror attempt and it seems that things are dire enough to do it now.  I'm thinking my move is to try to rally the troops and use the shield mirror to amplifying Avatar's attacks and whatever else I can do to protect him so he can press his attack.  And focus the team on Slate's idea to all focus on the Bat.  Take out the head.  With more artifacts to go and half the team under his control, this artifact just became secondary.

The retreat was to prevent exactly this from happening... just didn't get why this wasn't the Bat's opening move.

Three items:
(1) On the shield mirror, will I know that I pulled it off when I do it or will I not know until after Avatar makes his attack?  Should I issue orders if I'm successful and if I'm not in the attempt?
(2) Any chance Kirk got a read on the shape of the artifact with the additional time and movement.
(3) You didn't mention anything about anything adverse on the Bat and at this point since there is no link any longer he just tried to access Clone's shattered psyche five times.  I was hoping for a break and if he did try this mind control trick it would backfire and cause him some damage... was he good enough to not get messed up in five attempts or does someone his mind powers not get backlash and its a rule thing that I don't know about?

By the way, way to pour on the pain. Even if we succeed and beat the Bat we are going to be in sad shape for the other retrievals with no time to heal.... things not looking great.

Will try to post IC my actions shortly.

Thanks.

Seth

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GM:
OOC
Hi Seth,
When you say you are using one of your three actions to rally the troops, create the mirror shield, protect Avatar, find the shape of the artifact, and lead an attack on the Bat, please let me know which three you'd like to do and in what order/ priority. Thanks. :-)

Re: "why wasn't this Bat's opening move":
This was his exact tactic the last time you met him: Evade, then mind control.

1. You'll know if you succeed or fail in your attempt to make the mirror construct. It's an action to do so.
If your failure would lead you to other actions, I'll need a clear if/then. It can be short and OOC if you like.

2. No. It's moving rapidly now. It'll take an action to focus on it.

3. That refers to mind reading attempts. Not mind control. They are different things. For example, Sentinel can read minds but not control them. :-)

Re: "pour on the pain"
The Bat's power level and cunning shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I agree that the swift retreat was designed to avoid damage to the team, when there's much left for them to do. :-)

Best
Jeff

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Slingshot:
OOC:
My move - Assuming I snap out of it. [Otherwise, my move will be "Nhuuuuuuuh" while I attempt to demolish my son.]

IC:
Scott's sluggishness stilled further until he slowly stopped moving. He fiought the impulse to hit his son with all his will. A yell of anguish came out of him as he pulled himself out of the torpor and into his own. He knew  he didn't have any wood or anything to really do any permanent damage to Black Bat, but I could certainly make sure he kept him busy.

Scott will continue to ignore the vamps around him for a few more rounds While his temptation is to use the vault as a bludgeoning weapon against Blackbat, he won't.  Keeping that thing away from the Criminal overlord is of primordial importance. While he has the vault in one hand he'll use the table and ram Black bat with it with all his might, making use of the table as a bludgeoning weapon.
Scott says to Ethan, "Son, you are right. We won't be able to leave until we do something about him. Let me know if these gnats bother you."

OOC Question: How strong/solid is the table? Do I think I can wrap it around someone?

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GM:
OOC
Hi Stephane

The table is made of stone, in keeping with the Bat's non-wood room decor. It's big and heavy, but no problem for Slingy to wield.

Best
Jeff

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Slingshot:
OOC: Fair, I have metal in my mind. But stone will do just fine.

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Slate:
IC: Seeing his father turn on him, Slate remembers the last time Vanguard faced the Bat, and how he took control of half of the team.  Looking around it appears the same thing has happened again.  Slate will move around the edge of the room, trying to keep his father between him and the slavering monsters.  "Dad, you don't want to do this.... fight him Dad!" Louder, he yells, "We have to take out the Bat, we can't fight them all!"  He then fires another bolt of digital energy, hoping others will join him.

OOC: Slate is trying to think of anything else that might help... seems like I remember something about running water,  would setting of the fire extinguishers bother the Vampires, or give his team mates an extra save?  If he thinks that will help, I'm OK with him disintegrating the heads off the fire suppressant system in the room instead of a direct attack.  So target of the bolt is either the suppressant system if he thinks it'll help, or the Bat if he doesn't.

Jon

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Sentinel:
Kirk realized with half the team possessed and with many artifacts still to be gathered, the priority was no longer this artifact but rather Vanguard itself.

(Hopefully Kirk will be channeling Steve Rogers as he takes this round of actions.)

(To Black Bat)
“Big mistake, Bat.  Big mistake.  You should have listened.  You should have gone.”

(To Vanguard)
“Vanguard, we end this today.  Slate’s right.  Ignore the chattell. Take out the Bat.”

Actions:
With shields at 68% and taking multiple blows per round they need to be reinforced, particularly to keep them going once he forms the mirrors.  So I’ll leave the timing to you, but figure reinforcing the shields to 100% and forming them outward into the mirrored creation to reflect and amplify Avatar’s attacks together.  Perhaps this could count as one action.  Not sure.

Sentinel advances towards Avatar’s position to provide him extra cover if possible.  Don’t know if it will help him any but at this point it seems that they should be back to back or side by side as the onslaught continues and basically Kirk’s attack becomes a part of his attack.  I’m not sure how you will work things but since we’ve seen his attack trash multiple targets hopefully this will also continue to keep the vampires off the team.  If Kirk can amplify or assist to target the Bat (who was missed in Avatar’s last attack), that would be primary.
If he has time and can form some inner protective goggles against the light portion of Avatar’s onslaught then do so. (movement)

(To Strike-Symbiote when appropriate) – Free talk
“Remember who you are and shake off the Bat’s control.  Remember what he’s done to you.”
If he has some movement to spare, he’d try to project an image of Hank Archer in his incarceration garb in front of them at that moment.
I know it takes and action to give them an extra attempt to break control, but perhaps as GM you’ll award the role playing-creativity and of the move and it will give them some bonuses in their attempt.  And it’s a Kirk move even if it doesn’t actually affect gameplay.
I figure Kirk can’t possibly come up with more than Slate to help  break Slingshot free of the Bat.

Actual actions would be used on the mirror formation and amplifying Avatar’s attacks.  I believe you said it would work that way.  If I have to say anything to Avatar so coordinate this, then Kirk will do so.  I’d think this should be a surprise attack if it is a successful creation which should help things since Kirk has never done anything like this before and they would have no reason to expect it.

If once created the mirrors will work without taking Kirk an action then likely the next thing Kirk would do would be to try to read the Bat’s thoughts to hopefully get a read on his ‘ally’ and plans.

Although I do believe that the artifact is something that we can use against the Bat, at this point I can’t spare the action and it would be last on my list.

And if Kirk cannot do the mirror shield trick then he’d wait for his best opportunity to make an attack and take it.

If anything is unclear or you want me to give more direct if-then to circumstance let me know.

Best,
Seth

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Avatar:
OOC: Jeff, the rule book SEEMS to indicate that Light Control allows a "laser" attack as well as a blinding attack simultaneously on a single target with a PR cost of one for the "laser" and one for the blinding attack.  Is this your interpretation?

Does generation of light with Light Control seem to hurt them or only a higher-intensity use of the power?

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GM:
OOC Replies to Jon, Seth and Harold:

Hi Jon,
Slate has no skills in Occult or Folklore, but he has Heightened Sense of Comprehension. He makes a saving throw and recalls reading somewhere of a myth that states vampires cannot cross running water under their own power.
This is to say, they cannot swim or wade across a stream, river or brook.  But they could cross running water under another's power. For example, in Bram Stoker's "Dracula," the most famous vampire in the world sailed to England in a ship.


Hi Seth,
Sentinel has two saved action, plus an action for this turn, for a total of three actions.
-Your first action is to reform his shields.
-Your second is to attempt to form the mirrors and use them to hurt the vampires. This will take an action because any intent to harm another character, or their immediate possessions, is an action/attack. (If this attempt fails, you intend to use this action instead to attack the Bat with your energy blast)
-Your third action is to read the surface thoughts of the Black Bat. You haven't the power to sift through his mind looking for certain information. If you succeed, you will just get his surface thoughts, as usual.

Are these your three actions?

fyi, Trying to get someone to "snap out of" mind control takes an action and gives the affected character an additional saving throw. Your Hank Archer idea is a good one and won't give an extra saving throw but will add to their chance of success on their next saving throw.
(Does Sentinel know of Symbiote's relationship to Archer, or just Strike's? Just wondering. If he doesn't, he can still make the image for Strike's benefit, unaware that it may inspire Hal as well)


Hi Harold,
Nope. The rules say you can emit an intense beam (laser/ photon/ whatever) which targets one target, or a blinding flash which is a radius attack.

The second to last sentence of the second paragraph under Light Control says you could opt to use the beam attack to blind people (the same way any attack can be used in a blinding attempt) with a special attack. Now, if they both (laser beam and blinding flash) happened simultaneously normally, that sentence wouldn't have been included.

However, if you wanted to attempt a multiple attack (one beam and one blind) you could do that as per the rules for multiple attacks.

Avatar doesn't know if the generation of light will hurt vampires. He has only tried the blinding flash.

Thanks.

Best,
Jeff

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Slate:
OOC: Slate will dissolve the sprinkler heads.  Hopefully the cold water will "snap" somebody out of their trance,  impact the vampires in some way.

Hopefully this won't conflict with the mirror trick, but I figure he'd be unaware of that at this point.

Jon

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Menagerie:
OOC: 1st Action (Held from previous turn)

IC: Frustrated with his failure to act and help his team, Menagerie accidently allowed his emotions to influence his transformation. He turned into a Honey Badger. Quickly he ran between the legs of his teammates to the large table. Using the table and smoke as cover he moved toward the Bat. "It was time to take a bit out of the undead."

OOC: 2nd Action

IC; Menagerie spotted his opening attacking Bat from a direction the Bat wasn't looking.  Menagerie raked the Bat's legs with his claws (not a special attack). "Lets see how much you care with all of Vanguard coming down on you because it is obvious, I don't".

Happy July 4th to all of Vanguard
(Whether you live where it is a holiday or not)

Tom

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Sentinel:
< (If this attempt fails, you intend to use this action instead to attack the Bat with your energy blast)>

If trying the blast Kirk would wait for an opportune moment.

< You haven't the power to sift through his mind looking for certain information. If you succeed, you will just get his surface thoughts, as usual.>

If the shields are up and running and Avatar gets another attack then continuing to amplify his attack would likely be the action assuming the Bat is still up, especially it is appears that the rest of Vanguard is still under his control or other vampires are damaging the team.  If it appears the Bat is on his last leg and the rest of the team is up to taking him out then we'd go for the intel.
I know he only gets surface thoughts but he can easily get the Bat to think about what he wants to know by leading quips.  "Perhaps you have more confidence in your allies than they have need of you" or "Seems like your allies have left you in the lurch.  We'll thwart their plans just like yours" or "We'll know soon enough what artifact you possess".  You'd think those sorts of things would invariably lead to even quick thoughts about his allies, their plan, and his artifact.  Pick and choose those lines or something equally fitting as the situation warrants if we get there.  If we are winning questioning would be more about their allies and plans than the artifact which hopefully we'll possess.

< Your Hank Archer idea is a good one and won't give an extra saving throw but will add to their chance of success on their next saving throw.>

 Thank you.  I didn't hope for anything more than some 'pluses' in their attempt since it wasn't an action being spent.

<(Does Sentinel know of Symbiote's relationship to Archer, or just Strike's? Just wondering. If he doesn't, he can still make the image for Strike's benefit, unaware that it may inspire Hal as well)>

 Yes, I've certainly played that he does.  Given the close friendship with Hal (not to mention Shelly) and the fact that most of the IC visits to Archer had Kirk involved (I think all other than the last one where Symbiote went to converse with the Speedster prisoner) and I believe IC he was present when Hal revealed his identity to Archer to convince him to turn himself in.

If our side actually pulls off all the intended actions, this is going to be one brutal issue.  Hope it happens as if it doesn't I've no clue how Vanguard will get through the other artifacts more depleted than we are... but I figure OOC that if we lose this battle we all wake up as prisoners at the summoning with a last chance save.  Unless of course you do intend to destroy the earth... (cut to the nefarious laugh of the Evil Nasty Doctor Jeff).

Hope everyone enjoys the day today!

Seth

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Lightning Strike:
Assuming I get released by either a saving throw or another character, I will blast the nearest vampire and get the hell out of there so I don’t do any more damage.  Need to figure out a way to be less resistant to mind control (especially since I don’t trust Vanguard to not use enhanced means to take control of situations.)  Of course nobody in Vanguard would ever be so self absorbed and self righteous to try and do that.

Take care,
Tony

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Sentinel:
OOC:
Hey Jeff,
Great idea!  Can we work out a cheap cost advancement for Kirk for mind control that works solely on Lightning Strike? :)
I'm thinking maybe you'd throw that one in as a freebie. 

Perhaps Kirk's learned ability to ignore Strike's ongoing onslaught of caustic remarks and accusations subconsciously morphs into a form of mind control... turning Strike into a nice guy!  Hey, since Clone is gone towards the edge, there needs to be balance so Strike goes the other way... now Strike can provide the comic relief.  We can have a big Silver Age cover of Strike rescuing a cat from a tree with Kirk nodding in approval in the background.  The possibilities abound...

Seth

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Clone:
Clone ( i.e. the one that is blinded ) instinctively dropped his staff and reached to cover his eyes with both of his hands as he hunched over and cried out in pain, "AAaahhhgg! My eyes!"

( OOC: That's my only non-Mind controlled character I have at the moment, so the rest will be OOC stuff detailed below )


OOC:
. . . as for the Clones that are Mind Controlled, should only one of them regain control over their own actions he will attempt to absorb one; or both if possible, of the Mind Controlled Clones - I'm assuming that the Mind Control wouldn't transfer over with the absorption . . . guess we'll find out.

Talk to you all soon,

-Kev

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Symbiote:
OOC: My apologies again, for a late reply.

And there's not much to it.  If I can get free of the Bat's inhuman control, I will attempt to completely engulf him and roll him down into the hole in the floor.  Squeezing him for damage too, if possible.

I figure I'll take all sorts of punishing damage if so, but if we can get him out of the room for a few minutes maybe everybody else can rally and get the safe out of the room and back to the Vault.

Viva Vanguard,

Greg

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