[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... ]
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)
(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!
--------------------------------------------------
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?
--------------------------------------------------
Lightning Strike:
OOC:
OK, well I am controlled so I guess that saves me from
making everything late this time!
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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. :)
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
Menagerie:
OOC:
Got it, thanks
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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?
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
Slingshot:
OOC: Fair, I have metal in my mind. But stone will do just
fine.
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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?
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
