{Mutants & Masterminds} United Heroes Limited Series

[MnM_UH]

Issue #5 - "Heat" (Continued)

Scene 1: "Battle at Hadley Manor" - Combat Round Six

- Front -

Cyber-Knight and the Duchess loomed overhead, and were closing in on Electrostatic, at least from his perspective. The hero spun and got to his feet, mad with rage over the Duchess' attack on Harpy, and let loose with a massive lightning bolt that dropped the vampire to one knee.

"You... are... toast!" Electrostatic declared as he expelled the bolt, and then sunk in fatigue after letting loose with the lightning. The attack sapped his energy, and took its toll. Electrostatic could only hope it was enough.

The Duchess, seared by the electricity coursing across her body, reeled and cried out in response to the assault.

(Electrostatic spends a Hero Point to remove his Stunned condition, and then a Free Action to activate his Energy Field. He changes his Dodge bonus to +1 DEF vs. all foes. Taking a 5' step away from Cyber-Knight, Electrostatic uses Extra Effort to increase his Energy Blast to +12, and fires the blast at the Duchess (DEF 18), hitting her with 22. The Duchess gets a Damage save (DC 20), but fails with 11. The villainess is Stunned and takes a Stun Hit. Electrostatic is now Fatigued.)

"Again thou turnest thy back," Cyber-Knight said as he moved in against the electric hero. "Not the wisest move, to be sure." The villain swung his blade at Electrostatic, but the hero detected the attack, and was barely able to get out of the way.

(Cyber-Knight takes a 5' step to close to melee with Electrostatic (DEF 30) and attacks, missing with 18.)

Best to play dead I think, Harpy realized. I only hope my allies can stop them. She stayed absolutely still, and this seemed to make the villains believe she was knocked out cold.

(Harpy, who is Disabled, uses Bluff to convince her foes that she's unconscious. Her Bluff check is 32. Cyber-Knight gets a Sense Motive of 20, while the Duchess gets a Sense Motive of 24. Both villains are convinced. Electrostatic and MorningStar also must attempt Sense Motive checks. Electrostatic gets 13, while MorningStar gets 20. Both heroes are also convinced that Harpy is out cold.)

Swooping over the field of battle, MorningStar was shocked to see Harpy drop like a bad habit following the Duchess' vicious attack. "You'll pay for that," she warned, and let loose with a barrage of fire that covered Cyber-Knight and the Duchess.

Neither villain was paying attention to the flying heroine, and were caught in the middle of the flames. Cyber-Knight had been able to shrug off MorningStar's fire blasts, but was not so lucky this time. He was engulfed in fire, and succumbed to the heat. The Duchess, vulnerable to heat and fire, was also caught and covered in flames. She was able to escape some of the attack and was better off than her ally.

(MorningStar flies 15' as a Half Action. She uses her area Energy Blast on a square (DEF 10) between Cyber-Knight and the Duchess, and hits the square with 27. Both villains get Reflex saves (DC 18): Cyber-Knight gets 14, and the Duchess gets 13. Both villains now must attempt Damage saves (DC 16 for Cyber-Knight, 23 for the Duchess): Cyber-Knight gets 10, so he is Stunned and takes a Lethal Hit. The Duchess gets 18, so she takes a Lethal Hit.)

The vampire queen crawled away from Electrostatic, her body still covered with electrical and fire burns. Duchess, a voice in her head began, The mission is complete. You may leave the estate at your leisure.

With Trickster's signal that the mission was over, the Duchess smiled and turned from her normal form to a gray mist in a vaguely humanoid form. And not a moment too soon, Trickster, she thought. I have had enough of this fire witch.

(The Duchess recovers from her Stunned condition. She turns Incorporeal as a Free Action.)

(Because Cyber-Knight has moved out of their firing arcs, the Pulse Cannons cannot target him.)

(This ends Combat Round 6.)

*************************************************

- Rear -

"Laugh at me, will you?" Iron Dragon called out to Bombardier. He focused himself, and then leapt at the villain feet first, his feet enveloped in green energy. Iron Dragon kicked and struck Bombardier across the helmet, sending the villain staggering back, clearly injured from the blow.

(Iron Dragon uses Power Attack for a +5 bonus to Damage and a -5 penalty to Attack. He makes a Concentration check (DC 20) to activate his Strike, and succeeds with 20. He charges 15' to Bombardier (DEF 18), hitting with 19. Bombardier gets a Damage save (DC 26), and fails with 17. Bombardier is Stunned and takes a Stun Hit.)

"You can't get away, Pathfinder," Surge proclaimed, and moved forward.

"Who says I'm trying to get away?" Pathfinder replied. "You just smell bad."

"Humor is not your strong suit," Surge countered, and literally exploded in electrical energy, showing the surrounding 40' with lightning bolts. Seraphim managed to evade the blast, but Pathfinder was not so lucky. He felt a lightning bolt blast him squarely in the chest, and only his magical breastplate kept him from certain death.

(Surge takes a 5' step, and then sets off his Multi-Lightning, clipping Pathfinder with a lightning bolt. Pathfinder gets a Reflex save (DC 18) for half damage, but fails with 9. The hero gets a Damage save (DC 17) and fails with 10. Pathfinder is Stunned and takes a Lethal Hit.)

Bombardier stood, but was clearly shaken from Iron Dragon's attack. "I enjoy making you mad, Dragon," he said. "You seem to take everything so seriously."

(Bombardier recovers from his Stunned condition.)

What is happening on the other side of the estate? Seraphim wondered as he soared above Surge and readied for another pass. The angel swooped down and took a swipe at Surge, this time striking the electrical villain on the right side of his upper chest.

Surge spun and fell to the ground, shocked that he was actually hit. "Ow! That thing's sharp!"

(Seraphim spends a Free Action for Leadership. He charges 15' at Surge (DEF 25) and hits with 26. Surge gets a Damage save (DC 25), but fails with 16. Surge spends a Villain Point for a re-roll, and this time gets 19. He is Stunned and takes a Stun Hit. Surge is not affected by the Trigger condition of Seraphim's sword because he is not really trying to lie or deceive anyone at the moment. Because Seraphim's Force Field +10 is greater than Surge's Energy Field +5, he ignores the effect.)

Pathfinder got up and picked up his SuperX Crossbow, but could not yet see well enough to take a shot at Surge.

(Pathfinder recovers from being Stunned.)

The mission is complete, Mana, Trickster told the sorceress via telepathy. You should leave before anyone is injured or captured. I do not look forward to doing this again.

Mana smiled. Iron Dragon might be a problem, she considered. I'd better do something about him. Otherwise, Bombardier might not be able to get away.

The sorceress chanted magic words, and a purple ray shot from her left hand, targeting Iron Dragon's back. The hero spotted the attack, however, and was able to dodge the ray.

(Mana makes another Paralysis attempt on Iron Dragon (DEF 21), but misses with 20. She teleports 25' away as a Half Action, and re-activates her Force Field as a Free Action.)

A pulse cannon turned at fired at Mana, but missed her completely. Another defensive weapon fired at Bombardier, but also missed.

(One Pulse Cannon fires at Bombardier (DEF 18), but misses with 16. Another Pulse Cannon fires at Mana (DEF 18), but misses with 15.)

(This ends Combat Round 6.)
*************************************************

Watch for Round 7, Coming Soon!

 

[MnM_UH]

Issue #5 - "Heat" (Continued)

Scene 1: "Battle at Hadley Manor" - Combat Round Seven

- Front -

"What --?" Electrostatic said in response to the Duchess' sudden transformation into mist. Charging forward, the hero blasted away at the Duchess, but his lightning bolt just went right through and made a nice dent in the wall behind her.

"I am finished with you," the Duchess stated. "I'm certain we will meet again."

(Electrostatic spends a Hero Point to remove his Fatigued condition. He moves 15' on the porch as a Half Action. Then, he fires his Energy Blast at the Duchess, who is unaffected because she's Incorporeal.)

Electrostatic turned just in time to see Cyber-Knight bearing down on him. "Don't mind me," he said as he tumbled out of harm's way.

Cyber-Knight leveled his Vibrosword, but the blade once again missed it mark.

(Cyber-Knight moves 30' to get adjacent to Electrostatic as a Half Action. He attacks Electrostatic (DEF 30) with his Vibrosword, but misses with 17.)

(Harpy takes no action.)

The Duchess seems to be on a ticket out of town, MorningStar observed. She might be immune to 'Lectro's blasts, but she doesn't seem too fond of my flames. I wonder...

The flying heroine let loose with another barrage of fire, covering the front walk with flames. Cyber-Knight was caught right in the middle and had no time to escape, but still seemed to ignore the attack. The Duchess was in mist form, yet was affected by the fire as MorningStar had conjectured. The villainess screamed as the flames bit at her.

(MorningStar flies 15' from Cyber-Knight as a Half Action. She then fires her area Energy Blast as a square between Cyber-Knight and the Duchess. The square is DEF 10, and she hits with 18. Cyber-Knight and the Duchess each get Reflex saves (DC 18) to halve the damage. Cyber-Knight fails with 11, and the Duchess succeeds with 18. Cyber-Knight gets a Damage save (DC 16) and succeeds with 27 for no damage. The Duchess, who while Incorporeal is still affected by fire attacks, must attempt a Damage save (DC 19), but fails with 14. She takes a Lethal Hit.)

I'm not putting myself at any more risk, the Duchess realized, and sunk into the ground itself. We have far better things to do than toy with these useless heroes.

(The Duchess sinks 15' into the ground as a Half Action. and then travels another 15' away from the main building as her other Half Action.)

(The Pulse Cannons cannot target either villain.)

(This ends Combat Round 7.)

*************************************************

- Rear -

Iron Dragon powered up his fist, and with a combination backhand and elbow strike, blew Bombardier from his feet, sending the villain to the grassy turf. This was no simple loss of balance -- Bombardier was out cold.

"That should do it," Iron Dragon concluded, brushing off his hands.

(Using Power Attack, Iron Dragon adds a +5 to Damage, but subtracts -5 from Attack. He must make a Concentration check (DC 20) to activate his Strike, and succeeds with 32. He attacks Bombardier (DEF 18) and hits with 24. Bombardier gets a Damage save (DC 26) and fails with 6. He takes a Stun Hit and is Unconscious.)

These nuisances are getting on my nerves, Surge thought as he stood up straight and looked at the situation. Pathfinder was the weakest of the heroes by far, but Seraphim was causing him nothing by problems. He stepped between the two heroes and emitted lightning strikes that tapped both of his intended targets.

The flying Seraphim, though enveloped in electrical energy, continued soaring above the field of battle, and seemed to shrug off the attack. Pathfinder was not so fortunate. The lightning bolt struck the Native American hero in the abdomen, just below his magical breastplate, and knocked the wind out of him.

"Nice shot, if I do say so myself," Surge added.

(Surge spends a Villain Point to remove his Stunned condition. He spends Free Actions to re-activate his Force Field and Energy Field. He takes a 5' step and activates his Multi-Lightning. Both Seraphim and Pathfinder are in the area of effect, so they get Reflex saves (DC 18) to halve the effect. Seraphim gets 17 and Pathfinder gets 6, both failing. Seraphim's Force Field +10 is greater than Surge's Energy Blast +8, so he does not need to make a Damage save. Pathfinder, on the other hand, needs a Damage save (DC 17), but fails with 15. He takes a Lethal Hit.)

(Bombardier is unconscious.)

"I warned you, Surge," Seraphim cautioned, swooping down once again and swinging his weapon.

"Yeah, but I don't listen too good," Surge countered and rolled across the grass to evade the Sword of Truth.

Seraphim, after missing his target, flew upwards and ended up in nearly the same spot as where he began his downward descent.

"We've got them right where we want them," Seraphim called out across the battlefield. "Finish them, and perhaps we can get some answers."

(Seraphim spends a Free Action on Leadership. He charges 15' at Surge (DEF 25), but misses with 18. He continues another 35' using Move-By Attack.)

Sneaking forward, Pathfinder loaded his crossbow and took another shot at Surge, who wasn't paying him any attention. He fired a bolt, and struck the villain in the side, just below the armpit. Surge fell immediately, and rolled with the attack, though he ended up on his feet.

(Pathfinder takes a 5' step and fires his Crossbow at Surge (DEF 23), and gets a Critical Hit with a Natural 20. Surge gets a Damage save (DC 22) and fails with 18. He takes a Lethal Hit.)

Mana, seeing Bombardier go down like a sack of potatoes, considered her options. Bombardier has really gotten himself into a bind, she observed. I should rescue him, or Trickster will have my head.

She teleported down to Bombardier's side and energized the shimmering magical field that protected her. She expected Iron Dragon to attack her, and did not want to suffer Bombardier's fate.

(Mana uses Dodge to add a +2 bonus to her DEF against Iron Dragon. She teleports 40' next to Bombardier as a Half Action. She uses a Free Action to activate her Force Field. Finally, she chooses to Fight Defensively, adding another +2 to DEF, but tacking on a -4 penalty to Attack rolls.)

As Mana appeared, she was in the firing arcs of two of the pulse cannons that defended the rear estate grounds, and they fired, but both missed by wide margins.

(Two Pulse Cannons fire at Mana (DEF 20), but both miss with 7 and 9.)

(This ends Combat Round 7.)
*************************************************

Watch for Round 8, Coming Soon!

 

[MnM_UH]

Issue #5 - "Heat" (Continued)

Scene 1: "Battle at Hadley Manor" - Combat Round Eight

- Front -

I've got to make sure she's not -- Electrostatic rushed to Harpy's side. His leader laid bleeding on the front step, but was still breathing... for now.

"Too bad the vampire's gone," Electrostatic called out. "She left you all alone to feel my wrath." He fired a bolt of lightning at Cyber-Knight that would level a barn. The electricity danced all over Cyber-Knight's metallic shell, but didn't even slow the villain down.

(Using Dodge, Electrostatic adds a +2 bonus to DEF against Cyber-Knight. He moves 10' to be next to Harpy as a Half Action. He gets another Sense Motive check to see if she's unconscious, and gets a 14 - still thinks she's out. Electrostatic fires his Energy Blast at Cyber-Knight (DEF 16) and hits with 21. Cyber-Knight gets a Damage save (DC 18) and succeeds with 19.)

"Aww," Cyber-Knight said, "Didst thou lose thy leader? For shame." The villain swung his mighty blade toward Electrostatic, hoping to drop the hero where he stood, but the agile electric hero rolled out of the way, and then jumped back in front of the fallen Harpy.

"She's not gone yet," Electrostatic declared defiantly. "But look at you, Knightie, all alone. Did the vampire have somewhere else to be? Maybe a blood bank was still open at this hour."

(Cyber-Knight charges 15' at Electrostatic (DEF 31), but misses with 28.)

Seeing that Electrostatic was keeping Cyber-Knight busy, Harpy got up to her hands and knees and crawled inside the mansion. Got to find out what happened in here, she thought. They must have tried to spring Fang. I only hope Seraphim and the boys kept the bad guys out on their side.

(Harpy crawls 10' inside the mansion as a Half Action.)

"I guess your friend's gone," MorningStar called out. "Too bad. She was enjoying my fire powers so much."

Cyber-Knight looked up momentarily to see a column on flame being dumped on him. "Agh, woman!" he yelled as he fell to the ground, then got up to his knees.

"You don't seem to like them much either."

(MorningStar flies 10' toward Cyber-Knight as a Half Action, and fires her Energy Blast at the villain (DEF 16), hitting with 20. Cyber-Knight gets a Damage save (DC 21) and fails with 15. He is Stunned and takes a Lethal Hit.)

(The Duchess -- still underground and incorporeal -- sprints 60' away from the scene and is effectively out of the combat.)

(The defenses cannot target Cyber-Knight.)

(This ends Combat Round 8.)

*************************************************

- Rear -

"You're not taking him anywhere," Iron Dragon declared as he attempted to axe-kick Mana, who was loitering near Bombardier. The kick missed its target as Mana deftly avoided the blow.

That was close, Mana thought. Time to get out of here.

(Using Power Attack, Iron Dragon adds +2 to his Damage and -2 from his Attack roll. He attempts a Concentrate check (DC 20) to activate his Strike, but fails with 16. He swings at Mana (DEF 22), but misses with 15.)

"I really wish you'd stop poking me with your little arrows, Pathfinder," Surge said as he charged toward the Native American hero. The speedster blew through Pathfinder, leaving the hero in a heap and a cloud of dust.

(Surge changes Dodge to +1 bonus to DEF versus everyone. He rams Pathfinder (DEF 18), hitting with 26. Pathfinder gets a Damage save (DC 20), but fails with 16 and takes a Lethal Hit. He does not need to make a separate Damage save against Surge's Energy Field +5 since it is less than his Protection +6. As a result of the ram, Surge must make a Damage save (DC 17), and succeeds with 17. After the ram, Surge moves another 25' - Move-By Attack.)

(Bombardier is still unconscious.)

"The sorceress must be our main objective now," Seraphim declared. He flew straight towards her and brought his weapon to bear, swinging the Sword of Truth and pelting the sorceress along the shoulder. Her magical force field deflected the impact, and Mana seemed none the worse for the attack.

(Seraphim uses a Free Action on Leadership. He charges Mana (DEF 20) and hits with 30. Mana gets a Damage save (DC 19) and gets a 20 - no damage.)

Struggling to get to his feet, Pathfinder picked up his SuperX Crossbow and loaded it with precison and ease, getting off a shot that nailed Surge in the back, just below the ribcage.

The villain turned in response to the shot. He was obviously feeling the effects of his wounds. "Don't you know when to stop, little man?"

"Surge," Mana said. "Time to go. Exact your vengeance later."

(Pathfinder fires his Crossbow at Surge (DEF 24) and hits with 24 exactly. Surge gets a Damage save (DC 17), and fails with 15. He takes a Lethal Hit.)

"I'll give you credit," Mana said to Iron Dragon. "You're a tough one, and resistant to my magic for some reason. I would take care of you if I had the time, but Bombardier and I will be going now."

Mana bent down and placed her hand on Bombardier's back. With a wave of her hands and a few words of power, Mana and Bombardier vanished and instantly appeared atop the gym building.

(Mana uses a Half Action to touch the unconscious Bombardier. She then uses another Half Action to Teleport to the top of the gym roof 40' away. As a Free Action, she re-activates her Force Field.)

One of the pulse cannons fired a shot at the distant Mana, but missed by a significant margin. Surge had managed to get himself into the arcs of two more cannons, but with his speed and agility, managed to avoid both of their blasts.

(One Pulse Cannon fires at Mana (DEF 18), but misses with 2. Two Pulse Cannons fire at Surge, but miss with 19 and 10.)

(This ends Combat Round 8.)
*************************************************

Watch for the Final Round, Coming Soon!

 

[MnM_UH]

Issue #5 - "Heat" (Continued)

Scene 1: "Battle at Hadley Manor" - Combat Round Nine

- Front -

"Harpy!" Electrostatic called out in response to noticing that his love was missing. He rushed inside the mansion and saw her crawling on the floor, and then struggle to get to her feet.

"You're OK?" he asked.

"I'll be OK, eventually," she replied, owing to Seraphim's healing capabilities. "I want to find out if the bad guys freed Fang."

"Let's go check out the cell," Electrostatic offered, taking Harpy around the shoulders to better prop her up.

(Electrostatic moves inside the mansion as a Half Action.)

"Until we meet again, fools," Cyber-Knight announced as he jumped atop his steed. He powered it on, and the 'creature' took him off the grounds and down the street.

(Cyber-Knight Fast Mounts his Cyber-Steed as a Free action (Ride check is successful). He then starts up the Cyber-Steed as a Half Action. He rides 50' away as his other Half Action.)

Electrostatic and the badly injured Harpy made their way to Fang's cell, only to discover that he was gone, and the cell's bars strewn across the floor in front of the makeshift prison.

"What could have happened?" Harpy demanded.

(Harpy moves 30' inside the mansion to Fang's cell as her action.)

MorningStar flew after Cyber-Knight and blasted him with fire, but to no avail. He was getting further and further away, and eventually, MorningStar was content to let him escape.

(MorningStar fires her Energy Blast at Cyber-Knight (DEF 16) and misses with 11. She then moves 20' to cover the entrance to the mansion as a Half Action.)

(This ends the combat.)

*************************************************

- Rear -

"A new one," Iron Dragon commented as he powered up his feet and leapt at Surge. The speedy villain turned in time to see the martial artist's flying jump kick knock him from his feet.

Surge landed, and was quite beat up from his first encounter with the United Heroes. He shook his head and tried to regroup.

(Iron Dragon charges Surge (DEF 24). Concentration check (DC 20) for Strike is successful with 28. His attack gets 31 - a hit. Surge gets a Damage save (DC 25) and fails with 15. He is Stunned and takes a Stun Hit. Iron Dragon's Protection +6 is greater than Surge's Energy Field +5, so he does not need to save.)

"I'd have to be crazy to stick around here," he pointed out. "See ya!" The villain stood up and sped away, across the grounds and over the wall surrounding the estate, before any of the heroes could do anything about it.

(Surge spends a Villain Point to remove his Stunned condition. He sprints 280' away as his action.)

(Bombardier takes no action since he's unconscious.)

"We can still stop the woman," Seraphim said as he flew toward her at maximum speed. He swung his sword, biting the rooftop with the blade, but ultimately doing nothing to Mana, who was protected with a mystic force field.

(Seraphim spends a Free Action on Leadership. He charges 60' at Mana (DEF 18), but misses with 17. He spends a Hero Point to re-roll and gets 28 - a hit. Mana gets a Damage save (DC 19) and gets 8. She spends a Villain Point to re-roll and this time gets 20 - no damage.)

"I can't get a shot," Pathfinder said as he neared where Iron Dragon stood.

"They will escape," Iron Dragon replied. "But I have a feeling they will return."

"Or perhaps we will have a shot at them elsewhere," Pathfinder countered.

"Either way, I would relish the opportunity."

(Pathfinder moves 25' next to Iron Dragon as his action.)

Mana and Bombardier disappeared from sight, and then all of the villains were gone.

"We must check on our companions," Seraphim commanded. "They may have learned why the villains attacked, and maybe what they were after."

(Mana uses Extended Teleport to leave the combat with Bombardier.)

(This ends the combat.)
*************************************************

Watch for Scene 2, Coming Soon!

 

[MnM_UH]

Issue #5 - "Heat" (Continued)

Scene 2: "Escape?"

Who do they think they're dealing with? the Scoundrel asked himself as he threw off the last of the ropes that bound him in place. Mere ropes? I would have expected more from a technologically advanced villain such as Trickster.

Now, how to get out of here, he considered. The room he was in was like an old-time jail cell, with bars on the windows and a small space on the door, ostensibly for guards to peek through as they walked by. Apparently, Trickster had not hired any guards, as no one had been by to check on the Scoundrel in quite a while.

The villains took his Hellfire Pistols and his Jade Mask, but they had not done a full search for items on the hero's body, which the Scoundrel discovered as he went for the small set of lockpicks hidden in a sleeve. "Bingo," he said upon their discovery. He knelt down and worked the lock with success.

(The Scoundrel makes an Open Lock attempt (DC 20 for a Simple Lock), and succeeds with 28.)

The door opened into a very drafty hallway, and it looked somewhat like a medieval castle. The corridors were big, cold, and made of stone, and the doors were sturdy and made of wood, with cast-iron bindings. Looks like a nice place, the Scoundrel thought.

He looked at his own hallway, and saw several other jail cells, each with a name spray painted on the door. Each of the United Heroes had a cell, along with some other names the Scoundrel didn't recognize. He sure is organized.

I'd like to find my gear, if any of it is left, the Scoundrel thought. Trickster said it was destroyed, but maybe that was a lie.

He found some stairs that led down, and quietly crept down the stairs, keeping an eye out for guards. No guards yet, he realized. Why would he put me here unguarded?

A few rooms were searched, but these searches revealed nothing of consequence. This place was apparently built pre-electricity, as all of the electrical work was outside the walls rather than built inside the walls. Of course, since they were made from stone blocks, it was easy to see why the electricians decided to pin the wiring outside of the walls.

He passed a huge chamber and decided to go back and have a look. It was a grand audience chamber of some kind, about a hundred feet long, with suits of armor along the sides, and tapestries on the walls. At the end of the chamber was a throne that likely dated to the 18th century. Seeing no one in the audience chamber, the Scoundrel decided to check it out. He walked right up to the throne, and saw a rack behind the throne with some weapons displayed on it -- including a pair of familiar revolvers. There you are, my darlings, the Scoundrel thought as he picked them up and put them back in their holsters where they belonged. I knew that meanie wouldn't destroy you. After all, how could he? You're magical.

This is my lucky day, he thought as he spotted his Jade Mask hanging on a suit of armor near the throne. The Scoundrel quickly donned the mask and felt complete.

Now, he thought. How to get out of here...

************************************************

An island? he thought as he approached the walkway on the outside of the castle walls. Interesting. That's why Trickster wasn't too worried about my escape.

The island must have been far from the nearest shore, as the Scoundrel could see no land on any horizon. From his vantage point atop the wall surrounding the castle, the Scoundrel could see for miles in any direction, but he saw nothing but ocean.

He spotted an old pier, but there were no ships anywhere, not even evidence that ships had been here recently. Getting off this island is going to be trickier than I thought.

He walked completely around the castle along the walls, but found nothing that might help him get off the island. He determined that the island must be about 2 square miles in area, 8 at the most. It was barren except for the castle, and was composed mostly of black lava rock. He wondered where this island might be located, and how far it might be from the mainland.

Just then, the Scoundrel spotted something washing up on shore. It wasn't a thing -- it was humanoid in form. The bluish being walked ashore from the ocean, and behind him, a pair of silver vessels also washed ashore. The hulking blue guy pulled both of the vessels further aground by himself. Impressive, the Scoundrel thought. This might be one of Trickster's goons. I'd better be careful.

The hero hopped down from the wall and looked for a vantage point from which to get a better look at this guy and the two vessels. The Scoundrel, looking from an arrow slit in the battlements, spotted dozens of soldiers exiting the seaborne vessels. These soldiers were dressed in armor, and carried rifles. Who are these guys? the Scoundrel wondered. He watched as the soldiers filed out of the vessels and got into formation, with the blue guy heading the group. The big guy spoke to the rest of the men, but the Scoundrel did not recognize the language used.

I've got to get closer, so I can figure out what's going on, the Scoundrel decided, and he scurried to the drawbridge, which was currently down, and quickly made his way around the opening in the wall to the other side, where he vanished behind some rocky outcroppings.

(The Scoundrel needs to make a Hide check to avoid being seen by Barracuda and the Atlantean Soldiers. His Hide is 21. The Atlantean Soldiers' best Spot check is 19, so none of them spots the Scoundrel, but Barracuda scores a Natural 20. He spots the Scoundrel!)

Maybe I can try to steal one of those ships to get off the island, the Scoundrel considered. Of course, I have no idea how to drive them... or maybe I do. The amnesiac hero had realized many things in the past few years, including the fact that he could pick locks, pilot aircraft, and speak German. Perhaps piloting a strange seagoing vessel was another of his hidden talents.

He got up to see where the soldiers were, and saw that they were right on top of him, ready to attack!

This Ends Issue #5, "Heat"
Watch for Issue #6, "Fire", Coming Soon!

 

[Tokiwong]

Looking Good, can't wait for more... makes me want to run M&M even more, you have a cool superhero universe going, very classic in style it seems

 

[MnM_UH]

Thanks. Glad you like it.

Yeah, it looks like I might be going solo on the world creation aspect for now. Who knows?

I'll get the fight between the Scoundrel and those Atlantean soldiers up within the next day or two. Is it just me or has the Scoundrel only fought minions so far?

 

[Tokiwong]

Thanks. Glad you like it.

Yeah, it looks like I might be going solo on the world creation aspect for now. Who knows?

I'll get the fight between the Scoundrel and those Atlantean soldiers up within the next day or two. Is it just me or has the Scoundrel only fought minions so far?

Well Barracuda is hanging around so who knows... things could get ugly...

 

[MnM_UH]

Well Barracuda is hanging around so who knows... things could get ugly...

Yeah, it's going to get even more interesting...

Stay tuned!

 

[MnM_UH]

Issue #6 - "Fire"

Scene 1: "The Scoundrel Alone"

**********************************************
Here are the game statistics for the Atlantean Chosen Soldiers and Captains:

Atlantean Chosen Soldier
30 PP
PL 2; Init +0; Defense 12; Spd 30 Run, 30 Swim; ATK +2 Melee (+2L Dam, Punch), +2 Ranged (+5S Dam, Rocket Rifle); SV Dam +1, Fort +1, Ref +0, Will –1; STR 10, DEX 11, CON 13, INT 10, WIS 8, CHA 8.
Skills: Climb +2, Intimidate +2, Jump +2, Language (Atlantean), and Swim +5.
Feats: Amphibious and Immunity - Aging.
Powers: None.
Equipment: Atlantean Battle Armor [Protection +3 and Strike (Melee) +2L; Power Stunts: Radio Broadcast and Radio Hearing; Source: Device; Cost: 7 PP] and Rocket Rifle [Strike (Ranged – Kinetic) +5S; Source: Device; Cost: 5 PP].
Weakness: None.
Physical Description: Members of Klimordial’s Chosen Army are dressed in fine Atlantean Battle Armor, an armored suit composed of a breastplate, large shoulder pieces, a mesh midsection, and large thigh guards. The armored gauntlets are ridged with spikes and blades, enabling the soldier to make an effective melee attack. The rest of the outfit looks like olive-colored fatigues. The helmet covers the top half of the head, and includes a tall crest (accommodating the Atlanteans’ fin-ridge). The Chosen carry high-tech rifles that fire tiny rockets. The soldiers range in height from 5’10” to 6’2” and weigh between 160 and 220 lbs. They are always male.

Atlantean Chosen Captain
45 PP
PL 3; Init +1; Defense 14; Spd 30 Run, 30 Swim; ATK +4 Melee (+3L Dam, Punch), +4 Ranged (+5S Dam, Rocket Rifle); SV Dam +4, Fort +2, Ref +1, Will -1; STR 13, DEX 12, CON 14, INT 11, WIS 8, CHA 10.
Skills: Climb +3, Intimidate +3, Jump +3, Language (Atlantean), and Swim +6.
Feats: Amphibious, Immunity - Aging, and Toughness.
Powers: None.
Equipment: Atlantean Battle Armor [Protection +3 and Strike (Melee) +2L; Power Stunts: Radio Broadcast and Radio Hearing; Source: Device; Cost: 7 PP] and Rocket Rifle [Strike (Ranged – Kinetic) +5S; Source: Device; Cost: 5 PP].
Weakness: None.
Physical Description: The Captains look just like the Soldiers except that their crests are gold in color and they tend to be a little bigger and yell commands.

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I decided not to break this up into multiple posts because even though this fight lasts 9 rounds, it's still pretty short in terms of content -- editor

(Note: The Chosen Soldiers and Chosen Captains will be considered Minions for this combat. As such, when they fail a Damage save, they are Disabled.)

(Initiatives -- Scoundrel: 17, 15 x Chosen Soldiers: 14, and 3 x Chosen Captains: 5.)

The Scoundrel saw nearly twenty armored fish-folk bearing down on him, and knew that decisive action was in order. He leapt to his feet and assessed the situation. He was on a strange island, with no backup and no idea how to get off the island, and was now just about surrounded by strange soldiers wielding weapons he had not seen before.

"Hey guys," he kidded, "I was just leaving."

They were not amused by his humor, and leveled their rifle-like weapons at the hero. The Scoundrel drew his Hellfire Pistols and fired off a shot at the closest soldier, blasting the fishman in the helmet, and knocking the soldier off his feet.

He blew the steam off the end of his revolver.

(The Scoundrel starts off by assigning a +1 to his Defense from his Dodge feat. Next, he uses a Half Action to draw his Hellfire Pistols. Finally, he fires at the nearest Soldier (DEF 12) and hits with 14. The Soldier gets a Damage save (DC 19) but fails with 10. He is Disabled. There are now 14 Soldiers left.)

The soldiers, undaunted by one of their fellows lying face-down on the ground, advanced on the Scoundrel's position and opened fire. Tiny red rockets flew all over the place, and the hero deftly dodged each one that got close enough to matter.

These guys aren't messing around! he thought.

(All of the Soldiers move 30' closer to the Scoundrel as a Half Action. They fire at him (DEF 29) but they all miss. The highest total was 17.)

(In Atlantean) "Kill him," the captains ordered as they too closed in on the Scoundrel. "By order of our commander!"

(The Chosen Captains move 30' as a Half Action and fire at the Scoundrel (DEF 29), and they all miss. The highest total is 18.)

(End of Round One.)

The Scoundrel did not recognize the language they spoke, and had a feeling it was something very rare. "You guys aren't from around here, are you?" he asked sarcastically.

He retreated a little and fired both revolvers, downing two more advancing Atlantean soldiers. "This is too easy!"

(The Scoundrel takes a 5' step and fires twice, once at two different Soldiers (DEF 12), and hits both with 14 and 17. The Soldiers get Damage saves (DC 20 due to Point Blank Shot) and both fail with 16 and 17. Both are Disabled. There are 12 Soldiers left.)

(In Atlantean) "He is too fast," one of the soldiers observed. "No one can dodge that many rockets."

More salvos were launched, and one struck the Scoundrel in the leg as he tried to vaunt away from the blast area of another rocket.

"Man," he yelled, "that smarts!"

(The Chosen Captains close in on the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and one hits with a Natural 20. The Scoundrel gets a Reflex save against the Damage (DC 20) and fails with a 16. He takes a Stun Hit.)

(In Atlantean) "He is fallible," one of the captains urged. "Keep flanking him. He will fall before our combined might."

(The Chosen Captains move 30' as a Half Action and fire at the Scoundrel (DEF 29), and they all miss. The highest total is 21.)

(End of Round Two.)

The Scoundrel planted off of one of the soldiers' helmets and somersaulted over the group, making the Atlantean look pretty foolish in the process. "Don't mind me," he quipped. "Just passing through."

He spotted a rocky outcropping not far away. If I can make it over there, maybe I can get away from them. I can only hope the big blue guy doesn't take an interest in what's going on.

When he landed, the Scoundrel fired a Hellfire Pistol at one of the captains, but the shot glanced off the Atlantean's armor.

(The Scoundrel tries to move through an opponent square using Acrobatics (DC 25) and succeeds with 25. He fires a shot at a Chosen Captain (DEf 14) and hits with 27. The Chosen Captain gets a Damage save (DC 20) and makes it with 21.)

The soldiers regrouped and fired another volley of rockets toward the leaping hero, but all missed their mark.

(The Chosen Soldiers advance toward the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and they all miss. The highest total is 21.)

The captains took shots as well, but the Scoundrel moved too quickly for them to lock on target.

(The Chosen Captains advance toward the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and they all miss. The highest total is 15.)

(End of Round Three.)

The acrobatic hero leapt from the rocky ledge where he stood and onto a lower flat area. "I'll be going now," he said.

He took another shot at one of the soldiers who still pursued him, and nailed the Atlantean dead in the chest, dropping him.

"So will he."

(The Scoundrel moves 45' away from the group as a Half Action. He takes a shot at the nearest Soldier (DEF 12) and hits with 31. The Soldier gets a Damage save (DC 19) but fails with 10. He is Disabled. There are 11 Soldiers left.)

Despite their losses, the Atlanteans persisted. Perhaps it was their sense of honor -- they did not want to return to Barracuda without their quarry. But this one was proving hard to catch.

The soldiers continued to follow the Scoundrel, and fired another off-mark volley of rockets.

(The Chosen Soldiers advance toward the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and they all miss. The highest total is 21.)

The captains looked at one another. (In Atlantean) "We must reconsider our tactics," one of them said. "This one is too fast. He is not like the other air-breathers."

The captains moved toward the Scoundrel and fired their weapons as well, but met with the same result -- a lot of dust and debris, but the Scoundrel kept evading the attacks.

(The Chosen Captains advance toward the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and they all miss. The highest total is 17.)

(End of Round Four.)

They're still coming? the Scoundrel wondered. They're persistent, I'll give them that.

He fired two more shots, and two more soldiers went down in heaps. "Look, don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'd go back to boot camp if I were you," he added.

(The Scoundrel takes a 5' step and fires at two different Soldiers (DEF 12), hitting both with 21 and 18. Both get Damage saves (DC 20) and fail with 4 and 9. Both are Disabled. There are 9 Soldiers left.)

The soldiers were getting closer. They fired again, and this time, one of the rockets got so close, the Scoundrel could read the writing on it -- if he was able to read Atlantean...

"Now that was close," he remarked.

(The Chosen Soldiers advance toward the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and one hits with a Natural 20. The Scoundrel gets a Reflex save (DC 20) to resist the attack, and succeeds with 29.)

(In Atlantean) "This is futile!" one of the captains barked as they fired their weapons into thin air, where the Scoundrel once stood.

(The Chosen Captains advance toward the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and they all miss. The highest total is 21.)

(End of Round Five.)

Hmm... the Scoundrel thought. Maybe if I take out their leaders, the rest of them will run back to that ship.

With a speed the Atlanteans could barely comprehend, the Scoundrel juked and jived his way though the crowd and blasted one of the captains in the ribs, piercing the Atlantean's armor, and knocking him out cold.

"Want to give up now?" he asked. "No? OK..."

(The Scoundrel moves 45' away from the group as a Half Action. He takes a shot at the nearest Captain (DEF 14) and hits with 17. The Captain gets a Damage save (DC 19) but fails with 15. He is Disabled. There are 2 Captains left.)

The soldiers gathered around the hero and blasted him with their rocket-guns, but the Scoundrel leapt out of harm's way and onto a ledge above them.

(The Chosen Soldiers advance toward the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and they all miss. The highest total is 20.)

(In Atlantean) "We cannot stop him with this strategy," one of the captains said.

"I agree", the other captain replied, and radioed his men, ordering them to tackle the Scoundrel. "Capture him, if you can."

The captains fired their rifles at the hero, but he dodged their shots as easily as he had the soldiers' attempts.

(The Chosen Captains advance toward the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and they miss with 15 and 10.)

(End of Round Six.)

The Scoundrel took a look at the rocky area he observed earlier, and gauged its distance. Then, he jumped from his perch and blasted a soldier and one of the two remaining captains. The soldier fell, but the captain withstood the shot.

(The Scoundrel takes a 5' step and fires at a Soldier (DEF 12) and a Captain (DEf 14), hitting both with 21 and 17. Both get Damage saves (DC 20). The Soldier fails with 7 and is Disabled. The Captain makes his save with 21. There are 8 Soldiers left.)

When he landed, four of the soldiers converged on the Scoundrel and tried to tackle him, but the hero saw their motive and quickly got out of the way, causing the Atlanteans to crash into each other.

"Sorry about that," he joked.

Just as he managed to evade the tackles, rockets flew over his head, but were wide of the mark.

(4 of the Soldiers close to the Scoundrel attempt to Grapple him, but they all miss. The highest total was 16. The remaining 4 fire at him, but also miss, with the highest total being 19.)

The two captains advanced on the Scoundrel, but they were unwilling to simply watch their men fumble around trying to get hold of the hero. They let loose with their own rifles, but their rockets also missed.

(The Chosen Captains advance toward the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29), and they miss with 14 and 10.)

(End of Round Seven.)

Those two seem like the leaders, the Scoundrel noted. Maybe if I get rid of one more...

He jumped around the soldiers that were trying to get a bead on him, and fired his Hellfire Revolver at one of the captains, tagging him in the head, just below the rim of the helmet. The captain dropped like a sack of potatoes.

(The Scoundrel moves 45' away from the Soldiers as a Half Action. He fires a shot at a Captain (DEF 14) and hits with 17. The Captain gets a Damage save (DC 19), but fails with 12. There is one Captain left.)

While three of the remaining soldiers surrounded the captain who yet lived, the other five soldiers went after the Scoundrel, who was nearing his hiding place. They fired at him, but missed.

(Five Soldiers move 30' closer to the Scoundrel as a Half Action and fire at him (DEF 29) and they all miss. The highest total is 21. The other three Soldiers stay back to guard the last remaining Captain.)

(In Atlantean) "Barracuda," the captain barked into the radio, "this intruder is most unusual. My men cannot handle him. he is unlike other air-breathers."

"He is one of our greatest and most powerful enemies," Barracuda replied. "I should have known your weaklings could not capture him. Come back here. I have something for you..."

The captain hesitated, but decided that it was far more preferable to follow orders than to disobey them, even if the end result of failing a mission and disobeying orders was likely the same. He took off, and left his men to fend for themselves.

(The Captain uses a Free Action to radio Barracuda. He then double moves 60' as his action for the round.)

(End of Round Eight.)

Spotting his target within reach, the Scoundrel took off and found a good hiding place. He kept his pistols at the ready, just in case.

(The Scoundrel moves another 40' and gets behind some rocks as a Half Action. He rolls a Hide check and gets a 24. He holds his other Half Action. )

(In Atlantean) "Where did he go?" the soldiers asked each other after running after their quarry.

(The Soldiers move 30' in the direction they saw the Scoundrel go (Half Action). They each get Spot checks (DC 24)to oppose the Scoundrel's Hide check. None of them gets high enough to see him, so they hold their actions.)

"Retreat," the captain ordered via radio. All of the soldiers fled, and the Scoundrel was glad to see them go.

(The Captain orders all of the Soldiers to retreat and then moves 60' away as his action.)

(The Soldiers who held their actions now retreat 30' as their other action. Those closest to the Captain move 60' and are gone.)

(End of the Combat.)