"Necessary Evil" - supervillains save the world!

Game Master ZenFox42

Just waiting to do my part.

Nature is trying to be patient, but as an ancient being who is a bringer of destruction...well..

I'm also waiting out the parts where I'm not part of the plan. I'm okay with other people getting screen time. It doesn't always make sense to have everybody in everything.

Ditto. I could probably start doing things myself, but I don't wanna like dat. I'll wait until the party start to start the...um...party. =)

Unless something goes wrong there is really nothing for most of us to do until we get eyes on the club. As near as I can tell we are currently in Part: The second.
We are moving/driving towards the club.

Still to do:
A. find a sheltered parking spot WITHOUT line of sight to the club but otherwise easy access to....

B. The staging area. This spot has cover and good sight lines on the main entrance to the club. This is where the heavy crew, Doc, the remaining Alphas, Angel, and my wonderful self will wait while....

C. Thomas scouts a safe approach path for Nature, Big E, and Wolf to approach the building where....

D. Thomas and Nature move into the club and stealth loot. If Big E goes along and can shift into something more subtle that a bear and slip in then E can help with moving loot from the offices/armory/drug lab/crash pads to a spot where Nature can easily blink it out where....

E. Wolf and Angel are waiting to hump the goodies back to the van or the staging area where...

F. We do a final headcount and drive home, taking care not to lead any tails back to where we eat.

Jack goes over the plan again as he drives the new 'Eclipse-mobile' across town to parking spot A.

On arrival at "A"

"Knew I forgot something. Alpha could one of your brothers stay here and guard the van? Hate to get all the loot and find out that someone nicked our stolen car."

Alpha how far apart can you and your brothers get? And is the answer to that question known in the criminal fraternity?

Alpha nods, not missing a beat as Beta emerges and takes a position, weapon drawn.

"Don't screw up." Alpha says to his brother, which Beta smirks and nods back.

I don't think there is a range limit, just a damage limit.

So, you drive around a bit and find a good parking spot several blocks away from the club (well outside the guards' perimeter zone).

You run into a problem with the "staging area" - anything with good line-of-sight to the club entrance is well within the guards' perimeter. You can sacrifice line-of-sight and hide in the nearest building to the club that's outside the guards' perimeter, but if you want to get any closer you'll have to each make Stealth rolls.

Thomas tries to scout a safe approach for the others, but there's just too many guards. He's the only one that can move freely around.

And from the nearest unguarded building, Nature doesn't have the range to teleport into the club.

What do you do?

Nature will go to the roof of the building they are hiding in and summon a storm. Once it arrives, she will return to the ground floor and say "Let us proceed."

"Okay, fine, but, Nature, can you -not- knock down this building, okay? We need this neighborhood to be intact. I'm sure the Fishmen are already wondering who knocked down their other building, so, just, keep it in the pants this go, okay?

Alright, whew, with that said, now what? You want to do a frontal attack while I go in the back way, or just everyone go in the front?"

If y'all *really* want a long-drawn out combat with dozens of extras continually coming at you, just go for *any* kind of assault. I still prefer the sneaky way, but I didn't say I was going to make it easy for you...

DO we want to be sneaky? I mean, in theory, I could Mimic a guard, then keep leading guards around a corner, where you guys silently kill them. By the time they caught on, me and Endiku, both Mimicing guards, could go to the main house and steal the loot and get out. Then signal you guys to withdraw. Not a great plan, but it would get us moving....

Alpha does some mulling. This was essentially an extraction, though the person of interest was just supplies. However, stealth would be a highly rewarded factor should they be able to pull it off successfully.

Alpha gathers the crew.

"I see a couple ways we can try for a stealth approach. We can take a contigent in the sewers if they're still unblocked. Dirty business, but we could definitly close the gap if they were dumb enough to not leave sentries or sensors. Otherwise, we could siege the entire area with Nature's abilities. It'd be a slower situation, but if we're careful about it, we could pin all the sentires inside taking cover from a "natural" storm and then close the distance that way. It'd also help hide any altercations we may have if we're quick about it.

Alpha looks to the others, waiting for their thoughts on the matter.

Wait. Actually, this is even easier. Can -anyone- else get inside a locked room? If me and one other person can slip inside the Boss Man's office and abscond with the cash, that would be all we need to do.

Nope, actually, one easier: I can just go inside the Boss Man's room and wait until it's empty, then lock it from the inside. If I can get the safe open, then bam.

GM: Is there Window in the Boss Man's office for me to let other people inside?

Guys: Is anyone else good at opening a safe? It think I'd be helpful just sticking my head inside the safe, and telling you how the tumblers were falling. =)

"Ah, screw it. Alpha, can you just Copy my Intangibility and walk inside with me? You'll hafta walk inside a wall and be a little stealthy to not be seen, but it could work."

"I mean, yeah, I could. But if we get caught I'd rather the team be available in force Thomas."

Alpha isn't opposed to a smaller insertion team, but such tactics make him cautious of all the ways things can go wrong.

"What does everyone else think? I'm still partial to the storm front approach. Can't blame Nature for nature's work, right?"

"Mrmmph. Actually, if we do this right, they won't even know they've been robbed until they check the safe. If we can brace the door, they'll just enter an empty room with a closed safe. Once they find out the safe is empty, who do they blame? They haven't seen us, and nothing else is out of the unusual.

So, yeah, what does everyone else thing?"

Mmrmmph. It's a choice of a plan where the rest of the party gets to do combat while we rob the place, or the rest of the party doesn't do anything. I think the combat option would be okay since you can basically stand back on defense after Nature launches a Storm, and just don't die while we go in their backdoor (and not in the good way. ;)

"You don't have to look at me that way when you mention the sewers." he says, with an amused tone. "Air vents work as well."

Wolf spider raises a hand. "Some experience with safes, not a lot though." he says.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"Man's greatest hubris is the idea of safety."

Thomas, there is a window in the Boss' room, but it's on the second floor. Wolf Spider could get up there with you, if he could get past all the guards.

Thomas takes a quick look at the sewer system beneath the block with the club on it, and discovers that it is unguarded and unmonitored, but the pipes begin to shrink the closer they get to the club. By the time they're under and inside the club, only Doc Tox could move thru them.

Sorry, life happened. Back now.

Jack listens to the back and forth until Thomas tell us about the sewers.

"There is our way in."

"Thomas, Doc can you two open a path through the sewers into the building next to that window? Not a big path, just enough room for Doc and those fat stacks of cash. Once you are there Doc, if you so choose, can open up a couple of spy holes in the wall as well as an exit just big enough for you and the money.

Regroup here for a headcount and then to the van and in time for breakfast."

Decay is a wonderful power. It would take doc 27 minutes to dissolve a cubic game inch of mixed dense earth. Or 7.8 seconds per cubic foot. So for a 2'x2'x6' crawlspace we are looking at something like 3 minutes. Assuming a two lane street to cross from where we are to the building next to the window that should be 12 minutes. (I used 12 feet per lane which is Highway width but I assume there are sidewalks and such.) I expect it will actually take less time because Given basements, sewers, powerline conduits, old cultist lairs and buried gods, doc should not have to be digging/dissolving the whole way.

Because they are doing most of the work this time I think it is only right that get 2 shares each, but that is a detail for later.

Now get to it lads, we have your backs

Having a crew with super powers makes the old Red headed league ploy so much easier.

Thomas wasn't listening a lot--he was thinking about sex--but then when Jack mentions money, he perks up.

"Oh, yeah, I can totally do that," he agrees to whatever Jack was talking about.

Angel looks apprehensive when the sewers are mentioned. Her wingspan would make flight difficult in such an environment. "Is there no other way?" she queries.

Doc burbles in a satisfied manner. "I can work with that."

I prefer to split things equally. Some people will shine in some encounters and others will take the lead in other parts. It's already a problem and splitting things unequally just makes it worse.

"Don't worry Angel. Only Doc and Thomas are taking the low road. We are cooling our heels right here unless things go south. For this job we are the cavalry."

Jack relaxes on an overstuffed Yak. In the absence of any conflicting description I have decided we are hiding out in a warehouse filled with furniture sized stuffed Yaks and Llamas. Apparently someone was trying to spark a fad.

"Though I expect we will be getting those wings dirty soon enough. There is a good bit of under in Star city. But I'll see if we can manage a high road plan for the next job."

Jack smiles.

"Your plan lacks fear." says Nature after listening to the "sneak through the sewers" idea.

Ok, that sounds like a solid plan.

Just Ignore This: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Thomas guides Doc to the building next door under the streets, where they get up to the second floor. Doc burns a hole in the wall big enough for him and the bags of cash he'll be carrying (hmmm...why isn't Thomas carrying those bags?).

Doc oozes out of the hole, down the side of the adjacent building and up the side of the club, while Thomas goes over to secure the room.

Ignore This, Too: 1d6 ⇒ 6
And This: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Thomas finds the room completely empty of people, and opens the window for Doc, who burns his way thru the safe (hmmm...I thought part of the plan was to leave *no* clues as to how it was done?).

Thomas and Doc stuff the bags they brought with the cash (do you take the drugs?), and (I'm going to say) split the loot between them, with Doc going out the way he came in, and Thomas floating back to the staging area.

When you get back to your lair, you find that you have $82475 in cash!
What do you want to do with it?

Someone mentioned trapping the Teleporter HQ feature as a long underground access tunnel that opens up far from the base. Since that would take a *lot* of construction work, I'm going to give you that Dr. Destruction gave you that built-in.

(hmmm...why isn't Thomas carrying those bags?).

Thomas does not have "Tag along" on insubstantial. It is unclear how much one can pick up and carry without the mod. Also Thomas's job was scout/bodyguard. You do not have security carrying the packages.

(hmmm...I thought part of the plan was to leave *no* clues as to how it was done?).

It was. But we had no easy way to clear the safe.

Btw the $82475 translates into ~$8247.50 in actual purchasing power for black market goods correct?

"Your plan lacks fear." says Nature after listening to the "sneak through the sewers" idea.

"Yes it does, it also lacks getting turned into discount sushi by drugged up psychopaths. But then I am a base and spineless coward, it is a small flaw in my character.

Jack pauses. Looking directly at Nature.

"So how would you have done this?"

Toxic would have taken the drugs as well. Not as drugs, but as sources of complex chemicals that can them be broken down and resynthesized into other components.

Thomas pauses for only half a second before shoving the drugs into his bag. He was kinda fuzzy on that detail, but it didn't make any sense to only rob someone half way.

"Whew! That was a close one! Really exciting and all of us almost died!

'Cause that's what I usually do."

Zen Well that answers the drugs question. So what do we have, party favors or combat drugs? Also For Zen I am assuming we have if not a garage at least a place behind a door to park the Eclipse van. If not we will have to torch it which would be sad.

Back at Eclipse HQ..

"Excellent question Thomas.

We have some seed capital. But we will need more if we want to maintain the lifestyle to which I wish to become accustomed. Or (nodding to Angel and Nature) to take the fight to our unwelcome guests.

As to targets I think there is a good bit of blood we can still squeeze out of the Slashers. Tonights work will have then scurrying all over the city and making lots of noise. Shouldn't be too hard in all that chatter to find another minor target or two. Hit those and and they will start punching at shadows.

That is when we talk to an old friend of mine. Not a 'family man' but Vanessa works with them pretty well. He gets word to a couple of mobbed up ears that if they provide the location of the Slashers main storehouse or bank then an 'accident' will occur there. 'Forcing' the Family to move in to 'help stabilize' the neighborhood.

Alternately we still have the option of hitting a bank. Now that we have transport hitting something up town becomes more attractive.
Or we can ambush a dreg or Slasher patrol. I would like to get some of their fish-tech. Hmmmmm....

That gives me an idea. The main reason the Slashers are a power in Southpoint is cozy relationship with the V'sori. We should sour that .

I propose we set up a classic "Let's you and him fight" scenario with a goal of getting the Slashers and the V'sori at each other's throats.

We will need some Slasher kit. Guns, vibroblades especially. Couple extra vibroblades with a higher up prints on them would be good. Then we hit a V'sori outpost. Another prison camp, checkpoint, doesn't matter. We leave no witnesses and make sure to use vibro weapons. We even leave one or two blades, with the incriminating dabs behind. With any luck the Fish overreact and the party is on.

The Slashers are destroyed, which is good, and the Fish are distracted and bled by the fighting, which is better. While this is going down we will be darting about spreading chaos and gathering up whatever either side can no longer afford to gard.

It's risky I admit. It depends on folks in power acting a bit like fools but I think it can work.

Might need some help though. Maybe there is a way to pitch this to Destruction so he thinks it's his idea.....

to ALL The above is just me musing. I expect the plot to come calling at some point soon so i am just running my jaw here.

"So how would you have done this?"

"I would not have. I do not need things."

"But should I have needed to gain something from within, I would have simply Walked the Ways into their building and unleashed the Breath of Gaia."

Thomas does not have "Tag along" on insubstantial. It is unclear how much one can pick up and carry without the mod.

Yes, the description of Intangible says "While intangible, any items the character carries also become intangible" (which is what I was going by), while Tag Along says "The character can make intangible as much as she can carry in items". I think Tag Along's real benefit is being able to take people with them.

Btw the $82475 translates into ~$8247.50 in actual purchasing power for black market goods correct?

Yes, but it translates into $82475 towards outfitting your HQ...

I am assuming we have if not a garage at least a place behind a door to park the Eclipse van.

Yes, the basement is connected to the long tunnel that comes out somewhere far from your HQ, and is big enough to park the van there (that is where the Garage room will be once you get it).

Also, Thomas and Doc - the drug that you grabbed has the street name "EZ", which is rumored to give a very few people superpowers (but makes them rabidly violent as well), or gives some others incredible strength and vigor (and makes them psychopathic), or gives most people a mild but addicting high.

You've got a few kilos - what are you going to do with what you've got?

Well, the smart thing to do is to try and figure out how to predict what people will get what result. Then we can use it to create shock troops for missions.

"Or we could sell it? How's that sound? I know a guy. Or, that is, gimme an hour to fly around and read people's mind and I -will- find a guy. Then we'll have more money so we can do more crime so we can get more money so we can do more crime so we can get more oh dear I've gone cross-eyed."

Doc, word on the street is that its effect are completely unpredictable. If the V'sori have figured out a pattern, they're not talking.

"Using drugs to make forces isn't the best plan if we can't control the violent tendencies. Selling might be a viable option, but then we might be destabilizing our own area with addicts. Scouting surrounding neighbourhoods may be more beneficial. We have to remember that we're trying to grow something here, and short-term gain may bite us later."

Alpha turns to Doctor Toxic.

"Any chance you could make a few patches or pills I could have? I don't care for drugs myself, but Beta or Gamma only have temporary forms. They might be able to use a few applications efficiently should the need arise."

where can I find base building info again?

At the end of SPC2, under "Headquarters"

"One can not master himself when he submits to the external."

"Oh I can make you some versions that you can use. It will be interesting to see if there's a pattern to the outcome. If it's random with the same original genetic starting point, then we can set up some tests using other chemicals to see if that effect can adjust the outcome." he muses. "Perhaps adding a cognitive enhancing drug would help the user to retain control of their actions."

"Well whatever the uses for it is, we got the money to get started outfitting our base." Wolf Spider interjects. "Anyone got an idea how this Omega Cell thing works? Do we sit around and wait for a call from 'da boss' or something? We do our own thing? I ask because I have some upgrades to my gear I want to do but it's going to take some time and money... and an egghead."

"What does the shape of one's head have to do with external belongings?"

Wolf, the last thing Dr. Destruction said to you was "I’ll be in touch." You can assume your time between his calls is all yours, and you can do whatever you want with it.

So, nobody's disagreed with Thomas' HQ plans, so I'm going to assume that calls are put out, materials ordered, contractors hired, etc. There's an entire underground community devoted to evil-lair construction, and they're honor-bound not to rat anyone out, or else they'd be out of business (and probably dead).

What are y'all doing in your spare time? Doc Tox, you going to try and work on the drugs (without a lab, -2)? Wolf, how much money do you need for your upgrades, and what kind of egghead do you have in mind?

Anyone else?

Anyone with Streetwise will hear over the next couple of days that the Slashers got ripped-off, and they've put out a bounty of $10,000 to anyone that can lead them to the gang that did it.

Thomas will execute his plan of Find Buyers for Drugs.

He'll zoom around the neighborhood, invis and intang., listening in to people's inner most thoughts, and enjoying their dirty, dirty little secrets.

And he might tell the others stuff too. Oh yeah, I guess that's the whole point.

'Oooo. She likes to do it where...?'

(Any questions as to the amount of time that Thomas spends in or around showers will not be answered.)

Mostly the need of a nebulous amount of money and an egghead (likely a neuroscience specialist for the man-machine interface) is justification for when we get our next bunch of power points so I can buy my extra limbs power.

Alpha is content to find any of his old contacts who might still be in the game. Weapon sellers, specialized equipment, anyone he can guarantee a line of credit to for consistent business would undoubtedly be an asset.

In the off hours, he keeps tabs on the Slashers, watching how they have altered their business strategy and patrolling. With one heist down, it'd be difficult to get away with two and not provoke some kind of response, regardless if they knew who was behind it.

He'll set part of the drugs aside and let Thomas take the rest. He'll wait for the lab before doing any testing.

Anyone with Streetwise will hear over the next couple of days that the Slashers got ripped-off, and they've put out a bounty of $10,000 to anyone that can lead them to the gang that did it.

"Heh...nicely done.

Jack has three priorities over the next several days.
First. Get some rest. That was a long night with a lot of long nights before it.

Second. Work on the van. Make sure it is in good running order. Then repaint it to loose the plumbers logo. A flat color to disguise its former identity if we can. If we can't then anything to cover the logo and spray paint all over with graffiti and random gangsign. Worst case Jack will scrape off the logo(s) and beat up the relevant panels to the van no longer looks like the van we brought in. Swap the plates with a derelict car found near neither the Lair nor near where we stole the van.

Third. Get to know the neighborhood. See if Jack can find a black/grey market or a bar where less than reputable types hang out. Keep an ear/eye out for other Slasher hangouts.

Fourth. Ambush a lone slasher/dreg preferably while they are stoned/drunk. Do this nowhere near the lair and only if I can get the drop. The goal is pocket money, getting their weapons, and spreading fear. The target will be left alive but unconscious.