Genni

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

@knighthawk

Brick attempts to provoke the Cheerleaders into attacking him: No effect

Nice try, but since he doesn't actually have a 'Provoke' special ability at all I couldn't allow something like that to work on the poor, innocent girls Rocksmith just murdered in cold blood.

They weren't quite stupid enough to be lured in with such an obvious ploy, right up until Rocksmith set fire to them that is. Now they're not smart enough not to fall for it, but unfortunately for them, since Rocksmith just roasted them alive they'll not be in a position to fall for it ever again.

What's the ruling on readying an action? For instance: if I'm lining up a shot, but choose not to take it unless my target makes a move first.

@Leolycan

Any action you take to line up an ability which doesn't specifically target a individual gives you the 'Primed' status effect, as with Flare's Fireball and Sigma's Incendiary Rounds.

If you choose to fire off your attack without having taken note of other player's actions in the same round, and end up hitting a target who's already KO'd then your attack is wasted, but if you choose to switch targets and aim for a different one after spotting everyone gangbanging your first choice there's no penalty, unless your special ability specifically states that you have to attack in a certain way. Normally if that's the case I'd be looking at a status effect being tagged to the target rather than yourself, as with Vex's RETINA.

As far as reaction shots within a turn, as long as you state in your narrative that you waited for a target to pop their head over the barricade before taking your shot I'll work that into the end of turn summery when I'm drawing up the events.

The standard rule is that actions are executed in the order they were posted, but that can be altered slightly as with the helicopter crash, since it would've KO'd at least three heroes if they hadn't been given the opportunity to dodge for cover first and it plays well to have the helicopter slowly circling down into the stage.

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

The team are engaging the Hell's Bitches on the bank rooftop.

Brick attempts to provoke the Cheerleaders into attacking him.

Brick recovers +1 Energy
Brick is currently Armoured! - +3 Defence
Brick is currently Inspired! (2/2) - +3 Defence, +1 Attack
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2: Brick is currently Shielded! - +5 Defence
Void's Void Sphere #2: Brick is now Shielded! - +3 Defence
Brick is currently Armoured! (1/3) - +5 Defence
Brick attempts to provoke the Cheerleaders into attacking him: No effect

Rocksmith uses his musical talents to blow the tail off the large transport helicopter hovering over the rooftop.

Rocksmith recovers +1 Energy
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2: Rocksmith is currently Shielded! - +5 Defence
Void's Void Sphere #2: Rocksmith is currently Shielded! - +3 Defence
Rocksmith uses ranged attack on Helicopter:

Helicopter is now Speeding! +5 Attack

Rock Hard: bonus 10 XP!

Deimos grabs the girls and drags them to safety.

Deimos recovers +1 Energy
Deimos is no longer Awakened!
Void's Void Sphere #2: Deimos is now Shielded! - +3 Defence
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2: Deimos is now Shielded! - +5 Defence
Deimos is currently Inspired! (1/2) - +1 Defence, +2 Attack
Deimos carries Thrash and Discord into the protective field

Void's Void Sphere #2: Thrash is now Shielded! - +3 Defence against external attacks
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2: Thrash is now Shielded! - +5 Defence against external attacks
All heroes lose their Shielded status effect against attacks from Thrash!

Honour Before Glory: bonus 5 XP!

Psy-Warp reinforces her telekinetic barrier.

Void's Void Sphere #2: Psy-Warp is currently Shielded! - +3 Defence
Psy-Warp is currently Inspired! (2/2) - +3 Defence, +1 Attack
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2: Deimos is now Shielded! - +5 Defence
Psy-Warp uses Renewal -4 Energy:

Barrier #2 gains 7 Health

TK Support: bonus 5 XP!

Vex jumps off the roof.

Vex recovers +1 Energy
Vex is currently Inspired! (2/2) - +1 Defence, +2 Attack

Bumblebee grabs Sigma and launches herself high up into the air.

Bumblebee recovers +2 Energy
Bumblebee is currently Armoured! - +3 Defence
Bumblebee is currently Inspired! (2/2) - +1 Defence, +2 Attack
Void's Void Sphere #2: Bumblebee is no longer Shielded!
Bumblebee uses Float Like A Butterfly -1 Energy:

Bumblebee is now Levitating! - Immune to ground-based attacks and effects, +4 Defence

Bumblebee grabs Sigma and flies up high:

Bumblebee is now Encumbered! - -4 Defence
Bumblebee is now Ranged! - May only use ranged attacks and abilities on opponents, may only be targeted by ranged attacks and abilities by opponents
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2: Sigma is no longer Shielded!
Void's Void Sphere #2: Sigma is no longer Shielded!
Sigma is now Ranged! - May only use ranged attacks and abilities on opponents, may only be targeted by ranged attacks and abilities by opponents

Flight Control: bonus 5 XP!

Flare prepares himself to absorb the helicopter explosion.

Flare recovers +1 Energy
Flare is currently Armed! - +2 Attack
Flare is now Inspired! (2/2) - +1 Defence, +2 Attack
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2: Flare is no longer Shielded!
Void's Void Sphere #2: Flare is no longer Shielded!

Heretic roars a challenge at the burning helicopter as he prepares to take it head on.

Heretic recovers +1 Energy
Heretic is currently Armed! - Base Attack = 6, all hostile targeted abilities disabled
Heretic is currently Weaponized! (2/2) - +1 Attack, attacks cause Bleeding
Heretic is currently Inspired! (2/2) - +1 Defence, +2 Attack
Heretic uses Unconfined Rage -4 Energy:

Heretic is now Rushed for one round! - may take an extra 2 Actions

Hellspawn: bonus 1 XP!

Sigma fries a sonic pulse at Thrash as he's lifted into the air.

Sigma recovers +1 Energy
Sigma is currently Inspired! (2/2) - +1 Defence, +2 Attack
Sigma is no longer Staggered!
Sigma is currently Exposed! - -8 Defence
Sigma is currently Ranged! - May only use ranged attacks and abilities on opponents, may only be targeted by ranged attacks and abilities by opponents
Sigma fires its Sonic Pulse at Thrash -6 Energy:

Thrash is currently Shocked! (3/3) - -3 Defence
Thrash is currently Shocked! (2/3) - -3 Defence
Thrash is currently Shielded! - +5 Defence
Sonic Pulse ignores ¹/₃ Defence! - -3 Defence
Thrash hit by Sigma's Sonic Pulse for 8 Attack, 6 Defence, 2 Health loss.
Thrash is now Stunned for one turn!
Sigma gains 2 XP!

Heavy Weapon: bonus 5 XP!

Void channels his energy, preparing to absorb the incoming attack.

Void recovers +1 Energy
Void is currently Armoured! (3/3) - +4 Defence
Void is currently Inspired! (2/2) - +2 Defence, +1 Attack
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2: Void is currently Shielded! - +5 Defence
Void's Void Sphere #2: Void is currently Shielded! - +3 Defence
Void uses Void Burst -6 Energy:

Void gains the Vacuum status effect - any damage suffered is stored as Void Energy and may be redirected on his next turn

Empty Handed: bonus 5 XP!

Stunned by Sigma's sonic pulse the only thing Thrash can do is wriggle her body against Deimos as she's carried into the protective dome. "Mmm, move your hand a little lower?" she murmurs to the ninja girl.

Thrash recovers +1 Energy
Thrash is current Beatdown x2!
Thrash is current Stunned! (1/1) - unable to attack or use abilities this turn

Smashing into the stage the burning helicopter's fuel tank ruptures, spilling aviation fuel across the rooftop. A moment later a spark ignites the fuel, causing a epic fireball to rocket up into the air, dousing the party, the Cheerleaders and the Hell's Bitches in a wall of flame.

Brick's Solid Wall trait activates - All heroes gain +4 Defence against AoE attack where Brick is one of the affected targets
Rocksmith hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 16 Defence, 4 Health loss.
Rocksmith is now Staggered for one round! - -2 Defence
Rocksmith gains 10 XP!
Bumblebee missed by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack: Ranged!
Brick hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 26 Defence, 0 Health loss.
Brick is now Staggered for one round! - -2 Defence
Brick gains 10 XP!
Flare hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack and absorbs 20 Attack, healing 9 Health. Flare feels temporarily Invigorated by the influx of power, gaining +5 Attack for one turn!
Flare is now Staggered for one round! - -2 Defence
Heretic hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 7 Defence, 10 Health loss.
Heretic's 2 Souls, No Regrets trait triggers, but something goes wrong!

Heretic's Health = 1,
Heretic is now Demonized! +1 Attack per round, -1 Defence per round, all attacks cause Bleeding, Blood Drenched Hero regains +5 Health per attack instead of +1 Energy

Heretic gains 9 XP!
Hellspawn: bonus 10 XP!
Sigma missed by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack: Ranged!
Psy-Warp hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 24 Defence, 0 Health loss.
Psy-Warp is now Staggered for one round! - -2 Defence
Psy-Warp gains 10 XP!
Deimos hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 14 Defence, 5 Health loss.
Deimos is now KO'd!

Death Before Dishonour: bonus 10 XP!

Deimos gains 9 XP!
Void hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 25 Defence, 0 Health loss.
Void is now Staggered for one round! - -2 Defence
Void's Vacuum triggers absorbing 20 points of Void Energy
Void gains 10 XP!
Vex missed by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack: Out of Range!
Nightingale hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 20 Defence, 0 Health loss.
Nightingale is now Staggered for one round! - -2 Defence
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2 hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 5 Defence, 13 Health loss.
Psy-Warp's Telekinetic Barrier #2 destroyed!
Cheerleader 1 hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 3 Defence, 11 Health loss.
Cheerleader 1 is now KO'd!
Cheerleader 2 hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 3 Defence, 15 Health loss.
Cheerleader 2 is now KO'd!
Cheerleader 3 hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 3 Defence, 7 Health loss.
Cheerleader 3 is now KO'd!
Cheerleader 4 hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 3 Defence, 10 Health loss.
Cheerleader 4 is now KO'd!
Cheerleader 5 hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 3 Defence, 15 Health loss.
Cheerleader 5 is now KO'd!
Cheerleader 6 hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 3 Defence, 15 Health loss.
Cheerleader 6 is now KO'd!
Thrash hit by Helicopter's fire-based AOE attack for 20 Attack, 9 Defence, 11 Health loss.
Thrash is now Staggered for one round! - -2 Defence
Rocksmith gains 116 XP!

Nightingale scan only look on in horror as the innocent young girls, whose only crime was to fall under the influence of an evil rock band, were scorched to death mere feet in front of her. With a dark cloud over her head she turned to one of those she could reach and began to administer medical aid.

Nightingale recovers +2 Energy
Nightingale is currently Inspired! (2/2) - +2 Defence, +2 Attack
Void's Void Sphere #2: Void is currently Shielded! - +3 Defence
Nightingale is now Horrified! - -2 Defence, -2 Attack
Nightingale uses All Better Now on Deimos -4 Energy:

Deimos is no longer KO'd!
Nightingale's Healing Hands trait activates - Deimos heals 3 Health

---

Most of the party are standing on the rooftop in front of the burning stage wreckage of the stage, covered by a shimmering bubble of void energy. They are surrounded by the smouldering corpses of the punk rock cheerleaders whose dead bodies are crisping and popping in the flames spreading across the rooftop.

Bumblebee is hovering over the rooftop, carrying Sigma with some difficulty.

Flare and Heretic are standing in the middle of the flames, with Heretic's body now mutated into a fully demonic form.

Vex is hanging over the edge of the rooftop desperately trying to hold on as the flames quickly spread towards him.

Thrash is inside the shimmering bubble of void energy with the team.

The burning remains of the helicopter and the stage are leaning precariously over the edge of the roof, threatening to fall over at any moment into the street below.

---

Callsign: Discord
Real Name: ?

Discord

Role: Flanker
Stats: 0 / 6 / 8
Energy: 2
Power Origin: Magic
Power Set: Heavy Metal Harridan
Abilities:

• Power Cord - Energy Cost: 3
  ^{With a strum of her fingers Discord launches a powerful wave of sonic energy which causes her enemies' armour to resonate, causing them 1/₃ their Defence (rounded down) worth of Health loss and inflicts the Sundered status effect, causing 1/₃ (rounded down) reduction in their Defence. Sundered may stack with itself.}
• <UNKNOWN>
• <UNKNOWN>
• Mindbending Melody - Energy Cost: 6
  ^{Strumming her fingers with the twisted tones of the night Discord takes control of a single Male Heterosexual, Hermaphrodite, Bisexual or Female Homosexual target, inflicting the Mind Controlled status effect for the number of turns difference between her Attack and their Defence, to a minimum of 1 turn. While Mind Controlled any attack or ability the character uses must target one of their own allies.}

Traits:

• Flexible Where It Counts
  ^{Years of performing on stage have given Discord a highly toned and flexible body, allowing her to dodge and weave like a seasoned martial artist. Any time she's targeted by a ranged attack Discord gains +5 Defence.}
• Crowd Control
  ^{Discord revels in controlling the bodies and minds of her audience while performing. Whenever Discord manages to inflict a status effect against an opponent she gains the Energized status effect, gaining +1 Energy Regeneration until the end of the following round. Energized does not stack with itself.}

Race/Species: ?, Human
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Morality: Chaotic; Evil
Motivation: Pleasure

Callsign: Thrash
Real Name: ?

Thrash

Role: Flanker
Stats: 16 / 10 / 3
Energy: 7
Power Origin: Magic
Power Set: Devilish Drummer
Abilities:

• Crescendo - Energy Cost: 3
  ^{Breaking out into a long drum solo Thrash beats out the music so fast her enemies can barely keep themselves from collapsing. Crescendo grants Thrash the Beatdown status effect, inflicts a cumulative Downbeat status effect, which reduces her targets' Attack and Defence by 1, and then causes 2 Health loss for each Beatdown effect currently active. This ability bypasses all normal defenses and is counted as a field-wide effect which cannot be dodged or blocked.}
• <UNKNOWN>

Traits:

• Wall of Sound
  ^{With her music never pausing for a moment Thrash generates a sonic field making it difficult for anyone to get close to her. Any time she's targeted by a melee attack the attacker loses -3 Attack.}
• <UNKNOWN>
• <UNKNOWN>

Race/Species: ?, Human
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Morality: Chaotic; Evil
Motivation: Pleasure

---

Madison 'Nightingale' Johannson - [LINK]
Energy: 5/10
10 / 6(7) / 6(4)

Action: All Better Now: -4 Energy; Nightingale immediately removes one persistent status effect from herself or an ally.

---

@rush99999 Rocksmith
@SimplyJohn Bumblebee
@Eklispe Flare
@knighthawk Brick
@GodOfWar Heretic
@Behemoth542 Sigma
@General Scales Psy-Warp
@KabenSaal Deimos
@Shadowman215 Void
@Leolycan Vex

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

-Shield teammates by absorbing flame.

@Eklispe

Just to check, is Flare using Heat Drain here, or is he just standing on the rooftop hoping for the best?

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

<Snipped quote by Genni>
Really? That's interesting

@rush99999

Going all the way back to the original rules:

• During encounters characters gained Experience Points (XPs) which can later be used to level themselves up, granting them additional Skill Points which can be used to increase their powers and attributes. XPs are usually award based on these guidelines:
  • ...
  • X gained at GM discretion for creative or character driven gameplay

Experience

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

Another game mechanic in the works? Interesting.

@rush99999

That's actually the original game mechanic, this is just the first real opportunity I've had to apply it. :)

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

It's good that he's playing to character as well, such behaviour gets rewarded.

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

Please tell me your joking. Fictional or not, I don't want to be responsible for killing an entire city block and neither does Rocksmith.

@rush99999

Blowing up helicopters is a dangerous business, especially with a street full of civilians and emergency service workers just below you.

EDIT: Just waiting on Void now. Perhaps you can get an extra layer of protection up before the big bang hits.

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

@Eklispe You're thinking of the missing gallon of whipped cream and raspberry sauce stolen from the local confectionary factory. The girl used that up last night during their after show invitation-only private party.

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

Wait what? This is a helicopter we're talking about here. How could a helicopter possibly wipe out an entire city block?

@rush99999

Well, you know that report about missing munitions from the local military base in the wake of the last Hell's Bitches concert...

R.A.T.S. - Rapid Assault Tactical Squad - 1 Slot Open

While we're on the subject of scene description, when's the next turn coming?

@rush99999

With the helicopter potentially destroying all life in the city block I'm giving Heretic and Void a short chance to take ction to protect themselves. I'll have the scene up by the end of the day either way though.