[X] Plan: Better, Faster, Stronger, Smarter
-[X] PATH TO CONFUSION (Thinker)(THINKER, SCRAMBLE) 10 motes
-[X] FLESHWEAVER (Shaker)(SHAKER, FLESH, CRAFT, CONTROL) 10 motes
--[X] Add CHANGER if it doesn't include our own biology
-[X] LAZARUS (Brute, Regen) 5 motes
Here's what I'm thinking. Confusion for Coil, Fleshweaver to make ourselves and Skitter peak human physique (and beyond if we can figure it out) and mutate new bugs for Taylor (Relay Bugs anyone?), and perhaps to help us scout out the city for Coils whereabouts, not to mention give ourselves a new body we're more comfortable in. Lazarus for survivability.
We could even go heal MM if we wanted to, though that'd draw a lot of attention on us. New Healing cape after the greatest healer in the world died and all.
First thing is finding Coil, after that we can change our loadout to include something more offensive.
Edit: Been thinking some more, and it occurs to me, I didn't use TRUMP. That's a pretty fucking potent word at our disposal. What does everyone think about adding it to LAZARUS or FLESHWEAVER?
Everything we drain with these types of powers gets taken back when we break the power. No sense in bothering to stack one when we can make a power that just gives us the skills (PRODIGY)
Everything we drain with these types of powers gets taken back when we break the power. No sense in bothering to stack one when we can make a power that just gives us the skills (PRODIGY)
Does it!? Was that actually stated somewhere or are you guessing? Cause that kinda sucks, though I guess it'd kinda be necessary if any kind of balance is to be maintained huh...
Does it!? Was that actually stated somewhere or are you guessing? Cause that kinda sucks, though I guess it'd kinda be necessary if any kind of balance is to be maintained huh...
Paebel stated it, im pretty sure. We dont need to re-stack skills when we reform the power later, but the skills don't stay with us if the power is broken. We need the power to acess them.
[X] Plan: Better, Faster, Stronger, Smarter
-[X] BLINDSPOT (Thinker/Stranger)(THINKER, STRANGER, TRUMP) 4 motes
-[X] FLESHWEAVER (Shaker)(SHAKER, FLESH, CRAFT, CONTROL) 10 motes
-[X] New Power (Brute, Regen, Acceleration) 7 motes
-[X] New Power (Thief, Sense, Skill) 4 motes
Here's what I'm thinking. Blindspot for Coil, Fleshweaver to make ourselves and Skitter peak human physique (and more if we can figure it out) and mutate new bugs for Taylor (Relay Bugs anyone?), and perhaps to help us scout out the city for Coils whereabouts, not to mention give ourselves a new body we're more comfortable in. New Brute power that's probably just LAZARUS but faster, and New Thief power, that's probably just Victors original power. Drain the skills from any gangers and criminals we go up against.
Blind Spot is ironically too noticable. It's like a giant hole in any thinker we run into's perception. We've discussed this a bit, but Path to Confusion is probably preferable just because thinkers won't know anything is wrong, but we'll know they're looking at us and we can thwart them.
I don't believe Fleshweaver works on ourself, though I could be wrong. It'd probably work if you added changer. As for the bespoke bugs thing yeah that's been brought up, and I'd definitely be down for a good plan that incorporates Fleshweaver.
That brute power might dilute Lazarus with movement power, but I suppose there's one way to check.
Victor actually had a second trigger, so he had two powers. If you check the update you can see what keywords his powers were made of.
Does it!? Was that actually stated somewhere or are you guessing? Cause that kinda sucks, though I guess it'd kinda be necessary if any kind of balance is to be maintained huh...
Explicitly stated, but if we remake skill thief we get all of the skills we've ever stolen with it back.
Edit: @Tidelore if you'd like to know, the keywords we got from Victor were THINKER, STRANGER, SKILL, THIEF, SENSE, and SCRAMBLE. I believe SKILL, THIEF, and THINKER are his original and STRANGER, SENSE, and SCRAMBLE were from his second trigger.
Unfortunately removing a keyword takes a few hours typically, as we have to break the power down entirely to get it out.
I'll also note that the only offensive option your plan includes is the body horror one. Not inherently bad, but it also is likely of limited range. I suppose Skitter could have range covered though.
I'll also note that the only offensive option your plan includes is the body horror one. Not inherently bad, but it also is likely of limited range. I suppose Skitter could have range covered though.
That's the idea kinda. First things first, we gotta find Coil, than we can reconfigure our loadout for the raid. Skitters got plenty of firepower against anyone without a decent Brute rating.
That's the idea kinda. First things first, we gotta find Coil first, than we can reconfigure our loadout for the raid. Skitters got plenty of firepower against anyone without a decent Brute rating.
Skitter has plenty of firepower against plenty of people with a brute rating. At high enough levels we also might be able to use Fleshweaver to knock people out, which could be useful. As for coil himself I'd wager a power like STRANGER, CONTROL, SENSE, THINKER, and TRUMP could let us actively control his precognition at higher levels. Thinker is in there to help us understand the power we're controlling so we're not going in blind. Of course we have plenty of anti-thinker options already. Realistically we might pick BLINDSPOT for directly dealing with coil.
Good plan to keep around as a default until we need to hunt someone specifically. If Fleshweaver ends up working on ourselves, with or without the CHANGER option, we can use it to disguise our appearance as well, and hunt with zero consequence for our "main" identity as Protean.
Also, I just had the idea that we could reach out to Faultline, and see wheter Apotheosis or Deify can be used to "cure" Case 53s. If so, that's one nifty source of good rep and keywords.
M.O.: Reach out to Faultline via PHO. State that we are a new Trigger, Trump power, may be able to completely remove powers over time, offer to try on Gregor and Newter (possibly Trainwreck if he's still around and can be reached). Labyrinth will have to wait due to the inherent danger of spending too long in the same room as her.
Just lounge around in Palanquin in the same room with Apotheosis at full bore, and dump the temporary motes into Apotheosis, the speed of draining should be exponential, and the effect will reach its maximum eventually.
Either Lazarus (depending on what parahumans we find) or we wait until we kill another cape (mid operation), and use it to make SORCERER?
Unsure what Trump fleshweaver might do. Maybe shaping power-stuff, like someone's breaker form? Shaping active power expressions, like snuffing out or controling Sundancer's sun?
Some thinkers might be able to tell we're Protean, though BLINDSPOT would help with that to an extent. If a thinker who can scry notices that they can never notice Protean when this BLINDSPOT is around, that'd still be an issue.
Been thinking some more, and it occurs to me, I didn't use TRUMP. That's a pretty fucking potent word at our disposal. What does everyone think about adding it to LAZARUS or FLESHWEAVER?
Some thinkers might be able to tell we're Protean, though BLINDSPOT would help with that to an extent. If a thinker who can scry notices that they can never notice Protean when this BLINDSPOT is around, that'd still be an issue.
The plan has been modified to include Path to Confusion (PtC) instead of Blindspot. That should solve the issue and give us another tool for misdirection.
The plan has been modified to include Path to Confusion (PtC) instead of Blindspot. That should solve the issue and give us another tool for misdirection.
Fair enough, although it's a concern for all our defensive powers, and only applies if we are under active scrutiny ... In which case we are already in trouble. I guess there's nothing to it but pump as many motes as possible into the power and hope for the best.
Sorry this is late. I've just not really been interested in writing the last few days. I'd also constantly lose like half the update to computer issues, too, but hopefully that won't happen again. Not super happy with how this came out, it's mostly just exposition I feel like, but we should be back to action starting next update.
Casey woke the next morning. He had dismissed his powers the previous night and his power felt mutable, new possibilities came to him, almost crying out to be used. Many of them were terrifying in their implications. The ability to strip capes of their powers, not through touch, but just by being withing thirty feet or so of them? The ability to grant himself something that seemed suspiciously like Eidolon's own power, if without quite as many options open to him?
There were also options that, no doubt, would help him with personal problems. The ability to shape his body as he saw fit, at any point? It... it almost called to him, but it didn't really address any of the most immediate problems he had. No, this Coil was likely a Thinker, probably some sort of precog according to Skitter. And he had several options. But one stood out above the rest.
He made his choices for the day. Something that rendered death little more than a nuisance? A must have. A Shaker power, centered around biological manipulation? He almost slipped in something extra but an instinct suggested this would seriously impact the resulting power. No, he needed something offensive, potentially non-lethal, and also synergistic with his new ally.
He wouldn't change that power, no matter how much it called to him.
The final power, though, now that interested him. A Thinker power centered around countering other Thinkers. Useless against mundane enemies, and against capes that didn't have some sort of Thinker power. Against those that had them, though? Absolutely devastating. As soon as this power slotted in, Casey became aware of several things.
First, and of the least relevance, a cape somewhere to his south had him involved in several plans. These plans weren't focused around Casey, nor were they truly aware of him specifically, but rather they involved groups that he had involvement with. Whether this was "capes" in general, "Trumps" or "capes of Brockton Bay," the plans ran from the beneficial to the criminal. A plan to solve world hunger, poverty, and also to funnel drugs and weapons through the city, this Thinker had them all.
Casey would need to research the capes of Boston at some point.
Something high above him--in orbit--also perceived him. Precognitive abilities, of course, and almost certainly the Simurgh. That wasn't something he gleaned any details from, any ability to counter. A part of Casey felt indignant over this, a feeling quickly squashed. Had he become so arrogant to think he could contend with something like that thing after he had barely started?
In fact, Casey felt several precognitives taking him into account. Some were more focused than others. For most he simply existed as a simple variable, "cape in Brockton Bay." but for two he had a particular presence.
Most relevant (and by far the more clear to him) was Coil. Or the Thinker he perceived as Coil. He wrapped around the city like a two-headed snake, observing the path most beneficial to him. Coil used his power frequently and, at some points, for large amounts of time. The man "chose" destiny. Did Coil even know how his power worked?
Casey brought out his cellphone and sent a quick text to Skitter. After a brief exchange, he had his plans for the day.
Skitter had chosen an interesting location for the meeting. A small warehouse, abandoned before even Leviathan, and which a group of three families had taken up as their own. Protean hadn't understood why she had chosen this place, until she had guided her to a small area separated from the rest, home to a small bed, desk, and a mannequin showing the beginnings of a new costume. Apparently, Skitter had trusted Protean with her base. Protean wasn't sure if it had been as a display of confidence and power, or a show of trust, or perhaps both.
The families that lived alongside her kept a respectful distance from the capes.
"They're afraid of you," Protean told Skitter.
"I'm not surprised. I did use to be a villain, after all. We have an understanding, though."
"Well, if you say so. Which of Coil's capes should we hit first? And... how do we plan on removing them? If Coil has the influence you say, do you think the PRT will be able to hold them?"
A valid question, and one that might allow certain liberties. Protean's power hadn't been bugging her, but it would be good to lay the groundwork. A part of her wished that she had access to some sort of social Thinker power, but her current ability took absolute priority. Skitter paused to consider for a moment but didn't answer the question
We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, Protean thought to herself.
"So I'm thinking we hit Trainwreck first," Skitter began. "He's a Tinker, and Tinkers are always a pain in the ass. It also doesn't necessarily show our hand to anyone. And we aren't killing them, obviously. The PRT will at least be able to hold them for a few days, and it'll make Coil act... if he chooses too. Either way he loses out on something, either a cape or resources."
An interesting proposition, but with one problem...
"I don't even know who that is," Protean confessed.
"Case 53, new on the scene. He's working with the Merchants these days, so you hitting them won't seem that odd. Most people paying attention realize you're the same cape that did in Skidmark, so picking a fight with the remnants while we actually target Coil's power base just makes sense. If you aren't interested in him, we can target Circus or Uber and Leet. All of them work with Coil in secret."
The recent studying paid off. Cape 53--a PRT designation relating to "monstrous" capes, though not all capes with mutations counted as such. Apparently, there were several necessary criteria, and Protean hadn't been able to figure out the full truth of it. She idly wondered how they fared with the rest of society? No secret identity, often not exactly photogenic.
"Not the Undersiders?"
Skitter becomes still for a moment. The bugs give her away, though. A part of Protean senses through them just as they do, her new Thinker power interpreting minute amounts of the signals Skitter sends, each tinged with her feelings.
"I'd rather not," she says at last. "I've... gotten close to them. When the time comes, I'll definitely go against them, but now? I don't think it's really necessary. If you want to be ambitious we can target the Travelers, but they have several heavy-hitters. I'd rather not go against them if we can help it."
"Sure thing," Protean replied. It had been an illuminating moment. "That said, I've come up with a couple of tricks. One of them tells me what Coil's power is, and provides some protection. The other... well, I can make your bugs better, if you want. It's fairly limited but should be pretty helpful."
"Better how?" comes the obvious question.
"More durable, better weapons, larger, that sort of thing. Let me know what you'd like. Maybe even something more exotic, but I'm not so sure of that."
"And Coil's power?"
Her voice is most interested in this. Protean isn't surprised. She considers the two-headed snake encircling the city, choosing which head will act. Almost certainly their ultimate target.
"Coil simulates two separate timelines, and chooses the one most beneficial to him. This is both his strength, and his weakness. If he runs into something unexpected, something that didn't exist in the simulation, his power fails to pick up on it. And when Coil 'chooses' his timeline, he unknowingly surrenders control to his power. It will adjust to new information... but if I can conceal us, Coil and his power will be entirely unaware of what we're doing until he directly encounters the results."
"So he literally can't react to something until it's happened, unless he's just not using his power? Do you know how often he uses his power? And how do you know this, anyway?"
A power question. Protean had been expecting it to come up, a shortened explanation for her power ready to go, when it inevitably reached that point beyond "a Trump."
"I'm currently using a power that lets me piggyback on Thinker powers, so long as they target me. Coil's power is typically focused on the city--he's definitely using it for other things, sometimes, but usually I'm caught in the effect. And before you ask, no, it doesn't work on the Simurgh."
But one day. One day it will, she promised to herself. The thought of the Endbringer, of meeting them in battle, sent a thrill down her spine. Protean was pretty sure that wasn't normal, she had been completely terrified during Leviathan's attack. How much of this was her, and how much was it her power?
"That sounds... incredibly useful. You're saying that you can basically turn his power against him, then?"
Close enough, but Protean was nothing if not exact.
"Not precisely. I can definitely break the simulation, though. If I know what his power predicted, then we can just do something else. It won't matter which choice Coil makes if we're doing something fundamentally separate than what his power's telling him. The best part is that it isn't obvious, until it suddenly is, and hopefully it'll be too late for him by then."
"So we're taking away his information advantage and using it to our own ends. And Thinkers thrive on information advantage. But speaking of powers... you know my power pretty well, there isn't really much too it. But if we're going to be working together I do need to know more of what you can do."
The partial truth came to Protean's lips easily. No power was needed to guide her in this.
"I have a set of powers I can switch between, but only once a day. I can decide how powerful I want them to be too, but the more powers I have at a time, the weaker they'll be. Right now I'm running a Brute power, the Thinker power I told you about, and a Shaker power that lets me manipulate biology."
No need to mention how she came by powers, nor how they grew in strength.
"So you are basically Eidolon. Though... that Shaker power, do you think you can mess with how I control bugs? Panacea did something like that to me once, interfered with it somehow."
"Maybe. What did you have in mind?"
"Can you make something that... maybe lets me extend my range? A bug that reproduces my power, somehow?"
"Maybe? I'd need to experiment some, you'd probably have to help, but it's worth a try. Any other requests?"
"Something for movement, if you can manage it?"
"Easily done! I'm going to get a start on this and we can decide our first target...
[] Trainwreck is Skitter's suggestion. Trainwreck is a Tinker Case 53, apparently working with Coil in secret. He had infiltrated the Merchants as a cape, and with the loss of Skidmark, he's a prime target. Coil is very likely to assign blame to the Merchant's collapse, rather than someone plotting against him. Other Merchant capes may get involved.
[] Circus is a small time burglar with a grab-bag of powers. They've apparently thrown in with Coil, acting as a deniable asset, much like the Undersiders and the Travelers. They are unlikely to be especially dangerous or have much support, and as an "independent" cape, Coil is likely to believe they simply fell victim to typical cape conflict. The problem is that Circus is an accomplished escape artist, with a synergistic set of minor powers...
[] Uber and Leet are long-time minor villains that have apparently thrown in with the local Bond villain. They are unlikely to be difficult to defeat--unless Leet has something especially nasty squirreled away--and it's always good to deny a Tinker to the enemy. The problem is that they're like roaches--they've lasted years without being put behind bars, killed, or press ganged by a stronger force. Someone targeting them might tip Coil off, especially if Skitter can be seen as actively involved.
[] Skitter really doesn't want to do this one, at least not yet, but she did mention a group called the Travelers. Apparently, they're a traveling group of minor villains, each with extremely potent or synergistic powers. Nobody knows they're working for Coil yet, though they've apparently began a series of territory grabs. This is certainly on Coil's orders and coincides with a recent series of similar plays by the Undersiders. This is likely to be extremely dangerous, but they do represent the most powerful capes under Coil's control.
[][POWER] Utilize PSYCHOPOMP to create, modify, or break apart powers.
-[] Add a KEYWORD to [existing power]
-[] Add motes to [existing power]
-[] Break apart [existing power] and reclaim all motes and keywords (requires at least eight hours of rest).
-[] Break apart all powers, regaining all motes and KEYWORDS, to be used to make new powers.
-[] Do nothing for now.
PSYCHOPOMP (Rank 12)(Trump): Harvest KEYWORDS and motes from dying capes. Use them to create powers. Gain a minor Thinker power to identify capes.
FLESHWEAVER (Shaker)(SHAKER, FLESH, CRAFT, CONTROL) (Rank 6) Biology is your plaything. Twist the forms of biological life to your will. Range, speed, and severity of viable change expands at higher ranks. Panacea, but a Shaker. (10 motes)
PATH TO CONFUSION (Thinker)(THINKER, SCRAMBLE) (Rank 6) Casey gains knowledge of Thinker effects applied to him, as well as knowledge of steps that may be taken to confound or confuse the Thinker. Higher levels apply to more esoteric and potent powers, as well as allow for a greater degree of confounding. (10 motes)
LAZARUS (Brute)(BRUTE, REGEN) (Rank 4) Casey regenerates wounds he receives. The more wounded, the more rapidly he regenerates. If Casey is slain, he returns to life after a delayed period of time--anywhere from 3 minutes to 3 days. He self-resurrects more quickly the higher the rank. (5 motes)
I've been eagerly awaiting this quest's return! Hope you feel better about writing.
[X] Trainwreck is Skitter's suggestion. Trainwreck is a Tinker Case 53, apparently working with Coil in secret. He had infiltrated the Merchants as a cape, and with the loss of Skidmark, he's a prime target. Coil is very likely to assign blame to the Merchant's collapse, rather than someone plotting against him. Other Merchant capes may get involved.
Admittedly if Leet or Uber ended up dead that'd be useful, and from my research they appear to be rather weak capes. Too bad we don't have a trump draining power equipped, but honestly I'd feel bad doing that to Trainwreck anyways. Sounds like without their powers they couldn't move at all. Heck given the nature of Trainwreck's power for all we know draining it could kill them.
[X] Trainwreck is Skitter's suggestion. Trainwreck is a Tinker Case 53, apparently working with Coil in secret. He had infiltrated the Merchants as a cape, and with the loss of Skidmark, he's a prime target. Coil is very likely to assign blame to the Merchant's collapse, rather than someone plotting against him. Other Merchant capes may get involved.
[X] Trainwreck is Skitter's suggestion. Trainwreck is a Tinker Case 53, apparently working with Coil in secret. He had infiltrated the Merchants as a cape, and with the loss of Skidmark, he's a prime target. Coil is very likely to assign blame to the Merchant's collapse, rather than someone plotting against him. Other Merchant capes may get involved.
The final power, though, now that interested him. A Thinker power centered around countering other Thinkers. Useless against mundane enemies, and against capes that didn't have some sort of Thinker power. Against those that had them, though? Absolutely devastating. As soon as this power slotted in, Casey became aware of several things.
But one day. One day it will, she promised to herself. The thought of the Endbringer, of meeting them in battle, sent a thrill down her spine. Protean was pretty sure that wasn't normal, she had been completely terrified during Leviathan's attack. How much of this was her, and how much was it her power?
Ok, I know I joked about attacking them, but Taytay is actually right, this is a little too soon, I would prefer having killed one or two more capes before it.
Out of the other targets... unfortunately I can't really see how we could easily justify killing against any of them.
Maybe Trainwreck? The guy's biology may allow for an *accident*?
Squealer getting involved also may allow better chances of unfortunate accidents, did someone say *roadkill*?
[X] Trainwreck is Skitter's suggestion. Trainwreck is a Tinker Case 53, apparently working with Coil in secret. He had infiltrated the Merchants as a cape, and with the loss of Skidmark, he's a prime target. Coil is very likely to assign blame to the Merchant's collapse, rather than someone plotting against him. Other Merchant capes may get involved.
We'll also have to think on what powers we want to try next, changing regularly has advantages, in fact, not sure the current set is that great against Train... well, the fleshcrafting... oh, wait, we could use it to kill him and claim *bizarre Case 53 biology*.
A possible argument for Circus. If we kill her we'd more than likely get a lot of keywords and in particular a lot of keywords that synergize well with what we've got going on. She has a fire power which we already have a fire word so we could combo them together to get stronger pyrokinetic abilities, she has a movement ability which seems to work along the lines of coordination which could possibly let us stabilize our mover powers a bit more and she has a pocket dimension which could both combo with a lot of our words and seems valuable on its own. Downsides being decreased relationship with Taylor and not getting access to a Tinker keyword.
Ganking Uber would essentially give us another set of keywords for "Prodigy", and would be entirely feasible if we manage to cause Leet's equipment to malfunction. Leet's Prototype power sans the restriction would also be an unholy terror.
[X] Uber and Leet are long-time minor villains that have apparently thrown in with the local Bond villain. They are unlikely to be difficult to defeat--unless Leet has something especially nasty squirreled away--and it's always good to deny a Tinker to the enemy. The problem is that they're like roaches--they've lasted years without being put behind bars, killed, or press ganged by a stronger force. Someone targeting them might tip Coil off, especially if Skitter can be seen as actively involved.
Trainwreck... I wonder, would draining his power kill him, since his biology is tied to it? Although we should ask Taylor about what other capes the Merchants have. Because facing Scrub without a good counter? Noppity nope.
[X] Trainwreck is Skitter's suggestion. Trainwreck is a Tinker Case 53, apparently working with Coil in secret. He had infiltrated the Merchants as a cape, and with the loss of Skidmark, he's a prime target. Coil is very likely to assign blame to the Merchant's collapse, rather than someone plotting against him. Other Merchant capes may get involved.
And all the yesses for ruining Accord's whole shtick.
