The Return - Mythic Supers Game

 Mason Dean sat at the table, munching on his sandwich while jotting down notes in his notebook while reading the text in front of him. After a few minutes, he took a drink of his soda and continued his homework. 

In the two years since the big fights, he did his best to walk away from his other persona. Mr. Ashby had left him enough money so he didn't live on the street, but it'd run out eventually. Dropping back to part time studies, he took a second job to cover expenses and pay for his classes. At least life in the past two years had returned to normal.

Unfortunately, the news report on the monitor hanging from the cafeteria ceiling had other plans.

"The mysterious criminal known only as Zapman escaped from prison earlier this morning, injuring a dozen police officers and causing over $100,00.25 in damage. This comes just a day after the shooting at a playhouse off Stanley Street, where a substitute teacher went missing. Although authorities doubt this has anything to do with the robberies at Wylltech a couple years ago, they fear something else is responsible.

We'll report back when we have more information."

Mason sighed, dropping his pencil to the table. So much for walking away. He closed his textbook and notebook, staring at the covers. Last time, the police hunted Vyper down until he disappeared. Maybe he should just let them deal with it. Still, considering the damage to the police station, that may no longer be an option. Shaking his head, Mason collected his belongings, took one last bite of his sandwich before tossing it into the trash bin, and grabbed his soda before heading for the door.

We'll come back to Mason Dean and his inner struggle as he debates returning as Vyper later. But first, here's our other new hero (well not so new if you read the previous stories):

Mr. Flex

Level 1 Hero.

Body: +3, Agility: +1, Heart: -1.

Brad Muggs loved wrestling in college and hoped to either compete in the Olympics or in pro wrestling. After suffering a severe injury, Brad volunteered for experimental treatment, not realizing his was nothing but a lab project. After recovering, and noticing his superhuman strength and reflexes, Brad realized he'd have an unfair advantage when competing. Wanting to help others, he began calling himself, Mr. Flex.

This scene takes place about the same time. Flex is walking to the gym where he works.

However, before he can proceed, I get a Scene Interrupt:  "Help," "Move."

(Q)  Is someone asking him to help them move?  (Likely)  No.

(Q)  Is someone asking him to move something?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Is a car stuck?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

Brad walked on the sidewalk, enjoying the morning breeze, and smiling at people as he made his way to work. there was no need to drive as he only had to travel a few blocks to the gym, where he worked as a trainer. 

As he passed an alley, he heard cursing. Turning to look, he saw a man getting out of his car and kicking it.

"What's wrong?" Brad asked. 

"I didn't see the mud puddle," the other man said. "Now I'm stuck."

Brad approached. "Let me take a look."

I feel like pushing a car out of the mud wouldn't be easy for a normal person, but it wouldn't be impossible either. Rather than finding out the type of car and how badly it's entrenched, I'm just going to ask one question about the overall difficulty.

(Q)  Is the overall Difficulty +2?  (Likely)  Yes.

So the Difficulty (Also Resisted Rank; I know I jump back and forth between those terms but they mean the same thing) is +2, while Brad's Body stat is +3.

(Ability)  Does Brad manage to move the car?  (+1 means Likely)  X-Yes, but with Random Event.

(Event)  "Goals," "Delay."

Well, Brad's current goal is to get to work, so I'm guessing this makes him late.

(Q)  Is Brad in trouble for being late?  (50/50)  No.

Brad easily pushed the car free, and the other man thanked him and went to work. As he drove away, Brad glanced at his watch. Uh oh, he's going to be late if he didn't hurry.

He flew through the doors to the gym, and Sophie, the trainer sitting behind the front desk smiled. "Ten minutes late. Maybe walking isn't such a good idea after all."

"Well that's just it," said Brad. "Some guy got his car stuck and I helped him free it."

"Ah," she laughed, "that's our Brad, the big hero." She threw a thumb backward. "You got a class of women waiting for you, and I think they're starting to get impatient."

Brad smiled. "Thanks." He hurried to the locker room to change.

 That night, Brad left the gym and began walking home. The streets were somewhat busy and the sidewalk had its fill of people darting into and out of stores. 

(Q)  Does Brad see anything suspicious?  (50/50)  Yes.

(Detail)  What does he see?  "Break," "Fight."

(Q)  Is the fight in an alley?  (Likely)  Yes.

Hearing commotion, he glanced into another alley. Did someone else's car get stuck? Instead he saw two young men punching each other.

(Q)  Is anyone else around?  (Likely)  X-Yes.

(Q)  Are a lot of people present?  (Likely because of the previous result)  No.

(Q)  Does the Exceptional result mean a supervillain is present?  (Very Likely)  X-Yes.

Ducking out of sight, Brad reached into his bad. Finding his mask, he threw it on, along with his matching finger-less gloves. Then he charged into the alley. "Hey, break it up." He looked up and down at the men. "What possible reason could you have for beating each other senseless?"

"Do you mind? We're in the middle of something."

Brad turned to see a third man, also wearing a mask, standing on a crate. "Who are you?"

"I'm Zapman, and you're interrupting an initiation. Who in the dawn's early light are you?"

Brad stood tall. "I'm Mr. Flex, and you shouldn't make them fight, they look like kids."

"Maybe you have a point." Zapman looked to the two men. "New plan; whoever takes down 'Mr. Flex' here is in."

The two men turned and faced Flex, and now he noticed they were armed with brass knuckles.

Time for a Clash. Mr. Flex has Body +3 for the brawl. 

(Q)  Do the two men have +1 Body?  (50/50)  No.

So all stats are 0. However, since they're fighting Flex at the same time, they total +1.

(Clash)  Does Flex win the Clash?  (+2 means Very Likely)  Yes.

Flex's +3 for Body is 3 higher than their 0 so they both suffer -2 RS.

(Q)  Do the two men run?  (I'm counting the +2 to make it Very Likely)  Yes, Random Event.

(Event)  "Goal," "Control."

The two men stepped forward and began throwing punches. Not wanting to harm either of them, Flex caught their fists and sent them flying into the nearby wall. 

Stumbling to his feel, the first man turned to the second. "You know what?  This ain't worth the cash."

"Not one buck," said the second. And they took off onto the sidewalk and out of sight.

Zapman watched them and then turned to Flex. "They didn't have it anyway, but you did ruin my night."

Flex shrugged. "Sorry but they looked like teenagers. They should be at the arcade or on dates or anything besides beating each other up."

Zapman raised a glowing hand. "Then you'll have to do instead."

This will be a Clash between Zapman and Flex. Zapman will try to, well, zap Flex, using his +Heart and +2 Damage for +3 total. Flex will gain attempt to charge forward into melee range, relying on hid +1 Agility. I'll roll for flex.

(Clash)  Does Flex win the Clash?  (-2 means Very Unlikely)  No.

The Damage of Zapman's attack is +3 versus Flex's +3 Toughness, so he suffers -1 RS.

Mr. Flex lunged towards his opponent, but Zapman snickered and let loose with bolts of electricity. They struck Flex right in the chest, and her veered to the side and crashed into some trash cans. 

"Had enough?" asked Zapman with a grin.

Flex got back to his feet. "You won't hurt anyone while I'm around.

This time, Flex's Agility drops to 0.

(Clash) Does Flex win the Clash?  (-3 means Nearly Impossible)  No.

Another -1 RS in Damage.

Flex took a single step, but ate another electric bolt, this time sending him backwards. His head struck the stone steps and his vision blurred.

Not a good battle for poor Flex so I'm going to improvise.

(Q)  Does Flex get some unexpected help?  (Going for Very Likely because he Really needs it!)  X-Yes

(Clash)  Does the 'help,' going with Effect, win the Clash?  (+1 from previous roll means Likely) Yes.  

"Keep getting up," sneered Zapman, as Flex rolled onto his hands and knees. "I'm so enjoying my new toy." Pointing his fingers, he let loose another bolt.

The blast of energy sailed through the air, until it struck a force field and dissipated. Zapman looked up to see another masked figure floating between him and Mr. Flex.

“Playtime’s over,” said the new opponent.

Eyes wide, Zapman quickly collected himself and grinned. "Ah, the Vyper. I heard you vanished into thin air, never seen again."

"I'd love to," said Vyper, "but you won't let me."

"Then I'll just have to help you right now. Zappidy Zappidy!" Zapman raised his hands.

This Clash will be Vyper's +3 vs. Zapman's +3, with both going for Damage.

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash?  (50/50)  Yes, Random Event.

(Event)  "Failure," "Uncertain."

Zapman suffers a -1 RS. However, I'm treating the Event as him hiding his new weakness.

Before Zapman could fire, Vyper launched a bubble of force that slammed into the man. He fell back, shaking his head. Clearly the hit left him stunned, but he did his best to hide it. "We're not finished here, Vyper. Mark my words, you will cringe when you feel my zappy wrath."

"I'm cringing already," Vyper replied. As Zapman fled into a back alley, Vyper went to check on Mr. Flex. "You all right?"

Flex started to sit up. "Yeah, thanks, friend." He looked to where Zapman had fled. "You let him escape?" 

"I thought I'd see if you were alive, you know that empathy thing," Vyper replied. "I've got to work on that."

Flex stood up. "You know it wasn't a fair battle, two of us against one of him."

"First of all, I'd hardly call what happened to you a battle," Vyper said. "And second, it wasn't a prize fight."

Before Flex could respond, several vans pulled up. Vyper turned to leave, but he saw a number of people with weapons drawn, including the glint of rifles from those on the rooftop. 

One middle aged man got out of the van and approached them. "You're the ones known as Vyper and Mr. Flex. If you try to flee, and that means turning invisible and flying away, Vyper, my team's instructed to seek out and take you down."

Vyper crossed his arms. "So you're taking us in but not that maniac who tried to fry us."

The other man nodded. "I regret we lost him in the alleys, but there'll be a search for him shortly. Please come with me."

Flex looked past him to the vans. "You're not police, so you're not arresting us."

"That's correct. I'm Ted Stanse and I represent The Agency. I'll explain everything shortly." He gestured to the lead van. "Please, before the police really arrive."

Vyper glanced upward. "I've dealt with police before."

But Flex touched his shoulder. "Calm yourself, friend. Let's just see what they want."

Vyper took a step back. "Friend? This all was a knee jerk reaction. If I had to do it over again, I'd leave you on the ground and flatten that thunder punk."

Flex smiled. "I know you don't mean that." He turned to Stanse. "Do we have to unmask?"

"Yeah, fat chance," Vyper muttered.

Stanse shook his head. "No, and rest assured, Mr. Muggs, your secret is safe with us."

Flex gestured with his chin. "Come, Vyper, let's at least listen to him."

Vyper sighed. "I'm going to regret this."

A Shocking Experience, in more ways than one - Mythic Supers Game

 Time to meet some more characters in my game. But first, since the last post was the prologue, let's start with a title card:

Vyper 2: The Agency

Two years later . . . 

"What a lovely day today." Brenda sniffed the air and smiled as she gazed at the sky. The 25 yr old sighed as she felt the cool breeze on her skin.

"Come on, Miss Brenda!" The 5 yr old boy took her hand.

"Sorry, Danny," she said. "It's just been a while since I've been outside."

Danny smiled. "We can wait then."

She shook her head. "No, your class is here to see the show. Let's go."

They entered the playhouse, which had signs posted for the puppet show. The other kids from the school had already rushed inside with their teachers, but Brenda took her time, probably because her body still felt a little stiff.

The doors then opened behind her. "Stop right there, Rose."

Brenda turned around to see a man there with a pistol drawn. "Danny, run!"

She started to push him away, but seeing the man turn his gun to the child, she pulled him closer, putting herself in front of the man. "What do you want?"

"For you to be silent," the man said, "and I'm about to get it."

I already knew this part of the scene. Time to see the rest.

(Q)  Is there more than one man?  (Likely)  No.

(Q)  Does he have the same stats as a Crook? (Likely) No.

(Q)  Is he Level 0?  (Likely) Yes.

(Q)  Is his Agility +1?  (Likely)  Yes - Random Event

(Event)  "Control," "Burden." I'm giving him a +1 Mind then because it means he is better at seeing those who sneak, but I'm dropping his Heart to -2 to balance it.

Also from here on, if I don't list a stat, either it's not going to be used (like Talk for a bear) or it's a 0.

I'm going to perform this Clash from the Thug's (We'll go with that term) point of view. He's opening fire on Brenda, who will perform an effect turning away and bracing herself).

(Clash) Does the Thug win the Clash?  (+1 vs. +3 = -2 or Very Unlikely)  No.

The thug opened fire with his pistol and Brenda held the boy close. She heard the light thunking sounds of the bullets but felt nothing. Looking down, she saw neither she nor the boy had a single scratch on them. 

Glancing back, she saw the thug staring at her in surprise. With a snarl, he pointed his pistol right at her head and fired.

(Clash)  Does the Thug win the Clash?  (+1 vs. +4 = -3 or Nearly Impossible)  No.

Brenda flinched but again the bullet fell to the ground before her. 

The thug shook his head. "What kind of freak are you?"

"Freak?" She sent the boy running through the double doors. "You tried to shoot at a child!"

"I won't miss this time." Stepping forward, he put the barrel of the gun right against her forehead.

(Clash) Does the Thug win the Clash?  (-2 this time means Very Unlikely)  X-No.

He pulled the trigger, but something sent him flying back. The gun fell from his hand and the back of his head bounced off the tile floor. He groaned as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Heart racing, Brenda rushed outside. Running into a nearby alley, she collapsed against the brick wall, chest heaving as she fought away a panic attack.

A moment later, several vans pulled up. She then heard a man's voice. "Check inside."

A few moments later she heard the building's door open again. "One down, stunned but alive. The rest are scared but fine."

"Send Miss Cove to talk with them," said the first man. There was a pause before she heard footsteps approaching. 

Hiding behind a trash bin, she lowered herself to her knees and wait.

"Miss Rose?" The first man's voice spoke.

The footsteps continued until she looked up. The man, middle-aged, wearing a button down shirt and business pants and shoes stood before her. He wore a baseball cap with the word 'Agency' on it.

"Brenda Rose?"

"I didn't mean to hurt him," Brenda said. "He was going to shoot me and the boy."

The man smiled. "I know. My name is Ted Stanse, and I'm here to help you." He held out a hand.

She noticed his hat. "What's the Agency?"

He lifted her to her feet. "Come with me, Bubble Girl, and I'll show you."

So who is Brenda Rose and what's with her high stats? Well Brenda Rose had suffered from one illness after another growing up. Her parents kept her inside so much, the other kids called her Bubble Girl. As an adult, she got a job as a substitute teacher but collapsed her first day and was hospitalized. The hospital gave her an experimental treatment, which healed her but caused her to go into a coma for several weeks.

Upon emerging, Brenda learned she could shrug off not only illnesses but injuries as well. It's as if she's surrounded by an invisible bubble that wards off danger.

Here are her stats:

Brenda Rose (Bubble Girl)

Level 1 Hero.

Body: -1.

+5 Toughness, +4 Shield against Powers.

This is why the bullets did nothing to her. The first time, she took a -1 penalty to also shield little Danny. The second time, she took the full +4 resistance to the gunshot. And the third time, she took a penalty (unconsciously) and along with the Exceptional result, sent the impact of the bullet back at the thug. Unfortunately, this leaves her with little to no offense. She has no powers to attack, she hates guns, and she can't throw a punch to save her life. For now, 'Bubble Girl' is strictly a defensive character. For now.

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And now for Scene 2:

Do you remember, way back, when Zapman lost his first fight to a police officer? Well here's what happened next.

Inside the police station, the officer dropped the paperwork on his partner's desk. "Here's what I could find on this Zapman guy, Reg."

Reg, a man in his 50s, glanced at it. "What's the deal, Carl? This thing's pretty much blank."

Carl shrugged. "Exactly. He gave us no alias. His fingerprints are burned off. Even his clothes look like he got them from a thrift store."

"Fine." Reg picked up his phone. "I'll check the nearby departments."

"I already tried that," Carl replied. "Nobody's heard of him. My guess is he's some crook that got a new toy."

Putting the phone back, Reg picked up the metal device, long and slender, with straps for hand and wrist. "So what do you think? Laser?"

"Considering how he used it against me," Carl answered, "I'd say electroshock, like a wireless taser."

Getting up. Reg walked over to the cell, where the man in his thirties, wearing dark gray pants and a black t-shirt." "Not so tough without your toy now, are you?" He grinned.

The other man looked up with him and narrowed his eyes but then resumed studying the bars to the cell.

With a chuckle, Reg returned to his work.

(Q)  Can Zapman use his powers without his device?  (Unlikely)  Yes.

I'll admit I wasn't expecting that, but if his powers were inside him all along ( Awww!), I can work with that. 

Zapman stared through the bars at the device again sitting on the cop's desk. His eyes then fell to his fingers, but when he snapped them, he saw a spark. Did it really work? The device was supposed to give him powers, but he didn't think it'd actually 'give' him the powers. He then looked at the cell's lock and pointed his fingers.

He's going to try and use his powers to open the lock. Not sure how this would work so I'm making it a Fate question.

(Q)  Is the Difficulty of picking the lock with Zapman's powers a +2?  (Likely)  Yes.

Okay so it is a +2. Now here are Zapman's stats:

Zapman: Level 1 Villain.

Body: +1, Heart: +1.

Powers: Electroshock.

Skills: (Shock): +2 Damage, +1 Effect.

(Ability)  Does Zapman pick the lock with his powers?  (50/50)  X-No, Random Event.

(Event)  "Benefit," "Burden."

(Q)  Does he accidentally hit the device?  (50/50)  Yes.

(Q)  Does anyone see him hit it?  (Likely)  No.

I interpreted the word 'burden' to be his device since it's big and somewhat bulky. The benefit I'm going to say is it works in his favor, despite his horrible failure.

Pointing his fingers at the lock, Zapman fired a bolt at it. However he missed the lock completely. The bolt instead flew across the room and struck his device. and amazing coincidence, but maybe it was attracted to it. The device began glowing and humming.

The officers in the room noticed and ran over to the device. 

(Q)  Do any of the officers touch the device?  (Very Unlikely, I mean who'd be that stupid?)  No.

"Don't touch it," Carl ordered. 

Reg turned to Zapman. "What's it doing?"

Zapman merely shrugged. "I'm in here. What'd you do to it?"

(Q)  Will the device explode if Zapman shoots it again?  (50/50 because I don't know.)  Yes.

(Q)  Will the damage be lethal?  (Likely, I mean, I did write explosion.')  No.

(Q)  Will it knock anyone out?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Are there more than 3 officers standing close by?  (50/50)  No.

Carl, Reg, and a third officer stared at the device as it continued to hum and glow. No one paid attention to Zapman. Taking aim, he tried to fire another shot at the device.  

I'm making the Difficulty +1 because last time, it seemed to attract the bolt. This is versus Zapman's +2 (+1 Heart and + for Effect).

(Ability)  Does Zapman hit the device?  (+1 means Likely)  Yes.

Zapman fired a bolt into the device.

Carl noticed and turned. "What the?"

Before anyone could react, the device exploded, sending electricity in all directions.

(Q)  Is the blast's Damage +2 (Very Likely)  No (so +1.)

The cop's have +1 Agility to avoid the explosion but -1 Heart to withstand the blast, so I'm balancing it all to 0 and making it a Clash. If the cops succeed. they avoid getting knocked out. I'm also rolling once for each cop. Normally, I'd do a combined roll, but I'm looking at it as characters avoiding a trap.

(Clash)  Did the explosion knock out the cops?  (+1 means Likely)  Yes, Yes, Yes.

All three men fell back, crashing against desks or the wall. On the ground, they crumpled, groaning or making little sound at all.

(Q)  Is there anyone else in the room?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  More than 2?  (Likely)  Yes, Random Event.

(Event)  "Danger," "Change."

(Q)  Are they all cops?  (50/50)  No.

(Q)  Are any of them crooks?  (50/50)  Yes.

Two police officers had been escorting a crook into the room when the explosion occurred. running over to their friends, they left the crook in the doorway and ignored the man in the cell.

With them distracted, Zapman decided to try the lock again.

(Ability)  Does Zapman pick the lock?  (50/50)  Yes.

He fired tiny needles of static into the lock, and it clicked. Standing, he opened the door and stepped out. 

The officers noticed and looked up as Zapman pointed his fingers. "You'll all know the pain of the zappy zappy! Ha ha!"

Zapman's attack stat is +3 versus the two cops. The cops both have +1 Agility, so I'll bump it for a total of +2.

(Clash)  Does Zapman win the Clash?  (+1 means Likely)  Yes.

Since the +3 is greater than the cops' Toughness (0) by 3, they suffer -2 RS.

Zapman fired electric bolts which struck both cops in the chest. The stumbled with their eyes wide.

This time it's Zapman's +3 versus 0 for the cops, since they suffer a -2.

 

(Clash)  Does Zapman win the Clash?  (+3 means Nearly Certain)  Yes, Random Event.

(Event)  "NPC," "Start."

That sounds like a new NPC so I'll run with it.

A clerk ran into the room to investigate. Seeing the five injured officers, she screamed and ran.

The officers are now at -4 RS, which means checking to see if they're unconscious.

(Incapacity)  Are the officers Incapacitated?  (+7 means Certain)  Yes, Yes.

Walking past the unconscious police officers, Zapman approached the crook who stood in place.

(Q)  Is the crook male?  (50/50)  X-No.

(Q)  Does Zapman know her?  (50/50)  No.

(Q)  Is she friendly?  (Likely)  Yes.

"How'd you do that?" the woman asked.

"Let's just say I made some new friends recently," he answered.

Her face lit up. "Can you introduce me?"

Grabbing a notepad and pen, he scribbled an address. Gesturing to the bodies on the ground, he lowered his voice. "In case they're not quite out."

"Why don't you just finish them off?" she asked.

He handed her the notepad. "Because killing cops means shoot to kill."

(Q)  Does the room have an emergency exit?  (Very Likely)  No, Random Event.

(Event)  "Leave," "Distant."

Zapman glanced around. "Why don't these rooms have emergency exits?"

She blinked. "You didn't notice we're on the second floor?"

Let's get some stats for the woman.

(Q)  Is her Body +1? (50/50)  Yes.

(Q)  Is her Agility +1?  (50/50)  Yes.

Picking up an officer's pistol she fired it at one of the windows, shattering it. "Come on!" She climbed out the window, beckoning Zapman to follow.

I'm making the Difficulty +1 because they're only one floor up.

(Ability)  Does Zapman make the jump?  (Unlikely)  Yes.

(Ability)  Does the woman make the jump?  (50/50)  Yes.

The woman slid down the overhang and dropped to the ground. Zapman leaped out. Aiming for the bushes, he landed with a crash. 

Seeing an alley, he pointed. "Go!"

She took off down the alley and Zapman reached his feet and looked around.

(Q)  Did anyone notice them?  (Very Likely)  No, Random Event.

(Event)  "Distant," "Mundane."

Ooh, I know this one!

VIDEO

            GAME

                        REFERENCE!

The woman had already disappeared down the alley and around one of the corners. Surprisingly, no one noticed the two of them shooting their way out and leaping from the second floor of a police station and running off. Maybe the sounds of traffic distracted them. Either way, Zapman started down the alley to make his own escape.

"I lost my balloon!"

The voice cut straight through the noises and right into Zapman's skull. turning back, he saw a small boy staring up at his bright red balloon as it floated up away from him.

Definitely not my problem, Zapman thought as he turned away.

"My balloon!"

Zapman kept walking away but the voice stayed with him as the child continued crying out.

"Some get my balloon! My balloon's flying away!  My balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! My balloon! My balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! My balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! My balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! My balloon! My balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! My balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! My balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! My balloon! My balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! My balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back! Come back, balloon!"

Rolling his eyes, Zapman turned back and glanced up at the balloon. Lifting his hand, he pointed his fingers at it.

I'll make the Difficulty +2 since it's a small object flying away.

(Ability)  Does Zapman shoot the balloon?  (+1 mean likely)  Yes, Random Event.

(Event)  "Benefit," "Decrease."

Sparks leaped from Zapman's fingers. Climbing into the air, they struck right through the balloon. The child began sobbing as what's left of his companion fell to the side walk. Zapman chuckled, but then he saw the child's parents rushing to his side. Then they noticed him. Not wanting to start a brawl right in front of a police station, Zapman spun on his heels and took off down the alley.

Zapman gains 2 Villain Tokens for his adventure.

Whiskers and The Job - Mythic Supers Game

 So now, Kim Whiskers has his job, to break back into Wylltech and retrieve a box. I skipped the conversation where he received the info so I could just get into the game. But long story short, he has to find a long white box with black straps around it and red lettering.

To find it, I'll be using Mythic's One Page Location Crafter (Mythic Magazine #31). This allows you to explore a location without much planning or paperwork. For it's size, I'll got with Medium because it is a building but not a town.

I'll also be using the Lists mentioned in Magazine #17. Lists are used usually for when you meet various characters, but they have other uses as well. For the Location Crafter, whenever I roll sn Encounter Descriptor (I'll explain this later), I'll roll instead on my List. 

Here's my List (Yes, I know my handwriting leaves something to be desired):

I knew the building had security cameras, so first I rolled for them:

(Q)  Do the security cameras have an Awareness of +1 (Likely)  Exceptional Yes + Random Event.

This means the difficulty (also called Resisted Rank, though I tend to remember Diff better) is +2.

(Event)  "Danger," "Harm."

Ooh, that doesn't sound too promising. I'm guessing that means the cameras fire a taser if they catch someone. To keep things simply, I use the +2 also for the cameras shooting and the Damage if they unfortunately hit. Later I rolled for Toughness and got -1. That means the cameras can dish it out but they're rather fragile.

(Q)  Are there Laser Beams as well?  (Likely)  Yes.

Laser beams actually seemed like a better explanation than the cameras, but now I have a little bit of variety. The beams, which stay in place, have a lower difficulty but the base of them is still fragile.

(Q)  Do the Security Guards have the same stats as police officers?  (Unlikely)  No.

(Q)  Do they have Awareness of +1?  (50/50 because I'm not sure)  X-Yes (so +2).

So the guards have excellent vision and hearing but terrible combat ability. I guess worse case scenario, they just sound the alarm.

The final Encounter is a Puzzle, which I recently read about in Magazine #23. With the Mythic rules, you can easily generate puzzles to solve. I'll treat these as bypassing security and similar things. 

Now you may have noticed Slots 5-10 are blank. If I roll those I'll instead roll on the Descriptors table that is included in the Location Crafter and just make it up from there.

I am doing one thing differently with the Location Crafter. When you enter each Area, you're supposed to roll 3 times on the Area Elements table. Instead, I'm only rolling once because when I tried this before, I kept forgetting how many times I had rolled before. It seems to work fine that way.

A recap of Kim's stats:

Kimmy Whiskers

Level 1 Villain (midway between hero and villain)

Body: 0, Agility: +1, Mind: +2, Talk: 0, Heart: -1.

Skills: Bluff: +2, Sneak +1.

Now onto the game . . . 

Kimmy Whiskers drove his truck back through the gate. Surprisingly, the guard took one look at the truck and let him pass without another look. Maybe they were told they were done once the building was cleared out so the sooner the better. He pulled out a camping backpack from the truck and threw it over his shoulders.

Works for me, Kim thought, as he pulled up to the building. Reaching the back door, he entered the building.

I'm curious.

(Q)  Is this the same room where Vyper fought Willard?  (50/50)  No.

After using the code Drab had given him, Kim entered the building.

First Area. Progress Points = 0.

Element:  Encounter Descriptor (We're not wasting any time!):  Laser Beams.

Kim found himself in a hallway. Lining the walls were beams of light. Probably not the best idea to touch them. Inching to the wall, he searched for the panel to disable them.

I'll use the Awareness, +1, for this to keep the game going quickly. Kim has Mind +2 versus the +1 diff.

(Ability)  Does Kim disable to lasers?  (+1 mean Likely)  Yes.

Opening the panel, he pulled on some wires, and the lasers vanished. Well, that was easy, he thought with a sigh. Reaching the end of the hallway, he opened the door.

We now gain 1 Progress Point, which goes to Kim accomplishing his goal (finding the box for Drab).

Area 2. PP = 1:

Element: Object ("Suspicious," "Guidance.")

(Q)  Is it a map?  (Likely)  No.

(Q)  Is it a computer terminal with a layout of the building?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

Entering an almost empty room, Kim noticed a table against the wall with a computer on it. Hanging from the wall was a monitor. As he peered closer, he noticed it had a map of the building (I guess Willard didn't believe in screen savers). After staring at the screen for a minute or two, Kim decided on which route to take. Still, he decided to be a little extra cautious, considering whoever left the computer on could be nearby.

+1 PP.

Area 3. PP = 2:

Element: Object ("Bizarre," "Mundane.") 

(Q) Is it another computer? (50/50)  X-Yes.

After walking a ways down a hallway. and entering a similar room, Kim found a second computer. This one was huge and took up the entire wall. This looked like an office, but one that may have been occupied recently.

(Q)  Are there pictures on the wall? (Likely)  No.

(Q)  Are there books or notebooks in the room?  (Very Likely)  X-No.

(Q)  Are there disks of any kind in the room?  (Very Likely)  No.

(Q)  Are there boxes in the room?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Description)  What's in the boxes?  ("Heavy," "Lacking")

He also noticed several boxes stacked against the bare walls. They were taped pretty tight, and when he tried to nudge one of them, he noticed it was rather heavy. Kim decided to see what was on the computer.

(Q)  Is the computer on?  (50/50)  Yes.

(Desc)  What's on it?  ("Mysterious," "Light")

The computer seemed to set up the various lighting in the different rooms of the building. some were blinking while others were completely off. Kim couldn't understand the language on the computer so he left it.

Area #4. PP = 3:

Element: Expected, Return.

The hallway looped around and Kim found himself back to the first room. Searching around, he located another door and gave it a try.

Area #5. PP = 4:

Element: Expected. (Screw it, I'm rolling 2 more times).

Element: Location ("Lonely," "Fragrant.")

Element: Location ("Artistic," "Loud,.")

Kim found himself inside what appeared to be a break room. He saw two doors leading to bathrooms to his left. The walls were covered with bright colored drawings and designs. Reaching the opposite door, he went through.

Area #6. PP = 5:

Element: Location ("Valuable," "Threatening.")

Element: Expected.

Element: Encounter.

Finally, an encounter!

I roll first on my list: Descriptor. (Okay, fair enough).

Desc: ("Impressive," "Mechanical.")

The lab had an assortment of robotic parts. Some of which looked like dangerously sharp objects. At least they did to Kim. Lying on a table was a humanoid robot.

(Q)  Is it human-size? (50/50)  No (so half size)

(Q)  Is is complete?  (Unlikely)  No.

(Q)  Is it operational at all? (Very unlikely)  No.

The robot was missing a leg and its head and chest were missing a number of parts. No lights could be seen on the robot, and it wasn't hooked up to any power sources. Most likely, it was abandoned before being finished. While the robotic parts did seem like could be worth selling, the real reward was the box he was sent for, so Kim continued on.

Area #7. PP = 6:

Element: Encounter ("Fragile," "Equipment.")

Element: Expected.

Element: Object ("Atmosphere," "Familiar.")

Entering another equipment room, Kim saw walls filled with a bunch of spare parts. Bumping into one, he caught it before it hit the ground, but the piece fell apart in his hands. Must be either old or worthless, he thought.

Get ready for some rapid-fire questions:

(Q)  Is there anything valuable in here that easy to take?  (50/50)  Yes.

Since I rolled a solid yes, I'm going to make a Difficulty of +1 to search. He has Mind +2, so I'll use that to search.

(Ability) Does Kim find the valuable item?  (+1 means Likely)  Yes.

(Desc)  What is it?  ("Character," "Move.")

(Q)  Is it a teleporter?  (Likely by the desription)  Yes.

(Q)  Is it portable?  (Unlikely)  Yes - Random Event.

(Event)  ("Start," "Delay.")

(Q)  Does it work?  (50/50)  Yes.

(Q)  Is the Difficulty of it +2?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Ability)  Does Kim figure out the teleporter?  (0 means 50/50)  Yes.

Sitting in a metal box, Kim found what looked like an old handheld computer attached to a hexagonal dish. Also in the box he found instructors for a matter-transfer device. Kim's eyes lit up. An actual teleporter? Awesome! He didn't have time to figure it out as he still had his main goal to seek.

Area #8. PP = 7:

Element: Expected.

Element: Object ("Bizarre," "Large.")

Element: Encounter: Camera.

Moving through the door to the next room, Kim froze in his tracks and saw the camera hanging from the ceiling. It shone a red light onto the floor, and Kim also noticed scorch marks along the floor and opposite wall. This camera didn't just spot intruders; it also shot them! Holding his breath, Kim prepared to navigate past the lights.

The Difficulty is +2 versus Kim's +2 Mind and +1 Sneak for +3 total.

(Ability)  Does Kim sneak past the camera?  (+1 means Likely)  X-Yes.

Flattening against the wall, Kim easily slipped under the camera. As he did so, he noticed it moved in a predictable pattern. Maybe the next one did the same.

(I'm counting the Exceptional result as a +1 on his next roll).

Area #9. PP = 8:

Element: Object ("Rare," "Useful.")

Element: Object ("Artistic," "Natural.")

Element: Location ("Creepy," "Business.")

Finding an office adjacent to the labs, Kim looked around and saw pictures of various women. Nothing new there, people have interest. That is until he noticed they were photographs, not of models, but of ordinary women in the world. Someone had taken subtle pictures of these women and displayed them in his office. At least it might be a he.

(Q)  Is it a he?  (Likely)  Yes.

The name plate read 'Ronald Dalton.' Okay, a wee bit unsettling. Kim also found some flash cards in a small container on the desk. Not wanting to get noticed though, he left them right where they were.

Area #10. PP = 9.

Element: Expected.

Element: Expected, Exit.

Element: Expected.

Opening the door to the lab, Kim looked around. Most of the lab was empty, having already been cleared out recently. The room was pretty desolate. However he did see an emergency exit door. Good to know in the near future. Time to check out the next lab.

Area #11. PP = 10.

Element: Location ("Business," "Resource.")

Element: Encounter: Security Camera.

Element: Expected, PP-6.

Instead of a lab, Kim found himself in an office. Another security camera hung from the wall.

(Ability)  Does Kim bypass the camera? (+2 means Very Likely)  Yes.

Kim slipped past the camera and reached the next door. Looking back, though, he saw more than one door behind him and couldn't remember which way to go for the exit. Uh oh.

Area #12. PP = 4.

Element: Location ("Enclosed," "Bleak.")

Element: Encounter: Laser Beams.

Element: Positive ("Weapon," "Bright.")

Finding an incredibly dark hallway, Kim noticed more lasers separating him from the next door. Reaching the familiar wall panel, he set out to investigate it.

(Ability)  Does Kim bypass the lasers?  (+1 means Likely)  No - Random.

(Event)  "Communicate," "Move."

Unfortunately, Kim's finger slipped and he saw a spark. Jumping back, he avoided getting shocked, but then the lasers disappeared. Well that's promising, he thought, until red slights began flashing and alarms began to blare. Spinning to the door before him, Kim raced forward and through it.

I counted the weapon part of the previous roll as Kim avoiding getting hurt. However, from here on, all Object rolls will be treated as Encounter rolls, and I'll roll twice on my list if I get 5 or higher, since now security may be a little curious.

Area 13. PP = 5.

Element: Expected, Return.

Element: Encounter: Security Guard.

Element: Encounter: Security Guard.

Kim found himself in a previous room, with multiple doors. He couldn't remember which room this was, but then two guards entered the room. Luckily, they hadn't noticed him yet.

Kim's going to try to sneak into the closest door before the guards see him. The guards have +2 Awareness, so collectively it'll be +3 total, versus Kim's +3 sneaking. I'll treat this as an Ability check and a Clash if he fails.

(Ability)  Does Kim succeed in sneaking past the guards?  (50/50)  Yes.

Making barely a sound, Kim stayed low, silently opened a close-by door, and slipped in.

Area #14. PP = 6.

Element: Location ("Full," "Unpleasant.")

Element: Expected.

Element: Expected.

Kim again found himself in a room with lots of gurneys. Each one had a sheet covering a familiar shape. Feeling a chill down his spine, Kim rushed through the room and to the next door.

Area #15. PP = 7.

Element: Encounter: Puzzle.

Element: Expected, Complete.

Element: Expected.

Puzzle Descriptor: "Timed," "Barrier."

Puzzle Reward: "Help," "Joy."

Puzzle Consequence: "Enemies," "Physical."

(Q)  Is the puzzle Difficulty +2 (Likely)  Yes.

Kim found another lab, with boxes on several tables. On one table, he saw the white box he was looking for. Unfortunately, it was locked in a clear safe. As he pressed the main button, the phrase, "Passcode needed," appeared on the screen. Above it, however, a timer began to descend.

I'm combining all of the above to mean Kim must figure out the code or (on an X-No) it'll alert a lot of guards. Kim's Mind is +2, giving him a 50/50 chance to bypass it. For the timer, I'll raise the Difficulty each time and count Doubles as the keypad going into lockdown.

(Ability)  Does Kim bypass the puzzle?  (50/50)  No, but he can try again,

(Ability)  Does Kim bypass the puzzle?  (Unlikely)  No.

(Ability)  Same.  (Very Unlikely)  Yes.

The first two times, Kim got an 'Incorrect Code,' result. Finally, however, he figured it out. Opening the safe, he pulled out the box and stuffed it into his backpack. Then he raced to the door to find a way out of the place.

Area #15. PP = 8.

(Now I'm just looking for the exit.)

Element: Expected.

Element: Encounter: Guard.

Element: Encounter: Guard.

Kim opened the next door but saw several guards running in. Shutting the door, he looked around. Guards would probably be entering the previous room as well. He was trapped. Unless . . . Opening his backpack, he looked over the teleporter. He had no idea how it worked, but the best things sometimes came about from desperation.

Before, Kim made a check to notice the object was a teleporter. Now he's going to try and use it. I'm making the difficulty +2 again.

(Ability)  Does Kim figure out the Teleporter?  (50/50)  Yes.

Tapping a few keys, Kim noticed a map of the room appeared on the screen. With his fingers, he moved the map until he saw the outside door and his truck. Then he pressed 'Send.' A glowing light appeared before him. Just as both doors to the room burst open, Kim leaped into the light. He then found himself next to his truck. Jumping in, he headed for the exit.

(Q)  Is the guard at the gate suspicious?  (Likely)  Yes.

As he reached the gate, the guard stopped him. "What's going on with the alarms?" he asked.

Kim pretended to shrug. "I don't know. I was loading up when they went off. Honestly, if there's trouble, I'd rather be out of here, especially if someone's trying to steal this stuff."

This is a Bluff attempt. Kim has Bluff +2. The guard has Awareness +2.

(Clash)  Does Kim succeed in bluffing the guard?  (50/50)  Yes.

The guard waved him through. "Go ahead."

Kim pretend to be relieved. "Thanks." He drove away as the alarms continued in the background.

So Kim succeeded with his mission, acquired the device for Drab, but also got a new toy for himself. 

Kim earned 2 Hero Tokens. That also means he can roll to improve his Level. Since he's going to Level 2, the Difficulty is -2. I'm going to have him spend both his Hero Tokens to give him an even chance.

(Level Up)  Does Kim improve to Level 2?  (50/50)  Yes.

Kim is now Level 2, with 3 more Ability Points. 

His new stats are:

Body: 0. Agility: +3, Mind: +3, Talk: 0, Heart: -1

Skills: Bluff: +2, Sneak: +1.

Power: Teleport (Since it’s a device, I’ll use Mind instead of Heart)

Next time, we'll be seeing another character making an introduction.

Sequel Prologue - Mythic Supers Game

 This is continuing where the last game left off. At the time, I didn't know who stole the device. But now I'll continue that scene. Think of this as the pre-credits scene of the sequel, showing a flashback to that event.

Let's begin.

The truck drove through the security gate, with the guard waving the driver through. Leaving the property, the driver continued.

"Wow," he said to himself, "I didn't think it'd be that easy. I need to check that place out more often."

(Q)  Is the location he's driving to in the same town?  (Unlikely)  Yes, but barely.

(Q)  Is it an abandoned building?  (Likely)  Yes.

After driving for a few minutes, he reached what looked like an old factory right at the edge of the town. Pulling up to a large sliding door, he honked his horn, and a moment later, the door opened, revealing a large area with two people standing on a platform and awaiting him.

Turning off the truck, he got out and walked to the back of the truck. As the two people, a middle-aged male and female, approached, he opened the trucks twin doors.

"Here you go," he said.

"Any problems?" the woman asked.

The person, a kid in his mid to late teens, shook his head. Pointing to the front of the truck, he answered, "Nope, I put on glasses and a cap and between that and the truck, they thought I was a scavenger from the government. Makes me feel real safe with those geniuses in charge."

The middle-aged man rushed forward, throwing his arms around the device. "My baby!"

"Should I leave you two alone, Elden?" The woman smirked.

The man, backed away and straightened up. "I'm just excited, that's all. I thought she was gone forever."

"She?" The woman shook her head and turned back to the young man. "You must excuse Mr. Resk here. He gets quite attached to his toys, and didn't respond well when they tried to take them away."

Elden looked back at her. "But you'll let me continue, right Ms. Drab?"

Mallory Drab nodded. "Of course, dear Elden, your work is fully funded. I promise you'll fit right in with Eticorp, just like you did with my dear friend Charles."

"What about me?" the boy asked. "What about my pay?"

Drab turned to him. "Of course, your pay, unless you'd like to do more business for double pay."

He shook his head. "I think I'm gonna lie low for the moment. I'll just take my pay for this." He gestured to the truck.

Pulling out her phone, Drab typed a few keys. "Done, Mr . . . "

"Whiskers," the boy answered, "Kimmy Whiskers."

She raised an eyebrow. "Whiskers, is it?"

"That's all you need to know," he replied.

"Very well," she said. "Charles Willard had an impressive vision, one he spent many an hour telling when his stubborn wife and idiotic son didn't get in the way. He will be missed." She then turned to the older man. "But you and I, Elden, we'll create great things together."

"But they won't as easily fall for it like they did for Charles," Elden replied.

"Oh don't worry," she said. "As long as the public believes Eticorp deals with real medicine, people will line up for hours for our 'miracle cures,' and your experiments."

"Yeah okay," Kim turned to leave. "I'll just take the bus back." You too have fun.

(Q)  Does Drab allow Kim to leave?  (50/50)  No, but again barely

"Of course," she replied, "but I insist we keep in touch. I may require your services later. Are you sure you're in that much of a hurry?" She typed into her phone again.

Kim's eyes went wide. "You'll pay me that much? I might be open to talking more."

A little less game play than usual, but I'll make up for that later. For now, we have 3 new characters:

Kimmy Whiskers

Level 1 Villain (midway between hero and villain)

Body: 0, Agility: +1, Mind: +2, Talk: 0, Heart: -1.

Skills: Bluff: +2, Sneak +1.

Born Kim Miller, the boy doesn't know of where he came from. At an early age, he escaped from the orphanage and set out for himself. Quickly, he learned how to break into places and steal things. While not an overall evil person, he does what he needs to for survival.

Mallory Drab

Level 1 Villain

Body: -1, Agility: 0, Mind: +1, Talk: +2, Heart: 0

The owner of Eticorp, a company that claims to specialize in experimental medical care, Drab was once very close to Charles Willard. Now she's trying to claim many of his technology, using them for her own discoveries.

Elden Resk

Level 1 Villain

Body: -1, Agility: 0, Mind: +4, Talk: 0, Heart: 0.

A scientist previously employed by Wyltec, Resk now works for Mallory Drab, whom he's grown close to. However, he prefers the company of his projects, and always looks to testing them, regardless of the consequences.

Mythic Supers - The Sequel

After picking up a few more Mythic Magazines, I came up with ideas to continue my Supers game. But this time, I'll be adding more heroes and villains to the mix. But don't worry, Vyper is still the star of my story. Consider this either the sequel or the second season, your call.

But first, I recommend Mythic Magazine issues 18 (got some great lists, including powers, background, and actions in combat) and 31 (1 Page Location Crafter and Rules Lite RPG rules). Granted I picked up several issues, but I've currently been reading those two the most.

In addition, I've made a few tweaks to my Supers rules:

1. There will no longer be Level T characters. All characters will be Level 0 or higher. Each level grants 3 Ability Points. An Ability Point can also be spent to gain 3 Skill Points, but characters no longer gain them normally. I figured it'd just be easier that way.

2. When a character gains a number of Hero Tokens equal to their next level, they can make a Fate Check to attempt to level up. 

For example, a Level 1 character, after gaining 2 Hero Tokens (whether spent or not), can perform a check. The Resisted Rank (or Difficulty) is equal to the next level, and also you can only move up 1 level at a time. So for our Level 1 character, her roll would be -2 or Very Unlikely. However she can spend Hero Tokens to increase her chances. If she fails, she has to wait until she again gains the needed number of Hero Tokens. At least that's the plan. We'll see how it goes.

This means Vyper's stats have been tweaked to the following:

Vyper:  Level 2 Hero. aka Mason Dean.

Body: 0, Agility: 0, Mind: +1, Talk: +2, Heart: +3.

Powers: Force Field Manipulation. This includes flight, invisibility, shield, and attack.

Hero Tokens: 2.

Hopefully this works out, and the more I play games and read the magazines, the more ideas I might get and modify things as I go. I'm also always open to other ideas and suggestions.

That's it for now. This was a short one so I could get into the fun part; game play. Last time, someone stole a device that Charles Willard had used to give people powers. When I wrote it, I had no idea of the person's identity or plans. 

But now I do!

I feel like this is much less jumbled than before

Vyper's Epilogue - Mythic Supers Game

 So, Vyper defeated Armand Ricker and his father, Charles Willard. Willard then caused his own death from his stupidity. And while Vyper suffered some injury, he didn't need medical attention. This scene sort of wraps up loose ends. It probably won't have too many Ability checks or Clashes, if any at all. I do know how the scene ends, just not how it gets there.

The start . . .

(Q)  Has more than a month passed since the previous battle?  (Very Likely)  X-Yes.

(Q)  Has more than 3 months passed since the previous battle (Likely)  No.

Okay, so 3 months have passed. Mason starts in his apartment, watching TV.

(Check for Altered/Interrupted Scene)  No, scene starts normally.

(Q)  Is the news on?  (Likely)  X-Yes.

(Q)  Have they cleaned up the labs?  (Likely, since 3 months have passed)  No.

Mason sat at his kitchen table, doing homework and watching the news. The newscaster mentioned the labs at Wylltech had been investigated and searched, but officials still took their time because of fears of more structural damage to the entire building. But the doors were locked, so nobody could get in or out.

(Q)  Did Ashby leave Mason any money?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Did he leave Mason enough to continue at school normally?  (50/50)  Yes.

Mason finished his math homework and shoved the folder into his backpack. Ashby had made sure to leave him enough money to pay his rent and bills for awhile, though Mason still worked at the newspaper to save money, just in case.

(Q)  Was there a search for Vyper?  (50/50)  Yes.

(Q)  Are they strongly searching for him?  (Unlikely)  Yes.

"Police at the scene," said the reporter, "claim Vyper was responsible, though indirectly, for the damage to Wylltech and the death of Charles Willard. Police have been ordered to apprehend the vigilante on sight, and if he resists, exercise lethal force if necessary."

Mason sighed. So they weren't going to let him get away that easily. Guess they had to blame somebody, but at least they let him escape that night.

(Q)  Has crime increased in the last 3 months?  (50/50)  No, and Random Event.

(Event)  "Communicate," "Information."

"In related news," the reporter continued, "the number of robberies, assaults, and similar crimes have decreased as of late. While nothing can be confirmed, rumor has it that criminals are either lying low or have left the city completely out of fear of the Vyper. For now though, things are quiet, and the people of this city aren't complaining about it for a second."

Mason smiled. Good. If they're scared of Vyper, maybe there will be less to worry about. Plus the police can handle anything thrown there way. Glancing towards his bedroom, he thought of his green suit, along with Armand Ricker's amulet, which he hid in a box below the floorboards. There was no need for them right now. At the moment, the city didn't need Vyper, and Mason was just fine with that.

Turning on his tablet, he grabbed his keyboard and began working on his next article, covering the new restaurant in the area, a nice simple article, with no danger to worry about.

That night, at Wylltech, a truck left the building. While it resembled a clean-up vehicle, its purpose was anything of. Clearing security and pulling onto the highway, its driver leaned back and tapped the molecule-striking device Willard had used to give people their powers. "You're all mine now."

Coming soon, Vyper 2; The Agency.

Finale! Mythic Supers #12

 Here we go with the finale of Vyper's story, or at least the first part of it. I mean, he's still pretty young, and there's plenty of adventure for him. He just has to survive this one. 

We'll start at the college, where Mason Dean goes through his classes as he awaits a message from Armand Ricker.

Checking to see if the scene starts out normally:  No Doubles. A normal scene.

(Q)  Does Mason find a message from Ricker?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Is it in a public place?  (Again, Very Likely)  No.

Interesting because Ricker doesn't know Mason's identity, but I still have an idea. The phrase 'public place' could just mean a place that's easy to see. Since I want to get on with the story, I'm skipping my rolls.

Two weeks went by without any message from Ricker. Mason went through his classes as usual while doing his best to hide the injuries as he recovered from them. One day he went to sit outside at a picnic table, eating lunch and reading a book. As he shifted, his knee brushed up against something under the table, and reaching for it, he found an envelope. It was then that Mason realized he was sitting at the same table where he had met Ricker the first time (I know, amazing coincidence. Cut me a little slack here, I'm trying to get to the fun stuff!). 

The note read, "Midnight, full moon, the spot."

Tomorrow night was supposed to be a full moon, and Ricker had previously mentioned meeting at the Wylltech labs, so that was the spot. He just had to show up at midnight. Knowing what was at stake, Mason went home early. Double-checking his suit, he tested his powers a few times while trying to calm his nerves. That night, he barely slept, and he spent the next day at home, again going over his plan and preparing for the upcoming encounter.

That night he suited up and left his apartment. He approached Wylltech and headed for the labs at the rear of the building.

Time to see if everything starts normally:  No Doubles.

(Q)  Are there guards outside?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

Vyper noticed the guards standing near the doors to the labs. He landed before them.

(Q)  Are they immediately hostile?  (Very Unlikely, unless this is a trap)  No, but Random Event.

(Event)  "Surprise," "Emotions."

I'm going with the idea that this isn't a game-changing event.

As Vyper approached the doors, the guards stepped aside, revealing Armand Ricker and Charles Willard. Vyper caught himself because his initial reaction was to blast them both, not the smartest move with guards on both sides of him. Although that was probably the point.

(Q)  Is Willard friendly?  (Likely since he trusts Ricker)  No.

Ricker motioned. "Ah, the Vyper, come closer lad. See, Charles, I told you he would arrive."

Willard, however, remained cautious, his face a cold mask of scorn. "I still don't know about this."

"The boy shall be a useful asset," said Ricker. "I doubt not his trust."

Willard hesitated, but eventually nodded. "If anything goes wrong, I'm sure you can handle him."

"Of that, I know for certain," replied Ricker.

Willard looked to Vyper. "Follow us."

They entered the doors where Vyper found himself in a large room, like the inside of a warehouse."

(Q)  Does the room have equipment inside?  (50/50)  X-No.

The room was empty, except for some shelves still attached to the walls.

Willard turned. "Obviously, I'm not letting you in my labs just yet, even though Armand here vouched for you." He looked at Vyper. "Take the first test. Off with the mask."

Vyper was thrown off by the demand, but he then realized it didn't matter. Removing his mask, he attached it to his belt.

(Q)  Does Willard recognize him?  (Very Likely)  X- Yes.

Willard's eyes went wide. "John?"

Ricker turned to him. "You know this boy?"

Willard nodded. "He's my son."

Ricker nodded. "You mentioned you lost him in an accident. This explains much."

Willard looked to his son. "Ashby said the energy blast vaporized you."

"He hid me, he said for my own safety," Mason replied.

Now it's time to see if Vyper can pull off his huge bluff. Since he's at full strength, his Talk + Bluff is +2. But first I need to see Willard's Mind.

(Q) Is Willard's Mind the same (+2) as Ricker (Likely)  Yes.

So, they have the same stat. That means since Vypers performing a bluff against both of them, We'll treat is as a Clash. Mason's +2 versus, we'll say, Willard's +2, with an additional +1 from Ricker, for a +3 total. 

But since this is the finale, I'm using 2 of Vyper's 3 Hero Tokens, along with the +1 RS from the previous session. This gives him a +4 versus the +3 of his opponents.

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash?  (+1 means Likely)  Yes.

"He lied to you," Willard said. "He used you to get to me."

"I'm beginning to see that," Vyper said.

Willard stepped forward, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "You should know, John, that I did really let you in that lab. But I did it because I knew you'd be strong enough to survive it, and that it'd make you into something great. And I was right!" He gestured to the doors to the labs. "I've had other experiments, but you, my son, are my first success."

Vyper, as John, pretended to fight back tears. "That's all I wanted, dad, to make you proud."

Willard gestured to Ricker. "And with Armand here, nothing can stop us."

"I look forward to it, Charles." Ricker approached the boy as Willard stepped back. With one hand holding his medallion, he held out the other. "So, John, will you join us?"

Vyper nodded, reaching out to accept his hand.

(Q)  Is the medallion within Vyper's reach?  (Unlikely)  X-Yes. 

Wow! I'm giving Vyper a +1 CS for that! He's going to pretend to take Ricker's hand but instead grab the medallion while also blasting Ricker. 

Vyper's Heart is +3, +1CS from the previous roll. But since he's performing two separate actions, he gets a -1 CS. Ricker has Heart +3, which I'll use to resist the attack. However, I'm taking no chances and spending another Hero Token. This gives Vyper +4 versus Ricker's +3. If Vyper fails, however, Ricker figures how what he's doing and counters, causing damage to Vyper.

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash?  (+1 means Likely)  X-Yes.

Instead of shaking hands with Ricker, however, Vyper grabbed the Medallion with one hand. With the other, he fired a force field blast that caught the old man right in the chest. Ricker flew backwards, crashing into a shelving.

(Q)  Does losing the amulet cripple Ricker's ability?  (Likely)  Yes.

Trying to stand, Ricker reached for his amulet. But he was too far away, and with a scream, he flickered and faded from sight (That's a way I could use him in the future, without the threat of him knowing Vyper's face). Slipping the amulet under his belt, he turned his attention to the other person in the room.

Now Vyper is going finally going after Charles Willard. But first we need to know a few things.

(Q) Is Willard's Heart a 0 (Likely as he has no powers)  No, and Random Event.

(Random)  "Break," "Failure."

So that means Willard has -1 for Heart, which means he's no match for any powers. However, the random event is interesting.

(Q)  Does Willard have equipment to fight back with?  (Likely)  Yes.

Okay so he has a way to defend himself, if he can get to it. But there's still there question of punishment.

(Q)  Does Willard have 0 for Body?  (Likely)  No.

So a -1 Body as Well. This means Charles Willard has for stats so far:  Body -1, Mind +2, Heart -1. 

(Q)  Is Willard a Level T Villain?  (50/50)  No. 

He's a Lvl 0 character. That means Agility and Talk have to equal 0.

(Q)  Does Willard have Talk +1?  (Likely, because of his success)  Yes, Random Event.

(Random)   "Harm," "Deceit."

You know what, I'm going to give him an additional point of Talk, but I'm turning it into 3 Skill Points, making all 3 into Bluff. This gives him +4 when performing bluffs. This also brings his Agility to -2. Hope he's got some good equipment.

Willard held up his hands. "Son, what're you doing?"

"You son's dead," Vyper answered. "You killed him and then his mother, you sick piece of ****!"

"I had to," Willard responded. "She was going to talk. She would've ruined everything."

"Well then it's my turn." Vyper held up his hands.

Vyper is flat out attacking Willard with his powers. Vyper has Heart +3. Willard has Heart -1. 

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash?  (+4 means Certain) Yes.

For Damage, it's Vyper's +3 versus Willard's -1 for +4, giving Willard -2 CS.

Willard floated in the air, He struggled, but Vyper lifted him higher and higher before releasing him. With a cry, Willard hit the concrete, face-first. Lifting his head, he had blood running down his face.

I'm going to use Talk to see if Willard can call for his security. His Talk is +1, with +3 Bluff. You know what?  We'll count the Bluff skill as well, though with the -2 CS, that brings him down to +2.

(Q)  Is Willard able to call for his guards?  (+2 means Very Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Can Vyper get his mask back on in time?  (0 Agility means 50/50)  Yes.

"Security!" Willard screamed with a great deal of effort.

Vyper quickly grabbed his mask and put it back on as the guards ran into the room.

(Q)  Do they sound the alarm?  (Likely, even though Willard probably doesn't want that)  Yes.

(Q)  Are they the same stats as cops?  (Likely)  No. 

That means all 0's for they Abilities.

(Q)  Are there more than 3 guards?  (Likely)  No.

So 3 guards total.

Sirens went off as three guards ran into the room. 

"Great," mumbled Willard. "Now they'll call the police."

Seeing Vyper, the guards pulled out their pistols.

The guards have 0 Agility, so we'll go with one of them and +2 for his buddies versus Vyper's +3 Heart.

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash?  (+1 means Likely)  Yes, but Random Event.

(Random)  "Setback," "Help."

I'm interpreting the event as Willard running out of the room to find his equipment. This leaves Vyper and the guards. Vyper wins and since his Heart is higher than their Body by 3, they all get -2 CS. 

"Shoot him!" Willard screamed as he limped to the nearest door.

Following their orders, the three guards fired, but Vyper deflected their shots and sent them all falling backwards.

(Q)  Do they keep attacking?  (50/50. They have their orders, but they're also hurt)  No - Random Event.

(Random)  "Increase," "Fears."

(Q)  Does the police show up?  (Likely)  Yes - Random Event.

(Random)  "Gain," "Information."

(Q)  Do the above event mean the guards snitched on their boss?  (Very Likely)  Yes.

Turning on the heels, the guards raced outside. Just as they cleared the doorway, police cars slammed on their brakes, sirens blazing. Dropping their guns, the guards raised their hands.

"Arrest us," said the first. "Mr. Willard's doing illegal stuff in there! The Vyper's stopping him!"

(Q)  Are the guards hostile towards Vyper?  (50/50)  No.

I'm treating that as cautious though, especially if they saw the recordings. 

Several officers entered the room. Spotting Vyper, they pointed their guns. "You there, don't move."

Vyper raised his hands. "Willard's getting away. He's been experimenting on people, like me, and he has proof in there."

The leading officer gestured. "Just stand there near the wall. We'll investigate."

Now Willard has equipment in the labs. Let's see what they are? Since he experimented on others, he might do the same with himself, but I doubt it.

(Q)  Is Willard using the same experiments on himself?  (Unlikely)  No.

(Q)  Is he equipping an exoskeleton?  (Likely)  Yes.

So, he's got a suit of some kind. I'm going to use the Creature Crafter to get its abilities.

Powers:  None. I'm treating that as Ability Boosts instead.

(Q)  Does the suit grant a +3 Body (overall, not counting his stat)  (Likely)  No.

So a +2 Body.

(Q)  Is it human-sized?  (Very Likely)  X-Yes.

So, slightly bigger than the average human. I'm going with 7-8 feet tall.

(Q)  Does it have +3 Agility (Likely)  No.

So +2 Agility.

(Q)  Does it have guns?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Is the Damage for the guns +2  (Likely)  Yes.

I decided the suit has increased strength and speed and has dual machine guns.

A crash caused them all to spin around. Willard burst through the door, wearing a metal suit with side-mounted machine guns. The officers aimed their pistols, knowing they were vastly outgunned, but not having other options.

The cops' bullets won't even faze the exoskeleton so I'm not even trying. Instead, I'm going to have Vyper lunge forward and throw a force field up to protect them. Willard has +2 Agility (I'm counting the suit, not his person Ability). Vyper has +3 Heart, but I'm dropping it to +2 because he's performing 2 actions (lunging forward + using his powers). If Willard wins, he opens fire on everyone. If Vyper wins, he protects the cops. This is also a great time to use his last Hero Token, giving him a +1.

(Clash)  Does Vyper the Clash  (+1 means Likely)  X-Yes, and Random Event (yes, again!).

(Event)  "Help," "Nature."

Vyper flew through the air. Landing in front of the police officers, he held up a force shield, which blocked all of the bullets. Bouncing off the shield, the bullets hit the walls, floor, and ceiling, creating a huge cloud of dust that concealed them from Willard.

"Run!" Vyper ordered. (I'm not even rolling for this. They'd have to be idiots to stay behind).

The officers listened, fleeing the room and calling for reinforcements. This left Vyper and Willard alone in the room. As the dust cleared, the two faced each other.

This next Clash is nothing but Damage between suit-Willard and Vyper. Vyper has +3 versus Willard's +2.  

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash?  (+1 means Likely)  No.

The bullets have +2 Damage, versus Vyper's Body 0 means -1 CS Damage.

Vyper went to throw a bolt of force energy but Willard opened fire. The bullets tore through the energy and struck, Vyper, knocking him to the ground.

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash?  (50/50)  No.

Again, the bullets tore through, striking Vyper in the legs and shoulders. Luckily they were all grazes, but the damage was still done.

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash (-1 means Unlikely)  X-Yes.

X-Yes and +1 Damage versus +2 Body means -1 CS.

Placing his mechanical hands on his hips, Willard gave a weak attempt at a hearty laugh. Vyper seized the opportunity and fired tiny force bolts that ripped one of the machine guns off the suit.

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash?  (50/50)  Yes.

As Willard stumbled, Vyper fired another blast that ripped pieces off the suit.

(Clash)  Does Vyper win the Clash?  (Likely means +1)  Yes.

The suit has now suffered -3 CS Damage, and I'm going to check for Incapacity.

(Incapacity)  Is the suit Incapacitated?  (Vyper's +1 Heart versus +2 Body -3 CS Damage = +2,

which means Very Likely)  No.

Just out of curiosity . . .

(Q)  Are the police watching the fight?  (Likely)  No.

(Detail)  What are they doing?  "Break," "Conflict."

"All right, that's enough!" Several police officers rushed into the room with weapons drawn, pointing them at both opponents. "Both of you back away from each other and," he hesitated, "power down?"

Taking a step back, Vyper kept his hands where the officers could see them, but he continued to watch Willard.

(Q)  Does Willard attack?  (Likely)  X-No.

(Q)  Does he try to sic the police on Vyper?  (Very Likely)  No.

(Q)  Does he try to escape?  (Likely)  X-Yes.

The X-Yes sounds like he's got a trick up his sleeve.

(Q)  Does Willard activate a self destruct in the suit?  (Likely)  Yes.

As the police focused on Vyper, Willard pressed a few buttons on his control panel. He then tried to exit the suit.

I'm going to make this a Mind Check for Willard. Since he knows his own equipment, the Difficulty will be 0, giving him a +2. But he's also going to try and slip out to escape, reducing it by 1.

(Ability)  Does Willard succeed with the roll?  (+1 means Likely)  No, and Random Event.

(Event)  "Start," "Obstacle."

The buttons began beeping on the suit. Willard then hit another switch, but it failed. He tried to release himself with his bare hands, but he wasn't strong enough.

"Help!" He cried out. "I'm stuck!"

I'm first going to check on how effective the explosion will be.

(Q)  Is the Damage from the suit's self destruct +3?  (Likely)  No.

It's only +2, which is slightly better.

(Q)  Are the cops safe from the explosion?  (50/50 because I have no idea)  Yes, but barely.

That means Vyper has to make a choice between allowing Willard to die in the suit or risk his neck rescuing the father that allowed him to nearly die. I'm going to say reflex took over and he used his force fields to launch Willard from the suit. And I'm going to use the Damage +2 also as the Difficulty, versus Vyper's +1 Heart.

(Ability)  Does Vyper save Willard?  (-1 means Unlikely)  Yes.

(Q)  Does this rescue put Vyper in danger?  (Likely)  No.

Rushing forward, Vyper surrounded Willard with a force field. The suit then exploded, sending shrapnel in all directions, but it bounced harmlessly off the force field. Risking a glance back, Vyper noticed the cops were unharmed as well. He dropped the field and Willard grabbed the wall for support.

(Detail)  What does Willard do next?  "Start," "Conflict."

Pointing in Vyper's direction, Willard summoned the strength to yell at the cops, as if ordering his own underlings. "It's him! He caused all of this! Arrest him, no wait, he's too dangerous. Shoot him now!"

Not exactly the smartest move for Willard, but let's see if it works. Willard has +4 for Bluff, but with the previous injuries, it drops to +1. He's speaking to a number of police officers, and they just saw him opening fire in a high tech suit, so I'm make the Difficulty +1. This brings Willard's Ability to 0.

(Ability)  Does Willard successfully bluff the cops?  (0 means 50/50)  No, and Random Event.

(Event)  "Environment," "Failure."

Two of the cops turned their pistols on Willard. "You too, put your hands up."

"But you saw what he - "

"We saw what You did," said the cop. "Now you're coming with us too."

They approached Willard when suddenly the shelves against the wall collapsed and the ceiling began to groan. White specks of dust covered the men as they all looked up. 

"The suit," cried one of the men. "It's causing the roof to collapse. We need to get out of here!"

(Q)  Is the Difficulty to escape the room a +2 (also the Damage if they fail)?  (Likely)  Yes.

(Q)  Can Willard escape through the door to the labs?  (50/50)  Yes, and Random Event.

(Event)  "Increase Goals."

Willard is planning to slip through the door and return to the labs so he can retrieve a new toy, either to use on Vyper or just for future use. Since he's right near the door, I'll make the Difficulty 0. However, his Agility was already at -1 and also has -2 makes it -3.

(Ability) Does Willard escape the room?  (-3 means Nearly Impossible)  No, and Random Event.

(Event)  "Environment," "Emotions."

(Q)  Are the labs also in danger?  (50/50)  No.

"Come on!" The closest cops tried to get to Willard, but he turned and made his way towards the doorway to the labs.

"You won't get it," he growled, "any of it."

He leaned against the wall for support but could only move a few inches at a time towards the doorway so he could reach the labs. Meanwhile, rubble began falling around him.

Let's see if the cops can escape. They have +1 Agilty, versus the +2 Difficulty.

(Ability)  Do the cops escape the room?  (-1 means Unlikely)  No.

So, the cops can't escape either. Now Vyper has a new choice. Either save his father or the cops. Vyper's Heart is currently +1. Willard is closest, so I'm making the Difficulty 0. There are a number of cops, so I'm making the Difficulty the maximum of +3. 

Vyper looked back and forth. Before him, Charles Willard moved to the labs to escape. He wouldn't make it in time, but he was close enough to rescue. Behind him, the cops all rushed to the exit, but they too wouldn't get outside in time. Vyper knew he could only throw one force field up, either a small one on Willard or a larger one to save the cops. 

Screw it, he thought, and held his hands out, pointing them above the cops' heads.

(Ability)  Does Vyper save the cops?  (-1 means Unlikely)  X-Yes.

The ceiling collapsed, but it bounced off the field, sliding safely to the ground. Seeing this, the police officers bolted for the door and escaped. Vyper them found himself surrounded by rubble, but his field held, and he used it to push anything dangerous away from him.

Then he turned around.

Willard suffered lethal wounds. Let's see if he survived. The Damage is +2. His Body is -1, with -2 CS.

(Incapacity)  Is Willard Incapacitated?  (+5 means Certain)  Yes, and Random Event.

(Event)  "Attain," "Danger."

Vyper noticed Willard had just reached the doorway when it collapsed, crushing him in the waist. His own greed and apathy had destroyed him.

Stepping outside, Vyper saw the police officers being helped by EMTs while the fire department surveyed the damage. 

"Am I under arrest?" Vyper asked the nearest cop?

(I'm not even rolling here, considering he just saved them.)

The officer shook his head. "You saved our skins. We'd be idiots to try and cuff you." He then noticed the hero's injuries. "Do you need help?"

Vyper had suffered -2 CS earlier, but with the fight over, it's reduced to -1.

(Q)  Does Vyper need medical assistance?  (Likely)  No.

Touching his shoulder, he shook his head. "Just some cuts and bruises, I think."

"Then you better get going," said the officer. "We'll figure out what to say to the press." He then paused, throwing a glance at the rubble.. "Oh, and thanks."

Nodding, Vyper turned and vanished into the night.

The session ends here. Vyper succeeded with 10 total Clashes or Ability Checks, -2 for spending Hero Tokens, for 8 notches. As he gains a Hero Token for every 3 successful rolls, that gives him 2 Hero Tokens. 

Charles Willard is dead.

Armand Ricker is alive but Incapacitated (In other words, he's somehow trapped somewhere else). This works for me because he knows Vyper's face. On the other hand, he lives, so a future confrontation is possible, just not at the moment. Vyper does still have Willard's amulet. Maybe he'll learn more about it in the future.

I'm going to do a playable epilogue next, where I ask questions in order to wrap up loose ends.