The Lore Knights - The Mummys Tomb!

OOC a short adventure to introduce Victor to the game.

In a nutshell, there are two kinds of actions your character can attempt. AUTOMATIC actions require no dice roll. I simply take a look at your character sheet and apply the Ability/Power/Skill on it to the situation at hand. An example of an automatic action is running.

A DICE action requires a dice roll either against target number of 10 + difficulty modifier or an opponents roll. The dice we use are 2d10 and they 'exploded' on a roll of 2-10, so you add them up and roll again, adding to the total. A double 1 is always a failure, whenever it is rolled. When you exceed the target number or opponents roll, you succeed. For every 3 points (or part of) you exceed the target number, you gain 1 success. More success equals accomplishing the task in a better/faster/more efficient way.

Your character has something called EFFORT POINTS. You start with 5 and can use them to roll extra d10s, 1 point buys 1d10. You Roll your initial 2d10 (to ensure you don't come up with double 1) then any extra D10 and choose which two dice to use, dropping the rest.

Example:

Mummy attacks a Nazi thug. He uses 2 Effort Points on his attack. His initial 2d10 roll is 4 and 1. The other dice come up with 8 and 4. You can either take the double 4 (and roll again, adding to the total) or the 8 and 4 for a total of 12 rolled.

You can specify a condition whereby you use effort points if something happens, or doesn't happen, but it costs double the normal amount if you end up using them.

Example:

If Mummy misses the Nazi guard spend 4 effort points to buy an extra 2d10 for his attack.

If Mummy (in this case) hits the Nazi goon, he doesn't have to spend Effort points at all. If he misses, he spends 4 effort points for an extra 2d10.

Effort points recover (1 point) after every 3rd combat round or 3rd attempted dice action.

Combat consists of 4 steps:

1)Initiative (2d10 + Combat Skill)
2) Attack (2d10 + Combat Skill + Relevant Skills or powers) VS Defence of target (2d10+Combat Skill)
3) Damage (2d10 + Accuracy of attack + Strength or Damage causing power or weapon) VS Resistance of Target (2d10+Body + Resistance powers like tough skin)
4) Next character acts in initiative order

At step 2, every 3 points or part of that you exceed targets defence gives you 1 accuracy point.
At step 3, every point you exceed the targets resistance reduces their Health Points by that amount.

Example:

Mummy vs Nazi Wolfman
Initiative Roll 12 + Combat Skill 7 (mummy) = 19. Roll 7 + Combat Skill 8 (wolfman)=15. Mummy goes first.

Mummy attacks. He spends 2 effort points to attack with. Roll 8,8 (Double!),8,7! D'oh! No need to spend those effort points! The extra dice come up with 8,6 for a total of 30 rolled! Add his Combat Skill 7 for a total of 37.

Wolfman defends. Roll 1,3 + Combat skill 8=12 total.

That's a difference of 25 points, which is 9 Accuracy!

Damage is 9 Accuracy + Mummys Strength (6) + roll 8,5=28

Resistance is Wolfmans Body (5) + roll 7,10=22

Wolfman takes 6 damage from his Health Points. He goes down when dropped to zero, but is a way off that yet!

DISCLAIMER: Whilst all of that looks like gobbledigook in truth all you have to do as a player is state actions and whether you are using effort points, so feel free to ignore the mechanics part if you so wish.



OOC Note - not had details of the characters personal life at the moment, and this adventure starts where he has no superhuman powers/ability to change into the mummy...

"This... this is OUTRAGEOUS!" spluttered Professor Morris. He looked on in shock and disbelief as the German archaeological party marched past him with tools, crates, and smug looks on their faces. All were tall, blond and muscular, as befitted the Nazi ideal. Indeed, the head archaeologist, a man named Gerhardt Schroeder, wore a Nazi insignia over the top of his immaculate suit. "Once more, Professor Morris, I must sank you und ze British Museum of Natural history? You do ze research..." he waved his hands about, taking in the view "You uncover a hidden tomb buried under ze sands of ze desert for thousands of years, und ve make ze deal viz ze authorities to plunder it at our leisure. You see, sir, money, for a cash strapped country like this one, is far more important zan a few old stones!"

"Then what use are the stones and other artefacts to you?" growled Morris. Though into his early sixties, the man was bear like, shirt sleeves rolled up to reveal chunky forearms whilst a vein bulged on his forehead as he strove to control his temper. Two men stood at the side of Shroeder and made no attempt to conceal lugers in holsters inside their suits. Shroeder smiled. "Call it... a hobby of ze fuhrer. He likes to collect trinkets. Now if you vill excuse me? I believe you are trespassing on my dig site."

Shroeder moved away whilst the two Nazi goons moved forward a step to stare at Morris. Morris' young assistant, <Insert Name - we'll call him Ahmed for now> pulled the older man away.

=========

"All that work! I'm sorry Ahmed, but it looks like we've been trumped. I must thank you for all your help in finding the tomb, but in this case, all we did was lead the Nazis there..." said Morris, despondent as he stared into his tea...

The pair, back in Cairo, sat in a cafe nursing their sorrows. The British had promised to share any and all findings, had funded the expedition, albeit on a shoestring, and promised to return all valuable antiques after they had been studied and catalogued. The tablet of Imhotek, a priest buried alive for daring to speak against his Pharaoh against the cruel and unjust treatment of slaves, would now fall into Nazi hands. It wasn't right, but there was something more than that. He had never told Morris, but he'd 'felt' the tablet call to him across the desert. Even when Morris had insisted digging in another spot, Ahmed had started on his own in the place where he knew the tomb of Imhotek would be found. And he'd been right, but the Nazis had shown up, with appropriate deeds and a government official along with a large entourage of what looked like soldiers in civilian wear and that had been that!

And yet... still the tablet called. Might there be some way to secure it from under the noses of the Nazis?

=========

The lights shone on the dig site as the Nazis worked on into the night...

"I still say this is a bad idea" muttered Morris. They'd driven out after dark and now were lying belly down on a dune overlooking the dig site, illuminated by torches and electric lights as the nazis urged their local labourers to greater efforts. The dig site entrance had been uncovered and was guarded by two armed Nazi goons. Further away, the labourers dug and uncovered another part of the tomb, concentrating their efforts there.

"No way to get close to that entrance unless we come up with a distraction old chap." muttered Morris. The guards were some 30m away, and the sands about the tomb were well lit. Both Morris and Ahmed had uncovered what might have been a secret doorway just inside the entrance, whilst the main corridor ended abruptly in a rockfall. Perhaps there was some way to distract the guards, get in, through the door - if it was a door - and into the tomb to secure the tablet?

Ahmed looked through the darkness. The main group, some 50 strong mix of labourers and Nazi goons, were around 100m away, and the locals were chanting, their noise ringing out across the desert. He wasn't armed, but the pair had come in a jeep which was parked a couple of hundred metres away. Perhaps Morris could distract the guards allowing the faster, younger man to sprint into the tomb? But how?

" A deeply spiritual man would pray and ask Ra for guidance, but since we can not ask if another entrance is to our use, may I put your life and mine in danger? I suggest we pour some cheap spirit onto you and you drive there in a drunken mess. I will take the long trail down the back and search for another entrance. If I have not found one by the time you make your grand entrance I will sneak past the guards in the commotion. I would gamble that they will not hurt you........." Ahmed looks into Professor Morris face and smiles " Then again I am always most welcome for a better plan of your own design."

Morris splutters "Cheap? Harrumph!" and pulls a silver hip flask from a pocket. He sloshes it about, listening, frowns, then pulls another one from yet another pocket. This one is full and he grins. "I only carry the good stuff!"

=========

Ahmed watched with trepidation as Morris tumbled from the jeep, singing and swaying about...

As the two guards approached him he looked about. Something, as if out of a dream, suggested the layout of this place would have another entrance, but after thousands of years it was well buried in sand! Furthermore the Nazis labourers were digging in a place they clearly thought would provide better access to the treasures within! With a sigh he made his move, sprinting as best he could across the desert to crouch behind a rock. He looked around it and winced as he saw Morris backhanded to the desert floor, his hip flask now in the hands of the Nazis! The other guard leaned down and punched the Professor - hard - in the mouth!

Feeling his anger rising, he stood and made to stride the 40m or so across the desert to protest at the guards treatment of the Professor...

WHUMPH!

He gave a strangled cry as the sand gave wave underneath him, and a collapsed ceiling had him sliding into a room, lit only by the light of the moon! brushing himself off and wondering if the Nazis heard, he pulled a box of matches from a pocket and lit one. The walls were covered in runes and there was a stone door leading out of the chamber.

In the centre of the room was a large stone coffin that stood almost to Ahmeds shoulder from the floor. The lid looked tremendously heavy, and there were glyphs all over it. What had he stumbled into?

Fighting the urge to go look after the good Doctor, I move slowly toward the coffin, hoping to perchance that it may give some clue as to whom is buried and what is buried with him.

OOC As yet Ahmed is still a normal human being but has the 'non super' attributes on the character sheet. That includes Scholar (Egyptian History) which reduces the difficulty of reading Glyphs and such by 4 points. The Task of deciphering the Hieroglyphs on the tomb (and in this chamber) is Difficult for someone versed in such matters, Extremely difficult for anyone else. With you Scholar that makes it Difficult and target number is 11 or more for success on 2D10 + Intelligence 3. Roll is...9,1 (10) with a total of 13... Not brilliant, but enough to get the basics...

Ahmed struggled with the light and dust to track the worn glyphs but knew there was *something* about this tomb that meant he should be here in this place, at this time.

He whispered to himself as he tried to recall all of Professor Morris' lessons. In the classroom and museum it had seemed easy! Now, by the light of the moon with potential killers nearby?

"...lies Imho... Imhotep!" he sat back, amazed and trembling with excitement! The Professor would be so pleased! He continued to read... "...something... something... defied the Pharaohs will and ... something ... something ... for all time. Cursed is he who... something ... ever to walk the earth in search of the justice he so valued." There was more, but Ahmed could hear voices from above, outside! They spoke in German, and were getting louder!

He looked at the lid. With a colossal effort he might be able to lift it a tad, but it would need three, maybe four grown men to move it clear! He looked up - the Nazi guards were sounding very close now!

Out of panic I try to move the lid. It may be a place to hide, if the Nazi do not get overly curious. At the very least, if I can not move it enough to craw inside it may serve as a poor diversion while I run to the other door.

Ahmed tries to keep calm! Men with guns were heading his way! This stone lid looked movable but could he do it on his own?

OOC This things weighs 400lbs, which is in the 4MPs range. Ahmed has only 2 Strength, so he needs to push his strength beyond his normal 80kg (170lb or so) limits! We do this by making a test of his will (2) + Roll vs difficulty of 12 (10+his strength. He's trying to overcome his own bodily limits). Every 3 points (or part of) over the target number of 12 means he lifts an extra 40kg. He needs a rolled total of 19 or more for success in this case... Roll 14 + Will (2) = 16. Close enough to push it a few inches, but not enough to tip it off. However...

With a grunt and a heave Ahmed strained himself beyond his known limits! With a grunt and a cry he moved the ancient lid several inches before he sagged back in exhaustion! The smell that greeted him made him pale and cover his mouth. Still, his natural scientists curiosity had him holding his lighter up for a look...

As the light edged closer to contents of the tomb he felt sweat roll down his neck... suddenly the voices of the Nazi goons seemed far off, and he heard something else. Chanting, in an ancient near forgotten tongue! And yet, and yet he could understand it!

"You may bury my body, but know this! You cannot quench the fires of justice! My spirit will rise to haunt those of evil thoughts and deeds, aye, and exact retribution!"

Ahmed blinked - had he imagined it?

A heartbeat later something, like a pale snake, shot from the tomb to encircle his throat, wrapping and binding itself around him like a constricting snake! He gasped, but was unable to speak as his mouth was covered!

=========

The Nazi Goons shone torches into the darkness, then climbed down into the tomb...

One moved over to the coffin and shone the light inside "The tablet! It's in here! Get the... what is that?" he asked, pulling up his gun. The other two looked from where they shone the burning torches near the walls and pulled their own guns...

On the floor next to the coffin was a wrapped figure, though rather than being thin and ragged it looked to have been freshly embalmed! Then, to the surprise of the Nazi goons, it started to rise!

OOC Ahmed and the Mummy are one now, but he knows nothing of his powers. A voice inside his head cries out for vengeance, and the Nazi goons nearby will appease it, for now. Ahmed feels good , better in fact, than he's ever done! Aside from the angry voice in his head shouting for him to kill the Nazis, he's in full control of his actions! Your character sheet is here:


EDIT: Updated 27th April 2012 with drops for Sealed systems and Ultra Vision, 1 point for Tough Skin

Initiative for Mummy gets a boost from surprise of +4. The Roll 11 + CS7 + 4 (bonus) comes to 22. Nazi goons get CS7 + 11=18. Mummy goes first. You can move (automatic action) and attack (dice action, target one or more of them) and can use effort points (you have 5 to start with) to improve your chances of: Initiative, Attack, Defence, Damage, Resistance or any other dice roll you make. Over to you.

The Mummy leaps on to the Nazi closets to the coffin and tries to strangle him.

Feeling rage overcome reason, the Mummy lunges into action!

OOC Attack is CS7 + Roll 10,3=20. Nazis defence is CS7 + Roll 10,4. Mummy misses!

The Nazi cried out, jumping back, and then all three levelled hand guns to fire at the creature in front of them!

OOC Team attack, they get +4 to hit on Mummy. At this range, they can hardly miss... CS7 + Weapons 2 + 4 (team attack) Roll 8,1=22. Mummys defence CS7+Roll 7,1=15. He's hit for 3 accuracy. Damage is 3 accuracy + Weapon 4 + Roll 2,2 (double) + 7,8= 26. Mummys defence Body 0 (no defence against killing attacks) + Roll 4,1=5. He takes 21 damage from the shot and goes down! Other attacks at the same time... 10 damage from the next attack, 12 from the next! Effectively the mummy is 'killed' but that's not the end of the story by a long shot...

Under a hail of gunfire the Mummy staggers then falls! The Nazis prod it with their booted feet, then continue to the coffin itself.

=========

Ahmed opened his eyes! Such a thing should not be possible, but here he was, alive and...

No, not quite alive! He wasn't breathing! He heard voices and realised he was looking up at the hole in ceiling at the stars above. Outside the tomb, nearby, were those who'd sought to kill him!

OOC His Immortality essentially makes him unkillable BUT he can only start to heal in rounds when he doesn't take damage. At -23 health he was well and truly dead (he's dead at -18) so it will take a decent roll of 2d10 + 8 (immortality power) vs 2d10 +23 to start recovering health. That's where effort points come in. Using all five is a bit drastic, but the roll netts you 9,1,7,3,7 (choose double 7) and 10,4 for a roll total of 28 + 8=36. The target to beat is Roll 1,4 + 23= 28. He recovers 3 Health which still leaves him dead at -20, but less so. In real terms we're looking at him being down a few minutes...

Ahmed couldn't believe they'd missed him.. and the Nazis hadn't! He remembered the hail of bullets cutting him up! So why on Earth was he still alive? More than that, his body appeared to have repaired itself! Whilst he wasn't bulletproof by any means, it seemed that he couldn't be killed, only slowed or stopped for a time!

His mind worked fast. He would have to somehow get to them before they could cut him down again with their guns!

OOC take a look at the character sheet. Ahmed is on 0/5 Effort points having used them all to recover (you recover 1 point every 3rd attempted action, and his body would attempt to heal every round. I'd hate to think how long it would take to recover from a nuclear bomb blast, but I suppose it would be possible for him. Heck, it might need a crazy high roll and take decades... or he could get lucky and be up in the next round. Another point to consider - I can reduce some of the things on your character sheet to give him some means of slowing bullets down. Tough Skin of 1 point would help immeasurably (because then he can use his body to stop killing attacks as well as normal attacks. At the moment, he can't.) so as trade off you could lose a point from any power or 2 points from Sealed Systems or Ultra Vision to buy that and I'll make the change. Or you can keep things as they are.

Remember that this is street level supers, around Daredevil/Pulp 30s Doc Savage/Shadow type power, so being shot is serious business. Stone Fist, David M's character, can probably stand up to being shot a lot better than Mummy can, but whereas a hail of bullets would kill him, Mummy would get up - at some point - later.

His "Aura of Fear 5 - with a range of 100 yards, can cause fear in one or more targets. Make a check with 2d10 + Aura of Fear (5) vs 2d10 + Will of target. For every 3 points or part of difference between your score and target number, you gain 1 success. If your successes exceed the targets spirit score (usually 2 for normal people) you make them freeze in terror (zero combat skill and perform no dice actions). If you get equal to or less than their Spirit (but still 1 or more) they will run away for that many rounds." is a potent weapon against one or two foes. At higher levels he'll be able to make a mob with pitchforks and torches turn tail. For now, it's best suited to one or two targets.

ooc: I got a couple of questions even though it isn't my character.

You said he couldn't talk while as the Mummy, his mouth was covered with wrappings. So all we get is the mumbling moaning sounds like they made in the original Boris Karloff Mummy movie? Wouldn't that be another disad? [More points Victor, if it is!]
Also, can you modify a power to give you both a disad and an advantage while keeping it at the same level? I'm thinking his Aura of Fear. 100 yards is a huge area to cover, and I assume that is diameter, not radius, and seems to affect everyone in range. What if Victor reduced the area of effect to say 10 yards but gained something like "only affecting those who have evil or wicked intent in their heart"? Could he still keep it at level 5? In other words, selective aura of fear.

I'm thinking if the Mummy ever did meet up with Stone Fist and Jade Hood that we would be scared spitless and couldn't team up with him. Probably would team up with the Nazis to take him down instead!

So someone who doesn't have a wicked thought in the forefront of their brain wouldn't really be affected by his aura. Though all of us have some wickedness in us, so we would probably always be uneasy in his presence.


[Yeah, like without that aura we would be sitting down at a bar with him drinking beers and commenting on the ballgame on the radio like he was a regular Joe! NOT! Bad enough he is going to be looming in the background moaning while we try to come up with a brilliant plan to attack a bad guy's stronghold!]

O.K., with all that being said two points.
1. Sure I need to be somewhat bullet proof. Since I am a mummy which would be easier to do, but of course more fun.
A. Up my damage ability, so that I can take hits from four clips being emptied into me?
or
B. Have an ability where my body can move out of the way of bullets (more of a reaction move)?

2. After reviewing the past few scenes, I got to ask, where are my telepathic stats? I got the spirits or Thep giving me directions and hints before I even bonded with the mummy. Does this mean I can do a non-verbal communication sort of thing with members of the party when I meet up with them?

Lastly, sorry for the delay. It has been hell here.

First stop, Tower of London!

KK, so we add the point of Tuff Skin and become somewhat bullet resistant.

Let's see. There should be some dead slaves buried in here with me, let's ask them if they has any secret work tunnels that can get me upstairs to surprise the Nazi's.Secondly, I would like to go to the Treasure Room and see if my servants buried me with a few weapons that still may be usable. A spear. A crossbow. Thermonuclear device.

OOC Bear in mind Mummy is not great (only 4 points) at speaking with the dead. Basically it will take a miracle roll to get them to answer him at this point in time. Now if the Nazis had shot someone like a worker who'd died near here, chances are they'd be quite chatty...The roll... 7,9 (16) + 4 = 20. Decent, but not enough to get truly worthwhile info from souls whose bodies died some 2000 years ago.

Mummy listened. He could hear whispering, voices, moaning... the dead around here had been so long gone that it seemed impossible to rouse them from their slumber. Indeed, the only communication he got was 'Leave us in peace, man of two worlds...'

Instead, Ahmed used his knowledge of Egyptian tombs and (OOC roll 6,3 + Int 3 and Scholar +4 beats difficulty of 15) moved along one wall. Where sand had piled up he probed about with bandaged fingers and knew there to be a secret door here, one too heavy to be moved by a mortal mans arms. It would need a group of men, ten or more!

OOC Mummy has found the hidden exit/entrance from this place into the rest of the sunken ruins but will need to shift a heavy weight in order to access it. Does he want to put extra effort into his strength to shift it, or try with his existing strength?

Whilst he pondered that, he heard more voices coming towards the entrance hole above! They sounded excited, and he could guess the message, even if it was in German. The two guards would explain they found something - him - and shot it down, and were bringing more of their number to see it! The prospect of being gunned down again didn't appeal!

As much as I want to play dead and go on a murder spree, I do not want to take the risk of dieing again. I push on the door and add an extra point for good measure.

OOC Mummy is on 4/5 effort points and tries to 'push' his strength. Target number is 10 to beat, and he can add his Will to the roll. Roll 2,3 and 7. Picks the 7 and 3, adds Will (5) and beats the target by 5 points, adding 1100lbs to Mummys lifting capacity. That just about does it.

With the grind of ancient stone the doorway gives way. Truly, it would have needed dozens of toiling slaves to shift this rock into place. Imhotek was clearly a man that the egyptian rulers didn't want to see again!

'My vengeance shall come down on the unjust!' rasped the voice inside Mummys head!

The passageway that led into the depths of the tomb held no horrors for one able to see in the dark as well as day, and the Mummy turned to hear the voices of the men who had 'killed' him only minutes before as they arranged ropes to climb into the tomb.

Would Mummy venture down the passage, or attempt to pull the door back in place? Or perhaps face the men who'd shot him? He'd been unprepared for their assault, and his body had seemed to 'give in' with the knowledge that bullets did indeed kill. Except he was already dead, in a way, and it was clear that unless they made sure he stayed dead, their bullets next time would have a lesser effect!

OOC Don't think I posted updated sheet. Here it is:



Mummy
Effort: 4/5
Health: 18/18

Are they repelling down the rope like a mountain climber or climbing down the rope like a military man going down a sheer surface? And how far apart are they?

Ok, when they throw down the rope I will secretly grab the end that hits the ground. When the Nazi gets about halfway down I will yank the rope as hard as I can, hopefully dislodging the guy from the rope and any followers behind him. Laastly, I will turn on my aura de fear.

Mummy strode up to the end of the rope and reached down. He looked up, then waited.

Legs appeared over the edge of the hole above, and he waited...

Halfway down the Nazi looked down - the rope had gone taut? "Vas ist...?"

"Yaiiiiiiiii...oof!!" he cried, before he clattered into the sandy floor. Above, three men who'd been bracing the rop looked about. They were on their bellies, searching for the rope that they'd been holding! Looking around in confusion, they crept closer to the hole...

Mummy watched the man fall, His strength, that of 15-20 strong men easily overpowered the collective efforts of three men!

Then they felt horrible, final, desperate fear!

OOC Aura of Fear attacks each target separately within range. Mummys AoF is 5 vs Will (2) and Spirit (2) of the targets. The guy on the floor... Aof 5 + 8,6=19 vs Will 2 + 7,4=13. Success 2 + AoF 5 + Roll 10,2=19 vs Spirit 2 + Roll 10,7=19. The nazi resists Mummys attack. The three above (same stats) Roll 9,2+AoF 5=16 vs Will 2 + Roll 7,3=12. 2 success +AoF 5+ Roll 4,6=17 vs Spirit 2 + Roll 4,3=9. The Nazi screams, clutches his hair and widens his eyes in fear! (Frozen in fear for 15 minutes). Next Nazi AoF 5 + Roll 4,3=12 vs Will 2 + Roll 1,9=12. No effect on the Nazi. The third Nazi in range, AoF 5 + Roll 10,9=24 vs Will 2 + Roll 4,3=9. Success 5 + AoF 5 + Roll 5,6=21 vs Spirit 2 + Roll 3,9=14. Third Nazi is frozen in fear for 8 minutes!

Mummy towered over the dazed Nazi. He felt that he had somehow affected two people above ground, and that they were frozen stock still in terror for some time, but the man in front of him and another man had resisted. Perhaps they were made of sterner stuff, perhaps he'd not drawn the fear and terror of being walled up alive, then projected it, in the correct way.

Even so, he had the advantage over the man in front of him. He watched the dazed fellow try to get his bearings, gasping with pain at a sprained ankle. He looked up at the shadow shrouded figure in front of him, seeing only a pair of dead red eyes shining in the darkness! With trembling hands he fumbled for his gun in his holster...

OOC You have initiative. The fellow is down on the floor giving you +2 to hit him if you attack physically or you might want to try Aura of fear again, your call.