World War II - The Vanguard Issue #3 - Operation Dynamo! Dunkirk group

smaug wrote:

So what is your plan which the dark power? EMP the planes so they would have to attempt to land and reducing casualties?

Well that is the problem, to get anything like enough power to make a decisive difference I've got to ramp up the amount of power I need - like getting an area wide EMP power. But the trade off from the risk of loosing control is so great, I'd rather not try it! The alternative is to get smaller amounts but doesn't really make any difference and just increases the risk the longer I prolong.

Certainly things appear to be desperate. But I won't want to risk letting the atom bomb of undiscriminating destruction, that is the dark power, off unless it happens to me without my say so or I've no choice because everyone's dead so I've nothing left to loose.

I'm also mindful of the fact that there is this threat from space, if we let off the power, we might be drained of any further resources and still have to battle a much greater and superior force.

Sorry to keep this going, I feel like I'm being a real stick in the mud about this, but not to be difficult for difficulties sake! But I guess for now its back to the fight!

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OOC: Frostbite will move forward intangible and try to use his intangibility so that he can people to target him and overshoot hitting others about them, before returning to a tangible state and knocking people about. He will also try to auto parry where possible. Drawing people away from the others.

Saladin, meanwhile will try and get close to the Robots, to anyone who he can interrigate to get info on Bentham, is he close? What others devices have they? Where are they building these, how many more are they deploying.

He'll be mindful of the others as they are acting as a shield under which he can get cover and support and if he does find out anything useful he will try to suggest to the others they can do more good by stopping that source, of unconventional weapons.

====

On another practical note and whilst I remember I am away for the next few days, I'm taking my laptop and should have wifi access, but travelling tomorrow, so not sure when I can get on, but around till about 9am tomorrow, just in case I duck out and you wonder where I am for 24 hours.


Sj

Admin wrote:OOC I'll amend the Dark Power mechanic. Hero Points Can be used to be used to re-roll on a 1 for a re-roll basis.
I have Frostbite at 14 Hero points, Silver Sentinel at 15 Hero Points. Dice shouldn't run/ruin the game, just make it more interesting. Wiping out thousands of Germans and Allied troops isn't something that Frostbite OR the Dark Power wants, after all... Besides that, I'll roll for the Dark Power and keep the roll secret - keep things... tense

OH blast spent the best part of half an hour writing up my response and I needn't have bothered.

Ok so let me see if I want to get an area wide EMP that won't effect my people, Because I will fly forward and tell everyone to hang back. So that will effect the Nazi's, a sort of arc or burst going out from me? How many points would I need to get for that?

Here is my roll +ego wow almost got a 20! 1d20+12=31

So If I take 5 d10 = 5d10=35 I got with that roll 2 10's but 1 one as well. I'll re roll the one to get another dice and the two 10's. Urgh two 8's and a 1 again 3d10=17 I'll leave it there but that equals 52 points to spend on the blast. But I only want to access it if I can protect my people, none of this friends and foes alike business.

==========

Reluctantly Joseph allowed Joe to come to the fore, together they accessed the dark part and felt the surge of power flow through them. For months Joe had felt completely exhausted always on the edge, fighting with all he had and all he could find. Now that power he'd felt in Atlantis surged through him again - and he was terrified.

Were it not for the presence of the other Joe, with him, he was sure part of him would flee and hide overwhelmed by the power that resided within him and unsure of how he felt that it was present in this way. Still he got control once again and having moved a safe distance away toward the oncoming onslaught shot his hands out to fire the blast.

sj

The Vanguard

Frostbite (13 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round)
Silver Sentinel (15 HP remaining)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)


OOC I rolled 18 on the D20 for the Dark power, +5 = 23. You exceed that comfortably. Dunno what you were worried about! 52 points to spend on an 'EMP' - do you see the flaw in your plan? EMPs are good against electronic systems - they'll knock out the add ons for the planes but basically leave the aeroplanes of the 1940s alone, save maybe send their compass a bit wacky. Against those robots they'll do the trick though. Let's try this:

Frostbites eyes suddenly glowed red, and a black fire formed around his person! Everyone within a mile looked up suddenly, to the dark fiery figure in the sky!

Slowly looking at the flame that burnt about his person that didn't burn his skin, he heard the voice inside.

'I am feeding you the power... it is hard! So hard! It's like... holding back a river with my hands! Hurry mortal!' it cried, a note of desperation in it's voice!

Frostbite looked at the sky, and at a wave of bombers heading for the troops. He considered his options and Joe Hoskyn discarded the Electromagnetic pulse idea from Rigdon inside. It would have worked against the alien forces, and worked well, but these were relics to Rigdon, and he thought in terms of modern (to him) warfare.

So he reached out with his hands, and created a dark dome, as wide as he could, several hundreds yards across, groaning with the effort! It shielded a large group of soldiers below, Allied forces who stared in fear at this new power, wondering if it were friend... or foe! The dome spread outwards and upwards, filling the sky over the beleaguered allied forces, spreading like a pulse, or a wave of some kind, upwards and outwards!

Dozens of Nazi planes, without time to turn, flew into the dark dome...

And the planes started tumbling from the sky, their occupants momentarily blinded and panicking!

'Feel the panic! The terror! Delicious!' cried the power inside.

Frostbite felt a sudden rush and cried out as his skin turned reptilian, his form stretched and grew, wings sprouting from his back!

Gathering his will as best he could, he reined in the dark power, and was relieved when he recovered his normal form, whilst dozens of planes smashed into the ground below, billowing flames rising into the sky! Some smashed into their own ground forces and screaming men were sent spinning through the air...

Frostbite gasped...

The dome faded.

All about, scattered across the killing fields,burning wreckage of bombers coiled dark smoke into the sky. The Nazis in bombers high up had heard the screams over the radios and saw the thick, chocking black smoke boiling upwards, along with the occasional mushrooming orange cloud!

=========

"Mein Gott!" spluttered a General, looking through field binoculars.

He, and various other command staff, had seen the single dot in the sky form a large obsidian dome, and the planes fly into it whilst making their bombing run! They'd heard the explosions, the THUMP! of planes hitting the floor, and the screams of the dying! Dozens of planes, wiped out in one hit!

"We have encountered the enemy superhumans..." he spluttered, then shouted at the radio operator. "SEND THE MESSAGE!" he screamed at the gaping man, who was finding it hard to believe what he'd seen. "Tell them! We have encountered the enemy superhumans, and one man... ONE MAN, has wiped out a squadron of dive bombers and killed hundreds of soldiers. Tell command we need ALL our metahumans at the front, now, to combat this menace!"

"Sir!" shouted another officer running up. He held a piece of paper in his hands. "Oh no." muttered the General. "The word is that the accursed ANYMAN has infiltrated and single handedly destroyed another training facility!" he scrunched the paper up and turned. "Give the order. Recall the bombers. Whilst that man is in the the air they are ineffectual, and I will not waste machines against that... that abomination! Order the ground assault..."

"Sir, the ground assault will slow down the operation to destroy the British. We should continue to... he is only one man!" spluttered a Colonel.

"ONE MAN?" screamed the General. "ONE MAN YOU SAY?" he grabbed the Colonel and turned him to the blazing fires on the battlefield. "One man destroyed Dozens of our planes with a single thought! You want me to waste dozens more? We have nothing to fight against such a man!"

"The robots..."

The General laughed. "Ah yes, the robots. Muddy ground is hampering them, and now the cratered battlefield will slow them further! I am tempted to send them in simply to see how that man destroys those! Have you ever seen or heard of such power? How do the idiots in Berlin expect me to fight him?" he pulled his pistol out. "With.. with this?" he tossed the weapon into the mud at his feet. "Order the advance. All we can hope is that he cannot be in lots of places at once, and we can clear a path through the allied rearguard to get to their forces. Hold the planes back. They haven't the fuel to go round. We'll have to figure out something else. Blanket that... that being in flak fire, bullets, bombs... hell, throw bloody rocks at it! Do something to get it out of the sky! THEN send the planes in!"

OOC Frostbite - You have used all your points in 1 round of Dark power. You sent a message to the Nazis. The aircraft are turning about, but the main army will be trundling forwards, albeit slower. If you wish to use another dose of Dark power, whatever number you choose will have 1 added to it. So if you go for 12 points, the 'ego' that opposes your own will be 13 this time around.

Elsewhere

A being floated in space, sat on an asteroid. He turned, looking at the inky blackness, and narrowed his three eyes. Standing, his herculean form seemingly unhampered by the hard vacuum of the void, he gathered his weapon, a great axe, and concentrated.

The axe glowed, and energy surrounded the being. It swelled and morphed, forming a glowing yellow glasslike energy around the alien and reshaped into a smooth bullet like craft! Seated inside the yellow glowing interior, the entity will the vessel forwards at astonishing speed! Ahead a swirling vortex opened in space, and the bullet craft entered it, before the vortex winked out of existence!

The entity had felt the cosmic power again, the one that it'd sensed and lost track of. This time it knew the direction, and would be at the obscure star system in a short time to investigate!

=========

It felt the ripple

Cosmic force, a reality bending power that all entities like itself could sense. It felt the power, and was reminded of its hunger. The Devourer considered increasing its speed, but knew it would only expend more energy. No. Send another two heralds. The first had not returned yet. He doubted she were in trouble, but this cosmic gathering of power in one spot could be no mere coincidence! The reptilian Skrall and Insectoid Qrii had despatched fleets to the place, two vast empires even the Devourer had kept clear of. Not through fear, but more along the lines of holding them back, in reserve. They would be a final feast. After that, it would leave this Galaxy for pastures new, the majority of life bearing worlds having been used to sate its tremendous hunger!

=========

(Translated from an Alien tongue) "Commander! A thousand pardons! We have a deep space probe reporting an energy pulse of vast magnitude!"

The commander, a being composed of partially solid energy, like the crew, turned. "The Skrall and Qrii will know it too. They outnumber us. Make all speed to the planet. The race is on to capture this new power source, and there are no prizes for second place!"

Across the universe, similar thoughts entered the minds of other Commanders of large vessels.

Those in smaller vessels could only wonder where such leviathans of space were headed, but thankful their attentions were turned elsewhere!

Interlude ends...

The Vanguard

Frostbite (13 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round)
Silver Sentinel (15 HP remaining)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)

Admin wrote:OOC Frostbite - You have used all your points in 1 round of Dark power. You sent a message to the Nazis. The aircraft are turning about, but the main army will be trundling forwards, albeit slower. If you wish to use another dose of Dark power, whatever number you choose will have 1 added to it. So if you go for 12 points, the 'ego' that opposes your own will be 13 this time around.

As he slowly regained as sense of normality, Joe nodded toward the presence within himself to beaten up to say much more by way of thanks. But no more seemed necessary - the vast being within was aware of what was intended. Slowly lowering himself back to the others, he could see their wild eyed stares and then finally the shock and resignation on Sentinel's face. He knew better than anyone the terrible cost involved in sharing the power their companions wielded.

"We seemed to have scared off their air assault its time to get to the ground and see what we can do." Frostbite wanted to say more, but at that point he was still trying to compose himself, so he just began to fly down to the ground, glad for the space to adjust back to normality.

Meanwhile even the, otherwise calculating Saladin, was shocked by what he'd seen. Perhaps being with these 'heroes' might still serve his purposes, ultimately their power and their purpose wasn't so far removed from his own. But he'd have to see if his agenda could be advanced more quickly. Bentham was a shrewd operator, he and Lionheart both knew that. But for now it suited him to join with the others, that way he could try and get closer to the robots and interrogating their men.

OOC:

Ok so lets get some idea of what the push on the ground might be, we'll head to the allies first find out if there is more that we can do there before taking in what is going on, on the ground and work out our tactics from that point of view.


Sj

"We seemed to have scared off their air assault its time to get to the ground and see what we can do."

"And something tells me we have got their interst too and we shouldnt hang around to find out."

Sentinel joined Frostbite as they both descended towards the allies not noticing Saladin near by squinting at the two vanguard and scheming. On the ground Jenson supported frostbite as he landed with a stubble, they both gave each other a single nod as sentinel understood how drained his friend must be feeling and frostbite nodded as if to say 'thanks, i'll be alright'.

"You better fine who evers in charge hear, I'll see if I can do anything to speed things along."

The Vanguard

Frostbite (13 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round)
Silver Sentinel (15 HP remaining)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)


The Vanguard landed. Frostbite saw the glances Guillotine and Boadicea gave one another, but brushed them off. He wasn't sure what he was, nor about the power inside him. That said, if it saved allied lives? The thick boiling columns of smoke suggested he'd done something of the sort, at the cost of nearly 40 Nazi aircraft. It wasn't the vehicles themselves that he'd affected, he realised, but it was the pilots.

'You blinded them. The darkness is our domain. We saw to it that they could see only darkness, and everyone has some fear of the dark. I can take hold of and amplify that fear, especially in the weak minded. They were suddenly blinded and felt they were falling, which they were, in a fashion.' cackled the voice inside. 'The enemies fear is delicious... come to think of it, your allies are wondering what to make of you too...'

"Major Albert Hawksley" said a mud smeared soldier flanked by a number of others. "I've read the briefs, I've heard what the newspapers back home are printing, and I still didn't believe it. Having seen you - all of you - in action, I'm not sure I can believe my eyes, but for what it's worth? My thanks." He turned to Frostbite and Silver Sentinel, eyed Saladin up, and gave a nod to the ladies. "If you can keep coming out with those sort of miracles, this war will be over a lot sooner, but I'm afraid the Nazis will have their own reply soon enough. Those blasted robots turned our tanks into scrap and our sappers into drooling idiots when they got near. I don't understand where all these gizmos are coming from, but the Nazis don't play by any rules of warfare I know of! We've mined the land between here and the Nazis. All along our defence line, we're dug in with mortars, machine guns and barbed wire. They'll find it slow going."

He said all this to the backdrop of guns firing on both sides, cannons boomed and tanks pounded shell after shell into the air. The distant drone of hundreds of retreating aircraft was scant consolation compared to the forces coming at them.

"We are a mixed force of British, French and Belgian. I fear for France if we're forced off the mainland. The Nazis caught us on the hop, but they'll get theirs!" he growled. "Our orders are simple. We are to hold the line to the last man, buy time for the BEF to get back to Britain. We have no other orders. The kids I have are frightened, but they'll hold. I'm not so suicidal that I'll sacrifice their lives, but we HAVE to slow the Nazis down, buy our lot more time!"

As he spoke explosions came much closer, throwing up soil into the air and making craters.

"We'd best move to another spot. If you can do anything at all to help, take out those two robots! Those things cause men to collapse and drool on the ground, I've seen it happen! The support troops with it are unaffected! Thankfully the range is only a hundred yards or so, as best we can tell, but it's pushed us back every time. They'll make a path for the Nazis to march right through us unless you can stop them!"

Guillotine looked at the distant robots, striding menacingly through the smoky battlefield. "They'll be here within the hour. If there's some way to hook our friend here up..." she thumbed at Saladin "To their machines we can - possibly - use it against the Nazis themselves. It would be risky though. And that's assuming we can get near it! According to Boadicea it turns off parts of the human brain?"

Boadicea nodded. "Lionheart, I mean Saladin, Silver Sentinel and Frostbite are our only hope in that respect. The best we can do is provide tactical support and drop grenades on the enemy from above."

The three mentioned turned to face the distant robots. They would meet the Allied line first, then the great wave of Axis armour would smash the defence. Within the day they could be at Dunkirk unless the Vanguard were able to slow them!

=========

In orbit...

(OOC Translated from Skrall) "Sir!" said an officer, handing a readout to the Supreme Commander of the fleet. He read it, narrowed his lizard like eyes and crushed the note in an armoured cybernetic hand. "It's time to up the ante! Prepare the troops for ground assault!"

"Which settlement on the planet, Sir?"

The Supreme Commander pointed at a map. "That one."

Interlude ends...

OOC you have two of those pesky robots to deal with. Do that, and the Allied forces might just slow the Axis advance enough to buy that day you need, especially if you come up with a few more Dark Empowered moves (Ross you can try it, but with half ego you'd have to choose a low amount of Dark Power to try for).

The Vanguard

Frostbite (13 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round)
Silver Sentinel (15 HP remaining)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)

Admin wrote:OOC you have two of those pesky robots to deal with. Do that, and the Allied forces might just slow the Axis advance enough to buy that day you need, especially if you come up with a few more Dark Empowered moves (Ross you can try it, but with half ego you'd have to choose a low amount of Dark Power to try for).

OOC: So much for well laid plans, anyway back now and around for the next week before being off again, but again taking laptop and hopefully a bit more down time between seeing friends and family to reply.

Ok I am going with Boadica's response, in the new rules, I am wondering a number of things.

1. Can Frostbite help Sentinel so that together he can use the dark power and I can help him overcome. So that as a result he boasts the effective range of his powers so he can effect the robots without them being able to effect him?

2. Alternatively can we/I life a tank, or Saladin or all three of us together, get a tank fly it above the effective range and drop it on the robots, preferably followed by rounds of ammo, also dropped from on high, without effective support these things can be affected.

3. EMP pulse might work with these creatures below or alternatively Frostbot and me reunite so we can use the dark power to take over the first robot and get it to first switch off the power jamming and then attack its fellow robot, with our support.

I realise that all three of these stratagies might work, in their own way. But I am asking for advice on the rules. Can we with our strength do the tank drop? Are their tanks to get and how available? Or if we extend the range of Sentinel's power, will it even work?

I think even if we can't get tanks, the idea of dropping things on the robots might prove helpful, even if we drop allied vehicles filled with explosives, that might prove worthwhile.

Funnily enough I know that Saladin will have no problem trying any of these, because as we know, he wants to get close enough to interrogate the Robot command, to find out more anyway.

Assuming we have to make a call on the dark power, I will let you make the rolls Paul, to keep things moving along and also I don't know what power level we'll need to do this in any case.
======

I hear you point about the scale of dice, 2d10, 3d10, 4d10, but our ego isn't going to get better so the with the scale comes the greater risk. Since its so random, I am not sure how this will play out in real terms. Also in the past with the use of the Dark Power has come some down time, I think that I wouldn't want to 'exhaust' the source before the devourer comes.

Sorry not to be more descriptive but I'm exhausted.

Sj

OOC: Ah I dont know what day it is, Ive done a all nighter then had two lots of sleep, god I feel worse than with no sleep.

I think the idea of option 2. I feel its very SS, any excuse to blow things up eh.

If any of these options is a no go I really think sentinel knowing the risks would use his dark power reguardless, he has an affinity with the men on the field because he has shed blood with men like that before and thinks its no any for a soldier to die drooling on the floor.

IC: "What ever we are going to do we better make it quick, we cant just leave those men out there drooling in the mud and the blood, they are the real heroes god damn it"

Admin wrote:OOC Just a quicky - Dave, when you guys 'improve' with using the Dark power, you won't need to risk losing control at all. When you are so experienced with it you are rolling 3, 4 5 or even more D10 per Dark Power point, you'll only be rolling with 1d20+ego vs 4 or 5 +1D20, say, and getting 12 or more D10 power points to use (so instead of choosing a number from 2 up and getting that many D10 to roll, you'll have double, triple, quadruple, more even, times the D10).

I hear what you are saying Paul, and I think its sounds great. But again and again my worry is what if I fall at the first hurdle? It only takes one bad dice roll (and to prove my point this is what I just rolled 1d20+12=14v1d20+7=26 Bang! Oh but hang on would you allow the use of hero points to add to my ego check at this point, to ensure success in which case I am much happier to go ahead on this, at least to the hero points run out).

I hope you hear where I am coming from and I am not coming across as a jerk, whose coming across as self righteous and difficult, but we both know with great power comes great responsibility.

The other side of the coin is that maybe I'm just taking this all too seriously and should go for it whatever, despite my ability to roll so badly? I know this is making my head hurt.

So enough back to the game. If there is a way I can enhance Sentinel so that he can have a greater combined ego check then so be it with the use of hero points maybe.

Otherwise I think we are going to have to try dropping explosive filled wreckage on top of the robots, as well as having areas set up to slow them down. Speed seems to be of the essence, so lets get wreckage from our side of the lines, rather than try and find and hoist up German tanks.

====

Frostbite thought through several plans, trying to size up the risks involved in each one. He sense the impatient Dark Prince within, he knew that together they could bring this battle to and end. But deep within Frostbite was fearful of what such power might bring with it. What devastation could be unleashed at his behest. The temptation was great, but Frostbite was honestly torn.



Sj

ooc: If we are going to start getting more dice with the Dark Power as we succeed in using it, can we also get it to last longer as well? 2D10, 2 rounds; 4D10, 4 rounds, etc.

OOC: Oh blast that will teach me not to re read the posts properly until later on. Spent ages trying the above post so as to be as constructive and helpful as possible and then I've been rereading the prior posts and saw this:

Edit: You can use Hero Points to pay for a reroll of your Ego check - as many as you consider you'll need (1 HP=1 reroll)

DOH!

Dave whilst we're talking OOC, but Frostbite will have heard you talk with Wynn, why don't you use hero points to make sure you get the kind of roll that will allow you to just teleport to where we are, or if necessary on board the ship to get those messages and Lunarium back to Bletchley?

Blast just read the instructions on teleport and they are so limiting, grade 3 only takes you 3000 meters, but you could do that four times in a round, which would mean 60 htc but 12thousand meters covered. Oh just worked it out that's still only 7 miles -wow teleports is so underpowered. Never knew.

Anyway with the use of hero points you should be able to stave off the disaster of the dark power getting control.

Right I am going to suggest that I boast Sentinel's ego with my dark power so that he can extend the range of his mental morphine powers and do what is needed.

Since I don't know what he will need nor how indeed I need to roll, can I leave the rolls in you hands Paul and I will spend as many points as is needed to make my ego check in order to succeed and get the points necessary for Sentinel to be boasted up so he can do his check and get what he needs to melt the robots to slag in a round.

Hope that is ok, sorry to have been such a pain. Glad I re read the previous comments.

Sj

"What ever we are going to do we better make it quick, we cant just leave those men out there drooling in the mud and the blood, they are the real heroes god damn it"

Sentinels last three words echoed out as if he had been standing in a cave, they werent loud but had a strong god like presence to them. He could feel the hatred hit him like a dam had burst open and hundreds of tonnes of water had hit him, all the while he was unaware that his hands and arms were a glow with the intensity of a million candles. The blinding white light caught his eye, stairing at his all most opaque shovels of hands Steve knew in an instant what he must do.

Yyesssssssssss the voice hissed in his head. I can feel the hatred swelling in you (OOC: *cough* star wars)

The hero gently rose into the air, then drifted toward the three automatons gathering speed all the while and took one final look at his fellow man lying all a round on the field of battle like statterd leaves but he understood it wasnt hatred this time it was compassion, it was love (OOC: *cough* hippy)

OOC: I know if I use my dark powers chances are the nazis will throw their latest super weapon(s) at us when we are at are most vulnerable but sodd it Im going for it but not getting too close obviously. Hero points and all, set phasers to kill, lets melt these suckers. Aiming at the top half so If I dont completly destroy them at last they cant disable anymore so we can get our people out then blow up whats left of these nazi war machines.

The Vanguard

Frostbite (12 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round)
Silver Sentinel (13 HP remaining)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)


OOC The new Dark power mechanics are a work in progress, but the short duration was intentional, giving the Vanguard that short burst of power without tipping them over to the 'dark side' (pun intended for Ross' benefit .... ) By all means I can add a line to the costs about increasing the duration for a reduced cost, so, say... 15 points to boost an existing power grade for 1 round, then 10 for every every round after that. Bear in mind every round you lose 1d10 dark power points as well, so it's definitely a case of use 'em or lose 'em, but you can continue to use them every round to build up experience... nothing stopping you minimising risk and asking for only 2 Dark Power points every time. 2D10 might not be much use for boosting powers and such, but do it a few times (and avoid becoming a big bad death machine, tricky with Dave E and his dodgy dice o doom) and suddenly your character has 'Dark Power grade 2'. Hmmm. Maybe higher grades last a round per grade, so Grade 2 lasts twice as long and nets 2D10 for every Dark power point you try for. Anyhow. Let's try the join hands and boost Sentinels' ego...

Frostbite turned to Silver Sentinel. Both knew the risks, but the ends justified the means.

They hoped.

"Perhaps I should leave you two alone, though this isn't the best place. Perhaps a hotel room?" cackled Saladin.

Sentinel and Frostbite gripped one another's arms in a warriors clasp, then looked deep into the others eyes. The blue orbs of Frostbite against the shadowed blue eyes of the young man known as Silver Sentinel. Then both pairs of eyes turned red!

OOC Ok for a hero point each (cost deducted above) you can average the combined will score, which bumps Sentinel up to 9 from 6, a 50% boost. Not enormous, admittedly, but it will improve. Oh and Dave E, before I forget, yes you are right about the power level of Teleport and everything else. What this campaign has highlighted for me is that if Golden Heroes is the British '2000AD' street level of supers games, DC Heroes and Marvel Superheroes back in the day were the 800lb gorillas kicking sand in Golden Heroes' face, both with comic book art, presentation, support, rules, mechanics, background materials, history, character rosters, player base... the list goes on. For all that though, I like the frame/round system. All we need is the right match for it, and it'll be a game with a unified mechanic I should think, rather than a hotch potch like GH is, with 1 grade powers and high grade powers that still don't work farther than 40m away at a push... Street Level indeed, but it has it's own unique charm, I'll admit. Dammit, you got me ranting again!

The Dark Powers inside cackled. The chance to be unleashed, with so many negative emotions around... they would positively gorge themselves on terror before slicing the continent in half! Total Armageddon! The deaths of millions, sent screaming into the void! Victory and utter domination for the Shadow Demons! No more...

The rasping voices went silent, all too aware that their combined minds had almost - disastrously - led them to forget who they were and what they fought for.

They'd made a choice - the Shadow Demons, their former subjects in their uncounted billions, MUST be thwarted!

Silver Sentinel turned towards the distant robots, a mile or more away (OOC and so out of range, 40m and all that ) then raised his arm, opening the palm and concentrating.

OOC Ok here we go. To boost the range of the Metal Morphing power will cost 50 points (figure plucked from my head) to increase it from 2m to 'Line of sight'. You aren't boosting the power as far as I can tell, as it's not needed. His metal morphing power will simply ooze whatever it passes over at Sentinels' command. So you need 50 points of energy to spend. We'll assume an average roll of 5.5, so you're looking at 9 points.

That makes it Sentinels' 9 effective Ego +1D20 vs 9 Dark Power +1D20 to get 9D10 energy points to spend (and then hope to roll 50 or more to boost the range). As you are both linked, Hero Points can be burnt from either in a pool and you've both indicated you will spend as many as required to get the result you want. So here we go:

1d20+9=16 Heroes, 1d20+9=24 Dark Power Ouch! Never fear, Hero Points are here, but you need to beat 24 (a roll of 16 or more!) so we'll burn Sentinels hero points first... 1d20+9=26, success, no others required. The next four rolls would've been: 1d20+9=17, 1d20+9=23, 1d20+9=21, 1d20+9=28. Sentinels down to 13 HP now, and this is what happens...9d10=50. You can't make this stuff up... I see what you mean about crazy dice Dave. On the button with 50 points.

Across the vast expanse Silver Sentinel 'projected' his power, imagining himself flying towards the enemy. He felt Frostbites' arm clasp his, and together the Vanguardians forced his power on, the further it got away the more difficult it became!

Sentinel cried out, and his costume collapsed into an oozing fluid all about him! Nearby men gasped as their weapons' metal turned instantly into oozing liquid! A jeep collapsed, becoming little more than four tyres sat in a gray metal puddle! And still the Vanguard pushed the power on!

It struck like a missile at the chest of one of the robots, passing straight through, then arcing around and melting the chest of the other!

Sentinel gasped, sagging to the floor, caught by Frostbite as Saladin looked on, his superhuman eyes able to reveal what had happened.

"I don't believe it, but I am impressed." he muttered. The robots had stopped dead in their tracks, and would remain that way, their primitive fusion drives having melted and lost containment of the lunarium that powered them! The irradiated lunarium shone its deadly red radiation outwards through the chest hole in each robot, causing the soldiers around to scream and clutch their faces as the strange moon metal affected every man differently, uniquely!

Some grew scales, fangs, wings, a tail, more arms, less arms, another head, to giant proportions, to minuscule size, and more besides! Others simply melted, became a gaseous cloud, burst into flames, shrieked and died on the spot, exploded, became like rock... in a fraction of a second the support soldiers nearest the robots were dead or dying, the mutations causing deep rooted changes in their bodies that meant men drowned in blood, or their organs collapsed, or simply vanished! In the blink of an eye 117 men died a horrible death, and the others nearby scrambled away in blind panic!

The rolling armour a mile or more behind slowed, then stopped, as the flashing Lunarium got brighter and brighter...

Both robots glowed like the sun, then collapsed, the metal breaking down at the subatomic level and losing all coherence, whilst the deadly lunarium dropped to the Earth and started sinking through it, turning everything it touched into liquid or gas, be it rock, metal or liquid!

Helping Sentinel up, Frostbite peered into the distance. The men all about were silent. Even the guns had stopped.

Everyone on the battlefield knew they'd witnessed a power not seen before on planet Earth, at least by so many.

Calling his metal suit up over his skin again, Sentinel looked at his hand, fearful almost. He knew now what he and the others could do. This was the start, the tip of the iceberg. he also knew how close he'd come to disaster, with only the shared link saving them from doom! It had been the willpower of both men that had won the day, and it had been so, so close indeed.

The Nazi army stopped, not just this point in the line but along it, as word spread. Instead they dug in and started a long, pounding bombardment. They would advance no more this day, having suffered terrible reverses in the form of the planes destroyed and now the giant robots...

"Sacre Bleu!" uttered the French Commander nearby... "Are you gods... or devils?" he asked.

Some of the French troops were looking fearful, backing off and whispering to one another. The tale would spread of what they'd seen, firsthand.

"Sheep!" spat Saladin. "Power is useless if not being used. The Nazis have that - and more coming." he laughed.

Sentinel and Frostbite knew different.

They'd almost called oblivion down on the men around them...

The Vanguard

Frostbite (12 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round)
Silver Sentinel (13 HP remaining)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)

Admin wrote:"Sacre Bleu!" uttered the French Commander nearby... "Are you gods... or devils?" he asked.

"Neither!" Frostbite spoke quietly, once again relieved that through shear bloody mindedness, team work and guts they'd somehow began to make a dent in the Nazi forces. "We're just men! We're not the heroes, you guys are." He turned to the others and said, in a more confident voice,

"When bullets bounce off you, when you can retreat through solid rock, when you can capture men with your mind, that's just power, that doesn't take courage. But when you've none of these things but the conviction that might doesn't make right. That Hitler has to be stopped, whatever he has on his side. That there is a just and fair society and a brotherhood of man and a God who is at work in this fair world, then when you go out to battle in the strength of such convictions with courage alone...such men, such women, they are the real heroes."

He then nodded to his French counterpart and said, "We've got a reprieve, it won't last long, get your men out of here."

Mindful of the sneering presence of Saladin, who sneer looked less cynical than moments before, Frostbite just gave him a look. And with a snort he turned and face the damaged robots. "I will scout ahead..." And before anyone could stop him he was gone.

"You did well..." Frostbite said finally turning back to Sentinel, "But its just beginning...and we don't yet know what awaits us up there!" He finished pointing skyward.

OOC:

Ok so we've made a bit of a dent but lots more to do.

Saladin will see if he can pick off one of the stragglers to interrogate about Bentham and Trowers, he will be mindful of the presence of the enemy and seek not to get captured. He will be on his guard at every juncture and try to stay in touch with the others as much as he is needed to.

Frostbite will take a look at the tactical situation, it seems the guns pounding the front line are the next area they need to take out, pushing back or scrapping their firepower to give the men greater room to breath and evacuate the BEF.
====


I'm glad you saw what I mean about the dice, thank goodness for hero points. And yeah a unified mechanic about powers and abilities would be great. I love GH rules, I love the feel of them, its why I've done the art work for several editions, but street level is only so good for so long. Like D&D you want to get out of the heroic gate and progress first to the higher level and then the epic level MMOG do it, other RPG's do it I think GH should do it, but so far Simon seems resistant, so its down to use. Refinements can only get you so far.


Sj

OOC: That was by far the most awesome attack ever ...........ever.........but still a little bit gay.

"You did well..." Frostbite said finally turning back to Sentinel, "But its just beginning...and we don't yet know what awaits us up there!" He finished pointing skyward.

"Good will always be victorious, trust in that my friend" sentinel answerd as he walked away towards the wounded trying not to staggerd from exhaustion.
"Or failing that, winning is having a bigger gun than your enemy, thats what my dad always used to say" sentinel turned around and added.

Frostbite smiled back and thought 'bigger gun eh!, thats sentinel all right'

OOC: Can I also inspect whats left of the robots for tech or any special properties in the metal

The Vanguard

Frostbite (12 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round 1 Dark Power XP point)
Silver Sentinel (13 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round 1 Dark Power XP point)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)


"Impressive." said Boadicea quietly. She looked on Silver Sentinel with new eyes - the youngster had been game enough, and a good fighter, but never before had he displayed such power! Frostbite seemed the seasoned pro, the old hand, and the war weary look on his face already made Boadicea wonder how he was coping, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Saladin sped off, the rough terrain and minefield meaningless to him as he simply moved around the hidden mines and leapt over the fences of barned wire. The mines would slow the tanks down, and the barbed wire the troops. Now that the robots weren't clearing a path for them, the Nazis had to fight for every inch of ground again, and despiite the French falling back in numbers, enough were left to convince the Nazis to work for what they gained!

Bullets zipped past him as he sped across the smoking battlefield. His intuition told him that the wreckage of the robots could still be irradiated, so he was careful to give it a respectable distance. Superhuman he may be, but suicidal he wasn't!

He came across a young soldier crawling aimlessly in the mud. His face was seared down one side, the hair falling out of his head, and his eyes were completely bloodshot. Saladin scooped him up with a hand, holding him by the throat as he squirmed. "What do you know, eh?" he cackled, ignoring the incessant gunfire. Several shots pinged from his bio electrical forcefield, but he gave them no mind. The soldier in his grasp heaved his guts up, all blood, and Saladin tossed him to the floor to die in agony, looking about for others. The explosion of a shell nearby gave him pause, and reminded him that he was still in the middle of a battle!

Moving through the smoke at superhuman speed he snagged another soldier, this one having lost the flesh from his hands. He looked on in fear as Saladin grabbed him, the wire frame skullcap still attached to the pack on his belt, his helmet having fallen off at some point. He looked shell shocked and terrified.

"As well you might do." rasped Saladin, leaning in. "I am going to make you talk, Nazi! And it is going to hurt you. A lot." He headbutted the man into unconsciousness with a single blow, then sped back to the French lines where the Vanguard were taking cover in trenches.

Tossing the soldier at Frostbites feet, he ignored the bullets zipping past him to say "Why don't you just burn the battlefield free of this scum? You have the power! Use it!" He turned to Silver Sentinel. "You burnt the heart right out of those machines boy. All that's left is melted metal."

The distant guns rang out, and explosions split the air all about. Frostbite considered what had happened - the Nazis, overconfident and with the upper hand, had been given a seriously bloody nose. With night falling and the fields in front of them mined, their progress would be slowed. He turned to the PSI Agents beside him. Boadicea, anticipating his question, shrugged, and turned to Guillotine, who didn't wait for Frostbite to ask it, engrossed as she was in watching the enemy through Binoculars. "I believe the Nazis will attempt small scale gains but concentrate on pounding this position throughout the night. When their superhumans get here they will send them in to deal with us, then continue the assault. In the meantime I think they will encircle this position, but the French Line should hold for the last day the BEF needs to evacuate, in my opinion. Unless something changes, I should think the BEF has the time to evacuate, and our job is done - for now. We should watch the skies, just in case, but the sight of dozens of bombers smashing into the floor will have unnerved the pilots. They won't want to try that again knowing you are here. Those robots were the main threat. We know at first hand what they can do with that neural jammer, but the Sentinel did well."

"Unfortunately, now our hand is tipped. Not only do the Nazis know about the Vanguard and what they can do, they will formulate a plan and be ready next time." she said. "Tactically, our position is relatively sound. We are outmatched and outnumbered, but the enemy is spooked. Until their own special operatives return from Berlin, we should have an easier time of it, thanks to Anyman. The biggest challenge will be..."

She paused as an explosion nearby destroyed a jeep, and the whistling of incoming shells nearly drowned her out "Not being blown to pieces by their guns!"

OOC Nothing salvageable for Sentinel, and he'd have to brave the battlefield to search for the metal, which is useless anyway thanks to the radiation. Unless you guys want to go after the Nazis some more, I can wrap this chapter and get you out of Belgium and back to Blighty with my next post...

The Vanguard

Frostbite (12 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round 1 Dark Power XP point)
Silver Sentinel (13 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round 1 Dark Power XP point)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)

Admin wrote:Tossing the soldier at Frostbites feet, he ignored the bullets zipping past him to say "Why don't you just burn the battlefield free of this scum? You have the power! Use it!"

Frostbite pulled a hand over his face, before looking down at the soldier. "Its not as simple as it might seem. Its like trying to capture lightening, as well you know." Frostbite shot a glance back at Saladin, well aware that somewhere within Lionheart, Richard King, remained trapped for now. He'd hardly had time to consider what he might do to make his old friend return. Since the whole thing had happened by accident, he could hardly claim to know how it might be reversed. But Saladin, despite his uses, was cold, calculating and very dangerous.

Frostbite had guessed that his real game involved those Lionheart had mentioned coming from his future present. Frostbite didn't have to guess that Saladin had brought the Nazi back to get information, but from what he understood they'd already intercepted dispatches. There was probably little this man could tell them. Signalling to two guards nearby, Frostbite quickly asked them to remove the man, he probably didn't have long to live anyway.

Saladin meanwhile, sneered with evident contempt. Following the men out he let them take him to the makeshift infirmary where he still sat with the man, ready to search his mind for anything he might be able to find. Things were moving faster now, the forces would likely retreat to England and then he'd have to make a decision as to whether he went it alone, or bided his time. Hateful as it seemed to him, tackling the Germans on his own would be suicide. He hadn't helped Lionheart and himself escape to England on the U-boat when they first arrived, only to hand himself back to Bentham. For now he'd return, with what he could find and perhaps start his search with those the Nazi's had placed among the British as spies.

The distant guns rang out, and explosions split the air all about. Frostbite considered what had happened - the Nazis, overconfident and with the upper hand, had been given a seriously bloody nose. With night falling and the fields in front of them mined, their progress would be slowed

.

Frostbite had thought about trying to make another go at the Guns, but right now he was content to let things be. They'd have yet to be ready for what was still coming toward them in space and he was tired. More so than he'd ever known. Tired men make mistakes and they couldn't afford them right now. So he'd wait, go with the forces that remained on the French side and then accompany them back.

It would be good to return to his adopted home, perhaps he might even be able to catch up with this sister and see that pretty nurse he'd met so long ago. But then again knowing his dumb luck...

OOC:

Admin wrote:OOC Unless you guys want to go after the Nazis some more, I can wrap this chapter and get you out of Belgium and back to Blighty with my next post...

I'm good with getting back and moving on. Looks like we're all going back, at least for now.

Saladin will start to actively seek out Nazi spies and try to use them for information and discern the extent of the Nazi spy column among the English forces. See if he can't find the thread back to Bentham. Otherwise he will tag along with the group - especially if it leads them back into the mainland.


Sj

Steve just shook his head at saladin at the thought of finishing of the remaining nazis on the field.

"Now lets get these boys home, I think they have earned it and leave the nazis to pick them selfs up and run back to Hitler with their tail between their legs, that should send a clear message eh? The nazis are indeed crushed here to wipe them out now would make us ......monsters" sentinel said throwing saladin a quick glare

OOC: I agree homeward bound please. Im off to Truxton for a couple of days now, I'll post when I can. Cheers for now my hard rocking amegos

The Vanguard

Frostbite (12 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round 1 Dark Power XP point)
Silver Sentinel (13 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round 1 Dark Power XP point)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)


As the guns continued to pound away through the night, the French forces steadily moved back, digging trenches as they went. and dropping nasty surprises for the enemy.

By the time morning came the landscape was a churned mess of crates, some bodies, ruined vehicles, and plenty of smoke as the Nazi armoured divisions slowly trawled the mine fields with specialist machines, slow going and the occasional explosion brought things to a halt whilst equipment was checked.

The French had, for the most part, gotten the wounded away and were exhausted, having dug in miles back from the lines. Though they'd seen the Nazis have their noses bloodied the previous day, all knew this and other days would be different. There was no question in anyones mind about the evacuation being a success. retreating didn't win wars, and this was a full scale rout!

Through the night hundreds of boats had braved the choppy English channel to ferry troops across, whilst in the air the Vanguards ship worked without stopping getting hundreds of men, crammed in wall to wall, dropped onto the cliffs of Dover and turning round for more.

The Nazi aeroplanes had turned up, only for the RAF to engage them, and all knew the 3rd Reich would no longer be slowed by the rearguard. They'd been humiliated, and were now angry, giving them strength and conviction for the task at hand - destroy the British Expeditionary Force!

=========

The Vanguard had helped with evacuating the wounded...

Without using the dark power on a massive and potentially disastrous scale, Frostbite and Silver Sentinel had used their conventional powers to fly the wounded to a mobile hospital then repeated the trip. Saladin had grudgingly joined in, his attempts to find Benthams whereabouts somewhat paled in comparison to the wholesale saving of lives, whilst the two PSI Agents had exhausted their jetpacks doing the same and acting as messengers all along the rearguard line. All the while fatigue made bones ache, the eyes sag, and pushed the limits of even the Vanguard.

When morning broke, the smoking battlefield lay silent, the German guns having stopped in order that their mine sweeping equipment could perform its role. They expected to come under fire, but found the French positions abandoned.

As the Vanguard themselves wait for evacuation, they knew that not all of the men would be saved. They were so few, and the men to liberate so many. The German army was encircling from all directions, and even the superheroes knew their input would be limited to one or two areas. That they'd stopped the centre advance had been fortunate as the orders had gone out to hold the German line from their high command, and pound away from a distance. The powerful Nazi metahumans would return from Berlin and join the fight, and the Vanguard would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers if they chose to fight. So with a heavy heart, they awaited transport on the beach, seeing other ships and boats sail or steam away.

General Lord Gort, the BEF's commander, left Lt General Sir Harold Alexander in command after being evacuated, but Gort was clearly a broken man. What should have been an effort to stop France being crushed by the Nazis had failed miserably.

June 4th 1940

Operation Dynamo ends. The operation has saved 338,226 men - two thirds of them British - from the beaches of Dunkirk. In the process, 243 vessels and 106 aircraft were destroyed. The Germans occupy Dunkirk on June 4th, capturing 40,000 French troops. The bulk of the British Expeditionary forces weapons equipment is left behind in the process. Around 200,000 additional troops are evacuated from other forces. The Belgian King, Leopold, surrenders after his country is completely overrun by the German forces. Poland, Norway, Holland and Belgium having fallen, the 3rd Reich turns it's forces towards France...

On the 4th June, whilst the British Press hailed the evacuation as a miracle, Prime Minister Churchill reminded the House of commons that "we must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. Wars are not won by evacuations."

=========

The Vanguards ship landed in the grounds of Bletchley Park, whereby the soldiers on guard who'd been tracking its descent with guns were told to stand down...

General Wynn, having been in contact with the Vanguard the whole time, assured Dawson and Forbes that the flying vessel - somewhat battered and scarred by its travels - was indeed theirs, and that the people on board were the team. Most of the Vanguard and Justiciars were in hospital beds, and Anyman had still not returned, though was in contact with Wynn and had secured Lunarium which the Strange Sciences Section were eager to get their hands on.

As Frostbite, Silver Sentinel and Saladin walked down the boarding ramp into the June rain of England, they were met with cheers and applause from the gathered staff of Bletchley who'd been streaming from the building against the wishes of their commanding officers. They were patted on the shoulders and the back, hands shook, and lauded as heroes, but their sooted faces, shredded clothing and shell shocked looks made them feel anything but. As non commissioned officers restored order and barked at people to get back to their posts, the three men commanding DICE greeted their battered superhuman army.

"Good show. You've got time to clean up and grab something to eat, then it's off to London to meet with the PM. I'd suggest that he wants to dole out medals and flowery speeches, but it's more likely you'll be tossed into the fire once more. Oh, and you're all famous. Churchill gave the press photographs out and all the newspapers have been running the stories of your superhuman exploits." said General Forbes. "You'll thank us for making you wear those ridiculous masks now when you go down to the pub for a well deserved drink, and besides that, it safeguards your loved ones against Nazi infiltrators."

"The team is responding well to treatment, but a number of them will not be returning to active duty." explained Dawson. "Their injuries... well, you were there, for the most part. That leaves us in a pickle. We know that Anyman has been successful in shutting down two full scale Nazi metahuman training operations, and that's on top of his exploits in Berlin - which weren't his fault by the way - that has him on top of the Nazis most wanted list. All of you are up there too after your battlefield exploits. Those nasty German leviathan robots were a key part of the Nazi propaganda program and taking them out in such spectacular style in the view of thousands will have shaken their confidence."

Wynn chewed on a cigar, nodding to Slobotham who handed out blankets and mugs of tea to the team, before speaking. "The Nazis are one thing. The reports of a glowing jet black skinned woman flying through the air are another. The PM says to make ready to defend Britain against a terrifying Nazi onslaught."

He looked up. "I say we should be watching the skies, and not just for planes."

There was silence, save for the rain coming down lightly, before Wynn turned, walking slowly back into the building. The others followed, wondering how prophetic his words would be...


End of Issue #3

The Vanguard

Frostbite (12 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round 1 Dark Power XP point)
Silver Sentinel (13 HP remaining, 1 Dark Power Round 1 Dark Power XP point)
Boadicea (jet Pack, weapons)
Guillotine (Jet pack, weapons)
Lionheart (Saladin in charge)



OOC: Frostbite will take the time to visit the Justicars who'd fought, find out how their doing and give them an update. He won't spend time telling them how brave they were, or that their sacrifices will be remembered. He'll just go to be with them, his unspoken thanks expressed through the trouble he takes to come and see them.

Then he'll look for an opportunity to do the same to the rest of the group, apart from Saladin with whom he knows all such things would be considered pointless. But he will take the trouble to be there, so that they both know where one another stands.

Then fall in with the orders to see the PM,m perhaps try and contact his sister and family etc.

Do you need anything else from us Paul, or should we wait on you for the next episode?

Sj