World War II - The Vanguard Issue #4 - The Battle Of Britain!

OOC you took two hits (4 frames, 2 actions to blast twice) and 51htk, 51htc in total from both. Dodging the big one seems prudent, but there's no guarantee of success. [1,-3] = (-2) Disastrous. Not only did you dodge into the path of the blast, you increased the damage you will take! A hero point adds...[6] = (6) and 'explodes' adding an extra dodge roll. 1d6=3. Total dodge roll of 7 (9-2), meaning you partially dodge the blast and reduce its accuracy to 4 (from 11). That means 32 damage split 16htk/16htc. Anyman is on 18/48 htk and 29/60 htc with 11 hero points remaining. You have used all your frames this round, so it's back to initiative. 1d10=8 Anyman, 1d10=7 Alien. 1 frame to you then the aliens 4.

Anyman danced aside at the last moment but still caught some of the blast. From the looks of the ruined wall behind him, he wouldn't have stood much chance! With the way the alien was breathing hard, he hoped the wind had been taken out of its sails. It was certainly a powerful opponent, and whilst Anyman had enjoyed pounding on it with little coming back at him, he realised his foe was powerful enough to take all that and dish out his own punishment!

The fight was in the balance!

Summon Dark Power and heal myself. Let's go 4 Dark Power Points.

OOC you'll need an action to summon the Dark power. This could get nasty... I assume you'll hold the frame and respond as appropriate to any kickings you get.

The Alien sped forward, displaying speed almost as fast as that which Lionheart had! Without pause it pulled a hand back and let fly, like a hammer!

OOC [10,7,3,6,-17] = (9) HIT, +9htc +30 from strength, 48htc /4 for 12htc. Drops Anyman from 29 to 17/60Htc. Response?

Anyman reeled. Ultimate power was at his fingertips! He need only use and he would...

OOC Another swing! [9,1,3,6,-17] = (2) HIT +2htc +30 from strength, 34htc /4 for 8htc. Drops Anyman from (depending on previous response) 17 to 9/60htc and STAGGERED. Response?

The blows came thick and fast! The skill and speed this Alien showed was nothing short of...

OOC Another Blow! [8,10,3,6,-17] = (10) HIT +10htc +30 from strength, 50htc /4 for 12htc. Depending on previous responses this KOs Anyman. Response? Each response will eat up a frame, so you may be best served by dodging or parrying the two biggest, calling on the Dark power for extra points (say, 8 or 9? maybe 10?) and buying extra frames. This is a Class 4 Superhuman you face, Anyman is Class 3, so you're outgunned. The bossman of the alien group is class 5... That's the sort of challenge they represent. Note, though, the type of damage being done with the blows... Maybe they want you alive, or aren't all bad? No consolation if Anyman gets dropped, mind... Over to you. 4 frames and requiring at least one Combat Response to stay on your feet.

Two dodges or parries, whichever is appropriate and up the DP to 9 to heal myself with the last action. And just hope that they work or find myself awake someplace else.

OOC ok parry is best bet for Anyman as it's really hard for him to dodge without any dodge mod. Target number is 10, every point over is accuracy. [7,8] = (15) 5 points accuracy, plus 5 htc +25str. Parries all but 3htc from the first hit. This puts Anyman on 26/60 at this point. I'll assume he parries the last one, so he takes the second hit for 8htc, dropping him to 18/60htc. Tries to parry the third. [9,9] = (18) DOUBLE plus [6,3] = (9). Total 27. 17 points accuracy, +12htc +25 str = 54htc. Completely blocks the third blow.

Throwing up his arms in desperation Anyman is pounded backwards, sliding along the metal floor. He couldn't remember being hit so hard before, and grit his teeth as he saw stars! Seeing a tremendous right hook approaching he caught it and turned the punch aside, seeing it punch through the metal wall!

Down on one knee, teeth gritted and a fist clenched, Anyman summoned the Dark Power from within!

OOC [3,10,12] = (25) Anyman [4,5,10] = (19) Dark power. (had +1 from previous use). Easy check. You could've gone for a bit more. *shrug* [9,5,5,4,10,10,10,9,10] = (72) Holy smoke, that's a roll and a half! 72 points out of 90 and four exploding dice! They come up [6,6,6,3] = (21). Total 93*2=186 dark power points! That takes an action to call the DP up, buying an action for healing costs 30 (down to 156) then 72 points to heal to 48htk, 60htc, just like new! That leaves 84 Dark power points to spend for the next round. Initiative [1] = (1) Anyman [4] = (4) Alien. 2 frames to the Alien.

The Alien seems puzzled when it sees Anyman crackling with black energy, his eyes aglow with red fire! Then it seems to realise something - like this is the target it and its team were searching for! It slams two more punches at its foe!

OOC [7,5,3,6,-17] = (4) HIT +4htc +30 str = 38/4 for 9htc. Puts Anyman on 51/60Htc [1,3,3,6,-17] = (-4) MISS Anyman has 4 frames and 84 Dark Power points to spend. His Dark power blasts are by far the most efficient and powerful blast he can muster against living beings, but he may want the satisfaction of boosting strength and pounding this guy into mush with his bare hands... Your call. Dark Power Growth is on +2 now (added to the Dark Power ego you allocate when calling on Dark power, so if you called on 9 again, it would have an ego of 11 for the check). Over to you.

ooc: He has a little mental problem with using the Dark Power blast, or at least Putty does since he leveled an entire kingdom when he went bokers! So pounding is what we are going to do.

Upping his strength as much as he can [not sure what that cost is for a power he already has. 15 pts per level? Which is 5 more levels, making him a lvl 7 strength, which I think you said kicked Superman's butt.] And leaves me 9 pts to heal up that last bit of damage he took.

"My turn," Anyman said with a grin as he took a swing at his foe, muscles rippling with more strength than he ever remembered using before.

OOC Your maths is spot on. Grade 9 strength, the extra grades add 12 strength each, so +84 strength brings you to 124 strength. That easily eclipses Supermans! Somewhere around 600k tons, which is nice :) Anyman attacks four times I assume then heals if the other guy goes down in the next round, I assume. Be a shame to waste that strength! [7,10,2,6,-17] = (8) hit +8htc +109 (!) Htc = 125/5 for 25htc [6,4,2,6,-17] = (1) Hit for +1 Htc and +109=111/5 for 21htc [4,2,2,6,-17] = (-3) MISS [5,9,2,6,-17] = (5) +5 htc +109=119/5 for 23htc. The Alien has taken a total of 108htc!

Anyman slams a fist into the Aliens face! It bounces off the wall opposite, leaving a massive dent and crease along the ceiling before Anyman delivers a kick to its mid section, causing the floor underneath to ripple and crumple! Finally, having missed with a wild swing he delivers a downward chopping shot that smashes the alien through the floor into the deck below! Landing amidst a pile of smashed and twisted metal, the Alien looks dazed, but, quite incredibly, is still conscious! (OOC Only just. It is STUNNED. Ready for a coup de grace.) Anyman casually drops the 10 feet down onto the deck below and hoists the alien up with a hand. It feebly writhes in his grip, but its armoured chitinous form looks like crazed porcelain, covered in fine cracks! Around the head the cracks widen into oozing gaps, and the alien slurs its words, delirious with pain, as it tries to get its bearings.

OOC Over to you. Pump it for info (maybe P'ertarias people have a translator) or finish it off and look for the other intruders?

ooc: For once, not looking to kill everything in sight. Prefer to knock it out and then see if my allies can talk to it while I go investigate the ship that is soon going to be a part of my space fleet. Shifting into Sir Francis Drake mode for this bit.

With a casual backhand (that shakes the walls around when it lands!) Anyman knocked the Alien out. He felt the last of the Dark Power energy leave him, and was thankful that it'd not gone awry. He was pushing his luck though, and the more powerful opponents he faced, the more likely that his luck was about to run out!

Leaning into a barely functioning comm panel, he pressed a stud with his unique morphing hands and spoke up. "Disabled an Alien at this location. Come get him and get some answers from him. He'll be out for hours. I'm going after the ship."

=========

Having stretched/climbed back onto the deck above, Anyman made his way down the corridor...

Everywhere the walls and ceiling were twisted, wires exposed, and the intense vacuum of space left the environmental systems pumping hard to warm things up again, despite the break in the hull being sealed by a force field of some kind.

He continued for several minutes before finding the corridor starting to slant, then found out why.

A spacecraft jutted through a number of floors of the ship.

It was a sleek design, and aside from some scratches on the paint was undamaged by the impact. Anyman could hear banging and clanking coming from below the spacecraft somewhere, deeper into the ship. Every now and again a loud SMASH! would ring out. The ship itself had a hatch open. Anyman guessed the vessel had been guarded by the scorpion creature he'd battled, and the other crew had gone deep into the P'utinarians' ship for something.

Hmmm. Probably the Lunarium.

The open door of the vessel was inviting, though it was too dark to see what awaited inside. Either that or climb over the hull and slide down through the hole in the deck to find out what was happening deeper in the ship...

The open door of the vessel was inviting, though it was too dark to see what awaited inside. Either that or climb over the hull and slide down through the hole in the deck to find out what was happening deeper in the ship...

Shifting his form to that of Sir Francis Drake, complete with sword in hand, Anyman headed for the open hatch of the ship. He would probably have to battle again on his own ship to get the Lunarium back but right now, this ship was closer, as was the answers as to why they were bothering the Earth and to make them go away.

Anyman stepped warily through the hatch into the lopsided (the ship had punched through the ship at an angle when compared to the floor, and the artificial gravity of the P'utinarian ship) boarding area of the ship. It was spacious enough for a dozen people to sit down, and some had, judging by the table in the centre of the room.

The weapons racks on the wall showed a number of spaces though. If he was in any doubt before, Anyman was now sure this was in fact a vessel of war! He looked about. To the rear of the ship, more doors, compartments. Up front, a pair of automatic double doors that must open to the bridge area. He slid up close to them, and his proximity caused them to hiss open.

"Krarsamchoo?" purred a voice from inside.

Anyman peeked around the door corner and saw a bridge area. The front window was filled with a view of the P'utinarian deck, a mess of twisted metal and sparking wires. There was a central seat for a captain, areas for helm, weapons, communications, science, engineering, navigation and countermeasures, and one of the chairs - the helm - was occupied.



"Krekborthorung?" she enquired, and swivelled on her seat. Seeing no one, the woman stood and started to pace, perfectly naturally, at an angle towards the door of the bridge, outside of which Anyman hid. He knew she was coming, but if she was anything like the last one, he'd have the fight of his life on his hands!

OOC Anyman can get the drop on the alien woman if he so wishes, or try to communicate. Your call.

ooc: HEELLLL--LLLOOOOOOOO NURSE!!!!!!!! Willing to undergo any sort of breeding experiment she might have in mind!!!!

now back to the game .....


Anyman thought about it. These people, unlike the Nazi, hadn't gone around exterminating folks. Maybe just maybe he could convince them to leave.

"Fat chance," the Dark Voice said.

"I agree," Putty replies, "but let's give it a go anyways. Then we can blow up the ship if we have to in order to get everyone to back off."

Nodding agreement to what was said inside his head, and knowing these folks didn't seem to understand him, Anyman stepped onto the bridge in his Sir Francis Drake form.

"Greetings from Earth, lovely lady! I'm afraid I must ask you to surrender you vessel to me and cease all hostilities," he told her, arms akimbo.

The woman hopped back in surprise at the sight of the outlandish figure of Sir France Drake addressing her!

She narrowed her eyes, then stared intently at 'Francis'

He felt something - a tickle in his mind! Instantly he thought of the most boring, obscure subjects he could - a fellow called Judd Willis giving the most dreadful performance of King Lear, a speech by Neville Chamberlain, several books too dull to remember the title of, anything to clear his mind of thoughts that could be read and made use of!

OOC [2,9,12] = (23) Anyman [9,7,16] = (32) Alien reading Anymans mind (successfully)

"Ferriskarangadrill..." she babbled, then paused, then spoke again "...the others get back here they will tear you limb from limb, outlander! You would be best served by informing the crew on this ship to surrender the Lunarium and the entity we have detected as being of cosmic... it is you, isn't it!"

She narrowed her eyes, then thrust a hand at Anyman!

OOC Initiative time! [8] = ( Anyman [4] = (4) Alien woman. Talking is still an option - you have 2 frames - but you'll have to make it persuasive! The language is no longer a barrier though...

She narrowed her eyes, then thrust a hand at Anyman!

OOC Initiative time! [8] = ( Anyman [4] = (4) Alien woman. Talking is still an option - you have 2 frames - but you'll have to make it persuasive! The language is no longer a barrier though...

"Listen lady," "Francis" says, moving a bit to prepare to dodge if he needs to, "I do not really want to blow your ship and its crew to kingdom come! The more you folks push me to use my powers the more likely a cosmic bang is going to happen. The Lunarium is ours. Stay away from it and stay away from us or I will have to get nasty! And I hate being nasty! Especially to such a pretty lady as yourself."

ooc: Sort of a combination of flattery, intimidation and plain speaking here. But if it fails, he is going for the Dark Powers and going to get nasty.

The woman considers (OOC you still have 2 frames to act before she zaps you with her mind attack).

"Who are you? Your appearance is outlandish, alien, but I will admit that there is a certain... charm to you..." she purred. "And either you bluff like a master, or you can back up your claims! I must warn you my crew are as powerful as I and..."

She frowns, then backs up a step. "You have defeated Skorpian!" She looks shocked, then composes herself. "You shall not defeat Centurion Prime, our leader though! When he returns - with the Lunarium, you will find yourself a prisoner of the Shi'Ann'Arr empire! Let the Skrall and Qrii squabble over scraps. Before long the world eating devourer will get here! Its heralds alone could crush your world! What hope then for those that remain? if you surrender I will... petition... for your imprisonment to be more comfortable. I have no idea why, but I like you, human. In the face of overwhelming force and inevitable defeat, it appears you know the meaning of neither phrase. That is either stupidity of the highest order, or bravery and nobility rarely seen in the cosmos!"

OOC your call - based on your answer she will take you prisoner... or attack!

"I've heard of this Devourer and my friends and I are making plans on how to defeat it," Anyman says, bluffing with all his acting skills. "I was the one who wiped out most of the fleets you see out there. Do you really think your Centurion Prime is a match for me? Skorpian was easy to defeat. I didn't even have to use anywhere near my full strength. I give you this one chance to pull your ship out and flee this system or I will take you down and then hunt down the Centurion Prime and take him down as well."

ooc: I'm pretty sure she will attack but since I have two frames I'm going ahead and summoning the Dark Powers. Let's try 10 DP pts.

OOC Dark Power growth is +2, so you're calling on a straight 2d10+12 vs 2d10+12 fight. Here we go...[9,7,12] = (28) Anyman [5,9,12] = (26) Dark power. Close, but 10d10 Dark power points comes up [9,9,8,10,4,8,7,5,5,8] = (73) with an extra 1d10 → [9] = (9) points. Times 2. 164 Dark power points. Could come in handy. Dark power Growth is +3.

The Alien considered Anymans words "I think... I think perhaps I will restrain you, then we shall see what my friends think of you! Don't worry - I won't let them hurt you!" she laughs. "Much!"

OOC She thrusts a hand out, using telekinesis to lift Anyman off the ground... Seeing as Telekinesis is hopeless I will come up with this mechanic for the level of power she has: Ego+2d10 each. If she wins multiply by the number of PSI points spent to find effective strength. It dwindles by 1d10 points/round. Every metre between the target and PSI user drops the strength by 1 point. [8,4,16] = (28) Alien [2,3,12] = (17) Anyman. She spent 5 PSI points so effectively has 55 Strength. She's 2m away from Anyman dropping it to 53 strength. She overcomes his strength with her telekinetic power, and lifts him off the floor!

Anyman felt himself lifted off the floor as rings of power encircled him! As his arms were pinned to his side, the woman leaned in, placing a kiss on Anymans' lips. "You're cute, brave and, I think, a very naughty boy, BUT..." she said, smiling "You're out of your league. And certainly not the cosmic power I...unh! You're a strong one!" she said, moving back, placing hands on her temples. "How do you..."

She frowned, and suddenly realised Anyman was much stronger than he looked! "Perhaps you are... stronger... than I gave credit for! Don't struggle! Don't make me hurt you!" She sent out a telepathic message to her team mates - they heard it and responded! Anyman knew he didn't have long before he was outnumbered yet again!

OOC Anymans 2 frames. He has a hatful of Dark power points and her telekinetic snare of Anyman can't last long. With 40 strength and her telekinetic power dropping by 1d10/round, she'll not last more than two or three rounds holding him, and my bet is that it doesn't even last that long with so many dark power points on hand! Your call...

She frowned, and suddenly realised Anyman was much stronger than he looked! "Perhaps you are... stronger... than I gave credit for! Don't struggle! Don't make me hurt you!" She sent out a telepathic message to her team mates - they heard it and responded! Anyman knew he didn't have long before he was outnumbered yet again!

"Hate to do this because I don't like hurting women," Anyman says casually, "but I've given you every warning I'm going to give and now have to get rough."

Stretching and enlarging his arm and hand, Anyman, calling upon his Dark Powers to give him greater Strength, backahnds her with large hand.

actions: Go for Grade 4 Strength and hit her.

OOC 30 points spent on Grade 4 strength. You now have 132 points. +24 strength up to 64 with grade 2.

Boosting his strength with a thought Anyman easily burst free of the powerful telekinetic hold on him, then backhanded the woman with an oversize hand!

OOC [9,6,2,6,-17] = (6) HIT 6 accuracy, +6htc +49 damage. 61htc. The woman is staggered

PAFFF!!!!

The woman falls backwards, bouncing off a wall! her mental powers were formidable indeed, but her overconfidence and underestimation of Anyman were her undoing! Anyman followed up with another 'tender tap' but she ducked the blow and prepared to mind blast her foe!

OOC [3,5,2,6,-17] = (-1) MISS for the follow up blow. Initiative [1] = (1) Anyman [9] = (9) Alien Woman. She blasts twice with her mind blast! Her 'strike' roll is reduced by 2 because she's staggered. 2d10+14=30 Alien, 2d10+12=26 Anyman, 2d10+14=21 Alien, 2d10+12=23 Anyman. Anyman takes 8htc from the mind blast, bypassing dividers.

Anyman frowned as the mental jolt sent from the reeling woman gave him pause, then finished her off with a super powered flick to the forehead!

OOC She proves elusive though! [6,2,2,6,-17] = (-1) MISS [3,6,2,6,-17] = (0) MISS [5,1,2,6,-17] = (-3) MISS [4,8,2,6,-17] = (3) HIT +3 htc +49htc and she's out. You have 1 round then the dark power points seep away at 1d10/round, and you lose your enhanced strength. She's out for the count, and will be for a while. You have a feeling her pals will be coming back soon though... Any preperation, or thoughts on what you want to do with their ship, or perhaps make a trap for them? After all, Anyman is anyone, anywhere, anytime...

Take over the woman's form and using my streching and disguise abililty, stretch a part of my body over hers and disguise her so she looks like me being held her "arms". {did I just confuse myself with that line?}

Once the crew arrives, order them to take the ship out into an orbit around Pluto while I leave the ship in her form with the captured "Anyman", for the mission of speaking directly with the Centurion. Once she and I are off the ship and away from them, go hunt down the Centurion and take him down before I lose control of the Dark Powers and blow up Saturn or something.

Anyman expertly morphed to 'become' the shape of the woman he'd beaten, and in turn spread his own body out, disguising her with a colossal effort of will as he changed the shape and colours of a separate section of his body. He wasn't sure how long he could hold up the deception - it was something he'd not tried before.

He looked up, just in time as two strange creatures climbed from the hole the Alien ship had punched through the floor.



The tiny one was around 2 feet tall, with skin that was nigh on see through showing her skeletal structure underneath. The big one was huge, froglike and scraping the ceiling at 8' tall! Both were chatting away, and it occurred to Anyman...

He couldn't understand a word they were saying, and they would not be able to understand him! It was the woman he'd fought who'd used her mental powers to learn his language and allow them to speak to one another in a manner which both could understand!

OOC You have lost your additional strength and 3 rounds worth of Dark power points. However, that still leaves you with 132 - [1,3,4] = ( = 124 points. Plenty yet!

The froglike creature nudged its head in the direction of 'Francis Drake' lying prone in the 'Alien womans' arms. The tone seemed to suggest it was dismissive, or asking a question - Anyman wasn't sure which! Both appeared to be interested in the 'captive'. The smaller one looked up and squeaked something as well... They were waiting for a response!

Use the DP to learn their language or give myself telepathy in order to command them to take the ship out. Whichever is quickest or easiest.

With a thought, Anyman used the dark power to give himself the power of 'lunguistics'! Instantly he detected speech and mannerism patterns, and his brain decoded them into words he could understand!

"...have you not killed the alien? We are not here for prisoners?" squeaked the smaller of the two blue skinned invaders. the larger one croaked "Is something wrong? You don't seem yourself. Where did this alien come from? Our records show this ship is manned by a race known as the P'utinarians, grey skinned shape shifters..."

Anyman had to think fast! These two didn't seem stupid. If they thought that the 'grey skinned shape shifters' were able to overpower their obviously powerful team mate, they'd figure out that he was one of them! They'd be wrong, of course, but not by much!

As if things couldn't get any worse, he heard more alien voices coming from below as the rest of them returned with their ill gotten gain! Luckily the Lunarium had to be transported in a bulky, radiation proof container that couldn't be pierced without fear of the deadly radiation leaking out!

"We need a hand down here!" someone yelled.

"Hey, these aliens are putting up a fight of it! Their loss. Kill half a dozen as an example. That will send them running!" yelled another.

Anyman cursed. the P'utinarians were brave, but outmatched! This group of Intergalactic bully boys had shown up in their small craft, targeted what they needed, stood back from the colossal space battle that had taken place and moved in! They were a greater danger to Anyman than the Qrii or Skrall had ever been!

OOC Dark power points 124-20 - 1d10 → [6] = (6) = 98 remaining. The Linguistics power will last for a further 2 rounds.

"This one is different," Anyman said in his disguised voice. "I'm taking him to the Centurion to see what he wants done with him. Killed, made an example of or dissected. Pull the ship back. He told me that the case holding the Lunarium is also a huge bomb that will go off in the right circumstances. Need to let the Centurion know this and see if we can defuse the bomb before putting it on our ship."


actions: Acting and bluffing like crazy here. Then plan to give myself telepathy and read minds to find out how to fly this ship. Worse comes to worse, he will take it out into space before the Lunarium gets here then see about blowing up this ship. He will not let the Lunarium on board this vessel.

The aliens glanced at one another, then the big one shrugged. "He'll be back here in minutes. They ran into a group of the grey gloop people and he didn't want this Lunarium - bomb you say? Anyway, he didn't want it going off. Skywolf got stuck into those aliens. I haven't the stomach for slaughter as he has though. Seen enough war."

The smaller one looked up. "Then how is it you are with the Star guard Gravitex?"

"Volunteered. You know as well as I do that if your planet doesn't have a Star Guard representative, they are little people. After that, injected..."

"The blue blood" sighed the smaller alien

"And signed up for life. However long that is. The power is nice, but we're effectively the bully boys of a distant empire and ruling council. This isn't our war. Everyone knows that fighting over resources is self defeating. You end up expending and losing far more than you ever gain, then try to justify it by stating that it was a 'great victory'. What's great about smashing some backward civilisation? Though I will admit, there IS a lot of Lunarium on the satellite orbiting the third planet. Pity that once the council gets this sample, they'll come back in force to get it out before the Devourer gets here."

Whilst they were talking Anyman gave himself PSI powers, including telepathy, and gently scanned the brain of the big alien...

OOC cost is 40 points (for a power that costs 2 grades as PSI powers do). That leaves you with 58 points. Telepathy check:

Anyman [7,4,+12 ego] = (23)
Big Blue Frog alien [7,9,+8 ego] = (24)

Check failed

There was the clack of boots on metal, and a blue furry hand gripped the edge of the deck and hauled up.


"Grrrr..." snarled the newcomer. "Damned goopies taste like snot." The creature turned, looking down into the hole. "Get a move on Imperator! And mind how you go with that stuff. Like carrying a bloody bo..." the creature turned, sniffing. "What's that? What have you got Cerebra?" The creature narrowed its eyes as it looked at 'Cerebra'...

OOC Anyman might be about to be found out! Fight, flight or bluff it out? Maybe come up with some novel use of the dark power (you have plenty of points left). It's getting crowded here with three enemies and more on the way, including a class 5 entity...