>>28837176
>Psychstimulant
Question: Does that immobilize them? Or does it just mess their concentration? If so that might be perfect.

>Tell Richard to get Daniel and get down here now. We should at least try and help Ned while we can. If we wait for too long, he'll be dead.

But I don't think we should try and kill the guy ourselves.

>>28837238
>Question: Does that immobilize them? Or does it just mess their concentration? If so that might be perfect.
You would be the one taking it. Think meth, adderall, or speed.

>>28837266
Oooh. I thought it was in dark form. My bad.

Then I vote for that, as long as we made it to not be damaging or addictive.

>>28837238
>>Tell Richard to get Daniel and get down here now. We should at least try and help Ned while we can. If we wait for too long, he'll be dead.
Ned already escaped:
>You catch Ned - and his new girl (?) - coming out among them, so that, at least, can give you some reassurance.

>>28837389
Oh, whoops, I didn't catch that bit.

Alright then, we should tell Richie and Dan to get down here fast, we'll need to work together as a team to bring down a manifesting Incubator.

>>28837176
>A psychostimulant you made. What? It was good enough for the Wehrmacht. It'll take a little while to take effect, though.
Might as well be SCIENCE!

>Tell Richard to get Daniel, go in first. There might still be people inside, and they'll probably die if you don't do anything now.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

>>28837455
>>28837509
Wait or go? 10 minutes, if no tie breaker, then dice come out.

>>28837533
Nah, I agree with >>28837509
Let's go for it

>>28837540
Going in wins.

Writing.

"Get down here, fast," you say over the phone. "Call Daniel and tell him what he needs to know."

"Done," Richard says, and hangs up.

Your fingers reach into your pocket, pulling out the vial of psychostimulants you made earlier, when you were experimenting. You quickly down it, the bitter taste filling your throat and nearly making you retch.

It's now or never. Everyone who could get out is out by now. The rest are stuck in there. You open the door quickly, looking inside before moving any further.

Inside the building, it's a field of shrapnel: splinters of mugs, metal utensils, the glass and wiring from lightbulbs, and dozens of other sharp, tiny things, circling the room slowly. You can't see the Cambion anywhere. There are a few bodies lying on the ground, some breathing, some... not. You can easily see lacerations on all of them.

The bathroom is on the opposite side of the main room from the entrance. To your right is the "bar," such as it is - they don't serve alcohol here. Most everything in it is shattered; shrapnel is still making its way through the area, knocking over the last few bottles to break them into pieces. To your left is the dance floor, and behind it, a stage. Arrayed around the walls are booths, and there are a couple rows of tables in front of the bar.

>Run for the bathroom. Faster is better, less time for him to gather more weapons.
>You know what... this is probably a bad idea. Wait outside for Richard and Daniel to show.
>Write-in.

>>28837594
Let's see if we can't wait for the drug to kick in. Once it does, let's try and save a few of the people close to the exit, if we can. No huge risks, yet until we have backup I say

>>28837594
Yeah, I'd say waiting for the drug might be best. Otherwise this is suicide.

You wait, patiently, considering, adding things up and then subtracting them. You glance around, looking for anything useful. Marginal values of things are considered, but nothing within the area would make a particularly good weapon against something that's telekinetic.

While you wait, you notice the shrapnel accreting near the bathroom door, seemingly determined to get in, scraping at the hinges and frame, several pieces burying themselves in the wood before giving up. After what seems like far, far too long, your vision swims. Time distorts and contorts beneath your perception, moving faster and slower in line with your volition.

You take a deep breath and head inside, trying to avoid the shrapnel.

Decide:
>Grab the still-living people and move them out.
>Head for bathroom.
>Write-in.

Also:
>Roll dodge (1d20+4, DC: 21). Best of the first three, no critfails.

>>28837814
That's me, sorry.

:(

Rolled 18 + 4

>>28837814
>Grab the still-living people and move them out.
Let's prioritize saving the savable, until the others get here.

Rolled 16 + 4

>>28837814
Move the living folks out

Rolled 12 + 4

>>28837814
>Head for bathroom.
But just to scout around, not engage.
I guess since there's no critfail, I'll just roll anyway.

>>28837875
>>28837868
>>28837845
22 highest! Success!

All evens! Lucky!

>writing

>>28837973
Trip, please. I love you trip.

>>28837997
Your trip is obviously delicious. 4chan keeps eating it.

>>28838015
Nah, it's some consequence of 4chan X being a little shit. I have no idea what it is but on the upside this way I don't have to worry about accidentally dropping my trip in QTG when I'm discussing how much I hate [quest] or love [waifu].

You move through the environment delicately, trying to disturb the shrapnel as little as possible. Bits and pieces manage to strike you, but you're actually feeling really fucking smooth right now. It all slides around you like water as you stay close to the ground. You're not even sure the Cambion has detected you.

You manage to five of the six living people out to safety, careful to avoid worsening their wounds, before the Cambion applies any serious effort towards you. As you head in for the last, only to notice a cluster of the larger weapons, apparently drawn away from doing their duty on the bathroom door. They come after you, but you dodge in time, and they slam into the ground instead, hard enough to be unable to quickly withdraw themselves.

You rush the last person out of the building, putting them next to the others, and breathe a sigh of relief.

>People are out of immediate danger. Wait for Richard and/or Daniel to show up.
>Now is the time for action! The Cambion is delayed from opening the bathroom door, and it clearly wanted to, which means you don't want it to.
>Write-in.

>>28838109
I'm predicting some people ran into the bathroom to escape the chaos... so there's probably a big group in there.
We're super perceptive right?
Is there anyway we can focus and try to 'hear' if anyone's in there?

>>28838141
There is far too much background noise to make out anything from the bathroom.

You do recall that the Cambion's body ought to be in the bathroom, since that's where its Incubator went just before manifesting.

>>28838109
>People are out of immediate danger. Wait for Richard and/or Daniel to show up.
Let's play it safe for now.

>>28838164
Oh right, I forgot the Cambions come out...hm. The police are probably on their way, so let's wait for now. If I had to guess, the debris might be heading to try and 'protect' it's creator, then. We're not super strong or durable, so let's wait for Richard and Dan.

>>28838184
Oh, also try to blend in a bit while waiting, in case the nasty government agency appears to deal with crayman.

>>28838202
There's no one to blend in with: everyone who could run, did so. You could pretend to be an unconscious, lacerated victim, if you'd like.

>>28838221
Is there any doors near the bathroom?
Possibly near the back?
If so, let's go wait by there, and let Rich know where we are. Want to be outta sight

>>28838221
Nah, it'll just make us vulnerable if the guy throws shit at us with his mind again. I figured we could go outside to the rest of the crowd and wait if everyone's out.

>>28838249
The only other set of doors you're aware of are the ones that lead to the backstage area, which is even further from the bathroom than your current position.

>>28838259
There is no crowd. The crowd's gone, ran away as quick as they could.

>>28838283
Ah. Well I vote for waiting for Rich then.

>>28838283
Let's scram then. Let those government agents earn their paychecks.

>>28838320
We can't let this opportunity slip away, I think. We need the incubator juices. And with those two helping, we might be able to kill this one and earn us another few months of sweet sweet life

You wait, watching the situation unravel through the still-open door. The shrapnel that embedded itself into the ground eventually makes its way back to the door, trying desperately to claw the thing out of the way.

Where the fuck are the police? Surely somebody called the police at some point? Maybe not right away, but...

A very quiet whistling noise comes from behind and above you, and you turn to see Daniel descending from heavens. He slows and stops, hitting the ground about a meter from you as though his previous velocity was nothing. He stretches his neck.

"I just got here," he says into his cell phone. He waits, and you can hear Richard's voice saying "I'll be there in about ten minutes." He repeats it dutifully, then turns the phone off and places it in his pocket.

He claps his hands together with a loud noise, a giddy smile on his face. "Alright, so there's a horrible monster in there we have to kill, right?" You give him a brief glance. He rubs his hand together. "What's the plan, boss?"

>"You know what, this is stupid. Let's let the government agents handle it."
>"We wait for Richard to show up."
>"See how it's attacking the bathroom door? I'm pretty sure that's where it's body is. Go in there and kill it. Be careful, though."
>"See how it's attacking the bathroom door? I'm pretty sure that's where it's body is. You go first, draw its attention and head in there. I'll follow and help kill it."
>Write-in.

>>28838431
>"We wait for Richard to show up."
This guy might be a moron, but let's not sacrifice him to the shooty incubator for no reason. Wait for Dick.

>>28838431
>>"We wait for Richard to show up."

>>28838431
Hm...let's ask him some stuff while we're here.
"How much room do you need to fly around, man? Think you could attract the things attention and escape? No offense, but you don't strike me as the sneaky type."

I got an idea. The bar owner HAS to have a gun of some sort, right? If this is fake america, then he certainly does.

>>28838431
"Find some body armor. Seriously, you can fly, but bullets don't bounce off you. In there, EVERYTHING IS A BULLET."

>>28838431
"It's too dangerous to go in. We'll have to burn him out. I need you to get some bottles, then we start siphoning petrol out of these cars."

>>28838544
Good point, let's find out how prepared he is

>>28838544
There's no place to grab body armor right now.

And Richard mentioned that Chariots had tough skin.

>>28838520
> The bar owner HAS to have a gun of some sort, right? If this is fake america, then he certainly does.
Maybe, but you don't know where he'd keep it. He might have been wearing it when he fled.

>>28838611
Is fire an option?
Because I think fire will help us here.

>>28838629
If you went for it, it'd take a little while to do. And if anybody is still in there hidden in some hidey-hole, they'd be dead.

>>28838611
So it seems to me major options
>Burn it all, surely arson will go well for us
>Seek out the gun inside in the hellstorm of debris
>Wait for Richard and let him make a better plan because we're wetting our pants
>Have flyboy go in blindly and hope he doesn't get turned into cheese

>>28838650
That was my fault, not 4Chan X's.

>>28838654
>>Have flyboy go in blindly and hope he doesn't get turned into cheese
But
>Tell him where the Cambion is, what the situation is, what he can expect to be fighting.

>>28838650
Once Daniel is in a position to cover the exits, we can wait for the smoke to do its job. If he runs out half-blind we can take him down easily.

Okay, so the two options people seem to be considering are:
1 - Wait it out.
2 - Burn the place to the ground.

Link this post, and put just the number of your choice. Ten minute cut off.

>>28838755
1 please, let's not do something retarded before Richard gets here.

>>28838755
Torch the place. We and Dick cover one exit, Danny covers the other.

Are our friends okay?

File: 1386962428482.png-(610 KB, 683x1024, 1385936056890.png)

610 KB PNG

>>28838755
2

>>28838771
Ned escaped, Tracy ran off.

>>28838793
Good.

I agree with >>28838771 then.

Burn it down wins.

"We burn the place down."

Daniel smiles at that, and you give him directions. You go across the street to a nearby store - it's closed right now - and pick up a rock, throwing it through a large window. If the silent alarm goes off, who really gives a shit? You crawl inside, grab several containers and some piping, hand some off to Daniel, and start stealing gas from cars.

It's slow going, but you're making progress when you notice that the sounds of moving objects are getting closer. You turn, and see that some of the various pieces of shrapnel have made their way outside of the building. That's... strange. You were fairly certain that the outside of the building was outside the range of the shrapnel effect. Might be just a marginal effect, you think, keeping an eye on it even as you work.

Except, of course, it isn't. It keeps growing in size, moving well outside the building like a swarm of locusts.

It seems very likely that the Cambion is now making its way out of the building.

"Hey, is it supposed to do that?" Daniel calls, stupidly.

>Write-in.

Rolled 12

>>28838875
Hurray for pyromania!
Caught up on foolz yesterday on this quest, like it so far. So add one more to the list.

>>28838927
I think it's time to retreat. Unless, of course, we want to give this guy BURNING ammunition, sure to set fire to the entire neighborhood.

>>28838927
"Probably. Look, the bottles are too heavy for it to deflect. Light them up, fly high and drop them on its head."

>>28838927
"He's moving."

Is there a pattern to the movement of shrapnel? Is it like a hurricane or wind pattern, with an island of calm? Is it shaped like a sphere? Regardless, we need to get Dan to deliver the firebomb.

Rolled 2

>>28838927
"No and I think blunt force may be necessary soonish."
Could Daniel use inertia to propel an object at high speeds? Like say a brick.

Oh and reminder that cameras would probably see us burn it all down

>>28838927
No, I think it's escaped.
Burning the building down is out, we follow it.

>>28838974
>Is there a pattern to the movement of shrapnel? Is it like a hurricane or wind pattern, with an island of calm? Is it shaped like a sphere?
Seconding this question.

>>28838959
>Unless, of course, we want to give this guy BURNING ammunition, sure to set fire to the entire neighborhood.
The containers you've filled with gasoline are too heavy for the Cambion to effect directly. The containers you haven't filled with gasoline are just plasticy crap.

>>28838974
>Is there a pattern to the movement of shrapnel? Is it like a hurricane or wind pattern, with an island of calm? Is it shaped like a sphere? Regardless, we need to get Dan to deliver the firebomb.
About three or four meters tall, stretching out quite a ways around, vaguely circular in layout. The Cambion is still inside, just approaching the door by your estimation. It's pretty chaotic and random.

>>28838989
>Could Daniel use inertia to propel an object at high speeds? Like say a brick.
You don't know. Probably not accurately. Also, it wouldn't be that dangerous if he could.

>>28839097
>The containers you've filled with gasoline are too heavy for the Cambion to effect directly. The containers you haven't filled with gasoline are just plasticy crap.
I was more referring to the fact that setting a house on fire would provide an awful lot of small pieces of burning wood he should be able to throw around.

>>28839097
>vaguely circular in layout.

>Not a Sphere

"Danial, fly above the cloud of debris and slam him directly from above to crush his spine. If that doesn't work, use these firebombs."

File: 1386964006302.gif-(1.15 MB, 248x248, 1365523674756.gif)

1.15 MB GIF

>>28839134
Well nerts, why didn't I think of that? Seconded.

>>28839097
"Dan, you ever heard Ride of the Valkyries?"

>>28839134
Sounds like a plan.

Rolled 19, 8, 3 = 30

Tell him to smash it is.

Rollin'.

>>28839300
Nice knowing you, Danny boy.

>>28839300
Well, that means something. Someone did bad. Unless it was best of 3.

>>28839337
It averages out to 10 each, so I figure it can't be that bad.

>>28839337
It's best of three, I don't want to mess up the math on my system.

Actually, I think in the future I might have you guys roll for allies too. Opinions?

>>28839354
We roll for MC. You roll for NPCs.

>>28839354
Hmmm, well if it's a big fight where both we and Danny and Richard are involved, that could get clogged to shit.

>>28839366
The current system is designed so that one roll = one action and in MC versus NPC contests, the MC always rolls. For example, if they lie to you, you roll Perception with a DC determined by their Charm; if you lie to them, you roll Charm with a DC determined by their Perception.

>>28839374
Mmm, true. I'll take that into consideration.

"Daniel!" You shout, and he swivels his head to look at you. "Go high, and slam into the Cambion when it comes out."

"When it...?" he mutters dumbly before understanding, then takes off into the air. In only a couple seconds, he's something like forty meters up in the air, hovering there, waiting.

You shout very loudly. "Use the gasoline if that doesn't work!" He shakes up and down, as if to confirm that he heard you.

You ready yourself, moving back, desperate to avoid being caught in its range, carrying the filled containers and abandoning the unfilled ones.

After what seems like an eternity but you know couldn't be a minute (probably a mix of the psychostimulant and your own emotional state), the Cambion emerges from the door, visible through the swarm of shrapnel.

The body is almost human, but it looks exceedingly emaciated, with its eyes and lower jaw missing, the skin a deadened, pale hue, and neither fingers nor toes on its vestigial limbs. There are no eyes, just empty sockets. Countless thin, jagged pieces of metal and glass penetrate the body, crucifying it. It floats - or is dragged, depending on how you look at it - above the ground, carried by the countless tiny pieces effecting it.

>(1/2)

A few seconds after it emerges into view, Daniel slams into it, hard, at what looks like full velocity. It crumples as it spins and twists, flopping over several meters away, letting out a horrible squeal as it tumbles. Daniel doesn't stick around, quickly flying back up into the air to get out of its main range before it can manage any serious attack. He looks like he has only cosmetic cuts at worst.

The Cambion gets back up, jerkily, one of its forearms bent in the middle. It lets out a hideous squeal and starts throwing knives upwards at him, each one losing its precision as it flies out of range at him. One manages to hit, but it doesn't seem to have done much damage.

You're unsure if the Cambion is even aware of you at this point.

>Write-in.

>>28839579
Is our electronics skill good enough to hotwire a car? Running him over seems like the safest kill.

>>28839606
>Is our electronics skill good enough to hotwire a car?
Yes.

>>28839634
Alright then, I vote for vehicular manslaughter.

>>28839579
Sure, let's hit and hit and hit and run once it's dead.

>>28839651
>>28839661
Was starting to write, but then had a thought that I should inform you of before you make a decision:

How do you get into the car? It's not like you have a lockpick, and breaking the windows seems like a questionable idea, all things considered.

>>28839720
What store did we just break into? Maybe it has something handy.

>>28839720
And looting the store so we could make molotov cocktails didn't?
>>28839744
Look for a coathanger or a stiff length of wire.

>>28839759
Yeah, that might be good

>>28839759
>And looting the store so we could make molotov cocktails didn't?
You were careful not to leave fingerprints anywhere.

>coathanger or wire
Mmm, good idea. Feel free to vote for other options if you're reading but not posting, I won't mind.

>>28839782
What kind of shady ass store did we break into that doesn't have cameras, but has molotov material.

>>28839782
Nah, that sounds fine to me.
Also, if we get in, gotta be careful to cover our hands while driving for zero fingerprints too.

>>28839827
Cameras shouldn't be a problem. We can hack into them and disrupt them ourselves later.

Just had a thought for a cool ass Cameron: Electroslug
Would disrupt and disable all nearby electronics, able to take control of one medium sized target, depending on concentration.

By the way Tart, this guy looks creepy as fuck. Did the guy already die, or is this a low level eruption?

>>28839827
Improvised weapons are easy to make. That's why they're improvised weapons. Molotov cocktails are a classic example for the extreme simplicity of their design. Most any store qualifies.

>>28839876
>By the way Tart, this guy looks creepy as fuck. Did the guy already die, or is this a low level eruption?
You don't know whether or not this is a Partial Manifestation or a Final one.

>>28839876
>By the way Tart, this guy looks creepy as fuck.
Oh yeah, and forgot to say: thanks.

>>28839891
Either way I believe Richard now. When we next talk I really think we should discuss the application of cortex bombs.

>>28839891
Aw. Well if this is partial, then this guy is fucking creepy. Wouldn't want to see a final one.

>>28839908
Oh, yeah he's pretty ancient-evil-looking mother fucker. I like it. I honestly want to see what happens when a cameron like ours goes nuts. They aren't quite as easily deadly.

The Cambion continues attacking ineffectually; David's power renders him maneuverable enough to dodge blows, especially at this range. You can almost imagine the smirk on his face. A quick ducking into the store, and you manage to locate some firm, shapable wiring that will do as a lockpick.

That done, you move to a nearby car (that you haven't drained of gasoline, naturally) and unlock the door, maneuvering inside the car and quickly disposing of anything small and sharp enough to be dangerous. Then you head under the steering wheel, stare at the insides for a few seconds, and hotwire the car. Daniel's still hanging in the air, this time with a fresh wound you imagine he sustained while you were busy in the store. Nothing too important is hit, though you imagine it'll be painful to sit down for a while.

As you start the car, the swarm of shrapnel shifts, and you can see the way that it's an extension of the Cambion's will, it's as if it has just turned towards you, feeling you out. You drive the car full speed towards the Cambion, planning on smashing into it.

>Roll 1d20, best of first three, no critfails.

Rolled 11

>>28839957
Sure is GTA in here

Rolled 9

>>28839957
CATCH A RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE

Rolled 3

>>28839957

Rolled 13

>>28839957
C'mon!

Rolled 5

>>28839957
Comoooon baby.

We're so mediocre!
Or the car is, either way.

>>28839995
This is the world's most mediocre car. Must be an oldsmobile

>>28839968
>>28839972
>>28839975
>Miss!

>All odds - unlucky

Back from retrieving lunch, writing now.

You try to hit the Cambion with the car, but it manages to jerk away from. You swerve to try to hit it, but it still avoids your grasp. Instead, you slam into a street light. You manage to decelerate quickly enough, and it's not a head on impact due to a rapid turn, but this car won't go any more.

You're fine - a little shaky, but fine - except for the broken glass that's currently starting to animate in your lap, and the fact that your door's mechanism was apparently a victim of the crash into the street lamp.

You quickly scramble across the car, managing to claw open the passenger door and close it behind you before the glass shards manage to stab you.

And, of course, you're inside the range of the Cambion.

>Run away, get out, get out, fuck!
>"Daniel! Body slam it again!"
>You're only a few meters away from it, you're as close as you're going to be - go in for the kill. Cars are big and hard to control, motherfucker won't be able to dodge YOU.
>You managed to grab one of the gasoline containers before flopping out of the car. Use it!
>Write-in.

No matter what you choose:
>Dodge. Roll 1d20 +6*, best of three, no critfails.

* Should've been +6 last time, since you get a bonus from the psychostimulant, but I'm an idiot who forgot. Didn't matter anyway.

>>28840322
nngh

Rolled 14 + 6

>>28840322
>>You managed to grab one of the gasoline containers before flopping out of the car. Use it!

>>"Daniel! Body slam it again!"

Rolled 1 + 6

>>28840322
It has a 50 meter radius, right?
That's a wide range. We're not gonna make it out of that by running. Move in and douse it in gas, then call Dan down, and duck.

Rolled 4 + 6

>>28840322
>"Daniel! Body slam it again!"
If we have its attention...

File: 1386969053794.jpg-(237 KB, 1920x1080, lightthefuse.jpg)

237 KB JPG

Rolled 19 + 6

>>28840322
Use the gas container.
As a melee weapon.

File: 1386969179291.jpg-(25 KB, 328x328, ahem.jpg)

25 KB JPG

>>28840400
15-20 meters range, you're around the midpoint.

>>28840372
...that seems a little rude to Daniel.

"Hey, Daniel, slam into the guy who's on fire."

Pic related, >Daniel's face when

>>28840458
Well I figure, Daniel distracts it with a slam while we get ready to hit him with the fiery shit.

>>28840458
Reverse the order that we do that, then. Didn't know it would automatically catch fire.

>>28840497
What would be the point of throwing gasoline on him if you didn't ignite it? Make him uncomfortable?

>>28840502
Naw, I was picturing our next turn, we'd set him on fire after Dan knocked em over.

Some variation on "burn and slam" seems to be the closest thing to a consensus. Any dissent?

>>28840644
Nah I'm good

>>28840644
Go for it.

Rolled 17, 8 = 25

Right, if no one has a problem with that plan:

>Roll 2d20, first one is you, second is Daniel, no critfails, best for each.

>>28840644
Maybe sing 'Ring of Fire' after setting him on fire, but otherwise good.

Rolled 3 + 6

>>28840644
Nope.

if he's going fast enough, it won;t matter. Sanme reason you can ride a horse through a bonfire without hurting it.

>>28840771
Ignore those dice, they don't count or matter, just me being a tard.

>>28840775
He has to decelerate at the end, y'know, for the ground.

Rolled 10, 17 = 27

>>28840771
Pls god.

Rolled 9, 18 = 27

>>28840771
I call on you double nat 20's

Fuck, we suck at this.

>>28840812
>>28840825
>>28840864
Oh, God, I'm horrible.

It's best of three.

>>28840881
Here you are

>>28840881
>>28840916
i.e. roll 2d20 again.

Rolled 6, 5 + 6 = 17

>>28840881
Shit

Rolled 7, 8 = 15

>>28840771

Rolled 4, 1 = 5

>>28840926
try#2

Rolled 9, 17 = 26

>>28840956
fuck
take my first

>>28840931
>>28840825
>>28840812
These are the three I'm taking, to be clear.

>>28840994
yay, you did take my first

You swerve and weave within the fog of shrapnel, just barely avoiding anything important. There are a few minor cuts, but nothing worse than an everyday scrape.

"Daniel!" You shout, "Attack!"

The Cambion's swarm hesitates, as if deciding whether to deal with you or the impending smash from Daniel. After a moment, it seems to settle on you, arraying much of the equipment in a loose sphere around you, waiting for a moment to strike.

It may not have been the smartest choice, as Daniel smashes into it again, sending it tumbling once more, this time complaining about the pain just a bit louder. Once you have an idea of its trajectory, you light your gasoline-based Molotov cocktail and toss it at it, in a perfect trajectory to land right on it as it comes to stop...

Of course, even as it awkwardly bounces across the ground with several sickening crunches, it somehow manages to figure out what you're doing and intercept the cannister, sending it flying in an unrelated direction, smashing on the street pavement well away from you, Daniel, or it.

It jerkily lifts itself off the ground again, preparing to lash out at you again, even as David retreats largely beyond its grasp. Its good arm is gone, having been ripped off in its tumbling from the shoulder on, and one of its feet is missing too.

It doesn't seem too bothered by that, though. You can almost feel the killing intent in the shrapnel.

>Write-in.

>Roll 1d20 for Dodge, best of three, no critfails, etc.

>>28841096
>intercept the cannister
...with some of the shrapnel.

Proofreading! Never forget!

Rolled 4

>>28841096
dodging.

Rolled 3

>>28841096
Find some solid cover, and duck behind it - while its shootan is dangerous for a person, it's not proven terribly destructive when it comes to proper obstacles. Rely on Daniel to keep track of it while searching for potentially useful shit in the vicinity.

Rolled 2

>>28841111
I almost called bullshit.

Get Daniel to deliver the next bomb. Fire should do the trick.

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>>28841125
>>28841133
>>28841147
Wow guys.
Just wow.

Uuuuuuh, fuck?

This shit is exactly why I said we should build gyrojets.

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Rolled 8

>>28841125
>>28841133
>>28841147
Well that was fun. Maybe next time we will get real superpowers.

Ok so now we pick the physique cambion, k?

>>28841125
>>28841133
>>28841147
Yay, time for real superpowers!

Rolling low just means you failed.

Damage is calculated by a secret method I won't be divulging (because I'm pretty sure based on the way combat has gone so far, I should change some numbers around)

Anybody want to back an existing idea or propose a new one? Right now it's just:
Get Daniel to go get a bomb
and
Get to cover and try to recuperate.

>>28841254
I don't think Tart wants to redux this shit man. One life is all we get.
I wanted the teleport power anyway.

>>28841216
>>28841263
Aw comon, it wasn't that bad. We had good plans. Just pure shitty rolls.

>>28841283
Tell Dan to look for a vehicle with a winch, and come back with as much cable as he can carry. We grab one end, he grabs the other and we go for a clothesline. It's a retarded plan but it just might work.

I seriously need a plan.

>>28841133
>Run, find cover, have Daniel monitor it.
>>28841147
>Get Daniel to go grab a bomb.
>>28841310
>Some kinda cartoon nonsense that won't work but will be funny when it fails.

>>28841435
>>Get Daniel to go grab a bomb.

>>28841435
Much as I want to go Looney Toons, bombs are the answer here.

>>28841435
>Get Daniel to go grab a bomb.
Bombing runs ahoy!

>>28841435
Light a gasoline tank and throw it at him.

Kinda like mother Russia did in kick ass 2

>>28841310
no
just no
go home

>>28841452
>>28841456
>>28841479
Getting Daniel to do your work while you hide wins.

Roll 2d20. First roll is for Daniel, second roll is for ???????. Best of first three for each.

Rolled 16, 14 + 6 = 36

>>28841507

Rolled 3

>>28841507

Rolled 15, 12 = 27

>>28841507

Rolled 5, 2 = 7

>>28841507
YEAH!

Rolled 10, 18 = 28

>>28841507

Rolled 4, 16 = 20

>>28841507

>>28841566
>>28841571
>>28841521
Confirmed hit for both Daniel and ???????.

>writing

>>28841566
>>28841571
>>28841573

YEAH ABOVE AVERAGE.

You flee through the shrapnel, trying your best to weave, but the position that the Cambion has got you in is just too good to dodge everything. A sharp piece of glass - maybe a broken bottle, maybe a window - buries itself in your shoulder, fairly deep. You suppress a scream, and lose your stride for a second.

"Fucking..." you mutter as you manage to finally make your way outside the Cambion's radius, hiding behind a building corner. "Daniel!" you shout, "get some fucking... get one of those stupid gas canisters! I know you own a lighter!"

In response, Daniel swoops down, grabbing a canister, lighting it, and tossing it at the Cambion. It hits haphazardly, though, and only manages to catch a bit of the Cambion's body, burning its remaining hand. The unpleasant smell of cooked flesh wafts through the air.

The sound of gunshots rings through the air shortly thereafter: three hit the Cambion in a tight grouping in the chest, and it collapses to the ground. Its swarm falls down with it, clattering against the pavement with in almighty cacophony. Turning your head, you see the person who did the shooting: it's Richard, leaning out of a car window from a block or two away.

"The cavalry has arrived," he says, a little too smugly. You can just barely make out his voice, but you doubt Daniel can.

>"Richard got here."
>"Fucking finally."
>"Is it dead?"
>"What took you so long?"
>"You only managed that because we weakened it."
>"Thanks."
>Write-in.

>>28841840
>"You only managed that because we distracted it. But thanks."

>>28841840
>Write-In
"Tyler was right. I need a fucking gun"

>>28841840
>"Is it dead?"
He should know.
Saving the people inside was way more heroic anyway, let him be smug.

>>28841840
>is it ded?

"...is it dead?" you ask, after a pregnant pause.

In response, Richard gets out of his car, and starts walking towards it, and stands over it for a moment, looking down. Then he fires twice more, this time in the head. "Yeah, it's dead."

"You only managed that because we distracted it," knowing how lame you sound. "But thanks."

"No problem," he says, still smug as fuck, wearing a goofy (and infuriating) grin.

Daniel lands nearby. "That. Was. Awesome," he says, offering a fist to Richard; the latter dutifully pounds it. After a moment, Daniel rotates his arm around, as though stretching. "Fuck, slamming into that thing hurt. I'm going to be sore in the morning."

"My Cambion was right. I need a gun," you say. Richard lifts his shirt, removing a firearm from the back of his waistband. He pulls out the clip, then tosses the gun your way, followed shortly by the clip. You catch both with ease. You load the gun quickly and put it in your own waistband. "Thanks for that too."

"Brought it just for you, Abigail," he says.

>Write-in.

>>28842110
...thanks

>>28842110
"So, uh, caused a bit of a scene he did. How do we make sure there's nothing to tie us to the scene?"

>>28842110
"Well, I definitely believe you about the manifestations now. Of course, if the Cambion can't survive without a host, I think it should be possible to stop it. Are you familiar with the idea behind a cortex bomb?"

>>28842110
"What a life I live that I consider a gun to be a good gift."

"Weird. That was probably the best present I've ever gotten. Never thought I'd say that about a gun."

"You're welcome, again."

"So," you start, "that was... quite a scene. How do we keep somebody from tying us to it?"

"Hmm?" He says, curious, tilting his head to one side. "Oh, no worries. Just as long as you didn't write 'Abigail Spencer Jackson is an Incubator' on something, you should be fine. Cambions fuck with normal people's brains, or normal people's brains have some ancestral response to them, dunno which." He shrugs. "Anybody who isn't prepared will just freak right the fuck out, and the feeling spreads like a virus. Makes your memories real fuzzy. Any on-scene evidence of you can't be meaningfully distinguished from on-scene evidence of anybody else at the club, especially given that you actually were at the club.

"Anyway," he says, turning to Daniel, "we should probably get on out of here before the cops show up. You can fly out."

Daniel nods. "Sure. Good time, all around. Even if it hurt a little." He lifts off, and you're struck by the absurdity of it. It's too fast, too easy... you shake your head a moment to snap out of that thought process.

"Your car here?" He asks.

You shake your head. "No permit, no license, no car."

"Ah," he says, with a tiny nod. "I'll drive you home, then?"

"Yeah, thanks," you say, and get in on the passenger side.

"I guess I believe you now," you begin. "At least about the Manifestations."

>(1/2)

"Ah, you do, huh?" He asks, eyebrows raised, a degree of distaste apparent. "Thank you," he says as he starts the car. You quickly give your address.

"Cambions can't survive without a host, right?" He nods. "Then it should be possible to stop them from Manifesting." He raises his eyebrows, bidding you to continue. "You know what a cortex bomb is?"

He rolls his eyes. "A suicide switch? Fuck that. Maybe if I'd already had my fourth Partial Manifestation, but I've only had the one."

"But if one of us wound up--"

He cuts you off. "If one of us wound up like that, yeah, we might kill some people. But you know what? If we go out there and kill other Incubators, two things happen. One, we don't wind up like that, and two, we make other people not wind up like that. The only people who would sign up for a suicide switch are the people on the side of angels in this shit, the people who know and understand their situation and want to act prosocially. Who are exactly the people you DON'T want to die within the year, but instead ride out their maximum lifespan.

"Let's say an average Partial Manifestation kills four people, a Final one kills ten. Every newbie Incubator you kill is twenty-six people saved. If you kill yourself before you Manifest once, you save twenty-six people. If you do it after the second time, twenty-two. You only have to kill *one* Incubator in order to end up in the good bin. And trust me, you'll be killing a whole lot more than one."

>Write-in.

>>28842761
>>28842734
I really hope one of our gf's brother's boys doesn't spot us riding home with this guy. Something tells me that he's trying to convince her we're cheating on her with Dick here. It would not be hard to.

After all, we just rode home with him without even checking if she was okay after that.

>>28842761
"I guess. So, where did you manifest the first time?"

>>28842761
"But the Cambion knows about the bomb, and will do what it can to survive. In this context, that means it has to avoid manifesting until it can disarm the bomb"

>>28842822
I, uh...don't know what relationships you've been in anon, but I don't think most people need an all-clear from their significant order to catch a ride.

That said, it is true that Tracy might get suspicious.

>>28842879
*other, damn.
But I hope we can figure out what Tracy's Deal is soon.

>>28842879
>I, uh...don't know what relationships you've been in anon, but I don't think most people need an all-clear from their significant order to catch a ride.
I think his point is that we didn't make sure Tracy was in one sentient, animate piece.

Which is a good point.

>>28842901
Well, we can always check from the car.
Honestly, we were probably fucked before this anyway. After all, we spent 15+ minutes on this without calling her, despite being okay.

>>28842901
I really wanted to, too.

>>28842935
>QM railroads us into not checking on girlfriend
>Later blames us for it
>"But it's part of the tone!"

Incoming shitstorm. Hold onto your hats.

>>28842962
I wouldn't do something like that.

I'll add something in to the next update, yeah?

>>28842962
Well, I mean, we literally couldn't during the fight, so that's a good amount of time when we SHOULD have, that we didn't. I wouldn't blame Tartarus for making her miffed about that.

>>28842989
>we literally couldn't during the fight
And in the next update, when the fight is sure to be over, we just hop in the car and speed off with some guy without even having a choice.

>>28843036
1. You, the players, didn't think to call her immediately after the fight was over.
2. You will call her in this update, alright?
3. What about her? She didn't think to call you and make sure you were alright, did she?

>>28843086
>3. What about her? She didn't think to call you and make sure you were alright, did she?
Fuzzy memory, she's got an out.

>>28843109
And we were in a car crash. I think we have just as much to claim fuzzy memory given the circumstances.

"But the Cambion knows about the bomb, and it'll avoid Manifesting to avoid blowing itself up."

"Tch," he says, wearing a contemptuous smirk. "No. That wouldn't happen. Hard to explain. If it'll Manifest regardless, then you're less likely to install a suicide switch. If it won't, then you're more likely to install a suicide switch. You understand?"

You give a tiny nod. "So where did you manifest the first time?"

He gives you a look, extreme and passionate loathing for a moment. He takes a deep breath. Composes himself. Then says what he was going to say anyway. "I don't know, where did you get raped the first time?"

"Uh, wow. That's a pretty inapp..." you trail off. "Fine, I take your point."

There's silence. To try to avoid it, you pull out your smart phone to call Tracy.

Except, of course, it's broken. You can't be sure when it happened, probably at some point during the highly violent fight with the Cambion. Maybe when you got stabbed in the shoulder, that might've been distracting enough to miss it happening.

Anyway, you get out your prepaid, which is in fact still in working order, and call Tracy.

"H-hello?" Tracy's voice is timid on the line, like she's expecting to have her heart broken at any second.

"Tracy? What's the matter?"

"Abby!" She practically squeals in joy. "Oh, thank God, I kept calling you but I couldn't get you and I remember running off because something happened but I'm not sure what and are you all right?"

>Write-in.

>>28843430
Sure, got in a little car-accident, but no damage. Phone's fucked though.

>>28843430
"A little injured, but nothing a little TLC won't fix. Sorry I didn't call you sooner."

>>28843430
We're fine! How about her?

>>28843430
Yeah sorry, my phone broke in all that crazy. How are you?

"I'm fine. My phone got smashed up. Sorry I didn't call you sooner. Somebody dropped this one. You okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay. No, better than okay, I'm great, now that I know you're all right." Richard rolls his eyes. "Um... do you know what happened? Because we were at the club, and you said you had a bad feeling, so we went out, and then..." she trails off. "Whatever happened, happened. I mean, I don't think you did... whatever." You can practically hear her struggle to form the words. "I just don't know what happened and I don't like it!"

>Obscure. "I just got a feeling. I couldn't tell you what caused it."
>Postpone. "It's kind of complicated. I'll explain tomorrow, okay?"
>Honest and stupid. "Tracy... I have superpowers."
>Lie. "I saw that guy who was hitting on you giving us a look, and I was worried he was going to make problems. That's all."
>Write-in.

>>28844108

>Postpone. "It's kind of complicated. I'll explain tomorrow, okay?"

>Postpone. "It's kind of complicated. I'll explain tomorrow, okay?"

>>28844138
>>28844143
I get the feeling we should tell Tracy.

If she's cool with it, we don;'t have to hide from her. If she breaks up with us, no worries, now we don't have to hold back.

Also, text ned, see if he's alright.

>>28844108
>Postpone. "It's kind of complicated. I'll explain tomorrow, okay?"
Lets us come up with a convincing story.

>>28844177
Well, there are other issues. I'm not sure how well she'd take knowing about this part of the world, for example. And there might be a good reason (besides the chance of not being believed/info leaking out) not to tell civilians.

"It's kind of complicated. I'll explain tomorrow, okay?"

There's a pregnant pause. "Okay. But you better explain! And it better be good!" Her voice is demanding, but not in a bad way. Something vaguely intimate. Permission granted due to your close relationship, but conditional on it not being abused.

"I will, I will," you agree quickly.

"I'm really happy you're all right Abby," she repeats. "I want to tell you something. I-I know we haven't been together that long, and it's stupid and I'll probably come off as..." she chokes something back. "No. Never mind, sorry."

"What?"

"It's stupid. I'm stupid. Sorry. Forget I said anything. I-I'm going to go now. Bye."

"Bye," you reply; she hangs up in the middle of the syllable.

"You had better not be planning to tell her about our situation."

"Why?"

"Because this is a state secret and you'd be involuntarily dragging her into a shadow war, maybe?"

You send Ned a quick text, to make sure he's alive. He confirms.

The rest of the ride passes in silence. Richard drops you off at your house.

You head inside, carefully remove the piece of glass shrapnel in your shoulder and treat the wound. Then you go lie down on your bed and pass out from exhaustion.

>THREAD END.

That's all for tonight. Comments, suggestions, questions, welcome. Think I'm just about written out. Will be putting up some preliminary thoughts on combat from how it played out in a bit, some planned modifications.

>>28844601
Pretty good, the combat was fine I thought. Mostly mechanics confusion showed up.

>>28844601
I definitely feel there's more characterization and clearer emphasis in the dialogue now. That's nice to see.

>>28844625
>the combat was fine I thought.
You didn't see behind the QM screen.

Daniel's body slam move is supposed to be a high-risk, high-reward move. It did incredibly well both times.

TK Strike, the main move of the Cambion, did piddling damage to you. It's supposed to be a high-accuracy, low-damage move, but it performed pathetically. I raised its damage partway through combat, not that it mattered.

Given that you'll be operating with three Incubators... well, you can see the problems that emerge.

Admittedly, some of this is luck, but there are definitely underlying balance issues.

Also, in retrospect, that psychostimulant gave way too big a bonus.

The basic system was/is:
Roll 3d20. Best-of is whether you hit or not (or dodge or not, if you're being attacked). Base DC to hit is 15 + opponent's dodge. Base DC to dodge is 15 + opponent's strike.

Damage is determined by taking the ([x] modulo [n]) plus one, where x is the sum of the three rolls and n is the maximum damage.

A roll is "lucky" when it's all evens. That means something particularly good happens (e.g. the Cambion is delayed from its emergence from the bathroom by trying to attack you). A roll is "unlucky" when it's all odds (e.g. when you smashed into that light pole in the middle of the Cambion's range). I come up with some appropriate lucky or unlucky effect each time, which is fun. (Forgot to do it for Richard's at the end, but whatever.)

>>28845454
That lucky thing seems cool. And yeah, it seemed a bit easy, but more because of it not doing anything than us succeeding overly much. I guess the fact that it was Daniel, and not us, that got all the good rolls, skewed our perceptions.

>>28845454
Changes planned to system:
• Increase the damage for low-probability attacks. I severely overestimated the value of a more probable attack. They deal piddling damage, making them effectively useless in the otherwise short combat.
• Raise base DC (for to-hit and to-dodge) from 15 to 16. 15 is too weighted in the player's favor, and is in part a consequence of early iterations of the system where damage was done on the basis of how far you surpassed/failed the DC. 16 is fairer.
• Cambions get double normal HP and can attack twice per turn, so that they get to do something before getting murdered.
• Marginally lower HP (20-35%) to ensure other changes don't make combat too prolonged.
• Avoid putting you in a group against single, unprepared Incubators for anything more than trash fights.
• May wind up giving enemy Incubators that are expected to be X on 1 gangbangs some extra health, just to let them survive a turn or two.

>>28845608
T-take it easy.

>>28845641
In order for the Cambion to have killed you under the current model, it would have to spend 6 turns, hit you every time, and deal max damage each time.

In order for you to have killed it under equivalent max probability conditions, using just your fists, would take 4 turns.

And that was a 2 on 1 fight, your favor. I hope you can see the problem.

>>28845812
I guess so...but we're so fragile...

>>28845987
Incubators have improved durability. Even as a Scholar Incubator, you're not very fragile at all.

>>28846039
I'll get the hang of putting my trip in for every post soon enough, folks!

>>28846063
Sorry I had to bail out. Looks like things went well tho, Tart. Nice job. didn't know you had a system and shit.