Dr. Zero's Last Hurrah (IC -Full) *Finished*

[Gazman]

Spartan
HP: 2 Condition: Dazed

Spartan stands amidst his illusory team mates, glaring at the old man encased in armor and cybernetics. He snorts at the villain's monologue and readies his spear when the purple wave of despair washes over him. The handsome hero throws his joie de vivre against the crushing emotion and stands saddened but unbroken. "Come on, lame brain. I thought you were a super villain. This zero sum equation isn't any worse than when I got caught making time with your mom."

Dodge (1d20+7=9) Nope.
Will (1d20+4=9) Ouch. Let's try that again
HP Reroll (1d20+4=8) 18. Dazed
Taunt (1d20+10=29) Standard action to demoralize.

[sweetja713]

L'Char
HP 3

"What foul machinery is this, L'Char cries as he flings a sword towards the zero sum machine. "Your villainy shall not go unpunished."

Power attacking for plus 5, attempting a finishing blow on the machine for the extra +5
1d20=14
DC 32

[flynnarrel]

Marble Knight
HP 2
cnd: fine, for now

JD strongarm's Deje to the side and steps quickly into the illusory Marble Knight. "You'll not get away with this." he says confidently, stepping forward.

"My companions oft call me archaic, and a relic. By my potency only increases for my ties to the past, whereas you have gained only infirmary and impotence with your years."

A deep rumble starts from upstairs and a crunching sound progresses quickly down the stairs. JD steps to the side as a huge cheese-wheel of stone bursts forth from the stairwell on a collision course with the cyborg.

Moveable creation, strong attack, +2DC, -2hit
Attack (1d20+6-2=20)
DC23 toughness if that hits.

[Lord Fell]

GM Post

Dr. Zero breaks off mid-cackle and glances around. He seems dismayed at the lack of suicidal activity, and Spartan's words only seem to bring that on home for him.
"Eh?"

The massive stone wheel rolls at Marble Knight's direction and bounces up the single step of the dais Dr. Zero is standing on, and is briefly airborne before slamming into the Bad Doctor.
"Oof."

L'Char's blade of energy hurtles across the room on a collision course with the Zero Sum Device, however it seems to slide away from making contact. A shimmer in the air clearly reveals that the device is protected by a forcefield. The deflected weapon tears open a hole into the night, and starlight pours into the room.
"Nyah!"

Resist Spartan's Taunt (1d20+10=18) Dr. Zero will be Demoralized and at -2 to rolls until the start of Spartan's next action. Since Spartan's initiative is the highest, all other Saints get the benefit of this check.

Toughness vs. Marble Knight; -2 Demoralized (1d20+10=12) That's a few more degrees of failure than I'm comfortable with off the top. Flynnarrel, take an HP for GM Fiat: Fiat Reroll vs. Marble Knight (-2) (1d20+10=24) with the -2 from Spartan's Demoralize factored in, that's a 22, and fails by 1. Bruised.

I debated long and hard about whether to have Dr. Zero's first Affliction attack originate from himself or from the Zero Device. I decided that since the device was there, and I'd presented it as some sort of Doomsday Device, that it would be dramatically more appropriate for the Affliction to come from it. Mechanics wise, it's really just something that he can do. So, having you attack it (which I didn't expect but obviously should have) presents me with a Quandry... I think I will make my final decision on how to solve that after I see how this round goes. One way or another, there was a benefit to attacking the device... what that was will vary depending on how I decide to handle it. I apologize for not thinking that through, but ultimately you didn't waste an action, so I shan't award an HP for it.

[CaptainChaos]

Wildfire

Wildfire notes the effect his teammate's attacks have and plans his own action accordingly. The strange device clearly had some sort of force field around it and Dr. Zero was either wearing armor or it was part of him. Attacking either one would be difficult although, perhaps he didn't need to.

Quickly kneeling on the floor as close to the device as he can, he places his hands on the floor and generates a significant amount of heat from them in an effort to weaken the structure of the flooring and cause the device to fall through.

On his turn, he will use Weaken (objects only) on the flooring. Attack check = 1d20+2=14 DC 16 Fort save if successful.

[SDarkshine]

Déjè
HP: 1
Condition: Dazed – Must…Focus…

Ok…
Dodge Roll: 1d20+5+2=23
Will Roll: 1d20+6=14
So…even though I dodged, I still get hit by the affliction…meh, I think it’s okay for now…

What is this? I feel…

Déjè blinked a few times. Although she was able to maintain her illusion of the majority of her team, she felt somewhat distracted. A few seconds ago, she was sure she avoided that purple wave of light. But now, she’s not so sure.

This feeling…it’s so miserable…is this coming from him? …Or…I haven’t been doing well lately…it could be me feeling this way…but…

Déjè ‘reached’ deep within herself – her heart and her mind – to find out which is true. Is there any comfort…any care…something to tell her that she is doing alright and that she mattered?

An ‘answer’ came in the form of Marble Knight forcing her to the side.

Oof.

It may not have been Marble Knight’s attempt to use so much force to push her aside. Unfortunately, it didn’t help with answering her question. Rather, it helped her come to a realization…

Her teammates have released themselves from her. They are not ‘invisible’ anymore. She was the only one invisible now…with control over the team’s 'twins'.

Oh, merda.

Italian Translation: Oh, crap.

Thinking as quickly as she possibly could in her condition, Déjè started moving the illusions about.

For LChar’s illusion, she had him throw a spear towards Dr. Zero and make it miss him by a half-foot.

For Marble Knight’s illusion…well, since he replaced his own illusion, he should be okay without one for a while. After all, he did get a good hit on the villain.

For Wildfire’s illusion, she had him float nearby the strange technological device, on the opposite side of where the real Wildfire is. Around the same time he placed his hands on the floor, Déjè had his ‘twin’ shoot a beam of fire towards the floor, circling the device.

That took care of them, but what about her illusion? What will she do with ‘her’ while she remains invisible? Hmm…

Aha!

Being as creative as she could muster, Déjè had her ‘twin’ run to the intersection of the dining room and the living room. There, she made her illusion ‘metamorph’ her arms. To anyone in the dining room who sees ‘her’, it will look like ‘she’ is attempting to entangle the satellite and – with some show of super-strength – haul it away!

Meanwhile, the real Déjè walked to one side of the dining room, away from the intersection. She was wondering if there was another human part of Dr. Zero that was visible – other than his face.

Hmm, I didn’t add any new illusions, so I should be okay. And Déjè was already in Illusory Concealment from when they grouped together for the illusion…with them letting go of her, that should take some stress off from her. The DC for the Illusion is 16. However, I do have Daze (Deception)…well I’m not sure if that will be necessary here.

As for her walking while ‘invisible’, it is ground speed -1 due to the Blending flaw. Are there any obstacles in her way – objects, teammates, etc.?

P.S. About her checking to see if there are any other visible human parts of Dr. Zero…I was thinking about either having her use Illusory Attack on his exposed part once he finds out about the illusion of her team, or having her sneak in and jab the spot with her taser.

Hmmhmm…

[roguescribner]

Matrix
HP: 3
Condition: Fine

Matrix crouches low on his hoverboard, wishing to remain mobile as his team confronts Dr. Zero. He swings wide around the room, hoping his burlier teammates garner the bulk of the villain's attention. He moves behind Dr. Zero (or as much to the side as possible), and then raises his right arm and takes aim at the cyber-villain.

Using EMP, burst area nullify DC 15 will against Dr. Zero's machine parts. Area is 30ft, so any teammates using electronics will have to save too.

stealth check (if it matters): 1d20=19

[Lord Fell]

GM Post

Under Wildfire's ministrations, a layer of oily spoke rises up from the dais in a ring, clearly defining the forcefield protecting the Zero Sum Device. Wildfire's elation is short lived when he realizes he's managed to burn off the floor wax, but had virtually no other effect. He recognizes the flooring... it has a lifetime warranty.

Thinking fast, Deje moves her illusions to keep Dr. Zero guessing, and provide her teammates cover. Deje's illusion of herself trots up to the Satellite and begins trying to wrestle it of its trestle. A rhyme! And a quandry... the Satellite is too big for Deje to "cloak & carry" it, illusion wise. At least without dropping her other active illusions.

There is a brief squawk in each of your ears as Matrix opens fire on Dr. Zero. Your communicators are no match for the EMP Matrix has released on Dr. Zero.

Matrix scoffed at pictures of Dr. Zero's early years of bionics, but the here and now Dr. Zero is no laughing matter. Trying to perform "Electric Chair Brain Surgery" on Dr. Zero's main CPU, his attack hits a buffer that's just too solid to break through. Although there are easily a dozen different computerized systems making Dr. Zero walk and talk just like a real boy, all of them are slaved to Dr. Zero's living brain. The only way Matrix is going to be able to overload the electronics is by first overloading Dr. Zero's mind, and it is a mind ancient and filled with crackling malice and an impenetrable core of melancholy.

Dr. Zero sneers at Matrix. "Try me again, boy. I'll send you back to Radio Shack for extra batteries!"

So... Wildfire's attack has kind of settled for me how I'm going to handle the device. It is a separate entity, and operates independently. Essentially. I've also spotted an issue with Wildfire's Weaken effect; you're underspent. You can add opt to allow it to effect all targets at close range, or objects only at Range.
House resisting Weaken (1d20+6=16) A standard HQ has a toughness of 6, and this is a high-end home; so I think that's appropriate.

Deje, to Daze you'd need to break concealment. Your character has no particular Assessment skill to look for or find weaknesses, and there's no "called shot" type of maneuver in M&M3e that would make seeing any additional "human parts" on Dr. Zero mechanically advantageous. That's the bad news.
The good news, is that your illusions are Independent. You can still act this round. I'll give you some time to Act. I'm going to turn over giving advice to your fellow players.
Dr. Zero; disbelieving illusions: L'Char, Wildfire, Deje, Matrix (-2 Demoralized) (1d20+10=15, 1d20+10=12, 1d20+10=14, 1d20+10=30)
You didn't state what Matrix's illusion was doing, but that's OK... Dr. Zero sees through it.

Matrix: Resist EMP (-2 Demoralized) (1d20+10=18) With the -2 courtesy of Spartan, he still beats your roll. He is vulnerable to an EMP attack... just not very. Zero Sum Device; resist EMP (1d20+10=28) It's not Demoralized, not that it matters... Matrix's power doesn't have any sort of Subtle, so Stealth is off the table at this point.

[SDarkshine]

Déjè
HP: 1
Condition: Dazed – Um, okay...Plan B!

That didn't work well...

Slightly frustrated with the setback of her self-illusion, Déjè focused on having L'Char's illusion produce a cosmic mallet. A second later, 'he' threw it right at Dr. Zero - an effort to get him off-guard.

[Lord Fell]

GM Post

Ok, Dr. Zero is at -1, has 2 Villain Points left, and will be at -2 to his checks for his Action, but that ends when Spartan starts his turn.

The Zero Sum Device runs through another cycle of equations. L'Char can hear and feel the device scraping away at the wall between reality and the Void when it completes. Again, purple light strobes from the device, washing the Saints in rays of despair.

Dr. Zero picks up the stone wheel that Marble Knight rolled into him, and swings it backhand at Matrix. Perhaps he overcompensated for the weight, as he holds onto it too long and ends up tossing almost behind him.

"Bah! So many flies that need swatting, I hardly know who to squash first!"

Again, Dodge rolls at DC20; Will saves at 20 or 15, depending on your Dodge.
Who's it gonna be? 1-5 Wildfire, 6-10 Wildfire's illusion, 11-15 Matrix, 16-20 Spartan (1d20=14) I wasn't sure, who exactly Dr. Zero would most want to put the hurt on. The random table was based on who was most likely irritating him the most.

Attack vs. Matrix (-2 Demoralized) (1d20+10=13) Adjusts to an 11; and that's going to miss.

[flynnarrel]

Marble Knight
hp 3

Dodge (1d20+4=11)

A big, stone-covered hero is not meant to dodge.

Will (1d20+6=22)

... but he'll be darned if he gives in to despair that easily...

[CaptainChaos]

Wildfire

Dodge = 1d20+6=22 Will = 1d20+6=26

Wildfire feels the strange purple energy wash over him. Using the natural quickness of fire and his strong will, he is able to easily overcome the despair.

[sweetja713]

L'Char
HP 3 Status: Fine

Dodge 1d20+4=14, Will 1d20+6=23

The beam squarely washes over L'Char but he gathers his resolve and prepares for another attack.

[SDarkshine]

Déjè
HP: 1
Condition: Dazed – But She Made This Time! Yes!

Here we go again!
Dodge Roll: 1d20+5=24
Will Roll: 1d20+6=21
Nice...

Once again, the rays of the Zero Sum Device attempt to pierce into Déjè's consciousness. This time, however, she did not feel misery. A 'click' or 'snap' answered her question earlier - she did matter. And even if she fails sometimes, at least she is giving it her all for her team.

[Gazman]

Spartan
HP: 1 Condition: - 5 Active Defenses

The second wave of despair washes right over Spartan without even fazing him. The big man laughs at his attacker. "Dude. You suck. Your ultimate weapon is a joke. Lemme take care of it for ya." At this, Spartan rushes across the living room to the dais and lays his meaty fist straight into the computer.

Dodge (1d20+7=9)
Will (1d20+4=6) And again with the HP
HP Reroll (1d20+4=14) 24 Saves!
Move action up to the Zero Sum Device. Standard to whale on it. Full on All-Out Attack, Power Attack, and Finishing Attack
Attack (1d20+6=13) DC 31