Overview

I'm pretty certain none of us have.

I have not heard hide nor hair from him including private messages here and on Disc... so I am a bit worried... hopefully he pings me back soon

Ark has been absent for just shy of a month now. Same can be said for the discord channel. They were super slammed at work I think so hopefully its just RL taking over for a bit and nothing health related. *shrug*

...I think Discord ate the question I thought I'd asked and was waiting on a response for, and I forgot to check that it had actually posted. My bad.

- where for art thou? @everyone_else -- where are you all? It's been silent for two weeks. Anyway, I came here to mention: DAYS GONE is discounted 75% on Steam now, from $50 to $12.50 -- in case anyone is interested. PUBLISHER PACK! Offer ends Sep 19 10:00am PDT Ride and fight into a deadly, post pandemic America. Play as Deacon St. John, a drifter and bounty hunter who rides the broken road, fighting to survive while searching for a reason to live in this open-world action-adventure game.

Mabel preps for battle "Ahah, another Freaker battle!" chortled Mabel, "We can do this, there’s nothing to this!" The warm cadence of her words and her commanding personality flowed over the group, reminding all of the bonds they’ve forged together in endless wars against the freakers. Her words and tone would steady her allies; they would not readily panic . Her words and mental tone reassured herself as well: she would be steady for whatever comes. Her adrenalin elevatedShe will re-use Berserking at the start of each round until the crisis is over.: her reactions became sharp; she was ready to take pain and dish it out. She moved into a position that would have easy line of sight and action should the door open. She nodded to Johnny, the warm aura of her command personality subtly inspiring himAssuring Anthem on Johnny.. "You'll outwit that chameleon bastard, an' turn its brain to custard." She pointed out positions for Stoney and Rina to assume, her tactical communication by gesture and body language precise but have the stirring effect of a battle cryRallying Tune ability to give temp HP . "Give those tasers a spin; wait to you see the red of it's eyes, and we take that freak DOWN to SIZE!" She took a combat stance -- ready to rumble. Her stance was not static, it was a kind of dance, back and forth -- ready to defend her nearby allies with gun or body. As for her weapon -- no taser for her. She was going to land some assault rifle bullets in the thing to tenderize it and soften it up a bit. She wasn't as sanguine as the Princess about taming these, and certainly the freaker hadn't responded to the gift of restored intellect with kumbaya. Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya Oh Lord, kumbaya Show this Round one: Swift - commence the Bonds Forged In War act. Relentless (approach): Allies in the area can postpone the start of any unwanted emotion effects for 2 rounds. After this period, the effect’s duration begins as normal. Standard - Assuring Anthem on herself. Move: Move into position Free: Roll initiative, and reroll the lousy result. Still lousy, but not as. Round two - Assuring Anthem on Johnny. Perception to track what is happening, and spot the chameleon if the door opens. Assume the Defiant Boar Stance. Round three - Rallying Tune on Stoney. Perception to track what is happening, and spot the chameleon if the door opens. Start to Dance! Round four - Rallying Tune on Rina. Perception to track what is happening, and spot the chameleon if the door opens. Round 3-4 Move+Swift actions in reserve in case any opportunity arises or change occurs and she has to abort or modify this plan. Round 5 of prep pending on outcome of earlier rounds. Do you want me to roll perception, or is that something you'll do? In any case, she is being actively alert and trying to spot every round. Her perception vs this creature is 1d20+16, rerolling natural 1-3s. Initiative: 12 Active Effects: Assuring AnthemAllies affected by this instrumental or lyric may reroll any ability check, saving throw, or skill check that results in a natural 1, 2 or 3 and keep the new result, even if it is worse. An ability check or skill check can only be rerolled this way once per 10 minutes (although the ally may spend 1 use of skill leverage to ignore this restriction for a roll), whereas an attack roll or saving throw can only be rerolled once per round. This ability cannot benefit abilities or skill uses that take longer than the ability lasts. The lyric can be expended as an immediate action before attempting an ability check, saving throw, or skill check to roll the attempt twice, taking the higher result - on Mabel, 6 rounds remaining Assuring Anthem - on Johnny 7 rounds remaining Rallying TuneWhen used as an inspiring lyric, the target gains a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d4 + your operative ability modifier (minimum 1). These temporary hit points are replenished whenever the target confirms a critical hit. The lyric can be expended to gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + your ranks in this package’s associated Perform skill, which last until the end of their next turn and stack with the above source. This lyric can also be expended as an immediate action." NOTE: she has an upgrade to let them be discharged as a free action. - on Stoney 8 rounds remaining. 7 temp HP + discharge for 1d8+5 Rallying Tune - on Rina 9 rounds remaining. 7 temp HP, + discharge for 1d8+5 Current Effects: (Mabel + 2 allies) Freaker talisman (+2 to saving throws and skills vs freakers). She chooses Johnny and Diamond. (All team) Urban Acclimation - can share 5’ squares with allies, charge through each other’s spaces, don’t provoke AOOs for squeeze through crowds. (All team) Rapport – efficient nonverbal communication (All team) Monitor movements - we all know where each other are in combat even if stealthed, and don’t provide enemies with soft cover. (All team) Relentless (approach): Allies in the area can postpone the start of any unwanted emotion effects for 1 round, plus 1 round per 5 ranks in this package’s associated Perform skill you possess. (Mabel) Defiant Boar stance (Mabel) Goes berserk, stays berserk: +8 temp hp but -2 AC.

I posted a batch of questions in the Discord, to try to get the team thinking about tactics and our responses, and see if we can get to using our skills together.

Sarah nodded to River. "Sounds good, River. I'm going to want to meet with you about an hour before all this kicks off, down in the lab. I know you know the systems, but I'm going to bring Boozer down and we can go over the details of the pacification system. I know the general outlines of the system, but he's been doing a deep dive ever since we started working on it, and I want to make sure we're all on the same page." She turned her attention to the armour clad woman further down the table. "I'd like you there as well Diamond. You'll be in charge of the sensors and helping with some of the physical systems down in the lab, so I'll want you both to be up to speed before we start." Sarah dimpled at the two women, before switching her gaze once more. "If everything goes according to projections...and we've modeled this many, MANY times in the system, it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes for the formula to hit the Bleacher's system and start taking effect. After that...well, there are too many variables to make a completely accurate model, but we should know fairly quickly whether or not the serum works." She grinned at Johnny. "Hopefully that wont mess with your timing too much. I'd hate for one of your little surprises to go unstable." Her grin took on a slightly bloodthirsty look, before fading into her usual grin. Once again, Sarah rested her hands flat, palms down, on the table. "It sounds like everyone is on the same page then. Like I said, you're all free to prep as you wish before tomorrow. You have free run of the supply room, the machine shop, and the production labs. Boozer will get with anyone that needs to get into the armory, and NBC suits will be available in the lab for you all when you head down tomorrow." Her gaze one more swept the table, and her eyes were shining. "I cannot tell you how much this means, both to me personally, and, potentially, to the world. And I cannot thank you all enough for your assistance. With even the slightest bit of luck, tomorrow we change our world." With her smile at maximum wattage, Sarah stood, gesturing for everyone to head out. When the room started to clear, she hooked her arm with Deacons, and they, along with Boozer, headed off to make their own preparations, leaving the rest of the group to go about their business. One way or another, tomorrow was gonna be a hell of a day. ************* The next morning dawn clear and sunny. A mild, early Spring breeze drifted through the trees, causing the crops growing over much of the exposed land within the Institute ground to shift and sway. Birdsong filled the air, just as a sense of anticipation filled those behind the fence. Down in the lab, preparations were underway for the upcoming experiment. Many willing hands had brought in pieces of equipment, including portable barricades, sandbags, and other means of securing the various areas of the lab even further than it normally was. The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant and gun oil in equal parts, and a note of anticipation thrummed even stronger here than it did above. River and Diamond had spent about half an hour with Sarah and Boozer, familiarizing themselves with the pacification system, and reacquainting themselves with the rest of the systems. Johnny, Mabel, Tinker, and Michael, along with Mabel's two assistants, had busied themselves with their own preparations. In the upstairs control center, Sarah, Deacon, Boozer, and their assistants were monitoring everything, and the Cloverdale mainframe was linked in and ready to analyze the results of today's actions. At exactly 8 AM, things were ready to get underway. Mabel's two assistants, both heavily armed, as well as wearing body armour over their NBC gear, waited outside the Bleacher's cell. At her console, River him a series of commands, and, with a mechanical hiss, a quarter dose of Halothane rapidly dispersed through the pale Freaker's room. It wasn't nearly enough to knock the creature out, but it was enough to render it drowsy and uncoordinated, allowing the two to swiftly enter the cell and secure the subject. Stoney body checked the Bleacher, pinning it against the cell wall, which allowed Rina to slap an injector into it's thigh, hitting it with a rather large dose of nordiazepam, which, luckily, they'd found rather large stores of right there at Cloverdale. In short order, the Freak was secured, and the two guards had the Freak stripped out of it's filthy garments, and then swiftly carried it to the lab, setting it unceremoniously on the treatment table. And while they might have been somewhat lax in their treatment of the Infected, they were the exact opposite when securing it. Wrist, ankle, waist, and chest straps were quickly secured around the creature. A padded restraint went around it's forehead, keeping it's head in contact with the metal table. When all the buckles were thoroughly checked, double checked, and visually verified by both Diamond from the control booth and Mabel from inside the room, as well as Sarah up in the control lab, River quickly and professionally placed a series of sensors and leads on various places on the Bleacher's torso, neck, and head. The four then exited the room, with Mabel and her assistants joining Johnny in the outer lab and River heading back to her medical station. Like a well choreographed dance, everyone moved into position. The lab doors slowly closed, hydraulic pistons pushing them into place and locking them down, and the various combatants moved to their chosen positions, while River and Diamond began firing up the testing protocols, meds, and robotic control arms in the lab. The various systems powered up and in just a couple of minutes everything was ready to begin. From the control lab upstairs, Sarah's voice echoed through the lab intercom. "First Testing Phase, Serum Epsilon One, Test Subject Bleacher Zero Zero One is a go. River, ready to inject on your station in 5...4...3...2...1...Inject!" At Sarah's command, River and Diamond both triggered a series of commands on their respective consoles. A pair of robotic arms flipped down, one placing an injector gun against the Bleacher's neck and another on the inside of it's thigh. A pair of sharp hisses were quickly followed by two large ampules of liquid, one a shimmering, semi opaque white, and the other a bright, almost glowing, green, being emptied into the Freak's body. Quietly, over the intercom, a soft male voice recited a series of measurements, reading them into a log. For the first two minutes and thirteen seconds, absolutely nothing happened, other than the continued quiet drone of the tech on the intercom. The Bleacher lab stone still on the biobed, breathing softly, with the occasional muscle twitch around the site of both injections. At exactly two minutes and fourteen seconds, everything changed. With an ear shattering ROAR, the Bleacher's eyes snapped open. Shown clearly in everyone monitor in the lab, of which there were many scattered about, the creatures normally bright, yellowed eyes, burned solid crimson, as though they were completely filled with blood. The creature's entire body flexed, straining against it's restraints, and once again, it's coughing, lion-like roar bellowed through the lab. So loud was it's voice, it seemingly penetrated throughout the entire underground lab, which caused a chain reaction amongst all the other captured Freaks. From all around the facility, shrieking, bellowing roars thundered out, though none reached quite the level of that which came from the Bleacher's tortured throat. Again, the creature flexed it's body, straining against the restraints. On the monitors, the creature's normally pasty white skin seemed to have developed a mottled, constantly shifting pattern of greys, browns, and yellows, radiating out from the two injection sites. In less than a second, the pattern spread outward from both injection spots, and it became noticeably harder to see the creature, as the colors started to blend into the background of the biobed. A couple seconds later, and the Bleacher cut loose with it's loudest roar yet, and it's entire body reared upward. With a series of high pitched SNAPS, every single restraint on the beast tore loose, and the creature sat bolt upright. The mottled pattern on it's skin spread throughout it's whole body, and before everyone's horrified eyes, the Bleacher disappeared from the view on the monitor. The most disturbing sight of all, however, was the last thing that disappeared were the creatures eyes...and in them burned the light of fierce intelligence. From all around the lab, the roars and shrieks of the other Freaks rose to a crescendo, reverberating throughout the entire underground facility. OOC Info Well, looks like things just got interesting. We are not, YET, in combat time, but I would still like everyone to roll Initiative in their next post, either in an existing OOC spoiler, or, if you dont have one at the end of your post, please create one and place your roll there. For everyone's edification: It takes 30 seconds (5 full rounds) for the lab doors to cycle open/closed. If you wish to open them, any of the PC's can do it by pressing a button located on the right hand side of the door (you must be in the adjacent spot). Alternatively, River or Diamond can cycle the lab doors from their consoles. Any of the above actions can be done as a Swift or Move action, as it requires either using a palm reader or entering a code. Noone can currently see the Bleacher, either on the various monitors scattered around, or through visually, through either the large glass window between the control room and the lab, or the small glass windows in the lab doors. If anyone wishes to do/prepare/activate an ability or item, you all have FIVE FULL ROUNDS in which to do so. You can simply list out what you wish to do, if you choose to do anything, or you can wait, or whatever else you wish. The time is yours. After that, things will begin to get, as stated...interesting. 😈 If anyone has any questions/comments/concerns, please feel free to bring them up in the Discord. Mechanics Info Nothing to add here yet. I'm going to leave the Taser info below, for handy reference. ************* Tasers: Simple, pistol grip stun guns. Though short ranged, these weapons pack quite a punch. These weapons fire a pair of metal darts that trail conductive wire that sends a shock of 50,000 volts into the target. BOTH probes must be in direct/extremely close physical contact with the target to work. On a DICE ROLL of 1-3, the prongs fail to make contact, or only one prong hits. This happens irrespective of any to hit bonuses. This increases by +1 per range increment (ie 1-4 at 20 feet and 1-5 at 30 feet). If the target is wearing body armour or very heavy clothing, this can negate the prongs ability to conduct the electrical attack. In these cases, only a called shot to an uncovered body part, or a critical hit will successfully contact. Targets that are immune to Nonlethal damage are immune to all effects of the Taser. For Proficiency purposes, handheld Tasers count as Modern Firearms: Simple Hands: 1H Ammo: Cartridge & Battery The Cartridge has two sets of prongs that can be fired separately. The Battery has a total of 8 charges. One charge is used automatically when either of the two sets of prongs in the the Cartridge is fired. Reloading the Cartridge and Battery each count as separate reloading actions. Damage: 2d6 Nonlethal (cannot add bonus damage from any source); FORT save or Staggered for 1d4 rds Critical: N/A (see Special) Type: N/A Range: 10 (max 30') / Melee ROF: SS Capacity: 2 shots; 8 Charges (total) Each shot automatically uses one Charge. User may continue to shock target every round @ Swift Action, doing damage as normal, and requiring a new FORT save. Subsequent failed FORT saves after first failure add 1d2+2 rds to Staggered condition. Weight: 2 lbs Special: On any DICE ROLL (ie raw roll, not including bonuses) of 15-20 (target must still be hit, of course), the target must make a FORT save, or be Stunned for 1 round. If target already Staggered, increase DC by +5. If target is already Stunned from Taser effect, increase Stun duration by 1d2 rds on a failed save. For each consecutive failed Stun save, increase the DC of the Stun save by +5.

OK, she will have a freaker talisman for herself, and she will prepare two for whoever else might be on the front lines or performing skilled actions (acrobatics or what?) vs the freakers. Who would like those?

Roughly, yeah. After the battle, there was about an hour of cleanup, then the meeting with Sarah, Deacon, Boozer, and the PC's, then she said y'all had about 20 hours til things kicked off. So, yeah, we'll say you're within that 24 hour deadline by about 2-3 hours.

To other players -- Mabel is not a crafter. I built her to be a contrarian in some ways, low Int, and a bunch of Cha based Performance skills; but no mech or tech talents of any sort. The Performance sphere is a bit weird, so she's going to be constantly rapping, making up lyrics, passing out various inspirational buffs, etc. But back to crafting. Since she doesn't do it (*), if you have in your crafting capacities any goodies that you want to share with her, please do! (*) The one exception is Survivalism talismans. -- - A question -- is the experiment within 24 hours of the opening battle? If so, she could have 3 talismans prepared vs Freaks. (+2 to saves vs their abilities, and +2 on skill bonuses vs them). But these decay after 24 hours.

In a happier world, Johnny might have rolled his eyes at the banter between Deacon and Sarah. If Gwenda had been alive and the duo had been Deacon and Sarah's ages right now, he could absolutely see her teasing him like this. This wasn't a happier world. Many years of tolerating the foibles of senior officers meant that his only overt reaction was a faint scowl, and when he spoke it was with a neutral tone. "Yeah, one more," Johnny said. "How long are you expectin' this procedure of yours to take? 'Cos while I'm more than happy to rig up all kinds of 'bottled nastiness' I can't exactly guarantee that it'll be stable for hours on end." Once he had an answer to that question, he'd follow River out and start his own preparations. In his case, that meant a quick visit to the armoury to requisition one of the tasers that Boozer had mentioned, complete with a promise to do his best to return it fully functional. It was an entirely genuine promise - he wasn't going to deliberately smash the thing - but Boozer probably knew full well that the taser most likely would not be returning in the form it had left. After a flying visit the labs themselves to refresh himself on the exact layout, he headed back upstairs to...somewhat make a show of collecting the makings of some rudimentary barricades. Giving orders was all very well, but guilt-tripping people into following them tended to make them more effective. So for most of the rest of the day, there was a steady procession of material - and people - going up and down into and out of the lab areas under Johnny's direction. Johnny's goal wasn't to actually stop anything from crossing certain paths. With the time and resources they had available, that wasn't practical. Instead, his goal was simply to ideally interfere with any potential escape attempt by the Bleacher, or at minimum direct it. Even Freaks understood the concept of the path of least resistance - and luckily, they weren't smart enough to think through whether there was a reason such a path had been left open for them. Thus, one of the two entrances to the operating theatre was virtually blocked off by a complex mass of...pretty much whatever junk Johnny could find that wouldn't actually risk cutting the legs and feet of anyone walking over it (tempted as he was), with a more proper barricade behind it. The other one was somewhat less hampered, with a very obvious route that was clearly intended to be how the Bleacher would be brought in. (If anyone asked about what would happen if the Bleacher used that route to get out, Johnny's response was nothing more than a little smirk.) Further back, Johnny also constructed what was clearly going to be his post for the duration of the experiment, affixing a rudimentary mounting point to an abandoned bike axle so he could brace his rifle stably while still having a full three hundred and sixty degrees of rotation if needed. By the time he was done, much to his frustration, he was already beginning to feel tired. Gone were the days he could've done this kind of thing for days on end. Out of sheer stubbornness, though, he refused to actually turn in for the night until he'd disassembled the taser he'd requisitioned and got a good understanding of how the thing worked - and, indeed, he woke up more than once in the night to add a few notes on potential adaptations to the design. He was up again bright and early next morning, this time in the workshops, where he could be found (after a brief consultation with Mabel) carefully knotting together steel cable and copper wire and welding on a multitude of makeshift darts. The taser itself had been totally disassembled, with its case and firing system cast aside and replaced with an egg timer and some hastily-soldered switches. Johnny trusted his admittedly-self-taught electronics skills, but he nonetheless took care to wear gloves while he carefully folded up the makeshift steel net into a form that was hopefully aerodynamic enough for throwing. His final stop on his round of preparations was the chemistry lab, where he found the strongest acid he could and poured it into two of the thinnest vials he could find - carefully wrapping them up in innumerable layers of bubble wrap and padding until they would be needed later - before turning his attention to making something that would (at least at first) have looked at home in a cocktail bar: two beakers, one inside the other, each carefully made watertight by liberal application of duct tape. Left to their own devices they were perfectly stable, but if they were thrown with enough force and the two liquids met, the results could be quite dramatic. By half-eight the morning of the experiment, Johnny was standing by his makeshift gun emplacement, his taser-net sitting on a convenient bit of machinery besides him, his self-igniting molotovs strapped to his Kevlar vest - and one of the two vials of acid safely tucked away where no-one would accidentally nudge it while the Bleacher was brought in, ready to be armed as the last line of defence once the containment doors were sealed. As for where the other vial of acid had gone...anyone who went up to the barricaded-off corridor that led to the operating theatre would find themselves met with a helpful note that simply read 'Do Not Go Near Operating Theatre Door.' OOC Johnny will spend eight hours Dredging with Efficient Preparation to make a bunch of areas that last a couple of days. Each of these can be up to 15 non-contiguous squares, though for the most part he isn't placing all fifteen. - One area of Difficult Terrain in the northeast corridor, next to the containment door into the operating theatre. - One area of Elevated Terrain in the northeast corridor, behind the Difficult Terrain. - One area of Difficult Terrain in the room to the south of the operating theatre, next to the containment door. (He'll leave a one-square gap so people can get in and out with the Bleacher.) - One area of Elevated Terrain in the southwest of that room. - One area of Entrenched Terrain, also in the southwest of that room. - One area of Difficult Terrain in front of the doors to the southern cells. (As with the operating theatre, he'll leave a one-square gap in front of the Bleacher's cell.) - Two areas of Difficult Terrain (because it's too large an area to be covered by just one) in front of the doors to the eastern cells. As a standard action, he also puts his little makeshift gun emplacement under the effect of his Terrain Advantage pathing for the next 24 hours. Once that's done, he goes to sleep for eight hours so he can change his moldable talents when he wakes up the next morning. He picks the Skillful Training rogue talent (choosing Chemical Armaments as the talent it grants) and the Taser combat talent. As part of his eight-hour rest he also reapplies his Pack Straps maintenance. 16/20 hours used. Once awake, he spends fifteen minutes building a Taser (I'm not actually taking a taser from the armoury, mechanically he can build this out of sticks and leaves, but that makes no sense lol) and then spends fourty-five minutes generating his maximum 7 charges, investing them all into the Taser. 17/20 hours used. He then spends another fifteen minutes building three Improved Alchemist Fires, leaving the DC at 20 and taking 10 for 24 (at minimum, probably plus a few other bonuses that don't matter.) Now things get a little squirrely depending on the exact timings of stuff. First, he'll use Craft (Chemistry) untrained, or some other appropriate skill since Alchemy doesn't really fit the modern day, to use Chemical Armaments to craft two Trinkets that replicate the effect of (because it's the highest-damage alchemical weapon he can make that isn't dependent on random-length fuses.) This takes him one minute per Trinket, and including the +2 from the Exceptional workshops here, +2 for his Favourite Tools bonus (assuming the workshops count as an artisan's kit), and +2 for Applied Consistency, he takes 10 for 31 vs DC25 (assuming highly-concentrated acid counts as 'particularly complex' to craft, otherwise it's DC20), meaning that they each last two hours. Then he does the same thing with Craft (er...Nets, I guess) to make a Net. He has to chat with Mabel for this, because he's not proficient with nets and she is. Unless there's actually a net in the armoury, in which case he could look at it to know how to make another one if he really wanted to but practically speaking he doesn't need to build one to begin with if there's one there. As above, this takes one minute, but exotic weapons are DC20 to craft as per the Unchained crafting rules we're using and I can't imagine it's super complex to make, so it lasts for just under three hours instead. He'll attach the Taser to it. Lastly, he'll build a Tripwire Snare Trap in front of the northeast door to the operating theatre, with one of his Mineral Acids attached. Taking ten with all the above bonuses once again gives him a result of 30 vs DC5, meaning that the trap lasts four hours (of course the acid will denature before the trap expires, but that won't destroy the trap itself). Once the Bleacher is locked in and the containment doors closed, he'll do the same thing in front of the south door to the operating theatre (the trap only occupies two squares, so it doesn't cover the whole area, but that should be fine.)

River tilts her head back and stares at the ceiling for a moment, pondering. "No, I think that's it for me. For now at least. I think I'll excuse myself if you don't mind, there's some stuff I'd like to put together in preparation if we're going to be doing this." She stands and heads out, tossing the finished apple core in the trash on her way out. Honestly, it sounded like enough reasonable preparations had been made to cover things already, but still. Freaks were wacky at the best of times, and they were looking to do wacky things with them here, so there's no such thing as overkill. She first checks in on those from the recent raiding party, verifying all those who had been injured were properly recovering, and those who hadn't were letting them recover rather than pulling them into whatever crazy celebration might be planned this time. Satisfied that things were going well, she returned to her office, put her headphones on, and listened to some music while going over notes. With everything that was going on, she needed some time to herself to chill. Relax. Zone out. Whatever you want to call it. And the ingredients she was looking to gather had a rather limited period of use once picked, it'd be best not wait before getting to them. With the afternoon leading on towards evening, she eventually headed outside, past the walls. While some of the herbs she used were cultivated, others needed to be harvest out in the woods. While she begrudgingly agreed that it wasn't exactly the safest to do so as close to night as she chose to, River always liked those liminal times of dusk and dawn, as things start blending together. She's really like to bring her music out with her, but even she knew that was a step too far. Regardless of how many flashbangs she kept on herself, she needed to be as alert as she could be when outside on her own. But eventually it got dark enough that the risk of stray freakers being out and about was too high for her to continue, and she retreated back to the base. Not that that her work was done. She had to process her materials, throw together concoctions, tinctures, explosives, salves, and all sorts of goodies that might be of use. Eventually satisfied with her collection, she laid herself to rest. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day after all, and the best way to greet such a day is with a good night's sleep. River's preparations River is going to use herbalism sphere to gather 6 batches of herbs, containing 102 herbs in total. These in turn will be crafted into 6 inkeye elixirs with bland herb twists, 6 inkeye elixirs with bland+spicy+cool twists, 6 fortifying mixtures, 6 fortifying mixtures with bland+sweet twists, 5 serums of ireful ardor with bland+spicy twists, and 10 sweet herbs in their base form. For alchemy formulae she'll be crafting 1x cherry bomb (2 of each damage type), 3x acid flask, 2x improved fuse grenade, 2x improved fuse grenade+revitalizing compounds, 1x tanglefoot bag, 1x instant foam, 1x panacea, 1xsalve+revitalizing compounds. The revitalizing compounds will be done my expending a sweet herb rather than healer's kit usage, leaving her with 7 of those. Crafting is done by taking 10 in all cases.

Making notes for potential standard herbalism loadout (partially for self reference): Herbs per day: 102. This takes 6 hours of gathering. Concoctions: Fortifying mixture: 2 dry herbs, +any for twists (bland, dry, spicy, sweet seem the most relevant) serum of ireful ardor: 2 spicy. Twists: 1 bland, 1 spicy. inkeye elixir: 1 herb. twists: bland, spicy, cool Can make 8 per hour of concocting (2 per 15 minutes). Can concoct and gather simultaneously (or do one of them while making alchemy formulae) due to rapid preparation from origin. Ideally, 12 fortifying, 12 inkeye, some serums. 6 inkeye with bland, 6 inkeye with blank+spicy+cool, 6 fortifying, 6 fortifying with bland+sweet, 5 serum with bland+spicy. 10 sweet in left in herb form for efficient healer usage.

Harkening back to the idea of having two NPC camp guards, here is a 15 point buy build out of two grunts who Mabel could command. They are built to defend an encampment. They don't have the right skill set to hit the road or act like drifters. Some choiced reflect ways they could be effect in close quarters encounters with the intent to subdue freakers, but they aren't overspecialized in that direction. They are "mini Mabels" in that they do a few of the things she does, but lacking oaths, Origin feats, gestalt levels and being 1 level lower than PCs, in net they are far, far less effective than our 5 PCs. Conscript/4 Str 12 Dex 18 [15+2(human)+1(level). Cost 7] Con 14 [cost 5 Int 8 Wis 14 [cost 5] Cha 8 Martial Tradition: Combat Gunner Guns aren’t the most friendly of weapons, making the efforts of combat gunners all the more impressive. Willing to duck and weave into melee combat as well as fire from a distance, these masters of close and long range combat lack any fear. Bonus Talents: Equipment: Firearm Proficiency. (Redundant, traded for Mechanical Savant) Equipment: Gun Kata Open Hand sphere: Sweep. Soft Style drawback. Greater trip bonus feat (+2 to trip CMB and CMD.) Variable: Barrage Sphere: Point blank shot. Barrage. Human bonus feat: Sniper Sphere: Precise Shot, Deadly Shot. Feat level 1. Focusing Reload. Feat level 3. Combat Reflexes (Conscript 1) Bonus feat (forfeited for specialization) (Conscript 1) bonus talent. Close combat specialist. (Conscript 1) combat specializations: Blackpowder training (2 pts) (Conscript 1) combat training (Wisdom practitioner modifier). (Conscript 2) bonus feat: Hindering Projectiles (snipe) (Conscript 3) bonus martial talent: Vigilant Sharpshooter. (Conscript 4) bonus feat: Suppressing Fire (blitz) (Expert 1) Duelist: Bloodied strike (2 bleed damage). Bloody Slasher Drawback. Long Cuts bonus feat (Heal DC 20 or 5 hp healing to stop bleeding.) (Expert 2) … And Stay Down (falling prone in threatened zone prokes AoO) (Expert 3) Leg Cutter (bleed) (Expert 4) Equipment Sphere: Huntsman Training - various weapon proficiencies plus Far Shot. Design and strategy consideration: These guys are not drifters, they are not nearly so mobile. They are solid camp guards, able to fight well, but lack the independence of a drifter. They are reliant on others for leadership, gear, and providing necessities of life. Causing bleed damage to freakers can be efficient, as they may be too dumb or incapable of treating wounds. This may not work for stronger freakers but it will increase the death rate of average swamers and such, especially in hit-and run circumstances. (NPCs ought to be running, sometimes!) With Gun Kata, these guys can fight in melee, and with gunpowder training, get free trip attacks. With Sweep they can trip as move attacks. With … And Stay Down, they can more effective gang up on fallen freakers - whether tripped by themselves or their allies With Far Shot + Deadly Aim + Hindering Project, they can aid at long range. This mix could be useful to help a team of PCs wear down a much stronger opponent that these guys dare not close with. Likewise, Suppressing Fire can help pin down a bad guy so a PCs have a better chance vs. t. Conscript Specializations: Blackpowder Training (Ex) (2 points) [Conq. HB] At 1st level, the conscript gains the Firearm Proficiency Equipment sphere talent as a bonus talent. At 3rd level, the conscript gains the gunslinger’s grit class feature, using his practitioner modifier in place of Wisdom for his grit pool and to determine the effects of deeds. If the conscript would gain another grit, panache, or other similar pool from other conscript specializations, they stack. The conscript gains the following gunslinger deeds: gunslinger initiative, quick clear, and utility shot. In addition, the conscript may spend 1 grit point as a free action whenever he damages an opponent with a melee attack action using his firearm, such as with the Gun Kata or Archery Bash talents. If he does, the conscript can make a trip combat maneuver against that opponent as a free action. Weapons: Taser Assault Rifle: +1 balanced (MW) Assault Rifle Kevlar combat vest: +1 anti-balistic equivalent of chain shirt Key combat stats. AC 10+4(armor)+4(Dex) = 18, 14 ff, 14 touch, 18 vs firearms. HP 11*4 = 44 Assault Rifle Attack: +4(BAB)+4(Dex)+1(balanced) = +9 for 1d10+2(mech savant)+2(bleed) Equipment: Several clips of regular ammo 1 clip of keen ammo 1 clip of beanbag ammo Smoke grenade Emergency flare Helmet mounted flashlight Janus "Stoney" Vargan Personality: Janus Vargan, often called "Stoney" by his fellow guards, is the embodiment of calm under pressure. In the chaos of the post-apocalyptic world, Janus remains unflinchingly focused, never letting the horrors around him shake his resolve. He is a man of few words, preferring actions over speech, but when he does speak, it's with a calm authority that commands respect. Janus is fiercely loyal to the camp and those who lead it, recognizing the importance of structure and discipline in their fight for survival. His methodical approach to combat reflects his philosophy: slow, deliberate, and unyielding. His chain-of-command is aware that he is susceptible to misuse of chems, that's his principle vice, so Mabel and Boozer keep an eye out that Stoney not slip into trouble and consequently become unfit for duty. Description: Janus is a tall, lean man in his mid-thirties with a sharp, weathered face that shows the scars of countless battles. His dark hair is cropped short, and his gray eyes are always alert, scanning the horizon for any sign of danger. He wears a modified Kevlar combat vest over a faded tactical shirt, with an assault rifle always slung across his chest. His movements are precise and controlled, reflecting his years of experience. A taser is holstered at his side, ready to subdue any threats that get too close. His helmet, fitted with a mounted flashlight, is always securely in place, completing the image of a soldier ready for anything. Rina Salazar Personality: Rina Salazar is a quiet, introspective type, severely traumatized by the horrors of recent years. She speaks only when necessary, and in a voice that shakes and quavers. She is deeply observant, often noticing details others miss, and this keen awareness makes her an invaluable asset to the camp's defense. While she is known for her quick reflexes and deadly accuracy, Rina is = reserved and cautious in her approach. She values precision and timing over raw speed, preferring to wait for the perfect moment to strike. She harbors a deep-seated fear of failure, driving her to constantly refine her skills, and to fuss over every step of preparation. Rina is fiercely protective of those she considers her responsibility, often putting their safety above her own. Description: Rina is a petite, wiry woman in her late twenties with a serious demeanor that matches her methodical approach to combat. Her once jet-black hair is streaked with silver from the stress and battles of the apocalypse. Her eyes, anxious and darting, seem to always be assessing her surroundings. Rina's Kevlar vest is plain and functional, devoid of any embellishments, reflecting her no-nonsense attitude. Her assault rifle is her constant companion, and she carries as if it were a security blanket. In a state of constant anxiety, she is always prepared for whatever threat might come their way.

Thanks for posting the info on Tasers. Would you mind copying it to either the firearms page of the equipment page for future findability? I think that beanbag rounds on regular firearms keep some subdual advantages over tasers because of this clause: (cannot add bonus damage from any source); -- for PCs at least that have a lot of bonuses, or do sneak attacks or something. Still the Stun effect is potent, and just what you want to subdue a bad guy. So I will definitely have our NPC guards plan to make use of the tasers. Also because of the DC boost on stagger there is a bit of synergy if multiple people try to pile on and taser the same target.

Questions from the IC thread How, in game mechanics, do Tasers work? If they do nonlethal damage, is that any different in effect than nonlethal Do they count as firearms, for the benefit of abilities that work with firearms? Is there anything else we might get to know about what is in the armory? This is why it's important to always read the Spoilers at the end of my IC posts. I put important info in them in nearly every post, including the answers to all of the above questions (other than the last one, which I'll answer here). The armory contains...well...Guns...Lots of Guns. There are at least a couple, or in some cases, more, examples of every one of the non-Exotic weapons in the Firearms thread stored there. The collection is somewhat eclectic, since it's been gathered by lots of Drifters over the last several months, as well as an influx from the DCM. There's also tons (literally) of ammo, in pretty much every calibre you can imagine. There are also half a dozen spare M2's, a dozen RPG launchers (along with a couple crates of ammo for them), and even a handful of SAW's Now, before you start drooling and/or planning a shopping trip, all those weapons are specifically tasked for Cloverdale Security (ie keeping all your asses alive in case the Freaks get...well...Freaky), and are only meant to be used for Cloverdale official use. Boozer is willing to allow people to replenish personal stocks of ammo to a limited extent, so long as they dont get greedy. But everything in the armory is logged on the computer and has to be officially requisitioned. Boozer actually has a staff of a couple actual Supply NCO's from the DCM to help him keep track of all that, and to do physical checks periodically. All the PC's have high enough clearance that they either know about what's in the armory, or could find out if they wanted to. And, given who they are, Boozer is willing to give them a bit more leeway in what they draw from the armory, but none of the PC's have unlimited access...protecting Cloverdale comes before personal shopping sprees. But you can assume that the majority of your current loadout of personal weapons and ammo came from the armory, as did at least some of your other equipment. That's part of why, from a meta standpoint, I gave everyone more starting cash than you would normally get at your level. To reflect your access to more resources because of your position at Cloverdale. Hope that helps. :)

Sarah grinned at Mabel, nodding her head along to the woman's impromptu rap. Deacon and Boozer, on the other hand, shared a look and rolled their eyes, though neither man actually commented. The tiny blonde just shook her head at the two larger men and returned her attention to the wild haired woman at the other end of the table. A moment later, however, as Mabel asked her barrage of questions, a small frown creased Sarah's features. Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on the table and turned her full attention to the older woman. "Ok Mabel, I'm going to answer your second set of questions first, because I dont want there to be any misunderstandings about this. We're not going to be pumping any kind of tailored, 'only takes out the Freaks' special cocktail...this isn't a TV show or video game." At her side, Deacon suddenly coughed, though it was hard to tell if he had a genuine tickle in is throat, or there was some other reason. Boozer, for his part, gave everyone a bland look, and Sarah just ignore them as she continued. "Halothane, which is the chemical we're using, is an anesthetic gas that's normally used in surgeries. Under the supervision of a doctor, usually with at least one nurse there specifically to assist them. And even under the strictest, most controlled conditions possible, fatalities still happened on the operating table from the Halothane." She glanced downward, as though her gaze could penetrate through the steel, drywall, and concrete between herself and the biolab, before flicking her gaze back up. "What we needed was the specific dosage that was capable of taking down a Freak, in a specific amount of space, under as controlled a set of conditions as we could manage. And even then, when I consulted with James when all this was still in the planning stages, his best guess is that it'll still probably kill at least a quarter of the Freaks if we're forced to use it on them." She shrugged, a bit fatalistically. "On the other hand, it's a chance to control them that doesn't automatically lead to them dying. Because the first idea we floated was remarkably similar to Johnny's...superglue, C4, and a remote detonator, attached to the base of their skulls." Her gaze hardened, and it was suddenly clear to everyone there that, despite her demeanor, size, and general tendency towards softheartedness, Sarah Whitaker-St John was, at her core, just as ruthless a survivor as anyone at the table. "Fortunately," she said quietly, giving Boozer a grateful look, "this lummox was able to pull enough strings to give us a chance to keep them alive, even if things get a bit out of hand." Taking a sip of her coffee, Sarah collected herself, and, after a quick peck on the cheek from Deacon, she smiled sunnily and resumed her conversation. "As to the rest of your questions...each individual cell has controls to release the gas. You just need to press your palm to the reader and say "Nighty Night". All of you have sufficient security level in the Cloverdale system to do that. There are also two remote sets of controls. One will be at Rivers console down in the lab, and there's a set in the upstairs lab, where Deacon, Boozer, and I will be during the experiment." Boozer spoke up at that point. "And I've got people at both, right now, who are monitoring our 'guests'. They've been there every since I got the system online, and there'll be someone there 24/7 so long as we've got them onsite...unless Sarah's whatsis injection thingy works, and they all become shiny happy Freaks and stay that way for a reasonable amount of time." He clicked his prosthetic then, a sharp, hard sound. "And, like Sarah said, just so there's no confusion, the master console upstairs has a second override, which triples the dose...just in case things get totally out of hand, and we need a more permanent solution." Sarah nodded, pointing at Boozer. "That. Exactly that. We're taking every precaution, and even assuming everything works out exactly as I hope, we're not going to be just letting former Freaks run around unsupervised. Not until we're sure that any changes are permanent." Sarah once more turned her attention directly to Mabel. "As for the rest...hon, we all have 'a little Freak' in us. Based on everything I've learned since I got access to the Cloverdale mainframe awhile back, Hooligan had pretty much a 100% infection rate. The only reason we're talking to one another, and not trying to gnaw one another's faces off, is because we had a good enough immune system to fight it off." She sat back, suddenly looking a tired, but continued anyway. "As for if the Halothane gets out of the cells, that depends. If it's at full concentration in a cell, and the door opens, if you're within fifteen or twenty feet, you'll probably go down like a ton of bricks. Freakers are tougher than we are, and James speculated that they would need a stronger dose. That means that it'll not only knock one of us out cold, there's a better than even chance that it'll knock us out so thoroughly, we wont get back up...ever." She shrugged. "On the other hand, so long as the air circulation system is still working during this hypothetical situation, there's every possibility, assuming your lungs dont completely stop, that you'll be able to clear the gas from your system fairly quickly. One of the reasons Halothane was so popular was that people tended to wake up quickly once they were off it, and it had very few side effects." Boozer chuckled, though this time there was no humour in the sound. "Of course, that assumes you haven't already become a Freak snack, assuming they were the one that opened the door and let the gas out." Sarah once again pointed at Boozer, nodding. "Though, to be fair, there's honestly very little chance of that happening. According to the records, they had Silverback gorillas in those cells during their trials. The only thing down there stronger than a pissed off male Silverback is...maybe...that Breaker that we just brought in. And not only has his cell has been specially reinforced, we're not planning to untie him, period, until and unless the experiment is successful." Taking another sip of her coffee, Sarah smiled warmly at Mabel. "You're not the only one who...'partook' of those NERO stims. Boozer and I have both had a few, and I know this idiot," she smiled fondly at Deacon, even as she lightly smacked him on the shoulder, which caused him to grin. "has taken far more than 'a few'. And I can say with complete candor that he's still all too human...in all the ways that count." She grinned, winking exaggeratedly at her husband, and, shockingly, Deacon actually blushed. Boozer roared with laughter, smacking both his hand and prosthetic on the table. "Good one Chica! Keep this Sabueso on his leash and show him who really wears the pants in your family." Deacon, for his part, flipped the bald headed biker off, then scowled...mostly playfully, at Sarah. She, for her part, grinned back, before turning her attention back to the room. "I hope that helps answer your questions, Mabel. Anyone else?" ************* OOC Info Ok, unless there are any more questions, we can move ahead with everyone taking some crafting/prep time and getting ready for the big experiment the next day. As before, once the meeting breaks down, as Sarah said, your time is your own. Those that wish to may use the time to Craft, if they so desire. We'll be using the , for those that have the appropriate feats, talents, and skills, and for anything not covered in the Tech Sphere, we'll use the . For reference, it's still early morning, about 11AM, during the meeting, so, depending on when you get done, you'll all have about 20ish hours to do whatever. For those that wish to Craft, Cloverdale has just about every type of crafting equipment/stations you could ask for, including fully functional machine shops, a motorcycle garage (including an onsite mechanic capable of doing up to Level II Upgrades...I've added a section on Crafting Upgrades to your Drifter Bikes in the Custom Equipment thread) and all are considered to be Grand Master quality. All Crafting stations at Cloverdale are considered to be +2 Exceptional (adding +2 to any Crafting check made when using them). However, because of the high quality of the facilities, Crafters can forego the +2 Exceptional Bonus, and instead treat it as though they have the Swift Quality. However, making use of this Quality will add +5 to the DC of any Crafting check made while taking advantage of this Quality. Additionally, all those with the Incredible Metabolism Oath Boon may Craft for an additional 4 hours per day (for a total of 12 hours of Crafting time). This assumes they have adequate time to rest and deal with any other activities they plan to do during the day. If you have any questions/comments/concerns about Crafting, please ask them in the Q&A thread, so that we have an easily searchable record of such discussions, in case it comes up in future. Thanks!! 😁 Mechanics Info Boozer has a dozen tasers that he's managed to get into working order. Each comes loaded with one cartridge, and has a holster that holds two spares (which are already loaded into the holster. He also has a couple boxes of spare cartridges, about 40 additional cartridges, and about 100 charge packs in total. For the purposes of self defense during the test, he's willing to allow the PC's to use the whole batch, if they so desire, though with the caveat that once they're gone, they're gone, until or unless they can scrounge more. He also has 5 Stun Guns (ie hand held, melee range tasers) that use the same charge packs as the tasers. Attacking a target with a Stun Gun counts as a Melee Touch attack that does no physical damage. In all other ways, they are mechanically identical to the Tasers listed below. ************* Tasers: Simple, pistol grip stun guns. Though short ranged, these weapons pack quite a punch. These weapons fire a pair of metal darts that trail conductive wire that sends a shock of 50,000 volts into the target. BOTH probes must be in direct/extremely close physical contact with the target to work. On a DICE ROLL of 1-3, the prongs fail to make contact, or only one prong hits. This happens irrespective of any to hit bonuses. This increases by +1 per range increment (ie 1-4 at 20 feet and 1-5 at 30 feet). If the target is wearing body armour or very heavy clothing, this can negate the prongs ability to conduct the electrical attack. In these cases, only a called shot to an uncovered body part, or a critical hit will successfully contact. Targets that are immune to Nonlethal damage are immune to all effects of the Taser. For Proficiency purposes, handheld Tasers count as Modern Firearms: Simple Hands: 1H Ammo: Cartridge & Battery The Cartridge has two sets of prongs that can be fired separately. The Battery has a total of 8 charges. One charge is used automatically when either of the two sets of prongs in the the Cartridge is fired. Reloading the Cartridge and Battery each count as separate reloading actions. Damage: 2d6 Nonlethal (cannot add bonus damage from any source); FORT save or Staggered for 1d4 rds Critical: N/A (see Special) Type: N/A Range: 10 (max 30') / Melee ROF: SS Capacity: 2 shots; 8 Charges (total) Each shot automatically uses one Charge. User may continue to shock target every round @ Swift Action, doing damage as normal, and requiring a new FORT save. Subsequent failed FORT saves after first failure add 1d2+2 rds to Staggered condition. Weight: 2 lbs Special: On any DICE ROLL (ie raw roll, not including bonuses) of 15-20 (target must still be hit, of course), the target must make a FORT save, or be Stunned for 1 round. If target already Staggered, increase DC by +5. If target is already Stunned from Taser effect, increase Stun duration by 1d2 rds on a failed save. For each consecutive failed Stun save, increase the DC of the Stun save by +5.

Mabel discussing tactics vs lab rats Mabel nodded as Sarah expressed her plan in more detail. It seems sensible to her. So she sang it back, in an impromptu rap, illustrated with a bit of spontaneous pantomime, and vocally boom-boxing the percussion. “Small cells, controlled air, we be takin' real care, From Lost Lake to Wizard, we're always prepared. Now the Freaks get the right dose, it's humane, With a plan and a metal hand, we're changin' the game." Mabel’s allies were used to these kinds of antics from her. If anything, she managed to draw laughs, and inspired ideas in others, by force of sheer charisma. "Yeah, I’ve got questions." "Show us the mechanism, so each of us knows how to trigger it for each room. And is there a master control? As if one of them gets out and turns out to be smart and mean, is there a master red-button that lets us dose the whole lot of them with this Wiz-o-thane stuff you made?" "Next, what does Wiz-o-thane gas do to normal folks? What if a door is open and that stuff gets out?" She struggled for words, not being very scientific herself. "And what might it do to folks kind of in-between Freakers and Normals? Like Aspergers and autism – a spectrum, that’s the word. If someone was part-way on the spectrum between – what might your gas do to them?" “Cause … you know some of us … we picked up a few shots of NERO meds at their checkpoints and bases here an’ there, and used ‘em. Red-pill blue-pill shit, down the rabbit hole, you know? And maybe we contracted a whiff of mutated Hooligan. I can say for sure that I can heal a heck of a lot faster than I used to be able to.” She looked disturbed, but continued. “Maybe some of us are already, I don’t know … 10% on the path toward being smart Freaks ourselves.” She fell silent for a while, as she listened to the others hash out their sides of the discussion. From time to time she chimed in with a comical rap, in her intuitive way, nudging things along. Later, as suggested, Mabel visited the armory. The clutter of mismatched and jury rigged weapons looted from hither and yon was a bit of a zoo compared to military norms, but she was used to this rag-tag new normal. She took a quick inventory of the stock, and spent some careful time in particular looking at the tasers. She wanted to have clear in her mind their range, precision and handling characteristics. She spent some time reflecting on the relative merits of tasers vs. beanbag shots in subduing opponents. After the time in front of the team, where she as an extreme extrovert was always on point to encourage, cajole, and amuse, this time alone with the equipment was when she wound down. The stresses of the day lay upon her like a heavy weight. The death of the drifter at the claws and teeth of the swarm kept replaying in front of her mind's eye. As she worked, she softly whistled that old tune by Tears for Fears. , not even recognizing what it was until a few bars in. Then to herself, she muttered. "The Only Winning Move Is Not To Play. Back in 1983. War Games. Dammit. NERO eggheads, why didn’t you pay attention to what a thousand different stupid old sci fi movies and books taught? You shouldn’t have played your war-games with DNA toys.” She blinked away tears, and spent some time wiping her face and recomposing herself before leaving the armory. Show this How, in game mechanics, do Tasers work? If they do nonlethal damage, is that any different in effect than nonlethal Do they count as firearms, for the benefit of abilities that work with firearms? Is there anything else we might get to know about what is in the armory?

She wasn't but no worries. Her grand total of Guardian sphere was going to be the sphere with a disadvantage (so no damage delay pool), the swift talent, and a single zone talent. The bumps she was granting to the team were from the Shield sphere, which she's heavily invested in. I'll remove the Guardian stuff and dump her last two talents into something else instead. I was trying to make her a little more of a team player while specifically not stepping on any toes. *shrug* Edit: Done. Just dumped them into the Brute sphere instead; muscular surge and giant. Intentionally avoiding improving her combat abilities which I nerfed down already for balance reasons. Now she can push or drag 4 tons though or lift a sedan above her head and carry it around, lol. :D

Note that Mabel is already a Sentinel with the Guardian package, patrol and zone talents, etc. She is based on use of firearms, though, not melee. She will be giving allies concealment-like miss chances (Iron Wall), and she will be delivering Punishing Rebukes (attacks of opportunity triggered by attacks on allies in her zone.) So maybe steer away from doing the exact same thing?

So... the Guardian: Patrol Package extends threat range (given a BAB4+) but not actual reach (i.e. 5') to 15'. With Swift Patrol it can be activated as a standard action. Now, with the Shield sphere Cover Ally and Smashing Counter along with Extensive Defense and Interposing Shield it gets a little more complex I think. Wanted to confirm this. Everyone within 15' of Diamond (her threat range) would gain an additional +3 shield bonus added to their AC as well as DR 3 / -- which stacks with other DR. On top of that, any time an ally was missed by an attack Diamond would get a free slam (unarmed strike due to a combination of other talents) against the attacker with no limit per round on the number of these retaliatory strikes (to any attacker within actual reach). Additionally, as usual, if an AoO was triggered within that 15' then she could also use the Guardian Patrol movement in combination with the aforementioned possibilities up to her AoO limit of 7 per round and limited to no more than her standard movement rate for a given round. Edit: And along those lines, what zone talent would suit party support the best do you think?

Sarah, Deacon, and Boozer sat quietly while the others expressed their opinions and ideas. The petite blonde scientist and survivor grimaced at a couple of the more bloodthirsty suggestions, though both Deacon and Boozer grinned eagerly, with the one armed security Drifter even barking a chuckle at Johnny's glue and a bomb plan. Once everyone had had a chance to have their say, Sarah, after a quick look at her husband and their friend, leaned forward, elbows on the table and fingers steepled. "Ok, we're hearing some good ideas, and I appreciate all your input. We've," she jerked her head in Deacon and Boozer's direction, "been thinking about some of the containment issues, and how we want to handle the...ehh...specimens." She grinned suddenly, an impish smile just quirking the corner of her lips. "And here's where I'm...we're at. One of my professors used to talk about 'The Hierarchy of Desires'. In any situation, there are things you Need, you Want, and you would Like to have, in descending order of importance." Lowering one hand to the table, she held up a single finger on the other. "In our case, what we Need, the absolute most important thing, is for all of you to be safe. Nothing is higher priority than that, even the survival of all our captive Freaks. Or their happiness, assuming this works, with waking up restrained. These are, currently, bloodthirsty monstrosities. If they wake up from the treatment their old selves, they'll simply have to accept that they're restrained for not only our good, but their own." She nodded in Mabel's direction, having chosen to ignore the 'Princess' comment, since Mabel used it enough that it no longer really got under Sarah's skin...at least, not much. "And if they dont...well...that's what tasers and restraints are for." A dark look passed across her features, the hardened survivor coming to the fore, and momentarily replacing the once idealistic scientist. The scar that ran across the bridge of her nose stood out, white against her light tan, and a grim smile flickered across her lips. At her side, Deacon and Boozer, their own looks even darker than Sarah's, simply nodded. A moment later, after her eyes once more took on their usual, placid state, a second finger joined the first. "What I Want, is for the captive Freaks to survive, because what I DONT want, is to have to send more people out into the meat grinder to capture more, and lose another Drifter, like we lost Gary today to that damned Horde." Lines of pain crossed her forehead, and her eyes darkened for just a moment, before she visibly steeled herself and pushed through the emotions that threatened to rise up. Raising a final finger, she continued. "And what I'd Like, is, assuming all of the above happens successfully, is for this experiment of ours to finally bear some damn fruit!" With a sharp crack, she slammed her open hand down on the table, frustration writ clear in every line of her body. With a look that was a mixture of love, and shared frustration, Deacon reached over, cupping Sarah's cheek in his hand. She leaned into his touch, eyes that had just been blazing with anger, softened, then closed as she leaned into her husband's touch. While the couple's attention was taken up with one another, Boozer took control of the meeting. "Johnny, while I LOVE your last idea," he grinned, "I suppose we'll probably need to go with something a little less lethal. Flashbangs and zappy nets are fantastic ideas...maybe we can even look at increasing our own stores for the guards when we have some free time." He grinned lopsidedly. "When we're done here, we'll go raid the supply room and see what we can find for you to make mayhem with." He waved with his prosthetic, claw clicking with anticipation. "Same goes for the rest of you. Mabel, hit the armory. I think we have a few tasers that we've picked up from NERO sites. Granted, they're only so useful against Freaks, and wont do a damn thing to those pendejo Breakers, but something is better than nothing." He grinned, and his look was entirely bloodthirsty. "I also have a surprise for everyone, one that should make all of you happy, and our job just a bit easier." He looked over at Deacon and Sarah, who'd finally begun to pay attention to the world around them again. Catching the former's eye, he nodded. "You know how we been tryin to figure out a way to deal with the Freaks if they broke outta their cells...at least, a way that didn't involved Ma Dueces, dynamite or somethin else permanent?" Deacon looked at his friend, head cocked to the side, and a look of mild confusion on his face. Sarah, on the other hand, broke into a huge sunny smile. "Dont tell me," she chirped, "you finally figured out how to get the pacification system back up and running?!?" Boozer pouted. "Ah chica, way to go and spoil a dude's surprise." He couldn't hold his 'hurt' look, however, and broke into a grin of his own, one now matched by Deacon. Boozer turned back to the table at large. "See, we've got the Freaks in a bunch cells down in the biolab. The cells were originally designed for animals...monkeys and apes and stuff. And apparently the eggheads were worried they might get out, so they set up a whatsit...a 'pacification system'." he made air quotes. "Basically, all the cells can be filled with knockout gas with the touch of a button. Problem is..." he stopped, turning to Sarah, and gesturing for her to continue, his prosthetic once again clicking. Sarah grimaced. "Yeah...the problem is, getting the dose right, and keeping it controlled so it doesn't, you know, kill the thing you're gassing. Something like Halothane is great for knocking people out...in strict surgical conditions. And the dosage has to be strictly controlled. Too little, and it just makes you drowsy...too much...and you suddenly start needing to collect new samples." Once again, Boozer took over. "And what with Sarah bein all soft hearted and stuff" she stuck her tongue out at the bald biker, causing him to chuckle before he picked the conversation back up, "and wantin to keep her pet Freaks alive and breathin, we only got the system back up and running as a 'final solution' kinda thing. But!" Again, the large grin split his features. "I've been workin with Addison from Lost Lake, and we consulted with Weaver down at Wizard Island. He sent some folks down into the Ark and pulled every book on vet science, biology, chemistry, and anesthesiology they could find, and together we...well...the eggheads did...I just took a few guys out and raided a couple of the local zoos for books and chemicals. Anyway..." he clicked his metal 'hand' impatiently, "since each of the cells is a 'small, specific area, with controlled ventilation', and we now had proper samples," again, the finger quotes, "they figured out the right doses for each of the Freaks." His eyes swept the room. "The only one they weren't sure of was the Breaker, since we just got his big ass in today. But as far as I'm concerned, if he gets overly sassy, we should just gas him to hell and gone, and if it's too big a dose..." he shrugged, eyes flat, "so be it. Keep his ass alive is less of a concern than him hurtin anyone if he gets free." Beside him, Sarah and Deacon nodded, both with their own flat eyed stare. After a moment, Sarah cleared her throat and smiled, though it seemed a touch forced. Clapping her hands briskly, she nodded to the room. "Ok, I think that should cover everything. If you have any other questions, now's the time. Otherwise, we've all got work to do before tomorrow." She paused, and a softer, warmer smile slipped onto her features, this time just as clearly un-forced. "And just so there's no confusion...you all are important, not just to us, or Cloverdale, but in and of yourselves. You're survivors, in a world that literally eats people. No matter what happens, I want you all to keep safe tomorrow. That's priority ONE." Having said her piece, she sat back, reaching out to take Deacon's hand, and waited for any additional responses. ************* OOC Info Ok, unless there are any more questions, we can move ahead with everyone taking some crafting/prep time and getting ready for the big experiment the next day. As before, once the meeting breaks down, as Sarah said, your time is your own. Those that wish to may use the time to Craft, if they so desire. We'll be using the , for those that have the appropriate feats, talents, and skills, and for anything not covered in the Tech Sphere, we'll use the . For reference, it's still early morning, about 11AM, during the meeting, so, depending on when you get done, you'll all have about 20ish hours to do whatever. For those that wish to Craft, Cloverdale has just about every type of crafting equipment/stations you could ask for, including fully functional machine shops, a motorcycle garage (including an onsite mechanic capable of doing up to Level II Upgrades...I've added a section on Crafting Upgrades to your Drifter Bikes in the Custom Equipment thread) and all are considered to be Grand Master quality. All Crafting stations at Cloverdale are considered to be +2 Exceptional (adding +2 to any Crafting check made when using them). However, because of the high quality of the facilities, Crafters can forego the +2 Exceptional Bonus, and instead treat it as though they have the Swift Quality. However, making use of this Quality will add +5 to the DC of any Crafting check made while taking advantage of this Quality. Additionally, all those with the Incredible Metabolism Oath Boon may Craft for an additional 4 hours per day (for a total of 12 hours of Crafting time). This assumes they have adequate time to rest and deal with any other activities they plan to do during the day. If you have any questions/comments/concerns about Crafting, please ask them in the Q&A thread, so that we have an easily searchable record of such discussions, in case it comes up in future. Thanks!! 😁 Mechanics Info Boozer has a dozen tasers that he's managed to get into working order. Each comes loaded with one cartridge, and has a holster that holds two spares (which are already loaded into the holster. He also has a couple boxes of spare cartridges, about 40 additional cartridges, and about 100 charge packs in total. For the purposes of self defense during the test, he's willing to allow the PC's to use the whole batch, if they so desire, though with the caveat that once they're gone, they're gone, until or unless they can scrounge more. He also has 5 Stun Guns (ie hand held, melee range tasers) that use the same charge packs as the tasers. Attacking a target with a Stun Gun counts as a Melee Touch attack that does no physical damage. In all other ways, they are mechanically identical to the Tasers listed below. ************* Tasers: Simple, pistol grip stun guns. Though short ranged, these weapons pack quite a punch. These weapons fire a pair of metal darts that trail conductive wire that sends a shock of 50,000 volts into the target. BOTH probes must be in direct/extremely close physical contact with the target to work. On a DICE ROLL of 1-3, the prongs fail to make contact, or only one prong hits. This happens irrespective of any to hit bonuses. This increases by +1 per range increment (ie 1-4 at 20 feet and 1-5 at 30 feet). If the target is wearing body armour or very heavy clothing, this can negate the prongs ability to conduct the electrical attack. In these cases, only a called shot to an uncovered body part, or a critical hit will successfully contact. Targets that are immune to Nonlethal damage are immune to all effects of the Taser. For Proficiency purposes, handheld Tasers count as Modern Firearms: Simple Hands: 1H Ammo: Cartridge & Battery The Cartridge has two sets of prongs that can be fired separately. The Battery has a total of 8 charges. One charge is used automatically when either of the two sets of prongs in the the Cartridge is fired. Reloading the Cartridge and Battery each count as separate reloading actions. Damage: 2d6 Nonlethal (cannot add bonus damage from any source); FORT save or Staggered for 1d4 rds Critical: N/A (see Special) Type: N/A Range: 10 (max 30') / Melee ROF: SS Capacity: 2 shots; 8 Charges (total) Each shot automatically uses one Charge. User may continue to shock target every round @ Swift Action, doing damage as normal, and requiring a new FORT save. Subsequent failed FORT saves after first failure add 1d2+2 rds to Staggered condition. Weight: 2 lbs Special: On any DICE ROLL (ie raw roll, not including bonuses) of 15-20 (target must still be hit, of course), the target must make a FORT save, or be Stunned for 1 round. If target already Staggered, increase DC by +5. If target is already Stunned from Taser effect, increase Stun duration by 1d2 rds on a failed save. For each consecutive failed Stun save, increase the DC of the Stun save by +5.