Blood of Heroes - A 3rd Edition Mutants and Masterminds Campaign Setting
Earth, 2021. An alien race known as the Skree has ruled over the planet for the past 20 years, subjecting the local populace to the sadistic whims of their most brutal reign. True heroes have been all but eradicated during the Skree Invasion of 1999-2001. That or they have fallen prey to the Skree's corruptive influence and mind-altering technology. Those heroes that still survive, do so either in reclusive hiding or by battling one another in gladiator-like fashion as the Skree's amusement. Now after twenty years of servitude, a new breed of heroes are slowly starting to emerge. Fed up with the decadence that now surrounds them and fueled by their own personal desires, these young heroes have decided to try and make a stand for humanity, once and for all.
Does this new breed of heroes have what it takes to rise up against the Skree and take back their homeworld? Are they capable of breaking the shackles of oppression that bind them to a life of unwavering servitude? Time shall tell True Believers, to see whether or not these few elite individuals truly possess...the Blood of Heroes.
Ookami's plan is solid, but sadly would honestly work better on non-Minions. Still however, it proves effective enough!
Minions
Minions are minor characters subject to special rules in combat, and generally easier to defeat than normal characters. Villains often employ hordes of minions against heroes.
The following rules apply to minions:
• Minions cannot score critical hits against non-minions.
• Non-minions can make attack checks against minions as routine checks.
• If a minion fails a resistance check, the minion suffers the worst degree of the effect. So a minion failing a Damage resistance check, for example, is incapacitated, regardless of the degree of failure.
• Certain traits (like the Takedown advantage) are more effective against or specifically target minions.
Ookami's bestial appearance and sudden emergence through the doorway proves to be too much for the gang-member to handle after already witnessing the frightful ordeal of Raging Tiger having kicked the door down. By the time that the poor sod has been punched in his ribs by our hero and begun to lose consciousness, the acrid stench of urine quickly fills Ookami's nostrils.
[Ookami's Unarmed attack, DC 12, d20+14=30, Success!]
[Thug's Damage resist, DC 19, d20+3=6, 2nd Degree Failure, Incapacitated!]
Grapple attempt initiated and Successful!
Grasping the thug around his throat, Ookami leans in and whispers to the goon; his own ears perking up to react to the bubbling and flatulent sounds of what most assuredly are the signs of a spontaneous occurrence of explosive diarrhea.
The man then passes out and hangs limply within Ookami's grasp.
When Life Hands You Razorblades. You Make A Baseball Bat Covered In Razorblades!
"Clean up on aisle three," rasps Raging Tiger which is followed up a horrible gurgling noise that might be laughter. "Come on Ookami let's get into Tough Luck's apartment while the big guy has all of their attention." Tiger gets his bearings and then starts running toward Tough Luck's place.
Lorayne Thornhallow, Talan Botley, Raik Anar, Brother Lucian, Nazim al Ayser, David Luo, Radache of Pontyrel
OMG, I just realized that the new Cobalt has Takedown 2. This is going to get UGLY real quick!
Takedown
If you render a minion incapacitated with an attack, you get an immediate extra attack as a free action against another minion within range and adjacent to the previous target's location. The extra attack is with the same attack and bonus as the first. You can continue using this advantage until you miss or there are no more minions within range of your attack or your last target.
A second rank in this advantage allows you to attack nonadjacent minion targets, moving between attacks if necessary to do so. You cannot move more than your total speed in the round, regardless of the number of attacks you make. You stop attacking once you miss, run out of movement, or there are no more minions within range of your attack.
Having dealt with the two thugs hanging around outside Tough Luck's apartment, Ookami and Raging Tiger try to make their way to the fourth floor of the makeshift apartments. An 'Out of Order' sign hangs dangling upon the front of the building's elevator, forcing the two heroes to make for the stairs as fast they can.
Meanwhile, to the north and inside the crackhouse, Cobalt rages violently. The hulking blue behemoth tosses an unconscious thug into one group of villains and then proceeds to stomp and punch his way amidst the group's very center. When all is said and done, ten additional members of Sex, Money, Murder lie beaten and grappled into submission at the hero's feet. The echoing sounds of gunshots and Cobalt's triumphant roars can be heard coming through the walls of Tough Luck's apartment.
Four grueling flights of steps later, Tiger and Ookami pause to take a gander out of one of the windows adorning the stairs' hallway. What looks to be the entire SMM gang can be seen storming inside of the besieged crackhouse like a giant angry horde of fire ants. Still however, the massive form of a victorious Cobalt can be seen pummeling his way across the third floor of the structure with little resistance. The azure avenger's shape is periodically outlined and illuminated in the windows of said crackhouse by the massive display of gunfire inside it.
Hope this doesn't draw the S'kree's attention
Having noted their friend's success, our two heroes turn hurriedly to the doorway leading into the stairwell. Four thugs have swung it open and are apparently making their way out into the hallway.
"OHSHI-!" one of the goons cries out, his hand already pulling the trigger to his machinegun. Bursts of rounds pepper the floor in front of the surprised thug as he tries to raise the firearm upward to shoot our two heroes.
Another round of combat. You vs. 4 thugs. You've got Initiative this round so post accordingly.
When Life Hands You Razorblades. You Make A Baseball Bat Covered In Razorblades!
Ookami launches himself forwards, slamming the palm of his clawed hairy fist right smack dab into middle of the gangster's solar plexus. Falling backwards to the ground, the hapless goon gurgles horribly as he riddles the surrounding walls and ceiling of the hallway with his gunfire. An all-too-familiar sound of Raging Tiger's teleportation effect is then heard coming from behind Ookami. "Flaming Tiger Rages!" cries out the hero-vigilante, his blurred body swiftly bampfing about the top of the stairs. Within moments, three more thugs fall unconscious to the ground, each one having succumbed to Raging Tiger's powerful martial arts. Nodding affirmatively to his partner, Raging Tiger cranes his neck towards the door.
"Shall we?"
Over at the crackhouse, Cobalt continues his rampage. The blue behemoth's cries are heard echoing throughout the night as he playfully swats the members of Sex Money Murder about like paper dolls. In time, the giant hero raises a helpless goon above his head and slams him down harshly upon the ground. The move is costly, for the flooring beneath Cobalt's feet is already strained by the sheer bulk of his weight. *CRACK-CRUNCH-CRUMBLE* the ground suddenly gives way, sending our hero descending down through the ground yet another floor; this time into what appears to be some kind of drug lab. Angry goons rain fire down upon the blue beast from above; their torrential downpours of hot molten lead eventually causing one of the nearby containers of flammable liquid to ignite.
*BA-DA-WHOOM!*
One side of the crackhouse's third story erupts in a fiery explosion that spreads tremors of impact and force across the entire neighborhood block. Even Raging Tiger and Ookami are wobbled briefly as the blast sets a good portion of the nearby structure ablaze; the fate of Cobalt and the others unknown.
Cue suspenseful music!
When Life Hands You Razorblades. You Make A Baseball Bat Covered In Razorblades!
"We have to get what we came for and get out of here fast. Big Blue should be OK," rasps Raging Tiger as he moves into Tough Lucks apartment and moves to the hiding place in the kitchen.
Lorayne Thornhallow, Talan Botley, Raik Anar, Brother Lucian, Nazim al Ayser, David Luo, Radache of Pontyrel
"This is what we got from Tough Luck, 'Go to my pad and look behind the fridge. There should be a safe. Inside you'll find a black leather book and a large wooden box. Inside is everything you need to know about my brothers.' So let's get the fridge out of the way and see what we can do about this safe." Raging Tiger moves to the fridge and before he moves it gives it the once over to see if there is anything that looks like an alarm or a trap set to go off when it is moved.
RT has no real skill in this area but he is being cautious. if he doesn't see anything he unplugs the fridge and then readies to move it motioning of Ookami to step back and stand by in case something bad happens.
Lorayne Thornhallow, Talan Botley, Raik Anar, Brother Lucian, Nazim al Ayser, David Luo, Radache of Pontyrel
You're not at Tough Luck's apartment just yet guys. Merely at the top of the stairs leading into his floor. Four goons were running out into the stairwell to go and try to see WTF was happening over at the crackhouse when they were surprised by your appearance.
Having bested the four thugs rushing out into the stairwell, Ookami and Raging Tiger dash into the hallway of Tough Luck's apartment floor. The two heroes then search desperately for T.L.'s apartment number. It isn't hard to find. The word 'Traitor' appears to have been spray-painted upon said door and several bullet holes riddle its surface.
Pausing to recollect their next move, Ookami's ears perk suddenly. He hears the panting of several creatures coming from inside the room! Several moments later, Tiger's own ears hear the growling snarls of several guard-beasts. Peering into one of the bullet holes, our hero notes four large rottweilers in the room beyond just as they start to bark aloud and paw frantically at the door; shaking it violently upon the hinges.
You didn't think it was going to be that easy, now did ya?
Meanwhile, over in the crackhouse. Fires continue to spread and several lesser explosions erupt from the building's third story. Amidst the carnage and chaos, Cobalt can be seen staggering about the now open and smoke-filled floor. His body relatively free from harm, other than oily smudges and lingering flames that cling to his body, the blue lummox only appears to be dazed momentarily. Snarling defiance, the beast quickly regains his senses and once more begins to wreak havoc upon those around him!
To the others facing off against four angry guard dogs, the sounds of Cobalt's shouts and resuming gunfire are heard eventually.
When Life Hands You Razorblades. You Make A Baseball Bat Covered In Razorblades!
