>I sent this E-mail to both address' for this time only just to make sure >it doesn't get lost in transit. For the remainder of the time I will >only >send it to your 'hotmail' address. Got it fine here at hotmail. It just took me a while to respond. Sorry, I've been busy. I think I will have it more under control "real soon now" (TM). >[question of Multiform. Does attacks on one form affect the other >forms? Meaning the 'combined form' is blind, but if I switched to >the full cheetah form would it be blind too? [ Yes, flash damage, like damage from other attacks, affects all forms. But nice idea, though.] ============ [ Phase 10: ] > Cheetax's mind immediately goes into processing strategies for blind >fighting. She crouches to the ground for two reasons, 1. to get >a low center of gravity, and 2. to get possibly a hint of location by >sound vibrations and/or sound sinking lower [so I don't know >physics-sounds good ;-)]. >> She can see nothing except bright spots in front of her eyes, and she >> feels it will be that way for a short while. Just a few seconds before >> her vision comes back, and then she can knock this new stranger down, >> like the others. But will she get the time? He's somewhere around >> here now, not too far away, undoubtedly taking aim at her as if he has >> all the time in the world, and she doesn't even know which way to >> dodge. She could smell him, but the burning tree is masking his >> odor. She might have heard him breathe, even over the crackle of the >> fire, but perhaps he is holding his breath. If only he would say >> something! She does hear the "Sons of the Tiger," though. "The cheetah's in trouble! We have to help her!" says the girl with the tiger's right paw necklace. "Say what?" responds her friend with the tiger's left paw. "In case you forgot, your furry friend just kicked me halfway across the park, cracked my ribs, and darned near broke my head for good! Now you say 'we have to help her'? Since when?" "You go your way, I'll go mine. No need to fight, we'll both be fine." says Doctor D., whirling his chain and backing up. "The chain! Drop it!" spits the Hispanic "tiger's head" youth advancing on him. He sounds hurt, but trying to hide it. [ Phase 12: ] > Cheetax immediately scoops a large handful of dirt,grass, soil, rocks, >or whatever comes up with a deep, clawed scoop of the ground. She know >she has done something like this previously and suspects they will assume >what she is doing but she goes on with it anyway. Cheetax, still remaining >crouched, throws the dirt in a arc going out from where she is [using the >map here is where she is "aiming". @=dirt,etc] >10 S|L| . . . . |L| >11 B| | . . . C . | | >12 B| :. . . . . . @ @ @ . | | >13 | | . . @ @ @ @ @ | | >14 | |TT @ @ @ @ @ @ | | >15 | TTT [ @ @ @ @X@ @ @ . .g. . . . . . . . . . . .: | >16 | |TTT ] [] ] | | [ Wow, great idea! Hearing roll at -3: needs 16-, due to Cheetax's excellent senses. Roll 15.] The dirt and pebbles roll, bounce, and spatter on the earth, while Cheetax tenses her ears to catch any of them hitting and reflecting off something upright. Many bounce hard, loudly and nearby, off something stone and metal. Most fall on the soft earth and grass of the park, and make muffled sounds. Others rustle on the sand of the path. One pebble, just one, at the very end of throw arc, strikes plastic, and then earth. Could that be X? He made no sound... Cheetax has to gamble that it is. She crouches for the spring, all her nerves tensed, ears, and even blinded eyes questing for her target - and hears the faint creak of vinyl as a gloved finger tightens on a trigger. [ Cheetax DCV is only at -1 since she knows where the enemy is, though she can't see him clearly, total 7. X takes an additional -1 OCV from the pebbles. Roll 13, miss. The bolt keeps going... OCV 0 attack vs DCV 0 object, rolls 8, hits. 8 BODY.] She barely shifts to one side as a blaster bolt flies her way, even BEFORE her ears hear the zap of ionized air as the bolt passes. It hits something behind her with a metallic noise, then a sound of fragments raining to the earth, and a smell of wood charring. Back behind her the others continue their talking. "I understand you're hurt, Kevin, but she is on our side now," says the "tiger's right paw" girl. "She made a mistake at first, but Hector explained it to her. Now I don't have time to argue about this, she needs help, and I'm going to help her!" Cheetax hears running footsteps towards her. "Uh-huh. You do that, girl," mutters the "tiger's left paw" youth, staying behind. "Maybe the creature just didn't like my after-shave, and will be nicey-nice to you fine. Any case, I'll just stay back here and watch over laughing boy. As I know first hand, who gets knocked out can come back up." As if to confirm his suspicions, Foulmouth emits a moan, and struggles to get to his feet. "Aha, I thought so," says the presumed Kevin Tiger Son. "My mama made me promise never to hit someone who was down, but my daddy told me never to miss an opportunity. So I guess I'll just have to help you up!" There is a short scuffle, the sound of a fist impacting a jaw, and the thud of a body falling to the ground full-length. [ To-Hit 5, hits, 7 BODY 29 STUN, no Knockback. ] In the other corner of the park Doctor D. says, "You made your point, no need for pain, keep your nose in joint, I'm dropping the chain!" There is a clinking noise, a rustling of grass, and more clinking. "Now vaminos. And don't come back!" the "tiger's head" youth says, and his running footsteps also head towards the Felinoid. The chauffeur's heavy shuffle comes into the park and onto the gravel path. "HELP! ISN'T ANYBODY GOING TO GET ME DOWN FROM HERE? HELP!" the boy in the tree yells. [ Phase 2: ] But now Cheetax is sure of her enemy, distance and direction both. She jumps and slashes, blindly, but guided by her hearing of where the pebble struck and where the shot came from. "Blassst you! I KNOW the grenade got you - can't you ssstay blind?" X hisses. [ Half OCV for not perceiving target with a targeting sense, -1 for move and attack, +2 for surprise = 5. Roll 14, miss.] In the air, she hears him curse and fluidly step aside. She tries to re-orient her jump, but claws only air. He is agile, too, limber as a snake. [ Phase 3: ] The bright spots and shadows dancing in front of Cheetax's eyes begin to resolve themselves, none too soon, as X fires again. But this time the Felinoid can't dodge out of the way fast enough. [ OCV 7, vs Cheetax's full DCV 8, needs 10-. Roll 8, hits. 8d6 damage rolls 8 BODY, 32 STUN. Her Energy Defense is 10, so that's 0 BODY, 22 STUN past defenses. Cheetax's CON is only 19, so she is stunned - misses her next phase, and is half DCV until then. 2d6 rolls 4 - 4" Knockback, into the broken water fountain, and takes 4d6 damage from that. Since she is Stunned, she does not get to try to make a Breakfall roll. 4d6 roll is 5 B, 15 S, against 14 Physical Defense, so takes one more point of STUN there. 16 STUN left before unconsciousness. ] The bolt catches her dead center, with a searing pain and incredible force. The Hard Man's bullets never hit like this. The Felinoid flies across the park and hits the rocky ground hard. She feels helpless as a newborn kitten; the world whirls crazily around her, and she knows that if the green clad man shoots at her again, she won't even be able to dodge. "KIIYAI!" The "tiger's right paw" girl screams and leaps at the armored man, with a jumping kick. [ OCV 5, -1 for move, +2 for back attack, roll 12, miss. ] He sneers, and steps aside from the blow easily. "Ssstick to your knitting, girl!" The Tiger's Son she referred to as Hector runs a few steps, and throws the chain he is carrying. As he would have been out of range for a normal attack, this catches X off guard. [ OCV 5, -1 for move, +2 for surprise, roll 9, hits. 3.5d6 roll 4 BODY, 16 STUN, no Knockback.] The heavy metal links rattle off the plastic armor with no seeming effect, but being hit does get the figure's attention. "Ssso. You want to play too?" "Oh-oh. That does not sound good," mutters Kevin from where he had just laid out Foulmouth. "The cat is down, and El Jefe's trying to distract the big gun until she recovers - but if it can down HER, HE certainly can't take a hit from that cannon. That romantic idiot. My daddy warned me about trying to be a hero - only gets you killed, he said. No one thanks you for it. Oh, well, can't always listen to daddy. HEY TOY SOLJAH! YO MAMA WEARS ARMY BOOTS! OVER HERE!" He starts running towards the combat scene as well. [ Phase 4: ] Doctor D. looks surprised at something, slowly turns to face east, and starts heading towards Foulmouth. [ Phase 5: Cheetax unstuns. Full DCV now, and can abort next phase to Dodge or other defensive action. ] [ Phase 6: ] "Yesss. Your petty insssultsss mean nothing to me," the man called X hisses, "but you've convinsssed me, I can't ignore you completely. Is thisss one your leader? In any cassse, here, lose your 'head'!" He levels his blaster at the Tiger's Son with the "Tiger Head" medallion, and fires. [OK, now this is sort of your action, though it's not your phase. You can choose to cancel your phase 8 in order to try to "Dive" between X and H to intercept the blaster bolt - by taking it yourself. :-). You know that Hector (if that's his name) has been seriously wounded by Virgil, and you know that Kevin at least thinks Hector doesn't know what he is doing. On the other hand, Hector at least certainly acts very sure of himself, and he certainly can try to dodge the bolt himself, and, having been hit by it, you know it's not a Killing Attack, (more or a shock effect rather than piercing) so any normal ED Hector has will work, so he might very well not take any permanent damage at all from being hit (no BODY), though he will probably be KO'd. And you are not that much tougher than the Tigers, though you can certainly dish out more damage. You will almost certainly will lose consciousness should the bolt hit you (do the math yourself). Look for the "Dive for cover" maneuver in the rules - you will need to dive 2 hexes, so need to roll 13-. In any case, do write orders assuming you will be conscious. :-). 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 00 _______________________________________________________ 01 |L_\_/__________TT______L_..____________________TT___L| 02 | |-T - * * * TTTTTTT * * \ / * * * * * TTTT | | 03 | |/ \ TTT TO . ---T-r TTTTT | | 04 | |* \ . /|\b TT *| | 05 | |* \ / V . ] | \ *| | 06 | |* --T--- . D T T *| | 07 | |* /|\ \ / . ] F TTTTTT *| | 08 | |* / | \ --T-- . T T *| | 09 | | [ & / \ . | | 10 |L| . . . . |L| 11 B| | . . . . . | | 12 B| :. . .S. . . fC. .H. K | | 13 | | . . . . . . . | | 14 | |TT . . . .XJ | | 15 | TTT [ . . . . .g. . . . . . . . . . . .: | 16 | |TTT ] [] ] | | 17 | |* T T % % T \ / *| | 18 | |* TTTTTT -%%T%%- TTTTT ---T--- *| | 19 | |* TTTTT % % T / \ *| | 20 | |_*_*_*_*_*T*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_| | 21 |L_________________________L_________________________L| ]