Let's Play... Amazing Spider-Man!

[Spatula]

Spider-Man
Peter Parker [secret]

Affiliations:
Solo D10, Buddy D8, Team D6

Distinctions:
Hard-Luck Hero
Wisecracker
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Power Sets:
SPIDER-POWERS
Enhanced Senses D8, Enhanced Stamina D8, Superhuman Reflexes D10, Superhuman Strength D10, Wall-Crawling D6

SFX: Spider-Sense. Spend 1 PP to add Enhanced Senses (or step up if already in your pool) and reroll all dice on a reaction.

SFX: Second Wind. Before you make an action including a Spider-Powers power, you may move your physical stress die to the doom pool and step up the Spider-Powers power for this action.

Limit: Exhausted. Shutdown any Spider-Powers power to gain 1 PP. Activate an opportunity to recover or during a Transition Scene.

WEB-SHOOTERS
Swingline D8

SFX: Grapple. When inflicting a web-related complication on a target, add D6 and step up your effect die.

SFX: Web Constructs. When creating web-related assets, add D6 and step up your effect die.

Limit: Out of Web Fluid. Shutdown Web-Shooters to gain 1 PP. Activate an opportunity to recover or during a Transition Scene.

Specialties:
Acrobatics Expert D8, Combat Rookie D6, Covert Rookie D6, Science Expert D8, Tech Expert D8

Milestones:
Secret Identity
1 XP when you lie or accept humiliation in order to protect your secret identity, or when you act in such a way as to jeopardize your secret identity.
3 XP when you skip a social engagement to fight crime, or let criminals get away so that you can keep a social engagement.
10 XP when you decide to tell someone that you are Spider-Man, or decide that you can never tell anyone of your double life.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
1 XP when you protect innocents from harm, or when innocents come to harm through your actions or inaction.
3 XP when you defeat a villain that has harmed innocents, or when you chose not to defeat such a villain.
10 XP when you have a crisis of faith and decide to hang up your webs for good, or when you decide that you have a responsibility to protect innocents as Spider-Man.

Sandman
Flint Marko [public]

Affiliations:
Solo D10, Buddy D8, Team D6

Distinctions:
Blue-Collar Bank Robber
Corrigible Thug
I’m Unstoppable!

Power Sets:
BODY OF SAND
Intangibility D8, Shapeshifting D10, Stretching D6, Superhuman Durability D10, Superhuman Strength D10

SFX: Grapple. When inflicting a complication on a target, add a d6 and step up your effect die.

SFX: Invulnerability. Spend a doom die to ignore physical stress, trauma, or complications, unless caused by fire, water, or wind.

SFX: Multipower. Add more than one Body of Sand power to your pool. Step back each Body of Sand die in your pool once for each die beyond the first.

Limit: Sandstorm. Against a wind or vacuum attack, step up the effect die and step up or add D6 to the Doom Pool.

Limit: Muddy. Against a water attack, change any Body of Sand power into a complication and step up or add D6 to the Doom Pool. Activate an opportunity or remove the complication to recover the power

Limit: Exhausted. Shutdown any Body of Sand power to step up or add D6 to the Doom Pool. Activate an opportunity to recover.

Specialties:
Combat Expert D8, Crime Expert D8, Menace Expert D8

[Spatula]

Amazing Spider-Man #4
Starting Doom Pool: 2D6



Issue Milestone
Nothing Can Stop... the Sandman!
1 XP when you stop the Sandman from stealing or robbing, or allow him to steal and rob in order to protect civilians.
3 XP when you capture the Sandman, or allow him to escape in order to protect civilians.
(there is no 10 XP milestone for this issue)

For his two milestones, Spider-Man will select Nothing Can Stop... the Sandman! and his own Secret Identity milestone.

Read along with the action here!

Issue 3, Scene 1: NYC
Doom Pool: 2D6
Spider-Man: 1 PP, no stress

It is night-time in the city, and we find Spider-Man swinging past a Daily Bugle billboard advertising J. Jonah Jameson’s latest series of hit pieces on our friendly neighborhood wall-crawler (“The Spider-Man Menace”). After a little grousing, our hero notices some shady-looking characters casing a jewelry store. As the goons approach the storefront, Spider-Man leaps into action, spinning webs around them all.

Spider-Man is attempting to inflict a web-based complication on the goons, which triggers his Grapple SFX. The goons are a mob with a Team affiliation of 2D4 – it will take D6 or better to stress out each Team die, and when all of the Team dice are gone, the mob is kaput.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Hard-Luck Hero D4 + Wall-Crawling D6 + Swingline D8 + Grapple SFX D6 = D4 (1) + 2D6 (2, 4) + D8 (8) + D10 (2) = 12 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
The effect is stepped up because of the Grapple SFX, making it 12 total, D12 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man will spend 1 PP (0 remaining) to add the D6 as an additional effect die, making it 12 total, D6+D12 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 2 PP (2 total) for the D4 distinction and the opportunity, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (3D6 total).

Goons: Group 2D4 + Dark Street D8 = 2D4 (3, 4) + D8 (3) = 7 total, D8 effect.

Spider-Man’s total is 5 greater than the Goons', which steps up both of Spidey’s effect dice once from the extraordinary success, to D8 and D12+. Spider-Man uses his effect dice to inflict some D8/D12+ Webbed Up complications on the Goons, which takes both Team dice out of the fight.

The suspicious goons are webbed up tight. However, Spidey fails to consider that the potential robbers haven’t actually done anything yet, and they quickly capitalize on that fact.

Spider-Man: “If you’re thinkin’ of puttin’ up a fight, brother, let me warn you...”

Goon #1: “A fight? The only fight I’ll put up is in court! I’m suin’ you for assault and battery, and I got witnesses to prove it!”

Goon #2: “Yeah, that’s right!”

Goon #1: “There’s no law against three honest citizens walking in the street at night! Then you come swoopin’ down on us, scarin’ us outta our wits! You’re a menace... just like J. Jonah Jameson says!”

Goon #3: “Hey, let’s swear out a warrant against Spider-Man! I’ll call a cop! Help, police!”

Goon #2: “Police!! Boy, never can get a cop when you want one!”

When a policeman comes to investigate the shouting, Spider-Man runs off and bemoans his fate. But if he had only stuck around, he would have heard the policeman sticking up for him.

Looking at the billboard again, Spider-Man chooses to blame JJJ for his current woes, and as a result our hero resolves to pay Jonah a visit at his Daily Bugle office. Jameson isn’t there, so Spidey decides to leave him a “little souvenir.” (more on that later)

As he’s leaving the Bugle, Spidey notices some police cars driving past with their sirens blaring. Soon he also spots a man “frantically” climbing up a ladder to a rooftop, and our hero concludes that the man must be the cops’ target. He swings towards the unknown figure, thinking to help the police capture a fugitive.

[Spatula]

Issue 3, Scene 2: NYC Rooftop
Doom Pool: 3D6
Spider-Man: 2 PP, no stress

Spider-Man, being the sporting sort, decides to warn the fleeing man that he has a super-hero on his tail. Spidey swings over to the roof and turns on his belt light so that hits a wall in front of the man.

This is an intimidation attempt. Spider-Man doesn’t have a lot of dice for his pool for such an effort, so he will spend 1 PP (1 remaining) for a D6 “push” die.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility D8 + Swingline D8 + Push D6 = D6 (1) + 3D8 (1, 8, 1) = 8 total, D4 effect, 3 opportunities.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (2 total) for the opportunities, and the Doom Pool adds a D10 (3D6+D10 total).

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Menace Expert D8 = 2D8 (6, 1) + D10 (8) = 14 total, D4 effect, 1 opportunity.

The attempt fails.

Spider-Man’s prey is more amused than scared. As Spider-Man lands on the roof, the Sandman turns around to greet his pursuer...

Sandman: “I didn’t expect a welcoming committee, but, since you asked… I call myself… the Sandman!”

Spider-Man: “I heard of you! If what they say about you is true, you’re wanted by the police from Maine to Mexico!”

Sandman: “Very interestin’! Now get lost! I got me a couple of banks to rob and I don’t wanna work overtime!”

Sandman shoves Spidey out of his way, but our hero comes back and tries to wrap his arms around the robber.

Spider-Man is looking to inflict a Grabbed complication on Sandman. Since he’s not using his webbing for this purpose, he can’t use his Grapple SFX. Sandman will turn to fine sand to make himself un-grab-able.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility D8 + Strength D10 + Combat Rookie D6 = D6 (5) + D8 (2) + 2D10 (2, 7) = 12 total, D10 effect.

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Shapeshifting D8 + Intangibility D6 = D6 (1) + 2D8 (2, 6) + D10 (7) = 13 total, D8 effect, 1 opportunity.
The Watcher will spend a D6 from the Doom Pool (2D6+D10 remaining) to keep Sandman's effect die as emotional stress on Spider-Man.

Spider-Man’s action fails. Spider-Man takes D8 emotional stress as his target laughs in his face.

The Sandman turns to fine sand from head to foot, which falls to the roof, leaving Spidey grabbing just air. The Sandman reforms into his human shape nearby, grinning from ear to ear.

Spider-Man: “I don’t know how you managed to do that, but...”

Sandman: “That?? That’s kid stuff! You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!”

Spider-Man, realizing he has more on his hands than a simple criminal, throws a series of punches at his super-powered opponent.

Spider-Man is throwing two punches, trying to hurt Sandman. Sandman uses first his Intangibility and then his Durability to shrug off the attacks.

The Sandman, confident in Spider-Man’s inability to capture him, chooses not to respond with actions of his own. By not even trying to fight back, he is mocking our hero in a subtle way.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility D8 + Strength D10 + Combat Rookie D6 = D6 (2) + D8 (4) + 2D10 (7, 7) = 14 total, D8 effect.

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Intangibility D8 + Spider-Man's Stress D8 = 3D8 (6, 6, 1) + D10 (9) = 15 total, D8 effect, 1 opportunity.
The Watcher will spend a D6 from the Doom Pool (D6+D10 remaining) to keep Sandman's effect die as emotional stress on Spider-Man.

The first attack fails to hurt Sandman. Spider-Man takes another D8 emotional stress, which steps up his existing stress to D10 emotional stress.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility D8 + Strength D10 + Combat Rookie D6 = D6 (2) + D8 (7) + 2D10 (3, 2) = 10 total, D10 effect.

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Durability D10 + Spider-Man's Stress D10 = D8 (5) + 3D10 (7, 9, 6) = 16 total, D10 effect.
The Watcher will spend a D6 from the Doom Pool (D10 remaining) to keep Sandman's effect die as emotional stress on Spider-Man.

As the Sandman’s total is more than 5 (but less than 10) greater than Spider-Man’s, and the Sandman is keeping his effect die, his effect is stepped up to D12.

The second attack also fails to hurt Sandman. Spider-Man takes D12 emotional stress as he becomes increasingly flustered by his inability to stop his foe.

One punch right through the Sandman, and the next connects with a rock-hard jaw that hurts Spider-Man more than his target. The Sandman smiles throughout the assault.

Sandman: “And how’s this? No hands!”

The thug’s midsection shoots forward, punching Spider-Man in the gut.

Now the Sandman chooses to act!

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Shapeshifting D10 + Combat Expert D8 + Spider-Man's Stress D12 = 2D8 (6, 8) + 2D10 (5, 3) + D12 (7) = 15 total, D10 effect.
The Watcher will spend D10 from the Doom Pool (empty) to add the 6 to the total, bringing it up to 21 total, D10 effect.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Hard-Luck Hero D4 + Reflexes D10 + Combat Rookie D6 = D4 (1) + D6 (4) + 2D10 (6, 1) = 10 total, D10 effect, 2 opportunities.
Spider-Man gains 2 PP (4 total) for the D4 distinction and the opportunities, and the Doom Pool adds a D8 (D8 total).

Because Sandman’s total is more than 10 (but less than 15) higher than Spider-Man’s, his effect die is stepped up twice, to D12+.

Spider-Man takes D12+ physical stress. But he will spend 1 PP (3 remaining) to change the type of stress, making it D12+ emotional stress. Spider-Man’s player narrates this as his mask getting torn, and he flees in fear of his secret identity being revealed. This earns him 1 XP (21 total) from his Secret Identity milestone (accepting the humiliation of defeat in order to protect his identity).

The surprise thrust catches the wall-crawler off-guard, and he trips backwards over a skylight. On the way down, his mask is torn in half, exposing Peter’s face. Spider-Man runs off, afraid that if his identity got out, he would end up in jail and Aunt May would end up on the streets.

Sandman: “Come back here, ya blamed coward! The amazing Spider-Man! Bah!”

Sandman steps off the rooftop, turns his body into loose sand, and then reforms once on the ground.

Sandman: “And now for that date with a bank!”

Sandman breaks into the bank, changing his finger into the shape of a key to fit the door’s keyhole. Once inside, he flattens himself to pass under gates and electric eye beams.

Sandman: “So far so good! Now to tackle the main vault itself!”

As Spider-Man has fled the scene, the Sandman can rob banks with abandon, and he does so. While the scene is technically over, the Watcher reinforces Spider-Man’s failure by allowing the Sandman to grandstand. Looking over the Sandman’s datafile, the Watcher chooses to add the villain’s Crime Expert D8 to the Doom Pool (2D8 total), to represent his skill in robbing banks.

[craggle]

I'm not too familiar with how the comic handles it, but it sounds like the "torn mask" might well be a complication stepped up over d12 to take Spidey out of the fight. Or maybe it was Spider-man's player deciding to shift physical stress into emotional to take himself out (probably to hit a Milestone for the current "event" relating to his public persona and perception, considering the opening scenes).

[Spatula]

I'm not too familiar with how the comic handles it, but it sounds like the "torn mask" might well be a complication stepped up over d12 to take Spidey out of the fight. Or maybe it was Spider-man's player deciding to shift physical stress into emotional to take himself out (probably to hit a Milestone for the current "event" relating to his public persona and perception, considering the opening scenes).

Hm, that's a good way to look at it. Thanks.

I revised the original post to reflect the Sandman inflicting overwhelming physical stress, which Spider-Man's player shifts to emotional stress for the XP.

[atminnie]

Spatula, these are amazing. I want to affirm you that working through these varied examples like this are tremendously helpful for either players learning how play might work, or Watcher's looking for ideas.

Great work, by all means, I hope you keep it up. I know it takes a lot of work, so thanks for exploring the game from this perspective. I'll try to take a closer look as I have time and try to answer some of the good questions you've raised.

[Spatula]

Issue 3, Scene 3: Aunt May’s House (Transition)
Doom Pool: 2D8
Spider-Man: 3 PP, D6 emotional stress

Peter Parker is busy sewing together his suit when a news report on the Sandman comes on the TV. The report identifies the villain as Flint Marko, a criminal that escaped from jail and ended up on a beach where atomic devices were being tested. Naturally, they were being tested at the exact moment Marko was present!

News Reporter: “By some incredible accident, the molecules of his body merged at that radioactive instant with the molecules of the sand under his feet, and his body took on the qualities of the sand itself – becoming virtually indestructible!”

Just then, Aunt May barges in with milk & cookies! Peter scrambles for a robe to cover up the costume that he’s still wearing, and ends up telling his aunt that he’s sick. And so he ends up stuck in bed, watched like a hawk by May, as the Sandman makes a clean getaway from his latest bank robbery.

Spider-Man is left with D6 emotional stress from being stressed out. He attempts to recover it, and spends 1 PP (2 remaining) to add a D6 “push” die to his pool.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Aunt May’s House D8 + Push D6 = D6 (5) + D8 (2) + D10 (10) = 15 total, D8 effect.

Doom Pool: 2D8 + Spider-Man’s Stress D6: D6 (5) + 2D8 (5, 8) = 13 total, D8 effect.

The emotional stress is recovered.

In the morning, Peter is able to escape Aunt May and head to the Daily Bugle, but not before she makes him promise to not exert himself. And also, to take an umbrella.

Meanwhile, over at the Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson has made an unfortunate discovery...

J. Jonah Jameson: “What in the dad-blamed ding-busted Sam Hill is on my chair?!” Those’re some interesting curse words, Jonah! This seems like some No-Prize material, as Spidey’s webbing should have dissolved after an hour...
J. Jonah Jameson: “It’s the work of that miserable Spider-Man! Well, don’t just stand there gawking, Miss Brant! Go get me another pair of trousers!”

Betty Brant pawns off the trouser delivery to Peter, who was stopping by to ask Jonah for an advance. Jonah, unsurprisingly, turns him down in typical JJJ style.

Peter next rushes off to school, where he runs into Liz Allan and Flash Thompson. Liz asks what time Peter will pick her up, and he realizes that he finally got her to go out on a date with him... a date he will now have to break to chase after the Sandman. When he tells Liz he has to study instead of going out, she is not amused! Flash kicks Peter when he’s down (“Hey, dig the crazy umbrella! How come you left your galoshes home, skinny?”), and later in the day, Peter is scolded by a teacher as he ruminates over his troubles while in class.

Peter: “Sometimes I think oughtta have my head examined for stickin’ to this Spider-Man bit! Nothing I do seems to turn out right!”

Teacher: “Parker! Stop day-dreaming in class!”

As punishment for day-dreaming, Peter is sent to carry bottles from the science lab to the boiler room. There he runs into the janitor, who is busy fooling with his new “king-size” vacuum cleaner.

Spider-Man gets 3 XP (24 total) for his Secret Identity milestone as he has to cancel his date with Liz in order to fight crime.

Spider-Man will spend 1 PP (1 remaining) to activate the vacuum as a Science resource. Against a foe made of sand, such a thing might come in handy...

Not too far away, the Sandman is leading the police on a merry chase. They can’t hurt him or catch him, but he is getting worn down. He is thinking that he needs a place to hole up and rest for a while, when he spots Peter’s high school...

[Spatula]

Issue 3, Scene 4: Forest Hills High School
Doom Pool: 2D8
Spider-Man: 1 PP, no stress

The Sandman sneaks into the school and ducks into a classroom to hide, only to find it already occupied by the school principal and a room full of students! It suddenly occurs to Flint Marko that he never graduated from high school, and so he demands that the principal give him a diploma... only to be refused! But just as Flint is about to teach the principal a lesson, Spider-Man bursts through the door!

Principal: “Stop! These students are in my care! Run home! Call the police!”

Sandman: “That’s what you think, mister! I’m gonna teach you a lesson right now!”

Spider-Man: “You’ve got that backwards, loudmouth! You’re the one who’s got a lot to learn!”

Some possibly useful scene distinctions at the high school are Classrooms, School Halls, Gymnasium, and Boiler Room (the latter two aren’t going to be used right now but could be in the future!). There’s also a Roomful of Students scene distinction right here.

Spider-Man leaps to the attack, hoping to catch the Sandman off-guard and hit him before he can change his composition. Spider-Man will spend 1 PP (0 remaining) to add both his Strength and his Reflexes to his pool, to represent the combination of speed and power of his intended action.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Wisecracker D8 + Reflexes D10 + Strength D10 + Combat Rookie D6 = D6 (4) + D8 (3) + 3D10 (6, 8, 1) = 14 total, D8 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (1 total) for the opportunity, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (D6+2D8 total).

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Durability D10 + Combat Expert D8 = 2D8 (8, 1) + 2D10 (3, 6) = 14 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.

Spider-Man’s D8 effect is stepped back to D6 because Sandman’s effect die is larger. The Sandman takes D6 physical stress, and the Watcher declines to activate the Sandman’s Invulnerability SFX.

Spider-Man’s punch connects with Marko’s face before Marko can make himself rock-solid. But the Sandman isn’t too worried – he knows how ineffective Spider-Man was against him the last time they met. Marko threatens the webhead, trying to goad him into fighting him there in the classroom.

This is an intimidation attempt, which allows Sandman to use his Menace specialty. As Spider-Man is weak on that front, he will spend 1 PP (0 remaining) to add a D6 “push” die to his reaction roll.

Sandman: Solo D10 + Corrigible Thug D8 + Menace Expert D8 = 2D8 (1, 3) + D10 (5) = 8 total, D4 effect, 1 opportunity.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Hard-Luck Hero D8 + Push D6 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = 2D6 (5, 4) + D8 (1) + D10 (3) = 9 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (1 total) for the opportunity, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (2D6+2D8 total).

Spider-Man is not feeling very menaced.

Spidey doesn’t fall for the bait. Instead, he is worried about fighting around all of the students. He starts to throw a punch, thinking maybe he can get a quick knockout. But he senses at the last moment that Flint is turning himself super-hard. So Spider-Man turns the punch into a grab, and tries to hurl Sandman through the door instead.

Spider-Man is trying to remove the Roomful of Students scene distinction. He will spend 1 PP (0 remaining) to add both his Senses and his Strength to his pool, reflecting the narration of his attempt. In mechanical terms, he wants to make sure that his action succeeds before Sandman uses the students against him.

The Sandman doesn’t realize what’s coming. He figures that by turning rock-hard he can ignore whatever Spider-Man hits him with. The Watcher represents this by using his I’m Unstoppable! distinction as a D4.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility D8 + Senses D8 + Strength D10 + Combat Rookie D6 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = 2D6 (2, 6) + 2D8 (2, 7) + 2D10 (3, 9) = 16 total, D10 effect.

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D4 + Durability D10 + Combat Expert D8 = D4 (3) + D8 (7) + 2D10 (7, 6) = 14 total, D10 effect.
The Doom Pool steps up a D6 (D6+3D8 total) for the D4 distinction.

Spider-Man wins the contest, and applies his D10 effect to remove the Roomful of Students scene distinction.

Spider-Man hurls the surprised Sandman out into the hallway. Unfortunately, class must have gotten out while the two were fighting – there are more students in the halls! Sandman turns his hands into stone blocks and tries to smash Spider-Man to bits. Spider-Man dodges, trying to buy time for the students to flee and for the police to arrive.

The Watcher spends a D8 from the Doom Pool (D6+2D8 remaining) to create a new scene distinction: Halls Full of Students. Bad luck for the wall-crawler!

The Sandman is using his Multipower SFX to use both his Shapeshifting and his Strength in his die pool. Now you know why he turns his hands into giant blocks before punching people!

For his reaction, Spider-Man uses the School Halls scene distinction as a D4, representing the difficulty of maneuvering in the school’s hallways.

Sandman: Solo D10 + Corrigible Thug D8 + Shapeshifting D8 + Strength D8 + Combat Expert D8 = 4D8 (3, 6, 6, 5) + D10 (5) = 12 total, D10 effect.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + School Halls D4 + Reflexes D10 + Acrobatics Expert D10 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = D4 (4) + D6 (1) + 3D10 (6, 5, 7) = 13 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 2 PP (3 total) for the D4 distinction and the opportunity, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (2D6+2D8 total).

Spider-Man spends 1 PP (2 remaining) to keep his effect die.

The attacks are dodged. Spider-Man will use his D10 effect to remove the Halls Full of Students scene distinction.

Spider-Man manages to evade the Sandman’s assault, and starts leading his foe to the gymnasium. Hopefully there won’t be any students there! And sure enough, the gym is empty. Still dodging the Sandman’s attacks, Spider-Man leaps atop a basketball hoop, sticks to the backboard, and covers the Sandman in webbing!

By using his webbing to create a complication, Spider-Man can make use of his Grapple SFX.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Gymnasium D8 + Wall-Crawling D6 + Swingline D8 + Grapple SFX D6 + Combat Rookie D6 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = 4D6 (3, 2, 4, 3) + 2D8 (2, 2) + D10 (6) = 10 total, D8 effect.
The effect is stepped up because of the Grapple SFX, making it 10 total, D10 effect.

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Combat Expert D8 = 2D8 (5, 5) + D10 (1) = 10 total, D4 effect, 1 opportunity.

The Sandman gains a D10 Webbed complication.

Sandman: “Tricky little clown, aintcha!”

Spider-Man: “Brother, you don’t know how tricky!”

Sandman: “Well, you’ll haveta be lot trickier than that to hold me!”

Flint turns to fine sand and pours himself through the holes in the webbing!

As the webbing is already in place and is not being actively “maintained” by Spider-Man (like, say, a grapple would be), removing the complication is a roll against the Doom Pool. But Watcher characters don’t roll against the Doom Pool, so the Watcher will pick an appropriate trait of Sandman’s – his Shapeshifting D10 – and apply it against the Webbed D10 compliation. The result is that the complication is removed, at the cost of the Sandman’s action.

Sandman: “Any other dumb stunts you wanna try?”

Spider-Man: “Why not? You’re not goin’ anywhere!”

[Spatula]

Now maybe this should have just automatically succeeded (because Spider-Man’s webbing can’t hold someone who can turn to sand)? I’m unclear on whether the rules actually call for a roll here or not. I suppose this also applies to when they first meet and Spider-Man tries to grab Sandman, who then turns to sand. I guess the question is, is Sandman impossible to hold, or only impossible to hold while there are dice in the Doom Pool?

Thinking about this a bit more...

Having a foe be immune to Spider-Man's webs, is kinda like activating a Limit. The power set isn't technically shutdown, but it becomes much less useful against the target. Maybe instead of rolling to resist or evade the webs (and relying on the Doom Pool to activate SFX if the roll doesn't go your way), it's better to say, "that doesn't work because of X" and give the player a PP.

[Unknown Blitz]

These have been very fun to read, thanks for posting them.

-Blitz