Here's... Aquaman!!

[konate]

Waiting with baited (pun intended) breath.

[BaronVonStevie]

well done sir. well done. may get to this today.

[BaronVonStevie]

Watcher: It’s a pleasant, sunny day in New York. Aquaman is dedicating an aquarium exhibit on conservation of the world’s whales when suddenly there are screams for help. Tiger Shark heaves a dead humpback whale over his shoulder and tosses it at Aquaman’s feet (d6 solo, d8 savage predator, d12 strength, d8 menace; 11 result/d12 effect). It’s a grisly scene. He leaps away and heads towards the harbor.

Aquaman: Damn him! I clench my fists and bare my teeth. Nobody takes the Earth’s oceans seriously! I respond to bystanders with a reassuring presence and remind them of the sanctity of protecting endangered species such as these (d8 solo, d8 nobody’s favorite hero, d10 strength, d8 science; +1 PP for a d8 added to the doom pool, 10 result/d4 effect). I leap after him.

Watcher: Man oh man… add d8 *and* d12 to the doom pool. That was some effective grandstanding. There are people already making jokes about Aquaman not being able to stop this guy. “Good thing they’re going to fight underwater. Who cares what happens?” (the doom pool rolls against you: 11 result/d8 effect)

Aquaman: Who indeed? Man has a share of the blame for the state this world is in (d8 solo, d8 fighting monarch, d8 science; 15/d8). I spend a PP and reduce the doom pool by d8. Take that, Aquaman haters. Okay, I leap away now.

Watcher: Haha… gotcha.

Doom Pool (routine):2d6, d12
Tiger Shark:
Aquaman: 0PP

[konate]

I love that grandstanding adds to the doom pool. It makes sense to grandstand at the beginning of the fight and then start the fighting, but for the villains to go first, the watcher must spent a doom die higher than any characters with enhanced reflexes.

I think that rule runs counter to setting up the scene.

[BaronVonStevie]

I just rule it as "if the characters don't know about it before hand, the bad guys can grand stand first". Aquaman is expecting a nice, quiet ceremony and a ribbon cutting. Suddenly, some D-Bag super villain has a dead whale. It's not something that happens every day.

[BaronVonStevie]

Watcher: All right, the two of you leap into the harbor. It’s Tiger Shark’s go. He drops to the bottom and pounds the sea floor with his incredible strength (solo d6, would be conqueror d8, strength d12, d8 menace; 13 result/d8 effect). Incredible waves of force ripple through the harbor along with debris.

Aquaman: Further destruction of my domain! Aquaman fights through the carnage (d8 solo, fighting monarch d8, d10 strength, acrobatic d8; 13 result/d10 effect… effect steps down to d6).

Watcher: Tiger Shark’s assault bounces you around below the waves for a bit. Your turn.

Aquaman: I swat the debris aside. Now he’s messing with the wrong monarch. I summon sea creatures to fight beside their king (d8 solo, d8 fighting monarch, d12 marine supremacy, d8 science; 2 opportunities, 8 result/d4 effect).

Watcher: Add d8 to the doom pool and give yourself 2PP. Let’s see if your summon powers worked (11 result/d8 effect). No dice. Tiger Shark has pretty much killed everything in range. Tiger Shark’s turn. He begins to tell you about all the damage he’s going to do to the eastern seaboard and how no one will be able to stop him. I spend a d12 from the doom pool, so give yourself an XP (d12 doom, d6 solo, d8 savage predator,d12 strength, d8 menace, d6 stress; 17 result/d12 effect).

Aquaman: Oh man. I mobilize some marine life to help deal with this (PP to use two powers: d8 solo, d8 fighting monarch, d10 strength, d12 marine supremacy, 2d6 combat; PP for a third effect die, 24 result/d8 effect). Aquaman’s up to the task. I stand tall and remind him that I command the entirety of Earth’s oceans… there’s nowhere I won’t oppose his power. Then, afterwards I strike with my superhuman might (d8 solo, d8 nobody’s favorite superhero, d10 strength, 2d6 combat; 14 result/d10 effect). A giant swing!!

Watcher: Tiger Shark might be caught off guard here (d6 solo, d8 would be conqueror, d10 durability, 2d6 combat; 3 opportunities, 6 result/d4 effect). KERPOW!!! Effect steps up +1 for d12 physical stress. Tiger Shark comes at you with his claws (d6 claws, d6 solo, d10 strength, d8 combat, d6 stress; 12 result/d10 effect).

Aquaman: Bring it! I swim out of the way (d8 solo, d8 nobody’s favorite hero, d10 swimming, 2d6 acrobatic; 1 opportunity, 15 result/d8 effect). I juke and jive under the waves.

Watcher: Give yourself a PP as I activate your opportunity. As you swim out of the way, you slam into the side of an underwater crag. Your trident slips out of your fingers and goes spinning away into the deep.

Aquaman: I’m going to gain the help of my undersea friends; it’s going to tip the balance of this fight. I call a rare breed of fish that I happen to know lives around here (1PP for a stunt: d8 solo, d8 fighting monarch, d12 marine supremacy, d8 science, d8 stunt; 15 result/d12 effect).

Watcher: Tiger Shark may be in trouble here (doom pool: 11 result/d8 effect). You get a d12 asset. That’s a lot of fish. Tiger Shark sees waves of fish coming his way and starts taking swings at them to get rid of them. He targets your asset (d6 solo, d8 savage predator, d12 strength, 2d6 combat; 8 result/d12 effect).

Aquaman: I stand there, confident that this is about to end (d8 solo, d8 fighting monarch, d12 asset, 2d6 combat; 17 result/d8 effect). After he’s done, I send my undersea friends to finish him off along with their king (d8 solo, d4 short temper, d10 strength, d12 asset, d12 stress, 2d6 combat; +1PP negative distinction, 14 result/d12 effect).

Watcher: Tiger Shark needs some serious help here (d6 solo, d8 would be conqueror, d10 durability, 2d6 combat; 11 result/d6 effect). You defeat him. With a mighty blow, Tiger Shark is sent slamming into the sea floor.

Aquaman: I use my newfound allies to help undo the damage he’s done. I’m going to try to deplete the doom pool, even though I know nobody up there cares about Earth’s oceans (d8 solo, d8 nobody’s favorite hero, d12 supremacy, d8 science; PP for a third effect die, 17 result/d12 effect).

Watcher: Let’s see. Doom pool coming up (12/d6). The damage is undone! You clean up the harbor and even repair the buoy he broke.

Doom Pool (routine): depleted
Tiger Shark: stressed out (physical)
Aquaman: 0PP, 1XP, d6 physical stress, d12 asset, gear limit on trident

[konate]

Toast!!!!

[BaronVonStevie]

I had fun with it. I think Aquaman is appropriately tough on his own turf. Take heed of a couple mods to Arthur. I might go after his milestones soon... didn't feel they came into play enough for my liking.