Normal Topic Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight (Read 596 times)
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Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight
Nov 20th, 2020 at 11:50pm
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Lodestone is a villain located on pages 15-16 of the V&V sourcebook "Opponents Unlimited."  He's a personal favorite, so I modified his Mutant power to "always on with no action required."  Other than that slight modification, it functions the same: all magic abilities utilized within his mutation's range is absorbed by him.  I mean, let's face it: all players have Agl scores in excess of 20 due to meta-gaming.  And that means that they'll defeat him before he has a chance to activate it.

The Vanquishing Knight is located on pages 50-51 of "Vigilantes International."  Please pay PARTICULAR attention to his Vulnerability.

Ok, so Lodestone breaks into a museum to rob their super-magical artifact which will give him the power to rule the city he currently resides in!  Naturally, he fails his Int roll and triggers every alarm that the museum is capable of.  Coincidentally, The Vanquishing Knight ("Sir Knight" to his friends) answers the call.  As Lodestone is placing the magical artifact in his bag, he can hear the knight approaching from five miles away (read the Vanquishing Knight's Combat Tactics/M.O. to understand.)  His low intelligence will guarantee that he encounters the Vanquishing Knight at least once during this heist.  So what happens?

Please re-read the "Vulnerability" of the Vanquishing Knight before replying!  It's critical information!?

I just want to make sure that Sir Knight has a chance of survival.  I would hate to off Sir Knight because some silly punk (who just happens to be a favorite) got lucky!?
  
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Re: Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight
Reply #1 - Dec 24th, 2020 at 4:02pm
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I just recently (within the last year) used Lodestone for the first time ever in my campaign!
  
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Re: Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight
Reply #2 - Dec 25th, 2020 at 11:59pm
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How did it go?

Edit: Merry Christmas!
« Last Edit: Dec 26th, 2020 at 12:00am by Display Name »  
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Re: Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight
Reply #3 - Jan 11th, 2021 at 2:23pm
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Merry Christmas!  Smiley

Lodestone and the rest of the "Amazing Floop Brothers" got taken down pretty efficiently by the heroes, after a battle in a junkyard.  Captain Floop was killed, Blastin' Butch got away, and all the others were captured.
  
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Re: Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight
Reply #4 - Jan 11th, 2021 at 7:10pm
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What?!  How did Captain Floop die?  Were any of the players charged?

Or maybe they got the "person of the year" award on the cover of Time magazine for "rooting out unimaginative villains?"  Lol!
  
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Re: Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight
Reply #5 - Jan 14th, 2021 at 5:58pm
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His death was accidental, and none of the heroes were charged for it. 

Basically, I have a big bad named Silverback, who hired the Floop Brothers, who in turn contracted the Sons of James (one of the gangs from Citizen Report).  The cowboy-themed gang then intimidated (and actually killed) some investigators that were digging up dirt on Silverback and his freaks.  Making the Floop Brothers accessories to murder.

Here's the recap I did:

#21 – The Amazing Floop BrothersSan Francisco Chronicle reporter Caroline Varnell texts Raijin while he is getting drinks with his friend Matt Kaminsky, extremely worried that she is being followed and watched.  He leaves his buddy and contacts Basil, Revivicator, and Mindgasm, and together they rideshare across town to her apartment in Haight-Ashbury.  On the way they discuss how absent team leader Psilight has been.  Upon arrival they make contact with a couple of men dressed as cowboys just sitting in a truck outside before making their way up to her apartment on the fifth floor.  Raijin goes inside and she shows him her conspiracy board that theorizes someone behind many local crimes (and discovered technology) over the last couple of years.  She points out how many villains that have eluded capture by the Sentinels have been monstrous or “freak-like”.  The others engage more thugs dressed in Western gear just outside her unit, who identify themselves as the Sons of James.  After making short work of the six gang members, they haul them inside Varnell’s apartment.  She explains that she has lost contact with her fellow investigator, local vlogger Darnell Armstrong, and the criminals confirm that another half-dozen of their members have already eliminated him.  When interrogated, one of them reveals that they were hired by superpowered mercenaries from Las Vegas known as the Amazing Floop Brothers.  After bringing in the police to both crime scenes, the heroes pile into the crooks’ large truck and drive to Nevada.  On the way there they use one of the James gang’s phones to call the Floops and set up a meeting.  The next day at noon, they arrive at a junkyard, and Rejuvenator attacks the gathered villains: Captain Floop, Blastin’ Butch, Whippet, Psi-Demon, Lodestone, Rocket Ma’am, and five goons in powered armor.  After a skirmish, the adventurers rout the felons.  Captain Floop is killed, and Blastin’ Butch flees, but all the others are captured.
  
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Re: Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight
Reply #6 - Jan 14th, 2021 at 10:36pm
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But it doesn't say how Captain Floop died!  Was there an investigation?  There's plenty of room for a dramatic subplot, there!  Also there's the danger of Charisma loss, even if the player beats any charges made against them.

Since Nevada is reputedly run by the mob in real life and is *definitely* run by the mob in V&V, you could have built this whole scenario where the player(s) are made an offer to have the charges disappear.  If, of course, they perform a "favor" or two.  The "favor" can be a bit shady but technically legal and should give the players a bit of a moral dilemma.  Or, you could have it perfectly above board but "demeaning" in the sense that they're working with the mob.  Imagine Captain America: "Well, gee, Cap.  It wuzn't yer fault.  The guy's a clutz!  And we're not askin' ya ta break da law!"

Or something...
  
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Re: Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight
Reply #7 - Jan 14th, 2021 at 10:45pm
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Oh, but anyway, we've strayed far off topic!  Lol!  Do you think Lodestone could exploit Sir Knight's weakness?
  
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Re: Lodestone vs The Vanquishing Knight
Reply #8 - Jan 20th, 2021 at 5:56pm
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I don't honestly recall how he died, but I think it was because one PC has an ability called Siphon (so he drains people of Power) and then when others pummel them of their HP, it leaves their adversaries extremely vulnerable.
  
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