by HeroicSacrifice » Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:05 pm
And here's the fight.
As this isn't an actual game, I'm going to treat both Edward and Ghost as PCs, and give them each one Hero Point.
Ghost leapt from rooftop to rooftop, barely making a sound, following the sound of screams. There had been a surge of bizarre deaths lately, victims torn apart or exsanguiniated, and he hadn't been able to reach the scene quickly enough to apprehend the killer. This was most unlike him. This time, it was different. This time, he was close. The screams were getting louder.
Edward Cullen looked up from his latest target, a man in his late fifties from whose mind Edward had pulled memories of cheating on his loyal spouse. It's alright, he deserved it. he thought, trying to justify his thirst for blood.
Edward Cullen makes a Notice check against Ghost's Stealth check:
Ghost: 5+19=24
Edward: 12+6=18
Edward's enhanced senses strained for any sign that he was being watched or followed, but found none. Not unlikely, he thought, no mortal can touch me.
Ghost looked down into the alleyway to find a strangely beautiful man standing over the corpse of a well-dressed, middle-aged man. As the murderer (as it could be only him) turned to leave, Ghost dropped from the roof to the ground, 30 feet below...
Ghost makes an Acrobatics check to reduce falling damage:
Ghost: 17+17=34
Result: 34 beats DC 15 by 19, reducing the falling damage bonus to +1.
Ghost makes Toughness save vs DC 16
Ghost: 12+8=20 Passed.
...and stumbled slightly as he rolled. The killer turned to face him, eyes glowing gold. That could have gone better...
Ghost and Edward Cullen make initiative checks:
Edward: 14+11=25
Ghost: 13+5=18
Edward goes first.
Edward turned to face the intruder. Who the hell does this guy think he is? Batman? That is the cheapest costume I've ever seen. Better kill him before he does something vaguely threatening. He charged as the costumed hero got to his feet...
Edward Cullen charges and attacks the prone Ghost:
13+12+2 for charging, +4 because Ghost is prone=31 vs. Def 22
Ghost makes Toughness save against DC 21:
14+8=22 Passed.
...and though his foot connected solidly with the caped interloper's ribs, he simply rolled away, using the momentum of the kick to roll to his feet. (Ghost's Acrobatics bonus is higher than fifteen, so he stands from prone as a free action automatically.) Ghost assumed a fighting stance, and threw a massive overhand hammerfist...
Ghost uses Acrobatic Bluff to Feint:
Ghost: 9+17-5 for Fast Task=21 (whew!)
Edward: 12+8=20
Ghost catches Edward flatfooted.
Ghost attacks Edward:
Ghost: 16+12=28 vs Def 11 (Ouch)
Edward makes Toughness save vs DC 23
10+8=18 Failed by 5; stunned and bruised.
...which Edward caught, and twisted in to set up a devastating counter attack. He didn't count on Ghost running along the wall to power out of the hold, nor did he expect the painful elbow strike that sent a lance of unfamiliar pain through his kidney. Ghost followed through with a snap-kick to the face... (since Ed is stunned)
Ghost attacks Edward:
Ghost: 13+12=25 vs Def 13-2 for Stun
Edward makes Toughness save vs DC 23
Edward: 18+7=25 Passed
...which didn't seem to hurt him any more than he already was. Hmm. Kidney punches hurt him; face kicks don't have any effect. Must not be keeping anything important in there. Edward recovered from his disorientation, and lashed out with a vicious backhand...
Edward attacks Ghost:
Edward: 19+12=31 vs Def 22
Ghost makes Toughness save vs DC 21:
Ghost: 12+8=20 Failed by 1; bruised.
...which Ghost hurled himself away from. The blow grazed his temple, and he could feel the inhuman power behind the blow,which sent him stumbling away. He caught himself and turned his rotational momentum into a leaping crescent kick, aimed for Edward's torso...
Ghost uses Power Attack on Edward for +2 damage
Ghost: 17+12-2 for power attack=27 vs Def 20
Edward makes Toughness save vs DC 25
Edward: 14+7=21 Failed by 4; bruised.
...and struck home, knocking the wind out of the powerfully built man. Edward shrugged off the attack, not needing to breathe anyway, and moved close to grapple his foe...
Edward attacks Ghost to establish grab:
Edward: 14+12=26 vs Def 22
Edward makes opposed grapple check against Ghost:
Edward: 16+16=32
Ghost: 11+15=26
Edward grapples Ghost and triggers his Drain Con:
Ghost makes Fort save vs DC 11:
Ghost: 3+4=7 Failed; 1 point Con Damage. Con is 13.
...and powered his leg aside to slam him against the wall, and sunk his fangs into the masked man's neck. Ghost fought the urge to cry out, not wanting to give his enemy the satisfaction of knowing he'd caused him pain. A vampire!? Ghost fought to free himself from the enemy's powerful grip...
Ghost makes opposed grapple check against Edward:
Ghost: 14+15=29
Edward: 12+18=30 Ghost fails to escape.
...but found himself unable to. Edward forced Ghost's arms to his sides, working to maintain the grapple and draw more blood...
Edward makes opposed grapple check against Ghost:
Edward: 14+18=32
Ghost: 8/18(spent hero point)+15=33 Edward fails to retain control of grapple
...and felt pain once again as Ghost kneed him in the crotch. Ghost struggled with renewed vigor to break his enemies hold...
Ghost makes opposed grapple check against Edward:
Ghost: 20+15=35
Edward: 16+18=34 Ghost gains control of grapple and escapes.
.., brought his legs to his chest, and kicked out to knock Edward away. The two men sized each other up for a moment, and then Edward moved in, more cautiously this time, throwing a sudden barrage of punches to try to break Ghost's guard...
Edward attacks Ghost using Defensive stance for +1 Defense:
Edward: 13+12-2=23 vs Def 22
Ghost makes Toughness save vs DC 21
Ghost: 14+6=20 Failed by 1; bruised
...and landed several glancing hits. Ghost reeled from the fusillade, and stumbled back against the wall. His hand closed on a trash can lid, which he swung in an arc...
Ghost attacks Edward with an improvised weapon for +1 damage:
Ghost: 19+12=31 vs Def 20
Edward makes a Toughness save vs DC 19:
Edward: 12+6=18 Failed by 1; bruised
...crumpling it against Edward's head. It seemed to hurt him, but it didn't slow him down. Edward kicked at Ghost, aiming to crush him against the wall...
Edward attacks Ghost with Power Attack +1 and All-Out Attack +1
Edward: 6+12+1-1=18 vs Def 22
Miss
...but Ghost slipped nimbly to the side, and Edward's kick hit the wall instead, cracking the concrete beneath his heel. Ghost turned to run, but instead of running away, he ran straight up the wall the opposite wall...
Ghost uses Acrobatic Bluff to feint:
Ghost: 13+17=30
Edward: 12+8=20
Ghost catches Edward flat-footed.
Ghost attacks Edward:
Ghost: 20+12=32 vs Def 13
Edward makes a Toughness save vs DC 29
Edward: 14+6=20 failed by 9; stunned and bruised.
...and came down on Edward's skull with the trash can lid with devastating force, sending Edward staggering backwards, a gash torn in his forehead. Got to escape, Edward thought, as he fought his way out of the fog in his mind. He jumped straight up, easily clearing top of the buildings. The vampire sprinted away as the rooftops blurred beneath him, and he looked behind him to find the Ghost still in pursuit! (Ghost uses Skill Mastery on Acrobatics to beat DC 25 without rolling, and scrambles up the fire escape attached to one of the buildings.) Edward rounded on Ghost, hurtling back toward him with the intent of knocking him off of the roof to the streets below...
Edward performs a slam attack on Ghost
Edward: 13+12=25 vs Def 22
Ghost makes Toughness save vs DC 23
13+5=18 Failed by 5; stunned and bruised. (uh-oh)
...and tackled him square in the chest, cracking one of Ghost's ribs and sending him flying back onto the roof behind him. Edward picked him up...
Edward attacks Ghost to activate a grab:
Edward: 4+12=16 vs Def 11
Edward makes opposed Grapple check against Ghost
Edward: 9+18=27
Ghost: 10+15=25
Edward grapples Ghost and triggers his Drain Con:
Ghost makes Fort save vs DC 11:
Ghost: 10+3=13 Passed.
...and pulled Ghost tight to drive his fangs home once again. Ghost struggled mightily, and he could find no purchase. Ghost fought to free himself...
Ghost makes an opposed grapple check against Edward:
Ghost: 15+15=30
Edward: 10+18=28
Ghost gains control of the grapple, and uses Bluff to Feint (I rule that because Ghost is being Grappled, he can't use Acrobatic Bluff.)
Ghost: 15+9-5 (fast task)=19
Edward: 7+8=15
Ghost catches Edward flat-footed.
Ghost chooses to deal damage from grapple:
Edward makes toughness save vs DC 23
Edward: 13+5=18 Failed by 5; stunned and bruised.
...and twisted Edward's arm into a judo lock, throwing him face first into a raised pyramid skylight on the roof. His face smashed through the window, sending glass tumbling to the floor below. Edward staggered, and Ghost released his grip to launch a furious roundhouse kick at Edward...
Ghost releases grapple, then attacks Edward with Power Attack +5:
Ghost: 14+12-5=21 vs Def 11
Edward makes Toughness save vs DC 28
Edward: 13+4=17 Failed by 11; stunned and staggered.
...which launched him spinning backward to the edge of the roof, where Ghost continued to brutalize him. He didn't let up, diving at him with a flying elbow to the face...
Ghost attacks Edward using Power Attack +5:
Ghost: 9+12-7=14 vs Def 7 (Ed is stunned and prone)
Edward makes a Toughness save vs DC 28
Edward: 9+4=13 Failed by 15; Unconscious.
...which landed with a meaty crunch, shattering Edward's nose and spattering blood across the roof. Ghost hefted the comatose vampire and hurled him from the roof to the ground below. He would have accompanied the act with a roar of triumph, but his chest and head hurt too much. Edward's body slammed into the roof of a parked taxi, crumpling it and scaring the driver, who hurled himself from the vehicle in terror. With that, Ghost fell to his knees, exhausted. He sat there for a minute or so, (making a recovery check, 9+2=11, removing a bruised condition.) until a series of shouts grabbed his attention. He groaned, and looked over the edge. What?! The body was gone! Ghost scanned the crowd; no one was hurt, no one was scared, and as Ghost rolled over the edge to land (Acrobatics check against falling damage, 19+17=36. 21 feet off of 30. Ghost lands prone but takes no damage, then stands from prone as a free action) somewhat gracefully next to the wrecked taxi and the sputtering driver whom he frightened off with a glare (intimidate 13+9=22 vs will save 12+1=13) he found that no one had seen him leave. The body had simply vanished into thin air.
Next morning: He sat in his favorite chair, reading the newspaper, noting with a fair degree of pride that he had once again earned a spot in the front pages. He had contacted the police with the news that the serial killer had been defeated, and although they were less than pleased to hear he had lost the body, someone had leaked the info to the news, and papers all over town broke the story. Vanessa was behind him. He was surprised. He hadn't noticed the sound of her feet on the tile until she was right behind him. I guess he did more to me than I thought. "What's hurting you now, hun?" she said, as she rubbed his shoulders, taking note of the bandage on his neck. "I haven't seen you get pounded like this in years. Who was the killer?" He winced, and touched his temple gingerly. "Some vampire," he said. "Probably no one terribly important."