Sand Fox's Desert (Birds of Passage Epilogue; New Story)

[K2]

Like the story so far:but small spelling error "cashed threw the window".

[Sand Fox]

Speaking of power over finesse, Aramis isn't the only swashbuckler in this story who has a large powerful companion...

Don’t worry, MM. Fezzik will be posted soon, and he will make an appearance in my story.

Sincerely, Sand Fox

[Sand Fox]

Name: Porthos
Age: 33
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Height: 6’00”
Weight: 258
PL: 8
PP: 120

Abilities: 32
STR: 20 (+5), DEX: 14 (+2), CON: 20 (+5), INT: 10 (+0), WIS: 12 (+1), CHA: 16 (+3)

Skills: 24
Bluff: 12 (+15)
Diplomacy: 7 (+10)
Gather Info: 12 (+15)
Intimidate: 6 (+9)
Knowledge
Civics: 4 (+4)
Streetwise: 4 (+4)
Notice: 8 (+9)
Perform
Comedy: 5 (+8)
Dance: 5 (+8)
Profession (Seaman): 5 (+6)
Ride: 6 (+8)
Search: 5 (+5)
Sense Motive: 6 (+7)
Survival: 10 (+11)
Languages: 1 (Base: English; Extras: French)

Feats: 26
All-out Attack
Benefit (1): Status (Musketeer of High Rank and Legendary Standing)
Defensive Roll (1)
Diehard
Distract (1): Bluff
Endurance (1)
Equipment (5)
Improved Block (1)
Improved Sunder (1)
Interpose
Move-by Action
Power Attack
Precise Shot (1)
Rage (1)
Redirect
Sneak Attack (1)
Takedown Attack (2)
Taunt
Track
Weapon Bind
Well-Informed

Equipment: (25 points to spend)
Rapier (A musketeer’s sword) Cost: 5
Heavy Musketeer Tunic (Protection 4) (Cost: 4)
3 Heavy Flintlock Pistols: Blast 4, Flaw (One Shot, Requires full round action to reload. Two extra are bought as Alternant Power Feats) (Cost: 6)
Extra Weapons Array
Bolos (Cost: 8)
Alternant Power Feats
3-Pronged Knife: Strike 1, Mighty, Improved Crit. Improved Disarm (Cost: 1)
Clawed Knuckles: Strike 2, Mighty (Cost: 1)

Combat: 24
Attack: +6, Defense: 16 (13 flat-footed), Init: 2
Dmg: +5 Unarmed, +8 Rapier, +6 Knife, +7 Clawed Knuckles, +4 Heavy Flintlock Pistol

Saves: 14
Toughness: +10 (6 without Heavy Musketeer Tunic, 9 flat-footed), Fortitude: +10 (+5 Mod. +5 Base), Reflex: +7 (+2 Mod. +5 Base), Will: +5 (+1 Mod. + Base)

Drawbacks: 0

Complications
Reputation: Member of the Great Musketeer Trio
Reputation (Bad): Porthos the Pirate
Responsibilities: The Three Musketeers, King and Country
Quarks: Fun loving to no end, Loves wine, women, and good food, Funny
Temper: Quick to use the sword when angered

Total Cost
Abilities 32 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 26 + Powers 0 + Combat 24 + Saves 14 – Drawbacks 0 = 120/120

Trade Offs
+2 Dmg Bonus/-2 Atk Bonus
+2 Toughness/-2 Defense

Notes
The great Porthos, the fun loving joker of the three musketeers. I must admit, this build is influenced by two sources. One is the 1993 Disney version of the Three Musketeers. In this movie, Porthos was noted for being stronger then the other members of the trio, and used more then just a sword; in one scene, he uses a pair of bolos, and another, he makes us of a 3-pronged dagger. Also, he seemed to be the best shot out of them all. As such, I made him the weapons man of the musketeers, having not only a sword but an array of other weapons at his disposal, not to mention 3 pistols, so that he need not reload in the middle of battle. The other influence is Anime Sanjushi. Here, Porthos is portrayed as being much stronger the rest of the cast, more so then his other incarnations.
Porthos is much different then most swashbucklers. He gives up accuracy for brute force and muscles through blows rather then dodging them. He’s a goon sweeper and the musketeer’s powerhouse. However, one thing to notice is that Porthos doesn’t make his damage cap normally. He needs to either Rage or Sneak Attack to do max damage, preferably the later of the two. The best way for him to catch his foes flat-footed is by using his masterful Bluff skill. Another key difference in Porthos is the fact that instead of specializing in disarming foes, he’s good at breaking weapons.
Porthos is also a good front face for the trio because of his outgoing personality and charisma. He has good interaction skills, along with fun Performs.
And now, Porthos’s past…
Porthos grew up poor and miserable. He worked constantly at the docks, unloading and loading goods on ships that three men would find difficult. One captain took interest in Porthos’s great strength and offered him a place on his crew, young Porthos quickly accepted. Unfortunately, the captain was notorious pirate. So Porthos learned to live the life of a pirate, his great strength making him infamous as the captain that hired. One day, however, Porthos’s ship attacked a French vassal that bore Athos the musketeer. Quickly, the pirates were forced to back down, leaving Porthos behind. Instead of throwing him in the brig, Athos had him help the crew with their duties. Inspired by this random act of kindness, Porthos dedicated himself to his duties, joining the Royal Navy and later becoming a musketeer, earning Athos’s respect and friendship.

(Edit: Now Porthos's build has more of a 'pirate' feel to it, at MM's suggesting. He has some ranks in intimidate, and he has knowledge streetwise.)

[MM]

Speaking of power over finesse, Aramis isn't the only swashbuckler in this story who has a large powerful companion...

Don’t worry, MM. Fezzik will be posted soon, and he will make an appearance in my story.

Sincerely, Sand Fox

Excellent.

Also, interesting Porthos build (I was pleasently surprised by the weapons array, and your explanation was a great one). Curious as to his history though... does this one have the same pirate history as Disney's? (Because I rather liked that one, but this guy can have grown up a musketeer if you prefer).

And do any of teh other musketeers know Aramis's secret? Out of idle curiosity.

[Sand Fox]

Speaking of power over finesse, Aramis isn't the only swashbuckler in this story who has a large powerful companion...

Don’t worry, MM. Fezzik will be posted soon, and he will make an appearance in my story.

Sincerely, Sand Fox

Excellent.

Also, interesting Porthos build (I was pleasently surprised by the weapons array, and your explanation was a great one). Curious as to his history though... does this one have the same pirate history as Disney's? (Because I rather liked that one, but this guy can have grown up a musketeer if you prefer).

And do any of teh other musketeers know Aramis's secret? Out of idle curiosity.

Thank you very much, MM. As for Porthos’s past, yes, I think he’ll have a past as a pirate, like in the Disney version. So that means I better change his age and add a new complication (Reputation: It’s Porthos the Pirate!). Anyway, this also adds a new storyline!
Anyway, no, no one else knows the truth of Aramis’s gender. She’s keep it a secret for most of her life, and her friends only know of her as a man, so she’s afraid of them finding out. Aramis doesn’t know if they’d accept or ostracize her. Thank you for all your questions

Sincerely, Sand Fox

[Sand Fox]

Name: Athos
Age: 37
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Height: 6’01”
Weight: 232
PL: 8
PP: 120

Abilities: 34
STR: 18 (+4), DEX: 16 (+3), CON: 18 (+4), INT: 14 (+2), WIS: 14 (+2), CHA: 14 (+2)

Skills: 23
Acrobatics: 6 (+9)
Concentration: 5 (+7)
Diplomacy: 8 (+10)
Escape Artist: 5 (+8)
Handle Animal: 5 (+7)
Knowledge
Civics: 4 (+6)
History: 5 (+7)
Tactics: 5 (+7)
Medicine: 5 (+7)
Notice: 6 (+8)
Ride: 6 (+9)
Search: 6 (+8)
Sense Motive: 6 (+8)
Languages: 2 (Base: English; Extras: French, Spanish)

Feats: 33
Accurate Attack
All-out Attack
Assessment
Attack Specialization (2): Swords
Beginner's Luck
Benefit (1): Status (Musketeer of High Rank and Legendary Standing)
Defensive Attack
Defensive Roll (2)
Dodge Focus (2)
Equipment (3)
Improved Block (1)
Improved Disarm (1)
Improved Initiative (1)
Inspire (3)
Interpose
Jack-of-All-Trades
Leadership
Luck (1)
Move-by Action
Power Attack
Quick Draw (1)
Set-Up
Startle
Takedown Attack (1)
Weapon Bind

Equipment: (15 points to spend)
Masterwork Rapier (As sword, but with +4 damage) Cost: 6
Musketeer Tunic (Protection 2) (Cost: 2)
Heavy Flintlock Pistols: Blast 4, Flaw (One Shot, Requires full round action to reload. (Cost: 4)
2 points unspent

Combat: 20
Attack: +4, +8 with Swords, Defense: 18 (13 flat-footed), Init: 7
Dmg: +4 Unarmed, +8 Masterwork Rapier, +4 Heavy Flintlock Pistol

Saves: 10
Toughness: +8 (6 without Heavy Musketeer Tunic, 6 flat-footed), Fortitude: +5 (+4 Mod. +1 Base), Reflex: +8 (+3 Mod. +5 Base), Will: +6 (+2 Mod. +4 Base)

Drawbacks: 0

Complications
Honor: Athos is honest, loyal, and courageous
Reputation: Member of the Great Musketeer Trio
Responsibilities: The Three Musketeers, King and Country
Quark: Aloof, Serious, Mature, Secretive, Aristocratic
Secret: Athos doesn’t speak about his past (or much anything for that mater), and it’s nigh impossible to get him to

Total Cost
Abilities 34 + Skills 23 (92 ranks) + Feats 33 + Powers 0 + Combat 20 + Saves 10 – Drawbacks 0 = 120/120

Trade Offs

Notes
Athos is the eldest member of the Three Musketeers, and acts as the unofficial leader. He’s very secretive, and even the other members of the trio almost nothing about him. It is, however, safe to assume that he’s of noble birth, as he’s well educated and acts with an aristocrat’s bearings. And his semi-skeptic view on romance suggests that Athos’s love life ended in tragedy.
Build wise, Athos is far more interesting then Aramis or Porthos. He lacks Aramis’s grace and accuracy and Porthos’s offence and grit. However, Athos is by far the most balanced and capable of the musketeers. He able to fill in where the other’s lack, and has feats to help with this, like Beginner’s Luck, Jack-of-All-Trades, and Luck. Also, because he has a high standing, even among the Three Musketeers, he’s able to call on favors with Connected. Athos has fantastic leadership abilities, and can Inspire up to two people (usually Aramis and Porthos). Overall, I think Athos is the best of the three.

[Sand Fox]

Like the story so far:but small spelling error "cashed threw the window".

Thank you. I've edited that little error.

Sincerely Sand Fox

[Sand Fox]

All for One
-Interlude-
Nighttime Checkmate, Part 1

“Nice to see that you’re up,” Aramis smiled.
“Oh, I feel unpleasant,” the Spanish man grumbled, sitting up. He was in a bed in what looked like the medical wing of military building, only with more grandeur. “Where am I?”
“In Musketeer Headquarters,” Aramis clarified, “Specifically, the infirmary. It is now 5:35, PM. You’ve been out for almost 14 hours. Anyway, hello, I’m Aramis.”
“Don Diego De La Vega,” Diego mumbled.
“Thank you, Don Diego,” Aramis smiled his haunting smile. “I’m in charge of you, so tell me: what happened to you? Why did you crash through that window?”

Obviously Diego’s not going to tell the truth here, so he’s going to have to make a Bluff check vs. Aramis’s Sense Motive. Diego gets a 26, and Aramis gets 11. He steamrolls her.

“Well,” Diego began, “To tell you the truth, it’s kind of embarrassing. See, I was at this bar, and a few drunks were saying stuff about Spain, and I exchanged words with them. First, I claimed that their parents were never married, and then they called me an orifice where the sun doesn’t shine, then I said their mother was a female dog. After that, they wanted to duke it out, but I, being a proper, civilized man, ran out of there that there was no mañana. They ran after me, we got on top of a building, blows were exchanged; sharp, pointy, objects were stabbed; EVERYONE’S mother was insulted, and then they threw me off the roof and into a window. And that’s the extent of my knowledge.”
Aramis smiled. Partly because what he said made sense, partly because he never paused, meaning he wasn’t making up a story as he went along; but most of the reason was because the way he explained it all was so very comical. “I see,” Aramis sighed, looking at the Spaniard. “Well, I guess that clears most everything up. We’ll have to check some things out, though. Can you tell me about your attackers, be chance?”
“Well,” Diego rubbed the back of his head, “They didn’t give me their names, but I do know what they look like. One was a little taller then average, about 5’11,” and had a thin mustache. The next one was short, about 4’8,” with square face. And then the last one looked like he was half British, half French. He was pretty plain looking, save he dressed extravagantly, with lots of red and gold fabric.”
“Hmm,” Aramis mused, “I see.”
“Anyway, Aramis,” Diego cut in, “I’m supposed to be heading back to Spain this Friday, so I need to finish up my business here quickly. If there are no more questions, could I…”
“Oh, sure,” Aramis agreed, “You can go. I think that’s everything.”
“Thank you, Senor. It was nice meeting you.”
Two days later, at the Bonacieux Inn…
BAM, BAM, BAM.
“What’s that racket?” Constance asked herself as she walked over to her family’s inn, a horrid banging sound echoing behind the building. She had just finished her sift, and was coming home. The sun was just setting. Following the noise, she discovered D’artangnan was the source. He was on a stepladder behind the inn, hammering what looked like the old emergency ladder onto the wall. “What on earth is going on?”
Upon hearing Constance’s voice, D’artangnan immediately stopped and turned to her. “Oh, hey Constance, how was work?”
“Fine, thank you. But what’s with the hammer?!”
“Oh,” D’artangnan explained, “Jean and I found the fire ladder broken off the ground just an hour ago while we were taking out the trash. Some moron must have broken it while we were all out, so I need to fix it.”
“What about the customers?” Constance protested, “Surely they’d be upset about all the banging?”
“That’s the problem,” the young man went on, “There are not costumers around to be upset. The few we had left this morning. Apparently they were only staying temporarily. So, today, Monsieur Bonacieux wants to patch up the roof.”
It had been 6 days since D’artangnan started staying at the Bonacieux Inn, and his duties included acting as a bouncer when the bar was open, helping Constance waiter during lunch, and cleaning the rooms when she was at the palace. Aside from that, he had cleaned out the attic, repaired tables, and fixed the windows. Apparently, Monsieur Bonacieux liked having a strapping young man around to do the heavy labor, and had helped D’artangnan out a lot.
After fixing the ladder, the sun was almost down. Still, D’artangnan climbed up onto the roof and started looking for holes. Finding one, he picked up a plank of wood and started hammering it in place. Then, a piece of paper flew into his face. Growling, he grabbed and unfolded it. The first line read, “Star Hills, April 15th, King’s Road.”
Suddenly, Constance opened a window and asked, “Would you like a glass of lemonade?”
“Sure!” D’artangnan smiled, crumbling the paper and stuffing it in a pocket. He could always look at it later.
Constance was cleaning the windows with Jean helping her and D’artangnan was patching up another hole when Monsieur Bonacieux came in and announced, “Listen up, Bonacieux Inn staff. I just got word that an old friend of mine is sick in bed, so me and some of his buddies are going to go and try to cheer him up. I’ll probably end up staying at his house. So, while I’m gone, Constance is in charge, understand? I expect you all to be on your best behavior.” His eyes fell onto D’artangnan. “Or else…”

Meanwhile…
“Hmm,” Lady de Winter sighed, looking at Yu-Jin, “So, your men have narrowed down were the thief could have gone to one area?”
“Yes Mistress,” the bodyguard said, “and one of the buildings is the Bonacieux Inn. There’s too much of a connection to be a coincidence if you ask me.”
“Indeed,” Milady sighed. “We can retrieve that which was stolen and kidnap little Constance in one swoop. So, are your men prepared?”
“Yes Mistress,” Yu-Jin confirmed with a bow.
“Good. However,” she added, “I’ve arranged for some of your old colleagues to help with this mission. After all, your last failure-” Yu-Jin flinched at the word, “-was embarrassing.” Milady rang a bell, and two men of Chinese heritage came in. One had a large crossbow, bigger then his arm, swung onto his back, while the other one was muscular.
“Ah,” Yu-Jin sighed, speaking in Chinese, “Kahn, Yin, good to see you two.”

Milady uses her Connected feat to try and hire some assassins to help Yu-Jin and his men. She gets a 37 overall. So, she gets two men that are more then capable, loyal, and cheep. Both are the same as the Assassin archetype on pg. 226 of Mutants & Masterminds, Second Edition, save that both lack the equipment stated, along with other differences. Kahn has a giant, reloading crossbow (Blast 4), Precise Shot, and Ranged Pin, while Yin has his Attack Focus in Melee instead of Ranged, 18 strength, All-out Attack, Taunt, and 10 ranks in Bluff. Both are fanatical and are counted as normal villains, not minions.

Two hours later…
“Of all the luck,” Athos grumbled, covering his head from the rain. He had been out for a late night when it started to pour. Now, there was thunder and Athos was nowhere near home. While running for cover, he saw something that made him stop. Two men were atop a roof, both with a sword drawn.

Meanwhile…
“Help!” Jean shouted, rushing through the Inn in the middle of the night. He found D’artangnan’s room and bolted in, jumping atop the sleeping man. “D’artangnan! Get Up! There’s a monster outside my window!”
“Huh?” the youth grumbled, stirring. “Uh, what, morning already? Wait…Jean!” He sat up, looking down at the boy. “What’s the big idea!? Do you know what time it is?”
“But D’artangnan!” Jean protested, “There’s a monster outside my window! It fell right down and hit the glass!”
“There’s no monster! You were just dreaming! Go back to sleep!”
“What are you boys doing?” Constance was at the doorway, a candle in hand, dressing in a pink nightgown.
“Sis!” Jean said urgently, “There’s a monster outside and D’artangnan won’t believe me! Make him get rid of it!”
Constance looked at her little brother with amusement, then at D’artangnan. “Listen, you probably where just dreaming; but if it’ll make you feel better, D’artangnan and I will have a look.”
They went over to the boy’s room, where D’artangnan said, “So, where’s this monster of yours?”
“Outside the window! It looked like a big, black snake.”
“Oh really?” the young man sighed skeptically, moving to the window. However, once he got there, he saw right away that something was outside it. It was long and thin, like a snake. However, it was not moving. “What the-?” Then, in a flash of lightning, D’artangnan saw what it was. “Jean, you were scared by a rope!”
“Well that explains it,” Constance smiled. “See, nothing to worry about.”
“Wait,” D’artangnan said suddenly. He looked at the rope closer. Now he saw what it was: A great, black whip. Then, he heard something on the roof. It sounded like someone falling down and then getting up. D’artangnan tuned to Constance and Jean. “Go to a room with no windows and lock yourselves in there. Don’t come out until I call for you; if you know where your Grandfather keeps his guns, get them.”
“What’s the mater?” Constance asked, confused and scared.
“That’s what I’m going to find out.” And with that, the young man rushed to his room, slapped on his leather armor and sword, and climbed onto the roof.
Once there, D’artangnan saw a man hunched near a window. He had a mask and cape on, and was just putting a hat on. D’artangnan moved in quietly.

D’artangnan will make a Stealth check vs. Zorro’s notice. 17 against 15. Zorro thinks he’s all alone. Because Zorro’s missing the paper he worked so hard to steal, it counts as a complication. He gets a Hero Point.

“Where is it?!” the masked man hissed, soaked form the rain. “Where is that paper?!”
“Paper?” D’artangnan said aloud, remembering the one that he found earlier.
“Who’s there!?” The Masked man turned around, sword drawn.
“I was going to ask the same question!” D’artangnan shouted, drawing steel. The two glared, daring the other to make the first move.

Meanwhile…
Athos looked at the two men. One was in black with a mask while the other was in civilian clothing. Then, he noticed something else. Several men in black were moving onto the Inn, eastern swords drawn. Thinking fast, Athos drew his sword and shouted, “Hey, behind you!” The safety of the civilian was his first priority.
Up on the roof, four men surrounded D’artangnan and the masked man. It was Yu-Jin and three of his underlings. “So,” the Chinese man smiled, the thunder cracking, “We mean again, thief. And this time, I deal with you myself! Men, deal with the boy; the masked one is mine.”
“I don’t know what’s going on,” D’artangnan growled, “But I’m giving you 10 seconds to get the hell out of here!”
“It won’t work, boy,” the masked man sighed, turning to face Yu-Jin, “They aim to kill us both! Let’s work together and then settle or differences. By the way, I’m Zorro!”
While this was happening, Athos had problems of his own. Eight men now surrounded him, one looking different from the rest. “Oh joy!” the one cackled, “A musketeer! I hope you put up a fight before I gut you with my bare hands!”
“Good Luck!” Athos shouted, leaping forward.

Before Hand
This is going to be my best fight yet. Yu-Jin, 10 ninja, and 2 special assassins vs. Zorro, Athos, and D’artangnan. Athos, Kahn, and 7 ninja are on the ground while Zorro, D’artangnan, Yu-Jin, and 3 ninja and on the roof. Yin, being a sniper, will be posted on another building, where he’s best suited.
Because Athos is the only man with a gun and he’s no good with anything other then a sword, Zorro will have to use his whip to get to Yin. However, I used a GM-fait to make him lose it. As such, Zorro will have to retrieve it first.
Anyway, D’artangnan has two new complications. Responsibilities: The Bonacieux Inn; Constance Bonacieux. As such, because people are attacking the inn, he gets one Hero Point, and another because Constance is in danger.
As for Athos, he gets a Hero Point for putting a priority on a civilian.
Overview
Zorro: 3 Hero Points
D’artangnan: 7 Hero Points (Man, he’s loaded!)
Athos: 3 Hero Points

Environment
Rain: Distraction (DC 5), Hamper Moment (Half-Speed)

This will be tough to call. The enemy has most of the advantages, superior numbers, and tactical planning. However, Zorro can work great in the rain (It gives a new meaning to stealth), Athos more than capable with handling large numbers of foes, and everyone has a good number of Hero Points. So, I think the good guys will be successful, but they’ll probably not get out of this unscratched. And Yu-Jin probably complete part of his mission at least (He’s really doesn’t want to fail a second time).

[MM]

A fairly onimous begining.

I have to agree with your assessment of the coming fight. The heroes are incredibly outmatched, and Athos in particular seems to be in for painful duel. And Yin is out there able to make everybody's lives miserable. But, Athos is the best goonsweeper you've got so far, and he's down on the street with the most goons, Zorro has his stealth, and D'artagnan has a RIDICULOUS amout of hero points to use.

I'll put money on Athos being the most injured of the heroes at the end of the fight. And D'artangnan is going to be the one who beats Yu-Jin (knocking him out or running him off, either way works).

P.S. Noticed the addition of Profession (seaman) to Porthos... may want to add Streetwise as well (I think pirates count as a criminal organization) and/or a little intimidation (in the movie two toughs jumped off a boat rather then fight him). Just a thought.

[Sand Fox]

All for One
-Fight-
Nighttime Checkmate, Part 2

Statistics
Zorro: 3 Hero Points, No Damage Conditions
D’artangnan: 7 Hero Points, No Damage Conditions
Athos: 3 Hero Points, No Damage Conditions
Yu-Jin: No Damage Conditions
10 Ninja: No Damage Conditions
Khan: No Damage Conditions
Yin: No Damage Conditions
Everyone is already on guard, so no one starts flat-footed

Environment
Rain: Distraction (DC 5), Hamper Moment (Half-Speed)

Round One:
Initiative Rolls
Zorro: 23
Ninja: 14
Athos: 13
Kahn: 10
Yin: 9
D’artangnan: 8
Yu-Jin: 8

Zorro’s blade is already drawn, so he’ll start out by trying to Startle and Power Attacking 2, scoring a 23 Intimidate. Yu-Jin rolls opposing Will at 24, and Zorro gets 10 to hit, missing.
Next, the ninja atop the roof will attack D’artangnan, two trying to aid one. One aid action succeeds, and the Ninja hits. D’artangnan makes his Toughness save.

Zorro brought his sword close, ready for a powerful thrust. “Why don’t you give me your name, stranger? That way you can be buried properly!” The masked man powered forward, while Yu-Jin side steeped.
Meanwhile, the Asian man’s three underlings ganged up on D’artangnan, swiping at him in coordinated teamwork. One stroke cut his leather, but no blood flowed

And now, down below, four of the ninja will Aid Action the other three, and only one fails. One hits. Athos passes his save.
Athos Defensive Attacks 3 one of the ninja, hitting with a critical. The ninja fails and is out. Athos’s Takedown Attack comes into effect, and he strikes another ninja scorning a crit, again. The ninja fails again and Athos tries to hit another one, scoring a 9 to hit and failing.
Kahn moves in towards Athos and Attacks, hitting in spite of Athos’s now 21 Defense. Athos gets a 21 on Toughness, making it.
Yin shoots at Athos with his Giant Crossbow. Because he’s 55 feet away, it’s -1 to hit. Yin makes it by 1. The Toughness is 19. Athos gets 14 and is Sunned, Bruised, and Injured.

Meanwhile, the musketeer Athos was having problems of his own. Seven eastern blades flew at him from all directions, but he was able to avoid them all. Then Athos let his blade fly. He stabbed into one man, then brought the blade up in a defensive stance, striking at an opening again and again. After three men fall, Khan steeped in. “Take this!” he shouted, sucker punching Athos. Unfortunately, Athos actually did take the blow, suffering no ill effects.
Just as the musketeer was about to return the favor, a great crossbow bolt flew from out of nowhere and struck Athos in the arm. Up high, Yin smiled and cocked his bow, a new bolt already installed.

D’artangnan will attack a ninja, using Defensive Attack 3 and taking 10 to hit. The foe rolls a 1 for Toughness. D’artangnan will try and Taunt Yu-Jin as a move action, getting a circumstantial bonus of +2 because he’s making fun of Yu-Jin’s ninja lackeys (Who are getting owned!). The Taunt is a success.
Yu-Jin tries to Sunder Zorro’s sword, Power Attacking 3 and using GM-fait to hit. Zorro gets a Hero Point. The Sword is iron, with a Toughness of 8 and the DC is 23. The sword fails by 11 and is disabled, effectively broken. (Zorro has no luck it seems.)

Seeing that the Musketeer below was fighting defensively, D’artangnan decided that it was best to follow suit. The youth kept his blade vertical to better block his foes horizontal swipes. Then, D’artangnan delivered a quick slashing move at one of the enemies. In spite of the weakness in the blow, the man did not move away and took the full strength of the slash, collapsing. “Hey, baldy!” D’artangnan called over before he could help it, “Where did you get your henchmen? ‘Cause they SUCK!!”
“ARRGH!” Yu-Jin unleashed a mighty roar and smashed his twin blades at Zorro’s sword, which promptly snapped under the presser.
“Thanks kid,” Zorro growled, moving away.

Round Two
Zorro has no weapons now, so he’ll have to just be clever. He’ll Quick Draw a smoke bomb and drops it using a standard action. Then he’ll make a Stealth check, getting a 26 total. Yu-Jin and the Ninja fail their Notice. Zorro also makes a Notice check to see if he can spot his whip, which he succeeds. Using Quick Draw, the masked man picks it up and burns a Hero Point to surge and tries to Trip Yu-Jin. He hits and uses his Dexterity, while Yu-Jin uses Acrobatics. Zorro gets 13 while Yu-Jin gets 9; meaning Yu-Jin is tripped. And because he’s on a slanted roof, Yu-Jin starts to fall off the edge. He has to make a reflex save of 17 (because the roof’s wet, it’s harder to grab) or fall about 15 feet onto the second floor roof. He makes it, and is clinging to the ledge.
Because their boss is in danger, he two ninja on the roof will split up, one distracting D’artangnan and the other Zorro. The one after D’artangnan misses the youth, and Zorro’s hits. Zorro fails his Toughness by 2 and takes a Bruised and Injured.

Tucking what remained of his sword away, the Fox pulled out a pellet and dropped in onto the ground. There was a burst of black smoke. Yu-Jin tried to find his foe, but when the smoke cleared, all there was the rain. Then, with a flash of thunder, a whip flew around the manservant’s legs and tugged, sending him sliding. Fortuitously, Yu-Jin grabbed the soaked building’s eves, hanging on for all he was worth. Meanwhile, his lackeys separated, knowing their foes would try and take advantage of their master’s predicament. D’artangnan had no trouble with his enemy, but Zorro received a small cut on the arm.

Because their stunned foe has no dodge bonus, the 5 ninja will attack Athos individually. Miraculously, 3 miss, and of the two that hit, Athos fails only 1 Toughness save, taking a level of Bruised and Injured.
Athos uses a Hero Point to get rid of stunned. Then he makes a Power Attack 3 against one ninja, scoring a critical. The ninja can’t make the save, and Athos uses Takedown attack. The remaining ninja fall like dominos.
Khan is next. He All-out Attacks 3, hitting. Athos gets a total of 9 on his Toughness and is Stunned, Staggered, and Disabled. Khan will try and Taunt as a move action, failing. Yin sees that Khan’s handling the Musketeer fine, so he’ll shoot at Zorro, who seems to be a problem. The heroes on the roof don’t know that Yin is there, so Zorro’s flat-footed against him. It’s a hit, and Zorro rolls a 1. He’ll spend a Hero Point to re-roll. 13 total, so he’s Stunned and takes another level of Bruised and Injured.

Blades swung at Athos, who was still in shock from the pain in his arm. But he was lucky and only got a single cut from them all. Gathering his strength, the great musketeer drove his blade deep into one man, then used a technique of his own making to pull out the blade and immediately strike the foe behind, then the next one and the next one. All that was left was Khan. The assassin grinned and pulled back his hands, wildly slamming them down onto both of Athos’s shoulders. The pain from the iron-like hands was incredible. “Please tell me that hurt!” Khan laughed.
Meanwhile, Yin aimed his crossbow, pulled the trigger, and fired. In response, Zorro, who was the man hit, shouted, “Son of a-” he looked down at his leg, noting that it was shot in the same place it had been last time, “-Not again!”

Now, it’s D’artangnan’s turn. He’ll Power Attack 2 against the ninja opposing him, hitting. The ninja rolls Toughness, failing. Then he’ll make a running jump to try and get on the lower roof of the building Yin is on. First, he musk make a Reflex save of 15 or slip on the wet roof. He makes it. Then, because the jump is about 23 feet, he must make an Acrobatics check. D’artangnan gets 28, gaining a total of 13 feet to his running jump of 12 feet, for a total of 25 feet, a little more then enough.
Yu-Jin’s turn, and he will try and drop down to the lower roof instead of climb up. The drop is less then 10 feat, so he takes no falling damage. However, the rain has made it slick, so he musk make a reflex save or slip. He makes it, and then makes a Stealth check to try and break into the Bonacieux Inn without notice. Natural 20! All present notice nothing.

Seeing the crossbow bolt fly at his ally made D’artangnan realize that he needed to do more then handle some underlings. With a high-point stab, the young man dispatched the man he was fighting with and tore at the source of the bolts. Running, D’artangnan nearly slipped on the slick roof, but he was able to jump and land on the opposite roof.
While everyone was having fun trying to kill each other, Yu-Jin dropped down from the roof and opened a window, sneaking in.

Round 3
Zorro uses a Hero Point to overcome being Stunned; he as 1 left. He’ll make a Startle attempt as a move action and Power Attacks 5 with his whip. He hits and the last ninja is out.

Zorro fell to a prowling possession and growled like an animal. Then, he jumped up with a flash of lightning. The boom of thunder covered the crack of his whip, bringing the last of Yu-Jin’s men down hard.

Athos is stunned and losses his turn. Khan attacks and misses. Yin could help Khan, but he’s more concerned about D’artangnan. He’ll move back 15 feet (everyone’s at half movement because of the rain) and shoot at D’artangnan, who is now 30 feet away. He misses.

Regaining his coordination, Athos was able to move out of the way as Khan’s fists flew.
Up on the rooftops, Yin backed way and fired at D’artangnan, but the flashing lightning and gusts of wind caused his bolt to miss.

D’artangnan will move next to Yin by spending 2 move actions.
And Yu-Jin will spend his inside the inn. What happens inside is a secret.

In turn for being shot at, D’artangnan ran through the rain next to his foe, sword ready.

Round 4
Zorro notes that it’s now one-on-one, so his work is done. Because D’artangnan mentioned something about a paper, he thinks the boy has it. As such, he’ll sneak away and come back later as Don Diego De La Vega, so that he can do some investigating without a musketeer nearby. He moves away and makes a Stealth check, getting 25. No one notices he's gone.

Rolling up his whip, Zorro looked at the four remaining fighters. Things looked under control. It was probably time for the Fox to disappear into the night. Tomorrow, Don Diego De La Vega would pay this place a visit.

Athos will spend a Hero Point to take a strenuous action without switching to dieing. Then, he’ll All-out/Power Attack 5, hitting. Khan fails his toughness by 19! He’s reduced to dieing with one hit! Athos so gets a Hero Point for that.
Yin backs off from D’artangnan by 10 feet before reaching the end of the roof. He shots and hits, and D’artangnan ends up with a Bruised and Injured.

“To bad you’re not lucky today, musketeer!” Khan shouted, jumping at Athos.
“Fool!” shouted Athos, delivering a great stabbing blow to Khan’s stomach as he flew, driving the blade in to the hilt. As the assassin fell to the floor, Athos panted, “For 10 years, I’ve been a Musketeer. Luck has nothing to do with it. Nor does skill. Only loyalty and determination matter.”
Up above, Yin’s next arrow skinned D’artangnan.

D’artangnan will move in and All-out Power/Attacks 3. He hits, and Yin fails by 11, taking a Staggered, Stunned, and Disabled.
Yu-Jin and his men will GM-fait to escape automatically. Athos and D’artangnan get a Hero Point.

“Enough Running!” D’artangnan shouted, moving in and delivering a great slash to Yin’s gut. Just as he was about to finish it, the shattering of glass and a woman’s scream distracted the young man. “Constance!” he shouted, leaping down and running toward the inn. Athos hobbled behind.
As the two men ran it the building, Yu-Jin’s underlings forced themselves up, helping one another hobble away. Yin smiled. This is not over.
“Constance!” D’artangnan shouted, tearing through the inn, “Where are you?”
“D’artangnan!” the woman screamed, running down the stars and ran down the stairs so fast that she fell into D’artangnan’s shocked arms.
“Wh-what happed Constance?” the youth stammered, “What’s going on!?”
“Oh D’artangnan!” the young woman howled, like a she-wolf that just lost her cub, “He took him!”
D’artangnan’s blood froze in place and his heat stopped. She doesn’t mean…“What do you mean?”
“The Asian man!” the woman wailed, “He took Jean! My baby brother! He’s gone!”
“But why?!”
“Young man,” Athos finally spoke, pointing at the wall.
Scratched in the wood, jagged letters bore a message. ‘To see boy again, You, Constance, musketeer, and thief-in-black come to Sea Skull Keep three days hence. Bring the paper that was stolen. If more then four are seem from lookout tower, the boy will suffer greatly…’

Aftermath:
Zorro: 1 Hero Points, 2 Injured, 2Bruised, Sword Broken
D’artangnan: 8 Hero Points, 1 Injured, 1Bruised
Athos: 2 Hero Points, 2 Injured, 2Bruised, Staggered, and Disabled
Yu-Jin: No Damage Conditions, Escaped
10 Ninja: Dying, stabilized, Escaped
Khan: Dying, stabilized, Escaped
Yin: Staggered, and Disabled, Escaped

Now that was amazing. D’artangnan really did better then I expected, and he didn’t spend any Hero Points! Anyway, Athos had it bad from the get-go, and Yin made it difficult for everyone. One GM-fait and Zorro lost a lot of his abilities. Good thing he’s a smart fighter. If that happened to D’artangnan, he’d have suffered greatly. Yu-Jin’s really shown what he’s capable of; he’s far more then just an over glorified bodyguard. I was expecting things to turn out differently, so now thing are going to happen differently. Next time, you’ll all get to see Inigo Montoya in person.

[Sand Fox]

Name: Fezzik
Age: 34
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
Height: 8’11”
Weight: 456
PL: 6
PP: 6

Abilities: 24
STR: 24 (+7), DEX: 10 (+0), CON: 24 (+7), INT: 10 (+0), WIS: 14 (+2), CHA: 14 (+2)

Skills: 9
Climb: 5 (+12)
Intimidate: 8 (+10 or +12 against smaller foes)
Medicine: 4 (+6)
Notice: 4 (+6)
Search: 5 (+5)
Sense Motive: 6 (+8)
Survival: 4 (+6)

Feats: 17
All-out Attack
Attack Focus (2): Melee
Chokehold
Diehard
Distract (1): Intimidate
Fascinate (1): Intimidate
Fearsome Presence (4)
Improved Grab
Improved Grapple
Improved Pin
Instant Up
Power Attack
Takedown Attack

Powers: 13
Growth, Rank 4 (Innate, Permanent)

Combat: 30
Attack: +2 (-1 due to size), +4 with Melee, Defense: 14 (-1 due to size), Init: 0
Dmg: +7 Unarmed

Saves: 11
Toughness: +7, Fortitude: +9 (+7 Mod. +2 Base), Reflex: +4 (+0 Mod. +4 Base), Will: +7 (+5 Mod. +2 Base)

Drawbacks: 0

Complications
Honor: Fezzik was raised to have good morals, and he has a strong sense of sportsmanship
Prejudice: Abnormally Large
Responsibility: Inigo Montoya is one of the few people who actually understands Fezzik, and is probably his only true friend
Quarks: Good natured to no end, Simple minded (but not stupid)

Total Cost
Abilities 24 + Skills 9 (39 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 13 + Combat 16 + Saves 11 – Drawbacks 0 = 90/90

Trade Offs
-1 Atk Bonus/+1 Dmg Bonus
-1 Defense/+1 Toughness

Notes:
Fezzik is the proud son of two large people from turkey. He was raised with good morals and has a fair nature. Being so very large, Fezzik has been treated cruelly, and always wanted a true friend to understand him. This friend turned out to be Inigo Montoya.
Combat wise, Fezzik is what he appears to be: A straightforward giant. He has monster strength and constitution, and can wade through minions rather nicely. However, if faced against stilled foes, he’s low Power Level and bad Attack Bonus will cost him. As such, he’d probably better serve as Inigo’s back up, using his amazing grappling abilities to catch foes giving Inigo trouble. Also, despite his kind demeanor, Fezzik is quite frightening, and can Distract, Demoralize, and Fascinate foes he can’t hit.

[MM]

Oh well, I was half-right. D'artangnan did really good, even if he didn't beat Yu-Jin. Athos was pretty screwed from the get go, and ended up the most damaged because of it (8 on 1, plus the sniper). Zorro did rather poorly it seemed, but he lost his whip and his sword, so that'll be forgiven.

And in other news, Yu-Jin is calling them out! Not sure why'd he'd want the musketeer as well... probably to eliminate witnesses. And Khan will probably want to go round two.

And only four allowed? I guess Porthos and Aramis will have to hang back on this one. Unless Aramis goes disguised as Constance and Porthos as man in black... but since everyone thinks Aramis is a guy, that'll probably NOT happen.

And we get to see the wizard swordsman in the next chapter, who could single-handedly best all three musketeers on his own! (Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but he should at least be able to take on two). And you mentioned a Captain Hook build earlier, didn't you? He'd be cool to do, even if you no longer are going to use him in the story.

[AmericanYeti]

Woah! That was a hell of a fight! Athos was really lucky in killing Kahn, but other than that, it all went pretty much as I thought it would. Zorro's not an easy man to put down, even without his sword and it's a good example of how a couple of PL 5 villains can cause loads of trouble. Sure, the characters are lower in PL than normal, but you'd normally think that a PL 8 hero would mop the floor with an assassin and eight minions. I can't wait to see Inigo in action!

[Thorpacolypse]

Nice Fezzik. And I mean it.

(Anybody want a peanut?)

Haven't had a chance to read through the story yet, but I am looking forward to it during my lunch tomorrow, if all goes well.

[Sand Fox]

Name: Captain James Hook
Age: 32
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 183
PL: 8
PP: 140

Abilities: 36
STR: 16 (+3), DEX: 18 (+4), CON: 14 (+2), INT: 16 (+3), WIS: 14 (+2), CHA: 18 (+4)

Skills: 28
Bluff: 10 (+14)
Diplomacy: 10 (+14)
Escape Artist: 5 (+9)
Intimidate: 10 (+14)
Knowledge
Art: 8 (+11)
History: 6 (+9)
Notice: 6 (+8)
Perform
Keyboards: 6 (+10)
Singing: 6 (+10)
Profession (Captain): 8 (+10)
Search: 6 (+9)
Sense Motive: 8 (+10)
Slight of Hand: 5 (+9)
Stealth: 5 (+9)
Languages: 3 (Base: English; Extras: French, Germen, Spanish)

Feats: 38
Accurate Attack
All-out Attack
Ambidexterity
Attack Focus (2): Melee
Attractive (1)
Benefit (1): Status (Fearsome Pirate Captain)
Defensive Attack
Defensive Roll (2)
Dodge Focus (2)
Environmental Adaptation (The High Seas)
Equipment (8)
Fascinate (1): Diplomacy
Favored Environment (2): The Sea
Improved Block (1)
Improved Disarm (1)
Improved Imitative
Minions (7): 25 Thugs (Pg. 229 of Mutates and Masterminds, Second Edition)
Power Attack
Quick Draw (1)
Startle
Taunt

Equipment: (40 points to spend)
Sword (Cost: 5)
Captain’s Uniform (+2 Toughness) (Cost: 2)
Heavy Flintlock Pistol: Blast 4, Flaw (One Shot, Requires full round action to reload) (Cost: 4)
Hook: Strike 2, Mighty, Improved Crit. (Cost: 3)
Ship: The Jolly Roger (Cost 26)
Size: Gargantuan, Strength: 40, Toughness: 12, Blast: 8

Combat: 28
Attack: +8, +10 with Melee, Defense: 18 (13 flat-footed, 20 when on the Sea), Init: 8
Dmg: +3 Unarmed, +6 Sword, +5 Hook

Saves: 10
Toughness: +6 (4 without Captain’s Uniform, 4 when flat-footed), Fortitude: +5 (+2 Mod. +3 Base), Reflex: +7 (+4 Mod. +3 Base), Will: +6 (+4 Mod. +2 Base)

Drawbacks: 0

Total Cost
Abilities 36 + Skills 28 (112 ranks) + Feats 38 + Powers 0 + Combat 28 + Saves 10 – Drawbacks 0 = 140/140

Trade Offs
+2 Atk Bonus/-2 Dmg Bonus
+2 Defense/-2 Toughness

Notes
And now, presenting, the Eloquent Captain James Hook, as requested by MM. Here, Hook is very much over the top, and that’s what I wanted. I wanted to illustrate J. M. Barrie’s vision of the Captain being this elegant yet horrifying man, strangely a captivating gentleman and a bloody Pirate. Besides, he’s a baddie, and I’m more lenient with villains’ costs. Of his extra points, good deal of them attribute to the Captain’s ship and crew, which is expected of a villain. As for Smee, James Hook’s good natured, left-hand man, I decided not to buy him with the Sidekick feat; opting instead to have him be a simple story reference (Hook is already expensive.) And because the Captain’s been shown to get along fine with his hook, even playing the piano elegantly, I decided not to make it a drawback.
Combat wise, Captain Hook is a grand swordsman by far, but he can do well in all forms of melee, and is still a good shot. Even if Hook’s sword is taken away, his hook can be a very nasty surprise for anyone thinking he’s helpless. He’s meant for sea battles, but land can work for him too. Environmental Adaptation (The High Seas) represents him being able to stay on a boat for ages without suffering seasickness or being thrown off by the rocking of the boat during a battle. However, it’s his interaction skills that make Captain James Hook truly what he is. He can feint and demoralize just about anyone, and his Diplomacy is almost as good as Milady de Winter’s. Hook’s crew is terrified of him, and for good reason. Despite the importance he puts of form and gentlemanliness, James Hook will quickly shot down those that oppose or upset him.