Weapons

You know, an assortment of weapons would make an excellent Power Pool. Simple sidearms and hand-to-hand weapons would add a lot of flavor to characters. Like Boxing and Kick, these weapons don't need to do an amazing amount of damage, just enough to be worthwhile while looking cool. They would also facilitate "weapons master" types of characters. Might I suggest something like this.

Modern Weapons Power Pool
-Pistol: Minor ranged damage; six extremely fast recharges, then one long recharge.
-Rifle: Moderate ranged damage, moderate recharge.
-Taser: Similar to the taser that comes free with low level technology characters, but with a bit more kick and longer hold.
-Grenades: You throw them; they blow up. Moderate damage, AoE, moderate recharge.

Vintage Weapons Power Pool
-Dagger: Minor slashing damage, very fast recharge.
-Rapier/Longsword: Moderate slashing damage, moderate recharge, slight defense bonus.
-Pole Arm: High slashing damage, short (but not just melee) range, moderate recharge (slow recharge on a confining map area ).
-Shield: While this power is activated, the hero carries a medium sized shield at the ready, providing enhanced defense and damage reduction.

Many other weapon options are possible, but these seemed most rational.

New Power Set: Odor Emission

OK, it's different, but it's fun and filled with ...uh... flavor. Rob and I were joking about it on the way to Hooters when I had an epifany.... This would actually be a viable power set. So, here it is! Are you listening, Cryptic??

ODOR EMISSION (Defender primary set)
-Stink: The hero produces a foul odor that causes the eyes of foes around him to water, lowering their defenses and chance to hit.
-Perfume: Hero sprays an ally or himself with a pleasant scent that prevents foes from attacking him for as long as the scent lasts. This has no effect on foes who are already attacking the hero and will stop working if an effected foe is damaged.
-Spray: Hero projects a wave of stink so potent that it blinds foes in an area in front of him.
-Aroma Therepy: Hero produces an envigorating smell that temporarily increases his total hit points and the HP of allies around him. The amount of increase and duration of the increase are less than Dull Pain.
-Silent but Deadly: The area around the hero become contaminated with a strong smell, reducing foes' accuracy and defense and doing variable damage over time. This effect fills a volume surrounding the hero. If the area around the hero is large, such as a large room or outdoors, the severity of the effect, but not the duration, is reduced. If the area around the hero is confined, such as a hallway or small room, the effect is more powerful.
-Enrage: The hero douses a team mate with a smell that attracts and enrages nearby foes, causing them to attack.
-Stink Bomb: The hero causes a wave of stink to eminate from a target area that is so foul that it causes foes in the area to retreat to a safe distance. Foes are not immobilized but will not enter into the zone and have a reduced chance of hitting with ranged attacks.
-Sweetness: Hero produces a sweet scent causing target foe and all foes around him to stop attacking and wander away. Foes will not resume aggression after Sweetness wears off unless the foe is attacked or a hero comes within range again.
-Montezuma's Revenge: The hero fills a large area with a smell so overpowering that all foes within it are reduced to uncontrolable vomiting. Foes suffer ongoing reduction of Health and Endurance and are unable to attack.

Note that the set accomodates both heroes who want to produce foul stench and those who want to produce pleasant scents, allowing greater flexibility in character creation. Beware... the Skunk-Man! (Come to think of it, we might need a bushy tail costume option.)

Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?

With my super group on Protector all but dead, I've had to try taking matters into my own hands to set up a dependable team. And since I was going to have to do that anyway, why not set up a theme for the group with the potential for a little roleplaying, should we want it? I decided we should go with something a little less glossy and a little more original than other groups.... Heroes of the 1930s. Heroes like the Shadow, the Phantom, Buck Rogers, Dick Tracy, etc. I've invited friends with CoH to create characters with a 30s style theme and brief background, each with an explanation for still being active in the 21st century. So far, we have 4 of the 5 characters up and running. Mine is....

The Victroller (Sonic/Devices Blaster)
Archibald Tippet was the trusted chauffeur of Wellington Waterbury, millionaire industrialist and costumed crime fighter, the Night Owl. When a Family bomb destroyed the Night Owl's secret headquarters, killing Waterbury, Tippet was caught in the blast and was changed. Using the estate left to him by Waterbury and technology salvaged from the Owl's Roost, Tippet avenged his dear friend and fought crime as the sound projector, The Victroller.

More on the rest of the group when I get more information.