Signature Task Force and powers

[Luminara]

No actual *F described, or even outlined, no story, no MacGuffin, no enemies, just a bot-scripted post about some C-listed benchwarmers.

 

This is more like spam than a suggestion.

[Wingslord24]

12 minutes ago, Luminara said:

No actual *F described, or even outlined, no story, no MacGuffin, no enemies, just a bot-scripted post about some C-listed benchwarmers.

 

This is more like spam than a suggestion.

I'm trying to see if anyone would be interested in the idea of something like this, before getting to the meat and potatoes of the missions.

[Wingslord24]

17 minutes ago, Luminara said:

No actual *F described, or even outlined, no story, no MacGuffin, no enemies, just a bot-scripted post about some C-listed benchwarmers.

 

This is more like spam than a suggestion.

 C-listed benchwarmers my god what did they ever do to you? I believe they are just as important as the main headliners.

[Rudra]

45 minutes ago, Wingslord24 said:

Play the story arc she uses these powers to fight in last mission. Now let's get back to the topic at hand as I see it some people just want to be the center of attention and case disruption.  who here likes the Idea of the task force.

A funny thing happened. I just ran that arc to see War Witch use Serene's Dominator powers. And you know what happened? She didn't. She threw a series of ice blasts and she swung a fire sword. She swung that fire sword once. Every other attack she used? Was an ice blast from the Ice Blast Blaster primary power set.

[lemming]

Unrelated heroes for the most part.  The only two that share a SG are from Wisdom, Mirror Spirit & Foreshadow; Manticore from Freedom Phalanx, Incan from Vanguard Herald, and Infernal from Vindicators.

 

Why Manticore? He's got his own TF to run.  He's also in the SSAs and quite a few other arcs.   Didn't know he had that annoying TP arrow like Chimera.  Sorta Fold Space like.

 

I'd say Mirror Spirit & Foreshadow would be better off in some faultline related TF or to explain why a Korean SG is here.  And for defense, you'd probably want Mirror Shield, not Trap. (Trap is a hold)

 

War Witch is originally Legacy Chain, so maybe something on red side, but for vigilantes, sorta a flip of the John Houston arc.

Looks like she only has access to Harvest Blades, Serene is her full form has Autumnal Blades.   Does that mean WW will still use them? unclear.

 

Infernal; an arc to find out what happened to the Praetorian one maybe.  We find his axe, but I don't recall anything else about his disappearance.

He doesn't have Burn. He has aura?

 

A single TF/Arc/whatever doesn't make much sense for this grouping.   You could do something like a SSA where you have disparate threads at each step and tie it all together in the last arc.

[Wingslord24]

1 hour ago, lemming said:

Unrelated heroes for the most part.  The only two that share a SG are from Wisdom, Mirror Spirit & Foreshadow; Manticore from Freedom Phalanx, Incan from Vanguard Herald, and Infernal from Vindicators.

 

Why Manticore? He's got his own TF to run.  He's also in the SSAs and quite a few other arcs.   Didn't know he had that annoying TP arrow like Chimera.  Sorta Fold Space like.

 

I'd say Mirror Spirit & Foreshadow would be better off in some faultline related TF or to explain why a Korean SG is here.  And for defense, you'd probably want Mirror Shield, not Trap. (Trap is a hold)

 

War Witch is originally Legacy Chain, so maybe something on red side, but for vigilantes, sorta a flip of the John Houston arc.

Looks like she only has access to Harvest Blades, Serene is her full form has Autumnal Blades.   Does that mean WW will still use them? unclear.

 

Infernal; an arc to find out what happened to the Praetorian one maybe.  We find his axe, but I don't recall anything else about his disappearance.

He doesn't have Burn. He has aura?

 

A single TF/Arc/whatever doesn't make much sense for this grouping.   You could do something like a SSA where you have disparate threads at each step and tie it all together in the last arc.

The reason I picked these heroes is because there signature powers are not available in the mastery Systeam or anything like that in any power system. Yes manticore does have a low level Task force if you read this new task force will be a max level, also it's ok for him to have two TF like Positron.

[Greycat]

54 minutes ago, Wingslord24 said:

The reason I picked these heroes is because there signature powers are not available in the mastery Systeam or anything like that in any power system. Yes manticore does have a low level Task force if you read this new task force will be a max level, also it's ok for him to have two TF like Positron.

 

Positron has two because he used to have one *extremely long* one that was split up. Not "let's just give posi two."

[Wingslord24]

Just now, Greycat said:

 

Positron has two because he used to have one *extremely long* one that was split up. Not "let's just give posi two."

Still possible to have two that's the whole point.

[lemming]

57 minutes ago, Wingslord24 said:

The reason I picked these heroes is because there signature powers are not available in the mastery Systeam or anything like that in any power system. Yes manticore does have a low level Task force if you read this new task force will be a max level, also it's ok for him to have two TF like Positron.

So, not based off story, but off powers.  And note that Foreshadow's power, is just a slightly different Energy Blast.  You'd have to come up with a compelling story to even get any sort of traction and right now, you have nothing but a desire to get some powers (a couple that don't exist) as a reward.

 

Manticore is everywhere.  Frankly a little overused IMO.  And the power, it's just a different style Fold Space.

[Rudra]

25 minutes ago, lemming said:

So, not based off story, but off powers.  And note that Foreshadow's power, is just a slightly different Energy Blast.  You'd have to come up with a compelling story to even get any sort of traction and right now, you have nothing but a desire to get some powers (a couple that don't exist) as a reward.

 

Manticore is everywhere.  Frankly a little overused IMO.  And the power, it's just a different style Fold Space.

That's the whole point of the suggestion. Simply a means of getting more powers. Note that the OP does not say temp powers, though by the nature of how these powers would be gained, they would still need to be temp powers. That is why there is no work done on defining what any of the supposed TFs would be about. Not even an example TF for a pick a random character the author wants the powers of. Effort is put into naming powers that would be granted to the character for doing the TF(s), but not defining the TF(s) themselves. (The author put so much effort into the suggestion, that (s)he/they even listed non-existent characters as Signature Characters for us to learn more about and get powers from because (s)he/they used an AI chatbot to generate the initial suggestion. At least before (s)he/they went back and replaced the non-existent characters with Mirror Spirit, Manticore, and War Witch.)

 

(Edit: At least as temp powers, they really wouldn't be unbalancing. Just give them the normal less effective than primary/secondary powers treatment and cap them at a low usage count that doesn't stack but can be refreshed after depletion.)

 

Edited October 28 by Rudra
Edited to add "because (s)he/they used an AI chatbot to generate the initial suggestion".

[Wingslord24]

Here are compelling mission storylines for each signature hero, bringing their unique backgrounds and powers to the forefront:

---

Mirror Spirit – "Reflections of the Past

**Plot**: Mirror Spirit has discovered remnants of a powerful artifact that once fractured dimensions. This artifact, now active again, begins to summon twisted versions of heroes from other realities—evil doppelgangers of the players’ characters and allies. To protect the multiverse from these unstable echoes, players join Mirror Spirit in tracking down the artifact fragments and defeating their shadow counterparts.

**Mission Highlights**:
- **Echo Combat**: Players face mirror versions of themselves or famous heroes, each with similar abilities, which requires strategic coordination to win.
- **The Mirror Trap**: Mirror Spirit grants players access to her “Mirror Trap” technique, allowing them to immobilize and confuse the doppelgangers temporarily.
- **Climactic Finale**: The final showdown takes place in a distorted mirror dimension, where players must restore balance by shattering the artifact to prevent any further incursions.

---

Manticore – "Strings of the Arrow

**Plot**: Manticore has uncovered a plot involving a network of highly-trained assassins aiming to destabilize Paragon City by targeting key figures. As players work alongside him, they unravel a chain of covert operations, discovering each hit is coordinated by a mysterious mastermind. The players must help Manticore eliminate or capture each assassin, ultimately uncovering a shocking betrayal within Paragon’s ranks.

**Mission Highlights**:
- **Covert Ops**: Players rely on stealth and precision, disabling traps and eliminating enemies quietly to avoid alerting reinforcements.
- **The Teleporting Arrow**: Manticore teaches players his “Teleporting Arrow” skill, letting them blink across the battlefield, ideal for flanking or ambushing foes.
- **High-Stakes Finale**: In a final showdown against the lead assassin, players must work together to disable an array of traps and outmaneuver elite enemies in a massive training arena.

---

Incandescent – "The Ember Within

**Plot**: A strange, seemingly natural disaster has scorched an entire district in Paragon City, leaving only smoldering ruins. Incandescent suspects it’s the work of a dangerous fire demon who was once her nemesis. To banish this ancient evil, players must delve into the demon’s lair, extinguish its fiery minions, and ultimately face the demon itself in a supernatural realm of flames.

**Mission Highlights**:
- **Heat of Battle**: The fiery environment inflicts continuous damage over time, requiring players to manage their health strategically while fighting fire-based enemies.
- **Lambent Flame**: Incandescent bestows her “Lambent Flame” ability, allowing players to summon a searing aura that weakens nearby enemies and bolsters allies.
- **Epic Showdown**: The final battle against the fire demon takes place within a burning arena, where players must use their Lambent Flame to exploit the demon’s weaknesses.

---

 

War Witch – "Kingdom of the Forgotten Witches

**Plot**: War Witch discovers an ancient kingdom of witches long thought lost to myth. As it emerges from obscurity, its inhabitants—powerful sorceresses and mystical warriors—bring with them ancient magic that threatens to disrupt the balance in Paragon City. The players must join War Witch as she ventures into this enchanted realm to negotiate peace and, if necessary, prevent a magical war. Along the way, they learn the kingdom’s tragic history and uncover secrets that even War Witch never knew.

**Mission Highlights**:
- **Enchanted Kingdom**: Players travel to hidden locations filled with dense, foggy forests, crumbling castles, and enchanted groves. Each setting is filled with magical traps, illusions, and hostile enchantments that test the players’ mental and physical resilience.
- **Alliance or Animosity**: Throughout the mission, players encounter different factions within the kingdom, each with its own motives. They help War Witch navigate alliances with sympathetic witches while battling hostile guards, spell-bound creatures, and renegade sorcerers.
- **Autumnal Equinox**: War Witch shares her “Autumnal Equinox” ability, allowing players to harness nature’s energies, healing allies and weakening enemies caught within the mystical field.
- **Final Conflict**: The climactic battle occurs in the heart of the Witch Kingdom, where players face the ruling sorceress, an immensely powerful witch who commands arcane storms and spectral armies. Players work with War Witch to either defeat or persuade the ruler, restoring balance to both worlds. 

This mission offers players a unique opportunity to explore War Witch’s mystical heritage, gaining insight into her powers while earning the trust of a kingdom steeped in ancient magic.

---

Infernal – "Burned Bridges

**Plot**: Infernal learns that an ancient demonic pact he once nullified has been reawakened, and a demonic cult is now causing mayhem. Players join him in tracking the cultists through the sewers and crypts of Paragon City, racing to stop the summoning of a massive infernal beast that could devastate the city.

**Mission Highlights**:
- **Infernal Tactics**: Players navigate cult-infested locations, where Infernal’s knowledge of the occult helps them avoid traps and ambushes.
- **Infernal Burn**: Players earn Infernal’s powerful “Infernal Burn” technique, which cloaks them in demonic flames, enhancing their attacks with fiery, DoT abilities.
- **Demon Confrontation**: In the finale, players face off against the summoned infernal beast, coordinating attacks and using Infernal Burn to break through its supernatural defenses.

---

Foreshadow – "Hand of Destiny

**Plot**: Foreshadow foresees a dark future where a powerful villain amasses an army of skilled fighters to overthrow Paragon City’s defenses. He recruits the players to help him preemptively strike at the villain’s key agents, but the closer they get, the more Foreshadow realizes that his visions have been manipulated. It’s up to players to uncover the truth and neutralize the threat.

**Mission Highlights**:
- **Foreshadow’s Insight**: Missions include ambushes and counter-strikes as players navigate misleading information and set traps to outwit the villain’s forces.
- **Chi Blast**: Players unlock Foreshadow’s “Chi Blast,” a focused melee-ranged attack that knocks back foes and stuns nearby enemies, perfect for crowd control.
- **Confronting Fate**: In the finale, players face a mind-bending battle against the villain responsible for manipulating Foreshadow’s visions, fighting in a mirrored maze that warps reality and requires precision and teamwork to overcome.

---

Each mission storyline is designed to challenge players in unique ways while deepening the lore and power behind each hero’s iconic role in Paragon City. Through these missions, players not only face high-stakes threats but also become part of each hero’s legacy, earning powerful new abilities that symbolize their journey together.

[Wingslord24]

4 hours ago, Rudra said:

A funny thing happened. I just ran that arc to see War Witch use Serene's Dominator powers. And you know what happened? She didn't. She threw a series of ice blasts and she swung a fire sword. She swung that fire sword once. Every other attack she used? Was an ice blast from the Ice Blast Blaster primary power set.

You must have not been there long enough she uses Antipodal Strike along with that it's part of her powerset. SMH

Powers

 Antipodal Strike Melee, Extreme DMG(Fire/Cold/Lethal), Foe -Recharge, -SPD
You draw a blade of ice and a blade of flame, striking your target with both in quick succession. The fire blade deals fire and lethal damage and sets the target ablaze, while the intense chill of the ice blade deals cold and lethal damage and will slow a target's movement and attack speed.

 Autumnal Equinox Ranged, Superior DMG(Cold), Moderate DMG (Fire, DoT), Foe Hold, -SPD, -Recharge
Calling on the strength of the seasons, you concentrate both ice and fire on your target. The target is held in a block of ice and is unable to move while they cook inside the block.

 Fire Blast Ranged, Moderate DMG(Fire)
You launch a blast of fire at a targeted foe. This can also set the target on fire for a short period of time.

 Fireball Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Fire/Smash)
You launch a fireball at your enemies. On contact, this fireball will erupt and set the main target and their nearby allies ablaze.

 Flares Ranged, Minor DMG(Fire)
A quick attack that throws flares at the target.

 Harvest Blades Melee, Moderate DMG(Fire/Cold), Minor DoT(Fire), -Recharge(Foe), -Speed(Foe, All)
You draw a blade of ice and a blade of flame and slash your target. The fire blade deals fire damage and sets the target ablaze, while the intense chill of the ice blade deals cold damage and will slow a target's movement and attack speed.

 Ice Blast Ranged, Moderate DMG(Cold/Smash), -Recharge (Foe), -Speed(Foe,All)
Ice Blast hurls shards of ice at foes and slows her attacks and movement for a time.

 Ice Bolt Ranged, Minor DMG(Cold/Smashing), -Recharge (Foe), -Speed(Foe,All)
Ice Bolt quickly pelts an enemy with small icy daggers; her chill Slows a foe's attacks and movement for a time. Fast, but little damage. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Fast

 Archvillain's Might Resistance
Arch-villains are very powerful individuals, and as such have significant resistance to many status effects. They are not immune, however, and can be vulnerable for brief windows of opportunity.

 Autumn's Embrace Resistance
Sorceress Serene has been blessed by the seasons, gaining an increased resistance to both fire and ice.

 Damage Resistance Resistance
The Talons of Vengeance are naturally resistant to negative energy and smashing damage.

 Fly Flight
Some members of the Talons of Vengeance have grown wings and are capable of flight.

[Vanden]

This is the data on the version of War Witch that appears in Night Ward after being resurrected in Sorceress Serene's body:

 

 

https://cod.uberguy.net/html/entity.html?entity=talonsofvengeance_sorceress_serene_boss_warwitch

Edited October 28 by Vanden

[Rudra]

27 minutes ago, Wingslord24 said:

You must have not been there long enough she uses Antipodal Strike along with that it's part of her powerset. SMH

Powers

 Antipodal Strike Melee, Extreme DMG(Fire/Cold/Lethal), Foe -Recharge, -SPD
You draw a blade of ice and a blade of flame, striking your target with both in quick succession. The fire blade deals fire and lethal damage and sets the target ablaze, while the intense chill of the ice blade deals cold and lethal damage and will slow a target's movement and attack speed.

 Autumnal Equinox Ranged, Superior DMG(Cold), Moderate DMG (Fire, DoT), Foe Hold, -SPD, -Recharge
Calling on the strength of the seasons, you concentrate both ice and fire on your target. The target is held in a block of ice and is unable to move while they cook inside the block.

 Fire Blast Ranged, Moderate DMG(Fire)
You launch a blast of fire at a targeted foe. This can also set the target on fire for a short period of time.

 Fireball Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Fire/Smash)
You launch a fireball at your enemies. On contact, this fireball will erupt and set the main target and their nearby allies ablaze.

 Flares Ranged, Minor DMG(Fire)
A quick attack that throws flares at the target.

 Harvest Blades Melee, Moderate DMG(Fire/Cold), Minor DoT(Fire), -Recharge(Foe), -Speed(Foe, All)
You draw a blade of ice and a blade of flame and slash your target. The fire blade deals fire damage and sets the target ablaze, while the intense chill of the ice blade deals cold damage and will slow a target's movement and attack speed.

 Ice Blast Ranged, Moderate DMG(Cold/Smash), -Recharge (Foe), -Speed(Foe,All)
Ice Blast hurls shards of ice at foes and slows her attacks and movement for a time.

 Ice Bolt Ranged, Minor DMG(Cold/Smashing), -Recharge (Foe), -Speed(Foe,All)
Ice Bolt quickly pelts an enemy with small icy daggers; her chill Slows a foe's attacks and movement for a time. Fast, but little damage. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Fast

 Archvillain's Might Resistance
Arch-villains are very powerful individuals, and as such have significant resistance to many status effects. They are not immune, however, and can be vulnerable for brief windows of opportunity.

 Autumn's Embrace Resistance
Sorceress Serene has been blessed by the seasons, gaining an increased resistance to both fire and ice.

 Damage Resistance Resistance
The Talons of Vengeance are naturally resistant to negative energy and smashing damage.

 Fly Flight
Some members of the Talons of Vengeance have grown wings and are capable of flight.

Shake your head all you want. City of Data only lists Antipodal Strike twice. Once for TalonsofVengeance.Diviner and again for TalonsofVengeance.Sorceress Serene. And the wiki only lists it under Talons of Vengeance, where War Witch is not listed. As for not being there long enough? What, am I supposed to just sit there and watch as Sorceress Serene and Lamashtu go to town on my character and the assisting NPCs? If War Witch has it, I didn't see it, and I'm not just going to sit and watch a fight to see if she eventually does.

 

Edit: I just realized you just showed me a picture of Sorceress Serene's Talons of Vengeance powers list. Which is not a War Witch powers list.

 

Edited October 28 by Rudra

[Rudra]

19 minutes ago, Vanden said:

This is the data on the version of War Witch that appears in Night Ward after being resurrected in Sorceress Serene's body:

 

Appreciate this. The issue I have is I can't find this on City of Data and it does not list her fire sword attack which I watched her use. And it wasn't a Sorceress Serene combined ice and fire swords tandem blade attack, it was a large made of fire scimitar attack. (Edit: She also never used any fire projectiles.) Please provide link. Thanks.

 

Edit again: Thanks for the link. Any idea why she didn't use Flares or Fire Blast which are listed but did use Fire Sword which is not listed? If this is the correct data, then I was wrong and I admit it. However, it does not match the powers she used against Sorceress Serene at the end of the arc.

 

Edited October 28 by Rudra

[Wingslord24]

4 minutes ago, Vanden said:

This is the data on the version of War Witch that appears in Night Ward after being resurrected in Sorceress Serene's body:

 

What's you point? all you didn't was confirm that she does use the powers of serene.

[Wingslord24]

5 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Shake your head all you want. City of Data only lists Antipodal Strike twice. Once for TalonsofVengeance.Diviner and again for TalonsofVengeance.Sorceress Serene. And the wiki only lists it under Talons of Vengeance, where War Witch is not listed. As for not being there long enough? What, am I supposed to just sit there and watch as Sorceress Serene and Lamashtu go to town on my character and the assisting NPCs? If War Witch has it, I didn't see it, and I'm not just going to sit and watch a fight to see if she eventually does.

(What, am I supposed to just sit there and watch as Sorceress Serene and Lamashtu go to town. ) Yes, so you can see you were wrong you misjudge your knowledge of what you thought you knew.

[Kaika]

I'm gonna review this with the same amount of effort OP put into writing the suggestion

 

/jranger

[Wingslord24]

1 hour ago, Kaika said:

I'm gonna review this with the same amount of effort OP put into writing the suggestion

 

/jranger

Thanks, I put a lot of work into this i appreciate you taking this seriously. unlike other people on here.

[Laucianna]

The idea itself of incarnate level task forces I do like as the more the merrier, but I do feel the heroes you selected for that aren't relevant due to the levels they tend to operate around. For me people like Prometheus, Dream Doctor, Silos having incarnate level task forces would make sense and each have their own clear goal and enemies to deal with (I would love Dream Doctors to be a time heist where you help Daedalus create the Labyrinth of Fog, seal Achlys in it, and then return it to the present which ties into the raid).

However saying all that, I am not a fan of the approach of the initial post where you put a prompt into Chat GTP about your idea, then post the essay it comes up with here without even proof reading it. Just post the initial prompt idea you had even if it's something simple like "I think incarnate level taskforces would be cool to see, maybe around heroes like Manticore, Infernal, War Witch etc. They could even grant unique temporary powers!" 💛

I get the forums are a war zone at times but the Chat GTP essays are not helping your case hun

[tidge]

1 hour ago, Laucianna said:

I get the forums are a war zone at times but the Chat GTP essays are not helping your case hun

 

That was quite a own-goal.

[GM Impervium]

Between the AI-generated OP and the nitpicking cat-fight that erupted from it, I'm shutting this down.