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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Do any of these heroes have a recurring villain? A nemesis? Toyman has likely encountered the most supervillains or equivalents out of the new team members. I'm concerned that somewhere, somehow there's a risk that isn't being addressed right now, because the Team's veterans are being pulled in too many directions.
 
She shakes her head. "My costume -and Dad's- helps a bit, and… Apparently-" She looks at me. "-Doctor Mist is one of my ancestors. And everyone descended from him can handle a bit more raw magic than most people."

"He…" Roy carries on looking blank. "Ah…"

She rolls her eyes. "It was over a hundred generations ago. Of course I don't look like him."

M'gann frowns. "How big is the difference?"

Zatanna looks a little awkward. "Well, it's… Hard to measure it exactly-."

"About two hundred times more raw power, untrained homo magi to random peon. About fifty times more raw power, slightly experienced homo magi to minor street magician. About twenty times more raw power, veteran homo magi to a lifelong magic junkie like John Constantine."

Wallace nods. "So they start stronger, and a regular guy can't ever catch up."

What level would he be?

Expanded Metaphysique (100 CP) Magic requires power. Some mages sacrifice a chicken or other people for a boost; some people bargain power from arcane lifeforms like Demons, Angels, or gods. Some people, like John Constantine, get by on cleverness to sidestep a lack of power. However, simply practicing magic slowly expands the strength of your soul, much like weightlifting will expand the strength of your muscles. This grants a three-fold increase in the strength of your soul and magic, enough to take a completely untrained novice to the level of an adult Atlantean mage of average talent. This may be purchased five times, each purchase linearly increasing your power (3x, 6x, 9x, 12x, 15x). Only the first purchase is free for Mages, with all subsequent purchases being 50% off instead.


1 x200 =200
Y x50 = 250, so y=5
Z x20 = 400, so Z=20.

1, Y and Z can be multiplied by any higher number, but the ratios are the same. Still, X 3 is under 'minor street magicians,' which is 5 assuming that 1 remains the baseline. So probably a bit less than average Atlantean mages (who use magic in their day to day life and for their careers) with one purchase… and if you buy in jumpchain up to the full 15, you have less power than John Constantine pre-Lordification, and much less power than Zatanna (or, heavens forbid, Dr Mist).

The real benefit of that perk is to buy it while also having a perk share/teaching perk, so you can give it to Zatanna/John Constantine/Dr Mist… which makes it less useful for a first jump.


Unless, of course, multiplying your metaphysique's strength also multiplies your efficacy, or the boost remains static as you grow, granting greater and greater power as your base strength improves. Which… fits Jumpchain.
 
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28th September 2013
12:42 GMT -5


"…wasn't all that happy about it, but the C.I.A. has to spend all that drug money on something."

I'm grinning as I copy her design onto the floor. I probably shouldn't be, but when it comes to ways to monetise a superpower…
Ah, making magical doodads for the American government? Probably more in the 'diagnostic tool' field than anything, I hope. Although personal defensive items also have a market, I suppose.

"And they don't need to be recharged?"

"Of course they need to be recharged. Service fees are where the real money is." She sighs. "Of course, it's kinda pointless now. How long 'til the economy gets fixed?"
Oooh, evil plan, Zee.

"Depending on how you define 'fixed', a year."

She looks mildly disconcerted. "Really?"
Optimistic, really.

"After a year, the food supply will have demonstrably been fixed. Fuel should be, too. And that's it. We'll basically be waiting for people to start doing things for themselves again, and if it-. I mean, it should be happening by then. Assume there aren't any more shocks."
Sadly, I suspect more shocks to the culture are in store.

Her eyes narrow slightly. "'And if it' what?"

I exhale through my nose. "If it hasn't happened by then, then it isn't going to. Something in our civilisation is fundamentally broken, and I'm not really sure what we do about it." I hold up my hands and wave them apart and together a few times. "But I'm pretty sure that isn't going to happen. Ah, good idea, selling enchanted objects."
You'd think the Smiling fellow would want things back to normal as fast as possible for optimum exploitation.

"It's a living. Or it was."

"Are you still doing the stage shows?"

"That's the plan. Of course, we're not doing them right now. Other than the occasional impromptu show, anyway. There's just too much to do, and I don't think people would really enjoy it."
The joy of what is effectively a post-war world.

I nod. "And how are things with your new students?"

She snorts. "Now I know exactly how Sephtian felt when I showed him how I use magic."
He had quite the headache when he tried to work out how her talking backwards could produce spell effects, didn't he?

"Oh?"

"Tim isn't actually all that powerful. Everything I've been able to do to measure his raw magical force and stamina tells me that he's doing okay for someone who just started learning magic… He's only about as powerful as La'gaan."
For now. I bet his future glory will be because he isn't pinned down to one magical tradition.

I frowns. "Ah… That.. doesn't match-."

She exhales heavily. "I know. And that's because somehow he's got a… Thaumic… Presence that's way more powerful than it should be. He can do the things he does not because he's super-powerful but because he's doing things for a fraction of the… Effort it should take."
Ah, I see. He's got the metaphysical equivalent of Final Fantasy X's 'One MP Cost' ability. Doesn't matter what he casts, it always 'costs' him the same negligible amount?

"Like you with talking backwards."

"Actually, no. It takes me the same amount of effort that it takes a classically trained Atlantean, I just got to bypass learning how to cast spells the normal way and a boost in my starting power. He's… I don't know. I can't think of anything quite like it, and I've looked. I've got him doing normal starting exercises because he does actually need to build up his metaphysique to do anything that doesn't involve summoning his friends."
Ah, gotta build up his skill before he can break out the top-level stuff instead of repeatedly using 'Phone a magical friend.'

"Is-?"

"And you remember how I couldn't get any information about where you come from using magic?"

I nod. "Yes."
Quite the headache of her own when she tried to raid Destiny's Book for anything about him.

"He's even worse. Everything I do gives a different results. I couldn't even be sure that his dad is his dad when he was in the same room. I mean, I know for you that the universe doesn't know what to make of you because your original universe doesn't quite fit, but with him it's almost like…"
So it's like someone has put some manner of obfuscation on him. Could even have been his future self, depending on methods.

She trails off, shaking her head and shrugging.

"Is any of that a problem for him?"
If it hasn't been so far, probably not?

"It means I'm not sure what he'll be able to do, but… I can probably work around it."

"And Toyman?"
I suspect the answer to 'what can he do' will eventually be 'Yes.'

"I'm just having him do physical exercise. I think his parents basically kept him shut up in a workshop for years. I can relate, but if he's going to be a superhero he's going to have to build some muscle." I nod. "How about you?"

"I think I have adequate muscle?"
And with his Ring, he always has the optimum amount of muscle for his self-image.

I flex my arms, which doesn't really show through my armour.

Zatanna chuckles. "No. I mean, your students."
Argent isn't really built for strength, while the Face... Who knows what his Un-Man physiology is capable of?

"To be blunt, neither of them have the potential that yours do. Argent has most utility-."

"How are you making them better?"
Oh, right. Well, one option would be armour. Even if it would look odd on the Face, walking around shirtless isn't particularly viable.

"Field work. That way I can see how they react to the sort of situations we're training them to deal with, and we can all see what they need to learn in order to get better. Based on what I've seen so far, Face could do with the sort of training actual police officers get. He's got the experience from working security in Aberrance but I get the impression that his boss just wanted to have a metahuman on staff."
At the least, it'll cover his ass legally in some cases of application of force.

"I can't imagine not having a head. What's he like?"

"Sociable enough. Enthusiastic about improving. Reasonable policing-related people skills from his work in Aberrance. He's level head-."

Zatanna gives me a look.
Yeah, if you finished that pun, you'd be walking around with a donkey tail for a day or two, I suspect.

"He's not excitable. Haven't seen how he worked under combat pressure yet."

"How about Argent?"
Argent is a teenage girl. It's going to be very important to get her to train combat instincts other than 'scream and run' or 'shield self then run.'

"I'm going to need to work with her on shielding different things. Try and get her to make constructs faster. Since she has school and is.. probably going to want to get a job at some point, I can't really pick anything too time-intensive."

"Where does her power actually come from?"
Heh. Now that is the million-dollar question, isn't it?

"I can't tell. She definitely underwent a… Form of novel genetic expression. I have no idea what her genes looked like before the Anti-Life broadcast, but there are substantial nonhuman segments in her D.N.A. now."

"Nonhuman? She's an alien?"
Technically? The comics version has artificial genetic infusions courtesy of the H'san Natall. Whether they'll be coming back for her and her fellow hybrids remains to be seen...

"No, I mean, not found in normal humans. Metahuman genetics usually read as weird nonsense. I couldn't even tell you why her skin's shiny. I managed to take a tissue sample; it changes back the moment it's removed. She might even be able to learn to control it."

I look down at the floor.
So the silver skin is part of her powers, rather than purely biological? Interesting. An innate skin-tight field she can't control yet, perhaps.

"How's it coming?"

"Erehw did eht latsyrc emoc morf!"
Right, then. Let's see if she can brute-force the matter.

A puff of must rises off the diagram, air whistling around the design before the pressure equalises.

"Wohs em erehw!"
Preferably with a globe showing country, city and even street address, is possible. 😄

The room… Shakes faintly, and then Zatanna's eyes glow gold.

"Are you alright?"
Looks like there was some measure of resistance she just broke through.

She blinks, and the light fades. And then she smiles.

"I think we're got them."
Assuming they didn't detect her scrying them and promptly pack up shop and leave before they arrive.

Somehow, I doubt the Illuminati are still at the place the crystals came from if they have any sense. And the gents are paranoid enough to ensure their facilities are probably quite displaced from each other. But this should at least give them a clue they can follow. Now, whether to call in anyone before they dash off and whether they should bring any rookies along... 🤔
 
Unrelated to the above comments:



Hey, so question: since an Ask Greg from S4 confirmed Dinah 16 is an actual qualified therapist (not sure if an earlier Ask Greg mentioned this fact) would that make Paulphidian's call out of her a case of Hilarious in Hindsight or Harsher in Hindsight; since it means that retroactively she was qualified?
Forgot about this. I have added a line under outdated by canon in the trivia page.
 
Perhaps she received her training and certification after S1, because (while she was able to talk to them and help them) she wanted better tools, or found that she enjoyed being a therapist?
 
Did she actually practice?

Greg at leaat confirmed being a therapist is her job in addition to running a flower shop.

Zatanna also gave that one bus driver (lobg story, Klarion sent a bus full of kids through time) Dinah's card, so she is a practicing therapist in the show.

She also counsels Zatara after he was freed from Nabu.

Don't forget her helping Gar during his depression arc.

Perhaps she received her training and certification after S1, because (while she was able to talk to them and help them) she wanted better tools, or found that she enjoyed being a therapist?

That could work for WTR Dinah. Although I admit, I find the idea of Paragon being baffled that she was qualified this whole time more funny.
 
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