Ginat-Sized Aliens who Turn Human

[Michael Hopcroft]

In a certain famous animated series, there are aliens who are normally about as big as a fighter jet. In other words, they are as tall as a fighter jet is long. They're giants.

Now these giants have a device in their ship that allows them to shrink to human size for purposes of infiltration into human society. "Micronized" aliens are ideal spies, but tend to bring back things their employers don;t want them to. (But that's another story).

The question is this: How do the Growth and Shrinking powers figure into modeling the aliens and their Micronization device? If I read the rules correctly, giants don't get Growth based on being naturally big -- their other characteristics are modeled based on their size. At the same time, the parameters of the Shrinking power are based on human size, not giant-size. So how, in HERO terms, do you Micronize the giant aliens and make them human-sized?

[Steve Long]

I'd give 'em a Multiform. But other minds may differ. Since this is really a "how to" and not a rules question, I've moved it to "HERO System Discussion" so Herodom Assembled can offer advice. ;)

[Seenar]

Well I would just buy their shrinking and start the effects from their giant size.

But a micronization device is really a transform on them.

[Chaosliege]

If the only thing this device does is make them human size, then it is shrinking. Just figure out how much growth it would take to make a human thier natural size, and then buy that many levels in shrinking.

ie.

If your guy is normaly 24ft tall, that equates to two full levels of growth.
Give him two levels of shrinking and he'll be human size.

[Jhamin]

If I recall the series you are speaking of correctly, the Giant aliens themselves had no size changing abilites at all. They were big, or they were small. Bought as characters, they would either be bought small (like normal characters) or they would be bought big (paying points for all the stuff that gives them).

The micronizing device is a transform that changes aliens from big to small and vice versa. The size changing is a function of equipment and should be bought as such. As I recall, it took a while to work so you could buy the device as an Immobile OAF Bulky with Extra time.

[Old Man]

I think you guys are forgetting that just giving them Shrinking doesn't change their stats. When the giants become small, they lose their giant strength and toughness.

Maybe it's just me but I would either use a Multiform, Transform or...

Build the big guys using Growth. The Shrinking Machine would have several linked Suppresses (maybe Standard Effect) affecting Growth, and whatever else you attribute to their large size.

Maybe Transform would be better because if something happened to the Shrinking Machine, they would suddenly become giant sized again.

[Jhamin]

Remember, according to the new guidelines from FREd, just because you are different than normal size that doesn't mean you should have growth or shrinking. Those powers are intended for folks who can change their size.

These giant aliens don't do that. They have a machine that changes them. That is the definition of a Transform.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Originally posted by Shadowpup
Maybe Transform would be better because if something happened to the Shrinking Machine, they would suddenly become giant sized again.

IIRC, is the machine breaks or is destroyed you are stuck in the size you're at now. That is, until a replacement machine can be obtained. These aliens mass-produce the things and have enormous fleets Only their fear of the puny humans prevents them from squashing them like bugs!

Why are they afraid of the humans? Therin hangs the tale....:)

[Stephen_H-G]

A multiform would give you the least grief on this one. You wouldn't have to worry about accidentally reverting that way or anything.

[ryusen]

i'm in favour of the transform. reasons:
1- the change is pretty much permanent
2- the ability to change is not theirs at all, but in the chamber.

on a side note, shadowpup, you're in hawaii? cool. do you still play actively?

[Old Man]

Originally posted by ryusen
i'm in favour of the transform. reasons:
1- the change is pretty much permanent
2- the ability to change is not theirs at all, but in the chamber.

on a side note, shadowpup, you're in hawaii? cool. do you still play actively?

Play, by it's very nature is active ;)

Just started a FtF Fantasy Hero campaign.
Playing Fantasy Hero, Pulp Hero and Gamma Hero by email/post

Occassionally get in a game of 40k and B5Wars