Marchwarden
Apr 11th, '03, 10:18 AM
IIRC, when the new team was introduced, there was a fair amount of discussion of their personalities and background, but relatively little about the integrity of their design. One thing that always bugged me about the BBB team was that, although one of their functions was to provide examples of character design for new players, many of them suffered from odd flaws (shouldn't Seeker know how to use his martial-arts weapons with his martial arts?), which could lead new players astray.
Now, perhaps it was that we were all still getting used to 5th, or perhaps it was that, before CU and CKC, there wasn't enough opposition to give us a solid idea of what "typical" enemies would be like. By now, though, people ought to feel comfortable weighing in. Please note the intended focus is on mechanics:
- do the numbers match the character's intended concept?
- how effective are these characters in practice?
- would their strengths and weaknesses make them fun, or frustrating to play?
I'll kick off a few initial, 'kicker' observations:
DEFENDER: He's got a fair range of combat options: an energy-based multipower plus a decent Move-Through or Haymaker. He should probably go to 4d6 on his Overload Blast, but it's far from critical. His only non-END-costing attack is his Entangle, but he packs a pretty big reserve. His defenses are adequate by the new standards (especially with his in-armour CON of 30). Out of combat, he has both social and technological assets to employ. At 350 points, it's not hard to design a Power Armour hero who's at least a little combat-capable outside the suit, and James really isn't, but that's his only sore spot with me. Disads? Well, if I were powerless outside my costume I wouldn't choose a master sniper as a Hunted, but then, all D's enemies apparently want him alive (Capture), so it's not a kiss of death.
If I were to play him, I'd look into learning Combat Piloting (so that if his suit is ever damaged/stolen/whatever, he can fly the V-Jet or a personal fighting vehicle). I'd also look into picking up some maneuvers (either martial arts, or just tight-group CSLs for whatever he seems to use most often).
IRONCLAD: Offensively, the HTH levels offset the lowish DEX, 60 STR is perfectly adequate for a brick and the Gladiator's Eye makes it downright scary. His PD and ED are...again, OK by the standards of the new edition, and he has a host of peripheral defensive powers and resistances. Is Leaping a good choice of primary movement type when you weigh 2000 kg? Hmm, 2" tunnelling linked to Leaping... Out of combat, he has limited skills, but his off-planet origins would make for entertaining roleplay - sometimes, it's less important to be useful than to be fun. Disads? Firewing wants to kill him. This is bad. The entire team collectively would have trouble taking Firewing. And doesn't Firewing actually want to defeat him in honourable battle and prove his own supremacy? They've scrapped before, and never to the death. Why this sudden "no quarter" attitude from Ariax Thone? "Kill" isn't worth any more points than "Publically Beat the Snot Out Of", and is less in character for Firewing.
If I were to play Ironclad...well, in time I'd really have to either buy off his cultural impairment or let me swap it for an equal point Disad. Contacts and Earth-relevant noncombat skills would allow him to stay entertaining after the novelty of playing "clueless alien" wears thin. Obviously, I'd like more defense, and since this is the team's official damage sponge, the GM might let me edge up to 30/30.
NIGHTHAWK: No Weapon Element! Argh! for one measly point, he could use his weapon with his technique. Growl, mutter. As it is, he has to Haymaker with the club just to do damage *equal* to his Punch/Kick. His defenses (including defensive maneuvers) are actually not bad for a Martial Artist/Acrobat type. My real beef (besides the WE) is his offense. DEX 25 is certainly not bad, but with only a single Overall Level, and no martial attacks that offer an OCV bonus, combined with his lackluster 10D6 principal attack, means that he's a real terror to muggers, and can whip a Viper agent or even two of them, but supervillains in the 350-point range will generally prove too hard to hit or too hard to hurt.
Of course, this is because Mark isn't just a Martial Artist; he's also a Gadgeteer and a street-sleuth. The weapons on his utility belt are only 30 ap attacks, but at 1 point a slot, he's got a lot of them. If his investigations reveal that a certain enemy has a certain vulnerability, he may have it in his pocketses. He has the teamwork skill, and may be used for timely "assists", pelting a Stunned foe with a sleep-gas pellet to make sure they stay out of the fight, or Martial-throwing a foe so that a teammate can get 'em while they're prone. Out of combat, he has a host of gadgets and skills; no problem being useful there. Disads: erm, Mechassassin isn't As Pow, he's Mo Pow. Drop the frequency to 8- and it works out to the same points (and Mark may survive).
If I were playing Nighthawk: he's actually a good growth prospect. Since my ego doesn't require me to play the heaviest of hitters, I could handle a support/backup role for the first few sessions. Then, 1 point for the weapons element, 3 points a pop for a Kung Fu CSL or two, 1 point each for any gadgets I want to round out the belt with, and suddenly it all starts to come together. The belt weapons (apart from the clubs) tend to be either AE or else are meant to be used in surprise situations or against distracted foes, so I'm not worried about buying up levels for them, and my skills are so high that the Overall level ought to be plenty - for now at least.
Sapphire: Well, she has the "misses a lot" problem even worse than Nighthawk - OCV 8, ranged attacks, and she's not stealthy enough to get many surprise attacks off. Apart from "Ironclad, hold him while I shoot him!", Rapid Fire is flat out -which is too bad, because her 0 END blast would be pretty good there. That said, it fits the character concept for her to be a bit unpracticed, and it's easily fixed. She can spread the beam on Power Bolt I until she improves her aim. Defenses are looking good, although a little bulletproof spandex would be a good idea in case she gets Stunned in flight - that FF's nonpersistent. Unlike many mutant blasters, her END costs are pretty light - which means she shouldn't be afraid to Push when it counts. Noncombat? Well, on the one hand, playing a famous star can be a lot of fun, but there is little she can actually *do* - she hasn't cultivated useful Contacts despite her fame, she has very few skills, her PS: Singing 14- is quite capable but hardly legendary, and she doesn't even have the Acting skill...My God, it *is* J. Lo with mutant powers!
If I were to play Sapphire, I'd...develop the noncombat side with Contacts and/or Followers, possibly Acting and Disguise (useful show-biz skills which apply well to crimefighting, and are especially handy when that Public ID is proving bothersome). It would be out of character to push combat exclusively, but picking up 3-pt CSLs and Rapid Attack (Ranged) in between winning over media figures and learning to dance and act wouldn't be inappropriate.
WITCHCRAFT: Frameworks? Why yes we have frameworks! She's much more likely to hit with her mental spells, which include a perfectly whompy Ego Attack plus MC and MI: the latter two are too weak for brute-force mindbending, but are perfectly serviceable if used subtly. If an opponent's DCV is lowered (he's Sweeping, Stunned, Grabbed, unaware) a 2-shot Transform RF will often be enough to introduce a foe to his "inner amphibian". The Witchfire, IMO, is mainly reserved for use against the odd foe who's not vulnerable to mental spells or human-to-frog; therefore, I'd sooner see it at 12D6 and full END cost, rather than its current lukewarm incarnation. Her defenses are weak even by 5th Ed standards, and while she is in many ways a mentalist, she doesn't have Mind Scan or a Detect with Targeting, which means that staying out of sight may not be a feasible first line of defense.
But, then there's the VPP. You can do a lot with 30 points. Out of combat, she has powerful reconnaisance abilities (turning yourself into an innocuous animal with keen senses and human intellect is remarkably effective for the points cost). When preparing for battle, she can do something as straightforward as kicking up some extra defense or as inobvious as a spell of illusion (switching her appearance with Ironclad's is fun, and in subsequent fights you don't even need to actually do it; it's enough that they have to guess)
If I were playing Witchcraft: the problem with developing such a versatile and framework-oriented character is that she could stand to be better at everything she does, but it takes patience to muster the points to kick a framework up a notch. She has the skills she needs, and it would be a tad out of character for such a focused person to start randomly learning a pile of unrelated stuff. Hmm...I'd spend the odd point on increasing her INT (representing her greater overall awareness and comprehension), and switching INT-based skills from 8- and 11- to 9+INT/5-, but I'd stash away about half my earnings Until I could kick the EC up. Faster Flight and a stronger FF would go a goodly way to keeping her from harm, and would leave me free to use the VPP for fun stuff instead of extra defense.
Your thoughts?
Now, perhaps it was that we were all still getting used to 5th, or perhaps it was that, before CU and CKC, there wasn't enough opposition to give us a solid idea of what "typical" enemies would be like. By now, though, people ought to feel comfortable weighing in. Please note the intended focus is on mechanics:
- do the numbers match the character's intended concept?
- how effective are these characters in practice?
- would their strengths and weaknesses make them fun, or frustrating to play?
I'll kick off a few initial, 'kicker' observations:
DEFENDER: He's got a fair range of combat options: an energy-based multipower plus a decent Move-Through or Haymaker. He should probably go to 4d6 on his Overload Blast, but it's far from critical. His only non-END-costing attack is his Entangle, but he packs a pretty big reserve. His defenses are adequate by the new standards (especially with his in-armour CON of 30). Out of combat, he has both social and technological assets to employ. At 350 points, it's not hard to design a Power Armour hero who's at least a little combat-capable outside the suit, and James really isn't, but that's his only sore spot with me. Disads? Well, if I were powerless outside my costume I wouldn't choose a master sniper as a Hunted, but then, all D's enemies apparently want him alive (Capture), so it's not a kiss of death.
If I were to play him, I'd look into learning Combat Piloting (so that if his suit is ever damaged/stolen/whatever, he can fly the V-Jet or a personal fighting vehicle). I'd also look into picking up some maneuvers (either martial arts, or just tight-group CSLs for whatever he seems to use most often).
IRONCLAD: Offensively, the HTH levels offset the lowish DEX, 60 STR is perfectly adequate for a brick and the Gladiator's Eye makes it downright scary. His PD and ED are...again, OK by the standards of the new edition, and he has a host of peripheral defensive powers and resistances. Is Leaping a good choice of primary movement type when you weigh 2000 kg? Hmm, 2" tunnelling linked to Leaping... Out of combat, he has limited skills, but his off-planet origins would make for entertaining roleplay - sometimes, it's less important to be useful than to be fun. Disads? Firewing wants to kill him. This is bad. The entire team collectively would have trouble taking Firewing. And doesn't Firewing actually want to defeat him in honourable battle and prove his own supremacy? They've scrapped before, and never to the death. Why this sudden "no quarter" attitude from Ariax Thone? "Kill" isn't worth any more points than "Publically Beat the Snot Out Of", and is less in character for Firewing.
If I were to play Ironclad...well, in time I'd really have to either buy off his cultural impairment or let me swap it for an equal point Disad. Contacts and Earth-relevant noncombat skills would allow him to stay entertaining after the novelty of playing "clueless alien" wears thin. Obviously, I'd like more defense, and since this is the team's official damage sponge, the GM might let me edge up to 30/30.
NIGHTHAWK: No Weapon Element! Argh! for one measly point, he could use his weapon with his technique. Growl, mutter. As it is, he has to Haymaker with the club just to do damage *equal* to his Punch/Kick. His defenses (including defensive maneuvers) are actually not bad for a Martial Artist/Acrobat type. My real beef (besides the WE) is his offense. DEX 25 is certainly not bad, but with only a single Overall Level, and no martial attacks that offer an OCV bonus, combined with his lackluster 10D6 principal attack, means that he's a real terror to muggers, and can whip a Viper agent or even two of them, but supervillains in the 350-point range will generally prove too hard to hit or too hard to hurt.
Of course, this is because Mark isn't just a Martial Artist; he's also a Gadgeteer and a street-sleuth. The weapons on his utility belt are only 30 ap attacks, but at 1 point a slot, he's got a lot of them. If his investigations reveal that a certain enemy has a certain vulnerability, he may have it in his pocketses. He has the teamwork skill, and may be used for timely "assists", pelting a Stunned foe with a sleep-gas pellet to make sure they stay out of the fight, or Martial-throwing a foe so that a teammate can get 'em while they're prone. Out of combat, he has a host of gadgets and skills; no problem being useful there. Disads: erm, Mechassassin isn't As Pow, he's Mo Pow. Drop the frequency to 8- and it works out to the same points (and Mark may survive).
If I were playing Nighthawk: he's actually a good growth prospect. Since my ego doesn't require me to play the heaviest of hitters, I could handle a support/backup role for the first few sessions. Then, 1 point for the weapons element, 3 points a pop for a Kung Fu CSL or two, 1 point each for any gadgets I want to round out the belt with, and suddenly it all starts to come together. The belt weapons (apart from the clubs) tend to be either AE or else are meant to be used in surprise situations or against distracted foes, so I'm not worried about buying up levels for them, and my skills are so high that the Overall level ought to be plenty - for now at least.
Sapphire: Well, she has the "misses a lot" problem even worse than Nighthawk - OCV 8, ranged attacks, and she's not stealthy enough to get many surprise attacks off. Apart from "Ironclad, hold him while I shoot him!", Rapid Fire is flat out -which is too bad, because her 0 END blast would be pretty good there. That said, it fits the character concept for her to be a bit unpracticed, and it's easily fixed. She can spread the beam on Power Bolt I until she improves her aim. Defenses are looking good, although a little bulletproof spandex would be a good idea in case she gets Stunned in flight - that FF's nonpersistent. Unlike many mutant blasters, her END costs are pretty light - which means she shouldn't be afraid to Push when it counts. Noncombat? Well, on the one hand, playing a famous star can be a lot of fun, but there is little she can actually *do* - she hasn't cultivated useful Contacts despite her fame, she has very few skills, her PS: Singing 14- is quite capable but hardly legendary, and she doesn't even have the Acting skill...My God, it *is* J. Lo with mutant powers!
If I were to play Sapphire, I'd...develop the noncombat side with Contacts and/or Followers, possibly Acting and Disguise (useful show-biz skills which apply well to crimefighting, and are especially handy when that Public ID is proving bothersome). It would be out of character to push combat exclusively, but picking up 3-pt CSLs and Rapid Attack (Ranged) in between winning over media figures and learning to dance and act wouldn't be inappropriate.
WITCHCRAFT: Frameworks? Why yes we have frameworks! She's much more likely to hit with her mental spells, which include a perfectly whompy Ego Attack plus MC and MI: the latter two are too weak for brute-force mindbending, but are perfectly serviceable if used subtly. If an opponent's DCV is lowered (he's Sweeping, Stunned, Grabbed, unaware) a 2-shot Transform RF will often be enough to introduce a foe to his "inner amphibian". The Witchfire, IMO, is mainly reserved for use against the odd foe who's not vulnerable to mental spells or human-to-frog; therefore, I'd sooner see it at 12D6 and full END cost, rather than its current lukewarm incarnation. Her defenses are weak even by 5th Ed standards, and while she is in many ways a mentalist, she doesn't have Mind Scan or a Detect with Targeting, which means that staying out of sight may not be a feasible first line of defense.
But, then there's the VPP. You can do a lot with 30 points. Out of combat, she has powerful reconnaisance abilities (turning yourself into an innocuous animal with keen senses and human intellect is remarkably effective for the points cost). When preparing for battle, she can do something as straightforward as kicking up some extra defense or as inobvious as a spell of illusion (switching her appearance with Ironclad's is fun, and in subsequent fights you don't even need to actually do it; it's enough that they have to guess)
If I were playing Witchcraft: the problem with developing such a versatile and framework-oriented character is that she could stand to be better at everything she does, but it takes patience to muster the points to kick a framework up a notch. She has the skills she needs, and it would be a tad out of character for such a focused person to start randomly learning a pile of unrelated stuff. Hmm...I'd spend the odd point on increasing her INT (representing her greater overall awareness and comprehension), and switching INT-based skills from 8- and 11- to 9+INT/5-, but I'd stash away about half my earnings Until I could kick the EC up. Faster Flight and a stronger FF would go a goodly way to keeping her from harm, and would leave me free to use the VPP for fun stuff instead of extra defense.
Your thoughts?