Shrinking Issues

[Vondy]

*poof*

[Vondy]

*poof*

[Vondy]

*poof*

[schir1964]

I worked with some people here and came up with a new way to handle combat with character's of differing sizes that is more consistent and makes more sense. I can email you that document if you want.

Just email me directly at schir1964 @ netzero.com address.

- Christopher Mullins

[incrdbil]

For the shrinking gun:

Multipower--one slot is shrinking on yourself with side effects, with the understanding the side effects don't kick in against attributes/powers used against other characters shrunk to a similar size.

Another slot, shrinking usable against other, inanimate objects.

Final slot--transformation attack--target to shrunk version with whatever description you want said shrunk person to deal with as a disadvantage, so the effect you want is just that, without going into a really complicated rules build of shrink plus suppress this/that and the other.

[prestidigitator]

I would just build it based on the most expensive application, that being shrinking your enemies. Then Link the Shrinking to the ill effects, and you can't use it on yourself without the bad stuff. Nice and simple.

[PhilFleischmann]

IMO, an offensive shrinking gun should not be purchased with the Shrinking Power at all. Shrinking (the Power in the book) is a Power, it provides a real benefit (increased DCV and harder to see, plus growth momentum). Why would you want to give a beneficial power to someone you're trying to attack? The attack should be built as a Drain/Suppress of STR and Movement (and perhaps other Characteristics or Powers), and the reduced size of the target is nothing more than the SFX of the Power. Yes, this can get expensive with the delayed return rate, etc. If it gets sufficiently expensive, you can buy the attack as a Transform: People into Inch High People (or 1/64 their normal size and -30 STR, and effectively 1/64 of their nrmal movement rate).

[prestidigitator]

IMO, an offensive shrinking gun should not be purchased with the Shrinking Power at all. Shrinking (the Power in the book) is a Power, it provides a real benefit (increased DCV and harder to see, plus growth momentum). Why would you want to give a beneficial power to someone you're trying to attack? The attack should be built as a Drain/Suppress of STR and Movement (and perhaps other Characteristics or Powers), and the reduced size of the target is nothing more than the SFX of the Power. Yes, this can get expensive with the delayed return rate, etc. If it gets sufficiently expensive, you can buy the attack as a Transform: People into Inch High People (or 1/64 their normal size and -30 STR, and effectively 1/64 of their nrmal movement rate).
Hah! How about this one: as an attack, the Drains, etc., are the things that should be paid for, and the Shrinking should in fact be the Side Effect, as it hinders you by giving the enemy something beneficial (increased DCV, etc.). The only thing that is questionable--hard to build as an attack and not justifiable as a benefit to the target--is the increased Knockback. I suppose you could call it Usable as Attack Flight, Drain or Suppress to Knockback Resistance, a Triggered attack, etc., but these don't feel all that wonderful.

In that light, a Multipower sounds like the right approach: one slot where the Shrinking is the Power and the rest are the Side Effects, and one slot where the Drains and stuff are the Powers and the Shrinking is the Side Effect.

[darthvegita666]

xtradimensional movement to a small world

[incrdbil]

xtradimensional movement to a small world

The Disneyverse. It's a small world, after all.....::sings::

[zornwil]

I worked with some people here and came up with a new way to handle combat with character's of differing sizes that is more consistent and makes more sense. I can email you that document if you want.

Just email me directly at schir1964 @ netzero.com address.

- Christopher Mullins
Would you mind emailing me as well? Just curious, really, though, so if it's a pain for some reason make it a low priority or don't bother.

[John Desmarais]

IMO, an offensive shrinking gun should not be purchased with the Shrinking Power at all. Shrinking (the Power in the book) is a Power, it provides a real benefit (increased DCV and harder to see, plus growth momentum). Why would you want to give a beneficial power to someone you're trying to attack? The attack should be built as a Drain/Suppress of STR and Movement (and perhaps other Characteristics or Powers), and the reduced size of the target is nothing more than the SFX of the Power. Yes, this can get expensive with the delayed return rate, etc. If it gets sufficiently expensive, you can buy the attack as a Transform: People into Inch High People (or 1/64 their normal size and -30 STR, and effectively 1/64 of their nrmal movement rate).

[ME TOO]
Personally, I favor this approach. Using powers that give benefits as attacks has always struck me as just plain weird. However, if you absolutely, positively, just have to actually change their physical size, it's a Transformation Attack.
[/ME TOO]

[zornwil]

Although, I would add, there are rules under Transformation Attack regarding beneficial effects/granting of powers.

[Killer Shrike]

Consider making a Custom Power based on the cost of Suppressing all the things you think should be lessened by a Shrinking Ray.

Determine the base increment and the cost for that, and then progress it across the Shrinking size chart. Be careful to match up things with specific increment effects, like STR, appropriately with the size categories.

Call it Miniaturization, wrap some flavor text around it, and you're set.

[Killer Shrike]

As a side note, all of the Body Affecting power have this problem when trying to use them as an Attack. It's one of the areas of the system that could benefit from some new Base Powers.

[PhilFleischmann]

Does anyone remember a Saturday morning show from the mid-seventies called "Doctor Shrinker"? An evil mad scientist shrinks down some meddling kids who learn to survive at their new size and escape from Dr. S's weekly schemes to recapture them.

Theme Song Lyrics: "Doctor Shrinker, Doctor Shrinker, he's a madman with an evil mind. Doctor Shrinker, Doctor Shrinker, he's as crazy as you'll ever find."

Or did I halucinate the whole thing?

[keithcurtis]

Dr. Shrinker was a segment on Sid and Marty Kroft's "Kroft Supershow", which included other treasures like "Wonderbug" and "Electrowoman and Dynagirl"

Keith "Where's my cereal?" Curtis

[John Desmarais]

... and "Electrowoman and Dynagirl"

Ah.... Deidre Hall & Judy Strangis in spandex. :love: Key point in my adolecence.

Groovy.

[PhilFleischmann]

Yes! Those were good too. Wonderbug came up in conversation recently.

"When you hear the horn, help is on the way.
Clap your hands. Shout 'Hooray!'
For the Wonderbug, Wonderbug, Wonderbuuuuuug!"

A great idea for a superhero game. For those of you who don't know, Wonderbug was a superhero-car. In its secret identity, it was a rusty old junk convertable.

All right all you HERO-folks! I want to see a write-up of Wonderbug! (But not on this thread, it's way off topic. Sorry.)