How would you build this character?

[McGee]

My nephew and I were talking yesterday about City Of Heroes. He has a customer who plays it. This customer has a character who has an interesting (to me) ability. He has the ability to speak a "word of power" and call forth 3 or 4 ninjas to fight on his behalf. The effect is: The character says his word of power, and the ninjas materialize in a transporter-like beam. Then they go about kicking butt (and NOT taking names, lol!). This sounds pretty cool to me, and I was wondering how the Hero system would handle this?

[Hugh Neilson]

The Summon power would be easily configured for this (it has a number of advantages, adders and limitations which can be used to obtain multiple summoned creatures, and absolute loyalty).

The "Word of Power" would generally be a limitation ("incantations") which prevents the power being used if the character is unable to speak audibly, providing a bit of cost savings.

[Sean Waters]

That'll be a 'mastermind' character from City of Villains, and i think Hugh has it right: summon will get you several ninjas who will stick around for a fight then vanish in a puff of logic!

[Edsel]

Take Incantations (-1/4) as one of your limitations to the Summon.

[The Monster]

Summon works best, IF the ninjas can be fought like normal ninjas, i.e., with regular stats and skills and such.

If they're more of a mystical attack form, then you could build it as a twisted form of EB with Continuous Charges, maybe with Area Effect (selective) and/or Autofire...

There's always more than one way to build a power!! :doi:

[Dust Raven]

The Monster has point. Only if the ninjas can interact with the rest of the game like characters should they be built with Summon. Even then, I think it is more fun to build things like this with Duplication (sure it costs more, but not much more as you don't have to pay for loyalty, and you get to play the ninjas instead of the GM).

An option other than Summon (or Duplication) is an attack designed for use with Rapid Fire. A big EB (Indirect recomended, Incantations optional) plus +6 OCV Only To Rapid Fire (-0) and Rapid Attack (Ranged) Only with EB (-1/2 to -1) would do the trick nicely. Spend a half phase to attack, go to half DCV and divide four attacks up between your targets.

[Mike W]

I disagree. Whether or not they can interact with other characters is irrelevant to whether it is a summon or not. You can Summon an automaton that can only do what you tell it to. In this case, it's a Summon with a single command "attack X". As long as the ninjas have actual stats such as STUN, BODY, STR, etc, they are a Summon.

[Dust Raven]

I disagree. Whether or not they can interact with other characters is irrelevant to whether it is a summon or not. You can Summon an automaton that can only do what you tell it to. In this case, it's a Summon with a single command "attack X". As long as the ninjas have actual stats such as STUN, BODY, STR, etc, they are a Summon.

That's what I mean by interact. As in interacting game mechanics. If they can attack and be attacked seperately from the originating character, take damage, make their own attack rolls, etc. If they can't do these things, Summon/Duplication would be inappropriate.

As far as interacting as having a conversation, being seen and heard by and seeing and hearing the world around them... that's just SFX.

[Mike W]

That's what I mean by interact. As in interacting game mechanics. If they can attack and be attacked seperately from the originating character, take damage, make their own attack rolls, etc. If they can't do these things, Summon/Duplication would be inappropriate.

As far as interacting as having a conversation, being seen and heard by and seeing and hearing the world around them... that's just SFX.

That I would agree with.