Help with a powered armor character with more than one suit of armor.

[Madacapa]

How would you represent a power armored character who has more than one suit of armor? He has one suit that can take him into outer space; he has a suit that is filled with weapons but less protection; he has a suit that is nearly invulnerable but has few weapons; he has a suit that is used for tunneling...etc.

I was thinking of using multi-form or having a big VVP, but this is a starting character in a standard campaign of 350 points. What would you do?

[AmadanNaBriona]

You've pretty much pegged the best two ways of doing it.
In my experience, the Multiform will probably your best course of action.
My old power armor character started out with a small VPP (around 30 points) for armor add ons, experimental devices and task specific back up suits, but eventually I realized I'd like more custiomization options and bought the multi suit Multiform with experience.
It was much better.
A bit later, I even got the go ahead to add an additional "special" suit in the multiform that was my "prototype systems feild test suit", which was a totally stripped down racing model of the suit with only the absolute minimum basic built in systems, and the rest dropped into a BIG VPP.
Fun stuff.

[Madacapa]

Amanda, what would be the limitation is I say that the characters has to return to his base to change into a new suit of armor? Kind of like Iron Man when he return to his base and we see rows of powered armor suits.

[proditor]

Amadan, any chance you have the final multiform version in a postable (even if just as a scanned jpg) format? I usually go the VPP route for my PA guys, as I've never managed to work out the multi-form quite right, and honestly, I'd like to see how someone else did it so I can try it in my games.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Amanda, what would be the limitation is I say that the characters has to return to his base to change into a new suit of armor? Kind of like Iron Man when he return to his base and we see rows of powered armor suits.
I haven't even looked at the character sheet in probably 6 years (its sitting in a box in my storage unit in Fresno), but if I recall correctly, the main limitations we put on the Multiform were OIF, Immobile "Armor Storage Facilities" (with a handwave that a single spare suit COULD be hauled around as a bulky focus) and Extra Time to change forms

Oh, and BTW, its Amadan... Gaelic for "Fool". I'm a bloke. :thumbup:


Amadan, any chance you have the final multiform version in a postable (even if just as a scanned jpg) format? I usually go the VPP route for my PA guys, as I've never managed to work out the multi-form quite right, and honestly, I'd like to see how someone else did it so I can try it in my games.
See above... I might be able to ressurect a rough version of the write up from memory, but honestly if'n I was gonna redo the character in 5th Ed rules I'd be very tempted to re-do the character using the vehicle rules

[TheRavenIs]

I haven't even looked at the character sheet in probably 6 years (its sitting in a box in my storage unit in Fresno), but if I recall correctly, the main limitations we put on the Multiform were OIF, Immobile "Armor Storage Facilities" (with a handwave that a single spare suit COULD be hauled around as a bulky focus) and Extra Time to change forms

Oh, and BTW, its Amadan... Gaelic for "Fool". I'm a bloke. :thumbup:


See above... I might be able to ressurect a rough version of the write up from memory, but honestly if'n I was gonna redo the character in 5th Ed rules I'd be very tempted to re-do the character using the vehicle rules


I do mutiple-suits by doing the vehicle rules. To get past the need for a piloting roll, I create either a custom talent, but usually I do a custom power, set it at 15-20 points.

[proditor]

I'm always wary of the Vehicle route, though I've gone that way in 4th. I don't think I've had any 5th vehicle PA guys, but I'm getting old and might be forgetting things. ;)

Hmmmm...I think I might start a "Post your multiform PA guys please" and see what we get. That way, I'd theoretically get a wide spectrum of ideas.

[Lemurion]

I did a multiform PA character once, though it was more that the armor was reconfigureable rather than that he had different sets of armor.

[Log-Man]

I vote for multiform. I'm biased, though, as that's the method I finally decided upon for my Ultra-Boy inspired character.

[Basil]

Amanda, what would be the limitation is I say that the characters has to return to his base to change into a new suit of armor? Kind of like Iron Man when he return to his base and we see rows of powered armor suits.
"Can Only Change Forms In The Base (-1/2)"

That's how I'd do it, based on similar situations I've seen (and vaguely remember) in various published characters. Maybe more if the base is hard to get to.

[Madacapa]

It sounds to me like I should use the limitations OIF, Only change at base, and then extra time to change into the suit at the base. One turn, or 12 seconds, seems like a reasonable amount of time. I would like to see any character sheets that you all may have, or examples.

[Hugh Neilson]

It sounds to me like I should use the limitations OIF, Only change at base, and then extra time to change into the suit at the base. One turn, or 12 seconds, seems like a reasonable amount of time. I would like to see any character sheets that you all may have, or examples.

On the one hand, it seems wrong to me to allow a double dip, once for "only at base" and another for needing a turn at the base (won't it take way more to get back to the base?). On the other hand, it seems wrong to me that the ability to change form only at the base is more expensive than the ability to change forms in a single turn (again, won't it take way more to get back to the base?). Maybe "only at base" is a little light at -1/2?

[Weldun]

I had a character similar to this, in that he had a single suit that could be changed to multiple configurations. I then just bought each configuration as a single slot in a multipower, with the limitation that I could only change slots while at my base.

[Hugh Neilson]

I had a character similar to this, in that he had a single suit that could be changed to multiple configurations. I then just bought each configuration as a single slot in a multipower, with the limitation that I could only change slots while at my base.

For those who don't like Multiform, by the way, a Multipower with one slot for all the powers of each form works very nicely as a replacement.

[Madacapa]

On the one hand, it seems wrong to me to allow a double dip, once for "only at base" and another for needing a turn at the base (won't it take way more to get back to the base?). On the other hand, it seems wrong to me that the ability to change form only at the base is more expensive than the ability to change forms in a single turn (again, won't it take way more to get back to the base?). Maybe "only at base" is a little light at -1/2?

Hugh, what would you do? What do you think the limitations should be? When I made this post I did not see your other post, but please continue.

[Log-Man]

For those who don't like Multiform, by the way, a Multipower with one slot for all the powers of each form works very nicely as a replacement.
True, but you'll need GM permission to put an entire suite of powers into a single multipower slot, especially if there are powers that aren't supposed to be in a multipower in there. With permission, though, it is the easiest way to go.

[Madacapa]

True, but you'll need GM permission to put an entire suite of powers into a single multipower slot, especially if there are powers that aren't supposed to be in a multipower in there. With permission, though, it is the easiest way to go.

Can you have a multipower with in a multipower? I will probably go the Multi-form route in this one. I am a GM, so I can give myself permission.

[Log-Man]

Can you have a multipower with in a multipower? I will probably go the Multi-form route in this one. I am a GM, so I can give myself permission.
Nope, no frameworks in a framework. Which also rules out the multipower in the VPP. Although, with a VPP, it may not be necessary, depending upon the build.