Newbie question on Power creation.

[oddbatt]

Okay... I have a few questions on power creation that can be answered thusly: What are a few ways to build the following power framework?

Hero absorbs energy attacks to perform the following tasks:
1. Store pts in reserve for later use.
2. Increase STR, PD and ED.
3. Fire energy blasts.

Restrictions:
1. All powers must come from reserve pts. In other words, unless the hero absorbs energy, they cannot use powers.

Thanks in advance!

Pax,

ossbatt

[Agent X]

Originally posted by oddbatt
Okay... I have a few questions on power creation that can be answered thusly: What are a few ways to build the following power framework?

Hero absorbs energy attacks to perform the following tasks:
1. Store pts in reserve for later use.
2. Increase STR, PD and ED.
3. Fire energy blasts.

Restrictions:
1. All powers must come from reserve pts. In other words, unless the hero absorbs energy, they cannot use powers.

Thanks in advance!

Pax,

ossbatt The way I would do it is to build an endurance reserve that has no Recovery.

Designate additional Strength, PD(costs endurance), ED(costs endurance), and an Energy Blast that only uses endurance from said endurance reserve.

Then buy the absorption power and have the points absorbed go to the endurance reserve.

There are other ways to do it but this is my favorite because it is simple to follow in game.

[Dr Lucky]

That's exactly what I would do.

[Agent X]

Originally posted by Dr Lucky
That's exactly what I would do. Awesome! I love it when I find people who agree with me on something!:)

[VictorVonDoom]

how does such character look like?

[Broblawsky]

Alternatively, you could have an Absorption feed an Aid power which can increase several different powers; thus, when you're hit by an attack, your absorpion goes off, increases your Aid, and allows you to use Aid to increase whatever powers you might want to increase. This has the problem, however, of requiring you to spend a half-phase action activating your reserve, but I think it works better than the previous suggestions.

[Diamond Spear]

Keep in mind that if you are going to follow the first suggestion then you need to make sure that you buy at least a minimum power energy blast to have something to feed those points into. You might also keep in mind that the major drawback to this character is that in any campaign other than a street-level one it will take FOREVER for you to feed enough points into your powers (especially the energy blast) to make them effective.

[Agent X]

Originally posted by Diamond Spear
Keep in mind that if you are going to follow the first suggestion then you need to make sure that you buy at least a minimum power energy blast to have something to feed those points into. You might also keep in mind that the major drawback to this character is that in any campaign other than a street-level one it will take FOREVER for you to feed enough points into your powers (especially the energy blast) to make them effective. Just buy those powers that feed into the endurance reserve with reduced endurance.

[Talon]

Originally posted by VictorVonDoom
how does such character look like?

Cost Power
40 Energy Store: Endurance Reserve (400 END, 0 REC)
25 Stored Energy: Elemental Control, 50-point powers
25 1) Powered Strength: +50 STR (uses END Reserve)
16 2) Powered Defenses: +25 PD; Costs Endurance Costs END Every Phase (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) plus +25 ED; Costs Endurance Costs END Every Phase (-1/2) (uses END Reserve)
25 3) Powered Blast: Energy Blast 10d6 (vs. ED) (uses END Reserve)
Powers Cost: 131

[Supreme]

My only comment about the concept, Oddbat, is that HERO favors for all the eggs to be put in as few baskets as possible. Splitting your absorbed points between STR, PD, ED, energy blasts, and point storage is stretching the points so thin that you'll rarely see much of a benefit -- before you get knocked out.

[oddbatt]

Thanks folks! This has been very helpful... and educational.

Supreme, you are absolutely right, however the concept was created to answer a group of questions I had about power building, not a particular power. Reading all the rules and examples is good, but discussion brings far more insight. I did it this way so I could ask one question instead of six.

After many years of denying the benefits of the Hero system, I am finally coming around. The funny part is that I'm not even planning a SH game, I'm converting a long running fantasy campaign... just in time for Fantasy Hero. Though I am a one system GM, so...

Thanks again everyone.

Pax,

oddbatt

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Agent X
The way I would do it is to build an endurance reserve that has no Recovery.

Designate additional Strength, PD(costs endurance), ED(costs endurance), and an Energy Blast that only uses endurance from said endurance reserve.

Then buy the absorption power and have the points absorbed go to the endurance reserve.

There are other ways to do it but this is my favorite because it is simple to follow in game. Ditto this

[Killer Shrike]

As a variant however, here is an absorbo type character I recently did. He's much more powerful than any PC is every likely to be (he's a villain intended to tie ups a team of 4 PCs for a bit by himself or with 1 other villain), and he's not totally dependent on his absorb as he can project blasts at a lower power without absorbing.

Rather than using an END Reserve to Absorb into, I took the extra dice of effect he gains from "Absorbing" as 0 END to show that the energy is coming from the absorbed power; shortcutting it so to speak. He has a limit that forces him to use the blast on his next action or loose the extra dice as his main control wrapped in with the matching effect (Only to match incoming dice of effect (-1)).

The whole set up is a looser model with less bookkeeping, but more expensive. Ideal for a GM run villain, not so feasible for a PC ;)

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6160&perpage=20&pagenumber=3#Rebound

[Insaniac99]

Originally posted by Geoff Speare
Cost Power
40 Energy Store: Endurance Reserve (400 END, 0 REC)
25 Stored Energy: Elemental Control, 50-point powers
25 1) Powered Strength: +50 STR (uses END Reserve)
16 2) Powered Defenses: +25 PD; Costs Endurance Costs END Every Phase (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) plus +25 ED; Costs Endurance Costs END Every Phase (-1/2) (uses END Reserve)
25 3) Powered Blast: Energy Blast 10d6 (vs. ED) (uses END Reserve)
Powers Cost: 131

why not just have the defenses be a forcefield? I thought they cost End every phase...

[Hugh Neilson]

Originally posted by Geoff Speare
Cost Power
40 Energy Store: Endurance Reserve (400 END, 0 REC)
25 Stored Energy: Elemental Control, 50-point powers
25 1) Powered Strength: +50 STR (uses END Reserve)
16 2) Powered Defenses: +25 PD; Costs Endurance Costs END Every Phase (-1/2) (uses END Reserve) plus +25 ED; Costs Endurance Costs END Every Phase (-1/2) (uses END Reserve)
25 3) Powered Blast: Energy Blast 10d6 (vs. ED) (uses END Reserve)
Powers Cost: 131

I'd allow this structure (it's actually quite elegant), but can't resist playing devil's advocate...

Presumably, the character starts with no END in his battery (can't do anything until he absorbs), so why does he need 400 base END in the battery? Wouldn't he need 200 points of absorbtion to get the battery fully charged? Technically, he should be able to get by with 1 END (for 1 point - I suppose he could buy 10)

Technically, as the absorbed points fade, the battery will fall into "negative END". Won't that make it harder and harder to absorb enough to get to "positive END"? I'd get around this (were I worred about it) with a +1/2 advantage to Absorb to consider the resultant points Healing to the extent the stat is down. Alternatively, buy some REC, only to restore battery to 0. 10 REC will recover 5 character points of END at the same time as the absorption fades in post segment 12.

It used to be possible to use Absorption as the recovery mechanism for a battery.

Depending on the actual strucure desired, a multipower may also be appropriate for the actual powers. EC works too.