Standard Opening: I’m preparing to run a game set in Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. I’ve been roleplaying for ten years, but I’m new to the Hero System. To help prepare for my game, and more importantly to help learn the ins and outs of the system, I’m statting up the entire Ultimate Universe. What I’m looking for here is feedback and suggestions on how to get the effects I want using the Hero system, rather than precisely replicating the abilities of the characters (though I’d like to do that, too).
(In addition, whenever I lack information about a character’s abilities, I’m going to fall back on the assumption that they’re pretty much the same as their Marvel Universe counterpart.)
I’ve already gone over Spider-Man, and was going to do the Green Goblin next. But he’s got some complicated Multiform stuff that I’d rather hold off on. Since the main thing I’m focusing on right now is Power Modifiers, I thought I’d look at a guy who is just loaded with them: the X-Men’s Cyclops.
Cyclop’s mundane abilities are very straightforward. Good (but not exceptional) characteristics, lots of skills. The main area of interest is his powers. Cyclops’ optic blasts present an interesting challenge. As a power, it’s easy enough to place. He does two things with the blast: hits things to damage them, and deflects incoming attacks. Thus we have the Energy Blast Power and the Missile Deflection power. Since they are both uses of the same power, and would be equally affected by Adjustment powers like Drain, we’re probably looking at a two-power Elemental Control.
So here’s the traits we’re looking to represent, starting with the easy ones:
1. Beam Power: Judging from the beams effectiveness against various targets, we’re looking at 12-14d6 here. It loses power with range, so Reduced By Range is appropriate. Cyclops can widen the beam at the cost of diminished power. The combat rules for “spreading an attack” represent this perfectly, so we don’t need a Modifier.
2. Cyclops’ flesh absorbs the beams with no effect. The Personal Immunity advantage in action.
3. Persistent eyebeams. The only thing that turns them off (short of a Drain or Suppress) is being absorbed by Cyclops’ flesh (i.e. closing his eyes) or being reflected by ruby quartz. The Champions book suggests Reduced Endurance (No END), Persistent, and Always On, with Always On partially bought off with OAF (visor).
This seems a bit incomplete, as it doesn’t cover the effects of losing his visor. Cyclops can still turn the beam off at will, but at the cost of being blinded. And if he gains another Targeting Sense (such as through a telepathic link), he can still use his blast to fair effect. In addition, if he is unable to operate the visor, his can’t use his power at all.
To open his visor, Cyclops needs to either press the button on it (or raise his glasses), requiring a free hand – the Restrainable Limitation in action. However… his combat uniform has button for his visor on his gloves, which would require restraining his fingers, not just his arms.
So what we have is a power that Cyclops can usually use, but certain circumstances can prevent it. How to we represent this? Restrainable seems a bit too broad, since his gloves let him get around Grabs or Entangles that would normally Restrain a power. On the other hand, his fingers could be restrained (hard enough to do that I wouldn’t qualify it for a Limitation), or his gloves could be removed (an IIF, except that he doesn’t need the gloves to use his power, just to avoid being Restrained).
I still don’t know what to do about the blindness factor. Possibly a Physical Limitation.
4. How much of this would also apply to Missile Deflection? Its use is restricted in all the same ways as the Energy Blast – should it have all the same Modifiers except for those like Reduced by Range, Reduced END, and such that don’t apply to a Missile Deflection.
Anyway, feedback and suggestions are welcome.
Patrick J McGraw
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