Mad Scientist's Mantle o' Doom

[Glabutz]

Hi all.

I'm trying to create a device for one of my PCs, who is some kind of Pulp mad scientist. It's my first device, so i'm afraid to misunderstand some rules...

He wants a amored coat that works like an exosquelton, with some kind of mecanism that allows him to have quickly his gun in his hand.

So, I think of :

a 8 DP/EP armor (24 points)
With a fast draw skill (FD :17, works on a 14-, 10 points)
And a Strngth of 16 (no figured characteristic, 3 points)

It should have the OIF malus (coat)

So, is it worth 18 or 31 points, or am I really miles away from it ?

[Aroooo]

Looks good, but I might give the STR and Fast Draw IIF only, since I'm looking at it from the mechanisms being inside the coat, not outside it. Armor though, could go either way.

Aroooo

[Talon]

I think this is what you want; if so, this is how you build it.

Cost Power
16 Malus Armor: Armor (8 PD/8 ED) (24 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) (added to Secondary Value)
9 Malus Spring-Holster: Fast Draw (19 Active Points); OIF (-1/2), Activation Roll 14- (-1/2) 17-
3 Malus Exoskeleton: +6 STR (6 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), OIF (-1/2) (added to Primary Value)
Powers Cost: 28

[Glabutz]

Thanks.

You're closed to what I'm looking for.

But i don't get th math.

-1/2 means taht the option cost 3/4 of it real cost, rather than 1/2 ?

Moreover, I'm a little bit confused with the OIF and IIF.

For example, I want that no one nows that the coat is an armor without a close look. OIF ou IFF ? Also, there is no way that you can take his coat off in a fight.

But,on the other hand, the exosqueletton and the fast draw mechanics can be damaged by someone who knows that they exist and where they are. Only a very close look (inside, mostly) will reveal the truth about the coat.

OIF or IIF ?

And then, is there an advantage that I should take, mostly a "secret identity" for coat ?

[Killer Shrike]

<table border="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td align="right"><b>Cost&#160;&#160;</b></td><td><b>Power</b></td><td align="right"><b>END</b></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">&#160;&#160;</td><td>Mantle of Doom (TM)&#160;</td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">17&#160;&#160;</td><td>1) <b><i>Micro-Mail: </i></b>Armor (8 PD/8 ED), Hardened (+1/4) (30 Active Points); Ablative (BODY Only; -1/2), IIF Durable (Focus (Armored Coat); -1/4)&#160;</td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">7&#160;&#160;</td><td>2) <b><i>Spring Loader: </i></b>Fast Draw (11 Active Points); IAF (Focus (Spring-Loader); -1/2) 15- &#160;</td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">3&#160;&#160;</td><td>3) <b><i>Draw & Fire Gun: </i></b>Lightning Reflexes: +4 DEX to act first with Single Action (4 Active Points); Linked to Spring Loader (-1/2)&#160;</td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">4&#160;&#160;</td><td>4) <b><i>Micro-Exoskeleton:</i></b> +6 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (9 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), IAF Durable (Focus (Micro-Exoskeleton); -1/2)&#160;</td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr></table><b>Powers Cost:</b> 31

[Killer Shrike]

O = Obvious = You can tell that its the origin of the power
I = Inobvious = You cant tell that its the origin of the power (usually)

A = Accessible = Can be targeted & removed in combat
I = Inaccessible = Cannot be removed in combat

F = Focus

All FOCI can be broken UNLESS defined as UNBREAKABLE. Unbreakable FOCI must have some ultimate means of destruction. The classic example is The Ring of Power and the Fires of Mount Doom.

Fragile FOCI are easier to break (in fact, are EXTREMELY easy to break -- generally not worth it unless you really want to be deprived of your Focus often)

Durable FOCI are hard to break, and its free (based upon GMs judgement).

[Glabutz]

I don't understand the Ligthning reflexes : isn't the fast draw skill also used to be quicker ? (or am I confusing with the Fuzion rules?)

[Heroman]

Lightning reflexes affects what DEX you go on (without actually giving you the other benefits of DEX).
Fast Draw allows you to draw a weapon without spending a half phase.

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Glabutz
I don't understand the Ligthning reflexes : isn't the fast draw skill also used to be quicker ? (or am I confusing with the Fuzion rules?)

Fast Draw lets you get the gun out as a 0 Phase Action.

It also allows you to change clips as a 1/2 Phase Action.

It can also be used to win DEX-offs for opposed Held Actions (to simulate the classic Pistol Duel at High Noon).

It explicitly (last sentence of Fast Draw) does not allow you to go before your DEX order.

Lightning Reflexes lets you go before your DEX order for whatever Actions you've bought it for.

Thus, if this scientist had a DEX of 15 normally, when he Draws and Fires his pistol using the Spring-Loader (only--its linked to it), he goes at DEX 19 instead. This would let him get the jump on a DEX 16-18 character, and might even qualify for a Surprise Action bonus at the GMs discretion the 1st time he pulled it off.

[Glabutz]

O = Obvious = You can tell that its the origin of the power

I = Inobvious = You cant tell that its the origin of the power (usually)

Ok, but in this case, the powers aren't obvious, until you discover them . Until you fire your first shot, you should not guess anything. It is also true for the Spring loader.

On the opposite, nothing could tell for the exosqueleton...

A = Accessible = Can be targeted & removed in combat
I = Inaccessible = Cannot be removed in combat

The armor cannot be removed, but the exosqueleton and the Spring Loader might be damaged... (a shot in the back that pass the armor for the exosqueleton, the same in the right arm for the spring Loader)

I like the names you gave, even if "micro mail " sounds not to pulp to me...

[Talon]

Originally posted by Glabutz
-1/2 means taht the option cost 3/4 of it real cost, rather than 1/2 ?

See pages 179-80 of 5th Edition for the math on applying Limitations.

Moreover, I'm a little bit confused with the OIF and IIF.

For example, I want that no one nows that the coat is an armor without a close look. OIF ou IFF ? Also, there is no way that you can take his coat off in a fight.

If no one can tell that the coat is providing the powers, even when the powers are being used, then its definitely an IIF, since the source of the powers is Inobvious.

(The fact that no one can take his coat off makes it Inaccessible.)

But,on the other hand, the exosqueletton and the fast draw mechanics can be damaged by someone who knows that they exist and where they are. Only a very close look (inside, mostly) will reveal the truth about the coat.

Still IIF; once they know they can damage them, but they still can't tell without a close examination.

And then, is there an advantage that I should take, mostly a "secret identity" for coat ?

You might want to take Invisible Power Effects for any coat powers which cost END; otherwise, the power must have "Special Effects" which may make it obvious that they are coming from the coat.

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Glabutz
Ok, but in this case, the powers aren't obvious, until you discover them . Until you fire your first shot, you should not guess anything. It is also true for the Spring loader.

Thats a valid use of Obvious. For example, an Obvious OAF Gun which is concealed under a coat isnt visible, UNTIL you pull it out and fire it, but people with a trained eye can often tell you are wearing a holster, or can spot the bulge of a pistol grip. So it is concealed, but people with appropriate skills/abilities can detetct it/guess at its purpose. Its still Obvious.

On the opposite, nothing could tell for the exosqueleton...

Thats a design decision. If you cant tell that his strength is augmented by some external device, then it is Inobvious. If you can tell that it is coming from some external device, then it is Obvious.

The armor cannot be removed, but the exosqueleton and the Spring Loader might be damaged... (a shot in the back that pass the armor for the exosqueleton, the same in the right arm for the spring Loader)

You can target an Inaccesible foci to do damage, you just cant take it away in combat. A -2 OCV penalty applies. Thus the Spring Loader and the Exoskeleton could both be damaged.

The Spring Loader would need to be targeted independently, but the Armor Suit will automatically be hit by any attack you apply the defense of it to. Each time the DEF of any FOCI is exceeded, that Focus looses 1 Power. DEF of a FOCI= Active Points of largest power /5, or the DEF granted by any applicable Defensive power in that Focus (whichever is higher). When all Powers are lost, a Focus is destroyed.

Thats why I bought the Armor Durable (which I do for all Armor -- GMs option as per FREd); otherwise the first time you took 9 BODY, the Armor would be destroyed (only power in the Focus). With Durable applied, since it Doubles the Focuses DEF for purposes of damaging it, if you take 9-16 Body the Armor will not be destroyed (and you get to subtract 8 BODY and 8 STUN from the incoming attack), but if you take 17 BODY it is destroyed (1 Body over DEF 16 destroys the only power in the Focus -- the armor -- thus destroying the Focus).

I also applied the Ablative Limitation (BODY Only), so as you take 9-16 BODY, the Armor will get shot to pieces, and start suffering a decreasing Activation roll each time until it is gone completely. Someone can still target the Focus directly, which ignores the Ablative qualities of the Armor but would take (in this case) 17 BODY from 1 hit to do anything to it.

[Glabutz]

Fast Draw lets you get the gun out as a 0 Phase Action.

It also allows you to change clips as a 1/2 Phase Action.

It can also be used to win DEX-offs for opposed Held Actions (to simulate the classic Pistol Duel at High Noon).

I'm really uncomfortable with the "held Actions". In most of other games, it is something you can easily get through, for, usually, it is quite useless and inadapted.

It seems very different in Hero.

So let's talk about that :
Mad Scientist has Dex 13 (17), SPD 3 and Fast-Draw 17 (thanks the coat).
In front of him is a cow boy with Dex 18, SPD 4 and Fast-Draw 15.

It's a classic pistol duel at Hgh Noon.

The Cow-boy should fire first, but if he does it, he would be charged with murder (even if such a situation can look quite weird for any lawyer). So, he hold on, but in the same phase, because that foght start on the 12th segment (the beginning of any fight).

On Dex 17, Mad Scientist may fire. But then, he has to draw his gun fast, so he can fire in this segment. Cow-Boy shall also do this, seeing that Mad Scientist is going to shoot.

he makes a fast draw roll, success is 5. Cow-boy's marge of succes is only 3. But he has the best dex, so he shout the poor mad scientist...

Then, you don't need a high Fast Draw score, but a high dex.

[Killer Shrike]

In some situations, such as a duel, both combatants can be considered to be Holding an action when the combat begins.

This is also useful for instances of 'controled chaos' where all combatants KNOW there is a fight about to start (like a Mexican standoff or a gang fight), but hasnt started yet.

This is also appropriate in superhero games, where the heroes and the villains square off, pose dramatically, and spout a few lines of character-defining noise first and THEN leap into action.

Applying Common Sense, it is assumed that everyone is holding thier action from the previous 'phase' of non-combat time.

It should only be used in certain circumstances, but an Wild West pistolero duel is one of those circumstances for sure.


With held actions, you have Dex offs, and then go in order of who made thier DEX roll by more. Thus in an opposed Held situation the person with the higher DEX has an edge over a person with a lower DEX, but since the DEX roll is only affected by increments of 5 DEX, this edge is usually very narrow. When using a weapon thats appropriate to the situation, a person with Fast Draw can use thier Fast Draw roll in lieu of (instead of) thier DEX roll. This can give a Quick-draw Artist like Billy the Kid much more of an edge than thier base DEX roll would allow.

[Glabutz]

Ok.

That's definitly clear, and i understand the "hold action" thing.
Also the +4 Dex ligthning reflexe.

I'll call it the Killer Shrike mantle, if you don't object.