Our Powers combined

**MisterVimes** · Feb 24th, '03, 08:51 AM

From the (Marvel) New Universe's PsiHawk (Psi-Force) to the execrable Captain Planet (Turner Cartoon) to the classic Forever People (DC Comics), comics and cartoons have had those rare appearances by a team of Heroes that combine their bodies, energies and powers into a greater and more powerful Hero.

With the release of TUV, we were given several different ways to build combining Mecha (and if you haven't bought this fabulous resource, do so today). But what of flesh and blood Heroes that combine to create an Overmind?

I personally like the idea of a group each paying part of a Multiform that creates one hero that combines the costs. What are other good ways? And if you ran such a game how would you handle five players controlling one character?

What are your thoughts?

**The Mad GM** · Feb 24th, '03, 09:06 AM

My first off the cuff answer would be to make one uber-hero and give him duplication - with each duplicate being a seperately written up character, played be each player. A cool idea, but...

However, whenever vehicle combat looms in my games, the gadgeteer is really in the spotlight (being the typical vehicle provider), and everyone else is looking to bail out so they can get in their licks. In this situation, bailing out defeats the purpose, so while the others don't actually get to do anything but kibitz (which is occasionally all they do anyway), only one person gets to call the shots and roll the dice.

This may work out fine, especially if the time that the uber-hero is needed is fairly limited (as it seems to be in most examples) to putting the big smack down on the titanic killer space weasel or what have you. It might also help if the person who gets to spank the..., I mean, fight the weasel is not necessarily the strongest when they are all separated.

It sounds like a interesting premise for a tight team game, and I would love to hear how it plays.

**Lord Liaden** · Feb 24th, '03, 09:32 AM

Mechanically, I like the suggestion by The Mad GM (and aren't they all?

) As far as running one character controlled by five players, how about giving each player a successive Phase during which they decide the character's actions? If you have territorial or blame-laying players that might cause a problem, but if everyone is a decent role player who's willing to share the spotlight, I could see that being a lot of fun.

**MisterVimes** · Feb 24th, '03, 09:35 AM

Originally posted by Lord Liaden
Mechanically, I like the suggestion by The Mad GM (and aren't they all? ) As far as running one character controlled by five players, how about giving each player a successive Phase during which they decide the character's actions? If you have territorial or blame-laying players that might cause a problem, but if everyone is a decent role player who's willing to share the spotlight, I could see that being a lot of fun.

That was my thought. Give each player a phase to control the character... provided your players aren't fractious, that seems the best solution.

**RDU Neil** · Feb 24th, '03, 09:54 AM

Even if your players are fractious... I think this would be an awesome way for them to learn some teamwork.

I might even go as far as to say, "Each player gets a turn in the command seat." This works well in my game, where I've dumped the Speed Chart for an initiative system. Each "round" is much shorter, but everyone gets at least one action. (Speed adds to initiative roll, to determine who goes first, and high enough totals, only possible with high enough SPD stats, can get extra actions). This would have the person in charge switching, giving orders, and see how people complied.

Hmmm... I like it. I think I have a reason to steal it, as well.

Thanks

**MisterVimes** · Feb 24th, '03, 09:56 AM

Originally posted by RDU Neil
Hmmm... I like it. I think I have a reason to steal it, as well.

Thanks

De Nada... it could even be a fun plot device for a one-shot where your team is merged to fight a universe devouring foe...

**Acroyear** · Feb 24th, '03, 10:14 AM

I would use duplication, too.

Main Guy
Lots of powers bought "not when duplicated" - he can be any of the component guys when duplicated, but would seem more like the base personality/leader of the main guy.

Duplicates
All the little other guys.

However, I would never subject a group to this. It is doomed to failure as 4 out of 5 guys (or whatever your group his) now just get to sit there and be the Professor yelling at Firestorm about what he should be doing and more likely following it up with "you idiot!"

**JmOz** · Feb 24th, '03, 11:03 AM

The question is slightly false as the three examples are different:

Captan Planet is a Summons, person 1 buys a strait summons with the lim of Only when all powers combind (you'll see why in a min), and an OIF (-1/2 (+) -1/2=-1) the other 4 buy the same summons with UBO as a +1/4, essentialy when all 5 are together they all give the powers to whoever is considered the leader

Forever People (IIRC) are trickier, I would on them start with the Infinity man, then give him a Multiform, the multiform has Duplication with the can not recombind lim, If this would not work use Multiform with the UBO as above, but link an EDM: Motherbox dimension to it on all but the leader

I know nothing of the other guy....

**MisterVimes** · Feb 24th, '03, 11:11 AM

Originally posted by JmOz
The question is slightly false as the three examples are different:

Captan Planet is a Summons, person 1 buys a strait summons with the lim of Only when all powers combind (you'll see why in a min), and an OIF (-1/2 (+) -1/2=-1) the other 4 buy the same summons with UBO as a +1/4, essentialy when all 5 are together they all give the powers to whoever is considered the leader

Forever People (IIRC) are trickier, I would on them start with the Infinity man, then give him a Multiform, the multiform has Duplication with the can not recombind lim, If this would not work use Multiform with the UBO as above, but link an EDM: Motherbox dimension to it on all but the leader

I know nothing of the other guy....

I stand corrected. My exposure to Captain Planet was the 10 minutes my daughter forced me to watch it when she was 6

Psi-Hawk was just like the Infinite Man (fro Forever people) ... but different people helped to create him. As the team changed (and new people with new powers appeared) Psi-Hawk gained different powers and lost the other (that the old members brought to the table)

**notmyifurita** · Feb 24th, '03, 06:13 PM

I always liked the idea of a single player character that could split into weaker multiple forms, but the idea of the team fusing into one mega-hero just seems too problematic to me. The real reason is, if you want to go with Captain Planet, or Voltron, or any other team-up-into-badass-form, it seems like nearly every situation they are in, the entire team throws themselves at the problem, are promptly swatted, and then call on their much more potent, and never beaten, super form. I remember as a kid saying, 'Why don't they just form into Voltron and whip out that blazing sword from the start? It ALWAYS works!' I think that kind of power option will not only cause the bickering over who gets to drive, but the GM has to either make the villians so tough they need the other form, or watch the PC's walk all over the adventure... or only let them use it once, and then have them forget it ever happened, or something goofy like that.

**TheEmerged** · Feb 24th, '03, 07:28 PM

I usually use the "multiform with duplication" variant myself.

**Shadow Dancer** · Feb 24th, '03, 07:36 PM

well, there's a series of fantasy books that also deal with this premise, .. I can't think of the author at the moment, but its the "Blended" series,

basically ita a universe where everyone has magic talent to some degree.. and all talents are based on one of 6 "elements"
earth,air, fire, water, spirit, and a newly discovered element "sight" <precognition>

The five/6 practioners are taught to "blend" to create a blended "entity" this entity usually has the viewpoint of the character that initiated the blending, ie if the fire user initiated it, she/he would control it... and have access to the other blending mates powers, and knowledge..

Its a good series, and she's on her second set, though I've only read the 1st of it..

personally, I'd use a variant of multiform/duplication but then i'm not a rules lawyer and have never tried anything like it..

**Agent Escafarc** · Feb 25th, '03, 02:29 AM

Originally posted by Shadow Dancer
well, there's a series of fantasy books that also deal with this premise, .. I can't think of the author at the moment, but its the "Blended" series,

basically ita a universe where everyone has magic talent to some degree.. and all talents are based on one of 6 "elements"
earth,air, fire, water, spirit, and a newly discovered element "sight" <precognition>

The five/6 practioners are taught to "blend" to create a blended "entity" this entity usually has the viewpoint of the character that initiated the blending, ie if the fire user initiated it, she/he would control it... and have access to the other blending mates powers, and knowledge..

Its a good series, and she's on her second set, though I've only read the 1st of it..

personally, I'd use a variant of multiform/duplication but then i'm not a rules lawyer and have never tried anything like it..

That would be Sharon Green. I enjoyed the first series but so far I don't think the second is as good.

**Agent Escafarc** · Feb 25th, '03, 02:33 AM

Originally posted by TheEmerged
I usually use the "multiform with duplication" variant myself.

I like this method too. I have a character Fenris who combines with his Wolf totem to form a were-type character.

Multiform (always on)
slot 1) Duplication
slot 2) Multiform

**The Mad GM** · Feb 25th, '03, 04:47 AM

I'm not sure what the multiform would add to the "duplication with a few only-when-recombined powers added in", but it may help distinguish the team-up form.

The main problem my group would have is absenteeism - In the last few weeks of gaming, at least one person would be absent (twice I was out of town). You could simply say that my character is present but passive at those times.

I think the altenating control per phase could get troublesome, both in terms of back biting and whatnot. it could be that each team member has some speciality that the uber-hero can only use if they are in control - The Martial Artist, the Gun/Blaster, the Brick, the Mentalist, and the Leader would have the uber-sword. This makes much more sense if the control can only be passed in post segment twelve:

"The well-intentioned but stupid guy will muscle through his flame attack, grab his Cosmic Oscillator and turn it into a pretzel, then the grim angst boy will take out his armor couplings with some well-place shots, then I'll dice his exposed underbelly with the Crystal Katana, while the weird kid makes those stupid chirping noises that are actually cusswords in Japanese."

But then you would have to set most adventures in an urban setting where whipping out the uber-sword would cause too much colateral damage, and most of the adventure is the seperate heroes maneuvering the space weasel out to the deserted quarry, the abandoned amusement park, what have you. Or tracking him down to his lair in the hidden grotto beneath the fretful scientist's palatial beach house, etc.

You could also place a time limit on being in the form - like one minute per day - which is plenty for a one on one combat, but not enough for much of anything else.