Jump to content

Need help with a new Speedster


PaulK

Recommended Posts

I need some help building out a new speedster.  Overall, I'm going for something halfway between Kinetik and Flash, using http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationscomic/aju/Flash.HTML as my guide for Flash's powers.  Characteristics are (currently) based strongly on Kinetik from Champions Complete.  Powers so far are:

 

Superspeed Movement:  Multipower, 50-point reserve

Super-Running:  Running +38m (50m total), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (50 Active Points)

Trick Running:  Flight 24m, Variable Advantage (+1/2 Advantages; +1) (48 Active Points); Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4)

Velocity Max:  Flight 10m, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Noncombat Acceleration/Deceleration (+1), MegaScale (1m = 100,000 km; +2 1/4) (45 Active Points); Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4)

 

Protective Aura:  Resistant Protection (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points); Only When Moving (-1/4)

Protective Suit:  Resistant Protection (6 PD/6 ED) (18 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

 

I think I have a decent handle on the movement powers, but the Speed Tricks are giving me some fits, specifically the more direct combat powers and martial arts.

 

  • I want is a single target zip up, hit for "decent levels of power" and have enough defense to be missed or otherwise take the hit. (I was thinking about something like this:
     
  • I want a power where he runs straight up to a target, and applies all of the extra kinetic energy into a major hit that includes a large amount of knockback.
     
  • I want a power that lets him zip through a line of mooks and hit all of them as he passes for enough damage that your average mook will know he got whacked around, but not really suitable for going against true super-villains.
     
  • I am also considering the following to do the traditional "speedster takes all of the guns from the mooks" maneuver.

    2f  10)   I'll Take Those!: Telekinesis (20 STR), Area Of Effect (16m Radius; +3/4), Selective (+1/4) (60 Active Points); Only To Disarm/Grab Objects Very Limited Group of Objects (-1), Instant (-1/2), No Range (-1/2) 6

Other powers I'm considering are things like "Quick Change" for costume change/minor transform effects, A "Quick Rearrangement" that lets him do the traditional "flip all the switches/etc." moves and some form of minor Regeneration (we get beat up alot) to reduce downtime.

 

What other things should I be looking for?

 

Thanks for any help!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I have a decent handle on the movement powers, but the Speed Tricks are giving me some fits, specifically the more direct combat powers and martial arts.

 

  • I want is a single target zip up, hit for "decent levels of power" and have enough defense to be missed or otherwise take the hit. (I was thinking about something like this:

Running (only for half move, -1/2) plus a HTA with double knockback would work for that.

 

  • I want a power that lets him zip through a line of mooks and hit all of them as he passes for enough damage that your average mook will know he got whacked around, but not really suitable for going against true super-villains.

 

Try a Line Effect HTA, run up and run back.  To end up on the other end of the list, either buy lots of levels with multiple move-by, or a triggered teleport after the HTA line attack

 

Other tricks I have used in the past:
  • running usable by all within a small area (carry people along with your kinetic energy as you run)
  • Damage Reduction/Negation with DEX roll or just only attacks he's aware of (move at the last moment to minimize damage)
  • Clairvoyance only areas he can run to (run up and look, then run back)
  • Teleport, not through solid objects (dash to a specific spot)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's my version of Flash for 6e:

http://www.herocentral.net/get/files/premium/Barry+Allen+6e+400.HTML

 

You'll notice he has a lower Speed and Dex than most published speedsters.  This only works if the rest of the characters in his world are kept to a similarly lower scale.  A high average Campaign Speed is nothing more than a 'tax' against Speedsters in my opinion anyway. 

 

This version also scales very well against another famous character that he's raced a few times in the comics:

http://www.herocentral.net/get/files/premium/Clark+Kent+6e+400.HTML

 

Since he has a VPP it would be easy to custom design a few more slots for the effects you mentioned.  A Multiple Move By is another option to consider.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For an effect like I'll Take Those! I prefer to use a form of Teleporation with the Usable as an Attack Advantage and the must Pass Through Intervening Space & Only vs. Carried Objects (custom) Limitations. Doing it this way instead of using Telekinesis also avoids strange issues when trying to grab something from a character with a Damage Shield (like the Human Torch).

 

It would be easy enough to create a variation of the following regular movement slot of his VPP for that purpose:

 

2) Faster than a speeding bullet! v1: Teleportation 23m, No Relative Velocity, Position Shift, x2 Increased Mass, x4 Noncombat, Safe Blind Teleport (+1/4) (60 Active Points); Must Pass Through Intervening Space (-1/4) Real Cost: 40

Notes: This represents a form of "Running" that is faster than the normal eye can see. Character's with Rapid sight x100 or better should be able to see his path.

 

*It's worth noting that adding Usable as An Attack to a Movement Power is like adding the AVLD Advantage to an Attack Power like Blast.  It requires that a Defense be defined.  I would probably define the defense as anyone with a x100 Rapid sense that is Targeting.

 

And I found the following slot from my 5er version of the same character that I never bothered to convert to 6e which represents hitting multiple characters in the same Phase:

 

8)   Superspeed Clothes-Line:  Hand-To-Hand Attack +4d6, Indirect (Same origin, always fired away from attacker; +1/4), Area Of Effect (Trail; 12"; +1) (45 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Limited Power Affected by Adjustment powers as an EC (-1/4)

Notes: +1 DC of damage per velocity divisor x2.25. Passing Strike (8d6 base) gets +1 DC /+11" movement. If using optional VF rules 11" gives +2DC's, 33" gives +3DC's.

 

*Note - the damage adding rules for 5er are different than those of 6e/Champions Complete.

**AOE Trail was an advantage created in the 5e Ultimate Speedster.  I think a version of it was also included in one of the Advanced Players Guides for 6e (which are completely compatible with Champions Complete).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a supervillain I recently used that is a speedster, her pdf is attached, if it helps.  Some of this is campaign based.

 

 

Was the following use of (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic) intentional?

 

SURGE Characteristics all slots Unified Power (-¼)

-1 1) +2 STR (2 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic) 1

36 2) +26 DEX (52 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

7 3) +12 CON (12 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

-3 4) (0 APs); Unified Power (-¼) applied to INT

0 5) +2 EGO (2 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

-3 6) (0 APs); Unified Power (-¼) applied to PRE

15 7) +5 OCV (25 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

15 8) +5 DCV (25 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

-2 9) (0 APs); Unified Power (-¼) applied to OMCV

-2 10) (0 APs); Unified Power (-¼) applied to DMCV

34 11) +5 SPD (50 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

-1 12) (0 APs); Unified Power (-¼) applied to PD

0 13) +1 ED (1 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

19 14) +25 REC (25 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

15 15) +100 END (20 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

-2 16) (0 APs); Unified Power (-¼) applied to BODY

1 17) +8 STUN (4 APs); Unified Power (-¼) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, as I said, it's campaign based.  SURGE is a story element of my campaign world (detailed in a backstory in another thread), and as all the characteristics are SURGE powered, they are linked in that fashion; they could also all be dispelled/drained/suppressed as a single group as well...  Characters/players do not HAVE to take the benefit of the extra savings, if they do not want their super so vulnerable, or they don't have super based characteristics.  But, due to the unique nature of SURGE, and the fact that ALL superpowers in my game world are generated from this radiation, I have deemed it OK for a player (or this case GM villain) to take the savings, if they want the vulnerability.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, as I said, it's campaign based.  SURGE is a story element of my campaign world (detailed in a backstory in another thread), and as all the characteristics are SURGE powered, they are linked in that fashion; they could also all be dispelled/drained/suppressed as a single group as well...  Characters/players do not HAVE to take the benefit of the extra savings, if they do not want their super so vulnerable, or they don't have super based characteristics.  But, due to the unique nature of SURGE, and the fact that ALL superpowers in my game world are generated from this radiation, I have deemed it OK for a player (or this case GM villain) to take the savings, if they want the vulnerability.

 

Ok,  I just wanted to make sure since as built ANY Drain that affects any one of that character's Unified Powers will automatically do BODY to the character!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speedster

 

Male Char Female

20 STR 15

23 DEX 26

20 CON 18

12 BODY 10

13 INT 13

11 EGO 14

15 PRE 15

18 COM 18

6 PD 5

4 ED 5

6 SPD 6

10 REC 9

50 END 46

32 STUN 27

Total Characteristics Cost: 125 Points

 

Speedster Powers Package 1

 

Cost Powers

40 Multipower (40 Points)

4 u) Desolid [super-Speed or Vibration Attacks]

4 u) Extra-Dimensional Movement: Any Location In Alternate Earths, 4x Mass

2 u) HA +6d6, HTH Attack (-1/2), 1/2 END (+1/2)

15 EC [super-speed]-15 Points

10 1) Flight 10", Variable Advantages (+1/2), [Megascale 1km, or 1/2 END Only (-1/4), Only In Contact With A Surface (-1/4)]

10 2) Force Field +10 rPD +10 rED, No END (+1/2) [Protective Aura]

15 4) Running +15"

Total Powers Cost: 100 Points

 

Speedster Powers Package 2

 

15 EC [super-Speed]-15 Points

35 1) EB 10d6

10 2) Flight 10", Variable Advantages (+1/2), [Megascale 1km, or 1/2 END Only (-1/4)]

15 3) Force Field +10 rPD +10 rED, No END (+1/2)

10 4) HA +6d6, HTH Attack (-1/2)

15 5) Running +15"

Total Powers Cost: 100 Points

 

These are for a 5th Edition 250 Points campaign.  There are 25 points left over for skills.  The first Speedster Powers Package represents those characters like the Flash who can use their powers to travel to other earths, and vibrate through walls.  The second package is those like Quicksilver who use their speed for combat, and the EB can be either vibration attacks or throwing objects at high speed.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Other tricks I have used in the past:
  • running usable by all within a small area (carry people along with your kinetic energy as you run)
  • Damage Reduction/Negation with DEX roll or just only attacks he's aware of (move at the last moment to minimize damage)
  • Clairvoyance only areas he can run to (run up and look, then run back)
  • Teleport, not through solid objects (dash to a specific spot)

 

 

Don't forget Change Environment. With the right selection of adders, advantages and disadvantages, you can do all sorts of things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It took me a depressingly-long time to realize that most comic-book speedster tricks can be built with a creative combination of Telekinesis, Teleport UAA, and Change Environment.

 

Doing it this way [Teleport] instead of using Telekinesis also avoids strange issues when trying to grab something from a character with a Damage Shield (like the Human Torch).

[scratches head] How so? Since Telekinesis is Indirect, for most sfx I assume that it "insulates" the user from the target's Damage Shield. In fact, since the sfx in either case involves actual physical contact, I might allow the player to take a Lim for "Affected By Damage Shields." Either way, I don't see the difference between using Teleport vs TK, apart from TK gives me an existing mechanism to determine if the target can hold onto the item (ie STR-vs-STR Roll)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It took me a depressingly-long time to realize that most comic-book speedster tricks can be built with a creative combination of Telekinesis, Teleport UAA, and Change Environment.

 

[scratches head] How so? Since Telekinesis is Indirect, for most sfx I assume that it "insulates" the user from the target's Damage Shield. In fact, since the sfx in either case involves actual physical contact, I might allow the player to take a Lim for "Affected By Damage Shields." Either way, I don't see the difference between using Teleport vs TK, apart from TK gives me an existing mechanism to determine if the target can hold onto the item (ie STR-vs-STR Roll)?

 

TK just seems like it needs more Limitations added on to make sense (TK normally would allow something to be held at Range for example).  It all comes down to personal preference though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...