Help for Powered Armor building

[iena]

Hi to All,

 

I kindly ask you for your support for the building of a Powered Armor hero.

I have to insert the character in an already started campaign so the total available CPs are 460, not just 400.

 

Well, my intention is to build a balanced PG... You know, with a powered armor is quite easy to abuse of the rules...The OIF limitation could be a blessing.

To understand how to start I have taken my inspiration from the Iron Man build you can find at this link: http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationscomic/marvel/ironman.html

 

The character here is built with much more CP but I would have some question about the concept and about some rules used:

 

First all, for this Iron man version there's not an endurance reserve (basically the battery of the armor)... How is it possible?? May be the armor uses the character END...I don't understand...

 

Second, what do you think about the omni-present limitation UNIFIED POWER?? It represents a further save of CP... Is it counterbalanced during the game by a real problem/issue or is it just a free source of CP??

 

In the attached pdf file you can find a first build... feel free of commenting, changing everything you want... Please Have a look if from the rules point of everything is ok.

 

Thanks in advance for your support

 

 

John Ewing III (Powered Armor).pdf

John Ewing III.hdc

[Netzilla]

One of the things to remember about OIF is that it allows the focus must be removable from the character in one turn out of combat, against their will.  So, for power armor with minimal security and a quick release, this is fine but I've never agreed with it for Iron Man builds.  Obviously, there must be some leeway in this, as a suit of plate mail likely takes more than 12 seconds to remove, but that's still far from the difficulties involved in removing most powered armor.  That's why I typically prefer Only In Hero ID.

 

Unified Power means that if any one power 'linked' by this Limitation is negatively Adjusted (Drain/Transfer/etc), all such powers are hit with the same effect.  So, with the example Iron Man build you linked to, if someone drains his +25 STR, all the powers under 'Magnetic Repulsor Systems' (DEX, CON, OCV, DCV, PD, ED, etc) would get drained as well.  Again, not the way I would build Iron Man but I would use it for some PA concepts.  For MCU Iron Man, I would use it for his Flight and Repulsors, since they're actually the same system.

 

As for not using END Reserve, Iron Man only ever seems to run out of power if the suit's been damaged or it's been in operation for an excessively long time.  Personally, I'd take that as an excuse to build the character with Zero END for most of his powers.  Technically, the proper way to build the Arc Reactor would be as a massive END Reserve with more Recovery than IM typically expends in an entire Turn of combat.  Then, only if he's pushing the armor past its tolerances or the Arc Reactor gets damaged does he have to actually start tracking END.

 

Looking at your character write-up, he looks pretty good overall.  With that fingertip toolkit he's hitting a 23- in Electronics or Mechanics, which is pretty fracking impressive.

 

With a 51 Recovery on your END Reserve, you'll keep up with most END fairly well, I think (4 STR or Blast + 5 Flight = 9/Phase = 45/Turn).  Only if he's going all out or he uses his autofire blast is END likely to become a problem.

 

For that character, I'd put Unified Power on the Gauntlet Weapons Array (I'm assuming it's all the same emitters just being fired in different 'modes') and another on the Boot Equipment Array (same reason).  I might also do one on his enhanced senses depending on exactly their SFX (i.e. is it all one system or is each separate).

[Hyper-Man]

Something else to consider with the 'Power Armor' special effect...

 

OIF (-1/2) is in many ways functionally equivalent to the combination of OIHID (-1/4) and Unified (-1/4)

 

'Power Armor' built where everything takes the OIF(-1/2) Limitation will quickly start to 'malfunction' (lose abilities) when when BODY damage gets past the defenses of the 'Power Armor' itself.  Note that this does not mean the the character wearing the Armor needs to actually take any personal BODY damage.

 

I agree that some form of Endurance Battery is the preferred method to power such a build.  I would prefer it over the other alternative of 0 END on anything provided by 'the suit' since the End Battery version would still allow for PUSHING of 'suit abilities' where 0 END would not.

 

For the most part I think the various versions of Defender presented in the Champions source books from 4e on are pretty good pastiche versions of Iron Man for the points budget that they are built on. It's the main reason I've never tried to build a 'rookie version' of Iron Man like I have for the DCU JLA members.

 

HM

[Crusher Bob]

If you are going to go for OIF armor, remember that it'll be taken away.  And you are 10 str, 2 PD, 4 OCV guy without it.  You can't even guarantee winning a fist fight with a random guy off the street.  A 150 point agent will mop the floor with you.  Either make your armor OIAID so it won't be taken away, or buff your unarmored self up enough to be able to at least not be obliterated by 150 point agent type characters.

 

Your combination of STUN, REC, and CON are in a very bad place.  Assuming you get hit with a standard 10d6 EB, you'll take around 15 points of stun, the damage will go over your CON and you'll be stunned, plus you'll be almost out of STUN.  A 12d6 EB will put you down.  And both of those attacks are pretty standard attacks at the 400 point level.  In addition, your low REC means you'll take ages to recover and STUN that you do lose.

 

The 'standard' 400 point hero has something like 25 PD/ED, 40 STUN, and 10 REC.  Remember that if you are going to have lower PD and ED, you have to have higher CON to avoid being stunned when you get hit by 'standard' attacks.  A 30 PD tank can take a 12d6 EB and not really worry about being stunned by it, a 20 PD character really should have something like 25 CON.

 

(At least, assuming I'm remembering the rules about taking more damage than CON correctly...)

 

Next, your attacks are 'very powerful'  4d6+1 HKA with AP is something like 80 active points, is that within your expected attack limits for the campaign?  If so, then your defenses are even more lacking.  One hit on yourself from this attack leaves you KO for some time and with around half your BODY taken in damage/

 

Your armor also seems pretty iron age.  Where's the radio/telephone? compass (bump of direction), google maps (Navigation skill), clock (absolute time sense), etc.  Your high tech armor doesn't do what the smart phone in your pocket does.

 

You've spent a lot of points buying up individual skills, which usually means you really want either a higher base stat or some skill levels instead.

[Christopher]

Building a power armor hero:

Take any set of powers that is not yet somebody elses "shtick".

Apply "Obvious Incassible Focus" or "Only in Heroic identity" to those naturally derived from the armor.

Use the extra points for stuff useable while not (able to) wear the armor.

Done

 

Or just take the powers without limitations, if your concept does not call for them being easily stolen/disabeled. Taking a limitation asks the GM to make it part of the game. You don't want it part of the game, do not take the limitation (and if the GM can not help himself to take it anways, you could always recalcualte with the actually applied limtation value and use the extra points for other stuff).

 

When people think of power armor, most people think of Tony Stark/Iron Man (because why would you not?)

The important thing here is to think of "Avengers" Tony Stark, not "Iron Man Solo Film/Series" Tony Stark.

I went into much more detail about that problem is this archived thread, point 2 onward:
http://www.herogames.com/forums/index.php?/topic/87378-translating-characters-from-fiction-and-the-secret-of-having-fun-in-roleplaying/