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Modeling a "Beetlejuice Door" in Hero


queson

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How would you model a "Beetlejuice Door" in Hero?  A Beetlejuice door is the door that Alec Baldwin (can you believe how young he was?) draws on the bricks of the house and allows access to the underworld.  It's kind of like a teleportation gate but for Extra-dimensional Movement.

 

I am thinking usable on others (other people could also go through after it was made).  Extra Time (to draw the door, probably a full turn).  Trigger (walking through the door) probably with automatic reset so other can use it.  And maybe safe blind travel.  Would it also need AOE like a teleportation gate?

 

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This is a pretty cool idea. I'm gonna double check the rules and get back to you. hang on!

 

EDIT: Okay, read up on Gate. Does the Beetle Juice door actually work both ways? or is it really just for Beetle Juice to go down into the underworld?

 

EDIT 2: Also, how does the gate stop working? is it in effect for a certain period of time? Does beetle juice need to do something specific to turn it off, or does it conveniently shut off automatically once they don't need it anymore for the scene? Does he just think it and it closes? 

 

This is what I have so far:

 

30 Beetle Juice Door: Extra-Dimensional Movement (Single Dimension), x4 Increased Weight, Safe Blind Travel (+1/4), Area Of Effect (2m Radius; +1/4), Constant (+1/2), Usable By Other (+1/2), Grantor can take back power at any time, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2) (105 Active Points); OIF Immobile (Wall; -1 1/2), Extra Time (Extra Phase, Only to Activate, -1/2), Gestures (Must draw the Gate; -1/4), Gate (-1/4) 0

 

 

x4 Mass: Can't remember who else uses the beetle juice door. I never actually watched it.

Area of Effect: standard for Gate

Constant: standard for gate

Usable by Other: Standard for Gate

Uncontrolled: Not sure... still not quite sure what the rules are on how this Gate is supposed to stop functioning. I guess, if it's a constant power, it should stop whenever Beetle Juice decides it should stop. So, from that, I thought it would more sense that he could draw the door and then not worry about it after that "pay" (but not really because it's END 0) an amount of END to keep the door open for a reasonable amount of time, and then it would shut off. But I asked about the shut-off condition, so waiting to hear back from the OP

OIF: I assume he needs a wall in order to open the door, as mentioned in the OP

 

Trigger shouldn't be appropriate, since it's bought as a Focus, the focus can be defined as Universal, and therefore automatically usable by others. It's a bit of a weird dynamic here... can't quite wrap my head around it right now.

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I think in the movie it closes behind them after they walk through it.  They just walk through a door in the underworld without having to draw it to get back, but for simplicity's sake I think I'll make it so the character does the same action on both sides.

 

I would say shutoff is controlled by the creator of the door.  So we could probably drop uncontrolled.

 

Yeah not sure on the focus part ... Because the caster of the spell would be creating a focus in this case, not something he'd start with.  We could say OIF for the "writing" utensil, anything would do (grab a dry erase marker or anything), so its not OAF.  But yes you need something to draw on, but that could be any relatively flat surface which would be available almost all the time.  I think the wall is "Limited power (vertical flat-ish surface) -1/4

 

It's a pretty funny movie, but not sure if it's held up to today's standards.  You have to accept a bit of "camp".

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I think in the movie it closes behind them after they walk through it.  They just walk through a door in the underworld without having to draw it to get back, but for simplicity's sake I think I'll make it so the character does the same action on both sides.

 

I would say shutoff is controlled by the creator of the door.  So we could probably drop uncontrolled.

 

Yeah not sure on the focus part ... Because the caster of the spell would be creating a focus in this case, not something he'd start with.  We could say OIF for the "writing" utensil, anything would do (grab a dry erase marker or anything), so its not OAF.  But yes you need something to draw on, but that could be any relatively flat surface which would be available almost all the time.  I think the wall is "Limited power (vertical flat-ish surface) -1/4

 

It's a pretty funny movie, but not sure if it's held up to today's standards.  You have to accept a bit of "camp".

 

True, and if it's only really for people, then we can drop the Increased Mass adder.

 

I don't think Limited Power is correct. If a case like this, if you feel like any flat surface would do, the Focus can be defined as such - it doesn't have to be a particular wall, nor does it have to be in his "possession". Because it's Bulky and Immoblie, it's automaically Inaccessible. However, once the power is used, the fact that the gate is being drawn on a flat surface, wall or otherwise, makes it very obvious in my opinion. Someone strong enough, or wielding a wrecking ball/missile type weapon, could target the wall thereafter. If Beetle Juice needs something of that nature, it should be a Focus. As for the writing utensil, these can be combined in the same focus, I think, like a weapon and ammo. Chalk and chalk board? I think so.

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Ah ok, didn't realize you could define focuses that way.  I guess that the wall (or whatever) acts like an object of opportunity?  Could I take Immobile limitation?  Doesn't seem like a GM should allow it as its not much of a limitation because I'm still able to go through the gate myself and once I'm through I wouldn't care about having to bring the gate with me.

 

Just realized on page 223 of 6e1 there's a "gate to hell" example that works very similarly.

 

This is what I'm thinking

 

EDM (1 location), AOE 2m (+1/4), usable by others (+1/4, 2x (1/4 more) but 1 at a time (1/4 less)), constant (+1/2), end only to activate (+1/4), safe blind travel (+1/4), Active Points: 50, Gate (-1/2), extra time - full turn (-1 1/4), gestures (-1/4), OIF (-1/2), Real points: 14.

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That seems to be what I had minus Uncontrolled. Looks fine to me :)

 

While some Foci are the typical staff or sword used for some kind of Attack Power, there are some powers that need magical components, like herbs for a potion or a crystal for some kind of incantation. I think of Focus in this context as "something you need for the power to work". I think of your beetle juice door like this: the wall is a "component" of the power. 

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