How do i work with additional limbs?

[22_Ronin]

Hello all,

Currently relearning the system after a 20 year hiatus. I have Champions Complete and for my Hero campaign i have devised an NPC organisation - The Hundred Handers. 

They are primarily martial arts based and the gadget is an exo-skeleton giving then an additional pair of arms. So my questions are:

I'm assuming the extra limbs power is the go to however i want these to be an advantage to the group for combat - bonus strikes, simultaneous grapple and strike etc

Does it come down to the way i put together the martial art strikes? Adding some sort of modifier.

 

Look forward to your replies on the subject

 

Thanks 

[Greywind]

Probably faster. Might keep you from having to do overtime, but having extra limbs, don't expect to be paid more for your time.

[Christopher R Taylor]

You could give the characters a bonus for some maneuvers (grab, for example) because of the extra limbs, but mostly just having extra limbs acts the way you'd think.  For example, Shiva the 6 armed martial artist can not only grab a target, but apply a beat down to them with their extra hands.  They can not only carry someone in two arms, but fight with the other four.  Its mostly utility and logic.  Think about this scene from Terminator 2

 

 

 

He's flying the helicopter with both hands, and using a machine pistol with a third one.  At one point he pops out another arm to reload.

 

[mrinku]

Designing a martial style around it is just a matter of choosing maneuvers to taste. There's also the general maneuver Multiple Attack. You're not allowed to buy levels in that per se, but you can buy levels in the actual moves you want to use with it (like Grab, Strike etc) if multi-attacks are intended as a feature of the style. 

 

Also consider Ambidexterity and the skills Rapid Attack and Two-Weapon Fighting (though the latter only counts when armed).

 

Since this is an exoskeleton, maybe buy some of this with a focus limitation?

 

i.e. +2 CSL in HtH (16pts) plus Rapid Attack (10pts), OIF Exo-arms (-1/2) =  17 pts

[Ninja-Bear]

Look at independent power build and build an auto fire attack. My favorite is to buy a 1 meter area affect-accurate to represent multiple punches thrown but one always hit.

[Doc Democracy]

Noone else has mentioned this as yet, I presume having played before that you will be aware but it bears repeating: in HERO you get what you pay for.

 

If you buy extra limbs you have extra limbs.  Merely having those limbs does not provide you with additional attacks, better movement, or anything else.  Having extra limbs is indeed incredibly useful - you can hold three weapons while still being able to scratch your bum.  :-)  It allows you to grab someone, hold them with two hands and still have a limb that you can attack with.

 

If you want to throw a flurry of punches, buy autofire on your STR; if you want to reliably wrap someone up without all of the hassle of grab rules, buy a no range entangle (only when you have two hands available); if you want additional attacks in a round, buy more SPD.  Of course, you can do all that and still buy extra limbs (especially if you use the limitation I wrote for the entangle a lot).

 

Stephen

[22_Ronin]

Thanks to those who replied  - some good ideas for me to work with. Particularly like the Entangle and autofire suggestions - i had not considered those. I'll throw some of that down and see what comes out. 

 

Thanks all 

[mrinku]

If you want to throw a flurry of punches, buy autofire on your STR; if you want to reliably wrap someone up without all of the hassle of grab rules, buy a no range entangle (only when you have two hands available); if you want additional attacks in a round, buy more SPD.  Of course, you can do all that and still buy extra limbs (especially if you use the limitation I wrote for the entangle a lot).

 

 

For the entangle idea, most of the time I'd still prefer to do it using normal grab, since you basically have to load up the power with more conditions if its your actual arms (feedback for a start). But if the extra limbs are stretchy exo arms it might work out ok.

[dsatow]

Assuming you aren't looking at special effects for powers, 

 

Extra limbs, even if off handed, are useful for holding a grabbed opponent and then pounding on them.  This is a tactic a brick uses in my game.  He grabs with his normal limbs and then moves the grabbed opponent to his extra limbs and proceeds to squeeze and punch the target.

 

Another tactic for extra limbs and STR over 20 is to pick up multiple targets (as hostages or rescued).

 

Another use, is to grab and use a person or object as a shield while doing other things.

 

Depending on the genre, extra limbs could reload ammo, throw grenades, while the base limbs do other things.

 

Finally, as far rude gestures go, a single middle finger says one thing, but with multiple arms, just think how offensive you can be.

[Christopher R Taylor]

A trick I used for a 4-arm character was +4 speed, only for martial arts.  So he couldn't run, recover or do other stuff on those phases, but could whup ass at 8 speed (I gave it a -½ limitation).  It simulates lots of arms acting quickly fairly well and it doesn't cost a whole lot

[mrinku]

This all takes me back. My very first Champions character was a flying, 1m spherical robot with 6 stretchy arms and a gadget pool (Robobushi). Of course, that was back in 3e, when multiple limbs meant something (as did Unusual Looks)

 

I rebuilt him to be humanoid in the end, but I still have a great fondness for this power.

 

The old rule was +1 OCV in close combat per extra limb, I think. These days you'd just buy some CSLs or more OCV (-1 only in close combat) directly.