WWYCD: When Disaster Strikes

[wcw43921]

Hurricanes slam into Florida, Texas and the islands of the Caribbean.  Wildfires rage in the Northwest.  Earthquakes nearly obliterate Mexico.  As the man says, if ever there was a need for heroes--

 

So what are your heroes doing when disaster strikes?  Are they at the scene, or does something else occupy their attention?  Do real-life disasters find their way into your games, or only fictional ones?  Are your characters effective in disaster situations, or are they more suited to combat?

 

Hope to get some good answers.

[mrinku]

The original Robo-Bushi had a cover identity as a search-and-rescue bot on top of his actual design to lead Dr Hachinaga's evil robot army and always had some useful kit in the gadget pool. He'd be out there fighting fires and rescuing folks for sure.

 

Dwarfstar, not so much. He was pretty much only in it for the thrills and probably wouldn't go out of his way on his own. Fought a Kaiju that was attacking New Phoenix once, though.

 

Always wanted to run some disaster sessions... a building fire is a good way to get new characters to meet, especially with players that haven't played HERO yet and can use it to learn about simple use of powers and skills.

[Tjack]

Most of my really high point characters are in semi-retirement and only come out for things like this.

One man sized bulldozer and multi-ton crane combos with N-ray capabilities for locating survivors. High speed evac flights to outer area hospitals for critical cases. Return trips loaded down with needed meds, equipment and supplies.

The days after 9/11, I kept myself from going nuts by daydreaming about this stuff.

[bluesguy]

I just ran a game on Sunday.  We hadn't played in a while and we didn't have all our players.  So I told the players that were there that their characters had gone to Houston to help with search, rescue and some clean up (they can either fly, teleport or have create survival skills).  I told the players that the other part of the team was in FL doing heavy lifting, literally since that was the brick and other character has high telekinesis.  I have never played out a disaster w/ the characters - just used it as backstory.

[CptPatriot]

My character, Psi-kick, is mainly a combatant but her Precognition would be helpful in rescue efforts.

[bubba smith]

tuff-man would help where he could but being an MMA sort he'd be over powered by a natural disaster

[DasBroot]

I'm of a mixed opinion when designing characters because I keep this sort of thing in mind when doing so.

 

One the one hand I like building 'practical' uses of powers into characters to add dimension.

 

On the other hand if I make it 'too' useful (Healing, for example) I get stuck in a quagmire of 'why is he doing anything BUT this?'

 

My solution is usually to limit the 'too useful' powers with charges (especially Healing, but sometimes even things like Mind Scan, with which with a character with a high enough scan bonus to OMCV could easily spend every waking moment of their entire lives locating missing people with) and avoid megascale on travel powers so they *can't* be everywhere their power would be useful in short order.

[Lucius]

So what are your heroes doing when disaster strikes?

 

That depends, among other things, on the disaster.

 

Stormwalker might spend a lot of time trying to moderate hurricanes, for example, but after an earthquake would be just another sttrong guy moving debris around.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

What is disaster doing when the palindromedary strikes?

[Hermit]

The New Samaritans are on the wrong coast normally, but assuming they had time...

 

 

Arctic Fox 's ice barriers may not do much, but she might try for a hail mary kind of effect attempting to cool down the ocean's surface to reduce the energy feeding the Hurricane.

 

Eel aka "Fish Guy" is water breathing brick with good knock back resistance. He's built for rescue operations like this. Or he could try to swim out there and deliver a payload of some anti-hurricane device depending on how much rubber science we're allowing.

 

Lady Obsidian is a leading genius in Forcefield Tech. Give her enough time, and she would have put up a huge forcewall of sorts in between the hurricane and say Puerto Rico. It would drain the power reserves of the entire territory, and might only reduce it rather than stop it, but if anyone could do it, she could. Without time? She'd still save a lot of lives and maybe at least shield a street.

 

Pinprick would probably be on cleanup and rescue, diving into the buildings after, through small spaces, and getting people out. Even if he had to shrink them down with his magic arrows to his size to get them clear. Then again, for all we know, he could maybe SHOOT at the hurricane and shrink it down to the size of a dust devil as he reduces not just it's size but it's strength. CAN he do this? He's never tried. Maybe Florida Man is right and you CAN shoot a hurricane?

 

Tornado has no wind powers despite his name. He's a martial artist flying speedster. He's on airlift duty.

[phydaux]

Quasar  - His secret identity is fabulously wealth.  He would donate generously to the relief effort.  He wouldn't volinteer to go help in person, but if asked by PRIMUS then he would respond immediately, using his amplified strength, flight, and advanced sensors any way he could..

 

Shadowhunter -  An emergency there does not mean a lack of needs here.  There is always someone who thinks they are above the law.  Those someones eventually meet the Famous Fists of the Shadowhunter!

 

Mystica - "Ah!  I am glad you ask.  I have looked into this.  I can say without doubt that the storms were NOT caused by mystical powers.  This is good, yes?  Yes.  Now, please go.  I have shipment of artifacts, maybe cursed, maybe not.  Better you not here when I find out."

[death tribble]

The Protectors often dealt with such things. Some had powers that were very useful such as The Demoness who had N-Ray vision to see souls. Useful in earthquake situations. And she had a magic variable pool.

Those of the team who were martial artists were good at search and rescue.