One-off and random effect Super-drugs

[Lorehunter]

Many examples of various drugs and concoctions that have given a variety of different powers to different recipients for different lengths of time since the beginning of story telling. Been rolling this around in my head for a day or so trying to figure out a way to make a "temporary-modified-by-users-DNA" drug that normals could use (at high risk) to temporarily get Powers. Any ideas because I am coming up empty? 

 

P.S. I am looking to have this modeled in HD6

[steriaca]

48 minutes ago, Lorehunter said:

Many examples of various drugs and concoctions that have given a variety of different powers to different recipients for different lengths of time since the beginning of story telling. Been rolling this around in my head for a day or so trying to figure out a way to make a "temporary-modified-by-users-DNA" drug that normals could use (at high risk) to temporarily get Powers. Any ideas because I am coming up empty? 

 

P.S. I am looking to have this modeled in HD6

Technically if the PCs are not going to get their hands on this, you can hand wave it and not use a writeup for it.

 

If you must have a writeup, then it is a Major or Severe Transformation (person without powers to person with powers) and have it heal normally.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah just treat it as a plot effect, create a chart of potential powers and roll on it if you want.

It is worth noting here in a sort of related way that I came up with a "random effect" modifier of -½ on multipowers or power pools where you cannot control what comes up, rolled randomly among the choices.  Might be in the rules somewhere, though, I don't recall seeing it anywhere officially.

[archer]

I don't think you could do it easily in an existing program.

 

When I've done that in the past, I just defined a maximum amount of points then rolled 1d100 and counted down the list of powers until I got to the appropriate number (adding the list of characteristics individually to the end of the list of powers).

 

That'll give something which feels truly random.

 

But honestly, picking powers to give to people is more satisfying. It's sometimes contrived for people to figure out that they got extra PD or extra ED or CON. But getting some flight, super-strength, or energy blasts can be fairly obvious.

 

If you're doing a story around that being a street drug that's being sold to the public (rather than a drug given directly to henchmen), start out with the maximum amount of points given being fairly low as the drug first hits the streets. Then as time goes by, whoever is manufacturing it refines the formula so that later people are given more power or powers that last longer.

 

Giving out 5 CP of power is an oddity in the national news as citizens float away or shoot out energy blasts that are weaker than a pistol. But giving out 40 CP will start attracting the attention of organizations, villains, and masterminds which will up the stakes in the race to find out who's responsible and what the formula is.

 

[Lorehunter]

Cool - thanks you 2. I honestly did not think of the "hand waving" option. Vision in my mind was of different scenes where in the villian is almost beat but then takes the "Super-serum" and riods out with new powers to boot. 

 

Can Severe Transform give PC/NPCs powers and what not? .... hmmm I guess it does. I will have to work on that aspect of this.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Can Severe Transform give PC/NPCs powers and what not?

 

Yes, but you have to exceed the transform point to do so or offset them with complications:

 

Quote

When a Transform adds Character Points to a target, if the total of the accompanying Complications equals or exceeds the total points granted to the target, the Transform works normally (it doesn’t become easier).  However, one-fifth of any points not compensated for by new Complications adds to the target’s BODY, point for point, to determine how difficult it is for the character to accomplish the Transform.

 

(or, alternately in a more complicated system, you transform only the amount of points of power you managed to roll)

 

[Lorehunter]

6 minutes ago, archer said:

If you're doing a story around that being a street drug that's being sold to the public (rather than a drug given directly to henchmen), start out with the maximum amount of points given being fairly low as the drug first hits the streets. Then as time goes by, whoever is manufacturing it refines the formula so that later people are given more power or powers that last longer.

 

Giving out 5 CP of power is an oddity in the national news as citizens float away or shoot out energy blasts that are weaker than a pistol. But giving out 40 CP will start attracting the attention of organizations, villains, and masterminds which will up the stakes in the race to find out who's responsible and what the formula is.

OOOOhhhhh... good idea and yes it was exactly that. Gming for my 12 son so thought to slip a little father life lesson type thing.

[Jhamin]

Not to shill a product, but this sounds like a good job for the Champions Character Creation Cards.  There are various "colors" of cards to generate base stats, backgrounds, complications, powers, skills, etc.

The intent with the product is to random generate a whole super character by drawing cards from each catagory & putting them together to form a character.  In this case you could start with your base character (Thug, High-Schooler, Taxi Driver, and then just draw x number of "power cards" (defined by how many points of powers you want them to have) and add it to the base character.

It works just as well to have a bunch of pre-defined powers in HD6 and just roll dice on which ones they get, but drawing cards from a deck is fun. 🗃️

[tombrown803]

Hero published a super-power granting drug scenerio in Villainy Amok. It's 5th edition, but it would be a starting place, and easy to convert to 6e

[Lorehunter]

10 hours ago, tombrown803 said:

Hero published a super-power granting drug scenerio in Villainy Amok. It's 5th edition, but it would be a starting place, and easy to convert to 6e

Thanks, I will try to case that down.