Thor's hammer or similar "only the worthy can wield it"

[Strand]

So I am making an Angelic character with an OAF Sword. I was going to have it such that when the sword was knocked from his hand, only someone not evil could pick it up.

But I am wondering if this goes against the Accessible part of the Focus. 

 

Maybe another question would be: How would you build Mjolnir so that only Thor or "only the 'worth'" (like Captain America in Endgame) can pick it up?

 

Thanks.

[dmjalund]

declare it a Personal Focus (as opposed to Universal) just define 'Personal' a bit wider

[Strand]

I'm using 5th edition and I tried to look for Personal Focus and Universal. They sound like 'in game' terms. Nor did I find them in HD. More importantly, I was looking for what happens when said weapon hits the ground. Suppose my hero has an OAF sword. By the rules any Focus can be taken away. Sort of like in Avengers End Game, Thor's hammer is knocked from his hand. But who can pick it up. (in the comics I've been told Thanos has done it as well as Hulk) But beyond terms I can't find in the book, how would you build it so that once the item is out of hand it can't or is hard to pick up. I guess this might break the rules. You make it OAF so it CAN be taken away only to come up with something so no one can pick it up off of the ground except you.  

 

I'm also using hero designer because I'm not good with the rules. This is why I asked how someone else would build this.

[steriaca]

That is because having a Personal Focus or a Universal Focus makes no difference in the cost. Either idea has it's own advantages and drawbacks.

 

I would also add a new "Semi-Universal" to this list (which can also be called Semi-Personal also). Basically the GM sets some condition about who can use the item (along with the player of course). It is also having it's own advantages and drawbacks (you can give it out for others to use...someone can't use it against you...yadda yadda) so it also cancels itself out.

 

Champions Complete pages 104-106 has the stuff on Focus. On page 106 it has the paragraph on Applicability. On the table (page 105), they don't affect the price of the Focus at all.

 

Universal = everyone can use it, within reason. Can ge give out to friends, but also can be used against you.

 

Semi-Universal = not in the text, but only a select group can use it. Can only freely be given to members of this select group. But beware, all members of this group can use it, even traitors. 

 

Personal = only you can use it. Nobody but you can use it. It can't be used against you, but your opponent can disarm or disable the device and you can't use it till it is recovered or fixed or something. 

 

It should be noted that it has ALWAYS been a choice which doesn't affect the cost of the Focus. Even in 4th edition it didn't affect the cost of the Focus. I can't swear by 3rd edition or below, but I believe it was never an option which reduces or increases the Focus limitation.

[Strand]

Apologies, I missed Applicability at or near the end of Focus. But I was looking for it in HD. Because of my lack of smarts, I rely on the program. I guess I would put something in the notes on the power about it being a Personal Focus. I know HD wouldn't put it in there because there is zero cost but IMO, it would help to have everything there.

Thanks for the help.

[steriaca]

Your welcomed. I actually do wish for a category between Personal and Universal. As I deep think it, Conditional sounds like the better term then Semi-Personal or Semi-Universal. It does describe it better (you meet the conditions and you can use the powers).

[codKryptkpr]

So, what about the cannot be moved part of Mjolnir?  Thor put it on loki's chest and loki couldn't move until thor summoned it off him.

[dmjalund]

4 minutes ago, codKryptkpr said:

So, what about the cannot be moved part of Mjolnir?  Thor put it on loki's chest and loki couldn't move until thor summoned it off him.

for something so absolute, I would have an extradimention called 'pinned by Mjolnr'

[unclevlad]

8 minutes ago, codKryptkpr said:

So, what about the cannot be moved part of Mjolnir?  Thor put it on loki's chest and loki couldn't move until thor summoned it off him.

 

VERY!!! high STR Clinging.

You could try to do an Entangle definition, but that's gonna get very costly because you'd have stuff like "Entangle does not provide defenses."  

[LoneWolf]

Since Thor only did that once that could be considered a power stunt.  The Marvel universe probably has the power skill as an everyman skill for superheroes.    

[steriaca]

10 hours ago, codKryptkpr said:

So, what about the cannot be moved part of Mjolnir?  Thor put it on loki's chest and loki couldn't move until thor summoned it off him.

It's a special effect. 

[Scott Ruggels]

“Just” a special effect? The problem I have with that, is the effect is pinning another character immobile to the ground.  Very useful until assistance arrives to restrain the pinned character.  If one is going to immobilize another character, I would ask, as a GM that it would have to be stattted out.  Special effects to me are the icing on a cake, but the cake is the mechanics.  Show me how, and let me decide.  

[Hugh Neilson]

15 hours ago, codKryptkpr said:

So, what about the cannot be moved part of Mjolnir?  Thor put it on loki's chest and loki couldn't move until thor summoned it off him.

 

This falls into "source material differs from game" territory.  One-time power stunts are common in both the comics and the movies.  Hero's use of Power Skill to simulate this hasn't been overly effective.  Duplicating the many power stunts a long-published character has demonstrated would require acceptance that pretty mush every character has a VPP for such abilities.

[steriaca]

1 hour ago, Scott Ruggels said:

“Just” a special effect? The problem I have with that, is the effect is pinning another character immobile to the ground.  Very useful until assistance arrives to restrain the pinned character.  If one is going to immobilize another character, I would ask, as a GM that it would have to be stattted out.  Special effects to me are the icing on a cake, but the cake is the mechanics.  Show me how, and let me decide.  

Depends on if the player wants to do that more than once. If only once, the Power skill can work quite well. But if the player wants to do it all the time, then the GM will need the player to buy a power to simulate it.

 

I say Telekinesis, Only To Hold. It is already perceivable. Prehaps with Lockout (if it is part of a Hammer Multipower if you use it to pin you can't use it for anything else).

[Scott Ruggels]

That’s probably how to do it.  My Champions experience predates Power Skills, and maybe even Brick Tricks.  

[steriaca]

2 hours ago, Scott Ruggels said:

That’s probably how to do it.  My Champions experience predates Power Skills, and maybe even Brick Tricks.  

Quite understandable old tymer.

 

Quite odd for me to call you "old tymer", considering I'm 52 myself and started with 4ed...

[assault]

4 minutes ago, steriaca said:

Quite odd for me to call you "old tymer", considering I'm 52 myself and started with 4ed...

 

Youngster!

And only starting with 4ed!

[Mark Rand]

Being 72, I'm definitely an old timer.  I think I started with second edition.

[Scott Ruggels]

12 hours ago, steriaca said:

Quite understandable old tymer.

 

Quite odd for me to call you "old tymer", considering I'm 52 myself and started with 4ed...

58, and started with first edition, day one, and have the flyer from Pacific Origins to prove it.  😁

[pinecone]

On 8/11/2022 at 11:10 PM, Strand said:

So I am making an Angelic character with an OAF Sword. I was going to have it such that when the sword was knocked from his hand, only someone not evil could pick it up.

But I am wondering if this goes against the Accessible part of the Focus. 

 

Maybe another question would be: How would you build Mjolnir so that only Thor or "only the 'worth'" (like Captain America in Endgame) can pick it up?

 

Thanks.

Just treat it as the same cost as a "personal" focus, so few will be able, and the harm if they are so low...it is basicly the same ....

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah the "cannot lift Mjolnir" was taken from "nobody else can wield this" to "it can pin anyone to the ground".  Once you cross that line, you've entered PC territory where they'll find 8913217 ways to use that and break your scenarios unless you force them to buy it and define it.

[Pattern Ghost]

Hero doesn't have an elegant way to do "only X can lift this."  Since it's pretty unique to Mjolnir in the source material, I'd tend to just leave if off of PCs instead of pound my head into a brick wall trying to shoehorn it into a rules system that doesn't like absolutes in the first place.