Short-term Disabling Blows

[Black Rose]

Since I knew that asking this question of Steve would get me sent here (or possibly to the Fantasy Hero thread), I figured I'd save the time. I'm trying to make a martial artist who has an extensive knowledge of pressure points. I want him to be able to momentarily paralyze limbs and other such disabling maneuvers. I've seen the talent in FH (using Drain) and I've seen such things done using Entangles. I guess what I'm asking here is, what you, Herodom assembled, consider the "best" way to:

• make a person's hand unable to hold on to what they're gripping
  
• lock up a target's leg muscles, making running and kicking difficult
  
• lock up a target's arm muscles, making gestures and carrying things difficult
  
• blind and deafen, if only for a while
  
• induce temporary (for a turn at most) vertigo
  
• do the above at range (with, say, a small thrown object?)

 

I do have some ideas about how to get the above effects, but I'm trying to conserve points, and being able to roll it all into one or two powers would be nice.

 

So, any ideas?

[CrosshairCollie]

Various drains for most of it, Flashes for the blindness/deafness, a Dex suppress or quick-returning Drain for the vertigo ... pretty standard fare, I think. Alternately, while this is definitely *not* a point-saving move, Transformations could work.

[Chromatic]

Re: Short-term Disabling Blows

 

[hmmmm:

• MA Disarm
  
• Supress on running
  
• Entangle stops sense of touch ?? or MA Bind
  
• Flash sight/sound
  
• MA throw (vertigo is the sfx)
  

Use the typical tricks for MA (stretching/TK)

[Black Rose]

Originally posted by CrosshairCollie

Various drains for most of it, Flashes for the blindness/deafness, a Dex suppress or quick-returning Drain for the vertigo ... pretty standard fare, I think. Alternately, while this is definitely *not* a point-saving move, Transformations could work.

 

I sort of figured Drains for most of it, though I like Suppresses for both the cheapness and the quick return (I want the effects to be very short-term, like "no more than a Turn" short-term).

 

I like the idea of a Flash vs. Touch, only affecting a single limb, but I wonder if it would do what I want; the Flash sight/sound was the way I was going for the blinding and deafening, since it would fade out in a matter of moments.

 

The problem with Draining Dex for the vertigo, while being effective and doing the whole "gradually shake off the effects" thing quite nicely, is that it is rather costly for the return, requiring around 30 AP just to lower the target's CV by one on average. OTOH, IIRC, you can continue to drain until you get bored of the exercise, so it might in fact work better than I originally thought. Hmm....

[Black Rose]

Re: Re: Short-term Disabling Blows

 

Originally posted by Chromatic

[hmmmm:

• MA Disarm

 

Man, I am dull at the moment. I completely spaced on this one. I was trying to think of a good way to make someone let go of a hostage, and the fact that Disarm make you lose your hold on pretty much anything in your hands... Man, I feel dumb.

 

• Supress on running

 

Yeah, but will it also work to make it hard to use your legs for other things, too?

 

• Entangle stops sense of touch ?? or MA Bind

 

I think the Entangle, or maybe a Flash vs. Touch, is how I'll go. The Bind requires continued attention, and I want him to be able to attack and move on to the next guy. The idea is that he is trying to get past opponents, and not spend too much time on each one. They aren't dead, or even unconscious, so they can always come back and get him later.

 

• Flash sight/sound

 

Yeah, this is the best way I've seen so far.

 

• MA throw (vertigo is the sfx)

 

Thing is, I don't necessarily want the target to fall over, just be disoriented. Though I do admit, it would make more sense and probably be cheaper, even using the MA MP as I plan to do.

 

Use the typical tricks for MA (stretching/TK)

 

That would probably work, I'll have to look closer.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Short-term Disabling Blows

 

I know that other people have already given their answers, but I'm going to go ahead and give mine.

 

Originally posted by Black Rose

• make a person's hand unable to hold on to what they're gripping
  
• lock up a target's leg muscles, making running and kicking difficult
  
• lock up a target's arm muscles, making gestures and carrying things difficult
  
• blind and deafen, if only for a while
  
• induce temporary (for a turn at most) vertigo
  
• do the above at range (with, say, a small thrown object?)

 

1. STR Drain, probably limited to "Only STR In Gripping Hand". Possibly Entangle.

2. Entangle or Running + STR Drain.

3. Entangle, possibly STR Drain.

4. Flash is the obvious one. Seldom used is Entangle, Blocks Sight and Hearing Groups.

5. DEX Drain, probably.

6. You could put them all in a Small Thrown Object Multipower. Could be an object of opportunity if you don't have a specific object in mind.

 

For the Entangle, you'll want to make it transparent to all attacks at the +1/2 level, and Fully Invisible as well. Using Entangle for number 4 would mean you could make it something like a single Power: Entangle + Drain STR, DEX, and Running.

[TheEmerged]

Interesting thought. The 4th Edition Ninja HERO had an optional rule allowing for things like this if the STUN total from a Nerve Strike exceded the BODY of the victim. We tried it for a while but didn't care for it, has anyone else used this?