Super-Strength and Martial DCs

[Vondy]

Character concept in a nutshell: ageless-regenerating superspy from WWI and WWII emerged from 60 years of stasis in an alien device bonded with a non-corporeal alien entity that provides him with latent telekinetic powers (he functions like a brick with telekinetic strength, flight, and an uber-personal force field) and some weird cosmic sensory powers --- don't ask. Its complex.

 

His superstrength is purchased as a power (0 END, No Figured Char, Non-Persistent), but he also has martial arts, which he frequently uses when his powers aren't "on" (in super-spy mode).

 

The problem is: he doesn't suddenly forget his cool moves when his TK comes on, but I don't want any martial damage classes to add to his superstrength: he already has 18DC, which is uber for this campaign.

 

The question is which solution is better:

 

1) purchase maneuvers that don't add to his DCs and treat the "superstrength" as having a secondary SFX (allowing him to use some of it in lieu of martial damage classes: up to 10 total DC).

 

2) purchase maneuvers that do add to his DCs, but tack an additional lim onto his superstrength: martial DCs don't add to superstrength damage -1/4.

 

3) as with two, but tack the limitation "does not add to superstrength -1/4 onto the relevent martial arts manuevers.

 

Thoughts?

[Gary]

I'd go with 1. It might be somewhat unbalancing with some maneuvers though.

[Supreme Serpent]

Well, if the entity/powers being "on" is a huge change, maybe multiform would actually be a "cleaner" solution?

 

Howabout instead of buying "Martial Arts" by brand name, buy some HTH combat levels and some HTH dice with the limit "not useable with superstrength"? Someone with 4 HTH levels and 7d6 punches qualifies as a martial artist to me, even if he doesn't have "maneuvers".

[Vorsch]

A super strong Martial brick should hit harder than a super strong brick.

 

You say he ha 18dc, is that basic stike ie has str 90. If so 2d6 more from MA strike isint gonig to make much difference.

 

On the other hand if your trying to get under 18dc as a campaign limit then you going to have to lose str or MA

 

Something like this?

 

Rc Ap

30 60 Mp Latent Tk, 1/2 dcv activate, full phase

30 60 FF 30pd 30ed, 0 end

30 60 Flight 25", 0 end x8 ncm

30 60 Str +60, 0 end , ( no fig cos of MP )

 

Latent mean inactive by the way

[misterdeath]

Some random ideas.

 

1) Buy down his Str so that you do the 18 dice limit with your martial arts and enhanced Str. Buy more Str with the limitation (-1) only for lifting and bracing. You get the max damage you want, plus the ability to lift and mangle the stuff you want.

 

Str 20, Offensive Strike, +2 DCs gives you the ten DC.

 

Buying +40 Str, 0 End, no fig (-1/2), non persistant(-1/2) for 30 points (I'm doing the math in my head) gives you the 18 DC.

 

Then buy +30 Str, 0 End, Only for lifting (-1), non persistant (-1/2) for 18 more points gives you the 90 STR you need for lifting purposes.

 

2) Physical Limitation "Martial Arts and Str cannot do more than 18 DC" value dependent on what DC you're giving up.

 

3) Modification of Supreme Serpent's idea. Buy the HTH levels, plus some STR, 0 End, no fig (-1/2), only to approximate martial arts maneuvers (-1/2) (kinda like Teleios). With a 20 Str, +30 more with those limitations'll cost you 22 points. Which might or might not be close to the cost of your maneuvers.

 

D

[Vondy]

I think I'll just avoid maneuvers that add to DCs and allow him to use part of his already purchased strength as a dual SFX.

 

Its a touch munchkiny, but its simplifies the character design as opposed to making him more complex.

[Vorsch]

non persistant is that disadvantage for str with no fig?

 

Is it a lim at all?

[austenandrews]

I liked option #3 myself, though admittedly it means you have to refigure the costs of maneuvers and whatnot. (Though Steve Long apparently endorses the idea of treating a Talent as a single-cost entity, to which Adv's and Lim's can be applied, rather than deconstructing them for modification; so maybe the same would be true for MA?)

 

-AA

[Vondy]

Originally posted by austenandrews

I liked option #3 myself, though admittedly it means you have to refigure the costs of maneuvers and whatnot. (Though Steve Long apparently endorses the idea of treating a Talent as a single-cost entity, to which Adv's and Lim's can be applied, rather than deconstructing them for modification; so maybe the same would be true for MA?)

 

-AA

 

This could work. I might go so far as to call it a -0 limitation. I will ponder.

[Agent X]

Originally posted by Von D-Man

I think I'll just avoid maneuvers that add to DCs and allow him to use part of his already purchased strength as a dual SFX.

 

Its a touch munchkiny, but its simplifies the character design as opposed to making him more complex.

It's not Munchkiny to me. It's the reverse. You are jumping through hoops to prevent the character from being too powerful.

 

You could buy the non-damage class martial maneuvers then buy a multipower with the strength in one ultra slot and the hand attack labeled "martial arts strikes" in the other ultra slot.

[freakboy6117]

couldn't you make a limitation on the super stregth that it cant be used with martial arts maybe because the concentration you need to control the telekinesis is to great for skillfull martiual arts

[Vondy]

Originally posted by freakboy6117

couldn't you make a limitation on the super stregth that it cant be used with martial arts maybe because the concentration you need to control the telekinesis is to great for skillfull martiual arts

 

He doesn't actually have to concentrate (the powers are latent and are a product of his subconscious mind), but you make seem to be advocating option 2, which does make sense from a certain point of view.

 

I'm wondering if its worth a lim at all. Its really just an effect. It might just be a -0 modifier. MAs don't add to superstrength.

[Vondy]

Originally posted by Agent X

It's not Munchkiny to me. It's the reverse. You are jumping through hoops to prevent the character from being too powerful.

 

You could buy the non-damage class martial maneuvers then buy a multipower with the strength in one ultra slot and the hand attack labeled "martial arts strikes" in the other ultra slot.

 

That would work. I am trying to de-framework him (he already has an MP "flight array"), but it makes sense.