Thump!

[Dust Raven]

I have a player that wants his character to have a "thump" ability. That is, to thump a mechanical device that isn't working, and have it suddenly work. I was originally think Mind Control, but now I'm thinking Healing. Healing would better represent "fixing" something a bit better.

 

Here's what I got:

Thump!: Healing Machines/Gadgets 1d6, Any Mechanical/Gadget SFX, One Power At A Time (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END, +1/2) (17 Active Points), Gestures (-1/4) Total Cost: 14.

[Lord Liaden]

Eeeyyy, it's the Fonz!

 

Healing does sound good, but I'm wondering about the extent of what's being Healed. Are we talking about unjamming gears, connecting wires that have come apart, knocking clogs loose out of pipes, etc.; or actually mending broken parts and shorted wires, recharging batteries and the like? Also, will this just be used on objects built with the Focus rules, so that restoring one BODY would be enough to get the thing running again, or items that could sustain more BODY damage such as vehicles?

 

I bring up these questions because the answer might affect whether 1D6 of Healing will be enough.

[Richard Logue]

That's actually a pretty cool Power idea. Its seen a lot in tv and film.

 

Speaking of Arthur Fonzarelli, does the character also have the power to (for instance) thump a jukebox to make it start playing? Its not broken, but would be a similar ability.

 

The Thump reminds me of Madison Jeffries (Box (IV)) a bit. Always a favorite.

[ghost-angel]

Here's an idea that doesn't use a Power:

 

Thump skill.

PRE Based (maybe EGO, Not STR since you don't want to break the thing, just show it who's boss.)

Standard 3/2 cost.

 

Thump, the ability to force a machine or object to suddenly work properly when it is not. This skill will not work on outright broken objects but will work on "flaky" or similar objects. It may also be tried on objects that fail their activation roll, once only per session. (suggest a -1 per AP to the roll in this case.) Thump may be used only once per object per session in any case. A failed attempt to Thump amy cause further damage to the object as you knock a critical part further out of place.

 

that way no point effect is trying to be figured out, and has a more appropriate dramatic and storytelling effect.

[farik]

Our group had a character with this power at one time I believe it was for a sci fi game. As I recall the character was a mechanic with a lot of skills but additionally he had a power to kick things and get them running. If I recall correctly it was built as a minor transform (inoperational to functioning) the device had to have all of it's part but still not be operational. I believe it was built as a cumulative transform so he could kick it repeatedly to make it work. The nice thing was the device didn't actually get repaired unless he used the skills so he could get something badly broken running but unless the repairs were made it broke down again quickly.

[pinecone]

Yeah I was thinking either Transform or Summon slavishly loyal, requires broken version :group:machines....probibly too much stuff for a "flavor" power.....(slavishly loyal means it won't work for anyone else!)

[Snarf]

I think the official ruling is that healing that only works on machines is worth a -1/2 limitation.

 

That's the best special effect for machine healing ever.

 

Eeeyyy

Options:

1)The Fonz Effect: Add incantations to Thump! Real cost changes to 11.

[McCoy]

Re: Thump!

 

Originally posted by Dust Raven

I have a player that wants his character to have a "thump" ability. That is, to thump a mechanical device that isn't working, and have it suddenly work. I was originally think Mind Control, but now I'm thinking Healing. Healing would better represent "fixing" something a bit better.

 

Here's what I got:

Thump!: Healing Machines/Gadgets 1d6, Any Mechanical/Gadget SFX, One Power At A Time (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END, +1/2) (17 Active Points), Gestures (-1/4) Total Cost: 14.

I would say a transformation, with gestures. "American components! Russian components! They're all made in Taiwan!"

[Foxx!]

Dust Raven:

 

How about doing it as a skill? It sounds like you are doing the same as what a technician does with a skill, not a power. You could not only fix devices but also ÂethumpÂf them into doing other things: turn on a jukebox, etc. This may be an Extraordinary feat.

 

Cheers

[BoneDaddy]

The professional term, I believe, is "percussive maintenance." I like it a lot. I like Foxx's idea, too.

[zornwil]

I think this is well-covered here, and mostly when I see these questions and I think they're covered I move on without comment, however, I must say I really like the idea of some sort of power along these lines, really clever AND useful idea.

[Dust Raven]

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

I was thinking Transform as well, but decided to go with Healing because of that rule for Transform (can't buy Transform to do what another Power already does).

 

To answer LL: It's mean to make a quick, but lasting, fix to minor malfunctions. Something 1-3 BODY might fix. The character can't "thump" together wrecked car.

 

He's also likely to have the other half of the Fonz's power of thump, but in the form of a 4d6 Mind Control vs machines.

[Dust Raven]

I never thought of making it a skill. It seems a bit too powerful though, in that it will allow you to do what several other skills can do and in much less time. Then again, I could always add RSR to the Power...

 

Originally posted by ghost-angel

Here's an idea that doesn't use a Power:

 

Thump skill.

PRE Based (maybe EGO, Not STR since you don't want to break the thing, just show it who's boss.)

Standard 3/2 cost.

 

Thump, the ability to force a machine or object to suddenly work properly when it is not. This skill will not work on outright broken objects but will work on "flaky" or similar objects. It may also be tried on objects that fail their activation roll, once only per session. (suggest a -1 per AP to the roll in this case.) Thump may be used only once per object per session in any case. A failed attempt to Thump amy cause further damage to the object as you knock a critical part further out of place.

 

that way no point effect is trying to be figured out, and has a more appropriate dramatic and storytelling effect.

[ghost-angel]

Originally posted by Dust Raven

I never thought of making it a skill. It seems a bit too powerful though, in that it will allow you to do what several other skills can do and in much less time. Then again, I could always add RSR to the Power...

 

I thought about it a while, talked it over with my group and here's what we came up with as a Talent instead:

 

Usable once per session (since it is fairly powerful), if used on something with an activation roll it gives you another shot to "activate" the power. Only usable on powers with a focus (you Thump! the focus).

 

To make the power usable more than once per session buy skill levels, each skill level gives you one more Thump! per session/scenario.

 

The cost we were unsure of but a 5 point Talent for 11- / 3 points per +1 to the roll / 3 point skill level seemed like our general concensus.

 

We don't have the ability to test it since no one currently has a character that would use it .. possibly one of our SH characters, but we don't play SH but once in a long while. If anyone else wants to test the above construct, please give me feedback.

[Dust Raven]

The cost seems a bit steep, especially for a once a session (which could be only a few hours up to years in game time). If it was unlimited uses (though you couldn't retry, similar to Find Weakness or the use of Mental Powers) and based on a Skill Roll, I'd say 15 points, +1 to the roll cost 2 points. Effectively costing the same as the Healing version with a RSR plus the cost of the Power Skill. If you wanted to limit it per day, you could take this cost and apply the Charges Limitation.

[pinecone]

Or Luck :RSR, only to get broken or otherwise non functioning machines to do what you want, Charges, Incantation "Sumb*chin gizmo! Work by D**m!" should be fairly cheap, especially if you throw in more lims......