Phermones

[Vondy]

I'm building a power for a player in my game and I'm perplexed about something.

 

In short - its a character who has phermones. The phermones only work when the character is aroused. It doesn't have a limited class of minds because the phermones affect men and women. The NND is stopped by being not needing to breath. I have built the power thus:

 

Cost**	Power	END
13**	Phermones: Mind Control 2d6, Telepathic (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Invisible to Fully Invisible Group (+1/2), Explosion (+1/2), Continuous (+1), No Normal Defense (Standard; +1), Cumulative (x8 max.) (96 points; +1 1/4); Based on CON Defense: PD (-1), No Conscious Control (Only Effects cannot be controlled; -1), Only To Create Arousal (-1), No Range (-1/2)*	0

Powers Cost: 13

 

Here's is my quandry: I didn't take the full -2 for no conscious control because the character can theoretically activate the power themselves (most people can work themselves up), but that means there is nothing in the power that represents the capricious nature of human attraction.

 

Would that best be represented with a limitation on the power, or a disadvantage of some sort?

 

Or would it be logical to have that aspect be governed by psych lims, COM rolls modified for the situatation, and seduction rolls?

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Phermones

 

I think the power construct is quite sound as is, considering what you want it to do. If it were up to me to account for the characer being unwillingly aroused, I'd use the mechanism for Accidental Change, with the "other form" being the character's pheromone-drenched state. That Disadvantage allows for an involuntary reaction according to circumstances you define, while explicitly not affecting the character's ability to deliberately activate the power.

[nexus]

Re: Phermones

 

I agree. It looks sound.

 

I have to say, sounds like a different sort of game.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Phermones

 

I'd just get an idea of what types of people will be a turn on for this character, and also that types of character would be a total turn off.

 

Then just use EGO Rolls to either keep the Pheromones at bay, or to try to cough them up is desperately needed.

[devlin1]

Re: Phermones

 

I agree. It looks sound.

 

I have to say, sounds like a different sort of game.

Yes, yes, Nexus, we all know what a perv you are from another thread.

[Snarf]

Re: Phermones

 

Just a thought, I do pheremones as a limited form of PRE. There's a more subtle effect and defined mechanism for how they affect skill rolls that way.

 

But anyway, about the mind control, if you wanted to represent the unreliability of attraction, an activation roll could work. Or maybe a RSR: COM limitation.

[TheEmerged]

Re: Phermones

 

Just a thought, I do pheremones as a limited form of PRE. There's a more subtle effect and defined mechanism for how they affect skill rolls that way.

 

But anyway, about the mind control, if you wanted to represent the unreliability of attraction, an activation roll could work. Or maybe a RSR: COM limitation.

 

There's another, similar mechanic if you're willing to do a bit of twisting.

 

COM, bought IPE (Invisible Power Effects) with a "once per person" activation roll

 

I'll be the first to admit it only "works" if you attach a game effect to COM, though...

[Vondy]

Re: Phermones

 

Well, we keep things strictly pg-13 in terms of intimate content, but the game tends to be more situational and role play oriented than combat oriented, so skills and non-combat power effects tend to be fairly important. Investigations and esionage are the mainstay (though we do have the big brawl every so often).

 

A mechanic for com? You mean - come actually being worth something. Weird

[Solomon]

Re: Phermones

 

I like the power construct, it looks solid. And I agree with LL for using Accidental Change. (Evil Grin added since everyone is doing so).

 

Anyone gave any thought to modeling COM as a Reputation-like Perk?

 

(More evil grins for no apparent reason. I love the new boards).

[Vondy]

Re: Phermones

 

I like the power construct, it looks solid. And I agree with LL for using Accidental Change. (Evil Grin added since everyone is doing so).

 

Anyone gave any thought to modeling COM as a Reputation-like Perk?

 

(More evil grins for no apparent reason. I love the new boards).

 

I would prefer it be done that way. As it is it serves as nothing more than a once in a blue moon complimentary skill for presence.

 

It could be done as bonuses to reaction roles from members of the opposite sex, or members of the same sex who are "open" to that sort of thing.

 

The old victoria games James Bond 007 game had cool level names in that regard (I'll look them up when I get home).

[zornwil]

Re: Phermones

 

Too late I suppose, but anyway, I would have used Side Effects, GM-defined, which has that NCC "type" of input while still allowing the deliberate nature of the power.

 

Nothing whatsoever against what's been posted here, though, just reflecting on how I'd have done it as an alternative.

[James Gillen]

Re: Phermones

 

I like the power construct, it looks solid. And I agree with LL for using Accidental Change. (Evil Grin added since everyone is doing so).

 

Anyone gave any thought to modeling COM as a Reputation-like Perk?

 

(More evil grins for no apparent reason. I love the new boards).

 

That's pretty much the only way it could work (if the effect of looks is going to be simulated in rules). It also makes it easier to convert with GURPS, BUFFY/Unisystem, and other games where an 'attractiveness' advantage actually has game effects.

 

Let's see:

does "opposite or preferred gender" count as medium or large-sized group? I'll say large. That's 2 points per die of positive Reputation.

I'll leave the Reputation roll at default cost, 11- (about a 50-50 chance).

 

So 2 pts. of "Comeliness Reputation" (for lack of a better term) gives +1 to certain Interaction Skills and +1d6 to PRE Attacks. 2 pts. is the same cost as 14 COM.

 

4 points would get you +2/+2d6 bonus, for the same cost as an 18 COM. 18 is supermodel territory by most players' standards.

 

6 points would get +3 to the figures, and while that's a big cost, it IS 3 dice or +3 bonus, and the same cost as a 22 COM. Who in the real world has a 22 COM?

 

This idea makes more sense the more I look at it...

 

JG

[McCoy]

Re: Phermones

 

No reason why comic book biology shouldn't be as rubber sheet as comic book physics, but do feel the need to point out that in RL no human phermone has ever been isolated, and there is serious disagreement among the experts if humans have phermone receptors or not.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Phermones

 

I hope that character has some resistant defenses, since 96 points worth of arousal on everyone in the area will quite possibly get them torn limb from limb by overzealous paramours.

 

The Fem Force RPG has the best descriptions for appearance levels, from what I recall. It's also the only superhero RPG which lists character measurements on their official stats

[megaplayboy]

Re: Phermones

 

That's pretty much the only way it could work (if the effect of looks is going to be simulated in rules). It also makes it easier to convert with GURPS, BUFFY/Unisystem, and other games where an 'attractiveness' advantage actually has game effects.

 

Let's see:

does "opposite or preferred gender" count as medium or large-sized group? I'll say large. That's 2 points per die of positive Reputation.

I'll leave the Reputation roll at default cost, 11- (about a 50-50 chance).

 

So 2 pts. of "Comeliness Reputation" (for lack of a better term) gives +1 to certain Interaction Skills and +1d6 to PRE Attacks. 2 pts. is the same cost as 14 COM.

 

4 points would get you +2/+2d6 bonus, for the same cost as an 18 COM. 18 is supermodel territory by most players' standards.

 

6 points would get +3 to the figures, and while that's a big cost, it IS 3 dice or +3 bonus, and the same cost as a 22 COM. Who in the real world has a 22 COM?

 

This idea makes more sense the more I look at it...

 

JG

 

well, stats above 20 are supposed to be one in a million, so probably someone who consistently lands on one of those '50 most beautiful' lists, 'hot 100' lists, etc, probably rates a 20+ COM.

Prime Michelle Pfeiffer probably would rate a 20+ COM(since every interview I ever read began by saying, "she really is that beautiful in person")

[Hawksmoor]

Re: Phermones

 

>>Prime Michelle Pfeiffer probably would rate a 20+ COM(since every interview I ever read began by saying, "she really is that beautiful in person") <<

 

 

Michelle Pfieffer PERIOD!

 

Hawksmoor

-Thinking he should stop thinking about thinking about Michelle Pfieffer.