McCoy Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 I'm trying to put together a Player Character based loosly on Cobra Bubbles, the social worker in Lilo & Stitch. In the movie he claims to be former CIA, but it becomes obvious that he once was with MIB, so I was hoping to take weapons and equiptment from Men In Black, I & II. I figured a gadget pool, can't change in combat, has to go back to his storage locker to change. Problem is, when I wrote up the Neuralyzer, it was 225 active points. A 225 pt VPP for a 350 pt character does not leave a lot of room for perks and contacts. Any suggestions? Either ways to write up the character or make the neuralyzer cheaper? 26 Neuralyzer: Minor Transform 9d6 (standard effect: 27 points) (Person into person who remembers events differently), 16 Charges (+0), Vs Ego, not BODY (+1/2), BOECV (Standard Defenses apply; +1) (225 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses almost all of its effectiveness (Stopped by any flash defense, mental defense, or power defense; -2), OAF (-1), Conditional Power Power does not work in Very Common Circumstances (Out of combat only; -1), Limited Power Power Does No STUN (-3/4), All Or Nothing (-1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Limited Target ([Limited]; Human memories; -1/2), Eye Contact Required (-1/2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WhammeWhamme Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black There are two main options, AFAICS. Option One: It's not a gadget pool, it's an MiB pool! Put all his abilities in there. Option Two: Go with a gadget pool, but make the neuralyser 'standard issue' and thus outside it (really, do they ever NOT carry it?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Orange Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black Lower the Transform and link it to Suppress Ego. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Orange Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black Isn't "vs. Ego" +1/4? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black How big is the VPP, actually? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Cross Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black I didn't know the standard Transform did STUN to the target.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black I thought memopry modifacation was a Major transform normally, but I guess since this is only short term Minor could work. Anyhow, here's my first attempt at getting it effective yet much lower in the AP department, baring in mind that I'm really not that great with the transform rules and that this is probably deemed a bit on the cheesy side... also, it kind of a bit more of a Strobe effect actually. Neuralizer:Minor Transform 1d6 (standard effect: 3 points), Works Against Ego, Not Body (+1/4), Area Of Effect Nonselective (One Hex; +1/4), BOECV (Mental Defense applies; +1), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1), Autofire (40 shots; +3); Limited Power Power loses almost all of its effectiveness (Stoped By Sight Group Flash Defense, Power Defense or Mental Defense; -2), OAF (-1), Conditional Power Power does not work in Very Common Circumstances (Not In Combat; -1), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Eye Contact Required (-1/2), Limited Target (Humans; -1/4) 65 Active Points, 9 Real. That will still require a fairly high point cost VPP (97 AP VPP to be precise), so if you have a AP limit below that, you may just want to buy this as a normal piece of equipment outside of the Gadget pool... especially since if he's a MIB, he should never be without it anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted June 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black Isn't "vs. Ego" +1/4? Yes, it is. My bad. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted June 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black I thought memopry modifacation was a Major transform normally' date=' but I guess since this is only short term Minor could work. [/quote'] FREd, in a sidebar on P 152, says "psionic surgery" is a minor transformation, BOECV, going against EGO, not BODY (+1/4 advantage). Now that it's come up, is the average EGO higher or lower than the average BODY? Almost all my characters in "the business" have at least an 11 EGO (2 points to take your ECV from 3 to 4), probably most have had a 13 (4 extra points for EGO roll of 12-). OTOH, I don't recall buying extra BODY for any character that wasn't a hulking brick. So should that "works against EGO, not BODY" be an advantage or a limitation? Guess I'll have to ask any GM whose game I want to take this character into. Hypothetical so far. Just an exercuse in character design for now. I would like to get the VPP down under 100 points if possible. Your neuralizer writeup looks like a good start. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted June 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black I didn't know the standard Transform did STUN to the target.... Humm, I thought it did. Changing a human into a frog doesn't seem like it would be something completely painless. But FREd doesn't say one way or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengal Posted June 12, 2004 Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black Hand-waving this should probably do it. Unless you intend to run him as a PC, in which case the answer is: tell your GM to build it. Subcontracting can be hazardous, but you never have to think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted June 12, 2004 Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black FREd, in a sidebar on P 152, says "psionic surgery" is a minor transformation... Psionic Surgery as writen up in UNTIL is a major transform and that is what I was thinking of. However, that version of the power can alter, add or remove memories and Psy. Limitations, so something that can only erase memories would probably be considered a Minor. However, if you can erase long term memory like they do when they retire an agent, then I think it would have to be a Major Transform. Losing 20+ years of your life is no small thing... Now that it's come up, is the average EGO higher or lower than the average BODY? On my current team, EGO is higher for four out of six characters, the exceptions being the Brick (who still has a huge EGO) and the Flying Energy Blaster (who has all the willpower of a carrot). However, p154 does state that if EGO is higher then BODY in your campaign, that this could be considered a limitation instead... I would like to get the VPP down under 100 points if possible. Your neuralizer writeup looks like a good start. Glad to hlep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakboy6117 Posted June 12, 2004 Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black im curious to know what the current neuraliser write up looks like my thought would be that it should have a cone area of effect as its often used to effect multiple people at once you can get a whole crowd with one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citizen Keen Posted June 12, 2004 Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black I'd ditch the BOECV. Really, it seems like a DEX base would be better. I mean, a normal psychic power, it doesn't require which way you're faced. But the Neuralyzer won't work unless you're looking right at the light. Right at it. I mean, other people in the Cafe see the flash, but aren't looking at the bulb. So, get rid of the BOECV, it's a physical effect that just happens to work on your mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted June 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black I'd ditch the BOECV. Really' date=' it seems like a DEX base would be better. I mean, a normal psychic power, it doesn't require which way you're faced. But the Neuralyzer won't work unless you're looking right at the light. Right at it. I mean, other people in the Cafe see the flash, but aren't looking at the bulb. So, get rid of the BOECV, it's a physical effect that just happens to work on your mind.[/quote'] Good point. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black ditching BOECV and upgrading to AoE: Cone... Neuralizer: Minor Transform 1d6 (standard effect: 3 points), Area Of Effect Nonselective (9" Cone; +3/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1), Autofire (40 shots; +3); Limited Power Power loses almost all of its effectiveness (Stoped By Sight Group Flash Defense, Power Defense or Mental Defense; -2), OAF (-1), Conditional Power Power does not work in Very Common Circumstances (Not In Combat; -1), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Eye Contact Required (-1/2), Limited Target (Humans; -1/4) 57 Active Points, 8 Real Cost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted June 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black ditching BOECV and upgrading to AoE: Cone... Neuralizer: Minor Transform 1d6 (standard effect: 3 points), Area Of Effect Nonselective (9" Cone; +3/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1), Autofire (40 shots; +3); Limited Power Power loses almost all of its effectiveness (Stoped By Sight Group Flash Defense, Power Defense or Mental Defense; -2), OAF (-1), Conditional Power Power does not work in Very Common Circumstances (Not In Combat; -1), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Eye Contact Required (-1/2), Limited Target (Humans; -1/4) 57 Active Points, 8 Real Cost Thank you. Sounds good, but I don't know about the 40 shots. That would affect anyone with an EGO of 60 or less? Seems a bit over the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted June 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black OK, we seem to have the neuralizer down, anyone have any thoughts on a reverberating carbonizer with mutate capibility? Kay seems to think that anyone who would want one is probably an assassin. What makes a good assassination weapon? I'm thinking no range modifier, maybe with invisable power effect. The way it disintergrated when dropped suggest a weapon that would be difficult to preform forenscic test upon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 Re: Character Design help, Men In Black Thank you. Sounds good, but I don't know about the 40 shots. That would affect anyone with an EGO of 60 or less? Seems a bit over the top. I'm of the "aim high and scale back to acceptable campaign limits" school of thought. For the record, since we nixed "vs Ego not Body" that would work on anyone with a BODY of 60 or less. How many shots would you like it to do? Twenty will effect somone with a BODY of up to 30... For the record, I'm still working on the Neuralizer, as I noticed a few possible bugs in it's construction. As for the Reverberating Carbonizer, was it ever actually used in the movies? The name makes me think it's some kind of disruptor weapon (RKA) with some sort of ability to horribly maim or mutate it's victims (possibly a linked Transform or build it as a MP with multiple settings)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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