Amplifying Disadvantages

[Blue]

What I'm working on is a villain who exploits weakness. One of his abilities is an ability to amplify a target's biggest disadvantage.

 

With some disadvantages, the circumstances are easy for a third party to simulate and cause harm to a hero/villain. I'm referring to Susceptiblity (I can lower the temperature in the room, making the susceptability kick in), Vulnerability.

 

But I'm trying to figure out how to take someone's phobias, overconfidence, physical limitations, etc. and make them worse than normal for the duration that the amplifier is on.

 

Would you build it as a transformation attack? Would bumping up a disad by one level be minor or major? Do you have any other ideas on how to simulate this effect?

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Amplifying Disadvantages

 

Personally I'd just expand Suppress to cover Physical Limitations, or (if BOECV) Psychological Limitations. (Since the net result is to decrease the character's available Character Points, it would be based on Suppress rather than Succor.)

 

The "official" way to do it, using the rules as they stand currently, would involve a Major Transform.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Amplifying Disadvantages

 

For Phobias, perhaps something Presence-related? Perhaps now that spider has a 50 PRE, making it MUCH scarier to an arachnophobe...

[keithcurtis]

Re: Amplifying Disadvantages

 

Transformation. Use the rules for granting extra points with a transform attack and treat the negative you get from the disad as positive points.

 

Keith "Keepin' it simple" Curtis

[Doug McCrae]

Re: Amplifying Disadvantages

 

It's a bit weird cause Disadvantages as a single category are a game concept rather than a world concept. Phobia of the New Brotherhood of Evil could heighten people's fears whether or not they got points for having a fear of spiders.

 

You're kind of in the realm of Silver Age DC rules - stuff like Duplicate Boy who could duplicate any power whether it was caused by strange radiation, strange gasses or being from Krypton.

[Blue]

Re: Amplifying Disadvantages

 

Thanks for the input so far, guys.

 

I was thinking about how the Scarecrow would try and take advantage of batman's fears. But batman doesn't have many. He's got a little piece of his past about his mom & dad being shot, and the Scarecrow could take that and exaggerate it.

 

Simply using a mental illusion to make him picture the scene wouldn't be enough if he only had a limitation that was "minor". I want my villain to be able to make it worse. Whether there's any lasting effect will be up to the player playing the hero. But for the time the equipment is turned on, a character with... say... a disdain for other heroes, might escalate to a full hatred, a character with a Berserk on an 8- might be more prone to berserk, and a hero with an abject fear of roaches might just collapse on the spot.

 

I think I may have to go the Transformation route with a variable effect and an RSR for EGO rolls so the hero can try to will himself to resist the effects.

 

But keep the suggestions coming.

[freakboy6117]

Re: Amplifying Disadvantages

 

mental illusion to create the fear and a linked drain ego to make them unable to resist the effects

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Amplifying Disadvantages

 

I'd say the Major Transform to make the disad even worse (whether a more potent Psych, a greater Vuln or Susc,or what have you), defined as "Transform to a being with greatest disadvantage heightened" (ie not variable effect, unless you want the character to pick & choose disad's), and probably a VPP only to exploit those disad's (most comonly, with attacks to which he is vulnerable, Change Enviro to exploit susceptibilities and illusions to take advantage of psych limitations).

 

Another thought: are you just looking for "disadvantages" or would "weaknesses" be a better term. ie a Secret ID is a disadvantage, but likely not one that can be exploited in this fashion. Conversely, "Not underwater" is a limitation on powers, not a disadvantage, but is definitely a weakness. Could the character, in such case, enhance the limitation to "not when wet" and change environment to create a rainstorm?

 

Finally, "Detect Weakness" might be a good idea, if the character will actually know/control what effect is being caused. Maybe the character just instigates the problem, and has to extrapolate from the results of these powers what the weakness was (may be to the character's detriment if the target's biggest weakness is an Enraged or "casual killer...)

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Amplifying Disadvantages

 

But I'm trying to figure out how to take someone's phobias, overconfidence, physical limitations, etc. and make them worse than normal for the duration that the amplifier is on.

...

Do you have any other ideas on how to simulate this effect?

 

I would do it by Drain EGO with a +1/4 Variable Special Effects (This works best if it is a mental effect, their willpower and inhibitions are slowly melting away, almost like being drunk.)

 

For each 5 EGO drained from a hero, pick one of the effects:

 

For psychological limitations, when 5 EGO has been drained, have them roll the modified EGO roll, if they fail (or its a Total), they must give in to it for at least a phase or two or more (or until the EGO returns for Total). Afterwards, roll again, if they fail the second time, it is considered Total, otherwise they can ignore it for a phase or two. If multiple psychological limitations are in effect, this can cause for an interesting mental picture.

 

For physical limitations, when 5 EGO has been drained, have the hero make an modified EGO roll, if he fails, then his limitation takes on another 10 points of disadvantages related to his physical handicap. His handicaps aren't getting worse, but his inner fears are getting the best of him. This is usually -3 to OCV and DCV, but can be whatever best fits the limitation.

 

For a power limitation, when 5 EGO has been drained, the hero become less certain about one of his troublesome powers, if the power is difficult to work, it requires an EGO roll+3 (or activation roll -3) to believe that it will work. If it is a dangerous power, a failed roll might make him believe that it has gone out of control. This only lasts for a phase or two.

 

Of course, this really stretches what a Drain can do and probably should be linked with a mental illusion (or perhaps Images or just special effect props!).

 

"Defender, how could you kill him?"

"But, it was set for stun, I'm sure of it."