A Bathroom

[Dust Raven]

Re: A Bathroom

 

I built bases just archer does. Almost everything is free. Personally, I don't think that a bathroom or kitchen should cost points when having a Van Gough in every room wouldn't.

 

If a base has "really good" facilities, I'll buy the room as a Lab, such as PS: Cook for a top notch kitchen. If the bathroom is something really special, like you just walk through a doorway and things are taken care of instantly, then I'll write it up as some sort of Power. Of course, if the tech/magic for such a device is well within the capabilities of the setting (meaning the rest of the base) I don't care. It's still free.

[Dust Raven]

Re: A Bathroom

 

As an observation, I've noticed that most maps published over the years have completely omitted bathrooms, or only left a marginal space for them. I almost always find myself redrawing almost every building map to include a bathroom. It's not the anyone will actually use on in game, but it's fun to have them around when bricks start throwing people through walls...

[Vorsch]

Re: A Bathroom

 

Just look at T3

[nexus]

Re: A Bathroom

 

First, I think some people on this thread are taking it way to seriously.

 

I always assume things like bathrooms, kitchens, storage space, etc are just there. Unless the base has a Disadvantages that says otherwise (or there's a campaign reason) things like cable, entertainment, internet access, etc are just assumed to be there or to be available. They are standard "everyman" level of complexity and power though with all the resulting problems of contemporay tech in the campaign. If you want something super advanced (an encrypted untracable high speed internet link with a virtual reality interface in a campaign where such things aren't standard, for example) then we talk points.

 

Libaries I call KS:General Knowledge Labs, though Skill Levels with KS's is a good idea. A specific Library (say, Occult) can be purchased as a Lab while a set of encyclopedias, a dictionary and allot of fiction would be free. Anything really good can be purchased, say a -really- good kitchen as PS:Chef lab. You could get a "make out room" as bonuses to Seduction Skill if you really wanted (Mekton Zeta had an option for mecha called "Style" so why not in Hero?). I could see an evil mastermind's "throne room" being designed for make him look impressive thus boosting Pre and Oratory skills. Stuff like that is cool and adds flavor. But you really don't have to pay points for a bathroom...

[Zaratustra]

Re: A Bathroom

 

Well, a food pantry is bought with adding LS: Doesn't Need Food/Drink to the base, so it seems only logical that bedrooms and bathrooms are bought with Doesn't Need Sleep and Doesn't Need to Excrete.

 

Optionally, I'd suggest making a skill called 'Comfort' (use Survival if you're against toolkitting), and use the table for skills to determine the 'comfiness' of the base:

 

8-: Familiarity - Strictly the essential. Frat house.

11-: Competent - Qualifies as 'nice'. Family house.

12- or 13-: Skilled - Comfortable with some benefits. Maybe nice beds, or a maid that cleans up the heroes' messes, a nice fireplace?

14- or 15-: Very Skilled - Many benefits. Top-star hotel level.

16- or 17-: Highly Skilled - One of the very best places in the world. Presidential suite, CEO's beach house.

18- or 19-: Somethingly Skilled - One of the greatest places in history. Royal palaces.

20- or Greater: XXXTREMELY SKILLED - Realm of gods, myths, supergeniuses, etc. Unseen servants do everything for you. EVERYTHING. Even that. Yes, that.

[Edsel]

Re: A Bathroom

 

In my D&D years I've crawled tens of dungeons without ever sighting a single toilet. Even civilized places like Dwarven fortresses and Elven castles were oddly bereft of restrooms. This is clear evidence of the fact that sanitaries do have a point value - the builders were obviously strapped for points.

I put a latrine in one of my dungeons many years ago, complete with an orc in the middle of doing his business. It really stymied the party, they had no idea what to do. They backed out of the latrine, apparently feeling it would be somewhat unfair to slay the orc while it had its pants down. The orc knocked out the back wall (wooden) and raised the alarm for the entire complex.

 

And if we are going to "buy" the restroom it might require gestures and/or incantations (depending on the occupant).

[ghost-angel]

Re: A Bathroom

 

I can see forcing the issue with something like a Spacestation or Spacecraft intended for long environments (I'd just assume it has one personally.. but it might become important)

 

but for bases on land, connected to the grid (and the "grid" is more than power, it's also water, sewer and telephone) I see no reason to point it out at all.

[Kirby]

Re: A Bathroom

 

Wow, is this wacky or what? While it's good to see many people with a sense of humor about bathrooms, those of you who think you actually have to buy bathrooms are being very -dare I say it?- anal retentive on the issue. Things such as bathrooms, money, bedrooms, homes and so forth are all role-playing aspects, not game mechanical aspects. The "wealth" feature just helps with role-playing as well. For those of you whose charcters have vehicles, you don't have to buy fuel, oil, windshield wiper fluid or even fuzzy dice. It's all a "given." Enjoy it. (After all, when villains rob banks or demand millions of dollars "or else," it is not like any character is actually losing points if the villains get the money.)

 

Now, having said that, I have two concepts regarding bathrooms and the such that I think add to the gaming experience. The first I'll start off with is in the base. If I run a game where the players create a base, I'll tell them they have to have at least one bathroom on any floor that has bedrooms/living quarters and at least one lavatory on each floor that doesn't have bedrooms. It does make sense and no one has ever complained about it. Another thing I do when the team is at the base (and the plot has yet to be revealed, or it is a "new day") is always require at least one, if not two (depending on team size) PCs to be in "vulnerable" or "unaware" positions, so-to-speak. Unless there's a good reason, someone needs to, sometime during the game, be using the restroom, in the shower, just watching tv, reading a book, in the kitchen, etc. I used to have a problem with every PC existing in only two spaces in a base: the work-out room and the monitoring room, and usually the latter. I GM-fiat forced them to socialize and act like real people would until they "got it" and did it for themselves. (And yes, this idea stems from a rude scene that happened to me.)

 

The second concept I have is when you as the player are in a hostage situation in a building (say a bank) and you're in Secret ID and want to change. Well, I've discovered that if you're able to teleport or go desolid, it's easy to get lost in the crowd and change to Hero ID in the restrooms. Also, if you are outside of said building when something is going on and you have these powers (especially helpful if you have N-Ray vision), entering from the restrooms is great. There are no video surveillance cameras there and making a surprise attack from the restroom is like the Spanish Inquisition: NOBODY EXPECTS IT! Heh, heh. Well, at least not until you've pulled that trick on VIPER several times and they start preparing by having a back-up guy in there. So then I just phased through to the ladies' restroom instead or came up from behind the guy. (N-Ray & Desolid are great for sneak attacks.)

 

Okay, how's that?

[Kirby]

Re: A Bathroom

 

Gravity? Indirect EB' date=' Does No Damage, Double Knockback, Continual, Standard Effect Penetrating, Gradual Effect[/quote']

Gravity? No, no! It's a TK. Or a side effect related to Density Increase with Megascale.

[AngryBug]

Re: A Bathroom

 

And if we are going to "buy" the restroom it might require gestures and/or incantations (depending on the occupant).

 

Don't forget Extra Time. Also, OAF: Reading Material.

 

(And for everyone getting huffy, re-read the first post. No one suggested you should buy bathrooms with points, SS just asked how you would if you wanted to. Sheesh.)

[Kirby]

Re: A Bathroom

 

In my D&D years I've crawled tens of dungeons without ever sighting a single toilet. Even civilized places like Dwarven fortresses and Elven castles were oddly bereft of restrooms.

Yes, it is a bit strange. However, on the very rare occassions that I'd play an assassin-type character, I always made a point checking with the DM/GM on where the outhouses or baths were. Even the most paranoid characters don't relieve themselves in full plate in the middle of the night. (But that's what bodyguards are for.)

 

I hope I get this right, but there is a true story from Japan during the Samurai era where a ninja had snuck into an enemy's bed chambers and hid under the toilet (no, not a ceramic seat with plumbing, the one that has a hole in the seat that drops a hundred feet in the castle) for three days waiting for the lord or daimyo to "go." When he did, the ninja assassinated him. How's that for sneaky?

[McCoy]

Re: A Bathroom

 

In my D&D years I've crawled tens of dungeons without ever sighting a single toilet. Even civilized places like Dwarven fortresses and Elven castles were oddly bereft of restrooms. This is clear evidence of the fact that sanitaries do have a point value - the builders were obviously strapped for points.

Strange, back in my D&D days I recall several midden monsters in the Monster Manual, am I the only one that put middens in the dungeons? As far as castles/towns, one of the random events in my encounters table was a cry of "garde loo," which no PC ignored twice.

[Pegasus]

Re: A Bathroom

 

A bathroom is clearly a Deduction lab.

 

You know..."I do my best thinking on the toilet."

 

Alternatively..."I was sitting there, doing my business, when the idea suddenly came to me!"

 

On a more serious note, I've had some experiences in the bathroom that I would never dismiss as trivial.

 

 

 

What?...Too soon?

[Solomon]

Re: A Bathroom

 

Strange' date=' back in my D&D days I recall several midden monsters in the [i']Monster Manual[/i], am I the only one that put middens in the dungeons? As far as castles/towns, one of the random events in my encounters table was a cry of "garde loo," which no PC ignored twice.

 

I do recall a toilet mimic, but I read that adventure as opposed to playing it.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: A Bathroom

 

DC Heroes had an excellent discussion of building a spoon using their Gadget rules. It went through the mechanics it would use, the points it would require and the time it would take to build the spoon. It closed with "the character would now have a spoon. Which works once."

 

The point of the exercise was to illustrate that there are some (many...) things that do not merit costing out. The same logic applies to the bathroom in the base.

[Zaratustra]

Re: A Bathroom

 

It's hardly a GENERIC system if it can't represent spoons and bathrooms, is it?

[Mark Taylor]

Re: A Bathroom

 

It's hardly a GENERIC system if it can't represent spoons and bathrooms' date=' is it?[/quote']

 

There is no spoon.

[Mark Taylor]

Re: A Bathroom

 

I think we can assume that bases have bathrooms by default. After all we assume that characters have (for example) reproductive organs by default, even though the book doesn't say so! (Gasp!). We don't make them buy them as some elaborate form of Summoning with massive Extra Time limitations and OAF (a member of the opposite sex), though I'm sure this will give some people ideas...

 

If we want to be really picky we could always say No Bathrooms is some kind of Social or Physical limitation.

[McCoy]

Re: A Bathroom

 

If we want to be really picky we could always say No Bathrooms is some kind of Social or Physical limitation.

If you'd ever had to sponge bath and shave at the gas station on the corner during a home remodeling project, there would be no doubt in your mind that that would be a physical limitation.

 

Social limitation? Maybe, but on the other had you can meet some interesting people that way.

[Mark Taylor]

Re: A Bathroom

 

In my D&D years I've crawled tens of dungeons without ever sighting a single toilet.

 

The logo of the gaming club I'm a member of (Watt Gamers) features a Snotling (a goblin-like creature from Warhammer Fantasy Role Play) sitting on the toilet, thus proving that our membership are serious and mature.

[Mark Taylor]

Re: A Bathroom

 

If you'd ever had to sponge bath and shave at the gas station on the corner during a home remodeling project, there would be no doubt in your mind that that would be a physical limitation.

 

Social limitation? Maybe, but on the other had you can meet some interesting people that way.

 

Good points. I'd rather not meet people that way.

[Dust Raven]

Re: A Bathroom

 

If you'd ever had to sponge bath and shave at the gas station on the corner during a home remodeling project, there would be no doubt in your mind that that would be a physical limitation.

 

Social limitation? Maybe, but on the other had you can meet some interesting people that way.

Doesn't the term "interesting people" imply that such people have qualities one would take an interest in? I used to work at a gas station. I've found peculiar people, amazing people, frightening people, mean people and every so often, intelligent people. I don't recall many interesting people.

 

Well, I do remember the guy who looked like a human body piercing... he was kinda interesting. But only kinda.

[Dust Raven]

Back On Topic

 

Since it's a given that any structure you pay points for would have bathrooms (or at least assumed with extreme prejudice until the Ultimate Base is written), not having such facilities would definately be a Physical Limitation.

[McCoy]

Re: A Bathroom

 

Doesn't the term "interesting people" imply that such people have qualities one would take an interest in?

In this case it ment people who command your undivided attention, at least as long as they're between you and the door.

[fredrik_nilsson]

Re: A Bathroom

 

Yeah, you also don't know our gaming group. They wanted to know how to build a bathroom.

 

Come on guys, they are all depending on me.

 

It must be some kind of Life Support with Extra Time, maybe you should add Concentration and OIF. If you want to be mean you could add Activation Roll (Burnout) for those time you need the plumber.