Nero's Boot Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 How would I do a supervillain who was, in essence, a hive-minded swarm of insects? I'm starting to tinker with the idea of a Champions campaign, but I'm still learning the rules, and am a bit unclear as to how to simulate a character like this. Would it be best to take Desolidification, Cannot Pass Through Solid Objects, Does Not Protect Against Damage, with a RKA LInked to it? Or would the HERO pros here suggest something else? --thank you for your time NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devlin1 Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Re: Swaaaarm!!! Well... there are simple ways, and there are complicated ways. Me, I like the complicated ways! So I'll try to avoid those. Why would the RKA need to be Linked? If the modified Desolid is the thing's natural state, then the Linked is unnecessary, but, depending on the GM, you may have to buy it with Usable While Desolid (+2). In addition, I don't see why the Desolid can't protect against damage. If you fire a gun at a swarm of bees, it's the "desolid" nature of the swarm that makes the bullet ineffective. I mean, you may hit one bee, but that's not going to matter much. What does take down a swarm? Inhaled gasses, contact poisons, and fire, I'd think, so make them vulnerable to those kinds of attacks as part of the Desolid (no Limitation for them, either-- the Desolid, IIRC, requires some form of vulnerability). Maybe a better way to show this damage prevention would be with massive amounts of DCV. It could be argued that it could also be simulated with lots of PD/ED, but that doesn't take into account the fact that area attacks should probably be effective as well (e.g., a swarm caught in a large explosion will be harmed by that explosion). Also, why RKA? Does the swarm actually fire things out of itself, or is the RKA supposed to be the actual act of "swarming" someone? I'm guessing it's the latter, in which case you probably want something like HKA, STR Doesn't Add Damage, and NND to reflect the venomous nature of the attack. Maybe even Continuous: once the swarm is on you, it's on you. Anyway, I'm sure others have replied by now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jhamin Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Re: Swaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarm!!! What is the mantra of a hero player with an odd set of powers to model? Reason From Effect. OK, what can this guy do? 1) His body is made of bees (unless he has a human skeliton inside like the old marvel villian Swarm). When you attack him the beam passes through doing little damage. How to model this? a) Buy him desolid, vulnerable to fire (bees hate fire). This will make him immune to most everything, but also requires all his powers be bought +2 Affects real world. He will be expensive Buy him lots of DCV. He won't get hit most of the time, except by area of affect attacks (which is appropriate). On the other hand, an occasional lucky roll will bypass this. c) Buy him damage reduction, 50% or 75% depending on how you want him to work. This will mean that attacks do hurt him, but only a little. Buy the DR not vs. whatever attacks should hurt him. 2) His body is made of bees, touching him hurts. a) This one is pretty simple, this is a classic use of the damage shield advantage. 3) He can send out swarms of bees to sting people a) Buy him an Energy Blast/RKA, Penetrating, Indirect. He pays then end, the bees fly out, hit from unexpected direction, and find the kinks in whatever defences your target has. If you have the Hero System Bestiary, look up the swarm of bees. Then buy him a summon that allows him to have a few swarms around when he needs them. If he needs them all the time, buy the swarms as followers. This allows them to act without the bee man using his phases, but he will not have the fine controll over them that he would if they were the special effect of his attacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nero's Boot Posted July 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Re: Swaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarm!!! Thanks, guys! As I am still a total HERO virgin, I was bound to make collossol mistakes! As to my bee-man (yes, the idea came from Swarm, Spidey's old foe), no, there is no skeleton within. The guy is literally a swamr of bees/flying roaches/beetles/whathaveyou. He's one consciousness inhabiting a swarm of much smaller insects. As for the Desolid, yes, Devlin, you are correct, Desolidification requires it to have one thing that can affect it. D'oh! I'd say that, yes, fire and pesticides should be effective against our Ur-Swarm villain. As for Linking, I see your point, now that I think about it! I'd prefer RKA, for the simple fact this guy can shoot pieces of himself at others. Perhaps an Energy Blast with the Area of Effect (cone) bonus, perhaps Linked with a few dice of RKA? Perhaps add in Charges to reflect the fact that bees die in each ranged attack Ur-Swarm makes? --thank you so much for the feedback! NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Re: Swaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarm!!! As for the Desolid' date=' yes, Devlin, you [i']are[/i] correct, Desolidification requires it to have one thing that can affect it. D'oh! I'd say that, yes, fire and pesticides should be effective against our Ur-Swarm villain. As for Linking, I see your point, now that I think about it! I'd use Area Effect attacks (including explosions). Anything else just doesn't hit enough bees to matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devlin1 Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Re: Swaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarm!!! I'd use Area Effect attacks (including explosions). Anything else just doesn't hit enough bees to matter. So you'd make his Desolid is vulnerable to all AoE attacks? Interesting. I like that. Elegant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Re: Swaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarm!!! Actually, I've used the "vuln to area effect" for a few characters whose Desolid basically is a "split into small components" SFX. It works nicely as a limitation to Damage Reduction as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KA. Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Re: Swaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarm!!! I don't mean to plug my own thread, but you might want to check this out: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19011 KA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakboy6117 Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Re: Swaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarm!!! Damage reduction might be better than de-solid it would be more expensive but you wouldn't have to buy all your other powers as effect real world. Buy it as 75% physical damage reduction not absent area effect Most energy attacks will still effect the swarm lightning will arc amongst them fire will hurt lost of bees etc So id probably just buys some limited defense against energy attacks Then you can get de-solid but have it only used temporarily non-combat use only or what ever for moving through tight spaces. Came to 51 points ish For 75% physical 50% energy and non-combat not through solid and still takes damage de-solidification But you could probably get them cheaper Alternatively you could put de-solidification and damage reduction in a multipower have de-solid it as a dispersed form much harder to hurt and the damage reduction for a more compact man like form still easier to hurt but much more attack capability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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