Best way to strip someone down.

[Sociotard]

One of my favorite weapon tricks from the movies is using a lazer, sword, or other killing attack to remove clothing. My favorite example is Johny 5 from Short Circuit, shooting off belt buckles, but Mask of Zorro is another good one. I thought this would be a great talent to write up, so I started off with

 

2d6 Cosmetic Transform (person into nakey person): 10 points (if the weapon isn't ranged, the transform should get that limitation)

 

Now, that takes care of Humiliating your opponent with your skill (great as an add on to presence attacks), but if your pants fall down in the movies, the person generally has to muddle around until he gets them off his ankles, or use one hand to hold them up. is that Dispel foot-based Movement powers? Negative skill levels for skills performed with feet?

 

Should the talent, then be a multipower? How would you do it?

[pinecone]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

I'd go with Neg Skill levels with the special effect that :My partial nudity encumbers me! And go with that, the target can "escape" the encumbrance by ripping them off etc...

[Supreme]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Keep in mind that for characters who derive their powers from their costumes, this is no cosmetic transform. For the pants around the ankles, I don't see that as being major in a Heroic or better game. Most characters are fast enough or strong enough to either pull them back up or burst right out of them. You might want to add in a PRE suppress. It's hard to be threatening in your tighy-whiteys.

[pinecone]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Keep in mind that for characters who derive their powers from their costumes' date=' this is no cosmetic transform. For the pants around the ankles, I don't see that as being major in a Heroic or better game. Most characters are fast enough or strong enough to either pull them back up or burst right out of them. You might want to add in a PRE suppress. It's hard to be threatening in your tighy-whiteys.[/quote']

That my friend depends on the package...

[Sociotard]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Yeah, I thought of that. The same thing applies to characters in armor. I just decided the talent shouldn't work against such special clothing. Anyway, you think a Minor transform might cover all the bases? have it make them naked and/or encumbered?

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Entangle, perhaps.

[Magmarock]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

That my friend depends on the package...

 

Oh.

My.

 

 

[jackalope]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Oh...and here I thought the answer was "Stick dollar bills in their g-string."

[ghost-angel]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Pants Around Ankles -

Change Enviroment: -X Inches Running

(special effect is you caused their pants to be around their ankles....)

 

Maybe?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Actually ... skip the Transform and use the 'pantslessness' as the special effect. A Dispel (I'm still fuzzy on the 5E Dispels for some reason ... this may not work) of DEX only for DCV and Running ... to reactivate the power, you have to take a phase to pull your pants back up.

 

Alternately, an Entangle, only affects the legs, might work too.

 

(Of course, all powers should have the 'only against targets wearing appropriate clothing. You simply can't pants Defender!)

[Southern Cross]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

What about using Telekinesis with Fine Manipulation?

[paigeoliver]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

I guess I am going to be the dissenting voice here and say that this SHOULD NOT be done with powers.

 

In every case this is a classic example of the hero showing off extreme ability with their equipment/powers. Classic examples show multiple strikes, which must be precise to both hit hit the clothing and miss the character.

 

Using a power to simulate this is incorrect without more power modifiers than you could imagine.

 

It would make much more sense to do it the way it really is, a series of called strikes with penalties, and since head shot is -8, I would say it would be about a -10 if you were doing it with a sword.

 

Now for the nasty part. If you miss the roll, but would have made it if was a normal strike, then you hit the person. As for the damage, that would vary, depends on how it was being done, a sword would be the weapons base damage without the STR bonus.

[paigeoliver]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Note, this does not make it as hard to pull off as you might think. A character capable of doing this PROBABLY has an OCV of around 12, and it is usually done against much less capable opponents, maybe DCV 3. Add a couple combat skill levels bought for this specific purpose and it becomes a reality.

 

In a supers or highly cinematic game I would reduce the penalty to a -8.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Note' date=' this does not make it as hard to pull off as you might think. A character capable of doing this PROBABLY has an OCV of around 12, and it is usually done against much less capable opponents, maybe DCV 3. Add a couple combat skill levels bought for this specific purpose and it becomes a reality.

 

In addition, I would expect someone for whom this is a schtick to put some points into it. Zorro, for example, would likely has several PSL's to counteract these penalties. He would also have limited PRE, only to do PRE attacks in conjunction with such an action. In Zorro's case, I could see bonus PRE for atacks with the SFX that he carves his Z in an opponent's clothing.

 

The system should allow such actions - they are part of the genre. It should not make them easy, however - only the most skilled, and not all of them, even attempt such feats. That's also part of the genre.

[Vondy]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

One possibility - take the Instant Change write up in FRED and add Usable As Attack, Focus, and any other relevent modifiers.

[BlackSword]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

Oh...and here I thought the answer was "Stick dollar bills in their g-string."

Guess we're on the same wavelength, I say play some Barry White softly in the background.

[proditor]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

For the multiple strikes, well we have an example on how to do that on some of the Yengtao manuevers in Champions. IIRC it's the seven strikes of serentity, but the book is at home so I could be misremembering. I know they had a "Must make X# strikes without missing a phase or to hit roll" as one of the limitations on some of the 4e Yengtao.

[Sociotard]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

"Yengtao"? I've never heard of it. I have "Champions" genre book, but not the setting book. Is that where it is?

 

While I agree that this could be done with a called shot, which would result in normal damage if not rolled well, I also think this could be a 'superskill'. After all, Ninja Hero talks about drains on running and characteristics done to simulate talents/training to disable opponents. Both methods work, both methods involve points expenditure. I just like transform because it's 'safer' (the target can only be humiliated, not injured).

 

Then again, just doing it with a strike would also let me target Inaccesible Foci, like Armor (Johny 5 could so pants defender), utility belts, and quivers. That much is talked about in the optional rules. I forget how much the values are.

 

Would you impose penalties on de-pants-ed characters as per change environment, even if it was done with a straight up killing attack instead of a power?

[dbsousa]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

I would allow a character to use a power roll if he or she could justify it as an extension of the power...

[proditor]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

My bad Sociotard, it's in Champions Universe.

[Southern Cross]

Re: Best way to strip someone down.

 

For those who came in late....

In 4e,Yengtao was an ancient Chinese temple where the best martial artists (and magicians) were taught.It was first described in the original 4e version of The Ultimate Martial Artist.(I have both the 4e & 5e versions of that book).