Entangle and Spider Man 2

[MikeyMitchell]

Question - In the movie, we see Spidey catch a flying police car in his webs. Would you represent this in game terms with an Entangle used as a barrier? If not, how would you build this power?

[Steve Long]

Re: Entangle and Spider Man 2

 

Since this is a "how to" and not a rules question, and moreover refers to a movie I haven't seen yet (it's in the Netflix queue;)), I've moved it to "Discussion" so anyone who likes can chime in.

[Edsel]

Re: Entangle and Spider Man 2

 

I'd use it as an entangle forming a barrier.

 

Another approach would be to buy it as a form of Telekinesis.

[CraterMaker]

Re: Entangle and Spider Man 2

 

I think he was using the power Stretching..

 

There should be a whole slew of Spidey writeups on this site, just do a search for em' and you're halfway there...

 

-CraterMaker

[Sean Waters]

Re: Entangle and Spider Man 2

 

Interesting question: seems Spidey can fling pretty big webs up, and an entangle barrier is not necessarily 'sticky': it might be able to stop a flying car, but not necessarily hold it.

 

Let's look at it another way: Spidey stretches a web across between two buildings and catches a flying villain in it...

 

Seems like an area effect entangle for starters, plus some sort of variation on the sticky advantage: anyone touching the power rather than someone effected by it.

 

I suppose you could also do it with a triggered entangle, so that it effects anything that hits it...I'd prefer this if not for the odd rules for Trigger which require you to use the same trigger each time and don't allow you to change it while you have 'unTriggered' effects.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Entangle and Spider Man 2

 

Since this isn't something Spidey does all the time, I'd say this was an application of his Power (Web-Slinging) Skill. Or alternately, if you figure that Spidey does weird web tricks with great frequency, then perhaps he has a "Web Tricks" Variable Power Pool.

 

In any case, this particular application could probably be simulated with either Telekinesis (using the rules for opposing movement with the STR of the TK... those rules are on page 365 of 5ER; don't have a copy of H5E at hand to check the page ref there) or with Physical Damage Reduction to reduce the impact effect.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Entangle and Spider Man 2

 

Didn't like the idea of using TK as it is a (semi) permanent effect. OK you can buy it down to 0 END, but if you get far enough away, the web suddenly fails? You'd need to make it persistent and uncontrolled too, and that is getting really very expensive.

 

TK does have a set weight limit, which is good, but so does entangle, in effect.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Entangle and Spider Man 2

 

Didn't like the idea of using TK as it is a (semi) permanent effect. OK you can buy it down to 0 END' date=' but if you get far enough away, the web suddenly fails? You'd need to make it persistent and uncontrolled too, and that is getting really very expensive.[/quote']The problem with using Entangle is that, technically, hitting a barrier like an Entangle will cause the car and its occupants to take damage. Plus, if that impact damage breaks the Entangle (as it probably would unless the Entangle was very powerful), then the car isn't held anyway.

 

After using the TK to stop the car, you could always use Entangle to simply hold it. Remember, just 'cause it looks like a single Power in the movie doesn't mean it has to be a single Power in the game mechanics.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Entangle and Spider Man 2

 

A 60 active point entangle would take 12 BODY damage to break. A 60 AP TK would be able to catch with 40 STR.

 

I'm not aware of rules for catching heavy thrown objects, but I'd be inclined to do a grab then roll damage for the object hitting, and treat the BODY damage as the result of the objects strength roll. For the entangle, just roll damage and see if you bust through.

 

On this basis, an entangle would be better at catching a car flying through the air than TK would.

 

If you'd used the entangle to form a barrier, then arguably the object that hits it should take damage, but you could invoke sfx. If you just used the power straight, though I don't see how an entangle would cause an object it caught to take damage: otherwise it would be real effective against speedsters.

 

Moreover, entangle doesn't necessarily mean that the entangled object crashes to the ground. It is imobilised, but not necessarily plumetting - sfx would allow you to specify that a given entangle imobilised you where you were hit. You can't fly when entangled, but you don't necessarily fall...

[Rapier]

Re: Entangle and Spider Man 2

 

The problem with using Entangle is that, technically, hitting a barrier like an Entangle will cause the car and its occupants to take damage. Plus, if that impact damage breaks the Entangle (as it probably would unless the Entangle was very powerful), then the car isn't held anyway.

 

After using the TK to stop the car, you could always use Entangle to simply hold it. Remember, just 'cause it looks like a single Power in the movie doesn't mean it has to be a single Power in the game mechanics.

Plus a most cherry opportunity to use your handy, dandy multiple power attack!