Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

[Dust Raven]

I've got this villain who's pretty much made of living sand. He's human, more or less, and can appear so normally. When he uses his powers, his skin and clothing develops a sand-like texture. Among his powers include spinning particles of sand around him to blind opponents (Darkness) and to sense his surroundings (Spatial Awareness, 360, Ranged), create a whirlwind to fly (Flight), extend his arms like tenticle-like sand whips (Stretching) and flow through and around objects, and even become immune to most forms of attack (Desolidification). He has one other power I'm not sure about though.

 

He can turn his whole body into sand, and just sit there, looking like ordinary sand. Other than being the perfect disquise at the beach, he can effectively hide just about anywhere and all people see is a bunch of sand. How would you write this up?

 

Naturally I'm thinking Shape Shift, but I'm not sure what to throw into it to make it work right. I could technically say it's just the SFX of activating one of his powers, but I also want to use it for concealment and disguise in it own right.

 

Thanks!

[OddHat]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

If it can be used for disguise, I'd say it's a Sight, Touch, and maybe Smell/Taste Groups shape-shift to a single form.

[Labrat]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

If it can be used for disguise' date=' I'd say it's a Sight, Touch, and maybe Smell/Taste Groups shape-shift to a single form.[/quote']

 

Just remember that with a naked Shapeshift he'd have to 'spill out' to 200lbs of it! To paraphrase 'Kung Pow!' Thats a LOT of sand!

 

Maybe shapeshift + shrinking... that will subtract from others' PER rolls against too OR else add an optional adder to his Desolid - must conform to the surface he is currently on. Thus if he's standing on a pallet, and turns to sand, he'll cover the nooks and crannies, or if he desolids over a jar, he could fill the jar... etc.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

I'm not seeing him as being able to "shrink" down to a small about of sand. He'd have to maintain the same volume, or maybe a little more, as his body is more like stone than sand (and heavy).

[Richard Logue]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

Maybe use Invisibility. As in "hiding in plain sight." It would work if all anyone sees is a pile of sand, nothing special. Slap a Limitation on it like Only Works Outdoors (-1/2). Because a pile of sand in the breakroom would be noticeable and odd.

 

RL

[Labrat]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

Maybe use Invisibility. As in "hiding in plain sight." It would work if all anyone sees is a pile of sand, nothing special. Slap a Limitation on it like Only Works Outdoors (-1/2). Because a pile of sand in the breakroom would be noticeable and odd.

 

RL

 

I don't think that Invisibility is the goal though. Hey Raven, could somebody pick up a chunk of him and walk away leaving him with 'a chunk missing'? This isn't character specific, I always wondered this about Spidey's Sandman and Hydroman.

 

Shapeshifting doesn't quite cover all the granularity of sand. He's going to be 'broken up' infintessimally so I do think that shapeshifting AND desolid are in order... but as usual YMMV.

[MikeyMitchell]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

I've got this villain who's pretty much made of living sand. He's human' date=' more or less, and can appear so normally. When he uses his powers, his skin and clothing develops a sand-like texture. Among his powers include spinning particles of sand around him to blind opponents (Darkness) and to sense his surroundings (Spatial Awareness, 360, Ranged), create a whirlwind to fly (Flight), extend his arms like tenticle-like sand whips (Stretching) and flow through and around objects, and even become immune to most forms of attack (Desolidification). He has one other power I'm not sure about though. He can turn his whole body into sand, and just sit there, looking like ordinary sand. Other than being the perfect disquise at the beach, he can effectively hide just about anywhere and all people see is a bunch of sand. How would you write this up? Naturally I'm thinking Shape Shift, but I'm not sure what to throw into it to make it work right. I could technically say it's just the SFX of activating one of his powers, but I also want to use it for concealment and disguise in it own right. Thanks![/quote']I'd be inclined to go with Shapeshift vs. sight and touch groups, single shape. If you want, you could add Invisibility, Chameleon, only on sandy surface (which is probably at least a -1), Linked for not too many more points.The question of what happens when someone decides to build a sand castle would need to be resolved, though.

[Descant]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

So...

 

What can a pile of sand do?

 

Can it eavesdrop? Can it talk? Can it blow a small flurry of itself into somebody's eyes before they see anything coming? Can it drift of its own accord? Would the wind be able to blow it away?

 

What if a kid came up and dumped a pail of water on it and started building a sand castle?!? *snicker*

[Dust Raven]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

As, yes... It's more like what this pile of sand can do. It can really do all of the stuff the character can normally do, including perceive his surroundings (though the Spatial Awareness would require bits of him to be flying around), move and even attack (though doing most of these things would betray that it's not an ordinary pile of sand).

 

As for picking up parts and walking off with them... I'm thinkng it's inconsequential. Either it wouldn't matter to the character, or it just doesn't happen (like it the comics). Should someone actually take some of his sand/body back to a lab and analyse it, they'd most likely get some interesting results though.

 

I think he'd react like any wet sand would. Sure you can make a sand castle out of him (and theoretically, he could just form his body into that of a sand castle, or any other shape made of sand, but I don't see him actually doing so). Should someone else make a sand castle out of him, I think he'd just be wet when he reforms (or stay as a castle until he dries out if he feels like it and reform dry).

[OddHat]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

I once had an NPC who could, so he claimed, turn himself into an ordinary fern. This wouldn't have killed him; he'd have just lived out the rest of his life as a fern.

 

It couldn't move or think or anything. It was just a fern.

 

It was a fairly pointless power.

 

He eventually turned up as part of a super group with a guy who could talk to rocks and a girl who always knew exactly where her shoes were.

 

She was their leader.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

He eventually turned up as part of a super group with a guy who could talk to rocks and a girl who always knew exactly where her shoes were.

 

She was their leader.

I can see why. I can't count the number of times where knowing where my shoes were meant the difference between success and failure.

[Trencher]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

Images only to look like sand.

lots of skill levels with hide more on beach.

[Labrat]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

Images only to look like sand.

lots of skill levels with hide more on beach.

 

A person made of sand should get de facto bonuses to skill levels for trying to hide on a sandy beach. Just as if a normal human were trying to hide in a warehouse full of stock. Plus where do the 'skill levels' apply when it comes to shapeshifting? (Unless you mean for PER rolls against...) Anyway it's beyond images because he's not trying to 'look like sand' he actually transforms into sand.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

Well looking a bit...erm...sandy when you are using stretching or desolid or darkness or flight isn't foolong anyone, presumably. You only fool people into thinking you are a patch of sand when you just sit there and do nothing.

 

As such either invisibility or shapeshift (only when stationary and basically behaving in a sand-like manner) do the same thing, and shapeshift is a bit cheaper, so I'd go with that.

 

You could have it in a multipower with the rest of your powers, with the possible exception of desolid which could work at the same time to add that extra dimension of...erm....sandiness.

[Guest WhammeWhamme]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

I can see why. I can't count the number of times where knowing where my shoes were meant the difference between success and failure.

 

Hey - it essentially means she's got the world's oddest (and most reliable) tracking device. Cut up a shoe, and wow...

[Trencher]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

A person made of sand should get de facto bonuses to skill levels for trying to hide on a sandy beach. Just as if a normal human were trying to hide in a warehouse full of stock. Plus where do the 'skill levels' apply when it comes to shapeshifting? (Unless you mean for PER rolls against...) Anyway it's beyond images because he's not trying to 'look like sand' he actually transforms into sand.

He is sand all the time but looks human. Therefore he must pay for looking as sand.

Looking like a pile of sand can have its advantages from time to time therefore it cost points. It is being a pile who is the thing here.

If he just looked like a humanoid made of sand I would have no problem with your definition.

And I define him that he does not transform into a pile of sand, he transform into a state that gains him a set of special powers with the special effect "pile of sand" since he can move around and listen and stuff.

I would be more inclined to make the sand form his natural form and then make him pay for looking like human.

How about instant change?

[Dust Raven]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

Well looking a bit...erm...sandy when you are using stretching or desolid or darkness or flight isn't foolong anyone, presumably. You only fool people into thinking you are a patch of sand when you just sit there and do nothing.

 

As such either invisibility or shapeshift (only when stationary and basically behaving in a sand-like manner) do the same thing, and shapeshift is a bit cheaper, so I'd go with that.

 

You could have it in a multipower with the rest of your powers, with the possible exception of desolid which could work at the same time to add that extra dimension of...erm....sandiness.

I was thinking of Invisibility for a bit... after all, who'd notice a bit of sand, even in places where it wasn't supposed to be? As long as he didn't move, he's just sand and everyone ignores him. I didn't quite want it that powerful, so I think I'll go with Shape Shift.

 

Oh, and it's all going into an EC. The idea is to create a bad-ass to take on the whole group, but not nearly the power level of Dr. D. I figure his Darkness+Stretching with a 60 STR should do it. Combine that with something that let's him instantly vanish/appear (more or less) and I should have the PCs throwing dice at me.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

I think you'll find it is the combination of darkness and spacial awareness that it the true killer unless the players are loaded up on enhanced senses too.

[caris]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

I was thinking of Invisibility for a bit... after all' date=' who'd notice a bit of sand, even in places where it wasn't supposed to be? As long as he didn't move, he's just sand and everyone ignores him. I didn't quite want it that powerful, so I think I'll go with Shape Shift.[/quote']

 

I don't know, I think that is kind of pushing the envelope on Invisibility in this case. Sure people don't usually pay a whole lot of attention to sand, but it is because they notice it and dismiss it as being something harmless and un-note worthy. The problem is that it is the context that the sand is seen in. If you came home and found a pile of sand in your living room, I doubt that you would really just ignore it, and act like it isn't there. Putting a limitation on Invisibility in this case seems a little like going to far. Plus, depending on how the Shape Shift was defined, the character might be able to accomplish a bit more than just looking like a pile of sand. Maybe he could make himself look like a sand sculpture.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

I think you'll find it is the combination of darkness and spacial awareness that it the true killer unless the players are loaded up on enhanced senses too.

The stretching is what really does it. He can still reach and attack using his STR inside and out of his Darkness. Trying to stay out of arms reach is a bit difficult if you don't know what that reach is. Granted, I could have gone with an EB, but I like the idea of taking no range penalties in exchange for a shorter range, and the thought of grabbing some helpless martial artist or mentlist and dragging them into the sand-field, kicking and screaming just sounds like fun.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

The stretching is what really does it. He can still reach and attack using his STR inside and out of his Darkness. Trying to stay out of arms reach is a bit difficult if you don't know what that reach is. Granted' date=' I could have gone with an EB, but I like the idea of taking no range penalties in exchange for a shorter range, and the thought of grabbing some helpless martial artist or mentlist and dragging them into the sand-field, kicking and screaming just sounds like fun.[/quote']

Fun? More like Evil Genius!

 

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[techogre]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

{SNIP}

As such either invisibility or shapeshift (only when stationary and basically behaving in a sand-like manner) do the same thing, and shapeshift is a bit cheaper, so I'd go with that.

{SNIP}

 

{RULES_LAWYER MODE = ON}

Isn't the rule of thumb that is there are two ways to do something, to use the more expensive one?

{RULES_LAWYER MODE = OFF}

 

Really, I would allow both.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Call Me "Sandy" And I'll Crush You

 

{RULES_LAWYER MODE = ON}

Isn't the rule of thumb that is there are two ways to do something, to use the more expensive one?

{RULES_LAWYER MODE = OFF}

 

Really, I would allow both.

 

Quite right, but only if they do the same thing!

 

Invisibility would make you undetectable to certain senses, so would probably require you to be against a sandy background to work at all. You might well get considerable combat bonuses if you are in the right environment.

 

Shapeshift would make you perfectly detectable but the person detecting you would think you were a pile of sand - a little odd in the control room of the villain hideout unless it is still under construction...you could get surprie attack OCV bonuses if you announce your presence with an attack.

 

So they do much the same thing, but not quite, and I think you can probably go with whatever fits concept best