Feedback on a mutant plant power

[JorrJorr]

Greetings HEROdom,

 

I'm working on an encounter for an upcoming Gamma World HERO game involving a mutant plant with an ability called Allurement. Allurement has the following effects: produces a sweet smelling fragrance within a limited range, has an hypnotic effect of causing creatures to approach and possibly touch the plant and if the allurement "attack" fails or creature is injured (by the plant) the effects are negated.

 

Here's my build:

 

Allurement: Mind Control 4d6, Telepathic (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Area Of Effect (8" Radius; +1 1/4) (60 Active Points); Set Effect (must approach/touch plant; -1), No Range (-1/2), Always On (-1/2), Conditional Power only works when inhaled (-1/4).

Total Cost: 18 points.

 

This is a Heoric game with characters built on 75+75 points with a 30 AP limit on mutant powers except for one which can be at 50AP. Does this seem like a reasonable build? Any suggestions to mimic an Attraction Odor power other than Mind Control? I thought about Transform but read the note about not using Transorm to mimic other powers.

 

My biggest concern is the Active Point cost of the construct being a bit larger than the Standard Heroic AP max. Yes, I know as a GM, it's in my hands to ensure a balanced encounter, but I'd like to stick to close to guidelines. Also there's a possibility, although unlikely, that this mutation may be purchased by plant based characters or animals/humans as pheromones. It would certainly create interesting situations within the party/community until people were used to it

 

Thanks for your feedback.

JorrJorr

[Lanith]

Re: Feedback on a mutant plant power

 

snip

Allurement: Mind Control 4d6, Telepathic (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Area Of Effect (8" Radius; +1 1/4) (60 Active Points); Set Effect (must approach/touch plant; -1), No Range (-1/2), Always On (-1/2), Conditional Power only works when inhaled (-1/4).

Total Cost: 18 points.

snip

JorrJorr

 

1)Mental Powers based on CON, this is a drug that gets in your system, not your standard mind control from a mentalist.

2) Invisible power effects (This one isn't a requirement, but I would put it on just to be safer)

 

Those are some suggestions, you don't need them, but if I had a player want to use this power they would be requirements. Other than that I can't see it being too bad. There are a few nasty things you can follow up with, but I'll bet you're way ahead of me there.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Feedback on a mutant plant power

 

1)Mental Powers based on CON, this is a drug that gets in your system, not your standard mind control from a mentalist.

2) Invisible power effects (This one isn't a requirement, but I would put it on just to be safer)

 

Those are some suggestions, you don't need them, but if I had a player want to use this power they would be requirements. Other than that I can't see it being too bad. There are a few nasty things you can follow up with, but I'll bet you're way ahead of me there.

 

I was thinking of the "Based on CON" Limitation myself, but remember that in that case the Power is blocked by Physical or Energy Defense (as appropriate to the SFX), which I don't think would be apropos in this case. You'd probably want to slap a NND Advantage on the Power in that case - various Life Supports would be a good place to start for defenses.

 

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about Active Points for NPCs and environmental effects. For PCs you might limit the Power to a 1-Hex AoE to keep the AP within reasonable limits.

[Citizen Keen]

Re: Feedback on a mutant plant power

 

I wouldn't worry about IPE - just because you know the smell of the plant is making you approach it doesn't mean you won't do it. I know that Grandma's cookies are what's drawing me into the kitchen, but I'm still powerless to stop myself. ;-)

[fbdaury]

Re: Feedback on a mutant plant power

 

How about this as an alternative revistion:

Allurement: 6d6 Mind Control NND(defense is Chemical Immunity or no sense of taste/smell, +1), Area Effect:9" radius(+1), Reduced Endurance/Persistent(+1)- (120 Active Points), No Range(-1/2), One Command(approach/touch planet, -1), Always On(-1/2), Based on Sense of Smell(-1/2), Effect broken if target attacked(-1/2), Real Cost:30 Points

 

This way the plant actually has enough effect to get Ego+10 effect on average rolls vs normal folks, so that it will attract people at least until it starts attacking them and others can see it, making the ego+ roll required higher because they will NOT want to perform that action.

[altamaros]

Re: Feedback on a mutant plant power

 

what about the advantage "cumulative" ?

 

Normally, the more you stay close to the plant, the more you breath its perfume and you can reduce the number of dice.

[fbdaury]

Re: Feedback on a mutant plant power

 

what about the advantage "cumulative" ?

 

Normally, the more you stay close to the plant, the more you breath its perfume and you can reduce the number of dice.

 

Good point that I Did not think of, but my version is already a point heavy monster...

[JorrJorr]

Re: Feedback on a mutant plant power

 

Thanks for the input. I knew I was missing something about Mental Powers (the based on CON limitation). My design-fu is rusty. I originally had the NND Advantage, but it didn't make sense with Mind Control, hence the reason I added the Conditional Limitation of must be inhaled. It'll probably be better represented as an NND (does not breath, sealed system) and the Based on CON limitation since it's a bio-chemical effect and not truly a psionic power.

 

I did consider using cumulative, but I'll probably just use that as a variation in my big list o' mutation prefabs I'm putting together in Hero Designer.

 

Thanks again

JorrJorr

[Dust Raven]

Re: Feedback on a mutant plant power

 

Don't forget simple things like Continuous, so that anyone walking into the area is immediately affected and the plant doesn't have to use actions sending out it's scent.

 

I've always thought that Based On CON was way undervalued for how much it limits a Mental Power (suddenly it has normal range, takes range modifiers, is against normal defenses, is visible and is against a Characterisitc that is typically higher than EGO in most genres). I always have it as a -2 instead of a -1.

 

I'd write up this ability as:

 

Allurement: Mind Control 6d6, Continuous (+1), Area Effect (10" radius; +1), NND (Self Contained Breathing, no sense of smell or immunity to phytotoxins; +1) Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (135 Active); No Range (-1/2), Based On CON (-2), Set Affect (approach attacker; -1) Real Cost: 30

This sucker is massively active point heavy, but it accomplishes the job without any hang-ups and effectively accounts for the SFX of the ability. The only reason it's as high as 6d6 is to achive enough effect so that he it can still attract target's that weren't gonna walk up to it anyway.