Low Men in Yellow Coats

[GaryB]

My current Supers game is a strange campaign set in the Gunslinger/Dark Tower universe by Steven King(even if the player do not know it, or have read the source material).

 

The premise is that while the adventures of Roland the last Gunslinger continue through the seven novels, these extraordinary characters are working through the wake of both Roland and the Crimson King's story.

 

However, to represent the Low Men (the CK's primary henchmen) I am making them roughly 250pt characters (vs 350+ PC's). I am trying to decide, what is the best way to handle the Low Men's ability to hide themselves.

 

Basically what it is, is they are covered by illusions to hide the fact that they are something otherworldly. Even thier fancy cars have this ability. It takes someone attuned to the way things work in order to correctly see through the disguise. For instance, once they have revealed thier true selves, you can pretty much spot them again and again without a problem. Even someone telling you about them will allow you to penetrate or attempt to penetrate the illusion. To those not attuned to thier existance, they carry a strange uneasy aura around them as you can almost feel there is just something not quite right about this.

 

So. Is it best to use Shapeshift or Images? It's the ability to percieve through the illusion that makes it more difficult to pinpoint. The problem I find with images is that they are not so mobile and cover an area rather than the self.

 

I would almost call it Shapeshift with a fringe if you will. Any opinions?

[OddHat]

Re: Low Men in Yellow Coats

 

Distinctive Features:Low Man, Not Concealable, Major Reaction, Detectable by Simple Tests (Detectable to those that have special senses or know of the existence of the low men). Something like a -5 or -10 point disad.

[rjcurrie]

Re: Low Men in Yellow Coats

 

Can a given low man appear as different humans? Or will a given low man always appear as a given human?

 

If the former, I would be tempted to say ShapeShift with a Limitation that it doesn't work against those you describe in your post.

 

If the latter, I think it might just be Distinctive Features.

 

Just my take

 

Rod

[GaryB]

Re: Low Men in Yellow Coats

 

Ah yes.

 

Low Men generally appear to those who dont know as non-descript humans with flashy loud clothes (thus yellow coats) and flashy loud cars.

 

Now, if you see a low man without his 'disguise' he is something horrific alltogether, most notably the swirling always bleeding red hole in thier foreheads and the eyes rolled up and flickering. That is the Distinctive Feature Disadvantage, but is not directly apparent with the disguise up.

 

The sensation of 'something wrong' with these men only tends to appear when they have thier illusion up. Otherwise, without it YOU KNOW something is wrong. So the sensation is not permanent like Distinctive features.

 

I will note, it doesn't take anything special to sense them or break thier disguise. Just knowing about them tends to do it.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Low Men in Yellow Coats

 

I'm with Oddhat on this. A Distinctive Feature seems to be exactly what you are looking for. It doesn't require someone else to possess a certian Power or Enhanced Sense, and it's effectively all or nothing. Just make it Not Concealable, but only detectable by a select group (people who've been exposed to them, or posses certain senses that can see them), and whatever level of recognition you feel is appropriate (likely Extreme). Basically, if you don't have any special senses that can see them (defined by the GM, or a sense specifically designed to see them), or have never been exposed to them, don't know there there and have never seen them yourself, you fall for their disguise (you can't perceive their distinctive feature). One you see one and know abou them, you can always see through their disguise (notice their distinctive feature).

[GaryB]

Re: Low Men in Yellow Coats

 

Sounds reasonable then. Thank you much.