Short Shot Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 I'm stuck on something that should be really basic. I'm building a character similar to Sunspot. Until he activates his powers he is just an above average joe. Activate the powers, he's much stronger, can fly, and do energy blasts. The site I got the initial build on was set for 4th edition and had the 5 pt Instant Change option. In this case, is it just a side effect of his powers and call it good? And since it is instant, and he does NOT have a secret ID, is OIHID really worth anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Constantine Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change I'm stuck on something that should be really basic. I'm building a character similar to Sunspot. Until he activates his powers he is just an above average joe. Activate the powers, he's much stronger, can fly, and do energy blasts. The site I got the initial build on was set for 4th edition and had the 5 pt Instant Change option. In this case, is it just a side effect of his powers and call it good? And since it is instant, and he does NOT have a secret ID, is OIHID really worth anything? I think so, yes, because you won't always be in your hero form, and some baddy will take advantage of that. There will also be special circumstances where you may not be able to turn your powers on or off. I remember on campaign where I had OIHID power armor. We were fighting a demigod. The gm bought in the guys powerpool instant change, usable against others, with a linked instant change suppress. My character was hosed. But, dems da breaks, I took the limitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change I would not use OIHID, as that requires some way to prevent the change. I would put Nonpersistent (or possibly Visible) on the various characteristics and defense powers, since they will be available only when he is in that ID, and give him Distinctive Features that are Easily Concealable (by shutting his powers down). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citizen Keen Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change You definitely want a Limitation to reflect the fact that your character won't always have his powers. Having a super with a 3 PD, non resistant, is a liability. Someday, someone is going to shoot him in the head. Whether it be OIHID or something else, you do want a Limitation of some sort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellS Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change In the original [New Mutants] Sunspot's case it's really just him activating his powers, which all run from an endurance battery. When the end runs out he loses his gained strength. I'd buy it something like this: Sunspot Effect: +30 strength, no figured characteristics plus +10 pd +10 ed force field, linked [the force field represents the shimmering darkness field around him]. Solar Battery: 30 endurance, 5 recovery, +5 recover only in sunlight: -1/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortuorum` Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change Time for my two cents. I believe that a Sunspot-like character should get the OIHID Limitation at -1/2 for powers that only occur in their (small-t) transformed state. That said, I would reduce it a -0 Limitation if there was no readily discernable difference between the character in his hero ID or if the character spent a majority of their time in their hero ID -- for example, She-Hulk before she lost the ability to transform to her human-looking form altogether. What's the quote? "A Limitation that does not limit the character is worth no points." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jhamin Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change It really comes down to how you want to work it. -If the character can always turn on his powers if he needs them & is rarely caught without them it's a special effect with a -0 limit. -If he can be trapped in his nonpowered form in some way and this actually comes up every few games, its OIHID and is worth -1/4 I would say that in either case he doesn't need instant change. Instant change is more for Spider-Symbiotes, Early Power Pack, and others who can appear to be wearing whatever clothing they feel like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hyborian Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change It really comes down to how you want to work it. -If the character can always turn on his powers if he needs them & is rarely caught without them it's a special effect with a -0 limit. -If he can be trapped in his nonpowered form in some way and this actually comes up every few games, its OIHID and is worth -1/4 I would say that in either case he doesn't need instant change. Instant change is more for Spider-Symbiotes, Early Power Pack, and others who can appear to be wearing whatever clothing they feel like. Quite correct. Sunspot's "transformation" was just the Fx of turning his powers on. It was more or less instant (0 phase action). It only turned off if he ran out of juice. According to 5th edition you can only take OIHID is it takes some time to change ID, or you might be prevented from changing somehow. Most hero ID's are only special effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Short Shot Posted February 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change Well, I hate to say it (because it means I need to completely revamp the guy) but as I have him built the only point where he wouldn't have his OIHID powers is if he got taken by suprise. I'm going to have to play with the Solar Battery thing. Thanks for the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Short Shot Posted February 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change Finally broke down and read the right page in the book. Ended up taking one full phase to change and a vocal command. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change In the original [New Mutants] Sunspot's case it's really just him activating his powers, which all run from an endurance battery. When the end runs out he loses his gained strength. I'd buy it something like this: Sunspot Effect: +30 strength, no figured characteristics plus +10 pd +10 ed force field, linked [the force field represents the shimmering darkness field around him]. Solar Battery: 30 endurance, 5 recovery, +5 recover only in sunlight: -1/4 Trouble with this approach is you wind up paying more for what appears to me to be a limited power, and it allows re-charging out of sunlight, which I don't think he could do. The 5 recovery would probably be better as 50 more END? I'd buy it as a continuing fuel charge that recovers in sunlight, which means you at least get to take a level of limitation if you want to but it is true to the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellS Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change Trouble with this approach is you wind up paying more for what appears to me to be a limited power, and it allows re-charging out of sunlight, which I don't think he could do. The 5 recovery would probably be better as 50 more END? I'd buy it as a continuing fuel charge that recovers in sunlight, which means you at least get to take a level of limitation if you want to but it is true to the original. I believe he could charge by moon and star light just at a slower pace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change I believe he could charge by moon and star light just at a slower pace. You may be right: long time since I read New Mutants! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeroGM Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change I'd have to agree on the Endurance Battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuk Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change Also, should he have a Force Field, or just PD and ED? I don't remember him being bulletproof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellS Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change Also' date=' should he have a Force Field, or just PD and ED? I don't remember him being bulletproof.[/quote'] I don't ever remember him being shot at so I can't say but I'd give the character the benefit of the doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Re: Sunspot clone - OIHID - Instant Change I don't ever remember him being shot at so I can't say but I'd give the character the benefit of the doubt. I think he's been shot, but only when powered down. Regardless, for a Hero character, I'd give the character resistant defenses in some form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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