Two that make one

[Ken Solo]

This is a "How do you do this?" character question.

The concept is there are two normal women who are not related but linked somehow. (magic? whatever) When one gets in trouble or simply wants to, she can concentrate on this idealized superhero figure. The second woman (Betty) gets a little mental poke that alerts her that woman A (Abby) wants to create the superhero. So Betty sits downs and concentrates on the superhero figure too. When both women are focused on the image of the hero figure, it comes ito being.

I called the hero Force (as it/she is a manifestation of the will of these two people) Originally I just wrote a flying brick.

The question is how to represent this whole concept? Should the two women each have Summon linked to mindlink, Full Concentration? Or perhaps build the hero and take the two women as DNPCs? or something that I'm not thinking of?

I challenge your creativity!

[Kirby]

Re: Two that make one

 

Sort of like Firestorm from DC Comics, right?

 

If the two women disappear when the hero shows up, I'd say on the hero, buy a multiform and duplication only available on the weak(er) multiform.

 

If the two women stay around, then you can have a duplication, a multiform and maybe the Hero has extra-dimension movement, but only when summoned. If the two women stay around, what's preventing the hero from staying, too? Is there a limitation?

 

Now, the big question, though, is, does the player have control of both women? If you're the GM making this, then would you allow one player to have this?

 

If you don't have control of both, then you might be able to take a modified No Conscious Control (maybe half of the standard disad), though I don't know if Dependent NPC would be the appropriate disadvantage (except for the Hero).

 

I hope this helps. Feel free to use any of this, or detail your concept some more for additional feedback.

[MikeyMitchell]

Re: Two that make oneI'd tend to treat this as a Summon, as you suggested originally.

[Kirby]

Re: Two that make one

 

I'm not very familiar with Summon, but rereading the entry in FREd (pages 142-144), I'd caution against it. First, it is a STOP power. Second, it's essentially a free character that can be used over and over. With Summon, if the summoned being dies, you can summon another one, unless you have the +1 advantage "Specific Being" (a STOP advantage), but that's supposed to be for already dead beings. Third, the summoned being isn't necessarly amicable to the summoner(s) unless you've added on an additional +1/4 to +1 advantage.

 

Using just the above, a 350 point hero (normally 70 points with Summon), using the +1 advantage (Specific Being) and the amicable would require 157 points for the +1/4 up to 210 points for the +1 advantage.

 

Also, with powers like this when you have multiple people required, they are all (in this case, both) supposed to buy the complete power, and then take appropriate disadvantages.

 

If you're the GM, you could just create the 'summoned' character and give a maxed out Phys Lim that Girl A & Girl B must be conscious & willing to summon simultaneously, or just caveat it. If you're the player, I'd check with your GM; I personally wouldn't allow it, but your GM may have a better way of working it.

 

It would help to know if you're the player or the GM, but I'd advise against Summon. YMMV.

[altamaros]

Re: Two that make one

 

Probably more something like "Captain Planet" than Firestorm IIRC.

 

If this character is a NPC :

 

Give them both

Let's call ... The Force !!

Mind link (single mind)

* no line of sight required

* psychic bond (?)

- Only with other w/mind link (-1)

- Only to activate "the force" (-1)

 

And then summon

Let's call ... The Force !!

Summon (character xxx total pts)

+ Slavishly loyal +1

- Only when both characters concentrate: -1/4 to -1/2

- One summoned creature for the two characters : -1/2

 

If the character is a PC. the construct above is still valid but there's other problems :

- Are Abby and Betty played by the same player ?

- who will play "the Force" ? the GM (Summon) or the player (Duplication) ?

 

Case 1 : one player for Abby, one player for Betty, the GM plays Force

=> like NPC

 

Case 2 : one player for Abby and Betty, the GM plays Force

=> like NPC but he'd also have to take (IMHO)

Duplication (To Abby/Betty)

+ Altered duplicate +1/4 to +1/2

- Cannot recombine (-0)

 

so he'd play the pair.

 

Case 3 : one player for Abby, Betty and Force

"i'm Abby and my friend is Betty"

Duplication (To Abby/Betty)

+ Altered duplicate +1/4 to +1/2

- Cannot recombine (-0)

 

Let's call ... The Force !!

Mind link (single mind)

* no line of sight required

* psychic bond (?)

- Only with other w/mind link (-1)

- Only to activate "the force" (-1)

 

Let's call ... The Force !!

Duplication(2) (One character xxx total pts)

+ Altered Duplicate 100% +1

+ Ranged recombination +1/2

- Only when both characters concentrate: -1/4 to -1/2

- One duplicate for the two characters : -1/2

- Feedback (??) on both characters: -1/2

 

NB: Normally this kind of construct would require a shared power i.e. a power whose cost is shared between different characters, and thus only able to activate when the different characters are in physical contact (check "The Ultimate Vehicle" if you can). As it's only a mental contact required; i don't think it would work.

[Blue]

Re: Two that make one

 

My first thought was Summoning.

Then there's Duplication (The two women being the "lesser forms" who can't recombine and the hero being the greater form).

 

But ultimately, to me, It's a Hero with two DNPCs who are mind-linked.

[Ken Solo]

Re: Two that make one

 

WEll, now that I've rad your posts, it seems not unreasonable that the hero could die, and another one could be summoned latter.

This could easily be gotten around by saying that Girl A and Girl B have so much mental energy invested in The Force that the death of force would also cause the death (or at least catatonic incapacitation) of the two girls.

I had in mind the girls had to concentrate throughout the entire time Force is in existance. So there are not good for much except sitting and staring into space.

I don't have the sheet anymore, but I wrote the character in 2nd ed Champions many moons ago. I think I used the convention of a hero with two Incompetent DNPCs.

 

I also never really put much thought into how hse would play in a campaign. As a player, you would just sit and wait until the two NPCs with their own lives to live ecide to set everything aside to create the hero.

However Force makes for a nice NPC hero concept, especially as a plot hook.

[Ken Solo]

Re: Two that make one

 

As far as established examples go. Firestorm was the body of the teen, and the professor disappeared to create the superhero, right?

Captain Planet was brought into being when all five(?) kids got together and touched a gem. But then the kids could all run around while C.P did his thing, I think.

 

If anyone recalls the obscure Marvel character 3-D Man, the guy sat down in a chair, focused on his special glasses and the hero came into being in front of his now unconscious body.

 

Force should be kind of like that.

[Battlestaff]

Re: Two that make one

 

There have been some examples of this in comics before. But there are several different types.

 

Firestorm (DC): IIRC, two people merge to form one super, with one personality retaining primary control of the body, but able to communicate with the other personality

 

Psi-Force (Marvel New Universe): Multiple characters with powers of their own, unite their powers to summon a more powerful being (The Psihawk) that can use all their powers. They all had to touch a special medallion at the same time to summon the Psihawk. I believe the kids stayed conscious while the Psihawk was around, and could still use their own powers. The Psihawk had a personality of his own, and was not under the control of the kids.

 

Captain Planet (?): IIRC, had some normal kids with magic rings that, when used together, allowed them to summon Captain Planet. Once summoned, Captain Planet operated independently from the kids, who I believe could use the rings powers on their own also. See Psi-Force above.

 

Babe (Dark Horse): A John Byrne creation. The limited series starts out with an amnesiac woman with super strength, durabilty, etc. It is later discovered that she is actually five different women who were absorbed into the Babe form, and that Babe was powerful because she basically had 5 times human strength, durability, etc. When it was discovered where Babe came from, the women went their separate ways. However, there was a teaser at the end of the second limited series that in time of trouble, the women could be summoned from wherever they were to be absorbed back into the Babe persona. It appears their disappearance and summons was done without notice to or the consent of the women. They were just "taken" from wherever they were.

 

I can't think of an example of the one you described, though. Sorry about that. Hope these can jumpstart something.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Two that make one

 

Captain Planet (?): IIRC' date=' had some normal kids with magic rings that, when used together, allowed them to summon Captain Planet. Once summoned, Captain Planet operated independently from the kids, who I believe could use the rings powers on their own also.[/quote']The kids' rings had no power when Capt. Planet had been summoned...when he vanished, his power split up and flowed back into the various rings.