[newbie] Summon with Focus Question

[Dr Archeville]

Hey, hey,

 

HERO newbie here with a doozy of a question.

 

While looking through the Champions book, I saw that Mechanon has the power to summon robots, but his summon power has the OIF Limiation, as the robots he "summons" are actually built from avaialable mechanical objects (the Obvious Inaccessible Focus).

 

I had an idea for a variation of that Summon power for a Gadgetter character of mine. One of the devices he'd have is a hypospray of nanites, which, when injected into an average dog, alter that animal (both physically and mentally via neural re-wiring) until it is a Chromedog (see HERO System Bestiary; I can't cite the page number as I do not have my books with me here at work).

 

Could this be built as Summon [however many points a Chromedog is] Chromedog (X Active Points); OAF (Nanite Hypospray; -1), OIF (Dog of Opportunity; -1/2) ?

[Vondy]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

You could build it that way. If its a hypo you might at no range (-1/2 to it), or if its actually a spray, limited range (-1/4).

 

What the dog owner will think about your turning their beloved fluffy into chromie is another matter entirely.

[Dr Archeville]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Yeah, No Range (and Extra Time) would fit.

 

The Gadgeteer in question would only do it to stray dogs with no collar... honest

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Ah, another Transformers fan, yes?

 

But to your question:

 

One thing I should point out is that you can't get both OAF and OIF as Limitations on the same power. Basically you should take one or the other, and given what you've described, I'd go with the OAF. If you buy the Summon with the special effect of turning a dog into a Chromedog, then it just means you wouldn't be able to use it without an actual dog available. If you must have that as a Limitation as well, just don't call it OIF since you've already got an OAF. Just call it something like "Requires a dog to turn into a Chromedog (-1/2)" This is the same Limitation value as the "Creature must inhabit locale" Limitation listed in the text for Summon, and works out basically the same way.

[Dr Archeville]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Ah, okay, that makes sense. Thanks

 

As for TF's -- far as I know, I'm the only one in the worldwide fandom who's used this character's name (or any variant spelling of it) as a handle (and I've used it for about seven or eight years).

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Ah, okay, that makes sense. Thanks

 

As for TF's -- far as I know, I'm the only one in the worldwide fandom who's used this character's name (or any variant spelling of it) as a handle (and I've used it for about seven or eight years).

He's not normally a "favorite" character, though everyone who's a TF fan knows who he is.

 

 

Come to think of it, we never see him again after Starscream has him "Borged"...I wonder what ever became of him?

[Dr Archeville]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Canonically... nothing.

 

or did it...?

 

(In additioon to using Dr Archeville as a handle, I also use him in quasi-fanfics that were once written on the Axalon UnderGround.)

[Lord Liaden]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

One thing to keep in mind is that Summon will normally only allow you to call up or create a set number of creatures at one time. To create more of them you'd have to destroy or otherwise eliminate the ones you've Summoned previously.

 

If you'd be fine with that for your character, the Summon construct above should work fine. If you want to be able to change as many dogs into Chromedogs as your character can get his hands on, though, I'd suggest Major Transform, with the target Limited to dogs. Based on the Limited Target examples in the rulebook, that looks to be -1/2.

 

You'll want to work out any issues on how your character will control the resulting chromedogs with your GM, assuming you aren't the GM for this campaign. He or she might rule that you can create chromedogs fully under your control with just the Transform, or may require an additional Power such as Mind Control or a Mental Transform.

[Dr Archeville]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

I was thinking Transform might've been the main alternate way to do this. No, I'm not GMing, I only got the HERO book a month or so ago and this gadgeteer is my first shot at making a HERO character.

[Dr Archeville]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Does this work?

 

C4R-C.A.S.: The Canine Assault Unit is Archeville’s must successful foray into the field of nanotechnology to date. It’s also one of his more disturbing inventions. The nanites are stored in a saline solution, held in a hypospray (a device used to deliver drugs/chemicals to a target subcutaneously by using an extremely fine, high-pressure aerosuspension delivery system; hyposprays are more hygienic than syringes because they eliminate the need for a needle to physically penetrate the skin). When the nanites are injected into a dog (typically a Doberman or Rottweiler), they immediately begin spreading through it’s systems, enhancing it in various ways suitable for combat. The dog’s jaws and claws are reinforced, as is it’s skin and leg muscles; the nanites also enhance the dog’s already-keen senses. In addition to the gross physical changes, the nanites re-wire the dog’s brain to make it a more efficient combatant, while at the same time overwriting any former loyalties it had and re-setting them to Doctor Archeville. The entire transmogrification process takes approximately one minute, and the injector carries enough nanites to change many dogs if needed. The Canine Assault Unit is identical to the Chromedog found in the Hero System Bestiary (pp.195-196), with the following modifications: removed Psychological Limitation (Must Obey Master; Very Common, Total; +25 points [since the Chromedog’s loyalty in this case is covered under the Loyalty Advantage of the Summon power]) (total cost of a C4R-C.A.S.: 156 points).

Summon 32 160-point Chromedogs, Devoted (+¾) (100 Active Points); Extra Time (1 minute; -1½), OAF (Nanite Injector; -1), Limited (Must have Dog to Assimilate; -½). Total Cost: 25 points.

 

( 3 Experience Points to the first person to correctly identify where C4R-C.A.S. is from )

[Dr Archeville]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

A slighlty different version:

 

C4R-C.A.S.: The Canine Assault Unit is Archeville’s must successful foray into the field of nanotechnology to date. It’s also one of his more disturbing inventions. The nanites are stored in a saline solution, held in a hypospray (a device used to deliver drugs/chemicals to a target subcutaneously by using an extremely fine, high-pressure aerosuspension delivery system; hyposprays are more hygienic than syringes because they eliminate the need for a needle to physically penetrate the skin). When the nanites are injected into a dog (typically a Doberman or Rottweiler), they immediately begin spreading through it’s systems, enhancing it in various ways suitable for combat. The dog’s jaws and claws are reinforced, as is it’s skin and leg muscles; the nanites also enhance the dog’s already-keen senses. In addition to the gross physical changes, the nanites re-wire the dog’s brain to make it a more efficient combatant, while at the same time overwriting any former loyalties it had and re-setting them to Dr. Archeville. The entire transmogrification process takes approximately one minute, and the injector carries enough nanites to change many dogs if needed. The C4R-C.A.S. nanites have been programmed to undo all the changes they had performed once they receive a specific radio signal from Archeville, which also takes about a minute; thus far the few test subjects Archeville’s used the nanites on have shown no adverse side effects from their ordeal. The Canine Assault Unit is identical to the Chromedog found in the Hero System Bestiary (pp.195-196), with the following modifications: removed Psychological Limitation (Must Obey Master; Very Common, Total; +25 points [since the Chromedog’s loyalty in this case is covered under the Loyalty Advantage of the Summon power]) (total cost of a C4R-C.A.S.: 156 points).

Summon 32 156-point Chromedogs, Devoted (+3/4) (100 Active Points); Extra Time (1 minute; -1 1/2), OAF (Nanite Injector; -1), Limited – Must have Sufficient Number of Dogs (number of C4R-C.A.S.’s that Archeville can “summon†is restricted by the amount of dogs he has available; -1). Total Cost: 22 points.

 

Still no takers on where the name is from?

[Beastial]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Okay, I know now... but I cheated. Never even heard of this show/book/whatever until I dredged it out of the internet.

 

Where the heck did it come from?

[AlHazred]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Don't the dogs have to be "Slavishly Loyal" since they're automatons? I don't have my books in front of me, so I may be missing something from the HSB Chromedog description.

[Dr Archeville]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Beastial -- since you cheated, I ain't tellin' and since you didn't name the source, the award still goes unclaimed

 

AlHazred -- The Chromdogs given in the HSB aren't automatons, they're simply trained guard dogs that've been cybernetically enhanced. They normally have the Psychological Limitation: Must Obey Master (Very Common, Total). The "Devoted" (+3/4) Advantage instills that same level of PsychLim into the summoned critter.

[AlHazred]

Re: [newbie] Summon with Focus Question

 

Ah, carry on, then.