Help with a character concept

[Glupii]

I have a player that has a character he is trying to write up who has four arms and basically carries four guns. I am looking for the most logical way to write this type of character up that will allow the flexibility I know this player will want (I want to shoot with two arms and reload with my other two, etc) but will not be a nightmare to GM. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

[TheTemplar]

Re: Help with a character concept

 

I don't have ReFRed on me in the office here, but off the top of my head you'd need...

 

Extra Limbs (of course)

2 RKA's for the guns, each w/ appropriate limitations (Charges, Clips, Beam (if firing bullets,) OAF, Real Weapon (if gun maintenance is going to be an issue in your campaign....that one isn't often appropriate for Champs games)

 

Then you'll need most of (if not all of) the following Skills/ Talents

 

WF: (appropriate firearm type)

Ambidexterity (I'd take at least 1 level to start, then buy it up to reduce the OCV penalty.)

Ranged Two-Weapon Fighting

Rapid Fire (or Rapid Attack Ranged...I can't remember the specifics of what it's called)

Fast Draw (which has variant reloading rules tied into it, iirc)

 

Now, the Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon fighting rules cut off at 2 weapons, iirc. So, if he wants to pack a 3rd or 4th gun, they'll still be subject to the normal penalties whether he has Ambi & TWF or not. But, if he just wants to tote 2 and reload w/ his other 2 hands..that's all I can think of him needing. I believe, even w/ the additional limbs and Rapid Fire, it may still take a Full Phase to reload in combat..but, again, I don't have FREd on me so this is all just from memory. Hope it helps.

[Ura-Maru]

Re: Help with a character concept

 

Assuming we’re talking about a superheroic game, I’d do it this way.

 

40 (60) Four Gun Multipower, OIF (Four Guns)

 

3u (60) Blazing Away: 2d6 RKA, autofire (4 shots max +1/2), (Slightly less than) Half End (+1/2),OAF (all four guns, -1/2) 12 end*

 

3u (60) Double Shot : 4d6 RKA, Reduced Penetration (-1/4) 6 end

 

4u (60) Targeted shot 2.5d6 RKA, Armor Piercing (+1/2), Half End 3 end

 

3u (60) Close Multiple Targets 2d6 RKA AOE 1 hex, doubled, selective +1) Maximum one target for gun used (-1/4), Extra half end cost for each target beyond 2 (-1/4) 6+ end

 

3u (57) Widespread Multiple Targets 1.5d6 RKA, AOE Cone, selective, Maximum one Target per gun used, (-1/4), Extra half end cost for each target beyond 2 (-1/4) No Range (-1/2) 6+ end

 

 

Plus,

40 (60) 600 point End Reserve, 200 bullets, OIF)

8 (20)20 Rec on End Reserve (only where appropriate bullets are available, -1.5)

 

And, if you want to be sneaky,

6 60 point End Reserve, Almost Undetectable 20 round Holdout Clip

4 (10) 10 Rec on Holdout End Reserve, only where appropriate bullets are available, -1.5)

 

So, 113 points total. (and 6 more for Inherent Extra Limbs) Not perhaps the most efficient character ever, but he’s got style, and you don’t have to mess with the autofire perks or the not-very-good ‘multiple weapon’ rules, which is always a plus. (Especially as they’re not really appropriate for superheroic games) That’s a lot of points to throw into a focus, though, even an OIF. Make sure he has some martial arts or something to fall back on when Slow Oxidation Girl turns his guns to rust.

 

A reasonably efficent agent or Lightly Armored Man killer. Even with the AP, though, it’s going to take a while to chip away at the bricks. Using EB instead of RKA will help with the big attacks, but a 6d6 EB is going to bounce off even the most lightly armored villains. Maybe with experience, he can get set of energy guns, a second set of EB slots, and a second End Reserve. Or maybe that’s too complicated, but a four armed guy walking around with 8 pistol holsters strapped to various parts of him would be kind of cool.

 

And make sure the player knows he’s going to have to spend several minutes stuffing bullets back into his ammo belts one by one when he breaks into Viper’s armory. It’ll come up, and it’ll save arguments. He’ll also want to reload every time he beats up a thug with a gun, which I’d probably allow, at least some of the time.

 

The ‘Targeted Shot’ slot does the extra damage and the AP because he’s placing his shot carefully, of course. The player may want to buy ranged martial arts, but I’d advise against allowing it. Don’t worry about clips or anything, unless he’s using all four guns constantly, that’ll never come up, anyway. Not often enough to justify a bonus, anyway. Just assume his spare arms are always keeping whichever guns he’s not using loaded.

 

Adding

2 (u) Blazing Away, Mark 2 4d6RKA, Double End (-1/2) , Requires 4 guns (-1/4)

will help against the bricks

 

If you like, you can use AOE Radius instead of Cone for the Widespread slot, and loose the No Range, but I like the idea of having to either pay attention to a tight area, or look in one direction. The Close Multiple Targets slot will still let him do the cool ‘Shoot the guy in front of me and the ninja sneaking up behind me at the same time’ effect, as long as they’re not more than 3†apart.

 

*Yes, yes, it should be 8 end. Let them do a three-shot burst if they want, for 9 end. If they complain, make them use charges instead of a End Reserve, which will force them to buy the whole multipower with an advantage, which’ll mean everything’s weaker.

 

--

‘Conversely, even small wounds can have great effect, if you make enough of them . . .’

[Glupii]

Re: Help with a character concept

 

Holy Smith and Wesson Batman!!!

 

Uru that is great! I like the idea of going with different slots for different effects and number of guns used. Something that just came to mind, see what you think of this...

 

I could make his powers with multiple levels (4 different levels depending on how many guns he is using on that target) So for instance I could allow him a 12dc attack non ultra slot. He gets 4 dc's per gun he is using. This example would only work for his main offensive power but could be used for other things. Then allow him "Trick Shots" which would be simulated with the ones with the different AoE's you had there. I could even add one that had an indirect advantage for bouncing the bullets off the floor or walls or whatever. I really like where this is going. I knew posting this question up here was the right thing to do. And further suggestions are welcome but the ones you have gifted me with so far have really gotton me started. Thanks guys!

[Vorsch]

Re: Help with a character concept

 

By preference i like guns to have charges, just seems more logical.

 

replace 1/2 end with 4 clips of 32 charges

 

and i do believe the MP can be doubled twice for 10pts, so you have 4 guns

[Lightray]

Spending 5 points to double the number of foci means you're going to be making use of the Multiple Power Attack rules. For a character's main attack, these two (5 to double, multiple power attack) seem sort of dodgy to me.

 

Using the OIF to represent 4 OAF guns, and Autofire to represent 4 shots, seems much better to me.

 

Don't forget to take Rapid Attack - Ranged and some Autofire Skills, though.

[Baphomet Jones]

Re: Help with a character concept

 

I'd highly recommend some kind of martial arts as a backup as well, since the character has lots of points in foci, and a 4-armed boxer would be incredibly menacing. I'd take multiple martial maneuvers as well to simulate with multiple power attacks the sort of tricks a guy with that many arms could pull (martial flash-eyegouge w/ offensive strike uppercuts, weapon binds/strikes etc.)

[Glupii]

Re: Help with a character concept

 

OK this brings up another question then. (And I am sorry, I do not have my books here at work to look it up myself, or I might be able to answer it myself) If I do like I was thinking about and putting his main attack into one non ultra slot, so he can decide how many shots to fire at one target, and use another slot with AoE to simulate spreading his attacks among multiple targets, does he need levels with autofire or the special multi attack skills to use them?

[altamaros]

Re: Help with a character concept

 

OK this brings up another question then. (And I am sorry' date=' I do not have my books here at work to look it up myself, or I might be able to answer it myself) If I do like I was thinking about and putting his main attack into one non ultra slot, so he can decide how many shots to fire at one target, and use another slot with AoE to simulate spreading his attacks among multiple targets, does he need levels with autofire or the special multi attack skills to use them?[/quote']

I'm unsure but the autofire skills seem to be made especially for that.

[AlHazred]

Re: Help with a character conceptThere are essentially two schools of thought on this kind of character, both of which have been statted out here: 1) Multipower. In this form, all of the character's abilities are represented by Multipower slots. This ends up looking like this (based on Ura-Maru's writeup):

Cost Power END 70 Four Guns Blazin': Multipower, 60-point reserve, 4 clips of 64 Charges (+3/4); OIF (four guns; -1/2) 2u 1) One Ping Only: RKA 2d6, Autofire (4 shots; +1/2); OAF (-1), Requires Multiple Charges (4 charges; -1/2) 4 2u 2) Hail Of Lead: RKA 2d6-1, Area Of Effect (6" Cone; +1), Selective (+1/4); OAF (-1), No Range (-1/2), Requires Multiple Charges (1 Charge per target; -1/4) 6 4u 3) Right Between The Eyes: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6, Armor Piercing (x2; +1); OIF (-1/2) 6 Powers Cost: 78

This has the advantage of allowing you to do some interesting Sharpshooter Tricks (like the Cone). On the other hand, it can require some GM hand-waving when (for example) you pick up Enforcer Zero's Electric Pop Guns to use; since they're technically not part of your Multipower, the GM'd have to wing it. 2. Skills & Equipment. In this construct, you buy the skill set The Templar listed, and then buy the guns as equipment that you pay points for. So:

Cost Power END 3 Fast Draw (Handguns) 11- 5 Rapid Attack (Ranged) 10 Two-Weapon Fighting (Ranged) 1 WF: Handguns 9 Ambidexterity (no Off Hand penalty) 18 .50 Super-Magnum Ace: RKA 2d6, 16 Charges (+0), +1 STUN Multiplier (+1/4) (37 Active Points); OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4) plus +1 OCV (5 Active Points); OAF (-1) [16] 10 .50 Super-Magnum Aces: 3 more .50 Super-Magnum Aces (total of 4) [16] Powers Cost: 56

This has the advantage of giving you the actual Skills and Talents that the character seems to have; if he later picks up a different weapon, you know exactly how it'll interact with his abilities. In addition, you could give him Power: Sharpshooter Tricks Skill so that he can do some of the same things the previous construct can do. You can also then go into detail on different types of ammo for the guns, etc. (See Dark Champions for different ammo effects.) The right answer here is, "Do whatever works best in your campaign."

[Glupii]

Re: Help with a character concept

 

Hmmm. I see your point. OK so in the second example, what would his attack look like if he fired all four weapons at one target on the same phase? Is there something he would have to have that would allow his stun to all add together into one attack like a teamwork roll would? Again, I am still in the early stages of learning this system so I appologize if the questions I ask are too simple in nature. Thanks for all for their great help.