Frameworks Question

[greymankle]

Ok, I understand Elemental control (everything for half can-be used at the same time), and multipower (everything for a tenth but only one at a time) Could someone explain Variable Power Pool? I've seen it listed on the boards a few times but I'm working off the Sidekick rules book. It doesn't talk about VPP.

 

I'm guessing it's just a bank of Active points that you can reassign all willy-nilly for different powers. Are their restrictions? How fast can you change from one power set to the another? Do you have to pre-determine powers at character creation? Any help would be great.

 

Thanks,

 

-Peace

[JmOz]

Re: Frameworks Question

 

You have the basics already

 

Not going into to much detail, but it is in 5th edition and 5er

 

Essentialy the biggest restrictions is that it is slower and more difficult to change than a MP, and you can not apply limitaions to the cost of it (sort of)

 

Ohh and the number of powers operating in it at any one time is based on real points not active points (But Active Points are involved)

 

Sorry I am not that much of a help, but we take Copyright laws somewhat serious around these parts...

[greymankle]

Re: Frameworks Question

 

Sorry I am not that much of a help' date=' but we take Copyright laws somewhat serious around these parts... [/quote']

 

hehe S'ok I understand. If it makes you feel better I do own a copy of 5er it's just in the states. My wife is using it. Anyway I think I got the basics.

 

-Thanks

 

-Peace

[Jhamin]

Re: Frameworks Question

 

Just like every other power in Hero system, variable power pools are meant to be flexible enough to simulate a wide variety of effects you see in TV, Movies, & Comics. As such, they come with a default set of rules but you can apply advantages & limits to fine tune their effects. VPPs have their own set of ads & lims which control how you can assign the points & how quickly you can change them.

 

For example:

Dr. Strange, who seems to always have exactly the right spell for any occasion is an example of a VPP with a particular set of ads & lims that basically let him assign the points however he wants as long as it's magic. Depending on who you talk to, he may need to make a magic skill roll to know a spell that would be useful.

One of the classic ways of writing up Rogue from the X-Men is to give her a VPP that mimics the powers of the person she touches. The Adv & Lims on this VPP would be quite a bit different from Dr. Stranges. The "knock them out" part is bought as a seperate power.

[Wanderer]

Re: Frameworks Question

 

Essentialy the biggest restrictions is that it is slower and more difficult to change than a MP, and you can not apply limitaions to the cost of it (sort of)

 

The standard writeup of the VPP requires a character to take a Full Phase Action and a Skill Roll (subject to Active Points total of the power(s) being Activated - not dropped). But you can customize this with modifiers, that only allow powers to be swapped in given circumstances (such in one's laboratory for a gadget pool, or having acces to one's spell book for a sorcerous pool), or that allow to power-switch as a Half or even Zero Phase action, and without need for a skill roll (to repsent those supremely competent cosmic or mystical supers who can swap to a different power trick on the spur of the moment in the middle of the fry, such as Dr. Strange, or Silver Surfer). The latter combination is so common that it gets (appropriately) short-named as "Cosmic".

 

You cannot also reduce the power *reserve* point cost with limitations. But you apply them to the *control* cost: eg they can limit the kind of power types that you can activate: eg only elemental magic, only to mimic powers of other supers, only for attacks or adjustment powers. Analogously to MPs, they can also represent limitations that all powers created with the pool must have: eg Concentration, Gestures, Incantation, Extra Time, Focus, OIHID.

Another nifty use of VPP is to limit it to only one power, to present supreme mastery of it: eg only for Shapeshift, that lets a character take any form imaginable, complete with powers *typical* for the form: ant for shrinking, tyrannosaur for size and claws/teeth, dragon for fire breath, eagle for flight, etc.

[greymankle]

Re: Frameworks Question

 

Another nifty use of VPP is to limit it to only one power' date=' to present supreme mastery of it: eg only for Shapeshift, that lets a character take any form imaginable, complete with powers *typical* for the form: ant for shrinking, tyrannosaur for size and claws/teeth, dragon for fire breath, eagle for flight, etc. [/quote']

 

The character I had in mind would be a master of Ice manipulation. I want to be able to create ice structures, summon ice constructs to fight, attack powers (EB, entagles etc,) and have a limited form of TK only working with ice. His flight ability comes from creating ice wings then TK'ing the wings around with his body attached. I wrote him up sans VPP. a little EC for armor, flight then a Multipower for the attacks.

 

I couldn't figure out how to write up the Structures, constructs or standard TK ability. I was hoping a VPP could encompass everything. but it sounds like a VPP would be to slow to change. unless I went "cosmic"

 

-Peace

[Wanderer]

Re: Frameworks Question

 

The character I had in mind would be a master of Ice manipulation. I want to be able to create ice structures, summon ice constructs to fight, attack powers (EB, entagles etc,) and have a limited form of TK only working with ice. His flight ability comes from creating ice wings then TK'ing the wings around with his body attached. I wrote him up sans VPP. a little EC for armor, flight then a Multipower for the attacks.

 

I couldn't figure out how to write up the Structures, constructs or standard TK ability. I was hoping a VPP could encompass everything. but it sounds like a VPP would be to slow to change. unless I went "cosmic"

 

-Peace

 

Quite a vanilla application for VPP: Cosmic (+2), Only For Ice/Cold Powers (-1/2). Most characters with VPP have Cosmic anyway.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Frameworks Question

 

 

Sorry I am not that much of a help, but we take Copyright laws somewhat serious around these parts...

 

Interesting point, but if you write some of the Hero system rules on a board published by Hero, does that actually infringe the law as they are the publisher/distributor.

 

Best not find out, eh?

[sbarron]

Re: Frameworks Question

 

The character I had in mind would be a master of Ice manipulation. I want to be able to create ice structures, summon ice constructs to fight, attack powers (EB, entagles etc,) and have a limited form of TK only working with ice. His flight ability comes from creating ice wings then TK'ing the wings around with his body attached. I wrote him up sans VPP. a little EC for armor, flight then a Multipower for the attacks.

 

I couldn't figure out how to write up the Structures, constructs or standard TK ability. I was hoping a VPP could encompass everything. but it sounds like a VPP would be to slow to change. unless I went "cosmic"

 

-Peace

VPPs tend to be very expensive. For something like your ice powers, I'd recommend sticking with ECs and MPs. You can't have higher active point totals than the pool size anyway. So going with a larger, but more limiting, MP "pool" would give you a better effect for an "ice" powers idea, I think.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Frameworks Question

 

Most characters with VPP have Cosmic anyway.

 

That takes all the fun out of it. [hmmm...I suppose mine technically does have Cosmic. Change on a whim act 14-, takes 1/2 phase act 11-, takes a 0 phase 8-. Decide what you want to do and pick up the dice.]