HUDSON CITY: Base Design

[Eosin]

I am in the process of designing a base in Hudson City for our Vigilante Campaign. This is a much more upscale team than our last DC campaign - The Omega Team so I would like the base to be a little closer to something that was put together by Bruce Wayne than The Punisher.

 

My first question is location? I am thinking of placing it in Riverside (for quick citywide access) but that seems kinda pedestrian to me. Anyone have any ideas for where it could be and what it could be? It needs to have access to a helipad fairly close and tolerate large amounts of traffic going in and out.

 

I was thinking of a parking garge with a sub-basement but I am not really happy with that yet.

[Steve Long]

Re: HUDSON CITY: Base Design

 

Hmmm. Maybe a skyscraper right next to LeMastre Park. Helipad on top of the building, various secret entrances in the park as well as on the street.

[Trebuchet]

Re: HUDSON CITY: Base Design

 

Are you looking for a secret base, or a public one?

 

A secret base occupying a couple of floors of a skyscraper office building allows people to come and go unnoticed at all hours, and could still provide a helipad and subbasements as needed.

 

A base hidden in a ship down at the docks would be a bit uncommon. Perhaps as a billionaire's plaything?

[Edsel]

Re: HUDSON CITY: Base Design

 

Speaking as Eosin's GM in this game, I am pretty sure he is trying to design a base that is hidden or at least pretty low-key.

[Eosin]

Re: HUDSON CITY: Base Design

 

What do you think about this?

 

STRIKE BASE:

Base premise. A PC has 15 points of wealth and the team as a whole has some clandistine support from a shadow ops agency funded by the USA. The general idea for the base is a 25 story building located in the Westhurst area (sub section of Bankhurst). The exact location is 21 street and Northhampton abutting LeMastre park. If you look at the map on page 29 of DC this building would cover up the letters "ton" of Northhampton.

 

The base involves multiple parts.

 

1. Heliopad on top of the building. This sees use buy a few exeuctives and is serviced by a private express elevator - this elevator and it's entrances are not under survelience. There is a govermental office within the building (a lab of some sort) that uses the helipad with some frequency, dropping off and picking up people whose activities are need to know (this provides cover for our goverment chopper when we get summoned).

 

2. There is a large Datahub in the building for a commercial ISP that is owned by Rich PC. This server center provides us a processesing power for our computer networks. It also supplies the building with wireless internet access. The ISP business is able to access some of the servers but not the big military grade encryted stuff. The ISP maintence folks have keys to the main computer room but not the door beyond it (military stuff), and Rich PC has access both.

 

2A. Two or three members of the team need offices to cover their normal identies. Office space is provided within the building. These are routine offices and have little connection with the base.

 

3. Sub-Garage - within the lowest level of the attached parking garage is what appears to be a large storage and maintence area. Inside the storage area is an access to a large open bay where the bulk of our vehicles are stored and worked on. This area also houses some of the buildings mechanical and electrical stations.

 

4. The labs - located in what was once part of a metro/concourse or perhaps a closed off basement to main building is the bulk of the base. This is a high security area with no traffic other than the teammembers. This area was built to spec with proper permits and such - after the fact we went in and cleaned up any indication that something was present (records were removed or altered from the contractors (and subs), city permits, and engineering firms). The area has been extensively refurbished and outfitted with the latest technology and equipment.

 

5. Escape plans - the sub garage and the labs are connected by concorse tunnels. From the mechanical stations within each it is possible to enter old steam tunnels and exit the building several blocks away (if you don't get lost).

 

5A. Escape plans - the mainbuilding is directly over one of the subway lines in Bankhurst. The team, has reopened an old access tunnel used during the construction phase that is located within the lab area. This escape route is deadly! It connects into the top of the tunnel but then you are gonna fall about 50 feet onto railway. God hope a train ain't headin your way.

 

5B. Escape plans - Once the building has been evacuated there is immediate access to I-4085, The Subway, The El, and Lemastre park. Less than a mile away is the Riverfront drive and three seperate bridges/tunnels across the Stewart.

 

6. Need to address building security.

 

How does that look for the start of a secret base?

 

So far we have:

STRIKE BASE

An Urban Underground Base

No grounds

Increased Area (to be determined)

Increased Body & DEF (TBD)

Concealment

Disguise

 

Any suggestions on what the Concealment and Disguise scores would be for this base?

[Eosin]

Re: HUDSON CITY: Base Design

 

RELIANCE TOWER

 

The Sloane Building was commissioned in 1913 by the Hudson City industrialist Theodore Sloane. Sloane Industries prospered during the early years of the war servicing several governmental and city contracts. Labor and material shortages along with contractor disputes delayed completion of the 23 story building for more than a decade. Rumors of disputes between Sloane and organized crime elements within Hudson City haunted the building even after its completion. The delays in construction and a poor appeal to tenants lead to the sale of the building within two years of completion.

 

Mike Cochran, the new owner, an advertising executive and marketing genius, capitalized on the buildings choice location overlooking LeMastre Park. The building and office space soon became synonymous with upscale corporations, attorneys, and stockbrokers. As part of the repacking program he renamed the building in 1928, calling it Reliance Tower.

 

By the 90s Reliance Tower, one of the oldest Skyscrapers in Hudson City was run down and squalid compared to other buildings in Bankhurst. There was talk of demolishing the eyesore until it was purchased by Abbott Reality. Abbott promptly closed the doors and began a multimillion dollar refurbishment and modernization of the building. Reopened in 2000, the building is currently occupied by modern high-tech corporations in a variety of fields related to computers and science.

 

Val Char Cost Notes

7 Size 14 Area 203"

5 BODY 3

8 DEF 18

Total Characteristic Cost: 35

 

Amenities

5 GPS Imaging: CK: Hudson City, Usable Simultaneously (up to 32 people at once; +1 ½) (17 Active Points);

OAF Fragile (-1 ¼), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), -1 ¼) 14-

 

8 Tactical Command Center: Mind Link , , Number of Minds (x32) (35 Active Points); OAF Immobile (-2),

Only With Others Who Have Mind Link (-1), Does Not Provide Mental Awareness (-¼)

 

4 Communications Suite: HRRP (Radio Group) (12 Active Points); OAF Immobile (-2)

 

7 Deflected DNS: Computer Tracking Group Images 1" radius, +/-5 to PER Rolls (20 Active Points);

OAF Immobile (-2)

 

19 Building Surveillance System: (Total: 65 Active Cost, 19 Real Cost) Clairsentience (Sight Group), x16 Range (2400"),

Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (60 Active Points); OAF (cameras and monitor stations) Immobile (-2), Activation Roll 15- (-¼)

(Real Cost: 18) plus Infrared Perception (Sight Group) (5 Active Points); OAF Immobile (-2), Linked (Clairsentience; -½) (Real Cost: 1)

 

18 Communications Surveillance: Clairsentience (Radio Group), x16 Range (2960"), Discriminatory, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½)

(67 Active Points); OAF (monitor stations and antenna) Immobile (-2), Activation Roll 13- (-¾)

Notes: This radio scanning and encryption system monitors all phone and radio transmissions within the building and the immediate surroundings.

 

5 Backup Generator: Endurance Reserve (36 END, 4 REC) Reserve: (8 Active Points); OIF Immobile (-1 ½), Fuel Dependent

(fuel is Very Common; must refuel Once per 6 Hours; Runs On Diesel; -¾)

Notes: The Base is hooked-up to the city power grid. The generator is for emergencies.

 

3 Heating/Air Conditioning: Life Support (Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat) (4 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-½) 1

 

5 Sealed Labs & Containment: Life Support (Self-Contained Breathing) (10 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-½), (Partial Coverage; -½) 1

 

7 Incinerator: HKA ½d6 (standard effect: 1 BODY, 2 STUN), Area Of Effect (One Hex; +½), Penetrating (+½), Invisible Power Effects

(Fully Invisible; Heat Baffles & Scrubbers; +1) (30 Active Points); OAF Immobile (-2), No STR Bonus (-½), No Knockback (-¼), Real Equipment

(Requires Regular Maintenance; -¼) 3

Notes: Often Used to Dispose of Evidence, Bodies, etc.

 

Perks

20 Location: City; Modifier Underground

 

Skills

21 Hidden Base: Concealment 18-

15 The Reliance Tower: Disguise 15-

 

Labs

9 1) ITS: Computer Programming 12-

5 2) Evidence Analysis: Criminology 10-

5 3) Engineering I: Electronics 10-

5 4) Post Mortem Analysis: Forensic Medicine 10-

1 5) Debriefing: Interrogation 8-

5 6) Engineering II: Mechanics 10-

5 7) Garage: Mechanics 10-

15 8) Medical Bay: Paramedics 15-

4 9) Weapons Lab: Weaponsmith (Firearms) 10-

 

 

 

Total Abilities & Equipment Cost: 191

Total Vehicle Cost: 226

 

Disadvantages

10 Hunted: The Conclave 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)

 

Total Cost: 216/5 = 43

[Starwolf]

Re: HUDSON CITY: Base Design

 

Heh...nice job. Kind of reminds me of Doc Savages HQ on the 89th floor of the Empire State Building...

[Edsel]

Re: HUDSON CITY: Base Design

 

As your GM I have a couple of questions:

 

1. The GPS Imaging system is an OAF. This means that it is portable and can be carried around easily anywhere within the base. Is that really your intention? Also it is still a single unit and up to 32 people can use it at once. I would have thought that making it an OIF immobile might be a better way to go. That would allow (if I understand the rules correctly) multiple people to use it due to multiple terminals spread throughout the base. In this case making it Inaccessable would mean that you couldn't kill the system simply by zapping one terminal, you'd have to take a full turn to disable the entire system.

 

2. Contrary to some people's beliefs I am not a computer wizard. What exactly is a Deflected DNS. I know it is a domain name server but that's about it. It sounds like a system that is able to conceal its presence on the internet in an effort to foil would be hackers. Did I get this right?

 

3. Building Surveillance System: In previous editions of Hero System a base had to buy internal and external sensors seperately. Is this still the case? If if is I assume that these would be external sensors dut to the increased range. If the rules have changed please point it out to ignorant old me.

 

I can see I need to re-read the sections on bases in 5ER, Champions, Champions Universe, etc. It has been a while and I have gotten rusty.

 

Love the picture. I might be willing to give a couple of EPs for use in helping pay for the base. It's looking pretty good so far.

[Eosin]

Re: HUDSON CITY: Base Design

 

As your GM I have a couple of questions:

 

1. The GPS Imaging system is an OAF. This means that it is portable and can be carried around easily anywhere within the base. Is that really your intention? Also it is still a single unit and up to 32 people can use it at once. I would have thought that making it an OIF immobile might be a better way to go. That would allow (if I understand the rules correctly) multiple people to use it due to multiple terminals spread throughout the base. In this case making it Inaccessable would mean that you couldn't kill the system simply by zapping one terminal, you'd have to take a full turn to disable the entire system.

 

Yeah, it is built wrong. It should be immobile. OAF/OIF is to taste. The system should allow anyone in the base to get into the secured comm system with the team. The team still needs the mobile units but this is the master node.

 

2. Contrary to some people's beliefs I am not a computer wizard. What exactly is a Deflected DNS. I know it is a domain name server but that's about it. It sounds like a system that is able to conceal its presence on the internet in an effort to foil would be hackers. Did I get this right?

 

It just sounded cool to me I plugged a little techno jargon in there but you have the idea down --- the system hides efforts to track it.

 

3. Building Surveillance System: In previous editions of Hero System a base had to buy internal and external sensors seperately. Is this still the case? If if is I assume that these would be external sensors dut to the increased range. If the rules have changed please point it out to ignorant old me.

 

I built it off of the Urban Base model. 5th ED didn't specify needing to seperate the two. Basically the increased area is enough to cover the whole building (or there abouts). The base doesn't technically have any "grounds" but it is scattered throughout the building meaning I needed to cover the whole area.

 

Love the picture. I might be willing to give a couple of EPs for use in helping pay for the base. It's looking pretty good so far.

 

Sweet!