Need help building a paralyzing attack

[Dax Thura]

This is for a Champions game. So far I've come up with either an entangle that uses Con to escape or a drain verses either dex or spd. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

One of the classics for this effect is Mind Control, One Command: "Don't Move!" Depending on the Special Effect of the attack you might make it Based On Constitution.

[Rapier]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

This is for a Champions game. So far I've come up with either an entangle that uses Con to escape or a drain verses either dex or spd. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

I've posted this a couple times, but basically its like this.

 

xd6 EB, BOECV, vs CON, Requires Touch, No KB

 

Now, yes, the Active Points on this bad boy are HUGE...but when you consider its effect it should be. I've found that this construct is fairly straight forward and easy to understand and it works really well.

 

r

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

mmm drain vs speed. Sounds tasty! (to use)

[Silbeg]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

This is for a Champions game. So far I've come up with either an entangle that uses Con to escape or a drain verses either dex or spd. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Mental Paralysis: Entangle xd6, x DEF, Takes No Damage From Attacks Physical Attacks (+1/4), Works Against EGO, Not STR (+1/4), Based On EGO Combat Value (Mental Defense; Mental Defense applies; +1) Mental Defense Adds To EGO (-1/2), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4)

[prestidigitator]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

Mental Paralysis: Entangle xd6' date=' x DEF, Takes No Damage From Attacks Physical Attacks (+1/4), Works Against EGO, Not STR (+1/4), Based On EGO Combat Value (Mental Defense; Mental Defense applies; +1) Mental Defense Adds To EGO (-1/2), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4)[/quote']

I used almost exactly this construct for a conversion of a Ghoul I just did from D&D. Add on No Range and define it as a HTH attack so it can be used in a Multi-Power Attack with claws or teeth...it is very nasty (particularly in a heroic game), even with a small Body/Def value. Mine didn't add Mental Defense, which is even worse.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

Mmm.... I think I've done this before

 

Transform: Target into unmoving target

 

Entangle, takes no damage (dimension anchor, doesn't make a realistic paralyzing attack, as anyone can break the entangle).

 

Drain END/CON (if you don't have or can't spend END, you can't do much. note: just draining END will still let the target burn STUN for END.)

 

Drain SPD (to just keep him from acting at all)

 

Drain INT (neural anesthetic, keeps the brain from working, he can move, just can't make the decision to do so)

 

TK (grab)

 

Mind Control (command, "don't move")

 

and my favorites, mainly because they are impossibly simple and the most overlooked because of it:

 

EB STUN Only, or Ego Attack (being knocked out can easily be the SFX of being paralysed and unable to perceive the enviornment or act).

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

Depends on the game and the feel you want for your paralysis. In my old 4th ed FH game, I mainly used SPD & Dex Drains or Supresses, depending on the method of recovery ( For example.. A SPD supress models a kind of Hold spell fairly well... one that eliminates most or all of a targets actions as long as the caster is feeding END into the effect). For a Superheroic level game I've always liked the Ego based Entangle like the one stated out above.

 

Pretty much decide how you want it to play then go with one of the multitudes of suggestions above...they're all good.

[Dax Thura]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

Thanks for all of the ideas, I especially like the Int Drain, but none of them 'feel' right. Maybe I wasn't descriptive enough. The Character has powers based on animal and plant adaptations. I want the paralyzing attack to be similar to say a spider's bite. It has been a long time since I played 4thEd, but I vaguely recall that there was a way to do this. The particular problem I'm having is that I want it to be an Entangle that uses Con to escape and I don't want it to be BOECV.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

Thanks for all of the ideas' date=' I especially like the Int Drain, but none of them 'feel' right. Maybe I wasn't descriptive enough. The Character has powers based on animal and plant adaptations. I want the paralyzing attack to be similar to say a spider's bite. It has been a long time since I played 4thEd, but I vaguely recall that there was a way to do this. The particular problem I'm having is that I want it to be an Entangle that uses Con to escape and I don't want it to be BOECV.[/quote']

 

You are suffering from SFXaphobia. Or, you are just telling us what you are builidng and not really asking for advice. Or maybe you are just asking how to build an Entangle that uses CON instead of STR cuz that's what you really got your heart set on...

 

First, I feel I should explain why I think using Entangle for most kinds of paralyzation is a bad idea. If you are paralyzed, no one can help you get unparalyzed. That is to say, Bob can't walk up to John, and physically yank him out of being paralyzed. Using Entangle, Bob can, in fact, do just this. It makes even less sense if the Entangle is based on CON, because then Bob can walk up to John and just "be healty" at him, and have a chance to unparalyze John. That is illogical, stupid and just doesn't fit the SFX, but it's the way Entangle works, and if you use Entangle (no matter what Advantages you put on it), it's the way this paralyzation will work.

 

That being said, you can always take the standard, and apparently official, approach and say "yeah right" and make your Entangle anyway, and just not let any help the Entangled character escape from it. Personally, I feel this makes such an Entangle far too powerful. This is even beyond the scope of putting some kind of Advantage on Entangle to account for it (it's kinda like putting NND on something, and then handwaving the defense as "there is no defense, I just want an attack that NOBODY can withstand").

[Dax Thura]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

You are suffering from SFXaphobia. Or' date=' you are just telling us what you are builidng and not really asking for advice. Or maybe you are just asking how to build an Entangle that uses CON instead of STR cuz that's what you really got your heart set on...[/quote']

 

Wow. That wasn't my intent, but that was what I was doing. My apologies.

 

Even though I do really like the Entangle based on Con thing, it just doesn't seem to work right. So now, I'm looking at the Drain and EB, perhaps with the Continuous advantage.

 

Thanks for your help and critiques.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

Well, I have to repeat the Mind Control, One Command suggestion I made above, with that Mental Power Based On CON. That way the attack uses normal CV and is blocked by normal Defenses, the victim's resistance to the paralysis will be proportionate to his Constitution, and he'll be making CON rolls to break out rather than EGO rolls.

 

It wouldn't actually be a Mental Power; the SFX could just as easily be some type of venom - that's the sort of thing the "Based On CON" Limitation is for. You're just using Mind Control as the mechanical basis of the construct.

[Starlord]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

After hearing your description of the sfx, I think LL's mind control example is the way you should go.

[Dax Thura]

Re: Need help building a paralyzing attack

 

Thanks. I'll take a closer look at that later today.