"Enter," "The," and "Matrix"

[OmegaSupreme]

How could you simulate the time-altering abilities of the people that are plugged into The Matrix from the outside? Abilities like those demonstrated by Neo, Morpheus, Trinity, and the others?

In GAME terms, they can do things like make long jumps, fight really good (high OCV/DCV), and the like. But those things don't seem to capture the flavor of the setting. Any ideas for character creation within the Matrix universe? ~J

[Snarf]

For one thing, a team with an operator can have any skill they need downloaded into their brain. I'm not sure how that would work, possibly some sort of variable power pool.

[Guest Celt]

I've been pondering this very idea. I doubt I'm the only one.

 

I was thinking some abilities can be reflected in the characters having abilities powered off of an Endurance Battery. One could buy increases in Dex and Speed with the limitations Cost END, the abilities being powered offf the reserve.

 

The basic Speed chart can handle things such as variable Speeds but it's not instantaneous. For example, Neo is in the Matrix fighting a police officer, taking it easy with his leet skillz. All of a sudden the officer morphs into an Agent, who has much higher speed and dex. Neo likewise wants his own Dex and Speed to increase. However he cannot act with the increased Speed "until the next Segment which is a Phase for both SPDs." This could cause significant delay in the new Speed taking effect. But if everyone's cool with it then it's no problem.

 

Skills are much more plastic. The Matrix setting is one where it's quite appropriate to have a VPP for skills. Cramming for a familiarity doesn't really cover it. The VPP means the cosmology of the setting implies while one can 'cram' a skill, there's limited grey cells to hold them. You'd have to trade off which skills you had loaded at a time.

 

And thus characters aren't going to be different from each other based on what kind of skills they can bring to the group. They can load whatever they need. One person may be able to hold more skills than another however (paid for a higher VPP Skills) while someone else may be better able to manipulate the Matrix (has a bigger End Batt, higher VPP for powers, characteristics, etc.)

[Col. Orange]

Originally posted by Celt

The Matrix setting is one where it's quite appropriate to have a VPP for skills.

 

Or you could go the long way around it...

 

Buy a follower (your operator in the real world dimension)

Have him buy a computer with shed loads of skills as powers, all with the Useable By Others and Transdimensional advantages.

 

[jtelson]

Buy a follower (your operator in the real world dimension)

Have him buy a computer with shed loads of skills as powers, all with the Useable By Others and Transdimensional advantages.

This is perfect. I wish I'd though of it.

 

As to the time altering effects (Bullet time) I wouldn't go with speed, You can never really act fast enough to simulate the effect and high speeds tend to slow down combat. I'd go with something like.

+5 Levels w DCV - Costs End and 2d6 RKA AOE Radius - Selective - 0 Range - Variable Special Effect (Guns or MA) - Maybe slap Autofire on it depending on the exact effect you're looking after - Poof you're hard to hit - you take out the Mooks in your general area and you can still damage the big bad.

[Snarf]

The only problem with buying a pimped out computer is that you have to think of every single skill you could ever want and spend a half hour writing it all down. Let's see Transport familiarity with cars ... trucks ... bikes ... choppers ... hovercraft ... mecha ... rollerblades ... pogo sticks ... It depends how much you want to be able to know anything.

 

I'm not too sure about this, since I'm still reading through my hero basic book, but there seems to be a way to buy skill levels in everything for 10 points a level. That sounds like it could work if you limited it with a delay while your operator downloaded things you haven't used yet.

 

Rapid fire attacks sound great to me because it seems like they don't act with continuous high speed. They fight at normal speed most of the time then attack really fast in short bursts when they need it.

 

I've seen all of these powers appear in some form: missle deflection, flight, super jumping, super strength, super speed(rapid fire and +OCV/DCV), ressurection/teleportation (the agents take over new people after being killed or left behind), turning insubstantial, and all the random powers Neo invents when the plot calls for it.

[xanatos]

Buy a follower (your operator in the real world dimension)

Have him buy a computer with shed loads of skills as powers, all with the Useable By Others and Transdimensional advantages.

and

I'm not too sure about this, since I'm still reading through my hero basic book, but there seems to be a way to buy skill levels in everything for 10 points a level. That sounds like it could work if you limited it with a delay while your operator downloaded things you haven't used yet.

It's called Overall Skill Level, and it's probably the right way to do it. So a Follower with a Computer with many Overall Skill Levels Useable By Others and Transdimensional. Perhaps even some Require Extra Time (Only To Activate)... And perhaps a limitation on the number of OSL that a person can get.

(we are entering munchkin-land... Note the Follower with a Computer... Double division by 5 (you pay the follower 1/5 of its cost, and the follower pay the computer 1/5 of its cost, so you pay 1/25 of the cost of the computer)! But "film-wyse" it's right! But perhaps you should buy directly the Computer and have a limitation that it must be controlled by a person. Or directly give the OSL to the follower and put them in a Focus (the computer). Or put the OSL in a vehicle! (Vehicles must be manned if they don't have a Computer, so the problem is solved)).

Bye

Max

[Insaniac99]

well, if you are talking aobut HAIVNG a matrix campaign i would jstput it as part of hte world, one player is the operator who hooks people up and has this info and then everything is just equipment that he has access to....