The Character Idea Thread

[Lethosos]

I think plenty of us have some character concepts that float out of our heads, but just couldn't figure out the a good mechanic to model it in HERO without "handwaving" some aspect of it, for purity's sake. So I'm getting this thread together to help each other with some small ideas, things that they'd like to see but can't express it right, and so forth.

 

To kick it off, how about a character that I've yet to wrap my mind around the HERO mechanics for her main power? I called her Stasis for a reason--she's a mutant with the odd ability to 'carry' a subdimensional pocket universe around her. Apparently time doesn't flow inside this personal bubble--so she could stick badly injured innocents inside, prevent bombs from exploding right away, carry bad-arsed weapons, and so on... (She can manipulate stuff in there in a limited fashion, so if this whole ability isn't game-breaking, then there's some sort of limits still.)

 

Unfortuantly, I can never get the definition of the stasis field around her without resorting to stuff that shouldn't be used, like Transforms. I did consider XDM, but with the red flags on it, I'm still not sure if that would be the best route... Eventually, I gave up on her and moved onto other concepts.

[Trained Chicken]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I'd like to design the shoes of a character, who used to have a giant fighting robot, but now only has the shoes. His name is Enormo, the Super Tap-Dancer.

[Evil Steve]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

My first instinct involves a Speed Drain/Suppress, but as for the pocket dimension....I'm stumped.

 

To kick it off, how about a character that I've yet to wrap my mind around the HERO mechanics for her main power? I called her Stasis for a reason--she's a mutant with the odd ability to 'carry' a subdimensional pocket universe around her. Apparently time doesn't flow inside this personal bubble--so she could stick badly injured innocents inside, prevent bombs from exploding right away, carry bad-arsed weapons, and so on... (She can manipulate stuff in there in a limited fashion, so if this whole ability isn't game-breaking, then there's some sort of limits still.)

QUOTE]

[OddHat]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

Stasis has a VPP or large multipower; the field is just her special effect. You can base her character sheet off of Captain Chronos.

 

The big shoes guy just has powers with OAF: Big Shoes.

[Hermit]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

To kick it off, how about a character that I've yet to wrap my mind around the HERO mechanics for her main power? I called her Stasis for a reason--she's a mutant with the odd ability to 'carry' a subdimensional pocket universe around her. Apparently time doesn't flow inside this personal bubble--so she could stick badly injured innocents inside, prevent bombs from exploding right away, carry bad-arsed weapons, and so on... (She can manipulate stuff in there in a limited fashion, so if this whole ability isn't game-breaking, then there's some sort of limits still.)

 

Unfortuantly, I can never get the definition of the stasis field around her without resorting to stuff that shouldn't be used, like Transforms. I did consider XDM, but with the red flags on it, I'm still not sure if that would be the best route... Eventually, I gave up on her and moved onto other concepts.

 

I probably would go with the Extradimensional thing myself, and claim that's an aspect of the dimension. Unfortunately, that IS handwaving indirectly, so I'm at a loss at the moment how else to do it.

[OddHat]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I like the VPP. Sticking badly injured innocents inside is XDM as an attack if they stay gone (defense can be anything reasonable; conscious and unwilling to go works fine), or it can just be healing, with the SFX that the injured person spent X amount of time receiving medical care in the pocket world. Pulling out weapons is no problem, it's just aranging the pool points into various EBs, etc. Preventing bombs from exploding because they're in her pocket world is a supress, and mybe a few more tricks if she can carry the unexploded bomb around with her. The easiest would be a dispel to get rid of it (SFX: Stuffed into pocket world) and then aranging the VPP to re-create the bomb when (sfx) she pulls it out again.

[MCMaenza]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

Statsis sounds a lot like a character idea called Void that I once had (his whole body acted like a dimensional gateway). He was a villain. I don't have my sheets handy (due to our pending move to a new house - all the stuff is in storage) so I don't recall how I wrote him up. When I find it I can try and post about it.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I think OddHat is right about the VPP as the best way to represent lots of "stasis" tricks if you want to build it that way; Aid to BDY only to prevent death, suppress vs bombs, etc.

 

For the ability to keep things frozen in time, my initial thought was an XDM through time, UAA to move object to some point in the future when Stasis takes it out of her dimensional pocket. The only problem would be that if she moved from the initial spot (say to a hospital for the wounded normal), the normal wouldn't move with her. You would have to link a Teleport to it or something and now it is getting really expensive.

 

It might be easier to go with the Major Transform, object into "nothing" reversed when removed from her pocket. Such an object would have no abilities, so the wounded wouldn't get worse and bombs wouldn't go off. You should allow others to perceive and remove the objects from dimensional pocket if they have the appropriate senses (whatever you want to define).

 

So your initial post leads me believe you'd like others to post tricky character builds, so let me throw out one I have had trouble with. The Swarmbots are a bunch of modular robots about the size of a cat that individually are only a small threat (small electrical EB and/or HKA, small Force Field). However, they can combine into larger robots capable of greater feats (greater STR, more powerful EB & Force Field, better movement, etc.). Most of the Swarmbots are generic, but some have additional sensors to give other enhanced senses. I did not conceive of a real limit on the number of Swarmbots that there could be or that could combine (well, within reason, so no city-sized bots). I have looked at making the Swarmbots as a single character with Duplication and Growth, and as individual characters who could enhance each others powers, but everything I have tried is pretty clunky. I would welcome suggestions.

 

_______________________________________________________

"You think you have problems, what are you supposed to do if you are a maniacally depressed robot?" - Marvin

[Intrope]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

Here's how I would build Stasis:

First, if she can do anything other than stuff things into/out of the stasis she should have a VPP per OddHat.

 

But for the Stuff In/Stuff Out powers:

Stuff In:

Major Transform (into immobile thing), no range, must have physical control of target throughout transform (transform damage resets if you lose control); Healed by removal from pocket dimension

and

Extradimensional movement, UAA, must have physical control throught transport, Linked to Major Transform (only takes effect when fully transformed).

 

Stuff Out:

Extradimsional movement, UAA, Indirect, Transdimensional (only into pocket dimesions).

 

The idea is that the Stuff In ability both puts the target 'somewhere else' and freezes them into immobility; the Stuff Out power just produces previously stored objects (that haven't changed in the interim). The 'must have physical control' limit captures the idea that she has to 'stuff' them into the pocket; if they resist, she may have to wrestle them into place. If they escape before she succeeds, she has to start all over.

 

The transform just creates a non-handwave power to immobilize the target.

[Lethosos]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I'm more in favor of Suppress--but as that has its own issues that I need to investigate...I may have to use that particular Transform instead. Thanks a bunch, though.

 

Thankfully moving things in/out and limited manipulation (moves things around for better storage--there's no overlap in there,) is her only actual powers--I did consider a Gadget VPP to handle the rest, with a fair amount of skills. I think that it's possible to designate herself as an "origin point" for her stasis field, which would migate the Teleport issue. Granted, the whole construct would be a tad bit expensive, but I'd rather do it that way because it's too easy to turn her into a short-cut for skipping The Plot Device. (After all, I do have the intention of using EGO to prevent the "grab the archvillan, we can deal with him later" issue.)

 

I think there's something about "combining" in the Ultimate Vehicle Handbook that can address the Swarmbot issue. But I don't have it on hand--I'll get back to it tonight if it doesn't get answered while I can't.

[psm]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I really like the character Statis. Although, expensive I would go with a Gadget VPP and add EDM (Time Travel: Any Physical Location, forward only, useable as attack, activation roll, personal immunity(a limitation in this context)). That should take care of the majority of the character's shtick.

 

There is one character I've been mulling over. I've always wanted a character who could fall from any height and take no damage. Yet is normal in every other way. Punches, kicks hurt just as much. Drop him out of a plane in the stratosphere and he lands on his feet as if he jumped off a step. Obviously, he's nickname is parachute. I just can't seem to wrap my head around the power.

 

The only thing I could up with is Desolidfication (damage from gravity induced velocity). It just seemed too hokey.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I really like the character Statis. Although, expensive I would go with a Gadget VPP and add EDM (Time Travel: Any Physical Location, forward only, useable as attack, activation roll, personal immunity(a limitation in this context)). That should take care of the majority of the character's shtick.

 

There is one character I've been mulling over. I've always wanted a character who could fall from any height and take no damage. Yet is normal in every other way. Punches, kicks hurt just as much. Drop him out of a plane in the stratosphere and he lands on his feet as if he jumped off a step. Obviously, he's nickname is parachute. I just can't seem to wrap my head around the power.

 

The only thing I could up with is Desolidfication (damage from gravity induced velocity). It just seemed too hokey.

 

Buy Parachute 30" Gliding, only to arrest falls (-½). That way he can reach terminal velocity, but still be "gliding" and so take no damage when he hits.

 

__________________________________________________________

"Some people spread happiness wherever they go. Others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde

[Lord Zod]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I have a few suggestions for the swarmbots but they're all a bit odd.

 

Perhaps you could use Multiform and the Requires Multiple Users limitation. A group of swarm bots gather in one place, activate the power that they all bought and then cease to exist, replaced by their more powerful multiform. They could buy several multiforms of varying power requiring varying numbers of users.

 

Duplication might be a bit less clunky, but there is the problem of the original sticking around when the duplicates are made.

 

Another solution would be to give all of the little swarm bots the power Summon Big Swarm Bot, with the limitation Requires Multiple Users and the Major Side Effect "character dies when power is used." Then give the big swarm bots the power to summon a horde of little swarm bots, with the same side effect limitation, but without multiple users.

 

Okay, all three of those ideas are a little weird. My favorite is summon, which is argueably the weirdest, but I think it would be the easiest to run.

[psm]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

Buy Parachute 30" Gliding' date=' only to arrest falls (-½). That way he can reach terminal velocity, but still be "gliding" and so take no damage when he hits.[/quote']

 

You'll have to forgive me, I'm not clear on how to actually use gliding. I was under the assumption that gliding allowed the character to decrease his velocity until he was falling at safe speed. The higher the ability the faster the pc can decelerate. Going by your example, it sounds as if the character can fall at that speed (terminal velocity 30") with no negative effects. Is this right? If so then I feel like a complete idiot.

[Guest Suleyman Rashid]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

There has got to be a better way to do the "two people combine into one superpowered form" thing that a multiform, where the "normal form" has duplication always on.

[OddHat]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

You'll have to forgive me' date=' I'm not clear on how to actually use gliding. I was under the assumption that gliding allowed the character to decrease his velocity until he was falling at safe speed. The higher the ability the faster the pc can decelerate. Going by your example, it sounds as if the character can fall at that speed (terminal velocity 30") with no negative effects. Is this right? If so then I feel like a complete idiot.[/quote']

 

You can also use 30" Superleap (only to counter momentum from falls). Both will give you a soft landing. +30 PD only vs falls will let you crash, leaving a crater and taking Stun but no Body.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

This is inspired by the Thor thread. It's a cocnept I have no idea how to do it system-wise, and he'd definitely be expensive, but I'd like to try my hands at playing:

 

Loki: For nine hundred years the Gods of Asgard have withdrawn from the affairs of men, wrapped up in their preparations for Raganrok -- the battle which foretells the end of all things that are, were and will be. But Loki, the Trrickster, exiled from their number, has been barred from Asgard and the halls of Valhalla and condemned to wander the Earth until the end.

 

Of course, for Loki this was something he enjoyed. He liked Earth. He liked humans, who are far more flexible and more challenging to con than the stodgy old gods. And over the centuries has developed an admiration and respect for mankind that could almost pass for love. Assuming innumerable guises, he has been everywhere and has made innumerable legendary friends, preferring the company of the iconolcasts.

 

He has lifted a tankard with Ben Franklin, smuggled Canasova out of durance vile, played the piano for Paganini, comforted Van Gogh in the times of his greatest doubt, sailed on the Beagle with Charles Darwin, manned the camera for Orson Welles, traded quips with Groucho Marx, marched to Selma with Martin Luther King, delivered acid hits to John Lennon and Jim Morrison, sparred with Bruce Lee, and swing a pick to help tear down the Berlin Wall. He has been the friend of those who ask the impolite questions, those who thumb their noses as the established and the norm, the honest rebel who truly believes they can change the world for the better.

 

But now Asgard is uneasy. Ragnarok approaches, and in preparation the stodgy old Gods seek to establish their old authority. All they seek is power for the battle -- a battle which could well leave the Earth a lifeless cinder. The trickster will lose his playground -- unless Loki can defy his brothers and save the world of Man. He may not have the Thunder of the Gods or the power of creation, but there is one thing Loki will always have -- one more trick....

[stitches]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I've got an idea for a character that I'm thinking would be alien in origin (because it's the easiest way to explain his form). He's basically a big pile of sludge (although he can approximate human form when he wants to). I've been thinking of having as his powers, other than the ability to ooze over, around, and under surfaces, the ability to eat through any substance at will (that's how he gains sustenance), and possibly the ability to expand in a way to take up more space, but not more mass. I call him Tar Baby.

[Intrope]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

On Swarmbots: there are really two issues here.

First, how do you handle a group of things that can merge, and in so doing become a different, singular being? The answer I use is Multiform, where you buy a multiform power that creates the merged being and then each of the group pays part of this cost (much like a group of heroes can all contribute to a joint base). This would also work for something (like the Borg) where the individual entities are still there, but they also have a joint conciousness; you'd just buy the 'borg-mind' as a duplicate, and spread the cost over all the assimilated beings.

 

Second, the swarmbots can do a partial merge with just a few 'bots, or a more potent form with many 'bots. This sounds like Cumulative to me!

 

So: Multiform: Unite the Swarm, Cumulative (+1/2); and the cost is divided amongst the swarm bots. For easy of play, I'd write out several 'sizes' of merger: say, 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 'bot combinations.

 

It'd be very natural to have the Merged form have a limitation like 'BODY damage represents loss of member bots', too.

[Intrope]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

Buy Parachute 30"; Gliding, only to arrest falls (-½). That way he can reach terminal velocity, but still be "gliding" and so take no damage when he hits.

You really don't need 30"; of gliding for this (that would let you deploy the 'chute just 30" from the ground and still stop safely, which is rather better than most 'chutes can do). The write-up in FREd (p118 sidebar) has just 6" gliding (and has a real cost of just 2 points).

[Lethosos]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

Hrmm... Thinking about Loki, and his mythology... I would say he is the ultimate master of disguise, if that's how you're interpeting him. (My version of the myth wraps him up in Raven/Coyote as well.) So I'd build him as a superhuman, with the added powers of perfect Disguise and assorted magical abilities to help influence others. (And immortality, but that's a given.)

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I noticed that on the forum were also some Bugs Bunny vs. X subjects. And a thought hit me. How would one create a "toon" superhero in a Champions game?

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

On Swarmbots: there are really two issues here.

First, how do you handle a group of things that can merge, and in so doing become a different, singular being? The answer I use is Multiform, where you buy a multiform power that creates the merged being and then each of the group pays part of this cost (much like a group of heroes can all contribute to a joint base). This would also work for something (like the Borg) where the individual entities are still there, but they also have a joint conciousness; you'd just buy the 'borg-mind' as a duplicate, and spread the cost over all the assimilated beings.

 

Second, the swarmbots can do a partial merge with just a few 'bots, or a more potent form with many 'bots. This sounds like Cumulative to me!

 

So: Multiform: Unite the Swarm, Cumulative (+1/2); and the cost is divided amongst the swarm bots. For easy of play, I'd write out several 'sizes' of merger: say, 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 'bot combinations.

 

It'd be very natural to have the Merged form have a limitation like 'BODY damage represents loss of member bots', too.

 

This sounds workable to me; I will have to try and write it up. Thanks for the input!

 

on other topics:

As for the 30" Gliding for arresting falls, I missed the sidebar about the 6" gliding parachute, but I figured for terminal velocity 30" would be needed. That said, the 30" Superleap only to stop falls is a much more straighforward way of doing it.

 

So the Loki history is interesting, but I am not clear as to what power are you trying to build here. Ability to bamboozle humans? Power to prevent the end of the world? Maybe the skill to advance human society and let them take credit for it?

 

____________________________________________________

"Some people spread happiness wherever they go. Others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

I noticed that on the forum were also some Bugs Bunny vs. X subjects. And a thought hit me. How would one create a "toon" superhero in a Champions game?

I once had a friend write up Champions versions of the Looney Tunes themselves, as they would be were they supers characters. Bugs became a con artist supreme preying on the wicked (and those who threatened him directly), I had the Road Runner as a speedster, and the Coyote became an amazing gadgeteer with an INT of 3! The intent was so that he would fail every Perception roll he attempted. But this was 4th Edition: I'm sure FREd/Fiver has a more elegant solution to the problem.

 

Daffy wuld be interesting to write up -- he would have a few Powers that have very bad Activation rolls ("I wonder if that crazy duck will remember that he can fly -- I guess not....") and has a habit opf choosing professions he is alarmingly bad at.

[AdamLeisemann]

Re: The Character Idea Thread

 

Thank you Mister Hopcroft.

 

Admittedly, I was looking for some more generic advice, but that's really my fault for not specifying that.