Building the Sliders timer

[BigJackBrass]

Having missed most of the episodes when they were first shown here in England (late 1990s) I've only recently had the opportunity to watch Sliders from the beginning. Mind you, I'll be abandoning it at the end of season two, because I've heard nothing good about it beyond that point, and they got rid of John Rhys-Davies.

 

All besides the point, however. I've been looking at ways to run a cross-dimensional campaign (which is why I picked up the Sliders DVDs), possibly with HERO, so I have been wondering how best to model the timer. As seen in the show, after the pilot episode, the timer is randomised and not tuned to send the sliders back to the world they just left. Since Quinn's main sliding machine does not exist in all alternate worlds the timer also appears to function separately from it, on top of which it is apparently self-charging. It may be a McGuffin as much as anything else, but I think that establishing how it should operate in HERO terms is going to be important if the players decide to start tinkering with it.

 

Of course, it doesn't help that the show is contradictory about the wormholes, either. In one episode Quinn worries than a single extra person sliding with the group will drain too much energy from the system, then in the next they drive a van through a wormhole, with two extra passengers... Good grief, do TV writers not understand that, story bedamned, there are people out here who need gameable facts?!

 

So, any suggestions as how best to stat this gadget?

[sinanju]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

So' date=' any suggestions as how best to stat this gadget?[/quote']

 

I'll say what I've often said on threads like this.

 

I don't think it needs stats. It's a plot device (literally, in this case). It exists to be endangered or lost (OAF), and to provide dramatic tension by providing a countdown to when the portal opens again. As GM, that's really in your bailiwick, so it doesn't need stats.

 

If you really want stats, though, I'd view as Extra-Dimensional Travel, OAF with various limitations (can only open portals at random but fixed intervals, for instance) and perhaps an Area of Effect (variable) advantage to allow for small portals or big ones, as needed.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

If you do work up the timer, please post it here. You never know between all of us we might just make a good one that all of us might want to use. Ok here is my work up.

 

55 pts. Sliders Timer: Extra-Dimensional Movement (Related Group of Dimensions, Any Location corresponding to current physical location), x16 Increased Weight, Safe Blind Travel (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Area Of Effect Nonselective (4" radius; +3/4), Continuous (+1), MegaScale (1" = 100 km; limited to a radius from point of origin; +3/4), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4), Usable As Attack (x16 maximum weight per inanimate target; +2) (338 Active Points); Independent (-2), OAF Durable Expendable (Very Difficult to obtain new Focus; -1 1/2), Conditional Power if you miss the slide you have to wait 29 years to use again (-1), Limited Power timer activation is random, (-1/2)

 

Note: the radius can be no more than 500 miles from the first place the timer is used, this is different from the show that had a smaller radius.

[Guest daeudi_454]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

I handle the random factor kinda differently...

I give the timer an End Reserve, and make the XD cost x10 End.

The REC on the End Reserve is NCC, which is how you control the "random" factor. Because it isn't random- it takes 29 years to recharge, unless the GM activates the NCC REC....

It also has a side effect, Susceptibility: Failure to slide at right time: DRAIN End Reserve, set effect, enough dice to reach 0END.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

Slider Wormhole: Extra-Dimensional Movement (Related Group of Dimensions, Any Location), x8 Increased Weight, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Trigger (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger resets automatically, immediately after it activates, Character does not control activation of personal Trigger; +3/4) (112 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Day, Only to Activate, -2), IIF (-1/4) [34 Real Points]

 

The Trigger is a recently used wormhole closing. It activates the Slider which takes a day to open the next wormhole (If I remember right each episode they had 1 day to get to the next point).

 

The Related Group Of Dimensions are Alernate Earths. Any Location so you can dump the characters where you want in the Target Dimension.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

The Trigger is a recently used wormhole closing. It activates the Slider which takes a day to open the next wormhole (If I remember right each episode they had 1 day to get to the next point).

 

The Related Group Of Dimensions are Alernate Earths. Any Location so you can dump the characters where you want in the Target Dimension.

 

Actually the time differed each time. On some slides it was as little as a few minutes, in others it was months.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

Actually the time differed each time. On some slides it was as little as a few minutes' date=' in others it was months.[/quote']

Ah... hrm.. Gotta think on that. I only saw episodes sporadically.

 

EDIT:

Slider Wormhole: Extra-Dimensional Movement (Related Group of Dimensions, Any Location), x8 Increased Weight, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (75 Active Points); No Conscious Control (-2), IIF (-1/4) [Real Cost 23]

 

Ok, No Concious Control puts the activation in the GMs hands (few minutes to a couple of months, depending on his plot needs) and doesn't need a Trigger Ability anymore so it costs less. Same basic ideas as before.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

Ghost I actually like your build better than mine. It shows the beauty of the system, that you can build something in so many ways. I like that the two builds both work, and it's upto how you want to build it. I still think if you wanted the Slider Timer, you need to set a limit on the distance traveled realitive to where you were.

 

BTW, repped you....again

[Guest daeudi_454]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

well- the problem with putting NCC on the XD itself is that the sliders can activate it...

Makes me want to rethink my suggestion....

Cause there are 3 ways the timer works:

1. Slide activated when timer expires- Slide to next universe in progression

2. Timer expired by more than 5 minutes or so- slide not possible for 29 years

3. Slide activated prior to timer expiring- Slide to completely random reality, lose all ability to track universes, gain possibility of being shunted back to a previously visited reality.

 

Despite thhe fact that sometimes thhe area was completley different, I do not believe they EVER traveled more than 25 miles or so from where they were previously... Always close to San Francisco.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

Ghost I actually like your build better than mine. It shows the beauty of the system, that you can build something in so many ways. I like that the two builds both work, and it's upto how you want to build it. I still think if you wanted the Slider Timer, you need to set a limit on the distance traveled realitive to where you were.

 

BTW, repped you....again

Definately, your build works equally as well as mine. Gotta love HERO.

 

well- the problem with putting NCC on the XD itself is that the sliders can activate it...

Makes me want to rethink my suggestion....

Cause there are 3 ways the timer works:

1. Slide activated when timer expires- Slide to next universe in progression

2. Timer expired by more than 5 minutes or so- slide not possible for 29 years

3. Slide activated prior to timer expiring- Slide to completely random reality, lose all ability to track universes, gain possibility of being shunted back to a previously visited reality.

 

Despite thhe fact that sometimes thhe area was completley different, I do not believe they EVER traveled more than 25 miles or so from where they were previously... Always close to San Francisco.

Number 2 can be replicated by adding a Side Effect Limitation to the build (Either mine or the TheRavenIs' build)

 

1. and 3. can simply be aspects of the NCC.

 

As for the limitation of location, also NCC - the GM only wants wormholes in/around a certain area well, the Players have NCC over that

 

[basically the area range is limited to the GMs plot needs, just as the Timing is]

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

Well after they had to rebuild the timer on Maggie's Earth the timer could dump them anywhere within a certain radius. They did go back and forth between LA and San Francisco a number of times. The new timer had a different type of chip than Quinn used on he's earth, this altered the location they they could travel to.

[BigJackBrass]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

Thanks for the suggestions - some interesting ideas there.

 

I don't think it needs stats. It's a plot device (literally' date=' in this case).[/quote']

 

Generally I'd agree. Putting stats onto every last thing is not my style, but here the situation can be seen differently. Because at least one of the players is likely to have the skills necessary to build or alter the timer - and because repairing or changing it could be very important in the game - I feel the need for some very concrete numbers before they start tinkering. Mind you, every time I watch the show I see more inconsitencies, as is the way with television, but at least once I've defined what I think is reasonable we have a base from which to work.

 

Speaking of work, running late! I'll have a more serious look at your ideas when I get home. Thanks again.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

Well after they had to rebuild the timer on Maggie's Earth the timer could dump them anywhere within a certain radius. They did go back and forth between LA and San Francisco a number of times. The new timer had a different type of chip than Quinn used on he's earth' date=' this altered the location they they could travel to.[/quote']

I never got that far in the series. Still with the nature of EDM and NCC, unless they could control which city no changes needed. If they could control location and time then NCC needs to be removed.

[ThothAmon]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

I'd have the wormholes as GM fiat and the Timer as an OAF Dimensional Anomaly Detector - simple and cheap.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

Since they eventually want, or foresee, the characters tinkering with and altering the Slider Device I think a write up is warranted. This way there's a mechanic behind what they want to alter and what actually happens.

[Lethosos]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

But! It's adviseable to do it at first ThothAmon's way; this way you show the time and effort they go into altering the Slider Timer for their own purposes. It's already esablished there at first; the Slider Timer becomes an Independent device controllable by those who know how to use it. (Please note that those who know how it works gets to spend the XP into it.)

[BigJackBrass]

Re: Building the Sliders timer

 

I should also add that I'm using this thread partly as a learning experience. In the past I've used HERO much more for characters than objects and equipment, generally picking things from equipment lists or making a judgement about how an item works. With a new gaming group I'm finding that their tastes lean a bit more towards the crunchy, so I'll be moving into the item construction business, I suspect.

 

Consequently it's very helpful for me to see how more experienced HERO gamers model an item like this (and to be honest it's also interesting to see if anyone has picked up on points from the series I might have missed). Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions so far.