Drown

[Tech]

I have power concepts for a villain that I'd like suggestions for:

 

a) The villain can create a bubble of water around a hero and unless they can breathe, take drowning damage.

 

Alternatively:

The villain can create an invisible bubble of water around a hero that even the hero cannot feel but still, they'll take drowning damage unless they can breathe water. (The villain has such control over the water that they can even control if the hero sees it. Hey, it works for me.)

 

Sure, I can create a 1d6 NND EB + 1d6 End Drain at range linked but I'm looking for advanced ideas/concepts. Any takers?

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Drown

 

I started a thread on a similar topic some time ago which you can find here:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14947

 

Some good ideas there. I especially liked the concept of Suppressing the target's ability to breathe air. You'd want to make that NND: LS Breathe Water.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Drown

 

I concur with the NND suggestion, essentially treating it as a choke hold.

 

The problem with using the drowning rules (which I don't have in front of me, so correct me if I'm wrong) is they take too long to be truly useful in combat. Forcing your target to burn an extra END or two is going to take a long time to put them down, and in the meantime they're going to be blasting away at you with everything they've got, relatively unpenalized. IMO the drowning rules work well for situations where holding one's breath is the only thing you've got to worry about, but not so well for situations where you have to hold your breath in combat.

 

 

bigdamnhero

"Why do we have technology in the first place? So we can sit on our butts and drive. Those guys with the rucksacks on their backs? They're setting us back 50 years with every step."

[lapsedgamer]

Re: Drown

 

I would use a similar concept with an NND or AVLD that is Independent and/or Persistent. Could you make it an invisible gas not water for your second example? Something like I transmute all the breathable O2 in the air into CO2 in a certian radius? He would also be able to extinquish most fires and stop certain other chemical reactions. Imagine if he could do this to the air in your lungs as well. I guess his/her name would be Smother in that case.

[Tech]

Re: Drown

 

I concur with the NND suggestion, essentially treating it as a choke hold.

 

The problem with using the drowning rules (which I don't have in front of me, so correct me if I'm wrong) is they take too long to be truly useful in combat. Forcing your target to burn an extra END or two is going to take a long time to put them down, and in the meantime they're going to be blasting away at you with everything they've got, relatively unpenalized. IMO the drowning rules work well for situations where holding one's breath is the only thing you've got to worry about, but not so well for situations where you have to hold your breath in combat.

 

 

bigdamnhero

"Why do we have technology in the first place? So we can sit on our butts and drive. Those guys with the rucksacks on their backs? They're setting us back 50 years with every step."

 

Unless I missed something, this appears that as GM, I'm going to have make a houserule effect, saying that in effect the NND attack will be treated as a ranged Choke Hold? Is this a valid ruling or simply playing fast & loose with the rules.. not that I'm against that.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Drown

 

Unless I missed something' date=' this appears that as GM, I'm going to have make a houserule effect, saying that in effect the NND attack will be treated as a ranged Choke Hold? Is this a valid ruling or simply playing fast & loose with the rules.. not that I'm against that.[/quote']

Wasn't what I meant. (`Tho I guess it could probably work that way.) I meant build it as a ranged NND blast. I only mentioned choke holds because it models a similar effect (cutting off someone's air) using an NND attack, and because it was brought up in the thread Hugh referenced.

 

Sorry if I confused things. (Wouldn't be the first time.) (Probably won't be the last.)

 

 

bigdamnhero

“Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?”

[st barbara]

Re: Drown

 

If you really want to be nasty give the villain a "transformation attack- any gas into any other gas-indirect" or something so that he can turn the oxygen in apersons lungs into chlorine !

[lapsedgamer]

Re: Drown

 

More thoughts on Smother. Feel free to ignore. His/her (her understood from now on) power is basically making air unbreathable by changing the gases in the mixture. I'll stick with changing O2 into C02 for now. Someone who actually knows chemistry can correct me at any time.

 

OK. So you have the basic NND with a large radius, Indirect and Persistent Invisible to normal sight and sound (I guess someone with infrared could see the temperature change) with defense being self-contained breathing (life support).

 

You would also have:

 

Suppress flame powers (based on traditional combustion)

Suppress movement (internal combustion and jet engines only)

Suppress chemical reactions (probably really hard to GM if you aren't a chemistry buff)

 

Now let's get some more extreme comic book science in there. Suppose he can control the temperature and pressure of the gas mixture. Insert rubber science explanation here. You could get:

 

Forming dry ice on surfaces: Entangle based on DEX Indirect, large radius. Probably not persistent because it would sublimate fairly quickly. The fog would make it visible, but then you could add in a linked Darkness to normal sight and perhaps Infrared.

 

How about causing something like the bends by causing the CO2 to come out of solution in the bloodstream at normal air pressure. I know the bends is caused mainly by nitrogen, but wouldn't this have the same effect? Killing Attack (Body Drain?) AVLD (life support), Gradual Effect, Invisible to sight and sound, Indirect (maybe not Indirect. Probably too hard to GM). This would be a deadly personal attack designed to take out everyone except bricks maybe.

 

He would need life support or a personal immunity to most of his own powers.

 

Now this would be a nasty guy if played right. Imagine the first time you ran into him. The tactic would be to use his powers at extreme range and make the heroes come at you. Use the Darkness/Entagle combo on speedsters. Keep the NND in between you and your enemies. Flame characters are your toys. Cars and jet packs also. If you get pressed cripple them with the bends. You would need a lot of reduced END cost. Probably a EC combined with a multipower with ultras for the Suppress attacks. Some levels would't hurt. He could be tough if no one has the right defenses/ senses, or in a team where he could pick his targets. Definitely an ambush and gloat type.

[Speedball]

Re: Drown

 

I had a character who manipulated air with a similar effect. The GM and I built the power in a multipower framework as:

Can't....Breathe: (Total: 72 Active Cost, 58 Real Cost) Energy Blast 3d6, Continuous (+1), No Normal Defense (+1) (45 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Won't Work in a Vacuum; -1/4) (Real Cost: 36) plus Drain REC 1d6, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4), Ranged (+1/2), Continuous (+1) (27 Active Points); Conditional Power Power does not work in Uncommon Circumstances (Won't Work in a Vacuum; -1/4) (Real Cost: 22)

 

Obviously not everything fits for what you're trying to build for your character, but I think the combination of the NND EB and the Rec Drain are particularly effective.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Drown

 

More thoughts on Smother...

My players are going to hate you for this one.

[Repped BTW]

 

 

bigdamnhero

"Bye bye, boys! Have fun storming the castle!"