BobGreenwade Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 So, a bit of background... For an archaeologist at a dig site, one of the most important things is to be able to clear away regular soil without damaging what's contained therein. One dare not simply dig away willy-nilly with shovels, or (worse yet) use a backhoe; much more care must be taken to preserve the artifacts in the ground, be they dinosaur fossils, ancient pottery, or whatever else. So how would you write up the ability to do this in Hero System terms? The basic power is the ability to clear away soil while leaving behind denser materials such as pottery, bones, and so forth. This would seem fairly simple (a very low EB or RKA, enough to damage 0 DEF soil without damaging the other stuff, with AOE) except that sometimes what has to be cleared away is solid rock. Any recommendations would be considered from the ample collective creativity of the Hero community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil NND: Def: Not being Dirt/Soil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Ah-HAH! I call shenanigans on that one! A Defence against a NND can't be not being something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zed-F Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Change Environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Ah-HAH! I call shenanigans on that one! A Defence against a NND can't be not being something! GMs can do anything they want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil A few things that come to mind: EB or KA with Area Of Effect, Selective Target, plus an Enhanced Sense like N-Ray Vision to perceive what to avoid hitting; Telekinesis with Fine Manipulation to avoid damaging fragile items; Tunneling with Limited Medium, leaving behind everything that's not of that medium; For something more exotic, Extra-Dimensional Movement, Usable As Attack, Only vs. Soil and Rock; And of course, the always-reliable and -maligned Transform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Tunneling with Limited Medium' date=' leaving behind everything that's not of that medium[/quote'] Okay, this one gets my vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapier Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil This is my understanding of what you are asking: The Golden Digger is a famuous archeologist. She waves her hands and bones and pot sherds are exposed to the light of day, untouched and intact. I'd probably go with a Major Transform, dirt/detritus to air. OR TK, Fine Manip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil I would give that as part of PS: archaeologist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil I would give that as part of PS: archaeologist. Unless they want to do it at Combat Speeds, in which case an archaeologists training probably won't help. They take their time for a reason... it's hard work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil And fiddly. On the same level as painting miniatures, at least, and if you make a mistake, you can't paint it over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogmios Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Unless they want to do it at Combat Speeds' date=' in which case an archaeologists training probably won't help. They take their time for a reason... it's hard work.[/quote'] Unless you're Indiana Jones, why would you want to use your PS: Archologist in combat speed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Unless you're Indiana Jones' date=' why would you want to use your PS: Archologist in combat speed?[/quote'] To look cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutsleeve Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Just do it as a summon. summon 20 competant normals with extra skill levels in archeology and psyche lims which make them very carefull with the excavation. you willo also have to give them wealth disadvantages. theyre names would be Intern #1 - 20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogmios Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil To look cool. I should've seen that one coming I'm just waiting for someone to suggest using this as a complimentry skill to your Seduction role when trying to chat-up the young female archeology students... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil This is one of those problems where I would break normal consrtuction rules and ask first: what do you want the sfx to be? That might give a clearer idea of the effect you are after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapier Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil I would give that as part of PS: archaeologist. Oh. Heh. I just assumed it was meant to be at combat speed. Otherwise, yes, the PS would be more than sufficient. I can also see a separate KS or INT based skill about excavations, the same way I could see concentrations in chemical dating, languages, pottery, restoration or anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil As this is Hero: Desolid and invisibility: UAA (only v soil). What? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapier Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil As this is Hero: Desolid and invisibility: UAA (only v soil). What? EDM Only vs Dirt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil EDM Only vs Dirt! You HAD to go there, didn't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapier Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil You HAD to go there' date=' didn't you?[/quote'] Yeah. Heh!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Hey, I went there first! I was the first one to offend Sean! Me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rage Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Ah-HAH! I call shenanigans on that one! A Defence against a NND can't be not being something! being something other than dirt/soil. English rules! Yeah, i'd go with the tunneling with limited medium or tunneling selective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utech Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Why not just zap the good stuff up to the surface and leave the dirt where it is? Teleport, AE, UAA, Increased Mass, Ranged, Only vs Items of Archeological Value Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Billy Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Re: Clearing Away Soil Why not just zap the good stuff up to the surface and leave the dirt where it is? Teleport, AE, UAA, Increased Mass, Ranged, Only vs Items of Archeological Value This one works for pottery or small items, but not if they Super-Archeologists it trying to unearth a city. He'd still want the dirt gone instead of the items above. Though, both powers could be useful to have each in their own right. TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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