The Magic Trunk

[DEFCON Clown]

I know this about magic and proably sounds like it belongs in the Fantasy Hero board but I think it should go here.

 

I have a character who I bought a vehicle for (how many points the character and vehicle have doesn't really matter). The character is a mage in the vein of John Constantine. The trunk of his car (or the boot to you brits) can any weapon or weapon that he has in a special case in his apartment. He just thinks of the weapon he wants and opens the trunk and ta-da there it is. How do I build that?

[Robyn]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

I know this about magic and proably sounds like it belongs in the Fantasy Hero board but I think it should go here.

 

I have a character who I bought a vehicle for (how many points the character and vehicle have doesn't really matter). The character is a mage in the vein of John Constantine. The trunk of his car (or the boot to you brits) can any weapon or weapon that he has in a special case in his apartment. He just thinks of the weapon he wants and opens the trunk and ta-da there it is. How do I build that?

 

Interesting. It sounds like the "Focus construct" power I was looking for with my first post, to have a character that could create focuses, each with their own unique powers. I can see a couple of ways to do what you're asking about, but unfortunately, I don't think any of them will help me with what I'm after

 

The first thing you could try, if you plan on putting the weapon back as you're finished with it (before drawing out a new one), is a weapon with variable form and effect (maximum damage, though), limiting damage to whatever is appropriate for its type, and limit the change to "only in trunk". Ammo for missile weapons would be an obvious exception here, though you might be able to get away (if they were preselected missile weapons) with saying "no ammo required, only for me, only when I have access to the trunk" or "recoverable ammo, limited charges". If you want to leave them out and draw forth more, essentially having a limitless supply of weapons (can you sell these to an antique collector for lots of money?), you might try Summon instead. But I don't think Summon could work for inanimate objects, so, on the other hand, there are the rules for building an AI in your base. You can put them in vehicles too. Have the "computer" be a fairly simple one, just intelligent enough (and with Mindscan or Precog) to sense which weapon you want and have it ready for you.

[Manic Typist]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

Hmmm.... how about you build it like a Bag of Holding, with two seperate foci?

 

OIFx2: -1

 

I mean, it's pretty much the same as a group that has talismans that all transport them to the same spot right? Multiple foci that do the same thing?

 

This trunk essentially grants you access to anything in that special case, so in essence... it IS that special case, just on wheels. Have the "thinking about it" just be a side effect, unless you plan on allowing it to be "stealable" in the sense that someone else could go to your car, think of a gun in that case, open the trunk, and make off with your weaponry. If only you can use it, then it's just SFX. If it's part of a limitation, then you will have a little bit of work to do, but not much.

[DEFCON Clown]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

I like your ideas, Manic. But its a little too limited for what I'm picturing. I'm leaning towards a VPP with appropriate limitations on the control cost. I know I'm going to have the following lims:

"Weapons Only"

"Only Weapons In Trunk"

"Gestures" (Must open trunk and then close and reopen to switch weapons)

 

Now since it is part of the car do I apply the Focus limitation? What about a limitation to show that all powers created with said VPP must be focus?

[Manic Typist]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

Well, since you need to use the trunk, I would say a focus limitation is appropriate.

 

I'll confess, I'm not very familiar with VPPs, so I am a bit lost as to why you need to take the "harder" route (I'm sure you have a good reason, I just don't understand it). If you are worried about controlling how powerful a weapon can be drawn out of the trunk, well, that is to be handled via: A) The GM imposing DC restrictions on what you can gain access to (and thus, anything you put in the case and take from the trunk would be legal, therefore you don't need to construct the trunk to do this, unless you want to save on more points.) and put some size limitations on what can be drawn out of the trunk.

 

Heck, you should use the size limitations regardless. You can't pull a howitzer out of a mini-Cooper, not unless you are using some SERIOUSLY powerful mojo.

 

So, why can't you just double up your foci for a -1?

[DEFCON Clown]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

Because with a VPP I could take out a shotgun then put it back and take out a hunting rifle then put that back and take out a six shooter. Unless I didn't understand what you meant (a distinct possibility given how new I am to the HERO system). What I got from what you said is to apply OIF to the trunk and to the special case and build all the guns with both of those limits on them. Is that what you meant?

[Robyn]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

Because with a VPP I could take out a shotgun then put it back and take out a hunting rifle then put that back and take out a six shooter.

 

If they take the trunk, can they get all the weapons out from inside of it? If so, you can build two separate Foci.

 

If not, the trunk should have the "calling" ability. Is this an extradimensional space that you can build another trunk to access?

 

Tell us more about the Special Effects of how this trunk works. Not how it could be done in the system, forget about that for a moment (I'm currently between a Multipower with slots for each weapon, and a Variable Advantage/Limitation Focus). Just what the mage is doing to make all of this happen.

[DEFCON Clown]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

Here are the special effects.

 

In the weapons case, the part that stays at home, he has placed a number of weapons. Some are melee weapons some are ranged. He has a spell on it to connect it to his car's trunk. When he (or anybody that knows about this ability) wants one of the weapons in the case they think about it and then open the trunk. The weapon they wanted will be inside. If they want a different weapon they have to close the trunk, think of the new weapon, and then reopen the trunk. Nothing from the trunk, except weapons which are being returned to the case, dissapears. You can't call for a weapon that isn't in the case. So if you want an AK47 but you didn't put one in the case then you are SOL. Sending a weapon back or calling one to you doesn't change it's ammo condition.

It doesn't matter how far away the case is from the trunk, the case could be under water and you'd still be able to call a weapon. If the case is destroyed and you already have a weapon from it the weapon stays, it doesn't magicaly disapear.

 

Neither the trunk or the case is indispensable. He could have the same effect between a ziploc bag and a coffee can.

[Manic Typist]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

Because with a VPP I could take out a shotgun then put it back and take out a hunting rifle then put that back and take out a six shooter. Unless I didn't understand what you meant (a distinct possibility given how new I am to the HERO system). What I got from what you said is to apply OIF to the trunk and to the special case and build all the guns with both of those limits on them. Is that what you meant?

 

 

But why bother with the VPP if the case is stocked by you in advance? If it can only have what you put in there, that's not really a VPP. You will only have the shotguns, rifles, and six-shooters that you stocked it with. Save yourself some time (and points perhaps) and leave the VPP out.

 

Unless you have an armory/case large enough that it is easiest to represent it with a VPP. In which case, you have an obscenely large arsenal (of which I am jealous, hehe).

[McCoy]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

Sounds like a Sx for a VPP, with the restrictions that the pool can only create weapons and he has to return to the car to shift the points in his pool.

[Basil]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

I know this about magic and proably sounds like it belongs in the Fantasy Hero board but I think it should go here.

 

I have a character who I bought a vehicle for (how many points the character and vehicle have doesn't really matter). The character is a mage in the vein of John Constantine. The trunk of his car (or the boot to you brits) can any weapon or weapon that he has in a special case in his apartment. He just thinks of the weapon he wants and opens the trunk and ta-da there it is. How do I build that?

This is very, very similar to the trick Harbringer of Justice could do in his 4th Ed. incarnation.

 

Unfortunately, I'm away from my books right now, so I can't tell you how he did it.

 

If nobody else pulls out their 4th Ed. DC before I get back to this thread, I'll tell you then. That, however, will be late tonight or else tomorrow.

[DEFCON Clown]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

This is very, very similar to the trick Harbringer of Justice could do in his 4th Ed. incarnation.

 

Unfortunately, I'm away from my books right now, so I can't tell you how he did it.

 

If nobody else pulls out their 4th Ed. DC before I get back to this thread, I'll tell you then. That, however, will be late tonight or else tomorrow.

That would be a big help! Thanks Basil.

[Lethosos]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

I'd build it as a kind of XDM, where you'd dump stuff into the pocket dim. through the case, then have a multipower with a Mind Link and a limited EB + Variable Ad. + Variable Disad. with AP built on the highest weapon you've chucked in there.

 

Of course, that beggars the question on what else you can do with it... it'd be perfect for body dumps!

[Basil]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

This is very, very similar to the trick Harbringer of Justice could do in his 4th Ed. incarnation.

 

Unfortunately, I'm away from my books right now, so I can't tell you how he did it.

 

If nobody else pulls out their 4th Ed. DC before I get back to this thread, I'll tell you then. That, however, will be late tonight or else tomorrow.

That would be a big help! Thanks Basil.

OK, text explanation from 4th Ed. DC:

"Harbringer's main Power is his Variable Power Pool, which he uses to 'summon' weapons. The ability allows him to 'teleport' weapons to him from an unknown location, then teleport them back and summon new ones as needed (repeated attempts to trace this teleportation have been unsuccessful)....Each weapon has a unique 'teleportation signature,' so that once it runs out of ammuntion, Harbringer cannot summon an exact duplicate of that weapon and keep firing (he could send a half-empty weapon away, and then summon it later, but it would still be only half full). If a gun is taken away from him, the 'interdimenstional circuit' is interrupted, and he cannot summon any other weapons until he gets the first one back or recalibrates the entire system. Laser and blaster weapons and mental attack devices, which contain fragile parts and/or energy packs, cannot be summoned--they break or become useless. The system will not work over vast interdimensional ditances (any dimension too far removed from Earth's cannot be 'accessed')."

 

The write-up:

"Weapons Power Pool: 80 point base + 40 control cost, Cosmic (+2), Invisible to being traced (+1/4), Attacks Only (-1/4), Weapons Must Be Hand-Held (-1/4), May Not Summon 'Duplicate' Weapons (-1/4), No Lasers Or Blasters (-1/4), No Mental Powers (-1/2), Weapons Cannot Be Retrieved In Far-Removed Dimensions (-1/2)" --- BTW, the total cost is 123 points.

 

You may want a Limitation to reflect the need to "pre-load" the available weapons (i.e., put them in the case at home), and get rid of the "no 'Duplicate' Weapons" Limitation. I don't know how you stand on lasers, 'blasters', and mental-attack weapons. There may be other adjustments you want to make.

[DEFCON Clown]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

Thank you so much Basil! If I had any Rep Power I'd rep you. When I do get Rep Power you will be the first person I rep.

[Basil]

Re: The Magic Trunk

 

Thank you so much Basil! If I had any Rep Power I'd rep you. When I do get Rep Power you will be the first person I rep.

Glad to be of help.

 

Just 18 more posts (outside of NGD), and you'll have rep!