Good old Phasing

[Reality]

Back in the day I used the TSR Marvel game for my RPG adventures (my tastes have matured much since that time). However, the game had some nice features, including the way it handled intangibility. Unlike Desolidification, intangibility, or Phasing, wasn't all-or-nothing. Your character's ability to pass through objects depended on how dense the object was (Material Strength). If your power rank wasn't equal to or greater than the object's Material Strength/Density, you couldn't pass through it (I made characters move a half speed if the object's density was too close to their Phasing power level.

 

I've always liked the power level method rather than the all-or-nothing method, but it took me a while to figure out a way to model the TSR method in the Hero system. Here's my solution; if anyone has a better idea, let me know:

 

Phasing: HKA 3d6 (3d6+1 w/STR), Continuous (+1) (90 Active Points); Limited Power: Only to beat the DEF of a target to enable Desolidification to work. (Characters with no Resistant defenses do not require a roll.; -2), Limited Power: Power Does No STUN (-3/4) 24 pts, 9 END

Phase Through Objects: Desolidification (affected by All energy attacks) (40 Active Points); Limited Power: Does not protect against any energy attack. (-1), Linked (Phasing; -1/2) 16 pts, 4 END

[Bloodstone]

Re: Good old Phasing

 

for the record, there are alternate rules in Ultimate Metamorph that simulate that. I believe they use BOD instead of DEF though...

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Good old Phasing

 

Tunneling that fills in behind works for moving through walls and the ground, but I suppose for walking through people you still need a different workaround.

[Reality]

Re: Good old Phasing

 

for the record' date=' there are alternate rules in Ultimate Metamorph that simulate that. I believe they use BOD instead of DEF though...[/quote']

 

I don't have a copy of The Ultimate Metamorph (yet), but that's good to know.

 

I chose to use DEF instead of BODY because DEF is designed to prevent attacks and the like from getting through, while BODY is more for reflecting how much damage a character takes once you penetrate DEF.

 

Hmm...however, I COULD define Phasing in such a way that the character's movement rate through the object is based on the difference between the object's BODY and the result of the Phasing roll. Maybe the inches of movement are reduced by 1" for every 5 points of difference (Character has Running of 6", Phasing of 3D6; Object hs DEF 4, BODY 20. Character rolls 15, so the character can move through the object at 6-[{20-(15-4)}/5] = 4" per phase. In this way, the character still needs to roll Phasing even if the other object is a character without resistant defenses.

 

Yes...I could do that...hmmm....

[John Desmarais]

Re: Good old Phasing

 

Back in the day I used the TSR Marvel game for my RPG adventures (my tastes have matured much since that time). However' date=' the game had some nice features, including the way it handled intangibility. Unlike [i']Desolidification[/i], intangibility, or Phasing, wasn't all-or-nothing. Your character's ability to pass through objects depended on how dense the object was (Material Strength). If your power rank wasn't equal to or greater than the object's Material Strength/Density, you couldn't pass through it (I made characters move a half speed if the object's density was too close to their Phasing power level.

 

I've always liked the power level method rather than the all-or-nothing method, but it took me a while to figure out a way to model the TSR method in the Hero system. Here's my solution; if anyone has a better idea, let me know:

 

Phasing: HKA 3d6 (3d6+1 w/STR), Continuous (+1) (90 Active Points); Limited Power: Only to beat the DEF of a target to enable Desolidification to work. (Characters with no Resistant defenses do not require a roll.; -2), Limited Power: Power Does No STUN (-3/4) 24 pts, 9 END

Phase Through Objects: Desolidification (affected by All energy attacks) (40 Active Points); Limited Power: Does not protect against any energy attack. (-1), Linked (Phasing; -1/2) 16 pts, 4 END

 

Pre-4th edition, Desolidification worked by giving you the ability to pass through X amount of Body per phase. It became an all or nothing power in 4th.

 

In 5th edition, I would probably emulate this with Tunneling, Fills in Behind, No Visible Power Effect (my vague recollection is that, even with Fill In Behind, you can tell a tunnel was there).

[Tiree]

Re: Good old Phasing

 

In 5th edition' date=' I would probably emulate this with Tunneling, Fills in Behind, No Visible Power Effect (my vague recollection is that, even with Fill In Behind, you can tell a tunnel was there).[/quote']

 

I tend to use teleportation 10" for this, but with a limitation that it can only go to the other side of the object.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Good old Phasing

 

The weird thing about the TSR version of Phasing was, if you actually looked at the source material (aka comics) ... it didn't work like the game said. There were several times Shadowcat couldn't phase through energy fields, but there were a couple of times she did phase through Adamantium; same with the Vision (what with his moderately frequent Ultron fights).

 

If I were to model this kind of 'push through' Desolidification, though, I'd probably just put a Limited Power on the Desolidification itself (not through materials of DEF (X) or higher, or something similar), rather than linking the RKA to it. As it sits, that power construct costs as much as standard all-or-nothing Desolidification, and is markedly less useful.

[Reality]

Re: Good old Phasing

 

If I were to model this kind of 'push through' Desolidification' date=' though, I'd probably just put a Limited Power on the Desolidification itself (not through materials of DEF (X) or higher, or something similar), rather than linking the RKA to it. As it sits, that power construct costs as much as standard all-or-nothing Desolidification, and is markedly less useful.[/quote']

 

The point about power costs is well made. I considered making this a limited power as described above, but I liked my RKA idea. Finally, it hit me: I don't need the RKA. I can use the character's STR roll to allow him to "push" through the DEF. The final version of the power is as follows:

 

Phasing: Desolidification (affected by All Energy Attacks) (40 Active Points); Limited Power Does not protect against any energy attack. (-1), Limited Power Character must make a STR roll against the DEF of the target object to pass through object at a reduced move. (Calculation of Move: Running-[bODY-(STR Roll - DEF)/5]; -1/2)

By the way, the reason for "affected by All Energy Attacks" is that, in my campaign, Phasing is a biological ability in which enzymes and the like guide human cells around the cells and molecules of other people/objects, and are thus "tangible" to energy even when moving through (around?) objects. Because of this, the power leaves physical evidence at the scene (minute bodily fluids that contain the character's DNA). Theoretically, diseases could be transmitted while the character is phasing through another character. Yet one more way to control the abuse of Desolidification.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Good old Phasing

 

I like the Phasing concept as opposed to the all-or-nothing Desolid construct (for many sfx anyway), and I like your build, but I will throw out another suggestion. Instead of a STR roll, how about basing it on a Power Skill "Phasing Tricks". That would reflect the idea that it is a function of the phasing, not STR necessarily (although it might be a STR based roll). It would also potentially allow for other phasing tricks (extra STR for Disarms or something) that would encourage creative character design.

 

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