Psych lim for consideration (input desired)

[garou]

I am making an NPC (who may become a PC when we switch GMs) in a Teen Champions game, and I wanted some other thoughts on this disadvantage.

 

Background: Character (currently called Kid Rock, until I come up with something better) has some Sonic powers. As a teen, they're pretty basic, will probably be an EB, Flash v. Hearing group, and one or two others. So far, pretty basic.

 

But, before he can take any combat action (other than running away), he slaps down his boombox (or iPod, walkman, or even beats out a couple beats on some pipes with improvised drumsticks), and the "backup members" of the band appear. Basically, they're going to be Images (restricted to the same band members, only vs. Sight, etc), who "appear" and perform "backup" to his sonic abilities. They're not linked to his powers, so Dispelling them won't cause him to suddenly lose his Sonic Blast.

 

I'm not explaining it well, but I want it to be that, when combat starts, instead of firing an EB at a target, he first calls up the backup singers, and then combat can begin. He also cannot effectively ambush, since his surprise attack would be to cue the music and strike a chord.

 

I'm thinking that it's a 5pt Psych Lim, at most - it will limit him once in every combat, but no more than that. (Heck, I might change it such that, even before running away, he would have to summon the singers, giving Mechanon an extra shot at him before he can run.) Thoughts?

[ghost-angel]

Re: Psych lim for consideration (input desired)

 

OIHID perhaps... he spends the first Phase "setting up" and then he can act more or less freely. Since it seems more a Limitation on how the powers are used and not how the character works.

 

Unless you want him to be able to overcome this issue with a sufficient show of will or under stress (EGO Roll). In which case it would be a Psychological Limitation Disadvantage. 5pts sounds about right.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Psych lim for consideration (input desired)

 

I see no Disad or extra Power (such as Images) here. The backup band is just the SFX of his sonic powers. As long as they don't do anything other than appear and play music as the character used his Powers, there really isn't any reason to do anything else but say they're SFX. If they actually get in people's way, interfear with Perception/targeting ranged attacks, etc, then you should write them up as a separate Power.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Psych lim for consideration (input desired)

 

before he can take any combat action

 

Oh wait. You said "any". As in any any? No Block, punch, Dodge, stab with a knife, shoot a gun, etc... even if they have nothing to do with his Power?

 

Maybe that should be an Images of some kind, and a Disad (perhaps a psych limit) such as Cannot Fight Without His Backup Band (uncommon, total; 15 points). If this is taken as a Disad, striking up the band should take some time (perhaps putting Full Phase on the Images) and it should be fairly easy to stop him from doing so (such as OIF for needing to use some external method to summon them).

[garou]

Re: Psych lim for consideration (input desired)

 

Nah, he can continue to fight without them (but I might make that an Enraged trigger or something), but his phase 12 action will always be to start up the Images. Since I'm making them without Focus (probably), it might not be easy to stop him, but I could see them being Restrainable or it taking Gestures or something.

 

As I said, since he only needs them for that first phase (and yeah, it affects him even in his secret ID, so if he gets in a fight, he could blow the whole secret right there), it's probably only a 5pt Psych Lim.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Psych lim for consideration (input desired)

 

Yeah, if he only needs them for his first action in a fight, it's not much of a Disadvantage. Probably not worth any point at all, or 5 at most.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Psych lim for consideration (input desired)

 

It might almost be a Distinctive Feature, Easily Concealable (the way a particular noticable habit or weird style of dress could be a DF). If you can have "DF: Incorrible Punster", why not something similar here?

[Silbeg]

Re: Psych lim for consideration (input desired)

 

Nah' date=' he can continue to fight without them (but I might make that an Enraged trigger or something), but his phase 12 action will [b']always[/b] be to start up the Images. Since I'm making them without Focus (probably), it might not be easy to stop him, but I could see them being Restrainable or it taking Gestures or something.

 

As I said, since he only needs them for that first phase (and yeah, it affects him even in his secret ID, so if he gets in a fight, he could blow the whole secret right there), it's probably only a 5pt Psych Lim.

So, he can activate his powers w/o "the band", but he always will create them? I assume this is the case even when he is surprised in phase 12, and doesn't actually get a phase 12?

 

I would probably call this something like "Never Acts Without The Band", as an Common, Total - since it requires a full phase action to "summon the band" - this could be the "trigger" of his OIHID?

 

Also, I might add several other disads on to the top of this, such as:

Social Limitaion - Cannot Perform Without The Band - Freq(?), Min (could just be a misperception, or a reality)

Reputation - Cannot Perform Without The Band - similar to above

 

6 Summon The Band: Sight and Hearing Groups Images 1" radius, Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4) (19 Active Points); Set Effect (The Band; -1), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), No Range (-1/2) 1 END

Other ideas would be to add Physical Manifestation (-1/4) to this... meaning that they could be targetted, and "destroyed". Then the question would be whether he would be compelled to recreate The Band. If he would be compelled, I would argue that this would be a Very Common, Total - if he could make an EGO roll to avoid, drop to VC/Strong.

 

Since he would need a power (in this case) to show the effect, I wouldn't have a problem with a costly Psych Lim. It would be limiting, especially given the reasons already stated (never can gain surprise, etc)...

 

I would also allow additional Disads to go with this (though not a Distinctive Features, generally, since it doesn't affect him when not using his powers)

 

Social Limitation: Cannot Perform/Use Powers Without Summoning "The Band" - Freq, Min? - This may be the truth, or just a misconception - either would probably have the same value

 

Reputation - Cannot Perform/Use Powers Without Summoning "The Band" - again, this doesn't have to be the truth...

[Dust Raven]

Re: Psych lim for consideration (input desired)

 

I'm wondering how the character knows that's combat has started or ended. What is considered a "combat action" to this character? If all his buddies get in a big fight with the bad guys, does this character need to strike up the band if he just wants to watch the fight and perhaps call out warnings? What if he just wants to not get hit while performs some action typically not done under combat conditions (like pick a lock)? Also, if he's (participating) in a fight, how does it tell the difference between a lull in the fighting and the start of an entirely new combat?

 

And, of course, how does all this affect when he needs to strike up the band?