Bad Powers

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Hey, let me throw in a few ideas:

 

I Hear Puppies! 18d6 Mind Scan, Only Versus Puppies (-2) plus 12d6 Telepathy, Linked (-1/2), Only Versus Puppies (-2.) Basically, the character can hear the thoughts of all the puppies on the planet.

*snickers*

 

Now, make that either Always On or (better yet) NCC, and you've got a deal. He'd be insane in less than an hour.

 

I see the heroes duking it out with Menton, when all of a sudden he falls to his knees, screaming "The puppies! THE PUPPIES! THE PUPPIEEEEEEES!!!"

 

Thanks should go to Adam Leisemann for that final mental image.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Hey, let me throw in a few ideas:

 

Nude Ray. 18d6 EB, Only Versus Clothing (-2.) A ridiculously powerful energy blast that just makes people naked.

Y'know, against the Power Armor Jock, if you defined 'clothing' as "anything that people wear," that could be a disturbingly effective power....

[Kirby]

Re: Bad Powers

 

What you might think about doing is giving him some Mind Control (enough to easily control normals, not supers) and then give him a VPP with the UOO Advantage and then give him a limitation that he can't use the VPP on himself.

 

He's irritated that he can't fly, shoot energy beams, punch through walls, etc.; however, he can grant that ability to others. (This could help in rescueing people from burning buildings and the like, but he's never encountered this nor thought of it.) Now, he mind controls normals into attacking the supers for him. The normals have lots of power (generally one at a time), but no defenses! The heroes have to learn to attack softly while solving this mystery.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Y'know' date=' against the Power Armor Jock, if you defined 'clothing' as "anything that people wear," that could be a disturbingly effective power....[/quote']

 

Not *hugely* so. Remember, powered armor has alot more defense than typical clothing. So, against any armor better than Defender's, it would probably bounce.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Depends on what you're targetting/how the GM handles the DEF of the Foci. Targetting his armor as a whole, not so much. Targeting *parts* of it, might be more effective.

[Kirby]

Re: Bad Powers

 

I'm trying to come up with an array of really bad powers.

Basically, I'm trying to create a character who had started out as a normal and attempted to somehow gain super-powers. Fortiantly for him, the various chemical/radiation/biological experiments he put himself through did gain him super-powers...however, they were not "cool" or "useful" powers. So, in a fit of envy, he decide if he couldn't have cool superpowers, nobody else could. So, taking what powers he did have, he begins hunting down super-heros.

The character's powers shouldn't rely on gear or magic... but I need some junky powers.

Maybe he has only defensive powers, such as force field, teleport and missile deflection? His problem is that he's not very strong and he isn't a skilled fighter. This could lead him to being a bank robber/thief. Maybe he steals artwork or money, and when the PCs come-a-energy-blasting he deflects them and others bounce off his force field, but if he can't teleport away fast enough, he's toast* (and resentful).

 

*Which could be a funny nickname if he calls himself the Breadwinner.

[Shaft]

Re: Bad Powers

 

1d6 EB, AP, autofire (20). 12 pts, 1 END/shot

 

DropZone: Leaping 1", megascale. Do not take accuracy adder- his scatter zone is 1 km for every point he fails his dex roll by, and his "on target" leaps are all over the place too.

 

Life Support, usable as an attack, only usable as an attack.

 

The Stupid Ugly Stick: 1d6 HA linked to 1d6 drain INT (must target head), and 1d6 drain COM (leaves a nasty welt)

 

0 pt duplicate, gradual effect over 9 months, gestures (intercourse with another fertile person of opposite gender with the same power, gesture is complex and must be sustained through casting), extra time (1 turn to 6 hrs, depending on CON roll), duplicate cannot recombine, powers do not work in the presence of contraceptive... hopefully.

[wcw43921]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Any power whose effects render the character unable to touch or be touched (like Feuermacher from Conquerors, Killers and Crooks) could be considered a "bad" power. Perhaps the character radiates uncontrolled heat, or his skin is frozen to absolute zero. Or his skin secretes a powerful acid that burns whatever it touches, requiring him to cover all the surfaces in his workspace and living quarters with glass, and handle everything with glass-covered tongs.

 

Here's a favorite idea of mine--the character generates massive, uncontrolled amounts of electricity--he can't touch anyone without delivering a lethal shock. He has to wear heavy rubber clothing, and be extremely careful around water. He wears a power armor suit whose devices draw their power from himself.

 

Hope that helps.

[Kirby]

Re: Bad Powers

 

I'm trying to come up with an array of really bad powers.

Basically, I'm trying to create a character who had started out as a normal and attempted to somehow gain super-powers. Fortiantly for him, the various chemical/radiation/biological experiments he put himself through did gain him super-powers...however, they were not "cool" or "useful" powers. So, in a fit of envy, he decide if he couldn't have cool superpowers, nobody else could. So, taking what powers he did have, he begins hunting down super-heros.

The character's powers shouldn't rely on gear or magic... but I need some junky powers.

Did you nix this idea or ever come up with powers for him?

[nexus]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Mind Scan requires skin to skin contact, does not provide mental awareness

[Grimble]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Invisibility (Visible Effect). Basically its Invisibility to all sense groups, except that there is a bright orange glow. I actually built a Megalomaniac Villian around this powers. Doctor Naranja! He was always coming up with ways to be truely invisible. Lackies rushing into a bank,cut power and turn on portable flood lights the same color as Naranja. Subliminal messages over TV and radio hypnotising people to not see the color orange...

 

The ability to shoot blood from his tear ducts up to about 10" (low powered EB bought to do no STUN or BODY). This was the only power of an NPC in an old game I ran. He applied to join the PC group. He was hired...he was a great accountant, too.

[Badger]

Re: Bad Powers

 

An Entangle that transforms the target's clothing into duct tape.

 

Aww, man evil.

 

 

"Why am I wearing ducttape. I've got to get it off me........YYYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Vestnik]

Re: Bad Powers

 

The ability to shoot blood from his tear ducts up to about 10" (low powered EB bought to do no STUN or BODY). This was the only power of an NPC in an old game I ran. He applied to join the PC group. He was hired...he was a great accountant, too.

 

You could Flash somebody with that.

 

I just had a grisly idea for a character with blood-based powers. He could fill people's eyes with blood, blinding them; Entangle people in blood tentacles; cause people's blood to coagulate in their veins or fill their lungs with blood; turn into blood to seep through cracks; prevent wounds from sealing over; etc.

[we_are_the_801]

Re: Bad Powers

 

In my time-honored tradition of first-time postings that are usually considered useless and/or (inadvertently) offensive I give you the following from "Roman Numeral Two: An Altogether NEW Book of Top Ten Lists from 'Late Night with David Letterman,'" copyright 1991, National Broadcasting Company and Cardboard Shoes Productions, Inc.:

 

Top Ten Least Exciting Superpowers for Comic Book Superheroes:

10. Super Spelling

9. Lightening-fast mood swings

8. Really bendy thumb

7. Unusually natural smile when posing for photographs

6. Ability to calm jittery squirrels

5. Power to shake exactly two aspirin out of a bottle

4. Ability to get tickets to Goodwill Games

3. Power to score with other superheroes' wives

2. Ability to communicate with corn

And, Number One... Magnetic Colon

 

On a more original note, I had a ham-fisted, deus ex machina NPC in my one and (probably) only Stupors game. He basically possessed any power I could think of (on the fly) that would help move the game along. He was a talking dog named something like Lord Wigglebottom. His most memorable powers were:

* arrange his feces in the form of arrows

* materializing paper notes within people's food

* leaping up to bite the crotch of any enemy who was flying or levitating

 

One of my player's declared that he never wanted play anything that rules "lite" again. We have reached a bargain: I can ref supers-parodies but I have to use Hero System. That is one of the primary reasons I am here. Thank you...

[Grimble]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Stretching (Legs only). I'm thinking along the lines of the Stilt Men from Spider-Man, only biological.

 

Grimble;)

[Kirby]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Stretching (Legs only). I'm thinking along the lines of the Stilt Men from Spider-Man' date=' only biological.[/quote']Make it Stretching titled "Third leg."

 

While he may be "super" it's more along the lines of "bad boy" as opposed to hero.

[Lucius]

Re: Bad Powers

 

The most stupid and pointless "power" I ever saw was actually used in a published comic book.

 

A character named Scabbard whose whole schtick was being a living scabbard. As in, he carried a sword, and when he put it it away, it slid into a kind of long sword-shaped pouch in the skin of his back. This was somehow supposed to be impressive.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary observes that among the brilliant blossoms of the "indie efflorescence" of twenty years ago, there were a few noxious little toadstools too.

[John T]

Re: Bad Powers

 

A character named Scabbard whose whole schtick was being a living scabbard. As in' date=' he carried a sword, and when he put it it away, it slid into a kind of long sword-shaped pouch in the skin of his back. This was somehow supposed to be impressive.[/quote']Did he have the Sharpening (+1/4) advantage?

[John T]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Transform any color of shoe polish into clear shoe polish.

[Basil]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Nude Ray. 18d6 EB, Only Versus Clothing (-2.) A ridiculously powerful energy blast that just makes people naked.

AKA The Un-Neutron Bomb.

 

You can consider yourself an old hippie if you know where that's from.

Isn't it from "Get Smart?" It's where I took the idea.

 

Nope, sorry.

 

And sorry to be so long responding. I've just gone through a couple of months of Real Life™, and have been too busy to get to these boards.

[Badger]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Ok I have a few ideas for this...

 

1)Breakable-Transform Anything into broken version of same. Slap on always on or inherent with some penetrating lvls, verses all non-organic items. The guy can cause all sorts of problems for a hero and hurt him as well with well thought out ambushes. Of course the guy has to walk everywhere but he simply cannot be incarcerated as he naturally inevitably "breaks" free! He might not even make it to jail because the jail bus breaks down, the cops guns break apart into the seperate components, and of course when this happens any and all other arrested baddies will most likely hail him as their personal hero and help him get away in turn! Just some ideas.

 

2)This here is my favorite though. Just have the villain buy some good ol naked power "advantages" except their limitations with UAA! For instance Delayed effect say one minute or so. Hit the hero with that and suddenly he can't do anything for one full minute! Not to your taste how about increased END x10! OOC- Hey Captain Blasto how much does that 20D6 EB of yours cost? Now it costs alot more, are you burning STUN yet? Cripes the possiblities are nearly endless with this concept and yet none of them are truly useful for a hero per se but perfect for hunting down other supers who got the kewl powers.

 

Ok I had another one but I forgot it, so if/when I remember I'll come back and throw it up. Hope these help!

 

 

Hey, #1 describes my real life (non-)ability with electronics.

[Badger]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Invisibility (Visible Effect). Basically its Invisibility to all sense groups, except that there is a bright orange glow. I actually built a Megalomaniac Villian around this powers. Doctor Naranja! He was always coming up with ways to be truely invisible. Lackies rushing into a bank,cut power and turn on portable flood lights the same color as Naranja. Subliminal messages over TV and radio hypnotising people to not see the color orange...

 

The ability to shoot blood from his tear ducts up to about 10" (low powered EB bought to do no STUN or BODY). This was the only power of an NPC in an old game I ran. He applied to join the PC group. He was hired...he was a great accountant, too.

 

 

I think there is some lizard that does this to predators to buy time to escape.

[JPicasso]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Super Strength, but only when moving very slowly and making a "chi-chi-chi" or "na-na-na" sound. (AKA, special effects from the 6 million dollar man TV show staring Lee Majors as, the 6 million dollar man!)

 

 

Really, I'm not THAT old.

[John T]

Re: Bad Powers

 

Nope, sorry.

 

And sorry to be so long responding. I've just gone through a couple of months of Real Life™, and have been too busy to get to these boards.

The Maxwell Smart movie, "The Nude Bomb".

[John T]

Re: Bad Powers

 

I think there is some lizard that does this to predators to buy time to escape.

Horned Lizards. I've had one pull this stunt on me - quite bizarre.