Aikido & KE manipulation

[bigdamnhero]

A PC in my new Champions campaign is a Kinetic Energy manipulator: KE (TK) Throw, KE Blast, Missile Deflection, some Hyper-running, etc. She also has a handful of Aikido maneuvers "left over" from before her character developed superpowers. She specifically chose Aikido because it both fit the character's personality/background and meshed well with her powers. In some ways, the KE Powers are an extension of her Aikido powers, allowing her to use them at range.

 

My concern is that her KE powers have in some ways made the Aikido superfluous; for example, anything she could do with her 2d6 Aikido Takedown, she can generally do much better with her 4d6 Ranged KE Throw. The character wants to keep the Aikido maneuvers because it fits the character concept, which I salute. (She also wants to have something she can use in her SID, or if she gets drained/suppresed/etc, which I also respect.)

 

So I'm looking for ways to give the character some kind of benefit for having both the MA and the Powers. Would you allow this character to use her Aikido in conjunction with her KE Powers, and if so how? Would you allow CSLs with the former to apply to the later, or vice-versa? Other suggestions? Thanks,

[pinecone]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

As long as it won't hit any damage cap walls...why not?...I'd suggest you look at the TK+MA threads for any "Look out!" issues though....

[ghost-angel]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

She's argueably the most combat effective character as is, I mean that one Martial Takedown in the last fight basically won it for us.

 

I'm not sure they're as superfluous as you're making them out to be.

 

But, here's an idea:

 

Buy Martial Damages Classes with the Aikido, as a Power, to simulate her ability to "add" Kinetic Energy to her normal martial arts attacks.

 

Blending the two this way keeps the ranged stuff ranged and brings the Martial Arts up to power with the rest of it.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

What about simply spending 1 point to add the TK as a weapon element to her Aikido? She now has the ability to use those Aikido maneuvers using either her telekinesis (with full TK STR and at range) or her normal human STR (should her superpowers be suppressed, for example, or should she simply want to conceal the fact she has superpowers).

[gojira]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

oops, wrong thread. Mea culpa.

[Shaft]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

What Hugh said.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

What about simply spending 1 point to add the TK as a weapon element to her Aikido? She now has the ability to use those Aikido maneuvers using either her telekinesis (with full TK STR and at range) or her normal human STR (should her superpowers be suppressed' date=' for example, or should she simply want to conceal the fact she has superpowers).[/quote']

 

The potential problem with that approach is that it makes certain manuevers (primarily those with high DC bonuses balanced by DCV penalties) far more effective due to the range. More balanced to just enforce the purchase of usable at range only MA manuevers. The mechanic can be applied to other ranged attacks like archery (see UMA), guns or any other ranged attack of limited sfx.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

The potential problem with that approach is that it makes certain manuevers (primarily those with high DC bonuses balanced by DCV penalties) far more effective due to the range.

 

True. Those are also far more effective if the character who possesses them has a superior Speed and can thus mitigate the DCV penalties by using these maneuvers when targets lack an ready action to capitalize on that reduced DCV. Is it somehow less unbalancing to mitigate the drawbacks by being considerably faster than by being farther away?

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

True. Those are also far more effective if the character who possesses them has a superior Speed and can thus mitigate the DCV penalties by using these maneuvers when targets lack an ready action to capitalize on that reduced DCV. Is it somehow less unbalancing to mitigate the drawbacks by being considerably faster than by being farther away?

 

What does Speed have to do with this?

 

The TK character might already have a higher Speed than his opponent. The Range the attacks are used at is a far more important consideration. Especially if the TK has No Range Penalty, Line of Sight or BOECV.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

What does Speed have to do with this?

 

The TK character might already have a higher Speed than his opponent. The Range the attacks are used at is a far more important consideration. Especially if the TK has No Range Penalty, Line of Sight or BOECV.

 

The ability to attack at range can mitigate the DCV penalty applied by some maneuvers. Similarly, a high speed can mitigate those same DCV penalties. Are you telling me you've never seen a 7 SPD martial artist use an Offensive Strike late in Segment 11, then use a DCV-enhancing maneuver at his (high) DEX in Segment 12, or even abort to a Dodge (reallocating those levels to DCV along the way) if someone moves before him in Segment 12?

 

That doesn't seem like a character any more disadvantaged by the DCV penalty than one who strikes from a considerable distance away.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

While it's a good idea both advantages and drawbacks. There are a number of much cheaper ways to overcome any DCV Penalties a Martial Maneuver may incur, so that's really a non-issue, or at least a wash.

 

A weapon element for TK is a good solution. I would require the TK to have Fine Manipulation as well (which is something the book also suggests).

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

She's argueably the most combat effective character as is' date=' I mean that one Martial Takedown in the last fight basically won it for us.[/quote']

True. But then that was a fairly unique circumstance: fighting a barely-mobile Power Armor who needed a full phase to stand up.

 

Thanks for the good comments, all. I'm not worried about pushing any damage caps: the character's TK is only 20 STR in any event. I am a little worried that letting her use her Martial Disarm at range could be unbalancing. (She's got plenty of Running for Grab-Bys anyway.) She doesn't have Fine Manip with her TK anyway, so that's easy to justify.

 

But letting her use her TK Strength with her Aikido Takedown seems reasonable to me. Thanks.

[Shaft]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

The potential problem with that approach is that it makes certain manuevers (primarily those with high DC bonuses balanced by DCV penalties) far more effective due to the range. More balanced to just enforce the purchase of usable at range only MA manuevers. The mechanic can be applied to other ranged attacks like archery (see UMA)' date=' guns or any other ranged attack of limited sfx.[/quote']

 

Aikido, to my knowledge, has no ranged maneuvers. I'd interpret Weapon Element: TK as having the option substitute one's TK strength for one's natural STR, as bigdamnhero is already doing.

 

If fine manipulation is added, I'd allow the character to buy ranged maneuvers and make the FX an extension of her Aikido.

[Mike Dean]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

Martial arts in conjunction with powers are fine so long as the campaign maxima are not exceeded. Aside from that, martial arts are their own benefit...I mean, isn't this character eventually going to run into someone who can drain or suppress her powers?

 

Mike

[ghost-angel]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

Actually I think a good solid brick is enough to stop her. Or at least make her work harder to win.

[casualplayer]

Re: Aikido & KE manipulation

 

Does the character still have to "go through the motions" of using Aiki-jutsu even when using TK? That would mean that there is the implied Restrainable of base STR and Martial Arts. I wouldn't say that it's worth Limitation value, unless restraint would completely hamper the TK. Basically, I would take away the Fine Work when bound or Entangled and thus the Aikido aspect, while allowing the brute force functions to continue.

 

I love low-power, high-finesse characters. She sounds very cool.