Rise up and smite them!

[Sean Waters]

So, object animation; how do you do it?

 

We've tried TK, requiring material of opportunity, or with physical manifestation, and we've tried summoning. Not 100% happy with either, so just looking for tweaks or suggestions...

 

Basically we have this guy who controls earth and rock and such. He can make the ground rear up and attack people, animate statues, that kinda thing.

 

He can effectively move earth and rock about, so if he makes the road rise up as a pseudopod, it can leave a hole behind.

 

So what do we think? A bit of linked tunneling?

 

I like the summoning best, but the TK may well be the better fit (I seem to remember Hero used to do animation that way?) - basically roll TK STR and you can animate (BODY rolled-DEF of material in BODY of earth or rock) - at least it explains how you get the earth and rock out of the ground

 

Thoughts?

[Dust Raven]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

It really depends on the SFX and what you are really trying to accomplish. For many cases, Summon works just fine. For others, a Multipower of Indirect attacks (including TK) may be best. There's also the question about whether or not the animator has to concentrate to control what he's animating, or if they shamble off autonomously. One whacked out possibility involves a TK with a Physical Manifestation/Focus that's run by an AI/Computer the character has bought. He targets the Power initially, but then the comp takes over for the actual actions taken by whatever is animated.

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

So, object animation; how do you do it?

 

We've tried TK, requiring material of opportunity, or with physical manifestation, and we've tried summoning. Not 100% happy with either, so just looking for tweaks or suggestions...

 

Basically we have this guy who controls earth and rock and such. He can make the ground rear up and attack people, animate statues, that kinda thing.[/Quote]

 

For ease of gameplay, I think that Summon is the best option. It means that you have an entity that you can define with abilities. If you try to do it with powers then you end up doing a lot of handwaving and stretching or , God forbid, saying things like "It just cant do it, OK!" as you find that the powers you defined the animation through do not allow it to get into a truck and smash it into the wall.

 

Your summoned entity has a lot of the hero template built into it - it can just do things that it should be able to do.

 

He can effectively move earth and rock about, so if he makes the road rise up as a pseudopod, it can leave a hole behind.

 

So what do we think? A bit of linked tunneling?[/Quote]

 

It depends. If the heroes use the animation to gain access to places, or to do damage to people/things in game then I would require them to purchase the tunnelling/damage ability linked in. I would bring that issue up during design - ask the player if they want to be able to use it in that way. If they do, it is added utility and thus extra cost.

 

 

Doc

[BoneDaddy]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

Use summon. You'd like to have an indirect, uncontrolled EB as one attack. For 10d6 worth you'll pay 163 AP - that's fairly steep. For 163 AP you can summon a 16 250 pt stone Golems to do your bidding with slavish loyalty. I wouldn't recommend spending that much, but I hope you see what I mean. That's all before factoring in limitations, etc.

[CourtFool]

Why do you hate VPP?

 

It sounds like most of the effects are just attacks. I would say stick with Energy Blast and Indirect.

 

Now, when you are ready to get creative, I say go with a Multipower or…dare I say it? Variable Power Pool. You could use Armor, Change Environment, Clairsentience, Clinging, Damage Reduction, Damage Resistance, Darkness, Density Increase, Desolidification, Dispel, Energy Blast, Enhanced Senses, Entangle, Extra Limbs, Flash, Flight, Force Field, Force Wall, Growth, Hand-to-Hand Attack, Images, Invisibility, Killing Attack, Knockback Resistance, Leaping, Missile Deflection & Reflection, Shape Shift, Stretching, Summon, Suppress, Telekinesis, Transform and Tunneling.

 

I know some of these are generally not allowed in a Variable Power Pool without express permission. I would allow them only if an appropriate pre-defined write up was offered before play.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

Eh, it depends. The problem with summon is how much you can get out of each 'object' that you can create. I would make the argument that Court Fool is correct; a VPP to do this would really be quite effective.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

Eh. This is just a whole host of powers depending on what the desired effect of the moment is.

 

Roadsign Smackdown: Attack, Idirect, Road Sign Of Opportunity

Encased In Rock: Entangle

Rock Wall: Force Wall

 

All kinds of thoughts come to mind. "Move Earth" is an SFX for Powers to utilize, not a Power you make out of any one thing.

[OddHat]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

Agreed with Ghost Angel.

 

For myself, I'd probably go with TK, Entangle, Tunneling, and Summon to cover everything. Add the Environmental Harm side effect for the big gaping holes you're leaving in the landscape, probably at the -0 or -1/4 level. Maybe Physical Manifestation for big giant hands made out of earth and rock as a TK sfx.

[McCoy]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

TK, wih a special effect.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

VPP pool, then you can figure out what you need on the fly

[Sean Waters]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

Even though i've suggested the same thing in the past, I generally am not keen on the VPP or even the 'host of potentially appropriate powers' solutions because it slows down game play.

 

I want the moon on a stick, I do.

 

By and large I tend to agree that TK, with appropriate lims, covers most of the bases.

[TaxiMan]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

Do the animated statues etc. act on their own? Can he set a street sign to attack anyone in range, then run away or do something else while the sign continues? If so, it's Summon.

 

I'd think about putting OddHat's list in a Multipower.

[CourtFool]

How Exactly?

 

Even though i've suggested the same thing in the past' date=' I generally am not keen on the VPP or even the 'host of potentially appropriate powers' solutions because it slows down game play.[/quote']

 

How does it slow down game play?

[BlueBuddha]

Re: Rise up and smite them!

 

VPP pool' date=' then you can figure out what you need on the fly[/quote']

 

If you can afford it, this is how I'd go. It would be a pretty strict limitation.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: How Exactly?

 

How does it slow down game play?

 

It can be a problem when the player has not already stated out the most common uses of the VPP before the game.

[CourtFool]

Speed your roll

 

So demand a explicit list before game. The character simply has not realized he/she is capable of or does not know how to do any of the tricks not on the list. Keep the list short.