Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

[tribe]

I'm coming up with a character who utilises a VPP Gadget Pool and her schtick is to counter well known superheroes by using gadgets designed to neutralise their powers.

 

If anyone has time, or has the gadgets on hand, I'd like to see some examples of gadgets you would create to counter generic superhero powers such as:

 

1) a typical fire SFX energy blaster;

2) a typical Brick;

3) a typical Growth Metamorph (shifting size rather than always giant-size);

4) shapeshifter;

5) a typical martial artist;

 

or any other character type you could come up with. I'd like to collect maybe twenty or so gadgets to cover most contingencies. This character is part of my 'Around the World' Hero thread and she's part of a team of villains from France.

 

Thanks in advance (Rep for you if you post!)

 

Ben

[csyphrett]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

Off the top of my head, a lot of these could be handled with drains and suppresses.

 

The fire guy might have a problem with some kind of water cannon. Maybe a 3d6 Eb, with suppress fire added.

 

A suppressing entangle for the shapeshifter like a special gel that hardens and locks him in one shape.

 

The martial artist might need another entangle, maybe a hypno gun or paralyzing beam mental entangle that was invisible. One mind control command that said You are asleep. Definitely aoe to hit.

CES

[Greywind]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

Depending on the mass of the brick, I've always preferred the TK float trick myself. All the strength in the world is useless without leverage.

[OzMike]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

How many AP is the pool? Without that info and off the top of my head:

 

1) a typical fire SFX energy blaster;

Armor, only vs Fire

Damage Reduction, only vs Fire

Missile Deflection only vs Fire

Knockback Resistance, only vs Fire Attack based knockback

Drain All Fire Powers at Once, Continuous, Uncontrolled, vs Hex

Dispel All Fire Powers at Once, as above

A small club

 

2) a typical Brick;

Change Environment, Personal Immunity, Pretty Good Radius, Negatives to DEX roll, No End, Only vs targets in contact with ground (Anyone entering the area must make a DEX roll to stay on their feet)

STR and END Drain

SPD and DEX Drain

INT Drain

Teleport (avoids grabs)

Desolid (ditto)

Invisibilty (can't hit what you can't see)

 

3) a typical Growth Metamorph (shifting size rather than always giant-size);

Pretty much the brick stuff

Negative DCV levels (make them even easier to hit)

 

4) shapeshifter;

Big Dispel Shapeshift

Relevant Detect

NND - only vs shapeshifters, multiformers, OHID-ers, stretchers

 

5) a typical martial artist;

Area effect powers/attacks

Damage Shield

Flight and a ranged attack

Entangles (martial artists hate entangles)

The Change Environment power as for bricks above, but make it a CON based roll instead...

 

A generally effective power combination for neutralising most opponents is Invisibility and Find Weakness.

 

Other general observations are that removing the ability to move or detect the opponent (as above) tends to make a foe pretty nasty.Take for example the power below:

Change Environment 8" radius, -6 Characteristic Roll and all Skill Rolls based on Characteristic (40 pts)

 

If you make that vs DEX then everyone entering, moving through or remaining in that area while the power is active must make a DEX roll at -6 or fall down. And all Breakfall, Acrobatics, Stealth and Combat Driving () rolls are also at -6. Pretty nasty in my book.

[tribe]

APs

 

I've made the pool 80APs. It's probably too high but you only get interesting gadgets when the points are there.

 

[Kevin Schultz]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

Depending on the mass of the brick' date=' I've always preferred the TK float trick myself. All the strength in the world is useless without leverage.[/quote']

 

Nitpick: grabbing someone with TK and lifting them off the ground is the same as walking up to someone and trying to lift them: it's a grapple check. As such, it can be resisted by STR vs. STR. With the cost of TK, it may even be broken by casual use, assuming the brick has a max'ed out STR. Weight only plays into it as an indirect way to get density-based STR.

 

What you're thinking of is Flight, Usable on Other, Usable as attack. (which may be what you were thinking of - it just sounded like you were specifically referring to TK itself.)

[Kevin Schultz]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

Energy blaster counters:

1. Point Defense System: (Parry Missile, Continuous - Or Insubstantial: Ranged attacks only)

2. Insulated Suit (Insubstantial [specific SFX only, -1/2])

3. Point Defense II: (generic EB, with the Block maneuver.)

 

Brick counters:

1. Evasion Suit (DCV +8, Area Effect)

2. Evasion Suit II (Insubstantial [single-target melee only, -1/2 only)

3. Levitation Ray (as described above: 1" Flight (Usable on Others, Usable as Attack, Continuous)

 

Metamorph

Psychic disruption device (26 Dispel [Multiform])

 

Martial Artist

See Brick, above.

[Greywind]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

Nitpick: grabbing someone with TK and lifting them off the ground is the same as walking up to someone and trying to lift them: it's a grapple check. As such, it can be resisted by STR vs. STR. With the cost of TK, it may even be broken by casual use, assuming the brick has a max'ed out STR. Weight only plays into it as an indirect way to get density-based STR.

 

What you're thinking of is Flight, Usable on Other, Usable as attack. (which may be what you were thinking of - it just sounded like you were specifically referring to TK itself.)

Flight Attacks are builds that I've never favored. Especially when TK is a better build for it.

 

And I didn't say that it would be cheap.

[Clonus]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

I'm all about the special effects...

 

1. A fire extinguisher loaded with chemical foam

2. Aerosol muscle relaxant.

3. A set of bolas that wrap around his neck and lock on. If he grows he strangles.

4. Filament net that cuts her if she changes shape

5. Gravity mine that creates an area of intense gravity to keep him from being able to stand

6. (Power Armour Character or Electric Character): A magnetised disk that drains the power out of what it touches and uses it to generate the magnetism.

7. (Speedster) Ball bearings on the floor

8. (Gaseous or Liquid Desolid) A souped up vacuum cleaner.

[Deadman]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

I'm all about the special effects...

 

1. A fire extinguisher loaded with chemical foam

2. Aerosol muscle relaxant.

3. A set of bolas that wrap around his neck and lock on. If he grows he strangles.

4. Filament net that cuts her if she changes shape

5. Gravity mine that creates an area of intense gravity to keep him from being able to stand

6. (Power Armour Character or Electric Character): A magnetised disk that drains the power out of what it touches and uses it to generate the magnetism.

7. (Speedster) Ball bearings on the floor

8. (Gaseous or Liquid Desolid) A souped up vacuum cleaner.

 

I really like this approach. A character using more or less everyday items against specific archetypes.

 

1. Big bag of Baking Soda

2. Oil Slick and a high velocity poison dart gun (pick your poison)

3. More Oil...

4. Water baloon filled with fluorescent dye (can't hide by changing shape)

5. Handfulls of Pepper (it's hard to dodge when you're sneezing)

Mentalist: Thick Bag zip tied around the neck (can't see 'em can't target 'em)

Energy Projector and other Ranged combatants: Big globs of tar that are shot at their face so they can't see.

 

Many of these would work well for a normal type character with tons of find weakness and some normal weapons.

[薔薇語]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

5) a typical martial artist;

 

 

Break his legs! if that doesen't work, break his Face! And if that doesn't work, just give up.

 

 

La Rose

---I'll come up with a more legit manner in a bit, but can I know what the general "active" point cost is on them?

[Comic]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

Distraction gadgets:

o Alien porn for those lonely aliens stranded bazillions of light years from the nearest of their kind.

o A time-travel device that brings issues of Popular Science from 3 months in the future back into the present, to distract nerdy heroes.

o Mental floss, for psychics with dirty minds.

o A tape measure marked with the biceps measurements of all known Bricks.

o Same tape, other measurements.

o Adamantium polish.

o Vibranium wax.

[Midas]

Re: Help Wanted: Neutralising Gadgets

 

Presuming you are designing a character who tailors her VPP to known enemies, how about these ideas?

 

Darkness: aoe radius of whatever, Personal Immunity? That handles your ranged specialist, brick, and generic martial artist (wouldn't work on Daredevil, but he is anything but generic ). The shapeshifter would be trickier, unless you knew his exact powers. Too easy to shift into something that could also have immunity to that particular kind of darkness. Not too good on the the Giant clone, since he will simply use a big enough area of effect.

 

Another is "instant obluette." Desol ground, instant (& obvious adv/lim: UAA etc). I'd suggest only making it a single hex (except for the growth dude), to keep the ref from slapping you. Drop the target five feet into solid concrete then have witty dialogue for the rest of the day. Won't work on the brick, may or may not on the growth specialist.

 

How about an oxygen sucker like fire retardant foam? Suppress REC is a nasty thing to use on high end burners/damage sinks like bricks.

 

Midas