Tech Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 There are a few villains out there who can mimic heroes powers. I would like to create a defense against a villain being able to mimic powers for a heroine. Just as there is a defense against Power Transfers and Drains, I'd like build this power. It will be a unique defense - no other hero in the campaign will have this. Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattingly Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Invisibility to Detect Superpowers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Power Defens protects against transfers and drains. If the opponent is stealing the powers, a high enough power defense should work. However, this will not stop someone copying the power. IOW, power defens would stop Rogue, who takes the power from the target, but not the Super Adaptoid, who gains the power without the target losing it. Seems like some sort of supress or dispell of the copying power. Or maybe a one-hex darkness vs. a power analyzing sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Mechanically, as noted above, this would depend on the design of the mimic's powers. If there are only a few villains in the campaign who have these mimicry powers, and only one character will have this immunity, perhaps it would be best to make this a variant of "immunity" and charge the character a flat amount, much like a perk, for being immune to mimicry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Samson Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! As above, there are many different types of Mimcs. the defense will depend on how the Mimic buys his ability. Most of our Mimics are built on a Multiform VPPs to turn into the Target. A proper "Defense" against this would be a Triggered Dispel or Suppress vs. Multiform or some such, or perhaps even a Triggered Transform to return the character to his own form might do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! What's the SFX of the various power mimics? Do they need skin to skin contact or is mere proximity enough? If they all use different methods (Transfers, VPP, Multiform) you may need different defenses. One option would be a Fully Invisible, Triggered (resets instantly) Drain or Suppress vs all Power Duplication (+2). The effect could instantly ware off when the Duplicator targets some other character (not sure what the value of that lim would be). However, this would probably be WAY too expensive for that the power actually accomplishes, so you might be better off if just created a new defense that works against multiple SFX... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwdemon Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! More importantly, what's the SFX for being inimitable? Is the character an alien or a technological hero such that they aren't really powers? Are the powers not real (e.g. extremely powerful illusion not controlled by the player)? I have to admit that I get worried when I see players wanting a very specific defense against a very specific powerset (especially a power set that costs a bundle). I immediately start to think of players buying up EGO and mental defense as soon as they find out they will face a mentalist... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted August 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! What's the SFX of the various power mimics? Do they need skin to skin contact or is mere proximity enough? If they all use different methods (Transfers, VPP, Multiform) you may need different defenses. One option would be a Fully Invisible, Triggered (resets instantly) Drain or Suppress vs all Power Duplication (+2). The effect could instantly ware off when the Duplicator targets some other character (not sure what the value of that lim would be). However, this would probably be WAY too expensive for that the power actually accomplishes, so you might be better off if just created a new defense that works against multiple SFX... You're quite correct Bloodstone: there are different methods of creating the Mimic power. The official write-ups that I've seen Herogames use is a Mimic pool, as in The Ultimate Metamorph (Eclipse) and Champions Worldwide (Ina'akasu). In both cases, a HTH attack is needed. Several of my ideas are: a) Desolidification, Total Invis, only vs Mimic attacks, always on. However, this seems too many points to be spent on so rare an attack power in the campaign. a modified version of the advantage Difficult to Dispel only vs Mimic Powers. Make the power seem like it's much larger than it is and it'll be too large for the Mimic pool to copy. Again, this could add up to huge amounts of points. c) easiest but not wholly satisfactory is bonus DCV lvls only vs Mimic HTH attks. Certainly cheaper than a or b mentioned above. The most favorable is Hugh Neilson's idea of a flat amount, which I wonder how much should be charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted August 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! More importantly' date=' what's the SFX for being inimitable? Is the character an alien or a technological hero such that they aren't really [i']powers[/i]? Are the powers not real (e.g. extremely powerful illusion not controlled by the player)? I have to admit that I get worried when I see players wanting a very specific defense against a very specific powerset (especially a power set that costs a bundle). I immediately start to think of players buying up EGO and mental defense as soon as they find out they will face a mentalist... The SFX is that the hero is from a different universe. The powers simply cannot be copied by anyone in this universe. I don't get worried when one player wants something special, something unique. We see special cases in the comics here and there. GM's should get concerned, however, when multiple players start wanting a special or unique power (which can no longer be called unique when more than one person has it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Invisibility to Mimicry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattingly Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! If the hero is from another universe, I'd just give him 5 points of Power Defense, Transdimensional. Then give all the mimics in this universe a -0 Limitation on their VPPs and other mimicking powers that they won't work against anyone with Transdimensional Power Defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Certified Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Would a Dispell with Trigger only to prevent powers being mimiced work? I think that would set a bar of how hard it was to copy the heroes abilities at least. Also, there could be the scene of a villain trying and watching him fail due to his strange nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellS Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! If the hero is from another universe' date=' I'd just give him 5 points of Power Defense, Transdimensional. Then give all the mimics in this universe a -0 Limitation on their VPPs and other mimicking powers that they won't work against anyone with Transdimensional Power Defense.[/quote'] I agree with Dave here. It's something that's going to be so uncommon that it's not really worth wasting a lot of points on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arac-4105 Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Just chipping in my two cents here, I agree with Hugh Neilson on the Immunity. LS: Immunity (Mimic powers) - 3 pts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! How about: -8 points - Trigger (Activating the Trigger requires a Zero Phase Action, Trigger resets automatically, immediately after it activates, Character does not control activation of personal Trigger; Attacked by mimicry power; +1/2), Usable As Attack (+1) (125 Active Points); Side Effects (power loses 100% effectiveness), Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (-2) for up to 50 Points of mimicry powers (adjust as needed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Mental Illusions. Your Mimicry didn't work. Mind COntrol: Don't MImic Powers, think you failed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper-Man Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Invisibility to Detect Superpowers? I agree with this type of approach as a mimic has to use some type of sensory ability to determine what exact powers to mimic. It doesn't mean the powers aren't visible. They're just invisible to detailed analysis. Amazo 's appearance in the Animated Justice League clearly showed him scanning each target before copying their powers. Mimicry based on Transfer/Drain still has to be coupled with another build (usually VPP or Multiform) to be used for powers the Mimic doesn't already own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! I agree with this type of approach as a mimic has to use some type of sensory ability to determine what exact powers to mimic. Depends on the character. The Mimic would uncontrollably copy peoples knowledge and powers just be being close to them. Calvin even got powers that his targets didn't know they had (such as when he gained Warpath's super senses). Rogue similarly gains everything including memories, though she needs skin to skin contact. Neither of them have any special ability to detect or analyze their opponents powers however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidume Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Have the character buy a custom advantage: Inimitatable (+1/4) on the powers that cannot be imitated. Oh course, this assumes that the advantage is justifiable. You can adjust the value of the advantage depending on how often you (as GM) forsee the situation coming up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comic Posted August 4, 2007 Report Share Posted August 4, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Give them more power than can be copied, above the campaign's power caps, with the -1 limitation "can't use the bottom half". That way, the mimic copies as much of the power as they can (the bottom 60, 80, whatever APs), which can't be used, and can't get the powers that can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted August 4, 2007 Report Share Posted August 4, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Depends on the character. The Mimic would uncontrollably copy peoples knowledge and powers just be being close to them. Calvin even got powers that his targets didn't know they had (such as when he gained Warpath's super senses). Rogue similarly gains everything including memories, though she needs skin to skin contact. Neither of them have any special ability to detect or analyze their opponents powers however. Yes and no, or more accurately no and yes. Roge takes powers and memories, the target cannot access them while Rogue has them. Mimic copies knowledge and powers, so there must be some sort of scan of the target to duplicate them, even if Calvin is not consciously aware of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister E Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! The SFX is that the hero is from a different universe. The powers simply cannot be copied by anyone in this universe. Too cool. Sounds like a SFX/GM-call to me. Just list this obscure fact in the power description, and think of it as well done. Heck, it might even qualify as a small Physical Limitation depending on what the power is. What is the power? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Why are the powers from that universe so different from the ones in your universe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptD Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! How about a supress or a dispell. It won't stop them but they won't be able to use them. Supress always on will stop them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted August 7, 2007 Report Share Posted August 7, 2007 Re: I'll mimic your powers.. what? That's impossible! I can't! Invisibility to Detect Superpowers? Yeah, something along these lines was my first thought as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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