Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

[OddHat]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

And you get the great scene of the dimensional governors coming in once every few years to pay tribute (in all sorts of goods).

 

"Empress, We the People of Aurialus have suffered since you blasted our home world. We have nothing this year to offer, save our loyalty."

 

"We value nothing more highly. Tell me, how great is this loyalty to your Empress?"

[Susano]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

"Empress, We the People of Aurialus have suffered since you blasted our home world. We have nothing this year to offer, save our loyalty."

 

"We value nothing more highly. Tell me, how great is this loyalty to your Empress?"

 

What are you Oddhat? A mind reader?

[OddHat]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

What are you Oddhat? A mind reader?

 

In my home campaign, Mongo is a dimension hopping World-Ship, and many years ago, V'han had a different name.

 

Earth men called her Aura.

 

 

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

In my home campaign, Mongo is a dimension hopping World-Ship, and many years ago, V'han had a different name.

 

Earth men called her Aura.

 

 

 

Ooh, but that is good.

[Kirby]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

Earth men called her Aura.

I hate to dwell further off-topic, but who's Aura? Is this a manga reference or Starblazers-like?

[csyphrett]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

She's the daughter of Ming the Merciless.

CES

[Kirby]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

Ah, ok. Ming of Mongo. Wow, that's an old reference, but I do get it.

[Clonus]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

In practice, though, her control is *probably* limited to galaxy scale within the universes she rules, except for those with preestablished transgalactic societies.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if all she controlled was single world from each universe, and loosely at that. Unless of course the whole universe is smaller than an earthlike world. People who travel sideways rarely travel outwards.

[Tech]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

I keep hearing about Ishie here being ruler of numerous universes but I've looked at her stats, military might (what's listed) and quite frankly, Dr. Destroyer is a bigger threat that she is; Mechanon is a bigger threat; a few others I see are a bigger threat. I agree with Fireball - the concept is laughable - Rep for saying the obvious. Now as to her military, I am not impressed with her guards. The Hovertank is mostly impressive but even with the 4 secondary guns, it sure won't last long in a battle. As for defeating entire worlds, much less solar systems, much less an entire galaxy, much less an entire universe, much less multiple universes. It's assumed that she waltzes in on every world and none can stand in her way. Why? Sooo, there's no other races advanced enough to stand up to her? Ummm, right. Mechanon can easily be the biggest threat in this universe with a little tweaking (not much, if any) and a certain plot and suddenly Istvatha is in big trouble..

 

No, I don't have to have her in my campaign and I won't: I don't want to insult my players' intelligences. However, there are certain concepts that crumble within their own context and this is one of them.

[Susano]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

The problem is, a big section of her character sheet is "as many followers, vehicles, and bases as she needs." And what is listed is fairly basic and some pre-dates TUV and HSVS, so the stats are out of whack. I mean, as written, several of the major NPCs in Kazei 5 could clean her clock in a one-on-one fight, so unlike Gravitar, I doubt she supposed to fight whole teams. She needs to be someone you deal with, not fight.

 

As a concept, she has plenty of precedent in comics, pulps, and 30s & 40s serials, but she really needs a sourcebook all to her own that details how she works and what she works with.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

Princess Aura

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1u1upv75IF0/TDlc1Gc8ylI/AAAAAAAABfU/VapCQkL8eZ4/s1600/Princess+aura.bmp

[Kirby]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

I keep hearing about Ishie here being ruler of numerous universes but I've looked at her stats' date=' military might (what's listed) and quite frankly, Dr. Destroyer is a bigger threat that she is; Mechanon is a bigger threat; a few others I see are a bigger threat. I agree with Fireball - the concept is laughable - Rep for saying the obvious. Now as to her military, I am not impressed with her guards. The Hovertank is mostly impressive but even with the 4 secondary guns, it sure won't last long in a battle. As for defeating entire worlds, much less solar systems, much less an entire galaxy, much less an entire universe, much less multiple universes. It's assumed that she waltzes in on every world and none can stand in her way. Why? Sooo, there's no other races advanced enough to stand up to her? Ummm, right. Mechanon can [i']easily[/i] be the biggest threat in this universe with a little tweaking (not much, if any) and a certain plot and suddenly Istvatha is in big trouble.

Well, I 1/2-way agree with you (partly why I started this thread), but I think there's a few things you're missing or misunderstanding. Her troops listed are comparatively weak compared to Dr. D's, UNTIL's, VIPER's, etc, but these stats came first. The text itself states these are basic troops, not the elite. For her tank, I wonder if she uses the Sherman philosophy (weaker tanks, but lots more of them) or the Abrams style (best of the best). If the tanks listed are the best she has tank-wise, yeah, she's in trouble. Also listed in the text is that she has access to an alien like every NPC in CKC (presumably not Dr. D, but who knows?). So, if she has the opportunity/will, she could launch about 100 supers to spearhead her invasion.

 

No' date=' I don't have to have her in my campaign and I won't: I don't want to insult my players' intelligences. However, there are certain concepts that crumble within their own context and this is one of them.[/quote']No one's saying you have to have her, and we're fine if you don't, but please don't imply that those of us who do use her (even those of us [read me] who don't like her but still want to use her) have found an intelligent way of applying her character, which is perfectly in-genre with comics.

 

Thinking about the Sherman/Abrams comparison, as well as the "limited access" that McCoy brought up, I wonder if V'han simply has the Persians at Thermopylae problem - she has so many troops to deploy into a limited battlefied that it's actually a combative burden. Maybe she has 10,000 vessels ready to go through the dimensional rift, but if that rift needs a "cooldown" or "recharge" every time something goes through it, the numbers game is against her. In addition, her troops with teleporting have a great tactical advantage, especially in an urban environment (wait, is that shot coming from the 1st floor second window, or the third floor fifth window?). However, once she has too many soldiers, they lose their effectiveness (teleporting into each other, multiple people teleporting to the same "good spot" and only one can use it, or person A fires and teleports away then person B teleports into person A's position [not knowing A was previously there] and gets filled with lead before his rifle's even aimed in the right direction).

[Tech]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

No one's saying you have to have her' date=' and we're fine if you don't, but please don't imply that those of us who do use her (even those of us [read me'] who don't like her but still want to use her) have found an intelligent way of applying her character, which is perfectly in-genre with comics.

 

I'm not insulting anyone's intelligence as I don't do that; I go out of the way to treat people with respect. I merely said the concept is ridiculous and was objecting to the premise that no other race - in multiple universes - is powerful enough to stop her so she in effect is ruler of these universes, much less just how large a universe truly is. Also, my particular players find this kind of premise insulting, which unfortunately I didn't state but referenced without my saying so - my mistake. The reason for my objections being what they are is I feel that even within comics, it's not possible in my opinion. Again, I question: in all these other universes, no one is powerful enough, strange enough, mystic enough (if you use magic) or whatever to stop her?

 

I know others will use her and as I've stated in other threads, each person's campaign is unique and what works in one won't in another and vice versa.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

I'm not insulting anyone's intelligence as I don't do that; I go out of the way to treat people with respect. I merely said the concept is ridiculous and was objecting to the premise that no other race - in multiple universes - is powerful enough to stop her so she in effect is ruler of these universes, much less just how large a universe truly is. Also, my particular players find this kind of premise insulting, which unfortunately I didn't state but referenced without my saying so - my mistake. The reason for my objections being what they are is I feel that even within comics, it's not possible in my opinion. Again, I question: in all these other universes, no one is powerful enough, strange enough, mystic enough (if you use magic) or whatever to stop her?

 

I know others will use her and as I've stated in other threads, each person's campaign is unique and what works in one won't in another and vice versa.

 

Eh...somebody has to be the most powerful. Why not V'han?

[OddHat]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

Again, I question: in all these other universes, no one is powerful enough, strange enough, mystic enough (if you use magic) or whatever to stop her?

 

Eh...somebody has to be the most powerful. Why not V'han?

 

Obvious' answer is a good one. I'd add that Queen Victoria didn't rule her Empire based on her ability to personally beat up every man, woman and child from England to India, nor was she in a position to easily destroy the other great powers of her day. V'han only needs an army sufficient to hold the worlds and territories she has claimed; when she meets great powers she can't defeat, she makes peace or retreats and finds another way to get what she wants, just like any sane ruler.

 

Which can be used as a prime reason she hasn't conquered Earth; too many other great powers interested in the territory for her to risk it, at least as things stand now.

[OddHat]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

The problem is' date=' a big section of her character sheet is "as many followers, vehicles, and bases as she needs." And what is listed is fairly basic and some pre-dates TUV and HSVS, so the stats are out of whack. I mean, as written, several of the major NPCs in [i']Kazei 5 [/i] could clean her clock in a one-on-one fight, so unlike Gravitar, I doubt she supposed to fight whole teams. She needs to be someone you deal with, not fight.

 

As a concept, she has plenty of precedent in comics, pulps, and 30s & 40s serials, but she really needs a sourcebook all to her own that details how she works and what she works with.

 

Yup. All you need to do to use her is give her whatever bases, vehicles and followers she needs to work in your campaign.

[jkwleisemann]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

As a concept' date=' she has plenty of precedent in comics, pulps, and 30s & 40s serials, but she really needs a sourcebook all to her own that details how she works and what she works with.[/quote']

 

You just had to make this suggestion, didn't you? Now I'm tempted to start plugging away at *that* too....

 

This is the problem with topical ADD... you get all sorts of ideas, but never finish them.

[Susano]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

You just had to make this suggestion, didn't you? Now I'm tempted to start plugging away at *that* too....

 

This is the problem with topical ADD... you get all sorts of ideas, but never finish them.

 

And I'm not the first one to suggest it either.

[casualplayer]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

I'm not insulting anyone's intelligence as I don't do that; I go out of the way to treat people with respect. I merely said the concept is ridiculous and was objecting to the premise that no other race - in multiple universes - is powerful enough to stop her so she in effect is ruler of these universes, much less just how large a universe truly is. Also, my particular players find this kind of premise insulting, which unfortunately I didn't state but referenced without my saying so - my mistake. The reason for my objections being what they are is I feel that even within comics, it's not possible in my opinion. Again, I question: in all these other universes, no one is powerful enough, strange enough, mystic enough (if you use magic) or whatever to stop her?

 

I know others will use her and as I've stated in other threads, each person's campaign is unique and what works in one won't in another and vice versa.

 

V'han's meagerest of attendents, as you are not deemed worthy of her gaze or the music of her voice, insinuates that continued resistance will necessitate cauterizing the environment that produced such insolence. What do you do?

 

Not to put too fine a point on it but if someone ever gets a chance to throw a punch at Istvatha V'han, that's pretty much the definition of a fuster cluck. Theoretically, the players haven't seen her stats to know that she isn't all that in a fight. Unless you can convey imperiousness and presence, something along the lines of an ancient red dragon with a toothache, you're better off leaving Istvatha alone.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

Well, even using the canon stats for V'Han herself, theoretically speaking your never going to encounter her without *also* encountering her Imperial Guard, armies, and probably the bigass star destroyer she's got her throne room in. Personal power matters less, thusly.

 

Its just, the stats for her actual forces need revamping, as those basic infantry and vehicles are pathetic. Thats not a conceptual problem, thats a mechanical screwup.

 

Going off the canon timeline, whatever her personal power level is, it has to be low enough that, theoretically speaking, a group of world-class superheroes could hold her hostage *if* they could get within range of her. Which, admittedly, required her to make a minor mistake in actually coming *to* Earth in the final stage of its conquest. . .

[Susano]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

She needs that 250 mile long super-super star destroyer I've seen art for here and there. What was that called? The Eclipse class?

 

Edit: well I'm not sure about a 250 mile/km Star Destroyer, but the Eclipse, at roughly 16 km long, sure fits:

 

 

I've seen this drawn as 35 km long as well.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

I think the Executor would do fine; I generally prefer my planet busting weapons as missile, rather than guns. But yeah, given that Billion Worlds Tech allows for near tank level durability in the form of inobtrusive ( if top end ) cybernetic implants, the kind of things it can do via ship emplaced ( if top end ) tech should be proportionally horrifying. Think, um, Kang Dynasty. Sure, Station Damocles is just hanging up there, big and obvious; its just that all the heroes flying up to try and punch through its shields *won't work*.

[gojira]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

Don't forget the pre-fabricated, deployable base that those things carried. It's even hex-shaped.

[Susano]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

Ahh... here we go -- Ultra-class Super Star Destroyer. 260 km in length. Utterly stupid for Star Wars, but perfect for those world-sized star ships that comic book galactic conquers seem to have (like Mongul's War World).

 

 

Let's see what Dr. D and Mechanon say to this!

[megaplayboy]

Re: Istvatha V'han - why can't she conquer Earth?

 

"What are all those little spheres on the side?"

"Oh, those are our Death Star attack pods..."