build help: regen man

[Insaniac99]

I'm playing a character in a short campaign, I already have GM approval for this concept, I just need a little help getting the right 'feel' for how he works.

 

here is my concept: my character is a slightly trained, super-smart human, only one stat (int) is higher than 20 who likes to play games with such an obsession he has gotten some bennefit from them (+ ocv and some PSLs with his suped up zapper and some lightning reflexes so he has a chance to get a shot off) and in general he is a normal human who gets a bit of exercise (spd 3, most stats below 15). he does have his supercharged zapper with backpack battery (that provides him all of 6 charges) that can deliver some serious hurt but the idea is that he is mostly non-combat. In a combat he'll only get off a shot or two before he gets KOed by the single attack that comes his way but he'll wake up again before the combat is over

 

so far so good, the problem is that his only power besides being a normal human is that he heals insanely fast so it is easy to knock him out, stun him, and even kill him, but he'll be up and raring to go in mere moments. I already have a high regeneration (9 body per turn, and he has the standard 10 body so he goes from tomato paste to full health in less than 30 seconds) but this doesn't help him wake up from stunned or KOed to GM's discretion land (which is needed as he has only 22 stun and a 2pd/3ed non-resistant) aside from buying a recovery that is nearly as big as my stun (which doesn't quite get the right feel for me and doesn't help in the what would probably be common GM discretion territory) what are a couple ways to do this?

 

I don't want armor or damage reduction as he really is just a normal human who is insanely easy to KO or otherwise incapacitate and the only reason he is with a team of supers that that he bounces back faster than the punch clowns you had as a kid no matter what he's been through. a viper agent could feasibly stand by to KO him every few seconds because of how easily he goes down. a suitably strong and constant stream of knockout gas would also do the trick but soon as the gas feed ends he'll wake up in mere seconds

 

I was also thinking a heal stun that is just like the body regeneration (ignoring the regeneration is only for body rule) but I'm not sure how that would work for GM fiat land (aka comas) and being con stunned

 

neither the stun regeneration nor the huge recovery seem to quite fit the bill, does anyone have any suggestions, or has anyone written up someone similar that i could take notes from?

 

as always my thanks in advance for any advice and or help

[Rapier]

Re: build help: regen man

 

neither the stun regeneration nor the huge recovery seem to quite fit the bill' date=' does anyone have any suggestions, or has anyone written up someone similar that i could take notes from?[/quote']

 

Well, while I can understand your desire to keep his REC at a normal human level, I just don't think it's going to be possible.

 

The simplest and most straight forward build is going to be a good Regen and a high REC. You could monkey around with all kinds of Aids, Heals, Succors and such, but it's going to probably cost a lot more points and have to be shoe-horned in.

 

Just buy the Regen and a high REC and call it a day.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: build help: regen man

 

To that, I would add extra STUN, only for purposes of determining how often the character recovers. With, say, +40 STUN so limited, the character would get recoveries every phase down to -49 STUN (counting only his real, unlimited STUN), instead of -9 STUN.

 

If you want to avoid being Stunned as well, extra CON, only for purposes of determining whether he is Stunned, would seem to do the trick.

[Doc Democracy]

Re: build help: regen man

 

Have you thought about buying more STUN and giving him a limitation that he falls unconcious when he loses 30 STUN.

 

So he may have 30 STUN as part of his characteristics. In this scenario he would lose consciousness having taken 30 STUN, one delayed REC step on taking 40 STUN, another on 50 STUN, 60 STUN and GM discretion on 70 STUN.

 

Now if you were to buy 40 STUN that was only for the purposes of speeding recovery (-1?) the character would need to take 80 STUN before they were looking at even the first delayed REC step.

 

You could also buy additional REC that was only for the purpose of recharging the extra STUN (-2??)

 

 

Doc

 

EDIT: damn, that'll teach me to start responding and then do some work! What Neil said with some extra REC suggestions

[Sean Waters]

Re: build help: regen man

 

I think that the 'stun only for recovery' is probably your very best bet, but a refinement, if you don't mind the book keeping, would be this:

 

+40 STUN: cannot take any actions except recoveries when using (-1)

20 points

PLUS

Invisibility to Consciousness detection Group , No Fringe, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); No Conscious Control (-2), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (0 DCV; Character is totally unaware of nearby events; -1 1/2)

7 points

Total 27 points

 

Basically you count the full stun damage taken to determine if the character is stunned or falls unconscious BUT, until 1/2 the stun damage shows him to be unconscious he is in a state where he can take no action except recoveries. To all intents and purposes he is unconscious - but recovering very rapidly.

Becasue of the limitations on the invisibility (and the fact that he cannot control it) he also acts as if unconscious - 0 DCV, can't sense environment, etc.

 

Example:

 

Assume he has 30 stun. Once he has taken 30 stun, he falls down, apparently unconscious, and starts taking recoveries until he wakes up. It is only if he gets to -70 stun that the 'fast recovery stops, and onlt once he has taken 80 stun that the recoveries really slow down.

[Insaniac99]

Re: build help: regen man

 

hmm.. I'm dead tired as I'm running on 2-3 hours of sleep right now (going to go back soon) but so far the extra stun heavily limited seems to work, extra con only for resisting being stunned also makes a bit of sense, he may have been stunned but he recovered so fast you don't notice it or he's already recovered from it by the time he has a chance to do something...

 

my main concern is that the ap limit for attacks is 70ap, so just a standard energy blast will put me in -30 stun right away and with a low speed most solutions I see the problem is that he (hopefully) gets off one shot at the start of the combat with his lightning reflexes and then he gets hit and KOed, possibly killed, which is fine but with his low speed as soon as his recoveries happen more people with higher speeds are ready to put him right back out of the action. maybe on top of the extra stun and recovery I should pay for +9 speed only for recoveries? then after I'm KOed or killed I'll recover before my next action comes around. at a speed of three I'm already pretty ineffective at combat, I don't want him to be a burden on my teammates so I should try get the most out of the three actions I do get to take.

 

must cogitate on it while I sleep. perhaps using a book as a pillow, you never know I might learn something by osmosis

[Rapier]

Re: build help: regen man

 

Well, part of the problem is that you are hugely under strength. A normal person is simply not going to be able to stand up against a super throwing around a 70 AP attack.

 

You are very correct. You will always be Stunned or Unconscious. The opponents will be able to act faster than you and can very easily assure that you never get an action.

 

However, I got to say, that is your choice. If you want to play with the big dogs, you either need to be a big dog yourself or be ready to be treated like a tiny, little puppy.

[JmOz]

Re: build help: regen man

 

hmm.. I'm dead tired as I'm running on 2-3 hours of sleep right now (going to go back soon) but so far the extra stun heavily limited seems to work, extra con only for resisting being stunned also makes a bit of sense, he may have been stunned but he recovered so fast you don't notice it or he's already recovered from it by the time he has a chance to do something...

 

my main concern is that the ap limit for attacks is 70ap, so just a standard energy blast will put me in -30 stun right away and with a low speed most solutions I see the problem is that he (hopefully) gets off one shot at the start of the combat with his lightning reflexes and then he gets hit and KOed, possibly killed, which is fine but with his low speed as soon as his recoveries happen more people with higher speeds are ready to put him right back out of the action. maybe on top of the extra stun and recovery I should pay for +9 speed only for recoveries? then after I'm KOed or killed I'll recover before my next action comes around. at a speed of three I'm already pretty ineffective at combat, I don't want him to be a burden on my teammates so I should try get the most out of the three actions I do get to take.

 

must cogitate on it while I sleep. perhaps using a book as a pillow, you never know I might learn something by osmosis

 

In play what is the difference of buying higher stun/Con vs taking extra actions only to recover? I just feel this is over complicating the build

 

PERSONALY if I was building this guy I would take +CON & +STUN with the Regen F/X and then a Physical disad: Falls down when takes more than X Body or Y stun(Probably as a 20 pointsdisad, X=7, Y=number of stun or Con bought as power). The F/X of the physical disad is that he gets KO'd but he wakes up quickly

[BoneDaddy]

Re: build help: regen man

 

Regarding CON - Model it as a special effect of armor, or damage reduction. Keep it simple.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: build help: regen man

 

I agree with bonedaddy, get armor and DR and call it regeneration

[pinecone]

Re: build help: regen man

 

I agree with bonedaddy' date=' get armor and DR and call it regeneration[/quote']

 

Yeah...to me the Mechanic, and the SFX need not be related "I keep getting up!" is the concept, and the SFX...the mechanic can be Absorbtion, DR, lots O' Armor, or whatever...

 

 

I'd go with DR and some combat luck ...plus a little plain ol' armor if I was building this for myself....

[SteveZilla]

Re: build help: regen man

 

Damage Reduction is one of the key (IMO) powers when making a "weeble" character.

 

And don't forget either Resurrection Regeneration (and possibly also the Heals Limbs adder), or extra Body - Only To Determine Point of Death(-?)

 

Kinda hard to get back up when you're dead.

[Insaniac99]

Re: build help: regen man

 

I considered using damage reduction but to me it didn't feel right for it to work against stun. I had the same problem with armor, it didn't feel right at all. I want him to go down easy, but I also want something that a single hit from the mook won't keep him out of the entire fight. I had 450 points to play with and since besides his skills all he needs is his regen and multi-power zapper what I ended up doing is this:

 

13 con

10 body

22 rec

22 stun (standard figured characteristic)

4 spd

+8 speed, only to take recoveries

regeneration of 7 body per turn, from death, with resurrection (can't afford 12 yet, i want him to recover a body per phase by the time he's done)

+~30 stun, only for determining frequency of recoveries

50% energy and physical damage reduction, resistant, body only (he still feels the pain even if the cut starts closing while the knife is still in him)

 

the end result is that a standard 14d6 with KO him, and everyone who doesn't know him will think he is down for the count but before his next phase comes up, he'll have taken two full recoveries and be at full stun and end by the time his phase comes up again. if he gets hit twice in a single phase he still will get recoveries every phase, but 3 times and he's down long enough that they can tranq him long enough for transport or finish the combat/run away

 

its not perfect but I think it will definitely have the feel I'm looking for, especially since we aren't taking this campaign extra seriously as it is only going to run for a little while. this also helps in that a single enemy his skill level and speed slinging standard energy blasts is not going to dent him, but he will slowly wear them down. at the end of the combat regen man (haven't come up with a good name yet) will still be at full health. the only problem i see is the body damage will quickly catch up too, but with experience I can buy either more regen or damage reduction...

 

now to come up with a proper super-hero name.. it might end up being Punch Clown if I can't think of anything else.

 

thanks for the suggestions guys! (if you got name ideas feel free to shoot them my way)

[BoneDaddy]

Re: build help: regen man

 

I want him to go down easy, but I also want something that a single hit from the mook won't keep him out of the entire fight.

 

thanks for the suggestions guys! (if you got name ideas feel free to shoot them my way)

 

How long do you want him to go down for? A phase, a turn, half a phase?

 

Call him Captain Cockroach - those things live through anything. More durable still, Professor Planaria... (There's another thread where I mention how much I suck at names.)

[Dust Raven]

Re: build help: regen man

 

For most campaigns, I would never play such a character, nor as a GM allow such a character to be played, as he will be typically useless. A character who's power essentially is to fall unconscious all the time may be entertaining for a while, I've found from my own experience it gets old really fast, and gets boring, and then everybody hates it. Of course, this is in a typical Hero game which involves a lot of combat (where "a lot") means at least one fight per session).

 

That being said, I recommend the following:

 

Regen with BODY/Turn equal to at least 1/2 the character's starting BODY.

 

REC equal to at least the character's total starting STUN.

 

+10 STUN, Only when at -20 or less STUN (-1)

+10 STUN, Only when at -30 or less STUN (-1 1/2)

+10 STUN, Only when at -40 or less STUN (-2)

 

So, if the character is at -40 or more, he's only counts as being at -10 and recovers per Phase, and will be up an conscious in a single Phase. If the GM allows, also take the Cannot Be Stunned Automaton Power for 15 points. Otherwise it won't matter if you regain consciousness. Also, you might consider taking +X SPD (with X = to your normal SPD), Only While Unconscious, Only To Recover STUN, allowing you to regain consciousness in between your normal Phases.

[SteveZilla]

Re: build help: regen man

 

...

4 spd

+8 speed, only to take recoveries

 

You probably already know this, but on those extra 8 Phases - Only To Take Recoveries, he must abide by the usual rules for Taking a Recovery. Mainly, that no END-costing power can be used during that Phase, and no non-persistent powers can be maintained.

 

 

regeneration of 7 body per turn' date=' from death, with resurrection (can't afford 12 yet, i want him to recover a body per phase by the time he's done)[/quote']

 

Actually, "from death" and "with resurrection" is the same thing.

 

+~30 stun, only for determining frequency of recoveries

50% energy and physical damage reduction, resistant, body only (he still feels the pain even if the cut starts closing while the knife is still in him)

 

You might want to buy up that Stun - Only For Determining Frequency of Recoveries more than 30.

 

the end result is that a standard 14d6 with KO him' date=' and everyone who doesn't know him will think he is down for the count but before his next phase comes up, he'll have taken two full recoveries and be at full stun and end by the time his phase comes up again. if he gets hit twice in a single phase he still will get recoveries every phase, but 3 times and he's down long enough that they can tranq him long enough for transport or finish the combat/run away.[/quote']

 

There is a rule about recoveries you might not be aware of. If the character takes *any* damage after defenses (PD, ED, etc.) while taking a recovery, he doesn't get the recovery. So a sleep drug built as a Drain Stun w/ Uncontrolled will likely deprive him of some of his Recoveries.

 

its not perfect but I think it will definitely have the feel I'm looking for' date=' especially since we aren't taking this campaign extra seriously as it is only going to run for a little while. this also helps in that a single enemy his skill level and speed slinging standard energy blasts is not going to dent him, but he will slowly wear them down.[/quote']

 

Wear them down with what? I don't recall seeing a significant offensive ability in this discussion.

 

At the end of the combat regen man (haven't come up with a good name yet) will still be at full health. the only problem i see is the body damage will quickly catch up too, but with experience I can buy either more regen or damage reduction...

 

now to come up with a proper super-hero name.. it might end up being Punch Clown if I can't think of anything else.

 

thanks for the suggestions guys! (if you got name ideas feel free to shoot them my way)

 

Mr. Weeble?

Captain Chumbawamba?

Mr. Whackamole?

Mr. Eternal?

[Dust Raven]

Re: build help: regen man

 

Mr. Whackamole?

 

That would be Doctor Whackamole actually.

[Insaniac99]

Re: build help: regen man

 

You probably already know this, but on those extra 8 Phases - Only To Take Recoveries, he must abide by the usual rules for Taking a Recovery. Mainly, that no END-costing power can be used during that Phase, and no non-persistent powers can be maintained.

 

 

right, the only stuff he has is a set of super jump boots and his super charged zapper

 

Actually, "from death" and "with resurrection" is the same thing.

my mistake, I meant resurrection and can heal limbs

 

You might want to buy up that Stun - Only For Determining Frequency of Recoveries more than 30.

 

well, I'm going to try Dust raven's idea, it sounds like it might function a bit better,I plan to play test it a bit. it does seem more expensive and not quite what I want though. the only reason I didn't buy my stun higher is that this method of defense is so freaking expensive, the damage reduction, the regeneration, the speed, but I guess it is also worth it since it does what I want and is pretty effective in many circumstances

 

There is a rule about recoveries you might not be aware of. If the character takes *any* damage after defenses (PD, ED, etc.) while taking a recovery, he doesn't get the recovery. So a sleep drug built as a Drain Stun w/ Uncontrolled will likely deprive him of some of his Recoveries.

 

true, the main idea is that for a little bit at least the villains won't know about his ability and they usually don't hit a man while they're down, after all what's the sense in continuing to KO the half-dead man or firing a rocket at the guy who is already a bloody pulp while there are other heroes to worry about? plus, I want a sleep drug to work while it is maintained, once it is no longer maintained he wakes up way quicker than anyone else, in seconds instead of minutes, minutes instead of hours and so on.

 

 

 

Wear them down with what? I don't recall seeing a significant offensive ability in this discussion.

 

well I didn't need help with his super-charged zapper, I just made a multi-power, OIF, charges, beam.

 

so he does have damage output, at the prescribed campaign standard no less.

 

 

Mr. Weeble?

Captain Chumbawamba?

Mr. Whackamole?

Mr. Eternal?

 

LoL, something eternal might work though.

[SteveZilla]

Re: build help: regen man

 

Everman?

 

Fred Forever?

[BoneDaddy]

Re: build help: regen man

 

The Fall (down) Guy

Captain Catnap

Timeout

Dr. Teekayoh

[Sean Waters]

Re: build help: regen man

 

+ 100 Stun, can't take any actions other than recoveries and soliloquies whilst using.

 

What would you give that? -1? -2?

 

At -1 it would cost 50 points, at -2 it would cost 33 points, and he could lie there soliloquising to his heart's content whilst his innards earn that description.

 

The Insulting Captain Splat!

[Markdoc]

Re: build help: regen man

 

Urm. Most of these builds look way too complicated. This is a case where a simpler approach works better IMO.

 

Here's my suggestion:

small amount of regeneration + resurrection

a Decent amount of healing (self only, 0 END continuous, uncontrollable)

Damage reduction (stun only, if you like)

 

A character built like this will go down pretty easily, even with damage reduction: a bunch of agents can hurt him, but he's very hard to keep down. The damage reduction is important since it prevents you having to buy obscene amounts of either regen or Healing. Healing sidesteps all that stuff about GM's option or recovery times: essentially, recoveries are irrelevant, as you have healing chugging away all the time.

 

And then spend lots of points on being useful: either skills and detective stuff or martial arts (or both), since being KO'd all the time is not that much fun to play.

 

I played a character like this (Kestrel) who was essentially "Batverine" - superhealing, a 15 pt VPP gadget pool Utility belt and martial arts/detective skills. He remains one of my favourite characters ever.

 

cheers, Mark

 

cheers, Mark

[Sean Waters]

Re: build help: regen man

 

Urm. Most of these builds look way too complicated. This is a case where a simpler approach works better IMO.

 

Here's my suggestion:

small amount of regeneration + resurrection

a Decent amount of healing (self only, 0 END continuous, uncontrollable)

Damage reduction (stun only, if you like)

 

A character built like this will go down pretty easily, even with damage reduction: a bunch of agents can hurt him, but he's very hard to keep down. The damage reduction is important since it prevents you having to buy obscene amounts of either regen or Healing. Healing sidesteps all that stuff about GM's option or recovery times: essentially, recoveries are irrelevant, as you have healing chugging away all the time.

 

And then spend lots of points on being useful: either skills and detective stuff or martial arts (or both), since being KO'd all the time is not that much fun to play.

 

I played a character like this (Kestrel) who was essentially "Batverine" - superhealing, a 15 pt VPP gadget pool Utility belt and martial arts/detective skills. He remains one of my favourite characters ever.

 

cheers, Mark

 

cheers, Mark

 

I've mentioned in another thread on similar lines recently a 'Wereleopard' character we had in our game some years ago, built with high level DamRed, and minor regeneration, low defences. He was enormously difficult to put down or keep down. I'm not sure that is quite what we are after here, but the suggestion Marcdoc makes certinaly allows a very effective character who takes damage but shrugs it off quickly.

 

I just realised - I got the name wrong. Not The Insulting Captain Splat, but The Black Knight from MP and the HG

 

It's only a flesh wound!

[Insaniac99]

Re: build help: regen man

 

hmm... Thanks marcdoc, I'm going to write up two versions and have one with the healing, one without. i really like the idea...

 

as for names I'm kind of thinking something like captain eternal or something relating to Lazarus

[SteveZilla]

Re: build help: regen man

 

...

a Decent amount of healing (self only, 0 END continuous, uncontrollable)

 

...

 

Healing sidesteps all that stuff about GM's option or recovery times: essentially, recoveries are irrelevant, as you have healing chugging away all the time.

 

That's pretty much what 5re does not allow. Stated so on p186, first paragraph.