Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

[RedneckJedi]

Hi. I'm new so don't haze me too bad. I'm fairly new to the game and I have a great (I think so anyway...) character idea but I don't know how to implement it.

 

My character is a normal guy aside from the fact he is a genius along the lines of Tony Stark/Batman/Hank McCoy/Forge ... you get the idea. He is crippled but has a device attached to his spine which nullifies this. This device also gives him slightly enhances reflexes and the like... He has powered armor (think Ra from Stargate movie) with a few gizmos like weapons and flight and a nifty cool sensing helmet. He also has another armor which he can get inside of which is MUCH bigger (think Sentinels but not quite that big) with MUCH better gizmos. .... How can I do this? He also needs a name I thought "Box" but there is a Marvel character with the same name...

 

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks...

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

most recent Power Armor Thread

 

Hero Like Box

 

 

As far as your normal suit, big suit idea, sounds like the big suit is really a vehicle you pilot. Check out my own character, Mr. Goodspeed for ideas...

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

see this recent thread

 

Power Suit Examples

 

edit

 

DOH!

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

Welcome to the community, RedneckJedi! No need to fear hazing; we're normally a pretty friendly and helpful bunch to newbies. (Excepting certain denizens who may try to cut off your head and steal your Quickening.)

 

So, it seems you have a three-stage character here. For the first stage, my principle question would be whether the device the character has "attached" to his spine is ever removed (leaving him crippled), or is permanently grafted to his body. In the latter case there's no need to build the character any differently from one who has the desired Characteristics naturally, unless the device is visible or can be damaged and rendered nonfunctional. If it can be damaged, or is sometimes taken off, you could buy your hero's increased physical abilities with the Limitation Focus or Only In Hero ID, depending on easy the device is to remove or damage.

 

The second-stage powered armor is most often bought in HERO as extra Characteristics, Powers for the gizmos, etc. all with the Focus or OIHID Limitation, again depending on how easy the armor is for others to remove or damage. The Limitations represent a suit which the character can put on or take off at will, but which he doesn't always have on (due to Secret Identity or other drawbacks).

 

For the last stage, IME it would be easiest (and cost the least Character Points) to build the big armor using the Vehicle rules. I'm afraid I'm blanking on a name, though.

 

I'm sure you'll have other questions, so feel free to post followups.

[sinanju]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

I'm afraid I'm blanking on a name, though.

 

Russian Doll, of course. A man inside a suit of powered armor...inside a much bigger suit of powered armor...inside....

[robertep]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

Russian Doll' date=' of course. A man inside a suit of powered armor...inside a much bigger suit of powered armor...inside....[/quote']

 

Babushka to be exact (thats the name of the Russian doll in Russian)

 

but technically that will be a female name so....

 

maybe if you give us some of your background & abilities we will be better able to help you think of a name

[robertep]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

maybe just call him Armor-Clad

[RedneckJedi]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

The 'spine' is almost impervious to harm and is only removable surgically (or maybe a really strong person ripping it off of him I'm not sure if it would be an OIF or not.

 

The armor comes from 'seemingly' nowhere like Ra's armor from the Stargate movie and covers him in blinding speed, almost like an instant change.

 

The big armor I got... just a vehicle. This character is starting to sound silly, lol.

[CorPse]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

 

Babushka to be exact (thats the name of the Russian doll in Russian)

 

but technically that will be a female name so....

 

maybe if you give us some of your background & abilities we will be better able to help you think of a name

 

When I took Russian, one of the few things that I retained was that these dolls were called Matryoshka dolls. I looked it up and discovered that Babushka was also correct.

 

Learn something new every day!

[CorPse]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

Too bad Iron Giant is already taken.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

The spine sounds like a SFX, not a lim.

 

The normal armor and associated abilities sounds like OIHID.

 

 

Also, to clarify your comment about Instant Change, you don't have to buy Instant Change for Activation of Powers.

[RedneckJedi]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

I haven't concentrated much on his background yet. He is a 'not-quite-so-good-guy' He fights on the side of good but with slightly questionable methods (not quite so questionable as the Punisher). He isn't rich but is extremely intelligent along the lines of a supra-genius but has built his toys on somebody elses budget and in other peoples labs. I plan to build his lab/base later.

 

The armor isn't flashy looking, probably be a steel gray color. It will have flight (jet boots or jet pack), an EB and RKA. It will also have all the IR/UV vision type things. The exact abilities will be laid out when I get an idea how he is to be built and the cost.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

Hmm...you could probably cut a couple of things to add an Attack MP and use this writeup: Pounder

[Diamond Spear]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

The 'spine' is almost impervious to harm and is only removable surgically (or maybe a really strong person ripping it off of him I'm not sure if it would be an OIF or not.

 

The armor comes from 'seemingly' nowhere like Ra's armor from the Stargate movie and covers him in blinding speed, almost like an instant change.

 

The big armor I got... just a vehicle. This character is starting to sound silly, lol.

 

When you break it down almost all characters sound silly. As long as it fits the campaign and you have fun with it, than it's not silly.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

The normal armor and associated abilities sounds like OIHID.

 

This assumes that it takes time to armor up and/or there is some way of preventing it. If the character can simply activate the armor instantly with no ready means for activation to be prevented, it's not a limitation at all.

[Slice-n-Dice]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

Mmm, Multiform, Transformer style.

 

This character doesnt sound silly at all. Matter of fact it sounds like a real fun character to play. I think he should have a name like Dreadnaught or something like that. People wouldnt understand of course until he was in his metal hulk, but then I think they would get the idea!

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

This assumes that it takes time to armor up and/or there is some way of preventing it. If the character can simply activate the armor instantly with no ready means for activation to be prevented' date=' it's not a limitation at all.[/quote']

 

A) You say that like you think I don't already know it.

It only takes a Phase to change at minimum, which could work here.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

A) You say that like you think I don't already know it.

It only takes a Phase to change at minimum, which could work here.

 

I say that because I think not everyone, especially newcomers to the system, already knows it. I know that you know it - so well that you felt it went without saying.

 

I agree that a 1 phase minimum to change would be sufficient, but I'm not sure the OP has a 1 phase delay in mind.

[Slice-n-Dice]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

The only reason I would say multiform is because #1 it can fit the speed of change. #2 the only thing the same would be the personality, which normally would be the deciding factor agaisnt but in this case it is the only consistency. #3 The base form has some extended powers but not enough to be his true battle form, which would be in his "materialized" suit.

 

I guess that is a n00bs point of view. (mine) It seems that OIHID doesnt fit for some reason, maybe because it is such a huge transformation figuratively and literally.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

The only reason I would say multiform is because #1 it can fit the speed of change. #2 the only thing the same would be the personality, which normally would be the deciding factor against but in this case it is the only consistency. #3 The base form has some extended powers but not enough to be his true battle form, which would be in his "materialized" suit.

 

I guess that is a n00bs point of view. (mine) It seems that OIHID doesnt fit for some reason, maybe because it is such a huge transformation figuratively and literally.

 

Not sure where you are getting OIHID as having to be a huge transformation. A very common use for it is Power Armor characters. Mechanically its roughly equivalent to taking Full Phase Only To Activate on all your powers combined with a genre convention.

 

Multiform is useful when there are 3 or more forms, while OIHID or a similar convention (linking everything to Density Increase or Growth or Shrinking, Extra Time on activation, Visible on things that normally arent, etc), is easier if you only have two "forms". If the OP is determined to do the Normal + PA + Mecha he started off with then Multiform is a way to do that, properly limited. There are other ways as well. However, my main concern w/ recommending Multiform to a newbie is that its one of the more complicated power constructs due to its funky HERO Math. It's also one of the most easily abused, even accidentally.

[Slice-n-Dice]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

Sorry, symantics, I meant that the desired power is such a huge transformation, not that OIHID is. I agree with you competely, when I said "Maybe because it is such a huge transformation" I meant what he wanted to do, not OIHID.

 

A million ways to skin a cat, but only a few are the most fun.

[RedneckJedi]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

The armor doesn't manifest itself too fast for anyone quicker to get the jump on him. I just now had a thought of incorporating the 'spine' and the armor into the same item. The armor being housed in the 'spine' .....

[Vestnik]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

Couldn't the spine be interfered with a la cybernetics, hence Restrainable?

[RedneckJedi]

Re: Character dilemma (Armor-clad character)

 

Couldn't the spine be interfered with a la cybernetics, hence Restrainable?

 

Oo... I like that idea.