Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

[Thia Halmades]

So I just wanted to get some feedback; I'm nerding out and doing Pokemon powers in another thread, and before I have to go back and redo a bunch of stuff, I was curious what your thoughts were on how to best model, in a sort of low-end way, the core effects that are slapped on people in a Pokemon match.

 

Burn; I have as a 2d6 EB No Range Continuing Charge, SFX Fire. Fairly straightforward. For "Badly Burn" I was going to go 4d6. Do I have the basic premise of how that's supposed to work down? Or is there a modifier that I'm not using to simulate "You're on fire" that I should be?

 

Freeze; this is a total PIA, because I can't decide if I want to go the Suppress SPD route (which I currently have) or if I want an "Ice Entangle" -- which is probably closer to the videogame canon. Taking votes.

 

Paralyze; This is probably a lot closer to the Suppress DEX thing, EXCEPT, in game, Paralyze has TWO effects:

 

1) You always go last (which is reduced DEX, Only for determining initiative, sort of a backwards Lightning Reflexes) but the part I'm stumped on is:

 

2) Random chance (50%) of you losing a turn (Bulbasaur is Paralyzed and can't move!) Which to me says "Activation Roll" but the part I can't manage is the Paralyzed bit, unless I totally cheese it and go Transform, which I'm trying to avoid, because it's so maddeningly expensive.

 

Poison; Poison is different from Burn in that its damage stacks; the effect is cumulative. You take 1d6 this turn, 2d6 the next, 3d6 the next, and so on -- is this Gradual Effect? I'm thinking no, since that's a "total damage" output, not an incremental damage output.

 

Thoughts? There's another one but I can't remember it OTTOMH and I haven't gotten that far yet.

[casualplayer]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Well, there's also Sleep and Confusion. Sleep is probably just an NND or STUN Suppress and however deep into the hole your target's STUN goes is how asleep they are. Confusion is wacky. Strictly speaking, it puts a Requires Skill Roll and Side Effect on all of a Pokemon's powers and if they blow their skill roll they hurt themselves.

 

Burn probably is Continuous damage, as is Poison. Freeze seems like something that could best be done with Change Environment. Paralyze has so many aspects to it that I'm stumped or would have to write up an EC to cover it.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Well, there's also Sleep and Confusion. Sleep is probably just an NND or STUN Suppress and however deep into the hole your target's STUN goes is how asleep they are. Confusion is wacky. Strictly speaking, it puts a Requires Skill Roll and Side Effect on all of a Pokemon's powers and if they blow their skill roll they hurt themselves.

 

Burn probably is Continuous damage, as is Poison. Freeze seems like something that could best be done with Change Environment. Paralyze has so many aspects to it that I'm stumped or would have to write up an EC to cover it.

 

Thanks, I couldn't remember the other two.

 

Confusion to me as an effect is a Mind Control plus Hand to Hand Attack, Activation Roll 11-, if the Activation Roll hits, the MC hits, which goes to the liked HtH (Mind Control can only make you do one thing -- punch yourself in the face for your STR +HtH damage). This consumes your turn (as it should).

 

Sleep is probably a vanilla STUN Suppress, you're right.

[The Monster]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Re: Paralyzed. Would a Drain INT work? If you make it big enough (and at 1:1, INT is cheap to drain), and put the target into negative INT, they must make an INT roll to take any action. At 9-, that's worse than 50%, but might reproduce the effect for game purposes. For a sharply limited duration, perhaps make it a Suppress with a short time charge. (My first thought was EGO Entangle, but it might be a tricky build, and it might be too expensive.)

 

I don't know the game well enough to know what defenses work against these attacks (I'm thinking from the show, not the electronic game, so you know). I'd vote for Entangle for the Freeze attack, but is it true in the game that it's less effective against strong opponents? If not, then CE might be the way to go, imposing some CV minuses.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Re: Paralyzed. Would a Drain INT work? If you make it big enough (and at 1:1, INT is cheap to drain), and put the target into negative INT, they must make an INT roll to take any action. At 9-, that's worse than 50%, but might reproduce the effect for game purposes. For a sharply limited duration, perhaps make it a Suppress with a short time charge. (My first thought was EGO Entangle, but it might be a tricky build, and it might be too expensive.)

 

I don't know the game well enough to know what defenses work against these attacks (I'm thinking from the show, not the electronic game, so you know). I'd vote for Entangle for the Freeze attack, but is it true in the game that it's less effective against strong opponents? If not, then CE might be the way to go, imposing some CV minuses.

 

Valid point. No, Freezing an opponent is effectively a "transform" (you to frozen you). However, getting it to go off is the tricky bit; there are only six status effects, but each one is pretty crippling. Being frozen is just that; you're a rock. However, to make it reliable in HERO terms would mean slapping down a tremendous amount of dice.

 

There are no Defenses against them other than the necessary immunities, although thank you for pointing out that I need to put those on there. Frex, Lightning Types are immune to Paralysis; Poison types are immune to Poison. I believe that Fire types are immune to being Burned, but don't quote me on that.

 

I'll make it part of the Template, though, rather than modify the power itself. Because there is no LS: Being Lit on Fire. There can be a limited defense in the package, though, without a lot of effort. OR. I could limit the power itself, i.e., Burn! (yadda yadda); Does Not Affect Fire-Typed Pokemon (-1/4).

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

New Problem.

 

The One Hit Knock Out. Is it a Transform? Is it a rare instance of Killing Damage? There's no "die roll" for this one in Pokemon; if the attack hits, you're done. Out you go. Odds of it hitting are low, which is an Activation Roll (8-), or an accuracy penalty (Inaccurate). But the actual "BAM, You're out!" is the bit I don't know how to accurately model in this system.

 

Thoughts?

[Lucius]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Disclaimer: I don't claim to know anything about pokemons. But I can try to intelligently address the effects you describe.

 

So I just wanted to get some feedback; I'm nerding out and doing Pokemon powers in another thread, and before I have to go back and redo a bunch of stuff, I was curious what your thoughts were on how to best model, in a sort of low-end way, the core effects that are slapped on people in a Pokemon match.

 

Burn; I have as a 2d6 EB No Range Continuing Charge, SFX Fire. Fairly straightforward. For "Badly Burn" I was going to go 4d6. Do I have the basic premise of how that's supposed to work down? Or is there a modifier that I'm not using to simulate "You're on fire" that I should be?

 

Possibly "Uncontrolled." If "you're on fire" means that you actually continue to burn after being attacked.

 

Freeze; this is a total PIA' date=' because I can't decide if I want to go the Suppress SPD route (which I currently have) or if I want an "Ice Entangle" -- which is probably closer to the videogame canon. Taking votes.[/quote']

 

The question is, does being large and/or strong help break out of it?

 

Paralyze; This is probably a lot closer to the Suppress DEX thing, EXCEPT, in game, Paralyze has TWO effects:

 

1) You always go last (which is reduced DEX, Only for determining initiative, sort of a backwards Lightning Reflexes) but the part I'm stumped on is:

 

2) Random chance (50%) of you losing a turn (Bulbasaur is Paralyzed and can't move!) Which to me says "Activation Roll" but the part I can't manage is the Paralyzed bit, unless I totally cheese it and go Transform, which I'm trying to avoid, because it's so maddeningly expensive.

 

I concur with what has already been said - linked Drain or Suppress to DEX and INT.

 

Poison; Poison is different from Burn in that its damage stacks; the effect is cumulative. You take 1d6 this turn, 2d6 the next, 3d6 the next, and so on -- is this Gradual Effect? I'm thinking no, since that's a "total damage" output, not an incremental damage output.

 

Thoughts? There's another one but I can't remember it OTTOMH and I haven't gotten that far yet.

 

In other words, at the end of the third turn, you've taken a total of 6d6 damage?

 

I'd use a combination of Gradual Effect and a modified Extra Time:

4d6 with Gradual Effect

+3d6 with Gradual Effect and a 1 Turn delay

+2d6 with Gradual Effect and a 2 Turn delay

+1d6 with a 3 Turn delay

 

 

Oh, and for the One Hit Wonder:

 

I'm not thinking of anything but a large No Normal Defense attack, possibly with an "all or nothing" limitation so that if you aren't unconscious, you take no damage.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Palindromedary, I choose you! (Okay, so I have heard of Pokemon....)

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

NND. Does BODY. Activation Roll replaces "accuracy." *stare*

 

I didn't think of this why?

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Although that'll create a new problem, for powers that render the next strike "Automatic." I think that's why the VG simply uses Accuracy to represent everything. Simpler to make it 'inaccurate' and then have the 'Accurate' ability be an NPA, AOE One Hex Accurate, Next Attack Only.

[casualplayer]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Are you trying for Game Boy-Pokemon or TV Show-Pokemon? Things work differently in the two environments.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Are you trying for Game Boy-Pokemon or TV Show-Pokemon? Things work differently in the two environments.

 

Game-Boy Pokemon (videogame canon, where things run on charges, vs. show canon, where they appear to run on END).

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Videogame canon also has complete move lists posted all over the internet, so it's very easy to put the powers themselves together using a straight conversion system. The trick are some of the special abilities; the status effects, 1HKO, etc.

[Mad Fnorder]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

Don't forget a linked Drain STR in Burn- it also cuts the physical Attack stat in half when in effect.

Also, Toxic doubles, while Poison is the same 12.5% of Max HP each turn. For the former, I'd think use a big old NND, (Defense: Poison Type) with Gradual Effect scaled to simulate it only kicking in for stages. Alternatively, a Drain Stun might simulate it better. Regular Poison is probably simplest as a continuous uncontrolled attack, with a limitation to cap its damage per turn.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Burn, Freeze, Paralyze & Poison

 

I think you may be right; a Drain STUN may simulate Poison in this system more accurately. The problem with the stat effects isn't the cost -- I don't care about that, it's the modeling that's driving me up the wall. I don't like using anything until it's just right, so i stymie and stall. I may put some powers together today regardless.