Ben 10 type character: questions

[quozaxx]

If you are familiar with the cartoon Ben 10, then you may be able to help me with a write up of a similiar character.

 

Ben 10 is a normal kid who came upon a "watch". The watch when turned and pressed activates one of 10 different types of aliens. The watch doesn't come off, so it's not an OIF or a focus of any kind.

 

I figured it is a type of multiform.

 

When he turns the knob on the watch and presses it. That could be a gestures limitation (or at least a restrainable).

 

When he presses the watch it sometimes doesn't work. That's an activation limitation.

 

When he does change, it's only for about 10 minutes. Which can be considered a Continuous charges limitaion. (how many charges, I'm still not sure of)

 

He can't activate the watch again for a while (we're talking at least an hour): Which limitation would that be?

 

He also, sometimes, doesn't get to be the alien he wants to change into. He still changes, just not the one he wanted to change into: Which limitation would that be? Or would that be more on the order of Unluck? (which it seems he has anyways).

 

Did I miss any limitations on this?

 

Quozaxx

[Bloodstone]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

haven't updated in a long time, but here's how i did it http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44138

[quozaxx]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

Thanks a LOT. I hope you don't mind if I borrow your ideas.

 

Even though I think I would add unluck to him, only for the fact, that on occasion, his watch doesn't work when he wants it to.

 

But I love the idea of recoverable charge and accidental change.

 

Quozaxx

[Basil]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

When he presses the watch it sometimes doesn't work. That's an activation limitation.

 

When he does change, it's only for about 10 minutes. Which can be considered a Continuous charges limitaion. (how many charges, I'm still not sure of)

 

He can't activate the watch again for a while (we're talking at least an hour): Which limitation would that be?

 

He also, sometimes, doesn't get to be the alien he wants to change into. He still changes, just not the one he wanted to change into: Which limitation would that be? Or would that be more on the order of Unluck? (which it seems he has anyways).

 

Did I miss any limitations on this?

 

Quozaxx

OK, some ideas of my own. Continuing Charges is the most direct way of handling the limited time it works. The delay before it can be used again would be Extra Time.

 

The "doesn't work or gives the wrong result" bit could be run three different ways, AFAICS:

1) Activation straight up, with missed roll being no change at all, with a second Activation roll and an accompanying Side Effect into a random form.

2) One Activation roll, with a Side Effect "Doesn't work or changes to a different, randomly-chosen form"

3) No Conscious Control at the -1 level ("...for Powers which he can turn on and off at will, but whose effects he cannot control while the power is on."). Just reach an agreement with the GM that usually the PC gets the form he wants, but the GM is free to say no power, or some other form. This is the simplest method, but you had bloody well better completely trust the GM; if not, then either he may screw you over, or you may think he is even if he isn't. Either result is highly detrimental to your enjoyment of the game.

 

Without knowing how you and your GM get along, I would recommend method 2 for simplicity, or method 1 for completeness.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

Something to keep in mind about Ben is that so long as the Omnitrix is fully operational and "recharged" he always gets something. Often times the form he gets is BETTER suited to the task at hand than the one he was trying for, though he doesn't always realize it at the time.

 

The exceptions to this are usually when he's up to mischief with the Omnitrix, which some people interpret as the watch wanting to "punish" him and others just chalk up to plain bad luck.

 

But the Omnitrix does not intentionally endanger it's host. In the past it's even overridden it's own safety protocols to save Ben's life, doing things like instantly "recharging" and popping into ready mode so that he could activate it one handed.

 

I put the recharging thing in quotes because, as we have seen a few times, the Omnitrix doesn't actually NEED to recharge once the master code has been entered. This sort of thing may not apply at all to a Ben 10 homage, but it is the kind of stuff I'm working to simulate with my updated writeups.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

I have no idea what we're talking about, but I've gathered he turns into the various things hissef, yes? That, I agree is multiform. The recharge time is (as noted) Extra Time. All the other tricks it sounds like the ladle already has handled, but if there's something specific you need, I can probably help after a brief explanation.

[ScrewySquirrel]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

I have no idea what we're talking about' date=' but I've gathered he turns into the various things hissef, yes? That, I agree is multiform. The recharge time is (as noted) Extra Time. All the other tricks it sounds like the ladle already has handled, but if there's something specific you need, I can probably help after a brief explanation. [/quote']

 

Ben 10 is a cartoon network original show:

 

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/ben10/index.html

[gojira]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

OK, some ideas of my own. Continuing Charges is the most direct way of handling the limited time it works. The delay before it can be used again would be Extra Time.

 

 

2) One Activation roll, with a Side Effect "Doesn't work or changes to a different, randomly-chosen form"

 

Without knowing how you and your GM get along, I would recommend method 2 for simplicity, or method 1 for completeness.

 

#2 is what I would choose, also, having seen most of the first season of Ben 10. There should be a note that the GM can override the activation roll and just declare that the player gets something else.

 

Based on the cartoon his activation roll seems to be around 11- or 12-. It's fairly often that he gets an undesired form. However this could also be interpreted as a fairly active GM giving the player new forms to move the plot along and give the player some challenge.

[nexus]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

If you are familiar with the cartoon Ben 10, then you may be able to help me with a write up of a similiar character.

 

Ben 10 is a normal kid who came upon a "watch". The watch when turned and pressed activates one of 10 different types of aliens. The watch doesn't come off, so it's not an OIF or a focus of any kind.

 

I figured it is a type of multiform.

 

When he turns the knob on the watch and presses it. That could be a gestures limitation (or at least a restrainable).

 

When he presses the watch it sometimes doesn't work. That's an activation limitation.

 

When he does change, it's only for about 10 minutes. Which can be considered a Continuous charges limitaion. (how many charges, I'm still not sure of)

 

He can't activate the watch again for a while (we're talking at least an hour): Which limitation would that be?

 

He also, sometimes, doesn't get to be the alien he wants to change into. He still changes, just not the one he wanted to change into: Which limitation would that be? Or would that be more on the order of Unluck? (which it seems he has anyways).

 

Did I miss any limitations on this?

 

Quozaxx

 

It could be a -0 "Side effect" Random Multiform. He was always changes into something, just not always what he wants.

[Psylint]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

Just a note:

 

To get the "long recharge time" effect, you can simply run the power off of a Endurance Reserve that has only precisely the amount of Endurance to activate the power once, and a very low Recovery.

 

So you could try something like this:

Multiform, Costs End, Costs End to maintain.

 

Endurance Reserve with enough Endurance to last 10 minutes, with a Recovery of 1. Or a Recovery of the total amount of the reserve, delayed for 1 hour or so.

[Basil]

Re: Ben 10 type character: questions

 

Just a note:

 

To get the "long recharge time" effect, you can simply run the power off of a Endurance Reserve that has only precisely the amount of Endurance to activate the power once, and a very low Recovery.

 

So you could try something like this:

Multiform, Costs End, Costs End to maintain.

 

Endurance Reserve with enough Endurance to last 10 minutes, with a Recovery of 1. Or a Recovery of the total amount of the reserve, delayed for 1 hour or so.

 

Problem is that (AIUI) the power always works for 10 minutes, no less. Your way (except for the last sentence) he could run it for less than 10 minutes, if the END Reserve is partly charged.

 

Your last sentence (with a delayed full REC) doesn't differ from a Continuing Charge with Extra Time. Which would be simpler by not having to have a second power (the END Reserve) involved.