Excalibur?

[Great Beyond]

Ok, so in this weekend's game (probably), the good guys on vacation in England get to throw down with my archvillain who - if all goes well - will have gotten his hands on Excalibur and it's scabbard as the final stage of his master plan (you know, get Excalibur, overthrow the current government, rule England forever). Since there is probably going to be a fight, I figured I'd better come up with some numbers instead of just hand waving it.

 

Here's what I have:

 

Excalibur -

* Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 5d6, Penetrating (+1/2), Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), Armor Piercing (x2; +1) (225 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Mental Damage Reduction, 75% (60 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* +30 PRE (30 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack), Missile Reflection, Reflect At Any Target (50 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

Rhiannon -

* Healing BODY 7d6, Uncontrolled (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1) (210 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Aid 6d6, Uncontrolled (+1/2), Continuous (+1) (150 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Power Defense (15 points)

 

Now, it's suppose to be kind of unbalancing and high powered because A) It's freakin Excalibur, and I dont have to worry about it because I'm going to give them an anti-Excalibur MacGuffin that should take the wind out of it's sails duing the big fight outside of Buckingham Palace.

 

But does that sound like it covers everything? Is that appropriately bad-assed enough? Anything I've forgotten?

What do you think, sirs?

[death tribble]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Remember the film Excalibur. If the sword is not used honourably or in the cause of good it can break.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Remember the film Excalibur. If the sword is not used honourably or in the cause of good it can break.

 

Film, meh. By canon, don't matter, unless I'm seriously misremembering my Morte D'Arthur, but then, there's two of the damn things in that book anyway. *shrug*

 

It's fine. It's RIDICULOUS, but it's fine.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Excalibur?

 

What does the Aid aid?

[Bloodstone]

Re: Excalibur?

 

What does the Aid affect exactly?

 

And why is the scabbard named Rhiannon? Never run into that before...

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Excalibur?

 

And why is the scabbard named Rhiannon? Never run into that before...

 

I know of no such reference, and after some Googling/Wiking, found no such reference. Possibly in the Tennyson poem? But not in the original work. Steve Long might now, though, having done Tuala Morn.

[Dr Archeville]

Re: Excalibur?

 

And why is the scabbard named Rhiannon? Never run into that before...

The archvillain's a Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac fan?

[Tech]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Ok' date=' so in this weekend's game (probably), the good guys on vacation in England get to throw down with my archvillain who - if all goes well - will have gotten his hands on Excalibur and it's scabbard as the final stage of his master plan (you know, get Excalibur, overthrow the current government, rule England forever). Since there is probably going to be a fight, I figured I'd better come up with some numbers instead of just hand waving it.[/font']

 

Here's what I have:

 

Excalibur -

* Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 5d6, Penetrating (+1/2), Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), Armor Piercing (x2; +1) (225 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Mental Damage Reduction, 75% (60 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* +30 PRE (30 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack), Missile Reflection, Reflect At Any Target (50 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

Rhiannon -

* Healing BODY 7d6, Uncontrolled (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1) (210 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Aid 6d6, Uncontrolled (+1/2), Continuous (+1) (150 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Power Defense (15 points)

 

Now, it's suppose to be kind of unbalancing and high powered because A) It's freakin Excalibur, and I dont have to worry about it because I'm going to give them an anti-Excalibur MacGuffin that should take the wind out of it's sails duing the big fight outside of Buckingham Palace.

 

But does that sound like it covers everything? Is that appropriately bad-assed enough? Anything I've forgotten?

 

What do you think, sirs?

 

Already used Excalibur several times in my campaign and it may yet make one more appearance during the final showing of Dark Seraph in my campaign. I've never heard of the scabbard so I'd just leave it off. I know Excalibur is supposed to be powerful but the DR 75% seems a bit too much. I'd go with 25%: a mook wielding Excalibur is still a mook. For the Mental DR, I'd just go with Mental Defence 30 pts but more exacting, if the wielder of Excalibur isn't going to be encountering mental powers, drop the Mental DR as it won't be needed. I'm fine with the extra PRE. I can take or leave the Missile Deflect/Reflect but that's up to you. You could also add a modest 5 pts of Lack of Weakness to represent that the wielder is much more difficult to fight now.

 

The real questions are: how close are you staying to the legend of the sword? Who is the enemy? Are certain powers needed or not when facing the wielder's foe?

[Great Beyond]

Re: Excalibur?

 

I dont have the exact link anymore - I found it while researching the background for the game, but in a nutshelll, Excalibur's scabbard is where all the good stuff is - injuries (like from loss of blood, for example) would not kill the bearer. Depending on the myth, wounds received by one wearing the scabbard did not bleed at all.

 

The name Rhiannon doesnt get a lot of mention - I found it on a couple of pages, but that's about it.

 

The aid, since it's from the scabbard side of the package, is body and stun n stuff.

[Great Beyond]

Re: Excalibur?

 

The real questions are: how close are you staying to the legend of the sword?

 

Thing is - while I know about the legend in general terms (and a bit more now, since I've been doing reading for the game), I'm not all that familioare with it - so by sheer lack of knowledge, there will probably be lots of drift away from established canon.

 

I guess I'm trying to go for the sword in general terms - big, powerful and mythical artifact, whoever has it is king of England, the wielder is tough as nails - that sort of thing. Think more four color action than authentic historical simulation.

 

Who is the enemy? Are certain powers needed or not when facing the wielder's foe?

 

Well, the archvillian - he's not a mustache twirler, evil to the nines. He's actually out to do the right thing for The People, he just happens to think that he knows better than everyone and that the ends justify the means.

 

I guess I'm looking for an Excalibur that's tough enough to let him stand up against 3 heros (up until they get the Anti-Excalibur Macguffin and turn things around). Which is why the "every defense under the sun" approach. There's no mental powers in the group, so I could drop that without too much worry.

 

But you guys are right - I might roll the Damage Reduction down to 50% or so.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Excalibur?

 

The archvillain's a Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac fan?

Supervillain rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her....

[Dr Archeville]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Supervillain rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her....

Takes to the sky like a bird in flight, and who would be her captor?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Excalibur?

 

5d6 Penetrating Double-AP Affects Desolidified HKA?

 

OOOOVERKILL.

[Opal]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Excalibur was a sword, so there's an HKA in there. It's propperties were that the wielder was the rightful King of England (perk), and 'invincible' in battle. Excalibur's sheath also had the propperty that it's owner 'couldn't bleed.' Does not Bleed is 15 pts, IIRC. 'Invincibility' would be somewhat more involved...

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Excalibur was a sword' date=' so there's an HKA in there. It's propperties were that the wielder was the rightful King of England (perk), and 'invincible' in battle. Excalibur's sheath also had the propperty that it's owner 'couldn't bleed.' Does not Bleed is 15 pts, IIRC. 'Invincibility' would be somewhat more involved...[/quote']

 

All you need is slightly enhanced defenses and a few levels to be 'invincible' to the run-of-the-mill schmucks of Dark Ages England.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Thats assuming they didn't come from a full Mallory-style England, complete with good and evil knights and sorcerers who might as well be superheroes ( some quite major ones ). . .

[WarriorKnight]

Re: Excalibur?

 

See here about Rhiannon.

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Excalibur -

* Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 5d6, Penetrating (+1/2), Affects Desolidified Any form of Desolidification (+1/2), Armor Piercing (x2; +1) (225 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Mental Damage Reduction, 75% (60 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* +30 PRE (30 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack), Missile Reflection, Reflect At Any Target (50 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

Rhiannon -

* Healing BODY 7d6, Uncontrolled (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1) (210 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Aid 6d6, Uncontrolled (+1/2), Continuous (+1) (150 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

* Power Defense (15 points)

 

Hm.

 

For the sword: Remove missile deflection completely; put all the defenses on the scabbard. Turn the HKA into an AVLD Does Body vs. Power Defense; leave the 'Affects Desolid' on. I'd also bring the scale of the HKA down; 5d6 is huge. I MIGHT put knockback resistance on it; maybe not.

 

For the scabbard: unless you have the AID and the Healing as having an 'unlimited max', e.g. always to full, just keep on fighting, you're going to need increased maxima on them. I'd also turn them into Regenerations -- regenerate body, regenerate stun. Which is especially efficacious since you have 75% resistant damage reduction on everything, plus Power Defense. Make it into Resistant power defense; the scabbard trumps the sword, according to Morte d'Arthur, IIRC.

 

Otherwise, yes -- 'rightful king of england', etc. And supposedly, the original (in the stone) broke because Arthur used it against a superior foe in a battle of honor (Lancelot, in the movie); the Lady repaired it and returned it.

 

Tactically, though, these are both OAF; I see 'Disarm' and 'grab/snag/steal' in his future. MacGuffinwise, though ... mmm. I wouldn't, unless it's based on the above. If they can't figure out 'he's invincible as long as he's holding them' and figure out a way to part the BIG NASTY SUPERVILLAIN from the BIG NASTY SWORD AND SCABBARD, then the villain deserves to win...

[Metaphysician]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Another way to represent "unstoppable cutting weapons":

 

AVLD vs Combat Luck/"Avoidance Defense". IOW, only PD/ED based on a SFX of "Not Getting Hit" applies to the weapon.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Another way to represent "unstoppable cutting weapons":

 

AVLD vs Combat Luck/"Avoidance Defense". IOW, only PD/ED based on a SFX of "Not Getting Hit" applies to the weapon.

 

That's pretty much genius right there, I'd never thought of it. I'd also never allow it. But more importantly, I never thought of it. And I submit that's not an AVLD, that's an NND. Because No Normal Defense is gonna help you; it's luck or nothing. You COULD HAVE AVLDs Defense (usually Flash or sum similar). But LUCK? Heh. KYAGB.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Ah, but its not "AVLD Luck" its "AVLD Combat Luck". In fact, given that this constitutes "a subset of the normal defense", I'm fairly certain that it'd even qualify for the reduced cost AVLD.

 

( why not NND? Because if you do this NND, then its all or nothing, so anybody with Combat Luck is immune. . . regardless of whether they are immobile or not, or if your OCV 15 and they are DCV 6 )

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Re: Excalibur?

 

I've used AVLD vs. Dodge-Based Defenses before; for lightsabers, mostly. (Dodge-based and energy-based ED, actually.) But yes, I could see this as being AVLD, Dodge-Based defenses. That would not only include Combat Luck, but also 'wind shear' force-fields and the like -- thus qualifying for the sub-set.

 

Don't forget you'd have to add 'Does Body' as well, though.

[Certified]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Another way to represent "unstoppable cutting weapons":

 

AVLD vs Combat Luck/"Avoidance Defense". IOW, only PD/ED based on a SFX of "Not Getting Hit" applies to the weapon.

 

I really like this power suggestion first thing I thought of was:

 

"If on your journey, you should encounter God, God will be cut."

 

Hattori Hanzo - Kill Bill

[Metaphysician]

Re: Excalibur?

 

I really like this power suggestion first thing I thought of was:

 

"If on your journey, you should encounter God, God will be cut."

 

Hattori Hanzo - Kill Bill

 

Well, yeah. Hence why I'd restrict it to weapons and attacks that *really* are supposed to work on anything that can't dodge it.

 

Failing that, I'd throw in some extra limitations, like "Subject to Hardened Power Defense" or something similar, representing how mundane defenses still don't mean anything, but potent supernatural defenses ( or exotic cosmic shields, or whatnot ) do in fact work.

[Great Beyond]

Re: Excalibur?

 

Well, I'll be using Excalibur against my players this weekend, with all the suggestions encorperated. I'll be sure to tell how things go down monday morning!