Growth: Height Only?

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Growth has a lot of factors associated with it, but I want to purchase it with very few. What kind of limitation would you place on Growth that had Height Only?

This is what I see happening. With Height Only I would NOT get:

 

• +STR
  
• +BODY
  
• +STUN
  
• -KB,
  
• Extra Mass kg
  
• - DCV (?)
  
• X m wide
  

I would get:

 

• + PER Rolls to perceive character
  
• X m tall
  
• The DCV penalty may be apropos too, though the character would still be very thin, no matter how tall.
  

 

Why would I even ask, you ask? Well, I was using Stretching: Legs Only, but I just found out that I've been using it wrong. If I buy 10" stretching it means that I can only stretch each leg 5", not 10". So an overly expensive power (for the effect) just got a lot more expensive. It occurred to me that Growth with limitations could still give me the variable height I want, and may in fact be more accurate anyway.

 

Thoughts?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

What is the non-mechanical effect of the power (aka 'what are you trying to model')?

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

Stilt-Man.

 

(Or Stilt-Girl, in this case.)

[Comic]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

*squint*

 

Each leg can only stretch half the total stretching distance?

 

I must've misread it the same way... and still don't quite follow what is wrong with 10" of stretching, that makes both legs 10" (or 9.5") long? So long as the argument isn't that each leg can stretch an opposite direction to give 19" of stretching 'for free'.

 

(Or buy 9" of extra stretching that requires a Contortionist roll, and has some other limitations, like Takes Extra Turn, 0 DCV Concentration, etc.)

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

This is what it says in the FAQ:

If a character has X” of Stretching does that mean he can stretch his arms X”, and his legs X” at the same time, effectively doubling the amount of Stretching he can use?

 

No. The number of inches of Stretching a character purchases represents the total amount of stretching his body can use at any one time. If he uses all that to stretch one body part, he can’t stretch the others; if he uses half of it on one body part, half of it remains for another body part; and so on.

Now, if I'm reading it right, then one leg stretches 10" then the other leg can't stretch at all. Or both legs could stretch 5". Right?

[Comic]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

*blink*

 

I venture that I'm not second guessing too much to say that so long as all the stretching is in the same direction and for the same purpose, how many limbs stretch at the same time won't matter.

 

So Stilt-Girl could walk along evenly at 10" tall, or could plant one foot on a spot and kick with the other a total of 10" away (ie each limb 5" long), or she could slip a leg-lock with her Stilt Fu around a circumference of 10" of opponents (1x10" or 2x5" or 3x3" or 5x2" or 10x1").

 

Is this what you're after?

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

*blink*

 

I venture that I'm not second guessing too much to say that so long as all the stretching is in the same direction and for the same purpose, how many limbs stretch at the same time won't matter.

 

So Stilt-Girl could walk along evenly at 10" tall, or could plant one foot on a spot and kick with the other a total of 10" away (ie each limb 5" long), or she could slip a leg-lock with her Stilt Fu around a circumference of 10" of opponents (1x10" or 2x5" or 3x3" or 5x2" or 10x1").

 

Is this what you're after?

The first two, yeah. (The leg lock not so much.)

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

Wait ... wait wait wait. Brainstorm.

 

How about Flight, maximum height (however much stretching she has), Physical Manifestation? That way the legs can still be interacted with (she can still be tripped by a landbound foe, Legswept), and she still has access to her full amount of legstretching for attacking and whatnot?

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

This is what it says in the FAQ:

 

Now, if I'm reading it right, then one leg stretches 10" then the other leg can't stretch at all. Or both legs could stretch 5". Right?

 

That ruling was to avoid situations where one arm went one direction and the other arm some other direction.

 

I think if the character is just stretching in a single direction then the # of limbs involved is irrelevant.

[Inu]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

Or dont' buy any power for the height, since all you're getting is the disadvantages. It's a physical limitation, not the power. Then you buy extra speed, and stretching for being able to kick people quite some distance away. Or buy that as a ranged attack instead of hand-to-hand if that's cheaper.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

Wait ... wait wait wait. Brainstorm.

 

How about Flight, maximum height (however much stretching she has), Physical Manifestation? That way the legs can still be interacted with (she can still be tripped by a landbound foe, Legswept), and she still has access to her full amount of legstretching for attacking and whatnot?

Now, I find this idea very intriguing. I'll have to go play with it a little bit.

That ruling was to avoid situations where one arm went one direction and the other arm some other direction.

 

I think if the character is just stretching in a single direction then the # of limbs involved is irrelevant.

So it could be interpreted that both legs count as a single body part...That makes sense. Sounds like a GM call.

[Kenn]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

I think that's a safe bet. And given the "stilt" special effect, I think most GMs would agree that with this special effect, "legs" is one body part.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

Here's what it might look like using the Flight variant...

 

Stilt Walking: Flight 20", Side Effect (only affects the environment near the character; Heavy Walking (may occasionally cause damage on ground below); +0), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (37 Active Points); Limited Power Maximum Altitude: 15" above solid surface ((30" noncombat); -1/2), OIF (-1/2), Physical Manifestation (Stilts; -1/4)

 

The more I play with this the more I dig it. There would also need to be a limitation linking horizontal movement with altitude, but I'm not sure what that ratio would be just yet.

 

This gives me all of my movement in one shot, vertical and horizontal, which feels clean. Thoughts?

[teh bunneh]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

That ruling was to avoid situations where one arm went one direction and the other arm some other direction.

 

I think if the character is just stretching in a single direction then the # of limbs involved is irrelevant.

 

Yeah, what Hyper-Man said. If I were the GM in that game, I would rule that 10" of Stretching means she can stretch her legs to get 10" tall.

 

Oh! And hey... I am the GM in that game!

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

Well, that's convenient!

 

Ok, crisis averted.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

Well, that's convenient!

 

Ok, crisis averted.

 

But ... but ... my brilliant idea, you killded it!

 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

But ... but ... my brilliant idea, you killded it!

 

teh bunneh does things like that. You have to watch him carefully.

 

Honestly, I haven't ruled out the possibility of reworking it into the Flight version. After reading that several people have suggested Spidey's swinging should actually be flight (with assorted lims) I had to really re-evaluate this. Reasoning from effect and all.

[teh bunneh]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

teh bunneh does things like that. You have to watch him carefully.

 

I do all that, and worse!

 

Honestly, I haven't ruled out the possibility of reworking it into the Flight version. After reading that several people have suggested Spidey's swinging should actually be flight (with assorted lims) I had to really re-evaluate this. Reasoning from effect and all.

 

The Bunny's Basic Rule of Character Design: I prefer to look at your charsheet and say, "Oh, she's got 10" of Stretching. Sure, she can reach the top of the building." I'm less happy if I look at your charsheet and say, "Stretching... Stretching... where's the Stretching? 10" of Flight? What the hey, she can fly now? Oh, I see... limitations, only to do this, only to do that, limitations, blah blah blah... huh. Three paragraphs of text to basically give her 10" of Stretching? What's that all about?"

 

I'm a simple bunneh with a very small brain.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

Well, that answers part II... I guess everything is cool after all

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

teh bunneh does things like that. You have to watch him carefully.

 

Honestly, I haven't ruled out the possibility of reworking it into the Flight version. After reading that several people have suggested Spidey's swinging should actually be flight (with assorted lims) I had to really re-evaluate this. Reasoning from effect and all.

 

I've actually felt that after several panels of his comic books where he's swinging over parks or above the skyline. His webbing is attached to ... what, exactly?

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

I've actually felt that after several panels of his comic books where he's swinging over parks or above the skyline. His webbing is attached to ... what' date=' exactly? [/quote']I've often wondered that. Also, ever notice how in certain cartoons he just takes off? He doesn't leap, he doesn't pull on the webline, he just fires the webbing and takes off!

[Kenn]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

It's attached to the blimps that constantly fly over the city. Those same blimps drag him along sometimes.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

I've often wondered that. Also' date=' ever notice how in certain cartoons he just takes off? He doesn't leap, he doesn't pull on the webline, he just fires the webbing and takes off! [/quote']

 

One of my favorite takes was from the Spider-Ham comic. Dr. Octopussycat had kidnapped Mary Jane Waterbuffalo and taken her to the top of the Empire State Building. Spider-Ham makes a dramatic entrace from above ...

 

"Wait ... what's your webbing attached to?"

" ... huh?"

"I'm standing on the tallest building in the world, and you're above me. WHAT ARE YOU SWINGING FROM?"

Spider-Ham looks up, and in a Wile E. Coyote fashion, sees that his webbing is attached to nothing (but flattened at the top as if there were an invisible ceiling) ... then falls.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

It's attached to the blimps that constantly fly over the city. Those same blimps drag him along sometimes.

Of course! It all makes sense now...

[GMumford]

Re: Growth: Height Only?

 

In the back of my head I've been considering Thanksgiving day Parade Man for quite a while. He could grow real big and has some flight, but didn't have the additional STR, BODY, STUN, or extra mass. Basically he would dress as one of the balloon characters and search the onlookers along the parade route for pickpockets, ect. Any ideas how to do this?