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Unique, interesting powers


Jim

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Being a born-again n00b (i.e. played Champions a lot in the early '80's, but not at all since), I am curious as to what everyone's favorite power design was. You know, the power (or power set) you spent a lot of time conceptualizing and designing, getting the special effects, advantages and limitations just right. The power you're really proud of, not just your most effective power.

 

I don't have one yet, but I'm working on the mimic EB shown in another thread ("limited mimic power") in this forum. From the '80's, I remember that my gadget-rich teleporter (Time Tripper) had a couple of gadgets that I was proud of, including an anti-grav belt (1" of flight, Always On, OIF, Only Useable to stop falling) that was useful for teleporting up in the air. I would touch someone, teleport him/her/it and me up in the air and let go. At the time, I didn't play with anyone who had anything like it, so I was proud. I haven't figured how I would build that character today, with so many more options to choose from, but the anti-grav belt I would probably build as follows (using HDv3):

 

4 Anti-Gravity Belt: Flight 5", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (20 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF (-1/2), Levitation (-1/2), Only Useable to keep from falling (-1/2), no Noncombat movement (-1/4)

 

So what's your power?

 

Jim

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

Duplication with the special effect being someone reaching into an alternate universe and brow-beating his counterpart into helping him.

 

Things can get rather complicated when several of your alternate selves are also capable of such, hence a Multipower full of Multiforms.

 

If the PC wasnt available then an alternate self probably was, which caused no end of problems.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

4 Anti-Gravity Belt: Flight 5", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (20 Active Points); Independent (-2), OIF (-1/2), Levitation (-1/2), Only Useable to keep from falling (-1/2), no Noncombat movement (-1/4)

You want to be careful when you use Independent. That means the GM will eventually take it away from you, and you will lose those points forever. If you use Focus, the GM will take it away from you, but you'll get it back somehow, either by rebuilding it, or finding it, something like that.

 

As far as the power I'm really proud of, it's really pretty simple. Quite recently I was modeling a Taskmaster type that had studied the Avengers. One of the Avengers he studied was Mockingbird. I gave him:

 

Mocking: Negative Combat Skill Levels (-3 to opponent's OCV), Limited Range (Must be able to hear taunts; +1/4) (19 Active Points); Only vs Attacks Against Him (-1/2).

 

I thought it was pretty cool

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

Extensive Allies amongst the Poltergeists: Luck 5d6 (25 Active Points);

Side Effects occur automatically whenever Power is used

(affects both character and recipient of Power's benefits; practical jokes and petty thievery; -1),

 

they help you out, then they take $200 out of your wallet,

and crack open the ink in all your pens.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

My current project, Jack-of-All-Trades (aka Crazy Jack), has Duplication with a 15 or less (i.e. rarely fails) Activation roll. The power also has Side Effects such that a failed roll results in a uncontrolled (i.e. NPC) Duplicate. This has created a few fun situations ranging from a humorous "Crazy Clone" to me being knocked out from behind by one of my own Duplicates.

 

Here are some of my favorites from past projects...

Bouncing - Leaping with a Trigger that activates when the character comes into contact with a solid surface

Berserk Rage - Damage Reduction with Side Effects that causes the character to become Enraged

Super Grappling - Clinging Damage Shield equal to the character's STR and buying up Casual STR equal to the character's normal STR (in case it's not obvious, this results in Grabbed foes having to make two rolls to escape a Grab while I get to roll twice to escape a Grab)

 

I'll post more when I think of them...

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

Not really a power, but it's AMAZING what Well Connected and lots of contacts can do to a game.

 

For actual powers, I had a samurai type character with 16D6 of Dispel vs. Fire as one of his sword's powers. Came in really handy a couple of times. Good for putting out fires started by bad guys -or just helping out the local fire department when passing by(never hurts to get some good press). And when the bad guys pulls out his flame thrower - fun to watch it sputter. Not to mention what you can do to "flying flame boy". It was almost an afterthought when I put it in the sword but it ended up being very useful.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

Don't remember actual power constructs, but the ones I recall as having fun with in-game:

 

Desolid + usable by others (x2 extra people). Since the game started out with just me and two others, was often very handy. Many's the attack I helped them avoid with a timely desolid, and getting into the bad guy's hideout was generally pretty easy.

 

EB with indirect. Instead of going with a swiss army knife multipower, I built an EB with one goal in mind - being able to shoot a big EB, and be able to control it's path - shoot around corners, knock bad guys certain directions, etc. Let me tell you, an indirect spread EB can ruin the bad guys' day.

 

Overall levels useable by others (at range). A simple luck construct, able to add X to ally's OCV/DCV, etc.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

I've an idea for (what I think is) a nifty power, though am stuck on how to stat it out (I know it'd be some sort of Transform).

 

Guy has some container, which must be fully sealable (not necessarily air- or water-tight, but enough that you cannot see what's in it when closed). He concentrates a moment (i.e., uses his power), opens it, and whatever had been in there is now in there again.

 

If he had an empty discarded pizza box, his power would recreate the pizza in it, fresh and warm as the day it was delivered. Pick up an empty gun, use his power, it's reloaded with whatever rounds had last been in it. Touch a car with an empty fuel tank, use his power, the fuel tank's filled with whatever substance has last been in it (hopefully not sugar!). Pick up an empty wallet, use his power, it's now filled with whatever had last been in it.

 

One twist for this power: the guy's not actually re-creating things, he's reaching back in time and pulling them to him. Which can cause lots and lots and lots of problems.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

I've an idea for (what I think is) a nifty power' date=' though am stuck on how to stat it out (I know it'd be some sort of Transform).[/quote']

 

Actually, to me this sounds like a Limited form of Extra-Dimensional Movement (through time) Usable As Attack. You move the interior of the container back to the time at which it contained the desired item.

 

I tried hard to come up with several fresh power constructs for my article on Profesor Muerte for DH #44, but I could never really get my head around one concept until after the article was published. :o It was for a character who's essentially a disembodied head, suspended in the air by multiple electronic cables which connect him cybernetically to various machines that he controls. I had trouble defining what would happen to those cables if he or they were attacked physically.

 

What I eventually decided is to define the cables as a Compound Power, Clinging plus Knockback Resistance. Clinging would resist someone physically pulling the character loose from his cable connections, while KBR would be the cables absorbing the momentum of blows or blasts directed against him. Any attack or use of STR which exceeds these Powers would break the connections completely.

 

I also wanted a defined result for someone attacking the cables directly to try to cut them. I gave his Clinging/Knockback Resistance the Limitations, Physical Manifestation and Ablative. PM sets a DCV and DEF for the cables. They're Ablative in that each time an attack exceeds their DEF, one or more of the cables would be cut, weakening the whole. Rather than DEF being reduced, the Compound Power itself would suffer an Activation Roll degrading with each successful attack until completely destroyed, as per the description of Ablative.

 

(BTW the above is one of a number of updates to my article, available upon request.) ;)

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

My current project' date=' Jack-of-All-Trades (aka Crazy Jack), has Duplication with a 15 or less (i.e. rarely fails) Activation roll. The power also has Side Effects such that a failed roll results in a uncontrolled (i.e. NPC) Duplicate. This has created a few fun situations ranging from a humorous "Crazy Clone" to me being knocked out from behind by one of my own Duplicates.[/quote']I love this! :thumbup:

Here are some of my favorites from past projects...

Bouncing - Leaping with a Trigger that activates when the character comes into contact with a solid surface

I like the basic idea, but I'm curious how you wrote it up. How did the character regain control? How did he, you know, walk?

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

I like the basic idea' date=' but I'm curious how you wrote it up. How did the character regain control? How did he, you know, walk?[/quote']

Good question. The power went through several incarnations. To make a long story short, we finally settled on the Trigger being reset as a Zero Phase Action, limiting the character to one bounce per phase. The SFX of the Triggered Leaping was a "Repulsion Field" that could be turned off (i.e. the character didn't spend an Action to reset the Trigger).

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

Duplication with the special effect being someone reaching into an alternate universe and brow-beating his counterpart into helping him.

 

Things can get rather complicated when several of your alternate selves are also capable of such, hence a Multipower full of Multiforms.

 

If the PC wasnt available then an alternate self probably was, which caused no end of problems.

 

That one could be fun with the disadvantage: "May be abruptly brow-beaten into helping a counterpart without notice."

 

Suddenly the player gets snatched - just for a quick fight or something - to a alternate universe while in the shower, at dinner, or wherever. (:

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  • 3 weeks later...

Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

I wanted to make a character that was just an inteligent, magical sword that controled and improved a follower. "Hey! Stop chatting with my meat-puppet. I'm down here, in the scabard."

 

Teleport, usable as attack, and a few levels of megascale is always fun. Send the enemy brick into the stratosphere and you'll have a minute or so to fight off the rest of the badies before the bloke comes back. Hitting the ground at terminal velocity won't make him very happy though. Get enough megascale and you can see if your big enemy can survive a close encounter with the sun.

 

With enough mind control, you can have all sorts of fun. "Eat this puppy." "Grawn, go get me a burger." Add area effect and you can turn an army of henchmen into a musical group.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

The great standby of unusual abilities is the old Instant Change (back in the day when that was a separate Power), Usable Against Others (known these days as Usable As Attack).

 

Someone once used that ability to change Armadillo's powered armor into a pink tutu. It still had all of the same abilities, including full-coverage armor; it just looked for all the world like a pink tutu.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

4th edition

shape shift any humaniod,0end persistant,fully invisible effect(perfect match if touched original)female only

 

then 5th ed came out 2 yrs later points more than doubled

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

Some bad guy in the old Red Doom supplement had Flight - Useable As Attack and it simply messed up my martial artist's good time. Slamming him into walls, hurling him at his allies, etc. A good idea that I hated.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

I've just finished up designing my first ever patriotic super soldier character.

 

Gave him: Images: Normal Hearing, no range, +5 PER,0 End, only to create inspirational theme music

Then I linked: +10 PRE and +5 EGO: UBO(8), ranged, only for defensive purposes

 

His theme music boosts the morale of his allies, inspiring and giving them confidence. Eventually, I want to add in +1 overall csl as part of the generic effect. I also plan on adding in a small STUN heal and larger END heal with a single charge for the occasional dramatic team Rally.

 

The name? Anthem

 

-TheInexplicable

 

Edit: Oh, and the Presence attack does knockback from the book is one of mine. I actually had does knockback and double knockback on it. My players STILL hate that villain and it has been years...

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

Jester....

 

Case of the Giggles: Sonic Attack, area effect - cone, Only when he laughs.

Pull My Finger: Change Environment, minuses to smell and sight (due to squinting) and DCV

The Clown Car Effect (aka Send in the Clowns): 8xDuplication, OAF - Bulky - unique Doorway (with door attached)

Mr. Sticky: +15 INT, OAF: Puppet on a stick, verbal component (Talking with his stick puppet would give him inspiration)...I think I included a few INT based skills in this as well.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

Mine's along the lines of 'cool concept, but how do I write it up?' as well:

 

I want make a duplicator called Gangsta who can make about 16 dupes, all being his slightly above normal street fighting self. BUT, when he merges back with them, he gains more speed, strength, endurance, etc. Perhaps even allowing a dupe to merge with a dupe and become a more powerful dupe, ie: eight double strength fighters, or four quadruple strength fighters, two octuple ...and of course add a moderately fast fade rate for those abilities so he doesn't get too powerful for very long.

 

I can probably figure it out, it's just my procrastination being prevalent that stops me right now.

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

I used this power construct on a lion moreau character:

 

Roar: (Total: 70 Active Cost, 29 Real Cost)

Hearing Group Images 1" radius, +/-8 to PER Rolls (29 Active Points); Set Effect (Lion's Roar) (-1), No Range (-1/2) (Real Cost: 12) plus

+20 PRE (20 Active Points); Limited Power Only for fear-based Presence attacks (-1), Linked (Images; -1/2) (Real Cost: 8) plus

Double Knockdown (+1/4) for up to 60 Active Points of Presence Attacks (15 Active Points); Linked (Images; -1/2); No Range (-1/2) (Real Cost: 7) plus

Telekinesis (4 STR) (6 Active Points); Limited Power Only to push away (-1), Linked (Images; -1/2), Reduced By Range (-1/4) (Real Cost: 2)

 

The double knockdown was basically a tap into the avatistic fear of large predators that our simian ancestors would have had, causing weakness in the knees and momentary paralysis...

 

The TK... well, if you're making a noise loud enough to be heard clearly 200' away, well, I imagine the amount of air expelled is impressive...:D

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

This Bomb Has A Tiny Gyroscope...: +30 PRE (30 Active Points), 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), IIF (-1/4). Real Cost: 12 Pts.

 

IIF can be any ordinary object a gentleman would have on him (a cigarette case, a cell phone, a lighter, a hand in a card game, a martini shaker...). The idea is to bluff the enemy into thinking that the item has a secret power that it, in fact, doesn't actually have, or is more powerful than it actually is. No Skill roll is actually needed- the idea is that the power of the supposed gadget supplements the Character's Bluff skill, as a bonus to Deuce's PRE. He can really only use this power once per day, but if he can recover the item he can use it against another target or targets later (hence the Recoverable).

 

Deuce once used this ability to convince an alien leader that an ordinary (if somewhat large) steel ball bearing was in fact a "thermal detonator" of just-sub-atomic power... and if they wanted to remain in one unburnt piece he had to order his compatriots to remain where they were. They did. (Hey, it worked for Princess Leia!)

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Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

Mine's along the lines of 'cool concept, but how do I write it up?' as well:

 

I want make a duplicator called Gangsta who can make about 16 dupes, all being his slightly above normal street fighting self. BUT, when he merges back with them, he gains more speed, strength, endurance, etc. Perhaps even allowing a dupe to merge with a dupe and become a more powerful dupe, ie: eight double strength fighters, or four quadruple strength fighters, two octuple ...and of course add a moderately fast fade rate for those abilities so he doesn't get too powerful for very long.

 

I can probably figure it out, it's just my procrastination being prevalent that stops me right now.

 

Off the top of my head

 

You can just give him Stats w/ a custom limit (Based on # of Duplicates Merged, X Active Points per Duplicate) could be as high as -1 depending on how often you're out to the full 16.

 

For the other I think you'll need ranged recombination as a naked advantage with indirect and the limit must be in contact w/ another duplicate. Then you can apply the power above (Duplicate A, B & C are combined X*3 APs).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Re: Unique, interesting powers

 

I would make Gangsta as, to start with, the very powerful version. Then give the powerful version DuplicationX16 with limitations on all his other abilities of -1/-5/whatever per duplicate.

 

I love the 'This (object) Is A Bomb!' idea but wouldn't the fact that he's drawingh attention to the object make it an obvious focus?

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