Pariah Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 After I posted Red Giant & Quark over at the DC Animated-style HeroMachine thread, it occurred to me that while I've designed characters with Shrinking before, I've never actually played one as a PC. I thought back over all the characters I've ever played, even the ones with unusual power sets and/or VPPs, and sure enough, there's not a single shrinker in the bunch. I guess I've never had a character concept I wanted to play that involved that kind of Power, and I don't suppose there are any published shrinking characters I've ever wanted to emulate. True, Quark and Red Giant are thinly-veiled knock-offs of Wasp and Giant Man/Goliath/Ant Man/Yellowjacket—who are respectable enough characters, but not really my taste. (I've always considered Wasp to be a little shallow, even in her days of leading the Avengers, and Hank's just a nutcase.) So for these or whatever other reason, I've never played a shrinker in more than 20 years of Champions. So that made me wonder...are there any Powers that any of you have never played? If so, why not? Conscious decision? Unable to make the Power work the way you wanted it? Never really thought about it? Some other reason? I'm curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Querysphinx Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I just think of 'em as power sets I've never gotten around to. In terms of sheer numbers of game starts, most of the games I've started in (as a player) have exploded within a session or two, and so those characters don't really count. Thinking back on it. I've never played a straight up martial artist, unless you count a highlander homage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I've never really done Stretching, outside of a Machine Man homage. I mean the whole Mr. Fantastic style elasticity or living rubber kinda thing, mostly for lack of a good concept to go with it. I don't think I've ever done growth or shrinking ... same reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan D. Hurricanes Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? From a mechanics standpoint, I never use adjustment powers because I find them awkward and clumsy. (Ok, maybe once or twice as minor effects. But in general they are to be avoided.) From a concept standpoint, Mind Scan is one I've never used. I don't think I've ever created a heroic mentalist, though I have used mental illusions and mind control in villains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcan Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? END Reserve. It just doesn't fit most of the concepts I wind up playing... But it looks like that might change in the near future, because my long-standing character (went from 250 to 386 at death) in our current game died last session, and I just had a killer idea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I do more Game Mastering than playing, so I'm sure there are several Powers I've never run with a PC; but it's hard for me to separate them in my memory from my NPCs. If you count those, I don't think there are any Powers I haven't used over the years, except perhaps a few Enhanced Senses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaras Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? Mind Controll and Mental Illusions. I find that unless the pc or npc in question is throwing around 20% more active points in a given power than is the campaign norm they just arent effective. It seems that a little mental defence and ego make mental powers rather lacklustre. In games i am running mentalists tend to be immensely powerfull and serve as plot devices more than anything else; Menton manipulating things behind the scenes etc... Also, as a gm i dont like imposing that kind of dictum on my players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egyptoid Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? Speed Drain, or Dex Drain. I like my GM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaras Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? Speed Drain' date=' or Dex Drain. [i']I like my GM.[/i] Supress Speed. Worse. (Then add 'only Costs end to activate' +1/4) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfergus Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? If you only count characters that I've made, the following are powers I've never played: growth, stretching and speedsters. After reading Ultimate Sppedster I've decided to correct the last one soon. I did create a shrinking brick that I have not run yet. Ones I've never played as NPC as GM: Stretching and speedsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I don't use size changing powers much. For some reason I have an emotional attachment to conservation of mass that I don't have to conservation of energy or momentum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattingly Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I don't think I've ever used FTL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilkmanDan Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I've used Stretching a number of times, it's one of my favorite powersets, actually. Never done a Speedster. Not sure why as I've always kind of wanted to, just have always done something else. Also never used Duplication, which just seemed like extra work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted June 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? It occurs to me that I've never used Duplication on a PC either, though I had an idea for a character once. It involved not only Duplication (4x), but also Shape Shift. In other words, someone who could be John, Paul, George, and Ringo all at the same time. I'd thought of the name 'Myriad', but never actually built it. I've also never used Multiform, except with a villain NPC in the campaign I'm running now. The person could access the evolutionarily dormant DNA in his body and transform into a number of prehistoric creatures (i.e., dinosaurs). I called him Epoch. As far as a PC goes, though, I've recently been thinking about Multiform as a way to do a Mecha.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Samson Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I have never used Tranform to change a person into a coconut custard pie...honest...believe me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan D. Hurricanes Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I find that hard to believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Mhoram Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? It occurs to me that I've never used Duplication on a PC either, though I had an idea for a character once. It involved not only Duplication (4x), but also Shape Shift. In other words, someone who could be John, Paul, George, and Ringo all at the same time. I'd thought of the name 'Myriad', but never actually built it. I did that once, but never played the character. It was a nightmare to build and scary to figure out how to get experience. I have a solid stretcher/Shapesifter right now, and that is the only stretchy character I've played. He also has shrinking (liked to DI - he gets smaller, but keeps the same mass). I've never had shrinking other than that. Lists of things I've never used. Density Increase (aside from the shrinking mentioned above) - I've had a couple of heavy characters, but that was concept - no one that can turn it on and off. I've never (that I can remember) used Gliding. I've never Summoned. I've had a number of VPP users that use powers occasionally, but never had a character focus on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted June 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I've had a number of VPP users that use powers occasionally' date=' but never had a character focus on it.[/quote'] Surge. (Okay, so technically Surge was primarily a martial artist {big surprise there}, but I'll always remember him as a VPP user.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkham Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? Almost always the GM, so the number of characters I've played as a PC is very limited. But as the ones I did play have all been very weird, and at least one was a VPP user, I think I've gotten them all covered. Actually, I don't think I've used Mindscan in a PC for myself to play, though when building PCs for others it has made an appearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palaskar Posted June 24, 2008 Report Share Posted June 24, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I've never used (nor seen anyone use) Tunneling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. MID-Nite Posted June 24, 2008 Report Share Posted June 24, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? For my part...I rarely use....Shrinking...Growth...Multiform...Suppress...Force Wall. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNakagawa Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I have never been allowed to play a champions character with find weakness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubba Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I made a chart a while back. After playing for 25 years, I realized that although I've used every power for at least one hero/villain, there really were a few that I very rarely used: Dispel (in Champs), Duplication (I've already got enough to keep track of), Shape Shift (not sure why), Summon (see Duplication), Suppress and Swinging. I always feel like I'm being disloyal to my comic book upbringing when I dis swinging, but REALLY, after Spidey is it ever appropriate as anything but a great entrance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maccabe Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? GROWTH, usually becuase you can't be inside of a structure and use it . How many rooms are 60 feet tall??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirage Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 Re: Powers You've Never (or Seldom) Used? I've used Stretching a number of times, it's one of my favorite powersets, actually. Never done a Speedster. Not sure why as I've always kind of wanted to, just have always done something else. Also never used Duplication, which just seemed like extra work. Stretching can be really fun, especially with a martial artist who can then do fun things like Stretching + Martial Throw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.