Gadget Pool: odds & ends

[Rebar]

I'm developing a character who is a master of assembling things out of junk he collects during an adventure. I don't want to concentrate on what he collects so much as how much he collects.

 

eg. if he's been in the adventure in a suitable environment (say, an electronics lab), he might have been able to scrounge 20 pounds of stuff, which might be enough to power his 100pt gadget pool. But if he's spent time in a less suitable environment (a desert), he might only have a few pounds if any, limiting his ability to make stuff in his gadget pool.

 

Note that he doesn't need to have stuff around him (conditional power would work for this), he collects stuff and keeps it for an indeterminate length of time - he can store it.

 

Obviously, a gadget pool - but I've been thinking of powering the GP from an endurance battery with the SFX "collected junk". That way, it will "recover" when he passes through a lab, doing a little pilfering on the side, but the battery is susceptible to being drained (if he has to drop all his stuff) or to not being able to recover (if he's in a desert).

 

Problem is, the End battery automatically drains when powers are used. i.e. say he's collected 10lbs (10End) of stuff. Any power he creates will suck up that End as if - rather than making devices - he is using them/throwing them/burning them (unless he buys his powers with 0 End).

 

Can anyone think of an other way of building this contruct?

 

A Gadgetry skill roll is aniother way of doing it, but then I'd have to make the call as to what the minus or plusses are - and it would be dependent on events past remembered. It'd be cooler if the player tracked his own reservoir.

[Beast]

Re: Gadget Pool: odds & ends

 

A transfer of body(electronics of oppertunity to end)the effect is that you are disassembling stuff to feed the reserve this would have to be paid with personal end but you could focus it(oaf sonic screwdriver)

 

sonic screwdriver: Transfer 2d6 (body to end reserve) (30 Active Points); OAF (-1), Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (only vs electronic devices; -1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2)

 

this should get you about 28 end from 7 body of electronics(average roll)

but you have to be out of combat to do it (well you could do it in combat you would just be DCV 0)

[ghost-angel]

Re: Gadget Pool: odds & ends

 

Make the REC of the END Reserver conditional: Only when stuff is collected or a current thing is disassembled back into parts.

 

Or, create a customized Power called "Active Point Reservoir" ... work it similar to an END Reserve, but you can add to the AP you can use to build by collecting junk, and every time you build a piece of equipment you use that many AP from the Reservoir.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Gadget Pool: odds & ends

 

An END reserve will cost you points for what is in fact a limitation, so I would not go that route, even though it is quite an attractive idea mechanically.

 

I'd simply agree with the GM what your reserves are and take a limitation on the control cost: 'Requires appropriate reserves to change powers', the limitation depending on how hard the GM plans to be on you.

 

Any mechanism you build to simulate this should not cost you anything in character points, even if you want to build it like a power.

[pinecone]

Re: Gadget Pool: odds & ends

 

The only thing that comes to mind is a AID:Gizmos: Lim: Consumes supplies...collect up goods, carry them around...and when you need something extra, you boost a Gizmo and use up the dingus supply...????

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Gadget Pool: odds & ends

 

Twiddle with the Charges Limitation a bit. The description of Variable Power Pool states that when the Charges Limitation is applied to a Power inside the Pool, and the Charges are used up, those points are not available to be used again until the Charges recover. Maybe Expendable Focus?

[pinecone]

Re: Gadget Pool: odds & ends

 

Twiddle with the Charges Limitation a bit. The description of Variable Power Pool states that when the Charges Limitation is applied to a Power inside the Pool' date=' and the Charges are used up, those points are not available to be used again until the Charges recover. Maybe Expendable Focus?[/quote']

 

Yeah, maybe Bootable charges (can expend extra charges to get a power increase...)

[Alibear]

Re: Gadget Pool: odds & ends

 

Distinctive Features: Always stealing stuff.

[Ganesh]

Re: Gadget Pool: odds & ends

 

Could you make it so the control cost of the pool "costs END" which is pulled from an END reserve that he refills by stashing gadget-y stuff?

 

That was he's only burning through the reserve whenever he makes a new gadget, which seems appropriate.