Superbreath!

[assault]

I'm playing around with designing a relatively "full-sized" version of Superman, and I've gotten to building his Superbreath.

 

The problem is that it's not a single power - it's a set of notionally related ones. This is why I have come to the board to ask: how would you build it?

 

What effects should be represented, and how would you approach it?

 

Points aren't an issue here.

[Nagisawa Takumi]

Re: Superbreath!

 

Multiple powers? How so?

 

Normally, I've seen him use it as an Energy Blast with a Knockdown/Knockback effect.

 

Explain?

[OddHat]

Re: Superbreath!

 

I'd build it as a big Multipower, or as a bunch of separate powers so he could MPA it. Dispel Fire / Heat, Missile Deflection, Telekinesis, NND EB (creates a vacuum), EB (cold), EB (double knockback). Maybe throw the "Super Ventriloquism" in there as well (Telepathy, Send Only; it works even in a vacuum).

 

Silver Age Superman could do pretty much as the writers wanted, when they wanted, but rarely repeated his stranger tricks. He's one of the best cases for the Power Skill.

[bubba smith]

Re: Superbreath!

 

as blowing i'd say compare it to a hurricane force winds

as inhaling think of air escaping a damaged space sattilite

[JmOz]

Re: Superbreath!

 

I really feel that a VPP may be the way to go with this

[Bloodstone]

Re: Superbreath!

 

I have a character with Super Breath as one of his main powers. I use:

 

Cumulative Dispel for Fires and Smoke/Gas/Mist type powers. Though if I recall, Superman could also use this to stop natural disasters like tidal waves, tornadoes and hurricanes... so maybe Dispel Weather would also be appropriate...

 

TK, limited to only pushing things away or pulling them towards the character.

 

EB, Double Knockback for really hard hitting gale force winds.

 

Entangle (Vulnerable to Fire) for the freezing cold stuff

 

The Entangle and EB have standard and No Range, AoE (Cone) variations.

 

Of course, for Superman I'd probably just throw it all in a VPP along with heat vision and most of his strength and speed stunts.

[assault]

Re: Superbreath!

 

Cumulative Dispel for Fires and Smoke/Gas/Mist type powers. Though if I recall, Superman could also use this to stop natural disasters like tidal waves, tornadoes and hurricanes... so maybe Dispel Weather would also be appropriate...

 

TK, limited to only pushing things away or pulling them towards the character.

 

These are the kind of aspects of the "power" I'm interested in. The attack stuff is easy, and actually less important to the character.

 

I was particularly interested in the "breathe in poisonous gas and exhale it in a safe place" type stuff. Dispel doesn't quite do that, but at least it covers the "breathe it in" part.

 

The TK is a must, of course.

 

I've already dealt with Super-Ventriloquism. It was the second power I built, after Super-Intelligence.

 

I'm probably going to go with a Multipower, although I agree that a VPP is actually more appropriate. Either way, he needs a big set of pre-built powers, which is mostly what I am looking at at the moment.

[casualplayer]

Re: Superbreath!

 

Definitely have to have Affects Porous on the TK. Then he can suck in gaseous Desolid enemies, TK Grab and Hold them in his lungs and spew them back out into a jail cell.

 

Maybe AE: Suppress to affect toxic gas clouds?

[Bloodstone]

Re: Superbreath!

 

I was particularly interested in the "breathe in poisonous gas and exhale it in a safe place" type stuff. Dispel doesn't quite do that' date=' but at least it covers the "breathe it in" part.[/quote']

 

Ranged Missile Deflection could also be good for Gaseous attacks that are instant in nature.

[assault]

Re: Superbreath!

 

After a bit of thought, and some thumbing through books, I'm going to use a mix of effects from The Ultimate Brick and Viperia's writeup in VIPER. They seem near enough for my purposes. Not perfect, but adequate.

 

I've become pretty convinced that a VPP is the most accurate way to represent Supes, though. If you look through the USPD books, there's just so much he can justify! I probably will go with a multipower for the sake of this exercise though, to encourage listing specific powers, and discourage abstract handwaving.

 

Thanks for your ideas, everyone.

 

(So, that's senses, life support, intelligence, ventriloquism, superbreath... Just about time to start on the boring powers...)

[Bloodstone]

Re: Superbreath!

 

I've become pretty convinced that a VPP is the most accurate way to represent Supes' date=' though. If you look through the USPD books, there's just so much he can justify! I probably will go with a multipower for the sake of this exercise though, to encourage listing specific powers, and discourage abstract handwaving.[/quote']

 

You can still list them.

 

When I write up most of my VPP users, I make sure to do a list of their common powers. My Speed Brick has something like 60 premade powers on his character sheet...