Transforms, CSLs and Disads

[Scifi_Toughguy]

I have a villain built with a 5d6 transform people into ice statues. He has 3 CSLs with his ranged ice powers. I went to attack a heat based character with said transform and put all three CSLs into damage. The heat based (player) character has a disadvantage that they take 2x STUN from cold based attacks. How would you all resolve this?

 

I ruled that the disad is for STUN so the body based transform didn't get any extra punch from that. I put the 3 CSLs as another .5d6 of damage (I always try to rule in the players favor especially when then attack could have taken the character out of the fight). I wound up rolling 21 which was one less than the 22 required for the hero popsicle. On the very next segment, the heat based character tags freezer pop maker and sends him into the -87 stun nether regions.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Transforms, CSLs and Disads

 

I have a villain built with a 5d6 transform people into ice statues. He has 3 CSLs with his ranged ice powers. I went to attack a heat based character with said transform and put all three CSLs into damage. The heat based (player) character has a disadvantage that they take 2x STUN from cold based attacks. How would you all resolve this?

 

I ruled that the disad is for STUN so the body based transform didn't get any extra punch from that.

 

Agreed.

 

I put the 3 CSLs as another .5d6 of damage (I always try to rule in the players favor especially when then attack could have taken the character out of the fight).

 

3 CSL's for +2 DC's does not compute. IIRC, it's +1 DC per 2 CSL's, which only leaves enough for +1. Don't the "skill levels to damage" rules change in Supers campaigns.

 

I wound up rolling 21 which was one less than the 22 required for the hero popsicle. On the very next segment' date=' the heat based character tags freezer pop maker and sends him into the -87 stun nether regions.[/quote']

 

I'm curious about relative DC's. If I assume Freeze had 1 stun left and 20 defenses, he took 108 damage before defenses, an above average roll on 27d6. Maybe he was Vulnerable to fire or this was a KA with a large stun multiple. In the latter case, that's still 22+ BOD on the KA, which is the roll Freeze needed to Transform, so they at least should have had close DC's.

[Scifi_Toughguy]

Re: Transforms, CSLs and Disads

 

Thank you for the clarifications. I fell better about the ruling when you point out the DC thingy. I had to make a quick ruling and KA don't come up a whole lot.

Freeze does indeed have a vulnerability to heat/fire attacks. The damage roll on the 12d6 EB was 61 I believe. It was a good roll. I really like the villain, I wish he wouldn't get one shotted all the time by the heat PC.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Transforms, CSLs and Disads

 

In super genre 2 skill levels give you +1 Body or +3 Stun. You can always use the heroic skill level rules if you prefer. I'm not quite sure why we have different rules for different genres with substantially different results. Musings for another thread, perhaps.

 

On the one-shotting villains thing, I get like that with villains I like too, but you have to remind yourself that it is good when justice triumphs.

 

Alternatively you can change the build a little

 

Sticking extra DEF on is cheating, probably, but an ice character could probably build up extra ice armour that shatters away as it is damaged. Some ablative defences would make the character last a little longer whilst making him still take-downable.

 

Alternatively, and especially for the heat-hero, you could have a triggered desolid on a single continuous charge lasting a turn or two: basically when KO'd the character is vapourised, but re-condenses after a couple of turns (long enough to get in a decent amount of recovery), and possibly surprise the heroes.

 

Powers of that sort are a good way to spend villain XP - they are relatively cheap and perfectly logical - if that is how you get taken down that is what you are going to work on avoiding. Villains can learn and develop too - and it is nice to keep the PCs on their toes.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Transforms, CSLs and Disads

 

Thank you for the clarifications. I fell better about the ruling when you point out the DC thingy. I had to make a quick ruling and KA don't come up a whole lot.

Freeze does indeed have a vulnerability to heat/fire attacks. The damage roll on the 12d6 EB was 61 I believe. It was a good roll. I really like the villain, I wish he wouldn't get one shotted all the time by the heat PC.

 

Sounds like an opportunity for a "villains attack heroes one on one" structure. Freeze can't seem to beat Heat, so he swaps opponents with someone who can, ideally after luring the heroes in separate directions.

 

Of course, we want the heroes to ultimately win, but it's better if the villains have some opportunity to show off first.

[Doc Samson]

Re: Transforms, CSLs and Disads

 

On a side note, if wanted the Vulnerability to include Transforms, Entangles, or other such non-damage type attacks, the Vulnerability Disad has a x1.5-2 Effect option in addition to STUN and BODY.

[prestidigitator]

Re: Transforms, CSLs and Disads

 

It sounds like a Major Transform to me, which means 15 points per die. Since that is right in line with a KA, I think I'd do it with KA type die increments: +1pip, +1d3, +1d6, with each increment of course requiring 2 CSLs. KAs are sort of what Transform was modelled on originally anyway, so it makes sense.