How much for that cell phone?

[Wormhole]

Originally posted by Hugh Neilson

The owner of the phone number must be on file somewhere. If he can pay cash, then he should have no problem. Of course, he should consider where he leaves the phone while in secret ID - hard to explain why you don't answer it...

 

If you can get by with local calling only, perhaps you can stay somewhat anonymous. I'm not a big fan of cellphones, so I wouldn't be familiar with anonymous phones. You have a number - there must be a name attached to it somewhere.

 

At the end of the day, from a game perspective, it's no different from a car. If you want to use it in play, you pay the points for it (assuming the campaign as a whole doesn't allow equipment purchases with money).

Funny, it doesn't seem like they care if you say you're Seymoir Butts at some of the places I've seen selling prepaid phones.

[Urklore]

I thought there is suppose to be a PDF or some sort coming out with all sorts of common everday items written up for champions. The everyman's catalog or something. Steve?

[Zed-F]

Originally posted by Urklore

I thought there is suppose to be a PDF or some sort coming out with all sorts of common everday items written up for champions. The everyman's catalog or something. Steve?

 

That would be tres handy. Right now I'm trying to guess how much to pay for a real-world laptop for my "teen hero" idea. I've got it pegged at 3 points right now, but that might be a bit high, considering her vehicle costs 3 points and does a heck of a lot more than a laptop does...

 

Of course with disadvantages the vehicle comes to 65 RP, and as with most vehicles pretty much everything has a OIF, Bulky (-1) limitation on it. Maybe I should just build the laptop as a computer & see what happens. You could probably do the same with a cell phone if you really wanted detailed stats on it.

[BoloOfEarth]

I played in a GenCon game where Cell Phone was a 1-point Perk. However, that was also during the BBB days, pre-Fifth.

 

I would allow common normal tech as no-point-cost, but might require some sort of financial requirement (not Poor or Destitute, for instance). However, rare or cutting-edge tech should cost something. So a normal cell phone wouldn't cost points in my game, but a photo-phone would. And since I doubt those can be purchased as disposables for cash, you do have potential Secret ID problems.

[Urklore]

Be careful with those cellphone guys. I remember the spiderman 2003 MTV ep with Silver Sable. Parker was in his spiderman outfit talking to mary jane on his cellphone while walking on a building. As a GM I thought 'That would suck if it fell or he lost it while in superhero ID.'

 

 

'operator can you trace this number or cellphone to the orginator'

 

'Peter Parker IS spiderman'? Let's get em boys

[Hugh Neilson]

Originally posted by Urklore

Be careful with those cellphone guys. I remember the spiderman 2003 MTV ep with Silver Sable. Parker was in his spiderman outfit talking to mary jane on his cellphone while walking on a building. As a GM I thought 'That would suck if it fell or he lost it while in superhero ID.'

 

What if someone snaps a picture for the evening news and your nosy DNPC happens to notice it's about the time of your telephone discussion...

 

"Promise me you'll keep your cell phone handy in case I need to reach you."

 

"Yes Dear!"

 

When you see the super (and you KNOW you will - after all, you're the DNPC), call the cell. How many times can he make an excuse convincing?

[Tech]

Originally posted by archer

Independent?

 

You're joking, right?

 

Your phone breaks and you're permanently out 7 points?

 

Dude, my phone broke a couple of months ago and I paid $50 and got a new one.

 

No, it's not Independent, not by any stretch of the imagination. I know you needed something to not make it cost 25 points, but Independent is not that something.

 

Hero: "Excuse me, I need a new cellphone."

Service Rep: "I'm sorry. You can't have one."

Hero: "What?"

S.R: "Yes, when you purchased it, you signed this contract."

Hero: "So what? I'll pay cash."

S.R: "I'm sorry. According to this contract, you cannot buy another cellphone for the rest of your life."

Hero: "That's ridiculous! Give me one!"

S.R.: "If you threaten me, I'll have to call Security."

Ogre stands behind the S.R. in a security uniform and grins.

Hero: "Fine, then! I need a new toaster."

S.R.: "You bought your last one at the same time as your cellphone, didn't you...?"

[BenKimball]

Here's what I've done in my game. I didn't want to just give the cell phones away, but I wanted them cheap, too.

 

1-800-CHAMPION: High Range Radio Perception (Radio Group) (12 Active Points); Independent (-2), Cellular voice communication only (-2), Extra Time (1 Turn, -1 1/4), OAF (-1), Sense Also Affected As Hearing (-1/2). Real Cost: 1.

 

The Extra Time limitation is pretty much just to make the cell phone useless in combat, and represents time dialing, waiting for the cell phone to connect to the network, etc. The Cellular voice communication only is (obviously) a custom disad meant to represent the extremely limited spectrum of HRRP that the cellphone makes available.

 

Cheers!

Ben