Time related powers

[incrdbil]

I'm looking for variosu time control related power suggestions.

 

Specifically--freezing another person in time.

 

Stopping time except for the user

 

--User and one other

 

Short term time travel that can alter prior acts/actions (rememeber the old temporal fugue power from Dragon magazine?)

 

I'm looking for ways to do it in game, and suggestions on keeping it from breaking the game. I have some ideas, but I'm interested in fresh attempts on these effects. Thanks for your input.

[Tom]

Re: Time related powers

 

Here is a character I used in a game with at least similar abilities. Nothing like the 'temporal fugue' ability, but short term time stoppage is the primary SFX for most of her abilities...

 

Amy Jackson

 

Player: Tom (DNPC)

 

Val Char Cost

35 STR 25

26 DEX 48

21 CON 22

10 BODY 0

13 INT 3

12 EGO 4

18 PRE 8

14 COM 2

 

19/25 PD 12

14/20 ED 10

6 SPD 24

15 REC 8

42 END 0

39 STUN 0

 

6" RUN 0

2" SWIM 0

7" LEAP 0

Characteristics Cost: 166

 

Cost Power

50 In the blink of an eye: MP, 50-point reserve

7m 1) All the Time in the World: +5 Overall; Costs END (-1/2)

5u 2) Already Done: Minor Transform 2d6 (standard effect: 6 points) (Complete simple tasks (homework, cleaning, etc)), Partial Transform (+1/2), Area Of Effect (3" Radius; +1) (50 Active Points)

3u 3) Sidestepping: Teleportation 12", No Relative Velocity, Position Shift, Safe Blind Teleport (+1/4) (49 Active Points); Must Pass Through Intervening Space (-1/4), no NCM (-1/4)

3m 4) Timing the Setup: HA +4d6 (20 Active Points); HtH Attack (-1/2)

2u 5) Taking a break: Aid END 4d6 (40 Active Points); Costs Endurance (-1/2), Only Restores to Starting Values (-1/2), Self Only (-1/2)

4u 6) Being Everywhere at Once: Area Of Effect (up to 4" Any Area; +1), Selective (+1/4) for up to 35 Active Points of STR (44 Active Points) [Notes: 7 END total]

Looking Ahead

8 1) Reading the Field: Defense Maneuver I-IV; Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4)

8 2) Saw it coming: +2 with DCV; Costs END (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4)

3 Damage Resistance (3 PD/3 ED)

5 Mental Defense (7 points total)

Powers Cost: 98

 

Cost Martial Arts Maneuver

Aikido

3 1) Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, 8d6 +v/5, Target Falls

3 2) Takedown: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +1 DCV, 8d6 Strike; Target Falls

4 3) Escape: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 55 STR vs. Grabs

Disciplined Strength

4 1) Determined Blow: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +0 DCV, 10d6 Strike

4 +1 HTH Damage Class(es)

Martial Arts Cost: 18

 

Cost Skill

3 WF: Small Arms, Knives

3 Stealth 14-

3 Riding 14-

3 Combat Driving 14-

1 TF: Horses, Motocycles, Small Motorized Ground Vehicles, Snowmobiles

1 Computer Programming 8-

2 KS 11-

3 Breakfall 14-

5 +1 with DCV

3 Teamwork 14-

3 Streetwise 13-

Skills Cost: 30

 

 

Cost Talent

27 Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Function as a Sense) 12-

12 Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED)

Talents Cost: 39

 

Total Character Cost: 351

 

Pts. Disadvantage

15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major)

5 Social Limitation: Teenager (Occasionally, Minor)

20 Hunted: VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)

15 Watched: UNTIL 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC is otherwise very easy to find, Watching)

15 Psych: Protective of innocents (Common, Strong)

15 Psych: Strives to live the "Heroic Ideal" (Common, Strong)

5 Distinctive Features: Unusual aura -- not entirely in synch with linear time (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable Only By Unusual Senses or Special Technology)

10 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Temporal or XDim SFX (Uncommon)

Disadvantage Points: 100

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 51

Total Experience Available: 51

Experience Unspent: 0

 

 

This is from the powers/tactics section of her sheet...

 

This represents a speedster/demi-brick fairly new to her powers. Reflexes and reaction time are above normal, and she can temporarily step outside of linear time, travelling (t-port) over various distances or move in the blink of an eye to avoid attacks (DCV levels) -- even avoiding parts of an AOE (Combat Luck). She can also take 'extra' time by stepping out of the timestream to accomplish simple tasks (Already Done) or to perform many tasks better (All the Time in the World). By 'freezing' an opponent in time (OK, so she's really stepping out of time) she can place a punch for maximum effect, or strike an opponent multiple times in the blink of an eye. She can also attack multiple targets in her immediate area without seeming to even move...

 

Being out of synch with linear time, she can frequently sense what is about to happen before it does.

[薔薇語]

Re: Time related powers

 

Here is a character I used in a game with at least similar abilities. Nothing like the 'temporal fugue' ability' date=' but short term time stoppage is the primary SFX for most of her abilities...[/quote']

 

Between all the code, I'm sure there is a great character there. .

 

La Rose.

[Duke Bushido]

Re: Time related powers

 

I wish I had something to offer you. I really do. I mean, I _do_, but it's not particularly popular, and it costs _plenty_.

 

I asked that same question many years ago, and the general suggestion was to "do it through SPD:" buy a high level of SPD and CSLs, etc, to represent the end result of "I can do ten things while you're in a quagmire of time" and "I can hit you, but you can't hit me" aspects.

 

I never really liked that; it didn't feel right.

 

What I put together instead (and it's never been playtested or refined, because after I spent an evening feeling it out, the player changed concepts) was a miasma of Change Environment, Drain: SPD, and "Extra Phases" all cobbled together into a very expensive bundle that was awaiting testing.

 

I offer it to you as a starting point.

 

Alternatively (and I went with the above build because I always try to avoid anything from the "Trifecta of Cobble"), you might consider an area effect on Transform, targets into barely-moving flesh statues, that heals up or simply ends under a given circumstance.

[Tom]

Re: Time related powers

 

Between all the code, I'm sure there is a great character there. .

 

La Rose.

 

She was a lot of fun... And I changed templates, she's a bit more readable now...

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Time related powers

 

I'm looking for variosu time control related power suggestions.

 

Specifically--freezing another person in time.

 

Stopping time except for the user

 

--User and one other

 

Short term time travel that can alter prior acts/actions (rememeber the old temporal fugue power from Dragon magazine?)

 

I'm looking for ways to do it in game, and suggestions on keeping it from breaking the game. I have some ideas, but I'm interested in fresh attempts on these effects. Thanks for your input.

 

The first 2 are easy:

EDM Usable As Attack

Enter the Speed Zone (A speedster version of EDM)

 

The 3rd one is a potential game breaker (even more than Enter the Speed Zone imho).

EDM could be used but some sort of anti-paradox limitation is probably needed.

Another option is to use Precognition.

[incrdbil]

Re: Time related powers

 

Some intriguin ideas.

 

The one ability of freezing one person in time, I was using...well..mental illusion with a significant set effect. Completely changes the persons reality. I thought about a based on ego entangle..but the cost of making the person not notice what had happened to them was amazing--blocking the sense ofpassage of time seemed to cheesy to me.

 

 

 

I'm goign to have to break down and get the speed zone thing..or is it similar to the mental zone from ultimate mentalist?

 

As for Transforms..thats possible. I'd like to change it from power defense being the defense..but lacking anythign better..hmm...

 

Well, some of the powers included above are going directly into a characters Temporal VPP, so great results already!

[Matt Holck]

Re: Time related powers

 

Duplication comes to mind

as in sometime in the near future, my character travels back in time to help my character out

the Duplicate from the future would have danger sense to simulate already knowing what's going to happen

[Certified]

Re: Time related powers

 

Word of Time Phasing: Drain Speed 3d6+1 (standard effect: 10 points), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1), Cumulative (76 points; +1) (124 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about two-thirds of its effectiveness (Only takes effect if the Target's Speed would drop to 0; -1 1/2), Incantations (-1/4)

 

Final Cost: 45 Real Points

 

Although it is too weak to work on Speedsters characters with a Speed 7 or below can be stopped in their tracks. Granted it takes a number of Phases equal to the target's Speed (assuming they don't have Power Defense) but when it hits they'll know it.

[Matt Holck]

Re: Time related powers

 

I believe drain is already Cumulative

nor is there any max limit on drain attacks

 

I'd drop the limited effect and the continuous and say the target is simple put in a slower time field

 

It's a points and playability issue

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Time related powers

 

...

 

I'm going to have to break down and get the speed zone thing..or is it similar to the mental zone from ultimate mentalist?

 

...

 

I haven't looked at the ultimate mentalist in a while. It is similar to Enter the Microverse though.

 

My namesake character has a minimal version of it.

[CoreBrute]

Re: Time related powers

 

To reflect being able to change recent events that have already happened, you could have healing bought so as only to heal damage you've taken in the last turn. The SFX is that you went back in time and changed things for the previous you so the attacks missed or was reduced.

[Matt Holck]

Re: Time related powers

 

sweet

 

and maybe heal damage others had taken

[casualplayer]

Re: Time related powers

 

Missile Reflection/Deflection for stopping incoming attacks as they are coming.

Desolidification UAA to cause someone to be "unstuck in time" has both defensive and offensive utility.

Mind Control-Only to make them do something they have done recently can "Groundhog Day" a target.

Teleport-Only to somewhere recently traveled from can set someone to walking a Moebius Strip.

 

Is it all time freeze from the perspective of the frozen?

[incrdbil]

Re: Time related powers

 

The all time freeze means tiem is stopped, with the user able to interact with the environemnt that is frozen in time. My intent is to keep this a short term power.

 

Some overall philosophy on time travel in this campaign, to help with power formulation/discussion:

 

There is a fixed 'present', a locked in past, and many possible futures.

 

Seeing the future is tricky. Most precognitive attempts will fall into three classes:

 

The very variable future--usually immediate, and you can certainyl change the future based on your actions, but usually in minor ways (minor in terms of campaign impact). these are the most common precognitive visions, and the most clear.

 

Less common are the crisis events--the time where the rush of events has led to only a few possibilities happening, and a certain nexus event determines those possibilities. This is the classic "If X isn't stopped before Y happens,great changes/devasttaion will occur"--these visiosn are often less clear--you might not know exactly when the situation will happen, or the consequences of stopping a certain action, or exactly what led to those events happening.

 

The most rare vision is the certain future--the events of the past, destiny, whatever, have led to certain unavoidable situations. so and so will die, such and such fortress will fall, or great doom will come when a certain anniversary occurs, or the certain death of a person, or the precog themselves. These rare visions are often the most hazy, and misunderstood 9often caused by misguided attempts to avoid the vision coming true in the first place)..and they always happen..but the vision of the future might be so limited that it is misinterpreted. the precog might see the hero being betrayed by their best friend and shot in the back....but the precog didnt know that the hero was acting on wrog inormation or mind controlled into doing something terribly wrong.

 

 

Someone travelling to the past restarts progression, IOW, they unlock the events ahead. But think of it as a rock in the river--any change they make isn't going to make too much of a difference, the overwhelming tide fo what is already established will smooth over any disturbance in the long run.

 

That said, the bigger splash, the bigger change you make, and ultimately, you can divert a river if you intervene at the right point and change its course, but ultimately, some events are too big to change without immense cosmic/mystic powers aiding the common time traveller. (Wiping out life before it evolves, for example.)

 

Travellign to the future is possible, but as there are many possible futures, you cant be certain the future you go to is the one that the present course of time will fall into. the further ahead you go, the less certain the result can be. therefore information you bing back from the future may or may not be terribly reliable, based on how 'likely' the future you went to actually is. The skill in going to a more likely future (or accurately travelling in time at all) comes from a skill of the Power Skill: Time Travel.

 

 

Paradox is handled like this--the time traveller is protected by their status as a present time entity--they themselves are immune to the changes they cause. So if they kill their own grandfather..they will still exist when they return to their own time, but to a world where they never existed.

 

Multiple time travelling (ie, going back to a time you already went back to) isn't possible. IOW, time travel to change the past is a one shot event..for a specific time period. therefore, time travellers tend to stay as little time back as possible--just in case their alterations have unforseen effects, by leaving immediately afterwards they leave more of a window for their futurre self to return and try immediate damage control.

 

Travlellers from a possibel future are possible..But for that to happen, it has to come from a very likely future, certainyl one that qualifies as a nexus event. Such tampering can be countered, as the impact of a traveller from a 'possible future' is far less significant than a present time entity.

 

T

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Time related powers

 

Stopping time is not a defined power in Hero, you pretty much have to figure out exactly what you want to do while time is stopped and build a suite of powers that reflect that. The Amy Jackson character posted above is a nice example of this. You might consider getting the Ultimate Speedster which has lots of time travel tips and details on the Speed Zone.

 

As for freezing someone in time, my favorite way (which maintains some game balance), is Extra Dimensional Movement through time Usable on Others. Normally I don't like UOO with movement powers, but this is an exception. You use EDM to send the target to a fixed point in the future (say 1 turn or 1 minute). The special effect is not that they teleport to the future but that they stand there frozen in time until the future arrives. Now no one can actually attack them, because any attacks would also be frozen in time, hence the game balance (if you want to get fancy, you can make the EDM a Gate that affects everything entering the hex until the future arrives so that attacks lauched into the gate could still hit the target). You could of course suspend a large heavy object over them in the intervening time or set up a placed shot, you just can't attack them with abandon while they are frozen.

 

If you want to be able to attack them while they are frozen, you would go with a Transparent Entangle. You probably want to have it work against a different Characteristic than STR (INT maybe?), since is makes no sense that a brick could muscle his way out of a time freeze. You would have to accept that the freeze field could be disrupted by outside attacks so other characters could help out their frozen teammate though.

[Arkham]

Re: Time related powers

 

For Frozen in Time, I think EDM Usable as Attack, with a defined fairly short distance into the future, a minute or less, being prefered. Add a limitation similar to Visible, if its usable on yourself, so that everyone knows you're there and going to reenter the timestream at some point. For added fun, add Physical Manifestation and Sticky, so that those trying to interact with the targets frozen in time are also stuck in time until the destination moment.

 

To step outside of time, I like a nice basic 360 degree rapid telescopic N-Ray for sight, plus enough teleport (Must pass through intervening space) to get to the limit of your time outside time.

If you want to be able to move things when stepped outside of time, then you should figure out what the most common uses of this would be and model those. Missile Deflection+Reflection, AoE Telekinesis, AoE Selective Entangles based on available materials, etc.

[casualplayer]

Re: Time related powers

 

Frozen is an absolute and HERO really hates absolutes and does not do them well. Pretty much got to do this with a VPP and the character's imagination comes up short when the pool points do.