"wearable mecha" writeup question

[megaplayboy]

So, I have a character who has what's basically a giant mecha he pilots, and who has powers outside the mecha but not while he pilots it. He takes damage when the mecha takes damage, and the mecha's protection protects others inside it. The mecha has its own set of powers he can only use while inside it, and his other powers he can use inside the mecha(healing others, for example) but not against targets outside it.

I need help figuring out how to write this up in 6th ed. In 5th I had written the mecha up as a grouping of stat bonuses and stretching adds ala Size Increase, plus a Conforming Force Wall(persistent, with a trigger that re-erects the force wall after breach), with the feedback limitation. It also had the equivalent of Only in Alternate Form(-1/4) to represent that the character obviously couldn't pilot the mecha everywhere. The mecha's offensive multipower had indirect at the +1/4 level in order for it to attack outside of the FW. How do I write this up in 6th now?

[Panpiper]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Sounds like a vehicle to me.

[megaplayboy]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Sounds like a vehicle to me.

 

Except he takes feedback from attacks on the mecha, and the mecha, for plot purposes, is supposed to be nigh-indestructible and only usable by him. Functionally it's equivalent to a gigantic suit of power armor that has the added benefit of being able to hold some passengers. The conforming FW in 5th enabled that. But the new Barrier rules don't seem as friendly to this particular concept.

[Sean Waters]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Multiform with a focus?

[megaplayboy]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Multiform with a focus?

 

Hmm. Possible, but the mecha doesn't disappear when he steps out of it. And passengers could still be contained inside when he leaves(hence the force wall concept).

[Daltwisney]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Hmm. Possible' date=' but the mecha doesn't disappear when he steps out of it. And passengers could still be contained inside when he leaves(hence the force wall concept).[/quote']

 

Does he take damage if the mecha is attacked while he is outside it? It wouldn't seem logical, but I thought I should ask.

 

If not, then it definitely sounds like a vehicle to me, possibly with a feedback limitation on its defenses that only affects the Pilot.

[megaplayboy]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Does he take damage if the mecha is attacked while he is outside it? It wouldn't seem logical, but I thought I should ask.

 

If not, then it definitely sounds like a vehicle to me, possibly with a feedback limitation on its defenses that only affects the Pilot.

 

Hmm, based on the concept, I think he would...in this case, the big armor suit is his "link" to this plane of existence.

[Daltwisney]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

The 'passenger' thing pretty much screams Vehicle.

 

Without that, you could build the Mecha as the character, with Duplication to 'create' the pilot when he exits it. The pilot re-enters the vehicle - recombining.

Maybe EDM to 'put' passengers inside the Mecha. But then you most likely need to make those powers you want to use Transdimensional and assign them to the Mecha, limited to affecting those in it's EDM space... then give the Duplicate similar powers without the transdimensional or EDM properties...

 

Seems like a messy proposition outside the vehicle route. Sorry if this seems unfocused... damn cold medicine.....

[Sean Waters]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Hmm. Possible' date=' but the mecha doesn't disappear when he steps out of it. And passengers could still be contained inside when he leaves(hence the force wall concept).[/quote']

 

 

The focus is the mecha suit - it sia huge lump of metal until he takes the pilot seat and activates the powers - effectively multiforming himself.

 

The Passenger compartment is done with the Barrier power which, with GM permission, is anchored to the suit rather than the ground. As that is effectively a permanent effect it remains in place - protecting/imprisoning any passengers until the door is opened (i.e. the Barrier is switched off (which also requires GM permission)).

[megaplayboy]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

So, thus far, I have:

1. It's a vehicle with a funky feedback limitation on the defenses

2. Write it up as Duplication, and EDM to put the passengers inside, and use Transdimensional for various stuff

3. Multiform, through a focus, passengers held in place using the Barrier power

 

The criteria were/are:

1. base character can use his powers/abilities outside of mecha and on targets inside mecha, but not on targets outside while piloting mecha or inside mecha--and the mecha exists while the character is outside it.

2. base character takes damage(after applying his own and mecha's defenses) from attacks on mecha--even if he's not inside it(though perhaps only 1/2 or 1/4 the amount when he's outside it, since he's not fully synched up with it then)

3. mecha can carry passengers, and passengers and interior space takes no damage until/unless exterior defense breached(i.e., unless an attack on the mecha does body damage)--the passengers can remain inside even if the character/pilot is outside.

4. mecha is nigh-indestructible, and while a significant amount of damage could put it out of action, permanently "killing" it would take crazy WMD-level damage to do the job. It probably self-repairs (slowly), too.

5. mecha has attacks that affect opponents, so if there is a barrier the attacks need to be indirect.

6. mecha can only be piloted by character.

7. character MIGHT be able to use abilities to enable passengers to fire attacks from inside the mecha(firing from the "eye" or "mouth" of the mecha, perhaps)--basically, adding the indirect advantage to their attack power.

 

I think that about covers it. So far, the focused multiform/barrier comes pretty close. I guess a giant mecha probably qualifies as Obvious, though I suspect it's more Inaccessible than Accessible. Stealing a building-sized focus probably requires a turn or more.

Duplication could also work, though the EDM could be problematic(since breaching the armor equates to breaching the dimension and the passengers taking damage, not quite sure how that'd be written up).

And the vehicle is probably the simplest approach, though if I want the character to have more STUN while piloting it, I'll have to work that out...

[megaplayboy]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

It occurs to me that one other approach would be to write it up as a Focus or Alternate ID, with the Conforming Barrier w/Feedback protecting the passengers, and a limitation or physical complication reflecting the limits of the character's ability to use their other abilities while inside it.

[Shinobi Killfis]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

It occurs to me that one other approach would be to write it up as a Focus or Alternate ID' date=' with the Conforming Barrier w/Feedback protecting the passengers, and a limitation or physical complication reflecting the limits of the character's ability to use their other abilities while inside it.[/quote']

 

I was having a similar issue and I hate using Vehicles for many campaigns. Mainly I hate how defense works in a vehicle. If I give it appropriate armor, for example at least tank level armor on a mech its basically indestructible in most campaigns since vehicles generally don't take stun. Vehicles work great in campaigns where vehicle combat is assumed, a star hero campaign with fighters with vehicle level weapons, a modern combat campaign with tanks and characters gaining access to anti-tank weapons. In a supers campaign the level of defense on a vehicle out paces the damage most supers can do.

 

Th 3 methods I came up with though option 1 does not work well for you is

 

1. Summon +1 amicable +1/4 limited class Mechs. (I can make them have weaker defense even though its weird I have paper mechs, but they are effectively disposable)

 

2. Size Categories, with barrier power for passengers Focus giant mech

 

3. multiform, with barrier power for passengers. Focus giant mech

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

I'd write it up as a vehicle with the limitation on the vehicle's resistant defense that it doesn't protect the driver (this limitation is already present in other vehicles). Then I'd attenuate the value of the incoming damage by adding 50% (or whatever %) resistant damage reduction to the vehicle, but with limited coverage so that it applies only to the pilot (i.e., only to the pilot).

 

The other thing you could do (which may be a little simpler in some ways) is to write up the vehicle, and just add a major or extreme side effect that occurs whenever the vehicle is damaged.

[megaplayboy]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Well, I think one question would be, how much value is it to be able to carry passengers(and protect them)? If we say it's resistant defense usable by others(maybe even 100% damage reduction UBO("passengers" only, doesn't work if body of linked defense exceeded)), running and flight and life support usable by others(so long as they're in contact with the grantor/focus), then this thing starts to work well as a focus, now that I think about it. No need for a Barrier, multiform, duplication, or vehicle writeup.

[megaplayboy]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Ok, let's try this:

1. Powers outside mecha, not while piloting mecha(-1/4)

2. Growth bought permanent, OIF (giant mecha), with:

2a. running usable by X others, must be inside mecha

3. resistant protection, usable by X others, must be inside mecha(OIF)

4. flight, usable by X others, must be inside mecha(OIF)

5. life support, usable by X others, must be inside mecha (OIF)

6. Damage reduction, physical/energy, usable by X others, must be inside mecha(OIF)

7. repair systems: Regen 1 Body per hour

8. Physical Complication: takes damage from attacks on mecha(after adding its defenses to his own)

 

That covers all my criteria, I think, without having to write it up as a vehicle.

 

thanks, guys!

[Zane_Marlowe]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Just a quick plug for doing mecha (especially large mecha) as a vehicle writeup. If you want to get the feel of how different mecha is from wearing body armor (or heck, even using powered armor), building mecha as a vehicle is a great way to go. Vehicles have different speed ratings from characters, they have their own performance characteristics, and they don't experience STUN. Nothing says "I'm strapped into a high performance machine" like substituting your personal characteristics for the ones your mecha models.

 

At least, so my experience has been. YMMV.

[casualplayer]

Re: "wearable mecha" writeup question

 

Sounds to me like the mecha is the character and the pilot just a splinter of its consciousness, so it sits there Concentrating, immobile and 0 DCV, when it "makes" a pilot outside itself. The mecha has defenses and movement UBO No Range to represent "riding inside."

 

Either that or the mecha is the pilot's powers bought with Physical Manifestation.