Enatangles with mass

[Folded]

OK, this started with a fairly simple idea, but I'm having real problems putting it together. I've got a Big Bad Boss who summons these little 'Pet Slimes' (32 at a time). The idea is, they leap on people, stick (to torsos) or wrap (around a single limb or the head). The main effect I'm trying to simulate, though, is that they're heavy (10kg each). They're also intended primarily as nuisance monsters, and should be easy to take out with a single attack, so I'm keeping the point value under 25 each.

 

I've got them set up with a 5 BODY/3 DEF Entangle with 0DCV Concentration to simulate them jumping up and grabbing someone. I don't want to use a Grab because they're specifically quite weak, and a single wrist or ankle can't exert STR against something wrapped around it. The Entangle doesn't actually prevent movement by itself, it's just a way to represent the character having to remove the heavy slime. That part I'm happy with (though I know there are other ways to simulate it).

 

The problem is representing an incremental weight as a way of impairing movement, rather than the all-or-nothing Entangle effect. Five of these things stuck to an agent-level character are a real problem, since 50 kilos is a lot to a 10-15 STR person. But a Brick with 100 STR shouldn't even notice the weight. So I'm trying to come up with a way that higher STR characters are less affected than lower STR characters.

 

A straight Drain/Suppress STR (or DEX) doesn't work, since five slimes with a 1 pip D/S would halve the lifting power of said 100 STR Brick, which doesn't make any sense. I thought of D/S'ing Running/Leaping, but that runs into the same problem. A character with a 50 STR can run full speed with a car on his back, but even at 1 pip of effect, 12 slimes could stop him in his tracks, with average running speed, and a Speedster with 20" of running and a 10 STR could still move with twice that many stuck to him. Since the primary attack value is their individual mass, none of this really works.

 

Sorry for the level of detail, but I'm really hooked on this idea, and I'd love to hear some thoughts from some of you.

 

Thank you in advance,

Folded

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Enatangles with mass

 

I would think about having a telekinesis, continuous, physical manifestation, linked with a TK that adds to other slimes. On its own it does the TK, if it meets another slime the added TK becomes cumulative.

 

If casual Str is equal to the TK then it disappears in a puff of SFX.

 

 

Doc

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Enatangles with mass

 

It seems to me that it would be reasonable to call "exerts 12.5 kilos of weight" a Change Environment effect, Link that to the Entangle and you're good to go. Each Slime sticks until its individual Entangle is broken, and adds weight while doing so.

 

In fact, I think I would ditch the Entangle entirely and make the CE Continuous, with the condition for ending the effect being "breaking a 5 BOD, 3 DEF Entangle". Otherwise, that 100 STR Brick covered in 12 of these pests is covered in a 3 DEF, 16 BOD (5 + 1 per additional entangle) Entangle, and one flex of his mighty thews sends them all flying. With the CE Continuous approach, he has to pull off each Slime individually.

[prestidigitator]

Re: Enatangles with mass

 

Yeah, CE or possibly Autofire Strength/TK (since multiple applications of Str add in terms of the amount of force they can exert). I wouldn't dismiss Strength just because of the way it can't be applied; that can easily be taken care of with a Limitation.

 

If you're going to build each individual slime, I'd go with Limited (can only cling and weigh down opponent or opponent's limb) Str plus Clinging (rather than Entangle, which is meant to completely immobilize people). While you can limit Entangles to individual limbs and such, a creature would be actively doing it, which IMO means it is easier to do with Grab/Clinging.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Enatangles with mass

 

If the slimes just add weight, then use the Encumbrance table to find the effect (penalties to DCV, DEX rolls, Movement, and END usage). Give each slime Clinging so it can hold on, and then define them to weigh 10 kg each. Low STR characters will suffer, but a big brick won't even notice. I don't normally bother with Encumbrance for supers, but the effect is what you are looking for here so I would make an exception. You might have to rule how much weight the hero normally carries too (obviously more for a heroes with weapons and equipment), but whatever that amount is should be low enough that under normal circumstances they can ignore it.

[prestidigitator]

Re: Enatangles with mass

 

I don't normally bother with Encumbrance for supers' date=' but the effect is what you are looking for here so I would make an exception.[/quote']

There is a way around that. Without using the actual Encumbrance rules, you can just figure that the slime is using its own Strength to try to oppose the movements of the target (give them only enough Str to lift 10kg if you must...). Allow them to combine their Strengths using the standard rules until it becomes significant enough to require an opposed Str roll. Until then, Clinging can add the extra Str necessary to allow them to hold on without actually succeeding at immobilizing the target with a "Grab".

[prestidigitator]

Re: Enatangles with mass

 

Oh. Or consider a Drain/Suppress Strength that's got a Limitation Only Enough Str to Lift 10kg (probably a -2). Technically lots of Str will be drained, but the actual effect can be restricted to dropping the character's Strength by as much is appropriate for 10kg times the number of Drains effecting him (the actual amount of Drain depending on the character's current Strength).

[Fireg0lem]

Re: Enatangles with mass

 

I think this is best done with 9d6 Suppress Strength that has the limitations Standard Effect (-0), All Or Nothing (-1/2), and Only One Use Per Target (-1/2), and then extra dice with Only Adds 5 Points Of Effect Per Doubling of Slimes On Target.