How would you do a copycat power?

[star]

So was just wondering how you would end up doing a copycat type character? Someone who can copy other peoples powers and abilities. (to a certan extent). Going up against the bad guy who has a lot of telekinetic powers and you copy those same powers and use them against the villian.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

The most comprehensive and expensive method is the VPP/Multiform combination.

 

Search the JLA thread in my sig below for a partial build of Parasite (A classic Superman villain).

 

edit, here the post:

 

I'm changing course here a little bit and working on one of Superman's signature villains and arguably one of the hardest to translate into HERO - The Parasite.

 

 

Like all of the heroes, I want to build him on 350 points as well. I think this is possible because Superman and all of the other 'naturally powered' heroes (of this thread) abilities have been built using the 'Affected by Adjustments as an EC' Limitation. By building all the heroes with this I avoid having to build Parasite's Drain with the 'All Powers Simultaneously (+2)' level of Variable Effect.

 

With this in mind I would appreciate any feedback regarding the following power set for Parasite:

 

36 Do You Feel Yourself Getting Weaker?: Drain Any Biological SFX Ability 3d6+1 (standard effect: 10 points), any [biological] power one at a time (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Hour; +1) (82 Active Points); Limited Special Effect Only vs. Biological Abilities (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Limited Power Skin Contact Required (-1/4) 3

 

36 Hurts Doesn't It?: Energy Blast 6d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Attack Versus Limited Defense (Power Defense; +1 1/2) (90 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Linked (Do You Feel Yourself Getting Weaker?; -1/4), Limited Power Skin Contact Required (-1/4)

 

128 Now I Have Your Powers!: Variable Power Pool, 100 base + 28 control cost, No Skill Roll Required (+1) (200 Active Points); Character Has No Choice Regarding How Powers Change (Also Gains Biological Disadvantages ; -1/2), VPP Powers Can Be Changed Only In Given Circumstance (Linked To Drain; -1/2), Conditional Power Powers Fade At Same Rate As Drain Recovers (-1/2), Limited Class Of Powers Available Limited (-1/2), Limited Power Abilities Gained Proportional ToThose Drained (-1/2)

0 1) Multiform (500 Character Points in the most expensive form) (100 Active Points) Real Cost: 100

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

Undestanding that I don't know how things roll in 6th Ed, I would say some kind of Variable Power Pool, specifically limited to copying other people's powers..

 

Three aspects to consider:

 

1. Can you copy "any" or "all" powers the other guy has (whether used or not), or only those actually used against you, or what?

 

2. How long-lasting are these copied powers? You copy somebody's powers - does that mean you have them sort of memorized and can use them at any time thereafter? Or, more likely (and, IMO, worth much more as a Limitation), the copied powers only last while you are in close proximity to the person you copied them from?

 

3. Does this copying have any effect on the other guy? If so, some kind of Power Drain / Transfer or other effect may also be called for.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

Variable Power Pool with the limitation that it can only duplicate someone else's powers is probably the 'simplest'. Not really simple ... okay, least complicated.

[star]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

Undestanding that I don't know how things roll in 6th Ed, I would say some kind of Variable Power Pool, specifically limited to copying other people's powers..

 

Three aspects to consider:

 

1. Can you copy "any" or "all" powers the other guy has (whether used or not), or only those actually used against you, or what?

 

2. How long-lasting are these copied powers? You copy somebody's powers - does that mean you have them sort of memorized and can use them at any time thereafter? Or, more likely (and, IMO, worth much more as a Limitation), the copied powers only last while you are in close proximity to the person you copied them from?

 

3. Does this copying have any effect on the other guy? If so, some kind of Power Drain / Transfer or other effect may also be called for.

 

1 Can copy any power that is non tech based.

 

2. The ability to copy them only lasts a few minutes at most after he leaves the presence of the person he copyed them from.

 

3. No effect on the other person, he is not stealing the powers he is just a sort of mimic.

 

I am a Chuck tv show fan and was thinking of something where the character has a sense ability to be able to tell what other peoples powers are then can activate his own power to "flash" and copy their abilities.

[Ice9]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

I'd call that around a -1/2 limitation then. That's assuming he has team-mates he can copy from, so it just restricts his choice. If he works alone (or with tech-based people) and so can only have powers in the presence of foes, then the limitation value would be higher.

[Lucius]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

I'd look around and find how someone else did it, and use their ideas.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary suggests Naked Advantage: Usable by Others, and apply Usable as Attack

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

The really nice thing about the HERO system is that there often are a bunch of different ways to do a specific power / effect.

 

I'm a 'Chuck' fan too, by the way.

[yukonhorror]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

actually there is a good example in the VPP section (mimic power pool). I would alter the limitations on that so that it'd be copying anyone's super powers. Possibly as a VPP linked to a drain power.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

actually there is a good example in the VPP section (mimic power pool). I would alter the limitations on that so that it'd be copying anyone's super powers. Possibly as a VPP linked to a drain power.

 

Why a Drain? He's just copying the other guy, it doesn't affect his abilities.

[yukonhorror]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

oh, I thought he was stealing them. Then just the mimic power pool adjusted accordingly.

[dmjalund]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

For ease of use, you should pre-design allocations of the VPP for characters the mimic comes across regularly

(the GM can secretly do it for characters the mimic has yet to encounter)

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

For ease of use, you should pre-design allocations of the VPP for characters the mimic comes across regularly

(the GM can secretly do it for characters the mimic has yet to encounter)

 

Good idea. Another possibility is to bring lack of skill in specific powers into play.

 

Imagine the character having a 'Greatest American Hero' kind of moment. He's suddenly flying solo for the first time in his life - and does NOT have a clue about how to steer, land or even just fly straight.

[star]

Re: How would you do a copycat power?

 

Good idea. Another possibility is to bring lack of skill in specific powers into play.

 

Imagine the character having a 'Greatest American Hero' kind of moment. He's suddenly flying solo for the first time in his life - and does NOT have a clue about how to steer, land or even just fly straight.

 

I kindof like that idea. Right now the character has a detect power that has descriminatory, analize, range, sense and increased arc of view (360 degrees) with aroll of 16-. With it being a sense it works like any other perception check per say but just allows him to detect super powers and know what they are/can do. (It is defined as a class of things, though I wonder if I should up it to a large class of things to be fair. Only 5pt difference though)

 

I was going to play it as since he can not only detect someone with super powers but he can determine what kind and analize how the target uses them he would be able to do the same. But the idea of maybe giving him a skill with using his powers and requireing a roll brings up an interesting point. I might have to think on this one.