symbiote,how whould i make it?

[montolio]

how would i make a symbiote like venom or carnage. that could go on other player characters or npc's

[Kraven Kor]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

2 ways:

 

Powers gained from the Symbiote could be built as "Only in Alternate ID" and, possibly, "Unified Power" limitations.

 

Or, you could build the symbiote as a Multiform with a Focus or some such.

[ghost-angel]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

Something to place on other character's?

 

Mind Control + a Suite of Usable By Others Powers, would be one way.

[Sean Waters]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

Depends what you want the Symbiote to do, and to be, but it may be that you could accomplish it with a Transform, which can add powers and change the psychology of a target.

 

It is always a bit of a problem in Hero when the characters become one, like, for example, Venom: effectively the Eddie Brock/Spiderman is one character and the Symbiote is another and together they become a third character with overlap.

 

I've never really been clear if SpiderMan+Symbiote was more powerful than Eddie Brock+Symbiote.

 

Assuming that 'Symbiote' is not a seperate character, then I'd build it as a focus for additional powers. Focus is cool because it can be used personally, but a Universal Focus can be used by anyone. You could even 'pay' for the focus by requiring additional COmplications (vulnerability/susceptibility to sonics and personality changes, perhaps.

[Naanomi]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

If you are looking for the symbiote as a separate character, that can transfer between hosts and such...

 

APG Possession + Linked UOO Multiform?

[dsatow]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

I've never really been clear if SpiderMan+Symbiote was more powerful than Eddie Brock+Symbiote.

 

Its been quoted in the comic book, that the Symbiote actually amplified Spiderman's powers.

 

On the subject of the thread, I think most GMs would just call the symbiote a special effect of the powers rather than a character itself and leave any worries about the symbiote leaving as story arcs.

 

Given a special effect version of the symbiote, I would treat it as Only in Alternate Identity, with possibly Major Side Effects defined as sometimes the symbiote doesn't want to do what you want it to do.

[Sean Waters]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

This is an interesting example of something that works in comics but would be difficult to do in any RPG, unless you were playing a solo game (and, to be fair, Spiderman is pretty much a solo character). Incresing and then decreasing power levels significantly for one character has to be very carefully managed if it is not to unhinge a game. Of course comic book writers are not constrained by actual numbers.

 

I'm inclining toward a wearable universal focus, possibly with a 'succor' power to increase the native abilities of the wearer plus some powers that it gives to any wearer, like limited shapechange, clinging and web powers.

[montolio]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

thank you all i had some of the same ideas as most of you and wanted to be sure i had the right idea. thank again you all were a big help.

[Sean Waters]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

Always a pleasure.

[Fearghus]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

Yep everyone else has it right. Focus with some form of usable on others.

 

In 5th Ed there used to be a limitation Independent that allowed anyone to use a power, but the drawback was that the power could be taken away and used against the player or even be lost to the player forever. The power is under the sole control of the character that possesses it not necessarily the character that paid the points for it. It was intended to simulate things like weapons or armor that grant powers to anyone who wields them. You could always house rule independent back into 6th ed. It sounds like a perfect fit for what you are taking about. you may wish to adjust the value though. I was always very very skeptical of allowing a player to use that limitation.

[Tasha]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

Yep everyone else has it right. Focus with some form of usable on others.

 

In 5th Ed there used to be a limitation Independent that allowed anyone to use a power, but the drawback was that the power could be taken away and used against the player or even be lost to the player forever. The power is under the sole control of the character that possesses it not necessarily the character that paid the points for it. It was intended to simulate things like weapons or armor that grant powers to anyone who wields them. You could always house rule independent back into 6th ed. It sounds like a perfect fit for what you are taking about. you may wish to adjust the value though. I was always very very skeptical of allowing a player to use that limitation.

 

BTW one could ALWAYS make foci that are Universal. One NEVER needed independent to do that. Independent was created to allow Fantasy Hero Characters to create Magical items in such a way that prevented such items from becoming to common. Unfortunatly, when It appeared in 4th ed people started to use it in Genre that it wasn't designed for (ie Superheroes). Since so many people abused the limitation and misunderstood how to use it it was removed in 6e (thank goodness!!). So using Independent on Powers in Champions is considered Cheesy munchkinism.

[Tasha]

Re: symbiote,how whould i make it?

 

Symbiotes, ie the Venom symbiote or even a Goa'uld Symbiote is really just a special effect for a series of powers. IF you really think that your symbiote will really leave it's host for some reason, Then you could model the symbiote as a duplicate (it has different powers from the superpowered "main form". Then you would purchase the powers for the main character as Only when symbiote is installed -1/4 this could be worth more if the symbiote is easy to remove. Only in Heroic ID -1/4 would still be ok for those who the symbiote creates a shell around the character.