Making Screaming Skulls

[Pizza Man]

I have an idea for a Techno-Mage, and he can summon a pair of steel-plated, floating, skulls. They have a souped-up Viper sonic blaster for offense (the mouth has to open for it to fire).

These are automatons, and I feel I'm using way to many points to build this.

 

Techno-Mage might make for a great villain, but he would make for a great character as well. That means I need to keep everything under a point limit.

I can't see making these summoned creatures, I would have to buy loyalty

 

Can I buy disads on Follower? These are disposable automatons, he can build more.

 

All I want is a floating gun with a radar targeting system.

what am I doing wrong?

 

Summoned creatures, Automatons.

Cannot be stunned, does not bleed,

No hit locations, Takes No stun

Screaming Skull

STR 0/-10

DEX 20/20

CON 0/-10

INT 15/5

EGO 0/-10

PRE 0/-10

OCV 7/20

DCV 7/20

OMCV 3

DMCV 3

SPD 5/30

PD 2

ED 2

REC 15/11

END 60/8

BODY 20/10

STUN 0/-20

124 -50 = 74 Total characteristics points

 

 

30 Armor plating, 10 PD, 10ED

30 (45) Anti-Gravity Device 30 M Flight, No End (OIF Device bolted on back of skull)

10 (15) Radar Mini Antennae array mounted on top of skullOIF

40 (60) Multipower OIF Blaster in mouth

4) 12D6 Sonic Blast

4) 6D6 NND Flash defense vs hearing, covers ears, solid ear covering, deaf

5 Mind link with creator

10 no hit locations

60 Takes No Stun (Loss of Body does not loose powers)

193 POWERS COST

74 Characteristics

263 total cost

[Arc Esu]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

Why not just use a Multipower with the Sonic Blast and NND with OAF or Physical Manifestation and Fully Indirect? There was an example of this kind of personal floating weapons platform in the main 5e book, as I recall (don't remember if they kept that example in 6e).

 

The only tricky thing is the senses. If the intention was for these to primarily be combat units, not scouts, I say just forget the mind link/Radar from the original build. If you did want them to be used as scouts, then Clarsentience with OAF or Physical Manifestation, plus Radar bought with "Only through Clarsentience," should do the trick.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

I think Arc Esu has the right idea. Make the sfx work for you here and just build it as a Blast with a few bells and whistles.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

First off, being able to summon a pair of 5 SPD additional combatants with a 12 DC attacks seems like a pretty potent ability, so it does not seem unreasonable it would carry a significant cost. As has been noted, you could simply buy the attacks and use the skulls as SFX at a considerably lower cost (but without getting an extra 10 12DC attacks every turn).

 

I have an idea for a Techno-Mage, and he can summon a pair of steel-plated, floating, skulls. They have a souped-up Viper sonic blaster for offense (the mouth has to open for it to fire).

These are automatons, and I feel I'm using way to many points to build this.

 

Techno-Mage might make for a great villain, but he would make for a great character as well. That means I need to keep everything under a point limit.

I can't see making these summoned creatures, I would have to buy loyalty

 

Can I buy disads on Follower? These are disposable automatons, he can build more.

 

All I want is a floating gun with a radar targeting system.

what am I doing wrong?

 

Summoned creatures, Automatons.

Cannot be stunned, does not bleed,

No hit locations, Takes No stun

Screaming Skull

STR 0/-10

DEX 20/20

CON 0/-10

 

With 0 STR and 0 CON, I believe they need to make two rolls of 9- every phase to act.

 

INT 15/5

EGO 0/-10

 

I don't think automatons sell their EGO back - they just don't have EGO.

 

PRE 0/-10

 

That makes 3 rolls of 9- to act, I believe.

 

OCV 7/20

DCV 7/20

OMCV 3

DMCV 3

 

I don't think automatons have MCV either.

 

SPD 5/30

PD 2

ED 2

REC 15/11

END 60/8

BODY 20/10

STUN 0/-20

 

And I don't believe "takes no STUN" lets you sell back your STUN.

 

124 -50 = 74 Total characteristics points

 

 

30 Armor plating, 10 PD, 10ED

 

Takes No Stun also triples the cost of defenses, so the skull actually has 4 defenses, of which 3 1/3 PD and ED are resistant.

 

30 (45) Anti-Gravity Device 30 M Flight' date=' No End (OIF Device bolted on back of skull)[/quote']

 

Could you shave points here with a Fuel Charge rather than 0 END?

 

10 (15) Radar Mini Antennae array mounted on top of skullOIF

 

Could some standard senses be sold back (ie does the skull have the standard human senses)?

 

40 (60) Multipower OIF Blaster in mouth

4) 12D6 Sonic Blast

4) 6D6 NND Flash defense vs hearing, covers ears, solid ear covering, deaf

 

Putting these on charges or an END reserve could also save some points, also allowing you to avoid buying END or REC (ie selling both down to 0).

 

5 Mind link with creator

10 no hit locations

60 Takes No Stun (Loss of Body does not loose powers)

 

Why couldn't they lose powers as they take damage?

 

Just speculating, but selling back Running, Leaping and Swimming also seems logical.

[Ice9]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

Are they really that expensive? With the 1:5 reduction for Followers or Summon, it seems like anything under 300 points is pretty cheap. For example:

 

Followers (4x 265 points) = 63 points

Summon (4x 265-point skulls), Amicable (Total Control; +1), 126 AP; Extra Time (1 turn; -1 1/4), OIF (scrap parts of opportunity; -1/2) = 46 points.

 

That's a pretty good deal for a group of decently powerful minions. If this is a standard Superheroic game, you're more than doubling your effectiveness with even a couple of these.

[Pizza Man]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

Wow, this is just some of the feedback I needed. I'm just starting with 6E Champions after more than 10 years and this is all new to me.OK let me play with this a bit and see what I can do. The rolls to act surprised me. But if I leave those stats at 10, they should act normally?

[Ice9]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

You don't need them at 10, just above 0. Str 1-3 should be enough for a floating skull, although that means it will have a hard time breaking out of any entanglement. Pre, likewise, doesn't need to be all that high.

I'm not sure about needing Con, I was under the impression that Automatons often sold that off entirely.

[Pizza Man]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

OK, I'm looking at the tripled defense cost, It might be cheaper to buy up the Body...

[Pizza Man]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

OK, lets try this again, Buying them as followers.

 

 

 

Screaming Skulls

STR 5/-5

DEX 20/20

CON 5/-5

INT 15/5

EGO 5/-5

PRE 5/-5

OCV 7/20

DCV 7/20

OMCV 0

DMCV 0

SPD 5/30

PD 0/-2

ED 0/-2

REC 0/-4

END 0/-20

BODY 40/30

STUN 0

125 -48 = 87 Total characteristics points

30 (45) Anti-Gravity Device 30 M Flight, No End (OIF Device bolted on back of skull)

10 (15) Radar Mini Antennae array mounted on top of skull

40 (60) Multipower OIF Blaster in mouth

4) 12D6 Sonic Blast

4) 6D6 NND Flash defense vs hearing, covers ears, solid ear covering, deaf

5 Mind link with creator

10 no hit locations

60 Takes No Stun (Loss of Body does not loose powers)

23 (35) End Reserve 84 End, 20 REC (21+14) OIF Battery Pack -1/2

Flight only, -12 Running, -4 swimming

186-16= 170 POWERS COST

170 Powers

87 Characteristics

257 total cost

Bought as Followers:

52 +5 for x2 =57 active points fits the 60 active point limit.

Disads, Can only be repaired/rebuilt at lab will this work? -1/2?

 

Hmmm. Do I need to buy Complications for this?

just some thoughts

 

Complications.

20 Distinctive features not concealable, always noticed

20 physical, no limbs/cannot speak. All the time

20 No self protection instinct. Always fights until it dies, unless otherwise ordered.

0 Always obeys orders from its master

[Ice9]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

Looks good, although actually, I believe the "triple defense cost" means you get 12 points back from selling back PD/ED, not just 4.

I'm not sure how Complications for Followers work, actually - I mean, you can definitely get them, but I'm not sure it actually decreases the price, or if there's any specific amount you need to have. But a floating skull would certainly have a number of Physical Complications, just from its form.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

Screaming Skulls

STR 5/-5

DEX 20/20

CON 5/-5

INT 15/5

EGO 5/-5

 

As automatons, I believe the skulls have no EGO stat.

 

PRE 5/-5

 

Anyone know whether automatons are affected by PRE attacks?

 

OCV 7/20

DCV 7/20

OMCV 0

DMCV 0

SPD 5/30

PD 0/-2

ED 0/-2

REC 0/-4

END 0/-20

BODY 40/30

STUN 0

125 -48 = 87 Total characteristics points

30 (45) Anti-Gravity Device 30 M Flight, No End (OIF Device bolted on back of skull)

 

Why not have this draw on the power pack and shave 10 points off this power?

 

10 (15) Radar Mini Antennae array mounted on top of skull

 

This could also cost END from the battery to reduce the cost.

 

40 (60) Multipower OIF Blaster in mouth

4) 12D6 Sonic Blast

4) 6D6 NND Flash defense vs hearing, covers ears, solid ear covering, deaf

5 Mind link with creator

10 no hit locations

60 Takes No Stun (Loss of Body does not loose powers)

23 (35) End Reserve 84 End, 20 REC (21+14) OIF Battery Pack -1/2

 

Even if the flight and radar drew on the battery, it looks like max spending of 10 per phase, so 50 per turn. Two turns firing on every phase seems like plenty of END.

 

Flight only' date=' -12 Running, -4 swimming[/quote']

 

You could also sell back Leaping, maybe Smell and Taste as well.

 

186-16= 170 POWERS COST

170 Powers

87 Characteristics

257 total cost

Bought as Followers:

52 +5 for x2 =57 active points fits the 60 active point limit.

 

Disads' date=' Can only be repaired/rebuilt at lab will this work? -1/2?[/quote']

 

With no REC, they don't heal. Either the main character could take a Healing ability, or these could buy Regeneration (say 1 BOD a day or 1 BOD an hour), only in the lab.

 

Hmmm. Do I need to buy Complications for this?

just some thoughts

 

Complications.

20 Distinctive features not concealable, always noticed

20 physical, no limbs/cannot speak. All the time

20 No self protection instinct. Always fights until it dies, unless otherwise ordered.

0 Always obeys orders from its master

 

I believe they are expected to have appropriate complications, but they don't save points. As a GM, I would not let a floating skull avoid the implications of its physical form simply because the player decided he didn't save points so he would have no complications.

 

Looks good' date=' although actually, I believe the "triple defense cost" means you get 12 points back from selling back PD/ED, not just 4.[/quote']

 

Triple defense costs means your base PD and ED are reduced to 2/3 of one point each, I believe. I'd be inclined to invest a few points in defenses. To me, the tripled cost is fair, given the Skull is only damaged by BOD damage. The original 12 defenses meant a 12DC attack does nothing on average (equivalent to 42 defenses to eliminate STUN from an average attack). Maybe consider Damage Negation, for which I would not triple the cost as a reduction of one damage class means the same whether you take STUN or not.

[Ice9]

Re: Making Screaming Skulls

 

Triple defense costs means your base PD and ED are reduced to 2/3 of one point each, I believe

Right, I missed that. Agreed on the Damage Negation - IMC, instead of tripling the cost, I just reduce the final PD/ED to 1/3; this works more accurately for powers like Density Increase, and means that things like Damage Reduction which have the same relative effectiveness are arbitrarily more expensive.