Bulletproof. How would you build this?

[Pizza Man]

OK, I'm playing to Pulp Hero ideas. But my book is still a week or more away.

 

1) I want a character that accidentally swallowed a magic item that makes him Bulletproof. No focus, Just an 8 Resistant PD only vs Bullets.

Bullets being being very common...what value would you give this? -1/4? -1/2?

--This would give his Hunted an excuse to kill him and cut the artifact out.

 

2) The other idea is, if this were a summoned shield (again no focus) what else would you give this? I don't want an activation roll, but what value would you give a limit of "Does not work against attacks from behind?"

 

I've been tossing the idea around in my head. I want a sort of mystical shield like protection. (no one ever shoots Captain America in the legs...) I've been thinking of an ancient Gaelic ritual for summoning the shield: gestures and incantations, costs end to activate. Hmmm. Maybe toss in a costume change at the same time.

 

and this would be a cool little multipower, the protective shield, a shield bash, and a hurled shield (that always returns hence the non-focus). The two attack powers would obviously negate the protective powers for that phase.

 

I still can't figure out what values to give limitations for doesn't work against (things not already listed).

 

So what would you give for

only vs bullets, and

not against attacks from behind.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

Bulletproof is a special effect description that means different things to different people.

8 Resistant PD just means he will not take Body from most bullets but if you want to cover Stun as well you might consider Damage Negation instead.

How much the Limitation is worth is totally game specific (how common are normal guns in the game?) so anything from -1/4 to -1 might be appropriate.

 

re: a non-focus shield

I'm sure something could be cobbled together from this version of Cap's Shield and Thor's Hammer.

[Starcloud]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

It depends on how often swords, knives, and other PD targeted attacks come up. If half the time, there's someone swinging a sword or trying to knife him, then that would be a -1 limitation. If it comes up only a quarter of the time, that would be a.. hrm.. -1/4 limitation. If he only gets shot at, it wouldn't be very limiting, and I might even assign a +0 limitation. Yes, it's still limited, but the limit doesn't come up enough *in the game* to justify a point cost break.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

9 DC's damage negation, only vs bullets.

 

The limitation depends on how common PD killing attacks other than bullets come up in game, as others have pointed out.

 

How much I'd give for not working on attacks from behind depends how obvious that is. If the shield is visible, I'd go as high as -1/2, or -1 if you often face groups of opponents who can surround the character.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

I'd build it as Damage Negation, only vs. Bullets. Something like 20 DCs of Damage Negation should do you. That way even armor piercing or penetrating bullets get stopped. Bullet resistant would be DEF (you could do bullet proof with DEF, but that seems like the kind of thing DN was made for).

[Naanomi]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

In the vehicle section there are rules for having defenses only on a certain percentage of the vehicle... probably easily adaptable to people the same way.

[Ice9]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

For the limitation value, it depends what percentage of physical attacks are bullets. In a pulp game, it seems like the most likely sources would be:

1) Fists / Clubs / Knives

2) Bullets

3) Impacts from falling / having things fall on you

4) Animals / Creatures

5) Unusual weapons

 

So while bullets are fairly high on the list, they're not even 50% by themselves - more like 1/4 to 1/3. Therefore, I'd put the limitation at -2 (which is mathematically correct for 1/3, I don't care what Limited Power says).

If bullets are more or less common in your campaign, adjust accordingly.

 

For the second case (the shield), I think the Non-Persistent limitation would work well.

[Starcloud]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

So while bullets are fairly high on the list, they're not even 50% by themselves - more like 1/4 to 1/3. Therefore, I'd put the limitation at -2 (which is mathematically correct for 1/3, I don't care what Limited Power says).

 

It might be mathematically correct, but on the other hand, allowing that big a point break on a power that is still useful 33% of the time is, well, there's other balance considerations than just "Is it mathematically correct?"

[Ice9]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

Costs 1/3 the price, has 1/3 the utility - seem right to me. And it's fairly easy to get -2 worth of limitations just from "nuisance factors" like Focus, Extra Time, and so forth.

Bottom line - if having a given amount of PD breaks the campaign, then it's going to break it whether the point cost was high or low. The limitation value doesn't change what extremes you can reach, just how many options you have.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

As has been mentioned multiple times by now, the setting is a huge factor on the value of the limitation.

 

Here is how I built a similar ability for a Magneto-lite champions character played by my ex-wife several years ago:

 

6 Immunity To Metal: Armor (7 PD/0 ED), Hardened (+1/4) (13 Active Points); Only Works Against Very Limited Type of Attack (Metal; -1)

Notes: Not listed as part of primary defenses.

[ayinde]

Re: Bulletproof. How would you build this?

 

sounds like a Achilles style power am i on the right page