Thinking outside the box: Special Effects and odd powers

[phoenix240]

After reading some of the unusual ideas in Cassansdra's and the odd powers thread I was curious ho flexible some gms are in general about sfx. Do you try to stick relative close to the mechanical descriptions (A Blast is a ranged attack projected from the character) or do you allow odd interpretation (Such as Cassandra's idea of using Spd Drain and Entangle to represent endangering hostages and environmental risks)?

[Christopher]

Re: Thinking outside the box: Special Effects and odd powers

 

As for the Drain SPD gun I think it is too far removed. Endangering hostages can be handeled as "using the environment". Using a Drain for that causes too many troubles and I don't think we have to write down every last, once-per-comic series thing down to the last point. It's also rather hard to built that into the description of the action.

 

As for using a Drain to built a room with Dangerous environment? Sure, that is a good idea.

Propably a 0 END Supress, NND (Speedster Powers* or Room Survival Trainig**) is a good way to use it.

 

*I would think something around Rapid for sight, but I am not certain many speedsters have that.

**You mooks should be trained to know where and when Dangers are, so they don't suffer it.

 

 

Something that I tend to do is "de-specialisation". For example for my a current character (5E; Shape Shifter with increased STR and Martial Arts Training) I wanted teh "walk trackless" and "walk on water" tricks shown in Remo Rames as well as ohter unusual Movement Powers. I finally decided for a singel Power approach:

Inpropable Movement: Flight 6", Position Shift, Variable Advantage (+1), 34 AP; Variable Limitation (-1/4); 27 Real

A incomplete list of Movement abilities it can work as:

 

Walking on water (as longs as she does not stop).

Climbing up walls superfast

Walking Silently (not certain about the limitation)

Walking without leaving tracks (extra Endurance)

Standing on impropable surfaces like the top of Poles (Concentration)

Getting on her feet (if Breakfall fails)

Slowing a fall (if something grab is nearby)

 

Instead of writing up each of them (and a dozen more), I just made one power for them all.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Thinking outside the box: Special Effects and odd powers

 

I'm of the, "If you have a good explanation for the SFX and the power's not unbalancing, go for it!" school of GMing. I've seen nearly every conceivable effect modeled via endless permutations of Powers and Power Modifiers, official and original Limitations, Skills/Talents/Perks, and optional and house rules. Every individual has their own interpretation of what's "right" to model what they want. Some players and GMs have wanted to stat out everything in detail, others were content to wing it. I've yet to run into something so flat-out weird that I would disallow it on that basis alone, if the player has a good sales pitch. IMHO the HERO box is big enough that very little is outside it.

[therampantgamer]

Re: Thinking outside the box: Special Effects and odd powers

 

After reading some of the unusual ideas in Cassansdra's and the odd powers thread I was curious ho flexible some gms are in general about sfx. Do you try to stick relative close to the mechanical descriptions (A Blast is a ranged attack projected from the character) or do you allow odd interpretation (Such as Cassandra's idea of using Spd Drain and Entangle to represent endangering hostages and environmental risks)?

I think if you enforce too much in the way of those mechanical descriptions, you remove the potential for the use of limitations and advantages. Blast may be bought with "No Range" and now it's deviated from your description with but a single modification, for example.

 

That said, I'm definitely of the school of "buy the powers you intend to use all the time" rather than "you didn't pay points for that, so you can't ever do it."