Help with a gadgeteer!

[Gary Ciaramella]

Hello folks... I am working on a character and I could use an assist. I have some points available on a gadgeteer that I am working on and I would like to come up with a few abilities that are not gadget-based. So can ya'll help me with some ideas for super-intellect based powers?

 

Second, I always have a bit of trouble coming up with a good list of sciences and knowledges... what are your top 10 sciences and top 10 knowledges to place on a PC?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Kristopher]

Being a smart, gadgeteering type, is he strong enough of mind to have some Mental Defense?

 

Since he's superhumanly intelligent, he could have some kind of Analyze that would be useful in combat. Tactics, if his background justifies it at all. How about Cryptography?

 

What are his other interests or hobbies?

 

Here's a list of Science Skills:

 

SS: Robotics

SS: Mathematics

SS: Optics (especially if they have energy weapons)

SS: Cybernetics

SS: Physics

SS: Astronomy (especially if the campaign gets into space)

SS: Metaphysiology (the study of supers & superpowers)

SS: Chemistry (useful for explosives, entangling goops, etc)

SS: Computer Engineering

[JmOz]

I would strongly recomend some Martial Arts, always nice to have something to fall back on if your gadgets are removed from you

[JeffreyWKramer]

The character may also have Find Weakness, perhaps with the Limitation that it only works on technology-based defenses or some other special effect reflecting the character having advanced knowledge of certain sciences.

 

Deduction at an obscene level would be good.

 

DCV levels based on a PER roll or some skill, reflecting the character's intellect allowing him or her to anticipate an opponent's attacks.

 

If you want a more funky power with a super-intellect special effect, you might try an Ego Attack or a boost in PRE for Presence Attacks, requiring Incantations and a shared language, reflecting the chararacter's ability to confound, confuse or awe people by throwing scientific gobbledegook or incredible metaphysical concepts at them.

[Pattern Ghost]

Contacts would also be good. At a basic level, you might be able to get some useful research information (maybe worth a bonus to a skill roll, or some info about a villain that you can then exploit), while at higher levels you might actually get some material resources or very sensitive information resources.

[Lord Liaden]

I don't really have specific suggestions to add to the excellent ones above; but this seems like a good place to mention that Franklin W. Cain has updated his extensive expanded list of Background Skills to HERO 5E. It gives you a lot of specific names and descriptions for Sciences, Transport Familiarities and more which would be appropriate to a supers or sci-fi setting, with optional rules on how to use them. Here's where to find it:

 

http://fcain.tripod.com/h5skills/background_00.html

[Wormhole]

Always handy:

Analyze Technology Skill. Buy it with a good enough roll and PRIMUS may invite you to become one of those "top men" they're always talking about.

 

Another good one might be an INT Aid modeled as a meditation technique.

[Tom Carman]

Another good science for physical gadgeteering sorts:

 

SS: Metallurgy

 

And for those of a different bent:

 

SS: Biology

SS: Genetics

SS: Medicine

SS: Pharmacology

[winterhawk]

Here's something I came up with for one of my gadgeteers:

 

 

 

Val	Char	Cost
10	STR	0
10	DEX	0
10	CON	0
10	BODY	0
10	INT	0
10	EGO	0
10	PRE	0
10	COM	0
2	PD	0
2	ED	0
2	SPD	0
4	REC	0
20	END	0
20	STUN	0

6" RUN02" SWIM02" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 0

 

Cost	Power	END
53	I Can Fix It: Major Transform 3d6 (Broken Item to Repaired/Operational Item to Broken), Improved Target Group (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (79 Active Points); Requires A Intuitional Engineering Roll (-1/2)

Powers Cost: 53

[Lightray]

Another good super-intellect power:

 

Skill Levels (8-pt. or Overall), Useable By Others, Ranged, Incantations.

 

Defined as giving advice to teammates. You'll be the most popular guy on the team.

[BNakagawa]

money money money money - MONEY!

 

Super level scientists need to be rich. Hardware to support their work doesn't come cheap unless you're one of those mutant mcGuyver type gadgeteers.

[wcw43921]

I've always thought Eidetic Memory (5 Points), Lightning Calculator (3 Points), and Speed Reader (4 Points, +2 Points for each x10 increase in speed) are good talents for any super-intellect character to possess. Buy up the Speed Reading high enough, and the character practically becomes a human computer.

[TheQuestionMan]

Repost as The Ultimate Gadgeteer

 

Lord laiden's link was useful , but shouldn't this post be relabeled "The Ultimate Gadgeteer" :8

[Rechan]

Here's some thoughts:

 

Speed. Imagine a gadgeteer who can whip up a number of different gadgets in a minute or so flat because he's just THAT DANG FAST. Give him some parts, some tools, and BAM, it's fixed, it's ready, it's clobberin' time.

 

Mr. Statistics. Imagine if you will someone who's brain works so fast and records everything that he can configure the trajectory of a bullet to get the maximum ricochette effect, the weakest point of a structure, the exact place to move that he would not be hit by a certain power used at a certain angle, etc.