Build a whirlpool

[Tech]

I'm thinking of building a whirlpool power for a heroine. This will only be used in the water. I'm thinking of something large, to something enormous (like the one created at the end of The Little Mermaid by the villain Ursula.).  How would you build this? As cool as this power sounds, I wonder about what practical use would it have on combat (unless you're a villain in water)? So, I throw this idea out and wait for your responses.

[Ninja-Bear]

Off the top of my head, I would think telekinesis with area of effect (perhaps mega scale). Limitations only versus those in water (-1) only to pull downwards (-1) and affects whole area (-1/2)(?). As to use? Well it does seem a little one trick.

[Tech]

Off the top of my head, I would think telekinesis with area of effect (perhaps mega scale). Limitations only versus those in water (-1) only to pull downwards (-1) and affects whole area (-1/2)(?). As to use? Well it does seem a little one trick.

 

I wouldn't say it's one trick but more in how it's used. Regardless, for a smaller one, I thought about Change Environment but am not sure about that.

[Ninja-Bear]

You could use change enviroment but it wouldn't be very strong unless things changed in 6th. Though you could link additional powers to it to represent a stronger whirlpool.

 

As to the one trick, I should have said its more limited but that is also because I can't a lot of use for it. However I think its a nice power that is appropriate to the right character and should be included in a water theme character VPP.

[薔薇語]

If it is a very uncommon power for the character to use and has little to no effect on combat, I'd just rule it as a power stunt. If the chance occurs that the character wants to do this, then she would just make her power skill roll.

 

 

If it is, however, a common trick with real combat effects, then a change environment build would seem to be best.

 

The user could build it with an optional megascale. The base build would be a minus to swim and maybe OCV and a possible TK to 'push folks around.' A 10TK str should be enough to move most non-resisting characters around. If you want it to truly be pushing even resisting characters, I would add in a str skill check. That should give the target a definable way to resist the TK without having to make the owner buy tons of TK for resistance checks.

 

I assume that because the characters affected must already be in water, the owner of the power doesn't need to buy things like reduced vision, etc. But you could increase those to better achieve the SpFX.

 

Lastly, unless the character has control over how the whirlpool contorts on a segment by segment basis, you can buy the whole thing as NCC.

 

Foreign Orchid.

[Tech]

Interesting ideas. The character does use water primarily as a weapon. Fortunately for me, episodes are purposely being done where events take place in or near the beach/shore/ocean cave/etc. so the attack won't be useless.

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Did I mention the GM has decided to use the Atlantis book now?

[Ninja-Bear]

How about expand the concept? Perhaps you can also use a water spout? Then the only thing that needs changed is direction from down to up.

[Tech]

How about expand the concept? Perhaps you can also use a water spout? Then the only thing that needs changed is direction from down to up.

 

I was already planning on a power called Geyster. The effect is inspired from the 'Kings Bounty: the Legend' spell of the same name. Check youtube for the effect if you're curious.

[Nolgroth]

Transform, Cosmetic (dirty laundry into clean laundry) plus Transform, Cosmetic (wet laundry into dry laundry)

 

Oh wait, you mean....oh. Sorry.

 

Entangle, AoE (lots of "A" for the  "E") plus RKA, Continuous linked to Entangle. Special effect is being caught in the whirlpool and crushed/sent under. I would probably build it with 0 End and a Time Limit, but that's just me.

[薔薇語]

Transform, Cosmetic (dirty laundry into clean laundry) plus Transform, Cosmetic (wet laundry into dry laundry)

 

Oh wait, you mean....oh. Sorry.

 

Entangle, AoE (lots of "A" for the "E") plus RKA, Continuous linked to Entangle. Special effect is being caught in the whirlpool and crushed/sent under. I would probably build it with 0 End and a Time Limit, but that's just me.

Entangle is a novel idea. But I would think that the build lacka the ability to force characters to move and might a whirlpool might not prevent someone from using a focus, though.

 

Foreign Orchid.

[Nolgroth]

Adders and Power Modifiers take care of most of it. I suppose you could add a TK to pull the objects towards the center, but really, if they get destroyed then the Special Effect kicks in. If they don't get destroyed then they have weathered the maelstrom and survived. Damage (either personal or structural) will have been taken. Everything from there is patching up and moving on. I might even call the movement towards the center of the Entangle a Power Stunt if a skill roll is required to kick off the power.  Just an alternate take on the idea.

 

Also brings up the point that Hero really could use an easy/simply mechanism to shift/slide/push. Movement UAA, Standard Effect TK (which would allow resistance), and even an inverse variant of Knockback could all work as base concepts to work from.

[Armitage]

Oddly, there's no Whirlpool power in Champions Powers or Hero System Grimoire.  If anywhere, I would have expected it to be in Atlantean Age, with its high-power elemental magic.  Not there either.

 

Maybe a large area Telekinesis only to pull targets toward the center, like the Gravity Field version of the Selective Gravity power in the Density Alteration chapter of Champions Powers.

 

Selective Gravity: Telekinesis (40 STR); Affects Whole Object (-¼), Only To Pull Objects Directly To Him And/Or “Stick” Them To Him (-½), Limited Range (24m; -¼).

Gravity Field: Add Area Of Effect (16m Radius Selective; +1), and replace Limited Range (-¼) with No Range (-½).

 

Maybe make it Explosion, so the effect becomes stronger as you approach the center.  Add a Limitation that it ony affects targets in or under the water, not above, like shockwave Blasts that only affect targets on the ground.

Then add a Blast or RKA in a smaller Radius in the center to damage targets that get pulled to the center.

[Ninja-Bear]

Armitage, I like the explosin effect.

[Mister E]

Swimming UAA, AoE (Explosion), Indirect, Set Effect (whirlpool).

[massey]

I'm debating in my head whether you actually need any sort of area of effect on the power.  Yes, clearly there's an area of effect visually, but in Little Mermaid there was only one target -- the ship.  Even then, all it did was make the ship loop around and around.  It didn't sink immediately, and the prince was still able to steer it into Ursula.  A TK big enough to move the ship would be able to smash it to splinters.

 

I really dislike the idea of building an incredibly expensive power, and then not getting a big powerful effect out of it.  You'd probably need at least 70 Str TK to move that ship, but she wasn't doing 14D6 to everybody in the water.  So while the effect was cool, and visually impressive, I don't know that the one in the show needs to be that powerful.  I'm really leaning towards Mister E's build because of that, but I don't think you need Indirect on it..

[薔薇語]

If what you want is Ursala's power, then don't build anything. She is the final super villain. She is totally and utterly under the GM's control and his control alone. She can do what ever the GM deems appropriate regardless of mechanical or point restraints imposed on the PCs. So, if you want a giant swirling ocean, you can have one. If you want a billowing black clouds that coalesce around your baddie, you can have that. How do you build that power? You start by saying "that stuff happens", and stop right there. No muss. No fuss. 

Now, if a PC wants that power: they are going to need to pay for it. But the question is, what exactly do you want to accomplish and how often will this be available to you? As I said above, if it doesn't have massive effects and is only rarely available at best, power roll it and be done. The GM can make up some arbitrary END cost for it and work out the effects on the fly. At the PC has to do it succeed a power skill roll. Thus the power has a zero cost. 

 

If the player wants absolutely crazy effects out of this super rare power, they need to bribe the GM. This will likely cost zero Real Points but cost a non-zero amount of Real time / money. 

 

If the power is not rare but something the PC could actually expect to see come into effect but isn't designed to have an absolute devastating effect, then keep things simple. Tons of TK and / or a killing attack seem a bit extreme. I would start with the following:

 

Change Environment. 

-14 swimming (14pts)

Str Check and a minus to all Str Skill rolls at -2 (8pts)

AOE - Explosion - up to 128 meters +1

Limited Power - only in sufficiently sized water sources -1

Extra Time - Extra Segment before effects set in -1/2 

 

Active Cost - 44pts

Real Cost - 29pts. 

To make this cheaper one can just add on a normal series of dis-ads. Tacking on Full Phase, Concentration (Half DCV), Gestures (one hand) and even adding Personal Immunity, would bring it to:

Active cost: 49pts

Real Cost: 20pts. 

 

That would be a nice addition to any Multi-Power build or even as an add on to a Variable Power Pool. 

 

The effect is simple:

 

It creates a whirling pool of water out of a sufficiently large body of water. This water swirls around a central point (point of attack). All those caught in the whirlpool get a minus 14 to their swimming stats. All characters in the whirlpool must now make a strength check at a minus 2. If they pass, no ill effects. If they fail, they get pushed that 14 meters around the center. Also, because they are caught in the whrilpool, ALL subsequent Str. checks they would need to make suffer a minus 2. Once again on their turn, they will need to make a Strength check or be pushed 14 meters again. People may elect to fail the check and simply swim with the current motion of the current for a bonus to their swim speed (GM's choice on actual bonus).

 

Foreign Orchid. 

[Pyronide]

1. depending on how big the eye of it is it could be considered shielding from water-projectiles as the force of the whirlpool is pulling down as mentioned before.

2. I haven't seen people mention having it uncontrolled yet so maybe adding that for a certain effect.

3. what about adding something to reverse it into a cyclone, pulling objects up into to the center and being exposed to pressure of some kind or risk being thrown out.

4. saving somebody who doesn't breathe underwater by making them the center of the cyclone and thus having them on the sea floor.

 

These are a couple of ideas I had for uses of this as people mentioned it may only have a particular reasoning. Hope this helps. I am new to this system so I don't know about which power combinations to get this working, but I am loving this system so far

[Ninja-Bear]

Pyronide I like #4. You could have personal whirlpool: swimming UAA linked extened breathing (water breathing) where the special effect would the air pocket.

[Pyronide]

A friend of mine mentioned that it would be cool to use whirlpools or cyclones as a method of travel instead of speed, so possibly tunneling only through water? I thought this was another unique idea worth adding. You could add some of the other things mentioned on a smaller scale to those who are around the person while they are tunneling. Flash disorientation might be cool as people are spun in the water for example. Just spit balling some more ideas, I like the concept of this thread.

[massey]

A friend of mine mentioned that it would be cool to use whirlpools or cyclones as a method of travel instead of speed, so possibly tunneling only through water? 

 

You mean Swimming?

[Pyronide]

yes I meant swimming there haha -.-'