To The Centipedemobile!

[BoloOfEarth]

I've always been a fan of the inimitable Foxbat, and he has featured in every one of my various Champions campaigns over the past 3 decades.  His current incarnation is as the leader of Foxbat Force, a team of (currently) 9 supervillains plus his quartet of (mostly) yes-man Foxbots.  My players have specifically asked that Freddy and Friends put in another appearance soon.  I'm cool with that, and am updating the characters and putting together the latest part of his Master Plan.

 

However, this one might well involve his mighty Centipedemobile, and I don't know that I've ever seen the writeup for it.  (I understand it's in Foxbat Unhinged, which I don't believe I own.)  So I'm trying to come up with something appropriately unique.

 

As I recall, the Centipedemobile looked like a bunch of inter-connected globes with legs, kinda like the old Cootie toy.

 

My current vision is that Freddy will purchase the base vehicle, which will be a single section (Pod) of the vehicle.  He'll then pay 15 points to have 8 of them, each unique and with enough STR (I think 40 should do it) to "carry" (pull) all the other Pods.

 

All would have a moderate amount of ground movement (say, 20m) and swimming (4m) so they can scurry about the battlefield reconnecting as needed.  Also have Clinging (Only to connect to other Pods) to represent the link-up.

 

Each Pod would also have its own movement (33 points worth): 

• Turbo Legs for +28m Running, 4x NC.
• Jumpjets for 56m Leaping, 4x NC
• Wings for 28m Flight, 4x NC
• Aqua-Jets for 56m Swimming, 4x NC
• Drills for 17m Tunneling through 8 rPD. 
• Another Pod to go on the back would have only 7m Tunneling with Fill In to close the tunnel behind the Centipedemobile
• Teleporter for 28m Teleportation, 4x NC
• I'm trying to decide on the final Pod -- should I go with Extra-Dimensional Movement (any corresponding location in a related group of dimensions)?  Clinging (on the feet) and Swinging?  Or some other idea I haven't thought of?

For example:  the Pods might be linked up with the Turbo Legs in front to pull all the rest.  Then they might slow down and pull a Chinese fire drill-like scramble to put Wings up front, which will then take off and drag the rest aloft.  The Centipedemobile might then land in the river, floundering around in the water until Aqua-Jets is up front, and then dive like a demented U-Boat.

 

We'll reserve other Pod differences (weapons, sensors, etc.) for later posts.

 

How does this sound?  Feasible?  Insane?  Fun?  Stupid?  I'd welcome some feedback.

[TheQuestionMan]

Move Through and Trample attack

[TheQuestionMan]

Centiped Attack - Breaks apart when struck to become a small section that attacks

[BoloOfEarth]

I'm imagining two different Pods trying to sandwich heroes between them.  (Would that be a Move-Through where everybody takes full damage?  Would the hero take double damage from both Pods hitting him?  Or just take damage once but combine the velocities?)

 

I'm also thinking of having the Pods be different colors, but being able to switch colors at will.  So say Harmonious Fist tosses the mayor into the green pod, and then the Pods make the mad scramble around/under/over each other, all turning green, and then changing colors and scattering to the four winds so the heroes have to play the vehicular version of Three Card Monty to figure out which one holds the mayor.

 

Oh, and Pods is just a placeholder name for the individual sections of the Centipedemobile.  If anybody has a better suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

[Cancer]

You might consider some custom combat maneuvers, or perhaps powers, in two different modes. When in linked mode, the collective mass might have a heavy charge-type attack with significantly boosted damage (especially against obstacles like walls, tank traps, etc.), while in swarm mode there might be an AoE trample with lower damage but substantial area coverage.

 

You might also consider the possibility that the alternative movements -- tunneling, flight, climbing/swinging, and noncombat multipliers might be available only in linked mode. In swarm mode the segments have modest individual movement (maybe even call it teleportation with an extra time requirement) to rearrange the linked mode configuration, but the vehicle isn't intended to do much when in swarm mode?

 

Maybe a cosmetic transform linked to the transition from linked to swarm mode (so it only works while in swarm mode, and it's involuntary?) so that in swarm mode the segments all look identical even if they really aren't? Or they have individual appearances that only manifest in swarm mode?

 

Lots of lunatic foxbatty fun available in this grand concept. I admit I'd play up the lunacy.

[BoloOfEarth]

I think I'd prefer each individual section have its own movement, sensors, and attack, rather than only having those available when joined. 

 

I gave each section its own Trample attack (basically AoE [Trail, Selective] on the vehicle's STR + HtH Attack).  Total of 9d6, so it's not going to be more than a nuisance for the heroes.

[steriaca]

Have you thought of pogo legs (leaping)? Chances are that Foxbat and Professor Steriaca have. And don't forget the Carbordian armor.

[Lucius]

I think they should all have Clinging!

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary thinks they all need a Complication pertaining to parking meters....

[Balabanto]

Well, if you haven't run Foxbat For President yet, dig it out! Now's the time! Can he POSSIBLY be worse than Trump?

[Hadmar von Wieser]

Three ideas:

Every pod has to have two PAIRS of legs so it can move independently and still be stable.

Pod #8: How about temporal movement? Bought as DUPLICATION so for several rounds you have twice as many pods?

And I agree with TheQuestionMan: You have to quote the old Centipede Arcade Game (Atari 1980): Whenever the chain is hit one pod breaks of and goes BERSERK!
(I love Disadvantages on a car so I can buy more stuff.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7XEmf02zEM

[steriaca]

Three ideas:

 

Every pod has to have two PAIRS of legs so it can move independently and still be stable.

 

Pod #8: How about temporal movement? Bought as DUPLICATION so for several rounds you have twice as many pods?

 

And I agree with TheQuestionMan: You have to quote the old Centipede Arcade Game (Atari 1980): Whenever the chain is hit one pod breaks of and goes BERSERK!

(I love Disadvantages on a car so I can buy more stuff.)

 

Wow. Considering that Professor Steriaca is Foxbat's current mad scientist in resident, and a games nut (games of all kind), he would probably redesign the Centerpedemobile to act like the Centerpede from the video game of the same name.

 

(In case your wondering, I got conformation by Bolo that the crazed gamer/scientist/Seeker fan is a member of Foxbat Force.)

[BoloOfEarth]

The attached PDF has the Centipedemobile as it currently stands in my game.  It costs 45 for the first Pod, and 15 more to have 8 total Pods.  With each Foxbat Force member donating 5 points, this makes the 60-point cost fairly easy to cover.

 

If you see anything grossly wrong, please let me know.  Also, I'll listen to any suggested changes (so long as they won't add too much to the cost).

 

Foxbat has eight Foxbots, who can serve as drivers of the eight Pods if not needed elsewhere.  (Many of the Foxbat Force members also have TF: Centipedemobile and can drive / pilot Pods themselves if desired.)  If the link between Pods is attacked (as an OAF not protected by the vehicle's armor, it's a very weak link), the Foxbots are under orders to separate Pods and run around like mad.  (The Centipedemobile Pods currently don't have autopilot computers, though that may happen in the future.)

 

I'm planning to buy some ping pong balls and velcro dots to have something distinctive to put on the battlemap. 

Centipedemobile.pdf

[steriaca]

Looks decient Bolo. But you forgot the "mushroom" forcefield which automatically activates when hit. To deactivate it, simply hit the button marked "spider".

 

Now, I have no idea what the spider button does. I forgot. Something about...what are you doing Foxbat...don't remove that component. What? You need room for the burrito warmer? Yum...burritos. On second thought, I'll implant it in the next version of the Centerpedemobile. As long as you can help me with my Heat-Seeker Missle. Yes, the one which turns people into Australian Martial Artist. But this time, on fire.