2 heads

[steriaca]

Back on topic, I bet having two heads could help avoid topic drift.

[Lucius]

Back on topic, I bet having two heads could help avoid topic drift.

Do you really think so?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary reports being unable to prevent Lucius Alexander from drifting off topic and often missing the point entirely

[GCMorris]

I assure you that I have an active imagination, that comment was slightly condescending. My issue is that I only have the 4e champions book and back when I played in the nearly days I only made some straight forward characters that didn't require imagination and D&D was my go to game back then. I wasn't very experienced when I picked the game back up a couple years ago. Now that I'm trying to think outside the norm and ask questions you make an unsupportive comment like that. Give me a break.

[steriaca]

I assure you that I have an active imagination, that comment was slightly condescending. My issue is that I only have the 4e champions book and back when I played in the nearly days I only made some straight forward characters that didn't require imagination and D&D was my go to game back then. I wasn't very experienced when I picked the game back up a couple years ago. Now that I'm trying to think outside the norm and ask questions you make an unsupportive comment like that. Give me a break.

I'm sorry. I made a bad assumption.

 

I hope I haven't stopped you from asking questions. I forgotten how it was when I was starting out.

 

As for the extra head in 4th edition, that would perhaps be Mental Defenses (the mentalist has two brains to work against instead of one), preception bonuses (I honestly missed my roll, and have the Psychological Limitation: Tends To Put Foot In Mouth Without Meaning To), and if your planning on attacking with both heads at once, Extra Limbs (this power is not necessary if it is for show). Again, Life Support: Reduce Need For Sleep is helpful (one head is awake while another sleeps).

 

I am an insensitive idiot sometimes.

[GCMorris]

No worries.

 

My plans so far:

 

2 heads, different minds and personality

Different powers, probably differing eye beams. Each with his own stats like int ego spd And end.

 

The trouble I'm having is figuring out how this is done physically. Its not something I've found covered in 4e really. But if its two different power sets can it be duplication? Doesn't the duplicate have the same powers as the base form?

 

Thanks for listening.

[BoloOfEarth]

I wrote up the character Doublespeak (from the Heroes Unlimited book Gramercy Island) recently.

 

I gave him:

• 50% Damage Reduction, Mental, Not vs. AoE Mental Attacks
• Increased Arc of Perception:  240-degrees with Sight Group
• Two copies of the same Multipower of attacks
• Extra Limbs, mainly because that can justify attacking targets on either side of him.
• Rapid Attack (ranged only)
• Combat skill levels to offset Multiple Attack penalties
• Lightsleep (one head is usually not as deep in sleep as the other)
• Distinctive Features (Not Concealable, Major Reaction)

I did the dual Multipower since each head can do a different attack, though in retrospect I suppose I could have saved points by just doubling the Multipower pool itself, but keeping each slot only up to half the points in the pool.

[Ninja-Bear]

No worries.

 

My plans so far:

 

2 heads, different minds and personality

Different powers, probably differing eye beams. Each with his own stats like int ego spd And end.

 

The trouble I'm having is figuring out how this is done physically. Its not something I've found covered in 4e really. But if its two different power sets can it be duplication? Doesn't the duplicate have the same powers as the base form?

 

Thanks for listening.

Instead of duplication mess, how about AI for second head with extra limb?

[BoloOfEarth]

I got a PM asking for my Doublespeak writeup, so here it is.

 

Note that he includes PSLs for multiple attacks, which is technically illegal.  But then again, he is a criminal...

Doublespeak.pdf

[Beast]

extra speed

[steriaca]

Wow Bolo. I wasn't expecting a sonic user.

[BoloOfEarth]

To be fair, it's not really 100% my creation.  Doublespeak is from the Heroes Unlimited book Gramercy Island.  They gave him sonic powers.  I just converted him to Hero (though like all such conversions, since I don't know the other system it's probably not a truly faithful conversion).

[Heroic Halfwit]

No worries.

 

My plans so far:

 

2 heads, different minds and personality

Different powers, probably differing eye beams. Each with his own stats like int ego spd And end.

 

The trouble I'm having is figuring out how this is done physically. Its not something I've found covered in 4e really. But if its two different power sets can it be duplication? Doesn't the duplicate have the same powers as the base form?

 

Thanks for listening.

Well, I can see how it could be done without Duplication Cannot Combine.  But I"m a Halfwit so take it with a grain of salt.

 

Extra Limbs: head, probably at reduced cost because you're using it primarily to separate which powerset is "grabbed" i.e. grabbing Head A would only impair powers originating from Head A and not Head B.  But completely optional in that you could say that anyone who grabs the Head mechanically grabs both heads.

 

Head A:  has a set of powers associated with it with the special effect that they originate from Head A.

Head B:  Has a set of powers associated with it that originate from Head B. (different powers) 

 

The Head A and Head B powers are powered by independent Endurance Batteries.  (different END)

 

Ego, SPD, etc. limited by only usable with Head A or Head B as appropriate:  e.g.

+10 Ego only usable with Head B powers or more likely just +x OCV with Head B powers.

+x SPD only for use of Head A powers cannot perform physical actions (similar to the construction for "Mental Speed" in Ultimate Speedster if you have it).

 

As for the different personalities could be replicated with good roleplay and selecting appropriate Disadvantages.  

 

In 5th Revised and 6th a player can pay additional points on Duplication if you want to create duplicates with different point allocation from the "base form."  In 4th Edition, you can get the similar effect by buying powers and/or characteristics with the limitations "Not while duplicated" and "Only while duplicated" and the advantage "variable special effect" but it's awfully clunky.

 

Some questions:

1.  If one Head were stunned or Knocked out would the character be stunned or knocked out or would the other Head be able to operate normally or slightly impaired?

 

2.  If the two Heads had separate Ego scores how would you handle the situation where one Head is subject to a Mental Illusion and the other is not?

 

3.  As above but with sensory deprivations like flash, darkness, transform to blind etc.

 

4.  Does one Head control the body exclusively?  Is control shared?  Does it alternate?  Do the Heads fight over control of the Body?

 

Some thoughts:

1.  I always liked to add "Not while flashed" to eye beams.  Just my opinion feel free to disregard.

 

2.  Since Bolo has given a "Not Duplication" answer to your question, I could make up a 6th Edition Duplication Answer to your question, sorry I no longer have the 4th Edition books, but it might give some guidance anyway.

 

Thanks for the question it was fun.

[TheNaga]

Well, I can see how it could be done without Duplication Cannot Combine.  But I"m a Halfwit so take it with a grain of salt.

 

Extra Limbs: head, probably at reduced cost because you're using it primarily to separate which powerset is "grabbed" i.e. grabbing Head A would only impair powers originating from Head A and not Head B.  But completely optional in that you could say that anyone who grabs the Head mechanically grabs both heads.

 

Head A:  has a set of powers associated with it with the special effect that they originate from Head A.

Head B:  Has a set of powers associated with it that originate from Head B. (different powers) 

 

The Head A and Head B powers are powered by independent Endurance Batteries.  (different END)

 

Ego, SPD, etc. limited by only usable with Head A or Head B as appropriate:  e.g.

+10 Ego only usable with Head B powers or more likely just +x OCV with Head B powers.

+x SPD only for use of Head A powers cannot perform physical actions (similar to the construction for "Mental Speed" in Ultimate Speedster if you have it).

 

As for the different personalities could be replicated with good roleplay and selecting appropriate Disadvantages.  

 

In 5th Revised and 6th a player can pay additional points on Duplication if you want to create duplicates with different point allocation from the "base form."  In 4th Edition, you can get the similar effect by buying powers and/or characteristics with the limitations "Not while duplicated" and "Only while duplicated" and the advantage "variable special effect" but it's awfully clunky.

 

Some questions:

1.  If one Head were stunned or Knocked out would the character be stunned or knocked out or would the other Head be able to operate normally or slightly impaired?

 

2.  If the two Heads had separate Ego scores how would you handle the situation where one Head is subject to a Mental Illusion and the other is not?

 

3.  As above but with sensory deprivations like flash, darkness, transform to blind etc.

 

4.  Does one Head control the body exclusively?  Is control shared?  Does it alternate?  Do the Heads fight over control of the Body?

 

Some thoughts:

1.  I always liked to add "Not while flashed" to eye beams.  Just my opinion feel free to disregard.

 

2.  Since Bolo has given a "Not Duplication" answer to your question, I could make up a 6th Edition Duplication Answer to your question, sorry I no longer have the 4th Edition books, but it might give some guidance anyway.

 

Thanks for the question it was fun.

Those are some good questions to ask.

[Amorkca]

I got a PM asking for my Doublespeak writeup, so here it is.

 

Note that he includes PSLs for multiple attacks, which is technically illegal.  But then again, he is a criminal...

 

Do you have this character as a HD file?  I really like the Export format too, could you post it or point me to where it is??

 

Many thanks...

[BoloOfEarth]

Unfortunately, it's not an export format, and not an HD file.  (I have HD, but I'm not a fan of any of the export formats I've seen, so I only sporadically use it.)  What I posted was from a Word document; everything was typed in manually.  I always liked the old Creation Workshop outputs, so I created a blank character sheet in that format -- just a series of grouped text boxes.  I type everything in (and generally do the math myself, though I have been known to gin up more complex powers in HD to check my math or play around with the number of dice).

[Anaximander]

As far as possible benefits an extra head might offer, how many times has an action hero been tied up and managed to loosen the knots with his teeth?  In some certain circumstance, an extra set of teeth could offer an advantage on an Escape Artist roll.