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Merging?


ashuramarsh

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Hello all,

 

I am working on an idea but not sure how to go about it...

 

The character uses a mecha for their powers. However, what I want is that the mecha is sentient or at least semi-sentient, can move and act on its own, but not necessarily combat or such. The human pilot 'merges' into the mecha for use. Kinda like a reverse duplication in a way, I guess. Any suggestions on how this can be done?

 

I thought of just creating a vehicle and AI and buying them as such. Also thought of using multiform and of course Duplication.

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Vehicle can be a bit fidgety when it comes to damage to the vehicle vs. damage to the person in it.  That was the biggest problem I ran into running Power Armor as a vehicle.

 

Do you intend for him to "act like a person" or "act like a vehicle" when in the armor?  In other words, if I punch the guy in his armor, does he take STUN the way he normally would?

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Not sure if this would work, but .... since the other things seem to have been considered:

Build the merged form Only In Hero ID (or Only in Alternate Identity if you prefer). But have a Summon power with Only in Secret ID for the less combat ready Mecha that leaves as soon as he take heroic form. Technically he dismisses the Summon as he takes on his heroic id, but "special Effects" wise He merely leaps into the cock pit/head whatever and integrates

 

 

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Hmm, Semi-Sapient Mech with limitations based on the Pilot having to be inside to do things? I'll throw together a few concept options and detail them as I think of it. 

 

Multiform

The easiest way to handle this sort of character design that comes to mind is Multiform. One of the Pilot, and one of the Mech. This gets you a few options, but the biggest problem that comes to mind from it is the fact that the Mech can't do something without the Pilot being "Gone." Not to mention the Mech won't really exist unless they are being used. Useful if you want someone becoming a Mech, less useful for someone driving. 

 

Pros:

Easiest way to have inbuilt power stipulations and differing level of comprehension.

Cons:

Not actually a Mech and a Pilot. More a Crazy Transformer

 

Duplication

Here we are. A way to have the Mech and Pilot exist at the same time! Even has the Mech halfway-sapient, depending on how they are run. Peculiarly, when thinking it over, I would base the Character off the Mech, and have the Person be the "Duplicate" in this case. Powers with limitations of Only Usable when Duplicate Doesn't Exist, ect become a lot easier to conceptually grasp that way. Granted, this would allow the Pilot to become stronger faster than the Mech, given the 5 to 1 XP trade there. Not only this, but the Mech's "Personality" would be dominant when it they were "Combined." At least mechanically. Could probably work something out with GM's.

 

Pros: 

Easiest way to split up the character into two, and offers control of both with ease. 

Cons:

More confusing to wrap your head around. The pilot becomes subservient (mechanically) to the mech.

 

Vehicle

Short and sweet, I haven't read this book yet. I'll let those who know more about it say what they will.

Pros: ???

Cons: ???

 

Follower

This is the first one that came to mind first actually. By describing the Mech as a Follower, it allows you to design them in the 5 to 1 XP manner, have their own personality, and be Sentient. This also places them more under the GM's control though when not "Piloted." The confusing part to me would be how to treat damage there, but lest something crazy happened, I'd just treat the Piloting Human to have Resistance 50% to damage types, or have attacks require Indirect to Directly Harm them without a Targeted Attack. Easy Power limitations of Only Usable when being Piloted, ect... Perhaps Arbitrary limitations on the Follower's ability to do things without being Piloted. 

Pros: Sapient Mech that exists even when the Pilot does not.

Cons: It's actions are more Dictated by the GM. Piloting is a status then that must be made adhoc with the GM. 

 

That's it for now. Will update as I can think of things.

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On 5/25/2018 at 5:38 AM, Sveta said:

Follower

This is the first one that came to mind first actually. By describing the Mech as a Follower, it allows you to design them in the 5 to 1 XP manner, have their own personality, and be Sentient. This also places them more under the GM's control though when not "Piloted." The confusing part to me would be how to treat damage there, but lest something crazy happened, I'd just treat the Piloting Human to have Resistance 50% to damage types, or have attacks require Indirect to Directly Harm them without a Targeted Attack. Easy Power limitations of Only Usable when being Piloted, ect... Perhaps Arbitrary limitations on the Follower's ability to do things without being Piloted. 

Pros: Sapient Mech that exists even when the Pilot does not.

Cons: It's actions are more Dictated by the GM. Piloting is a status then that must be made adhoc with the GM. 

 

That's it for now. Will update as I can think of things.

Riding a Follower is the same as riding any other Character or Automaton, there are already rules for it (they are mostly the same as for Vehicles), for how to make the Automaton's Defenses protect you, and for how to make it take damage like a vehicle.

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On 5/24/2018 at 8:27 AM, ashuramarsh said:

I am working on an idea but not sure how to go about it...

I'd build it as a Vehicle with an A.I. Computer integrated into it. Or, if cheaper, as a Character with vehicle-like properties (such as Defenses that Protect Carried Objects). However either way you'll be paying 1/5th of the total points used to create the Mecha.

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Build the mecha as a vehicle with AI, build the pilot as a pilot with a vehicle perk (that would be the mecha) and a multiform that is limited in that the pilot can only transform when piloting the mecha (note that the pilot isn't REQUIRED to transform when piloting the mecha). The second form wouldn't have the vehicle perk, and therefore the mecha vehicle would vanish upon the transformation.

This sounds prohibitively expensive, but seems the least complicated method for creating this sort of characters.

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Equipment doesn't "vanish" when you change to a form that didn't pay for it... Which is an obvious opportunity for abuse. The common solution is that The Hulk can't or "won't" use Bruce Banner's equipment... even if it is a weapon or vehicle that might only cost 1-point to learn to use.

 

Otherwise, if your GM is blind, you can build a Character that spends about 1/4 of his points on an Inherent Multiform (into an alternate form that is awesome with equipment), and the remainder on awesome equipment (like giant mecha). Then you just throw away the effectively 0-point True Form that is never going to be seen again, and play a character with more than half again as many points as everyone else for no legitimate reason.

   Be wary of the Multiforming Super-Pilot whose True-Form's Vehicle can Summon Automaton "Drones" controlled by the True-Form A.I. Computer Follower...

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