Doc Samson

Re: Damage reduction

Yah, what patriot said. It effects STUN and BODY Drains. I bet this is about Gargantua. If I had known he had DR I would have gone for a STR Drain instead!

I have most of the books but I don't like to ruin the fun by peaking .

Re: Mental Institute name needed

While I may not be a practicing psychologist, I have played one in Champions (which trumps even staying at a Holiday Inn or playing on on TV).

Psychiatric Hospital seems to be replacing other designations for a facility dedicated to the treatment of mental disorders.

I think the name Halcyon Psychiatric Hospital sounds cool.

Re: Duplication without independent free will

The character sounds iffy to me but if you guys are having fun, then don't make this about the character. Many of us here have allowed worse. If the character is ruining your fun, then IMHO you should address that and not build a villain specifically designed to foil the player. That said, see below.

If you want to challenge this player more, you have come to the right place. Please post the write-up for the Invisibility. There are ways to foil it even if we have to use something like Ranged Targeting Normal Touch (being invisible to this requires Desolidification).

I don't use 5e any more but IIRC Find Weakness is cheaply foiled by Lack of Weakness.

There are many ways to keep the villain from being one-shotted without making him totally invulnerable (which won't be fun for the player). Buy his Resistant Defenses to a level appropriate to resist the attack (one half the APs of the Killing in Defenses is a good place to start). Damage Reduction will, in conjunction with lower defenses, will also work. You might also look into powers like Deflection and Reflection (I think they are combined in 5e) to make the player think about whether he wants to cut loose with a power he may have to eat.

---

Ok, so we want a cool sense, some sort of "Mirror Images" ability, and a way to survive a massive RKA. Here is what jumped to mind for me...

The Matador (or Toreador if you want to sound more artsy), a professional super-killer who slaughters superheroes for sport and pay.

The Matador is a powerful illusionist that uses four inborn powers to confuse and toy with his opponents.

1 and 2. Invisibility and Teleportation, bought with identical special effects!

3. Desolidification w/ Invisible SFX

4. Images w/ Set Effect, only to create an Image of the character.

The player will not know if the villain is invisible, an illusion, or has disappeared all together.

Tools, a cape and a sword.

5. The Matador wields an impossibly large and flexible red cape. He uses this cape to foil attacks (bought as a "shield" Multipower with Barrier, DCV, and Reflection as slots w/ the Focus limitation) and to detect concealed foes near him (Ranged Targeting Normal Touch (normal touch is 360 degrees for free in 6e) w/ Limited Range and Focus limitations).

6. When he finishes toying with his prey, the Matador dispatches them with a razor sharp sword (AP, P, HKA w/ Focus).

With his illusion powers and defensive cape, the villain should be able to bring the battle into range of his sense so he can attack.

Skills, Perks, Talents

I would start with professional killer stuff like Streetwise, Underworld Contacts, and a nasty Reputation but to make him more unique I would include skills like High Society, PS: Dancing, and a Language or two.

Complications

If a villain seems very powerful, I usually like to leave a way to outsmart him. In this case, our perfectionist killer thinks too highly of himself.

The Matador becomes Enraged (or even Berserk) when successfully taunted (a successful Persuasion roll for example) or embarrassed (such as a good PRE attack aimed at humiliating the him). He has high-class tastes (Psychological Complications: seeks wealth and luxury) and is also very arrogant, making him hard for other villains to work with (Rivalry). The Matador should also have the usual villain stuff like Hunted, Reputation, and Public ID.

Re: GM Help: That Player I Want to Strangle

I can tell by what you wrote that you already know the answers. Games are supposed to be fun, if they aren't something is wrong. Don't be defensive, just run the game to the best of your ability while keeping everyone's fun (including your own) in mind. When situations arise where you can't give the players what they want because it will ruin the game, do what is best for the game and the group's enjoyment.

Short version, if it is best for the game and the group that a player has to switch characters then so be it. If it is best for everyone to switch players, then sometimes that has to happen too.

Re: Give me a head with Hair!

Someone please rep Hermit for me for Hair-do.

Re: Give me a head with Hair!

Hmm' date=' that's not a bad idea, especially if, like real hair, you can't feel things.[/quote']

 

When I went the Duplication route, I bought the locks of hair with a slow regeneration/ resurrection. The character could be defeated and kept on ice by cutting his hair off but if left alone long enough it would grow back.

Re: Give me a head with Hair!

... Long beautiful hair

Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen

Give me down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer

Here baby, there, momma, everywhere, daddy, daddy

 

With the recent outpouring of support for a character based upon prehensile hair in another thread, I thought I'd start an ideas thread. I created a prehensile hair character years ago, but I bet there are a lot of good ideas that I missed.

 

The one idea that I loved (though nobody else seemed to care about) was using the hair as lockpicks. It could really manipulate any mechanical device easily with very fine precision.

 

So, what you got?

What thread is that please? I like prehensile hair characters. My own was a build pretty much like a standard brick, using stretching, extra limbs, and clinging fueled by a high strength only with extra limbs. I think I used swinging as his (his name was Narcissus, a thrill-seeking male model) movement power and barrier for a defense to simulate that it was the hair that was super durable and blocking attacks.

When the character was later re-imagined as a villain, I promptly traded all points spent on his hair for Duplication. His locks of hair were built as separate characters using the rules for how hydras are built using duplication. My players couldn't figure out how they were being beaten so soundly by one person until I started using tactics like having one lock of hair block while another attacks, grab and strike combos, and finally a coordinated attack.

Re: 4th String Villians Yeah!

I always was going to make a villian named the Bowler. A guy who has tk and uses it in the form of a bowing ball' date=' and having armor/costume in the form of a bowling pin. I must now make him![/quote']

I would check out the Mystery Men for some inspiration if you have not seen the movie.

Re: Cold -based Character "Winter" - Natasha Khrushchev - Whose is she?

If you choose to start from scratch, here is a mythological tale I have based a character on in the past. I think I even kept the name Snow Maiden. Perhaps her grandfather could be an interesting Hunted or Watched. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snegurochka

Re: 4th String Villians Yeah!

Ok so I just thought of a campaign idea...

 

The Aliens invaded. Earth's mightiest heroes and villains took sides and fought to the end but it wasn't enough. Decimated and desperate, Earth pins her hopes on the few costumed criminals too weak, too innocuous, too crazy to be involved in the initial battles...can the 4th string villains save the day against a depleted but still dangerous alien invasion?

 

Released from Prison with their costumes and whatever crazy tech they had (and access to the best upgrades they can find)

 

Sign me up...and also can't rep again yet.

Re: 4th String Villians Yeah!

I like many of the 3rd string bricks in Marvel. For example, I think Puff Adder has cool look (http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/puffadderss.htm).

I also like Mr. Hyde (http://marvel.wikia.com/Calvin_Zabo_%28Earth-616%29), though he is a cut-rate brick because of how he is written and not his power level. For example, how could Daredevil (who is cool, no offense intended) defeat a Thor and Hulk villain?

I think Tiger Shark is cool too (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Shark_%28Marvel_Comics%29), but as with Hyde poor writing has led to him being a joke. For example, he was recently defeated by Misty Knight (a street level hero) in Villains for Hire.

Re: Social Club of Outstanding Adventurers (or some less absurd)

You seem to have done most of the heavy lifting already but I'll try to contribute.

The Pulp Fiction Genre has a wealth of information to draw on for both archetypes and tropes. A decent list of Pulp characters from this genre can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_magazine and includes the likes of Doc Savage, Tarzan (both you mentioned), John Carter (in theaters as I write this), the Shadow, the Phantom, and Zorro. I would not have an issue with a Fu Manchu type character and in fact he is also on the list. I think you also can't have a discussion of 1930s fiction without mentioning Indiana Jones. Many of these character's could be used as a model for an archetype, which you have already partially done with your budding list of archetypes.

In terms of sci-fi/ and fantasy, this time period may contain aspects that have been described as Dieselpunk (a sub-genre of Steampunk taking place during the Industrial Age, 1920-1945). I would model some of the imagery and atmosphere on this genre. You seem to have already considered this with a Rocket Ranger archetype. Reference here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieselpunk#Dieselpunk

This time period is also considered by some to also be the Golden Age of monster movies. Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man all made their Universal Studios premiers during the 30s. These types of monsters, given a proper champions treatment, could all make great foes for your heroes. Reference here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Monsters

Even your list of tropes is a strong start with stuff like WWII and Horror. Here is a reference for more stuff you may wish to include, such as famous disasters like the Hindenburg explosion in New Jersey and the Great Depression http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930s .

I hope that helps a little. It sounds like it is going to be a fun game to play in.

Re: Kung Fu Hustle

That seems to me to be the defining characteristic of the character. He has to be able to shrug off the average roll of your PC's best attack. They need to get extra dice from some technique (using a megaphone with Lion's Roar' date=' the Buddah's Palm) to have a chance of taking him out.[/quote']

That's an interesting point. I interpreted the Lion's Roar and Buddha's Palm to be energy attacks (Sound and Chi based), to which the beast seemed to have lower defenses too.

Re: Kung Fu Hustle

True...I did think about that' date=' but he doesn't seem to focus on martial arts as much as the character I'm trying to emulate...[/quote']

 

I'm not sure how much Martial Arts is actually going to be on his sheet. Most of the stuff he did may be better built as powers. If I had to assign Martial Arts to his abilities, I might start with something like this:

 

Catching a Bullet - Martial Block plus CSLs levels with Block, Only Against PD KA's

Shockwave Kick - Offensive Strike plus a Naked Advantage Variable Area of Effect with enough points to cover his STR and DCs with MARTS

Blurring Punches - Martial Strike plus Naked Advantage Autofire with with enough points to cover his STR and DCs with MARTS

You Missed Me/ Hit Me Harder - PD and possibly Nonresistant PD Damage Reduction

Arm Twister - Martial Grab plus Martial Throw, Linked to Martial Grab

Hidden Poisoned Lotus Flower Weapons - HKA and BODY Drain, IAF

Toad Style Leaping - Leaping with Accurate

 

Complications:

The Beast, The World's Top Killer - Negative Reputation

Driven Insane by His Pursuit of the Martial Arts - Psychological Complication: Obsessed with being the best martial artist in the world

Toad Style Kung-fu - Distinctive Features: four-legged stance of a toad, increased thigh thickness, inflatable throat and croaking

 

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kung_Fu_Hustle_characters

Re: Elephant's Strength

On the Animal Planet channel's Most Extreme TV show episode on strength, it was stated that elephants can carry 20,000 pounds. I usually put 10 tons at 45 STR in my games so I think the write up is pretty accurate.

reference: http://www.tv.com/shows/the-most-extreme/strength-400555/

Re: Damage Reduction for Adjustment Powers(or stuff with the normal defense of Power

I would probably buy it as Power Defense with a Limited Power limitation of Only up to 25% (-2), 50% (-1), or 75% (-1/4) of the Value of the Attack.

Re: Can be used as...

1) Buy the advantage avld (def resistance) on the TK and special effect is "killing attack"

This. In 6e, Attack Versus Alternate Defense Can allow TK to do Killing damage. If you don't want to do Killing damage all the time buy it as a Naked Advantage or through a Variable Advantage.

Re: Mega Scale advantage question

It's true that Steve Long confirmed that Megascale applies to Stretching and Growth (I believe he did call it "odd" or "weird" but stopped just short of saying "Lucius, you have lost your mind.") It's true I created, and posted, a character using both those powers.

 

But I'm not aware of anyone actually using such a character in a real game. I'd love to hear about it though.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary tells me to expect disappointment

Ok, I actually did use it for a villain once but always wanted to try it for a hero. My villain could become a living cloud. I got the idea from one of the Great Beasts that appeared in an old Marvel RPG module named Kimara the Cloudstalker. A pic of Kimara can be found here http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/cascadeaf.htm#kimara.

Being aware of the Square-Cube Law that Sean referenced (which would probably cause issues with any Growth above 3 or 4 levels, here is a fun reference http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/21701757/), the villain was Desolid (with the doesn't protect against damage limitation) and had STR that affects the physical world. This combo allowed the character to walk around without collapsing the ground and also had the useful effect of allowing him to move through a city without demolishing everything he touched (unless he chose to).

He was a fun giant monster type villain to put against my players. I wish I has his sheet still but I tossed my 5e files (don't ask me why) when I converted to 6e. Maybe I will recreate him sometime.

Re: Mega Scale advantage question

I was joking, but thank you for addressing my comment. This has been a very interesting thread for me in regards to the nature of the system (as opposed to actual uses for Megascale).

Re: Mega Scale advantage question

I would just like to point out that if we don't have Megascale, then we can't have have Megascale Growth. What would we do without a single power that grants Megascale Size, Reach, Running, Knockback Resistance, and Area Effect Strength? Please consider the impact that not having Megascale Growth would have on your game.

Re: Regeneration as a Defense

Back when Steve Perrin was posting updated versions of his classic VOICE of Doom villains as drawn from his campaign to these forums' date=' he presented an interesting version of "fast healing" SFX as Damage Reduction for Lung Hung. The character had Damage Reduction with a -1/2 Limitation, "Figure Death/Stun First." In other words, the total damage that Lung Hung took after applying PD or ED was used to determine if he was Stunned, Knocked Out, or killed by that attack; then the actual amount of STUN or BODY he lost was reduced as per the DR, reflecting how quickly he "healed" from it.[/quote']

 

I think that is a cool build, thank you.

 

More random thoughts. We have a sort of an unwritten house rule that if power build says that it requires special permission from the GM, such as ignoring the limit on repeated Healing, we typically don't allow it player builds. For that reason we have avoided much of the APG content as it often implements a proprietary change of that specific use of the power. We try to keep things simple and often ask each other, if you brought that build to a con, do you think a GM you never met would allow it? This is why I try to search for creative builds using what the core books have already defined. I think I have failed at this endeavor in this thread

 

The base game already has a great mechanic for a regeneration type defense in the form of the Recovery statistic. For example, when I have built Hulk and Wolverine homages for players in my game, I usually give them a high REC in addition to some level of Regeneration to simulate fast healing. The problem that arises involves characters that already have decent amount of defense (such as adamantium bones or bullet proof skin). You can quickly hit a point with REC where the character becomes very difficult to put down in combats that last longer than a turn.

 

My search for alternative defenses continues.

Re: Regeneration as a Defense

But

1. REC doesn't automatically heal a target so you need to take a Recovery anyway and
   
2. REC is persistent so what benefit do you get by buying a stat with DOT?
   

It's the Phase 12 Recovery that is automatic. The Advantage allows the stat to be used repeatedly over a time period.

I generally doubt the validity of either DOT or Garadual Effect for any non-damaging powers.

The book gives an example of this type of use. From 6e1p331, "Although this Power Modifier’s called Damage Over Time because the vast majority of its uses involve attacks, you can think of it as Effect Over Time and apply it to other types of powers with the GM’s permission. For example, a character could apply it to Healing to create a “healing injuries over time” power (assuming the GM were willing to waive Healing’s rule about repeated use)."

Re: Regeneration as a Defense

The problem with using Gradual Effect with Recovery is that you aren't applying the REC over time to heal the STUN. It acts like you used all the REC at the point of use and spreads out the consequences of the REC over the time specified.

 

So, say you are SPD 4 and have 40 STUN, 30 END, & 8 REC bought with Gradual Effect over a Turn.

 

Phase 12, you are hit for 5 points of STUN & use 6 END.

 

Now, at post-segment 12, you get a Recovery.

Because you are only were down 5 Stun, that is all you are gonna get, even if you took more damage afterwards during the next turn.

On post-12 & 3, you get 2 Stun back, post-6, you get 1, & post-9, 0.

On post-12, 3 & 6, you get 2 Endurance back, post-9, 0.

 

Edit: That is part of the reason I didn't use it in the Regenerative Shield thread.

Gradual Effect is Absorbed into Damage Over time with the "Defenses apply once" option (if it's not an NND).

Example (Sleep poision):

5E: 6d6 EB, NND (LS Immunity; +1), Gradual effect (6 Minutes; -3/4); 60 AP, 34 Real Cost

6E: 1d6 Blast, AVAD (NND, LS:Immunity; +1), Damage over Time (6 Damage Increments a 1 Minute; +1.5); 17 AP, 17 Real Cost

 

As for applying Gradual Effect to anything defensive, I would propably consider that a variant of Extra Time (wich Gradual Effect is propably based on).

Good points but I think this is why this build would work as intended with Damage Over Time. Gradual Effect spreads out one Recovery while DOT applies it over and over. In this case you are Phase 12 Recovering (a small amount) over and over throughout the Turn.

Re: Regeneration as a Defense

Interesting comments you guys, thanks.

I think trying to bring healing regeneration and recovery under a "per turn" rate causes a lot of problems.

I know it's a difference to most other systems where such things happen every phase (or the equivalent of a phase). Don't forget that you enemy should have a "window" to knock you out, having regeneration every phases or segment makes that troublesome. Plus you tend to forget it (happened in D&D all the time).

 

I find the Resistant Protection, not agaisnt First body build actually an feature of hero:

It gives you protection against normal attacks and killings attacks in general, but leaves you open for Special Attacks (Drains, NND's), Posioned Knifes or (autofire) KA's. And afaik Wolverine and other regeneration guys where usually depicted as being normally succeptible to drugs, taser hits and just too many automatc rifles.

I may be wrong but I think Recoveries slow down after you are knocked out, so hopefully the build won't give the GM a headache as you can still be knocked out. Also, I think regenerators like the Hulk and Wolverine are typically immune to drugs and stuff like poison or alcohol.

Well...there is Regeneration as an SFX, and then there is Regeneration as a Power.

 

I've built a lot of regeneration based characters over the years using both the power and simulating regeneration via other mechanisms like triggered aid, absorption, resistant defenses, and so forth, many of which are on my site but I don't have time to hunt them down right now as I'm "working from home".

 

 

However, I will point out that the APG offers options for per Phase and even per Segment Regeneration which if allowed are very nice and make some of the more unusual mechanisms of psedo-Regeneration completely unnecessary.

I would agree that if the GM allows a STUN Regeneration that works more frequently than per Turn it may be a better build.

I am not fishing for any particular type of response, this is just a this is just a random musing.

There have been many discussions over the years on how to build a regeneration or fast healing type power as a defense and I have never let go of the idea. Below is one possibility that may have some use in game.

In the past I have used the Gradual Effect (5E) Limitation on Recovery to spread a Phase 12 Recovery out over the following turn. For This was bad build because the limitation actually made REC more effective by allowing it to be used before you take damage and still mitigate some of the damage taken after the Recovery. 6E has done away with Gradual Effect but the Damage Over Time Advantage can be taken in its place. The last paragraph under Damage Over Time allows for the Advantage to be used on other powers (and mentions Healing which is what gave me the idea).

Here is an example build.

+X REC, 12 Increments, Damage Occurs Every Segment, Cost = 4.5 pts.

1 REC = 5 pts.

2 REC = 9 pts.

3 REC = 14 pts.

Unless the GM rules otherwise, this means that when you get your Phase 12 Recovery (combat begins on Segment 12), you will continue to Recover X number of END and STUN every Segment throughout the Turn. In conjunction with the Regeneration power and some other defenses, this could offer an alternative to spening a load of points on Resistant Protection or Resistant PD and ED if those builds don't fit your concept.

EDIT

Holy cow! I just saw the thread on regenerative shields that has a very similar concept. Oh well.