[Supers] Malice - A low-powered supers setting - Page 14

awesomenessofme1 · 11-03-2019, 01:55 PM

OK, replying to various points.

You're all misinterpreting the "melts all his clothes off" thing a bit. He has complete control over activating it, but he doesn't have the Supersuit perk, so his clothes can't survive it.

Games is specifically about playing games well, and it mentions that it covers knowledge of things like tournament rules. Scott isn't going to be an e-sports competitor any time soon, he just plays them and occasionally uploads LPs.

Questions about the powers:
The 3d attack is his acid coat, the 2d attack and linked 1 attack is an acid spit (I almost wish that there was a way to give it shorter range, but "super spitting" isn't that weird a power).
The Nictitating Membrane was basically just high enough to be immune to acid damage (which caps out at 1d-1 for external applications). I don't think it's that weird in general for someone to have eye DR when they don't have general DR, but 5 vs 0 is a pretty big disparity. I might think about changing that.
I think it's reasonable to make his DR "vs corrosion" rather than "vs acid". The two primary corrosives are strong acids and strong bases. He can resist acids and neutralize bases, so he will be able to reduce damage from most corrosion attacks.

And if anyone was wondering, in the campaign, Scott is currently in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound taken during a failed kidnapping attempt. He'll be out soon thanks to his regeneration, though.

AlexanderHowl · 11-03-2019, 02:49 PM

Yes, which is why he would have Games at default, he is just like most people his age. Hobby Skills cannot include video games because they cannot include anything included by other skills, which is why video games are covered by Games, as are board games, CCGs, and tabletop RPGs (sadly, I probably have Games (Exalted), Games (GURPS), Games (Pathfinder) and Games (Shadowrun) at IQ+2 by now, and a number of video games at IQ). A good hobby, like comic books or science fiction TV shows, would not be bad for the character though. I generally require characters to have their age in CP spent on Area Knowledge, Current Affairs, Games, and/or Hobby Skills, just to represent life.

awesomenessofme1 · 11-03-2019, 05:56 PM

Here's a character sheet for the first one of the Big Seven I have statted up. She's a 1000-pointer.

Blink

Real Name: Eliška Procházka
Secret Identity: Yes
Costume: Chrome-colored bodysuit with two diagonal black stripes across the chest. Black facemask, ponytail, black boots and black-tinted titanium gauntlets.
Age: 26
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 140 lb
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Elbow-length blonde
Eyes: Blue
Powers: Superspeed

Before her powers manifested in the first few weeks after the Flyby, Czech athlete Eliška Procházka was a professional runner who dreamed of competing in the Olympics but was just not quite good enough. By either astounding coincidence or some unknown attribute of the meteor, she ended up with incredibly powerful superspeed. She still can’t compete in the Olympics, but she’s set records no one else can come close to matching. She’s currently planning what would be her greatest achievement yet: Running across the circumference of the Earth on foot in under an hour.

Attributes: ST 10 [0], DX 18 [100], IQ 12 [40], HT 13 [30]

Secondary Attributes: Dam 1d-2/1d, BL 20 lb, HP 10 [0], Will 12 [0], Per 15 [15], FP 15 [6], Basic Speed 10.00 [0], Basic Move 16 [0]

Languages: Czech (Native) [0], English (Broken) [2], German (Broken) [2], Polish (Broken) [2]

Advantages: Absolute Direction [5], Altered Time Rate 2 (Required Disdvantage (Increased Consumption), -10%, Super, -10%) [160], Attractive [4], Basic Move +6 (Super, -10%) [27], Basic Speed +2.25 (Super, -10%) [41], DX+3 (Super, -10%) [54], Crushing Attack 15d (Double Knockback, +20%, Melee Attack (C,1), -20%, No Blunt Trauma, -20%, No Wounding, -50%, Super, -10%) [15], Damage Reduction (20) (Limited (Collisions), -60%, Super, -10%) [60], Enhanced Dodge (Super, -10%) [27], Enhanced Move 8 (Ground) (Second-Nature, +150%, Super, -10%) [384], Enhanced Time Sense (Super, -10%) [41], Fit [5], Immunity to Acceleration (Super, -10%) [5], Regeneration (Slow) (Super, -10%) [9], Walk on Liquid (Only while moving, -10%, Super, -10%) [12]

Perks: Masked [1], Supersuit [1]

Disadvantages: Charitable (12) [-15], Chummy [-5], Claustrophobia (15) [-7], Curious (15) [-2], Dependent (Girlfriend, Built on 10% or less, 9 or less, Loved one) [-26], Honesty (15) [-5], Impulsiveness (12) [-10], Increased Consumption x2 [-10], Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10], Secret Identity [-5]

Quirks: Bisexual [-1], Confident [-1], Fast Talker [-1], Hates using translators [-1], Procrastinates and works in short bursts [-1]

Skills: Acrobatics-18 [4], Acting-12 [2], Area Knowledge (Czech Republic)-12 [1], Area Knowledge (Europe)-12 [1], Area Knowledge (Prague)-13 [2], Astronomy/TL8 (Observational)-11 [1], Breath Control-13 [4], Computer Operation/TL8-12 [1], Current Affairs/TL8 (Regional)-13 [2], Current Affairs/TL8 (Supers)-12 [1], First Aid/TL8-12 [1], Games (Olympic Running)-12 [1], Judo-18 [4], Navigation/TL8 (Land)-15 [2], Parry Missile Weapons-18 [4], Public Speaking-12 [2], Running-16 [12], Swimming-13 [1]

Techniques: Bullet Parry (Parry Missile Weapons)-18 [6]

After feedback, I’m going to start adding a power summary. That’s going to be especially important for the higher-powered supers.

Altered Time Rate, Enhanced Move, Immunity to Acceleration, Walk on Liquid: Blink can function for all purposes as though she has Basic Move 4096 and can take 3 actions per turn. Using ATR and EM in conjunction, she can run at just under Mach 33, or just over 25,000 mph. This is roughly equivalent to Earth's escape velocity, but that’s just ignored most of the time for genre convention. She can ignore all negative effects due to acceleration. I gave her the -10% version of Only while moving for Walk on Liquid since with Second-Nature on her EM, her effective step is 409. Giving her the -20% or -30% version would be a total point crock. I’m not sure exactly what speed I’d rule she needs to move at to do it, though.

Basic Speed, Enhanced Dodge, Enhanced Time Sense: These are all pretty self-explanatory examples of super-reflexes.

Crushing Attack: This represents her ability to punch or kick at high speeds. She can deal 15dx2 knockback. I feel like this is a within-genre ability. Strong attacks that do far more knockback than injury are pretty common in supers fiction. Note that this does not have No Signature. I personally would rule the signature to be sonic booms created by her hands or feet.

Damage Reduction: This can represent several things, superb training, an increased ability to absorb kinetic impacts, or just a genre convention that fast people don't get hurt by hitting things. Since she has complete control over her acceleration, she can deal any amount of damage (she technically has a cap, but she'll die long before she reaches it) with a slam, and takes 1/20 the amount she deals.

Regeneration: Also self-explanatory. Accelerated metabolism. Note that her metabolism isn't exactly super-charged. Quite a few other supers have Regeneration (Slow) and/or Increased Consumption.

AlexanderHowl · 11-03-2019, 06:35 PM

The problem with the character is that she is too fast, as she can reach escape velocity, and her abilities do not really prevent her from doing so. One possibility that would be more effective is to use Extra Attack and Warp. Since you are spending over half of your budget on ATR and Enhanced Move (Ground), there is a lot of flexibility.

For example, you could replace them with Extra Attack 6 (Multi-strike, +20%; Super, -10%) [165] and Warp (Accessibility, Only places she could eventually walk or climb to, -20%; Cosmic, No die roll required, +100%; Range Limited, 2 miles, -30%; Rapid Fire 7, +70%; Reliable, +10, +50%; Super, -10%) [260]. For 425 CP, you can have a character that move 14 mps, and attacks seven times per turn, without running off the Earth, and it is ~140 CP cheaper. In addition, you do not have to worry about someone putting an invisible barrier in your way that would deal you ~500d damage.

With the 140 CP saved, I would increase her DX and HT to 20 (+110). I would replace Enhanced Dodge with Imaging Radar (Increased Range, 200×, +70%; Reliable, +10, +50%; Super, -10%) [+13] and an additional +17 CP in skills. She is capable of seeing where she is jumping and is twice as effective as a fighter.

awesomenessofme1 · 11-03-2019, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

The problem with the character is that she is too fast, as she can reach escape velocity, and her abilities do not really prevent her from doing so.

I already addressed this. It's genre convention. No one needs a specific explanation for why Flash or Fox-verse Quicksilver doesn't run off the planet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

One possibility that would be more effective is to use Extra Attack and Warp. Since you are spending over half of your budget on ATR and Enhanced Move (Ground), there is a lot of flexibility.

For example, you could replace them with Extra Attack 6 (Multi-strike, +20%; Super, -10%) [165] and Warp (Accessibility, Only places she could eventually walk or climb to, -20%; Cosmic, No die roll required, +100%; Range Limited, 2 miles, -30%; Rapid Fire 7, +70%; Reliable, +10, +50%; Super, -10%) [260]. For 425 CP, you can have a character that move 14 mps, and attacks seven times per turn, without running off the Earth, and it is ~140 CP cheaper. In addition, you do not have to worry about someone putting an invisible barrier in your way that would deal you ~500d damage.

I'm not saying this is an incorrect way to build a speedster, but it rubs me the wrong way, and there are a few problems (can't scout the path she travels for example).

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

With the 140 CP saved, I would increase her DX and HT to 20 (+110)

If I wanted her to have DX 20 and HT 20, I would have given them to her. It's not a matter of points.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

I would replace Enhanced Dodge with Imaging Radar (Increased Range, 200×, +70%; Reliable, +10, +50%; Super, -10%) [+13]

This part I legitimately just don't understand. How is Imaging Radar a replacement for Enhanced Dodge?

naloth · 11-03-2019, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

Here's a character sheet for the first one of the Big Seven I have statted up. She's a 1000-pointer.

Blink

Blink is also the name of fairly popular X-Men character. If your players expect a pink haired, pink skinned, green-eyed, dimension jumping mutant teleporter, don't be surprised.

Quote:

Regeneration, Increased Consumption: Also self-explanatory. Accelerated metabolism.

It looks like you are using Increased Consumption as a Temporary (rather than "Required" disadvantage), which I suppose could work if you treat it as the 1 meal/hour (-30 point) version. Otherwise, you only get to deduct up up to 80% of the value it would have been for taking it. For example: Increased Consumption 1 (-10 as disad) on ATR 2 can only discount the ability -8 points maximum.

Flavor wise, I tend to favor Warp and "Flight, must touch surface" speedsters. There was another thread recently which went over the pros and cons. "Realistic" super speed speedsters tends to have a killer collision at some point, doing what they think the Flash should be able to pull off.

Quote:

Crushing Attack 8d (Double Knockback, +20%, Follow-Up (Universal, Not on ranged attacks, -20%), +40%, No Signature, +20%, Variable, +5%, Armor Divisor (0.1), -70%, No Blunt Trauma, -20%, No Wounding, -50%, Super, -10%) [14]

That ability seems a touch awkwardly written. If you just want a super push, why not make it a melee IA attack? She could even use an AOA to attack twice if she could reach two people...

IA 8d cr (Double Knockback +20%; Variable +5%; Melee -35%; No Blunt -20%; No Wounding -50%; Super -10%) [8]

Varyon · 11-03-2019, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

She still can’t compete in the Olympics, but she’s set records no one else can come close to matching.

Unless it's obvious when she uses her powers - or her superpowers would cause issues with drug tests or similar - she absolutely could compete in the Olympics, by purposefully restricting her speed. She'd need to practice a lot to not accidentally run too fast, but she could do it. The outright unfairness of it to the other competitors might give her some ethical/moral objections, however.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

The problem with the character is that she is too fast, as she can reach escape velocity, and her abilities do not really prevent her from doing so.

Enhanced Move (Ground) lets you run really fast while staying in contact with the ground. I don't think any Enhancement (or complementary Advantage) is necessary to make it actually usable as-written, rather than her going airborne once she reaches a certain speed. Note also that there aren't any Advantages that prevent her from catching on fire due to the extreme friction she'd generate (both in her legs from their insanely-fast movement and simply from the air she's running through). It's safe to say the GURPS Advantage simply does what it says it does. There are also genre conventions to keep in mind (as mentioned in the character write-up).

AlexanderHowl · 11-03-2019, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

This part I legitimately just don't understand. How is Imaging Radar a replacement for Enhanced Dodge?

You do not need Enhanced Dodge with DX and HT 20 (you get +2.25 Basic Speed). Imaging Radar just allows you to see where you are going.

naloth · 11-03-2019, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

Blink

Here's an alternative that I think does what you want:
Basic Speed 12* [5]; Run (air move / ground flight) 24*; Top Speed 6144* per Maneuver

*Includes bonuses from below

[5] Absolute Direction
[180] ATR/2 (Super -10%)
[72] Basic Speed +4 (Super -10%)
[12] Beautiful
[384] Enhanced Move 8 (x256; Flight; Second-Nature +150%; Super -10%)
[41] Enhanced Time Sense (Super -10%)
[28] Flight (Requires Surface -20%; Super -10%)
[5] Fit
[10] IA (Super Push) 10d cr (Double Knockback +20%; Variable +5%; Melee -35%; No Blunt -20%; No Wounding -50%; Super -10%)
[20] Regeneration (Temp: Increased Consumption -10%; Super -10%)

Total: 757 points vs the 740 you spent while increasing the speed and dropping a few limitations. I suspect you could optimize a bit better with the +1/2 points air move vs Enhanced Move to drop it a bit further.

You can add (but shouldn't need?):
Immunity to Acceleration (Super, -10%) [5], Nictitating Membrane 1 (Super, -10%) [1]

Advantage: She's effectively weightless as long as she can touch the ground every few (10?) seconds. That means she can cross bodies of water, run up buildings, step lightly over crumbling surfaces, and even jump across really long distances while "running". Traction and support are never an issue.

Note: I'd also use the slam rules from DF, where velocity multiplies by the speed/range modifier for range. It will reduce collision damage by a factor of about x100.

AlexanderHowl · 11-03-2019, 09:16 PM

I am not sure that you need ATR 2 though, as she does not need to take multiple actions with her build, just multiple attacks. Right now, she is a bit of a glass cannon, as she cannot really survive her primary attack, which is her slam (another reason to go with Warp over Enhanced Move). Of course, I am not sure what threat she represents without the slam.

11-03-2019, 01:55 PM	#131
awesomenessofme1 Join Date: Mar 2016	Re: [Supers] Malice - A low-powered supers setting OK, replying to various points. You're all misinterpreting the "melts all his clothes off" thing a bit. He has complete control over activating it, but he doesn't have the Supersuit perk, so his clothes can't survive it. Games is specifically about playing games well, and it mentions that it covers knowledge of things like tournament rules. Scott isn't going to be an e-sports competitor any time soon, he just plays them and occasionally uploads LPs. Questions about the powers: The 3d attack is his acid coat, the 2d attack and linked 1 attack is an acid spit (I almost wish that there was a way to give it shorter range, but "super spitting" isn't that weird a power). The Nictitating Membrane was basically just high enough to be immune to acid damage (which caps out at 1d-1 for external applications). I don't think it's that weird in general for someone to have eye DR when they don't have general DR, but 5 vs 0 is a pretty big disparity. I might think about changing that. I think it's reasonable to make his DR "vs corrosion" rather than "vs acid". The two primary corrosives are strong acids and strong bases. He can resist acids and neutralize bases, so he will be able to reduce damage from most corrosion attacks. And if anyone was wondering, in the campaign, Scott is currently in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound taken during a failed kidnapping attempt. He'll be out soon thanks to his regeneration, though.

11-03-2019, 02:49 PM	#132
AlexanderHowl Join Date: Feb 2016	Re: [Supers] Malice - A low-powered supers setting Yes, which is why he would have Games at default, he is just like most people his age. Hobby Skills cannot include video games because they cannot include anything included by other skills, which is why video games are covered by Games, as are board games, CCGs, and tabletop RPGs (sadly, I probably have Games (Exalted), Games (GURPS), Games (Pathfinder) and Games (Shadowrun) at IQ+2 by now, and a number of video games at IQ). A good hobby, like comic books or science fiction TV shows, would not be bad for the character though. I generally require characters to have their age in CP spent on Area Knowledge, Current Affairs, Games, and/or Hobby Skills, just to represent life.

11-03-2019, 05:56 PM	#133
awesomenessofme1 Join Date: Mar 2016	Re: [Supers] Malice - A low-powered supers setting Here's a character sheet for the first one of the Big Seven I have statted up. She's a 1000-pointer. Blink Real Name: Eliška Procházka Secret Identity: Yes Costume: Chrome-colored bodysuit with two diagonal black stripes across the chest. Black facemask, ponytail, black boots and black-tinted titanium gauntlets. Age: 26 Height: 5’7” Weight: 140 lb Sex: Female Race: White Hair: Elbow-length blonde Eyes: Blue Powers: Superspeed Before her powers manifested in the first few weeks after the Flyby, Czech athlete Eliška Procházka was a professional runner who dreamed of competing in the Olympics but was just not quite good enough. By either astounding coincidence or some unknown attribute of the meteor, she ended up with incredibly powerful superspeed. She still can’t compete in the Olympics, but she’s set records no one else can come close to matching. She’s currently planning what would be her greatest achievement yet: Running across the circumference of the Earth on foot in under an hour. Attributes: ST 10 [0], DX 18 [100], IQ 12 [40], HT 13 [30] Secondary Attributes: Dam 1d-2/1d, BL 20 lb, HP 10 [0], Will 12 [0], Per 15 [15], FP 15 [6], Basic Speed 10.00 [0], Basic Move 16 [0] Languages: Czech (Native) [0], English (Broken) [2], German (Broken) [2], Polish (Broken) [2] Advantages: Absolute Direction [5], Altered Time Rate 2 (Required Disdvantage (Increased Consumption), -10%, Super, -10%) [160], Attractive [4], Basic Move +6 (Super, -10%) [27], Basic Speed +2.25 (Super, -10%) [41], DX+3 (Super, -10%) [54], Crushing Attack 15d (Double Knockback, +20%, Melee Attack (C,1), -20%, No Blunt Trauma, -20%, No Wounding, -50%, Super, -10%) [15], Damage Reduction (20) (Limited (Collisions), -60%, Super, -10%) [60], Enhanced Dodge (Super, -10%) [27], Enhanced Move 8 (Ground) (Second-Nature, +150%, Super, -10%) [384], Enhanced Time Sense (Super, -10%) [41], Fit [5], Immunity to Acceleration (Super, -10%) [5], Regeneration (Slow) (Super, -10%) [9], Walk on Liquid (Only while moving, -10%, Super, -10%) [12] Perks: Masked [1], Supersuit [1] Disadvantages: Charitable (12) [-15], Chummy [-5], Claustrophobia (15) [-7], Curious (15) [-2], Dependent (Girlfriend, Built on 10% or less, 9 or less, Loved one) [-26], Honesty (15) [-5], Impulsiveness (12) [-10], Increased Consumption x2 [-10], Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10], Secret Identity [-5] Quirks: Bisexual [-1], Confident [-1], Fast Talker [-1], Hates using translators [-1], Procrastinates and works in short bursts [-1] Skills: Acrobatics-18 [4], Acting-12 [2], Area Knowledge (Czech Republic)-12 [1], Area Knowledge (Europe)-12 [1], Area Knowledge (Prague)-13 [2], Astronomy/TL8 (Observational)-11 [1], Breath Control-13 [4], Computer Operation/TL8-12 [1], Current Affairs/TL8 (Regional)-13 [2], Current Affairs/TL8 (Supers)-12 [1], First Aid/TL8-12 [1], Games (Olympic Running)-12 [1], Judo-18 [4], Navigation/TL8 (Land)-15 [2], Parry Missile Weapons-18 [4], Public Speaking-12 [2], Running-16 [12], Swimming-13 [1] Techniques: Bullet Parry (Parry Missile Weapons)-18 [6] After feedback, I’m going to start adding a power summary. That’s going to be especially important for the higher-powered supers. Altered Time Rate, Enhanced Move, Immunity to Acceleration, Walk on Liquid: Blink can function for all purposes as though she has Basic Move 4096 and can take 3 actions per turn. Using ATR and EM in conjunction, she can run at just under Mach 33, or just over 25,000 mph. This is roughly equivalent to Earth's escape velocity, but that’s just ignored most of the time for genre convention. She can ignore all negative effects due to acceleration. I gave her the -10% version of Only while moving for Walk on Liquid since with Second-Nature on her EM, her effective step is 409. Giving her the -20% or -30% version would be a total point crock. I’m not sure exactly what speed I’d rule she needs to move at to do it, though. Basic Speed, Enhanced Dodge, Enhanced Time Sense: These are all pretty self-explanatory examples of super-reflexes. Crushing Attack: This represents her ability to punch or kick at high speeds. She can deal 15dx2 knockback. I feel like this is a within-genre ability. Strong attacks that do far more knockback than injury are pretty common in supers fiction. Note that this does not have No Signature. I personally would rule the signature to be sonic booms created by her hands or feet. Damage Reduction: This can represent several things, superb training, an increased ability to absorb kinetic impacts, or just a genre convention that fast people don't get hurt by hitting things. Since she has complete control over her acceleration, she can deal any amount of damage (she technically has a cap, but she'll die long before she reaches it) with a slam, and takes 1/20 the amount she deals. Regeneration: Also self-explanatory. Accelerated metabolism. Note that her metabolism isn't exactly super-charged. Quite a few other supers have Regeneration (Slow) and/or Increased Consumption. Last edited by awesomenessofme1; 11-07-2019 at 09:33 PM.

11-03-2019, 06:35 PM	#134
AlexanderHowl Join Date: Feb 2016	Re: [Supers] Malice - A low-powered supers setting The problem with the character is that she is too fast, as she can reach escape velocity, and her abilities do not really prevent her from doing so. One possibility that would be more effective is to use Extra Attack and Warp. Since you are spending over half of your budget on ATR and Enhanced Move (Ground), there is a lot of flexibility. For example, you could replace them with Extra Attack 6 (Multi-strike, +20%; Super, -10%) [165] and Warp (Accessibility, Only places she could eventually walk or climb to, -20%; Cosmic, No die roll required, +100%; Range Limited, 2 miles, -30%; Rapid Fire 7, +70%; Reliable, +10, +50%; Super, -10%) [260]. For 425 CP, you can have a character that move 14 mps, and attacks seven times per turn, without running off the Earth, and it is ~140 CP cheaper. In addition, you do not have to worry about someone putting an invisible barrier in your way that would deal you ~500d damage. With the 140 CP saved, I would increase her DX and HT to 20 (+110). I would replace Enhanced Dodge with Imaging Radar (Increased Range, 200×, +70%; Reliable, +10, +50%; Super, -10%) [+13] and an additional +17 CP in skills. She is capable of seeing where she is jumping and is twice as effective as a fighter. Last edited by AlexanderHowl; 11-03-2019 at 06:40 PM.

11-03-2019, 09:16 PM	#140
AlexanderHowl Join Date: Feb 2016	Re: [Supers] Malice - A low-powered supers setting I am not sure that you need ATR 2 though, as she does not need to take multiple actions with her build, just multiple attacks. Right now, she is a bit of a glass cannon, as she cannot really survive her primary attack, which is her slam (another reason to go with Warp over Enhanced Move). Of course, I am not sure what threat she represents without the slam.