[SUPERS] My Unofficial Handbook to the DC Universe

[Adversary]

Originally Posted by aesir23

The problem with all this is, where to start with the gadget.

If climbing and swinging don't allow me to fire a grappling hook, attach it to something, and swing from it, what advantage does?

I don't want to get into some messy highly limited flight, as in some versions of spiderman.

Were I gm'ing a character who had both Climbing Line and Binding, with Binding defined as shooting and wrapping someone up with the same sticky line the character produces as his climbing line, I would probably--probably--allow the player to declare, "I shoot my binding attack at the cornice of the building and swing from it."

Although that presupposes a binding attack that maintains a connection between the shooter and the target, like Spiderman's webs, as opposed to binding the target in a net, blob of goo, etc. Reading Binding, that is not automatically allowed and isn't an optional enhancement either. I don't think it can be read in; being able to bind someone and pull them to you (or jerk them off the wall they are standing on into the pit of fire below) is not a trivial special effect. I suppose you need some kind of limited TK or stretching (only for pulling on things that you have bound).

[aesir23]

I guess one solution is to give everyone the following equipment, all invented by Batman (and included in the cost of his patronage).

A Gas Powered Grappling Gun with 500 feet of nano-filament Rope and an automatic winch capable of pulling 250 lbs at a rate of 5 hexes per second. 5lbs. Uses Guns (Grappling Hook).

A costume made out of a proprietor blend of Kevlar, silk, and other tough fabrics: 5 lbs DR15/5* Flexible. [This would replace the gadget advantage DR they currently have).

Three types of Batarang:
5 Blunt Batarangs (uses Thrown Weapon (Shuriken) or Thrown Weapon (Boomerang):
Thrust +1 Crushing, ACC 2, Range X4/X5, Weight 1lbs, ROF 1, Bulk 0.
3 Sharp Batarangs
As above but damage is Thrust +1 Cutting.
2 Electric Batarang.
As Blunt Batarang, but also: Ht -3 (0.5) affliction (stunning) as a linked attack. This is essentially a throwable stun gun (High-Tech pg 200).

I'm no good at creating equipment, however. It's just not something I've had much cause to do.

*15 DR vs. Peircing and Cutting, 5 vs. all other damage types.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Adversary

Were I gm'ing a character who had both Climbing Line and Binding, with Binding defined as shooting and wrapping someone up with the same sticky line the character produces as his climbing line, I would probably--probably--allow the player to declare, "I shoot my binding attack at the cornice of the building and swing from it."

Although that presupposes a binding attack that maintains a connection between the shooter and the target, like Spiderman's webs, as opposed to binding the target in a net, blob of goo, etc. Reading Binding, that is not automatically allowed and isn't an optional enhancement either. I don't think it can be read in; being able to bind someone and pull them to you (or jerk them off the wall they are standing on into the pit of fire below) is not a trivial special effect. I suppose you need some kind of limited TK or stretching (only for pulling on things that you have bound).

Sure, it's clear that Spiderman has Binding. But that's not very helpful for Batman and his grapple gun.

If I were to have someone in the bat family entangle someone with their grappling hook and pull them off balance, it would be done with the Kusari skill, not with an exotic advantage.

[aesir23]

Anti-Hero: Catwoman
Alias: Selina Kyle

Affiliations: Gotham City Sirens, Bat Family, Villains of Gotham City

Like Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle lost both of her parents at an early age. Unlike Bruce Wayne, her parent's didn't leave her with a billion dollar estate and a butler to look after her.

She grew up in a run-down orphanage in Gotham's impoverished East End. She soon turned to a life of crime.

Catwoman rose to become one of the most accomplished and skilled cat-burglars in the world, which, inevitably led her to clash with Batman. Despite being on opposite sides of the law (well...depending on your views on vigilantism), the two hit it off and began an on and off romance that continues to this day.

Today, Selina straddles the line between hero and villain--she continues to be tempted by the occasional heist and associates with known criminals Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy (whom she hopes to convert from their more violent ways). However, she has also promised Batman that to keep the people of the East End safe, and he trusts her to do just that.

Name: Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman

Attributes [335]
ST 13 [30]
DX 18 [160]
IQ 15 [100]
HT 14 [40]

HP 13
Will 15
Per 16 [5]
FP 14

Basic Lift 34
Damage 1d/2d-1

Basic Speed 8
Basic Move 8

Ground Move 8
Water Move 1

Social Background
TL: 8 [0]
Cultural Familiarities:
Languages: English (Native) [0]; French (Native) [6]; Italian (Accented) [4]; Japanese (Accented) [4]; Mandarin (Accented) [4]; Spanish (Accented) [4].

Advantages [275]
Ally (Harley) (75% of starting points) (6 or less) [2]
Ally (Ivy) (125% of starting points) (6 or less) [5]
Animal Empathy (Felines Only) (Specialized: one family) [2]
Animal Friend (2) [10]
Appearance (Very Beautiful) [16]
Claws (Sharp Claws) (Gadget/Breakable: DR 3-5; Gadget/Breakable: Size -7 or -8; Gadget/Can Be Stolen: Must be forcefully removed; Switchable) [4]
Combat Reflexes [15]
Daredevil (1) [15]
Flexibility [5]
Hard to Kill (2) [4]
High Pain Threshold [10]
Luck (Extraordinary) [30]
Patrons (Batman) (6 or less) [5]
Perfect Balance (Trained) [15]
Trained By A Master [30]
Very Fit [15]
Wealth (Filthy Rich) [50]
Weapon Master (Whip) (one specific weapon) [20]

Perks [6]
Accessory (Climbing Claws) [1]
Accessory (Glass Cutter (Claws)) [1]
Acrobatic Feints [1]
Acrobatic Kicks [1]
High-Heeled Heroine [1]
Style Familiarity (Wushu) [1]

Disadvantages [-67]
Compulsive Behavior (Thrill-seeking) (12 or less) [-10]
Dependent (Pet Cats) (0 or fewer points) (6 or less; Group of Dependents; Friend) [-15]
Greed (15 or less) [-7]
Overconfidence (12 or less) [-5]
Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10]
Reputation (Famous theif) (-1) (All the time; Almost everyone) [-5]
Sense of Duty (Animals) (Large Group) [-10]
Social Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5]
Vow (Defend Gotham's East End) [-5]

Quirks [-4]
In love with Batman [-1]
Passionate about Animal Rights [-1]
Secretly hopes to reform Harley and Ivy [-1]
Tempted by thrilling heists and animal-themed valuables [-1]

Packages [0]
Wushu (Martial Arts) [0]

Skills [130]
Acrobatics DX/H - DX+2 20 [8]
includes: +1 from 'Perfect Balance (Trained)'
Acting IQ/A - IQ-1 14 [1]
Animal Handling (Big Cats) IQ/A - IQ+1 16 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Animal Friend'
Animal Handling (Cats) IQ/A - IQ+2 17 [2]
includes: +2 from 'Animal Friend'
Area Knowledge (Gotham) IQ/E – IQ 15 [1]
Climbing DX/A - DX+3 22 [2]
includes: +3 from 'Flexibility', +1 from 'Perfect Balance (Trained)'
Computer Hacking/TL8 IQ/VH - IQ+0 15 [8]
Computer Operation/TL8 IQ/E - IQ+0 15 [1]
Computer Programming/TL8 IQ/H - IQ-2 13 [1]
Connoisseur (Fine Art) IQ/A - IQ+0 15 [2]
Connoisseur (Jewelry) IQ/A - IQ+0 15 [2]
Crack (Whip) Tech/A - 20 [4]
Electronics Operation/TL8 (Security) IQ/A - IQ+3 18 [12]
Entangle (Whip) Tech/H - 18 [3]
Escape DX/H - DX+2 20 [2]
includes: +3 from 'Flexibility'
Feint (Acrobatics) Tech/H - 22 [3]
Filch DX/A - DX+0 18 [2]
First Aid/TL8 (Human) IQ/E - IQ+0 15 [1]
Holdout IQ/A - IQ+1 16 [4]
Interrogation IQ/A - IQ-1 14 [1]
Intimidation Will/A - Will-1 14 [1]
Judo DX/H - DX+0 18 [4]
Jumping DX/E - DX+2 20 [4]
Karate DX/H - DX+0 18 [4]
Kicking (Acrobatics) Tech/H - 20 [3]
Knife DX/E - DX+0 18 [1]
Kusari DX/H - DX+0 18 [2]
Leatherworking DX/E - DX+0 18 [1]
Lockpicking/TL8 IQ/A - IQ+3 18 [12]
Observation Per/A - Per+0 16 [2]
Roll with Blow (Judo) Tech/H - 18 [3]
Running HT/A - HT+0 14 [2]
Savoir-Faire (High Society) IQ/E - IQ+0 15 [1]
Search Per/A - Per+0 16 [2]
Sex Appeal (Human) HT/A - HT+6 20 [2]
includes: +6 from Appearance'
Smuggling IQ/A - IQ+0 15 [2]
Spinning Kick (Acrobatics) Tech/H - 18 [2]
Stealth DX/A - DX+2 20 [8]
Streetwise IQ/A – IQ 15 [2]
Sweep (Karate) Tech/H - 16 [2]
Throwing DX/A - DX-1 17 [1]
Thrown Weapon (Knife) DX/E - DX+0 18 [1]
Urban Survival Per/A - Per-1 15 [1]
Veterinary/TL8 IQ/H - IQ+1 16 [2]
includes: +2 from 'Animal Friend'
Whip DX/A - DX+2 20 [8]

Stats [335] Ads [275] Disads [-72] Quirks [-4] Skills [135] = Total [675]

Notes: While Wushu is her chosen style in this version, Combat (Art) skills don't exist in the DCU and Savoir Fare (Dojo) doesn't exist in any of my campaigns.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Hero/Villain Catwoman

Hmm... yeah, Catwoman's a tough one to figure out. In my master document for the Marvel Universe, I have the following categories (inspired by the loose-leaf DC Who's Who of the early '90s):

Aliens and Other Races
Anti-Hero (Team)
Cosmic Entities
Geogaphy
Hero (Team)
Non-Villain Antagonist (Team)
Supernatural
Supporting Cast (Team)
Technology
Uncertain Status
Villain (Team)

"Uncertain Status" are those folks who I just can't seem to pin down to one category. Mimic is one, as he bounces between Hero and Non-Villain Antagonist almost at whim. I say "Non-Villain Antagonist" for those folks who are in positions to routinely oppose the heroes but don't engage in truly villainous acts. The Shi'ar Imperial Guard is the prime example of an NVA.

I'd be more inclined to put Catwoman in her later stages as either an Anti-Hero or Uncertain Status.

(For those who may be wondering what the difference is between "Cosmic Entity" and "Supernatural", folks like the Watcher, Galactus, and Death would be Cosmic Entities, while Mephisto, Cytorrak, and DC's Specter would be Supernatural.)

[Adversary]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Sure, it's clear that Spiderman has Binding. But that's not very helpful for Batman and his grapple gun.

Yeah I agree...just addressing half the question, and not the part related to your DC characters. I guess my point is, IF the character has binding, and IF binding somehow included a persistent connection between binder and target, that might cover shooting a line from which you can swing.

Otherwise, I agree with you, I have no idea what advantage you'd start with to create a gadget for swinging. Maybe Brachiator, with enhanced move (only for brachiating), and some kind of enhancement "can create and attach (at a distance) own lines for brachiating"?

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Adversary

Otherwise, I agree with you, I have no idea what advantage you'd start with to create a gadget for swinging. Maybe Brachiator, with enhanced move (only for brachiating), and some kind of enhancement "can create and attach (at a distance) own lines for brachiating"?

My first thought for Batman's grappling hook gun was to start with Clinging. It isn't a perfect match, of course, but it at least touches on the same notes.

Another alternative would be a heavily modified Flight.

[chandley]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Sure, it's clear that Spiderman has Binding. But that's not very helpful for Batman and his grapple gun.

If I were to have someone in the bat family entangle someone with their grappling hook and pull them off balance, it would be done with the Kusari skill, not with an exotic advantage.

Well, this would work:

Telekinesis X (Attraction Only -60%, Grapple Gun -55%; Visible -20%) [1/level]. That gets you a Breakable DR 3-5, Can be Stolen with a QC (and is usable by the thief), SM -6 object that will either drag something towards you (if you win a QC of TK level vs things ST) or drag _you_ towards _it_ (if you lose, or the thing is firmly fixed in place, like a wall). TK 12 would lift 290 lbs at 2.4 yards/sec out to 10 yards. You could add up to 50x Increased Range without changing the cost, but 10-20 yards is probably good for a grapple gun.

As a quirk, it requires you to take a Concentrate maneuver whenever you attempt to attach the grapple, or have it move you up and down, and it is a grappling skill or DX roll to attach it. Changing the skill (but not the attribute) in this case is probably safe to include as a feature. Compartmentalized Mind (One Ability Only -30%; No Mental Seperation -20%; Grapple Gun -55%) [10] is likely the official way to get rid of needing to concentrate to have the gun move you up and down. That said, Cosmic +50% "No concentration required to move" on TK wont change the price and is cleaner, and keeps the Concentrate/TK Attack action needed to latch on. As the "GM" for this, you might allow that.

So, 22 points to lift up to 290 lbs. Roll vs some kind of Gun skill to hit, no maneuver needed (the grapple gun gives you a concentrate that lets you then use a TK Move maneuver) to move.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by RyanW

My first thought for Batman's grappling hook gun was to start with Clinging. It isn't a perfect match, of course, but it at least touches on the same notes.

Another alternative would be a heavily modified Flight.

Hmmm, those aren't great fits. I primarily see the bat-claw (as it's evidently called by fans) as a simple climbing aid and swinging rope that's especially reliable when it comes to finding an attachment point.

Originally Posted by chandley

Well, this would work:

Telekinesis X (Attraction Only -60%, Grapple Gun -55%; Visible -20%) [1/level]. That gets you a Breakable DR 3-5, Can be Stolen with a QC (and is usable by the thief), SM -6 object that will either drag something towards you (if you win a QC of TK level vs things ST) or drag _you_ towards _it_ (if you lose, or the thing is firmly fixed in place, like a wall). TK 12 would lift 290 lbs at 2.4 yards/sec out to 10 yards. You could add up to 50x Increased Range without changing the cost, but 10-20 yards is probably good for a grapple gun.

As a quirk, it requires you to take a Concentrate maneuver whenever you attempt to attach the grapple, or have it move you up and down, and it is a grappling skill or DX roll to attach it. Changing the skill (but not the attribute) in this case is probably safe to include as a feature. Compartmentalized Mind (One Ability Only -30%; No Mental Seperation -20%; Grapple Gun -55%) [10] is likely the official way to get rid of needing to concentrate to have the gun move you up and down. That said, Cosmic +50% "No concentration required to move" on TK wont change the price and is cleaner, and keeps the Concentrate/TK Attack action needed to latch on. As the "GM" for this, you might allow that.

So, 22 points to lift up to 290 lbs. Roll vs some kind of Gun skill to hit, no maneuver needed (the grapple gun gives you a concentrate that lets you then use a TK Move maneuver) to move.

Hmmm, this is pretty good, but I think it's overly complex and overly useful as a weapon against living opponents. Ideally, the combat utility of the grappling hook could be summed up with "can be used as an improvised Kusari".

More and more I think I'm just going to go with a piece of equipment for this, or a new Perk.

[Culture20]

Originally Posted by RyanW

Another alternative would be a heavily modified Flight.

This is what I usually use for the swingers who never seem to fail at swinging. The name of the advantage isn't the important part; the fact that these people seem to fly from place to place, albeit with gadgets that require charges and they need something overhead to swing from, is.