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Old 07-27-2013, 12:15 PM   #1
JCurwen3
 
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Default [Powers] Neutralize (Power Theft): what if the target dies?

Let's say you use Neutralize with Power Theft on a target. You get their powers for a number of minutes equal to your margin of victory, or until you freely give them back. Extended Duration can also be used to increase the length of time you keep their powers.

What if the target dies during the time you have their powers? Do you lose them? Keep them for the duration (or until you try to use your Power Theft again or just give up the powers), or lose them at that point? What if the target doesn't die, but loses their powers in play (possibly due to Affliction (Negated Advantage), or some other power-disrupting event)?
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Old 07-27-2013, 12:49 PM   #2
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Default Re: [Powers] Neutralize (Power Theft): what if the target dies?

Keep them for the duration.
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Old 07-27-2013, 01:25 PM   #3
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Default Re: [Powers] Neutralize (Power Theft): what if the target dies?

Depends on the genre... Sometimes the only way to keep from losing the power is to kill the person you are stealing power from. I'd say raw is written with the assumption the power is yours until the duration and then returns to the (now deceased) individual.
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Old 07-27-2013, 05:18 PM   #4
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Default Re: [Powers] Neutralize (Power Theft): what if the target dies?

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Originally Posted by LemmingLord View Post
Depends on the genre... Sometimes the only way to keep from losing the power is to kill the person you are stealing power from.
That's definitely not how the advantage is written though. That's "and then I spend character points to permanently aquire the power" using Power Theft as your "origin story". A totally legit thing to do if your GM doesn't mind.

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Originally Posted by LemmingLord View Post
I'd say raw is written with the assumption the power is yours until the duration and then returns to the (now deceased) individual.
I concur. If it can be shut off earlier by killing the subject, that's a (small) limitation.
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Old 07-28-2013, 06:30 AM   #5
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Default Re: [Powers] Neutralize (Power Theft): what if the target dies?

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I concur. If it can be shut off earlier by killing the subject, that's a (small) limitation.
This implies an ongoing connection to the Neutralized subject, and suggests a few other interesting limitations it could have. For example, the stolen power might only work while within a certain range of the subject. Another Power Thief could target the same subject, initiating a Contest of Neutralize to see if he can wrest away control of it. The victim might even be able to trigger a shutoff of his own power (for example, if it's Magical and he enters an NMZ) to deprive the thief of it.
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Old 07-28-2013, 06:45 AM   #6
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Default Re: [Powers] Neutralize (Power Theft): what if the target dies?

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This implies an ongoing connection to the Neutralized subject, and suggests a few other interesting limitations it could have. For example, the stolen power might only work while within a certain range of the subject. Another Power Thief could target the same subject, initiating a Contest of Neutralize to see if he can wrest away control of it. The victim might even be able to trigger a shutoff of his own power (for example, if it's Magical and he enters an NMZ) to deprive the thief of it.
However such implications and suggest means nothing unless they actually pay points for the ability to do so, except for Power Stunting.

Neutralize (Power Theft) equally could be a suppressed power cause the the xeroxing of the power. Such that if the thief finds a way to make the theft permanent, would still allow the duration of the to expire and regain their power, with no effect the xeroxed copy. [Ala Rogue and Ms Marvel/Binary]
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Old 07-28-2013, 12:33 PM   #7
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Default Re: [Powers] Neutralize (Power Theft): what if the target dies?

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Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
I concur. If it can be shut off earlier by killing the subject, that's a (small) limitation.
Yeah, thinking about it, it feels like maybe a -5% Nuisance Effect if the stolen power is shut off / removed when the subject is killed or their powers somehow destroyed or permanently negated. Maybe -10%.

Another question occurred to me though: what happens when someone (Bob) with Neutralize (Power Theft) uses it on someone else (Jim) with that advantage who has already stolen a third person's (Tom's) powers with it?

Does Bob get Jim's power to Neutralize (Power Theft), effectively giving him two copies of the ability for the duration, and thus the ability to hold two sets of stolen powers? I think so.

But does Bob also get the stolen copy of Tom's powers from Jim for the duration, or is whatever Jim stole erased / whitewashed when Bob steals his Neutralize (Power Theft)?
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Old 07-29-2013, 05:59 AM   #8
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Default Re: [Powers] Neutralize (Power Theft): what if the target dies?

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Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
That's definitely not how the advantage is written though. That's "and then I spend character points to permanently aquire the power" using Power Theft as your "origin story". A totally legit thing to do if your GM doesn't mind.
I re-found this ruling about dead people still having attributes and being the subject of powers...Apparently you CAN kill a person and then keep their remains around to keep stealing their powers.
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Old 07-29-2013, 09:07 AM   #9
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Default Re: [Powers] Neutralize (Power Theft): what if the target dies?

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Originally Posted by jeff_wilson View Post
I re-found this ruling about dead people still having attributes and being the subject of powers...Apparently you CAN kill a person and then keep their remains around to keep stealing their powers.
Interesting. One could definitely draw that conclusion. I imagine this power stealing corpse hoarder will have quite the smelly home (unless they have some kind of meat locker). Or they could just cremate the remains and touch the ashes maybe. I wonder what the point value for having each of these "ready to steal powers from" remains would be at start of game. Some kind of warped, twisted version of Ally maybe?
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