"Necessary Evil" OOC

Walking Dad

First Post
@WD: Can you tell us a bit about those aliens? What are they like?

Alien is a pretty... uhh... broad term. :lol:

EDIT: Ah, and of course you did post something to the RG about it already. Just saw it. :D

Bye
Thanee
Will also add some more description soon.


Eh, the rules are kinda murky about whether the Luck feat's bonus hero points are 'renewed' each adventure, so that's up to the GM. Anyway, spending 5 points on Luck - Second Wind feat ranks (the maximum allowed at PL10 for Luck feat ranks) would be more expensive, and I've already shaved off all the feats, skill ranks, save bonuses, etc. that I could afford to.
Anyway, now you all know how I do it :)

Kunai-Hime's partial concealment is some small help in combat, but only as long as she keeps taking a move action each round to resume hiding (with a Stealth check that the opponents may manage to overcome with a Perception check), and Kunai-Hime's no more difficult to hear than Octavia.
You forget the 20% miss rate for concealment. 'No more difficult' is the same as 'no more easier'.

Also Kunai-Hime can't hide from infravision, blindsight, tremorsense, or the like (and ultravision might also work against her, for that matter).
Not everyone will use them all the time. Both major alen races don't have them naturally.

Kunai-Hime isn't supposed to be a frontliner either, she's supposed to be the hit-and-run sneak-attacking type, who disables one foe or a few then escapes as opponents start shooting/flailing away at random to stop her.
Perfectly fine.
I know you are already feat starved, but:

Lightning Strike (Combat)
You are so quick with your weapon that you are able to move from
just outside melee range into melee range with a target, attack, and
move back to just outside melee range with an opponent, all before
they have an opportunity to react. This is essentially the Extended
Reach and Subtle power feats applied to your Strength, Limited to
Only for Attacks.

And it doesn't fit her concept to have any ranks in Speed or Super-Speed either.
I thought this feat to be perfectly fine for a fast moving ninja. It would be training, not some sort of super-power.

Windracer General
You are capable of incredible ground speeds, matching those of
many animals (1 rank of the Speed power).


... it's hard to make her super-effective at sudden strikes and then significantly less-effective after enemies are aware of her presence and flailing/shooting/blasting away to try and hit the camouflaged ninja.
No problem with adding something like a 'suddenstrike feat'.
I just don't favoring that sort of thing, just because it makes a character quiet ineffective if the condition isn't met.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Walking Dad

First Post
You just posted Gemini as I typed. Will take a moment to review him.

I moved my house rules to my blog. They include:

SUMMON
and Duplication need to have their cost increased to 3pp/rank.

I think Gemini is built with 2pp/ base cost. Right?
 
Last edited:

Thanee

First Post
No problem with adding something like a 'suddenstrike feat'.
I just don't favoring that sort of thing, just because it makes a character quiet ineffective if the condition isn't met.

Yep, I also dislike how Sneak Attack (and similar abilities) works.

It would be better, if you could lower your PL for the limits for normal attacks and in exchange raise your PL for limited attacks like that.

i.e. normally you have 20 total points in attack+damage for PL10, this way you could have, say, 24 for sneak attacks (+4), but only 16 (-4) or 18 (-2) (depending on how limited the limited attack bonuses really are) for regular attacks, to balance things out.

Bye
Thanee
 

Walking Dad

First Post
Yep, I also dislike how Sneak Attack (and similar abilities) works.

It would be better, if you could lower your PL for the limits for normal attacks and in exchange raise your PL for limited attacks like that.

i.e. normally you have 20 total points in attack+damage for PL10, this way you could have, say, 24 for sneak attacks (+4), but only 16 (-4) or 18 (-2) (depending on how limited the limited attack bonuses really are) for regular attacks, to balance things out.

Bye
Thanee
Allowing this kind of trade-offs quickly opens cans of worms... but they are also the reason why I allow sneak attack and some other things to break PL.

And because it is a curved damage system, 1 more damage can mean a lot, in-game.
 

Arkhandus

First Post
You forget the 20% miss rate for concealment. 'No more difficult' is the same as 'no more easier'.

Not everyone will use them all the time. Both major alen races don't have them naturally.

Perfectly fine.
I know you are already feat starved, but:

I thought this feat to be perfectly fine for a fast moving ninja. It would be training, not some sort of super-power.

No problem with adding something like a 'suddenstrike feat'.
I just don't favoring that sort of thing, just because it makes a character quiet ineffective if the condition isn't met.
I don't recognize the two feats you listed, so I dunno if they're custom or just from some book I don't have. Kunai-Hime already has Move-By Action and I can't really figure out what to remove or weaken on her sheet in order to accomodate anything more, or to fix the problem with her attack array, aside from toning down her damage and Toughness bonuses to better fit her concept rather than the PL. The miss chance from concealment is some help, but it's not the main purpose of her concealment ability.

And the point is, Kunai-Hime is supposed to be situationally effective/ineffective; her skills and powers aren't ideal for face-to-face combat, just sneak attacks and escaping afterward.

I'll consider tweaks to her stats/powers and make a final decision sometime this weekend as to whether or not to just drop Kunai-Hime as a suitable PC for this campaign/Power Level.
 
Last edited:

Arkhandus

First Post
You just posted Gemini as I typed. Will take a moment to review him.

I moved my house rules to my blog. They include:

I think Gemini is built with 2pp/ base cost. Right?
Yeah, I just copied over Gemini's stats from my laptop last night and tweaked them to fit your houserules, but I forgot to check those houserules for any changes in the Powers that Gemini had. So his Duplication is based on the 2pp/rank base given in the book. I didn't take the time yet to fine-tune him, since it was around 3 am last night and I was about to go to bed.

Also, question: Would the Duplication power duplicate Gemini's carried equipment, since his duplicate would have the same Equipment feats etc.? Likewise, would Mimic Powers allow him to mimic the Devices of his target (for example, if Gemini targeted Octavia, would he be able to create a temporary copy of her Ring Device? Granted, it might be a weaker copy given his limit on total power points and total ranks mimicked)? Since Devices are Powers, after all.......and he already has the ability to psionically construct a personal clone from matter around him or the like.
 
Last edited:

perrinmiller

Adventurer
I think I need to consider taking Luck. If it replenishes, then having more Hero Points will help everyone with her Inspire 5 (which allows exceeding the PL cap).
 

Walking Dad

First Post
...

Also, question: Would the Duplication power duplicate Gemini's carried equipment, since his duplicate would have the same Equipment feats etc.? Likewise, would Mimic Powers allow him to mimic the Devices of his target (for example, if Gemini targeted Octavia, would he be able to create a temporary copy of her Ring Device? Granted, it might be a weaker copy given his limit on total power points and total ranks mimicked)? Since Devices are Powers, after all.......and he already has the ability to psionically construct a personal clone from matter around him or the like.
His Mimic is all powers at once, not traits, right?
So, by RAW, he would be able the duplicate Devices (Powers) but not Equipment (Feats).
Actually interesting to have a character that can look at Iron-Man and suddenly has a tweaked down armor ;)
 

Arkhandus

First Post
Basically, yeah, LOL!

It's the 4-point/rank version of Mimic, so Gemini can copy all of one target's Powers simultaneously. Not other traits, so no equipment, feats, etc. A quirk of Gemini's psionic construction capabilities; he can temporarily copy special devices but not average equipment......

I considered giving him the 5-point/rank Mimic, but that's substantially more drastic and even I'd be leery of it as a GM. Maybe an alternate power 2-point/rank or 3-point/rank Mimic to copy feats/equipment or something, but for now, I'm just sticking with the original version of his Mimic power. Maybe Gemini could spend a Hero Point for a temporary Alternate Power feat like that for Mimic, anyway, if he really wanted to copy someone's normal equipment and feats.

Minor additional question: Would the Morph power emulate the appearance of a target's clothes, or just their physique/face/etc.? Gemini carries around various outfits for disguise, such as a police uniform (his normal equipment includes some police gear he absconded with at some point).

Anyway, here's a modified version of Gemini, with some tweaks to his powers, feats, skills, and basic stats (factoring in your houserule for Duplication's cost, I dropped the Survival extra and instead threw in the Feedback flaw for some extra points to spend elsewhere).

[sblock=Gemini Mk2]Gemini
Real name unknown, Duplicator/Mimic
Male Human, Medium Size, Age 23, Height 5'-11", Weight 141 lbs.
Speaks, reads, and writes Arabic, Cantonese, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish

Allegiances: The Zodiac (his old supervillain team), Earth, and Evil
Power Level 10, Power Points 150, Spent 150, Hero Points 1
Max Attack/Save Difficulty -0/+0, Max Defense/Toughness -0/+0

PP Summary: Abilities 24 + BAB 12 + Defense 12 + Saves 14 + Feats 14 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Powers 57 = 150 points

Strength 14 (+2), Dexterity 14 (+2), Constitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 14 (+2), Wisdom 14 (+2), Charisma 14 (+2)

Base Attack +6
Combat Maneuver Bonus +8 (+6 Base, +2 Str)
Melee +6 (+6 Base, +0 feat)
Ranged +6 (+6 Base, +0 feat)
Initiative +2 (+2 Dex, +0 feat)
Concentration +12 (+10 PL, +2 Wis)
Speed 30 ft.

Defense 16 (+6 Base), Flat-Footed 13
Combat Maneuver Defense 20 (16 Defense, +2 Str, +2 Dex)
Toughness +5/+10 (+2 Con, +3 armor, +0/+5 feat)
Fortitude +5 (+3 Base, +2 Con)
Reflex +5/+10 (+3 Base, +2 Dex, +0/+5 feat)
Will +10 (+8 Base, +2 Wis)

Nonlethal Damage: Bruised 0, Staggered No, Unconscious No
Lethal Damage: Injured 0, Disabled No, Dying No
Fatigue: Fatigued No, Exhausted No, Unconscious No

Attacks:
Unarmed Strike +6 melee for +2 damage
Tonfa +6 melee for +3 damage
Heavy Pistol +6 ranged for +4 damage (40 ft. increment)

Feats: Defensive Roll 5, Eidetic Memory, Elusive Target, Equipment 5, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Sneak Attack (unranked, ignores PL cap)

Skills (68 ranks): Bluff +16 (14 ranks, +2 Cha), Climb +5 (3 ranks, +2 Str), Computers +10 (8 ranks, +2 Int), Diplomacy +15 (13 ranks, +2 Cha), Disguise +5/+15 (3 ranks, +2 Cha, +0/+10 power), Linguistics +10 (8 ranks, +2 Int), Sense Motive +10 (8 ranks, +2 Wis), Stealth +10 (8 ranks, +2 Dex), Swim +5 (3 ranks, +2 Str)

Equipment (EP 20): Supervillain Outfit (EP 0, various disguises), Backpack (EP 0), Disguise Kit (EP 0), Medicine Kit (EP 0), Loft (EP 0, Fine Headquarters, Large Object, Garage, Living Space, Security System), Midsize Car (EP 7, Str 30, Speed 5, Defense 8, Toughness 9, Huge Vehicle), Laptop Computer (EP 1, Medium), Commlink (EP 1, Miniscule), Flashlight (EP 1, Tiny), Handcuffs (EP 1, Tiny), Tonfa (EP 2, Damage +1, Critical 20, Bludgeoning, Medium Simple Melee Weapon), Heavy Pistol (EP 8, Damage +4, Critical 20, Ballistic, Range Increment 40 ft., Small Firearm), Undercover Vest (EP 4, Toughness +3, Subtle)

Current Load 28 lbs.
Light Load 58, Medium Load 116, Heavy Load 175
Maximum Load 350, Push/Drag 875

Complications: Reputation (he has a bad reputation from his criminal activities), Responsibility (his ultimate loyalties lie with the leadership of The Zodiac and he must report in as well as follow the orders of his master)
Drawbacks: None

Powers:
1. Incognito (Morph 2, Psionic, Effect: Alteration, Action: Full, Range: Personal, Duration: Continuous, Cost: 2, Extra: Duration, Flaw: Action 2, can change appearance to look like any other humanoid with +10 on Disguise checks for that purpose)

2. Deja Vu (Duplication 10, Psionic, Effect: Alteration, Action: Full, Range: Personal, Duration: Sustained, Cost: 22, Power Feat: Absorption Healing, Power Feat: Mental Link, Extra: Heroic, Flaw: Action, Flaw: Feedback, can create a single heroic duplicate of himself with all his abilities except this power and no hero points, can absorb an undamaged duplicate to make an immediate recovery check, communicates mentally with his duplicate and knows what they know, needs a Will save against any damage suffered by his duplicate but adds the duplicate's Toughness bonus to his Will save)

3a. Copycat (Mimic Powers 8, Psionic, Effect: Alteration, Action: Full, Range: Perception, Duration: Sustained, Cost: 33, Extra: Perception, Flaw: Action, Power Feat: Alternate Power 1, Flaw: Tainted, can copy all of one subject's powers at a time but only up to 40 power points total, maximum copied rank equals Mimic rank or subject's rank if lower, maximum copied bonus equals Mimic rank or subject's rank if lower, copies subject's drawbacks as well as powers)

-----3b. Insidiousness (Mind Reading 10, Psionic, Effect: Mental, Action: Free/Move, Range: Perception, Duration: Concentration/Lasting, Equivalent Cost: 32, Power Feat: Subtle 2, Extra: Action 2, can read a target's surface thoughts with a power check against their Will save, may use Bluff opposed by Sense Motive when interacting to make the target think about a particular subject, can probe a target's mind for one answer per round with a move-action power check against their Will save, targets get a cumulative +1 on Will saves against Mind Reading for each new attempt per encounter and a new save with such a bonus at every interval along the Time and Value Progression Table)[/sblock]
 
Last edited:

Thanee

First Post
Allowing this kind of trade-offs quickly opens cans of worms... but they are also the reason why I allow sneak attack and some other things to break PL.

And because it is a curved damage system, 1 more damage can mean a lot, in-game.

Yep, it would be something one would have to closely examine on a case-by-case basis... but as it is, Sneak Attack just means that most of your attacks are weak, and some are normal, which is not so great. ;)

Anyways... just some hypothetical stuff, as noone has Sneak Attack, I think. :D

Bye
Thanee
 

Remove ads

AD6_gamerati_skyscraper

Remove ads

Upcoming Releases

Top