Gaming W/Jemal: Mutant Rising OOC (Game has started!)

[Binder Fred]

Hello all!

I'm looking to see if I can add some gun-fu skills to ye old Nightshift, i.e. use his gun in melee combat as well as at range. If I have this right, you *can* use Ranged attacks in melee but, of course, you have to use your melee attack bonus on the to hit. Is this correct?

If so, question for you knowledgeable folks : Does the Attack Specialization feat work both at range and in melee? i.e. if I put it on Nightshift's gun, would he get the bonus in melee as well as at range? While we're at it, would he need to apply Attack Specialization to the Duty Revolver and the Flesh Wound powers separately or does this fall under the header of "a specific weapon"?

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Binder Fred, tinkering away.

 

[Jemal]

Yeah. But I only mentioned it since I was using Ultimate Power to build the blast (from the Damage power).

I'd REALLY prefer if people would ask me before grabbing extra books. UP has a lot of options that aren't present in the main book, and I didn't say it was a usable source specifically b/c I wanted to keep this game a bit more basic. I understand a lot of the options in it are doable in the base book, but still I'd prefer if people used JUST the core book.

Arkhandus
whoops, i thought that was a 10 speed, not a 1.
If you want it to take a while to charge up, that's pretty much what the action flaw exists for.

Andor
Side Note: M&M ALSO has an optional wealth system detailed on page 132 that works just like d20 modern, but i'm not using it.

Now, as Shayuri allready said, it's not about money, it's about usefulness in the game. The EP cost is about how useful the items are to super-hero type characters. Wealth is about how much the item would cost, money wise. They are completely seperate things, and in no way should one be confused for the other. Having 10 EP doesn't mean you have X dollars worth of gear, it means you have 10 points worth of useful equipment.

It's a headbanging example of confused and conflicted game design. They simply couldn't make up their minds if they were trying to make a realistic wealth system, or an equipment as powers system, or a game centered wealth system independant of powers. So they did all three, tossed it together and hoped no one would notice.

actually, I think they handled it quite well, it's far less abusable this way.
It's not that they were confused or couldn't make up their minds. reading through the book shows that their #1 concern with everything seems to be balance, and using a system where you purchase usefulness instead of monetary value is very much in fitting with that.

Binder
The long range problem on your attack teleport isn't a problem with it emulating your other powers, It's that I do not want a long ranged teleport attack in my game. If you need something to explain to yourself why it doesn't work long range when your others do, how about this : Dragging someone elses life force is a lot more difficult than an object or your own, and as such the distance over which you can accomplish this is lessened.

Nighshift also has a personnal conection to some of the items in there, mostly to his duty revolver and to his first pair of handcuffs (given to him by his old army training sergeant, don't you know, a real sign of approval).

All in all it makes a fine Complication, I think, but I could merge it with the "His Essence, infused into various objects" complication if you don't think it stands on its own (?).

The complication as it origianlly stands is ok, b/c complications only matter WHEN they happen, I just needed to know how much of a complication it was (seems it's almost nonexistant unless somebody specifically knows they're yours and what to do to keep them from you). I think, though, that the infused essence thing would make more sense and be cooler, you could even take that as a drawback instead of just a complication -
Limitation: Summoned Objects: Only works on things you've infused with your life energy (a move action requiring a touch that lasts indefinitely?)

 

[Andor]

actually, I think they handled it quite well, it's far less abusable this way.
It's not that they were confused or couldn't make up their minds. reading through the book shows that their #1 concern with everything seems to be balance, and using a system where you purchase usefulness instead of monetary value is very much in fitting with that.

I don't disagree that a use based system is suitable for a 4-color campaign, but it's problematic at best in a grittier one like this seems to be. Suppose Nightshift decides Roy has a point about shooting people in the foot and buys a can of pepper spray. Technically he just went up by 3 points. But how do you as a GM prevent people from spending tiny sums of money? The man has a job. And really my quibble is that they ignored the value of some things because they know people will screech if an i-phone costs more points than a lear jet. never mind that i-phone is more useful.

I think, though, that the infused essence thing would make more sense and be cooler, you could even take that as a drawback instead of just a complication -
Limitation: Summoned Objects: Only works on things you've infused with your life energy (a move action requiring a touch that lasts indefinitely?)

If that shows up as a mental power Roy could even pick up on it with his mental awareness. Which should really confuse the hell out of him.

 

[Binder Fred]

If you need something to explain to yourself why it doesn't work long range when your others do, how about this : Dragging someone elses life force is a lot more difficult than an object or your own, and as such the distance over which you can accomplish this is lessened.

Uh...Sorry, I'm confused : are you saying long range attack teleports, Only on inanimate objects, ARE acceptable?

If not, I think I'll go with the deep connection/prolonged contact to justify the long ranged and Reversible aspects of his Summoned Weapons array. And Yes, that means he's slept with/carried arounnd for several days a whole set of handcuffs, rope and C4 blocks (three guesses where he slept on those nights ). He's not presently sure exactly how long the contact has to be, but it's definitively longer than a few hours... Good?

I think, though, that the infused essence thing would make more sense and be cooler, you could even take that as a drawback instead of just a complication - Limitation: Summoned Objects: Only works on things you've infused with your life energy (a move action requiring a touch that lasts indefinitely?)

So he could only add a "power stunt" alternate power to his array if he'd specifically described infusing that object beforehand? What, no "Thank God I thought to infuse my nail clippers : Just the thing to defeat PODOPOLIS, THE FOOT THAT WALKS LIKE A MAN <echo, echo, echo>"?

(LOL, actually, with the prolonged contact justification, nailclippers COULD work!).

The Sense remains the same whatever the case though : infusion always has to precede teleportion : that's what the "touch attack" part of the attack teleport is meant to represent, after all.

Now I ask you, Mr president, was there or was there not talk of subsadized Immunity purchases in a globaly recessionary market?

The complication as it origianlly stands is ok, b/c complications only matter WHEN they happen, I just needed to know how much of a complication it was (seems it's almost nonexistant unless somebody specifically knows they're yours and what to do to keep them from you).

Amazing the amount of cryptonite floating around though.

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Binder Fred, directing your attention to his "gun-fu" questions three posts up.

 

[Andor]

It just occurred to me, what time of year it is? That's going to matter for schoolboy Roy.

If it's summer he could conceivable be taking a (music?) course at the university which would bring him into closer proximity to several of the other characters.

 

[renau1g]

Proposal for a deeper link with Crystal
Hey There Renau, gave the conection angle a thought and I have a proposal for you. How about this: Gordon likes to walk when he's brooding or just can't take it anymore. One of his walking spots has always been the local university, the park next to it or the athletic grounds. There, before AA, before the expulsion, he met an old guy in a tan security uniform. Most often they don't talk at all, just walk in company before parting with a pat on the shoulder or a hand raised in farewell. Sometimes, sometimes they sit on the cold concrete steps of the accounting building and discuss till the sun comes up, hands slashing arguments, leaning bodies pressing the essential point forwards (history, politics, the do's and don'ts a modern man has to live with, they've covered them all). In fact, it's Nighshift that directed Gordon towards AA during one of those talks. More than strangers, not exactly friends (Gordon's violent-angry side in perticular is a field of hot contention between the two; scares Nighshift sometimes, worries him often. He's talked to Mary about it at lenght), such are two heroes in a chain of heroes.

I like it, it fits and seems like a nice foil for Gordo's dark persona. Maybe it'll be Nightshift that stops Crystal from going over the edge into that dark dark place that even anti-heroes don't stray (Well... maybe Venom...)

 

[Walking Dad]

If the mechanics are all fine, I can post a background at the Easter weekend.

 

[Binder Fred]

I like it, it fits and seems like a nice foil for Gordo's dark persona.

It's done then <Celebration >

Do you think we should put the fateful meeting of the two heroes - as heroes, that is - in the past or in the future? I don't think they'd have actually TOLD each other about their new powers ("Men! No communication skills at all..."), meaning they'd likely have to bump into each other in alternate form and somehow recognize each other. Thoughts?
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Binder Fred, resting for today.

 

[renau1g]

Hmmm.... not sure if Gordon's new persona (a giant crystal) is very recognizable, unless maybe the perceptive night watchman could somehow see the man behind the mask, so to speak.

I would suggest we have it in the future as it would be nice to RP that out in game.

 

[Binder Fred]

From the description, I got the impression Gordon in his Crystal form was surrounded by fast-growing crystals... or does he actually *become* living crystal? In the former case, maybe one can see the darker outline of his silouette in there? Combine that with speech and movement patterns and Nighshift might have a shot.

More likely it'll be *Gordon* who'll recognize Nightshift, maybe tripping the other one's recog in the process. Well just have to see, won't we?

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Binder Fred, off to work on his background.