Superheroes of The Trust OOC Thread (Accepting Alts)

[Blind Azathoth]

Huzzah! Cupcakes make Azathoth happy.

I am Plant Guy™, yes. The "seed to plant" Transform idea was a good one, and probably the only way I'd be able to use some of my powers on a regular basis. However, looking over my sheet again, I'm not sure how effective the powers I favor are going to be, even using the Transform... and I'm kind of regretting my decision to be Plant Guy™. Maybe I oughta be Ice Guy™ or Electricity Guy™ or Cosmic Energy Guy™ instead...

 

[Shayuri]

Hmm!

You could always broaden your scope. What about Nature Guy? Get some animal control/communication going on. Get a ranged Cloud Nauseate, possibly linked to a Sight Obscure, and define it as a swarm of bugses. Maybe even toss in some weather effects for that good ol' Wrath of Nature touch.

You could be The Green Man!

Let's see...what else is open...

Electrical/Lightning has some interesting synergy with the girl who can morph... She's immune to electricity, so you could lay down fierce AoE's and not worry about her. EMP's are always good in modern day settings. Teleport through wires, maybe. Datalink, to be TEH SOOPUR HAXXORS!!

Or forego animals and plants and just go heavy duty weather control. You can get some great powers going with that theme...

Or how about a "super normal?" Ex-SEALS or Army Ranger/Spec Ops type guy. He's near peak human performance in most areas...strong, fast, tough, smart...all that. But the world's different now. It's not about armies anymore. It's about individuals...highly powerful individuals. To stay on the frontlines of this new war, he resigns his commission, and starts calling in favors to get his hands on all the military hardware he can. He'd wind up being kind of batmannish, but with a very different character. Loads of Equipment (maybe enough to justify a Device pool), contacts and connections, tons of skills...but unlike our good Doctor, his skills aren't academia. With his combination of intense combat experience (Fearless?) and leadership skills, he'd be a strong contender for group leader.

Tons of ideas left!

 

[Victim]

Huzzah! Cupcakes make Azathoth happy.

I am Plant Guy™, yes. The "seed to plant" Transform idea was a good one, and probably the only way I'd be able to use some of my powers on a regular basis. However, looking over my sheet again, I'm not sure how effective the powers I favor are going to be, even using the Transform... and I'm kind of regretting my decision to be Plant Guy™. Maybe I oughta be Ice Guy™ or Electricity Guy™ or Cosmic Energy Guy™ instead...

I'm not sure how've you written stuff, but I tend to think of plant guys as doing as much creating plant stuff to suit their needs as using what's already there. More descriptor, less "Limited: needs plants," if you know what I mean. If you want a Nausea cloud, you don't need to branch into bugs, you can just go with projecting some nasty pollen or whatever.

But Ice and Electricity are both cool.

 

[Voidrazor]

Shayuri - You're right, the immunity power doesn't work as the hinge for other abilities as presently formulated. I think if I make it a long-term Boost that gives immunities it should work.

The low defenses and lack of offensive power are intentional. My thinking is that he'd be a bit like DC's Oracle. Generally he'd stay at the groups headquarters and provide utility remotely. Keep in mind that the current build can design and construct a ~30pp device in under 2 minutes using Quickness. With the next version, if its OK with Matt, I'd like to speed that up further to about 3 rounds.

Matt - What would be a reasonable amount of healing? Would it be OK if I just removed the Total and/or Restoration extras?

For the nanotech device array I was thinking that he'd have a removable interface gloves. Without them, there might be nano in his system and in the air, but he wouldn't be able to do anything with it.

Also, I'll rework the Summon to make it a single critter that's just a little shy of caps.

 

[Blind Azathoth]

Hmm!

You could always broaden your scope. What about Nature Guy? Get some animal control/communication going on. Get a ranged Cloud Nauseate, possibly linked to a Sight Obscure, and define it as a swarm of bugses. Maybe even toss in some weather effects for that good ol' Wrath of Nature touch.

You could be The Green Man!

Let's see...what else is open...

Electrical/Lightning has some interesting synergy with the girl who can morph... She's immune to electricity, so you could lay down fierce AoE's and not worry about her. EMP's are always good in modern day settings. Teleport through wires, maybe. Datalink, to be TEH SOOPUR HAXXORS!!

Or forego animals and plants and just go heavy duty weather control. You can get some great powers going with that theme...

Or how about a "super normal?" Ex-SEALS or Army Ranger/Spec Ops type guy. He's near peak human performance in most areas...strong, fast, tough, smart...all that. But the world's different now. It's not about armies anymore. It's about individuals...highly powerful individuals. To stay on the frontlines of this new war, he resigns his commission, and starts calling in favors to get his hands on all the military hardware he can. He'd wind up being kind of batmannish, but with a very different character. Loads of Equipment (maybe enough to justify a Device pool), contacts and connections, tons of skills...but unlike our good Doctor, his skills aren't academia. With his combination of intense combat experience (Fearless?) and leadership skills, he'd be a strong contender for group leader.

Tons of ideas left!

I must admit, the latter concept sounds very keen, but the idea of a leader-type isn't really my thing. I am a terrible leader, myself—I have little sense of tactics and poor persuasive skills, among other things—and trying to fake it probably wouldn't work out so well.

I did consider a more general nature character, though a plants-and-animal type doesn't fit well with the alien origin, and, since I'm so lazy, I've strongly considered keeping that and tweaking it slightly to fit a new character. So, for instance, instead of being an alien plant, he'd be a sentient, humanoid crystal, or an energy being, or just a fellow with green blood and pointed ears...

But I suppose I'll ponder some more and see what background is suitable for whatever general theme I decide upon.

I'm not sure how've you written stuff, but I tend to think of plant guys as doing as much creating plant stuff to suit their needs as using what's already there. More descriptor, less "Limited: needs plants," if you know what I mean. If you want a Nausea cloud, you don't need to branch into bugs, you can just go with projecting some nasty pollen or whatever.

Well, some powers just flat-out require the presence of plants—Plant Control's description specifically states it causes plants already present to become a Snare, for instance, although now that I think about it, that's rather...well, sucky, compared to the default assumption that Snare creates the bonds. Of course, other things like Animate Objects (to animate plants) just don't make sense when there aren't plants around.

But I think my real problem here is that I just waffle too much. Too many ideas, too few games...and too much ADHD. Oh, well. I'll try my best to have a new character (edit: or just good old Salix) finished tonight or tomorrow...I get the feeling that recruiting is winding down now.

 

[Elric]

Huzzah! Cupcakes make Azathoth happy.

I am Plant Guy™, yes. The "seed to plant" Transform idea was a good one, and probably the only way I'd be able to use some of my powers on a regular basis. However, looking over my sheet again, I'm not sure how effective the powers I favor are going to be, even using the Transform... and I'm kind of regretting my decision to be Plant Guy™. Maybe I oughta be Ice Guy™ or Electricity Guy™ or Cosmic Energy Guy™ instead...

I love your background. As Victim said, just don't take Limited (Near Plants) too often and assume you're creating plant effects with your powers. Ultimate Power has a good section on abilities that go well thematically with Plant Control:

[sblock]
Fatigue: By touch you can cause an allergic reaction or drain
living targets of some moisture, causing a Fatigue effect at a
rank equal to your Plant Control rank. If you can cause Fatigue
at normal range, reduce the effective rank to two-thirds your
Plant Control rank.

• Insect Control: You can emit certain scents that attract
and influence the behavior of insects, giving you a Summon
Insect Swarm effect at your Plant Control rank. Once you stop
maintaining this effect, any swarm disperses, effectively disap-
pearing as it breaks up into its component creatures.

• Nauseate: Your touch can carry a plant toxin or allergen that
induces illness like a Nauseate effect at your power rank. If you
can induce Nausea at normal range, reduce the effective rank
to two-thirds your Plant Control rank.

• Plant Growth: You can stimulate the growth of plants, caus-
ing them to grow even greater than their normal mature size.
This is a Growth effect (see Growth in the previous chapter)
with Affects Others (+0), Limited to Plants (–1), and Permanent
in duration (+0), since the enlarged plants remain that way.
Apply ranks of Growth equal to your Plant Control rank, so
Plant Control 12, for example, can increase a plant’s size cat-
egory by three, turning a small sapling into a huge tree, for
example.

• Plant Perception: You can sense things occurring near liv-
ing plants like an ESP effect at two-thirds your Plant Control power rank (see ESP in the previous chapter for details).

• Stun: Either by using a plant-based toxin or influencing intes-
tinal flora, you can stun a creature by touch like a Stun effect at your Plant Control rank. If you can stun at normal range, reduce effective rank to two-thirds of your Plant Control Rank.

• Transform: You can turn one type of plant into another, a sustained Transform effect at half your Plant Control rank. Transformed plants revert to normal over time (assume a save bonus of +0 against the lasting effect).

• Transmit: You can transport yourself by stepping “into” a plant large enough to accommodate your body and stepping out of a similar plant at your destination like the Transmit power at your Plant Control power rank. Alternately, if you have a Plant Form body (see Associated Effects, following) you may be able to abandon your current plant form and grow a new one elsewhere at your destination; the same effect, but with different descriptors.

ASSOCIATED EFFECTS
• Photosynthesis: Your skin is tinged green with chlorophyll, allowing you to photosynthesize food from water and sun-light. You have the benefits of Immunity 1 (starvation).

• Plant Form: The ability to control plants may come from being a plant, or at least having the ability to turn into one! You have the Alternate Form power, either allowing you to change from flesh-and-blood to mobile vegetation or a permanent version for mobile, intelligent plant creatures (see Alternate Form for details).

• Protection: Your skin is covered with tough bark-like armor, giving you a Protection effect.

• Speak With Plants: You can communicate with ordinary plants, learning what they know and “speaking” to them in return (see the Comprehend effect in the previous chapter for details).

• Strike: You have tough wooden limbs, perhaps covered with sharp thorns or spikes, giving you a Damage effect that enhances your unarmed attacks. If the benefits stack with your normal Strength, apply the Mighty power feat as well (see Damage in the previous chapter for details).

• Super-Movement: Super-Movement effects appropriate for plant-controllers include permeate (through plants, wood, or natural earth), slithering (vine-like along the ground), swinging (via hanging vines), sure-footed (via roots and the ability to move through undergrowth), and trackless.[/sblock]

Fenris, I really like your background as well. Now, turn back to stone every night and you can be an Angel-Gargoyle I'm waiting to see how you stat out the sword. I hope you kept True Sight- that's such a flavorful ability.

 

[James Heard]

Well, some powers just flat-out require the presence of plants—Plant Control's description specifically states it causes plants already present to become a Snare, for instance, although now that I think about it, that's rather...well, sucky, compared to the default assumption that Snare creates the bonds. Of course, other things like Animate Objects (to animate plants) just don't make sense when there aren't plants around.

But I think my real problem here is that I just waffle too much. Too many ideas, too few games...and too much ADHD. Oh, well. I'll try my best to have a new character (edit: or just good old Salix) finished tonight or tomorrow...I get the feeling that recruiting is winding down now.

I think that if you included "bacteria and fungi" directly into your "plant" theme you'd have some kickass chops available in an array. Sure, you could still make the trees walk around and all that, but I think some variety of "The Incredible Alien Pharmacopoeia Guy" could be terribly frightening.

"Stop!"

"Aren't you the plant guy? All I see around here is concrete...I'm going to kick your butt."

"Ahh, but you see...I'M IN YOUR STOMACH INVADING YOUR WORMS! DIEEEEEE!"

Ahem, or something like that. Turning things into piles of bizarre mushrooms by super-growing them all big, turning their stomach bacteria into little alien opiate engines, and making common yeast do evil tricks for you like eat metal instead of sugar would be high on the "OMG!" list. Sending the tree after them? That's for when you're being lazy or merciful. Growing the apple the bad guy just ate into the tree that's attacking him? Not so much.

 

[Victim]

Shayuri - You're right, the immunity power doesn't work as the hinge for other abilities as presently formulated. I think if I make it a long-term Boost that gives immunities it should work.

The low defenses and lack of offensive power are intentional. My thinking is that he'd be a bit like DC's Oracle. Generally he'd stay at the groups headquarters and provide utility remotely. Keep in mind that the current build can design and construct a ~30pp device in under 2 minutes using Quickness. With the next version, if its OK with Matt, I'd like to speed that up further to about 3 rounds.
.

Quickness only helps the design phase of Invention (and the like); it doesn't speed the time it takes to construct them. Since Invention takes 5 hours per pp - or 2.5 hours if you take the penalties - the quickness will only save you an 1 hour (30 min) per point of the invention. Obviously, that adds up if you want to make big gadgets. But you aren't going to cranking stuff out nigh instantly. For that you need some sort of Gadget power.

Can you use the Quickness power to speed up inventing?

Yes and no. As specified in the power description, you can only use Quickness for “routine” tasks where you can take 20. You can take 20 on the design check to invent something, so you can use Quickness to speed up the design process; for
example, a character with Quickness for mental tasks might be able to do much of the design work quickly “in his head.” On the other hand, you can’t take 20 on the construction check for an invention, so Quickness can’t speed up that check.

The only way to do so is by taking a penalty on the Craft skill check, as given on page 131 of Mutants & Masterminds.

As for the plant guy:

Well, some powers just flat-out require the presence of plants—Plant Control's description specifically states it causes plants already present to become a Snare, for instance, although now that I think about it, that's rather...well, sucky, compared to the default assumption that Snare creates the bonds. Of course, other things like Animate Objects (to animate plants) just don't make sense when there aren't plants around.

Plant Control basically works out to Snare+Area-Needs Plants. It's not totally sucky. Plus your character can easily justify taking versions without the limitation - just toss off a bit of yourself and power it into temporary life.

As mentioned, plant powers can have all sorts of internal attacks. Also, IIRC, plants use all sorts of chemicals as defensive measures or means to communicate.

EDIT: On the other hand, most systems of classification separate plants proper from fungi and bacteria. Non animal doesn't equal plant. Casting your net too widely makes the idea of "plant controller" useless. And there's probably enough power ideas her now to eat a goodly sum of points.

 

[James Heard]

EDIT: On the other hand, most systems of classification separate plants proper from fungi and bacteria. Non animal doesn't equal plant. Casting your net too widely makes the idea of "plant controller" useless. And there's probably enough power ideas her now to eat a goodly sum of points.

Sure, but he's an alien. Maybe he knows something we all don't.

 

[Victim]

Sure, but he's an alien. Maybe he knows something we all don't.

True enough. And it's not like superhero stuff has the most rigorous science anyway.