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Post by polimorph on Mar 28, 2007 19:23:01 GMT -5
Often there is a situation in comics where characters are able, just out of the blue, are able to push themselves past their limits for amazing results. I wanted to make this into a rule that all characters could use.
Characters may "push" themselves and gain half their total energy (rounded down) in free stones for an ability or power but will exhaust all energy at that time and be stunned for a number of panels equal to free stones gained.
Comments?
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Post by Pope Mega Force on Mar 28, 2007 19:56:52 GMT -5
Already been done. It's called Overstrain. And actually, it's done a bit better than this. You get twice your action number in stones but you basically burn out afterwards. It's +1 to cost level.
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Post by polimorph on Mar 28, 2007 20:10:56 GMT -5
was that something in the book? And what do you mean by "burn out"? AND I meant to have this as a general thing for all players, not just something you buy as an action.
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Post by thedragonmaster on Mar 28, 2007 20:37:05 GMT -5
It isn't exactly bought as an action, it is bought as an advantage on any action that you want. But after using this, you are unable to use the ability for a number of days equal to the number of stones over your ability (something like that, I don't have the books on me ATM but I recall there being some screwiness the way they'd explained it).
So thats: 1) Yes, it was in the book. 2) "Burn out" means that you are prevented from using the ability for x panels/days/whatever (don't recall off hand exactly which it is). 3) It is available to all players who see being able to push past their normal limits as being part of their character.
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Post by polimorph on Mar 28, 2007 22:17:22 GMT -5
but anyone is able to push themselves under the right circumstances. I would just think that there should be something that can be used for everyone as like a last ditched effort in a fight not just something attached to an ability.
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Post by Brainstem on Mar 28, 2007 23:17:22 GMT -5
That would be what situational modifiers are for. If the GM feels that a player may do something to earn a little push (or maybe needs an extra push), he can apply situational modifiers. Likewise, the "extra effort" could just be the GMs way of describing the resolution of actions. If a fight's been going on for a long time, instead of saying "You punch him in the face and he is knocked out" you could say something more along the lines of "Digging into yourself, you find a new strength and use this to land a final blow on your foe, knocking him out cold." Both describe defeating the opponent, one just makes it sound more climactic. If you want your character to have the real benefit of a burn out, then I would think an advantage would be the best road, but what's used in the comics is, more often than not, just a spiffy way of detailing the end of an encounter.
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Post by Kaimontfendo on Mar 28, 2007 23:26:07 GMT -5
Well, there are a few way to mange this.
1. Allow anything to be "overstrained" perhaps with a penalty of leaving the user comatose for days or even weeks. If you'd go this route, anyone who buys overstrain could "double overstain" if they feel like paying the price for it. 2. Make up some sort of tweaked variant of the Acceleration option for Photographic Reflexes. 3. Don't let anyone get away with stuff like that, because superheroes do this kind of stuff on a regular basis.
Of course, there are also a few built-in ways to do this, like flashback panels, and situational modifiers. And of course, if player and/or GM want the increased power to be permanent, Lines could be spent into it, or challenge stones could be awarded.
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Post by polimorph on Apr 2, 2007 16:38:45 GMT -5
That would be what situational modifiers are for. If the GM feels that a player may do something to earn a little push (or maybe needs an extra push), he can apply situational modifiers. Likewise, the "extra effort" could just be the GMs way of describing the resolution of actions. If a fight's been going on for a long time, instead of saying "You punch him in the face and he is knocked out" you could say something more along the lines of "Digging into yourself, you find a new strength and use this to land a final blow on your foe, knocking him out cold." Both describe defeating the opponent, one just makes it sound more climactic. If you want your character to have the real benefit of a burn out, then I would think an advantage would be the best road, but what's used in the comics is, more often than not, just a spiffy way of detailing the end of an encounter. you know, some characters have done something like that in the midst of battle and still fallen unconcious while others continued fighting. It's something that everyone is able to do, even us as normal people can sometime push ourselves over what we can naturally accomplish. This is the same for superpowers but it sometimes results in pain or worse. Just attaching it to a single ability doesn't seem like a good thing to do in that respect...
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Post by Brainstem on Apr 2, 2007 17:14:31 GMT -5
There could be a house rule to figure this out, then. Maybe any hero can spend up to their durability more than what their maximum reserve is toward an effect, but becomes incapacitated in some way afterward. The energy spent, however, cannot exceed the amount allowable by the Action.
Say the superhero Overdrive and his allies are in an intense battle with the Marauders. Overdrive's maximum energy reserve is 12 red stones with a Durability of 4 as well as a Force Blast at AN 8. Hard blast after blast, Overdrive can't seem to take out his foes with his weaker, less energized attacks, while his blasts in the beginning appeared, to him, much more effective. In a ditch effort, hoping to take out an emeny to help his friends, Overdrive puts all 8 stones into his Force Blast, despite having only 4 in his energy reserve. Doing this wipes him out completely, causing him to pass out for the remainder of the encounter (or until he is healed), but could potentially eliminate a threat from his allies.
This way, if a player wants to get a real kick out of an Overdrive effect, they could purchase the advantage, but if they want to just be able to put forth a bit more energy than they would normally be allowed, the option is available.
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Post by polimorph on Apr 2, 2007 17:28:10 GMT -5
well that's what I purposed in the first place, a custom/house rule. I wouldn't say the character would be put in a coma but maybe be out for a number of panels equal to the extra number of stones he gained while being "overstrained" "pushed", etc...
and yes, the actual listing in the book for overstrain could still be used as an advantage for an ability of course... but this house rule to be used as a general thing for everyone.
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Post by Brainstem on Apr 2, 2007 17:50:58 GMT -5
Well naturally not a coma (just put in a position where continued combat would be a bad idea. Maybe only regens 1r per panel until there is time to rest?), but I don't think it should grant so much power as to give half of your total energy. Otherwise the advantage wouldn't be so much of an advantage, you know?
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Post by polimorph on Apr 2, 2007 18:11:20 GMT -5
Well naturally not a coma (just put in a position where continued combat would be a bad idea. Maybe only regens 1r per panel until there is time to rest?), but I don't think it should grant so much power as to give half of your total energy. Otherwise the advantage wouldn't be so much of an advantage, you know? yep, well I'll figure something
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Post by Kaimontfendo on Apr 2, 2007 18:13:48 GMT -5
I'm the one who suggested a coma, and I stand by that, because I know too many players who would be willing to leave their character laying at death's door for weeks just to get a few more stones into their already powerful attacks. If the penalty were only a few panels of being stunned, they'd do it every session. At least when they're in a coma, I don't have to deal with them.
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Post by malice on Apr 20, 2007 12:48:31 GMT -5
There have been multiple proposed house rules, new modifiers, and new actions on these boards that have discussed this. The first one I found was this one: [ftp]http://www.murpg.proboards19.com/index.cgi?board=custom&action=display&thread=1055047205[/ftp]
It also comes with a decent debate. I personally favor situational modifiers, but I HAVE been wanting to create a character with overstrain on everything, just to see what it's like.
Also when GMing I tend to require the players to act intelligently enough that they don't need this, because I've already made sure they can handle every challenge I present them with. I did it before play when I was preparing the campaign.
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Post by thanos on Jul 17, 2007 19:59:12 GMT -5
Some situational modifier examples:
Previous Experience (ie you have fought this guy before, Spidy vs Doc Oc) +1-2 GP Flashback Panel +1 GP Acting Heroically +1 GP Saving a Friend/City/an innocent +1 GP Really cool description by player +1 GP Last Chance to Save the day +2 GP
Drop all of that into a basket and your at +7-8 stones, which is a LOT of free bonus stones to get something done when you have to get it done.
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