Tights, check out this site: Character Generator
It says its the COH character generator, but I haven't had a chance to play with it.
Folks can also try this, if you are a having trouble coming up with a picture that works.
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So, I've been chatting back and forth with Watcher, and trying to take various considerations into play, both his concerns, and some voiced by various players. Long and short of it seems to be that it is very hard to find a build for the Imaginator that works, is true to the concept, but does not overshadow the concept of a balanced Team. Since we want everyone to have fun, it's looking like the best option now might be to move on to a different concept. (Hopefully a much simpler concept that does not require such a time investment to build.) When I lined out the uncovered roles in the group, the ones that came up were Speedster, Shapeshifter, and Mage. Psi is one that I forgot to include, that I believe is also not filled. At present I am thinking of trying to depart as much as I can from the players already in the mix, and play a Mage of some sort. We have no one particularly arcane at the moment, though we do of course have some ghosts and such with an arcane feel... While a mage might be able to cover some aspects of speedster, via time-magic, or a shapeshifter, or even mind control and Psi type stuff, I think I'm tempted to try and keep it simple, and be a more or less straight mage/supernatural magic user.
On a side note, making this character has been a pain in the ass... there are so many considerations that go into a character that doesn't fight in his own body. And each Avatar will probably take just as much work as a base character. It is a significant pain in the butt, and I am kinda wishing now I came up with a simpler, more straight forward character concept. I kind of like how his primary avatar Sol turned out concept-wise, and its almost tempting to take a look at altering him into a usable, stand alone character. Of course, as he's built as an Avatar right now, it would take a little rebuilding to get him to the point where that would work.
@ Watcher - In regards to why he did not heal his mother, at the time he didn't realize he could. He had never really tried to apply his imaginings to the real world. It was only later, after he decided to go out into the world with his heroes that he realized that it was a possibility. He still has not had much of an opportunity to use it of course, as he never leaves his home in person. Since the discovery however, he has been using it to help his mother recover from her reconstructive surgeries, but it is a matter of too little too late in that case (something I would imagine he is quite broken up about). Re: Healing stuff; not wanting to be unkillable, by any means, which is why he never had any version of Resurrection in any of the different builds. Primarily, it just seemed to be something consistent with his powers. When I was building Create Object I noticed that Healing and Regeneration are listed as common alternative powers (it might have just been Healing, I don't remember, and I didn't notice that they were different Powers - I may have just assumed Healing was Regeneration with the Affects Others extra.) The ability is not strictly core to the concept though, and I am not overly attached to it, if you think he would function better without. The Temporary flaw could be used perhaps, to illustrate that what he creates is not strictly real, but will hold someone together until he gets the chance to get real healing. I saw his self healing more as an instinctive self-preservation kind of thing than a conscious healing, which is why I thought regeneration suited better - his body automatically returns itself to the way it is used to being (kind of like the Residual Self Image of the Matrix. As for Dynamic or not, I thought they were labeled clearly, but if they are not making sense, I will make an effort to make it more obvious. His main Alias is ready here. He's formatted the same way as the Imaginator, so hopefully it makes sense for you. I'm reading through the game posts right now so I can make my intro/night before post consistent with the established flow, and not duplicate anyone else too closely.
@ Watcher: I missed that Regen is ineligible for Triggered, but somewhat heartened to hear at least that someone else made the same mistake. I've switched it to healing (reduced to reactive action) as a result. @ Everyone: On the wealth Topic, I retained 1 rank of the Wealth Benefit to reflect comfortable circumstances/income in his civilian ID, but as the mechanical benefit will not be what I had been thinking when I bought it, I just retained one rank, for flavour.
Think the Imaginator is ready for review, boss. Avatars will follow soon.
My 2 cents on the smartphone thing (I know that was days ago, but I'm a little behind on my posting); a cellphone is listed as a 1 pt item. Given that this version of the game was published in 2005, when the idea of putting an MP3 player on your device was a far of dream of 2006 (I worked at a cell phone company back then, and I remember what a big deal the Sony/Apple Rokr was...) I would think that the 1 pt cost goes for the present day standard level of device. I don't know anyone (like, anyone) in my personal circle that uses a regular cell phone these days as opposed to a Smartphone. Even my mother uses a smart phone, and she's a senior citizen. Nowadays, I would thing 1 pt would get you an industry standard smartphone, like an Apple 6 or 6+, a Samsung Galaxy S6, or that kind of level; cunningly registered anonymously, and cleared for super hero work.
Gotcha; so wealth can get me a nice house for my civilian identity, but no gear for my super heroics.
Just noticed that wealth rules are an optional rule for 2e, and not automatic. I had purchased the Wealth Benefit feat in order to indicate that the character was successful and a modestly well off. It allows a character to make a wealth check roll to acquire equipment, in stead of paying an equipment cost. Since I now figured out that this is an optional rule-set, I need to see if the GM wants to actually use it, or if you'd rather stick with a typical equipment system. If that's the case, I'll reassign the feats.
I could kinda see the difficult to lift or move being kinda sort-of an advantage is some very specific circumstances, but I think comparing it to Thor's immortality is a bit of a stretch. I think that if one were to pay for such a thing, a 1 pt feature that increased mass by 10x would make a lot more sense. Features are for exactly that, a feature that is not likely to have an in game advantage, and can't really be covered by an existing power or feat. No need to make it ranked, since it's not exactly on the same level as flying 250 mph, or being able to lift 24x what your strength typically allows (Super Strength).
Cool idea. Only thought would be, if it has no advantage associated and limits his mobility, would it be a drawback? He has a mobility drawback as it is, worth just -1 (minimum value) as I am not expectin to come up much (unless the GM has genius bad guys - or telepaths I suppose - figure out his identity more quickly and more often than I anticipated). Could it not just be an aspect of this Drawbac, rather than a feature that is paid for?
I hear you on the wife-stuff. I think I'm just about done; I'm trying to take a few minutes here and there, whenever I get them. You said not to post until we're totally good to go, so that's what I'm waiting on.
I did a silly thing last night; I was trying to get my numbers straightened out and arranged the way I wanted. As the Profile page always times out if you keep the modify window open too long, I was typing up the changes in Google Docs. Long story short, didn't save properly, ended up copy/pasting an old version of the character over top of all of the changes I had just ironed out, and then clicked Done. Grr, grumble, grumble. Well, so much for all that work. I think I've got it just about fixed up now, except for one question. Trying to figure out places to save points (of course), and so I was looking at my Density power. It is there pretty much only for flavour, as it ties into his backstory quite a bit. In a pinch it does help out some of his defensive abilities, but if he every gets found (in the flesh, as it were), he's probably going to be running away, not fighting (unless he decides to pull a Waldo Butters, and face down the BBEG in a hopeless confrontation). Since 19 points is a hefty investment for a story based element of the character, I'm trying to lighten that load, but I don't want to lose it. My question is this, with Density, if I took the Immobile flaw at the -1 value, do you think that it would render me immobile in the sense that he would be unable to move under his own power, or immobile in the sense that he pretty much could not be moved? Wheel chair/mobility scooter bound would be fine, and thematically appropriate, but completely unmovable would be pretty hard to explain (Keep in mind this is a permanent effect for him. If he couldn't ever be moved, how did he get to where he is in the first place? Was he born there?) Here's the excerpt from the rules: • Immobile (–1): When using Density, you are unable to move from where you stand when you activate the effect, although you can still take actions, so long as they don’t involve movement. If you are completely immobile (and helpless) while using Density, increase the flaw’s value to –3. I suppose an alternative would be to make him immobile and then have a Device with an anti-gravity system installed (Nullification: Density or Gravity). However, I have his ability set up as innate at the moment as it reflects his story better (he weights that much because he really has that much mass packed into his frame), so I'd have to change that in order for that option to work (such as saying his density is a mass amplification effect or Gravity effect of some sort, unwittingly projected upon himself, but theoretically nullifyable.)
Yes, by house rules you are over cap. The raw rules allow any amount of trade off, as long as the two add up to less than double the game's power level. However, many games (including this one) have capped that (our limit is 4) in order to avoid trade offs that are too extreme. You can imagine facing an enemy with 0 Defense but having 18 Toughness, Impervious 9. Hitting him would be a cinch, but how would you hurt him? As a result, you'll have to rearrange things to bring your Defense down to a max of 13. You could always use those points to bring your toughness up as high as 5.
Alright, I've got the Imaginator's points and powers sussed out, I think. I don't have hero labs so I can't input him or send a file. I reduced Summon to ten ranks, added Heroic, and then also included the Drawback you stipulated. I have no problem adding Heroic as it adds a lot of capability as a side benefit, but I don think you guys are mistaken about it being necessary. I think that by RAW, the minion would be a minion when he was on his own, but a hero when possessed by The Imaginator. However I have no problem with taking heroic, and so I added it regardless. I dropped his Int a bit, so as to be below Dr. atom and better fit in with the setting. I left his wisdom at 28, as his raw will is essentially the power source for his abilities. I dropped his Charisma to a neutral 10. I had envisioned him being much more dynamic when in his Avatars (where his true appearance is hidded). But that could be accomplished as an enhanced ability power in the body in question just as easily. I'll have to (re)build an Avatar yet, but I have te concept worked out, the points should be all that need work. With regard to the issue with Summon minion being unlimited by PL, I find it odd that the game left such a loophole in place. If one wanted to really break the game, you could make your PC a near invalid and use the possession power instead of body switch; it causes your body to merge with your target, making it beyond enemy attacks. Even without flaws you could pull 50 levels of Summon and have your body be built on 750 points. Regardless, just saying that summoned minions can't have more power point than their summon is an quick and easy fix, as far as house rules go.
I don't disagree with your assessment Invictus. My intention is not to break the game, which I was bringing up the point now, outing the build issues with the character rather than waiting for someone to notice the issues, or feel brave enough to complain. I was sitting there last night trying to make the build work, and I started to wonder if this was a situation where the concept worked better in theory than in application. As for the particular issues you point out, I'm not defending the build, and I'm not sure if I can get it balance out, and still work in a manner that is true to te concept. However, regarding the stats, it's been a while since I've played 2e, or even 3e (Pathfinder is my usual game) so I built the stats to spec. I didn't compare with any of the existing world characters to see how he fit in. Int 36 allowed for a +13 on Int skills, which allowed him have them all for 1 rank each; perfect for a shut in. The wisdom score was supposed to reflect the strength of his will, and as a possible source of his power; that it was by will alone that he was projecting his thoughts into the world. The Cha was meant to show that he is really a charming, honest, and pure fellow, despite his challenges. Regarding minion status, I believe you are mistaken, or overlooking the mind switch power. Everything you said would be true if the minion was working independently, but while he is in the body it is essentially him and not the minion performing actions, unless it is your contention that mind controlling, possessing, or switching characters would not be themselves when using their powers, not get the benefits of being a hero, or experience for actions performed while on other bodies. Also, he does have the extra that allows him to summon different minions (it's a +1 feature and allows different minions of the same type (humanoid), whereas +2 would allow any type of minion). I'm not defending the character as he is now, and part of the reason I made the post was questioning whether it will work at all. Metamorph is an interesting idea, is more balanced, but doesn't fit the concept, thematically or practically. I am debating whether my original concept (or a variation thereof) might not fit the party better, and serve to preserve balance.
So, I'm trying to get some building done for my first major Avatar, and I'm noticing something; as it's built right now, he is going to be very versatile. I noticed when I was building The Imaginator, that unlike with the Minion feat, Summon Minion is not limited by the number of points a minion can possess. Therefore, I purchased The Imaginator's Summon Minion power at Level 20, which would allow a minion to be built on a 300 pp budget. At the time it was just an abstract thought, and I figured more points was probably better. The Minion is still limited by the campaign's PL, so no matter how many points he has, his Attack/Save and Defense/Toughness and so on can never go above 9, just like anyone else, so I figured he'd have a wider array of powers and such, but still within game PL limits.
I'm not sure if this is an unintended loophole in the rules, or something that was intended to be permitted, as the PL limits prevent the character from violating the power level ceiling, or if the pp limit is supposed to apply to summon minion and I just missed that notice (it is not mentioned in the Summon Minion text, though the Minion Feat (a real minion, not a summoned one) is limited to no more PP than his Boss.) I wanted to check in with the team, and with Watcher for a ruling on this question before I get too far into minion building, as I don't want to have to rebuild all my Avatars if the nerf stick comes out later. Thoughts? Another building question for everyone, unrelated to the above: I was wondering if it would be possible, practical, or even useful for a character to put together a Hail-Mary, super-mega-ultra blast (or damage) attack, to try and take out enemies in a single shot, regardless of the PL limit. To clarify, this is a thought experiment, and I'm not seriously intending to build a character with the option. So, the question is this; if I link several powers together with the same attack type, the action to use them has not changed, and as they are linked, they cannot be used separately. So, say I have a laser beam attack using the standard Blast 9. Then I link it with a Dazzle effect (as the laser is so bright, it blinds targets as well as burning them). Then I link in a Stun effect, as the shift in air temperature, body temperature, or whatever reasoning you want to apply induces such a shock to the system that the target may be stunned, or even pass out. There are even other effects you could add in if you could figure out how to tie them in descriptively (Fatigue, Nauseate, Suffocate, Snare, Confuse). Say you could somehow afford to buy all these powers and then linked them together (I'm picturing all sorts of flaws and drawback to make the power affordable, such as Full Action Required, Distracting, Tiring, and so on, which is very thematically appropriate if this is your biggest baddest attack.) So, as all the powers are linked, only a single Full action (or standard if you didn't use the Action flaw) would be required to use it. What do you think? Legal? The target would be hit by the laser beam and if hit, have to roll vs. a Rank 9 Blast attack vs. Toughness, a Rank 9 Dazzle attack vs. Reflex or be blinded, and a Rank 9 Stun attack vs. Fortitude or get stunned or knocked out, all on one hit. Make it a Power Attack (because why wouldn't you?) and the DC's go up by 5 to 14.
Apologies, but I haven't even had a moment to even look at my stuff today. Feel free to start without me I need be, and I'll catch up as soon as I can.
@imaginator: Ares can do ranged, too with his Summon Weapon. he also can do a bit of battlefield control via intimidate and fearsome presence. It's by no means his forte, yet. And, he's his own medic :) And Waveform can do Melee when needed.
Having a bit of trouble with the Speedster I was thinking of, as I was trying to rework an old-character into an Avatar. However, the concept I was starting from was very much an Iron Age style antihero, and trying to transition him into the idealist I have in mind for the Imaginator isn't working. I think I am still going to go with a speedster, but I'm going to have to retool the concept a bit.
Watcher, in regards to my Avatars, would you prefer them listed under The Imaginator's Profile, or with Aliases of their own? At the moment I am thinking he will have one persona he uses 3/4 of the time, while the others will be periodic appearances or backups if his main has been defeated. On a side note, I have a very busy workday coming up tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to get the crunch on my Avatar done till late evening, or Thursday.
I did a quick browse through the character profiles to see what he have in general in regards to who can fill various party roles, both to see what we've got, and so that I could get and idea of what might be lacking, so I could account for it while building The Imaginator's chief alias.
Party Roles: *
HERO-------Air-Tank-Range-Melee-Stlth-Infil-Tactics-Tech-Heal-Trans-CTRL Ares------------+------------+-----------------+------------------------
Don't know what that looks like on your screen, but on mine it looks great, right until I press preview, when all of a sudden it stops making any sense whatsoever. Grr. * * After a few attempts, I still couldn't really get the justification to line up on my screen, so I ported the results into a spreadsheet. Here's the Link. If you think your character fits a role I didn't credit them for, let me know. It was based on a relatively quick read; more than a skim through, but not a detailed analysis. My first observation is while we have all the basic roles covered, when archetypes are considered, we don't have a speedster, a shapeshifter, or a mystic. Mystic is kinda outside what I can do with my Avatars, though he could make someone who seemed like a mage, but was really just a traditional super. If we ran into anyone with real magic, they'd know the difference pretty quickly, I imagine. I have an idea for a speed based character, so I think I will get started statting him up.
Since damage saves are the norm in this game, I'm not sure if perhaps you should be rolling toughness saves as well (unless you intended that to be included already). 18 hours seems like an odd timeframe; 24 hours for everything is probably simplest. As for time zones, I'm Canadian, and I live in the Mountain Standard Time zone (GMT-6), which is only an hour off Watcher's...
This is looking great! 9 can be a lot, but in PbP it can still be possible to give everyone opportunities. Splitting the party is a useful option, but only if the GM has time for it, as it effectively doubles the amount of description and interaction he has to account for in his posts. The other suggestion of being strict about posting time is also a good one. People have 1 day to post an action or reaction (or whatever Watcher feels is a reasonable interval), and then he can DMPC that player, or proclaim they did nothing that round, due to distraction, indecision, inattention, confusion or what have you. I'll be taking a look at the remaining PC's later to see what sort of build I should use for The Imaginator's prime Hero personality. Watcher, do you want to create a Discussion forum for this game so we can start planning our party in earnest?
I think The Imaginator is ready, at least fluff wise; his points aren't quite settled, but changes there are likely to be minor. Be sure to check out his updated Complications and Backstory. It's a bit of a read, but hopefully immersive. |