Aberrant RPG - New Power: Webbing

[Warren Verona]

[Machina]

I appreciate the effort you put into this, and if you wanted a truly specialized power suite, I'd say go. That said, if someone came to me with this problem, my answer would be "Elemental Mastery; Silk Webbing, dude."

[Singularity]

Downside of having them all as level 2 powers means a lot of experience being spent. Upside of it means each use of the power only costs 2 quantum points instead of 3.

Regarding Web Cocoon, shouldn't that be a contested roll of some sort? You need to hit the target with the webbing first and I think the speedsters would rightfully insist on their opportunity to get out of the way.

(oh, and I'm with Machina; just make it a freaking Elemental Mastery )

[Warren Verona]

It's not an 'Element'. Like I said... creating claws from nowhere would be the same effect, it's duplicating a natural biological function. Making silk from the body.

Earth, Light, Darkness, Fire, Air, Water, and arguably Wood (or plants) are elements.

Silk is matter. For that reason, it does not belong in the 'Elemental Mastery' tree. ‘Elemental Mastery’ is not the blanket power to cover whipping up stuff from thin air. It has to be an element.

As we all know Aberrant, being a WW game is grossly flawed. Body Modification allows ‘mutations’ that duplicate several abilities found in the animal kingdom. I used that power and looked at several powers that are physical in nature, like ‘Claws’, that simulate natural or animal like effects. Compared Q scores needed to use them and developed something balanced.

You may notice that all those powers are from the Elemental Anima and Elemental Mastery suites with reduction in power levels, or hindrances placed on them since they’re not made from actual elements certain things just don’t make sense for them to have. Like Aggravated damage on a sticky wad of webbing… c’mon, lets be serious. Heh.

As a side note, I don't want have to make a Q5 character just to use something as simple creating webs like a spider does. I’m sick of Q5 characters; they grow on trees around here. You can grow claws at Q1. Become invulnerable to nuclear weapons at Q1, what is so hard about spinning a strand of silk that insects have been doing for eons anyway?

What’s so difficult about ‘Body Mod: Spinnerets’ and using this power to get creative with it?

[Warren Verona]

Quote:

Originally posted by Singularity:
Regarding Web Cocoon, shouldn't that be a contested roll of some sort? You need to hit the target with the webbing first and I think the speedsters would rightfully insist on their opportunity to get out of the way.

Cocoon is actually the 'Imprison' ability in Elemental Mastery. Which doesn't allow a 'dodge' it just assumes your hit, and that's it.

However, I agree with you. Since this power is not based off actual elements, the user of the power would have to fisrt snare his target before he could entomb them in a cocoon. I'll edit the power to refect this suggestion.

[Machina]

Quote:

Originally posted by Revenant:
Earth, Light, Darkness, Fire, Air, Water, and arguably Wood (or plants) are elements.

Silk is matter. For that reason, it does not belong in the 'Elemental Mastery' tree. ‘Elemental Mastery’ is not the blanket power to cover whipping up stuff from thin air. It has to be an element.

Granted, but an "element" for purposes of Aberrant is something that cannot be broken down any further without going to a sub-atomic level or, liberally, a base unit of creation. From Merriam-Webster:
2 : a constituent part: as a plural : the simplest principles of a subject of study e : any of the fundamental substances that consist of atoms of only one kind and that singly or in combination constitute all matter f : a distinct part of a composite device.
What you talked about above is bullshit mysticism, and doesn't account for how many novas could have Elemental Mastery over electricity, acid, bases, gases, etc. Plainly put, silk is a protein fiber that is naturally produced by some animals, and since silk, like cotton or oil or water or air, is a compound element, I'd allow it.

[Warren Verona]

Fine. Fuck it. Who can argue science in a fantasy based game.

Since I already stated I don't want to add another Q5 player the board, just forget about it.

The idea is scraped.

[Machina]

Dude, don't be so fucking melodramatic. Like I said, I'm with you in concept, I'd just rather not add more rules when the existing ones will suffice.

[Warren Verona]

What's melodramatic about saying the project is scrapped?

I understand you are 'With me in concept' but both you and Sing agree it should be Elemental Mastery. You even dropped the science bomb to prove it.

I don't want another Q5 player so that means this idea will not work and I go back to the drawing board. What can ya do? It happens.

[Machina]

Well, you could always take a couple of Elemental Master abilities as single powers and a reduced Quantum requirement for a Q4. Alternatively, you could just buy a set of powers that manifest as webbing (Quantum Bolt, Strobe, Fly, Force Field, Immobilize, etc). I respect what you're trying to do, and for what it's worth, I agree with you; there's way to much Quantum goin' round.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

The shield can withstand heats of up to 1000 degrees but is treated as typical armor; breaking (or shredding) if too much damage is inflicted to it on a single attack.

I suggest you use typical suite shield rules, i.e. 2 soak per dot.

RE: Q5 & Elemental Mastery

That certainly is one way to go about it, but it isn't the only way.

Other methods:

1) Go Q4 and use Elemental Anima, then put a bodymod on yourself that generates your "element".

2) Break it into it's component pieces and by them seperately. This would let you build him as a Q2.

Bodymod: Tendril x3 (for the web line)

Immobilize (webbing)

Deflection (web shield)

And yes, I know there is an irony in building Immobilize to create matter when in theory you need Q5 for it... but Q5 Mastery allows a level of control over your element that we don't see Spiderman use. Magnetoe can throw a metal spear at someone and then, several rounds later, use that spear to tie someone up. Spiderman has no control over his webs after they leave his body.

[Blue Thunder]

Hmmmmm...how abut combining webbing-based powers with Eufiber? Then use the Weave abiliy from the Players Guide?

[Warren Verona]

Quote:

Originally posted by David 'Dr. Troll' Smith:
The shield can withstand heats of up to 1000 degrees but is treated as typical armor; breaking (or shredding) if too much damage is inflicted to it on a single attack.

I suggest you use typical suite shield rules, i.e. 2 soak per dot.

RE: Q5 & Elemental Mastery
That certainly is one way to go about it, but it isn't the only way.

Other methods:
1) Go Q4 and use Elemental Anima, then put a bodymod on yourself that generates your "element".

2) Break it into it's component pieces and by them seperately. This would let you build him as a Q2.
Bodymod: Tendril x3 (for the web line)
Immobilize (webbing)
Deflection (web shield)

And yes, I know there is an irony in building Immobilize to create matter when in theory you need Q5 for it... but Q5 Mastery allows a level of control over your element that we don't see Spiderman use. Magnetoe can throw a metal spear at someone and then, several rounds later, use that spear to tie someone up. Spiderman has no control over his webs after they leave his body.

Heh. First lemme clarify. This power was not designed to make 'spider man'. I try to shy away from making comic characters and slipping them into aberrant. As fun as it is. Heh. It was designed to emulate an animals ability with obvious dramatic flair thanks to what quantum can do.

I'll not lie and say that 'Spider-man' didn't help with a few 'What could you make with it?' questions. I just felt there were several 'feral' powers but this wasn't one of em, and I like creepy, scary, animal novas in our TT games. Heh.

Flicker and I were joking awhile back about Spider-man, and she bet me a dollar to make and play character similar, so I'm chuckling slightly as I try and figure out how to do it. The fact that I already made the power almost a year and a half ago made it all the more easier.

One reason I went with standard armor rules for shield was that even though it's quantum based, I hate characters that end up with insanely high soak rolls. How many times have we seen 'Spidermans' web creations get shredded? Even by everyday thugs with big weapons. It made sense.

Assuming the 'webline' was a decent value, you'd need about 60'. That's 10NPs at creation. Ick. Times 2 lines, and thats 20NP right there.

Another problem is there are no rules for 'Swinging'. It was suggested I use standard movement rules, but Webhead has hit speeds exceeding a hundred miles per hour. Frankly, I think thats cool, and if a character was make who could do this, I wouldn't mind writing about his expoits at incredibly high speeds.

And, whether or not to make him 'hero' or 'villian'. Heh. I'm open for a few suggestions.

[Fae Dreamweaver]

Quote:

Another problem is there are no rules for 'Swinging'. It was suggested I use standard movement rules, but Webhead has hit speeds exceeding a hundred miles per hour. Frankly, I think thats cool, and if a character was make who could do this, I wouldn't mind writing about his expoits at incredibly high speeds.

Hypermovement: Swinging?

[Warren Verona]

Quote:

Originally posted by Fae Dreamweaver:
Hypermovement: Swinging?

Heh. I appreciate the thought, but that's a bit too fast.

However I was considering giving him 'flight' obviously linked to swinging, and using the stats for the 'propel' power.

It's a bit lame, but it'll solve the movement issue.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

RE: Speed

Enhanced Movement and Mega-Dex 3.

RE: 10 nova points.

Then go with Flexibility. I think that starts at 2m per dot of M-dex, right? So that's 6m, but it doubles every time you buy Flexibility. And Flex is good for a scene so you won't be burning through your juice just to get places.