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Aberrant: Trans-Dimensional Explorations - SuperGeek Enterprises: Exploration


BlueNinja

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I agree that may be the case, but when pushed for time and needing weapons to fight an enemy would you look at an internal combustion engine to work things out or try to do a straight copy of the 30mm autocannons?
If we didn't have a combustion engine and we already have a 30mm cannon (aka Mike's cannon)? The engine. They have tanks, we're on foot, they win no matter what kind of guns we have. Without FTL there is *no* *way* to defend the planet.
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Thats true for you guys who could try to retrofit the FTL and BFG to ships you already have or for new built ships to take the fight away from Earth.

However, Nathan is from here(Sweden world), with no weapons and no ships they could mount a drive on. Hence my assumption that he would be most interested in the weapons and shields

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Rorx:

In order for your formatting to work you need to use a second bracket with a forward slash. For exampe in your latest post you need to add a second bracket after your sentance like so: . Otherwise it just shows the code and doesn't change. Italics is and bold is etc.

I've fixed tihs for you a few times so I thought I should tell you. Also you can highlight text and just use the handy dandy buttons above the text box in the full reply screen..

As for my post, I am waiting for Archer and Shade and Sablesma to answer Esteban's question. I have one vote for alien,. I have my own idea, but I thought it would be fun to take requests. I will poke Shade. Someone else wnat to get Archer and Sablesma?

Err...I thought Brandt was in the Caribbean with Zhenglai, waiting for whatever happens next.

As a matter of fact, did I miss it, or did we as a group finally settle on a plan for what Brandt and Zhenglai are supposed to do after shooting down the ship in the Caribbean? Cuz last I checked, that was never settled.

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Err...I thought Brandt was in the Caribbean with Zhenglai, waiting for whatever happens next.
He is.
As a matter of fact, did I miss it, or did we as a group finally settle on a plan for what Brandt and Zhenglai are supposed to do after shooting down the ship in the Caribbean? Cuz last I checked, that was never settled.
Zhenglai is going to wait for Brandt to give a suggestion for where they should go next, or whether to wait for whichever ship approaches and take a shot at it as well. The weapon has a range of about a thousand kilometers.
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I'll try and post on my break at work.

What do people think of Esteban providing a "distraction" while the rest of you raid?

I'm of three minds.

1) We don't want to let them know we're here if they don't already.

2) I like it intensely

3) You could get killed.

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If we want go stealth I am going to give his form EM Scan so that can help us avoid them. If he provides a distraction...well he might get killed but his soak is going to be damn high...off the top of my head at work... 42/32 at least, and he can regenerate.

Anyways I wll just get to the posting soon and we can decide from there...

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Nathan isn't particularly skilled at Stealth (4-5 dice?) and although he will give it a go if it is suggested he has also just doubled in density/mass and become metallic, which tends to chink/thump a bit when he walks on the (presumably) metal deck of the ship.

So far he has activated his Matter Chameleon to gain the Osmium alloy form, and now the Second Skin (unmastered) aspect of Molecular Manipulation for some extra defence. I think that takes him up to a Soak of 18/14, although I'm sure BN knows for sure if it becomes necessary.

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Do you have enough dots in MC to provide that much soak? Also, if I were you I would molecularly analyze exactly just what the ship is made of...might be stronger and lighter!

STA 4, M-STA 2, and Resilience give 8/4 base.

MC 2 gives a max of +6/+6 which BN gave me for this change = 14/10

Mol. Man 2 with 2nd Skin gives +4/+4, but unmastered costs 6qp = 18/14

NOTE: BN has decided to run MC like Shapeshift, so here is the PM I got about this MC to Osmium...

OK, here's what you're getting for attuning to yourself to Osmium with 4 successes.

2 dots Armor (+6B/+6L)

1 level Density Increase (+1 Str, +1Sta, +2B/+1L)

1 dot Claws (+1 damage, lethal HtH)

+1 difficulty for opponents to knockback

So you'll have a total of 6L when you punch someone, 14B/10L soak, and weigh about 160kg, with a difficulty to being knocked back when hit. ::biggrin

The extra Soak from the DI are disregarded as the Armour already puts me at the max for the 2 dots I have of MC.

Regardless of what the ships hull is, I intend taking a sample with me for possible future use before we leave.

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I think BN may have *seriously* lowballed your density. Osmium is the densest natural element, weighing 22,610 kg per cubic meter. Fudging the numbers a bit, a human body weighing 100 kg has a volume of 90 Liters (slightly denser than water). 1 liter equals .001 cubic meters.

So the volume of a human body is about .09 cubic meters. If I did the math right, a human sized body made out of solid osmium should weigh aproximately 2044.9 kilograms or 4476.78 pounds or nearly 2 *metric* tons (aprox. 2.24 standard US short tons).

If you started out weighing 100 kg then becomming solid Osmium means you would have a Density Increase rating of about 4.3 levels.

Merely 1 level and doubling weight isnt going to cut it. 160 kg? I don't think so!

Just thought I'd mention. Also its good to know about how much Colossus weighs now. ::wink ::biggrin

EDIT: In addition each level of DI adds +3 to resist knockback...

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I agree BN has not tried to represent the density of Osmium in what he gave me for this change. However, I assume he was instead emphasing other properties of the material, in this case it's strength/toughness, and hence gave me more levels of Armour than DI.

By the way I'm not sure of your figures, let me work something out. 6'3" is 2m (6' is 1.83m), at that height it is not unreasonable to be about 0.5m wide and 0.3m deep, which gives a volume of 0.3 cubic meters. With your figure for the density of Osmium that gives a human a mass of 6.7 metric tons. Although I realise I should reduce this by an unknown amount since we are not cuboids in shape.

DC:I works by activating and rolling successes, with 1 auto success per dot in DC:I. Each success gives +1STR, +1 STA, and doubles the mass of the user. For Osmium type densites/mass you need 6 successes in total to give 64 times the mass, to go from ~100kg to 6.4 metric tons.

The question would be how to do that with BN's version of MC, he seems to have chosen to say 1 success assigned from MC is 1 sucess in DC:I rather than 1 success in MC is 1 dot in DC:I and either roll again or use the MC successes as the rolled successes for the DC:I, which in this case would have put it at 4/5 effective successes and so 16/32 times the mass/density.

Just more random ramblings in the night.

We now return you to your regular scheduled programming....::biggrin

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Er...Osmiums strength and toughness are directly related to its density. Actually its rather brittle but we are talking about a large lump of it.

Also the figures were not meant to be exact. I used the formula for converting kg to liters. You are correct in that humans are not cuboid...you cant use those formulas if you want to be accurrate). You can figure volume based on water displacement or you can highball it by using the formula for a cylinder. I believe that my guesstimations based on mass were pretty damn reasonable.

BTW there is also a fixed version of the power available and since BN is *totally* fudging the MC rules anyhow I dont see how it matters. If you took my suggestion and rounded up you would have +4 Strength, + 4 Soak, +12 versus knockback and weigh what I said. You could maybe have BN throw in an extra dot of armor for a soak of +7.

Alterantely we could go with your highballed numbers and give you 6 levels of DI. This would give +6 Str, (prob taking you up to Mega 5...which I wouldnt mind...Esteban could use some heavy hitting backup IMHO), + 6 Soak (the equivalent of 2 armor), + 18 to resist knockback (which actually adds to your Might *skill* total) and you would weigh 7.04 tons.

Again this number is high for the *actual* density of Osmium in human form, given my (actually researched godamnit) figures, but as i mentioned we are fudging the system for it anyway.

Point is ...you should weigh ALOT more than 160 kg...

I should add that on the official Marvel website, the profile for Colossus dosent even double his weight in solid Osmium form...shows what they know! ::sly

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Hmm. That doesn't seem to be in keeping with the spirit of the power though. What you are saying then is that Matter Chameleon does not in fact transform one into the element in question, that he is not in fact made of solid Osmium.

Which makes one ask, what is the power then?

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Hmm. That doesn't seem to be in keeping with the spirit of the power though. What you are saying then is that Matter Chameleon does not in fact transform one into the element in question, that he is not in fact made of solid Osmium.

Which makes one ask, what is the power then?

If he had Bodymorph (Osmium) he would still be (somewhat) an imperfect transformation, just as Esteban has only the appearance of a Giger alien, though not all of the abilities. Mechanics-wise, I'm treating it as a sort of GM-controlled shapeshift for whatever-he's-touching. The +1 knockback I alluded to is above what he gains for the DI.

Without Nathan's sheet in front of me, I think his total soak is 21/15, because IIRC DI gives you +1 STR and +1 STA.

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Actually according to the core rules, DI gives +3 per level vs. knockback.

Also given Esteban's facility with shapeshifting he couldbecome about as dense as osmium, even if he wasn't actually made of Osmium on a molecular level. Also I think the only think Esteban doesn't have of the alien is the acid blood. Im not sure how such a thing would work mechanics wise in Aberrant, but it should be possible given that shapeshift can let you duplicate posion and other biological compounds...

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MC like SS and Bodymorph is what you are aiming to turn into. How close you get is limited by either your dots or your success. If I'd got more successes then BN could have put more into DC:I and so Nathan would be heavier.

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Hmm. That doesn't seem to be in keeping with the spirit of the power though. What you are saying then is that Matter Chameleon does not in fact transform one into the element in question, that he is not in fact made of solid Osmium.
Yes, this is true. It's even true for standard Bodymorph. You get some aspects, you don't get them all.

For example... Bodymorph Light: If it *truely* worked, would make you mass-less and force you to *always* move at the speed of light. This is true for most energy bodymorphs.

Bodymorph Gas is similar but it at least requires you to buy DD.

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If he had Bodymorph (Osmium) he would still be (somewhat) an imperfect transformation, just as Esteban has only the appearance of a Giger alien, though not all of the abilities. Mechanics-wise, I'm treating it as a sort of GM-controlled shapeshift for whatever-he's-touching. The +1 knockback I alluded to is above what he gains for the DI.

Without Nathan's sheet in front of me, I think his total soak is 21/15, because IIRC DI gives you +1 STR and +1 STA.

Thanks BN, I noticed the +2/+1 soak in the PM but thought that Nathn might not get it since he had already reached the +6/+6 he is nominally allowed for his 2 dots in MC from the Armour.

How does this amount of Soak rate within the rest of the party? I assumed that it would be near the middle at most, but perhaps I'm over estimating what everyone can easily generate?

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Yes, this is true. It's even true for standard Bodymorph. You get some aspects, you don't get them all.

For example... Bodymorph Light: If it *truely* worked, would make you mass-less and force you to *always* move at the speed of light. This is true for most energy bodymorphs.

Bodymorph Gas is similar but it at least requires you to buy DD.

See..i would handle this differently..no half assing it. If you want to turn into light, you MUST take 4 or 5 DD, as well as teleport/transmit. Otherwise you arent light. Form follows function after all...you dont buy the right stuff, you aint the stuff!

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See..i would handle this differently..no half assing it. If you want to turn into light, you MUST take 4 or 5 DD, as well as teleport/transmit. Otherwise you arent light. Form follows function after all...you dont buy the right stuff, you aint the stuff!
Are you also going to insist they buy Hypermove 5 and Flight 5? Teleport? Light by definition always moves at the speed of light.

And I suspect it's not hard to find other elements which can't be built with 5 dots.

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correct...you would need to use more than just the bodymorph to truly create the effect.

So anyone taking MC has to take it at 5 dots and should also have about the same in DC: Full and probably other powers as well?

That rules it out for any starting character and makes it difficult for anyone to pick it up later.

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Hey BN, since Esteban can see through the ships Hull could we please have a better idea of whats waiting behind the door? As well as whats on the decks above and below to the range of his telescopic vision. IE, where is the Meklar crew and what are they up to?

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So anyone taking MC has to take it at 5 dots and should also have about the same in DC: Full and probably other powers as well?

That rules it out for any starting character and makes it difficult for anyone to pick it up later.

If you can really become all these things (like Absorbing Man in the Comics) its an *incredibly* powerful ability. Its just one more way that the rules fail to do justice to the source material...

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Hey BN, since Esteban can see through the ships Hull could we please have a better idea of whats waiting behind the door? As well as whats on the decks above and below to the range of his telescopic vision. IE, where is the Meklar crew and what are they up to?

Telescopic Vision? You'd need X-ray vision for that... I don't remember what it's called off hand.

If you can really become all these things (like Absorbing Man in the Comics) its an *incredibly* powerful ability. Its just one more way that the rules fail to do justice to the source material...
The Absorbing man is roughly a match for Thor, who isn't exactly a 30 point character.

Sure, at it's full potential it's incredibly powerful, but a 30 point out of the box nova who is past his eruption but has no experience... I don't see why he should have it at Creel's level of power.

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Telescopic Vision? You'd need X-ray vision for that... I don't remember what it's called off hand.

EM Scan...

You havent been reading my posts apparently....Esteban has that atm. ::wink

The Absorbing man is roughly a match for Thor, who isn't exactly a 30 point character.

Sure, at it's full potential it's incredibly powerful, but a 30 point out of the box nova who is past his eruption but has no experience... I don't see why he should have it at Creel's level of power.

That wasn't my point. I think my point was just that I prefer not to try and simulate things in the game that I cant successfully pull off. I tried to make a light based bodymorpher once...and gave up on it as too expensive. DD, Hyperflight, Teleport, Laser bolts, biolume, strobes and on....

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...I prefer not to try and simulate things in the game that I cant successfully pull off. I tried to make a light based bodymorpher once...and gave up on it as too expensive. DD, Hyperflight, Teleport, Laser bolts, biolume, strobes and on....
Why can't some of that stuff be learned? I.e. "in theory I could do this but my skill at it sucks right now"?
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Actually according to the core rules, DI gives +3 per level vs. knockback.
I'm giving him an extra +1 on top of that.
Thanks BN, I noticed the +2/+1 soak in the PM but thought that Nathn might not get it since he had already reached the +6/+6 he is nominally allowed for his 2 dots in MC from the Armour.
You get +6/+6 from Armor, and then +2/+1 from an extra dot of Stamina. (I think, I'll have to doublecheck it at some point when I'm not waiting for a bus to the airport.)
How does this amount of Soak rate within the rest of the party? I assumed that it would be near the middle at most, but perhaps I'm over estimating what everyone can easily generate?
You and Esteban are leading the party for soak. We have no traditional "brick" characters in Trans-D.
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Hey BN, since Esteban can see through the ships Hull could we please have a better idea of whats waiting behind the door? As well as whats on the decks above and below to the range of his telescopic vision. IE, where is the Meklar crew and what are they up to?
Ok. Even with x-ray vision, it's rather fuzzy - probably because the ship is made of something similar to Osmium, and fairly dense. That said, you're coming out onto the upper level of the engine spaces. (Think of shots of the Next Gen warp engine room, except with much larger walkways on the upper level, and actual consoles and such there.) There are two Meklar on the upper deck, and either one on the lower, or some other piece of Meklar-sized moving machinery.
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So does it look like the Meks on the other side of the door are on alert? Are they standing with guns pointed at whatever comes through the door? And what do they look like anyways...I had always thought they looked like mechs or robots but are they more a bio/metal hybrid like Borg or what?

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Ok, I know this may be stupid, since it makes Nathan weaker, but I just checked the DI section of the Core rules and in my copy at least it does not mention any bonus to Stamina or resistance to Knockback. It does give a flat +1/+1 Soak and +1 Str or M-Str per level of DI, which I assume made up some of BN's +2/+1 to Soak.

Having said that there is nothing to stop BN giving me the Stamina boost as a bonus if he wants to ::biggrin

If you do give it to him BN, would it bring his Stamina up to 5, or his M-Stamia to 3? If M-Stamina, would any extra Soak be doubled by his Resilence?::biggrin

While I'm potentialy being greedy, could I petition for the Bodymorph(Hard/Metal) default abilities of +2 damage on H-H attacks and +1 Diff to be hit.::sly ::biggrin

This would take his Clawed Strike up to -

5 (Str including bonus) + 2 (Strike) + 2 (BM:Hard) + 1 (Claws) = 10L

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