'Possessive' character concept

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

A player new to hero system has a rather interesting idea for a
character. As I am new to 5th I thought I'd share it as I'd like to make
sure it's not unbalanced.

Essentially the character is a spiritual entity so he has an elemental
control of persistent spiritual powers:
Desolid, Invisible, Life Support (full)

He has also bought back many of his physical attributes to very low
scores to indicate how little he can affect the world around him.

Now rather than leave it at that and purchasing powers to affect
desolid, he wants to possess normals. In so doing, he can awaken their
mutant/super potential to a limited degree while 'inside' them. For this
a variable power pool seems best suited, and in between bodies he will
have it filled with one slot of transform (transforming them into 'him')
which is bought with based on ego (he has no dex to speak of) cumulative
and increased endurance as it's tiring getting inside someone's mind.

He has also purchase disadvantages which mean that he can not survive
long without a body, etc. so essentially he is a spiritual
vampire,parasite or hermit crab moving from body to body.

1/ My first question is, he has very limited physical abilities in his
spiritual form, so when he possesses someone, would he add his points to
theirs (assuming they are a 'normal') and then start adding powers
(within the limits of the VPP) or does he need to buy them from his VPP
entirely?

I have my own idea, but thought I'd like to get some experienced input
and you've all been so helpful with questions

2/ Or are we talking a combination of transform and multi-form with a
special effect that the victim essentially disappears?

3/ It goes without saying that this will have to be watched closely,
though as I see it, he is more versatile than powerful as he has set
himself a random table to see what flavour of normal he gets and what
their latent potential is. So he could conceivably find himself with a
core group of powers that are incompatible with the situation. What
limitation should I allow for that? I was thinking "no conscious control +1"

Thanks as always
T

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

fantasyscifi wrote:
> A player new to hero system has a rather interesting idea for a
> character. As I am new to 5th I thought I'd share it as I'd like to make
> sure it's not unbalanced.
>
> Essentially the character is a spiritual entity so he has an elemental
> control of persistent spiritual powers:
> Desolid, Invisible, Life Support (full)
>

Powers that inherently don't cost END (Life Support) can't be placed in
an EC without Uses END (-1/2) or GM permission in 5th Edition.

> He has also bought back many of his physical attributes to very low
> scores to indicate how little he can affect the world around him.
>
> Now rather than leave it at that and purchasing powers to affect
> desolid, he wants to possess normals. In so doing, he can awaken their
> mutant/super potential to a limited degree while 'inside' them. For this
> a variable power pool seems best suited, and in between bodies he will
> have it filled with one slot of transform (transforming them into 'him')
> which is bought with based on ego (he has no dex to speak of) cumulative
> and increased endurance as it's tiring getting inside someone's mind.

The "accepted" method is Mind Control, Affects Real World, Telepathic,
No Range, Must Achieve EGO+30 (-1/2) and Clinging, Affects Real World
(to avoid losing contact through involuntary movement.
But there is an earlier 4th Edition precedent for Transform-Target to
Target with Possessor's Mind, with the Side Effect Possessor's Body
Vanishes (-1) (Symbiont; Supermage Bestiary).


>
> He has also purchase disadvantages which mean that he can not survive
> long without a body, etc. so essentially he is a spiritual
> vampire,parasite or hermit crab moving from body to body.
>
> 1/ My first question is, he has very limited physical abilities in his
> spiritual form, so when he possesses someone, would he add his points to
> theirs (assuming they are a 'normal') and then start adding powers
> (within the limits of the VPP) or does he need to buy them from his VPP
> entirely?

It depends on what the points are spent on. Powers would carry over
unless they would be negated by a flesh body. e.g. Life Support would
likely be bought Not While Possessing Someone, since you would have a
vulnerable body until you reversed the Transform. Mental abilities would
be carried over if the Transform was defined as giving them your mind.
Physical attributes wouldn't add to the host body. If you have a STR of
5, for example, you'd be paying -5 points to give the host +5 STR.

>
> I have my own idea, but thought I'd like to get some experienced input
> and you've all been so helpful with questions
>
> 2/ Or are we talking a combination of transform and multi-form with a
> special effect that the victim essentially disappears?

Maybe a Variable Power Pool, Only When Possessing a Host (-1/2), Powers
Can Only Be Changed in a Given Circumstance (New Possession)(-1/2), and
Character Has No Choice How Powers Change (-1/2).


>
> 3/ It goes without saying that this will have to be watched closely,
> though as I see it, he is more versatile than powerful as he has set
> himself a random table to see what flavour of normal he gets and what
> their latent potential is. So he could conceivably find himself with a
> core group of powers that are incompatible with the situation. What
> limitation should I allow for that? I was thinking "no conscious control
> +1"
>



If you have a set list of Powers and they are the only ones available,
but determined randomly then it woould be Limited Class of Powers
(-1/2), plus the changing Limitations I mentioned earlier.

--
Michael Sears armitage@mhcable.com
"No turning back where the end is in sight.
There's a job to be done, a fight to be won."

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Excellent Michael, thanks.


Michael Sears wrote:
> fantasyscifi wrote:
>
>> A player new to hero system has a rather interesting idea for a
>> character. As I am new to 5th I thought I'd share it as I'd like to
>> make sure it's not unbalanced.
>>
>> Essentially the character is a spiritual entity so he has an elemental
>> control of persistent spiritual powers:
>> Desolid, Invisible, Life Support (full)
>>
>
> Powers that inherently don't cost END (Life Support) can't be placed in
> an EC without Uses END (-1/2) or GM permission in 5th Edition.
>
>> He has also bought back many of his physical attributes to very low
>> scores to indicate how little he can affect the world around him.
>>
>> Now rather than leave it at that and purchasing powers to affect
>> desolid, he wants to possess normals. In so doing, he can awaken their
>> mutant/super potential to a limited degree while 'inside' them. For
>> this a variable power pool seems best suited, and in between bodies he
>> will have it filled with one slot of transform (transforming them into
>> 'him') which is bought with based on ego (he has no dex to speak of)
>> cumulative and increased endurance as it's tiring getting inside
>> someone's mind.
>
>
> The "accepted" method is Mind Control, Affects Real World, Telepathic,
> No Range, Must Achieve EGO+30 (-1/2) and Clinging, Affects Real World
> (to avoid losing contact through involuntary movement.
> But there is an earlier 4th Edition precedent for Transform-Target to
> Target with Possessor's Mind, with the Side Effect Possessor's Body
> Vanishes (-1) (Symbiont; Supermage Bestiary).
>
>
>>
>> He has also purchase disadvantages which mean that he can not survive
>> long without a body, etc. so essentially he is a spiritual
>> vampire,parasite or hermit crab moving from body to body.
>>
>> 1/ My first question is, he has very limited physical abilities in his
>> spiritual form, so when he possesses someone, would he add his points
>> to theirs (assuming they are a 'normal') and then start adding powers
>> (within the limits of the VPP) or does he need to buy them from his
>> VPP entirely?
>
>
> It depends on what the points are spent on. Powers would carry over
> unless they would be negated by a flesh body. e.g. Life Support would
> likely be bought Not While Possessing Someone, since you would have a
> vulnerable body until you reversed the Transform. Mental abilities would
> be carried over if the Transform was defined as giving them your mind.
> Physical attributes wouldn't add to the host body. If you have a STR of
> 5, for example, you'd be paying -5 points to give the host +5 STR.
>
>>
>> I have my own idea, but thought I'd like to get some experienced input
>> and you've all been so helpful with questions
>>
>> 2/ Or are we talking a combination of transform and multi-form with a
>> special effect that the victim essentially disappears?
>
>
> Maybe a Variable Power Pool, Only When Possessing a Host (-1/2), Powers
> Can Only Be Changed in a Given Circumstance (New Possession)(-1/2), and
> Character Has No Choice How Powers Change (-1/2).
>
>
>>
>> 3/ It goes without saying that this will have to be watched closely,
>> though as I see it, he is more versatile than powerful as he has set
>> himself a random table to see what flavour of normal he gets and what
>> their latent potential is. So he could conceivably find himself with a
>> core group of powers that are incompatible with the situation. What
>> limitation should I allow for that? I was thinking "no conscious
>> control +1"
>>
>
>
>
> If you have a set list of Powers and they are the only ones available,
> but determined randomly then it woould be Limited Class of Powers
> (-1/2), plus the changing Limitations I mentioned earlier.
>