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Oswald Rabbit Seasoned

Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 165 Location: Orlando, Florida
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:06 pm Post subject: Small Mouse, Big Suit |
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I have a character in my Slipstream game who wants to play a small, squirrel-like alien who rides around inside a human-sized suit of powered armor. My initial thought was to treat him as a Weird Scientist and for the powers of his armor (Armor, Bolt, Boost Attribute, Fly, etc.) to be Weird Science powers, but that doesn't really capture the feel for what he's after. After all, the squirrel has a size of -2, giving him a really low Toughness, and even if he gets a raise on his Armor roll every time (unlikely) giving him +4 Armor, it still isn't that much. Plus the Armor should be going all the time, not just when he activates it.
Then I had a second thought. Why not use the Birthright Edge from Legends of Steel (at least I think that's where it's from) to let him take a suit of powered armor as a birthright? Then we can give his armor whatever features we like and he doesn't have to be a Weird Scientist at all, nor does he have to keep track of all those Power Points and keep making rolls to activate all its powers.
Any suggestions? |
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ValhallaGH Legendary
Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 4455
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:12 pm Post subject: |
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Use the Robot Man rules, but he's a squirrel that can come outside and his strength drops by 2 steps, his size is -2, and he's always vulnerable to called shots to the vitals (robot suit cockpit or the various squirrel bits).
That's my attempt to keep it fast and furious. But sometimes I gloss over things people really want to matter. _________________ "Got a problem? I've got the solution: Rocket Launcher."
"Not against a Servitor."
"... We're all gonna die." |
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ogbendog Heroic
Joined: 29 Jul 2004 Posts: 1905
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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For WS, you wouldn't always roll for armor (whjat happens if he fails or run out of PP?
you just give it static +2 armor. YOu lose the possibility of +4, but gain the fact that you dno't have to roll to activate it, it doesn't run out of power, etc.
I'd actually give it Growth, to model the size change. Taking it twice would give +2 steps of str and toughness. Then armor on top of that might work |
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Rohan Veteran

Joined: 21 Aug 2008 Posts: 824 Location: Silver Gryphon Head Quarters
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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Super Powers Comp....have him have an armored suit (ala very primative Iron Man) and that way he can keep tinkering with it, needs to be repaired occasionally, and you don't have to have the character worry about it exploding. _________________ Kevin Rohan, Content Director
www.silvergryphongames.com
Become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Silvergryphongames
Current WIP: Wellstone City Chronicles, Puppets, and One-liners |
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Oswald Rabbit Seasoned

Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 165 Location: Orlando, Florida
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:17 pm Post subject: |
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| ogbendog wrote: | For WS, you wouldn't always roll for armor (whjat happens if he fails or run out of PP?
you just give it static +2 armor. YOu lose the possibility of +4, but gain the fact that you dno't have to roll to activate it, it doesn't run out of power, etc.
I'd actually give it Growth, to model the size change. Taking it twice would give +2 steps of str and toughness. Then armor on top of that might work |
I was thinking more along the lines of it being like the Powered Armor in the Gear section, with a Toughness of 10-14. |
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Oswald Rabbit Seasoned

Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 165 Location: Orlando, Florida
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Rohan wrote: | | Super Powers Comp....have him have an armored suit (ala very primative Iron Man) and that way he can keep tinkering with it, needs to be repaired occasionally, and you don't have to have the character worry about it exploding. |
But how many points should he get to build the suit with? |
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ogbendog Heroic
Joined: 29 Jul 2004 Posts: 1905
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Oswald Rabbit wrote: | | ogbendog wrote: | For WS, you wouldn't always roll for armor (whjat happens if he fails or run out of PP?
you just give it static +2 armor. YOu lose the possibility of +4, but gain the fact that you dno't have to roll to activate it, it doesn't run out of power, etc.
I'd actually give it Growth, to model the size change. Taking it twice would give +2 steps of str and toughness. Then armor on top of that might work |
I was thinking more along the lines of it being like the Powered Armor in the Gear section, with a Toughness of 10-14. |
that would work. then if he takes the Armor power, it's +2 armor. |
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Zadmar Heroic

Joined: 10 Nov 2010 Posts: 1377 Location: Munich
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:08 pm Post subject: Re: Small Mouse, Big Suit |
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| Oswald Rabbit wrote: | | Any suggestions? |
It could be done fairly easily with my Supernaturalis rules:
Alternate Form (physical shapechange) with the Device modifier representing the power armour (which should also have the Construct hindrance). The power armour would be highly resilient (three wounds like a Wild Card), but instead of making a called shot at -4 to damage the armour, attackers could attack it normally, or make a called shot at -4 to directly hit the pilot (the "normal" form). |
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Rohan Veteran

Joined: 21 Aug 2008 Posts: 824 Location: Silver Gryphon Head Quarters
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Oswald Rabbit wrote: | | Rohan wrote: | | Super Powers Comp....have him have an armored suit (ala very primative Iron Man) and that way he can keep tinkering with it, needs to be repaired occasionally, and you don't have to have the character worry about it exploding. |
But how many points should he get to build the suit with? |
Start at 10, and every time the mouse wants to add something new to the suit, he needs to spend an advancement for the Extra Power Points Edge. _________________ Kevin Rohan, Content Director
www.silvergryphongames.com
Become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Silvergryphongames
Current WIP: Wellstone City Chronicles, Puppets, and One-liners |
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Zadmar Heroic

Joined: 10 Nov 2010 Posts: 1377 Location: Munich
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Rohan wrote: | | Oswald Rabbit wrote: | | Rohan wrote: | | Super Powers Comp....have him have an armored suit (ala very primative Iron Man) and that way he can keep tinkering with it, needs to be repaired occasionally, and you don't have to have the character worry about it exploding. |
But how many points should he get to build the suit with? |
Start at 10, and every time the mouse wants to add something new to the suit, he needs to spend an advancement for the Extra Power Points Edge. |
SPC doesn't mix well with other settings, it's much stronger. It would be okay if the OP used it for all of the characters, but I wouldn't recommend using it for just one.
Generally speaking I'd rate 1 PP of NE/SPC powers as being worth about 1 Novice edge. |
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Sadric Veteran
Joined: 10 Jul 2003 Posts: 994
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 2:23 am Post subject: |
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I remember the SciFi Toolkit have basic mechs and power armor rules.
I would do the armor like a vehicle. So even if his vehicle is badly damaged he can crawl coughing out of the wreck.
I would say this is in genre for slipstream.
Its sized like a normal human, but since he is a squirrel he use it like a mecha.
By the As you need Method I would give the suit this stats:
Acc/Top Speed: 4/14; Toughness: 10 (4); Crew: 1(very small)
Weapons: Raygun-rifle in left arm, Rocketgun in right arm (could only fire one/round or move)
Arms have Strenght d10.
Since we talk about a pulp game I would give it a handling modifier of -2.
Its a bulky, heavy, slow armor in a pulpgame, after all.
Then you need a Edge that "give" him this thing. Since it is a big Edge I would connect a automatic hindrance with it. At least something like Charisma-4 if inside-you talk with a freaking Warmachine.
But maybe Wanted by Anatrhaxa or an other former owner would be possible.
Or Electrical Susceptibility, like a robot men.
And if he like to soak a hit he need Ace, too.
Call often for driving rolls for somewhat "normal" moves like climbing a ladder, squeezing trough small openings, jumping from roofs.
Remember he need a workshop for Repairs.
Remember he need steady hands when firing while moving.
explaing of the stats:
I have choosen the Acc very slow, so he is often slower then a normal human. When moving longer distances he is faster then a running human.
Thoughness 10(4) is comparable to a heavy armored human.
handling modifier of -2 is for game balance.
He need a edge to own this, and an additional Edge(Ace) to really use it fully. He cant move/drive and fire it at the same round, so he need onemancrew and maybe ambidexterity (for firing two weapons) and need steady hands. |
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Snate56 Legendary

Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 3631 Location: Monroe, Washington
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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I wouldn't give him any built in weapons, it's not genre. And he doesn't need all kinds of armor or strength. Just give him a robotman body.
SteveN _________________ "We've got a blind date with destiny... and it looks like she's ordered the lobster." <The Shoveller> |
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chugosh Veteran

Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 762 Location: Kelso, Washington, USA
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Snate56 wrote: | | I Just give him a robotman body. |
Literally.
He's in a little control chair where the head should be if it's moving. Probably will not make other RM happy to see. Also give him excuses to abandon it on a lot of occasions.
I would treat it as just gear.
Make him run a hamster wheel to drive it.
Zappers could be modified for his use with a high tech roll and a couple hours, given tools. The larger pistols would be like a bazooka to fire, require two itty bitty cute little hands.
Based on the Cidi from another fine game company? |
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Vinzent Veteran

Joined: 13 Mar 2009 Posts: 759 Location: Seattle WA
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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I agree, go with robot man. Essentially the player's squirrel is just the brain of the robotman. _________________ My Savage Worlds Blog
Get off the Human reservation. Read The Starrunner by C.B. Jones |
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robert4818 Heroic
Joined: 25 Jan 2009 Posts: 1044
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:30 pm Post subject: Re: Small Mouse, Big Suit |
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| Oswald Rabbit wrote: | I have a character in my Slipstream game who wants to play a small, squirrel-like alien who rides around inside a human-sized suit of powered armor. My initial thought was to treat him as a Weird Scientist and for the powers of his armor (Armor, Bolt, Boost Attribute, Fly, etc.) to be Weird Science powers, but that doesn't really capture the feel for what he's after. After all, the squirrel has a size of -2, giving him a really low Toughness, and even if he gets a raise on his Armor roll every time (unlikely) giving him +4 Armor, it still isn't that much. Plus the Armor should be going all the time, not just when he activates it.
Then I had a second thought. Why not use the Birthright Edge from Legends of Steel (at least I think that's where it's from) to let him take a suit of powered armor as a birthright? Then we can give his armor whatever features we like and he doesn't have to be a Weird Scientist at all, nor does he have to keep track of all those Power Points and keep making rolls to activate all its powers.
Any suggestions? |
Just a thought? Why not just treat the suit and squirrel combined as a character.
Have him buy his stuff (gun/armor/etc.) and just use them as the trappings to his suit.
Treat his stats as the stats of the suit.
Sure, he gets to get out of the suit, but its countered by the fact that he has to have a repair roll in order to "heal". (use rules similar to healing another character).
In this case, wound modifiers aren't due to wounds, but the damage the suit has taken. _________________ Aperture Science:
We do what we must, because we can. |
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geijhan Seasoned
Joined: 23 Dec 2009 Posts: 181
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| chugosh wrote: |
Make him run a hamster wheel to drive it.
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Yoink!
1 NPC in my Slipstream campaign, coming up! |
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VonDan Legendary

Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 3245
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:01 am Post subject: |
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| geijhan wrote: | | chugosh wrote: |
Make him run a hamster wheel to drive it.
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Yoink!
1 NPC in my Slipstream campaign, coming up! |
In my kids book the beast rider school does have a AA weapon that shoots darts and is powered by a team of dire squirrels in a 7 foot tall wheel, the scene is an homage to Dan Akroyed and the AA cannon in the movie 1941 _________________ http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/Vondan/ |
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