Mental Stress with Physical Action

[Fedelas]

Reading some datafiles with the Invulnerability SFX, i came to this question: is possible to inflict mental ( or possibly emotional) stress with physical action in combat?

An example- Hulk and The Thing are beating up each others: by the rules Ben Grimm can use one of his Distinctions as a d4 everytime to have an endless pool of PP, so he can activate Invulnerable anytime the Green Goliath cause physical stress to him.

The only way to win the rumble for Hulk ( by the way in the comics he has smashed up Thing any single time) is to inflict a different type of stress in order to negate the Invulnerable SFX of the lovely blue-eyed guy.

So i ask if it's possible to declare something like : " i punch him so brutally to stun\K.O.\ extirpate his will of fight etc..." in order to cause mental or emotional stress?

If no, how can a Hulk-type bruiser win a fight against an invulnerable guy?

If yes, isn't like "cheating" to declare an action of this type in order to bypass the invulnerable SFX ?

Thanks in advance and sorry for my bad english ( italian guy...)

[Riklurt]

If no, how can a Hulk-type bruiser win a fight against an invulnerable guy?

Complications always work; you can inflict a Complication like "trapped under rubble", and then just step it up until there's so much rubble that Thing can't move (quite a lot, I'm guessing). Or some other Complication that seems to suit the circumstances.

[Fedelas]

Complications always work; you can inflict a Complication like "trapped under rubble", and then just step it up until there's so much rubble that Thing can't move (quite a lot, I'm guessing). Or some other Complication that seems to suit the circumstances.

Absolutely right!

But can we simulate the bruiser-guy with invulnerable ( Thing, Colossus, Thor) be Knocked Out by a stronger opponents ( Hulk, Sentry, Gladiator) WITHOUT rubble or other complications?

In the comics this happens oftentime, and i'm trying to find a way to recreate it with MHRPG, without breaking the rules or using Watcher/Players fiat ( yes... i had a PP but don't use it just because... )

The 2d12 End Scene option of the Watcher is also good to put an end at this type of slugfest, but i think that is unrelated to my original question.

[braincraft]

One good tactic is to keep an extra effect die on your attack, so if he throws his reaction to get the PP to spend on Invulnerability, he's for sure going to eat the complication/emotional stress/whatever from the second effect die.

Also, sometimes it's worth eating a little bit of stress to keep the PP you'd have spent on Invulnerability. Not everyone is going to bother using Invulnerability/Immunity every time for every attack; I know I'd rather gain 1 PP than avoid a measly d4 or d6 stress.

[N01H3r3]

Absolutely right!

But can we simulate the bruiser-guy with invulnerable ( Thing, Colossus, Thor) be Knocked Out by a stronger opponents ( Hulk, Sentry, Gladiator) WITHOUT rubble or other complications?

One thing worth noting is that, in a hypothetical Hulk vs Thing fight, while Thing can shrug off physical stress using Plot Points, Hulk can shift any physical stress he suffers into emotional stress with Plot Points... which he can then use quite effectively to hit Thing back.

Such fights end up becoming brutal stalemates (particularly with Hulk - as long as he keeps feeding his emotional stress, he won't stop - stress Hulk out emotionally, and he just starts rampaging, and as Thing's SFX feed the Doom Pool, that just makes Hulk stronger).

Using physical attacks to inflict mental or emotional stress (confusion, anger, etc) is entirely possible so long as it's properly justifed by the narrative. Similarly, complications don't have to be things like "under a pile of rubble" - they could easily be things like "dazed", "staggered" or "punched into New Jersey". Allowing invulnerable characters - particularly the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing - to still be dazed or concussed by the attacks of their super-strong peers and enemies seems entirely in-genre: Thing's face may not collapse under a punch that would flatten a tank, but it'll rattle his brains and send him reeling.

And to expand upon Braincraft's point, if you score exceptional success on an action roll, you can, instead of stepping up the effect die, keep an additional effect die instead.

[Johnny Awesome]

The manual seems to imply that you can only choose the extra effect die in stress out situations.

For example, if you get a five point extraordinary success with a D10 Effect you can get a D12, but not a D10 + extra die, but if you get a ten point extraordinary success with a D10 Effect you can get a D12+ or a D12 and another effect die instead.

Clarification would be nice, Cam.

[Atombomb]

I would be stressing the Thing out emotionally as the Hulk starts tearing up the surrounding area with disregard to all onlookers and property to pummel the Thing.

I mean to have a raging beast tearing up an office building full of humans to drop on you can really put a damper on things.

And that plot point he may have been saving for invulnerability, will have to be used most likely to prevent the hulk or to save those innocents.

I mean, you can easily stress out the invulnerable Superman with a hostage or threatening an innocent by dropping them off a building.

[Cam]

If you step up a d12 effect die with an extraordinary success you can choose to either consider it an automatic take-down or you can keep a second effect die. But you can't keep that second effect die if you didn't already start with a d12.

That's not a terrible house rule, however.

Cheers,
Cam

[Alex_UNLIMITED]

Ok, but the thing, if hulk step up his d12 with an extraordinary success, can still use his invulnerability, right?

[Johnny Awesome]

What about a double stepped up D10?