Graviton: Weakened in Breakout, right?

[Duck Call Lass]

The version of Graviton that appears in the Basic book/Breakout is a weak version, even apart from the drugs on him, right?

He doesn't seem like someone who can "take on most of Earth's heroes at once."

Would it be fair to step up all of his FUNDAMENTAL FORCE powers (except Gravity Supremacy) to reflect him at his peak, rather than recovering from the beating he took at the hands of the Thunderbolts?

Do you think it's overpowered to give him the Invulnerable SFX to represent his force field?

[Doc_Nova]

Both of those upgrades are fully justified, in my opinion. He can also be bolstered, I think, by liberal use of asset or complication creation via Gravity Supremacy. In fact, an Afflict-style SFX that boosts "Crushing Gravity" or "No Gravity!" would be equally appropriate (not to mention outright brutal when combined with Area Attack). Finally, I would up his Affiliations to that of a full-fledged threat (D10/D8/D6) and not the role of a "lesser" threat (D8/D6/D4). The combination, plus plenty of grandstanding to bolster the Doom Pool, should make him a terrifying opponent.

Oh, and speaking of Doom Pool, a full-powered Graviton might rank a high stakes or global level threat for boosted starting Doom Pool dice.

[Uatu]

I would probably just step up his affiliations.

For things like causing a zero-gravity effect, you could also just spend a Doom Pool D8 to create a Scene Distinction.

I just starting running Break Out last night, and decided to replace Count Nefaria with Graviton as the major surface level threat. He was perfect for crashing both SHIELD helicopters and Iron Man!

[Spatula]

I think he's ok, but Invulnerable would certainly up his survival chances against a group of power houses. A widely-applicable D12 power + unleashed + versatile + a master specialty is a pretty potent combo.

[Rune]

I would probably just step up his affiliations.

For things like causing a zero-gravity effect, you could also just spend a Doom Pool D8 to create a Scene Distinction.

I'm still struggling to see the value in spending dice from the DP to create scene distinctions. If I have understood the rules correctly you have to spend PP/Doom Pool-dice to use more than one distinction at one time, and in addition most scenes have 1-3 distinctions that you don't have to pay for. So unless the players are fighting "faceless" mobs with no distinctions of their own I can't see the reason (mechanicly/rules-wise) why you'd want to use dice from the DP to create distinctions.

With a big hitter like Graviton I'd be hard pressed not to find a distinction to use (with his 3 + a couple from the scene). And it seems using dice from the DP would be better spent on giving him extra dice from his "Fundamental Force" power-set?

If you create a distinction you first have to use a D8 from the DP to create it, and then you would have to spend a die every time you use it (unless you really struggle to use a villains own distinctions or "free" scene distinctions which would not happen very often for me at least).

[MidnightBlue]

I think he's ok, but Invulnerable would certainly up his survival chances against a group of power houses. A widely-applicable D12 power + unleashed + versatile + a master specialty is a pretty potent combo.

My vote?

Graviton is fine the way he is.

He's a powerhouse and with even just a little Doom Pool help and dice luck...as well as the MISERABLE dice that I keep rolling...Graviton can take on a group by himself.

I'm playing Spider-Man.

Graviton rolls Total 22 and Complication Effect D12 vs. me.

I roll a reaction...hoping that I can last long enough to finish emotionally stressing out Graviton since I'm the last to go in the round (after Graviton's attack concludes) and I'll get two shots in a row.

I roll 5 dice (3D10 topping it off) and roll miserably. Even with the 2 PP I was sitting on, there were no 4 dice that I could add together and get 23 or higher for a total.

So I took my chances with a Spider-Sense SFX reroll (costing me one of my PP...down to 1 PP).

I rolled WORSE even though I got to add in my Enhanced Senses D8! My D4 distinction die was my 2nd highest rolling die at 4. I rolled an 8 on a d10. The other four dice all rolled threes or twos! Even if I'd had four PP to add in every one of my dice into the total, I couldn't have beaten Graviton's 22 total.

It is a sad day for Spidey as he's now complicated out.

I'm not sure the other two characters with me are going to make it either. I hope their dice rolls better than mine!

[Spatula]

I'm still struggling to see the value in spending dice from the DP to create scene distinctions.

It's a bit of a house rule, but I've been using dice to create scene complications, like you see in the Thor What If? (so maybe it's not a house rule) Like a villain grabs a hostage or blasts a helicopter out of the sky.

[Doc_Nova]

I'm still struggling to see the value in spending dice from the DP to create scene distinctions.

It's a bit of a house rule, but I've been using dice to create scene complications, like you see in the Thor What If? (so maybe it's not a house rule) Like a villain grabs a hostage or blasts a helicopter out of the sky.

Not to thread-jack, but this is why I created Scene Traits for the game I will be running. Scene Traits are complications/assets rolled into one that exist omnipresent (or nearly so) on a scene so that they have potential impact on every roll.

"Darkness" is the quintessential example. For most folks, total darkness just sucks -- we stumble blindly about, stub our toe on furniture and knock over potted plants. For those with super-senses, radar vision, spider-sense, whatever, darkness is a non-issue or, potentially, even a boon if you're a ninja-assassin-warlock.

And that's how Scene Traits work. They're rated (D4-D12) and either act as a complication, if that's how they would narratively influence you, or an asset (again, if that's how they would narratively influence you). Arguably, the scene trait could also just be ignored if that worked for a character, as well. "Fire Patch" means nothing to a flyer, for example, but sure as heck would suck for ground-pounders, but would be a boon for a pyrokinetic (like...well...Pyro or Drew Berrymore in Firestarter).

I also use Scene Distinctions, but I wanted there to be greater scene presence when necessary or desired. I am a big believer that scenary should be entertaining as well as pretty, otherwise a "Roomful of Crates" has just as much oomph as "Stuff on the Floor" or "Tight and Confined", when they each should have different (and in some cases forced) influence.

That as an aside, however, I return to my post above as how I would handle Graviton: add Area Attack and use that + Unleashed to make a real bad-nasty group-wide complication. Making it a Scene Distinction (as Thor What-If also proposes with Raging Fire, etc.) makes it too easy to ignore. Suddenly, Graviton's crushing gravity only has negative influence if the PC decides it does, and if they decide it does, they get PP for "suffering" its effects? That doesn't feel like a powerhouse villain to me.

However, as this game frequently points out (and I love it all the more for it each time I encounter this sort of thing) all of these methods work if they work for your game.

[Spatula]

That's a good idea, Doc Nova.

I think that while mechanically scene distinctions don't necessarily have a lot of impact, they can change the narrative in different ways, which can affect what the players can do. And that's what the Watcher is really paying for. Although admittedly it's hard to think of examples that I wouldn't want to use as complications.

[Uatu]

Spatula wrote

I think that while mechanically scene distinctions don't necessarily have a lot of impact, they can change the narrative in different ways, which can affect what the players can do. And that's what the Watcher is really paying for. Although admittedly it's hard to think of examples that I wouldn't want to use as complications.

That's it exactly. Scene Distinctions aren't just mechanical bonuses, they're about the narrative first and mechanics second.

If I want to have Graviton increase gravity on the heroes, crushing them down to hold them in place, I’ll use his area attack and try to inflict complications on them. The downside for me there is that they’d all get to roll reactions against it.

But if I create a scene distinction of Zero Gravity Zone, then they don’t get reactions against it, although I don’t get an extra die to roll via complication. What I do get, however, is a solid narrative reason why Wolverine can’t just charge him. I have a compelling reason to activate Captain America’s Gear limit when he throws his shield. Perhaps most importantly, it puts all manner of rubble into the air to let my players get creative, and puts any and all civilians in the area into serious trouble.

And too be clear, I’m not saying I wouldn’t inflict complications. I absolutely intend to use his area attack to inflict complications my very next session. I’m just saying scene distinctions have a useful place in the game.

(On a side note: How the heck do I make my posts a different color than red?!)