Number of Power Sets/Powers

[MidnightBlue]

I'm guessing by the rules that there's no way to add a Power Set, really. I see that you can spend 15xp to trade one for another. I guess if Spider-Man became Your Friendly Neighborhood Unstoppable Force, the player would have to spend the xp and give up his Web-Slinging. Am I right?

It depends on what you mean by "by the rules."

The "rules" allow you to change out datafiles when the Watcher allows. They also allow you to model datafiles to your heart's content.

So the rules would definitely allow a player (with Watcher permission) to create your Spider-Juggernaut! (I've got the issues where Peter was "Spider-Hulk!")

Now do the XP-spending rules allow for this? Without going to the book I don't know, and I don't have it with me.

[Mouse]

As an aside, am I the only one who thinks that Spider-Man with Juggernaut's powers would be sort of frightening? He already does pretty okay in conflicts with people outside his league just by being so quick and adaptable. Adding the ability to hit like a freight train and shrug off bullets would pretty well bump him up into the next weight category.

[Majestic]

It's worth noting that right now in the comics, Colossus wields the powers of the Juggernaut (so pretty similar, really, though his power set matches up a little better with Juggy's than Peter's does, to be sure).

When testing out the system, I had a situation where Cap threw his shield at a flying Count Nefaria, and the result was so much in Nefaria's favor that he grabbed (and kept) the shield. I supposed that - at least temporarily - Cap was without that power set. I wondered if a Complication would also be appropriate, being as Cap fights with the shield so often that he would probably be at a bit of a disadvantage without it.

[Doc Hydrogen]

It's worth noting that right now in the comics, Colossus wields the powers of the Juggernaut (so pretty similar, really, though his power set matches up a little better with Juggy's than Peter's does, to be sure).

When testing out the system, I had a situation where Cap threw his shield at a flying Count Nefaria, and the result was so much in Nefaria's favor that he grabbed (and kept) the shield. I supposed that - at least temporarily - Cap was without that power set. I wondered if a Complication would also be appropriate, being as Cap fights with the shield so often that he would probably be at a bit of a disadvantage without it.

Nah. The plot point and the inability to use the d12 durability in a fight against a guy like Nefaria is more than enough punishment. Besides, he's fought without that thing so many times that he's fine without it.

[Cam]

I would actually let you add a Power Set for 15 XP if it were warranted. It may be that you first have to unlock the Power Set somehow with 5 XP, depending on the circumstances, or perhaps it's just something the Watcher drops in your lap and says "you want this?"

Cheers,
Cam

[OppR2nist]

So you're saying you'd go for a 20xp cost to add a Power Set (5 to unlock a new slot, and 15 to fill the slot)?

I can see how something like that would work.

[MidnightBlue]

As an aside, am I the only one who thinks that Spider-Man with Juggernaut's powers would be sort of frightening? He already does pretty okay in conflicts with people outside his league just by being so quick and adaptable. Adding the ability to hit like a freight train and shrug off bullets would pretty well bump him up into the next weight category.

Actually, depending on how the author chose to take it, this could actually be a detriment to Spider-Man.

Sure...he'd have the might of the Juggernaut, but it might impede his spider-like speed and agility. I could actually see a new power set being created with a merging of the two powers.

Spider-Juggernaut would probably still keep his Spider-Sense, he'd replace his agility/reflex and strength power traits with the Juggernaut's durability/stamina and strength traits. I'd probably also remove Spidey's Acrobatic specialty, but maybe give him a Menace specialty as replacement.

I'd also have to take another look at his web-swinging power set. I think the web is strong enough to hold him, but I'm not sure about the items that he'll be attaching the webs to...like tree limbs and loose masonry and such. I'd probably at least step down the movement power as he has to spend more time finding a stable anchor for his webline.

But that's just how I'd approach the character. Other views will vary.

[Mouse]

Sure...he'd have the might of the Juggernaut, but it might impede his spider-like speed and agility.

I don't know. That only makes sense to me in a game balance sort of way, and this game doesn't do that. Unless the Juggernauty powers seriously bulked Spidey up, it's really nonsensical to reduce his speed or his agility.

Maybe this is just because I hang out with acrobats sometimes in real life. They're all way, way stronger than they look and seriously agile at the same time.

But strong=slow when the strong person isn't really bulky just makes no sense at all to me. One needs only look to Conan for someone who's really quite strong and is often described as agile like a hunting cat.

[OppR2nist]

Spider-Man has shown the ability to lift cars and other big things with his webbing in the past. I think the reason he could never web up Juggy was because the Juggernaut is always charging ahead. Now, I don't remember if that's what was going on in previous circumstances where Spidey tried this, but I'd think the webbing could manage the weight. Structural integrity of things he would web to are another matter.

A cool stunt for this hybrid monster would be him webbing something like a statue or a big tree as he runs toward it. He then uses the webline like a slingshot to hurl himself at someone or something he wants to crash into. That would be really crazy.

[Lissilambe]

For a different base of examples, for the JSA Returns event I'm planning out (derived loosely from Smallville's "Absolute Justice" episodes), I have two characters that have three power sets. The first one is Doctor Fate, who in the comics has three artifacts that power him up (the show had just the helmet matter, but hey...my game! ): The Helmet of Nabu, the Cloak of Destiny and the Amulet of Anubis. Then again, he also plays a more Sentry-like role in the event, including being "unlockable" and all that.

The other is, ironically, Hawkgirl. I gave her the wings and ancient weapons for two powersets and intended to leave it at that, but got inspired by the datafile for Shadowcat and gave Hawkgirl a third set: a hawk (that acts somewhat like Lockheed without the firebreath). Since Hawkgirl's deliberately lower-power, being young (mid- to late teens) and very rookie (she just gets her powers during the event), it helps to give her some escape routes and flexibility. But I also set it up so that in a way, the hawk is a "reverse unlockable" with one story element in the game being a chance to resurrect Carter Hall/Hawkman, or send him off to a full rest/reincarnation cycle; during the course of that storyline, they learn that he's been guiding the hawk, so once his storyline wraps, the hawk goes away (as a power set at least) and Hawkgirl, now with some experience under her belt, goes back to "normal" for powers.

Take care
Don