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Normal Topic Weakness Detection (Read 1011 times)
Majestic
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Weakness Detection
Dec 30th, 2009 at 3:55pm
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Inpired by polarboy's alternate ideas for powers (like the awesome one for Mute under the "Weakness Ideas" thread), I thought I'd post the two alternate ideas I usually use for Weakness Detection:

a) As per the Rulebook, this one is meant for close-up (1") and allows for a character to learn a weakness from the target in addition to the combat bonus.

b) The character still gets the bonus, but doesn't learn anything about any weaknesses the target may have.  To make up for the lack of learning any weaknesses, the ability may be used at range (I").

Type (b) is one I often tend to use for characters that rolled this ability on the Skills chart; I have not seen a lot of characters in comics - especially martial arts, weapons, or boxing types - that have some clairvoyant ability to peer into their enemies' souls to learn about their fear of fire, claustrophobia, etc.

With the cool example of Mute listed earlier, it leads me to consider spelling out the various options our players have when rolling certain powers, making it more "official" for our campaign.
  
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Hammer
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Re: Weakness Detection
Reply #1 - Jan 2nd, 2010 at 11:22am
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I did something similar with absorption.  Per the rulebook, the character must touch someone to gain absorb powers/characteristics... In my game I had a PC who had relatively no powers, other than absorption, and had difficulty hitting opponents with a hth attack.  He had no movement powers, and so was usually unable to keep up with flying or speeding opponents.  After a couple of adventures, it became so limiting as to make the PC ineffective.  We discussed it, and made a similar modification, allowing him to absorb any "mutant" read non-device/magic item powers he actually saw used. 

It didn't seem to unbalance the game, and the PC was much happier with the results.  To me that's one of the goals of the GM, making the game fun for everyone, without unbalancing things so that any one character is the focus of every encounter.
  
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Majestic
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Re: Weakness Detection
Reply #2 - Jan 2nd, 2010 at 12:46pm
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Hammer wrote on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 11:22am:
I did something similar with absorption.  Per the rulebook, the character must touch someone to gain absorb powers/characteristics... In my game I had a PC who had relatively no powers, other than absorption, and had difficulty hitting opponents with a hth attack.  He had no movement powers, and so was usually unable to keep up with flying or speeding opponents.  After a couple of adventures, it became so limiting as to make the PC ineffective.  We discussed it, and made a similar modification, allowing him to absorb any "mutant" read non-device/magic item powers he actually saw used. 

It didn't seem to unbalance the game, and the PC was much happier with the results.  To me that's one of the goals of the GM, making the game fun for everyone, without unbalancing things so that any one character is the focus of every encounter.


Agreed.  Good call on this one.

While such an Absorbtion ability might be too strong in the hands of a super speedster (or player with Flight, Teleportation, Ice, or other versatile powers), for this guy it sounded like it was needed just to make him a solid, playable PC.  I would have done something similar.
  
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John
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Re: Weakness Detection
Reply #3 - Jan 2nd, 2010 at 1:27pm
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I had a player who had Darkness control, powerblast, Heightend Strength and  blindness.

He was a danger to everyone,  firing blind powerblasts.  So, inspired by DR Midnight, he found out that he could only see in pitch black.  So he became very effective once he blanketed the area in darkness.
  
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Justice
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Re: Weakness Detection
Reply #4 - Jan 4th, 2010 at 2:31pm
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Majestic,

Another idea for Weakness Detection could be "clue detection."

In writing up our favorite darknight detective I thought that Weakness Detection might show his amazing ability to find clues or details no one else can see.

The given bonus - INT/3 - could be given either as extra chances per minute to find a clue or just multiply it by 3% on any given chance.

But it is a skill that REQUIRES Intelligence and study, and so I suggest that poss. interpretation for any criminologist/detective PC.
  
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