The Ultimate Disadvantage - Elemental Control Disadvantage

[Lucius]

For Powers, an Elemental Control is a framework that defines a set of closely related powers as being, conceptually, a single power. As the Zen Master says, "Not many things. Not different things. One thing."

 

No such framework exists for Disadvantages, but that does not mean there cannot also be multiple Disadvantages that are just as closely linked, that are, in essence, One.

 

All this talk lately about "The Ultimate Disadvantage" made me wonder - what IS the Ultimate Disadvantage? How many Disadvantages can be justified under a single "special effect?"

 

Here is what I came up with.

 

From the private papers of John "Merlin" Magee: "May the Keeper of Secrets conceal this writing until a proper time for it to be known; but I cannot bear not to record here what I know, little as that seems to me, of the creature the press has dubbed The Incredible Skulk, that creeping bogeyman. Because he trusted me, I learned a little from David Bummer of the magical accident that created the Skulk, and when his brother Bruce learned that I knew something, he let me learn more. They refuse to divulge much, nor can I blame them for their paranoia; I am one of few who has not abandoned them due to their "dangerous obsession" or suspicions of being responsible for the creature. This much I know: the occult world believes the brothers have somehow fallen out over some disagreement or rivalry, and they let us believe that, lest anyone suspect the real reason they are never seen together anymore; at any given time, one or the other of them has BECOME the lurking terror called The Skulk! Further, each must, while themselves, seek out the other in monstrous form, for the curse that afflicts them compels them to consume a small portion of the beast's ichor each seven days or so, lest they sicken and perhaps eventually die; and that very act of vampirism causes the currently Human brother to, in turn, take the form of the Skulk! And so far, the only way they have found for either to resume his rightful shape, mind, and name, is for the other to take on the curse in his stead. Further, they remain as vulnerable to the creature as anyone else, if not more so; indeed, they report that mere close contact becomes painful in a matter of seconds. I know not what ending such a tale can have; but if it is within my power to aid these brothers, so I mean to do. I think they would sacrifice anything short of one another to undo what has been unleashed on the world, and if the Skulk ever moves beyond terror and mischief to take a Human life, perhaps....but Providence forbid it should ever come to that!"

 

5

Dependence: Blood of the Incredible Skulk Takes 3d6 Damage

(Difficult To Obtain, 1 Week)

 

15

Accidental Change: To The Incredible Skulk: Consuming Skulk Blood 14- (Uncommon)

 

5

Enraged: The Incredible Skulk is in serious danger (Uncommon), go 8-, recover 14-

(Uncommon because normal combat is not "serious danger" for the Skulk.)

 

5

Hunted: The Incredible Skulk 8- (As Pow, PC is very easy to find, Watching)

 

5

Dependent NPC: The Incredible Skulk 11- (As powerful as the PC)

 

5

Reputation: Somehow connected to the Incredible Skulk, probably dangerous to be around., 8- (Extreme; Known Only To A Small Group)

 

5

Rivalry: Professional (Journalists, Detectives, and others seeking "The Truth about the Incredible Skulk."; Rival is As Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry)

 

10

Susceptibility: Contact with the Incredible Skulk, 1d6 damage per Turn (Uncommon)

 

20

Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Attacks by the Incredible Skulk (Common)

 

15

Psychological Limitation: Secretive and protective regarding the Incredible Skulk (Common, Strong)

 

10

Hunted: Other people hunting the Incredible Skulk 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish)

 

10

Psychological Limitation: Shame and a sense of responsibility for the Incredible Skulk (Common, Moderate)

 

 

I believe that weighs in at 110 pts.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary thinks things like Accidental Change and Enraged belong in an Elemental Out of Control....

[ghost-angel]

Re: The Ultimate Disadvantage - Elemental Control Disadvantage

 

Disadvantages, like Powers, work together. If you have a Disadvantage on your Character that has more than one Mechanical Effect take as many Disadvantages as needed to get them all.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: The Ultimate Disadvantage - Elemental Control Disadvantage

 

Actually, this is how I build my characters already. Hence my failure to comprehend the whole "Ultimate Disadvantage" book. YMMV, now and always. Good write up, good premise, but sort of "Well, yeah, and?" to me.

[GamePhil]

Re: The Ultimate Disadvantage - Elemental Control Disadvantage

 

Reminds me of Orion, a Brick whose special effect was incredible willpower (CoH is spying on my games )

 

In addition to Powers, he had several Disads that defined this, including:

 

Psych Lim: Overconfidence

Phys Lim: No, Really Overconfident (0 DCV)

Vuln: Strong And Secure Mind (2x Effect from Mind Scan)

 

And so on. He also had a Presence Attack that could only get everyone in the room to shoot him first. He once confronted a battalion of VIPER agents and shouted, "Shoot ME!" Half the team was able to escape due to his noble sacrifice.

 

Ah, good times.

[Doc Democracy]

Re: The Ultimate Disadvantage - Elemental Control Disadvantage

 

Actually' date=' this is how I build my characters already. Hence my failure to comprehend the whole "Ultimate Disadvantage" book. YMMV, now and always. Good write up, good premise, but sort of "Well, yeah, and?" to me.[/quote']

 

Well, for me, the book would then go on to discuss how those disadvantages get used in play to enhance the game rather than to disadvantage the character.

 

It would also discuss how to introduce and use the disads for a group of PCs without the game seeming to be taken over by random hunteds and everything else coming up often enough to warrant the disadvantage points gained by each character and how a disadvantage to one character does not seriously disadvantage the rest of the group.

 

As pointed out, one character taking a hunted: Galactus is probably disadvantageous to the rest of the group - should they get disad points by association?

 

There are lots of game running information that could usefully be discussed in such a book beyond a simple listing of possible disadvantages or anything else.

 

All of this belongs in the Disadvantage section of the book because that is the mechanic being discussed but there is a huge hole where the text should be (an Ultimate Disadvantage shaped hole in fact!)...

 

 

 

Doc