The Buildings! They're FALLING!!

[SSgt Baloo]

Part of the Natural Disasters discussion: Question: Natural Disasters: What are they and what can the heroes do?

 

Okay, we've discissed a few other problems associated with natural disasters, so this thread is about what to do about buildings that are collapsing, toppling or have already collapsed or toppled. I guess that I'd allow some chance for the heroes to shore up a sagging building, if only long enough to effect an evacuation. How would you as a GM or player handle buildings toppling/collapsing as a result of earthquake or other disaster?

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: The Buildings! They're FALLING!!

 

A lot of how I would handle this depends upon the powers of the heroes involved.

 

For instance: a brick would likely be holding up or shoring up the building. This could involve cars being used as braces (Hey, isn't that the irritating reporter's car parked over there?) and what-not. A hero with x-ray vision could search for people trapped inside or knocked unconscious. Fire or water based characters helping put out fires.

 

Beyond that, in general, I'd include: gas pipes broken by the toppling building, and the same with electrical lines. A parent desperately searching for a kid who didn't make it out yet. (Maybe mom or dad fell out the window when the building started to collapse.) Someone pinned by fallen rubble either inside the building or in the path where the building will fall.

[Cancer]

Re: The Buildings! They're FALLING!!

 

The major issue is rescue of people in damaged buildings, and getting people out of situations where they are threatened by delayed building failure or results of failure. Fires, in particular caused by broken gas lines, are a major ongoing possibility. Spills from industrial activities can also be extended-time threats.

 

For buildings in imminent danger of collapse with lots of people inside, you can imagine speedsters carrying less-mobile individuals out, blasters opening emergency egress routes, mentalists locating victims who are trapped or unconscious, bricks holding things up or reinforcing floors/beams/doorways etc. I have to think a bit about martial artists; depends a lot on their exact power suite.

 

That stage of an emergency is likely to last about half an hour, unless you cobble together a situation where the exits are all closed but the building has enough integrity left to stay standing for hours or days. Otherwise, you can go to the extended threats of fire, hazardous spills (especially vaporous ones), and delayed collapse of structures not obviously weakened in the initial 'quake.

 

Rioting and plunder only get started after several hours, but if the rioters have got into an armory or other weapons cache it can be a big one.

 

I might put the team in the position of maintaining a hospital complex surrounded by major destruction. That would mean extinguishing and containing fires, keeping roads clear, suppressing riots and looting, eliminating threats to disruption of power/water/telecomm and/or reestablishing supply of those. Also selective destruction of heavily damaged nearby structures that haven't come down on their own yet. Then there's medevac services for all and sundry.

 

Then add in a sudden zombie apocalypse and your heroes have a full day in front of them.

[kahuna's bro]

Re: The Buildings! They're FALLING!!

 

The major issue is rescue of people in damaged buildings, and getting people out of situations where they are threatened by delayed building failure or results of failure. Fires, in particular caused by broken gas lines, are a major ongoing possibility. Spills from industrial activities can also be extended-time threats.

 

For buildings in imminent danger of collapse with lots of people inside, you can imagine speedsters carrying less-mobile individuals out, blasters opening emergency egress routes, mentalists locating victims who are trapped or unconscious, bricks holding things up or reinforcing floors/beams/doorways etc. I have to think a bit about martial artists; depends a lot on their exact power suite.

 

That stage of an emergency is likely to last about half an hour, unless you cobble together a situation where the exits are all closed but the building has enough integrity left to stay standing for hours or days. Otherwise, you can go to the extended threats of fire, hazardous spills (especially vaporous ones), and delayed collapse of structures not obviously weakened in the initial 'quake.

 

Rioting and plunder only get started after several hours, but if the rioters have got into an armory or other weapons cache it can be a big one.

 

I might put the team in the position of maintaining a hospital complex surrounded by major destruction. That would mean extinguishing and containing fires, keeping roads clear, suppressing riots and looting, eliminating threats to disruption of power/water/telecomm and/or reestablishing supply of those. Also selective destruction of heavily damaged nearby structures that haven't come down on their own yet. Then there's medevac services for all and sundry.

 

Then add in a sudden zombie apocalypse and your heroes have a full day in front of them.

martial arts types would [a]break down doors that people are traped behindand help evacuate the building if they have paramedics use that unil help arives

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: The Buildings! They're FALLING!!

 

I have to think a bit about martial artists; depends a lot on their exact power suite.

 

Well, if it's Chuck Norris, he just side-kicks the building back upright.

[Cancer]

Re: The Buildings! They're FALLING!!

 

martial arts types would [a]break down doors that people are traped behindand help evacuate the building if they have paramedics use that unil help arives

 

Well' date=' if it's Chuck Norris, he just side-kicks the building back upright. [/quote']

Yeah, the martial artist can open escape routes and cause things to collapse in a controlled way (assuming the GM will allow them to use their martial arts in a Demolitions context). My comment about power suites enters because I've seen MAs with things like Superleap (or boosts to Climbing) which can turn them into ersatz flyers so (if the team has no flyer) they turn into the high-altitude rescue team. That matters because (as we all know ) the expensive stuff and really rich people always live in the penthouse on the top floor.

[Matt Holck]

Re: The Buildings! They're FALLING!!

 

Many might actually add a dice a speed challenge

that's why I would include a hex map

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: The Buildings! They're FALLING!!

 

A building that was tottering would derive some benefit from unskilled bracing, but would eventually collapse. I always allowed characters with Demolition skill to quickly determine where bracing is needed, allowing the heroes to finish bracing the building faster and thus allowing more time for evacuations. A building braced under the direction of someone with Demolition skill would not collapse unless it was struck by more destructive forces (aftershocks, a villain blowing up a bomb inside/on the building, etc.) or if the bracing was removed. A character with a really good Demolitions skill could direct which braces to knock out to allow a controlled collapse in a desired direction.