~Character Construction/ Creation~

[Niall Glacian]

I accept your offer to drop my resources to Pr.  His folks are mutant nomads, and he doesn't really need much to explore his powers beyond a notebook and pencil, so he isn't really materially driven.

As to the REM restriction, either of those approaches sound workable to me.  Of course, I want as many ways to use it, just in case .  I don't believe that Niall has ever even thought to try to use grafting on anyone that wasn't knocked out and stationary anyway, so the difficulty of him trying to work out how to use it in combat makes a lot of story sense to me.

[Niall Glacian]

So we were talking about needing to touch someone with both hands.  How exactly do we accomplish this?  Making you make a fighting feat of Remarkable intensity to succeed in 2 attacks is one way.  The other way might be for you to get a Red Grappling feat for a full hold.  Or maybe you could do either.  What were you thinking?

2 points of clarification:

1) I was taking the restriction to mean that I need both hands fully engaged in the operation of the power, not that it was restricted to having two hands on a single target.  I was picturing him typically using his "doctor's tools" to work through how he imagines the operation would go.  His power doesn't actually require the tools as the flesh speaks to him, but he doesn't realize this at this stage.  Again, remember that he has never used his grafting on a conscious patient except himself.  I just want to make sure that everyone has the same understanding.

2) Would it need a different mechanic if I was trying to target 2 people as opposed to one? I'm thinking of the example scenario of stitching two people together (assuming he has developed to the point of knowing he could do so in a combat situation).    At this stage I think a yellow or red grappling feat to get enough control on a single target sounds about right. I would think I would need a grapple on the first target and then a +1 or +2 CS grapple check on the second.  I think that makes sense.

[GM Marvel]

So we were talking about needing to touch someone with both hands.  How exactly do we accomplish this?  Making you make a fighting feat of Remarkable intensity to succeed in 2 attacks is one way.  The other way might be for you to get a Red Grappling feat for a full hold.  Or maybe you could do either.  What were you thinking?

2 points of clarification:

1) I was taking the restriction to mean that I need both hands fully engaged in the operation of the power, not that it was restricted to having two hands on a single target.  I was picturing him typically using his "doctor's tools" to work through how he imagines the operation would go.  His power doesn't actually require the tools as the flesh speaks to him, but he doesn't realize this at this stage.  Again, remember that he has never used his grafting on a conscious patient except himself.  I just want to make sure that everyone has the same understanding.

2) Would it need a different mechanic if I was trying to target 2 people as opposed to one? I'm thinking of the example scenario of stitching two people together (assuming he has developed to the point of knowing he could do so in a combat situation).    At this stage I think a yellow or red grappling feat to get enough control on a single target sounds about right. I would think I would need a grapple on the first target and then a +1 or +2 CS grapple check on the second.  I think that makes sense.

1)  I'm pretty sure, depending upon the operation, you would need to use two hands anyways.  Removing a cyst would likely require 1 hand.  Transplanting a leg would require two.  So how is the, 'you must use two hands,' a limitation?  The whole point of a limitation is to put restrictions on your power. Not make it sometimes slightly inconvenient.  

2) You wouldn't get any bonus vs the second person.  Wrestlers don't get bonuses (get better) when they grapple 2 people.  It's actually just the opposite.  

3)  I love the Ultimate Powers Book but unfortunately it often leaves out a lot of information that requires a lot of fleshing out.  This happens to be one of the powers they gave only the most basic of information.  For example, How long does it take?  What's the range?  How do you resist?  The same goes for Sleep induced.  The power mentions nothing about resisting.  It doesn't even mention a Nemesis!  Just by the way it's written, a person could assume that the user (with your Remarkable rank) could automatically put to sleep everyone within a 352 foot radius!!!!  So Galactus, Death, and the High Tribunal appear, and promptly fall asleep.    That's insane.  All powers require checks and balances.    So these issues will need to be hammered out.

[Johnny Blair]

1) Removing a cyst usually requires two hands. You do not want to play dagger dagger dagger with a scalpel in someone’s innards.

2) Speaking as a former high school wrestler myself, wrestling just one other person is difficult enough...

[Niall Glacian]

So we were talking about needing to touch someone with both hands.  How exactly do we accomplish this?  Making you make a fighting feat of Remarkable intensity to succeed in 2 attacks is one way.  The other way might be for you to get a Red Grappling feat for a full hold.  Or maybe you could do either.  What were you thinking?

2 points of clarification:

1) I was taking the restriction to mean that I need both hands fully engaged in the operation of the power, not that it was restricted to having two hands on a single target.  I was picturing him typically using his "doctor's tools" to work through how he imagines the operation would go.  His power doesn't actually require the tools as the flesh speaks to him, but he doesn't realize this at this stage.  Again, remember that he has never used his grafting on a conscious patient except himself.  I just want to make sure that everyone has the same understanding.

2) Would it need a different mechanic if I was trying to target 2 people as opposed to one? I'm thinking of the example scenario of stitching two people together (assuming he has developed to the point of knowing he could do so in a combat situation).    At this stage I think a yellow or red grappling feat to get enough control on a single target sounds about right. I would think I would need a grapple on the first target and then a +1 or +2 CS grapple check on the second.  I think that makes sense.

1)  I'm pretty sure, depending upon the operation, you would need to use two hands anyways.  Removing a cyst would likely require 1 hand.  Transplanting a leg would require two.  So how is the, 'you must use two hands,' a limitation?  The whole point of a limitation is to put restrictions on your power. Not make it sometimes slightly inconvenient.  

2) You wouldn't get any bonus vs the second person.  Wrestlers don't get bonuses (get better) when they grapple 2 people.  It's actually just the opposite.  

3)  I love the Ultimate Powers Book but unfortunately it often leaves out a lot of information that requires a lot of fleshing out.  This happens to be one of the powers they gave only the most basic of information.  For example, How long does it take?  What's the range?  How do you resist?  The same goes for Sleep induced.  The power mentions nothing about resisting.  It doesn't even mention a Nemesis!  Just by the way it's written, a person could assume that the user (with your Remarkable rank) could automatically put to sleep everyone within a 352 foot radius!!!!  So Galactus, Death, and the High Tribunal appear, and promptly fall asleep.    That's insane.  All powers require checks and balances.    So these issues will need to be hammered out.

1) Just the way the power is written, it doesn't require any hands (or even touch) so the restriction is still meaningful, even if he doesn't know the cause of the restriction.   If your call is that it isn't enough, do you have any alternate suggestions?  Maybe something like I can't graft unless in an enclosed space (like a room or forcefield bubble or something, just not open areas).  Alternately I guess I could drop down plague carrier down to Feeble, and maybe drop grafting down a rank to avoid needing to take the restriction at all.  Need someone to check my math on that, I obviously can't seem to do basic math for this.

2) sorry, I must have wrote that wrong.  I meant to make the second attack one or two ranks harder.  It just seems starting at a Red to grapple just one leaves no room for the increased difficulty of trying to include a second person.

3) As for Sleep I see what you mean.  The way I read it it seems like it is intended to impact mooks more than bigger targets.  To that end what do you think of resisting it with a Endurance check to beat my result?  That would mean that more advanced foes would likely be able to shrug it off, but as far as pacifying a small crowd or hired guns there is a chance to impact several folks, unless you feel that would be too roll intensive.  I guess it could be limited by a -1 CS for each additional target that is being impacted within range, or something along those lines.

[GM Marvel]

So we were talking about needing to touch someone with both hands.  How exactly do we accomplish this?  Making you make a fighting feat of Remarkable intensity to succeed in 2 attacks is one way.  The other way might be for you to get a Red Grappling feat for a full hold.  Or maybe you could do either.  What were you thinking?

2 points of clarification:

1) I was taking the restriction to mean that I need both hands fully engaged in the operation of the power, not that it was restricted to having two hands on a single target.  I was picturing him typically using his "doctor's tools" to work through how he imagines the operation would go.  His power doesn't actually require the tools as the flesh speaks to him, but he doesn't realize this at this stage.  Again, remember that he has never used his grafting on a conscious patient except himself.  I just want to make sure that everyone has the same understanding.

2) Would it need a different mechanic if I was trying to target 2 people as opposed to one? I'm thinking of the example scenario of stitching two people together (assuming he has developed to the point of knowing he could do so in a combat situation).    At this stage I think a yellow or red grappling feat to get enough control on a single target sounds about right. I would think I would need a grapple on the first target and then a +1 or +2 CS grapple check on the second.  I think that makes sense.

1)  I'm pretty sure, depending upon the operation, you would need to use two hands anyways.  Removing a cyst would likely require 1 hand.  Transplanting a leg would require two.  So how is the, 'you must use two hands,' a limitation?  The whole point of a limitation is to put restrictions on your power. Not make it sometimes slightly inconvenient.  

2) You wouldn't get any bonus vs the second person.  Wrestlers don't get bonuses (get better) when they grapple 2 people.  It's actually just the opposite.  

3)  I love the Ultimate Powers Book but unfortunately it often leaves out a lot of information that requires a lot of fleshing out.  This happens to be one of the powers they gave only the most basic of information.  For example, How long does it take?  What's the range?  How do you resist?  The same goes for Sleep induced.  The power mentions nothing about resisting.  It doesn't even mention a Nemesis!  Just by the way it's written, a person could assume that the user (with your Remarkable rank) could automatically put to sleep everyone within a 352 foot radius!!!!  So Galactus, Death, and the High Tribunal appear, and promptly fall asleep.    That's insane.  All powers require checks and balances.    So these issues will need to be hammered out.

1) Just the way the power is written, it doesn't require any hands (or even touch) so the restriction is still meaningful, even if he doesn't know the cause of the restriction.   If your call is that it isn't enough, do you have any alternate suggestions?  Maybe something like I can't graft unless in an enclosed space (like a room or forcefield bubble or something, just not open areas).  Alternately I guess I could drop down plague carrier down to Feeble, and maybe drop grafting down a rank to avoid needing to take the restriction at all.  Need someone to check my math on that, I obviously can't seem to do basic math for this.

2) sorry, I must have wrote that wrong.  I meant to make the second attack one or two ranks harder.  It just seems starting at a Red to grapple just one leaves no room for the increased difficulty of trying to include a second person.

3) As for Sleep I see what you mean.  The way I read it it seems like it is intended to impact mooks more than bigger targets.  To that end what do you think of resisting it with a Endurance check to beat my result?  That would mean that more advanced foes would likely be able to shrug it off, but as far as pacifying a small crowd or hired guns there is a chance to impact several folks, unless you feel that would be too roll intensive.  I guess it could be limited by a -1 CS for each additional target that is being impacted within range, or something along those lines.

1)  For powers that state no range, I usually assume it's touch.  You would have to show me where it says you can use the power at a range.  It says you can perform psionically augmented surgery.  That doesn't mean you can do it at a range.  It just means your mind augments the surgery to keep them alive and limit blood loss.  The power is the single most likely power to be abused.  Being able to do a brain transplant at distance seems like it could be really abused.  And honestly I'm sure the other players wouldn't want me to create that kind of precedent or the group could end up fighting a mad scientist who has no problem with inflicting brain transplants on all of you from the comfort of his own home. 

2) You would need to make a Remarkable Fighting feat to get two attack to get two attacks.  Then roll a red result for each person.  But if you need 2 hands to affect someone then you wouldn't be able to affect two people because both hands have to be on one person.

3) You don't seem to be able to affect just one target with your sleep which kind of causes a problem for you.  Your schoolmates aren't going to be happy being put to sleep every time you use the power.  As for the Endurance feat, that's fine.  It could also be a Psyche feat depending on how the power puts them to sleep.  

4) There are ways to turn Sleep into a single target power.  Combining it with Missile Creation would create sleep darts.  Chemical touch for a sleep touch.  Webcasting to create sleep webs. etc.

[Niall Glacian]

So we were talking about needing to touch someone with both hands.  How exactly do we accomplish this?  Making you make a fighting feat of Remarkable intensity to succeed in 2 attacks is one way.  The other way might be for you to get a Red Grappling feat for a full hold.  Or maybe you could do either.  What were you thinking?

2 points of clarification:

1) I was taking the restriction to mean that I need both hands fully engaged in the operation of the power, not that it was restricted to having two hands on a single target.  I was picturing him typically using his "doctor's tools" to work through how he imagines the operation would go.  His power doesn't actually require the tools as the flesh speaks to him, but he doesn't realize this at this stage.  Again, remember that he has never used his grafting on a conscious patient except himself.  I just want to make sure that everyone has the same understanding.

2) Would it need a different mechanic if I was trying to target 2 people as opposed to one? I'm thinking of the example scenario of stitching two people together (assuming he has developed to the point of knowing he could do so in a combat situation).    At this stage I think a yellow or red grappling feat to get enough control on a single target sounds about right. I would think I would need a grapple on the first target and then a +1 or +2 CS grapple check on the second.  I think that makes sense.

1)  I'm pretty sure, depending upon the operation, you would need to use two hands anyways.  Removing a cyst would likely require 1 hand.  Transplanting a leg would require two.  So how is the, 'you must use two hands,' a limitation?  The whole point of a limitation is to put restrictions on your power. Not make it sometimes slightly inconvenient.  

2) You wouldn't get any bonus vs the second person.  Wrestlers don't get bonuses (get better) when they grapple 2 people.  It's actually just the opposite.  

3)  I love the Ultimate Powers Book but unfortunately it often leaves out a lot of information that requires a lot of fleshing out.  This happens to be one of the powers they gave only the most basic of information.  For example, How long does it take?  What's the range?  How do you resist?  The same goes for Sleep induced.  The power mentions nothing about resisting.  It doesn't even mention a Nemesis!  Just by the way it's written, a person could assume that the user (with your Remarkable rank) could automatically put to sleep everyone within a 352 foot radius!!!!  So Galactus, Death, and the High Tribunal appear, and promptly fall asleep.    That's insane.  All powers require checks and balances.    So these issues will need to be hammered out.

1) Just the way the power is written, it doesn't require any hands (or even touch) so the restriction is still meaningful, even if he doesn't know the cause of the restriction.   If your call is that it isn't enough, do you have any alternate suggestions?  Maybe something like I can't graft unless in an enclosed space (like a room or forcefield bubble or something, just not open areas).  Alternately I guess I could drop down plague carrier down to Feeble, and maybe drop grafting down a rank to avoid needing to take the restriction at all.  Need someone to check my math on that, I obviously can't seem to do basic math for this.

2) sorry, I must have wrote that wrong.  I meant to make the second attack one or two ranks harder.  It just seems starting at a Red to grapple just one leaves no room for the increased difficulty of trying to include a second person.

3) As for Sleep I see what you mean.  The way I read it it seems like it is intended to impact mooks more than bigger targets.  To that end what do you think of resisting it with a Endurance check to beat my result?  That would mean that more advanced foes would likely be able to shrug it off, but as far as pacifying a small crowd or hired guns there is a chance to impact several folks, unless you feel that would be too roll intensive.  I guess it could be limited by a -1 CS for each additional target that is being impacted within range, or something along those lines.

1)  For powers that state no range, I usually assume it's touch.  You would have to show me where it says you can use the power at a range.  It says you can perform psionically augmented surgery.  That doesn't mean you can do it at a range.  It just means your mind augments the surgery to keep them alive and limit blood loss.  The power is the single most likely power to be abused.  Being able to do a brain transplant at distance seems like it could be really abused.  And honestly I'm sure the other players wouldn't want me to create that kind of precedent or the group could end up fighting a mad scientist who has no problem with inflicting brain transplants on all of you from the comfort of his own home. 

2) You would need to make a Remarkable Fighting feat to get two attack to get two attacks.  Then roll a red result for each person.  But if you need 2 hands to affect someone then you wouldn't be able to affect two people because both hands have to be on one person.

3) You don't seem to be able to affect just one target with your sleep which kind of causes a problem for you.  Your schoolmates aren't going to be happy being put to sleep every time you use the power.  As for the Endurance feat, that's fine.  It could also be a Psyche feat depending on how the power puts them to sleep.  

4) There are ways to turn Sleep into a single target power.  Combining it with Missile Creation would create sleep darts.  Chemical touch for a sleep touch.  Webcasting to create sleep webs. etc.

1) That makes sense.  I was assuming that unless it specifically said that it couldn't have range, it could range as per the range table.  It makes sense to be touch by default.  I agree that there are doors we would not want to open.

2) With that understand would transplants still be possible?  I suppose as long as I have two hands to remove the target from the donor, keep both hands on it to transfer to the recipient and then both hands on them to reconnect.

3) I had not considered the mechanism for how the sleep worked.  I guess I was thinking it was functionally a weak custom disease as kind of an offshoot from the Plague Carrier, so the mechanism would probably be custom bacteria that induce severe narcolepsy.  I think that would keep it in the Endurance realm as a resistance.

4) would it be easier for the game and everything if I dropped grafting and reshuffled towards some other healing kind of skill?

[GM Marvel]

1)  This is part of what I meant about the Ultimate Powers Book not giving much information.  It doesn't even say how long it takes for the power to work.  The way I read it, it sounds like you're still doing a regular operation, minus the need to make sure every blood vessel is cauterized and the need to keep the person breathing, etc. which is means you might be able to perform the operation in 50% to 10% of the time.   But someone else might read it and believe the power is instantaneous which would be scary. But I can sort of see how that might being possible.  The power states that the end result doesn't have to be pretty. Imagine just touching someone and you instantly ripping their head! YIKES!  The crazy part is they would still be alive! Now that I think about it, when you grapple and win, you choose what part of the body you grapple.  Obviously the amount of time it takes would also depend upon how willing the subject was to have you use your power. They should be able to attempt to escape the hold before you start using the power the next round.  The power also doesn't mention if there is even any pain involved.  I'd assume that would be up to you to decide if you wanted to disconnect the nerves.  

2) Yes, can still do transplants.  We can assume that if you wanted to transplant an arm, you just pick up the arm and press the limb against the body. Both hands would just touch the incision sight with both your hands.

3)  I like powers that are thematic and so that sounds good.

4)  It doesn't really matter to me.  As a DM, I am kind of wondering how much use you're going to get with the powers.  In my 35 years of playing Marvel I don't think anyone has ever needed a transplant.  Of course, now that you have this character it brings up more opportunity to introduce those types of plot points.  The same goes for Sleep Induced and Plague Carrier.  For the former, it targets people indiscriminately.  If you were to use sleep induced in downtown Manhattan you'd could be putting 1000's of people asleep.  Just with people falling asleep at the wheel and running over people, the possible death toll could be enormous.  The latter will be difficult because diseases need time to work their magic (Onset is 1 - 10 turns) and according to the power, the infected person can even die.  So you'll likely be using this power to cure rather than harm.  Or if you did use it to harm, you'd have to cure it before anything permanent happens.

5) We actually have a former PC's character in the game named Canker who's been put into a medically induced coma.  He didn't have exactly your powers but he disappeared fairly quickly so that doesn't really matter.  He joined Emma Frost's Academy and soon after he accidently infected many of the teens with a strange virus that made them very aggressive.  This aggression caused the teens and a giant virus to attack the mansion.  The non-affected teens managed to defeat them and figured out that the giant virus was actually Canker who had somehow (not even he knew) transformed into the virus and then instinctively returned to the mansion where he felt safest.  He then started to instinctively reach out to the teens he was closest with and accidently infected them.  Some of the teens at the school, like Saleem, still have lingering effects of the virus.  

My point to this story is if you wanted, you could take over his storyline with your character.  You could wake up from the coma and start playing without the need to be introduced.  If you'd rather not, that's fine.

[GM Marvel]

1) Removing a cyst usually requires two hands.  You do not want to play dagger dagger dagger with a scalpel in someone’s innards.

2) Speaking as a former high school wrestler myself, wrestling just one other person is difficult enough...

1) Well, normal surgeons need to use two hands.  Someone with this power could probably scoop it out with one hand as long as the cyst wasn't too big.  I've seen some 40 pound cysts on YouTube that would definitely require 2 hands!

2)  I didn't do wrestling when I was in school but one of my buddies loved 'professional' wrestling so we would get together and perform a show for the local kids.  Most time it was all for fun but there was one semi-real match between us and a group of other local teens.  It was three on three.  I didn't take it really seriously unlike my buddy did, cuz he and one of the other guys didn't like each other, but nevertheless we won! 

[Johnny Blair]

1) I’ve seen videos like that. Besides the size, a surgeon who isn’t careful with his scalpel risks more than a malpractice suit. Those things are incredibly sharp.

2) Yeah, we always viewed that as fake bullcrap. *Real* wrestling takes a LOT out of you. Each period is only 2 minutes long, but it’s 2 minutes of using every muscle in your body, as hard as you can, to move around someone of equivalent size and strength who’s also using every muscle in their body as hard as they can. And there are three periods in a match.