when things don't have a catch

[computerking]

2 extra stress boxes that work well for backlash... counts as "resistant to backlash."

I thought he said +2 Physical stress boxes. Backlash is Mental stress, right?

[zenten]

Backlash is caster's choice between mental and physical stress.

[Tedronai]

2 extra stress boxes that work well for backlash... counts as "resistant to backlash."


Barely-on-topic as it is:
And actually, evolution can produce a pretty remarkable resistance to acid if it wants, either as a matter of density or simple chemical makeup. Acid's a valid catch- don't get me wrong... got no problem with it. Just think it might be a little impossible to research... I'd just choose something either a little more broad or at least a little easier to deduce about your character.

'requires personal knowledge': +0

[Silverblaze]

Hercules: poison.  Worked fine to kill him the first time.

Wolverine: metal skeleton -...magnetism anyone?  Electricity? Both have almost killed him.

Superman: Kryptonite

Bears, elephants, horses: very much opposed to electricity- makes a great catch.

Zombies: bullet to the head? - much like tearing out a red courts stomach... has anyone got a good system for that btw?

Fire should be a +3 or 4 catch not zero...fire is pretty easy to come by.

Everything has a catch btw: swords of the cross seem to do that fine.

[admiralducksauce]

Zombies: bullet to the head? - much like tearing out a red courts stomach... has anyone got a good system for that btw?

I still don't think there's a consensus about that, although I seem to remember "hitting by 3 shifts or more would be sufficient" - whether you get that high roll through aim maneuvers or declarations or luck doesn't matter.  I can't rustle up any evidence for this, though.

[Taran]

For RCV's I'd allow my players to do a maneuver, "exposed stomach" and allow someone to tag it for an attack that would bypass their toughness.  If you wanted to make the "brain" a zombies catch, I'd allow a similar maneuver.

Anyways,  I think my question is sufficiently answered.  So, it's not that a creature doesn't have a catch, it's just that the catch is +0, and if the players can come up with a creative idea for a catch, they can bypass the toughness.

But it seems the concensus is that a catch for zombies isn't that necessary since zombies have other weaknesses.

The same question came up when one of my players who's character is a RC infected.  He wanted to take inhuman recovery and we had a bit of a debate over what would make a good Catch.  We settled on Holy Stuff since that is the same as a RC Vamp.  Not sure if it's accurate, but it works.  The only issue is that the PC's rarely fight AGAINST Holy.  Although my opinion is Holy in the eye of the beholder.  I'd allow Unholy to work also.  But I digress.  Thanks for the advice.

[Taran]

He is not resistant to backlash, it was just a story idea to be tough to his own violent magic. +2 slots to physical stress does work well for backlash, especially when they try to facerape the caster - me.

The wizard in my group has a mental toughness and recovery power.  The Catch is his own backlash - well, more specifically, any mental damage caused by his own magic.

Edit:  I just realized this is the perfect example of a +0 catch.  He has a catch, but no-one else on the planet has access to it.

[Discipol]

good point, stunts and items that satisfy a catch have been payed. if there are things without a catch, the player/npc has made a waste of points, thus you imbalance the system.

[Masurao]

Hercules: poison.  Worked fine to kill him the first time.

Wolverine: metal skeleton -...magnetism anyone?  Electricity? Both have almost killed him.

Superman: Kryptonite

Bears, elephants, horses: very much opposed to electricity- makes a great catch.

Of everything you've listed here, only Kryptonite fills the role of a true Catch.

Hercules could've died because of prolonged exposure to the poison, would have taken longer than with a mortal, but just as effective. He was half-human, why not throw fire and electricity and acid and... et cetera in the mix.

Wolverine's adamantium skeleton makes him extremely susceptible to magnetic powers, but it does not harm him per se and even when it did (Magneto tearing of his adamantium), he survived and healed up nice. The problem with Wolverine is that once you stop doing something to him, he heals. I believe it was in Prof. X's secret files, that he surmised that the only sure way to kill Logan was to take of his head... So, at any rate, his metal skeleton would be an aspect... Hates magnetism, but also allows him to throw a better punch.

Just because isomething hurts something well, doesn't mean it should be a Catch. Some humans are immune to some poisons or diseases, but others are killed by the same ones. Electricity and fire do wonders of killing people, but not because they are so weak against that particular type of damage, but because the damage is MASSIVE. A powerful poison isn't so effective because it bypasses some defensive, but because it keeps wreaking havoc over a longer period of time, so eventually it'll take you down. This is all slanted towards game mechanics, not biology or something.

Superman's kryptonite isn't even the best of Catches, depending on what you see. In the TV-series I've seen, he's weak around the stuff, but recovers pretty quickly afterwards, while a Catch says you can't recover from what hurt it put on you (Stress and/or Consequences).

As for zombie-head-shots? Better use a shotgun or JHP ammo, because if you put a bullet in there, why is it going to care? You need to do massive trauma and most ammunition isn't designed for that. Even without a head, I doubt it would keel over immediately, nowhere does it say that it needs to use it's ears to hear the heart beat, as it perceives the beat to be its own.