Author Topic: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build  (Read 7508 times)

Offline Quantus

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Re: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2017, 01:00:33 PM »
I feel like the webslinging might not warrant the actual Wings ability, given it's limitation requiring lots of tall structures nearby (Homecoming does a great job of highlighting this several times).  You are already buying the SpiderWalk, which essentially just opens all his supernatural speed and movement/agility to 3 dimensions.  Buying wings on top of that seems like double-dipping for no added benefit, even if it's intend to portray the armpit-web squirrel-suit gliding he can do occasionally. 


I could go either way on Breath Weapon (or Natural Weaponry) for the webs. Incite Effect feels a bit more appropriate, since he mostly blocks and maneuvers with them, but given that he can end fights by webbing people up he should probably be able to make "attacks" with his webs.

But if we're going with the classic webs-as-gadgets Spider-Man, with web shooters as an IoP, then Breath Weapon is inappropriate. Items of power should never give Breath Weapon.
The main narrative point of the Web fluid was always as a limitation, something he runs out of randomly and has to go and re-brew.  Would it be possible (or advisable) to instead do webs as Brewed Potions?  On their own they can act as web grenades (common enough if wasteful use) or they can be plugged into the web-shooters (still an IoP?) to allow for the other various uses (ropes, nets, etc) with some kind of Rate of Use so there's a chance of running out at critical moments. 

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The Catch rating for poison depends on how known/knowable it is. Could be anywhere from +2 to +4; maybe it's on his Wikipedia page, maybe it's totally unknown even to Spider-Man himself.
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So +2 if it's say a normal/known spider venom where a hospital might stock anti-venom, vs a +4 being a super exotic toxin that would need samples and study and whatnot to synthesize something custom?
Not sure what's with the pitcher stunt. Far as I can tell, Spider-Man doesn't throw stuff much.
He webs things and whips them around into people a ton, would it apply there or does that become a weapon?
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Offline Shaft

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Re: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build
« Reply #16 on: July 11, 2017, 02:27:15 PM »
The main narrative point of the Web fluid was always as a limitation, something he runs out of randomly and has to go and re-brew.  Would it be possible (or advisable) to instead do webs as Brewed Potions? 

He has hundreds of charges of Web Fluid so he'd need something like Refinement in the hundreds to reflect the quantities of potions.  It's more accurate to treat those scenes where he runs out of web fluid as him getting a Fate Point for an Aspect used against him.

Offline Quantus

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Re: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2017, 02:57:03 PM »
He has hundreds of charges of Web Fluid so he'd need something like Refinement in the hundreds to reflect the quantities of potions. 

It's more accurate to treat those scenes where he runs out of web fluid as him getting a Fate Point for an Aspect used against him.
I wasnt thinking to model it as each shot being an individual expended Potion, rather Each /cartridge/ is, and once it's tapped/used/inserted, it provides the Webslinging benefits for some duration. I just dont know if it's enough to just call it a potion and make the wristband shooters a thematic description, or if you'd still need to separately pay for them as a Magic Focus or IoP. If the latter I think there needs to be specific benefits of each individually. Thoughts?

I really like the idea of just leaving as an Aspect to be used against him rather than actually trying to quantify use.  That avoids the additional book-keeping and obscure volume calculations, while still preserving the thematic possibility of them failing at the worst possible moment, or just being able to say "No, you just caught 4 minivans and a tractor trailer that were falling off a bridge, you're cant also make a two-block web between buildings to catch a helicopter until you swap canisters.  Oh, you detonated your last one in the sewer to hold off the Undertown Horde?  Tough luck, you're walking home."
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Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build
« Reply #18 on: July 11, 2017, 03:00:54 PM »
Maybe the potion can give him a scene-long boost to agility or speed, like with an aspect or a temporary power?
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Offline Quantus

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Re: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build
« Reply #19 on: July 11, 2017, 07:54:10 PM »
Maybe the potion can give him a scene-long boost to agility or speed, like with an aspect or a temporary power?
Aspect-in-a-Bottle feels flexible enough, though Id want the danger of running out mid-scene to remain.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build
« Reply #20 on: July 11, 2017, 10:27:24 PM »
I guess we'll have to disagree on your ruling on Items of Power for Breath Weapon.  You could make an amulet of Dragon's Breath or a Bow of lightning bolts or anything that allows you to throw a Wpn 2 attack using Weapons skill.

You don't need to spend Refresh to give a weapon a weapon rating. So putting Breath Weapon on an IoP is like giving Lawbreaker to a non-spellcaster.

I'm using Breath Weapon as a ranged attack so he can use Thrown Weapons from the Pitcher stunt.

He also throws tracers.

Huh, okay.

I feel like the webslinging might not warrant the actual Wings ability, given it's limitation requiring lots of tall structures nearby (Homecoming does a great job of highlighting this several times).  You are already buying the SpiderWalk, which essentially just opens all his supernatural speed and movement/agility to 3 dimensions.  Buying wings on top of that seems like double-dipping for no added benefit, even if it's intend to portray the armpit-web squirrel-suit gliding he can do occasionally.

This custom Power might be worth a look.

It and Spider Walk are both more or less strictly worse than Wings, though.

The main narrative point of the Web fluid was always as a limitation, something he runs out of randomly and has to go and re-brew.  Would it be possible (or advisable) to instead do webs as Brewed Potions?  On their own they can act as web grenades (common enough if wasteful use) or they can be plugged into the web-shooters (still an IoP?) to allow for the other various uses (ropes, nets, etc) with some kind of Rate of Use so there's a chance of running out at critical moments.

You could do that, I guess, but I'd rather just make it an occasional Compel.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2017, 10:30:59 PM by Sanctaphrax »

Offline Shaft

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Re: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build
« Reply #21 on: July 12, 2017, 04:27:33 PM »
You don't need to spend Refresh to give a weapon a weapon rating.

That's a fair point, and if we were talking about an obvious weapon such as a pistol, I would agree. 
However, there's a difference between a pistol with 15 shots per clip and a wristband that has hundreds of shots which can be used before requiring a recharge.  The wristband is also easily concealed, difficult to restrain, and possibly only usable by the person paying for the Refresh.  Same thing for a wand, a ring, a gauntlet/glove or other wearable item that has ranged weapon properties.

For the lighting bow I described earlier, it'd be a judgement call.  Never needing ammo and possibly having a faster rate of fire might justify the purchase.

Offline Quantus

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Re: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build
« Reply #22 on: July 12, 2017, 05:49:33 PM »
You don't need to spend Refresh to give a weapon a weapon rating. So putting Breath Weapon on an IoP is like giving Lawbreaker to a non-spellcaster.

Huh, okay.

This custom Power might be worth a look.

It and Spider Walk are both more or less strictly worse than Wings, though.
Oh, absolutely on all counts;  that one fits perfectly for Spiderman, They are both still worse than actual Wings, and Id say Spiderman's abilities should fall short of Wings.  But the original build was purchasing /both/ which doesnt seem right. 
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You could do that, I guess, but I'd rather just make it an occasional Compel.
Agreed, Compels are the far simpler (and for Fate Id argue more appropriate) way of handling it than what I described.  I still really like the idea of getting there via the Potion Rules mostly for a closer fitting description (and because Screw Toby McGuire and his organic web shooters :P) but Im largely ignorant of what the mechanical implications of that would be. 
« Last Edit: July 13, 2017, 01:12:35 PM by Quantus »
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Need Guidance: Spider-Man Build
« Reply #23 on: July 13, 2017, 12:19:20 AM »
That's a fair point, and if we were talking about an obvious weapon such as a pistol, I would agree. 
However, there's a difference between a pistol with 15 shots per clip and a wristband that has hundreds of shots which can be used before requiring a recharge.  The wristband is also easily concealed, difficult to restrain, and possibly only usable by the person paying for the Refresh.  Same thing for a wand, a ring, a gauntlet/glove or other wearable item that has ranged weapon properties.

For the lighting bow I described earlier, it'd be a judgement call.  Never needing ammo and possibly having a faster rate of fire might justify the purchase.

Extra ammo doesn't cost Refresh either. Rate of fire means nothing rules-wise. Both are really only relevant for Compels.

Conceal-ability and the like might be worth paying for, but they'd probably be overpriced at 1 Refresh.

As for a bow, bear in mind that a normal bow has better stats than a Breath Weapon. Spending Refresh on your magical superweapon shouldn't make it worse.