Author Topic: Armored giant?  (Read 10011 times)

Offline stabbald

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #15 on: March 31, 2011, 08:18:19 AM »
Yes, it's statted out as armor 4 (free) 3 stunts and 2 refunded for being an large obvious IoP, so final cost is 1 refresh.

Sure it's large and obvious but the only reason that would be worth -2 is because you could somehow be robbed of it. I don't see how someone could steal your 30 ton armor without going through a great deal of effort and bringing along a massive truck or heavy lifting helicopter.

I'd also add some kind of aspect to it to represent the weight and the effect that has on the environment around you. At 30 tons your movement alone is going to wreak all but the sturdiest of terrains.

Offline crusher_bob

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #16 on: March 31, 2011, 08:39:53 AM »
Yes, 30 tons is a pretty stupid weight.

Pulling some numbers out of my butt:

Assuming our super heavy armor (at human scale) is around 4 times heavier than regular plate harness, that would be a weight of around 100 kg.  We'll just say it weighs about as much as the guy wearing it.  Now, how much does their giant PC weigh?  If he weight as much as a large elephant, that's on the order of 8000 kg.  So 5-10 tons for the weight of the suit makes a whole lot more sense than 30 tons...

Offline Belial666

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #17 on: March 31, 2011, 10:40:27 AM »
The -2 rebate is for an item being obvious, not being removable. That is because the greatest advantage powers have over technology is that they are not obvious and thus you cannot know what they are, what they do and what your opponent intends. Take the Swords of the Cross for example - they are a catch for the vast majority of opponents so they can't be easily taken away and their "higher purpose" ensures they cannot be used - unless you try to misuse them yourself first. However, they are swords. If anyone sees you moving around with a sword, what happens? You can't enter most places with a sword or similarly obvious weapon, and most authorities will try to get you if you openly carry one.
The armor does not get a -2 rebate because it can be stolen. It gets -2 rebate because when you wear it, everyone and their mother knows you are wearing a tank and intend to use it. If you don't wear it and a battle starts, you need at least 5 minutes to strap it on (it's full plate armor).



As for the weight of the armor, I was going with how much a tank's armor actually weighed in real life.

Offline ironpoet

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #18 on: March 31, 2011, 01:52:00 PM »
The -2 rebate is for an item being obvious, not being removable. That is because the greatest advantage powers have over technology is that they are not obvious and thus you cannot know what they are, what they do and what your opponent intends. Take the Swords of the Cross for example - they are a catch for the vast majority of opponents so they can't be easily taken away and their "higher purpose" ensures they cannot be used - unless you try to misuse them yourself first. However, they are swords. If anyone sees you moving around with a sword, what happens? You can't enter most places with a sword or similarly obvious weapon, and most authorities will try to get you if you openly carry one.
The armor does not get a -2 rebate because it can be stolen. It gets -2 rebate because when you wear it, everyone and their mother knows you are wearing a tank and intend to use it. If you don't wear it and a battle starts, you need at least 5 minutes to strap it on (it's full plate armor).

As for the weight of the armor, I was going with how much a tank's armor actually weighed in real life.

Hmm... I'm not sure about this reasoning.  Yes, if people see you walking around with a tank, they are going to treat you differently... on the other hand, if people see you walking around as a giant, they are already going to treat you differently.  I'm going to be honest with you - I don't think I'd treat a giant wearing tank armor any differently than I'd treat a regular, unarmored giant.

On the other hand, the fact that it takes a long time to put on is valid, but only if you expect that to come up during play.

Offline tymire

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #19 on: March 31, 2011, 06:01:30 PM »
Hope you have a supernaturally strong squire to help you put it on as well anyone normal couldn't life the pieces.  As there is no way in heck you are going to be able to put plate armour on by yourself. 

Don't forget the sacrifices that you will have to make so it never rains so you don't sink.  Hmmm even at 10tons most normal soil will be a problem.  20kips / 4 square feet (for your feet) = 5 ksf if you are not moving. If moving multiply that by 5 to 10, to account for reduced contact area and impact.....  Yep good luck with that.  (For reference typical design values for spread footings with a factor of safety of 1.5-2 for building footings is 1.5 ksf to 5 ksf.)

Offline Belial666

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #20 on: March 31, 2011, 08:24:07 PM »
Considering there are bus-sized vehicles weighing over 400 tons when loaded, I don't see it as a major problem in all but the loosest of terrains. He IS going to damage whatever he steps on but not by nearly enough for him to sink in soil.

But yes, water and putting on the armor are serious problems - all part of the rebate of large-sized IoPs. (considering you got trouble swimming even when carrying swords or big guns, let alone armor)

Offline Tedronai

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #21 on: March 31, 2011, 08:45:19 PM »
Most of those vehicles have a MUCH larger 'footprint' than a humanoid body.
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Offline Becq

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #22 on: April 01, 2011, 03:43:14 AM »
I hope the giant has immunity to heat.  I imagine that he'd need it with all the friction produced by those huge pieces of metal scraping against each other, and him without the benefits of anything resembling advanced articulation techniques, powered lubrication systems, etc (all of which would fail when brought in contact with the kind of magical strength necessary to magic up such an item).

Offline Tedronai

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #23 on: April 01, 2011, 04:09:35 AM »
MORTAL magic causes hexing.  Other sources of magic may not encounter such difficulties.
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Offline devonapple

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #24 on: April 01, 2011, 04:12:29 AM »
I hope the giant has immunity to heat.  I imagine that he'd need it with all the friction produced by those huge pieces of metal scraping against each other, and him without the benefits of anything resembling advanced articulation techniques, powered lubrication systems, etc (all of which would fail when brought in contact with the kind of magical strength necessary to magic up such an item).

I don't suppose he really needs to make this an "Iron Man" powered armor suit, does he?

I believe part of the general reluctance to this idea is that  the expectations have been set a bit high with characterizing it as plate mail, adding various situational bonuses, and trying to make it an Item of Power.

The Elder Gruff "Tiny" (who is statted in OW46/142 with Supernatural Toughness - providing Armor 2 - as well as Hulking Size) showed up at the train station in a wondrous suit of crystal plate armor. Mind you, neither the armor nor the "Sword as Long as a Car" are given game statistics. Also, having armor of Fairy make certainly makes such armor easier to rationalize.

But the tank armor sounds like great scenery/fluff, as does the wrecking-ball-mace. Though I may have a soft spot for it, being a veteran of "Fallout 3" and a survivor of its Supermutant Behemoths.

I do feel that the Item of Power discount includes at least some logical potential for that item to be temporarily removed, stolen, or otherwise taken out of play. I take the Sword of the Cross a a very extreme example, with all of the safeguards established in the fiction needing to be reflected in the game rules.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #25 on: April 01, 2011, 04:24:32 AM »
Amusingly enough, the giant in question here has Supernatural Toughness with heat as a catch.

Offline devonapple

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #26 on: April 01, 2011, 04:29:03 AM »
Amusingly enough, the giant in question here has Supernatural Toughness with heat as a catch.

Ha! Nice.
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

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Offline Belial666

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #27 on: April 01, 2011, 07:11:24 AM »
I doubt that friction heat from the armor will be nearly as hot as the fires of Muspelheim or the heart of a volcano. Those things would melt the armor along with the giant. Even if the friction heat is as bad as a house on fire (environmental hazard that attacks at +4) a giant with fantastic endurance and supernatural toughness could just sit in the fire, roll -4 all the time and still suffer no ill effects at all.

Supernatural creatures are not as squishy as human and thus don't really need the same protections and safeguards as the average human being.

Offline Tedronai

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #28 on: April 01, 2011, 07:18:36 AM »
A Giant with Supernatural Toughness and a catch of Heat, on the other hand, WILL eventually be hurting.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Armored giant?
« Reply #29 on: April 01, 2011, 07:58:18 PM »
But enforcing realistic armour friction seems a bit pointless in a cinematic game like this one. I don't intend to do it.

Besides, extreme heat is going to be lousy catch once Summer and the fire giants get involved. I'd rather not punish it any further.