Conceptual gap: Robotic/Cyborg Defense

[Menelruin]

So I'm not sure if this warrants it's own thread, but I've noticed another conceptual gap that I think needs filled:  We need some sort of tech-based armor set that ESPECIALLY provides strong resistance to Psychic (and, just maybe, Toxic).

 

Everyone knows that Psychic damage cuts right through most protections, but against robotic enemies it's almost useless (which FITS, thematically).  But what if I want to play as a robotic hero or villain, and want a corresponding resistance to Psychic?  Right now IIRC the only armor sets that work are Dark Armor,  Stone Armor, and Super Reflexes, which only fit thematically for a couple of fringe cases.  I imagine it would be a sort of "flip side" to Bio Armor, where instead of giant organic bits growing out, you have mechanical bionics, or maybe a circuitry pattern over your skin as powers activate.  Now obviously it would be unbalanced to give strong protections against special damage types without a tradeoff, so I think this set should provide relatively little protection to Energy damage, matching how both Robots and Freaks in game are more vulnerable to such attacks.

 

Whatcha think?

 

EDIT:  I forgot, does WP give Psychic protection? 

Edited May 28, 2021 by Menelruin

[dangeraaron10]

I mean I like anything Tech related in terms of power suggestions.  What I'm more interested in (though a specialty in Psi resistance would be unique though it needs to fall short somewhere else for balance) is what kind of abilities would Robotic Defense have?  There's plenty of cool ways you could spin it.

 

Personally I'd rather have something like Gadget Control or Powered Armor (think Ironman or Warmachine like powerset) first, but I'd roll this.

Edited May 28, 2021 by dangeraaron10

[GraspingVileTerror]

I've always kind of thought that Energy Aura was pretty easy to view as a technological force field Set.

[MTeague]

If you're cybernetic, you're still a living being, still have a mind, and are still vulnerable to psionics.

And if you're fully robotic form, but a living soul inhabiting it, well, psi attacks could still reach you. 

 

I think you'd need to be truly mechanical, no ghost in the machine, just truly a machine to deserve any kind of inherent boost to psionics.  That said, it would be an interesting idea.  Balancing it would be... all kinds of fun.  And it's not something I forsee happening, but.... they've surprised me before. Recently, even. Who knows?

[Menelruin]

To me, it's partially about the concept and story integration, and the subtle but important distinction between what the character can DO, and what the character IS.

 

Say you want say your character is an undead revenant, powered by necromancy.  Such enemies are typically resistant to Negative Energy, so Dark Armor will let you make a character that matches that, more totally than just having Dark punches.  If you want to say you're like the Human Torch, and pretty much a fire elemental, a Fiery Aura sentinel will let you match that vibe.

 

Energy Aura and Invulnerability let you match certain concepts, but also can just be "my character is wearing power armor" or "I'm equipped with a personal force field generator."  You're CARRYING a machine.  There's nothing to fully fit if you ARE a machine. 

[Naraka]

11 hours ago, Menelruin said:

 

 

EDIT:  I forgot, does WP give Psychic protection? 

Yes, WP gives a moderate amount of both def and res to psi.  WP can be a decent stand-in for a lot of concepts, possibly even this one considering the set also protects against Fear which fits very much into the concept of a robot themed character.

 

If we were devising a hypothetical "Robotic" defensive set, I could definitely see high def and res to psi and toxic as well as protection from Fear but rather than giving it a weakness to energy, make it weak to smashing but also very resistant to lethal.  Also, maybe give it the quirk of having a hole/weakness to -END to simulate the tactic of attacking the bot's power supply.  Also, anything flagged as EMP or having additional effects vs robots would also target you.

 

I think the difficult part of making such a set is filling all 9 powers and it not feeling like a knock-off of existing sets.  Not impossible, just you really have to home in on that concept.

[Menelruin]

51 minutes ago, Naraka said:

Yes, WP gives a moderate amount of both def and res to psi.  WP can be a decent stand-in for a lot of concepts, possibly even this one considering the set also protects against Fear which fits very much into the concept of a robot themed character.

 

If we were devising a hypothetical "Robotic" defensive set, I could definitely see high def and res to psi and toxic as well as protection from Fear but rather than giving it a weakness to energy, make it weak to smashing but also very resistant to lethal.  Also, maybe give it the quirk of having a hole/weakness to -END to simulate the tactic of attacking the bot's power supply.  Also, anything flagged as EMP or having additional effects vs robots would also target you.

 

I think the difficult part of making such a set is filling all 9 powers and it not feeling like a knock-off of existing sets.  Not impossible, just you really have to home in on that concept.

I think you're right.....and in order to make it work, it'd have to have some AMAZING passives, that also activated those drawbacks.  That way folks wouldn't just flip them on and off when convenient, because the drawbacks effectively become baked-in.....but the passives would have to be good enough to make it still worth the added vulnerabilities to things like EMP, etc.

[arcane]

I prefer that powersets be origin neutral as often as possible and that the conceptual work be done by the player with costume choices and with their imaginations.

[Menelruin]

6 minutes ago, arcane said:

I prefer that powersets be origin neutral as often as possible and that the conceptual work be done by the player with costume choices and with their imaginations.

It's okay to have some that lean to specific origin, such as Pistols, Beam Rifle, Demons, etc.  Not EVERYTHING has to be neutral.  Besides, this could also work if you want to be a ghost (aren't they resistant to Psychic, too?).

 

EDIT:  Side note; though I'd also still like a magic staff skin for Beam Rifle, TBH.....

Edited May 28, 2021 by Menelruin

[Naraka]

10 minutes ago, arcane said:

I prefer that powersets be origin neutral as often as possible and that the conceptual work be done by the player with costume choices and with their imaginations.

You can still do that with a "themed" set.  So long as it doesn't lock you into "science" or "technology", you can approximate different origins depending on what the effects actually accomplish.

[Menelruin]

On 5/28/2021 at 10:25 AM, Naraka said:

You can still do that with a "themed" set.  So long as it doesn't lock you into "science" or "technology", you can approximate different origins depending on what the effects actually accomplish.

My Mega Man character is currently a DP/Bio sentinel, to approximate changing weapons, armor, etc.

Edited June 3, 2021 by Menelruin

[Gobbledygook]

On 5/28/2021 at 11:25 AM, Naraka said:

You can still do that with a "themed" set.  So long as it doesn't lock you into "science" or "technology", you can approximate different origins depending on what the effects actually accomplish.

 

I have more than a few cybernetically enhanced mutant and magic characters.

[Replacement]

I recently found Electric Armor to actually be a fantastic stand-in for powered armor/robotics.  Particularly if you accept some occasional power discharge into your concept.  It even provides psi resist.

 

That said, I wouldn't be opposed to this theoretical new set. Ideally even if it's geared towards tech, it would at least leave the door open for other origins.

 

Obligatory mention: Dr Doom. Magical power armor can absolutely be cool.

 

[Naraka]

6 hours ago, Replacement said:

I recently found Electric Armor to actually be a fantastic stand-in for powered armor/robotics.  Particularly if you accept some occasional power discharge into your concept.  It even provides psi resist.

 

That said, I wouldn't be opposed to this theoretical new set. Ideally even if it's geared towards tech, it would at least leave the door open for other origins.

 

Obligatory mention: Dr Doom. Magical power armor can absolutely be cool.

 

 

Like I said, I think the overal unique mechanics and visuals would be more important than being concerned with the set being tech-oriented or magic-oriented, etc.  But yes, I also do a lot of leg work with concepts.  If this new tech-armor set used some of the PPD light shield visuals or something might be cool for a variety of concepts.

 

On 5/28/2021 at 11:32 AM, Menelruin said:

My Mega Man character is currently a DP/Bio sentinel, to approximate changing weapons, armor, etc.

That has to be an obnoxious amount of mode-switching.  I suppose non-Stalker Staff/Bio would be a similar situation.

 

On the mechanics of mode-swapping, I think it we could use a mode-swapping support set and control set.

 

19 hours ago, Gobbledygook said:

 

I have more than a few cybernetically enhanced mutant and magic characters.

I have quite a few characters practicing odd origin blends.

 

I have created lore for a character of mine who was given the opportunity to look over Tin Mage's schematics from the time capsule and tried to steal them.  She might not have uncovered its secrets before being forced to escape jail time by fleeing to the Rogue Isles, but a spark lit up in her and she makes her own versions of what she could remember, so she has an entire gallery of magic "automotons" that are their own characters with unique properties and blend science, mutation and magic.  Of course, she doesn't have much control of her creations which is why someone like her isn't a particularly infamous individual herself but her automotons like Iron Mage, Silver Mage, Quartz Mage and so on end up building their own reputations.