"I Have No Mouth, and I Must FREEEM": The TECH CONTROL powerset is here to help!

[AspieAnarchy]

TECH CONTROL (Control)
Available to: Controllers, Dominators

Set Color: Electric Green-on-Silver

 

You use a panoply of advanced technology to harass, contain, and subdue your foes. You might be a devious engineer, a special agent trained and equipped by some shadowy military-industrial agency, a crazed former toymaker, a mutant with the power of ‘machine empathy’, or even a ‘technomancer’ who fulfills both Clarke’s Law and Pratchett’s Corollary. This set has a somewhat greater than typical reliance on long-recharge abilities and stationary AoE effects, and some of its effects can be quirky and unreliable, but it excels at besting technological foes, and offers a more diverse array of damage types and more secondary debuffs than many other Control sets.

 

1) Filaments – You immobilize an opponent in a writhing mass of semi-autonomous, razor-edged techno-filaments. Human enemies will take a small amount of extra damage.

Damage: Moderate Lethal (DoT) Recharge: Fast

 

2) Electromagnet – You paralyze and electrocute an opponent within the field of a powerful electromagnet; robots, machines, and other metal-heavy beings will also suffer a significant decrease to endurance recovery even after being released.

Damage: Moderate Energy Recharge: Moderate

 

3) Computer Virus – Infects an electronic or robotic target with a vicious computer virus with random deleterious effects, potentially including 2-4 of the following: Slowing, to-hit debuff, defense debuff, reduced recovery, disorientation, immobilization, paralysis, Energy damage, blindness, and/or confusion; some organic enemies, particularly cyborgs, have been known to suffer weaker versions of its effects.

Recharge: Moderate

 

4) Cables – You raise a field of thick, electrified, semi-autonomous cables to thrash about in an area centered on a targeted opponent; it and enemies in a radius around it will randomly be knocked down, immobilized, or held.

Damage: Minor Smashing/Energy (DoT) Recharge: Slow

 

5) Laser-Grid – Sets a network of computer-guided lasers and tracking sensors in a broad targeted area; enemies that pass through must contend with the blazing lights, which are sure to impose a nasty penalty to their perception and accuracy, are also likely to reduce their defense to a lesser degree via illumination of their vulnerable spots, and may possibly misdirect them into attacking each other.

Recharge: Long

 

6) Filament Engine – Summons a stationary Filament Engine, which independently uses the Filaments power on foes in range, at double the normal speed; it can be neither healed nor buffed, but is very hard to destroy and lasts for a long time.

Recharge: Very Long

 

7) Quarantine – Using technology so advanced it bends the very parameters of reality as we know it, you temporarily dimension-lock enemies in an area. This pseudo-dimension strips those within of their ability to ‘interface’ with the universe beyond them, while still allowing them to be affected by those without. Even after this acute effect wears off, targets may still suffer a lingering to-hit debuff. Both the hold and debuff are more severe when used on mechanical, robotic, and to a lesser degree cyborg, targets.

Recharge: Very Long

 

😎 Teleportation Field – You create a fairly wide area in which enemies are frequently subjected to random short-range teleportation, and also face a chance to suffer a strong but brief stun each time it happens.

Recharge: Long

 

9) Mechazoid – Creates a mighty Mechazoid! This sleek, state-of-the-art robot fights with powerful blades and laser-blast attacks, can be buffed like any teammate, and while it cannot be healed, it does have good self-repair capabilities of its own, is nearly immune to Psionic and Toxic damage, has good resistance to other forms of damage as well (with the exception of Fire and Cold), is very resistant to stun and confusion effects, and is totally immune to fear, taunt, and placate effects.

Mechazoid:

Blade Slash – melee Lethal attack

Blade Lunge – as Blade Slash, but slower and stronger

Laser Blast – strong Energy/Fire ranged attack

Laser Fusillade – strong Energy/Fire ranged attack in long, narrow cone

Fast Healing

Reconstruction

Flight

Evasive Maneuvers

Recharge: Very Long

 

Example Character Concept: The Innocent Cybersoul! (Heroic Tech Control/Psionic Assault Mutant Dominator)

Edited October 10, 2023 by AspieAnarchy
adjusted wording for Quarantine per feedback, and added inherent resistances to Mechazoid; color-coded attack damage-types

[Rudra]

Some recommendations and a question, use or don't as you see fit:

 

1 hour ago, AspieAnarchy said:

1) Filaments – You immobilize an opponent in a writhing mass of semi-autonomous, razor-edged techno-filaments. Human enemies will take a small amount of extra damage.

Damage: Moderate Lethal (DoT) Recharge: Fast

Change from "human enemies" to "organic enemies". If you're going to do extra damage to humans, you should to other meat (edit again: and even plant matter) as well. Constructs and spectrals would not be affected (edit: for the extra damage). Also, how would this work with PCs in PvP? Would they all be human/organic for additional damage effect regardless of how the creator intended them, would a new non-changing flag need to be created for players to select for their characters, or would the extra damage just be dropped from PvP?

 

1 hour ago, AspieAnarchy said:

7) Quarantine – Using technology so advanced it bends the very parameters of reality as we know it, you temporarily strip enemies in an area of their ability to ‘interface’ with the universe around them; even after the acute effect wears off, targets may still suffer a lingering to-hit debuff. Both the hold and debuff are more severe when used on mechanical, robotic, and to a lesser degree cyborg, targets.

Recharge: Very Long

Sounds more like an imposed intangibility + self only effect rather than a hold. Like Blackhole. (Edit again: Or maybe go with something more like:

7) Overload - You temporarily overload enemies' processors in an area rendering them unable to function. Even after the acute effect wears off, targets may still suffer a lingering ToHit debuff. Both the Hold and ToHit debuff are more severe when used on mechanical. robotic, and to a lesser degree cybernetic targets.

While "processors" implies computer, our brains are organic processors. So the power would affect anything with a central processing system regardless of nature of said system. This would also justify a damage component if desired.)

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Rudra
Edited to correct "your" to "you're".

[Saiyajinzoningen]

oooh ferromancy.

might be easier to reskin plant manipulation set into shiny chrome?

[AspieAnarchy]

Sorry for the late reply:

On 9/17/2023 at 6:39 PM, Rudra said:

Change from "human enemies" to "organic enemies". If you're going to do extra damage to humans, you should to other meat (edit again: and even plant matter) as well. Constructs and spectrals would not be affected (edit: for the extra damage).

 

My 'human'-specific reasoning was twofold:

- Even among organic life (such as is presented in this game), hominids tend to be just a little more vulnerable, wouldn't you say?

- The Rune of Purification power indicates that 'human' is an already-existing designation; I figure, why not utilize it?

 

On 9/17/2023 at 6:39 PM, Rudra said:

Also, how would this work with PCs in PvP? Would they all be human/organic for additional damage effect regardless of how the creator intended them, would a new non-changing flag need to be created for players to select for their characters, or would the extra damage just be dropped from PvP?

 

I admit, I hadn't thought about this (to my own surprise); I suppose it would follow whatever pattern Rune of Purification does.

 

On 9/17/2023 at 6:39 PM, Rudra said:

Sounds more like an imposed intangibility + self only effect rather than a hold. Like Blackhole.

 

 

My idea was more like 'you're hacking reality itself and handling enemies like an antivirus program'; I did struggle with the wording to make it clear that the 'interface with reality' problem is one-way.

Edited September 19, 2023 by AspieAnarchy

[Rudra]

2 hours ago, AspieAnarchy said:

On 9/17/2023 at 6:39 PM, Rudra said:

Change from "human enemies" to "organic enemies". If you're going to do extra damage to humans, you should to other meat (edit again: and even plant matter) as well. Constructs and spectrals would not be affected (edit: for the extra damage).

 

My 'human'-specific reasoning was twofold:

- Even among organic life (such as is presented in this game), hominids tend to be just a little more vulnerable, wouldn't you say?

- The Rune of Purification power indicates that 'human' is an already-existing designation; I figure, why not utilize it?

The game also has the humanoid tag for entities, and Rune of Purification does not apply the extra damage to them either.

https://cod.uberguy.net/html/power.html?power=temporary_powers.day_job_powers.archaelogist_rune

 

And no, I wouldn't say humans are more vulnerable than other humanoid entities in the game. They are just as resilient as most other entities at the same levels.

 

2 hours ago, AspieAnarchy said:

On 9/17/2023 at 6:39 PM, Rudra said:

Also, how would this work with PCs in PvP? Would they all be human/organic for additional damage effect regardless of how the creator intended them, would a new non-changing flag need to be created for players to select for their characters, or would the extra damage just be dropped from PvP?

 

I admit, I hadn't thought about this (to my own surprise); I suppose it would follow whatever pattern Rune of Purification does.

Rune of Purification does not have a different PvP effect as opposed to PvE. PCs are considered human in the game by the game even when you make an energy being (like my shadows), a robot (like my BB-series Tankers that basically only exist to make bases for other players), a rock creature (like my golem character back on Live), and so on.

 

2 hours ago, AspieAnarchy said:

On 9/17/2023 at 6:39 PM, Rudra said:

Sounds more like an imposed intangibility + self only effect rather than a hold. Like Blackhole.

 

 

My idea was more like 'you're hacking reality itself and handling enemies like an antivirus program'; I did struggle with the wording to make it clear that the 'interface with reality' problem is one-way.

I understand that is your intent, it just doesn't read that way to me.

 

Anyway, those were just recommendations, not demands, so do whatever you want with the proposal. (And it looks like you're leaving the proposal as is.)

[AspieAnarchy]

4 hours ago, Rudra said:

Rune of Purification does not have a different PvP effect as opposed to PvE. PCs are considered human in the game by the game even when you make an energy being (like my shadows), a robot (like my BB-series Tankers that basically only exist to make bases for other players), a rock creature (like my golem character back on Live), and so on.

I agree that's something that it would be great to change (what with my character gallery including robots, gods, a potato, and more).

 

4 hours ago, Rudra said:

I understand that is your intent, it just doesn't read that way to me.

If you'd like to help, I'd be interested if you could help me reword the text for that power while keeping the concept I outlined in my previous reply.

 

I had a bunch more to say, but apparently it all disappeared while I got distracted.

[Rudra]

For Quarantine? That's... tough....

 

I'll give it a try at least.

 

Original:

On 9/17/2023 at 5:38 PM, AspieAnarchy said:

7) Quarantine – Using technology so advanced it bends the very parameters of reality as we know it, you temporarily strip enemies in an area of their ability to ‘interface’ with the universe around them; even after the acute effect wears off, targets may still suffer a lingering to-hit debuff. Both the hold and debuff are more severe when used on mechanical, robotic, and to a lesser degree cyborg, targets.

Recharge: Very Long

 It needs to be a one-way detention field/black hole effect....

 

How about something like this?:

7) Quarantine - Using technology so advanced it bends the very parameters of reality as we know it, you temporarily dimension-lock enemies in an area. This pseudo-dimension prevents those within from affecting anything in real space, while still allowing for real space objects such as attacks to be transitioned into it. Even after targets are freed from their quarantine, they may still suffer a lingering ToHit debuff. Both the Hold and ToHit debuff are more effective against mechanical constructs such as robots, as well as cybernetic beings to a lesser extent.

 

That still reads wrong to me, but it does read as a one-way detention field that way to me. (However, that still needs the PvP question answered. Also, how would Malta Titans be classified. They are both robots and cyborgs. A weird definition for them, but they are all robot with a controlling computer augmented by a human brain.)

 

Edit: The thing is, handling enemies like they are a virus (or other program) and you are hacking them still reads more like my Overload bit. So that would be more like:

7) Name of Power - You hack the very minds of your targets in an area, shutting down their ability to operate. Even after the targets are free from your hacking, they may still suffer a lingering ToHit debuff. Both the Hold effect and ToHit debuff are more effective against mechanical constructs such as robots, and to cybernetic beings to a lesser extent.

 

So hopefully, what I am providing helps you.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Rudra

[AspieAnarchy]

1 hour ago, Rudra said:

7) Quarantine - Using technology so advanced it bends the very parameters of reality as we know it, you temporarily dimension-lock enemies in an area. This pseudo-dimension prevents those within from affecting anything in real space, while still allowing for real space objects such as attacks to be transitioned into it. Even after targets are freed from their quarantine, they may still suffer a lingering ToHit debuff. Both the Hold and ToHit debuff are more effective against mechanical constructs such as robots, as well as cybernetic beings to a lesser extent.

 

Not too shabby, thanks.