Minor idea: add a second badge and temporary powers to Bane Spider Ruben's arc.

[ZorkNemesis]

Something that kind of bothers me are the rewards for the arcs added to the 15-24 range.  Heroes get five badges and two temporary powers from Laura Lockheart and Grahm Easton, but Villains only get two badges from Bane Spider Ruben and Brother Hammond.  Why is there such an imbalance in rewards?  I know for the heroes this does mean doing each arc twice to get everything but still the Villain rewards get kind of shafted here.  

 

My suggestion:  There's a perfect place already to add a branching reward in Bane Spider Ruben for another badge and temporary powers, similar to Grahm Easton and sparing/killing the Tsoo leader.  At the end of the arc you are given the option to either hand the Suggestion Engine to Arachnos or keep it for yourself.  If you give it to him he'll remark that you still have the psychic damper that you were given early on.  Here's what I think:  if you keep the engine for yourself you should get the Gifted Speaker badge as usual but get a ten-use temporary single-target Confuse power as a bonus so you can actually use the engine for a bit before it fails as suggested by the writing.  If you give Ruben the engine you should get a different badge instead, something related to being unable to be swayed or hypnotized perhaps?  You should also get the Psychic Damper as an auto power which can provide some minor Psi defense and some Confuse protection for a few hours in-game.

 

I know this isn't a terribly big thing but the imbalance of rewards for these four arcs always kind of bothered me.  This could help a bit.  Thoughts?

[Rudra]

The Suggestion Engine, of which you can only keep the projector and Arachnos gets the engine itself, is not a confusion ability or other form of mind control. It is strictly a persuasion enhancement device. So if the target is hostile to you and already attacking, it isn't going to help you. You need time to talk to the target to convince the target of what you want. So it isn't a combat usable device.

 

(Edit: Well, I guess you get the Suggestion Engine itself and it is the power supply for it you don't. So, my mistake. It still isn't mind control though. So not a confusion ability.)

Edited February 5 by Rudra

[Monos King]

Always love to see tempnpower suggestions. I will note villains get so many other temp powers than the other sides, that this is probably why they refrained from giving bills temps in that newer arc. I personally believe most arcs should award a temp of some sort for immersion though.

[twozerofoxtrot]

Agreed, it would be nice to have some mechanical (temp power) or prestige (badge) reward based on your choice, rather than it be pure RP flavor. 

 

Later content by the HC team such as Bobby Curtin's arc already does this so the precedence is there.

[Player2]

I refuse to endorse or support any idea that involves new badges.

 

Down with badge culture.