Wealth as a power set

[temnix]

Some villains' main power is their enormous riches and the influence derived from them. Take Kingpin in Marvel's comics. He had super strength, I think, but mostly he was just flush with cash. So let's represent that as a secondary power set - or something main for Controllers. The set would include direct handouts to pacify enemies, bigger wads of greenbacks to make them turn on each other, throwing up cash or better firing a rocket that explodes and showers the place with money to confuse a crowd, a reduced threat radius as a "look the other way" bribe plus mobsters as pets. Another possibility is a power for leaving behind a trail of banknotes to attract all villains that already stand or will spawn where those banknotes lie, make them follow the character as if a trail of bread crumbs. That way one could gather a large crowd to oneself and dispatch them or just make life easier for teammates. The Banished Pantheon is so underpaid in their underworlds and mountain tops, they would trip over themselves for a minimum wage. The final power could bribe a whole gang of enemies to accompany the character and fight for him. Psionic-type effects.

[CrusaderDroid]

You know, honestly, as goofy as this sounds, this does look like a pretty interesting starting point for a control set. Maybe I should play around with the idea a little more.

 

I'm not sure you want to spend your valuable power choices on pacifies or reduced threat, but I might not have the experience to know if that's really a critical thing to have. Seems like if you're going with this set, you probably want to go more on extra pets instead of pacify and confuse - mostly out of practicality, mainly because you're rich and you show off being rich by deploying the best mooks and gadgets money can buy.

 

On the other hand, I think I just described Mercenaries/Traps Mastermind, so this might be harder to do than expected.

[Purrfekshawn]

13 minutes ago, CrusaderDroid said:

On the other hand, I think I just described Mercenaries/Traps Mastermind, so this might be harder to do than expected.

 

Yah, or Thugs+Traps MM (for more resembling to Kingpin), depending on what is character's theme.

Edited March 14 by Purrfekshawn

[temnix]

Another power: Corporate Control. It has two mutually exclusive subpowers: Merger and Divestiture. Merger melds the target enemy and the one nearest to him into one of a higher level with their combined hit points, for extra challenge and better rewards. Divestiture splits an enemy into two of lower levels and equal portions of his current hit points (and actually tinier).

[biostem]

The problem is that certain enemies would/should be completely immune to such a set - I doubt Council Mekmen, Nemesis automatons, or any group that is basically brainwashed or mind controlled would care one bit how much money you can throw around.  That being said, there are other ways to represent such lavish wealth.  For instance, within the world of CoH, I'm sure someone who is so wealthy could make connections or outright buy top of the line armor, weapons, and other such gadgets.  Secondly, you could hire mercenaries or otherwise purchase robots or maybe even magical artifacts.  Finally, you could use your wealth to make connections or directly fund various experiments or otherwise get a hold of various super soldier/experimental serums that could grant you super powers.

[Rudra]

8 hours ago, biostem said:

The problem is that certain enemies would/should be completely immune to such a set - I doubt Council Mekmen, Nemesis automatons, or any group that is basically brainwashed or mind controlled would care one bit how much money you can throw around.

It also wouldn't affect cultists like the Banished Pantheon who are trying to bring about the destruction of the world by bringing their gods back. What is money to those who are trying to destroy society/civilization in the pursuit of the power their gods are offering/giving them? For that matter, zombies wouldn't care either, so it wouldn't affect BP zombies (again with the BP) or Vahzilok zombies. Proteans and beasts wouldn't care how much money you throw at them either. Neither would monsters (such as minotaurs, cyclops, the various giant monsters, the Hive/Abyss monsters), ghosts/spirits, turrets, similarly wealthy foes like Countess Crey and some of Crey's other mobs, or supernatural entities like the Talons of Vengeance and their subordinate faction devotees. And speaking of minotaurs and cyclops, it wouldn't affect the Cimerorans either. "What is this? Money?! How is this money?! It isn't gold or silver. Just a floppy piece of... what did you call it? Paper money? Worthless." (Which is why infamy/Influence is such a good form of currency in the game. it can be used fairly universally.) Just to point out the other groups that come to mind from your post.

 

Edit: And if you really want to dig into it, there are the groups that will see the player just throwing money around like it's an infinite supply and double down on their attacks to get everything the character has.

 

Edited March 15 by Rudra
Edited to correct "through" to "throw".

[CrusaderDroid]

Money can buy an orbital satellite armed with a death laser and set in geosynchronous orbit, primed to fire at anyone foolish enough not to accept your buyout offer.

 

Just some food for thought. It doesn't all have to be bribes. The original pitch is kinda doomed, but there could be some fun(ny) ideas left past the idea of "well, see, I was going to summon dead gods to destroy the world, but your benefits package and work from home looks too good to pass up".

[megaericzero]

56 minutes ago, Rudra said:

the Hive/Abyss monsters

"Turns out Hamidon has a price. Get the portal ready - we're going to buy back Praetoria!"

 

56 minutes ago, Rudra said:

ghosts/spirits

"Croatoa just needs some economic stimulation."

[Yomo Kimyata]

Actually, I just purchased Cascade Archipelago from the Homecoming team.  I figure all it needs to double in value is a little trickle-down economics.

[Rudra]

I've been negotiating to buy St. Martial for a while now, but the Family and Johnny aren't budging. Any tips to seal the deal?

[PeregrineFalcon]

28 minutes ago, Yomo Kimyata said:

Actually, I just purchased Cascade Archipelago from the Homecoming team.  I figure all it needs to double in value is a little trickle-down economics.

Oh nice. Now I know who to send my suggested list of changes to.

 

BTW, will you be increasing the level of the mobs in that zone and/or adding any incarnate content?

[TheMoneyMaker]

19 hours ago, biostem said:

The problem is that certain enemies would/should be completely immune to such a set - I doubt Council Mekmen, Nemesis automatons, or any group that is basically brainwashed or mind controlled would care one bit how much money you can throw around.  That being said, there are other ways to represent such lavish wealth.  For instance, within the world of CoH, I'm sure someone who is so wealthy could make connections or outright buy top of the line armor, weapons, and other such gadgets.  Secondly, you could hire mercenaries or otherwise purchase robots or maybe even magical artifacts.  Finally, you could use your wealth to make connections or directly fund various experiments or otherwise get a hold of various super soldier/experimental serums that could grant you super powers.

If a wealth power set doesn't use the wealth aura to launch currency at targets and cause them to be stunned, held, or otherwise mezzed then you're not throwing enough money at them because you're too poor to afford the power set.

[Grouchybeast]

21 hours ago, Yomo Kimyata said:

Actually, I just purchased Cascade Archipelago from the Homecoming team.  I figure all it needs to double in value is a little trickle-down economics.

 

Imagine what a great inf sink it would be if you could rent a zone for the evening for a party.  Like, add disco lighting everywhere, have all the mobs dancing, get some VIP signature heroes and villains come to mingle. 

[starro]

Sounds fun, I will send a cease and desist (stun) until I file a motion for change of venue(tp you randomly away and break controls).

 

then again, this is turning into a lawyer powerset.

 

Definitely evil. 

Edited March 16 by starro

[biostem]

3 minutes ago, starro said:

then again, this is turning into a lawyer powerset.

One of the characters I made is called "The Devil's Litigator"...

[starro]

Harvey Birdman:
Mr. Gator! I'm your attorney and I would love to come inside and...

[loud explosion, sheep bleating]

Harvey Birdman:
Uh... For you to come outside so we can discuss your case in a civilised manner. Litigator to... alligator.