Guns w/Energy Expulsion

[Prodigy]

Question about creating a hero with Energy Expulsion.

What are thoughts on having a character with EE: Energy or the like and have him/her to only be able to use it with a gun?

The theory is the character, say a Supersoldier, has the Minor Super Ability of one of the EE's but can only fire blasts via a pistol or a rifle.

How would you compensate for the weakness of the power being limited to the reliance on a weapon?

There is also an advantage of having W.P. bonuses apply to targeting.

Thoughts?

[drewkitty ~..~]

I would not make it a specific item, I would make it through any wand-like object. This pairs nicely with the 'crazy hero' option where the char has to have his "luck charm"/"objet of power" that they have to have. It might be that he thinks that he can only use it through a pistol or rifle.

[Pepsi Jedi]

I've actually done this before... Kinda.

I had a hero that was based around an "Action figure" concept.

APS Action figure. Major power
Matter Expulsion, Plastic. Major (Used to make plastic weapons, and gear, and armor)
Had minors of Flight Insect (Which he used for a winged back pack when in action figure form)
And EE, Energy.

His EE, Energy was 'channeled' Though the plastic weapons he made with his other power. i.E. he might make himself a plastic assault rifle while in his Action figure form then "Shoot' it, and it'd shoot his Energy Expulsion. (With Matter Expulsion Plastic, it could also shoot plastic bullets). He could also channel his Energy Expulsion through his backpack for energy discharge in the manner of a jet pack.

I wouldn't make any change to Energy Expulsion. It's just a 'visual' way to do it . In extreme cirumstance your hero will find he "Can' do it with out his prop, but he's just used to using his prop so he can.

No mods necessary. it's a 'style' thing more than a 'mechanics' thing.

If you absolutely do not want him using it with out the prop.. well. that's just how it is. Keep hold of your prop!

(( there were actually a couple iterations of this hero. Before I wrote up the "APS Action figure" I sort of ad hocked it with "APS plastic" and needed the flight insect for the 'shrink' aspect of it, but when I wrote up APS Action Figure" I didn't need the "Flight insect" for the shrink and changed "Flight insect" to "Flight energy" and used it as a 'jet pack' for the action figure that way.

[Stone Gargoyle]

I agree with what others have said. You should make the gun a psychological trigger for the power but not alter the power in any way. If you alter the power based on a specific weapon, you are going to be locked to a specific range and damage, as well as lose bonuses to targeting, making it a pretty useless power.

[The Artist Formerly]

I agree with what others have said. You should make the gun a psychological trigger for the power but not alter the power in any way. If you alter the power based on a specific weapon, you are going to be locked to a specific range and damage, as well as lose bonuses to targeting, making it a pretty useless power.

Exactly that. All you're doing is adding flavor to an existing power. The power specs out the rule system, the Player and the GM spec out the role playing.

[RockJock]

I agree with everything above. I've used the crazy hero approach in the past. I didn't make the character actually crazy, but made the object, in this case a pair of rods that were family heirlooms, keyed to the character's inherited power. The character thought the power came from the rods, and were linked to his genetics so nobody else could use them. Eventually he found out that the power came from within, but he needed anything made of that alien allow to work as a catalyst. Made for a great plot device.

Another similar option could be the Super Weapons.

[Prodigy]

This is great. the concept I came up with is a sort-of mystic super soldier with EE: Devine Energy from Armageddon Unlimited that is used via 2 energy pistols. I also thought about adding the "Unstable Power Source - P.P.E. Battery" from Rifter 37 applied to the power... just as an additional twist.

[drewkitty ~..~]

You know the char does not need to be totally crazy to use bits and parts of the 'crazy hero' option. He might just be slightly crazy in that she thinks that she needs the object to use the power.

[Pepsi Jedi]

It might just be 'style'.

Two people don't have to use "Energy Expulsion" the same way, even if the dice they roll at the end of the day is the same.

Cyclopes and Havok have the same 'power' more or less but it's expressed in vastly different ways. And their energy expulsions are different from the what... 783 other heroes with energy expulsion of some nature? lol.

If Hero "A" Shoots energy out of his hands, and Hero B shoots um out of his eyes, but Hero C has to make a fist, and hero D shoots it from her belly button and hero F uses a 'prop' (I.E. the ray gun he had as a child that 'suddenly' started shooting actual energy beams") That's fine. A, B, C, D, and F (yeah I skipped E), all are using 'Energy Expulsion'. The dice they roll (For Palladium) will be the same, but the 'style' is different.

You can add some differences in your game. (Heck I would, if for nothing else, but just for fun) But RAW, they're the same thing.

[Stone Gargoyle]

It might just be 'style'.

Two people don't have to use "Energy Expulsion" the same way, even if the dice they roll at the end of the day is the same.

Cyclopes and Havok have the same 'power' more or less but it's expressed in vastly different ways. And their energy expulsions are different from the what... 783 other heroes with energy expulsion of some nature? lol.

If Hero "A" Shoots energy out of his hands, and Hero B shoots um out of his eyes, but Hero C has to make a fist, and hero D shoots it from her belly button and hero F uses a 'prop' (I.E. the ray gun he had as a child that 'suddenly' started shooting actual energy beams") That's fine. A, B, C, D, and F (yeah I skipped E), all are using 'Energy Expulsion'. The dice they roll (For Palladium) will be the same, but the 'style' is different.

You can add some differences in your game. (Heck I would, if for nothing else, but just for fun) But RAW, they're the same thing.

You forgot shooting it out the forehead, out the nose, out the butt and from their feet. LOL

[Pepsi Jedi]

It might just be 'style'.

Two people don't have to use "Energy Expulsion" the same way, even if the dice they roll at the end of the day is the same.

Cyclopes and Havok have the same 'power' more or less but it's expressed in vastly different ways. And their energy expulsions are different from the what... 783 other heroes with energy expulsion of some nature? lol.

If Hero "A" Shoots energy out of his hands, and Hero B shoots um out of his eyes, but Hero C has to make a fist, and hero D shoots it from her belly button and hero F uses a 'prop' (I.E. the ray gun he had as a child that 'suddenly' started shooting actual energy beams") That's fine. A, B, C, D, and F (yeah I skipped E), all are using 'Energy Expulsion'. The dice they roll (For Palladium) will be the same, but the 'style' is different.

You can add some differences in your game. (Heck I would, if for nothing else, but just for fun) But RAW, they're the same thing.

You forgot shooting it out the forehead, out the nose, out the butt and from their feet. LOL

I didn't forget but I felt there was enough examples. Vision for instance does indeed shoot energy from his forehead. Many heros use energy shooting out of their feet/legs to fly, but that can be a different power (Flight:Energy) as for butt shooting... I'll leave that to the more adventurous than I.

[Sir_Spirit]

PU2 has the super invention character.
You might have a guy with two or more inventions.(same powers as the normal tail just divided up, he has a gun for EE:Powers, and or sticky sap, Stun etc, while his helmet give hims super visions or HS of smell/hearring and his belt gives him super strength, or flight etc...).

[say652]

In Rifts my character with Energy Expulsion Electricity was able to spend skill slots to learn how to power weapons.

The training process was expensive and painful.

[The Artist Formerly]

PU2 has the super invention character.
You might have a guy with two or more inventions.(same powers as the normal tail just divided up, he has a gun for EE:Powers, and or sticky sap, Stun etc, while his helmet give hims super visions or HS of smell/hearring and his belt gives him super strength, or flight etc...).

Good point. We always use super invention as a faster way to make power armor style characters.