Powers you absolutly loath

[Prince Cherico]

ive had charaters die when they were imortal its called fire power

invulerability I learned to fear and hate psychics

multible lives is a cool power but you can only come back so many
times

[Uncle Servo]

Me that would be multiple lives, invunerability and immortality.
becouse you cant kill pcs that have either one of those

Heh. I subscribe to the notion that there is no such thing as a truly "un-killable" character. And even in situations where it's difficult to kill a character, there are still several ways to incapacitate/neutralize them.

But I'm digressing here... back to the topic at hand...


About the only power that I truly LOATHE -- or at least have absolutely no use for -- is Iron Will. It's like someone decided to try and combine Extraordinary Physical Endurance with Extraordinary Mental Endurance, but with a result that's inferior to either one.

[csyphrett]

I have to admit I have never had a problem with a power, or had any feelings more than nuetral on what a power can do or not do other than having to custom build some.
CES

[Pepsi Jedi]

Intangability. Largely because our game tends to NOT have any psionics or magic (( Neither I nor my group like them.)) and PC's tend to abuse it. I either limit it or not allow it out side of something like imbued which already limits it.

APS Rag doll. While I think it COULD Be a scary power if... you know somone spent 200,000,000 on a movie or something.. it's hard to describe in the game and not have the other players laughing.


Toy control: GOOD Idea.. GOOD thought. WICKED concept. HOOOOOORIBLE Application. I think if done right, this could be a GREAT power, but as written it's largely comedic and not even very well at that. The Animate Objects power being closer to what this tried ineffectivly to do.

[Rayven]

The one I hated was APS Plasma. WHY???? Why do you need to be as hot as the sun, and able to extinguish water?

[JTwig]

Me that would be multiple lives, invunerability and immortality.
becouse you cant kill pcs that have either one of those

I've never had a problem with these powers, but then again its never been my goal to kill PCs. If it happens, then it happens, but my games tend to be more cooperative play with the GM (me) and the players both giving and taking.

Plus, who needs to kill a PC to make them suffer, thats what their families and personal lives are for.

[LostOne]

Me that would be multiple lives, invunerability and immortality.
becouse you cant kill pcs that have either one of those

Those powers are actually very controllable from a GM perspective.

Multiple Lives: The character doesn't know how many lives they'll get, don't let the player. Until the character dies the first time, they don't even know they have multiple lives. You, the GM roll for how many lives they get, don't let them know how many. Then keep track of how many they use. Chances are they'll be careful and not frivolous about dying all the time.

Invulnerability: Still vulnerable to gases, needs to breathe, mind control, supernatural punches, magic, etc.

Immortality: vulnerable to normal physical attacks.

Even if the three are combined, having an enemy that has the following powers: zombie flesh, sonic flight, and supernatural strength (or some other way to keep ahold of him even if he struggles) will take care of him. Grab him, fly straight up at sonic speed, when the air starts getting thin, throw him the rest of the way into vacuum. That's one life gone.


Personally, as a GM, I've found Intangibility to be annoying. Sure they can be easilly killed, but I don't want to kill them. They go anywhere they please and not much bars their way. Don't let them know where the bad guy's base is, or it's all over. This character will sneak in, rig up a large explosive using things on hand (blowing up barrels of fuel, etc), or incapacitate the badguy in their sleep, etc.

[Stone Gargoyle]

Personally, as a GM, I've found Intangibility to be annoying. Sure they can be easilly killed, but I don't want to kill them. They go anywhere they please and not much bars their way. Don't let them know where the bad guy's base is, or it's all over. This character will sneak in, rig up a large explosive using things on hand (blowing up barrels of fuel, etc), or incapacitate the badguy in their sleep, etc.

This is why you place limitations. Or a force field. Last time I checked, intangibles could not pass through a force field. Or just minimize the availability of the power. It's not like you can go into K-Mart and buy a belt of intangibility.

[Uncle Servo]

Or else have the Belt of Intangibility malfunction at inopportune moments...

"Hey, the belt's intangible but I'm not! Oh, @*(&!!!!"

[goodhometownboy]

A tactical nuclear weapon can handle any powerful hero..

not invunalbitliy... i don't like that power and well thats about it i just don't like that power

[goodhometownboy]

A tactical nuclear weapon can handle any powerful hero..

not invunalbitliy... it says in the book that a hero with this power could very easily live... hurt maybe.. but not die

it is the only power i don't like my players using

[9voltkilowatt]

Clock manipilation, exept for turning back the clocks at work to make your self not late and stopping time bombs its pretty dang worthless.

[Incriptus]

Clock manipilation, exept for turning back the clocks at work to make your self not late and stopping time bombs its pretty dang worthless.

Just wanted to say that I do have a pretty cool character with the power of clock manipulation. Ignoring for a second that virtually all electronics run on a timer in someway, he used it for those pesky time release safes.

Oh I hate Teleportation, you are supposed to go places by crossing the distance between them, teleportation is cheating . . . plus players get it in their heads that "teleport into an object equals instant death" thus "Teleport object into a person equals instant death" . . . They like instant death, until you suggest that the villian just did it to them and they have no way of stopping it.

[Reagren Wright]

Mimic is worthless if you never encounter people with super abilities.
So is Negate Super Powers. Plant Control in a place like New York City,
unless your fighting in Central Park. Slow Motion Control against
normal people (1/2 bonus). If you have no bonuses, it doesn't do
anything. If you use a gun, you will always have a bonus to strike.
Natural Combat because it still doesn't make any sense, and Copy
Animal Attributes-hmm using the New York City example, pigeon, rats,
domestic cats, dogs, and maybe squirrels if you stay near
Central Park or fight crime around the zoo.

[Stattick]

Animal Abilities - only because its so weak that it should be listed as a minor.

Natural Combat Abilites - it doesn't feel balanced correctly, and its the most confusing super power I've ran acrossed. After trying to impliment it, I can see that it's really broken, and needs to be houseruled to really be playable.

[Kalinda]

Bookworm, as it's written it exists only to insult everyone who likes books. (Ha ha, you like books, so you get a minus to MA, because all book lovers are loser dweebs. )

[Stone Gargoyle]

My point regarding intangibility is that every power has weak spots and flaws.
If all else fails, have the villain find out who the character is and destroy their home. Maybe they can be intangible awake, but they have to sleep sometime. LOL
Keeping players on edge and running can be so much fun.

[JTwig]

Oh I hate Teleportation, you are supposed to go places by crossing the distance between them, teleportation is cheating . . . .

What a minute, by that reasoning someone with an energy expulsion power is cheating because they are not using a weapon and someone with a flight power is cheating because they are not using a airplane or helicopter like the rest of us.

[Pepsi Jedi]

APS: Acid. Wait...so I can melt a door of wood, but not a tree? *sigh* Someone really doesn't understand what "organic compounds" means.

Yeah what IS up with the acid powers in HU? Is palladium just... scared of the concept of melting flesh from bones or something?? This pops up in a few places. You can melt though a brick wall or a steel bar but it just splashes on flesh unless it gets in your eyes??

It seems more of that "Lets keep it as "G" rated as possible, PG at MOST, don't ever ever let it slip beyond that" Sort of thing.

[The Artist Formerly]

I can't say there are powers I loathe, but there are several I don't allow in play under normal circumstances.

Invulnerability, APS Plasma, Geo-thermal energy.

Every power has a weakness or a vulnerability. The normally banned powers are among those who it would be impractical for enough enemies to possess weapons that could injure them, or in the case of Geo-thermal, is so dangerous and damaging that it defies use in maintaining the game world.

Though I do reserve the right to use these powers for NPCs and villians.

[znbrtn]

the powers i loathe are the ones that have heavy penalties when in use for no other reason than "game balance." the best examples of this are probably negate superpowers and jinx power. the abilities they grant are powerful, but the penalties they come with pretty much shut you down too when you use them. i'd prefer that they don't have such limitations, because they generally only grant that one ability, and they cost a MAJOR slot to have!

[Rayven]

Is palladium just... scared of the concept of melting flesh from bones or something??

Nope...look at the Flesh Sculptor in Nightbane. Those guys are just sick with what they can do to your flesh.

[Incriptus]

Oh I hate Teleportation, you are supposed to go places by crossing the distance between them, teleportation is cheating . . . .

What a minute, by that reasoning someone with an energy expulsion power is cheating because they are not using a weapon and someone with a flight power is cheating because they are not using a airplane or helicopter like the rest of us.

Nope they still have to travel between point A and point B (although flying is a little cheating . . . Teleportation really does a number on linear story telling though, as it represents a free out unless you specifically tailor the senario for anti-teleportation. Maybe its a lack of imagination on my part, but I can think of a dozen ways to nuetralize any other power without it seeming contrived, Even the first example of invulnerbility, dozens of ways to lessen the impact of that power, it's just a coinincdence that Invulnerible man has had to face a Psionic\Mage\Magic Weapon\Physical Training\Gas weilding\Invunerbility avoiding superpower ABCDE Characters all his life. They weren't specifically made to harm your character (but they really were). On the other hand Anti-Teleport guy really can't be justified for any other reason than the fact that I need an anti-teleport guy.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Considering that Chemical Secretion is in the same book, I reassert my idea that APS: Acid was meant to be a "heroic" power. An idea which should be met with loathing, but that does seem to be the point, considering Chem Secretion's existence in the same section.

Hurm.. so.. we could make up an APS "Evil" Acid by substituting some of the chemical secretion stuff?
*Taps chin* I like it....

I understand what your saying about the heroic vs evil powers, but I like powers that have inadvertnant effects and stuff.

Our new game we started is very Ultimate's like.

If you get in a superbrawl in NYC hundreads of people die and what not.. if your char flips out in a rage and kills people the government's super team goes to take you out..

It's kinda fun. More gritty.

My char Was a Bow master that the gov has given an "Imbued" formula to. He has shrink, chemelion, enchanced leaping and bio aura. So.. even with explosive arrows. I'm the 'weak' man on the team.

It's fun.

[Uncle Servo]

My char Was a Bow master that the gov has given an "Imbued" formula to. He has shrink, chemelion, enchanced leaping and bio aura. So.. even with explosive arrows. I'm the 'weak' man on the team.

It's fun.

You're only the 'weak' man on the team until others see where you're aiming those explosive arrows...

I once played a HU Physical Training character in an old RECON campaign (classic "Red Dawn" scenario). My character and the team's resident SEAL sneaked onto this river island to take out the enemy garrison -- I took out the guards stationed in tree stands with 'strategically-placed' arrows. Granted, it took a good number of called shots... but it was all worth it to see the look on the other players' faces when I christened my bow "Lorena Bobbitt" afterwards.

[Nekira Sudacne]

The one power I loath and dispise above all others...Karmic Power. it's THE most muchkin power in the whole game by far.

"Haha, not only do I get insane bonuses that put me over everyone else, YOU don't get ANY bonuses from ANY source"

rediculous permantly banned from all of my games. So is luck curse for the same reasons.

[Sir_Spirit]

The one power I loath and dispise above all others...Karmic Power. it's THE most muchkin power in the whole game by far.

"Haha, not only do I get insane bonuses that put me over everyone else, YOU don't get ANY bonuses from ANY source"

rediculous permantly banned from all of my games. So is luck curse for the same reasons.

Luck curse?

[goodhometownboy]

jinx power

[LostOne]

A tactical nuclear weapon can handle any powerful hero..

not invunalbitliy... i don't like that power and well thats about it i just don't like that power

Invulnerability: Tactical nuke superheats the air and consumes the oxygen...he suffocates. Unless he happens to be luckily positioned in a way that the explosion launches him into the air away from ground zero (or if he has some other power to get away fast, sonic flight/speed, teleportation, etc). But if that bomb is an air detonation over his head, he's screwed.

[Sureshot]

While the nuke would probably work I would also weigh it against how much PE the invunrable character has. If he has a high score he may survive it. Second while a nuke and a fuel-air bomb might take out or knock out the invunrable character it's hardly a viable option especially in a city. Nor is it imo especially superheroic. Last if you were to use that type of tactic on a PC be prepared for him to leave your game as imo it's a very heavy handed and cheesy way to take out that type of character.

[Uncle Servo]

I think a lot of GMs (and gamers in general) focus too much on SDC and/or whether or not a well-placed shot from a weapon can send him/her into the hereafter. Some of the best GMs I've ever played with wouldn't give a rat's butt about whether or not shoving a nuke down a character's pants would actually hurt him/her... and as a GM myself I've tried to follow their lead.

I once had a player who was a bit of a munchkin and tended to hog all the action during battles. I finally solved the problem by pitting him against a character with Teleport -- who removed him 5 miles away from the battle with no idea of where he was (the teleporter 'blinked' away the very next action leaving the munchkin by himself). By the time he made it back, the group had everything well in hand.

The whole concept of vulnerability goes far beyond the amount of damage you can withstand and/or avoid... and if you're having problems finding where a PC is vulnerable, then start thinking outside the ammo crate.

[LostOne]

Nor is it imo especially superheroic.

No, it's villainous...especially in populated areas...great for a non-powered villain (who isn't worried about collateral damage) to use against an invulnerable character.

Last if you were to use that type of tactic on a PC be prepared for him to leave your game as imo it's a very heavy handed and cheesy way to take out that type of character.

The example was a character with invulnerability and multiple lives. This could be one of his lives and a good way for him to realize he isn't as unkillable as he might have thought previously. Or it could be used in a breezy area, the character is oxygen deprived long enough to be knocked unconscious, but not die of oxygen deprivation.

[Uncle Servo]

There aren't any powers that I loathe, but there are many that I've no inspiration to use. Clock Manipulation, Heightened Sense of Taste/Touch and a few others come to mind. It isn't that they are "terrible" per se, it's just that I haven't had a character concept or inspirational use for those powers. Of course, they are always ones I roll when I try to randomly roll up a character.

Actually, I did have a Dragon Immortal character with Heightened Sense of Taste. I took the 'excessive eating' side-effect and decided to turn it to some good use -- he was an executive chef at a restaurant (and had a Gordon Ramsay-type attitude).

[TechnoGothic]

Me that would be multiple lives, invunerability and immortality.
becouse you cant kill pcs that have either one of those

I'm assuming you mean MEGA-Immortality Power and not the Immortality Major Power, right ??

Mega-Immortality is very poweful yes...I can not be Killed power

Major-Immortality is not powerful at all...I do not age Power

You gotta be alittle clearer on which your talking about duckie...

[Sureshot]

No, it's villainous...especially in populated areas...great for a non-powered villain (who isn't worried about collateral damage) to use against an invulnerable character.

I agree it is something a villian would do. It just has not come up to often in the games I have been. that being said if you use this tactic on a villian don't expect any superhero hit by it who survives to go easy on the supervillian if he catches him.

The example was a character with invulnerability and multiple lives. This could be one of his lives and a good way for him to realize he isn't as unkillable as he might have thought previously. Or it could be used in a breezy area, the character is oxygen deprived long enough to be knocked unconscious, but not die of oxygen deprivation.

It's not a bad example just a little extreme imo. Anyone know if the Glop gun from previous edition of HU is still around? If I remember corerectly it fired a large stream of substance that was perfect for immoblizing a person.

[Uncle Servo]

It's not a bad example just a little extreme imo. Anyone know if the Glop gun from previous edition of HU is still around? If I remember corerectly it fired a large stream of substance that was perfect for immoblizing a person.

There are definitely equivalents, particularly in Aliens Unlimited. I can think of the Explosive Strap Gun right off the top of my head, but that's about it (man I miss having my book scans at hand).

[Giant2005]

I absolutely loathe the power from PU3 called "Portals" I would actually sell my soul to prevent that power from existing.
I was hoping for something like in the Spiderman TAS episode 312 "The Spot" but was painfully disappointed...
The Spot's power was easily my favourite power of any super-being from any media, so fingers crossed they get it right in PU4 .

[RockJock]

There is an alternative attack for any power. Go after the characters friends and family. It happens in comics all the time, and would be easy for an evil genius to pull off.

[Kalinda]

I absolutely loathe the power from PU3 called "Portals" I would actually sell my soul to prevent that power from existing.
I was hoping for something like in the Spiderman TAS episode 312 "The Spot" but was painfully disappointed...
The Spot's power was easily my favourite power of any super-being from any media, so fingers crossed they get it right in PU4 .

So what's actually wrong with the power? why all the hate?

[Shorty Lickens]

There is an alternative attack for any power. Go after the characters friends and family. It happens in comics all the time, and would be easy for an evil genius to pull off.

Not necessarily, the one alien in my group also happens to have most of the power. And they aren't even supernatural or imbued powers, they are abilities native to the species, so a villain couldn't even remove them without actually keeping her in a lab for a month and perhaps running destructive mutations or her. Also, she has no family on earth.
(Heartless beeatch!)

Wait for me to dig through my books, I know I found a couple powers I don't like once before.

[RockJock]

Ahh, but doesn't the Alien have friends? Doesn't he try to protect innocents? Random hostages are better then nothing. What about blackmailing one of the other members of the team, maybe an NPC to turn against the alien to protect a loved one. Maybe document his powers and weaknesses etc.

[Giant2005]

I absolutely loathe the power from PU3 called "Portals" I would actually sell my soul to prevent that power from existing.
I was hoping for something like in the Spiderman TAS episode 312 "The Spot" but was painfully disappointed...
The Spot's power was easily my favourite power of any super-being from any media, so fingers crossed they get it right in PU4 .

So what's actually wrong with the power? why all the hate?

The power is fine, I just hate what it is trying to be, it is like it is trying to replicate my favourite power and doing it horribly.
The power does what it does fine, but like all other cheap knock offs, I don't want anything to do with it.

[Uncle Servo]

Supernatural PS. if i want to make a character with Hulk strength i have to give him a PS of like 400 i shouldnt have to do that. its not strong enough it should be carry x1000 PS and lift x2000 PS.

If you want to make a character with Hulk strength, then play the Marvel RPG. HU was never meant (nor should it ever be, IMO) to recreate the same power levels as some of the other supers RPGs. That was the subject of a semi-rant KS included in the Revised core book (though the inclusion of the Mega-Hero in HU2e implies that his stance has softened a bit).

Sorry, but that's just a sore sticking point with me. I've heard too many people griping and moaning about how HU sucks because they can't get 'accurate conversions' of their favorite Marvel/DC heroes... and that just sounded like a similar complaint.

[Uncle Servo]

oh contriar i love HU and hate Marvel and i hate the hulk, i was just using his strength has an example.

It's cool, I understand. Yet and still though, HU has never really been designed to create characters on power levels like that (though some might argue that character classes like the Phase World Cosmo-Knight aren't too far off in terms of raw power).

[Regularguy]

Supernatural PS. if i want to make a character with Hulk strength i have to give him a PS of like 400 i shouldnt have to do that. its not strong enough it should be carry x1000 PS and lift x2000 PS..

Well, look, I don't want to do a conversion or anything, so let me (a) first say the following would be a way to fake the effect, and second (b) not shoot for a specific Hulk-level figure, but instead just ask how many hundreds of tons you think can be carried around by a hero who uses his Supernatural Strength on stuff he affects with Gravity Manipulation.

[goodhometownboy]

invulnerable+ supernatural strength = mr joy kill

[Giant2005]

Supernatural PS. if i want to make a character with Hulk strength i have to give him a PS of like 400 i shouldnt have to do that. its not strong enough it should be carry x1000 PS and lift x2000 PS..

Well, look, I don't want to do a conversion or anything, so let me (a) first say the following would be a way to fake the effect, and second (b) not shoot for a specific Hulk-level figure, but instead just ask how many hundreds of tons you think can be carried around by a hero who uses his Supernatural Strength on stuff he affects with Gravity Manipulation.

I made a munchkin with supernatural strength, growth and gravity manipulation, at full size he can lift over 2 million pounds. I have no idea how many tons that is, but I'm confident that could be considered "hulk" level strength.

[Uncle Servo]

You want to talk about a scary combination, try Growth and Rocket Fists... then think about the damage he would cause when ramming something at full speed.

[Sir_Spirit]

I absolutely loathe the power from PU3 called "Portals" I would actually sell my soul to prevent that power from existing.
I was hoping for something like in the Spiderman TAS episode 312 "The Spot" but was painfully disappointed...
The Spot's power was easily my favourite power of any super-being from any media, so fingers crossed they get it right in PU4 .

So what's actually wrong with the power? why all the hate?

The power is fine, I just hate what it is trying to be, it is like it is trying to replicate my favourite power and doing it horribly.
The power does what it does fine, but like all other cheap knock offs, I don't want anything to do with it.

I know what he means Kalinda, the portals are square, for instance and not round and you can't by the book control their size.

[Sir_Spirit]

A tactical nuclear weapon can handle any powerful hero..

not invunalbitliy... i don't like that power and well thats about it i just don't like that power

Invulnerability: Tactical nuke superheats the air and consumes the oxygen...he suffocates. Unless he happens to be luckily positioned in a way that the explosion launches him into the air away from ground zero (or if he has some other power to get away fast, sonic flight/speed, teleportation, etc). But if that bomb is an air detonation over his head, he's screwed.

ACtually it states in the power description that he can survive a nuke.