Some thoughts on Coloration

[Sentinel]

Some stuff I wrote for my own campaign use.


COLORATION
A Major Power in Heroes Unlimited

Coloration is a highly underrated power, considered a Matter Conversion ability.
The simple explanation is that one can alter the pigmentation of an object, thus changing its' colour. Making a red ball blue for example.
However, there is a wealth of unexplored potential in this power that could be exploited.

The most 'famous' character (and, perhaps the first) to possess this power was Color Kid, from the Legion of Substitute Heroes. Given his presentation, which was intended to be humourous, it's no wonder nobody takes this ability seriously.

Remember that color is a function of the interaction of light with an object. Color conveys information. This power can alter that information, by interfering with that interaction. Thus, the first line of attack is to the victims' sight.

Imagine coloring the eyes of a victim. While a difficult target to affect, this attack could cause a variety of problems for the victim: temporary blindness, confused perceptions: anything and everything relating to the sense of sight can be negatively affected. Walking, writing, fighting, and other tasks would all become virtually impossible feats to perform.

Remember, colour would affect transparency. Make a window black, and it would no longer allow light to pass through. Alter the colours of a wall, and it can become see-through. A criminal could use this power to alter the transparency of a vault, and pick the lock by looking at the tumblers as they aligned.

Make a mask, costume, or armour transparent and secret identities become null and void.
On a mischievous note, imagine the havoc one could cause by making clothing transparent.

On a grander scale, this power can also impact the information contained in laser signals. Alter the colour of the laser beam, and you alter the function. While one wouldn't necessarily turn a signal into a weapon, one could increase the effectiveness of a laser beam in some subtle manners: a blue or green laser travels through water more effectively, red lasers carry more heat, and so on.
In a nefarious manner, one could easily corrupt the information contained in laser communications.
Affecting the frequency of light will also have a negative impact on photosynthesis. Sustain the effects long enough and one could decrease crop production on a small scale.
Characters who are dependant on Solar Radiation for their powers are at the mercy of the colour changer.

Altering the colour of Solar Rays would determine whether one got a tan or not.

Print media is especially vulnerable to this power: imagine turning the pages in a book black. Paintings and other art forms are just as susceptible to this power.

One could effectively hide in plain sight after committing a crime: elude pursuit by altering the colour of your clothes, or your skin (or both). Obscure the details of your partners, and throw off the most relentless pursuers.

Prevent others from hiding: this power would affect the way Invisibility works by altering the way light interacts (or doesn't) with the target. Shadow and Darkness powers are also vulnerable.

Likewise, the user could make themselves transparent (although not completely invisible), and increase their Prowl ability.

Imagine making a vampires' coffin transparent, while leaving it chained shut in the sunlight.

Obviously, there are things the power can't do. Turning your skin colour slate grey will not make you hard as stone. Nor will making a window opaque make it any more durable, just as making a safe translucent won't weaken it. Changing an animals' colour won't change its' behavior, or its' taste later.
Regardless of the colour, gravity still affects light. Characters and creatures not dependant on sight won't be negatively impacted either.

The real beauty of this power is that one cannot save against it: the colour changes aren't illusory. Everyone sees what the colour changer has done.

Range: Self, or up to 60', +10' per level of experience.
Area Of Effect: Up to 200 Square feet per level of experience.
Duration: 15 minutes per level of experience.
Damage: None. The target is not harmed in any way.
Attacks per Melee: Each object changed counts as one action. Thus a character with four actions can alter the colours of four objects.
Saving Throw: None.

[Sir_Spirit]

PU1 OR 3 already has this.

[Sir_Spirit]

IIRC, the acutal name of the Book Power is Color Manipulation(I wouldn't bring this up, but this seems like an exact clone of that power[though I'm also assuming you dont' have the PU1,2,3 books, so this isn't an accusation]).
And generally, when the eye thins has been discussed, most people agree that they do get some sort of save.

[Sentinel]

IIRC, the acutal name of the Book Power is Color Manipulation(I wouldn't bring this up, but this seems like an exact clone of that power[though I'm also assuming you dont' have the PU1,2,3 books, so this isn't an accusation]).
And generally, when the eye thins has been discussed, most people agree that they do get some sort of save.

I expanded on the power as presented in Powers Unlimited. Several of the applications I mention here are not mentioned at all there.

In order to target the eyes, one must roll as per usual (including penalties for hitting a small target).
The lack of Saving Throw comes from the fact the colour changes are not illusions: you see what the colour changer has done, so there is no save against it.

[Sentinel]

blinding someone is harming them, in a way.

Fair enough.
There is however no overt damage to either S.D.C. or Hit Points, and that was my qualification for "harm" or "hurt".

Because of the vagueness of the power as presented, I felt the need to expand upon it, and explore some of the underlying potential.

[Sentinel]

Well, I am not sure if the term "coloration" is one that can be centric to any one system (unlike a term like "FASERIP", or "Mega-Damage"), but okay.
We can refer to the power as Color Manipulation, because that is what I was working with.

This is why when PUI came out I made referance to this on the boards in a post of mine!

If I had seen your post, I would have resurrected the topic, and added my thoughts to it.

On the other hand, Only effects Matter, And how it does this is not fully described in the book (leaving it up to you & your GM/ST/DM to figure it out for your sellves).

Exactly what I was doing.

[Sentinel]

I most definitely remember the old TSR Marvel system, and the power of Coloration with it's various effects on the Universal Table.
There were a lot of powers like that which could be deceptively effective.

[Sentinel]

The mechanics of being blinded through Bio-Manipulation are vastly different from Color Manipulation.
The Save for Psionic attacks comes from the fact that you are being, well, psionically assaulted. Your brain is being attacked, your nervous system forcibly overloaded. With Color Manip, there is no actual "attack" per se: the colors are changing, and there is no real Saving Throw for that.

Similarly, Color Manip is different from Illusion Casting of any sort. Some of the results are the same, but they are achieved differently.

[Daniel Stoker]

The mechanics of being blinded through Bio-Manipulation are vastly different from Color Manipulation.
The Save for Psionic attacks comes from the fact that you are being, well, psionically assaulted. Your brain is being attacked, your nervous system forcibly overloaded. With Color Manip, there is no actual "attack" per se: the colors are changing, and there is no real Saving Throw for that.

Similarly, Color Manip is different from Illusion Casting of any sort. Some of the results are the same, but they are achieved differently.

I don't think he was arguing that the mechanics were in any way the same, but that in rules for the game one power that can do the same thing has a saving throw on top of a power use cost, while if you take this power you get it with no saving throw. So while the mechanics are different, it leaves this power 'unbalanced'.


Daniel Stoker

[Sentinel]

Sometimes imbalances of that sort will happen. As we often say, "all powers are not created equally".
The part I especially like is that even rampant Bonus Whores can be flummuxed by this power.
"Got a +24 to Save vs. Psionics? Well, too bad it's Color Manipulation. You're blinded".

[Daniel Stoker]

Sometimes imbalances of that sort will happen. As we often say, "all powers are not created equally".
The part I especially like is that even rampant Bonus Whores can be flummuxed by this power.
"Got a +24 to Save vs. Psionics? Well, too bad it's Color Manipulation. You're blinded".

And it doesn't mean that others won't see it as being an issue in their games to have a power do something like that without some sort of save or skill % etc where the person could fail/miss.


Daniel Stoker

[Sentinel]

Sometimes imbalances of that sort will happen. As we often say, "all powers are not created equally".
The part I especially like is that even rampant Bonus Whores can be flummuxed by this power.
"Got a +24 to Save vs. Psionics? Well, too bad it's Color Manipulation. You're blinded".

And it doesn't mean that others won't see it as being an issue in their games to have a power do something like that without some sort of save or skill % etc where the person could fail/miss.


Daniel Stoker

Some people will always complain.
Whether it's a power, an Invocation, a Psionic Power, or whatever.

[Daniel Stoker]

Some people will always complain.
Whether it's a power, an Invocation, a Psionic Power, or whatever.

I don't care what category it's under, it's just that to me blinding someone should have some sort of save or require a hit or successful skill etc so as not to make that ability over-powered.


Daniel Stoker

[Sentinel]

Some people will always complain.
Whether it's a power, an Invocation, a Psionic Power, or whatever.

I don't care what category it's under, it's just that to me blinding someone should have some sort of save or require a hit or successful skill etc so as not to make that ability over-powered.


Daniel Stoker

We had determined (or at least I had) that a shot to the eyes required a successful Strike, with the usual penalties for hitting such a small target.

[Daniel Stoker]

We had determined (or at least I had) that a shot to the eyes required a successful Strike, with the usual penalties for hitting such a small target.

Well then that works for me.


Daniel Stoker

[Sentinel]

Sometimes imbalances of that sort will happen. As we often say, "all powers are not created equally".
The part I especially like is that even rampant Bonus Whores can be flummuxed by this power.
"Got a +24 to Save vs. Psionics? Well, too bad it's Color Manipulation. You're blinded".

on the other hand you have the bonus whores who areb also rules lawyers who say:
Rules Lawyer - "I use my Color Manipulation on him"
Game Master - snickering "ok, what color do you turn him?"
RL - serious "no, just his eyes"
GM - giggles a bit "what? you're gonna turn his brown eyes blue?"
RL - a bit annoyed at not being taken serious "not blue, black. the whole eye"
GM - looking werily at the RL "oh kay. his eyes are now black, he takes aim on..."
RL - interrupting "no. I change the color of the eye to black. he's blind. it's like turning a window black"
GM - feeling like he just stepped in a trap "what?! you can't damage him with it"
RL - "it says you get to change the color of any solid or organic item. I change his eyes to black"
GM - exasperated, but wanting to get on with the game "ok, he get's a save of...."
RL- again interrupting, but a bit smug "none. there's no save for the power"
GM - really annoyed, but trying to salvage the game "ok, then roll to hit"
RL - smiles "ok, I get a +24 to hit..."


GMs, be sure to empower your villains with:

Heightened Hearing
Radar Sense
Zanshin (N&SS, Martial Arts Technique).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...wuss ref. just tell the whiny bint "no" & when he complains that his character is ruined offer in an evil voice "I could kill him if you want...."

[Sentinel]

Just giving us something to do...

[Sentinel]

What exactly are you Saving against?

Not seeing the color change?
Not having your color change?

[Sentinel]

Better question is, what is you presummed mechanics for saving from hostial attacks vs. non-hostial?

Depends.
Some things, like Magic and Psionics get a Save.

other things, like bullets and energy beams (and the Magic and Psionics that have blasts) get dodged.

Dodging is a form of Save.
Since there is a Strike Roll involved, the target gets a chance to Dodge.

Color manipulation is not mechanically like Psionic Healing, or any other Psionic power for that matter.

[Sentinel]

I could be off here, but aren't you interfering with biological processes by changing the way light interacts with a person?

It could be seen that way.
However, it could also be argued that since you aren't actually altering the biological nature of the target (a purple cow still tastes the same, a Pink Hulk can still throw a tank over the horizon, etc), then you aren't actually changing the biology.

At least, no more so than you are by electrocuting someone, or putting a hole in them with a bullet.

[Sentinel]

A dodge just doesn't make much sense. Can I parry? And if I'm successful, then what? Did you turn the arm guard of my armor black?

I'd say no, you can't parry unless you have a power like Bend Light.
You can't parry an energy beam like a P-Beam (under most circumstances), but you can dodge it.

[Sentinel]

Well bend light just bends light, not a power that alters EM feilds.

But you can parry lasers if you have this power.

Remember too, the act of having your color changed is not in any way going to impact the characters' nature or abilities.
It's not damage causing in itself, so it's actually of no harm.

Characters don't Save vs. Fire, or Save Vs. Lasers: They Dodge. There are some things against which someone doesn't get a Save.

Heck, normal people don't Save vs. Suntan when they're in the sun.

[Sentinel]

to be honest. if you're offering this viewpoint as a GM, to give the players a challenge, or that you don't mind players having this ability, go for it. more power to you. heck, let'em have APS: Great Old One...

if you're arguing that, as a player, you should be allowed to have this application of the power, then....not so much...

Both, actually.
The players can have it...but so can their opponents.
I'll abide by the same rules and restrictions as they do.

[Sentinel]

Actually, Bend Light is a very good Nemesis to Color Manipulation:
Not only can you parry lasers (roll like a normal parry, with a +3 bonus), but you can also separate the color bands in the spectrum.

[Sentinel]

????/Hows it a nemisis?? Color Man affects matters light refraction, Bend light affects light itself.

The description of Bend Light lends itself to be an oppositional power to Color Manipulation.
Light affects color.

[Sentinel]

blinding someone is harming them, in a way.

There is however no overt damage to either S.D.C. or Hit Points, and that was my qualification for "harm" or "hurt".

But by your own qualifications, virtually every power with a 'non-harmful effect' has a saving throw if it is meant to directly affect the individual. If I may borrow HoS's list for a moment:

mental stun= Saving Throw.

Control (others)= Saving Throw.

the first two effects of disruptive touch= Saving Throw.

transferral/posession= Saving Throw.

Stench= Saving Throw.

Borrow Power= Saving Throw.

vertigo field= Saving Throw.

Pixie Dust, Scan Powers, Transfixing Gaze (& that of Vampires), Vocalization (power of command)= I don't have PU3 in front of me, but I'd wager that all of those (with maybe the exception of Scan Powers) has a saving throw.


Yes, but none of those things can be dodged.
In this instance, Dodging takes the place of Saving Throw.

The way you intended this power, there is a strike roll for the user of the power to look at someone, then a dodge roll against no visible signifier, which brings up the question of how you know you're under attack. Of course, you haven't actually written that into the power, so the rules lawyers are just going to assume they can just blind at will.

Assuming they roll to Strike successfully: there is always the possibility that they miss their target.
In any event, Surprise Attacks are always possible too, so yes, just like being shot with a .50 cal rifle when you weren't expecting it, you might have your color changed suddenly.

Do you see where the problems are here? Whether or not it is 'harmful' is a completely separate point.
(It was because there was no SDC or Hit Point damage involved that I went in that direction. That was my point in and of itself.) You have this power causing a physical effect that works differently than every other physical effect power. Blinding someone, no matter the source, is a negative physical effect, and your handling of it just isn't making any sense.

I treat(ed) it like a Energy Expulsion power, similar to Flame or Electricity, the exception being that color changing involves no Hit Point or SDC damage. Thusly, it would be dodged as would any other E-beam, with all the penalties that are incurred (small targets, fast moving hard-to-dodge <Yes, I still use the -10 Rule>, etc). The trade off is, while it does no damage (reducing some of it's effectiveness as an offensive power), it does have the blanket effect of making a white object black (for example). Assuming you (the changer) can hit the target to begin with.

Energy Expulsions were my "model", not powers like Mental Stun or Vertigo Field.

On a tangent, what is the Saving Throw for Telekinesis?
Can you dodge TK?

[Sentinel]

what kind of rules do you have for called shots in your games? One of the problems I've always had with called shots is that there's a penalty to strike, then a penalty to dodge, which kind of cancels things out, but often leaves things weighed against the defender.

Called Shot: Minimum target number of 14, add any bonuses for WP, Sniper, Sharpshooting, etc (anything I may have forgotten).
Standard penalties for Small target, Moving Target, etc.

Dodge: -10 for bullets and energy beams, with some exceptions: characters with super-speed powers (Juicers, Sonic Runners, etc) do not get that penalty.

All penalties are subtracted from TOTAL roll to Strike/Dodge, including relevant bonuses.

That's my method.

[Sentinel]

Bend Light can do a lotta things, but it can NOT parry you attempt to Colorize a Person, Place or thing any more so than than it can parry a painters paint brush from doing the same.

Your looking at FASERIP's colorizations' power nemisis where it says you can, but that power comes in two differant types (you choose at character creation). One type Alters Matter, where as type two alters light itself! The latter may be effected by Bend Light, if palladium gave such a power as an option to pick, but they only give you the former, ColorMan Matter.

Actually, what I'm looking at is the description of Bend Light in HUII, which says you can separate the color bands of light.
Meaning, you could separate the red from orange, and get yellow.
That would impact color manipulating, it would seem.

No, it would not actually parry paint, but then paint is solid (liquid, but you get the idea) as opposed to an insubstantial beam of light.

Again, by affecting light, one also affects color. You make a cow purple with color manipulation, I use Bend Light to affect the rays of light and make the cow blue.
You color me green so I stand out, and I use Bend Light to make myself invisible and hide again.

[Stone Gargoyle]

Given the time limits and the fact that changing a color is not the same as changing an image, I'm not sure most of these are really possible by the power in the book, or even Sentinel's version.

Maybe you could take a looong time and color each piece with a seperate application of the power. Not really what I would be doing while trying to avoid being apprehended, but hey...