GCF - Grishnakh Custom Superhero Cards

[Grishnakh]

So I have a question for those of you that are following this thread.

At the moment Spider-Man's Wall-Crawling SA has really no issues. If you do what the card says it makes sense, even if it is a bit abstract.

The question is when we make other characters with the Wall-Crawling (or similar abilities), such as Venom and Doctor Octopus.

For example let's say Venom and Spider-Man are standing one hex away from each other and next to a 6 story building. If Venom attacks Spider-Man, based on Wall-Crawling, he gets height advantage and rolls an additional attack die. Since Spider-Man fulfills the same conditions on his card for Wall-Crawling he also has height advantage and gets to roll an additional defense die. This sort of represents the two of them crawling and moving quickly for position on the side of the building. We know it's really abstract - but in our play tests it works.

The question is: Does this break the rules of Heroscape too much? And if so is there an easy fix that we are not seeing/considering? Thanks in advance for your comments!

[IshMEL]

What if Wall Crawler allowed you to add the height of the adjacent building / terrain to his base's level for determining height advantage?

So if Spidey was on level 2 and Venom on level 1, and both are adjacent to a 5 level building, Spidey still has height advantage (he gets to the top first). Now if say Venom is across the street next to a 7 level building, then Venom's got height because he can go up a taller building.

[Grishnakh]

Originally Posted by IshMEL

What if Wall Crawler allowed you to add the height of the adjacent building / terrain to his base's level for determining height advantage?

So if Spidey was on level 2 and Venom on level 1, and both are adjacent to a 5 level building, Spidey still has height advantage (he gets to the top first). Now if say Venom is across the street next to a 7 level building, then Venom's got height because he can go up a taller building.

So I guess if they were on the same level next to the same building they would cancel each other out and neither would have an advantage to each other.

[IshMEL]

Originally Posted by Grishnakh

So I guess if they were on the same level next to the same building they would cancel each other out and neither would have an advantage to each other.

Right -- so you avoid the situation where they both have an "advantage". Which might save you some headache later when an odd corner case arises.

Great power, by the way. And with great power....

[Grishnakh]

Current SA:
WALL-CRAWLING
If Spider-Man is adjacent to any terrain, building, or ITF that is 5 or more levels higher than an opposing figure, then Spider-Man has height advantage to that figure.

Altered SA:
WALL-CRAWLING
Spiderman can use the height of any terrain, building, or ITF that he is adjacent to when determining height advantage to an opposing figure.

Or

WALL-CRAWLING
When determining height advantage to an opposing figure Spiderman may add the height of any terrain, building, or ITF that he is adjacent to.

[IshMEL]

I think you need to use the first version here, "use the height". Let's say he's on Level 10 of a skyscraper, and there's a tower on the skyscraper next to him that is 5 additional levels. If you added the heights, it could be read as 10 (his base height) plus 15 (total tower height) to get 25, which makes no sense. Using the height of any adjacent terrain is unambiguous. At least to me!

[Soundwarp SG-1]

Another slightly simpler option would just be to exclude other Wall-Crawlers from the power.

If Spider-Man is adjacent to any terrain, building, or ITF that is 5 or more levels higher than an opponent's figure that does not have the Wall-Crawling Special Power...

Not sure if you want to go that route, but it's an option.

[Grishnakh]

Originally Posted by IshMEL

I think you need to use the first version here, "use the height". Let's say he's on Level 10 of a skyscraper, and there's a tower on the skyscraper next to him that is 5 additional levels. If you added the heights, it could be read as 10 (his base height) plus 15 (total tower height) to get 25, which makes no sense. Using the height of any adjacent terrain is unambiguous. At least to me!

That makes perfect sense.

I think I like the reversed order of the (basically) two conditions the power represents.

• When determining height advantage to an opposing figure….

• Spiderman can use the height of any terrain, building, or ITF that he is adjacent to…..

So:
WALL-CRAWLING
When determining height advantage to an opposing figure Spiderman may use the height of any terrain, building, or ITF that he is adjacent to.

The reverse of that sounds a bit clunky and harder to comprehend easily:
WALL-CRAWLING
Spiderman can use the height of any terrain, building, or ITF that he is adjacent to when determining height advantage to an opposing figure.

[Grishnakh]

Originally Posted by Soundwarp SG-1

Another slightly simpler option would just be to exclude other Wall-Crawlers from the power.

If Spider-Man is adjacent to any terrain, building, or ITF that is 5 or more levels higher than an opponent's figure that does not have the Wall-Crawling Special Power...

Not sure if you want to go that route, but it's an option.

Interesting, but I'd like Venom and Doctor Octopus to be able to do the same thing. Using the below examples I don't believe that creates a problem like the current card that's posted does.

If Spider-Man fights say Captain America then he can stay next to a building and get height advantage. Cap would have to lure Spider-Man out into the street to make him loose his advantage. If Spider-Man was fighting Venom they would cancel each other out.

It doesn't make a lot of sense against flyers like Ironman. But then again flyers always land to attack or defend in this game anyway.

Examples:

WALL-CRAWLING
When determining height advantage to an opposing figure Spiderman may use the height of any terrain, building, or ITF that he is adjacent to.

WALL-CRAWLING
When determining height advantage to an opposing figure Venom may use the height of any terrain, building, or ITF that he is adjacent to.

WALL-CRAWLING
When determining height advantage to an opposing figure Doctor Octopus may use the height of any terrain, building, or ITF that he is adjacent to.

[IshMEL]

Not to open a new can of worms but... should he be able to use this power when determining adjacency? Can he crawl up a wall to avoid getting attacked?

[Grishnakh]

Originally Posted by IshMEL

Not to open a new can of worms but... should he be able to use this power when determining adjacency? Can he crawl up a wall to avoid getting attacked?

I'd say no. You could say the same thing about characters with the flying skill. They could be hovering above rather than just standing there, ready to be attacked.

[IshMEL]

Yup, that makes sense.