Public Design Workshop

[MrNobody]

Originally Posted by Ronin

Superman Protection Power feels a little weird since it's mostly just Heroic Duty all over again. I'd shoot for a slightly different effect, like having it so that Supes can protect her from being targeted in the first place. Simpler that way too.

TGhat makes sense. I was kind of going for a riff on Heroic Defense, but I think there'd be a whole bunch of weird corner cases, especially with any Kal-El and any possible Heroic Defense figures. I don't think preventing Lois from being attacked would cause too many problems, would it?

Originally Posted by Ronin

I wouldn't make her roll for the scoop. You're using your turn and charging a vulnerable figure into harm's way for a one-time +2 initiative boost. Just let her have the darn initiative boost.

Fair enough. It does raise the greater issue of if it's worth it to spend a whole turn with Lois just to get a small initiative boost and auto-movement with Supes that can possibly harm him. Still, I'm not imagining her over 60 points so maybe it's best she can't do all too much.

Originally Posted by Ronin

I'll throw this out there as well, which you can take or leave:

I actually do like that, but I feel like it would go better on a Ben Urich design. He's in the same wheelhouse as JJJ and Kingpin, plus it feels more like his kind of gritty street-level journalism imo. If we did start a little reporter faction, Ben would be pretty high up there on the list.

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

I'd go Class and Personality for that and make it Kryptonian specific. I like the idea of her inspiring Superman in some sort of way. Maybe something that makes it so he doesn't lose OMs while she's around? Maybe something where he takes wounds when she's destroyed as well (broken heart)?

An inspiration power could be cool. Sounds a lot like Sonya Esenwein but with who gets the the wounds reversed.

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

I agree with making the initiative boost more automatic. I also like the idea of giving her free movement at the start of a round where she has initiative (she's always going headfirst into trouble and her super allies play catch up).

I was hoping to show the idea of rushing ahead by making her get right next to an opponent to use her power, but I'm down with making it more automatic. Maybe even making her whole process automatic?

With all that in mind, here's a second take;

NAME = LOIS LANE
SECRET IDENTITY = N/A

SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = REPORTER
PERSONALITY = DETERMINED

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 4

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 2
DEFENSE = 3

POINTS = ???

GET THE SCOOP
At the start of the round, after Order Markers are placed, you may move Lois Lane up to 4 spaces. If Lois ends this movement within 3 clear sight spaces of an opponent's figure, place a white Scoop Marker on this card. There may never be more than 3 Scoop Markers on this card. You may then remove any number of Scoop Markers from this card. Add 2 to your initiative roll for each Scoop Marker you remove.

SUPERMAN PROTECTION POWER
Whenever Lois Lane would roll defense dice against a normal attack, you must, if possible, choose a Kal-El figure you control and move that figure as close to Lois as possible. If the chosen figure ends his move adjacent to Lois, you may ignore that attack. Figures moved with this power will take all leaving engagement attacks.

SUPERMAN INSPIRATION POWER?

[IAmBatman]

I'm thinking something like this:

SUPERMAN'S GIRLFRIEND
After attacking with Superman, if Lois Lane is within 3 clear sight spaces of Superman, he may attack one additional time for each Wound Marker on this Army Card. If Lois Lane is destroyed, any Superman figure you control receives 3 automatic wounds.

It may not pair well with the Superman Protection Power (but I'm honestly not sold on that approach anyway, especially since Superman 1.0 already has Heroic Duty).

[MrNobody]

The way I'm coming at it is trying to represent the type of story where Lois throws herself into danger for a story, then when she gets in over her head Clark has to come in and save her. Like the Fleischer cartoons or when Lex throws Lois off the building in BvS. That's the direction I'd want to go with for Lois, but I don't know if everyone else agrees.

I think 3 wounds on Supes would be a lot, especially if Lois doesn't have any way of being protected. Sure there's Heroic Duty, but if you're playing her with Superman II or III she can be killed in one or two hits and then your Superman is half dead.

[IAmBatman]

I could see 2 wounds instead. It's a counterbalance for the big bonus of extra attacks with 7 dice, though, to keep her cost low.

If he HAS to protect her, though, rather than just having incentive to do so, there's no real way for her to get any of those wounds unless he's just not nearby (maybe that's OK, though).

[MrNobody]

You have more experience than me, how many extra attacks do you think Clark is really getting from the point where Lois has at least 1 wound on her until the time she's destroyed? Especially Supes II who doesn't have Heroic Duty?

[IAmBatman]

Depends on your army construction and the opponent's. If you can find a way to lock down enemy figures after Lois takes a wound or move her out of harm's way after an initial attack, that can help. Maybe the 3 space restriction should come out of Superman's Girlfriend to let him get the bonus if she's wounded, period.

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Seems like a great candidate for Carried.

[Tornado]

Scooped Up

[IAmBatman]

Heh. Or just Scooped.

[Tornado]

Supe Scooped

[MrNobody]

So something like this?

NAME = LOIS LANE
SECRET IDENTITY = N/A

SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = REPORTER
PERSONALITY = DETERMINED

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 4

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 2
DEFENSE = 3

POINTS = ???

GET THE SCOOP
At the start of the round, after Order Markers are placed, you may move Lois Lane up to 4 spaces. If Lois ends this movement within 3 clear sight spaces of an opponent's figure, place a white Scoop Marker on this card. There may never be more than 3 Scoop Markers on this card. You may then remove any number of Scoop Markers from this card. Add 2 to your initiative roll for each Scoop Marker you remove.

SUPERMAN'S GIRLFRIEND
After attacking with Superman, if Lois Lane is within clear sight of Superman, he may attack one additional time for each Wound Marker on this Army Card. If Lois Lane is destroyed, any Superman figure you control receives 3/2 automatic wounds.

RESCUED
After moving a figure you control, if that figure passed over Lois this turn, you may place Lois adjacent to that figure. When placed with Rescued, Lois will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

My problem with that is that it runs into a similar problem as the power I had. Supes III already has a power like this in Heroic Rescue, so it's redundant if you already have him, just like the old power was redundant with Heroic Duty.

[IAmBatman]

It's thematically similar, but not mechanically. In fact, it potentially stacks mechanically, I believe.