Xavier's Institute For Higher Learning ~ CLOSED!

[Black Howling]

I will be posting the character, or should I post it elsewhere? Cheers.

In the OP, Sephy requests all sheets sent to her through pm.

[DinaFlower]

I will be posting the character, or should I post it elsewhere? Cheers.

I send it to her in IM.

[Juggtacular]

Woot! So I just sent in Allison for approval. Now I just have to make her sister Lucy and I am all done with my sheets!

So I have a question? Can someone change classification? Like right now Allison is Alpha because she can not learn other people's power by watching it. But she is dedicating her self to learning how to do that. If, at some point, she learns that. Would she be Omaga?>

I don't know what her powers are, but usually Omega is a class defined by an extreme amount of power, either in one area or multiple. For example Elixir is an Omega level because he can do literally anything with organic beings and biology. He can even bring people back to life. Iceman is Omega because his power isn't actually making ice. It's controlling thermokinetic energy on a level that lets him make ice and do a whole lot more, like freeze the blood in your brain to give you an aneurysm. So her learning how to copy powers probably wouldn't make her an Omega. Just an Alpha with a really really good/versatile power. Like Sync, who can copy the power of anyone he's close to and use it at full efficiency.

[DinaFlower]

I don't know what her powers are, but usually Omega is a class defined by an extreme amount of power, either in one area or multiple. For example Elixir is an Omega level because he can do literally anything with organic beings and biology. He can even bring people back to life. Iceman is Omega because his power isn't actually making ice. It's controlling thermokinetic energy on a level that lets him make ice and do a whole lot more, like freeze the blood in your brain to give you an aneurysm. So her learning how to copy powers probably wouldn't make her an Omega. Just an Alpha with a really really good/versatile power. Like Sync, who can copy the power of anyone he's close to and use it at full efficiency.

How power is to do anything she sees And to remember everything. Right now it takes effort because she is new to it. But when she fully understands her power she will just be able to half see something in passing and then be able to do it perfectly. And she is trying to learn how to do that with other people's powers. But IDK if I ever want to take her to that point. Because she would then be damn near all powerful.

[Juggtacular]

How power is to do anything she sees And to remember everything. Right now it takes effort because she is new to it. But when she fully understands her power she will just be able to half see something in passing and then be able to do it perfectly. And she is trying to learn how to do that with other people's powers. But IDK if I ever want to take her to that point. Because she would then be damn near all powerful.

So perfect eidetic/photographic memory, and power mimicry as well if I'm getting it right?

[Elf]

I sent in an OC that wasn't the one I originally spoke about. I forgot about my old OC cop, and that's who I'll be Rping. He's going to be a teacher.  :-)

Ah, well hopefully he and Ivan can get off to a better start with this incarnation.

[Orange Marmalade]

How power is to do anything she sees And to remember everything. Right now it takes effort because she is new to it. But when she fully understands her power she will just be able to half see something in passing and then be able to do it perfectly. And she is trying to learn how to do that with other people's powers. But IDK if I ever want to take her to that point. Because she would then be damn near all powerful.

Just watching some people use a mutant power and learning it is... probably a bit much, you know? It is something not a single character in Marvel has due to how overpowered it could be (and then she'd literally intrude on every other characters 'niche').

[Re Z L]

Just watching some people use a mutant power and learning it is... probably a bit much, you know? It is something not a single character in Marvel has due to how overpowered it could be (and then she'd literally intrude on every other characters 'niche').

Minus power mimicry it's pretty similar to folks like Taskmaster

[Orange Marmalade]

Minus power mimicry it's pretty similar to folks like Taskmaster

Well true, but 'minus power mimicry' is a huge change :)

[Juggtacular]

Is it temporary? Or is there like a limit to how many powers she can use like Mimic? Or does she just permanently learn powers?

[DinaFlower]

And this is why I do not want to do the power thing. I want it to be something that MAY happen way down the road. but it would not be "I saw it and now I know it." Like she can with normal stuff. It would be more of "I spent countless hours studying this. Watching them do it. Studying how it works. What is the physics behind it?" And so it is not like she would have every power. And she would have to build it up like a new muscle even after that. So for one new power it would be at least a two year process. And that is again, even if I decided to take that path, and the GM/other players are okay with it. As I just thought that it is a good end game for her to be working to. As outside of that, everything is easy for her. Too easy. That is how she got addicted to pain killers. Because she was looking for something to take all the dullness out of life. The ironic part is... she got addicted to something that dulls you. But when she is high, her power does not work as well. Unless she is on speed. In that case it works TOO well and it causes a bad headache and she sometimes passes out.

[Black Howling]

I'd suggest running that by Persephone before going too far into it. It's a huge can of worms for any PC to have, minus Rogue who is extremely screwed up through her power absorption. An OC being capable of that seems like it'd break her "Nothing overpowered, especially for OC's tagline".

[DinaFlower]

I'd suggest running that by Persephone before going too far into it. It's a huge can of worms for any PC to have, minus Rogue who is extremely screwed up through her power absorption. An OC being capable of that seems like it'd break her "Nothing overpowered, especially for OC's tagline".

Oh yes! As I said I would not do it unless She, and the other players where okay with it. But it is the goal. She may never reach it. But it is what she is trying to reach.

[Lockepick]

It frankly has nothing to do with how over-powered or awesome it is.

It's simply a bad literary choice to have a character that can copy any other character. Most PbP games tend to ban powers like copying powers or even negating powers because it's simply not interesting within the medium of a play by post game.

[persephone325]

I'm gonna have to agree with Locke, here.

Having a character that can, almost perfectly, mimic any ability she sees as well as remembering it... That's a little too god-mod like. A character like that would render all the other characters useless, and there wouldn't be much point in the game. Rogue has to touch someone to absorb their powers/memories/etc, and even then it's not permanent. Though it can be if she keeps contact for too long. But the drawback for her is that she has to constantly keep her skin covered and fears touching anyone.

I know someone will probably bring up Layla soon, so I'll address her. She's a GM only NPC, meaning she isn't going to have a large role in the game. Yes, she has every power in existence. But she exits for GM plot purposes, and her drawback is that she isolates herself nearly all the time. She needs several hours a day to meditate and remain "stable", and that's even with the mental barriers that the Professor put inside her head.

I know I've said I don't like to put limits on player's creativity, but a power like that can really put people off from interacting with your character. Or even joining the game.

[Cuchulainn]

I mean GM's ruling is final and I'm not trying to dispute that I just want to say people who can gain any power by "learning" it, has existed in other mediums and in fact the character that had that power was one of the most interesting in that medium and it was because of that power.

This Guy

[Bibliophilia]

Sylar had to stick his fingers in people's brains and wiggle them around to 'learn' their power.  At least, at first.  And he had the distinction of being the only villain against which the entire rest of the cast was fighting.  That definitely balances one's presence in a medium.

[Black Howling]

I mean GM's ruling is final and I'm not trying to dispute that I just want to say people who can gain any power by "learning" it, has existed in other mediums and in fact the character that had that power was one of the most interesting in that medium and it was because of that power.

This Guy

Locke wasn't saying it wasn't interesting, just that in a literary sense it wasn't. Being a collaborative effort, someone who's power to be unique eliminates everyone else's isn't interesting. It lends itself to main character syndrome, which as you'll note the two characters capable of that in Heroes were the main characters. In a collaborative, group effort, that tends to kill games and slowly make others lose interest because it's no longer interesting for them when another person steals the spotlight by simple fact of being.

In other words, awesome for a show, not so much for a game with multiple writers. I'm not saying this was Dina's intent or everyone is like this, but  it doesn't change the fact that a lot of people are. And with good reason.

[Cuchulainn]

Locke wasn't saying it wasn't interesting, just that in a literary sense it wasn't. Being a collaborative effort, someone who's power to be unique eliminates everyone else's isn't interesting. It lends itself to main character syndrome, which as you'll note the two characters capable of that in Heroes were the main characters. In a collaborative, group effort, that tends to kill games and slowly make others lose interest because it's no longer interesting for them when another person steals the spotlight by simple fact of being.

In other words, awesome for a show, not so much for a game with multiple writers. I'm not saying this was Dina's intent or everyone is like this, but  it doesn't change the fact that a lot of people are. And with good reason.

See my point was just that I disagree that it isn't interesting in a literary sense as I just see a lot of interesting stories could come from it. Of characters slowly growing closer over time and as there relationship grows, suddenly one of the people in this relationship spontaneously develops this ability that gives the two of them this common ground to bond over. That they no longer walk this lonely path alone and that together they can seek to build each other up and assist them in dealing with the various issues and impacts these abilities would have in their life.

But I do fully agree that, unless role-played incredibly careful and with great trepidation that the power could prove disastrous to the group. And that in a group game it is better to err on the side of caution.

[Lockepick]

Thank you, BH.

I'm not saying that the idea of a copy-cat, or a power negator, isn't an interesting choice. I'm not saying there can't be some awesome dramatic moments stemming from that power set. I'm not saying the idea is inherently bad in any way, nor am I saying the idea can't work in a some mediums.

Not every trope/idea/concept works in every medium. Lengthy flashbacks can be great in a book, but they don't work as well in a movie, and they work even less in a play. Play by post, and a few others, are special because there is no audience -- only other collaborators, all of which are equal. We all have to share the spotlight, and any character that can invalidate another character (or EVERY character) -- even if you add a paragraph about how she had such a rough morning and how her powers have a thousand drawbacks -- still steals that spotlight.

This is kind of PbP Etiquette 101 -- It's the same thing that stops me from bringing in gender-bent Male!Siryn without talking to the guy playing Banshee first -- except a character that has every power effects everybody, present and future. (I don't actually care about the minute differences between Siryn and Banshee -- hopefully my point is clear that two Sound/Voice based Irish dudes would have some overlap.)

Layla, as an NPC, is not beholden to this logic. NPCs are really just plot devices, and I trust the GM isn't just going to turn this into the 'Layla and Friends' show -- or else I wouldn't be in the game.

@Cuchulainn: Sure, even in a PbP, that could be a fun scene -- sounds like a great 1x1 -- but if you're putting it in a group game, you can't just ignore the impact it has on every OTHER character that's also effected by it.

[Cuchulainn]

No I do see your point and I agree with all you are saying but I think that, basically we just have a difference of opinion on how severe the impact would be on a group roleplay. My view could be wrong and just done to having less experience with the issue.

But I have enjoyed the discussion.

[Lady Lunarius]

Aja Warren please.....I'm face claiming her and I'll be Iming you soon to talk about her a bit.

[Black Howling]

Aja Warren please.....I'm face claiming her and I'll be Iming you soon to talk about her a bit.

* Black Howling holds Vyrus down as he tries to get the webcam going.

[DinaFlower]

I feel like people misunderstand what I am trying to get at. I understand what all of you are saying. But the power thing would not be seeing it and doing it. It would take so much time and work that she could maybe learn 3 in her life time. And she would never fully learn one in RP even if it was okay'd. Because I agree that is intruding on other people's things. But it is what she is working for. I am not saying she will do it. But it is what she WANTS to do. And I was going to use that to form a relationship with someone. She would want to study everything about them to learn how their power works. And maybe, some day, after a ton of RP, she gets that power on a VERY basic level. But again, that is still just a maybe.

[Aida Rose]

I feel like people misunderstand what I am trying to get at. I understand what all of you are saying. But the power thing would not be seeing it and doing it. It would take so much time and work that she could maybe learn 3 in her life time. And she would never fully learn one in RP even if it was okay'd. Because I agree that is intruding on other people's things. But it is what she is working for. I am not saying she will do it. But it is what she WANTS to do. And I was going to use that to form a relationship with someone. She would want to study everything about them to learn how their power works. And maybe, some day, after a ton of RP, she gets that power on a VERY basic level. But again, that is still just a maybe.

That's a great idea for a connection. Like how sometimes fish outta water types will pick a "native" to shadow.