Gorilla Grodd vs Emma Frost

[Sharpandpointies]

Yeah, doing this in a story I'm supposedly writing/rewriting this year. It's just the smart play, given the sheer variety of threats most super teams face.

In a current, near-future 'metahuman' game (there are no costumes and they aren't 'superheroes' even if I'm using rules from a SH RPG), I have a nano-tech enhanced character and an alchemist.

They've cooperated to make alchemical nanotechnology, and the resulting creations they've doled out to the other two characters in the group have gotten a little out of hand. ^_^ As well as the alterations to their character sheets as they purchase new stuff.

[Sharkerbob]

In a current, near-future 'metahuman' game (there are no costumes and they aren't 'superheroes' even if I'm using rules from a SH RPG), I have a nano-tech enhanced character and an alchemist.

They've cooperated to make alchemical nanotechnology, and the resulting creations they've doled out to the other two characters in the group have gotten a little out of hand. ^_^ As well as the alterations to their character sheets as they purchase new stuff.

Cool stuff! "Alchemical Nanotech" is a great idea!

In my case, the story is set in a giant crossover planet (think Battleworld from Secret Wars), and all the superteams and adventurer guilds from various worlds have formed a giant support Network between them. Not a lot of my magic systems are actually teachable, but most members of the Network get some basic magic training for the few disciplines that can be spread, most of them get a magic artifact and a customized tech weapon, and even the non-power armor users at least have access to power armors in case of heavy duty fighting. Seems a little OP at first glance, but it's a practical response to the fact all their various threats are now also on the same world with them, some of whom have also combined their resources. A lot of the heavy hitters among the heroes were lost to the early Wars that have already devastated the planet, so all the low- and mid-tier heroes have had to pile on the upgrades to keep pace.

[Allan93]

I'd lean towards Emma Frost. Her telepathic abilities combined with her diamond form make her a formidable opponent. Plus, she's got that strategic mindset that could give her the upper hand against Grodd's brute strength.

[Sharpandpointies]

Cool stuff! "Alchemical Nanotech" is a great idea!

In my case, the story is set in a giant crossover planet (think Battleworld from Secret Wars), and all the superteams and adventurer guilds from various worlds have formed a giant support Network between them. Not a lot of my magic systems are actually teachable, but most members of the Network get some basic magic training for the few disciplines that can be spread, most of them get a magic artifact and a customized tech weapon, and even the non-power armor users at least have access to power armors in case of heavy duty fighting. Seems a little OP at first glance, but it's a practical response to the fact all their various threats are now also on the same world with them, some of whom have also combined their resources. A lot of the heavy hitters among the heroes were lost to the early Wars that have already devastated the planet, so all the low- and mid-tier heroes have had to pile on the upgrades to keep pace.

It's just logical, especially in your situation. We have cooperation, it's in everyone's best interests to actually help each other out. And nobody in that situation should be silly and say 'no, I like spandex.'

[Sharkerbob]

It's just logical, especially in your situation. We have cooperation, it's in everyone's best interests to actually help each other out. And nobody in that situation should be silly and say 'no, I like spandex.'

"Spandex, huh? Hmm... you know, we might still have a symbiote-in-a-jar in storage. Just, uh, might wanna be real careful when yer castin' fireball spells." :B

[Sharpandpointies]

I'd lean towards Emma Frost. Her telepathic abilities combined with her diamond form make her a formidable opponent. Plus, she's got that strategic mindset that could give her the upper hand against Grodd's brute strength.

We've discussed some of this through the thread, but one thing to note is that part of Grodd's whole schtick is that he's a genius - scientific, strategic, and tactical.

[Shai-Hulud]

Agree with this also. Maaaan, in any superhero RPG's I've played, unless 'everything needs to be purchased with points' I get characters making magic stuff for the tech and powers group, the tech characters doing the same, etc. Gets hilarious after a point.

These players need a visit from the gods of Narrative Causality. The Fourth Wall breaks open and they see that their stories are in danger of being retired for lack of a consistent concept, negative fan mail, and low sales.

Big metaphysical voices can be heard echoing, "Yes, so-and-so has become ridiculous." "I'll tone him down." "No, I've already written a great death scene for him and his family which will boost sales."

That'll learn 'em.

[Captain Morgan]

I'd lean towards Emma Frost. Her telepathic abilities combined with her diamond form make her a formidable opponent. Plus, she's got that strategic mindset that could give her the upper hand against Grodd's brute strength.

The problem as most of us see it is that as far as we know she can't actually combine her diamond form and her telepathy. When she is in diamond form, she can't use her psychic powers. I recall one page of the Joss Whedon X-Men run showing her doing it, but it just came across as an art error at the time.

If she can now use both at the same time, she probably wins based on super telepathic skill. Otherwise, she can't survive long enough in human form to leverage her telepathy properly. And her diamond form wouldn't have enough strength to put Grodd down, though a repulsor gauntlet could potentially change that.... And all this assumes Grodd doesn't have super speed right now, in which case he blitzes for the win.

[Postmania]

Mood.

Also makes you wonder why, in a world where the superhero community is so intermingled, they don't just have every hero learning magic and packing gadgets on top of their usual powerset. :B

(From a writing standpoint, I know why, it's just something that's always bugged me a little.)

This is probably why I prefer my settings to be more self-contained these days. Cuts down on the "why isn't x character who's a professional hero/villain getting symbiotes/extremis/training with Strange/picking up thrown away magical artifacts and becoming huge generalists" and having to come up with reasons.

[Jcogginsa]

QuickDraw, and Emma reaching out for a mental grapple to drag him onto the astral plane feels more complex and therefore slower than ‘TK bolt!’….even if Grodd didn’t potentially have enhanced reflexes.

Mileage may vary.

1. I was talking about more regular psychic combat, not Astral plain shenanigans
2. I wasn't contesting Grodd's ability to win a quickdraw, I was questioning whether he could simultaneously launch a TK attack and mount psychic defenses.

[Sharpandpointies]

These players need a visit from the gods of Narrative Causality. The Fourth Wall breaks open and they see that their stories are in danger of being retired for lack of a consistent concept, negative fan mail, and low sales.

Big metaphysical voices can be heard echoing, "Yes, so-and-so has become ridiculous." "I'll tone him down." "No, I've already written a great death scene for him and his family which will boost sales."

That'll learn 'em.

^_^ I'm fine with my players being creative. It's not an adversarial relationship.

1. I was talking about more regular psychic combat, not Astral plain shenanigans
2. I wasn't contesting Grodd's ability to win a quickdraw, I was questioning whether he could simultaneously launch a TK attack and mount psychic defenses.

1. Fair enough, but then we have a situation of 'Emma needs to get her psi-bolts through Grodd's defenses.' Even if Emma can get through those defenses PDQ, she still needs to get THROUGH them. Contrast that to Grodd's PK, which...doesn't need to get through anything to utterly destroy Emma's squishy body.
2. Given that psychic defenses don't drop the moment telepaths do other stuff with their psychic abilities - like, if Emma psychically attacks, it doesn't leave her completely open to an attack in return - I'm personally pretty cool with Grodd having psychic shields up while firing his PK.

Edit: As an example, Jean Grey has always been doing stuff like 'forging psychic links between teammates, chatting telepathically, and defending her teammates telepathically' while using her PK.

Will Grodd's defenses be as strong as if he were solely concentrating on 'full Telepathic Defense!'? I would guess not. Would he still have psychic defenses? Yes. Is Grodd a decently powerful telepath? Absolutely. Can Emma get through his defenses? She's highly skilled and quite powerful, I would say absolutely she can.

Will she need to put at least the barest effort to get through them? Yes - again, Grodd is a decently powerful telepath himself.

Does Grodd need to do anything more than clip Emma with his rather powerful Psychokinesis to bust her up? Nope.

I'm still leaning Grodd because of this - Grodd has at least SOME Psychic Defenses, and if Emma is using her telepathy she has scratch-zero defense against becoming geography the moment Grodd uses his PK.

[Jcogginsa]

I'm also leaning Grodd, for the record. His superior speed clinches it