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View Full Version : ASHHPD or Portal Gun, and the Gravity Gun [Major Artifacts]



TheLogman
2007-10-13, 11:50 PM
Aperture Science Hand-Held Portal Device, or the "Portal Gun"

This device is a white arm-length glove made of some alien combination of metal and some other strange materials. The first, lesser, ability of this glove-like device is a telekinesis-like power. The Glove can carry and manipulate up to 25 pounds of matter at a time, although the matter cannot be larger than 3 feet in any dimension. This function of the device allows for a player to manipulate this matter with little or no concentration, and leave the other hand free. Also, matter carried in this way cannot be disarmed without first disarming the wielder of the Portal device itself. The Matter manipulated may not be Organic. The wielder must in the square in or directly next to the object he is manipulating, and must be able to see it. If a fragile container, including but not exclusive to a flask carrying Alchemist's fire, Holy Water, or Acid is handled, the wielder can manipulate the object as normal, but must make a concentration check every other round the object is carried against DC 10 to handle it carefully. If that check is failed, the object is smashed by the energies of the gun, and the contents spill. A Character may substitute a Knowledge: Technology check for a Concentration check when trying to keep a fragile object steady.

The second, greater function of the Portal Gun is the ability to fire two "portals" to anywhere in the wielder's line of sight. A wielder has the choice to fire either an orange or a blue portal, and once one of each color is fired, a link is established between them. A portal can be placed on any surface that is not Lead or organic, and is solid. For instance, a wielder of the gun can place a portal on Ice, Steel, Plastic, Brick, or (Dead) Wood, but not a Tree, a person, Water, Acid, Lead, or Paper. When a Blue or Orange Portal is already placed, and the wielder launches another of the same type, the location of the already standing portal changes to the new location. At any time, the wielder can mentally discharge both portals as a Standard Action.

Firing a portal is a free action. A character of Medium size can easily walk, jump, or fall through a portal, but a Large Character must squeeze through with a DC 13 Escape Artist check. A character can also see through the portal, can send items though, stab a weapon through, and spell casters can fire spells through the portals, except those of the Electicity Descriptor (See Below). Any person or object moving at a speed maintains the speed while moving through the portals, so that a character falling at 50 feet per round falls through a Blue Portal, he flies out of the Orange Portal at 50 feet per round until Gravity takes effect. Transportation between the portals is instantaneous, and as long as the Wielder of the Portal gun is within 500 feet of the portals, and the wielder is not subject to to spells of the Electicity Descriptor, and does not walk into an anti-magic field or an electrical field, the portals remain stable.

The Portal gun, however, is not perfect. If the Portal gun is completely submerged in water, Both Portals close, the wielder takes 3d6 Electricity damage, and the Gun is useless for 3d10 rounds. If the wielder steps into an Electrical field, or is the target of a spell with the Electicity descriptor, both portals close and the Gun is useless for 2d10 rounds. If the wielder steps into an anti-magic field, both portals close, and nothing else happens. Finally, if a spell with the Electicity descriptor is fired into a portal, the Portal explodes, dealing 2d10 Force damage to everything in 2 10 foot radius circles, one from each of the two portals. Both Portals then close.

MAJOR ARTIFACT Caster Level 20, Major Conjuration Aura.


The Gravity Gun

The Gravity Gun is a strange, glove-like device that fits around one's hand. It is made of a strange metal, but glows yellow on parts. A player with Ranks in Knowledge (Technology or Physics) or a high Intelligence can discern and unlock more power and features of the gun.

Level |Ranks/Intelligence Needed |Pounds Limit on Simple Manipulation | Thrust Strength|Gravity Bonus|Punt Distance|Damage when Flung| New Powers|

1|0|25|1d10|+2|15 feet| - |Simple Manipulation, Punt, Push
2|13 Ranks or 21 Intelligence|75|2d10|+3|25 feet| - |Ricochet, Steady Hand
3|18 Ranks or 27 Intelligence|150|2d12|+5|50 feet|2d8|Bio-Fling, Greater Ricochet

Simple Manipulation
The first, lesser, ability of this glove-like device is a telekinesis-like power. The Device can carry and manipulate from 25-150 (See Table Above) pounds of matter at a time, although the matter cannot be larger than 3 feet in any dimension. This function of the device allows for a player to manipulate this matter with little or no concentration, and leave the other hand free. Also, matter carried in this way cannot be disarmed without first disarming the wielder of the Gravity Gun itself. If a fragile container, including but not exclusive to a flask carrying Alchemist's fire, Holy Water, or Acid is handled, the wielder can manipulate the object as normal, but must make a concentration check every other round the object is carried against DC 10 to handle it carefully. If that check is failed, the object is smashed by the energies of the gun, and the contents spill. A Character may substitute a Knowledge: Technology check for a Concentration check when trying to keep a fragile object steady. The wielder must be within 20 feet of the object s/he is manipulating, and the object they are manipulating must be within their line of sight, and the path must be relatively unobstructed (A chain-link fence does not stop manipulation, but a Wall of Force or Glass Wall, as well as a brick wall, will.)

Punt
A second, more combat-Oriented use of the Gravity Gun is the ability to "Punt" objects. Any object picked being Manipulated can be launched as a standard action. The object fired flies the distance listed above, dealing the damage listed above should it strike someone. In order to hit a hostile opponent with a punted object, the wielder must succeed at a Ranged Touch attack but the wielder gains a bonus to attack as listed above. In effect, the Gravity Gun's magic eventually becomes more effective at both hitting, and at dealing damage. If a container containing a volatile chemical, such as a flask of Holy Water, Oil, Alchemist's fire, or Acid is punted, the target of the punt takes both the punt damage, and the damage (if any) from the chemical. The Chemical also deals splash damage against adjacent squares as if it was thrown.

Push
A Wielder may also take a Standard-action to fire a burst of Energy at an object. If he/she succeeds at a ranged Touch attack, they can push an object back 10 feet, or initiate a Bull-Rush Attempt against an unwilling target. If a Bull Rush is initiated, the Bull-Rush continues as normal, but it cannot be countered, and the wielder of the Gravity Gun not only gains the listed above Gravity Bonus, but also uses their Dexterity bonus to determine the winner in a Bull Rush.

Steady Hand When handling fragile containers, or containers containing a volatile chemical, the wielder not longer needs to make Concentration checks to avoid dropping or breaking them.


Ricochet
When "Punting" an object, the wielder may manipulate the object's gravity to bounce and hit a second target, but the object deals one die less damage, and the Wielder must succeed at a second range touch attack, but at a -5 to the attack. The Ricocheting object may not fly farther than the remaining flight distance. For instance, Gordon Freeman Punts a Barrel at a Combine Soldier 10 feet away. He succeeds at his Ranged Touch Attack, and the Solider takes 2d10 damage. Then, the barrel Ricochets, flying 15 feet to the left, Gordon makes another Ranged Touch Attack, at a -5 to check (Plus the +3 from the Gravity Gun, for at grand total of -2 to the attack), and succeeds, dealing 1d10 to the second Combine Solider.

Bio-Fling
Same as Simple Manipulation, "Punt", and Ricochet, except that organic material can be affected as well. If a creature is Punted into a wall or other surface, they take the listed above damage (2d8).

Greater Ricochet
Same as Ricochet, except that the object can be Ricocheted twice, the object deals constant damage, and takes no penalty to his/her Ranged Touch Attack after the first hit.

This Artifact is considered by Masters of the Unseen Hand to be the most ultimate and pure expression of their craft. If the Gravity Gun does not have a wielder, Masters of the Unseen Hand will pursue the Gun until they own it. If the Gravity Gun does has a wielder, any Master of the Unseen hand automatically treats the wielder as Friendly.

MAJOR ARTIFACT, Caster Level 20, Major Evocation and Transmutation Auras

Anxe
2007-10-14, 09:54 AM
Sweet. But why are they called guns instead of gloves?

TheLogman
2007-10-14, 10:05 AM
Added Clauses for Handling Volatile Chemicals or Fragile Objects, and added a bit about Masters of the Unseen Hand and the Gravity Gun.

EDIT: Probably because they both Launch stuff, and I'm using the names given in the games: Portal, and Half-Life. Not like it matters, if your campaign calls for a Gravity Gauntlet, and a Portal Glove, it's an easy change.

Anxe
2007-10-14, 10:17 AM
I like that Gravity Gun one. That'd be useful around the house.

13_CBS
2007-10-14, 10:24 AM
I'm wondering if, for fluff purposes, the Gravity Gun could punt stuff as a standard action (i.e. in lieu of an attack). You can certainly move while firing the grav gun, but you obviously can't shoot while you hold it (Aside from using the gun's powers, obviously).

TheLogman
2007-10-14, 01:27 PM
You're right, Standard makes more sense. Pushing, Punting, and Discharging Portals are all Standard instead of Move Actions.

BisectedBrioche
2007-10-14, 01:32 PM
I'm surprised no one's homebrewed any HEV plate armour yet. :smallamused:

Come to think of it, maybe will.

TheLogman
2007-10-14, 04:05 PM
Changing the Gravity Gun to a Major Evocation Aura, since it is really creating the zaps of energy, which then do stuff. I dunno why I had it at Abjuration. Also, why is telekinesis a Transmutation spell? It doesn't really change the object, just it's place in space. But then, what is telekinesis? It doesn't really fit any of the schools of magic, and neither does the Gravity Gun. I guess I will make the gun Transmutation and Evocation.

So, summary: Telekinesis doesn't have a good school choice, and I am changing the gun to auras of both Evocation (Zaps) and Transmutation (Same as telekineses)

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-10-14, 04:32 PM
I thought artifacts didn't have magical auras.

TheLogman
2007-10-14, 06:12 PM
Well, usually they wouldn't, because the things they do are so varied and unclassifiable. But I guess it doesn't matter, since an artifact is overwhelming and would just give a caster with Detect Magic a Huge Headache before they could concentrate on it. However, I'm keeping the auras up there anyway, if just to describe how the objects work and to give a better mental picture.

TheLogman
2007-10-16, 05:37 AM
Changed the Ranks and Intelligence needed to unlock the powers of the Gravity Gun, because as it was, the Intelligence and ranks were unequal in terms of when you can get them. I balanced that out, but it is still easier to unlock the gun using Intelligence, since you can use Tome and items for that.

Illiterate Scribe
2007-10-16, 05:56 AM
Now you're thinking with portals!
The cake is a lie
The two items are great? One question - do you have to have line of sight to an object to affect it with the gravity gun?

Maldraugedhen
2007-10-16, 06:46 AM
All of a sudden, with the portal guns, feather fall becomes a lot more helpful. Especially for accidental fall loops--or even necessary fall loops. Designing a dungeon like the Enrichment Center Training Course would be eeviil...

TheLogman
2007-10-16, 02:29 PM
Scribe, yes you have to have line of sight, but unlike the portal gun, where you have to be very close to the object to pick it up, you can pick up objects from up to 20 feet away. Also, things like fences do not stop the Gravity Gun, but a Wall of Force or a Glass wall will (As well as things that stop lines of sight)

Mewtarthio
2007-10-16, 05:14 PM
Why, exactly, do you have to spend extra effort to concentrate on keeping a volatile item steady? It appears that regular items aren't dropped if you get distracted. I don't understand why a flask of water is easier to manipulate than a flask of acid. Now, if you had to worry about keeping something upright, I'd understand a Concentration check, but most flasks of acid are either stoppered up or empty.

TheLogman
2007-10-16, 06:02 PM
That's bad wording on my part, I thought of volatile chemicals first, but I meant to say that anything in a fragile container is subject to breaking. The idea is that the first form of the Gravity Gun isn't as steady, and although it can carry regular stuff, you're gunna bump or bash or spill the fragile container without concentrating, just like in real life. I'll fix the wording.