PU2 Supersoldier

[Glistam]

I understand that the supersoldier class in PU2 gives the super soldier enhancements with any of the methods for having powers, whether it's super powers or juicer conversion or psionics.

Specifically, though, regarding the latent psionic option, does the character gain new powers and ISP as they advance same as the latent psionic in the Psionic class? The supersoldier category seems to indicate this, but that seems like it's taking away from the Psionic class itself.

Yeah, Palladium isn't balanced, blah blah blah. But still, I wonder if anyone else has a different interpretation of this?

[AlanGunhouse]

It depends on whether gaining new powers is concidered an "ability" of the Latent. It does seem to subtract from the uniqeness of a class if several other classes can duplicate everything it can do

[Glistam]

I think ultimately what I'll consider for this combination is that the Super Soldier with the Latent Psionic ability doesn't increase their number of psionics as they advance, similar to what happens when a Mutant gets psionics with their powers. The ISP, however, will increase normally.

I think this takes less uniqueness away from the Psionic class itself, since the Latent Psionic as found under psionics continues to increase their psionic armory, while the supersoldier just has to keep makign due with how they were made.

That also keeps it in line with the other supersoldier options, since they also don't add new powers as they level up (except maybe the crazy, I really didn't read those sections too in depth since I'm familiar with their counterparts from Rifts).

[znbrtn]

i think that's why it says to choose the latent over the master psychic. the master psychic is still the big boy on the block when it comes to mental abilities.

[Blight]

Psychic supersoldier are just sick. Combining supersoldier's skill with the right Psychic powers makes for an amazing combination.

[Stattick]

Well, in anything other then a specifically designed "low powered" game, psychics and mages are underpowered period. Mostly it comes from the high powered super-psi powers and mid to high powered spells costing so much isp or ppe - within a few short rounds, the mage or psi is powerless if they bring out the big powers. Meanwhile, Mr APS: Fire has no such limitation or worry.

In anything other then the lowest powered games, no one should be running a Latent Psychic - not only are they underpowered which means that it will probably be a lousey player experience to play a character that gets outclassed by their team mates in 90% of the situations that they will encounter, but they usually have far fewer hp/sdc/AR then the other PC's. So you've got an underpowered character that's just trying not to get killed. Chances are, most of the other players will have characters that are far more satisfying to play.

Now, the PU2 supersoldier/latent psychic option actually gives a player a viable psychic character. Sure, they definately get the short end of the stick when it comes to their ISP and psychic abilities (compared to the Master Psychic), but at least they're survivable, and have the skills to back up an actual combatent instead of playing a character that nessisarily has to hide and skulk once the guns and powers start blazing.

The problem is that Pally just ported over the magi and psychics almost unaltered from their other settings - in makes sense in a cross-dimensional context, but it doesn't match up to genre expectations. How often does the comic book mage just run out of juice and go out of the fight entirely? It almost never happens; instead, they take a quick breather and come out firing off their basic spells again, or find an untapped reserve of power, and pull out the big spells.

So the problem IMHO isn't that the PU2 supersoldier psychic is overpowered, but rather that HU2 psychics and mages are generally underpowered compared to genre expectations.

[RockJock]

The psychic option for the SS works well, per the above posts. Like the Eugenics and Alien with psychics, the SS with psychics gives the PC the extra edge he needs in a mid-high level campaign, and still play a psychic.

I've allowed a few additions in the past to let a straight Master Psychic, or Mystic Study compete with the big boys.

1-Let Mages and Psychics take standard spell magic/psychic powers from the greater Megaverse.

2-Allows Mages and Psychics to have a hand me down ancient relic. Not a Rune Weapon, or anything, but a PF style enchanted weapon, PPE battery, etc.

3-Let Psychics get the 3rd Eye abilities from Psyscape. They aren't that powerful, but every little bit can help.

4-Give the Psychic or Mystic Study access to a N&SS MA using the Revised Edition rules, especially if you don't normally let all classes have access to these.

5-Make the Psychic, or Mystic Study part of some secret society, or governmental organization that grants them access to special equipment. This could be TW armor/weapons, or something like the British Excalibur from Rifts: England. Another guide is a Chaos Earth article about England in one of the Rifters ( I have no idea which one).

6-Give either class one spell, or psychic power that they can use for free, probably something offensive. Let this be their signature attack. A Fireball, or TK isn't that overpowering. You can always limit it to twice a round, or something.

7-Use specialized classes from other books. Allow a Psychic to be a Psi-Slayer, a a Mage be a Battle-Magi, or even a Mystic Knight.

8-Give a Mystic Study minor, or major psychics as per Rifts. If you are playing with both this probably won't work, unless you do something for the Psychic as well.

9-Bring in the Magic Specialization from one of the Nightbane books. Just a small boost, and more for fluff then anything.

10-Cheat and give either class the max ISP, or PPE instead of rolling for it.

[gaby]

What is add to the supersoldier ability table in PU2 that is not in HU?

[RockJock]

PU2 adds the Super Soldier as a stand alone class, instead of just a subset of the Experiment. It gives several additional Super Soldier abilities like different kinds of enhanced healing, or unbreakable bones. PU2 also gives us new combinations. You can build what is basically a Juicer as a SS, or a Latent Psychic with several super soldier abilities.

Basically, PU2 add variety to the SS.

[Glistam]

We tried having latent psionicists, and it gets too messy. Everyone has to keep track of ISP whether or not they are a latent psionicist because you never know what's going to happen if you open the radioactive container in the corner.

I don't understand this. If someone doesn't have psionic powers, then why do they have to keep track of ISP?

[Overlord Rikonius]

We tried having latent psionicists, and it gets too messy. Everyone has to keep track of ISP whether or not they are a latent psionicist because you never know what's going to happen if you open the radioactive container in the corner.

I don't understand this. If someone doesn't have psionic powers, then why do they have to keep track of ISP?

Our groups ruling on this (and yes, this question came up) was that at any given time in a comic book/superhero world, anything could happen. Including becoming some mutated variety of whatever class you were based on things that happened in the campaign. Meaning that you could, at some point, end up with some psionic abilities.

In all actuality, it follows the same principle as bionics. If my character loses an arm and I have the cash, I can attempt to contact some military organization and volunteer with a donation (love how you have to donate to be a volunteer) to have a bionic replacement created and grafted to my shoulder. And in our campaigns, we ruled that if this could happen, why not (among other things) psionics?

So why not just figure the ISP when the guy becomes psychic?

[gaby]

I like to known what is the number of New SuperSoldier,s treatments in Powers Unlimited2?

I known from Heroes Unlimited revised second edition thers 10.
I just want to known the number of Treatments I can pic from now.