Headquarters Help

[Blarghy]

So, I recently wrote up a few news posts about the Headquarters I want to buy for Leviathan, using my Bronze reward.  I know what I want in terms of theme and fluff, and I've got some rough ideas on the mechanics, but I'd like more advice on that front.  Here's my starting draft:

 

24 + 11 = 35EP [7PP]

 

Headquarters: 24EP
Size: Huge [3]
Toughness: 20 [3]
Features: Communications, Computer, Concealed, Defense System (Suffocate 12 [Water Descriptor]), Dock, Gym, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory 2 (Masterwork), Library, Living Space, Pool, Power (Healing 12), Power System, Security System, Self-Repairing, Workshop.  [18]

 

Submarine: 10EP
Defense: 8
Size: Huge [2]
Speed: Swimming 4 (25MPH) [4]
Strength: 40 [2]
Toughness: 14 [1]
Features: Remote Control, Self-Repairing [2]

As you can see, I'm not even using half of the 15PP I have available, so there's plenty of room for additions.  If you have any advice, some other features you think would be appropriate based on my news posts, then I'd love more input.  Aside from that, I have a few specific questions and concerns:

 

1) The main theme is a living, organic lair, of course.  The only mechanical feature I have to back that up, so far, is just Self-Repairing on both the vehicle and the headquarters itself.  Is there anything else I can do to enhance the idea?  Going all-out and giving either of them a Constitution score seems like it'd open up a whole lot of other problems.  Could I get a Power for immunity from mechanical hacking and such as that, and combine it with a Complication that makes both of these items vulnerable to biological attacks?  For example, the "ship" and its submarine don't really have locks to pick, but another biologist, or someone with life magic, or a whole range of similar possibilities should be well-suited to invade or damage them. 

 

2) The secondary theme is a place of overwhelming healthiness and healing, like a recovery spa of the gods.  I've gotten some mixed opinions about this in the Chat; some of the mods were tentatively on board with letting me use Regeneration (Affects Others), but others have said that shouldn't be rules-legal.  I'm using the Healing power as a placeholder at the moment, but that's not really what I want; it shouldn't be quite that fast or drastic.  I could lower the ranks and use the rest of those points on other things to enhance the theme, perhaps; can Immunities have the Affects Others extra?  Because Immunity (Disease) would just be excellent, as would Aging (Half-Effect).  Thoughts?

 

3) Right now I've only made the Laboratory a Masterwork feature, but I'm interested in applying that to others as well, mainly the Computer, Infirmary, Library, and perhaps the Workshop (which could be just limited to Chemical Crafting, if that's more appropriate).  I think my posts backed this up, but I don't want to be crass about it.  Is there an unspoken rule about not overusing Masterwork items?  It's not a huge benefit, but I don't want to overdo it either.  Similarly, I can kick up Concealed and Security System a rank or two, if that's appropriate. 

 

4) The core rulebook says that unless the GM allows otherwise, then the Living Space feature only provides for as many people as the PL level (which I assume is tied to Leviathan like all the other features).  So, I wrote in a dozen full suites, but a lot of smaller living quarters as well--the kind of thing that might tie into the Personnel feature later down the road, and maybe Minions.  Is this fine as-is, or should I buy more than one rank of Living Space? 

 

5) For Defense Systems, my idea is that the lair is attacking intruders by strategically flooding rooms or hallways.  Does that fit the mechanics, or do I need to somehow apply the Area extra to it (maybe by using multiple ranks of the Power feature)?  If Defense Systems automatically attack all intruders at once, and keep attacking, then I guess I only need to have a Complication specifying that if anybody in a room gets hit, then *everybody* has to deal with it.  Otherwise, I'd like a way to mechanically show that a given area is now filled with water. 

 

6) Once the November points come in, I plan to get an alternate identity Benefit to reflect how Leviathan is using this project as part of his cover identity.  Should I also include a similar feature in the headquarters itself, or is that good enough?

 

I think those are my main worries, but it's very possible that I've overlooked some other problems, so let me know if you see any issues (and hopefully also let me know about possible solutions!). 

[hszmv]

So, I would posit this issue with the defense system:  If your thing is underwater, than the chances that the intruder can survive at that depth are pretty high... It's not that you couldn't have a guy in scuba gear, but given the amount of Atlanteans I've seen from browsing the sight, it's not like it's uncommon...  You might want to add some non-environmental based defenses.   Maybe include an open circuit system that is high off the ground... this will create no power issues under normal operation, but when the compartment is flooded, it closes the circuit and shocks the intruders (Water and Electricity == bad, or Things I've learned from Pokemon)...  should cover your people who survive the first round drowning?  Include something about low amp discharge, so you don't kill them... but you're first defense involves drowning, so... yeah...

 

[Blarghy]

Indeed, most of the people who make it to the base (or just steal Leviathan's sub, which is purely meant to shuttle down guests who can't tolerate the water anyway) will laugh it off.  I want it this way, though.  I'll elaborate on this point further during play, but the "ship" has a number of tactical vulnerabilities and general poor decisions (for example, multiple stairwells run through every level with no way for defenders to close them off, or large areas where invaders could entrench themselves quickly and be much harder to dig out, some of them right near the docking bay, which would let smart enemies lock that down too and bring in more of their friends).  In part I'm setting up future problems for my character and allies to overcome, but I also want to include some signs that point at the base's real origins.  A real alien ship designed by professionals should have electrical knockout devices to go with the flooding, and a lot of other precautionary measures as well, and the fact that it doesn't should seem peculiar to the more experienced heroes who visit.

 

That said, in the future I think I'll add other features to fix the problem.  Probably plant-based defenses, like Snares and the Paralyze power, such as that.