Simbon's Broken Science Tourney
OK, here's an initial draft of the rules. Can I get any interested parties?
Simbon’s Broken Science Tourney
Each participant gets to draft 3 characters, only one of whom can be above mid-meta, and none of whom may be above low-herald (magneto level cap).
In this tourney, only scientists from comics can be drafted. As far as what counts as a scientist, I want to have as wide a definition as is possible. This could not only include classic scientists like Lex, Reed or Pym, but also scientists who have only appeared in one or two comics, or whose only scientific feat was accidentally giving themselves powers (like the Lizard). I would even allow someone like the Accomplished Perfect Physician. The main thing is that the character in question has at least one feat that can be described as a “scientific accomplishment.” Really though, drafts will be judged less on the basis of that definition than on the classic principle of “I know a scientist when I see one.” However, characters whose scientific abilities stem from innate powers are not permitted — so no Warlock, Jeffries, or the like.
Prep time is awarded according to how many of your drafts have previously been used on KMC’s battlezone (you must declare when drafting whether or not that character has been previously drafted): If all of your characters have been used before, your team receives one minute of prep-time. If you only have one previously undrafted character, your team gets an hour. Two undrafted characters will get your team a day. And if no one on your team has been drafted before, you get one full week.
Fourth Man Prize: If no one on your team is above mid-meta, and none of your team members have been drafted before on KMC’s Battlezone, you may draft a fourth scientist for your team, provided that that scientist has also never been drafted, and is also mid-meta or lower.
Henchman Option: By opting for the next lower prep-time bracket, you may also draft an additional, non-scientist member for your team, provided that that member is either a henchman or team-member to a character you’ve already drafted. This henchman must be low-herald or lower. For instance, if you had a team with Reed Richards on it and a day’s worth of prep, you could opt to only have one hour of prep in order to draft Thing, Torch, or Sue.
Limit: Characters cannot amp to a level, or produce any effect, that is beyond the power of a high herald.
Prep takes place at the base of one of your team-members, but characters are allowed to go anywhere, retrieve objects, et cetera, provided those locations are known and accessible to them.
Time travel and time manipulation are both allowed, with the following exceptions:[list]
[*]Nothing done during prep can affect the other team; therefore, you cannot go back in time to kill ancestors, affect your opponents’ equipment, et cetera.
[*]Time travel and time manipulation cannot be used to create time-duplicates.
[*]Time travel and time manipulation cannot be used to get around prep-time limitations. For instance, if your character can build a killer robot that can duplicate itself once every 24 hours, you cannot go back in time and plant the robot on some uninhabited moon in order to pick up a gajillion robot duplicates thousands of years later.
[*]Time manipulation can be used offensively, but not to make attacks against which there is no practical defense: freezing time, trapping people in time loops, and BFR-ing people to different times would all be illegal, for instance.
[/list]
Summons/Constructs are allowed, but summons cannot be above high-meta in power (abomination is the cap), and can only amp or be shielded under their own power, while constructs that are created during the course of prep without being summoned may be up to high herald level in power, and may be amped by other team-members (though they cannot amp beyond the high herald limit). Only beings whose behavior can reasonably be accounted for may be summoned; that is, it is fine to summon an established ally or henchman, or someone who can be controlled through the summoning process, or even mindless, uncontrollable creatures that will simply attack anyone nearby; it would not be OK, however, to summon an uncontrolled, intelligent creature with no amicable relationship to the summoner, as there would be no way to make claims about the summoned being’s behavior.
Duplication and Power-Copying are not allowed as powers, but may be accomplished through other means.
Immortal/Unkillable Characters are generally not allowed, but may be allowed in specific cases if the other participants do not object beforehand that a KO or the equivalent counts as permanent for the sake of the match. In short, characters who always regenerate back like Mr. Sinister might be permitted, but truly unkillable ones like Per Degaton will not be allowed under any circumstances.
BFR is allowed. However, in order to be licit, any BFR method used must be theoretically avoidable. For instance, opening up a portal and pushing someone through it is fine; hitting someone with a ray that sends them to another dimension is fine; but automatically teleporting people away is not.
Mind-control is allowed.
Manipulation of or attacks on souls are forbidden.
Battle-field Destruction is forbidden, but this is meant only to prevent destroying the battle-field as a strategy, not to prevent high-end attacks. So, if your team contrives a method of creating a black-hole, or delivering an attack of planet-destroying power, that is fine,— but the battle-field will not be destroyed by these attacks.
Vehicles and standard equipment are allowed, provided they do not take a character above the limit they were drafted under. Vehicles built during prep, however, are subject only to the high herald limitation. Summoned beings and constructs may also be protected by a vehicle’s defenses without breaking the amp/shielding limit.
Matches Will last one week, with each team limited to one prep post, and no more than ten subsequent posts in the match. After each match, all of the tournament-participants who were not actively involved in a given match have 48 hours to give a ruling (you don’t have to, but it will help everyone if you do). These should clearly explain what they see as the strengths and weaknesses of each side, and should assign points to each time according to their creativity, effectiveness, and debating technique. Up to five points may be awarded in each category, and the vote goes to the team with the most points (not necessarily the team that would actually win in battle), with the team with the most votes winning the match. Rulings which simply state a winner and assign points, or provide empty explanations like: “Team X just seemed more convincing” will not be counted. If less than three other participants have responded by the end of the 48 hour judging period, an additional 24 hours will be granted in which any senior forum member may vote (provided they give a detailed explanation of their ruling). While it’s true that people will have incentives to vote one way or another in order to avoid a certain team, or in order to go up against a team they think they are sure to beat, I trust people to be better than this, and hope that this method of judging will make things proceed smoothly.
The Tournament will be double elimination.