So a thought occurred to me...

[David Lewis]

We know that Doug had no conscious control over the activation of his magegift - other then avoiding music. So if he doesn't have his helmet or a tuneplug or similar and he hears music, something will happen, he can't suppress his power from activating. 

Is this a widely known fact in the Warriors universe? Or even by just a few or singular enemies? 

'Cause I had this vision of Doug being tied up somewhere and forced to listen to music by his captors, in the hopes they could use his powers for their benefit. If he was tied up, conscious and unable to block out or ignore any music around him, his power would activate right? What if it was a dangerous power to himself or other people? What if in hopes of torturing him, an enemy made him a victim of his own powers?

Surely some evil force would eventually find a way to take advantage of that.... (evil grin)

[Bob Schroeck]

None of our GMs ever came up with that nasty little twist. Supers with sensory deprivation powers, yeah... kidnapping and trying songs on him to get something they could use... nope.

Let's hope no one in the campaign is reading right now. <grin>

[hazard]

It's a roll of the dice every time they do that.

Sure, they could get something useful. They may also give Doug a new combat power. Or potentially worse, a poorly controlled expression of his power.

I mean, not every song is a Konya wa Hurricane, but that's a barely controlled damage effect across a large area. One with a distinct and distinctly unsubtle detectable visual component.

And every time they try to stuff a new song at Doug, they risk giving him a power he can use to get out, because predicting what power a song gives is difficult at best. It might be 'summon hurricane' or it might be 'speed of light movement'. Or it could be 'make everyone in the area of effect belch up slugs'.

[LynnInDenver]

Made even worse by the fact that, if Doug hasn't heard the song before, it doesn't have any effect... although if his magegift will provide a power, he'll at least be aware that it will, and can make an educated guess as to what that power will be.

Now, combined that with his teammates trying to come get him, and it's practically a recipe for disaster for whoever might try it.

[Bob Schroeck]

With the right set of "too dumb to live" crooks it would be terribly fun, though.

[classicdrogn]

it's practically a recipe for disaster for whoever might try it.

Since when did that eever stop a supervillain from doing something? Especially the ones who fancy themselves masterminds?

[hazard]

Really, the safest option would be if the main villain has a thing for opera or something, and knowing Doug doesn't know Italian, plays Italian opera over the PA as an alternative to modern day music that may trigger his mage gift.

Unfortunately, either due to a mix up in the playlist or due to Doug expanding his horizons, an opera plays which he does understand. And triggers his mage gift.

Things get... interesting the next time those records play.

[robkelk]

With the right set of "too dumb to live" crooks it would be terribly fun, though.

"Sangnoir, shut up shutting up."

[Shepherd]

Even with Doug's body armor, incredible agility, and probability warping fields protecting him, it'd probably still be easier to just shoot him repeatedly than to fry his earpiece and get him to sit still through the entirety of Tom Smith's "When This Song Is Over You Will Die," and that assumes he's heard it entirely through before, it counts as a power song, and it does exactly what the lyrics imply:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX97kkOxQtY

[Bob Schroeck]

Yeah, there is that. If you've got him essentially tied down, shooting him is easier than trying to make his power do something unpleasant.

[hazard]

If you want to mess with Doug's magic, your best bet as an opponent is to blast 5 second snippets of every known powersong you don't want to deal with across your entire base as loudly as possible. Either Doug can't use his power, or he triggers 12 different songs per minute, none of which he can use again.

[ckosacranoid]

Or force him to listen to Alice's restaurant for the 45 minutes plus of the song.

[robkelk]

Or force him to listen to Alice's restaurant for the 45 minutes plus of the song.

Bad idea. "You can get anything you want", after all. (Excepting Alice.)

[classicdrogn]

I was about to ask how dangerous an infinite supply of small-town restaurant food could be, but then I remembered that this is in the hands of someone who calls himself Looney Toons as a superhero codename.

[hazard]

Just for starters; an infinite supply of small town restaurant condiments is a potential slipping hazard.

[Bob Schroeck]

Don't forget what Doug did to a Boomer with just a bottle of ketchup and a broomstick...

[Norgarth]

creme pie anyone?

[classicdrogn]

Don't forget what Doug did to a Boomer with just a bottle of ketchup and a broomstick...

Let alone with shovels an' rakes an' implements of DEE-struction! (Such as one might find in a small town restaurant's supply closet, particularly when they are also prominment in the song.)

[Ebony]

creme pie anyone?

Some of us are old enough to know how every Three Stooges short ends. Including Doug.

Ebony

[ckosacranoid]

Yes, but the thought of his limited time for songs. this one would be lots of time to do things and who knows what it might be, but fun to think about though with that song. and how Alice is going to react to her place being ground zero.

[classicdrogn]

Well for starters, you've got time to pick up a bunch of tools from the closet and go move a bunch of garbage or similar debris. Still not a LOT of time, but if he's got some friends to help there's a lot you can do in half an hour.

[ECSNorway]

Let us not forget the summoning of the poooo-lice. And the DRAFT BOARD.

[robkelk]

And the Group W bench.

(looks at DW-5)

[jonathanlennox]

And when you have a pile of garbage, it lets you find another pile of garbage to put it on!