Stealth While using powers

[Ndreare]

I am curious how others deal with chracters using stealth and powers.

As a general rule I allow plaers to use stealth with their powers at a penalty of -1 per five active points. Thhis even allows players to run while using stealth however they are at -1 per every 2.5" they move per phase so only a true master gets away with it.

So if a character wants to use his HKA/RKA to assasinate someone he does not automaticly have to be visable to every one within LOS.

[Derek Hiemforth]

By and large, I think it depends on SFX. A knife and a shotgun are both "visible," but one of them is a lot easier to use quietly. ;)

[Trebuchet]

I go strictly by special effect. A phaser blast is easy to spot. A rifle bullet from 600 meters away (Which is not considered a long sniper shot.) would be difficult to spot, and it would nearly impossible to spot the shooter unless he's out in the open and moving. On the other hand, the sniper at 600 meters probably can't see where his shot hit, and his bullets can easily be deflected by winds or characters with appropriate Missile Deflection. Not so with a laser for the most part.

Same with hand to hand attacks. That Light Saber™ will slice through a bulkhead, but don't expect to do that with your trusty katana even though both theoretically do the same damage. But it will be bright and loud compared to the steel blade.

[Gigakaiju]

Originally posted by Trebuchet
I go strictly by special effect. A phaser blast is easy to spot. A rifle bullet from 600 meters away (Which is not considered a long sniper shot.) would be difficult to spot, and it would nearly impossible to spot the shooter unless he's out in the open and moving. On the other hand, the sniper at 600 meters probably can't see where his shot hit, and his bullets can easily be deflected by winds or characters with appropriate Missile Deflection. Not so with a laser for the most part.

i take that you still mean phaser when you say laser, since lasers can be tuned to non-visible frequencies (and are nearly invisible without a lot of dust/reflective particles in any event) and i've generally imagined phasers as being more along the line of charged particle streams. Actually, IIRC ultraviolet is the optimal part of the spectrum against soft targets for a laser since it instantly converts the water in the target at the point of contact into steam. Steam explosions tend to negate the usual self-cauterizing wound effect. Still, extremely high energy lasers do tend to excite the air they pass through creating a brief flash and rather loud crack along the beam path. OTOH, if you're using conventional comic book/science fantasy physics laser beams travel much slower than ordinary light (slow enough to be dodged, even) and emit their own light as they travel. :confused:

Same with hand to hand attacks. That Light Saber™ will slice through a bulkhead, but don't expect to do that with your trusty katana even though both theoretically do the same damage. But it will be bright and loud compared to the steel blade.

i'd require that the light saber be penetrating before allowing it to slice through a bulkhead any more readily than an equivalently lethal katana. How many times in movies and video games have you seen katanas and the like shear through foot-thick trees and stone columns?
As far as stealthy use of powers though, i like the -1 per 5 active points system for visible powers. i'd probably modify this penalty somewhat based on special effect as well.

[Trebuchet]

Originally posted by Gigakaiju
i'd require that the light saber be penetrating before allowing it to slice through a bulkhead any more readily than an equivalently lethal katana. How many times in movies and video games have you seen katanas and the like shear through foot-thick trees and stone columns?
As far as stealthy use of powers though, i like the -1 per 5 active points system for visible powers. i'd probably modify this penalty somewhat based on special effect as well.

I was only addressing the "visibility" aspects of the attacks, not the pseudo-scientific nature of comic-book powers. It's hard to stab the enemy sentry in the back with a Light Saber™ at night and not get spotted. Not so for a normal knife.

I have long used a +1/10 points Active for PER rolls. A +6 to a PER roll is a tremendous penalty, +12 for a typical superhero power would be absurdly visible. And as you suggested, I'd modify it somewhat for special effects as well.