Damage shield query

[paul_runstedler]

Trying to create a character that is essentially an angel.

I want him to have a damage shield that only affects that people that are trying to harm him. Here's how I bought it so far.
8d6 EB (divine energy) continuous +1, damage shield +1/2, No end +1/2, no knockback -1/2

The trick is to have the affect only trigger when living beings with malicious intent touch (grab/attack) him. I was considering it a limitation (only works against living things with malicious intent -1/2)

What do you guys think?

Also, I wanted to have a Recognition power that affects things that I touch (uncontrollable). So its not really location limitted. I.e. I might pick up a beer bottle, and get a flash of a party that took place accross town where that bottle was last night. Any idea how this one works out?

Thanks in advance for the help

[altamaros]

The value of this lim (-1/2) seems to be pretty high for the effect considering that it's rather helpful for him (unless you plan to make him attack by "helpful" people or robots. i would probably charge it -1/4 (or -0 depending of the PC).
(only vs living beings is -1/2 lim usually)

I think the kind of recognition you want is described in the FAQ or somewhere. IIRC, there is no difference from the normal construct. you just define that you see the past of the object/person rather than the place

[tesuji]

Ok, damage shield is at its base a "neutral" thing. Like a land mine, it will affect anyone for whom its conditions are met. With your DS up, if a friend is KBed into you, he takes damage. With your damage shield up, if you need to grab someone to stop them from falling off a ledge, they take damage. With your damage shield up, if you get KBed into someone or something, damage is done.

These are built in downsides or risks with the power.

Removing these by adding a sort of "bad guys only" modifier IS NOT A LIMITATION. It is an advantage.

"only malicious intent" is basically at its core a "bad guys only clause." 99.99% of the time the people you do not want to hurt won't be the ones attacking you with malicious intent. 99.99% of the time the ones attacking you with malicious intent WILL BE the ones you want to hurt.

So, from the get go, drop the notion of making this DS CHEAPER by removing its downsides.

Removing downsides is an improvement.

At the very least, i would start my line of analysis with +1/2 SELECTIVE like is used in area attacks to allow you to pick and choose. HOWEVER, there is still a wrinkle. Selective for AOE goes from "everyone is affected automatically" (which compares nicely with damage shield's "everyone touching/hitting is affected") to "only those you choose are affected IF you make a to hit roll."

So, for +1/2 for selective your DS would only affect those touching you with malicious intent BUT only if you then made a successful attack roll.

Some would argue that this would mean "affects only those with malicious intent but affects them automatically" raises up to +3/4 or even +1.

Me? i would probably let it slide at +1/2.

But, its not a limitation!

[Yamo]

Why not use Trigger?

[DigitalGolem]

The recognition effect sounds like a form of Retro-cognition, possibly with a mega-scale advantage. --if I understand what you're trying to do. (?)

DGv3.0

[paul_runstedler]

Ok. Don't blow a gasket ;)

You're right, it is more advantageous than limitting. I would agree on the +1/2 (not a malicious intent, but instead only an intent to cause injury - so a villian grabbing the character in order to capture him would not suffer the affects)

On a slightly different thread, is there anyway to buy this thing always on (but not persistent) or visa versa?

I may not be understanding continuous correctly, but it essentially turns an instantaneous power to continuous, but you have the option to turn it on/off whenever you want. What if you want a power that you can't turn off when you're awake (its always on, but not persistent),
Or one that stays in whatever state you set it to if you are knocked out (not always on, but persistent)?

[Lord Liaden]

Originally posted by paul_runstedler
I may not be understanding continuous correctly, but it essentially turns an instantaneous power to continuous, but you have the option to turn it on/off whenever you want. What if you want a power that you can't turn off when you're awake (its always on, but not persistent),
Or one that stays in whatever state you set it to if you are knocked out (not always on, but persistent)?

In order to have any Power be Always On, you first have to buy it to 0 END and Persistent; that allows it to function at all times whether you're conscious or not. Making the Power Always On means you are unable to turn it off voluntarily at any time. To have a Power that's Always On when the character is awake but not when unconscious or asleep, I'd assess that as reducing the Always On Lim to -1/4, since you've defined circumstances under which the Lim would not apply. If you want the Power to remain in whatever state it was in when the character was Stunned or Knocked Out, just buy it to Persistent without Always On - that's the very definition of Persistent. :)

[JmOz]

I would probably allow the "only vs hostile intending people) as a -1/4 lim or a -0 lim, but with the warning that you will fight robots, summoned creatures, mind controled people, and others that really are not hostile...

[altamaros]

Originally posted by Yamo
Why not use Trigger?

it should be possible but the trigger must be something the character can percieve with his own senses. so the character would have to take some enhanced sense ("detect malicious intents") as well.

besides, he would have to "reload" the power each time he has used it.

[pawsplay]

I'd say it's almost a SFX issue, but not quite. It is significant enough to define. -0 Limitation.

On the one hand, he won't accidentally fry innocent civilians.

On the other hand, he is vulnerable to robots and victims of Mind Control, and he can't use it to melt through walls.

[CrosshairCollie]

Were I GMing this, I'd require some examples of 'Malicious Intent'. For instance, are the following people 'Malicious':

People who think fighting is fun? He's not trying to hurt you, just getting a few kicks.

A Zen Master, nigh emotionless, fighting you?

A bounty hunter for whom killing you isn't a pleasure, just business?

Does it require 'intent for bodily harm', or is someone pulling their punches and trying not to injure you immune?

If it weren't 3am, I'd probably think of more, but you get the idea. :)

[WhammeWhamme]

I'd say it was a limitation. After all, you can't use it offensively (grabs and the like). Of course, as a 'useful' limitation, it's prolly only worth -1/4.

[paul_runstedler]

Yeah, thanks for all the info. I ended up buying it like so:
1. Only affects living beings (-1/2)
2. Only affects beings who attack with the intent to do harm (-0)

No here is my thinking.
1. The power is limitted by a decent amount. I can't bust through walls with it, or use it to break out of entangles. To me, that qualifies it as a -1/2

2. Only damaging beings who attack with the intent to do harm has as many advantages as limitations.
adv - No innocent bystanders are hurt (though I didn't buy it as always on, so its not like I'll be walking around with it activated all the time).
adv - Friends won't be harmed if they're thrown at me (well, harmed more anyway ;) )
lim - It won't affect anyone who is simply trying to capture me
lim - It won't affect those I grab during combat (breaking out of a grab wouldn't qualify as doing harm to me)

If anything seems out of wack here, feel free to comment :)

Paul