Variable Force Field?

[VR Dragon]

I am working on a Power Armor/Bot and I am trying to make a force field that can shift damage points. I was thinking something like a 30 PD/ 30 ED that can take different defense levels. Say if fighting something powerfully physical the field can shift points to all PD of 60 or the reverse for energy. Maybe forms that shift points in 1/4 incraments? Any help please?

[Lord Mhoram]

The basic answer is a multipower with two multi slots, one with PD FF and the other with ED FF. And you adjust as neccessary.

[Kristopher]

Variability is expensive in HERO.

[SirViss]

If you collect Digital Hero, in #10 there is an article by W.Jason Allen called "Force Fields Enhanced". It covers this and more.:D

[Rapier]

If you do it with a multipower or VPP it would look something like this:

60 Force Fields: Multipower
12 Physical: 60 PD
12 Energy: 60 ED
Total Cost: 84 points

Force Fields: VPP 60 points; No Skill Roll: +1; 0 Phase: +1; Force Fields Only: -2. Total Cost: 90 points.

The drawback here is that you can't put either of these inside of another power framework. Based on a cost analysis I don't see a problem with just allowing a player to buy 60 point Force Field with Variable Intensity: +1/2. This would give you the same 90 point cost and would allow for the use of other power frameworks
I've used the MP build on a number of the adaptive defense characters. You get hit with a flame blast and the MP shift to dump more points into ED.

Reserve
m: ED
m: PD
m: FlashDef
m: MentalDef
m: PowerDef
m: KB Resistance

Its pretty sweet. But you are right, the cost between the MP total (reserve + slot) and the Variable Intensity FF is about the same. The MP route was what I've been using with BBB for years...so it is kind of the way I think of it out of the box. I should really convert a bunch of them to VarIntens just for the simplicity. Especially now that it is more "normal" to include special defences (Flash, Mental, Power) in a FF.

[Hugh Neilson]

Of course, on eneeds to ask whether the GM will find a character who can focus his defenses acceptable. Against a horde of blaster-wielding agents, or battling Grond, such characters can get annoying.

And ask yourself "will it upset me when the GM has Grond throw my character into a high voltage line, or when some VIPER agents have martial arts training, so I get swacked with minimal appropriate defenses?"

Not that these characters aren't workable, but some GM's and players will work better with them than others.