Why buy Flash? Darkness wins.

[torgo]

Why buy any amount of Flash when you could buy:

Darkness to Sight Group 1" radius, Ranged (+1/2), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2), Usable As Attack (+1)

For 30 points?

I don't understand how someone escapes from this. It seems to me that as long as you make your initial attack roll the target is blind until they leave the range of the attack, in this case 150"

[Old Man]

Because then you can't see him either.

[Captain Obvious]

Because with Flash, the target gets a DCV penalty since he can't see you. With an area effect Darkness, you get an OCV penalty because you can't see him.

[TheEmerged]

For a very good reason -- Because the Darkness power as you've written it won't last more than a phase unless the character has a second targetting sense.

Constant/Continuous powers stop if you lose LOS to the target (FREd pg69, Column B, 2nd paragraph after "Constant"). LOS is defined (FREd pg 78, column B, under "Line of Sight") as meaning "[the attacker] has direct perception of or can perceive any part of the target with a Targetting Sense."

So the moment the Darkness hits, the target is out of LOS :D

Obviously this can be avoided if the attacker has a second targetting sense -- and any PC worth their salt is going to.

This can also be avoiding with Personal Immunity, and/or Uncontrolled.

Another factor depends on the competence of your GM. Just my opinion, but any GM worth his/her weight in gaming supplements is going to require an "additional out" like the one suggested under Suppress for any Constant power with UAA and 0 END.

[torgo]

5E pg 245 states that the targets DCV is halved. Could I not buy personal immunity so that I could see the target?

so now we have:

Darkness to Sight Group 1" radius, Personal Immunity (+1/4), Ranged (+1/2), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2), Usable As Attack (+1) (32 Active Points)

[torgo]

I typed my previous post while you were responding. so sorry for the repetition

[Snarf]

In this case, the GM might rule that personal immunity was now worth +1 or more. As much as required to balance the two powers.

[Chris Goodwin]

To bring the topic hard to port, how does Flash beat out Entangle that stops a sense?

[Lord Liaden]

With Darkness, the character using it can be Stunned or Knocked Out by someone besides the victim, and the Darkness falls. Flash is fire and forget.

[torgo]

That's what I'm looking for. Thanks.

There's the balance in the situation.

[TheEmerged]

Originally posted by archer
To bring the topic hard to port, how does Flash beat out Entangle that stops a sense?

Because you don't have to worry about getting through the entangle to hurt them or pay for advantages to avoid that?

How about the fact that the result of the Entangle power is much easier to eliminate (and common) than the result of a Flash?

[Gary]

I'm pretty sure you need Uncontrolled on the Darkness power, otherwise it uses up your attack action each phase to maintain it.

Weak entangles are easily dealt with using casual str or damage shields. Even if casual str isn't enough, it's fairly easy to blow out of them without losing an action.

[torgo]

No, I don't believe that's true.

I don't think maintaining darkness, or any other continuous power, takes a 1/2 phase.

I believe you merely need to keep paying end to maintain the power. Or, in the case of the example above which is bought to 0 END, you just need to maintain LoS, consciousness, and non-stunned status.

Anyone know for certain which is true?

[torgo]

Actually, there's no need to chime in on the question in my last post. 5E pg 69 column two states in no uncertain terms that maintaining a constant power does not require a 1/2 phase and after the power is activated you may make any action you like, on your next phase, as long as you maintain LoS and pay any appropriate END.

[Gary]

You're right. I thought Uncontrolled was needed because of the Usable as an Attack advantage. However, all Uncontrolled does is to allow the power to continue if the user is stunned, unconscious, or loses LOS.