New Mechanic: Killing Attack Adder

[schir1964]

Killing Attack Adder
This adder is applied to Normal Attacks that do body damage. The body damage of an attack with this adder is reduced by resistant defences only. Also, if the target has no resistant defenses, the stun damage is not reduced by normal defenses.

Cost: 5 Points Per 2 Dice in the attack.

Concept developed by Lucius Alexander.
Reposted here for easy reference.

- Christopher Mullins

[Dust Raven]

So now we have two of these... :)

Please forgive me, I've only skimmed the other +10 option thread. Why not just make it a +0 Advantage in the same way Does No Body is a -0 Limitation? Is doing Killing damage any more advantageous over doing Normal Damage than doing Normal Damage is over doing STUN Only?

[Lucius]

So now we have two of these... :)

Please forgive me, I've only skimmed the other +10 option thread. Why not just make it a +0 Advantage in the same way Does No Body is a -0 Limitation? Is doing Killing damage any more advantageous over doing Normal Damage than doing Normal Damage is over doing STUN Only?

Yes, for two reasons.

1. Killing Attacks are a form of Attack Vs. Limited Defense. The defense against them, Resistant Defense, is 50% more expensive than normal defenses.

2. Killing Attacks enjoy an advantageous mechanic for rolling damage. Even without the Stun multiple and the resulting "Stun lotto" the effect of rolling fewer dice makes damage more random. Due to the way defenses work in Hero, more very high rolls are not "balanced" by more very low rolls, because an attack that fails to penetrate defenses is an attack that does no damage, whether it failed by 1 point or by 10 points.


Besides, it wasn't my idea to make STUN only a -0 Limitation. I'm not sure it shouldn't be higher than that.

Lucius Alexander

The palindromedary notes that this all tastes familiar....

[Dust Raven]

Yes, for two reasons.

1. Killing Attacks are a form of Attack Vs. Limited Defense. The defense against them, Resistant Defense, is 50% more expensive than normal defenses.

2. Killing Attacks enjoy an advantageous mechanic for rolling damage. Even without the Stun multiple and the resulting "Stun lotto" the effect of rolling fewer dice makes damage more random. Due to the way defenses work in Hero, more very high rolls are not "balanced" by more very low rolls, because an attack that fails to penetrate defenses is an attack that does no damage, whether it failed by 1 point or by 10 points.


Besides, it wasn't my idea to make STUN only a -0 Limitation. I'm not sure it shouldn't be higher than that.

Lucius Alexander

The palindromedary notes that this all tastes familiar....

I understand your argument. Mine is pretty much if doing 0 BODY is worth X, and the possibility of doing body is X, why should the possibility of doing more body be X+? Perhaps yours would be if the possibility of doing more body should be X+, why isn't doing no body X-?

To me the difference is in what defense the attack is versus, but in what the attack does. KAs kill people. Normal Attacks beat people up. Flashes make their senses stop working temporarily, Drains reduce the effects of their powers, etc... You pick the one that you need to use, and from my own experience, I've never noticed any kind of advantage of KAs over Normal Attacks unless you're trying to kill someone, but that's what a KA is there to do.

[Lucius]

I understand your argument. Mine is pretty much if doing 0 BODY is worth X, and the possibility of doing body is X, why should the possibility of doing more body be X+? Perhaps yours would be if the possibility of doing more body should be X+, why isn't doing no body X-?


By that reasoning, if I want an attack that does no STUN, only BODy, it should be free.



To me the difference is in what defense the attack is versus, but in what the attack does.

The problem is that Killing Attacks and Normal Attacks do the same thing - Physical or Energy damage. It's just that the Killing Attack does it better without costing more.


KAs kill people.

Normal attacks that do lots of BOD kill people. Killing Attacks that don't, don't.



Normal Attacks beat people up.

Strike that; reverse it.

Lucius Alexander

Using the Palindromedary Express to smuggle chocolate

[Dust Raven]

By that reasoning, if I want an attack that does no STUN, only BODy, it should be free.



The problem is that Killing Attacks and Normal Attacks do the same thing - Physical or Energy damage. It's just that the Killing Attack does it better without costing more.



Normal attacks that do lots of BOD kill people. Killing Attacks that don't, don't.




Strike that; reverse it.

Lucius Alexander

Using the Palindromedary Express to smuggle chocolate

I guess it's fruitcake. Nobody seems to like it yet it sells by the ton every winter.

I can't argue your logic. By all that is fair and logical KAs should be more expensive than normal attacks... but they aren't. Personal experience, rather than logic, as taught me why. That's all I got to stand on here and I've found personal experience is a very difficult thing to share. Oh well. At least I've got some fruitcake. :)

[Vondy]

Without going into careful cost analysis, it at least makes an attempt to address the scaling problem the other adder had. It would require some math and testing to see if it was a viable alternative for those who want such a thing.