VPP and Fade Rates

[The Monster]

A general question: Someone in my new Champions campaign is designing a character who has a Cosmis VPP which he plans to use mostly for Drains and Aids. He pointed out that, according to his reading of the rules, make up an Aid power with a fade rate of, say, once per day, and just spend a few Turns on the way to a fight pumping up everyone's favorite stats & powers, so that the whole group is effectively operating at more-than-full-strength for just about every fight.

Is there a reason this is disallowed by the rules? Or is this just one of those GM caveats to beware of? (The player himself pointed out this possibility, and isn't trying to push it - he's brand new to Hero, and is exploring the options vigorously.)

[Ndreare]

Low active point powers and preparation can easily be abused by players. I would say this is something a GM should disallow as a general rule.

Something to consider however is that their will be an effective max to what he can aid so you may decide to allow this power but prepare all the encounters for characters running at that power level.

Here is an example of the kind of abusive power a player could create that would potentially disrupt an entire game.

Cost Power
60 Watch out for this: Aid: Any Physical Characteristic 1d6, Can Add Maximum Of 30 Points, Variable Effect One Power At A Time (+1/4), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day) (+1 1/2) (60 Active Points)
Powers Cost: 60

No system is beyond abuse so do not be afraid to stop a power from entering your world.

[GamePhil]

p74 under Adjustment Powers in Power Frameworks answers the question: he can do this. It's up to you to decide whether or not he should be allowed to for your game, however.

Among other things, if the Aid he uses causes the beneficiaries to exceed campaign limits (eg. he can boost the Bricks STR to 80 in a game with a 60 Active Point cap), it should not be allowed.

[Killer Shrike]

Legally yes he can. The question is whether or not you want to allow it and whether or not its overpowered for your campaign. Also, remember that long term opponents would cop to his "buff factor" and take him out of the picture ahead of time on return visits, or not give the group time to buff.

[GamePhil]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike
Also, remember that long term opponents would cop to his "buff factor" and take him out of the picture ahead of time on return visits, or not give the group time to buff.

Bah. Let the heroes have their fun. Let them have their dreams of pounding my villains into mulch. Then Dispel the silly long-term buffs.

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by GamePhil
Bah. Let the heroes have their fun. Let them have their dreams of pounding my villains into mulch. Then Dispel the silly long-term buffs. Thats good too ;)

[Snarf]

A power like that would make the game completely revolve around that character.

I think it's reasonable to set a maximum fade rate for Aids in genral that's appropriate for the campaign. Getting Aids that last longer than that should do something like tripling the value of the advantage.

The dispel prank sounds great too, but since the guy is cooperating and trying to solve the problem, it would be nice to take it easy on him.

[GamePhil]

Of course. Besides, you wait until they rely on it too much...

The only real difference is that the reasonable person you explain these possibilities to. The unreasonable one, you spring it on without warning.

[Hugh Neilson]

Originally posted by GamePhil
Of course. Besides, you wait until they rely on it too much...

The only real difference is that the reasonable person you explain these possibilities to. The unreasonable one, you spring it on without warning.

AHhhh...GM Philosophy.

Try this one. Get the group together, or email them. Tell them someone in the group (no names) wants to buy an Aid with a very low fade rate and has pointed out that he can increase stats for the whole group before any encounter and, since it fades in days, they basically are always at that stat level.

Ask whether THEY think this character should be allowed. And add in "Of course, whatever we decide on the legality of this power also applies to NPC's." And stick to it.

The unreasonable ones are easy to handle. You can move the game location or time and not tell him/her. You can simply give all the villains an offsetting advantage (eg. +10 OCV or 1 hex area, only vs "Impossible to Hit Man"; +5DC, only vs "Unreasonably High Defenses Man") or otherwise offset his unreasonable spending.

A reasonable player will say "OK, I see the issue and I'll bring him into line with the campaign norm." Unreasonable ones? Get rid of them or smack them down.

Oh, and the answer to "Low Fade Rate Man", should he choose to be unreasonable? How about an opponent team with a character with Mind Scan (to find him) and Mind Control. Now rent the sucker out to the higest bidding villain team.

[The Monster]

Great ideas all (I especially love the Mind Control idea; I'll keep that one in reserve as a generally nasty trick).
The player's being reasonable so far, we'll see what happens when play starts. I will have to point out the possibilities to him and the others if it becomes an issue.

[Blue Angel]

Another way to deal with potentially abusive powers is to apply an apropriate disadvantage. The player gets his power at reduced cost and the GM gets to control it.

One idea is to limit to only one or two aided characteristics per recipient at a time. Another is to use side effects that always occur when the the power wears off... say a drain of the stat aided.

I used the drain side effect for a gadgeteer that uses bio boost drugs (self only in this case) . When the power wears off he suffers a drain that lasts longer than the original power and the affects are cumulative for each application of the bio boost power. So if the character is not careful he can really disable himself.