Elemental Control SFX

[Snarf]

I'm going to run a campaign where most powers will be placed in psionics related elemental controls, for example, telepathy, psychokinesis, body control, and so on. I was thinking that there should be some way for powers that are under the minimum cost requirment for the elemental control to be affected as if they were in the elemental control.

For example, if a player had a 30 point elemental control in telepathy with a 60 AP ego attack and mind control, but wanted to buy a tiny 5 AP mental defense, I would want that tiny mental defense to get drained if the elemental control was drained.

Should it just be a SFX? or maybe a -1/4 affected as telepathy limitation? or should it somehow be placed in the elemental control using house rules?

Or is the whole heavy use of elemental controls concept a bad idea?

[GamePhil]

I'd call it a Limitation, probably worth about a -1/2.

The original EC (well, 2nd Edition, anyway) worked about like you want: you paid full cost for the most expensive Power in it and half for each one after that, and they didn't have to be the same cost. But that was a long time ago...

And do you want it to drain it at a proportional rate? In your example, you'd lose 1 MD per 12 you lose in Telepathy. Otherwise, the MD will be gone very fast.

[Snarf]

I'm okay with a weak power being drained easily. I'd rather avoid the math required for a proportional drain.

-1/2 sounds good to me. As long as I'm messing with rules, I might give the option to make that -1/4 for the vulnerability to drains but not the added difficulty to aids, if the player had a concept that relied heavily on aiding for some reason.

[Crimson Arrow]

Snarf, see the FAQ under "Power Frameworks" under Elemental Control (I think). IIRC, it's a -1/4 Limitation - something like "Affected By Negative Adjustment Powers Used On ??? Elemental Control".

You can give the EC powers a similar Limitation that they are affected by Adjustment Powers used on powers outside the EC which have the relevant special effect. If the only such power is the Mental Defence, I don't think that would justify a Limitation on the EC slots.

[Snarf]

Thanks everyone.

The FAQ settles it, -1/4 for the drain effect. I should have thought to check but it didn't occur to me that somebody else would want to do this.

[GamePhil]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow
Snarf, see the FAQ under "Power Frameworks" under Elemental Control (I think). IIRC, it's a -1/4 Limitation - something like "Affected By Negative Adjustment Powers Used On ??? Elemental Control".


Good grief, that's a thorough FAQ.