OCV penalty limitation - requires skill roll

[dugfromthearth]

a lot of times I want to make a weapon or power that is less accurate then normal - musket, or semi-controlled EB.

Just taking off points for reduced OCV is not good. -1 OCV would be -5 points, but then you could say get a 1d6 rka for free if it were -3 OCV. So a limitation works best.

I'm thinking that requires skill roll is a good basis for this - but the skill roll required is your to hit roll.

You don't buy an actual 3/2 skill, so it might seem like it would be worth less. But I note that the penalty to skill level is actually the limitation - if you get RSR with no penalty it is a -0 limitation.

In concrete terms, a 60pt attack cost 40pts and have a -6 to OCV. Just buying straight OCV levels for one attack you could get +6 OCV to cover that for 12 points. If allowed to buy penalty skill levels it would cost 9 points.

So -1/2 seems like to big a limitation.

So I'm thinking -1/4 lim for OCV is reduced by -1 per 10 active points of the power.

A 60pt attack would cost 50pts and have -6 OCV, which you could buy off for 12 or 9 points depending - which looks about right.

You could use the other modifiers instead so -1 OCV per 5 active points would be a -1/2 lim.

A 60pt attack would cost 40pts and have a -12 OCV which you could buy of for 24 or 18 points depending.

Note that I would not allow penalty skill levels to be purchased to cover it, that would violate the spirit of the limitation.

[badger3k]

I had a similar problem. I ended up by giving it side effects, using the closest one to the effect I wanted to achieve. For example - for a -1 OCV i'd use the -1/4 limitation (under 15 active points for the negative leve, it should get x2 for always occurs, but variable [gm determined] effect drops it back to -1/4). It's not perfect but it worked for the item in question. Fantasy hero recommends this method, but leaves the 2x modifier to it (p 177).

Your way might work - the mechanics seem sound. Have to try it out to see what effect it has. Your way makes a large power potentially really inaccurate. Off the top of my head I'd start with -1/10, like rsr andwrok from there - that way you can get a -1/20 for -1/4. A 60 pt power would then be -3 ocv and 48 points. or -6 at 40, or -12 at 34 (-3/4 for 1/5). Your way would be as you quoted, of course.

When using a side effect you could get -1 to -3 for a -1/4 limitation, -4 to -6 for -1/2, or up to -12 for -1. Side effects work out cheaper for the large limitation, but its variable. Your (innaccurate?) limitation is a little cleaner.

Ultimate vehicle uses RSR, with an ocv penalty of -1 per point missed by (or whatever the gm feels appropriate) - still a bit different thatn what you're looking for (p 31).

[J4y]

When you said musket you put me in mind that a larger modifer due to range might be more appropriate. A musket is probably effectivly as accurate as a modern gun at point blank range, but significantly worse at long range.

[prestidigitator]

I'd probably just give negative Combat Skill Level refunds at the 2-point level, or 5-pointers with mandatory "Limitations" equal to all of those taken for relavent attacks (e.g. Focus). Then I'd say this basically imposes a minimum point cost on the power itself (it can never be less than 1 point--taking the negative CSLs into account). The constraint would really be up to the GM--but I don't think anyone would have trouble with your getting back 4 points on a power which is 60 active/20 real, for example.

[prestidigitator]

I'd probably just give negative Combat Skill Level refunds at the 2-point level, or 5-pointers with mandatory "Limitations" taken from the relavent attacks (e.g. Focus). Then I'd say this basically imposes a minimum point cost on the power itself (it can never be less than 1 point--taking the negative CSLs into account). The constraint would really be up to the GM--but I don't think anyone would have trouble with your getting back 4 points from a -2 OCV on a power which is 60 active/20 real, for example.

[Nevenall]

Another option might be to give your attack a side effect that always occurs. The side effect being negative ocv.

[dugfromthearth]

don't side effects have to last as long as recovering body takes?

so you would get negative OCV for a couple of weeks?

or am I reading side effects wrong?

[Nevenall]

That's an interesting question.
Maybe if the attack were a constant power it would last as long as it were doing damage, but I don't think that it would last as long as the actual damage lasted.
Also, in Fantasy Hero, Steve used the Side Effect limitation to build in OCV penelties for weapons.

Hmmmm.
Side effect a transformation which gives the character a skill penelty for as long as it takes his target to heal the damage from the attack with the side effect.
That's a great side effect for a curse spell.