Flashing Paralyzing attack

[Dr Divago]

I'm converting "flashbulb" weapon, and i'm searching idea to make it like original concept.

What is Flashbulb? is a weapon that blind opponent, and cause an epileptic induced state that paralyze unprotected opponent.

Then:
blinding attack are a Flash against Sight Group; secondary effect is linked to flash and "only if flash was succesful" but...
what type of attack? an Huge "Stun Only EB"? an Entangle? a Trasform (normal human in human with epilepsy)?

tnx

[transmetahuman]

I'm converting "flashbulb" weapon, and i'm searching idea to make it like original concept.

What is Flashbulb? is a weapon that blind opponent, and cause an epileptic induced state that paralyze unprotected opponent.

Then:
blinding attack are a Flash against Sight Group; secondary effect is linked to flash and "only if flash was succesful" but...
what type of attack? an Huge "Stun Only EB"? an Entangle? a Trasform (normal human in human with epilepsy)?

tnx

A Stun-Only EB still has to overcome the character's physical or energy defense; sounds like you'd want it to bypass ED.
Maybe a DEX Drain, possibly Simultaneously against other stats, but that gets hugely expensive. And the active points don't go down even if you speed up the recovery, though if it's an NPC you might not care.

Or a STUN Drain, that might do what you want it to and it'd be cheaper. And once you add in ranged and area effect, you're going to need the point savings.

[Dr Divago]

I'd go with a flash and linkekd mental paralysis

Mental paralysis? i've missed this power or is built with some other power?

with a limitation not versus people with sight flash defense [the value depending on how often people have FD in your game].

Well, with sunglasses and mirrorshades, not counting optishield, anti-dazzle cybereyes and like... i say no lesser than a -½ limitation...

[Edsel]

Mental paralysis? i've missed this power or is built with some other power? Well, with sunglasses and mirrorshades, not counting optishield, anti-dazzle cybereyes and like... i say no lesser than a -½ limitation...

Mental Paralysis is an Entangle with the advantage "Works against EGO instead of STR," often this is also bought with the "Based on ECV" advantage. In you case I do not think you would want that second advantage. Unfortunately I am at work without my book so I can't give you page numbers to look at for this.

[Hugh Neilson]

Some good options above.

Entangle

Mental Paralysis will work like an Entangle, which means an all or nothing effect. The character is either paralyzed, or in perfect shape. A normal Mental Paralysis is built with Takes no Damage from Physical Attacks (+1/4), Works vs Ego, not STR (+1/4) and Cannot form Barriers (-1/4), plus BOECV (+1). You'd likely want to eliminate BOECV.

Do you envision your attack being shaken off by high EGO targets? Maybe using "Works vs CON, not STR" would be a better approach. The same "takes no damage from physical attacks" would apply, as would "can't form barriers". I'd also likely apply a limitation of, say, BOD reduced by target's flash def (probably a -1/2).

Adjustment Power

Someone suggested a DEX drain, which would also seem workable. This would create a more gradual effect, but also one which recovers a lot slower. You would want to consider whether this should work against power defense (default), Flash defense (AVLD +3/4 by the book; I believe the switch between exotic defenses should be free, just like the switch between the standard PD and ED, but that's a matter for GM discussion), the greater of the two (probably a -1/4 or 1/2 limitation) or the aggregate of the two (probably as much as a -1 limitation).

What about a Suppress bought to 0 END? This would maintain the seizure until a "reasonably common" recovery condition (an Ego or CON based breakout roll, perhaps, with penalties for how negative DEX becomes, or a fixed time period).

Can you be more specific on how you envision the attack functioning?

[Dr Divago]

Some good options above.
Entangle
Mental Paralysis will work like an Entangle, which means an all or nothing effect. The character is either paralyzed, or in perfect shape. A normal Mental Paralysis is built with Takes no Damage from Physical Attacks (+1/4), Works vs Ego, not STR (+1/4) and Cannot form Barriers (-1/4), plus BOECV (+1). You'd likely want to eliminate BOECV.

I must eliminate BOECV 'cause is linked to a flash attack

Do you envision your attack being shaken off by high EGO targets? Maybe using "Works vs CON, not STR" would be a better approach. The same "takes no damage from physical attacks" would apply, as would "can't form barriers". I'd also likely apply a limitation of, say, BOD reduced by target's flash def (probably a -1/2).

Well, i've thinked about a NND (defense is applicable Flash Defense) but is not necessary: this "epileptic state" is induced via a Flash, so i think that a "only if flash attack cause blindness" or similar limitation is better...

Can you be more specific on how you envision the attack functioning?

This is a bulb who make an huge flash; intensity of the flash is so intense that cause an epileptic state in target, so target are paralyzed.
If target resist to paralyzing effect, are blinded (or not, 'cause sunglasses are common...) by flash attack...

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

with the way paralyzed sounds to me, i'd say some sort of entangle (maybe based on CON to see how quicky their nervous system recovers from that massive shock) of course the entangle shouldn't take damage from attacks and such

[Hugh Neilson]

Well, i've thinked about a NND (defense is applicable Flash Defense) but is not necessary: this "epileptic state" is induced via a Flash, so i think that a "only if flash attack cause blindness" or similar limitation is better...

The limitation then demands the question what, if anything, would defend against the paralysis. If there is no defense (other than "breaking out"), I like the CON-based entangle.

This is a bulb who make an huge flash; intensity of the flash is so intense that cause an epileptic state in target, so target are paralyzed.
If target resist to paralyzing effect, are blinded (or not, 'cause sunglasses are common...) by flash attack...

I'm more getting at the impact of repeat exposure. If you go "entangle based on CON", anyone affected by the Flash is paralyzed, and high CON targets will quickly break out. It's all or nothing (no shakiness, for example, after just barely breaking out of the entangle). Using an adjustment power, repeat exposure will create enhanced effects, and it won't be all or nothing.

[Ura-Maru]

A burst attack that stuns (and can even knock out) people, ignoring how tough they are, but stopped if they have shielded optics/ears?

Grit your teeth, this is going to be expensive.

(75) 5d6 EB, AVLD:Flash Defense (+1 1/2), Explosion (+1/2)

Then tack on OAF and Charges. (And 'can be missle deflected' if missle deflection is common enough, as it's a greneade) And link a flash to it, of course. You could go NND instead of AVLD, but then a pair of sunglasses will stop it completly.

That's enough to stun people who have less than a 18 con on average. Realistically, they it should probably be a bit bigger, but it's already pretty badass.

---
"My eyes! The goggles, they do nothing!!"

[Hugh Neilson]

A burst attack that stuns (and can even knock out) people, ignoring how tough they are, but stopped if they have shielded optics/ears?

Grit your teeth, this is going to be expensive.

(75) 5d6 EB, AVLD:Flash Defense (+1 1/2), Explosion (+1/2)

Then tack on OAF and Charges. (And 'can be missle deflected' if missle deflection is common enough, as it's a greneade) And link a flash to it, of course. You could go NND instead of AVLD, but then a pair of sunglasses will stop it completly.

That's enough to stun people who have less than a 18 con on average. Realistically, they it should probably be a bit bigger, but it's already pretty badass.

Well, you can also take a limitation for "Stun instantly recovered", which should be a pretty significant (-1 1/2 or -2?) limitation, since he doesn't want the attack to actually KO a target. He either needs no Explosion, or could make it a Conic Explosion with No Range given the flashbulb concept. That makes it a bit less pricy (and room for more dice).

Of course, the target's seizure is now 1 phase in all cases, which may not be what he's looking for.

[Kristopher]

Keep in mind that a fairly low percentage of the population is actually susceptible to siezures induced by flashing lights.

[Ura-Maru]

This way, anyone who's totally knocked out is actually just in a seziure.

(The 'explosion' was because I was thinking of a flashbang grenade, not the arm thingie)

The problem with attacks like mental entangles and such is that they become all or nothing kills, where everyone who didn't buy the defense for them is totally helpless. In a cyber-type game, it's usually functionally equivelent to being killed. It not only bypasses the first 'level' of defenses, (actual defenses) but the second one, as well. (con and stun)

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

(75) 5d6 EB, AVLD:Flash Defense (+1 1/2), Explosion (+1/2)

Then tack on OAF and Charges. (And 'can be missle deflected' if missle deflection is common enough, as it's a greneade) And link a flash to it, of course. You could go NND instead of AVLD, but then a pair of sunglasses will stop it completly.

i think you can't missile deflect an explosion anyway because it's AoE, so that's not a problem

[Ura-Maru]

But you _CAN_ missle deflect a grenade, usually, anyway. There's probably not enough missle deflection in a cyber game to matter, though.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

true, and if there is, you can make some sort of can be missle defleced limitation