Exploding Armor

[Dr Divago]

Hi all
there is a NPC who got a special armor power:
whenever he activate the armor, automatically start a discharge of energy (psychic energy, electrical energy, whatever) like an explosion
it works like a side effect but it's not a side effect 'cause is a good thing

so, naming A the armor (Resistant Protection) and B the explosion (Blast w AoE (Radius), Double Knockbkack, etc)
1) A got a side effect and B is the effect of the side effect
2) B need to be linked to A
3) B got a trigger so auto active whenever A is activated
4) A need to be linked to B so whenever B is activated at full power A is activated; plus B got a limitation "cannot be used while A is active (-1)"

at the moment i'm for option "4"...
what do you think?

[bigbywolfe]

Err, I might be mis-reading this, but the conditions listed in "4" seem mutually exclusive...

[Doc Democracy]

Hmmm. let me see if I can get my head around this. The armour provides normal protection but it can be activated such that it provides resistant defence as well? However, when the resistant protection is switched on it causes an explosion around the character.

Is that right?

My question would be whether the discharge was immediate or whether it took time. Would the character be able to switch the resistance on and off at will thus causing explosions whenever he wanted or would there be a refractory period? For example, if the character caused an explosion on phase 2, when would he next be able to switch the armour off and on again to cause another explosion?

If there is no refractory period, then I would say the explosion was linked to the armour, it can only caused through switching on the armour but that it was not worth a limitation as there is no real limitation on its use.

Doc

[Dr Divago]

mmhhh ok
the idea is whenever he turn on the armor, there is the explosion; he could turn off and on the armor so he can create the explosion (however, he need to "cast" again the power/spell to activate it again and he need to spend an action phase 'cause of the explosion)

so my idea 4 was to create a "reversal link": i link armor (lesser power) to explosion (greater power) so whenever i need the armor i need to cast the explosion
in the viceversa, linking the explosion to the armor, would make possible to cast the armor without the explosion
to avoid a situation where he can cast the armor and then activate explosion whenever he whant, i tought about a limitation; however, in linked limitation there is some option i should use to limit the "greater" power to be activate only whenever the "lesser" power is activated

[Mister E]

I would keep "Power Armor" as its own OIF power. That way characters can crawl into it and benefit from its inherent protection even if they don't move. If the power armor were to be built as a Vehicle this might make more sense, but this is not necessary as long as the sfx is/are good.

I imagine that once in inactive mode the power armor [ironically] provides only defenses with Activation Rolls. This thus could be made as a multipower with 2 settings: 1) "activated" (w/ full defenses), and 2) "de-activated" (defenses w/ Activation Rolls).

This could also be left as a factor of the "Real Armor" limitation.

Then I would use "Activate Power Armor" (the explosive blast) with Trigger ("One defined condition, or related set of conditions, activates Trigger"; +1/4) to discharge the explosive blast at will. This distinct power also allows free deployment of the power armor.

Personal Immunity (+1/4), from being inside the power armor when it is activated, is perfect.

I would likewise make the explosive blast a killing attack, just for style.

imho, activating the power armor on the ground should "blast" the character straight up into the air. I might allow a "PHOOMMM!!!" Leaping (Usable At No Range Simultaneously As Attack), linked with "Activate Power Armor". =P

[Doc Democracy]

Hmm. So it is like a video game special effect where the added defensive capability comes with an explosion of lights, noise, etc, etc.

This would be acceptable to me as a GM. The limitation is definitely on the armour - you can only use the explosion if you switch your armour off and on again but I do not see any limitations to that - those are 0 phase actions that you could do at any time with no detriment to the character - so the explosion is not limited as far as use goes. However, you cannot switch on your armour without the explosion taking place - thus, if fighting next to companions, you must subject them to detriment if you want the resistant defence. As such you are limited in your use of the armour and I think putting a linked limitation on the armour would be acceptable to me as a GM.

Doc

[dmjalund]

wouldn't that leave you with at least one phase without armor?

[Doc Democracy]

switch off - 0 phase
switch on - 0 phase
go do whatever you want the rest of the phase, no?

[Lucius]

switch off - 0 phase
switch on - 0 phase
go do whatever you want the rest of the phase, no?

By that logic, I could

switch off - 0 phase
switch on - 0 phase
switch off - 0 phase
switch on - 0 phase
switch off - 0 phase
switch on - 0 phase


And hit whoever is around with three explosions.

Turning a power off or on may be a 0 phase action, but I think once you do, you're stuck with it for a phase.

Lucius Alexander

Clap on, clap off, palindromedary

[Doc Democracy]

Good point Lord Look Both Ways at Once.

I had not looked at it with that perspective. I guess the switching a defensive power on and off again is an issue - would the explosion need a trigger so that it did not end the phase, it is an attack after all. If so, how does trigger work with this - is there a refractory period or does the user need to spend a phase setting the power again?

I guess I could go RTFM but it is more fun asking people with a firmer grasp of this stuff.


Doc

[Dr Divago]

the rule is you can't use 0-phase action two times in same segment (afaik)

so the problem is if switching on is the same than switching off or if they are two different 0-phase action

[Doc Democracy]

the rule is you can't use 0-phase action two times in same segment (afaik)

so the problem is if switching on is the same than switching off or if they are two different 0-phase action

That is going to come down to a GM call probably. And the result of the call will impact on the cost. All comes round in a neat circle.

Anyway - I still think that the limitation is on the use of the armour rather than on the use of the explosion...

Doc

[Christopher]

switch off - 0 phase
switch on - 0 phase
go do whatever you want the rest of the phase, no?

The general rule is, that you cannot deactivate and activate a power in the same phase. The same way you can't switch a multipower twice per phase or set CSL twice per phase.


As for how limiting that is: How likely is he not going to have his armor on? How likely is it that the Blast is unwanted?

Several Ways that come to mind:
Multipower, with Protection and Blast in multual Lockout. Probelmatic as Blast propably has way mroe active points than Armor.
A variant from that: Only a small fraction of the Blast is in the mutlipower, the rest is outside of it but linked to the Blast Slot. A Compound power with the larger part outside of a framework (wich is okay by RAW).

Trigger is certainly an idea. Would value it according to how difficulty it is to switch the amor on/off (propably 0-Phase/0-Phase, so quite expensive).
It might qualify for a -1/2 to -1 uncontrolled Limitation, as he cannot avoid it and it might be negative for his surroundings/allies.

If the blast goes in three dimensions, could it destroy the ground benath his feet? even if it is 2-Dimensional, what about supporting parts? What about bystanders in superheroic games?

[Stomperdude]

The only way I can see it working is attach the defense to the attack, but give the defensive power a extended time (Say one turn) and give the armor a end reserve so he can't use it every time his phase comes up.

Another idea based off this one would be for armor to "Explode" force walls out in radiating waves say out to 3 or 4" reduced by range so by the time it gets to 4 or 5 it dissipates. Can you make a defensive power with explosion?