A slow rolling ball of destruction

[quozaxx]

I am working on an attack. It is basically a ball of fire. But this ball of fire is 4m in diameter. The ball is set on the ground and slowly rolls forward destroying everything in its path 4 meters at a time.

It rolls 4 meters and obliterates everything there, Then, in the next segment, it rolls 4 meters and obliterates everything there, and so on. Like a rolling boulder.

It has a whopping 6d6K. It has physical manifestation and Can be dispelled. (it's magic, and fire, so you can put it out). It should have something like a Damage shield since it's a giant ball of fire.

How would I build it to destroy one section at a time? Please note, it is magic and not governed by a level or downward hill to be used. It could roll uphill just as well as downhill.

Any other considerations on the ball of fire. (Also note: I intend to add a ball of ice that does the same thing too. but dispelled via other means)

[Lucius]

I think you want Damage Over Time, but to apply not to the damage, but to the area.


Great Ball of Fire: (Total: 371 Active Cost, 155 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Ranged 6d6, Costs Endurance Only To Activate (+1/4), Constant (+1/2) (157 Active Points); Gestures, Requires Gestures throughout (Requires both hands; -1), Incantations (Requires Incantations throughout; -1/2), Linked (Naked Advantage; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; -1/2), Unified Power (-1/4) (Real Cost: 48)
<b>plus</b>
Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4) for up to 157 Active Points of Fireball, Damage Over Time (9-12 damage increments, damage occurs every Segment, can be negated by See notes; +4 1/2) (214 Active Points); Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Unified Power (-1/4) (Real Cost: 107)
Notes: Besides being subject to being dispelled magically or doused like a big fire, the core of the effect can be attacked as a Physical Manifestation. Note that to attack it hand to hand involves stepping into the outermost edge and being subjected to the attack.


Lucius Alexander

The palindromedary doesn't think this is quite right yet....wouldn't that result in the radius simply INCREASING every segment?

edit: Okay, maybe a Limitation on the Naked Advantage to make it move around rather than just grow

[Hyper-Man]

I think he wants the 'ball of fire' to be a 4m diameter ball but be able to roll around the battlefield. I believe the Mobile Advantage would be required for that effect.

excerpt from 6e1 page 324:

Mobile
Ordinarily a Constant Area-affecting power cannot move once established, unless it has the No Range Limitation so that it “sticks to” the character generating it and moves as he moves (see 6E1 127), or the Usable As Attack Advantage so a character can “stick” it to a target and have it move as the target moves. However, characters may sometimes want to create Areas Of Effect they can move. This requires the additional +½ Advantage Mobile.

[Lucius]

I think he wants the 'ball of fire' to be a 4m diameter ball but be able to roll around the battlefield. I believe the Mobile Advantage would be required for that effect.

Errr....that's what I was trying to do. That's why I put the Damage Over Time Advantage on the Naked Area Effect Advantage.

I'll have to look at Mobile and see if that does what he wants, i.e. move very single segment (he calls it "slow rolling" but that looks fast to me)

edit: Hm, by applying the "segmented movement" optional rules I think that works. Maybe I'll try writing it up that way.

Great Ball of Fire: (Total: 225 Active Cost, 69 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Ranged 6d6, Custom Modifier (Uses segmented movement; +0), Costs Endurance Only To Activate (+1/4), Constant (+1/2), Area Of Effect (2m Radius; +3/4), Mobile (1m per Phase; +1/2) (225 Active Points); Gestures, Requires Gestures throughout (Requires both hands; -1), Incantations (Requires Incantations throughout; -1/2), Linked (Naked Advantage; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; -1/2), Unified Power (-1/4) (Real Cost: 69)

edit again: or we can give it Physical Manifestation, and then Running Usable on Other (specifically, on the Manifestation to make it move. The Radius centers around it so there's your "damage shield")

Great Ball of Fire: (Total: 219 Active Cost, 59 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Ranged 6d6, Custom Modifier (Uses segmented movement; +0), Costs Endurance Only To Activate (+1/4), Area Of Effect (2m Radius; +1/4), Constant (+1/2) (180 Active Points); Gestures, Requires Gestures throughout (Requires both hands; -1), Incantations (Requires Incantations throughout; -1/2), Linked (Naked Advantage; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; -1/2), Unified Power (-1/4), Physical Manifestation (-1/4) (Real Cost: 51)
<b>plus</b>
Running 12m, Leaves A Trail (-0), Custom Modifier (Uses segmented movement; +0), Costs Endurance Only To Activate (+1/4), Uncontrolled (+1/2), No Gravity Penalty (+1/2), Usable As Attack (+1), Grantor pays the END whenever the power is used, Grantor controls the power totally, Grantor can only grant the power to others (39 Active Points); Limited Power Only to move Physical Manifestation (-1 1/2), Limited Power Straight Line Only (-1), Linked (Great Ball of Fire; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; -3/4), no Noncombat movement (-1/4), Physical Manifestation (-1/4) (Real Cost: 8)

Note that both of these last assume the caster is SPD 4.

Lucius Alexander

mobilizing a palindromedary

[Hyper-Man]

Errr....that's what I was trying to do. That's why I put the Damage Over Time Advantage on the Naked Area Effect Advantage.

I'll have to look at Mobile and see if that does what he wants, i.e. move very single segment (he calls it "slow rolling" but that looks fast to me)

Lucius Alexander

mobilizing a palindromedary

Well, I could see Damage Over Time working if the size of the AOE reflected the total range of movement of the effect. But that seems an even more complicated concept to price out.

[Escafarc]

How about building it with a Summon. See Champions Power page 376 Nega-Beam

[Starcloud]

That's probably the most elegant approach. Summon the ball of fire and give the ball of fire the stats it needs. Slavishly loyal, of course.

[Querysphinx]

Is this something you need to build with points? If it's not something the player characters are going to be carrying around in their pocket, call it an environmental effect and be done with it.

I used to be the guy who tried to figure out how to build absolutely everything in "champions terms." Then I realized no one was ever going actually check my my math. It was like, "Hey. I'm the GM. I need this to happen. Poof!"

[quozaxx]

Thanks for the suggestion. Moving per Segment is faster than I was considering. (Perhaps per Phase of the spell caster, I'll have to consider both options.).

Summon is a good thought, but wouldn't you need to wait a Phase before the Summoned being can do anything?

I like the Mobile Advantage on the Area Effect. I didn't think of that.

PS. the magic comes from the giant foe's mouth not his hands. So I don't think Gestures or Incantations will work.

[Greywind]

If it's for a villain, plot-device.

[Lucius]

Summon is a good thought, but wouldn't you need to wait a Phase before the Summoned being can do anything?

Give it a Damage Shield. Or an Area Effect Attack centered on itself, Always On. It doesn't have to take an action for those to take effect. It just has to take an action to move.

Lucius Alexander

Summon Palindromedary

[Christopher]

I am working on an attack. It is basically a ball of fire. But this ball of fire is 4m in diameter. The ball is set on the ground and slowly rolls forward destroying everything in its path 4 meters at a time.

It rolls 4 meters and obliterates everything there, Then, in the next segment, it rolls 4 meters and obliterates everything there, and so on. Like a rolling boulder.

It has a whopping 6d6K. It has physical manifestation and Can be dispelled. (it's magic, and fire, so you can put it out). It should have something like a Damage shield since it's a giant ball of fire.

How would I build it to destroy one section at a time? Please note, it is magic and not governed by a level or downward hill to be used. It could roll uphill just as well as downhill.

Any other considerations on the ball of fire. (Also note: I intend to add a ball of ice that does the same thing too. but dispelled via other means)

One thing I could not figure out: Is it under controll of the caster or 'fire and forget'?
For 'Fire and Forget', Uncontrolled advantage could be the way to go. I could even see the movement simply being the part of the uncontrolled (and "going out of the way" the obvious and common defense).
For under controll, I propably would use Area of Effect, Mobile, Limited Mobility (only 4m/phase along the ground).

How about building it with a Summon. See Champions Power page 376 Nega-Beam

That's probably the most elegant approach. Summon the ball of fire and give the ball of fire the stats it needs. Slavishly loyal, of course.

Another idea for that: The APG II has rules to make Focus that can "act on it's own". So you don't need summon for rockets. It even says these rules could be used for Material Manifestations as well.
They are however very complex, so much that Summoning an Automaton with Damage Shield is propably easier and cleaner.

If it's for a villain, plot-device.

One that can be dispelled and has a physical Manifestation. So it needs an Active Point Value.