D&D Style "You Shall Not Pass" power build - suggestions?

[JasonPacker]

Thinking about building powers for some Heroic Abilities for a FH game, and one that is always popular is for the beefy swordsman to be able to stop the minions of evil from getting past him to the soft targets behind him. So, I put this together, but I'm always leery of builds that use CE that I've gone off the beaten path a bit. So, I offer it up here for suggestions, or outright to point out things I've missed.

 

10 Impassable: Change Environment (-12m of any mode of Movement), Area Of Effect (2m Radius; +1/4), Selective (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (24 Active Points); Requires A Roll (Attack roll; Must be made each Phase/use; -1), No Range (-1/2)     Notes: This power represents the ability of the character to stop anyone from passing them by. It demands that they can detect the indivdiual and threaten them, and effectively causes the target to stop moving by reducing his movement rate by 12m, but only on a successful attack roll, at -2, that otherwise causes no damage. 0

 

[TheRealDeal]

Maybe it is not any better, but would Growth work (enough so he literally covers those squares he wants to block movement through) with the Limitations: Only to Take Up Space (-1), No STR Increase (-1/2), No KB Increase (-1/4), No BODY Increase (-1/2), etc.

 

It avoids all the need for so many dice rolls and basically prevents enemies from moving past him unless they take a wide berth. This forces the enemy to either go around him in a wide berth, or push him, or whatever would be needed to be able to move through a persons hex. The growth also covers the vertical element making jumping over him a bit harder as well:) Maybe keep some of the STR and KB from Growth, but with a limitation of Only to Resist being Moved or whatever.

[Greywind]

Mostly it has to do with the terrain where the fight is taking place. Narrow bridges are a favorite.

[Hyper-Man]

From a similar topic 5e thread:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/71584-a-way-to-fend-off-attackers/?hl=martial&do=findComment&comment=1831357

 

 

 

 

Re: A way to fend off attackers

Not necessarily a Presence Attack, but definitely an indication that going inside the range of effect will hurt.

I might give the following a Presence Attack modifier of +2d6 (for Extremely violent action):

14 Ho! Haha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha - THRUST!: Hand-To-Hand Attack +4d6, Hole In The Middle (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Area Of Effect (2" radius; +3/4), Continuous (+1) (70 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), OIF (buck and a quarter staff (of opportunity); -1/2), STR Minimum 6-14 (8) (-1/2), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Requires A DEX Roll (No Active Point penalty to Skill Roll; -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4), Side Effects (Smacks himself in the face with staff; -1/4) - END=0

Anyone entering the character's hex will automatically get hit (unless the character misses the initial DEX roll).
The character can add up to +4 DC's with enough STR, CSL's or Martial Arts.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Since Hyper-Man mentioned it, I've occasionally done the "You Shall Not Pass!" thing with a wicked-big Presence Attack, and found it was quite effective. It's definitely a "GM's call" whether to allow it, but I'd see nothing wrong with buying some extra dice of Presence just for that purpose. Possibly through a focus if you need a big, intimidating weapon or a spell focus to back up your threat. Or if your character is just naturally imposing, maybe not.

[Steve]

Could a form of Force Wall or maybe Entangle be built for this?

[Hyper-Man]

Sure.  Gandalf on the bridge screams Force Wall/Barrier to me.  But if the idea is 'None shall pass... without pain" then an attack to back it up seems like the better way to go.  If only there was an easier way to combine AOE with maneuvers that make a target prone (throw, trip, etc..)

[JasonPacker]

Definitely two things at work here - one, the desire to punish someone for trying to get past you, but another for denial of movement - the desire to be "sticky" enough to prevent movement past in the first place.

 

The former might be an area effect attack power, but the latter is where it falls down. "If you become adjacent to me, and I can see you and reach you, you must stop moving".

[Lucius]

They're annoying without doubt, but Jack's the one you should worry about: (Total: 5 Active Cost, 2 Real Cost) Change Environment (-0 to EGO Roll or Tactics Skill Roll, -2m of Running), Area Of Effect (8m Radius Explosion; +0), Selective (+1/4), Personal Immunity (+1/4), Usable Nearby (+1 1/4), Grantor pays the END whenever the power is used, Grantor controls the power totally (5 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Costs END To Maintain (Full END Cost; -1/2), Side Effects (Enemies who fail the roll attack the character; -1/2), Conditional Power Must present a credible threat (-1/4) (Real Cost: 2)

Brandishing weapons, roaring, and otherwise menacing enemies in the vicinity, the character is so intimidating that enemies within 8 meters must roll vs EGO, Tactics, or any Skill the Game Operations Director considers appropriate, and failing the roll means they must either act defensively or attack the character. Moving adjacent to the character, or away from being adjacent, costs 2 extra meters of Running. Establishing the ability costs a half phase and 1 END, maintaining it costs 1 END/phase

 

Something I bought for Jack the Rhyming Bugbear

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary calls it the No Passing Zone

[JasonPacker]

They're annoying without doubt, but Jack's the one you should worry about: (Total: 5 Active Cost, 2 Real Cost) Change Environment (-0 to EGO Roll or Tactics Skill Roll, -2m of Running), Area Of Effect (8m Radius Explosion; +0), Selective (+1/4), Personal Immunity (+1/4), Usable Nearby (+1 1/4), Grantor pays the END whenever the power is used, Grantor controls the power totally (5 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Costs END To Maintain (Full END Cost; -1/2), Side Effects (Enemies who fail the roll attack the character; -1/2), Conditional Power Must present a credible threat (-1/4) (Real Cost: 2)

Brandishing weapons, roaring, and otherwise menacing enemies in the vicinity, the character is so intimidating that enemies within 8 meters must roll vs EGO, Tactics, or any Skill the Game Operations Director considers appropriate, and failing the roll means they must either act defensively or attack the character. Moving adjacent to the character, or away from being adjacent, costs 2 extra meters of Running. Establishing the ability costs a half phase and 1 END, maintaining it costs 1 END/phase

 

So, this example lays out what the impact is (make this roll or suffer this fate), instead of relying on a GM's ruling like the ice sheet example in the core rulebook?

[Grailknight]

How about:

 

Energy Blast- Area of effect-Hexes,Constant, Increased KB with Concentration and 1" KB maximum.

 

or even simpler

 

Barrier with concentration.

[Lucius]

So, this example lays out what the impact is (make this roll or suffer this fate), instead of relying on a GM's ruling like the ice sheet example in the core rulebook?

 

The more I look at the example in the book, at the Power I posted, and at what you said, the less I understand what you're asking.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary isn't any help

[JasonPacker]

The more I look at the example in the book, at the Power I posted, and at what you said, the less I understand what you're asking.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary isn't any help

 

Thus my concern whenever I find myself in the market for using a CE. I just don't think I quite "get" how they're supposed to work.

[Grailknight]

They're annoying without doubt, but Jack's the one you should worry about: (Total: 5 Active Cost, 2 Real Cost) Change Environment (-0 to EGO Roll or Tactics Skill Roll, -2m of Running), Area Of Effect (8m Radius Explosion; +0), Selective (+1/4), Personal Immunity (+1/4), Usable Nearby (+1 1/4), Grantor pays the END whenever the power is used, Grantor controls the power totally (5 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Costs END To Maintain (Full END Cost; -1/2), Side Effects (Enemies who fail the roll attack the character; -1/2), Conditional Power Must present a credible threat (-1/4) (Real Cost: 2)

Brandishing weapons, roaring, and otherwise menacing enemies in the vicinity, the character is so intimidating that enemies within 8 meters must roll vs EGO, Tactics, or any Skill the Game Operations Director considers appropriate, and failing the roll means they must either act defensively or attack the character. Moving adjacent to the character, or away from being adjacent, costs 2 extra meters of Running. Establishing the ability costs a half phase and 1 END, maintaining it costs 1 END/phase

 

Something I bought for Jack the Rhyming Bugbear

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary calls it the No Passing Zone

 

I can't make heads or tails of this.

 

As i read it, this takes away 2m  running to targets who fail a roll but does nothing else. 

 

I don't see the need for personal immunity when you have selective.

 

My most generous interpretation of side effects would be to you taking -2m running and having no effect on targets, otherwise why would they act defensively when they would get an auto-hit attack that you get no defenses against?

[bigbywolfe]

I can't make heads or tails of this.

 

As i read it, this takes away 2m  running to targets who fail a roll but does nothing else. 

 

I don't see the need for personal immunity when you have selective.

 

My most generous interpretation of side effects would be to you taking -2m running and having no effect on targets, otherwise why would they act defensively when they would get an auto-hit attack that you get no defenses against?

He's trying to use Usable Nearby to make the Side Effect apply to the person he is using power on.  That's not how it works though.

[Lucius]

You suggest making Personal Immunity a Naked Advantage with the Usable Nearby as an Advantage on the Advantage?

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary is saying I could have done a better job on this one.