Defenses That Vary With DCV

[bigdamnhero]

I have an idea for what I think is a neat idea, but the build I've come up with is clunkier than I'd like. The concept is a monster whose armor is thicker in some spots than in others. Nothing new there. You could build that as sectional armor if you're using Hit Locations, but I'm not. You could slap Requires A Roll on it, but I just never liked that method: 1) it adds another unnecessary roll, and 2) whether I hit the thick bits or the thin bits is decided by the monster's not-a-saving-throwl, rather than my attack roll.

 

Basically I'm thinking of something like a Called Shot, but simplified and hard-wired: if you hit the monster's base DCV, you hit the armor at it's thickest. But if you exceed its DCV by enough, then you hit the thin bits. So if you hit the monster's base DCV of 7, you hit it's full armor value or 16 rPD/rED; but if you hit a DCV of 10, you hit the thin sections which are only 8 rPD/8 rED. Seems easy enough in theory, right?

 

But when I try to actually write it up on the character sheet, things get...complicated. It'd be easy if the additional DCV was Linked to the additional Def, but it's actually the other way around: the higher DCV is tied to the lower Def. So the best I can do is to just throw on a generic Limited Power Limitation on them both:

• Armored Skin:  Resistant Protection (8 PD/8 ED) [Real Cost 24]
• Thicker Armor:  Resistant Protection (8 PD/8 ED) (24 Active Points); Limited Power Only At -3 DCV (-1) [Real Cost 12]
• "Aim For The Thin Spots":  +3 DCV (15 Active Points); Limited Power Only To Hit The Thinner Armor (-1) [Real Cost 7]

 

Does that cover it? Do the costs feel about right? Other ideas? It just seem like there ought to be a simpler, cleaner way of doing it, but this is all my brain can come up with at the moment.

[Ndreare]

I would just go the simple way buy your 8/8 armor and your DCV, then buy a 8/8 armor with a limitation. I do not think it has to be clunky

 

 

Armored Skin: Resistant Protection (8 PD/8 ED) [Real Cost 24]

Thicker Armor: Resistant Protection (8 PD/8 ED); not if DCV is exceeded by 3 or more -1 [Real Cost 12]

total cost: 36

 

I figured a -1 because someone can observe the limitation and deliberate make maneuvers to increase OCV even at the sacrifice of damage dice.

 

I do not think the third power is needed at al to simulate what you are wanting from your description and the first two cover the description well enough.

[Hugh Neilson]

It seems like a typical limited power to me as well. Buy the thinnest protection, then buy extra Armor, that fails if hit by X. X could certainly be a sliding scale - you could buy +10 PD/ED which is reduced by 1 for every 1 the attack hit by, so if he just barely hits, all the extra armor works but if his opponent rolls a 5 when he needs 11-, hitting by 6, he only gets +4 RProt.

 

I'm not sure where I'd sit the limitation. If he's hit on 11- by typical attacks, then -1/2 seems reasonable (without a lot of thought or any analysis).

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

A couple thoughts occur to me. trying to go for simplicity, of course.

 

Buy defenses with Proportional (to attack roll) (-1/2). Hits by 2 = 75%, Hits by 4 = 50%, hits by 6+ = 25%. (Or thereabouts.)

It's simple in construction, but might be annoying in play.

 

Simplest would be a single level of Defense (limited power: not vs attack rolls made by 4).

 

Or we could approach from the other end ... what about a Vulnerability: Attacks made by X?

[bigdamnhero]

Thanks all. Buying additional armor with a Limitation is the obvious-in-hindsight solution that was eluding me; I got stuck on trying to buy additional DCV.