Changing Special Effects

[CrazySaga]

I've recently been fiddling around with the 6E Hero builder, and while I've figured out how various things work with powers and such, there's one thing I've been unable to figure out for a character I'm building:

 

How would one go about making a power that allows me to add and switch around Special Effects to, in this character's case, unarmed attacks? I've been unable to find a power which works for it. For example: in a phase of a fight he takes, say, a Half Phase to imbue any unarmed attacks he makes with fire, effectively making his attacks considered Fire/Heat for purposes of effects. Then another phase he decides to change it to ice or lightning, etc.

 

While I've tried looking at Blast to see if I could do it that way, I've been unable to make it an 'Elemental Imbuement' sort of thing, so that one is probably out of the question. More than likely I've figured this would be a Multipower or something akin to that.

[tombrown803]

Your looking for the power advantage "variable special effects".

[CrazySaga]

I never saw that advantage before, so I'm probably blind. lol! Anywho, that solves the 'different special effects' problem, but how would I go about the 'imbue' part of the ability? As in, should I treat it as Hand-to-Hand, Aid, etc.?

[HeroGM]

Explain the imbuement part please. And how that attaches to unarmed attacks.

[CrazySaga]

Think of the imbue part as a buff of sorts to the character's attacks. It'd be a magic sort of ability, where he enhances his body to make ALL his unarmed strikes be considered, say, Fire/Heat damage for the duration of the effect. If you've played D&D, think the Flaming enchantment, only it doesn't tack on extra damage: the AMOUNT of damage from punches and kicks for example remains the same. Best way I can explain it, unfortunately.

[SirViss]

Variable special effects as a Naked Advantage on STR would make your "normal attacks" change SFX I think.

[CrazySaga]

Mkay, the Naked Advantage seems to work well here. The only concern I have is under Variable Special Effects, is the system is telling me it has no direct effect on combat. Would this Naked Advantage still apply the moment this character, say, goes and punches somebody right after changing the special effect?

[HeroGM]

Sounds right to me. Make it had GH enough to cover your base strength, martial arts and csl's

[HeroGM]

Ack.... High enough

[CrazySaga]

So, that means the Active Points has to equal his 40 STR, 5 point cost CSL for Unarmed Strikes only, and the highest point cost for Martial Arts (a kick at 5), right? Will that include the +2 to HTH Damage Class as well?

[Armitage]

Mkay, the Naked Advantage seems to work well here. The only concern I have is under Variable Special Effects, is the system is telling me it has no direct effect on combat. Would this Naked Advantage still apply the moment this character, say, goes and punches somebody right after changing the special effect?

 

What they mean is that you can't use Variable Special Effects to simulate other Advantages.  If your punch becomes a poison attack, it's still a Normal Attack resisted with PD.  It doesn't become a Drain or an NND attack.

The main Advantage of VSE is to take advantage of an opponent's Vulnerabilities or any Limitations that they have on their defenses, e.g.turning your fists to silver to take advantage of the Not Against Silver that a werewolf has on its extra PD or ice against a fire-wielding character who takes 2x STUN from cold attacks.

However, a lot of Limited defenses are ED, e.g. Resistant Energy Defense, Does Not Work Against Fire.  Flaming fists wouldn't affect that since the punch is still against Physical Defense.

[Christopher]

I think there are three levels of multiple special effects:

1) is a slight disadvantage. Magical Fire that would trigger both defenses against magic and fire, but not vulnerabilites (unless they are against magic and fire or magic fire).

2) Is what Variable Special Effects is for. With that you can choose the special effect for every use. However, the attack is only one special effect. If (for example) you use "Counts as Silver" on a sword, it would not be considered triggering "sword" related vulnerabilities anymore. You have to actively choose wich special effect it counts as and might get it wrong

3) The third is Multiple special effect (at the same time). This is in one of the APG's. If you use it that silver sword would do damage as silver or as sword SFX, wichever is worse for the target after limited defenses, succeptibilies and limited regeneration are concerned. If his defense fails against swords and his regeneration against silver, it would even trigger both.

 

Remember that all those are only about triggering existing limited defenses/vulnerabilites/limited regen a target already has.

[Christopher]

However, a lot of Limited defenses are ED, e.g. Resistant Energy Defense, Does Not Work Against Fire.  Flaming fists wouldn't affect that since the punch is still against Physical Defense.

That is not quite right:

"However, he can switch back and forth between affecting Physical defenses and Energy defenses by choosing the appropriate special effects."

 

Switching between PD and ED is the easiest way to exploit limited defenses. If the enemy has more of one then the other, that is a prime example for a vulnerability.

[Armitage]

That is not quite right:

"However, he can switch back and forth between affecting Physical defenses and Energy defenses by choosing the appropriate special effects."

 

Switching between PD and ED is the easiest way to exploit limited defenses. If the enemy has more of one then the other, that is a prime example for a vulnerability.

 

A day after posting I realized that I may have been mistaken about that.  I didn't read far enough when I grabbed my rulebook yesterday.  In retrospect, it makes sense and I should have realized that.  Not being able to switch between PD and ED would defeat much of the purpose.

[NuSoardGraphite]

I personally allow Variable SFX powers to switch between PD and ED as the applicable defense. I will not allow them to switch to an exotic defense to gain NND like application though.

[Lucius]

I think there are three levels of multiple special effects:

1) is a slight disadvantage. Magical Fire that would trigger both defenses against magic and fire, but not vulnerabilites (unless they are against magic and fire or magic fire).

2) Is what Variable Special Effects is for. With that you can choose the special effect for every use. However, the attack is only one special effect. If (for example) you use "Counts as Silver" on a sword, it would not be considered triggering "sword" related vulnerabilities anymore. You have to actively choose wich special effect it counts as and might get it wrong

3) The third is Multiple special effect (at the same time). This is in one of the APG's. If you use it that silver sword would do damage as silver or as sword SFX, wichever is worse for the target after limited defenses, succeptibilies and limited regeneration are concerned. If his defense fails against swords and his regeneration against silver, it would even trigger both.

 

Remember that all those are only about triggering existing limited defenses/vulnerabilites/limited regen a target already has.

I'm sorry, I don't see how a sword that is made of silver somehow ceases to be a sword. In fact, if that were a case, a sword could never be a sword because a sword is always made of SOMETHING.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Being a palindromedary tagline does not make this not a tagline

[Christopher]

I'm sorry, I don't see how a sword that is made of silver somehow ceases to be a sword.

It is stll a sword. But the attack with it stop having the Sword Special Effect for triggering vulnerability, limited defenses and the like.

If change my firebolt to ice, it stops counting as fire SFX and starts counting as ice/cold. Special effects usually targetting PD are not magically excempt from basic balancing rules.*

Would you even argue the need for multiple special effects with a morning star (piercing and blunt SFX)?

 

And in 99% of the cases that will not be an issue. I mean how many target have truly a vulnerability agaisnt Silver and Swords??? You can just switch around special effect as a zero phase action.

 

But if you want to have your cake and eat it too, you need the (slightly more expensive) APG advantage.

 

 

*unless the GM explicitly says so, wich is every GM's own are of decision

[NuSoardGraphite]

To me, Sword is not a special effect. It is a definition. The default special effects of a sword are Slashing or Piercing vs Physical. i add additional SFX to magic weapons i write up all the time, the most common of which are Magical, Holy, Unholy, Silver, Mithril (true silver), Fire, Cold, Nether etc.

 

Adding a Silver SFX to a sword shouldnt overwrite the Slash and Pierce sfx. Itshould he complimentary to them. As far as vulnerabilities are concerned, only the highest vulnerability should apply. and if the addition of a new SFX should activate a resistance (higher defenses or damage reduction) tough luck!

[Lucius]

Special effects usually targetting PD are not magically excempt from basic balancing rules.*

You're right, it has nothing to do with targeting Physical Defense. A flamethrower is fire. It is also technology. For that matter, it's also a weapon. Being one does not prevent it from being the others.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Being a palindromedary tagline does not make this not a tagline, and being both a tagline and a palindromedary tagline is not unbalancing.