Which Defense power to use?

[BhelliomRahl]

Sometimes when designing characters I have trouble deciding which defense power to use.

My general rules are:

 

1) Damage Resistance - For physical protection; armour, Tough Hide, etc:

2) Damage Reduction - For a beings innate resistance to damage.

3) Damage Negation - For Non-physical protection - Energy Shields, Mystical Barrier, etc.

 

For a physical shield such as a buckler I tend to to have it increase DCV.

 

I was wondering if anyone else has trouble with this and if they have any rules for what one to use?

[WistfulD]

Sometimes we have shields give bonuses to block maneuvers instead, but otherwise, that's about how we do it.

[worldshaking00]

I sometimes use Damage Negation as a form of "instant regeneration", granted in small amounts. At least cinematically, it looks pretty cool when "Snikt-bub" runs down a corridor pretty much ignoring lower caliber gunfire as he's wading through mooks. A lucky KB roll would mess that up, and since Negation removes dice ergo less KB to roll... you get the idea. His skin isn't bullet proof; he bleeds; he feels some pain; but, he's used to pain in smaller doses so he 'ignores' it.

[Hyper-Man]

I don't look at it as a choice between the 3 or even a particular special effect choice although that can be done.

 

I try to use a mix of all 3 where possible in static and active modes to show 'bracing for impact' types of extra defense.

 

See my rookie Superman and my rookie Mr. Fantastic for examples of this.

[Lord Liaden]

To me it really comes down to a particular concept, and the specific game mechanic I feel would reflect that concept best. I don't have a hard and fast rule as to what Special Effect is related to a particular Power -- it's a case-by-case basis.

 

For example, let's take that most generic of concepts, the "force field." Would that be something like the skin-tight field that John Byrne gave Superman, protecting him and his clothing from penetrating attacks and the like? Damage Resistance might reflect that best. Would the field dampen incoming radiant and kinetic energy so only part of it gets through? That sounds like Damage Reduction. Does the field totally negate the effect of attacks, but past a certain strength threshold the attack breaks through? I'd call that Damage Negation.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Sometimes we have shields give bonuses to block maneuvers instead, but otherwise, that's about how we do it.

I use shields in both ways. The bonus adds to DCV when used passively. When used actively to block it adds to OCV. (I also allow them to augment Missile Deflection)

[Armitage]

I've never actually used it in a game, but I've toyed with the idea of using Resistant Protection and Damage Negation to distinguish between flexible and rigid armor, like the Light Armor and Heavy Armor powers in Wild Talents.

 

Resistant Protection is flexible armor, like chainmail, kevlar, a "bulletproof spandex" superhero costume, or a superhuman's bulletproof skin.  The armor resists penetration but flexes enough to allow some energy through.  The defense will stop BODY damage, but some STUN is likely to get through.

 

Damage Negation is rigid armor, like plate mail, heavy tactical armor, powered battle armor, or skin covered with slabs of stone or metal plates.  If an attack isn't powerful enough to punch through the defenses, it bounces off completely with no effect.  If it does get through, the damage that penetrates tears through whatever's underneath, unless there's additional armor of another type.

 

The only problem is that Damage Negation works on AVADs and Drains, but that can be handled with a Limitation.  The 6e rulebook has examples that only work against bullets and only against punches.

[Christopher]

Sometimes we have shields give bonuses to block maneuvers instead, but otherwise, that's about how we do it.

The core rules of shields in 6E2 say you can add the DCV to the OCV for block.

 

I would personally go based on how difficulty they are to use.

Simple Defenses are reliable and easy. They generally do more to prevent body and less agaisnt Stun (the caps are adapted to allow the opposite to apply to KA's).

 

Damage Reduction is easy to use, but not quite as reliable. It is a standing tip to give "bosses" Damag Reduction, but lower the defenses. That way everyone can help take him/her/it down, while at the same time stunning the target is much harder (even with teamwork).

 

Damage Negation is very hard to use. You have to substract DC from the attack, wich can be tricky/mathy while in play.

If you use an AoE so that targets with different (or no levels) of DN are affected, rolling that damage get's really hard and complicated too.

It has the advantage that it also stops some of the knockback and affects every Attack Advantage.

But once it is overcome you can even take body damage from Normal Damage attacks. So it is a lot less reliable.

I never really saw a case where using DN was better/easier then using (resistant) Defenses + KB Resistance. But that might be just not having as much play experience as I would like too.

[WistfulD]

The core rules of shields in 6E2 say you can add the DCV to the OCV for block.

 

Then I guess we were going btb.

 

Although, in the spirit of the game, it should say, "the shield also grants a bonus to block attempts of an equal value."

[bigdamnhero]

I don't know that I distinguish between them in terms of sfx, but here's how I tend to use them conceptually:

• Resistant Defense is the default, almost everyone has a certain baseline amount.
• Damage Reduction I typically use when I need the make the Big Bad tougher, but raising his rDef means the PCs won't be able to touch him at all with most rolls.
• Damage Negation I generally only use as ~immunity against a certain type of attack, such as resistance to magic, fire, etc.

[Lucius]

I've never actually used it in a game, but I've toyed with the idea of using Resistant Protection and Damage Negation to distinguish between flexible and rigid armor, like the Light Armor and Heavy Armor powers in Wild Talents.

Same here, except I don't know what Wild Talents are.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Sounds like something a palindromedary might have

[Lord Liaden]

It's a superhero RPG from Arc Dream Publishing, a followup to Godlike.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Talents_(role-playing_game)