How do build various manipulations of earth

[Heroic Halfwit]

Hi, I'm trying to build a few different earth user type powers but for some reason not really getting it.

 

1.  Fissure:  the ability to create a 3m x 6m x10m crack in the ground at range.  At first, I thought Tunneling at range, area of effect any area, predefined shape, and then 10m tunnelling through ?pd.

 

2.  Quicksand.  The ability to transform an area of ground into quicksand.  This would immediately immobilize any caught within the area.  Over time as the victim sinks into the quicksand, they would lose the effective use of their arms and ultimately suffocate/drown.  My first thought was an Entangle, set effect feet only, coupled with an aid to Entangle Add or Remove adders, followed by an All or Nothing AVLD "self contained breathing" does Body.

 

3.  Tremors:  creates a harmonic vibration in the substrate that may throw people off balance, knock over loose objects, etc.  Change Environment requires a Dex roll, Area of Effect Surface.

 

4.  Heal Earth:  an ability which undoes prior geomantic manipulations.  xd6 Dispell any "earth movement" power one power at a time. 

 

5.  Pyroclasm:  an ability to replicate pyroclastic flow, basically a high velocity ejection of hot gasses and ingneous rocks that travels downhill and tends to hug the ground (apologies to any geolgoists who actually know what I'm trying to say.)  Blast, Area of Effect Surface, then I'm stumped.

 

 

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Doc Democracy]

It feels like you are approaching this by starting with the idea of discrete powers. Some folk do it that way. Personally, I like to get a really good image of the character in my head, thinking of the look and feel and how he or she might appear in a comic book.

 

Can't draw worth a damn but in my head I get great pictures! :-). So I try to paint those pictures in words, not in game terms.

 

It is only once I have been through that process do the game terms and constructs really flow for me...

 

Doc

[Manic Typist]

Tremors could be modeled as a trip maneuver?

[Lucius]

Hi, I'm trying to build a few different earth user type powers but for some reason not really getting it.

 

1.  Fissure:  the ability to create a 3m x 6m x10m crack in the ground at range.  At first, I thought Tunneling at range, area of effect any area, predefined shape, and then 10m tunnelling through ?pd.

I'd probably use Tunneling, yes. By the way, any particular reason you want it exactly 3X6X10?

 

Another option is to have a huge attack with Variable Advantage and Variable Special Effects (Earth-based) and create holes in the ground by targeting the ground with the attack.

 

 

2.  Quicksand.  The ability to transform an area of ground into quicksand.  This would immediately immobilize any caught within the area.  Over time as the victim sinks into the quicksand, they would lose the effective use of their arms and ultimately suffocate/drown.  My first thought was an Entangle, set effect feet only, coupled with an aid to Entangle Add or Remove adders, followed by an All or Nothing AVLD "self contained breathing" does Body.

I'm not sure this couldn't be Tunneling, Usable as Attack, with the Fill in Hole Adder.

 

 

3.  Tremors:  creates a harmonic vibration in the substrate that may throw people off balance, knock over loose objects, etc.  Change Environment requires a Dex roll, Area of Effect Surface.

 

4.  Heal Earth:  an ability which undoes prior geomantic manipulations.  xd6 Dispell any "earth movement" power one power at a time. 

 

5.  Pyroclasm:  an ability to replicate pyroclastic flow, basically a high velocity ejection of hot gasses and ingneous rocks that travels downhill and tends to hug the ground (apologies to any geolgoists who actually know what I'm trying to say.)  Blast, Area of Effect Surface, then I'm stumped.

 

 

Any help greatly appreciated.

The problem with pyroclasm in particular is that it might just break the bank in terms of point expenditure. It sounds pretty pyrocataclysmic.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary thinks I'm just fault-finding

[IndianaJoe3]

Hi, I'm trying to build a few different earth user type powers but for some reason not really getting it.

 

1.  Fissure:  the ability to create a 3m x 6m x10m crack in the ground at range.  At first, I thought Tunneling at range, area of effect any area, predefined shape, and then 10m tunnelling through ?pd. 

 

2.  Quicksand.  The ability to transform an area of ground into quicksand.  This would immediately immobilize any caught within the area.  Over time as the victim sinks into the quicksand, they would lose the effective use of their arms and ultimately suffocate/drown.  My first thought was an Entangle, set effect feet only, coupled with an aid to Entangle Add or Remove adders, followed by an All or Nothing AVLD "self contained breathing" does Body.

 

3.  Tremors:  creates a harmonic vibration in the substrate that may throw people off balance, knock over loose objects, etc.  Change Environment requires a Dex roll, Area of Effect Surface.

 

4.  Heal Earth:  an ability which undoes prior geomantic manipulations.  xd6 Dispell any "earth movement" power one power at a time. 

 

5.  Pyroclasm:  an ability to replicate pyroclastic flow, basically a high velocity ejection of hot gasses and ingneous rocks that travels downhill and tends to hug the ground (apologies to any geolgoists who actually know what I'm trying to say.)  Blast, Area of Effect Surface, then I'm stumped.

 

 

Any help greatly appreciated.

1. If all you want is to dig a hole, then a Minor Transform (patch of earth to patch of earth with a hole) is probably the simplest way of doing it.
2. Quicksand is probably the most complicated power here. You want to immobilize someone (Entangle) and drown them (using the optional suffocation rules from APG 1). The problem is that the usual method of escaping an Entangle (damaging it) doesn't work. A Drain vs Running might be a better fit.
3. Change Environment works well here.
4. I'd use another Minor Transformation (disturbed ground into undisturbed ground).
5. The pyroclastic flow sounds like a Ranged Killing Attack, AoE: Line, No Range. (The flow starts at the character.)

[Lucius]

 

Quicksand is probably the most complicated power here. You want to immobilize someone (Entangle) and drown them (using the optional suffocation rules from APG 1). The problem is that the usual method of escaping an Entangle (damaging it) doesn't work. A Drain vs Running might be a better fit.

 

 

The problem with Drain Running is that someone with little Running can be immobilized, and someone with a high Running will still be able to move.

 

Maybe I should do a search on the word, I'm sure "how to do quicksand" has come up before.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary asks how quick the sand is

[Lucius]

Quicksand: (Total: 112 Active Cost, 41 Real Cost) Telekinesis (30 STR), Area Of Effect (2m Surface; +1/4), Costs Endurance Only To Activate (+1/4), Invisible Power Effects (Inobvious to [two Sense Groups]; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2) (112 Active Points); Limited Power Only to grab, hold, and pull down. Cannot strike, crush, or throw. (-1 1/2), Affects Whole Object (-1/4) (Real Cost: 41)

 

May be escaped in one Turn by making an EGO roll (to not panic) and then a STR vs STR roll. (Uncontrolled requires an escape clause, this is it. )

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says please see 6th edition vol. 2 p. 152-153