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triggered Explosives


illaden

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Hi everyone 
I have some design question now since we are starting up a new campain with my group and I was wondering something 
I want to make a power that hit the target and put 3-5 runes on their body. These runes doesn't do anything until the target do something that mets the requirement for them to explode 

I'm guessing it is some form of trigger on it but what more? haven't found any other advantages and Limitations that will make it to what I want it to do

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This is going to get into some advanced Power design theory.  

 

You'll use the Differing Modifiers rules, and there will be two parts to the build: one of which will be the runes that explode, and the other which will be the Power to apply them to a target.  I'm assuming you're using 6th edition, and my writeup will be based on that, but it should be easily portable to other editions.  

 

The first part will be something like this:  

 

Exploding Runes:  Blast, 8d6 (Base Cost: 40 points).  Area Of Effect (8m, Explosion; +1/4), Trigger (one defined condition; activating takes No Time; character does not control activation; requires 1 Turn or more to reset; +1/4).  60 Active Points.  Charges (1 charge; never recovers; -4), No Range (-1/2), Perceivable (as glowing runes on surface; -1/4).  Real Cost: 10 points.  

 

You won't pay points for that Power.  Instead, you'll use it as the basis for another Power for which you will pay points, which will make the above Usable On Others, With Differing Modifiers.  The Base Cost for that Power will be the real cost of the Exploding Runes, and you will apply the Advantages and Limitations involved in applying that Power to the "Apply Exploding Runes" Power:

 

Apply Exploding Runes:  Grant Exploding Runes (Base Cost: 10 points).  Usable On Others (one recipient; As Attack; grantor controls; recipient pays END; others only; recipient must be within reach; recipient can go anywhere after; +1 1/4).  22 Active Points.

OAF (-1), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Requires A Magic Skill Roll (-1 per 10 Active Points; -1/2).  Real cost: 7 points.  END Cost: 2; Magic Skill Roll Penalty: -2.

 

To apply the runes, you need to have your casting Focus (probably a staff or something), gesture and incant, and make your Magic Skill Roll at -2.  Assuming you do all of this, then you make a touch-based Attack Roll, and if you hit, you place the runes on them.  When the trigger condition is met, they explode for 8d6.  You can change anything about the Power; you can make it so that you can place it at range (an additional +1/2 on the Usable On Others Advantage); you can change the Blast to a Killing Attack, Ranged with the No Range Limitation, by making the appropriate modifications up there; and so on.  

 

See CC pp. 119-120, FHC pp. 141-142, or 6e1 pp. 353-360.

 

Edit: to tweak the Exploding Runes Power some.  Made it 1 Charge which Never Recovers, as once it is triggered it is no longer present on the target, and the target can't get it back.  It's a GM call whether Never Recovers applies, as the caster can recreate it at any time; if not, make the Exploding Runes Charges Difficult To Recover, for -2 1/4 instead of -4, and refigure the Base, Active, and Real Cost of the Grant Exploding Runes.

Edited by Chris Goodwin
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And the "1 charge, Never Recovers" thing. I'm not sure I follow this. It sounds like you're using it because the willing grantee can only use it once, but this sounded like an attack, not a favour. You could make the grantor pay the END as well, which would help with the cost.

Why isn't it just Blast xd6, Explosive, UAA, Trigger + any other disads you need to make it affordable? Right now it looks really cheap for a 60pt active power.

Or should it be Delayed Effect? Gosh, I get tied in knots with this stuff.

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The first part will be something like this:  

 

Exploding Runes:  Blast, 8d6 (Base Cost: 40 points).  Area Of Effect (8m, Explosion; +1/4), Trigger (one defined condition; activating takes No Time; character does not control activation; requires 1 Turn or more to reset; +1/4).  60 Active Points.  Charges (1 charge; never recovers; -4), No Range (-1/2), Perceivable (as glowing runes on surface; -1/4).  Real Cost: 10 points.

...

Apply Exploding Runes:  Grant Exploding Runes (Base Cost: 10 points).  Usable On Others (one recipient; As Attack; grantor controls; recipient pays END; others only; recipient must be within reach; recipient can go anywhere after; +1 1/4).  22 Active Points.

OAF (-1), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Requires A Magic Skill Roll (-1 per 10 Active Points; -1/2).  Real cost: 7 points.  END Cost: 2; Magic Skill Roll Penalty: -2.

 

This seems like an unnecessarily complicated construct... but honestly, I'm having kittens trying to come up with anything simpler.

Perhaps this would work:

 

Explosive Runes:​ 

Game Elements:  RKA 1d6, Area of Effect (1m Radius, Accurate; +1/2), Autofire (5 shots; +1 1/2)*, Trigger (Variable Trigger, No Time Action, Trigger Expires If The Runes Are Removed Or Fade; +1/2) (52 APs); No Range (-1/2), Requires An Attack Roll To Set Trigger (Using your OCV -3 vs. the target's DCV; -1/4). Total Cost:  30 points.

Description:  ​This special ability allows you to place up to 5 glowing runes on the target with a successful Attack Roll with a -3 penalty. Each rune you attempt to place with a given use of this special ability must share the same trigger condition, and costs 5 END. When the runes trigger, makes a separate Attack Roll using your normal OCV vs. a flat DCV of 3, this determines the number of runes which you successfully placed (of which successfully detonate). The target can remove these runes as if they were painted on the target with ink, which may require soap and scrubbing at the very least. Otherwise, the runes will usually fade after a week if they are not triggered before then (assuming they were painted on human skin or clothes which see wear and tear... if painted on parchment they might last for years). 

 

Notes:  This construct was built using FHC, if anyone is willing to double check my I would appreciate it. I used Requires an Attack Roll because per the RAW for Trigger, you make the Attack Roll when the Power is triggered, not when you set the Trigger. Because I am unaware of what, if any, magic system you are using, this power omits any common procedural limitations (such as gestures or incantations) which may lower the cost.

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hmm true I was kind of vague, Well I want it to work like a trap were I place the runes on the person, when it meet certain condition it will explode . Kind of like in fallout 3 with the slave collar that will exploade if you try to run just for an example but I don't want them as a focus (tho focus as a requirement to place them np) 

 

it can also be that I'm still not used to how the Herosystem and FHC works and need to see more examples of certain powers and so on
also we were using 6th edition version

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Okay, the power I built covers that description fairly well then...

 

The version of Trigger I used can be set to any "reasonably verifiable" condition, and the condition can change from usage to usage. For example, the first time you cast it you can place runes on a wall that explode "when the runes are read" (ala "I prepared Explosive Runes this Morning!"), and the second time you cast it you can place runes on a person that explode "when the target leaves the premises without your permission".

Special Note: Trigger uses the same senses you posses to ascertain when it's conditions have been met, of if the target is Invisible, neither you nor the runes can "see" them "leave the premises" they don't trigger. As a result, many example traps built as Attack Powers using Trigger are linked to Special Senses which can ascertain conditions the character themselves could not. For traps built into Bases and Vehicles this is especially common, since Bases and Vehicles do not inherently possess any senses to ascertain whether the trigger conditions are met.

 

Because I used Area of Effect (1m Radius, Accurate), only the target (defined as whatever the runes are painted on) takes damage when the trigger condition is met. If you desire a more generic explosion (ala the typical Explosive Runes spell from D&D) replace it with Area of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4) (49 APs). Total Cost: 28 points.

 

Having to make two Attack Rolls, one when the runes are placed, and another when they trigger, is an oddity of the ruleset which cannot be avoided. Unless the GM chooses to house rule otherwise there is no rules legal way to link the Autofire modifier to the Requires An Attack Roll modifier, even though that would make more sense given the special effect involved. If your GM allows it, doing so should reduce the value of Autofire to +1/2, because it is currently being increased by a flat +1 as a result of the fact that the number of Autofire shots which "hit" (or detonate successfully) is based on an Area of Effect Attack Roll, which is much, much easier than a standard Attack Roll.

 

If you want the ability to require that you actually paint the runes on the target with something (special alchemical ink I suppose), Add Extra Time (Full Phase; -1/2), (Extra Phase; -3/4), or (1 Turn; -1 1/4) and OAF Fragile Expendable (Special Alchemical Ink, Difficult To Obtain; -1 1/2).

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I would be glad If I could get some help with another spell I been thinking about since I'm still not used to trigger advantage and long term effect 
It will also be a trigger and will be casted on the target when the target makes a promise to them 
The trigger will be when the target breaks the oath or the promise and either drain or deal damage to the person when perfomring certein actions as long as doesn't amend for the breaking promise or oath 

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