Shine A Little Light

[bigdamnhero]

I'm creating an energy blaster PC with Light Powers. Part of the concept is that she glows brightly all the time, which can be both a help and a hindrance. She can turn her powers off, so it's not Always On, but if she wants to have her powers active, she's gotta glow. How best to reflect this?

• Physical Complication: Bright, +3 to Sight PER Rolls
• Sight Group Images - Light Only, with No Conscious Control
• Make all her Powers Obvious (those that aren't already)
• Or some combination?

I ask because on my first draft I wound up with all of the above, which seems a bit excessive. (I must've been more tired than I thought.)

[Asperion]

In addition to the PhysComp mentioned above, l would also give her powers a side effect of some sort. Since they are based around the concept of light (which goes along with heat) you could say that they burn her minorly whenever she attempts to use them.

[Nothere]

Is the disadvantage visible still available in 6th?

[Hyper-Man]

This is a great question.  It's one of the reasons I have yet to tackle creating rookie version of Johnny Storm (The Human Torch).  His is not just visible but also dangerous to the nearby environment.

 

HM

[Lucius]

When you Gotta Glow, you Gotta Glow, all slots Only In Alternate Identity: While glowing brightly (-1/4)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says the thread is full of bright ideas

[bigdamnhero]

In addition to the PhysComp mentioned above, l would also give her powers a side effect of some sort. Since they are based around the concept of light (which goes along with heat) you could say that they burn her minorly whenever she attempts to use them.

Not looking to have her cause damage; just be highly visible.

 

Is the disadvantage visible still available in 6th?

Yes, tho it's now called Perceivable; -1/4 to make an Inobvious Power Obvious. That's actually what I meant in the 3rd bullet about making all her Powers Obvious. Sorry if that was confusing.

 

When you Gotta Glow, you Gotta Glow, all slots Only In Alternate Identity: While glowing brightly (-1/4)

I thought about that too, but she can change forms/activate her powers quickly and without restriction, so I didn't feel like OIAD fit.

 

I guess my real question is: is it appropriate to have both a Complication and Power Limitation/Side Effect to reflect essentially the same thing? At what point does that become double-dipping?

[Chris Goodwin]

I would say, build the Sight Group Images for light, that you can activate and deactivate at will, then give all of her other Powers a -1/4 Side Effects: Automatically Activates Full Body Glow When In Use.

[Netzilla]

 

Is the disadvantage visible still available in 6th?

 

Yes, tho it's now called Perceivable; -1/4 to make an Inobvious Power Obvious. That's actually what I meant in the 3rd bullet about making all her Powers Obvious. Sorry if that was confusing.

 

As I recall (don't have my book in front of me), you can use Perceivable to make a

power more visible than it normally is (not just Inobvious to Obvious). So, that

could mean perceivable by additional senses and/or Perception bonuses for those

observing the power use.

 

Another option is to go the Light-Only Images route as a Side Effect on all her

powers (which would also grant observers a PER bonus when observing her).

[Netzilla]

I would say, build the Sight Group Images for light, that you can activate and deactivate at will, then give all of her other Powers a -1/4 Side Effects: Automatically Activates Full Body Glow When In Use.

Or all the powers could be Linked to the Sight Group Images. So, if she wants to use her other powers,

she has to turn on the Images as well.

[BoloOfEarth]

Why not Distinctive Features (Concealable with Effort), specifying that the "effort" is doing without her powers?  10 points

 

I would add Sight Group Images +4 PER, AoE 2m radius, 0 END, No Range, Only to Create Light, Always On, Only in Alternate Identity, as a completely separate power, since she can get some benefit from that.  That costs 13 points if I'm doing it right.  So considering both it costs her 3 points.

 

I would NOT Link all her other powers to the Images, or apply any other Limitation to all her other powers.  That seems a bit munchkiny to me, getting an across-the-board price break that would add up fast.  But that's my opinion.  YMMV.

[Lucius]

I would say, build the Sight Group Images for light, that you can activate and deactivate at will, then give all of her other Powers a -1/4 Side Effects: Automatically Activates Full Body Glow When In Use.

 

Since when are you required to buy a Side Effect as its own Power?

 

Why not Distinctive Features (Concealable with Effort), specifying that the "effort" is doing without her powers?  10 points

I like that thinking.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary finds the discussion illuminating

[Netzilla]

This thread is a textbook example of the old Hero adage, "There's usually at least 3 ways to do any one thing in the Hero System."

[Ninja-Bear]

Bigdamnhero how about -0 lim? When powers on, very bright but since she can turn it off at will not much of a limitation. I think you might be over complicating things.

[bigdamnhero]

This thread is a textbook example of the old Hero adage, "There's usually at least 3 ways to do any one thing in the Hero System."

Yeah, and any of the three are probably fine, but when I caught myself using all three on the same character, that felt a bit munchkiny.

 

I think I like the Distinctive Features route, plus a "Always On When Powers Are Active" Lim on the Images. Thanks for helping me think it through.

[Chris Goodwin]

Since when are you required to buy a Side Effect as its own Power?

You're not, but if you still want to be able to use it as a Power you have to buy it as a Power.

[Mark Rand]

This thread is helping me because Sunspell is surrounded by red-orange flames which are harmless faerie fire.